Anger management
Condi Rice is not making the impression on the international stage she had hoped to. First, it was Ariel Sharon talking about her "nice legs." Now comes this from "official Russian sources" via WorldNet Daily.
"Bush National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is advocating a 'cynical, immoral ... and dangerous' foreign policy, and believes the United States can 'occasionally ignore international law' and 'the code of civilized conduct,' according to official Russian sources."
These sources go on to tell WND Rice is trying to assert "America's dominance [over] the rest of the world" by allowing the U.S. to renege on international agreements whenever Washington sees fit.
Is the woman named after a Chevron oil tanker -- or was that the other way around? -- giving the wrong impression to our Russian comrades?
Not according to the Cold Warriors at the Free Republic. "I can remember Dick Cheney back when the Russians were 'so-called' embracing democracy saying that he would still never trust Russia and was the only cabinet official not to jump on board the pro-democracy train of Russia. There were too many communist left in power and I agreed with him then and agree with that philosophy now. The Russian Government cannot be trusted anytime in my opinion and especially now with Putin in power! Guess the Russians don't like the new Administration of President Bush and his advisors! Suits me just fine!"
"God bless Ronald Reagan for having the courage to call the former Soviet Union an evil empire and putting their system of government on the ash heap of history," writes another. "In addition, as the Russian Empire continues to crumble and break apart, they will become less relevant every day. Their comments will have as much value as their rubles. SALT 2 is dead and Kyoto was pure idiocy. Long live American exclusiveness."
Weblines
Drudge Report: "China Attacks Bush Over Taiwan"
John Fund: "In New Jersey, a Political Departure Worthy of 'The Sopranos'"
The Smoking Gun: "Underpants and Champagne"
The Onion: "Depressed NRA Member Half-Hoping Son Will Accidentally Shoot Him"
WorldNet Daily: "Russia: Bush Adviser 'Cynical, Immoral'"
Big buzz
It's 100-days mania on the Web. As the first arbitrary signpost for a new president approaches, President Bush is trying to spin the media, and the online partisans are sharpening their claws.
After a series of flubs during the course of the president's 100-days interviews, the posters on Table Talk were unrelenting. "God-damn," writes one poster. "The boy's acting exactly like the captain of the football team who just got sent to the principal's office, who knows darned well nothing's going to happen to him. He knows no matter what he does his grades will be high enough for him to stay on the team, and he won't get suspensions, and any teacher who tries to reprimand him will get a lecture about school spirit instead of support from the administration."
In response to a quote from the president that he is doing everything he can to keep expectations low -- including talking up the possibility of not running for reelection -- a Table Talker writes, "Yeah, but does he have to include pissing off the entire rest of the world and setting up to make Earth uninhabitable?"
Of course, Web-savvy conservatives went into full Bush-defense mode. The folks at Lucianne.com piled on to a story in the Oklahoman about what Al Gore has been up to during the past 100 days. "What Americans crave to know about is the first 100 days of Al Gore as Mr. Nobody," the paper writes. "Or maybe we should say the first 100 pounds."
"I think Gore had Krispy Kremes in that lockbox," writes a Lucianne.com poster.
"How about the first 100 days of the Democrats!" writes another. "They've done nothing but fall back on their tired rhetoric of division and obstruct anything useful. Gephardt and Daschle can't really think their rhetoric is working do they? It may among the diehard Democrats but most people are sick and tired of it and really like Bush. Gore is toast. Texas size toast."
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