I distinctly remember one of the early TV reports about this incident mentioned in passing that there were 3 people in the hunting party and the 3rd person was a female. That actually resonated with me but my once dirty mind chose instead to assume she must have been some flunky who was there to wait on Cheney and Whittington hand and foot. I think it's interesting as hell though that up until now I haven't heard any other mention of there even being 3 people in the hunting party. I say "up until now" because now there's a little ripple or two going thru the blogosphere that there was a female in the hunting party, she was there as Cheney's guest, and she's Pamela Willeford, our ambassador to Switzerland. I don't care if it was Zippy the Chimp in drag ... I can't wipe the snarky little grin off my face.

With apologies to Zippy, I'm sure Fox will be all over this like ugly on an ape.

If it's any comfort Mary, I'm as sick of it all as you are. I'm 58 years old and a lifelong Democrat. I used to be proud to be an American. Now, thanks to George Bush, I'm embarrassed to be an American. And, quite frankly, I'm not all that thrilled about living in Ohio either, where I'm represented by 2 Republican senators (Voinovich and DeWine) and a Republican congressman (Steve LaTourette). I write one email after another to these clowns, even though I know that I'm completely wasting my time. I've yet to get a meaningful response from either of my senators -- I've got a drawerful of form letters from LaTourette. In desperation, I've even tried writing to Democratic senators from other states begging them to take a stand, to speak out, to do SOMETHING. I tell them that I'm from Ohio and that I have no one else to turn to. And you know what? A lot of their websites make it abundantly clear that if you don't live in Senator Blah-Blah's state then don't expect to even get a response to your email. I'm pretty sure that really means don't expect Senator Blah-Blah to even bother reading your email. Well, thanks a lot, Senator Blah-Blah. (I did, however, get a nice response when I poured my heart out to Russ Feingold.)

The neocons are taking over this country and the only thing most of middle America seems to be passionate about is their apathy! Oh wait, I just got an email from MoveOn.org:

Dear MoveOn member,

The Washington Post is reporting today that the Senate may abandon its bid to fully investigate the president's illegal domestic spying program. The Senate Intelligence Committee is scheduled to vote on a full investigation tomorrow and Sen. DeWine's vote is absolutely critical if an investigation is going to occur. ... Can you call Sen. DeWine and tell him to do his job and investigate the president's illegal program?

Senator Mike DeWine

Phone: 202-224-2315

I could SCREAM. Does MoveOn.org honestly think I'm going to waste my time trying to get a call through to Mike DeWine so that I can tell him to "do his job"?!?! Hell, Olympia Snowe is backing down on this and she's got a lot more spine than Mike DeWine ever thought of having. I'm hearing the White House is exerting huge pressure on this committee to drop the investigation -- even Cheney paid the Repub members a little visit yesterday. I'm pretty sure every registered voter in Ohio could try calling Mike DeWine and it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference if he's already caved in to WH pressure. And after the vote is over tomorrow the damn Democrats on the Intelligence Committee will no doubt just sit there and say "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

My party has abandoned me and it's abandoned this country. To make matters worse, the so-called mainstream media gets it shorts in a twist over a hunting accident but doesn't even make a fuss over secret European prisons, torture, domestic spying on American citizens, the outing of a CIA agent that was apparently authorized by Cheney and/or Bush, a pack of lies told to us to justify going to war in Iraq, Presidential "signing statements" being used as some kind of executive "get out of jail free" card whenever it suits him, a Congressional bribery scandal that should have shocked the shit out of Congress and this country but hasn't beause the MSM is complicit in the Republican spin that the Democrats are just as corrupt as the Republicans. The list just goes on and on and on.

Mary, if you find another party worth joining, let me know ... I'll join too.