Open thread

Gonzales testifies this week on Tuesday, same day that I have jury duty. Or as someone just wrote in the comments, "John has jury duty; Gonzalez has perjury duty." Read the rest of this post...

John Kerry may re-enter the presidential race for 2008

The reader who just sent me this link writes:

two words: ugh, and no.

Read the rest of this post...

Did Bush make the decision to fire David Iglesias?

Sure looks that way.

Josh Marshall wanted our attention this afternoon. Josh and his crew at TPM broke the U.S. Attorneys scandal. So when he wants our attention, it's for a good reason. And, the involvement of the President in the scandal is a very good reason.

TPM examined an article in today's Albuquerque Journal. Bottom line -- It sure looks like Bush made the decision to fire David Iglesias. Read the whole post. Iglesias wouldn't play political games with prosecutions. That was his major offense. And, apparently, the President of the United States decided that was why he had to go:

No one disputes that Domenici's call to Iglesias was at best inappropriate. But there's been a lack of direct evidence that Iglesias's refusal to bow to political pressure led directly to his firing. Now we have that evidence. And it's not Kyle Sampson or even Alberto Gonzales whom Domenici went to to get sign off for Iglesias's ouster. It was right to the president. And the available evidence now points strongly to the conclusion that the final decision to fire David Iglesias came from the President of the United States.

This scandal gets uglier every day. No wonder all the players have either been lying about it -- or taking the Fifth. The loyal Bushies are protecting Bush. Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

Cold wet Sunday. Read the rest of this post...

Fascinating profile of the religious right

Funny, I get offered review copies of political books all the time, but no one ever offers me the books that are actually interesting, like this one.

From the International Herald Tribune:

The evangelical Christian movement conjures up a very negative picture to many Europeans and to more than a few Americans. A Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll last year found that more than one-fifth of Americans would not vote for an evangelical Christian for president, far more than those who ruled out a Jew or a Catholic.

This picture is of a narrow, bigoted collection of pious people who wish to impose their politics and religion on the United States. It is reinforced by the likes of James Dobson, an influential religious leader who recently pronounced a Republican presidential hopeful, Fred Thompson, as insufficiently Christian. There is another portrait. It is contained in an interesting book, "Applebee's America," written by Ron Fournier, a journalist; Doug Sosnik, formerly a political strategist for President Bill Clinton; and Matthew Dowd, who helped run President George W. Bush's 2004 campaign. It focuses on the megachurches, home to much of the evangelical Christian movement.

The authors' conclusion: "They're not all gun toting, gay-bashing Republican Party pawns."

The book notes that exit polls from the 2004 election found that 60 percent of the attendees at megachurches are women; almost one-quarter are African-American or Hispanic; half are independents or Democrats, and their views on issues like abortion and homosexuality are close to those of the general public.

This is the evangelical movement of Rick Warren, a best-selling author and head of the Saddleback Church in California, one of the largest congregations in America.

Warren and Dobson are a microcosm of the controversy and confusion over the role evangelical Christians play in American social and political life. Warren is about inclusion and hope. Dobson is about exclusion and polarization.

Read the rest of this post...

Dems. to GOP: Stick with Bush and his failed Iraq policy, lose your seats

It's really not that complicated. Bush's Iraq policy is -- and always has been -- a disaster. But the GOPers in Congress, like Susan Collins (ME), Norm Coleman (MN) and John Sununu (NH) among others, who enabled that failure, are sticking with him. Not only does their recklessness threaten American security, it threatens Republican job security. Reid and Schumer were typically blunt about that prospect:

Democrats know they might lose this month's showdown with President Bush on legislation to pull troops out of Iraq. But with 2008 elections in mind, majority Democrats says it is only a matter of time before they will get their way. Senior Democrats are calculating that if they keep the pressure on, eventually more Republicans will jump ship and challenge the president - or lose their seats to Democratic contenders.

"It's at least my belief that they are going to have to break because they're going to look extinction, some of them, in the eye," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of his Republican colleagues.

Added Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.: "We're going to pick up Senate seats as a result of this war."

The irony is that the GOP picked up Senate seats in 2002 because of Bush's build up to the Iraq war. That same batch of GOP Senators who won in 2002 because of Bush and his war are going to lose in 2008 because of Bush and his war. Read the rest of this post...

Sunday Talk Shows Open Thread

Dick Cheney appears today to spew his lies (yes, lies) -- and to continue his campaign against Nancy Pelosi. Think Progress has the details on Cheney's obsessive effort to smear the Speaker. The Bush brain-trust must be really worried if they're letting Cheney, the most toxic and despised person on their team, lead the Iraq lobbying campaign. They do know Cheney will say anything -- no matter how outrageous -- and that the media will dutifully report his words without any challenge. Let's see if Schieffer gives Cheney the free ride that the Veep always gets from Russert.

Iraq will be the dominant topic. Fortunately, Jim Webb is on the air today. He really is one of the best voices the Democrats have on the war. Zinni doesn't pull any punches either. Here's the line up:

FOX NEWS SUNDAY...: Sens. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.); the Rev. Al Sharpton; and National Security Archive Director Thomas S. Blanton.

THIS WEEK (ABC...: Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D).

NEWSMAKERS (C-SPAN), 10 a.m. [EST]: FDA Administrator Andrew C. von Eschenbach.

FACE THE NATION (CBS....: Vice President Cheney.

MEET THE PRESS (NBC...: Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni.

LATE EDITION (CNN), 11 a.m. [EST]: Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and James Webb (D-Va.); National Urban League President Marc Morial; Children's Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman; American Enterprise Institute fellow Richard Perle; Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh; and former vice president Walter Mondale.

Watch and comment. Or just talk about anything.

(And don't forget to wish Kay in Maine a very happy birthday) Read the rest of this post...

Blair knew about UK soldiers selling their stories to media

So what? Who cares outside of those who thought the days of the Empire were great moments in history? British media had hyperventilating since the release of the UK soldiers by Iran because a few of the soldiers sold their stories to the tabloid media. Some people were horrified with the bidding process while others saw this as a sad reflection on the current state of the UK military, being in conflict with the brave images from the days of the Empire. Having family who were on the receiving end of the Empire, I suppose I don't reflect quite as positively on those “good old days” and I also miss why selling stories like this is any different than a politician selling his or her story, often accepting millions in advance.

With Blair at the end of his rule and surely eying a fat book contract and speaking tour money, he would be even more of a fraud - if that's even possible - if he joined the parade against the soldiers. While I may not be thrilled with the sale of story to the media, they weren't doing anything that politicians and government leaders don't do on a regular basis. If there's going to be a ban for the soldiers, there ought to be a ban on politicians who have been working for the country peddling their stories as well. Read the rest of this post...

Russian police beat protesters and arrest hundreds

At least we can rest comfortably that Bush looked into his heart and soul and saw a man that he could work with. Arresting people and throwing them in prison...no wonder Bush likes Putin.

Thousands of police officers massed to keep the demonstrators off landmark Pushkin Square in downtown Moscow, beating some and detaining many others, including Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion who has emerged as the most prominent leader of the opposition alliance.

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Open thread

Late night. Read the rest of this post...