November 28th, 2006
Having “skin in the game” does make a difference. If more of the political elite had skin in the game we would, undoubtedly, see a lot more of this:
Webb, a decorated former Marine officer, hammered Allen and Bush over the unpopular war in Iraq while wearing his son’s old combat boots on the campaign trail. It seems the president may have some lingering resentment.
At a private reception held at the White House with newly elected lawmakers shortly after the election, Bush asked Webb how his son, a Marine lance corporal serving in Iraq, was doing.
Webb responded that he really wanted to see his son brought back home, said a person who heard about the exchange from Webb.
“I didn’t ask you that, I asked how he’s doing,” Bush retorted, according to the source.
Webb confessed that he was so angered by this that he was tempted to slug the commander-in-chief, reported the source, but of course didn’t. It’s safe to say, however, that Bush and Webb won’t be taking any overseas trips together anytime soon.
UPDATE: The Washington Post covers the same incident:
If the exchange with Bush two weeks ago is any indication, Webb won’t be a wallflower, especially when it comes to the war in Iraq. And he won’t stick to a script drafted by top Democrats.
“I’m not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall,” Webb said in an interview yesterday in which he confirmed the exchange between him and Bush. “No offense to the institution of the presidency, and I’m certainly looking forward to working with him and his administration. [But] leaders do some symbolic things to try to convey who they are and what the message is.”
In the days after the election, Webb’s Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill went out of their way to make nice with Bush and be seen by his side. House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sat down for a lunch and photo opportunity with Bush, as did Democratic leaders in the Senate.
Not Webb, who said he tried to avoid a confrontation with Bush at the White House reception but did not shy away from one when the president approached.
Semper Fidelis.
November 28th, 2006
Via HuffingtonPost.com… kinda hard to argue against President Carter’s conclusion:
BLITZER: In the scheme of things, how big of a blunder was it in terms of foreign policy blunders that American presidents has made?
CARTER: One of the — it’s going to prove, I believe, to be one of the greatest blunders that American presidents have ever made.
November 28th, 2006
Clearly the Bush administration has been an utter failure in real time; so, what’s left for a Republican administration with such a record of accomplishments? Why the future, of course. Better yet, what’s left for such an administration is simply to rewrite history, so that future generations don’t ever have a true sense of the magnitude Bush’s catastrophes, er, accomplishments.
Now, how will the Republican administration go about rewriting history?
To start with, Bush supporters will raise $500 million dollars:
Bush loyalists have already identified wealthy heiresses, Arab nations and captains of industry as potential “mega” donors and are pressing for a formal site announcement - now expected early in the new year.
One does have to give these Bush loyalists credit, because, unlike the man they support, they are at least being honest about what they hope to buy for $500 million dollars:
Bush allies feel they need enormous funds to shape how history views Bush’s legacy. A Bush insider said, “The more [money] you have, the more influence [on history] you can exert.”
[...]
The legacy-polishing centerpiece is an institute, which several Bush insiders called the Institute for Democracy. Patterned after Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, Bush’s institute will hire conservative scholars and “give them money to write papers and books favorable to the President’s policies,” one Bush insider said.
If the Bush loyalists succeed in rewriting history, future generations may believe that the invasion of Iraq was merely a ruse to foment civil war in that country and, too, potentially plunge the Middle East into a wider regional war. If that, indeed, was the goal, then the Bush administration has deservedly earned the right to brandish the Mission Accomplished banner.
November 28th, 2006
Just doing my bit to help a fellow progressive blogger…
Rumor has it that Jessica Alba’s people may — quite possibly, sometime soon — be getting in touch with Oliver Willis’s people (er, does he have people that Alba’s people can get in touch with?).
If you’re wondering what this is about, I’ll let Oliver explain:
“Quarterback Tony Romo, who said his ex-girlfriend broke up with him just hours before he took over the reins of America’s Team, recently revealed having a crush on actress and singer Jessica Simpson, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Media outlets are reporting that Simpson’s representatives heard the rumor and got in touch with Romo’s people and set up a date. The couple are now rumored to be an item.”
I’m officially releasing the rumor that I have a "crush" on Jessica Alba. I’m willing to go as far to say that "questions swirl" around the fact that I would marry Jessica Alba in a New York minute.
Granted, I’m not the quarterback of a legendary sports franchise, but I have played a lot of John Madden football so that ought to account for something.
I now await the call from Jessica’s "representatives" but feel free to rumor away that she and I are now "an item".
November 27th, 2006
I haven’t posted any photo links in a while, so here’s a good one. This guy’s work is amazing:
