"This was the voice of moderation until 13 Sept, 2025"
von What remains most striking to me about these speeches — more than the evident bile, the personal issues being worked out in public, and silly attacks on the patriotism of others (rising, in Zell’s case, almost to the level of self-satire) — is the seeming obliviousness on Iraq. You wouldn’t know it from these speechs, … Read more
Stan of Logic & Sanity has comprehensive coverage of the terrorist attacks on a Russia school. (Stan speaks Russian, and has been translating some of the local news reports.) Via Citizen Smash, who has returned from his adventures in blog-hosting and is “reporting for duty.” So to speak.
Kos advocates an ill-conceived brand of “direct action“: From the subscription-only CQ: About a half dozen protesters provoked a brief but noisy struggle with convention security officials just before noon today after interrupting a speech by White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. Despite heavy security inside and around Madison Square Garden, the … Read more
Read here: George P. is up bragging about some bill that made it easier for people who can’t afford a downpayment to buy a home. This sounds like the sort of thing that would attract strong bipartisan support. It also seems like a pretty bad idea. How many initiatives do we need to encourage bad … Read more
Today’s article by William Saletan in Slate, Being There, demonstrates exactly why the SwiftVets are dangerous to Bush, and why, immediately after the convention, he should specifically single them out as wrong and unhelpful: For the past month, a group of veterans funded by a Bush campaign contributor and advised by a Bush campaign lawyer … Read more
In the spirit of Hilzoy: I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker. My dislike of the Bush administration’s policies — for the record, I like Bush the man — is being tempered by the fact that I am, at heart, a liberal Republican. It’s early yet, but I can’t help but notice that the Republicans are … Read more
So, at the start, Pericles strides forward; and why? To endorse Nicias, of course. (You on the right: you think Nicias a misnomer, a slur. See Iraq and the Peace of Nicias that is being wrought there — yes, even now.)
History repeats itself, despite its lessons.
It’s a good speech, but, at the beginning, the delivery is a bit off-kilter. McCain’s uncertain, not quite ready for the moment. And, then, ….
(A personal reaction to McCain’s speech follows — viewed from FoxNews.)
From Judge Richard Posner (7th Circuit), guest blogging at Lawrence Lessig’s blog (UPDATE: Also read our own Edward Underscore, below): At last, high-level Administration acknowledgment that global warming is real, and that human activity (mainly the burning of fossil fuels, principally oil, natural gas, and coal, and deforestation in Third World countries) is a principal … Read more
Via Tacitus and Michael D of Kos, two planes have disappeared from radar nearly simultaneously in separate incidents in Russia today. No comment save the obvious: there’s an odor of al Qaeda in the air (we’ll know soon enough). Oh, and it feels good to write “via Tacitus and … Kos”; there was a time, … Read more
Via Drezner, a necessary read on the mistakes made in the planning for the aftermath of the Iraq war. The Administration’s mistakes in Iraq have been long-discussed and are well known — indeed, per General Shinseki’s pre-war testimony, many of the mistakes were known as they were being made. Larry Diamond, former Senior Adviser to … Read more
In the spirit of lazy Sunday, here’s lazy Monday: The (former) Mosque at Cordoba, Spain. It is elegant in its simplicity, and quiet even in crowds. Go there, and see it.
By the way, there’s an elegant Baroque Chapel* that was inserted into the center of the Mosque. At any other spot, it would have been a destination in and of itself. Placed where it is, my opinion of the Chapel is the same as that of the King of Spain’s statement to the architect: You have ruined it.**
*My apologies if the term “chapel” is incorrect; I believe that the Mosque is now designated a Cathedral in Roman Catholicism, but “Cathedral” is too fine a word for this accidental monstrosity. And, anyways, humble Presbyterian, here.
**Paraphrase.
Judge Posner, influential federal appellate judge (Seventh Circuit*) and self-described legal pragmatist, is guest blogging over at Larry Lessig’s website. (Via Professor Bainbridge.) Agree or disagree, Posner is an incisive writer and a true judicial luminary — as Article III Groupie might have put it (but, sadly, didn’t), he’s a “male Superhottie of the Federal Judiciary“!
I’m as surprised as y’all that I actually wrote that. Typically, it takes a couple beers . . . . . 😉
Anyway, be sure to drop by Lessig’s blog — it ain’t often that a true judicial superstar stops by for a chat.**
von
I know, I know — the fashionable thing to do these days is to snipe about the SwiftVets. And, for the record, I’m still doing the “impossible“: thinking the SwiftVets are lying scum (more on that from the New York Times and Kevin Drum*) while simultaneously believing that Kerry has done more than his fair … Read more
Giblets of the Fafpeople — who is the Lord Of All That Is and, I am reliably told, my secret Santa (thanks for the Gold Toes!) — wants to discuss missile defense: So on Tuesday George Bush said his plan for a missile defense shield showed he was living in the future. So far into … Read more
But I fully endorse this post by Gary Farber and this one by Bjørn Stærk (picked up by Volokh, and InstaPundit, and Giblets, and others too numerous to mention). I’ve touched on this subject before, but Stærk does a better job than I in puncturing this particular balloon. Go read him. And, if you agree, … Read more
Michelle Malkin is starting to get tedious. In a recent post she attempts to fit a reasonably-scary newstory regarding terrorists and ambulances to her favorite thesis, that the war on terror will be won if we just start basing more of our security decisions on the skin color of those around us. Or, as she … Read more
There’s been a lot written on “In Defense of Interment,” which attempts to defend the Japanese internment during World War II as a perfectly rational self-defense measure and then, purportedly, apply the lessons of internment to the present day War on Terror. I say “purportedly” because Malkin — for reasons that are never well explained … Read more
Kerry is an evil liar who shoots Vietnamese kids in the back. You betcha I’ll swear an oath to that effect. You betcha I’ll appear in your commerical. You betcha you can cite me in your book. Umm, actually, hold on a moment. Maybe I misremembered . . . . . (via Drum.) ”I still … Read more
. . . . Of statements that are defamatory per se if they are not true, go here (via Citizen Smash).* Considering the severity and extent of the charges, I would expect each of these individuals to step boldly forward with the evidence to support them. They do have evidence, don’t they? A document? A … Read more
Well, it’s not exactly concise, but Timothy Sandefur offers an excellent “Guide for The Legally Perplexed” on The Panda’s Thumb. It’s well worth your time, even if much of it is old news.
Bush just taped an appearance on Dr. Phil. (Via K-Lo of the Corner.) This is your weekend open thread (looks like the others are getting a bit crowded).
It seems to me that Stuart Buck has a point, and a good one at that. As evidence that he approaches matters of war in a more “nuanced” fashion than Bush, John Kerry noted that “[s]aying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn’t make it so.” True! says Buck: For example, Saddam didn’t … Read more
When I first heard it, I dismissed as fantasy TNR’s and Josh Marshall’s breathless report of a secret “deal” between the Bush Administration and Pakistan to capture a high-level al Queda operative during the Democratic convention. If it was a fantasy, though, what to make of this?
Taking brief relief from my burdens, I came upon Professor Bainbridge’s comments regarding a recent Ninth Circuit decision: The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a corporation can acquire a “racial identity” and therefore have standing to sue in its own name and right under federal civil rights laws on grounds that … Read more
A brief break from work to remember the important things: If … we prefer to meet danger with a light heart but without laborious training, and with a courage which is gained by habit and not enforced by law, are we not greatly the better for it? … . For we are lovers of the … Read more
UPDATE — INSTA-REACTION: Who woulda thunk they’d send Clinton, not Gore, on offense. Not I. But it’s smart, I think. … Yes, yes — I think it’s smart. There’s a bunch of open threads for the convention, but not this one: Here’s your opportunity to snark. I caught parts of Al’s opening speech; honestly, not … Read more
If we’re graphing things out, my political views are probably as close to Bill O’Reilly’s as they are to any telepundit. This political accordance, however, should not be confused with actually liking, trusting, or respecting the man. Lawrence Lessig provides the latest support for my view: On February 4, 2003, Jeremy Glick was your guest … Read more
I’m out for the next few days as I deal with “work,” but a few brief notes regarding an update to my blogroll — all lawyers (two righties, two lefties, and one, erm, “aspiring Judicial Diva”):
Michael Froomkin — a lefty, and represents it well.
Stephen Bainbridge — More conservative than I, but brilliant in his area of expertise (corporate law). His latest attack on John Kerry is right on the money. If he says “John Trial Lawyer Edwards” one more time, however, I’m pulling out my can of “those who cannot do, teach.”*
Brian Leiter — Does not suffer fools, and does not suffer them well.
Curmudgeonly Clerk — Frequently conservative, always considered — the Tacitus of law bloggers. (It doesn’t hurt that he appears to clerk in the Southern District of Texas, and I have fond memories of my appearances before Judge Hinojosa of the same.)
Article III Groupie — Umm, I’m not sure how to describe this site; all I can say is that I visit it more frequently than I care to admit. How to explain what it’s all about? I’ll let A3G give it a go: “This weblog, ‘Underneath Their Robes’ (“UTR”), reflects Article III Groupie’s interest in, and obsession with, the federal judiciary.” It’s too late to vote in her “Superhotties of the Federal Judiciary” contest — “The Hot. Alex Kozinski (9th Cir.)”* won for the men and “The Hot. Kimba M. Wood (S.D.N.Y.)” won for the women — but that’s no reason to stay away.
And, with that, see ya’ll in a few.
von
IT BEGINS. A recycle (from Haiku-a-lypse Now): Cold January Bosses to warmer homes go I’m wearing no pants (And fifteen minutes early, too!)
The partisan spinning has begun! (It only took an afternoon.) By Justin of Right Side Redux (and via Citizen Smash, who I hope reconsiders): Political correctness and timidness was all the rage during the Clinton administration when considering how to respond to Bin Laden according to “Mike” (an infiltrated CIA agent): On December 20, intelligence … Read more
Here’s the executive summary and here’s the full report. (Very large PDFs.) Pay particular attention to what they say about an Iranian link. If you need a break from reading them tonight, don’t forget that THE SECOND OBWI POETRY SLAM begins at 8 p.m. Indiana Time (EST)* tonight — that’s 8 p.m. Central Daylight Time, … Read more
A recent debate I had with Tacitus on Redstate got me thinking as to whether the roots of militant Islam lie primarily in the socio-economic conditions that exist in Islamic countries or in the religion itself. The issue is crucial because the cause of militant Islamic will dictate our strategy in response. (This view is … Read more
It has sometimes been remarked that the dual attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq are intended, at least implicitly, to be a pincer-like movement to put pressure on Iran. Before Sandy’s Bergery became topic number one, Glenn Reynolds and some others were keen on the idea. An InstaReader summed up the purported strategy as follows: An … Read more
Pejman Yousefzadeh poses the fair question, in view of Marshall’s recent posts: A bit more on the Berger story. . . . . . . . it seems equally clear that the surfacing of this matter is the product of a malicious leak intended to distract attention from the release of the 9/11 commission report. … Read more