oh what a beeeyoootiful morning....

What? Too early for cheery singing? How are you this morning, Shakers? I know someone who is already having a craptastic day, as this news hit the wires:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Texas officials paid Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers' family more than $100,000 for a small piece of land in 2000 - 10 times the land's worth - despite the state's objections to the way the price was determined, Knight Ridder Newspapers reported Saturday.

The three-member committee that determined the price included Peggy Lundy, a friend of Miers, and property-rights activist Cathie Adams, Knight Ridder reported. They were appointed to the panel by state District Judge David Evans, who had received at least $5,000 in campaign contributions from Miers' law firm.

[...]

According to Knight Ridder, the land - which was part of a large Superfund pollution cleanup site - was valued at less than 30 cents a square foot. But the panel recommended paying nearly $5 a square foot for it.

The price was later reduced from $106,915 to $80,915, but Miers has yet to return the $26,000 difference to the state, said the story by Jack Douglas Jr. and Stephen Henderson.

``Nothing indicates that Miers sought out the judge or engineered the appointments to the panel, but there's also no indication that she reported the potential conflicts of interest in the case or tried to avoid them,'' the story said

Of course she didn't! That would require something called honesty and if we've learned anything about Bush's cronies, they're anything but honest (and they're greedy). She is sounding like a real peach to be a Supreme Court Justice, isn't she?

Sounds like Harriet and the Bush admin will be spending the day coming up with more bullshit excuses for the worthiness of her nomination. But me? Today I shall be packing for a surprise vacation, watching the Bengals vs. Steelers game (Who Dey, baby!), and heading over to the in-laws for a 93rd birthday party tonight. What are your plans?