Now it’s time to catch up.
Lady Bird Johnson passed away today at 94. She was a pioneer in conservation and beautification, and if you enjoy the wildflowers you see in the median on the interstate, you can be grateful to her.
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Sara Taylor, former White House political director, showed up for her scheduled testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee today, but she didn’t have much to say, citing Bush’s gag order — I mean, claim of executive privilege — as the reason for evading committee members’ questions.
Loyal to Bush even outside the White House, Taylor at first refused to answer questions that might violate Bush’s claim of executive privilege and at one point reminded the committee that as a commissioned officer, “I took an oath and I take that oath to the president very seriously.”
Seeing a chance to weaken Taylor’s observance of Bush’s executive privilege claim, Leahy corrected her: She took an oath to uphold the Constitution.
Constitution? What constitution? It’s just “a goddamned piece of paper”, after all.
Oh, and Harriet Miers has decided that she won’t even bother to show up tomorrow to answer a subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee. I guess she knows her BFF George will spring her from the pokey if Congress brings contempt charges.
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Sen. David Vitter faced more bad news today when a former New Orleans madam confirmed that he was a regular customer at her house in the 1990’s. Not to worry, though. She says he’s “one of the nicest and most honorable men I’ve ever met.” Except for the whole screwing hookers while railing about the gay threat to traditional marriage.
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Michael Chertoff’s gut is telling him we’re going to be attacked again this season, even though the White House says it has no credible evidence of a threat. Maybe it was just some bad barbecue.
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GOP congressional support for the never-ending war in Iraq is tanking, but Bush still refuses to consider the possibility that he isn’t the greatest Commander-in-Chief since George Washington. House Minority Leader John Boehner was reduced to name-calling, referring to Republicans who are (finally coming to their senses and) breaking with Bush as “wimps”. Classy.
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And in Alabama news, a circuit judge dismissed felony charges against former Secretary of State Nancy Worley and delayed trial on the remaining misdemeanor charges so prosecutors could appeal the dismissal. (H/T Dan)
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Okay, what did I miss?
On how many levels does the “____” piece of paper comment convict George W. Bush as the complete and total fraud that he is? Clearly he is not the super-Christian he claims to be given how he uses the name of the One he claims to worship. Clearly he is not the super-patriot he claims to be as he shows total disdain for the document that brought the founders’ collective brilliance together to create the greatest governing document the planet has ever known.
What a pathetic, hypocritical loser. Is it 2009 yet?
Only 559 days to go.
Thanks for that precis, Kathy. I’ve spent the day dealing with all kinds of mundane stuff, including feeding several exchange students. We’re only housing the one, but somehow a bunch seemed to end up here at dinnertime (it’s perfectly true, the French don’t snack, but they do have to eat at least twice a day) and I didn’t have much time to keep up with the news. I did read about Vitter’s new problems this morning at the Times-Picayune website and was saddened, if not surprised, to read the many posted comments along the lines of “Well, he’s still got my vote. I don’t care where he was putting it. He’s done a lot of good for his constituents.” I really don’t think this is going to hurt him one little bit, not in New Orleans, anyway. Let us all recall the famous words of former governor Edwin Edwards: “The only way I can lose this election is if they catch me in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.” I paraphrase, but not much.
A little voice in my head is saying something about Mrs. Johnson having had an Alabama connection of some sort, but I can’t make out what it was. It seems like she may have owned some land somewhere ,,,,Autauga County, maybe?
The story I’ve always heard is that the Mobile ladies didn’t treat her right before he was president, and she persuaded LBJ to shut down Brookley Field when he was elected. I really don’t think this is true but it makes a good story, particularly when you’ve spent some time in the company of our more frigid “warm and gracious” matrons.
Ah. It was when she was here for a dedication of the Phoenix Fire Museum. (near the end of the article) My God, but Google is wonderful.
Don, you remember correctly about the Autauga County connection.
Del, great story! That’s one that should be in the history books but probably isn’t.
Del, that’s an interesting article. I’ve actually been to the Boykin plantation in Washington County when I was stationed at the radar station in Thomasville.
Kathy, thanks for confirming that I wasn’t hallucinating…….again.
Lady Bird was also responsible for getting LBJ to push the Highway Beautification Act, which got rid of a lot of ugly billboards on federal highways. The Act got watered down over the years, but can you imagine what the interstates might look like if we hadn’t had the law? Lady Bird cared about this beautiful country and she will be sorely missed, and I’m glad there are plenty of folks who are carrying on her work.
Thanks, Lisa. Yeah, given the number of billboards out there now, I imagine there’d be nothing but if it hadn’t been for Lady Bird’s advocacy. I much prefer the trees and wildflowers.
Today’s Montgomery Advertiser online has an interesting article, “Lady Bird Johnson lived in Autauga County”, @ http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070713/NEWS01/707130318/1007
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