no surprises

According to US News, the Bush WhiteHouse is so confident that the Republicans will keep control of Congress -- a prospect tahat most are predicting is unlikely -- that they haven't developed a contingency plan for how to deal with the Dems should they (likely) win control...Of course, as I'm reading this I can't help but think about other adventures that ther cockiness has prevented them from preparing for...

we overdid it

It seems that our invasion and occupation of Iraq, removal of a dictator, and establishment of democracy is just too much for a million or so Iraqis to take. It seems that that many have gone to the Iraqi passport office, getting their necessary documents to flee to the Eden that is Syria (and Jordan too, to be fair).

Of course, this is probably just liberal media propoganda, just like the head British general saying that Britain needs to get the hell out. We all know that Iraq is actually a paradise that should be eternally grateful to its savior George W. Bush.

I mean, at least they don't have to worry about WMDs.

it's too easy

Read about how one blogger was able to (relatively easily) find out the name of Rep. Mark Foley's accuser...a case in point in how easily all can be found out about any of us if we aren't careful (and even if we are).

"family values" in the republican congress

As has been the news lately, former Republican Congressman Mark Foley is a very kinky man that likes the young guys that work as pages on the floor of Congress. ABC News is reporting that this even includes "[interrupting] a vote on the floor of the House in 2003 to engage in Internet sex". Nice, real nice. Especially considering he was chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children.

Of course this begs the question of who knew this was going on. Now I don't care that the guy is gay, but the fact that he engages in this stuff with kids is disturbing as hell. ABC News also reports that others in the leadership "were told about possible problems with Foley last year" but apparantly did nothing. Speaker of the House Hastert has claimed he knew nothing, but that seem's to be wrong, and, in fact, may lead to some conspiracy charges of his own.

What I find interesting about all of this -- and will be eager to follow -- is how the American people, and especially those of the "Christian" Right, will respond to this. It seems clear to me (and to much of the media it seems) that there was a grand conspiracy among the Reublican leadership in the House to sweep this under the rug...and not even in the silently remove the bastard from leadership positions sort of way. No, the party of family values seems to have put their own power and so-called "integrity" (or at least illusion of such) ahead of the right thing, allowing for a pervert to continue exploiting children to avoid the shame and political repercussions.

It will be very interesting to see how the "christian" base of the Republican Party reacts to this. Their guys have done yet another very bad thing™ and got caught. Will this finally be the time they realize that they're being played? I hope so.