Couple of point's I'd like to make just to tie things together.
1) In his event today with Jaffari, Bush made the specific comment that negative reaction to "images" from Iraq are especially to blame for fading public opinion on the war. I believe either Abizaid, Rumsfeld, McClellan or Rove also used that specific word recently. Is this pre-emptive Abu Ghraib pic push-back? As in, oh why is the media making such a big deal about pictures? What's the status of that court case? Wasn't the DOD handed a defeat a few weeks ago?
- Could the Rove push on terror be related to a Supreme Court vacency? According to this entry at RedState http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/6/24/202450/663 the retirement, whomever it may be, is coming down the pike next week. If they've decided to pick Gonzalez, Rove's attack makes even more sense, making the Dems supposedly less willing to play the torture card.
- Is the Iraqi consitution going to meet its deadline (Aug 15)? What's been happening with that?
- Regarding a SC nominee, it seems clear Bush will nominate someone quite divisive (though I think Gonzalez hadn't fit that bill, the torture stuff has made him more controversial. Rove likes controversy). They're going to try to get Dems to block the nominee. If the Dems don't Bush is handed a victory and the Dems look weak. If the Dems succeed Bush is crippled; the GOP senate wouldn't allow this and the nuclear option would be pulled. So my guess is the most important thing the Democrats could do is take shots at the nominee without mercy, with an eye towards philisophical differences that help us at the polls and allow her/him to get an up or down vote. I don't believe we'll be able to stop the nominee. So it's important not to set our standard too high. But if we can't stop it, let's beat the hell out of Bush in the meantime. And let's not appear like we got outmuscled, even if it's true. President's almost always get their SC nominees.
- Fuck Rove. This liberal, Democrat will never forget what he said. If I ever get the chance, I'm going to heckle or shout him down. But in the meantime, I'm only going to work harder to destroy that fat fuck of hired help and his owners. Yeah, I get a little angry when the White House starts dishing out the traitor talk.