From Holden: Consumer prices surged last month by the steepest rate in 25 years. It’s a generational Bush Boom. The Labor Department also reported another measure of inflation, the more widely followed consumer price index for all urban consumers, rose 1.2 percent last month and 4.7 percent in the 12 months that ended in September. That was the biggest monthly rise since March, 1980, and the biggest 12-month increase since May, 1991. The CPI increase primarily reflected soaring energy costs, which rose 12 percent last month, the largest monthly increase since the department started collecting data in 1957. Energy costs … Continue reading Have You Seen My Bush Boom?

From Holden: Juan Cole makes a convincing case for believing the much-ballyhooed “al Qaeda letter” from Zawahiri to Zarqawi is a fake, as the letter opens with a Shiia form of an Islamic salutation while Zawahiri is an Egyptian Sunni. Continue reading Fake

From Holden: You know it’s getting bad when K-Lo ridicules Bush. I LIED…ONE MORE… [Kathryn] In case you’ve moved beyond the reasoning stage and have turned to HBomb-like mockery (still Breitbart): to mier: The rare, delayed effect of having both fallen off your mountain bike multiple times and having passed out while eating pretzel. Usually results in the hiring of your personal attorney to the highest court in the land. Was also once reported in the Andes Mountains. Posted at 02:45 PM Continue reading End of Times

From Holden: Mmmmmmm….. that’s good schadenfreund. Karl Rove nosed his Jaguar out of the garage at his home in Northwest Washington in the predawn gloom, starting another day in which he would be dealing with a troubled Supreme Court nomination, posthurricane reconstruction and all the other issues that come across the desk of President Bush’s most influential aide. But Mr. Rove’s first challenge on Wednesday morning came before he cleared his driveway: how to get past the five television crews and the three photographers waiting for him. He flashed his blinding high beams into the camera lenses and sped by. … Continue reading Lifestyles of the Rich and Indictable

The last thing I needed was another band to fangirl. This post led me to Hem and I am in love. A. Continue reading Dammit Tbogg

From Holden: My county DA, Ronnie Earle, issued a few subpeonaes today. A Texas prosecutor subpoenaed records for the home telephone of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and the phone of his political campaign Thursday. Also subpoenaed by prosecutor Ronnie Earle were records for two numbers for DeLay’s daughter, Danielle DeLay Ferro. Now why would Mr. Earle be going after “Hot Tub” Tom’s daughter? Well, Dani DeLay Fero is a part of the DeLay fundraising empire. And she’s had some hot tub adventures of her own. House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), legendary on Capitol Hill for his aggressive … Continue reading Keeping It In The Family

Says Rove should resign, regardless of indictments. A. Continue reading Happy Democrat Photo: Evan Bayh Edition

From Holden: Jeebus, what a gaggle. Little Scottie was leaking oil and throwing bolts all over the James S. Brady Briefing Room. Click the link and read the entire transcript to catch Scottie spinning on Miers and getting called on the carpet for not answering questions. UPDATE: Crooks & Liars has the video gaggle. For now I’ll focus on Chimpy’s little chat with the TV and the Plame case, but today’s gaggle is target-rich. First, Scottie plays dumb. Q Scott, why did the administration feel it was necessary to coach the soldiers that the President talked to this morning in … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle

From Holden: RawStory: Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is trying to determine whether Vice President Dick Cheney had a role in the outing of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame-Wilson, individuals close to Fitzgerald say. [snip] Two officials close to Fitzgerald told RAW STORY they have seen documents obtained from the White House Iraq Group which state that Cheney was present at several of the group’s meetings. They say Cheney personally discussed with individuals in attendance at least two interviews in May and June of 2003 Wilson gave to New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus, in … Continue reading Maybe We Should Start Calling Him “Hard Time Dick”

From Holden: RawStory: Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is trying to determine whether Vice President Dick Cheney had a role in the outing of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame-Wilson, individuals close to Fitzgerald say. [snip] Two officials close to Fitzgerald told RAW STORY they have seen documents obtained from the White House Iraq Group which state that Cheney was present at several of the group’s meetings. They say Cheney personally discussed with individuals in attendance at least two interviews in May and June of 2003 Wilson gave to New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus, in … Continue reading Maybe We Should Start Calling Him ”Hard Time Dick”

From Holden: Press reaction to Chimpy’s little chat with the TV this morning. New York Times: On the screen today could be seen 10 soldiers of the army’s 42d Infantry Division, based in Tikrit. They sat stiffly in three tight rows, joined by an Iraqi officer, apparently atop a building, under a blue-gray sky. While the president asked the troops a half-dozen questions, appearing to do so extemporaneously, the troops evidently had prepared their answers. The format did not lend itself to more frank exchanges. [snip] Overall, the presentation was less than smooth. The soldiers sat rigidly, and initially with … Continue reading They Ain’t Buyin’ It

From Holden: Kanye West had it backwards. In what may turn out to be one of the biggest free-falls in the history of presidential polling, President Bush’s job-approval rating among African Americans has dropped to 2 percent, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. [snip] A few months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found Bush’s approval rating among blacks at 51 percent. As recently as six months ago, it was at 19 percent. Continue reading Dan Froomkin Gets a Pony!

From Holden: OK, so the White House has posted the transcript of Chimpy’s chat with a large-screen TV this morning. Such delicious comedy. First, let’s get the “gots” out of the way. We got a strategy, and it’s a clear strategy. You just got to know the American people are proud of you. Next, I wonder if Jenna somehow replaced her dad for this question. And so, like — I mean, and so the vote is in less than 48 hours — or about 48 hours, I guess. And so how do you — how would — are you confident? … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

From Holden: Jeebus! REUTERS. Continue reading Waving At A TV Set

From Holden: The Netherlands refuses to extradict a terror suspect to the US because we cannot guarantee that his rights will not be violated. The ruling by the Hague District Court said the suspect’s “fundamental right” of unlimited access to a defense lawyer and immediate access to a judge may be compromised in the United States. Last month, the court sought guarantees from U.S. prosecutors that the detainee would be afforded those basic rights if he were extradited. In Wednesday’s ruling, it rejected a U.S. submission that “the United States views such a request as unwarranted and unnecessary.” The ruling … Continue reading The Consequences of GITMO

From Holden: The White House is turning the pressure up on potential GOP presidential candidates in New Hampshire. FAIR TREATMENT. The White House political arm is taking a special interest in U.S. senators who are potential 2008 Presidential candidates, especially when they come to New Hampshire. The goal is to put them on the record on the Harriet Miers nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is under fire from the right and left. Bush administration political director Sarah Taylor has been making calls into the state to advise local activists working on behalf of the nomination with the Washington-based … Continue reading Turning Up The Heat

From Holden: Today’s Dallas Morning News provides a nice summary of how Karl Rove successfully packed the Texas Supreme Court with Republicans during the 1990s, suggesting that certain prosecutorial distractions led him to screw the pooch with the Miers nomination. Continue reading Packing The Court

From Holden: How do airstrikes in residential areas help our cause in Iraq? A women was killed and 10 other people were wounded on Wednesday when U.S. force conducted an air strike on a residential district in Ramadi, 110 km (68 miles) west of Baghdad, doctor Uday al-Rawi said. Hell, what is our cause in Iraq? Continue reading And The War Crimes Continue

From Holden: I love how every time a Senior Bush Assministration Official pipes up in support of Harriet Miers one of his underlings shoots him down. The administration again dispatched top officials to defend the Miers nomination. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said on MSNBC yesterday that he believes Miers personally opposes abortion. “I believe that she is pro-life,” Gonzales said. “But the question as to whether or not she’s pro-life or not has no bearing and should have no bearing as to . . . how she would rule on a particular case interpreting the right to an abortion.” … Continue reading Hee

At EschaCon somebody, I can’t remember who, asked me if I’d ever been interested in running for office myself. And it’s true, what I told him (or her). I’m only eloquent behind the keyboard. I quake at giving speeches in public. I dislike showing strangers my teeth.

So the idea of reading from the book in public? A little daunting.

The reading at Barbara’s was well-attended by not only friends and family who were guilted into coming (and did so generously and graciously) but some kids who looked like they were there for a class (taking notes), a couple of people who’d wandered in off the street and decided to stay (welcome!), and portions of the Internets (Hi, Earl!). In all, about 40-50 people. For a night the Sox were playing and the rain was threatening, it was pretty amazing to see the place filled, and pretty easy to talk about a project I love when facing such an interested and receptive audience.

Pictures taken by Jack Terminal (aka Mr. A) and our good friend Paul, inside (click on Read More).

Continue reading “Reading Report: Marjorie’s Wingspan’s All Feathers and Coke Cans”

From Holden: OK, so far both James Dobson and Little Scottie are on the record claiming that Harriet Miers was not Chimpy’s first choice for the Court, and that several other candidates declined the nomination. Does anyone believe that? The gagglers do not. Q Scott, you said earlier today that some potential nominees or candidates for the nomination for the Supreme Court had withdrawn their names from consideration, requested that their names to be withdrawn. Who were those people? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I’m not going to get into any names, John, out of respect for the nomination process and out … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle

From Holden: Jeebus, I wish I had seen the video in order to count the eye-blinks when Chimpy answered this question today. Q Thank you, Mr. President. Why do people in this White House feel it’s necessary to tell your supporters that Harriet Miers attends a very conservative Christian church? Is that your strategy to repair the divide that has developed among conservatives over her nominee? PRESIDENT BUSH: People ask me why I picked Harriet Miers. They want to know Harriet Miers’ background; they want to know as much as they possibly can before they form opinions. And part of … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

From Holden: Despite then-Undersecretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz’ sunny claim that Iraqi oil revenues would pay for the reconstruction of the country we were about to destroy, Iraq’s oil production today is roughly 73% of the amount produced prior to the invasion, and about 79% of the amount produced one year ago. Iraq’s oil production has fallen below prewar levels to its lowest point in a decade, depriving the country’s fledgling government of badly needed income and preventing the United States from achieving one of its main reconstruction goals. Iraq’s oil wells, beset by equipment problems and saboteurs, are producing … Continue reading More Productive Under Saddam

From Holden: These three men and many others are not included in the 1,963 dead noted at Lunaville. Chief Warrant Officer William Howell was a 15-year Army Special Forces veteran who had seen combat duty all over the world. Sgt. 1st Class Andre McDaniel was a military accountant. Spc. Jeremy Wilson repaired electronics. They had little in common, other than having served in Iraq with the 10th Special Forces Group based at Fort Carson, Colo. They did not know each other, and they had vastly different duties. Each, however, committed suicide shortly after returning home, all within about a 17-month … Continue reading Uncounted Casualties

From Holden: One thing I find interesting about the abundance of overnight Plame stories (here, here, here, and here are a few examples) is that not one story mentions Robert Novak except in passing while providing background on the case. Novak has not “discovered” any additional notes relevant to the case, nor has he been recalled to testify. I take it then that Patrick Fitzgerald is satisfied that Novak has completely cooperated with the investigation and has no additional information to offer. Novak spilled his guts, and Fitzgerald knows (and has known for some time now) the identity of the … Continue reading Where’s Novak?

From Holden: WTF? A one-question gaggle? Did Little Scottie skip town, too? Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle

From Holden: Blogger Dan Tynan writes to Editor & Publisher with an interesting theory regarding Scooter Libby’s mash note. It’s not commonly known, but Miller is crazy for anagrams–in fact, her pet name for Lewis Libby is “Wily Bibles.” So it’s only natural that he’d choose this form to communicate in secret. Take the best-known phrase that appears here: “The aspens will already be turning.” This anagrams into “repugnantly brainiest swellhead” — a clear reference to Karl Rove. “They turn in clusters” anagrams into “truth incenses truly” or “truth n’ rusty silence” — each referring to Miller’s refusal to testify … Continue reading Like a Secret Language Shared By Identical Twins

From Holden: Check out the cover of the latest edition of the National Review. Continue reading Buyer’s Remorse

From Holden: Pathetic: The [Army National] Guard has been targeting 18-to-25-year-olds in online ads that promise three free iTunes music downloads to anyone who agrees to be contacted by a military recruiter. Continue reading More Recruiting Follies

From Holden: The US Air Force has always been viewed as an elite service. Even in it’s infancy as the US Army Air Corps this branch has collected the most educated recruits and transformed them into hig-tech warriors. But with the Army and Marines over-deployment in Iraq Air Force personnel are being fed into the meat grinder. In an effort to augment a U.S. Army strained for manpower, the Air Force has begun assigning thousands of ground personnel in combat roles to support Army operations. The Los Angeles Times reports that some of the new roles for airmen include acting … Continue reading Scraping the Top of the Barrel