Politics

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

Almost on the road…

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…but I had to note first this gem* of an op-ed from Senator Fritz Hollings:

…Of course there were no weapons of mass destruction. Israel’s intelligence, Mossad, knows what’s going on in Iraq. They are the best. They have to know.

Israel’s survival depends on knowing. Israel long since would have taken us to the weapons of mass destruction if there were any or if they had been removed. With Iraq no threat, why invade a sovereign country? The answer: President Bush’s policy to secure Israel.

Led by Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and Charles Krauthammer, for years there has been a domino school of thought that the way to guarantee Israel’s security is to spread democracy in the area…

Or, as Sensei Lileks puts it:

Listening to a radio host discuss this column by Fritz Hollings. What caused the war with Iraq? Simple! Charles Krauthammer used his super-powerful Jew Beams to cloud the minds of hapless pliable goyim. Then Bush realized he could win reelection by getting that overwhelming number of Jewish voters.

Now, I’m not so naive as to think that Hollings is going to suffer any formal penalty for this: we’re all men and women of the world, here. Probably moot, too, seeing as he’s retiring anyway. But, still. Sheesh.

Gotta go; I’m holding up breakfast. See ya on the flip side.

Moe

UPDATE: Ah, how the universe loves me. Volokh produces a measured response so that I don’t have to, and Damien Penny handles the entire ‘consider the source’ angle (quick hint; do the words ‘Rather than eating each other, they’d just come up and get a good square meal in Geneva’ ring any bells with people?). I can thus go enjoy this lovely Saturday afternoon.

Thanks, universe!

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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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Smiles never quite reaching the eyes…

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…Senator John Kerry and Ralph Nader had a meeting. WASHINGTON – John Kerry (news – web sites) met with independent Ralph Nader (news – web sites) Wednesday, but didn’t ask the third-party candidate to quit the presidential race despite widespread Democratic fears that his candidacy could ensure President Bush (news – web sites)’s re-election. Big … 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

And now it’s apparently 1988.

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Or not: James Pinkerton (the author of this article) is presenting arguments both for and against the notion that this election will repeat 1988. On the whole, I’m going to say ‘Not’; you can link up any two events or concepts if you try hard enough, and human eyes are often quite good at seeing … Read more

Bad Connection Politics Open Thread

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Intermittent connection problems all evening, and sleeping sounds good right now. So, here’s a couple of fresh threads to post to. I hope that they post…

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

Hey, does anybody here…

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…not spit at hearing the words “Agricultural Subsidies”? (pause) Thought so. This should be cheering news, then: In U.S., Cotton Cries Betrayal. Sumner, an agricultural economist at the University of California at Davis, played a key role in an international trade case that is shaping up as one of the most significant defeats the United … Read more

Serendipity.

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I was searching for what Senator Kerry actually said to have the AP claim that he called the war in Iraq a failure (I found the lack of direct quotes… well, ‘diagnostic’ works, huh?); I haven’t, yet, but I found this in the process: Nader Wins Endorsement from Reform Party. WASHINGTON (AP) — Independent Ralph … Read more

One note and then meeting hell

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I’m actually gonna have to earn my keep today, so my only contribution until I get out of meeting hell is going to be this thought from Thomas Friedman: It has always been more important for the Bush folks to defeat liberals at home than Baathists abroad.

Here’s to one of the Good Guys

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Josh Marshall has some rather blunt criticism for Senator Jame Inhofe: As I said earlier today, I don’t think I can remember a more shameful spectacle in the United States Congress, in my living memory, than the comments today of James Inhofe, the junior senator from Oklahoma. Clearly when you compare Inhofe’s performance (and let’s … Read more

Yes, Virginia, You Are a Bunch of %@$#s

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I defy anyone to explain away this nonsense as anything other than vile hatred: [T]he Virginia General Assembly, which last month — brushing aside proposed amendments from Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) — passed with veto-proof majorities a jaw-dropping bill that bans not only civil unions but any “partnership contract or other arrangement between persons … Read more

A New Course

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Tacitus posts an incredibly well-written argument that a change in command is essential in order to win the war in Iraq. He argues that Rumsfeld should go: The Secretary of Defense rightly noted before a Senatorial panel that he bears direct responsibility for that which happens on his watch. True indeed — and so he … Read more

Who’s in charge, ultimately?

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One line in the otherwise jumble of thoughts Safire offers up in defense of Donald Rumsfeld popped out at me this morning: In last week’s apology before the Senate, Rumsfeld assumed ultimate responsibility, as J.F.K. did after the Bay of Pigs fiasco. That’s all.

Convention coverage.

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Some of you may remember my Tacitus post about the DNC’s plans to offer press credentials to bloggers this campaign season (which is, of course, a very good idea of theirs). There’s a possibility that the RNC might follow suit… which, if they do, becomes very, very tempting. My folks live on the Jersey Shore, … Read more

Useless Joe

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It’s so embarrassing to watch the Committee on Armed Services question Rumsfeld and company and have to compare Joe Lieberman to Lindsey Graham. As a Democrat I mean. Matt Yglesias said it well: I should note in the spirit of bipartisanship that Sens. Lindsay Graham and Susan Collins both turned in much better performances than … Read more

Putting together a band.

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A band of bloggers, that is. Steven Taylor of Poliblog thinks that it’d be neat to bring together himself, Jeff Goldstein of Protein Wisdom, James Joyner of Outside the Beltway and Robert Tagorda of Priorities & Friviolities and go be the blogging team for The Weekly Standard. Personally, I think that it’s a dandy idea; … Read more

Cynical title deleted by author.

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Oberon’s talking about USA Patriot over at North Georgia Dogma. He’s got the makings for a good, nonpartisan discussion about what needs to go and what needs to stay; it’s a pity that I’m in precisely the wrong mood to contribute meaningfully. Check it out anyway.

Can I have some Moore, sir?

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I’m not a well-educated consumer of Michael Moore’s output. I’ve seen him speak, and he’s a bit too over-the-top for my tastes. I’ve seen him quoted where he went beyond hyperbole into unsubstantiated claims territory. I find him abrasive somewhat as well. I do consider him an American entitled to Freedom of Speech, without attempts … Read more

Will he or won’t he?

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Former President Clinton’s book is supposed to be coming out this summer, as I’m sure most of you know; amusingly, the New York Post apparently couldn’t decide to go with the “Damn, is this ever going to mess up Kerry!” angle or the “He’ll never finish it in time! Never never never!” – so they … Read more

He’s just getting into his stride.

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Not so incredibly, Dennis Kuchinich is still campaigning. I say not so incredibly because, really, being a Presidential candidate beats working for a living all hollow. Plus there’s the added benefit of being able to party with the college crowd without looking like an old fart in the process; I figure that Dennis will ride … Read more

Without endorsing such efforts

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…let me just direct those who may not have discovered it already to David Brock’s new site, Media Matters for America. Welcome to Media Matters for America, a new Web-based, not-for-profit progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Because a healthy democracy depends on … Read more

Retraction Monday

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Having made a right ass of myself on the Fallujah post below, I’m nothing if not sympathetic for the position Paul Bremer found himself in when the media broadcast a criticism of Bush’s efforts in the War on Terror earlier. And, now, it appears that choosing one’s words more carefully is catching on: Bremer Takes … Read more

Anecdotal Evidence Update.

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My mother called my house this morning to inquire about how one sets up an internet grassroots movement to draft John McCain for the Presidency. This seriously shifts polling results in the crucial Immediate Lane Family demographic, leaving Bush, McCain and Kerry tied for first place (20% each), with 40% of the respondents not yet … Read more

Like polls do any better.

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Professor Bainbridge brings to our attention this LA Times article (registration required, alas, and ‘laexaminer’ doesn’t seem to work) that claims that every single time that the Washington Redskins loses or ties their last game before a Presidential election, the sitting President loses the election as well. This streak has apparently been unbroken for 72 … Read more

Modest Proposal (Oh, I slay me)

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I have a set of related suggestions for changing the complexion of the national legislature. I am not wedded to any of them, but I think that they’d be interesting to discuss, so here goes: 1). Increase the number of Representatives in the House to 2,000. As someone’s pointed out in comments around here, our … Read more

Timing, Mr. President

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Via a diary on Kos Bush Defends Declaring End to Iraq Combat A year ago I did give the speech from the carrier saying we had achieved an important objective, accomplished a mission, which was the removal of Saddam Hussein,” Bush said. “As a result, there are no longer torture chambers or mass graves or … Read more

Hey, I forgot that I had this hobbyhorse…

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I was reading this post over at OTB…

(pause)

What? Oh. I just went to bed at a decent hour for a change. Sleep: it’s an amazing notion. I applaud whoever came up with it.

Anyhoo, James commented on (and later linked to, although I haven’t read it yet: it could be frothing) to this speech by outgoing Senator Zell Miller about the 17th Amendment – direct election of Senators – and why it should be repealed. This being something that I could reliably become exercised about in the past, I’d thought that I’d share.

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Chao: Working Overtime to Screw Workers

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The first time Labor Secretary Elaine Chao tried to overhaul the country’s Fair Labor Standards Act, there was a bit of squawking (1.5 million e-mails, letters, faxes and made phone calls to the White House, the Department of Labor and Congress…and not all of them from me either). So—her boss being up for re-election this year—she rolled up her sleeves, put in some long hours, and took another stab at it. And now, in the fine tradition of the Bush II administration, it’s much, much better…at least in Orwellian terms.

“Today, workers win. The department’s new rules guarantee and strengthen overtime rights for more American workers than ever before,” said Secretary Chao.

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It’s way late…

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… so I shall leave you with a reminder that the President and Vice President are meeting with the 9/11 panel tomorrow (as new Guest Blogger for Tacitus Harley rather – man, I’m really sorry to have to use this adjective – waggishly reminds us*). I’m sure that with enough effort one or two of … Read more

Back and forth

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Jack O’Toole and Ogged are both trying to wrest control of the current election narrative so that it actually works in the Democrats’ favor. O’Toole’s argument seems to be that there isn’t a general theme and strategy in the drive to unseat Bush; Ogged concurs and offers his own suggestion (‘not playing by the rules’). … Read more