This Quibble is a Lie

When a decision is pending to send America's young men and women to die in combat a quibble is as bad as a lie. We now know Dick Cheney lied in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.

Cheney at least quibbled when claiming to Tim Russert in September 2003 that he did not know Joe Wilson. He further said he did not know who sent Joe Wilson to Niger. Which, according to yesterday's report that Cheney ID'd Wilson wife as CIA and that she was involved in sending him on the trip. The later seems more like an outright lie by any definition.

According to the Washington Post, the white house is quibbling hard.

McClellan said Cheney has always been honest with the American people. He dismissed as "ridiculous" a question about whether Bush stood by Cheney's account of his role in the matter. In an interview in September 2003, Cheney told NBC's Tim Russert he did not know Wilson or who sent him to Africa. Officials said Cheney was careful to distance himself from Wilson in the interview without telling a lie about what he knew about the diplomat and his wife.

I'm sorry but, here in the Bible Belt of East Tennessee, if you have to work that hard to claim the truth, you're lying!

I realize most of the folks we are talking about never served in the military much less attended West Point. They do know a lot of people who went to the military academy though, and I'm just guessing that any of them could explain to Mr. Cheney, et al, how an honorable person defines a quibble.

I'd bet the explanation would include the word lie.

Miers, The Better Devil?

This Miers nomination really presents a quandry for me. First, I'm relieved that Miers' unproven positions on key issues leaves a chance for moderate-which could be swing- votes.

But...I worry about the institution itself if Miers really is the crony of mediocre talent she seems-and gushing sycophant comes to mind. A swing vote is one thing, simply being blown about by the most overwhelming wind is something else.

Lastly, I am selfishly concerned that as an alternative to Miers we would get a fire-tested, fire-breathing conservative.

I reflexively issued a sigh of relief when Bush announced Miers, and trusting that instinct, I still think she's the best (least bad) we can hope from from Bush.

And, yes, that's a sad thing.

*Disclosure: this is slightly edited from my comment at TPMCafe.

Wal-Mart Still Sucks

My wife and I don't want to shop at Wal-Mart, but the prices really can be seductive. We are at a place where we feel we can bite the bullet and spend a little more to shop elsewhere, but it is hard.

After reading Leo Hindery's short piece, I will try harder. I understand a lot of Wal-Mart's negative impact on many, if not most, communities it infests with a Super(?) Center, but I wasn't aware of how much better Costco's business model works, apparently for everyone involved.

Good to know.

The Prez is in on Terrorist Strategy

I guess the new level of "detail" White House hacks promised in GeeDub's "major" speech yesterday is the degree to which the President is privy to the goals and strategy of the "Islamic radicals".

Bush said Islamic radicals are seeking to establish a “radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia” with Iraq serving as the main front. He singled out Iran and Syria as “allies of convenience” for Islamic radicalism.

How would he know? You'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not realize our intelligence can't find the al Qaeda leadership much less know their geographic objectives. This from the guy who proudly asserts he doesn't read the papers, who had to be given a composite DVD of newcasts four days after Katrina hit to "catch up" on the storm's impact?

Get real.

Miers. I'll wait and see, but...

Okay so the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, but we on the left of the political center could have come off a lot worse. I'd almost say we "dodged a bullet" with the Harriet Miers nomination if the recent New Orleans connotation of the phrase weren't so fresh.

That Harry Reid likes Miers and conservatives are already somewhat uncomfortable is not bad news for me. My principle concern about a second Bush term, albeit among many, was the SCOTUS appointments he would be in line to make. Time will tell just how lacking in agenda Roberts will be and, assuming confirmation, how much like other stealth appointments Miers will be; yet I can't honestly help feeling relieved for the liberals, Democrats, progressives, and the rest of the country come to think of it.

Whew!...so far.