Today, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales became the latest Bushie to abandon ship. As I see it, the senior members of the current administration can be divided into two categories: the evil (aka Rove, Cheney, and the rest of the Office of Special Plans), and the clueless (aka Harriet Miers, Michael Brown). Gonzales may have aspired to the former, but he never quite made it. Why? Because he just wasn't slick enough with his illegal schemes.

It's not easy to choose Gonzales' worst moment during his tenure as White House Counsel and Attorney General because there are just so many to choose from. Some would pick his defense of torture, others might be charmed by the U.S. Attorney scandal. I personally have a weakness for the whole bullying-John-Ashcroft-in-the hospital-room affair. Why? Because it captures so many of the qualities that have made the Bushies our worst group of leaders ever. Disregard of the consititution? Check. Valuing loyalty to awful policies over the best interests of the country? Check. Embarrassing the U.S. on the world stage? Check.

Goodbye, Alberto. We hope that your inevitable seven-figure hire by one of Bushie's oil cronies treats you well. (P.S. Go fuck yourself.)

This campaign ad must be doing something right; it's already earned an angry response from the White House. But what's surpising here is not that Clinton takes potshots at the president -- it's how effectively the ad pulls it off.

Let's face it: most politicians are not poor, and most never have been. All too often, when they try to connect with the troubles of the "average American," the average American is tempted to flip them off. But somehow, speaking of the people she says the current administration has rendered "invisible," Clinton does connect. She's not putting on falsely folksy airs and saying, "Hey, I'm one of you." She's saying, "Okay, I'm not one of you. But I see you and I get you, and I want to help make your life better."

Of course, distancing yourself from an outgoing administration with record-low approval ratings isn't exactly revolutionary campaign strategy. Hell, even the Republicans are doing it. But Clinton's already using the debates as a forum to showcase her tough side and shout down those that think a woman (or a Democrat) doesn't have the strength to lead the country.

Am I convinced that I'm looking at the next president? Not just yet. But I am more intrigued than I thought I'd be, and for 15 months before the election, that ain't bad.

A viral promotion for the launch of new political blog OpenLeft.com, the concept of our Commander In Chief fully embracing new media is a stretch, and we've seen better Bush impressions. But it's nice to hear every single one of our most secret whiny liberal suspicions confirmed by that raspy dry voice. This must be how conservatives feel while watching the last half hour of Team America: World Police. Vaguely justified.

MSNBC news commentator Keith Olbermann has never pulled punches, but this "special comment," directed at President Bush after the Scooter Libby sentence commutation, may have taken him to a new playing field. It's an A-1, tour-de-force rant: a point-by-point ennumeration of the ways in which Olbermann feels Bush has allowed partisanship to replace all other judgement, ruining the integrity of the presidency and exhibiting a destructive contempt for all American citizens who have placed their faith in the office.

No doubt Bush's supporters (and Olbermann's detractors) can find many bones to pick not only with Olbermann's opinions, but with the way in which he presents them as ringing truths. (And no doubt many of those arguments will feature several points about the evils of the Clinton administration.)

Find fault where you will; it is, after all, simply one man's opinion. But if nothing else, concede the passion here, the eloquence, the fervor of a patriot who feels he's got no place to hang his hat anymore. Recognize, at least, that here before us lies one of the most well-worded, well-presented, well-structured hissy fits in a good long stretch of recent memory.