EVEN THE WORST BUCKET OF SLIME GETS IT RIGHT SOMETIMES: RAHM EMANUEL VS DICK CHENEY

Who did you root for when the Vampire Woman met the Werewolf or when Rodan battled it out with Godzilla? Dracula vs Frankenstein? Yeah, I don't remember either. But I have to admit that in the coming battle royale between two of the most despicable characters in contemporary politics, Rahm Emanuel and Dick Cheney, I'll be cheering for... hmmm... Well, to be honest, I can't say. I wish all the worst in the world on each. The two of them epitomize all that has gone wrong with our country's political system. It's hard to imagine that anyone, anywhere at anytime could bring on the kind of destruction and pure evil that has followed in Cheney's wake. But I would not be willing to bet against Emanuel should he-- God forbid-- ever achieve any kind of executive power. Too many Democrats make excuses for the inexcusable. "Every party needs someone with a Machiavellian approach," one lawmaker who has felt Emanuel's sting told CongressDaily. "He does what he is supposed to do." Unacceptable in a democracy-- as many Democrats will agree (in private). "You need an enforcer to play that role... but there is a sense that he's gone a little bit further than many expected in the way he pushes people to do what he wants," said a senior aide to a prominent liberal Democrat.

Emanuel hasn't had the opportunities to commit the kinds of crimes Cheney has-- everyday, before breakfast. I'd rather he not mature into his full Cheney-like potential. But even I have to admit that I love it that Emanuel is turning his evil Machiavellian self against Cheney now (instead of his usual victims-- progressives and grassroots and anti-war Democrats).

If Vice President Cheney believes his office is not an "entity within the executive branch," then a House Democratic leader says taxpayers shouldn't have to finance his executive expenses.

Cheney's office has claimed his constitutional role as president of the Senate also makes him part of the legislative branch and therefore is not covered by a presidential order requiring executive branch workers to report their numbers of classified and declassified government documents.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said Sunday that a court should decide whether the vice president belongs to the executive or legislative branch. "The vice president needs to make a decision," he said.

I don't expect much to come out of Emanuel's nastiness but there are people who have started actually working on remedies for the great wrongs that Cheney has brought about. I want to urge you to read a brand new report from our pals at the Center for American Progress, "Strategic Reset-- Reclaiming Control of U.S. Security in the Middle East." Here are some of the main points:

Accept the Reality of Iraq's Political Fragmentation

Immediately phase out the unconditional arming, equipping, and training of Iraq’s security forces.

Shift reconstruction, governance, and security assistance to provinces where practical and possible.

Implement a Phased Military Redeployment from Iraq within One Year

Extract U.S. troops from Iraq’s civil wars before the end of 2008.

Make counterterrorism our country’s No. 1 priority.

Redeploy U.S. troops to neighboring countries and temporarily station 8,000 to 10,000 soldiers in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq until 2009 to prevent a cross-border conflict involving our key ally Turkey, and to protect the region from an expansion of intra-Iraqi violence

Initiate Regional Security and Diplomatic Efforts to Contain Iraq’s Conflicts

Promote collective security efforts with active working groups on counterterrorism, refugees, and security confidence-building measures.

Use the forthcoming review of the United Nations mandate for Iraq to secure formal commitments from other countries to help Iraq as the United States redeploys from Iraq.

Develop a Strategy to Resolve the Arab-Israeli Conflict and Stabilize the Middle East

Appoint a special Middle East envoy with support from two senior ambassadors who would work on two key tracks-- containing and managing Iraq’s multiple conflicts and resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Work with partners in the Middle East Quartet as well as regional organizations such as the Arab League to manage and resolve conflicts in the region.