From the Gawds of Unintended by oh-so-Apt Ironies - Karen Hughes's "Sideways" moment

Time to catch up on a few stories. The so-called "liberal blogosphere" has been kicking the crap out of "Joementum" Lieberman for months in his flailing bid for re-election. While I find Joe to be the worst sort of politician masked in the husk of a decent sort of human being, I fully support the campaign to end his inexplicable support of the Bushies by sending him back home to Connect-I-cut. But putting aside all the bloggie shtick, the must-read story today comes from the decidedly pre-modern world of magazine journalism. Specifically, New York Magazine's evisceration of Joe's fight for his political life. If you're a political junkie, this is today's high-grade fix.

Condi's now supposedly changed the Bushies' Israeli-Lebanese clusterduck position by shwooping into Beirut. To absolutely no effect. But the trip there sounds like a hoot. Especially in the NYTimes piece just posted where a group of frustrated American citizens confront a "wine sipping" Karen Hughes in an Ireland airport. Doesn't that sound ridiculously apt for this bunch of clowns - our envoy to the Middle East gets faced kicking back a few glasses of wine (!) in Ireland? Astonishing. Anyone with half a brain can tell that Karen Hughes is a joke with absolutely no hope for a punchline. But back to Condi. I'm seemingly the only one that feels this way given all the fawning press she receives for her sporty pant suits and obsessive workout routine - Condi's style of self-absorption betrays her complete lack of substance and disasterous standing in the region.

Cullyforneeya's sweltering like so much of the country this summer. People are starting to die and the strain on the power grid is much like that exerted on the moviegoing public whenever the Guvernator tries his hand at comedy. If there's one intangible in this Fall's midterm elections, I predict climate change will freak people out like never before and strongly tilt any leaners. Remember, you heard it here first.

Expect some new Maya pics soon in an attempt to counter America's image problems abroad. Hope your own travel plans include unstaged events that inspire the locals today. Rock on.