The Seventh Sense

Bush State Of The Union

I caught most of it, and these are my few sporadic impressions.

(1)  When he was listing all the democracies now in the Middle East . . . was it just me, or was there a big huge elephant in the room?  An elephant by the name of "Palestine"?  C'mon.  Everybody was thinking about it.

(2)  He wants a line-item veto?!?  Why?  This President hasn't vetoed a single bill.

(3)  Did he really say this?

"Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research – human cloning in all its forms … creating or implanting embryos for experiments … creating human-animal hybrids … and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos."

Human-animal hybrids?  You mean . . . like Jeff Goldblum in "The Fly"?  Is this, like, a problem?

(4)  Pusher Tells Us We're Addicted:

"America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world," Bush said. "The best way to break this addiction is through technology."

That's just strange.

(5)  Other strange line:

"Second-guessing is not a strategy."

That itself is not strange (or even wrong), but it is when you take it with this line:

"Our coalition has learned from experience in Iraq. We have adjusted our military tactics and changed our approach to reconstruction."

Apparently second-guessing your own initial strategy is okay.

(6)  And then there's this:

"Americans should not fear our economic future..."

Geez, it's always about fear with these guys.  Even when it's NOT about fear.

(7)  And the message on Iraq is still schizophrenic:

In less than three years, that nation has gone from dictatorship, to liberation, to sovereignty, to a constitution, to national elections. At the same time, our coalition has been relentless in shutting off terrorist infiltration, clearing out insurgent strongholds, and turning over territory to Iraqi security forces. I am confident in our plan for victory...

So we've gone from dictatorship to national elections, and we still haven't achieved victory???

(8)  Another Iraq message:

Their aim is to seize power in Iraq, and use it as a safe haven to launch attacks against America and the world.

"Use" Iraq to launch attacks?  What the fuck does that mean?

Terrorists will "use" Iraq to attack us as much as Tim McVeigh "used" America to launch his attack -- i.e. not at all.

They LOVE Us!

A new poll found that nearly half of Iraqis approve of attacks on U.S.-led forces, and most favor setting a timetable for American troops to leave.

Oscar Time

Complete list and my predictions below the fold.

The Only Interesting Thing About The Alito Nomination

I haven't been blogging about the Alito nomination, because any hope of victory went away in the 2004 Presidential election.  We lost, so we're getting Alito.  End of story.

But there's a lot of buzz about this online blog post from yesterday:

Mister Senator...

This post will be read by thousands and thousands of people... It's directed at ONE person.

Mr. Senator:

Tomorrow you will be faced with a vote that may have the longest aftereffects of any other you have cast in your Senate career.

Tomorrow you will decide if your political position is worth more than doing what is right for others like you. For others like you, Mr. Senator, who engage in oral sex with other men. (Although, Mr. Senator, most of us don't do in the bathrooms of Union Station!) Your fake marriage, by the way, will NOT protect you from the truth being told on this blog.

How does this blog decide who to report on? It's simple. We report on hypocrites. In this case, hypocrites who vote against the gay and lesbian community while engaging in gay sex themselves*.

When you cast that vote, Mr. Senator, represent your own...it's the least you could do.

Michael Rogers
blogACTIVE.com

*While votes on many matters are considered, votes "FOR" either the Alito nomination and the Federal Marriage Amendment are enough to qualify legislators for reporting on this site.

Ladies and Gentlemen.... if they want a cultural war, I'll give them a fucking cultural war. Fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy 2006.

UPDATE:  Some of you have asked if he will be outed tomorrow. No. The blog will report on this closeted Republican Senator between tomorrow and a time when it may most impact

Cool.

Going Postal

Okay.  So another postal worker goes ballistic and goes on a killing rampage, with a death toll of six (not including the postal worker herself).

"Going postal" isn't a mere stereotype or coincidence.  It can't be.  There has to be an explanation.  What is it?  Anyone know?  Seriously?  Is it something about the glue on the stamps?

Where I Come From, We Call It "Perjury"

January, 2000 -- Alberto Gonzales Confirmation Hearing:

SEN. SPECTER: Judge Gonzales, would you now stand for the administration of the oath? Raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will give before the Senate Judiciary Committee will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

MR. GONZALES: I do.

Later, that same hearing, Feingold asks:

SEN. FEINGOLD: I — Judge Gonzales, let me ask a broader question. I’m asking you whether in general the president has the constitutional authority, does he at least in theory have the authority to authorize violations of the criminal law under duly enacted statutes simply because he’s commander in chief? Does he — does he have that power?

And Gonzales eventually responds:

MR. GONZALES: Senator, this president is not — I — it is not the policy or the agenda of this president to authorize actions that would be in contravention of our criminal statutes.

What I find particularly egregious is that this is perjury from someone seeking to become the number one law enforcement officer in the country.

Bush's State Of The Union

I won't be watching (rehearsal) and I might not even TIVO it.  Besides the State of the Union on the right hand column (which I'll take down in a few days) is better.

But by all accounts, including those of the Wall Street Journal (sumamrized here), Bush's best bet -- if he wants to be accountable to the American people -- is to do as little as possible.  Says the WSJ:

Asked who should take the lead in settling national policy, just 25% say Mr. Bush, while 49% prefer Congress to take charge.

And perhaps in view of these polls, Bush is proposing a very meek agenda.

That's probably good politics, but it has to embarrassing when you are forced to acknowledge that everytime you do something (war, Katrina, etc.), you bollux it up, and that the less you do for the people, the better off the people are.

UPDATE:  The always on-point Professor Juan Cole reminds us the "Top Ten things Bush won't Tell you About the State of the Nation":

1. US economic growth during the last quarter was an anemic 1.1%, the worst in 3 years.

2. The US inflation rate has jumped to 3.4 percent, the highest rate in 5 years.

3. The number of daily attacks in Iraq rose from 52 in December, 2004 to 77 in December, 2005.

4. A third of US veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, some 40,000 persons, exhibit at least some signs of mental health disorders. Some 14,000 were treated for drug dependencies, and 11,000 for depression.

5. Increases in American consumer spending come from borrowing.

6. The $320 - $400 bilion deficits run by the Bush administration may push up the cost of mortgages and loans.

7. 58% of Americans think Bush is painting Iraq as rosier than it is. A majority thinks we should never have invaded the country.

8. The US military is at a breaking point.

9. In fact, The US and Iran are tacit allies in Iraq.

10. More money would be needed to finish the US reconstruction projects begun in Iraq.

What's The World Coming To?

Don't ask me to explain, but it seems fitting that Corretta Scott King should die on the day Alito's nomination is confirmed by the Senate (58-42)

What Earwax And Body Odor Tell Us About American History

Conservative columnist Debbie Schlussel is serious:

Today's New York Times details a Japanese scientific on earwax and body odor in Asians vs. Europeans and Africans. There is actually an "earwax gene" in DNA that determines this.

But the paper glosses over the most important finding. The study found that Europeans and Africans tend to have wet ear wax, sweat more, and have more under arm body odor than Asians, who have dry ear wax and don't sweat much. But the study also found that "Native" Americans have dry ear wax and body odor similar to Asians, proving they migrated here from Asia.

So whom did THEY steal the land from? Somebody else, obviously. Yet, no "Dances With Wolves" and "Into the West" from Hollywood about that.

That's right.  This is not satire.  Debbie Schlussel is making the argument, based on earwax and body odor studies, that Native Americans originally came over from Asia.  Which is true.  In fact, it's so true that they teach that in high school.  You don't need an earwax and body odor study to deduce this.

But her implied point, which is hysterical, is that this shows that the Native Americans were not indeed "native", and therefore the Europeans had the right to steal America from the Indians (since the Indians stole it from someone else).

Only Debbie could take an earwax study, and turn into a screed of support for American expansionism.

GOP Lynch Mob

You know, I think I am pretty tolerant of Michelle Malkin, the conservative blogger-whiner who has cornered the market in "outrage".  With almost every post, as well as her book "Unhinged", Michelle is a cottage industry unto herself, pointing out every supposed rude behavior of Democrats and liberals, most of whom you have never heard of.

Of course, she rarely if ever mentions Republicans and conservatives, even the famous one.  Ann Coulter advocates the murder of a Supreme Court justice; Michelle says nothing.

And like I said, I've become tolerant of Malkin's ability to overlook indiscretions from the right, and I have successfully resisted temptations to write "I wonder if Michelle will write about [Ann Coulter's comments, etc.]".

No more.

I wonder if Michelle will write about this.

Yup.  In an advertisement paid for by the Republican National Committee, and promoting a GOP event in Bloomington Indiana, they're going to have all kinds of fun:

We will have a Jesse Jackson piñata, a dunk tank where you’ll get the chance to sink my wife who will be dressed as Hilary Clinton, and a special guest appearance by my uncle - Rep. Timothy V. Johnson who will be giving away “Proud to be G.O.P.” American Flag windbreakers. Bring a side dish if you like. We will have burgers, hot dogs, chili, and pizza, but nothing vegetarian! This party is family friendly, so feel free to bring children. It’s never too early to get them involved!

Yup, they're going to hand a facsimile of a black man so that kids can hit it with a stick.

So much for civil political discourse.

Michelle?