meme orandum
| A newfangled news tangle |
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George W. Bush Time — Permalink Eagles rather than doves nestle in the Oval Office Christmas tree, pinecones the size of footballs are piled around the fireplace, and the President of the United States is pretty close to lounging in Armchair One. He's wearing a blue pinstripe suit, and his shoes are shined bright enough to shave in. | |
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Tim Dunlop: One final observation: based on what I was told, I reckon the Indian officials involved in the talks would get a good... Betsy Newmark: My scoop on Time's Person of the Year has been borne out in every detail. On December 15, I wrote this "Here's a scoop. Orrin Judd: A PRESIDENCY LESS ORDINARY: PERSON OF THE YEAR 2004: George W. Bush: For sticking to his guns (literally and... |
Ed Driscoll: (Of course, Time could be setting Matt up for a last minute head fake.) Update: Nope, it's President Bush. Captain Ed: CNN reports on the honor as part of their article on George Bush being named Time's Person of the Year Nathan Nance: Guest post by Nate Nance I can't believe that Time picked George W. Bush as their man of the year for 2004. Their rationale? |
| Also: Taegan Goddard, James Joyner | |
Time names President Bush Person of the Year Reuters — Permalink NEW YORK (Reuters) — U.S. President George W. Bush's bold, uncompromising leadership and his clear-cut election victory made him Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2004, its managing editor said Sunday. | |
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Fafnir: FAFBLOG'S MAN OF THE YEAR 2004 — Man of the Year 2004: A Head of Cabbage 2004 was the year of a head of cabbage! Captain Ed: Time Magazine Names Power Line Blog Of The Year — The Northern Alliance is proud to congratulate our friends and... Digby: Ouch! "Time chose Bush for sticking to his guns (literally and figuratively)..." Super glue? Grape jelly? How? |
David Allan Pell: Bigger Than Namath — Time named W this year's Person of the Year. It makes perfect sense. If anything, it was too obvious a pick. Kevin Drum: NO MORE WHINING?....Let me be the first liberal blogger to thank Time magazine for naming George Bush its Person of the Year for 2004. |
After Outcry, Rumsfeld Says He Will Sign Condolence Letters By / WaPo — Permalink The Pentagon has acknowledged that Donald H. Rumsfeld did not sign condolence letters to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq, but it said that from now on the embattled defense secretary would stop the use of signing machines and would pick up the pen himself. | |
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James Joyner: After Outcry, Rumsfeld Says He Will Sign Condolence Letters (WaPo) "The Pentagon has acknowledged that Donald H... Lambert @Corrente: They also said they were suspicious about the signature on similar letters they received from President Bush, but a... Gregory Djerejian: Glenn, it's not just about the armored humvees or that the Secretary couldn't find the time to personally sign... |
Taegan Goddard: Rumsfeld Will Sign Death Notices — "The Pentagon has acknowledged that Donald H. Rumsfeld did not sign condolence... James Martin Capozzola: What was he doing before now, you ask? Outsourcing the task to a machine. | HOME |
Lawmakers Chide Rumsfeld for Auto-Signed Sympathy Letters By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld did not personally sign his name on letters of condolence to families of troops killed in Iraq but instead had it done by a machine, an action lawmakers said on Sunday showed insensitivity and was inappropriate for leadership during war. | |
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Captain Ed: Rumsfeld Digs A Little Deeper — In a development that hardly helps out the beleaguered Defense Secretary, Reuters... Jesse Taylor: It's As Good As His Word — When I said I'd sign the letters, it's the universal "I". Is not the spirit of Rumsfeld in the computer? |
Harley: Meanwhile, and proving there really isn't much of anything he can't do and do badly, the Secretary has acknowledged that... |
Democrats eye softer image on abortion By / Boston Globe — Permalink WASHINGTON — Leading Democrats, stung by election losses, are signaling they want the party to embrace antiabortion voters and candidates, softening the image of the party from one fiercely defensive of abortion rights to one that acknowledges the moral and religious qualms some Americans have about the issue. | |
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Nathan Nance: But right now, I'm not sure how much I welcome the idea of just anybody being in the tent when it comes to abortion rights and the very foundation of the party. Orrin Judd: THE WORLD REAGAN MADE: Democrats eye softer image on abortion: Leaders urge more welcome for opponents (Susan Milligan,... |
Digby: And while the Democratic "orthodoxy" on abortion inherently allows for people who are personally opposed to abortion,... KJL: NOW HERE'S AN IDEA — Dems realize alienating pro-life Americans isn't a grand strategy? |
2004: The Year of 'The Passion' By / NYT — Permalink WILL it be the Jews' fault if "The Passion of the Christ," ignored by the Golden Globes this week, comes up empty in the Oscar nominations next month? Why, of course. | |
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Jeff Jarvis: Frank Rich in the same edition of The Times argues soberly that there is a more serious religous confrontation... KJL: LIFE IS TOO SHORT to spend time reading Frank Rich's latest rant against The Passion. I will, of course, later, but can't bear it now. |
Orrin Judd: IRONY-CHALLENGED LEFT: 2004: The Year of 'The Passion' (FRANK RICH, 12/19/04, NY Times) [snipped quote] We've lost track... Steve Dillard: Frank Rich: Grade-A jackass. |
TIME NAMES PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH 2004 PERSON OF THE YEAR Time — Permalink New York - President George W. Bush has been named TIME magazine's 2004 Person of the Year. "For sticking to his guns (literally and figuratively), for reshaping the rules of politics to fit his ten-gallon-hat leadership style and for persuading a... | |
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Joe Gandelman: Time Names GWB Man Of The Year — Time Magazine has named President George Bush its "Man Of The Year" basically for his... Bill @INDCJournal: What a Great Quote — From Time's Man of the Year press release and the current issue: [snipped quote] Hell yeah, 41; hardcore. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: [FILL IN THE BLANK] OF THE YEAR I suppose that it was inevitable that George W. Bush should be named Person of the Year. |
Kerik's e-mail messages fuel mess By / NY Daily News — Permalink Former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik is likely to face fresh questions about his conduct this week when explosive E-mails are turned over to city investigators, the Daily News has learned. The messages were sent by Kerik to Lawrence Ray, one of his closest friends and the best man at his 1998 wedding. | |
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Steve M.: And the Daily News said that Kerik reportedly sent an e-mail message to Lawrence Ray with inside information on the... Josh Marshall: And next week, as The Daily News just reported, Kerik's ex-buddy Lawrence Ray will give the New York City Department of... |
Steve Gilliard: Bernie's world: sending e-mails, tax fraud — The friends of Bernie Soprano Kerik's email messages fuel mess DOI to get... |
Blogged Down By / WaPo — Permalink If you're going to peddle opinions for a living, self-assurance is essential. If you don't have it, you need to bluff. People don't want to read a lot of "Oh dear, this is so terribly complicated, I just can't make up my poor little mind . . . ." | |
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Deacon: The bubbling cauldron — Michael Kinsley discovers the "unnerving seriousness and sophistication" of the blogosphere. Robert Prather: Here's a quote: [snipped quote] I always thought Kinsley was fundamentally decent, and regardless of what he has to say about SS privatization, I'll probably continue to think so. Tom Maguire: Kinsley On Social Security Privatization — Mr. Kinsley will present his thoughts on Social Security privatization next... |
Andrew Sullivan: KINSLEY RESPONDS: Mike's encounter with the new world of the collective blog-brain can be read here. Thanks for helping. Pejman Yousefzadeh: CELEBRATING THE BLOGOSPHERE — It would appear that Michael Kinsley is a blog fan. Matthew Yglesias: A Little Motivation For Me — It takes a little while to get to the point, but Michael Kinsley's conclusion is just... |
| Also: Glenn Reynolds | |
Social Security reform 'could hit high earners' By / Financial Times — Permalink Bush administration officials on Sunday refused to rule out the possibility that high-income earners would be required to make larger payroll tax contributions as part of Social Security reform. | |
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Clayton Cramer: Well, the Bush Administration at least recognizes the unfairness of a regressive payroll tax: [snipped quote] I wonder... |
Orrin Judd: Social Security reform 'could hit high earners' (Andrew Balls, December 19 2004, Financial Times) [snipped quote] If we... |
Firefighter Is Among Those Charged in Md. Arson Case WaPo — Permalink Law enforcement authorities arrested and charged three more people this morning in connection with the early-morning arson fire that engulfed a new housing subdivision in Charles County last week. Among them was a man listed as a member of a volunteer fire department that responded to the blaze. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: FIRES IN MARYLAND: AN UPDATE — Apparently, they were caused by a disgruntled employer and there is no mention of any connection to ecoterrorism. |
Glenn Reynolds: THOSE MARYLAND FIRES MENTIONED EARLIER were apparently not ecoterrorism after all. |
French Holocaust Denier on Ban of Al-Manar: 'The Big Lie of the Alleged Holocaust ... is the Shield of Jewish Tyranny... Destroy it' MEMRI — Permalink On Saturday December 18, 2004 French Holocaust denier Professor Robert Faurisson former lecturer of Lyon University, gave an interview to Iran's Mehr News Agency about France's decision to ban Al-Manar TV. The following is the interview: | |
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Gene @HarrysPlace: The order provoked protests at the French embassy in Beirut, and also from veteran French Holocaust denier Professor... |
Damian Penny: Never mind Jean-Marie Le Pen getting almost 20% of the vote in France, or mosques being burned to the ground in Holland... |
Bombs in Karbala, Najaf kill 67 CNN — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Deadly car bombings on Sunday hit the Iraqi Shiite Muslim holy cities of Karbala and Najaf, killing 67 people, officials said. In Najaf, a suicide car bomber plowed his vehicle into a funeral procession and exploded it just yards... | |
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Talking Dog: For those who, like Senators Kerry and Edwards, were cowed by George W. Bush's asinine question "Would you rather Saddam... |
Jack Cluth: This carnage has been brought to you by TIME's Person of the Year |
Born-Again President -- White House Hanukkah By / LAT — Permalink His website is www.dennis prager.com. "Only in America." That's what I kept repeating to myself last week when I celebrated Hanukkah at a White House party attended by President and Mrs. Bush. | |
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The Big Trunk: The congregation's beatiful letter is called to mind by Dennis Prager's Los Angeles Times column noting his celebration... Betsy Newmark: Dennis Prager has some sweet reflections on being a Jew in America and being invited to the Hannukah celebration at the White House. |
Ken Masugi: Dennis Prager on Jews in America — In the LA Times conservative talk show host Dennis Prager explains what we take too... |
Rights Groups Reassess Strategies By / WaPo — Permalink At year's end, the leaders of the nation's largest African American and Hispanic civil rights organizations will step down on the same day — a first. But despite the common timing, the transitions highlight differences in the two organizations' outlooks and agendas. | |
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John Rosenberg: Today he asserts that what minorities in the U.S. have in common (and presumably all they have in common) is their... Orrin Judd: WE'LL TAKE THE HISPANICS, DEMOCRATS CAN HAVE THE BLACKS: Rights Groups Reassess Strategies: Black, Hispanic... |
Captain Ed: Darryl Fears reports in today's Washington Post that the 2004 elections taught at least one ethnic-advocacy group the... |
Where Aquarius Went By / NYT — Permalink IN the summer of 1989 I was a speaker at a memorial for Abbie Hoffman. This was a rolling and unstructured all-day event, but at the closing moment the stage held the simultaneous presence of Bobby Seale, Norman Mailer, Amiri Baraka, William Kunstler, Terry... | |
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Gregory Djerejian: Hitchens on the Hippies... ... here: [snipped quote] A not uninteresting contrarian take from Hitchens. |
Ann Althouse: Christopher Hitchens, who makes a point of saying he's never smoked marijuana, writes about hippiedom (in the NYT Book Review). |
KERIK TAX 'BREAK' By / New York Post — Permalink A city correction officer romantically linked to Bernard Kerik when he was correction commissioner got away with breaking tax rules that led to more than 100 of her co-workers being arrested or fired in a 1990s scandal, The Post has learned. | |
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Steve M.: I GOT 99 PROBLEMS BUT WITHHOLDING AIN'T ONE — In case you missed the Kerik news this weekend, the New York Post... |
Steve Gilliard: Kerik Tax 'Break' By RICH CALDER "December 19, 2004 — A city correction officer romantically linked to Bernard Kerik... |
Saddam bids to challenge case in the US AFP — Permalink LONDON (AFP) - Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is preparing a legal challenge in the United States to his trial for war crimes, a newspaper reports, citing leaked papers prepared by his defense team. | |
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Charles Johnson: The Circus is Coming to Town — The lawyers for Saddam Hussein are preparing to turn his trial into the Circus of the Century: Saddam bids to challenge case in the US. |
Hindrocket: Saddam Sues — Little Green Footballs has this infuriating item: [snipped quote] In a great bit of instant sleuthing,... |
Al Qaeda Shifts Its Strategy in Saudi Arabia By / WaPo — Permalink RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Al Qaeda forces in Saudi Arabia have shifted their strategy and are now almost exclusively searching for U.S. and other Western targets in the kingdom while avoiding attacks on domestic institutions in a bid to strengthen their flagging network, according to security officials and Saudi experts on radical groups. | |
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Captain Ed: AQ In Decline In Saudi Arabia — Al-Qaeda has apparently declined in stature in its own Wahhabist birthplace to such an... |
Jason Van Steenwyk: Evidence of Al Qaeda's Defeat in Saudi Arabia — Captain's Quarters links to this Washington Post story. |
Many New or Expectant Mothers Die Violent Deaths By / WaPo — Permalink Their killings produced only a few headlines, but across the country in the last decade, hundreds of pregnant women and new mothers have been slain. Even as Scott Peterson's trial became a public fascination, little was said about how often is happens, why, and whether it is a fluke or a social syndrome. | |
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James Joyner: Many New or Expectant Mothers Die Violent Deaths (WaPo, A01) "Their deaths passed quietly. |
David Adesnik: LACI PETERSON, YOU ARE NOT ALONE: Under a banner headline on the front page of the WaPo, a lengthy article describes a... |
Transcript for Dec. 19 MSNBC — Permalink PLEASE CREDIT ANY QUOTES OR EXCERPTS FROM THIS NBC TELEVISION PROGRAM TO "NBC NEWS' MEET THE PRESS." This is a rush transcript provided for the information and convenience of the press. Accuracy is not guaranteed. In case of doubt, please check with: | |
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Ann Althouse: Said Joe Biden on "Meet the Press." UPDATE: Here's the transcript. This is the full quote: "I'm tired of talking about Rumsfeld. |
Gregory Djerejian: Er, yes and yes, of course. Late Sunday Update: Some Lugar/Warner roll-back on Tim Russert's show. But it's pretty lukewarm fare. |
Does Christmas Need to Be Saved? By / NYT — Permalink A pastor in Raleigh, N.C., took out a full-page newspaper ad in November exhorting Christians to shop only at stores that included "Merry Christmas" in their promotions. | |
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Jeff Jarvis: There is plenty of reading material on the topic from just the last few days: : Here is The New York Times Week in... |
Michelle Malkin: O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL — If you live in or near Bogota, N.J., or feel like driving there to play a small part in the... |
A Political Arabesque By / NYT — Permalink I have long believed that any American general or senior diplomat who wants to work in Iraq should have to pass a test. It would be a very simple test. It would consist of only one question: "Do you think the shortest distance between two points is a straight line?" | |
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Cori Dauber: Tom Friedman shares interesting news from the Persian Gulf: Yes, the U.S. invasion of Iraq made America some new... |
Matthew Yglesias: The Good News... ...is that Tom Friedman and Jim Hoagland have both written insightful columns on the topic of Iranian influence in Iraq. |
Researchers Stunned By Scope of Slayings By / WaPo — Permalink In the mid-1990s, Cara Krulewitch sat in a dark, cramped file room in the office of the D.C. medical examiner, poring over autopsies for days that became weeks, then months. She was an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, assigned to the District. | |
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James Joyner: A companion piece, "Researchers Stunned By Scope of Slayings," points out that the academic research on the issue is inconclusive. |
Orrin Judd: CELL CLUMPS AND THE CELL CLUMPS THAT CARRY THEM: Researchers Stunned By Scope of Slayings: Further Studies Needed, Most... |
'We Back You' By / WaPo — Permalink One morning in 1966, when I was an eighth-grader at Gen. George S. Patton Jr. Junior High School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., we were mustered onto the playground in a formation of huge block letters that spelled: WE BACK YOU. | |
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Phillip Carter: Rick Atkinson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of An Army at Dawn, and more recently, In the Company of Soldiers, has... |
Cori Dauber: A new Vietnam parallel — The logic of this piece is perfect: if military officers oppose this war, it's because they oppose this war. |
Battle Lines Form on Social Security By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — The Social Security debate is providing the first big test of how Democrats in Congress plan to play out their role as the heavily outnumbered opposition party. If their actions so far are any indication, they are not going to be cowed into cooperating with President Bush. | |
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Orrin Judd: ROUND UP THE USUAL SUSPECTS: Battle Lines Form on Social Security: Democrats are finding unity in their opposition to... |
Matthew Yglesias: More Unity — With two posts up on unity and Social Security already, several people have pointed me to today's Los Angeles Times writeup, but with different interpretations. |
Some Put Money Where Their Politics Are By / WaPo — Permalink Raven Brooks is making his Christmas list, but he is less concerned with what to buy than where to shop. Brooks is one of a small group of frustrated Democrats who met while commiserating online after President Bush defeated Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). | |
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Robert Tagorda: Two pro-Democratic sites — BuyBlue.org and ChoosetheBlue.com — think so, and they're discouraging fellow partisans... |
Lambert @Corrente: Blue, blue Christmas — BuyBlue.org and ChooseTheBlue.org (via WaPo) Why give your money to people who are trying to screw you by contributing to the Republicans? you? |
Despite criticism, DeLay undaunted By / Houston Chronicle — Permalink WASHINGTON - There was a day last month, as Congress wrapped up its work for the year, when House Majority Leader Tom DeLay showed what it is about him that infuriates his political opponents — and also leaves them in awe. | |
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Charles Kuffner: Let us now pause for some unintentional comedy — There's not much I can really say about this Chron article on Tom DeLay. |
Jack Cluth: The greatest and most shameless of the Medici Republicans — Despite criticism, DeLay undaunted: Personal skills and... |
Your Blog or Mine? By / NYT — Permalink One of the first sex scandals of the blogosphere ended, of course, in a book deal. In May, Ana Marie Cox, the Internet gossip whose Web log, Wonkette, focuses on Washington, published a link to another blogger who called herself the Washingtonienne. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: ADJUSTING BEHAVIOR TO BLOGGING — This article by Jeffrey Rosen discusses the ways in which blogs and blogging change and affect our interactions with one another. Richard TPD: Wangjianshuo quoted in NY Times article on blogging — There's a mammoth article in today's NY Times Magazine on the threats "sex blogs" can pose to people's privacy. Steve Dillard: Congrats to L-Cubed for getting a huge shout out from Professor Rosen in today's NYT Magazine. |
Will Baude: Jeff Rosen has a piece in this week's New York Times Magazine about sex, blogs, and privacy (via Toby Stern). Ed Cone: From an NYT mag article by Jeffrey Rosen about the ethics and realities of blogging: [snipped quote] — This issue arose... |
Tapes reveal foul tirades of 'Chemical Ali' By / Telegraph — Permalink Gruesome tapes of Saddam Hussein's most feared henchman threatening to cut up his thousands of victims "like cucumbers" have been disclosed as Iraqi war-crimes judges began court proceedings against him yesterday. | |
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Marcus @HarrysPlace: One particular tape records Ali Hassan al-Majid's plans for the Kurd's in the late 1980's: In chilling words that... Pejman Yousefzadeh: Oh, and I also want to be the prosecuting attorney in the trial of the loathsome Ali Hassan al-Majid: "Gruesome tapes... |
Captain Ed: Chemical Ali's Salad Bar — The judicial investigation of Ali Hassan al-Majid, better known to Westerners as "Chemical... |
In Kerik, Bush Saw Values Crucial to Post-9/11 World By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 - President Bush first met Bernard B. Kerik near the smoking ruins of the World Trade Center on Sept. 14, 2001, a day that instantly changed Mr. Bush's relationship with a city he had never much liked. | |
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Josh Marshall: Sunday's Times has an article about the Bush-Kerik relationship that is damning without quite saying so. Digby: Tough Guys — This article in The Times seems to validate my theory that Bush saw Kerik as some sort of alter ego. Steve Gilliard: My man Bernie Soprano — Bush's kind of man In Kerik, Bush Saw Values Crucial to Post-9/11 World By ELISABETH BUMILLER... |
Barbara O'Brien: Hey Hey Hey Hey Tell Me What'd I Say — Re Josh Marshall — Elisabeth Bumiller writes in today's New York Times that... Orrin Judd: DENNIS FRANZ WILL PLAY HIM IN THE MOVIE: In Kerik, Bush Saw Values Crucial to Post-9/11 World (ELISABETH BUMILLER,... |
2001 Memo Reveals Push for Broader Presidential Powers By / Newsweek — Permalink Dec. 18 - Just two weeks after the September 11 attacks, a secret memo to White House counsel Alberto Gonzales' office concluded that President Bush had the power to deploy military force "preemptively" against any terrorist groups or countries that supported... | |
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Phillip Carter: Michael Isikoff reports in Newsweek on what is apparently the first memorandum by the Office of Legal Counsel after... Angry Bear: I Guess We All Knew This Already... ...but now it's official. Newsweek: [snipped quote] AB |
Orin Kerr: From its first paragraph: [snipped quote] Thanks to Howard for the link to the Newsweek story on the memo. |
It is Muslims who have most to fear from Islamists By / Telegraph — Permalink On Wednesday, I wrote a letter to David Blunkett. As he resigned 15 minutes after my fax arrived (I cannot claim the two events were related), I do not complain that I have not yet received an answer, either from him, or from his successor, Charles Clarke. | |
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Damian Penny: Moore and the Telegraph have refused to back down, and his latest column notes that even Muslims who reject extremism... |
Charles Johnson: Muslims Have Most to Fear from Islamists — Charles Moore, on Britain's proposed thoughtcrime law that would protect... |
PA: 'Right of return' a red line By / Jerusalem Post — Permalink The Palestinian Authority will never give up the right of return for all refugees to their original homes inside Israel, Zakariya al-Agha, head of the PLO's Refugees Department, said on Saturday. | |
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Captain Ed: Palestinians Choosing Annihilation — The Jerusalem Post reports that the Palestinian leadership has once again insisted... Joseph Alexander Norland: Today, JPost correspondent KHALED ABU TOAMEH adds more information on the entrenched position of the PLO. |
Ted Belman: Never the twain shall meet — PA: 'Right of return' a red line Khaled Abu Toameh, THE JERUSALEM POST The Palestinian... |
Rudy undeterred by Kerik mess By / New York Newsday — Permalink Despite a national fiasco surrounding his close friend and associate Bernard Kerik, ex-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is sending signals that his consulting business and political role will thrive. | |
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Steve Gilliard: Rudy undeterred by Kerik mess BY DAN JANISON STAFF WRITER December 18, 2004 "Despite a national fiasco surrounding his... Josh Marshall: Rudy Giuliani, as quoted on the Giuliania Partners website, explaining 'accountability', one of 'six... |
Joe Gandelman: But Newsday reports this: "Despite a national fiasco surrounding his close friend and associate Bernard Kerik, ex-Mayor... |
Dems Want Answers From Rumsfeld on Armor By / AP — Permalink CHICAGO - The incoming deputy leader of Senate Democrats demanded answers Saturday from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as to why U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan lack protective equipment for themselves and their vehicles. | |
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Donald Sensing: Powerline says that "the Dems have jumped on the armor hoax with both feet. Well, so did the Republicans. James Martin Capozzola: [Post-publication addendum (December 18): See also "Dem[ocrat]s Want Answers From Rumsfeld on Armor," by Maura Kelly... |
Jason Van Steenwyk: Senator Dick Durbin, D-IL, argues in today's Democratic Party's weekly radio address, that 44,000 U.S. troops-or more... |
A.C.L.U.'s Search for Data on Donors Stirs Privacy Fears By / NYT — Permalink The American Civil Liberties Union is using sophisticated technology to collect a wide variety of information about its members and donors in a fund-raising effort that has ignited a bitter debate over its leaders' commitment to privacy rights. | |
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Tom Smith: Your ACLU dollar at work — Is nothing left that one can believe in? Now even the ACLU wants to be big brother. Orin Kerr: According to The New York Times: "The American Civil Liberties Union is using sophisticated technology to collect a... McQ: Yes, but there's money involved ... so to hell with principles: "The American Civil Liberties Union is using... |
Cori Dauber: Extensive and sophisticated data mining from the ACLU to learn all it can about members and donors. Oh, well. Bird Dog: Privacy For Me But Not For Thee — If ever there's a reason not to give money to the ACLU, this is it. Orrin Judd: PUBLIC ISN'T PRIVATE: A.C.L.U.'s Search for Data on Donors Stirs Privacy Fears (STEPHANIE STROM, 12/18/04, NY Times)... |
| Also: Clayton Cramer, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Tully @Centerfield, Glenn Reynolds, KJL | |
44% in poll OK limits on rights of Muslims By / AP — Permalink Nearly half of all Americans surveyed said they think the US government should restrict the civil liberties of Muslim Americans, according to a nationwide poll. | |
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Steve M.: If you've been reading blogs today, you've probably seen this AP story in some form or another: 44% in poll OK limits on... Cori Dauber: Well, this is kind of annoying — Here's this survey that supposedly says a large plurality of Americans would favor... |
Orin Kerr: Here is the summary from the Associated Press: "Nearly half of all Americans surveyed said they think the US government... Pejman Yousefzadeh: There is a lot of alarm over this report which tells us the following: [snipped quote] Now if nearly half of Americans... |
Here's my plan to end the red-blue rift NY Daily News — Permalink I thought that in today's column I would heal the nation. The nation suffered a wound during the recent presidential election as a result of the rift between the red states - defined as "states where 'foreign cuisine' pretty much means Pizza Hut" - and the... | |
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Todd Pearson: Dave Barry's plan to end the red-blue rift — This is funny. McQ: Healing the Nation, Dave Barry style — Dave Barry has taken it upon his self to heal the red-blue state rift this weekend. Ed Driscoll: A Modest Proposal — Dave Barry has a few ideas that might just bridge the divide between the red, blue and Samoan states. |
Jayson @PoliPundit: Mending the "Red State"/"Blue State" Rifts — Dave Barry has various suggestions for how to heal this "bitterly divided" nation of ours. Steve Bainbridge: "(Link)" |
Iraq's Election Is Seen as a 'Jungle of Ambiguity' By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 17 - With the candidates' lists closed and Iraq seemingly set on an irreversible course toward elections on Jan. 30, a senior Western official with decades of Middle East experience cast about Friday for the kind of optimistic forecast that... | |
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Charles Paul Freund: An NYT story sees a "jungle of ambiguity," but the UN reports "considerable interest among Iraqis in the registration process in particular, and elections in general." |
Gregory Djerejian: The Impending Iraqi Elections: A "Jungle of Ambiguity" — John Burns on the impending Iraqi elections. |
Obama lands $1.9 million book deal Chicago Sun Times — Permalink Leveraging his best-selling memoir, Sen.-elect Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is poised to sign a three-book deal landing him a $1.9 million advance. The package includes a $200,000 payment for a children's volume that will be donated to charity. | |
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James Joyner: Barack Obama Lands $1.9 Million Book Deal — Obama lands $1.9 million book deal (Chicago Sun-Times) [snipped quote] I... Andrew Stuttaford: HMMMM — Well, that didn't take long, did it? "Leveraging his best-selling memoir, Sen.-elect Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is... |
Dave Johnson: Obama lands $1.9 million book deal: [snipped quote] It just stinks. We fought the battle for campaign contribution limits. Kos @DailyKos: Obama gets fat book deal $1.9 million, 3-book deal: [snipped quote] Money problems out of the way, Obama can focus on being the best Senator in D.C. |
LOST IN THE FALLOUT By / Knight Ridder — Permalink FRIAZINO, Russia - The man who saved America — and probably the world — is living out his days on a measly pension in a dank apartment in a forlorn suburb of Moscow. He has a bad stomach, varicose veins and a mangy spotted dog named Jack the Ripper. | |
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Hindrocket: Mark Mcdonald of Knight Ridder says, maybe so: [snipped quote] It's a fascinating story, and one I'd never read before. Tim Blair: GOOD CALL, STAN — Are you alive? Well, then maybe you should thank Stanislav Petrov: [snipped quote] Read on. It's fascinating. |
Orrin Judd: NEARLY? : LOST IN THE FALLOUT: In 1983, he likely saved the world. Where is he now? |
Poll Shows Seniors Back Medical Marijuana AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly three-fourths of older Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical use, according to a poll done for the nation's largest advocacy group for seniors. More than half of those questioned said they believe marijuana has medical benefits, while a larger majority agreed the drug is addictive. | |
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Jan Haugland: Seniors support medical marijuana — Almost three-fourths of American seniors support medical marijuana, according to a poll. Skippy: armando's dkos diary tells us that a recent aarp survey shows that [snipped quote] there's two fallacies that the... |
Armando @DailyKos: Does the survey show a regional divide? Does this hurt us in the South? |
Poll finds many Americans would limit Muslims' rights AP — Permalink Nearly half of all Americans say the U.S. government should restrict the civil liberties of Muslim Americans, according to a nationwide poll. The survey conducted by Cornell University found that Republicans and people who described themselves as... | |
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Hindrocket: One of today's big news stories, which probably appears in most American newspapers, is headlined in the Minneapolis... Jason Van Steenwyk: The poll found that 44 percent favored at least some restrictions on the civil liberties of Muslim Americans As... |
Jan Haugland: Poll: Half of Amercians will limit Muslims' rights — Almost half of all Americans say that the US government should restrict Muslims' civil liberties. |
First Amendment Chicken Little By / Slate — Permalink From where I type in downtown D.C., the First Amendment seems pretty safe. But just blocks away, Washington Post op-ed columnist E.J. Dionne senses such a chill on our press freedoms that he's taken to composing his pieces in a parka, mittens, and Uggs. | |
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Deacon: E.J. Dionne's big chill — For this week's critique of E.J. Dionne's Friday column, I enlist Slate's Jack Shafer. Orrin Judd: GETS? HE WAS BORN THAT WAY: First Amendment Chicken Little: E.J. Dionne gets hysterical. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE NON-JOURNEY TO FASCISM — Jack Shafer cuts E.J. Dionne down to size and catches him crying wolf. |
How Dubious Evidence Spurred Relentless Guantánamo Spy Hunt By / NYT — Permalink Capt. Theodore C. Polet Sr., an Army counterintelligence officer for the terrorist detention camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, had just begun investigating a report of suspicious behavior by a Muslim chaplain at the prison last year when he received what he thought was alarming new information. | |
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TChris: Yee and Halabi Accusations Explored — In a detailed report, The New York Times explains why military investigators and... |
Roger Ailes: Presumed Guilty — The New York Times has an illuminating article on the Army's criminal charges against Muslim chaplains and translators at Guantanamo Bay. |
Pentagon Seeks to Expand Role in Intelligence By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 - The Pentagon is drawing up a plan that would give the military a more prominent role in intelligence-collection operations that have traditionally been the province of the Central Intelligence Agency, including missions aimed at terrorist groups and those involved in weapons proliferation, Defense Department officials say. | |
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Soccerdad @LeftCoaster: The Military and Intelligence — An article in the NYTimes by way of Steven Clemons Does everyone remember our favorite Christian soldier Lt. General William "Jerry" Boykin? |
Steve Clemons: Today, the New York Times reports that Boykin, who is Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, is "drawing up... |
Survey finds support for restricting Muslim-Americans' freedoms By / AP — Permalink Nearly one in two Americans believe the U.S. government should restrict civil liberties for Muslim-Americans, according to a nationwide Cornell University poll on terrorism fears. | |
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TChris: The sad and frightening news: 44 percent do not. |
Digby: Crusaders For Freedom — Via Talk Left I see that 44 percent of Americans think that we should limit the civil liberties of American Muslims. |
Bill Moyers Gets In the Last Word By / WaPo — Permalink Bill Moyers has always taken the high road, but it got a little lonely up there. In a country where political discourse grows ever more shrill, his voice was more and more easily drowned out. Last night, at the age of 70 and on the eve of his 50th wedding anniversary, Bill Moyers took the high road home. | |
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Deacon: The void not left — Washington Post television critic Tom Shales will miss Bill Moyers. Orrin Judd: LEFT BEHIND: Bill Moyers Gets In the Last Word (Tom Shales, December 18, 2004, Washington Post) [snipped quote] So if you... |
Cliff May: (Yeah, and ... oh, supply your own ironic comment here.) Read it for yourself. |
Poll shows U.S. views on Muslim-Americans AP — Permalink ITHACA, N.Y. - Nearly half of all Americans believe the U.S. government should restrict the civil liberties of Muslim-Americans, according to a nationwide poll. | |
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Tbogg: More American Idiots — Just when you thought you couldn't be any more embarrassed to be an American... Nearly half of... |
The Poor Man: You Can Stop Hating Us For Our Freedom Now — [snipped quote] Imagine that. |
Bush speechwriter rushed to hospital AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Bush's chief speechwriter was taken to the hospital today with symptoms of blocked blood flow to the heart but was treated and is recovering, the White House said. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Best wishes to Michael Gerson, the President's chief speechwriter, for a speedy recovery. |
Andrew Sullivan: GET WELL, MICHAEL: Very sorry to hear of Michael Gerson's health problem. |
Herbert Lom: The odd fellow By / Independent — Permalink Herbert Charles Angelo Kuchacevich ze Schluderpacheru was wise to change his surname to Lom. It is one of many wise decisions he has made in his long life. Another was to emigrate to England, from his native Czechoslovakia, in January 1939. | |
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Roger L. Simon: An Actor with a Brain — In this era when actors spout off to look like "good guys" in the face of terror, Herbert Lom... |
Deacon: Lesson learned — Roger Simon links to this excellent portrait of 87 year-old actor Herbert Lom in the Independent. |
Charles fights death penalty for converts By / Telegraph — Permalink The Prince of Wales is brokering efforts to end the Muslim death penalty on converts to other faiths, The Telegraph has learned. He held a private summit of Christian and Muslim leaders at Clarence House this month to explore the centuries-old Islamic law under which apostates face persecution and even death. | |
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Perry de Havilland: Judging from this article it appears that when faced directly with the realities of what is done in the name of their... |
Andrew Sullivan: He is unfairly maligned in my opinion. His recent effort has been to encourage Muslims not to execute apostates. |
White House Predicts Slower Growth in 2005 By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 - The Bush administration predicted on Friday that economic growth would slow next year but still be strong enough to reduce unemployment slightly. | |
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Kevin Hayden: Rosie Sennaireeo, 2000-2005, RIP — The truth is inevitably worse than this administration projects, so it's worrisome... |
Matthew Yglesias: Assumptions, Assumptions — When Bushies talk about the budget they say: [snipped quote] But if productivity continues to... |
Making A Federal Case Out of Almost Everything By / Reason — Permalink "Don't make a federal case out of it," we used to tell people who blew things out of proportion. But that phrase is quickly losing its bite as the federal government expands its jurisdiction to every area of American life. | |
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Matt Welch: 'Roids, 'Tutes, and National Security: Cato's Gene Healy: "Moreover, a federal government focused on everything from... |
Jayson @PoliPundit: Yeah, it is High Time to Put the Federal Genie Back Into its Bottle — Gene Healy discusses the over-federalization of our legal system. |
In Congo War, Even Peacekeepers Add to Horror By / NYT — Permalink BUNIA, Congo, Dec. 16 - In the corner of the tent where she says a soldier forced himself on her, Helen, a frail fifth grader with big eyes and skinny legs, remembers seeing a blue helmet. | |
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Cori Dauber: Right there on the front page, above the fold, three columns wide and placed under a prominent, three column wide... |
Maimon Schwarzschild: This Just In — The New York Times finally took note yesterday of the UN rape scandal in Congo. |
Germans despair as rising dole queues cast gloomy shadow By / Telegraph — Permalink When he set up his film production company in Berlin, Raphael Socha had every reason to call it Hope and Glory. "We were brimming with enthusiasm about what we could do here in this exciting city after the fall of the wall, full of hope about the new chances Germany had," he said. | |
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B.C: Reality Kicks The Germans Squarely In Their Zusammengeschrumpfte Hoden* Sir George, Knight Errant of the Imperial Duchy... |
Peter Burnet: EUROPE ALWAYS DID LOOK BETTER FROM AFAR — Germans despair as rising dole queues cast gloomy shadow (Kate Connolly, The... |
Hamas May Give Peace a Chance By / NYT — Permalink Ramallah, West Bank — TWO unlikely factors - the maneuverings of Hamas, a group the United States considers a chief sponsor of terrorism, and a widespread fear of chaos among Palestinians - are combining to create some hope in the runup to next month's election to choose Yasir Arafat's successor as head of the Palestinian Authority. | |
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Charles Johnson: Better send the guys with the white coats and butterfly nets over to the New York Times, where Scott Atran (of the... |
Orrin Judd: Hamas May Give Peace a Chance (SCOTT ATRAN, 12/18/04, NY Times) [snipped quote] People need to reconcile themselves to... |
Bush: Social Security Plan Has Safeguards By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - President Bush said Thursday the Social Security investment accounts he is proposing would have rules to prevent workers from gambling away their retirement money. He appealed for congressional action to shore up the system and said lawmakers supporting him wouldn't be risking their seats. | |
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Avedon Carol: "Bush plans to convince people that destroying Social Security is safe by wasting a lot of money artificially inflating the stock market." |
Steve Gilliard: What's to prevent private accounts from being manipulated in the same way? |
Singing the Norwegian Blues WaPo — Permalink "Importance: High We need to hire a junior lobbyist/PAC manager. Attached is a job description. Salary is $85-90K. Must be a male with Republican stripes. "If you know of anyone who might be interested in interviewing for this position, would you please let me know? | |
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Ampersand @Amptoons: Must be a male with Republican stripes — From a column in today's Washington Post: [snipped quote] Remember, this sort... Rickheller @Centerfield: Al Kamen takes issue. [snipped quote] I don't doubt that the missle defense system will be deployed, whether or not it is functional. |
Echidne @AmStreet: Need A Job? Need A Job? There is a good one going in Viacom's government relations department! |
Iraq through Iraqis' eyes By / Townhall.com — Permalink A year after Saddam Hussein was captured, how goes the liberation of Iraq? If a phrase like "the liberation of Iraq" strikes you as ironic, chances are most of what you know about the situation there comes from the mainstream press. | |
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Charles Johnson: Iraq Through Iraqis' Eyes — Jeff Jacoby puts it in perspective: Iraq through Iraqis' eyes. Betsy Newmark: Jeff Jacoby gives us another way to look at what we accomplished in Iraq. |
Greyhawk: Voices of Iraq — Jeff Jacoby reviews the film Voices of Iraq, which we introduced here. |