KInd of a tough weekend over there in eye-rack. Last I looked, the death toll was up to 223 (but, hey, happy festival of Ashura anyway). I’m sure this all worth it somehow, though I’m not sure why or in what way. Let’s hear it for Colin Powell, though, who tried has darn-diddily best to talk dubya out of his little war. Why, he spent a whole two and a half hours (that’s like an entire Bush work day)…

…vainly trying to persuade President George W Bush not to invade Iraq and believes today’s conflict cannot be resolved by US forces.

“I tried to avoid this war,” Powell said at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado. “I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers.”

Aw, poor Colin (at least the “festival of ideas” seems to have been a bit less deadly that the festival of Ashura). All that hard work. And then he so bravely followed through with his dog and pony show in front of the UN. He’s just like all of these other spineless Republicans. Lots of talk, but when it comes time to do the right thing, they fall back in line and goose step along with the rest of the pack.

Spare us the bullshit crocodile tears, Colin. You had a chance to stand up, be a man, and do the right thing. You didn’t. Now shut the fuck up and go away.