Well, Really, It's Baker's War

As usual, I was scooped by Glenn Greenwald, but I figure I should soldier on anyway. Here are a few musings jotted down last night as I watched the cable news replays of the historic Iraq Study Group Report:

• As Greenwald demonstrates, it's fairly ridiculous for anyone to take anything James Baker says too seriously, though Greenwald has different reasons that I did. As I was watching him speak on the report, I couldn't help but think back to his role in 2000 in Bush v. Gore. It's not too much of a stretch to say that, as an advocate for the appointment of George W. Bush to the office of the Presidency, James Baker is responsible for this war. Notwithstanding that he did everything he could to keep the votes from being counted and the voice of the people heard (whatever the outcome), a moral crime in and of itself, one has to wonder if he perceives any irony as he stands there desperately trying to clean up the mess created by the man that he put in the White House.

• Being unable to think much further than "this is as much your fault as anyone's, Baker" anytime he opened his mouth, I found Lee Hamilton a much more effective advocate for the ISGs findings. In fact, I don't think I had ever seen Hamilton speak before, and I was actually impressed by his clarity and forthrightness.

• At one point on 360, Anderson Cooper asked Baker and Hamilton whether President Bush had the credibility to follow-through on the ISG Report's findings and get us out of this mess. I would have given a million dollars to see Hamilton say, "As you know, you make peace with the President you have. He's not the President you might want or wish to have at a later time..."

• There was one moment in which Hamilton floundered on a question about the credibility of the Generals in Iraq. I wish I could remember the context...anyway, it was his only bad moment of the evening.

• Finally, I can't get past Greta Van Susteren's mouth. She could be the smartest woman on television for all I know; all I see when I look at her is that crooked slash, and I just want to smash it. I realize how awful that sounds, but what can I do?

Oh, and one more thing. Dan Savage kicks ass. He was on one of the shows, I can't even remember which one, now...maybe Cooper's, and he intelligently and forcefully defended gay parenting rights from the spokeswoman for "traditional families". Great job.


I know what your thinking: I should take the time, do the research, and get links to all of these stories for illustration and illumination. I'll do it if you pay me, so I can quit my day job.