Open thread

And a contest. I think we need a "top ten" on who the father of Mary Cheney's baby is. Go for it. Read the rest of this post...

Conservative Jews okay gay rabbis

This is the best Christmas ever!

(Must... refrain... from... Ken... Mehlman... joke...) Read the rest of this post...

Bush's religious right pals call preggers Mary Cheney "unconscionable"

It's a story that just BEGS a NY Daily News headline.

Janice Crouse of Concerned Women for America described the pregnancy as "unconscionable."

"It's very disappointing that a celebrity couple like this would deliberately bring into the world a child that will never have a father," said Crouse, a senior fellow at the group's think tank. "They are encouraging people who don't have the advantages they have."

Crouse said there was no doubt that the news would, in conservatives' eyes, be damaging to the Bush administration, which already has been chided by some leaders on the right for what they felt was halfhearted commitment to anti-abortion and anti-gay-rights causes in this year's general election.

Carrie Gordon Earll, a policy analyst for the conservative Christian ministry Focus on the Family, expressed empathy for the Cheney family but depicted the newly announced pregnancy as unwise.

"Just because you can conceive a child outside a one-woman, one-man marriage doesn't mean it's a good idea," said. "Love can't replace a mother and a father."

Read the rest of this post...

Best AP headline ever

Flatulence forces plane to land Read the rest of this post...

Bush-appointed Holocaust Museum Board Member: "America is interested in only one book, the Bible"

What is this intolerant piece of garbage doing on the board of the US Holocaust Museum? He compared the Koran to "Mein Kampf." How does the Holocaust Museum feel about that? Read the rest of this post...

Senate confirms Gates as Secretary of Defense

And Rummy is gone. Read the rest of this post...

Just did a conference call about the Iraq Study Group

I just did a blogger conference call about the Iraq Study Group findings with former Republican Senator Simpson and former Democratic Secretary of Defense Perry.

Not surprisingly, no real news was broken. I do get the sense that the Study Group never really considered the possibility that Iraq is already lost. Simpson and Perry seemed almost surprised when I suggested that they convince me that Iraq isn't already dead. I fear that it's still not PC to suggest in polite company that the war is over, we lost. And I fear just as much that the Study Group may not have seriously considered this possibility - the proposition that nothing we do will matter in the end, and that as bad as it sounds, the only solution is to get out now. Yeah, leaving sucks - but staying sucks worse.

As an aside, Simpson is an absolute hoot. He was actually a moderate, in some ways, during his final days in the Senate - even went to speak at a Matthew Shepard memorial that was held on the Capitol grounds following Shepard's death in 1998 (Simpson was heckled at the time, but in 1998 it said something that a Republican Senator (or former Senator, I believe, by that time) would attend such an event at all.) Simpson has that sense of humor that Washington used to be all about - being able to make funny political barbs back and forth, but still remain charming and decent even while disagreeing with you. It's the way Washington used to be. Read the rest of this post...

10 US soldiers killed in Iraq today

CNN just reported that 10 American soldiers were killed in Iraq today. Brutal. Read the rest of this post...

The report is a dud

It's true. The Iraq Study Group, a.k.a. Baker-Hamilton Commission, has released a report with little value outside of total repudiation of the Bush strategy. For those who are still years behind rational perception (and public opinion) of Iraq, I guess it might come as a shock that "stay the course" is a massive failure, but all this does is catch up Official Washington Consensus Opinion with the rest of the country.

In addition to rejecting the current strategy, the plan tears apart, and I think rightly so, the Biden-Gelb plan of tripartite division (as opposed to loose federalism, which is a good idea) and recommends a transfer of focus from counter-insurgency to training, advising, and departing. These are needles of success in a haystack of horse . . . well, perhaps I'm mixing my metaphors a bit much. But you get the idea.

It's difficult to tell whether the ISG report ultimately represents a failure of brainpower or a failure of nerve. The point of the group's report was to explain the current situation in Iraq and how to best move forward, but instead it ultimately (if unsurprisingly) became a political entity. They took into account political positions in an attempt to craft solutions that would be politically palatable, rather than stating their unvarnished findings. In other words, either all these smart people took eight months to tell us what we all already knew, or they watered down their opinion for the sake of not making waves. Neither option is especially heartening.

The report also fails to put Iraq in the greater context of our national security. Although it does mention how the Israel/Palestine is a crucial issue, and it rightly suggests increased dealings with regional powers, it doesn't explain to the American public how the Iraq war is crippling our greater foreign policy, our international legitimacy, and our long-term national security. Democratic leaders are endorsing the plan, but because it confirms many of their past assessments, not because it's anything especially new or special.

Finally, to some extent the report is the worst of all worlds, because it caved to political pressures but has no implementation power, which leaves the Bush administration able to pick and choose, creating a bad version of some of the recommendations while claiming to adhere to the report. If only there was a similar kind of project, something in the past for which important figures crossed party lines to come together and offer suggestions for the good of the country in the wake of a disaster. If we had this kind of example, maybe we could see what the Bush administration tends to do in such a situation. Oh, wait! That sounds awfully like the . . . 9/11 Commission, which the Bush administration fought, then allowed, then ignored, then picked pieces from, casting aside the most important suggestions, and claimed to have implemented. Not exactly a successful precedent, but one I expect to be largely followed in this case.

I would like to be wrong about these things, I really would. I would like to, just once, express skepticism about a centrist or bipartisan or blue-ribbon effort on Iraq and have it come out better than I expected. It's no fun being right when the result is bad for the country. But this one is, as expected, unimpressive. Read the rest of this post...

Baker: This is not "stay the course"

Still analyzing the Iraq Study Group report and the very interesting news conference. One thing is clear: The Bush strategy is a failure. Not a surprise, but the the players are now unabashed about saying just that:

“We do not recommend a stay-the-course solution,” Mr. Baker said pointedly at a question-answer session accompanying the report’s release. “In our opinion, that is no longer viable.” Those remarks were sure to be interpreted, at least by administration critics, as a rebuke to President Bush.

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, said the study group had done “a tremendous and historic service” by declaring that “there must be a change in Iraq, and there is no time to lose.”

But the White House could point to the commission’s refusal to advocate a quick withdrawal of American troops, an event that Mr. Hamilton said could touch off “a bloodbath” and a wider regional conflict.

This White House has never been seriously challenged on its Iraq policy. The House and Senate Republicans completely failed to provide oversight. Much of the media dropped the ball. Now, the challenge to Bush is out in the open.

Al Gore had some very important advice for the usually petulant president this morning when he urged Bush not to take this personally. It's bigger than Bush, but no one is sure he's up to the challenge. Read the rest of this post...

"The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating"

The Iraq Study Group is doing a press conference now....being carried live on the major networks and cable news.

Consider this an open thread to discuss the report.

The New York Times has excerpts from the report here.

Watching Hamilton and Baker speak, it's clear that the report is a total rebuke of Bush and his failed policy. These guys are on a rescue mission to save us from our President.

Baker equated the pre- and post- Saddam terror and violence for the Iraqi people. The Iraqis "have been liberated from the nightmare of a tyrannical order only to face the nightmare of brutal violence." That disabuses one Bush talking point.

The White House has got to be freaked out that this report is receiving so much attention. Live national network coverage. That's pretty big. It's almost like the media has finally awakened to the fact that Bush has engaged the U.S. in a losing war -- and that we are in serious trouble under his leadership. Read the rest of this post...

Senator Boxer says "it's over" for Bush when it comes to destroying the environment

A lot of deserved attention on Iraq this week. But, there was an Associated Press article yesterday that reinforced why winning is so important. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is now in running the Senate's environment committee -- and she's done with the Bush administration ruining the environment:

In the interview, Boxer also promised to end Bush administration rollbacks on environmental rules if they are not supported by science.

"Any kind of weakening of environmental laws or secrecy or changes in the dead of night - it's over," Boxer said. "We're going to for once, finally, make this committee an environment committee, not an anti-environment committee. ... This is a sea change that is coming to this committee."

When Barbara Boxer says "it's over," then it is over. And the world needs a sea change to save the seas, the air and the land. Read the rest of this post...

Not so intelligent

Incoming House intelligence committee chairman Reyes thinks it's high time we added 20,000 or 30,000 more troops to Iraq. Great. I hope they come from his district.

It's as if he's living in George Bush's own personal time warp. Talking about how Al Qaeda is going to take over if we don't win in Iraq. How we can't afford to lose. How anyone who demands an immediate withdrawal is just crazy.

Yes, let Mr. Reyes and Mr. McCain and Mr. Bush add all the troops to Iraq that they want. And when the entire thing comes crashing down (it already is) and our troops are dead and America disgraced, Mr. Reyes can join all the other recently-retired Republicans in the I-told-you-so hall of shame.

Yes, it would be nice if we had won in Iraq. But it's over. We lost. Read the rest of this post...

Bush will take Study Group report "very seriously." Sure.

The President went through the motions this morning. He accepted the Iraq Study Group's report -- even said it had some interesting stuff in it (not that anyone thinks he's really read it):

Bush said he told the 10 commission members that his administration will take their report, called "The Way Forward, "very seriously.

"This report gives a very tough assessment of the situation in Iraq," Bush said. "It is a report that brings some really very interesting proposals, and we will take every proposal seriously and we will act in a timely fashion."

He also urged members of Congress to give the report a hard look.

"While they won't agree with every proposal, and we probably won't agree with every proposal, it nevertheless is an opportunity to come together and to work together on this important issue," Bush said.

Translation: I've got your stupid report. Now, get the hell out of the White House. Read the rest of this post...

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

This morning, the President is being told in a very public way that his entire Iraq strategy is a disaster. The Iraq Study Group is telling Bush -- and the world -- that Bush's war of choice is a failure. NBC is reporting that the group says the situation is "deteriorating" and "grave." It's a complete rebuke to Bush.

Al Gore is on the TODAY Show providing his perspective. He thinks Iraq is the biggest blunder in US history. Just imagine where we'd be if Florida didn't screw up the vote in 2000. We wouldn't be in the middle of this catastrophe.

No one has any expectations that Bush will adopt any of the suggestions of the Iraq Study Group. He's so petulant he'll take this report as a personal insult and a challenge to his manhood.

We're so screwed. So screwed. We need an intervention.

This will be a busy, busy day. Read the rest of this post...

Will Bush and Blair be able to admit the truth?

The Independent compiles a list of the pro-war crowd who have finally admitted the truth, saying what the public has known for some time. Since Bush is such a stand up guy, so the spin goes, will he finally admit he was wrong and that his war of convenience is a failure? Maybe he can pick up a bull horn and loudly tell the world that he made a serious mistake.

Of course, it is highly doubtful that he will and will instead opt for the blurred ownership of the mess that he created. The "war president" and the "decider" doesn't look like much of a leader these days, does he? It's leadership by committee since he's too much of a coward to own it all. Owning a situation seems to be only when the approval ratings are high. What a wimp. Read the rest of this post...

France24.com/"Chirac TV" to launch

I'm quite interested to see how all of this pans out. In general, I do not believe in massive government sponsorship to launch a commercial enterprise but I also like the idea of something different. Chirac has been pushing for France24 for over 25 years and it is due to start broadcasting this evening online and on cable/satellite tomorrow. The initial rollout includes broadcasts in both French and English and will later include Arabic and Spanish. The goal of the network is to produce a view that is different from the Anglo-American and Arabic stations that currently dominate out there.

As long as they avoid the corporate CEO, Hollywood and luxury brand/wannabe worshiping that CNN cranks out, I'll at least give it a try. Since it will broadcast online, it should be easy enough to view. Read the rest of this post...

BREAKING: Cheney's lesbian daughter Mary is pregnant!

Oh, man, is this gonna be fun. Just watching the religious right try to bite their tongues and not slam the vice president's family. I'm very happy for Mary and Heather, and in their own way they're breaking new ground and making a difference for gay people in this country, finally. But still, this is gonna be priceless just to watch the collective heads of the religious right explode.

Mary Cheney, the vice president's openly gay daughter, is pregnant. She and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, are "ecstatic" about the baby, due in late spring, said a source close to the couple.

It's a baby boom for grandparents Dick and Lynne Cheney: Their older daughter, Elizabeth, went on leave as deputy assistant secretary of state before having her fifth child in July. "The vice president and Mrs. Cheney are looking forward with eager anticipation to the arrival of their sixth grandchild," spokesman Lea Anne McBride said last night.

And get this. They live in Virginia, where a new state constitutional amendment pretty much guarantees that Mary's baby is screwed.

In November, Virginia voters passed a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions; state law is unclear on whether Poe could have full legal rights as a parent of Cheney's child. The circumstances of the pregnancy will remain private, said the source close to the couple. This is the first child for both.

Oh, but Virginia law was already far worse than that. Virginia had already set up new Jim Crow laws targeting gays two years ago. Those laws may vitiate any legal agreement between the two, period, about anything. The law ensures that Mary's partner has no legal rights whatsoever in their child, or in what happens to Mary (or vice versa), such as if one partner has to go the hospital, the other can't visit. The law may even nullify any wills that Mary and Heather write regarding each other, and it may make it impossible for gay people to go to court to resolve any difference about anything - the courts can't recognize gay unions, so they can't make any decisions that would imply recognition (custody, hospital visitation, wills, etc.) It's beyond ironic that Virginia's new law, one of the most hateful, bigoted laws on the books, is now targeting the vice president's own daughter and soon-to-be new grandchild.

Read more here, it's chilling the extent to which Virginia has slipped back into its racist, hateful path.

Oh, and by the way, who's the daddy? Read the rest of this post...

Iraq Study Group thinks we're probably gonna lose, so why are they making suggestions for how to win?

I'm still a bit confused by this entire process we've set up. The patient is dead, so let's call in the best doctors so they can get together and come to a consensus as to how to keep the dead guy alive. (Any of this sounding like Terri Schiavo to anybody else?)

From Wednesday's Washington Post - Wednesday is the day the Study Group releases its recommendations for bringing Terri back to life:

Although the study group will present its plan as a much-needed course change in Iraq, many of its own advisers concluded during its deliberations that the war is essentially already lost, according to private correspondence obtained yesterday and interviews with participants. The best the commission could put forward would be the "least bad" of many bad options, as former ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer wrote.

An early working draft from July stated that "there is even doubt that any level of resources could achieve the administration's stated goals, given the illiberal and undemocratic political forces, many of them Islamic fundamentalists, that will dominate large parts of the country for a long time."

In private e-mail exchanges over the past two weeks, members of the commission's working group, including former ambassadors, military officers and CIA analysts, expressed equally bleak outlooks for Iraq and skepticism that Bush would accept the panel's recommendations.

So, a truly honest report would say "we lost, get out." I can't wait to see what this cluster frak says. Read the rest of this post...

Texas Republicans mock Mary and Joseph as gay men in nativity scene

When you're a member of a party with no ideas left, all that is left is the freaks. Read the rest of this post...