Perma-Stupid

Over at BT, BooMan connects the dots from Clinton spokesman Lanny Davis (now a FOX Noise contributor) to indicted Senator Ted "Series of Toobs" Stevens of Alaska. Why is Lanny Davis defending Ted Stevens in the Washington Times?

But it does not say that Lanny Davis, or his firm, has been retained by Ted Stevens or that Lanny Davis is being paid to represent Ted Stevens. But I wonder. Lanny Davis was probably the most high profile person that has never held public office to advocate for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Hillary Clinton is a Democrat. Ted Stevens is a Republican. Ordinarily, Democrats do not race out to write opinion pieces in right-wing rags reminding people of the principle of the presumption of innocence when high-ranking members of the Republican Party get indicted. I don't begrudge the point that Mr. Davis is making. Ted Stevens deserves a fair trial, competent counsel, and all the civil rights that Americans have been taught to expect are their birthright.

But why is Lanny Davis offering this free service to Ted Stevens? Is it really a free service? Is it possible that he and the Moonie Times neglected to disclose something here? I don't know any lawyers as exalted as Lanny Davis but my understanding is that their services don't come cheap. I can see how Mr. Davis might be moved by friendship and political affinity to donate his services as an advocate to the Clinton family. But it's harder for me picture exactly why Mr. Davis would do the same for an 84-year old Republican from Alaska.

And of course, it makes no sense unless you realize what's really at stake here:

With a client list that has included Pervez Musharraf's Pakistan and 'corporations and government contractors' and with a history of backing DLC champions like Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, and Evan Bayh, maybe it isn't all that surprising that Lanny Davis is willing to provide pro bono services to Sen. Ted Stevens.

Once the primary was over, Fox News was quick to snap up Team Clinton members Howard Wolfson and Lanny Davis as 'political commentators', and Clinton 'chief strategist' Mark Penn immediately went into business with Karen Hughes. Lanny Davis also joined Clinton advocate James Carville in his character witnessing and apologistics for Scooter Libby. Carville, you might remember, is married to former Cheney staffer Mary Matalin, who is the publisher of the latest 'swiftboating' book on Barack Obama. This is something that disgusts even Wanker Emeritus Joe Klein.

What, exactly, is it that Mr. Lanny Davis of the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe sees as such a threat from the election of Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich to Ted Stevens' seat in the U.S. Senate? Why are Evan Bayh and Lindsey Graham so eager to promote Lanny Davis' books? Wonkette thinks Lanny Davis is off his meds, but I think Wonkette fails to understand the nature of the bipartisan permanent government that seeks to maintain control of both parties, no matter who wins individual elections. They are the people that agreed to embark of George and Dick's Excellent Adventure in Mesopotamia and that, ever since, have sought to cover-up for that mistake and protect their interests.

The Village is both Democrat and Republican, and they protect their own. Ted Stevens is arguably the most powerful single Senator in Washington...or was until he was indicted by the Bush Justice Department at age 84 for crimes that they couldn't even ignore any longer. A lot of folks have a great big stake in keeping the status quo going, and Stevens outlasted his usefulness to it. There's no way the Bushies would have proceeded to indict the longest serving GOP Senator in the country unless it was time for him to go.

We need to change it, and part of that change is realizing who the bad guys are. They include Lanny Davis for sure, but note who he's buddies with these days in Lindsey Graham and Evan Bayh.

If there's any more evidence that Evan Bayh should not be Obama's Veep, then there you go. He's part of the Village.

Then again, there's the argument that Obama is part of it as well.