Recruits Sought For Porn Squad

This is beyond stupid.

Early last month, the bureau's Washington Field Office began recruiting for a new anti-obscenity squad. Attached to the job posting was a July 29 Electronic Communication from FBI headquarters to all 56 field offices, describing the initiative as "one of the top priorities" of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and, by extension, of "the Director." That would be FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.

By all means, let's divert some resources from locating and arresting terrorists, criminals, and hackers for some 50's-era porn crusade. The truly sad thing is that they're not even going after child pornographers - they're going after the adult stuff.

But Gonzales endorses the rationale of predecessor Meese: that adult pornography is a threat to families and children. Christian conservatives, long skeptical of Gonzales, greeted the pornography initiative with what the Family Research Council called "a growing sense of confidence in our new attorney general."

What the fuck is it with these religious conservatives that they have to interfere with everyone else's lives? This is so simple: if you don't like pornography, don't view it. Don't read it, don't watch it, don't listen to it. Nobody is forcing you to. This is the conservatives' favorite strategy, to create a false crisis in order to get people to abandon common sense. Oh no, Saddam has nukes, let's invade! Oh no, the terrorists could be anywhere, let's throw away civil liberties! Oh no, little Johnny might see some boobies on HBO, let's arrest the pornographers!

How bizarre is it that as the rest of the world slowly becomes more and more civilized and enlightened, America keeps regressing?

Bush Denies Racial Component to Response

"The storm didn't discriminate and neither will the recovery effort," Bush said. "The rescue efforts were comprehensive. The recovery will be comprehensive."

Let's not forget that the Bush Administration has worked as hard as any to disenfranchise minorities whenever possible, so to imagine that they might not give two shits about some poor black people... well, it's not a stretch, certainly. Bush and his buddies are trying hard to counterspin the negative coverage by using the 'blame game' soundbite, their attempt at trivializing the criticism leveled against them. Throw racism into the mix, and it gets harder to pretend that this is all somebody else's problem. Some Republicans have even tossed out the old 'state's rights' chestnut, which is surprising since most political observers are well aware that 'state's rights' was a euphemism for racism back in the fifties and sixties.

Nothing this President has done has ever been authentic or honest. Every moment is a photo op, every spoken phrase is a talking point. When Katrina hit, Bush did what he does best - nothing. No doubt he had his handy copy of 'My Pet Goat' to read while he waited for someone to tell him what to do.