Only a few more days until that magical morning, when millions of children across the globe will awake to the bounty of Santa and people will gather to spread good cheer and well-wishes.

Unforutnately, that makes this the perfect time for the Grinch to make his rounds -- choosing to spend the final run-up to the holiday taking his final jabs at the Whos down in Whoville.

In early November, Democrats, Americans, and the world were blessed with the glorious gift of 'check and balance' (Remember those?). So many thought the Democratic rout might be just sobering enough to wipe the smirk and swagger from Bush's pose.

Not so.

Seems the decider's calls for bipartisanship were as hollow as his head -- as we always knew they were.

Bush is in Chimperor mode with a vengeance, not only sweeping aside federal laws like McCain's anti-torture legisaltion but bypassing the Senate with what looks to be an unusually-high number of recess appointments. At the very least, the appointments in question are not the kind usually made by bypassing the Senate.

The one that irks most is that of Julie Myers (whose nomination I have mentioned elsewhere), a woman whose primary qualification is that she's related to the right people by blood and by marriage... which is rather appropriate given how bloody her marriage to Immigration and Customs Enforcement is no doubt going to be.

Even the wingnuts at NRO thought this was a bad nomination, as did the Moonie-owned Washington Times and that most reactionary of neofascists, Michelle Malkin (who sounded-off here).