Another Lone Wolf

After this latest horror, Steve M. brings up a previous silencing of public attention to the rise of right-wing terrorism.

Amazing, the population explosion of lone wolves.

Poor Little Rich Man

For someone who can afford to buy himself an entire political system, he certainly is thin-skinned.

Edroso: "Shorter Charles G. Koch: What's good for Koch Industries is good for the USA."

Among alicublog comments—

mds
Well, allow me to retort....

What's that? The Wall Street Journal asslickers aren't offering me all the column real estate I wish to develop my side of the argument? Huh, I guess it's my own fault for not inheriting $250 million from the fortune my daddy made doing business with Stalin.

whetstone
Now, to be fair, his daddy renounced the Soviet Union and, furthermore, co-founded the John Birch Society. So it's a family that understands both collectivism and character assassination.

Moving Along

March 21: Robert Parry here, on the passing of Lawrence Walsh.

There was also Charles Pierce, on how

... the utter lack of accountability in the wake of the Iran-Contra revelations was the seedbed for most of what has gone wrong with the balance of powers, American foreign policy, and the courtier media ever since.

...

Walsh, the Iran-Contra special prosecutor, died this week at the age of 102. He did the very best he could have done, considering the bungling of the Congress, the deception practiced by his targets under the color of the offices of the public trust that they did so much to dishonor, and the fact that the elite press showed the white feather every time the investigation got close to the Oval Office.

Comments included some interesting discussion about the unconstitutionality of Iran Contra vs. that of Watergate.

As it happens, the previous day Parry noted another significant passing, while reiterating the question he has asked for years—

Longtime Washington powerbroker Robert Strauss, who died Wednesday at the age of 95, took to the grave the answer to one of the most provocative Watergate mysteries, whether he was, in effect, a Republican mole serving in the highest ranks of the Democratic Party.

"solid poop this am!!!!!"

Subject line of message from Clever Sister. Which refers to her cat's recent medical episode and vet visits.

On the other hand, it really does apply to a variety of office situations I've experienced, beginning at 8:00 today.

No doubt, could also apply to pretty much any other workplace.

RIP: Tony Benn

He died a few days before another March 19 anniversary of the war he opposed.

A lot of remembrances are here, of course.

Gary Younge on Benn as someone who "knew the rules but would not play the game."

Michael Winship—

What I will always remember about Tony Benn is a sort of pop quiz he devised to put truth to power. He explained it in 2001, during his farewell speech to the House of Commons:

"In the course of my life I have developed five little democratic questions. If one meets a powerful person — Adolf Hitler, Joe Stalin or Bill Gates — ask them five questions: 'What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you?' If you cannot get rid of the people who govern you, you do not live in a democratic system."

A Non-starter

Vendor message in work e-mail this morning.

Brain Awareness... Quite a contrast to the office mentality: go along to get along, don't see anything beyond one's desk, and the rest.

Morning Huddle theme of the week: yet another version of communication styles. Four more days to hear this droned by the boss, or, if he's away, by whomever he has designated to go through the motions.

Ex Post Facto

Facts being the usual (and Never About Race).

Some words spoken afterwards.

Because who in the Obama administration could have anticipated that people who want to destroy the institution would reject a strong appointment to head the Civil Rights Division?

And who could have predicted the GOP would cherry pick the Bill of Rights, jumping on the Sixth Amendment opportunity for a guilt by association smear?

Plenty of spinelessness to go around, with the help of the usual types of "Democrats" fleeing a "controversial" vote. In his grim wrap-up here, Adam Serwer adds—

Representing murderers hasn't proved disqualifying before – Republicans confirmed John Roberts as chief justice of the Supreme Court despite his pro-bono work on behalf of a man recently executed for mass murder. When they choose to, Republicans understand that an attorney shouldn't be identified with his client's cause. That would prevent top lawyers from defending unpopular clients, which would erode the quality of justice for those accused of terrible crimes.

None of the senators who cast votes against Adegbile, however, will ever have to worry about not being able to afford a fair shake in court.