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Dumb show By / Guardian — Permalink Heady times. The US election draws ever nearer, and while the rest of the world bangs its head against the floorboards screaming "Please God, not Bush!", the candidates clash head to head in a series of live televised debates. | |
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Joe Gandelman: How To Destroy Your Own Argument In One Easy Lesson — Passions over this Presidential election are running at a... Tom Smith: Charlie Booker wouldn't want to come to an awful country like the USA anyway. Better to hang out with Cat Stevens bin Laden or whatever his name is. Bird Dog: Now weekly columnist Charlie Booker is wishfully yearning for the murder of the duly elected president of the United... |
Gerard Vanderleun: BRITISH NEWSPAPER CALLS FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF GEORGE BUSH: [snipped quote] One might ask more handily, "Where is a V-2... Tom Paine: And who better to blame than the ultimate Daddy figure of the early 21st century - the American President? Moe Lane: The relevant paragraph: [snipped quote] Actually, it's the last sentence that was relevant, in this context. |
| Also: Baldilocks, Hindrocket, Charles Johnson, Andrew Sullivan, McQ, Jason Van Steenwyk, Andrew Stuttaford, Jonah Goldberg, Bill @INDCJournal, Scott Burgess, Tim Blair, Jan Haugland, Orrin Judd, Glenn Reynolds, Marcus @HarrysPlace, Michele Catalano | |
Big G.O.P. Bid to Challenge Voters at Polls in Key State By / NYT — Permalink Republican Party officials in Ohio took formal steps yesterday to place thousands of recruits inside polling places on Election Day to challenge the qualifications of voters they suspect are not eligible to cast ballots. | |
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Chris Bowers: "The most aggressive voter-intimidation campaign waged by the GOP since the Civil Rights era." Avedon Carol: Seen and heard — You probably already noticed that the Republicans are ready to challenge voters just to make life harder. Barbara O'Brien: Hear the Drumming — The Republicans are recruiting and training thousands of "poll watchers" to disrupt voting in key precincts. |
Jeralyn Merritt: On Election day, they are sending out thousands of recruits in Ohio and other swing states to try and find voters who aren't eligible to vote. Oliver Willis: Big G.O.P. Bid to Challenge Voters at Polls in Key State [snipped quote] This is not about preserving the integrity of the ballot. Echidne @AmStreet: Thuggery? Did you see this New York Times article about election monitoring in Ohio? |
| Also: Joe Gandelman, Atrios, Magpie @PacificViews, Tbogg, Josh Marshall, Dave Johnson, Stirling Newberry, Lambert @Corrente | |
Early voting brings cries of bullying By / Sun-Sentinel — Permalink On Election Day, voters will be protected from campaign pressures by a 50-foot cone, an invisible barrier that campaign workers cannot breach. Not so for early voters. | |
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Charles Johnson: Early Voters Bullied in Florida — Kerry's goons are intimidating early voters in Florida: Early voting brings cries of bullying. Hindrocket: Voter Intimidation in Florida — The Sun-Sentinel reports on the efforts of Democrat Party thugs to indtimidate... Joe Gandelman: This is going to stop." —But are Democrats trying to intimidate Republican voters in Florida? |
PoliPundit: Democrats Bully Republicans — Here's how Democrats are treating Republican voters: [snipped quote] Are you going to let these thugs run our country for the next four years? KJL: INTIMIDATING REPUBLICANS FROM VOTING IN FLORIDA? |
Kerry for President WaPo — Permalink EXPERTS TELL US that most voters have had no difficulty making up their minds in this year's presidential election. Half the nation is passionately for George W. Bush, the pollsters say, and half passionately for John F. Kerry — or, at least, passionately against Mr. Bush. | |
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Taegan Goddard: Kerry Gets Washington Post Endorsement — The Washington Post endorsed Sen. John Kerry for president. Atrios: WaPo Endorses Kerry — Only way to maintain their position as the Susan Estrich of newspapers. |
DemFromCT: The Washington Post tomorrow endorses John Kerry for President of the United States. |
Ohio Provisional Ballot Ruling Reversed AP — Permalink CINCINNATI - A federal appeals court on Saturday reversed a lower court's ruling that Ohio voters could cast provisional ballots on Election Day anywhere in the county in which they are registered. | |
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Betsy Newmark: A Court of Appeals has upheld Ken Blackwell's interpretation of where voters may cast provisional ballots — their own precincts or nowhere. KJL: PHEW! Provisional ballot ruling reversed in Ohio |
Tully @Centerfield: US Appeals Court Reverses Lower Court Ballot Ruling — Ohio Provisional Ballot Ruling Reversed The 6th District US Court... |
Former workers dispute Bush's pull in Project P.U.L.L By / Knight Ridder — Permalink HOUSTON - President Bush often has cited his work in 1973 with a now-defunct inner-city program for troubled teens as the source for his belief in "compassionate conservatism." | |
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Digby: The Lost Years — Does the man just reflexively lie about everything or does he have so much to hide that it's just smarter to lie first and ask questions later? Josh Marshall: Now several employees of the now-defunct organization have gone on the record with Knight-Ridder, saying that, yes, the... Avedon Carol: Once again, it turns out that the Lyin' King has stolen the clothes of better men. |
Skippy: tidbits from the cookie the kids at the daily cookie send us a couple of morsels... this knight-ridder piece detailing... Jeralyn Merritt: Knights-Ridder reports on a new potential exaggeration, totally unrelated to his National Guard service—his much touted... Barbara O'Brien: Outrage du Jour — Via Orcinus and Suburban Guerrilla and QrazyQat — be sure to read this story by Knight Ridder's Meg... |
| Also: The Poor Man, David Neiwert | |
Political Poseur By / Slate — Permalink I live solidly in "Blue" to-its-core Venice, Calif., a neighborhood so left-wing that anyone spotted in a Bush button is more likely to be a costumed trick-or-treater than an actual GOP voter. | |
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Ramesh Ponnuru: GREAT IDEA FOR AN ARTICLE — Richard Rushfield wears a Bush t-shirt in Blue America, and a Kerry t-shirt in Red America, and compares reactions. Avedon Carol: No news is no news — This is an odd one I found at Memeorandum - a Slate article called Political Poseur in which... Greg Ransom: A TALE OF TWO AMERICAS — "BLUE LIKE ME" vs. "RED LIKE ME". Quotable: [snipped quote] (via Memeorandum) |
Jan Haugland: A land divided — Journalist Richard Rushfield dressed up in a Kerry-Edwards t-shirt to visit die-hard Republican... Pejman Yousefzadeh: AN EXPERIMENT IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE — I have to admit that I am not as brave as this guy. PoliPundit: Nicer — Yes Virginia, Republicans are nicer than Democrats. |
| Also: Cori Dauber, Steve Bainbridge | |
U.S. Arrests Senior Al-Zarqawi Leader AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. military has arrested a "senior leader" in the network run by Jordanian terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, along with five others during overnight raids in the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, officials said Saturday. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: LIKE A RAT IN A TRAP — This news should be celebrated: [quote] The U.S. military has arrested a "senior leader" in the...[end quote] Ace: US Bags Senior Leader of Al Zarqawi Cell — Do not muck around with America: [snipped quote] As Kausfiles noted, that... |
Jason Van Steenwyk: U.S. Nails Fallujah Terrorist, Zarqawi Associate — Great news. [snipped quote] This is significant for two reasons: 1.) Orrin Judd: OFF WITH HIS HEAD: U.S. Arrests Senior Al-Zarqawi Leader (AP, 10/23/04) [snipped quote] Iraqi tv should start running videos of Allawi holding up these guys heads. |
TIME Poll: Bush Opens 5 Point Lead Against Kerry Time — Permalink President Bush has opened a 5 point lead against Senator John Kerry, according the latest TIME poll. If the 2004 election for President were held today, 51% of likely voters surveyed would vote for President George W. Bush, 46% would vote for Senator John... | |
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Taegan Goddard: The latest Time magazine poll shows Bush with a 5% lead among likely voters, 51% to 46%. Captain Ed: Time: Bush Pulls Ahead, Up By 5 — Time Magazine, which had the presidential race a dead heat a week ago, now says that... |
Ace: If he loses Ohio, he could still win, but he'd have to draw to pick up the straight. Time now shows a 5 point Bush lead. |
If Bush loses, the winner won't be Kerry: it will be Zarqawi By / Telegraph — Permalink Earlier in the week, I was talking to a brisk, amusing, Toryish member of the Great and the Good. It had recently fallen to her to give away some prizes at a ceremony to do with helping the environment. | |
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Deacon: Why they'd like to see him assassinated — Charles Moore in the Daily Telegraph describes the theory by which British... Orrin Judd: CALL IT, HARVEY: If Bush loses, the winner won't be Kerry: it will be Zarqawi (Charles Moore, 23/10/2004, Daily Telegraph) [snipped quote] They are opposite sides of the coin. |
John Derbyshire: BUSH MUST, AND WILL, WIN — A splendidly sane op-ed piece in today's Daily Telegraph from British journo Charles Moore,... |
Post-election purge, reform appears likely within CIA Knight Ridder — Permalink WASHINGTON - Porter Goss' initial moves as CIA director appear to herald a post-election purge at the already troubled spy agency, according to current and former top U.S. intelligence officials. | |
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Laura Rozen: Porter Goss and his band of GOP staffers from the Hill are planning to institute reform at the CIA by firing 90 people... Matthew Yglesias: Awesome — Porter Goss plans post-election "purge" at the CIA. Goss is a hack. |
Orrin Judd: IF YOU CAN'T CLOSE IT, GUT IT: Post-election purge, reform appears likely within CIA (Warren P. Strobel and Jonathan S... Meteor Blades: The fruits of that limp moment are already ripening, according to Warren P. Strobel and Jonathan S. Landay at Knight... |
After Terror, a Secret Rewriting of Military Law By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON - In early November 2001, with Americans still staggered by the Sept. 11 attacks, a small group of White House officials worked in great secrecy to devise a new system of justice for the new war they had declared on terrorism. | |
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Phillip Carter: Tim Golden has a lengthy piece in Sunday's New York Times on the efforts of the Bush administration to devise a new... |
Laura Rozen: "Not a single terrorist has been prosecuted in the three years since officials gave the military the authority to detain... |
When Is a Cut Not a Cut? By / Slate — Permalink Have you seen George W. Bush's latest campaign ad—the one with the wolves? A shaky hand-held camera moves through a forest at twilight. Suddenly a wolf darts across the screen, then another, until finally we see a whole pack of wolves, rising from their slumber to come get us. | |
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Mark Kleiman: Fred Kaplan has the facts and the documentation. Now will the mainstream media blow the whistle on this, or roll over and play dead? Orrin Judd: MORE: When Is a Cut Not a Cut? : When it's a con. Bush's deceptive new ad. Scott Rosenberg: In the interim, I note that both Josh Marshall and Slate have posted similar comments. |
The Poor Man: Some people are saying the ad is deceptive, some say it is fear-mongering, and many people seem to think that the wolves seem not so much frightening as, well, adorable. Tim Dunlop: REALITY BASED COMMUNITY UPDATE: The fact-check by Fred Kaplan. |
Parties Fret Over Which Voters Will Tip the Scales By / WaPo — Permalink The electorate has been polled, polled and polled again. Campaign workers have knocked on millions of doors with millions more to hit before Nov. 2. Voter registration figures in some states show big increases. And voter interest in the presidential election appears to be at record levels. | |
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Susan Madrak: "I really don't think it's gonna be close enough for them to steal," I said. "I hope you're right," my dad said. |
DemFromCT: Beyond Polling — A couple of points to be made about this Baltz article in the WaPo: "The electorate has been polled, polled and polled again. |
Trust me, I'm a Guardian reader By / Guardian — Permalink For more than a week the Guardian has been under an unprecedented email bombardment from the United States. The stimulus was an exercise mounted by G2, the tabloid second section of the paper, to put individual voters of undeclared party allegiance in the... | |
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Jan Haugland: Yes, the same blogger who alongside Tim Blair have been giving the same paper a good beating over the exceptionally ill-advised and now defunct "Operation Clark County." Scott Burgess: Guardian, in Hole, Digs — While it would arguably be more prudent to let the matter drop, today's Guardian continues to... Orrin Judd: DON'T KID YOURSELVES, WE ALL HATED YOU ALREADY: Trust me, I'm a Guardian reader: The reader's editor on... a word in the... |
Gary Farber: Over here, the "reader's editor," Ian Mayes, is not very much less stupid and stubborn: "The features editor of the... Tim Blair: GUARDIAN FOLKS 'DISMAYED' — The Guardian's Ian Mayes reveals that even Guardian staffers were opposed to Operation... |
Famous Faces on the Stump CNN — Permalink THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. ANNOUNCER: CROSSFIRE. On the left, James Carville and Paul Begala; on the right, Robert Novak and Tucker Carlson. | |
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Tim Dunlop: Here's how he introduced the segment: "WATKINS: Well, let's talk about what is happening right now. |
Atrios: Puppies — Crossfire yesterday: WATKINS: Well, let's talk about what is happening right now. The Bush campaign has rolled out its latest ad. |
The Campaign of a Comedian By / WaPo — Permalink Jon Stewart, fake journalist and proud of it, keeps insisting he's just a comedian. Night after night, "The Daily Show" host lampoons President Bush as a tongue-tied bumbler, Donald Rumsfeld as a mad ranter who resembles "Pete the crazy guy outside my... | |
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Jeff Jarvis: More Jon Stewart... and more Jon Stewart.... : Howard Kurtz has a very good page-one story in the Washington Post on the Jon Stewart phenom today (I'm quoted). |
Sadly @SadlyNo: Well, it's a study by Howard's standards — Howard Kurtz write about The Daily Show and Jon Stewart |
Memos Warned of Billing Fraud by Firm in Iraq By / NYT — Permalink Managers of a security firm that won large contracts in Iraq warned their bosses in February of what they called a pattern of fraudulent billing practices, internal company memorandums suggest. | |
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Steve Clemons: There are revelations today in the New York Times that the firm Custer Battles repeatedly billed the Coalition Provisional Authority for non-existent services. |
Larre @LeftCoaster: We might title it Two Kings, The Sequel: 'Custer Battles'? |
Vice President and Mrs. Cheney's Remarks and Q&A at a Town Hall Meeting in Carroll, Ohio White House — Permalink MRS. CHENEY: Well, thank you so much. (Applause.) THE VICE PRESIDENT: Sit down, please. MRS. CHENEY: That's terrific. What a warm welcome. Do you suppose that this is Bush-Cheney country? (Applause.) | |
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Brad @ShrillBlog: [quote]Dick Cheney says it's "absolute garbage" and the campaign has enlisted retired general and now Bush surrogate Tommy Franks to help back their case.[end quote] Josh Marshall: Then on Tuesday afternoon Dick Cheney picked up the baton and said Kerry's claims were "absolute garbage. It's just not true." |
Steve Soto: In his usual manner, Dick Cheney has jumped in to defend the administration by simply telling bald-faced lies about Tora... |
CHER ISSUES BUSH WARNING AT DISCO Drudge Report — Permalink Only a couple hundred came out to see Cher Friday night at Miami Beach's CROBAR disco, but that did not stop the legendary diva from issuing an election warning against Republican control. "There were supposed to be thousands of people here tonight. | |
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Jeff @BeautifulAtrocities: CHER'S BEEN READING ANDREW SULLIVAN: "All the gay guys, all my gay friends, you guys you have got to vote, alright? |
Arthur Chrenkoff: Update: Drudge also reports on Cher's much under-attended anti-Bush disco rally in Florida, where the aging diva took... |
Neck and Neck By / Newsweek — Permalink Oct. 23 - With the number of days before the presidential election dwindling down to single digits, a new NEWSWEEK poll finds President George W. Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry running in an ever tighter race. | |
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Ace: Two ties: Newsweek has it knotted up nationally, 46-46, for what it's worth. And, for what it's worth, I don't think Newsweek polls are worth much. |
DemFromCT: Update [2004-10-23 11:28:4 by DemFromCT]: Newsweek says it's a tie with RV 46-46 (a 3-way). Note Bush's numbers, not Kerry's. |
Secret GOP Weapon By / Opinion Journal — Permalink To an outsider George W. Bush's political demeanor seems little more than stumbling tautology. He utters his campaign message in clipped phrases, filled with bravado and repeated references to God, and to resoluteness of purpose. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: It sounds interesting. UPDATE: Here's a column by Webb. |
PoliPundit: Secret Weapon — Bush's secret weapon: The Scots-Irish vote. |
Daily Endorsement Tally: On a Big Day for Bush, He Snags 'N.Y. Post,' 'Wash. Times,' and Others By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK It was a big day for President Bush in E&P's exclusive tally of daily newspaper endorsements, closing his gap with Senator John Kerry by every measure. Bush gained eight papers today, with Kerry picking up just two. | |
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Taegan Goddard: Though President Bush got the endorsement of several newspapers Saturday, including the New York Post and the Washington... |
DemFromCT: Note also there'll be more newspaper endorsements this weekend. Bush has picked up the usual suspects (NY Post, WashTimes). |
17 Iraqi Security Officers Killed by Car Bombs By / WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD — Two car bombs killed 17 Iraqi security officers on duty in the Sunni Triangle on Saturday morning. Six U.S. service members were wounded in a separate attack on a military convoy shortly after dawn in Baghdad. | |
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Jeff Quinton: 17 Iraqi Police Killed — WaPo "Two car bombs killed 17 Iraqi security officers on duty in the Sunni Triangle on Saturday morning. |
DemFromCT: Six soldiers killed wounded? What else is new. 14 Iraqi police killed? Yawn. We're up to around 90 at least 40 attacks on US/allied forces a day. |
No Direct Evidence of Plot To Attack Around Elections WaPo — Permalink At the FBI, about 2,000 counterterrorism agents have been assigned the task of conducting interviews and following up on leads, with instructions to report to 24-hour call centers in each field office. | |
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Lambert @Corrente: [quote]"We've not unearthed anything that would add any credence to talk of an election-related attack," (via WaPo) [end quote] Possibilities, possibilities.... Possibility 1. Steve Soto: Washington Post, today What's this "authorities have been instructed not to talk publicly about the issue before the elections" business? |
Cori Dauber: The actual headline is a bit better: "No Direct Evidence of Plot To Attack Around Elections." Jeralyn Merritt: No Evidence of Pre-Election Attack — The Washington Post reports on the lack of evidence to support an earlier Administation claim of a pre-Election day attack in the U.S. |
Union fury at Stop the War coalition's sectarianism Guardian — Permalink The public sector union Unison has threatened to sever its relations with the Stop the War coalition, whose internal strains have prompted one prominent leftwinger to resign. | |
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John Derbyshire: Britain's Stop the War folk, however, demand IMMEDIATE withdrawal of coalition forces. "The TUC [i.e. |
Harry @HarrysPlace: Guardian on 'Stop the War' crisis — The Guardian today has a story on the rising opposition to the Stop the War Coalition's leadership. |
U.S. Begins Tighter Flight School Checks By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal government has begun conducting background checks on all foreigners seeking to attend U.S. flight schools, the Transportation Security Administration said Friday. | |
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Michelle Malkin: PROFILING FOREIGN FLIGHT STUDENTS — Better late than never, I guess. |
Susan Madrak: UNBELIEVABLE — As Kos put it, [snipped quote] [snipped quote] Well! |
Two Visions, Two Styles in One Race to the Finish By / LAT — Permalink ORLANDO, Fla. — There is so little time, and Sen. John F. Kerry still has so many speeches left in him. As he hurtles across the country by charter jet and bus caravan in the waning days of his campaign for the presidency, he says the first thing, and sometimes anything, that comes to mind. | |
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Orrin Judd: BONFIRE OF THE MYTHS: Two Visions, Two Styles in One Race to the Finish: For better or worse, stump speeches give way to ad-libs as he reaches out to the uncommitted. |
Betsy Newmark: The LA Times has a story on Kerry on the stump. It is not really complimentary to how Kerry is doing. Here are some examples. |
George W. Bush For President Jewish Press — Permalink It was George W. Bush's lot to have been elected president at a time when two defining developments were at work, fundamentally changing the world landscape. The European Union's burgeoning determination to fill the international political void created by the collapse of the Soviet Union was one. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: KOSHER FOR ELECTION DAY — Oy. I wonder if this might drive up the Republican share of the vote among American Jews. Marc Schulman: Armed Liberal: I'm Voting for Bush Zenpundit: Blogosoheric Endorsements for the Presidency Tech Central Station:... Deacon: Gut gezugt — The Jewish Press, America's largest Jewish newspaper, has endorsed President Bush. It finds the choice "an easy one." |
David Allan Pell: Meanwhile, a group called the Jewish Press regurgitates the Bush talking points in their endorsement of the incumbent. Orrin Judd: THE CHOSEN'S CHOSEN (via AWW): George W. Bush For President (EDITORIAL BOARD, 10/20/2004, Jewish Press) "It was George... Ted Belman: If you care about Israel, vote Bush — I strongly recommend reading George W. Bush For President By EDITORIAL BOARD of the Jewish Press. |
| Also: Charles Johnson | |
Bin Laden's exact location is known, says 9-11 panelist By / L.A. Daily News — Permalink CLAREMONT — The Pentagon knows exactly where Osama bin Laden is hiding in Pakistan, it just can't get to him, John Lehman, a member of the 9-11 commission, said Thursday. | |
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Lambert @Corrente: Asked how bin Laden was surviving, Lehman said he was getting money from outside countries, such as the United Arab... Susan Madrak: DISPLACED PERSON — It turns out we know just where bin Laden is; we just can't take him out because all our troops are in Iraq. |
Greg Ransom: OSAMA BIN LADEN — WE KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. And you are a dead man. Jeralyn Merritt: Jim Lehman, a member of the 9/11 Commission and former Navy Secretary under Ronald Regan - as well as Colin Powell - say the U.S. knows exactly where Osama is hiding in Pakistan. |
Election chief warns of absentee scam By / St. Petersburg Times — Permalink Pasco elections officials have a warning for the county's absentee voters: Don't give your ballot to a stranger claiming to be from the elections office. They're not who they say they are. | |
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Chris Bowers: "Minority and elderly absentee voters fooled into relinquishing their ballots." Susan Madrak: OY Duncan asks the logical question: When is the national press corps going to start connecting the dots on this systematic voter fraud? |
Avedon Carol: Atrios: When is the media going to start caring that there is clearly a well-organized nationwide effort to throw votes in the garbage? Atrios: More Florida Election Fraud — When is the media going to start caring that there is clearly a well-organized nationwide effort to throw votes in the garbage? |
Lowering the Subtlety of Political Discourse By / NYT — Permalink If the juxtaposition weren't so shameless, if the political climate were not so scurrilous, if the country were not actively at war and men, women and children were not dying in that war, this composite triumvirate of Moore-Hitler-Kerry might be easy to laugh off. | |
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Steve M.: PLAYING THE NAZI CARD — Republicans again: If you didn't know where the new film "Celsius 41.11" was coming from you... |
Steve Gilliard: We hate Michael Moore — Leni Riefensthal lives, Celsius 41.1 Lowering the Subtlety of Political Discourse By MANOHLA... |
Bunning unaware of Iraq story By / Courier-Journal — Permalink U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning said yesterday that he was unaware of reports that a unit of Army Reserve soldiers in Iraq had refused an order to deliver fuel for reasons including that their trucks were lightly armored. | |
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Todd Pearson: Sen. Bunning — What a fool. [snipped quote] It is almost as if he is trying to lose. Gen JC Christian: We learned this today when the Senator explained his ignorance about the recent mutiny in Iraq by saying: "Let me... Taegan Goddard: Bunning Unaware of Iraq Story — Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) "said yesterday that he was unaware of reports that a unit of... |
Jesse Taylor: Bunning, however, has another reason for appearing so incredibly out-of-touch: [snipped quote] Given what the average... Kos: KY-Sen: Bunning is going down, down, down — This is a beauty. [snipped quote] Of course, even Fox News reported on this story. |
Officials Fear Iraq's Lure for Muslims in Europe NYT — Permalink PARIS, Oct. 22 - France's antiterrorist police on Friday identified a young Frenchman killed fighting the United States in Iraq, the first confirmed case of what is believed to be a growing stream of Muslims heading from Europe to fight what they regard as a new holy war. | |
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Cori Dauber: Today the Times reports that one of the terrorists taken out in a strike in Fallujah was a French citizen, and that in... |
Steve Gilliard: The terrorist international — Officials Fear Iraq's Lure for Muslims in Europe By CRAIG S. SMITH and DON VAN NATTA Jr... |
David Barton & the 'Myth' of Church-State Separation By / beliefnet — Permalink The Republican National Committee is employing the services of a Texas-based activist who believes the United States is a "Christian nation" and the separation of church and state is "a myth." | |
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Lambert @Corrente: "(Belief.net via Oliver Willis)" Well, I guess we know who's locked up the JeeboFascist vote, don't we? Andrew Sullivan: It's a story that needs to be followed up. Kudos to Beliefnet for breaking it. The gist: [snipped quote] It gets worse. |
Oliver Willis: David Barton & the 'Myth' of Church-State Separation [snipped quote] (via Andrew Sullivan and the expletive-laden John Cole) |
Kerry Campaign Shifts Its Focus to Southwest By / LAT — Permalink LAS VEGAS — When John Kerry arrives in Reno today for his sixth visit to Nevada this year, he will underscore a dramatic shift in the geography of the race for the White House. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: According to Ron Brownstein, Democrats have essentially given up on the region and shifted resources elsewhere:... |
Nick Confessore: But I'm surprised at the credence he lends GOP spin in this story about John Kerry's decision not to spend lots of money campaigning in southern states. |
Without saying a word, Ventura gets behind Kerry AP — Permalink ST. PAUL (AP) — Former Gov. Jesse Ventura now supports John Kerry for president. You'll just have to take Angus King's word for it. In a bizarre news conference Friday in the Capitol complex, Ventura stood silently next to the former Maine governor in an event billed as independents for Kerry. | |
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H.D. Miller: Weirdy Beardies — Weirdy Beardy Jesse VenturaWeirdy Beardy Al Gore And you thought Al Gore had acted odd after he left office. Hesiod: THE BODY POLITC: Apparently, Jesse "the Boobie" Ventura is supporting Kerry. |
Captain Ed: More as this develops ... 6:36 - Jesse Ventura endorsed John Kerry, but refused to speak to reporters about his statement. |
Scripps poll: Kerry ahead in key state of Ohio Raleigh News & Observer — Permalink (SH) - Democrat John Kerry has a lead as high as 6 percent over President Bush in the key battleground state of Ohio, according to a survey completed Thursday night at Ohio University's Scripps Survey Research Center. | |
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Ruy Teixeira: Another Solid Lead for Kerry in Ohio — The new Ohio University/Scripps Survey Research Center poll, conducted October... Taegan Goddard: Here are some notable state polls: Ohio: Kerry 49, Bush 43 (Scripps) Ohio: Kerry 50, Bush 44 (Gallup) Pennsylvania:... |
Captain Ed: That comes on the heels of the Scripps poll showing a four-point Kerry lead in Ohio among likely voters, with Gallup reporting a Kerry one-point edge there. |
Kerry Campaign Statement on New Bush Ad 'Wolves' U.S. Newswire — Permalink WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 /U.S. Newswire/ — Statement by Kerry spokesman Chad Clanton on the new Bush campaign ad "Wolves": "Instead of giving voters even one good reason to vote for him, George W. Bush has chosen to scare the American people with images of wolves. | |
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Avedon Carol: "Kerry campaign responds to new Bush ad: Instead of giving voters even one good reason to vote for him, George W. Bush has chosen to scare the American people with images of wolves." Oliver Willis: Eagle — The DNC has a nice response to the pathetic Bush "Wolves" ad, check it out. |
Captain Ed: ... 6:20 - You gotta love the DNC's response to the new Bush "Wolves" ad that addresses Kerry's attempted evisceration... Taegan Goddard: Update: Kerry responds. Meanwhile, Political Wire has learned that the Kerry campaign is coming out with an ad comparing Bush to an ostrich. |
U.N. Official: Iraq Election 'On Track' By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - Preparations for the crucial January election are "on track" and the absence of international observers due to the country's tenuous security should not detract from the vote's credibility, the top U.N. electoral expert here said. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: I'M SURPRISED THIS STORY HASN'T GOTTEN MORE ATTENTION: [snipped quote] Given the record of the international observers in Venezuela, I think he's got a point. Captain Ed: Iraqi Elections "On Track": UN — In a body blow to the hysterics and Chicken Littles in American politics, the top UN... |
Lorie Byrd: Good News From Iraq — Captain Ed posts good news about the track for elections in Iraq. |
Al-Jazeera Airs Tape of Weeping Aid Worker By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Margaret Hassan, the kidnapped director of CARE International in Iraq, appeared on a videotape aired Friday, weeping and pleading with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to withdraw troops from Iraq "and not bring them to Baghdad" because "this might be my last hours." | |
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Jan Haugland: Hassan was pulled from her car in Baghdad on Tuesday, and yesterday the kidnappers sent a carefully staged video that... Roger L. Simon: As if he hadn't had enough, now he has to deal with a weeping kidnapped CARE director Margaret HAssan pleading with him... Talking Dog: We got trouble right here in Tigris River City. |
Joe Gandelman: It's All A Matter Of (Tragic) Timing — The pressure - -and stress — is piling on England's Prime Minister Tony Blair... Jeralyn Merritt: Al Jazeera Airs Video of Weeping Hostage — British-Iraqi aid worker and kidnapping hostage Margaret Hassan may be the next victim. |
El Presidente Speaks By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush granted two interviews to Spanish-language television networks yesterday. In one interview, Telemundo's Pedro Sevcec gave Bush yet another chance to admit a mistake. But no dice. Here's an English-language excerpt of the interview, from NBC's Today show. | |
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Brad @ShrillBlog: Dan Froomkin reports: "El Presidente Speaks (washingtonpost.com): Twenty months after the invasion of Iraq, the... Michael Froomkin: Update: Well, you may see it in your online newspaper. |
DeLong: Why Oh Why Are We Ruled by These Liars? (Because It Works for Them Department) Dan Froomkin writes: [snipped quote] It's interesting. |
Bush Ad Hints Terrorists Want Kerry to Win By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush's campaign, using powerful imagery of prowling wolves, suggests the country under John Kerry would be vulnerable to terrorists in a new television ad that says ''weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.'' | |
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Cori Dauber: For God sakes, not only does it not match what's in the ad, it doesn't even match the AP reporter's analysis or description of what's in the ad. Taegan Goddard: The AP says the ad "implies that terrorists would seize on a Kerry presidency and it seeks to make the case that Bush's... |
David Neiwert: Asleep at the wheel — So Team Bush is once again trying to suggest that terrorists want Kerry to win with an unintentionally hilarious ad comparing terrorists to wolves. Tom Burka: New Bin Laden Tape Endorses Kerry, White House Says — The White House today said that they had discovered a new tape... |
'Frightened to death' of Bush By / Courier-Journal — Permalink I shall cast my vote for John Kerry come Nov 2. I have been, and will continue to be, a Republican. But when we as a party send the wrong person to the White House, then it is our responsibility to send him home if our nation suffers as a result of his actions. | |
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Kevin Drum: OLD SCHOOL....Former Kentucky senator and staunch Republican Marlow Cook: "I am not enamored with John Kerry, but I am frightened to death of George Bush." Kos: Kentucky (former Republican senator) "'Frightened to death' of Bush I shall cast my vote for John Kerry come Nov 2. |
Skippy: marlow w. cook, ex-repub senator from kentucky: "i shall cast my vote for john kerry come nov 2. |
Afghanistan, Iraq: Two Wars Collide WaPo — Permalink In the second half of March 2002, as the Bush administration mapped its next steps against al Qaeda, Deputy CIA Director John E. McLaughlin brought an unexpected message to the White House Situation Room. | |
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Lambert @Corrente: Iraq, they said, became a voracious consumer of time, money, personnel and diplomatic capital — as well as the scarce... Brad @ShrillBlog: Impeach the scum now: "washingtonpost.com: Afghanistan, Iraq: Two Wars Collide: By Barton Gellman and Dafna Linzer... Kevin Drum: STATE vs. NON-STATE TERRORISM...There's all sorts of interesting stuff in Barton Gellman and Dafna Linzer's Washington... |
Richard TPD: If you still believe, deep inside, that we are actually "winning" our War on Terror and/or that the invasion of Iraq... Oliver Willis: How Bush Let Osama Get Away In Order To Avenge His Daddy — From The Washington Post: Afghanistan, Iraq: Two Wars... Jeanne D'Arc: It's perfectly legitimate to debate which candidate has a better understanding of the nature of terrorism — although I... |
| Also: Cori Dauber, Phillip Carter, Steve Soto, David Allan Pell, Jesse Taylor, Orrin Judd, Laura Rozen, Matthew Yglesias, Gary Farber, Kevin Raybould, Steve Gilliard, Hilzoy @ObsidianWings, Atrios, Ted Belman, Mathew Gross | |
Voting and Counting By / NYT — Permalink If the election were held today and the votes were counted fairly, Senator John Kerry would probably win. But the votes won't be counted fairly, and the disenfranchisement of minority voters may determine the outcome. | |
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Chris Bowers: Krugman yesterday: "But if you get your political news from cable TV, you probably have a very different sense of where things stand. Ruy Teixeira: Paul Krugman Weighs in on the Gallup Problem — Paul Krugman's important column in The New York Times today leads with... James Joyner: Paul Krugman echoes these comments in today's NYT: "If the election were held today and the votes were counted fairly, Senator John Kerry would probably win. |
Avedon Carol: Experts on Social Security become Shrill! (via) Paul Krugman says Kerry is ahead in the polls and could likely win the... Lambert @Corrente: Election fraud 2004: Krugman sets the baseline — Not shrill, not shrill at all: [snipped quote] I would be more, well,... Greg Ransom: THE TENURED GOD OF THE MOONBAT LEFT. |
| Also: Tarek @LiquidList, John Cole, Paradox @LeftCoaster, DemFromCT, Magpie @PacificViews | |
Sacrificing Israel By / WaPo — Permalink The centerpiece of John Kerry's foreign policy is to rebuild our alliances so the world will come to our aid, especially in Iraq. He repeats this endlessly because it is the only foreign policy idea he has to offer. The problem for Kerry is that he cannot explain just how he proposes to do this. | |
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David Allan Pell: Making Masada out of Molehills — Krauthammer offers up the latest attempt to scare the Kerry vote out of you. Deacon: The first 100 days, Part III — Charles Krauthammer explains how John Kerry will go about rebuilding our alliances so the world will come to our aid, especially in Iraq. Orrin Judd: THEY WERE EXPENDABLE: Sacrificing Israel (Charles Krauthammer, October 22, 2004, Washington Post) [snipped quote] The... |
Mike Rappaport: Krauthammer on Kerry and Israel — Charles Krauthammer has this analysis predicting that Kerry will sacrifice Israel to the Europeans. Avedon Carol: Charles Krauthammer has fabricated his very own Kerry foreign policy: sell-out Israel. Roger L. Simon: Krauthammer has a column this morning that is getting a lot of attention in the blogosphere and elsewhere. |
| Also: Eric Soskin, Marc Schulman, Glenn Reynolds, Ted Belman, Greg Ransom | |
Kerry ignites Dome crowd Minneapolis Star Tribune — Permalink Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry made his eighth campaign stop in Minnesota on Thursday night at a raucous rally in the Metrodome parking lot. Tens of thousands of fans roared their way through an amped-up 34-minute version of the Massachusetts... | |
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Saint Paul: For example, the Star Tribune's breathless headline today "Kerry Ignites Dome Crowd" and the objective description... Oliver Willis: Spin vs Reality — "Captain Ed" crashes head-on with the reality. Sigh. Captain Ed: UPDATE: Oliver Willis thinks that I've crashed head-on into the spin, and links back to this Star Tribune report on the rousing success of the rally. |
Avedon Carol: So "tens of thousands" turn out for a Kerry rally and cheer their little hearts out ("Kerry ignited thousands of... The Big Trunk: Coleman turns a gimlet eye on the event: [snipped quote] The Star Tribune's report by Bob von Sternberg and Terry... |
Religious Leaders Ahead in Iraq Poll By / WaPo — Permalink Leaders of Iraq's religious parties have emerged as the country's most popular politicians and would win the largest share of votes if an election were held today, while the U.S.-backed government of interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi is losing serious ground, according to a U.S.-financed poll by the International Republican Institute. | |
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Brian Doherty: Democracy in Iraq — According to recent polls, as reported in the Washington Post, 46 percent of Iraqis support rebel... Kriston @BeggingToDiffer: ON POLLS, ZEALOTRY, AND THE FUTURE OF IRAQ — Robin Wright of the Washington Post reports on the other horserace:... Steve Soto: And his cult of believers simply lap it up because we haven't been attacked again, while Bush uses our troops in Iraq as... |
Gary Farber: A POLL THAT MATTERS is the latest in Iraq. Orrin Judd: LONG PAST READY: Religious Leaders Ahead in Iraq Poll: U.S. Matthew Yglesias: Robin Wright writes up the results of an International Republican Institute (IRI) poll of Iraqi opinion heading into the January elections. |
| Also: Ted Belman, Max B. Sawicky, Susan Madrak, Andrew Sullivan | |
Guardian calls it quits in Clark County fiasco By / Telegraph — Permalink The Guardian yesterday ran up the white flag and called a halt to "Operation Clark County", the newspaper's ambitious scheme to recruit thousands of readers to persuade American voters in a swing state to kick out President George W Bush in next month's election. | |
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Puce: NOOOOOOOO CLICK no Clock country, darectinles, nowhat noplace as hoem noplace as hoem noplace as hoem CLICK CLICK CLICK halp libary ladie comng ovar Bill @INDCJournal: Clueless Leftist Brits Raise White Flag — Another Friday titter: The Guardian yesterday ran up the white flag and... Charles Johnson: Big time. Guardian calls it quits in Clark County fiasco. |
Clayton Cramer: The results were counterproductive: "The cancellation of the project came 24 hours after the first of some 14,000 letters from Guardian readers began arriving in Clark County. Ace: British Sissy-Paper Calls Off Campaign to Swing Ohio Voters British Writers Objected To Mass-Emails Suggesting That They... McQ: Well, the law of unintended consequences has scuttled that endeavor: [snipped quote] Oops. |
| Also: Scott Burgess, Orrin Judd | |
On the stump, Bush slows pace to his liking Boston Globe — Permalink DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. — The presidency may be hard work, as President Bush said several times during the first debate. But his campaigning these days appears much less so, with a relatively moderate travel schedule and an unusually narrow list of targeted travel states. | |
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Lambert @Corrente: Election fraud 2004: And so it begins in Ohio — I guess know we know why Inerrant Boy hasn't showed his face in Ohio... Taegan Goddard: Bush Eases Up on Campaign Trail — "The presidency may be hard work, as President Bush said several times during the first debate," the Boston Globe reports. Barbara O'Brien: Figure This Out — Bush's campaign schedule is slowing down, according to Anne Kornblut and Rick Klein of the Boston Globe. |
KJL: I'M TOTALLY INTO THE WESTERN WHITE HOUSE THING — But, I think I want the president in battleground states, not Crawford this weekend... Orrin Judd: WE'VE ALL GOT TV'S: On the stump, Bush slows pace to his liking (Anne E. Kornblut and Rick Klein, October 22, 2004,... |
Nick Coleman: Ahh, comic relief at a political rally Minneapolis Star Tribune — Permalink Mr. Fun came to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on Thursday night and made a lot of people happy. No, I am not referring to the Democratic presidential candidate, John F. Kerry. There is no way anyone could confuse John Kerry with Mr. Fun. | |
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The Big Trunk: Coleman covers the Kerry rally in his Star Tribune column today: "Ahh, comic relief at a political rally." Captain Ed: However, Coleman's description of the John Kerry rally yesterday in Minneapolis sounds so odd that it bears a closer look. |
James Joyner: Kerry Supporters Leave Rally Early — Nick Coleman: Ahh, comic relief at a political rally (Minneapolis Star Tribune)... Mitch Berg: Kerry Visit — I didn't go to the Kerry rally yesterday - although I did drive past the Kerry headquarters on Wednesday, and thought briefly about grabbing a ticket. |
Pentagon Reportedly Skewed C.I.A.'s View of Qaeda Tie By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 - As recently as January 2004, a top Defense Department official misrepresented to Congress the view of American intelligence agencies about the relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda, according to a new report by a Senate Democrat. | |
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Avedon Carol: "Bless Carl Levin for going after Doug Feith for lying to Congress about ties between Saddam and Islamist terrorists." Steve Clemons: In the New York Times Douglas Jehl reports: The report said a classified document prepared by Douglas J. Feith, the... |
Matthew Yglesias: (Also check out Doug Jehl's New York Times writeup of the report.) James Joyner: Democrats Charge Feith Misrepresented Intelligence — Pentagon Reportedly Skewed C.I.A.'s View of Qaeda Tie [RSS]... |
A Fading 'Nader Factor'? WaPo — Permalink ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 21 — In a state where he has been vilified by Democrats for siphoning votes from Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, Ralph Nader was typically unstinting in his criticisms of President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry on Thursday, referring to the choice facing voters as one between "heart disease and cancer." | |
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Avedon Carol: He also recommends a WashPost article on A Fading Nader Factor that says suggests Nader's support is now a negligible factor in the race. Taegan Goddard: Democrats Seek to Neutralize Nader — "Groups seeking to minimize Nader's impact are focusing on at least seven states... |
Ruy Teixeira: The Nader Non-Factor — The Washington Post had a good front-page article today, "A Fading 'Nader Factor'?" . |
PERFECT POLITICAL STORM By / New York Post — Permalink LET'S drop the partisan fighting and the ideologi cal battling for a moment to step back, take a look around, and then ask: Has there ever, ever, ever been an election as exciting as this one? The answer, after some consideration, is: No way, not by a long shot. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: JOHN PODHORETZ WRITES: [snipped quote] I think by the time this is over I'll have had all the excitement I want. Hugh Hewitt: John Podhoretz loves the blogs' coverage of the election. He's right of course. |
Greg Ransom: JOHN PODHORETZ — babies, bottles .. and blogs. Also some good poll analysis. Betsy Newmark: John Podhoretz says that this is such an exciting election, partly because we have bloggers doing such thoughtful analysis such as Gerry Daly, Jay Cost, and David Wissing. |