This LW's situation peculiarly reminds me of Simone de Beauvoir's novel _L'Inviteé_, or _She Came to Stay_, where a poly married couple welcome in a beautiful young ingenue.

And yep, the wife kills the ingenue.

Stay away from this young woman for both your sakes.

I like Kamiya's simple argument that pouring more fuel on this fire will only make things worse -- an argument that is gaining more and more traction among those who value human life in the US.

Another metaphor may also work: if one is dealt a weak hand in poker, then makes a decent bet, which an opponent with a better hand raises, the *smart tactical move* is to *fold* and live to play another hand.

No amount of betting will make one's hand better, and if after 200,000 troops, 3,000+ dead, and four years, and nearly a trillion dollars, no amount of bluffing and posturing will save us now.

This explains Bush/Cheney's current Iran War plans -- they're still bluffing with no hand.

But never fear, all: David Brooks tells us that "Bush is convinced that history is moving in the direction of

democracy, or as he said Friday: 'It's more of a theological

perspective. I do believe there is an Almighty, and I believe a gift of that Almighty to all is freedom. And I will tell you that is a principle that no one can convince me that doesn't exist.'"

Bush is a horrible, egotistical card player committed to bringing down our whole country on his big bluff.

Let's think about Al-Qaida's strategy at this point.

With a prostrate, soon-to-expire Bush Administration mired with zero popular support, and yearning for new wars in Iran and remote Pakistan, an attack on American civilians, which would almost surely bring about another Bush Administration Total Strategic Blunder *necessarily* must be too tempting to refuse.

If you think Al-Qaida is getting stronger now, think about another public/diplomatic relations disaster in one or two *new* Islamic countries.

Infinite resources could be spent on "Homeland Security," but the Iraq War has made morale and recruitment for Al-Qaida hotter than volunteering after Pearl Harbor, which gives new meaning to the oft-repeated talking point that "it's not if we're attacked, but when."

This post is fairly tit-for-tat.

The bigger story, I think, is the way in which seemingly *every single* "liberal" Faux News trots out suddenly speaks perfectly within the idiotic assumptions of the Extreme Right.

Like, Bush is "resolute," the Democrats "weak."

The only counter example I can think of is the Bill Clinton/Chris Wallace non-event.

Why don't you drop down and discover Flyover Country, you hoity-toity effete liberal trash with your High Thoughts and Concerns.

Sincerely,

SuperTroll#1

At least Adm. Mike Mullen is not a venal, self-promoting liar like Gen. Petraeus.

The pressure on the military brass must be so great. They know the situation is insolvent and that our occupation a steady stream of gasoline on the fire raging in the Islamic world.

Yet they weigh the civilian leadership's lack of judgment against saving as many of their people as possible in an impossible situation.

What a tragedy. The military is praised for their courage while the rearguard boys Bush and Cheney make decisions like drunks.

We can denounce Karl Rove all we want, but he did his job for the short term, which is win elections.

I'd hazard to say that the political operatives of both the left and right have about as much responsibility for their "talking points," coded wordings, and misleading/lying rhetorical constructions as does a writer or poet. The responsibility lies with shallow politicians who went along with the lies and let the more or less mercenary political operatives lead the country.

In other words, we can denounce a rapper for saying something about our culture we don't like, but said rapper has found a "soft spot," so to speak. An utterance is only as offensive as the truth it describes. What offends is the degree to which people go along with the sentiment.

Interpreted in this manner, Karl Rove was a genius at capitalizing on the fear, paranoia, and tolerance for violence already inherent in our current American cultural moment.

So, does the artist reflect life, or does life reflect on the artist?

This is no defense of Karl Rove as "an artist," but it should be said that Karl Rove didn't create the fearful American cultural milieu that we currently suffer in. We may blame Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rove for disastrous wars, the torture and killing of innocents, the mincing of our Constitution, and the "sunset" of the rule of law. More scary to me is the how easily the American public has allowed itself to be manipulated into countenancing evil -- yes, evil -- committed in our name.

While the GOP is in dire straits, the same polling indicates the American public has become radicalized. Many, many people would support torture without limit, endless occupation in the Middle East, and nuclear war on our "enemies." The Iraq War, after all, is a pre-emptive, unjustifiable, immoral war.

No political genius or Architect could have made those things happen from scratch. Karl Rove is more like a weather vane than a Great Man who changed American Sentiment and History. His machinations have unearthed the ignoble soul of America that exists alongside its noble soul.

The teaser and picture for this article indicate it's about Karl Rove, which would fit the recent news. But Blumenthal talks as much about Michael Gerson as Rove, which surprised me. The title may match the article, but the picture and teaser don't.

I'm so gladdened by this resignation, and I trust most Americans feel the same.

The investigations worked. Let's kill that talking point that "Americans don't like investigations" once and for all.