Eve of Destruction

The swirling cesspool that is the party of Delay, Hastert, Ney, Cornyn, Reed, Abramoff, Frist, Rove, Cheney and Bush looks poised to take the big plunge. It's hard to find major Republican leaders not somehow attached to Abramoff's web of corruption, extortion, theft, and, very possibly, murder. Josh Marshall has the latest on the roles in the Indian Casino protection racket of Reed and Cornyn (link to Austin American Statesman story.)

It's safe to say that electing the village idiot was intrinsic to the deal but less clear what his direct cupability is. A bunch of lobbyists and well-connected business men got richer. A bunch of Congressmen got golf trips to Scotland and other benefits. A bunch of each will likely be seeing a federal penitentiary from the wrong side. So far so good.

The story of the collateral damage is of more moment. Two thousand American soldiers dead, fifty times that many Iraqis. The American volunteer Army creaking under the strain, on the point of breaking. A conflagration is looming in the Middle East , with catastrophic economic consequences possible. A world financial crisis lurks just over the horizon. The countries reputation irretrievably stained by lies, torture, and corruption, and nobody in the government who seems to have a clue as to how to make policies to deal with these threats.

Interesting times ahead.

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