Never have so many waited so eagerly for the past tense.

Screenshot of George W. Bush's Wikipedia page, 11:58 a.m. Eastern time, January 20, 2009.

Screenshot of George W. Bush's Wikipedia page, 12:01 p.m. Eastern time, January 20, 2009.

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"Such was the fate of the son of Marcus, and so easy was it to destroy a hated tyrant, who, by the artificial powers of government, had oppressed during thirteen years so many millions of subjects, each of whom was equal to his master in personal strength and personal abilities." -Edward Gibbon on the death of Commodus

On a day of such relief to see the callow scion strangled in his bath retire to his Dallas mansion, it's easy to get carried away, but this passage would much exaggerate the credit due so many millions of subjects and with it the grandeur of George W. Bush.

Not my country? Nobody who remembers the dark pleasure of those post-September 11 days -- the voluptuous joy of unsheathing the sword without qualm or restraint, the relief of casting off tiresome pieties and giving rein -- can say that without reservation.

George W. Bush was not our Commodus. He was our Smerdyakov.

"You stood before me last time and understood it all, and you understand it now."
"All I understand is that you are mad."
"Aren't you tired of it? Here we are face to face; what's the use of going on keeping up a farce to each other? Are you still trying to throw it all on me, to my face? You murdered him; you are the real murderer, I was only your instrument, your faithful servant, and it was following your words I did it."
"Did it? Why, did you murder him?" Ivan turned cold.
Something seemed to give way in his brain, and he shuddered all over with a cold shiver. Then Smerdyakov himself looked at him wonderingly; probably the genuineness of Ivan's horror struck him.
"You don't mean to say you really did not know?" he faltered mistrustfully, looking with a forced smile into his eyes. Ivan still gazed at him, and seemed unable to speak.

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With only two weeks left in the Bush administration, these things are going the way of the Confederate dollar.

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Two weeks ago, the DIAtribe picked the brain of Owen Henkel at the Center for Constitutional Rights on the hit Send Bush a Copy of the Constitution action they've been running. So, after everyone clicks-here-to-take-action, what happens? Did they actually deliver all the Constitutions? Well ... sort of. Here's a wink-nod wrap to the action with a little virality of its own:

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The DIA Salsa users at the Center for Constitutional Rights recently gave a great illustration of the power of smart targeting and messaging to balloon an online list ... paired, of course, with one smooth-handling e-advocacy tool. I caught CCR's Owen Henkel on the way out the door to a well-deserved break to find out just how they cooked up the pitch-perfect Send Bush a Copy of the Constitution online action. How did you come up with it? Were you looking specifically for something with virality, or did that follow the brilliance of the idea?

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At least the healing, back-to-fundraising process can begin in the bosom of YearlyKos, whose namesake shared these observations on FISA capitulation day:

We are a full-fledged partner in the progressive coalition ... with our allies in the labor movement, our friends in the issue groups, and our party leadership. ... [E]arly hostility – based on substantive differences – is now giving way to new respect and trust.

We in the club, yo! What's systematic, institutional betrayal if not a call for more and better Democrats?

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The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. 'T is mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown; His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above this sceptred sway, It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's, When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That in the course of justice none of us Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy; And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. -William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

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Thousands of pages of DoJ documents related to the fired attorneys thing posted on the House Judiciary Committee website have been scattered to the readership of Talking Points Memo for perusal and analysis. Posted at 12:51 a.m. -- the middle of the night -- the request has generated as of this writing (nine hours hence) 35,900 words* of responses/comments, en route to its imminent canonization to the constellation of "network power rewrites political rules" anecdotes. (Stand by, Sunlight Foundation.) (Update -- we beat their story.)

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DIAniacs Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington made news yesterday evening by posting a photo of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff with the Great Decider, to the widespread delight of Pwog Blogs.

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