Miscellaneous
Sorry for the hiatus, I have been travelling.

Just a couple of random thoughts:

During the months of May and June, if you had told me that John Kerry and his running mate would be on the cover of Newsweek with a caption reading "The Sunshine Boys" I would have said you were smoking something. It may be that the biggest positive that John Edwards brings to the ticket is the ability to lighten Kerry up and humanize him. This may be the best campaign Newsweek cover since "Young Guns."

"Dick Cheney could be President" Wow, see what happens when you let Shrub talk without a script? Tell me where I can sign up for one of those bumper stickers!

Lots of good pieces out this week about Bush's responsibility for the CIA fiasco. The crux of the argument is that Bush, who is famous for reading only the summary of staff reports and not looking into the details (i.e. of not thinking for himself) was particularly prone to allow this type of fiasco to occur. He relied solely on the executive summary of the intelligence reports, not bothering to read the details that contradicted the summaries. Take a look at http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/oliphant/

More coming, and another article soon.

CALL FOR BUSH TO RESIGN
The incredibly vapid Kerry Healey, Lt. Governor of Massachusetts, called for John Kerry to resign from the Senate yesterday, because he has been missing too many roll call votes.

The more appropriate move would be to call for George W. Bush to resign. Remember, he has been "too busy" attending $2,000 a plate fund raisers to attend the funerals of people killed in THE WAR TO PROVE HE IS A BETTER MAN THAN DADDY.

Maybe Healey should resign too, so she can accompany him. If you would like to suggest that to her, she can be contacted through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts web portal at http://www.mass.gov/portal/index.jsp?pageID=gov2utility&sid=Agov2&U=contactus

By the way, Salon has a great article today, reviewing three books that present a scary but accurate portrait of W.'s mental make-up. If you do not subscribe, it is pretty painless to sit through an ad in order to get a day pass.

NEW SATIRE TODAY!

Visit the main site and click on Satire to take a look.

BOOM
It is about to happen. All Hell is about to break loose for the Bush administration. No, unfortunately I have not bee smoking something. But if your competence is continually compromised by ideological blinders, and if your sense of propriety is clouded by a sense that your goals are really those of the Almighty, then eventually your schemes come to ruin. I predict that is exactly what is about to happen to the Bush administration. Tenent resigns, Chalabi turns into a caged rat, Bush consults a lawyer regarding the Plame investigation. It is about to all fall down, and we will sweep in a new administration. We just need to keep these lessons in mind.

Stephanie Herseth has won the open House of Representatives seat in South Dakota. This is remarkable for two reasons. First, we are now two for two in special House elections since 2002, and both in districts where the GOP had the incumbent. Second, ALL THREE OF SOUTH DAKOTA'S representatives in Washington are Democrats. Tip was right, all politics are local. It shows that we need to be on the ground everywhere, fighting the good fight. If you are inclined, over at the DailyKos (www.dailykos.com) he is supporting a group of dKos 8 candidates from around the country and suggesting ways to support them. Please take a look, and tell them The Goatherder sent you.

The Draft
About a year ago I took part in an anti-Iraq war march, starting on the Boston Common. As we were walking down Newbury Street, some 20+ male leaned out a third floor window and started taunting the marchers. He was hollering that was more pro-killing than anything else, so it was that he was just trying to be a jerk.

With all the talk about the W. administration having to bring back the draft (or else we do not have enough soldiers for all of his wars) and with the bills pending in Congress (e.g S 89) requiring that there be no student or other deferrals, I WONDER HOW THAT A**HOLE IS FEELING NOW?

An effective Secretary of Defense
In his recent Congressional testimony Donald Rumsfeld stated that if he believed he could not be "effective" as Secretary of Defense, he would resign in a minute. Someone should ask him to define what he means by "effective." I think he means, "as long as I can peddle my perverse world view to the President, I will try to hang on to power." But if you look at it, what should an effective Secretary of Defense do?

1) He or she should be part of the group that collects intelligence regarding the world situation, so that we can deploy and employ our forces when, and only when, necessary. Considering the pre-war intelligence regarding Iraq and considering that even Shrub is wondering where the weapons went, Rumsfeld has clearly failed on this count. Strike one.

2) As the chief military officer in the President's cabinet, he should design strategy, when we do deploy our forces, so that we successfully complete the engagement, with as little cost as possible. You can argue whether Rummy's strategy was or was not effective up until the nominal fall of Bagdad, but only a Kool-Aid drinking true believer could argue that we have had an effective strategy since then. Strike Two

3) He should make certain that our troops are well equipped, with the appropriate weapons and supplies, to conduct their duties when deployed. How many times have we heard that soldiers are being blown up because of a lack of armored Humvees, or that people are holding bake-sales to buy body Armour for soldiers? Strike Three

4) He should make certain that our troops are appropriately trained to carry out the missions assigned to them. Again, how many times have we heard that the called-up Reservists at Abu Ghraib had absolutely no training with regard to interrogation? Strike Four Donald. I even gave you an extra one for free.

But at the end of the day, let me say this -- I have absolutely no desire to see Donald Rumsfeld quit or be fired. It would deflect criticism from the true culprit here, the one who has to be fired in November. As long as Shrub is in power, Rumsfeld's replacement would simply be a new face on the same policy.

Biblical Excuses?
George W. Bush claims to be a born-again Christian. But what would it have been like if Biblical characters tried some of the excuses and justifications that the Bush administration uses?

Read the new entry in the Satire section "Opponents Politicizing Apple Eating Incident, Adam Administration Spokesman Says."

Despicable
There is no other word for it. Rumsfeld says "Obviously, if I didn't think I could be effective [as Secretary of Defense] I would resign in a minute." Effective! Is that really the standard? What about the fact that Rumsfeld and his purported boss the Shrub have brought world-wide condemnation and shame upon America, squandered ALL of our world-wide goodwill and inspired thousands of new terrorists, who will attempt to strike all of US Americans (While Rummy is safe behind his Secret Service protection.)

Mr Secretary, have you no sense of responsibility? HAVE YOU NO SHAME?

Responsibility
I heard Donald Rumsfield's testimony before the Senate Arms Services Committee. He just doesn't get it (or doesn't want to get it.) He said, "This happened on my watch, and I accept full responsibility" Well, that is pure nonsense unless there are some repercussions that flow from taking responsibility. Without that, you really haven't taken responsibility. You have just filled the world with more hot air.

There has been a lot of discussion about whether the Bush administration was partially responsible for the terrorist attack on 9/11. Given the intensity of feelings that our violations of human decency have caused among both Muslim moderates and radicals, Bush, Rumsfield, Meyers & Co. certainly have to take responsibility for the next terrorist attack.