What do you want to talk about? I see stories but am too wiped out from the antibiotics to think of much. The main thing is that BooMan has given himself a break, taken himself out for dinner, and is relaxing, so we have to (pretend to) be productive in his absence.
Warning: If I go “poof,” it’s because we’re having high winds again. I can hardly walk outside to put the food out for the little critters. Hope we don’t lose DSL again. Or, worse, electricity.
Do you think anything’s going to happen with Darfur? Kofi Annan is really pressuring Bush to get off the dime, send troops in to enforce peace. But I recall reading a few months ago that the Canadians TRIED to send troops to Darfur but were turned down by the Sudanese government. Will the Sudanese accept U.N. forces, or only those from Africa?
On the Cheney front:
- “Can Cheney be His Own Declassification Machine? — In my view, the law says ‘No’. . .but I have little doubt Alberto Gonzales and his minions will construct a rationale that says otherwise. — But I have run across some interesting information — and have some questions that we should all pose …” (Steve Clemons, Washington Note)
- “The Little-Noticed Order That Gave Dick Cheney New Power”: …
“”Is it your view that a Vice President has the authority to declassify information?” Hume asked.
“There is an executive order to that effect,” Cheney said. …”
Cheney was referring to Executive Order 13292, issued by President Bush on March 25, 2003, which dealt with the handling of classified material. That order was not an entirely new document but was, instead, an amendment to an earlier Executive Order, number 12958, issued by President Bill Clinton on April 17, 1995 … the Bush order also contained a number of provisions which significantly increased the vice president’s power.” (Byron York, National Review)
- “The public visibility of the presidency itself is under revision. More of it lies in shadow all the time. Non-communication has become the standard procedure, not a breakdown in practice but the essence of it… With these changes, executive power has grown more illegible under Bush.” (Jay Rosen, Press Think: Ghost of Democracy in the Media Machine)
So, besides Dick Cheney, undescended male cat testicles, and erotic (but far too provocative) Latin dancing, what else can we discuss?
