"you should use these hearings for self-reflection"

It's really awesome watching an accomplished, brilliant, strong Latina woman be patronized by a bunch of arrogant Southern bigots who have no idea what "bootstraps" even look like.

Self reflection? I don't think it's Sonia Sotomayor who needs to spend a little time in self-reflection, "Lindsey."

a bizarre perception of moral imperative

This whole Sanford thing has gotten so, well, weird. Here we have Lindsey Graham telling David Gregory that the besieged governor should be allowed to keep his job, but only if he reconciles with his wife.

It makes my brain hurt.

First, let's set aside the strange spectacle of a single, and an almost certainly closeted gay, Republican senator essentially implying that Sanford becomes unfit for public office if he loses his marriage, though that alone makes me stare at Graham like he just leapt upside down onto the ceiling while cackling and spitting green goo. What difference does it make whether Sanford's wife agrees to reconcile or not, or for that matter whether he decides his marriage is worth saving or not? Who the f**k cares, and what does it have to do with his ability to do his job? Does his infidelity somehow become less egregious if he convinces his wife to stick around? If this happened because his marriage is emotionally over, is it more "gubernatorial" to stay in a loveless marriage than to get a divorce?

Either I just don't understand the southern conservative moral code, or Lindsey Graham doesn't.

simple questions

From the Wall St. Journal:

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is weighing plans to detain some terror suspects on U.S. soil -- indefinitely and without trial -- as part of a plan to retool military commission trials that were conducted for prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The proposal being floated with members of Congress is another indication of President Barack Obama's struggles to establish his counter-terrorism policies, balancing security concerns against attempts to alter Bush-administration practices he has harshly criticized.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who met this week with White House Counsel Greg Craig to discuss the administration's plans, said among the proposals being studied is seeking authority for indefinite detentions, with the imprimatur of some type of national-security court.

Sen. Graham said he wants to work with the administration to pass legislation to increase judicial oversight of military commissions, but noted the legal difficulties that would arise.

"This is a difficult question. How do you hold someone in prison without a trial indefinitely?" Sen. Graham said.

Eh, was that a rhetorical question? Because that issue seems pretty easily resolved.

well, that should shore up the Log Cabin vote!

So I hear Charlie Crist is considered a slight favorite to become co-conductor of the Crazy Train. An interesting choice. Very interesting, in fact. Ya know your presidential candidate is up there in years when he can't tell this single 51-year-old man is a little light in his loafers.

Then again, maybe my gaydar would be a little off, too, if I spent as much time as McCain does with this single 52-year-old man:

"a little light in his loafers"

Ruh roh, is the GOP closet door opening again? From Pensito Review:

n the wake of closeted Sen. Larry Craig’s self-outing in an airport men’s room this summer, Mike Rogers, the Washington-based publisher of blogActive who outed Craig, is threatening to reveal the secret sexual identities of two leading GOP senators, while two allegedly gay Republican congressmen are making headlines and drawing unwelcome attention to themselves, the timing of which could not be worse.

The senators are Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, from Kentucky. More about them below but first let’s look at two allegedly closeted members of the House, representatives Patrick McHenry and David Drier, who have been in the news lately.

Graham is gay? I'm gonna have to file that one in my special "news I couldn't be less surprised to hear" drawer. I must admit I am surprised about Mitch McConnell, though, and am gonna wait to hear more before I judge that one.