Supreme Court speculation is intensifying

With Bush frantic to change the subject away from Leakgate, expect a Justice nominee to surface this week -- perhaps as quickly as today -- and apparently the First Lady has had some influence:

Washington was abuzz with speculation Tuesday about Judge Edith Clement of the U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans ...

Known as a conservative and a strict constructionist in legal circles, Clement also has eased fears among abortion-rights advocates. She has stated that the Supreme Court "has clearly held that the right to privacy guaranteed by the Constitution includes the right to have an abortion" and that "the law is settled in that regard."

At first blush, I'm speechless.

Update: Bush will let us all know tonight (at 8 pm CDT).

Another busy week ...

... if you're one of those people who are trying to take our country back.

Last Saturday I went across town to hear Chris Bell speak; this account of his appearance in Amarillo the same day echoes my sentiments. Tonight David Van Os spoke in my neighborhood; besides the fifty Meyerland Dems in attendance were three Houston city council candidates: Mark Lee, Herman Litt, and Ray Jones.

Tomorrow night in Bellaire, at the Campaign for a National Majority kickoff, Nick Lampson will address the group.

And this weekend a Downing Street Minutes Teach-In will be held locally. If it's anything like the Peak Oil Conference I attended a couple of weeks ago, there'll be a few hundred people there (SRO).

Find a DSM event near you this Saturday, and go.

Update: Nick Lampson will unfortunately be unable to attend the CNM event listed above; Robert Jara of the Texas Democratic Party will give an update on the prospects for the 2006 elections.

Pretend you're Karl Rove

... the version who, in just a few short months, will be in prison.

Make a license plate (for any state, with anything you care to say on it).

Journey to the left of the blogosphere

H-Town Blogsylvania assembled again during the lunch hour today, and the attendance was impressive: Houston city council candidate Jay Aiyer and his campaign manager, Kyle Johnston (who also managed Richard Morrison's run), representatives of Peter Brown's campaign staff, including manager Bill Kelly, Katie Floyd and Avery Pickard from Barbara Radnofsky's US Senate campaign, a handful of bloggers, and a few of their acquaintances.

Greg has a good wrap-up of the discussion, but the most important development was the impending kickoff of Texas Tuesdays. Go there to learn more.

Emily could be ours

by early next week.

I guess I better go to the grocery store ...

Even more SC whisperings

I'd heard this before I read it here, and it's only noteworthy because Rehnquist has declared premature media predictions of his impending retirement.

So he'll have to be carried out feet first, it seems. Which probably won't happen before, oh, next week ...

I believe there are a couple of conversations happening in the White House right now; one is, shall we go ahead and ignite that shitstorm with the liberals or not, and the other is:

"Can we make the announcement today, Boss, so that I don't have to answer any more questions about Karl, please?"

Patriotboy has me in tears again

He's got some cinematic suggestions for conservatives who will need help coping with the avalanche of bad news (for the unenlightened, the Mrs. Apuzzo he refers to is this woman) :

National Security -- A top White House aide teams up with a columnist to defend the president's honor by exposing a CIA agent and a CIA front company. Think All the President's Men with the President's men being the good guys. I see Jeff Gannon as Karl Rove and Shelly Winters as Bob Novak. Mrs. Apuzzo could play the positive immigrant maid who lets Mr. Rove's late night visitors into the White House.

Duke Cunningham, Capitalist Tool -- Rep. Duke Cunnigham rubs a flag and a lobbyist/genie appears, granting him the power to make ridiculously lucrative real estate deals. Duke uses this power to enrich himself through a series of house and boat deals and becomes a star on the conservative speakers circuit giving presentations about the rewards of hard work. Think I Dream of Jeannie crossed with Wall Street. I see Ernest Borgnine playing Duke and Mrs. Apuzzo playing the positive immigrant maid who sweeps up all the cash that falls out of visiting lobbyists' pockets.

They Fight Alone -- The untold story of the brave men who proudly wear the Cheeto-stained briefs of the 101st Fighting Keyboarders. In cold, damp basements across our nation, these courageous young men endure their mothers' nagging while fighting Islamo-fascism by flinging accusations of treason against Democrats. Think The Green Berets mixed with Beavis and Butthead. I see Cory Feldman as Ben Shapiro and Mrs. Apuzzo playing the positive immigrant maid Ben's mother hires to hose him down once a week.

The Passion of the Hammer -- The House Majority Leader is subjected to Gitmo interrogation techniques and then crucified by an activist judge who refuses to acknowledge the vital role that graft plays in a democratic society. Think The Passion of the Christ meets The Godfather. I see Randall Terry making his acting debut as Rep. DeLay and Mrs. Apuzzo playing the positive immigrant maid who the Majority Leader receives as a gift from a contributor in Saipan.

And from the comments:

"The Boys from Brazos." When their maximum leader gets in trouble by betraying a secret agent, his former clients in Texas are notified by phone, fax, and pony express to get their talking points synchronized. Congress is played by congress. The Press is played yet again by Karl Rove.

"Weekend in the Tropics." It's about a noble country forced to imprison evil thugs bent on destroying civilization. The noble country treats the prisoners so well that they come around in the end to realize the error of their ways. Think Midnight Express where the captors are the good guys.

... he's a treacherous, fleshy sociopath bent on world domination, forced by circumstances to move into a cheap apartment. His new roommate is an uptight male prostitute with a penchant for get-rich-quick schemes. Put them together, and you've got the original odd couple! It's Karl and JimJeff starring in "Below the Beltway." Rated PG-13 for brief (and patriotic) displays of little soldiers...

Has anyone ever had to be hospitalized for intense, prolonged, vertigo-inducing laughter? Because I'm about to have to call myself an ambulance ...