We'll see what the grand jury says. Rep. McKinney used bad judgment trying to race-card her way out, when obviously the right note was to be contrite all the way. Thank God she listened to reason. Let's see: Cheney nearly kills a guy, and it was 72 hours before he appeared (on Fox) to explain what he says happened. So I think the Rep. was a little quicker than Cheney.

Today, of course, with the multiple revelations about the president, the war, all of these things going on, they still sent their crack reporter down to Atlanta and asked people if this incident will change how they vote! And they were bemused by the fact that it wouldn't! Oh, well, those black people, you know--

Didn't see any crews down in Sugarland to ask constituents that, or investigate the raiding party of Delay supporters that busted up a Lampson rally with bullhorns and roughed up a lady of 69. Guess that's not as outrageous.

I love the routine the Republicans have: they can summon up selective indignation faster than you can say, "Katherine Harris." And then they stare at you, nostrils flaring, questioning your morality if you don't join their Crusade. "How could a woman who strikes cops...." "How could a president who enjoys oral sex..." It goes on and on, but it seems to be silent on things that matter, like massive fraud, corruption and lies.

By the way, that's one time I thought Stewart fell for the talking point. Ms. McKinney is not "batshit crazy." She never said what they said she said that got her defeated in 2002, and she's a strong enough representative that her constituents reelected her in 2004. Others in the party, and without, disagree with her stands. They therefore try to paint her as "batshit crazy." She's anything but.

It isn't how close it is. Republicans may be ahead. It's the fact that it's competitive that's significant. By all evidence, the Republicans planned to run 2006 like 2002: we're so pre-9/11, and the president is protecting America better by torturing and invading countries that had nothing to do with 9/11. Responsibility is a pre-9/11 concept, after all.

This is as if Democrats woke up and suddenly it was neck and neck about whether they'd win the black, or the union vote. We'd be goners, and no amount of saying, "But we're still ahead," or worse, "It's within the margin of error," would do anything material.

And as for Dems not taking full advantage, I concur -- but politics is, after all, the art of the possible. Congressional leadership runs the congress. Senators run the Senate. But if we get into power this year, then the presidential field starts up, in spades.

If you've got a dynamic party just waiting to take over, and it's not the Dems or Republicans, then please, tell us who.

What you see here, and much, much more if you believe reports from our Senators who watched the whole thing -- we haven't yet -- is against the Universal Code of Military Justice. Our code. The one we put in place to make sure our soldiers knew what lines they couldn't cross. But that doesn't mean anything to Abu Gonzales.

The great majority of prisoners in Abu Ghraib were picked up on dragnets, often on suspicion and nothing more. Often for just standing in the wrong place when our soldiers rode by. At most, there was suspicion that these men knew something. But that doesn't mean anything to Abu Rumsfeld.

The immediate reaction in Iraq, and throughout the Arab world, was anger and revulsion. This is bad propaganda, above all. Is this how men bringing democracy to the Middle East behave? Forget their hearts and minds, just put their testicles in a vise. But Abu Cheney doesn't care.

So we didn't learn anything this way, we dishonored our military and soiled our name in the Arab world and wherever we want cooperation and good will. Is it as bad as beheading someone? Who cares? Any moral person knows that my wrong actions aren't any better because someone did worse.

Abu Ghraib is just one of the results of the magical thinking that got us to Iraq in the first place. The stupid and deformed half-thought is, if we harden our hearts, and treat men like beasts, we can make them do our bidding, and bring peace and happiness to this country with our bombs and rockets. If it doesn't work the first time, we do it again and again, like a schizophrenic, always expecting a different result.

And that is the magical thinking of Abu Bush.