It Is Accomplished

We did it.

As burned out and as fried as I've become about politics lately, it seems that all of my twinkle-toed optimism has found the requisite company and won the day. I've had tears in my eyes off and on for the last 4 hours. I hope you have too.

Generation of Swine

The nation's top cop, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, should be tarred, feathered, drug through an angry mob brandishing rotten vegetables and then sent to prison for the rest of his natural life for his gross dereliction of duty and what essentially amounts to treason--and not one of those country club prisons either. He deserves the dankest, most wicked hellhole we've got.

Justice Staffers Won't Be Prosecuted For Illegal Hiring Practices

My ire wasn't sparked by that decision alone. It came more from his weaselly posturing afterwards:

Said Mukasey, "Not every wrong, or even every violation of the law, is a crime."

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???

**However, much consternation has been stirred about the legal kung-fu involved in interpreting Mukasey's statement. Especially from folks outside the legal community. Like myself. Not that this absolves the pandering tool of an AG and his motives for taking no further action in the DOJ hiring scandal... but I suppose it does provide a look at exactly which bunker he's taking his legal refuge under. (This dialogue was taken from reader J's comment over at a Sadly, No! post):

...here’s something from FireDogLake:

“Understand: Mukasey has turned into a terrible shill for the Administration. But it has been clear for over a year that the Administration would escape criminal charges for having committed massive violations of the Hatch Act. But that has more to do with the Hatch Act than with Michael Mukasey. Even a Democratic AG would have a hard time charging this stuff, given the stated penalties for civil Hatch Act violations.

The Hatch Act gives citizens no real recourse for the politicization of our government. And the loyal Bushies know this. After all, by all appearances, they’re still committing Hatch Act violations.”
(http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/08/12/i-hate-to-say-i-told-you-so/) Emphasis in original.

The conduct of Sampson & Goodling — as noxious, hideous, corrupt & terrible as it most certainly was — just did NOT violate any *criminal* laws.

To repeat something I’ve said several times already that perfectly illustrates this: Title VII (federal law) prohibits firing an employee because they’re black. Such a firing is *illegal,* but it is NOT a crime. Under Title VII, the EEOC might be able to impose a fine or the fired employee might bring a civil suit for damages.

Under the federal civil service laws, weak as they currently are, it seems the most that can be done against scum like Goodling & Sampson is to fire them. But they no longer work for the Government.

What we should do is press our Congress critters to pass some criminal penalties for this kind of corrupt politicization of our Justice Department. We should not pillory Mukasey for making this statement. Besides, we have *plenty* of other valid reasons to trash this pathetic excuse for an AG.

GWB: Enough Already?

George Bush to Bob Costas: America doesn’t have any problems

Like the commentary over at Crooks and Liars says, I've got no problem with optimism. But fer fuck's sake. What kind of douchebag, jagoff, fuck-knuckle can sit there on the other side of the planet and proclaim to the world that their nation simply has no problems? It's like Bush is running 'em right outta a playbook from North Korea or Mayanmar... or even, ahem, China.

Fox News in the Bag for the GOP?

Yea, yea, quite the shocker, I know. But the other day, on the occasion of Rush Limpball'z 20 years in propaganda radio celebration, the Bush boys called in to wish well. Elder Bush then let go with a doozy. Not that anyone's really all that shocked mind you. It's just nice to have this kind of affirmation is all.

Reason(s) Not To Vote Republican in '08 - Foreign Policy Edition

It's difficult to believe that there's still people willing to let the GOP continue to ruin run the nation after all the damage they've done over the past 7 years. Whether you care about the economy, civil liberties, or being killed in a far away land for reasons no one can really put their finger on, chances are the Republican "leadership" of the Bush administration has probably mangled something you care about. Badly.

And in this election year it seems that despite Bush's abysmal approval rating, his type of low-ball, Rovian politickin' hasn't disappeared. In desperate attempts to keep the Republican brand alive, the waters have become somewhat, uh, muddied as of late.

In an effort to help clarify things, and help you understand why John McSame is a joke, there's this:

Foreign Policy Expert McCain: “Iraq-Pakistan Border” Extremely Dangerous (Hint: there is no Iraq-Pakistan border.)

and this:

McCain Gaffe Watch: Gets another basic Iran fact wrong

aaand this too:

A McCain Gaffe in Jordan

There's plenty more out there and without a doubt, and when you add in little points like the Iraqi Prime Minister practically campaigning for Obama yesterday, and a staggering difference in fundraising among their constituencies, and his general affibility around the globe, I guess we don't really have to guess why McSame and his Rovian minions have to try and build some alternate reality to foist on the American public. It's all they've got.

Oh.

And speaking of Karl "Turdblossom" Rove... looks like he's fled the country to avoid testifying before congress. Wow. Kinda has an "I am not a crook" feel to it, huh?

***UPDATE***
Well, as if I haven't leaned on Crooks and Liars hard enough in this post, they go and lay out a doozy on this very topic. Goddamn.

Uh Oh, It Done Happened Again

Wonkette writes:

What are the odds of a dude named Troy King getting caught in bed with aHomecoming King from Troy University? This seems like a wacky sitcom plot, on a gay porn channel.

Wouldn't cha just know it, you can't make this crap up:

Anti-Gay Republican Alabama Attorney General Caught... Being Gay.

The Other Mental Recession

Ben Cohen blogging on The Huffington Post has an excellent post today. It's a little trip down memory lane to four years ago when Bush's war was still a galloping success and he was a hero in a ten gallon hat and tin star.

While surfing the net on 'Stumble', I came across an interview with President Bush on Irish television that caused a bit of a storm in 2004. The interview conducted by the tenacious Carol Coleman of Radio Television Ireland was not aired on American television, and Bush's press officers apparently complained vociferously about the rigorous questioning.

The video shows Bush at the absolute peak of his arrogance -- convinced of his own rhetoric about Iraq, flooded with confidence from international subservience to American power, and high off a crushing military victory that reinforced his childish fantasies of American power and preeminence.

The problem was, Coleman was having none of it, and what transpired was a unique insight into the warped brain of the least respected and most hated president in the history of the United States.

Go now and read the rest of the article and, by all means, watch the video.

And after doing so, ask yourself that if this swine has fallen so far that he now enjoys the lowest approval rating of any president in the history of the country, why in the HELL do congressional Democrats still kow-tow to his corrupt, deranged, morally bankrupt administration. Please share any answers with me, cuz I've come up with absolutely none.

Where'd You Move Your Government Cheese To?

So after months of curious waiting, I finally got my George Bush economic stimulus refund check thing last week. Right off the top most of it went to paying off bills. The rest was spread out around several Chicago-area bars and restaurants over the course of a three-day weekend. So much for my free money.

I was curious what other people had done with their money, provided they'd received it yet. So I conducted a super-scientific poll during my weekend on the town. Most people, it turns out, did the exact same thing as I did; spend it on some combination of bills and booze (and maybe a meal or two). Perhaps that's what I get for polling a random assortment of barflies.

Apparently, other people, like adult entertainment market researchers, have concluded different findings. To think, I coulda had a seat on the bang bus and all I got was an awful, awful hangover and the telephone number for a fat girl from Texas.