Since the Stolen election of 2000, the WaPo editorial page - and specifically it's editor, Fred Hiatt - have been completely in the pocket of the GOP.  While individual columnists such as E.J. Dionne and Colbert King - and, of course, the inimitable Dan Froomkin - have been harsh critics of Shrub, the unsigned WaPo columns have dutifully transcribed whatever bullshit was being currently pedaled by Rove.

Today, this is a GOOD thing - as Fred Hiatt's column today give us a detailed preview of the GOP strategy for 2008, so we can plan our counterattack.

More after the jump  

Under the heading of things that make your head explode comes this story from the AP, posted 21 minutes ago.

US leaves militia limited security role

The story says that the US is deliberately leaving the Mahdi army in charge of some parts of Bahgdad.  Yes, the same Madhdi army that is supposedly contolled by Iran, that we are supposed to be fighting. And Why?

Even so, Miska said, "right now we just don't have a better alternative."

Today, in the New Republic, Jonathan Chait authored  a long article

The Left's New Machine: How the Netroots became the most important mass movement in US Politics.

in which the Lieberman-loving, Iraq-war-supporting, house organ of the DLC condescendingly explains to its readers that maybe these netroots types can be useful in, you know, helping push the Democratic Message out to the media - even if we are uncouth and tend to swear a lot.

It's an interesting article, in that Mr. Chait never even mentions the primary bones of contention between the netroots and the TNR/DLC/Lieberman Axis of Evil.

This kind of diary should really be left in the more capable hands of Kos or Hunter or somebody - but since they haven't posted on it yet, I'll take a whack at it.

The always-excellent Josh Marshall linked this morning to a story in the UK's always-excellent The Indpendent about the Oil Deal scheduled to be introduced  in Iraq's parliament this week.

I hope you've all got strong stomachs.

Supporters say the provision allowing oil companies to take up to 75 per cent of the profits will last until they have recouped initial drilling costs. After that, they would collect about 20 per cent of all profits, according to industry sources in Iraq. But that is twice the industry average for such deals.

More, with links,  below the fold.

Folks, the day just keeps getting better.  Michelle Malkin is being loudly and publicly exposed as a complete fool.  Getcher popcorn, gather round - THIS is really fun.

This Episode of the Dumbest Woman Alive starts below the fold.

One of the most horrifying aspects of the Washington Posts's cheerleading for the Iraq Debacle in 2002/2003 was that WaPo editors IGNORED the excellent, and very skeptical, reporting of their own correspondents - most notably Walter Pincus.

In Monday's post, Pincus authors a long article about the other notable group of Iraq war skeptics - Democratic members of the House of Representatives - and points out how little credit they have been given.

Here's his lead:

Although given little public credit at the time, or since, many of the 126 House Democrats who spoke out and voted against the October 2002 resolution that gave President Bush authority to wage war against Iraq have turned out to be correct in their warnings about the problems a war would create.

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Democrats Who Opposed War Move Into Key Positions

The juiciest tidbits below - and the killer money quote at the end.

On the front page a few minutes ago - now eclipsed by polls - were two diaries on the harrassing robo-calls - which SOUND like they come from Dem candidates, but are actually RCCC hit pieces, meant to annoy voters into voting against the Dems. These calls are currently happening in CT, NH, NY, CA, IL, PA, and KS - that we know of. And they are effective - they are angering recipients into NOT voting for Dems. So now, what do we DO about it? Suggested action items below the fold.

SO i have a friend with a radio show in San Luis Obispo, and every so often I do political commentary on his show - over the years, I've acquired some fans, some enemies -

Guesting on the show today, from 5 to 7,  to talk about the latest terror threats, and why we are NOT safer. I'd appreciate feedback

If anyone wants to listen to the webcast, (or the latest podcast) it will be here - just click on "The Dave Congalton Show", then click on the "Listen Live button.

 

Those of us old enough to remember Vietnam may also remember what happened when Walter Cronkite came back from a reporting trip to Vietnam and openly questioned our strategy and chance of success.

Reportedly, LBJ turned off CBS News and remarked "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost America. "

Not, of course, that Tom Friedman has anywhere near Cronkite's standing (or brains); but as one of the most visible and enthusiastic cheerleaders for the Mess O'Potamian Adventure, he can certainly serve a comparable function.

So, with Friedman's column today, titled TIME FOR PLAN B, I submit that Bush has officially Lost America.  

Details below the jump.

I thought Howard Dean would have been a great president - But more and more, I am happy that he has applied hinself to becoming a GREAT chairman of the Democratic Party!

There has been a lot of talk on Kos about Dean's efforts to build vigorous Democratic organizations in every state in the union.  Most of us here support that strategy.  So: can we make that support felt in dollars?

http://www.democrats.org/

When the NY times put its columnists behind a subscription-only firewall I muttered and swore - but I paid up, just so I could keep getting my Krugman fix.

Folks, it was worth it.  The Good Professor absolutely DESTROYS Deborah Howell, Katie Couric, and the whole "bipartisan scandal" meme.

Here's the lead:

"How does one report the facts," asked Rob Corddry on "The Daily Show," "when the facts themselves are biased?" He explained to Jon Stewart, who played straight man, that "facts in Iraq have an anti-Bush agenda," and therefore can't be reported.

Mr. Corddry's parody of journalists who believe they must be "balanced" even when the truth isn't balanced continues, alas, to ring true. The most recent example is the peculiar determination of some news organizations to cast the scandal surrounding Jack Abramoff as "bipartisan."

more snippets on the flip -

just for grins, thought I'd diary my letter - since Deborah Howell seems incable of simply stating the obvious (I screwed up, I'm sorry), instead printing the specious "a better way to have phrased it" non-apology - my head exploded.  

Letter incudes a para I copied from Kevin Drum re Washington Monthy research on the topic of Dorgan and Abramoff.  It starts after the jump.

My Fellow Kossacks, I'd like to call your attention to a great website run by Progressive Democrats in a red state: the oh-so-cleverly-named  

http://www.gotaspine.com/...

 created by members of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party in ND State District 34 (that is, the Mandan Area. )  More after the jump - -

So, I just got a recorded push-poll call from an outfit called FEC research.

FEC research, for those unfamiliar, is a slimy Virginia-based rethug org who has pushed ReThug and anti-gay-marriage initiatives around the country.

for more info on these slimeballs, see this link

http://communique.portland.or.us/...

what they're asking is below -

Ok, now you KNOW Shrub is in trouble!  For reasons passing human understanding (ok, I signed up because it was useful in my former job, and I never remember to un-renew) I have a Wall Street Journal online subscription.  

Their poll: "How would you grade the federal government's handling of the hurricane so far?

as of 3 a.m. PST: , with 3700 votes in:

A - 7%
B-  9%
C-  9%
D-  20%
F-  55% -

Note that the Journal online is only available by paid subscription, so their poll is  un-freep-able. (why I'm not linking to it)

more after the jump  

       

Boy, I KNEW i should have gone to Crawford!  Then, I could be busy making signs!  Please, if anyone can contact people there via cell phone, I think the Crawford Camp needs to have three LARGE signs ready for the next time the Brownshirts show up!

Sign # 1:  THE CHICKENHAWKS HAVE ARRIVED!

Sign #2: IF YOU SUPPORT THE WAR, WHY AREN'T YOU IN THE ARMY?

Sign #3: What have YOU sacrificed for your country?

Simply place the signs where the cameras are sure to see them: then suggest to every media person who visits the Crawford Camp that they ask the chickenhawks if they are in the military, and is their son or daughter in the military, and if not, WHY NOT?

Then continue to sing America the Beautiful.

It will drive the cowards INSANE!  

Hate to whore for recommends, but if this diary stays up for a while, someone with connections to the Crawford camp might see it

Ok, I've been ranting to everyone I know for the last two weeks that Plamegate will be the thing that FINALLY takes these criminals down.  But you know what?  I was wrong. The ONLY THING that will stop these maniacs is a DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS!

There's a surge going on on the blogosphere today - since the DFA folks requested donations for Paul Hackett, the Dem Iraq War  vet running in the OH-2nd special election - they've raised over 60K online.  So C'mon, Kossacks, let's CHANNEL that rage!  I put in 30 - anybody else?  (God, I miss the bat! ) Let's get one representative closer to the impeachment hearings!

http://www.actblue.com/list/hackett

Ladies and gentleman: it is with a strong sense of Schadenfreude that I submit to you that we are seeing the beginning of the end of the Stepford Press.  

The Cognitive Dissonance between what the TV viewer sees on the screen, and what his own common sense tells him, has now reached Critical Mass. I expect an imminent chain reaction, with Americans  all over the country simultaneously muttering "Give me a break" and switching to the Discovery Channel.  

For this, we can thank two unrelated, but closely timed, occurrences: The Bush Press Conference, and the "abduction - oops! not" of Jennifer Willbanks.

Reasoning follows below the jump.