Zach Wendling suggests a new nickname for Tom DeLay. I’m not that impressed with the ethical complaints against him. His sleaze doesn’t seem to me to be that unusual. Having his wife work for him is almost routine in Congress. The problem with DeLay is that he’s a repulsive figure on television and elsewhere. I’ve never met him and can’t believe he’s this repellent in person (he wouldn’t have done so well in politics if he were). But his religious fanaticism, his seething hatred for his opponents, his natural proclivity for arrogance all reflect a real problem for the GOP. He does indeed represent what the party seems to be becoming. That’s why he won’t be forced out. And that’s why smart Republicans will keep him out of the public eye as much as possible. He makes Newt seem likable.
THE NEOCON CONSPIRACY: Another dark twist from Germany.
BLOGGING HEZBOLLAH: A firsthand account of their nefarious influence in Lebanon.
BUSH AND LIBERIA: A disturbing story from Ryan Lizza.
EMAIL OF THE DAY: “You’re being too nice to Eric Cohen. The State doesn’t ‘intervene’ in right-to-die cases. These cases end up in court because of disputes among family members or between families and caregivers. The state is forced into action–it doesn’t volunteer. Moreover, Cohen’s example is fatuous. In the situation he describes, the decision is left up to the incapacitated individual’s legal guardian, just as it was in the Schiavo case. Michael Schiavo said that Teri told him she would want to die, and the courts agreed. In Cohen’s example, the guardian could enforce the terms of the living, or not. It’s his or her call. If the legal guardian chose to ignore the terms of the living will and provide treatment, it would be very difficult for anyone else to challenge that decision on legal grounds. The state doesn’t just jump in to enforce the terms of a living will–someone has to ask for relief in court, and that person then must overcome the presumption that the legal guardian’s decision is not in the best interests of the incapacitated person. If you’re going into court asking for guardianship so that you can kill someone, it would be pretty tough to overcome that presumption, regardless of any statements made in a living will.”
The Dish 