Friday Video Premiere

Every Friday, we're highlighting a specific video (or two, or three) for your end of week enjoyment.

As I said yesterday, things are a bit hectic at the Collective this week. For this week's video, therefore, we'll keep it light.

Sorta:



Keith Olbermann, ladies and gentleman. He'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitresses.

Seriously though, every once in a while it is good to see an articulate and measured criticism of the Bush administration. Too often these days we only see cliched phrases like "Bush is stupid," or parting shots like those that any lame duck weathers, and which we see Obama, Clinton, and McCain use just about everyday.

But we at JJ pride ourselves on looking at controversial situations with basic common sense. Not being famous or terribly talented has its worth, you know, and it applies here--we don't have anything to lose by being common-sensical.

For example, although Bush probably could have used his words better, saying that he heard from "people" that Iraq had WMDs is not such a controversial statement. Presidents don't do much investigation themselves. In supervising the executive, they simply have too much to look after. So it's not so outrageous, despite what Olbermann says, that Bush would refer to others' reports. It's what Presidents do on everything.

What is the bigger issue is that the "people" that Bush and his "people" put into power have failed. It is the President's responsibility to avoid people who aren't capable to do their job and serve their country well. So in my opinion, the biggest statement of the ineptitude of the Bush administration is the disgraceful way in which Rumsfeld, Gonzalez and others have served.

It might seem like a minor point, but it's important that when we look at how Bush is criticized we make sure the arguments are real. That Bush gave up Golf is irrelevant. Sort of funny, yes, and also a little pathetic. But irrelevant. That he made critical errors in appointing his inner circle is relevant. It's the sort of thing we need not merely criticize--we must look at ourselves and at the future potential presidents and ask how they would go about appointing people, making decisions, and shaping the world as we know it.

In any case, I hope you enjoy Olbmermann. The guy used to be an ESPN personality...



You can kind of tell that he was heading out to the political television realm. I mean, how could anyone say "Brett Favre" that seriously?

Happy weekend!