meme orandum
| A newfangled news tangle |
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Skepticism of Bush's Social Security Plan Is Growing By / WaPo — Permalink Three months after President Bush launched his drive to restructure Social Security by creating private investment accounts, public support for his program remains weak, with only 35 percent of Americans now saying they approve of his handling of the issue, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. | |
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Jon Henke: SS Reform is Dead; Long Live SS Reform — To the delight of the Opposition Party—and bloggers throughout the Left... Barbara O'Brien: Support for Bush's "plan" continues to erode. This tells me that some of these "investors" are smart enough to recognize a scam when they see it. Steve Soto: First, Jonathan Weisman in a Page One in today's Post runs a Day Two story on yesterday's release of the latest ABC... |
Matthew Yglesias: Prominent guest-bloggers Brad Plumer and Jon Chait are both trumpeting a Jonathan Weisman article claiming that old... Jonathan Chait: Today the Washington Post publishes an analysis of its poll showing support for Bush on Social Security is falling yet again. Dr. Steven Taylor: Musings on SS Reform — I am not at all surprised by the sentiments expressed in this WaPo piece: Skepticism of Bush's Social Security Plan Is Growing. |
| Also: Tully @Centerfield, Yuval Rubinstein, Brad Plumer, Rich Lowry | |
Italy 'to pull troops from Iraq' BBC — Permalink Italy is to begin withdrawing its troops from Iraq in September 2005, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said. He told Rai state television the pullout would take place "in agreement with our allies". Italy has 3,000 troops in Iraq - the fourth largest foreign contingent. | |
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Charles Johnson: This is sure to provoke cries of joy (quickly suppressed and denied) at Daily Kos: Italy 'to pull troops from Iraq'. Steve Soto: Italians Decide To Leave Iraq Starting In September — Well, here's your fallout from the American shooting of Italian... Ace: "The bitch set me up": Italy to Withdraw Troops From Iraq 3000 troops, the fourth-largest continue, to begin departing in September. |
Joe Gandelman: Italy Announces It'll Withdraw Troops From Iraq — It sure didn't take long for Italian policy to change after domestic... Oliver Willis: Italy 'to pull troops from Iraq' "Italy is to begin withdrawing its troops from Iraq in September 2005, Italian Prime... |
This Was Not Looting By / Slate — Permalink Once again, a major story gets top billing in a mainstream paper—and is printed upside down. "Looting at Weapons Plants Was Systematic, Iraqi Says." This was how the New York Times led its front page on Sunday. | |
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Tim Dunlop: The second one is penned by Hitchens himself (sent in by Jack Strocchi) and deals with Saddam's WMDs or lack thereof. James Joyner: Christopher Hitchens is bemused that Sunday's New York Times story on the systematic "looting" of Saddam Hussein's weapons plants was so thoroughly misreported. JoelL @SouthernAppeal: Christopher Hitchens has an excellent article over at Slate on a story that sheds light on the Iraqi WMD issue. |
Andrew Sullivan: THE WAR, AGAIN: Hitch has what I think is an important piece in Slate. Cori Dauber: Christopher Hitchens so thoroughly reframes it one might say he inverts it. Jonah Goldberg: LOOTING? WHAT LOOTING? A must-read by Christopher Hitchens on the latest revelations from the New York Times. |
Summers Faces Possible No-Confidence Vote AP — Permalink CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Embattled Harvard President Lawrence Summers braced for another contentious faculty meeting Tuesday, with debate planned on two motions — one a vote of no-confidence, the other a milder rebuke for his management style and comments about women in science. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: CONSERVATIVES CHORTLE as the Harvard Arts & Sciences faculty votes no confidence in Larry Summers. Jeff Goldstein: The Passion of the Summers ...continues. **** update: James Joyner has more. |
The Big Trunk: Click here for the Harvard Crimson report, and here for the AP report. |
Hyde ready to call it a career? Chicago Sun Times — Permalink In a few weeks, Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), the chairman of the House International Relations Committee who as Judiciary Committee chief wielded the gavel during President Clinton's impeachment, will announce that he will not seek another term. | |
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Steve Clemons: This from a Chicago Sun-Times piece today: Hyde is making United Nations reform and accountability a priority this year... ArchPundit: Hyde Out? Sweet says so and she has pretty good sources so I'll take that as a tenative yes. Taegan Goddard: Hyde Will Retire — "In a few weeks, Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL), the chairman of the House International Relations Committee... |
Fng: The Chicago Sun tells me today that: [snipped quote] I think this is good news for Dems in the House simply because such an ascerbic partisan will be gone. James Joyner: He was first elected in 1974. Hyde ready to call it a career? [snipped quote] Thirty years is enough, methinks. Orrin Judd: A GOOD STEWARD: Hyde ready to call it a career? |
A Requiem for Reform By / NYT — Permalink At this point there's no better than a one-in-four chance that some form of Social Security reform will be passed this year. There's no sign that Republicans will bend on their insistence on private accounts or Democrats on their opposition. | |
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Jon Henke: Still, with polls going against him, the Democrats united against, and even David Brooks losing hope, it may be end-game for Personal Accounts. Jeff Alworth: Have a look at today's blast, wherein he chastizes the principled: [snipped quote] Poor David Brooks. Matthew Yglesias: On top of what's already been said about today's David Brooks column it's worth noting that even though he's now ready... |
Ramesh Ponnuru: David Brooks comes close to saying the fight is over. Andrew Ferguson seconds the proposition. Noam Scheiber: DAVID BROOKS HAS WRITTEN A COLUMN: So David Brooks has a fairly typical column today—appearing to criticize Republicans... Barbara O'Brien: Writes Bobo the Cabbage, "But the Democrats played the Yasir Arafat role at Camp David. They made no counteroffers. |
| Also: Jonathan Chait, Steve Soto, Sam Rosenfeld, Tarek @LiquidList, Ezra Klein, Jesse Taylor, Yuval Rubinstein, The Farmer | |
Baby at center of life support case dies AP — Permalink HOUSTON, Texas (AP) — A critically ill 5-month-old was taken off life support and died Tuesday, a day after a judge cleared the way for doctors to halt care they believed to be futile. The infant's mother had fought to keep him alive. | |
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Captain Ed: CNN reports that a Texas court allowed doctors to override a mother's wishes and euthanize a severely afflicted... |
K. J. Lopez: "HOUSTON, Texas (AP) — A critically ill 5-month-old was taken off life support and died Tuesday, a day after a judge... |
To Trump Bush on Taxes By / WaPo — Permalink A presidential advisory panel has quietly begun work on the critically important issue of tax reform. It does so against a political backdrop that makes it appear increasingly likely that the president's twin domestic goals of reforming Social Security and the tax system will merge by the summer. | |
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Jon Henke: Which may explain why tax reform —which had taken a backseat to Social Security reform — is back... "A... EDM Staff: CAP Tax Reform Plan Can Win Consensus — Today's Washington Post features an op-ed article by John Podesta, president of... |
Matthew Yglesias: A lot of readers may have seen John Podesta's op-ed in today's Washington Post hinting that the Center for American Progress has devised such a plan. |
GOP sees momentum in ending judicial filibusters By / Boston Globe — Permalink WASHINGTON — Republicans believe they have enough votes to end the filibustering of judicial nominees, a landmark change in Senate rules that would clear the way for President Bush to get conservative judges confirmed but could draw a forceful reaction from... | |
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Dr. Steven Taylor: Via the Boston Globe: GOP sees momentum in ending judicial filibusters "Republicans believe they have enough votes to... Hugh Hewitt: But if the Boston Globe is correct this morning in its report "GOP sees momentum in ending judicial filibusters,"... |
Captain Ed: It's Time For Action, Senator McConnell — Hugh Hewitt links to a Boston Globe article on the debate over filibustering... AaronBurrFan @BOPNews: Well, well, Mr. Miranda — I'm reading the Republicans have the votes to end the filibuster. |
Federal Tax Code Draws Criticism From Citizens, Experts, Economists WSJ — Permalink With a month to go until Tax Day, Americans are busy gathering paperwork, filling out forms, visiting accountants and calculating how much they owe the government – or, with some luck and elbow grease, how much the government owes them. | |
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Max B. Sawicky: SOCIAL INSURANCE OR BARBARISM That's my unfair and unbalanced summary of my online debate with Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution on the Wall Street Journal website. |
Tyler Cowen: New Econoblog on WSJ.com — Max Sawicky and I square off on taxes and spending, here is the link. |
Reid, Frist clash over judges AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats served notice Tuesday that they will slow or stop most Senate business if Republicans unilaterally change the rules to assure confirmation of President Bush's controversial court appointments. | |
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Captain Ed: Not only did Reid overreact to the ongoing debate over the proposed rule change for judicial nominations by threatening... |
Taegan Goddard: A Partisan Cold War — Democrats served notice today [snipped quote] the AP reports. Link | Related News |
Democrats Threaten to Stop Senate Business if GOP Changes Rules on Judge Confirmations By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats served notice Tuesday that they will slow or stop most Senate business if Republicans unilaterally change the rules to assure confirmation of President Bush's controversial court appointments. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: Reid threatened to shut down the Senate today, and Senator Frist immediately and appropriately rebuked Reid for his blackmailing of the American people. |
Orrin Judd: Democrats Threaten to Stop Senate Business if GOP Changes Rules on Judge Confirmations (David Espo, 3/15/05, The Associated Press) [snipped quote] Make them do it. |
Party On! By / Opinion Journal — Permalink Since the 2008 campaign season seems to be off to an early start, Americans should think about getting a better handle on one of the other political parties—specifically that smaller one whose candidate finished with 0.3% of the vote in the 2004 Election. | |
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Radley Balko: Obviously Someone Unfamiliar with the GWB Libertymeter — Want to read an indictment of libertarianism even more ridiculous than this morning's dumb Wall Street Journal op-ed? Matt Welch: Mommy, What's a Libertarian? The Wall Street Journal performs some political anthropology "on the fringe." (Link via Glenn Reynolds). Judith Weiss: (And check out his all-blogger band the Wifebeaters too.) PS Julia Gorin is also on the bill. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: IS IT JUST ME? Or do others believe that libertarianism deserves a more serious treatment than this? Glenn Reynolds: JULIA GORIN ASKS IF LIBERTARIANS HAVE MORE FUN: Some of us do! |
Fed chief: Expect Social Security cuts By / CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told Congress that the mounting financial pressure of a wave of retiring baby boomers is so great that cuts in future government retirement benefits are all but inevitable. | |
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Yuval Rubinstein: The Greenscam Revs Up — Hmm...is it any coincidence that, right when support for Social Security privatization appears... |
Tyler Cowen: Here is one short bit from Max: [snipped quote] Addendum: Sawicky says impossible, Greenspan says inevitable. |
Million Lebanese Stage Massive Retort to Terrorists By / New York Sun — Permalink BEIRUT - Flags fluttering, horns honking, and fingers flashing V for victory, Lebanon's opposition converged on downtown Beirut yesterday in the biggest democratic protest in the history of the modern Middle East. | |
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Scott Sala: Claudia Rosett writes an article in today's New York Sun describing this latest development. Pejman Yousefzadeh: NO BANDWAGONING NECESSARY — Claudia Rosett does not have to bandwagon. |
Larry Kudlow: She is reporting for the New York Sun's front page. It's great stuff, a terrific read. |
Educators Differ on Why Boys Lag in Reading By / WaPo — Permalink Jerilynn Hoffman couldn't get her young son to read much until she found a book that wasn't her cup of tea but definitely was his: "The Day My Butt Went Psycho." | |
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Ann Althouse: What boys like to read. Here's an article in The Washington Post about teaching boys and girls to read. (Via Memeorandum.) Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post takes on the issue of the differences in reading between boys and girls. |
James Joyner: At least, that's how I read it: Educators Differ on Why Boys Lag in Reading [snipped quote] That kind of bigoted, "boys... Rich Lowry: "THE DAY MY BUTT WENT PSYCHO" — Fascinating Washington Post article on why boys have so much trouble learning to read compared to girls. |
Correction: Some Of Our Facts Were Wrong; Our Point Was Right By / Front Page Magazine — Permalink You have to admire the left, or at least its ability to conduct political warfare. We have mounted a campaign for academic freedom based on hundreds of testimonies from liberal as well as conservative students in more than 30 states and at colleges from coast... | |
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Judd @ThinkProgress: Here's a sample: "Until I hear from the student I have no comment on the matter of the grade but it is conceivable to... |
Glenn Reynolds: DAVID HOROWITZ RESPONDS to charges of urban mythology. |
Winning Numbers? NRO — Permalink What the Social Security numbers say. "Barely a third of the public approves of the way President Bush is dealing with Social Security," writes the Washington Post's Richard Morin, "and a majority says the more they hear about Bush's plan to reform the giant retirement system, the less they like it, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll." | |
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Tully @Centerfield: Byron York's article on the recent Washington Post polls has some interesting insights. |
Orrin Judd: WHICH 60% WANT THEY GET: Winning Numbers? : What the Social Security numbers say. |
How Electronics Are Penetrating North Korea's Isolation By / NYT — Permalink SEOUL, South Korea - Halfway through a video from North Korea, the camera pans on a propaganda portrait of Kim Jong Il, North Korea's leader, magnificent in his general's dress uniform with gold epaulets. Scribbled in black ink across his smooth face is a demand for "freedom and democracy." | |
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McQ: Inexorable infiltration and eventual death — North Korea, that closed Stalinist bastion of a nation, is fighting a... Pejman Yousefzadeh: DEMOCRACY VIA MODERN MEANS — This article discusses how modern technology is being used to bring democracy to North Korea. |
Damian Penny: Piercing the curtain — Cell phones and VCRs are slowly eroding the wall between North Koreans and the modern world: The... Cori Dauber: But let that population get even a glimpse of life on the outside, and the regime's death warrent has been signed. |
Iran clerics blasted by academic By / BBC — Permalink Iran's clerical leaders have come under attack from one of the country's most influential conservative academics. Ali Mottahari, a Tehran University philosophy teacher, has accused the clerics of creating a schism between religion and the people. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: SCHISM — It would appear that even hardline academics (who incidentally, were children of hardline revolutionary... |
Orrin Judd: SISTANI 1, KHOMENI 0: Iran clerics blasted by academic (Sadeq Saba, 3/15/05, BBC News) [snipped quote] Khomenism isn't Shi'ism. |
Bush Seeks to Ban Some Nations From All Nuclear Technology By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 14 - Behind President Bush's recent shift in dealing with Iran's nuclear program lies a less visible goal: to rewrite, in effect, the main treaty governing the spread of nuclear technology, without actually renegotiating it. | |
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Art @Centerfield: A piece in the New York Times today discussed how Bush wants to subvert the negotiation process for rewriting the... Orrin Judd: BROKEN WINDOW NUCLEAR POLICING: Reshaping Nuclear Pact: Bush Seeks to Close Loopholes: One goal behind President Bush's... |
Dan Froomkin: Treaty Watch David E. Sanger writes in the New York Times: "Behind President Bush's recent shift in dealing with Iran's... |
Bioethics Panel Illustrates Scientific Ethics' Complexity By / TCS — Permalink Recently, I wrote a column here calling on Dr. Rajendra Pachauri to resign as Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change because he was using his position to push a political agenda. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: IAIN MURRAY CALLS FOR LEON KASS'S RESIGNATION: [snipped quote] You can read an earlier column of mine on Kass, here. |
Iain Murray: Resigned to it — I have an article up on Tech Central Station today where I call on Leon Kass to resign as Chairman of the President's Council on Bioethics. |
D.C. Investigates Anthrax in Mail Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — The mayor of the nation's capital offered all workers at a local postal facility a three-day course of antibiotics Tuesday after it was determined that the post office had been the source of anthrax-tainted mail sent to two military mail facilities in Virginia a day earlier. | |
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Michelle Malkin: But it's all a reminder that the original anthrax attacks, which killed five and affected dozens of other largely forgotten victims, remain unsolved. |
Ace: Anthrax Scare — Not like I'm breaking news. Two points: Will the FBI finally admit the 2001 anthrax attacks were most likely due to foreign Islamic terrorists? |
Ex-WorldCom CEO Ebbers guilty By / CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Bernard Ebbers, the former CEO of WorldCom, was found guilty Tuesday for his role in the mammoth accounting scandal that resulted in the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history. | |
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James Joyner: Ebbers found guilty (CNN/Money) [snipped quote] I used to drive past the WorldCom/MCI building every day on my way to work. |
Steve Bainbridge: Bernie Ebbers convicted — The jury has convicted former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers on all 9 counts of conspiracy and securities fraud. |
WorldCom's Ebbers Convicted of All Counts By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK (AP) - Bernard Ebbers, who built WorldCom from a humble Mississippi long-distance concern into a telecommunications titan, was convicted Tuesday of engineering the colossal accounting fraud that sank the company. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: Bernie Ebbers Convicted on All Counts — The verdict is in on Bernie Ebbers in the WorldCom trial. Guilty on all counts. |
Orrin Judd: AND JUSTICE FOR ALL: WorldCom's Ebbers convicted of all counts (Associated Press, March 15, 2005) [snipped quote] Doesn't... |
Anthrax Detected at Two Defense Mailrooms By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON Mar 15, 2005 — Investigators are trying to learn why sensors at two military mail facilities in the Washington area detected signs of anthrax on two pieces of mail. They are not sure whether the discoveries are signs of an attack. | |
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Michelle Malkin: ANTHRAX ALERTS — You've no doubt read about the reported detection of anthrax in two Pentagon mailrooms yesterday. |
Smash: SENSORS detected traces of anthrax on letters at two Department of Defense mail facilities in Northern Virginia Monday. |
Syria intel pulling out of Beirut CNN — Permalink BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) — Under pressure from the United States, Europe and significant portion of Lebanon's populace, Syrian intelligence units Tuesday were in the process of leaving Beirut, a Lebanese army source told CNN. | |
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Roger L. Simon: UPDATE: Here's more on the Syrian Intelligence demarche: Witnesses said two pick-up trucks were being loaded at Syrian... K. J. Lopez: "SYRIA INTEL PULLING OUT OF BEIRUT" — CNN.com: "Under pressure from the United States, Europe and significant portion... |
Mary Madigan: Progress... by Mary Madigan Via CNN "BEIRUT, Lebanon — Under pressure from the United States, Europe and... |
RAIDING RETIREMENT By / New York Post — Permalink THE campaign to allow workers to invest part of their payroll tax dollars into personal retirement accounts has steered off course. The debate should be about the positive benefits of giving every worker in America an account that they own themselves and that, as President Bush puts it, "can never be taken away by the government." | |
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PGL: Stephen Moore: Bush Stealing from Our Retirement Accounts — I finally read something from Stephen Moore worth quoting:... |
Larry Kudlow: Lockbox — Steve Moore and Larry Hunter want to stop the government raid on social security surpluses right now. |
Justin Raimondo: An American Neo-Fascist By / Front Page Magazine — Permalink Dennis "Justin" Raimondo is a minor celebrity in the U.S., thanks to a 10-year career as an amateur demagogue in the libertarian milieu of the San Francisco Bay Area, a political environment where anything goes and nothing matters. | |
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Damian Penny: Speaking of fascists, Stephen Schwarz has a devastating profile of anti-semitic, pro-tyranny conspirozoid Justin Raimondo in FrontPage. |
Orrin Judd: AND SO WE CLOSE THE CIRCLE: Justin Raimondo: An American Neo-Fascist: A demagogue mobilizes the left and the old right against America and Israel. |
Our Currency, Your Problem By / NYT — Permalink Every congressman knows that the United States currently runs large ''twin deficits'' on its budget and current accounts. Deficit 1, as we well know, is just the difference between federal tax revenues and expenditures. | |
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Tom Maguire: Our Currency, Your Problem — Niall Ferguson writes in the Sunday Times magazine about the twin deficits, and the outlook for the US dollar. Greg Ransom: THE END of the American free lunch — Bruce Bartlett warns that interest rates have a fair chance of rising sharply... |
Orrin Judd: INSECURE SECURITIES DON'T SELL (via Robert Schwartz): Our Currency, Your Problem (NIALL FERGUSON, 3/13/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] And go where? |
China's course parallels old Germany's Newsday — Permalink The country had been battered and conquered for centuries, until it finally pulled itself together, politically, militarily and economically. Flexing its newly developed muscles, the rising empire threatened its neighbors, motivating a counter-alliance. | |
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Orrin Judd: NO BACH, NO GOETHE, NO MERCY: China's course parallels old Germany's (James P. Pinkerton, March 15, 2005, Newsday)... |
Dale Franks: Kaiser Hu — James Pinkerton, in a fascinating article in Newsday, writes that, in many ways, China's recent history... |
A Few Tips to Cope With Life's Annoyances By / NYT — Permalink When Seth Shepsle goes to Starbucks, he orders a "medium" because "grande" - as the coffee company calls the size, the one between big and small - annoys him. Meg Daniel presses zero whenever she hears a computerized operator on the telephone so that she can talk to a real person. | |
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Michael Froomkin: Just Don't Send a Brick — The New York Times doesn't quite get the whole story on the front page in A Few Tips to Cope With Life's Annoyances. |
Daniel Drezner: Return to sender — Ian Urbina has a fun story in today's New York Times on the small rebellions individuals engage in every day to protest life's petty annoyances. |
Bankrupt Criticisms By / NRO — Permalink For eight years, Congress has attempted to enact comprehensive bankruptcy-reform legislation, but has been frustrated by extraneous issues and procedural difficulties. Last week, by a vote of 74-25, the United States Senate passed the legislation. | |
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Tom Maguire: And the key qualifier in Mr. Scheiber's summary is "help" - stricter laws won't squeeze water from a stone, and the... |
Todd Zywicki: Bankruptcy Reform on NRO: I have a column "Bankrupt Criticisms" on the Bankruptcy Reform legislation today on National Review Online. |
G.O.P. Rebellion Threatens to Derail Efforts to Adopt Budget By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 14 - As Congress debates President Bush's $2.57 trillion budget for 2006, House and Senate Republican leaders are facing a potential revolt among their own members, with pressure coming from both the center and the right. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: Hey, there are even some sane conservatives still in the Senate. AN IRAQ BLOG: From a soldier who quotes Niebuhr. Susan Madrak: NOT WITH THE PROGRAM — I'm so sorry to see the Republicans splitting over the budget: [snipped quote] Karl never planned for anything like principle. |
Avedon Carol: The big picture — I like the way Buzzflash has amended the headline for G.O.P. Rebellion Threatens to Derail Efforts to... |
Scalia Slams Juvenile Death Penalty Ruling By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — Justice Antonin Scalia criticized the Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down the juvenile death penalty, calling it the latest example of politics on the court that has made judicial nominations an increasingly bitter process. | |
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McQ: Scalia slams recent Supreme Court Decision — Before an audience at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC, Justice... Betsy Newmark: I suppose that there are some who might criticize Scalia for speaking out about the increased activism on the Supreme Court, but I think he makes excellent points. Ann Althouse: Scalia's latest speech. Here's a recap of a speech Justice Scalia gave yesterday. (Via Memeorandum.) I saw this on C-Span last night. |
James Joyner: As always, he was colorful. Scalia Slams Juvenile Death Penalty Ruling (Newsday-AP) [snipped quote] Exactly right. Greg Ransom: CONTEMPORARY Supreme Court Justices have have rendered the Constitution useless says Justice Antonin Scalia. Watch the speech here. Dr. Steven Taylor: Quote of the Day — Via Newsday/the AP: Scalia Slams Juvenile Death Penalty Ruling [snipped quote] Indeed. |
White House to agencies: Ignore GAO's ruling on 'illegal' TV news releases By / Arizona Republic — Permalink WASHINGTON - The White House, intent on continuing to crank out "video news releases" that look like television news stories, has told government agency heads to ignore a Government Accountability Office memo criticizing the practice as illegal propaganda. | |
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Dan Froomkin: Here's how Ken Herman reported it for Cox News Service: "The White House, intent on continuing to crank out 'video news... |
Tim Dunlop: Of course, the administration isn't having any of that: [quote] The White House, intent on continuing to crank out "video news...[end quote] |
Mainline Christian Anti-Semitism By / Front Page Magazine — Permalink The leadership of the Presbyterian Church recently decided to encourage its governing body to promote divestment from companies that do business with Israel. Shortly thereafter, the Anglican church, the Lutheran church and the World Council of Churches (WCC,... | |
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Bunuel Cela: Mainline Christian Anti-Semitism — [snipped quote] So writes David Meir-Levi in frontpagemag.com in an article whose... |
David Meir-Levi: Mainline Christian anti-Semitism — UPDATE: Reader Dan England of Getting Elected has sent us a copy of his email to... |
Administration Rejects Ruling On PR Videos By / WaPo — Permalink The Bush administration, rejecting an opinion from the Government Accountability Office, said last week that it is legal for federal agencies to feed TV stations prepackaged news stories that do not disclose the government's role in producing them. | |
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David Bernstein: Prepackaged Propaganda "news" videos whether produced by Bush political appointee minions, or by any other government officials, are an appalling use of government money. |
Tom Tomorrow: But of course — [snipped quote] Story. (Washington Post—registration required.) |
Mail Facilities Remain Closed After Alerts WaPo — Permalink Three remote Department of Defense mail facilities remained closed this morning as officials continued investigating biological detection alerts that prompted precautionary lockdowns yesterday. | |
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Charles Johnson: UPDATE at 3/15/05 8:35:04 am: The Washington Post reports that the Pentagon mail facility has tested positive for anthrax. |
Andrew Cochran: UPDATE, 3/15, 11:00 - Second set of tests on the Pentagon's mail facility (actually located in an adjacent building) were negative, but more testing will be done. |
The $600 Billion Man By / NYT — Permalink The argument over Social Security privatization isn't about rival views on how to secure the program's future - even the administration admits that private accounts would do nothing to help the system's finances. It's a debate about what kind of society America should be. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: And the antidote to convulsive neoliberalism is explained in Paul Krugman's column, "The $600 Billion Man." Atrios: Heh-Indeedy — Krugman: As it happens, Mr. Lieberman stated clearly what was wrong with the bankruptcy bill: "It failed... Orrin Judd: OWNERS OR DEPENDENTS? : The $600 Billion Man (PAUL KRUGMAN, 3/15/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] That's precisely right. |
Brad DeLong: Joe "Let Me Endorse Some Phony Republican Numbers" Lieberman — Paul Krugman notes that not only is he Joe "I voted for... Chris Andersen: More Lieberman — Paul Krugman gives us a specific example of what I'm talking about: "Let's start with the case of the bogus $600 billion. The Farmer: Bobo and the grown-up — Bobo Brooks wets himself in his high-chair, throws a little snit, and pitches his bowl of... |
Rice Reshaping Foreign Policy By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — Condoleezza Rice began her term as secretary of State with a tour of Europe and the Middle East last month that showed off her skills as a fence mender. The weeks that followed have revealed another side of her style. | |
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Betsy Newmark: The LA Times has a story about how Condi Rice is already stamping foreign policy with her style. |
Orrin Judd: HATCHET WOMAN: Rice Reshaping Foreign Policy: The secretary of State is displaying an affinity for quick action and a dislike for nuanced talk. |
Bush aide named to key diplomacy post By / Boston Globe — Permalink WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday named Karen P. Hughes, one of President Bush's closest and most powerful advisers, as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy in a move that officials said is meant to aggressively tackle the plummeting image of the United States abroad, particularly in the Arab world. | |
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Dan Froomkin: Farah Stockman writes in the Boston Globe that the Hughes nomination is "a move that officials said is meant to... |
James Joyner: Bush aide named to key diplomacy post (Boston Globe) [snipped quote] Interesting. |
DeLay Returns to Hill, Questions About Ethics By / WaPo — Permalink House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) spent 30 minutes greeting colleagues on the House floor last night as he returned to the Capitol after five days away from increasing questions about his relationships with lobbyists and groups that financed his travel. | |
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Mary @LeftCoaster: I'm inclined to give the nod to Mr. DeLay in his widening troubles. According to the DeLay backers, it's those damned Democrats that have created this tempest in the teapot. |
Oliver Willis: He doesn't. 10 reasons why Tom DeLay should resign from Congress DeLay's Dirty Dozen Gambling on DeLay's future DeLay Returns to Hill, Questions About Ethics DeLay And Company |
He Shot Down Commies NRO — Permalink John Barron, R.I.P. "Imagine, if you will, someone who read only Reader's Digest between 1950 and 1970, and someone in the same period who read only The Nation or The New Statesman," said the late Susan Sontag in 1982. | |
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Joe Katzman: John J. Miller quotes an unlikely source from the past: [snipped quote] There is no question who would have been better informed, and yes, Susan, they were. |
The Big Trunk: Among the fine remembrances of Barron are the NRO column by John Miller, "He shot down Commies," the Human Events... |
Scalia Showing His Softer Side By / WaPo — Permalink Antonin Scalia was about 12 minutes into the latest phase of his recent charm offensive yesterday when he briefly returned to type. The famously acerbic Supreme Court justice was making a nuanced point about his disagreement with the notion of "substantive due process" when he paused and frowned at some photographers in the aisle. | |
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Greg Ransom: The speech was also covered here and here. Google news search here. UPDATE: Scalia's speech is simply a must watch. Tim Graham: Dana Milbank reports that Antonin Scalia is trying to show a softer side as the Rehnquist opening becomes apparent. |
Steve Dillard: "Scalia Showing His Softer Side—Justice Moves Into Public Eye With Possible Sights Set on Chief Job": WaPo has this report. |
Shipping was extra -- a lot extra By / Houston Chronicle — Permalink WASHINGTON - Iraq needed fuel. Halliburton Co. was ordered to get it there — quick. So the Houston-based contractor charged the Pentagon $27.5 million to ship $82,100 worth of cooking and heating fuel. | |
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Atrios: So, why is he not bothered by the fact that we paid $27 million for $87,000 in fuel? |
Juan Cole: Halliburton Over Charges US — Halliburton appears to have charged the US government $27 million to deliver $84,000 worth of fuel to Iraq. |
Amazon founder plans Texas spaceport By / AP — Permalink VAN HORN — Even skeptical locals, who've become wary over the years of city slickers with big ideas for their town, perked up when Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos made his pitch — a spaceport for commercial travel into space. | |
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Charles Kuffner: People who purchased space travel also bought... Jeff Bezos wants to send you into orbit, with the West Texas town of Van Horn as the launching point. |
Jim Dallas: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos appears to have joined the club, according to today's Houston Chronicle: [snipped quote] All... |
Texas House gives tentative approval to tax bill AP — Permalink AUSTIN — The Texas House tentatively approved a sweeping $10.8 billion tax bill that will force all businesses to pay, including those that now evade the franchise tax, while levying a host of new consumer taxes on Texans. | |
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Brad Plumer: Guest: Brad Plumer — DEEP IN THE HEART OF TAXES....A few days ago Kevin posted on the tax reform bill percolating through the Texas state legislature. |
Jim Dallas: Atrocity Watch — Because there's nothing better than screwing the common folk on a lovely spring evening, the Legislature passed H.B. 3 just a few hours ago. |
Reshaping Nuclear Pact: Bush Seeks to Close Loopholes By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 14 - Behind President Bush's recent shift in dealing with Iran's nuclear program lies a less visible goal: to rewrite, in effect, the main treaty governing the spread of nuclear technology, without actually renegotiating it. | |
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Brad Plumer: Tuesday's New York Times is reporting that President Bush wants to rewrite the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),... |
Matthew Yglesias: UPDATE: Speaking of crappy nuclear policies, this, I don't get. |
Kerry Loves the Mainstream Media Weekly Standard — Permalink JOHN KERRY EFFECTIVELY ENDED HIS political career on February 28, 2005, during a little-noticed event at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston. Senator Kerry was being presented with the library's "Distinguished American Award"—a bust of John Kennedy. | |
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Baldilocks: Reading the Fine Print — Even that brave warrior, John Kerry, trembles before the great pajama-clad unwashed. "â... Howard Kurtz: In the Weekly Standard, P.J. O'Rourke highlights the senator's remarks about the media, adding his own anti-Kerry jibes:... Ed Driscoll: Oh—and fortunately, somebody still loves the mainstream media! Close It |
Charles Johnson: P.J. O'Rourke: Kerry Loves MSM — There's no one better at tearing apart the fatuous, murky pronouncements of John F. Kerry than P. J. O'Rourke: Kerry Loves the Mainstream Media. NewSisyphus: As reported by P.J. O'Rourke, Kerry had a number of monstrously stupid observations to make about conservative media,... John Cole: Kick 'Em While They Are Down — PJ takes a swipe at Kerry and Tom Oliphant. |
Huge Demonstration in Lebanon Demands End to Syrian Control By / NYT — Permalink BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 14 - Lebanon's anti-Syria opposition regained the momentum on Monday as hundreds of thousands of Lebanese jammed Beirut's central square to demand the end to Syrian control of their country . | |
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Gregory Djerejian: What better quote to sum it up than: "I feel a certain kind of grandeur today. Jonah Goldberg: LEBANON — A GOOD DAY — Very nice summary of the Lebanese Opposition protests in today's Times. |
Orrin Judd: LEBANON FOR THE LEBANESE: Huge Demonstration in Lebanon Demands End to Syrian Control (NEIL MacFARQUHAR, 3/15/05, NY... |
California Court Rules Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional By / NYT — Permalink A California judge ruled today that the state's ban on gay marriage violated the state constitution, despite social traditions and historical definitions that "marriage" is a union between man and woman. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Gay Marriage Thrown Back Into The Political Cauldron — Just when you thought the highly divisive and emotional (on both... James Joyner: See also NYT Update (1728): Christian News (via GoogleNews) entitles their piece California Judge Rules Against Ban on Gay "Marriage." Gail Heriot: California Superior Court Holds Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional — The New York Times reports. |
Greg Ransom: UPDATE II: The judge's decree on marriage for his subjects in California can be found here. (pdf) UPDATE III: More news reports here, here and here. Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: The Fourteenth Amendment Strikes Again! by hilzoy I'm not trying to set a record for most posts in a short period, but... Ellen Dana Nagler: Wearing the Lead Sheep's Bell, Again — This just in from The New York Times "A California judge ruled today that the... |
John O'Neill American Enterprise Magazine — Permalink One of the most dramatic stories of Election 2004 was the coalescence of a large group of Vietnam veterans dedicated to the idea that John Kerry was not fit to become America's Commander in Chief. Many of those who joined Swift Boat Veterans for Truth had served with Kerry in Vietnam. | |
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The Big Trunk: The issue features a terrific interview with O'Neill in its "'Live' with TAE" department. Ed Driscoll: In an interview in the current issue of the American Enterprise magazine, John O'Neill says: "TAE: Were you surprised... PoliPundit: Swifties — Must-read interview with John O'Neill. (via Michelle Malkin) Excerpt: "TAE: Were you surprised when Senator... |
Michelle Malkin: ; VRWC alert!) point us to an excellent interview at The American Enterprise with the always candid and courageous John O'Neill. Taegan Goddard: O'Neill Discusses Swift Boat Vet's Tactics — The American Enterprise runs a very interesting interview with John... Greg Ransom: Here's just one more example: "TAE: How do you explain the media's response [to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth]? |
On Fox News, No Shortage of Opinion, Study Finds By / WaPo — Permalink In covering the Iraq war last year, 73 percent of the stories on Fox News included the opinions of the anchors and journalists reporting them, a new study says. By contrast, 29 percent of the war reports on MSNBC and 2 percent of those on CNN included the journalists' own views. | |
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Ezra Klein: Yeah, so did I. But now we have proof. Money quote: [snipped quote] Human beings second, huh? Lorie Byrd: The report by the Project for Excellence in Journalism [snipped quote] Kurtz reports: [snipped quote] I will readily agree with that. Jeff Jarvis: There's this, too: [snipped quote] : Howie Kurtz highlights this: [snipped quote] And when you combine those stats with the ratings, what do we conclude? |
John Hawkins: Betsy Newmark & Lorie Byrd On Bias At Fox — From Lorie Byrd of Polipundit and Byrd Droppings: Betsy Newmark has an... Jan Haugland: Media: Hidden and open opinions — Howard Kurtz watches the media watch itself: In covering the Iraq war last year, 73... Betsy Newmark: Howard Kurtz reports on research by the Project for Excellence in Journalism that purports to show that Fox broadcasters... |
| Also: Greg Piper, Cori Dauber, Garrett M. Graff, James Joyner, Tim Graham, Brian Stelter, Rickheller @Centerfield | |
Study Shows U.S. Election Coverage Harder on Bush By / Reuters — Permalink NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. media coverage of last year's election was three times more likely to be negative toward President Bush than Democratic challenger John Kerry , according to a study released Monday. | |
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Norm Geras: Bush and democratization — Via Go Blog and Multiply, this report: "New York (Reuters) - U.S. media coverage of last... Charles Johnson: MSM Election Coverage: Incredibly Biased — It must have been really bad, if even the Columbia School of Journalism is... Orrin Judd: MAYBE EVAN THOMAS WAS RIGHT: Study Shows U.S. Election Coverage Harder on Bush (Claudia Parsons, 3/14/05, Reuters)... |
Hindrocket: I can't find the full report on the organization's web site, but Reuters says that the Project for Excellence in... Cori Dauber: Update: Just to prove there's cherry picking going on here, take a look at the way Reuters (via Memeorandum) frames... John Rosenberg: Take a look: "NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. media coverage of last year's election was three times more likely to be... |
| Also: Pejman Yousefzadeh, Scott Sala | |
Support for Bush on Social Security Wanes, Poll Finds By / WaPo — Permalink Barely a third of the public approves of the way President Bush is dealing with Social Security and a majority says the more they hear about Bush's plan to reform the giant retirement system, the less they like it, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. | |
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Ramesh Ponnuru: A GRIM DAY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY REFORMERS — The Washington Post says Bush's plan is sinking in the polls, having already... Barbara O'Brien: The Washington Post reports today that right now barely a third of Americans like the plan. Steve Bainbridge: (Poll) Not surprisingly, even blue dog Democrats are refusing to support the President's proposals. |
Joe Gandelman: SOS On Social Security Reform — The handwriting is not only on the wall on Social Security reform but it appears as if... Garance Franke-Ruta: Support for the president's as yet not fully described plan to transform the Social Security system has hit an all-time low. Matthew Yglesias: A new Washington Post poll will reveal that the Social Security phase-out is less popular than ever and "the more... |
| Also: Steve Soto, Josh Marshall, Oliver Willis, Lambert @Corrente, Kos @DailyKos, Kash | |
THE UNBRANDING By / New Yorker — Permalink Joseph Biden, the senior senator from Delaware, is the Democratic Party's main spokesman on international affairs; he is also a man who, on occasion, seems not to know, when sentences leave his mouth, where they are going or what they are meant to convey. | |
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Digby: Party Orthodoxy — Jeffrey Goldberg writes on the Democratic "toughness" problem in this week's The New Yorker, mostly... Yuval Rubinstein: Therefore, Jeffrey Goldberg's article in this week's New Yorker, which looks back on how this issue haunted the Kerry campaign (and Democrats in general), is fairly engaging. Orrin Judd: WE WANT 2 BE YOUR FANTASY: THE UNBRANDING: Can the Democrats make themselves look tough? |
Matthew Yglesias: In the current New Yorker, Jeffrey Goldberg has an article on a subject near and dear to my heart, efforts to strengthen the Democratic brand on national security issues. Steve Bainbridge: Biden — From The New Yorker: "Biden can be eloquent in defense of his party, and in his criticism of President Bush,... |
Judge Says Calif. Can't Ban Gay Marriage By / AP — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO - A judge ruled Monday that California's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional — a legal milestone that, if upheld on appeal, would open the way for the most populous state to follow Massachusetts in allowing same-sex couples to wed. | |
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Kevin Aylward: Funny I was saying the same thing last month when it was New York, today it's California.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A judge... Skippy: asspress: "a judge ruled monday that california's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional a legal milestone that, if... |
Greg Ransom: SAN FRANCISCO JUDGE to the people of California: I make the laws in this state, your job is to shut up and follow the laws as I pull them randomly out of my ass. Oliver Willis: Judge Says Calif. Can't Ban Gay Marriage [snipped quote] Gay people should be allowed to marry - and all the joy, happiness, madness, and frustration that ensues. |
The Missing Proposal By / WaPo — Permalink Last year Democrats impaled themselves on the Iraq war. They were so anxious to denounce the invasion that they failed to acknowledge the most basic point of all: that, having waded into Iraq, the United States could not leave prematurely. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN — Once again, we see an opposition party engaging in opposition without alternative proposals... Dale Franks: The Ostrich Party — Sebastian Mallaby writes in the Washington Post that the Democrats' determination to denounce... Matthew Yglesias: Mallaby on Social Security — If you're looking for a token of how blinkered the Beltway conventional wisdom on Social... |
Josh Marshall: Now, let's take an example: Sebastian Mallaby's column this morning in the Washington Post. Jonathan Chait: Josh writes below about Sebastian Mallaby's column in the Washington Post today. Orrin Judd: FOR THEM A COMPROMISE IS THE SAME AS A LOSS: The Missing Proposal (Sebastian Mallaby, March 14, 2005, Washington Post)... |
Can Papers End the Free Ride Online? By / NYT — Permalink Consumers are willing to spend millions of dollars on the Web when it comes to music services like iTunes and gaming sites like Xbox Live. But when it comes to online news, they are happy to read it but loath to pay for it. | |
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Tom Biro: In case you missed it, the New York Times' Katharine Seelye wrote a long piece for Monday about the "free ride" that... Brad Plumer: Guest: Brad Plumer — DEATH OF ONLINE NEWS?...Via Susan Madrak, it looks like the New York Times online edition may... Avedon Carol: The business story is Can Papers End the Free Ride Online?, where Katharine Seelye wonders why consumers are willing to... |
Ezra Klein: The Times They Ain't A-Changin' — The post Brad Plumer's trying to link to was originally on Pandagon, but since he's... James Joyner: Can Papers End the Free Ride Online? Ann Althouse: Will the NYT cut off free access to its site? The NYT contemplates charging for on-line access. Does this affect me? |
| Also: Betsy Newmark, Dan Gillmor, Terry Heaton, Orrin Judd, Ed Cone, Susan Madrak | |
DeLay Ethics Allegations Now Cause of GOP Concern By / WaPo — Permalink House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) has dismissed questions about his ethics as partisan attacks, but revelations last week about his overseas travel and ties to lobbyists under investigation have emboldened Democrats and provoked worry among Republicans. | |
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Charles Kuffner: The DCCC has a little project for you regarding the current status of the House Ethics Committee. Sam Rosenfeld: Tom DeLay is all over the news these days with new revelations of dirty dealings and a spate of "can he survive?" pieces... Matthew Yglesias: They're also eventually going to need to widen the attack into, say, the ethical cesspool from whence the phase-out plan sprung. |
The Cunctator: WaPo writes about DeLay's mounting troubles. Joe Gandelman: Because DeLay is proving to be a big obstacle to the GOP's image as his name pops up in news stories showing he may be... Skippy: justice may not be delayed for much longer tom delay's troubles are mulitiplying so rapidly that even the washpost is... |
| Also: Atrios, Jim Dallas, Steve Soto, Taegan Goddard, Oliver Willis | |
Why Rathergate and Easongate Are Still Open By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink When Dan Rather departed on March 9, at least he beat his competitors at ABC and NBC for the first time in five years. What seems to have been overlooked by media managers and journalists in their exhaustive discussion of Rathergate and Easongate is what news... | |
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Captain Ed: Lipscomb: No Trust For MSM Until They Police Themselves — Thomas Lipscomb delivers a scolding to the mainstream media... Ed Driscoll: "From there it was off to the races, including trumped up charges over Bush's 9/11-themed ads, the Abu Ghraib POW scandal; the partisan 9/11 hearing; and on and on." Greg Ransom: THE CBS NEWS "Rathergate Report" — the anatomy of a whitewash: "When CBS took a corporate look at the disaster, it hired a law firm. |
Charles Johnson: Why Rathergate and Easongate Are Still Open — At Editor and Publisher, Thomas Lipscomb has a good piece on the lessons... Glenn Reynolds: THOMAS LIPSCOMB WRITES IN EDITOR AND PUBLISHER about why RatherGate and EasonGate are still open: [snipped quote] Read the whole thing. |
Mfume Announces 2006 Senate Bid By / WaPo — Permalink BALTIMORE — Kweisi Mfume, a former Maryland congressman and national NAACP president, today became the first Democrat to make official his bid to succeed Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Md.). | |
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Kos @DailyKos: MD-Sen: Mfume runs for Senate — Sen. Sarbanes announced last Friday he was retiring, and amidst a great deal of... Oliver Willis: Mfume for Senate — I'd be rather pleased to call Kweisi Mfume my senator. Ezra Klein: MD Senate: Kweisi For You — As I suspected, Kweisi Mfume's hat is in the ring. |
James Martin Capozzola: March 14: "Mfume Announces 2006 Senate Bid," by John Wagner, the Washington Post: "Kweisi Mfume, a former Maryland... Taegan Goddard: Mfume Announces Senate Bid — Kweisi Mfume, "a former Maryland congressman and national NAACP president, today became... Jeralyn Merritt: The Washington Post reports, [snipped quote] Here's his platform statement: [snipped quote] Like Kos, I'm a big Kwesi Mfume fan. |
'Record' protest held in Beirut BBC — Permalink Nearly one million people have gathered for an opposition rally in Beirut, officials say - a month after the death of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Beirut says the crowds turned the city centre into a sea of red, white and green - the colours of Lebanon's national flag. | |
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Jan Haugland: PS: Now the BBC says "nearly one million" people were out marching! Jeff Goldstein: Creating new terrorists: Chimpy McHitlerBurton's smirky rodeo ride through history continues, #11 — From the BBC:... James Joyner: 'Record' protest held in Beirut (BBC) "Nearly one million people have gathered for an opposition rally in Beirut,... |
Paul @Wizbang: Well that sparked counter counter counter-occupation protest (the good guys)... and it was big: lebanon-protest.jpg... Norm Geras: (See also here and here. Hat tip for the Nation column: MD.) Natalie Solent: In the words of Crocodile Dundee... "That's not a demonstration ... THIS is a demonstration." |
Court invalidates California's ban on same-sex marriage By / San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Gay and lesbian couples in California have a constitutional right to marry, a San Francisco Superior Court judge ruled Monday. The ruling by Judge Richard Kramer is just the first step in a case that is headed for the state Supreme Court, probably sometime next year. | |
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Greg Piper: Children are irrational...for another reason — A San Francisco superior court judge said today that prohibiting... Julian Sanchez: Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair — A San Francisco superior court judge has ruled that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. |
Greg Ransom: Quotable: "A judge ruled Monday that California's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional .. Judge Richard Kramer of... |
California gay-marriage ban ruled unconstitutional AP — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) — A judge ruled Monday that California's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional, saying the state could no longer justify limiting marriage to a man and a woman. | |
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Chris Nolan: Jaye has advised San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on this and other issues and given today's news — that California's... Frederick Maryland: Calif. Court: The Law Is Not a Game of Survivor — San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer ruled... |
James Joyner: Judge strikes down California gay marriage ban (AP) (MSNBC, CNN, YahooNews) "A judge ruled Monday that California can... |
Career Guide 2005 By / US News — Permalink Breathe easy, workers: The jobless recovery is indisputably over. Some 262,000 new jobs were created last month, with almost every sector of the economy contributing, including manufacturing. That's icing on the cake after January, when the U.S. labor market at long last recouped all of its losses from the 2001 recession. | |
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Ogged @Unfogged: Business Plan — Matt Yglesias writes, Note that real wages have been stagnating or slightly declining (mine have been... Pejman Yousefzadeh: IS THE JOBLESS RECOVERY OVER? This article says "yes." Let's hope that it is right. |
Matthew Yglesias: Until then, you'll have to read U.S. News and World Report's thoughts on the labor market: "Breathe easy, workers: The jobless recovery is indisputably over. |
Hundreds of Thousands Jam Beirut in Rally Against Syria By / NYT — Permalink BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 14 - Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese jammed the center of downtown Beirut today, packing its central square and spilling out onto the surrounding roads, in the largest demonstration yet demanding the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from the country. | |
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McQ: This is particularly evident right now in Lebanon in which almost a million Lebanese turned out to again protest Syria's... Daniel Drezner: Publius Pundit has much, much more on this. UPDATE: Neil MacFarquar reports on the protest for the New York Times. |
Judith Weiss: Interesting detail: "Bahiya Hariri, Mr. Hariri's sister and a member of parliament, used her speech to reach out to... Ann Althouse: The immense demonstration today in Lebanon. [snipped quote] So the color is blue now? Beautiful! |
Marines driven out of UAW lot By / Detroit News — Permalink DETROIT — The United Auto Workers says Marine reservists should show a little more semper fi if they want to use the union's parking lot. The Marine Corps motto means "always faithful," but the union says some reservists working out of a base on... | |
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Eugene Volokh: Why, expressing hostility to President Bush: "[T]he UAW International will no longer allow members of the 1st Battalion... James Joyner: The commander of the local Marine base has responded in kind. Marines driven out of UAW lot [snipped quote] No joke. Steve Bainbridge: The Detroit News is taking an online poll that asks: [snipped quote] Please click this link and go vote NO. Update: The UAW has backed down, as well it should. |
Charles Johnson: PEST Rages at UAW — The United Auto Workers in Detroit have kicked the US Marines out of their parking lot: Marines driven out of UAW lot. JoelL @SouthernAppeal: According to this story the UAW International will no longer allow Marine reservists drilling at their base on Jefferson... Michelle Malkin: As Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge, commanding officer of the battalion's active duty instructors, told the Detroit News in this... |
| Also: K. J. Lopez | |
Opposition Launches Protest in Beirut By / AP — Permalink BEIRUT, Lebanon Mar 14, 2005 — Hundreds of thousands of opposition demonstrators chanted "Freedom, sovereignty, independence" and unfurled a huge Lebanese flag in Beirut on Monday, the biggest protest yet in the opposition's duel of street rallies with supporters of the Damascus-backed government. | |
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Norm Geras: On which see here. Kevin Aylward: (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Opposition Launches Protest in Beirut [AP] Previously: My Protest is Bigger Than Your Protest K. J. Lopez: AP ON BEIRUT RALLY [quote] Hundreds of thousands of opposition demonstrators chanted "Freedom, sovereignty, independence" and...[end quote] |
James Joyner: Opposition Demonstrators Launch Beirut Protest (AP) "Hundreds of thousands of opposition demonstrators chanted... Glenn Reynolds: HERE'S MORE ON KYRGYZSTAN, while Sam Jaffe observes that Lebanon is looking more and more like Ukraine. |
A Family Tree in Every Gene By / NYT — Permalink London — Shortly after last year's tsunami devastated the lands on the Indian Ocean, The Times of India ran an article with this headline: "Tsunami May Have Rendered Threatened Tribes Extinct." | |
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PoliPundit: Churchill — Good news for Ward Churchill: He can now prove that he's a real Native American: "Today it is easy to find... Charles Murray: Take a look at today's op ed on Armand Leroi as an example. Anyone care to nominate any other major op ed page in the country that would have printed this piece? Orrin Judd: DANGER—SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION ZONE: A Family Tree in Every Gene (ARMAND MARIE LEROI, 3/14/05, NY Times) |
Andrew Sullivan: It's real. And it's close to miraculous. QUOTE OF THE DAY: [snipped quote] - Armand Marie Leroi, New York Times. Greg Ransom: How a Marxist in the biology dept. at Harvard got it all wrong — Richard Lewontin's big mistake. |
Thousands March Against Syria in Beirut By / AP — Permalink BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators chanted "Freedom, sovereignty, independence," and waved a sea of Lebanese flags in Beirut on Monday, the biggest anti-Syrian protest yet in the opposition's duel of street rallies with supporters of the Damascus-backed government. | |
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Dan Darling: Or so they thought: "In recent days, opposition ads for Monday's rally have been running on television, and activists in towns and villages arranged buses to the capital. Rich Lowry: From ABC News: "The rally, perhaps the biggest anti-government demonstration ever staged in the Arab world..." |
Ace: "Thousands" March Against Syrian Government — I will admit that this story does call the demonstration in Beirut perhaps the largest ever staged in the Arab world. |
Lebanese Staging Rallies Demanding 'the Truth' Behind Hariri Murder By / The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies — Permalink With a crucial democratic protest planned for today, members of Lebanon's opposition held a vigil last evening, setting out candles across a big swathe of downtown Martyrs' Square to spell out in letters of flame, in Arabic and English, what they are seeking: "The Truth." | |
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Hugh Hewitt: Claudia Rosett, journalist-in-residence at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, is in Beirut for the New York Sun. |
Glenn Reynolds: CLAUDIA ROSETT POSTS a report from Beirut. |
Rally Against Syria Appears to Be Largest Yet in Beirut By / NYT — Permalink BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 14 - Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese jammed the center of downtown Beirut today, packing its central square and spilling out onto the surrounding roads, in the largest demonstration yet demanding the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from the country. | |
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Gregory Djerejian: But the shrewd Sheikh Nasrallah, likely all along, was well aware that appearing too pro-Syrian would backfire on... Ace: An Actual Article to Go With the Cheesecake Pics: The New York Times is, strangely enough, covering this, and not even... |
Matthew Yglesias: Today the opposition is back with the biggest rally yet, including, according to Neil MacFarquhar, some support from the... |
The Lebanon Stakes Opinion Journal — Permalink We are now approaching the 20th anniversaries of the murders of Robert Dean Stethem and William Buckley. The CIA station chief in Beirut, Buckley was beheaded by the Hezbollah on June 3, 1985. Stethem, a Navy diver, was murdered by Hezbollah the same month aboard hijacked TWA Flight 847. | |
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Jeff Goldstein: Hmm. Wonder how the pro-Hezbollah crowd is feeling about this crazy little turn of events… **** update:... |
Jonah Goldberg: BIG CROWDS — Nice to see the Lebanese opposition up the ante. Also the Journal has a good editorial today. |
Susan Estrich as Bubbles the Hippo By / Independed Women's Forum — Permalink Is it possible for Susan Estrich to put one foot right? The Fox News talking head/tenured USC law professor has been losing friends and alienating people since her original "Fatal Attraction"-style attack last month on Los Angeles Times opinion editor Michael Kinsley. | |
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Ace: Distaff Update: As Cathy Seipp notes, Susan Estrich ain't doin' female writers no favors, neither. |
Glenn Reynolds: CATHY SEIPP WONDERS what's wrong with Susan Estrich. She does seem to have gone over the top. |
800,000 pack Beirut for opposition rally AFP — Permalink An emboldened Lebanese opposition mobilized more than 800,000 people to demand an end to Syrian military domination of Lebanon, hurling a potent challenge to the Syrian-backed government here. | |
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James Joyner: We are coming to demand the truth," said Fatma Trad, a veiled Sunni Muslim woman who traveled from the remote region of... Orrin Judd: FARRAKHAN GOT A MILLION: 800,000 pack Beirut for opposition rally (AFP, 3/14/05) "An emboldened Lebanese opposition... |
Hugh Hewitt: Wow. Lebanon to Bashar Assad: Get out. Now. Al Mohler on the Groningen Protocol's authors going public with their apologia for evil in a hospital gown. |