Quick Hits

Democrats win the House (despite themselves)

Republicans hold the Senate (despite themselves)

Leaving Iraq right now is a nonstarter - from a practical geopolitical perspective

Katrina - Democrats unable to effectively exploit domestic failings\insensitivity of Bush admin. When did we as taxpayers accept ".. well we approved and alloctaed the money" as an acceptable answer when we are talking about $100+ BILLION!! R U KIDDIN ME???

Democrats inexplicably allow Ray Nagin to seem to represent their collective voice 'cause they r gutless

Tuff to be Hopeless

Signed on the blog to Technorati. To show just how lame I am, while I had Technorati bookmarked, I hadn't lnked my feeeble blog. I actually had to see a mini feature on no less than CNBC to figure out that I needed to sign up.

Now I guess I need to lurch into relevance. Maybe I should consider figuring out how to dress this thing up and get some links. Oh well, just another tomorrow project.

More Feel Good News From Bagdad

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-usiraq15jul15,0,7735942.story?track=tothtml

The democrats are the only ones so completely incompetent that they are unable to coherently bring to light what's really going on in Iraq. While Al Quaeda in Iraq remains an issue, it's far from the main problem. Sectarian violence is omnipresent. Is anyone else noticing the admnistration's increasing willingness to admit (albeit quite subtlely) that the police are largely compromised. Reports of police tacit and in fact participation in brutal sectarian killings can be found more than once a week.

I'm not advocating for our departure either immediately or even in the near term, but rest assured as these reports get more play, support for the staus quo will drift lower still.

GWB's Snappy Comeback to Putin Smackdown

Ouch . . . that's gotta hurt
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/15/putin-jab/

How's Things in Bagdad This Evening?

I'm not sure but, this article won't make you feel warm and fuzzy http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2268585_2,00.html

Can MSNBC Become Relevant

I don't know, but I'm rooting for them. Their numbers are so anemic, moreover they lack CNN cachet as the "original" and FNC's position as the supposed counter-balance to the omnipresent MSM (BTW how is it that FNC is able to crow about its numbers, rightfully so in most cases, yet still claim to be outsiders).

why i haven't blogged

Lazy? yep. Not much say? yep. Disgusted by my lack of knowledge as to how to make my site even arguably visually interesting ? definitely.

Porter "I Like to do the Nasty at the Watergate" Goss Goes

Late Friday afternoon announcement, no replacement named - sudden ain't the word. Ths can't be good for the administration. Suspicion is that Mr. Goss is likely to be named in the Duke Hookergate net. If that isn't the explanation, an equally catastrophic problem is emerging for zany ole Porter. Can it get worse for GWB and the troops. Depending on how long this story takes to run its course, it may further strengthen Democratic hopes for November.

Oh BTW, Rep. Kennedy is in a heap of trouble-rehab is his only option (I don't mean that to sound cynical).

Karl Rove - Political Genius

I find it intellectually lazy for every article to accept without challenge that Mr. Rove is a political genius. This does not mean that I question his acumen as a political operative nor his intelligence. I merely believe that a much finer point must be made regarding the precise nature of his gift and the readily apparent limitations of that gift.

Simply put Karl knows elections. He seems to have learned the true unstated genius of Ronald Wilson Reagan. The body politic in this country are not interested in the subtle details of international diplomacy - the relate to good versus evil, the black hats versus the white hats. Karl is also exceptionally well schooled in hardball politics (or dirty tricks, depending on who you ask). Karl's credo, if ya can't beat 'em, smear 'em (there is at least one worthwhile blog piece on this topic).

When it comes to the politics of administering the power he has helped to acquire I would argue that he kinda sucks. Without going into a lengthy discussion (maybe I'll add detail later, I just want to get something published), where was basic political acumen (let alone "genius") when it came to virtually every domestic policy initiative and/or challenge. Witness the social security reform proposal that thepresident continued to pitifully try to hawk for months after it was clear to anyone conscious that his proposal was DOA. So how's 'bout his stellar response to Katrina, the "Mission Accomplished" photo flop, Harriet "the most qualified attorney" Myers appointment to the Supreme Court or more recently the UAE port deal.

Give Karl credit where credit is due. He realized that terrrorism and the attendant threat issue were winners for GWB. But absent that issue, this administration has been a diasater politically. When it comes to the politics of governing and advancing a politcal agenda, it strkes me that its Karl "the genius" deserves criticism having a tin ear or arguably vilification for being inept.

Oops, Did I Say That Out Loud

More from Condi, http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/04/01/uk.rice.straw/index.html. I was just kiddin'around, c'mon guys, nobody takes this stuff seriously do they?