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Christian Conservatives Must Not Compromise By / LAT — Permalink Voters reject liberalism, an evil ideology. Christians, in politics as in evangelism, are not against people or the world. But we are against false ideas that hold good people captive. On Tuesday, this nation rejected liberalism, primarily because liberalism has been taken captive by the left. | |
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Harley: One Christian Voice — Only one, but Michael Kinsley was smart, devilishly smart I'd say, to allow it to be heard on the LA Times op-ed page. Oliver Willis: What They Elected — I hope the alleged libertarians, the so-called liberals, and all the rest listen up to their new allies. Ed Cone: From an op-ed piece by Frank Pastore in the LA Times (reg. required): "The left bewitches with its potions and elixirs,... |
Lambert @Corrente: Are they, um, sacrosanct? And then there's this guy. John Pastore Pastrami: [snipped quote] Thanks, LA Times. More like this. Avedon Carol: Friday, 05 November 2004 "Remember: They never stop thinking of new ways to harm our country Kevin Drum said to read the... Laura Rozen: I have a lot of Christian religious friends who do not consider that their political views should be held hostage by fanatics like this. |
| Also: Digby, Richard TPD, Kevin Drum, Kevin Roderick, Matt Welch | |
The Gay Marriage Myth By / Slate — Permalink Did "moral values"—in particular, the anti-gay marriage measures on ballots in 11 states this week—drive President Bush's re-election? That's the early conventional wisdom as Democrats begin soul-searching and finger-pointing. | |
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Talking Dog: Making a statement that we want to discriminate against gays— that matters (though the veep points out that... Digby: The Gay Marriage Myth - Terrorism, not values, drove Bush's re-election. Ogged @Unfogged: Perhaps This Blogger Jumped to Conclusions — Well, s**t. These differences hold up at the state level even when each state's past Bush vote is taken into account. |
Ken Layne: 'The Gay Marriage Myth' — Will Carroll sent me this Slate piece about the whole Moral Values thing. Kevin Drum: Basically, he says the whole "moral issues" debate is so much hot air: [snipped quote] My quickie reaction to this is... Eugene Volokh: Moral values vs. terrorism as important issues for voters: Politics professor Paul Freedman argues that gay marriage and... |
| Also: Matthew Yglesias | |
Americans flock to Canada's immigration Web site By / Reuters — Permalink OTTAWA (Reuters) - The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt with the idea of abandoning their homeland after President George W. Bush's election win this week. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Some notable articles and posts to read as you head into the weekend: LOSING A SENSE OF PERSECTIVE: Some people are... Richard TPD: Escape while you can — That seems to be the mentality among many Americans as they consider migrating to Canada. Joel Foreman: A lot of people want to leave the good ol' USA because GWB will be in charge for four more years, and I guess they can't... |
Baldilocks: Without him, it seems that his party has forgotten how to win but not how to grumble or to flee in the wake of not getting its way. Clayton Cramer: Promises, Promises — Apparently there has been a big increase in Americans visiting the Canadian government's... Taegan Goddard: Update: Reuters says "the number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as... |
U.N.'s Annan Seeks to Prevent an Assault on Fallouja By / LAT — Permalink UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has warned leaders of the United States, Britain and Iraq that another full-scale assault on the rebel-held city of Fallouja would further alienate Iraqis and disrupt elections planned for January. | |
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Joe Gandelman: You've Got To Be Kidding Department — Let me rub my eyes again and see if I read this right: the UN Secretary General... Bird Dog: Annan to Iraq Coalition: Let the Insurgents and Terrorists in Fallujah Win — Somebody needs to sack Kofi Annan. James Joyner: And then there's this little nuisance: U.N.'s Annan Seeks To Prevent An Assault On Fallouja (LAT) "U.N... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE FIRING OF KOFI ANNAN — Bird Dog claims it is necessary. I disagree, but only because Annan is not charged with safeguarding American national security. Cori Dauber: YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP — Even when all press accounts agree that, first, the civilians have basically gotten... Rich Lowry: ANNAN V. ALLAWI — The UN chief is apparently in favor of maintaining Fallujah as a terrorist stronghold: "UNITED... |
Machine Error Gives Bush Extra Ohio Votes AP — Permalink COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - An error with an electronic voting system gave President Bush 3,893 extra votes in suburban Columbus, elections officials said. Franklin County's unofficial results had Bush receiving 4,258 votes to Democrat John Kerry's 260 votes in a precinct in Gahanna. | |
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Joe Gandelman: There are and have been stories about some weird things in certain places...but we haven't seen the overall story emerge yet. Chris Gruber: Major Miscount? Yahoo drops this one on us: [snipped quote] So, did Bush win? Did he win legitimately? Ezra Klein: Nevertheless, this doesn't inspire confidence. |
Jeralyn Merritt: Ohio Acknowledges Errors in Vote Tally For Bush — Too little, too late? But how often might this have happened? James Joyner: Machine Error Gives Bush Extra Ohio Votes — Machine Error Gives Bush Extra Ohio Votes (AP) [snipped quote] Embarrasing, if inevitable. Mathew Gross: No Kidding — Machine Error Gives Bush Extra Ohio Votes. |
Trench Warfare Newsweek — Permalink 'The Interregnum': After the primaries, Kerry was cranky and his campaign began to drift. The Bush war room wanted to 'define' him, and knew how to get under his skin Nov. 15 issue - John Kerry was really ill. In November he had picked up a cold, the ubiquitous campaign grippe, and by February he had walking pneumonia. | |
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Sir George: The Rats Start Telling Their Shipwreck Stories — Newsweek is running the inside story on the Kerry campaign, and it's not pretty. Ed Driscoll: Even after he lost, Evan Thomas's Newsweek refers to the man with the Magic Hat as "Lincolnesque". |
Charles Johnson: After reading it, I'm more happy and relieved than ever that this whining, imperious boor didn't make it to the Oval Office: Trench Warfare. KJL: THIS MAN COULD HAVE BEEN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES — From Newsweek: "The morning after the Feb. 3 primaries,... |
The Perfect Job for Bill LAT — Permalink Wanted: new chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Must be a big thinker—and inspiring. Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe did a lot of things for his party. He raised tons of money — there was an unprecedented $70 million nestled in party coffers for the election. | |
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Joe Gandelman: THE L.A. TIMES SUGGESTS A NEW DEMOCRATIC CHAIRMAN: An editorial in the L.A. Times (obnoxious registration required)... Steve Soto: As Josh Marshall argues, what the White House has done is turned our government into a parliamentary state, where the... Josh Marshall: Bill Clinton as — Chairman of the DNC? So says this LA Times editorial. To me it sounds like a great idea. |
Oliver Willis: The LAT thinks so. Von @ObsidianWings: This, it seems to me, would go a long way to admittin' the mistake and startin' the correctin' process. He's the guy who gets it. Taegan Goddard: Update: A Los Angeles Times editorial says Bill Clinton should head the Democratic Party. |
| Also: Paul Glastris | |
Why They Won By / NYT — Permalink The first thing Democrats must try to grasp as they cast their eyes over the smoking ruins of the election is the continuing power of the culture wars. Thirty-six years ago, President Richard Nixon championed a noble "silent majority" while his vice president, Spiro Agnew, accused liberals of twisting the news. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Thomas Frank says Democrats have to look at the impact of culture wars and less at triangulation, accomodation, etc. Awinters @Centerfield: Thomas Frank of the NY Times tells us why Why The Republicans Won. Andrei Cherny, also of the NY Times tells us why The Democrats Lost. Laura Rozen: What's the Matter With Kansas? author Thomas Franks writing in the NY Times on the continuing power of the culture wars:... |
Matthew Yglesias: I've got some serious disagreements with Thomas Frank's take on this whole phenomenon, but he's very right to argue in... Steve Lovelady: We'll concentrate on the Times to give you a taste of what you're likely to see more of in days to come: Frank... Orrin Judd: BECAUSE THEY ARE WHO YOU USED TO BE: Why They Won (THOMAS FRANK, 11/05/04, NY Times) [snipped quote] What do you suppose... |
G.I.'s Itch to Prove Their Mettle in Falluja By / NYT — Permalink NEAR FALLUJA, Iraq, Nov. 5 - The marines crept forward, glancing warily at each other as they approached a bomb-scarred building covered with Arabic lettering. Suddenly, one of them shouted "Sniper!" and another dropped to the ground as if wounded. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: NEWS FROM FALLUJAH: The Green Side is a blog worth reading. It looks like things are about to happen there. Matthew Yglesias: The operative question, instead, is whether having destroyed Falluja in order to save it and watched the January vote... |
Ann Althouse: Will MSM give us more positive-sounding reports from Iraq now that there's no longer an incentive to affect the election with Iraq-is-a-mess slanting? |
Why We Lost By / NYT — Permalink On Wednesday morning, Democrats across the country awoke to a situation they have not experienced since before the New Deal: We are now, without a doubt, America's minority party. We do not have the presidency. We are outnumbered in the Senate, the House, governorships and legislatures. | |
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Joe Gandelman: WHY THE DEMOCRATS LOST: Andrei Cherny writes that the Democrats lost because the party doesn't have a crystal clear... Awinters @Centerfield: Andrei Cherny, also of the NY Times tells us why The Democrats Lost. |
Gary Farber: Cherney has an OpEd piece today. "Any time Democrats spend in the coming weeks discussing the merits of our past... Steve Lovelady: He writes: [snipped quote] Cherny writes, "The over-arching problem Democrats have today is the lack of a clear sense of what the party stands for. |
Students Won't Leave Until GOP Answers AP — Permalink BOULDER, Colo. — About 85 students remained holed up inside the library at Boulder High School (search) early Friday, saying they're concerned about the direction the country is headed and refusing to leave until they've met with leaders from the Republican Party. | |
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Steve Gilliard: Young Americans — Our heroes This will make you feel good. PoliPundit: More Schadenfreude — More despairing, hysterical liberals. |
Ed Driscoll: Of course, that hasn't stopped about 85 students at Boulder High School in Colorado from holing up in the school library today. |
We progressives are horrified, as well we should be By / Houston Chronicle — Permalink Don't mourn. Organize. OK, we can mourn a little first. The punch in the stomach for blue Americans singing the blues was George W. Bush's popular vote lead of more than 3.5 million. | |
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Deacon: E.J. Dionne rallies the troops — Many thanks to Rocket Man for taking over the E.J. Dionne beat today. |
Hindrocket: Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne is usually Deacon's personal whipping boy, but today I'll take a turn. |
President Bush wins Iowa, finishes with 286 electoral votes to Kerry's 252 By / AP — Permalink DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) President Bush won Iowa on Friday, finishing the 2004 campaign with wins in all three of the states that were still up in the air on election night. The last result came in the state that started the election year with its party caucuses back in January. | |
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James Joyner: It's Official: Bush Wins Iowa, 286 Electoral Votes — President Bush wins Iowa, finishes with 286 electoral votes to... Glenn Reynolds: IT'S NOW 286-252, as Bush has won Iowa. Perspective, from the Boston Globe: "The Democrats' defeat in Iowa reflects a... |
Taegan Goddard: Bush Wins Iowa — [snipped quote] the AP reports. With Iowa decided, Bush finished with 286 electoral votes and Kerry 252. |
Bush's Iowa Win Highlights Dems' Trouble AP — Permalink President Bush answers questions during his presss conference at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House, Thursday, Nov. 4, 2004 in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) | |
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Betsy Newmark: So Iowa goes for Bush. I bet a lot of Democrats are saying, "Thanks a bunch, Iowa. |
Orrin Judd: IT'S RED: Bush's Victory in Iowa Highlights Trouble That Looms for Democrats in Shifting Midwest (AP, Nov 5, 2004) "Iowa had voted Democratic since 1984. |
. . . He Didn't Get By / WaPo — Permalink Don't mourn. Organize. Okay, we can mourn a little first. The punch in the stomach that really got blue Americans singing the blues was George W. Bush's popular vote lead of more than 3.5 million. | |
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Vanderleun: Political Corrections — "All the Dogs of Europe Bark" E. J. Dionne at the Washington Post is beginning to emit foam with . Tim Dunlop: Wag the god 2 — The point I'm making in the post below—that we can't allow the myth to develop that the so-called... Betsy Newmark: If you are tired of GOP triumphalism, get a load of E.J. Dionne this morning. He is quite angry. I think he needs an intervention. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: Meanwhile, E.J. Dionne writes the coulda shoulda woulda column of the week. McQ: The Left: Mandate? What mandate? EJ Dionne refects, what I fear, is how much of the left is going to view this election. KJL: Or so is my quick read of E. J. Dionne today. And, it is a sad day for America. |
Glitch gave Bush extra votes in Ohio AP — Permalink COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An error with an electronic voting system gave President Bush 3,893 extra votes in suburban Columbus, elections officials said. Franklin County's unofficial results had Bush receiving 4,258 votes to Democrat John Kerry's 260 votes in a precinct in Gahanna. | |
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Steve Soto: Computer "Glitch" In Ohio Gives Bush Nearly 4000 Votes Too Many - In Only ONE Precinct — Watch for more of these... |
Tom @Corrente: Looks like the story that the election was clean is starting to unravel already. CNN: [snipped quote] Interesting. |
Bush Wins Iowa to Claim Last Three States By / AP — Permalink DES MOINES, Iowa - President Bush won Iowa on Friday, finishing the 2004 campaign with wins in all three of the states that were still up in the air on election night. The last result came in the state that started the election year with its party caucuses back in January. | |
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Ace: Bush Wins Iowa — As well as New Mexico. Sweet. I haven't forgotten about the election predictions. Orrin Judd: THE ELECTORAL MAP GROWS GRIMMER: Bush Wins Iowa to Claim Last Three States (MIKE GLOVER, 11/05/04, Associated Press)... |
Captain Ed: AP: Democrats Losing Ground In Middle America — The AP notes that the final tallies in Iowa and New Mexico show that... |
American Exceptionalism NRO — Permalink The message of Tuesday's verdict. Tuesday's election was the greatest turnout in American political history, the first majority vote for a president-elect since 1988, and the largest number of ballots cast for a president in our history. | |
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Michael DeBow: Professor Hanson has now filed his report on Election '04: Yet another instance of American exceptionalism! Wind Rider: If its Friday, that means Hanson — Spot on, as usual - [snipped quote] I'm in complete agreement, with the exception of... |
Greg Ransom: VICTOR DAVIS HANSON WEIGHS IN. |
Don't Believe the Hype (2004 Remix) NRO — Permalink The "youth vote" fails to materialize — yet again. "This is the best election night in history," Democratic National Committee Chair Terry McAuliffe declared at 8 P.M. on Tuesday. Rumors around Washington suggest that he changed his position shortly thereafter. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Jonah Goldberg is not impressed with the power of the youth vote. |
Ed Driscoll: Don't Believe the Hype (2004 Remix) Jonah Goldberg looks at the stunning success (cough, cough) that was the 2004 youth vote. |
Privatized Accounts Moved to 'Fast Track' LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Bush on Thursday set the stage for a monumental legislative battle by placing Social Security reform at the top of his second-term agenda, even though he acknowledged that no long-term fix would be pain-free. | |
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Kevin Drum: THE PRIVATIZATION SHELL GAME....It looks like Social Security privatization is now at the top of President Bush's agenda. Orrin Judd: SURROUNDING THE BASTILLE: Privatized Accounts Moved to 'Fast Track' (Warren Vieth and Janet Hook, November 5, 2004, LA... |
James Joyner: Privatized Accounts Moved to 'Fast Track' (LAT) "President Bush on Thursday set the stage for a monumental legislative... Stirling Newberry: Looting Social Security Centerpiece of New Term — "Private Accounts" made top of the agenda. |
Those Who Voted for Bush May Be In for a Big Surprise By / LAT — Permalink Dear rural/exurban Christian conservative voters: Congratulations on your election victory. By going to the polls in unprecedented numbers Tuesday, you overwhelmed an enormous Democratic turnout and returned President Bush to office, along with a number of very conservative senators. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Onward, Christianist soldiers — Jonathan Chait thinks the theocratic wing of the Republican party is in for a rude... |
Matthew Yglesias: Nevertheless, as Jon Chait points out, just days after the election Bush is already making it clear that his political... |
U.N. Envoy: Darfur Sliding Toward Anarchy By / AP — Permalink UNITED NATIONS - A U.N. draft resolution on Friday urged warring parties in southern Sudan and western Darfur to reach peace agreements while promising international support and possible debt forgiveness if they do. | |
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Charles Johnson: UN: The Concept of the Carrot — The United Nations is becoming extremely vexed about the situation in Sudan: U.N. Envoy: Darfur Sliding Toward Anarchy. |
Eugene Oregon: Daily Darfur — Jan Pronk says the situation is deteriorating and that "Darfur may easily enter a state of anarchy; a total collapse of law and order." |
How Bush Did It Newsweek — Permalink Nov. 15 issue - In the winter of 2003-04, Jenna Bush, one of president Bush's 22-year-old twin daughters, dreamed that her father lost the election. Jenna had never before shown any interest in politics or much desire to get involved in her father's campaigns. | |
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Gary Farber: Read The Rest Scale: 1 out of 5 for Cherny; Newsweek's novel on the election starts here; Teddy White, it ain't. Taegan Goddard: How Bush Did It — A team of Newsweek reporters unveil "the untold fears, secret battles and private emotions behind a historic election." |
Orrin Judd: THE LAST BATTLE OF THE '60s: How Bush Did It: A team of NEWSWEEK reporters unveils the untold fears, secret battles and... |
Inner Circle Newsweek — Permalink The President: Bush's team was upbeat. But not everyone was sure about the race Nov. 15 issue - Karl Rove called the group "the Breakfast Club." They met at Rove's unadorned house in northwest Washington on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003, the day Saddam Hussein was captured in Iraq. | |
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Jan Haugland: The Inner Circle tells the story up to March this year, about the circle around "the architect" Karl Rove. Tim Blair: I've cherry-picked some of the goofier elements, but please read the whole thing: "Teresa/Dean Cage Match At one point... |
Orrin Judd: ROVE'S BRAIN: Inner Circle: The President: Bush's team was upbeat. |
Despite G.O.P. Gain, Fight Over Judges Remains By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 - When Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, faced the toughest primary race of his political career, President Bush went to his rescue, campaigning with Mr. Specter at every turn. | |
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KJL: CHAIRMAN SPECTER: MAKING THE WINNERS THE LOSERS — Check this out from the New York Times today: Sheryl Gay Stolberg... Whiskey: These comments gave immediate cheer to the left, according to the New York Times: "Abortion rights advocates, feeling... |
DemFromCT: We know better to depend on them (Arlen Spector is the perfect example, whether it be overtime pay or SCOTUS appointments). Chris Nolan: Check out today's NYTimes piece on his remarks and the back and forth over what he's said within the Republican Party. |
Life After Daschle By / Opinion Journal — Permalink There's an old saying in the Senate that only two numbers matter: 50 and 60. The big question now is whether the GOP's new 55-seat majority is magic enough to make a difference. President Bush has won a clear mandate for his big second-term agenda, including the giants of Social Security reform and tax overhaul. | |
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Deacon: As Kimberley Strassel points out the WSJ Opinion Journal, [snipped quote] Amen to that. James Joyner: Life After Daschle — WSJ's Kimberly Strassel has an interesting analysis entitled, "Life After Daschle," examining what having 55 seats will mean in the Senate. |
Orrin Judd: VIRTUAL 60: Life After Daschle: Will a 55-seat majority be enough to end Senate obstructionism? PoliPundit: Overcoming the Filibuster — Thanks to the defeat of Tom Daschle, the GOP stands a good chance of rustling up 60 votes... |
I'm Loving It NRO — Permalink Krugman's post-election meltdown — and more! On Election Day, Paul Krugman was all choked up. Now, he's just choking. And I won't kid you — I'm loving it. Here's what America's most dangerous liberal pundit had to say in his New York Times column Tuesday morning, when he expected John Kerry to win the presidency: | |
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Orrin Judd: SOROS LOSERMAN: I'm Loving It: Krugman's post-election meltdown — and more! |
Deacon: Here's a gift from Paul Krugman, as reported by Donald Luskin at NRO. |
Air of Expectation Is Heavy as G.I.'s Itch to Prove Their Mettle in Falluja By / NYT — Permalink NEAR FALLUJA, Iraq, Nov. 4 - The marines crept forward, glancing warily at each other as they approached a bomb-scarred building covered with Arabic lettering. Suddenly, one of them shouted "Sniper!" and another dropped to the ground as if wounded. | |
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James Joyner: Air Of Expectation Is Heavy As G.I.'s Itch To Prove Their Mettle In Falluja [RSS] (NYT) "For many marines here, that order cannot come too soon. Steve Gilliard: Return to Fallujah — Teenaged boys at rest Air of Expectation Is Heavy as G.I.'s Itch to Prove Their Mettle in Falluja... |
Greyhawk: You could get insight from the NY Times too, of course, but they don't even know how to spell (M)arine. |
Onward Christian soldiers Guardian — Permalink In the wee small hours of November 3 2004, a new country appeared on the map of the modern world: the DSA, the Divided States of America. Oh yes, I know, the obligatory pieties about "healing" have begun; not least from the lips of the noble Loser. | |
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Orrin Judd: MISREADING CITIZENS: Onward Christian soldiers: The hopefuls in the Democrat camp really believed victory in the US election was within their grasp. |
Harry @HarrysPlace: Dumb and dumber — Simon Schama presents the clever-sounding version of the Daily Mirror's 'How can you be so dumb'... |
Deadly routine Guardian — Permalink Britain spent the first part of yesterday digesting the news that Americans have voted to give George Bush a second term in the White House. Then, last night, came the announcement that three Black Watch soldiers had been killed in Iraq. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: I've heard much informed speculation in the past 48 hours that with "new Europe" gearing up to cut and run, the United States will swiftly follow. |
Laura Rozen: The Netherlands announces it is going to withdraw its troops from Iraq by March. |
Iraqi Officials to Allow Vote by Expatriates By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 4 - Iraqi electoral officials said Thursday they would allow millions of Iraqis outside the country to vote in the coming election. The decision, made after weeks of anguished debate, appeared certain to increase tensions among the minority Sunni Arabs here, because most Iraqi expatriates are believed to be Shiites. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Apparently not content with gaming the ballot-access rules and devising a bizarre party-consolidation plan to all but... |
Orrin Judd: REVERSE THE CLEANSING: raqi Officials to Allow Vote by Expatriates (EDWARD WONG, 11/05/04, NY Times) [snipped quote] The... |
Schwarzenegger closes ears to Democrat 'losers' San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Sacramento — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he won't listen to "losers'' in the Democrat-controlled Legislature who advocate raising taxes to close a looming budget deficit as he announced that former South Bay Republican Rep. Tom Campbell will head his finance department. | |
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The Poor Man: And if you want some more warm fuzzies, try this on for size: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he won't listen to... |
Taegan Goddard: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle, when asked if he would consider tax-increase proposals put forward by Democrats. |
The Door for Specter NRO — Permalink Republicans should forgo tradition when determining the next judiciary chairman. That didn't take long. On Wednesday, President George W. Bush hit his first post-election pothole — one created by a fellow Republican whom he had saved from political oblivion earlier this year. | |
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Jeffrey Dubner: A fierce campaign to deny him the Judiciary Committee chairmanship is already underway, featuring (among others)... |
Todd Zywicki: Update: National Review is skeptical too. |
Iraqi Leader Asks Help of 'Spectator' Nations By / NYT — Permalink ROME, Nov. 4 - Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, appealed Thursday to what he called the "spectator" countries in the war in Iraq - specifically France and Germany - to become more involved in creating peace and prosperity there. | |
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Gregory Djerejian: I mean, what has the EU coughed up in terms of real support to Iraq (as it mounts its big bid for multipolarity and playerdom on the global stage!) |
James Joyner: Allawi Asks Help of 'Spectator' Nations — Iraqi Leader Asks Help of 'Spectator' Nations [RSS] (NYT) "Iraq's interim... |
Campaign Strategist Is in Position to Consolidate Republican Majority NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 - Victory may have a thousand fathers, but if President Bush's triumph this week had a Big Daddy it was indisputably Karl Rove - the seer, strategist and serious student of politics and the presidency that a grateful Mr. Bush himself referred to as the architect of his winning campaign. | |
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The Poor Man: Here's the NY Times, keeping reality 100% real: "And with Mr. Bush's re-election, Mr. Rove has not only cemented his... |
Taegan Goddard: Next Up for Rove — There's another interesting piece on "The Architect" in the New York Times: "Victory may have a... |
'It's the culture, stupid' Asia Times — Permalink James Carville, Bill Clinton's consigliere of 1992, kept the words "It's the economy, stupid!" pinned to his office wall. Substitute "culture" for "economy", and the basis of US President George W Bush's re-election victory becomes obvious. | |
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Orrin Judd: THE RE-RISE OF WHAT'S LEFT OF THE WEST: 'It's the culture, stupid' (Spengler, 11/04/04, Asia Times) "James Carville,... |
Peter Burnet: UP FROM LIBERALISM 'It's the culture, stupid' (Spengler, Asia Times, November 5th, 2004) [snipped quote] A few years ago,... |
President to Consider Changes for New Term WaPo — Permalink President Bush said yesterday that he will spend the weekend considering changes in his Cabinet for his second term, feeding speculation inside and outside the White House over shake-ups in key agencies in coming weeks. | |
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Chris Mooney: Exodus from the Bush Cabinet — As the Washington Post reports, it's turnover time. |
Susan Madrak: Posted at 8:28 AM |Click Here for Link| by Susan comments ADVISE AND CONSENT Today's WashPo: [snipped quote] Anyone who... |
France Doctors Fight to Keep Arafat Alive By / AP — Permalink CLAMART, France - Doctors fought to keep Yasser Arafat alive as anxious Palestinian officials looked for ways to prevent unrest if their 75-year-old leader, said on Friday to be in a coma, dies. | |
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Wretchard: Wanted: Dead Nor Alive — Yasser Arafat might not be dead, but how long can they keep him alive? |
Cori Dauber: Now the French hospital and most of all the Palestinian leadership are walking it back, but admitting that his position... |
Chirac KO's Bush offer By / The Sun — Permalink GEORGE Bush yesterday offered an olive branch to hostile European leaders — but was snubbed by the French President. Referring to divisions over the Iraq war, the re-elected US leader said: "Whatever our past disagreements, we share a common enemy. | |
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Tim Blair: A PEACEFUL LEADER'S PRIORITIES — Jacques Chirac shuns Iyad Allawi, but can spare an hour or so for brain-dead Yasser |
Mitch Berg: Axis Of Weasel Alert — Chirac spurns Bush's overtures. Like that's a surprise. Know what I like most about this election? |
Fits and Starts Newsweek — Permalink The Democrats: John Kerry thought the nomination was his but didn't count on Howard Dean. He made a hard charge for the finish line as Dean's campaign imploded Nov. 15 issue - John Kerry didn't want to get on his own campaign bus. | |
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Gary Farber: One notes here the appearance of Andrei Cherney: "Then came a marked improvement in the candidate. |
John Cole: Kerry Equals Courage — I ahd to read this three times: [snipped quote] Boy, did they manage to change his mind. |
Analysts Call Outlook For Bush Plan Bleak By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush signaled yesterday that he would add personal investment accounts to the Social Security system, simplify the tax code without raising taxes and cut the budget deficit in half, all before he leaves office in 2009. | |
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James Joyner: Analysts Call Outlook for Bush Plan Bleak (WaPo) "President Bush signaled yesterday that he would add personal... Jeralyn Merritt: Analysts: Bush Econonomic Plans Mathematically Not Feasible — Bush announced his economic plan yesterday: Social... |
DemFromCT: Analysts Call Outlook for Bush Plan Bleak Too Much Deficit, Not Enough Revenue |
No Surrender By / NYT — Permalink President Bush isn't a conservative. He's a radical - the leader of a coalition that deeply dislikes America as it is. Part of that coalition wants to tear down the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt, eviscerating Social Security and, eventually, Medicare. | |
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Susan Madrak: Posted at 9:38 AM |Click Here for Link| by Susan comments RADICALS IN THE WHITE HOUSE Krugman (who, by the way, will be... Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE GASKET IS OFFICIALLY BLOWN — Paul Krugman's desperation reaches new heights. Ed Cone: Krugman: No Surrender. "The religious right - not to be confused with religious Americans in general - isn't a majority, or even a dominant minority. |
Tom Maguire: But then we spoil it by counting the votes from these racist homophobes. Bigwig: In fact, it was quite the opposite. You voted the way you did because you're a goddam racist. Just ask Paul. Mathew Gross: No Surrender — Krugman says pretty much what I've been saying, as well as many others: "President Bush isn't a conservative. |
| Also: Jane Galt, Greg Ransom, Tbogg, Orrin Judd, Rickheller @Centerfield | |
Democrats question what went wrong Washington Times — Permalink As John Kerry basked Wednesday in the final applause of his failed campaign, at a packed gathering in Boston that was nothing short of funereal, supporters shivered in the cold outside and wondered what went wrong. | |
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Michael DeBow: Mostly just pathetic: Today's Washington Times dispatch from Loserville. For Loserville photo montage (and grown-up commentary from Professor Reynolds), click here. |
Betsy Newmark: I can't get enough of stories with headlines like these. "Democrats question what went wrong" I read every one of these stories. |
Report Says Problems Led to Skewed Surveying Data By / NYT — Permalink The new $10 million polling system used by many news organizations to predict the outcome of the presidential race had a number of problems that led to the early erroneous impression that John Kerry was heading for victory, according to a report prepared by the system's architects. | |
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Susan Madrak: "- The Blues Brothers" Look how they twist themselves into knots, coming up with every possible theory for why the exit... Captain Ed: First, Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times has reviewed a clandestine copy of the pollsters' final report on the debacle, proving yet again that the NEP has major security issues. |
Mathew Gross: Errors NYT: "The report also theorized that the [exit] poll results more frequently overstated support for Mr. Kerry... |
They Don't Declare: The Vote-Callers Who Lost Their Voice By / WaPo — Permalink Americans woke up to parallel media universes yesterday, with President Bush having been reelected in the New York Post, one tantalizing vote from victory on NBC and Fox News, and still struggling to win Ohio on CBS, ABC and CNN. | |
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Orrin Judd: THE MEDIA VS. THE FACTS: They Don't Declare: The Vote-Callers Who Lost Their Voice (Howard Kurtz, November 4, 2004,... Rice Grad: They don't even realize it's bias: Howie Kurtz: [snipped quote] It's amazing that Brokaw chose to ignore the logical... |
Betsy Newmark: Howard Kurtz looks at how the media had trouble figuring out if they should call Ohio for Bush. |
Dollar Falls On Fears of U.S. Deficits WaPo — Permalink The dollar continued its decline in global currency markets yesterday, intensifying worries among some economists that mounting U.S. budget and trade deficits could send the U.S. currency into a tailspin. | |
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PGL: Atrios points to this Washington Post Story , which included the following: [snipped quote] The premise that a rise in... Atrios: Here's the basics: The dollar continued its decline in global currency markets yesterday, intensifying worries among... |
Matthew Yglesias: The Washington Post reports that the dollar, which has been slowly slumping for years, is slumping more as the election... Josh Marshall: The dollar ... [snipped quote] The rest from the Post ... |
Specter Clarifies Statement on Court Nominees Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — GOP leaders are taking a closer look at newly re-elected Sen. Arlen Specter (search), who is set to head the Senate Judiciary Committee, after the Pennsylvania Republican made some seemingly stern warnings to President Bush Wednesday about his judicial nominees. | |
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Scott Elliott: Spending on Spector — Liberal GOP Senator Arlen Specter floated a "subtle warning" to President Bush about future judiciary nominations. Christopher Kanis: CALL YET? CALL AGAIN We're having an effect, people. Don't let up now. Look, Specter's statements yesterday were never the primary reason to opose him. |
Oliver @LiquidList: Politics: Crucial Strategy — I've been spreading this gospel to weeping Dems for a few days (including myself), but Josh Marshall is the first to post it. Josh Marshall: In an article at Foxnews.com on possible Supreme Court nominations, C. Boyden Gray, former counsel to the first... |
NEWSWEEK ELECTION ISSUE: 'How He Did It' PRNewsWire — Permalink Daughter Alexandra Pleads to Kerry After Locking in Nomination: 'Will You Please Appreciate This Moment for 10 Seconds?' NEW YORK, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ — When President Bush's poll numbers surged in April after a press conference where his performance was... | |
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Joe Carter: According to the November 15 issue of Newsweek, Kerry offered the Arizona Republican the Vice Presidency on numerous occasions James Joyner: Kerry Offered McCain Co-Presidency — The "Outlandish" McCain Offer (Newsweek) [snipped quote] Amazing. Jeralyn Merritt: Dirty Laundry : Here it Comes — What Oliver says: " Shut up. Shut up. The media is not your friend." They should never work in D-town again. |
Avedon Carol: Argh! Yahoo has a report on the car-wreck issue of Newsweek about the campaign that is painful to look at. Ann Althouse: Another (and more significant) revelation in the Newsweek article is that Bill Clinton advised Kerry to support the local efforts to ban gay marriage! Andrew Sullivan: The president who doubled the number of gay discharges form the military, signed the ban on HIV-positive immigrants, and... |
| Also: Oliver Willis, Michelle Malkin | |
Some Democrats Blame One of Their Own By / NYT — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 4 - A year into his job, Mayor Gavin Newsom could hardly be more popular. A survey last weekend put his approval rating among San Franciscans at 80 percent. Polls show that a mainstay of the Democratic mayor's support has been his stance on same-sex marriage. | |
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Betsy Newmark: The New York Times and Diane Feinstein blame Mayor Newsom of San Francisco for energizing the conservative base. Tom Maguire: UPDATE: The Times explores this a bit: "Some Democrats Blame One of Their Own ...with his party reeling from Senator... |
Greg Ransom: FEINSTEIN — BLAME MAYOR NEWSOM. |
Generation Gap By / Opinion Journal — Permalink Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction. How did the 2004 election map of the United States come to look like a color-field painting by Barnett Newman? In fact, if you adjust the map's colors for votes by county (as at the Web sites for CNN and USA Today), even the blue states turn mostly red. | |
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Greg Ransom: WHERE DID THE MOONBATS COME FROM? A brief history of the baby boom leftists who control today's Democratic Party. Michael DeBow: Daniel Henninger's assessment of the Dems on Opinion Journal today: "There is no hope that the Vietnam generation... |
PoliPundit: Vietnam — It all goes back to Vietnam. |
Cultural issues confuse the liberals By / Townhall.com — Permalink An extremely important debate is going on within both parties today that will have a very important impact on our nation's future political direction. The basic question is: Why did George Bush win and why did John Kerry lose? | |
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Greg Ransom: MORALITY & THE COURTS — why jackbooted Democrats can't face the truth about the 2004 election results. |
Tbogg: Shorter Bruce Bartlett — People wishing to exercise critical life decisions while they are still alive should take a number and wait while we mull it over |
Joan Baez and Me By / Reason — Permalink Charlottesville, VA—America's "culture war" was on full display last night at the Joan Baez concert. Tickets to the concert were a present to my mother-in-law for her 69th birthday. My mother-in-law certainly fit the demographic of the audience, or as she described it, "All the old hippies are out tonight." | |
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The Big Trunk: Diamonds and rant — Ronald Bailey reports on Joan Baez giving it up for peace and love in Charlottesville on Wednesday... Dean Esmay: Party Like It's 1999 — Ah. Good times, good friends. Fun for the whole family! And don't you just love Joan Baez? Greg Ransom: ANOTHER DEEPLY RACIST LEFTIST. (a repeating PrestoPundit feature). This one may also be mentally ill (she certainly claims to be). (via memeorandum). |
Damian Penny: But it wouldn't have been out of place: However, the most remarkable and disturbing episode occurred halfway through the... Captain Ed: What Bailey didn't expect was the bizarre minstrel show that recalls Ted Danson's Friars Club debacle: [snipped quote] So... Orrin Judd: JOANIE LOVES REMUS (via David Hill, The Bronx): Joan Baez and Me: She gwine tell de folks how dat ol' missuh prez'dent be a debbil! |
| Also: Ed Driscoll, Tim Blair, Glenn Reynolds | |
A Blue City (Disconsolate, Even) Bewildered by a Red America By / NYT — Permalink Striking a characteristic New York pose near Lincoln Center yesterday, Beverly Camhe clutched three morning newspapers to her chest while balancing a large latte and talked about how disconsolate she was to realize that not only had her candidate, John Kerry, lost but that she and her city were so out of step with the rest of the country. | |
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McQ: New York is an island off the coast of Europe — Or at least beleaguered blue-state city-folks feel it describes their sense of place in this red, red world. Jim Treacher: This seemed too good to leave in Michael J. Totten's comments — Michael was talking about all the rending of garments over the Zombie Hordes of Theo-cons. Orrin Judd: CONNECT THE DOT: A Blue City (Disconsolate, Even) Bewildered by a Red America (JOSEPH BERGER, 11/04/04, NY Times)... |
Michael DeBow: More Dem introspection: [snipped quote] I'm going to try to stop posting items like this. They depress me. Jan Haugland: In this NYT article, quite a few people have an attitude indicating it's not only the president who has work to do to unite the country. MWS @Centerfield: No Wonder the Democrats Lost — If you want to understand the utter dichotomy in world view between the Coasts and the... |
| Also: Greg Ransom, Bigwig, Steve Bainbridge, Betsy Newmark, Ann Althouse, Alexander K. McClure | |
Web of Influence By / Foreign Policy — Permalink Every day, millions of online diarists, or "bloggers," share their opinions with a global audience. Drawing upon the content of the international media and the World Wide Web, they weave together an elaborate network with agenda-setting power on issues ranging from human rights in China to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. | |
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Donald Sensing: Speaking of Daniel, his co-authored, learned piece in Foreign Policy, "Web of Influence," is well worth the read. Jeff Jarvis: The world of blogs : Almost forgot to link you to Daniel Drezner and Henry Farrell's very good story on blogs and the world stage in Foreign Policy. Gregory Djerejian: Web of Influence — Dan Drezner and Henry Farrell (of Crooked Timber) have a long piece on blogs over at Foreign Policy. |
Dan Gillmor: Blogs and International Relations — Daniel Drezner and Henry Farrell have written a well-reasoned piece in Foreign... Glenn Reynolds: WEB OF INFLUENCE: Daniel Drezner and Henry Farrell have an article in Foreign Policy looking at blogs and foreign affairs. Daniel Drezner: It's entitled "Web of Influence," but actually I like the teaser on the cover even better: How Blogs Have Changed the World. |
| Also: Kevin Drum | |
UNDER THE DOME The Hill — Permalink "This just makes me want to slap Tom DeLay." — A House Democratic staffer, upon learning that Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer had defeated veteran Democratic Rep. Charlie Stenholm Now that we know who will be inaugurated in January, official Washington will soon begin planning its inauguration parties. | |
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Orrin Judd: The last word on Bush's bulge (Albert Eisele and Jeff Dufour, 11/04/04, The Hill) "Call off the conspiracy freaks. David Allan Pell: Sources in the Secret Service have let it be known that the bulge in W's jacket during the first debate was a strap that holds his bullet-proof vest in place. Michael Froomkin: The Bulge Was Not Tinfoil - It Was a Trope — The Hill reports, that the Bush bulge was a bulletproof vest: Call off the conspiracy freaks. |
Taegan Goddard: Sources in the Secret Service told The Hill that Bush "was wearing a bulletproof vest, as he does most of the time when appearing in public. Tim Blair: On other election-related clothing issues, the Mysterious Bush Bulge is finally explained: "Call off the conspiracy freaks. Christopher Kanis: Turns out there was something under his jacket during the first debate — a bulletproof vest: [snipped quote] Duh. |
| Also: Orin Kerr | |
Arafat Reported Clinically Dead; PM Denies Reuters — Permalink Nov 4, 2004 — JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was declared clinically dead on Thursday in a French hospital, Israeli television said citing French sources. He is still in the intensive care unit." | |
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Greyhawk: The big rumor here in the Middle East is that in a modern day Viking-ship moment, his last request was that his remains... Michael Totten: Terrorist Death Watch — So. Yasser Arafat might be dead. Finally. Damian Penny: Is he dead yet? Palestinian officials deny it, but an Israeli television station says Arafat is gone. |
Baldilocks: Is He or Isn't He? (Updated) Has anyone been so long rumored to be dying under more opaque circumstances? Joe Gandelman: Arafat Is Clinically Dead — Smile Does he have his asbestos suit on? [snipped quote] They did a brain scan and found nothing. Will Collier: May His First Day In Hell Last 1,000 Years .... and may it be the shortest. ABC reports Arafat is dead. |
| Also: Dean Esmay, Jim Treacher, Glenn Reynolds | |
Those faulty exit polls were sabotage By / The Hill — Permalink By now it is well-known and a part of the 2004 election lore how the exit polls by the major television networks were wrong. Likely this faux pas will assume its place among wartime stories alongside the mistaken calls on Florida's vote for one side and then for the other in the 2000 election. | |
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Susan Madrak: Posted at 7:26 AM |Click Here for Link| by Susan comments THE SMOKING GUN How f**king strange is this? Captain Ed: Dick Morris, the closest example of the world's oldest profession in politics we have, finds the NEP explanations highly... Mathew Gross: Dick Morris, the reptilian, thinks the exit polls were rigged, though (quite incredulously) in the opposite direction. |
Joe Gandelman: Dick Morris Joins Alan Keyes On Mars — Mars_1 First we had the news media blaming the wrong exit polls on those... Avedon Carol: Hilariously, Dick Morris also smelled something fishy in the difference between some exit polls and the voting tabulations. Taegan Goddard: Dick Morris says the bad exit poll data was "no mere mistake. Exit polls cannot be as wrong across the board as they were on election night. |
| Also: KJL | |
Why did you vote for Bush? BBC — Permalink George W Bush was re-elected as President of the United States with a majority of Americans choosing him over Democrat John Kerry. Mr Bush won both the popular and electoral college votes and has strengthened his control of Congress. | |
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Lorie Byrd: The BBC got some pretty good answers to that question. There are also a few comments from those who did not vote for Bush. Glenn Reynolds: THE BBC ASKED AMERICANS WHO VOTED FOR BUSH to explain their reasons and it makes for interesting reading. |
Baldilocks: Bush: why? Here's what I wrote. [snipped quote] Go and have your say. (Thanks to Glenn Reynolds) |
"Dear Limey Assholes ..." By / Slate — Permalink Imagine being an undecided voter in Clark County, Ohio, last month. You kind of think John Kerry has some good points about the war in Iraq and the economy, but you feel more comfortable with George Bush's faith and his resolve. | |
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Ace: But Smug Condescension Always Sounds Better With a British Accent — The amateur leftist webzine Slate is only twelve... Betsy Newmark: Slate looks at how the Guardian's Operation Clark County resulted in Clark County going for Bush. Thanks, guys. |
Cori Dauber: Clark County turned out to be the only county in Ohio that had voted for Gore that Kerry lost. |
Headless hostess, Hamas-style By / Israel Insider — Permalink In September, I wrote of the Palestinian children's role model — pretty 18 year-old suicide bomber and children's television presenter Zainab Ali Issa Abu Salem (article link at left). The power of this image was not lost on the 'political and social services' wing of Hamas. | |
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McQ: This is one of those times, so I'll let the story speak for itself. Its not just the picture, which is disturbing enough, its how its being used. Charles Johnson: Palestinian Depravity Watch — You won't believe what the Hamas terror gang is showing to Palestinian children on their web site: Headless hostess, Hamas-style. |
Lorie Byrd: Pure Evil — Little Green Footballs linked to this horrible, graphic image published in a Hamas children's newspaper. |
Dish on campaign trail follies By / NY Daily News — Permalink In the biggest fight of his charmed life, John Kerry swung between bewilderment and anger when things didn't go his way on the campaign trial. "I can't believe I'm losing to this idiot," the Massachusetts Democrat sighed to a staffer when President Bush's poll numbers surged in April. | |
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Kevin Hayden: If Kerry held his ground against Clinton's advice here, it reinforces my belief that Kerry's integrity will always be his greatest asset. Betsy Newmark: The New York Daily News has some revealing inside dope on the campaign from the Newsweek cover story. [snipped quote] Charming. Ed Driscoll: Via Jim Geraghty, here's the November 4, 2004 New York Daily News, which profiled Bush's son...and his Massachusetts... |
Greg Ransom: JOHN F'N KERRY on George Bush: "I can't believe I'm losing to this idiot." On the Swift Vets: "It's a pack of f---ing lies, what they're saying about me." Orrin Judd: JOHN F**** KERRY: Dish on campaign trail follies (TRACY CONNOR, 11/04/04, NY DAILY NEWS) [snipped quote] When Gerald... Ace: The Full Dukakian Transformation — Good stuff: "In the biggest fight of his charmed life, John Kerry swung between... |
| Also: Taegan Goddard | |
Elizabeth Edwards Has Breast Cancer AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards , was diagnosed with breast cancer the day her husband and Sen. John Kerry conceded the presidential race. | |
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Joe Gandelman: When It Rains It Pours — Our heart goes out to John Edwards's wife Elizabeth who absorbed a double whammy this week:... Dean Esmay: Ouch! Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Steve M.: Elizabeth Edwards Has Breast Cancer — Get well soon. |
Jeralyn Merritt: Elizabeth Edwards Has Breast Cancer — Our best wishes go out to Elizabeth Edwards who was diagnosed with breast cancer Wednesday, right after her husband's concession speech. Captain Ed: Today, the AP reports that Edwards' wife Elizabeth has been diagnosed with breast cancer: [snipped quote] I wondered at... Oliver Willis: Elizabeth Edwards Has Breast Cancer "Spokesman David Ginsberg said Mrs. Edwards, 55, discovered a lump in her right breast while on a campaign trip last week. |
National Guard Fighter Jet Strafes School By / AP — Permalink LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. - A National Guard F-16 fighter jet on a nighttime training mission strafed an elementary school with 25 rounds of ammunition, authorities said Thursday. No one was injured. The military is investigating the incident that damaged Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School shortly after 11 p.m. | |
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Joe Gandelman: A Novel Way To Pound Education Into Students — A National Guard F-16 fighter jet found a novel way to attack education... Jane Galt: . . Guess George Bush really is getting serious about taking on the school system. |
Kieran Healy: No Child Left Behind ... Alive — A National Guard F-16 strafed an elementary school in New Jersey last night with 25... |
Dodd clears path for Reid By / The Hill — Permalink Senate Democrats tried to regroup yesterday after two crushing defeats left their party without a leader or a clear strategy for stopping the GOP agenda. Democratic aides expressed sadness and devastation at former Rep. John Thune's defeat of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) after a close and bitter race. | |
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Sam Rosenfeld: Meanwhile, say hi to the new face of the Democratic Party. Pejman Yousefzadeh: . . Will be Harry Reid. Everytime I have seen him on C-Span, he conducts himself in solid fashion—if unspectacularly. Oliver @LiquidList: Politics: The Sound of Settling — So Chris Dodd has cleared the way for Nevada's Harry Reid to be Senate Minority Leader. |
Orrin Judd: LEADERLESS: Dodd clears path for Reid: Crushed Senate Democrats seek to regroup swiftly after Daschle's defeat (Geoff... Tom Maguire: Moving The Bulls-Eye — Chris Dodd of deep-blue Connecticut steps aside so that Harry Reid of light-red Nevada can... Taegan Goddard: The Hill notes that Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) said "he would not challenge Reid, saying a contested race 'would be very harmful to our party at this juncture.'" |
| Also: Atrios, DemFromCT | |
The Day the Enlightenment Went Out By / NYT — Permalink This election confirms the brilliance of Karl Rove as a political strategist. He calculated that the religious conservatives, if they could be turned out, would be the deciding factor. The success of the plan was registered not only in the presidential results but also in all 11 of the state votes to ban same-sex marriage. | |
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Ken Layne: The Day the Enlightenment Went Out — From a column by Garry Wills: "Can a people that believes more fervently in the... Steve Bainbridge: If you need still more evidence, check out Maureen Dowd and Garry Wills, both of whom describe Bush's supporters as members of a jihad. Orrin Judd: INHERIT THE MIGHTY WIND: The Day the Enlightenment Went Out (GARRY WILLS, 11/04/04, NY Times) [snipped quote] The reality... |
Barbara O'Brien: Around the Left Blogosphere: Steve M. of No More Mr. Nice Blog linked to this New York Times article by Gary Wills. Steve M.: Garry Wills in today's New York Times God bless our country. Mindles H. Dreck: Garry Willis in todays NYT bemoans the "fundamentalism of the american electorate', calls this a "jihad" by 'moral... |
| Also: Chris Mooney, Ed Cone, Betsy Newmark | |
Bush: Will Reform Social Security System Now Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush said on Thursday he planned to start work immediately on reforming America's ailing Social Security retirement system and predicted a long slog ahead. "We will start on Social Security now. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Moving Swiftly On An Agenda — There seems to be shock in some quarters that in a (rare) press conference yesterday... Josh Marshall: President Bush says — Social Security privatization starts now. See this earlier post for more on the linguistic funny-business over the term 'privatization'. Julian Sanchez: Glimmers of Hope — Bush has just talked at some length about making Social Security reform a priority. |
Orrin Judd: THE BIG ENCHILADA: Bush: Will Reform Social Security System Now (Reuters, 11/04/04) [snipped quote] Few presidents have... Radley Balko: Political Capital — Good start. |
Why Democrats Should Be Thankful By / Slate — Permalink On Nov. 3, as the bleary-eyed nation returned to work, the Treasury Department announced an impending crisis. If the lame-duck Congress doesn't raise the statutory $7.384 trillion debt limit, which was intentionally breached in October, by Nov. 18, the world's greatest power will run out of cash. | |
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Dan Gillmor: Fiscal Recklessness and Its Consequences — Slate: Why Democrats Should Be Thankful. Matthew Yglesias: Bitterness — Daniel Gross feels it: [snipped quote] The joy of it being so far from the next election is that one can... |
Angry Bear: Of course, "could" does not imply "should" (see Iraq, Invasion of). UPDATE: See also Daniel Gross in Slate. |
Specter warns Bush on high court nominations By / AP — Permalink PHILADELPHIA — The Republican expected to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee next year bluntly warned newly re-elected President Bush today against putting forth Supreme Court nominees who would seek to overturn abortion rights or are otherwise too conservative to win confirmation. | |
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KJL: THAT reporter who wrote that story on Specter's litmus-test comment is the same reporter who ambushed Rick Santorum a while back and whose husband worked for the Kerry campaign. Jon Henke: In return, they get... "The Republican expected to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee next year bluntly warned newly... James Joyner: Specter warns Bush on high court nominations "The Republican expected to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee next year... |
Joe Gandelman: The Specter Of Supreme Court Nominations — Expected Senate Judiciary Comittee Chairman Arlen Specter has warned... Acidman: But the dickhead won, and now he's rattling his saber about how he intends to run the Senate Judiciary Committee. Christopher Kanis: S.P.E.C.T.R.E. THREATENS BUSH ON NOMINATIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS [snipped quote] Can you believe the gall of this man? |
| Also: Steve Bainbridge, Todd Zywicki, Vox Day, Kathryn Jean Lopez | |
Elizabeth Edwards diagnosed with breast cancer AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards, was diagnosed with breast cancer the day her husband and Sen. John Kerry conceded the presidential race. | |
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Cori Dauber: HEART SICK — I just felt sick at heart when I heard the news about Elizabeth Edwards. You just wonder how much one family can take. Xan @Corrente: There Is No God — As Mark Twain noted, if there is a God, available evidence indicates that He is a malign thug. |
David Allan Pell: Immediately following John Edward's Faneuil Hall concession speech, Elizabeth Edwards went the Mass General where she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Atrios: Best Wishes and Hope for a Speedy Recovery — Link: "Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic vice presidential... |
What do we do now? Salon — Permalink Arianna Huffington is a Salon contributor, syndicated columnist and author most recently of "Fanatics and Fools: The Game Plan for Winning Back America" (Miramax). | |
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John Hawkins: Jay McInerney gives his answer to the question "what do we do now?" which was posed by Salon. Joe Carter: The web magazine asked a number of artists, academics, and political operatives to answer the question, "What do we do now?" Susan Madrak: Posted at 7:36 AM |Click Here for Link| by Susan comments GAME PLAN Dan Payne is a Democratic media consultant and columnist for the Boston Globe: "1. |
Sam Rosenfeld: In Salon's round-up of responses to the election from leftist and liberal artists and intellectuals, the comments range... Mary @LeftCoaster: Ellen Willis, a journalism professor at New York University and the author of "Don't Think, Smile! |
On the Avowed Left Coast, a Feeling of Being Left Out By / NYT — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 3 - They were feeling the blues here on Wednesday, a city so deep in the blue that President Bush managed just 15 percent of the vote in an election he won nationally by more than 3.5 million votes. | |
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Tom Maguire: Great Moments In Political Awareness — Denial runs deep: "While the American heartland found great comfort in the... Bigwig: An Obtuse Quote Collection — San Francisco "It just made me cry," Terry Mitchell, 54, an audiologist in Oakland, said of Mr. Bush's re-election. |
Greg Ransom: Now that will be first class entertainment! Compare also "Left out in San Francisco." But it's not just New York and San Francisco. |
Transcript ABC News — Permalink ELEANOR HALL: Citing what it called "extreme risks" to its staff, the international aid agency, Medecins Sans Frontieres, has announced it will cease its operations in Iraq. | |
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Jeff Quinton: Doctors without Borders leaves Iraq — ABC (Australia): [quote] Citing what it called "extreme risks" to its staff, the...[end quote] |
Arthur Chrenkoff: This year, another worthy recipient of the $50,000 Sydney Peace Prize is the Indian novelist and activist Arundhati Roy,... |
An Al Gore-type is more like it NY Daily News — Permalink If you set out to create the perfect Democratic presidential candidate, you would probably choose someone from the South or the Border States, since John Kerry lost virtually the entire region on Tuesday, and someone who is comfortable talking the language of... | |
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Donald Sensing: Maureen Dowd and Richard Cohen display amazing pixellated incoherency. Really. KJL: MORE HOPING FOR THE WORST — Richard Cohen: "From a Democratic perspective, what this country needs is a good recession." |
Glenn Reynolds: I DON'T LIKE TO SEE DEMOCRATS HOPING FOR DEFEAT IN IRAQ, or, in the case of Richard Cohen, observing that "From a... |
Specter urges caution for Bush AP — Permalink PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) — The Republican expected to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee next year bluntly warned newly re-elected President Bush on Wednesday against putting forth Supreme Court nominees who would seek to overturn abortion rights or are otherwise too conservative to win confirmation. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: Arlen Specter to Support Bush Judicial Nominees — Earlier news reports that incoming Senate Judiciary Chair Arlen... Steve Soto: Second, Arlen Specter, fresh off a reelection where he got Democratic and GOP moderate support and immune from... |
The Poor Man: Look today: Arlen Specter playing bad cop on court appointments, giving the President a handy excuse to avoid making a decisive move, should the opportunity arise. |
The Bush Mandate Opinion Journal — Permalink So the lawyers didn't decide this election after all. The voters did—including millions of conservative first-timers whom the exit polls and media missed—emerging from the pews and exurban driveways to give President Bush what by any measure is a decisive mandate for a second term. | |
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Michael DeBow: The Journal's editorial page on Daschle's defeat: ". . . Senate Democrats['] obstructionism was repudiated on Tuesday. |
Jonathan H. Adler: JUSTICE ESTRADA — The campaign begins here and here. |
Yes, Virginia, There is a Silver Lining By / Gadflyer — Permalink Okay, I admit it: Like most of you I've spent the last two days despondent about the election, the state of the Democratic Party, and the future of the country. Mostly, I live in absolute dread about what an (even more) unaccountable Bush Administration will do with the federal court system. | |
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Mathew Gross: Sean Aday: [snipped quote] Which is a way of reaffirming what I briefly mentioned on the radio this morning: Nancy Pelosi... |
Ezra Klein: Your Thursday Night Reading Assignments — The post-election test. Sean Aday's reality check. Is homosexuality like alcohol? |
Democrats' Losses Go Far Beyond One Defeat By / LAT — Permalink In the struggle for political power, Democrats now face a stark threat: Under George W. Bush, Republicans are consolidating their control over the culturally conservative regions of the country. | |
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Digby: He says: [snipped quote] I agree. I think that this arithmetic epitaph is perhaps the most annoying post election spin of all. Greg Ransom: RED STATE AMERICA ON THE MARCH. More here and here. PoliPundit: How Bad It Is — Ron Brownstein dissects the numbers and predicts doom and gloom for the Democrats. |
Kevin Drum: CLOSE ELECTION...I'm not trying to minimize the tough electoral road ahead for Democrats, but even so I get awfully... Orrin Judd: DASCHLE AS A RULE, NOT AN EXCEPTION: Democrats' Losses Go Far Beyond One Defeat (Ronald Brownstein, November 4, 2004, LA... |
Attorney General Giuliani? NewsMax.com — Permalink Washington is abuzz today with talk that Attorney General John Ashcroft will soon resign. The conservative Ashcroft, a born-again Christian who has enraged the left, has suffered from pancreatitis and other health problems. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Rudy Giuliani As The New John Ashcroft — This rumor makes total sense since Giuliani campaigned hard for GWB and his... Orrin Judd: CABINETRY: Attorney General Giuliani? |
Ace: Guiliani for AG? It's such no-brainer and perfect fit that I imagine it won't happen. |
Hospital: Arafat not dead CNN — Permalink PARIS, France (CNN) — A spokesman for the French military hospital housing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has told reporters the ailing leader is not dead. He added though on Thursday that the 75-year-old leader had been moved to another department within the hospital for treatment more appropriate for his condition. | |
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Acidman: is he dead yet? Nobody's saying for sure yet, but it shouldn't be long. The blood-soaked bastard is sinking fast. Meteor Blades: Bush Said to Be Told Arafat is Dead — A flurry of reports are saying that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has died,... |
Will Collier: UPDATE: The hospital in Paris denies it. My earlier sentiments are unchanged either way. |
Bush Declares Victory, Kerry Concedes; Republicans Dominate Congress; How the White House Appealed to Evangelicals CNN — Permalink THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Good evening. I'm Anderson Cooper. The president remains the president, and Republicans are in full control. | |
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Norbizness: It seems, strangely enough, that I'm wrong again (I hit the trifecta!), according to Jerry Falwell. Atrios: Moral Values — Gay Marriage==Slavery: COOPER: But Democrats argue look, John Kerry doesn't support gay marriage. |
Richard TPD: From CNN: [snipped quote] While we're on the topic... I've received several emails from indignant Christians who... |