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Cheney changed his view on Iraq By / Seattle Post-Intelligencer — Permalink WASHINGTON — In an assessment that differs sharply with his view today, Dick Cheney more than a decade ago defended the decision to leave Saddam Hussein in power after the first Gulf War, telling a Seattle audience that capturing Saddam wouldn't be worth... | |
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Mathew Gross: Cheney: "The Quagmire Inside Iraq" — Politus notes that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's report of Dick Cheney saying... Joe Gandelman: Hey, He Almost Convinced Me (I Support The War) Hey, this guy makes me almost RECONSIDER my strong support for the war in Iraq. Kos: Cheney's Iraq Flip Flop — Cheney doesn't support toppling Saddam. Then he does. Where does he stand on the issue? |
Orrin Judd: YOU'D THINK THE SECOND WAR WOULD HAVE GIVEN THEM A HINT: Cheney changed his view on Iraq: He said in '92 Saddam not... Steve Soto: Dick Cheney, Flip-Flopper — Dick Cheney, 1992: "I would guess if we had gone in there, I would still have forces in Baghdad today. Hesiod: FLIP FLOP CHENEY: This sounds familiar. [snipped quote] I say, that sounds familiar, because I made the exact same poiint a couple weeks ago. |
| Also: Richard TPD, Susan Q. Stranahan, Andrew Sullivan, Taegan Goddard, Oliver @LiquidList | |
How to Debate George Bush By / NYT — Permalink This year, as usual, the dominance of attack advertisements on television has made it hard to get a clear picture of where the candidates stand. But the same media revolution that brought us the 30-second commercial also brought us televised presidential... | |
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Dale Franks: Evidently, the New York Times thinks it's Al Gore, who gets space to give a little advice. [snipped quote] Well, Mr. Gore would know, I guess. Tim Blair: HOW TO ... Today's New York Times runs a piece entitled "How to Debate George Bush" ... written by Al Gore. Tom Maguire: Too Perfect A Moment — Al Gore has a column in today's NY Times titled "How To Debate George Bush", and I just can't bring myself to spoil the moment by reading it. |
Michelle Malkin: David Limbaugh dissects Kerry's unlikeability and examines Al Gore's advice column. Rich Lowry: Here is Al Gore on an opening for Kerry: [snipped quote] What connection, given that jobs were being lost before Bush took office, let alone before his tax cuts took effect? Hugh Hewitt: Al Gore has an op-ed in the New York Times titled "How to Debate George Bush." Really. |
| Also: Jesse Taylor, Taegan Goddard, Orrin Judd, Jonah Goldberg, KJL, John J. Miller, Joe Gandelman, Eszter Hargittai, Daniel Drezner, Lorie Byrd | |
TIMESMAN TIPPED OFF TERROR CHARITY: FEDS By / New York Post — Permalink The Justice Department has charged that a veteran New York Times foreign correspondent warned an alleged terror-funding Islamic charity that the FBI was about to raid its office — potentially endangering the lives of federal agents. | |
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Ace: Charge: New York Times Reporter Tipped Off Islamic "Charity" Just Before FBI Raid — Not anti-war, just on the other side? Andrew Sullivan: THE PRESS AS ENABLERS: Did NYT reporters tip off an Islamic "charity"? This story makes Mary Mapes seem positively above board. Charles Johnson: Feds: Times Reporters Tipped Off Terror Charity — The Justice Department is accusing two New York Times reporters of... |
Jeralyn Merritt: The Department of Justice is charging that a New York Times reporter, Philip Shenon, warned a Islamic charity group... James Joyner: Times Reporter Accused of Tipping Off Terrorists — TIMESMAN TIPPED OFF TERROR CHARITY: FEDS (New York Post) [snipped quote] One would hope this is some sort of misunderstanding. Orrin Judd: IN THE SPIRIT OF DURANTY AND MATTHEWS: TIMESMAN TIPPED OFF TERROR CHARITY: FEDS (CARL CAMPANILE, September 29, 2004, NY... |
| Also: Betsy Newmark | |
Another View: Why I will vote for John Kerry for President By / Union Leader — Permalink THE Presidential election to be held this coming Nov. 2 will be one of extraordinary importance to the future of our nation. The outcome will determine whether this country will continue on the same path it has followed for the last 3 years or whether it will... | |
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Orrin Judd: HIS DAD WOULD HAVE TOO: Why I will vote for John Kerry for President (JOHN EISENHOWER, 9/29/04, Manchester Union Leader)... Atrios: Ambassador John Eisenhower, Republican, Endorses Kerry — Here. Richard TPD: Ike's son endorses John Kerry — And he does it very eloquently. [snipped quote] Read it all — it's great. |
Kevin Hayden: Ike's Kid says 'Yikes! ' Lifetime Republican diplomat and son of the former President, flees party, now backs Kerry. Jeralyn Merritt: Surprising Endorsements Bush Didn't Get — Two new endorsements for John Kerry: one from The Lone Star Iconoclast,... Hesiod: I LIKE IKE: And Ike's son is voting for John Kerry. So far, George W. Bush is 0-2 in the Natural Son of a former Republican Presidential Icon category. |
| Also: Susan Madrak | |
Kerry Calls Vote Change 'Inarticulate' AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - On the eve of a foreign policy debate with President Bush , Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said in an interview that his explanation of why he voted in favor of additional funding for the war in Iraq before voting against it was "one of those inarticulate moments" in the campaign. | |
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Susanna Dilliplane: It has its own copy of the AP story on its website, but it one-ups the headline on Yahoo News by adding the sub-headline... H.D. Miller: Kerry, September 29th. [quote] "We should not have gone into Iraq knowing today what we know," Kerry told ABC.[end quote] Allah: "Knowing there was no imminent threat to America, knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction, knowing there was... |
Taegan Goddard: Kerry Calls Vote Change "Inarticulate" — Hoping to set the record straight before the tomorrow's debate, Sen. John... Steve Soto: Kerry told ABC this morning that his explanation of why he supported more funds for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan... Charles Johnson: Kerry Meltdown Watch — John F. Kerry is still trying to explain away his astonishing one-sentence flip-flop, and each... |
The Issues: Reviving The Draft CBS News — Permalink (CBS) CBS News continues an election-year series titled "What Does It Mean To You?" focused on where the presidential candidates stand on major issues and how a vote for one or the other candidate might affect average people's lives. | |
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William J. Dyer: Do I, therefore, identify with the subject of this CBS News article (which parallels one of their broadcasts this week)? Clayton Cramer: CBS Continues With Its Dishonesty — This article about parents terrified about their children being drafted: ... Charles Johnson: CBS News Caught Again — Here's the transcript of last night's CBS Evening News fear-mongering report about reinstating... |
McQ: Billed by CBS as "a report that looks at what President Bush and Sen. John Kerry say about the possibilities of... Kos: The SCLM is starting to wake up to how the Draft resonates as an issue. Bird Dog: Dan Rather, already disgraced from the Rather/CBS Document Forgery Scandal, is now perpetuating a lie for the benefit of... |
Gallup defends results against MoveOn.org attack By / USA Today — Permalink This year's USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup polling on the presidential race is coming under attack from liberal critics who say Gallup's methods produce results that are biased in favor of President Bush. | |
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Steve Soto: The USA Today did run a small piece today that gave short shrift to the issue, while giving Gallup plenty of space to make its case. Jesse Taylor: Gallup attempts to defend their poll results in USA Today (might it not help if the only two groups covering the... Betsy Newmark: Gallup is defending their practice of not adjusting their sample to reflect partisan identification from the last election. |
Taegan Goddard: Gallup partner USA Today also defends the poll. Will bloggers take down yet another established media/political organization? Jonah Goldberg: MOVEON.ORG IS SAD — The polls are being mean by showing their work is ineffective. Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: Gallup has now strongly defended its work and its techniques, and has gotten a solid vote of confidence from USA Today. |
| Also: Kos | |
Where Did All the Jobs Go? Nowhere By / NYT — Permalink Chicago — John Kerry is making the outsourcing of jobs by American companies a centerpiece of his campaign, telling audiences that "because of George Bush's wrong choices, this country is continuing to ship good jobs overseas." | |
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James Joyner: Drezner in NYT — Dan Drezner has published an op-ed in today's NYT entitled, "Where Did All the Jobs Go? Nowhere." Julian Sanchez: The Phantom Menace — Profblogger Dan Drezner scores a spot on the New York Times op-ed page today with a nice concise piece deflating the outsourcing panic. Matthew Yglesias: It's Fine — Drezner expresses disatisfaction with having been given the headline "Where Did All the Jobs Go? |
Glenn Reynolds: WHERE DID ALL THE JOBS GO? NOWHERE. Daniel Drezner writes about outsourcing in today's New York Times. Pejman Yousefzadeh: BRINGING SANITY TO THE GRAY LADY — In an ideal world, Dan Drezner would have Paul Krugman's slot as a bi-weekly commentator for the New York Times. Orrin Judd: MORE: Where Did All the Jobs Go? Nowhere: In spite of the hoopla over outsourcing, it is not the great crisis that many believe it is. |
| Also: Joe Gandelman, Daniel Drezner, Stephen Green | |
Some Swing States Appear to Be Swinging to President By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 -Days before the presidential debates begin, President Bush appears to be gaining in several swing states he lost in 2000. Experts caution that the race is highly fluid, but Mr. Bush, for now at least, is surging ahead in several crucial states. | |
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Steve M.: Throw in the many recent stories about Bush gains in the polls and swing-voter wariness about Kerry — and add in Bush's... James Joyner: Swing States Appear to Be Swinging to President Bush — Some Swing States Appear to Be Swinging to President (NYT) [snipped quote] Interesting. Taegan Goddard: Meanwhile, an analysis of state polls by the New York Times shows that "the race in the last six days has been most... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: UPDATE: There is also this story (RSS feed not yet available): [snipped quote] ANOTHER UPDATE: And here we have it—more talk about "the closer." Orrin Judd: CIRCLE THE WAGONS AROUND HARVARD YARD: Some Swing States Appear to Be Swinging to President (KATHARINE Q. SEELYE,... Jonah Goldberg: IF PEOPLE IN MANHATTAN... seem unusually grumpy today, it might be because of this lede from The Times: "ASHINGTON,... |
Nick Coleman: Blogged down in Web fantasy Minneapolis Star Tribune — Permalink This just in: I am a very wealthy man, born into privilege and power, and a stooge of the Democratic Party. Oh. That reminds me, Smithers: Bring me the heads of some Republicans, would you? Also, set out the good silver. Fritz is coming over to give me my marching orders. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: Coleman goes on a rant about bloggers today, which includes these priceless graphs: "Do bloggers have the credentials of real journalists? ArchPundit: Talk About Needing an Editor — Via Austin Mayor Nick Coleman apparently had someone write nasty things to/about him so:... Captain Ed: It was just a matter of time before the third-rate hacks took up the same mission, and as Nick Coleman shows us in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, that time is now. |
McQ: Nick Coleman: Immune to Irony ... and reason — Well the petite pundits are now weighing in on the blogosphere and they are not amused. Mitch Berg: Perhaps you've heard - Nick uncorked on bloggers in the Strib today. It showcases what a dinosaur Nick Coleman has become. Jay Rosen: Credentials, please... Columnist Nick Coleman of the Star-Tribune decides to be as insulting as possible: "I have been... |
Lynne Cheney Jokes About Kerry's Tan AP — Permalink DULUTH, Minn. - Something about Sen. John Kerry 's darker appearance has caught Lynne Cheney's eye. During a campaign stop with her husband, a group of volunteers moved into the crowd with microphones for the question-and-answer period. | |
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Orrin Judd: IT'S NOT JUST HIS OWN WIFE EMASCULATING HIM: Lynne Cheney Jokes About Kerry's Tan (AP, Sep 29, 2004) "Something about... Allah: Allah leaves you with a non-sequitur link to this AP story about Lynne Cheney goofing on John Kerry's tan. |
Betsy Newmark: Bless the Cheneys. Mrs. Cheney made a joke about Kerry's tan. Oh, they're so vicious. I love it. |
Ballot provision may disenfranchise voters Denver Post — Permalink Colorado's secretary of state has drafted a rule that would allow only presidential votes to count on some provisional ballots. The courts should throw out the rule. A citizen's ability to vote is one of the most cherished rights in our democracy, but some Coloradans could see that right limited by a rule from the secretary of state's office. | |
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Susan Madrak: COINKY DINK — If I were a suspicious person, I'd wonder why there's a developing pattern of Republican secretaries of state reinterpreting the election rules in a retroactive way. Nick Confessore: UPDATE: Alas, it appears that Colorado's Republican secretary of state, Donetta Davidson, is taking her own steps to help her party's candidates. |
Drew: Stealing the Senate in Colorado (From the diaries — kos) From Colorado Luis: Another Republican Secretary of State is stealing votes from Democratic candidates. |
Axe Man Runs Amok on Norway Plane, Injures Pilots Reuters — Permalink OSLO (Reuters) - A man attacked two pilots and a passenger with an axe on a domestic Norwegian flight on Wednesday, police said. The pilots, who witnesses said were covered in blood, managed to land the 18-seat Kato Air flight with seven passengers on board on its way from Narvik to Bodoe in northern Norway. | |
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Acidman: axe control — We've got a real problem here and government needs to take swift action to... I dunno... SAVE THE... Jan Haugland: Man with axe tried to crash passenger plane — Plane at Bodø airport, NorwayA 34 year old Algerian asylum seeker... |
Jonathan Gewirtz: Just Another Random Crime by Arab Muslims? Reuters is on the case. The key sentence: "The attacker said he was Algerian, police said." H.D. Miller: And now, via Drudge, comes this bit of cringe worthy news. "A man attacked two pilots and a passenger with an axe on a domestic Norwegian flight on Wednesday, police said. |
House Passes Repeal of D.C. Gun Bans By / WaPo — Permalink The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to repeal virtually all of the District's gun laws, urged by gun rights groups to deliver a victory before the November election over the vehement objections of Washington leaders who denounced what they called a historic violation of home rule. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: Here's a rich quote from the Washington Post account: "Bill sponsor Rep. Mark Edward Souder (R-Ind.) called the vote a... Barbara O'Brien: A U.S. Congressman from Indiana, Mark Souder, is pushing a bill to end gun controls in Washington, D.C. Harold Meyerson... |
Kriston @BeggingToDiffer: UPDATE: The DC gun ban repeal passed the House. Set a course for the Senate. |
Sentenced to Be Raped By / NYT — Permalink MEERWALA, Pakistan — I'm still trying to help out President Bush by tracking down Osama bin Laden. After poking through remote parts of Pakistan, asking for a tall Arab with a beard, I can't say I've earned that $25 million reward. | |
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H.D. Miller: Follow-Up — Nick Kristof in today's New York Times does follow-up on an awful story that was the subject of much discussion two years ago by various blogs, including this one. Stefan Beck: PostedNicholas Kristof has an op-ed in today's Times about "the plight of women in developing countries," which he argues "isn't addressed much in the West." Kevin Hayden: The Most Powerful Story This Week — Kristof found a bigtime hero but his conclusion is wrong. |
Julia @AmStreet: Mrs. Bush would love to help but she's somewhere explaining why W stands for women — Well, we certainly did do a fine job of bombing Afghanistan out of the stone age. Laura Rozen: What is wrong with this culture? |
Italy 'paid $1m to free hostages' BBC — Permalink A senior Italian politician says he believes a ransom of $1m or more was paid for the release of two female Italian aid workers kidnapped in Iraq. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said no money had been paid but MP Gustavo Selva described the denial as purely "official". | |
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Captain Ed: That's why the news that they paid a million-dollar ransom to Islamofascists for the release of two hostages disappoints... James Joyner: Italy 'paid $1m to free hostages' (BBC) "A senior Italian politician says he believes a ransom of $1m or more was paid... |
Joe Gandelman: The details of this latest cave-in to terrorists (who are now emboldened to keep seizing and beheading) via the BBC: "A... Jan Haugland: Update: Italy actually paid a $1M ransom, money that will be fueled into more kidnappings and crime, if not terrorism. |
Catastrophic Success By / Slate — Permalink In 1999, George W. Bush said we needed to cut taxes because the economy was doing so well that the U.S. Treasury was taking in too much money, and we could afford to give some back to the people who earned it. | |
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Richard TPD: The key point of William Saletan's brilliant little article is simple: Whatever happens on shrub's watch, no matter how terrible, it is proof that his policies are working. Matthew Yglesias: Over at Slate, Will Saletan takes a nice look into the Bush mirror universe: [snipped quote] The really crazy thing,... |
Edward _: William Saletan explains that President Bush frequently justifies his decisions on unfalsifiable hypotheses. Eugene Oregon: I'm Always Right — William Saletan takes on Bush's inability to let reality stand in the way of his policies ... |
The Politics of Fear WaPo — Permalink With voters expressing anxiety about Iraq, nuclear attacks and the threat of terrorism in the first presidential election since Sept. 11, 2001, John F. Kerry and his supporters are adopting President Bush's strategy of playing on the public's security fears and sometimes using incendiary charges to stoke them. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: It's interesting, therefore, to find that those in glass houses are throwing all the stones they can get their hands on:... Hugh Hewitt: Kerry wants to try and talk tough on terrorism while slamming the Iraq battles that kill terrorists, which would be hard... Betsy Newmark: Howard Kurtz looks at how Kerry's campaign and surrogates are all now pushing the message that Bush has made the country more unsafe and vulnerable to terrorism. |
Noam Scheiber: I agree with Howard Kurtz and Jim VandeHei that Kerry is stepping up his appeals to pessimism. Taegan Goddard: The Fear Factor — In a "dramatic strategic shift" that his advisers called "high-risk," Sen. John Kerry and his... |
The Iowa Electronic Markets are still going for Bush By / Salon — Permalink As I've written, I'm supporting Kerry for the White House, but on the Iowa Electronic Markets, I've been betting on Bush. This is not meant as a slight against Kerry — it's just that I have doubts about his ability as a campaigner, and more important, I think... | |
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Jesse Walker: Salon's Farhad Manjoo has an interesting analysis of why that might be so. Glenn Reynolds: And Salon's Farhad Manjoo — who's been betting on Bush in the Iowa Electronic Markets — now thinks that Bush is overvalued there. |
Jane Galt: Buy Kerry, sell Bush? Farhad Manjoo is arguing that Bush is overvalued on the Iowa Electronic Markets. |
Growing Pessimism on Iraq WaPo — Permalink A growing number of career professionals within national security agencies believe that the situation in Iraq is much worse, and the path to success much more tenuous, than is being expressed in public by top Bush administration officials, according to former... | |
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Richard TPD: UPDATE: In the name of fairness, I feel I need to balance this grim outlook with a breaking story in today's WaPo. Matthew Yglesias: This doubtless won't come as big news to Tapped readers, but today's Washington Post gets into the game of pointing out... Juan Cole: Many in the CIA have concluded that "There's no obvious way to fix it. |
Kevin Hayden: Talking with many folks offline in many states, it's pretty apparent that Bush is not popular and his war is a disaster. The Farmer: Bu$hCo's fabulous foray... Today's WaPo: [snipped quote] Quickly Codpieced Crusader, into the soundproof bubble! Steve Soto: A Page One in Wednesday's Washington Post reveals how much dissension there is within the administration over the... |
| Also: Kevin Drum | |
Jackson Joins Kerry Campaign As Adviser AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson joined the campaign of Sen. John Kerry on Wednesday as a poll showed support for the presidential candidate slipping among black Americans, a critical Democratic constituency. | |
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Clayton Cramer: Now I see the final admission that Kerry is desperate, and thinks he's going to lose: [snipped quote] Why is Jesse Jackson described as "civil rights activist"? Jonah Goldberg: THEY MUST BE PANICKING AT BUSH HQ — Jesse Jackson has signed up as an advisor to Kerry. And not a moment too soon. |
Orrin Judd: AN ADVISOR TOO FAR? (via Tom Morin): Jackson Joins Kerry Campaign As Adviser (AP, Sep 29, 2004) [snipped quote] Demonstrates a lack of respect for Hymietown, no? |
With Bush Advancing, Missouri May Be a Battleground All but Conquered By / NYT — Permalink ST. LOUIS, Sept. 29 - Is Missouri a swing state that has already swung? So it seems to many people here on the eve of the first presidential debate. John Kerry has not visited the state in nearly three weeks and may not be back, local Democrats say, until the second debate, scheduled for Oct. 8 at Washington University in St. Louis. | |
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Captain Ed: So bad that even R. W. Apple notices that Kerry has made himself scarce in Missouri, a state previously considered ripe... |
Orrin Judd: MORE: With Bush Advancing, Missouri May Be a Battleground All but Conquered (R. W. APPLE Jr., Sept. 29, 2004, NY Times) "Is Missouri a swing state that has already swung? |
In the Northwest: Bush-Cheney flip-flops cost America in blood By / Seattle Post-Intelligencer — Permalink As George W. Bush has lately shown, the tactic of successfully defining your opponent is to political conflict what occupying the high ground is to waging war. The Bush-Cheney campaign has gleefully labeled John Kerry a flip-flopper. But what of Bush-Cheney flip-flops? | |
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Susan Q. Stranahan: A transcript of the Cheney speech was first tracked down by Post-Intelligencer columnist Joel Connelly, who cited it as... Venkat @BeggingToDiffer: In Connelly's column today, he offers some quotes (the actual transcript does not seem to be available on the PI... |
Taegan Goddard: "In an assessment that differs sharply with his view today, Dick Cheney more than a decade ago defended the decision to... |
Bush's lead stronger, poll says By / JSOnline — Permalink Evidence that President Bush has moved into a notable lead over Sen. John Kerry in the important Wisconsin presidential contest increased Wednesday with the release of a fresh poll. | |
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Orrin Judd: Bush's lead stronger, poll says: Kerry behind by 10 points in state, according to Harris (ALAN J. BORSUK, Sep. 29,... |
Taegan Goddard: Here are the latest state polls: New Jersey: Kerry 49, Bush 46 (Rasmussen) California: Kerry 53, Bush 40 (Rasmussen) ... |
President's rationale for the invasion continues to evolve San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Washington — President Bush portrays his position on Iraq as steady and unwavering as he represents Sen. John Kerry's stance as ambiguous and vacillating. "Mixed signals are the wrong signals,'' Bush said last week during a campaign stop in Bangor, Maine. " | |
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Orrin Judd: Record shows Bush shifting on Iraq war: President's rationale for the invasion continues to evolve (Marc Sandalow,... Jon Henke: Writing "George Bush, Flip-Flopping Liar", Oliver excerpts this SFGate story... [snipped quote] Oliver chooses to ignore... |
Steve Soto: Bush Hasn't Exactly Been As Consistent On Iraq As He Claims — As he prepares for his "foreign policy" debate with... Oliver Willis: Record shows Bush shifting on Iraq war [snipped quote] Going Upriver - The Long War of John Kerry (related) |
Security blimp tested in Washington skies AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — Here's a head-turner for a security-nervous city: A large white object was spotted in the skies above the nation's capital in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday. Pentagon police said the Defense Department is testing a security blimp — fully equipped with surveillance cameras. | |
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Laura Rozen: I saw this hovering over DC today, seemingly above the Naval observatory where Dick and Lynn Cheney sometimes stay. |
Julian Sanchez: Of course, these days, sometimes the paranoid instinct is the right one. |
Grover Norquist en Espaol, Part 2 Slate — Permalink Buenos das, clase. La semana pasada nos preguntamos si Grover Norquist haba insultado o no a la "Generacin Magnfica" al llamarla "anti-americana." Good morning, class. Last week we asked whether Grover Norquist insulted the "Greatest Generation" by calling it "anti-American." | |
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Kevin Drum: NORQUIST THE SCHMUCK...Conservative über-geek Grover Norquist talks about the generation of Americans who enacted... |
Ogged @Unfogged: The Norquist Tapes — Tim Noah finally gets to the bottom of just what Grover Norquist said about "the greatest generation." |
Norwegian pilots land plane after axe attack by passenger AFP — Permalink OSLO (AFP) - A seemingly unstable passenger attacked two pilots aboard a Norwegian passenger plane with an axe but the aircraft was later able to land, amid concerns over lax security on the country's local flights and at regional airports. | |
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Orrin Judd: Norwegian pilots land plane after axe attack by passenger (AFP, 9/29/04) [snipped quote] Free societies will justifiablt... Jonah Goldberg: CRIMINEY — An Algerian with an axe tries to take over a plane and the story reads like the guy was demanding an extra olive in his martini. |
Cori Dauber: Warning about flying into or out of Lagos? Because of lax security? Me, I'm wondering what's up with Norway's security. |
Bush's Top Ten Flip-Flops CBS News — Permalink (CBS) The charge of "flip-flopping" has resounded throughout the presidential race, with the Bush campaign repeatedly accusing Sen. John Kerry of changing his mind on the issues. The Kerry campaign, in turn, has declared that Mr. Bush is the one doing the flip-flopping. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: Put some subpoenas out now, Congressman Barton, so the files don't get cleansed. Check out this "balanced" CBS story. |
Kos: CBS News has Bush's top 10 flip flops. In any case, all this calling Bush or Cheney a flip-flopper, which they undoubtedly are, is a lost cause. |
JOHN A 'BRONZE' STAR New York Post — Permalink John Kerry has suddenly become the man with a tan that even George Hamilton would envy — leading to accusations that something is shady just before the big presidential debate. How the Democratic presidential candidate got his striking new orange glow depends on whom you ask. | |
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Tim Blair: Consider the reaction of sunless-tanning experts to John Kerry's searing new suntan: "He looks pretty orange to me. Betsy Newmark: Bless the New York Post. They won't ignore a fun story. They consult experts to try to figure out how and why John Kerry turned orange. |
Howard Kurtz: A new Kerry "scandal" has emerged in the New York Post on the eve of the debate: "John Kerry has suddenly become the... |
In ACLU Case, Federal Court Strikes Down Patriot Act Surveillance Power As Unconstitutional ACLU — Permalink NEW YORK - Saying that "democracy abhors undue secrecy," a federal court today struck down an entire Patriot Act provision that gives the government unchecked authority to issue "National Security Letters" to obtain sensitive customer records from Internet Service Providers and other businesses without judicial oversight. | |
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Venkat @BeggingToDiffer: (ACLU press release here.) Access the decision here (extremely long and slow download). |
Jeralyn Merritt: [snipped quote] [hat tip to TL reader Mike S. ] Update: the ACLU's statement on the decision is here. |
Voters Chew Over Dissected Debates By / WaPo — Permalink When John Kerry and George W. Bush step off a University of Miami stage at 10:30 tomorrow night, the battle will just be getting underway. Just ask Chris Lehane, who was Al Gore's spokesman when quickie polls showed his man winning the first debate against Bush by as much as 14 points. | |
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Kevin Drum: Other interesting debate commentary comes from Paul Krugman and Howard Kurtz, who make the same point in slightly... Jay Rosen: This week the press will be telling us a lot about the post-debate spin war and what a key factor that is on Thursday night in Miami— and over the weekend. |
Nick Confessore: For an alternative view, read this Washington Post story, in which a half-dozen or so journalists and political... |
Laser injures Delta pilot's eye By / Washington Times — Permalink A pilot flying a Delta Air Lines jet was injured by a laser that illuminated the cockpit of the aircraft as it approached Salt Lake City International Airport last week, U.S. officials said. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: (Source)Curious. It reminds me of the scene in Tom Clancy's novel Debt of Honor in which Clark and Chavez use a weapon... Captain Ed: Michelle Malkin points her readers to this odd Washington Times story about a pilot whose retina was burned by in-flight... |
Christopher Kanis: LASER INJURES PILOT'S EYE — Bizarre story from The Washington Times about an incident in which a laser beam shone into... Michelle Malkin: The Navy officer spoke about the incident here. Gertz wrote about it here. Update II: Here's his new story. As I said: Weird. |
Mr. Perfect for President By / Townhall.com — Permalink TV cameras are brutally unforgiving — especially during high-stakes election debates. They amplified the angst on Richard Nixon's brow, the inexperience in Dan Quayle's eyes, and the vulgarity of Al Gore's visage. | |
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Michelle Malkin: MR. PERFECT FOR PRESIDENT — My pre-debate column is here. Snippet: [snipped quote] For other perspectives before tomorrow's big event, see Keith Burgess-Jackson on style/substance. Betsy Newmark: Michelle Malkin explains the real reason why Kerry's poll numbers are falling. People just don't like him. |
SLZoll: A victory for character! 2. Michelle Malkin Bush is a moron, and so he is going to lose the debates with Kerry. |
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT By / New Yorker — Permalink At no time during these debates shall either candidate move from their designated area behind their respective podiums. —From the agreement worked out for the Presidential debates. Paragraph Two: Dress. | |
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Moe Lane: Debate Rules... Like Pejmanesque, I heartily approve of these debate rules, although speaking solely in terms of aesthetics I prefer Rule 42 to Rule 98. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE RULES OF THE DEBATE — Found here. I heartily approve of the rule in paragraph 98. |
Voter registration drive comes under scrutiny By / JSOnline — Permalink Racine - A group that says it has registered 30,000 voters in southeastern Wisconsin could face a criminal investigation because of voter registration applications that may have been filed fraudulently. | |
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Bill Hobbs: Voter Fraud in Wisconsin Has Ties to Democratic Party — The Milwakuee Journal-Sentinel reports today on a probe into... |
Michelle Malkin: Update: Add Wisconsin to the list of states with voter fraud problems: "A group that says it has registered 30,000... |
A Fast Finisher's Reputation Now Faces the Ultimate Test By / NYT — Permalink In 1996, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts was struggling to keep his job in the face of a stiff challenge by his state's popular, aw-shucks Republican governor, William F. Weld, when midway through a series of televised debates, he began a confession that suddenly became a boast. | |
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Tom Maguire: Kerry The Closer — The NY Times runs a "keep hope alive" piece dissecting John Kerry's record as a strong finisher. Orrin Judd: THERE'S NO BUBBA TO CARRY HIM HOME THIS TIME: A Fast Finisher's Reputation Now Faces the Ultimate Test (TODD S. PURDUM,... |
Taegan Goddard: There is much in Sen. John Kerry's "past to suggest that he believes elections are won in the endgame, that he holds... |
Candidates Continue Debate Preparation; Reaching Out to Showdown State Voters CNN — Permalink THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. ANNOUNCER: The presidential debaters of 2004, will all their training today pay off on Thursday night? KAREN HUGHES, BUSH-CHENEY CAMPAIGN ADVISER: I believe at the end of Thursday night, we'll have a full debate of the issues. | |
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Erasmus @Centerfield: Howard Kurtz, appearing on CNN with Judy Woodruff, reminds us that public perceptions depend on what the [friggin... Chris Bowers: It even prompted Frank Newport, Editor in Chief of Gallup, to make a public defense of the poll on CNN: Click "Extended... |
Taegan Goddard: Gallup Defends Poll — Gallup's chief pollster defended their presidential poll last night on CNN's Inside Politics... |
Kerry Is Widely Favored Abroad By / WaPo — Permalink PARIS, Sept. 28 — From Canada to Mexico, from London and Paris to Jakarta and Beijing, President Bush is widely unpopular as a candidate for reelection, according to surveys and interviews conducted in 20 countries. | |
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Tim Blair: The director of the French Center on the United States — who knew? — also senses Bush badness: [quote] "If foreigners could...[end quote] John J. Miller: That's the point of this story in today's Washington Post, which cites opinion polls from Canada and Russia as well as... |
Robert Garcia Tagorda: A Part of the World That Respects Bush — This Washington Post article has another notable dimension. Lorie Byrd: Kerry Leads By Wide Margin - Outside U.S. Here is another one of those stories about how Kerry is favored by a majority of those outside of America. |
Anti-Bush Billionaire to Give More By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 - George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist who has given $18 million to Democratic advocacy groups to defeat President Bush, is preparing to spend millions more because he fears that Senator John Kerry might lose. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: George Soros, the shadowy currency trader who hates George W. Bush is complying with McCain-Feingold and giving a few more million to the anti-Bush fever swamp. Jeralyn Merritt: The 24th richest person in the U.S., he has spent $18 million of his own money so far to see that Bush is defeated in November. |
Taegan Goddard: Soros Hits the Road — Billionaire George Soros, "who has given $18 million to Democratic advocacy groups to defeat"... |
Having it all in America By / Boston Globe — Permalink DURING A football commercial break, my TV turned into a kaleidoscope for a crazily spinning Hummer. During another timeout, a Cadillac spun around a dance floor, bullying several foreign luxury cars off to the side. | |
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Mathew Gross: Having It All in America — Derrick Z. Jackson: [snipped quote] Indeed. |
James Frederick Dwight: The nation's most reliably obtuse columnist writes today in the Boston Globe that America is a nation of selfish jerks. |
Not-So-Great Expectations: Media's spin favors Bush -- again Media Matters for America — Permalink In the run-up to this year's presidential debates, some in the media are once again playing the "expectations game" in favor of President George W. Bush against his Democratic opponent — the same thing that happened four years ago. | |
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Nick Confessore: Over at Media Matters there's a good roundup of the ways in which various pundits have preset the debate to one which John Kerry will have a very hard time "winning." Harley: The good folks over at Media Matters detail media history re the expectations game, and they don't look all that liberal in doing so. Skippy: setting the pie lower oliver willis alerts us to the latest media matters piece which points out that the screeching... |
Steve M.: Some in the press are returning to old truisms about Bush's struggles with public speaking, but that's not enough to... Digby: Swimming In The Tank — Media Matters has a run down on debate expectations and clearly, the media have high expectations of George W. Bush in this debate. |
Trying Really Hard To Like India Slate — Permalink Click here for today's slide show. I have a problem with backpackers. The problem is that wherever they are, I don't want to be. Partly, it's that I don't go somewhere like India so I can hang out with a bunch of 19-year-old German dudes (though I'm sure they're lovely people). | |
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Matthew Yglesias: By Some Doormats — Brad Delong calls an intellectual foul on those who would have us buy fewer coir doormats made with third world labor. Richard TPD: The answer is a resounding No. Brad DeLong has a wonderful post about why that line of thinking is irrational, self-defeating and bad for everybody. |
Joe Gandelman: The article is titlted "Trying Really Hard To Like India" and — guess what? — if you go there you don't have to try hard at all. DeLong: Seth Stevenson Urges Us to Be Worse Than Debbie—Much Worse Than Debbie — Seth Stevenson of Slate urges us to become... |
Bush Margin Widens Again, Despite Vulnerabilities Pew Research Center — Permalink George W. Bush has reopened a significant lead over challenger John Kerry over the past week, even as voters express less confidence in the president on Iraq and he continues to trail Kerry on the economy. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: MORE POLL-WATCHING — Pew finds that George W. Bush's lead has widened yet again—and the survey is of registered voters. Steve M.: Bush up by 8 in the new Pew poll — but Kerry up by 1 in the new Investor's Business Daily/Christian Science Monitor/TIPP poll. Allah: "Simple," monosyllabic — and up by eight points. Who to blame? Guardian columnist Linda Colley thinks she has it figured out: Dumb president, dumb public. |
Taegan Goddard: New Polls — President Bush "has reopened a significant lead" over Sen. John Kerry "over the past week, even as voters... Steve Soto: Pew Uses Same Pollster As Newsweek - Who Oversampled For GOP Earlier This Month — I've already read comments from some... Captain Ed: The internal data of the Pew poll shows more softness in Bush's support than other pollsters have found, but the news... |
| Also: Charles Johnson | |
MEMRI TV Project: Saudi IQRA TV Examines Public Attitudes toward Jews MEMRI — Permalink The following dispatch, recorded and translated by MEMRI's TV Monitor Project, are excerpts from a show on Saudi Arabia's IQRA TV Channel, which featured "man on the street" interviews about feelings about Jews. To view a segment from this show, visit http://memritv.org/Search.asp? | |
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Mike Hendrix: Dim sum — And another via Allah, which is absolutely sick-making for the incredible depths of ignorant hate plumbed therein: [snipped quote] Die. Allah: They are the filthiest people on the face of this earth because they care only about themselves - not the Christians, not the Muslims, nor any other religion. |
Joe Gandelman: Here are the thoughtful answers. (One good one would be "Not in flu season.") . It's great to see us closely allied with a country that shares our values. |
Sept. 11 Widow Joins Campaign By / WaPo — Permalink PITTSBURGH, Sept. 28 — Before Sept. 11, 2001, all Kristen Breitweiser wanted in the way of worldly responsibility was to tend to her garden and care for her infant daughter, Caroline. "After watching my husband get murdered on live worldwide television," she said, everything changed. | |
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Laura Rozen: The Ultimate Security Mom — Kristen Breitweiser, 9/11 widow, and an ex-Bush supporter, is stumping for Kerry:... |
Lorie Byrd: She Is Just Making It Official Now — This is news? |
TAG--YOU'RE OUT By / New York Press — Permalink TWO MONTHS AGO I received a telephone call from a reporter at the New York Daily News asking me if I knew of a certain Republican political strategist's imminent outing in a gay magazine. | |
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Hesiod: FRANK FUNK: Here's an interesting anecdote from Frank Luntz: [snipped quote] Hmmm..... Calling Michelangelo Signorile. |
Atrios: Outing Hypocrisy — Signorile has another good column abou the media's "outing" hypocrisy: TWO MONTHS AGO I received a... |
Billionaire George Soros intensifies his anti-Bush campaign AFP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AFP) - Billionaire financier George Soros announced that he was traveling to dozens of US cities and will be mailing two million brochures to voters, trying to convince them to vote against the re-election of President George W. Bush . | |
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Jim Treacher: Dear Mr. Soros: It is my understanding that you have a lot of money and you want to help the President be a different man this time. |
Charles Johnson: Soros Throws Away His Fortune — George Soros continues pouring his money down the drain, which can only be a good... |
Full text of Blair's speech BBC — Permalink Here is the full text of Tony Blair's speech to the Labour Party conference in Brighton: So here we are facing the possibility unique in our 100 year history, of governing Britain for a third successive term. Never done it before. | |
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Joe Katzman: Tony Blair Channels Monty Python — Right in the middle of his big address to the Labour Party conference yesterday - and everybody gets it immediately, without any explanation. Orrin Judd: AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY HE GETS ON SO WELL WITH W: Tony Blair's speech to the Labour Party conference in Brighton... Andrew Sullivan: THE UN-BUSH: The NYT somewhat misrepresents Tony Blair's speech to his party conference yesterday, arguing in a headline... |
Bruce Sanborn: I had read Blair's speech and the NYT headline irked me into reading the article. Whatever emotion irk graduates to next, arrived. Pejman Yousefzadeh: There has been no third way, this time. —Tony Blair, Address to the Labour Party Conference, Brighton Jonah Goldberg: From Blair's speech to the Labor Party conference: [quote] When I hear people say: "I want the old Tony Blair back, the one who cares", I tell you something.[end quote] |
An amendment to stop moral decay By / Townhall.com — Permalink Several weeks ago, black pastors from around the nation, under the sponsorship of my organization, CURE, gathered for a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington to express support for President Bush's proposal for a constitutional marriage amendment. | |
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SLZoll: Star Parker Star's column is called "An amendment to stop moral decay." It's about how banning marriage will stop moral decay. |
Orrin Judd: BEDROCK OF AGES: An amendment to stop moral decay (Star Parker, September 28, 2004, Townhall) "Several weeks ago, black... |
U.S. 'Milibloggers', Iraqi Bloggers Discuss War-Time Experiences By / Online Journalism Review — Permalink We convene a special virtual roundtable of U.S. military bloggers and Iraqi citizen bloggers to talk about life in the war zone, the problems with mainstream media coverage and common misperceptions between soldiers and Iraqis. | |
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Dean Esmay: Iraq Blog Symposium — Online Journalism Review has a fascinating RoundTable discussion by Iraqi bloggers and coalition soldier bloggers in Iraq. |
Glenn Reynolds: INTERESTING ROUNDTABLE featuring milbloggers and Iraqi bloggers, over at Online Journalism Review. |
Bush's Hometown Newspaper Endorses Kerry Reuters — Permalink CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The newspaper in President Bush's adopted hometown of Crawford threw its support on Tuesday behind Bush's Democratic rival, Sen. John Kerry. The weekly Lone Star Iconoclast criticized Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and for turning budget surpluses into record deficits. | |
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Pessimist @LeftCoaster: So does the local newspaper in Crawford, Texas: Bush's Hometown Newspaper Endorses Kerry "CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) -... Charles Kuffner: Procrastination pays — Surely by now you've heard that the Lone Star Iconoclast, Crawford, TX's hometown newspaper, has endorsed John Kerry. |
Tim Blair: George W. Bush's hometown newspaper endorses John Kerry. Karl-T: Bush's Hometown Newspaper endorses Kerry — The Lone Star Iconoclast, the Crawford weekly paper which endorsed Bush 4 years ago has seen the light and has endorsed Kerry. |
'American Taliban' Seeks Commuted Sentence By / AP — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - John Walker Lindh asked President Bush on Tuesday to commute his 20-year prison sentence for aiding the Taliban. His lawyer, James Brosnahan, said that Lindh was fighting alongside the Taliban in a civil war against the Northern Alliance, that he is not a terrorist and that he never fought against U.S. troops. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: John Walker Lindh Seeks Commutation and Sentence Reduction — John Walker Lindh, referred to as "The American Taliban"... |
James Joyner: John Walker Lindh Asks President Bush for Commuted Sentence 'American Taliban' Seeks Commuted Sentence (AP)... |
The Florida Myth Opinion Journal — Permalink In case you were lucky enough to miss it, here's a recent fund-raising letter from New Jersey Democratic Senator Jon Corzine: "Voter suppression and intimidation . . . in Florida again!? | |
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Noam Alaska: The latest snake oil they're trying to sell? All that talk of voter disenfranchisement in Florida in 2000 was merely "political urban legend." John J. Miller: An editorial in today's WSJ makes this important point: [snipped quote] Carter forgot to mention that in his Washington Post tirade. |
James Joyner: The Florida Myth — The WSJ editorial page tries, certainly in vain, to dispel what it dubs "The Florida Myth:" the... |
Kerry's Vision Disappoints a Yearning World By / WaPo — Permalink "What's happening to John Kerry?" Columnist J. Jesus Esquivel spoke for the most of the international online media when he asked that question in this week's edition of Kerry, Esquivel said, "is the hope of the world to put a stop to the imperialist ideas and belligerent crusades of the Bush government." | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: Note these two headlines from the Washington Post: [quote] "Kerry's Vision Disappoints a Yearning World" "Kerry Is Widely...[end quote] |
Allah: I mean, for Christ's sake — what would the Spaniards think? |
Tiny Crawford Newspaper Endorses Kerry AP — Permalink CRAWFORD, Texas - A tiny weekly newspaper that bills itself as President Bush 's hometown paper has endorsed John Kerry for president, saying the Massachusetts senator will restore American dignity. | |
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Charles Johnson: All they need to do is come out in favor of John Kerry: Tiny Crawford Newspaper Endorses Kerry. (Hat tip: zulubaby.) Tom Tomorrow: Well, they should know — [snipped quote] Story. Jeanne D'Arc: Those who know him best — The good people of Crawford, Texas are apparently willing to make the supreme sacrifice and... |
The Farmer: Lone Star Iconoclast goes iconoclastic on W "...we were duped into following yet another privileged agenda," - The Lone Star Iconoclast. Karl-T: Rather, they supported Bush in 2000, and much of his early agenda: "The Iconoclast, established in 2000, said it... Taegan Goddard: Kerry Gets Endorsement of Bush's Hometown Paper — [snipped quote] the AP reports. |
| Also: Xan @Corrente | |
Swagger vs. Substance By / NYT — Permalink Let's face it: whatever happens in Thursday's debate, cable news will proclaim President Bush the winner. This will reflect the political bias so evident during the party conventions. It will also reflect the undoubted fact that Mr. Bush does a pretty good Clint Eastwood imitation. | |
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Jay Rosen: Clymer writes: "The test for journalists is whether they can appreciate the importance of the event and help voters make... Tarek @LiquidList: Now read Josh Marshall's item item about the post-debate debate. And read the Paul Krugman item he links to. Now listen to me. Howard Kurtz: Paul Krugman now sees the press as embeds of the right: "Let's face it: whatever happens in Thursday's debate, cable news will proclaim President Bush the winner. |
Tom @Corrente: The Game is Rigged — Boy was Paul Krugman right or what? Avedon Carol: Then read yesterday's Paul Krugman column, Swagger vs. Substance: "Interviews with focus groups just after the first 2000 debate showed Al Gore with a slight edge. Rich Lowry: Krugman's column today is typical. |
Jockstrip: The world as we know it Washington Times — Permalink LOS ANGELES, Sept. 27 (UPI) — Psychic dogs belonging to actor Sylvester Stallone's mother have projected President George Bush the winner in November, the Los Angeles Times said Monday. The paper said the dogs foresee the president will beat Democratic challenger John Kerry by 15 percent. | |
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Ace: It's getting silly. Update: It Just Got Sillier. Jackie Stallone's psychic dogs now scent a Bush victory, too. |
Cosmo: HEY LOWRY — Psychic dogs predict Bush victory. Cats, meanwhile, remain silent biding their time to support whoever comes out on top. |
Broder's Blindness By / Slate — Permalink Will somebody hand David S. Broder a Valium and a glass of water? Writing on the op-ed page of yesterday's (Sept. 26) Washington Post, "The Dean of Washington political reporters" gives himself an itching hot case of the heebie-jeebies from assessing the state of American journalism. | |
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Jay Rosen: Jack Shafer in Slate on David Broder's, "The Media, Losing Their Way." |
Glenn Reynolds: MICKEY KAUS comments on David Broder's what's-gone-wrong-with-jo urnalism take: [snipped quote] As I've said before, I... |
KERRY ON ORANGE ALERT: SKIN TRANSITION ON EVE OF DEBATE Drudge Report — Permalink Just days before Dem presidential hopeful John Kerry is set to take the stage in a debate opener projected to be seen by 70 million, photos show the senator dramatically taking on color. Is it the late September Wisconsin sun during debate prep that has turned Kerry's face to rich pumpkin-colored hues? | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: Drudge got the ball rolling: "Just days before Dem presidential hopeful John Kerry is set to take the stage in a debate... Rice Grad: John Kerry: Oompa Loompa so says Drudge. Ann Althouse: Going orange for the debate. So John Kerry seems to have gotten one of those dark spray-on tans. He's done this before. |
Ed Driscoll: Interesting theory at PoliPundit.com for Senator Kerry's new Oompah-Loompah look. Update: Betsy Newmark also weighs in on Oompah-Loompahgate. Avedon Carol: Familar territory — Well, well, it looks like this time they're not waiting for the debates to start attacking the... Joe Gandelman: Member Of TMV's Get A Life Club — Cabbage_1 To Matt Drudge: Get A Life. |
| Also: Betsy Newmark, Shannon Love, PoliPundit | |
Anti-Bush Voters Seek Reasons to Back Kerry By / WaPo — Permalink CLAYTON, Mo., Sept. 27 — Denise Mulle said she started out the election season more anti-Bush than pro-Kerry. But she read newspapers and Kerry campaign literature that helped her understand the Democratic presidential nominee's positions on the issues. | |
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Patterico: Washington Post Repeats Kerry Scare Tactic — Paul at Wizbang observes that the Washington Post is repeating John Kerry's scare tactics about the draft as fact. Allah: And dumb enough that, with five weeks to go before the polls open, Bush-haters are having to throw dinner parties to see... Bird Dog: An Embedded Lie — I know this is small potatoes, but this Washington Post article is an example of how lies get spread in a campaign. |
Richard Reeb: A relatively short Washington Post piece points up the difficulties with this approach in Clayton, Missouri. Orrin Judd: A.B.B.'S FOR BUSH: Anti-Bush Voters Seek Reasons to Back Kerry (Vanessa Williams, September 28, 2004, Washington Post)... Steve M.: There's more in this Post story, "Anti-Bush Voters Seek Reasons to Back Kerry." Come on, John — bring it on. |
Former soldiers slow to report By / USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — Fewer than two-thirds of the former soldiers being reactivated for duty in Iraq and elsewhere have reported on time, prompting the Army to threaten some with punishment for desertion. | |
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Gene @HarrysPlace: USA Today reports: Fewer than two-thirds of the former soldiers being reactivated for duty in Iraq and elsewhere have... Jeanne D'Arc: Irony Alert — Getting on the wrong side of the military can be a messy business: Fewer than two-thirds of the former... |
James Joyner: IRR Call-Ups Slow to Report — Former soldiers slow to report (USA Today) [snipped quote] "Former soldiers" is a misnomer, as the final paragraph finally points out. |
A different noise Guardian — Permalink It was the year 2000, and Democrats were running on a record of peace and prosperity stewarded by the capable, if morally imperfect, Bill Clinton. It was a race that should have been won by their candidate, Al Gore. | |
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Mike Hendrix: (Via Allah, who has a thing or two to say about the crumbum Zuniga's disconsolate bleat himself) Update! Steve Gilliard: Right and left — Kos, with a jacket and tie on A different noise In the first of his weekly columns for Guardian... James Joyner: Blogs: Balancing the Conservative Media — Markos Moulitsas, a/k/a Kos, uses the first installment of his weekly column... |
Steve Dillard: Res Ipsa: Here's a taste of Markos Moulitsas explaining to Guardian Unlimited readers "how US liberals have fought back... Orrin Judd: A different noise: US liberals have fought back against rightwing domination of the media since their 'goring' in 2000... Skippy: bloggers go to the dead trees first billmon writes for latimes, and now markos zuniga, aka the daily kos, has a column in the uk guardian! |
| Also: Charles Johnson, McQ, Allah, Kos, Kevin Drum, Jeralyn Merritt | |
Are the Terrorists Failing? By / WaPo — Permalink Looking at the gruesome images of beheadings and suicide bombings in Iraq, it's easy to think that the Islamic holy warriors are winning. But a new book by a distinguished French Arabist named Gilles Kepel argues the opposite case. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: TERRORISM FAILING — From David Ignatius's keyboard to God's web browser: "Looking at the gruesome images of beheadings... Charles Paul Freund: "The struggle against Islamist terrorism is neither the rosy success story painted by [Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad] Allawi... Tom Maguire: And more optimism, from France this time, by way of the WaPo's David Ignatius: Are the Terrorists Failing? |
Bird Dog: Fitna — French Arabist author Gilles Kepel was interviewed by David Ignatius, introducing the term fitna to describe... FrancoAlemán: GILLES KEPEL, the French Arabist scholar, says in his latest book (The War for Muslim Minds: Islam and the West), that... Rich Lowry: David Ignatius has a good column keying off Kepel's latest book. Bottom line: the jihadists are losing. |
| Also: Orrin Judd, Andrew Sullivan, C. D. Harris, AmyE @Centerfield, James Joyner | |
The Insurgency Buster By / NYT — Permalink Conditions were horrible when Salvadorans went to the polls on March 28, 1982. The country was in the midst of a civil war that would take 75,000 lives. An insurgent army controlled about a third of the nation's territory. Just before election day, the insurgents stepped up their terror campaign. | |
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Michael Young: Brooks, Democratically Downscale — David Brooks' latest column may be a tad weak on the comparisons and light on the... Damian Penny: Reasonable people may take such a position, though I do not agree with it. (I'm with David Brooks on this one.) Orrin Judd: VOTE THE BUMS OUT: The Insurgency Buster (DAVID BROOKS, 9/28/04, NY Times) [snipped quote] Of course, Mr. Kerry opposed our efforts in El Salvador and Nicaragua as well. |
Betsy Newmark: David Brooks reminds us what it was like when El Salvador had a democratic election admist an insurgency in 1982. Pejman Yousefzadeh: HOW IRAQ MAY BE LIKE EL SALVADOR — Both David Brooks and David Adesnik have pieces worth reading. Jeanne D'Arc: Brooks' history lesson: Conditions were horrible when Salvadorans went to the polls on March 28, 1982. |
| Also: Rich Lowry, Sam Rosenfeld, Ezra Klein, Dale Franks, James Joyner, Barbara O'Brien, David Adesnik | |
Al Qaeda seeks tie to local gangs By / Washington Times — Permalink A top al Qaeda lieutenant has met with leaders of a violent Salvadoran criminal gang with roots in Mexico and the United States — including a stronghold in the Washington area — in an effort by the terrorist network to seek help infiltrating the U.S. | |
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Michelle Malkin: THE HEAD-CHOPPERS MEET THE HAND-CHOPPERS — The Washington Times reports on an alleged meeting between suspected al... Patrick Belton: BUT NO WORD YET ON WHETHER OSAMA WILL HAVE INK DONE: The Washington Times is claiming that Al Qa'eda is seeking ties... The Big Trunk: Calling Michelle Malkin — The Washington Times reports on al Qaeda's efforts to exploit our porous border with Mexico: "Al Qaeda seeks ties to local gangs." |
Roger L. Simon: Here's Something to Cheer You Up — Maybe not... The Washington Times is reporting Al Qaeda seeks tie to local gangs:... Hugh Hewitt: The GWOT is getting more complicated, not less, and it isn't the fault of the United States. |
Prewar Assessment on Iraq Saw Chance of Strong Divisions NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 - The same intelligence unit that produced a gloomy report in July about the prospect of growing instability in Iraq warned the Bush administration about the potential costly consequences of an American-led invasion two months before the war began, government officials said Monday. | |
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Kos: National Intelligence Council knew — The grownups tried to warn Bush about Iraq. Mark A.R. Kleiman: Bush was warned — From today's New York Times: The same intelligence unit that produced a gloomy report in July about... Laura Rozen: (Via Tapped), the New York Times' Doug Jehl reports that the National Intelligence Council got some other major... |
Jim Henley: The Long Twilight Struggle Continues between the CIA and the White House. I wonder if Porter Goss will unilaterally disarm. Tom Tomorrow: Well, whaddya know: [snipped quote] All right, so maybe someone could have seen it coming. And in fact did. Matthew Yglesias: RIGHT AGAIN! Doug Jehl's sources in the intelligence community seem to have given him another nice scoop. |
| Also: Chris Bowers, Kevin Raybould, Oliver Willis, Mathew Gross | |
Cat Stevens was guest of Canadian Hamas front By / National Post — Permalink TORONTO - Yusuf Islam, the British singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, was the guest of honour at a Toronto fundraising dinner hosted by an organization that has since been identified by the Canadian government as a "front" for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. | |
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Roger L. Simon: It's Only Rock and Roll! The National Post has an interesting update on the Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam controversy. Damian Penny: But before you all have a good laugh about it, check out this morning's National Post: Yusuf Islam, the British singer... KJL: CAT STEVENS AND HAMAS — The National Post connects them. |
Orrin Judd: CAT SCRATCH FEVER: Cat Stevens was guest of Canadian Hamas front (Stewart Bell, September 28, 2004, National Post) [snipped quote] He should be on the no-fly list for his music. Charles Johnson: Cat Stevens Was Guest of Canadian Hamas Front — Stewart Bell reports that hippy pop star turned radical Islamist Cat... |
Bush apparently leads Kerry in pre-debate poll CNN — Permalink (CNN) — Headed into their first face-to-face debate, President Bush appears to be leading Democratic Sen. John Kerry among likely voters, with a clearer edge among registered voters. | |
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Sebastian Holsclaw: The same network reports a September Bush lead as "Bush apparently leads Kerry in pre-debate poll". Steve Soto: After supplying CNN and USA Today with a poll two weeks ago that showed a double-digit Bush lead amongst likely voters... Jan Haugland: Polls: Bush still solidly ahead — Before the first presidential debate, Bush retains his solid lead over Kerry, if we... |
James Joyner: Update (1312): Apparently, an eight point lead that tracks with virtually every other poll and which is well outside the... Joel Foreman: CNN doesn't see it as clearly as I do, but Bush is dominating Kerry according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll. Whiskey: CNN not convinced by its own poll results — The latest CNN/Gallup poll shows President Bush leading among likely voters... |
| Also: Patterico, Ace, KJL | |
Transcript: Bush Talks to O'Reilly Fox News — Permalink This is a partial transcript from the September 27, 2004 edition of "The O'Reilly Factor," that has been edited for clarity. Watch Part II and III of the interview on Tuesday, September 28 and Wednesday, September 29 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET! | |
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Greg Ransom: TRANSCRIPT — O'Reilly interviews the President. Quotable: [snipped quote] Note that the President did not say that this is an issue that he's concerned about. Jeffrey Dubner: There are a number of intriguing moments in Bill O'Reilly's interview with George W. Bush, the first part of which was aired last night. |
Michelle Malkin: As I've said many times before in response to the mindless open borders mantra (repeated by President Bush in his... Lorie Byrd: Bush In The No Spin Zone — For those who missed what I thought was a good O'Reilly interview with President Bush, here is the transcript. |
DAN'S RATINGS IN A FREE FALL New York Post — Permalink Dan Rather's ratings in New York continue to tank in the wake of the fake-documents scandal. The "CBS Evening News" averaged 160,000 viewers last week on WCBS/Channel 2 — down from 231,000 viewers the week before. | |
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Mike Hendrix: The good ship leaky skiff (DN)CBS, already listing badly to port and taking on water, sees its long stern-first slide into the old briny sharply accelerated. Glenn Reynolds: LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LOSE CREDIBILITY: Your ratings collapse: [snipped quote] No wonder Big Media folks aren't overjoyed with the blogosphere this week. PoliPundit: Rather's Ratings — Dan Rather's ratings continue to plummet in New York: [snipped quote] (Link via RatherGate.com) |
James Joyner: Dan Rather's Ratings in a Free Fall — DAN'S RATINGS IN A FREE FALL (New York Post) [snipped quote] Considering that many... Jonah Goldberg: VIEWERS TO DAN: DROP DEAD — It turns out that news consumers are dropping Dan Rather like a bag of dirt, at least for now. |
F.B.I. Said to Lag on Translations of Terror Tapes By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 - Three years after the Sept. 11 attacks, more than 120,000 hours of potentially valuable terrorism-related recordings have not yet been translated by linguists at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and computer problems may have led the... | |
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Tom Burka: Al Queda Tapes Accidentally Erased From FBI's TIVO — Replaced By "Must-See TV" "Three years after the Sept. 11 attacks,... Tarek @LiquidList: As Eric Lichtblau tells it, the FBI has also begun to erase old conversations without translating them. Matthew Yglesias: Well, not so much: "F.B.I. Said to Lag on Translations of Terror Tapes." |
Ezra Klein: Until now. Thanks FBI! Kevin Raybould: FBI Lagging on Terror Translations — This makes me feel safer: [snipped quote] This is partly Clinton's fault, and... |
Flirting With Disaster By / Slate — Permalink There it was at the tail end of Brian Faler's "Politics" roundup column in last Saturday's Washington Post. It was headed, simply, "Quotable": "I wouldn't be surprised if he appeared in the next month." | |
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Deacon: Christopher Hitchens believes the same mindset infects the Kerry campaign. Max B. Sawicky: THE HELL YOU SAY — An outraged Christopher Hitchens, this week: There it was at the tail end of Brian Faler's "Politics" roundup column in last Saturday's Washington Post. The Poor Man: This principled condemnation is from Hitchens' recent essay, "Flirting With Disaster: The vile spectacle of Democrats rooting for bad news in Iraq and Afghanistan". |
Ezra Klein: Ungravitas — Kevin Drum answers the immortal warblogger query: Who be unserious!? Andrew Sullivan: Hitch is dead-on in this respect. Bush deserves to be scolded for his arrogance, his divisiveness, and his incompetence. Peter Burnet: I AM SHOCKED...SHOCKED — Flirting With Disaster (Christopher Hitchens, Slate, September, 27th, 2004) |
| Also: Kevin Drum, Jim Lindgren, Betsy Newmark, Ed Cone, Mike Hendrix, James Joyner, Matt Stoller, Glenn Reynolds, Roger L. Simon, Matthew Yglesias, Kevin Raybould | |
Panel Won't Sign Agreement but Will Enforce Stipulations By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 - The Commission on Presidential Debates said Monday that it would enforce many of the stipulations agreed to by the campaigns of President Bush and Senator John Kerry, but that it would not sign the agreement itself - which aides to Mr. Bush had indicated was a prerequisite for his participation in the debates. | |
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Ezra Klein: From the Times: "Still, officials of the debate commission said they were agreeing primarily to those things Mr. Bush's... Atrios: Outfoxed — What are they thinking? |
Jesse Taylor: But, apparently, it's 32 pages nobody needs to actually adhere to. The commission's breaking it. The Bush campaign is breaking it. Taegan Goddard: Meanwhile, the New York Times notes the Commission on Presidential Debates said "that it would enforce many of the... |