It's really a shame that our mainstream news organizations cannot see that there is value in keeping our government honest. That they might actually be able to draw and retain a viewership by maintaining a higher standard and better credibility with the average citizen instead of constantly clawing at the bottom of the barrel with one another to dig up the next horrendous distraction. Much like the leaders of the republican party, they are short-sighted creatures only cocerned with their own gain because they are convinced that no one else on earth is doing differently. The media elites in this country are completely cut off from genuine society, and as such they are suspicious of all of us proles out here who dare to be paying attention to what they are unwilling or unable to themselves.

Dean was the first wave of people powered politics which reclaimed the Democratic party's populist ideals. It's now up to the blogosphere to continue this movement into the realm of media influence, and judging by how much the reality-based blogs and popular opinion are in parity, I'd say we're well on our way to reclaiming the media's power and a people powered society.

It hasn't surprised me at all to read about Rove's push to attack the Dems on election integrity, that's what he does: attack your opponents on the issues they are strongest at and make your own weakness a source of strength (See swift boating of Kerry and defending Bush's non-existant military record). Rove & co. have managed to steal two national elections. The man knows he's not an idiot, and the only way to keep the heat off for the theft in '08 is to muddy the issue and make it appear that the Republicans are on the case. Of course, this strategy does rely on the mainstream press' laziness, depending on them not to have the ability to make this simple distinction:

Voter fraud is a fraud.

Election fraud is real.

I seriously wonder if the press will be on the ball with this one, the only thing that gives me hope is that the USA scandal just gets worse every day and this phantom issue of "voter fraud" is a very useful thread to pull on.

Sorry Glenn, I read you everyday, but I'm not even bothering with this one today. I'm sure you nailed Tucker for being a hypocrite on the Vitter scandal, but I just can't bring myself to give a crap about him the day that the House Judiciary Committee was speaking to an empty chair where Harriet Miers was supposed to be. I had really hoped to read your insights into the notion that executive privilege trumps a person's requirement to appear when subpoenaed, but I guess I won't be reading that today.

Made my very first primary contribution today to reward Senator Dodd for his ACTION on this issue. I have yet to settle on who I'm voting for, but until today I had only really been considering Edwards and Obama. And if Obama doesn't start taking actions like this to match his rhetoric, he'll soon be outshadowed by Dodd as far as my consideration goes.

Marlo talked Cheese into thinking he was a king, when he ain't nothing but Marlo's pawn. How's that for the grander theme tie-in for this episode?

McNulty's playing against himself because he's too bored with everybody else. He thinks that the bosses and the system are his opponents, but he's just using those as an excuse to damage himself. Why? Because he's the smartest fucking guy in the room, but he gets no credit for it. Hell, he doesn't even get a budget to do his job. So he's restless and hates the world. But you can only hate the world so long before that belief effects your behavior to the point that you hate yourself even more.

I'm most nervous at this point about where Michael, Bubbles and Omar end up at this point. I feel dead certain that one or all of those characters are headed for a viscerally tragic ending.

I knew Omar was going to be capped by Kenard from that moment in the last episode when he got a good look at Omar as he threatened Marlo thru Michael. We've known that kid was hard boiled since he went at Namond in season 4. I am surprised that anyone who watched the entire sequence leading up to Omar's sudden demise in the store would be surprised that it was coming. The tension and focus on the minutia of each moment as Omar combed the street, looted the stash house and stared out at the empty terrain. Those scenes were emblematic of the pacing and cinematic tension that lead to No Country For Old Men's sweep of the Oscar's last night. The writers are correct to cite the ending of the Sopranos as well, considering this onslaught of calm, minimalist, and anti-climactic tension seemed to originate with that show's finale.

First off, if anyone has HBO InDemand, make sure to watch the character prequels. I think when you've seen Omar as a young buck making his first choices that would eventually form the foundation of his code, it's an incredible reversal of what Kenard is: and unfeeling, hard-edged merciless bastard.

I'm surprised no one mentioned what this may end up meaning for Marlo. I mean, if Marlo was getting punked all over the city by Omar, with his best men out there looking and some little kid is the one who drops the man? How does that not make him look like more of a bitch? And is Marlo really gonna give that little kid the full bounty, something like 50k or more?