The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. I have try mixing my own rants and ideas, with national issues, news items, and some very local groups and events in an attempt to both help shape debate and to help people find their own ways of getting involved.

This week I highlight Bill O'Reilly's latest insult: denying the existence of some 200,000 homeless Veterans. For my NYC readers I highlight a very important attempt in the City Council to require permits for citizens to use devices that detect harmful materials in the air, water and soil. For my North Carolina readers I highlight a Democratic candidate for Congress, Marshall Adame, who is pissing off the mercenary firm Blackwater. I am urging people to support Marshall Adame for his willingness to challenge Blackwater. And I continue to highlight local events in all the states where I have had a good number of readers. Interestingly, Florida and Texas are joining New York and California as states where I have lots of readers. Don't forget to visit an advertiser or two and if you want more, please visit Culture Kitchen.

Myth: A traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the worldview of a people.

Myths are as old as humanity. Some provide useful insights.  Some provide comforting notions. Some are merely entertaining.  Some are downright dangerous.  Rulers have relied on the power of myths to lead and mislead people since time immemorial.

Misleading myths (aka "Mything the Point"), like all lies, beget more lies. That is why we need to weed them out on a routine basis.  If we let them go unchallenged, they will run riot and eventually choke us in our sleep.  

Which brings me to a myth that needs to be uprooted:

RESTORING HONOR AND DIGNITY TO THE OVAL OFFICE

Sometimes it is hard to imagine the political discourse degenerating any further in this country, but the Republican party and its allies are impressively capable of taking it ever further down the toilet.  The release of the Bin-Laden tape has, as Tom Ball just noted, sent them into cascading orgasmic spirals of delight.

The only way to respond to this kind of horrific rhetoric seems to be in kind, and no one has mastered this more than Hunter.  To excerpt just one piece of his as always brilliant writing:

Patrick Fitzgerald, in his press conference on October 28, made clear what kind of testimony he still seeks.

As others have written, including emptywheel at The Next Hurrah, the indictment itself was written to signal to others of interest that Fitzy already has a lot of information, and a lot of witnesses.  What's more, it's likely that he is (think Don Adams here as Maxwell Smart) this close to bringing a conspiracy indictment.

But during his press conference, Fitzy told all concerned exactly what he wants to know, putting everyone involved in this conspiracy into a clasic prisoner's dillemma situation.

More on the flip.