Who'da thunk it Steve ;~p? Well for starters, certainly not the mainstream media. Right now they are more concerned that Camilla isn't allowed in the WH, oh the humanity. But hey they at least allow gay male prostitutes in there.

Mehlman and "limp" in the same sentence, huh? Where are we going with that, Mr. Leftcoaster?

What we're seeing here is the selling of a new ethos, and the sooner the Democrats realize this the better. AARP must be discredited so that the USANext right wing substitute can gain legitimacy.

Private accounts, indeed the whole 'ownership society' concept is an attempt to establish new institutions that reinforce each other and the individualistic, might makes right, concept of what America should be that the Bushites believe in. Just as the old Communist systems had 'labor unions' that had no power, USANext for the elders and later other groups for other parts of the population will be mobilized to gain and retain power and institute the chosen policies as they are developed. If these new institutions dissent later on they will be discredited much as what is happening to the AARP now and replaced with newer more politically correct institutions.

So, what does it all mean? It means that this attack and that attack are NOT sporadic or haphazard in any way. Organization is key to the Republicans success in getting policies passed that poll after poll shows that the public doesn't want. This is NOT going to stop. Dr. Dean needs to start earning his pay and not play the 'nice loser' game the beltway Democrats are so fond of.

The AARP is an ally in the long run and past errors by that organization should not preclude a present day alliance with them. Indeed as the opposition party alliance with other out groups is a classic, successful strategy. If the Democrats do not fight back as we're going to see the unethical continue to become law and the inhumane become public policy.

I'm currently in Brussels and the pop here are laughing at our POTUS. The overall feeling here is that he does not have a clue. We get AFN propaganda cheerleading all the "raises" in the current budget; but the same channels were mum on the cutting of Vets benefits. No mention here of D. Washington buying a house for families of wounded soldiers to live while their love ones are convalescing. Where is the media when a liberal does some good huh?

Back to the subject at hand. The feeling here in the "heart," of Europe is that our POTUS is a joke. They listen to what he says, but are eagerly awaiting the failures in results they know will happen, despite what D. Gregory and others from the US media want to report.

They laugh at the same folks who smeared Kerry now smearing a venerable program that at one time eagerly supported GW's programs. It saddens me that we are now the laughingstock of Europe. It doesn't matter what the right says. If Europe unites, which is happening despite what the ostriches in the US think, they are a formidable block. They outnumber us, their currency is better than ours, and they want to trade with China. We won't be able to stop them.

Sorry to say, but the American Empire is on the way out. GW is ushering in the new millenia, and it does not have our name on the marquis. I hope the 59 million people who are "so dumb," according to many of the papers here during the election, are satisfied.

All empires eventually end. Say hello to the demise of the US ushered by GW, Rove, Cheney, and Co.

"All empires eventually end. Say hello to the demise of the US ushered by GW, Rove, Cheney, and Co."

Or are they just the reincarnation of Tiberius, Caligula and Nero...

If there is something to dish on Mehlman, dish.

The dish on Mehlman is that he is a known poof...er, homosexual. Along with Gannon...Scotty the press secretary. Rumors swirl about Rush and Hannity--am I missing anyone. GOP="Gays On Parade"

come on, i'm as straight as a 1-dollar bill. besides, if we encourage the homos to pay for sex, they're less likely to wanna get married.

If the GOP knowingly appointed a gay man as their Chairperson, I'd just shoot myself. Face it, that can't be true and this Mehlman snipe hunt is the kind of fodder the Wack Right feed on to hammer the Left. Of course, maybe there is a secret component to the GOP that we really haven't understood.....not that there would be anything wrong with that.....

Perhaps the closest historical example of where America is at isn't classic Rome nor Weimar ( or slightly later) Germany but France about the mid 1800's.

Think about it, Napoleon III, a leader who was the less competent decendant of a war hero leader, used a combanation of national pride and the fear of a recent upheavel to attain nationwide popularity.

In 1848 France suffered from an attempted revolution that left parts of Paris in flames.
What happened to NYC on 911? Louis Napoleon was soon elected the French President in what was called the second republic. He appealed to French nationalism and deficet spent France inro a breif facade of prosperity.

If this theory has any currency to it then French history suggests that there are two dangers to look out for. First, Louis Napoleon had been elected and when the limit on his term was up an internal coup was stage to allow hin to remain in power. The second French Republic came to an end and Louis Napoleon became Napoleon III.

The other danger, the one I take more seriously is that a self satisfied nation and media that doesn't question incompentant leadership lets things 'slide' while other nations pass it by until the point when a rude awakening happens.
In France's case that awakening was the military disaster known as the Franco-Prussian War. This war bankrupted France, ended Napoleon III's rule and began the end of support of the Bonaparte's in France.

Whether it be military or financial is Bushism going to lead America to a rude awakening?

Whether it be military or financial is Bushism going to lead America to a rude awakening?

It has led many of us to a rude awakening. The fascist right will have their rude awakening when their machine turns on them and starts to consume them like rats consume their young. It's in their nature, and it will happen.

I think, therefore, I am. For the Animals

Yuval

No need to post my comment. I'm new to blog comments and was just playing around with the html tags.

Hope I didn't cause any inconvenience.

[Ed (Mary): No problem, Adamsrib. Your comment got caught in the approval track filter because it was more than a week old. I've approved both comments now. Feel free to post more in the future.]