Month: October 2005

I know the NYTs has gone to subscription service for their columnists.  So after reading Maureen Dowd today, I just had to give you guys some clips.  (I should be working, but what the heck).  It is hilarious.

She writes a column about Harriet Miers “love letters” to President Bush.  Starts off quoting the real birthday card she sent the President back when she was the head Lottery ball-drawing official.  “Best Governor Ever.”

And then she launches into a series of imagined missives (that Dowd sourced to leakers Scooter and Karl) from Harry to Bushie.  I post some of them after the flip:

In a rebuff to the Bush administration, the Supreme Court announced yesterday that it will decide how broadly the Clean Water Act can be interpreted to protect wetlands.

Interestingly, the Bush administration argued in a brief that the case should NOT be heard, and that lower court rulings allowing the government to make such decisions should be upheld, as it is a “core federal interest.”

The case will provide a first look into Justice Roberts’ thoughts on the matter; as a judge on the appellate court he commented in a dissent that he was skeptical of the government’s authority to protect habitat under the interstate commerce clause of the constitution (the same foundation in the current case).  His confirmation hearings did not provide additional insights into his opinions on this matter, which was the cause for alarm among environmentalists at his elevation to the court.

More after the fold…

So, I take a vacation and come back home to find a brouhaha going on here at the pond. That is to be expected from time to time in such politically charged times is it not? It was the opinions and philosophies of many that I thought I knew where they stood that took me by surprise.

I decided that I needed to go back and read FAQ to clarify in my own mind what the mission statement was for this site. I needed that to be clear as I was getting somewhat confused.

In Booman’s own words, for those of you that may have never read FAQ or simply have forgotten I will quote our esteemed host:

Do we here have this common mission in mind? Can we agree to disagree of some issues? Can we find the common ground and work within the Democratic Party to make the changes needed to over throw what we are currently handed from the GOP?

In my ever so humble opinion the future of our country is at stake. The future our children and grandchildren will be straddled with. Can we work together for the betterment of the whole not just the democratic party but for all Americans? I believe we can and believe it is imperative to start now. We cannot afford to wait any longer. The ’06 and ’08 elections will be here before you know it.  

Over the last few weeks, several economic commentators have written about an upcoming recession – its causes and its overall effect.  These writers highlight the systemic problems of the US economy, namely, that we are not creating anything.  Instead, the US economy is based on asset prices that will eventually come down in price, causing a drop in consumer confidence leading to a recession.

this diary is dedicated to all who suffer because of war and other disasters

cross-posted at DailyKos, Booman Tribune, European Tribune, and My Left Wing.

image and poem below the fold