The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Hump day, let’s see who’s humpin... besides David Vitter...

• Remember how everyone keeps talking about how more and more republicans are becoming more and more frustrated about Iraq? Those feelings aren’t going away anytime soon as a group of gop senators are looking to make proposals that would change the troops' missions from combat to counterterrorism, border protection and training of Iraqi security forces (And oddly enough - and by oddly enough I mean not a surprise considering the source - no mention of withdrawal... or timelines... or benchmarks... what's the point?)
• This should come as a surprise to NO ONE considering it’s the Bush(whacked) Administration… “President” Bush’s first Surgeon General Richard Carmona, appeared before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and said that the administration muzzled him on various health issues (stem cell research being one of them), and said “Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is often ignored, marginalized or simply buried.” (Doesn’t surprise me in the least, just another example of Bush pushing his ideologies and ignoring the facts...)
• Because “President” Bush claimed executive privilege, Former White House aide Sara Taylor will refuse to testify today about any matters that fall under the privilege, but she has said that she’ll offer a response to any other questions that won’t breach White House confidentiality… (or at least won’t breach whatever Karl Rove told her not to breach…)
• As Sen. Obama echoes Sen. Clinton’s sentiments about the Iraq war vote, Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign is not going well as more of his staff has fled the sinking ship resigned. (For a man who was once the front-runner for the gop nod, the rate at which his campaign faltered is downright amazing, yet highly entertaining)
• As if you needed more evidence that this administration has a hatred for, well just about everyone, the White House has promised to veto a House bill that would have slashed “subsidies paid to college student-loan companies.” Naturally the legislation had been attacked by the “$85 billion student-loan industry,” but “championed by industry critics.” (Nice move Bush… screw the little guys once again…)
• And have we mentioned? That you can put away the Color-Coded Terror Alert System… it seems the DHS has a new warning system; Michael Chertoff’s gut. Speaking to the Chicago Tribune editorial board, he said; “I believe we are entering a period this summer of increased risk” and indicated that his remarks were based, in his words, on “a gut feeling”… along with recent Al Qaeda statements and intelligence he did not disclose. (Uh… I just hope he’s not relying on his gut to tell him what to do… though that would explain Bush’s decision to invade Iraq…)