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DeLay Family Outcome Different From Schiavo's LAT — Permalink CANYON LAKE, Texas — A family tragedy unfolding in a Texas hospital during the fall of 1988 was a private ordeal — without judges, emergency sessions of Congress or the raging debate outside Terri Schiavo's Florida hospice. | |
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Atrios: He's the King of Crap — Sucker DeLay is such a Liar! Oliver @LiquidList: Politics: Hypocrite, Hypocrite, Hypocrite — Yes, Atrios has it, but it should be spread far and wide: "Today, as House... |
Roger Ailes: The Hypocrisy Of A Texan Bug-Chaser — The tiny toxic Texan was an enemy of American capitalism... at least before his... |
Rice Describes Plans To Spread Democracy WaPo — Permalink Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday set out ambitious goals for the Bush administration's push for greater democracy overseas over the next four years, including pressing for competitive presidential elections this year in Egypt and women's right to vote in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. | |
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Captain Ed: Rice: Middle East Status Quo Doomed — Condoleezza Rice spoke extensively with the Washington Post on the foreign-policy... Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post has an interview with Condi Rice. What is remarkable is how strongly she comes out in support of democratic movements around the world. Joseph Alexander Norland: Ted has posted two important pieces on the topic (1 and 2); please add this citation from WaPo to your file: "Rice... |
Daniel Drezner: Here's a thought — with the Iraqi insurgency looking for an exit option, and with it becoming increasingly clear who's... Orrin Judd: INSTABILITY IS US: Rice Describes Plans To Spread Democracy (Glenn Kessler and Robin Wright, March 26, 2005, Washington... |
Retro Active By / TNR — Permalink Here's the good news from the Middle East this week: In an Al Jazeera poll of 17,955 viewers just before the Arab League's two-day summit in Algiers, thousands of people voted for "democracy and political reform" as their number one priority—so many, in fact,... | |
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Skippy: joseph braude at the new republic online finds that strangely enough, the arab decision-makers don't care that arab opinion is in favor of democracy. David Adesnik: THE DICTATORS' CLUB: Joseph Braude of TNR reports on the latest from the Arab League. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: CHALLENGES REMAIN TO MIDDLE EASTERN DEMOCRATIZATION — Joseph Braude discusses them with his typical perspicacity. |
Morality and Reality By / NYT — Permalink The core belief that social conservatives bring to cases like Terri Schiavo's is that the value of each individual life is intrinsic. The value of a life doesn't depend upon what a person can physically do, experience or achieve. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: St. Teresa of Avila David Brooks's latest column is wrong on so many levels I hardly know where to begin. John Holbo: Two Varieties of Absolutism Matthew Yglesias has a pair of interesting posts up (1, 2), responding to David Brooks' latest. The Big Trunk: David Brooks also devotes his New York Times column to the Schiavo case this morning: "Morality and reality." |
Digby: Cafeteria Moralists — Matt Yglesias writes: [snipped quote] I agree that that the pro-life absolutist view on the first question requires an absolutist view on the second. Armando @DailyKos: But Brooks can't have that, he has to make up the Schiavo position for "liberals": ". . . Billmon: [quote]David Brooks Morality and Reality March 26, 2005 "I don't know anybody on the right who would say, 'I'm in favor of...[end quote] |
| Also: Glenn Smith, Matthew Yglesias, Amanda Marcotte, Pudentilla | |
Illegal Nuclear Deals Alleged By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — A federal criminal investigation has uncovered evidence that the government of Pakistan made clandestine purchases of U.S. high-technology components for use in its nuclear weapons program in defiance of American law. | |
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Laura Rozen: An Islamabad businessman with close ties to Islamic militants, Humayun Khan, purchased the technology, the LA Times'... Matthew Yglesias: Pakistan — Surely we can come up with a Pakistan policy that doesn't lead me to see both of these headlines during my... |
Steve Soto: On the same day that the Los Angeles Times broke the story that Pakistan has been discovered to be illegally buying... Pudentilla: So awol's giving musharref F-16s after learning that : "WASHINGTON — A federal criminal investigation has uncovered... |
Texas Rail Official Admits Missteps By / NYT — Permalink Several months ago, the Texas official overseeing rail crossings commented in court proceedings that many in the rail industry "would consider me their friend." That may not be surprising given what the official, Darin Kosmak, has done to help railroads fight lawsuits brought by accident victims. | |
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William J. Dyer: Personal knowledge in affidavits — This story in today's New York Times doesn't surprise me — and indeed, I wrote a... |
TChris: Agencies should help businesses understand and obey the law, but Darin Kosmak, the Texas official who safeguards rail... |
Many Germans Want Berlin Wall Back, Study Finds Reuters — Permalink BERLIN (Reuters) - Nearly a quarter of western Germans and 12 percent of easterners want the Berlin Wall back — more than 15 years after the fall of the barrier that split Germany during the Cold War, according to a new survey. | |
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Ed Driscoll: I can't help but think that the sentiments behind this Reuters piece, also about Germany, are more than a little... |
Arthur Chrenkoff: Mr Gorbachev, bring back that wall — Put this one into the "Can't make everyone happy" files: "Nearly a quarter of... |
Vital Signs of a Ruined Falluja Grow Stronger By / NYT — Permalink FALLUJA, Iraq, March 20 - Four months after American bombs and guns pounded much of this city into ruins, some signs of life are returning. A kebab shop and a bakery have reopened on the bullet-scarred main boulevard. About a third of the city's 250,000 residents have trickled back since early January. | |
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Cori Dauber: Finally, the New York Times gets around to attempting to answer the question — how is the reconstruction effort going in Fallujah? John Cole: Good News in Falluja — From all places, the front page of the NY Times: [snipped quote] Read the whole thing- there are problems, but the place is improving. |
Orrin Judd: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...: Vital Signs of a Ruined Falluja Grow Stronger (ROBERT F. WORTH, 3/26/05, NY Times)... |
Five stranded elk shot; they faced slow starvation By / Salt Lake Tribune — Permalink Attached to the news release are three different views of the ledges, where the bull elk were found. Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) biologists responded Price Canyon. The bulls were on the Castle Gate formation high above the Price River Water Treatment Plant. | |
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John Cole: Spare Me, K-Lo — K-LO is losing her mind: [quote]SPARING ELK A PAINFUL DEATH [K. J. Lopez] "Five stranded elk shot; they...[end quote] |
K. J. Lopez: SPARING ELK A PAINFUL DEATH — "Five stranded elk shot; they faced slow starvation" |
The few, the proud - but surely not AWOL By / St. Petersburg Times — Permalink ST. PETERSBURG - Marine recruits so new that their hair hasn't been cut don't sound like the best models for a story about soldiers going AWOL - particularly since none in the group is a deserter. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Michelle Malkin links to this story from South Florida about how Harpers Magazine has a cover story on "AWOL in America"... |
Michelle Malkin: PHOTO TAMPERING AT HARPER'S — Sharon Bond of the St. Petersburg Times reports on a controversy regarding the cover of... |
Where Faith Thrives By / NYT — Permalink DETE CROSSING, Zimbabwe — So with Easter approaching, here I am in the heart of Christendom. That's right - Africa. One of the most important trends reshaping the world is the decline of Christianity in Europe and its rise in Africa and other parts of the developing world, including Asia and Latin America. | |
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Ken Masugi: Christianity and World History — Despite some silly statements—e.g., "The rise of the Christian right in the U.S. is... |
Orrin Judd: EAST IS EAST...AND WEST: Where Faith Thrives (NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF, 3/26/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] Funny how he manages to arrive at exactly the wrong point. |
Pentagon Will Not Try 17 G.I.'s Implicated in Prisoners' Deaths By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 25 - Despite recommendations by Army investigators, commanders have decided not to prosecute 17 American soldiers implicated in the deaths of three prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004, according to a new accounting released Friday by the Army. | |
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Avedon Carol: In The New York Times, Pentagon Will Not Try 17 G.I.'s Implicated in Prisoners' Deaths "Despite recommendations by Army... Daniel Drezner: Despite the report, the Army does not plan on prosecuting anyone named. Michael Froomkin: Which brings me to why the ICC is looking better all the time: Pentagon Will Not Try 17 G.I.'s Implicated in Prisoners'... |
Steve Clemons: The U.S. government is dealing with these prisoner abuse cases shamefully and casually — and it is darkly absurd that... Digby: Accountability "Despite recommendations by Army investigators, commanders have decided not to prosecute 17 American... Roger Ailes: The Culture Of Life: Some Exceptions Apply — It's okay. They didn't worship the Risen Christ. |
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at The Post WaPo — Permalink The following is a transcript of an interview with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's by Post editors and reporters in the Post newsroom on Friday, March 25, 2005. | |
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Captain Ed: However, she went into greater detail, which one can read in the transcript of the interview itself: "Q: So you're not... |
Ted Belman: Realities on the ground — The following is a transcript of an interview with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by... |
DeLay Quietly Steps Out of the Schiavo Spotlight NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 25 - Early this week, Tom DeLay assumed an uncharacteristically visible role in the Terri Schiavo case, pressing Congress to intervene, invoking God and attacking Ms. Schiavo's husband before television cameras and on the House floor. | |
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Taegan Goddard: The New York Times says that Frist and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) have "slipped out of the spotlight." Jim Dallas: The Passion of the Hammer — The Times resports that Tom DeLay is quietly trying to retreat from Schiav-o-rama. |
Armando @DailyKos: Hanging DeLay Around Their Necks — A view on the political fallout from the Schiavo travesty: [snipped quote] Extreme and out of the mainstream GOP. |
Fla. officials' attempt, fail to seize Schiavo By / Knight Ridder — Permalink Agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told police in Pinellas Park, the small town where Schiavo lies at Hospice Woodside, that they were on the way to take her to a hospital to resume her feeding. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Local Police Reportedly Stopped Florida Agents From Seizing Schiavo by Joe Gandelman The Miami Herald reports that state... Glenn Reynolds: ANOTHER UPDATE: More evidence of why this process stuff matters: [snipped quote] It's good that things didn't escalate as they might have. Mark Kleiman: Jeb ordered his state cops to seize Schiavo in defiance of the court, but the local cops indicated that they would do their duty and Jeb backed down. |
Barbara O'Brien: Here's the story as reported by Knight Ridder. Kevin Drum: JEB BUSH AND THE CULTURE OF SUPERIOR FIREPOWER...Jeb Bush is now certifiably bats**t insane: [snipped quote] Jeb was... |
Schiavo Case Tests Priorities Of GOP WaPo — Permalink A week after their unprecedented intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, Republican congressional leaders find themselves in a moral and political thicket, having advanced the cause as a right-to-life issue — only to confront polls showing that the public does not see it that way. | |
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Tom Maguire: Reopening The Stem Cell Debate — With the Schiavo Relief bill, one might well ask - why did Congressfolk support an unpopular and ineffective bill? Taegan Goddard: Schiavo Causes GOP Split — "Republican lawmakers and others engaged in the debate say an internal party dispute" over... |
Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post has a front page story intimating that the GOP is having second thoughts about their vote on Terri Schiavo. Josh Marshall: Grover Norquist, quoted in the Post: [snipped quote] If this is really about 'sav[ing] this woman's life' why look at the polling data? |
Why Schiavo's Parents Didn't Have a Case By / LAT — Permalink Terri Schiavo's parents did not lose their federal case because they didn't try hard enough. They didn't lose their case because everyone conspired against them. They didn't lose it because Congress ticked off the judiciary over the weekend with its over-the-top custom-made legislation. | |
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Lambert @Corrente: The Schiavo case: Closure — Andrew Cohen, the CBS legal analyst who has been a beacon of sanity in the Schiavo case,... Jeralyn Merritt: And legal analyst Andrew Cohen explains in the LA Times why Terri's parents didn't have a case. |
James Joyner: Why Schiavo's Parents Didn't Have a Case (LAT) "Terri Schiavo's parents did not lose their federal case because they didn't try hard enough. |
Rice: Plan to expand settlement 'at odds' with U.S. policy Haaretz — Permalink U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Israel's plans to expand a West Bank settlement was "at odds with American policy" and could threaten peace with the Palestinians, marking her sharpest attack of Israel since taking office, according to a newspaper report Friday. | |
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Juan Cole: He stole more land on a vast scale this week, with a plan to put 3500 new settlers into the West Bank, , which is... |
Ted Belman: "Viable state" trumps "secure borders" — Rice: Plan to expand settlement 'at odds' with U.S. policy [snipped quote] I... |
State of mind unknowns By / Washington Times — Permalink In the hubbub over Terri Schiavo, which largely involves legal wrangling, some deeper questions are being cast aside in the media frenzy of "breaking news from the courthouse" and "headlines from the judge's chambers." | |
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Deacon: However, as neurologist Kenneth Gross argues in today's Washington Times questions about what Terri feels and about her... |
Susanna Cornett: Here is a post from Powerline blog, which points to an article by neurologist Kenneth Graham. |
Judges deny Schiavo parents again CNN — Permalink PINELLAS PARK, Florida (CNN) — A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday night against the parents of Terri Schiavo, who are in a desperate race to prolong the life of their brain-damaged daughter. | |
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John Hawkins: Still — still — we are a nation of laws and I cannot endorse violating them --- which is why I condemn acts like these... Lambert @Corrente: MBF "errs on the side of life" by offering $300,000 to kill Michael Schiavo and Judge Greer CNN [snipped quote] Looking more and more like '30s Germany, isn't it? |
Jeralyn Merritt: Her father says she only has hours left to live. The court appeals are still alive, but winding down as well. |
Breakfast on the Brink of the Break NRO — Permalink "What is a spectroscope?" Molly shifts uneasily in her chair. "It's a device that lets you look into space?" "Sit next to me, Mummy," says Phoebe as I am putting down bowls of porridge. | |
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Tbogg: Which brings me to today's America's Worst Mother™. I don't get it. |
S.Z.: American's Worst Mother ™ and the Three Bears: A Seasonal Story in Honor of TBogg's New Comments Feature "I... |
Iraq's insurgents 'seek exit strategy' By / Financial Times — Permalink Many of Iraq's predominantly Sunni Arab insurgents would lay down their arms and join the political process in exchange for guarantees of their safety and that of their co-religionists, according to a prominent Sunni politician. | |
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Hindrocket: We're a day late on this, but if you haven't already seen it, check out the Financial Times' "Iraq's insurgents 'seek exit strategy:'" [snipped quote] Heh. Bill Roggio: It seems the a good percentage of the fighters in Iraq are the ones looking for the exit (tip 'o the hat to... Dr. Steven Taylor: Via the Financial Times: Iraq's insurgents 'seek exit strategy' [snipped quote] While it may be distasteful, offering some kind of amensty may be the wise route here. |
Charles Bird: In Iraq, the insurgents are trying to figure out an exit strategy for their failed bid to restore Sunni-Baathist dominance. Cori Dauber: Well, how about (via the indispensible Memeorandum) a claim that that segment of the enemy (remembering that, despite... Captain Ed: FT: Iraqi Insurgents Want A Way Out — The Financial Times of London reports that native insurgent leaders in Iraq — as... |
| Also: Charles Johnson, Jan Haugland, Betsy Newmark, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Ace, Donald Sensing, Orrin Judd, Smash, Glenn Reynolds | |
Bush Approval Drops Amid Souring Economic Views By / Gallup — Permalink PRINCETON, NJ — President George W. Bush's approval rating is now at 45%, according to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted March 21-23. This is the lowest such rating Bush has received since taking office, although it is not significantly different from the 46% approval rating he received in May 2004. | |
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Chris Bowers: Here are the numbers from the five polls that were in the field sometime during the past seven days, compared with the... James Joyner: Let's go to the Gallup site to look at the poll, "Bush Approval Drops Amid Souring Economic Views." Joe Gandelman: ON THE OTHER HAND....James Joyner (an analyst who is quite solid) notes that when you go to the Gallup site it doesn't seem to show much of a change. |
Jerome Armstrong: Gallup: [snipped quote] BattleGround: [snipped quote] And yea, gas prices going up is once again in correlation with Bush approval tanking (watch this chart from Pollkatz this week). Dan Froomkin: And Gallup itself explains: "This is the lowest such rating Bush has received since taking office, although it is not... Steve Soto: According to the Gallup poll, Bush's approval rating is now down to 45%, a seven-point drop from 52% just last week. |
| Also: EDM Staff, Gary Farber, Kos @DailyKos, Taegan Goddard | |
Police in Belarus Disperse Demonstrators By / AP — Permalink (03-25) 14:35 PST MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Belarusian demonstrators tried to rally outside the office of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday to demand his ouster in a self-declared attempt to emulate a popular uprising in Kyrgyzstan, but they were beaten back by riot police swinging truncheons. | |
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Charles Bird: Pro-democracy protesters hit the streets in Belarus and they were beaten back by riot police. Daniel Drezner: The AP has the most detailed account: "About 1,000 pro-democracy protesters [Interfax and Reuters both have the number... Laura Rozen: Belarus next? |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: NOW BELARUS? The turmoil in the former Soviet republics is not nearly spent: [snipped quote] Developing. Betsy Newmark: Which former Soviet republic will be the next to have its own multi-hued revolution? Glenn Reynolds: BAD NEWS FROM BELARUS: [snipped quote] He's not going to go easily. UPDATE: As one of Daniel Drezner's commenters noted, "not enough hot chicks." |
Dan Rather Gone, But White House Isn't Sated Yet By / New York Observer — Permalink "Karl Rove started talking to me again," John Roberts, CBS News' White House correspondent, said of President Bush's chief political advisor and deputy chief of staff for policy at the White House. That was fast. | |
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Digby: "NBC was a much more effective tool for us." What a perfect choice of words. [snipped quote] Oooh, baby. And he's got big biceps too. Duckman GR: Foolish me. Read this piece from Joe Hagan, and tell me if somebody hasn't lost their way. |
Avedon Carol: Access denied — The Left Coaster has a good response to the Joe Hagan piece cited earlier, from Duckman GR: "Maybe I'm... Josh Marshall: That and more from Joe Hagan's piece in the Observer on what the White House says CBS has to do to get in its good graces. |
The Coming War on Blogs By / TCS — Permalink It's a universal law of capitalism: when an industry faces a new and significant threat to its profits and powers it turns to the government for protection. Well, bloggers who write on current events are challenging the mainstream media (MSM), the most politically well-connected industry in America. | |
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McQ: The coming war on blogs? James Miller believes he sees a gathering storm for blogs. Pejman Yousefzadeh: "THE COMING WAR ON BLOGS" — A very thought-provoking column by James D. Miller. Steve Bainbridge: The Business of Blogging — I suspect James Miller is right: "It's a universal law of capitalism: when an industry... |
Edward _: Mixing His Media — By Edward Instapundit points to this article about the "coming war on blogs" by James Miller, who... Bill Hobbs: Related Items: FEC Weighs Limited Internet Activity Rules - Washington Post, March 25 Blog Swarm Forced FEC's Would-be... Glenn Reynolds: JAMES MILLER PREDICTS A COMING WAR ON BLOGS: "It's a universal law of capitalism: when an industry faces a new and... |
| Also: Betsy Newmark, Roger Ailes, Jeff Jarvis | |
Bush approval slips to 45%, lowest of his presidency By / USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Bush's approval rating has fallen to 45%, the lowest point of his presidency, according to a new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll. The new poll found the largest drop for Bush came among men, self-described conservatives and churchgoers. | |
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Steve Soto: Start Playing "Taps" Karl - Gallup Says Rising Oil Prices, And Schiavo Are Hurting Bush Greatly — The latest... Joe Gandelman: It may be too early to tell if the "second term curse" has begun, but the latest USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll shows Bush's... Jeralyn Merritt: Bush Approval Rating Drops to Lowest Level Ever — President Bush's approval rating has dropped to 45%, its lowest level ever. |
James Joyner: Bush Approval Ratings Fluctuate — USA Today is touting the latest Gallup poll with the headline "Bush approval slips to 45%, lowest of his presidency." Dan Froomkin: Bill Nichols writes in USA Today: "President Bush's approval rating has fallen to 45%, the lowest point of his presidency, according to a new USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll." Rich Lowry: BUSH JOB APPROVAL RATING ...is at an all-time low, 45%, according to the latest USA Today poll. |
Syrian Dissidents Find Their Voice As Lebanon Provides a Megaphone By / New York Sun — Permalink BEIRUT, Lebanon - With Lebanese democrats speaking up and Syria's occupying forces pulling out, it may sound unsurprising that one of Beirut's leading Arabic newspapers ran a searing critique this week of Baathist rule in Damascus, under the headline: "Why Lebanon Is Becoming Larger and Syria Smaller." | |
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Betsy Newmark: The New York Sun gives an example of how revolutionary impulses move from one country to another. Pejman Yousefzadeh: In either event, it is bad news for Bashar Assad's regime: [snipped quote] Read it all. |
McQ: According to the NY Sun, the writer claims to have been a journalist for 20 years on one of Syria's state-run newspapers, Tishrin. Orrin Judd: DA BOMB: Syrian Dissidents Find Their Voice As Lebanon Provides a Megaphone (CLAUDIA ROSETT, March 23, 2005, NY Sun) |
Hushed rape of Timor By / The Australian — Permalink IT caused outrage among East Timorese and Australian troops sent to protect them, raised tensions among UN peacekeepers to a deadly new level and caused senior UN staff to resign in disgust. | |
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Ace: The UN: Raping Children For Peace — When all-star tipster GregS says "MUST POST! Betsy Newmark: Little Green Footballs links to another story of UN peacekeepers abusing the people they'd been sent to protect. |
Charles Johnson: Jordanian UN Peacekeeper Sex Scandal — This is one of the more disgusting scandals currently plaguing the United Nations, but by no means the only one: Hushed rape of Timor. |
U.N. Report Quotes Threat By Assad to Harm Hariri By / WaPo — Permalink UNITED NATIONS, March 24 — Syrian President Bashar Assad threatened former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri with "physical harm" last summer if Hariri challenged Assad's dominance over Lebanese political life, contributing to a climate of violence that... | |
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Captain Ed: UN Report Demonstrates Assad's Motive In Hariri Assassination — The UN report on the assassination of Rafik Hariri has... Betsy Newmark: The report to the UN by Peter Fitzgerald about the Hariri assassination doesn't look good for Bashar Assad. Orrin Judd: AN EASY ENOUGH PROBLEM TO SOLVE: U.N. Report Quotes Threat By Assad to Harm Hariri (Colum Lynch, March 25, 2005, Washington Post) [snipped quote] So remove them from power. |
Gene @HarrysPlace: Don Bashar — The Washington Post reports: Syrian President Bashar Assad threatened former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq... Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE MOB STYLE TACTICS OF THE SYRIAN REGIME — This news story does a valuable service in describing the kind of attitude... Rich Lowry: UN... ,,,points Syria's way in the Hariri assassination... |
Trading Places: Real Estate Instead of Dot-Coms NYT — Permalink Real estate-crazed Americans have started behaving in ways that eerily recall the stock market obsession of the late 1990's. In Naples, Fla., some houses have been bought twice in a single day, an early-21st-century version of day trading. | |
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Barry L. Ritholtz: But note (once again): There is a huge difference between selling an overpriced asset, and the non-stop declarations... David Bernstein: Bubble Talk: A realtor quoted in the New York Times: "South Florida," he said, "is working off of a totally new economic model than any of us have ever experienced in the past." Dan Gillmor: Bubble, Bubble, Bubble... "NY Times: Trading Places: Real Estate Instead of Dot-Coms. |
James Joyner: Housing Bubble Versus Tech Bubble — Steven Taylor has an excellent discussion about the breathless coverage recently of... Dr. Steven Taylor: Chasing Bubbles — Via the NYT: Trading Places: Real Estate Instead of Dot-Coms [snipped quote] This story (and others... |
Many Advertisers Find Blogging Frontier Is Still Too Wild By / WSJ — Permalink Gawker Media, one of the biggest brands in Web log publishing, launched a saucy urban travel blog called Gridskipper on Jan. 31. On that day, the logo of the site's sole sponsor, Cendant Corp.'s Cheaptickets, could be found in ads on each page. | |
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Ann Althouse: That's the Wall Street Journal's headline. (Via Memeorandum.) "[M]any companies are wary of putting their brand on such a new and unpredictable medium. Jim Romenesko: Additional items for March 25, 2005 > Blogging frontier is still a bit too wild for many advertisers (WSJ) > Fed... Jeff Jarvis: A word from our sponsor : Here's a free link to a Jessica Mintz story in the Journal on ads and blogs. |
Steve Bainbridge: Unfortunately, we also learned today that many big advertisers are still leery of using blogads: "... many companies... Ed Cone: Blog advertising still freaks out many advertisers, says the Wall Street Journal. Those companies are afraid of the wrong thing. Glenn Reynolds: INTERESTING ARTICLE ON BLOGS AND ADVERTISING, from The Wall Street Journal. (Free link). |
| Also: Greg Ransom | |
THE SCHIAVO STAKES: WHAT THE FIGHT'S REALLY ABOUT New York Post — Permalink THE looming death by starva tion of Terri Schiavo has ex posed yet again the key fault line in American culture. Those who have sided with her parents in seeking the reinsertion of her feeding tube have a view of life that is profoundly different from those who have sided with her husband's quest to have her die. | |
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Deacon: As John Podhoretz notes, when scientific rationalists look at Terri, they tend to see a vegetable in a horrible state from which death would be a welcome relief. Dr. Steven Taylor: Podhoretz: "Soul-Believers" v. "Rationalist" — Rush Limbaugh notes the following column by John Podhoretz "Those who... |
Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: I do not "want her to die" at all, for any reason. I believe that she, like every other adult, has the right to refuse medical treatment. |
U.S. forces thwart major escape in southern Iraq By / The Hill — Permalink CAMP BUCCA, IRAQ — U.S. military police Friday thwarted a massive escape attempt by suspected insurgents and terrorists from this southern Iraq Army base that houses more than 6,000 detainees when they uncovered a 600-foot tunnel the detainees had dug under their compound. | |
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Captain Ed: Iraqi Prisoners Attempt Remake Of Stalag 17 — The Hill reports that US forces in Iraq caught onto an elaborate escape... Cori Dauber: If you're going to dig 600 ft. of tunnels under your prison cells, don't flush the dirt down the toilets. |
Dale Franks: Dodging a Bullet — Via Confederate Yankee, I see we've just managed to avoid a major prison break of insurgents in Iraq. |
Feud may be as much over money as principle USA Today — Permalink PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Michael Schiavo and Bob and Mary Schindler once were very close. He was the husband. They were the in-laws. Terri Schiavo's agonizing struggle for life — or death — grips the nation and much of the world. | |
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Dr. Steven Taylor: Key Facts of Interest — For those interested, USAT has a very interesting piece on the Schiavo case the illuminates... Tom Smith: And the parents aren't faultless in this either, perhaps. Garance Franke-Ruta: The right wing has been trying to turn Michael Schiavo into Scott Peterson, and petite, brunette Terri into petite, brunette Laci. |
Judith Weiss: This article indirectly supports Catherine's observation with a few anecdotes about similar cases with an absence of... Howard Kurtz: They want to keep her alive and try to [rehabilitate] her," says USA Today. Josh Marshall: Another take on the Schiavo case, from an article in USAToday. Good stuff. Or rather, good article. |
| Also: Oliver Willis, Rich Lowry | |
Schiavo Lesson on Judiciary Trump Card By / NYT — Permalink The United States Congress and the governor of Florida have devoted extraordinary and all but single-minded energy to keeping Terri Schiavo alive. But all they have achieved so far is a bitter lesson in judicial supremacy. | |
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Mark Kleiman: Tom Maguire, understandably reluctant to see DeLay and Frist as they are, quotes a New York Times story suggesting that... |
Tom Maguire: The NY Times had this yesterday: "...And in what could be read as a dig at Congress, the judges suggested that better drafting might have yielded a different result. |
In Solomon's Absence By / Opinion Journal — Permalink If we lived amid the wisdom of Solomon, Terri Schiavo would be turned over to her loving parents and family. If it is their wish to live out their lives attending the constant needs of their damaged child, so be it. | |
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Tom Smith: Rare wisdom — This is the wisest thing I've read on the Terri S affair. Judith Weiss: There's no rule that everyone has to blog about the same things.) UPDATE: Daniel Henninger is equally conflicted. Ed Cone: Daniel Henninger in the Wall Street Journal: "This is a lot of judges. Some of the opinions are long discourses combing back through the details of the case. |
Glenn Reynolds: But don't trust me, listen to Daniel Henninger in the WSJ today: "It is true that Judge Greer has ruled against Terri Schiavo's parents, the Schindlers, many times. Steve Bainbridge: Hillary's Judges — Daniel Henninger asks whether: "... President Hillary Clinton's litmus test would require her... |
House postpones Good Friday hearing at Schiavo's hospice By / Sun-Sentinel — Permalink WASHINGTON — Although much of the nation's Capitol was empty for the Easter recess Wednesday, the politics of the Terri Schiavo case echoed through the empty marble halls. Officials announced that a House hearing set for Good Friday at Schiavo's Pinellas Park hospice was postponed. | |
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Captain Ed: The only newspaper that covered Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg's call for an investigation into the memo's creation... Lambert @Corrente: Like Bush, the House Republicans tiptoe away from the Schiavo case — Seems they aren't going to politicize Good Friday like they did Palm Sunday. |
Michelle Malkin: You might think this qualifies as news, but it appears that the South Florida Sun-Sentinel was the only newspaper in the entire country to cover it. James Joyner: ABC's RatherGate Update — Michelle Malkin reports that the South Florida Sun-Sentinal is the only newspaper in the... |
Dishonest Debate WaPo — Permalink ONE CAN DEBATE the merits of creating personal accounts in Social Security but not the case for fixing the program's solvency problems. Over the next 75 years, as the Social Security trustees reported on Wednesday, the program has a projected deficit of $4... | |
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Avedon Carol: An editorial adds to the Dishonest Debate on Social Security by castigating the Democrats for insisting there is no... Josh Marshall: But today's piece is worth at least an interim mention. It is another knock at the Democrats for not buying into the... |
Matthew Yglesias: While Josh Marshall offers only scorn, I'll give Fred Hiatt and company at the Post editorial board a response to their... |
Conservative Web site, Heritage split By / Washington Times — Permalink Townhall.com, one of the nation's most active conservative Web sites, announced yesterday that it has split from parent company the Heritage Foundation, a District-based conservative think tank. It's a deliberate strategy for Townhall — home to 68 columnists and destination reading for 1.5 million people a month. | |
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Steve Clemons: Something to Consider: A Hall of Fame for "Conservatives with a Conscience"; More on John Bolton — Josh Marshall caught this item about TownHall.com. Josh Marshall: Townhall.com gets out of under Heritage's non-profit IRS restrictions to be more political, says the Washington Times. |
James Joyner: Conservative Web site, Heritage split [snipped quote] Steve Clemons has some interesting thoughts on the matter and... |
Important Changes to Your Citizenship Agreement By / Slate — Permalink IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR U.S. CITIZENS ABOUT CHANGES TO YOUR CITIZENSHIP AGREEMENT. PLEASE READ AND RETAIN FOR YOUR RECORDS. We would like to explain certain changes in the terms of the Citizenship Agreement for your U.S. citizenship ("Agreement"). | |
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Magpie @PacificViews: Evan Eisenberg has the rest of the changes here. Via Slate. Stirling Newberry: Cute take on the state of law from Evan Eisenberg — On slate. Don't drink coffee while clicking this link. |
Michael Froomkin: Important Changes to Your Citizenship Agreement — Slate, Evan Eisenberg: Important Changes to Your Citizenship Agreement - Please read and retain for your records. |
NBC announcer hangs it up after 62 years AP — Permalink NEW YORK (AP) — Through the eras of John Chancellor, Tom Brokaw and now Brian Williams, Howard Reig's voice also was heard when viewers heard they turned on the news. "This is NBC Nightly News," the clear baritone would say, ushering in headlines from Watergate to terrorism. | |
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Skippy: the main stream media puppets are dropping like flies, first rather, than jordan, then gannon, and now we've forced the resignation of howard reig from nbc. Tom Biro: Howard Reig leaves NBC after 62 years — CNN picks up the AP story about the retirement of Howard Reig, staff announcer for NBC. |
James Joyner: NBC announcer hangs it up after 62 years (CNN) [snipped quote] I'd never heard Reig's name or seen his face until just a... |
Doubts Surface On Iraq Raid Toll By / WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, March 24 — New details about an intense battle between insurgents and Iraqi police commandos supported by U.S. forces cast doubt Thursday on Iraqi government claims that 85 rebels were killed at what was described as a clandestine training camp. | |
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Cori Dauber: Did they actually kill 80? Maybe not so much. Yuval Rubinstein: The only problem is this none of this is true: "New details about an intense battle between insurgents and Iraqi police... |
Ace: Bad News Good News Update: The Iraqi government may have inflated the number of dead terrorists, which may just lie between 11 and 80. Rich Lowry: THAT HEARTENING RAID... ...by Iraqi forces on the insurgent training camp may have been over-blown... |
Edwards Tosses His Hat Into . . . Podcasting By / WaPo — Permalink John Edwards may be out of office, but that doesn't mean you still can't hear him. The former vice presidential candidate this week released his first podcast, an online audio recording featuring Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, chatting about the NCAA... | |
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Avedon Carol: On the same page, "Medicare Premiums Could Go Up 12%." John Edwards starts podcasting. You can get the shows at his One America Committee website. Ed Cone: WaPo on John Edwards' podcast: "Edwards, who is running a poverty center at the University of North Carolina and is... |
Dr. Steven Taylor: Update: Additioanlly, WaPo reports that Edwards Tosses His Hat Into . . . Podcasting. |
"Evolving Standards of Decency" By / Weekly Standard — Permalink THANK GOD FOR OUR JUDGES. (Oops! Sorry. No offense, your honors. I didn't mean to write "God." Or at least I didn't mean anything specific or exclusionary or sectarian or unconstitutional by writing "God." It's just an expression I occasionally use. | |
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Mark Kleiman: Now that the Republicans have mobilized their base to hate the judiciary even more than it did before, (see, for... The Big Trunk: See, for example, Bill Kristol's "Evolving standards of decency," but don't miss the rest of the issue either. |
Hugh Hewitt: Bill Kristol reviews the events of the week. And Mike Krempasky obtained the original staff draft of the FEC rules that would regulate the blogosphere. |
Tom Delay's Scandal: Ethically challenged leader shouldn't hide behind God Salt Lake Tribune — Permalink Tom DeLay says he wants Terri Schiavo to live. And there is no reason to doubt that. But it is clear that the House majority leader is not above using the suffering of a woman he has never met to promote his own, increasingly shaky, political career. | |
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David @ThinkProgress: Even the Salt Lake Tribune, from archconservative Utah, said House Majority Leader Tom Delay shouldn't use the Schiavo... |
Charles Kuffner: Oh, and add the Salt Lake Tribune to the list of DeLay-bashers. |
Dispatches From the Michael Jackson Trial Slate — Permalink 8:18 a.m.: Michael is on time and looking good. Today's armband: Blue-and-silver stripes. How many of these armbands does he have, I wonder? His collection seems inexhaustible. If I'm able, I will try to shout out a few armband-related questions as Michael leaves the courthouse this afternoon. | |
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Greg @BeggingToDiffer: It's with a little regret, then, that I link to Seth Stevenson's liveblogging of the Michael Jackson trial for Slate. |
Matthew Yglesias: Pardon me, but isn't the fact that Michael Jackson owned a lot of pornography featuring naked women exculpatory, rather than incriminating? |
Report Calls for Punishing Peacekeepers in Sex Abuse By / NYT — Permalink UNITED NATIONS, March 24 - A report on sexual abuse by peacekeepers recommended Thursday that offending soldiers and their commanders be punished by their home countries, that payments made to them be recovered and put into a fund for victims and that the United Nations make compliance with these measures a condition for taking part in its missions. | |
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Cori Dauber: UN Report on Sex Crimes — The UN issues its report on how to deal with the complaints againts its peacekeepers. Pejman Yousefzadeh: FALLOUT FROM THE UNITED NATIONS SEX ABUSE SCANDALS — Here is the report: [snipped quote] I'm happy to see that these... |
Scott Sala: Peacekeeper Babies/Onre-Dollar Women — As a result of our penchant for labels, we've managed to name the children born... |
Conservatives Invoke Case in Fund-Raising Campaigns By / NYT — Permalink Videotape of Terri Schiavo blinking at her parents has inspired donations from people around the country to the foundation set up to help pay for the family's legal battle. But many other groups are soliciting donations in her name as well, some for a much broader agenda. | |
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Josh Marshall: Money, money, money, money, money, money, money ... Traditional Values Coalition founder Lou Sheldon quoted in the... Armando @DailyKos: Green: [snipped quote] Despicable. |
Atrios: Tin Jesus — Lovely: [snipped quote] Reminds me of a song: Stop wasting my time You know what I want You know what I... |
Republicans Consider Slowing Benefits Growth for Most By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 23 - Can "progressive indexation" help sell President Bush's plan to overhaul Social Security? Though he has been loath to propose specific measures to reduce future benefits, Mr. Bush and other officials are gingerly promoting the idea as a way to cut costs and still protect low-income retirees. | |
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Riggsveda @Corrente: I'm sick of this: "Progressive indexation involves reducing the growth in benefits for people with middle and higher... |
Dan Froomkin: Edmund L. Andrews writes in the New York Times: "Though he has been loath to propose specific measures to reduce future... |