On Reactions to the Libby Commutation

John Edwards: “Only a president clinically incapable of understanding that mistakes have consequences could take the action he did today. President Bush has just sent exactly the wrong signal to the country and the world. In George Bush’s America, it is apparently okay to misuse intelligence for political gain, mislead prosecutors and lie to theContinue reading “On Reactions to the Libby Commutation”

On an Ironic Bush Statement

Said President Bush while on vacation at his Crawford, Texas ranch: “And they ought to get the job done of passing legislation, as opposed to figuring out how to be actors on the political theater stage.” They, being Congress. Political theater, being investigating Alberto Gonzales and providing oversight of the Justice Department. Hmm, is theContinue reading “On an Ironic Bush Statement”

On Cracks in the Republican Facade

The day was coming. Yesterday, eleven Republican Congressmen went to the White House bearing a message for President Bush. Their message for the President? He’s lost credibility on Iraq. The President’s approval rating is south of thirty percent. That Republican Congressmen will start to peel from the monolithic bloc in support of the President’s failedContinue reading “On Cracks in the Republican Facade”

On Rescinding the President's War Powers

Senators Hillary Clinton of New York and Robert Byrd of West Virginia will be introducing legislation to rescind the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), the legislation that allowed the invasion of Iraq, in October 2007 on the fifth anniversary of the AUMF’s initial passage. From Senator Clinton’s speech on the SenateContinue reading “On Rescinding the President's War Powers”

On Mission Accomplished, Plus Four Years

Said President George W. Bush on May 1st, 2003: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country. Wrote I in September 2006, for the Star Trek: Constellations annotations: On May 1,Continue reading “On Mission Accomplished, Plus Four Years”

On Alberto Gonzales

Dear Mr. Gonzales: It’s time for you to go. You’ve lost Republican Senators. You’ve lost the New York Times. When their editorial page writes: If Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had gone to the Senate yesterday to convince the world that he ought to be fired, it’s hard to imagine how he could have done aContinue reading “On Alberto Gonzales”

On New Mexico Laws

Two interesting legislative initiatives are winding their way through the New Mexico legislature. One would deal with Pluto. A law was passed declaring March 13th, 2007 “Pluto Planet Day.” An excerpt from the legislation: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that, as Pluto passes overhead through NewContinue reading “On New Mexico Laws”