So what's the obsession with having Bolton at the UN anyhow? Is the neocon bench really that thin that they have to keep that toe stomper there?

Bush is like Lucy with the football. Don't trust him Charlie Brown!

Bush-Cheney are evidently trying to hold the media page and push their executive power agenda that is what is most important to them.
I doubt that Nancy Pelosi is naive enough to credit Bush with much confidence. He admits lying to accomodate election cycles, why would he play boy scout at this late date? He will certainly seize every occasion to accuse the House of blocking his agenda, those fourteen minutes are an evident message if not a slap in the face. He is trying to keep the initiative and tram other underhanded deeds behind the noise of this nomination. It will give him more time and keep the Dems busy on a lost cause.
You speak of, "a bit rude," but if Bush were polite it would be known by now...and when Governor of Texas how many death sentences did he sign?
The policy of the entire administration from day one has been to rule by force, nationally and internationally, telling each and all what they "must" do. These are not people who play by the rules.

The question now is 'how Nixonian is this Whitehouse?'

Steve...I TOLD you they couldn't let it go....that they would bring it up again They NEVER give up. This is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. You cut off their arms and legs and they still keep trying.

These folks are about as likely to be bi-partisan as Osama Bin Laden is to become an proponent of ecumenical harmony.

Cheney may not be as isolated as people think.

who cares about the UN?

Who cares about the UN? People with brains and hearts, apparently not you, Robert Morrow. You just have an ego and tunnel vision. A "me firster' left over from the Reagan era, are you?

Bipartisan, is a joke. It takes two to tango and the NeoNutzis just want to slam dance, Nancy. Get hip and get on with holding the traitors accuntable.

I hope Linc Chaffee does what Jim Jeffords did, subtract himself from that selfish bunch.

I really have no problem with Bush taking a shot like this. Rove probably told him that the base was dispirited by the firing of Rumsfeld, that this was a cheap and easy way to try and reassure them. I'd be stunned if the White House - even this White House - thought they had a prayer of actually getting the nomination through.

Now, if the Republicans start droning about how the rejection of Bolton shows the Democrats aren't serious about national security, blah blah blah, as if it were still election season, we'll know the idea of bipartisanship is officially dead.

What's going to happen is both sides are going to say "bi-partisanship" like it's coming out of their ears but thankfully the Dems won't actually believe him and since Bush really is lying about it you'll milk and honey fountaining from their mouths while they stab at each other viciously in the background.

I can live with that.

Steve,

this is a perfect example why I disagreed with you recently regarding Chafee's re-election even though he's a very moderate Republican. Yes, I know that he's standing up and blocking THIS renomination but if he was not defeated , the Dems would not have Senate majority control and Reps wpuld use their majority (Chafee), to push other objectionable legislation and appointments. You can't trust this group as the latest maneuver proves, but I read somewhere today that Chafee in an interview, hinted at some change. Personally, I think he'll come over.

It just shows that nothing has changed in Bush's mind about things.

He still thinks all he has to do is say so and that's it.

That showed with the Gates nomination and Bolton. Gates isn't qualified and has Iran-Contra hanging around his neck.

We'll see if the Dems have the backbone to say "no" on this one.

If Bush doesn't change his approach, there's always impeachment.

But the Senate would confirm Bolton and Speaker Pelosi would have nothing to do with the confirmation--am I correct? If so, Bush's action would not really be a such a slam at bipartisanship.

Grandma Speaker understands that Mr. Bush mentally is a spoiled 8 year old brat & will deal with him accordingly. Remember she has raised a boy.

This is going to be fun to watch.

"Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day." - Thomas Jefferson

What is with your obsession with Chafee, steve? It's getting a little creepy.

You admitted yourself that it was critical that the democrats take over to start providing a check on Bush's insanity. But here you are, still pining after Linc. Give it up. It's getting weird.

It does seem bizarre. I can only think of 2 explanations: 1. The admin's political strategists wanted a "lightning rod" sacrifice that would make Gates's confirmation in this session more likely by giving the Dems a focus for their ire, or, more importantly, something that would make it look like the failure to confirm Gates in this lame duck session was not "bipartisan" because the Dems were failing to "split the difference" by confirming one and not the other. 2. They really think the Dems are wimps. I know you like Chafee, Steve, but I don't think he has much to do with shutting this down. Reid and Biden just had to make it clear to whomever that pushing this through would lead to retribution in January.

Bush said we are "fighting the enemy in Iraq so we don't have to fight them here." Well, guess what? Look to me the third front of a three front war just opened: Iraq, Afghanistan, and--no, not Iran, but Capitol Hill. He's already lost in Iraq, Afghanistan, and with the American public. And he's giving every indication that he'll go down fighting, even if he drags all these countries down with him.

The person to watch is Charlie Rangel. I suspect he has a long list of crap that people have made him eat over the last decade, but I hope that he will play nice with Republicans who have not gone out of their way to be offensive.

The first thing Rangel did was tell Chaney to get the hell out of the House office belonging to the chair of the appropriations committee. I would not be surprised if Rangel would get even with the leadership Republicans who kept him out of conference committees. Say give them a six month time out.

However, on the other side, he will, I hope, not bully the other Republicans on the committee, and indeed work with them when possible. The one thing that Rangel regrets is that Bill Thomas retired.

Bush going in "I'm bipartisan"
Bush coming out "The habitual Liar-Decider"
Wash - Spin - Repeat Cycle

The Liar-Decider is a hardcoded narcissistic psychopath. He exhibits.

* An exaggerated sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
* Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
* Believes he is "special" and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
* Requires excessive admiration
* Has a sense of entitlement
* Selfishly takes advantage of others to achieve his own ends
* Lacks empathy
* Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him
* Shows arrogant, haughty, patronizing, or contemptuous behaviors or attitudes

Wes Clark in 2008 because he's the ONLY top flight Dem that can effectively compete and win in ALL 50 states !

It was indeed rude to mug Speaker-elect Pelosi, but it was certainly not surprising.

My first thought was that Bush was using Bolton to push the dems for a tit-for-tat "signal" of this new bipartisanship, i.e., setting them up to look like the partisan ones.

But now I'm not so sure. Bolton's beginning to look like a neocon remnant with this Hamilton-Baker study group and the Gates nomination to SecDef. He probably doesn't fit whatever behind-closed-doors bailout plot the study group "realists" (and those they front for) have in mind. So why not get the Bolton issue out of the way early. The UN knows he's a lame duck now and that they can expect a less ideological / more diplomatic appointee to take his place.

RUDE???? WTF??? These bastards have murdered a few hundred thousand human beings, advocated and practiced torture, erased habeaus corpus, and you are worried about political niceties?

What, are we supposed to be SUPRISED by this slimey AWOL lying piece of shit's inability to act with any integrity or honor?

Reading your stuff, Steve, is getting to be like a trek into the Twilight Zone. RUDE??? You gotta be kidding me. You want rude? Try having some leering pervert shove light sticks up your ass at Abu Ghraib while Cheney and Bush tell the American people; its OK, they're just terrorists, and besides, we don't torture people. THATS rude.

Rude.

Gads, wake me, I'm dreaming.

Hey, check it out. Reid is working on giving AIPAC a return on its investment......

"Sen. Reid Backs Lieberman for Homeland Security Chairmanship"

http://tinyurl.com/vpnlc

Thugs like Bush, Cheney and Rove only give lip-service to the idea of bi-partisanship.

And what about Gates replacing Rumsfeld?

I have a theory.

Gates has extensive CIA background experience. The Department of Defense along with the CIA have setup secret detention centers overseas where they "interrogate" suspected terrorists, with no oversight or accountability. Prisoners have in fact died in these detention centers.

So, was Gates chosen because he'll continue the cover-up? Not only the cover-up of what an unchecked CIA and Defense Department have been doing, but also a cover-up of what prisoners are currently be held? Prisoners like Osama bin Laden?

I'm just speculating here about bin Laden. But I thought what happened several months ago where a French newspaper divulged a Saudi intelligence report that stated that bin Laden was near death possibly indicated something had changed in bin Laden's fugitive status. In other words, I bet he was either captured or killed. If he had to go to a Pakistani hospital to treat his illness, that might have been when he was picked up and handed over to U.S. authorities.

Thus, Gates' nomination is essential to hiding this.

By January, when the new congress is sworn in, Bushco's arrogance will have inflammed matters to such an extent the calls for his head will be deafening.

How does that song go again?

"You knew darn well I was a snake before you brought me in."

If Reid rewards Lieberman with Homeland Security after he got relected with the Republican vote the agenda will be set. They might just as well put Netanyahou in that job. The Dems start playing the next election just as the Bushes do.
Better to lose the Senate than be blackmailed by Lieberman but it won't happen. The sweet taste of power is all they want.
If they start and finish like this a lot of people will stay home in 08.

Well, I find it intriguing that Conyers seniority is being ignored when it comes to the position of Speaker of the House. Both Reid and Pelosi are under debt to AIPAC, in a huge way. Only an idiot thinks that AIPAC, and in turn, Israel, does not expect a return on thier money.

And this despicable flip flop of congeniality from both Bush and Pelosi goes quite far in underscoring just how slimey the Washington political animal has truly become.Both these people, rather than exhibiting honest adversarial animous, which we all KNOW exists, resort instead to insincere posturing that will surely be accompanied by typical Washington back-stabbing. Or worse, back-room deals that victimize the American public into losing another right, or losing yet another social program.

It really astounds me that so many of you just dance merrily to the tune. We, THE PEOPLE, have not "recaptured the House" until we have purged Washington of such obvious false posturing and the debt our so called representatives owe to the entities such as AIPAC or the Pharmas.

The only difference between now and a week ago is that they will be using vaseline for a couple of weeks. But hey, as soon as they run out of it, trust me, its gonna hurt again.

Bush thinks that the nuance of inside the beltway manouevers are lost on the American people, or that he can still spin like he controls the dialogue. The boy learns nothing. Whether the MSM will have learned anything is another question.

Rumsfeld's head was about all they could give up. Bush is losing friends fast and furious (he's now going back to Daddy's). Bolton is a last strand for the neocons. If that goes what do these Straussian scum have? Bolton is an appendix, a vestigial organ.

The good news is this patient is going to have an appendectomy.

Shorter PO'd: These sham elections are simply a sham to distract us from the awful truth: The ZOG remains in control. When oh when will the American people wake up to the enemy within?

poa wrote:
"Both Reid and Pelosi are under debt to AIPAC, in a huge way. Only an idiot thinks that AIPAC, and in turn, Israel, does not expect a return on thier money."

Americans have already paid a high price for our nation's commitment to Israel . We will pay an ever higher price -- not just in dollars or international prestige, but in the lives of more of our young men and women squandered for the interests of a foreign state -- until Israel/AIPAC's hold on US politics is finally broken.

When will American citizens wake up and not just vote the other party in and think things are now all OK?

Pauline, my point exactly! When oh when will the American people wake up? Nothing is OK! The system has been subverted by an insidious infestation. The honor and dignity of the American people, their very blood, is besmirched every day, all for filthy lucre, for 30 pieces of silver.

My G-d, you think you're typing parody, and then someone just goes and says it directly.

The only reason Dems won a majority is that the people wanted them to have subpoena power to impeach the bastards. Use it or lose it Dems. Conservative Dems won in some districts because Liberals held their nose while voting for subpoena power. Get used to being in the minority if you fail us. Do not expect average Americans to respect the rule of law if you permit criminals at the top to get away with murder, just so you can keep your over paid "job".

Kathleen wrote:
"just so you can keep your over paid "job".

Talk about overpaid, did you know that Congress reps are really only in DC, Tuesday thru Thursday?

Lots of extra travel to raise money, go to "constituent outings", raise money, go to this junket or that junket, raise money, go to lobbyist outings, raise money. . ."

Get the picture? These people are basically getting paid $165,000 per year for part-time work!!

I never thought it money well spend, but maybe ALL campaigns should be publicly financed. Maybe then, just maybe more independent candidates could qualify for office that money and party rules don't now permit. Public financing could really put controls of the lobbyists.

I noticed that Pelosi specifically said working in a "confidence-building way".....I guess she now knows how much confidence she should have in the words and actions of Bush et al.
I'm just glad she got the wake-up call so quickly and can now remain on alert at all times.

Bush literally has no one left to lie to, or remaining unmugged among his countrymen. He is irreconcilably anti-American and as such, should be banished, as well as impeached.

Bush divided the country. He lied during campaigns, saying he was "a uniter".

Bush is worried about bipartisanship?
Let him worry his sorry ass off.

Bush has been a professional DIVIDER.
Bush is A LIAR.
He deserves no mercy from Democrats.

How can they be bipartisan when they are both
Republican Parties?

Why shouldn't Bush and the US support Israel? I thought we were fighting to spread Democracy throughout the Middle East. If I'm not mistaken, Israel is indeed a Democracy, in fact, the only one in the Middle East!
Larry

"Why shouldn't Bush and the US support Israel? I thought we were fighting to spread Democracy throughout the Middle East. If I'm not mistaken, Israel is indeed a Democracy, in fact, the only one in the Middle East!"
Larry

Posted by Larry

Have you packed your bags yet? Send us a postcard, will ya? Iraq, Israel, doesn't matter, just get a ticket, either place.

"I thought we were fighting to spread Democracy throughout the Middle East."

Yeah right. Thats what we are doing. Yeah sure. Uh huh.

They hate us for our freedoms too.

(Idiot.)

"A wild animal, cornered, is not safe to approach." -- Gandalf, referring to Saruman, in Lord of the Rings by Tolkien

I notice that the tables in the photo are bare. There are usually large bowls of roses on the table in the oval office. I guess there will be no roses for Pelosi.

Larry writes: "If I'm not mistaken, Israel is indeed a Democracy, in fact, the only one in the Middle East!"
Larry

Problem is, POA, Larry's right. Israel IS a democracy and, as far as I can see, it's the only one. In some respects, it's better than our own. It's not unknown for them to get 84% turnout. They don't rely on a mercenary army. The government is far more responsive to public opinion. It's not perfect, of course, but, then again, you knew that, didn't you?