"After a Long DeLay; The Hammer Gets Nailed!"

The indictment of Tom DeLay proves one thing; every now and then the hammer gets nailed!

For progessive thinking people the last five years have been depressing; a sort of extended case of post-traumatic stress disorder, which has led to fits of anger, random eye twitches and large scale ranting at the radio. But, in the nick of time, several hopeful signs have emerged.

1 - Rick Santorum writes an inane tome full of regressive ideas and his polling numbers continue to fall, even though people barely know his competition. Translation? "Give us anyone but this arrogant wacko!"

2 - The Bush administration's monumental ineptitude is laid bare by the twin disasters in Iraq and the Gulf states. People are finally catching on to the fact that the WMDs are the people in power!

3 - Tom DeLay, a brutal Texas power broker and manipulative, morally bankrupt embarrassment of a Congressman gets indicted for conspiracy. There is little doubt that he has done worse, but this is the best our system can manage for the time being.

Ya' know what? We'll take it.

Intelligant Design and Bart the Interstallar Locust

I have an offer to all people who want to teach "creationism" or "intelligent design" (never did two terms deserve quotation marks more!) in schools. The deal is this;

I will agree that America's children can be taught ID, as long as you agree with me that the intelligence behind ID came from a large, interstellar locust by the name of Bart. In other words, Bart=God. My guess is, I won't get too many takers.

Why? Because the radical right wing crowds pressing this ridiculous agenda aren't suggesting that there is a supreme locust, they are insisting that only the Christian concept of a supreme-being, in the form of God (along with his supposed son, Jesus Christ) be accepted as the only form of ID. How intelligent is that? I mean, don't these people themselves disprove the concept? If the design was so darned smart, The Big G would never had designed cell structure that could mutate into a right wing nutball....

Rick Santorum Visits the Confesssional

For those of you who weren't raised as Catholics, I'll explain a little. "Going to Confession" is one of the key elements of Catholic dogma. The idea is that, if you admit to your sins, and seek to be absolved of them, you'll be cool with God. We won't argue the merits of the concept here. The traditional confession was held, in of all places, the "confessional," usually a musty little closet in the corner of your church somewhere. Father Frisky Hands sat in one room, you in the other, separated by a wall, but allowed to communicate via a little shrouded (no, not THAT shroud!) window.

I thought, that since Rick Santorum is such a fervent Catholic, that we might imagine for a moment what his latest confession might have been like. With that in mind....we take you behind the heavy oak doors......

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been three days since my last confession."

"It is good to hear your voice again, my son...but did you really need to come back in so soon?"

"Yes, Father."

"What troubles you, Ricardo my boy?"

"I have been foolish, Father. I mistakenly blamed the city of Boston and its errant liberal attitudes for all the ills of the Catholic clergy."

"Yes, we read your web postings. They made us proud here in Philadelphia. So what can the trouble be?"

"Well, Father, if you read today's paper there was....."

"Excuse me, Ricardo, but I only read the Gospels and the latest financial solicitations from His Eminence, the Cardinal..."

"Well, speaking of the Cardinal...."

"Ricky. You are losing your faith. I can feel it. The power of The Church is behind you, my boy, but you musn't lose faith, nor your high place amongst the GOP leadership in Congress...."

"But these reports about the City of Brotherly Love are disheartening, Father. I am tempted to rethink my remarks about the Charles River Gomorrah....unless...

"Yes, Ricardo. You know there is another answer...let us pray for a moment, so you can cleanse your mind and think clearly....."

(mumble, mumble, mumble....)

"Has the answer come to you, my fleshy little friend?"

"Yes. The Spirit spoke to me. The answer is now so clear...."

"And that is..."

"Blame the boys and girls themselves, blame the movies, blame television, blame comic books, blame Soupy Sales, blame those Bazooka Joe jokes, blame Hugh Hefner, blame Barney Frank....well, you get the idea!"

"Ah, but do we really want to play the "blame game," Ricardo? "Didn't Scott McClelland eschew that approach?"

"Fuck Scott. This is my ass we're talking about here!"

"True, but I might not use that exact phrase these days. And, I'm afraid I'm going to have to add a couple more "Our Fathers" for the unfortunate use of the f-word...."

"Fine. That's what I have staffers for. See you next time, Father."

"I'm hoping it won't be so soon....?"

Judge Roberts: Inscrutable and Scary

The televised visage of SCOTUS nominee Roberts is that of a man unperturbed. He doesn't lose his cool, he doesn't break a sweat. Of course, at the same time, he doesn't tell us anything. He projects the image of a man so enamored of the "rule the law," and his own judicial neutrality, that any question about his personal views or opinions are met with near indignation by the man, as if being human wasn't something he's ever thought about. And while I personally want a Justice who will weigh the issues carefully and not lean on his own preconceived notions, I do not believe Roberts is that man.

The nominee makes much of that fact that many of his former writings were developed for his clients, and are, therefore, not indicative of his own beliefs. If so, we have much more to fear. The problem is this; Roberts is essentially being "hired" by the Bush administration and its Right Wing backers and Roberts knows it. Everyone knows it. In the future, he'll do just what he's done in the past, which is to adjust his writings and opinions to please his employers. Despite anything he has said during the hearings, he will use this position of massive importance to further press the screwball Right Wing ideology.

Those of us in the "liberal blogosphere" know one thing for certain; if Bush and his buds want this guy so badly, then we don't, because under that Sphinx-like exterior there is a hungry rattlesnake curled up and waiting to strike.

Mr. President, The Time Has Come

Like the aged wood in the shotgun shacks of New Orleans, I have been absorbing much and saying little over the past few days. But now, it is time to have a go at it.

When Dubya was running for President, much was made of him being a corporate sort, the kinda guy who "would run the Government like a lean-mean corporation." Ya know what? He is! Bush hired and promoted just like a corporate CEO, who puts his golfing buddies and yes-men on the payroll, aware that they'd always be beholden to him and never challenge his authority. The difference, of course, is clear; if you work for Blitso Corporation and you're a complete moron, nobody gets hurt. Maybe your stupidity effects the bottom line a bit and leads to some layoffs, but nobody (usually) dies. Not so when you're the head of a major federal organization like FEMA.

Mr. Brown's "decision" to step down is welcomed. Next, we must ask for the same from Mr. Bush, who hired him in the first place and who has stocked the Federal government with many similar know-nothing appointees.

The time has come, Mr. President, for a reckoning. The time has come for the citizens of this remarkable nation to be given back their diginity. The time has come, Mr. President, for you to leave and let a more qualified, a more truthful, a more ethical, a more intelligent, a more worthy man, or woman, take your place, and bring America back.

The time has come.

Chertoff, Jerkoff

A large scale, category 4 or 5 hurricane, alone with a breach of the NOLA levees could never happen. That essentially, is the latest lie from the Bush administration's cadre of the clueless. How can they possible be serious? If you live below sea level, surrounded by water, the NUMBER ONE question you ask is; what if the dam breaks?

"That 'perfect storm' of a combination of catastrophes exceeded the foresight of the planners, and maybe anybody's foresight," Chertoff said.

Yes, sir, ladies and gents, this is the guy whose job it is to keep us safe from the "evildoers." But he is, like the rest of the Bushies, an evildoer of a different sort, a blithering, lying scoundrel who deserves our disdain. A nasty, cruel human being who should have the honor to step down, but won't. A painfully stupid prick who should spend the rest of his days in a flooded New Orleans shotgun shack living off of Twinkies. And that would be way too nice.

The American public got a wakeup call during Watergate. It took a long time, but they finally caught on. They realized that Tricky Dick wasn't being railroaded by his opponents and the hippie-dippy left wing, but that he really was a vicious, lying, manipulative, self-serving pig of a human being. Maybe that's happening again. Maybe...

Crime Doesn't Stop With High Water

So there is looting in New Orleans? Crime in the streets? You're kidding, right?

With all the so-called news coverage of the Katrina disaster, I haven't heard one person mention that the Big Easy has, for many years, been one of the most violent, crime-ridden ciites in the United States, with a corrupt police department, to boot.

So how can it be any surprise that theives and thugs didn't go on vacation? Of course these people would take advantage of the misfortune of others; that's what loser's do, they live off the weak and the troubled.

All of this talk of looting must be looked at though that prism. One must ask the question, how much crime would there have been on an average day in New Orleans?

The President Should Resign

I know, that's pretty strong language coming from an anonymous blogger, but I don't say it lightly or mean it humorously.

George Bush, long an embarrasment worldwide, has, over the past week, proven his complete inability to govern this great, proud nation. His carefully staged-managed, homespun persona won't protect him, now that the red states have seen what his polities and actions really mean. I have to think that many of those fine Christian people in the delta are reconsidering just how important a ten commandments plaque is in the courthouse and that maybe, just maybe, some government spending on critical infrastructure would have been a better idea.

But back to Bush. I just heard his little homily live from the NOLA airport. It was as pathetic a speech as I have every heard. He continually referred to the effected zone as "this part of the world," as if he were in Nepal, not New Orleans. He showed no real human concern, no depth of understanding for the citizens he presumably governs. It was, as he is, an embarrasment. Funny thing was, just as he was summing up, the speech came into focus, with a load of trite meandering about how "this great city" and "this great state" will rebuild. You know, boilerplate garbage. My guess is that he gave the rambling start off-the-cuff, then turned to a page that had been dashed off by Rove, et al. Did I mention the whole thing was an embarrasment.

So here's the deal. GWB should go back to DC, pack his golf clubs and bike, take the wife and kids, ascend the stairs of Marine One, turn to us with both hands displaying the V for victory sign, and leave Washington forever. If he isn't willing to do this on his own, we should help him on his way. The word is impeachment.

"No one imagined the levees would break"

I am so angry about the Katrina disaster that I want to start a new blog every five minutes. Each time I turn on the TV or jump to another website I find things that enrage me. Right now, my mind is swimming with the quote from Clueless George that "no one imagined the levees would break."

First off, it's a complete and utter lie. But that doesn't stop this government. They realize the attention span of most voters is short. Better to lie now and look for political cover sometime later. And never admit fault.

But this isn't just a failure of George Bush, it must be laid at the feet of all the Republicans who believe we can cut budgets and not pay the price. Who believe they can confuse and befuddle people with talk of the ten commandments and prayer in school while they vote down money that would save lives. How about these commandments? Thou shalt not lie, deceive, dissemble. Thou shalt not kill. Because, as sure as the water flows in NOLA, these politicians are responsible, directly for the deaths of many people in this fine old city.

Addendum: As proof that "we never learn," one only has to turn to the infamous Johnstown Flood. That Pennsylvania city was the site of a massive disaster which was caused by the failure of the rich folks up in the mountains to take care of an earthen damn, despite clear evidence that it would likely fail. Sound familiar?

When It's Needed Most, The Government Bails

Where is Kellog, Brown and Root when you need them? Aren't they experts at setting up field operations to feed, cloth and entertain large groups of people? Haven't they been enriched by the largesse of the US government over the last twenty years? But where are these patriotic capitalitsts? Too busy counting their Iraq profits? Too busy responding to that last no-bid RFP? You bet. They certainly aren't "on the ground" in the Gulf....unless you mean the Persian Gulf.

Halliburton and all its subs are too busy raking in the long, folding green to help the people of Louisiana and Mississippi. None of their substantial resources are being plied in the Delta, 'cause they're too busy sucking the nation dry in the deserts of the middle east.

The government, at every level, but particularly the Feds, have shown their true colors in this emergency. They have shown that they are, essentially, unable to respond at times of crisis. They have shown that average citizens are not important to them, and that when, push comes to shove, the President can manage, at best, a pathetic, weak-kneed speech. Clearly no one will be replaying them 30 years from now...like the do JFK and FDR....

So the government bails desperately, hoping that it can stand on the dias with a tin cup and offset its remarkable failure to protect its citizens. Hoping it can slosh enough water out of their sinking boat so that the 2006 mid-terms elections won't sink the neocon express.

This may be the wakeup call the southern states needed. This might remind them that, when it gets down to it, science and survival trumps everything else.