Are you prepared for some disheartening news? Because I've got some disheartening news for you. Get ready to be disheartened…

"In the second term, [Dick Cheney] felt [President George W.] Bush was moving away from him," said a participant in the recent gathering, describing Cheney's reply.

"He said Bush was shackled by the public reaction and the criticism he took. Bush was more malleable to that. The implication was that Bush had gone soft on him, or rather Bush had hardened against Cheney's advice. He'd showed an independence that Cheney didn't see coming. It was clear that Cheney's doctrine was cast-iron strength at all times — never apologize, never explain — and Bush moved toward the conciliatory."

What?! Dick Cheney and George Bush did not see eye-to-eye on the correct way to piss on the Constitution?! That's so sad. Two angry, fearful men who just wanted to soak the founding principles of the nation in their foul-smelling urine, and they couldn't make it work together.

That's really sobering. I mean, those two guys are the very best at being terrible, and if they can't find common ground in country-ruining, then what chance does Barack Obama have in ruining the country? What chance do any of us have in ruining the country?

I guess when I have kids, I won't be able to tell them that when they grow up they can achieve any goal they set their minds to.

America, The Deadbeat: The United States might lose it's AAA credit rating, but Felix Salmon is all "So what?" Those once vaunted credit agencies have lost their credibility, and investors will still tie their money up in Treasury bonds. It's not a great thing that the US triple-A might poof and vanish. But it's not the ticket to the Third World hysterical economic journalists think it might be. [reuters.com]

Stop Blaming Bush, Bully: Obama's speech about terrorist detainees, amongst other things, was a big ol' middle finger to President Bush, claims Republican booster Fred Barnes. According to Barnes, Obama's speech has a divisive and partisan duck and swerve, laying blame on the last guy and avoiding answering any real questions about the 240 detainees languishing in Cuba. It should be noted that Fred Barnes hearts the GOP, and totally hates on godless liberals. [weeklystandard.com]

Tin Men And Straw Men: Dick Cheney, you are an embarrassment of riches to political junkies. Over at Talking Points Memo, Zachary Roth debunks the former-Vice President's defense of "enhanced interrogation techniques," and in some cases, sets fire to Mr. Cheney's various, rhetorical straw men. You have to give the guy his due, though. The Iron Hunchback makes Michael Steele, Bobby Jindal, and Sarah Palin look like inarticulate clowns. [tpmmuckraker.com]

Why Do You All Hate America? The ACLU has a blog, and they're using it to rip up Bill O'Reilly's endorsement of the New York Police Department's questionable "stop and frisk" policies, whereby racially-profiled citizens are subjected to on the spot, warrantless searches. To oppose this tactic, according to O'Reilly, is to hate America. Let's take a moment to recall the wise words of Ben Franklin, "Peeps who trade freedom for security are whack, and end up without either." That is not a direct quote. [aclu.org]

GQ magazine — the most journalistic integrity-y publication of journalist integrity –  released images of the covers of the top secret intelligence briefings concerning the Iraq War produced by Donald Rumsfeld for former president (sounds nice to say "former president") George W. Bush.

The images all consisted of images of soldiers accompanied by a Biblical quote, casting further doubt to the previous administrations religious intentions with the Iraq War. In Rumsfeld's defense, putting color pictures on the briefings was the only way to get Bush to even look at them.

Eeek. Pretty creepy right? Well, wait till you see the intelligence briefing covers that didn't make the cut. We got our hands on some exclusive rough drafts from Rummy's old eMachine PC, and we're posting them on the site for you guys. You're welcome.

Click after the jump to see the exclusive images.

Read more »

Of all the fabricated benchmarks created to judge President Obama, the first 100 days is one of the most excitingly noteworthy and easily digestible.

Sure, President Obama has downplayed the importance of the event. Senior Advisor David Axelrod even called it a "Hallmark holiday," thereby belittling other Hallmark holidays like Grandparents Day and Administrative Professionals Day.

But ever since gaining those dead pirate points, Obama can only win support from the media coverage, and so Obama will "pay homage to his 100 days with a Wednesday trip to… Missouri," the state where every exciting thing ever happens.

In honor of the landmark, we decided to celebrate Obama's milestone by over-oversimplifying it further and boiling it down to a nice simple chart comparing President Obama's first 100 days to the accomplishments of history's most famous presidents in such a way that even an idiot could understand…

Read more »

The Obama campaign announced today that Joe Biden will be going on the attack today…

Aides say Biden will use his unique standing as McCain's decades-long Senate colleague to further accuse the Arizona senator of being a "sequel" to President Bush's two terms.

"We've seen this movie before, folks," Biden will say, according to excerpts provided by the campaign. "But as everyone knows, the sequel is always worse than the original."

Generally speaking, I don't mind tough tactics on the campaign trail. But outright lies? Seriously, Joe, let's look at the record…

* The Empire Strikes Back
* Spider-Man 2
* X2
* Blade 2
* The Dark Knight
* Evil Dead II
* Aliens
* The Godfather Part II
* T2
* Superman 2
* The Wrath of Khan
* The Matrix Reloaded (yeah I said it)

The list goes on, Joe. Please, for the dignity of America, stick to the facts.

11:07 – So, are we all agreed? Fred Thompson's speech is the speech to beat so far? It wasn't great. But it had great parts. Like, the part about McCain's time in Vietnam. And when he attacked Obama. That was also effective. Lieberman's speech seemed whiny. So, who's gonna best Thompson?

11:00 – He sounds pleading, doesn't he?

10:57 – So, is he really saying that even though you wouldn't ordinarily vote for a Republican, since the Republicans fucked up so badly these past eight years, you should now vote for a Republican? That makes perfect sense.

10:52 – "The McCain/Palin ticket." It must kill him to say that.

10:51 – Are they applauding Bill Clinton in the Republican Convention???

10:50 – He spoke well of Barack Obama. That's because he's "Democrat."

10:49 – Oh my God! He said Michael Moore!!!

10:45 – Why do I find it so hard to listen to anything that comes out of Joe Lieberman's mouth?

10:44 – "Country matters more than country." So don't not vote for him because he's a Republican. Please!

10:43 – You're not a Democrat.

10:42 – What I say? What I say?

10:41 – Oh, he's gonna try to sell the idea that McCain's not a Republican… He's an American. That's his job.

10:40 – Oh my God! It's Fred Basset!!!

Read more »