It is indeed a sad state of affairs when the people who have been running the show at 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue act more like Soviet Russia polical apparatchiks than they do like American citizens. The constitution of the former USSR had guarantees of certain freedoms, similar to some of the guarantees of freedom in the US Constitution. Unfortunately, the Soviet guarantees only applied in reality to members of the favored political party (Communist Party). If Rove has his way (and he has had his way to an unprecedented extent over the last 6 years), the US will become very similar to the USSR, except that the Republican party will be the favored political party.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 98

portia — I had the same “You have got to be freaking kidding me!” reaction to that. …

Journeys With George, a documentary by Alexandra Pelosi, Nancy’s daughter, from when she was part of the press that travelled with him during the 2000 primary season is an interesting interogation of this phenemenon. To me he looks like a drunk frat boy bully, but it was interesting to watch people succumb to his “charms” again and again.

She nailed it, didn’t she? The question of what gets those people charmed needs to be answered?

My first impression is that it reflects what we’ve thought for a long time about the Republicans — it’s a patriarchal and hierarchical (almost corporate) system and mentality. They loves their older White men daddies and they will believe what they’re told, to the point of following direction or orders to do things which are criminal and bad for themselves.

I’m sure there are some other takes on this phenomenon too.

Well Rove is an obnoxious unlikeable sociopath who has broken a lot of laws and we’ll all be happy to see him in the slammer, BUT, the person even more to blame here is dubya Bush, for not reigning him in. Every other president, EVERY OTHER PRESIDENT, understood to some degree that governing and winning elections were not identical things, and they did not give their campaign staff such unrestrained power in running government. Rove saw everything from the standpoint of gaining and maintaining electoral power. THAT WAS HIS JOB, the thing he grew up learning to do. It was Bush’s job to tell him NO! once in awhile (okay, in Rove’s case, several times a day). Bush never did that. Don’t censure an undisciplined dog for being an undisciplined dog. Rove was Bush’s bitch–why didn’t he keep him fenced?

Right. Bush had (and still has) command responsibility for all that has gone on in his administration. He has much to answer for.

A very good trial lawyer (plaintiff side, mostly), good Democrat and good friend told me prior to the 2000 election that he would never vote for Bush but that Bush was the kind of guy he’d like to have a beer with. I’ve never let him forget that comment. Back in 2000 he seemed like a sunnier kind of guy than boring Al Gore and given the Pax Americana at the time, selecting someone on the basis of personality seemed ok. I worked with some men like George. What I saw was an egotistical, power hungry good ol’ boy who arrived at the top through connections rather than merit – the last person in the world I wanted to have a beer with.

Regarding the substance of the very fine article, I wonder if there are legislative fixes for the various abuses of power in the works?

The pact, finalised last month, will be closely scrutinised for allowing India to reprocess used nuclear fuel, for the impact of any future nuclear test by India on the deal and for New Delhi’s relations with Iran, Senator Joe Lieberman said.

“There will be debate, there will be some dissent,” Lieberman told reporters. “In the end, it will be accepted and endorsed by strong majority in both houses of Congress because it is so clearly in the interests of the United States.

Strange confidence, HoJoe has.

julierb @ 149

If one of these criminals doesn’t end up in jail, I am going to lose all hope in humanity. I am still in a funk because Rove got away with the Plame leak! The man is so offensive to look at – and that is without wearing a GREEN TIE WITH A PURPLE SHIRT!!! Throw him in jail for that offense. I think he must be colorblind, and no-one had the guts to tell him not to wear that horrid combination.

What is the negative afterimage of green on purple? Is it red on yellow(ish)? Sort of like a hotdog with ketchup and mustard?
Anyone got an idea? This WhiteHouse uses symbolism out the wazoo, so what do you think it means? I’m sure it was intentional.

I just performed this experiment with purple and chartreuse post-its. The negative afterimage is exactly the reverse. It’s purple on chartreuse.
Ok, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, but if it *did* have meaning, what would it be saying?

If one of these criminals doesn’t end up in jail, I am going to lose all hope in humanity. I am still in a funk because Rove got away with the Plame leak! The man is so offensive to look at – and that is without wearing a GREEN TIE WITH A PURPLE SHIRT!!! Throw him in jail for that offense. I think he must be colorblind, and no-one had the guts to tell him not to wear that horrid combination.

What is the negative afterimage of green on purple? Is it red on yellow(ish)? Sort of like a hotdog with ketchup and mustard?
Anyone got an idea? This WhiteHouse uses symbolism out the wazoo, so what do you think it means? I’m sure it was intentional.