TGIF, people, TGIF

There's lots of interesting news today. On the heels of the 3 Democrats voting with Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to confirm John Roberts, comes the news that scientists doubt the existence of Democrats.

With President George W. Bush's approval ratings plummeting in recent weeks, the inability on the part of Democrats to capitalize on the president's waning fortunes has caused some leading scientists to postulate that the Democratic Party may not exist at all.

And what does this mean for our fearless leader?

"I've discussed the Howard Dean phenomenon with my colleagues," Dr. Drazin said. "And it's the consensus of the scientific community that there is no logical explanation for Howard Dean."

A-men!

Atrios was in DC recently, testifying to the Committee on House Administration, headed by Bob Ney, on regulating internet speech:

Basically where we are is that the FEC is at the tail-end of a rulemaking process, which I testified for previously, regarding regulating political speech on the internet which they were forced to do by a judge. It's unclear, however, why they have yet to actually issue their ruling. It's possible they're dragging their feet either because they want and/or expect congress to intervene in some fashion nullifying anything they do, or because they're waiting for a ruling on the standing of those who filed the lawsuit which led to them being forced to do something (they didn't appeal the ruling itself, but if it's determined that there's a issue with the standing the ruling could be chucked out anyway).

The Associated Press put its own spin on the hearing:

The FEC, in its initial rules, had exempted the Internet. Bloggers told the Committee on House Administration that regulations encompassing the Internet, even ones just on advertising, would have a chilling effect on free speech. The FEC vice chairman also questioned the necessity of any rules.

Atrios: I don't remember either of us saying anything of the sort. (He was testifying along with Mike Krempasky of Red State.)

Stay tuned.

Remember those issues of class and race that Katrina exposed, which were promptly denied by BushCo? Well, Rita is going to remind them:

HOUSTON Sep 22, 2005 — Wilma Skinner would like to scream at the officials of this city. If only someone would pick up their phone.

"I done called for a shelter, I done called for help. There ain't none. No one answers," she said, standing in blistering heat outside a check-cashing store that had just run out of its main commodity. "Everyone just says, 'Get out, get out.' I've got no way of getting out. And now I've got no money."

With Hurricane Rita breathing down Houston's neck, those with cars were stuck in gridlock trying to get out. Those like Skinner poor, and with a broken-down car were simply stuck, and fuming at being abandoned, they say."

All the banks are closed and I just got off work," said Thomas Visor, holding his sweaty paycheck as he, too, tried to get inside the store, where more than 100 people, all of them black or Hispanic, fretted in line. "This is crazy. How are you supposed to evacuate a hurricane if you don't have money? Answer me that?"

And the news keeps coming about Jack Abramoff. Today's Washington Post carried this little headline on page A6: Tyco Exec: Abramoff Claimed Ties To Administration. The Tyco executive in question is general counsel Timothy E. Flanigan--whom Bush nominated to be Deputy Attorney General after his tenure as General Counsel, where he sought a way for the company to avoid paying taxes.

More news asbout Flanigan courtesy of MyDD commenter tommywonk: "Flanigan worked in the White House with Alberto Gonzales in 2001 and 2002. He went to work for Tyco in November, 2002 (after former CEO and now convicted felon, Dennis Kozlowski had left the company). Flanigan hired Abramoff to lobby the federal government to allow Tyco to compete for government contracts even though the company is domiciled in Bermuda to avoid paying taxes. And now he is President Sluggo's nominee to the post of deputy attorney general."

If you're concerned about Bush passively running this country into the ground, rest assured. He's actively running the country into the ground.

Why is Wesley Clark trying to keep Democrats from speaking out in favor of withdrawal from Iraq?

LoBiondo & Davis-Bacon: Why just 60 days? asks Josh Marshall. Apparently Rep. LoBiondo's letter doesn't really ask Bush to call it off. The letter, which is supposedly going to be released today, asks for him to leave it in place for no more than sixty days. What is up with that?

Think Progress reports that the FTC head overseeing the Katrina gas-gouging probe was a lawyer for Chevron. Just another exampleof Bush getting by with a little help from his friends.

The House has ok'd a bill that “lets churches and other faith-based preschool centers hire only people who share their religion, yet still receive federal tax dollars,” according to an AP story.

As a public school parent, this tickles my funny bone. The Republicans are afraid that kids will become independent thinkers in the public schools so they want to start indoctrinating them early.