By Jacob Weisberg
Posted Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at 3:04 PM ET

“And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I’m sorry it’s the case, and I’ll work hard to try to elevate it.”— Speaking on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007.

Click here to hear audio of Bush’s comments. The Bushism is at 19:21.

From Slate Magazine online

I didn’t stop reading political blogs even after I knew I should.

http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/

Here is the text delivered by Zbigniew Brzezinski to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this morning:

It is time for the White House to come to terms with two central realities:

1. The war in Iraq is a historic, strategic, and moral calamity. Undertaken under false assumptions, it is undermining America’s global legitimacy. Its collateral civilian casualties as well as some abuses are tarnishing America’s moral credentials. Driven by Manichean impulses and imperial hubris, it is intensifying regional instability.

2. Only a political strategy that is historically relevant rather than reminiscent of colonial tutelage can provide the needed framework for a tolerable resolution of both the war in Iraq and the intensifying regional tensions.

If the United States continues to be bogged down in a protracted bloody involvement in Iraq, the final destination on this downhill track is likely to be a head-on conflict with Iran and with much of the world of Islam at large. A plausible scenario for a military collision with Iran involves Iraqi failure to meet the benchmarks; followed by accusations of Iranian responsibility for the failure; then by some provocation in Iraq or a terrorist act in the U.S. blamed on Iran; culminating in a “defensive” U.S. military action against Iran that plunges a lonely America into a spreading and deepening quagmire eventually ranging across Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

If you aren’t reading Andrew Sullivan’s blog, linked above, you should.  He’s an interesting guy.  Gay, conservative and struggling to be a Roman Catholic.  (frag., I know I know) … i’m listening to the Everley Brothers and watching Sinatra play with a cloth mouse.  I’ve got a file and tax materials on my desk to work on.  The snow is pretty from my little enclave’s window.  I should be happy as a clam in sauce, but I somehow feel like the lobster who says to himself:  my, the water’s getting so nice and Toasty!

blogblah!!!

From Josh Marshall’s Talking Points Memo blog, linked here. 

An analysis released today by the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the administration has vastly underestimated the actual number of extra troops that will be deployed to Iraq under the president’s “surge” plan.

The administration’s estimate of approximately 21,000 extra troops only counts combat units, according to the analysis, and because combat units require support forces, the actual number of additional troops who will be in Iraq will likely exceed 35,000.

From the analysis (you can read it here):

To reflect some of the uncertainty about the number of support troops, CBO developed its estimates on the basis of two alternative assumptions. In one scenario, CBO assumed that additional support troops would be deployed in the same proportion to combat troops that currently exists in Iraq. That approach would require about 28,000 support troops in addition to the 20,000 combat troops—a total of 48,000. CBO also presents an alternative scenario that would include a smaller number of support personnel—about 3,000 per combat brigade—totaling about 15,000 support personnel and bringing the total additional forces to about 35,000. [emphasis mine]

The analysis, which estimated the cost of the president’s plan “from $9 billion to $13 billion for a four-month deployment and from $20 billion to $27 billion for a 12-month deployment,” was sent to House Committee on the Budget Chairman John Spratt (D-SC) today.

I’m just going to have to stop reading the news and the blogs.  This makes me so angry and I feel so powerless.  Even after winning last fall’s elections, the Congress can’t figure out how to stop this madness?  Do you think it would do any good if I wrote a polite letter to Mary Fallon?  Not so much, I’m thinking.

blogblah!!!

From the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune:

WASHINGTON – Comedian and radio talk show host Al Franken has begun calling Democratic members of Congress and prominent DFLers to tell them he will definitely challenge Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in 2008, the Star Tribune learned Wednesday.

On Monday, Franken announced that he is quitting his radio show on Feb. 14, and he told his audience that they’d be the first to know of his decision. But Franken has been working the phones, telling his political friends he’s ready to declare his candidacy.

Franken made calls to at least two members of the Minnesota congressional delegation in Washington and one member of the Legislature to break the news. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, not wanting to be identified as pre-empting Franken’s announcement.

“From his voice to my ears, he’s running,” said one House member, who relayed the remark via his press secretary.

Supply your own punchline.

He coulda been senator, but he kept turning left at Minneapolis and never got to St. Paul.

No Joke?

Building on his success in the radio business, no doubt.

blogblah!!!

From Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Best-selling author and columnist Molly Ivins, the sharp-witted liberal who skewered the political establishment and referred to President Bush as “Shrub,” died Wednesday after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 62.

 

It’s a sad day.  She was an American icon, a Will Rogers-esque political commentator, and — back in the day — she and Ann Richards tore up Austin.  Maybe they’re both able to drink, joke and smoke in heaven just like the old times.  I hope so.

From Flibbertygibbet  — the “money quote”:

I’ve grown enough, or at least think I have, that I realize being in love isn’t the image we’ve been given in society, the media, in fairytales. However those thoughts come crashing in when I think of the term and it creeps me out. The idea of being in love sounds confining, as if I’m in a tiny closet, no air, no windows and ankle deep in rubber cement. It sounds and feels gooey, gross, clingy and obsessively possessive, something I do not want.

Over the weekend upon alternating between crying and staring at the wall, I began to wonder what my core beliefs and desires about relationships are. What is it deep within I believe is possible? Why do I even want one? And why, pray tell, do I fall all over men who aren’t ready? Is this a protection mechanism on my part? Sabotage? Self-abuse?

 I think there’s a relationship virus going around, making couplings extraordinarily painful this winter.  Symptoms include fatalism and random weeping along with obsessive/compulsive relationship thinking and sudden outbursts of glossalalia in the form of :  “Oh, Lord!  Why ME?!?”.  There is no known cure.  It seems to be as chronic and terminal as life itself.

blogblah!!!

The WP‘s Al Kamen points out that former associate attorney general and convicted felon Webb Hubbell is now promoting life insurance for people who smoke marijuana and are “responsible” about it. Typically those who smoke have had to lie on forms or pay high premiums to get life insurance. To target this “underserved market” Hubbell has teamed up with two insurance companies that agreed to write policies for those who enjoy a good toke.

 From Slate Magazine

Work Work Work

Worked all day and didn’t bill a dime.  Spent my day entering time and startup data on my new attorney accounting software.  

Type Type Type.  Data this entry here and that data goes there.  Funny, but before it became data it was someone’s life, my life, and a drama about love and/or money.

I was supposed to do this shit in December when I was on vacation days around christmas, but grandkids and this and that and well, you know.

So, I’ve got this 2 hour break between work and my tuesday night regular AA meeting.

I’ve picked up the clothes in my room, made the bed, took out the trash, started a load of laundry, re-loaded the dishwasher, changed the kitty litter (YES!), fixed and ate a TV dinner.

Been listening to classical music on 90.1 FM while torturing the cat by not doing what he wants, whatever the hell that may be.

And, I’m kicked back with a nice mug of hot Earl Grey tea, slightly sweetened with Oklahoma honey.

And, as soon as I hit “Save”, I’ll reach for a new Easy Rollins mystery by Walter Moseley.

you have leave to be jealous now.

blogblah!!!

I decided a few years ago relationships weren’t for me. I’ve tried a couple of times since then, but halfheartedly, because I already know I’m no good at it. I don’t like calling it ‘celibacy’ because for me, the connotation is that I’ve had some sort of pious vision, when in fact I’ve just gotten tired of being always on the defensive, always tiptoeing on eggshells, always wondering when I would commit the social, cultural or consumerist fuckup that, while innocuous-seeming to me, was the deal-breaker for her.

“Money quote” from MCARP’S post on 3:40 a.m.

Find the whole post here.

Man, I feel for the guy.  I think lots of us are in that place.  We’re just going along being our goofy selves, not perfect or anything, but doing our best to just get along and BANG!  The relationship is over.  We’re clueless.

One of the reasons I stopped trying to understand relationships and/or women is that I realized that sometimes it isn’t what the issue they confront you with at all.  That’s just the causa bella, the excuse they are using for doing what they want to do for no reason at all or for no reason they have articulated to themselves or anyone else.  Men may do this (but how would I ever know?), but I have seen women dump men and I have been dumped for what I have come to believe is the “trading up” syndrome.  I think some women just think their shit is too good for you and they want someone better.  It’s not a rational decision, it’s not a decision you can examine because it’s not a decision they realize they have made.  Sometimes, I don’t think it’s even that.  I think sometimes you get jumped for no reason at all.  I don’t think they can explain it to themselves any better than they can explain it to you.  It’s just the cat in them.  It’s just something they do.  They know it, they can’t change it and they are just OK with it thank you very much.  I think I don’t understand women because they cannot be understood.  I don’t think it’s for any lack of empathy or understanding or intelligence.  It’s not for lack of trying.  Women are simply incomprehensible. 

I think we get dumped because they are tired of telling their girlfriends how great things are and want some drama to dish over the Sex in the City drinks she’s having tomorrow at 5 p.m. at the Waterford. (20 year olds)

I think they get it in their heads that we’re dissatisfied with them and are looking around and maybe they just aren’t good enough after all and boo hoo, I’ll pre-emptively dump him before he can dump me.  Mind readers are the worst.  They are always wrong.  Then, they don’t own up to it.  They started it and now they want you to take them out to dinner to make up for it.  (30 year olds)

He’s just like my goddam first husband, the bastard, and I won’t make that mistake again.  Well, actually, he’s nothing like my husband, I just want to punish that son-of-a-bitch one more time and this guy is the perfect stand-in because he’s handy.  Maybe I’ll also feel less guilty about my divorce. (40 year olds)

I don’t want to date this man.  I want to date someone younger, richer, thinner.  Someone with no issues, no mother and no children.  He’ll ride up in his white Mustang, dressed in a silver grey suit and wisk me away to a retirement paradise in a warm climate.  My dreams are better than the men in my life.  Goodbye.  (50 year olds)

These are only the reasons I imagine.  In reality, I think these reasons are real, but never acknowledged nor spoken by the ones who use them.  And, in that sense, not real.

In the end, it’s as MCARP wisely notes:  I don’t know.  For me, I’ve given up trying to understand.  I don’t do a good job of it. Don’t bother to tell me where I’m wrong about any of this, because I won’t understand.  I won’t get it.  You’ll be wrestling with a pig.  You will get filthy and I’ll enjoy it.  When it’s all over, I’ll still be a pig.

blogblah!!!

John Mayall with Eric Clapton, circa 1965-6 …

Drinking a hot chocolate with minimarshmellows …

Just watched the vid John X touts on MindTurds  …

(Please note that after inexcusable delay, Mind Turds is now a part of my permanent weblinks.)

Played catch/gotya with Sinatra …

Heard a little Travis Linville at G spot and he f’n NAILED Green River (I caught bartender Craig singing along with the chorus) …

Gotta couple new reads waitin’ …

Pretty good day.  I’m vertical and didn’t drink.

Lord, have Mercy upon us.  Goodnight.