[syriacus]

 Saddam Hussein last night defied the US chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, when he refused to destroy his Samoud 2 missiles and called instead on US president George Bush to join him in a televised debate.

Saddam's way of thinking sounds more and more like that of Senator Chuck Schmearer (D-NY).

• "I have a law degree, but I won't bother using it. I'll go into politics, instead."
• "If only you would do this (idiotic thing), I will go along with your request."
• "Let's discuss this a little more."
• "My team may have lost the war/election to Bush's team, but I will obstruct almost every legitimate action taken by the winning team."
• "Why bother with telling the truth, when a lie will serve your ends?"
• "I think the government should take guns away from people who hold opinions different than mine."

[syriacus]

I forgot to mention.

• Both Schmearer and Saddam like starting wars.

Democrats Will Try to Filibuster Judicial Nominees

When President Bush took office, Senate Democrats started a campaign to block his judicial appointments. They hoped it would help them keep Senate control and win the next fight over a Supreme Court vacancy.

The campaign started with an unprecedented 42 votes against John Ashcroft’s nomination as attorney general. That vote, as Sen. Charles Schumer (D.-N.Y.) put it, was designed to send a "shot across the bow" on future judicial appointments, since 41 votes will sustain a nominee filibuster.