Miers nomination

Harriet Miers is known to be a Bush loyalist (indeed, a complete toady who thinks Bush is the most brilliant man she ever met). She is also known to belong to an Evangelical church and to be quite religious (if, in fact, there is anything truly religious about Evangelicals). In any case, do you believe that a known Bush loyalist who is also an Evangelical Christian is going to be in favor of abortion or gay rights? What on earth would anyone (Senators included) have to know beyond these simple facts to know what Bush is up to? Not only is he packing the court with anti-abortion, anti-gay rights people, he is also writing himself an insurance policy against future indictments. If the Senate can't see through this blatant attempt to tip the court towards the extreme right they are even more incompetent and stupid than I believe they are (which would be pretty hard to accomplish). As Reid has already endorsed her I guess we know where the Democrats stand (actually Democrats don't stand, they simply lie down).

A meeting today to discuss the grizzly bear. It was suggested that the grizzly bear problem should probably be considered in the broader context of biodiversity. As no one here could possibly understand a concept as abstract as biodiversity it was presented as animal diversity. Even this was too complicated. People here want to consider the grizzly problem as purely a local issue and also as a single issue. Thus there is perceived to be no relationship between the grizzly population in our county and grizzly bears anywhere else. Similarly, there is perceived to be no relationship between grizzly bears and the environment and other species. This takes us back to the so-called "wise-use movement," when our county locals thought they should be in charge of the forests and rivers and fish and etc. They apparently believed, and I guess still believe, that the forests and rivers, grizzly bear and other populations of animals, begin and end at the county boundaries and also have no relationship with each other. Such is life here in our little community still struggling to enter the 20th century.

If you think that's bad, consider our government at higher levels. One of the generals the other day testified there was only one (1) battalion of Iraqi troops ready to act independently, down from three (3) that had been previously claimed. Bush, however, said today (or maybe yesterday) that there are 80 battalions of Iraqi troops, thirty of which are prepared to act independently. Still other military persons say there is no way we can ever win the "war" in Iraq while Bush/Cheney keep insisting we are making progress. Iraq has already erupted into a civil war that no one is willing as yet to acknowledge. American troops are embarked on two or three major offensives that will serve no purpose whatsoever other than killing more Iraqis and American troops. This continuing "war" is nothing but an absolute obscenity that is leading nowhere. NOWHERE! BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!

Bush/Cheney and their neocon murderous thugs are going to have to admit they made the worst foreign policy and military blunder in the history of the United States and give up their absurd ideas about controlling all of the rest of the planet. I would like to think this might happen but I know it won't, not without an opposition party that seems not to exist. Miers will no doubt be confirmed. Reid has already given the Democratic blessing to this unfortunate crony appointment. I used to laugh when I saw the slogan, "Stop the World, I want to get off." I don't laugh anymore.