Outrageous Outtakes

** Out of 146 countries, the US ranks 45th in environmental sustainability, sandwiched between Armenia and Myanmar, and behind such nations as Botswana (34), Bhutan (39), Congo (39) and even Russia (33), that bastion of eco-consciousness. The findings, part of a join project by Yale and Columbia Universities, are based on myriad factors, including air and water quality, biodiversity, acid rain, overfishing and environmental cooperation with neighbors. While the US does surpass Israel (62) and Great Britain (66), lagging twenty spots behind the Central African Republic (25) should be cause for alarm.

** Add neocon hack and Los Angles Times columnist Max Boot to the Sy Hersh attack squad. Apparently, Boot didn't read The Daily Outrage's defense of Hersh's newest piece, "The Coming Wars," which explained that, in fact, subsequent reporting proved Hersh correct. But here's the funny part: Boot derides Hersh for...bias and inaccuracy. This from an unabashed imperialist who advocates imposing American empire "at gunpoint" and agitated for the Iraq war because "the world can hardly afford to wait for Hussein to use his chemical or biological weapons--or, heaven forbid, nuclear weapons." It's time for the Council on Foreign Relations and LA Times to give Max the boot.

** The Defense Department runs eight of the twenty-five government programs most prone to waste, fraud and abuse, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported this week. Two lucrative Pentagon divisions--inventory management and weapons acquisition--have been on the GAO "high-risk" list since 1990. "This is unacceptable and should not be tolerated," said GAO comptroller David Walker. In other words, that soaring $500 billion Pentagon budget should be put to better use.

** In an effort to clean up his state's pay-to-play politics, former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey issued an executive order last September barring companies that had donated more than $300 to political parties or candidates from being eligible for state contracts. The Bush-controlled Federal Highway Administration then bizarrely insisted that the new state law violated federal contracting guidelines, and froze $347 million in highway aid for the Garden State. Held up in federal court, acting Governor Richard Codey abandoned the reform this week. "Using their logic, Olympic athletes should pay the judges to keep the games fair and competitive," a frustrated Codey said. Isn't the GOP supposed to be the party of state's rights?

** The Washington Post's 3,117-word round-up of Bush's nine inaugural balls contained this gem from the Constitution Ball:

Though there was no official poem for the occasion, impressionist Rich Little, emceeing the Constitution Ball at the Hilton Washington, did provide a bit of inaugural doggerel.

Little said he missed and adored the late President Ronald Reagan and "I wish he was here tonight, but as a matter of fact he is," and he proceeded to impersonate Reagan, saying, "You know, somebody asked me, 'Do you think the war on poverty is over?' I said, 'Yes, the poor lost.'" The crowd went wild.

Ahh. Compassionate conservatism in action.

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