Puzzling over the State of the Nation

Mikaela says:
Did anyone else notice that every time a Republican was on camera at last night's speech, they were reading something in their laps? What's up with that? Consulting their playbooks AS the President spoke? Very strange.

Didn't look like Blackberries, but maybe...

Via RJ Matson - The St. Louis Post Dispatch:


And what was up with the official Republican response from Gov. of Louisiana?

We're looking forward to working w/ President Obama, but not on anything HE wants. Because we believe in you, suddenly, Joe Sixpack and Mrs. Smith, not in the big government that we helped Bush strengthen and concentrate at the federal level and particularly in the hands of the President...

What kind of disingenuous crap is that?

Via Rex Babin of the Sacramento Bee:


Road trip, anyone?

What Happened When I Got Pregnant

Mikaela says:
This picture illustrates better than I could explain: I got buried.


My cat and dog sense that something's up, and they're desperate to deepen their bond with me before having to compete with an infant, especially our cat, who's just a baby himself. And yes, he's sitting ON my face here. He's not subtle!

And then there's the figurative aspect of being buried -- under too much information and too many expectations about how to be as a parent, as a mommy consumer, as a poor but earnest environmentalist.

Take for example: paint for the baby's room. I want to do the right thing here. It took me forever to work up the energy and nerve to even shop for paint for the baby's room. I'm not really a decorative arts kinda gal. My partner, however, showed no signs that this would ever make his list of things to do, so I had to face my demons. Thank god for the internet. I really don't know what moms did before they could search for things online. I found this great paint company that does bio-degradable, zero-toxics, low-emissions paint. For $50 a gallon. Gulp.

Now, I hate paint samples. At one inch square, how can you really tell what color it is, much less how it will look in YOUR room on YOUR walls? You can't. And with infinitesimal differences among neighboring shades? Impossible to choose and feel confident. But I chose. And felt really crappy about it.

I was about to order online when I stumbled on a blog entry that mentioned someone bought the same paint at Ace Hardware. Really? A place where I could shop IN PERSON? And have it TODAY? Ok, so maybe the internet's not the best thing ever. This immediate gratification thing (or rather instant knowing of how much you screwed up in your color selection) is even better! And the best part? The paint's $6 cheaper at Ace than the online listing.

So I go to Ace during lunch today. I get really excited when I see a display for my paint that has page-size samples. Hallelujah! But on closer inspection, d'oh! Only for limited colors, none of which are my chosen options. Crap.

I bite the bullet and buy 2 gallons of one color and a gallon of the other. That's $132. With painters tape and brushes? We're talking $170. To paint a room. To paint a room in a way that's environmentally safe. And if I wasn't poor before, this pretty much nails it. Holy crap. And I gotta say based on the little dot of color on the gallon cans? I didn't do so well.

Good thing we've gotten so many donations of gently-used items from generous moms. This kid's going to be banging on pots and pans and playing at parks exclusively until it's 4.

Maybe by then I won't be so buried under all this weight, or at least my cat will want to sleep with my kid more than me!

Post-Bush Gigglefest

Thanks, Keith.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

And good riddance...

Mikaela says:
Former VP Dick Cheney really got a pass yesterday. As the chief architect of the most evil designs of Bush & Co., he really deserved some ire heaped on his head yesterday. Yes, Obama's speech was a smackdown of Bush personally as a leader, but much of the substance that we've now repudiated came from Cheney & his lawyer, David Addington.

And so it was that the news of his "injury" moving boxes out of his White House office was not met with the amount of sympathy it might have been otherwise. And that he showed up to the inauguration in a wheelchair and a funny little hat? (Can't find a photo w/ the hat at the actual inauguration ceremony - if you see one, alert me!) Somehow, that made things all too perfect for righteous gloating. Sorry, Mom! Not polite, I know.

And just to twist the knife a little, I missed this bit of hilarity from the Onion, which is really too good not to repost!

Vice Presidential Handlers Lure Cheney Into Traveling Crate

WASHINGTON—A team of nine specially trained handlers have successfully lured outgoing vice president Dick Cheney into a reinforced steel traveling crate in order to transport him back to his permanent enclosure in Casper, WY, official sources reported Monday. "He's a smart one. Once he sees the crate, he gets pretty nippy, but we've learned a few tricks over the years," chief VP wrangler Ted Irving breathlessly said while applying pressure to a deep gash on his forearm. "If we break a rabbit's legs and throw it in there, he will eventually go in to finish it off. Doesn't work with dead rabbits, though. Cheney only eats what he kills." Irving said that the latest vice presidential relocation went much more smoothly than September's diplomatic trip to Georgia, which was delayed for several hours after Cheney mauled three secret service agents and escaped inside the White House walls.

Welcome, Mr. President and the New Era You Usher In...

Mikaela says:
Well, deed's done, and we've done it! I thought I'd have to watch online from work, but my boss came over and stole me away to his friend's house to watch the whole thing with a bunch of aging, white liberal strangers. Pretty great, actually. The best line was probably after VP Joe Biden was swarn in. Boss's wife says, "Now go arrest Cheney! I believe you'll find he's an enemy combatant."

They cringed at Rev. Warren and cheered Rev. Lowery, who I believe was the best part of the whole event. I can't wait to get the transcript and re-post it here for those who missed it. Just perfect.

And our President. Who can say enough about our President? I'm so proud of him, and of us. Proud to call him my President. Proud to call him the President of the United States of America. Just proud.

Here's my favorite part of his speech, or at least the part that got me, personally, the most:

"[W]e know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

Loved the John Williams piece w/ Perlman and Ma on violin and cello, respectively, and the totally hot clarinetist Anthony McGill.

The poem I thought was a little weak, but had a few great lines. I'll have to look at it again. It wasn't a good sign that no one knew when it had ended...

And the whole thing almost exactly on time, so that some of us could sneak out and back into work w/ relatively little delay! Thanks, Senator Feinstein! You did a great job not grandstanding at all and keeping things moving.

Welcome to a new day, a new era, a new hope spreading from our capitol all the way into this little political grinch's heart.

Rev. Lowry's Benediction

Mikaela posts her transcription:

Given at Obama’s Inauguration, January 20, 2009

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far along the way,
Thou who has by thy might led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray,
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee,
Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee,
Shadow beneath our hand, may we forever stand, true to thee, oh God,
And true to our native land.

We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we’ve shared this day. We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant, Barack Obama, the 44th President of these United States, his family, and his administration. He has come to this high office in a low moment in the national and indeed global fiscal climate.

But because we know you’ve got the whole world in your hands, we pray not only for our own nation, but the community of nations. Our faith does not shrink, though pressed by the flood of moral ills, for we know that Lord, you are able to work through faithful leadership, to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds, and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor – or the least of these – and from favoritism toward the rich – the elite of these. We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that yes we can work together to achieve a more perfect union and while we have sewn the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness, and we come in the spirit of union and solidarity to commit our support to our President by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other, and not on each other.

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate, on the side of inclusion, not exclusion, tolerance, not intolerance, and as we leave this mountaintop, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques – or wherever we seek your will.

Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle, look over our little angelic Sasha and Malia. We go now to walk together, children, pledging that we won’t get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone with your hands of power and your heart of love.

Help us, then, now Lord, to work for that day when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, where every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid, when justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness as the mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right. Let all those who will do justice and love mercy say amen. Say amen. And Amen.

Cloud cover

Maggie says:
It's been a quiet stretch for me on m-pyre... sorry about that. Post-election, I immersed myself in the bubble of it'll-be-okay-ness, and the cloud cover has been pretty thick. There has been some not-okayness, of course - some of those Cabinet picks, a dismaying center course strategy, Middle East destruction, and far too many friends and family seeing the worst of this economic disaster. And I know - hiding in the bubble is a lazy form of citizenship. Emotionally exhausted from the election, seeking a break from the stress of contemplating the horrors our government perpetrates, I needed so much to take a couple of months and think only what could be, even though that meant forcing my brain not to get too invested when the Agriculture pick is another Corn King and the uniform critique of our trade deals is hushed away now that it might mean something. There is the hope and promise of politics, and then there is the application of politics, and those are not the same two animals. Those of us who are applicators (read: wonks) at heart have been carried over into the Promiseland the last year. Now that we've all arrived, here together - blind believers and hopeful yet tentative wonks - how will those seeds of hope be planted? How will they be nourished or fertilized or tended to?

Getting past the season of the Lame Duck means for me, getting back to the business of nurturing both the seeds of hope and the mechanics of fertilization, keeping an eye on the sky while knowing where to look underneath the soil. When the great horror ends - we're on the 24-hour-countdown now, folks - it is truly a new day. How new a day is up to all of us. The cloud cover will lift, and the fear will end, and then our wonky hopeful hearts can start digging into the ground again.

Forecast, January 20, 2009: The sun will shine again.

Wringing in the New Year

Mikaela says:
I'm loving all the year-end wrap-up going on. Everyone's taking stock of the last year, and checking in with the last 8 while they're at it, in preparation for the next big change to prepare ourselves for.

I can honestly say that I'd prepared myself for Obama's defeat. Even when they called it for him on election night, a part of me was protecting itself from disappointment, and I refused to really give in to the good feelings that such a victory should have caused.

I'm still holding my breath.

Then again, I'm doing the same thing about being pregnant, despite the growing body of evidence swelling in front of me. I just can't bear to start thinking about how different, and perhaps wonderful, life will be with a baby, just in case something doesn't go as well as I might hope.

Instead, I'm happy to focus all my energy looking backward and channeling my fears as anger toward all that I know went wrong under Bush & Co. I just finished the Angler, a look at Cheney's vice presidency based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting in the Washington Post.

It's a surprisingly optimistic book, chronicling not just Cheney's attempts to accrue power to himself, the vice presidency, and the executive officer, but also his lost battles and ultimate failures. Condoleeza Rice emerges as a good guy in this narrative. She's cast as the voice of reason that holds out against Cheney & other crazies and ultimately prevails as Bush's most trusted advisor. Interesting. I always lumped her in with all the neocon forces of darkness. Not that she's all that great. In fact, saying that she's the sanest of the bunch helps throw into illuminating bas relief just how crazy this administration has been, and how far off the cliff they've driven all of us.

Want some numbers to back all that up? Look to Harper's Index! Here's a (rather long) sampling of my favorites:

• Percentage of Bush’s first 189 appointees who also served in his father’s administration: 42
• Minimum number of Bush appointees who have regulated industries they used to represent as lobbyists: 98
• Number of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and North African men detained in the U.S. in the eight weeks after 9/11: 1,182
• Number of them ever charged with a terrorism-related crime: 0
• Number charged with an immigration violation: 762
• Days since the federal government first placed the nation under an “elevated terror alert” that the level has been relaxed: 0
• Percentage of Americans in 2006 who believed that U.S. Muslims should have to carry special I.D.: 39
• Percentage of the amendments in the Bill of Rights that are violated by the USA PATRIOT Act, according to the ACLU: 50
• Minimum number of laws that Bush signing statements have exempted his administration from following: 1,069
• Estimated number of U.S. intelligence reports on Iraq that were based on information from a single defector: 100
• Number of times the defector had ever been interviewed by U.S. intelligence agents: 0
• Portion of Bush’s presidency he has spent at or en route to vacation spots: 1/3
• Percentage of Republicans in 2005 who said they would vote for Bush over George Washington: 62
• Seconds it took a Maryland consultant in 2004 to pick a Diebold voting machine’s lock and remove its memory card: 10
• Number of states John Kerry would have won in 2004 if votes by poor Americans were the only ones counted: 40
• Number if votes by rich Americans were the only ones counted: 4
• Portion of all U.S. income gains during the Bush Administration that have gone to the top 1 percent of earners: 3/4
• Increase since 2000 in the number of Americans living at less than half the federal poverty level: 3,500,000
• Years since a White House official as senior as I. Lewis Libby had been indicted while in office: 130
• Minimum amount that religious groups received in congressional earmarks from 2003 to 2006: $209,000,000
• Amount such groups received during the previous fourteen years: $107,000,000
• Percentage change in U.S. discretionary spending during Bush’s presidency: +31
• Percentage change during Reagan’s and Clinton’s, respectively: +16, +0.3
• Number of the five directors of the No Child Left Behind reading program with financial ties to a curriculum they developed: 4
• Rank of Bush among U.S. presidents with the highest disapproval rating: 1
• Average percentage of Americans who approved of the job Bush was doing during his second term: 37
• Percentage of Russians today who approve of the direction their country took under Stalin: 37

And lastly, after my own review of a little notebook I carry around in my voluminous bag (perfect, my sister said, for a diaper bag -- only where will I put all the additional stuff???), I came across this little rant that summarizes my anger and fear about Bush.

He’s a shell,

A shadow, a dark-side projection,
National doppelganger of fear,
A jock-strappin’ cowboy,
A repeated mistake,
A stupid promise that comes back to jail you,
A self-satisfied frat boy,
Blank check-writer,
Constitution-eraser,
Good-will exploiter,
Teetotaling,
Powermongering,
Epitome of ineptness --
A mass of mediocrity
That bites my nails
Empties my reserves of hope
Does everything but comfort me
In the white-fear darkness of night
When I realize again
There are more of him coming.

And with that expended, I feel much more ready to bring in a new year, a new era, a new President, a return to the Constitution and country I love.

Auto Bailout Humor

Mikaela says:
You've probably already seen this in your junk mail folder. It's making the rounds. Still pretty funny! The fine print is particularly good. Click on it to get a bigger image.

"You probably thought it was smart to buy a foreign import of superior quality, with better mileage and resale value. Maybe you even thought that years of market share loss might prod us into rethinking our process and redesigning our products with better quality in mind. But you forgot one thing: We spend a shitload of money on lobbyists. So now you’re out $25 billion, plus the cost of your Subaru. Maybe next time you’ll buy American like a real man. Either way, we’re cool."

SunCal on the loose

I got a second mailer from SunCal Corporation promoting TIDDs this week, and it seems that just about everyone I know in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County did as well. This direct-mail promotional effort must have cost SunCal a bundle.

The mailers are promoting the use of tax increment development districts as a source of jobs. “Tidds create jobs,” the mailers say.

Actually, TIDDs don’t create jobs. They simply allow developers to draw down future tax revenue generated from the places they develop to pay off bond proceeds that were used to build their infrastructure. Technically speaking.

Tax increment financing is actually a simple concept. Imagine a circle drawn around a given geographic area. A TIDD is created and at that time the current tax base is measured. What’s promised to the developer is a percentage, or increment, of the increase in taxes over that tax base in the future. The premise is that the development — and the upfront infrastructure the TIDD funds — is going to spur desirable growth in that area.

SunCal’s 55,000 acres adjacent to Albuquerque’s West Side are largely undeveloped, so the company would get a huge chunk of the taxes generated there for about 25 years. It’s got a handful of TIDDs covering about 4,000 acres of that 55,000-acre spread right now — and are just waiting for legislative approval to sell bonds supported by that promise of future tax revenue. For just those 4,000 acres, that sum would be about $629 million.

Hence the promotional pieces. SunCal will be at the Roundhouse in force when the Legislature convenes in January, and it is attempting to neutralize the public.

SunCal is a massive real estate company that builds planned communities and housing developments throughout the West. The company bought 55,000 acres of undeveloped land on Albuquerque’s western fringe in 2006. On its Web site, you can see the huge expanse of green grassland the firm is hoping to build on.

There is a potential problem for SunCal, though. Between last year’s session — when the Legislature failed to approve the TIDD bonds — and now, at least 20 SunCal projects in other Western states have declared bankruptcy. To my knowledge, they’re all companies that were financed by Lehman Brothers, the financial company that went belly-up last summer.

SunCal representatives have claimed that the New Mexico project is solid — that it didn’t get financing from Lehman. As we previously pointed out, however, Lehman Brother’s had a 20-percent stake in D.E. Shaw, which is the principal investor in the New Mexico SunCal subsidiary — also known as Westland.

Given the current state of the financial sector — not to mention that the country seems to be teetering on the brink of cascading bankruptcies across the board — this is not very reassuring.

The TIDD statute, as far as I can tell, doesn’t address what happens if the company that gets the TIDD goes belly-up. TIDD proponents say there is no liability on the part of government to the bond holders if the company doesn’t complete the project and therefore does not have the tax revenue funds to pay off the bond holders.

But would government really let that happen? Or would another developer buy the property dirt cheap, put in crappy, sprawling housing developments and then use the tax revenue from the area to pay off those bonds that were meant for “good” infrastructure — not to mention “jobs”?

Interested taxpayers want to know.

Cross-posted on NMI.

The Art of Newspapers

Mikaela says:
Such a fun time reading the newspapers today -- with just a twinge of guilt for doing it so happily online, as the Tribune files for Ch. 11 because it can't figure out how to make money with the changing habits of people like me...

First there was the charming editorial in the Washington Post exploring the fairytale idea of Caroline Kennedy replacing Hillary in the Senate ... complete with matching uneasiness about political dynasties that I heartily share. I loved this piece's ping-pong logic that echoed my own misgivings about the subject.

Then a plea for social connection via physical urban and suburban pattern from David Brooks! Really! No more bowling alone, people! It's time to put Obama's $ where your hearts are: community activity centers! A very well-written and sensible piece, if rather pessimistic about the chances of it actually happening.

I had to laugh when I got to the end, though. It was another one of those "can you believe the synchronicity of the world?" kind of moments. I watched Peter Seller's Being There this weekend, which I'd never seen. It was slow if charming, or maybe the other way around.

It features a rather vacuous but good gardener who is taken for a political and economic genius when he happens to be in the right place at the right time and stays true to who he is and what he knows (hat tip, Marjorie!). Here's the pivotal, and timely, scene:

President "Bobby": Mr. Gardner, do you agree with Ben, or do you think that we can stimulate growth through temporary incentives?
[Long pause]
Chance the Gardener: As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.
President "Bobby": In the garden.
Chance the Gardener: Yes. In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.
President "Bobby": Spring and summer.
Chance the Gardener: Yes.
President "Bobby": Then fall and winter.
Chance the Gardener: Yes.
Benjamin Rand: I think what our insightful young friend is saying is that we welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but we're upset by the seasons of our economy.
Chance the Gardener: Yes! There will be growth in the spring!
Benjamin Rand: Hmm!
Chance the Gardener: Hmm!
President "Bobby": Hm. Well, Mr. Gardner, I must admit that is one of the most refreshing and optimistic statements I've heard in a very, very long time.
[Benjamin Rand applauds]
President "Bobby": I admire your good, solid sense. That's precisely what we lack on Capitol Hill.

And here's David Brooks, ending his own charming version of common sensical plain-speak:

Social change has a natural rhythm. The season of prosperity gives way to the season of economic scarcity, and out of the winter of recession, new growth has room to emerge. A stimulus package may be necessary, but unless designed with care, its main effect will be to prop up the drying husks of the fall.

Too good. Sometimes, life is just too good. Life imitates art, indeed.

Savoring Saying Goodbye to Bush

Mikaela says:
Gotta give props to the Onion for nailing the humor here in this satirical goodbye letter from Bush to us. I just wish they'd gone even farther to mention what he actually DID accomplish to mess everything up almost irrevocably (we hope for the best...).

I'm Really Gonna Miss Systematically Destroying This Place

Oh, America. Eight years went by so fast, didn't they? I feel like I hardly got to know you and methodically undermine everything you once stood for. But I guess all good things must come to an end, and even though you know I would love to stick around for another year or four—maybe privatize Social Security or get us into Iran—I'm afraid it's time to go. But before I leave, let me say, from the bottom of my heart: I can't think of another country I would've rather led to the brink of collapse.
...
The worst part about leaving is knowing I can never screw up anything this big again. Don't get me wrong, I'm only 62. I could still bankrupt an oil company, or become the next MLB commissioner and ruin baseball. But I'll never get the opportunity to fuck up on this massive of a scale again. Even if you put me back in charge for another term, I could only take the U.S. from a rapidly declining world power to not a world power at all. I don't mean to gloat, but I think it's safe to say that no one can ever unseat the American empire like I unseated the American empire.

The real Bush lines that are really getting me these days are his attempts to re-write yet again the origins of the Iraq War. In his recent interview with Charlie Gibson, Bush said a few things that just cannot be true based on what we know (or used to know before all the administration's efforts to swap out what we know with what they want us to believe):

Gibson: "What were you most unprepared for?"

Bush: "Well, I think I was unprepared for war. In other words, I didn't campaign and say, 'Please vote for me, I'll be able to handle an attack.' In other words, I didn't anticipate war. Presidents -- one of the things about the modern presidency is that the unexpected will happen."

No one talks about this anymore, but doesn't anyone remember the Project for a New American Century? It was the global manifest destiny version of Karl Rove's intention to plant the Republican flag on a generation of politics for a lasting majority. Remember this?

"Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor."
Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century,
The Project for the New American Century
September 2000

This report was prepared for Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Jeb Bush, and Scotter Libby -- all part of the PNAC, the group that said explicitly that America could exploit a new "Pearl Harbor" to catapult our efforts to be a dominating power for this new century.

From Wikipedia's entry of signatories on documents or statements from this group, these are the names I recognize as close to the resulting Bush Administration (also has table with a lot more names that also explains their roles - love Wikipedia!):

• Elliott Abrams^[18]
• Richard L. Armitage^[19]
• John R. Bolton^[19][6]
• John Ellis "Jeb" Bush^[18]
• Richard B. Cheney^[18]
• I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby^[18]
• Richard Perle^{[19][6][15][51]}
• Donald Rumsfeld^[18]
• Paul Wolfowitz^[18]

You don't think Bush knew they picked him as a presidential candidate (and Cheney as running mate) precisely with this ultimate goal? And they picked him and supported him because he wouldn't ever be prepared, which means they could manipulate him exactly the way the wanted to. It's such pretzel logic to say now that he didn't know this was coming. They went into the White House gunning for exactly this opportunity!

Gibson: "You've always said there's no do-overs as President. If you had one?"

Bush: "I don't know -- the biggest regret of all the presidency has to have been the intelligence failure in Iraq. A lot of people put their reputations on the line and said the weapons of mass destruction is a reason to remove Saddam Hussein. It wasn't just people in my administration; a lot of members in Congress, prior to my arrival in Washington D.C., during the debate on Iraq, a lot of leaders of nations around the world were all looking at the same intelligence. And, you know, that's not a do-over, but I wish the intelligence had been different, I guess."

Except that the intelligence was different. See below.

Gibson: "If the intelligence had been right, would there have been an Iraq war?"

Bush: "Yes, because Saddam Hussein was unwilling to let the inspectors go in to determine whether or not the U.N. resolutions were being upheld. In other words, if he had had weapons of mass destruction, would there have been a war? Absolutely."

Except that Saddam actually DID let inspectors go in, but when they didn't find anything, Bush claimed falsely that it was because Saddam was hiding things and not cooperating. Click and scroll down for "Inspectors Redux."

Gibson: "No, if you had known he didn't."

Bush: "Oh, I see what you're saying. You know, that's an interesting question. That is a do-over that I can't do. It's hard for me to speculate."

But Bush DID know. It just wasn't what he wanted to know. Very inconvienient to his plans to invade regardless.

I understand that every President, and for that matter, every person, wants to believe and promote the best version of events to shed good light on their actions. But letting Bush get away with this wanton revisionist history in clear refutation of facts drives me nuts! We're so lazy and forgetful as a people about events that have changed the world for the worse possibly forever. Can't we try to keep the facts straight and not treat bald-face lies with straight-faced acceptance?

Adding a Fourth Year

Mikaela says:
It is a time of thanksgiving at m-pyre, but also one of birthdays. This year we celebrate our fourth year together on this blog, and we anticipate another birth in the spring: the addition of another m-pyre girl -- my first kid.

This blog continues to do what it was born for: to keep three Ms in conversation, even as their lives have moved apart -- Maggie's taking her to a new city, Mikaela's moving her out of Marjorie's house and a block away from Forrester Street, Marjorie's bringing her a new car and a slew of new jobs to add to her pile.

Of all the places I call home, m-pyre remains here waiting for my political mind, my critique, my interest, my worries, and lots of time my anger. It's had to wait more this year than any before, as my priorities have actively reshuffled themselves to make room for a new lifemate, new house, and now new baby. But among all those changes, the constancy of m-pyre, the comfort of opening the page to see the intelligence and activeness of my fellow Ms, has kept a lifeline open to my "higher brain." The breadcrumbs are there to guide my way back from maternity land. This next year may be a kinder, gentler post kind of year for me. We'll see what engages my attention once there's a new girl to think about, watch out for, and eventually discuss this crazy world with.

In the spirit of sharing our womenly wisdom, my fellow m-pyricists have agreed to impart their advice to the newest little M, making her way into the world. Afterward, we've got a little "How well do you know us, and how well do we know each other?" quiz for you. Share your guesses in the comments, and we'll follow up with answers next week. And finally, we've got requests for posts we'd like to see here on m-pyre in the coming year.

Maggie says:
My first piece of advice to you, little one, is to soak in all the hugs from your mom that you can, because those are some great hugs. Hugs are an underappreciated art form, and your mama is an artiste. Speaking of your mama (and the gals that she surrounds herself with), know just how lucky you are to be born in a moment where anything is possible for girls like you. More than ever before, you can be anything and everything you want to be – your own Supergirl. As you’re figuring out exactly what kind of Supergirl you want to be, the three of us are going to be making noise about things that you deserve, like the same pay as Superboy and the right to make your own decisions and pave your own way. Paving your own way is important, and with a mom like yours, you’ll learn all about the values that can make our world a better place. But just as important, and something your mom knows better than anyone, are all the things that can make our world a more beautiful place, a more expressive place, and a more connected place. Watch her do those things, and take notes. Because expressing yourself with values? That sounds like a Supergirl to me. Also, little one, and this is important: when your mom gets worried, you should always give her the biggest grin that you can. She’s a softie when it comes to big smiles (and they’re good for getting out of trouble, too… shhhhhh....). One more thing, Supergirl, since I already know how smart and strong you’re going to be: laugh as loud and as hard as you can, as often as possible. It’s the secret to happiness, and no one will deserve more happiness than you.

Marjorie says:
It shouldn’t surprise folks that what on first glance seems like a relatively straightforward task—giving “advice” to the newest m-girl—quickly gets made difficult by me. For every encouragement there’s a caveat; for every admonishment an exception. And what advice does one give to a new person regarding life, when it's such a singular experience? But perhaps I can transcend my habits for this new person, because after all she is quite special. So here is my advice, as close to simple noun-verb constructions as I could get them: Balance everything. Do right by yourself, while making room for others. Take a position and act on it. Read a lot. Do your homework. Don’t take no for an answer. And don’t hesitate to ask the question in the first place. Indulge your curiosity. Listen to your intuition. Enjoy your life. Be kind and cultivate empathy. Leave the spaces you enter in a better condition than you found them. Have respect for yourself. Learn what that actually is. Brush your teeth and sit up straight, but embrace your inner tomboy also. Something tells me you’re going to be a blondie—pray that you inherit your father’s hair. Love your mother and your father. Listen to them even when you're sixteen--they're pretty smart.

After four years: Ms Matrix Minutiae

The Ms ask:

1. Can you guess which M is described in each category?
2. For bonus points and eternal credit for EQ, can you guess which M volunteered the description?
3. Place your bets in the comments; answers posted next week! (Sample answer sheet provided below.)

Note: Every row is in a different order - no one is all "A," "B," or "C"... I know, I know, we're tough like that. Can anyone fill out the entire board?

(click for full-size!)

4th Birthday: M Requests...

The Ms ask:
What's in store for the next year on m-pyre? Here's what each of us are hoping to learn from each other in new posts throughout the year:

Mikaela would like to see posts from Maggie on:

• What the latest economic crisis will do to affordable housing in our cities... and what we should do about it
• Pairing up (pardon the pun) her favorite celebrities with her favorite shoes... Who looks like which shoes and why?

Mikaela wants to see Marjorie post about:

• The new political landscape for the Mormon church... and the subtleties of how that may play out for its members
  
• A play-by-play of movie-watching with her family... who thinks what and when?

Maggie thinks Mikaela should take a stab at:

• How to reconcile the loads of pale pink baby clothes she's bound to receive with modern notions of girlhood and motherhood. I will need guidance!
• Can a brilliant mind watch dumb tv without hearing that inner "you're too smart for this" monologue? If not, how to shut it off? If so, what's the filter like? Discuss!
  

Maggie wants Marjorie to detail:

• The future of labor in the landscape of a Democratic Washington and a decidedly new economy, where nothing is what it was.
• The imaginary dinner party she would host with special guests Emma Goldman, Gram Parsons, Jane Austen, and Lyndon B. Johnson, and just what they would discuss.
  

Marjorie wants to hear from Maggie about:

• The urban planning landscape of Dallas, from her vantage point in a private sector planning practice. How does the city stack up when it comes to transit, is there a community-based planning world in the big D, what are the power nodes? Please, do tell.
  
• A reflection about the life transitions of a mobile, young professional in the United States--juggling the freedom to pursue career moves with the pull of a highly rooted family.
  

Marjorie wants Mikaela to tell us:

• How faith and politics intersect on the left, and where are the commonalities between her faith based community and those evangelical groups we hear so much about on the right.
  
• Is it possible for a mile-a-minute, high achieving woman to "have it all"? Regarding this perennial question, I'd like to hear about the challenges, through the lens of Mikaela.
  

What about our readers? Do you have requests for us? What would you like to read here in the next year?

Move over Missouri...

Mikaela says:
Got to thinking about Missouri's status as bellwether state - picking the president in all but one presidential election since 1952 (exception: Adlai Stevenson). Since Missouri went for McCain by the slimmest of margins (49.4 vs. 49.3%), they've lost exclusive title to their predictive hat.

And guess who was right behind their record, with 2 slips since Presidential voting started in the state? That's right - good ole NM.

As one reporter put it about losing Missouri's not-so-much-vaunted position:

"Well, whatever. There wasn't a lot of glory in being the bellwether, except that reporters and news crews from places like Washington, London and Germany came to interview us in election season."

You know what? We'll take it! We need the tourist, even if they are news crews! Get ready, Missouri. We'll go head-to-head in 2012 and see who goes home with the bellwether title.

Image: "Bellwether States and Counties - 1960 through 1996"

Today's Chuckle: Why Did Bush Cross the Low Road?

Mikaela reposts from Dan Froomkin:

In May, White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten issued a memo announcing that, as far as last-minute regulations were concerned, the Bush Administration would take the high road.

Agency heads were instructed to "resist the historical tendency of administrations to increase regulatory activity in their final months." Bolten set a June 1 deadline for proposing new regulations, and ordered that none be issued after November 1, except in "extraordinary circumstances."

But Bolten's deadlines came and went without anyone paying much notice, and the real deadline is now upon us. Rules published by tomorrow go into effect before President-elect Obama takes office, making them much more difficult to reverse.

As a result, the low road is bumper-to-bumper today.

Wonkery of the Week

Maggie says:
This week, we layer the 2008 electoral map on top of an 1860 map of cotton production in the U.S. South. Notice how strongly the counties that voted for Obama correlate with 1860 cotton production.

Source: From Pickin' Cotton to Pickin' Presidents

What does this tell us?

First, we see that by and large, the folks who produced that cotton - by force, as we know - still maintain a presence in the area once known as the "Black Belt," both for its soil and for its forced labor. That density patterns of African-Americans in the South still reflect the same geographical pattern of 150 years ago is interesting, but probably no surprise to any of us. Today, the cotton counties are still largely rural, with small towns sprinkled throughout, and have a strong enough African-American presence to turn blue in a sea of red.

The layering of the cottom map with the electoral map provides, for me, an opportunity to reflect on race and change in our country. Like many of you, I see the election of Barack Obama as a reckoning a sorts, a statement of hope, a turning of a new leaf. In the context of last week's wonkery, this map is a powerful testament to me of a new way forward for the South. That the nation's choice for president is the same choice that Southern blacks made is progress in and of itself. By throwing out our old notions of Southern politics, it's possible to interpret that the South has spoken again, only this time, with different voices doing the speaking. This other population of the South - those victims of hate and structural oppression in the name of color - have not only spoken, they have been heard. 150 years later, who exactly is 'backward?'

To me, this map looks like a wave of blue hope. What do you see?

Democrats should be ashamed of themselves.

Maggie says:
That is all. Too angry + busy to deal right now.

Packin' up...

Maggie cheers:
...AND MOVIN' OUT!

M. Wuerker for Politico.