And Now... To Wag The Dog.

Now it's all absolutely crystal clear. I'm now completely convinced that the current "crisis" between Congress and the White House is only part of another game that we've seen played over and over again.


Step one is to create a crisis. Let's allow a company based in a country that supports and harbors terrorists to bid on the port operations at six of our busiest ports. Aha! The scheme is hatched.

Step two is to create a sense that Republicans really know what matters to everyday, run-of-the-mill Americans, and that they are the ones to provide us with secure borders and ports.

Step three is to create a situation so outlandish that absolutely every American must believe in what its Congressional leaders are committing themselves to. Hint: It needs to be a slam-dunk, but that shouldn't be so hard. The world is only black and white, after all.

Step four is to create a bad guy; some disposable entity that already lacks the support of the nation, and needs just a bit more to push it out into the deep water for good.

Fristy says he'll "introduce legislation." Hastert now says he "favors a moratorium" (big words, little real words, typical).

It took these guys a week to even speak up, which should be a pretty good sign that they're getting their heads together with yet another plan to pull their asses from the fire.

Wowee. Golly. The President fires back that he'll "veto any legislation" that scuttles the current plan, that the company has been fully vetted. The President has not vetoed a single piece of legislation to date. He doesn't need to because they're all carefully crafted and orchestrated. Just like this one.

Here's another reason I'm convinced it's all a game. While both the President and Congress are very unpopular at this point, the GOP has everything to lose by losing the House. Who cares about Bush? If they can hold the House this fall, there's no impeachment. They're unlikely to lose the Senate. If they start shitting on Bush, it doesn't matter. They might be able to use it as a wedge issue against Democrats in the fall.

Hey, I've seen crazier Rovian scenarios play out in the past five years.

So Fristy Hastert can do whatever it wants on this one.

I'm leaving on a flight tomorrow, with a long pair of scissors and a small aluminum hairspray canister in my bag.

They're both now legal to carry onto the plane.

Who cares? This is all just a big fucking joke to these guys. It's not real at all.

So Don't fall for it.