Judith Miller Screwed the US

This something brought up elsewhere, but for the life of me I can't remember where. I saw something on AMERICABlog that reminded me, though, so here ya go.

Had Judith Miller spoken up when she was originally called before Fitzgerald, way back in August 2004, what might have happened?

Here's what I think (and this is totally my non-educated opinion):

1. Scooter would have been indicted in October 2004
2. Scooter would have resigned in October 2004
3. Kerry could have said something like (and this is a hypothetical paraphrase), "This is the guy who talks about national security? WTF?"
4. Bush would have freaked
5. Rove would have shat his pants sooner
6. Bush would have been a single-termer like his Daddy

I don't have the energy to go into what might have happened in Iraq (there are no easy answers there at all, and all I see is the same end result there no matter what: Civil War). But I have just enough energy to say a healthy and hearty "FUCK YOU" to Judith "Little Miss Run Amok" Miller.

UPDATE: What does the President do when he finds out that Scooter is up for a 30-year term and that his right-hand man (and his brain) is still in danger? What every patriotic, evil-hating American does: Goes to Camp David to "ponder" the next choice for SCOTUS. Second vacation in as many months. Bastard.

It starts to hit the fan

The shot from MSNBC. Notice the wording. (Thanks to Shakes for the pic.)



Who, I wonder (hmmmmm), is "Official A?"

The 5-count indictment:

Count 1: Obstruction of Justice
Counts 2-3: False Statements
Counts 4-5: Perjury

Rosa Parks, R.I.P

One woman did with a quiet dignity what thousands today can't seem to do with all the volume and technology and history at our fingertips. We have a lot still to learn from Mrs. Parks.

Fighting for my sister's marriage....

So the state of Texas has a proposition, Proposition 2, that purports to ratify marriage as between one man and one woman. But there's a problem. If passed, this amendment could conceivably be used to annul current marriages in Texas. Here's the text or the proposed amendment as stated on the ballot:

Article I (The Bill of Rights), Texas Constitution, would be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 32. (a) MARRIAGE in this state shall consist ONLY OF THE UNION OF ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN.

(b) THIS STATE or a political subdivision of this state MAY NOT create or RECOGNIZE ANY LEGAL STATUS IDENTICAL or similar TO MARRIAGE.

Looks fine, until you look at the bold caps. Basically, Texas is defining marriage as between one man and one woman (which they've already done), then stating that anything identical (or similar) to marriage won't be recognized.

Let me say that again. Section 32 (a) defines marriage as one man and one woman. Section 32 (b) then states that anything identical to (identical: a.) being the same, b.) exactly equal and alike, c.) having such a close similarity or resemblance as to be essentially equal or interchangeable) may not be recognized.

Oh, I know that they would claim that they meant c.), but what would stop a divorce lawyer or an insurance company from claiming that a.) is how they read it, if only to make or save money (as the case may be).

Would it have hurt the Lege to actually study what has and has not been declared overbroad in the past and write the amendment appropriately? Or is this like "When two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing, each shall come to a full stop, and neither shall proceed until the other has gone?"

If this passes, my niece and nephew will be illegitimate and my sister will be living in sin. Oh woe is us.

I kin add...

Should I really be as happy about this as I am?

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

(Complements of Ms. Q at Whirled Peas.)

Playwrights and poets and such horses' necks...

Apparently don't always end up at sex.

Shakespeare's Sister posted this. I'm repeating the letter verbatim. Took me a second to remember that I studied her in college. What a kickass way of saying "thank you...wait, no, FUCK you very much."

Dear Mrs. Bush,

I am writing to let you know why I am not able to accept your kind invitation to give a presentation at the National Book Festival on September 24, or to attend your dinner at the Library of Congress or the breakfast at the White House.

In one way, it's a very appealing invitation. The idea of speaking at a festival attended by 85,000 people is inspiring! The possibility of finding new readers is exciting for a poet in personal terms, and in terms of the desire that poetry serve its constituents--all of us who need the pleasure, and the inner and outer news, it delivers.

And the concept of a community of readers and writers has long been dear to my heart. As a professor of creative writing in the graduate school of a major university, I have had the chance to be a part of some magnificent outreach writing workshops in which our students have become teachers. Over the years, they have taught in a variety of settings: a women's prison, several New York City public high schools, an oncology ward for children. Our initial program, at a 900-bed state hospital for the severely physically challenged, has been running now for twenty years, creating along the way lasting friendships between young MFA candidates and their students--long-term residents at the hospital who, in their humor, courage and wisdom, become our teachers.

When you have witnessed someone nonspeaking and almost nonmoving spell out, with a toe, on a big plastic alphabet chart, letter by letter, his new poem, you have experienced, close up, the passion and essentialness of writing. When you have held up a small cardboard alphabet card for a writer who is completely nonspeaking and nonmoving (except for the eyes), and pointed first to the A, then the B, then C, then D, until you get to the first letter of the first word of the first line of the poem she has been composing in her head all week, and she lifts her eyes when that letter is touched to say yes, you feel with a fresh immediacy the human drive for creation, self-expression, accuracy, honesty and wit--and the importance of writing, which celebrates the value of each person's unique story and song.

So the prospect of a festival of books seemed wonderful to me. I thought of the opportunity to talk about how to start up an outreach program. I thought of the chance to sell some books, sign some books and meet some of the citizens of Washington, DC. I thought that I could try to find a way, even as your guest, with respect, to speak about my deep feeling that we should not have invaded Iraq, and to declare my belief that the wish to invade another culture and another country--with the resultant loss of life and limb for our brave soldiers, and for the noncombatants in their home terrain--did not come out of our democracy but was instead a decision made "at the top" and forced on the people by distorted language, and by untruths. I hoped to express the fear that we have begun to live in the shadows of tyranny and religious chauvinism--the opposites of the liberty, tolerance and diversity our nation aspires to.

I tried to see my way clear to attend the festival in order to bear witness--as an American who loves her country and its principles and its writing--against this undeclared and devastating war.

But I could not face the idea of breaking bread with you. I knew that if I sat down to eat with you, it would feel to me as if I were condoning what I see to be the wild, highhanded actions of the Bush Administration.

What kept coming to the fore of my mind was that I would be taking food from the hand of the First Lady who represents the Administration that unleashed this war and that wills its continuation, even to the extent of permitting "extraordinary rendition": flying people to other countries where they will be tortured for us.

So many Americans who had felt pride in our country now feel anguish and shame, for the current regime of blood, wounds and fire. I thought of the clean linens at your table, the shining knives and the flames of the candles, and I could not stomach it.

Sincerely,
SHARON OLDS

Swoon...

Spam

No, not the spiced ham. And not the unsolicited kind.

Have you ever been spammed by someone who sends you email after email after email? There's this one woman I met while working on the Kerry campaign. At the time, I was getting an email a week from her letting me and everyone else on the list know when the phone bank needed help and where to go to do so. I welcomed these emails.

Starting around the time Katrina hit, emails started coming in at a clip of at least 14 a day, usually about how Bush is the worst thing since the plague. While I tend to agree, one day I got was 20. On that day, about 2 weeks ago, I replied to one of her emails, asking her to PLEASE send them all at once rather than fill up my mailbox. She apparently didn't get the message, because I got 24 today.

The only thing to do, I suppose, is to direct her emails immediately to the trash so I won't get pissed off at seeing her name in there. She's a nice lady...just not up on email etiquette.

That is all.

Duh...