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No doubt you’ve seen the most recent cover of The New Yorker. You know the one — the one with the Obamas on the cover.
CBC has a decent-sized version of the cover, plus coverage. Various writers respond.
While I can kinda understand the intent of the cover — lampooning all the garbage that has been thrown at the Obamas — I think the cartoonist responsible could’ve done a better job. I don’t see the humour in it at all.
Excite News - Senate bows to Bush, approves surveillance bill
In a word: WHAT?! I swear; Congress can be very spineless sometimes. And I mean VERY spineless.
“Principals OK’d Harsh Attacks”
At the time, the Principals Committee included Vice President Cheney, former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General John Ashcroft.
As the national security adviser, Rice chaired the meetings, which took place in the White House Situation Room and were typically attended by most of the principals or their deputies.
Of them, Cheney (VP) and Rice (Sec. of State) still hold an office; and Tenet is still head of the CIA.
Then-National Security Advisor Rice, sources said, was decisive. Despite growing policy concerns — shared by Powell — that the program was harming the image of the United States abroad, sources say she did not back down, telling the CIA: “This is your baby. Go do it.”
*cue dramatic music*
The Iraq Invasion is five years old…and, apparently, it was still worth it to attack a country that had nothing to do with what happened in the US six and a half years ago; it was worth the loss of nearly 4000 US soldiers and thousands of innocent civilians; it was worth removing someone from power* who did not pose a threat to the US at all. Apparently, according to GWB, the over half-trillion dollars spent on the invasion was money well-spent. (I imagine some people in the world *cough*NOLA*cough* would debate that.)
* I don’t think anyone doubts the late Sadaam Hussein was a craptastic dictator (how the US could support him gassing Kurds in the late 1980s is beyond my comprehension, however), least of all me. However! Should the US troops and the coalition have been the ones to yank the fella from power? Personally, I say no.
* * * * *
In other news, Lieberman backs McCain. I agree with the gang from Crooks and Liars:
The Independent Senator from Connecticut leaves out the real reason he supports McCain — he’s a warmonger and wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years and bomb-bomb-bomb Iran, just like Joe. McCain is not a reformer anymore, the Maverick is dead and gone. Lieberman is part of the McSurge triplets currently stumping for McCain in Iraq, I think the GOP will gladly extend an invitation to him for his service to the party.
On the upside, Obama’s speech on race in the US today was freakin’ brilliant.
Fidel Castro resigns; his brother Raul takes over reign of Cuba.
Let’s see what happens. It probably won’t be much; but…you never know.
