Republicans Anonymous

Yes, it's the event we've been waiting for - Bush's Fantasy-Based Policies versus Reality. First up - fiscal policy. Reality starts with a hard right to the dollar.

The dollar hit yet another record low against the euro in London on Tuesday on speculation Russia could increase its reserves of the single currency.

The US currency's new fall follows a sharp decline on Monday on worries about the size of the US trade gap.

Now, reports that Russia will shore up its reserves of euros at the expense of the dollar have tipped the currency back over the edge again.
...
"The dollar doesn't care about short-term US economic fundamentals," said Sean Callow, at IDEAglobal in New York.

Mr. Bush wants to eliminate employer-based health care in favor of everyone just paying their own bills, like in China. Here's the result:

More than a third of Chinese people who fall ill do not go to the doctor because they cannot afford the cost, a government survey has found.
...
Alas, the cost of medical care is going up far faster than incomes.

Officials said another major cause of the problem is that doctors are prescribing expensive drugs in order to increase hospital revenues.

Sports figures aren't heros - heros are people like Frank Foley.

From the BBC:

Frank Foley was based in Berlin in the 1930s, working as a passport control officer, and using his position to provide papers for Jewish people.

It is believed Mr Foley saved tens of thousands of lives ...

He not only interpreted the rules on visas loosely, enabling Jews to escape to Britain and Palestine, but he also helped to forge passports.

And, despite not having diplomatic immunity, he gave shelter to some people in his own home.

...with Foley a lot of the people he helped probably didn't even know he helped them.

"Courage is who you are in the dark."

I wonder whether Rep. Jerry Weller (R. Illinois) sees eye-to-eye with his new father-in-law Gen Rios Montt regarding human rights, an independent media, and other such ideas?

From the BBC:

A US congressman has married the daughter of Guatemala's ex-military ruler Efrain Rios Montt in the colonial capital, Antigua, amid tight security.

Some 300 guests attended the wedding of Jerry Weller, the Republican from Illinois, and Zury Rios Sosa, a member of Guatemala's Senate.
...
Gen Rios Montt is accused of ruling over some of the worst atrocities during Guatemala's civil war over the 18 months he was in office.

(Gen. Montt) may face charges over the death of journalist Hector Ramirez, who died last July - apparently from a heart attack - while trying to escape a violent crowd of the general's supporters.

The new Mrs. Weller (Ms. Weller-Sosa?) apparently supports both her father's politics and President Bush's opinion of reality. From the Maritimes Independent Media Center:

French President Jacques Chirac expressed his concern for the authorization of Rios Montt as presidential candidate. The General's daughter, Zury Rios Sosa, denied that such a comment had been made. "The press has problems with translation, and miscommunicates information," said Rios Sosa.
(Emphasis added)