This is Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s 20^th Congressional district, one of the monuments to the grand old political practice of gerrymandering with the added advantage of digital cartography and the use of geographic information systems that makes it possible with fewer registered Republicans in the state than registered Democrats to enjoy a two to one advantage in both houses of the state legislature and the state’s Congressional delegation.

The denizens of blogtopia™ are really getting annoying. Anyone who read my last piece on McPeak and clicked on the links would already be aware of his views on the Middle East which are cleverly disguised in the Wikipedia entry as “Controversies”. There is also a link to the 2003 Oregonian interview that is at the heart of the matter, so you can decide for yourself what you think.

I know he’s a “terrorist-loving anti-Semite”, because I get e-mails and comments every time I say essentially the same thing from people telling me I am.

The only major points of difference are that Commodore McSpacecadet thinks that Israeli considerations were more important to the Iraq invasion than I do, and he thinks it’s Jewish voters behind the skewed policy. I think the possible benefit to Israel was another of the many excuses used to justify a war with Saddam over oil, and the campaign contributions from small, but powerful. segments of both the Jewish population and the evangelical Christian population are driving this.

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The legislature is in session, so the craziness and pandering continues.

Not satisfied with the toxic Amendment 2 [“marriage protection”, i.e. gay bashing], the Republicans have a couple of other amendments they want on the November ballot.

Sinfonian gives the basics behind the effect of the anti-Blaine amendment, essentially making it possible for the state to hand out tax dollars to church groups, something that is currently banned in the Florida constitution. The Christianists were surprised to find out that it wasn’t just the Catholic schools who couldn’t get tax money under the state constitution, so the Republicans are going to amend it so they can divert public school funding to unaccredited schools operated without any oversight by religious groups, the real purpose of the various school voucher bills.

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Dr. Cole reports on the current situation in Iraq:

Al-Zaman reports in Arabic that members of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI, formerly SCIRI, led by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim); the Da’wa Party led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki; and the Badr Corps paramilitary of ISCI have fled their HQs in Basra and Kut, because of the threat that they will be stormed by Mahdi Army militiamen [seeking revenge for the current offensive], In fact, some such buildings already have been attacked.

Eyewitnesses reported clashes on Tuesday in Sadr City, east Baghdad, led by Mahdi Army militiamen against American and Iraqi forces. The latter had encircled Sadr City, while the Mahdi Army roamed its streets within. The sound of gunfire could be heard, and helicopter gunships were seen hovering above.

Nassar al-Rubaie, a leader of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc, announced that it would boycott parliamentary sessions until the targetting of his people ceased. The Sadrists have 30 seats in parliament.

Gunships are a good way to kill a lot of innocent people in an urban setting and make the problem even worse.

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