KEEPSIES, NO BACKSIES...

...or, "once again, it's on."

No, we don't mean Elizabeth Edwards v Ann Coulter for Women's Junior Middleweight belt. We thought plenty about it and had we been booking that one, we would have written A COULTER-$1.75/E EDWARDS+$1.65. No knock on Elizabeth Edwards but despite her a big punch and not much to lose, Coulter is a rare combination of a brawler with a huge granite chin, plus speed, moves, endurance, youth+experience and the love of a nation and it's Ministry of Truth on her side.

Oh, no, we're just talking about the future of the republic is all. Watergate parallels are obvious: IRAQ: VIETNAM, LIBBY: HALDEMAN, ABRAHAMOFF: MANDEL, GONZALES: 'CHILL...We could go on but you all know that already.

It's not so easy for the good guys to win this time. 27 years of this of this crap and the Washington Post is now right-wing. Solidly. And during this time, the right win the political war and economic war, and the left win the fucking chucha boobie-prize: the culture war. Wow. Big win. Queer Eye For The Straight Guy on TV and Puff Daddy and Adam Goldberg are allowed to be sex symbols. Left such as it was give up an awful lot for that. What is the "left" anyway? Looks like Pat Buchanan and a bunch of skate-board kids from where sit right about now.

But back on Center Court, it's time to decide which side you're on. If Leahy, etc., let this one go, it's all over: the "friendly fascism" of the Gingrich/Bush era, gives way to...one can only shudder and be glad to be gone awaiting just how much craziness the inevitable invasion of our neighbors to the South will cause here. If Guantanamo, Abu Gharaib, and legalized torture are any indication, then the works of Orwell and Shirer can give of a couple of clues.

If the Democrats manage to stop Cheney (W is an irrelevancy), things may get pretty nice. An end to the wars, police state, drug war bullshit, Christian Fundamentalists telling you what you can and can't do with your lives, a smaller tax bite and lots more like maybe health care and the return of AFDC? -- with the same economy and a better dollar? -- does that sound good? It ought to. And to the Christians whose sad superstitions made this all possible: if none of that sounds good, how about this -- Condoleeza Rice will at some point be your President if you don't help? Feature that one for a second. No, Kelso's dead serious here and is happy to play the race card to make a point. No, that's too soft. Kelso is happy to be a racist to make a point. And Kelso knows very well which ethnic group was the major beneficiary of AFDC, by the way, and it wasn't the dark ones. It was never about race, though. It was always about money.

The public, the Democrats, one or two Republicans with a conscience, and just a fraction of the Christians must force the administration to comply with the subpoenas. That's it. Otherwise, it's over. And to the Christians, once again, don't you realize that even as of this date "warrantless wiretapping" has pulled in exactly zero terrorists, but many, many of your neighbors and friends and hunting buddies who specialize in Crystal-labs and Medicare-Oxy moving? Yeah, and the sons and daughters of your friends. The nice kids with the Harleys and the tattoos? And the crucifixes?

To the liberal bloggers who want revolution, it's not going to happen. In the very, very unlikely scenario that it does happen, it will have happened organically in response to something horrible, leaving no choice. Peaceful protest in the 60s model isn't going to work. Vote with your wallets and your feet. And let them know you care. You don't have to feel guilty about thinking Paris Hilton's hot and about being into all of that. It's totally normal. Even in Western Europe. But remeber 4/5 of success is just showing up when you have to.

Well, that's it. It's up to the Democrats to take a stand here. Leahy 's not the toughest kid on the block but he's not as bought-and-paid-for as Pelosi and Reid are. He's never been unpricipled, only weak. It's time to remember the Sawx, and "Cowboy Up," Pat. The people think the opposite will happen. Very nice back-and-forth comment on Washington Monthly blog about this:


Seen this movie before. Can we fast forward to the scene with Bush in a chopper on the White House lawn, waving goodbye?Posted by: thersites on June 28, 2007 at 10:17 AM PERMALINK

thersites - you're thinking of the wrong movie. In this movie, the Bush/Cheney stonewall works and the complicit media trumpet the "too divisive" line of the beltway croud, the no-balls Democrats decide it would be politically unwise to press the case, and the administration skates off into the sunset.Posted by: Ralph Kramden on June 28, 2007 at 10:23 AM PERMALINK

We'll see. But we're not optimistic. It says here that the likeliest scenario is "Ralph Kramden's." The Democrats will gamble on winning the election but once Cheney doesn't have to comply, there might not be an election or the Republican will just steal it with total Democratic complicity and tacit approval. See John Kerry for details.

Congrats to the Gunslinger on most excellent 2nd place finish in the WSOP PL O/8. Everybody's proud.

Very enjoyable watching Bedard shut down Rudy's Girls and Birds crack Clemens.

Kelso's Nuts love you.