If you are like me at all (and you probably are if you are reading this blog) then you look forward to January 20th 2009 with a mixture of great anticipation and a certain nagging dread. Anticipation that the long dark night of two misbegotten and utterly tragic Bush terms will be over, and dread as to who will be taking the oath on that day.

I’d like to offer you some hope: I don’t think it will be another Republican (but then I never do, so my objectivity is questionable as to this point). In conjunction with the Republican Congress, Bush has, for now, exhausted the credibility of the conservative movement with the American people. I think I have some plausible ideas about which Democrats may be taking the oath, and it may not be anyone you expect.

Many progressive Democrats have angst about current polling that shows the most likely Democratic candidate to be taking the noontime oath from Justice Roberts is Hillary Rodham Clinton. Let me reassure you, it’s not going to happen that way.

I want to appologize for the mysterious disappearance of your Drinking Liberally hosts last week. Tasha was on vaction and I was suddenly taken ill. I hope that the Drinkers who showed up made the best of it and had a great time. Perhaps someone(s) would like to volunteer as a sort of emergency reserve … Read more

Link: The Raw Story | MSNBC confirms: Outed CIA agent was working on Iran. "INTELLIGENCE SOURCES SAY VALERIE WILSON WAS PART OF AN OPERATION THREE YEARS AGO TRACKING THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS MATERIAL INTO IRAN. AND THE SOURCES ALLEGE THAT WHEN MRS. WILSON’S COVER WAS BLOWN, THE ADMINISTRATION’S ABILITY TO TRACK IRAN’S NUCLEAR AMBITIONS … Read more

I don’t usually lift articles whole, but in this case, I’m making an exception. Lieutenant Geneal William Odom is senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and professor at Yale University. He was director of the National Security Agency from 1985 to 1988. From 1981 to 1985, he served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, … Read more

I have a modest proposal: let’s pay for a professional full-time legislature and then expect to get one. It is politically and, in many cases, ideologically difficult for our legislature to raise their own pay to a livable wage. Currently the job pays a mere 24,000 a year, plus per diem, which I understand can … Read more

Link: Powell Forces Rice to Defend Iraq Planning Gen. Colin Powell gave an interview to ITV (a British network) in which he charged that as Secretary of State he gave the Administration specific advice in 2003 to utilize a substantially larger force when invading Iraq, and was ignored. Powell now joins the ranks of former … Read more