...just how quickly some of these right wing commentators would 'convert' if they were threatened with death or torture. Very easy to be a brave man sitting in a chair somewhere in the middle of America.

I am reminded of a woman who was the Ann Coulter of her workplace: constantly starting fights, finding reasons to hate everyone, undermining, backstabbing and generally spewing vicious, hateful bile wherever she went. After about a year of this inexplicable behavior, she was whisked to the hospital for emergency surgery. Seems part of her colon actually exploded, and she almost died of peritonitis. I've always believed that the anger and hatred in her mind and heart manifested themselves into an actual infected boil in her gut. I would not be at all surprised to hear that Ann Coulter's hatefulness has manifested itself into some truly horrific physical condition.

Not that I would actually wish such a thing on anyone, but some people can't be helped.

Rumsfeld's logic sounds like the husband who cuts a big, stinky fart under the covers and then says to his wife, "if you love me, you will put your head under the covers and inhale deeply."

No Thanks Rummy!

Reuters News Service

Fort Benning, Ga. Sept. 1, 2006 --

The President and First Lady Laura Bush shared a tearful goodbye to their twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna Bush, both 24 years old, this afternoon at the beginning of the Labor Day weekend. The twins, dressed in desert cammo BDUs and carrying 75 lb. rucksacks and M-16 rifles, are shipping out with a brigade-sized element of the 4th Infantry Division being redeployed to Iraq for a fourth year-long tour of duty.

Both women are recent graduates of the U.S. Army Infantry School's Non-Commissioned Officer Academy and will take up their duties as rifle squad leaders with the rank of E-5. Both woman both felt so strongly about their father's commitment to "Stay the course" and to "Finish the job" in Iraq that they enlisted ten months ago and asked that they be given no special treatment.

When asked why they didn't follow in their father's footsteps and get into the National Guard in some position that would keep them out of harm's way, the women both responded that they were ashamed of their father's lack of courage and decided, for the sake of the American people and all those who have made great sacrifices for their country that they would join the fight and take their chances just like any other American soldier or Marine.

"When it was dad's time to go, he bugged out," Jenna said. "We want to show America that we're more like our grandpa than our dad."

When asked if they were afraid of getting wounded or killed, Barbara scoffed, "What the hell do you think any of us soldiers are feeling right now as we leave our country and really don't know if we're going to be killed or badly wounded. You damned reporters ask the most stupid questions." Barbara then kissed her mother, first lady Laura Bush one last time and shook the President's hand and took her place in formation with her platoon.

A reporter called out to the President as he headed for his limo, "What about more funding for the V.A. hospitals, Mr. President, now that your own kids might be losing some limbs or have permanent injuries from concussions?"

The President stopped, turned toward the reporter and started to say something. But he stopped and just stared at him for a moment. Then he turned away and disappeared into the limo.

***

Evidently the FOX journalists did not convert; it was a cover story according to ABC news:

"The announcement that the two journalists had converted to Islam as a reason for their release was only a camouflage to conceal the fact that the U.S. had agreed to the hostage-takers' demands, according to the sources cited in the article. A few days ago the Rafah crossing was reopened for a few hours daily, and the Israeli forces stopped shelling residences of activists in the past few days, noted the paper's sources."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/08/report_us_secre.html

The official policy has always been "we do not negotiate with terrorists." Will the Bush administration now negotiate likewise for reporters from "other" news organizations?

Two stark conclusions can be drawn from this: 1) negotiations do work 2) the administration actually does know how to negotiate, but god forbid should the public find out; it would hinder justifying their insistence on solely using the military.

Wait a minute! You think their might be a state of emergency declared, so you write a letter asking for one "just to be sure'? Hasn't he heard of the phone, or email, or checking a state web site?

How can these people think anyone would believe such a lame story?

Adam's Apple Annie is Dickless Chinstrap in drag, spewing bile and seeting hatred from every gender-questionable pore. Democrats would do well to pay for additional unedited air time for AAA, one of the real voices of the fascisti elite.

How wonderful it would be to have A.C.'s colon explode. Can you IMAGINE the sh*t that would fly out of that nasty cesspool of filth? Oh wait - that's her mouth, and it has exploded many, many times.

I'm surprised (maybe even incorrect, as I sometimes am) that the boys from South Park haven't put something together in honor of "pencil dick" Coulter. If they have and I've simply missed it, please someone, bring me up to speed.

...Islamofoxists now?

Joking aside, you have to be pretty low to sit in your armchair and criticize hostages trying to stay alive.

At first glance the shenanigans of various Republicans and their propagandists seem alarming, but from a bit of distance they can be seen as a turning point. From Bush on down, the lies, obfuscations, distractions, diversions, and alarms have reached a psychotic crescendo.

The only option for all these psychotics is to become more psychotic. That makes them dangerous, but also very vulnerable. Fever pitch psychosis is not good for the health, and makes the psychotic do things that are foolish and thoughtless.

When you have a mass of psychotics, such as the Republican Party, as they intensify their madness reality keeps thwarting them, and something eventually will give. It could be Cheney's health, or Bush's thin hold on basic functioning, or Rumsfeld's ability to natter incessantly, or any of a great number of factors. But this cabal will break.

Another factor that is always in play is the corporate backing for the Bush criminal organization. At some point one of the key backers will likely see the light - that this gang is a threat to their profits, and poof, the well starts drying up.

I may be the eternal optimist, but it is fundamental to my own well-being that I have confidence in the overall benevolence of the collective unconscious, the universe, God, the Force, the Great Spirit, the Atman, Buddha consciousness, and everone's higher power. The imbalance has gone on for too long. I expect a great counterbalancing to start any day now.