Joe-pen Senate Seat?

It looks like everyone's favorite loser is considering being the head of Joe-land security. Or at least the Bush Administration is trying to save face with that last implosion and do some more campaign oriented stratego. After all, AP reports are saying CT Gov. Jodi Rell (R) would appoint a GOPer (even though she won't even commit to that), presumably Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-05) "to fill the last two years of Lieberman's term." The line up on the Democratic side is pretty weak since they can't kick out sitting congressmen or beat Johnson even when both are incumbents.

CT AG Richard Blumenthal (D)is already chomping at the bit He said a Lieberman appointment would "change the political landscape here in Connecticut by opening a Senate seat. Certainly I would have an interest in it. But we'll have to wait and see what happens in Washington." Blumenthal called it a "very exciting and promising opportunity for the country because he (Lieberman) would be such a great secretary for Homeland Security." Flattery won't get you an endorsement, dork.

I wish these guys would focus on Rell and the house. Almost any schmuck can be a democratic senator from CT, just ask the other one.

In other Washington news, I had the biggest laugh today when George W. Bush have the Congressional medal of Freedom to George "Slam Dunk" Tenant, Paul "who needs an Iraqi Army" Bremmer, and ex-Gen. Tommy "I spoke at the GOP convention but I am not partisan" Franks. The funniest part was when MSGOP was saying "The White House does not want to focus on what some have called these men's 'mistakes' but want to concentrate on their lifelong service to this country."

Their mistakes are pretty grave: George Tenant gave waffling supporters of the war something to hang their hat on (after all if the head of the CIA says there's weapons there, it's gotta be true right?) and gave Bush the justification he needed to launch this war of choice. Paul Bremer managed to do an even worse job as administrator of Iraq than that Lt. Gen. they had in there, leading to more insurgents with more training and weapons and more dead American soldiers and more captives.

Gen. Franks' sins are just as severe. He should have tried to talk Bush out of two wars at once, but he would have gotten fired at a time they needed him finishing the job in Afghanistan (I guess he didn't do that either). Franks should been more insistent on more troops and a real post-war plan, instead of going back to the drawing board whenever Rumsfeld complained the war plan did not fit with this new conception of warfare.

Of course, he is a Army man and is trained to follow the orders of the civilian leadership so he would have been going against decades of training to fight back. But then again, General Clark did it when he thought the war in Kosovo needed Apache helicopters and ground troops etc. He went around the E-Ring and straight to Sandy Burger and even tried to get in with President Clinton. This is the real reason he got retired early in April of 2000. Clark got the medal of Freedom by Clinton after his retirement, partly because Clinton felt bad that he was conned into approving Clark's retirement.

Those three men are the epitome of what public service is about to Bush: sycophancy. If you agree with the man, no matter how wrong or what road it leads down, you are a hero to him. It also helps to take a bullet or two for him, like Tenet did. I hate to break it to W., but this is a democracy and these people are supposed to be serving the country, not the GOP and you as the president come second to the people. These men served you first, us last, and it showed: you got reelected and Iraq is in the toilet.