So...how's that, ah...whatcha callit...um, "discourse" going?

As a careful examination of the page you are looking at right now will tell you, I'm a big nerd about the ancient greco-roman world. Now, so were our founding fathers--bless their be-wigged souls and they were particularly fond of of the Stoics. Orators, philosophers, ethicists: Cicero and Seneca are the two big boys. "An unpopular rule is never long maintained," Seneca said. Yeah, those dudes were all about republican government.

"He who comes to a conclusion when the other side is unheard, may have been just in his conclusion, but yet has not been just in his conduct," was also one of Seneca's. Cicero composed his Philippics against Mark Antony and they stand today as the gold standard of political invective and the rhetorical art. These were serious men in a moment of transition for their civilization and ultimately the entire western world. Their rationality held together a fractured Rome and inspired legions of great minds in the following centuries. They were both ultimately killed for their troubles, but they never advocated violence and always addressed their enemies through the Senate and the People of Rome. Their reputation for moral and intellectual seriousness runs through the ages.
********
So 2000 years later pig-fucker Karl Rove says a bunch of crazy shit, literally claiming that liberals want the terrorists to win...I don't mean that if you look at it a certain way that's what it could mean--I mean he said it. Cicero he ain't.

Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers.
...
Mr. Rove also said American armed forces overseas were in more jeopardy as a result of remarks last week by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who compared American mistreatment of detainees to the acts of "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others."

"Has there ever been a more revealing moment this year?" Mr. Rove asked. "Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals."

(Oh, and when I say "pig-fucker" I should clarify that I don't mean to use childish name calling...I mean that Karl Rove actually lubes up and fucks pigs for sexual enjoyment--he's a pork packer.)

Of course, we all know that this is partisan rancor in Washington...the White House and Republicans will distance themsleves while firing up the base with some meaty rhetoric and the cycle continues...like when Dean goes out and says some shit so those actually running for things don't have to. Actually no, the White House and the RNC completely agree with Rove.

Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman, speaking in Puerto Rico, said there was no need to apologize because "what Karl Rove said is true."

White House spokesman Dan Bartlett this morning on MSNBC: "Karl was giving a speech in which he was pointing out obvious public record."

Not that this is new...Swift Boat Vets anyone? It's a bunch of bullshit...and the reason it will work for the most part is because their are three kinds of people in this country when it comes to politics: those that think Rove has no soul himself but is made of the souls of unbaptized babies and was worshiped by the Phoenicians as Moloch, those that think that he is a political savior annointed by the White American Jesus to rid America of poor people, Muslims, and The Gays, and the third group who thinks "Karl who?...oooh Britany's preggers!" The third group outnumbers the first two combined, by a mile. And that third group, when they do register something on the teevee they like it when that something to be either violent or sexy. And Karl Rove says violent, inflamatory stuff. Even though that stuff is demonstrably false the public heard that liberals are pussies and they love terror and the guy that said it is some kind of government guy, so, y'know, it's probably true.

Mark Antony would be proud.