Have they lost their intensity, focus and persistence? Have they fallen victim to the 30 second soundbyte and the 24 news cycle? Can they not focus their efforts for more than 8 days? Have they lost the insight that dissent takes many forms and the ability to utilize seemingly innocous events to foster discussion and hopefully change?

If you are wondering what I am talking about, join me beneath the fold.

For those that missed the first 2 broadcasts of Stephen Colbert's historic evisceration of the press and the President at the White House Correspondence Dinner his segment is about to be rebroadcast approximately 1:30 EDT on C-Span.

Anyone who suffered through the President's address today  heard 2 "newsworthy" remarks that have come out of it. He  spoke about not adding any more to the Strategic Oil Reserve and that he has ordered an investigation into price gouging. I will leave others to comment on the worth/impact of not adding to the reserve during the summer months, however according to Scotty's press gaggle last night the "investigation" is nothing new.

The breaking news of DHS Deputy Press Secretary Brian Doyle's arrest for seducing whom he thought was a 14 year old girl is the administration's latest example of dangerous incompetence. The implications of a DHS officer who could be in a position to be blackmailed for his disgusting actions is more than the story of one bad apple, as I am sure will be the admin's talking point. It should cast a spotlight on the administration's misguided policies and how the "family values" crowd has left the most vulnerable memebers of America's families unsafe, its children and teens.

I am fairly new here so I am not all that familiar with community rules, however after writing a longish post downthread on Georgia10's great diary about the new White House strategy on allowing George W Bush to be himself I felt that there were too many gems in George's recent Q&A at Freedom House to go unnoticed.

So, if I broke any community rules I apologize. I also apologize ahead of time to those that take the time to read this for our President's inability to form logical, coherent sentences based in reality.

Remember you have been forewarned...there's more on the flip.

First diary so please be gentle, but I came across this letter from a veteran to GW and it moved me so much I thought I would pass it on. If it has already been posted I apologize but always worth a reread. I wonder if "Mean Jean" would have the nerve to call this fine American a coward also.