Am I the only only one who thinks the Bush adminstration orchestrated that execution, down to the taunting and video, exactly the way they wanted? It flopped. Americans who bothered to notice were kind of repulsed. The weary Iraquis seemed to react with dull ennui.

Now the adminstration's hand-wringing over the way it went down seems like damage control, nothing more. The Bush adminstration does nothing, nothing, that isn't staged to the highest degree. I doubt this execution was any different. The taunting smacked of Bush's smug arrogance to me.

And while I'm being cynical. The execution is suddenly rushed just days before the new congress is set to take control. Take about message management! This time it failed.

"I think the vast majority of followers have no idea. There's an earnestness to many of the believers. I had the same experience you did -- I went in there prepared to really dislike these people and most of them just broke my heart. They're well meaning. Unfortunately, they're being manipulated and herded into a movement that's extremely dangerous. If these extreme elements actually manage to achieve power, they will horrify [their followers] in many ways. But that's true with all revolutionary movements."

Just spend a few moments listening to these "heartbreaking followers." They're as hate-filled and dangerous as the handfull of leaders fleecing them.

"Can Bush and Karl Rove -- who is said to be bullish on the war still -- find a way to turn the public around?"

Who is Karl Rove to be influencing military policy? He's a politcal Col. Tom Parker. America is suddenly having its most important policies influenced and partially dictated by a snake oil salesman?

"stay the course."

There will be no strike on Iran or Syria. There will be no nuclear strikes. Just look at the picture that accompanies this article. He's defeated. It was clear last night. He'll send a few more troops that will just serve to keep us there. He'll say "Why I outta..." to the Syrians and Iranians, but it will just be pathetic bluster. His only plan and his only goal and his only definition of "victory" at this point is treading water until the next president has to pull the troops out.

He's a coward. That was clear in the aftermath of 9/11 when he went in to hiding...and its clear now. A coward and a disgrace. And I hope the families of the servicemen who will be killed during the next 2 years will remember their sons died so the coward could leave his mess for the next president.

Give the photo editor a great big raise! I'm still laughing.

That picture on Condi is right out of Dreamgirls during you-know-what song!

Brilliant.

I doesn't. That's one of the problems that has plagued this series. It exists in the shaddow of I, Claudius. I, Claudius had incomparable writing, brilliant performances, simple sets that never distracted but wonderfully set the scene...and it was a darn good history lesson. Robert Graves told the story keeping very very close to history. He didn't need to make up ficticious characters to intrude upon the events or change historical characters to create drama. He let historical fact create the drama. Modern historians now dispute Livia's scheming and poisonings, but contemporary Roman historians leveled those charges against her.

Rome is bloated with fiction and distortions and too much money put into veneer. If you're not familiar with I, Claudius, read the book and buy the dvd set. Its truly brilliant....and after John Hurt no one will ever beable to play Caligula again, he's absolutely perfect.

George Bush isn't THAT stupid. He's no genius, but he isn't a moron, either. While anyone with with a sence of decency would be appalled by the President's above remaks its best to keep in mind he doesn't give a flying fuck what anyone with a sence of decency thinks or cares. His remarks are ment for one audience and one thing only: stoke the ire of his hatefull base. Send more troops, kick in more doors, drop more bombs. Bully, threaten, shoot and bomb those savages untill they're damn gratefull. I've said it before, he's a coward. If he had an ounce of courage he'd be engaging in intense (yes, uncomfortable) diplomacy to really work out a solution to this problem that is best for all parties and the region. But he's a cowardly thug who will send off more troops to get their hands bloody instead of him, and pour more money over his favorite contractors, which is what this has been about from the start. The only resource of public support he has left is the very vocal, very petty, very vindictive, mean-spirited and bigoted base that has stuck with him.

The Worst President in US History.

I like Dick Durbin. Obama is nothing more than a calculating oportunist. He speaks very well...about himself. Whenever he talks about anything else its nothing more than a bunch of meaningless murky double-talk that adds up to a whole lotta nuthin. Even the notion of announcing his decision on Oprah is creepy and arch.

If he wants to run, he sure as hell better do it now while he's "today's flavor." If he waits, he'll be written off as just another pompous windbag with nothing to offer.

We really deserve better.

What is your preferred flavor of KoolAid?

But then Scooter's head might pop off.