Month: February 2004

Edward(s) for President

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Ever begun to wonder (somewhere between that 2nd and 3rd cocktail) if you’d make a good president? Yes, you? Political Junkie, blog-addict, arm-chair pundit…it’s had to occur to you, even if only to imagine yourself with access to the WH’s infamous kitchen or to search out the supposed secret tunnels under the Rose Garden. (Does … Read more

Polls: Putting the Junk in “Political Junkie”

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Mad props to Pejmanesque, but using 627 words to indicate that …at this stage in the game, at least, no one has the first clue what is going to happen with the presidential race. Certainly not the pollsters is about six hundred words too many. Check it out: he’s got some good ones this time, … Read more

Our Hero, Bradley Smith?

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Well, the Wall Street Journal thinks so: he’s the FEC chairman who has to determine policy on 527s and their shaking soft-money makers. Smith happens to be against restricting 527s, apostate Republican that he is, which makes the entire thing so blissfully ironic: we’ve got one of those 180 degree turnarounds going on here all … Read more

Serious People, Serious Posts…

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… so Rumsfeldian Fighting Styles are probably a hideous mismatch. Still, dammit, I had this idea first… which I can’t prove, because I can’t find the picture on the blog that sparked an impromteau caption contest. Arrggggh… (Via Surprised Conservative InstaNinja and Unapologetic Death Beast Ninja Blair)

Labor Pines

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Disclaimer: My father’s labor union paid a substantial chunk of my college tuition through a scholarship I received, so I’m far from unbiased on this topic. John Kerry is expected to receive the endorsement of the AFL-CIO tomorrow. Surprise anyone? This, from the AFL-CIO’s website, surprised me: Unions’ political work is not about electing Democrats … Read more

Gavin and Barney and Mitt and me

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Lots of criticism of S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom today, from the usual suspects (the American Family Association want to send him to prison for “up to 300 years”–though at the rate of 3 years per marriage poor Gavin is up to 7500 years in the slammer by now), and at least one not-so-usual suspect:

“I was sorry to see the San Francisco thing go forward,” said Frank, a gay congressman from Massachusetts who shared his concerns with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom as the city prepared to begin marrying gays and lesbians last week.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Frank also expressed concern that the image of lawlessness and civil disobedience in San Francisco would pressure some in Congress to support a federal constitutional amendment banning gay unions.

Frank said he and other gay marriage advocates had hoped that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling that same-sex couples have the right to marry would serve as a national model for orderly, legal protection of gay marriage.

I think Frank has a very specific fear in mind. Governor Romney has started making noises about finding a way to defy the Supreme Judicial Court’s order to issue marriage licenses to gay couples in…I don’t know how many days, now.

My guess is that there are too many parallels, in Frank’s eyes, between what Newsom is doing and what Romney may do.

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Jesus may love you, but I think you’re an…

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Andrew Sullivan has made a post that I find myself agreeing with completely (which is actually an odd sensation, albeit not totally unfamiliar, but I digress). You can find the post here.

I think there are some people who are taking this entirely too far. When John Derbyshire asks for someone to make a citizen’s arrest on officials executing their duties as they belive mandated by the California Constitution, we ought to stop and think about just what this means and where we’re going. When the American Family Association’s Center for Law and Policy calls for these officials to be arrested and charged with felonies, they just need to be told to shut their pie holes, becuase they certainly aren’t contributing anything meaningful to the situation.

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Cause and Effect

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Russian President Vladamir Putin has announced that he intends to develop a new generation of nuclear missiles. This the country that can barely keep track of its existing nuclear weapons. They now want more. That’s not all, however: Some military analysts said his statement could indicate the revival of Soviet designs for nuclear warheads that … Read more

Gentrification Guilt and Gefilte Fish

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About a half hour after I had closed my gallery in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) the other day, an aggressive knock at the door revealed a Hasidic gentleman looking somewhat anxious. I let him in and he looked around, rather confused, asking “Is this a spa?” “No,” I replied. “It’s an art gallery.” “What do you do … Read more

Sudden fatigue…

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…so, real quick: Asparagirl’s back (and blogrolled) in her and her husband’s blog Protocols of the Yuppies of Zion. I’m with Pejman: it’s about time, although the pseudosexual tension that is apparently symbolized by Trackbacks was not actually present in my case. Amygdala’s got a link to a very good WaPo article about USO troupers … Read more

So, What Does It Mean?

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The WI primary, that is. Several thoughts:

1). We’re going to start seeing articles about how Edwards is on a comeback, not to mention ones intimating that Kerry may be faltering. It is my pious hope that nobody reading this will be surprised by that revelation. What is more up in the air is whether this does represent the comeback of Edwards and/or faltering of Kerry; just because it’ll sell papers doesn’t mean that it’s false. Complicating matters are the next three primaries: Hawaii, Utah and Idaho. The latter two are not likely to be Kerry bastions, to put it mildly; heck, Utah Democrats are running its primary out of public libraries because the Republican-controlled legislature didn’t feel like allocating the cash for primaries this year*. Don’t expect any useful data until 3/2.

2). If Kerry falters and Edwards gains, the front-loading of the primaries is going to work against picking one candidate. Kerry needs less plurarities and more outright wins, and he seriously needs a two-man race. Edwards needs Howard Dean. Dean… as far as I can tell, Dean doesn’t need a damned thing, which is why I don’t think that he’s going to drop out of the race.

3). Zogby got this one seriously wrong. Worse-than-TN wrong. Either Zogby hasn’t calibrated open primaries properly, or he has difficulty assessing Edwards, or both. Either way, don’t automatically expect him to get GA correct.

And finally:

4). The percentage of people who will resist the temptation using this primary to grind whatever ax they feel like grinding will be rather small. Depressingly so, in fact.

Moe

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Polls are closed in Wisconsin…

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…and Kerry, well, it’s only 10% 18% 23% 30% of the total. In a conservative state. With an open primary. I’m sure that he’ll snap right back. Anybody got a link to how Chandler’s doing in KY? I’m not sure why I’m interested in that race, but I am. UPDATE: Well, Kerry’s winning. At the … Read more

Stake in the heart

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CNN reports that the WB has is cancelling Angel — you know, Buffy-spin off, ’bout the vampire with a soul — after five seasons. Having been a closet, then open, then BUFFY IS THE BEST SHOW ON TV AND I WILL TELL YOU WHY fan, I’ll say it: The end of an era (of good writing, wrapped up with a giant warm-to-the-nerd-soul bow).

Never was a huge fan of Angel, though; something to do with killing off my wife’s favorite character early on.* After that, I never heard the dialog — all I heard was the gal sitting next to me, fulminating (“this would be soooo much better, if only ______ was still around.”)

Consider this a commemorative open thread, to the extent one is needed.

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Another Depressing Uzbekistan Report

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This time it’s about a 62 year old mother sentenced for six years in prison for having the cheek to get justice for her son being boiled to death being a revolutionary. Now, I happen to agree with Nathan Hamm that the problem is both complex and difficult to resolve, and that we’d be in … Read more

By way of introduction…

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I was somewhere between one of my many lives (translation: travelling without web access) when Obsidian Wings was born, so I missed the first few weeks of postings here. I was snarking ferociously on Tacitus when someone cited Moe’s own blog. What? A blogchild of Tacitus? And by the incomparable Moe Lane, no less? I … Read more

Apotheosis Now.

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After consultation with Katherine (translation: I went with what she said), another guest blogger has been added: longtime Reader Edward (of both Tacitus and here). The Circle is now complete – for now – and I am now seriously outnumbered. But that’s OK: keeps me on my toes. I look forward to Edward’s posts, and … Read more

Filed my motion . . . .

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. . . . and life is goooooood Time to reflect: Seventeen things that I have learned in my thirty years and three days on the Earth . . . . 1. Those who call themselves moderates usually aren’t. (As ObWi’s self-proclaimed “moderate,” perhaps I confess too much.) 2. Money does buy love, or a … Read more

You know what’s missing from all our lives? Larry Flynt.

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And down we go . . . . First, Bush was “AWOL” from the Air National Guard. This is almost certainly incorrect (in both the legal and colloquial senses), but, hey, at least there was some weak evidence. (Kudos to Drum for maintaining objectivity, despite his partisan instincts.) Then Kerry’s a morally-suspect, limp-wristed cretin for … Read more

For the record…

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…I’m with the Mudville Gazette in shaking my head at a candidate whose criticism of a particular activity of Bush’s is so predictable that the satire of said criticism gets published first. I don’t suppose that you guys could find Kerry some better writers? Please?

Crunch time for Dean?

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AP calls him defiant, but says that the polls look bleak for him. Reuters notes the impending loss of Steve Grossman to Kerry. AFP – who, to be honest, I don’t trust to tell me if the sky is blue – has the good old anonymous sources saying that Dean’s about to drop out. And … Read more

If this ends up being Dean’s legacy…

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… well, there are worse things in life than to be the guy who showed his party how to get money off of the Internet. If Chandler wins, Dean can take some credit for it, not to mention some comfort from it. ‘Course, Chandler will still have to run around at a notable fraction of … Read more

Bayh for VP?

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The Indianapolis Star is following up on a classic, election year non-story story: Who will be the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate? Unsuprisingly, the Star is touting Senator Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) as a top choice. Here’s the Star’s case (Take note that the Star’s case is based almost entirely on the musings of Larry Sabato, “a political analyst and professor at the University of Virginia”):

There are, Sabato said, lots of potential candidates for vice president, “but there aren’t many who can actually help.”

Bayh, Sabato said, could be dispatched to campaign in only three states — Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia, all carried by Bush in 2000.

“If (Bayh) turns those states,” Sabato said, “no way Bush can win. It’s literally over.”

. . . .

“Having Evan on the national ticket would very likely make a difference in whether Indiana voted for the Democratic nominee for president or not,” said Gov. Joe Kernan [D], who’s running in November for his first full term as governor. But Kernan added: “It’s not a gimme.”

As mentioned in these (virtual) pages, Indiana has been trending Democratic of late. Once a solid “red” state, with Bayh on the ticket it could conceivably end up Blue. But, contrary to Sabato, Bayh’s effects in Ohio and West Virginia really can’t be known. It may amaze you, but Ohio is not Indiana is not Iowa is not Kansas. And Indiana is especially not West Virginia.

There is a common demoninator, though (aside from the flat accents): Voters in each of these states tend to be moderates.* And nothing turns off a moderate voter like the perception of extremism.

A reason for Bush to soften his image, I think, and not to make a divisive “Marriage Amendment” plank #1 of his national campaign. And a pretty damn good reason for Northeasterner Kerry to choose Bayh as his VP, in my humble opinion.

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Damn Yankees.

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Alex Rodriguez, quite possibly the best all-around player in baseball today, is going to be traded to the New York Yankees.

A-Rod will move to third base to fill the hole created by Aaron “What Do You Mean, ‘My Contract Won’t Let Me Play Basketball?’ ” Boone. The Yankees get A-Rod and some money from Texas (coal to Newcastle, if you ask me), while the Rangers get Alfonso Soriano, a “player to be named later” who might be Jose Contreras and might be a minor-leaguer, and some payroll flexibility at long last. The Red Sox, and the rest of the AL East, get a bad case of heartburn.

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BTW, there’s fighting going on in Haiti.

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Forces opposed to the current Aristide government have been fighting for nine days now; about fifty people have been killed, but that number will only be going up. Those of us – most of us, probably – who need boning up on this subject can read here, here, here, here, here and here for an … Read more

It’s Nonsensical Sunday!

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Got this idea from the reactions to what I thought was a perfectly natural comment: “You’ll find that vampires are usually the reason behind why the Catholic Church does things.” – so I thought that I’d open up the floor to others. Statements must be: 1) Something said by you, or heard in your presence; … Read more

A Religion that never was.

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While we’re in geekmode… I came across this while reading up on the background of the new Thomas Harlan series*. Not quite as good as it thinks it is, and shows a faint taint of the gameworld that spawned it, but still pretty interesting. it is one of the major goals of my life to have weird stuff like this constantly folding and unfolding in my head.

Just thought that I’d mention that.

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This is Romantic. Really.

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Well, only because the phrase “Stick of Pain, Lamont! Stick of Pain!” came up once or twice in the process of negotiating our way through the unmarked minefields that surrounded the wedding we went to today. My girlfriend introduced me to this website because she knew of my weakness for all things ninja; the Editorials/Rants … Read more

I don’t know if this is true…

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… about a F/A-18A really being offered for sale on eBay, that is. If it was, it’s sold now. Dammit, I need to get an account. And several million bucks in spending money. Hmm, why not ask for a reliable FTL drive, too? Moe PS: Going to a wedding tomorrow, so don’t expect any quick … Read more

It’s somebody’s birthday…

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Von’s thirty today – by the by, yesterday was the three month anniversary of this blog – so what better way to celebrate than to sing a couple of verses of Happy Birthday?

Well, sort of: I belong to a medieval recreationist group called the SCA, you see… and we have a somewhat unique song that we use to celebrate this sort of thing.

(To the tune of “Volga Boatmen” – actually, I’m told that it’s not, but eh)

Death and gloom and black despair
People dying everywhere

Chorus:
Happy Birthday! (UHH!) Happy Birthday! (UHH!)

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That’s right, there are primaries tomorrow…

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… which, apparently, nobody seems to care too much about. What the heck: I predict that Kerry will win DC and lose NV to Edwards; both will be 2-person races. I also predict that the recent alleged Kerry scandal will not have sufficent legs to affect WS WI*, but that there’ll be a three-way split … Read more

“Who would’ve thunk the Thirteenth fell on Friday? . . .

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. . . . I say hello, and it’s goodbye again.”

I’m beyond busy at work, but I did want to comment on the Thirteenth. Consider this your unlucky open thread.

(Speaking of unluck, I turn thirty tomorrow. Big party planned: I’ll wake up at 7 a.m., sit down in front of my computer, and write legal arguments ‘tll nightfall. Livin’ la vida loca, baby.)

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Centrism’s Hue and Cry.

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The blogger’s life gets rather stark when black and white take root; You see all things as Light or Dark And make all nuance moot. But black and white, while colors, yes Do not a spectrum make; And there are days when, I confess, Binary’s hard to take. Instead of red, I’ll go with pink … Read more

This is why I don’t miss television.

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Stuff like this. (pause) Freaking server must be down. Anyway, it was the Quiznos ad. You know the one, I’m sure: the one with those weird hamster things that fascinated people in the same way that a cobra fascinates a bird. Sure, you laughed – but you laughed nervously. Well, at least I did, fuddy-duddy … Read more