Let's not pretend that "eugenics" is a new threat posed by the 21st century technology. Humans have been wrestling with the so-called "natural flow of things" since time immemorial. In Medieval Russia, children with any kind of deformity were considered horrible monsters and immediately terminated. In Ancient Sparta, a council of elders examined every newborn and those who were not Perfection Made Manifest (tm) were left to die of exposure. Until very recently, the Eskimos practiced female infanticide because their harsh environment demanded more male hunters than female homemakers. These are just the examples that spring most readily to my barely educated mind, I'm sure there are more.

While choice (i.e., should parents have the ability to make the choice about their newborn's life) is not a new topic, it doesn't mean the topic should not be discussed. However, we should look at history for guidance: people could and did make this choice before, except back then it was done AFTER the child was born and gained the ability to feel things. Today, we have the technology to make the same choice without having to resort to the murder of newborns. That, I think, is a positive development.

Wolfowitz' violation of the ethical standards illustrates that the Bush administration is nothing more than a collection of people who will do anything (including breaking the law) in order to further their self-interest, be it self-aggrandizement (e.g. W.) or self-enrichment (e.g. everyone else). In the process, the United States is sacrificed on this altar of rapacity. These are like thieves that stole a car and took it on a violent joyride, after which the abused vehicle is pushed off the cliff.

In the short run, these scandals will most likely achieve a positive goal: the American public will realize, albeit belatedly, that dictatorship usually means corruption and will hopefully steer clear of corrupt candidates for a few more decades. In the long run, the message is clear: IT CAN BE DONE, and the most important thing is not to get caught. That's the lesson Cheney and Co. took from Watergate, and that's the lesson the future neocons will take from the manifold scandals of the Bush Administration. No matter how you spin it, this group of thus is Bad for America (tm).

History won't be kind to them, no. But that's because the aftermath will be even less kind to us and our children. I fear that our way of life has been profoundly and irrevocably damaged.

Oh come on. They're still analyzing Caesar's life and that was two thousand years ago! And by the way, George Washington was a complex man who has successfully and brilliantly defended our nascent nation in the time of a great crisis, and served it best by resigning the Presidency after just two terms, setting a valuable precedent that this Presidency IS NOT IMPERIAL. George Bush shares only the first name with that great man, and perhaps the office. Analyses of the 43rd Presidency will be lengthy but only because they will be mainly lists of the manifold violations of the law, the honor of the office and public trust. While George Washington's legacy is complex and warrants complete analysis, George Bush's legacy is simple (disaster!) and warrants nothing more (or less) than a stern warning for the future generations.

...that depends on what your definition of "fact" is...

Man, these people are so guilty, their LAWYERS would probably go to jail just for representing them. Whew.

Since I didn't vote for any of 'em (and I DID vote for the members of Congress that are currently wielding subpoena power), so I wash my hands of the whole deal. Anybody in the world who has a problem with Americans, I will refer to the 50.5% of us that voted for these bastards.

Right. Now that the Justice Department knows that Leahy wants these documents, they can start "losing" more e-mail. It's amazing how many hides a sudden epidemic of lost e-mail can save. I bet Fredo is in his office right this instant, feverishly (and accidentally) clicking "delete".

Amazingly, I've spoken with very smart, well-meaning people who see all these obstructionist contortions as a sure sign of political savvy on the part of the White House officials. That strikes me as rather... sad.

"Lightning, of course, doesn't make sounds. Thunder makes sound."

Um. With all due respect, thunder is the sound that lightning makes.

(I'm sure some physicist (or meteorologist) in the audience has pointed this out already, but I couldn't be arsed to read all the comments. As much as I like everyone.)

A steadfastly kept secret of the Pentagon is that the bomb WAS tested once, but due to an error in trajectory calculations the prototype exploded over Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and the gayness inducing chemicals saturated the Republican section of Congress.

Foley began harassing pages in mid-90s. Coincidence? I think not!