The Right again demonstrates simplemindedness on Iraq:

The DNC chairman praises the result that would not have come without the actions he opposed:

Justice for the Iraqi people was finally served today with the conviction of Saddam Hussein. This dictator ruled by fear, torturing and murdering his own people to satisfy his malicious interests. It’s commendable and important that he was brought to justice in the country where he committed these atrocities against humanity.

Is is too much for Byron York to understand that justice for Saddam Hussein was not worth the Iraq Debacle? Apparently not. Indeed, THAT is the referendum for the American People on Tuesday. Byron York and the Republicans believe the Iraq Debacle was a success because of today. And that we should stay the course and do the same for Iran. Democrats and the American People do not.

Let us vote accordingly.

This is shocking . . . not.

UPDATE: I have to add this from Ledeen's response to the criticism:

As for the Scowcroft excoriation left bloggers are pointing to, I never address military action in it. Which, again, anyone who's been reading me all this time know wasn't my solution to the problem.

His cited reference has him saying:

So it's good news when Scowcroft comes out against the desperately-needed and long overdue war against Saddam Hussein and the rest of the terror masters. . . . Blessedly, President Bush knows by now that the Palestinian question can only be addressed effectively once the war against Saddam and his ilk has been won.

. . .[Scowcroft] fears that if we attack Iraq "I think we could have an explosion in the Middle East. It could turn the whole region into a caldron and destroy the War on Terror."

One can only hope that we turn the region into a cauldron, and faster, please. If ever there were a region that richly deserved being cauldronized, it is the Middle East today. If we wage the war effectively, we will bring down the terror regimes in Iraq, Iran, and Syria, and either bring down the Saudi monarchy or force it to abandon its global assembly line to indoctrinate young terrorists. That's our mission in the war against terror.

An insane liar. Scary.

Reverand Haggard, I submit, should not have resigned, as reported by Jeralyn here. He should have fought for his position.

He admitted to a "'lifelong' sexual problem"; meaning, ... I guess, he has always been gay but married because Jesus required it of him?

Assume, for the sake of argument, that the Democrats take the House on Tuesday. The new Congress is sworn in in early January.

Assume further that the House, finally exercising checks and balances, votes to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Assume further that the Senate actually convicts, a really big assumption, considering that a vote along party lines would not reach the required number of 67 (U.S. Const., Art. I, § 3, cl. 6).

If both the President and Vice President were convicted on an Article of Impeachment, the Speaker of the House would assume the Presidency.  Then, the new President would name a Vice President to be confirmed by the House under the Twenty-fifth Amendment.

A letter written by Ted Haggard was read to the congregation of New Life Church this morning:

Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard confessed on Sunday to a "lifelong" sexual problem, and said he was "a deceiver and a liar," in a letter read to his New Life Church. "There is part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it all my life," he said in the letter.

A letter from his wife was also read:

Gayle Haggard said while her heart is broken, she remains "committed to him until death do us part."

Yesterday's Examiner: Three Santa Barbara elementary schools to fingerprint students. The purpose: use of the cafeteria.

A plan to fingerprint elementary school students when they buy lunch has some parents worrying that Big Brother has come to the cafeteria.

The Hope Elementary School District has notified parents that beginning this month, students at Monte Vista, Vieja Valley and Hope elementary schools will press an index finger to a scanner before buying cafeteria food.

The scan will call up the student's name and student ID, teacher's name and how much the student owes, since some receive government assistance for food.

Update: Saddam has been sentenced to die by hanging.

A curfew is in place in Baghdad for the release of the 200 page verdict Sunday against Saddam Hussein. Saddam faces hanging if convicted.

Saddam says he will die with honor and no fear.

Saddam's lawyers told Reuters they chatted with him for more than three hours on Saturday, saying he was in high spirits and talked about mounting U.S. military losses and the insurgency.

"I will die with honour and with no fear, with pride for my country and my Arab nation but the U.S. occupiers will leave in humiliation and defeat," they quoted Saddam as saying.

"They will see rivers of blood for years to come. It will dwarf Vietnam."

If sentenced to death, it is unlikely to happen soon.

So much for the "just a massage" story. One of the members of the Ted Haggard investigation committee said in an interview Saturday night:

...a member of the four-member oversight board said in an interview Saturday night that Haggard admitted Thursday to sexual misconduct.

The board member, the Rev. Michael Ware of Victory Church in Westminster, said the board first met with Haggard and his wife Thursday and Haggard immediately confessed to sexually immoral conduct.

Ware would not describe what Haggard admitted to but made clear the probe was limited to allegations by Michael Forest Jones, an admitted gay prostitute from Denver. Ware said more details would be shared with the congregation today.

I wonder if Haggard stuck to his story that he threw away the meth he bought unused. On the one hand, it would debunk the overused "gateway" theory of drug use. On the other, he's asking us to believe the equivalent of "No, I've never even smoked a joint, but i was thinking of shooting up heroin -- could you tie me off?"

Today's editorial in the New York Times explains why the paper is not endorsing a single Republican for the House of Representatives this year. It's a damning and well-deserved indictment of Bush and Republican congresspersons.

First, the premise:

Although Times editorials tend to agree with Democrats on national policy, we have proudly and consistently endorsed a long line of moderate Republicans, particularly for the House. Our only political loyalty is to making the two-party system as vital and responsible as possible.

Now, the indictment:

Rep. John Dingell's investigation agenda as chair of the Commerce Committee if Democrats take the House:

Among the areas Dingell says he will investigate: "Privacy. Social Security number protection. Outsourcing protection. Unfair trade practices. Currency manipulation. Air quality.

"We'll look at the implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. We'll take a look at climate change. We'll take a look at the nuclear waste programme, where literally billions of dollars are being dissipated. We'll look at port security and nuclear smuggling, where there's literally nothing being done. On health, we'll take a look at Medicaid. The Food and Drug Administration. Generic drug approval. Medical safety. We'll also take a look at food supplements, where people are being killed. We will look at the overall question of Katrina recovery efforts."

In a word: oversight.

The New York Times says only two senate races remain a tossup: Missouri and Virginia.

The map is now on a razor’s edge with 49 seats leaning or safe for both the Democrats and for the Republicans.

The Democrats have a tougher battle because they need to reach 51 seats to take control as Vice President Dick Cheney will break a 50-50 tie.

Query: If Joe Lieberman wins, what column does it fall in since he's not running as a Democrat or a Republican? The Republicans will try to woo him into changing parties. I think he'll continue to call himself a Democrat while supporting Republican platforms.

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