Nice post. I have no special ESP powers, so I guess it was just common sense that lead me to believe that the criminals in power would disrespect these two chumps as early as convenient, after they rolled over and did some doggy tricks. Specter and Joementum: chumps.
After the spectacle of serial betrayals of any even half decent person who chooses any shred of integrity over blind amoral loyalty, why does anyone have anything to do with them -at least anyone who is sane, or has a choice?
Money.
Same reason that drives everything done by these criminals and their hangers-on.
Posted by God Of War at January 24, 2006 11:21 PMI can't speak for revoltin' Joe. What he does makes no sense to me. But, in Arlen's case, it's obviously both money and rank cowardice. Do we all remember the time, just after Kerry and his army of lawyers did their disappearing trick, Arlen dared let slip out a crumb of truth? He dared to say that, in HIS Judiciary Committee, he expected that a SC candidate would have to be perceived at least neutral on Roe v. Wade.
What a shitstorm! He got bitch slapped so many ways, by so many rabid fundies, media gasbags and his "colleagues" that he had to crawl on his belly and lick his master's hand just to keep the chairmanship. Rank cowardice and a moral streak a yard wide and a millimeter thick. He'll definitely be back for more.
Posted by DeminNewJ at January 25, 2006 04:05 AMMoney. Same reason that drives everything done by these criminals and their hangers-on.
What will they do when Bu$hco policies finish the destruction of the dollar? What item of value will be accepted in its place? These guys are long since due for an awakening, so I have little compassion for them.
The unfortunate thing is that their nation is going to suffer for their malfeasance.
Posted by pessimist at January 25, 2006 05:13 AMI hope that they're paying attention to this in West Virginia. The cultural values that they voted for twice when they voted for Bush apparently don't include any value for the lives of coal miners.
Posted by rlp at January 25, 2006 07:13 AMOf the two, Arlen is the most craven and abused.
Arlen could lead the few moderates against Alito. He'd lose his chairmanship, but possess actual power, as instead of gavel power.
He certainly is aware that Alito is an extremist----and that the partial birth ban will now be upheld with Sandra Day gone. That's certainly some "form" of overruling Roe, which Arlen dishonestly promised he would prevent.
He knows in his gut he is a disgraceful coward who has let down the nation in its hour of need.
And as for Joe, to be fair, this isn't HIS committee that's being stonewalled on Katrina, it's Collins. She's the chair. Another Republican moderate (and a woman to boot) from a Blue state who should be LEADING to charge to join Dems in a filibuster. Instead she's cravenly eating every bit of shit Nero Jr. puts on her plate, and smilingly asking "Please, Sir, can I have some more?".
And all this cowardice is with the Child Emperor at 38% approval! What do the Mainers think about this behavior? Can any Maine reader clue us in?
The country is not coming out of this one. Alito is the decisive turn to authoritarianism that no election will ever reverse. And he's probably not the last.
"Rule of Law" will now mean "Whim of the President". And you can imagine that transfers of the presidency between parties are going to be much less frequent, and will only come with accompanying violence, as in banana "republics".
Posted by euzoius at January 25, 2006 07:46 AMWhile FEMA has been helpful, Mike Brown -- the former FEMA director who resigned amid intense criticism of his agency's response -- has refused to answer even the simplest questions, Lieberman added.
"Indeed, at yesterday's staff interview of former FEMA Director Michael Brown, agency lawyers advised Mr. Brown not to say whether he spoke to the president or the vice president, or comment on the substance of conversations he had with any other high level White House officials," Lieberman said.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought the justification for keeping Brownie on the payroll even after he had resigned was just so he could aid in the investigation into what went wrong with Katrina. And now he's refusing to answer questions? We, the taxpayers, have once again been ripped off. We paid his salary, but now he won't even answer questions.
Posted by ann at January 25, 2006 08:42 AM