Since the Olympics are on a tape-delay for many of the events, it takes some effort to avoid seeing the results on the internet or other television stations before the events actually air. To enable the corporate-manufactured suspense of the broadcast, during the day I avoid the Post which means that I just now saw this nonsense from Shrub:

RIDLEY PARK, Pa., Aug. 17 -- President Bush reaffirmed his administration's commitment to building an antimissile system, accusing opponents of the program of "living in the past."

Living in the past??? You fool, it's that sort of thinking that led your crew to ignore al Qaida and Osama bin Forgotten until it was too late. It's that sort of thinking that led Wolfowitz to question whether or not al Qaida was a legit threat. It's that sort of thinking that allowed Shrub to keep clearing brush down on the ranch and Condi to keep doing whatever it is she does (what does she do?) even after receiving a PDB titled "bin Laden determined to attack inside the U.S."

Although Bush did not mention his Democratic rival by name on Tuesday, his speech here at a Boeing Co. plant included a thinly veiled attack on John F. Kerry's stance on missile defense. "I think those who oppose this ballistic missile system don't understand the threats of the 21st century," he told 1,400 cheering Boeing employees and supporters. Kerry has said he would cut back spending on missile defense.
....
The president noted that last month Boeing engineers loaded the first missile interceptor into a silo in Alaska -- describing that as the beginning of a national shield "envisioned by Ronald Reagan."

Who's "living in the past?" He really doesn't listen to himself, does he?

Standing on a platform flanked by two Chinooks, Bush said foes of the missile system are "living in the past. We're living in the future. We're going to do what's necessary to protect this country. We say to those tyrants who believe they can blackmail America and the free world: You fire; we're going to shoot it down."

What kind of dumbass rhetoric is THAT?!?!?!?!?!? Is that the nuclear armageddon version of "Bring 'em on"? Not to mention that every single test of any anti-ballistic system has shown it to be hardly effective or fail-safe.

I really shouldn't read the news. I honestly don't know what I'll do if Bushco pulls a win out of the bag this November. Granted, four more years of Bush would be quite interesting. I always wanted to experience a crumbling empire firsthand. And maybe after four more years, enough Murkans would wake up to realize that the GOP really isn't looking out for anyone other than the corporate class. But I have a lingering fear that the Murkans would lap up another four years and another couple of wars (Syria? Iran? Micronesia? I'm looking at you). So hopefully it won't be an issue.