meme orandum
| A newfangled news tangle |
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Gore Says Bush Lied About Iraq to Push for War Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore on Thursday accused President Bush of telling "an artful and important lie" soon after the Sept. 11 attacks to set the stage for war on Iraq . | |
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Joe Gandelman: Some Reuters-reported highlights from his latest speech at the Georgetown University Law Center: "Former U.S. Vice... Oliver Willis: Gore Exposes More Bush Lies — Gore Says Bush Lied About Iraq to Push for War Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore on... Edward Driscoll: GOOORRRREEEE UPDATE: Neither does this. Power Line also has some thoughts, and notes that just as the press has forgotten their own words in the 1990s, so has Al Gore. |
Jeff Goldstein: Reuters - "Gore Says Bush Lied About Iraq to Push for War" — [snipped quote] In related news, Al Gore is still not president. McQ: Hyperbole, Fiction and the Left, Part IV — Not that this is a particular shocker, but "Mr. Bitter", aka Al Gore has now... The Big Trunk: A cynical mantra — Here's the Reuters report on Al Gore's Georgetown University Law Center speech this afternoon: "Gore says Bush lied about Iraq to push for war." |
| Also: Charles Johnson, Cori Dauber | |
'Fahrenheit 9/11' ban? By / The Hill — Permalink Michael Moore may be prevented from advertising his controversial new movie, "Fahrenheit 9/11," on television or radio after July 30 if the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today accepts the legal advice of its general counsel. | |
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Robert Cox: TIVO THIS Larry King Live: Bill Clinton Hannity and Colmes: Laura Ingraham News Night: David Dimbleby The Daily... Steve M.: Well, maybe: Michael Moore may be prevented from advertising his controversial new movie, "Fahrenheit 9/11," on... Mitch2k2: From The Hill: [snipped quote] If it's any consolation, and it should be, regardless of the low ball tactics being... |
James Joyner: Fahrenheit 9/11 Ban — The Hill — 'Fahrenheit 9/11' ban? John Cole: I guess the usual suspects are finally getting to reap what they have sown: [snipped quote] IS this the worst piece of legislation ever passed? TChris: FEC To Decide Whether Moore Can Advertise — Some supporters of the Bush administration are hoping that the Federal... |
| Also: Steve Antler, Mike Hendrix, Josh Chafetz, Clayton Cramer, Susanna Cornett, Christopher Kanis, Captain Ed, Tim Cavanaugh, Bird Dog | |
Cheney curses senator over Halliburton criticism CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — Typically a break from partisan warfare, this year's Senate class photo turned smiles into snarls as Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly used profanity toward one senior Democrat, sources said. | |
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Natasha @PacificViews: Courtesy of BuzzFlash: the New York Times reports on a Senate defeat for media ownership deregulation, the group... Harley: Setting New Standards In Politesse!! Well, gee, you'd think Veep Cheney would be in a better mood. Jeralyn Merritt: A Veep with a Dirty Mouth — Wonkette reports Dick Cheney told one of our favorite Senators, Patrick Leahy, on the Senate floor to "go f**k yourself." |
Taegan Goddard: "Typically a break from partisan warfare, this year's Senate class photo turned smiles into snarls as Vice President... Kos: "Go f**k yourself" — Cheney WWJD? Probably not tell a fellow man to "go f**k yourself". Oliver Willis: I expect nothing but silence - or approval - from the Bush apologists about this one: Cheney curses senator over... |
Court Won't Order Cheney Papers Released By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - The Bush administration won't have to reveal secret details of Vice President Dick Cheney 's energy task force before the election, after the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a lower court should spend more time sorting out the White House's privacy claim. | |
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C. D. Harris: The Fishing Expedition Continues — Court Won't Order Cheney Papers Released. Still. Charles Johnson: SCOTUS Turns Down Bid to Reveal Cheney Secrets — The Supreme Court has ruled that a lower court overstepped its bounds... Jonathan H. Adler: CHENEY WINS, 7-2 — In that opinion just in, the Supreme Court refused to require the release of documents from the Vice Preisdent's Energy Task Force. |
Atrios: IOKIYAR — Supremos today: The president is not above the law, Kennedy wrote, but there is a [snipped quote] (thanks to tc mits) Jeralyn Merritt: High Court Rules for Cheney — The Supreme Court has ruled that VP Dick Cheney does not need to reveal secret energy... Steve Soto: Cheney Wins Imperial Presidency Case In Front of GOP-Packed Supreme Court — As we should have probably expected, the... |
Top Colleges Take More Blacks, but Which Ones? NYT — Permalink CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — At the most recent reunion of Harvard University's black alumni, there was lots of pleased talk about the increase in the number of black students at Harvard. But the celebratory mood was broken in one forum, when some speakers brought up the thorny issue of exactly who those black students were. | |
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David Bernstein: Affirmative Action at Harvard: Via Matthew Yglesias, this interesting N.Y. Times story discussing the fact that a... Tom Maguire: What Is The Purpose Of Affirmative Action — The NY Times has a fascinating article about confusion in the college admissions process. The Big Trunk: Today's lead New York Times education story powerfully suggests a slightly different destination, and it ain't pretty: "Top colleges take more blacks, but which ones?" |
Matt Yglesias: The Wrong Blacks I'm not really in the mood for a big affirmative action fight, but check this story out, and you'll see that current practices aren't really working. James Martin Capozzola: Bad Headline, Good Article In today's New York Times reporters Sara Rimer and Karen W. Arenson ask, "Top Colleges Take More Blacks, but Which Ones?" Nathan Hallford: A Minority-Minority? A fascinating article looking at the admission of blacks into elite universities. |
| Also: Joanne Jacobs | |
Ryan 'reassessing' bid Chicago Sun Times — Permalink WASHINGTON---Beleaguered Senate Republican candidate Jack Ryan is considering quitting the race in the uproar touched off by the release of his divorce records, a Republican source told the Chicago Sun- Times on Thursday. "He's reassessing," the source said. | |
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James Joyner: Ryan Considers Quitting — Chicago Sun-Times — Ryan 'reassessing' bid [snipped quote] One suspects withdrawing and... Jesse Taylor: Loser One Or Loser Two? Jack Ryan is "reassessing" his bid for Illinois Senate. Taegan Goddard: Update: Capitol Fax and the Chicago Sun Times report that Ryan is "reassessing" his candidacy. |
Christopher Kanis: RYAN ON HIS WAY OUT — He's reportedly 'reassessing'. Now, speculation will turn to who the Republicans can put up to lose against Obama. Kos: Just about every paper in the state is calling for Ryan to relinquish the nomination, and the Sun Times now writes |
Schwarzenegger, Confident and Ready for Prime Time NYT — Permalink SACRAMENTO, June 23 — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has dazzled California with a string of legislative victories in his first months in office, has shown that he may well be a political master after all. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: Prime Time — Arnold Schwarzenegger wants a prominent role at the Republican National Convention, and I think he should definitely get one. Tim Dunlop: Get a room — From a front page party political advertisement story in this morning's edition of Penthouse Forum The New... Daniel Drezner: Arnold Schwarzenegger likes it rough — Charlie LeDuff and John M. Broder write a pretty favorable story about the... |
Betsy Newmark: I like Schwarzenegger's approach to governing. James Joyner: Terminator 4: Not Anymore the Two-Ply — NYT — Schwarzenegger, Confident and Ready for Prime Time [RSS] [snipped quote] Insert your scatalogical California quip here. Taegan Goddard: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), when asked by the New York Times to describe "his governing philosophy." |
| Also: Greg Ransom, Andrew Sullivan | |
Confessions of a Policy Wonk By / NYT — Permalink William Jefferson Clinton's "My Life" is, by a generous measure, the richest American presidential autobiography - no other book tells us as vividly or fully what it is like to be president of the United States for eight years. | |
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Jonah Goldberg: Kathryn, Rich, & Sentient People Everywhere — Have you actually read this mea culpa review from the Times? Oh my Lord. Digby: As Larry McMurtry said in the "rebuttal" review the NY Times was shamed into posting on its web site today: "The very... James Martin Capozzola: In a lengthy review of former President Bill Clinton's memoirs in today's paper, McMurtry writes: "William Jefferson... |
Robert Cox: In a press release Wednesday, the media company said it will increase the number of color pages to 28 per press run in... Nick Confessore: Someone at the Times evidently agrees, since they've rushed Larry McMurtry's review of the same book onto the Web a couple of weeks early. Howard Kurtz: After that front-page NYT review slamming Clinton's book as "sloppy, self-indulgent and often eye-crossingly dull," the... |
| Also: Jeff Jarvis, Brad DeLong, Taegan Goddard | |
Cheney Utters 'F-Word' in Senate - Aides Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney blurted out the "F word" at Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont during a heated exchange on the Senate floor, congressional aides said on Thursday. | |
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Kevin Drum: IT'S A GOOD THING HE WASN'T ON THE RADIO...Apparently "Go f**k yourself" is now Dick Cheney's answer to administration... |
Steven Taylor: I Have No Doubt that Leahy Can be Annoying, but... This really isn't appropriate behavior for the Veep on the floor of... |
Poll: Sending troops to Iraq a mistake CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — For the first time since the start of the war in Iraq, a majority of Americans say the United States made a mistake in sending troops to that country, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Thursday. | |
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Steve Soto: On a similar note, the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll taken through last night of likely voters shows Bush and Kerry... Taegan Goddard: However, a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll shows a much closer race: Bush 49%, Kerry 48%. In a three way race, it's Bush 48%, Kery 47% and Nader 3%. |
Jeralyn Merritt: Poll: Iraq a Mistake — For the first time, a national USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll shows that a majority of Americans think the war in Iraq was a mistake. |
Violence Intensifies Days Before Shift of Sovereignty to Iraqis By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 24 — Fighting raged in at least five cities in Iraq today as suspected Sunni Muslim insurgents launched coordinated attacks that killed about 70 people and wounded hundreds. | |
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Stefan Beck: The Times colorfully editorializes: "The al-Rashid road was littered with the scene of carnage that has become... Joe Drymala: Coordinated Attacks in Iraq — Iraqi insurgents launched coordinated attacks yesterday and this morning in Iraq,... |
Tacitus: My argument that enduring bloodshed then would prevent future bloodshed — which is to say, now — is of note when we... Stephen Green: Islamic Nihilism II — Here we go again: [snipped quote] Now re-read this. |
The missing Clinton women By / Washington Times — Permalink Bill Clinton calls his sexual encounters with White House intern Monica Lewinsky "immoral and foolish" and said his "relationship" with Gennifer Flowers was one he "should not have had." But in his autobiography flying out of bookstores, he doesn't mention several other women whose names were linked in scandal with his. | |
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Jesse Taylor: I Deny That Which Is Deniable — Jesus f**kin' Christ. The Moonie Times writes about all the women who alleged some sort of affair with Bill Clinton over the years. Betsy Newmark: Jerry Seper reminds us of all the women Bill Clinton is alleged to have had less-than-platonic encounters with. |
Howard Kurtz: The Washington Times says Clinton's book wasn't long enough: "Bill Clinton calls his sexual encounters with White House... |
Bush Interviewed in Gov't CIA Leak Probe By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush was interviewed by government prosecutors Thursday in connection with the federal investigation of who leaked the name of an undercover CIA operative to the news media. | |
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C. D. Harris: Surely even the estimable Mr. Novak's time is somewhat less valuable than the President of the United States'. James Martin Capozzola: As the Associated Press observes: "The investigation has been an embarrassment for a president who promised to bring... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Bush Interviewed in Plame Leak Probe — Federal prosecutors interviewed George Bush today at the Oval office concerning... |
Democrats and the Fahrenheit 9/11 Trap NRO — Permalink Do they endorse Michael Moore's kookiness? Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe says he believes radical filmmaker Michael Moore's assertion that the United States went to war in Afghanistan not to avenge the terrorist attacks of... | |
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John Cole: From National Review Online: "Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe says he believes radical filmmaker... Greg Ransom: The Democrat party has chosen to embrace the lies and politics of flim-flam-film maker Michael Moore. |
Edward Driscoll: UPDATE: Speaking of keeping the backbench warm, this doesn't like the actions of a party that's trying to recapture America's goodwill, does it? |
'Fahrenheit 9/11' Is a Red-Hot Ticket WaPo — Permalink The White House preemptively gave the movie two thumbs down: "Outrageously false," said communications director Dan Bartlett, when he was asked about some of its allegations. Sizzling! countered Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), who plans a teach-in at a Seattle theater to tap into the "anger brewing against this administration." | |
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James Joyner: WaPo — 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Is a Red-Hot Ticket "The White House preemptively gave the movie two thumbs down:... Cori Dauber: The new Michael Moore movie keeps getting attention, today with a piece in the Post that's prominently featured on their home page. |
Nick Gillespie: Moore's Big Night Out — Last night was the D.C. premiere of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, a movie that has, among... Hugh Hewitt: The great issue of the day is defeating the Zarqawis in Iraq and al Qaeda everywhere else, and Kerry and his pals in the... |
Pelosi Seeks House Minority 'Bill of Rights' By / WaPo — Permalink House Democrats' anger at heavy-handed Republican tactics reached a new level yesterday, with the chamber's top Democrat asking the House speaker to embrace a "Bill of Rights" for the minority, regardless which party it is. | |
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John Cole: Exhibit C: Nancy Pelosi's Minority Party Bill of Rights "House Democrats' anger at heavy-handed Republican tactics... Hugh Hewitt: Nancy Pelosi seems to know that her party is heading towards a cliff behind the Kerry chase car, and has demanded a "minority party's bill of rights" in the House. |
Edward Driscoll: FLASHBACK: In April of 2003, we wrote: [snipped quote] She must be thinking they'll be there for a while—because she's just introduced a House minority "Bill of Rights"! |
Court: Cheney does not have to turn over records AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court refused Thursday to order the Bush administration to make public secret details of Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force, but kept the case alive by sending it back to a lower court. | |
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Harley: After all, the Supremes punted on the energy task force docs, sending the case back to a lower court. Jon Henke: The Supreme Court has nominally ruled for Cheney in the energy task force case... [snipped quote] The Good: The case was... |
Kevin Drum: ENERGY TASK FORCE STAYS IN THE SHADOWS....The Supreme Court has ruled that Dick Cheney doesn't have to turn over the records of his energy task force meetings. |
Interview With Justin Falconer; Interview With Ron Reagan Jr. CNN — Permalink THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, Ron Reagan, his first live prime-time interview since the death of his father, former President Ronald Reagan. The history-making leader that he knew as dad. | |
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Tgirsch: Ron Reagan Jr. agrees: "KING: Do you have thoughts on the war? REAGAN: Sure, I have thoughts on the war. KING: And what do you think? Taegan Goddard: Ron Reagan Reflects — The Note runs excerpts from an interview with Ron P. Reagan, son of former President Reagan, that... |
Captain Ed: UPDATE: Here's the transcript from Larry King with media-star-for-a-day Falconer, explaining the comment about expectant... |
Clinton Effect Seen as Transitory By / LAT — Permalink Bill Clinton's emphatic return to the spotlight has created short-term opportunities for both parties but is unlikely to affect the long-term dynamics of the presidential race, Republican and Democratic strategists agree. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: John Kerry and Bill Clinton — John Podesta of the Center for American Progress claims that [snipped quote] But we know... |
Howard Kurtz: Ron Brownstein of the Los Angeles Times says no: "Bill Clinton's emphatic return to the spotlight has created... |
Ghost Right By / TNR — Permalink Gabriel García Márquez loves Bill Clinton, and the feeling is mutual. Clinton has described One Hundred Years of Solitude as his favorite novel. García Márquez has gone quite a bit further. | |
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Will Baude: [Contra William Jefferson Clinton. ] Oh, and the folks there are also looking for volunteers to help encode the rest of the novel. Josh Chafetz: REIHAN SALAM free associates delightfully on the theme of Clinton's book over at TNR Online. |
James Joyner: Clinton Needed a Ghost Writer — So says Reihan Salam in TNR: [snipped quote] That sounds about right. |
Attack of the Wolfman By / NYT — Permalink It would be hard to top the grandiosity of Bill Clinton's self-pity. The man, after all, compared himself to communism with a straight face. Talking to the audience after a New York screening of "The Hunting of the President," by his pal Harry Thomason,... | |
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Howard Kurtz: Maureen Dowd compares Wolfowitz to Clinton, saying "the former president pales when put up against the grandiosity of Paul Wolfowitz's self-delusion. |
Jay Rosen: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz tells a Congressional committee: ""Frankly, part of our problem is a lot of the... |
Solicitor General Theodore Olson to Quit By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Solicitor General Theodore Olson, who represented the Bush administration before the Supreme Court and became a voice for strong antiterrorism policies after his wife died in the Sept. 11 attacks, said Thursday he is resigning to return to law practice. | |
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Charles Molluzzo: Ted Olson will be leaving his office as Solicitor General. |
Steve Soto: Ted Olson To Quit — Why would Ted Olson be stepping down now, if he is certain that Bush will be elected, unless: a) he... |
BBC set to launch Arabic channel By / Guardian — Permalink The BBC is in talks about launching a 24-hour news channel broadcasting in Arabic across the UK, Europe and the Arab world. The venture would pit the BBC against the Qatar-based al-Jazeera station, whose original nucleus of journalists were trained by the corporation. | |
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John Cole: Ouch — Quote of the Day: "The BBC is launching a competitor to Al Jazeera. How will anybody be able to tell them apart? Harry @HarrysPlace: The BBC is to launch a 24-hour news channel broadcasting in Arabic across the UK, Europe and the Arab world which will offer competition to al-Jazeera. |
Jeff Jarvis: Truly the Baghdad Broadcasting Company : The BBC is launching a competitor to Al Jazeera. How will anybody be able to tell them apart? |
Portugal break England hearts BBC — Permalink Portugal reached the semi-finals with a 6-5 penalty shoot-out win over England. David Beckham fired England's first one over, and though Rui Costa missed soon after, keeper Ricardo saved from Darius Vassell and scored the winner himself. | |
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Steve Gilliard: England loses.....again — A sign of God's existance, as Portugal beats England Portugal break England hearts [snipped quote] England always has an excuse for losing the big game. |
Jan Haugland: Ouch — Well, it was at least an exciting game. |
Top U.S. Lawyer Resigns, Defended Terror Policies Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Solicitor General Theodore Olson, who has appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the Bush administration's policies in the war on terrorism, is resigning, a Justice Department official said on Thursday. | |
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David Neiwert: Good news, bad news — Some actual good news emerged from the White House today: Solicitor General Ted Olson resigns... |
Atrios: Probably back to the dirty tricks business where he excels. |
The Demand for Tax Cuts NRO — Permalink There's a lot of confusion about tax-rate reductions and deficits. A recent Wall Street Journal editorial excoriated four Republican senators for opposing President Bush's proposal to cut taxes permanently. | |
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Matt Yglesias: A Novel Theory — "How To Abuse Accounting Identities," by Tom Nugent of The National Review: [snipped quote] Er, no... |
PGL: Tom Nugent reads and then objects to something from the WSJ oped pages: "A recent Wall Street Journal editorial... |
Kerry Calls for Allies To Aid Iraq Transition By / WaPo — Permalink After months of criticizing President Bush for failing to attract international support for the U.S. mission in Iraq, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) shifted his tone yesterday, putting NATO nations on notice that the time has come for them to contribute military forces to help secure the country as a new government takes power. | |
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Bo Cowgill: KERRY CALLS FOR ALLIES TO AID IRAQ TRANSITION: Smart politics: "After months of criticizing President Bush for failing... Noam Scheiber: JOHN KERRY SISTER SOULJAH'S EUROPE: Looks like Kerry has decided to take Peter Feaver's advice and bash our European allies over their foot-dragging on Iraq. |
David Allan Pell: Kerry Calls on NATO — In a subtle messaging shift, John Kerry has called on members of NATO to deliver more support to Iraq during the transition. Robert Garcia Tagorda: John Kerry Shifts in Tone — His campaign admits it, too. I actually applaud the senator's firm stance vis-à-vis NATO members that refuse to help in Iraq. |
Democrats Screen 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in D.C. By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - Cheered by supporters, Michael Moore previewed his Bush-bashing documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," before a mostly Democratic audience in the nation's capital Wednesday night. | |
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John Cole: All together now- really the Democrats are moderate, and Michael Moore doesn't speak for the Democratic Party. James Joyner: AP — Democrats Screen 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in D.C. John Hawkins: Since prominent, mainstream Democrats like Tom Harkin, Terry McAuliffe, Tom Daschle, Barbara Boxer, & Paul Begala are... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: Well, now that the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party in general, have signed onto and endorsed the... Allah: It's fine for idiots like me to throw rocks at the MoveOn crowd but, for God's sake, let's keep our heavy hitters focused on the Democratic mainstream. Edward Driscoll: To paraphrase President Clinton, it's not a conspiracy; it's right out in the open: the constant hammering of President... |
Under the Hot Lights By / MSNBC — Permalink June 28 issue - Can Michael Moore be believed? It is a question more than a few moviegoers may be asking this week as his new documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," hits theaters. Like Moore's previous works, the movie is a melange of investigative journalism, partisan commentary and conspiracy theories. | |
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Jeffrey Dubner: Atrios linked to today's Scarborough Country, which featured Lehane and Michael Isikoff; Isikoff has become the first... |
Jeralyn Merritt: TIA Verifies Post 9/11 Saudi Flights — Many have tried to refute Michael Moore's allegations in Fahrenheit 911 that the... |
Berkeley May Vote to Legalize Prostitution Fox News — Permalink BERKELEY, Calif. — Residents of this left-leaning city will have a chance to vote in November on whether they think prostitution should be a crime. An advocacy group announced Wednesday it had gathered nearly 3,200 signatures, about 1,000 more than needed to get the initiative on the ballot. | |
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Clayton Cramer: The beginning of the story I can't really argue with too much: [snipped quote] I agree that it would be better for... |
Hanah Metchis: Prostitution Vote — Berkeley, CA has an initiative on the ballot to legalize prostitution. |
Sarasota principal defends Bush from "Fahrenheit 9/11" portrayal AP — Permalink SARASOTA — Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11" criticizes President Bush for listening to Sarasota second-graders read a story for nearly seven minutes after learning the nation was under attack on Sept. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: FOR THE MICHAEL MOORE-LOVERS OUT THERE — Something for you to chew on: [snipped quote] What do you think are the chances... |
Susanna Cornett: The principal of the school, who was in the room with Bush, differs in opinion: "...Gwendolyn Tose'-Rigell, the... |
'Scarborough Country' for June 23 MSNBC — Permalink JOE SCARBOROUGH, HOST: Tonight's top headline, he is no Harry Potter, but Bubba's memoirs did set sales records. The "Real Deal," they may be buying his book, but are they buying his story? Welcome to SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY, where no passport is required and only common sense is allowed. | |
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Jeffrey Dubner: Isikoff's report is the sort of close-but-not-quite journalism that merits a correction, sure, but Lehane et al. seem to... |
Atrios: Journamalism — On Scarborough Country: SCARBOROUGH: Make sure I get a ticket the next time. |
A Clever Fellow, to Be Sure, but Clueless About Character LAT — Permalink "Survivor: Little Rock" — the reality TV show with only one contestant — is back. Bubba Bill is once again transfixing the nation with the psychodrama that is his life and times. The ex-prez wants us to know that he's been trying to figure out the source of the "demons" that led him into a dalliance with Monica Lewinsky. | |
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Jack Balkin: JB Max Boot wonders: "The mystery of Clinton is that he was an essentially conservative president — perhaps the most... |
Kevin Drum: Then this: [snipped quote] He can't? That's sort of disappointing for a guy who spent so much time on the Wall Street Journal editorial page, isn't it? |
Cheney Energy Documents Remain Sealed By / AP — Permalink The Bush administration won't have to reveal secret details of Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force before the election, after the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a lower court should spend more time sorting out the White House's privacy claim. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: According to the Associated Press, the Justices in a 7-2 decision (Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David H. Souter... |
Tarek @LiquidList: Politics: Punting Cheney — The Supremes did probably the only thing the Bush administration thought possible with the... |
Cheney Speaks By / Weekly Standard — Permalink VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY said yesterday that suggestions the former Iraqi regime did not have a relationship with al Qaeda are "not accurate," and said he would like to see the U.S. government declassify some of the intelligence that supports Bush administration claims about an Iraq-al Qaeda connection. | |
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Jeff Goldstein: Vice President Dick Cheney said yesterday [in an exclusive interview with Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes] that... |
Betsy Newmark: Cheney is sticking by his guns about contacts between Al Qaeda and Saddam. [snipped quote] That's the issue that the media doesn't seem to understand. |
Bush Backs Condom Use to Prevent Spread of AIDS NYT — Permalink PHILADELPHIA, June 23 - President Bush said on Wednesday for the first time that the United States should "learn from the experience" of countries like Uganda in fighting AIDS and embraced the use of condoms to prevent its spread, a sensitive issue among conservative groups that have fought the adoption of any strategy that does not focus on abstinence. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: But they should fear money for desperately sick people being wasted on abstinence lectures, or given to people who panic... Ezra Klein: In the how far we've fallen department: [snipped quote] Wouldn't it be nice if countries like Uganda were having to learn... |
Jeff Jarvis: Lubcricated? : Bush backs condoms to stop AIDS. Andrew Sullivan: Neither is John Kerry. And the enemy is still out there. BUSH ON AIDS: He spoke movingly and powerfully yesterday. |
About 75 Die in Wave of Iraqi Attacks By / Reuters — Permalink BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Rebels bent on disrupting a handover to Iraqi rule bloodied five cities Thursday with coordinated assaults on local security forces in which about 75 people, including three U.S. soldiers, were killed. | |
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Charles Johnson: Now they're "rebels:" Rebel Attacks in Five Iraq Cities Kill 75. Steven Taylor: Iraqi Insurgents Seek to Disrupt Transfer of Power — About 75 Die in Wave of Iraqi Attacks [snipped quote] I fear this... |
Captain Ed: Iraqi Terrorists Stage Desparate Attacks — Iraqi terrorists staged a wave of coordinated attacks across Iraq today, six... |
Photos Show Destruction of Sudan Villages By / AP — Permalink UNITED NATIONS - NASA photos of the Darfur region of western Sudan show destruction in nearly 400 villages, and there have been reports of fighting or threatened attacks in every camp for displaced people, the U.S. aid chief said Wednesday. | |
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Daniel Drezner: 400 villages destroyed in Sudan — Things are getting very bad in Sudan, as Edith Lederer reports for the Associated... |
Phillip Carter: The AP reports this morning that things have deterioriated substantially in the Sudan, where NASA satellite photographs show widespread destruction of nearly 400 villages. |
Digging for E-Voting Skulduggery By / Wired — Permalink The woman who launched the controversy over electronic voting machines has formed a nonprofit consumer group that plans to investigate election officials who may have conflicts of interest with voting companies. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Her current project is a nonprofit consumer group looking at the freebies that election officials who have fought for... |
SK Bubba: Electronic voting investigation — Conflicts of interest investigated: [snipped quote] With billions in Free Federal... |
The White House Papers NYT — Permalink It was certainly good to finally see documents indicating that President Bush did not order the torture of prisoners. The newly released presidential memo of Feb. 7, 2002, talks about treating detainees humanely and refers comfortingly to American values. | |
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John Cole: The Presumption of Guilt — If you want it is about the NY Times that drives most right-wingers crazy, you don't have to... |
Andrew Sullivan: (Just compare it to the Bush-can't-win screed at the NYT.) |
High Court Declines to Overturn Death Sentences By / AP — Permalink The Supreme Court refused Thursday to overturn the death sentences of more than 100 inmates who argued their fates were improperly determined by judges, not jurors. | |
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John Derbyshire: MODERATES VS. EXTREMISTS ON SCOTUS — From a CNN report on a recent Supreme Court ruling: "Chief Justice H. Rehnquist... |
Jeffrey Harris: I am usually satisfied with their coverage of current events, but look at this passage from today's article about... |
The Republican Sex Club By / Slate — Permalink Six years ago, Republicans demanded that Bill Clinton be investigated and impeached for having sex with an intern and covering it up. Now their nominee for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, Jack Ryan, is brushing off his then-wife's allegations that he repeatedly pressured her, despite her protestations, to have sex with him in front of other people. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: THE RYAN DOUBLE STANDARD: Will Saletan exposes some conservative flim-flam. Juan Cole: Many Democrats, still boiling mad over what the hypocritical Republicans did to Bill Clinton, seem intent on making an object lesson of him. Taegan Goddard: Meanwhile, Slate asks "Why does the GOP defend Jack Ryan?" |
Mitch Berg: After this piece of bilge about the Ryan case, it seems clear he deserves it. KJL: SALETAN ON RYAN — If you put aside his comparisons with Clinton (it's wasn't the sex, it was the lying and abuse of... |
Unruly Scorn Leaves Room for Restraint, but Not a Lot By / NYT — Permalink Respect for the president is a longstanding American tradition and one that is still very much alive, as the weeklong national obsequies for Ronald Reagan recently proved. But there is also an opposing tradition of holding up our presidents, especially while they are in office, to ridicule and scorn. | |
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SK Bubba: Fahrenheit 9/11 — F-Stop spotted this review of Fahrenheit 9/11 in the NYT. Warning: spoilers! No, really. Hindrocket: Today the New York Times reviewed Moore's magnum opus, calling the fat filmmaker "a credit to the republic." |
Jeff Jarvis: And then I read A.O. Scott's mealy-mouthed review in The Times. |
Kerry Calls Bush 'The Greatest Divider' By / AP — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Democrat John Kerry criticized Republicans on Wednesday for denying him a chance to cast a Senate vote, blaming a partisan culture created by President Bush and calling his rival "the greatest divider as a president in the modern history of this country." | |
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Mike Hendrix: High-handed whining — The Dems' Victim In Chief gots a gripe: "SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Democrat John Kerry criticized... |
Hugh Hewitt: Kerry also found time to label Bush "the greatest divider as president in the modern history of the country." |
Felons Paid in Voter Registration Drive By / AP — Permalink JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Democratic group crucial to John Kerry 's presidential campaign has paid felons — some convicted of sex offenses, assault and burglary — to conduct door-to-door voter registration drives in at least three election swing states. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: NO COMMENTARY NECESSARY — This is yet another story that I should just let speak for itself: "A Democratic group... KJL: JOHN KERRY SEND SEX OFFENDERS TO YOUR DOOR? (Before you e-mail: The link isn't that direct, but, yes, I was going for the NY Postedge. Ezra Klein: 1) This article is a hatchet job; alarmist with no reason, more than likely motivated by GOP fed research. |
John Cole: Coming to A Neighborhood Near You — This is just idiotic: [snipped quote] Dear Mr. Lewis, While it may be legal to have... Captain Ed: A Poor Response — The AP has updated its story on the use of convicted felons in door-to-door canvassing for Democratic voter registration drives by Americans Coming Together. Blackfive: Dems Pay Felons To Register Voters — File this one under "Extremely Bad Judgement Calls": Felons Paid in Voter... |
| Also: Betsy Newmark, The Big Trunk, Bill Hobbs | |
The Pentagon's Fuzzy Math By / Slate — Permalink The occupation has forced the Pentagon into ever more elaborate, Rube Goldberg-like arrangements to maintain troop strength in Iraq. It has issued "stop-loss" orders preventing soldiers from retiring when they're supposed to. | |
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Daniel Drezner: On the first question, Carter has a Slate piece criticizing pretty much everyone inside the Beltway for using fuzzy math on the question of optimal troop levels. Phillip Carter: Slate features an article from Fred Kaplan on the idea of a draft for America's armed forces, alongside an article of... |
James Joyner: Military End Strength — Phil Carter explains why nobody really knows how many soldiers we need in the military. |
SADDAM'S CENSORED SADISM By / New York Post — Permalink AFTER terrorists beheaded Korean hostage Kim Sun-il, The New York Times kept the photo showing the horror of his final moments off yesterday's front page. Instead, the Times' front page bizarrely describes Kim as "sitting or kneeling quietly" as he waited... | |
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James Joyner: Selective Press Squeamishness — Deborah Orin argues that the press' reluctance to show or even describe the agony of the victims of our enemies plays into their hands. |
Betsy Newmark: Deborah Orin is lambasting the press again for failing to show to what extent Saddam tortured his prisoners. |
Coors urges lower drinking age By / Washington Times — Permalink GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Colorado Republican Senate hopeful Pete Coors yesterday criticized the legal drinking age, chiding the federal government for coercing states into raising the age limit from 18 to 21. | |
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Edward Driscoll: A REFRESHING CHANGE: Colorado Republican Senate hopeful Pete Coors urges lowing the drinking age from 21 to 18:... |
Hugh Hewitt: Finally this morning, Pete Coors has sounded off on the absurdity of a 21-year old drinking age. |
George's friend Bill By / Townhall.com — Permalink WASHINGTON — George W. Bush's managers could hardly contain their delight over Bill Clinton's return the past week. While temporarily shoving John Kerry out of the spotlight, the former president recalled bad old days in talking about his personal misbehavior. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Robert Novak says that the Democrats have missed a chance to open up a wide lead on Bush these past few weeks of bad news for the President. |
Joe Gandelman: Someone Is Very Happy Bill Clinton Is Back In The Spotlight — Can you guess who? |
Stocks point to Bush loss? By / CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. That's good news for President Bush, because if past stock-market patterns hold true this year, he will lose his bid for re-election in November. | |
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Brian Montopoli: Fact Check — It's Summertime, and the Fishin' Is Easy Yesterday, CNN featured on its main page a Mark Gongloff-penned... Steve Bainbridge: If it's still "the economy, stupid" ... Bush may be in better shape than some pundits think:"It's a fact that these... |
Von @ObsidianWings: . . . . . . And makes the same point that I made yesterday: Bush may be in better shape than conventional wisdom allows. Angry Bear: Still, this CNN story notes that [snipped quote] If, and this is a big if, this reflects some true fact rather than... |
Nader Urges Kerry to Pick Edwards for Vice President Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Although his candidacy endangers Democrat John Kerry 's run for the White House, Ralph Nader on Wednesday gave some friendly advice to his rival — pick John Edwards for vice president. | |
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Ezra Klein: I'm Suspicious — I'm not happy with this whole Nader endorsing Edwards for VP deal. Kos: My choice is obvious. Update: Nader now deigns to give Kerry advice about how to run his campaign. |
Eric @Wampum: Via Matt Y — Ralph is with us on this one, John Edwards is our preference, on policy and electability grounds, for John Kerry's VP spot. link Matt Yglesias: I'm With Ralph — Wacky times, as Ralph Nader correctly endorses John Edwards for VP. |
"Stay Quiet and You'll Be OK" By / Front Page Magazine — Permalink Here's a new slogan for the zeitgeist: stay quiet and you'll be OK. This was the message, according to the tapes released last week, that Muhammad Atta gave to the passengers on the ill-fated airplane that he and his fellow terrorists had commandeered. | |
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Edward Driscoll: "STAY QUIET AND YOU'LL BE OK": Robert Spencer suggests a new slogan for the anti-war militant left and the press. |
Charles Johnson: Stay Quiet and You'll Be OK — Robert Spencer suggests a new slogan for the anti-war militant left: "Stay Quiet and You'll Be OK." |
IRANIAN GAMBIT By / New York Post — Permalink THE seizure of eight British servicemen by Iran's Revolutionary Guards isn't about a border violation. It's meant to test the Coalition in Iraq, punish Britain for criticizing Tehran's nuclear quest — and recharge domestic support for Iran's hardliners. | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: In the "New York Time", Youssef M. Ibrahim reminds us to look at the Shias as a de facto virtual transnational empire: ... |
Jan Haugland: Iran hostage situation — Ralph Peters writes a very interesting opinion about the Iranian seizure of British... |
Files Show Rumsfeld Rejected Some Efforts to Toughen Prison Rules By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, June 22 — Beginning in late 2002, a top general and a Pentagon working group sought permission to use much harsher interrogation techniques against Qaeda and Taliban prisoners than Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld ultimately approved, according to newly released documents. | |
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Cori Dauber: Yet today the story headlined, "Files Show Rumsfeld Rejected Some Efforts to Toughen Prison Rules," is buried on page A-10. |
Jeanne D'Arc: And there are some ways of torturing people that we considered, but didn't carry through on. |
Army unit claims victory over sheik By / Washington Times — Permalink The Army's powerful 1st Armored Division is proclaiming victory over Sheik Muqtada al-Sadr's marauding militia that just a month ago seemed on the verge of conquering southern Iraq. The Germany-based division defeated the militia with a mix of American firepower and money paid to informants. | |
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Jason Van Steenwyk: Several alert readers wrote in pointing out this piece from the Washington Times, including this howler: "Within days, a... Steve Gilliard: Army unit claims victory over sheik By Rowan Scarborough THE WASHINGTON TIMES [snipped quote] This article from the Moonie Times is both overstatement and wrong. Matt Yglesias: (That was April's we're-losing story). Well, he didn't, and here's the story of how we won. I wonder how much attention it'll get." |
Emperor Darth Misha I: The End of Muttcatarrh al-Sadr — Perhaps sensing that we could use some good news, LC Joe Dromedary sends us this. Mike Rappaport: The Victory over al-Sadr — The story is here. But will it be anywhere else? Pejman Yousefzadeh: HOW TO WIN A WAR — Rowan Scarborough has an excellent account discussing how Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army was stopped... |
| Also: Josh Chafetz, H.D. Miller, Smash, Daniel Drezner, Clayton Cramer, Andrew Sullivan, Hanah Metchis, Glenn Reynolds | |
Senate approves bill creating special election to fill Kerry's seat By / AP — Permalink BOSTON (AP) If John Kerry is elected president, his seat in the U.S. Senate would be filled by the winner of a special election rather than a successor hand-picked by Republican Gov. Mitt Romney under a bill approved Wednesday by the Massachusetts Senate. | |
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Taegan Goddard: Bill Seeks Election For Potential Kerry Replacement — "If John Kerry is elected president, his seat in the U.S. Senate... |
Zackpunk: Breaking news - Special election to fill Kerry's seat — From AP "If John Kerry is elected president, his seat in the... |
Microsoft patents body power By / CNET.com — Permalink Microsoft has been awarded a patent for using human skin as a power conduit and data bus. Patent No. 6,754,472, which was published Tuesday, describes a method for transmitting power and data to devices worn on the body and for communication of data between those devices. | |
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Vanderleun: Its the Law — Microsoft Gets Your Skin in the Game I'M PROBABLY FAR FROM ALONE IN THINKING this is the creepiest news... |
Hanah Metchis: Shades of The Matrix — Microsoft wants to turn your body into a battery. Okay, that's scaremongering and inaccurate. |
Net-Savvy Campaign Boosts Bush By / Wired — Permalink President Bush has never been called Net-savvy. But Republican campaigners have built up an online presence over the past year that even some of the president's detractors describe as "innovative," and is in some ways ahead of the Kerry campaign's efforts to seize the Internet high ground. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Wired Magazine says that the Bush campaign is getting more net savvy, but they're still lagging behind in their blog. Taegan Goddard: Bush's Internet Campaign Grows — Wired says President Bush's Internet campaign is catching up to Democrats: ... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: But according to this article, the Bush campaign has gotten quite net savvy: "President Bush has never been called Net-savvy. Glenn Reynolds: But now Paul Boutin says they're catching up. |
U.S. Drops Effort to Gain Immunity for Its Troops By / NYT — Permalink UNITED NATIONS, June 23 — The United States bowed to broad opposition on the Security Council today and announced that it was dropping its effort to gain immunity for its troops from prosecution by the International Criminal Court. | |
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Jason Van Steenwyk: That's my take on today's decision to allow the International Criminal Court to try US Troops for war crimes. |
Gregory Djerejian: No Immunity — Another unintended consequence of Abu Ghraib. They'll likely be many more. This wasn't about Kofi Annan's speech. |
Our suicide mission By / Herald Sun — Permalink WHAT a way to lose a war. Two stories this week prove we'd rather shoot our own leaders than admit we have enemies who would, literally, cut our throats. As they've done to one Australian already. Scary how little understanding there is of the great evil we face. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: Cited in a terrific column by Aussie Andrew Bolt, it purports to be written by one Fawwaz bin Muhammad al-Nashami, a Jihadist who escaped. Glenn Reynolds: ANDREW BOLT WRITES THAT WE'RE BEHEADING OURSELVES, and the media are the knife: [snipped quote] Ouch. |
Smash: Revisionism — ANDREW BOLT observes history being rewrittten before our very eyes. |
Michael Moore terrorizes the Bushies! By / Salon — Permalink They're back! OK, the "vast right-wing conspiracy" Hillary Clinton warned about never really went away. But they've found new purpose in the campaign to stop the distribution of "Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore's latest documentary. | |
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Howard Kurtz: Salon's John Gorenfield focuses on Moore's enemies: "They're back! OK, the 'vast right-wing conspiracy' Hillary Clinton warned about never really went away. Oliver Willis: Dudes, its just a movie. If a movie threatens your presidency, isn't the problem something else? |
Tim Cavanaugh: , John Gorenfeld discusses efforts to keep the Michael Moore joint Fahrenheit 9/11 out of theaters. |
Rising U.S. Homeownership Brings Woes - Study By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A rise in U.S. urban minority homeownership has been accompanied by an even greater surge in the number of people straining to pay for their homes, the Fannie Mae Foundation said on Wednesday. | |
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Christopher Kanis: If a Republican is in office, however.... REUTERS: [snipped quote] Via The Corner. |
Jonah Goldberg: But now that Bush is office we get stories like this one from Reuters bemoaning the high homeownership rates of blacks:... |
'Fahrenheit' Raters Leave Cuomo Out in the Cold By / WaPo — Permalink Noted orator, lawyer and Democrat Mario Cuomo wanted to be in Los Angeles yesterday to argue director Michael Moore's appeal for a PG-13 rating for "Fahrenheit 9/11," but he never got the chance to face the jury. | |
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Cori Dauber: Turns out that's right. So do the commercials mean, "this film has not yet been given a rating we're happy with?" Ace: Clinton, you will be shocked to hear, has actually been less than candid regarding a story he's been telling for years... |
Betsy Newmark: Another story that Bill seems to have made up out of whole cloth. Captain Ed: Senator Joe Biden really knows how to wear out a welcome, according to Reliable Source, the quasi-gossip column for politics edited by Richard Leiber in the Washington Post. |
The Rev. Moon Honored at Hill Reception WaPo — Permalink More than a dozen lawmakers attended a congressional reception this year honoring the Rev. Sun Myung Moon in which Moon declared himself the Messiah and said his teachings have helped Hitler and Stalin be "reborn as new persons." | |
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Gene @HarrysPlace: Now The Washington Post has finally caught up with the story— to the embarrassment of some members of Congress who were on hand for Rev. The Poor Man: Front Page Of The Washington Post Today — [snipped quote] Here's one such site. This story is just so unreal. Billmon: So here they are, in short form: Fly Me To the Moon: In which the New Messiah (who feedeth his conservative media flock... |
David Allan Pell: Meet the Parent — Earlier this year, more than a dozen lawmakers attended a reception to honor the Rev Sun Myung Moon. James Martin Capozzola: CAPITOL HILL'S KING FOR A DAY — Oh, that Rev. Moon! This is just making its way to the "mainstream media"? Steven Taylor: Okaaay... Oh, my: The Rev. Moon Honored at Hill Reception [snipped quote] It is because Moon owns the Washington Times that I have a hard time taking said paper seriously. |
| Also: Clayton Cramer, Roger Ailes, Jesse Taylor, Aaron @LiquidList, Atrios, Betsy Newmark, KJL, Angry Bear | |
U.S. to Offer North Korea Incentives in Nuclear Talks By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, June 22 - President Bush has authorized a team of American negotiators to offer North Korea, in talks in Beijing on Thursday, a new but highly conditional set of incentives to give up its nuclear weapons programs the way Libya did late last year, according to senior administration officials. | |
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Billmon: Deep Kimchee* So suddenly it's let's make a deal time on the Korean peninsula: "President Bush has authorized a team of... Steve Soto: And as the New York Times notes this morning, by delaying this move until now and allowing the other countries in the... Hugh Hewitt: On the North Korean front, the New York Times outlines the carrot being offer crazy Kim Jong Il, and does so in the context of Libya's disarmament. |
James Joyner: [quote]The New York Times reported Tuesday that President Bush authorized US negotiators to offer North Korea the "new but highly conditional set of incentives."[end quote] The Poor Man: Steady Leadership Watch — [snipped quote] Good thing we didn't do this three years ago! That would have been appeasement! Ezra Klein: Now:: "President Bush has authorized a team of American negotiators to offer North Korea, in talks in Beijing on... |
The Condensed Bill Clinton Slate — Permalink Want to read Bill Clinton's My Life without turning all 957 turgid pages? We can help! Slate's "Juicy Bits" team has constructed a reader's guide to Clinton's memoir, with handy jumps to Hillary, Chelsea, Ken Starr, Marc Rich, George Stephanopoulos, and Monica Lewinsky. | |
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Nick Confessore: And, of course, so is Slate's eternally-helpful "Juicy Bits" column, which features the book in this installment.. Jeff Jarvis: Slate does the work for you and comes up with all the juicy bits. |
Howard Kurtz: I'm slogging through the book, but "Slate reads 'My Life' so you don't have to.' " Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum goes... Taegan Goddard: The Condensed Bill Clinton — Slate boils Bill Clinton's 957 page memoirs down to just one page. My Life Buy from Amazon.com for just $21.00 |
Just Like Stalingrad By / Opinion Journal — Permalink According to Sidney Blumenthal, a onetime adviser to president Bill Clinton who now writes a column for Britain's Guardian newspaper, President Bush today runs "what is in effect a gulag," stretching "from prisons in Afghanistan to Iraq, from Guantanamo to secret CIA prisons around the world." | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: Just like the Holocaust but without any Jews or killing — If you read just one opinion piece today, do yourself a favour and read Bret Stephens' "Just like Stalingrad." McQ: In today's WSJ, Bret Stephens takes a good look at this phenomenon and makes some great points as to the effect of such... Jesse Taylor: Today's example is a Bret Stephens article, taken from the Jerusalem Post, which seems to lump together a bunch of... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: INSANITY — A primer on the condition, and who qualifies, courtesy of Bret Stephens. James Joyner: In related news, Bret Stephens argues that, contrary to assertions by Sid Blumenthal and others, President Bush is... Steve Antler: Contrast his use of the word "gulag" with that of Sidney Blumenthal. |
| Also: The Big Trunk, Betsy Newmark, Greg Ransom | |
Kerry's gloomy notes about economy ring hollow USA Today — Permalink Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry claims the American middle class has been faring miserably under President Bush's stewardship of the economy. How miserably? The Massachusetts senator calculates it using a "middle-class misery index," a variation of a 40-year-old formula that economists devised to gauge economic health. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: Alas, he does not, which is why the editorial page of USA Today is fed up: [snipped quote] All of this should be... Matthew Yglesias: USA Today's editorialists take a whack at John Kerry's criticism of the president: "Most measures of economic health,... Hugh Hewitt: USA Today has grown weary of Kerry's deceptive stumping on the economy, and blasts him in an editorial today. |
Ace: A USAToday editorial, meanwhile, calls "shenanigans" on Kerry's "Middle-Class Misery Index": Kerry's downbeat economic... Bill Hobbs: John Kerry's Economic Woes — USA Today slams John Kerry for "talking down the economy," and says his claims are belied by the facts of a now-booming economy. |
Bush Claimed Right to Waive Torture Laws AP — Permalink WASHINGTON June 23, 2004 — The Bush administration laid out its legal reasoning for denying terror war suspects the protections of international humanitarian law but immediately repudiated a key memo arguing that torture might be justified in the fight against al-Qaida. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Bush: I could have ordered people tortured — under "the royalist theory of presidential power" — because there is a... C. D. Harris: This is far and away the most important item in the story, but the AP buries it six paragraphs deep, under a headline... SK Bubba: Complicit in Pentagon program to torture prisoners of war and other detainees in violation of U.S. and international law and treaties including the Geneva Conventions. |
TChris: Human Rights Watch Seeks Full Disclosure Re Interrogation Practices — Documents released by the Bush administration... Clayton Cramer: Thanks to the Captain's Quarters for the link. UPDATE: What's bizarre is to read the AP description of this information. Bob Harris: Bush Claimed Right to Waive Torture Laws (Note: this entry posted by Bob Harris) That's the headline on a current AP story. |
| Also: Duckman GR, Michelle Malkin, Steve M., Hindrocket | |
GOP leaders say they felt misled on Ryan file Chicago Tribune — Permalink Top GOP officials said Tuesday they felt misled by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jack Ryan when he assured them in recent days and weeks that his sealed divorce records would not embarrass him or a political party still struggling to regain its credibility. | |
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Mitch Berg: It's hard to know where even to start with this story, and the "coverup" that's become the "problem". Taegan Goddard: GOP Leaders Say Ryan Misled Them — Top GOP officials in Illinois said "they felt misled" by Senate candidate Jack Ryan... |
James Martin Capozzola: The Chicago Tribune reports ("GOP Leaders Say They Felt Misled on Ryan File," by Rick Pearson and Liam Ford): "Ryan was... Christopher Kanis: GOP leaders are pissed, as is a friendly columnist whom Jack told that the only embarassing things in the divorce file were about the Ryans' son. |
The lost patriots of Hollywood By / Townhall.com — Permalink Once upon a time, there were people in Hollywood who loved America. And when America came under attack from enemies abroad, these actors, producers, screenwriters and directors put aside their partisan differences and created movies that — unlike Michael Moore's new schlockumentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11" — made all moviegoers proud to be Americans. | |
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Edward Driscoll: THE LOST PATRIOTS OF HOLLYWOOD: Michelle Malkin picks up a theme we've discussed several times, perhaps most memorably here. The Big Trunk: Lost patriots of Hollywood — Michelle Malkin mourns "The lost patriots of Hollywood." Michelle Malkin: LET YOU ENTERTAIN ME — Column's up: The lost patriots of Hollywood Sigh. |
Jesse Taylor: Also, if George W. Bush, a totally different president from FDR, said the same thing as FDR, it wouldn't be taken in the... SLZoll: Michelle Malkin Michelle recalls a shining, glorious time known as WWII. Back then, Hollywood stars served in combat and made propaganda films. |
It's Happening Again WaPo — Permalink Imagine that we could rerun the events that occurred in Rwanda 10 years ago. With the certain knowledge of horrific events to come, would the world's great nations again stand idle as 800,000 human beings faced slaughter? | |
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Chris Bowers: Here are snippets from an article in the Washington Post by two Republican Senators that takes up that discussion:... Nick Gillespie: Mike DeWine (Ohio) and John McCain (Ariz.) have an op-ed in today's Wash Post about the unfolding situation in Sudan,... |
Matthew Yglesias: Ironically, arch-interventionist John McCain's op-ed in today's Washington Post shows us the best reason for skepticism. David Adesnik: DARFUR: Both liberals and conservatives are outraged. After all, that is the only acceptable response to genocide. |
Magboula's Brush With Genocide By / NYT — Permalink ALONG THE SUDAN-CHAD BORDER — Meet Magboula Muhammad Khattar and her baby, Nada. I wrote about Ms. Khattar in my last two columns, recounting how the Janjaweed Arab militia burned her village, murdered her parents and finally tracked her family down in the mountains. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Writing about the unfolding catastrophe in Sudan, he writes: [snipped quote] This is pretty weak brew, seeing as how the... |
Rich Lowry: SUDAN — Catching up—I hadn't read these Nicholas Kristoff columns, here and here, about the horrific crisis in Sudan. |
Ryan digs in Chicago Sun Times — Permalink Republican leaders are cringing over the seamy sexual allegations, raising questions about his honesty and wondering if they can get him off the ticket in November. | |
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Billmon: Oral Majority: In which Phyllis Schlafly finally makes her peace with the sexual revolution, and decides that political... Christopher Kanis: MORE RYAN — I've written about Jack Ryan below, but if you're just dying for more, check out this Chicago Sun Times article, which includes a roundup of links. |
Taegan Goddard: The Chicago Sun Times says Republican leaders "are cringing over the seamy sexual allegations, raising questions about... |
Our Koori, commie, feminist, greenie show-off By / Herald Sun — Permalink GERMAINE Greer this week went on BBC television and appealed for help. "It's about time, I reckon, we resuscitated the Communist Party." No one on the panel with her blinked at this evil idea — although whether because they agreed with it or thought Greer was crazy and best ignored, I can't tell. | |
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Clayton Cramer: From a Down Under newspaper: [snipped quote] Now, like nearly all good leftists, Greer has spent much of the last two... Tim Blair: DRIVING MISS CRAZY — Germaine Greer finds a sound reason for Muslim women-driving bans: [snipped quote] Ah. It's a safety thing. |
Damian Penny: But leave it to Germaine Greer to come up with the best one yet: Germaine Greer this week went on BBC television and appealed for help. |
Iran Frees British Sailors After Two Days By / AP — Permalink TEHRAN, Iran - Iran released eight British sailors detained for illegally entering Iranian waters two days earlier, but said Wednesday it was keeping their three boats. "The eight British sailors, including six soldiers and two ranking military officials, have been released," a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told The Associated Press. | |
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Joe Katzman: Earlier reports of their release were premature, and it has been pushed back until Thursday. Captain Ed: Bowing to international pressure — or simply having made its point — the Iranian government announced it would release... |
Charles Johnson: Iran: Experts at Cheat-and-Retreat — Iran now says they will free the British soldiers they detained Monday: Iran Frees British Sailors After Two Days. |