Kudo to Barak Obama firstly for acknowledging what everyone knows--that Alito will be confirmed and seated on the Court, but more so, for pointing out that democrats are not winning hearts and minds by relying on proceudral delay tactics like fillibusters, and rather should be explaining to Americans why the seating of judges such as Alito poses a threat to the values we as Americans take for granted.

The problem, of course, is that taking the latter course is much more difficult. I thikn it was David Brooks, the conservative NY Times Editorialist, who said: "democrats will not make any real headway until they can explain why in their eyes pornography is protected free speech but prayer in schools is not." The argument is obvious, but very controversial and not at all a chip shot.

Personally, I do not oppose Alito's nomination. I am not happy with the idea of Alito on the Court, but my feeling as an American is that unless there is a specific legal reason for a nominee not to be confirmed, then he/she should be confirmed. period. I do not expect Bush to nominate someone I will like. All I can hope for is that he picks a judge for the Court who is a genius and highly credentialed. With Alito, he has done that, and as much as I hate Bush, I support his choice. There simply has to be a better reason than "we don't like his politics" to keep him from joining the Court.

Apparently, this was too long for a "comment", so I'm putting it up as a post.

Seeingpeople--I just want to reiterate as I state below that I think you and I can have lots to share ina friendly way--I find you and your site interesting, too--and a little later on I'll send you some recipes, and would love some of yours.

(By the way, I'm jealous of you--Philadelphia is, in my opinion, the coolest city in the country. Beats the shit out of NYC, which was destroyed by Giuliani. Anyway--here's my response to your comments):

Seeingpeople wrote:

"Well I find you interesting...all but the political stuff. I disagree. I did find out my email forward that I posted to my blog about Oliver North was indeed false. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I deleted it. I'd never want to say what isn't true. All your other stuff I'd like to read more of....would love recipes..sounds great."

Hi, SP--

Thanks kindly for your acknowledgement about the Oliver North thing--it's infuriating to me that so many people believe something so blatantly stupid is reality. (Acutally, if you just apply common sense, that ridiculous story is an obvious lie: when Al Gore was a senator, there WAS no "terrorist" named Osama Bin Ladn---at that time, Osama Bin Ladn was a "freedom fighter" in the Muhajadeen fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan, and the US--quite properly--was arming him to the teeth.)

Anyway, I can see you and I have lots more to exchange in a friendly way than in an adverserial way, but I DO want to talk politics for a moment, and I hope you consider some of what I say.

Because my main concern is what George W Bush has done to America--and that is FAR more damage than a bunch of towelheads in a cave ever could.

Think about it: what does it say about a country in which the adminstration itself wouldn't come out and plainly distance themselves from that stupid Oliver North story, which has been circulating on the internet for years, and which Oliver North himself has come out and repudiated? Now, i know a lot of people feel Bill Clinton was an immoral guy--I have my own doubts about the way he conducted his personal life, and I'm a big fan. But can you remember one instance--JUST ONE--of he or his people allowing themselves to benefit from shit like the Oliver North story? Come on.

Somehow--and for the life of me, I will never, ever understand it--the conservatice Christian movement has aligned itself with Bush. Please, someone--I've been asking for years--explain that to me. How can "Christians" back a guy whose people sully with lies the reputation of a decorated war hero--who was in Vietnam VOLUNTARILY-- to support a guy who ran away from the draft? Is THAT Christian???? Is that what JESUS WOULD HAVE DONE?

Now, SP--you're a real esttae agent. If I were a real estate agent, I would like Bush, too, perhaps. After all, houses that should be selling for $350,000 are routinels selling for close to a million or more, and that means vastly enhanced commissions. I know it for a fact--I'm not dreaming. We bought our house in 1999 for $240,000.00. It's small, 3-bedroom, small property, 90 years old with all the cracks and creaks that come with a 90 year-old house. We get bombarded with offers from agents to sell our house. Last year, around September--you know, thatstart of the "down" season for real estate sales--an agent knocked on our door and assured us that we could get about $700 - 800 hundred thousand for it. This is not at all outlandish, and I daresay if our home was in better condition it would go for more in today's market.

But why IS today's market so hot? In large part, it's because mortgage rates are so low, and easy credit so abundantly available.

Why?

Here's where my expertise as a commercial banker comes in: rates are low, and credit is so easily available BECAUSE OUR CURRENCY IS RAPIDLY BECOMING WORTHLESS. This is the part that sadly so many Americans do not understand. The Fed keeps raising rates to curtail the possibility of greater inflation which is already dangerously high (which of course people watching the news don't comprehend, because the news keeps repeating bush's "inflation is historically low"--except guess what--they don't include food and energy prices in their "inflation" calculations!), but eventhough they've raised rates for the last year and a half, consumer rates have NOT risen commensuratley. That is a reflection of the weakness of our currency in global markets, and is far, far more dangerous to the security of this nation than the possibility of Iran building a nuclear reactor. Unfortunately, Americans have allowed themselves to become too stupid to understand that--and George Bush and the filth that report to him are the greatest beneficiaries of that stupidity.

What about the massive layoffs this country has seen over the last five years? now, some not very thoughtful people will lay that at the feet of "outsourcing", which even this administration acknowledges is not a great threat to our economy. The problem is irresponsible tax cuts that encourage corporate aristocracy to put more money in the budget pool than in the R&D pool. Less R&D equals fewer inoovative products which emans more and more of those products are coming from somewhere other than America, which means job growth and career enhancement ARE indeed happening--just not here in the US. Is THAT something conservative "Christians" find admirable???

The list goes on and on. The way Bush has fucked up Medicare may indeed be the single most un-Christian thing a US president has ever engaged in, although trying to scare folks into believing there's a threat to their social security funds comes pretty close.

How do conservatives feel about the fact that for the first time ever--EVER!!!--the US is not only not number 1 in the world in internet and cell phone technology, but now ranks 13th. 13th!!!! We are number 13 in the world in two of the most important areas of global competition. Is the ruination of America's competitiveness something Jesus advocated?

I was a republican for just about as long as I've been a democrat. Actually, I switched party's when Bush1 alloowed his campaign to run that horrible Willie Horton ad. And who did that? Lee Atwater, the personal mentor of Karl Rove. Yup, the very same Lee Atwater who, on his deathbed, quite publicly and very tearfully apologized for the way he copnducted daddy Bush's campaign as the campaign manager, and equally publicly prayed for God's forgiveness for the shit he pulled.

So, in my opinion, when I hear "conservative Christian", what I translate that to mean is "America-hating cowardly willing-to-say-or-do-anything-to-get-votes no matter how badly it hurts the country motherfucking liars who offend Jesus every day by their existence."

Anbd THEY are the reason America has been relegated to second-tier status, rapidly on its way to third-tier under George W Bush.

I don;t think bigger commission are worth that. Do you?

Don't you get the feeling that even Jesus might be jumping this immoral sinking ship pretty soon? From the Times:

Prosecutor Will Step Down from Lobbyist Case
By Philip Shenon and Elisabeth Bumiller
The New York Times

Friday 27 January 2006

Washington - The investigation of Jack Abramoff, the disgraced Republican lobbyist, took a surprising new turn on Thursday when the Justice Department said the chief prosecutor in the inquiry would step down next week because he had been nominated to a federal judgeship by President Bush.

The prosecutor, Noel L. Hillman, is chief of the department's public integrity division, and the move ends his involvement in an inquiry that has reached into the administration as well as the top ranks of the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill.

The administration said that the appointment was routine and that it would not affect the investigation, but Democrats swiftly questioned the timing of the move and called for a special prosecutor.

The announcement came as Mr. Bush faced a barrage of questions about why he would not make public "grip-and-grin" photographs of him with Mr. Abramoff. The photographs apparently show Mr. Bush and Mr. Abramoff smiling at White House Hanukkah parties and Republican fund-raising receptions.

Mr. Bush's position, which he offered at a news conference on Thursday morning that was peppered with questions about Mr. Abramoff, was that the photographs were so common as to be almost meaningless and that it was part of his job "to shake hands with people and smile." He said he could not remember posing for the pictures, or, for that matter, even meeting Mr. Abramoff.

"I had my picture taken with him, evidently," Mr. Bush said. "I've had my picture taken with a lot of people. Having my picture taken with someone doesn't mean that I'm a friend with them or know them very well."

He said, "I'm also mindful that we live in a world in which those pictures will be used for pure political purposes, and they're not relevant to the investigation."

The White House, which announced Mr. Bush's selection of Mr. Hillman for the court in a routine e-mail message on Wednesday that included 15 other nominations to judgeships and federal jobs, dismissed the calls for a special prosecutor.

"It's nothing but pure politics," said Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary. "The Justice Department is holding Mr. Abramoff to account, and the career Justice prosecutors are continuing to fully investigate the matter."

A special prosecutor would not be especially welcome at the White House. Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the special counsel in the C.I.A. leak case, is more than two years into an investigation that has resulted in the indictment of a top vice-presidential aide, I. Lewis Libby Jr., and has left Karl Rove, the president's chief political adviser, under investigation.

Mr. Hillman's departure from the Justice Department creates a vacancy at the top of the Abramoff inquiry only three weeks after Mr. Abramoff, once one of the city's most powerful Republican lobbyists and a major fund-raiser for Mr. Bush, announced his guilty plea and agreed to testify against others, possibly including members of Congress.

A former senior White House budget official, David H. Safavian, has been indicted in the case on charges of lying about his contacts with Mr. Abramoff, a former lobbying partner. The Justice Department's plea agreement with Mr. Abramoff makes clear that prosecutors are investigating several members of Congress and other public officials who are suspected of having accepted gifts from the lobbyist in exchange for official acts.

Colleagues at the Justice Department say Mr. Hillman has been involved in day-to-day management of the Abramoff investigation since it began almost two year ago. The inquiry, which initially focused on accusations that Mr. Abramoff defrauded Indian tribes out of tens of millions of dollars in lobbying fees, is being described within the department as the most important federal corruption investigation in a generation.

Mr. Hillman's nomination for a judgeship was among the factors cited Thursday by four Democratic lawmakers, two senators and two representatives, in calling on Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to name a special prosecutor to oversee the corruption investigation.

The timing of Mr. Hillman's nomination "jaundices this whole process," Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, said in an interview. "They have to appoint a special counsel. I think there will be broad support for one."

Representative George Miller, Democrat of California, called the timing "startling" and said, "You have one of the chief prosecutors removed from a case that has tentacles throughout the Republican leadership of Congress, throughout the various agencies and into the White House."

White House officials have said that Mr. Abramoff had no improper dealings with the White House. They have said he attended "staff level" meetings at the White House, but have declined to say with whom. One of his chief connections to the White House was through Susan Ralston, an assistant who worked for him before she worked for Mr. Rove. Ms. Ralston continues to work for Mr. Rove as a top aide.

A Justice Department spokesman, Bryan Sierra, said he had no comment on the Democratic request for a special prosecutor because the department had not received their letter making the request.

Mr. Sierra said in an interview that there was nothing unusual about the timing of Mr. Hillman's nomination and that it would not affect the Abramoff inquiry. "The team that Noel put together is going to remain together," he said. "The investigation should not be impacted." He said Mr. Hillman would be temporarily succeeded as head of the public integrity office by Andrew Lourie, a career prosecutor in Florida.

The White House had been poised to nominate Mr. Hillman for the bench last year. Mr. Sierra said he did not know why the nomination had been delayed until this week, but he said he believed it had nothing to do with the Abramoff investigation.

In a letter sent to the attorney general on Thursday asking for an independent counsel, Senator Schumer and Senator Ken Salazar, Democrat of Colorado, praised Mr. Hillman's office for the investigation that led to the guilty plea by Mr. Abramoff and his former lobbying partner, Michael Scanlon, a former press secretary to Representative Tom DeLay.

"We applaud its pursuit of Mr. Abramoff and his colleagues," they said. "We have no doubt that if the investigation is left to the career prosecutors in that section, the case would reach its appropriate conclusion. Unfortunately, the highly political context of the allegations and charges may lead some to surmise that political influence may compromise the investigation."

I've noticed on a lot of blogs here that on Fridays people put up at their blogs something called "Five Fun Facts" which I guess are designed to tell you a little about the person whose blog it is.

OK. I know you're all twisted in suspense, so here are mine, so you can learn a little about me.

1. I like dogs more than people. I have shopped at Costco, have shopped at Bergdorff. I have driven pieces of crap and have driven Mercedes and BMWs. I have taken the subway and have flown first class. And every time I step out my door, the experience re-affirms my conviction: I will take dogs over people any fucking day of any fucking week.

2. My favorite drink is bourbon--straight or on the rocks. I also very much like wine and good beer.

3. I love to experience different cuisines and am quite a culinary adventurer. My wife, Soo, is an incredible cook. She was born in Korea, lived in Japan for quite a while, and whips up some amazing stuff from many different cultures. Best is when she mixes stuff, like spaghetti sauce infused with Guyanese hot peppers (which are hotter than anything else I have ever tasted!) We like cooking together on weekends, with music blaring and the wine flowing freely.

4. I love music--all kinds. For the last couple of years or so I've been on a big classical music kick--especially classical guitar (I play guitar, but suck.) Blaring from our stereo on those cooking weekend evenings could be Dylan, Bach, Coltrane, Springsteen, Cake, Bowie, Schubert, Parkening, etc.

5. We don't have children--took the easy way out: instead, we have two dogs. Emma, a 1 1/2 oversized Airedale who is the world's worst dog, Marley included; and Mojo, an 80-pound Labradoodle, just over a year old, who is the world's most amazing dog (and I've owned 21 dogs in my life, I'm not exaggerating--this dog is amazing.) I'm gonna be putting up pictures of our "kids" soon--you'll love them!

6. I have sent a letter to Eli Manning's agent inviting Eli to come to our house to practice throwing a football. We don't have a barn, but we DO have a free-stadning two-car garage that's about the size of a small barn. And our property is pretty small, which should work in Eli's favor. He can practice trying to hit the side of our garage from five yards away, and then, in a few weeks, when he masters that, he can try from 10 yards away, etc., etc. 'Cause right now, that guy can't hit the side of a fucking barn.

We democrats are stupid. There's no two ways around it.

We preside for eight of the most peaceful and prosperous years the country--the world!--has ever known, and we lose an election to a fundamentalist imbecile on the strength of his "moral clarity" and THEN after four years of absolutely nothing but unmitigated fuck up after fuck up on the part of Bush and the filth that report to him, we nominate John Kerry--the most boring individual in the party--to "take America back."

If the democrats nominate Hillary Clinton in '08, or, for that matter, if we even allow her to play a key role in that election, I will find the most inept, bible-thumpingest, tough-talking-but-cowardly-actingest, America-hatingest republican and vote for him/her. Fuck, I'll even stuff envelopes for him/her.

And I'm not by any means the only democrat that feels that way.