Give Him Hell, Harry

I've a big crush on Harry Taylor. Even though I've never met the man, I'm in serious love with his character and his courage. Because Harry Taylor is the American patriot who today voiced what the majority of Americans have been thinking for quite a long time.

During a routine Bush spinfest at Central Piedmont Community College, Harry boldly stood and, looking down on Bush from his balcony seat, told President Bush exactly what he thought.

TAYLOR: You never stop talking about freedom, and I appreciate that. But while I listen to you talk about freedom, I see you assert your right to tap my telephone, to arrest me and hold me without charges, to try to preclude me from breathing clean air and drinking clean water and eating safe food. If I were a woman, you'd like to restrict my opportunity to make a choice and decision about whether I can abort a pregnancy on my own behalf. You are --

THE PRESIDENT: I'm not your favorite guy. Go ahead. Go on, what's your question?

TAYLOR: Okay, I don't have a question. What I wanted to say to you is that I -- in my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened by my leadership in Washington, including the presidency, by the Senate, and --

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: No, wait a sec -- let him speak.

TAYLOR: And I would hope -- I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration, and I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself inside yourself. And I also want to say I really appreciate the courtesy of allowing me to speak what I'm saying to you right now. That is part of what this country is about.

THE PRESIDENT: It is, yes.

TAYLOR: And I know that this doesn't come welcome to most of the people in this room, but I do appreciate that.

THE PRESIDENT: Appreciate --

TAYLOR: I don't have a question, but I just wanted to make that comment to you.

THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate it, thank you. Let me --

TAYLOR: Can I ask a question?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm going to start off with what you first said, if you don't mind, you said that I tap your phones -- I think that's what you said. You tapped your phone -- I tapped your phones. Yes. No, that's right. Yes, no, let me finish... [WH Transcript]

Following was the same old Have-To-Protect-The-Murcan-People-From-Terra rhetoric. And then Junior wrapped it all up with his pretty denial bow: "But you said, would I apologize for that? The answer -- answer is, absolutely not."

In pre-coverage of the event, AP reporter Nedra Pickler wrote: Outside, Bush's motorcade came within site of at least a couple hundred protesters outside the hall. They chanted, "Do your job!" and held signs with phrases such as "Liar" and "Worst President Ever."

And this grand event happens on the same day it was revealed in court documents that Scooter Libby had testified about Vice President Cheney telling him that Bush had authorized the leak of portions of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq. [Source:CNN]

Ah, the hits just keep on coming. Yet one thought is troubling: If this entire Plame leak drama was orchestrated by the Bush administration (with promises of pardons to come, no doubt), then just what was the smokescreen meant to cover up?