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Baffin Island Gopher Hunting

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OK, so I can’t reprint all of it without running afoul of the ObWings posting rules, but for the hilarious title alone I must link to this post by the excellent blogger (and ObWi Reader) Double Plus Ungood: Wall Street Journal Discovers Canada, is Outraged Reynolds posts a link to a story in the WSJ, … Read more

The Peace President

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When it looked like the presidential campaign would be won or lost on the nation’s perception of who made a better wartime president, George W. Bush was, in his own words “a war president.” In an interview held February 7, 2004 with Tim Russert, Bush declared: I’m a war president. I make decisions here in … Read more

Protest Warriors to the Barricades!

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There’s a joke I read on a conservative blog one time that goes more or less like this: Q: Why don’t Republicans get all up in arms and march to protest issues the way Democrats do? A: Because they all have jobs. Well, it seems that under Bush, not all of them do: Activists planning … Read more

Hooked on Ewwww

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“You can’t let the little pricks generation-gap you,” Molly said.              —William Gibson, Neuromancer Then again, sometimes it’s perhaps best to just leave them to it. CNN is reporting on a new fad getting some attention: Meat hook dangling craze mystifies police Law enforcement officials in the Florida Keys are mystified by a bizarre new pastime … Read more

Tucker Carlson’s Speedophobia

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There’s been lots of outrage on the left about the supposedly ultra liberal PBS offering CNN’s “Crossfire” conversative Tucker Carlson his own current affairs program, so I thought I’d check it out. As fate would have it, tonight he interviewed Jonathan Rauch about gay marriage. Remarkably there are only two heel marks on my television … Read more

Report: Allawi in Shooting Scandal

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Well, you know Allawi is being taken seriously as the Prime Minister of Iraq now. He has his first scandal to contend with. I don’t mean to make light of this. If it’s true, he’s what I predicted would follow in Hussein’s footsteps: another authoritarian monster. He’s denying it at this point, though, so I’m … Read more

Quick and Funny

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About to begin a series of mindnumbing meetings, but found this bit (via DailyKos) and choked on my ice coffee laughing. Especially liked the line “We might have to disrupt the democratic process because terrorists want to disrupt the democratic process.”

Happy to Be Played

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Thomas Frank offers one of the clearest anaylses on culture war wedge political issues I’ve ever seen. He takes the FMA as his example, but his topic is really the mechanics of getting the base so fired up they’re beating down the doors to get in on election day. He’s writing from a pro-liberal point … Read more

The Wrong Side of History

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Rights are like a good backyard barbeque. Once you get a whiff, you simply won’t be satisfied until you get your share. I note this in response to the failed attempt to pass the FMA and my utter disgust with all the Democratic leadership who went so far out of their way to make clear … Read more

al Qaeda’s Worst Nightmare

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A “mountain of evidence.” That’s what Attorney General John Ashcroft offered Congress on Tuesday, a “mountain of evidence” that the PATRIOT ACT has been instrumental in disrupting al Qaeda cells’ activities in the United States.

“The Patriot Act is al-Qaida’s worst nightmare when it comes to disrupting and disabling their operations here in America,” he said.

Makes you kind of reassess your opinion on the PATRIOT ACT doesn’t it? I mean, a whole mountain of evidence must represent a lot, right? I’d assume a lot more than some flimsy 29-page report of evidence with barely 2 dozen examples, none of which address the strongest criticisms of the PATRIOT ACT, right? A mountain of evidence would be indisputably convincing that congress should not let it expire in 2005, right?

The report did not mention some more controversial powers, such as the FBI’s ability to obtain library and bookstore records in terrorism cases or the so-called “sneak and peek” search warrants in which agents need not immediately tell suspects their home or business had been searched.

Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, accused the department of selectively releasing information and refusing to address civil liberties concerns.

“Coupled with the department’s consistent record of exaggerating their record about terrorism, this entire report is suspect,” Conyers said.

OK, so Conyers is a Democrat, so his opinion is automatically suspect. Besides, clearly within a mountain of evidence, the need to continue the controversial Section 215 of the law could be demonstrated, right?

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Would Ya Lose Already?

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It’s not just the fact that no one should be smart enough to win 29 episodes in a row. And it’s not just the fact that he obliterates his “competition” day after day, thereby lowering the suspense to a level comparable to whether the castaways would actually get off Gilligan’s Island this time. It’s not … Read more

Red State Has Launched!

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Congratulations to Tacitus et al. for the very handsome looking new answer to Daily Kos: Red State The line up of excellent contributors, including our own esteemed Moe Lane and Sebastian Holsclaw, promises to make it a must-read for bloggers of all stripes and colors. And just because it’s dedicated to re-electing as many Republicans … Read more

Drunken Confessions

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Two and a half margaritas past enough sense to know better… I miss Katherine. Even Josh Marshall was unable to raise that thrill I had at seeing a new post by Katherine R. Knowing she’d have researched the piece impeccably and still come out to support the values I’ve cherished my whole adult life, each … Read more

Priceless

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via Sullivan ~~~~~~~~~~~ QUOTE OF THE DAY: “For a simple and compelling reason, traditional marriage has been the norm in every political community for 5,000 years.” – Senator Orrin Hatch, National Review. Hatch is a Mormon.

We Can vs. We Just Don’t Care To

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In what seems another life ago, I was known to rant like a banshee about how the Bush Administration has a horrendous record on the environment. Somethings change. Oh, the Bush Administration still has a horrendous record on the environment, but I try to no longer rant like a banshee about it. (Doctor’s orders…blood pressure … Read more

The China Price Syndrome

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Disclaimer: I’m surrounded by conspiracy theorists who believe the impending economic dominance by China is driving everything from decisions in the War on Terror to the choices we make in fighting global warming. Of course articles like this by Ted C. Fishman don’t help:

China is everywhere these days, influencing our lives as consumers, providers, citizens. It has by far the world’s most rapidly changing large economy, and our reactions to it shift just as quickly. China is at one moment our greatest threat, the next our friend. It siphons off American jobs; it is essential to our competitive edge. China is the world’s factory floor, and it is the world’s greatest market opportunity. China’s industrial might steals opportunities from the developing world, even as its booming economy pulls poorer countries up (lately it has been getting credit for helping Japan out of its slump too). China exports deflation; it stokes soaring prices. China will boom; it will bust.

Fishman is not as alarmed by all this as some folks. He concludes the above statements by noting, “The truth about China is that, like all big countries, it is full of real contradictions.”

This is an excellent, albeit lengthy, article by the way, so if you get the chance I’d recommend it. It’s got plenty of food for thought, like “Increasingly, it is what Chinese businesses and consumers choose for themselves that determines how the American economy operates.” But the bit that jumped out at me as most worthy of consideration within the context of the conspiracy theorists’ worries was this:

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Book Worm Open Thread

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I’m just as interested in getting to the bottom of whether Michael Moore is actually the anti-Christ or not as the next person, but I’m also going through a book-hungry craze lately and so offer up this Open Thread to talk about books. To keep it simple and offer some structure though, start your comments … Read more

Dewey Wins!!!

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You’ve got to hate the NY(com)Post the way NYC liberals do to really enjoy this total f%$*-up. Since they’ve already taken it down from their site, you’ll have to trust Drudge on this one.

Salvation Movement

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Good and Bad News as usual from Iraq.

Most promising (in a wierd way) is the emergence of the Salvation Movement, which threatens to kill Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi if he doesn’t leave Iraq.

A group of armed, masked Iraqi men threatened Tuesday to kill Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi if he did not immediately leave the country, accusing him of murdering innocent Iraqis and defiling the Muslim religion.

The threats revealed the deep anger many Iraqis, including insurgent groups, feel toward foreign fighters, whom many consider as illegitimate a presence here as the 160,000 U.S. and other coalition troops.

In a videotape sent to the al-Arabiya television station, a group calling itself the “Salvation Movement,” questioned how al-Zarqawi could use Islam to justify the killing of innocent civilians, the targeting of government officials and the kidnapping and beheading of foreigners.

“He must leave Iraq immediately, he and his followers and everyone who gives shelter to him and his criminal actions,” said a man on the video.

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Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

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The Saddam Hussein Defense team just got a whole lot stranger:

The daughter of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the Libyan president, will help defend Saddam Hussein in court, a Jordanian lawyer and member of Mr. Hussein’s legal team said Friday.

Aicha Muammar el-Qaddafi, a law professor in her late 20’s, will become part of a Jordanian-based multinational defense team, the lawyer, Ziad al-Khasawneh, said Thursday.

A statement issued Thursday by a charity association led by Ms. Qaddafi said she wanted to guarantee that Mr. Hussein received a fair trial based on “the principle that all accused should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

Which got me to wondering something I’m sure our good friends with JD’s can shed some light on. If the Iraqi courts and Iraqi judges indicting Hussein are seen as legitimate enough to try Hussein (as opposed to trying him at The Hague, a la Milosevic), wouldn’t that require a presupposition that the new government is legitimate because Hussein was disposed of legitimately. In other words, Hussein was already presumed guilty.*

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Fafnir Friday: jury duty

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OK, so you really should read Fafnir every chance you get,* but today he’s outdone himself. Here’s just a snippet: FAFNIR: Now Mr Prospective Juror are you familiar with the defendant in this case? IRAQI: Hmmm, what did you say his name was? GIBLETS: Saddam Hussein. IRAQI: I have heard of him now and then, … Read more

Mandatory Marriage for Straights Who Procreate!

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I have had enough! Until the mindless pro-FMA conservatives demand federal legislation that requires mandatory marriage for all straight Americans who procreate—no divorce, no birth out of wedlock, mandatory immediate remarrying if one parent dies, no gray areas at all—this kind of bullshit needs to stop: It’s an ad for publications in Ohio and text … Read more

Bringing in the Sheep

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At what point did Karl Rove calculate that George W. Bush must win the religious right in order to get re-elected? Against common sense and good presidential precedent (think FMA), Team Bush has been promising them heaven and earth.

Of course, no mere mortal gives and gives without asking in return eventually:

The Bush-Cheney reelection campaign has sent a detailed plan of action to religious volunteers across the country asking them to turn over church directories to the campaign, distribute issue guides in their churches and persuade their pastors to hold voter registration drives.
Campaign officials said the instructions are part of an accelerating effort to mobilize President Bush’s base of religious supporters. They said the suggested activities are intended to help churchgoers rally support for Bush without violating tax rules that prohibit churches from engaging in partisan activity.

“We strongly believe that our religious outreach program is well within the framework of the law,” said Terry Holt, spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign.

But tax experts said the campaign is walking a fine line between permissible activity by individual congregants and impermissible activity by congregations. Supporters of Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, charged that the Bush-Cheney campaign is luring churches into risking their tax status.

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HIV/AIDS Update: Open Thread

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As promised a few days ago, this is a chance to exchange updates on the fight against AIDS. To get the ball rolling, let me share that last night I attended an amazing all-star* talk hosted by the New York Times’s Frank Rich with Larry Kramer, Tony Kushner, Terrence McNally, and Paul Rudnick (have I … Read more

Too Sensitive for Serious Debate?

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Everyone from David Brooks to Nicholas Kristof is calling for more civility in the national discourse. Depending on your side of the fence, what you consider the source of the widespread incivility may vary:

Brooks:

To a large degree, polarization in America is a cultural consequence of the information age.

Kristof:

Mr. Bush got us into a mess by overdosing on moral clarity and self-righteousness, and embracing conspiracy theories of like-minded zealots.

But seemingly everyone agrees that we could do with a bit more civility. Everyone, some have suggested, except The Nation, who published this image on the back of the July 5, 2004 issue:

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Frickin’ French Idjit

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Via Sullivan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OK, so I’m stopping short of endorsing Freedom Fries, but Chirac (like many other world leaders I can think of) could use a good swift kick in the pants (you choose from which side). And, get me a chair, I actually agree with Bush: In remarks prepared for delivery at a Istanbul … Read more

Fahrenheit 911

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I’ve normally found Michael Moore too bombastic and reckless. His in-your-face style of filmmaking embarrasses me normally, and his speech at the Academy Awards struck me as in poor taste.

After I saw the film last night, though, I attended a moveon.org house party where Michael Moore spoke to thousands of Americans via a national conference call. He was polite and actually quite patriotic. He had helpful advice about getting the disenfranchised back into the political system, and his response to anecdotes of reactions to his film seemed gracious and genuininely grateful.

I had gone into the film expecting to see all kinds of outrageous juxtapositions and innuendoes (and surely it’s not a respectful portrait of the president), but I came out thinking there’s nothing in there that’s any less flimsy than the constant “technically true” propaganda we get daily from the White House, so he’s essentially just fighting fire with fire.

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Not so Fast There, Mr. President

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Stop the Music, stop the music. Turn down that spotlight a bit, would ya? I’m willing to give the Bush team credit for a very clever early transfer of “sovereignty” as a means to deflate any plans the insurgency may have had for June 30, but I’m not about to let this stand without comment: … Read more

Sovereignty: Hyperreal at hyperspeed

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So much sooner than one would have expected, a potentially very real test of Iraq’s “soveriegnty” comes from a lawyer hired by Saddam’s wife. Ziad al-Khasawneh, one of 20 Jordanian and foreign lawyers appointed by Saddam’s wife, Sajidah, said the United States has no legal basis to keep prisoners, including Saddam, now that it has … Read more

Martial Law: Good for Iraq! Good for the US? …and a few thoughts on SCOTUS

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Will the newly re-“sovereign”-ized Iraq need to impose martial law? Mere hours after the surprisingly early handover, whispers are already circulating that a severe Iraq-implemented clampdown (which would certainly have caused outrage had the US tried it) is Plan A to deal with the insurgency. Who’s going to be watching to ensure any clampdown stays this side of Husseinesque is a good question, but I can see the wisdom of letting the Iraqi’s themselves call this shot.

Having said that, there is this bit of confusion to clear up (from a few days ago):

The US-led occupation authority in Baghdad has warned Iraq’s interim government not to carry out its threat of declaring martial law, insisting that only the US-led coalition has the right to adopt emergency powers after the June 30 handover of sovereignty. [emphasis mine: Sounds like a funny kind of full sovereignty to me, but….]

Senior American officials say Iraq’s authorities are bound by human rights clauses in the interim constitution, known as the Transitional Administrative Law, prohibiting administrative detention.

But they say the recent United Nations Security Council resolution 1546 sanctions the use by foreign forces in Iraq of “all necessary measures” to provide security.

A senior coalition official in Baghdad said: “Under the UN resolution, the multinational force will have the power to take all actions traditionally associated with martial law.” He said they had raised their legal objections with Iyad Allawi, Iraq’s prime minister.

Mr Allawi on Tuesday appeared to back away from remarks made on Sunday that the government would assume emergency powers after the handover.

“No, I didn’t specifically say martial law meaning martial law,” he said, adding that the government was developing a “public safety law” which would allow it to implement curfews, searches, and “apprehend the enemies of Iraq”.

Well, so long as he didn’t mean “martial law meaning martial law.” Besides, he really should leave that kind of legally nebulous acrobatic nonsense to the professionals; like George Bush’s 9 closest friends.

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Green Party Nominates David Cobb for President

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No, that’s not my home-remedy headline for you late-night blogging insomniacs. But, admittedly, even the mainstream media only reported this news within the context of the Green Party’s rejection of Nader. Greens reject Nader endorsement, back Cobb Unlike 99.9% of Americans, I’ve not only heard of David Cobb, I’ve met him and stood two feet … Read more