Wherein is revealed what George Bush respects a lot

The White House claims that retroactive immunity (which they call “retroactive liability protection”) for the telecoms “does not immunize any criminal conduct.”

AP: “Mariann Fischer Boel, Agriculture Commissioner at the EU, asked German farmers to stop sending her milk in protest at higher quotas that may lower prices. She has received more than 2,000 gallons. Much of it had gone off.”

Speaking of having gone off, George Bush, at the G8, met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for “a typical conversation among friends.”


WHO DOES GEORGE RESPECT A LOT? “and we did it in a spirit of respect -- and it was easy for me to do because I respect the Prime Minister a lot.” Really, George? Can you tell us what his first name is?

AND WHAT ELSE DOES GEORGE RESPECT A LOT? “I also respect India a lot”.

HE IS THE REMINDERER: “We talked about educational exchanges. I reminded the Prime Minister that the Indian American population is very proud of this relationship, and proud of their heritage, and proud of the leadership of the Prime Minister.”


FELINE UPDATE: The cat’s been here ten days now. Yesterday I had her vaccinated and de-wormed (as I do with all my roommates), but she still has no name. Your suggestions have been taken aboard, but none really leaped out at me (unlike the cat). One of the problems in this endeavor is that many names appropriate for a kitten are no good for a full-grown cat, and vice-versa. For example, some of you made Marx Brothers-related suggestions, as per the theme of this blog, but missed a rather good cat name, “Mrs. Rittenhouse,” the most Margaret Dumont-y of the names given to Margaret Dumont’s roles. It is, however, a name that can only be grown into. She may be a Mrs. Rittenhouse five years from now, but for the present she’s chewing newspapers, batting around bottle caps, and tearing up and down the stairs like Harpo (and no, I am not naming her Harpo) (not unless I can train her to come when she hears an old-fashioned bicycle horn).

I’m thinking about Christabel. Does she look like a Christabel?