On the Republican cover-up of Bush Administration spying on Americans, USA Today gets it right:

When The New York Times exposed the program, congressional leaders in both parties erupted, citing the need for judicial review to prevent abuse. Democrats are still complaining, and seeking hearings they could use to political advantage. Republicans are just plain trading principle for political expediency.

Under a tentative deal between the White House and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee, the National Security Agency could wiretap Americans without warrants for 45 days. If the administration then decided not to seek a court order, the attorney general would have to explain the reasons only to a new subcommittee of seven senators. The wiretapping could then continue without judicial oversight.

There would be no investigation and no consequences for violating the 1978 law.

The plan would leave Congress, and Americans, in the dark about what has been going on - and with a laughable pretense of oversight. It's the equivalent of traffic cops pulling over a driver going 100 mph, and the driver says the law doesn't apply to him. Rather than conducting an investigation and issuing a ticket, the police change the speed limit to 100 mph, apply it retroactively, then retreat with plenty of backslapping.

Oh, and they love to backslap, especially when they've gotten away with something. (Meanwhile, the Democrats are congratulating themselves on having successfully avoided seeming "difficult" or "uncooperative." One wonders when a Democrat with charisma will emerge to actually articulate some opposing views to the neo-fascism fetish the Republicans seem to have these days.)

When it comes to getting away with something, I prefer the brand offered by Kinky Friedman:

DALLAS - An independent candidate for Texas governor rode in a St. Patrick's Day parade car Saturday with his trademark black hat and burning cigar — plus a beer in his hand, an apparent violation of the state's open container law.
ADVERTISEMENT

Kinky Friedman's spokeswoman acknowledged that he drank from a can of Guinness handed to him. Photographs taken by The Dallas Morning News showed Friedman, who wasn't driving, holding the beer and appearing to take a drink.

I would imagine that Kinky's poll numbers will only go up from this -- especially since Texas used to require open containers for all drivers until 1997. I'd like to think Kinky has a chance in Texas. Hell, he's more Texan than our blue-blood Connecticut Yankee pseudo-cowboy in the White House now, and he's honest about his drinking.

But enough about Kinky. He doesn't seem to take politics seriously, and there are people who take it verrrry seriously -- especially when it comes to power over the people. So on the megalomania front, the Republicans have started chuckling over who might be their nominee in 2008:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - With home-field advantage, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist placed first in an informal poll of 2008 presidential hopefuls at a Republican conference Saturday night.

The two-term Tennessee senator received 526 first-place votes, or 36.9 percent, in the Southern Republican Leadership Conference's "straw poll" sponsored by Hotline, a political digest. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney finished second with 14.4 percent and Sen. George Allen of Virginia finished third, tied with President Bush — who cannot seek a third term.

What an underwhelming line up of mealy-mouthed blobs! Could it be that the Republicans are trying to be more like Democrats?

Of course, with George Allen, the GOP would be presenting their bid for The Election to End All Elections, for with such a Jeebus insider running the country, we could just ditch the Constitution and get on with executing the heathens. (Methodists, you should be paying attention.)

John McCain, though, seemed to be either cracking a joke, revealing his Alzheimer's or unveiling the real Republican agenda:

Sen. John McCain of Arizona, among the most popular Republicans in national surveys, threw a wrench in the polling Friday night by asking delegates to vote for Bush as a show of support.

--"But John, Bush can't run in 2008."

Could it be we already had The Election to End All Elections?

About author

media girl also blogs at other places.