Tuesday’s Mini-Report

May 8, 2007

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “The Pentagon has notified more than 35,000 Army soldiers to be prepared to deploy to Iraq beginning this fall, a move that would allow commanders to maintain the ongoing buildup of troops through the end of the year if needed.” The administration said this is not related to the escalation strategy, though some have trouble believing that.

* Several of our European allies have an interesting deal on the table with the White House: if Bush gets Wolfowitz to resign as head of the World Bank, Europe won’t mind if the United States maintains the power to name his replacement. Of course, should Bush decline the offer, Europe may feel compelled to alter the general World Bank tradition.

* Is it possible that there have been 27 U.S. military fatalities just in the first week of May? That seems heartbreakingly high, but it’s true.

* As bad as Republican corruption has been in DC the past several years, Republican corruption in Alaska is even worse. Today, Ben Stevens, son of Sen. Ted Stevens (R), was identified as one of the unnamed legislators involved in the VECO cash-for-favors corruption scheme.

* For all the times I’ve criticized Chris Matthews for his on-air comments, I have to admit, he did a fine job yesterday taking a war supporter to task. I rarely find Matthews watchable, but this exchange — which was really more of a tirade — was encouraging.

* I didn’t think it was possible, but when it comes to foreign policy, it appears that Mitt Romney is getting dumber as time goes on: “Last night on Fox’s Hannity & Colmes, host Sean Hannity asked Romney whether he thought Iraq hid weapons of mass destruction in Syria prior to the invasion. ‘It’s entirely possible,’ Romney said.”

* Even with no facts or evidence, Bill O’Reilly is going to connect George Soros and Media Matters if it’s the last thing he does. Poor Bill; I’m really starting to feel sorry for the guy.

* White House rhetoric notwithstanding, al Qaeda is getting stronger and better organized.

* True story: I was responsible for changing the primary date for elections in Vermont.

* Speaking of Vermont, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) has introduced a really good new bill: the Personal Data Privacy & Security Act, which is all about protecting the privacy of Americans’ personal financial information. Good stuff.

* Have you heard the story about Fred Thompson’s red pickup truck? Probably, and if not, you will if Thompson runs for president. A few things to remember: it was a rental, which Thompson didn’t drive, and which he was anxious to abandon as soon as he was away from the cameras.

* Limbaugh seems to think Hillary Clinton wants to literally hurt Barack Obama. I expect it to be a tough primary season, but c’mon….

* Condi Rice told Charlie Rose last night: “[O]ur friends in the [Middle East] need to know and the Iraqis need to know that we are not looking to leave Iraq.” “Ever?” Rose asked. Rice responded, “We are not going to leave an Iraq that is not capable of defending itself and with a foundation for future reconciliation.” Is that really the message? I thought we wanted Iraq to know that we are looking to leave Iraq, and will just as soon as possible.

* Did you catch the latest episode of The Sopranos? Did you happen to notice that Carmela was reading Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes’ “Rebel in Chief” in bed?

* Katie Couric’s “Notebook” segment was quite odd last night, praising the president for giving in and hosting a dinner for Queen Elizabeth II. Have we reached the point in which Bush gets positive coverage just for throwing a good party? Talk about your soft bigotry of low expectations….

* And finally, a Republican presidential debate: good. The Daily Show: great. The Daily Show’s John Oliver crashing MSNBC’s coverage of a Republican presidential debate: priceless.

Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.

Ten to one (given Bush’s FU managment style), John Bolton replaces Wolfowitz at the world bank.

  • True story: I was responsible for changing the primary date for elections in Vermont.

    Details! We demand details. Please?

    “[O]ur friends in the [Middle East] need to know and the Iraqis need to know that we are not looking to leave Iraq.”

    ‘Nother question. Does this mean the Iraqis aren’t “our friends”? Or is it just further proof that Dr. Ricealoony is as crazy as her boss?

    Katie Couric’s “Notebook” segment

    ‘Nuff said. This woman makes Dr. Ricealoony look like a reasonable, intelligent soul.

    Have we reached the point in which Bush gets positive coverage just for throwing a good party?

    Been there, done that, moved on to being surprised he can control his lower sphincters.

  • Mitt Romney is basically a younger, more photogenic version of the grovelling, sell-his soul to anyone who will vote for him John McCain.

    And boy, the apples don’t fall far from the Stevens family tree, do they?

    I think Wolfowitz will be the final straw with European tolerance of Bushist incompetence on the international stage. They may gather amongst themselves and put an adult in charge of the World Bank instead.

  • According to Daily Kos, Steve’s on “a major roll today.”

    Midday Open Thread
    by MissLaura
    Tue May 08, 2007 at 11:49:55 AM PDT

    News about the plot to attack Fort Dix is all over the place. But it’s hard not to be skeptical given how many times we’ve lived through “PLOT TO ATTACK!!!!!” only to find out it never lived up to its billing. The Carpetbagger Report gives a skeptic’s attention to this one.
    First, it’s worth noting that today’s success was due to intelligence gathering and law-enforcement efforts — the very techniques the Bush White House has consistently ridiculed as ineffective in counterterrorism. For that matter, as Steve M. noted, “[A]pparently no warrantless wiretapping led to these arrests, no torture of suspects in overseas prisons, nothing liberals have objected to in the Patriot Act. Remember that when you’re told that these arrests prove that we can’t trust liberals and Democrats.”

    On a major roll today, The Carpetbagger Report also has an excellent post on Mitt Romney and evolution.

    Miss Laura, it’s like this every day.

  • That’s “complimenting” the president for giving in and hosting a dinner for Queen Elizabeth II. “Complementing” in that context would indicate Katie Couric was “acting in concert with” the president, when in fact she was paying him homage (nothing new there). I hate to be the grammar police, but the first thing I like to mock about foaming whackjob rightie sites is their spelling and grammar, implying thereby that they are less than well-educated.

  • In the spirit of an open thread, the ol’ Carpetbagger seems to have reignited the American Civil War today. Or was it the War of Northern Aggression? Or the War of Southern Treason?

    It was the post ” Republican quotes KKK founder on House floor” that started all the trouble.

    Better be careful, CB. The South may yet rise again. And worse, they vote solidly Republican.

  • “Have we reached the point in which Bush gets positive coverage just for throwing a good party? ”
    Sure. It’s all he can do w/o fucking up too badly.
    KEGGER!

  • petorado: “And boy, the apples don’t fall far from the Stevens family tree, do they?”

    Actually, it looks like Ben is an apple all his own. Ted Stevens has not, to my knowledge, had his hand out for bribes; the worst he’s done is use federal largesse to boost the economy of Alaska, where he reaps the rewards from his business dealings. Ben literally took money from a company so he could be their guy in the legislature. His presumed defense — that he was on their payroll for years before he was appointed to the state senate — likely won’t hold up, given his pull with Pop.

    I should correct something I mentioned about this story earlier. The indictment against Veco execs mentions an unnamed “state elected official,” whom I speculated was the former governor. In fact, the indictment specifies that it is a member of the legislature, and is probably the informant who tipped them off.

    That led the feds to bug Veco’s hotel suite in Juneau, where recorded meetings with lawmakers. Juicy quotes like, “Got any hundreds?” “What are my instructions?” and “This is foolproof!”.

    Bill O’Reilly is going to connect George Soros and Media Matters if it’s the last thing he does.

    When he’s done with that, he’ll have to remind us what was so evil about Soros in the first place. And then explain why posting quotes from his radio and TV shows is somehow doing him wrong.

    Daily Show’s John Oliver crashing MSNBC’s coverage of a Republican presidential debate: priceless.

    “On a scale of 1 to 10, how good are you at answering a direct question?” “I’m very good at it.”

    Let’s be charitable and pretend that Duncan Hunter was in on the act.

  • “Poor Bill; I’m really starting to feel sorry for the guy.”

    It really seems like Media Matters is driving Bill insane, and I say – more power to them! Bill has always demonstrated an achilles heel in that he needs people to view him as a ‘serious journalist’, and can’t tolerate any criticism. He must be the most insecure person on television today.

  • “Have we reached the point in which Bush gets positive coverage just for throwing a good party?”

    Hey, he only managed to insult the Queen once during the visit. Recall his disasterous trip to Germany – and the roast pig…and the swearing… and the backrub…

  • Condi Rice told Charlie Rose last night: “Our friends in the [Middle East] need to know and the Iraqis need to know that we are not looking to leave Iraq.”
    “Ever?” Rose asked.
    Rice responded, “We… blah… blah… blah… blah… blah… blah…

    Condi the clock is ticking.
    You’ve got what?
    Eighteen months or so to squander taxpayer money in Iraq?

    Condi are a dinosaur…
    D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R.

    The times they are a-changin’
    And you either: Adapt, Migrate, or Die.
    Didn’t they teach you that at Stanford Condi?

    You are dying hon….
    Dying…
    D-Y-I-N-G.

    Fossilized in A-M-B-E-R with the rest of the Bush family…

    (Amber and not Tar Condi, because of the other party’s leadership in civil rights, the abolition of poll taxes, and their universal condemnation of tarring and feathering.
    Didn’t they teach you that at Stanford either Condi?
    Nyetski?)

  • Mitt Romney….wow…the “I don’t know S$^T about SH%#” candidate. Perfect for the masses.

    DOG help us…

  • Did Bush actually throw a “good” party or just a party? I really doubt his administration is capable of doing anything well. Even the roses in the garden look slightly wilted.

  • White House rhetoric notwithstanding, al Qaeda is getting stronger and better organized.”

    WH rhetoric notwithstanding, and BECAUSE of the WH! Just look at its policies of invasion, occupation, torture, extradition, indefinite imprisonment with no rights, deceit, lies, and murder of Muslims and others of Middle Eastern descent! Gee, why on earth would al-Qaeda and other Muslim groups want to do anything other than watch, and die? Following these policies, even Tenent could have told you bu$$hie boy and dickless cheney, its a ‘slam dunk’ that you are going to INCREASE anti-American sentiment and terrorism.

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