Last August, US News & World Report printed a stunning story leaked by the White House -- Dubya and Karl Rove were engaged in an "informal" book-reading contest, with Rove trailing by a 60 to 50 count. Conventional wisdom at the time considered this a transparent attempt to elevate the Current Occupant from the perception he's an intellectual 98-pound weakling. Imagine that.

Brian Lamb of C-Span got Dubya to admit in early 2005 that he reads maybe 20 or 30 pages on a typical night before going to bed. Guess he's taken one of those Evelyn Wood speedreading courses if he can wade through the ISG report so quickly -- although at 84 pages in length, he COULD have polished it off in 3 to 4 nights.

Maybe after both Dubya and Karl read through the entire ISG report, they could prepare a 3 to 5 page synopsis (single spaced) of their findings. No ghost-writers allowed, but it will be an "open book" test. Wouldn't THAT be interesting?

I'm a bit fuzzy on the criticism of Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman -- is it that they dare to talk about anything but Iraq at this moment, or are other topics acceptable (but just not THIS topic)?

Obviously, there are multiple important issues facing this country, with Iraq right at the top of the list; violence in video games barely registers on my list of the top 50 issues, as revolting as many current games seem to be. But are we saying that members of Congress shouldn't be working on ANYTHING else right now?

We are, after all, talking about two senators still in the minority (until January) -- of course, each of them bears deep and permanent stains from personal complicity for getting us into this fine Iraqi mess in the first place, so I don't feel TOO bad about criticizing them...

How interesting, and how ironic -- NOW Sen. Frist bemoans the highly charged, highly partisan atmosphere that HE did so much to promote?

Take note also of this Frist comment: "Is it about war rooms whose purpose is not to contrast ideas but to destroy?" Sounds like a backhanded compliment to our very own Salon War Room, doesn't it? Maybe Salon and other progressive political sites have more effect than we dreamed! THIS "war room" doesn't seem focused on destruction, to be sure -- it IS for the most part a true exchange of ideas.

The U.S. Senate has traditionally been called the world's greatest debating forum, but it's obviously fallen far below that ideal in recent years. The poisonously partisan atmosphere in Washington has plenty of parents, but springs far more from the radical right and the GOP than anywhere else (IMHO). Sen. Frist bears much of the responsibility and blame -- too bad politicians so often cannot be honest, candid and truly non-partisan until AFTER their political lives are over.

Gee, does this explain why so-called "blue ribbon commissions" like the ISG are a favored means for actually DOING something these days? Makes you wonder why we even pay our elected reps. if they cannot or will not DO THEIR JOBS. Also makes the automatic January pay raise for Congress that much more difficult to swallow.

So now he's "in the hands of a team of counselors" -- I'd advise the most Rev. Haggard to be VERY aware of where those hands are, and where they've been! His gay masseur seems to have been the start of all his problems -- can't be TOO careful, hmmm???

Mr. Bumble said, "If the law supposes that, then the law is a ass..."

The earlier post by Tim Grieve about the House Ethics Committee report predicted that it would conclude House Republican leaders broke no rules in handling the case.

If that's the case, and "if the rules supposes that, then the rules is a ass". If retiring Rep. Tim Kolbe did nothing wrong under House rules, then House ethics rules are as porous as cheesecloth. How sad -- just compare this with the strict legal requirements imposed on school teachers and others who MUST, under penalty of law, report even SUSPICIONS of child abuse to authorities!

Something is totally wrong with this picture. Shouldn't Congress be held to at least the SAME standards as teachers? Oh, silly me, I forgot that Congress makes its OWN rules, and it's nobody's business but theirs.

Talk about a cover-up.

...don't let the doorknob hit you in the ass on the way out! Your exit from political power can't come soon enough.

Sen. Brownback's comments seem primed to take lunacy to heights unimagined even by soon-to-be-ex-Senator Santorum. DICK CHENEY, engaging in crucial Middle East diplomacy? *gasp* Then we see Santorum himself, endorsing U.S. support for a bus drivers' strike in Iran, as an instrument of American policy? Don't know who to bet on in this contest for Craziest Republican of the Month.

As for Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, U.S. policy towards Cuba has been so distorted by fanatically anti-Castro Cuban-Americans for so long, there's literally no way to analyze or understand it. Who wants to bet against this: that Fidel Castro's death will bring little or no real change to Cuba? He's gone NOW, for all intents and purposes. What has happened in response?

RUMSFELD HIMSELF SAYS HE REGRETS CALLING IT A "WAR ON TERROR"?

Geez, I must be dreaming. IF ONLY Dubya and the rest of his rapidly dwindling cadre of supporters could admit the same truth -- that you can't wage war on a TACTIC.

Now we get to anticipate Tony Snow's skills at spinning away this unusually clear statement from Rumsfeld -- HOW will he be able to convince all of us once again that up is down, black is white, and that Rumsfeld really ISN'T saying that he and Bush should never have proclaimed we're engaged in a "Global War on Terrorism"?

I can't wait -- bring it ON, Tony!