RADICAL RIGHT — McCLELLAN SAYS CRITICS ARE TRYING TO ‘TAKE THE FOCUS AWAY’ FROM BOOK’S KEY THEMES’: Last week, in response to Scott McClellan’s explosive memoir, former senator Bob Dole sent a vitriolic personal e-mail to McClellan, calling him a “miserable creature.” “[Y]our type soaks up the benefits of power, revels in the limelight for years, then quits, and spurred on by greed, cashes in with a scathing critique,” Dole charged. On CBS’s Early Show yesterday, McClellan shrugged off Dole’s and the right wing’s attacks on him. ”[N]o one is really refuting the key themes and perspectives in the book. What they are doing is taking some of these personal attacks and misrepresentations and trying to shift this focus away from what this book talks about,” he said. Indeed, it’s difficult to find a right-wing personality directly taking issue with the substance of McClellan’s book. For example, former White House deputy press secretary Trent Duffy wrote yesterday, “Please forgive me, Scott, if this sounds personal, but you’ve just filleted me and everyone who worked with you.” “I mean my lack of interest in Scott McClellan’s personal odyssey of self-discovery is a negative,” said former House speaker Newt Gingrich.

I truly believe that God, Karma, destiny or maybe just the force of luck sends people your way to inspire you when you need it the most. I was feeling disheartened this week about George Bush’s impending visit to Furman University and the loud and angry opposition to any planned protest in response to this visit. I was feeling alone in my despair and impotent in my ability to do anything about all the things that are wrong in this world right now. In the midst of these feelings I drove to Furman University and listened to one of the most powerful and inspiring speakers I’ve ever heard in my life. Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize winning writer and former foreign correspondent for the NY Times spoke last night about the legacy of George W. Bush. He also spoke about another speech he delivered in 2003. He was the commencement speaker at Rockford College, shortly after President Bush landed on the aircraft carrier to declare ‘mission accomplished’ in Iraq. Hedges spoke of the folly of the invasion and how America had become enmeshed in a quagmire that would end in disaster. To say the speech wasn’t well received would be an understatement… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAWMgYyAtHU

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Missing In Action On Monday, the nation will join its nearly 24 million veterans in remembering the American heroes who have lost their lives in war. Yesterday, the Senate honored U.S. troops by passing a 21st Century GI Bill, expanding educational benefits for veterans who joined the service after Sept. 11, 2001. “Congress today resolutely asserted that it is time for those of us who have been calling on these brave men and women to serve again and again to assist in providing a meaningful chance for a first-class future,” said Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), who sponsored the legislation. Seventy-five senators voted to fund veterans yesterday, providing a veto-proof majority. Yet not only did Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) not vote for the bill, he didn’t even show up to vote (the only other senators missing were Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-CA), for health reasons, and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who had to attend a funeral). In the past, McCain has promised to “do everything” in his power to look after the nation’s military. But a look at his record on veterans issues shows that he has unfortunately favored conservative pandering instead.

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