Connecting.the.Dots: What is as close as we're going to get to a calling-to-account for the former Decider, and his puppet Tony Blair, for thousands of deaths in Iraq is unfolding, largely out of American media sight, before a panel of British nobles.

Informed Comment: IAEA condemnation of Iran: An omen of new sanctions or a symbolic slap on the wrist?

Seeing the Forest: Name it "The Bush Death Tax"

TheCunning Realist: Fear Factor

Ed Cone: Corn hole

James Wolcott: America Burps and Goes Shopping

Bill Maher: The Decider

Better than his dancing, at least. And I must admit, I like the song choice.

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"I decide. I'm the decider. I decide when the oboe comes in."

Sen. Mark Pryor just told Hardball that our AG lied to him about Tim Griffin. He says that Gonzales told him he would go through the confirmation process to be appointed, but as the newly discovered emails have indicated---that was never the plan and it never happened...

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The Decider spoke...

Harry Reid..."If Karl Rove plans to tell the truth, he has nothing to fear from being under oath like any other witness."

Duncan: This is correct. The only reason to refuse to be under oath or even have a transcript is because you plan to lie and you want to do it with impunity.

Arlen Specter

A Senate Republican on Tuesday directly challenged President Bush's declaration that "I am the decision-maker" on issues of war. I would suggest respectfully to the president that he is not the sole decider," Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said during a hearing on Congress' war powers amid an increasingly harsh debate over Iraq war policy. "The decider is a shared and joint responsibility," Specter said.

AP:

President Bush. on a collision course with Congress over Iraq, said Friday "I'm the decision-maker" about sending more troops to the war. He challenged skeptical lawmakers not to prematurely condemn his buildup. "I've picked the plan that I think is most likely to succeed," Bush said in an Oval Office meeting with senior military advisers.

Back on 04/18/06, I posted the video of Bush saying: "I'm The Decider and I Decide What Is Best"

Bush: I say I listen to all voices but mine's the final decision and Don Rumsfeld is doing a fine job. He's not only transforming the military, he's fighting a war on terror - He's helping us fight a war on terror. I have strong confidence in Don Rumsfeld. I hear the voices and I read the front page and I know the speculation but I'm the decider and I decide what is best and what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of defense.

So how did Rumsfeld do? And how could I forget "the dicator" quote.

Some last minute reactions to the Preznit's speech. Interesting the Decider didn't mention he's locked up only the "Bad Arabs" for over five years without a trial. So then Bush goes off to "sell" his plan...at Fort Benning?!?

Eric Reeves: "2007 gives all signs of being the most destructive year to date in the Darfur genocide." (h/t Daily Darfur).

On-topic, why does the Governor of New Mexico have more diplomatic competence than the Secretary of State? Nevermind.

Ave Cassandra : response to Ahnold's healthcare plan.

Off the Beaten Path: "Straight but not narrow" edition: The Lesbian Blog Award nominations are open. There are some great, and I mean great, writers over there.

P.S. I'm glad someone misses Fafblog as much as I do...

Guest round-up by Blue Gal

Political Animal: As soon as he dumps another scapegoat, the Decider will announce an escalation--this time with lavender cannon fodder

Halfway There: Correcting another MSM wingnut's lies and willful ignorance

Brainshrub: Why Mom hates Hugo Chavez

The Agonist: The euro officially passes the dollar

Opinions You Should Have: We almost missed this excellent "Year in Review"...

Mad Kane: Leave No Campaign Plans Behind … in a Hotel Room
 

The Register:

The US has claimed "dibs" on the Universe with its new space policy. The document, signed by President Bush, was released on a Friday, just before a long weekend in the States. This, in itself has caused a bit of a stir, but not more so than the tone and content of the document.

In it, the US government allocates itself rights to access and use space without anyone else getting in its way. It also sets security at the heart of the space agenda, frequently citing its right to use space as part of its national defence.

[.."The United States is committed to the exploration and use of outer space by all nations for peaceful purposes, and for the benefit of all humanity. Consistent with this principle, 'peaceful purposes' allow US defence and intelligence-related activities in pursuit of national interests."

In other words: "Everyone has to use space peacefully, except us. We can do what we like, cos we were here first[..]. And anyway, if you try to stop us, it won't stay peaceful for long, which would spoil the first part of our principle." Read on...

Wow. Colonialism AND imperialism over space. He now wants to be The Decider of the Universe. The final frontier, indeed.

Mike's Blog Round Up

spychips.com: Radio Frequency ID chips are now part of the immigration debate. A government-sanctioned chipping program could quickly be expanded to include U.S. citizens, as well. (thanx to reader JByrd)

Tristram Shandy: Will the U.S. execute a Marine?

Looking for Someone to Lie to Me: Lay & Skillings are going to jail for crimes The Decider has now decided are OK...sometimes. The president has bestowed on his intelligence czar, John Negroponte, broad authority, in the name of national security, to excuse publicly traded companies from their usual accounting and securities-disclosure obligations. Red State Diaries...Kommandos Project...David Newberger’s Blog

Can you say "Watergate"?: Not only are the AG, the Deputy AG, and the FBI Director prepared to resign in protest if Bush orders them to return the materials seized in the Jefferson raid, they're almost openly on the warpath against the Republican majority in the House.