What A Day!!!

Today has been one of the most interesting days in years. This morning I was reminded what I have known for a long time--you just can't unring a bell. Last Friday the Kansas Board of Public Utilities found out that the Kansas City Star and a local weekly called the Pitch had published stories on their websites based on a confidential communication between the board and its lawyer. They immediately secured a temporary restraining order forcing the newspapers to pull down their stories. Yesterday evening the Kansas City Kansan published its own story based on the story first published by the Pitch and then ordered down. So much for unringing a bell. Once a story is posted to the Internet it is there for all time.

Then there were the all day House and Senate Judiciary Hearings where with each passing witness it became ever more apparent that at least some of the purged prosecutors were fired for either not prosecuting Democrats in time to help Republicans, or for prosecuting Republicans with too much vigor. Those were amazing hearings. Watching the Bush administration needlessly sacrifice some of the best and brightest young Republicans was sad. I have the impression that if the Administration had just said that it wanted to a change of direction the purged USAs would have never said a word. Whoever thought up the idea of challenging their job performance should be fired. Whoever decided that was a good idea should join that person on the unemployment line. At the end of the day a senior Senator and two Representatives (including the ranking member of the house ethics committee) seem to have committed ethical violations. The Bush administration has done great damage to the Justice Department and its US attorney program.

Then there is the Libby verdict. Listening to the juror who gave a press conference, I came away with the idea that the jury liked Libby, and wanted to find him innocent. They couldn't. They really wanted to get at those who they believe are the real villains of this sad story--the Vice President and Karl Rove. And they couldn't. Like the USA scandal the Plame scandal was self inflicted. The Vice President needlessly decided to bring the name Valerie Plame into the story. Why is any body's guess. Arrogance. Stupidity. Self destructive vindictiveness. Outing her wasn't necessary to constructing a defense, but they did it anyway.

Then there is the continuing scandal that is Walter Reed. The reasons for that mess are symptomatic of the arrogant incompetence and lack of concern for us regular citizens that have been the hallmarks of the entire Bush administration. There is an old saying "hope for the best, but plan for the worst." Obviously, that old saying is meaningless for an administration that doesn't believe in Plan B.

Finally, hanging over all of the day is Iraq itself. I know several young men and women who have served or are in the final stages of training to serve in Iraq. How do you train somebody to referee a civil war? Your guess is as good as any general's opinion. I am not sure this administration really cares about those young men and women, but I do. So should you. Goodnight. I wonder what wonders or horrors tomorrow will bring.