There is no Democratic Party in Congress. There are, instead, a bare majority of Congressmen and Senators who have banded together in order to gather power, influence, and money. Which is fine, as far as it goes — except that they are not actually using any of the resources that they are gathering to benefit the groups and causes who worked to put them in power.

Discuss.

Former Colorado parks director Lyle Laverty’s confirmation to a top post in the U.S. Interior Department was pushed through the Senate on Monday while a member blocking the vote was home tending to his wife and newborn twins.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., for seven months had opposed Laverty’s confirmation as assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, demanding that Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne address ethical lapses within the department.

On Friday, Wyden’s wife gave birth to twins, and the senator was in Oregon on paternity leave Monday when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., scheduled the vote.

I know we like to reward good behavior, but how do we punish DeLay-esque backstabbing? Dodd better stay close to his office or Harry will ram telco immunity through.

The Association Against Animal Factories points out that it’s not trying to get [him] declared a human, but rather a person, which would give him some kind of legal status.

Otherwise, he is legally a thing. And with the genetic makeup of chimpanzees and humans so strikingly similar, it contends, that just can’t be.

“The question is: Are chimps things without interests, or persons with interests?” Balluch said.

“A large section of the public does see chimps as beings with interests,” he said. “We are looking forward to hear what the high court has to say on this fundamental question.”

“Over the past six years, we’ve had to add to the American picture - rendition, illegal wiretapping, voter supression, no habeus corpus, the neglect of our great city New Orleans and her people, an attack on the Constitution and the loss of our best young men and women in a tragic war. This is a song about things that shouldn’t happen here happening here.”

I imagine Matt Lauer and Timmeh looked like they had just eaten a shit sandwich.

He had some pretty mind-f***ing lyrics, almost worthy of MJS. The gist of the chorus, according to my friend:

Don’t worry darling
Yeah, baby, don’t you fret
We’re living in the future
And none of this has happened yet.

I think that novel feeling I’m experiencing is hope. Thanks, Bruce.

Nearly every full-length play would be performed in five acts, the first one corresponding to jo, an auspicious and slow opening which introduces the audience to the characters and the plot. The next three acts would correspond to ha, speeding events up, culminating almost always in a great moment of drama or tragedy in the third act and possibly a battle in the second and/or fourth acts. The final act, corresponding to kyu, is almost always very short, providing a quick and satisfying conclusion.

So, if Petraeus and Bush can show optimism despite all evidence suggesting such optimism is unfounded (ponies notwithstanding), then I can go all give-them-the-benefit-of-the-doubt on the bit and speculate that the Dems have actually played it brilliantly, at least this fall.

We’ve been in the first act (jo), an auspicious and slow opening.

1. Circulate the word that a few Senators and Congressmen are prepared to reach bipartisan consensus (read: capitulate to Bush yet again) on Iraq funding. The liberal base will be up in arms, but they’re pissed about the whole FISA capitulation fiasco, anyway.

2. Let Petraeus and especially Bush make their case to the public.

3. Encourage dissidents within the armed forces (who have contacted you and said, “What the fuck are you Dems doing?”) to come forward more publicly.

4. After carefully considering what Petraeus has presented, and the Bushian lie of troop withdrawals next summer, come out in strong opposition to the Bush plan.

Instead of “they had their minds made up already” they look like they listened to and took seriously King Petraeus. And they give Bush enough rope to hang himself.

Then again, I could be a foolish dreamer, and the Dems are going to capitulate AGAIN, and they won’t even muster the self-respect to whimper “Not in the face, please.”

Either way, let’s hope for “a quick and satisfying conclusion.”

Because of their sycophantic enablers in the media, BushCo. repeatedly wins the message war.

Step 1. Add 30,000 temporary troops to Iraq.
Step 2. At the exact time that the Army will no longer be able to sustain those 30,000 troops, say you plan to bring them home, claiming success no matter the reality.
Step 3. Call it “Troop Withdrawal.”

Does that remind you of anything?

Step 1. Cut taxes for the wealthy.
Step 2. When Democrats argue to allow those tax cuts to expire, say they are “Raising taxes.”

Made me think of this golden’ oldie, too:

Step 1. Inspectors go to Iraq to look for weapons of mass destruction, and find none.
Step 2. Oppose extending their work because they are not “effective.”
Step 3. Warn the inspectors to leave before the bombing.
Step 4. Repeat the lie no less than three times that Saddam would not allow the inspectors in, thus justifying the decision to invade Iraq

Bet there are a few more I’m not thinking of right now…

This is classic big lie, Rovian playbook stuff. And they get away with it because they know many in the media will report it uncritically.