10/19 Quick Hits

1. Jesus, I know Republicans like to suppress the votes of the brown people, but this looks a little nasty. A Republican challenger in Orange County, California sent a threatening spanish language letter to 14,000 hispanic Democrats. Nasty and classless, and very, very Republican. Think Progress has more.

2. Another sign that evangelicals are getting serious about Global Warming. Actions speak louder than words, however, and voting for Democrats matters more than airing some ads on Christian radio. We shall see.

3. Over and over and over again, I am surprised at the political mistakes President Bush makes. From Heckuva Job Brownie to Dubai to immigration to Dennis Hastert, he seems unaware of the soundbite implications of his statements. Now this. Think Progress rebuts what President Bush is saying, but I don't think it matters. Even allowing the words "Iraq" and "Tet Offensive" in a question without rejecting the premise outright is politically stupid, regardless of the validity of the comparison. You don't let people or the press start thinking about Iraq and Vietnam at the same time. Yet he did just that, and Tony Snow did it too. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

4. My favorite West Wing episode of all time, "Celestial Navigation," involved Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) having a disastrous press conference where he inadvertently admitted the President has a "secret plan to fight inflation." Conrad Burns claims he and the President have a plan to win Iraq, but they're not going to tell anyone. A secret plan to win Iraq? LOL!

5. Keith Olberman continues to speak truth to power, again, and again, and again. Please please please watch these videos, because while he is a lone voice in the night as far as TV goes, he speaks for many, many Americans who are disgusted and ashamed of what is being done in our name. Make time for these, they come from his heart.