Author: jp

(With the flashiest of thanks to James Reitano.)

As anticipated, The Smoking Gun has posted Tom DeLay’s mugshot, taken earlier this afternoon. The wire services, however, lack our EXCLUSIVE* Ultrrrra-Zoom technology, and seem to have missed out on the hidden story, the coded message that Rep. DeLay is sending to a particular subset of his would-be base:


SEE ALSO: The blogosphere’s semi-ridiculous Libby Writes IN CODE to Miller?, Daily Kos, October 1, 2005
*With all due reverence to Golden Fiddle. You go, boyfriend!

President George W. Bush: colorblind, or blind to reality?
From Education Law Gets First Test in U.S. Schools, the New York Times, October 20, 2005:

Fourth-grade math students showed some of the most rapid progress in closing the achievement gap between black and white students, Mr. Kingsbury said. Extrapolating from those results, he said, black and white students would probably be performing at equal proficiency levels by 2034. Other results, like eighth-grade reading, suggest it will take 200 years or more for the gap to close, he said.

From President and Secretary Spellings Discuss Nation’s Report Card, hurling forth from the straight-shooting mouth of President Bush (via the White House’s Office of the Press Secretary), October 19, 2005:

This is an encouraging report. Thank you for coming, Madam Secretary, because it shows there’s an achievement gap in America that is closing; that minority students, particularly in fourth grade math and fourth grade reading are beginning to catch up with their Anglo counterparts.

Embattled former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), looking sharp in a shirt-and-sportcoat combo by BCBG Max Azria ($2749)
Texas Court Issues Arrest Warrant for DeLay, the Washington Post, October 19, 2005:

A Texas court today issued an arrest warrant for Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), the powerful former House majority leader, ordering him to appear for booking at a county jail in his home district.
[…]
However, the defense reportedly had hoped to avoid submitting DeLay, formerly the second-ranking Republican leader in the House, to the fingerprinting and mug shot photography that accompanies a formal arrest.

President Bush waves goodbye as he finishes speaking via video teleconference to American troops from the 42nd Infantry Division on duty in Tikrit, Iraq, at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
RELATED: White House Iraq Group targeted by Fitzgerald probe for engineering attacks against the invasion of Iraq, Talking Points Memo, October 12, 2005
Report Says White House Ignored C.I.A. on Iraq Chaos, the New York Times, October 13, 2005
Because it’s all about supporting the troops, gang.

The Guardian (UK) reports on the suicide, or rather, ‘suicide’ of a senior member of Syria’s government earlier today.
Other notable Guardian headlines throughout history:

Nirvana frontman ‘commits suicide’
Federal building ‘bombed’ in Oklahoma City
14 students ‘killed’ at a Colorado high school
Medicare bill ‘passes’ through Congress
Texas governor ‘elected’ U.S. president

And of course, this has been yet another ‘brilliant’ low culture post.

And if you’re wondering what’s going on in the photo directly above, here’s the actual, honest-to-god caption, courtesy the Washington Post:

Court nominee Harriet Miers and Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) discussed Vermont’s foliage.
Photo Credit: By Melina Mara — The Washington Post