The Kudzu Files

Your Move, Mr. President

September 29, 2003, White House press secretary Scott McClellan: "That is not the way this White House operates. The president expects everyone in his Administration to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. No one would be authorized to do such a thing."

We're waiting....

Is the Plame Affair About To Blow?

Here's what I wrote in September 2003:

"It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out. It's looking pretty obvious at this point that somebody within the Administration revealed Valerie Plame as a CIA operative. Why really doesn't matter - the fact that they did should be enough for Americans to demand full accountability from the White House. This isn't just bad behavior, this is a major violation both of Federal law and of the protection of our intelligence community. Will the arrogance of the Bush Administration cause them to justify this in that smug manner that has characterized so many of their decisions? Will all those Stepford Republicans once again rally 'round, because if a Republican did it, it must be a Good Thing?"

Now Newsweek is reporting that Karl Rove was the source - as many have speculated for many months, and despite Rove's denials for those many months. Some will adamantly insist that Rove, by possibly not revealing her name but by only identifying her as Joseph Wilson's wife, did not technically break the law. Didn't we have to endure Bill Clinton's impeachment because he relied on "technicalities" to justify his actions?

So, here's an opinion: Assuming the information is correct, if Karl Rove is not fired, and explicitly and completely separated from the Bush Administration, the minute he is positively identified as the source - if George Bush hesitates to dismiss him immediately - then President George Bush should be impeached. This is far, far more serious than oral sex in the White House, or possibly making a few thousand dollars on a twenty-year-old land deal. This is what the issue should have been all along - are the lives of American intelligence operatives worth more than political expediency, or not? George Bush likes clear-cut, black-and-white issues. Mr. President, it doesn't get more clear-cut than this.

Chris has some thoughts related to this.

The Moderate Voice has extensive coverage.

London Bombings

Terrorist attacks in London get a lot more personal when your youngest daughter is in England. Fortunately, her choir left London yesterday, before the attacks. If I hadn't known that before hearing of the bombings, I'd have probably been a basket case. As it is, the girls are all fine, their schedule has them in another part of England the rest of the trip. I feel for the parents and families who aren't getting such good news today.

Toto, I think we're in Kansas!!

Curious Gas Mileage

When we left Mississippi, the first tank of gas in our 1992 Itasca (Toyota) RV, V6 and auto, gave us only about 11 MPG. The second tank, we got about 12.5. Third fillup, about 13.2. But with the fourth fillup, in New Mexico, we got right at 14, even driving through the lower mountains going up the interstate to Colorado Springs. Does higher altitude improve gas mileage? It would seem to do the opposite. Maybe the little RV is just getting warmed up.

An addendum: After leaving Colorado, the mileage dropped back down to the 11-12 range. So this is even more puzzling.

Kudzu Files In Jayhawk Land

Closed out the 4th of July last night in Memorial Park in Colorado Springs, listening to the Co SPrings Symphony playing "traditional" 4th music - Sousa marches, some Big Band classics (pretty good vocalist, although "New York New York" didn't work for her), and of course the 1812 Overture. How a 125-year-old piece of classical music depicting an early 19th-century war between France and Russia became an American 4th of July classic is a bit beyond me, but I love the piece, so any reason is a good reason. And the fireworks were great, framed against the mountains.

Left Colorado Springs this morning, a little late due to several reasons, but we weren't in a hurry anyway. Stopped at a small antique/junk shop somewhere along Highway 24 to buy some blue bottles for my bottle tree, then made our way east along I-70. Tonight we're in bustling Wakeeney, KS, in a KOA campground with 65 cable channels and wireless internet. Like I said earlier, camping isn't what it used to be, but connectivity is great. And I can post these exciting updates!!

Eastern Colorado seems to get described as a Big Nothing much of the time. Maybe I'm just a terrain-watching fool, but I enjoyed driving through the rolling high plains east of Denver. And for all the fun poked at Kansas for being flatter than a pancake, the enormous sky and distant horizons were interesting in their own right. I was surprised at the number of dairy farms in extreme western Kansas. And at the small amount of corn. Isn't Kansas supposed to be covered with cornfields?

Kudzu Files at 9600 feet

At the urging of Loren and Jeff, this morning we went to Garden Of The Gods. And wow! Garden of the Gods is - spectacular doesn't do justice to it, but I can't think of a better word. Awesome scenery, awesome geology. I shot up an entire roll of film walking the loop around the Gateway Rocks area. Hopefully some of the shots will come out. An added "attraction" was seeing a rock climber, climbing without ropes despite the warnings, fall about 40 feet landing flat on his back. I hope the guy was OK. He was moving, anyway.

We decided to eat lunch at the Nature Center there, sitting outside staring at the Garden and Pike's Peak in the distance. Definitely one of the most scenic meals I've ever eaten. After lunch, we drove west along Highway 24, past Woodland Park and on up to Mueller State Park. One of the nicest state parks I've ever seen: new, clean facilities, great campsites (electric hookups only!), and truly astounding views. And 9640 feet up. It has to be one of the highest state parks in the country. Cool, clean mountain air. Pike's Peak just to the east, with some snow still showing near the summit. A great way to spend the 4th of July.

Kudzu Files On The Road

I'm writing this while watching the sun set behind the Rocky Mountains just south of Colorado Springs, sitting outside my little RV using campground wifi. Camping isn't what it used to be. It's been many, many years since I drove through the Texas Panhandle and northeastern New Mexico. The trip this time has been interesting so far - discovering literally right before we left home that the refrigerator on our RV had quit (it's a 1991 Itasca 21' on a Toyota chassis, not one of the luxury cruisers); none of the local RV shopd could help, so I called Camping World in Denton, TX, to see of they could. And they could - they had the same frig in stock, so we set up to have it replaced Friday afternoon and hit the road, 3 hours later than planned but still on the road. Stayed Thursday night at Tyler State Park, Tyler TX. Very nice park, just north of I-20 at Tyler, TX, of all places. Got to Camping World at 12:30 Friday - we had a 2PM appointment, for what they had said would probably a 3-hour job. But they started early, at 1:30, and finished in 1 1/2 hours.

[Side Note = the folks at Camping World in Denton are first class. Everyone we dealt with was great, doing everything they could to get us back on the road]

So, at 3PM we left Denton and headed northwest, hoping to get past Wichita Falls. Wichita Falls came and I was still feeling fine, so we drove on - and discovered that out around Childress, Texas has 2 rest stops with free wifi! Stopped in, never left the vehicle, found a campground in Amarillo, called ahead via cell phone, and had a destination. Like I said, camping ain't what it used to be!! Rolled in to Amarillo at 9:30 Friday night. Then today, we drive across Dalhart, TX and Clayton, NM to Raton, then up to Colorado Springs. I had forgotten how much I liked the terrain in northeastern New Mexico. Beautiful area. Even if the rest area where we stopped had signs that said "WARNING!!! WATCH FOR SNAKES!!" So, now we're in Colorado Springs. That's as far as we've figured out on this trip. Probably, we'll end up back home next weekend.