Mayberry Machiavellis

I love that term. I thought it was one Billmon came up with himself, but when I asked, he told me it was from John DiIulio.

Now that I've gotten that bit of useless information out of the way, check Billmon's current Mayberry Machiavelli posting. He discusses in the inimitable Billmon style, Dufushead's great scheme to unite Americans by sending a mission to Mars via the Moon.

And in that post, unintentionally I suppose, but in cosmic synchrony, he gives Paul O'Neill a confirming, if unlikely, backup in DiIulio's statements about the Bush administration.

DiIulio, like O'Neill, provided Ron Suskind with information for an essay. He was an assistant to the pResident in the early days of the administration: In my view, President Bush is a highly admirable person of enormous personal decency. He is a godly man and a moral leader. He is much, much smarter than some people—including some of his own supporters and advisers—seem to suppose. He inspires personal trust, loyalty, and confidence in those around him. In many ways, he is all heart.  article.

Yes, gag. Nevertheless, DiIulio claims that the administration engages in "on-the-fly policy-making by speech-making".

Anyway, run along over to the Whiskey Bar and see what I mean about Billmon's discussion of the latest great scheme.

....hey, do what you want....you will anyway.