We're Back in Bush's Hands --

What a relief!

Say Good Morning to Your New (Temp) President...

First off, a quick reminder from New England comics creator collective Trees & Hills co-founder Daniel Barlow about the Trees & Hills 2007 anthology release party at the Main Street Museum in White River Junction, Vt. today -- Saturday, July 21.

"Cartoonists and other comic creators from all over the region will be celebrating the release of Field Guide to Cartoonists. The 52-page mini-comic anthology features new work by members of the comics group, including Stephen R. Bissette, Colleen Frakes, Cat Garza, Jennifer Omand and Ethan Slayton.

And everyone is welcome to join us! RSVPs, which are appreciated but not necessary, can be sent to barlowdaniel@gmail.com.

New Hampshire cartoonists Marek Bennett and Colin Tedford will be presenting their groovy musical sounds for everyone's delight, follow-up by a rocking set by Vermont-based Web comic pioneer Cat Garza and Center for Cartoon Studies fellow Gabby Schulz. Don't be surprised if they all just end up rocking the house at the same time.

In addition to having copies of Field Guide for sale (only $3) or trade, the Trees & Hills comics group will be announcing the details of their next anthology, which will come out in time for SPX 2007 in October.

The fun begins at 3 p.m. with a potluck. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door for the musicians. White River Junction's amazing and unparalleled Main Street Museum is located at 58 Bridge Street. Check them out at

this link, now!

The whole darn thing will probably end around 6 p.m., followed by which some of us will retire to a nearby establishment to be merry some more.

The Trees & Hills comics group is a collective of comic creators from Vermont, New Hampshire and western Massachusetts. We formed two years ago during a comic drawing event at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center that challenged creators to draw a 24 page comic in 24 hours!

In addition to hosting monthly drawing parties for cartoonists, the Trees & Hills comics group publishes and distributes comics throughout the three states. The past year has seen the group featured at several comic conventions, including the 2007 MoCCA Art Festival in New York City."

I'll be there for some of the festivities.

For more info, visit the Trees & Hills site, here.

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In one asshole, out the other.

What do you give to the man that has everything? Well,

while President Bush has the interior of his ass examined, George W. gives his pal and Vice-Prez Dick Cheney the Presidency.

"In transferring power while under anesthesia, Bush is electing to implement Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, making Cheney acting president until Bush indicates he is prepared to reassume his authority. It has been invoked only twice before. The first time was in July 1985 when President Reagan underwent surgery and turned over power to his vice president, Bush's father. The other time was in 2002" [the initial time George W. ceded power to Cheney, again for a medical procedure].

Nice to know the boys do have some use for our Constitution after all.

Given all Vice President Cheney has quietly and covertly accomplished when he's just Vice-Prez (if you haven't read Jo Becker and Barton Gellman's multi-part essay on Cheney for The Washington Post, "Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency," click this link and do so immediately),

one can only wonder what Cheney does during these windows of opportunity when he is full-fledged President. It's likely we'll never know;

as Becker and Gellman note, Cheney "leaves no tracks" though he exercises greater power than any Vice President in history.

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And here's a recent bit of Bush news that most Americans are completely unaware of, a further eroding of civil rights and privacy --

As my friend Jean-Marc noted when he brought this to my attention, "I can't wait to see how they use this one. Note: no appeal, no redress! When the time comes I'm sure Blackwater's Chilean mercenary squads will have no problem keeping order in the streets of America. What's a few gringos? What goes around..."

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This arrives compliments of HomeyM in Jamaica, from a recent issue of The Brattleboro Reformer:

Bush unlikely to visit state
By EVAN LEHMANN, Reformer Washington Bureau
Brattleboro Reformer

Friday, July 20
WASHINGTON -- President Bush has crisscrossed the country. He bikes in Maryland, fishes in Maine, and just Thursday, visited a bun-baking operation in Tennessee.

Indeed, almost seven years into his presidency, George W. Bush has set foot in all of the nation's states -- except Vermont.

His itinerary could be influenced by the state's tiny amount of electoral votes -- just three, tied for the lowest -- and that it's home to vigorous political opponents like Sen. Patrick Leahy. It also hosts one of the president's lowest approval ratings in the nation.

Known for choosing friendly audiences, Bush would find no military bases on which to rally pep, and televised coverage of his visit would plunge into forested hillsides rather than populated metropolises.

"All the reasons a president would have for visiting a state -- none of them apply to Vermont," said Eric Davis, a political science professor at Middlebury College. "It would be hard for him to find a friendly audience here."

"There's no point," said professor Garrison Nelson at the University of Vermont. "He'd show up and get booed and yelled at."

Nevertheless, there's time for the New England-raised president with a Southern drawl to pay his respects. He still has 17 months in office.

And he's often nearby, visiting other northeastern states. New Hampshire and Maine have hosted Bush about a dozen times each, and he made his first stop in Rhode Island last month, according to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, the authoritative record keeper of presidential travel.

But the White House isn't making any promises.

"If the president were to visit The Green Mountain State, it would be the last, but by no means the least," White House spokesman Trey Bohn offered in an e-mail. "He would certainly look forward to the visit."

Bush family visits to Vermont haven't always gone smoothly.

George H.W. Bush, as vice president, was heckled in 1984 by about 200 anti-nuclear protesters when he spoke on the Brattleboro Common.

Vexed by the confrontation, Bush's press secretary, Peter Teeley, told reporters the next day that advanced copies of Bush's speeches would no longer be available. The new policy was rescinded hours later, with Teeley explaining, "You guys can't take a joke."

Later, Bush Sr. visited Vermont twice after becoming president, once in 1988 and again in 1990, according to Nelson of the University of Vermont.

The earlier trip followed what Nelson described as a "rather embarrassing visit by his daughter (Dorothy) who was unable to answer questions by elementary students."

"Vermont has been sort of a trap for the Bush family," Nelson said. "That W has avoided the state makes good family sense."

But the state's liberal congressional delegation seems intent on providing the current president with an enjoyable visit -- perhaps with some strings.

Sen. Bernard Sanders, an independent, invited Bush to the state during an event this spring. In a press conference this week, Sanders said that Bush "deserves to be given respect" if he makes the trip.

"He is the president of the 50 states," Sanders said. "I hope he has the decency and the courage to come to the state of Vermont -- that's his job."

Andrew Savage, a spokesman for Democratic Rep. Peter Welch, said the congressman "encourages the president to visit Vermont and believes it will help him understand the passion Vermonters feel about his extremely unpopular and misguided policies."

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Have a great Saturday, knowing Cheney is in charge today...