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July Surprise? TNR — Permalink [Editor's Note: This afternoon, Pakistan's interior minister, Faisal Saleh Hayyat, announced that Pakistani forces had captured Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian Al Qaeda operative wanted in connection with the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: A few weeks ago, The New Republic wrote that the Bush administration was pressuring Pakistani officials to apprehend... Gregory Djerejian: UPDATE: From the old TNR article: "The last ten days of July deadline has been given repeatedly by visitors to Islamabad and during [ul-Haq's] meetings in Washington. Kevin Drum: DNC SURPRISE...Four weeks ago, John Judis, Spencer Ackerman, and Massoud Ansari reported in The New Republic that the... |
Howard Kurtz: Washington Post Staff Writer — Earlier this month, the New Republic reported that the Bush administration was putting... Tom Maguire: And we see some tacky, premature gloating at TNR - we want Osama! And the night is young. Pretty Suspenseful! Smash: THE NEW REPUBLIC declares this event a "July Surprise." HOLDEN questions the timing of this announcement. |
| Also: Andrew Sullivan, Bob Harris, Josh Marshall, Nick Confessore, Laura Rozen, Will Baude | |
Pakistan captures high-level al Qaeda operative CNN — Permalink ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) — Pakistani security forces have captured a high-level al Qaeda operative who was on the FBI's most-wanted terrorist list in connection with the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa, Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said Thursday. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: Today, just hours before John Kerry accepts the nomination, CNN reports the capture of "a high-level al Qaeda operative... Andrew Sullivan: CONSPIRACY THEORY FODDER: Pakistan gets a major al Qaeda figure the day of Kerry's speech. |
Kevin Drum: Silly me. The Pakistanis, apparently eager to please, have done their part right on time. Scary, isn't it? Jesse Taylor: It happened. Ezra's note: You know what I think are amazing? Coincidences. All around us, everyday. |
Pakistan Says It Captures a 'Most Wanted' Qaeda Man Reuters — Permalink DUBAI (Reuters) - Pakistan has arrested a senior al Qaeda figure with a bounty of up to $25 million on his head, Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat told CNN television Thursday. He said the suspect had been captured during a raid in central Pakistan a few days ago. | |
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KJL: The Dems conspiracy theorists were right! (More here) Will Baude: This just in — Compare and Contrast: Spencer Ackerman et. al., in TNR: [snipped quote] Reuters: [snipped quote] Expect... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: LET THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES BEGIN — If this is the July Surprise, I can't wait to see what is planned for October:... Holden: UPDATE: The Pakistanis came through on the July Surprise. |
Pakistan Says Captures 'Most Wanted' Qaeda Man By / Reuters — Permalink ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Friday it had arrested a senior al Qaeda figure wanted for the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa that killed hundreds of people. | |
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Bob Harris: Turns out, just by sheer damn coincidence I guess, that Pakistan has arrested what they're calling a "top," "senior,"... |
Josh Marshall: Reuters is reporting that the guy they've served up may be a Tanzanian involved in the 1998 African embassy bombings. |
Text: Sen. John Edwards Speech to DNC WaPo — Permalink BOSTON, July 28 — Following is the complete transcript Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. John Edwards address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention on Wednesday: EDWARDS: Thank you. Now you know why Elizabeth is so amazing, right? | |
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Steve Bainbridge: His VP John Edwards promises as much: "We're going to roll back — we're going to roll back the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Jeff A. Taylor: Edwards' speech stacked up the gifts a Kerry administration would bestow upon Americans like the final, desperate appeal of an infomercial. Joe Gandelman: You can read the full text of Edwards' speech by clicking here. |
Bill @INDCJournal: I Laughed ... thismuch.bmp "Ah will crush you, Al Qaedah ... and then I laughed some more, after John Edwards... Nick Gillespie: Edwards' Rap — The text of John Edwards' speech is online here and a summary account of the message is here. Steve @BeggingToDiffer: EDWARDS SPEAKS — Here's the text. Most of it was vague promises of a brighter tomorrow, but make no mistake about one thing - Kerry and Edwards intend to kick some ass. |
| Also: David Adesnik, Andrew Sullivan, Robert Garcia Tagorda | |
Pakistan says captures a "most wanted" Qaeda man CNN — Permalink DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Reuters) - Pakistan has arrested a senior al Qaeda figure with a bounty of up to $25 million on his head, Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat told CNN television Thursday. He said the suspect had been captured during a raid in central Pakistan a few days ago. | |
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Tom Maguire: Since my morning mockery we have had the Zarqawi head-fake, and the real deal from Pakistan (but he's only Number 22!) James Joyner: Report: Zarqawi Captured — Jeff Quinton passes on a Russian report that Iraq's head terrorist has been captured: Sofia... |
John Cole: Another One Down — Score one for the good guys: [snipped quote] Now, if we can only keep him away from an International Court. |
11th Circuit Nixes Sex Toys, Sex Rights By / LAW.com — Permalink Americans do not have a fundamental right to sexual privacy, a 2-1 decision of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said on Wednesday. The split panel upheld an Alabama law — nearly identical to one in Georgia — that made the sale of sex toys a crime punishable by up to a year in prison. | |
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Helena Montana: The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals says that your state - OK, well Alabama, Florida and Georgia for practical purposes - can make it a crime to sell sex toys. Andrew Sullivan: NO DILDOES IN ALABAMA: And no right to sexual privacy either. It simply strikes me as amazing that the government can dictate how you pleasure yourself in your own home. |
Gary Farber: That is, according to the 11th Circuit: [snipped quote] Didn't Griswold used to be relevant here? Read The Rest if you want fine detail. Glenn Reynolds: DUMB ALABAMA SEX TOY LAW UPHELD: [snipped quote] I haven't read the 11th Circuit opinion, but this seems implausible in light of Lawrence. |
Kerrys raced to dump foreign stocks By / Boston Herald — Permalink John Kerry's family dumped millions of dollars of foreign holdings as he launched his White House bid, gobbling up Made in the USA stocks in a huge politically savvy international-to-domestic shift. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: But for Heaven's sake, don't insult our intelligence regarding the issue: [snipped quote] To which I reply by saying that Marla Romash's spin efforts don't pass the laugh test. Betsy Newmark: The Boston Herald reports that, as Kerry got ready to run for president, he and his wife dumped a whole boatload of stocks in foreign companies and bought in the U.S.A. KJL: THE STOCK SELL-OFF — The Boston Herald has a piece on the millions in foreign stock the Kerrys sold off as he entered the race. |
Jesse Taylor: Today's story is about the Kerrys racing to sell foreign stocks...which reminds me of nothing so much as the early hit... Will Collier: C'mon, We're Not That Dumb — Sometimes you just have to shake your head: "John Kerry's family dumped millions of... Michelle Malkin: INVESTING IN THE FUTURE — The Boston Herald reports that the "Kerrys raced to dump foreign stocks:" [snipped quote] Standing up for America's values... |
Al-Qaida bomber nabbed, Pakistan says AP — Permalink ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan has arrested Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian al-Qaida suspect with a $25 million reward on his head, in connection with the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the interior minister said Friday. | |
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Richard TPD: "Imagine that ..." Right on schedule, the Pakistanis have indeed come through for us, only hours before Kerry speaks. Laura Rozen: This from CNN: [snipped quote] And this, new, from MSNBC: [snipped quote] They arrested him on Sunday and only announced... |
Nick Confessore: According to the Associated Press, Pakistan has announced the capture of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, an al Qaeda terrorist... |
Arab Gov'ts Weigh Sending Troops to Iraq AP — Permalink CAIRO, Egypt July 29, 2004 — Arab governments say they want to help restore calm in Iraq and Pakistan is discussing the possibility of sending several hundred troops. But a militant group warned Thursday that they would attack any country that provided troops. | |
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William Swann: Muslim Troops? This is an excellent idea, and a very important time for it. |
Tom Maguire: Arab Gov'ts Weigh Sending Troops to Iraq And: RIYADH : Saudi Arabia has restored relations with Iraq after a break of... |
Mr. Multilateral By / TCS — Permalink It is playing a key role in curbing and caging North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il. It played a key role in disarming Libya, discovering and rolling up the Pakistani A.Q. Khan nuclear smuggling network, and has become a framework for international military and police exercises organized by the United States. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: MULTILATERAL AFTER ALL — You won't hear about this in the news media—perhaps due to the fact that now that the common... Susanna Cornett: Bryan Preston of Junkyardblog has an excellent article up on TechCentralStation, about the Proliferation Security Initiative and Caspian Guard. |
Clayton Cramer: This article at Tech Central Station explains an alliance I didn't know about: [snipped quote] UPDATE: A reader points... Glenn Reynolds: THE MULTILATERAL BUSH ADMINISTRATION: [snipped quote] He's got some interesting maps, too. |
Bloggers: The new media or a fad? By / Seattle Post-Intelligencer — Permalink BOSTON — Just as the Hindenburg disaster ushered in radio as a news medium and the first Iraq war catapulted 24-hour cable news, the 2004 Democratic National Convention welcomes bloggers into the media mainstream. | |
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Bill Hobbs: They're Better Than That From a generally pretty good story on blogs, politics and journalism in the Thursday Seattle... Stephen Green: "Fuzzier and fuzzier" — Seattle PI has a fair story on blogs on bloggers: [snipped quote] Read the rest here. |
Hugh Hewitt: A superior bit of writing and reporting on blogging at the DNC by the Seattle Post Intelligencer's Wyatt Buchanan. |
Pakistan Arrests Embassies Bomb Suspect AP — Permalink Pakistan Arrests Leading al-Qaida Suspect in Bombings of U.S. Embassies in Kenya, Tanzania ISLAMABAD, Pakistan July 29, 2004 — Pakistan has arrested Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian al-Qaida suspect with a $5 million reward on his head in connection... | |
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Cori Dauber: What really strikes me here is the wierd blast from the past character of this: Ghailani is under indictment in the... |
Steven Taylor: ABC News is reporting: Pakistan Arrests Embassies Bomb Suspect "Pakistan has arrested Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a... |
Arab Americans Report Abuse By / WaPo — Permalink Fifteen percent of Arab Americans in the Detroit area said they have experienced harassment or intimidation since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and a significant number wish other Americans understood them better, according to a University of Michigan report to be released today. | |
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Christopher Kanis: "SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP" — Captain Ed is less than sympathetic to complaints that Arab Americans feel discriminated against. Captain Ed: Sticks And Stones Will Break My Bones, But Names Will Be Reported — In a genuinely silly piece on supposed... |
Michelle Malkin: From the Washington Post: [quote] Derogatory comments — "Go back where you came from!" or "Ooh, are you a member of al Qaeda?" — were the most common form of abuse.[end quote] |
The Right Stuff By / TNR — Permalink After John Kerry sewed up the Democratic presidential nomination, there was much fretting about whether he would need to tack left in order to appease the Deaniacs and Naderites. The Fahrenheit 9/11 phenomenon fueled this concern. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Right, Left, Wherever — Dan Drezner makes much of the Democratic Party's newfound love for a bigger military and higher... Daniel Drezner: Outflanking Bush on the right — My latest TNR Online essay is up. It picks up on Andrew Sullivan's point about the Democrats hitting Bush from the right as well as the left. |
Andrew Sullivan: PULLING A 1960: Dan Drezner concurs with my assessment of what's going on in Boston: [snipped quote] No wonder Frumpy is so grumpy. |
Blogsploitation: Big Media Tries to Steal Bloggers' Thunder at DNC By / Online Journalism Review — Permalink This just in: Anybody can blog the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Despite there being 30-odd "credentialed bloggers" — a first for national political conventions — a lot of the blogging action was taking place outside of Bloggers' Row. | |
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Robert Cox: Big Media Invades The Blogosphere Online Journalism Review The big news was that bloggers got credentials at the Democratic National Convention. |
Glenn Reynolds: BIG MEDIA BLOGGING: Mark Glaser writes on the sincerest form of flattery. |
Desk Jockey By / TNR — Permalink Last week, a woman called to ask if I had received an invitation to her organization's party at the Boston convention. I told her I was not going to Boston. "Oh!" she replied, with a mixture of shock and pity. A moment ago, she had been beseeching me. | |
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Howard Kurtz: Talk about a captive audience. Jonathan Chait didn't come to Boston and—get this— he doesn't care! Gene @HarrysPlace: Jonathan Chait of The New Republic makes the case for the "ass-welt" journalism many bloggers practice (albeit with... Kevin Drum: GET OFF BACK ON YOUR BUTT....Jon Chait tells a story and ends with this observation: [snipped quote] He's not joking, either, and I think he has a point. |
Daniel Drezner: More seriously, Jonathan Chait has a great TNR Online essay about why he's covering the convention from home (alas, subscriber only free link for everyone!!) Digby: Nice Work If You Can Get It — According to Jonathan Chait there is actually a type of journalism in which you don't... KJL: WHO NEEDS BOSTON? Jon Chait doesn't. |
| Also: Taegan Goddard, Andrew Sullivan | |
Federal Court OKs Ban on Sale of Sex Toys By / AP — Permalink BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A federal appeals court Wednesday upheld a 1998 Alabama law banning the sale of sex toys in the state, ruling the Constitution doesn't include a right to sexual privacy. | |
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Gary Farber: STILL NO RIGHT TO BEAR DILDOS, though there's nothing to prevent them from being elected. Nick @BeggingToDiffer: ALABAMA BANS SEX TOYS — Soon to be heard state-wide: "But Officer that isn't a sex toy, it's, um, a massager." |
Nick Gillespie: Alabama's Bad Vibrations — Reader as2941 points us to this vital act of illiberation in the, coff, Deep South: "Federal... |
Edwards Gives Strong Tribute as Democrats Nominate Kerry NYT — Permalink BOSTON, July 28 - Senator John Edwards, summoning all his skills as a trial lawyer and a populist, made an impassioned case for Senator John Kerry on Wednesday, hailing him as a battle-tested veteran ready to be commander in chief and a man who could restore economic hope and opportunity. | |
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Howard Kurtz: Here's the gist of the Edwards performance, from the New York Times: "Senator John Edwards, summoning all his skills as... |
Steven Taylor: The NYT: Edwards Gives Strong Tribute as Democrats Nominate Kerry My basic reaction to the Edwards' speech is here. |
Kerry Returns to Boston With 'Band of Brothers' By / WaPo — Permalink BOSTON, July 28 — John F. Kerry returned home Wednesday to a hero's welcome from Democrats, his Vietnam crewmates and the man whose life he saved nearly four decades ago, and, echoing Bruce Springsteen, he pledged "no retreat, no surrender" in his quest for the White House. | |
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Dave Johnson: Remember to See The Forest — In the Washington Post, Kerry Returns to Boston With 'Band of Brothers': "Surrounded by... |
Steven Taylor: THE BIG STORIES FROM WEDNESDAY Kerry rides a Swift Boat water taxi into town: Kerry Returns to Boston With 'Band of Brothers'. |
Ryan officially leaves Senate race By / Chicago Tribune — Permalink More than a month after he abandoned his bid for the U.S. Senate, Republican candidate Jack Ryan made it official today—filing notice to withdraw his name from the November ballot. His withdrawal papers, notarized Tuesday, were received by the State Board of Elections this morning. | |
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Christopher Kanis: Despite announcing that he was getting out way back on June 25, Ryan dawdled about actually filing the papers to withdraw until today. |
Taegan Goddard: Ryan Finally Withdraws From Race — "More than a month after he abandoned his bid" for the U.S. Senate from Illinois,... |
Benedict Arnold's Two Americas Reason — Permalink What happens to international free trade when a honey-throated class warrior teams up with a presidential candidate who has campaigned on putting the whip on "Benedict Arnold CEOs" and corporations that "avoid paying their fair share of U.S. taxes"? | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE DEMOCRATS AND TRADE — I continue to fume over Bush Administration decisions to impose steel and lumber tariffs (and... Wind Rider: I support that..." Read the rest of Tim Blair's Matt Welch's observations on the fluid dynamics of this portion of the... |
Susan Q. Stranahan: Not surprisingly, Tim Blair, blogging from Boston for Reason, has a slightly different take on the Edwards speech, which... |
Kerry Kicks Off Campaign's Final Phase AP — Permalink BOSTON July 29, 2004 — Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry launched the final phase of his campaign for the White House on Thursday with a prime-time Democratic National Convention acceptance speech and a biographical video pitched to voters who will pick a president come fall. | |
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Virginia Postrel: JOURNALISM WITH A TIME MACHINE Why am I reading this past-tense story about Kerry's prime time speech at 4:40 p.m. ET (1:40 PT)? |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: Here is ther recap of how it went is supposed to go. Apparently, the good folks at ABC have invented a time machine for themselves. |
Unhappy Workers Should Take Prozac --Bush Campaigner Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A campaign worker for President Bush said on Thursday American workers unhappy with low-quality jobs should find new ones — or pop a Prozac to make themselves feel better. | |
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Xan @Corrente: Per Yahoo news "(Reuters) - A campaign worker for President Bush (news - web sites) said on Thursday American workers... |
Kos: Take prozac The new Bush jobs plan: [snipped quote] Now we need universal health care so the unemployed can afford that prozac. |
Kerry Turns to J.F.K. Writers for Speech of His Life By / NYT — Permalink BOSTON, July 28 - The last time John Kerry gave a speech this important, he was 27 years old and testifying against the Vietnam War. He sought help from Robert F. Kennedy's speechwriter and stayed up all night tinkering with his text. And he was a smash. | |
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Betsy Newmark: It's not enought to make a play on having the initials JFK, Kerry is also using Kennedy's speechwriters. Joe Gandelman: The media cliches are attacking again. We've already heard cable talking heads say John Kerry "must give the speech of his life." |
KJL: 55 MINUTES OF KERRY TONIGHT...THAT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE THE NR CREW ANY LESS CRANKY |
Fattest Cat By / ABCNEWS — Permalink B O S T O N, July 28, 2004 — As Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards arrived in Boston today for the Democratic National Convention, so did the California man who is their single biggest contributor. | |
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Micah Sifry: There's Something Happening Here — For all those reporters and bloggers who think there's no news at the Democratic... Dave Johnson: Big Anti-Kerry Hit Piece Today — ABCNEWS.com : Is Dems' Biggest Money Man Mob-Connected? Tom Maguire: I Find The Timing Of This Story Very Suspicious — ABC News is telling us that one of the Democratic Party's biggest contributors has mob connections. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: NO COMMENT NECESSARY — This story just speaks for itself: "As Sens. Captain Ed: ABC did a bit more digging into Bing's background than the Democrats and discovered a nasty skeleton in his closet —... KJL: STEVE BING, THE MOB, & THE DNC |
| Also: Tully @Centerfield, Jeff Quinton, Smash | |
Sullen, Depressed President Retreats Into Private, Paranoid World Capitol Hill Blue — Permalink A sullen President George W. Bush is withdrawing more and more from aides and senior staff, retreating into a private, paranoid world where only the ardent loyalists are welcome. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: Via Hammerdown ... there's another article in Capitol Hill Blue about Bush's eroding mental health: [snipped quote] I... |
Jack K.: Fortress Bush ...somehow, in the middle of a proclaimed "War on Terra" being run by an administration whose view of... |
FBI Issues Terror Warning for Calif., N.M. By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - The FBI warned police in California and New Mexico that it received information about possible terrorist activity in their states. However, the warning wasn't specific about particular targets or a method of attack, a federal law enforcement official said Thursday. | |
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Kenneth Quinnell: There They Go Again — So just a few hours before John Kerry accepts the nomination, the FBI issues another vague terrorist warning. |
Clayton Cramer: From AP: "WASHINGTON - The FBI (news - web sites) warned police in California and New Mexico that it received information about possible terrorist activity in their states. |
Crick, Who Discovered DNA Structure With Watson, Dies By / NYT — Permalink Francis H. C. Crick, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, the genetic blueprint for living things, and the leading molecular biologist of his age, died on Wednesday night in a hospital in San Diego. He was 88. | |
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Will Baude: R.I.P. Francis Crick is dead. For co-blogger Sudeep's recent thoughts on Crick's book accusing him of sexxing up the unsexy, go here. |
Michael DeBow: The Salk Institute's press release is here. The lengthy NY Times obit is here (requires registration). |
Senator John Edwards's Remarks to the Democratic National Convention NYT — Permalink The following is the text of Senator John Edwards's remarks to the Democratic National Convention, as recorded by The New York Times. JOHN EDWARDS. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Now you know why Elizabeth is so amazing, right? | |
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Steven Taylor: Doesn't Edwards' own experience contradict the following from the text f his own speech? "Hard work should be valued in this country. The Big Trunk: (Click here for the text of the speech.) Here's the question: [snipped quote] I heard the convention audience trying to answer the question; I tried to answer it myself. |
John Cole: Tell me which one fills up first." At any rate, John Edwards promises that "Hope is on the way." |
Sharpton answers Bush in speech CNN — Permalink BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) — The Rev. Al Sharpton brought down the house with a passionate speech to Democratic National Convention delegates about what's wrong with the Bush administration and how Sen. John Kerry will help fulfill America's promise. | |
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Tgirsch: Sharpton's Money Quote — [snipped quote] Read the whole speech. Via South Knox Bubba. Joe Gandelman: Al Sharpton's Big Night — Posted from Jackson, Wyoming Maybe he isn't quite considered in the political mainstream, and... |
SK Bubba: You can read his speech here, but the words don't do it justice. He could just as well have read a restaurant menu and got that crowd working. Angry Bear: And Now, Random Convention Thoughts — Al Sharpton: good speech. |
Florida Again Faces Disputes Over Elections By / WaPo — Permalink MIAMI, July 28 — Anything sound familiar here? Voting rights lawyers are in Tallahassee, one of the epicenters of the 2000 presidential election convulsions, arguing about recounts. Florida civil rights advocates are seething about restoring the voting rights of felons. | |
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Gary Farber: WONDERFUL THE WAY Florida elections still can't be trusted, isn't it? Read The Rest Scale: 4 out of 5. |
Sam Rosenfeld: The Washington Post reports on the latest revelation, which pertains to those snazzy new electronic voting machines... |
Kerry Vows Stronger U.S. With Nomination By / AP — Permalink BOSTON - John Kerry lays claim to the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night, his moment to have a conversation with Americans and convince them he can protect them from terrorism and improve their lives better than President Bush . | |
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Brian Crouch: AP Shills for Kerry- from LGF — From Charles Johnson, because the blogosphere believes in recycling: [snipped quote] Of... |
Charles Johnson: It's not a Kerry press release. It's an Associated Press news report. Kerry Vows Stronger U.S. With Nomination. |
Nancy & Ron Reagan spell Dubya trouble By / NY Daily News — Permalink BOSTON - Much to the dismay of the Bush campaign, Nancy Reagan has just said no to appearing at the Republican National Convention next month. GOP strategists had hoped the former First Lady and Hollywood actress would make a cameo appearance onstage... | |
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Tgirsch: Reagan Nostalgia and the GOP — If the GOP is going to try and play the "Reagan card" to drum up support at this year's... Roger Ailes: Republicans Attack Widow — From the New York Daily News: [snipped quote] I think what happened was that an elderly widow... |
Joe Gandelman: It'll Be No Show Nancy At The GOP Convention — Posted from Jackson, Wyoming A big "uh-oh" should be coming from the... Skippy: our buds at resident bush alerts us to thomas defrank's piece in the nydaily news: nancy & ron reagan spell dubya... |
KERRY WAR COMRADES PREPARE BATTLE -- AGAINST KERRY Drudge Report — Permalink Capped by Kerry's primetime speech to accept the Democratic Party's nomination, Thursday's program will include appearances and remarks by Kerry's Swift Boat crewmates, the Kerry-Edwards campaign announced in a press release this morning. | |
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Joel Foreman: Interesting stuff. Update: Looks like there's a book, too. |
Betsy Newmark: You think this book will get an interview on Sixty Minutes? |
Killings Drive Doctor Group to Leave Afghanistan By / NYT — Permalink KABUL, Afghanistan, July 28 - The international aid agency Doctors Without Borders announced Wednesday that it was withdrawing from Afghanistan after 24 years to protest the government's failure to lock up the killers of five of its staff members and out of concern for the safety of the rest of its workers in the country. | |
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Aaron @LiquidList: Politics: Failing Afghanistan — U.S. policy in Afghanistan is once again under attack, not by Taliban sympathizers or other anti-U.S. forces but by Doctors Without Borders. |
Cori Dauber: They've been in the country for over twenty years, and they're pulling out now? Two lessons from this: first, never doubt the "agenda" of the enemy. |
Obstacles Lie in Wait Down Road for Kerry By / NYT — Permalink BOSTON, July 28 - John Kerry was nominated here on Wednesday by a Democratic Party that is as united as any in years - awash in money, crackling with partisan energy and invigorated by polls that suggest that President Bush can be ousted. | |
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Steve Lovelady: That's not actually the primary message of Nagourney's piece from Boston — his premise is the tepid contention that... |
Taegan Goddard: Meanhwile, the New York Times notes President Bush will begin campaigning Friday morning "and continue through most of... |
I.R.S. Says Americans' Income Shrank for 2 Consecutive Years By / NYT — Permalink The overall income Americans reported to the government shrank for two consecutive years after the Internet stock market bubble burst in 2000, the first time that has effectively happened since the modern tax system was introduced during World War II, newly disclosed information from the Internal Revenue Service shows. | |
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Pessimist: US chief executives' pay up more than 20% Oil price at 21-year record as fears grow Oil Company Earnings Surge on High... |
Holden: Income Falls 9.2% During First Two Years of Bush — This is not too surprising, the dotcom bubble burst and many people lost high-paying jobs. |
Chalabi Reinvents Himself as a Populist By / LAT — Permalink BAGHDAD — The U.S. has encountered many surprises in its efforts to forge a democratic government in Iraq, but few have been more unexpected than the transformation of Ahmad Chalabi from patrician exile to deft populist. Chalabi is a survivor. | |
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Kevin Drum: I guess I've already given away the punch line, but guess who's partnering up in the new Iraq? |
Laura Rozen: Chalabi reinvents himself as a Shiite populist, the LA Times' Alissa Rubin reports. |
Screening of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' draws a large crowd in President Bush's 'hometown' By / AP — Permalink CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) — Brian Munoz already saw the documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" in a theater, but he and some friends couldn't resist a chance to watch it again outdoors on a muggy summer night — especially only a few miles from President Bush. | |
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Kos: F911 Crawford screening a huge hit — This must've been fun — 3,000 people watching F911 outdoors, just miles from Bush's Crawford ranch. |
Nick Gillespie: The flick reportedly did strong B.O., deep in the heart of Texas, pulling some 3,000 people. |
Sharpton Speech Draws Standing Ovations By / AP — Permalink BOSTON (AP) - Al Sharpton won the hearts of delegates to the Democratic National Convention with a rousing and raucous speech Wednesday night, saying his failed quest for the White House was proof that kids can grow up poor and make it in America. | |
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Joe Gandelman: If you saw his speech last night or even read the account of it here you can see he "rocked." |
James Joyner: Update (7-29, 0906): AP - Sharpton Speech Draws Standing Ovations "Al Sharpton won the hearts of delegates to the... |
Democrats are making me drowsy By / USA Today — Permalink BOSTON — Convention boring ... losing ... consciousness ... spnnnnnnorxt. Sorry. Your correspondent pitched forward into his keyboard during John Kerry's heroic arrival by water taxi. The major buzz of this convention is that there's less buzz than the last one. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Jonah Goldberg is searching for some excitement at the convention. His only hope is THK and Obama. KJL: JONAH CONFIRMS HE IS TIRED AND BOOORED in his latest USA Today column. Probably safe to say he's jealous of TNR's Chait (and Peggy Noonan). |
Ed Driscoll: But Jeff's having infinitely more fun than Jonah Goldberg, who's pronouncing the convention a snoozerama. |
Speaking for Kerry By / Opinion Journal — Permalink The major American political conventions have become like the party conferences of the conservative Tory and liberal Labour parties in England. The point is to showcase the party's reigning and rising stars. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Peggy Noonan has been watching the Democratic speeches and gives her impressions here. KJL: Probably safe to say he's jealous of TNR's Chait (and Peggy Noonan). |
SLZoll: Deep Thoughts, by Peggy Noonan In this week's column, Peggy describes a bunch of people she saw at the Democratic convention. |
Heir Rant By / TNR — Permalink What were they thinking? I suppose as a strategy, putting Teresa Heinz Kerry front and center on the second night of the DNC convention was an attempt to preempt criticism. The Kerry campaign did not want to look as if it was hiding THK, or embarrassed by her, or afraid of her. | |
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Howard Kurtz: In other convention stuff, Andrew Sullivan, writing in the New Republic, finds Teresa disingenuous: "It is hard not to... Betsy Newmark: Andrew Sullivan was not impressed with Teresa's speech and fisks it at the New Republic. |
Andrew Sullivan: SHARPTON: Dammit, I missed him. FISKING TERESA: She's now clearly a liability. Here's why. |
To Be Charitable, They're Terrorists NRO — Permalink The Justice Department indicts Hamas's American funding arm. In the crucial financial front of the war against militant Islam, the Justice and Homeland Security Departments on Tuesday began a major offensive against the ruthless terror organization,... | |
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Bill Hobbs: McCarthy explores the Islamic concept of zakat (charitable giving), one of the "five pillars of Islam," and how it it leads to funding terrorism. |
Michelle Malkin: They still don't know. Update: Bill Hobbs notes HLF's Iraqi connection. Update II: Andrew McCarthy weighs in. TrackBack <1> |
White House to Project Record Deficit By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - The White House will project soon that this year's federal deficit will exceed $420 billion, congressional aides said, a record figure certain to ignite partisan warfare over President Bush 's handling of the economy. | |
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Charles Kuffner: White House to Project Record Deficit "The White House will project soon that this year's federal deficit will exceed... Dave Johnson: More Good News! Huge deficits coming. More "Incredibly Positive News!" . From my post then: "Let me help sort this out, and note the date as he tries to blame 9/11. |
Norbizness: You've Got to Hemorrhage Money To Make Money — Your family of four's share of additional debt in 2004: $5,800. |
Parties to a Sense of Entitlement By / WaPo — Permalink Both ideas are sensible — and tactical. They are supposed to blunt Republican charges that he stands on one side of a vast ideological chasm separating the parties. Democrats make similar, and similarly silly, charges about this election as the hinge on which American and world history will turn. | |
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Betsy Newmark: George Will makes a stab at explaining why politics is so partisan and ugly today. [snipped quote] I disagree. |
Ken Masugi: Will on the Intellectualized American Parties (Updated) George Will has morose reflections on American political... |
Scaife's Hired Hack Deserved Teresa's Ire By / New York Observer — Permalink BOSTON—For an intelligent, outspoken woman in politics who finds herself buffeted by the whims and moods of the national press corps, there is always a choice of descriptive phrases. When she chooses her words with caution, she may be "perfectly poised" but risks being dismissed as "overly scripted." | |
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Captain Ed: Conason, Teresa's Waterboy — Joe Conason has always believed the best defense is a good offense, and so this morning... Atrios: Conason: [snipped quote] Of course, many Scaife-stories end up bubbling up into the mainstream press, who happily report... |
Nick Confessore: Over here, Joe Conason explains why Teresa Heinz Kerry, far from blowing her top with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Colin McNickle, actually showed admirable restraint. |
Edwards: Kerry Ready to Build One America By / AP — Permalink BOSTON (AP) - Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards praised John Kerry Wednesday night as a man tested by war and ready to take command, determined to "build one America" no longer divided by income or race. | |
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James Joyner: Update (7/29 1015) : AP - Edwards: Kerry Ready to Build One America [snipped quote] « Hide it |
Jeralyn Merritt: Edwards Shines — It's deafening in the hall. John Edwards is here. The house is packed. Everyone is yelling and waving red. |
Diablog: Real-time repartee Christian Science Monitor — Permalink During each convention night's keynote address, watch political analysts and keyboard comedians Peter Robinson and James Norton exchange wit and wisdom in a real-time format. Join us each convention night at 10pm (ET). | |
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Tbogg: Hot Cheney-on-Cheney action — Corneroid Peter Robinson delves into Cheney sex with HOW CHENEY DID IT: I've been... |
Peter Robinson: HOW CHENEY DID IT — I've been engaging each evening of this convention in a "diablog" over at the Christian Science... |
Sniper's kit found in search on I-80 By / Omaha World-Herald — Permalink DES MOINES - Michael Wagner lied about his name. He told the trooper who stopped him for not wearing a seat belt that he couldn't find his identification. Then, Iowa State Patrol Trooper Kenneth Haas found a gun, three bulletproof vests, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a flight simulator and a bag of flight manuals dating to 2001. | |
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Tom Maguire: Cheap Shot Ahead! First, the now-mandatory "I find the timing of this hearing very suspicious". Michelle Malkin: "Michael Wagner" is a black Muslim convert who was pulled over by an Iowa State Trooper for not wearing a seatbelt. |
Hindrocket: First, a Muslim convert named Michael Wagner was arrested on Interstate 80 near Council Bluffs, Iowa. |
Blog, Day 3: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 CNN — Permalink The great state of ... When states cast their delegates for nominees, they often veer off their known mottoes and make reference to ... well, all sorts of things. Among tonight's designations: | |
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Tim Graham: KERRY SWEATING SHARPTON — A colleague e-mails from the CNN blog. "CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider thinks the Kerry folks may be sweating more than cheering. |
Atrios: See CNN and MSNBC. It's sort of funny seeing the media try to grab a medium, insult all the people who are currently... |
DeLay's PAC gave to lawmakers who may investigate him AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's political action committee gave $81,077 in the last decade to 10 Republicans who could be asked to investigate allegations that the Texas lawmaker misused his office. | |
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Jerome Armstrong: As earlier reported in the blogosphere, some of the members of the ethical committee recieved financial contributions... |
Charles Kuffner: There's also a link to this AP wire story which notes that the Republican half of the jury pool from wihch the Ethics... |
Saudi Arabia Proposes Islamic Force in Iraq By / WaPo — Permalink JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, July 28 —In talks with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Saudi Arabia today proposed the creation of an Islamic force to help stabilize Iraq and potentially someday replace at least some of the U.S.-led military coalition, according to senior Arab diplomats here. | |
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Gregory Djerejian: More Reckless Unilateralism — [snipped quote] —from a Robin Wright piece in the WaPo. At first, I cringed. The Saudis? |
Steve Gilliard: Saudi Arabia Proposes Islamic Force in Iraq Proposal Made During Talks With Secretary Powell By Robin Wright... |
CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS KERRY CONVENTION FILM: WAR SCENES REENACTED Drudge Report — Permalink A bombshell new book written by the man who took over John Kerry's Swift Boat charges: Kerry reenacted combat scenes for film while in Vietnam! The footage is at the center of a growing controversy in Boston. | |
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Charles Johnson: I hear there's going to be quite a revelation tonight, a carefully scripted and professionally shot movie disclosing... Nick Gillespie: Kerry's Home Movies — Drudge is ablaze with news that back in Vietnam John Kerry reenacted some of his battlefields... Vanderleun: "— DRUDGE REPORT 2004" Sigh. There are times when the mind finally reaches the outer limits of boggle. |
Joel Foreman: Some pretty wild allegations popping up on Drudge today about Kerry's Vietnam war footage, supposedly spliced into his introduction film for the DNC. John Derbyshire: KERRY IN VIETNAM — This story is going to get a lot of coverage. Now, I've said this before and I'm going to keep saying it. Captain Ed: Matt Drudge reports that members of John Kerry's "band of brothers" claim the soon-to-be nominee faked combat footage... |
| Also: Greyhawk, Steve Antler, Roger L. Simon, James Joyner, Oliver Willis, Smash, Jeff Quinton | |
AP: Edwards Slamming GOP in DNC Speech AP — Permalink BOSTON (AP) — John Edwards, the upbeat Southern populist on John Kerry's ticket, was accusing Republicans on Wednesday of trying to ''take this campaign for the highest office in the land down the lowest possible road.'' | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: John Edwards Speaks — The Associated Press has obtained an advanced copy of tonight's address. Atrios: Edwards Speech Story — Only posted about 7 hours early. |
Garance Franke-Ruta: AP reporter Tom Raum hyped Edwards' speech tonight as "Edwards Slamming GOP in DNC Speech." His evidence? |
Kerry Arrives in Boston on a Boat By / WaPo — Permalink BOSTON, July 28 — Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry cruised into Boston Wednesday in the company of former Navy shipmates from the Vietnam War to accept his party's nomination as the challenger to President Bush in the November election. | |
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Steven Taylor: Edwards WaPo: Kerry's Nomination Is Official. The NYT: Edwards Gives Strong Tribute as Democrats Nominate Kerry My basic reaction to the Edwards' speech is here. Nielsen Hayden: Here's today's Washington Post, showing how this strategy plays out: [snipped quote] "Oh, I'm supposed to be nice." |
Greyhawk: After your cruise, sir, if you could take the stage and outline your plan, tell us what you'd do, you'll have my vote. |
Oh Bama! NRO — Permalink Boston, Mass — Barack Obama's keynote speech at the Democratic Convention here has gotten a rapturous critical reception, justifiably so. Here are a few more follow up points about it: NATIONAL UNITY. | |
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Josh Marshall: This column by — Rich Lowry in National Review Online makes some very shrewd points about Barack Obama's speech Tuesday evening. |
Mark Kleiman: Update: Even Rich Lowry, who pretends not to understand the difference between respecting the Constitution and being... |
15,000 journalists and still a dearth of coverage By / LAT — Permalink The most serious problem confronting the American news media today is neither creeping political bias nor the tensions between new and old technologies. Those topics may obsess media critics, but their significance pales alongside the greater issue, which is... | |
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Robert Cox: USA TODAY's Coultershock The Los Angeles Times Can the editors at USA Today really have been surprised when Coulter's... Nick Confessore: The Los Angeles Times' Tim Rutten (here) and Eric Boehlert (here) have just the right take on USA Today's aborted... |
CJR: Go to comments — July 28, 2004 Tip of the Hat All Circuses, No Bread Tim Rutten, the Los Angeles Times' media critic,... |
USA Today kills ludicrous Ann Coulter story! By / Salon — Permalink So far there have been two major media black eyes at the Democratic convention in Boston. The first was on Monday when the Washington Post handed out 10,000 copies of a special convention issue of the daily, complete with the dated banner headline "Election 2000." | |
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Robert Cox: More Coultershock Salon The second talked-about misfire was USA Today's decision to spike as unusable a column it had commissioned from radical right-wing pundit Ann Coulter. |
Howard Kurtz: Salon's Eric Boehlert makes the connection: "So far there have been two major media black eyes at the Democratic convention in Boston. |
On the 2nd Night, Unity Is the Theme for the Democrats NYT — Permalink BOSTON, July 27 - With a rallying cry from one of its bright young hopes, a roar from its old liberal lion and a loving endorsement from the candidate's own outspoken wife, the Democratic Party offered up John Kerry on Tuesday night as a worthy heir to the... | |
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John Cole: Wow — Just read. Steven Taylor: Some other general stories: On the 2nd Night, Unity Is the Theme for the Democrats (the NYT). Ezra Klein: Thumbs Down — Last night, Kennedy said: [snipped quote] The first quote — Roosevelt's — is a soaring declaration of... |
Howard Kurtz: The New York Times stitches the rhetorical quilt together: "With a rallying cry from one of its bright young hopes, a... Tom Maguire: One America, Or Two? Barack Obama gave a stirring "One America" speech to the Democratic convention, and good for him. |
Porn and Violence: Good for America's Children? By / TCS — Permalink Last week, I responded to James Glassman's observation that American teenagers are doing better than they've done in decades by trying to figure out why that might be. Teen pregnancy is down, along with teen crime, drug use, and many other social ills. | |
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Daniel Drezner: Of course, Glenn Reynolds would reply that the consumption of pornography does not necessarily lead to antisocial behavior. Julian Sanchez: Porn: It's for the Children — Glenn Reynolds' modest proposal to subsidize porn and violence for the sake of our... James Joyner: Porn and Violence: For the Children — Glenn Reynolds, writing at TCS, argues that there is anecdotal evidence that... |
Joanne Jacobs: Glen Reynolds makes the connection: [snipped quote] Or it's just possible that "correlation isn't causation." Killjoy. Glenn Reynolds: MY TECHCENTRALSTATION COLUMN IS UP: [snipped quote] (Am I serious? I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader!) |
Bush Using Drugs to Control Depression, Erratic Behavior By / Capitol Hill Blue — Permalink President George W. Bush is taking powerful anti-depressant drugs to control his erratic behavior, depression and paranoia, Capitol Hill Blue has learned. The prescription drugs, administered by Col. Richard J. Tubb, the White House physician, can impair... | |
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Billmon: Of course, if this story is correct, Shrub may be doing product endorsements for the stuff one of these days. Tom @Corrente: Could this be true? [snipped quote] I think someone should ask Scotty about this, how about you? Soccerdad: Is Bush stressed? From Capital Hill Blue. This is not the most reliable source so take it with a grain of salt. |
Kevin Drum: WELL, SOMEONE'S ON DRUGS....Need a laugh? Capitol Hill Blue is better than the National Enquirer. Susan Madrak: WAR ON DRUGS — Okay, it's from Capitol Hill Blue, which often prints rumors that fall into the category of "we'll never... |
Moore: Bush 'Didn't Tell the Truth' Fox News — Permalink BOSTON — It was a match-up the media and political observers have longed for. No, not George W. Bush against John Kerry. It's Michael Moore (search) against Bill O'Reilly. | |
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Jeff Goldstein: Apt — John Derbyshire remarks on Bill O'Reilly's Michael Moore interview (a transcript of which can be found here) Damian Penny: More importantly, I would have argued that most parents would not sacrifice their children to fight Hitler, much less... David T: The video of the interview is here. "They fight, they fight, they fight and fight and fight!" |
Nick Gillespie: The fair and balanced folks at Fox News have posted a transcript here. Now I can't stand Moore. Robert Cox: In case you missed it, Fox News has the transcript up along with the video. Ginny: So a young man's response to the stoicism and heroism implied by the lines of firemen taking last rites as they entered... |
DEMS CLAIM NASA LEAKED PHOTOS TO SMEAR Drudge Report — Permalink Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill claims 'dirty tricks' by NASA after it released 'surprise' photographs showing the Dem presidential hopeful dressed in a space suit crawling through a rocket hatch. Cahill, asked by FOXNEWS whether it was a dirty trick, said: 'Well, what do you think? | |
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Jesse Taylor: Forced Into Partisan Hackery - A Study Of America's Hack Trade — Hugh Hewitt...feel my wrath. Betsy Newmark: With all these pictures being taken why are the Kerry people so surprised that they are released? Joe Gandelman: Making a huge deal out of it only prolongs the controversy — and the screams of laughter. Note to John Kerry: (no pun intended) move on. |
Hugh Hewitt: How stupid of Democrats to call attention to the photos of Kerry's Dukakis-in-a-tank moment by complaining about them and giving Drudge a huge reason to run with the shots. Captain Ed: Playing The Smear Card Once Too Often — The Kerry campaign flamed out again yesterday after pictures showing John Kerry... Steve M.: That's what Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry's campaign manager, is saying; Drudge posts this transcript of her discussion of this with Brit Hume on Fox News. |
| Also: Ed Driscoll, Tom Maguire, Smash, Glenn Reynolds | |
Lost Record of Vote in '02 Florida Race Raises '04 Concern By / NYT — Permalink MIAMI, July 27 - Almost all the electronic records from the first widespread use of touch-screen voting in Miami-Dade County have been lost, stoking concerns that the machines are unreliable as the presidential election draws near. | |
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Smash: For the Record: I'M UNEASY about any voting system that doesn't leave an auditable paper trail. Discuss. Steven Taylor: They Should've Gone with Optical Scan — Lost Record of Vote in '02 Florida Race Raises '04 Concern [snipped quote] Lovely. Holden: Florida May Be the Next Florida — Oops! |
Soccerdad: You're not paranoid if they are out to cheat you — Lost Record '02 Florida Vote Raises '04 Concern Almost all the... Dave Johnson: Here's the story: Lost Record of Vote in '02 Florida Race Raises '04 Concern Stephen Green: Uh-Oh — Drudge had the teaser up all night, but now we get the, ah, rest of the story: [snipped quote] Sounds like bad... |
| Also: Kevin Drum | |
The Right Wing's Deep, Dark Secret LAT — Permalink BOSTON — One of the secrets of conservative America is how often it has welcomed Republican defeats. In 1976, many conservatives saw the trouncing of the moderate Gerald Ford as a way of clearing the path for the ideologically pure Ronald Reagan in 1980. | |
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Ezra Klein: Well that's cause were not creepily nuts: [snipped quote] Let's put it this way: Next time you're in the Heritage Foundation's cafeteria, don't have the stew. Steve M.: That's from an L.A. Times article by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, two British journalists who write about American conservatives. Betsy Newmark: This LA Times column purports to say why conservatives are secretly hoping for Bush to lose. |
Xan @Corrente: This is an op-ed piece by a couple of guys from The Economist, hardly a lefty rag but not a Republican mouthpiece by any... Kevin Drum: THE NEXT FOUR YEARS...The Economist's John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge write in the LA Times today that some... Greg Ransom: WHY REAGAN REPUBLICANS might cheer a Bush defeat. |
Kerry turns up at Yankees-Red Sox game By / AP — Permalink BOSTON — John Kerry made a surprise appearance at the Yankees-Red Sox baseball game Sunday night to throw out the opening pitch. Boston baseball fans followed their usual pattern of booing and cheering the person who throws out the pitch. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: At Large — Steven Taylor has a "Bite-Size Toast-O-Meter," which includes the following observation: "Kerry throws out... |
Steven Taylor: And here's the re-cap of the first two nights of the convention: Monday The big stories on Monday were: Kerry throws out... |
Democrats hopping mad over 'bunny suit' Washington Times — Permalink The campaign of Sen. John Kerry yesterday accused NASA of leaking a widely circulated photo that shows the candidate wrapped from top to bottom in a baby blue "bunny suit," implying that it was a "dirty trick." | |
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Baldilocks: Funny Bunny — Face it: you goofed when you signed the release for this photo, Kerry campaign staffers. kerry_at_kennedy... Nick Gillespie: Memo: How To Fix Kerry's NASA Pic Problem — Memo to Kerry Campaign: The unfortunately hilarious NASA photo of you in... Ed Driscoll: Update: More here, including an existentially tacky "he said/she said argument" between Cape Kennedy and Camp Kerry. |
H.D. Miller: Bunny Boy — To Infinity and Beyond!! I just love this quote right here. [snipped quote] "One of the most masculine guys anybody's ever seen." Betsy Newmark: The Democrats are still whining over the bunny suit photo. Get over yourselves. |
OPTIMISM IN AFGHANISTAN By / New York Post — Permalink THERE'S good news from the forgotten front of the War on Terror: The first-ever public opinion poll in Afghanistan shows that people there are optimistic about the future and excited about upcoming elections. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: The facts on the ground suggest otherwise, however: [snipped quote] My guess, of course, is that we won't hear John... Eugene Oregon: Things Are Great in Afghanistan — Via Instapundit, I see that things are going really, really well in Afghanistan - at... Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: The terrible tidings just keep rolling in: "The first-ever public opinion poll in Afghanistan shows that people... |
Daniel Drezner: Afghanistan has a constitution and a populace that's enthusiastic about exercising their democratic rights (a fact I blogged about two weeks ago). Betsy Newmark: Here's some good news from Afghanistan. KJL: GOOD NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN |
| Also: Andrew Sullivan | |
Michael Moore Loses It NRO — Permalink Boston, Mass — Promoting his movie Fahrenheit 9/11 at the Democratic National Convention, radical filmmaker Michael Moore launched into a shouting, red-faced denunciation of Republicans Tuesday, saying supporters of the GOP are different from "real... | |
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Greyhawk: Now here's a slogan: "They're not patriots," Moore said (of Republicans) . "They're hate-triots, and they believe in the politics of hate-triotism. Hugh Hewitt: Byron York has Moore's number, and excellent reporting on the man who has stormed the DNC and won the hearts of the delegates and the anchors. The Big Trunk: At NRO Byron York also reports on Moore's performance in "Michael Moore loses it." |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: UPDATE: For Moore fans, here's an account of how your lunatic champion behaves when off his medications: "Promoting his... Betsy Newmark: Move love from Michael Moore. Greg Ransom: MICHAEL MOORE HATES YOU. And your mother too. |
Moore watches his back while in Bush Country By / MSNBC — Permalink Michael Moore will be surrounded by more than just fans at the screening of "Fahrenheit 9/11" in Crawford, Texas tonight. The gadfly filmmaker plans to show his controversial documentary today in the town where Bush vacations, and a source says he intends on having armed guards there protecting him. | |
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Robert Cox: Heads Should Roll Over Coultershock Incident MSNBC Rutten makes these comments in what I think is the proper context,... |
Steven Taylor: Indeed, Bush may be feeling more immediate heat from Michael Moore. I remain unconvinced that the "play it nice/don't overtly bash Bush" strategy is all that wise. |
Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 68 in Iraq Attack By / Reuters — Permalink BAQUBA, Iraq (Reuters) - A minibus packed with explosives blew up near a police station and a market north of Baghdad Wednesday, killing 68 people and wounding 30 in the worst attack since the handover of power exactly one month ago. | |
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Jeff Quinton: 68 Killed in Suicide Bombing near Baghdad — Reuters: [snipped quote] (Via Steven Taylor.) Other blogging: The Command Post Speed of Thought Steven Taylor: Awful — Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 68 in Iraq Attack "A minibus packed with explosives blew up near a police station... |
Jeff Jarvis: That's right. If you load up a car with books from the library, you can't fit in a bomb. |
Confusing Professional Politics With 'Service' Reason — Permalink If you are one of those people who are aglow after two days of Democrat rhetoric — and I've actually met many humans like that, these past 48 hours — you probably haven't noticed a subtle theme that crops up again and again, like a nervous and revealing tic. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE ERA OF WARPED PRIORITIES — An excellent critique of the underlying themes of the Democratic Convention via Matt... Wind Rider: Matt Welch on confusion ...and he's looking at it close up, too. On Dean [snipped quote] Read the whole thing. |
Roger L. Simon: The Politics of the Vacuous — I was pleased and amused to see that my friend Matt Welch isolated what I thought was the... Glenn Reynolds: MATT WELCH doesn't like what he's hearing: [snipped quote] Read the whole thing. And don't miss these important revelations from behind the scenes! |
Transcript: Illinois Senate Candidate Barack Obama WaPo — Permalink Candidate for U.S. Senate in Illinois, Barack Obama, delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston Tuesday night. Here is a transcript of his remarks. OBAMA: Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. | |
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Mark Kleiman: Full text follows. (Amy Sullivan deciphers the religious imagery for the liturgically challenged..) Yes, this will be on the exam. Nick Gillespie: There's only "the United States of America." That was great stuff as far as it went, and it represents a rhetorical success rarely attempted, much less achieved, at conventions. |
Daniel Drezner: Not to rain on Barack Obama's parade, but.... By all accounts, Barack Obama gave a great keynote speech last night. |