The political quagmire thickens for Dubya on the matter of the compromised CIA agent, with 2/3rds of Americans supporting the appointment of a special prosecutor into the matter. The GOP invested millions of taxpayer dollars in the vain search for a felony they could stick on the Clinton White House…let’s hope they show the same resolve and fortitude now that we’ve found an actual felon within this administration. If they can get that worked up over Monica Lewinsky, I can’t wait to see how they’ll respond to a criminal act of treason by one of the Bushies.
Tag: Republicans
Take a pass, Rush.
See, this is why you don’t hire right-wing throwbacks to cover football games…Rush Limbaugh invokes the “black quarterback” canard during an Eagles game, claiming that Donovan McNabb has been overhyped because “the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well.” I presume he also thinks the media was behind the respective successes of Randall Cunningham, Kordell Stewart, Steve McNair, and Michael Vick (currently the most exciting QB in the game.) In keeping with his jackass nature, Rush is naturally standing by his comments. (For their part, Clark, Dean, and Sharpton have also weighed in.) ESPN should do the right thing and let Limbaugh dangle, but I doubt that’s going to happen…even with whatever dirt the Enquirer‘s drudged up on him. After all, as this story notes, “Limbaugh once said he felt guilty about telling an African-American caller to ‘take that bone out of your nose and call me back.’ He still uses the mock dialect ‘ax’ instead of ‘ask’ when discussing black leaders on his syndicated radio show and often plays the theme song ‘Movin’ On Up’ from ‘The Jeffersons’ when referring to Carol Moseley Braun.” Does this racist buffoon have any business covering the world of sports? Update: Well, that’s then…Rush resigned. Smart of him to try to nip this Lott-sized bud now before everyone starts taking a closer look at his long history of questionable racial remarks.
War Chests.
In other campaign news, Bush outtpaced Dean — the leading Democratic fund-raiser — by a factor of three in the past three months, and has now raised $82.5 million for his 2004 campaign. No money for jobs, no money for rebuilding Iraq…but plenty to go around for Dubya’s re-election. Go figure.
Preseason Review.
In case you haven’t been following along up to this point, the NY Times summarizes the state of the 2004 Democratic field heading into Labor Day weekend (Gen. Wesley Clark excepted, for the time being.) On the other side of the aisle, Dubya’s 9/11 actions are given the rose-colored Showtime treatment (with Timothy Bottoms of That’s My Bush! playing Dubya again, no less.) Let’s see…Lying about witnessing the first attack, reading The Pet Goat for ten minutes while the WTC smoldered, disappearing from public view for the remainder of the day while jetting to Omaha, scampering about atop the ruins (and remains) a few days later while playing fratboy games with a megaphone…It should make for an interesting film, if they pause long enough to stop waving the bloody shirt.
Bottom-Dealing.
Remember the officers punished for complaining about Rummy’s Iraq exit strategy (or lack thereof)? It seems the powers-that-be have looked the other way while marines created Dem-threatening cards. Tsk, tsk…
Place your bets.
The Post handicaps the 2004 Senate races. And it appears the Dems’ll have trouble in the South if Graham and/or Edwards don’t stand down by then.
Breeding Shock Troops.
“‘How am I a closet Democrat? I’m racist, I love guns and I hate welfare.'” Michelle Goldberg of Salon checks out the college Republican convention in DC, and discovers many of the attendees to be exactly the bitter, troubled, pugnacious, and ignorant children you might expect (and as the study suggests.) “I’m a Republican because liberals make me sick,” says one deluded soul, for example, “I don’t like whiny people and tree-huggers.” (He then proceeds to whine incessantly about how affirmative action and taxes screwed him over.) Meanwhile, the “adults” at the convention spend their time fostering this hate in the name of the almighty buck. “Gene McDonald, who sold ‘No Muslims = No Terrorists’ bumper stickers at the Conservative Political Action Conference in January, was doing a brisk trade in ‘Bring Back the Blacklist’ T-shirts, mugs and mouse pads.” Scary stuff.
“Arrogance of Power.”
In the nearly-ten years since the 1994 “Contract with America,” notes the Washington Post, the GOP has come to embrace the same heavy-handed tactics they once railed against. Can’t say I’m surprised.
Showing their cards.
“Ann Coulter may have committed ‘treason’ against conservative good taste. But she’s done the rest of us a favor. She has exposed the often empty semantic difference between the “responsible” right and its supposed ‘fringe.'” Sam Tanenhaus of Slate examines why conservatives hate Ann Coulter (too).
Second Thoughts.
Now this is more like it. After a steady stream of “2004’s in the bag” type-stories, the GOP starts to sweat a little. “‘The economy is touch and go,’ said Dick Taylor, another RNC member from Maryland. ‘I’ve got to believe it recovers really fast. If not, obviously we’ll be in some trouble.’”