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KERRY/EDWARDS ELECTION DIRECTIVE: CHARGE VOTER INTIMIDATION, EVEN IF NONE EXISTS Drudge Report — Permalink The Kerry/Edwards campaign and the Democratic National Committee are advising election operatives to declare voter intimidation — even if none exists, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal. | |
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Ogged @Unfogged: Drudge "reads" this as: "CHARGE VOTER INTIMIDATION, EVEN IF NONE EXISTS" (That's a "World Exclusive," naturally.) Captain Ed: Drudge has a document from the Kerry/Edwards campaign that not only lowers the bar on political discourse but threatens... Susanna Cornett: The Kerry/Edwards campaign is already planning to charge voter intimidation even where there has been none. I explain it all here. |
Dave Johnson: Latest Republican Smear — The latest Republican smear claims that a Democratic Party manual tells local party officials... Bill @INDCJournal: DNC Dirty Tricks — I was going to write a post about the DNC's pre-emptive plan to sully the election results, but ... Jeff Goldstein: Well this oughtta help things, then… Reached for comment, Kerry communications ferret Howard Wolfson told FOXNews' Linda Vester: [snipped quote] Christ. |
| Also: Joel Foreman, Stephen Green, James Joyner, John Cole, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Betsy Newmark, Bird Dog, Charles Johnson, KJL | |
Mention of Gay Daughter a Cheap Trick, Lynne Cheney Says By / WaPo — Permalink MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa., Oct. 13 — Lynne V. Cheney, wife of Vice President Cheney, accused John F. Kerry on Wednesday night of "a cheap and tawdry political trick" and said he "is not a good man" after he brought up their daughter's homosexuality at the final presidential debate. | |
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Kevin Drum: MARY CHENEY...Are all three of the major national newspapers (NYT, LAT, Post) seriously writing stories about Dick and... Susanna Cornett: Today, Lynne Cheney said that Kerry is "not a good person" for bringing her daughter into this campaign in a way that is... Tom Tomorrow: The home stretch — This is where it starts getting really stupid. |
Baldilocks: Lynne Cheney has had enough of the senators. [snipped quote] Like any good mother, she will do her best to protect her children. Steve Bainbridge: Yet, as I review the post-debate spin this am, one incident cries out for comment; namely, Kerry's comments about Mary Cheney. ArchPundit: Could Someone Remind Kerry — That the whole Mary Cheney thing doesn't work and there were far better ways to address the issue |
| Also: Matthew Yglesias, Bill @INDCJournal, John Cole, Pejman Yousefzadeh, James Joyner, Jesse Taylor, Captain Ed, Taegan Goddard, Gary Farber, Glenn Reynolds, Wretchard, David Allan Pell, Ace, Tbogg, Josh Marshall, Ken Masugi, Joe Gandelman | |
Addicted to 9/11 By / NYT — Permalink I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear the president and vice president slamming John Kerry for saying that he hopes America can eventually get back to a place where "terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance." | |
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Richard TPD: Thomas Friedman, voice of reason — I certainly don't always agree with him, but he is sure right-on today. Ed Cone: Jeff Jarvis takes on Tom Friedman, loses. Jarvis: "I don't long for the day when terrorism is a nuisance. David Cohen: THE OSTRICH FILES — Addicted to 9/11 (Thomas L. Friedman, NYTimes, 10/14/04) [snipped quote] This is a remarkably obtuse column. |
Avedon Carol: He says Bush and his administration are Addicted to 9/11, and he's right: I want a president who can one day restore... Ezra Klein: Sentences I Never Thought Would Appear On The New York Times Op-Ed Page — Friedman: "I wish Mr. Kerry were better able to articulate how America is going to get its groove back." Matt Welch: Way the Hell Off the Reservation — Thomas L. Friedman, the OG Liberal Hawk, delivers a big ol' I-break-with-thee to the... |
| Also: Matt Stoller, Barbara O'Brien, Christopher @ShrillBlog, Dan Gillmor, McQ, Cori Dauber, Jeff Jarvis, David Allan Pell | |
Transcript: Third Presidential Debate WaPo — Permalink Debate Transcript From FDCH E-Media, Inc. Following is a transcript of the third and final presidential debate between between President Bush (R) and Sen. John F. Kerry (D). The moderator of the nationally televised debate is Bob Schieffer of CBS News. | |
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Steve @BeggingToDiffer: First, let's take a look at what the candidates actually said in the debate: [snipped quote] What is strange about... Jeanne D'Arc: I look at the transcript this morning to read answers that impressed me, and as text, they're not particularly impressive. Avedon Carol: Here's the transcript with the pop-up referee, and the straight article is Attacks Misleading And Out of Context, which... |
David Allan Pell: Here is one of his few direct answers to a jobs question: Schieffer: "Mr. President, what do you say to someone in this... H.D. Miller: Here's the transcript. [snipped quote] Again, as I noted last night the two halves of his answer are worse than merely incoherent, they are mutually exclusive. Stuart Buck: Best Line — The best line of the debate: "KERRY: I have never suggested a test where we turn over our security to any nation. |
| Also: Jan Haugland, Atrios, James Joyner, Orrin Judd, Josh Marshall, Ken Masugi, C. D. Harris, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Greg Ransom, Greg @BeggingToDiffer, Charles Johnson, Kevin Drum, Matthew Yglesias, Virginia Postrel, Tom Maguire, William J. Dyer, Lambert @Corrente, Daniel Drezner, Joe Gandelman | |
Bush, Kerry hit each other on domestic issues CNN — Permalink TEMPE, Arizona (CNN) — President Bush and Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry met on Wednesday for their final debate, clashing on issues ranging from the economy to jobs, taxes and same-sex marriage. | |
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Talking Dog: I must say, showing up as a "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot" in the first two or three rounds cost Kid Kerry some points,... Ryan Davis: "Gallup/CNN Kerry 52% Bush 39% 36% GOP 36% Dem 28% Independent" This is a good example of a poll with the correct party ID sample. Andrew Sullivan: POLLING - KERRY WINS AGAIN: CNN finds a clear victory for Kerry in their insta-poll, 53 - 39. |
Jan Haugland: Gallup polled 511 viewers, and among them 53% said Kerry did better and 39% gave it to Bush. Kevin Drum: WHO WON?....The post-debate polls are solidly in Kerry's favor: CNN/USA Today/Gallup: Kerry wins 53%-39%. Kos: Gallup Snap Poll: resounding Kerry victory — Gallup. Snap poll following debate. MoE 5%. |
| Also: Byron L, Steve Soto, Joe Gandelman | |
Attacks Misleading And Out of Context WaPo — Permalink Facts took a holiday in last night's final presidential debate, with both President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry attacking each other with misleading or out-of-context assertions that revealed the deep philosophical divide between the candidates. | |
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Thomas Lang: The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Associated Press all missed it. Tom Maguire: The WaPo is only a bit better, adding the bit about a command structure: Bush said the bin Laden comment was "one of... |
Kash: Here are the items pointed out by the Washington Post's fact-checking piece, titled "Attacks Misleading And Out of... Steve Soto: The post-debate fact checkers find more lies told by Bush than Kerry. |
Round 3: Bush Grins, Spins but Doesn't Win By / WaPo — Permalink An essentially dignified and thoughtful performance by John Kerry, contrasted with an oddly giggly turn by George W. Bush, combined to give the last debate of the presidential campaign to the challenger last night, but very narrowly. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Giggles the Clown — So, did Bush really grin through the whole thing? Tom Shales says he did. James Joyner: Tom Shales titles his column "Bush Grins, Spins but Doesn't Win." Tbogg: Meanwhile, contrast and compare: Tom Shales: Kerry wore a long puss through most of the evening, but Bush looked as smiley as Clarabell the Clown. |
Avedon Carol: Somebody let me know when the Post fixes Tom Shales' column so that it isn't credited to Broder. Barbara O'Brien: Tom Shales of the Washington Post: "An essentially dignified and thoughtful performance by Sen. John Kerry, contrasted... Jeralyn Merritt: Of the one's I've read so far, here are a few I recommend: Wherein Bush Turns That Frown Upside Down James Benett, New... |
| Also: William J. Dyer, Joe Gandelman | |
FCC won't prevent airing of anti-Kerry film, chairman says AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission won't intervene to stop a broadcast company's plans to air a critical documentary about John Kerry's anti-Vietnam War activities on dozens of TV stations, the agency's chairman said Thursday. | |
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Steve M.: FCC won't prevent airing of anti-Kerry film, chairman says — Well, I could have told you that. Robert Cox: FCC WILL NOT BLOCK SINCLAIR ON "STOLEN HONOR" — FCC Won't Block Sinclair Broadcast of Stolen Honor Sinclair's plans... |
Jeralyn Merritt: FCC Won't Stop Sinclair Broadcast — The AP reports: [snipped quote] Now what? Clayton Cramer: Not surprisingly, the party of censorship are the Democrats: [snipped quote] That the Democrats are concerned about political misuse of the public airwaves is hysterically funny. |
Lynne Cheney upset with Kerry over remark AP — Permalink CORAOPOLIS, Pa. — Lynne Cheney accused Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry of pulling a "cheap and tawdry political trick," apparently for invoking her daughter's sexuality in his debate with President Bush. | |
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Dave Winer: The obvious reason Lynne Cheney is upset that Kerry talked about their gay daughter in last night's debate is that their... Eugene Oregon: Lynne Cheney Outraged By Husband's "Cheap Political Trick" — From last night "Lynne Cheney accused Democratic... Hugh Hewitt: Lynne Cheney on John Kerry: "This is not a good man." Moms everywhere agree. Put a fork in John Kerry. |
Roger Ailes: "Cheap And Tawdry Political Trick" — Was Lynne Cheney describing her own comments last night, or what she sees when she looks on the mirror? Deacon: HINDROCKET adds: Lynne Cheney commented on Kerry's disgusting ploy today: "Now, you know, I did have a chance to assess... |
LABOR DOES PHONE-WORK FAVOR FOR PREZ ON JOBS REPORT By / New York Post — Permalink IT may not have looked like the Labor Department did the White House any favors in last Friday's employment report, but it did. Unfortunately, the gesture by the bureaucrats at the Labor Dept. went totally unappreciated. | |
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Lambert @Corrente: Get this from John Crudele in (amazingly) the NY Post: [snipped quote] "Better than normal" and still it sucked. (back)... Robert Cox: Maybe the media is so debate-obsessed that they failed to notice... The New York Post is reporting that a "source who... |
Oliver Willis: Labor Dept. Skewing Numbers for Bush NY Post reporting... [snipped quote] (via Robert Cox) |
Bush's Big Mistake By / Slate — Permalink TEMPE, ARIZ.—"The president is an alien. There's your quote of the day," Ken Mehlman said before the final presidential debate to reporters who were peppering him with questions about the rectangular shape underneath the president's jacket during the first debate. | |
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James Joyner: Chris Suellentrop joins a chorus of people jumping on President Bush for a mistatement in last night's debate: "Indisputably, this was the president's best debate. Barbara O'Brien: Chris Suellentrop in Slate: "...what good the president did with his performance will be overshadowed Thursday when the... |
Kevin Drum: But although last night's gaffe is the one that will get all the attention, Matt Yglesias and Chris Suellentrop point... Mark Kleiman: But Chris Suellentrop predicts that both the importance of the misstatement and the existence of a videotape contradicting it will lead it to dominate the airwaves tomorrow. |
"W" Stands for "Whupped His Behind" NRO — Permalink That's my boy. That's my Bush. He a hoss — a debatin' hoss. Last night, he was flat-out marvelous in debate. I said, following the second debate, that he had done well, but not his best. (Who does his best all the time? That's why we call it "best.") | |
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Jesse Taylor: Jay Nordlinger, apparently deciding that drinking is just so passe, pulls out the rolled-up dollar bill and snorts the GOP powder directly. Harry @HarrysPlace: Analysis — I love the last line of this opening paragraph from the National Review. That's my boy. That's my Bush. |
Lorie Byrd: Bush - "A Debatin' Hoss" — Betsy Newmark posted the following quote from Jay Nordlinger that reflects the way I felt... Betsy Newmark: Bless Jay Nordlinger. He's in full rah rah mode about how Bush did last night. I just hope there are more people like him. |
Lynne Cheney indignant about Kerry remark AP — Permalink CORAOPOLIS, Pennsylvania (AP) — Lynne Cheney accused Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry of pulling a "cheap and tawdry political trick," apparently for invoking her daughter's sexuality in his debate with President Bush. | |
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Fafnir: Which makes him a very bad man! Yes she actually is openly gay and even has worked to recruit gay voters for her father's campaign. Giblets: He has brought up the fact that Dick Cheney has an openly gay daughter. And when John Kerry did that, he got personal. |
John Hawkins: Kerry Sorry for Remark About Cheney's Lesbian Child By Scott Ott — John Forbes Kerry, father of two heterosexual... |
GOP Consulting Firm Investigated for Voter Fraud Claims By / LAT — Permalink Oregon's attorney general opened a criminal investigation Wednesday into allegations that Democratic voter registration forms were destroyed or discarded by a political consulting firm working for the Republican National Committee. | |
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Hei Lun: Florida. Wisconsin. Oregon. Am I missing any other states? Would it be faster if I listed the states where there aren't any allegations of voter fraud? DemFromCT: LA Times: Oregon Opens Criminal Probe in Voter Fraud Case — The GOP, true to form, blames someone else |
Nick Confessore: (The Los Angeles Times, to its credit, has a piece up today on Oregon's decision to launch a criminal investigation into... |
Early poll: Kerry clear winner in debate CNN — Permalink TEMPE, Arizona (CNN) — Sen. John Kerry appeared to gain more momentum heading toward November 2, easily beating President Bush in the third and final debate, a poll taken late Wednesday night suggests. | |
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Norbizness: How About It? Are We Deal-Buddies? You have five seconds to be on your mark and in wardrobe, or I will personally climb... Jon Henke: CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll - Kerry: 52% - Bush: 39% CBSNews Poll: Kerry: 39% - Bush: 25% ABCNews Poll: Kerry: 42% - Bush:... Christopher Kanis: CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll: Kerry 52%, Bush 39% ABC poll (of a disproportionately Republican audience): Kerry 42%, Bush... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Iowa Redux? CNN reports that a new poll shows Kerry taking the lead over Bush. Ann Althouse: I've read a number of reports on the polling about who won last night's debate, and I have yet to see one point made... Oliver Willis: Early poll: Kerry clear winner in debate "A CNN/USA Today/Gallup snap poll taken immediately after the presidential... |
| Also: Taegan Goddard | |
Study: One in 100 adults asexual CNN — Permalink LONDON, England (CNN) — About one percent of adults have absolutely no interest in sex, according to a new study, and that distinction is becoming one of pride among many asexuals. The new study was conducted by Anthony Bogaert, a psychologist and human sexuality expert at Brock University in St. Catherines, Ontario. | |
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Christopher Kanis: AND I DATED MOST OF THEM IN COLLEGE — CNN.com: Study: One in 100 adults asexual. Readers are invited to write their own Hillary jokes. Clayton Cramer: Oh Dear, A New Sexual Minority Has Appeared — But it is rather difficult to find much basis for demonstrations or... |
Zoe Kentucky: "Study: One in 100 adults asexual LONDON, England (CNN) — About one percent of adults have absolutely no interest in... |
Act 3, Wherein Bush Turns That Frown Upside Down By / NYT — Permalink TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 13 - For the third and final presidential debate, President Bush had his game face on, and his game face turned out to be a big smile. Having put a second term at risk by scowling and seeming weary through the first debate; having... | |
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Lambert @Corrente: [quote]James Bennet writes in the New York Times that Bush's "smile was askew for about half the debate, marred by a glistening light dot at the right corner of his mouth." [end quote] Ayelish McGarvey: And I'm not the only one who noticed: [snipped quote] Could it be that the Prez got a hit of Botox to freeze his "sneer muscle" before the debate? Tom Maguire: Here is James Bennet: [Kerry] managed one real joke at his own expense, drawing a big laugh by referring to his marriage... |
Kevin Drum: James Bennet of the New York Times noticed: [snipped quote] (That's Bush's left side as seen by TV viewers, of course.) QWQ: In a piece entitled, Act 3, Wherein Bush Turns That Frown Updside Down, the Times includes this key line: "Wednesday... |
Nevada investigates voter registration CNN — Permalink (CNN) — Nevada election officials have launched an investigation into allegations that a Republican-led voter registration drive improperly disposed of forms it collected from potential Democratic voters. | |
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Ogged @Unfogged: And, naturally, he doesn't mention the brewing scandal of the season, the Sproul-GOP-funded shredding of the registrations of Democrats. |
Chris Bowers: Here is the first one, from RNC communications director Jim Dyke: [snipped quote] And here is the second one: ... |
Paul Begala's Debate Blog: Round 4 CNN — Permalink Bottom line: Bush scored some points attacking Kerry on taxes. But he misspoke several times — he misled us about Osama bin Laden and about Kerry's health plan. The post-debate fact checkers will have a field day with it. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE WISDOM OF PAUL BEGALA — I truly have to laugh at this: [snipped quote] Yes indeed. Very gutsy. Lambert @Corrente: MSGOP is the outlier: B55 K45 CNN K83 B17 AND MANY MORE! (Spread that URL around, people) Radley Balko: Shrill Rightest of the Night Award goes to National Review's Kate O'Bierne, who writes: "Tonight John Kerry strikes me as a most unattractive man. |
Captain Ed: CNN attempted to ensure that spin by having paid Kerry advisor and paid CNN consultant Paul Begala give his commentary on the night's events. Avedon Carol: Begala: Bush just cited something called the Lewin Group to support the proposition that Kerry's health plan is a big government takeover. KJL: PAUL BEGALA — Here's what he;s writing: [snipped quote] I feel good. |
| Also: Joe Gandelman | |
Blasts Kill Five in Baghdad's Green Zone By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents penetrated Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone and detonated explosives at a market and a popular cafe Thursday, killing five people, including four Americans, in the first bombings inside the compound housing the U.S. and Iraqi government headquarters. | |
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Steve M.: HIS RECORD — Bush Says Debates Highlight His Record Blasts Kill 10 in Baghdad's Green Zone 2004 Deficit Hits Record $214 Billion —top three stories at Yahoo News right now Susan Madrak: GREEN IS FOR GO — As in, "Bring it on..." "BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents penetrated Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone... |
Steve Gilliard: This one went off Blasts Kill Five in Baghdad's Green Zone By NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD, Associated Press Writer [snipped quote] Holy s**t, the Green Zone? |
Transcript of Debate Between Bush and Kerry, With Domestic Policy the Topic NYT — Permalink Following is a transcript of the presidential debate last night in Tempe, Ariz., between President Bush and Senator John Kerry, as recorded by The New York Times. The moderator was Bob Schieffer of CBS News. | |
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Jacob Sullum: Minimum Magic — Extolling the benefits of the minimum wage last night, Kerry seemed to believe that you can create... Eugene Oregon: You Have Two Minutes - Better Speak Slow — This cracked me up [snipped quote] Well, that took about 10 seconds and Bush didn't even bother to try to fill the rest of his time. |
Edward _: "---George Bush, 10/13/04" Exaggerations??? "Q: But don't you believe that the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive? Taegan Goddard: That's kind of one of those exaggerations." — President Bush, during last night's debate. |
U.S., Iraqis launch attacks in Falluja CNN — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — American troops and Iraqi special forces launched a major operation in Falluja late Thursday aimed at disrupting future attacks by insurgents who control the volatile city, the U.S. military said. | |
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David Cohen: SO PREDICTABLE, I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE TO BOTHER U.S. |
Roger L. Simon: The Battle of Fallujah... ... has probably begun, not coincidently one day after the last presidential debate. |
Quick Verdict on Results of the Most Crucial Debate By / NYT — Permalink TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 13 - With an overwhelming perception that Senator John Kerry had won the first two debates, the predebate story line playing out among commentators on cable and network television and the Internet during the hours before the debate was clear: It was do or die for President Bush. | |
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Ann Althouse: The New York Times notices "Althouse.com." Captain Ed: Final Thoughts On The Debate — The early spin is in, folks, and the MSM has decided to crown John Kerry the winner of... Jim Lindgren: The New York Times is reporting that the ABC post-debate poll shows a near tie on who won the debate: Kerry 42% v. Bush 41%. |
PoliPundit: The Times — Old Media (New York Times) reports on the New Media: [snipped quote] Indeed it is. Betsy Newmark: Congratulate to Polipundit for making it into the NY Times story about how bloggers covered the debate. |
Standing Tall in Their Respective Corners By / WaPo — Permalink Fighting familiar policy battles for Republicans and Democrats, President Bush and challenger John F. Kerry sharpened their differences on social and domestic issues last night, with each candidate comfortably articulating the positions his most loyal supporters wanted to hear. | |
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Avedon Carol: David Broder's column is here...and they look like two different drafts of the same column. DemFromCT: Broder weighs in with this summary, as good as any: "In the last of their three debates, Bush avoided the slumps and... Joe Gandelman: We agree with the Washington Post's David Broder: "In the last of their three debates, Bush avoided the physical slumps... |
James Joyner: Transcript: Third Presidential Debate (Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz. October 13, 2004) David Broder saw the candidates both "Standing Tall in Their Respective Corners." William J. Dyer: Update (Thu Oct 14 @ 1:20am): Okay, if WaPo's Tom Shales says that Kerry won "very narrowly," and David Broder doesn't... |
Transcript & Video: Third Debate Fox News — Permalink The following is a transcript of the third and final debate between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry on October 13, 2004. Click in the video box to watch the debate. BOB SCHIEFFER, CBS ANCHOR: Good evening from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. | |
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Hindrocket: Here is what he said, in response to this question from Bob Schieffer: "I want to ask you a more basic question. Arthur Chrenkoff: A message from an unreal ally — In the first Presidential debate John Kerry gave us the "global test"; in the third and... |
Captain Ed: Schieffer tossed this grapefruit for Kerry to wax emotional about his love for strong women, and he whiffed it: "SCHIEFFER: We've come, gentlemen, to our last question. Lorie Byrd: Debate Transcript — Debate transcript here. |
5 Killed as 2 Bombs Explode Inside Baghdad Green Zone NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 14 — In a brazen attack that punctured any illusions of a safe haven in the capital, five people, including three American civilians, were killed today when two separate explosions were set off inside the heavily controlled Green Zone in central Baghdad. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: It's getting worse. Matthew Yglesias: PROGRESS FOR WHOM? Well, someone's certainly making progress in Iraq, but unfortunately it's not the coalition. |
Greyhawk: I think that's a tradition carried forward from every war, but as far as that safety in the base camp areas it's also... |
Kerry Clarifies Cheney Daughter Remark Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — Presidential candidate John Kerry (search) launched into damage control Thursday afternoon after angering Vice President Cheney (search) and his family and alienating some voters by mentioning that Cheney's daughter, Mary, is gay. "I love my daughters. | |
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John Hawkins: "There's nothing wrong with being one of God's homosexual children," said Mr. Kerry, an openly-heterosexual veteran of... |
Jerome Armstrong: So, fire away Lynne & Dick: "Asked Wednesday night by debate moderator Bob Schieffer whether homosexuality is a choice,... |
One answer not given By / Boston Globe — Permalink AMERICA tuned in to a riveting encounter last night. It was a gripping duel between men of extraordinary skill, discipline, and focus — an event well worth the time required to watch it. But you don't need me to tell you about the Red Sox-Yankees game. | |
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Nick Gillespie: Call Him a Cranky Libertarian Conservative... The Boston Globe's Jeff Jacoby on the, you know, debate last night: [snipped quote] Whole thing here. |
Betsy Newmark: Jeff Jacoby is saying some of the things that my daughter and I were saying last night: why can't either Bush or Kerry say that some things are not federal responsibilities? |
Byrd Defends Dayton's Office Closure AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - The Senate's most senior member on Thursday defended Sen. Mark Dayton (news, bio, voting record)'s decision to close his Washington office over concerns about a terrorist attack. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Robert Byrd is defending Mark Dayton's decision to close his Senate office until after the election. |
Captain Ed: But now, the most experienced Senator has doddered into the spotlight to give his fellow Democrat a bit of half-hearted... |
Dueling Portraits of Compassion By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — After two debates about strength, President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry dueled to demonstrate compassion in their surprisingly subdued final encounter. | |
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Chris Nolan: If you don't know these issues by now, well, you realize these debate are only partly about issues. DemFromCT: Fournier (AP), Broder (WaPo), Brownstein (LA Times), Harwood (WSJ), Schapiro (USA Today) and even Halperin (the Note),... |
Howard Kurtz: Ron Brownstein of the Los Angeles Times sees both men playing to their core supporters: "After two debates about... |
'God forbid a success story' Guardian — Permalink Afghan men queue to vote in the country's presidential elections. Photograph: John Tammes The photo above shows Afghan men waiting in line to vote. John Tammes, the reader and US army major who took it, was kind enough to email it to me and give me permission to use it. | |
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Kevin Hayden: Sliding towards Irrelevancy — This ain't no Instapungent link; it links to his editorial in The Guardian: ... Peter Burnet: LET'S BURY THIS ONE IN THE CLASSIFIEDS 'God forbid a success story' (Glenn Reynolds, The Guardian, October 14th, 2004)... |
Glenn Reynolds: GOD FORBID, A SUCCESS STORY: My Guardian column for this week is up. John Cole: Update *** My point exactly. |
Grand Slam By / Slate — Permalink A week ago, I compared the debates to the final inning of a postseason baseball game. The Democrats trailed entering the ninth. John Kerry led off with a single. John Edwards singled him to third. | |
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Gene @HarrysPlace: If I were a Republican, I would hope that Bush's performance in the series of debates ending last night wasn't one of those surprises. Howard Kurtz: Slate's Will Saletan, in full baseball mode, scores it for Kerry: "President Bush walked the bases full, and Kerry hit a grand slam. |
Mathew Gross: Slate's William Saletan says it was a grand slam for Kerry. And so we turn to the ground war.... |
German Officials Reiterate Opposition to Sending Troops to Iraq By / NYT — Permalink BERLIN, Oct. 13 - German officials on Wednesday reaffirmed their policy of not contributing troops to the American-led force in Iraq and rejected speculation, prompted by a published interview with the country's defense minister, that the policy might change. | |
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Mrs Greyhawk: Today's is that they will not, under any circumstances, send troops to Iraq. Clearly a resounding endorsement of John Kerry's position in the war on terror. |
Glenn Reynolds: SORRY, JOHN: [snipped quote] Oops. (Via The Mudville Gazette). |
Kerry Wins Debate in CBS Poll; Candidates Even in ABC News Poll Bloomberg — Permalink Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) — John Kerry, the four-term senator from Massachusetts, won tonight's debate against President George W. Bush a CBS poll found. An ABC News survey found the candidates in a statistical tie. | |
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Mark Kleiman: Gallup reports a Kerry blowout — At first blush, this looked like a repeat of last time, with CBS's undecided voters... Joe Gandelman: INSTANT POLLS Even in the case of this debate, you had contradictory polls. gave the debate to Kerry: "Fifty-two per... |
Ruy Teixeira: Finally, in an ABC News poll of "likely voters": "42 percent picked Kerry as the winner, 41 percent chose Bush and 14 percent said they tied. |
Allawi threatens Fallujah over Zarqawi By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD — Iraq's prime minister yesterday threatened military action against the rebel stronghold of Fallujah if residents don't hand over Jordanian terror mastermind Abu Musab Zarqawi. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: StrategyPage certainly has a pretty good record of accuracy. Read this, too, which certainly supports the above. |
KJL: ALLAWI DEMANDS ZARQAWI FROM FALLUJAH |
A 55-point chasm in military support for Kerry and Bush By / Townhall.com — Permalink Oct. 11 editions of Military Times publications (Navy Times, Army Times, Marine Corps Times, Air Force Times) carried an astounding story not likely to get much coverage in the establishment press. Staff writer Gordon Trowbridge wrote as follows: | |
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Blackfive: Soldiers know about Kerry's 20 years of opposition to military pay increases and to purchasing the tools of war our... |
Wretchard: Although the general populace was split evenly between Bush and Kerry, a Military Times survey showed soldiers preferred President Bush by a 73:18 ratio to Senator Kerry. |
FLORIDAS ALL OVER DEMS EYE ELECTION LAWSUITS By / New York Post — Permalink ANOTHER Election Day tie might be rough on Amer ica, but it would benefit one Democratic interest group: the trial lawyers. As the campaign heads into the post-debate homestretch, legal eagles across the country are lining up to sue the pants off any state where the results fall within the margin of error. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Think you enjoyed Florida. Courtesy of the Democrats, we'll have it again. Here's the story from the New York Post. Ugh! |
John Derbyshire: Collin Levey has a fine column on this prospect in this morning's edition of America's Newspaper of Record. |
Bringing Out the Big Guns By / WaPo — Permalink Billboards now seen in at least 10 key states show a prancing French poodle, its fur fancily clipped for show, wearing a pink ribbon and a blue Kerry-for-president sweater. The text says: "That dog don't hunt." And: "For 20 years John Kerry has voted against sportsmen's rights." | |
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Hugh Hewitt: George Will notes that the NRA has entered the fray. Even Bob Schieffer understands that Mass-attending Catholics have abandoned Kerry in huge numbers. |
Cliff May: MOBLIZATION — George Will says in his column today that, [snipped quote] So, on Bush's side there are Evangelical... |
DRAW, ADVANTAGE KERRY By / New York Post — Permalink WHO was the genius who felt President Bush could debate John Kerry — or any Republican could debate any Democrat — over the economy, health care and Social Security, and expect to win? The Bush campaign selected James Baker, the first President George Bush's secretary of State, to negotiate the debate's rules. | |
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James Joyner: Dick Morris labels it "DRAW, ADVANTAGE KERRY." |
Betsy Newmark: Dick Morris has his explanation about why the polls show Kerry winning. Morris says that Democrats will always win on domestic issues because it's their turf. |
Uncommitted Voters Pick Kerry CBS News — Permalink (CBS) Uncommitted voters who saw the third and final debate between President Bush and John Kerry gave the Democrat the edge over the president by a margin of 39-25 percent, according to a CBS News poll. Another 36 percent called it a draw. | |
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Jan Haugland: CBS News (211 uncommitted voters) has Kerry winning 36%, Bush 25% while 36% call it a draw. Ryan Davis: "CBS News Poll Kerry 39 Bush 25 ABC News Kerry 42 Bush 41 38% GOP 30% Dem 28% Independent" The party ID breakdown here is telling. |
Steve M.: The polls look good — Keryy 39%-25% (uncommitted voters) at CBS, Kerry 53%-39% at CNN, Kerry wins CNN's focus group 10-7. |
The Myth of 'Squandered Sympathy' By / Opinion Journal — Permalink In the past two months, with John Kerry and the Democratic Party attempting to prove the superiority of their credentials to conduct America's foreign policy, we have heard much of the legend of the squandered sympathy. | |
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McQ: Go read John Rosenthal's "The Myth of Squandered Sympathy" in today's WSJ. He destroys this meme once and for all. |
Cori Dauber: So I'm reading this OpJournal piece, which is so-so, I mean, I guess she has a decent point, but in the middle she... |
Bush's message on trail to focus on voter 'choices' By / Boston Globe — Permalink TEMPE, Ariz. — President Bush is coming out of the final presidential debate this morning with a sharpened campaign message designed to portray the election as a stark choice between him and his opponent, and with a breakneck pace of campaign travel that will focus heavily on Midwestern states he narrowly lost four years ago. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: The theme for the next two-and-a-half weeks will be the choice that has to be made by every voter. |
Taegan Goddard: The Home Stretch — President Bush "is coming out of the final presidential debate this morning with a sharpened... |
Media intelligence fails even elementary analysis By / The Australian — Permalink IT'S now clear that there does need to be an inquiry, preferably a full judicial inquiry, into the shocking failure of Australia's best-funded intelligence agency. This agency is much better funded than our other agencies, and unlike them has hundreds of well-paid analysts and good career structures. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: AUSTRALIA UPDATE: Greg Sheridan in The Australian: [snipped quote] Heh. (Via Tim Blair). Arthur Chrenkoff: Australia's own intelligence failure — I don't usually just link to opinion pieces and leave it at that, but Greg... |
Tim Blair: Greg Sheridan writes: [snipped quote] No ... but they sure are marginalised. |
Goldsmith faces calls to resign over Iraq Independent — Permalink The attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, faced calls to resign last night as Tony Blair's legal justification for going to war against Iraq began to unravel. The Prime Minister once again refused calls yesterday to apologise for the Iraq conflict as some of... | |
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DemFromCT: Blair Still Feeling Heat over Iraq — Via Steve Soto, there's more fall-out across the pond re the Duelfer report for Tony Blair. |
Steve Soto: Blair Facing New Troubles Over Iraq - From His Own Party — If you thought Tony Blair was in the free and clear over his case for an invasion of Iraq, well guess again. |
Full transcript of Oct. 13 presidential debate San Diego Union-Tribune — Permalink Participants: George W. Bush, John Kerry A transcript of the debate as transcribed by e-Media Millworks, Inc. SCHIEFFER: Gentleman, welcome to you both. | |
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Jim Lindgren: The 3d Debate Transcript. — Here is the transcript of the 3d debate. |
Alex Tabarrok: Here from last night's debate, is President Bush making a good case against government-run health care: "I think... |
Producer alleges Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly forced her into phone sex By / AP — Permalink (10-13) 15:26 PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A Fox News Channel producer sued Bill O'Reilly for sexual harassment Wednesday, alleging her boss had phone sex with her against her wishes three times. Fox filed a countersuit, saying the complaint was a politically motivated extortion attempt. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: Weird. There is also some good news — Bill O'Reilly is embroiled in a sex abuse scandal (yes!) . Ace: O'Reilly Producer Claims "Forced Into Phone Sex" — I am not saying it's true. But it's not as if it can be overlooked. |
Jeralyn Merritt: In a pre-emptive strike against an anticipated $60 million sex harassment suit, Fox News Show Host... Joe Gandelman: It must be embellished; based on this it sounds like B.O. could have started a 900 Make Me Drool telephone talkline... Is all this for real? |
U.S. Stymies Detainee Access Despite Ruling, Lawyers Say By / WaPo — Permalink More than three months after the Supreme Court declared that hundreds of detainees at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have the right to challenge their imprisonment in U.S. courts, none has appeared in a courtroom. | |
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Michael Froomkin: Government Stonewalls on Guantanamo Detainees — U.S. Stymies Detainee Access Despite Ruling, Lawyers Say... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Lawyers for the detainees say the Government is dragging its feet: "Of the 68 alleged al Qaeda and Taliban fighters who... |
Mass grave reveals remains of Iraqi women and children By / Independent — Permalink The horrific secrets of a mass grave in northern Iraq emerged yesterday as American officials accused Europeans of failing to help in the search to uncover Saddam Hussein's atrocities. | |
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Damian Penny: Saddam's Iraq — Despite the lack of WMDs, this kind of thing is why I still think the Iraq war was justified: Hundreds... |
Tom Smith: Oh those mass graves — I still can't figure out what the all those great moralists and lovers of humanity have to say about them. |
Filibuster Politics By / Opinion Journal — Permalink With three weeks to Election Day, it is time for Republicans to close the deal with swing voters—independents, Southern and Midwestern moderates, blue-collar households, Catholics and Hispanics. | |
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Deacon: In today's Opinion Journal, Boyden Gray, a leading and extremely well-connected conservative attorney in Washingtion,... KJL: JUDGES — C. Boyden Gray makes an excellent point. |
Steve Bainbridge: Yeah, I think it does matter, if for no other reason than the one C. Boyden Gray identified today: "Left-leaning... |
Hefley: 'I was threatened' By / The Hill — Permalink House ethics committee Chairman Joel Hefley (R-Colo.) said last week that Republican lawmakers have threatened him in the wake of his panel's recent admonishments of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). | |
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Charles Kuffner: House Republicans support Tom DeLay, to the point where Ethics Committee chair Joel Hefley is being threatened for daring to uphold the rules against him. Radley Balko: GOP Principles — Republicans are now eating their own over the House ethics panel's decision to reprimand Majority Whip... Kos: But even that mild slap in the wrist was too much for DeLay's thugs: [snipped quote] The level of hubris is startling. |
Gary Farber: CHARMING. Ethics? Who's for that? Nick Confessore: The article notes: [snipped quote] Keep in mind, this outrage is all in response to a pretty watered-down and weak rebuke... Eugene Oregon: I Smell Another Ethics Investigation — From the Hill [snipped quote] The article goes on to quote a bunch of... |
Of Battery Packs and the Presidential Pompoms LAT — Permalink This, said a wry Jay Leno, host of "The Tonight Show" on NBC, is a new John Edwards. Gone was Mr. Sunshine of the presidential primary; absent was the low-key No. 2 whose ability to be a vice presidential attack dog has been doubted. Even the audience seemed surprised. | |
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Gene @HarrysPlace: You go, John — It's about time a Democrat threw George Bush's macho posturing back in his face. Digby: This, from John Edwards on The Tonight Show last night ought to send him into a complete tizzy: "I run, I played a little football when I was in school. |
Noam Scheiber: Here's what he had to say on Leno last night: [snipped quote] Good for Edwards. |
DRUDGE OBTAINS COMPLAINT Drudge Report — Permalink ANDREA MACKRIS, BENEDICT P. MORELLI and BENEDICT P. MORELLI & ASSOCIATES P.C., Plaintiffs FOX NEWS NETWORK, L.L.C. ("Fox") and WILLIAM O'REILLY, by their attorneys, Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., as and for their Complaint against ANDREA MACKRIS, BENEDICT P. MORELLI and BENEDICT P. MORELLI & ASSOCIATES P.C. ("the Morelli Firm"), allege as follows: | |
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Vox Day: Bad Sir Billy — From the Drudge Report: [snipped quote] The whole thing really depends upon whether Mackris has the tapes of O'Reilly or not. Charles Johnson: He claims he's being targeted in an extortion attempt by a former producer, Andrea Mackris; Drudge Report has O'Reilly's... Christopher Kanis: Earlier today, O'Reilly filed a pre-emptive lawsuit against Mackris and her attorneys, alleging attempted extortion,... |
William J. Dyer: Indeed, if (as seems to have been the situation here) I'd seen the plaintiff's draft complaint before it was filed, then... Joe Gandelman: The worst thing about this, Bill, is that Stuart Smiley is going to have an absolute field day with it. Ace: I don't know who's telling the truth in this unseemly business. |
| Also: Jim Lindgren, Clayton Cramer, Oliver Willis | |
Bush Mischaracterizes Kerry's Health Plan FactCheck.org — Permalink A Bush ad claims Kerry's healthcare proposals would put "big government in charge" of medical decisions. In fact, Kerry's plan would leave 97% with the insurance they have now — while up to 27 million who aren't insured would gain coverage. | |
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Ramesh Ponnuru: MORE ON HEALTH CARE — I think this factcheck.org piece gets a lot of the issues it covers right. Susanna Dilliplane: FactCheck.org, another non-partisan group, has refuted many of the charges about Kerry's position on Iraq, on his health care plan, and on his Senate votes. Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: These claims have already been rejected by various independent organizations. |
Lambert @Corrente: Big Lie #3 See FactCheck.org "Bush Mischaracterizes Kerry's Health Plan" for what the Lewin Group really thinks about what Bush is saying about Kerry's plan. Kevin Drum: Factcheck.org says it's not true, the nonpartisan Lewin group says it's not true, and an all-star team of health policy analysts say it's not true. |
FEC May Regulate Web Political Activity By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - With political fund raising, campaign advertising and organizing taking place in full swing over the Internet, it may just be a matter of time before the Federal Election Commission joins the action. Well, that time may be now. | |
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Avedon Carol: Hit & run — FEC May Regulate Web Political Activity. Well, we've been worrying about something like this happening for a while, haven't we, boys and girls? Mathew Gross: AP: Stocks Fall on Oil, Dow Clings to 10,000. And finally: AP: FEC May Regulate Web Political Activity. Clayton Cramer: He was referring to zoning and developers, but this applies to the problem of regulating political advertising as well: ... |
Radley Balko: Bring It On — A U.S. District judge has ruled that the FEC's authority over campaign financing extends to the Internet, too. Andrew Stuttaford: CENSORSHIP WATCH (2) What is it about free speech that Fred Wertheimer hates so much? Stephen Green: I'm just too steamed not to cuss up a storm, so allow me to introduce this story by saying, Bull-f**king-s**t: [snipped quote] Draw it right up your ass, Weintraub. |
Bodies of babies found in Saddam's 'killing field' By / This Is London — Permalink A mass grave containing the bodies of children, babies and their mothers has been unearthed in Iraq. Shocked investigators reported finding "thighbones the size of matchsticks" at what they believe is the site of one of Saddam Hussein's atrocities. | |
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Mark Trapp: Saddam — Can't we all agree that the world is better off without Saddam in a position to do things like this? Clayton Cramer: More Difficulties for the Left — I've seen leftists over at Indymedia defend Hussein's mass killings of Kurds as... |
Joe Gandelman: Truly Grotesque — The Great Revealing of who Sadaam Hussein was and what he did continues to unfold in post-Sadaam Iraq. Ace: And the Media Shall Yawn: Killing Field of Babies Unearthed in Kite-Flyin' Iraq — MichaelM "questions the timing":... |
Mongiardo says Bunning cheated in their debate By / Cincinnati Enquirer — Permalink FORT WRIGHT - Democrats are accusing Republican Sen. Jim Bunning of cheating during the taping of a political debate scheduled to be shown tonight on Northern Kentucky cable television. But Bunning's campaign said the camp of Democrat Daniel Mongiardo, which is making the charge, is just upset that Bunning won the debate. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: Using Teleprompters During Debates — Kentucky Republican Senator Jim Bunning is in hot water with critics for admitting... Kos: He also refused to have a neutral party ensure that he wasn't cheating — receiving cues or coaching from his staff. |
Taegan Goddard: Bunning Used TelePrompTer in Debate — Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) stands accused "of cheating during the taping of a... |
Election 2004 Reuters/Zogby Daily Tracking Poll: Bush and Kerry in Toss-Up Race at 45% Apiece Zogby — Permalink On the eve of the third and final presidential debate, President George W. Bush remains in a toss-up race with Senator John Kerry at 45% apiece, according to a new Reuters/Zogby daily tracking poll. The telephone poll of 1232 likely voters was conducted from Saturday through Monday (October 10- 12, 2004). | |
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Steve Soto: Update #4: Given John Zogby's comments today that Bush's support amongst the undecided has fallen through the floor, and... Mathew Gross: Panic on the Streets of Crawford — Zogby today has Bush and Kerry tied at 45-45, but the key factor is this: [snipped quote] Damn. |
Andrew Sullivan: WHY TONIGHT MATTERS: The pollster who got 2000 right is now calling the race a dead heat - with a caveat. Joe Gandelman: THIS JUST IN: New NEW Zogby Poll Shows A Tie..."THE DEBATE IS CRUCIAL" — Zogby's JUST IN poll now shows a tie 45... |
In Their Own Hands By / NRO — Permalink The enthusiasm of U.S. Marine captains Thomas "Tad" Douglas and David Nevers can hardly be contained. Their voices, alternately crackling over a weak satellite-phone connection, are heartening as they describe the successes they are witnessing in Iraq. | |
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Bill @INDCJournal: Jeff Quinton obtained the exclusive recruiting image and combined it with detail from National Review: From their... |
Jeff Quinton: Exclusive: Iraqi SWAT Poster iraqi-swat.jpg Click here to enlarge picture I've been told I have a U.S. exclusive (please... |
Mystery Surrounds Kerry's Navy Discharge By / New York Sun — Permalink An official Navy document on Senator Kerry's campaign Web site listed as Mr. Kerry's "Honorable Discharge from the Reserves" opens a door on a well kept secret about his military service. The document is a form cover letter in the name of the Carter administration's secretary of the Navy, W. Graham Claytor. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: When we couple this latest outrage with the organized thuggery and vandalism. the snake oil Edwards is peddling on stem... McQ: Kerry's Discharge — For those of you who've been seeing references to whether Kerry had a "discharge problem" or not... Tully @Centerfield: Mystery Surrounds Kerry's Navy Discharge: It Followed Unusual High-Level Review |
Wind Rider: Shove that garbage on your website, Mr. Kerry — There's a document I want to see after reading this article. Tom Smith: Was Kerry dishonorably discharged? This is curious. Can't somebody in DOD just leak Kerry's records? Would that be wrong? Bill @INDCJournal: NY Sun: "Mystery Surrounds Kerry's Navy Discharge" (UPDATED) Thomas Lipscomb reports (subscription): An official Navy... |
| Also: Ace, Stefan Sharkansky, Greg Ransom, Jeff Goldstein, Blackfive, Roger L. Simon, William J. Dyer, Matt Stoller, Stephen Green, Charles Johnson, Jeff Quinton, Hugh Hewitt, Mitch Berg, H.D. Miller, Captain Ed, Glenn Reynolds, The Big Trunk, Michelle Malkin, PoliPundit | |
Insurgent Alliance Is Fraying In Fallujah WaPo — Permalink President Bush, he said, "knows that and so does the government, but they purposely group all three under the tag of 'terrorism.' " Barra and other insurgent leaders said the "genuine resistance" is a disciplined force that restricts its attacks to military targets, chiefly U.S. forces. | |
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Daniel Drezner: Karl Vick reports in the Washington Post that even the Iraqi resistance fighters in Fallujah have had enough of their... Rich Lowry: EXCELLENT PIECE ON FALLUJAH... ...in the Washington Post. And very encouraging—local residents seem to be growing sick of the foreign fighters in their midst. Shannon Love: Hearts and Minds Accidentally — Via Instapundit comes this story about the people of Fallujah, and other people in the... |
Greyhawk: I also like this story from the London Times, which could lead one to believe the LA Times was being played "Today Mr... FrancoAlemán: RESISTING THE 'RESISTANCE': [snipped quote] This is excellent news; using Michael Ledeen's trademark phrase, "faster, please". Jan Haugland: Fallujah locals begin to detest foreign terrorists — The relationship between foreign jihadis and the Iraqi insurgents... |
| Also: McQ, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Orrin Judd, Jmauzy @Centerfield, Tim Blair, James Joyner, Captain Ed, Glenn Reynolds, Belle Waring, Cori Dauber, Betsy Newmark, Armed Liberal | |
Chechen terrorists probed By / Washington Times — Permalink U.S. security officials are investigating a recent intelligence report that a group of 25 Chechen terrorists illegally entered the United States from Mexico in July. | |
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Colt: The Washington Times reports that 25 Chechen terrorists entered the United States across the Mexican border in July. Roger L. Simon: Anyway, nothing that I was going through (and it wasn't much) could possibly compare to the latest report from Bill... Christopher Kanis: Today it's this one: The Washington Times: "U.S. security officials are investigating a recent intelligence report that... |
Ken Masugi: But he let John Kerry move to his right on illegal immigration, even though Kerry didn't mention the 25 Chechens who moved across the Arizona border. Charles Johnson: Report: Chechen Terrorists Entered US in July — Bill Gertz passes along some scary news; an intelligence report that a... Clayton Cramer: Reasons To Be Armed In Public Places The Next Few Weeks — Anywhere that I can be armed in the next few weeks, I will... |
| Also: Chad Evans, Bill Hobbs, The Big Trunk, Michelle Malkin, Betsy Newmark, KJL, Greg Ransom | |
Babies found in Iraqi mass grave BBC — Permalink A mass grave being excavated in a north Iraqi village has yielded evidence that Iraqi forces executed women and children under Saddam Hussein. US-led investigators have located nine trenches in Hatra containing hundreds of bodies believed to be Kurds killed during the repression of the 1980s. | |
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James R. Rummel: The BBC has published this news article, which details how American forensic experts are uncovering mass graves in Iraq with depressing regularity. Andrew Sullivan: Ugh. TINY BONES: New evidence of Saddam's monstrous regime: mass graves of Kurdish children. Jim Treacher: Speaking of global tests — Here's an interesting little tidbit from that minor news story today about the pesky mass... |
Natalie Solent: The BBC (credit to them on this occasion) has written an unflinching account of the excavation of an Iraqi mass grave. Joe Gandelman: If you just at lunch, don't read this news report from England: [snipped quote] And if you thought this story wasn't repulsive enough, read the BBC report, too. Charles Johnson: Mass Grave of Women and Children in Iraq — A mass grave in northern Iraq has been found to contain the remains of toddlers clutching toys. |
| Also: KJL, FrancoAlemán, Tim Blair, Joanne Jacobs | |
Technical expert: Bush was wired By / Salon — Permalink Speculation continues to run wild about President Bush's mystery bulge. Since Friday, when Salon first raised questions about the rectangular bulge that was visible under Bush's suit coat during the presidential debates, many observers in the press and on the... | |
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Fafnir: Still-reputable Salon has quoted a technical expert who says that a mysterious bulge on the president's back couldn't be... Angry Bear: Live Bloggin' — Blogger is slow right now, but it's coming up. - No bulge immediately visible. Oliver Willis: Performance Enhancers — Now that the Republican senator in Kansas Kentucky has come clean about his use of a teleprompter, will the Bush team level with us about "the wire"? |
Michael Froomkin: Dave Lindorff wrote in Salon yesterday that "speculation continues to run wild" about the bulge, and that the White... Murray: No wonder you didn't recognise it it's called a "spine". And please, before we get a rash of pictures of W's crotch I'll save you some time. Kevin Drum: Salon thinks this picture is proof positive that Bush was wired during the second debate, but that's a little too far out there for me. |
| Also: FrancoAlemán, Steve Soto, Ed Cone, Jeff Jarvis, Juan Cole, Mathew Gross, Atrios | |
Tightening Race Increases Stakes of Final Debate By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 - President Bush and Senator John Kerry meet in their final presidential debate on Wednesday night after two encounters that polls suggest weakened Mr. Bush and fortified Mr. Kerry, leaving some Republicans concerned that the final 20 days of the contest would be more competitive than they had expected. | |
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Joe Gandelman: The Final Debate: What Each Candidate Must Do (With Roundup) Images_1 It's way beyond half-time in the political... Aaron @LiquidList: Politics: Unfair Comparison — Talk about laughable: [snipped quote] Apt comparison? Who are they kidding? Bush as FDR? Carlos: Let's start with today's front-page article by Adam Nagourney, in which he notes that Republicans are "uneasy" about... |
James Joyner: Tight Presidential Race Getting Tighter — Tightening Race Increases Stakes of Final Debate (Adam Nagourney, NYT) Ann Althouse: I did read Adam Nagourney's front page piece about the debate in today's NYT, which started out, to my irritation, reading like a Kerry campaign press release. Steve Soto: Heading Into The Final Debate — Heading into the final debate tonight, Adam Nagourney of the New York Times runs a good piece on campaign strategy. |
| Also: Taegan Goddard, Howard Kurtz | |
Dear Clark County voter, Give us back the America we loved. Yours sincerely, John Le Carré Guardian — Permalink Maybe there's one good reason - just one - for re-electing George W Bush, and that's to force him to live with the consequences of his appalling actions, and answer for his own lies, rather than wish the job on a Democrat who will then get blamed for his predecessor's follies. | |
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Damian Penny: Personally, I can't think of any greater boost for the Bush campaign than for the good people of Ohio to start getting... Arthur Chrenkoff: [quote]Yours sincerely Arthur" [end quote] Three great Brit bores, John le Carre, Antonia Fraser and Richard Dawkins have already provided us with their emails to unsuspecting Ohio residents. Christopher Kanis: In case there's any doubt, though, the Guardian offers three example letters from Prominent America-hating Britons as inspiration. |
Cori Dauber: But, hey, at least it's not condescending. (Yes, that's sarcasm.) You have to admire their organization and focus. Tim Blair: The invoice is on its way. UPDATE. John le Carre, Antonia Fraser, and Richard Dawkins get in on the action. UPDATE II. Jeff @BeautifulAtrocities: UPDATE: Now British writers are telling us who to vote for! Check out this wisdom from John Le Carre, Antonia Fraser, & Richard Dawkins! |
Bush backs off in Pa. By / NY Daily News — Permalink President Bush appears to be conceding some ground in the hard-fought battleground of Pennsylvania, as the 2004 race, which has been fought in only a small number of states, narrows even further. | |
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Brian Linse: Looks like Pennsylvania is out, but Unka Karl has lots of tricks up his sleeve, and count me amongst those who would not... James Joyner: A New York Daily News report says that President Bush may be conceding Pennsylvania, long considered (along with Florida and Ohio) to be one of the three key states in the race. Hesiod: And, here's the biggest news, it appears that Bush may be conceding Pennsylvania and Washington! |
Kevin Drum: George Bush has apparently given up on Pennsylvania. And Bill O'Reilly is being sued for sexual harassment. Steve M.: The New York Daily News reports: President Bush appears to be conceding some ground in the hard-fought battleground of... Taegan Goddard: Meanwhile, the New York Daily News notes Bush "appears to be conceding some ground in the hard-fought battleground of Pennsylvania." |
SPORTSMAN JOHN By / New York Post — Permalink ON top of everything else, Sen. John F. Kerry is an out doorsman, although he wouldn't be so politically incorrect as to refer to himself in anything other than gender-neutral terms. So he's an "outdoorsperson." At least, that's what he told Diane Sawyer on ABC a couple of weeks ago. | |
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Clayton Cramer: Great Column About Kerry's Lies — What's really sad is that he is telling lies that are so transparent—and so... Charles Johnson: He's crawling on his belly, hunting freakishly huge deer: Sportsman John. Acidman: What has Kerry lied about? Well, almost everything. But here's a whopper. [snipped quote] An 8-point buck is "nothing big?" |
Bill @INDCJournal: Apparently, John Kerry just says whatever he feels like when the mood strikes him: In the current issue of Field &... H.D. Miller: Howie — Here's Boston's own Howie Carr tee-ing off on our theme of the week: John Kerry's tall tales. Betsy Newmark: Howie Carr ridicules Kerry's pretensions to portray himself as an outdoorsman. [snipped quote] What fun people are having with John Kerry, sportsman. |
Germany in rethink on Iraq force deployment Financial Times — Permalink Germany might deploy troops in Iraq if conditions there change, Peter Struck, the German defence minister, indicated on Tuesday in a gesture that appears to provide backing for John Kerry, the US Democratic presidential challenger. | |
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Byron L: Note to Zach — Here's a foreign policy story if Zach wants to take a dive at a good one that's in the international headlines today: [snipped quote] Via Political Wire. Tom Maguire: They'll Help Us, They'll Help Us Not — Or, for folks who don't like to pluck petals from flowers, we can suggest that... Oliver Willis: A Fresh Start — Germany in rethink on Iraq force deployment "Germany might deploy troops in Iraq if conditions there... |
Taegan Goddard: Germany Might Rethink Iraq Position — Germany "might deploy troops in Iraq if conditions there change," the German... Ezra Klein: Dining Europe — Earlier today, Jesse pointed us to this Financial Times article in which Germany begins, uh, questioning how firm their commitment to staying out of Iraq is. Jeanne D'Arc: German troops — Make of this what you will. |
| Also: Edward _, Michael Froomkin, Daniel Drezner, Jesse Taylor, Mark Kleiman, Jeralyn Merritt, Andrew Sullivan, Mathew Gross | |
Questions for Kerry NYT — Permalink Five percent of Americans pay 54 percent of all personal income taxes. They do not use more government services than other Americans; they use fewer. Why is this fair? Would you be willing to sponsor tort reform that requires plaintiffs to have used common sense before being eligible for damages? | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: SCHOOL CHOICE AND DEBATE QUESTIONS — If only the question quoted here would actually be asked during tonight's debate. Stuart Buck: Stephen Carter on vouchers — The New York Times asked several prominent people what questions they would pose to Kerry. Jesse Taylor: Great News Judgment In Action — Unfortunately, the New York Times left off Charles Murray's fourth question, which was,... |
Steve Gilliard: Charles Murray delivering a lecture at the American Enterprise Institute Atrios points this charming item out: OP-ED... Atrios: Cancel It — For those of you who have a NYT subscription and have been looking for that final reason to cancel it,... |
On Debate's Eve, Campaigns Hone Message WaPo — Permalink COLORADO SPRINGS, Oct. 12 — As President Bush and Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry prepared for Wednesday night's final debate, the two sides previewed their themes for the domestic-policy showdown, with the incumbent branding Kerry a liberal and the Democrats decrying Bush's job-creation record. | |
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Noam Scheiber: This graf in today's Washington Post reminds me of a point I've been meaning to raise: [snipped quote] I'm not... David Adesnik: The article's actual headline is far more sensible (and boring): "On Debate's Eve, Campaigns Hone Message". Ann Althouse: ANOTHER UPDATE: According to the WaPo, which notes that Frist called Edwards's use of Reeve's death "crass, opportunist"... |
Joe Gandelman: Tensions are clearly rising as the two campaigns hone their debates — and the GOP tries to short-circuit use of... Taegan Goddard: Debate Preview — Tonight's final presidential debate "has the potential to be a pivotal factor in" determining the outcome of the election, the Washington Post reports. |