"Smithers, We're At War!"

SMITHERS: I'll begin profiteering, sir.

BURNS: And hoarding. Leave it to the Democrats to let the Spaniards back in the pantry.

Unbeknownst to me Harry Shearer, aka Mr. Burns of The Simpsons, not only has a masters degree in political science from Harvard, but has been posting on Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo for the past few days while Josh gets married.

Seriously.



"Eerie similarity between Mark McGwire at the baseball hearing--"I'm not here to discuss the past"--and Porter Goss before Senate Armed Services on whether interrogation techniques used since 2001 have complied with US anti-torture laws--"I am not able to tell you that". Eerier still, to broaden the focus, is the refusal of American media (and bloggers too) to notice the similarities between what's been happening since the runup to the war in the US, UK and Australia. When we're isolated inside our American bubble, our problem seems as if it's only our problem. But, while "extraordinary rendition" worms its ugly way into the national consciousness here, Britain has simultaneously been having a wrenching debate on the government's proposed non-judicial orders for persons "under suspicion", including house arrest and electronic tagging."