House Considers Weakening Ethics Rules

Republican leaders are considering a change in House ethics rules that could make it harder to discipline lawmakers. The proposal being circulated among House Republicans would end a general rule against any behavior that might bring “discredit” on the chamber.

So much for all those votes for “moral values,” huh?

I can’t wait for the next vote, when they give themselves bonuses to offset the cost of call girls and blow.

That’s what I want for my elected representative: someone who will fight for his right to be the lowest common denominator.

And on that note …

Pentagon Misses Goal for Missile Defense System

“What we have here is a developmental system that is well along,” Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a recent briefing. “And at some point soon, it will have a modest capability” and can be “perfected and improved” over time.

“Modest capability?” In other words, someday it’ll “kinda work?” That’s not real reassuring, my friend.

I mean, we’re not talking about a new kind of cappucino machine here. If my seatbelts only achieve “modest capability,” I’m gonna be pissed. My airbags? “Modest capability” ain’t gonna cut it.

So when we’re talking about a system that’s supposed to stop an inbound nuclear missile … its capability better be 100 FUCKING PERCENT. TODAY.

Rumsfeld sounded undeterred. … “I’m not announcing it, but if you, for example, said that … there was some threat that was evolving and it would be desirable to go out of a test mode and see the extent to which you could be in an operational mode, my impression is it wouldn’t take long to get there.”

Wouldn’t take long to get there? Hmm. Would it take longer than, say, the time it would take a nuclear missile to incinerate me? ‘Cause if so, it’s too fucking long.

And what’s with all the verbal cartwheels?

“We had hoped that we would have some sort of a characterization that in 2004 we had a preliminary capability, an initial capability,” he said.

Say what? This guy is like the world champion of dissembling.

“We had hoped to assume that there was a possibility of a conclusion whereby we would asses the situation to determine the accessibility of such a system at such a time that we saw fit to deploy an operationally enabled prototype for the predetermined forgone conclusion. Next question?”