Better.

But still weak on the whole "unable to see own contradictions" front. Is an administration which pays scrupulous attention to the law a desirable thing, or an undesirable thing? Greg's abu Ghraib/Gitmo hyperventilations were monumental and extensive. He doesn't get a pass from me when he starts demanding legal shortcuts, or when he starts decrying slowness due to the now-necessary involvement of ponderous legal teams when it comes to the deployment of large, young, armed men and the provision of security. This is what you were screaming for, Greg. This is the world you wanted.

Live with it.

I'm withholding judgement on Brown until the full story is in. That means he gets two weeks after they finish draining New Orleans - I figure that'll give everyone time to shake out all the half-truths, ass-coverings, and rumor-mongering. Not that I think at this point that he'll come out smelling like roses - but there's a lot of people who fucked up bigtime who'll want to be making the most obviously guilty-looking their goat. I'm fairly worried that Brown is going to end up being that judas goat. Damn every last one of you who thinks you can lay your guilt on a designated goat. Yes, I mean "you". And "you", too. And me, too.

No judas goats. No panic-decisions. No policy-by-disaster-response. No reflex politics.

Via Dan, who got me to re-read a post by Greg which I had angrily skimmed earlier.

Oh, and by the way? No dick-measuring contests about how "my charity contribution numbers are higher than yours". Yes, I mean you. Show some goddamn common sense.