Nobody even guessed Evans.
 

Not really.

I think civil rights and free speech are wedge issues for the Rs - there are Rs who feel strongly on both sides of most issues Ashcroft has spoken on.

And you voted for the party of Noam Chomsky and Michael Moore.

Et tu, Raoul?

You need to say "privacy" and "respect for property rights" not "civil rights" if you want to appeal to Rs.

Even I don't think Bush is this stupid.

Nobody even guessed Evans.
 

The comment is about as fucking idiotic as the Edwards comment about Chris Reeve walking again if Kerry was President.

Both are pandering, uninformed and stupid.

Are you happy now, or do I also need to send a cookie.

I voted for gridlock. You just handed the keys to people who are in bed with folks who think the Rapture is coming. And I don't mean that awful Blondie rap tune. You know the Rapture... that gig where we'll all be yanked out of our clothes and taken to heaven (where I guess there will be a huge orgy).

Hell's gonna be a lot more fun.

Nobody even guessed Evans.
 

See how good you are when you make just a little effort?

I'm happy now, but cookies are always welcome. Or fudge. Or chocolate cake.

Judging by the election returns, not enough of them to matter.

As for Ascroft's replacement, how could it be worse (realistically, not in theory)? None of the names mentioned have nearly the same fundamentalist fervor of Ashcroft. I'm not saying they're impressive, or even good, but I don't think any of them would be as polarizing. (BTW, NY Times reports a source in the WH said Ashcroft was asked, or strongly suggested, to leave.)

Poll
 

I'm going with Powell. Do I win?

Shit, I didn't considered who'd be at that orgy up in heaven. Fuck, I better get off my ass and start committing some really atrocious sins. I could wind up getting molested by a copule of those Jesus Blimps they showed waddling into voting booths on televison last week.

Oh, I knew this would happen. Even the afterlife is going to suck.

I wouldn't necessarily make plans on eternity based on the assumption that Pat Robertson and his friends will be your chaperones in heaven. I've always had them figured for one of the circle's near Dante's popes.

OK, apparently they moved it to the Monday news cycle because they're actually trying to get out a message of "big shake up", so this makes the next poll more interesting than ever -- who will be the new faces (or will it just be an entrenchment of the Rummy/Wolfie front by elevating Condi?) and what will the message be?

So far, the message with Gonzalez replacing Ashcroft is "Business as Usual" - any change expected?

For all the talk about him as a moderating influence, can anyone name something Colin Powell actually moderated? I think my own moderating influence is a lot more profound, and that's saying something.

No disagreement, but the comparison is somewhat unfair. I'm sure Colin Powell stayed awake many nights dreaming of the wonderful things he could've done with a simple "Edit" or "Delete" function.

Fairly or not, Neville Chamberlain is remembered more for what he said and did in Munich, and not for the constraints that British disinterest in Czechoslovakia left him under.

6 down, ? to go
 

Are we still expecting Rice and/or Rumsfeld to step down? I don't think they were on the list of four from today . . .

He was the main voice for going to the UN Security Council initially, and working through the resolution process there. That did have some moderating influence, and probably kept us out of Iraq for several months. The big impact of that may have been that we were better prepared when we went in -- without that extra time, I truly believe that Cheney and Rummy would have gone off half-cocked.

6 down, ? to go
 

I'm not, FWIW.

Slave's shock notwithstanding that the Bush Administration is something other than a meritocracy, I cannot imagine Rumsfeld leaving anytime soon. Rummy's knives have been sharpened over decades of Washington infighting, and I imagine he's willing to leave only upon the same stretcher that they would use to carry away Cheney.

Rice, I don't know. Bush's fondness for her counsel is well documented, and I imagine that after her sterling performance in NSC, he'll move her to State so that she can set that ship adrift as well.

6 down, ? to go
 

"U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has submitted his resignation to President Bush, the White House said today. In addition to Powell, the White House also announced the resignations of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Education Secretary Rod Paige."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/...ell/index.html

6 down, ? to go
 

Oh, sorry I didn't cite to the 4 who, plus Ashcroft and Evans, make up the six.

6 down, ? to go
 

Greg is suggesting that the GOP might look at Charlie Stenholm for the Ag spot for a few reasons. First, Charlie was the ranking member of the House Ag Committee until he got redistricted out. Second, putting him in there lets BushCo. claim a bipartisan cabinet for a relatively low level cabinet position. Finally, it prevents Stenholm from running for Texas Ag. Commissioner.

Obviously, the cabinet level position is higher than the state level, but the R.s in Texas LOVE the fact that there isn't a single Dem elected to statewide office. They want to keep it that way.* It makes them look more impressive and they want to promote the idea that Texas is a state that no Democrat can win.

*Though there are rumors that Carole Keaton Strayhorn may jump fences and run for Gov under the Dem ageis. But the rumors about who is running for Gov have been flying at an amazing speed. Watch the Daily Show tonight. Maybe Kay Bailey will let us know what she's planning on doing. She can't use her Senate warchest to run for Gov. Whatever happens, it's going to be a fun primary season, especially with all of the R. bloodletting. I would LOVE it if Scott McClellan's mom was the Democratic governor of Texas.