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In Secretly Taped Conversations, Glimpses of the Future President By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 - As George W. Bush was first moving onto the national political stage, he often turned for advice to an old friend who secretly taped some of their private conversations, creating a rare record of the future president as a politician and a personality. | |
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Paul @Wizbang: In Secretly Taped Conversations, Glimpses of the Future President WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 - As George W. Bush was first... Betsy Newmark: This guy, Douglas Wead, who secretly taped President Bush in the late 1990s and now has let the New York Times listen and report on the tapes, has to get Weasel of the Year Award. Steve @BeggingToDiffer: THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BUSH — The New York Times has published excerpts from secret recordings of telephone... |
Steve Soto: Tapes Of Bush 1998 Conversations Reveal Interesting Views On Gays — In tomorrow's New York Times, there is a story on... Digby: He wasn't quite sure how to handle the religious right. Wead taped the conversations. Spoons: What a prick! Is there a lower form of life than Doug Wead? (Besides possibly Jimmy Carter, I mean). |
| Also: Jack Cluth, Jeralyn Merritt, Ogged @Unfogged, Orrin Judd, Roger Ailes, Lorie Byrd, Orin Kerr | |
Iwo Jima By / Opinion Journal — Permalink Sixty years ago today, more than 110,000 Americans and 880 ships began their assault on a small volcanic island in the Pacific, in the climactic battle of the last year of World War II. | |
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Charles Johnson: Iwo Jima — At OpinionJournal, Arthur Herman has an outstanding piece on the 60th anniversary of the assault on Iwo Jima. McQ: Semper Fi! Today is the 60th anniversary of one of the most savage and bloody fights of WWII — Iwo Jima. The Big Trunk: Don't miss this Kerrville Daily Times article on the Legend of Heroes Memorial created by Danielle Girdano: "Iwo Jima sixty years later." |
Bigwig: The battle for Iwo Jima began 60 years ago today. Cori Dauber: Where Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue — A tribute, on the 60th anniversary of the beginning, to the Battle for Iwo Jima. Michael DeBow: Historian Arthur Herman offers this reflection on Opinion Journal. |
| Also: Pejman Yousefzadeh, John J. Miller | |
Flame on! - Estrich v. Kinsley and the L.A. Times: Round two By / Washington Examiner — Permalink On Thursday, The Examiner printed an e-mail by University of Southern California professor Susan Estrich accusing the Los Angeles Times of sexual discrimination against women writers. We also ran a rebuttal by Michael Kinsley, opinion and editorial editor at the Times. | |
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Digby: Kevin Drum excerpts Susan Estrich's latest little bit of nasty in her ongoing pursuit of being the most unlikeable... Betsy Newmark: The Susan Estrich-Michael Kinsley flap gets more and more fun. The DC Examiner has the newest exchange. Radley Balko: Kinsely recently revealed he has Parkinson's Disease. Here's where it gets ugly. Writes Estrich: [snipped quote] Eep. |
Steve Bainbridge: Kinsley v. Estrich — This just keeps getting more and more amusing, with the latest round of emails between Susan... Kevin Drum: Here's the latest email from Estrich in their ongoing war being carried out in the editorial pages of the new DC Examiner: [snipped quote] Nice. Vox Day: It's worth noting that Susan Estrich appears to be completely losing it. |
| Also: Avedon Carol, John J. Miller | |
Tired of TiVo? Beyond Blogs? Podcasts Are Here By / NYT — Permalink GRAND FORKS, N.D. , Feb. 16 - From a chenille-slipcovered sofa in the basement of their friend Dave's mom's house at the edge of a snow-covered field, Brad and Other Brad, sock-footed pioneers in the latest technology revolution, are recording "Why Fish," their weekly show. | |
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Ogged @Unfogged: The New York Times finally gets around to writing about podcasting, and maybe I'm being uncharitable, but it would have been nice if they'd bothered to tell us what podcasting is. Ed Cone: NYT puts podcasting on A1. [snipped quote] I guess Jill Abramson liked the PRX presentation at Harvard. Jeff Jarvis: Big time : The Times does podcasting. |
Ann Althouse: The NYT has a frontpage article promoting podcasting, which is supposedly the big new thing now that blogs are so last year. Bill Hobbs: Podcasting — The New York Times has a story today on podcasting. I haven't read it yet, but here it is. |
In the Midst of Budget Decadence, a Leader Will Arise By / NYT — Permalink There's going to be another Ross Perot, and this time he's going to be younger. There's going to be a millionaire rising out of the country somewhere and he (or she) is going to lead a movement of people who are worried about federal deficits, who are offended... | |
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Bigwig: The New, New Thing — David Brooks on the new Ross Perot. There's going to be another Ross Perot, and this time he's going to be younger. DeLong: Why Oh Why Can't We Have a Better Press Corps? (Is David Brooks Really this Big an Idiot? |
Greg Ransom: David Brooks. Stephen Green: Anyway, read the whole thing. |
Jeff Gannon Admits Past 'Mistakes,' Berates Critics By / WaPo — Permalink Jeff Gannon, the former White House reporter whose naked pictures have appeared on a number of gay escort sites, says that he has "regrets" about his past but that White House officials knew nothing about his salacious activities. | |
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Hindrocket: Today, Kurtz writes about the Gannon affair in the Washington Post. Paul @Wizbang: Jeff Gannon Admits Past 'Mistakes,' Berates Critics Jeff Gannon, the former White House reporter whose naked pictures... SLZoll: Now, on to Jeff's tearful but indignant interview with Howie Kurtz: "I've made mistakes in my past," he said yesterday. |
Jeff Goldstein: (UPDATED) Lefty blog Crooks and Liars—who, from what I can gather, simply WILL NOT TOLERATE EITHER CROOKS OR LIARS—has... Charles Johnson: WaPo Continues Flogging Gannon — Howard Kurtz has already written more words about the trumped up Jeff Gannon scandal... Orrin Judd: MORE: Jeff Gannon Admits Past 'Mistakes,' Berates Critics (Howard Kurtz, February 19, 2005, Washington Post) "Jeff... |
| Also: Jeralyn Merritt | |
The darlings of the blogosphere AP — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) — Like so many other 20-somethings hoping to mine the Internet gold rush of the late 1990s, Mena Trott was thrown for a humbling loop by the dot-com bust, yet still craved stardom. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Did you ever wonder how it got started, who's behind it and how that weird name came about? Read this and you'll know. |
Susanna Cornett: The Trotts — Here's an article about the developers of Moveable Type, Ben and Mena Trott. She sounds like a piece of work. |
Interview With Jeff Gannon 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 from New York. I'm Anderson Cooper. He was a White House reporter, now he's the center of a political firestorm. | |
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Brian Stelter: Here's the transcript. My favorite excerpt: COOPER: This liberal group, Media Matters, which I'm sure you know well about. |
James Frederick Dwight: The previously reclusive Mr. Gannon/Guckert appeared on the Anderson Cooper Show last night. |
Why the EU Constitution is bad for Britain and bad for the US By / Telegraph — Permalink In the stern old pre-Vatican II days, Roman Catholics used to be instructed not to read the Bible by themselves. The theory was that, if they did so, they might misunderstand what it meant and commit the error of "private judgment". | |
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Robert Prather: Here's a review from the Telegraph: George W. Bush is a good Protestant, but I doubt if he has read the European Constitution. |
Peter Burnet: WE, THE BUREAUCRATS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION... Why the EU Constitution is bad for Britain and bad for the US (Charles... |
GOP Takes to Heartland With Social Security Plan By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — Republican leaders in Congress, faced with the political reality that there is little grass-roots momentum behind President Bush's plan to overhaul Social Security, are planning to spread out across the country next week to try to build a constituency for change — and to take a watchful measure of voters' response. | |
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Steve Soto: And if you want proof that it is way too early for Senate Democrats to look for opportunities to cave in on the issue, take a look at this story in today's Los Angeles Times. |
Josh Marshall: Rep. Shelley — Moore Capito's (R) message for (pro-Social Security) West Virginians about her Social Security townhall... |
Opponents of 'Clear Skies' Bill Examined LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — The chairman of a Senate committee that oversees environmental issues has directed two national organizations that oppose President Bush's major clean-air initiative to turn over their financial and tax records to the Senate. | |
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JollyBuddah: Opponents of 'Clear Skies' Bill Examined "The chairman of a Senate committee that oversees environmental issues has... |
Steve Bainbridge: Waxman on Bullying — There's a spat in DC over a demand by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for... |
Administration Is Warned About Its 'News' Videos By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 - The comptroller general has issued a blanket warning that reminds federal agencies they may not produce newscasts promoting administration policies without clearly stating that the government itself is the source. | |
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David Allan Pell: These faux newscasts have been released by agencies a couple of times in the recent past and Walker insists that these... |
Curt Matlock: In Administration is Warned about its 'News' Videos by Anne Kornblut, the NY Times reports today (2/19/05) on a recent letter released by the Comptroller General of the GAO. |
Poorest Face Most Risk on Social Security By / WaPo — Permalink No group of Americans would be affected more by President Bush's Social Security plan than those earning the least. Just ask 46-year-old Brent Allen. Allen, who recently lost his job at a Massachusetts paper mill, faces a retirement financed exclusively by the money he has been paying into the Social Security system for the better part of 30 years. | |
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Steve Soto: As evidence that even the efforts of these compromise Democrats to work with Lindsey Graham would bear questionable... |
Betsy Newmark: Jim VanderHei has a fundamentally dishonest article about how Bush's plan is going to be the riskiest for the neediest of workers. |
Intelligence Nominee Comes Under Renewed Scrutiny on Human Rights By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 - Human rights advocates repeated longstanding criticisms on Friday of John D. Negroponte, President Bush's nominee as director of national intelligence. They said accusations that he covered up abuses as ambassador to Honduras in the 1980's had a new importance after recent cases of American abuse of detainees. | |
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Laura Rozen: Human rights organizations express concern about Negroponte, the NYT's Scott Shane reports: "Mr. Negroponte, 65, now... |
TChris: Questions About Negroponte — Echoing some of the concerns raised by bloggers, the mainstream press is asking questions... |
Feminist Fatale By / LAT — Permalink Where are the great women thinkers? Thinking so much about women has shrunk their minds. When Susan Sontag died recently, she was mourned as America's leading female intellectual. So the question naturally arose: Is there anyone to take her place? | |
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Barbara O'Brien: In the February 13 Los Angeles Times, Charlotte Allen wrote that there are no great women intellectuals ready to step into the late Susan Sontag's shoes. |
Vox Day: Someone's estrogen prescription needs a refill — NB highlights a recent discussion about feminism: [snipped quote] Yes,... |
The next Speaker By / Townhall.com — Permalink WASHINGTON — If House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert were to announce his retirement, the most likely successor would be somebody given up for dead a few years ago as far as Republican leadership ambitions were concerned: Rep. John Boehner of Ohio. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Some staffer on the Ethics Committee and Democratic senators want to keep him from delivering babies. [snipped quote] Gasp! |
Orrin Judd: NO SHORTAGE OF SECOND ACTS: The next Speaker (Robert Novak, February 19, 2005, Townhall) [snipped quote] Helps that everyone later realized the coup was right. |
Five U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq Attacks Reuters — Permalink MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Five U.S. soldiers were killed in separate guerrilla attacks in Iraq, the U.S. military said Friday, three in or near the northern city of Mosul, one north of Baghdad and the fifth south of the capital. | |
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Cori Dauber: Here's an entire print article dedicated to reporting the deaths of Americans out of which the only narrative information to be gleaned is that there was a firefight. Skippy: meanwhile, back in iraq per reuters, via holden at first draft, 5 us soldiers were killed in separate attacks in iraq... |
Juan Cole: Present Conflicts, Looming Conflicts — Reuters reports, ' Five U.S. soldiers were killed in separate guerrilla attacks... |
Burnt offerings By / Financial Times — Permalink Otis Granville Clark is a wonder. At 102, the former butler of Joan Crawford - who served Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin - still drives, lives on his own and twice a week attends church in his home city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. | |
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DeLong: The 1921 Tulsa Riot — Crooked Timber points us to a Financial Times story on the 1921 Tulsa race riot: up to 300... |
Chris Bertram: America's worst race riot — Today's Financial Times has a remarkable article about the Tulsa riot of 1921 —... |
Among the believers By / Salon — Permalink WASHINGTON — It's a good thing I went to the Conservative Political Action Conference this year. Otherwise I never would have known that, despite the findings of the authoritative David Kay report and every reputable media outlet on earth, the United States... | |
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Echidne @AmStreet: Posted by: Jenny Greenleaf at 2:37 pm | Comments () | Media Op-Ed The Conservative Political Action Conference Salon has a story about this conference. Digby: The Other Reality — [snipped quote] This is not surprising, really. |
Atrios: Fun at CPAC — You know, even I still get astounded when this stuff gets said, not by the mouth-breathing peanut... |
Hollywood Vandals Brand Bush a Nazi Human Events — Permalink We previously reported the conservative group, Citizens United, planned to erect two pro-Bush billboards in Hollywood "thanking" Hollywood for Bush's reelection. As planned, the signs were created, coinciding with the buildup to Oscar night. | |
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Ezra Klein: For the right-wing, some are now outraged at, um, graffiti. Cookie Jill: Apparently the rethugs wanted a couple of billboards up for "hollywood" to see when they cruise to the kodak theatre for... |
McQ: Freedom of speech meets freedom of speech — As you'll see in the story, this was not unexpected: [snipped quote] Yes,... Joel Foreman: If you put up a pro-Bush billboard in Hollywood during the Oscar build-up just to dig at the Left-Coasters, you know it's not going to sit undisturbed. |
Building the American dream…or nightmare? Economist — Permalink FANNIE MAE and Freddie Mac, the twin titans of America's mortgage markets, think of themselves as big, friendly giants. They stand behind the mortgages of around three-quarters of America's households—they "make home possible," as Freddie Mac likes to put it. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — Brad DeLong posted an excerpt of an article by the Economist on Freddie Mac and Fannie... Matthew Yglesias: Cutesy Names — Okay, I'm back home after a Friday night out and perhaps something about the evening's activities is... |
DeLong: Alan Greenspan Is Worried About the Mortgage Lending Agencies — The Economist reports: "Economist.com | Greenspan's... Greg Ransom: FANNIE MAE and Freddie Mac — bigger and scarier every year: "FANNIE MAE and Freddie Mac .. stand behind the mortgages... |
Bloggers will rescue the right Guardian — Permalink For decades the national conversation in most western countries has been directed by a few talking heads. Newspapers play important roles but all the evidence suggests that broadcasters have possessed the greatest potential to frame public debate. | |
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Paul @Wizbang: Iain Duncan Smith, writing in the Guardian, understands the blogger dynamic in America like he was right in the middle... Harry @HarrysPlace: IDS and Woody on the blogosphere — Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith has an article in the Guardian on... Orrin Judd: Bloggers will rescue the right: Beat the metropolitan elite with the tactics of US conservatives (Iain Duncan Smith,... |
Norm Geras: Someone who has been reading blogs is Iain Duncan Smith. He sees in them a hope for the reinvigoration of the right in Britain. Jeff Jarvis: Iain Ducan Smith, a conservative MP in Great Britain, predicts that blogs will play a big role in the next British... Hindrocket: Coming Soon to Great Britain — Reader Katy Whelan pointed out this excellent article by Iain Duncan Smith in today's Guardian, titled "Bloggers Will Rescue the Right." |
| Also: Hugh Hewitt, Glenn Reynolds, Rickheller @Centerfield | |
Rove-Gannon Connection? CBS News — Permalink (CBS) Dotty Lynch is the Senior Political Editor for CBS News. E-mail your questions and comments to Political Points Karl Rove took a victory lap at an SRO lunch at the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting at the Ronald Reagan building in Washington on Thursday. | |
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Chris Nolan: Coulter gave the "right" answer. The question was wrong. Mr. Gannon, call your office. Jeff Goldstein: Jeff Gannon's PARTY COCK could not be reached for comment. **** update: More commentary from Wizbang, Jawa Report, and... Charles Johnson: CBS News Senior Political Editor Dotty Lynch proposes a connection between Talon News reporter Jeff Gannon and White House political adviser Karl Rove: Rove-Gannon Connection? |
Steve Soto: Today's Gannon/Guckert Update — Those of you looking for your Jeff Gannon/J. D. Guckert update over the last 24 hours,... Steven Taylor: The title, Rove-Gannon Connection? is sugestive of some evidence of a serious conspiracy. SLZoll: But first, CBS News.com has a very interesting story by Dotty Lynch, Senior Political Editor for CBS News — it seems to... |
| Also: Baldilocks, Orrin Judd, Ezra Klein, Skippy, Kos @DailyKos, Josh Marshall, Susan Madrak | |
Not Much Left By / TNR — Permalink I think it was John Kenneth Galbraith, speaking in the early 1960s, the high point of post-New Deal liberalism, who pronounced conservatism dead. Conservatism, he said, was "bookless," a characteristic Galbraithian, which is to say Olympian, verdict. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: Speaking for Myself, II — Continuing last night's rant about Martin Peretz: Peretz's claim that there just aren't any... Charles Johnson: Not Much Left — Martin Peretz has a very insightful piece in the New Republic on the failure of 60s-style liberalism: Not Much Left. Paul @Wizbang: Related: TNR say, liberalism is now bookless and dying, yup that about sums it up. |
Avedon Carol: Stops on the Infobahn — Martin Peretz vs. The American Dream. Pejman Yousefzadeh: "LIBERALISM IS DYING" — That is what Martin Peretz argues—in a piece sure to incite outrage and fury among the adherents of a supposedly dead doctrine. Ed Driscoll: His essay is titled, "Not Much Left", and frankly (if you'll pardon the pun), he's right: the Class of '72 has run... |
| Also: Orrin Judd, Greg Ransom | |
Ecstasy trials for combat stress Guardian — Permalink American soldiers traumatised by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares. | |
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Jeff Quinton: Ecstasy trials for combat stress — Guardian via James Joyner "American soldiers traumatised by fighting in Iraq and... James Joyner: Military Giving Ecstasy for Combat Stress — Ecstasy trials for combat stress (Guardian) "American soldiers traumatised... Brian Doherty: Ecstasy for Troubled Soldiers — The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of MDMA (the drug more... |
Jeralyn Merritt: U.S. Soldiers Will Get Ecstasy For Combat Stress — The FDA has given the green light for soldiers suffering combat... Mimus Pauly: so much for the war on drugs... according to david adam, science correspondent of the guardian, some american soldiers... Susan Madrak: ECSTASY AND PTSD — This is actually a good idea. |
Furor Lingers as Harvard Chief Gives Details of Talk on Women NYT — Permalink CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 17 - Bowing to pressure from his faculty, the president of Harvard University, Lawrence H. Summers, on Thursday released a month-old transcript of his contentious closed-door remarks about the shortage of women in the sciences and engineering. | |
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Roger Kimball: According to The New York Times, "Several professors said Thursday that they were only more furious after reading his... Jeremy Reff: A Summers gaffe makes the C6 of Pravda and Pravda Jr. and Pravda: The Discovery Classroom Learning Edition (by the way,... Paul @Wizbang: Furor Lingers as Harvard Chief Gives Details of Talk on Women CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 17 - Bowing to intense pressure... |
Ann Althouse: Yesterday, it was "Furor Lingers as Harvard Chief Gives Details of Talk on Women," and today, it's "Rift Deepens as Professors at Harvard See Remarks." Jacob Sullum: Shirley Malcom, director of education for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, told The New York... The Big Trunk: UPDATE 2: The New York Times also weighs in: "Furor lingers as Harvard chief gives details of talk on women." |
| Also: Fontana Labs, Greg Ransom, Orin Kerr, Michelle Malkin | |
Protester Throws Shoe at Richard Perle By / AP — Permalink PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Howard Dean, the newly minted leader of the Democratic Party, and former Pentagon adviser Richard Perle made clear their opposing views on the war in Iraq during a debate marred by a protester who tossed a shoe at Perle. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Political Stupidity 101 by Joe Gandelman There are times when you just want to take a screeching partisan of the right... Jeff Goldstein: He's a Deaniac, Deaniac on the floor — From the AP (via Drudge): "Howard Dean, the newly minted leader of the... Orrin Judd: CONTROLLING YOUR OWN NARRATIVE: Protester Throws Shoe at Richard Perle (RUKMINI CALLIMACHI, 2/18/05, AP) |
Charles Johnson: Bike Path Screamer vs Neocon Machiavelli — Setting the tone for the debate between Richard Perle and Howard Dean, a protester threw a shoe at Perle and screamed obscenities. Greyhawk: The Wrong Side of History — In his first official action as DNC Chair, Howard Dean belittles the US military: ... Paul @Wizbang: Protester Throws Shoe at Richard Perle PORTLAND, Ore. |
| Also: Steve Bainbridge | |
Dazed and confused American Thinker — Permalink I find myself stunned by the magnitude of the quick victory President Bush has won on tort reform, with the new bill, now awaiting his signature federalizing most class action lawsuits. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: [BTW, for a nice appreciation of the political aspects of the Act, see Thomas Lifson's post. ] PoliPundit: Decline of the Democrats — Great piece today on the decline of the Democrats: "I find myself stunned by the magnitude... |
Orrin Judd: Dazed and confused (Thomas Lifson, February 18th, 2005, American Thinker) [snipped quote] The stories today about... |
Putin: Iran Does Not Intend to Build Nuclear Arms Reuters — Permalink MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he was convinced Iran was not trying to build a nuclear weapon and that Russia would press ahead with nuclear cooperation with the Islamic Republic. | |
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Jan Haugland: Putin says Iran is not making nukes — One guy, at least, seems optimistic about Iran's nuclear ambitions: President... Joe Gandelman: If Putin is an ally then perhaps we need a new definition of the word "ally." Roger L. Simon: From the Files of Comrade Dzerzhinsky — At Cheka headquarters, comes this dispatch: President Vladimir Putin said on... |
Captain Ed: Our Friends, The Russians — Russian president Vladimir Putin has declared that the Iranian mullahs don't want nuclear... James Joyner: Putin: Iran Does Not Intend to Build Nuclear Arms — Putin: Iran Does Not Intend to Build Nuclear Arms (Reuters) [snipped quote] A rather stupid move by Putin, methinks. Smash: No Nukes? RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN says Iran isn't interested in nuclear weapons. [snipped quote] Oh. |
Save and Save and Then Save Some More By / Slate — Permalink Is Social Security headed for bankruptcy? Sure. Should we care? Not a bit. Here's why: We pay lots of taxes. Some of those taxes are called "Social Security taxes." We get lots of government benefits. Some of those benefits are called "Social Security benefits." | |
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Greg Ransom: THE Social Security crisis — Steven Landsburg gets it: "the only thing we can do now to address the underlying crisis... Matthew Yglesias: Slate's always-interesting Steven Landsburg provides a new perspective on the Social Security debate, arguing it doesn't... |
DeLong: (Slate Has a Quality Control Problem Department) Outsourced to Matthew Yglesias: "TAPPED: February 2005 Archives:... |
Iran, Syria form 'united front' By / Christian Science Monitor — Permalink In the face of increasing US pressure on Syria following Monday's killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut, Iran and Syria declared Thursday that they would form a "common front to face threats." | |
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Joe Gandelman: Iran And Syria Confirm Axis Of Evil Is An Axis — Iran and Syria — considered by some to be Bobsy Twins of... Gene @HarrysPlace: I suspect that more than a few on the anti-imperialist Left are more pleased by the recently-formed Syrian-Iranian... |
Jan Haugland: Reviving the cold war - Russia sees beyond the war on terror — Matthew Clark has a very interesting news roundup in the... Oldman @BOPNews: Russia moves to check America — First Russia announces that it will sell air-defense systems to Syria. |
Greatest U.S. President? Public Names Reagan, Clinton, Lincoln By / Gallup — Permalink PRINCETON, NJ — Depending on where Americans live, on Monday they'll be celebrating the birthday of the nation's first president, George Washington, or Washington's birthday and President Abraham Lincoln's birthday. | |
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Joe Gandelman: So Who Were The Greatest Presidents Of All Time? by Joe Gandelman A new Gallup poll says Americans believe the top... Oliver Willis: Greatest Presidents? America speaks: 1. Reagan 2. Clinton 3. Lincoln 4. FDR 5. JFK 6. GWB How the hell do Bill Clinton and Reagan outpoll Lincoln? |
Greg @TheTalentShow: Presidential Greatness — Oliver's got a link to one of those embarrassing "greatest president ever" surveys. |
The Millionaire Next Door vs. the Politician in Washington By / TCS — Permalink "Usually the wealthy individual is a businessman who has lived in the same town for all of his life. This person owns a small factory, a chain of stores, or a service company. He has married once and remains married. He lives next door to people with a fraction of his wealth. | |
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Jesse Taylor: Everybody Makes A Million Bucks — Where, oh where, does the money to write crap like this come from? Ah, yes, PAWs. Arnold Kling: Thrift vs. Paternalism — In this essay, I argue that [snipped quote] For Discussion. Is this a real conflict in values? Glenn Reynolds: MILLIONAIRES AND POLITICIANS: Arnold Kling looks at a conflict in values. |
PGL: Arnold Kling on Prodigious Accumulators of Wealth — Via Jesse Taylor, comes the latest from Arnold Kling. Greg Ransom: THE VALUES of the private economy vs. the values of academics and politicians — a "must read" from Arnold Kling. |
Tsunami Uncovers Ancient City in India AP — Permalink MAHABALIPURAM, India - Archaeologists have begun underwater excavations of what is believed to be an ancient city and parts of a temple uncovered by the tsunami off the coast of a centuries-old pilgrimage town. | |
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Joe Gandelman: The Tusnami Unearths A Historic Treasure by Joe Gandelman A ancient Indian city has been unearthed by the mericiless... Jonah Goldberg: COOL — The tsunami may have uncovered an ancient city. Woops Original link was to something completely different. Fixed. |
Jack Fowler: RE: COOL — Jonah: "The tsunami may have uncovered an ancient city" is nothing compared to what the Weekly World News is... Roger Ailes: What Kind Of Asshole Would Say This? "COOL[. ] The tsunami may have uncovered an ancient city." This kind. |
5 Days Later, Guckert's Tells E&P He'll Talk Again, Apparently on CNN By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK Five days after telling E&P that he was no longer speaking to the press because it was not helping him, former White House reporter James Guckert, a.k.a Jeff Gannon, said today that he had changed his mind and was seeking the right media outlet to tell his side of the story. | |
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Hunter @DailyKos: Note this from Editor and Publisher, which is doing a pretty bang-up job now that they've revved their engines:... |
Atrios: JimmyJeff on Anderson Cooper — At 7. E&P interviews here... |
Poll says Perry doing good job but vulnerable By / Houston Chronicle — Permalink AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry's job-approval rating has rebounded to its highest level in three years, according to a new poll, and he is well-positioned to face potential re-election challenges in next year's Republican primary from either U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. | |
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Charles Kuffner: Perry polling — Governor Perry has achieved majority approval (barely), but is still the least liked statewide officeholder in Texas. Byron LaMasters: Perry Approval at 51% Which is the best it's been in three years! |
Alexander K. McClure: In Texas, Governor Rick Perry seems to be coming out of a rough spot. For a while, it seemed like everything that could go wrong was going wrong for him. Taegan Goddard: Perry Rebounds — Texas Gov. Rick Perry's (R) job-approval rating "has rebounded to its highest level in three years,"... |
Drudge Takes The Oscar For 'Clueless' By / WaPo — Permalink I never thought I'd say it, but Matt Drudge has made me feel better about America. As manufactured media "news" goes, the right-wing Internet curmudgeon's effort to scuttle Chris Rock's appearance as host of the Oscar telecast Feb. 27 hasn't gained much steam. | |
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Joe Gandelman: The You-Know-Who-Report Gets You-Know-Whatted By The You-Know-What Post — The Washington Post has an acid and... Frederick Maryland: In today's Washington Post, Donna Britt puts Drudge in his place: [snipped quote] Drudge has a hard enough time trying to portray himself as a journalist. |
Paul @Wizbang: The latest critic is Donna Britt in today's Washington Post: Drudge Takes The Oscar For 'Clueless' I never thought I'd... |
Honeymoon That Wasn't By / WaPo — Permalink Agency for International Development Administrator Andrew S. Natsios may be heading to Dubai and Afghanistan next week, taking along a small press contingent: Rush Limbaugh and, briefly, CNN anchor Daryn Kagan — they are a famous item these days — along with Mary Matalin, who is going as an ex officio White House adviser. | |
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Digby: But this woke me up last night, churning and screaming from nightmares of a sick and revolting nature. |
Tbogg: Cutting out the middleman — As if the people of Afghanistan don't have enough problems, Rush Limbaugh is stopping by to... |
Bush won't rule out military strike on Iran MSNBC — Permalink BRUSSELS - Military action against Iran's nuclear program is not the United States' first choice but can never be ruled out, President Bush said Friday. "First of all, you never want a president to say never, but military action is certainly not, is never... | |
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Tbogg: Bush today: Military action against Iran's nuclear program is not the United States' first choice but can never be ruled out, President Bush said Friday. |
Oldman @BOPNews: Then Russia now announces that it does not believe that Iran is developing a weapons program. |
'The Duty of the Opposition Is...' By / TCS — Permalink Some Democrats think that Howard Dean's ascension to the chairmanship of the party is a sign of bad tidings. Jonathan Chait is depressed over Dean's loose lips and poor organization skills. | |
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Ed Driscoll: 'The Duty of the Opposition Is...' Speaking of Pejman and the current state of the Democrats, he has an interesting... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: MY TECH CENTRAL STATION COLUMN IS UP — On the duties of the opposition party. |
Three-Card Maestro By / NYT — Permalink Alan Greenspan just did it again. Four years ago, the Fed chairman lent crucial political support to the Bush tax cuts. He didn't specifically endorse the administration's plan, and if you read his testimony carefully, it contained caveats and cautions. | |
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Avedon Carol: Paul Krugman, Three-Card Maestro: On Wednesday Mr. Greenspan endorsed Social Security privatization. Matthew Yglesias: BEWARE THE GREENSPAN. Paul Krugman observes: [snipped quote] Indeed. Well he's not just another partisan hack. |
Rickheller @Centerfield: Update: Run Scared interprets a Paul Krugman column calling Greenspan a partisan hack. As usualy, I find Krugman off-base. Kash: Calling It Like It Is — Krugman leaves absolutely no room for doubt about what he thinks of Alan Greenspan:... |
Grand Old Party NRO — Permalink Blacks might be surprised to compare Republican history with the Democrats'. Today marks the 90th anniversary of a very special White House ceremony. President Woodrow Wilson hosted his Cabinet and the entire U.S. Supreme Court for a screening of D. W. Griffith's racist masterpiece, Birth of a Nation. | |
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John Hawkins: Deroy Murdock counters the Dem's propaganda with the facts and it's well worth reading... "Each February, Black History... Orrin Judd: LIGHTNING DOLT: Grand Old Party: Blacks might be surprised to compare Republican history with the Democrats' (Deroy... |
Matthew Yglesias: Hyperbolize Much — There's an awful lot of absurdity in this Deroy Murdoch article building to the absurd conlcusion... |
Lead in Environment Causing Violent Crime - Study Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lead left in paint, water, soil and elsewhere may not only be affecting children's intelligence but may cause a significant proportion of violent crime, a U.S. researcher argued Friday. | |
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Dave Johnson: The following is based on an early start: Take a look at this from today's news, Lead in Environment Causing Violent... |
Clayton Cramer: Get The Lead Out — This article is about one of my pet peeves: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lead left in paint, water,... |
Neb. Supreme Court Spares Life of Dog AP — Permalink LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The state Supreme Court granted clemency Friday to a dog sentenced to death for fighting with a neighbor's pet. The high court ruled unanimously that Murphy, an Alaskan malamute-shepherd mix belonging to Doug and Lorele Dittoe, should... | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: High Court Spares Dog from Death Sentence Here's our feel good story of the day: The Nebraska Supreme Court has granted clemency to Murphy, an Alaskan malamute-shepherd. |
Orrin Judd: KILL TERRY SCHIAVO, BUT SPARE THE DOG: Neb. Supreme Court Spares Life of Dog (KEVIN O'HANLON, 2/18/05, Associated Press) "LINCOLN, Neb. |
Rehnquist to Miss High Court's Opening By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - Ailing Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist will be absent from the bench when the Supreme Court returns for the second half of its term next week, the court announced Friday. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: Rehnquist to Miss Two Weeks of New Court Session — Chief Justice William Rehnquist, battling thyroid cancer, will miss... |
Steve Dillard: Rehnquist to Miss High Court's Opening: The AP has this report. |
GEFFEN UNLOADS ON HILLARY: 'SHE CAN'T WIN' Drudge Report — Permalink Sen. Hillary Clinton should not count on help from Hollywood mogul David Geffen in her possible run for the White House. Geffen, who was a generous supporter and pal of Bill Clinton when he was president, trashed Hillary's prospects last night during a Q&A at the 92nd St. Y in New York City. | |
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James Joyner: (Update: Drudge has the story on his site) Radley Balko, blogging this next to me, dubs her MoDoCon (the conservative Maureen Dowd). |
K. J. Lopez: THIS MORNING — David Geffen makes me smile. |
Priests Sign Up for Exorcism 101 By / LAT — Permalink ROME — The Roman Catholic Church is facing a shortage you may not have heard about: qualified exorcists. And so, on Thursday about 100 priests stood, prayed for protection, then sat down to begin an eight-week study of how to distinguish and fight demonic possession. | |
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Steve M.: In the United States, the shortage is even more acute.... —L.A. Times So what profound evils will these newly trained exorcists confront? |
Ezra Klein: The Power of Christ Compels You — The world is apparently facing a critical shortage of exorcists. Not even kidding you. |
Doubts About White House Reporter Recalled By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 - A former Bush administration official said Thursday that a reporter calling himself Jeff Gannon who presented questionable news credentials from an obscure Internet organization, Gopusa, aroused suspicions at the White House a few years ago. | |
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Tom Maguire: LASTLY: File under "Explaining Everything, and Nothing" - the Times brings us up to (their) speed on Gannon, fills us in... |
Kos @DailyKos: The Note on Gannon — ABC News' The Note hasn't been a friend of the Gannon investigation, being snarky about it from the beginning. |
Fact Finders By / TNR — Permalink Imagine that God were to appear on Earth for the unlikely purpose of settling, once and for all, our disputes over economic policy. And suppose that, to my enormous surprise, he announced that every empirical claim advanced by conservatives was correct. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: While contemplating Mark's rejoinder, what showed up in my inbox but an email from Jon Chait featuring a sneaky... |
Arnold Kling: Who are the Empiricists? Jonathan Chait devotes a long article to arguing that liberals are pragmatic and empirical. |
An Old Hand in New Terrain of Top Intelligence Job By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 - Few officials in the Bush administration better understand the damage that can be wreaked by faulty or politicized intelligence than John D. Negroponte. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: But at least it's much better than the New York Times: In Central America, Mr. Negroponte was immersed in American... |
Steve M.: Another creepy sentence about John Negroponte, in this case from The New York Times: If his four decades in public... |