By Dave Lindorff

For some time now, many Americans have wondered how Congress, the
elected body that the nation’s Founding Fathers saw as the bulwark of
liberty, could have been so thoroughly unwilling to, or incapable of
challenging the dictatorial power-grabs and the eight-year Constitution
wrecking campaign of the Bush/Cheney administration.

There has been speculation on both the far left and the far right,
and even among some in the apolitical, cynical middle of the political
spectrum, that somehow the Bush/Cheney administration must have been
blackmailing at least the key members of the Congressional leadership,
most likely through the use of electronic monitoring by the National
Security Agency (NSA).

By Dave Lindorff

All the attention in the breaking story about John McCain's 2000 relationship with a blonde young telecom lobbyist has been focussed on the question of whether or not they were "doing it."

As George Stephanopoulos claimed on ABC, the importance of the story depends upon whether McCain is shown to have had a "relationship" with the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman.

But really, who cares whether they were shacking up on the campaign trail? McCain, after all, already double-timed his starter wife and dumped her for a trophy wife, the statuesque and wealthy beer industry heiress Cindy Hensley, so it's not as though he is campaigning on a strong pro-family platform.

From CREW

It's official, Kenny (BoyToy) Mehlman's replacement has been anointed by our Dear Smirkin' MisLeader. Mel (Empty-Suit) Martinez is the new partime RNC Chair. He of the infamous Terry Schiavo memo. And, yes, another Lobbygate - Bob Ney - Jack Abramoff tainted Republican. Oh, and he's also caught up in a little campaign finance scandal of his own involving corporate embezzlers in S. Fl. But I'm sure that's someone else's fault.... Great choice Smirky! I'm enjoying the hell out of watching you flush your Repugnant crime syndicate down the ol' swirly slip and slide...

Bush Announces Sen. Martinez Next RNC Chairman
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), a close WH ally and a Cuban American, will take the job of general chairman of the RNC, Bush announced to reporters at the WH this afternoon. The appointment comes in the wake of an election that yielded shrinking GOP support from Hispanic voters. Martinez, a first-term senator, will remain in office and serve as the party's chief spokesman and fundraiser heading into the 2008 elections. Mike Duncan, the RNC's current general counsel and a former party treasurer, will manage day-to-day operations and be elected chairman in January, Bush said. The current co-chair, Jo Ann Davidson, will continue in that post... (more)

Just 28 days to Election Day - how many GOP scandals can we count today?

Wayne Madsen compiled a beautiful state-by-state GOP Scandal Scorecard - send it to your friends!

Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) will plead guilty on Friday the 13th for his Abramoff bribes and go directly to jail - but he will pass Go! and he will collect $200 $165,200! And to make matters worse, he will still collect his full Congressional pension for the rest of his life!! (CREW)

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Fortuitous that it comes before the election...

Rove Aide Linked To Abramoff Resigns
A top aide to WH strategist Karl Rove resigned yesterday after disclosures that she accepted gifts from and passed information to now-convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, becoming the first official in the West Wing to lose a job in the influence-peddling scandal. Susan B. Ralston submitted her resignation to avoid causing political damage to pResident Bush a month before the midterm elections, officials said. "She did not want to be a distraction to the WH at this important time," said WH spokeswoman Dana Perino... (No distraction at all, yeah right!)

Another rotten Republican piece of fruit falls from the tree of corruption.

Jack Abramoff's "golf buddy," pudgy Bob Ney, ® OH, has announced that he will not be running for re-election. Predictably Ney, claims he is cutting and running, for the sake of his family.

read article:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/080706J.shtml

2591 soldiers KIA
18,777 maimed and wounded
+44,191 Iraqi dead
Reject the culture of death! Embrace hope, vote Democratic!

CIA Director Porter Goss quit so suddenly today that it even shocked FOX and Bill Kristol.

If you haven't been following Hookergate, now's the time to catch up. Here's the nutshell from ThinkProgress:

For more than a decade, Cunningham-linked defense contractor Brent Wilkes curried favor with lawmakers and CIA officials by hosting weekly parties at lavish hospitality suites at the Watergate and Westin hotels in Washington. Guests would gamble, socialize, and sometimes receive prostitutes; according to Harper’s magazine, the festivities “began early with poker games and degenerated” into what one source described “as a ‘frat party’ scene — real bacchanals.”

Once upon a time, I never imagined that the "most powerful man in Washington," as he was often called, would resign in disgrace. Remember, it was DeLay who strong-armed the impeachment of Clinton, even after the GOP lost 5 seats. For over seven years I have invested my entire life in opposing the hegemony of the Right Wing. Back in 1999, the Right was poised to control all three branches of government, and I believed that once that happened, there would be no turning back. And then with a little help from Katherine Harris, Jeb's pals, DeLay's Gucci riot squad -- and the Felonious Five on the Supreme Court -- the Right did control all three branches.

In the wake of Tom DeLay's impending resignation, here's an interesting conversation with an expert on the Texas money machine...

Former State Dept. official George Keeney interviews Robert Bryce, author of "Cronies." Also, check out the other interviews, especially one of former NSA Director William Odom -- to hear his criticism of the Bush administration and the Iraq War.

Although he was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Robert Bryce makes his home in Texas. He's put a lot of work into following the Texas money network, which he probably understands as well as anyone who's not a big time insider. In addition to two books, which look at that network from different perspectives, including its impact on the world outside Texas, he's written widely on a number of issues. In this conversation we talk about his recent trip to Saudi Arabia and Dubai, about oil supply, about the Palestinians, American politics, and raising bees. This podcast runs about 45 minutes.