meme orandum
| A newfangled news tangle |
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Suppress the Vote? By / NYT — Permalink The big story out of Florida over the weekend was the tragic devastation caused by Hurricane Charley. But there's another story from Florida that deserves our attention. | |
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Magpie @PacificViews: It looks like Dubya's brother Jeb is making sure that those pesky black Democratic voters in Orlando are too intimidated to go to the polls when election day rolls around. Gary Farber: So the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (which reports to Governor Jeb Bush) is busily questioning absentee voters. Chris Bowers: African-American Voting Activists Intimidated in the South: "State police officers have gone into the homes of elderly... |
Nielsen Hayden: Bob Herbert reports from Florida: "The state police officers, armed and in plain clothes, have questioned dozens of voters in their homes. Jeanne D'Arc: Well, it isn't the first strategy that would come to my mind, but then I'm not Jeb Bush. Skippy: hurricane jeb hits florida's voters mrs. atrios (hubby's on the road) brings us a nytimes piece describing the latest... |
| Also: Joe Gandelman, Bob Harris, Kevin Drum, Mark Goldberg, Jesse Taylor, Shawn @LiquidList, Kevin T. Keith, Steve Gilliard, Oliver Willis, Bob @Unfogged, James Joyner, Atrios, Nathan Newman, Barbara O'Brien, The Farmer, Hilzoy @ObsidianWings | |
Kerry's Brief Brotherhood NRO — Permalink The truth behind a sensational rumor about Kerry's "band of brothers." In the last few days, there's been a new accusation floating around the Internet about John Kerry's Vietnam record. | |
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Matt Singer: Byron York of NRO has an article up about how the rumors that David Alston didn't really serve with John Kerry are not true. Charles Johnson: Kerry's Brief Brotherhood — Last week we mentioned a story questioning whether David Alston, one of John Kerry's "band... McQ: Except, per other's who were there, it seems like Alston wasn't: "Whatever the exact dates, Hurley confirmed that... |
Will Collier: Update — Byron York looks into the John Kerry-David Alston story at NRO, and concludes that Alston did serve under Kerry for a few days. Betsy Newmark: Well, Byron York demonstrates that he pays attention to bloggers. Captain Ed: NRO Picks Up The Alston Story, Clarifies Time Line — Byron York at National Review Online has become the first major media correspondent to pick up on the David Alston story. |
| Also: Roger L. Simon, Jeff Quinton, Glenn Reynolds, The Big Trunk, Greg Ransom | |
Saddam agents on Syria border helped move banned materials By / Washington Times — Permalink Saddam Hussein periodically removed guards on the Syrian border and replaced them with his own intelligence agents who supervised the movement of banned materials between the two countries, U.S. investigators have discovered. | |
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Joe Gandelman: The latest highly-touted story about the hunt for weapons of mass destruction makes me think: maybe they're with the... Jeff Goldstein: Rowan Scarborough, the Washington Times: "Saddam agents on Syria border helped move banned materials": [snipped quote] My guess? Bill @INDCJournal: Um, or something ... |
Charles Johnson: Today, the Washington Times reports on the Iraqi shell game that may have enabled these shipments to take place: Saddam agents on Syria border helped move banned materials. Matthew Yglesias: The Washington Times is trying to revive (via Jesse Taylor) speculation that Iraq did have WMD stockpiles after all: [snipped quote] "Fueling speculation," indeed. Jesse Taylor: The Line — Over/under until this Washington Times article becomes officially certified as filled to capacity with s**t? |
| Also: The Big Trunk, Betsy Newmark, KJL | |
F.B.I. Goes Knocking for Political Troublemakers By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been questioning political demonstrators across the country, and in rare cases even subpoenaing them, in an aggressive effort to forestall what officials say could be violent and disruptive protests at the Republican National Convention in New York. | |
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Joe Gandelman: According to the New York Times: [snipped quote] That is, in fact, a valid point: sometimes choices MUST be made. Harley: A few weeks ago, she was visited by six, that's right, six investigators. (Given the accompanying photo in the Times, I'm guessing two would've sufficed. Norbizness: In this spirit of pre-emption, it's good to know that FBI agents are scouring the country in a frantic attempt to learn... |
David Allan Pell: That being said, has the threat of violent protests become so extreme that the FBI needs to pay home visits to those who... Gary Farber: So the FBI is busily investigating potential political demonstrators (not terrorists — potential demonstrators). Chris Bowers: FBI interrogating and subpoenaing anti-war activists nationwide: "F.B.I. officials are urging agents to canvass their... |
| Also: Kash, Steve Soto, Tarek @LiquidList, Howard Kurtz, SLZoll, The Farmer, Jeralyn Merritt, Michael Froomkin, Steve Gilliard, Taegan Goddard | |
The Brains Thing By / American Prospect — Permalink Remember the 2000 election? With the country enjoying a seemingly endless spell of peace and prosperity, and no apparent daunting challenges facing the next chief executive, the media were finally granted the chance to construct a narrative entirely around personalities. | |
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Xan @Corrente: This time—no excuses: (via American Prospect) Matthew Yglesias "Unless the chief executive can understand what people... Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: Matthew Yglesias has an article in The American Prospect about why George Bush's intellect ought to be a serious political issue. Atrios: It's the Brain, Stupid! (posted by Mrs. Atrios) Go read what smart Big Media Matt says about the not-smart president du jour... |
Jim D: Matt Yglesias lays it out Kevin Drum: Alternatively, Matt Yglesias goes old school on us and suggests that it's simpler than that: Bush is just kind of dumb. Matthew Yglesias: "The Brains Thing" — My latest feature article from the print Prospect is now online. |
Christmas in Cambodia? By / Townhall.com — Permalink "Mr. President," said John Kerry, addressing his fellow senators in March 1986, "I remember Christmas of 1968 sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. I remember what it was like to be shot at by Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and having the president of the United States telling the American people that I was not there; the troops were not in Cambodia. | |
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The Big Trunk: Here it is: "Christmas in Cambodia?" And Barone's take on Kerry's increasingly tall tale is not an exercise in charity:... Dave Johnson: Their regular talking points are that Democrats are trying to shout them down, smear them, etc... Here are some more... Glenn Reynolds: MICHAEL BARONE'S LATEST COLUMN is about the Kerry Christmas-in-Cambodia story. UPDATE: More columnists on the subject, here and here. |
Hugh Hewitt: And Michael Barone has opined on Kerry's excellent adventures in Cambodia. Betsy Newmark: Michael Barone is such a mensch. He weighs in today on the Christmas in Cambodia story. Greg Ransom: MICHAEL BARONE — America's most respected political analyst — does the "Kerry in Cambodia" story. |
Swimming From Cambodia By / American Spectator — Permalink NEW YORK — John Kerry is desperately trying to slide safely away from the collapse of his "Christmas in Cambodia" fairy tale. Two embarrassing "failures of memory" now permanently scar Senator Kerry's campaign to gain trust and demonstrate strength as he tries to move from war hero to war president. | |
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Ed Driscoll: "An Exceptionally Bad Liar" — The American Spectator examines just how faulty Senator Kerry's memory is The Big Trunk: Failures of memory — Thomas Lipscomb notes the pattern in those peculiar lapses of memory to which John Kerry has... Greg Ransom: Also Mona Charen. See as well Thomas Lipscomb in the American Spectator. |
Dave Johnson: Their regular talking points are that Democrats are trying to shout them down, smear them, etc... Here are some more... Hugh Hewitt: Thomas Lipscomb pushes the magic hat story along with this article from today's online American Spectator. |
Taking the Field By / Opinion Journal — Permalink As Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby writes, "The press tends to emphasize what's going wrong in Iraq because of an inbuilt bias for the negative—only the plane that crashes, not the 999 that land safely, [makes] news. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: GOOD NEWS FROM IRAQ — The latest in a series of installments from Arthur Chrenkoff. Ed Cone: Keep on the sunny side: Opinion Journal publishes Aussie blogger Arthur Chrenkoff's round-up of good news from Iraq. Glenn Reynolds: BLOGGER ARTHUR CHRENKOFF is in the Wall Street Journal today. |
Orrin Judd: MORE: -Taking the Field: A roundup of the past two weeks' good news from Iraq. (ARTHUR CHRENKOFF, August 16, 2004, Wall Street Journal) Bill Hobbs: Bet on Iraq — Here's a bit of good news from Iraq. Bird Dog: Chrenkoff provides a balanced view of Iraq so sorely lacking in mainstream media and the gloom-and-doom weblogs, many of which are subsidized by left wing groups and individuals. |
| Also: Matthew Yglesias, The Big Trunk, Jesse Taylor, Cori Dauber, Arthur Chrenkoff | |
Chávez Is Declared the Winner in Venezuela Referendum By / NYT — Permalink CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug. 16 — Venezuelans have voted to keep Hugo Chávez as their president, electoral authorities said early this morning after 18 hours of voting that tested Venezuelan democracy and the patience of voters. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Chvez's Victory — Not surprisingly, Hugo Chávez has beaten the attempt to recall him — with 58% of the vote, in a huge turnout. Michael Totten: I wanted to write about Hugo Chavez before bed, and this is what I get. He didn't lose, he won. Damn. Daniel Davies: Chavez declares victory — Apparently. |
Chris Bowers: Chavez Defeats the Recall — Not surprsingly, President Hugo Chavez won the recall election in Venezuela. Gary Farber: THE CHAVEZ VOTE. I have no idea how accurate the reported results are. [snipped quote] Based upon that, who does? |
Anarchists' Convention Debates Voting AP — Permalink ATHENS, Ohio Aug. 16, 2004 — A group of anarchists is taking an unusual step to make its political voice heard going to the polls. Anarchists generally pride themselves on their rejection of government and its authority. | |
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James Joyner: Anarchists' Convention Debates Voting — ABC News - Anarchists' Convention Debates Voting [snipped quote] Via Eugene Volokh, who apparently found the question intriguing. Bob @Unfogged: This year there may also be a few unlikely voters to contend with. |
Eugene Volokh: Anarchists debating whether they should vote, or whether that's too inherently anti-Anarchist. Thanks to Robert Racansky for the pointer. Susan Q. Stranahan: This weekend, 175 members of the North American Anarchist Convergence (what, you expected a convention?) decided they would break with tradition and go to the polls this November. |
Kerry Campaign Response to Latest Misleading Bush-Cheney Ad - 'Clockwork' U.S. Newswire — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ — Following is the Kerry Campaign's response to the latest Bush-Cheney ad: "The President, again, is choosing misleading ads over articulating a positive vision for America. He doesn't tell the truth on the campaign trail either. | |
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John Cole: The French candidate Democrats say 'Au, contraire!' counter and state that [snipped quote] - Except that was BOB KERREY, Nebraska. Eugene Volokh: Know Your Candidate: On several occasions, most recently on Aug. 6, the Kerry campaign has said that "John Kerry is an... |
Robert Garcia Tagorda: Did the presidential candidate serve in this position at any time between 1995 and 2001, as the Democrats have claimed in various "fact checks"? |
"Get Some!" By / NRO — Permalink "Get some! is the unofficial Marine Corps cheer.... Get some! expresses, in two simple words, the excitement, the fear, the feelings of power and the erotic-tinged thrill that come from confronting the extreme physical and emotional challenges posed by death, which is, of course, what war is all about." | |
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Gary Farber: THINGS NRO KNOWS THAT YOU DON'T. [snipped quote] Wow. Jeff Quinton: Blogs of War linked with 63 al Qaeda Members Arrested by Pakistan in the Past 5 Weeks mypetjawa v. 2.0 (beta) linked... |
JoelL @SouthernAppeal: Motivated DEVIL DOGS! For a good look at the Marine Corps as a war fighting organization, as well as what Marines are... |
U.S. to Remove Up to 70,000 Troops from Europe, Asia By / Reuters — Permalink CINCINNATI (Reuters) - President Bush on Monday announced plans to bring home up to 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia within a decade in a major realignment that Democrats said was politically motivated in an election year. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE ANTI-IMPERIAL EMPIRE — Regarding President Bush's decision to move 70,000 troops out of the European theater,... |
Robert Clayton Dean: Excellent long-term strategy — President Bush has announced, and not a moment too soon, that the US will undertake a... |
Shirtsleeves Style Is a Strong Suit for Bush By / WaPo — Permalink SIOUX CITY, Iowa — President Bush has formidable obstacles to reelection, but he served a reminder last week that he is a politician with formidable strengths. Anyone who doubts it should spend some time watching the shirtsleeves campaign. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Come the apocalypse, all our press cares about is that our leaders be appropriately attired. David Allan Pell: And the main man is in shirtsleeves as he loves to be, talking of pick-up trucks, being tough and growing up in the badlands of Kennebunkport. Orrin Judd: MORE: Shirtsleeves Style Is a Strong Suit for Bush (John F. Harris, August 16, 2004, Washington Post) "President Bush... |
Steve Soto: But if you want a good example of how the media still can still miss the obvious, check out John Harris's piece in... James Joyner: Shirtsleeves Style Is a Strong Suit for Bush — WaPo features an "Analysis" piece by John Harris "Shirtsleeves Style Is a Strong Suit for Bush," on page A2. Karol Sheinin: The Washington Post discovers Bush's secret strength: lack of sleeves. (Karol) I only wish I was kidding. |
Reading,writing &right-wing politics By / Boston Globe — Permalink WHEN A SMALL NUMBER of parents started dragging their children out of public schools in the 1960s in order to teach them at home, critics argued that the new "homeschool movement" would impede children's social development and create a bunch of isolated, introverted misfits. | |
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Jesse Taylor: Just Help Me Out For A Sec — So...blatant political indoctrination is okay if parents remove kids from the public school system in order to do it? Orrin Judd: PUBLIC SKOOL MATH: Reading,writing &right-wing politics: This fall, conservative Christian homeschoolers will hit the... |
Joanne Jacobs: Conservative home-schoolers mobilize — Christian home-schoolers are campaigning for socially conservative candidates,... |
KERRY OFFERS RELATIONSHIP ADVICE FOR MEN Drudge Report — Permalink In the new GQ, the Democratic presidential nominee offers relationship advice for men: On what to seek in a woman: "Look for what gets your heart. Someone who excites you, turns you on. ... It's a woman who loves being a woman. Who wears her womanhood. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Candidates shouldn't talk about the women that they're sexually attracted to. It is very tacky. Is he trying to wrap up the Clinton vote? |
KJL: MORE THAN ANYONE NEEDED TO KNOW FROM JOHN KERRY |
Iraqi Conference on Election Plan Sinks Into Chaos By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 15 - A conference of more than 1,100 Iraqis chosen to take the country a crucial step further toward constitutional democracy convened in Baghdad on Sunday under siege-like conditions, only to be thrown into disorder by delegates staging angry protests against the American-led military operation in the Shiite holy city of Najaf. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Rarely do you see such divergent accounts of a single event as in the difference between John Burns's reporting on... Cori Dauber: Now, when you see a headline that reads, "Iraqi Conference on Election Plan Sinks Into Chaos," compared to the Post's article, normally I'd just engage in a bit of Times bashing. |
Steve Soto: Monday Morning Update — As a national conference in Iraq gets off to a bumpy start, Knight Ridder reports that Iraqi... Steven Tayor: Not Good: Conference on Voting in Iraq Degenerates into Chaos — Iraqi Conference on Election Plan Sinks Into Chaos "A... |
Warner's Tryst With Bloggers Hits Sour Note By / NYT — Permalink Warner Brothers Records pulled out all the stops recently to promote a rock band, the Secret Machines, on the Internet. But there is one stop that might have been better left unpulled. Earlier this month, Warner became the first major record label to ask MP3 blogs to play its music. | |
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Jan Haugland: Secret Machinations — Warner Brothers Records tries to use MP3 blogs to promote a band, and runs into some serious cultural problems. Ed Cone: Anyway, as this article about Warner Brothers Records shows, The Man don't always know what the hell He's doing. |
Ann Althouse: And the NYT's seduction of bloggers with headlines hits a sweet note. So let's see what the situation is here. Dave Winer: NY Times: Warner's Tryst With Bloggers Hits Sour Note. Misleading headline. Warner Brothers Records decided to promote a new band through MP3 bloggers. |
A question of Kerry's credibility By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink The passionate debate over John Kerry's war record has become a question of credibility. Who is accurately portraying what the Democratic presidential candidate did in Vietnam 35 years ago? | |
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Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: More columnists on the subject, here and here. ANOTHER UPDATE: Beldar says that the SwiftVets are pursuing a tar baby strategy. Captain Ed: Novak Questions Kerry Credibility On War Record — Robert Novak writes about the Kerry counterattack on the Swift Boat... |
McQ: Robert Novak, Chicago Sun Times: "The passionate debate over John Kerry's war record has become a question of credibility. |
Egyptian Government Weekly Magazine on 'The Jews Slaughtering Non-Jews, Draining their Blood, and Using it for Talmudic Religious Rituals' MEMRI — Permalink "... The Jews forgot that their primary constitution, on which they rely, is full of intellectual religious terrorism against all other nations. Aqidati decided to wage a battle against International Zionism in order to expose the extent of terrorism that exists in the Zionist doctrinal mind. | |
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Eugene Volokh: Why They Hate Us, Part MMMDCCXXI: MEMRI, which I'm told is quite reliable, passes along a translation of an article in... |
Charles Johnson: Hate Like an Egyptian — Another noxious blast of evil Jew-hatred from our friends (and recipients of $2 billion a year... |
Louisiana North Opinion Journal — Permalink There is a real story in the personal and family tragedy surrounding James McGreevey's decision to resign as New Jersey's governor on Thursday. There's also a story in the difficulties of someone being gay and holding high public office. | |
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Tully @Centerfield: Meanwhile, John Fund of the Wall Street Journal has a "larger view" article on the New Jersey scandals, and it's well worth reading. James Joyner: New Jersey: Louisiana North? John Fund poses an interesting question: Why is New Jersey so corrupt? Ed Driscoll: Louisiana North* John Fund spares no prisoners (on either side of the aisle) in his piece on just how corrupt New Jersey's government is. |
Susanna Cornett: New Jersey's political death wish — I posted recently about the utter and total mess New Jersey politics is, and now... Glenn Reynolds: MORE ON MCGREEVEY: [snipped quote] There does seem to be a problem. |
MCGREEVEY'S RATINGS HOLD DESPITE SCANDAL New York Post — Permalink Gov. Jim McGreevey's approval rating has not suffered from his disclosure that he had an affair with another man and will resign in November, according to a Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers poll released yesterday. | |
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Ace: New Jersey: State of Stupidity — Widespread corruption and giving sensitive Homeland Security posts to unqualified gay... Michelle Malkin: WHY IS THIS MAN SMILING? mcgreevey.jpg According to the New York Post, Jim McGreevey is enjoying an out-of-the-closet bounce in the polls. |
Joe Gandelman: Even though a new poll shows McGreeven's poll ratings are holding form despite the scandal, at least two news accounts... |
Joseph Biden's Plagiarism; Michael Dukakis's 'Attack Video' - 1988 WaPo — Permalink Democratic presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden Jr., a U.S. senator from Delaware, was driven from the nomination battle after delivering, without attribution, passages from a speech by British Labor party leader Neil Kinnock. | |
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Betsy Newmark: I think it's really shame that Kerry didn't end up picking Joe Biden for his vice presidential candiate since then they could run together as the Liar and the Plagiarizer. |
Sir George: Kerry is not only a liar; he's surrounding himself with perjurers, plagiarists, and document pilferers. |
FINEST PREP FOR ANARCHY New York Post — Permalink Cops are bracing for radical attempts to "shut down" the Republican convention, with protesters blockading or disabling delegates' buses — and the NYPD is even warning McDonald's and Starbucks that they could be anarchist targets. | |
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Damian Penny: Close the border! Quickly, while he's out of the country! |
Charles Johnson: Moonbat War Council — Radical moonbat gangs are meeting in New York, planning to tediously act out their long-denied... |
Remarks by the President to Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention White House — Permalink Dr. Albert B. Sabin Cincinnati Cinergy Center THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. Thanks for the warm welcome. And thanks for inviting me for your 105th national convention. I'm proud to be here. (Applause.) | |
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Matthew Yglesias: "Afghanistan is a rising democracy." For an alternative theory, see, e.g., this or any actual source of information about Afghanistan. |
Frederick Maryland: This is what President Bush said in a speech today to the Veterans of Foreign Wars: "Even though we did not find the... |
On the Road, Bush Fields Softballs From the Faithful By / NYT — Permalink His father loved them, Richard Nixon started them and President Bush has turned them into the near-daily warm bath of his re-election campaign. Last week alone, in Virginia, Florida, New Mexico and Oregon, Mr. Bush had four "Ask President Bush'' question-and-answer sessions with rapt Republican audiences. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: First commandment down, nine more to go — Bush fans scare me: [snipped quote]Thank you,'' Mr. Bush replied, to applause. The Farmer: Bush League T-Ball — Cult of the 'W'; beer and skittles show rolls on... "On the Road, Bush Fields Softballs From... |
Steve Soto: It's good to see the president being lulled into a false sense of security by only appearing before adoring, hand-picked crowds on the road, isn't it? |
Those Democrats and Their Private Jets By / NYT — Permalink THERE are objects or possessions that scream "I'm better than you" - items that remind the average Joe of a cultural and economic divide that cannot be crossed. It's a $10,000 bottle of wine, a Hummer, a real Rolex. This year's conspicuous object seems to be the private jet. | |
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Atrios: What a tool. Move on. Turn to page 3. What have we here. Oh yeah, hypocritical democrats. So yes, Democrats use private jets. |
Michelle Malkin: GULFSTREAM LIBERALS — The New York Times discovers the phenomenon of jet-setting liberals (registration required) who... |
Kerry daughter receives Fulbright grant in medicine Chicago Sun Times — Permalink KETCHUM, Idaho — Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry has announced that his daughter Vanessa has won a Fulbright scholarship to study medicine in London. Vanessa Kerry is a 27-year-old Harvard medical student who frequently travels with her father's campaign. | |
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Steven Tayor: Vanessa Kerry: Fulbrighter — Congrats to Vanessa Kerry for being awarded a Fulbright Grant. |
Michelle Malkin: VANESSA KERRY, GOV'T-SUBSIDIZED WORLD TRAVELER — "Vanessa Kerry has won a Fulbright scholarship to study medicine in London. |
Police fire at reporters as US tanks roll up to shrine By / Telegraph — Permalink The bullet that whistled through the lobby of the Sea Hotel in Najaf yesterday, embedding shards of glass into a foreign reporter's cheek before lodging itself in an air-conditioning unit, carried an unmistakeable message: "Get out." | |
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Mike Rappaport: Reciprocity and Civilization — I see that Tom (immediately below) also found this post from the Belmont Club of interest. Glenn Reynolds: THE BELMONT CLUB PREDICTS: [snipped quote] Read the whole thing. Wretchard: The Last Taboo — News that the Iraqi police have ordered all journalists out of Najaf and are enforcing it, strongly... |
Tom Smith: Journalists out of Najaf — This is interesting at Belmont Club. Steve M.: Iyad Allawi's Iraqi police are shooting at reporters to keep them from telling the truth about what's happening (or... |
Bush Announces Plan for Troop Realignment By / AP — Permalink CINCINNATI - President Bush on Monday announced plans to shift as many as 70,000 U.S. troops who are now stationed in Western Europe and Asia in one of the largest realignments since the end of the Cold War. | |
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Baldilocks: Auf Wiedersehen — It's been in the works for some time now. |
Betsy Newmark: It's good policy and it's good politics. |
Referendum Cannot Heal a Wounded Venezuela By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — For several years, Venezuela has been a dangerously divided nation on the brink of political chaos. Supporters of President Hugo Chavez regularly clashed in the streets with backers of the coalition allied against him. | |
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Michael Totten: As far as helping out the poor, the LA Times notes: "Economic and social conditions have deteriorated dramatically. |
Jeanne D'Arc: The number of Venezuelans living in extreme poverty has doubled during Chávez's tenure. |
Chavez Declares Recall Victory; Foes Claim Fraud By / Reuters — Permalink CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's left-wing President Hugo Chavez on Monday declared victory in a historic recall referendum on his rule, but his opponents vowed to challenge vote results they rejected as a "gigantic fraud." | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: No less surprisingly, the opposition is already claiming the election was a fraud. I've mentioned before that I have mixed feelings about Chávez. |
Daniel Drezner: Hugo Chavez wins — what now? Hugo Chavez is declaring victory in the Venezuelan recall referendum with 58% of the vote. |
The Terror Masters Revisited NRO — Permalink Let's go to the videotape. Saturday's Washington Post had an article that quotes the usual unnamed intelligence sources saying that they are surprised to discover that al Qaeda has "reconstitute[d]" itself. | |
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Charles Johnson: The Terror Masters Revisited — Most LGF readers know that the world's terror gangs cooperate and share resources. |
Ted Belman: You'd better believe it Revisting the terror Masters Michael Ledeen, NRO "[...]This surprise is, as usual, unsettling,... |
Dead and Buried NRO — Permalink The crazy debate over Yucca Mountain and nuclear waste. The year, by the old A.D. reckoning, is 12,002. But Lothar has no way of knowing that, since Western civilization — and calendars — had gone the way of the dodo thousands of years before his grandfather was born. | |
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Lucia @Amptoons: Comment on Yucca Mountain — Today, Matt Yglesias commented on Jonah Goldberg's piece on Yucca Mountain, a proposed repository for radioactive waste. |
Matthew Yglesias: Goldberg On Yucca Mountain — Credit where due, Jonah Goldberg has a nice piece on the hysterical scare tactics being... |
John Heinz, Preferring Inner Light to Limelight By / WaPo — Permalink There's usually one unusual one. In the blended Kerry-Heinz family, it's John Heinz IV. He's the iconoclast. He's the Buddhist educator and medieval armor craftsman and the keep-to-himself individualist. | |
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Nielsen Hayden: Also: Medieval metalwork by Teresa Heinz Kerry's eldest son. What Really Happened. (Warning: sound.) |
Taegan Goddard: The Other Heinz Son — The Washington Post profiles John Heinz IV, the stepson of Sen. John Kerry that "you did not see at the Democratic National Convention or on Larry King Live. |
Chavez foes label victory "fraud" Reuters — Permalink CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition has rejected as a fraud results showing President Hugo Chavez has won a referendum on his rule, and say they will contest the outcome. | |
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Jesse Walker: The opposition is claiming fraud. |
Glenn Reynolds: ANOTHER UPDATE: Chavez is claiming victory; opponents are charging election fraud. |
Edwards' malpractice suits leave bitter taste By / Washington Times — Permalink The American Medical Association lists North Carolina's current health care situation as a "crisis" and blames it on medical-malpractice lawsuits such as the ones that made Democratic vice-presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards a millionaire many times over. | |
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Jesse Taylor: Danger! I hate to say this at this point, but when did the American Medical Association become such lying hacks? |
Hugh Hewitt: And the Washington TImes previews what John Edwards will do for the medical system in the United States —exactly what he did for it in North Carolina. |
Fla. Voucher Law Ruled Unconstitutional AP — Permalink TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A Florida law that allows students at failing public schools to attend private schools at taxpayers' expense is unconstitutional, a state appeals court ruled Monday. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Alas, the Florida voucher law which helps poor children stuck in crummy schools has been ruled unconstitutional because... |
SK Bubba: Florida vouchers unconstitutional — Voucher Law Ruled Unconstitutional "A Florida law that allows students at failing... |
Kerry's Blue Blood a Winner, Say Royal Researchers By / Reuters — Permalink LONDON (Reuters) - When it comes to American presidential elections, blue blood counts. So say British researchers who predict Democratic challenger John Kerry will oust President Bush on Nov. 2 simply because he boasts more royal connections than his Republican rival. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Besides being taller, he also has more blue blood than Bush. |
KJL: KERRY THE TERRIBLE "LONDON (Reuters) - When it comes to American presidential elections, blue blood counts. |
Notre Dame Hit With Anti-Semitic Graffiti AP — Permalink PARIS - Anti-Semitic graffiti, including a sign saying "death to Jews," was found Saturday scrawled on the grounds of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. The graffiti, which included a swastika, was written in black marker on a low wall along the cathedral facing the Seine River. | |
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Roger L. Simon: Not the First Time — The depressing news (via LGF) that Notre Dame has been "Hit With Anti-Semitic Graffiti" created a... |
Charles Johnson: French Antisemitism Watch — Over the weekend, someone wrote "Death to Jews" on a wall of the Notre Dame Cathedral. |
Bin Laden Trail Still Cold, Pakistan Says By / LAT — Permalink ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Despite a surge in arrests of Al Qaeda suspects, a senior Pakistani anti-terrorism official said investigators still had not found the trail of their main target, Osama bin Laden. Javed Iqbal Cheema said in an interview last week. | |
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Norbizness: For the life of me, I don't know what's changed in the last two and a half years... (1) Today: The next month and a half... |
Steve Soto: Pakistan confirms once again what the New Republic reported a month ago: the Bush Administration is pressuring them to find Bin Laden before the election. |
Foreign Policy/Intelligence Columnist Andy Martin Says McGreevey Sex Scandal was Israeli Intelligence Operation U.S. Newswire — Permalink NEW YORK, Aug. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ — America's most respected foreign policy/intelligence analyst, Out2.com's Andy Martin, will publish a column and hold a news conference in New York today (Aug. 16) to disclose that the New Jersey sex scandal involving Gov. James McGreevey was really an Israeli intelligence operation gone sour. | |
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Susan Madrak: In a press conference today, this man will charge that the McGreevey sex scandal was an Israeli intelligence operation: [quote] "The media have focused on the wrong blackmail scheme.[end quote] |
Jesse Taylor: That having been said, join the weirdness |
Some Democrats Are Said to Want McGreevey Out Fast NYT — Permalink TRENTON, Aug 15 - Gov. James E. McGreevey is scheduled to return to the State House on Monday, intending to carry out his duties until his announced resignation date of Nov. 15. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Indeed, the New York Times reports a virtual mutiny in the Democratic party, with efforts underway to find a way to ease... Susanna Cornett: Factions and fussing — This article in the NY Times says that some Dems in Jersey want McGreevey out in time for a special election, others don't. |
Taegan Goddard: The New York Times notes that though McGreevey "intends to stay in office until his announced resignation date of Nov... |
'Data Quality' Law Is Nemesis Of Regulation By / WaPo — Permalink Things were not looking good a few years ago for the makers of atrazine, America's second-leading weedkiller. The company was seeking approval from the Environmental Protection Agency to keep the highly profitable product on the market. | |
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Ezra Klein: In that vein, this Washington Post article is a heartening example of what newspapers can do. |
Chris Mooney: Major Feature on the Data Quality Act — Read Rick Weiss's Washington Post piece—"'Data Quality' Law is Nemesis of Regulation"—here. |
Venezuela's Chavez on brink of referendum defeat By / Independent — Permalink The Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, looked to be losing his grip on power last night as exit polls showed him to be trailing the opposition by almost a million votes. The figures were early indications that, for the first time in the country's history, the President may have his term in office cut short by a referendum. | |
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Jan Haugland: However, a bit earlier exit polls showed him losing by a landslide [update: see note below]. Orrin Judd: YOU GO NOW: Venezuela's Chavez on brink of referendum defeat (Hannah Baldock, 16 August 2004, Independent) "The... |
Michael Totten: Defenders of Jackboots — Good riddance, buddy. Glenn Reynolds: CHAVEZ UPDATE: Massive turnout in the recall election. UPDATE: Exit polls show Chavez losing badly. |
Landslide By / Gadflyer — Permalink Everyone knows the presidential election is going to be a squeaker. Liberals are mad at Bush, but conservatives love him. For every blue state, there's a red state. November 2nd is going to be a long night. But what if it isn't? What if it isn't even close? | |
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Ezra Klein: Kerry By An Ass-Kicking — This article is going to make its author, Paul Waldman, look very good. |
Mathew Gross: Paul Waldman at the Gadflyer goes further: "Let me go out on a limb: John Kerry is going to win the 2004 election - not... |
Officials provide detail on U.S. cells USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — Al-Qaeda allies are believed to be scouting U.S. targets, and the terror organization is using non-Arab recruits to avoid detection, U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials say. | |
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Steve Soto: And don't you think there is a better use for six FBI agents, who instead of intimidating anti-Bush protesters, could be hunting domestic Al Qaeda cells? |
SLZoll: USA Today reports that terrorists aren't just Arabs anymore: WASHINGTON — Al-Qaeda allies are believed to be scouting... |
Harkin calls Cheney a 'coward' and criticizes 'backdoor draft' AP — Permalink DES MOINES — Sen. Tom Harkin called Vice President Dick Cheney a "coward" for avoiding service in Vietnam and called on President Bush to end the "backdoor draft." The Iowa Democrat was responding Friday to the call-up of a Des Moines police officer who has already completed his eight-year military commitment. | |
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Greyhawk: The Ol' One-Two — Get The Message '04 Tom Harkin on non-veterans who don't support John Kerry: "Those of us who served... John Cole: Left Wing Bile — Tom Harkin: [snipped quote] I hope the Democrats plan on running a veteran for every office in the future. Steve Gilliard: Attack the chickenhawks — Bush and Cheney are cowards Harkin calls Cheney a 'coward' and criticizes 'backdoor draft' By... |
Tom @Corrente: Tom Harkin says... [snipped quote] Indeed. Heh. UPDATE: Sorry. I didn't realize Atrios had already posted this. Oh well. Atrios: Cheney - Coward — Says Tom Harkin: "When I hear this coming from Dick Cheney, who was a coward, who would not serve during the Vietnam War, it makes my blood boil," Harkin said. Oliver Willis: Harkin to Cheney: You've Been Served — The senator from Iowa has the floor: [snipped quote] The reaction from the GOP... |
| Also: Betsy Newmark | |
Kerry Favored Over Bush 47%-43% In Multi-Candidate Race Zogby — Permalink Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is favored over President George W. Bush (47%-43%) among likely voters when Ralph Nader, Libertarian, Constitution and Green Party presidential candidates are factored into the 2004 presidential race, according to a new Zogby America poll. | |
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EDM: Kerry 47%, Bush 43% in New Zogby Poll — Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is favored over President George W. Bush... DemFromCT: National Poll: Zogby has K/E up 50-43 over B/C — Zogby America (telephone, NOT internet) results here, trends here. |
James Joyner: Meet the New Polls; Same as the Old Polls — There seems to be a bit of a buzz over new Zogby Poll numbers that show the race is still tied. Taegan Goddard: New Polls — Sen. John Kerry leads President Bush among likely voters, 47% to 43%, when Ralph Nader, Libertarian,... |
Poll: N.J. Governor's Approval Nudges Up AP — Permalink TRENTON, N.J. - Gov. James E. McGreevey's approval rating has not suffered since he announced that he had an affair with a man and will resign in November, a new poll showed Sunday. | |
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Betsy Newmark: McGreevey's poll numbers are up following his announcement that he's resigning. |
Jonathan H. Adler: MCGREEVEY'S NUMBERS UP?!? According to this poll report. Have New Jerseyans no shame? |
Kerry Made False Cambodia Claim 50 Times NewsMax.com — Permalink It won't be all that easy for John Kerry to revise his demonstrably false claim that he spent Christmas 1968 in Cambodia, since he's on the record more than 50 times making the assertion, according to former Vietnam swiftboat commander John O'Neill. | |
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Dave Johnson: Kerry Made False Cambodia Claim 50 Times "It won't be all that easy for John Kerry to revise his demonstrably false... Betsy Newmark: According to John O'Neill, Kerry has told the Cambodia for Christmas story at least 50 times. |
Greg Ransom: KERRY CLAIMED he spent Christmas eve in Cambodia on at least 50 different occassions according to Swift Vet John O'Neill. |
Partisan Protesters By / Newsweek — Permalink Aug. 13 - Among the 250,000 expected to head to New York City to demonstrate at the Republican National Convention, a small army of about 200 people plans to march alongside them—but on the other side of political spectrum. | |
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Howard Kurtz: It declares that marriage is the 'legal union of one man and one woman,' and that 'the unborn child has a fundamental... |
Steve Gilliard: Right wing wackos to march in New York — Brownshirts in training march Partisan Protesters A slick, young, conservative... |
Splashdown test buoys rocket team By / Toronto Star — Permalink Thwup-thwup-thwup went the chopper blades. "Sailboat, move away please," thundered the police marine megaphone. "I love the smell of Rocket Fuel in the morning," read the phrase on the T-shirt. | |
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Dean Esmay: Hey, a group of Canadians are trying for the X-Prize, and just had their first successful test launch. Stephen Green: One Small Step Closer — X-Prize update: [snipped quote] I have got to start making more money. |
Glenn Reynolds: GOOD NEWS: [snipped quote] Everybody wins from this sort of competition. |
Czeslaw Milosz, Poet and Nobelist Who Wrote of Modern Cruelties, Dies at 93 By / NYT — Permalink An artist of extraordinary intellectual energy, Mr. Milosz was also an essayist, literary translator and scholar of the first rank. Many of his fellow poets were in awe of his skills. | |
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Will Baude: R.I.P. 11:25 A.M.: This post has been updated. [Second update: From now on, Milosz posts will be here. Orrin Judd: A POET REMEMBERED: Czeslaw Milosz, Poet and Nobelist Who Wrote of Modern Cruelties, Dies at 93 (RAYMOND H. ANDERSON,... |
Jacob T. Levy: Czeslaw Milosz — Other than Michael Young over at Hit & Run, very little blog-reaction so far to the death of Czeslaw Milosz at 93. |
A Governor's Downfall, in 20 Wrenching Days By / NYT — Permalink TRENTON, Aug. 14 — Gov. James E. McGreevey's breathtaking spiral toward his resignation began with the most mundane of daily events — a simple phone message from an unfamiliar lawyer, one of hundreds of such calls fielded each week at the switchboard of the busy New Jersey State House. | |
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Howard Kurtz: The NYT also has a great tick-tock on how McGreevey's governorship unraveled in 20 days. Karol Sheinin: Take this piece in the NY Times. It is a play by play of what happened in the days leading up to McGreevey's resignation. |
Taegan Goddard: Behind a Governor's Downfall — The New York Times runs an excellent piece chronicling New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey's swift fall from power. |
Olympics Hit by Crisis Over Iran-Israel Contest By / Reuters — Permalink ATHENS (Reuters) - Iran's world judo champion Arash Miresmaeili refused to compete against an Israeli Sunday, triggering a fresh crisis at the Olympic Games where race, creed or color are barred from interfering in sport. | |
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Joel Foreman: Sick, Sad World. Iranian judo champ and OLYMPIAN refuses to compete against Israeli challenger. Oliver Willis: What A Nitwit — This idiot Iranian refusing to compete against a Jew should be barred from all international competition, forever. |
James Joyner: Olympics Hit by Crisis Over Iran-Israel Contest — Reuters - Olympics Hit by Crisis Over Iran-Israel Contest... |
A Student Pundit's Venture Into Poli-Cyberspace By / Chronicle of Higher Education — Permalink Political pundits at last month's Democratic National Convention blabbered on command, but not Ezra Klein, a junior at the University at California at Los Angeles. | |
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Ezra Klein: Profile — As if Pandagon needed more coverage (Joke. Pandagon always needs more coverage - Ed.) . |
Jeralyn Merritt: A Late Breaking DNC Blogger Interview — Check out A Student Pundit's Venture Into Poli-Cyberspace in the Chronicle of Higher Education. |
Softening the Republicans' Message By / Time — Permalink Part poet, part pol, Peggy Noonan was the Republican Party's go-to speechwriter for nearly a decade. Ronald Reagan turned to her to mark the 40th anniversary of D-day—"These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc"—and it was Noonan who helped the first George Bush find his voice in 1988. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Michael Duffy of Time pays notice to Peggy Noonan coming aboard. I bet the politicians don't like it when the speechwriter makes headlines. Taegan Goddard: Now Time magazine has more details: "Noonan won't be penning this Bush's speech... instead, she will lend her hand to... |
Susan Madrak: First she makes a big deal about quitting the Wall St. Journal to help Bubble Boy with his campaign, and now they palm... Roger Ailes: Peg Will Not Be Ignored — Time magazine reporter Michael Duffy is now churning out press releases for Delphinia... |
Mortars Mark Opening of Iraqi Political Conference By / Reuters — Permalink BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Insurgents fired mortars at a meeting where Iraqi leaders met to pick an interim national assembly Sunday, killing at least two people in a grim reminder of the country's tortured path toward democracy. | |
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Chris Bowers: Here are the stories coming out of Iraq today: Mortars Mark Opening of Iraqi Political Conference. |
Kevin Hayden: [quote] "When it comes to spreading the peace, we're turning a corner, and we're not turning back," he said the next day in...[end quote] |
Bush Landslide (in Theory)! NYT — Permalink Q As a professor of economics at Yale, you are known for creating an econometric equation that has predicted presidential elections with relative accuracy. My latest prediction shows that Bush will receive 57.5 percent of the two-party votes. | |
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Atrios: Yeah, here's the magazine. One funny question for the ethicist. Oh, what do we have here. A bit of game theory. How cute. Joe Gandelman: BUT a Yale Professor (and self-confessed Kerry supporter) shows that — using an economic data model that predicts... Stephen Green: Mea Culpa — I already said Charles Sakai's essay on Military Intelligence was today's Required Reading — but that... |
Brian Montopoli: But the Iowa Electronics Market, "where non-expert non-insiders can bet real money on the campaign," still favors Bush,... Armed Liberal: In the well-blogged NY Times interview with econometrician Ray Fair, reporter Deborah Soloman makes the following... Robert Garcia Tagorda: The New York Times Magazine has an interview with Yale professor Ray Fair, whose econometric equation predicts that Bush will earn 57.5% of the two-party votes. |
| Also: Mike Rappaport, Jan Haugland, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Charles Johnson, Orrin Judd, Ann Althouse, Steve Antler, Tom Maguire, Betsy Newmark | |
Kerry's Cambodia account challenged by ex-commander By / Knight Ridder — Permalink KANSAS CITY, Mo. — John Kerry's repeated claim that he spent Christmas Eve of 1968 upriver in Cambodia — against official United States policy — has drawn harsh criticism from anti-Kerry veterans. | |
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Mitch Berg: [quote]UPDATE: And Knight-Ridder seems to have noticed that KERRY LIED about his "searing" memories of being in Cambodia. [end quote] Dean Esmay: Cracks Begin To Show — The Truth Laid Bear notes that the media blackout has been broken by the Seattle Times, with a... Betsy Newmark: Ha! Maybe she can do a story about it in USA Today. UPDATE: The same story is now appearing in the Seattle Times. |
Captain Ed: Scott Canon writes a Knight-Ridder wire article that at least covers the outlines of the story, and the Seattle Times —... Glenn Reynolds: And the Kerry/Cambodia story is now getting straight news coverage in the Seattle Times and a number of other papers,... Jan Haugland: The Seattle Times covers it today, though, so maybe there is chink in the armor. |
| Also: Greg Ransom, Tom Maguire | |
Activist, Schmactivist By / NYT — Permalink There is probably nothing I can do or say to convince you that the words "activist judge" have no more meaning than the words "hectic smurlbats." You've heard "activist judges" so many times - from the president, from Congress, from the angry guys on the radio - that you can define it right along with me. | |
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Steve Dillard: Pryor misrepresentations II: Well, leave it to Dahlia Lithwick to one up Rosensaft in misrepresenting Judge Pryor's record as Alabama AG: [snipped quote] She cannot be serious. Matthew Yglesias: Jim Hoagland. If only we had a Palestinian Chalabi, then we could really get some good stuff done. Dahlia Lithwick. Susan Madrak: PATRIOT OF THE DAY — Dahlia Lithwick explains that the difference between "liberal activist" judges and "conservative"... |
Atrios: Didn't I say it was supposed to be a relaxing Sunday morning reading? Page 12. Finally. Go Dahlia! Hey, it wasn't so bad, right? Dan Gillmor: Re-Activist Judges Make Laws, Too — Dahlia Lithwick (NY Times): Activist, Schmactivist. |
Billiken crowd jeers Keyes, cheers Obama By / Chicago Tribune — Permalink If U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes had any notions of capturing the hearts and minds of Chicago's black electorate, the annual Bud Billiken Day Parade on Saturday proved that this task will be nothing short of daunting for the Republican. | |
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Roger Ailes: Meanwhile, in the real world: "Keyes, the conservative political figure from Maryland who entered the Senate race last... Gary Farber: THE ALAN KEYES COMEDY SHOW continues at the Bud Billiken Parade. (Use Bugmenot to read.) [snipped quote] Yes, but he's such fun. ArchPundit: So in the article detailing Keyes' reception at the Bud Billiken Parade, the best the Trib could come up with to support... |
Oliver Willis: I Love Alan Keyes V — But Illinois doesn't. [snipped quote] Please, don't send him back here either. Steve Gilliard: Go home, carpetbagger — Carpetbagger gets warm welcome in Chicago Billiken crowd jeers Keyes, cheers Obama Dissent... |
Uranium Reactors on Campus Raise Security Concerns By / NYT — Permalink MADISON, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin's nuclear reactor is an unassuming little model, operated (on Tuesdays and Thursdays only) by students in T-shirts and shorts. | |
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Sir George: Papers Address National Security, Give It Away — The Seattle Times finally ran an important article on national security, originally from the New York Times. Ann Althouse: Don't I ever leave Madison (where I see, from the front page of the NYT, I live next to a nuclear reactor, which I never knew before)? |
Gary Farber: PENNY-WISE. Gosh, want some weapons-grade uranium? I know where to get some! Cori Dauber: The Times this morning has an important article about American university campuses whose research reactors are still using weapons grade uranium. |
GOP Grapples Over 'Big Tent' By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Bush and his political lieutenants want the Republican National Convention in New York this month to exude the same sense of unity that characterized the Democratic love fest in Boston. | |
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Howard Kurtz: There may be some unscripted moments at the GOP convention, says the Los Angeles Times: "President Bush and his... DemFromCT: GOP 'Big Tent' An Illusion — Republicans who back gay rights and abortion rights want to be heard at the convention |
Steve Gilliard: Not big enough for pro-choice or gay Republicans GOP Grapples Over 'Big Tent' * Republicans who back gay rights and abortion rights want to be heard at the convention. Oliver Willis: GOP Grapples Over 'Big Tent' [snipped quote] The idea of the GOP finally coming to terms with its exclusionary nature is... |
Scandal involving sex, cash and a business leader rocks Montana town By / WaPo — Permalink KALISPELL, Mont. — Until he was arrested this year in his underwear in a motel room with a nearly naked young woman who was behind in her payments to his finance company, no businessman in this town was more respected than Richard Dasen. | |
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Nielsen Hayden: And from the Seattle Times, an miniature Coen Brothers movie. (Via Roger (Not That One) Ailes.) SLZoll: The $5 Million Dollar Man Here's one for Roger Ailes' "Grand Old Police Blotter" — the Richard "Dick" Dasen story:... |
Roger Ailes: Mr. Dasen's story has now gone nationwide: "KALISPELL, Mont. — Until he was arrested this year in his underwear in a... |
An Affair To Regret Newsweek — Permalink Aug. 23 issue - New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey had stayed a step ahead of the rumors for years. In down-and-dirty New Jersey politics, Republican opponents had tried to hint at his double life, sometimes none too subtly. | |
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Susanna Cornett: McGreevey: The Newsweek version — Newsweek gives McGreevey the once-over in this lenghy piece. Mike Hendrix: Sleight of hand — And re: the McGreevey "I have sinned against you" story, I couldn't help but wonder as I listened to... |
Karol Sheinin: Neither does this one in the Washington Post or this one in Newsweek that notes: 'The end of the affair remains murky. |
Kerry's Cambodian links questioned By / Knight Ridder — Permalink KANSAS CITY, Mo. - (KRT) - John Kerry's "reporting for duty" salute at the Democratic National Convention last month emphasized the key biographical boast of his campaign - decorated combat service in Vietnam. | |
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Betsy Newmark: The Knight Ridder story that was in the Kansas City paper is now in the Contra Costa Times. |
Greg Ransom: THE KERRY CAMPAIGN released a statement Friday (surprised at the timing?) on John Kerry's combat operations in Cambodia. |
A Fighter For Free Trade By / WaPo — Permalink On Bob Zoellick's office wall hangs a portrait of George McClellan, the Union general who was Napoleonic in self-regard but not in martial spirit and who is remembered primarily for his reluctance to fight. "I asked for a good portrait of a Civil War general," says Zoellick. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Bush is doing a great job fighting terrorism if you don't mind seeing a city incinerated by nuclear attack. George Will. |
Betsy Newmark: George Will pays tribute to Bob Zoellick. [snipped quote] These gratuitous insults of hard-serving public servants simply because they're of the opposite party are rather stinky. |
'I heard the terrifying click of the trigger in my first mock execution' By / Telegraph — Permalink I was blindfolded by a sheet soaked in my own blood and could see nothing. "Who are you? What are you?" the Arabic voices snarled in broken English. "Are you CIA? Are you an Israeli spy?" The voices, many of them, seemed to boom from all around the room. | |
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Wretchard: James Brandon — The first person account of the Daily Telegraph reporter who was abducted, then released by... Patrick Belton: REFLECTIONS OF AN ABDUCTED JOURNALIST: James Brandon, the British journalist kidnapped in Basra last week and... |
Jeralyn Merritt: He tells his story in today's Telegraph. [link via Oxblog] Jeff Jarvis: Facing terror : The British journalist kidnapped by Iraqi thugs and then released tells his amazing story in Sunday's Telegraph. |
Jobs? Oil? Iraq? On Second Thought, Let's Talk Taxes By / NYT — Permalink THE economy is slowing, prices are rising and the lift that came from last year's tax cuts has faded into memory. What is the White House to do? With the Republican National Convention just two weeks away, top advisers to President Bush are looking for a few big ideas to add some sizzle to the economic platform. | |
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Orrin Judd: NOT MARKING TIME: Jobs? Oil? Iraq? On Second Thought, Let's Talk Taxes: President Bush's advisers say the president wants to make tax reform a cornerstone of his second term. |
Susan Madrak: OUT OF TOUCH — Like his father, Bush is way out of touch with ordinary people or he wouldn't keep suggesting things... |
About That Iraq Vote NYT — Permalink Senator John Kerry's Iraq vote is going to haunt him throughout the presidential campaign, no matter how he explains it. That does not keep us from wishing that Mr. Kerry would do a better job with the issue. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Even the New York Times is not happy with their boy's explanation of his vote on the War. Matthew Yglesias: Hack Gap II — This editorial from The New York Times is exactly what I'm talking about. It's brutal and, I think, rather fairly so about John Kerry. |
James Joyner: Their lead editorial, "About That Iraq Vote,"[RSS] is less than kind. |
Younger Voters Rapidly Deserting Bush WaPo — Permalink Mounting concerns over the war and the sluggish economy have sent President Bush's popularity plummeting among young adults in the past four months, complicating his bid for reelection and challenging Republicans to increase their efforts to win over new or lightly committed young voters. | |
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James Joyner: Meanwhile, WaPo blares "Younger Voters Rapidly Deserting Bush." Oliver Willis: Younger Voters Rapidly Deserting Bush [snipped quote] Amen, Tyler. One of the traits often bandied about as admirable for Bush is that he sticks to things. |
Steve Soto: Lastly, the Post's poll directors run a piece today confirming what we have noted here already from other polls: Bush has lost the youth vote this year to Kerry. |