Are They Losing It? (Dowd alert)

The New York Times ^ | 06/27/04 | Maureen Dowd

[Pokey78]

WASHINGTON

One thing you've got to say for Dick Cheney: No one will ever again dismiss the vice presidency as a pitcher of warm spit. Mr. Major League Potty Mouth has shown that, with obsequiousness to the president and obtuseness to the facts, a vice president can run the world. Right into the ground.

This week, it's not just Democrats who are questioning whether Vice is losing it. Now, even some in the White House are saying it's bizarre that he chose a class photo-op on the Senate floor to suggest that Senator Patrick Leahy do something that you won't even find described in Bill Clinton's "My Life."

While Democratic lawmakers delayed final passage of a defense spending bill so they could mingle with Michael Moore, the once sweat-free Bushies were acting jangly.

First Vice chewed out The Times for accurately reporting that the 9/11 commission said there was no collaborative relationship between Saddam and Al Qaeda. Then Paul Wolfowitz called the reporters risking their lives in Iraq craven rumormongers. Then came Mr. Cheney's F-word. (Not Fox, the other one.)

Finally, President Bush got agitated when an Irish TV interviewer said most of the Irish found the world more dangerous now than before the Iraq invasion. "First of all, most of Europe supported the decision in Iraq," Mr. Bush declared. (It's all in how you define "Europe.")

Even as Tom Daschle proposed bipartisan family retreats to heal the harsh mood, even as the Senate passed the "Defense of Decency Act," Mr. Cheney profanely laced into Mr. Leahy for criticizing Halliburton's getting no-bid contracts.

"I felt better afterwards," he told Neil Cavuto during a no-bid interview with Fox News. Hey, if it feels good, Dick, do it.

He said he had no regrets about his "little floor debate in the United States Senate." He didn't want to go along with Mr. Leahy's attitude that "everything's peaches and cream" when the Democrat had just been jawing about Halliburton war profiteering. Peaches and cream have never been on the Bush-Cheney menu, only brimstone and gall.

By playing on the insecurities of an inexperienced leader, Mr. Cheney has managed to change W. from a sunny, open, bipartisan, uniter-not-a-divider, non-nation-builder into a crabby, secretive, partisan, divider-not-a-uniter, inept imperialist. Vice is bounding around the country, talking to his usual circumscribed audiences of conservatives, right-wing think tanks and Fox News anchors. No need to burrow in the bunker when you've turned America into one.

As they used to say about the Soviet Union, the defensive Bush imperialists have to keep expanding because they're encircled. Mr. Cheney's gloomy, scary, contentious world view has fueled a more gloomy, scary, contentious world.

After disastrously dividing the world into the strong (Bush hawks) and the weak (everyone else), Vice turned his coarseness into another macho, tough-guy moment against a Democrat considered a pill by many Republicans. "I think a lot of my colleagues felt that what I had said badly needed to be said, that it was long overdue," he preened.

The conservatives defending Mr. Cheney are largely the same crowd that went off the deep end because of a glimpse of breast on the Super Bowl, demanding everything from fines to new regulations to protect red states from blue language.

Mr. Cheney's foul outburst was not as bad as his foul reasoning. On Fox, he again belabored his obsession with "links" between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Exhibiting WASP chutzpah, this time he used The Times to bolster his faux case.

But the Thom Shanker story he cited said only that in the mid-1990's, Iraq agreed to rebroadcast anti-Saudi propaganda and that a request from Osama "to begin joint operations against foreign forces in Saudi Arabia went unanswered."

Rebroadcast anti-Saudi propaganda? As a threat to U.S. security, that's right up there with Iraqi "weapons of mass destruction-related program activities."

Mr. Cheney assured Fox's anxious viewers that he would stay on the ticket and in the White House until January '09. (No four letter words, dear Democrats.) Vice said of W., "he knows I'm there to serve him."

Mr. Bush must have missed that classic "Twilight Zone" episode where the aliens arrive with a book entitled, "To Serve Man." It turns out to be a cookbook.   

E-mail: liberties@nytimes.com

[Pokey78]

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From Oxblog:

IMMUTABLE LAWS OF DOWD

1. Ashcroft never deserves credit.

2. Offering constructive solutions to problems, instead of whining endlessly about them, is a sign of weakness.

3. The People Magazine principle: all political phenomena can be explained with reference solely to caricatures of the personalities involved ("Dubya" is stupid; "Poppy" is an aristocrat; Cheney is macho-man; etc.). Any reference to the common good or even to old-fashioned politicking is, like, so passe.

4. It is much better to be cute than coherent.

5. Maureen knows best. Her long years as a columnist (doing basically what your great-aunt Tillie does in the nursing home bull sessions, but getting paid for it) have given her deep insight into foreign relations, politics, welfare, the Constitution, and all other topics. To disagree with Maureen in any way is not only a sign of being wrong, it's a hallmark of pure evil...or at least membership in the NRA, which is pretty much the same thing.

6. It is usually possible and always desirable to name-drop and name-call in the same sentence.

7. The particulars of my consumer-driven, shamefully self-involved life reveal universal truths.

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Explanation of the Dowd/Douglas connection: by Miss Marple- 2/11/03

Ms. Dowd was escorted around New York and DC for many months by one Michael Douglas of Hollywood fame and fortune. She got to go to all the best parties, was photographed for the tabloids, and was picking out a gown to wear at the Oscars. Of course, Michael had become interested in her during Clinton's impeachment, when she had written some very anti-Clinton columns. After a few weeks of the Michael treatment, she began to write anti-Starr, ant-Newt columns, ignoring Clinton.

Then Clinton was acquitted by the Senate. In an amazing coincidence, Michael Douglas dropped Ms. Dowd like a hot potato, and instead picked up a hot tomato, Catherin Zeta-Jones, who subsequently bore him a son and they were married.

Ms. Dowd cannot get over her tragic loss. Her columns are increasingly anti-Bush, in the hope of impressing her lost love, Michael.

In addition, we think she has a secret crush on the President and is trying to get him to pay attention to her. Ha!

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Moron Dowd enjoys a drink with her DemonRat Party pals
(Courtesy Free ThinkerNY)

[mass55th]

Is that Ben-Veniste in that picture with the ever-affable contortionist Moron?

[blanknoone]

I tried to read it, but I couldn't get past the first paragraph...too much irony.

[Mr. Mojo]

"Hey, if it feels good, Dick, do it." - Mo Dowd

I realize Dowd probably hasn't been laid in a while, but this is getting ridiculous.

[beyond the sea]

Mr. Major League Potty Mouth

I'd rather hear Effin use the word for no reason. At least Cheney was pissed. No one deserved it more than the old prune, Leaky Leahy. But, somewhat to Leaky's credit, he did say that....... "maybe Dick's just having a bad day." That was cool of him. I wonder what got into him.

[tet68]

Hey Mo, What'cher sniveling for? Cheney got your tongue?
(Probably got the hots for him too, just like she has for
GW.)

[sgtbono2002]

Its been needed to be said for a long time. Ted Kennedy coiuld use it to Big Time.

[So Cal Rocket]

I must sharpen up my Google Search skills... I am really having trouble finding the article where the Dowdy One criticizes John Kerry for dropping the F-Bomb in his Rolling Stone Magazine interview. Can someone help me here?

With tongue in cheek,
SCR

[McLynnan]

Not to worry. Scanning the first paragraph is sufficient. It's the usual, and she cleverly has nicknamed Cheney "Vice". No mention of Kerry's use of four letter words in an attempt to be balanced. To think she gets paid for this sophomoric writing.

[beyond the sea]

No need to burrow in the bunker when you've turned America into one.

Gee, I was just at the store and around town. Is America a bunker? I didn't notice.

[NYCVirago]

I know how much Maureen Dowd hates foul language. After all, she did write that big column about how deplorable it was for John Kerry to curse to reporters about his Secret Service agent when Kerry fell on the slopes. Oh wait a minute, she never did write about it, did she?

[GVnana]

doing basically what your great-aunt Tillie does in the nursing home bull sessions, but getting paid for it

You have pegged Dowd!

[satchmodog9]

"First of all, most of Europe supported the decision in Iraq," Mr. Bush declared. (It's all in how you define "Europe.")


I guess it is how you define Europe you nasty, rotten fraud.

[jim macomber]

*&$% Dowd. She can *&%*$@!@ $!&($!@ her $^*!in' %@#!## anytime she &$@!$%@%@# well pleases.

[randog]

I was just wondering what happened to Dowd. I thought she was done with after her ellipse faux-pas. Evidently not--cockroaches are damn difficult to get rid of.

[atomicpossum]

If what's she's talking about is weight, I'd say Dowd definitely is NOT losing it.

[Miss Marple]

It is my fondest wish to see Ms. Dowd carted off to the funny farm. I detest her sophomoric writing, her reliance on pop culture, and her hatred of the President. She no longer amuses me.

As an aside, I think this can be directly correlated to another publicity campaign for Mrs. Douglas. Armchair psychology is sometimes quite useful.

[TexasCajun]

If Miss Dowd wants to read FreeRepublic post, then she must see the beauty her heart-throb married!
Michael Douglas is no Prince Charles when it comes to picking women!

[Southack]

"First Vice chewed out The Times for accurately reporting that the 9/11 commission said there was no collaborative relationship between Saddam and Al Qaeda."

Poor Ms. Dowd...she can't even comprehend what her own paper reports: Iraqis, Seeking Foes of Saudis, Contacted bin Laden (NY Times Documents Iraq/Al Qaeda on Page 1)

[Jackie]

.
To: Maureen Dowd

I saw you in person a couple of months ago. You have a long, thin nose.
.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

I'll bet every Senator is chuckling today.

They all know Leahy deserves more than just a few words.

Leahy is a disgrace.

What a pathetic state of fools is Vermont!

Jeffords and Leahy.

Vermont is a puking joke!!

[VeniVidiVici]

First the Kerry campaign and now Ms Dowdy complain about things their party has started or has done for ages.

I think Ms Dowdy is running low on Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

[Fintan]

Flame me if you will, but I wish I could make a comfortable living submitting my used toilet paper to the NY Times for publication twice a week.

[highlander_UW]

So the choice seems to be a conservative and actually have to earn your paycheck or you can be a liberal and write idiotic, childish trash and get paid well....sorry but my credibility and self respect are too dear to me....something that can't be said for others, clearly.

[Calvin Locke]

First Vice?

Wrong Administration. Her brain must be pickled just enough to lose the mid-term memory.

[Congressman Billybob]

The original quote from John Nance Garner, then a Vice President, is, "The Vice Presdiency isn't worth a pitcher of warm p*ss." "Spit" is the bowlderized version. While we're on the subject, any column by Maureen Dowd isn't worth a pitcher of warm p*ss.

For that matter, neither is Maureen herself. So in the immportal words of someone who's much more a man than she is, or has, or will ever get, "Maureen, f*ck off." Just a helpful suggestion, columnist to columnist, doncha know?

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "The Value of Death -- Civilian, 'Senseless," and Combat Deaths."

If you haven't already joined the anti-CFR effort, please click here.

[EGPWS]

One thing you've got to say for Dick Cheney: No one will ever again dismiss the vice presidency as a pitcher of warm spit. Mr. Major League Potty Mouth has shown that, with obsequiousness to the president and obtuseness to the facts, a vice president can run the world. Right into the ground.

Such a physically appealing person to become such an unappetizing soul, does nothing but lead one to frustration.

[Puppage]

Vermont is a puking joke!!

A liberal, puking joke!!

[WideGlide]

Leahy is a traitor and a slug. I beg to agree, but only if you include my state - Maryland- in the puke-a-thon. Mikulski, Sarbanes, and my Congressman Mr. I-Lie-Jah Cummings of Congressional Black Carcass fame. Pardon me whilst I vurp.

[bitt]

her e-mail address is, strangely,

liberties@nytimes.com

I will be writing her shortly.

She needs to address her statement about VP Cheney blasting the Times 'for accurately reporting that the 9/11 commission said there was no collaborative relationship between Saddam and Al Qaeda.' The not really a retraction was printed yesterday.

Then, she might like to address the fact that she gave Girly Man a pass for the Finger at the Wall, the cussing at the Secret Service man, and the contrived F word in Rolling Stone. Whether she likes the POTUS or the VP or not, she does not have the right to attempt to humiliate them and show such disrespect in such a partisan fashion.

I am sick and tired of it and I am not going to take it anymore.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Leahy is a traitor and a slug. I beg to agree, but only if you include my state - Maryland- in the puke-a-thon. Mikulski, Sarbanes, and my Congressman Mr. I-Lie-Jah Cummings of Congressional Black Carcass fame. Pardon me whilst I vurp.

I feel your pain!

I'm in Connecticut.

I got that wascal Joe Wieberman and that other bon vivant, Chris Dudd!

[cyncooper]

hahahahahahahahahaha

MoDo is having a bonafide hissy fit.

hahahahahahahahahaha

It's so funny because she fancies herself quite the wit, when in reality she is dumb as dirt.

[RichInOC]

Maureen, dear...screw you and the broom you rode in on.

[ken5050]

BTW, just read your last column on my neighbor, Slick..outstanding effort as always...off topic question..since Kerry couldn't get McCai tobite, do you think there's ANY chance he'd chose Cleland? There's some perverse logic to it..a southerner, Viet vet, and a triple amputee...

[gaspar]

In the second paragraph she stated, "even some in the White House are saying...." As usual she couldn't say who the "some" were. So, let me say what needs to be said, Dowd is in a league with Hillary Clinton: They are both congenital liars.

[cyncooper]

What got into him was that after he ran to the press to tell them what Cheney said, he wanted to make himself appear above it all and removed.

(this after Leahy was the one who approached Cheney)

It wasn't because he was being "cool", I can assure you.

[cyncooper]

her e-mail address is, strangely,

The name of her insipid column is "Liberties". That's why her email is thus.

[cyncooper]

In the second paragraph she stated, "even some in the White House are saying...." As usual she couldn't say who the "some" were.

Thank you for pointing that out. I was going to cut and paste that portion too. She is absurd.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Her true form.

[Congressman Billybob]

I can't see a one-term, one-armed Senator who couldn't hold his own state in an election as the Veep nominee. Choosing or not choosing Edwards will depend on whether Kerry is going to play a Southern strategy.

If he wants to pick off maybe two "deep South" states -- Virginia and NC -- he will choose Kerry. However, if Kerry believes the deep South is a lost cause, he will go for someone (probably a Governor) in the Midwest, to try and pick off a couple states there that would otherwise go to Bush. That will mean that Kerry has decided on the fly-over states strategy.

IMHO. John / Billybob

[4Liberty]

I only read the Economist, the WSJ, & Drudge.

Dowd's another Blair; I never 'got' her column, it seems repeatedly stupid. It has NO CONTENT.

More evidence of the dumbing down of America, as shown in the pages of NYTs (thanks NEA).

Dowd is another, very strong argument 'FOR' school-vouchers.

[GreatOne]

I never get tired of seeing that photo of Catherine Zeta-Jones (thanks). But why do you post the second photo of the circus freak? Just curious.

[FierceDraka]

I don't have a problem with Vice President Cheney telling that d*ck Mr Leahy to F-off. I applaud it, in fact.

The liberals are the ones who decided to take the path of incivility, confrontation, name-calling, and mindless rage against anyone who dares to disagree.

I just hope that more of us on the Right have the cajones to take the gloves off and deal with the leftists in a manner they understand.

[speekinout]

Kerry's Purple Hearts are really bogus (and the GOP doesn't dare to mention that). Cleland's injuries won't help. He wasn't hurt in battle - he dropped his grenade when he jumped from a helicopter so he could join his buddies for a beer. It was a huge mistake to try to pick it up.

These guys aren't "war heroes". Bush can't mention that, but there are others who can and will.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Of course, Dowd was silent when Kerry cursed out his Secret Service agent.

[independentmind]

Poor Mo appears to have lost whatever she had quite awhile ago.

[garyhope]

Forgive me for asking, but where can I find the report on exactly what Mr. Leahy said that prompted Cheney to say what he did and what exactly did Cheney say? Thanks.

[LiberalBassTurds]

F*ck Off Maureen.

LBT

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[Keith in Iowa]

>>Forgive me for asking, but where can I find the report on exactly what Mr. Leahy said that prompted Cheney to say what he did and what exactly did Cheney say? Thanks.

You mean you missed the multitude of threads discussing this subject? Just do a little lookin' 'round here, man - if the topic had teeth, it would bite you on the butt.

[LiberalBassTurds]

Actually, CNN (Paul Begala) reported that the phrase was "Go F*** yourself".

This is all I could find Gary and it was from a blog.

So, to correct my posting above...Go f*ck yourself Maureen.

LBT

-=-=-