Actually, the quote “You won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore” was from his “last” press conference after losing the California gubernatorial race to Pat Brown in 1962.

The quote I most remember from Nixon’s presidency was: “…I’m not a crook”.

Today’s equivalent would go something like: “I’m not an incompetent, easily manipulated, lazy, amoral, hypocritical, lying, politically motivated psychopath. Oh, and I care deeply for the Country, its troops, its economic well being, and the Constitution. I am known for my hard work, honesty, and sacrifice for the good of all Americans. Now watch this swing!”

Posted at August 18, 2006 8:22 PM in response to Accountability in Israel. Why Don't We Try It Here?

Whit, is this that Cheney “One Percent Doctrine”, in action? The one Ron Susskind has written a recent book about?

I guess that doctrine, in this case, would be: If there is the possibility of even one house, in all of Lebanon, which may have a Hezbollah rocket in it, then we are justified in leveling every house in that country. I mean, how else can you be sure you get that one house, right?

I know Josh just went through explaining how we should all be more civil and polite in our comments to one another, but “whit”, I think there are 3 letters missing from the front of your name – can you guess which ones? I knew you could!

Posted at July 22, 2006 3:50 PM in response to Think Harder

In my comment above, the paragraph starting with “Ken Silverstein…” should be attributed to Digby. I apologize for this – I did not mean to pull a paragraph from someone else without the proper cite; otherwise, I could be a famous author like you-know-who.

Posted at July 22, 2006 3:31 PM in response to Think Harder

Maybe the National Review doesn’t want us to know about these new shipments of “precision-guided bombs” for reasons other than their typical knee jerk reaction to the NYT. As we’ve seen, the casualties in Lebanon are almost all civilians. So, either they are being targeted deliberately, or the guidance systems don’t work very well, or some combination of the two. This information doesn’t make the U.S or Israel look good.

Something else to consider: if these damned newspapers keep printing facts, that the President isn’t aware of, it just makes him more vulnerable to criticism based on these politically uncomfortable facts.

He thinks Iraq is a success story. Just a few days ago, he condescendingly chastised Putin for Russia’s lack of freedom of religion and democracy. You know, like the kind he has brought to Iraq. Putin just smacked him down with: “We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy that they have in Iraq, quite honestly." It showed how ignorant Bush is about Iraq, of all things! And Putin decided the whole world should see this ignorance up close, and he did a good job of it, too.

According to Abramowitz at WaPo, regarding Israel/Lebanon: “In the administration's view, the new conflict is not just a crisis to be managed. It is also an opportunity to seriously degrade a big threat in the region, just as Bush believes he is doing in Iraq.” Once again, a fact free belief that he is a successful President on a successful path. How does this happen? This complete suspension of reality. Maybe because of things like this:

Ken Silverstein at Harper's blog reports that ever since the last NIE on Iraq was rejected by the Bush administration back in 2004 (for being "too negative") they haven't bothered to write another one.

“What do you call the situation in Iraq right now?” asked one person familiar with the situation. “The analysts know that it's a civil war, but there's a feeling at the top that [using that term] will complicate matters.” Negroponte, said another source regarding the potential impact of a pessimistic assessment, “doesn't want the president to have to deal with that.”

Apparently, facts are inconvenient and uncomfortable things for Bush to deal with, so they keep as many from him as possible – this is the only thing this bunch has been successful doing. Of course, Bush is quite happy in his ignorance and stupidity. And the National Review just wants everyone to quit printing facts – they could fall into the wrong hands, like the President’s. Oh, there are two facts he is allowed to know: “Russia's big and so is China”

Now pass that man a Diet Coke.

Posted at July 22, 2006 3:09 PM in response to Think Harder

“…the most protected man in the entire world sends the sons and daughters of people he generally does not associate with off to war…but it is obscene to conflate the danger he is sending others into with his own…” – theCoach

I will neither forgive nor forget that he said: “bring ‘em on”, knowing he would not be around when they showed up!

He had his own chance to show some will and some spine, but he passed on that opportunity many years ago. It’s not the “will” of anyone but himself which is suspect. He has shown, throughout his entire life, a lack of determination, discipline, and resolve to complete anything successfully – the very essence of being a willful person. What he does is wishful thinking, which requires no effort, and he calls it will, of which he is not capable.

Posted at July 19, 2006 10:07 PM in response to Green Lantern in the Levant

Mr. Evans is right about it not being “100% rational, but not quite perverse and definitely not unusual.” Of course, none of this is 100% rational, but this sectarian solidarity was 100% predictable.

When I first read that the heads of the Arab states were not sympathetic to Hezbollah’s position; I thought, there will be some “back pedaling” on this. The Arab street will rally behind Hezbollah, and these Heads of State will be looking for a way to become more sympathetic. The wanton, perverse, and unnecessary murder of Lebanese civilians by Israel has given them that opportunity. You really would have “to be drunk, crazy, or stupid” to think otherwise.

Also, the killing “motivated by spite” isn’t the one-sided affair you seem to believe it is, and neither side is advancing the interests of civilians. I wouldn’t want anyone to be deluded into thinking that, either.

You are right about the lack of Arab grassroots support for our policies, right now – I believe Friedman could ride in cabs all day long, and not find one driver cheering for Israel/US over Hezbollah.

Posted at July 18, 2006 7:07 PM in response to Dangerous Cleverness

Well TH, you are right; it is a serious matter if G’burg’s concept agrees with Bush’s. That doesn’t change my disgust over it; however, it would prove we have more than one “crazed lunatic” in this country – but I think we already knew that.

Anyway, if this “dream” – no change that to “nightmare” - does come true, you young bucks better “saddle up because your moving out” – if you know what I mean. And when that happens, I guarantee the Dow-Jones averages will not be on your mind at all.

Posted at July 16, 2006 3:44 PM in response to Israel Takes A Stupid Pill

So, you hope for a “devastated Middle East”; which does mean the killing of thousands of people to advance U.S. economic interests. Those sprouting little “dandelions in the springtime” may not be the “emergent American companies” you hope for. I think, instead, they will be more of the kind of people you killed initially, only more vengeful and persistent in exacting retribution for what was done to advance your economic well being and comfort.

It is repugnant to me to sentence thousands of innocents to death so Americans can improve the value of their 401k’s. Also, have you thought about the thousands of American lives, now in the Middle East, as you hope for this devastation? Have you thought about the Shiite reprisals against our people in Iraq? If you were there I bet it would be on your mind. I don’t think your excitement about profiting from the next “dandelion” IPO would make it okay with them.

That’s enough! I can’t continue to think about this seriously except as the idea of a crazed lunatic!

Posted at July 16, 2006 12:19 PM in response to Israel Takes A Stupid Pill

Well, when I try to go to sleep at night I don’t count sheep. I count the possibilities of lawsuits, subpoenas, indictments, and any and all legal means possible to bring these miscreants to heel, and then send them on to hell. I am not a particularly religious person, but I’ve made a special exception for this hell part. I fall asleep with a smile on my face. Ah, “Some people call me a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…”.

I really don’t care how long it takes. Of the triumvirate: Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Bush; the only one, actuarially speaking, who has a real chance of standing in the dock is Bush. I am willing to suffer the lack of immediate results for the surety of justice for that one.

Now, of course I’m not a lawyer, just a tired old man, tired of the same old shit. This dreaming is what keeps me going. I guess I owe part of my longevity to the President. I just don’t want to miss any of this.

I want to see “the smirk” wiped from his face. I also want him to testify on his own behalf. That alone would be worth the price of admission – the stammering, the gibberish, and the absolute distain for ordinary people having the temerity to question him. After the jury is selected I want him to look at that them and say, “Okay, Bring it on”! And he wouldn’t be able to make use of professionally done signs, and banners behind him saying “Honest and Innocent”, “Honest and Innocent” over and over, again. The “Decider” would be having his fate decided by others. Oh, what wonderful irony!

Well, I’ve reduced the seriousness of this post enough. It’s time for bed, but one last thing. I do find myself, in my dreams, marching around the White House chanting: Pinochet, Nuremburg, Milosevic. I wonder what that means?

Posted at July 14, 2006 9:19 PM in response to Plame Lawsuit Could Be Extremely Damaging To Bush Administration -- After President Leaves Office

Well, we can’t afford to ignore the Middle East. That is obvious. We are knee deep in the sand there. I guess we could ignore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if only others in the Middle East would. They won’t. That is obvious. So I think a policy and engagement beyond the President’s “Israel has a right defend itself” is necessary.

This is the most inflammatory situation I have ever seen there, and is much more than putting “some hurt on a bunch of annoying malcontents”. These “malcontents” have a lot sympathy from a lot of people. And the situation is deteriorating, and a lot of innocent “malcontents” are dying, and will continue to die.

How far is a country allowed to go in defending itself? That is a question with as many answers as people with agendas, but I believe the Middle East will say this is too far, and will react accordingly – more “fighting, war, and chaos”. It won’t be to our advantage. And I think the neocons need to be careful about whipping up some kind of war fever against Syria and Iran over this. I think we ran out of “cakewalks” in Iraq.

If this doesn’t de-escalate soon, my “rhetorical bugbear” is really a question: “could this be the fuse that finally burns all the way to the powder magazine, and blows up the whole damn thing?”

Posted at July 14, 2006 2:12 PM in response to More Israel/Lebanon