The Truffle

That's the only way to explain Dick Cheney's presence at the GOP convention. I guess it partly explains why so many Republicans are antsy about even showing their faces there . What Mensa candidate thought it would be a good idea for Cheney to show up? Are they going to have Jack Abramoff give a speech by satellite from prison, too? Is McCain going to give Cheney a big hug the way he did with Bush in 2004?

Guess who said this in 1994 interview? Q: Do you think the U.S., or U.N. forces, should have moved into Baghdad? A: No. Q: Why not? A: Because if we'd gone to Baghdad we would have been all alone. There wouldn't have been anybody else with us. There would have been a U.S. occupation of Iraq. None of the Arab forces that were willing to fight with us in Kuwait were willing to invade Iraq. Once you got to Iraq and took it over, took down Saddam Hussein's government, then what are you going to put in its place? That's a very volatile part of the world, and if you take down the central government of Iraq, you could very easily end up seeing pieces of Iraq fly off: part of it, the Syrians would like to have to the west, part of it -- eastern Iraq -- the Iranians would like to claim, they fought over it for eight years. In the north you've got the Kurds, and if the Kurds spin loose and join with the Kurds in Turkey, then you threaten the territorial integrity of Turkey. I...

From White House spokesman Tony Fratto: It's unfortunate that congressional Democrats continue to choose the route of confrontation. Fratto is, of course, talking about the meanies who subpoenaed Bush 'n' Dick regarding their warrantless wiretapping program. Yeah, it's unfortunate--for Bush 'n' Dick. Right, Tony? PS: I've been wanting to refer to them as Bush 'n' Dick for a long time, ya know.

Senator Craig Thomas, Republican from Wyoming, lost his battle with leukemia earlier this week. Although Wyoming's governor, Dave Freudenthal, is a Democrat, state law says that his replacement must be another Republican, chosen by the state's GOP. Soooooo...guess who's being touted as a successor? I'll give you a hint: she's married to a really evil guy and her surname starts with a "C". Nice. Just what this government needs. Another unofficial Republican ruling family that needs to go away. Can't they bring back Alan Simpson? He's much saner than about 75 percent of the Republicans currently in the Senate. (Via Bark Bark Woof Woof .)

Via Atrios, we find Harry Reid's spokesman responding to Darth Cheney's latest outburst: Vice President Cheney should be the last person to lecture anyone on how leaders should make decisions. Leaders should make decisions based on facts and reality, two words that seem to be foreign to the Vice President. This is the same guy who said Iraq has weapons of mass destruction and that we would be greeted as liberators. And it's the same guy who continues to assert that Saddam Hussein had links to al Qaeda long after our own intelligence agency conclusively refuted this notion. To suggest he lacks credibility would be an understatement. The Vice President's and others' attacks on those who disagree with their failed policies are signs of desperation. They are lashing out because they know the days are numbered for their failed strategy and that the American people and a bipartisan majority are determined to force this Administration to change course in Iraq. See, guys?...

Note to La Hill: If you want to win voters, like the two thirds or so who think the Iraq war is a bad idea, you could try responding like this when Cheney tries to put a positive spin on Situation FUBAR. "Now, keep in mind, this is the same guy that said we'd be greeted as liberators, the same guy that said that we're in the last throes. I'm sure he forecast sun today," Obama said to laughter from supporters holding campaign signs over their heads to keep dry. "When Dick Cheney says it's a good thing, you know that you've probably got some big problems." I'm liking Obama more and more by the minute.