What part of "yes" do you not understand?

.....
Yet just yesterday, the Bush administration's Department of Health and Human Services announced the selection of an extreme right-wing "Christian pregnancy-counseling organization" chief to lead the department's family-planning and population programs. The Washington Post reports that OB-GYN Eric Keroack "regards the distribution of contraceptives as 'demeaning to women.' "

....

Maybe Tony will elaborate on his "naughty spanky" explanation (yuck) as reported in this diary by Kevvboy:

SNOW:I predict that Tony may have to retract or explain his way out of this hole he's digging.

But for those who have wondered how on earth the Republican leadership could turn a blind eye to the warning flags in this case, there's your explanation.  There's your mindset.  

They told him to cut out all the NAUGHTY goings-on.  They must have thought it was cute and a bit innocent, sending all those naughty spanky emails to that boy.

Could be an interesting briefing. The start time has been delayed until 12:15 EST.

Live feed: CSPAN UPDATE: Hasert is supposed to be on in 15 min. at 1:45. We can continue here with live blogging or that, or someone can start a new diary if this is too long.

But the Civil War Preservation Trust isn't having it. They claim the developers dug a deep trench through historic land owned by the National Park Service and the American people.

"Beginning on the morning of August 19, 2006, a group of local developers moved heavy machinery and work crews onto the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and proceeded to lay water and sewer pipes on historic land where Stonewall Jackson launched one of the most brilliant tactical triumphs of the Civil War," said CWPT President James Lighthizer. "The developers had neither authority nor the permits necessary to do this."

The purpose of the water and sewer line is to facilitate a planned development of approximately 3,400 houses proposed for construction both inside and adjacent to the Park Service boundary. To date, the developers have not received any local approvals necessary for this development to proceed, the trust says.

GOP to fight DeLay ruling
Republicans turn to Supreme Court after panel favors keeping him on the ballot

.....

Republican attorney James Bopp Jr. said the party will either ask the Supreme Court for a stay of the 5th Circuit's order or will ask the high court for an expedited appeal.

Bopp said a stay request would go first to Justice Antonin Scalia, who presides over the 5th Circuit. For the case to proceed, four justices would have to be willing to accept the appeal. In an expedited appeal, Bopp said either four justices could agree to take it up or it could be done on the authority of Chief Justice John Roberts.

.....

Senate panel puts off Bolton vote to September

Mon Jul 31, 2:56 PM ET

At the urging of Democrats, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has put off a vote until September on whether to keep John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, committee aides said on Monday.

Democrats want to use that time to press the White House for documents they had sought last year during the dispute over Bolton's nomination to be U.N. envoy. They contend he bullied intelligence analysts to conform to his hawkish views in his last job as top U.S. arms control negotiator.

Republicans, citing the need for a strong hand at the United Nations during the Middle East crisis, had pushed for quick confirmation.

Recall that Republican opposition  to Harriet Miers prevented a "fair" upordown vote on the nomination. It was a stinging defeat for Bush, and he wasn't going to let it happen again.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A strong undersea earthquake off the southern coast of Indonesia's Java island on Monday triggered a tsunami that swept away buildings at a popular beach resort and killed at least 11 people, according to local news reports.

There were no reports of casualties or damage in any other country. But the news caused panic across the region, which is still recovering from a tsunami less than two years ago that left nearly 230,000 people killed or missing, mostly in Indonesia.

.....

I think there will be a lot of fatalities because probably they are buried under rubble. The road to the scene is covered by rubbish brought by the waves", policeman Agus said.
A woman who said she was a witness had earlier told Jakarta-based Radio Elshinta that waves came several hundred metres inland at Pangandaran Beach.
......

As I prepared this diary the reports of death climbed.

Update: There was no warning on Java after all.

If our political enemies are exterminated, as they should be, America will finally be free.

Surly, this is the most hilarious main-stream political satire you've seen lately? Are you holding your side laughing? Well those jokers at Fox News think these ideas are just good innocent humor.

The drivers weren't arrested because entering a nuclear power plant with a half a million dollars isn't a crime. The Department of "Homeland Security" wasn't interested either. So the drivers went about their business, with the official explanation incident as "drug related."

But the name of the owner of the trailer has now been published

skip

State police said the men drove up to the Beaver Valley Power Station in a tractor-trailer on Tuesday night to pick up two large containers of tools for a contractor for whom they worked.

Security guards stopped the men for a routine inspection, but they drove away, police said.

The guards became suspicious and called police, who pulled the truck over about a mile from the plant.

A state trooper got a warrant to search the vehicle and found a duffel bag, which he said contained $504,230 in mostly small bills.

more

Rep. Slaughter is on the floor now making great points. She is condemning the budget reconciliation bill which will be voted out of the House tonight. It looked so good earlier today, now the Democrats seem resigned to Republican unity on this resolution.

Howdy Doody (aka Adam Putman) wants to hear your opinion of his plan to bankrupt your grandchildren, let him know! 202-225-1252

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll.

"Thinking for a moment about the elections for Congress next year -- If the elections for Congress were being held today, which party's candidate would you vote for in your congressional district: the Democratic Party's candidate or the Republican Party's candidate?" If unsure: "As of today, do you lean more toward the Democratic Party's candidate or the Republican Party's candidate?

Republican          10/21-23/05   43%     8/28-30/05  41%

Democrat            10/21-23/05  50%%     8/28-30/05    53%

Polling Report link:

Arguably owners of second homes shouldn't enjoy a tax deduction for that property, but no mention is made of elimination of that perk in press reports of the panel's conclusions. The mortgage interest deduction for a primary residential home is one of the few tax shelters available to the middle class. The obvious unintended consequence of this tax increase would be to accelerate the decline in the price of real estate even if the change were phased in slowly since people look at real property investments in the very long term.

Who would benefit from a decline in the price of real estate? Who would benefit from a tax on employer paid health care?

Bush and rest in the administration must believe white guys in Oklahoma can't be terrorists.

Joel Henry Hinrichs III

Why would a suicidal student have a signifgant quantity of explosives in the apartment he shares with a roommate? Is it just a coincidence that the bomber attended same Norman, Oklahoma mosque as Zacarias Moussaoui? Why did he try to buy Ammonium Nitrate in the days prior to his death?

President Bush on November 17 named Harriet Miers as White House counsel, a position she will hold upon the Senate confirmation of Alberto Gonzales -- current White House counsel -- as U.S. Attorney General.

Most recently, Miers served as Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary. Prior to that, she was Co-Managing Partner at Locke Liddell & Sapp, LLP. Previously, she was President of Locke, Purnell, Rain & Harrell, where she worked from 1972 until 1999. From 1995 until 2000, she was chair of the Texas Lottery Commission. In 1992, Harriet became the first woman president of the Texas State Bar, and in 1985 she became the first woman president of the Dallas Bar Association. She also served as a Member-At-Large on the Dallas City Council. Harriet received both her undergraduate and law degrees from Southern Methodist University.

official bio

Any second there will be  a plethora of diaries reminding us how fortunate we are to have her and not Priscilla Owens.

Beg the Committee members to keep it simple! We know what the senators think; we (hypothetically) don't know what the nominee thinks.  The more opportunity Roberts has to speak; the more likely it is that, with a slip of the tongue, he'll tell the truth. At very least, hours of Roberts pleading the fifth (yes, I know, not literally) might make the public wonder what Roberts feels he must hide.

Also, since Roberts raised the question of judicial activism with the umpire metaphor, drill him on it. As far as possible they should avoid further use of the hackneyed sports metaphor itself, it makes the questioner look stupid at this point, but pound the point.  Ask many, many simple (as in not compound) questions which relate directly to Roberts own words on the subject, during his testimony.  

PLEASE! Enough with the speeches!  PLEASE!

The man wearing the American flag didn't wish to continue with the others but did offer some comments as he rowed away, he said, "Government," he raised his arms in anger as he continued, "FEMA! Bush! If I ever see that....I voted for the stupid bastard. That tells you how smart I am."

The new patriotism from Bubba himself, next they're going to realize that gay marriage is only an issue for gays who marry.

By August 26

Jeb got his paperwork done quickly and correctly, because it was processed quickly, see below.