If the Dems figure out that they would be, in effect, aiding and abetting criminals if they don't force Mukasey's hand on waterboarding, then we'll see some progress on this nomination (read: no confirmation in Judiciary!).

Are the Dems afraid that if Mukasey does say waterboarding is illegal, he could be giving a legal judgment on those who have authorized waterboarding or used it as an interrogation tactic?

Why should the Dems protect those who have authorized waterboarding or used it in interrogations? Why?

Oh, Miss Condi the word merchant!

When I asked Karen to come, I asked her to come and to help us make public diplomacy strong and central to the mission of transformational diplomacy, and she has done that.

Transformational diplomacy, what does that mean in Bushworld?

Condi: Karen delivered for us. She transformed our diplomacy with variables and change and function and smoke and mirrors, coordinating our diplomatic operations through public assertions, deletions and permutations, all the while coordinating her transformational efforts with Karl Rove. And I am here today to tell you that Karen deserves our heartfelt thanks for doing, what seemed, the impossible in a very short time. The world despises us, but that does not deter us. No. That makes us stronger, bolder, more sure that we are right and the world is wrong.

...and so on

...Karen Hughes has played a supporting role in damaging the image of the U.S. abroad.

Could she put a dent in improving the damage? Not damned likely, because as a long-time member of Team Bush, her role has always been to prop up GWB and his so-called policies, no matter what it takes.

She made the choice to be a public voice for the worst administration in United States' history. She deserves our scorn.

See above.

William Casey had many beefs with ABC. He didn't care for their reporting. He intended to change that, through whatever means he could muster. I think perhaps you should research Casey's role with Cap Cities for a more thorough view on this.

Just saying...

Personally, I think ABC News does a pretty good job, all things considered.

The fact that we're even having this discussion about Mukasey's nomination is a sorry testament to the moral dedradation of our country. To claim that he can't define waterboarding without knowing specific circumstances is a sure sign of Mukasey's moral turpitude.

Mukasey seems more motivated by pleasing his patrons (the Busheviks and the torturers) than he is motivated by any personal uncertainty about waterboarding. If his inability to give a straight answer was based in his uncertainty, why doesn't he just say so? Why? Because he's lying to try to protect the interrogators and their willing accomplices (Bush and Cheney et al) from future legal jeopardy.

Mukasey needs to be rejected in Judiciary, before his nomination gets to the full Senate. Contact the members of the Judiciary and your own Senators and tell them if they don't take a stand to stop this nomination in its tracks, they will no longer have any place to hide the shame of their monumental moral failure.

Thank you for doing the logical thing and going to the source for the exact words.

What a novel idea in this crazy, finger-pointing, accusative world in which we now live!

While this comparison isn't precisely apples to apples, there was a small study done recently in Germany on gossip and how it influenced opinion. In the findings, people tend to place a certain stock in gossip because culturally it has evolved as a useful information-gathering tool.

logialresponse, by going to the source, has shown that many of us fall for the *gossip* rather than forming our opinions based on verifiable facts.

...heads are exploding all across the land today!

The should consult their Funk & Wagnalls and learn the difference between hypothetical and hypocritical.

Oy! Such a headache I'm having!

...my subject line? Oh, mizbinkley...you get my drift.

When George W. Bush takes time in his schedule to excoriate Congress, MoveOn and CodePink, you know he's up to something. The reason he's chiding Congress for supposedly neglecting their duties is because of his own tanking poll numbers -- in an attempt to pass the blame for his failures onto a "do-nothing" Congress.

Bush could be opening a huge can of worms, if he isn't careful, however. He should really shut up about how the 110th Congress is allegedly shirking its duties. Gee, if he pisses off Congress even more than he has already, they just might do their duty and draw up Articles of Impeachment.

Kind of like what happened when Richard Nixon's poll numbers were the same as Bush's are now.

If Obama had said, flat-out, "This is a ridiculous waste of the nation's time to belabor this non-issue. I want to focus my time and attention on matters that mean something to the country. Next question?"

This is what is done with any *spare* ribs!

Adam's Ribs

Ingredients:

8 country style pork spare ribs

1 (2 liter) bottle Dr. Pepper, NOT diet

5 garlic cloves, slightly smashed

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 large onion, quartered

Your favorite barbecue sauce

Place ribs in large stock pot. Pour Dr. Pepper over ribs to cover. Add garlic, liquid smoke and onion. Bring to boil, lower to simmer and cook until ribs are tender.

Place ribs in baking pan. Pour barbecue sauce over ribs. Bake at 350ºF for about 30 to 45 minutes.

That would have made him seem dodgy and petulant.

Only in the eye of the beholder.

Sorry, picko, I don't buy that.

That recipe is not fully evolved.

Charles Schumer was from the git-go in favor of Mukasey's nomination, but once he saw that he had made a mistake in judgment, he just didn't have the integrity to admit it.

Stay the course.

Well, I knew she was not a real Democrat years ago when I lived in San Francisco and she was mayor.

She's as phony as they come. Nothing new with her.