Saturday, November 04, 2006

Saturday Morning Round-Up

In this edition: Gene Wilson gets wiggy, the military grows antsy, and the GOP's newest gay-in-the-closet

1. Gene Wilson, zillion-year Republican incumbent in the N.C. House Dist. 93, had Wataugans roaring again yesterday with his newest mass-mailing (remember his "It's Time For a Change" pitch last week?). Wondering where Osama bin Laden's gone? Gene Wilson has discovered him on an N.C. driver's license ... in a head-scratcher aof a post-card mailing that's supposed to demonstrate, we guess, the even greater incompetency of the Bush administration. El Presidente and The Boys have been looking for Osama -- where? -- in Pakistan, and all this time he's been in N.C., driving around perfectly legal with a driver's license that is somehow Cullie Tarleton's fault. Whoever's been handling Wilson's media needs an award of some kind. Do they give out Razzies for political advertisements?

2. The Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times, and Marine Corps Times -- the Four Horsemen of Military Gonads -- are all publishing the same anti-Rumsfeld editorial on Monday. Here's an advance peek. And here's a brief taste:
...the ... truth about the Iraq war has been difficult to come by from leaders in Washington. One rosy reassurance after another has been handed down by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "mission accomplished," the insurgency is "in its last throes," and "back off," we know what we're doing....

It is one thing for the majority of Americans to think Rumsfeld has failed. But when the nation's current military leaders start to break publicly with their defense secretary, then it is clear that he is losing control of the institution he ostensibly leads.


3. Shades of the Haggard reach-around: The front-runner for Florida governor, Republican Charlie Crist, is beginning to look as macho as, well, some other leading young Republicans who spend a disproportionate amount of time on (1) their grooming and (2) public queer-fear.

Speaking of Ted Haggard: The scandal has had the unfortunate effect of putting the poor man into a speaking role on TV waaay more than is good for his image. Meanwhile, the Bush White House is in full denial mode:
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Haggard was on the weekly calls between Bush ides and evangelical leaders only "a couple" of times. The minister has visited the White House, but "there've been a lot of people who've come to the White House," Fratto said. [The Guardian]


"President Bush was NEVER in the shower with the guy," Fratto added. "The President is fully aware of gay cooties and has always taken steps to shield himself and his family from infection."

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