Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

In after Baud. Damn.

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

People identifying as christian while ignoring christ and his teachings is a strange thing indeed.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

This country desperately needs a functioning fourth estate.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

Every decision we make has lots of baggage with it, known or unknown.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

It’s the corruption, stupid.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

Bark louder, little dog.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

You are here: Home / Politics / Night Of The Long Knives

Night Of The Long Knives

by | 120 Comments

This post is in: 

I don’t want to steal any attention from the amazing story being dug up by Josh Marshall’s group, so click through to read the whole thing. Then think about calling your local news outlet to see whether it’s on their radar.

***Update***

So far the White House has fired seven US Attorneys, many of whom were working on cases of corruption in the Republican Congress and in the White House. A convenient clause in the PATRIOT Act renewal lets the White House appoint replacements, permanently, without Congressional approval and they seem to be availing themselves of that.

I only hope that the estate of Richard Nixon is getting royalties.

Reader Interactions

120Comments

  2. 2.

    Otto Man

    Remember when Bill Clinton fired the political appointees in the White House travel office — individuals with no tenure or civil service protections? Remember how the outraged right-wingers rushed in with torches and pitchforks? And the media acted like it was the Saturday Night Massacre?

    This thing …. not so much.

  3. 3.

    Davebo

    I feel so much safer knowing that The Patriot Act allows the President to appoint prosecutors (and apparantly fire them too) without Congress.

  4. 4.

    Pooh

    The level of “just not caring about how bad it looks” should have stopped surprising me years ago, but somehow it hasn’t.

  5. 5.

    Tsulagi

    Just same old shit from the ‘honor and integrity’ administration. These spineless assholes truly are a waste of air.

  7. 7.

    Steve

    Under prior law, the Attorney General had the power to fill vacant U.S. Attorney slots without going through the appointment and confirmation process, but the appointment was only good for 120 days. If the 120-day period expired without the Senate confirming a nominee, then the local federal court had the power to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney.

    The Patriot Act reauthorization in 2006, for what reason I cannot imagine, got rid of the latter provisions and simply gave the AG the power to make, effectively, interim appointments that would last forever. The administration has since said “oh no no, trust us, we have no intention of bypassing the advice and consent process,” but Sens. Feinstein and Leahy have already introduced a bill to undo this ill-considered provision.

  8. 8.

    Dave

    Ok, I’m missing something here, what exactly in the Patriot Act let’s Bush appoint prosecutors without congressional approval? Moreover, how in the hell did that pass? Oh wait I know…the GOP lapdogs.

  11. 11.

    Jake

    To be fair and balanced, Griffin did start out under Clinton. Perhaps that explains why the background research he did for Rove is a success that hasn’t happend yet?

    However, the dodge of sticking him in there because Bush can is typical of El Decider’s approach to everything: Make things worser, fasterer. His approval ratings are in the crapper and Congress is gearing up to put his goolies on the anvil…so Bush decides to piss off a few legislators. Brilliant. Right in line with aggravating every governor in the country by trying to horn in on the National Guard. Right in line with shaking his fist at Iran & Syria while the military struggles to fight two wars. Assuming we’re still doing much in Afghanistan and whatever the hell we’re doing in Somalia isn’t fighting.

    Biggest. Waste of skin. EVER.

  12. 12.

    demkat620

    I am done with the GOP.

    John,

    I’ve got a water bong I can lend ya. If you get to Iggles country I can hook you up with some nice granola and we can get some really good dashikis in Philly. The dirty hippies are happy to have you.

  13. 13.

    TenguPhule

    I am done with the GOP.

    Your check from Soros is in the mail.

    Friend Computer congratulates you for deciding to swear off of the Computer mandated Soylent Koolaid. Mandatory Neural Reprogramming will commence shortly.

  14. 14.

    Pb

    Don’t worry John, that’s just Erick being an idiot again. He’s quoting some report that was denied by the White House in December, and by Kagan himself in January. Because, you know, due dilligence (or for that matter basic research) is for wussies and Democrats and stuff. See also: papa bear and his crusade against Vermont in general and Judge Cashman in particular, all without regard to those pesky little liberal ‘facts’.

  15. 15.

    JImmy Mack

    Remember when Bill Clinton fired the political appointees in the White House travel office—individuals with no tenure or civil service protections? Remember how the outraged right-wingers rushed in with torches and pitchforks? And the media acted like it was the Saturday Night Massacre?

    In fairness, what Clinton did was a bit worse — it affected more people and in this case, we don’t know for sure that some of these retirements might be voluntary. We also don’t know what sort of agenda these US Attorneys had. Some might have been appointed under Democratic administrations and had it in for this Republican administrations. We don’t know all the facts yet, but so far this doesn’t look like much.

  16. 16.

    dreggas

    I am done with the GOP.

    Uhhhh…and this is something new?

    Of course what is amusing about their attack on Kagan is that they ran to the defense of Cheney when he told what’s his face (can’t remember the name) to go fuck himself on the senate floor.

  17. 17.

    James F. Elliott

    We also don’t know what sort of agenda these US Attorneys had. Some might have been appointed under Democratic administrations and had it in for this Republican administrations.

    The politicization of professionalism (and, well, everything) is really the worst part about the times we live in. “He was appointed by a Democrat! He MUST hate the Republicans!” pretty much encapsulates the degeneracy of American politics. You see it everywhere: Their attacks on scientific research as politically motivated, criticisms of the war, “Bush hatred” accusations, etc.

  18. 18.

    JImmy Mack

    Their attacks on scientific research as politically motivated

    Uh, some of it is, as regards climate change and stem cell research, at least. I’ll concede that the attacks on evolution are a little bit silly. But I would not paint it all with one brush the way you are doing here.

  21. 21.

    Pooh

    In fairness, what Clinton did was a bit worse—it affected more people and in this case, we don’t know for sure that some of these retirements might be voluntary. We also don’t know what sort of agenda these US Attorneys had. Some might have been appointed under Democratic administrations and had it in for this Republican administrations. We don’t know all the facts yet, but so far this doesn’t look like much.

    Come on dude, too much green makeup and purple lipstick makes the whole thing a bit too obvious. Maybe scale it back to incantations about how flat the world is until you get your Frieman-ese down pat.

  22. 22.

    dreggas

    Jimmy what is so political about facts supporting that we are contributing, on a large scale, to global warming? Or for that matter that embryonic stem cell research should continue because of the potential benefits?

    Oh that’s right I forgot actually doing something about climate change would hurt the bottom line of the Oil companies and auto manufacturers and fully funded stem cell research would piss off the Talibaptists.

    In other words they’re political because “the annointed one” made them that way.

    But while they poo-poo climate change they add the polar bear to the endangered species list because of *gasp* global warming. Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees.

  23. 23.

    JImmy Mack

    Jimmy what is so political about facts supporting that we are contributing, on a large scale, to global warming?

    I’m not going to argue that one because the jury’s still out, but what about all the claims that global warming caused Katrina? That was pretty thoroughly debunked, yet some scientists cling to the claim.

  24. 24.

    Zifnab

    it affected more people and in this case, we don’t know for sure that some of these retirements might be voluntary.

    If you hadn’t heard about Griffin’s appointment, don’t feel bad, the guy he replaced hadn’t either. Griffin’s appointment was annouced on December 15th before the then-US Attorney Bud Cummins had even been given a chance to resign. Cummins got the call on his cell phone the same day while he was out hiking with his son. Cummins, who subsequently said he got forced out for political reasons, resigned on the 20th, the same day Griffin was sworn in.

    The guy was hiking with his son. Clearly he wanted to spend more time with his family.

  27. 27.

    dreggas

    In fairness, what Clinton did was a bit worse—it affected more people and in this case, we don’t know for sure that some of these retirements might be voluntary.

    Considering what was in the entire story at least some are not voluntary. One didn’t even know he was being replaced until after it happened, he got a call on his cell phone.

    We also don’t know what sort of agenda these US Attorneys had. Some might have been appointed under Democratic administrations and had it in for this Republican administrations.

    Well lemme see several seem to be involved in investigating cunningham et. al. and investigating corruption in general which seems to be against Republicans and therefore it is an easy deduction (and of course simplest) to say they have it in for the administration. After all they are upholding the laws of this country and we all know the admin couldn’t give a rats ass about THOSE, with exception to the ones El Shrubo signs via signing statements allowing them to open our mail.

    We don’t know all the facts yet, but so far this doesn’t look like much.

    Other things that didn’t look like much:

    Foley
    Cunningham
    DeLay
    Abramoff
    Plame
    Warrantless Wiretaps
    Signing Statements

    and the list goes on.

    What will it take for people to wake up. Shit this isn’t even about Democrat or Republican anymore this is about the future of our damn country and whether we REALLY want it to stand for all the happy horseshit we used to at least be able to claim it stood for and still be given the benefit of the doubt by the rest of the world.

  28. 28.

    Steve

    Plame

    Hee hee! You might need to take that off your list. I think, somehow, we managed to strike out on that one.

  29. 29.

    Steve

    An apparent answer to my previously asked question.

    Dave, I answered your question before you even asked it! For shame.

  30. 30.

    Pb

    Spoof?

    No doubt–but was he the first new spoof of the new year? If he had any cover, it was definitely blown by the time he started talking about Iraq–that was hella stupid right off the bat.

  31. 31.

    dreggas

    Jimmy,

    That link suggests there is a link between hurricanes and global warming but more data is required.

    Further more it seems scientists are pretty much in agreement that the world temperature is rising and we are the major cause of this rise.

    The only ones still denying it are the Inhoffe’s of the world and the “scientists” they pay for. Then again plenty of scientists disagreed with Galileo about the solar system as well but who was right in the end?

  33. 33.

    RSA

    That was pretty thoroughly debunked, yet some scientists cling to the claim.

    Links plz!

    Here’s a link.

    My understanding is that the possible link between global warming and Katrina hasn’t been established; nor has it been “thoroughly debunked”. The link just says some scientists think it exists, and they were to publish their results in Science. So?

  34. 34.

    Pb

    Steve,

    Oh ye of little faith–the Libby trial has barely even started! That said, there’s no way I could be on the jury, even if I lived in DC:

    “Would any of you have any difficulty fairly judging the believability of former or present members of the Bush Administration?”

    Well, I guess I’d be fair, but I probably know too much about the myriad of things they’ve lied about over the years…

  36. 36.

    LITBMueller

    The Patriot Act reauthorization in 2006, for what reason I cannot imagine, got rid of the latter provisions and simply gave the AG the power to make, effectively, interim appointments that would last forever.

    Was this is a provision, then, that did not exist in the orginal Patriot Act but was added in 2006? Sheesh…. Then I can think of million reasons why it was added.

  37. 37.

    Steve

    Yeah, I’m just saying, when it comes to Plame we scored about 12 points of a possible 100. But you guys are right, there is going to be an extra credit question.

    What’s amazing is how much mileage we got out of stuff like Abramoff even though, to be honest, we barely scratched the surface of that whole situation. How many Americans do you think could actually tell you what the Abramoff scandal was about?

  38. 38.

    Otto Man

    In fairness, what Clinton did was a bit worse—it affected more people and in this case, we don’t know for sure that some of these retirements might be voluntary.

    Well, seven people were fired from the Travel Office, compared to seven U.S. Attorneys fired here — that we know of at the moment. So I’m not sure how that means the Travel Office firings affected more people. Are you counting their contacts at the concierge desk?

    Again, those were political appointees from the previous Republican administrations, people with no guaranteed tenure in the next White House and no civil service protection in their jobs. If you think there’s some sort of scandal or wrongdoing there, look again.

  39. 39.

    Tsulagi

    I have seen smarter rhododendrons.

    Not likely on that RedState site from what I just saw. After following a link reading a Kagan post there (yawn), I scrolled down then read “President Bush on 60 Minutes.” Jesus, the thing reads like it was written by a fawning, flaming queen dreaming of being Bush’s Monica Lewinsky. No doubt he’d like to be a humidor for Bush’s cigar.

    Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. Whoever Mark (the poster) is, he’s certainly a true Bill Bennett manly man.

  40. 40.

    scarshapedstar

    In fairness, what Clinton did was a bit worse

    Not once in recorded history have these words been followed by anything remotely resembling a true statement. Anyone else notice that?

  41. 41.

    ConservativelyLiberal

    Anyone who thinks that global warming is a myth did not pay attention in high school chemistry. Probably too busy hugging the Bible to pay attention. Endothermic and (more importantly) exothermic reactions. The Laws of Thermodynamics. Inability of heat to travel through a vacuum. Just to name a few known facts.

    Every bioshpere trial has ended in failure, have they not? Well, our Earth is a bigger biosphere. Give us time, we will fail there too. Our polar caps are melting, ocean levels are rising, ocean temperatures are going up and so on.

    Global warming does not mean that the earth keeps getting hotter. It will go through phases of heating and cooling, but the trend will be upward overall. Those chunks of ice breaking off are the main reason for that by their cooling the ocean currents, causing more shifting of the warmer currents.

    Whether or not anybody believes in global warming does not matter a bit as long as nothing is done about it. In the end, one day this planet will probably shake us off like a bad habit.

    Regarding Bush abusing the clauses of new laws that he said that he would not abuse, go figure! Wow, I never thought that could happen. Wait, I did say that this would happen! Hmmm, maybe I can forsee the future. Time for a new career…

    Fortune telling. One day, we here will all be dead. That was for free, next time I will have to charge. After all, no getting the cow free here!

  42. 42.

    Marc

    Not once in recorded history have these words been followed by anything remotely resembling a true statement. Anyone else notice that?

    Nor have they ever been preceded by independent thought.

    Usually a variation of “But … but … but … Rush / Coulter / the Corner kids said ….”

  43. 43.

    Pb

    LITBMueller,

    Yes, it seems that this change was made in the reauthorization bill:

    SEC. 502. INTERIM APPOINTMENT OF UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS.

    Section 546 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking subsections (c) and (d) and inserting the following new subsection:

    `(c) A person appointed as United States attorney under this section may serve until the qualification of a United States Attorney for such district appointed by the President under section 541 of this title. ‘.

    Steve,

    What’s amazing is how much mileage we got out of stuff like Abramoff even though, to be honest, we barely scratched the surface of that whole situation. How many Americans do you think could actually tell you what the Abramoff scandal was about?

    Mega bonus points if they mention either ‘CNMI’ or ‘the Marinaras Islands’… or, hell, anything about sweatshops, period.

  44. 44.

    dreggas

    Anyone who thinks that global warming is a myth did not pay attention in high school chemistry. Probably too busy hugging the Bible to pay attention. Endothermic and (more importantly) exothermic reactions. The Laws of Thermodynamics. Inability of heat to travel through a vacuum. Just to name a few known facts.

    You know I never took High School chemistry so I didn’t even need that course to figure it out, hell it was pretty easy to figure out in earth science, looking at the history of earth (beyond 6000 years ago), and looking at the atmosphere of earth’s twin venus.

    Further it was even easier to look at cause and effect in that:

    packed freeways = large amounts of CO2.

    Coal Burning Power plants = large amounts of CO2. (clean coal is an oxymoron)

    Oil Burning Power Plants = large amounts of CO2.

    Add into that the amounts locked up in the oceans and in the ice sheets themselves and factor in the fact that NYC was 70 degrees in January while We had record low temperatures below freezing in Southern California over the weekend and the midwest looks like it was hit with an ice age and it’s not hard to figure out there is something happening and that it is most likely caused by one of the most overpopulated species on this ball of rock…us!

  45. 45.

    Andrew

    1) The freaky weather right now is ’cause of El Nino or La Cucaracha or Los Jefes or something, not global warming.
    2) Katrina was caused by liberal decadence and gay marriage and lesbian sex and stuff, according to Pat Robertson. Hot!
    3) RedState is just sort of sad now, isn’t it? I can’t get worked about anything there because it would just be like beating up a retarded, deaf and blind 4th grader.
    4) Spoofing just isn’t what it used to be.

  46. 46.

    dreggas

    1) The freaky weather right now is ‘cause of El Nino or La Cucaracha or Los Jefes or something, not global warming.

    By that logic California should have mudslides and be drowned in rain…

    2) Katrina was caused by liberal decadence and gay marriage and lesbian sex and stuff, according to Pat Robertson. Hot!

    I thought that was 9/11?

    3) RedState is just sort of sad now, isn’t it? I can’t get worked about anything there because it would just be like beating up a retarded, deaf and blind 4th grader.

    You’d feel guilty or it’s just too easy?

    4) Spoofing just isn’t what it used to be.

    It’s a sad state of affairs when parody truly does become reality.

  47. 47.

    tBone

    4) Spoofing just isn’t what it used to be.

    In fairness, I don’t Jimmy Mack is a spoof – I think it’s just a new scs sockpuppet. Or a great imitation thereof.

  49. 49.

    John D.

    Coal Burning Power plants = large amounts of CO2. (clean coal is an oxymoron)

    Just so you know, burning *any* organic compound = large amount of CO2. CO2 is what you get when you oxidize carbon. “Clean” coal is named such due to the reduced sulfur content, to reduce the sulfates and sulfur oxides released. It still produces the same amount of CO2 either way.

  50. 50.

    Ryan S.

    Here’s some link from the same site that Mr. Mack linked to they sing a slightly different tune.
    One
    Two This one is my favorite it was done one day after the linked to article.

  52. 52.

    dreggas

    Just so you know, burning any organic compound = large amount of CO2. CO2 is what you get when you oxidize carbon. “Clean” coal is named such due to the reduced sulfur content, to reduce the sulfates and sulfur oxides released. It still produces the same amount of CO2 either way.

    I am using examples that are easy to grasp such as power plants and cars and such. Burning anything produces carbon and co2 after all life is carbon based on this planet at least.

    As for coal…yep still an oxymoron then.

  53. 53.

    dreggas

    Well, that too. Lesbian sex is VERY powerful.

    I know it has a large effect on me when I witness it…my uh…sea level..uh…rises heh heh.

  54. 54.

    Jake

    Just so you know, burning any organic compound = large amount of CO2.

    Let’s see. Lesbians are organic compounds. Lesbian sex is hot.

    So it could well be that hot lesbian sex contributed to global warming and thus caused Hurricane Katrina.

  55. 55.

    dreggas

    Let’s see. Lesbians are organic compounds. Lesbian sex is hot.

    So it could well be that hot lesbian sex contributed to global warming and thus caused Hurricane Katrina.

    Hot Lesbian sex is a direct cause of genital warming. It causes poles to rise and will one day lead us to living in tents we pitched. Of course the first evidence of this is rug burn.

  57. 57.

    chopper

    I’ll concede that the attacks on evolution are a little bit silly.

    considering you call attacks on evolution only ‘a little bit’ silly, i have to take what you say with a grain of salt. a large grain, like the size of a lick.

  58. 58.

    Dave

    Steve Says:

    An apparent answer to my previously asked question.

    Dave, I answered your question before you even asked it! For shame.

    You snuck that one in while I was posting. I cry foul!

  59. 59.

    TenguPhule

    Bush’s solution to the problem of investigations, get rid of the investigators.

    You know the Mob is green with envy right now.

  60. 60.

    Dave

    You know the Mob is green with envy right now.

    Green with envy? I thought the Mob was running the country.

  61. 61.

    ConservativelyLiberal

    Paddy O’Shea Says:

    Apparently President Bush is now down on record as claiming that he enjoys decapitation.

    Says regular coffee makes him jumpy.

    Man, you made my wife and I laugh our asses off with that line! Sounds like something he would actually say!

    Gold… Pure gold.

  63. 63.

    dreggas

    Green with envy? I thought the Mob was running the country.

    No No see you got it wrong. The “Mob” is Italian and therefore mose likely Catholic which in Fundie world is bad in and of itself but in bigot world Italian is not white enough and therefore to be ridiculed.

  64. 64.

    dreggas

    Can anyone tell me, without scrolling up, how we got from US Attorneys to Hurricane Katrina?

    To sum up, and since it is the cause of everything from Hurricane Katrina to Global Warming: Hot Lesbian Sex.

  65. 65.

    Pooh

    Apparently President Bush is now down on record as claiming that he enjoys decapitation.

    Says regular coffee makes him jumpy.

    Advisor: Mr. President, I have some terrible news, 2 Brazillian journalists were killed in Iraq today.

    W: That is terrible…Wait, how many is a Brazillian?

  66. 66.

    temple stark

    >>I don’t want to steal any attention from the amazing story being dug up by Josh Marshall’s group

    To be fair, there were medi areports and dianne Feinstein on the floor of congress before TPM got into the battle. Credit where credit is due – and I do give TPM a lot of credit, just not in this instance of digging it up in the first place.

    If he can help push the story, however – great.
    – Temple Stark

  67. 67.

    chopper

    I’m not going to argue that one because the jury’s still out

    no it isn’t. the jury has been in for years. some wacko with a sign standing outside of the courthouse burning the judge in effigy is still holding out, but the jury left the building long ago.

    but what about all the claims that global warming caused Katrina? That was pretty thoroughly debunked, yet some scientists cling to the claim.

    some scientists, maybe. most all climate scientists worth their salt i’ve heard haven’t taken a stand on that particular issue because truth is its a mixed bag. if all other things are equal, GW will definitely cause more and nastier hurricanes. however, we’re still not sure how GW affects things like wind shear and the level of dust off of africa, both of which are notorious for killing hurricanes before they can really form.

    that being said, to be honest, as the world warms we’re going to wish that hurricanes were more common as hurricanes are weather’s way of distributing heat away from the equator.

  68. 68.

    chopper

    Burning anything produces carbon and co2 after all life is carbon based on this planet at least.

    burning hydrogen causes neither.

  70. 70.

    Paddy O'Shea

    After numerous rounds of “We don’t even know if Osama is still alive,” Osama himself decided to send George W. Bush a letter in his own handwriting to let the President know he was still in the game.

    Bush opened the letter and it appeared to contain a single line of coded message:

    370HSSV-0773H

    Bush was baffled, so he e-mailed it to Condo Rice. Condi and her aides had no clue either, so they sent it to the FBI.

    No one could solve it at the FBI so it went to the CIA, and then to the NSA.

    With no clue as to its meaning they eventually asked Britain’s MI-6 for help. Within minutes MI-6 cabled the White House with this reply – “Tell the President he is holding the message upside down.”

  72. 72.

    demimondian

    Can anyone tell me, without scrolling up, how we got from US Attorneys to Hurricane Katrina?

    They’re both examples of self-sustaining packages of big wind?

  73. 73.

    jake

    Can anyone tell me, without scrolling up, how we got from US Attorneys to Hurricane Katrina?

    [beep beep]

    Things Bush has fucked up.

    I’m sorry, your answer must be in the form of a question.

    What are things Bush has fucked up?

  74. 74.

    Ted

    burning hydrogen causes neither.

    The only thing that worries me about burning hydrogen is the eventual oxygen depletion problem. People a hundred years from now would be talking about the declining habitability of higher-altitude areas.

    Very clean car exhaust, though!

  75. 75.

    chopper

    depends on where the hydrogen comes from, i would figure.

    if we use electricity to create hyrdrogen from water, then we’re creating oxygen at the same time thus burning it or using it in a fuel cell causes no net use of oxygen.

    i dunno.

  76. 76.

    Krista

    Things Bush has fucked up.

    I’m sorry, your answer must be in the form of a question.

    What are things Bush has fucked up?

    Sean Connery: I’ve got to ask you about the Penis Mightier.

    Alex Trebek: What? No. No, no, that is The Pen is Mightier.

    Sean Connery: Gussy it up however you want, Trebek. What matters is does it work? Will it really mighty my penis man?

    Alex Trebek: It’s not a product Mr. Connery.

    Sean Connery: Because I’ve ordered devices like that before, wasted a pretty penny, I don’t mind telling you. And if The Penis Mightier works, I’ll order a dozen.

    Alex Trebek: It’s not a Penis Mightier, Mr. Connery. There’s no such thing!

    Nicholas Cage: Wait, wait, wait.. are you selling Penis Mightiers?

    Alex Trebek: No! No, I’m not.

    Sean Connery: Well, you’re sitting on a gold mine, Trebek!

  77. 77.

    Eural

    Since all the discussions on global warming usually involve some fancy science graphics to help us understand the situation I was hoping someone would post illustrations of the hot lesbian sex – I’m having a hard time understanding the concept and pictures (or video!) might help. Thanks!

  81. 81.

    BadTux

    The firings… not a big deal. U.S. Attorneys serve at the convenience of the President, and it has always been within his power to send them packing at any time.

    Being able to hire the replacements without going through Congress… big deal.

    Yeah, Nixon’s ghost is smiling. But frankly, the Busheviks have gone so much past Nixon on the whole corrupt big government thingy that Nixon looks like an amateur by comparison. Nixon might have lied about an illegal escalation of the Vietnam War into Cambodia and Laos, spied on and ran black ops against anti-war protestors, etc., but at least he didn’t lie us into the war to begin with. (That was LBJ).

    Note, though, that these prosecutors are gone when Bush leaves office. I’m sure that President Obama is going to clean house lickity split. Remember, U.S. Attorneys serve at the convenience of the President. They’re not like judges, who serve for life.

    -BT

  83. 83.

    Pb

    Note, though, that these prosecutors are gone when Bush leaves office

    That’s two years too late, though, especially if the plan is to have them going after Democrats (and–of course–not going after Republicans) for 2008.

  84. 84.

    scarshapedstar

    “Clean” coal is named such due to the reduced sulfur content, to reduce the sulfates and sulfur oxides released.

    If only it were so. Under current law (passed by BushCo with great fanfare, and you’ll soon see why) the definition of clean coal is, phrasing from memory but it’s pretty damn close, “coal that has undergone a chemical process.”

    Spraying the coal with water, for example, qualifies as “clean coal”.

  86. 86.

    RandyH

    I don’t think I’ve heard anyone predict this, and I’m not either, BUT do you think it’s possible that maybe they’re setting things up to either resign or be impeached? By getting these ugly things off the table right up front and getting us all riled up and distracted now, they can just nuke Iran (as I’m sure most of us expect they want to do) and then leave office one way or the other and not have to worry about too many future charges hitting their friends? Maybe I’ve just got a vivid imagination, but if I see him pardon a big slew of people all of the sudden, I might just adopt this theory for real.

  87. 87.

    SeesThroughIt

    D’Souza’s on Colbert tonight. Should be … interesting.

    Holy crap. Colbert just slaughtered him.

  88. 88.

    dslak

    It takes a special kind of person to take bin Laden as an honest assessor of his own motives and to assume that the only “America” he’s familiar with is the liberal one. Was it the liberals who helped him in his fight against the Soviet Union in the 1980’s?

    Also, besides the whole “liberal America” vs. “conservative America” bit being a false dichotomy, anyone who had spent an appreciable amount of time outside of the US and actually got involved in the culture around them would know that “conservative” things like televangelists, gung-ho 1980’s action films, and country music are exported all over the world, too.

  89. 89.

    John S.

    Holy crap. Colbert just slaughtered him.

    I particularly liked where he got D’Souza to say he agreed with at least some of the views held by islamofascists.

  90. 90.

    GOP4Me et al

    I particularly liked where he got D’Souza to say he agreed with at least some of the views held by islamofascists.

    D’Souza was an idiot to agree to an interview like that in the first place. By the end of it, I think he was just beginning to suspect that Colbert might not have actually agreed with him as often as he’d claimed to.

  92. 92.

    Zifnab

    By getting these ugly things off the table right up front and getting us all riled up and distracted now, they can just nuke Iran (as I’m sure most of us expect they want to do) and then leave office one way or the other and not have to worry about too many future charges hitting their friends?

    I’d like to think (in my fairy-tale of a universe) that if Bush tried to push the nuclear button, we’d have a military coup. At the very least, we’d have mass resignations.

    There’s at least some vetting process when it comes to military commanders.

  93. 93.

    Pb

    D’Souza wasis an idiot

    Fixed!

    Incidentally, what’s the deal with rabid Indian-American conservatives–is there some connection there I don’t get? Dinesh D’Souza, Ramesh Ponnuru, Bobby Jindal… is there even a common thread? Note that two of those weren’t born in India, but Dinesh actually was–however, it seems that his education there was more western than you might expect, and his father was an executive for a multinational corporation. And how is it that these commentators get off railing against liberal bias on college campuses when in fact they often get their start on college campuses in the first place?

  95. 95.

    Jimmy Mack

    No doubt about it, D’Souza looked pretty bad. He pretty much said that the Islamists were right to attack us because we look depraved to them.

  96. 96.

    Paul L.

    Did someone mention Clinton?
    Clinton’s Apolitical Justice Department?

    Bode did note Reno’s unprecedented decision to fire all 93 U.S. Attorneys “has become a highly visible test of how political the Justice Department will be under Bill Clinton and Janet Reno.” But Bode let Reno declare herself non-political in three soundbites — while GOP officials never appeared in the story.

    Yes, I remember the democrats outrage.

    Let’s see. Lesbians are organic compounds. Lesbian sex is hot.

    That is just like the “There are no WMDs in Iraq” statement.
    Close your eyes and picture Rosie O’donnell with Janet Reno.
    How hot is that?

  97. 97.

    GOP4Me et al

    That is just like the “There are no WMDs in Iraq” statement.
    Close your eyes and picture Rosie O’donnell with Janet Reno.
    How hot is that?

    Janet Reno is a lesbian?

    Anyway, that’s no fair. All sex is disgusting, if you close your eyes and imagine people you don’t find the slightest bit attractive doing it.

    One time, the Onion had a safe sex tip to the effect of, “During foreplay, try to imagine your parents’ naked, sweaty bodies. The resulting loss of interest in sex should protect you from STDs.”

  99. 99.

    GOP4Me et al

    I do not know. You feel free to substitute Susan Sontag if you want.

    No thanks. You’re missing my point- no sex is sexy to you if the people having sex aren’t sexy to you.

  100. 100.

    demimondian

    Um, Paul? Great point that Clinton did it first. Except, of course, he didn’t.

    Upthread, BadTux nails it: every US attorney serves at the pleasure of the President, and they are political appointees. They are typically replaced at the beginning of a term when the office changes parties. The things which are different about this particular Presidential action is that (a) the dismissals happened in mid-term, (b) at least one of the replacements is clearly unqualified to hold the position, and (c) the replacements have not been vetted by the Senate. Those are the concerns that people have been raising.

    So, Paul, what about those 93 US Attorneys that Clinton appointed without Senate review?

  101. 101.

    Newport 9

    Incidentally, what’s the deal with rabid Indian-American conservatives—is there some connection there I don’t get?

    One Sidarth videotape is worth a whole library of Ponnuru and D’Souza books.

  102. 102.

    RSA

    They are typically replaced at the beginning of a term when the office changes parties.

    I haven’t been able to find historical information quickly enough with Google, but one account says that Clinton fired all 93 U.S. attorneys appointed by Bush I, which if true further suggests that across-the-board replacement is not unprecedented. Clinton did this, of course, in 1993, not 1998.

  103. 103.

    Andrew

    Alex Trebek: That’s “Therapists.” That’s “Therapists,” not “The Rapists.” Let’s skip “Therapists” and try “Household Objects”, for $400. And the answer is, “You usually drink water out of one of these.” [ Sean Connery buzzes in ] Sean Connery.

    Sean Connery: A leather glove!

  104. 104.

    Andrew

    Yeah I saw Jake’s “Jeopardy!” reference, and just had to include that—it’s definitely one of the better SNL skits, IMHO. (Although “Dick in a Box” still makes me giggle…)

    I’m rather fond of the agitprop feminist critique/response to “Dick in a box”: “My box in a box.”

  105. 105.

    Zifnab

    Clinton did this, of course, in 1993, not 1998.

    Attorney General Janet Reno decided yesterday it would be a conflict of interest for the Justice Department to investigate how the Clinton White House improperly obtained FBI files and said she wants Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr to perform an inquiry.

    ~link

    See, kids. That’s what an ethical Attorney General looks like. A shame Clinton fired her for putting him under political pressure. Yup.

  108. 108.

    Otto Man

    Perhaps it should be noted that in Clinton’s first full month of office he fired 93 US Attorneys. Yes, 93.

    And Clinton also had the nerve to replace the previus Attorney General, Secretary of State, and a bunch of other officials!!! What nerve!!!

  110. 110.

    Andrew

    And Clinton also had the nerve to replace the previus Attorney General, Secretary of State, and a bunch of other officials What nerve

    And yet he lacked the courage and moral fiber to replace Hillary.

  111. 111.

    Zifnab

    WASHINGTON — Attorney General John Ashcroft (search) is recusing himself as head of the CIA leak probe, the No. 2 man in the Justice Department said Tuesday.

    The investigation will be handed over to the U.S. attorney in Chicago, Patrick Fitzgerald, Deputy Attorney General James Comey announced in an afternoon news conference. While Comey will be acting attorney general in the case, he said Fitzgerald will be the special prosecutor in charge of all decision-making related to the investigation.

    And the judicial process was never tampered with by White House politics again.

    The start of jury selection in the CIA leak case provided a potentially crucial victory for Libby’s defense lawyers. They were allowed to ask potential jurors in detail about their opinions of the Bush administration, Vice President Dick Cheney, a group of high-profile reporters and whether the administration had lied to push the country into war with Iraq. The defense faces a key challenge in picking a jury for this highly political case in a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 9-to-1. Cheney is expected to be a defense witness.

    Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald objected repeatedly, but to no avail, that Libby’s lawyers were going beyond the more general opinion questions that U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton asked the entire jury pool when the proceedings began Tuesday morning.

  112. 112.

    Tony J

    When people on here say, in clear English, that their problem is with the White House:

    a) Rewriting the Patriot Act in 2006 to cut the Senate out of the loop when it comes to appointing US Attorneys.

    b) Saying it wouldn’t use the rewritten clause to cut the Senate out of the loop.

    c) Then cutting the Senate out of the loop by using the rewritten clause in the Patriot Act to fire people by Presidential fiat.

    You’d expect honest defenders of the White House to address this complaint with well-reasoned arguments as to:

    a) Why the White House thought cutting the Senate out of the loop was important enough to require the insertion of language into an Anti-Terrorism Act.

    b) Why it thought it was okay to lie about it’s intention to cut to Senate out of the loop when asked about it.

    c) Why the White House is using this power now, against these particular US Attorneys.

    You’d expect that, wouldn’t you?

    But since you can’t find an honest defender of the White House these days, all you get is the knee-jerk “Clinton did it first!” response, even though – especially though – he, of course, didn’t.

    Honestly, Pavlov and his doggies have nothing on these jokers.

  113. 113.

    Pb

    Of course, neither Janet Reno nor Bill Clinton ‘fired’ 93 attorneys general in February (or March) of 1993. Any way you cut it, that’s just sloppy reporting at best, and lying at worst. But really, why the hell are we talking about this crap? Janet Reno says something fourteen fucking years ago, and Republicans are still lying about it today–incredible.

  114. 114.

    Bruce Moomaw

    “TPM Muckraker” has tracked down who very quietly slipped that provision into the Patriot Act. You will be shocked — shocked! — to learn that:

    ” Former Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) slipped the language into the bill at the very last minute, according to one of the Republican managers of the bill.

    “A spokesperson for Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), who led the House team working on the bill, said that the provision was inserted by Specter into the final draft of the bill. The language was apparently requested by the Justice Department. Specter’s office didn’t respond to numerous requests for comment.

    “Earlier versions of the bill did not contain the provision, which grants authority to the Attorney General to replace U.S. Attorneys without Senate approval. When the House and the Senate first voted in favor of the legislation, the provision did not exist.

    “Instead, the tweak was inserted during the conference committee, where lawmakers from the House and Senate reconcile discrepancies in the two versions and craft a final bill. In an unusual move, Republicans blocked Democrats from participating in many of the committee’s activities.

    “According to the original law, the Attorney General could appoint interim U.S. Attorneys, but if they were not nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate within 120 days of being appointed, the federal district court would appoint a replacement. The new law wiped away that 120 day rule, in effect allowing the administration to handpick replacements and keep them there in perpetuity without the ordeal of Senate confirmation.

    “But amidst all the controversy last year over the PATRIOT reauthorization bill (the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, their use of National Security Letters to get information on citizens), the new law simply went unnoticed. Until now.

  115. 115.

    mrmobi

    But really, why the hell are we talking about this crap? Janet Reno says something fourteen fucking years ago, and Republicans are still lying about it today—incredible.

    Not still, Pb. They haven’t stopped in 6 years. With Paul L and Darrell and Lambchop on their team, there’s nothing they could do that would be beyond the pale or impeachable.

    IMHO, Abu Gonzalez should be first on the impeachment list. Writing torture rules into the American military playbook is reason enough, but he’s also shown that he has a dangerously un-democratic view of Executive power.

    If Chimpy McFlightsuit asked Mr. Torture to do something clearly wrong, like firing a special prosecutor, as Nixon did of his AG, do you think he’d even blink? Nope, he’d just ask, “how soon do you want it, boss?”

    Former Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) slipped the language into the bill at the very last minute, according to one of the Republican managers of the bill.

    Arlen Specter is such a duplicitous mother-fucker! He had me fooled a couple years back. He and Lieberman should form a back-stabbing society.

    I wonder what the purpose of these firings is? Is it just political “ethnic cleansing?”

  116. 116.

    Pb

    Bruce Moomaw,

    When the House and the Senate first voted in favor of the legislation, the provision did not exist.

    And yet, now it’s the law of the land. How the hell is that even legal? I’d say that there ought to be a law against it, but who’s to say that the final bill would even contain such a provision after it went through the conference committee…

    mrmobi,

    Not still, Pb. They haven’t stopped in 6 years.

    Hence, “still”–look it up. I never implied that they did stop, and I certainly didn’t imply it by using the word “still”–if anything, that would imply the opposite. Now I’m fine with the rest of your rant, but there’s really no reason to associate it with my post.

  117. 117.

    numbskull

    Mimmy Jack wrote:

    In fairness, what Clinton did was a bit worse—it affected more people…

    Yeah, I could see how firing seven people in a travel office would affect more people than firing seven US Attorneys. I mean, the travel office’s job is to help facilitate making airline reservations and hotel reservations and restaurant reservations and, and, and my gosh! That office is so IMPORTANT to the rest of America.

    US Attorneys, I mean really, what the hell do they do that affects anyone except their spouse, kids, and the family dog?

    Smarter monkeys, please.

    —–

    Shoots up at 2:42 says:

    Perhaps it should be noted that in Clinton’s first full month of office he fired 93 US Attorneys. Yes, 93.

    Christ, Shooter, you’re as fucking stupid over here as you are at Glenn’s place. There are two operative issues here and you miss both of them. One is that Bush is replacing those US Attorneys without Congressional advice and consent, even though he said he wouldn’t. I’ll let you guess at the other one.

    But hey, as long as you can fool other morons into thinking Clinton did some equal or worse 14 years ago, why, that makes it all A-OK, right?

  119. 119.

    Bruce Moomaw

    Specter has now officially ‘fessed up that, yes, he did smuggle that clause into the renewal of the Patriot Act — but he still refuses to say why he did it.

  120. 120.

    Steve

    What’s hilarious is that if you try to Google this story about Clinton firing all the US Attorneys, all you get are classic wingnut sites like WorldNetDaily. Not surprising, since the only sense in which Clinton “fired” anyone is the same sense in which Bush “fired” Madeline Albright as Secretary of State. They sure do find a lot of sheep who buy this bullshit, though.

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