"Please, don't kill me."

Billiam has asked me why I hate George W. Bush. I countered that I, personally, do not hate the man, but that his policies leave a lot to be desired. But I can understand if there is hate out there in the wide wide world. Any hate that does exist is fueled not only by Bush’ actions, but by hate radio and hate personalities like Ann Coulter, Michael Savage, Melanie Morgan, etc.

Leaving that aside, there is another aspect of the man that I wonder why Billiam and other conservatives have refused to ponder … his seeming disregard for others. I don’t believe for a second that he ever considers the toll that is being taken on the thousands of innocents in Iraq. Certainly he, personally, is not responsible and certainly many lives have been lost due to the often indiscriminate attacks by Iraqis themselves and foreign fighters who have come to Iraq to bleed the “Great Satan.” But, Bush’ policies must take on some of the blame for the deaths of these thousands. This I believe he refuses to do, despite the charming photos showing him with a tear on his cheek. Where are his tears for humanity?

Well, below is a piece from the National Review regarding a profile of Bush that was done by Tucker Carlson back before the first Bush election. The callousness of Bush is openly on display, so much that even Carlson is appalled.

In the week before [Karla Faye Tucker's] execution, Bush says, Bianca Jagger and a number of other protesters came to Austin to demand clemency for Tucker. "Did you meet with any of them?" I ask.

Bush whips around and stares at me. "No, I didn't meet with any of them," he snaps, as though I've just asked the dumbest, most offensive question ever posed. "I didn't meet with Larry King either when he came down for it. I watched his interview with [Tucker], though. He asked her real difficult questions, like 'What would you say to Governor Bush?' "

"What was her answer?" I wonder.

"Please," Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, "don't kill me."

This charming little vignette comes from Tucker Carlson's profile of George W. Bush in the premiere issue of Talk. Carlson's attitude toward Bush is clearly positive. But the profile is nonetheless devastating, because Carlson is a good reporter who's captured his subject's unattractive aspects as well as his appealing ones.

Carlson's major theme is that Bush is "comfortable with himself" and "doesn't give a damn what you think of him." (Message: I don't care.) He has risen above the obsession with what other people think that marks most politicians. Yet the Bush who emerges from the profile is remarkably thin-skinned. Carlson notes that while "the Larry King–Karla Faye Tucker exchange Bush recounted never took place" on television, "Tucker did imply that Bush was succumbing to election-year pressure from pro-death penalty voters. Apparently Bush never forgot it. He has a long memory for slights." If this is what Bush considers payback, remind us to stay on his compassionate side.

For sheer ugliness, nothing else in the article matches Bush's remarks on the death penalty. (When he sees Carlson's horrified reaction, Bush "immediately stops smirking": " 'It's tough stuff,' Bush says, suddenly somber, 'but my job is to enforce the law.'")

Bush is an ugly little man. I wonder what sort of payback is Bush willing to continue to take on the Iraqi people?

The Ever Insightful McBride

Our favorite bimbo, Jessica McBride, is at it again. This time she’s defending hip hop. Is it because she truly believes that liberals are the reason for its demise in Madison, or is she, a women in her late 30s, a fan of Justin and the boys and their contemporaries?

It would make sense, chronological age notwithstanding, that McBride would be a fan considering her adolescent screeds. Time to grow up, Jessie.


And then there is this “Thought of the Night” from our tortured genius:

I see from the Green Bay Press Gazette that Hmong leaders are imploring the community to start a dialogue on race relations in the wake of the Cha Vang case.

Did white leaders implore the Hmong community to start a dialogue on race relations in the wake of the Chai Vang case?

Oh, that's right. The Hmong community implored the white community to start a dialogue on race relations in the wake of the Chai Vang case.

Huh? Note to Jessica, if you are going to label something you write a thought, make sure it is thoughtful.

To Everything ... Spin, Spin, Spin

Does this surprise anyone?

Without a majority in Congress, the Bush administration has suddenly decided that allowing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court to oversee the National Security Agency’s wiretapping program, which it was created to do in the first place, is a good thing. That the administration still believes it did nothing wrong is illustrated by its continued assertion (from the NY Times) …

… on Wednesday that the N.S.A. program had operated legally, but it also said the time had come to allow the intelligence surveillance court, known as the FISA court, to review all warrants on all wiretaps in terrorism investigations.

“There’s obviously an advantage to having all three branches involved,” said a senior Justice Department official, who briefed reporters on the decision on condition of anonymity. “This issue of the terrorist surveillance program is one that has been under intense public debate and scrutiny on the Hill, and just considering all these circumstances, the president determined that this is the appropriate course.”

Bullshit.

I'll be curious to see the spin from local conservative bloggers.

Vulcans and Klingons in Government

Ideology aside, this is funny. There are faux Klingons in the White House, he huffed and puffed.



(Chris, I'm being nice. I thought you'd find this funny.)

Conservative Values (er, lies)

Only in Texas, and the homes, presumably, of many conservative voters in Wisconsin (like dad29, Owen Robinson and Tom Reynolds). Weird science.