it's thumping, that's for sure...

i am far removed from the world of politics these days, but i came down from the ivory tower this week to rejoice the democrats' victories in congress. or rather, to point and laugh at the republican party as they slunk off with their tails between their legs. so much for "political capital," right, dubya? you can't wantonly spend it with impunity. booyakahsa.

seriously, though, i got to watch a little bit of the press conference on wednesday. then i read the transcript in the new york times. which, by the way, is a little too flattering of the president, but i guess when he is all over the place, stuttering and floundering, you gotta transcribe his nonsense in some logical manner. if this was a race won and lost on the issue of integrity, you can see exactly the root of the problem during the q&a session, which should really be called "round and round we go... where we stop... nobody knows..." the problem with bush is that not only is he a liar... he's a bad one at that... really really really bad. he can't keep his stories straight. did you know or not know last week that rummy was going to resign. if you didn't know, why would you speak to his replacement about replacing him? oh, you were just trying to avoid the question and move on to the next? do you do that a lot? are you doing it now? the poor man lacks some sense of chronologic order and logic... i almost feel bad for him. almost.

talk about flip-flopping. if the man can get one thing straight, please please please let it be his policy on the war in iraq. is he staying the course? or is he adjusting? or wait, he's doing both, he just needs to do a better job of explaining it, is all. and as for heeding the voice of the people dubya had this response:

BUSH: I'd like our troops to come home too, but I want them to come home with victory. And that is a country that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself.I mean, I can understand Americans saying, Come home. But I don't know if they said: Come home and leave behind an Iraq that could end up being a safe haven for Al Qaida. I don't believe they said that.And so I'm committed to victory. I'm committed to helping this country so that we can come home.

forget the shameless/senseless/immature propaganda and war on terrah campaign which he inserts into any question he doesn't really want to answer. yes, he's right that americans didn't say to leave behind a safe haven for al queda. they also didn't say: "stay the course for this long, protracted, expensive, bullshit war for as long as you damn well please. if it takes 5, 10, 15 years, go ahead." this was the first question out off the bullpen and i was already pissed off. "a safe haven for al queda?" the world is a big place... and with all the money and focus on iraq, i wouldn't be surprised if al queda's safe haven was in the backyard of the white house (that would make a really great political cartoon, no?) so, yes, mr. president, the american people did not, in so many words, ask you to make iraq into al queda's next hideout. but i think they resoundingly said: "you suck. and since we're stuck with you for two more years, we're going to make sure you suck as little as possible."