Well that didn't take long. In the aftermath of the demand to condemn the questionable MoveOn.org advertisement singling out General Petraeus' for his role in supporting the Bush administration policy in Iraq, it seemed likely that one of the many Bush apologists would soon step into some deep doodoo. As fortune would have it, the winner turns out to be none other than Rush Limbaugh.

From Media Matters:

During the September 26 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh called service members who advocate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq "phony soldiers." He made the comment while discussing with a caller a conversation he had with a previous caller, "Mike from Chicago," who said he "used to be military," and "believe[s] that we should pull out of Iraq." Limbaugh told the second caller, whom he identified as "Mike, this one from Olympia, Washington," that "[t]here's a lot" that people who favor U.S. withdrawal "don't understand" and that when asked why the United States should pull out, their only answer is, " 'Well, we just gotta bring the troops home.' ... 'Save the -- keeps the troops safe' or whatever," adding, "[I]t's not possible, intellectually, to follow these people." "Mike" from Olympia replied, "No, it's not, and what's really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media." Limbaugh interjected, "The phony soldiers." The caller, who had earlier said, "I am a serving American military, in the Army," agreed, replying, "The phony soldiers."

As Media Matters for America has documented, Limbaugh denounced as "contemptible" and "indecent" MoveOn.org's much-discussed advertisement -- titled "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" -- critical of Gen. David Petraeus, but has repeatedly attacked the patriotism of those with whom he disagrees. For instance, on the January 25 broadcast of his radio show, he told his audience that he had a new name for Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), a Vietnam veteran: "Senator Betrayus."

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Limbaugh has been pushing the envelope for years...frequently jumping up and down on the line but seemingly succeeding in not crossing the threshold of no return. With the timing of his latest remarks...so close on the heels of the MoveOn.org fiasco...Rush may have finally failed to sneak one by.

The man who fashions himself to be a skillful tactician...on the order of an Olympic diver...able to jump into an issue head first, speak his piece, and leave behind insufficient evidence of his obtuse and offensive persona...may have finally committed the proverbial belly flop; leaving behind enough proof to warrant his disqualification.

Limbaugh's reflections have long been directed at the unwitting...and with this latest assault upon soldiers who serve their country honorably...he has once again chosen to wield his haughty hammer like a crazed carpenter in a glass house. Fortunately, the self-absorbed oxy-gen receptacle (code for pill popping windbag) may have misjudged his swing and shattered his own house of smoke and mirrors.

If it isn't obvious, I'll not lose any sleep while his actions are probed...in ways that he'll hopefully find to be reminiscent of a visit to the one fingered physician. All I can say is, "Enjoy the examination, Rush!"

So much for Iran's commitment to freedom. Following the appearance of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia University, the Iranian government has scrubbed the portion of the Iranian President's remarks which included his assertion that there aren't any homosexuals in Iran. Apparently, President Ahmadinejad and those in power in Iran now believe that the mere mention of gay is unacceptable.

H/T to Page One Q

While many American's opposed Columbia's decision to allow the Iranian President to speak, I believe it provided the world with another opportunity to see the degree to which this man is out of touch with reality. Hopefully, the Iranian people will see his comments and the reactions. If they do, perhaps they will begin the process of replacing Mr. Ahmadinejad and his extremist government.

I decided to have a little fun with Mr. Ahmadinejad and his outrageous comments. Fortunately, his first name, Mahmoud, provided the perfect opportunity to create the following graphic spoof...Mahmoud Dearest.

There are countless takes on the Petraeus report and the degree to which the Bush administration may have influenced or manipulated the content.

Generally speaking, it appears that the President, through the report and its proposed troop reductions, may have succeeded in buying the support of enough Republican Senators to insure that the Democrats cannot or will not attempt to impose a deadline for troop withdrawals.

It certainly appears that the President intends to hand off the mess in Iraq...and therefore force his successor to bring the war to a conclusion. Presumably, the President has come to two conclusions. One, the war cannot be won before the end of his term...and two, he will not be the one to concede that the effort is futile and seek an exit strategy.

One cannot underestimate the strategic acumen of the Bush administration...regardless of one's chosen ideological alignment. Unfortunately, I can't help but wonder whether this latest effort is anything more than a last ditch effort to rescue, or at least sufficiently blur the certainty by which historians will be able to characterize the Bush legacy.

If the President's apologists are able to argue that his successor shifted strategies before his "bold" vision was able to come to fruition, they may be able to deflect some of the negative evaluations and attributions which appear to be headed his way.

Given the abundance of analysis that has already been disseminated today, I decided to provide the following graphic in an attempt to offer my own sarcastic summarization of the closing strategy and the parting message of the President. Feel free to let me know if you see an alternate message or if it reads the same to you.

As we wait with bated breath for the Petraeus report on the troop surge and progress in Iraq, the Bush administration appears to be busy redefining the manner in which the facts are gathered. If it weren't so clearly true, it may well be unfathomable...but then when it comes to George Bush...anything seems to be possible.

From The New York Times (Paul Krugman):

Here's what will definitely happen when Gen. David Petraeus testifies before Congress next week: he'll assert that the surge has reduced violence in Iraq — as long as you don’t count Sunnis killed by Sunnis, Shiites killed by Shiites, Iraqis killed by car bombs and people shot in the front of the head.

Apparently, the Pentagon has a double super secret formula that it uses to distinguish sectarian killings (bad) from other deaths (not important); according to press reports, all deaths from car bombs are excluded, and one intelligence analyst told The Washington Post that “if a bullet went through the back of the head, it's sectarian. If it went through the front, it's criminal." So the number of dead is down, as long as you only count certain kinds of dead people.

And six or seven months from now it will be the same thing all over again. Mr. Bush will stage another photo op at Camp Cupcake, the Marine nickname for the giant air base he never left on his recent visit to Iraq. The administration will move the goal posts again, and the military will come up with new ways to cook the books and claim success.

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I'm not sure how a civilized country viewed as the singular superpower in the world has become a banana republic...but I have my suspicions (*cough-Bush-cough*). When confronted with inane absurdity, I often turn to silly humor...it seems to take the sting out of the virtual vivisection of rationality.

The following graphic is my effort to employ a comedic break to soothe this latest assault on our basic American sensibilities...the ones which used to be evidenced in our elected officials...the ones which George Bush seems to find irrelevant.

Come to think of it...we need this new casualty calculation like we need a hole in the head.

As if Larry Craig hasn't drawn enough attention, it is now being reported that the Idaho Senator is considering the withdrawal of his intent to resign from the Senate.

From The Idaho Statesman:

U.S. Sen. Larry Craig says he might reconsider his decision to resign if he clears his name in his arrest for disorderly conduct in a restroom sex scandal.

That’s why Craig chose his words carefully during his resignation speech Saturday in Boise, according to a voice mail message he mistakenly left on a stranger’s phone. In the message obtained by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, Craig tells a man named “Billy" that his choice of language is deliberate because it leaves the door open for him to stay in office.

The voice is indeed Craig’s, spokesman Dan Whiting said. Whiting would not say who “Billy" is. Later that day, Craig announced that he had hired high-profile criminal defense lawyer Billy Martin, whom Craig hired to help him unravel the guilty plea Craig filed last month.

Whiting confirmed in an e-mail that his boss “intends to resign on Sept. 30th. However, he is fighting these charges, and should he be cleared before then, he may, and I emphasize may, not resign."

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The fact that Craig left the message on the wrong phone simply adds to the tragic and comic nature of this ongoing spectacle. Apparently, the supportive remarks of Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter gave Craig some hope that he could weather the storm and remain in his position.

Speaking of positions, since the Senator "came out" with his new "stance", I couldn't resist having a little fun with the Senator's never ending string of not so subtly suggestive semantics...hence the following tongue-in-cheek graphic.

I thought a few vintage posters and a little humor were appropriate this Labor Day. Here's hoping the day was less about labor and more about love for each of you.