The Interwebs: Unfortunate Headlines Department -- Presidential Face Squatting Wha??

Perhaps I'm seriously deranged but this Politico headline sent unbidden images right into my cerebral cortex. The article itself is innocuous -- shrill Cuban American Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen staking out her spot early so as to be positioned for the cameras during the President's State of The Union perp walk.

Politics: Bush Snared in the Series of Tubes Known as The Interwebs

Our good friends at The Warpublican Review highlight a New York Times story that suggests that Bush is to lies as Jeff Foxworthy is to redneck jokes. In other words, you know you're a liar when there now exists an entire searchable Internet database to document your lies. You can thank the folks at The Center For Public Integrity for carrying on the work of pioneering journalists like I. F. Stone by bringing hard hitting investigative journalism into the information age. The kicker is these are only Iraq war related -- and there are almost 1,000 provably false statements. Imagine a comprehensive examination of the administration's truthfulness across the board. Below is a chart they compiled of falsity by month...

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Politics: Can We Impeach This Guy Yet? Bush Admin Broke the Law By Not Archiving E-Mails

According to today's Washington Post 473 days worth of e-mails were missing from the White House e-mail logs -- which have to be saved by law. In reference to a chart presented behind closed doors by the White House's own internal investigators, Bush shill Tony Fratto explains that "we tried to reconstruct some of the work . . . and could not replicate that or could not authenticate the correctness of the data in that chart."

This of course is not anywhere near a denial of wrongdoing from the most secretive Presidency in history. If this President's name were Clinton the Trent Lotts and Bob Novaks of the world would be foaming at the mouth and baying at the moon for a special prosecutor and a full accounting.

I find it hard to believe that sloppiness was at work here. With barely a year left, it will be up to historians to uncover the true venality and shady dealings that underlie so much of what the Bush administration has done. Once again Bush manages to make Nixon look like an amateur. The Watergate tapes were only missing 18 and a half minutes -- compare that to 473 days!

Politics: Republicans Scrape SCHIP From Their Shoes Once Again

Virgina Republican Bob Goodlatte hates your kids -- he voted so!

The House failed to override President "no child left behind" Bush's veto of the State Childrens Health Insurance Program bill -- endorsing the notion that it's better for kids to get sick than to tax cigarette smokers. 2 Democrats who should know better, voted with the majority of Republicans. Here's the link to the full list of representatives votes -- an "N" means that they ought to be tossed out with the trash on election day. You know what you need to do -- send these bums a message that we won't stand for letting our kids go uninsured.

Politics: Hoyer -- Immunity For Telecoms on the Table

Steny Hoyer tests the political winds...but is he too cautious by half?

Top House Dem Steny Hoyer of Maryland said today that Democrats would "consider" what President Bush and his telecom cronies want desperately : immunity from prosecution. It is now clear that major telecom companies in the United States broke the law at the behest of the Bush administration and spied illegally on Americans. We still do not know the extent of the illegal activity -- nor will we ever if the freedom haters in the White House have their way. House Majority leader Hoyer points out reasonably ""We have not received documentation as to what in fact was done, for which we've been asked to give immunity..." Today the President made clear that no such documentation will be forthcoming. Democrats should hold the line and send this bill (with or without telecom immunity) to the dustbin where it belongs.

Politics: SCHIP Has Sailed -- He Do'od It!

Trent Lott: " I only care about your babies if they're this big..."

The man who vowed to leave no child behind as President today cut four million of them loose from health insurance by issuing a rare veto against the State Child Health Insurance Program, as expected. The simian-esque executive tried to keep a low profile on this veto but his fellow GOPers in the House ought to be looking for a new job in 2008 if they fail to override his veto (the votes to override are already there in the Senate). Apparently these people only care about babies as long as they are unborn. Senate Minority Whip and Strom Thurmond Fan Club President Trent Lott had this to say: "We should not allow it to be expanded to higher and higher income levels, and to adults. " Of course no-one was suggesting it be expanded to adults, and we are still talking about kids who are too poor to afford health insurance. Way to protect the un-unborn Trent!

Politics: If SCHIP is Out Bush Will Have to Shape Up

Governor Corzine does his acclaimed FDR impression...

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, no stranger to emergency health care himself, announced today that the state will file a lawsuit challenging the Bush administrations limitations on access to the SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) program for thousands of New Jersey kids. Read the whole story here . A huge part of the reason for SCHIP's expansion was to cover kids that were already being covered but who the Bush administration has been trying to drop from the program for not meeting eligibility standards. Republicans have walked right into a propeller on this one and Democrats should target every single Republican in the House who votes against this program and for upholding the President's veto. They should also start twisting some arms to try to get more Republicans on board to override Bush's veto in the house (the Senate has the votes already). I suspect that some Republicans may be changing their minds due to the extremely negative fallout on this.

Politics: Bush Out on a Limb -- Will House GOPers Follow?

Cannibal turkey? "This reminds me of that conference I had with Larry Craig..."

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has warned the White House and fellow Republicans that they are in danger of facing an even more hostile electorate if President Bush vetoes the new State Children's Health Insurance Program bill as he is expected to do. If the House fails to override his veto Grassley expects a pounding from Democrats going into next year's election. Read the article in the Washington Post to see just how steamed up Grassley is it the President of his own party. Grassley is absolutely right on all counts here, and the White House has shown once again the contempt for fellow Republicans as well as Democrats that's the hallmark of an imperial presidency.