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A Sinking Ship

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So, you know it tears me up inside to be the bearer of bad news for the Bush campaign, but there’s little other news to pass along these days. First it was the Muslim Americans, now the Cuban Americans: Bush’s support among Cuban-Americans in south Florida—about 80 percent of whom backed him in 2000—shows signs … Read more

Need to Know Basis Only

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/snark on/ Right hand, meet Left Hand… Pentagon surprised by Bush pledge to destroy Abu Ghraib: report I know he’s the boss and all that, but the President might have at least IM’d the Pentagon that he was going to announce this…a text message, courier pigeon, something… Pentagon officials were caught by surprise by President … Read more

How

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In response to my rant about why we cannot fail to bring Democracy to Iraq, Constant Reader Dave Schuler writes:

I completely agree with every sentiment. But how?

You don’t believe in warming up with an easy question, do you Dave? ; ) Well, if I’m gonna pontificate, It might become me to give this a stab anyway.

How do we ensure democracy is delivered to Iraq?

There are obviously many aspects to this, but two jump out at me, so I’ll start this off with those. But, by way of introduction, let me note that I’m a strong believer in something Bill Cosby said about answering tough questions that children ask (you know, about sex or babies, etc). Mr. Cosby’s philosophy was that “If they’re old enough to ask the questions; they’re old enough to hear the answers.”

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“Sensation”al Art Up in Flames

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A fire in an east London warehouse has destroyed “millions of pounds” worth of art by important “YBA’s” (Young British Artists; a group centered around Damien Hirst and other East End stars made [in]famous worldwide via the Sensation exhibition that stirred controversy on both sides of the Atlantic). A good portion of the work lost … Read more

The Inanity of AQ’s Endorsement

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Unless you believe that al Qaida wants Bush to win the election (and there are those making that argument), all this handwringing about how “One of the terrorists’ top goals may be to manipulate this fall’s presidential elections” seems to be missing one key indicator: Bush’s chances are looking somewhat dicey (via Tacitus). So if … Read more

The Dream is not Dead

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Fouad Ajami laments in the NYT today that “Iraq May Survive, but the Dream Is Dead“ Let’s face it: Iraq is not going to be America’s showcase in the Arab-Muslim world. The president’s insistence that he had sent American troops to Iraq to make its people free, “not to make them American” is now — … Read more

Muslim-American Voters Abandon Bush

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Via LionelEHutz’s Diary on Kos ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All snarkiness aside, this completely surprised me. In 2000: Of the 100, 000 Muslim Americans in Florida, at least 60,000 have voted in this year’s election. As estimated in a telephone survey of 350 Muslim Floridians, 91% have voted for Gov. Bush, 8% for Ralph Nader, and 1% for … Read more

Not to make them American

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In outlining the “plan” for the transfer of “sovereignty” to Iraq last night, President Bush made the following declaration: I sent American troops to Iraq to defend our security not to stay as an occupying power. I sent American troops to Iraq to make its people free not to make them American. However, Juan Cole’s … Read more

Need something to cheer you up?

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And, no, I’m not talking about the President’s overdue speech tonight with (hopefully) details about the transition to a sovereign Iraq. (Names! Mr. President…we want names!) I’m talking about something a bit more sublime: Gallery Finishes Restoration of ‘David’ And, for the curious, some details about the (suspected) rationale behind David’s infamously surrealistic proportions and … Read more

Reading Suggestions

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Choice 1:

If you’ve had your fill of bad news from Iraq, Sullivan links to two reasons to be be optimistic: U.S. Forces Move Into Stronghold Of Cleric and G.I.’s Report Killing 36 Insurgents Around Kufa Mosque That Held Arms (kinda like a Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney musical, isn’t it? Gee Golly, that is Good News!)

Honestly, I think it’s gonna be a horse race to the June 30 finish line with CalmInTheStreets barely a nose ahead of BubblingTurmoil (if we’re lucky), but regardless, I predict after that violence in Iraq will continue until another ruthless dictator rises to instill enough fear to control things. The constitution doing as much to ensure domestic tranquility there as it has in Afghanistan. Hope I’m wrong, but don’t see any reason to suspect I am at this point.

Choice 2:

Retired General Anthony Zinni appeared on 60 Minutes last night flogging his soon-to-be-released book “Battle Ready” (co-written by Tom Clancy, no less). His interview provided a hint of what to expect in the book:

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Don’t Mention the Holocaust

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Israeli Justice Minister Yosef Lapid stepped over the line today and fury ensued. His offense? He voiced sympathy for “an old woman on all fours looking for her medicine in the rubble of her home” and noted that it made him think about his grandmother during the Holocaust. The problem with this act of empathy … Read more

GOP sets a new low in campaigning

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The new tone in government Bush promised while campaigning in 2000 never really materialized, and there are culprits on both sides of the aisle to blame for that, but when the history of the early 21st Century in American politics is written, in particular the chapter titled “The Nail in the Coffin of Civility.” let … Read more

Catholic Candidates and Communion

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Finally, bishops with a sense of mission: Breaking with some colleagues, two Arizona bishops say they won’t deny Communion to Roman Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix said that instead of refusing to offer Communion, he will attempt to use persuasion to educate politicians about church teachings. “My job … Read more

Bush Is Bad for Business

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The irony does not escape me. Bush’s foreign policy is gearing up to have a long-term effect on our biggest corporate brands among international consumers: Source: CNN Money Diminishing respect for American culture and values is putting U.S. brands at greater risk overseas, according to a worldwide annual study of consumer sentiment. “Our study has … Read more

No Point in Avoiding Them

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We know they’re coming, and as much as I appreciate that focussing on them distracts from the work at hand, it’s probably best to own up to them as they’re leaked out, debate just how bad they are and what it means if they’re real and/of faked, and let the whole process strengthen our resolve … Read more

Small World Alert (part 2)*

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Hat tip to the all-knowing Gary Farber for sharing this vital blogging tip

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For those of us who consider the New York Times the best of the lying press, but have been more than slightly annoyed that as you go back to find that Times article you read that will destroy your opponent’s argument, only to realize that they retire their ware into archives and then have the nerve to ask us to pay for it, here’s the ticket

HOW TO GET TO OLD NY TIMES ARTICLES.

Gary’s also scooped me (and the NYT) on the rising popularity of Extreme Ironing. Finally, a good excuse for my wrinkly shirts (“Honestly, my parachute wouldn’t open.”).

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Hope in Bishkek (part 3): Bittersweet Progress

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As the unofficial US-Kyrgyzstan Tourism Director / Diplomacy Chief, I wanted to share this account (via Argus) of how much more attractive Krygyzstan is becoming as a tourist destination. Of course, with progress comes the loss of tradition, but Even Kyrgyzstan is a lot more modern than it was just a few years ago, especially … Read more

Greenpeace defeats draconian attempt by Bush to silence them

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Argh, fear not mateys, you’re safe from the scourge that is “sailormongering”* so long as Bush is in the White House.

In a vindicitve attempt to show those blasted treehuggin’ Greenpeace-niks not to try any shenanigans so long as he’s the President, the Bush Administration dredged up the bizarrest of laws to try and punish the entire Greenpeace organization after two of its activists boarded a ship off Miami that was carrying illegally-felled mahogany from the Amazon. Was Bush all up in arms about the illegally-felled trees? Was that seen as the threat worthy of spending our tax dollars to stem?

Of course not. That would have denied him another opportunity to be blatantly hypocritical:

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The Sovereignty See-Saw

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First we said we would: According to the [The “Agreement on Political Process,” signed by CPA Administrator Paul Bremer and Jalal Talabani on behalf of the Governing Council], the Assembly is to be elected by May 31, 2004, and the Governing Council will be dissolved upon its establishment. Also, the CPA will disband by June … Read more

Another Kind of Evil (part 2)

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Looks like the Pentagon is now aligned with State and the CIA in their dislike for Chalabi: U.S. Troops Surround Chalabi’s House “They came this morning, entered the office of Dr. Ahmad Chalabi and said that they were looking for people,” said Abdul Kareem Abbas, an INC official. He said they wanted to make arrests. … Read more

Another Kind of Evil

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A trailer for the upcoming film The Chronicle’s of Riddick has a futuristically bedecked Judy Dench declaring “Sometimes the only way to stop evil is not with good. You must confront it with another kind of evil.” This is the only rationale I can find for the choice to use Ahmad Chalabi in any way … Read more

Ohio, Ohio, Ohio

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Howard Fineman calls it the “Mother of All Battleground States” and there’s a growing concern that it’s not looking so good for the incumbent there: It’s only a slight exaggeration to say that if [Timken,] follows through on the plan [to close its nearly century-old manufacturing plants in its hometown of Canton]— which will cut … Read more

www.soxaholic.com

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Being an Indians fan (and therefore having enough of my own problems) I’ve never quite appreciated the whole Red Sox vs. Yankees thing, but in the interest of supporting a good friend who’s built this website http://www.soxaholic.com/ I thought I’d pass this along. That’s him in the Martinez t-shirt in the bottom photo. He used … Read more

Reliving 9/11

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I guess its fitting that today, as the 9/11 Commission begins hearings in NYC, my office building had a full evacuation rehearsal today. There was a time when such drills met choruses of groans and saw people hiding in conference rooms to avoid having to file down the staircases and out into the streets. Now, however, there’s a much less grudging compliance, accompanied by stories of friends and relatives who escaped one of the WTC towers and how these drills are not so bad after all.

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Heavy Handed Headline

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It screams at you on the FoxNews.com site homepage: U.S. Confirms WMDs Found in Iraq But it’s not very likely the discovery that an IED exploded today contained sarin (and another was found to contain mustard gas) will justify that editorial choice. From MSNBC.com Two former weapons inspectors — Hans Blix and David Kay — … Read more

When you get right down to it…

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…this has got to be the best commentary of the blogosphere ever. (via Backward) UPDATE: Oh look, it kinda works for other sites too! sample 1 sample 2 Sorry…had a bit of a flashback to the second grade there for a moment.

A Unity Ticket

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Calpundit Guest blogger, commedian Jay Jaroch, offers a lighthearted look at some of the top news stories, including what’s perceived in some quarters as the Democrat’s inability to find a Kerry runningmate among themselves who’s half as appealing as John McCain. All this McCain talk sets too high a standard for a running mate. If … Read more

The Garage Is Open

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Why do we let Chalabi get away with this? Council member Ahmad Chalabi said terrorists are using the insurgent Sunni stronghold of Fallujah, where U.S. Marines stopped patrols last month and allowed an Iraqi security force to oversee security, to prepare car bombs like the one that killed Saleem. “The terrorists are free to roam … Read more

And it keeps getting stranger

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Bizarre New Link In Berg Murder CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin reports U.S. officials say the FBI questioned Berg in 2002 after a computer password Berg used in college turned up in the possession of Zacarias Moussaoui, the al Qaeda operative arrested shortly before Sept. 11 for his suspicious activity at a flight … Read more

May 17th, 2004

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I’ve been scouring the news and comics all morning for something to shake this melancholy that’s got me in its grasp at the moment. Not sure if it’s my allergies, or the relentless barrage of images of horror, or just the drain of the current political climate, but give me a guitar and I’d make … Read more