Aww-Bridge Boy doesn't want to play anymore.
Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, whose home back in Alaska was raided by federal investigators Monday in a wide-ranging corruption investigation, has threatened to place a hold on the Democratic-drafted ethics legislation just passed by the House and expected on the Senate floor by week's end.
The senator told a closed session of fellow Republicans today, including Vice President Dick Cheney, that he was upset that the measure would interfere with his travel to and from Alaska-and vowed to block it.
And Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), confirming Steven's threat, said bluntly: "There could be a lot of holds on this bill." Let me guess-those holds will be connected by the Intertubes...
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Talk To Whose Hand?
Wow. It looks like ol' Dick just gave Hillary a huge opening for a counterattack. The battle between Hillary and the White House over Pentagon troop withdrawal plans has just heated up again in a big way.
Staking out a position at odds with that of his own Defense Secretary, Dick Cheney was just quoted on CNN saying that he agrees with a Pentagon official's recent assertion that Hillary Clinton's request for info about withdrawal contingency plans is helpful to the enemy.
In an excerpt from an interview with Larry King set to air later today that was just shown on the network, Cheney was asked whether he agreed with an earlier assessment by Under Secretary of State Eric Edelman, who recently sent Clinton a letter chiding her request for info about the plans as helpful to "enemy propaganda." Cheney's reply: "I agreed...I thought it was a good letter."
In respsonse, Hillary spokesman Philippe Reines emailed us a statement pointing out that Cheney had broken with his own DecDef on the issue.
"It seems the right hand doesn't know what the far-right hand is doing," Reines said in the statement sent to Election Central. "Senator Clinton calls on President Bush to set the record straight." Regardless of how you feel about Hillary or her request, IMO Cheney just stuck a Texas-sized shoe in his mouth. So let's see how much support Bush is willing to give the Secretary of Defense over his pal Dick.
Staking out a position at odds with that of his own Defense Secretary, Dick Cheney was just quoted on CNN saying that he agrees with a Pentagon official's recent assertion that Hillary Clinton's request for info about withdrawal contingency plans is helpful to the enemy.
In an excerpt from an interview with Larry King set to air later today that was just shown on the network, Cheney was asked whether he agreed with an earlier assessment by Under Secretary of State Eric Edelman, who recently sent Clinton a letter chiding her request for info about the plans as helpful to "enemy propaganda." Cheney's reply: "I agreed...I thought it was a good letter."
In respsonse, Hillary spokesman Philippe Reines emailed us a statement pointing out that Cheney had broken with his own DecDef on the issue.
"It seems the right hand doesn't know what the far-right hand is doing," Reines said in the statement sent to Election Central. "Senator Clinton calls on President Bush to set the record straight." Regardless of how you feel about Hillary or her request, IMO Cheney just stuck a Texas-sized shoe in his mouth. So let's see how much support Bush is willing to give the Secretary of Defense over his pal Dick.
Dick On Defense
Come on, Dick. You can say it. WASHINGTON (Reuters)-U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney acknolwedged on Tuesday he was wrong in 2005 when he insisted the insurgency in Iraq was in its "last throes."
It was Cheney's most direct public admission of how badly the administration had undereestimated the strength of America's enemies in the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq.
But Cheney, an architect of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, otherwise gave no ground in an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live" as he defended President George W. Bush's Iraq policy. There now, Dick. That wasn't so hard, was it? Now if only we saw this kind of honesty more often...
It was Cheney's most direct public admission of how badly the administration had undereestimated the strength of America's enemies in the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq.
But Cheney, an architect of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, otherwise gave no ground in an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live" as he defended President George W. Bush's Iraq policy. There now, Dick. That wasn't so hard, was it? Now if only we saw this kind of honesty more often...
Requiem For The Rust Belt
Quick! Somebody call Robocop! Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich drew strong criticism from Detroit city leaders and school officials Monday after calling the city a "disaster" in a national network TV interview on Sunday.
Gingrich blasted the city of Detroit, Detroit Public Schools, the United Auto Workers and Michigan's unemployment rate during an interview on Fox News Sunday in which he talked about how he would transform Washington.
A spokesman for Gingrich, an indeclared Republican presidential candidate who has been ramping up his public appearances, singled out Detroit and its schools because they're the "best worst-case example" of bureaucracy and "a union structure that doesn't work." Well, at least he didn't call the Detroit city leaders pygmies, although in this case he would have been right. The truth hurts, doesn't it?
Gingrich blasted the city of Detroit, Detroit Public Schools, the United Auto Workers and Michigan's unemployment rate during an interview on Fox News Sunday in which he talked about how he would transform Washington.
A spokesman for Gingrich, an indeclared Republican presidential candidate who has been ramping up his public appearances, singled out Detroit and its schools because they're the "best worst-case example" of bureaucracy and "a union structure that doesn't work." Well, at least he didn't call the Detroit city leaders pygmies, although in this case he would have been right. The truth hurts, doesn't it?
Semper Phonious
Where do these idiots keep coming from? For pretending that he was a decorated U.S. military veteran, 59-year-old Reggie L. Buddle of Puyallup must tend to the graves of those who really were.
U.S. Magistrate Kelly Arnold in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Monday sentenced the counterfeit Vietnam vet to two years' probation and 500 hours laboring at Tahoma National Cemetery for posing as a decorated U.S. Marine captain and military chaplain in 2005 and 2006.
Buddle, who never was in the Marine Corps, pleaded guilty in April to unalwful wearing of U.S. military medals and decorations. That followed an investigation by the inspector general of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Poor John Kerry and Jack Murtha...they keep losing more constituents that way...
U.S. Magistrate Kelly Arnold in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Monday sentenced the counterfeit Vietnam vet to two years' probation and 500 hours laboring at Tahoma National Cemetery for posing as a decorated U.S. Marine captain and military chaplain in 2005 and 2006.
Buddle, who never was in the Marine Corps, pleaded guilty in April to unalwful wearing of U.S. military medals and decorations. That followed an investigation by the inspector general of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Poor John Kerry and Jack Murtha...they keep losing more constituents that way...
One Flew Over Putin's Nest
Ah, wouldn't Stalin be proud. MOSCOW (Reuters)-A Russian opposition activist told Reuters on Tuesday from inside a psychiatric hospital that she was being held there against her will because she had blown the whistle on abuse in mental health care.
Larisa Arap of the anti-Kremlin group United Civil Front and her colleagues say she is a victim of a local vendetta by healthcare workers after she gave an account to a newspaper alleging patients at another psychiatric unit in the same region were beaten and raped.
The full details of the case are not known, but Arap's detention has caused an outcry among Kremlin opponents who say it echoes the Soviet practice of confining political dissidents in mental institutions to keep them quiet. If Putin turns back the clock any more they'll have to clone Lenin.
Larisa Arap of the anti-Kremlin group United Civil Front and her colleagues say she is a victim of a local vendetta by healthcare workers after she gave an account to a newspaper alleging patients at another psychiatric unit in the same region were beaten and raped.
The full details of the case are not known, but Arap's detention has caused an outcry among Kremlin opponents who say it echoes the Soviet practice of confining political dissidents in mental institutions to keep them quiet. If Putin turns back the clock any more they'll have to clone Lenin.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Movin' On
"I'm leaving you, but that doesn't mean we still can't be friends." Gordon Brown has paved the way for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq by telling George Bush he would not delay their exit in order to show unity with the United States.
After four hours of one-to-one talks with the US President at his Camp David retreat, Mr Brown told a joint press converence he would make a Commons statement in October on the future of the 5,500 British troops in the Basra region.
The Bush administration, under mounting domestic pressure to produce an exit strategy from Iraq, has been nervous that a full British withdrawal would add to the criticism. But Mr Brown made clear-and President Bush accepted-that Britain would go its own way, even if that gave the impression that the two countries were diverging. "It's not a divorce, honey-it's a trial separation. And please don't call me again."
After four hours of one-to-one talks with the US President at his Camp David retreat, Mr Brown told a joint press converence he would make a Commons statement in October on the future of the 5,500 British troops in the Basra region.
The Bush administration, under mounting domestic pressure to produce an exit strategy from Iraq, has been nervous that a full British withdrawal would add to the criticism. But Mr Brown made clear-and President Bush accepted-that Britain would go its own way, even if that gave the impression that the two countries were diverging. "It's not a divorce, honey-it's a trial separation. And please don't call me again."
Meatless Packages Only
Well, there goes my shot. A new phenomenon in New Zealand is taking the idea of you are what you eat to the extreme.
Vegansexuals are people who do not eat any meat or animal products, and who choose not to be sexually intimate with non-vegan partners whose bodies, they say, are made up of dead animals.
The co-director of the New Zealand Centre for Human and Animal Studies at Canterbury University, Annie Potts, said she coined the term after doing research on the lives of "cruelty-free consumers." Oh, to be spurned by a vegan. It must be my cruel nature...
Vegansexuals are people who do not eat any meat or animal products, and who choose not to be sexually intimate with non-vegan partners whose bodies, they say, are made up of dead animals.
The co-director of the New Zealand Centre for Human and Animal Studies at Canterbury University, Annie Potts, said she coined the term after doing research on the lives of "cruelty-free consumers." Oh, to be spurned by a vegan. It must be my cruel nature...
His No. 1 Fan
Now he wouldn't lie, would he? Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that he is a "big fan" of embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
In an interview with CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, the vice president also said Gonzales has been truthful in his testimony before Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy, a Democrat, has said he doesn't trust Gonzales, but Cheney saud the attorney general has the support of the only man who really counts.
"I've had my differences with Pat Leahy," Cheney said. "I think the key is whether or not he (Gonzales) has the confidence of the president-and he clearly does." Well, at least he didn't say Gonzo was doing a fine job. If he hears that from Bush, Gonzo will know he's in trouble.
In an interview with CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, the vice president also said Gonzales has been truthful in his testimony before Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy, a Democrat, has said he doesn't trust Gonzales, but Cheney saud the attorney general has the support of the only man who really counts.
"I've had my differences with Pat Leahy," Cheney said. "I think the key is whether or not he (Gonzales) has the confidence of the president-and he clearly does." Well, at least he didn't say Gonzo was doing a fine job. If he hears that from Bush, Gonzo will know he's in trouble.
Procreating For Putin
Because it's the patriotic thing to do. Remember the mammoths, say the clean-cut organisers at the youth camp's mass wedding. "They became extinct because they did not have enough sex. That must not happen to Russia."
Obediently, couples move to a special section of dormitory tents arranged in a heart-shape and called the Love Oasis, where they can start procreating for the motherland.
With its relentlessly upbeat tone, bizzare ideas and tight control, it sounds like a wierd indoctrination session for a phony religious cult.
But the organisation-known as "Nashi," meaning "Ours"-is youth movement run by Vladimir Putin's Kremlin that has become a central part of Russian political life. He's not only their Uncle-he's their pimp!
Obediently, couples move to a special section of dormitory tents arranged in a heart-shape and called the Love Oasis, where they can start procreating for the motherland.
With its relentlessly upbeat tone, bizzare ideas and tight control, it sounds like a wierd indoctrination session for a phony religious cult.
But the organisation-known as "Nashi," meaning "Ours"-is youth movement run by Vladimir Putin's Kremlin that has become a central part of Russian political life. He's not only their Uncle-he's their pimp!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Newt Says No
So much for shooting his mouth off.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) came a step closer to suggesting he will not run for president as he praised other Republicans on "Fox News Sunday."
He confirmed he recently had dinner with Fred Thompson, adding that the former Tennessee senator would be a "very formidable candidate."
Gingrich didn't sound like a candidate looking to enter the political fray as he complimented Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney.
"These three are serious people. They're working very hard, and if they can fill the vacuum, I don't feel any great need to run," Gingrich said. I'm sure the "Pygmies" will be glad to hear that. It's not that he's not right about some of the candidates, or the process, but if you're going to make a lot of noise, at least have the guts to stand by your own words.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) came a step closer to suggesting he will not run for president as he praised other Republicans on "Fox News Sunday."
He confirmed he recently had dinner with Fred Thompson, adding that the former Tennessee senator would be a "very formidable candidate."
Gingrich didn't sound like a candidate looking to enter the political fray as he complimented Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney.
"These three are serious people. They're working very hard, and if they can fill the vacuum, I don't feel any great need to run," Gingrich said. I'm sure the "Pygmies" will be glad to hear that. It's not that he's not right about some of the candidates, or the process, but if you're going to make a lot of noise, at least have the guts to stand by your own words.
Metal Moron
Heh. You're never too old for old-fashioned punishment duty.
SAGINAW, Michigan-A 73-year-old man has been ordered to clean a veterans memorial with a toothbrush for taking part in a scam to solicit scrap yards for metal, saying it was to be used to build a memorial for soldiers in the Iraq war.
Philip Kolinski and another man were arrested after scrap yards reported the men soliciting metal donations for a sculpture. Detectives said the men sold their metal and kept the money.
"You certainly should be ashamed," Saginaw County District Court Judge A.T. Frank said as he sentenced Kolinski to clean the veterans memorial in front of Governmental Center on Aug. 7.
"You will have a toothbrush and a bucket with a placard saying you stole from veterans," Frank said. And after that, there are plenty of toilets in jail for these idiots to clean. And I mean spotless!
SAGINAW, Michigan-A 73-year-old man has been ordered to clean a veterans memorial with a toothbrush for taking part in a scam to solicit scrap yards for metal, saying it was to be used to build a memorial for soldiers in the Iraq war.
Philip Kolinski and another man were arrested after scrap yards reported the men soliciting metal donations for a sculpture. Detectives said the men sold their metal and kept the money.
"You certainly should be ashamed," Saginaw County District Court Judge A.T. Frank said as he sentenced Kolinski to clean the veterans memorial in front of Governmental Center on Aug. 7.
"You will have a toothbrush and a bucket with a placard saying you stole from veterans," Frank said. And after that, there are plenty of toilets in jail for these idiots to clean. And I mean spotless!
I Cast Thee Out
Jeeze, was the kid's head spinning, or something like that?
PHEONIX-Officers responding to a report of an exorcism on a young girl found her grandfather choking her and used stun guns to subdue the man, who later died, authorities said Sunday.
The 3-year-old girl and her mother, who was also in the room during the struggle between 49-year-old Ronald Marquez and officers, were hospitalized, police said. Their condition was unavailable.
The relative who called police said an exorcism had also been attempted Thursday.
"The purpose was to release demons from this very young child," Sgt. Joel Tranter said. Well, maybe they were just performing the exorcisms that other Americans won't do.
PHEONIX-Officers responding to a report of an exorcism on a young girl found her grandfather choking her and used stun guns to subdue the man, who later died, authorities said Sunday.
The 3-year-old girl and her mother, who was also in the room during the struggle between 49-year-old Ronald Marquez and officers, were hospitalized, police said. Their condition was unavailable.
The relative who called police said an exorcism had also been attempted Thursday.
"The purpose was to release demons from this very young child," Sgt. Joel Tranter said. Well, maybe they were just performing the exorcisms that other Americans won't do.
Going, Going, Gone?
Is Mexico City in danger of literally falling into the ground? MEXICO CITY-As if life-threatening pollution, hours-long traffic jams and kidnappings weren't bad enough, Mexico City residents now have to worry about the earth opening up and swallowing them.
As the summer rainy season hits, concern is growing that hundreds of cracks, holes and fractures that line this city could open up with disasterous consequences in a metropolitan area of 20 million people.
The fear became a reality this month in a Mexico City slum when heavy rainfall ruptured a fissure in the street, swallowing a car and an onlooker, who was killed when he tumbled into the muddy depths more than 60 feet below.
Mexico City's latest urban ill stems from its geography and history. Built on a drained lake bed after the Spanish destroyed the Venice-like city of Tenochtitian, Mexico City has been sinking steadily for centuries, falling the equivalent of a three-story building since 1900. Considering its politics, I'm surprised the city wasn't swallowed up by a black hole long ago.
As the summer rainy season hits, concern is growing that hundreds of cracks, holes and fractures that line this city could open up with disasterous consequences in a metropolitan area of 20 million people.
The fear became a reality this month in a Mexico City slum when heavy rainfall ruptured a fissure in the street, swallowing a car and an onlooker, who was killed when he tumbled into the muddy depths more than 60 feet below.
Mexico City's latest urban ill stems from its geography and history. Built on a drained lake bed after the Spanish destroyed the Venice-like city of Tenochtitian, Mexico City has been sinking steadily for centuries, falling the equivalent of a three-story building since 1900. Considering its politics, I'm surprised the city wasn't swallowed up by a black hole long ago.
Not So Fast
Well looky here. WASHINGTON, July 16 (UPI)-The U.S. Libertarian Party has opposed the Democratic-sponsored legislation to remove American forces from Iraq.
In a statement Friday, the Libertarian Party said it had "serious concerns about the plan's flaws" and said it "would jeopardize the safety of U.S. forces."
"The House's plan shows a lack of military planning, which will inevitably compromise the safety of our troops," said Shane Cory, a Marine Corps veteran and current executive director of the Libertarian National Committee. "The plan seems to be more of a symbolic message to the president rather than a practical plan for ending the conflict in Iraq."
"While the Libertarian Party continually calls for an end to the conflict, we know you can't play political games with the lives of our brave soldiers," Cory said. "Proper lines of withdrawal should be followed, which will culminate in the complete withdrawal of American troops without leaving a small, vulnerable force behind. This is one of the most basic tenets of military strategy-something the House's plan clearly lacks."
The Libertarian Party descrives itself as the third largest political party in the United States and says it follows "a non-interventionist foreign policy." The party said it had been "a vocal critic of the invasion and occupation of Iraq." Even these guys at least have a plan. Which is more than I can say for Pelosi and Co.-or Team Bush.
In a statement Friday, the Libertarian Party said it had "serious concerns about the plan's flaws" and said it "would jeopardize the safety of U.S. forces."
"The House's plan shows a lack of military planning, which will inevitably compromise the safety of our troops," said Shane Cory, a Marine Corps veteran and current executive director of the Libertarian National Committee. "The plan seems to be more of a symbolic message to the president rather than a practical plan for ending the conflict in Iraq."
"While the Libertarian Party continually calls for an end to the conflict, we know you can't play political games with the lives of our brave soldiers," Cory said. "Proper lines of withdrawal should be followed, which will culminate in the complete withdrawal of American troops without leaving a small, vulnerable force behind. This is one of the most basic tenets of military strategy-something the House's plan clearly lacks."
The Libertarian Party descrives itself as the third largest political party in the United States and says it follows "a non-interventionist foreign policy." The party said it had been "a vocal critic of the invasion and occupation of Iraq." Even these guys at least have a plan. Which is more than I can say for Pelosi and Co.-or Team Bush.
Are We In, Or Are We Out?
Andrew Sullivan on why some form of isolationism might not be such a bad thing. At first blush, 9/11 seemed to mean the end of even the dream of leaving the rest of the world behind. After all, terror had now reached American soil. War had been declared. What choice did Americans have but to fight back?
But the grueling, soul-sapping war in Iraq has unsettled that idea considerably. Many Americans look at trying to coax democracy or even stability in the Arab world and conclude that it's a mug's game. If this is interventionism, could isolationism be much worse? The lead-up to the war disabused Americans of any notion that they could easily corral global support for their policing the planet. The follow-through has convinced them they cannot do it by themselves either. You can see why opting out has begun to appeal.
The Bush-Cheney argument that we have to fight the terrorists in Iraq or we will have to fight them in Kansas has not persuaded many. And rightly so. The core truth of Islamist terror, as 9/11 proved, is that it's not that hard for very few people to do a lot of damage. The years-long occupation of a Muslim country, morever, seems to have made the terror threat worse, not better. Americans have never been much for long-term meddling in other countries' affairs. We want to win our wars and then go home. Bush seems to think it's our job to remake the world in our image no matter what the cost. Woodrow Wilson felt that way, too-and look what eventually happened.
But the grueling, soul-sapping war in Iraq has unsettled that idea considerably. Many Americans look at trying to coax democracy or even stability in the Arab world and conclude that it's a mug's game. If this is interventionism, could isolationism be much worse? The lead-up to the war disabused Americans of any notion that they could easily corral global support for their policing the planet. The follow-through has convinced them they cannot do it by themselves either. You can see why opting out has begun to appeal.
The Bush-Cheney argument that we have to fight the terrorists in Iraq or we will have to fight them in Kansas has not persuaded many. And rightly so. The core truth of Islamist terror, as 9/11 proved, is that it's not that hard for very few people to do a lot of damage. The years-long occupation of a Muslim country, morever, seems to have made the terror threat worse, not better. Americans have never been much for long-term meddling in other countries' affairs. We want to win our wars and then go home. Bush seems to think it's our job to remake the world in our image no matter what the cost. Woodrow Wilson felt that way, too-and look what eventually happened.
Snarf!
"One is a genius, the other is insane."
SCIENTISTS have created the world's first schizophrenic mice in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the illness.
It is believed to be the first time an animal has been genetically engineered to have a mental illness. Until now they have been bred only for research into physical conditions such as heart disease. It will allow researchers to study the disease and develop treatments using a limitless supply of laboratory animals.
Animal rights campaigners have condemned the research, saying that it is morally repugnant to create an animal doomed to mental suffering. Maybe they're right. After all, there are plenty of mentally ill liberals around; why not use them as test subjects? They could even be observed in their natural habitat, and their fellow liberals probably wouldn't even notice the difference.
SCIENTISTS have created the world's first schizophrenic mice in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the illness.
It is believed to be the first time an animal has been genetically engineered to have a mental illness. Until now they have been bred only for research into physical conditions such as heart disease. It will allow researchers to study the disease and develop treatments using a limitless supply of laboratory animals.
Animal rights campaigners have condemned the research, saying that it is morally repugnant to create an animal doomed to mental suffering. Maybe they're right. After all, there are plenty of mentally ill liberals around; why not use them as test subjects? They could even be observed in their natural habitat, and their fellow liberals probably wouldn't even notice the difference.
Listening In
Can you say bad timing? US President George W. Bush on Saturday called for Congress to revise a US security law in order to ease restrictions on the government's secret communications surveillance of terror suspects.
Amid furor over Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' handling of the government's secret warrantless wiretap program, Bush urged legislators to pass the update of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) proposed in April.
The changes would ease intelligence collection aimed at people plotting attacks on the United States, Bush said in his weekly radio address. Ah, good luck with that one, chief. As usual, a day late and a dollar short.
Amid furor over Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' handling of the government's secret warrantless wiretap program, Bush urged legislators to pass the update of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) proposed in April.
The changes would ease intelligence collection aimed at people plotting attacks on the United States, Bush said in his weekly radio address. Ah, good luck with that one, chief. As usual, a day late and a dollar short.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Repeat Offenders
You'll be surprised to learn that detention didn't take. AT LEAST 30 former Guantanamo Bay detainees have been killed or recaptured after taking up arms against allied forces following their release.
They have been discovered mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but not in Iraq, a US Defence Department spokesman told The Age yesterday.
Commander Jeffrey Gordon said the detainees had, while in custody, falsely claimed to be farmers, truck drivers, cooks, small-arms merchants, low-level combatants or had offered other false explanations for being in Afghanistan.
"We are aware of dozens of cases where they have returned to militant activities, participated in anti-US propaganda or engaged in other activies," said Commander Gordon. Killed or recaptured, eh? It makes you wonder-just whose side are those who advocated their release really on?
They have been discovered mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but not in Iraq, a US Defence Department spokesman told The Age yesterday.
Commander Jeffrey Gordon said the detainees had, while in custody, falsely claimed to be farmers, truck drivers, cooks, small-arms merchants, low-level combatants or had offered other false explanations for being in Afghanistan.
"We are aware of dozens of cases where they have returned to militant activities, participated in anti-US propaganda or engaged in other activies," said Commander Gordon. Killed or recaptured, eh? It makes you wonder-just whose side are those who advocated their release really on?
Environmentalists With Forked Tongues
It's their land. Of course other people have to tell them how to use it.
The struggle is a homegrown version of the global debate on slowing climate change.
Developed countries are trying to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the most ubiquitous gas usually linked to climate change, and argue that rapidly growing nations like India and China should avoid building coal-fired power plants. The critics' targets say it is unfair to keep them from powering their way to prosperity with cheap and abundant coal.
The Navajo president, Joe Shirley Jr., said his tribe felt similar pressure. Mr. Shirley said the plant here would mean hundreds of jobs, higher incomes and better lives for some of the 200,000 people on the reservation. The tribe derives little direct financial benefit from the operation of the existing coal-fired plants and it has not yet invested heavily in casinos.
"Why pick on the little Navajo nation, when it's trying to help itself?" he asked. Ah, but if you were allowed to help yourselves, you wouldn't be of any use as victims for the Great White Liberal. See how that works?
The struggle is a homegrown version of the global debate on slowing climate change.
Developed countries are trying to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the most ubiquitous gas usually linked to climate change, and argue that rapidly growing nations like India and China should avoid building coal-fired power plants. The critics' targets say it is unfair to keep them from powering their way to prosperity with cheap and abundant coal.
The Navajo president, Joe Shirley Jr., said his tribe felt similar pressure. Mr. Shirley said the plant here would mean hundreds of jobs, higher incomes and better lives for some of the 200,000 people on the reservation. The tribe derives little direct financial benefit from the operation of the existing coal-fired plants and it has not yet invested heavily in casinos.
"Why pick on the little Navajo nation, when it's trying to help itself?" he asked. Ah, but if you were allowed to help yourselves, you wouldn't be of any use as victims for the Great White Liberal. See how that works?
It's The Corruption, Stupid
The Architect tries to save his party by telling them to ignore the elephant in the room. Karl Rove, President Bush's political lieutenant, told a closed-door meeting of 2008 Republican House candidates and their aides Tuesday that it was less the war in Iraq than corruption in Congress that caused their party's defeat in the 2006 elections.
Rove's clear advice to the candidates is to distance themselves from the culture of Washington. Specifically, Republican candidates are urged to make clear they have no connection with disgraced congressmen such as Duke Cunningham and Mark Foley.
In effect, Rove was rebutting the complaint inside the party that George W. Bush is responsible for Republican miseries by invading Iraq. Well, I'm sure Jack Abramoff will be glad to hear that Karl is now so concerned about keeping the party honest.
Rove's clear advice to the candidates is to distance themselves from the culture of Washington. Specifically, Republican candidates are urged to make clear they have no connection with disgraced congressmen such as Duke Cunningham and Mark Foley.
In effect, Rove was rebutting the complaint inside the party that George W. Bush is responsible for Republican miseries by invading Iraq. Well, I'm sure Jack Abramoff will be glad to hear that Karl is now so concerned about keeping the party honest.
DLC, DOA
Apparently the same people who were good enough for Bill aren't good enough anymore.
The founder of the DLC says the Democratic no-shows are a matter of location (Tennessee is not a swing state) and the nature of primary contests (campaign for the flank, not the center, of the party).
"During the primaries, you try to hit the early states, over and over again; you focus on interest groups," DLC founder Al From said in an interview Friday afternoon.
But he warned that the winning candidate would eventually have to adopt DLC-style thinking.
To capture the White House, From said, "you have to talk to the whole country. You win presidential elections by being bigger than your party." Unfortunately for today's Democrats, the only thing bigger than their party is their egos. And they need their camp followers to constantly stroke them.
The founder of the DLC says the Democratic no-shows are a matter of location (Tennessee is not a swing state) and the nature of primary contests (campaign for the flank, not the center, of the party).
"During the primaries, you try to hit the early states, over and over again; you focus on interest groups," DLC founder Al From said in an interview Friday afternoon.
But he warned that the winning candidate would eventually have to adopt DLC-style thinking.
To capture the White House, From said, "you have to talk to the whole country. You win presidential elections by being bigger than your party." Unfortunately for today's Democrats, the only thing bigger than their party is their egos. And they need their camp followers to constantly stroke them.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Who's That Girl
I think these folks need to have their eyes checked. It is rather uncomfortable calling the 67-year-old House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), mother of five and grandmother of six, "hot."
So we let others decide.
There is a Facebook.com group called "I can't say why, but I kinds think Nancy Pelosi is cute." There's another group there, too, but its name is too crass to print.
Moreover, Pelosi has become a fashion icon in colorful Armani skirt-suits.
Robin Givhan, the Washington Post fashion critic, earlier this year wrote, "She looks polished and tasteful...dignified and serious [and] she also happens to look quite good." A copy of a Chinese Sea Pearl ring that Pelosi has been wearing sells on eBay. Opening bid: 88 cents. I've heard of to each his own, but this is ridiculous.
So we let others decide.
There is a Facebook.com group called "I can't say why, but I kinds think Nancy Pelosi is cute." There's another group there, too, but its name is too crass to print.
Moreover, Pelosi has become a fashion icon in colorful Armani skirt-suits.
Robin Givhan, the Washington Post fashion critic, earlier this year wrote, "She looks polished and tasteful...dignified and serious [and] she also happens to look quite good." A copy of a Chinese Sea Pearl ring that Pelosi has been wearing sells on eBay. Opening bid: 88 cents. I've heard of to each his own, but this is ridiculous.
"That's Not A Can"
P'O'd old guy 1, soda jerk nothing. EL DORADO, Ark. (AP)-An elderly man beaten unconscious by an assailant wielding a soda can awoke and shot the man during an attempted robbery, police said.
Willie Lee Hill, 93, told police he saw the robber while in his bedroom Wednesday night. Hill confronted the man and was struck at least 50 times, police said. He was struck unconscious.
Covered in blood, Hill regained consciousness a short time later and pulled a .38-calibere handgun on his attacker. The suspect, Douglas B. Williams Jr., saw the gun and charged the man, who fired a bullet that sstruck Williams in the throat, police said.
"I got what I deserved," Williams, 24, told police when they arrived, officers said. Investigators reported finding, among other items, a Craftsman drill bit set, three pocket knives and two hearing aids inside his pockets. I wonder what the hearing aids were for. Maybe so he could hear his would-be victims telling him what a dumbass he was?
Willie Lee Hill, 93, told police he saw the robber while in his bedroom Wednesday night. Hill confronted the man and was struck at least 50 times, police said. He was struck unconscious.
Covered in blood, Hill regained consciousness a short time later and pulled a .38-calibere handgun on his attacker. The suspect, Douglas B. Williams Jr., saw the gun and charged the man, who fired a bullet that sstruck Williams in the throat, police said.
"I got what I deserved," Williams, 24, told police when they arrived, officers said. Investigators reported finding, among other items, a Craftsman drill bit set, three pocket knives and two hearing aids inside his pockets. I wonder what the hearing aids were for. Maybe so he could hear his would-be victims telling him what a dumbass he was?
Grand Out Of Touch Party
From www.democracycorps.com comes more bad news for the Party That Bush Ruined: (In PDF Format) The looming disaster Republicans face among younger voters represents a setback that could haunt them for many generations to come. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama lead Rudy Giuliani-the most acceptable of the Republican offerings among youth-by significant margins, assembling a diverse coalition of support and leading the vote among independents. Exploring attitudes toward the parties themselves, young voters' reaction to fundamental issues and their perceptions of the GOP suggest a fundamental alienation from the Republican Party, a crisis that will not leave with the Bush administration.
Young people react with hostility to the Republicans on almost every measure and younger voters disagree on almost every major issue of the day. The range of the issue disagreements range from the most prominent issues of the day (Iraq, immigration) to burning social issues (gay marriage, abortion) to fundamental ideological disagreements over the size and scope of goverment. This leaves both potential Democratic nominees with substantial leades over Rudy Giuliani, but importantly, both Democrats still have some room to grow their support among younger voters. The current problems with the Republican brand are not fully reflected in young peoples' preferences in for President. The youth vote was what got the first Clinton elected. Old white guys, ignore it at your peril.
Young people react with hostility to the Republicans on almost every measure and younger voters disagree on almost every major issue of the day. The range of the issue disagreements range from the most prominent issues of the day (Iraq, immigration) to burning social issues (gay marriage, abortion) to fundamental ideological disagreements over the size and scope of goverment. This leaves both potential Democratic nominees with substantial leades over Rudy Giuliani, but importantly, both Democrats still have some room to grow their support among younger voters. The current problems with the Republican brand are not fully reflected in young peoples' preferences in for President. The youth vote was what got the first Clinton elected. Old white guys, ignore it at your peril.
Losing Ground?
More bad news for the GOP: The public doesn't trust them anymore on their single biggest issue. When asked to choose among the leading Presidential candidates, 28% of American adults said that they would trust New York Senator Hillary Clinton the most on national security issues. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 20% named former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
The survey also found that 15% named Illinois Senator Barack Obama and 11% picked former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. Failing to reach double digits on this question were Arizona Senator John McCain at 7%, former North Carolina Senator John Edwards at 6%, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at 2%.
(snip) Historically, national security has been an issue dominated by Republicans. Over the last year or two, especually since the Dubai Ports incident, the GOP has lost that advantage. Recent tracking polls have shown the two parties close to parity on the issue while the public generally prefers Democrats on a whole range of issues. Darn. All that nannystating for Jesus and authoritarianism gone to waste.
The survey also found that 15% named Illinois Senator Barack Obama and 11% picked former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. Failing to reach double digits on this question were Arizona Senator John McCain at 7%, former North Carolina Senator John Edwards at 6%, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at 2%.
(snip) Historically, national security has been an issue dominated by Republicans. Over the last year or two, especually since the Dubai Ports incident, the GOP has lost that advantage. Recent tracking polls have shown the two parties close to parity on the issue while the public generally prefers Democrats on a whole range of issues. Darn. All that nannystating for Jesus and authoritarianism gone to waste.
Asleep At The Scalpal
First drunk astronauts, now doctors who can't stay awake. BOSTON-A former Children's Hospital anesthesiologist who fell asleep in the operating room must prove he's clean before practicing medicine again.
Thomas Ho admitted to falling asleep during surgery in December 2005 after taking a prescribed medication. Ho admitted that he "was under a great deal of personal stress," the state said in its complaint against him.
He also said he inhaled Isoflurane, an anesthetic, during his lunch break in January 2006 because he was having a panic attack and "felt like he was going to die." As opposed to the panic attack his patients might have felt had they known the Doc was a doper.
Thomas Ho admitted to falling asleep during surgery in December 2005 after taking a prescribed medication. Ho admitted that he "was under a great deal of personal stress," the state said in its complaint against him.
He also said he inhaled Isoflurane, an anesthetic, during his lunch break in January 2006 because he was having a panic attack and "felt like he was going to die." As opposed to the panic attack his patients might have felt had they known the Doc was a doper.
Paranoia Will Destroy You
The Breck Girl has turned into Richard Belzer (AKA Detective John Munch on Law and Order: Special Victims). MyDD flags an intense minute and a half from John Edwards in Creston, Iowa, yesterday in which he heatedly tells an audience that the attention to trivia (I assume the reference here is to his haircuts) is "not an accident" and that "they want to shut me up" to silence his message about ending the war and universalizing health care.
He warns, in the video segment posted by his campaign, that if we don't beat back these unnamed ogliarchs, "They're going to control the media. They're going to control what's being said."
He doesn't go into detail about who "They" are, other than a reference to people who make $100 million a year, and compares them to the (actual well-funded, conservative) operation that put the Swift Boat ads on the air. He also doesn't explain exactly how this corporate-media collaboration works, but his audience seems to be rapt. Well, at least he didn't say it was all done by the Jews. that would have been too obvious.
He warns, in the video segment posted by his campaign, that if we don't beat back these unnamed ogliarchs, "They're going to control the media. They're going to control what's being said."
He doesn't go into detail about who "They" are, other than a reference to people who make $100 million a year, and compares them to the (actual well-funded, conservative) operation that put the Swift Boat ads on the air. He also doesn't explain exactly how this corporate-media collaboration works, but his audience seems to be rapt. Well, at least he didn't say it was all done by the Jews. that would have been too obvious.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
She Said, He Said
You have to give credit to Barack Obama for fighting back. Tuesday, Clinton was charging at Obama; Wednesday, Obama charged back, and the Clinton campaign sent out a defensive statement from Richard Hollbrooke.
Obama:
The notion that I was somehow going to be inviting them over for tea next week without having initial envoys meet is ridiculous," he said in an interview outside his Senate office. "But the general principal is one that I thin Senator Clinton is wrong on, and that is if we are laying out preconditions that prevent us from speaking frankly to these folks, then we are continuing with Bush-Cheney policies."
Then:
Later Wednesday, the Clinton campaign issued a statement by former U.N. Ambassador Richard Hollbrooke, who is supporting her candidacy, taking issue with Obama's comments and saying she would bring an end to "the cowboy approach of the Bush years." Yeah, but the difference is, you get the idea that Obama would mean it. I would probably never vote for the guy, but this is one of the reasons why he is seen by so many as an alternative to Camp Hillary. When he talks, he can actually get you to listen to him.
Obama:
The notion that I was somehow going to be inviting them over for tea next week without having initial envoys meet is ridiculous," he said in an interview outside his Senate office. "But the general principal is one that I thin Senator Clinton is wrong on, and that is if we are laying out preconditions that prevent us from speaking frankly to these folks, then we are continuing with Bush-Cheney policies."
Then:
Later Wednesday, the Clinton campaign issued a statement by former U.N. Ambassador Richard Hollbrooke, who is supporting her candidacy, taking issue with Obama's comments and saying she would bring an end to "the cowboy approach of the Bush years." Yeah, but the difference is, you get the idea that Obama would mean it. I would probably never vote for the guy, but this is one of the reasons why he is seen by so many as an alternative to Camp Hillary. When he talks, he can actually get you to listen to him.
Kangaroo Court
It seems some folks Down Under still care about little things like due process and the rule of law. [JURIST] The Law Council of Australia, the country's national organization for lawyers, on Tuesday issued harsh criticism [press release] of the trial of former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks, saying the trial was "a charade." The council's report, prepared by lawyer Lex Lasry, criticized the American and Australian governments on the trial, concluding that:
The "trial" of David Hicks, which took place in March 2007, was a charade.
A pre-trial agreement had been signed and the balance of the legal procedings was entirely surplus to requirements, although designed to lay a veneer of due process over a political and pragmatic bargain. The veneer cracked immediately.
Ultimately, there has been no benefit from the process; only a corrosion of the rule of law.
No ground can be claimed to have been made in the so-called War on Terror. The Military Commission process at Guantanamo likewise has neither gained from it, nor shown any prospect of improvement. Well, it's not like a real trial would have mattered. After all, the law only applies to certain people, and even then Team Bush gets to decide who those people should be. After all, we gotta stop them terrists at all costs and anything goes, right?
The "trial" of David Hicks, which took place in March 2007, was a charade.
A pre-trial agreement had been signed and the balance of the legal procedings was entirely surplus to requirements, although designed to lay a veneer of due process over a political and pragmatic bargain. The veneer cracked immediately.
Ultimately, there has been no benefit from the process; only a corrosion of the rule of law.
No ground can be claimed to have been made in the so-called War on Terror. The Military Commission process at Guantanamo likewise has neither gained from it, nor shown any prospect of improvement. Well, it's not like a real trial would have mattered. After all, the law only applies to certain people, and even then Team Bush gets to decide who those people should be. After all, we gotta stop them terrists at all costs and anything goes, right?
The Kitty Testament
Don't fear the Reaper, even if he comes in feline form.
PROVIDENCE, R.I.-Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.
"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patienst are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University. Well, I could think of far worse ways to go. Here's looking at you, kitty.
PROVIDENCE, R.I.-Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.
"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patienst are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University. Well, I could think of far worse ways to go. Here's looking at you, kitty.
Framed
Because even hoods are innocent from time to time.
BOSTON-In a stinging rebuke of the FBI, a federal judge on Thursday ordered the government to pay a record judgement of nearly $102 million because agents withheld evidence that would have kept four men from spending decades in prison for a mob murder they did not commit.
Judge Nancy Gertner told a packed courtroom that agents were trying to protect informants when they encouraged a witness to lie, then withheld evidence they knew could prove the four men were not involved in the 1965 murder of Edward "Teddy" Deegan, a small-time thug shot in an alley.
Gertner said Boston FBI agents knew mob hitman Joseph "The Animal" Barboza lied when he named Joseph Salvati, Peter Limone, Henry Tameleo and Louis Greco as Deegan's killers. She said the FBI considered the four "collateral damage" in its war against the Mafia, the bureau's top priority in the 1960s.
Tameleo and Greco died behind bars, and Salvati and Limone spent three decades in prison before they were exonerated in 2001. Salvati, Limone and the families of the other men sued the federal government for malicious prosecution. "One day, when I have a long gray beard and two or three marbles rolling around upstairs, then they'll let me out."
BOSTON-In a stinging rebuke of the FBI, a federal judge on Thursday ordered the government to pay a record judgement of nearly $102 million because agents withheld evidence that would have kept four men from spending decades in prison for a mob murder they did not commit.
Judge Nancy Gertner told a packed courtroom that agents were trying to protect informants when they encouraged a witness to lie, then withheld evidence they knew could prove the four men were not involved in the 1965 murder of Edward "Teddy" Deegan, a small-time thug shot in an alley.
Gertner said Boston FBI agents knew mob hitman Joseph "The Animal" Barboza lied when he named Joseph Salvati, Peter Limone, Henry Tameleo and Louis Greco as Deegan's killers. She said the FBI considered the four "collateral damage" in its war against the Mafia, the bureau's top priority in the 1960s.
Tameleo and Greco died behind bars, and Salvati and Limone spent three decades in prison before they were exonerated in 2001. Salvati, Limone and the families of the other men sued the federal government for malicious prosecution. "One day, when I have a long gray beard and two or three marbles rolling around upstairs, then they'll let me out."
When Geeks Attack
Was NASA the victim of an attempted ROP(tm) attack? CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)-A space program worker deliberately damaged a computer that is supposed to fly aboard shuttle Endeavour in less than two weeks, an act of sabotage that was caught before the equipment was loaded onto the spaceship, NASA said Thursday.
This unidentified employee, who works for a NASA subcontractor, cut wires inside the computer that is supposed to be delivered to the international space station by Endeavour, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief. The worker also damaged a similiar computer that was not meant to fly in space.
The sabotage occured outside Florida. Gerstenmaier did not identify the subcontractor or where the damage took place.
NASA's inspector general office is investigating. How can you tell a Jihadist nerd from other Jihadists? He can identify every single Star Wars character before calling them all infidels.
This unidentified employee, who works for a NASA subcontractor, cut wires inside the computer that is supposed to be delivered to the international space station by Endeavour, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief. The worker also damaged a similiar computer that was not meant to fly in space.
The sabotage occured outside Florida. Gerstenmaier did not identify the subcontractor or where the damage took place.
NASA's inspector general office is investigating. How can you tell a Jihadist nerd from other Jihadists? He can identify every single Star Wars character before calling them all infidels.
And Not A Drop To Drink
If the envirowhackjobs have their way, we won't have anything left to eat or drink. Companies like Fiji and Evian emphasize the cleanliness and purity of their water. Fiki says its water comes from a source "far from pollution" and is "designed to prevent any possibility of human contact." Evian's spring water comes from the French Alps. You would think this water ought to be an environmentalist's dream.
Instead, their bottles provoke nightmares. Allen Hershkowitz of the Natural Resources Defense Council says, "It's ironic that on some of the labels of the bottles, you will see snow-capped mountains and glaciers when in fact the production of the bottle is contributing to global warming, which is melting those snowcaps and those glaciers."
Complaints like that have led San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome to issue an executive order banning city departments from purchasing bottled water, even for water coolers.
And Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson ordered his city's Fire Department to replace the usual chests of bottled water and sports drinks used to quench firefighters' thirst . Every firefighter will now be given a refillable 10-ounce container instead. And, get this, two city personnel will be assigned to fill them as they fight fires. I thought only high-schoolers got the job of water boy. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up.
Instead, their bottles provoke nightmares. Allen Hershkowitz of the Natural Resources Defense Council says, "It's ironic that on some of the labels of the bottles, you will see snow-capped mountains and glaciers when in fact the production of the bottle is contributing to global warming, which is melting those snowcaps and those glaciers."
Complaints like that have led San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome to issue an executive order banning city departments from purchasing bottled water, even for water coolers.
And Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson ordered his city's Fire Department to replace the usual chests of bottled water and sports drinks used to quench firefighters' thirst . Every firefighter will now be given a refillable 10-ounce container instead. And, get this, two city personnel will be assigned to fill them as they fight fires. I thought only high-schoolers got the job of water boy. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up.
Mo' Better Mess
What's the difference between 19th century minstrel shows and today? These days, African-Americans are stereotyping themselves. You could say it all started when State Farm and The Home Depot both pulled ads from BET's website, according to The Hollywood Reporter, in an attempt to distance themselves from promotions of "Hot Ghetto Mess." Several critics were already up in arms about the show. But maybe it started in the late 17th century with blackface.
"I don't think the fact that it's coming from BET makes it right. I don't think the fact that these communities are sort of devouring themselves culturally is something we should be applauding," said nationally syndicated columnist Ruben Naverrette Jr. on a recent edition of NPR's "Barbershop: What's the Buzz?"
Even Bill O'Reilly joined the conversation. "It's degrading," he said. "There's nothing funny about it. It's not a freak show in the inner city. It's not." Don Imus hasn't released his statement on the show, yet.
Reginald Hudlin, president of entertainment at BET, said the show's core principals--encouraging discussion about the negative images of African-Americans in mainstream media--are the same as Bill Cosby's, or even Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's.
That's a stretch. Obana's campaign has said nothing about the show thus far and probably never will. Hey, pushing negative stereotypes sells. Just ask any rapper.
"I don't think the fact that it's coming from BET makes it right. I don't think the fact that these communities are sort of devouring themselves culturally is something we should be applauding," said nationally syndicated columnist Ruben Naverrette Jr. on a recent edition of NPR's "Barbershop: What's the Buzz?"
Even Bill O'Reilly joined the conversation. "It's degrading," he said. "There's nothing funny about it. It's not a freak show in the inner city. It's not." Don Imus hasn't released his statement on the show, yet.
Reginald Hudlin, president of entertainment at BET, said the show's core principals--encouraging discussion about the negative images of African-Americans in mainstream media--are the same as Bill Cosby's, or even Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's.
That's a stretch. Obana's campaign has said nothing about the show thus far and probably never will. Hey, pushing negative stereotypes sells. Just ask any rapper.
TSP On The QT
So, Gonzo was telling the truth, eh? I guess somebody forgot to tell the FBI. WASHINGTON (AP)-FBI Director Robert S. Mueller said Thursday the government's terrorist surveillance program was the topic of a 2004 hospital room duspute between top Bush administration officials, contradicting Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' sworn Senate testimony.
Mueller was not in the hospital room at the time of the dramatic March 10, 2004 confrontation between then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and presidential advisers Andy Card and Gonzales, who was then serving as White House counsel. Mueller told the House Judiciary Committee he arrived shortly after they left, and spoke with the ailing Ashcroft.
"Did you have an understanding that the conversation was on TSP?" asked Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. TSP stands for terrorist surveillance program.
"I had an understanding the discussion was on an NSA program, yes," Mueller answered. Break out the popcorn, boys and girls, this one's gonna get real interesting.
Mueller was not in the hospital room at the time of the dramatic March 10, 2004 confrontation between then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and presidential advisers Andy Card and Gonzales, who was then serving as White House counsel. Mueller told the House Judiciary Committee he arrived shortly after they left, and spoke with the ailing Ashcroft.
"Did you have an understanding that the conversation was on TSP?" asked Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. TSP stands for terrorist surveillance program.
"I had an understanding the discussion was on an NSA program, yes," Mueller answered. Break out the popcorn, boys and girls, this one's gonna get real interesting.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The Inquisition Is Here To Stay
There goes de judge, there goes de judge. MADRID, Spain: Spain's judicial watchdog said Tuesday it is investigating a judge who denied a woman custody of her two daughters because she was a lesbian.
"Children have a right to a father and a mother, but not to two mothers or two fathers," Fernando Ferrin Calamita, a judge in the southeastern city of Murcia, wrote in a custody case ruling last month.
Ferrin said the mother, who was not identified, "Must choose between her children and her new partner," according to leading Spanish daily El Pais and other media.
The judge went on to order the mother to relinquish the children by the end of June and said the father-her former husband-should have custody. There are, unfortunately, stupid judges all over. We've got plenty of them right here at home, too.
"Children have a right to a father and a mother, but not to two mothers or two fathers," Fernando Ferrin Calamita, a judge in the southeastern city of Murcia, wrote in a custody case ruling last month.
Ferrin said the mother, who was not identified, "Must choose between her children and her new partner," according to leading Spanish daily El Pais and other media.
The judge went on to order the mother to relinquish the children by the end of June and said the father-her former husband-should have custody. There are, unfortunately, stupid judges all over. We've got plenty of them right here at home, too.
Ice Station Zebra
Uncle Putin is making good on his pledge to own Santa's land for himself. Russia is launching an underwater expedition to the North Pole in order to back up its claim to a massive section of the Arctic, which may contain vast energy reserves. "The Arctic is ours and we should demonstrate our presence," said a Russian parliamentarian and explorer who will participate in the flag-planting expedition.
BBC:
The team aboard the mini-submarine Mir is expected to carry out scientific experiments and measurements on the sea bed.
Reports say it will also leave behind a Russian flag and a capsule with a message for future generations.
"The Arctic is ours and we should demonstrate our presence," Mr Chilingarov told Russian TV.
His colleague and fellow parliamentarian Vladimir Gruzdev was quoted as saying: "We must remind the whold world that Russia is a great polar and scientific power." I just hope the polar bears don't mind eating caviar.
BBC:
The team aboard the mini-submarine Mir is expected to carry out scientific experiments and measurements on the sea bed.
Reports say it will also leave behind a Russian flag and a capsule with a message for future generations.
"The Arctic is ours and we should demonstrate our presence," Mr Chilingarov told Russian TV.
His colleague and fellow parliamentarian Vladimir Gruzdev was quoted as saying: "We must remind the whold world that Russia is a great polar and scientific power." I just hope the polar bears don't mind eating caviar.
It Takes An Electronic Village
Not to be outdone by the threat of file sharing, the Senate is getting into the act of protecting us from ourselves online. US Senators today made a bipartisan call for the universal implementation of filtering and monitoring technologies on the Internet in order to protect children at the end of a Senate hearing for which civil liberties groups were not invited.
Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (Alaska) both argued that the Internet was a dangerous place where parents alone will not be able to protect their children.
"While filitering and monitoring technologies help parents to screen out offensive content and to monitor their child's online activities, the use of these tehnologies is far from universal and may not be fool-proof in keeping kids away from adult material," Sen. Inouye said. "In that context, we must evaluate our current efforts to combat child pornography and consider what further measures may be needed to stop the spread of such illegal material over high-speed broadband connections." Hey, I'm all for stopping child porn, but putting Ted "It's All Tubes" Stevens in charge of anything Internet-related is like asking Ted Kennedy to be a designated driver. I guess personal responsibility is just too outdated these days.
Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (Alaska) both argued that the Internet was a dangerous place where parents alone will not be able to protect their children.
"While filitering and monitoring technologies help parents to screen out offensive content and to monitor their child's online activities, the use of these tehnologies is far from universal and may not be fool-proof in keeping kids away from adult material," Sen. Inouye said. "In that context, we must evaluate our current efforts to combat child pornography and consider what further measures may be needed to stop the spread of such illegal material over high-speed broadband connections." Hey, I'm all for stopping child porn, but putting Ted "It's All Tubes" Stevens in charge of anything Internet-related is like asking Ted Kennedy to be a designated driver. I guess personal responsibility is just too outdated these days.
Limewire Limelight
Your government at work, again. This time they've discovered that (gasp!) peer-to-peer networks aren't all that secure. Rep. Henry Wasman, a California Democrat, said that such networks pose a national security threat because federal employees may accidentally share sensitive or classified documents.
Mark Gorton, chairman of the file-sharing program LimeWire, was the designated whipping boy. A congressman from Nashville was happy to flog away.
The most scathing criticism came from Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), who launched into a lengthy monologue in which he deemed Gorton "one of the most naive chairmen and CEOs I've ever run acros," and accused his company of making the "skeleton keys" that grant access to material harmful to U.S. national security.
"I'd feel more than a shade of guilt at this point, having made the laptop a dangerous weapon against the security of the United States," Cooper said. "Mr. Gorton, you seem to lack imagination about how your product can be deliberately misused by evildoers against this country." (Cooper also, at one point, claimed that Gorton's own home computer was probably leaking sensitive documents.)
Hmmm...does anyone want to point out that the users themselves--you know, the federal employees who are dumb enough to install LimeWire on a computer with sensitive documents--may bear some of the responsibility? Yes, many of our politicians really are this stupid.
Mark Gorton, chairman of the file-sharing program LimeWire, was the designated whipping boy. A congressman from Nashville was happy to flog away.
The most scathing criticism came from Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), who launched into a lengthy monologue in which he deemed Gorton "one of the most naive chairmen and CEOs I've ever run acros," and accused his company of making the "skeleton keys" that grant access to material harmful to U.S. national security.
"I'd feel more than a shade of guilt at this point, having made the laptop a dangerous weapon against the security of the United States," Cooper said. "Mr. Gorton, you seem to lack imagination about how your product can be deliberately misused by evildoers against this country." (Cooper also, at one point, claimed that Gorton's own home computer was probably leaking sensitive documents.)
Hmmm...does anyone want to point out that the users themselves--you know, the federal employees who are dumb enough to install LimeWire on a computer with sensitive documents--may bear some of the responsibility? Yes, many of our politicians really are this stupid.
The Verdict Is In
Oh, my. The Flat Earthers of the world aren't going to like this. POPE Benedict has said there is substantial scientific proof of the theory of evolution.
The Pope, speaking as he was concluding his holiday in northern Italy, also said the himan race must listen to "the voice of the Earth" or risk destroying its very existence.
In a talk with 400 priests, the Pope spoke of the current debate raging in some countries, particularly the US and his native Germany, between creationism and evolution.
"They are presented as alternatives that exclude each other," the Pope said.
"This clash is an absurdity because on one hand there is much scientific proof in favour of evolution, which appears as a reality that we must see and which enriches our understanding of life and being as such." Meanwhile, the directors of creationist museums were last seen with their heads exploding.
The Pope, speaking as he was concluding his holiday in northern Italy, also said the himan race must listen to "the voice of the Earth" or risk destroying its very existence.
In a talk with 400 priests, the Pope spoke of the current debate raging in some countries, particularly the US and his native Germany, between creationism and evolution.
"They are presented as alternatives that exclude each other," the Pope said.
"This clash is an absurdity because on one hand there is much scientific proof in favour of evolution, which appears as a reality that we must see and which enriches our understanding of life and being as such." Meanwhile, the directors of creationist museums were last seen with their heads exploding.
The Weed From On High
What would Jesus smoke?
LOS ANGELES-A minister with mail order credentials who faces drug charges for distributing marijuana through his Hollywood church argued unsuccessfully Tuesday that federal law protects his use of the drug because he believes it is a religious sacrament.
The Rev. Craig X. Rubin, 41, the leader of the 420 Temple who has appeared in episodes of the Showtime comedy "Weeds," faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of possessing marijuana for sale. Jury selection was set to begin Wednesday.
He and some 400 members of his church believe marijuana is a religious sacrament and burn and smoke pot during services.
"We feel pot is the tree of life mentioned in the Bible, so it is incorporated into the ceremony," Rubin said before the hearing began. Well, why not? I'm pretty sure even the Apostles took a toke every now and again. That's why Jesus gave everybody free fish-they had the munchies!
LOS ANGELES-A minister with mail order credentials who faces drug charges for distributing marijuana through his Hollywood church argued unsuccessfully Tuesday that federal law protects his use of the drug because he believes it is a religious sacrament.
The Rev. Craig X. Rubin, 41, the leader of the 420 Temple who has appeared in episodes of the Showtime comedy "Weeds," faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of possessing marijuana for sale. Jury selection was set to begin Wednesday.
He and some 400 members of his church believe marijuana is a religious sacrament and burn and smoke pot during services.
"We feel pot is the tree of life mentioned in the Bible, so it is incorporated into the ceremony," Rubin said before the hearing began. Well, why not? I'm pretty sure even the Apostles took a toke every now and again. That's why Jesus gave everybody free fish-they had the munchies!
R.I.P. Bat Boy
And the aliens wept. MIAMI (Reuters)-Publisher American Media, Inc. said on Tuesday it will stop printing the Weekly World News, which for 28 years gleefully chronicled the exploits of alien babies, animal-human hybrids and dead celebrities.
The company said in a brief statement it would end the print version of the tabloid newspaper next month but would maintain the online version (www.weeklyworldnews.com).
"Due to the challenges in the retail and wholesale magazine marketplace that have impacted the newsstand, American Media, Inc. today announced it will close the print version of the Weekly World News, effective with the August 27 issue. Weekly World News was AMI's smallest weekly publication," the company said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters. No more Elvis sightings, end-of-the-world predictions, or tales of alien abduction. Some may say it died a well-deserved death, but for those of us with a sense of humor, the news world has become a whole lot duller.
The company said in a brief statement it would end the print version of the tabloid newspaper next month but would maintain the online version (www.weeklyworldnews.com).
"Due to the challenges in the retail and wholesale magazine marketplace that have impacted the newsstand, American Media, Inc. today announced it will close the print version of the Weekly World News, effective with the August 27 issue. Weekly World News was AMI's smallest weekly publication," the company said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters. No more Elvis sightings, end-of-the-world predictions, or tales of alien abduction. Some may say it died a well-deserved death, but for those of us with a sense of humor, the news world has become a whole lot duller.
Because It's Their Pork, Too
We (honest conservatives, anyway) know that the Democrats love to spend our money. The problem is, the Republicans love it, too. Weren't Democrats supposed to bring honesty, ethics and openness to Congress? That was Speaker Nancy Pelosi's promise upon taking control. But after a little more than six months on the job, the new majority is going back on its word. transparency on earmarks appears to be just a farce.
In each house of Congress, Democrats are showing signs of returning to business as usual. In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid has been holding up the ethics reform package because he wants to strip it of a earmark transparency provision that he and 97 other senators voted for in January.
Despite facing pressure from his own leadership, conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R.-S.C.) won't relent, insisting the language be preserved. It's causing all sorts of heacaches for Reid, who is now facing criticism from liberal advocacy groups that don;t like the fact he refuses to release the text of the legislation.
The dirty little secret on Capitol Hill is that the text of the legislation was written months ago by a handful of people in a smoke-filled room. That's right. A bill that's supposed to bring ethics reform to Congress is itself antithetical to transparency.
Trouble is that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.Ky.) might just go along with it. According to Roll Call ($), conservatives fear that the consequences of Republican capitulation could be devestating. "For our leadership to vote against earmark reform and be AWOL on this debate is no way to win back the majority," one conservative staffer told the newspaper. If the GOP leadership can't get why they're a minority, the Republicans deserve to stay a minority.
In each house of Congress, Democrats are showing signs of returning to business as usual. In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid has been holding up the ethics reform package because he wants to strip it of a earmark transparency provision that he and 97 other senators voted for in January.
Despite facing pressure from his own leadership, conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R.-S.C.) won't relent, insisting the language be preserved. It's causing all sorts of heacaches for Reid, who is now facing criticism from liberal advocacy groups that don;t like the fact he refuses to release the text of the legislation.
The dirty little secret on Capitol Hill is that the text of the legislation was written months ago by a handful of people in a smoke-filled room. That's right. A bill that's supposed to bring ethics reform to Congress is itself antithetical to transparency.
Trouble is that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.Ky.) might just go along with it. According to Roll Call ($), conservatives fear that the consequences of Republican capitulation could be devestating. "For our leadership to vote against earmark reform and be AWOL on this debate is no way to win back the majority," one conservative staffer told the newspaper. If the GOP leadership can't get why they're a minority, the Republicans deserve to stay a minority.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Abby Normal
For a minute, I thought this was about Al Gore.
French doctors are amazed that a 44-year-old civil servant with an abormally small brain has led a normal life with a slightly lower than normal IQ, according to a report on Phsyorg.com.
Doctors said the father of two went into the Hospital de la Timone in Marseille with mild weakness in his left leg. He was given a CT scan and an MRI, which showed that his cerebral cavities or ventricles had massively expanded, according to a case history to be published in Saturday's Lancet.
"The brain itself, meaning the grey matter and white matter, was completely crushed against the sides of the skull," Dr. Lionel Feuillet told AFP. "The images were most unusual...the brain was virtually absent." It's not so unusual...I can think of at least a dozen or more Senators and Congressmen who are like that, and some presidential candidates, as well.
French doctors are amazed that a 44-year-old civil servant with an abormally small brain has led a normal life with a slightly lower than normal IQ, according to a report on Phsyorg.com.
Doctors said the father of two went into the Hospital de la Timone in Marseille with mild weakness in his left leg. He was given a CT scan and an MRI, which showed that his cerebral cavities or ventricles had massively expanded, according to a case history to be published in Saturday's Lancet.
"The brain itself, meaning the grey matter and white matter, was completely crushed against the sides of the skull," Dr. Lionel Feuillet told AFP. "The images were most unusual...the brain was virtually absent." It's not so unusual...I can think of at least a dozen or more Senators and Congressmen who are like that, and some presidential candidates, as well.
Colonial Cold Warrior
Spoken like a guy who won't acknowledge his own country's history. MOSCOW (Reuters)-Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday denounced Britain for making insulting demands that betrayed colonial thinking, in comments likely to escalate a row over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.
Britain and Russia have each expelled four diplomats in a spat over the murder and Moscow's refusal to extradite the chief suspect in the case.
"What they propose is an obvious vestige of colonial thinking," Putin was shown saying on Russian state television. Well, I'm sure Estonia, Poland and the rest of Mother Russia's neighbors will be glad to hear that Uncle Putin is now so opposed to colonial tendencies.
Britain and Russia have each expelled four diplomats in a spat over the murder and Moscow's refusal to extradite the chief suspect in the case.
"What they propose is an obvious vestige of colonial thinking," Putin was shown saying on Russian state television. Well, I'm sure Estonia, Poland and the rest of Mother Russia's neighbors will be glad to hear that Uncle Putin is now so opposed to colonial tendencies.
Free At Last
The "Guests" of Qaddafi are back home. SOFIA, Bulgaria, July 24-After more than eight years in jail in Libya, five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor stepped off the French presidential plane here in Bulgaria's capital early this morning where they were greeted by crying relatives and Bulgaria's top officials.
They were accompanied by the European Union's foreign affairs commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and the wife of France's president, Cecilia Sarkozy, who had helped secure their release and had flown with the medical workers from Libya.
In a press conference at the airport terminal, standing in front of the nurses, Bulgarian foreign minister, Ivailo Kalfin, said that the Bulgarian president, Georgi Parvanov, had pardoned the medical workers, this ending all their legal liabilities, to the emotional applause of the waiting crowd. I guess for Libya railroading foreign aid workers just wasn't worth it in the long run.
They were accompanied by the European Union's foreign affairs commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and the wife of France's president, Cecilia Sarkozy, who had helped secure their release and had flown with the medical workers from Libya.
In a press conference at the airport terminal, standing in front of the nurses, Bulgarian foreign minister, Ivailo Kalfin, said that the Bulgarian president, Georgi Parvanov, had pardoned the medical workers, this ending all their legal liabilities, to the emotional applause of the waiting crowd. I guess for Libya railroading foreign aid workers just wasn't worth it in the long run.
The Irish Scammer
Who says higher education doesn't pay? A convicted felon who worked as a volunteer research assistant for a Yale Law School professor allegedly capitalized on his Yale connection to swindle millions of dollars out of undicumented Irish immigrants. Posing as an attorney who worked for the Yale Immigration Law Clinic, investigators say, Ralph Cucciniello promised to fix his victims' immigration problems and get them green cards for a fee of around $5,000.
Cucciniello, a 55-year-old resident of Branford, Connecticut, was arrested in May by New York City police on charges that he took money from three undocumented Irish immigrants, promising to secure them permanent resident status but delivering nothing. These charges may just be the beginning: an investigation is under way in Connecticut, where authorities believe Cucciniello may have collected millions of dollars from more than 200 Irish immigrants over the last two years. It just goes to show-not all of the con artists in universities have to be with the faculty.
Cucciniello, a 55-year-old resident of Branford, Connecticut, was arrested in May by New York City police on charges that he took money from three undocumented Irish immigrants, promising to secure them permanent resident status but delivering nothing. These charges may just be the beginning: an investigation is under way in Connecticut, where authorities believe Cucciniello may have collected millions of dollars from more than 200 Irish immigrants over the last two years. It just goes to show-not all of the con artists in universities have to be with the faculty.
It's Still What's For Dinner
Meat is making a comeback with some unlikely converts. Yes, my husband has started eating meat again after a seven-year hiatus as an ethically motivated and health-conscious vegetarian. About a year ago, we arrived at a compromise: I would eath less meat-choosing mostly beef, pork and poultry produced by local California ranchers without the use of hormones or antibiotics-and he would indulge me by sharing a steak on occasion. But arriving at that happy medium wasn't as straightforward as it sounds. In the three years we've been together, several turns of evenst have made both of us rethink our choices and decide that eating meat selectively is better for the planet and our own health. And judging by the conversations we've had with friends and acquaintances, we're not the only ones who believe this to be true.
For Andrew and about a dozen people in our circle who have recently converted from vegetarianism, eating sustainable meat purchased from small farmers is a new form of activism-a way of striking a blow against the factory farming of livestock that books like Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma describe so damningly. Pollan estols the virtues of independent, small-scall producers who raise pasture-fed livestock in a sustainable and ethical manner. In contrast, he provides a compelling critique of factory farms, which cram thousands of cows, pigs or chickens into rows of cages in warehouses, feed them drugs to plump up their meet and fight off the illnesses caused by these inhumane conditions, and produce innumerable tons of environmentally destructive animal waste.
The terms "grass fed" and "pasture raised"-meaning that an animal was allowed to graze the old-fashioned way instead of being fed an unnatural and difficult-to-digest diet of mostly corn and other gran-have now entered the food-shopper's lexicon. But Andre and I didn't fully understand what those phrases meant until we got to know Greg Nauta of Rocky Canyon Farms. Nauta is a small-scale rancher and farmer from Atascadero, California, who grows organic vegetables and raises about 35 animals on pastureland. Since we met him at the Hollywood Farmer's Marker a year ago, it has become even clearer to us that supporting guys like him-by seeking out and paying a premium for sustainably raised meat-is the right thing for us to do. Once again, the consumer decides and the free market will provide. So much for nannystating our menus.
For Andrew and about a dozen people in our circle who have recently converted from vegetarianism, eating sustainable meat purchased from small farmers is a new form of activism-a way of striking a blow against the factory farming of livestock that books like Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma describe so damningly. Pollan estols the virtues of independent, small-scall producers who raise pasture-fed livestock in a sustainable and ethical manner. In contrast, he provides a compelling critique of factory farms, which cram thousands of cows, pigs or chickens into rows of cages in warehouses, feed them drugs to plump up their meet and fight off the illnesses caused by these inhumane conditions, and produce innumerable tons of environmentally destructive animal waste.
The terms "grass fed" and "pasture raised"-meaning that an animal was allowed to graze the old-fashioned way instead of being fed an unnatural and difficult-to-digest diet of mostly corn and other gran-have now entered the food-shopper's lexicon. But Andre and I didn't fully understand what those phrases meant until we got to know Greg Nauta of Rocky Canyon Farms. Nauta is a small-scale rancher and farmer from Atascadero, California, who grows organic vegetables and raises about 35 animals on pastureland. Since we met him at the Hollywood Farmer's Marker a year ago, it has become even clearer to us that supporting guys like him-by seeking out and paying a premium for sustainably raised meat-is the right thing for us to do. Once again, the consumer decides and the free market will provide. So much for nannystating our menus.
Booby Hatch
Ladies and gentlebeings, I give you the Democratic base. Democratic presidential front-runner Senator Hillary Clinton and Speaker Nancy Pelosi were the targets of a group of anti-war protesters yesterday.
The group, organized by Code Pink and Women for Peace, bared their mammories in full view of God and country outside the San Francisco federal building at noon, calling on Pelosi to use her position as the most powerful woman in U.S. political history to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
"We're here to press the Speaker to call for impeachment because the office of the presidency has been abused," said Sherry Glaser. "Whether it's spying on the American people, or false representation in going to war...these are impeachable offenses." And causing hysterical blindness is an offense too, ladies.
The group, organized by Code Pink and Women for Peace, bared their mammories in full view of God and country outside the San Francisco federal building at noon, calling on Pelosi to use her position as the most powerful woman in U.S. political history to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
"We're here to press the Speaker to call for impeachment because the office of the presidency has been abused," said Sherry Glaser. "Whether it's spying on the American people, or false representation in going to war...these are impeachable offenses." And causing hysterical blindness is an offense too, ladies.
No Jihad For Me, Thanks
Apparently a lot of Muslims have decided that the whole martyrdom thing isn't their scene.
Muslims around the world increasingly reject suicide bombings and other violence against civilians, according to a new international poll dealing with how the world's population judges their lives, countries and national institutions.
A wide ranging survey of international attitudes in 47 countries by the Pew Research Center also reported that in many of the countries where support for suicide attacks has declined, there has also been decreasing support for Al Qaeda leader Usama Bin Laden.
The 95-page survey found that surging economic growth in many developing countries has encouraged people in these countries to express satisfaction with their personal lives, family income and national conditions, said Andrew Kohut, the center's director.
"It's a pro-globalization set of findings," Kohut said. Darn. Free trade and capitalism works. The Pat Buchanans of the Muslim world are going to be awfully disappointed.
Muslims around the world increasingly reject suicide bombings and other violence against civilians, according to a new international poll dealing with how the world's population judges their lives, countries and national institutions.
A wide ranging survey of international attitudes in 47 countries by the Pew Research Center also reported that in many of the countries where support for suicide attacks has declined, there has also been decreasing support for Al Qaeda leader Usama Bin Laden.
The 95-page survey found that surging economic growth in many developing countries has encouraged people in these countries to express satisfaction with their personal lives, family income and national conditions, said Andrew Kohut, the center's director.
"It's a pro-globalization set of findings," Kohut said. Darn. Free trade and capitalism works. The Pat Buchanans of the Muslim world are going to be awfully disappointed.
One Less Moonbat
Everybody's favorite fake Indian is out of work.
BOULDER, Colo.-The University of Colorado's governing board on Tuesday fired a professor whose essay likening some Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi leader provoked national outrage and led to an investigation of research misconduct.
Ward Churchill, who had vowed to sue if the Board of Regents took action against him, said immediately after the 8-1 vote was announced: "New game, new game."
Three faculty committees had accused Churchill of plagiarism, falsification and other misconduct. The research allegations stem from some of Churchill's other writings, although the investigation began after the controversy over his Sept. 11 essay. Well, if nothing else Cindy Sheehan needs a new speechwriter. Good riddance.
BOULDER, Colo.-The University of Colorado's governing board on Tuesday fired a professor whose essay likening some Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi leader provoked national outrage and led to an investigation of research misconduct.
Ward Churchill, who had vowed to sue if the Board of Regents took action against him, said immediately after the 8-1 vote was announced: "New game, new game."
Three faculty committees had accused Churchill of plagiarism, falsification and other misconduct. The research allegations stem from some of Churchill's other writings, although the investigation began after the controversy over his Sept. 11 essay. Well, if nothing else Cindy Sheehan needs a new speechwriter. Good riddance.
I Am Not A Douchebag
Gonzogate gets heated.
WASHINGTON (AP)-Angry senators suggested a special prosecutor should investigate misconduct at the Justice Department, accusing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Tuesday of deceit on the prosecutor firings and President Bush's eavesdropping program.
Democrats and Republicans alike hammered Gonzales in four hours of testimony as he denied trying, in 2004, to push a hospitalized former attorney general into approving a counterterror program that the Justice Department viewed as illegal.
Gonzales, alternately appearing wearied and seething, vowed anew to remain in his job even as senators told him outright they believe he is unqualified to stay.
He would not answer numerous questions, including whether the Bush administration would bar its U.S. attorneys from persuing contempt charges against former White House officials who have defied congressional subpoenas for their testimony.
Mum's the word, Gonzo. Just remember that when you're out of work and wondering why the hell you were so loyal to King George.He Asked Them Nicely
Wow. I don't like government-sponsored smoking bans either, but this is way over the line. A former heavyweight boxing champion was shot after asking three men to stop smoking in a wine bar.
James Oyebola, 47, was having a drink in the garden area of the venue when a dispute erupted over the new smoking ban.
One of the men pulled out a gun and fired at point-blank range into his face and leg.
Mr Oyebola, a father of two, was critically ill las night on a life support machine. His partner of 15 years and their children are keeping a vigil at his bedside. I'm sure that Michael Moore will be the first to blame this on the violent restaurant culture. After all, England is a crime-free paradise with no guns allowed, right?
James Oyebola, 47, was having a drink in the garden area of the venue when a dispute erupted over the new smoking ban.
One of the men pulled out a gun and fired at point-blank range into his face and leg.
Mr Oyebola, a father of two, was critically ill las night on a life support machine. His partner of 15 years and their children are keeping a vigil at his bedside. I'm sure that Michael Moore will be the first to blame this on the violent restaurant culture. After all, England is a crime-free paradise with no guns allowed, right?
Life In The Fast Lane
Some celebrities never learn. Padilla said the 21-year-old Lohan was unable to walk a straight line, touch her nose or follow a small light with her eyes. Officers also detected the smell of alchohol, Padilla said.
The movie star was booked for investigation of driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license, both misdemeanors, and possession of cocaine and transport of a narcotic, both felonies, authorities said.
During a pre-booking search, police found cocaine in one of Lohan's pants pockets, Talbot said.
Several hours later, Lohan was released on $25,000 bail. Question: What do you call a revolving door in Hollywood? A: A rehab clinic.
The movie star was booked for investigation of driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license, both misdemeanors, and possession of cocaine and transport of a narcotic, both felonies, authorities said.
During a pre-booking search, police found cocaine in one of Lohan's pants pockets, Talbot said.
Several hours later, Lohan was released on $25,000 bail. Question: What do you call a revolving door in Hollywood? A: A rehab clinic.
Not So Sunni Skies
Now this is what we should be seeing more of. The surge has basically been chasing the terrorist and criminal gangs around the suburbs of Baghdad, or even into northern or western Iraq. This has taken its toll. Time spent in flight cannot be spent planting IEDs or killing people. Putting all these guys on the road, also makes them more susceptible to capture. A lot of important terrorists have been captured this way. The chief liason between al Qaeda headquarters and al Qaeda in Iraq was nabbed, as well as many mid-level terrorist cell leaders.
What most of the troops, and Iraqi civilians, notice is the lower level of violence. Since the surge offensive began four months ago, Iraq (military and civilian) deaths have declined by more than 50 percent, and American casualties are down by over a third. U.S. troops are still taking the lead in moving into hostile areas, and being exposed to ambush and IEDs. But U.S. tactics and training have made enemy efforts much less lethal. This has helped demoralize an increasing number of terrorists. Many are tired of killing Iraqi civilians, and the increasing difficulty at getting at American troops. Look at this from the Iraqi perspective. In a very good month, Iraqis make a hundred or more attacks a day on American troops, and kill, on average, about four of them. While the terrorists make a big deal out of every American killed, they know that most of their attacks were not only failures, but got a lot of their buddies killed. On average, 10-20 terrorists die for every American killed. This has been going on for years, and an increasing number of Iraqi fighters are demoralized and quitting. Many either become informers, or surrender and speak freely. This is resulting in fresher intelligence, and raids that are catching terrorist cells preparing for operations, and in possession of weapons, bombs and incriminating documents. Hey, if it works I'm all for it. The problem is it should have happened at least three years ago and without nearly destroying our reputation as a country in the process. But here's hoping they can get the job done right this time.
What most of the troops, and Iraqi civilians, notice is the lower level of violence. Since the surge offensive began four months ago, Iraq (military and civilian) deaths have declined by more than 50 percent, and American casualties are down by over a third. U.S. troops are still taking the lead in moving into hostile areas, and being exposed to ambush and IEDs. But U.S. tactics and training have made enemy efforts much less lethal. This has helped demoralize an increasing number of terrorists. Many are tired of killing Iraqi civilians, and the increasing difficulty at getting at American troops. Look at this from the Iraqi perspective. In a very good month, Iraqis make a hundred or more attacks a day on American troops, and kill, on average, about four of them. While the terrorists make a big deal out of every American killed, they know that most of their attacks were not only failures, but got a lot of their buddies killed. On average, 10-20 terrorists die for every American killed. This has been going on for years, and an increasing number of Iraqi fighters are demoralized and quitting. Many either become informers, or surrender and speak freely. This is resulting in fresher intelligence, and raids that are catching terrorist cells preparing for operations, and in possession of weapons, bombs and incriminating documents. Hey, if it works I'm all for it. The problem is it should have happened at least three years ago and without nearly destroying our reputation as a country in the process. But here's hoping they can get the job done right this time.
The Burka Patrol
Watcha gonna do when they come for you? It all starts with one simple sentence, spoken in almost a whisper, but which has a thunderous effect.
A female police officer deployed in Tehrah's latest moral crackdown tells a woman that her manto (overcoat) is too short and infringes Iranian Islamic dress rules.
"Azizam (my dear), good afternoon. If possible could we have a friendly chat, please allow us to have a small chat," the officer, a graduate of Tehran's police academy, tells the young woman.
"My dear there is a problem with your manto. Please do not wear this kind of manto. Please wear a longer manto from now on."
Some are just let go there, but others are escorted to waiting minibuses with dark black tinted window panes and labelled "Guidance Patrol." Morality police. This is what happens to a once-civilized society when they are allowed to take over. American fundamentalists, please take note.
A female police officer deployed in Tehrah's latest moral crackdown tells a woman that her manto (overcoat) is too short and infringes Iranian Islamic dress rules.
"Azizam (my dear), good afternoon. If possible could we have a friendly chat, please allow us to have a small chat," the officer, a graduate of Tehran's police academy, tells the young woman.
"My dear there is a problem with your manto. Please do not wear this kind of manto. Please wear a longer manto from now on."
Some are just let go there, but others are escorted to waiting minibuses with dark black tinted window panes and labelled "Guidance Patrol." Morality police. This is what happens to a once-civilized society when they are allowed to take over. American fundamentalists, please take note.
Rent-A-Bum
They're just doing the picketing that Union members won't do. The picketers marching in a circle in front of a downtown Washington office building chanting about low wages do not seem fully focused on their message.
Many have arrived with large suitcases or bags holding their belongings, which they keep in sight. Several are smoking cigarettes. One works a crossword puzzle. Another bangs a tambourine, while several drum on large white buckets. Some of the men walking the line call out to passing women, "Hey, baby." A few picketers gyrate and dance while chanting: "What do we want? Fair wages. When do we want them? Now."
Although their placards identify the picketers as being with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters, they are not union members.
They're hired feet, or, as the union calls them, temporary workers, paid $8 an hour to picket. Many were recruited from homeless shelters or transitional houses. Several have recently been released from prison. Others are between jobs.
"It's about the cash," said Tina Shaw, 44, who lives in a House of Ruth women's shelter and has walked the line at various sites. "We're against low wages, but I'm here for the cash."
Carptenters locals across the country are outsourcing their picket lines, hiring the homeless, students, retirees and day laborers to get their message across. Larry Hujo, a spokesman for the Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters, calls it a "shift in the paradigm" of picketing.
Political groups also are tapping into local homeless shelters for temps. The wages may not be that great, but I understand the union has a great health plan.
Many have arrived with large suitcases or bags holding their belongings, which they keep in sight. Several are smoking cigarettes. One works a crossword puzzle. Another bangs a tambourine, while several drum on large white buckets. Some of the men walking the line call out to passing women, "Hey, baby." A few picketers gyrate and dance while chanting: "What do we want? Fair wages. When do we want them? Now."
Although their placards identify the picketers as being with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters, they are not union members.
They're hired feet, or, as the union calls them, temporary workers, paid $8 an hour to picket. Many were recruited from homeless shelters or transitional houses. Several have recently been released from prison. Others are between jobs.
"It's about the cash," said Tina Shaw, 44, who lives in a House of Ruth women's shelter and has walked the line at various sites. "We're against low wages, but I'm here for the cash."
Carptenters locals across the country are outsourcing their picket lines, hiring the homeless, students, retirees and day laborers to get their message across. Larry Hujo, a spokesman for the Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters, calls it a "shift in the paradigm" of picketing.
Political groups also are tapping into local homeless shelters for temps. The wages may not be that great, but I understand the union has a great health plan.
Down In A Hole
Surprise! Americans aren't the most ignorant people in the world, after all. Since ancient times the exploration of the North was of immense interest to humans. It was an attraction for adventurers and researchers seeking mysterious land and unexplored islands there.
Legends say that an entry to the underground realms was located somewhere in the North, and legendary ancient tribes living on the planet centuries ago used the entries to have a good shelter under the Earth's surface. Mystics believe that the entry to the legendary Hyperborea, Shambala and Plutonia is carefully concealed from outsiders somewhere close to the North Pole. Recently, a reliable edition reported that UFOs coming to this planet start not from space but burst out from huge holes under the surface in the North Pole. I wonder if Putin's been listening to mystics. It might explain a few things.
Legends say that an entry to the underground realms was located somewhere in the North, and legendary ancient tribes living on the planet centuries ago used the entries to have a good shelter under the Earth's surface. Mystics believe that the entry to the legendary Hyperborea, Shambala and Plutonia is carefully concealed from outsiders somewhere close to the North Pole. Recently, a reliable edition reported that UFOs coming to this planet start not from space but burst out from huge holes under the surface in the North Pole. I wonder if Putin's been listening to mystics. It might explain a few things.
Tangerine Dream
Well this is nice, considering her husband acts as gay as one. The politics of global warming got very concrete, and oddly difficult, in a meeting with local environmentalists in the coastal town of McClellanville today, where Elizabeth Edwards raised in passing the importance of relying on locally-grown fruit.
"We've been moving back to 'buy local,'" Mrs. Edwards said, outlining a trade policy that "acknowledges the carbon footprint" of transporting fruit.
"I live in North Carolina. I'll probably never eat a tangerine again," she said, speaking of a time when the fruit reaches the price that it "needs" to be.
Edwards had talked about "sacrifice" at the meeting, but Elizabeth's suggestion illustrated just how difficult it is to sell the specifics of sacrifice. I can see how that might be when you have your own estate, with enough room to grow all the fruit you'll need.
"We've been moving back to 'buy local,'" Mrs. Edwards said, outlining a trade policy that "acknowledges the carbon footprint" of transporting fruit.
"I live in North Carolina. I'll probably never eat a tangerine again," she said, speaking of a time when the fruit reaches the price that it "needs" to be.
Edwards had talked about "sacrifice" at the meeting, but Elizabeth's suggestion illustrated just how difficult it is to sell the specifics of sacrifice. I can see how that might be when you have your own estate, with enough room to grow all the fruit you'll need.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Newt Unleashed
Don't make him angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry. Dismissing the GOP presidential field as a "pathetic bunch" of "pygmies," Newt Gingrich hinted Monday he might step in to beat Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
(snip) Gingrich mocked Republican presidential candidates for subjecting themselves to a May debate hosted by Chris Matthews of MSNBC's "Hardball."
"You're watching an utterly irrelevant, shallow television celebrity dominate everybody who claimed they want to lead the most powerful nation in the world," he said.
Gingrich ridiculed "the idea of 10 or 11 people standing passively at microphones," and said he refused to "shrink to the level of 40-second answers, standing like a trained seal, waiting for someone to throw me a fish." Newt's problem is that he's probably too smart for the job. As for trained seals, maybe they ought to run for Congress. That's where the real circus is.
(snip) Gingrich mocked Republican presidential candidates for subjecting themselves to a May debate hosted by Chris Matthews of MSNBC's "Hardball."
"You're watching an utterly irrelevant, shallow television celebrity dominate everybody who claimed they want to lead the most powerful nation in the world," he said.
Gingrich ridiculed "the idea of 10 or 11 people standing passively at microphones," and said he refused to "shrink to the level of 40-second answers, standing like a trained seal, waiting for someone to throw me a fish." Newt's problem is that he's probably too smart for the job. As for trained seals, maybe they ought to run for Congress. That's where the real circus is.
French Heresy
The more I hear about France's new leaders, the more I like what I hear.
The government's call to work is crucial to its ambitious campaign to revitalize the French economy by increasing both employment and consumer buying power. Somehow Mr. Sarkozy and his team hope to persuade the French that it is in their interest to abandon what some commentators call a nationwide "laziness" and to work longer and harder, and maybe even get rich.
France's legally mandated 35-hour work week gives workers a lot of leisure time but not necessarily the means to enjoy it. Taxes on high-wage earners are so burdensome that hordes have fled abroad. (Mr. Sarkozy cites the case of one of his stepdaughters, who works in an investment-banking firm in London.)
In her National Assembly speech, Ms. Lagarde said that there should be no shame in personal wealth and that the country needed tax breaks to lure the rich back. They're asking the French to actually WORK for a living? Who do they think they are-Americans?
The government's call to work is crucial to its ambitious campaign to revitalize the French economy by increasing both employment and consumer buying power. Somehow Mr. Sarkozy and his team hope to persuade the French that it is in their interest to abandon what some commentators call a nationwide "laziness" and to work longer and harder, and maybe even get rich.
France's legally mandated 35-hour work week gives workers a lot of leisure time but not necessarily the means to enjoy it. Taxes on high-wage earners are so burdensome that hordes have fled abroad. (Mr. Sarkozy cites the case of one of his stepdaughters, who works in an investment-banking firm in London.)
In her National Assembly speech, Ms. Lagarde said that there should be no shame in personal wealth and that the country needed tax breaks to lure the rich back. They're asking the French to actually WORK for a living? Who do they think they are-Americans?
Thin Skinned
He's not a dictator. Why? Because he said so, and if you disagree, you're outta there!
CARACAS, Venezuela-President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that foreigners who publicly criticize him or his government while visiting Venezuela will be expelled from the country.
Chavez ordered officials to closely monitor statements made by international figures during their visits to Venezuela-and deport any outspoken critics.
"How long are we going to allow a person-from any country in the world-to come to our own house to say there's a dictatorship here, that the president is a tyrant, and nobody does anything about it?" Chavez asked during his weekly television and radio program. Hey, Baby Hugo-it's called free speech. You believe in it, don't you? After all, it's not like you were a Communist thug or anything, right?
CARACAS, Venezuela-President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that foreigners who publicly criticize him or his government while visiting Venezuela will be expelled from the country.
Chavez ordered officials to closely monitor statements made by international figures during their visits to Venezuela-and deport any outspoken critics.
"How long are we going to allow a person-from any country in the world-to come to our own house to say there's a dictatorship here, that the president is a tyrant, and nobody does anything about it?" Chavez asked during his weekly television and radio program. Hey, Baby Hugo-it's called free speech. You believe in it, don't you? After all, it's not like you were a Communist thug or anything, right?
That Old Time Agenda
What's the problem with having a president who was a "C" student? He wants the rest of us to be even less average. In testimony before Congress last week, former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said that the Bush administration has an adversarial relationship with science.
"Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointee's ideological, theological or political agenda is often ignored, marginalized or simply buried," Carmona said. "The problem with this approach is that in public health, as in a democracy, there is noothing worse than ignoring science or marginalizing the voice of science for reasons driven by changing political winds."
This is a common criticism of the Bush administration, made most throroughly in journalist Chris Mooney's 2005 book, The Republican War on Science. When it comes to issues such as global warming, stem cell research or the teaching of evolution-the argument goes-the White House adopts what you might call a "fath-based" approach to science, not an approach grounded in empiricism. This is Bush in a nutshell. When it comes to the word of the Almighty versus that pesky science, he'll take the Almighty. After all, He's on the Republicans' side, right?
"Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointee's ideological, theological or political agenda is often ignored, marginalized or simply buried," Carmona said. "The problem with this approach is that in public health, as in a democracy, there is noothing worse than ignoring science or marginalizing the voice of science for reasons driven by changing political winds."
This is a common criticism of the Bush administration, made most throroughly in journalist Chris Mooney's 2005 book, The Republican War on Science. When it comes to issues such as global warming, stem cell research or the teaching of evolution-the argument goes-the White House adopts what you might call a "fath-based" approach to science, not an approach grounded in empiricism. This is Bush in a nutshell. When it comes to the word of the Almighty versus that pesky science, he'll take the Almighty. After all, He's on the Republicans' side, right?
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Fast As Lightning
Now Marines will be able to divide by zero. ARLINGTON, Va.-First the Marine Corps made Chuch Norris an honorary Marine. Now the Corps wants all Marines to follow in his footsteps.
All Marines must now qualify for their tan belt in the Corps' version of martial arts by the end of 2007, Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway said in a recent Corps-wide message.
The move mostly affects those who joined before 2001, when the service made the Marine Corps Martial Arts program part of basic training and the Basic School, said 1st Let. Brian P. Donnelly, a spokseman for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Now they won't sleep. They'll wait.
All Marines must now qualify for their tan belt in the Corps' version of martial arts by the end of 2007, Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway said in a recent Corps-wide message.
The move mostly affects those who joined before 2001, when the service made the Marine Corps Martial Arts program part of basic training and the Basic School, said 1st Let. Brian P. Donnelly, a spokseman for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Now they won't sleep. They'll wait.
Pounds For Peace
Oh, this was a brilliant idea. BRITAIN has spent more than 1.5m in Afghanistan this year on a controversial scheme to bribe members of the Taliban to lay down their arms, even though it has failed to persuade any significant figures to defect.
The money was allocated in January and May after the killings of two top commanders, Mullah Osmani and Mullah Dadullah, and the arrest of Mullah Obaidullah, all members of the Taliban's ruling shura, or council.
British officials expected this would lead to a dip in the Taliban morale and encourage less extremist members to cross over, fearing that they were on the losing side-the so-called "Dadullah effect".
Instead, heavy fighting has continued in the southern province of Helmand, where British forces have suffered 23 deaths so far this year. The only Taliban who had defected have mostly been foot soldiers, of whom there seems to be an unlimited supply, both from the madrasahs, or religious schools, in Pakistan and among disillusioned Afghans.
"It hasn't had the results we'd hoped," admitted a senior Foreign Office official, "though not for want of effort on our part." If you're going to buy somebody off, at least throw in a few incentives along with the cash. A new home theater, maybe, or free lessons on how to use soap.
The money was allocated in January and May after the killings of two top commanders, Mullah Osmani and Mullah Dadullah, and the arrest of Mullah Obaidullah, all members of the Taliban's ruling shura, or council.
British officials expected this would lead to a dip in the Taliban morale and encourage less extremist members to cross over, fearing that they were on the losing side-the so-called "Dadullah effect".
Instead, heavy fighting has continued in the southern province of Helmand, where British forces have suffered 23 deaths so far this year. The only Taliban who had defected have mostly been foot soldiers, of whom there seems to be an unlimited supply, both from the madrasahs, or religious schools, in Pakistan and among disillusioned Afghans.
"It hasn't had the results we'd hoped," admitted a senior Foreign Office official, "though not for want of effort on our part." If you're going to buy somebody off, at least throw in a few incentives along with the cash. A new home theater, maybe, or free lessons on how to use soap.
Blue Helmet Action
I wish I could say I was surprised. ABIDJAN, Cote d'lvoire (Reuters)-The United Nations said on Saturday that it had suspended a Moroccan military contingent from its peacekeeping mission in Cote d'lvoire while it investigated allegations of widespread sexual abuse.
"It means they don't participate in our operations," said Hamadoun Toure, spokesman for the U.N. mission in Cote d'lvoire (ONUCI). "Those who are found guilty will be sent back home."
The world body said the measure was in addition to a decision to confine the entire battalion of 734 soldiers to barracks. Well, at least that way they'll have each other...
"It means they don't participate in our operations," said Hamadoun Toure, spokesman for the U.N. mission in Cote d'lvoire (ONUCI). "Those who are found guilty will be sent back home."
The world body said the measure was in addition to a decision to confine the entire battalion of 734 soldiers to barracks. Well, at least that way they'll have each other...
Supply Side Drug Dealing
Who says free markets don't work?
EL PASO, Texas-Wholesale prices of cocaine have risen in more than a dozen major U.S. cities as supplies of the powerful drug have shrunk, including in high-volume markets such as Los Angeles and New York, White House drug czar John Walters said.
But the same federal report that Walters said indicates the short supply also suggests that producers might be stockpiling cocaine in South America or Mexico, perhaps waiting until the time is right to export to the United States.
The scarcity was first noted in a May report by the National Drug Intelligence Center, said Walters, who heads the Office of National Drug Control Policy. I say its high time (pardon the pun) we got off our dependence on foreign dope. Support American blow!
EL PASO, Texas-Wholesale prices of cocaine have risen in more than a dozen major U.S. cities as supplies of the powerful drug have shrunk, including in high-volume markets such as Los Angeles and New York, White House drug czar John Walters said.
But the same federal report that Walters said indicates the short supply also suggests that producers might be stockpiling cocaine in South America or Mexico, perhaps waiting until the time is right to export to the United States.
The scarcity was first noted in a May report by the National Drug Intelligence Center, said Walters, who heads the Office of National Drug Control Policy. I say its high time (pardon the pun) we got off our dependence on foreign dope. Support American blow!
Tourz In The Hood
"And over here, you can see the local crack house."
CHICAGO-The yellow school bus runbles through vacant lots and past demolished buildings, full of people who have paid $20 for a tour of what was once among the most dangerous areas of this or any other city in the United States.
But for the woman with the microphone, this "Ghetto Bus Tour" isn't just another way to make a buck from tourists. It's the last gasp in her crusade to tell a different story about Chicago's notorious housing projects, something other than well-known tales about gang violence so fierce that residents slept in their bathtubs to avoid bullets.
"I want you to see what I see," says Beauty Turner, aftere leading the group off the bus to a weedy lot where the Robert Taylor Homes once stood. "To hear the voices of the voiceless." Nightly gun battles and slums. Ah, the good old days.
CHICAGO-The yellow school bus runbles through vacant lots and past demolished buildings, full of people who have paid $20 for a tour of what was once among the most dangerous areas of this or any other city in the United States.
But for the woman with the microphone, this "Ghetto Bus Tour" isn't just another way to make a buck from tourists. It's the last gasp in her crusade to tell a different story about Chicago's notorious housing projects, something other than well-known tales about gang violence so fierce that residents slept in their bathtubs to avoid bullets.
"I want you to see what I see," says Beauty Turner, aftere leading the group off the bus to a weedy lot where the Robert Taylor Homes once stood. "To hear the voices of the voiceless." Nightly gun battles and slums. Ah, the good old days.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Too Hot To Handle
From Reason Magazine, a look at some unpopular thought crimes: Pinker suggests that many readers will be appalled by some of these questions. I find most of them interesting. He continues:
By "dangerous ideas" I don't have in mind harmful technologies, like those behind weapons of mass destruction, or evil ideologies, like those of racist, fascist or other fanatical cults. I have in mind statements of fact or policy that are defended with evidence and argument by serious scientists and thinkers but which are felt to challenge the collective decency of an age. The ideas listed above, and the moral panic that each one of them has incited during the past quarter century, are examples. Writers who have raised ideas like these have been vilified, censored, fired, threatened and in some cases physically assaulted.
While people of good will can disagree, I believe that there are no dangerous truths. It is always better to know than to remain ignorant. For the sake of argument, Pinker enterains the notion that some ideas may, indeed, be too dangerous to air publicly. Why? Perhaps because malevolent people may seize on the ideas to justify harming other people or groups. He also properly urges us to be "suspicious when the danger in a dangerous idea is to someone rather than its advocate."
But in the end, Pinker concludes:
Though I am more sympathetic to the argument that important ideas be aired rather than to the argument that they should sometimes be suppressed, I think it is a debate we need to have. Whether we like it or not, science has a habit of turning up discomfiting thoughts, and the Internet has a habit of blowing their cover. Go read the aforementioned list. Some of the ideas will no doubt be offensive. But the truth can often hurt, and the whole idea of living in a free society is the right to express unpopular or morally challenging opinions. One man's thought crime is another man's scientific truth. Which is more important-dealing with that truth, or trying to pretend that it doesn't exist?
By "dangerous ideas" I don't have in mind harmful technologies, like those behind weapons of mass destruction, or evil ideologies, like those of racist, fascist or other fanatical cults. I have in mind statements of fact or policy that are defended with evidence and argument by serious scientists and thinkers but which are felt to challenge the collective decency of an age. The ideas listed above, and the moral panic that each one of them has incited during the past quarter century, are examples. Writers who have raised ideas like these have been vilified, censored, fired, threatened and in some cases physically assaulted.
While people of good will can disagree, I believe that there are no dangerous truths. It is always better to know than to remain ignorant. For the sake of argument, Pinker enterains the notion that some ideas may, indeed, be too dangerous to air publicly. Why? Perhaps because malevolent people may seize on the ideas to justify harming other people or groups. He also properly urges us to be "suspicious when the danger in a dangerous idea is to someone rather than its advocate."
But in the end, Pinker concludes:
Though I am more sympathetic to the argument that important ideas be aired rather than to the argument that they should sometimes be suppressed, I think it is a debate we need to have. Whether we like it or not, science has a habit of turning up discomfiting thoughts, and the Internet has a habit of blowing their cover. Go read the aforementioned list. Some of the ideas will no doubt be offensive. But the truth can often hurt, and the whole idea of living in a free society is the right to express unpopular or morally challenging opinions. One man's thought crime is another man's scientific truth. Which is more important-dealing with that truth, or trying to pretend that it doesn't exist?
With A Wink And A Nod
Oh, now he pays attention.
WASHINGTON-President Bush signed an executive order Friday prohibiting cruel and inhuman treatment, including humiliation or denigration of religious beliefs, in the detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.
The White House declined to say whether the CIA currently has a detention and interrogation program, but said if it did, it must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the executive order. The order targets captured Al Qaeda terrorists who have information on attack plans or the whereabouts of the group's senior leaders.
"Last September, the president explained how the CIA's program had disrupted attacks and saved lives, and that it must continue on sound legal footing," Whote House press secretary Tony Snow said. "The president has insisted on clear legal standards so that CIA officers invilved in this essential work are not placed in jeopardy for doing their job-and keeping America safe from attacks." Well, Tony, the problem is that Bush himself has decided what those legal standards should be, and most of them wouldn't pass muster in an actual court of law. But yeah, just keep saying it's all fer keeping Amurka safe from terrists.
WASHINGTON-President Bush signed an executive order Friday prohibiting cruel and inhuman treatment, including humiliation or denigration of religious beliefs, in the detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.
The White House declined to say whether the CIA currently has a detention and interrogation program, but said if it did, it must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the executive order. The order targets captured Al Qaeda terrorists who have information on attack plans or the whereabouts of the group's senior leaders.
"Last September, the president explained how the CIA's program had disrupted attacks and saved lives, and that it must continue on sound legal footing," Whote House press secretary Tony Snow said. "The president has insisted on clear legal standards so that CIA officers invilved in this essential work are not placed in jeopardy for doing their job-and keeping America safe from attacks." Well, Tony, the problem is that Bush himself has decided what those legal standards should be, and most of them wouldn't pass muster in an actual court of law. But yeah, just keep saying it's all fer keeping Amurka safe from terrists.
Laptops, Education, And Sexy!
Internet porn. It's a universal language all its own.
ABUJA (Reuters)-Nigerian schoolchildren who received laptips from a U.S aid organization have used them to explore pornographic sites on the Internet, the official News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported Thursday.
NAN said its reporter had seen pornographic images stored on several of the childrens' laptops.
"Efforts to promote learning with laptops at a primary school in Abuja have gone awry as the pupils freely browse adult sites with explicit sexual materials," NAN said. Well, maybe now their parents will stop sending us those Emails asking for "Investments..."
ABUJA (Reuters)-Nigerian schoolchildren who received laptips from a U.S aid organization have used them to explore pornographic sites on the Internet, the official News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported Thursday.
NAN said its reporter had seen pornographic images stored on several of the childrens' laptops.
"Efforts to promote learning with laptops at a primary school in Abuja have gone awry as the pupils freely browse adult sites with explicit sexual materials," NAN said. Well, maybe now their parents will stop sending us those Emails asking for "Investments..."
They're Feeling Mighty Low
It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. After six months, Democrats do have one bipartisan accomplishment: Everyone hates Congress.
Not so George Walker Bush. Among Republicans, 63 percent still think he is doing an outstanding job.
Congress now has no base outside of its staff, the reporters who cover it and Mom, and even she is wavering.
I am not laughing. I am not gloating. I am troubled.
I am not alone. Law professor Glenn Reynolds, who runs the Instapundit Web site, wrote, "This has gone past the point of being funny. It's really worrisome."
In a democracy, people must have faith in their institutions. In a totalitarian government, fear will do.
The problem is that neither party shows leaders in Washington who are in touch with the realities that their constituents face. Congressmen and senators have too much money, too much power, and too much tenure. Add to that the fact that people are getting tired of replacing one set of nanystating big spenders with another. They say that the first job of a politician is to get reelected. That may be so, but eventually they also have to show WHY they should get the job. So far, neither party has been up to the task.
Not so George Walker Bush. Among Republicans, 63 percent still think he is doing an outstanding job.
Congress now has no base outside of its staff, the reporters who cover it and Mom, and even she is wavering.
I am not laughing. I am not gloating. I am troubled.
I am not alone. Law professor Glenn Reynolds, who runs the Instapundit Web site, wrote, "This has gone past the point of being funny. It's really worrisome."
In a democracy, people must have faith in their institutions. In a totalitarian government, fear will do.
The problem is that neither party shows leaders in Washington who are in touch with the realities that their constituents face. Congressmen and senators have too much money, too much power, and too much tenure. Add to that the fact that people are getting tired of replacing one set of nanystating big spenders with another. They say that the first job of a politician is to get reelected. That may be so, but eventually they also have to show WHY they should get the job. So far, neither party has been up to the task.
Dictatorship For Sale, Cheap
Ima Dinnerjacket is finding out what every dictator knows: ideology alone doesn't pay the bills. Signs that the government may be running out of money have multiplied in recent months. Tens of thousands of civil servants, including school teachers, have not been paid since January. Bills from private contractors working for the government are piling up, threatening the survival of many businesses.
The key oil industry, which accounts for more than 75 per cent of the government's income, is being starved of cash. Efforts to attract some $15 billion in foreign investments in the oil and gas industries have borne no fruit. Foreign investors are wary of violating United Nations sanctions or running afoul of the US Treasury's plans to put the financial squeeze on the Islamic Republic.
All this may seem surprising if only because Iran has earned almost $150 billion from oil exports since Ahmadinejad won the presidency in 2005. So, where did the money go? Call me crazy, but I think that "Peaceful" nuclear program might have had something to do with it...
The key oil industry, which accounts for more than 75 per cent of the government's income, is being starved of cash. Efforts to attract some $15 billion in foreign investments in the oil and gas industries have borne no fruit. Foreign investors are wary of violating United Nations sanctions or running afoul of the US Treasury's plans to put the financial squeeze on the Islamic Republic.
All this may seem surprising if only because Iran has earned almost $150 billion from oil exports since Ahmadinejad won the presidency in 2005. So, where did the money go? Call me crazy, but I think that "Peaceful" nuclear program might have had something to do with it...
Friday, July 20, 2007
"I'm A Congressman, Dammit!"
He's a Republican congressman. Of course rules don't apply. On Thursday afternoon, Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) got into a loud, angry dispute with a U.S. Capitol Police officer at the security checkpoint inside the entrance of the West Side of the Capitol. On Friday, Shays, a veteran lawmaker, offered a public apology for the incident and said that he wants to meet with the officer personally to reiterate how sorry he is.
Shays reportedly grabbed the officer during the dispute over whether the officer should allow a group of tourists to enter the building, said several sources. Tourists are not allowed to use the West Front entrance, but Shays was trying to bring the group through that entrance amyway. The officer refused to allow them in, and Shays then "yelled and screamed" at the officer, including using profanities, the sources said. If you think he's yelling and screaming now, wait until the GOP loses another election...
Shays reportedly grabbed the officer during the dispute over whether the officer should allow a group of tourists to enter the building, said several sources. Tourists are not allowed to use the West Front entrance, but Shays was trying to bring the group through that entrance amyway. The officer refused to allow them in, and Shays then "yelled and screamed" at the officer, including using profanities, the sources said. If you think he's yelling and screaming now, wait until the GOP loses another election...
Cheney's Chance
Everybody panic! President Bush will have a colonoscopy Saturday and temporarily hand presidential powers over to Vice President Dick Cheney, the White House said.
Press secretary Tony Snow told reporters Friday that Bush will have the procedure looking for signs of cancer at his Camp David Md., mountaintop retreat.
He last had such a colorectal cancer check on June 29, 2002. It will be a normal procedure, except that they will have to remove Mr. Bush's head from his ass first.
I keed, I keed!
Press secretary Tony Snow told reporters Friday that Bush will have the procedure looking for signs of cancer at his Camp David Md., mountaintop retreat.
He last had such a colorectal cancer check on June 29, 2002. It will be a normal procedure, except that they will have to remove Mr. Bush's head from his ass first.
I keed, I keed!
Jihad's Greatest Hits
Here's a sampling of the ROP's classics. Who: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran
What: A fatwa is simply a religious ruling in Islam-most often, it seems, fatwas are about sexual matters-but Westerners usually associate the term with the notorious 1989 death sentence against British author Salman Rushdie. At the time, Khomeini was seeking to distract his followers from the pointless slaughter of the recently ended Iran-Iraq war, during which hundreds of thousands of Iranians were killed and wounded. Rushdie had just authored The Satanic Verses, an edgy novel about the origins of the Koran, and thus proved the perfect foil for Khomeini's designs. Thousands of irate Muslims around the world protested the book as an insult to Islam. For a decade, Rushdie lived in hiding, fearing assassination for his "apostasy." More recently, when Queen Elizabeth II knighted the author for his literary achievements, al Qaeda called for retaliation against Britain. And Khomeini's successor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, reversed his earlier position and said that the original 1989 fatwa remains in force.
Who:Rashad Hassan Khali, former dean of Islamic law at al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt
What: When Khalil ruled in January 2006 that for married couples, "being completely naked during the act of coitus annuls the marriage," liberal Egyptians howled with derision. Other scholars rejected Khalil's logic on the grounds that everything but "sodomy" is halil in marriage. Absorbing the criticism but seeking to appease religious conservatives, Abdullah Megawar, the fatwa committee chairman at Al-Azhar, reached for an awkward compromise. Sure, he said, a husband and wife could see one another naked, but should not look at each other's genitals. And they should probably have sex under a blanket, he added for good measure.
Who: Saudi Arabia's Higher Council for Scientific Research and Islamic Law
What: Denouncing the lovable Japanese cartoon characters as having "possessed the minds" of Saudi youngsters, Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority banned Pokemon video games and cards in the spring of 2001. Not only do Saudi scholars believe that Pokemon encourages gambling, which is forbidden in Islam, but it is apparently a front for Israel as well. The fatwa's authors claimed that Pokemon games include, "the Star of David, which everyone knows is connected to international Zionism and is Israel's national emblem." Religious authorities in the United Arab Emirates joined in, condemning the games for promoting evolution, "a Jewish-Darwinist theory that conflicts with the truth about humans and with Islamic principals," but didn't ban them outright. Even the Catholic Church in Mexico got into the act, calling Pokemon video games "demonic." There are a couple more, but you get the idea. Islamic fundamentalism-keeping ignorance in the top ten for more than a thousand years!
What: A fatwa is simply a religious ruling in Islam-most often, it seems, fatwas are about sexual matters-but Westerners usually associate the term with the notorious 1989 death sentence against British author Salman Rushdie. At the time, Khomeini was seeking to distract his followers from the pointless slaughter of the recently ended Iran-Iraq war, during which hundreds of thousands of Iranians were killed and wounded. Rushdie had just authored The Satanic Verses, an edgy novel about the origins of the Koran, and thus proved the perfect foil for Khomeini's designs. Thousands of irate Muslims around the world protested the book as an insult to Islam. For a decade, Rushdie lived in hiding, fearing assassination for his "apostasy." More recently, when Queen Elizabeth II knighted the author for his literary achievements, al Qaeda called for retaliation against Britain. And Khomeini's successor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, reversed his earlier position and said that the original 1989 fatwa remains in force.
Who:Rashad Hassan Khali, former dean of Islamic law at al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt
What: When Khalil ruled in January 2006 that for married couples, "being completely naked during the act of coitus annuls the marriage," liberal Egyptians howled with derision. Other scholars rejected Khalil's logic on the grounds that everything but "sodomy" is halil in marriage. Absorbing the criticism but seeking to appease religious conservatives, Abdullah Megawar, the fatwa committee chairman at Al-Azhar, reached for an awkward compromise. Sure, he said, a husband and wife could see one another naked, but should not look at each other's genitals. And they should probably have sex under a blanket, he added for good measure.
Who: Saudi Arabia's Higher Council for Scientific Research and Islamic Law
What: Denouncing the lovable Japanese cartoon characters as having "possessed the minds" of Saudi youngsters, Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority banned Pokemon video games and cards in the spring of 2001. Not only do Saudi scholars believe that Pokemon encourages gambling, which is forbidden in Islam, but it is apparently a front for Israel as well. The fatwa's authors claimed that Pokemon games include, "the Star of David, which everyone knows is connected to international Zionism and is Israel's national emblem." Religious authorities in the United Arab Emirates joined in, condemning the games for promoting evolution, "a Jewish-Darwinist theory that conflicts with the truth about humans and with Islamic principals," but didn't ban them outright. Even the Catholic Church in Mexico got into the act, calling Pokemon video games "demonic." There are a couple more, but you get the idea. Islamic fundamentalism-keeping ignorance in the top ten for more than a thousand years!
The Letter
John Cole over at Balloon Juice responds to one of the biggest Bush bathwater carriers out there, namely Hugh Hewitt: Dear Hugh-I don't hate Bush. I voted for him twice (votes I now deeply, deeply regret), and I hate what he has done to this country, I hate his incompetence, I hate that he has let propagandists such as yourself take the lead in designing and pushing policy, I hate that he has lost or is losing not one, but two wars, I hate that he has politicized (more accurately, allowed his lackeys to politicize) everything from NASA to the FDA to the Pentagon to a level that would have made Hugh scream out in rage were the President's last name Clinton. I hate all of those things.
But for all that, I still don't hate Bush. I think he is a small, shallow, feeble-minded man, whose "resolve" you cherish is merely the result of a man incapable of thinking on the spot and changing course. While he is ultimately responsible for anything that has been done during his tenure, I am of the opinion that he is little more than a puppet.
So, Hugh, I don;t hate him. In fact, I almost feel sorry for him. This will go down as the most incompetent and morally compromized administration in history, and when those history books look back, they will not refer to this sorry period as the "Cole administration," nor will they refer to it as the "Hewitt administration," despite the fact that so very many of your bad ideas have, in fact, been instituted (and usually not because they reflect or represent your 'dep' princaples, but because you felt there was some sort of immediate political/electoral gain to be seized). History will dub this sorry era as the Bush Administration. Unfortunately, kool-aid drinkers like Hugh Hewitt and his ilk have come to represent the state of conservative discourse in this country. Dumbing down your ideas to talking points, calling anyone who dares to challenge you or your sycophants on Bush's lack of actual conservatism or originality un-American and therefore by definition a traitor, making excuses and rationalizing, parroting the Bush administration's simplistic responses because you can't come up with any of your own-this is honest? I'm sorry; I must have missed something.
But for all that, I still don't hate Bush. I think he is a small, shallow, feeble-minded man, whose "resolve" you cherish is merely the result of a man incapable of thinking on the spot and changing course. While he is ultimately responsible for anything that has been done during his tenure, I am of the opinion that he is little more than a puppet.
So, Hugh, I don;t hate him. In fact, I almost feel sorry for him. This will go down as the most incompetent and morally compromized administration in history, and when those history books look back, they will not refer to this sorry period as the "Cole administration," nor will they refer to it as the "Hewitt administration," despite the fact that so very many of your bad ideas have, in fact, been instituted (and usually not because they reflect or represent your 'dep' princaples, but because you felt there was some sort of immediate political/electoral gain to be seized). History will dub this sorry era as the Bush Administration. Unfortunately, kool-aid drinkers like Hugh Hewitt and his ilk have come to represent the state of conservative discourse in this country. Dumbing down your ideas to talking points, calling anyone who dares to challenge you or your sycophants on Bush's lack of actual conservatism or originality un-American and therefore by definition a traitor, making excuses and rationalizing, parroting the Bush administration's simplistic responses because you can't come up with any of your own-this is honest? I'm sorry; I must have missed something.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
I Go Pogo
Wasting taxpayer dollars-it's the American way. A watchdog organization is calling attention to what it deems the government's failure to properly vet the companies to which it awards hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts.
The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) yesterday released a revamped database detailing misconduct by the top 50 government contractors, including some of the world's largest military hardware, information technology, construction and energy companies. The database is stirring up criticism from industry members concerned that minor or even irrelevant issues are given too much attention.
POGO, which for years has criticized government waste in defense-related and other programs, said it set up the database due to the lack of centralized federal tracking of misconduct. The next time you see something built by the lowest bidder, ask yourself how much money was spent before it became a piece of overpriced crap.
The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) yesterday released a revamped database detailing misconduct by the top 50 government contractors, including some of the world's largest military hardware, information technology, construction and energy companies. The database is stirring up criticism from industry members concerned that minor or even irrelevant issues are given too much attention.
POGO, which for years has criticized government waste in defense-related and other programs, said it set up the database due to the lack of centralized federal tracking of misconduct. The next time you see something built by the lowest bidder, ask yourself how much money was spent before it became a piece of overpriced crap.
Down In The Dumps
Make no mistake: the GOP has a long road ahead of it.
NEW YORK-Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton now holds a slight lead over top Republican Rudy Giuliani for the first time in a hypothetical 2008 presidential matchup. In fact, to varying degrees, Clinton and fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama beat every Republican candidate they are tested against in the latest FOX News Poll.
Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from July 17 to July 18. The poll has a 3-point error margin.
President Bush can do little to give Republicans a boost as his own ratings remain dismal. Today, 32 percent of Americans say they approve of the job Bush is doing and 61 percent disapprove. His current approval is just 1 point higher than his record-low 31 percent approval rating received last month (June 26-27). Aye, and there's the rub. Presiding over a party that lost both houses of Congress and blowing all of your political capitol in the process is not a smart thing to do in the face of an upcoming, pivotol election. But they have no one but themselves to blame.
NEW YORK-Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton now holds a slight lead over top Republican Rudy Giuliani for the first time in a hypothetical 2008 presidential matchup. In fact, to varying degrees, Clinton and fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama beat every Republican candidate they are tested against in the latest FOX News Poll.
Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from July 17 to July 18. The poll has a 3-point error margin.
President Bush can do little to give Republicans a boost as his own ratings remain dismal. Today, 32 percent of Americans say they approve of the job Bush is doing and 61 percent disapprove. His current approval is just 1 point higher than his record-low 31 percent approval rating received last month (June 26-27). Aye, and there's the rub. Presiding over a party that lost both houses of Congress and blowing all of your political capitol in the process is not a smart thing to do in the face of an upcoming, pivotol election. But they have no one but themselves to blame.
How To Make A Grown Frenchman Cry
It sucks being a former Head Surrender Monkey.
PARIS-A French judge questioned former President Jacques Chirac for more than four hours Thursday in an investigation into a party financing scandal that dates to his time as mayor of Paris, his lawyer said.
It was the first time a French former president has undergone questioning under such conditions, and marks a sobering point in Chirac's four-decade political career.
The party financing investigation is the most potent of a string of potential legal problems the 74-year-old Chirac faces now that he no longer has presidential immunity. It remains unclear whether Chirac, who turned over power to Nicolas Sarkozy in May, will ever be tried in this or other legal cases implicating him. I don't know if punishing him for anything is really the answer. It seems that having to live with the shame of being a French leader is enough.
PARIS-A French judge questioned former President Jacques Chirac for more than four hours Thursday in an investigation into a party financing scandal that dates to his time as mayor of Paris, his lawyer said.
It was the first time a French former president has undergone questioning under such conditions, and marks a sobering point in Chirac's four-decade political career.
The party financing investigation is the most potent of a string of potential legal problems the 74-year-old Chirac faces now that he no longer has presidential immunity. It remains unclear whether Chirac, who turned over power to Nicolas Sarkozy in May, will ever be tried in this or other legal cases implicating him. I don't know if punishing him for anything is really the answer. It seems that having to live with the shame of being a French leader is enough.
Welcome To The Batcave
The Grotto, it's not.
LOS ANGELES-The co-founder of semiconductor maker Broadcom Corp., under scrutiny in a federal stock options probe, was accused seven years ago of building an underground hideaway at his estate to indulge in drugs and sex with prostitutes, according to court documents.
In a draft complaint made against Henry T. Nicholas III, a construction crew claimed the billionaire failed to pay them millions of dollars for work performed between 1998 and 2002, and used "manipulation, lies, intimidation, and even death threats" when anyone threatened to quit.
The illegal network of tunnels and rooms underneath Nicholas' Laguna Hills estate was kept secret from his wife and city officials, the documents said. If you want to be a pimp, at least have the decency to do it above ground. Yikes!
LOS ANGELES-The co-founder of semiconductor maker Broadcom Corp., under scrutiny in a federal stock options probe, was accused seven years ago of building an underground hideaway at his estate to indulge in drugs and sex with prostitutes, according to court documents.
In a draft complaint made against Henry T. Nicholas III, a construction crew claimed the billionaire failed to pay them millions of dollars for work performed between 1998 and 2002, and used "manipulation, lies, intimidation, and even death threats" when anyone threatened to quit.
The illegal network of tunnels and rooms underneath Nicholas' Laguna Hills estate was kept secret from his wife and city officials, the documents said. If you want to be a pimp, at least have the decency to do it above ground. Yikes!
Romney Keeps Right
See, this is why I've become increasingly skeptical of Mitt Romney. Republican Mitt Romney directly appealed to social conservatives in South Carolina on Thursday, criticizing Democratic rival Barack Obama for supporting age-appropruate sex education for children as young as kindergartners.
"Senator Obama is wrong if he thinks science-based sex education has any place in kindergarten," Romney told some 150 people at a restaurant in the northern part of the state. "We should be working to clean up the filthy waters our kids are swimming in."
The criticism was part of a broader effort by the Romney campaign to heighten its presence in the early voting state, which holds its primary Feb 2. It's not that I don't agree with Romney, it's that I know he's only saying stuff like this to gain traction with the fundies. By the time the primaries roll around he'll make Bush sound like John Edwards. Romney was more convincing when he sounded more like Reagan and less like the second coming of Jerry Falwell.
"Senator Obama is wrong if he thinks science-based sex education has any place in kindergarten," Romney told some 150 people at a restaurant in the northern part of the state. "We should be working to clean up the filthy waters our kids are swimming in."
The criticism was part of a broader effort by the Romney campaign to heighten its presence in the early voting state, which holds its primary Feb 2. It's not that I don't agree with Romney, it's that I know he's only saying stuff like this to gain traction with the fundies. By the time the primaries roll around he'll make Bush sound like John Edwards. Romney was more convincing when he sounded more like Reagan and less like the second coming of Jerry Falwell.
"It's My Philosophy"
The Cato Institute calls Bush on his ongoing hypocrisy regarding smaller government: People sick of the big-government conservatism practiced by the Bush administration might be excited at the headline in today's Washington Post: "Bush: No Deal On Children's Health Plan/President Says He Objects On Philosophical Grounds." But President Bush's philosophical objection to the proposed expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program is in no way a reversal from his stance that big spending is okay as long as Republicans can take credit.
What philosophy does Bush subscribe to? Apparently, it's the philosophy that says the federal government should only expand the welfare state by billions of dollars, instead of tens of billions of dollars: "The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated by the House." What's the difference between Bush's version and the Democrats'? Bush is just as eager to spend as they are, as the last several years when the GOP was in charge showed. Now, however, he only wants to spend like a guy having dinner at an expensive restaurant instead of a sailor on leave.
What philosophy does Bush subscribe to? Apparently, it's the philosophy that says the federal government should only expand the welfare state by billions of dollars, instead of tens of billions of dollars: "The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated by the House." What's the difference between Bush's version and the Democrats'? Bush is just as eager to spend as they are, as the last several years when the GOP was in charge showed. Now, however, he only wants to spend like a guy having dinner at an expensive restaurant instead of a sailor on leave.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Norwegian Tea Party
Can I hear someone say "Taxation Without Representation?" Norwegians are among the most heavily taxed people in the world, and that in turn has made Norway one of the most expensive countries in which to live. Most accept the taxes they're ordered to pay on income and even net worth and property, but growing numbers are publicly complaining about sky-high taxes on everything from cars to fuel to consumer goods.
Norwegians differentiate between skatter (taxes) and avgifter (duties, fees or user taxes) and the latter is the most hated. They're what causes a glass of house wine at an Oslo restaurant to cost the equivalent of nearly USD 16, or a gallon of gas to cost mearly USD 9 at current exchange rates.
"It's clear that taxes are much too high in oil-rich Norway," Oslo resident Gro Pettersen told newspaper Aftenposten. "It's sick!" Um, so is the idea of supporting a massive welfare state for decades and expecting it to go on forever without eventually collapsing under its own weight. But that's just me.
Norwegians differentiate between skatter (taxes) and avgifter (duties, fees or user taxes) and the latter is the most hated. They're what causes a glass of house wine at an Oslo restaurant to cost the equivalent of nearly USD 16, or a gallon of gas to cost mearly USD 9 at current exchange rates.
"It's clear that taxes are much too high in oil-rich Norway," Oslo resident Gro Pettersen told newspaper Aftenposten. "It's sick!" Um, so is the idea of supporting a massive welfare state for decades and expecting it to go on forever without eventually collapsing under its own weight. But that's just me.
Weeds
Common sense trumps the morality police in one of the least likely of places. SANTA ANA, Calif., July 18 (UPI)-Conservative Orange County, Calif., will license the use of medical marijuana and issue ID cards to patients entitled to use it.
Tuesday's decision by the all-Republican county supeervisors marked a reversal from three months ago when the plan seemed doomed, The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
Advocates of medical marijuana intensly lobbied Orange County supervisors, telling them licensing and IDs would eliminate wasted court costs and prosecution time spent on medical marjiuana possession cases. While the federal government continues to waste its time fighting the so-called drug war with Draconian measures, communities across the country-including heavily Republican ones-are telling the advocates of said war what they can go do with themselves. "Real conservatives," please take note.
Tuesday's decision by the all-Republican county supeervisors marked a reversal from three months ago when the plan seemed doomed, The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
Advocates of medical marijuana intensly lobbied Orange County supervisors, telling them licensing and IDs would eliminate wasted court costs and prosecution time spent on medical marjiuana possession cases. While the federal government continues to waste its time fighting the so-called drug war with Draconian measures, communities across the country-including heavily Republican ones-are telling the advocates of said war what they can go do with themselves. "Real conservatives," please take note.
"Turn Those Machines Back On!"
This is what you get for trying to corner the frozen orange juice market. NEW YORK (Reuters)-The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission plans to file civil charges against Dow Jones & Co. Inc. (DJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) board member David Li over an insider trading probe linked to News Corp.'s (NWSa.N: Quote, Profile, Research) bid for the media company, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesady.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal reported the SEC has issued a Wells notice to Li, one of Hong Kong's most prominent businessmen. A Wells notice would be the last step before the SEC files suit against him.
The SEC had no comment on the Li report. Representatives for Dow Jones, which owns the Journal, were not immediately available to comment. "Beeks! Where the hell is Beeks!"
Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal reported the SEC has issued a Wells notice to Li, one of Hong Kong's most prominent businessmen. A Wells notice would be the last step before the SEC files suit against him.
The SEC had no comment on the Li report. Representatives for Dow Jones, which owns the Journal, were not immediately available to comment. "Beeks! Where the hell is Beeks!"
I'm Your Breck Girl
My oh my, aren't we full of ourselves! "All the empirical evidencs shows that I am the strongest general election candidate," said Mr. Edwards from a small stage as the Chicago traffic flowed mutedly behind a glass-paneled wall.
The reason, he said, was simple.
"What will happen with almost complete certainty, is in December and January, our caucus-goers, the New Hampshire primary voters, will be evaluating who they think is the strongest general election candidate. They like all of us. I mean, that's the truth. They like me. They like Hillary. And they like Obama. They are trying to decide who they think will be the stringest general election candidate. And that will get more intense, the closer we get to the caucus and primaries."
Then came the sell:
"Well, this is not even close-who's the strongest general election candidateEvery piece of empirical evidence shows you exactly the same thing that your gut will tell you anyway." My gut tells me something else about John-Boy. It's the same feeling I get when I need Pepto-Bismol. I think a lot of other people feel the same way.
The reason, he said, was simple.
"What will happen with almost complete certainty, is in December and January, our caucus-goers, the New Hampshire primary voters, will be evaluating who they think is the strongest general election candidate. They like all of us. I mean, that's the truth. They like me. They like Hillary. And they like Obama. They are trying to decide who they think will be the stringest general election candidate. And that will get more intense, the closer we get to the caucus and primaries."
Then came the sell:
"Well, this is not even close-who's the strongest general election candidateEvery piece of empirical evidence shows you exactly the same thing that your gut will tell you anyway." My gut tells me something else about John-Boy. It's the same feeling I get when I need Pepto-Bismol. I think a lot of other people feel the same way.
Down With The Sickness
Apparently the Hobbit diet has drawbacks. CLEVELAND-Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, who is a vegan, has been hospitalized with "severe" effects of food poisoning.
The 60-year-old congressman from Cleveland became sick Sunday night while flying to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to address the national Longshoremen's convention. He went ahead with the speech Monday but immediately returned home and was hospitalized in the Cleveland area.
The name of the hospital wasn't disclosed. Andy Juniewicz, a campaign spokesman, said Kucinich was improving Tuesday night and said no medical update was available Wednesday morning.
Kucinich, a former Cleveland mayor, typically polls in the low single digits. I don't know which would be worse-being Dennis Kucinich, or having to get sick in Cleveland.
The 60-year-old congressman from Cleveland became sick Sunday night while flying to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to address the national Longshoremen's convention. He went ahead with the speech Monday but immediately returned home and was hospitalized in the Cleveland area.
The name of the hospital wasn't disclosed. Andy Juniewicz, a campaign spokesman, said Kucinich was improving Tuesday night and said no medical update was available Wednesday morning.
Kucinich, a former Cleveland mayor, typically polls in the low single digits. I don't know which would be worse-being Dennis Kucinich, or having to get sick in Cleveland.
Hard-Earned Pork
And this is part of the reason why maybe more of these bums should be thrown out. Rep. Don Young attacked his fellow Republicans on the House floor Wednesday, as he defended education funds allocated to his home-state of Alaska.
"You want my money, my money," Young stridently declared before warning conservatives that, "Those who bite me will be bitten back."
Young took extreme exception to an amendement by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) to strike money in a spending bull for native Alaskan and Hawaiian educational programs.
Conservatives have stoked the ire of their fellow Republicans for years by challenging federal spending, both broadly and on specific projects. But it's rare that their GOP colleagues express that displeasure openly on the floor.
During his brief tirade Wednesday, Young suggested republicans lost their majority because Garrett, whom he did not specifically name, and others had challenged spending during the GOP's tenure. He also had disparaging things to say about the great state of New Jersey-home to The Sopranos and Bon Jovi.
And lest we forget, Young, who used to chair the House Transportation Committee, is responsible for the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere," a proposed span connecting Ketchikan, Alaska, with the tiny island of Gravina that would have cost $315 million-and eventually came to symbolize prolifigate spending under Republican rule.
Oh, and he has spent more than $250,000 on legal fees so far this year at the same time that federal investigators probe some of his campaign's biggest contributors. Politicians often beg, borrow and occasionally steal to get their pet projects funded. May I suggest that the next time one of them whines that others are trying to take away "His money," he or she puts said money where their mouth is and offer to return their campaign contributions if they get kicked out of office. Give the people what they want!
"You want my money, my money," Young stridently declared before warning conservatives that, "Those who bite me will be bitten back."
Young took extreme exception to an amendement by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) to strike money in a spending bull for native Alaskan and Hawaiian educational programs.
Conservatives have stoked the ire of their fellow Republicans for years by challenging federal spending, both broadly and on specific projects. But it's rare that their GOP colleagues express that displeasure openly on the floor.
During his brief tirade Wednesday, Young suggested republicans lost their majority because Garrett, whom he did not specifically name, and others had challenged spending during the GOP's tenure. He also had disparaging things to say about the great state of New Jersey-home to The Sopranos and Bon Jovi.
And lest we forget, Young, who used to chair the House Transportation Committee, is responsible for the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere," a proposed span connecting Ketchikan, Alaska, with the tiny island of Gravina that would have cost $315 million-and eventually came to symbolize prolifigate spending under Republican rule.
Oh, and he has spent more than $250,000 on legal fees so far this year at the same time that federal investigators probe some of his campaign's biggest contributors. Politicians often beg, borrow and occasionally steal to get their pet projects funded. May I suggest that the next time one of them whines that others are trying to take away "His money," he or she puts said money where their mouth is and offer to return their campaign contributions if they get kicked out of office. Give the people what they want!
Riding A Dark Horse
Most people don't yet know who this guy is, but maybe they should. Richardson's long resume' includes a lengthy career as a congressman and a stint as Bill Clinton's final secretary of energy. (Before the second Democratic debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, the governor's raucous supporters chanted all of his job titles). Elected governor in 2002, Richardson inherited a largely Democratic legislature and a peristently poor state. At a time when other Democrats were defining themselves by their opposition to President Bush's tax cuts, Richardson attacked state taxes. He slashed the top state income tax rate by 40 percent, and he cut the capital gains tax in half. In 2005 the libertarian Cato Institute gave Richardson a B on its biennial gubernatorial Fiscal Policy Report Card-higher, as his flacks love to point out, than the grades received by Florida's Jeb Bush and Massachisetts' Mitt Romney.
According to Cato's election analysis, 72 percent of libertarian-leaning voters supported George W. Bush in 2000. Six years later, only 59 percent backed the Republicans-a significant shift away from the GOP. Bill Richardson could be the candidate who appeals to those disaffected voters. But it's not clear, from his record and from his style of governing, that he'll deserve them.
Richardson has collected unusually warm praise from free market activists and even pocketed a little money from people who donate to libertarian think tanks and causes. The anti-tax Club for Growth summed it up in a cautiously pro-Richardson press release welcoming the governor into the race: "A different kind of Democrat, hopefully."
"He really might appeal to the libertarian vote," says David Boaz, vice president of the Cato Institute. "I've heard a number of governors pegged as 'libertarian Democrat,' and usually when I look into their records, it doesn't hold up. But Richardson comes close." And there's the rub for the Republicans. People want something different this time around. They need to take heed, lest they want another thumpin' come next November.
According to Cato's election analysis, 72 percent of libertarian-leaning voters supported George W. Bush in 2000. Six years later, only 59 percent backed the Republicans-a significant shift away from the GOP. Bill Richardson could be the candidate who appeals to those disaffected voters. But it's not clear, from his record and from his style of governing, that he'll deserve them.
Richardson has collected unusually warm praise from free market activists and even pocketed a little money from people who donate to libertarian think tanks and causes. The anti-tax Club for Growth summed it up in a cautiously pro-Richardson press release welcoming the governor into the race: "A different kind of Democrat, hopefully."
"He really might appeal to the libertarian vote," says David Boaz, vice president of the Cato Institute. "I've heard a number of governors pegged as 'libertarian Democrat,' and usually when I look into their records, it doesn't hold up. But Richardson comes close." And there's the rub for the Republicans. People want something different this time around. They need to take heed, lest they want another thumpin' come next November.
When Captain Trips Comes Calling
Well, at least they're prepared for something.
Today, the White House Homeland Security Council Issued A One-Year Report On The Administration's Progress In Implementing The National Strategy For Pandemic Influenza. The United States is better positioned today to detect an outbreak of pandemic flu earlier, to support an international effort to contain the pandemic in its earliest stages, to limit the spread of a pandemic, and to save lives.
In May 2006, The Administration Issued The National Strategy For Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan, Which Provides A Roadmap To Achieve The Federal Government's Pandemic Preparedness And Response Goals.
We Have Made Great Strides Over The Past Year To Complete The Actions Outlined In The Implementation Plan. Eighty-six percent of all actions due within 12 months under the Implentation Plan have been completed. The remaining 14 percent of actions are in progress and are expected to be completed by the 18-month mark.
Of course, once Team Bush gets ahold of this, they'll appoint somebody totally unqualified to implement the Plan, then find some way to blame it on somebody else when it falls to pieces.
You Only Live Twice
Putincide prevented? Boris Berezovsky fled Britain three weeks ago on the advice of Scotland Yard, amid reports that he was the target of an assassination attempt by a suspected Russian hitman.
The exiled tycoon and fierce critic of President Putin of Russia told The Times last night that he had been warned that it was not safe for him to remain in London, where he had been living since being granted asylum in Britain.
(snip) Reports last night claimed that an assassin was captured at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane, West London, moments before he planned to kill Mr Berezovsky, whose offices are a short distance away. Scotland Yard said last night it was not prepared to discuss the matter. Good work, lads. Sherlock Holmes would have been proud!
The exiled tycoon and fierce critic of President Putin of Russia told The Times last night that he had been warned that it was not safe for him to remain in London, where he had been living since being granted asylum in Britain.
(snip) Reports last night claimed that an assassin was captured at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane, West London, moments before he planned to kill Mr Berezovsky, whose offices are a short distance away. Scotland Yard said last night it was not prepared to discuss the matter. Good work, lads. Sherlock Holmes would have been proud!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Subpoenas Are For Suckers
How dare they demand that the King's friends answer questions! What do they think this is, a democratic republic or something? House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) rejected claims by a lawyer to former White House counsel Harriet Miers that his client was not legally bound to appear before the panel after President Bush invoked executive privelege to prevent her testimony.
"The subcommittee [on administrative and commercial law] overruled Ms. Miers' claims of immunity and privelege," Conyers said in a statement. "Her failure to comply with our subpoena is a serious affront to this committee and our constitutional system of checks and balances. We are carefully planning our next steps."
That next step could include a vote to hold Miers in contempt of Congress, but her lawyer quoted previous Justice Department rulings "that criminal contempt of Congress statute does not apply to executive officials who assert claims of executive privelege at the direction of the President." So, according to this guy's logic, anybody who worked for the King at one time or another could claim executive privelege if the King gave it to them? That's some pretty fancy truth-stretching even in Washington.
"The subcommittee [on administrative and commercial law] overruled Ms. Miers' claims of immunity and privelege," Conyers said in a statement. "Her failure to comply with our subpoena is a serious affront to this committee and our constitutional system of checks and balances. We are carefully planning our next steps."
That next step could include a vote to hold Miers in contempt of Congress, but her lawyer quoted previous Justice Department rulings "that criminal contempt of Congress statute does not apply to executive officials who assert claims of executive privelege at the direction of the President." So, according to this guy's logic, anybody who worked for the King at one time or another could claim executive privelege if the King gave it to them? That's some pretty fancy truth-stretching even in Washington.
Pick A Card, Any Card
And you wonder why they can't balance the budget.
Forty-eight members of the House and three from the Senate had more than $10,000 in family credit card debt last year, with some carrying balances totaling more than $50,000, according to their personal financial disclosure reports.
The recent filings reflect both one-term large charges paid off promptly and longstanding debts carried on the same cards over years. In the latter cases, credit cards are often a poor choice because of their high interest rates and hidden fees, personal finance experts said. The average interest rate paid on credit cards nationally in 2005 was 14 percent, according to creditcards.com, well above the rate for other forms of personal debt.
Most of the lawmakers with high card debt, though, denied they were poorly managing their own finances, saying they were beating the prevailing rates and avoiding the high fees. Although most said they were keeping a close eye on their credit scores, some said the rating was not a concern to them because they weren't planning to borrow money soon. Strange. They don't seem to mind "borrowing" our money.
Forty-eight members of the House and three from the Senate had more than $10,000 in family credit card debt last year, with some carrying balances totaling more than $50,000, according to their personal financial disclosure reports.
The recent filings reflect both one-term large charges paid off promptly and longstanding debts carried on the same cards over years. In the latter cases, credit cards are often a poor choice because of their high interest rates and hidden fees, personal finance experts said. The average interest rate paid on credit cards nationally in 2005 was 14 percent, according to creditcards.com, well above the rate for other forms of personal debt.
Most of the lawmakers with high card debt, though, denied they were poorly managing their own finances, saying they were beating the prevailing rates and avoiding the high fees. Although most said they were keeping a close eye on their credit scores, some said the rating was not a concern to them because they weren't planning to borrow money soon. Strange. They don't seem to mind "borrowing" our money.
Guest Terrorist Program
They're just forming the terrorist cells that others don't want to. The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.
An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington D.C. Joint Terrorism Task force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.
Border Patrol officials in the area said they were unaware of the spedifics of the FBI's report, and federal prosecutors in New Mexico told ABCNews.com they had no current cases involving the illegal smuggling of Iraqis. I thought the whole point of invading Iraq was so that we would be fighting them over there instead of over here. I guess somebody forgot to tell the bad guys that.
An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington D.C. Joint Terrorism Task force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.
Border Patrol officials in the area said they were unaware of the spedifics of the FBI's report, and federal prosecutors in New Mexico told ABCNews.com they had no current cases involving the illegal smuggling of Iraqis. I thought the whole point of invading Iraq was so that we would be fighting them over there instead of over here. I guess somebody forgot to tell the bad guys that.
Fish Is Not Good Brain Food
Oh, my. Apparently being green stops when it comes to Al Gore's own menus.
Only one week after Live Earth, Al Gore's green credentials slipped while hosting his daughter's wedding in Beverly Hills.
Gore and his guests at the weekend ceremony dined on Chilean sea bass-arguably one of the world's most threatened fish species.
Also known as Patagonian thoothfish, the species is under pressure from illegel, unregulated and unreported fishing activities in the Southern Ocean, jeopardising the sustainability of remaining stocks. Well, what's the price of one species for a man's daughter's happiness? None, I say!
Only one week after Live Earth, Al Gore's green credentials slipped while hosting his daughter's wedding in Beverly Hills.
Gore and his guests at the weekend ceremony dined on Chilean sea bass-arguably one of the world's most threatened fish species.
Also known as Patagonian thoothfish, the species is under pressure from illegel, unregulated and unreported fishing activities in the Southern Ocean, jeopardising the sustainability of remaining stocks. Well, what's the price of one species for a man's daughter's happiness? None, I say!
He'll Fight For God Wherever There's Trouble
When your kid starts to smoke crack, he'll have somebody to tell to shut up. (Anybody who's ever seen Moral Orel will get the reference).
For the first time, the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart will sell a line of religious toys, according to a WKMG-TV report.
More than 420 Wal-Mart stores nationwide will begin carrying the faith-based toys that include Jesus and Samson action figures.
Only about one-sixth of stores will carry the toys.
I understand a group of Muslims wanted Islamic action figures for diversity, but the suicide bomber doll didn't catch on for some reason.
For the first time, the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart will sell a line of religious toys, according to a WKMG-TV report.
More than 420 Wal-Mart stores nationwide will begin carrying the faith-based toys that include Jesus and Samson action figures.
Only about one-sixth of stores will carry the toys.
I understand a group of Muslims wanted Islamic action figures for diversity, but the suicide bomber doll didn't catch on for some reason.
"Who Are You Gonna Vote?"
Richard Pryor was right! WASHINGTON-And the leading Republican presidential candidate is...none of the above.
The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney, and no one candidate has emerged as the clear front-runner among Christian evangelicals. Such dissatisfaction underscores the volatility of the 2008 GOP nomination fight.
In sharp contrast, the Democratic race remains static, with Hillary Rodham Clinton holding a sizeable lead over Barack Obama. The New York senator, who is white, also outpaces her Illinois counterpart, who is black, among black and Hispanic Democrates, according to a combined sample of two months of polls.
A half year before voting begins, the survey shows the White House race is far more wide open on the Republican side than on the Democratic. The uneven enthusiasm about the fields also is reflected in fundraising in which Democrats outraised Republicans $80 million to $50 million from April through June, continuing a trend from the year's first three months. The problem for the GOP is that the old scare tactics of the past-"We'll all be reading the Koran if them Democrats get elected!"-aren't working anymore, and guys who represent real moderation-Giuliani, McCain-have to suck up to the Taliban wing of the GOP to get their blessing. It's not so much that people are starting to warm up to Hillary, it's that the Republicans have become so pathetic that they don't offer much of an alternative.
The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney, and no one candidate has emerged as the clear front-runner among Christian evangelicals. Such dissatisfaction underscores the volatility of the 2008 GOP nomination fight.
In sharp contrast, the Democratic race remains static, with Hillary Rodham Clinton holding a sizeable lead over Barack Obama. The New York senator, who is white, also outpaces her Illinois counterpart, who is black, among black and Hispanic Democrates, according to a combined sample of two months of polls.
A half year before voting begins, the survey shows the White House race is far more wide open on the Republican side than on the Democratic. The uneven enthusiasm about the fields also is reflected in fundraising in which Democrats outraised Republicans $80 million to $50 million from April through June, continuing a trend from the year's first three months. The problem for the GOP is that the old scare tactics of the past-"We'll all be reading the Koran if them Democrats get elected!"-aren't working anymore, and guys who represent real moderation-Giuliani, McCain-have to suck up to the Taliban wing of the GOP to get their blessing. It's not so much that people are starting to warm up to Hillary, it's that the Republicans have become so pathetic that they don't offer much of an alternative.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Here He Comes Again
Speaking of long shots, Phil Donahue's favorite son is back. READING, Pennsylvania (AP)-Consumer advocate Ralph Nader told the Green Party's national convention that he is considering a 2008 presidential run and accused Democrats of truing to shut smaller parties out of the political process.
"No other country comes close to providing voters with such a small number of choices and making third party candidates hurdle an almost insuperable number of obstacles just to get on the ballot," Nader, the Green Party's 2000 presidential nominee, said Saturday.
Later, addressing a few hundred conventioneers who chanted "Run Ralph Run," Nader exhorted Greens to focus on raising money to boost their competitiveness. Oh, I'd love to see Ralph blame Mike Bloomberg and Ron Paul for losing and call them the Establishment.
"No other country comes close to providing voters with such a small number of choices and making third party candidates hurdle an almost insuperable number of obstacles just to get on the ballot," Nader, the Green Party's 2000 presidential nominee, said Saturday.
Later, addressing a few hundred conventioneers who chanted "Run Ralph Run," Nader exhorted Greens to focus on raising money to boost their competitiveness. Oh, I'd love to see Ralph blame Mike Bloomberg and Ron Paul for losing and call them the Establishment.
It's Not Just Moonbats Anymore
Guess which group of Amurca-hatin' lefties has given the most money to Ron Paul? Congressman Ron Paul has defined his Republican presidential candidacy with a staunchly critical stance of the Iraq war, saying during the June 5 debate in New Hampshire, for example, that it was a "mistake to go and a mistake to stay."
Paul has often reiterated his views that US security has been worsened by its military presence in Iraq, and that Bush's pre-emptive war doctrine represented one of his administration's greatest moral failings.
One might think such criticism of the war and the Commander-in-Chief's leadership would make Paul a pariah to the military community, however, the latest figures indicate the antiwar Republican is receiving more donations from employees of the US military than any other Republican candidate. There's most likely still no way Ron Paul will get the nomination, but in an age in which Presidential candidates have to suck up to the religious right to be taken seriously as "Real conservatives" and give blind support to Bush's policies to be seen as strong on the antiterror front, Ron Paul is at least honest enough tos ay what he really thinks. Unfortunately, that doesn't sit well with the powers that be.
Paul has often reiterated his views that US security has been worsened by its military presence in Iraq, and that Bush's pre-emptive war doctrine represented one of his administration's greatest moral failings.
One might think such criticism of the war and the Commander-in-Chief's leadership would make Paul a pariah to the military community, however, the latest figures indicate the antiwar Republican is receiving more donations from employees of the US military than any other Republican candidate. There's most likely still no way Ron Paul will get the nomination, but in an age in which Presidential candidates have to suck up to the religious right to be taken seriously as "Real conservatives" and give blind support to Bush's policies to be seen as strong on the antiterror front, Ron Paul is at least honest enough tos ay what he really thinks. Unfortunately, that doesn't sit well with the powers that be.
The Last King Of Colorado
It's not so good to be the King.
DENVER-An unidentified man armed with a gun was shot and killed outside Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter's office in the state Capitol on Monday, Ritter's spokesman said.
The governor was not injured, spokesman Evan Dreyer said. He said Ritter was in the Capitol at the time but he would not say where.
"The governor is fine," he said. "Everybody is a bit rattled."
Dreyer said the man refused orders to drop his gun and a member of Ritter's security detail opened fire.
Four or five shots were heard, but authorities would not say how many times the security officer fired. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the man did not fire his weapon.
Before he was shot, the man said, "I am the emperor and I'm here to take over state government," Dreyer said. Poor guy. He should have moved to Africa; he probably would have gotten his title.
DENVER-An unidentified man armed with a gun was shot and killed outside Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter's office in the state Capitol on Monday, Ritter's spokesman said.
The governor was not injured, spokesman Evan Dreyer said. He said Ritter was in the Capitol at the time but he would not say where.
"The governor is fine," he said. "Everybody is a bit rattled."
Dreyer said the man refused orders to drop his gun and a member of Ritter's security detail opened fire.
Four or five shots were heard, but authorities would not say how many times the security officer fired. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the man did not fire his weapon.
Before he was shot, the man said, "I am the emperor and I'm here to take over state government," Dreyer said. Poor guy. He should have moved to Africa; he probably would have gotten his title.
The Turning Tide
It's just one more durn librul after another these days. NEW YORK The Pittsburgh newspaper owned by conservative billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife yesterday called the Bush administration's plans to stay the course in Iraq a "prescription for American suicide."
The editorial in the Tribune-Review added, "And quite frankly, during last Thursday's news conference, when George Bush started blathering about 'sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don't enable you to be loved,' we had to question his mental stabilitiy."
It continued: "President Bush warns that U.S. withdrawal would risk 'mass killings on a horrific scale.' What do we have today, sir?
"If the president won't do the right thing and end this war, the people must. The House has voted to withdraw combat troops from Iraq by April. The Senate must also follow suit.
"Our brave troops should take great pride that they rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein. And they should have no shame in leaving Iraq. For it will not be, in any way, an exercise in tail-tucking and running.
"America has done its job.
"It's time for the Iraqis to do theirs."
The editorial said it agrees with its local congressman on this: Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha. Mutterin' Murtha aside, these guys aren't the only ones to have questioned Bush's mental stability. I mean, the guy was willing to make a deal with Ted Kennedy.
The editorial in the Tribune-Review added, "And quite frankly, during last Thursday's news conference, when George Bush started blathering about 'sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don't enable you to be loved,' we had to question his mental stabilitiy."
It continued: "President Bush warns that U.S. withdrawal would risk 'mass killings on a horrific scale.' What do we have today, sir?
"If the president won't do the right thing and end this war, the people must. The House has voted to withdraw combat troops from Iraq by April. The Senate must also follow suit.
"Our brave troops should take great pride that they rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein. And they should have no shame in leaving Iraq. For it will not be, in any way, an exercise in tail-tucking and running.
"America has done its job.
"It's time for the Iraqis to do theirs."
The editorial said it agrees with its local congressman on this: Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha. Mutterin' Murtha aside, these guys aren't the only ones to have questioned Bush's mental stability. I mean, the guy was willing to make a deal with Ted Kennedy.
Lord Of The Tumbleweeds
Shades of "Miri". CBS encamped 40 kids in an abandoned New Mexico ghost town for more than a month. The kids performed on camera for more than 14 hours at a stretch, seven days a week, making their own meals.
They were filming during the school year, yet no studio teachers were present. They were working on a major television production, yet no parents were on the set.
The show is CBS' upcoming reality series "Kid Nation." When rivals first got wind of the concept, they declared the production an impossible endeavor: From a legal, labor, public realtions and logistical standpoint, this show should never have worked.
Yet CBS, long considered the most conservative of the broadcast networks, quietly and without mishap shot the first season of "Nation" before the media had even a whiff of what's become one of the most talked-about series of the fall-and seemingly stayed within the lines of applicable labor laws in the process. Kids left to fend for themselves without parents and teachers? In some parts of this country that's called "Daily life."
They were filming during the school year, yet no studio teachers were present. They were working on a major television production, yet no parents were on the set.
The show is CBS' upcoming reality series "Kid Nation." When rivals first got wind of the concept, they declared the production an impossible endeavor: From a legal, labor, public realtions and logistical standpoint, this show should never have worked.
Yet CBS, long considered the most conservative of the broadcast networks, quietly and without mishap shot the first season of "Nation" before the media had even a whiff of what's become one of the most talked-about series of the fall-and seemingly stayed within the lines of applicable labor laws in the process. Kids left to fend for themselves without parents and teachers? In some parts of this country that's called "Daily life."
Do Fear The Reaper
Well, it's not the Autobots, but they're close enough.
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AP)-The airplane is the size of a jet fighter, powered by a turboprop engine, able to fly at 300 mph and reach 50,000 feet. It's outfitted with infrared, laser and radar targeting, and with a tin and a half of guided bombs and missiles.
The Reaper is loaded, but there's no one on board. Its pilot, as it bombs targets in Iraq, will sit at a video console 7,000 miles away in Nevada.
The arrival of these outsized U.S. "hunter-killer" drones, in aviation history's first robot attack squadron, will be a watershed moment even in an Iraq that has seen too many innovative ways to hunt and kill.
That moment, one the Air Force will likely low-key, is expected "soon," says the regional U.S. air commander. How soon? "We're still working on that," Lt. Gen. Gary North said in an interview.
The Reaper's first combat deployment is expected in Afghanistan, and senior Air Force officers estimate it will land in Iraq sometime between this fall and next spring. They look forward to it.
"With more Reapers, I could sent manned airplanes home," North said. More than meets the eye, indeed. Happy hunting!
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AP)-The airplane is the size of a jet fighter, powered by a turboprop engine, able to fly at 300 mph and reach 50,000 feet. It's outfitted with infrared, laser and radar targeting, and with a tin and a half of guided bombs and missiles.
The Reaper is loaded, but there's no one on board. Its pilot, as it bombs targets in Iraq, will sit at a video console 7,000 miles away in Nevada.
The arrival of these outsized U.S. "hunter-killer" drones, in aviation history's first robot attack squadron, will be a watershed moment even in an Iraq that has seen too many innovative ways to hunt and kill.
That moment, one the Air Force will likely low-key, is expected "soon," says the regional U.S. air commander. How soon? "We're still working on that," Lt. Gen. Gary North said in an interview.
The Reaper's first combat deployment is expected in Afghanistan, and senior Air Force officers estimate it will land in Iraq sometime between this fall and next spring. They look forward to it.
"With more Reapers, I could sent manned airplanes home," North said. More than meets the eye, indeed. Happy hunting!
The White Celebrity's Burden
It's not their great-grandparents' colonialism. It's worse. It seems that these days, wracked by guilt at the humanitarian crisis it has created in the Middle East, the West has turned to Africa for redemption. Idealistic college students, celebrities such as Bob Geldof and politicians such as Tony Blair have all made bringing light to the dark continent their mission. They fly in for internships and fact-finding missions or to pick out children to adopt in much the same way my friends and I in New York take the subway to the pound to adopt stray dogs.
This is the West's new image of itself: a sexy, politically active generation whose preferred means of spreading the word are magazine spreads with celebrities pictured in the foreground, forlorn Africans in the back. Never mind that the stars sent to bring succor to the natives often are, willingly, as emaciated as those they want to help.
Perhaps most interesting is the langquage used to describe the Africa being saved. For example, the Keep a Child Alive/"I am African" campaign features portraits of primarily white, Western celebrities with painted "tribal markings" on their faces above "I AM AFRICAN" in bold letters. Below, smaller print says, "help us stop the dying."
Such campaigns, however well intentioned, promote the stereotype of Africa as a black hole of disease and death. News reports constantly focus on the continent's corrupt leaders, warlords, "tribal" conflicts, child laborers, and women disfigured by abuse and genital mutilation. These descriptions run under headlines like "Can Bono Save Africa?" The relationship between the West and Africa is no longer based on openly racist beliefs, but such articles are reminiscent of reports from the heyday of European colonialism, when missionaries were sent to Africa to introduce us to education, Jesus Christ and "civilization." The difference between the old imperialists and the new ones is that the new ones want to save Africa from itself and then let it stew in its own juices once their concerts and advertising campaigns are done. Say what you will about the Colonial era, when the Brits and the French were running the show the Africans knew they were getting shafted.
This is the West's new image of itself: a sexy, politically active generation whose preferred means of spreading the word are magazine spreads with celebrities pictured in the foreground, forlorn Africans in the back. Never mind that the stars sent to bring succor to the natives often are, willingly, as emaciated as those they want to help.
Perhaps most interesting is the langquage used to describe the Africa being saved. For example, the Keep a Child Alive/"I am African" campaign features portraits of primarily white, Western celebrities with painted "tribal markings" on their faces above "I AM AFRICAN" in bold letters. Below, smaller print says, "help us stop the dying."
Such campaigns, however well intentioned, promote the stereotype of Africa as a black hole of disease and death. News reports constantly focus on the continent's corrupt leaders, warlords, "tribal" conflicts, child laborers, and women disfigured by abuse and genital mutilation. These descriptions run under headlines like "Can Bono Save Africa?" The relationship between the West and Africa is no longer based on openly racist beliefs, but such articles are reminiscent of reports from the heyday of European colonialism, when missionaries were sent to Africa to introduce us to education, Jesus Christ and "civilization." The difference between the old imperialists and the new ones is that the new ones want to save Africa from itself and then let it stew in its own juices once their concerts and advertising campaigns are done. Say what you will about the Colonial era, when the Brits and the French were running the show the Africans knew they were getting shafted.
You're Da Bomb, Kid
File this under "WTF was he thinking?!?" An unprecedented move by President Karzai of Afghanistan to pardon a teenage Taleban suicide bomber-and pay him $2,000 to travel home to Pakistan-has drawn stinging criticism and warnings that it will encourage such attacks.
"It is a very silly idea to forgive such criminals. He was a volunteer," Mullah Malang, an MP from Baghdis province, told The Times. "When he goes back to Pakistan he will tell all his friends that he deceived the Afghan Government. He is brainwashed, he will always be a Taleb."
The extraordinary case involved Rafigullah, 14, a would-be suicide bomber, who was captured in May by Afghan police in the province of Khost, which borders Pakistan. He was wearing a suicide vest and riding a motorbike. His target was Arsala Jamal, the governor of the province.
(snip) "His family thought their child was learning Islamic studies," said Mr Karzai. "That is not his fault, nor his father's. The enemies of Islam wanted him to destroy his life and those of other Muslims. I pardon him and wish him a good life." Well, thanks to Mr. Krazai's "Generosity," the young man's life is likely to be a short one, one way or another.
"It is a very silly idea to forgive such criminals. He was a volunteer," Mullah Malang, an MP from Baghdis province, told The Times. "When he goes back to Pakistan he will tell all his friends that he deceived the Afghan Government. He is brainwashed, he will always be a Taleb."
The extraordinary case involved Rafigullah, 14, a would-be suicide bomber, who was captured in May by Afghan police in the province of Khost, which borders Pakistan. He was wearing a suicide vest and riding a motorbike. His target was Arsala Jamal, the governor of the province.
(snip) "His family thought their child was learning Islamic studies," said Mr Karzai. "That is not his fault, nor his father's. The enemies of Islam wanted him to destroy his life and those of other Muslims. I pardon him and wish him a good life." Well, thanks to Mr. Krazai's "Generosity," the young man's life is likely to be a short one, one way or another.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Killer Bee
In case you were wondering, Mickey Mouse's evil twin has been replaced.
Following are excerpts from a Hamas TV children's show, featuring Nahoul the Bee, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on July 13, 2007:
Saraa, child host: Who are you, and where did you come from?
Nahoul the Bee: I am Nahoul.
Saraa: Nahoul who?
Nahoul: I'm Nahoul, Farfour's cousin.
Saraa: What do you want?
Nahoul: I want to continue the path of my cousin Farfour.
Saraa: How do you want to do this?
Nahoul: I want to be in every episode with you on the Pioneers of Tomorrow show, just like Farfour. I want to continue in the path of Farfour-the path of Islam, of heroism, of martyrdom, and of the mujahideen. Me and my friends will follow in the footsteps of Farfour. We will take revenge upon the enemies of Allah, the killer of the prophets and of the innocent children, until we liberate Al-Aqsa from their impurity. We place our trust in Allah.
Saraa: Welcome, Nahoul... Farfour's cousin, eh? I'd hate to be the geneologist who has to figure that one out...
Following are excerpts from a Hamas TV children's show, featuring Nahoul the Bee, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on July 13, 2007:
Saraa, child host: Who are you, and where did you come from?
Nahoul the Bee: I am Nahoul.
Saraa: Nahoul who?
Nahoul: I'm Nahoul, Farfour's cousin.
Saraa: What do you want?
Nahoul: I want to continue the path of my cousin Farfour.
Saraa: How do you want to do this?
Nahoul: I want to be in every episode with you on the Pioneers of Tomorrow show, just like Farfour. I want to continue in the path of Farfour-the path of Islam, of heroism, of martyrdom, and of the mujahideen. Me and my friends will follow in the footsteps of Farfour. We will take revenge upon the enemies of Allah, the killer of the prophets and of the innocent children, until we liberate Al-Aqsa from their impurity. We place our trust in Allah.
Saraa: Welcome, Nahoul... Farfour's cousin, eh? I'd hate to be the geneologist who has to figure that one out...
The Homer Simpson Solution
Forget Al Gore. Give greenies a buzz instead. To shake up an often apathetic public, environmentalists have sometimes appealed to fear (warnings about rising seas, Al Gore's move) and theatrics (tree-hugging, crying American Indians on TV).
This weekend, they were trying something that was new, yet as old as human desire. At an eco-festival at a park on the East River in Manhattan, men and women mostly too young to recall the "Keep America Beautiful" Indian came across an aqua-blue sign that spelled it out in no uncertain terms: "Sign up for clean energy and drink free beer."
Those who signed up for electricity from Community Energy, which owns three wind farms in New York and Pennsylvania, received tickets for four pints of Brooklyn Lager at the third annual Citysol festival in Stuyvesant Cove Park, at the end of 23rd Street. (Brooklyn Brewery is powered by Community Energy Windmills.)
"It's a fun, easy incentive" to switch to clean energy, said Chris Neidl, who came up with the idea. "And it chips away at the holier-than-thou reputation of the environmental movement." Well, after hearing Al Gore preach, I'm sure a lot of well-meaning environmentalists now feel the need to drink. This kills two birds with one stone.
This weekend, they were trying something that was new, yet as old as human desire. At an eco-festival at a park on the East River in Manhattan, men and women mostly too young to recall the "Keep America Beautiful" Indian came across an aqua-blue sign that spelled it out in no uncertain terms: "Sign up for clean energy and drink free beer."
Those who signed up for electricity from Community Energy, which owns three wind farms in New York and Pennsylvania, received tickets for four pints of Brooklyn Lager at the third annual Citysol festival in Stuyvesant Cove Park, at the end of 23rd Street. (Brooklyn Brewery is powered by Community Energy Windmills.)
"It's a fun, easy incentive" to switch to clean energy, said Chris Neidl, who came up with the idea. "And it chips away at the holier-than-thou reputation of the environmental movement." Well, after hearing Al Gore preach, I'm sure a lot of well-meaning environmentalists now feel the need to drink. This kills two birds with one stone.
From Russia With Denial
Maybe they should peer into Putin's soul. Britain and Russia are on Monday braced for a major diplomatic stand-off, as London formally responds to Moscow's refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, wanted by UK authorities for the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko.
Amid intense speculation that Britain will expel Russian diplomats from London for the first time in more than a decade, David Miliband, the UK foreign secretary, is preparing to outline the action to be taken in a statement to parliament this afternoon.
Officials have been tight-lipped about how Mr Miliband will approach what-barring a last-minute change of plan-will be the first big foreign policy test for Gordon Brown's government. But one well-placed ministerial source said the British response would be "heavy". Time to cue the James Bond music...
Amid intense speculation that Britain will expel Russian diplomats from London for the first time in more than a decade, David Miliband, the UK foreign secretary, is preparing to outline the action to be taken in a statement to parliament this afternoon.
Officials have been tight-lipped about how Mr Miliband will approach what-barring a last-minute change of plan-will be the first big foreign policy test for Gordon Brown's government. But one well-placed ministerial source said the British response would be "heavy". Time to cue the James Bond music...
"I'm Proud Of My Dead Gay Terrorist!"
Well whaddya know. A leading Palestinian "resistance" figure has confirmed what many suspected all along: Yasser Arafat died of AIDS.
In an interview with Hizballah's Al-Manar TV earlier this month, Ahmad Jibril, founder and leader of the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, revealed a shocking conversation he recentily had with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his staff.
Said Jibril: "When [Abbas] came to Damascus with his team, I asked them: "What happened to the investigation into the death of [Arafat]? Is it conceivable that when [former Lebanese prime minister] Rafiq Hariri was killed, all hell broke loose, but the death of Yasser Arafat, is not investigate?"
Jibril, like many Palestinians, readily accepted the notion that Israel had assassinated Arafat, and wanted the Palestinian Authority to conduct an official investigation concluding as much. The resppnse from Abbas' aides changed in an instant Jibril's view of his deceased mentor.
"They were silent, and one of them said to me, 'To be honest, the French gave us the medical report, that stated that the cause of [Arafat's] death was AIDS." No wonder he liked to brag so much about the "Length" of his beard...
In an interview with Hizballah's Al-Manar TV earlier this month, Ahmad Jibril, founder and leader of the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, revealed a shocking conversation he recentily had with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his staff.
Said Jibril: "When [Abbas] came to Damascus with his team, I asked them: "What happened to the investigation into the death of [Arafat]? Is it conceivable that when [former Lebanese prime minister] Rafiq Hariri was killed, all hell broke loose, but the death of Yasser Arafat, is not investigate?"
Jibril, like many Palestinians, readily accepted the notion that Israel had assassinated Arafat, and wanted the Palestinian Authority to conduct an official investigation concluding as much. The resppnse from Abbas' aides changed in an instant Jibril's view of his deceased mentor.
"They were silent, and one of them said to me, 'To be honest, the French gave us the medical report, that stated that the cause of [Arafat's] death was AIDS." No wonder he liked to brag so much about the "Length" of his beard...
Dollar U.N. General
But what happened to all that bribe money they collected over the years? Rising prices for food have led the United Nations programme fighting famine in Africa and other regions to warn that it can no longer afford to feed the 90m people it has helped for each of the past five years on its budget.
The World Food Programme feeds people in countries including Chad, Uganda and Ethiopia, but reaches a fraction of the 850m people it estimates suffers from hunger. It spent about $600m buying food in 2006. So far, the WFP has not cut its reach because of high commodities prices, but now says it could be fored to do so unless donor countries provide extra funds.
Josette Sheeran, WFP executive director, said in an interview with the Financial Times: "In a world where our contributions are holding fairly steadily, this [cost increase] means we are able to reach far less people." Hmm. Maybe if your bosses stopped making deals and taking money from crooks and thugs posing as world leaders, you wouldn't be in this little fix, no?
The World Food Programme feeds people in countries including Chad, Uganda and Ethiopia, but reaches a fraction of the 850m people it estimates suffers from hunger. It spent about $600m buying food in 2006. So far, the WFP has not cut its reach because of high commodities prices, but now says it could be fored to do so unless donor countries provide extra funds.
Josette Sheeran, WFP executive director, said in an interview with the Financial Times: "In a world where our contributions are holding fairly steadily, this [cost increase] means we are able to reach far less people." Hmm. Maybe if your bosses stopped making deals and taking money from crooks and thugs posing as world leaders, you wouldn't be in this little fix, no?
He My Rosemary Baby
I wasn't aware that Beelzebub had an adoption agency. There is disturbing news coming from Lebanon police, when a seven week old baby was left in the street early Saturday morning.
Around 2:30 am, 9-1-1 dispatchers received a call that a naked woman was carrying a baby in the roadway on Miller Road Extension. The caller also told officials that the woman stated she was taking the infant to Satan.
When officers found the woman, she did not respond to the questions from the officers and she did not have the infant. The woman was identified as 29-year-old Shante Mitchell of Lebanon. She was transported to Bethesda Arrow Springs for a medical and psychological evaluation. Well now wasn't that special!
Around 2:30 am, 9-1-1 dispatchers received a call that a naked woman was carrying a baby in the roadway on Miller Road Extension. The caller also told officials that the woman stated she was taking the infant to Satan.
When officers found the woman, she did not respond to the questions from the officers and she did not have the infant. The woman was identified as 29-year-old Shante Mitchell of Lebanon. She was transported to Bethesda Arrow Springs for a medical and psychological evaluation. Well now wasn't that special!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Flying The Fear-Filled Skies
Wow. Those Jihadists are starting out young.
An 8-year-old Kansas boy expecting to catch a plane home is denied entry for appearing on a terrorist no-fly list.
Moore was set up to catch his firt plane trup when he arrived at an airport in Cortez, Colorado to bly home after visiting his sister.
"They almost got me scheduled in and then the lady just bowed her head and said, 'We cant get you on this plane, you're a terrorist," Bryan said. I think it was the Teddy Bear with the suicide vest that tipped her off.
An 8-year-old Kansas boy expecting to catch a plane home is denied entry for appearing on a terrorist no-fly list.
Moore was set up to catch his firt plane trup when he arrived at an airport in Cortez, Colorado to bly home after visiting his sister.
"They almost got me scheduled in and then the lady just bowed her head and said, 'We cant get you on this plane, you're a terrorist," Bryan said. I think it was the Teddy Bear with the suicide vest that tipped her off.
First Amendment, Abridged Version
Liberals don't like free speech? I'm shocked. Senate Democrats on Friday blocked an amendent that would have prevented the return of the Fairness Doctrine, a fedeeral rule requiring broadcasters to air opposing views on issues.
Although no legislation has been offered to bring back the regulation, which was scrapped in 1987, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and other Republicans have been mounting a pre-emptive attack in recent weeks. They argue that a return to the old rule would give the government too much power in regulating content. The House recently passed an amendment banning the rule's return.
When Coleman, R-Minn., tried to bring up his amendment Friday to a defense auhtorization bill, Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the Armed Services Committee, objected. Levin's office said he objected because the amendment belonged in the Commerce Committee's jurisdiction, and because it would have taken up time while the Senate was trying to debate Iraq.
The subtext of the debate over the Fairness Doctrine is talk radio's perceived dominance by conservative voices.
In a telephone interview, Coleman said his motivation was to preserve the First Amendment. But he added: "I do have a strong objection to folks wanting to cut off talk radio because it's conservative. Let the people be able to make the choice." Conservatives succeed on talk radio because they have a message that people want to hear, and they're far more entertaining than their dull or whiny counterparts. It's called a result of the free market-something else liberals aren't too fond of.
Although no legislation has been offered to bring back the regulation, which was scrapped in 1987, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and other Republicans have been mounting a pre-emptive attack in recent weeks. They argue that a return to the old rule would give the government too much power in regulating content. The House recently passed an amendment banning the rule's return.
When Coleman, R-Minn., tried to bring up his amendment Friday to a defense auhtorization bill, Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the Armed Services Committee, objected. Levin's office said he objected because the amendment belonged in the Commerce Committee's jurisdiction, and because it would have taken up time while the Senate was trying to debate Iraq.
The subtext of the debate over the Fairness Doctrine is talk radio's perceived dominance by conservative voices.
In a telephone interview, Coleman said his motivation was to preserve the First Amendment. But he added: "I do have a strong objection to folks wanting to cut off talk radio because it's conservative. Let the people be able to make the choice." Conservatives succeed on talk radio because they have a message that people want to hear, and they're far more entertaining than their dull or whiny counterparts. It's called a result of the free market-something else liberals aren't too fond of.
Blobbo: First Buffet, Part II
Fat Bastard is really losing it, and it's such fun to watch. Given Michael Moore's anti-war tendencies, you wouldn't envision him to possess so much rage.
However, following his well-publicized dustup with CNN last week (please see Business and Media Institute reports on the subject here and here), the controversial schlockumentarist has published an open letter threatening the network with reprisals.
Although likely not his intent, Moore's screed was actually funnier than any movie he's made to date.
With that in mind, here are some lowlights for your Saturday entertainment pleasure (emphasis added throughout, h/t Dan Gainor, better remove liquids from your proximity):
I'm about to become your worst nightmare. 'Cause I ain't ever going away. Not until you set the record straight, and apologize to your viewers. "The Most Trusted Name In News?" I think it's safe to say you can retire that slogan.
Honestly, this is so delicious, it's tough to determine where to begin. Well, to paraphrase Zell Miller, what's he going to hit them with-buffalo wings?
However, following his well-publicized dustup with CNN last week (please see Business and Media Institute reports on the subject here and here), the controversial schlockumentarist has published an open letter threatening the network with reprisals.
Although likely not his intent, Moore's screed was actually funnier than any movie he's made to date.
With that in mind, here are some lowlights for your Saturday entertainment pleasure (emphasis added throughout, h/t Dan Gainor, better remove liquids from your proximity):
I'm about to become your worst nightmare. 'Cause I ain't ever going away. Not until you set the record straight, and apologize to your viewers. "The Most Trusted Name In News?" I think it's safe to say you can retire that slogan.
Honestly, this is so delicious, it's tough to determine where to begin. Well, to paraphrase Zell Miller, what's he going to hit them with-buffalo wings?
Die By The Sword
Meanwhile, our "Good friends" continue with their own unique brand of old-fashioned Islamic justice. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia-Rizana Nafeek, a 19-year-old housemaid from Sri Lanka, is on death row because the baby in her care died while she was bottle-feeding him. If her appeal is turned down, she will be taken to a public square to be publicy beheaded.
The Sri Lankan government says it is working for a reprieve, and has until Monday to file the plea. A last-minute pardon by the infant's parents could also spare her. But if her execution goes ahead, it will be the latest in a surge of beheadings that could surpass the kingdom's record of 191 in 2005.
After dropping to 38 last year, the figure for 2007 is already at least 102, including three women, according to Amnesty International. Before anyone says this might be a capitol offense case, I should point out that in Saudi Arabia, like most Islamic countries, you can be put to death for looking at an Imam the wrong way. But at least they're our allies, right?
The Sri Lankan government says it is working for a reprieve, and has until Monday to file the plea. A last-minute pardon by the infant's parents could also spare her. But if her execution goes ahead, it will be the latest in a surge of beheadings that could surpass the kingdom's record of 191 in 2005.
After dropping to 38 last year, the figure for 2007 is already at least 102, including three women, according to Amnesty International. Before anyone says this might be a capitol offense case, I should point out that in Saudi Arabia, like most Islamic countries, you can be put to death for looking at an Imam the wrong way. But at least they're our allies, right?
"Calling All Doctors..."
You'd think they would have learned by now. AN al-Qaeda fanatic jailed for inciting murder online was caught making a website urging terror attacks-from his cell in Britain's most secure prison.
Tariq Al-Daour, 21, used a smuggled mobile phone and modem lead to access the Internet on a laptop issues by the Prison Service to help him prepare his court case.
The laptop was seized after a violent struggle when prison officials suspected he was misusing it and the hate-filled website called Global Jihad was found.
The Home Office has launched an urgent inquiry to discover how the mobile was smuggled into Belmarsh's High Security Unit, which holds the country's most inmates. Bad luck there, eh what? But it was all for being sensitive to his cultural needs. Right, then. Carry on!
Tariq Al-Daour, 21, used a smuggled mobile phone and modem lead to access the Internet on a laptop issues by the Prison Service to help him prepare his court case.
The laptop was seized after a violent struggle when prison officials suspected he was misusing it and the hate-filled website called Global Jihad was found.
The Home Office has launched an urgent inquiry to discover how the mobile was smuggled into Belmarsh's High Security Unit, which holds the country's most inmates. Bad luck there, eh what? But it was all for being sensitive to his cultural needs. Right, then. Carry on!
Welcome To The Renaissance
Real science is fighting back against superstition. The theory of evolution has always been denounced by creationists, who contend that the biblical story of "Genesis" is an accurate account of Earth's geologic and paleontological history and that The Origin of Species is blasphemous. The intelligent design (ID) movement that sprang from creationism in the 1990s gives an even more vague but equally unscientific explanation for natural history, claiming that nature is so complex that only an intelligent being or force could have been responsible for creating it. They, like creationists, argue that humans were never apelike and that children should learn about alternatives to evolution like ID in public school science classes. (No matter that their claims have no scientific basis or that the U.S. Constitution mandates a separation of church and state.)
(snip) "Explore Evolution," funded by a $2.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation, is one of many recent efforts by science museums to counter such resistance to evolution. Curators like Judy Diamond, a professor and durator at the University of Nebraska State Museum, decided the traditional methods of presenting scientific evidence were not working to convince the public of evolution's validity, and came up with a new plan to lure visitors: interactive activities about evolution and lessons on how scientists ply their trade.
"The idea was to teach evolution by meeting real scientists, getting to understand what they do in their work, and then being introduced to evolution through the process of understanding their research," says Diamond, who designed the "Explore Evolution" exhibit. Teaching kids real science, not government-supported fairy tales-what a concept!
(snip) "Explore Evolution," funded by a $2.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation, is one of many recent efforts by science museums to counter such resistance to evolution. Curators like Judy Diamond, a professor and durator at the University of Nebraska State Museum, decided the traditional methods of presenting scientific evidence were not working to convince the public of evolution's validity, and came up with a new plan to lure visitors: interactive activities about evolution and lessons on how scientists ply their trade.
"The idea was to teach evolution by meeting real scientists, getting to understand what they do in their work, and then being introduced to evolution through the process of understanding their research," says Diamond, who designed the "Explore Evolution" exhibit. Teaching kids real science, not government-supported fairy tales-what a concept!
Do The Right Thing
In spite of Bush, some people in the military are actually getting it when it comes to why we're supposed to be the good guys. SAN DIEGO-Perched atop a stack of foot lockers in a spotless barracks, drill instructor Gunnery Sgt. Celestino Casias asks 45 shaven-headed recruits what it takes to be a Marine. "Honor, courage, commitment!" the aspiring fighters shout in unision.
"When you are out there, you are going to be challenged...and it's not just in Iraq or Afghanistan," said Lt. Col. Robert Scott, commander of a recruit battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. "When you are on the horns of a moral dilemma, you need to refer back and think 'What would my senior (drill instructor) do?"
The Marine Corps commandant, Gen. James T. Conway, ordered the initiative in November, and a more rigorous diet of ethics training was introduced in May at the San Diego recruiting depot-one of the service's two training centers for enlistees, gradiationg about 20,000 Marines a year. Honor, courage, commitment. Things that are sadly lacking in the Commander In Chief's office these days.
"When you are out there, you are going to be challenged...and it's not just in Iraq or Afghanistan," said Lt. Col. Robert Scott, commander of a recruit battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. "When you are on the horns of a moral dilemma, you need to refer back and think 'What would my senior (drill instructor) do?"
The Marine Corps commandant, Gen. James T. Conway, ordered the initiative in November, and a more rigorous diet of ethics training was introduced in May at the San Diego recruiting depot-one of the service's two training centers for enlistees, gradiationg about 20,000 Marines a year. Honor, courage, commitment. Things that are sadly lacking in the Commander In Chief's office these days.
Thanks For The Help
OK, now what? BAGHDAD, July 14-Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki declared Saturday that Iraqi forces could secure the country on their own "any time" American troops decided to withdraw, his first response to the White House report this week that found his government failing well short of many political reforms and military goals sought by Congress.
Mr. Maliki has been under attack by American officials and many Iraqi politicians for leading a government mired in disputes and unable to make progress on major legislation seen as crucial to stabilizing the country. Support is growing in Congress for an American troop pullout that would leave Iraqi forces that are already plagued with sectarianism, absenteeism and other problems to battle the Sunni Arab insurgents and Shiite militias that dominate parts of the country. Hey, if he wants it, he can have it. And good riddance.
Mr. Maliki has been under attack by American officials and many Iraqi politicians for leading a government mired in disputes and unable to make progress on major legislation seen as crucial to stabilizing the country. Support is growing in Congress for an American troop pullout that would leave Iraqi forces that are already plagued with sectarianism, absenteeism and other problems to battle the Sunni Arab insurgents and Shiite militias that dominate parts of the country. Hey, if he wants it, he can have it. And good riddance.
Peace Dividend, We Hardly Knew Ye
Uncle Putin continues his march forward into the past. Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended his country's participation in a European arms control treaty dealing with the deployment of conventional forces.
The Kremlin announced Saturday that Mr. Putin signed a decree suspending Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty.
The original treaty was signed in 1990 and was updated in 1999. The CFE limits the number of troops and weapons that NATO and the now-defunct Warsaw Pact can deploy across Europe. Russia has complained that the treaty limits the movement of Russian troops in their own territory. Unfortunately for Europe, Pootie seems to see their territory as including Poland, the Czech Republic and other parts of the Old Empire.
The Kremlin announced Saturday that Mr. Putin signed a decree suspending Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty.
The original treaty was signed in 1990 and was updated in 1999. The CFE limits the number of troops and weapons that NATO and the now-defunct Warsaw Pact can deploy across Europe. Russia has complained that the treaty limits the movement of Russian troops in their own territory. Unfortunately for Europe, Pootie seems to see their territory as including Poland, the Czech Republic and other parts of the Old Empire.
Small Town
Let's hear from the Bushbots how these people are just durn libruls who don't know what they're talking about. TIPTON, Iowa--This farming town in Cedar County buried Army Spec. Aaron Sissel during the Iraq war's ninth month. It buried Army Spec. David W. Behrle during the 51st. Along the way, as a peaceable community's heart sank, its attitude toward President Bush and his Iraq strategy turned more personal and more negative.
(snip) The town, by all accounts, once gave Bush the benefit of the doubt for a war he said would make America safer and a mission he said was accomplished four years before Behrle died. But funeral by funeral, faith in the president and his project to remake Iraq is ebbing away.
Deep into a battle with no visible end, many Republican and Democratic voters here say the cause is no longer clear, the war no longer seems winnable and the costs are too high. After mourning Behrle, 20, and Sissel, 22, Tipton lost its heart for the fight and the president who is vowing to press on.
"It's hitting all around us," said Jim Allen, a salesman and former Bush voter at Fields Mens Wear on the town square. "Once we got there, I thought, 'Let's get it taken care of.' Now it's dragged on and on. It's just every day, you hear of more casualties." These people are feeling the pain of Bush's war. When is he going to feel theirs?
(snip) The town, by all accounts, once gave Bush the benefit of the doubt for a war he said would make America safer and a mission he said was accomplished four years before Behrle died. But funeral by funeral, faith in the president and his project to remake Iraq is ebbing away.
Deep into a battle with no visible end, many Republican and Democratic voters here say the cause is no longer clear, the war no longer seems winnable and the costs are too high. After mourning Behrle, 20, and Sissel, 22, Tipton lost its heart for the fight and the president who is vowing to press on.
"It's hitting all around us," said Jim Allen, a salesman and former Bush voter at Fields Mens Wear on the town square. "Once we got there, I thought, 'Let's get it taken care of.' Now it's dragged on and on. It's just every day, you hear of more casualties." These people are feeling the pain of Bush's war. When is he going to feel theirs?
The Swarm
The State Department is literally bugged these days. WASHINGTON (AP)-As if the insurgency in Iraq and the fight against terrorism wasn't enough, U.S. diplomats are now struggling with a new threat: menacing "killere" wasps that have infested areas around the State Department's headquarters.
Large numbers of the fearsome looking insects, which can grow to about two inches, are congregating in the vicinity of State's Harry S. Truman building and causing distress to employees, according to an internal memorandum obtained by The Associated Press.
These are 'cicada killer' wasps, which, despite their somewhat alarming appearance and name, are generally not aggressive and do not pose a threat to humans," said the notice, which was distributed on Thursday in a bid to ease fears. So, they look scary but basically just sit there, are extremely annoying and won't leave? They sound like the Bush administration.
Large numbers of the fearsome looking insects, which can grow to about two inches, are congregating in the vicinity of State's Harry S. Truman building and causing distress to employees, according to an internal memorandum obtained by The Associated Press.
These are 'cicada killer' wasps, which, despite their somewhat alarming appearance and name, are generally not aggressive and do not pose a threat to humans," said the notice, which was distributed on Thursday in a bid to ease fears. So, they look scary but basically just sit there, are extremely annoying and won't leave? They sound like the Bush administration.
Sex, Drugs, And Stocks To Roll
Don't these guys ever learn?
LOS ANGELES (Reuters)-Federal officials investigating stock-options backdating at Broadcom Corp. are looking into allegations that former Chief Executive Henry Nicholas III used hard drugs and hired prostitutes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles has taken an interest in claims Kenji Koto, a former assistant to Nicholas, made earlier this year as part of a civil lawsuit against Nicholas and several of his companies, the report said, citing people close to the situation.
In court papers, Kato claimed that Nicholas had a deep depenence on cocaine and other drugs, regularly slept with prostitutes and women other than his wife, spiked the drinks of Broadcom customers with ecstasy, and ordered prostitutes for customers while at trade shows in Las Vegas. I think this guy missed his calling. He should have been a TV evangelist, or at least a politician.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters)-Federal officials investigating stock-options backdating at Broadcom Corp. are looking into allegations that former Chief Executive Henry Nicholas III used hard drugs and hired prostitutes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles has taken an interest in claims Kenji Koto, a former assistant to Nicholas, made earlier this year as part of a civil lawsuit against Nicholas and several of his companies, the report said, citing people close to the situation.
In court papers, Kato claimed that Nicholas had a deep depenence on cocaine and other drugs, regularly slept with prostitutes and women other than his wife, spiked the drinks of Broadcom customers with ecstasy, and ordered prostitutes for customers while at trade shows in Las Vegas. I think this guy missed his calling. He should have been a TV evangelist, or at least a politician.
"We'll Save You! No, Really!"
Considering their track record, I don't think this is such a good idea. UNITED NATIONS (Reuters)-The European Union and the United Nations are considering sending troops and police to protect Darfur refugees and other homeless people in neighboring Chad, a senior U.N. official said on Friday.
Stressing that talks were still in the preliminary stage, Jean-Marie Guehenno, the undersecretary-general in charge of peacekeeping, told reporters that the United Nations was studying a U.N. Security Council resolution for Chad.
This would authorize a European military force and a "multidimensional U.N. mission with a strong police component to address the security situation...in the refugee camps and the internally displaced people," he said. I just hope Chad has enough bribe money on hand and the refugees don't mind having sex with guys wearing blue hemets.
Stressing that talks were still in the preliminary stage, Jean-Marie Guehenno, the undersecretary-general in charge of peacekeeping, told reporters that the United Nations was studying a U.N. Security Council resolution for Chad.
This would authorize a European military force and a "multidimensional U.N. mission with a strong police component to address the security situation...in the refugee camps and the internally displaced people," he said. I just hope Chad has enough bribe money on hand and the refugees don't mind having sex with guys wearing blue hemets.
Just Shoot Me
Now this is pretty desperate. The death and destruction of U.S. troops fighting in Iraq seems to have become so rampant to one local soldier that he actually staged an attack on himself-allegedly hiring a hitman to non-fatally shoot him--so he wouldn't be sent back for another tour of duty.
Now, 20-year-old Jonathan Aponte is under fire at home in the Bronx for his decision that may send him to prison.
"There are some people mentally that can handle it. There are some people who just can't. You need to know when to say enough is enough," Aponte told CBS2 HD exclusively Friday. Jeeze, whatever happened to the days of wearing women's clothing to get out?
Now, 20-year-old Jonathan Aponte is under fire at home in the Bronx for his decision that may send him to prison.
"There are some people mentally that can handle it. There are some people who just can't. You need to know when to say enough is enough," Aponte told CBS2 HD exclusively Friday. Jeeze, whatever happened to the days of wearing women's clothing to get out?
The Lesson From China
What do Communists In Name Only know that bloviating American politicians don't? To hear the drumbeat in Washington, you'd think trade barriers are the only way to protect Americans from tainted Chinese products. But the good news is that individual companies and the Chinese government are getting a lesson in free-market branding and quality control that will do more to promote safer products than trade barriers ever will.
Since the melamine-laced pet food scandal hit in March, American consumers have witnessed one Chinese safety problem after another. There have been lead-tainted toys, antifreeze-tainted counterfeit tubes of toothpaste, antibiotic-tainted fish, salmonella-tainted snack foods, and thread-separating tires. And that's nothing compared to what Chinese consumers have faced. Last month brought exposure of fake blood proteins and fungus-tainted baby diapers; this month came word of explosion-prone counterfeit mobile phone batteries.
All of which has politicians calling for new trade restrictions. In response to concerns about fish safety, the Food and Drug Administration recently required testing of all fish imports from China, a regulatory burden so onerous it amounts to a ban. Senator Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.)--of 27.5% punitive tariff fame--has called for creation of an "import czar" to "focus on the rising tide of Chinese goods coming in to the U.S." Other Members of Congress are taking the opportunity to refight the 2000 battle over China's World Trade Organization accession.
This is protectionism masquerading as safety. And it misses the incentives that already exist in the U.S. marketplace for companies to better police their own product lines for quality. If the Chinese want to keep sending us stuff, they'll learn how to clean up their act. Competition breeds demand for safe supplies. Greed and nefarious tampering in the name of cost-cutting can exact a heavy punishment in the free marketplace. Capitalism can solve its own problems if governments don't try too hard to mess it up.
Since the melamine-laced pet food scandal hit in March, American consumers have witnessed one Chinese safety problem after another. There have been lead-tainted toys, antifreeze-tainted counterfeit tubes of toothpaste, antibiotic-tainted fish, salmonella-tainted snack foods, and thread-separating tires. And that's nothing compared to what Chinese consumers have faced. Last month brought exposure of fake blood proteins and fungus-tainted baby diapers; this month came word of explosion-prone counterfeit mobile phone batteries.
All of which has politicians calling for new trade restrictions. In response to concerns about fish safety, the Food and Drug Administration recently required testing of all fish imports from China, a regulatory burden so onerous it amounts to a ban. Senator Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.)--of 27.5% punitive tariff fame--has called for creation of an "import czar" to "focus on the rising tide of Chinese goods coming in to the U.S." Other Members of Congress are taking the opportunity to refight the 2000 battle over China's World Trade Organization accession.
This is protectionism masquerading as safety. And it misses the incentives that already exist in the U.S. marketplace for companies to better police their own product lines for quality. If the Chinese want to keep sending us stuff, they'll learn how to clean up their act. Competition breeds demand for safe supplies. Greed and nefarious tampering in the name of cost-cutting can exact a heavy punishment in the free marketplace. Capitalism can solve its own problems if governments don't try too hard to mess it up.
McCain's Deal With The Devil
When you get hoisted by your own petard, do you really have a right to complain?
John McCain's campaign fell into disarray this week, kicked off by the news it had raised a scant $24 million so far. Mark these money woes down to any number of problems, but don't entirely discount the McCain-Feingold effect.
Let's stipulate that most of the good senator's troubles stem from high-profile policy disagreements he's had with his own base. He's tweaked noses on global warming and slapped faces on immigration. His admirable decision to stand strong on Iraq has been undermined by his tendency to stand weak on national security issues such as interrogations and enemy combatants. And economic conservatives just don't trust a guy who won't admit that cutting taxes is good.
Yet while each of these issues has undoubtedly taken its financial toll, Mr. McCain has labored under yet one more burdon: McCain-Feingold. He was the prime author of that 2002 law, which took direct aim at his own party and its activists, making it harder for them to collect money, register voters and voice opinions about candidates. It left the very people so vital to a campaign in its early stages--those who write checks, knock on doors, turn out for primaries--furious with him. Talks with party officials and activists today suggest that hostility remains, and has played into his money difficulties. It might have sounded like a good idea at the time-"Let's use this to get 'dirty money' out of politics!"-but McCain made his own bed with CFR and is now discovering how uncomfortable it is to sleep in.
John McCain's campaign fell into disarray this week, kicked off by the news it had raised a scant $24 million so far. Mark these money woes down to any number of problems, but don't entirely discount the McCain-Feingold effect.
Let's stipulate that most of the good senator's troubles stem from high-profile policy disagreements he's had with his own base. He's tweaked noses on global warming and slapped faces on immigration. His admirable decision to stand strong on Iraq has been undermined by his tendency to stand weak on national security issues such as interrogations and enemy combatants. And economic conservatives just don't trust a guy who won't admit that cutting taxes is good.
Yet while each of these issues has undoubtedly taken its financial toll, Mr. McCain has labored under yet one more burdon: McCain-Feingold. He was the prime author of that 2002 law, which took direct aim at his own party and its activists, making it harder for them to collect money, register voters and voice opinions about candidates. It left the very people so vital to a campaign in its early stages--those who write checks, knock on doors, turn out for primaries--furious with him. Talks with party officials and activists today suggest that hostility remains, and has played into his money difficulties. It might have sounded like a good idea at the time-"Let's use this to get 'dirty money' out of politics!"-but McCain made his own bed with CFR and is now discovering how uncomfortable it is to sleep in.
Friday, July 13, 2007
When Cops Attack
With friends like these, who needs al Qaeda?
BAGHDAD-U.S. Forces battled Iraqi police and gunmen Friday, killing six policemen, after an American raid captured an Iraqi police lieutenant accused of leading a cell of Shiite militiamen, the military said. Seven gunmen also died in the fight.
U.S. and Iraqi authorities have arrested members of the police forces in the past for militia links, but Friday's violence was a rare open street battle between American troops and policemen. Cleaning the police of militants is one of the political reforms sought by Washington, though the Bush administration said in an assessment Thursday of the benchmarks that progress in the purge is "unsatisfactory."
U.S. troops captured the lieutenant in a pre-dawn raid in eastern Baghdad, but the soldiers came under "heavy and accurate fire" from a nearby Iraqi police checkpoint, as well as intense fire from rooftops and a church, the military said in a statement. I'm going to tak a wild guess and say that the fire was accurate because we trained these Shiite-heads. Nice, huh?
BAGHDAD-U.S. Forces battled Iraqi police and gunmen Friday, killing six policemen, after an American raid captured an Iraqi police lieutenant accused of leading a cell of Shiite militiamen, the military said. Seven gunmen also died in the fight.
U.S. and Iraqi authorities have arrested members of the police forces in the past for militia links, but Friday's violence was a rare open street battle between American troops and policemen. Cleaning the police of militants is one of the political reforms sought by Washington, though the Bush administration said in an assessment Thursday of the benchmarks that progress in the purge is "unsatisfactory."
U.S. troops captured the lieutenant in a pre-dawn raid in eastern Baghdad, but the soldiers came under "heavy and accurate fire" from a nearby Iraqi police checkpoint, as well as intense fire from rooftops and a church, the military said in a statement. I'm going to tak a wild guess and say that the fire was accurate because we trained these Shiite-heads. Nice, huh?
So Where's Bullwinkle?
I demand that our rodents be released! Iranian intelligence operatives recently detained over a dozen squirrels found within the nation's borders, claiming the rodents were serving as spies for Western powers determined to undermine the Islamic Republic.
"In recent weeks, intelligence operatives have arrested 14 squirrels within Iran's borders," state-sponsored news agency IRNA reported. "The squirrels were carrying spy gear of foreign agencies, and were stopped before they could act, thanks to the alertness of our intelligence services."
Iranian police commander Esmaeil Ahmadi-Moqadam confirmed the report, saying that a number of squirrels had been caught bearing foreign spy gear within Iran's borders. "As always, if you or any of your fellow squirrels are caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds."
"In recent weeks, intelligence operatives have arrested 14 squirrels within Iran's borders," state-sponsored news agency IRNA reported. "The squirrels were carrying spy gear of foreign agencies, and were stopped before they could act, thanks to the alertness of our intelligence services."
Iranian police commander Esmaeil Ahmadi-Moqadam confirmed the report, saying that a number of squirrels had been caught bearing foreign spy gear within Iran's borders. "As always, if you or any of your fellow squirrels are caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds."
America's Albatross
Bill O'Reilly sums up why Iraq has turned Bush into Don Quixote.
President Bush held a press conference Thursday trying to persuade Americans to hand in there on Iraq. The president has a very tough road on that one.
All the polls show most Americans do not believe the war is going well and want it to wind down, feeling the effort is not worth much more American blood and treasure.
The president's argument for sustaining the war is largely theoretical and he is correct: A defeat in Iraq would harm the United States and coould lead to a greater conflict down the road.
But there comes a time when enough's enough. The U.S. military did not lose the Vietnam War, the country just became exhaused by it and a deal was made to get out of there. Same thing is happening in Iraq. After four years many Americans are just sick of it.
Doesn't help the Iraqi government is incompetent and the people themselves larely ungrateful. A poll taken by D3 Systems asked Iraqis if they supported the coalition. Just six percent "strongly support" it. Sixteen percent "somewhat support" our efforts, 32 percent "somewhat oppose us and a whopping 46 percent of Iraqis "strongly oppose" the coalition.
Numbers like that many Americans say "See ya." Welcome to the end game, folks.
President Bush held a press conference Thursday trying to persuade Americans to hand in there on Iraq. The president has a very tough road on that one.
All the polls show most Americans do not believe the war is going well and want it to wind down, feeling the effort is not worth much more American blood and treasure.
The president's argument for sustaining the war is largely theoretical and he is correct: A defeat in Iraq would harm the United States and coould lead to a greater conflict down the road.
But there comes a time when enough's enough. The U.S. military did not lose the Vietnam War, the country just became exhaused by it and a deal was made to get out of there. Same thing is happening in Iraq. After four years many Americans are just sick of it.
Doesn't help the Iraqi government is incompetent and the people themselves larely ungrateful. A poll taken by D3 Systems asked Iraqis if they supported the coalition. Just six percent "strongly support" it. Sixteen percent "somewhat support" our efforts, 32 percent "somewhat oppose us and a whopping 46 percent of Iraqis "strongly oppose" the coalition.
Numbers like that many Americans say "See ya." Welcome to the end game, folks.
Also Rans Need Not Apply
Well, considering the source, what did he expect? Top campaign officials for Ohio Congressman and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich tonight expressed outrage that rival candidates Hillary Clinton and John Edwards were overheard collaborating on a strategy to eliminate other Democratic candidates from future debates and forums.
According the the Associated Press, Fox News Channel microphones picked up Clinton and Edwards on stage discussing their desire to limit future joint appearances to exclude some rivals lower in the crowded field. "We should try to have a more serious and smaller group," Edwards said into Clinton's ear following a Presidential Forum in Detroit hosted by the NAACP on Thursday.
Clinton agreed with Edwards, according to print reports and video footage of the exchange. "We've got to cut the number...They're not serious," she said. Clinton added that she thought representatives of her campaign and Edwards' had already tried to limit the debates, and "we've gotta get back into it," according to the AP.
"Candidates, no matter how important or influential they perceive themselves to be, do not have and should not have the power to determine who is allowed to speak to the American people and who is not," said Kucinich. Why not let the fringe fall on their own? Why risk losing the important Hobbit vote?
According the the Associated Press, Fox News Channel microphones picked up Clinton and Edwards on stage discussing their desire to limit future joint appearances to exclude some rivals lower in the crowded field. "We should try to have a more serious and smaller group," Edwards said into Clinton's ear following a Presidential Forum in Detroit hosted by the NAACP on Thursday.
Clinton agreed with Edwards, according to print reports and video footage of the exchange. "We've got to cut the number...They're not serious," she said. Clinton added that she thought representatives of her campaign and Edwards' had already tried to limit the debates, and "we've gotta get back into it," according to the AP.
"Candidates, no matter how important or influential they perceive themselves to be, do not have and should not have the power to determine who is allowed to speak to the American people and who is not," said Kucinich. Why not let the fringe fall on their own? Why risk losing the important Hobbit vote?
Calling Mr. Cheney
Huh. Why not?
I've previously suggested a subpoena to Scooter Libby, demanding that he tell what he knows about how the decision was made to wreck Valerie Plame Wilson's career. But the latest polling suggests an even bigger target: Dick Cheney himself.
First, he's the least popular member of the Bush Gang, which is saying quite a lot. I'm not sure whether he's more popular than the Unabomber, but it must be a close call.
Second, he has no Constitutional function except presideing over the Senate and (in Tom Lehrer's immortal phrase) waiting for the phone to ring. There is absolutely no basis in history, law, or logic for the claim that the Vice President can't be subpoenaed before the Congress.
Well, logic and the law never stopped Team Bush before, so I'm sure they would think of something.Winston Who?
And you thought our educational system was screwed up. Secondary schools will strip back the traditional curriculum in favour of lessons on debt management, the environment and healthy eating, ministers revealed.
Even Winston Churchill no longer merits a mention after a drastic slimming-down of the syllabus to create more space for "modern" issues.
Along with Hitler, Ghandi, Stalin and Martin Luther King, the former prime minister has been dropped from a list of key figures to be mentioned in history teaching.
This means pupils may no longer hear about his stirring speeches during the Second World War, when he told Parliament that defeating Hitler would be Britain's "finest hour". Welcome to the Ministry of Truth, kids. Enjoy your stay, and be sure to thank Big Brother for preparing you for your future roles in the Great Welfare State.
Even Winston Churchill no longer merits a mention after a drastic slimming-down of the syllabus to create more space for "modern" issues.
Along with Hitler, Ghandi, Stalin and Martin Luther King, the former prime minister has been dropped from a list of key figures to be mentioned in history teaching.
This means pupils may no longer hear about his stirring speeches during the Second World War, when he told Parliament that defeating Hitler would be Britain's "finest hour". Welcome to the Ministry of Truth, kids. Enjoy your stay, and be sure to thank Big Brother for preparing you for your future roles in the Great Welfare State.
Make Love, Not Money
There's isolationism and tradition, and then there's free will combined with technology and capitalism. "My people are changing due to development," explains Pedro Edmunds, the democratically elected mayor of Chile's Easter Island. "The people are getting more and more indivudual-thinking-and it's not good."
Edmunds has presided over the Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, for 15 years, and his proclamations about 'his people' have the air of a tin-pot dictator growing increasingly detached. The Island, totaling just 63 square miles, lies 2,200 miles west of Chile in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but modern technology has dispensed with its former isolation, and Edmunds is concerned. "There's something we need to keep, to protect-that is, the magic of this island...the people being lovable and friendly," he told me, leaning back under a painting of a mighty Rapa Nui tribesman. "I grew up on an island where selfishness didn't exist.
This would-be kinglet boasts that he can trace his own ancestry back to one of the centuries-old stone heads, or moai, on the island, and he's determined that any changes to come will happen only under the auspices of "a master plan." Asked if he thinks that such a plan can possibly please everyone, he laughs: "My dear, we can never satisfy people." I can think of a few other places where the leaders claim that selfishness doesn't exist and change is frowned upon. They're called Cuba and North Korea.
Edmunds has presided over the Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, for 15 years, and his proclamations about 'his people' have the air of a tin-pot dictator growing increasingly detached. The Island, totaling just 63 square miles, lies 2,200 miles west of Chile in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but modern technology has dispensed with its former isolation, and Edmunds is concerned. "There's something we need to keep, to protect-that is, the magic of this island...the people being lovable and friendly," he told me, leaning back under a painting of a mighty Rapa Nui tribesman. "I grew up on an island where selfishness didn't exist.
This would-be kinglet boasts that he can trace his own ancestry back to one of the centuries-old stone heads, or moai, on the island, and he's determined that any changes to come will happen only under the auspices of "a master plan." Asked if he thinks that such a plan can possibly please everyone, he laughs: "My dear, we can never satisfy people." I can think of a few other places where the leaders claim that selfishness doesn't exist and change is frowned upon. They're called Cuba and North Korea.
"What Is Your Major Malfunction?"
Marine 1, punk zilch.
DECATUR, Georgia-A former Marine, already irritated about the disappearance of $100 from his bank account, tackled a suspected robber who came into the bank wielding a fire extinguisher and demanding cash.
Timothy Armstead was waiting at the Washington Mutual Bank branch on Tuesday to discuss the missing money when the man came in and told bank employees he had a bomb. The man gave them five minutes to get $2,000 in $50 bills, DeKalb County police said.
As the employee went to the vault to comply, the unidentified man began loudly counting down the minutes, which attracted Armstead's attention, police spokesman Michael Payne said.
When the man tried to walk out with the money, Armstead, 27, knocked him to the ground. He held the man down-lecturing him on his poor decision-until authorities arrived.
"I just told him it was a very stupid decision and now you get to spend 20 years of your life just for taking some money," Armstead told WSB-TV. Stupidity versus Semper Fi. Stupidity will lose every time.
DECATUR, Georgia-A former Marine, already irritated about the disappearance of $100 from his bank account, tackled a suspected robber who came into the bank wielding a fire extinguisher and demanding cash.
Timothy Armstead was waiting at the Washington Mutual Bank branch on Tuesday to discuss the missing money when the man came in and told bank employees he had a bomb. The man gave them five minutes to get $2,000 in $50 bills, DeKalb County police said.
As the employee went to the vault to comply, the unidentified man began loudly counting down the minutes, which attracted Armstead's attention, police spokesman Michael Payne said.
When the man tried to walk out with the money, Armstead, 27, knocked him to the ground. He held the man down-lecturing him on his poor decision-until authorities arrived.
"I just told him it was a very stupid decision and now you get to spend 20 years of your life just for taking some money," Armstead told WSB-TV. Stupidity versus Semper Fi. Stupidity will lose every time.
I Shoot You, You Love Me
Even robbers need a little love.
WASHINGTON-Washington, D.C., police are baffled by an attempted robbery in the Capitol Hill neighborhood that began with a handgun put to the head of a teenager and ended in a group hug.
It started about midnight on June 16 when a group of friends was finishing a dinner of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp on the back patio of a District of Columbia home. That's when a hodded man slid through an open gate and pointed a handgun at the head of a 14-year-old girl.
"Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he said, according to D.C. police and witnesses.
Everyone froze, including the girl's parents. Then one guest spoke.
"We were just finishing dinner," Cristina "Cha Cha" Rowan, 43, told the man. "Why don't you have a glass of wine with us?"
The intruder had a sip of their Chateau Malescot St.-Exupery and said, "Damn, that's good wine."
The girl's father, Michael Rabdau, 51, told the intruder to take the whole glass, and Rowan offered him the whole bottle.
The robber, with his hood down, took another sip and a bite of Camembert cheese. He put the gun in his sweatpants.
The story then turns even more bizzare.
"I think I may have come to the wrong house," he said before apologizing. "Can I get a hug?"
Rowan, who works at her children's school and lives in Falls Church, Va., stood up and wrapped her arms around the armed man. The four other guests followed.
The man walked away a few moments later with the crystal wine glass in hand. Nothing was stolen, and no one was hurt. All you need is love...
WASHINGTON-Washington, D.C., police are baffled by an attempted robbery in the Capitol Hill neighborhood that began with a handgun put to the head of a teenager and ended in a group hug.
It started about midnight on June 16 when a group of friends was finishing a dinner of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp on the back patio of a District of Columbia home. That's when a hodded man slid through an open gate and pointed a handgun at the head of a 14-year-old girl.
"Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he said, according to D.C. police and witnesses.
Everyone froze, including the girl's parents. Then one guest spoke.
"We were just finishing dinner," Cristina "Cha Cha" Rowan, 43, told the man. "Why don't you have a glass of wine with us?"
The intruder had a sip of their Chateau Malescot St.-Exupery and said, "Damn, that's good wine."
The girl's father, Michael Rabdau, 51, told the intruder to take the whole glass, and Rowan offered him the whole bottle.
The robber, with his hood down, took another sip and a bite of Camembert cheese. He put the gun in his sweatpants.
The story then turns even more bizzare.
"I think I may have come to the wrong house," he said before apologizing. "Can I get a hug?"
Rowan, who works at her children's school and lives in Falls Church, Va., stood up and wrapped her arms around the armed man. The four other guests followed.
The man walked away a few moments later with the crystal wine glass in hand. Nothing was stolen, and no one was hurt. All you need is love...
Fuzzy Wuzzy Was Well Endowed
Because you're never too young. The Red Robin restaurant chain is taking action after a Twin Cities family won a bear with an ad for Viagra at one of its restaurants.
Joe Kelner, 11, won a bear while playing the claw machine at the Red Robin in Shoreview.
Joe's parents thought it was inappropriate and complained to restaurant employees.
"It's important for parents to know that there are maybe inappropriate toys in these vending machines that you think are safe," Lori Kelner said. The vendor was going to add a Bob Dole doll to go along with the bear, but decided it would scare the kids too much.
Joe Kelner, 11, won a bear while playing the claw machine at the Red Robin in Shoreview.
Joe's parents thought it was inappropriate and complained to restaurant employees.
"It's important for parents to know that there are maybe inappropriate toys in these vending machines that you think are safe," Lori Kelner said. The vendor was going to add a Bob Dole doll to go along with the bear, but decided it would scare the kids too much.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Eyesores For Mother Earth
Go green! Just make sure it's not ugly. In neighborhoods across the country, there's a battle brewing: the environmentalists vs. the aesthetes.
As "green"-minded homeowners move to put in new energy-efficient windows, solar panels and light-reflecting roofs, they are bumping up against neighbors and local boards that object, saying the additions defy historic-district regulations, will look ugly or damage property values.
In Arizona, a man was recently ordered by his homeowner's association to take down a solar water-heating device from his roof or face a daily fine. In upstate New York, neighbors fought the installation of a wind turbine tower on a resident's 11-acre property, delaying the project by nearly a year. Even former vice president and outspoken environmental advocate Al Gore had trouble getting solar panels and a geotherman unit approved for his Nashville home. A local zoning board initially wouldn't coniser the application for the solar panels. It then took an appeal, several redesigns and a property inspection before they were approved eight months later. (The community recently revised its ordinance to allow the devices.) Oh, the price of being trendy-cool environmentalists versus cool neighborhood preservationists. Of course there's always nuclear power-but nah, it's been too icky for decades.
As "green"-minded homeowners move to put in new energy-efficient windows, solar panels and light-reflecting roofs, they are bumping up against neighbors and local boards that object, saying the additions defy historic-district regulations, will look ugly or damage property values.
In Arizona, a man was recently ordered by his homeowner's association to take down a solar water-heating device from his roof or face a daily fine. In upstate New York, neighbors fought the installation of a wind turbine tower on a resident's 11-acre property, delaying the project by nearly a year. Even former vice president and outspoken environmental advocate Al Gore had trouble getting solar panels and a geotherman unit approved for his Nashville home. A local zoning board initially wouldn't coniser the application for the solar panels. It then took an appeal, several redesigns and a property inspection before they were approved eight months later. (The community recently revised its ordinance to allow the devices.) Oh, the price of being trendy-cool environmentalists versus cool neighborhood preservationists. Of course there's always nuclear power-but nah, it's been too icky for decades.
Guys Go Home
Because it's ladies' night, and the lawsuit's right, oh what a fight! Clubs and bars have been luring women to their establishments with lower fees and shorter waits for decades, but a recent lawsuit claims that the practice is unconstitutional.
New York attorney Roy Den Hollaner, a solo practitionere for more than 15 years who deals primarily with civil litigation and corporate governmance, has filed a class action against certain Manhattan nightclubs for "invidious discrimination" against men in their policies for admitting patrons.
Hollander is seeking a declaratory judgement that would clarify whether nightclubs' policies consist of "state action" due to their regulation by the state's Division of Alchoholic Beverage Control, and consequently are subject to liability persuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983, which allows civil action for deprivation of rights by persons acting under the color of state law. Hollander v. Copacabana Nightclub, 1:2007 CV 5873. A case management and scheduling conference has been set for Oct. 11. Damn straight. Because every guy should have the same right as a bunch of drunk women to throw his bra and cash at a guy dressed like Zorro!
New York attorney Roy Den Hollaner, a solo practitionere for more than 15 years who deals primarily with civil litigation and corporate governmance, has filed a class action against certain Manhattan nightclubs for "invidious discrimination" against men in their policies for admitting patrons.
Hollander is seeking a declaratory judgement that would clarify whether nightclubs' policies consist of "state action" due to their regulation by the state's Division of Alchoholic Beverage Control, and consequently are subject to liability persuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983, which allows civil action for deprivation of rights by persons acting under the color of state law. Hollander v. Copacabana Nightclub, 1:2007 CV 5873. A case management and scheduling conference has been set for Oct. 11. Damn straight. Because every guy should have the same right as a bunch of drunk women to throw his bra and cash at a guy dressed like Zorro!
God, Guts And Votes
The Democrats have found God-at least in time for the election. The Democrats are so fired up, you could call them the new Moral Majority. This time, however, the emphasis is as much on the majority as on the morality as they try to frame a message in terms of broadly shared values that don't alarm members of minority religions or secular voters. It has become an article of faith among party leaders that it was sheer stupidity to cede the values debate to Republicans for so long; that most people want to reduce abortion but not criminalize it, protect the earth instead of the auto industry, raise up the least among us; and that a lot of voters care as much about the candidates' principals as about their policies. "What we're seeing," says strategist Mike McCurry, "is a Great Awakening in the Democratic Party."
The revival comes at a time when the entire religious-political landscape is changing shape. A new generation of evangelical leaders is rejecting old labels; now an alliance of religious activists that runs from the crunchy left across to the National Association of Evangelicals has called for action to address global warming, citing the biblical imperative of caring for creation. Mainline, evangelical and Roman Catholic organizations have united to push for immigration reform. The possibility that there is common ground to be colonized by those willing to look for it offers a tantalizing prospect of alliances to come, but only if Democrats can overcome concerns within their party. "One-third gets it," says a Democratic values pioneer, talking about the rank and file. "A second third understands that this can help us win. And another third is positively terrified." Personally I don't think Ms. Clinton or Johnny E are any more sincere about their religious fervor than political buffoons on the right are, but they may be able to take away the one issue that has more or less united the GOP-by focusing on Christianity's message of compassion as policy instead of the kind of fundamentalist nannystating that the religious right is so enamored of, they can portray themselves as God-fearing anti-fundamentalists, which could have a great appeal at a time when the religious right has come to be represented by morons like Ted Haggard and Pat Robertson. And the Dems won't even have to talk about them durn queers to get votes.
The revival comes at a time when the entire religious-political landscape is changing shape. A new generation of evangelical leaders is rejecting old labels; now an alliance of religious activists that runs from the crunchy left across to the National Association of Evangelicals has called for action to address global warming, citing the biblical imperative of caring for creation. Mainline, evangelical and Roman Catholic organizations have united to push for immigration reform. The possibility that there is common ground to be colonized by those willing to look for it offers a tantalizing prospect of alliances to come, but only if Democrats can overcome concerns within their party. "One-third gets it," says a Democratic values pioneer, talking about the rank and file. "A second third understands that this can help us win. And another third is positively terrified." Personally I don't think Ms. Clinton or Johnny E are any more sincere about their religious fervor than political buffoons on the right are, but they may be able to take away the one issue that has more or less united the GOP-by focusing on Christianity's message of compassion as policy instead of the kind of fundamentalist nannystating that the religious right is so enamored of, they can portray themselves as God-fearing anti-fundamentalists, which could have a great appeal at a time when the religious right has come to be represented by morons like Ted Haggard and Pat Robertson. And the Dems won't even have to talk about them durn queers to get votes.
One Nation, Under Idiocy
American zealots aren't as bad as Islamofascists, right? Of course not! WASHINGTON (Reuters)-Three protesters disrupted a prayer by a Hindu chaplain on thursday at the opening of a U.S. Senate hearing, calling it an abomination and shouting slogans about Jesus Christ.
It was the first time the daily prayer that opens Senate proceedings was said by a Hindu chaplain.
Capitol police said two women and one man were arrested and charged with causing a disruption in the public gallery of the Senate. The three started shouting when guest Chaplain Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Nevada, began his prayer.
They shouted "No Lord but Jesus Christ" and "There's only one true God," and used the term "abomination." I'm shocked. They knew how to spell "Abomination?"
It was the first time the daily prayer that opens Senate proceedings was said by a Hindu chaplain.
Capitol police said two women and one man were arrested and charged with causing a disruption in the public gallery of the Senate. The three started shouting when guest Chaplain Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Nevada, began his prayer.
They shouted "No Lord but Jesus Christ" and "There's only one true God," and used the term "abomination." I'm shocked. They knew how to spell "Abomination?"
Cardboard-It's What's For Dinner
Now this gives new meaning to the term "Box meal."
BEIJING-Chopped cardboard, softened with an industrial chemical and flavored with fatty port and powdered seasoning, is a main ingredient in the batches of steamed buns sold in one Beijing neighborhood, state television said.
The report, aired late Wednesday on China Central Television, highlights the country's problems with food safety despite government efforts to improve the situation.
Countless small, often illegally run operations exist across China and make money cutting corners by using inexpensive ingredients or unsavory subsitutes. They are almost impossible to regulate. Heck, we've been using cardboard food for years. It's called Domino's Pizza.
BEIJING-Chopped cardboard, softened with an industrial chemical and flavored with fatty port and powdered seasoning, is a main ingredient in the batches of steamed buns sold in one Beijing neighborhood, state television said.
The report, aired late Wednesday on China Central Television, highlights the country's problems with food safety despite government efforts to improve the situation.
Countless small, often illegally run operations exist across China and make money cutting corners by using inexpensive ingredients or unsavory subsitutes. They are almost impossible to regulate. Heck, we've been using cardboard food for years. It's called Domino's Pizza.
No More Luchre For You
Darn. All that bribe money gone to waste.
The United Nations Development Program, already mired in controversy for its dealings with North Korea, now faces another scandal involving the people who spend its $5.2 billion annual budget-and shit down its computerized financial management system yesterday when confronted by FOX News about their activities.
The new scandal invilves UNPD's headquarters financial unit, where checks are signed and purchase orders are approved for its sprawling operations world-wide.
Since the last week of June, FOX News has learned, investigators from the United Nations' watchdog Office of Internal Oversight Services, or OIOS, have been probing the financial unit for evidence of hiring irregularities and violations of UNPD financial rules. I guess getting kickbacks from Lil' Kim wasn't worth it, after all.
The United Nations Development Program, already mired in controversy for its dealings with North Korea, now faces another scandal involving the people who spend its $5.2 billion annual budget-and shit down its computerized financial management system yesterday when confronted by FOX News about their activities.
The new scandal invilves UNPD's headquarters financial unit, where checks are signed and purchase orders are approved for its sprawling operations world-wide.
Since the last week of June, FOX News has learned, investigators from the United Nations' watchdog Office of Internal Oversight Services, or OIOS, have been probing the financial unit for evidence of hiring irregularities and violations of UNPD financial rules. I guess getting kickbacks from Lil' Kim wasn't worth it, after all.
Sharing The Misery
Fidel Castro wants to know why everybody's not equal under the Revolution. HAVANA: Fidel Castro said Wednesday the island's communist system has become plagued by "irritating inequalities and priveleges" that have left the poor bitter and angry.
Turning a more critical eye on Cuban life than he has since falling ill and giving up power almost a year ago, the 80-year-old Castro said in an essay published in state-run newspapers "we are not a consumer society."
Bue he bemoaned that some Cubans use foreign currency senf from relatives abroad or brought to the island by tourists to set up illegal sources of profit. This while they continue to enjoy ration cards, free housing and health care and other social services. "We are not a consumer society". Hmm, call me crazy, but that could be it, right there.
Turning a more critical eye on Cuban life than he has since falling ill and giving up power almost a year ago, the 80-year-old Castro said in an essay published in state-run newspapers "we are not a consumer society."
Bue he bemoaned that some Cubans use foreign currency senf from relatives abroad or brought to the island by tourists to set up illegal sources of profit. This while they continue to enjoy ration cards, free housing and health care and other social services. "We are not a consumer society". Hmm, call me crazy, but that could be it, right there.
Max Headcam
Every breath you take, they'll be watching you. Police officers in the UK are to be given head-mounted video cameras to film incidents and arrests, the footage of which can then be used in evidence.
The Home Office is to give police 3 million to fund a national roll-out of head cameras after regional trials proved they were successful in fighting crime, the Government has announced.
The move, announced by Minister of State for Police, Crime, Security and Counterterrorism Tony McNulty, comes after an evaluation of a pilot project in Plymouth by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. At this rate there will be two or three cameras for every person in the UK. Privacy will be a thing of the past, but hey, as long as our cousins across the Pond feel safe, eh what?
The Home Office is to give police 3 million to fund a national roll-out of head cameras after regional trials proved they were successful in fighting crime, the Government has announced.
The move, announced by Minister of State for Police, Crime, Security and Counterterrorism Tony McNulty, comes after an evaluation of a pilot project in Plymouth by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. At this rate there will be two or three cameras for every person in the UK. Privacy will be a thing of the past, but hey, as long as our cousins across the Pond feel safe, eh what?
The Cost Of Being Mikey
Heh. This is pretty good. LITTLE ROCK (AP)-The producer of Michael Moore's documentary on the nation's health-care system "Sicko," suggests that Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's criticism of the filmmaker may be motivated more by his need for campaign funds than his concerns for America's health.
The former Arkansas governor told reporteers in a conference call Wednesday that he hasn't seen and probably won't see Moore's documentary "Sicko," which calls for an overhaul of America's health care system.
"Frankly, Michael Moore is an example of why the health care system costs so much in this country. He clearly is one of the reasons that we have a very expensive system. I know that from my own personal expeience," said Huckabee, who lost more than 110 pounds and became an avid runner after he was diagnosed with diabetes. Frankly, I don't see Mikey learning to take care of himself any time soon. The only running he's ever done is to the buffet table for more fried chicken.
The former Arkansas governor told reporteers in a conference call Wednesday that he hasn't seen and probably won't see Moore's documentary "Sicko," which calls for an overhaul of America's health care system.
"Frankly, Michael Moore is an example of why the health care system costs so much in this country. He clearly is one of the reasons that we have a very expensive system. I know that from my own personal expeience," said Huckabee, who lost more than 110 pounds and became an avid runner after he was diagnosed with diabetes. Frankly, I don't see Mikey learning to take care of himself any time soon. The only running he's ever done is to the buffet table for more fried chicken.
God Hates Steve Jobs
Wow, maybe you really are listening to the Devil's music. Listen to an iPod during a storm and you may get more than electrifying tunes. A Canadian jogger suffered wishbone-shaped chest and neck burns, ruptured eardrums and a broken jaw while listening to his iPod while mowing the lawn.
Last summer, a Colorado teen ended up with similar injuries when lightning struck nearby as he was listening to his iPod while mosing the lawn.
Emergency physicians report treating other patients with burns from freak accidents while using personal electronic devices such as beepers, Walkman players and laptop computers outdoors during storms. Well, eff you, Ben Franklin. (Anyone who's ever seen the Final Destination movies will get the reference).
Last summer, a Colorado teen ended up with similar injuries when lightning struck nearby as he was listening to his iPod while mosing the lawn.
Emergency physicians report treating other patients with burns from freak accidents while using personal electronic devices such as beepers, Walkman players and laptop computers outdoors during storms. Well, eff you, Ben Franklin. (Anyone who's ever seen the Final Destination movies will get the reference).
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
The Case Of The Red-Faced Elephant
It goes without saying that, even without Iraq, the GOP has plenty of bullets to shoot itself in the foot with. Embarrassment for the GOP was entertainment for many others, as people in Washington and around the nation chortled over the latest stubbed toe for a crowd that took power, and held it, in large measure by decrying the decay of traditional values and by issuing censourious attacks on the personal failings of political rivals.
Beyond the chortling, however, the Vitter scandal is a small piece of a much more significant development: The demoralized state of the social conservative movement on the brink of the 2008 election.
"It's the hypocrisy that people can't stand," said Michael Cromartie, a social conservative himself who chaired the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom under President Bush. "It's not the fact that people are frail and given to sinful behavior. It's when they try to pretend to be morally upright and end up being self-righteous because they preach one thing and live another." But, if they weren't hypocrites, they wouldn't be able to lie with such efficiency. If you're going to run around saying how much you hate sex, make sure you're not, well, running around.
Beyond the chortling, however, the Vitter scandal is a small piece of a much more significant development: The demoralized state of the social conservative movement on the brink of the 2008 election.
"It's the hypocrisy that people can't stand," said Michael Cromartie, a social conservative himself who chaired the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom under President Bush. "It's not the fact that people are frail and given to sinful behavior. It's when they try to pretend to be morally upright and end up being self-righteous because they preach one thing and live another." But, if they weren't hypocrites, they wouldn't be able to lie with such efficiency. If you're going to run around saying how much you hate sex, make sure you're not, well, running around.
Dark Skies
Even if a Republican manages to win the White House next year, he may be a very lonely occupant. How low can you go? A recent Gallup poll showdd that only 24 percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing. Even fewer, 14 percent, have confidence in the institution. Some Republicans have seized on Congress's low numbers to argue that voters are generally in a foul mood toward both parties, not just President Bush and Republicans.
But this kind of logic is wishful thinking. The public may not think much of Congress, but it is leaning strongly in the Democratic direction. If this mood persists through Election Day, Republicans may be looking at a Democratic president and increased margins in both chambers.
What explain's Congress's low standing? First, the public has dongraded its opinion of nearly all institutions. Only roughly 20 percent of Americans believe that America is on the right track, even fewer than in November 2006. A recent Harris poll showed that compared to 200, the public has less confidence in the press, medicine, major companies and Congress.
(snip) The public also prefers Democrats to control Congress as opposed to Republicans by 10 to 15 percentage points, and prefers a generic Democrat to a generic Republican in the White House by even larger margins. Even the individual presidential general election match-up numbers have slipped significantly. Not too long ago, Republicans could have claimed that while the overall atmosphere did not favor them, at least Rudy Giuliani and John McCain beat leading Democrats in head-to-head polling. Today, Rudy Giuliani is at best even and often trails both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in head-to-head polls. Mitt Romney, John McCain and Fred Thompson all trail the leading Democrats.
(snip) But with such negative numbers, Republicans should also worry about further losses in the House. It is true that many republicans in marginal districts lost in 2006 and that some weak Democratic challengers were swept in by the tide. But the overall poor climate for Republicans is partly a self-fulfilling prophecy. It will no doubt hurt candidate recruitment. If you are a viable Republican looking to take on a Democratic incumbent, it is not hard to imagine thinking that this might not be your party's year and waiting for a better opportunity down the line. Welcome to the end result of a wasted Republican Revolution. But hey, at least they tried to keep those durn homos from marrying.
But this kind of logic is wishful thinking. The public may not think much of Congress, but it is leaning strongly in the Democratic direction. If this mood persists through Election Day, Republicans may be looking at a Democratic president and increased margins in both chambers.
What explain's Congress's low standing? First, the public has dongraded its opinion of nearly all institutions. Only roughly 20 percent of Americans believe that America is on the right track, even fewer than in November 2006. A recent Harris poll showed that compared to 200, the public has less confidence in the press, medicine, major companies and Congress.
(snip) The public also prefers Democrats to control Congress as opposed to Republicans by 10 to 15 percentage points, and prefers a generic Democrat to a generic Republican in the White House by even larger margins. Even the individual presidential general election match-up numbers have slipped significantly. Not too long ago, Republicans could have claimed that while the overall atmosphere did not favor them, at least Rudy Giuliani and John McCain beat leading Democrats in head-to-head polling. Today, Rudy Giuliani is at best even and often trails both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in head-to-head polls. Mitt Romney, John McCain and Fred Thompson all trail the leading Democrats.
(snip) But with such negative numbers, Republicans should also worry about further losses in the House. It is true that many republicans in marginal districts lost in 2006 and that some weak Democratic challengers were swept in by the tide. But the overall poor climate for Republicans is partly a self-fulfilling prophecy. It will no doubt hurt candidate recruitment. If you are a viable Republican looking to take on a Democratic incumbent, it is not hard to imagine thinking that this might not be your party's year and waiting for a better opportunity down the line. Welcome to the end result of a wasted Republican Revolution. But hey, at least they tried to keep those durn homos from marrying.
The Spirit Of '72
Well he ought to know. For Democrats of a certain age, there is no figure more haunting than George McGovern, who ran for president pleading, "Come home, America," but instead was sent home himself with just 38 percent of the vote.
Among those who worry that the lessons of 1972 may still spell trouble for Democrats in 2008 is none other than...George McGovern. He is 84 now, is as opposed to the Iraq war as he was to the one in Vietnam--and is paying close attention to the race for president.
"I'm not sure that an anti-war Democrat can win," McGovern said in an interview. "We haven't proved that yet."
"Some people point to the fact that the war in Vietnam was dreadfully unpopular," he said, "but that when I came out for an immediate withdrawal, it helped me win the nomination but not the general election. And there may be some truth to that." Well, at least he's honest. If history does repeat itself, that may mean that we'll get our version of Carter in 2012. I can be as nostalgic as the next guy, but I don't want to relive the Seventies that much.
Among those who worry that the lessons of 1972 may still spell trouble for Democrats in 2008 is none other than...George McGovern. He is 84 now, is as opposed to the Iraq war as he was to the one in Vietnam--and is paying close attention to the race for president.
"I'm not sure that an anti-war Democrat can win," McGovern said in an interview. "We haven't proved that yet."
"Some people point to the fact that the war in Vietnam was dreadfully unpopular," he said, "but that when I came out for an immediate withdrawal, it helped me win the nomination but not the general election. And there may be some truth to that." Well, at least he's honest. If history does repeat itself, that may mean that we'll get our version of Carter in 2012. I can be as nostalgic as the next guy, but I don't want to relive the Seventies that much.
For A Few Lobbyists More
Maybe this is why McCain is in the financial doghouse.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) built a name for himself fighting to reduce the influence lobbyists have over Washington. Now his 2008 presidential ambitions may rest with a handful of lobbyists.
After a disappointing first-quarter fundraising effort, McCain put two lobbyists-Tom Loeffler and Wayne Berman-in charge of raising cash for his campaign. This week, after burning through campaign cash in the second quarter, he moved another lobbyist--Richard Davis--into the role of campaign manager.
In effect, that means lobbyists now both raise and spend McCain's campaign cash, fundamentally tying the most recognizeable name in campaign finance reform to Washington's money complex. You live by reform, you die by reform. It's kind of tough to call your ride the Straight Talk Express when you have to hire so many people to try and sell tickets.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) built a name for himself fighting to reduce the influence lobbyists have over Washington. Now his 2008 presidential ambitions may rest with a handful of lobbyists.
After a disappointing first-quarter fundraising effort, McCain put two lobbyists-Tom Loeffler and Wayne Berman-in charge of raising cash for his campaign. This week, after burning through campaign cash in the second quarter, he moved another lobbyist--Richard Davis--into the role of campaign manager.
In effect, that means lobbyists now both raise and spend McCain's campaign cash, fundamentally tying the most recognizeable name in campaign finance reform to Washington's money complex. You live by reform, you die by reform. It's kind of tough to call your ride the Straight Talk Express when you have to hire so many people to try and sell tickets.
Button Your Lip
There's been more executive privilege posturing from the King. President Bush ordered his former White House counsel, Harriet Miers, to defy a congressional subpoena and refuse to appear Thursday before a House panel investigating U.S. attorney firings.
"Ms. Miers has absolute immunity from compelled congressional testimony as to matters occurring while she was a senior advisor to the president," White House Counsel Fred Fielding wrote in a letter to Miers' lawyer, George T. Manning.
Manning, in turn, notified committee chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., that Miers would not show up Thursday to answer questions about the White House role in the firings of eight federal prosecutors over the winter. Look at it this way, Mr. President-the way things are going, you'll be able to tell Ms. Miers yourself what the Supreme Court is like. You'll be spending enough time in front of them.
"Ms. Miers has absolute immunity from compelled congressional testimony as to matters occurring while she was a senior advisor to the president," White House Counsel Fred Fielding wrote in a letter to Miers' lawyer, George T. Manning.
Manning, in turn, notified committee chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., that Miers would not show up Thursday to answer questions about the White House role in the firings of eight federal prosecutors over the winter. Look at it this way, Mr. President-the way things are going, you'll be able to tell Ms. Miers yourself what the Supreme Court is like. You'll be spending enough time in front of them.
Back For The Attack
So, how's that whole War on Terror thing been going, anyway?
WASHINGTON (AP)-The government has concluded that al-Qaida has rebuilt its operating capability to a level not seen since the summer of 2001, The Associated Press has learned.
A new threat assessment suggests the group that launched the most devastating terrorist attack on the United States has been able to rebuild despite nearly six years of bombings, war and other tactics aimed at crippling it.
Still, numerous government officials say they know of no specific, credible threat of a new attack.
A counterterrosim official familiar with a five-page summary of the new government threat assessment called it a start appraisal that will be discussed at the White House on Thursday as part of a broader meeting on an upcoming National Intelligence Estimate.
The official and others spoke on condition of anonymity because the secret report remains classified.
Counterterroism analysts produced the document, titled "Al-Qaida better positioned to strike the West." The document pays special heed to the terror group's safe haven in Pakistan and makes a range of observations about the threat posed to the United States and its allies, officials said.
Al-Qaida is "considerably operationally stronger than a year ago" and has "regrouped to an extent not seen since 2001," the official said, paraphrasing the report's conclusions. "They are showing greater and greater ability to plan attacks in Europe and the United States."
"But I don't understand. I've been detaining people without charges or trial, leading a half-assed occupation of Iraq, giving the FBI all kinds of new powers and doing all sort of unconstitutional stuff to show people I'm a tough wartime president. And yet these guys are still around? I just don't get it. Yours in Christ, The Decider, George W. Bush."
WASHINGTON (AP)-The government has concluded that al-Qaida has rebuilt its operating capability to a level not seen since the summer of 2001, The Associated Press has learned.
A new threat assessment suggests the group that launched the most devastating terrorist attack on the United States has been able to rebuild despite nearly six years of bombings, war and other tactics aimed at crippling it.
Still, numerous government officials say they know of no specific, credible threat of a new attack.
A counterterrosim official familiar with a five-page summary of the new government threat assessment called it a start appraisal that will be discussed at the White House on Thursday as part of a broader meeting on an upcoming National Intelligence Estimate.
The official and others spoke on condition of anonymity because the secret report remains classified.
Counterterroism analysts produced the document, titled "Al-Qaida better positioned to strike the West." The document pays special heed to the terror group's safe haven in Pakistan and makes a range of observations about the threat posed to the United States and its allies, officials said.
Al-Qaida is "considerably operationally stronger than a year ago" and has "regrouped to an extent not seen since 2001," the official said, paraphrasing the report's conclusions. "They are showing greater and greater ability to plan attacks in Europe and the United States."
"But I don't understand. I've been detaining people without charges or trial, leading a half-assed occupation of Iraq, giving the FBI all kinds of new powers and doing all sort of unconstitutional stuff to show people I'm a tough wartime president. And yet these guys are still around? I just don't get it. Yours in Christ, The Decider, George W. Bush."
Generation Gap
It turns out it was your father's rock and roll, after all. Andy Williams didn't play at Woodstock. He was 41 that summer.
Ray Charles, then 38, wasn't invited either.
And at age 52, Dean Martin certainly wasn't.
So what were Jon Bovi at 45, Madonna at 48, and ex-Pink Floyd Roger Waters, 63, doing at the "Live Earth" concert. Willams, Charles and Martin each had released his signature recording within a few years of Woodstock.
In fact, Pink Floyd's hit-"The Wall"-is as contemporary today as "Chatanooga Choo-Choo" was in 1969.
One reason "Live Earth" was dead last in the TV ratings is the music was irrelevant to the target audience. In fact, music itself is rather irrelevant, what with Video games and You Tube getting more action. There is a reason MTV shows so few videos: Nobody watches them.
The other reason is that Woodstock was not organized by Hubert Humphrey, the immediate past vice president of the United States at the time. Roger Waters as the Dean Martin of his generation. Ouch.
Ray Charles, then 38, wasn't invited either.
And at age 52, Dean Martin certainly wasn't.
So what were Jon Bovi at 45, Madonna at 48, and ex-Pink Floyd Roger Waters, 63, doing at the "Live Earth" concert. Willams, Charles and Martin each had released his signature recording within a few years of Woodstock.
In fact, Pink Floyd's hit-"The Wall"-is as contemporary today as "Chatanooga Choo-Choo" was in 1969.
One reason "Live Earth" was dead last in the TV ratings is the music was irrelevant to the target audience. In fact, music itself is rather irrelevant, what with Video games and You Tube getting more action. There is a reason MTV shows so few videos: Nobody watches them.
The other reason is that Woodstock was not organized by Hubert Humphrey, the immediate past vice president of the United States at the time. Roger Waters as the Dean Martin of his generation. Ouch.
Bad Medicine
Apparently, it was either follow the Bush health plan or else. Former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona told a Congressional panel Tuesday that top Bush administration officials repeatecly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because of political considerations.
The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to "water down" a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. Released last year, the report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.
Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention Presidnt Bush three times on every page of his speeches. He also said he was asked to make speeches to support Republican political candidates and to attend political briefings.
And administration officials even discouraged him from attending the Special Olympics because, he said, of that charitable organization's longtime ties to a "prominent family" that he refused to name.
"I was specifically told by a senior person, 'Why would you want to help those people?'" Dr. Carmona said. Not allowed to attend the Special Olympics? Sounds like the administration was a lot more retarded than their athletes.
The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to "water down" a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. Released last year, the report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.
Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention Presidnt Bush three times on every page of his speeches. He also said he was asked to make speeches to support Republican political candidates and to attend political briefings.
And administration officials even discouraged him from attending the Special Olympics because, he said, of that charitable organization's longtime ties to a "prominent family" that he refused to name.
"I was specifically told by a senior person, 'Why would you want to help those people?'" Dr. Carmona said. Not allowed to attend the Special Olympics? Sounds like the administration was a lot more retarded than their athletes.
No More Room To Vroom?
Will fast cars and freedom be a thing of the past in The People's Republic Of Europe? If one of the more extreme responses to global warming comes true, driving a sports car anywhere but on a racetrack might be relegated to history's dustbin.
Fast, powerful cars within a few years may be outlawed in Europe, an idea that has been raised ostensibly because Ferraris and Porsches produce too much carbon dioxide. for those who abhor sports cars as vulgar symbols of affluence (along with vacation homes, furs and fancy jewelry), such a ban could be a two-fer: Saving the planet while cutting economic inequity.
Who are these people anyway who decide on behalf of everyone what car is proper to drive? In the U.S. they're members of Congress, which is considering fuel-efficiency standards that will affect vehicle size. In Europe, it's the ministers and parliamentarians of the European Union, which wants to limit how much CO2 cars can emit as a proxy for a fuel-consumption standard. Too bad. The way things are going, Al Gore might not be able to fly his private jet over to the Continent to put on massive wastes of time and money disguised as rock concerts. But that might be a good thing!
Fast, powerful cars within a few years may be outlawed in Europe, an idea that has been raised ostensibly because Ferraris and Porsches produce too much carbon dioxide. for those who abhor sports cars as vulgar symbols of affluence (along with vacation homes, furs and fancy jewelry), such a ban could be a two-fer: Saving the planet while cutting economic inequity.
Who are these people anyway who decide on behalf of everyone what car is proper to drive? In the U.S. they're members of Congress, which is considering fuel-efficiency standards that will affect vehicle size. In Europe, it's the ministers and parliamentarians of the European Union, which wants to limit how much CO2 cars can emit as a proxy for a fuel-consumption standard. Too bad. The way things are going, Al Gore might not be able to fly his private jet over to the Continent to put on massive wastes of time and money disguised as rock concerts. But that might be a good thing!
That Old-Time Heresy
What's next, bringing back the Inquisition? ROME: Pope Benedict XVI has restated what he said were the "defects" of Christian faiths other than Roman Catholicism, sparking anger from Protestants who questioned the Vatican's respect for other beliefs.
"It makes us question whether we are indeed praying together for Christian unity," the World Alliance of Reformed Churhes, which represents Protestants in more than 100 countries, said in a statement. The Vatican document repeated many of the contentious claims of a document issued in 2000 by the Vatican office on orthodoxy, which Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger headed for more than two decades before being elected pope in 2005.
The document released Tuesday focused largely on the Vatican definition of what constitutes a church, which it defined as being traceable through its bishops to Christ's original apostles. This, it said, the world's Orthodox Christians make up a chirch because of shared history, if "separated" from the "proper" Catholic tradition; Protestants, who split from Catholicism during the Reformation, are considered only "Christian communities."
The document repeated church teaching that the Roman Catholic Church alone is the mediator of salvation, though other beliefs can be its "instrument." That's odd. Many American fundamentalists, most of whom are descended from Protestant denominations, feel the same way about all other non-fundamentalists. Maybe the Church and the Protestants could reunite and cancel each other out, and let the rest of us seek salvation from God all on our own, in our own way. Wouldn't that be nice?
"It makes us question whether we are indeed praying together for Christian unity," the World Alliance of Reformed Churhes, which represents Protestants in more than 100 countries, said in a statement. The Vatican document repeated many of the contentious claims of a document issued in 2000 by the Vatican office on orthodoxy, which Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger headed for more than two decades before being elected pope in 2005.
The document released Tuesday focused largely on the Vatican definition of what constitutes a church, which it defined as being traceable through its bishops to Christ's original apostles. This, it said, the world's Orthodox Christians make up a chirch because of shared history, if "separated" from the "proper" Catholic tradition; Protestants, who split from Catholicism during the Reformation, are considered only "Christian communities."
The document repeated church teaching that the Roman Catholic Church alone is the mediator of salvation, though other beliefs can be its "instrument." That's odd. Many American fundamentalists, most of whom are descended from Protestant denominations, feel the same way about all other non-fundamentalists. Maybe the Church and the Protestants could reunite and cancel each other out, and let the rest of us seek salvation from God all on our own, in our own way. Wouldn't that be nice?
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Don't Lose My Number
He lied about sex. He needs to be sent out of town on a rail! Weepy apologies won't cut it! Oh, wait-he's a Republican? Never mind!
WASHINGTON-Louisiana Sen. David Vitter has apologized for his telephone number showing up on the old phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates, the alleged prostitution ring run in the nation's capital by Deborah Jeane Palfrey.
"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said in a statement after the phone records were posted Monday on Palfrey's Web site.
"Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of repsect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there-with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way," he wrote. That must have been some conversation with the Almighty. "And if this ever comes out, Lord, this won't hurt my party's special relationship with you and your son, will it? Because if we start admitting we like sex, we'll be no better than those darn Democrats. And we know you send them to Hell for this sort of thing. That's what my campaign manager says my constituents believe, anyway."
WASHINGTON-Louisiana Sen. David Vitter has apologized for his telephone number showing up on the old phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates, the alleged prostitution ring run in the nation's capital by Deborah Jeane Palfrey.
"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said in a statement after the phone records were posted Monday on Palfrey's Web site.
"Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of repsect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there-with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way," he wrote. That must have been some conversation with the Almighty. "And if this ever comes out, Lord, this won't hurt my party's special relationship with you and your son, will it? Because if we start admitting we like sex, we'll be no better than those darn Democrats. And we know you send them to Hell for this sort of thing. That's what my campaign manager says my constituents believe, anyway."
Stone In Love
In civilized societies people get divorces. The Religion of Pieces does things differently. Iran said on Tuesday that a man convicted of adultery had been stoned to death in a village in northwestern Iran, the first time it has confirmed such an execution in five years.
"This case has been recently executed in the village that was mentioned," judiary spokesman Alireza Jamshidi told reporters about the stoning of Jafar Kiani in a village in Qazvin province.
Under Iran's Islamic law, adultery is still theoretically punishable by stoning although in late 2002, judiciary head Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi had issued a directive suspending the practice. Give them a few centuries. By then they'll have moved up to more advanced forms of legal jurisprudence like burning people at the stake.
"This case has been recently executed in the village that was mentioned," judiary spokesman Alireza Jamshidi told reporters about the stoning of Jafar Kiani in a village in Qazvin province.
Under Iran's Islamic law, adultery is still theoretically punishable by stoning although in late 2002, judiciary head Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi had issued a directive suspending the practice. Give them a few centuries. By then they'll have moved up to more advanced forms of legal jurisprudence like burning people at the stake.
The Closet Debating Society
I have to admit, when I first saw this, I thought it was about a debate between John Edwards and Tom Cruise. For the first time the leading candidates for the presidency will hold a televised debate devoted soley to LGBT issues.
The one-hour event will be held on August 9 and broadcast on gay network LOGO at 9:00 pm ET (6:00 pm ET) and through live streaming video at LOGOonline.com.
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards have confirmed they will participate. Several other Democratic candidates also may join the debate. Republican Party leaders were dismissive of the debate. "We could care less," one Republican insider said. "Besides, we'd go to hell if we showed any interest in gay issues other than saying how evil they are. Jesus hates queers-at least, that's what our pollsters tell us our base says."
The one-hour event will be held on August 9 and broadcast on gay network LOGO at 9:00 pm ET (6:00 pm ET) and through live streaming video at LOGOonline.com.
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards have confirmed they will participate. Several other Democratic candidates also may join the debate. Republican Party leaders were dismissive of the debate. "We could care less," one Republican insider said. "Besides, we'd go to hell if we showed any interest in gay issues other than saying how evil they are. Jesus hates queers-at least, that's what our pollsters tell us our base says."
Gonzogate Continues
So, Gonzo was following the law? Um, not quite. As he sought to renew the USA Patriot Act two years ago, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales assured lawmakers that the FBI had not abused its potent new terrorism-fighting powers. "There has not been one verified case of civil liberties abuse," Gonzales told senators on April 27, 2005.
Six days earlier, the FBI sent Gonzales a copy of a report that said its agents had obtaimed personal information that they were not entitled to have. It was one of at least half a dozen reports of legal or procedural violations that Gonzales received in the three months before he made his statement to the Senate intelligence committee, according to internal FBI documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.
The acts recounted in the FBI reports included unauthorized surveillance, an illegal property search and a case in which an Internet firm improperly turned over a compact disc with data that the FBI was not entitled to collect, the documents show. Gonzales was copied on each report that said administrative rules or laws protecting civil liberties and privacy had been violated. But hey, we gotta stop them terrists, right?
Six days earlier, the FBI sent Gonzales a copy of a report that said its agents had obtaimed personal information that they were not entitled to have. It was one of at least half a dozen reports of legal or procedural violations that Gonzales received in the three months before he made his statement to the Senate intelligence committee, according to internal FBI documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.
The acts recounted in the FBI reports included unauthorized surveillance, an illegal property search and a case in which an Internet firm improperly turned over a compact disc with data that the FBI was not entitled to collect, the documents show. Gonzales was copied on each report that said administrative rules or laws protecting civil liberties and privacy had been violated. But hey, we gotta stop them terrists, right?
Monday, July 09, 2007
The Panic Room
Whatever you do, don't panic! Whoops; too late. ABC News has been told the White House is in "panic mode" over the recent defections of Republican senators on the president's stay-the-course policy in Iraq.
Senior Bush administration officials are deep in discussion about how to find a compromise that will "appease Democrats and keep wobbly Republicans onboard," a senior White House official told ABC News.
The official said the White House "is in panic mode," despite Monday's on-the-record briefing by White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, who played down any concern over the recent spate of GOP senators who have spoken out publicly in support of changing course in Iraq.
The Republican defections are seen as "a crack in the dike," according to the senior White House official, and National Security Advisor Steven Hadley is most concerned. Well, he 's concerned. That's nice. I'll bet the first mate on the Titanic was concerned about that ice on the deck, too.
Senior Bush administration officials are deep in discussion about how to find a compromise that will "appease Democrats and keep wobbly Republicans onboard," a senior White House official told ABC News.
The official said the White House "is in panic mode," despite Monday's on-the-record briefing by White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, who played down any concern over the recent spate of GOP senators who have spoken out publicly in support of changing course in Iraq.
The Republican defections are seen as "a crack in the dike," according to the senior White House official, and National Security Advisor Steven Hadley is most concerned. Well, he 's concerned. That's nice. I'll bet the first mate on the Titanic was concerned about that ice on the deck, too.
A Glut Of GP's
See what happens when you actually let people do their jobs? An influx of doctors lured to Texas by new limits on malpractice lawsuits has overwhelmed the state board that screens candidates for medical licenses, creating a backlog that forces many applicants to wait months before they can start seeing patients.
Officials said many of the relocating physicians are filling shortages in areas such as Beaumont, where trauma patients previously had to be flown to other cities because there weren't enough surgeons to treat them.
But Austin psychiatrist Dr. James E. Kreisle Jr. said he fears the Texas Medical Board's backlog could promt some physicians to rethink their decision to move.
Kreisle and his colleagues have been waiting since the fall for two psychiatrists from South Carolina and Georgia to get licensed in Texas so they can join their practice. In the meantime, patients are being forced to wait three weeks for appointments. Look at it this way, guys. In Canada they would have had to wait for six months and by then their patients would have been institutionalized. But at least any care they might have gotten would be free!
Officials said many of the relocating physicians are filling shortages in areas such as Beaumont, where trauma patients previously had to be flown to other cities because there weren't enough surgeons to treat them.
But Austin psychiatrist Dr. James E. Kreisle Jr. said he fears the Texas Medical Board's backlog could promt some physicians to rethink their decision to move.
Kreisle and his colleagues have been waiting since the fall for two psychiatrists from South Carolina and Georgia to get licensed in Texas so they can join their practice. In the meantime, patients are being forced to wait three weeks for appointments. Look at it this way, guys. In Canada they would have had to wait for six months and by then their patients would have been institutionalized. But at least any care they might have gotten would be free!
Flunking The Course
Some kids, and governments, just don't want to learn.
WASHINGTON-A progress report on Iraq will conclude that the U.S.-backed government in Baghdad has not met any of its targets for political, economic and other reform, speeding up the Bush administration's reckoning on what to do next, a U.S. official said.
One likely result of the report will be a vastly accelerated debate among President Bush's top aides on withdrawing troops and scaling back the U.S. presence in Iraq.
The "pivot point" for addressing the matter will no longer be Sept. 15 , as initially envisioned, when a full report on Bush's so-called "surge" plan is due, but instead will come this week when the interim mid-July assessment is released, the official said Monday.
"The facts are not in question," the official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the draft is still under discussion. "The real question is how the White House proceeds with a post-surge strategy in light of the report." In the public school system, we blame the teachers when kids graduate who can't read and write. What do we do about Presidents who do the same thing with occupied countries?
WASHINGTON-A progress report on Iraq will conclude that the U.S.-backed government in Baghdad has not met any of its targets for political, economic and other reform, speeding up the Bush administration's reckoning on what to do next, a U.S. official said.
One likely result of the report will be a vastly accelerated debate among President Bush's top aides on withdrawing troops and scaling back the U.S. presence in Iraq.
The "pivot point" for addressing the matter will no longer be Sept. 15 , as initially envisioned, when a full report on Bush's so-called "surge" plan is due, but instead will come this week when the interim mid-July assessment is released, the official said Monday.
"The facts are not in question," the official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the draft is still under discussion. "The real question is how the White House proceeds with a post-surge strategy in light of the report." In the public school system, we blame the teachers when kids graduate who can't read and write. What do we do about Presidents who do the same thing with occupied countries?
Pretzel Logic
"You can't have 'em. Why? 'Cause I'm the King and I said so, that's why."
President Bush's move yesterday to block congressional testimony by two former aides provoked immediate condemnations from Democratic lawmakers and escalated a confrontation between the White House and Capitol Hill over the dismissals of nine U.S. attorneys.
White House counsel Fred F. Fielding informed lawmakers in a letter yesterday that Bush was asserting exective privelage for the second time in two weeks regarding requested testimony by former counsel Harriet E. Miers and former political director Sara M. Taylor about the prosecutor firings.
Fielding wrote that Bush was acting "to protect a fundamental interest of the presidency" by preserving the confidentiality of internal deliberations "with others inside and outside the Executive Branch." Fielding also rejected a demand for a more detailed accounting of Bush's privelage claim.
"The King doth not answer questions from peasants, 'specially if they're from the opposition party. Why? 'Cause they're just a buncha librul cut-'n'-run types. I don't care if I look like Nixon. He said the law was just a suggestion, an' that works for me. Yours in Christ, The Decider, King George."Smart Hawks Versus Dumb Hawks
Come on, all you diehard Bushbots out there. Give me some answers for these questions. Does victory mean toppling Saddam? Done. Does victory mean ensuring Iraq doesn't have weapons of mass destruction? Done. Does it mean a stable and Western style democracy in Iraq? Good luck with that. Does it just mean a stable but perhaps not democratic Iraq? Good luck with that as well. Does it mean modernizing and westernizing all of the Middle East? Does it mean stamping out all vestiges of "Shari'a-observant Islam" or more crudely put, wiping out "Islamofascism." Most War on Terror supporters I have talked to cannot give a coherent answer. Instead they resort to talking points and boiler-plate accompanied by foot-stomping and eye-rolling.
"I would rather fight them over there than fight them over here." "If we leave Iraq unfinished they will follow us home." This latter jewel has been repeatedly spouted by Senator McCain, who aspires to the highest office in the land. Work that out for me, Senator McCain. If they could come over here then, why can't they come over here now? In fact, it might be even easier since we are distracted with the War.
The more sweeping the goal, such as stamping out Shari'a Islam, obviously the more time, treasure and lives it will cost to achieve. Some uber-hawks who have attempted to define victory say we must eliminate the motivation and the capability of the "enemy" to resist. (See here and here for two admirable attempts at specificity.) I admit this is at least a strategy and an aim, although a rather vague one, but it is only slightly less sweeping and unattainable than Frum and Perle's silly little notion that we should have as a war aim the end of evil. Sorry, guys, but since the Fall we have evil ever with us.
These sweeping definitions of victory are a prescription for "perpetual war for perpetual peace." The war they envision would cost untold amounts of money and lives, ours and theirs. It would last perhaps generations. The American people do not support the current limited war in Iraq. How do the hawks and uber-hawks propose to sell their grand strategy? The War has already cost the GOP the House and Senate. If this thing is still draggin on in '08, the Republicans risk a crushing defeat. Once stalwart Republicans are getting cold feet and mass defections on the War are likely if the surge fails. Politically this strategy is untenable unless they are planning for a coup. (And this is coming from someone who is no political pragamatist, but I readily admit when I am jousting at windmills with little chance of success. These guys are serious.)
Also, the military, especially the army, is being stretched to the breaking point. Top generals are now conceding this. Do the hawks plan a draft to support their grand war aims?
And even if we pursued the War on Terror with gusto, it is not clear that would necessarily make us safer. The now much discussed concept of blowback, thanks to presidential candidate Ron Paul, is a real phenomenon no matter how much the oblivious War supporters insist Muslims hate us only because we liberated women and produce dirty movies.
Talking points and the ritualistic demonization of Muslims does not a war aim make. It is incumbent upon the hawks to very specifically define the war aims as they see them. What countries should we attack and/or invade? Syria? Iran? Saudi Arabia? Should Pakistan be allowed to keep its nukes? Etc. Let's put this on the table for all to see. I think many have been deliberately vague and have relied on talking points because they know if they were honest about their aims the public would not buy it. So better to get us entangled and then scream "cutting-and-running" when anyone suggests it is time to bring the boys home. You cannot win a war without public support-or explaining the reaons for fighting a war that could last for twenty or thirty years with simplistic "We gotta kill alla them durn terrist Muslims" responses. Thanks to this administration's inept handling of Iraq, the people now have little stomach for wars against Iran, Syria, or even North Korea, no matter how justifiable they might be. We could have had a Grand Strategy for dealing with Islamofascism the way we dealt with Communism, but Bush decided on the quick and easy route of invasion, demonization and vague proclamations. That's not a strategy; that's expediency. And expediency in the name of securing a legacy for yourself isn't the way to win a war.
"I would rather fight them over there than fight them over here." "If we leave Iraq unfinished they will follow us home." This latter jewel has been repeatedly spouted by Senator McCain, who aspires to the highest office in the land. Work that out for me, Senator McCain. If they could come over here then, why can't they come over here now? In fact, it might be even easier since we are distracted with the War.
The more sweeping the goal, such as stamping out Shari'a Islam, obviously the more time, treasure and lives it will cost to achieve. Some uber-hawks who have attempted to define victory say we must eliminate the motivation and the capability of the "enemy" to resist. (See here and here for two admirable attempts at specificity.) I admit this is at least a strategy and an aim, although a rather vague one, but it is only slightly less sweeping and unattainable than Frum and Perle's silly little notion that we should have as a war aim the end of evil. Sorry, guys, but since the Fall we have evil ever with us.
These sweeping definitions of victory are a prescription for "perpetual war for perpetual peace." The war they envision would cost untold amounts of money and lives, ours and theirs. It would last perhaps generations. The American people do not support the current limited war in Iraq. How do the hawks and uber-hawks propose to sell their grand strategy? The War has already cost the GOP the House and Senate. If this thing is still draggin on in '08, the Republicans risk a crushing defeat. Once stalwart Republicans are getting cold feet and mass defections on the War are likely if the surge fails. Politically this strategy is untenable unless they are planning for a coup. (And this is coming from someone who is no political pragamatist, but I readily admit when I am jousting at windmills with little chance of success. These guys are serious.)
Also, the military, especially the army, is being stretched to the breaking point. Top generals are now conceding this. Do the hawks plan a draft to support their grand war aims?
And even if we pursued the War on Terror with gusto, it is not clear that would necessarily make us safer. The now much discussed concept of blowback, thanks to presidential candidate Ron Paul, is a real phenomenon no matter how much the oblivious War supporters insist Muslims hate us only because we liberated women and produce dirty movies.
Talking points and the ritualistic demonization of Muslims does not a war aim make. It is incumbent upon the hawks to very specifically define the war aims as they see them. What countries should we attack and/or invade? Syria? Iran? Saudi Arabia? Should Pakistan be allowed to keep its nukes? Etc. Let's put this on the table for all to see. I think many have been deliberately vague and have relied on talking points because they know if they were honest about their aims the public would not buy it. So better to get us entangled and then scream "cutting-and-running" when anyone suggests it is time to bring the boys home. You cannot win a war without public support-or explaining the reaons for fighting a war that could last for twenty or thirty years with simplistic "We gotta kill alla them durn terrist Muslims" responses. Thanks to this administration's inept handling of Iraq, the people now have little stomach for wars against Iran, Syria, or even North Korea, no matter how justifiable they might be. We could have had a Grand Strategy for dealing with Islamofascism the way we dealt with Communism, but Bush decided on the quick and easy route of invasion, demonization and vague proclamations. That's not a strategy; that's expediency. And expediency in the name of securing a legacy for yourself isn't the way to win a war.
The Fiestiest Generation
Good for this guy.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.-An 80-year-old veteran and former amateur boxer got 13 stitches after fighting with a mugger inside a bathroom at a veterans hospital.
George Younger showed he wasn't an easy target when he was robbed last week inside the Memphis Veterans Medical Center.
As he was washing his hands, the robber hit and punched him from behind and tried to drag him into one of the stalls.
"He kept telling me if I go to the stall, he wouldn't hurt me," he said. "No way was I going into that stall."
An Army infantryman stationed in the South Pacific in World War II and a welterweight amateur boxer from Memphis, he fought back and landed a few shots.
"I think I got him good-I don't like being called a victim," he told The Commercial Appeal on Thursday. Vet 1, Punk 0. I'll bet the perp will have a fun time telling other inmates how he got his sorry ass kicked by an 80-year-old man.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.-An 80-year-old veteran and former amateur boxer got 13 stitches after fighting with a mugger inside a bathroom at a veterans hospital.
George Younger showed he wasn't an easy target when he was robbed last week inside the Memphis Veterans Medical Center.
As he was washing his hands, the robber hit and punched him from behind and tried to drag him into one of the stalls.
"He kept telling me if I go to the stall, he wouldn't hurt me," he said. "No way was I going into that stall."
An Army infantryman stationed in the South Pacific in World War II and a welterweight amateur boxer from Memphis, he fought back and landed a few shots.
"I think I got him good-I don't like being called a victim," he told The Commercial Appeal on Thursday. Vet 1, Punk 0. I'll bet the perp will have a fun time telling other inmates how he got his sorry ass kicked by an 80-year-old man.
The Hell With It
See, this is why religion makes some people so stupid.
MELBOURNE, Australia-The Hell family says it may tell a Catholic school in Australia where to go after it objected to enrolling their son bacause of his name.
Officials said the boy had been offered a place at the St. Peter the Apostle school in the southern city of Melbourne after discussions between the principal, the parish priest and the family over his name.
But Alex Hell said he would rather send 5-year-old Max elsewhere because the school balked at taking the boy over his family name.
"We are the victims of our name," Hell said Monday. Well, maybe if he changed it to H E Double Hockeysticks it wouldn't matter so much.
MELBOURNE, Australia-The Hell family says it may tell a Catholic school in Australia where to go after it objected to enrolling their son bacause of his name.
Officials said the boy had been offered a place at the St. Peter the Apostle school in the southern city of Melbourne after discussions between the principal, the parish priest and the family over his name.
But Alex Hell said he would rather send 5-year-old Max elsewhere because the school balked at taking the boy over his family name.
"We are the victims of our name," Hell said Monday. Well, maybe if he changed it to H E Double Hockeysticks it wouldn't matter so much.
Bin Laden's Boys
Oh, man. How's this for a choice of an ally?
CAIRO, Egypt-The leader of an Al Qaeda umbrella group in Iraq threatened to wage war against Iran unless it stops supporting Shiites in Iraq within two months, according to an audiotape.
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who leads the group Islamic State in Iraq, said his Sunni fighters have been preparing for four years to wage a battle against Shiite-dominated Iran.
"We are giving the Persians, and especially the rulers of Iran, a two-month period to end all kinds of support for the Iraq Shiite government and to stop direct and indirect intervention...otherwise a severe war is waiting for you," he said in the 50-minute audiotape released Sunday. The tape, which could not be independently verified, was posted on a Web site commonly used by insurgent groups. We support Shiites to fight other Shiites. There certainly seems to be a lot of Shiite going on.
CAIRO, Egypt-The leader of an Al Qaeda umbrella group in Iraq threatened to wage war against Iran unless it stops supporting Shiites in Iraq within two months, according to an audiotape.
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who leads the group Islamic State in Iraq, said his Sunni fighters have been preparing for four years to wage a battle against Shiite-dominated Iran.
"We are giving the Persians, and especially the rulers of Iran, a two-month period to end all kinds of support for the Iraq Shiite government and to stop direct and indirect intervention...otherwise a severe war is waiting for you," he said in the 50-minute audiotape released Sunday. The tape, which could not be independently verified, was posted on a Web site commonly used by insurgent groups. We support Shiites to fight other Shiites. There certainly seems to be a lot of Shiite going on.
A Wild And Crazy Guy
A look at what makes Bush tick that should have all of us worried. The only thing Washington loves less than a lame-duck president is a completely unpredictable lame-duck president. They are scared that he could do anything, without real consultation. The Libby decision was made just like the decision to author-ise torture: it was done outside the normal channels of government, blindsiding key aides, and shocking the extablishment. If he did this once-and he has done it many times-he could do it again. And so, for all his failure and polling dive, he retains the capacity for surprised. Which is the capacity for relevance.
This is all he's got left. The mighty power of the presidency, a predilection for sudden action, and absolutely nothing to lose. This lame duck, in other words, could quack or fly without warning. And Washington, for all its increasingly open contempt for him, is rattled by the possibility. They don't know what's coming, but they know they'll have to adjust.
In this, perhaps for the first time, even Republicans are having a familiar experience. They now know what it's like to be a European with this president. And they are longing for it to be over. There have been previous presidents who had their unpredictable side-Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan to some degree. But you at least had the idea that they knew what they were doing the rest of the time. Bush has always been known as a man of action, and while that can be a useful quality in a president, it also helps if you are able to take a step back and think about the consequences of your actions. Bush has never seemed to learn how to do that.
This is all he's got left. The mighty power of the presidency, a predilection for sudden action, and absolutely nothing to lose. This lame duck, in other words, could quack or fly without warning. And Washington, for all its increasingly open contempt for him, is rattled by the possibility. They don't know what's coming, but they know they'll have to adjust.
In this, perhaps for the first time, even Republicans are having a familiar experience. They now know what it's like to be a European with this president. And they are longing for it to be over. There have been previous presidents who had their unpredictable side-Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan to some degree. But you at least had the idea that they knew what they were doing the rest of the time. Bush has always been known as a man of action, and while that can be a useful quality in a president, it also helps if you are able to take a step back and think about the consequences of your actions. Bush has never seemed to learn how to do that.
Two Hour Warning
Well, at least he tried. THE former American secretary of state Colin Powell has revealed that he spent 2 1/2 hours 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."
Powell has become increasingly outspoken about the level of violence in Iraq, which he believes is in a state of civil war. "The civil war will ultimately be tesolved by a test of arms," he said. "It's not going to be pretty to watch, but I don't know any way to avoid it. It is happening now." Well, it could have been avoided, had Bush listened to people who knew what they were talking about. Instead, he relied on Donald Rumsfeld. You reap what you sow, and whatever happens, we will be reaping the consequences of this misbegotten occupation for a long time to come.
"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."
Powell has become increasingly outspoken about the level of violence in Iraq, which he believes is in a state of civil war. "The civil war will ultimately be tesolved by a test of arms," he said. "It's not going to be pretty to watch, but I don't know any way to avoid it. It is happening now." Well, it could have been avoided, had Bush listened to people who knew what they were talking about. Instead, he relied on Donald Rumsfeld. You reap what you sow, and whatever happens, we will be reaping the consequences of this misbegotten occupation for a long time to come.
Defecting From The Decider
It seems the Emperor's advisors aren't all down with the King. White House officials fear that the last pillars of political support among Senate Republicans for President Bush's Iraq strategy are collapsing around them, according to several administration officials and outsiders they are consulting. They say that inside the administration, debate is intensifying over whether Mr. Bush should try to prevent more defections by announcing his intention to begin a gradual withdrawal of American troops from the high-casualty neighborhoods of Baghdad and other cities.
Mr. Bush and his aides once thought they could wait to begin those discussions until after Sept. 15, when the top field commander and the new American ambassador to Baghdad are scheduled to report on the effectiveness of the troop increase that the president announced in January. But suddenly, some of Mr. Bush's aides acknowledge, it appears that forces are combinging against him just as the Senate prepares this week to begin what promises to be a contentious debate on the war's future and financing.
Four more Republican senators have recently declared that they can no longer support Mr. Bush's strategy, including senior lawmakers who until now had expressed their doubts only privately. As a result, some aides are now telling Mr. Bush that if he wants to forestall more defections, it would be wiser to announce plans for a far more narrowly defined mission for American troops that would allow for a staged pullback, a strategy that he rejected in December as a prescription for defeat when it was proposed by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. I fear that if this keeps up, the King will find himself very lonely come January 2009. How's that legacy thing coming again, Mr. President?
Mr. Bush and his aides once thought they could wait to begin those discussions until after Sept. 15, when the top field commander and the new American ambassador to Baghdad are scheduled to report on the effectiveness of the troop increase that the president announced in January. But suddenly, some of Mr. Bush's aides acknowledge, it appears that forces are combinging against him just as the Senate prepares this week to begin what promises to be a contentious debate on the war's future and financing.
Four more Republican senators have recently declared that they can no longer support Mr. Bush's strategy, including senior lawmakers who until now had expressed their doubts only privately. As a result, some aides are now telling Mr. Bush that if he wants to forestall more defections, it would be wiser to announce plans for a far more narrowly defined mission for American troops that would allow for a staged pullback, a strategy that he rejected in December as a prescription for defeat when it was proposed by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. I fear that if this keeps up, the King will find himself very lonely come January 2009. How's that legacy thing coming again, Mr. President?
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Party On, Grays
Here's to you, Fox Mulder, wherever you are.
ROSWELL, N.M.-If you truly believe a UFO and its crew of bug-eyed aliens came crashing down here 60 years ago, rest assured: You're not alone.
At least 35,000 people have descended on Roswell this weekend for the 2007 Amazing Roswell UFO Festival to commemorate a purported flying saucer crash on a nearby ranch in July 1947. Participants have filled hotel fooms and nearly doubled the southeastern New Mexico town's population for a few days.
The festival, which began Thursday, is a mixed bag that includes live concerts (one headlined by a band with a computer-generated 'alien drummer), costume contests, a Main Street parade and a slew of lectures that ponder everything from body snatchers to "What Does NASA Really Know?" You'd think after sixty years the aliens would have figured out that sticking probes up the butts of white trash might not be the best way to study the human race.
ROSWELL, N.M.-If you truly believe a UFO and its crew of bug-eyed aliens came crashing down here 60 years ago, rest assured: You're not alone.
At least 35,000 people have descended on Roswell this weekend for the 2007 Amazing Roswell UFO Festival to commemorate a purported flying saucer crash on a nearby ranch in July 1947. Participants have filled hotel fooms and nearly doubled the southeastern New Mexico town's population for a few days.
The festival, which began Thursday, is a mixed bag that includes live concerts (one headlined by a band with a computer-generated 'alien drummer), costume contests, a Main Street parade and a slew of lectures that ponder everything from body snatchers to "What Does NASA Really Know?" You'd think after sixty years the aliens would have figured out that sticking probes up the butts of white trash might not be the best way to study the human race.