No underlying crime?  No fucking underlying crime?

I got your underlying crime right here.  And your civil cause of action (no shit, this would be a fabulous class action lawsuit).  And your impeachable offense.

As we already knew, and was confirmed at the hearing, the outing of Plame not only cost Valerie her career,  but deprived the country of a valuable asset--an experienced, highly trained spy (and her network) in the critical area of weapons proliferation--that took considerable resources to develop.  Valerie has a cause of action for the harm that was done her.  So do we taxpayers.  I say we join the Wilsons' lawsuit and seek to recover damages for that loss.  

I'm serious, I think it's a cool idea.  Anybody know the Wilsons' lawyer?  Under the fold, I'll talk about the idea a bit more.  But I wish to use most of the balance of my time to discuss a topic I call

The Golden Couple, Toensing and the Covert Thing.

It is hugely important to the anti-Plame spinners to insist she was not covert, for two reasons.  Firstly, they have to belittle her importance, her courage, her stunning national service.  She is, after all, opposed to The President, so she must be belittled.  

Now that the far-right states are making laws to criminalize abortion the moment Roe is overturned, it occurs to me that a new constitutional challenge to the anti-choice agenda is worth pursuing:  Equal protection.  

If abortion is murder, then so is the Pill and so are fertility clinics.  My fantasy is to force into public debate this logical extension of the anti-choice agenda, while there is still time and hope to attract the attention of a middle America blind to the dangers of the coming theocracy.

I've been fantasizing all day about a fitting SOTU protest.  As the fantasy became longer and more elaborate, I decided to post it as a diary, both to indulge myself, and to invite others to chime in with their ideas.  Please join in, even if you've already offered up your ideas in another thread.  I don't want to miss any.

So, Red Palms.  Red, as in:  Blood on your hands, Mr. President.

The Red goes on the Palm for three reasons:  First, for those favoring Christian imagery, it evokes stigmata, suffering inflicted by human evil.  Second, for those inclined to other mythology, it's Lady MacBeth:  "All the perfumes of Araby (and all the oil of Arabia, likewise!) wouldn't sweeten this little hand."

Third, it frees up all five digits for more fun.  Below.

Here's my thought:  We announce that Iraqi leaders of all major factions have 2 months to make an agreement they can all support. (I suggest, an equal sharing of the oil revenues is a good place to start.)  If they do, we pledge to stay up to another year to help keep security if needed.  If not, we say we ain't spending American blood and treasure to fight your civil war.  And we leave.

If that intrigues you, let's chat further in the extended.

.....is the American Taliban.

Now, I'm not debating which of bin Laden or Dobson is the more evil, which of Mullah Omar or Pat Robertson deserves the hotter seat in hell.  Nor even, which of the two nasty camps is responsible, in the aggregate, for the most misery in the world.  I'd probably give that crown to Al Quaeda on balance, even take exception to Paul Hackett's saying they're "not much different."

But.  In terms of which odious character is more dangerous to my life, liberty and happiness, me personally?  It's the American Taliban, hands down.

Bin Laden in never going to invade the United States and impose Sharia law.  Islamofascists will never take over my government and shove their way of life down my throat.  

But Falwell will.

     Nothing says consciousness of guilt like taking your dirty contraband to the laundromat.  Just as DeLay laundered illegal campaign contributions throught the RNC, so too the rightwing mob launders hot information.

     From a comment posted on the Huffingtonpost comes (1) the news that Bush and Blair laundered the Niger yellowcake story through the Italian secret service and (2) the brilliant observation that this is the same MO by which Plame's identity was leaked: a laundromat network of reporters and WH operatives.

     Such laundering--in addition to being a crime itself--just shrieks consciousness of guilt.

As visions of Fitzmas sugar plums dance in our heads, as we hang up our stockings with care, do you, like me, have random thoughts, comments, questions you'd like to chat about, but it's not enough for a diary, and it doesn't quite fit whatever Plame diaries are in play when you log in?

Ok, maybe it's all been said before, but maybe you think it interesting or important enough for a reprise. Or, dammit, you finally came up with the perfect Fitzmas carol, and that thread is over.

I'd like to propose this diary as an open Plame thread.  Post your thoughts, carols, jokes, hopes and fears.  Me, I have two on my mind:  the first is how to respond if all we find under the tree on Fitzmas morning are indictments for the coverup.  The other is my frustration that our dear MSM allows Wilson's character to be smeared with the most ridiculous crap (a vacation in Niger is a boondoggle?), and never mentions his truly heroic service to our country.

Mine below the fold, and please post yours!

A lot of us have been following Jabba's battle with the chaplain who has been emailing, to everyone in the base, "daily devotionals" of a decidedly fundamentalist character.  Jabba's latest installment has triggered in me so many thoughts and feelings of outrage, I am indulging myself with a diary to hold forth.  

In a nutshell, the issue is not just that Jabba and other non-fundy soldiers are being subjected to proselytizing.  Or that chaplains have a duty to minister to all faiths, as well as agnostics--does this guy need remedial training in his job?  It is not even that preaching religious intolerance to servicefolk in Fucking Iraq for God's Sake is, um, a little counterproductive maybe?  

What we can never forget is that the current incarnation of Christian fundamentalists is not a religious persuasion.  It is a POLITICAL movement.  A well-organized, well-funded political machine.  This is just one more example of our tax dollars and public institutions being used to fuel that machine.

It's starting, the logical extension of abortion-is-murder.

Fertility clinics are getting picketed, and laws are being considered to limit the number of embryos created in vitro.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05212/546513.stmhttp://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05212/546513.stm

They're coming after the birth control pill next.  It sometimes works by stopping the implantation of a fertilized egg.

These are a bunch of dangerous idiots.  Should they be entrusted with our national security?

As I count it up, there are at least four incidents of serious bungling, if not outright sabotage, of national security matters.  Lemme know if I got them right, and if I missed any.

Before getting to the list under the fold, let me suggest that the Plame meme needs to have both "treason" and "national security" in it.  Something like "treasonous breach of national security."

Seriously, I really think I see something that could solve Iraq.  George and his gang will never go for it, but boy, you know how the RW are always whining that the Dems don't have any better idea how to fix [their] fuckup?  I'd love to see my side adopt this plan.

It was recently reported, with disappointingly little attention on this blog, that Iraq just made a deal with Iran for troop training assistance.  Today it hit me, my god and really, thank god, there is someone who can fix this mess.  That someone is Iran.

    A recurrent theme in literature is the hero with two opposing personas.  One is human, the other mythic.  Often the doppelganger represents the dark side:  Dr Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein and his monster.  Think Dorian Gray and the picture in the attic.  

    This paradigm describes a phenomenon that has long got my goat.  Bush will present himself to the world as a godly, Christian, noble but still aw shucks regular guy.  Meanwhile, media shills spew the most outrageous filth in furtherance of his agenda.  

    Torture is a good example.  Our president solemnly condemns the 'few bad apples', while Rush brays that Abu Ghraib is Brilliant!  Our boys just letting off steam!  Muslims defecate on themselves anyway, so what's the big deal?

    Below the fold, other examples, including the Dr Jeckyll/Mr Hyde tag team on the DSM.  Also, I would love to hear from you, any examples of this phenomenon you'd care to contribute?

    Here's an idea.  If we could convince some huge percentage of our voters to vote absentee, could we bring down blackbox voting?

        Let's chat below.

    Yes, the DSM is evidence that Bush lied to make the case for war, and also that Bush had made the decision well before UN or Congressional authorization.  But let's bring some attention to an even more egregious revelation, the scheme to 'wrongfoot Saddam'.  Put the first two things together with the wrongfooting, and you have a third bullet in the smoking gun.  

    Congress and the UN did not authorize war, they authorized an ultimatum backed up by the threat of war.  Bush's fraud was not just lying to get the ultimatum issued, but concocting a scheme so that Saddam would either defy the ultimatum, or Bush could lie about Saddam's defiance.  Thus, not only did Bush commit fraud to get authority for war, but he knowingly, fraudulently, exceeded the authority that was given.  Is that not a brazen violation of both international and US law?

    Bullet Tree is also significant because it provides powerful evidence in support of Bullets One and Two.

Couldn't help myself.  I got caught up in the debate over at redstate.org, in which the war cheerleaders tried to defend themselves against kos' criticism of chickenhawks who refuse to give the more tangible support of enlisting.

So sucked in was I, I created an account just to put in my two cents.  Feel like an idiot, can't bear to go back to check for responses.  

(Can you delete an account there, I wonder.  Should I post some obscenities against Baby Jesus so I'll get banned?)

Anyway, so I'm posting here as well, in hopes of eliciting discussion with bloggers I prefer talking with.

    Goddam, can you stand to read another one?  And a long one too, sorry.  Won't blame you if you move on.  But here is the teaser, in case (like me) you just have to take a peak, can't pass up, another goddam abortion diary.

    There are three principles to understanding, and then promoting, the Proper Stance on Abortion.

     First, the Right to Privacy, which really should be called the Right to be Free from Unwarranted Governmental Intrusion.  As the word "unwarranted" implies, this is a balancing test, weighing the individual's right to have the government keep the hell out of his life, against the state's interest in sticking its nose in.  Second, to guide us in that balancing act, is your Basic Golden Rule.  Understand the Golden Rule, and you'll understand where to draw the line.  

    Finally, there's the Terri Schiavo Principle, aka WTF? we won a battle on a cultural issue?  How'd that happen, and how can we make it happen again?

    More, at way too much length, below.

A couple days ago, there were comments in a diary where posters were riffing on suggested choruses for a Bush parody based on "Don't Know Much About History."

Well, the definitive version of that was done before the 2000 Inauguration.  Enjoy, below the fold.