Well, my good buddy Paul Bunyan is getting as paranoid as your good ole Undle Sam. He wrote me today:

The NYtimes mentioned the claims made here in the very last paragraph of a long article on the “new” “terror” information today. This story appears to be legit, and if it is, it says it all. But which is it? to ask once again. Is Bush motivated purely by political and financial gain?Or does he really have something to hide. Goddamn I’m really starting to believe it. Think of all the pieces together. (yes, I’ve recently seen the michael moore movie)–The hunt for Osama completely blown, no serious attempt to get him for months, even though they knew approx. where he was, and then he’s let to slip away–No attempt to interview Saudis in the U.S., or to speak to Saudi associates of the 9/11 bombers. –Creation of diversion in Iraq, done with puzzling haste, even though, with a little more time many more nations would have joined the effort. –All-out attempt to stall and quash the 9/11 investigation (somehow achieved at no political cost).–Bush’s 7 minutes of reading to the school kids on the morning of the thing. The look on his face is stupefaction and fear, but then it often is. What I don’t see there is *surprise*.Damn, I have argued with Uncle Sam about this in the past, but I am starting to BELIEVE.–Paul Bunyan

Paul Bunyan agreeing with me sent me into a little rant, as I’ve been wont to do this election season: Why wouldn’t the world be as evil as we can imagine? Why wouldn’t people want to cut other people up, eat their shit, degrade them, torture them, pull off amazingly heinous capers? If you don’t understand who you are, why you’re here, if you’re cut off, the pain is as great (and has to be as great) as the joy. So that means unbearable pain. So that means anything to foist it. So that means if you’re really lost, and really motivated, why not be Hitler? How close are we to loving Saddam Hussein. It’s easy. Who cares? What is life anyway? Did the people in the Holocaust really suffer? How bad was it? A little fear, a little filth, hard labor, and a nation of people loving it.

Thu Jul 29, 1:50 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A campaign worker for President Bush said on Thursday American workers unhappy with low-quality jobs should find new ones — or pop a Prozac to make themselves feel better. “Why don’t they get new jobs if they’re unhappy — or go on Prozac?” said Susan Sheybani, an assistant to Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt.

I wish Kerry would keep his hands off Edwards, and not joke publicly at crucial times about his hair.

Though I am heartend that a snake oil salesman like Edwards is honored for the normalcy he supposedly brings to the ticket. I thought I heard him say when he stepped to the podium: “I can remove any stain.”

Kissinger in an exchange with the longtime ambassador from the Soviet Union, Anatoly Dobrynin before inviting him to a meeting:

Dobrynin: “I heard that you were sitting with a very nice girl … and I guess I have her picture?”

Kissinger: “Oh, yes?”

Dobrynin: “In the calendar. I think she was on this Playboy calendar.”

Kissinger: “Oh, you’re a dirty old man.”

Dobrynin: “… she’s a real nice girl.”

Kissinger: “… she’s very attractive. I hope she isn’t a nice girl.”

As reported in Newsweek – May 27, 2004

“It took me a while to not say ‘my husband’ meaning John Heinz, cause I’d been married to him for 25 years. Then I switched to thinking my husband John Kerry — and then I thought thank goodness they’re both called John.” — Theresa Heinz Kerry