Ok, so let’s be honest. It’s not like we didn’t think this already existed. It’s just now there might be some proof. CNN is reporting that the Bush Administration created a secret, special operations command without Congressional oversight that had the authority to assassinate high-level targets in multiple countries. Cheney and several aids have denied the claim (because, you know otherwise he would be indicted for conspiracy to commit murder).

There is a Simpsons episode in which Lisa becomes President and is offered the opportunity to assassinate Bart, who is causing her political problems. She declines and her Secret Service escort reminds her that each prez gets three secret murders, and if you don’t use them by the end of the term “Zip! They’re gone.” (This was before the invention of roll over minutes). I wonder how many Cheney actually wound up using?

Meghan McCain finally said what so many young Republicans have been thinking for the last few years. CNN is reporting today that Meghan, daughter of former Presidential candidate John McCain, is calling for Republicans to become more technologically savvy or risk losing more and more political relevance. She is exactly right. Without reaching out to the American people with such extremely popular tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Blogs, the Republican party can forget dethroning Obama in 2012. The fact that Obama won the election with enormous contributions from young voters and the internet should be the only sign the Republican party needs to change their game plan. The Republican party cannot expect to gain any ground on the majority holding Democrats if their best and brightest cannot even operate a computer in the 21st century.

Here’s McCain’s idea of home computing.

Meghan McCain, you are completely right. Now, get out there and convince your father’s friends to take a class on computing skills. Even better, hire a homeless man to teach them, because chances are they could probably type better than our former President could. (on a computer, not a typewriter)

Only hours after Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the good ‘ol U S of A, the stock market freaked out and made the proverbial move to the suburbs. The NASDAQ is down about 70, the NYSE 255, and the Dow Jones Industrial 261, as of 1:50 this afternoon.

It would seem that our long national nightmare continues, even after it ended.

No, Sarah Palin would be, “Ice Man,” I think.

Regardless, a Texas family with the last name Maverick has bone to pick the the McCain campaign. The Maverick Family, originally of San Antonio, has taken issue with McCain and Palin’s constant characterization of the senator as a “Maverick.” The word originated when one of the Maverick family’s ancestors opted against branding his cows, leading to unbranded livestock being referred to as “mavericks.” The term eventually came to mean someone who acted independently with no affiliation to a particular party or ideology. While the family has no bone to pick with the television show of same name, Mel Gibson, or Tom Cruise, they do seem peeved that McCain is running all over the place calling himself, “The Original Maverick.” He’s not, they are.

As a Republican candidate for President, you know you have issues when a family of Texas ranchers are pissed off at you. One has to wonder if he should have gone with a less overused campaign handle. Take a look at what other members of the political competition tried out:

Mitt “Viper” Romney
Mike “Jester” Gravel
Hillary “Wolf Man” Clinton

Frankly, I would be worried that all the constant allusions to his military service and use of the word “maverick” would just remind the electorate of this doozy.

Mission Accomplished

Two days ago, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair gave his first in a series of lectures at Yale University. You might know Yale as the same college that educated this stud of U.S. foreign policy:

Blair, who took heat for speaking openly about his Christian faith while Prime Minister and gained headlines with his recent conversion to Catholicism, will give five lectures a year for three years on religion and globalization.

Blair has previously described himself in his college days as “a complete pain in the backside,” and a habitual absentee.

Imagine blowing off Tony Blair’s lecture like so many Friday morning classes.

Tony Blair: Why, hello Mr. Johnson! I do seem to have missed you at our last lecture.

Me: Yeah, well, uuuh. I….

Tony: I do hope you haven’t taken to a spot of whooping cough, have you!? Ever so dreadful!

Me: Yeah, I just, well, me and the bros played a little pong last night, and uuuh, I guess that 12:30 just wasn’t doin it for me…

Tones: Think nothing of it. Back in my romp at Oxford I was a truant little sprite as well. Tis’ nothing.

Yale may have educated and employed the two people most responsible for the greatest foreign policy blunder in several generations, but they do hire professors who understand that a hangover is a legitimate excuse.

Go Bulldogs. Beat Harvard.

Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hH_rZ5YHJoc2bn9wdH04m4f45wkg