Reading Room

Digby is as confused as many of us as to the I'm a Democrat. I'm neutered mindset:

Clift wrote:
"there is a vacuum in the heart of the party's base that Feingold fills, but at what cost?"

Cost?If the Democrats lose in November, I'm sure she'll find plenty of reasons to blame Democrats, but it won't occur to her that the reason people didn't vote for the D's was because the party listened to people like her and campaigned like a herd of neutered animals instead of listening to their hearts, their minds, their constituents and their leaders who were prepared to take a stand for what we believe in. No, they'll blame the "extremists" who want a safety net and a sane terrorism policy --- and leaders who defend the constitution. It couldn't possibly be that their tired, stale reflexive passivity is to blame when half the base fails to turn out because they just. have. no. hope.
Here's more

Osama bin Laden may be dead? Good news for Republicans: They got bin Laden! New tapes prove bin Laden is still alive? Good news for Republicans: It reminds people of the threat of terrorism! Democrats don't criticize Bush? Good news for Republicans: Democrats are timid! Democrats do criticize Bush? Good news for Republicans: Democrats are shrill!
That's basic marketing 101, no matter what happens it's good for your team. It shouldn't be surprising to anyone that the media has internalized this so thoroughly they don't even know what they're doing..

Here's a big suprise

Our future?

US President George W. Bush has described Belarus as "the last dictatorship in Europe" and Western powers accuse Lukashenko of rigging Sunday's vote by stifling independent media, arresting activists and manipulating the electoral apparatus....

Also note: Sunday's vote is a landmark for Lukashenko, as it follows the abolition of a two-term limit on holding the presidency at a controversial referendum in 2004.
He enjoys support in large segments of Belarussian society for ensuring that pensions are paid on time and maintaining economic stability.

Moving the world forward as water becomes an issue.

In Mexico, host of the international forum, farm water disputes are the among the most sensitive issues in its relations with the United States.
In 2004, farmers in Texas were outraged when Mexico failed to let billions of gallons of water flow into a border river under a 1944 treaty.
Texans also accused Mexico of growing alfalfa — a water-hungry feed crop — in desert areas. One state politician suggested that the United States retaliate by reducing its flow into another border river, the Colorado.
Mexico went to court last year to stop the United States from lining one of its irrigation canals with concrete. Mexico claims its farmers had become dependent on water seeping out of the earthen canal, located near the two countries' border. The case has not been resolved.
Europe also has its conflicts. Spain would like France to share some of its water, but Rocard, France's former prime minister, said the French are reluctant to do so until the Spaniards improve their water management.

Just pertectin us, at least we had better hope so

But in a little-noticed white paper submitted by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Congress on January 19 justifying the legality of the NSA eavesdropping, Justice Department lawyers made a tacit case that President Bush also has the inherent authority to order such physical searches. In order to fulfill his duties as commander in chief, the 42-page white paper says, "a consistent understanding has developed that the president has inherent constitutional authority to conduct warrantless searches and surveillance within the United States for foreign intelligence purposes." ..........
In justifying the NSA's warrantless surveillance program, Gonzales has argued that the review process required for a FISA warrant is too cumbersome for a program that is of "a military nature" and that requires "maximum speed and agility to achieve early warning."

I see, that rule of law thing is just to combersome..all that paperwork you know. Basically you are too lazy to do your job. I for one would like to verify your "personal responsibility".

Blame shifters

In a prelude to a possible courtroom defense, Libby's lawyers also suggested in a court filing late Friday night that it's the State Department - not Libby - who's to blame for leaking Valerie Plame's CIA identity to the news media.
The court papers underscore the possibility that a criminal trial of Libby could turn into a major political embarrassment for the Bush administration by highlighting the ongoing debate over whether the White House manipulated intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq.
If the jury learns the background information about "fingerpointing," and also understands Libby's additional focus on urgent national security matters, the jury will more easily appreciate how Mr. Libby may have forgotten or misremembered "snippets of conversation" about Plame's CIA status, the defense lawyers stated.