January 2007: Hello, And A Goodbye

The 110th Congress is sworn in, Democrats becoming the majority party. Which would be helpful, if the Party only had a majority of Democrats.

Bush issues "Warm Congratulations Note Welcoming New Democratic Congressional Leadership..."

The regime rolls out marketing of "The Surge." It's been promoted in the right wing media by American Enterprise Instute operative Frederick Kagan. To connect with the masses, the term appears to already have been vetted in consumer culture. It's been a Coca Cola product. And one recent morning, a student gets on my bus wearing a brand-name backpack, with the prominently placed model name, "Surge."

At the office, Ghengis subscribes to a number of magazines that I have to place in the waiting area. The "Surge" cover story in the January 15 Time includes a photo of Bush, Cheney, Rice, and others, captioned, "NO HOLIDAY: Bush huddled in Texas with top aides after Christmas to plot Iraq policy." Oh, the pain of gazing on their sacrifice...

On the reverse of that page is a column by William Kristol: things are great in Iraq now, but will be perfection if we only we take a lesson from "the just verdict for Saddam" and "commit to victory." The layout is two text columns split by a large vertical graphic: a noose, positioned as if hanging from beyond the top of the page.

Besides regularly documenting their influence, Glenn Greenwald writes about the nepotism that has gained Kagan and Kristol their visibility: "Our country's tough guys and their moms and dads."

In other Ghengis reading matter, he commands that a book be ordered: The Nature of Leadership: Reptiles, Mammals, And the Challenge of Becoming a Great Leader. I'm very surprised he feels in need of this, as I expect he could teach reptiles a trick or two...

Alberto Gonzales appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 18. He "comes prepared with a menu of empty, platitudinous buzzphrases that he repeats over and over no matter the question," complains the earnest Mr. Greenwald, but that's SOP for a Bush flunky. Further, why would it be a surprise for a Bush Attorney General to claim the Constitution does not ensure the right of habeus?

The Libby trial opens on January 22. As Jesus' Best Administrative Assistant has sniffed to Informed Non-Citizen IT Guy: "There was no crime!" I know her kind has the marching orders, so only takes in the upsidedown-world stories of Faux TV.

But it's always breathtaking to see who the J's BAAs of the country accept as being on their "family values" team. Especially with Scooter being among the illustrious ranks of right wingers whose Family Values include being published authors of porno novels, with Scooter's little example including child sex slavery and bestiality. And on literary merit, some of Amazon's reviewers make good points, as in, "If there were a prison for bad writing, Libby would be doing a life term."

One morning at work, a burst pipe has cut off heat to the executive suite and a suite across the hall. I find the place over-heated normally, so I'm not too uncomfortable. But beyond my glass fish-bowl space I can the opposite room, and a shivering secretary. Jesus' Best Administrative Assistant scurries around looking for a space heater—for the Chairman. There are people around here who run heaters in summer, so I wouldn't expect anyone to let go of those babies easily. It takes J's BAA a while, but some suck-up finally makes the sacrifice. The Chairman's comfort is attended to, and Jesus' Best looks ready to be Raptured away at any moment, in reward for such devotion.

Speaking of our earthly master, he has reacted to the news of a major corporation's capital flight that will have a devastating effect locally: "it will be horrible for real estate values."

Priorities, priorities.

Another day this month, I'm in the hallway, walking toward a bulletin board where seminar announcements are posted. From a distance, I see a poster with this mug:

It's bad enough that Jesus' BAA and assorted department fundies are always putting church fund-raising crap in the lunch room; now I'm fuming at the brazenness of posting this in a public space.

Until I get a little closer, and realize: this is a scientist (and Certified Genius)What can I say, but that my brain is being nibbled away by the years spent in this environment...


At the end of the month, Molly Ivins loses her fight with cancer. The loss of her voice is incalculable, especially when we still have to endure another year of a fake Texan in the White House. But Molly's work and memory live on.