Bennie Thompson being investigated?

I don't know if I would even know it if I wasn't a regular reader of Hot Air. The Cryin' Liar has nothing on the front page, and if any of their writers has blogged on it, that's news to me. The McCoy Journal is no better. I guess shaking down credit card companies for 15 grand in campaign donations-while threatening them from his position as Homeland Security Chairman-isn't newsworthy at all.

The sad thing is that Sid Salter has a blog up right now that is bemoaning the coverage of Tiger Woods' love life over the economy, the wars, and all the other apocalyptic news. And while I'm sick of Tiger talk myself, can't one of you guys be spared from the bar at Hal and Mal's to ask some questions, or is that too much to ask?

They seem to want to make all my "Congressman-for-Life" jokes come true.

Murtha Gets Comeuppance

SNL has decided to turn its gaze to him and the equally loquacious Joe Biden.

To a nicer guy, it couldn't happen. I hope on election night the Haditha Marines get a good laugh at your expense. God knows because of you they've earned it.

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/road-to-the-white-house/787141/

How Dare He!

In announcing his flip on, I mean, support for 'limited' drilling, Senator Messiah said that he didn't want to be "too rigid" in his stances on the issue.

On behalf of Nancy Pelosi and all of the other folks who have been botox users, I demand an apology. He dealt the botox card, and from the bottom of the deck.

Now This is Good Politics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0FcNNeuf0E

Senator McConnell, I shall drink to your well-played unanimous consent motions this very evening.

Hat tip, Moe Lane at Redstate.

I Don't Know What I'd Do...

...without YP. Really, it's like going to Wal-Mart (or Costco, maybe even Whole Foods for all you guys who work for Rep. Whiplash, since I want you guys to feel at home here). Every time you think you're just going there to see what's up, you find something really useful.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia started a petition in the House to allow offshore drilling. He approached Rep. Whiplash about the petition, and got a big, fat, stinky no from the mustachioed one-as well as Rep. Taylor. So much for wanting 'lower gas prices.' I guess suing OPEC will make it that much cheaper, huh?

The link:

http://westmoreland.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=94435

JD Berry, you are indispensible, sir.

I Hate Being Right

It amazes me that our state has continued to send Bennie Thompson back to Congress; however, I'm not blind as to the reasons, and I understand the reason that he continues to be sent back to Washington. But the Congressman-for-Life is the chairman of one of the most prominent, important, and deadly serious committees, and that is an awesome responsibility. That's the Homeland Security Committee.

However, the Congressman-for-Life has used it to hand out contracts like candy, turning the committee into another pork-barrel extravaganza. The new fleet of police cars for the Bolton police department (a department consisting of eight people) is a fine example of this. Instead of promoting the security of the US, the Congressman-for-Life has turned it into a candy store.

Disgusting, but not unexpected.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cda_20080715_8959.php

Sign the Petition. Stop the Insanity.

It seems that Nan From San Fran doesn't like Congressmen communicating in unauthorized fashions. Sign the petition-stop her from changing the House rules to prevent your representative from blogging or posting on Youtube.

And here I thought this was going to be the most open Congress ever.

http://mikeconaway.com/censor

So Let Me Get This Straight

Karl Rove supposedly encouraged an investigation that resulted in a corruption conviction for former Alabama Governor Don Seigelman.

And for that, he gets called before Congress to testify? Shouldn't he get a medal or something?

I guess he picked the jury or something, too. There is a woman who claims that Rove was 'targeting' southern Democrats and that she was Rove's point woman in the whole shebang. She has no evidence other than her word and calls to a number in Virginia (where Rove has never lived, by the way). This all makes sense if you don't take into account Rove actually had a job in the White House. And in the face of this damning evidence, Rove has refused to testify.

Karl Rove-boogeyman of the Democrat Party. He will soon be accused of the Kennedy, Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley assassinations, the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, planning Burnside's assault on Fredericksburg, and being Aaron Burr's second in his duel with Alexander Hamilton. They wonder why the Congress last approval rating was nine.

Rep. Whiplash, you say you want out of Iraq because it's costing money. How much is this going to cost?

More Fun From the House

Last week, the US House of Representatives voted on Concurrent Resolution 209-which would have designated the Museum of the American Quilter's Society in Paducah, KY as the National Quilt Museum of the United States.

Another thing more important than wiretapping terrorists overseas.

HT to John Miller of National Review.

Clemens, Bonds and the Meta-Story

(And that title is not a typo)

This morning I spent 7 or 8 minutes of my life trying to get back to sleep after waking (this is normal on a weekend morning). When it became apparent that I would not succeed, I took to my other Sunday morning post-waking ritual: Watching the Sports Reporters on ESPN (get your head out of the gutter, constant reader).

Now, the show is often a vacuum chamber of intellect, especially since Jason Whitlock and Ralph Wiley no longer do the show (Whitlock because of a personal beef with Mike Lupica, Wiley because, well, he's dead) with more emphasis placed on bombast and snarky one-liners than on actually discussing what's going on in the sports universe. I watch that show already five times a week-it's called PTI, and it's a better product. But the show is humorous in its bombast, and how it's gone from discussing how good the Celtics can be or the Santana trade's effects on the National League and into the realm of the Serious Sports Story.

Now anyone who watches ESPN knows that damn near every week they've gotta have the Serious Sports Story, about the gay fencer with one leg, the other lost in a tragic accident due to his violent past that he's since renounced. And it's particularly bad during the "My Wish" month, where we get them every day and a dose of Rascal Flatts to boot. Gag me with a maggot, please. Give me the score, some stats and a highlight. I'll even take the Philly Phanatic's latest shenannigans over that crap.

This weeks' serious sports story revolved around the real Big Sports Story of the week, which is the Roger Clemens Steroids Hearing. Now, getting past how silly it is for Congress to be having a hearing on this while ignoring the expiration of the Protect America Act (more on that later), and the strange accusations of Republicans 'protecting' Clemens with their questions, the Sports Reporters focused on the Meta Story as it relates to the whole HGH thing: Race.

In the media, a Meta Story is the overarching theme that they'll use to pound things in your head. For instance, during the days of the Duke 'Rape' Case, the Meta Story was: Rich White Athletes Victimize Poor Minority. When the facts didn't turn out to support the Meta Story, the media forgot their meta story, and frankly, forgot the Duke case. Of course, Google never forgets: If you don't believe me, Google "Reid Seigleman" and see how many articles come up regarding his GPA.

This Meta Story is: The Double Standard, in which a minority is accused of something and assumed guilty (Barry Bonds) and a white person is accused of the same thing (Roger Clemens) and treated innocently. Here, of course, is the problem: Most of us, I think, do assume Roger Clemens has been cheating. I certainly do-what benefit does Andy Pettite have for lying? They of course point out how people assumed the Bonds Late-Career Renaissance was artificially enhanced, yet never questioned how Clemens could do the same and never questioned.

It's a simple answer: It's baseball. Comparing what Bonds and Clemens do is like comparing Hemmingway to Picasso. Yes, both are artists, but they work in completely different mediums. Hemmingway ended up eating the business end of a shotgun; Picasso died at a dinner party while giving a toast to himself. Bonds is a position player, expected to play every day, and expected to put more of a strain on his body. Clemens is a starting pitcher, expected to play maybe twice a week and spend the rest of his time golfing and filing his nails. Heck, he didn't even travel with the Astros during his stint with them if he wasn't pitching during the road trip.

Also, it's a pretty rare thing for a player to be the best in the game deep into his 30s and in his 40s. Hank Aaron didn't hit more than 20 homers his last three years, retiring at age 42. In 1934, Babe Ruth, at 39 years old, hit 22 homers; he retired partway through the '35 season. Mark McGwire played his final game in 2001 at the age of 38; he hit .187, though with 29 homers. Barry Bonds hit 28 homers last year, with an average of .276. He'll turn 44 midseason.

Meanwhile, it's not unusual for a pitcher to be effective late in his career. Uh, Tommy John had a freaking elbow transplant (not really, but you get it) and won 164 games after the surgery, retiring at age 46. Phil Niekro pitched until he was 48; though a knuckleballer, he won his 300th game throwing just one knuckler. Steve Carlton played until he was 44. Nolan Ryan pitched for 27 years, until he was 46 (and still kicked Robin Ventura's butt in a fight). Warren Spahn won 23 games at 42 years old. So it wasn't out of the question for a guy to play at a high level into his 40s as a pitcher. Heck, Greg Maddux is still effective, and nobody will ever accuse him of juicing. It wasn't without precedent for Clemens to have the success he's had post-40 in the same way Bonds did. He is 45 years old.

Still, they'll use the Race Meta Story ad nauseum until the next sports controversy can be labeled with a Meta Story. And I'll increasingly go to Fox for my sports coverage. They actually cover the games. Strange they should do that instead of the gay lacross players, huh?

Colt Brennan Gets Sacked...aGain.

Colt Brennan was beaten to a pulp last night. His Hawaii Warriors (formerly the Rainbows, since changed to avoid people thinking they might be-well, you know, that way), who were supposed to be scrappy underdogs who would fight tooth and nail with the much bigger, stronger, and faster Georgia Bulldogs. After all, that's what the media told us, what the talking heads were saying. They'd hit Georgia hard because they'd beaten everyone who'd come before them. They had command of the passing game like no one in the SEC had. Plus, Georgia was surely to be disappointed with their not being in the championship game. And a long season of SEC football would have them bruised and bloody by the time the cameras started rolling in the Big Easy.

Of course, when push came to shove, the Bulldogs did the shoving, burying the Warriors (who don't like to be associated with Rainbows) fairly early in the contest and exposing all of their weaknesses to the viewing public. Brennan was hit early and often, more than he had been in his career, as he'd spent most of the past three years sitting comfortably in the pocket and choosing his targets. However, the Bulldogs took the fight to him, routinely hitting him well before he was ready to start firing away and taking the momentum from the Warriors (who wonder why there are so many songs about Rainbows) who spent the rest of the contest on their heels and by the end of it came away swearing they were better than they'd shown, vowing to get back into the game.

You can replace "Colt Brennan" with "Jamie Franks Jr." and get pretty much the same effect, can't you? It seems Mr. Franks has been getting ready to throw his hat into the ring to replace the recently-promoted Roger Wicker in the First District. Heck, it even works on other levels, because as we know, Mr. Franks ain't friendly to Rainbows himself. Add to the comparison this: The coach is about to hit the road and start competing himself (June Jones, who seems to have more than a passing interest in both the NFL and college openings, and Steve Holland, who it seems getting ready for a CD1 run as well). And, alas for poor Colt, all the people who loved him while he was feasting on San Jose State and Nicholls State now have turned their backs on him. Much the same, I think, for Mr. Franks and those who funded him in his recent unsuccessful bid, and for the same reason: Everybody loves a winner. And they don't like losers who can't carry their own home county. But look on the bright side of another Franks run: Guys selling thousand dollar silk suits will make a killing.

The Golden Boy has decided to saddle up once again, put his populist sherrif's star on, and go tilting at windmills. This time, instead of Haley Barbour, he's going to run against George Bush (who will be out of office in 385 days, but Sherrif Franks will give him hell for the two weeks the next Congress is in session while he's president!). Never mind that the man lost his own home county, never mind that he didn't get the endorsement of his own local socialist leaning paper, never mind that he has the personality of a hung over mountain lion that hasn't eaten in a fortnight, never mind his personal shennanigans: He's going to represent the people of Mississippi whether they wanted him or not (and, at last tally, 59% of them did not). We're going to get the lamebrained economic ideas, the strange mangled speeches, the screaming into the mike, and not to mention the working man schtick.

So we're going to be entertained with another year of this guy. And here I was looking forward a peaceful 2008, too. Hopefully, this will be the election that puts the stake in his heart.