Do you know of this famous quote?

The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones.
    — William Shakespeare, “Julius Caesar”, Act 3 scene 2
      Greatest English dramatist & poet (1564 – 1616)

With the death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, would it not behoove us to lay the question of a viable healthcare to bill to rest and let him take the victory of successful passage along with him as he is laid to rest? Isn’t NOW the time for all the wafflers, the Blue Dogs, the DINOs and the weasels to stop screwing around and pay one lasting, final tribute of honor to the man by ending this faux “bipartisan” compromise, putting the meat back into the bill and sending it sailing past the recalcitrant, criminally negligent GOP?

That’s the big question. What say you?

Crossposted from ePluribus Media.

"What sluggards, what cowards have I brought up in my court, who care nothing for their allegiance to their lord. Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

        — The Murder of Thomas Becket, 1170,
            Eyewitness to History.com

It’s begun. The wackos have all begun to unwind and step out from behind their stately faux patriotism with their lunatic friends, fomenting rebellion and attempting to instigate violence.  It’s an insidious fifth column of propaganda and divisiveness, delivered through auspices of free speech yet fooling few in the rank desperation of their calls to incitement.

From the Washington Post, this rather discouraging tidbit:

A federal judge yesterday rejected the claim by a coalition of historians and nonprofit groups that Vice President Cheney intended to illegally discard some of his official records, and instead accepted the pledge of a senior White House aide that key Cheney documents and other materials will be transferred as required to the National Archives.

Emphasis mine.

Can you hear them laughing yet? Cheney even threw his back out, he was laughing so hard, and he’s attending the inauguration in a wheelchair — probably something else he’ll be chuckling over, thinking that years later historians and citizens will see the poor bastard in a wheelchair and say "Oh, how can the people of the time be so mean to a decrepit old invalid?"

Well, they’ll probably leave out the "decrepit" bit.

Crossposted from DailyKos.

This is Really Hard to Believe is the name of a new article by Barry Nolan that is now up on the ePluribus Media journal. The title of this diary reflects three things this non-diary diary represents: a shameless plug about a shamefully neglected topic, and the unbelievable stories that Barry encounters at the Battered Mother’s Custody Conference (YouTube link) that was recently held in Albany.

You need to read Barry’s piece. Make the jump for a little more info, a minor rant, and the opportunity to flame me in comments if this diary offends you.

The fact that this topic often fails to receive the attention that it deserves offends me.

Crossposted from ePluribus Media to here and to DailyKos.

The Daily News has obtained an exclusive photo of President George W. Bush shaking hands with Isaac Toussie‘s father;¹ the photo had been taken earlier this year. According to Daily News political correspondent Celeste Katz, it was not immediately clear whether the photo was snapped before or after Toussie’s father made his April contribution of $28,500 to the Republican National Convention.

The timing of the picture — both the appearance of it now, as well as whether it was taken before or after the hefty contribution — could significantly add to the potential controversies that the Bush Administration and the Republican party have to worry about, particularly with regard to Bush’s legacy.

Hypocrisy, thy name is GOP

The Bush-Toussie picture was first published exclusively on the New York Daily News; the Bush-Abramoff photo was found on Tennesseefree.com and was apparently originally posted on MSNBC.msn.com

Originally posted on ePluribus Media.

Mumsie passed away last year, on the cusp of December 18th and 19th.  Next week is Wifey’s birthday; a little more than one month later is the first anniversary of her mother’s passing.

Today, Wifey ran across the following video — it is a sweet, special memory of the special bond between a mother and daughter called "The Chestnut Tree."

It reduced her to tears.

I thought I’d share it with all of you.  Below the fold, other pieces I’ve written in memory and honor of Mumsie and the caretaking journey we all took together.

Hat-tip Chris Rodda for this story; his her piece is currently sitting at the top of the Recommended list over there.  Please help get the traditional media to cover this story, and make sure they call it what it is: domestic terrorism.

Terrorists have struck on US soil again.  All the bluff and bluster of “we’re fighting them there so we won’t have to fight them here” — along with all the idiotic, illegal and unconstitutional surveillance, searches and seizures, have finally been put to the test and found ridiculously wanting.

The attack was by domestic terrorists, the most insidious kind.

They struck, as if on some unholy jihad, against children.¹