Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday

How’s about some Random Political Thoughts…

Be Strong.Our thoughts continue to go out to anyone effected by the senseless tragedy at Virginia Tech University. Stay strong and know the country is behind you…

Testify! AG Alberto Gonzales’ former COS, Kyle Sampson, in an interview with congressional investigators last Sunday, said that Gonzales was “inaccurate” in his assertion that he didn’t have a role in the deliberations about individual U. S. attorneys that were later dismissed.” This comes at the same time that Congress considers offering former Gonzales Aide Monica Goodling immunity in exchange for what is expected to be damaging testimoney. (Postponed because of the incident at VTU earlier this week, it’s only a matter of time before Gonzales has to face the music… and I don’t think it’s gonna be pretty… at least I hope it won’t be pretty…)

And Speaking of US Attorneys... 67% of Americans, “including a narrow majority of Republicans,” see political motives as the primary reason behind last year’s firings of eight federal prosecutors. Throw in the fact that 45% of those polled believe Alberto Gonzales should resign and you have the makings of yet another mis-step by the Bush(whacked) Administratioin… (Kind of brings a smile to your face, doesn’t it?)

Our Downward Spiral Continues. A new poll by the Program on International Policy (hence called PIPA) shows that 10 out of 15 countries believe that the United States cannot be trusted to “act responsibly in the world.” The new PIPA poll also finds that majorities in 13 out of 15 publics polled say the U.S. is “playing the role of world policeman more than it should be.” Furthermore, the poll shows that majorities in all 15 of the countries polled reject the idea that the U.S. should “continue to be the preeminent world leader in solving international problems.” (At one time, the United States was the country that other countries aspired to… we were the worldwide leaders… we were the ones they came to in their time of need… we were the one that other countries looked to to lead the way…Oh, how times have changed. Essentially, it took “President” Bush a few scant years in office to systematcially undo every damn thing that America ever stood for from an international standpoint. The way we as a nation are viewed by the rest of the world is pretty pathetic. At best they laugh at us for our choice of leadership – remember the headlines in Europe when Bush was re-elected? – and at worst they believe that Bush and his Administration are representative of ALL American values. This is just sad…)

Poll Positions. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll finds that 66% of Americans don’t’ support the war in Iraq. This comes as widespread feelings about the war going badly and the additional troops not making a difference come to the forefront.

Wolf Out the Door. Even as the World Bank’s board of directors gets ready to meet today to discuss the possibility of making him resign, World Bank President Paul “Socks” Wolfowitz is vowing that he will not resign over his role in securing a State Department job along with a huge raise for his girlfriend, a former communications official at the bank. (Wow… it’s almost as if Wolfie had someone teach him in the fine art of cronyism… I wonder who that could be??? Sarcasm Alert: Stage Magenta)

Op-Ed Piece of Mid-Week The New York Times says that there are still “64,000 people sleeping in trailers in Louisiana” and that “President Bush has reneged on his promises to Katrina’s victims.” (This albatross just won’t get off from around his neck, will it?)

More Poll Positions. According to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) drew (relatively) high approval ratings as they passed their 100-day mark as leaders of their respective chambers. Pelosi had an approval rating of 53% while Reid hit the 46% mark. (While the numbers may not be astronomical, they are good, and that’s something that can only help the Democratic agenda. Keep it up guys…)

And the Hits Just Keep Coming. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will meet this week to consider whether to subpoena Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice has repeatedly blown off Rep. Henry Waxman’s (D-CA) requests for information on her pre-war claims about Iraq’s WMD programs and now they might try to do something about it. (While it’s obvious that Rice will NEVER allow herself to answer questions truthfully, muhc less be subpoenaed, it’s a nice move by the Democrats and one that shows some balls. As I said above, let’s keep it up.)

Take 'em as you will...