Short Takes is a feature inspired by Rick’s SFDB (i.e. shamelessly stolen) that encapsulates items that would be full-length blog posts if I wasn’t feeling lazy on a Saturday morning.

– Horizontal Hold: Bush agrees to a “general time horizon” for getting out of Iraq. But it’s not a timetable because, y’see, that would be signaling to the terrorists that we’re leaving. So it’s a “horizon.” Big difference, right?

– Have Some More Whine: Phil Gramm bolts the McCain campaign after his “nation of whiners” line flops, and blames the Democrats for his troubles. Anybody else see the irony there?

– Speaking of Whiners: Jack Kelley, the Toledo Blade’s miserable excuse for a right-wing nutball, blames the Democrats for high gas prices. Mr. Kelley is one of those logicians who will blame every death in Iraq and Afghanistan that happens after January 20, 2009 on President Obama, yet blame September 11, 2001 on the administration that left office eight months before it happened. It makes perfect sense if you’re a right-wing nutball and taking responsibility for your actions is someone else’s responsibility.

– What’s In a Name? Going through an airport could be even more of a problem if you’re one of the million people on the terror watch list. (I didn’t know terrorists made watches…[rimshot]). Just another chapter for the Bush legacy file.

– Get Well Soon: Iain McEwan, husband of Melissa McEwan, keeper of Shakesville, is suffering from an infection in his jaw, which is probably one of the most painful things to endure. Aye, send the good lad some best wishes. (Iain’s a Scotsman and a newly-naturalized citizen of the US, but after this week, we can truly call him a Yank…)

– Tigers Update: They’re still at .500 after losing to the Orioles last night.

– Tropical Update: Three items of interest out there: Bertha is back to hurricane status; Tropical Depression Three is spooling up northeast of Jacksonville; Invest 94 is south of Jamaica.