The Death of Accountability

President Bush once spoke of ushering in a new "responsibility era" in Washington. Yet, after countless failures, misstakes, and missteps, he has yet to hold a single administration official responsible for anything. In fact, he elevates those who fail him (Condoleezza Rice, Alberto Gonzales) to positions where they can screw things up on a grander scale.

The only people he's canned are Paul O'Neill and General Eric Shinseki - who were pushed out because they weren't regurgitating the administration's talking points. And now we find out that no one was responsible for one of the biggest blunders in American history - Abu Ghraib. And once again, no one is held accountable. Too bad our "accountability moment" has passed.

Words of wisdom from a right wing nut

Gary Bauer, inane presidential candidate, demonizer of homosexuality, and promoter of family values/tax cuts, tacits that Republicans are now the party of idealism. The scary thing is that he's partly right.

My favorite Republican

John McCain is old news, so this clipmonkey has chosen South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham as his favorite Republican for the moment. Yes, he was obnoxious in his pursuit of Clinton's impeachment. But this guy is both opposed to torture and acknowledges that Bush's privatization plan will do nothing to ensure the solvency of Social Security. You must admit it's hard to find a Republican like that.

This DeLay scandal is coming together nicely

Those were the words of DC Clipmonkey's mom this morning after she read the latest drip-drip-drip about Congress's most powerful shakedown artist.

With liberal groups like these....

The National Council of La Raza, the nation's oldest Hispanic civil rights organization, has decided to embrace Alberto Gonzales, overlooking his lengthy record as a lackey to George W. Bush and an enabler of torture and executions.

Meanwhile, black church leaders are seeking to build alliances with President Bush to oppose gay marriage. See this quote from Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr., pastor of the Hope Christian Church in College Park, Maryland:

"Historically when societies have gone off kilter, there has been rampant same-sex marriage. What tends to happen is that people tend to devalue the institution of marriage as a whole. People start rearing kids without two parents, and the black community already has this incredibly alarming and, if I may say, this shameful number of babies being born without fathers."

I guess allowing gay people to marry would make this problem even worse??????

Undercutting the middle class

As Krugman points out, the bankruptcy reform legislation before Congress is just another in a series of assaults on the middle class by the Bush Administration and its allies on the Hill. The current regime is undermining some of the very foundations that have built this nation into an upwardly mobile society. What's next, eliminating the GI Bill?

Progress in the abortion debate

Andrew Sullivan points out that Democrats are finally wising up to the reality that they can both defend the right to choose while working to reduce abortions. If John Kerry had recognized this, he'd have been hosting the Red Sox at the White House yesterday.

Calling the kettle black

Yesterday the Bush Administration unveiled its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2004. Too bad they haven't taken the time to do a report on what we do.