Imaginary Friends

Seriously, if you substituted the phrase "my next door neighbor's cat" for the word "God," in the following, the guy would be declared batshit and locked away:

"President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, "George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan." And I did, and then God would tell me, "George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq …" And I did. And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, "Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East." And by God I'm gonna do it.'"

The link to the complete article is here.

I mean, at some point things move from hyperbole to reality. My life and future, my wife's life and future, my daughter's life and future, lie in the hands of a unintelligent dry drunk (who is possibly drinking again) who has an inbred sense of feudal entitlement and the temperament of a petulant four year old AND who thinks a mythological bearded white man in the sky talks to him? Holy fuckingfuck.

Change of Pace

NPR's Morning Edition this morning reported that the Nobel Committee will not be announcing this year's laureate in Literature as scheduled. Traditionally, the Literature prize is announced on the first Thursday of October, but it has been delayed, and that delay has prompted speculation that the committee is embroiled in a fight over the choice. The audio article also stated that British bookmakers have as this year's favorites a Syrian poet and Joyce Carol Oates(!). (I like most Oates, and admire her work, but Nobel Laureate?)

So, two questions: Who do you think WILL win? (If not a name, what language?) And, who would you like to see win? Here's a list of past winners, btw.

There hasn't been an Arabic speaking writer since 1988 (Naguib Mahfouz), so I'm guessing that if it isn't the Syrian poet the Brit bookies are betting on, it'll be another. Who would I like to see: Philip Roth.

President Haney and Reverend Quasimodo

Yesterday, Dobson comes out with this statement: "Some of what I know I am not at liberty to talk about," he said in an interview, explaining his decision to speak out in support of Ms. Miers. He declined to discuss his conversations with the White House.

Here's a guess at what was said: John Paul Stevens, he ain't gonna make it till January 2009. Ginzberg? She's an old dying crone. Next time, next time, Rev Q, I'll nominate the troglodyte of your choice. Hell, I'll nominate you. And if Rev Q believes that, he's just as stupid as he is evil. And he's freakingly effingly evil.

The View, Seven Hours Later

Gutless entrenchment by the powers that be. There're the scandals out there, the retaliatory scandals to come, the shitstorm in Iraq, the continuing fiasco of the federal response to Katrina...

Bushco, all but the most reactionary of Republicans, and all but the most revolutionary of Democrats, are baffled by current affairs, unable to predict which way events will break. Primarily concerned with maintaining their own level of power, they didn't have the political will or stomach for a nuclear exchange.

So noises will be made. Vigorous harrumphing, lectern-pounding, dire forecasting, partisan bloviating, procedural grunting, postured farting. Interest groups will bang their tablas, Cassandras on the Left will wail, Klingons on the Right will fulminate, while the cowards in the middle tsk their self-serving disapprovals at the state of today's political discourse.

I'm not sure whether a non-fight over Miers is a good or a bad thing, but since it's obvious to me that all of establishment Washington DOESN'T want a fight over her, I suspect that a fight is a necessary thing. Which is why they've chosen not to have it.

Lessons Learned

So, Katrina's stain of cronyism still fresh in everyone's mind? Everyone remember what happens when key institutional positions are given to political functionaries at best, incompetent by loyal toadies at worse? Hoped against hope that George W Bush would seek, in the shadow of the most spectacular fuck-up by a US President in generations, the highest quality of judicial mind instead of reamplifying the perception that he rewards personal loyalty above all other considerations?

Well, stupid you. He gives you Harriet Miers.