Cheaters and Liars

The sudden media outrage over John Edwards' finally copping to be a lying cheat is understandable. It's personal drama with a smattering of sleaze, so it's apparently news. I wonder how many pots are calling out the kettle here. Of course, most of the pots aren't former presidential or vice-presidential candidates, but the sudden intense focus on Edwards, who is no longer a contender for the White House, smacks of being fairly disingenuous given the utter lack of attention paid to the past infidelity - and frequent outright dishonesty - by a current presidential contender. Another John, if you will.

A lot has been made of why Edwards thought he had a chance of getting away with this affair, especially as a potential presidential candidate. But who could blame him for his hubris? When the current president gets away with illegally spying on Americans, and torturing prisoners, and wrecking the economy thanks to a complicit press and a compliant Congress, why wouldn't Edwards think he could get away with it? When that same media pays little attention to a Republican senator - David Vitter - who got busted for having his phone number in the black book of a whore, someone like Edwards can be at least understood for thinking he had some wiggle room with the media.

I can't rail enough against the media for their almost sickening lack of honest reporting when it comes to anything about McCain. But it's wrong of them all to heap their collective self on Edwards while utterly ignoring the fact that McCain's entire political career exists solely because he had an affair with a rich heiress while his wife at the time was wheelchair-bound, recuperating from serious injuries.

Watch Cenk's takedown for more of what I mean.

Animal Farm Friday - Peaceful Co-existence

With Russia and Georgia on the brink of war, this is in the spirit of all of us just getting along...

Six degrees of separation?

Apparently it's true. But it's also creepy how Microsoft did the research. How hard would it be to extend that research a little to actually track conversations? Are they working with the NSA too?

What it means to be conservative

Conservatives. LOL. 

Peace Walls?

I recently wrote about the surge being a failure, and I stand by that assertion. In that same post I argued that it would probably take "peace walls" like in Northern Ireland to separate the warring groups, and it appears now that I was right.

(hat tip to Scamper for the video)

Glenn and Digby

Very interesting and illuminating chat between Glenn Greenwald and super-political-blogger Digby:

Listen to it here: