Summer Doldrums, Summer Crimes

Summertime... and all of your brain cells have gone on vacation, or been turned to mush like three week old lettuce. But let's catch up on some past events, shall we?

The Democrats had their "debate" based on YouTube submissions from "citizens". The fact that the questioners could not ask follow-up questions fo the candidates simply made this an event filled with softballs for the candidates to hit out of the park at will, if they had any degree of skill. It really was like watching batting practice at Yankee Stadium. Still, it showed that both Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel had no business being on the podium, as both frequently swung from the heels and missed repeatedly. Kucinich, by the way , is starting to remind me of of Harold Stassen. Get lost, Dennis! The same six people will vote for you year after year, and that's it.

Hillary and Barack Obama got into their own little pissing contest, with Hillary saying she wouldn't talk to dictators, then Barack saying he would talk to everyone, then Hills saying that Barack was naive, and by the way, send her campaign money because Barack had insulted her and all women, so the female vote had better line up behind her before all women were forced out of the boardrooms and back into the kitchen. Then some newspaper picked up on the fact that Hillary showed about one micron's worth of cleavage while on the Senate floor. So run to your purses girls,and give Hills some money because "they" are demeaning women again and no one ever writes about how the men dress (though I'm sure Mike Gravel could show more cleavage than Hills).

The fact is, the YouTube debate was like the proverbial barking dog: it was interesting because it happened, not because it was good. The issues were not addressed. The story was not advanced.

Back in Washington, perennial dweeb of the week, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, seems intent on wearing those prison stripes that were measured for, but not issued to Scooter Libby. Little Alberto seems to have backed himself into a corner when he said that he went to then AG John Ashcroft to get a sign off on the National Security Agency's eavedropping operations. As the New York Times reported:

F.B.I. Chief Gives Account at Odds With Gonzales’s
By DAVID JOHNSTON and SCOTT SHANE

WASHINGTON, July 26 — The director of the F.B.I. offered testimony Thursday that sharply conflicted with Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales’s sworn statements about a 2004 confrontation in which top Justice Department officials threatened to resign over a secret intelligence operation.

The director, Robert S. Mueller III, told the House Judiciary Committee that the confrontation was about the National Security Agency’s counterterrorist eavesdropping program, describing it as “an N.S.A. program that has been much discussed.” His testimony was a serious blow to Mr. Gonzales, who insisted at a Senate hearing on Tuesday that there were no disagreements inside the Bush administration about the program at the time of those discussions or at any other time.

The director’s remarks were especially significant because Mr. Mueller is the Justice Department’s chief law enforcement official. He also played a crucial role in the 2004 dispute over the program, intervening with President Bush to help deal with the threat of mass resignations that grew out of a day of emergency meetings at the White House and at the hospital bedside of John Ashcroft, who was then attorney general.

Senate Democrats said those two magical words that send Washington pols to their clergymen for death bed confessions-"Special Prosecutor":

In a separate development, Senate Democrats, who were unaware of Mr. Mueller’s comments, demanded the appointment of a special counsel to investigate whether Mr. Gonzales committed perjury in his testimony on Tuesday about the intelligence dispute. The Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, issued a subpoena to Karl Rove, the White House senior political adviser, and another presidential aide, J. Scott Jennings, for testimony about the dismissal of federal prosecutors, another issue that has dogged Mr. Gonzales.

When Chuck Schumer smells blood, or political advantage, he is there in a flash.

Alberto, come out now with your hands up! They've Got You Surrounded!