Molly Ivins: Three days down, 362 to go

[Dudley_DUright]

Oh boy! Starting the year off briskly, lending it such tone already, such cachet, such je ne sais quoi -- those Republicans are so special, aren't they? Their first move, first rat out of the trap, top priority: lower ethics standards. Yessiree, this 2005 is going to be quite a year.

Let's put that to a vote. Many problems before us -- Iraq, a Social Security "crisis," a real health care crisis, world terrorism, our international reputation possibly at its lowest ever... who is in favor of lowering ethics standards first? Who thinks ethics standards in Washington are too high?

House "Republican leaders" -- that would be your Tom DeLay, Dennis Hastert and other moral heroes of our time -- want to repeal the rule that makes it possible for the House to censure members for bringing "discredit" on the House, even if their behavior does not fall under a specific rule.

They also want to relax a restriction on relatives of lawmakers accepting foreign and domestic trips from groups interested in House legislation. How very... Bourbon of them. Wives and kiddies are already comped to go along on junkets. With the new rule, parents, cousins and grandparents could go, too. Good grief, how can the Republicans maintain family values without them?

more...

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=18328

[Catfight]

1. She always hits it right on the nail. n/t

[Boreas]

2. Deer in the headlights

This is a good one. Molly's doing what she does best, shining a beam of light on the clueless right. Too bad they respond the same way a deer would that's caught in the light: HUH?

[Tomtech]

3. She has been my favorite

Editorial writer for almost 20 years. Way before I really cared about politics.