Let Me Say This About That

1. Who spiked Richard Cohen's cheerios this morning? Cohen rips, rips the hype over the Miami Seven. And check out this graph:

Does it matter? Yes, it does. It matters because the Bush administration has already lost almost all credibility when it comes to terrorism. It said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and there were none. It said al-Qaeda and Iraq were in cahoots and that was not the case. It has so exaggerated its domestic success in arresting or convicting terrorists that it simply cannot be believed on that score. About a year ago, for instance, President Bush (with Gonzales at his side) asserted that "federal terrorism investigations have resulted in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those charged have been convicted." The Post looked into that and found that the total number of (broadly defined) "terrorism" convictions was 39.

This compulsion to exaggerate and lie is so much a part of the Bush administration's DNA that it persists even though it has become counterproductive.

Read the whole thing.

2. And what in the world is Rush doing with Viagra? He's not married. Where are the morals police on this one?

Here's a proposal for you. If you're opposed to the Right to Privacy--like so many on the "right" are, including I assume Rush, and his Federalist Society friends, step right up and hand over your checkbook. We want to see it. And your medical records. And a copy of your Internets searches. And for good measure, give us your address and tell us all about your family. Where do your kids go to school? We want to know it all.

And if you're a member of the moral absolutes police--as Rush has been at least rhetorically over the years--and especially if you're among those calling for a Constitutional Convention on gay marriage, and if you've been seen on cable TV complaining about society's embracing of troubling "moral relativism" than step right up and tell us all about your sex life, and if you're married if you're using birth control and if you've ever been divorced; if you're not presently married, tell us whether you've ever been married before, are now or have been divorced and from whom. And if you're not married, are you in possession of and do you in fact make use of sexual enhancements? And assuming your moral absolutism stems from a religious foundation, tell us about your church, how often you go, and how much you contribute to the institution's upkeep. And please provide a reference from your pastor.

It's well past time for critics of the Right to Privacy and the moral absolutes scolds to put up or shut up. Are you living up to the standards you want imposed on everyone else? If you don't favor or believe in a Right to Privacy, be prepared to surrender all of yours.

Oh wait a minute. That's right. The moral absolutists are exempt from their own commandments. Sorry I forgot that.

3. Dear former Secretary of Education, and now "Consultant" Rod Paige:

If you want your views to get a hearing, I'd advise not starting off your op-eds (in the NYT of all places) with "DUMB liberal ideas in education are a dime a dozen..." I would advise before you write any more op-eds, you supplement your "consulting" business with some elementary reading.

4. More of this, please.

5. The man, James Dolan, who owns the NBA's worst team, the New York Knicks, fired coach Larry Brown after only one (very miserable) year, and ordered team president/general manager Isaiah Thomas to assume coaching duties, seeing as how the sad sack of players and malcontents were brought on board--and given lavish contracts--by Thomas. Dolan furthermore gave Thomas, a one-year (two Friedmans) ultimatum: Make significant progress or bu-bye. And by progress, Dolan specified "evident progress" not "debatable progress".

One year deadline..."evident" progress not "debatable" progress. Sounds like this would constitute proper and long overdue oversight by Congress of the Executive branch and its three year Iraq war.