Let's talk about replacing GWBush in 2004.

I've seen some rather unpretty liberals get drunk gracelessly too. In fact, I can't think of ever having seen anyone get drunk gracefully. An image that will long stay with me is Teddy Kennedy, disheveled and snoring loudly, drink still in hand, draped across an elegant settee in my aunt's parlor. Both Joan, his wife at the time, and my aunt were peeved.

Oh, do elaborate!
I am always envious of your experiences! You and Walter both!

I'm told photographic evidence remains of my "farewell to Germany" party when I was in the Army. That would have been exceptionally ugly! Who wants to see a naked, drunken hobbit supported by his girlfriend and her sister (also naked, long story, won't go into it now!) puking into gardenias?

Is he ever sober?

Now, now! I'm sure those days are behind him. Just as they are, of course, for Pres. Bush.

I'll bet he was fun back then--with that temper of his. Of course, a drunken Bush growling, "I'm gonna getcha!" might have sounded more menacing then than it does now...

We do...please post as many pictures as possible.....

That's what worries me..I don't have them! I've simply had them described to me!

I loved Dennis Miller's visit to the ill-fated Donahue show where he commented of Bush's drinking that we needed to spread the story that he's fallen off the wagon, to really scare the pants off the terrorists.

--Zbigniew Brzezinski(link to full text)

It is truly sad.................. But this will all pass, soon!

Repairs will take some time, but hopefully - America will right itself, take power out of the hands of the fascist and advance, once again, as a great country out for the best welfare of the world and its people

Hobit: Walter C. used to sail his boat up the Maine coast (maybe he still does) and was a familiar figure. I saw him in one of those hot-rolls-'n'-relish "typical" stage coach inn type of restaurant, at a long table with a bunch of people, next to where we were sitting. He was getting redder in the face and more self-amused by the minute. Nothing dramatic. Just a not wholly attractive man tying one on!!

PDiddie, DeGaulle merely affirmed that France was perfectly comfortable with, and wished to in no way jeopardize, her place under the American Nuclear Umbrella, especially as no physical commitment of French military assets was entailed by the requested declaration of French support.

You will forgive me if I conclude that your divining the mind of Charles DeGaulle is so ridiculous and laughable a premise as to be unworthy of response.

If you truly missed the point, go back and read Mr. Brzezinski's last paragraph. It contains a little parable about credibility and trust that has been lost, along with the 400 lives of our brave young men and women, in Iraq.

If you simply ignored it, ... well, may I gently suggest that you go back to sleep.

Timber, France had a goal of having an independent nuclear force ever since the end of the war. They weren't too successfull, for quite awhile, but they kept trying and trying. I surely wouldn't say they liked the idea of hiding under the U.S. nuclear umbrella. They were pushing the program through years after the rest of the world accepted the idea of nuclear weapons destruction. i happened to be in europe when numerous demonstrations took place against nuclear tests done by france in mid 1990's. here's a link to some brief history of nukes in france - though i must issue a disclaimer, i don't know the source, just a random search.Force de frappe

It's easier to argue that which is not the point....

The following statistics are from Harper's:

Percentage points by which George Bush Sr.'s approval rating in August 1991 exceeded his son's last August : 11

Re-election campaign funds raised by Bush Sr. as of June 1991 and by his son as of last June, respectively : $0, $67,687,000

Percentage of Americans who believe that George W. Bush was legitimately elected president : 54

Percentage who believed this in March 2001 : 56

Jeez, if those numbers keep dropping, a minority of Americans may soon believe Bush was legitimately elected president. Hmmm....

Lets look at what happened Tuesday. In Kentucky, Fletcher's win puts a Republican in that staehouse for the first time in 32 years. Along with Fletcher, Kentucky chose a separately-elected Republican Lieutenant Governor, a Republican Secretary of the Commonwealth, a Republican State Commissioner of Agriculture. Both of Kentucky's Senators are Republicans, as are 5 of her 6 Representatives, with the 6th, Ken Lucas, a conservative Democrat who frequently votes with the Republicans, and who, in 2000, pointedly refused to endorse Gore.

More significant, perhaps, was Barbour's win in Mississippi, giving that state only its second Republican Governor since Reconstruction. There too, ex-Democrat Amy Tuck was handily re-lected as a GOP Lieutenant Governor with a remarkable 61% mandate. The State Treasurer's office went to Republican John Reeves and Republican Phil Bryant was re-elected with an astounding 76% of the vote. In the Mississippi Legislature, the GOP picked up 7 seats, with one squeeker yet to be called. The State Senate, for generations 2/3 Democrat, now stands at 29 Dems to 23 Repubs.

The count of Republican Governors is now 29, with the Louisiana contest yet to be decided, though Republican Jindal has been trending up in polls, and he has just received the endorsement of New Orleans' Mayor Ray Nagin, a Democrat.

Despite Democrat gains in New Jersey, where a long-standing GOP/Dem tie has been tipped in Dem favor, the GOP leads in control of State Legislatures nationally, maintaining the trend underway at least since 2000. By simple count, there are now more Republican State Legislators than Democrat. There are more elected Republicans than Democrats throughout state governments. For the first time in history, the four most populous states, California, Texas, Forida, and New York simultaneously have Republican governors.

Street's victory in Philadelphia is really the only significant Dem win in the latest round, and despite, perhaps even perversely because of, a federal investigation into contract and purchasing irregularities directly involving his office. Not to slight Houston, but White's victory over Sanchez, though likely, is not yet a done deal, and relative to statewide offices, mayoralities are by definition matters of local rule.

If anyone other than Republicans can look to the recent elections as good news, it would have to be Third Party candidates; in San Francisco, The Green's Matt Gonzales won over Mayor Willie Brown's Democrat annointee Gavin Newsome, and in NYC Letitia James of the Working Families Party won the City Council seat of James Davis, who, you may remember, was murdered by another opponent.

Pointedly, in reference to this thread's title, it is my impression that the Dems are talking about replacing Bush in '04, but not doing much of anything about it.

The Green's Matt Gonzales won.
As a member of the Green Party living in the San Fran Area, I am real pleased.

I'm, here goddammit ! Don't blame the Navy because Naval Aviators are so cool, so good looking, and so smart. Or that aircraft carriers are so exciting and fascinating to outsiders. You just interpret that as arrogance and self-promotion, because you can't understand it. Eat your heart out.