Blame Bush While You Can

Apparently, running against George Bush still works. Democratic incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine, in the New Jersey Governor's race thinks so at least, saying about his Republican challenger, former U.S. attorney Chris Christie, a Bush appointee, "I'm not about to put my trust in the same people who gave us George W. Bush, Dick Cheney or John Ashcroft."

Soak every last drop out of that anti-Bush stuff, boys. By this time next year President Obama and Democrats will have their heads on the chopping block, unless the massive spending orgy the administration and the 111th Congress have gleefully applied their signatures to puts some money in American's pockets and takes some pressure off debt and health care costs. While I personally approve of most of this spending for various reasons, you can't tell a starving person they'll get to eat in 10 years.

OK, I Give Up: Let Pelosi's Head Roll

Do the ends justify the means? It certainly looks like the defeat of Nancy Pelosi will be the end of the "torture gate" scandal, whose means I find very questionable.

This morning, the Washington Post is indirectly pointing the finger at White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and President Obama for allowing CIA chief Leon Panetta to bluntly accuse Pelosi of lying. They say such a blatantly (un?)political attack on a fellow Democrat could only have come from the top down, particularly considering Panetta's D. C. savvy. They say it is the same thing the Bush White House did to Trent Lott. At the same time, Politico is publishing an article called, "Conditions for a coup in Congress," implying Pelosi may be challenged, and shut out, as Speaker this year. They posit that Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) would be more palatable to the White House as Speaker. They also claim it is the same thing the Clinton White House did to Newt Gingrich.

Up to this point I have defended Speaker Pelosi in this "torture gate" mess. I maintain still that she had little to do with it and that she has been scapegoated by the GOP and the former Administration. However, someone reminded me the other day that it was Pelosi who said impeachment (of Bush) was "off the table" at a time when there was considerable Congressional and popular support for such a move, and time to accomplish it. Perhaps she had little power to stop waterboarding in 2002, but she had ample power to stop George Bush in 2006, and hold the entire Administration accountable for the whole ball of wax. Instead, she opted for personal gain (using her political capitol to get elected Speaker) and refused to allow impeachment proceedings to even reach an exploratory committee. She could have stopped them. Who knows? If she had been successful, even moderately, she could have been President by now. (And people accused Hillary Clinton of being complicit with the Bush administration because of one vote...)

Again, do the ends justify the means? Possibly. When you look at the whole ball of wax, just maybe. This could all blow over, too. But it looks to me that it is steadily blowing up. Maybe my wish will come true. But what monster's head will grow back in Pelosi's place? She was such a good, loyal lap dog to President Obama when he was campaigning, up to and including making snide comments to the press about his primary challengers (and fellow Democrats.) But once she realized he would not return the favor in kind, she turned on him a little. Congress has not offered the rubber stamp they could, that's certain. And although they talk tall about how that is not the goal, and not what anyone wants... yeah, right. Every President wishes Congress would just do their will. Maybe Steny Hoyer already made some promises... or maybe Congress, and the White House are finally just sick of her.

Give Nancy A Break, OK?

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is taking a lot of heat over these "torture memos" that are being released. They're saying, "Oh she knew, and she didn't do anything about it." Like somehow Nancy Pelosi was responsible for waterboarding, like it was her idea or something.

News flash: George Bush, Dick Cheney and Porter Goss are the culpable parties.

Another one: Nancy Pelosi was not Speaker of the House in 2002 when these new interrogation techniques were rolled out by the White House and CIA. She was Minority Whip -- hardly a position equipped to stand up to an autocratic Executive like the Bush administration. Yes, she was ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, but there is ample evidence that that self-same committee did in fact lodge a protest with the White House.

Pelosi has indicated strong support for an investigative commission to inspect the alleged abuses of power during the Bush years. She's willing to open the whole can of worms. It's Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama who want it all conducted behind closed doors, under close Executive scrutiny.

I know I say this every time it happens, but.... if I am defending Nancy Pelosi, the world really has turned upside down.

Gaza War & Its Rhetoric Escalate

Now Osama bin Laden wants a piece of the pie. In a 22-minute audio tape, bin Laden is encouraging a "jihad" against Israel and US allies across the Middle East. Bloomberg is reporting that a UN relief agency was struck by Israeli forces today, which they quickly apologized for, claiming that Hamas operatives fired on them from that location. Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated "...it has become clear that the continuation of the Zionist regime's life in the region is not feasible," and is calling on the Saudi Arabian government to speak out on the situation, as well as enforce an oil embargo. Reuters is claiming that cease-fire talks are "taking shape," although it seems that little cooperation is being offered openly from any side. Egypt is the primary broker and relay medium of the cease-fire, and being deeply embroiled in Arab coalition politics themselves, are not really in a position to exert power. The US has halted shipments of munitions to Israel, adding fire to a spat between Jerusalem and Washington wherein Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert bragged on Monday that he strong-armed President Bush into ordering Secretary Rice to cast the US abstain vote on the UN peace resolution last week. Of course the US is denying it. Directly following this playground politics, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is calling on President-elect Obama to "stop supporting Israel." Not likely. Venezuela and Bolivia have already severed ties with Israel over the conflict, following the call of Iran for all nations to do so. Qatar may soon follow suit, as may Turkey indicating they would be willing to contribute to an international peacekeeping force to monitor crossings into the Gaza strip. Qatar may soon find itself at the center of the debacle, as a debate is beginning surrounding the Arab League's ability to achieve quorum at an Arab summit in Qatar this week on Israel's offensive in Gaza, underscoring huge divisions in Arab nations.

Unprecedented Disorder

The Washington Post is reporting that Roland Burris was rejected by the Senate today, calling it a "spectacle." The 111th Congress was sworn in today, and on the heels of the Roland Burris "spectacle," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has called on Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) to concede the election to Al Franken, although they will not seat Franken today. Franken has declared victory in the Minnesota Senate race, and Coleman has filed suit in protest, and could delay the seating of a Senator for weeks or months. Meanwhile the Kennedy melodrama is still overshadowing the whole process of replacing Hillary Clinton's New York seat. And, why is Joe Biden keeping his Senate seat when someone has already been picked to take it? The Hill is calling today's Congressional mayhem "unprecedented disorder."

In equally depressing news, Nancy Pelosi was re-elected Speaker of the House today. Apparently there was a short-lived plan to get rid of her. It would be good for everyone, including Obama.

As a side note, Jeb Bush announced he will not run for the Senate for Florida in 2010. Like anyone really thought that was advisable. George W. Bush has so disgraced his own party, they barely spoke his name at the Republican National Convention last year. Supposedly, Jeb would "re-energize" the GOP.

SAVE THE ECONOMY: Buy Dubbya Some Shoes

Another McCain Sneak Attack

I know, I know. Yesterday I chastised the media conglomerate for trying to paint John McCain's "suspension" of his campaign as politics. I will agree with Bill Clinton who says we should not overly parse it. But, now that the details of the congressional and administration level meetings about the financial bailout have started to come out, I see how it could be both responsible and political. For the record, I do think both Obama and McCain attending these meetings was a responsible choice. Harry Reid today criticized the injection of "presidential politics" into the process, no doubt a calculated political statement all of its own. News flash, Harry: one of those two is about to be President, and will have to wade through the mess Congress is most likely to make of it. No one liked Bush and Paulson's plan as-is, no one. But, it was going to get rushed through Congress anyway because of the panic surrounding the issue. Enter John McCain, who rallied (of all factions) Conservative Republicans to present a new plan, essentially forcing a new debate. Yes, it's a delay. But it is also the most blatant rebuke of a sitting President by his own party in recent memory.

With a dismal 75% disapproval rate, Congress has everything to lose, and Republicans in particular know they are about to get the pink slip unless they do something. Likely, the quickest and dirtiest way to make sure Obama stays ahead in the polls is to link John McCain to George Bush, and that got a lot harder today. McCain spearheaded what I would consider an open coup against Bush, who has so little political capital right now, he has had to be at the Bully Pulpit non-stop for the last week just to get his voice heard. McCain can hold this up as proof-positive that he is a) not Bush III, and b) not afraid to stand up to anyone, including the President. If he manages to steer the dialogue toward himself being the "voice of reason" that allowed critical time for further refining of the bailout... more danger in Changeland.

I keep saying it. Don't underestimate John McCain. This is another McCain sneak attack, and he will probably come out smelling like roses, again. Interesting, after the fact, they are saying both candidates were invited by Bush. I doubt it. More likely, Bush had to extend the invitation to avoid seeming as though he had totally lost control of the situation. McCain had already floated the idea a day before, and although Obama's campaign issued a fairly flimsy statement saying they thought he was only considering it, I doubt it. Obama was the one who initiated a plan with McCain to issue a joint statement on the bailout, and the two campaigns were in negotiations at least by Wednesday. This was a race to see who could get hold of the reigns of the economic debate in the big picture, and McCain got both that, and a very nice boost to his "maverick" image by leading a Republican mutiny against the current administration. It looks like the real deal to me, in every spectrum.