Republicans to flee DC for inauguration

While millions descend on Washington for the historic inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, some Republicans see it as an occasion to get out of town.

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"What better way to mark the Obama Inauguration (and his millions of adoring fans that will be in DC) than to get out of town to fabulous Las Vegas!" wrote Charlie Spies, a Republican lawyer ..."

Update, Jan. 6:

Perhaps it was a bit obscure to everyone but me. I'm undecided on the point; but in case it was:

Criminals made Las Vegas.

It is asked, in "The Long Goodbye"

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"Am I missing something?"

Why yes, yes you are!

They intend to use pity.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081230/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_advisers_speak_out

Ex-aides say Bush never recovered from Katrina

[Bush never recovered from Katrina? Yeah, well, neither did a heap of dead people.]

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Dan Bartlett, former White House communications director and
later counselor to  the president, said: "Politically, it was the final
nail in the coffin."

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Anyone know how many nails were used, back in the day when nails were used in coffins? Because if Katrina was the final nail in the coffin....what about the nails that came before? Bartlett says something was already dead by '05; and with the final nail identified as Katrina...well, thassa helluva bigass nail, boyos. Are you sure it's not a stake? We are talking about New Orleans, after all.

And the irony of using the death of New Orleans and the people therein as a metaphor for the political death (or was it suicide? it's hard to tell with coke-addicted alcholics what's really happening) of George Bush? Talk about thinly veiled dependence on credulity.

They actually want us, all of us, to feel sorry for him. And by extension, everyone who enabled him will enjoy some measure of that pity.

It's what batterers and abusers always say: "Damn, baby! That ain't nothing. Look what your face did to my fist!"

So yeah, Condi and Laura are right: as long as people like being victimized and fall in love with the political brute, then people will think fondly of George Bush, post-modern Cro-Magnon, first Global Loser of the New Millenium, and victim of assault by clodhoppers.

My brown eye.

That's politics. You're welcome.

Obama bristles as the bubble closes in on him

"Obama appears conscious of the confines of his new position..."

He appears to be conscious, does he....will wonders ever cease?

In other news, reporter appears unconscious of the difference between information with substantial relevance and a Tuna Melt. But I guess one must file something.

Update:

Oh no! CNN also! How the mighty have fallen!

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/27/obama-gives-the-press-the-slip/

With this gem (about the press pool) midway:

"Their purpose is to provide a public record of the official's activities, a vital service in a functioning democracy."

And here, gentle reader, we glean that it must be painful to those who fancy that they are reporters: the hints at the edge of awareness that one is nothing more than a text-based paparazzi.

No amount of verbal legerdemain containing the phrase "...functioning democracy..." and "...vital service..." will render fripperies into substantial reporting.

And the line between events critical to a functioning democracy and a trip with children to an aquarium is a wide, honking, flashing red neon line.

That's politics. You're welcome.