The august journal of all that is happening in our nation’s capitol, The Washington Post, reports today that “intelligence agencies” are deeply concerned about the possibility that virtual worlds such as Second Life could be a haven for terrorists and other no-goodniks. Or at least that’s their excuse for creating an avatar that looks like a racoon and getting it on with someone whose avatar looks like a bear twice a day. Shame on you!

The Post quotes a paper from the government’s Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity or IARPA (interestingly this is also the sound my cat makes when he pukes) as saying:
“Unfortunately, what started out as a benign environment where people would congregate to share information or explore fantasy worlds is now offering the opportunity for religious/political extremists to recruit, rehearse, transfer money, and ultimately engage in information warfare or worse with impunity.”

They didn’t add “…and that’s why I’ve been surfing the net all day, so get off my back!” But they could have. They did ponder however: “What additional things are possible in the virtual world that cannot be done in the real world? The [intelligence community] needs to ‘red team’ some possible scenarios of use.”

Certainly having agents who can fly around at will would be real handy, as would being able to appear and dissapear, and change your shape. This defintely merits further investigation, and a budget increase to pay for pizza deliveries and maybe a webcam.

This of course is not anywhere near a denial of wrongdoing from the most secretive Presidency in history. If this President’s name were Clinton the Trent Lotts and Bob Novaks of the world would be foaming at the mouth and baying at the moon for a special prosecutor and a full accounting.

I find it hard to believe that sloppiness was at work here. With barely a year left, it will be up to historians to uncover the true venality and shady dealings that underlie so much of what the Bush administration has done. Once again Bush manages to make Nixon look like an amateur. The Watergate tapes were only missing 18 and a half minutes — compare that to 473 days!

CNN reports that regular guy and Fox News talking head Bill O’Reilly was surprised to find patrons of Sylvia’s in Harlem (where the fried chicken is fantastic — I’ve had it) didn’t carry on and say “M.F. er”. Of course until I saw the story on CNN I’d never heard anyone say “M.F.er”. Either way, O’Reilly seems to feel that this astonishing bit of news actually stems from his enlightenment as a human being and not from his utter stupidity. Dan Froomkin at The Washington Post draws the connection between O’Reilly’s boneheaded comments and his pal Juan Williams. Williams was asked, by special request of The White House, to interview the President about race. His employer NPR declined as they have been attempting to have a reporter of their choosing, preferably an anchor, interview Bush (Williams already has). The goodhearted folks at Fox made sure that Williams and the Pres got their sit-down. For a baseball guy the President sure enjoys softballs, and that’s all Williams was pitching.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D- CA) is accusing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of slowing down and blocking parts of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s investigation into Blackwater and security in Iraq. Read the Washington Post’s report here. Once again the Imperial Bush White House has done what it can to politicize every department it comes in contact with.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has warned the White House and fellow Republicans that they are in danger of facing an even more hostile electorate if President Bush vetoes the new State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill as he is expected to do. If the House fails to override his veto Grassley expects a pounding from Democrats going into next year’s election. Read the article in the Washington Post to see just how steamed up Grassley is it the President of his own party. Grassley is absolutely right on all counts here, and the White House has shown once again the contempt for fellow Republicans as well as Democrats that’s the hallmark of an imperial presidency.