For 3 Transgressions And For 4

Commenting on the possibility of White House staff being involved in the outing of Valerie Plame, W. said anyone involved with breaking the law "would be taken care of." Given the consequences he's had to face for his shady financial dealings, his drug use, and his drunk driving, there is little wonder what W. means by this. [If] Karl Rove broke the law by intentionally revealing the identity of someone he knew was a CIA operative is that really so shocking? This White House has demonstrated there is little they won't do to maintain their strangle hold on power; attacking reputations, stealing elections, and endangering lives are all old standards for them so it is not difficult to imagine that a few times along the way a law here and there has been skirted. And they have been taken care of. They are far outside the realm of decency, far outside of the law, and well taken care of.
It's not just outing Valerie Plame and possibly putting her life at risk. That just seems to be a story with a little more media traction. More broadly this regime and the ethos it represents have been willing to cynically exploit life as a concept and lives specifically as a means for their own gain. Whether it's Plame, Schiavo, or each and every service person, civilian contractor, and bystander in Iraq, we see this clearly in this White House. They don't know how to do what is right. They devise ways to destroy people's lives. They are craftsmen of death.
Much of this is excused in the name of security, but how can any of us feel safe if they have made it clear no one else's life is worth anything to them except as a political expedient? How can we imagine anything is beyond the pale if they are willing to destroy lives as quickly as reputations?
And this is who we are. This is our choice. The lies, mortgaging the future, the cynicism, the death are not only tolerable, this is what some half of the voters chose for the nation.
But don't worry- it'll all be better if we can pray in public schools.