Bush brought impersonator Steve Bridges
to last night’s White House Correspondent’s
banquet, and let his alter ego get the laughs.
He may be sorry. The pair of Bushes beat
the ace of The Colbert Report – and may
drive the President’s sycophant off the air.

In the middle of the debate on immigration,
between Bush and conservative Republicans,
someone released Nuestro Himno, a Spanish
version of The Star Spangled Banner.
Suddenly Bush joined the right wing forces
to insist that our national anthem be sung
in English, an artful shift in topic probably
composed by political lyricist – Karl Rove.

The House voted, 216 to 207, to send
an “ethics� bill to the floor on Tuesday.
Most of those voting against it thought
it was too weak. One called it “pathetic.�
Lobbyists must disclose what they do
quarterly instead of twice a year, and bills
will have to list the earmarks they contain,
and identify the sponsor of each one.
Assuming this bill […]

Rove’s lawyer says Karl’s not
a target, just a helpful witness
being cooperative – upon request.
He testified to a grand jury yesterday
for the fifth time, most likely about
how busy people are often forgetful.
Let’s hope Fitzgerald is not too
preoccupied to remember why he
started this investigation in 2003.

The decider got a new explainer to help
his sagging scores in the opinion polls.
Tony may be better than Scott, but unless
he gets to deal with better decisions, he
should have stayed in the minor league.

We didn’t mean to imply she leaked
the secret about our secret prisons –
she didn’t know that secret – but since
she talked to some reporters without
permission we decided to make her a
fright-write (a scarecrow for the press).

As Congress comes back to work,
for about a month between recesses,
Democrats should consider extending
their break so Republicans can fight.
First up is an emergency spending bill
the Senate larded with such things as
moving a railroad as a favor to gulf coast
developers. Bush prefers the House bill.
Next is immigration, and the President
wants the Senate’s thinly disguised
let-everyone-stay version […]

The Bush administration thinks it’s okay
to punish someone for leaking classified
information about government’s illegal acts.
They expect to break laws with impunity –
why not? That’s how they got elected.

Bush can’t do a thing about
millions of illegal aliens, but he
finds time to attack free speech.
Shouting at a leader who condones
torture constitutes a crime, according
to the administration. They probably
consider it practicing preemptive law.

Of course no one new
has joined the Bush staff. Who would
want to step in that?

In today’s New York Times Bob Herbert
reviews our ruthless, lawless treatment of
terror suspects, while The Washington Post
reflects on our inability, after months
of trying, to persuade one Iraqi to resign
so their parliament can form a government.
Perhaps Bush should shuffle more people

Bush seems to be getting ready to distract us
by bombing Iran. Let’s fool him with a diversion.
Democrats should propose a security fee – a charge
on every imported container, truck and package –
to pay for appropriate protective measures. Republicans
hate to raise taxes, but increase fees all the time.
$1,000 per container would add little to the average
imported […]

If you’re having trouble settling into the gravitas
of the next presidential campaign, read Dana Milbank’s
account of the frontrunner’s initial press conference.
It’s funny, but scary since his description of Mike Gravel
is probably the most candid analysis of a candidate’s
qualifications for office we’ll read in the next 2½ years.

Voting for a candidate, not a party,
is like choosing clothes for style, not size.
The majority party in each chamber sets
the agenda, passes laws, performs oversight.
Members of the other party, qualified or not,
have impact only on television talk shows.

Please stop ragging on Rummy.
He shouldn’t bail out now that
he can do some good – for once.
As the symbol of what is wrong
in Iraq – he provides Democrats
with the perfect point of attack.
His resigning can’t improve the
prospects for ending the war quickly,
staying can help improve Congress.

We can’t be positive illegal immigration
is the only reason for wage stagnation;
we’re not certain carbon dioxide emissions
cause global warming and melt ice caps;
we don’t know if the missing drain plug
is the sole leak in the boat; so as a nation
we engage in debate, and await fate.

Any doubt about Rummy’s staying power
should be wiped away by the strong rebuttal
of the criticisms of a half-dozen generals,
who know what they’re talking about,
by a President who clearly doesn’t.
The Secretary of Defense is safe for now –
unfortunately, the country isn’t.

When Bush announced we discovered
Saddam’s mobile bio-labs, experts
had already decided we hadn’t, but
they apparently didn’t tell the President.
It was months before he acknowledged
the faulty intelligence. To justify the delay
Scott McClellan asserted, “The White House
is not the intelligence-gathering agency.�
Oh, that’s our problem!

Our saber rattles.
It is broken and Bush’s
hand is quivering.

There are no losers in the battle
for immigration legislation, activists
may have different motivations, but
a stalemate means everyone wins.
Some desire votes, others cheap labor,
or help for friends to flaunt our laws
and improve their economic lot at the
expense of the poorest Americans.
Everyone benefits from the status quo –
cheaper landscaping, hotel rooms and
restaurant meals, even the unemployed
save pennies […]