Sure Are Liberal with Their Use of Liberal

I realize trying to get McCain, Palin, and the rest of the Republicans to use language as something we can at least pretend refers to things in the real world isn't easy, witness Senator Stevens not quite seeming to get "convicted felon." (OK, that might not be an issue of words, it might be he flouts the jury system, but what's "real American" about a trial by your peers? "Peers" sounds like such an English word, after all.) That said, if I hear the Obama-Pelosi-Reid troika invoked as the avatar of liberalism one more time, I'm going to throw my copy of Debs: His Life, Writings and Speeches at the television.

If Obama were so liberal, would he have flip-flopped on his vote for telecom immunity?

If Pelosi were so liberal, would Cindy Sheehan be running against her?

If, you gotta be f-ing kidding me, Reid were so liberal, would he be anti-choice? I mean, a super-liberal who thinks women are the test tube of god?

LIbby Commutation, Liberals Sentenced for Life

Here's one more for the "now exactly why do you think the news media is leftwing?" file. At the end of her analysis of the Libby commutation, the LA Times' Janet Hook writes:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who at one recent candidate forum dodged the question of whether she believed Libby should be pardoned, made plain that Democrats would not let GOP candidates forget the issue.

"Four years into the Iraq war, Americans are still living with the consequences of this White House's efforts to quell dissent," said Clinton, whose husband ended his presidency by granting a spate of pardons that stirred controversy.

"This commutation sends the clear signal that in this administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice," she said.

I'm no huge Hillary fan (way too moderate--or is that "triangulate"?--for me, plus it might be nice to have someone not a Bush or Clinton in the White House unless we're really hoping for a monarchy), but these graphs are just unfair. What does it matter what her husband did? Did she make those decisions? Either this means we're to think that Bill was just a tool for Hillary all those years or that Hillary will be a tool for Bill if she gets elected president. Neither seems likely with two such strong personalities.

Finally, as many have pointed out, Libby wasn't pardoned. Bush said, "Yeah, he's guilty, but I don't think he needs to suffer for that." And don't tell me that the fine won't come out of the $5 million raised for his defense. As for his hurt reputation, my guess is Ben Stein and Ken Starr are probably picking out an ocean-view office for him at Pepperdine about now.

Or maybe we should start a pool about how fast and where Libby will wind up. Get the date and school/think tank correct, and you win the White House's butt-smirched copy of the Constitution.