You don't need to look very far to see the active workings of the right-wing noise machine at full volume. Following the well-reported exchange the other day where Preznit Yellow Stripe tried to make small talk with Jim Webb, the right-wingnuts are having a hissy fit because Webb did not bend over and lick the shoes of the deserter.

On top of that, George Will writes the "Disrespectful Democrat" column in the Washington Post, and selectively chooses what was reported to have been said, to make Webb look like the asshole. Well, two assholes were uncovered, and both share the same first name. George.

Here's the exchange as reported by the actual news side of the paper that sends Will a paycheck:

"How's your boy?" Bush asked, referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq.

"I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President," Webb responded, echoing a campaign theme.

"That's not what I asked you," Bush said. "How's your boy?"

"That's between me and my boy, Mr. President," Webb said coldly,
...

So Will, not bothering to read the article (although he cites it), goes to work doing the republican thing, rewriting history:

Wednesday's Post reported that at a White House reception for newly elected members of Congress, Webb "tried to avoid President Bush," refusing to pass through the reception line or have his picture taken with the president. When Bush asked Webb, whose son is a Marine in Iraq, "How's your boy?" Webb replied, "I'd like to get them [sic] out of Iraq." When the president again asked "How's your boy?" Webb replied, "That's between me and my boy." Webb told The Post...

The long knives are out now in the new era of "bi-partisanship" that he republicans seem to want now that they are headed into the wilderness. The rules that they set up are now going to ensure that they are left without a voice, or that if they have a voice it will be that of the Kewl Kidz and hacks like George Will, David Broder and Tim Russert.

It would be nice if the one George was more careful and intellectually honest than the other, but apparently that's not to be. Interesting how we get two fools named George in one city and both are so full of themselves that they can never be wrong, isn't it?

Memo two Georges: Fuck with Webb at your peril. I think his capacity for suffering fools gladly is pretty low, and lower still as long as his son is in Iraq.

The word from the 1600 Crew has been "they stand up , we stand down". The unfortunate reality is that not only are the Iraqi Army and police units infested with militia, they also have the problem of pretty high desertion rates.

One of Cordesman's central issues is that public statements by the Defense Department "severely distorted the true nature of Iraqi force development in ways that grossly exaggerate Iraqi readiness and capability to assume security tasks and replace U.S. forces." He also writes that "U.S. official reporting is so misleading that there is no way to determine just how serious the problem is and what resources will be required."

Cordesman says the Pentagon's Aug. 31 status report, which was sent to Congress, lists 312,400 men "trained and equipped" among the Iraqi army and national and regular police. But it adds that "no one knows how many . . . are actually still in service." At the same time, he writes, "all unclassified reporting on unit effectiveness has been cancelled."
...
Cordesman says attrition is put at "at least 20 percent per year." The Pentagon report also notes problems with the police having ties to militias and warns about "unprofessional and at times criminal behavior" by some units.

Cordesman described the situation as "far worse" with the regular police, where "desertion rates are far higher than with the regular [Army] forces and National Police. He cites the Pentagon report as saying "there is currently no screening process to ascertain militia allegiance" and "no method exists to track the success rate of these or other police officers."

Reap what you sow? So what, this is now the whirlwind?

Headline:

About 3 percent of the U.S. adult population was incarcerated or on parole or probation at the end of last year, a government report said today.

All told, a record seven million men and women were in the U.S. correctional population, which includes parolees or those on probation at the end of 2005, according to a report by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics.
...
The report also noted that the federal prison system was operating at 34 percent over capacity at the end of last year.

The revenues collected from the sale of legalized pot might be a healthy offset for revenue lost from the nonsensical tax-cutting of the 1600 Crew. The money could be used to pay for education, substance abuse treatment and bringing former prisoners back into society.

Utopian? Yeah, maybe. But at the present rate, we can't have everything and current research is showing that the Killer Weed is hardly the evil drug that it has been branded as for so long. The war on drugs is an utter failure, and the 1600 Crew's War on Brown People is failing even more extravagently. It's time to start talking real alternatives if for no other reason than the economic health of our country.

3%. Damn.

18 months later in this fah-bu-lus ekonomy dahlings, I am employed again.

Literally on my last dime. I was about to put up a paypal button.

Life is better.

Ultra-winger Kate (Sixty-Grit) O'Beirne is truly as stupid as she is just plain unattractive as a person. Over at The Corner (no linkee, sorry) she's flogging her book (well reviewed by Jane Hamsher here) which is now out in paperback. She's all moist because she found out that the Democrats might want to reconstitute the Equal Rights Amendment (which for those of you too young to remember would have been quite a triumph for women) and she, of course opposes. But the really funny part of her missive at The Corner is her misuse of a word (now remember, she's a famous "Writer" and shit.)

In a front page story today, the Washington Times reports that the new congressional majority has revived the prospects for the Equal Rights Amendment. (I had to double-check the paper's dateline). Call it the luck of the Irish given that my book is just out in paperback. Back in 1982, the ERA died when it fell three states short of the 3/4 necessary to ratify it during the proscribed period. Now feminists and some of the men who fear them hope to win ratification in those three states and have a compliant liberal Congress certify the results by a simple majority vote. Discrimination against women in employment and education has been outlawed at the federal level for 40 years, so what do these perpetually aggrieved women want? Nothing that enjoys broad public support, I argue. Conservatives should welcome the debate that this relic could launch.

I guess that when she titled her book "Women who make the world worse" she was looking in the mirror.

Yeah, so the Boy in the Bubble today has declared that he does not share the "pessimistic" assessments of the situation in Iraq and the Middle East.

President Bush, rejecting what he called "pessimistic" assessments of his Middle East policy, pledged Tuesday to make necessary changes in Iraq but vowed never to pull out U.S. troops before completing the mission there.
...
He acknowledged that "some in my country and some here in Europe are pessimistic about the prospect of democracy and peace in the Middle East." He added, "I understand these doubts, but I do not share them." The United States and NATO "refuse to give in to the pessimism that consigns millions across the Middle East to endless oppression," he said.

I'm sure that he'd find the visit enlightening. I'm sure he's learn a few things. I'm also sure he's too big a coward to ever consider it. I mean having to talk to actual Iraqis? Whatever was I thinking. Never mind.

Life in the Tony Snow's little bubble (or globe) must be sooo pleasant. From the Monday Presser:

MR. SNOW: -- (inaudible) -- civil war? No, but you have not yet had a situation also where you have two clearly defined and opposing groups vying not only for power, but for territory. ...

I guess that one day Tony will come to work and the boss will be forced to tell him that there are two factions in Iraq that are killing each other. Or not.

Are we reaching the end of the time (30 days after the election) before we can all start heading over to right-wing blogs and being "Concern Trolls" about their loss and the future of the republican party?

What would your best line/Concern Troll advice be?

Headline:

Bush Broadens Diplomatic Efforts on Iraq

The question is, will his Office Wife let him speak? Knowing that everytime the Inerrant Boy opens his mouth, things get worse. Maybe he'll tell his Puppet in Baghdad to "Bring it On"...nah, been there, done that.

Yup! The 1600 Crew has decided to get out in front of any Congressional hearings (not that it's gonna do them much good) and allow the Justice Department to "investigate" the Domestic Spying Agenda of so near and dear to Beloved Leaders heart.

After months of pressure from Congressional Democrats, the Justice Department's inspector general said Monday that his office had opened a full review into the department's role in President Bush's domestic eavesdropping program and the legal requirements governing the program.
...
Mr. Fine declined at the time, saying a review of the program’s legality fell outside his jurisdiction. He referred the matter to another arm of the Justice Department, the Office of Professional Responsibility. That office sought to examine ethical issues surrounding the roles played by Justice Department lawyers in the eavesdropping program. But its review was blocked this year when Mr. Bush personally refused security clearances for its investigators.

Democrats have since renewed their calls for a full Justice Department investigation, accusing the Bush administration of stonewalling. On Monday, Mr. Fine informed members of Congress in a letter that he was opening an investigation after the White House had agreed to approve the necessary security clearances for members of his staff.

Oh, and how politicians talk? Zoe Lofgren of California:

"It's hard to ignore the fact that there is a correlation in the timing," said Representative Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat who helped lead the push for a Justice Department investigation.

"I don't know why the White House would stonewall for a year, then within a month of the election, agree to these security clearances" for the inspector general's staff, Ms. Lofgren said in an interview. "We don't know what it means, but we'll find out."

Dear Beloved Leader, Preznit Ima Loser is going to go to NATO to ask for more troops. Yeah, would that be from, ummmm, "Old Europe" or the bright and shiny new one that exists in NeoCon Fables?

President Bush will ask NATO for fresh troops for the fight in Afghanistan and fewer restrictions on how they can be used when he sits down this week with alliance leaders to review the state of the dangerous mission there, according to senior U.S. officials.

Yeah, I can so feel the luuuuv at the NATO summit. From here.

1. Where there's a Webb, There's a Will
   
2. The real Iraqi Conundrum
   
3. Such Bullshit
   
4. Employed
   
5. Kate O'Beirne is an idiot
   
6. A task for Dear Leader...
   
7. Snow-Globe
   
8. A question...
   
9. The truth of it...
   
10. How Politicians Talk ---