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Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Is the fix in already?
Posted by Jill | 11:09 PM
Tristero has an interesting quote from Fred Barnes, in turn quoting Captain Codpiece:

In the midterm election on November 7, Bush predicted Democrats won't win either the House or the Senate. "I believe these elections will come down to two things: one, firm belief that in order to win the war on terror there must be a comprehensive strategy that recognizes this war is being fought on more than one front, and, two, the economy." Bush said the price of gasoline, which has been falling rapidly, is one of the "interesting indicators" that the press should watch carefully. "Just giving you a heads up," he added.


...and he opines as follows:

Now, Digby observed that Bush must have told Them - the Oil "Them" - to open the spigot. And indeed, gas prices have fallen. But in truth, it's a leap of faith to suggest that the lower oil prices this election seas...sorry, I meant, this fall, had anything to do with the fact that there are 2 oilmen running the United States and their political ass is on the line. I wouldn't presume to suggest, say, that Bush, Cheney, and Rice begged the cartels and companies to temporarily ease off on the pricegoug... sorry, the utterly fair profit margin they're taking.

No, what interests me is Bush's confidence that the election is in the bag. And him giving his rightwing press pals a "heads up." A heads up. For what? The world anxiously awaits. And I'm not kidding.

I remind you: Bush don't bluff. Bush do whatever the hell he wants to do. If I were Betting Bill Bennett, I'd lay even odds that the Mayberry Machiavelllis got a little treat in store for the rest of us this fall. And no, I'm bettin' it ain't jes' gamey voting machines, which goes without saying.

As it happens, I've kept a short list of October surprises I've been working on and I was gonna wait until, you guessed it, October, but given that the "heads up" comment seems to have slipped under the radar a little, I thought I'd release it now to draw a little attention to the very probable threat behind Bush's remark.


Potential October Surprises


1. Osama bin Laden is captured or killed. That would explain why Osama's name's been cropping up in Bush's speech after so long an absence. Somewhat possible.

2. Another attack on the continental US. This seems unlikely to me, not only because Bush/Rove would never plan such a thing -they didn't in the past and they won't in the future, people. Nor will they let bin Laden or any of the zillion of new enemies Bush and Cheney have created do 9/11 part deux from their neglect. Why? The country simply won't unite behind Bush if he neglects to protect us a third (or fourth) time during his regime. He got a free pass on September 11, ditto for anthrax. But after Katrina, a spectacular attack on the "homeland" ain't gonna play too well.

3. A nuclear strike, either on Iran or somewhere else like NoKo, unilateral, pre-emptive, and announced as a fait accompli. Bush has, after all, started military ops against Iran, according to Sam Gardiner. Not that likely, but I was getting jumpy one night, and the paranoia overruled my desire to sleep.

4. The exquisitely-timed revelation of a major financial or sexual scandal involving major Democrats. I think this is very likely.

5. Rumsfeld will resign for "health reasons." Very likely, imo. Everyone loathes him. His replacement? Well, the kind of mentality that would replace a bozo like Ashcroft with a worse bozo like Gonzales...who's to say? Jerry Boykin? Nah, not even Bush is that stu...as I was saying...who knows who will replace Rumsfeld? But I think Rumsfeld is about to pursue a career for which he has genuine talent: Comic poetry.

6. Bush got bupkus and the "heads up" really is a bluff, which means he psyched us out and so we waste tons of time and bucks trying to figure out what's he holding and come up empty. I think that's highly unlikely. He's a liar but he's no bluffer, if you can get your heads around that. (And if you do, you can 'splain it to me sometime 'cause I can't.)

7. Gas prices will fall. Oh, right, that happened already, but it's not enough to tip the election his way.


I don't think it's going to be Iran -- too risky. That'll wait till AFTER the election. A capture or killing of Osama Bin Laden is possible, but the question there is whether Bin Laden is worth more to Bush as an ongoing boogeyman or as a corpse.

My money's on another terrorist attack -- another one that they'll allow to play out. The question is whether voters will turn on him or allow the reptilian brain to take over.

If you think the surprise will be something else, mosey on over and let Tristero know what you think.
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