So, for the last six years, we have poured out in Iraq our national treasure, including the tax dollars of gay men and women, their families, and their friends for what? It would seem that we have done so to assist the Iraqi government execute Iraqi gay men and women. Reports say that many gay persons are among the 128 persons awaiting execution in Iraq. These gay persons are to be executed for the "crime" of homosexuality and that Iraq intends to start these executions in "batches of 20" starting in this next week.

On Wednesday, The New York Post printed this cartoon on page 6:

C-Span invited 65 historians and observers of the presidency to rank the presidents of the United States.  Perennial greatest president of all time, Abraham Lincoln, continues to hold first place in their estimation.  Franklin Roosevelt and George Washington always seem to vie for second place, and while Roosevelt held the number two spot in 2000, he has exchanged places with Washington in this year's survey: Washington now is number two.  

Pete Sessions, a Republican from Tennessee, has said that the Congressional Republicans are using a an extreme Islamic terrorist group, the Taliban, as their model for how to behave.  In an interview with Hotline, Sessions described the Republicans' strategy this way:

"Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more because of the Taliban . . . . I'm saying an example of how you go about [sic] is to change a person from their messaging to their operations to their frontline message. And we need to understand that insurgency may be required when the other side, the House leadership, does not follow the same commands, which we entered the game with."

(Cross-posted at C4O Democrats)

The Washington Post has an interesting article this morning that suggests historians are taking an entirely new look at the first First Lady of the United States.  Historian Patricia Brady is telling an entirely new story about Martha Washington, who it turns out was not a frumpy and plump dimwit but an 18th century hottie.

The New York Times reports that Secretary Clinton, after sending letters to Vice President Biden and Governor Patterson resigning her Senate Seat, was sworn in at 5:29.  The State Department web site confirms she has been sworn in.

(Crossposted at C4O Democrats)

The President and the First Lady had a very long day.  After prayer at St. John's in the morning, coffee at the White House, the inauguration, the President's speech, the Congressional Luncheon, and the parade, President and Mrs. Obama attended into the wee hours of the morning the 10 inaugural balls.

I have a dream:

King's last speech: