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Ohio agency sinks millions into rare coins By / Toledo Blade — Permalink Since 1998, Ohio has invested millions of dollars in the unregulated world of rare coins, buying nickels, dimes, and pennies. Controlling the money for the state? Prominent local Republican and coin dealer Tom Noe, whose firm made more than $1 million off the deal last year alone. | |
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Lindsay Beyerstein: The smart money's in collectibles. Take your cue from the great state of Ohio and invest in rare coins. DavidNYC @DailyKos: You just can't make this crap up: [snipped quote] I love it - a state pension fund buying freakin' Buffalo Nickels! |
Kieran Healy: Our rare coin company was entrusted with 50 (FIFTY) million dollars of public money since 1998, which we have used to... Cookie Jill: "- the ohio blade (via atrios via americablog)" let's see...taking public funds and investing in a market where there... |
G.O.P. Consultant Weds His Male Partner By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, April 8 - Arthur J. Finkelstein, a prominent Republican consultant who has directed a series of hard-edged political campaigns to elect conservatives in the United States and Israel over the last 25 years, said Friday that he had married his male partner in a civil ceremony at his home in Massachusetts. | |
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Greg Piper: Newsworthy angle too shy to come out of the closet — The New York Times has a baffling piece on a gay Republican... Jonah Goldberg: WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT — GOP consultant Arthur Finkelstein married his male partner, according to the New York Times. Roger Ailes: There's only one thing to say about this. Mazel Tov! |
Skippy: willyr's dkos diary directs us to the nytimes article about a gop consultant who marries his gay lover specifically to... Ed Cone: How do you spell "hypocrite?" |
And the Verdict on Justice Kennedy Is: Guilty By / WaPo — Permalink Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is a fairly accomplished jurist, but he might want to get himself a good lawyer — and perhaps a few more bodyguards. Conservative leaders meeting in Washington yesterday for a discussion of "Remedies to Judicial Tyranny" decided that Kennedy, a Ronald Reagan appointee, should be impeached, or worse. | |
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Hunter @DailyKos: Yet Another Conservative Opines on Judicial Assassination — From The Washington Post: [snipped quote] As Milbank... Lambert @Corrente: And now, The Balance Sentence! (Nice work, WaPo editors). "Presumably, Vieira had in mind something less extreme than Stalin did and was not actually advocating violence." Kevin Drum: Then there was the climax of the day: [snipped quote] Lovely. But here's the scariest part: as Milbank says, "This was no collection of fringe characters." |
The Poorman: Dana Millbank of the Washington Post takes a peek at a get-together of the current Washington power-brokers: "Not to be... Atrios: Key Line — As many of noted, the key line in Dana Milbank's article is this one: This was no collection of fringe characters. Josh Marshall: Another nice Dana — Milbank article, this one on some of the borderline-violent anti-judiciary nut-cases the Republican... |
| Also: Ann Althouse, Oliver Willis, Jeralyn Merritt, Roger Ailes, Susan Madrak | |
Reining In the G.O.P.'s Parade By / NYT — Permalink The Republican Party is running into a problem: the conservatism of the American people. Over the past decade, the Republicans have set themselves up as the transformational party. That's fine for a party with big ideals. | |
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Richard Reeb: David Brooks Fears Radical Republicans — A good illustration of the media's daily distortion of politics is quondam conservative David Brooks' column today in the NYTimes. Ezra Klein: Exhibit A in the Case Against Brooks — If you've ever wondered why I give David Brooks such a hard time, today's column... |
Charles Bird: Today, David Brooks: [snipped quote] If it were one mistake or two, or a partisan witchhunt, that's one thing. Betsy Newmark: David Brooks thinks that the Republicans are getting out ahead of the public on issues like changing the votes on the judiciary and with the controversies surrounding Tom DeLay. |
Royal newlyweds vow to be faithful CNN — Permalink WINDSOR, England (CNN) — A solemn ceremony has blessed the wedding of the heir to the British throne Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, now the Duchess of Cornwall, at which the couple each pledged to be faithful to each other. | |
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Talking Dog: I especially enjoy posting this analysis this the same day the prior order stages a most unrepentant "Royal Second... |
Jack Cluth: What happened to the real news...didn't the Pope just die or something?? |
What Can Bloggers Do That Reporters Can't? By / Slate — Permalink Not that long ago, you had to be a professional reporter to publish defective copy. Not any more. Thanks to blogs, the journalist monopoly on the wide-scale propagation of blunders, boo-boos, and bloopers has vanished. Now, complete amateurs can embarrass themselves before huge audiences. | |
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Paul @PowerLine: Mindless moral equivalence — Jack Shafer at Slate thinks that the lesson of the Schiavo memo is that "blogs have... Daniel Drezner: For more on this incident, see Jack Shafer's essay in Slate about the comparative advantage of bloggers vs. journalists. |
Captain Ed: Reaching Parity With The Exempt Media (Updated) Jack Shafer pens an interesting look at the similarities and differences... |
Projects in Iraq to Be Reevaluated By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — The State Department has ordered a major reevaluation of the troubled $18.4-billion Iraq reconstruction effort, blaming problems on early decisions to hire U.S. firms for major infrastructure projects. | |
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Kevin Drum: THE END OF IDEOLOGY?...Apparently the Bush administration is finally fessing up about the reconstruction mess in Iraq:... |
Jim Dallas: I'm sure this will help a whole bunch (from the L.A. Times): [snipped quote] Again, as Kuff once asked, who'da thunk? |
Woman Claiming Finger in Chili Sues Often By / AP — Permalink LAS VEGAS (AP) - The woman who claims she bit into a human finger while eating chili at a Wendy's restaurant has a history of filing lawsuits - including a claim against another fast-food restaurant. | |
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JoelF @SouthernAppeal: Now it seems we have to add a litigious plaintiff to the mix. |
Acidman: The woman going after Wendy's because she allegedly found a severed human finger in her chili has a history of filing lawsuits. |
A slow rebirth for Baghdad the beautiful Guardian — Permalink It boasts alliteration but the concept seems fanciful: beautiful Baghdad. Iraq's capital is famous for violence, degradation, occupation and blackouts, not aesthetic appeal. Everywhere there are concrete blast barriers, sandbags and razor wire. | |
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Roger L. Simon: Oh, well, we're all propagandists in the end, n'est-ce pas? AND: More signs of life in Baghdad. (ht: PeterUK) |
Brian Micklethwait: Baghdad is coming back to life — A Guardian headline spotted today: GuardHdLine.jpg The complete story is here. |
Wolf Blitzer "not so sure" liberal CNN host Begala is "a good Catholic" Media Matters for America — Permalink On the April 8 edition of CNN's Inside Politics, CNN hosts Wolf Blitzer and Judy Woodruff discussed Pope John Paul II's funeral with Crossfire co-hosts Paul Begala and Robert Novak, both Catholics. Blitzer opened the segment by suggesting that while "I'm sure Bob is a good Catholic, I'm not so sure about Paul Begala." | |
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Kos @DailyKos: Blitzer, moral judge — What an asshole. [snipped quote] Can someone please put Wolf and CNN out of their misery? Plleeeaaasseee? |
Atrios: Blitzed — Begala gives Blitzer a well-deserved spanking over his joking that the liberal Begala wasn't a "good Catholic." |
Congress Wakes By / WaPo — Permalink There are signs this morning that Congress may be remembering that one of its roles is to conduct oversight of the White House. And it's not just the relatively powerless Democrats, either. | |
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Lambert @Corrente: And Bush did say (Froomkin) "I have to think about it", when asked whether He would attend. |
Barbara O'Brien: In yesterday's WaPo, Dan Froomkin wrote that even House Republicans are getting nervous about the costs of the Bamboozlepalooza tour. |
First Convicted Spammer Gets 9 Years By / AP — Permalink LEESBURG, Va. (AP) - He was once considered among the top 10 spammers in the world, using the Internet to peddle pornography and sham products and services like the ''FedEx refunding processor,'' prosecutors say. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: Prison Nation" series: A 30 year old spammer named Jeremy Jaynes from North Carolina has been sentenced to nine years by a Virginia jury. |
Acidman: he got off light — Personally, I would like to see this guy and everyone like him dragged off and shot. |
Sadr Supporters Demand U.S. Pull Out From Iraq AP — Permalink Sadr had stayed out of the limelight since leading failed uprisings last year in the southern city of Najaf and in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood. But he has stepped up criticism of the United States in recent weeks, mainly by organizing Saturday's protest, which fell far short of the 1 million people he hoped would assemble. | |
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Roger L. Simon: The Washington Post finally admits the truth in the 14th (!) paragraph of their coverage: Sadr had stayed out of the... |
Juan Cole: Breaking News: Tens of Thousands Protest Americans in Baghdad — Tens of thousands of Shiites came out Saturday to... |
John Paul the Great By / Weekly Standard — Permalink HISTORY LABORS—A WORN machine, sick with torsion, ill-meshed—and every repair of an old fault ruptures something new. Or so it seems, much of the time. Our historical choices are limited, constrained by the poverty of what appears possible at any given moment. | |
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Orrin Judd: SOME MEN THERE ARE WHO DO NOT CONCEDE THE WALL: John Paul the Great: Statesman and prophet, he overcame the poverty of the possible. |
Scott @PowerLine: The cover story by Joseph Bottum takes the long view: "John Paul the Great." |
Man's Conviction for Threatening Bush Nixed AP — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court Friday overturned an inmate's conviction for writing a crude, rambling letter endorsing President Bush's death at the hands of terrorists — two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. | |
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Ace: But no. Read on: "The decision reversed a ruling by Judge James A. Redden, who tried the case without a jury. |
Charles Johnson: A Court Gone Insane — The 9th Circuit Court has now ruled that threatening to assassinate the President of the United States is protected speech under the First Amendment. |
CBS stringer arrested in Iraq CNN — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — A CBS stringer has been arrested as a suspected insurgent, U.S. military officials said Friday. The video cameraman was wounded during a firefight in northeastern Mosul between U.S. troops and insurgents Tuesday. | |
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Mary Madigan: CNN's homepage links to a report that the CBS cameraman has been arrested in Iraq as a suspected insurgent. Tom Paine: Too extreme you say? Freedom of the press vital in a democracy you say? Well what do you call this then? |
Jan Haugland: Now it turns out the cameraman was arrested afterwards, because his behaviour strongly indicated he had been working quite closely with the terrorists. |
JON CARROLL By / San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink The following is the first communique from a group calling itself Unitarian Jihad. It was sent to me at The Chronicle via an anonymous spam remailer. I have no idea whether other news organizations have received this communique, and, if so, why they have not chosen to print it. | |
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Billmon: It looks like these people mean business: [snipped quote] (Sighs) I've been wondering how long it would be before some of... |
Nielsen Hayden: For those of you ready to enroll in Jon Carroll's Unitarian Jihad: the Unitarian Jihad Name Generator. Reload until satisfied. |
Girl Called Would-Be Bomber Was Drawn to Islam By / NYT — Permalink For years, the father said, he watched as his daughter, now 16, became more and more drawn to the family's Muslim religion. At 14, she began wearing a full-length veil and teaching religion classes at mosques around the city. | |
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Mary @PacificViews: This week a story surfaced that the government was holding two teenage girls as possible terrorists. |
Charles Johnson: Would-Be Bomber Drawn to Islam — According to the New York Times, one of the 16-year old girls arrested on immigration... |
Boston Herald Fires Writer Aiding Governor By / AP — Permalink BOSTON - The Boston Herald on Friday fired a columnist who signed a contract worth up to $10,000 to help Gov. Mitt Romney's administration promote its environmental policies. | |
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Dan Gillmor: Update on "Journalist" Taking Government Pay — "AP: Boston Herald Fires Writer Aiding Governor. |
Michelle Malkin: Crikey. Update: The Boston Herald gets some sense. They've fired Chieppo. Good. |
Woman who claimed to find finger at Wendy's has litigious history By / AP — Permalink LAS VEGAS - The woman who claims she bit into a human finger while eating chili at a Wendy's restaurant has a history of filing lawsuits - including a claim against another fast-food restaurant in Nevada. | |
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Michelle Malkin: WENDY'S GOT FINGERED — The lady who says she bit into a severed human finger tip while eating chili at a Wendy's... |
Kevin Aylward: Woman who claimed to find finger at Wendy's has litigious history (w/ ranting and raving video) [AP/U-T] |
Granddaughter yanks grandma's feeding tube By / WorldNetDaily — Permalink In a situation recalling the recent death of Terri Schiavo in Florida, an 81-year-old widow, denied nourishment and fluids for nearly two weeks, is clinging to life in a hospice in LaGrange, Ga., while her immediate family fights desperately to save her life before she dies of starvation and dehydration. | |
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Commissar: Statement from Hospice LaGrange — In reply to my inquiry on the Mae Magourik case (the 81 year old woman who allegedly... S.Z.: The story was, until yesterday, a WorldNetDaily exclusive. Paul @Wizbang: They were right: Granddaughter yanks grandma's feeding tube In a situation recalling the recent death of Terri Schiavo... |
Captain Ed: According to WND's initial report on April 7th, Magouirk gave specific instructions about the withdrawal of food and... Tom Maguire: Hush, "interesting" is fine.) World Net Daily. Orrin Judd: "MADE FROM THE FINEST UNDERSEA GROWTH" (via embourie): Granddaughter yanks grandma's feeding tube: 81-year-old neither... |
The Berger File Opinion Journal — Permalink Some people won't let a bad conspiracy theory go. We're referring to those who loudly assert that former NSC adviser Sandy Berger was trying to protect the Clinton Administration when he illegally removed copies of sensitive documents from the National Archives in late 2003. | |
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Baldilocks: Berger's Slap on the Wrist — Okay, so maybe Sandy Berger's booty didn't have handwritten notes. Glenn Reynolds: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL writes that Sandy Berger is more of a clown than a conspirator: [snipped quote] This raises the... Dean Esmay: Sandy Berger Destroyed No Notes by Dean Today's Wall Street Journal reports: [snipped quote] Given that they were... |
John @PowerLine: This morning, the Wall Street Journal scolded conservatives for perpetuating "misinformation" about the Sandy Berger... Jonah Goldberg: WSJ & SANDY BURGLAR — The Journal lashes out at some of its conservative critics. I have no major objection to that. |
U.S. Military: Cameraman Detained in Iraq AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A cameraman carrying CBS press credentials was detained in Iraq earlier this week on suspicion of insurgent activity, the U.S. military said Friday. The cameraman suffered minor injuries Tuesday during a battle between U.S. soldiers and suspected insurgents, the military said. | |
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Mary Madigan: According to the Guardian and ABC News International: "[Task Force Freedom, Capt. Mark Walter] said the reporter was... Roger L. Simon: Full of Bullitzer — The startling revelation that a CBS (yes, them again!) stringer wounded the other day by US troops... |
Cori Dauber: A Story to Follow — I can't find anything about this anywhere (no surprise) but CBS did announce yesterday that the... Charles Johnson: Today the US military announced that this cameraman has been arrested by coalition forces for suspected involvement with... |
Cameraman for CBS wounded by U.S. troops in Iraq Reuters — Permalink NEW YORK, April 5 (Reuters) - An Iraqi freelance cameraman who works for CBS News was shot and wounded on Tuesday in northern Iraq by U.S. troops who mistook his camera for a weapon, the U.S. military and CBS News said. | |
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Mary Madigan: [quote]The original Reuters report: "The cameraman and reporter suffered minor injuries when he was shot while covering a firefight for CBS in Mosul, CBS News said.[end quote] Kate @OTB: I'll put it here instead as background: Cameraman for CBS wounded by U.S. troops in Iraq (Reuters) [snipped quote] I'll bet Eason Jordan is smiling. |
Charles Johnson: Iraqi CBS Cameraman Arrested — A few days ago we saw a report that a freelance Iraqi cameraman working for CBS had been mistakenly shot and wounded by U.S. troops in Iraq. |
DeLay Says Federal Judiciary Has 'Run Amok,' Adding Congress Is Partly to Blame NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, April 7 - Representative Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, escalated his talk of a battle between the legislative and judicial branches of government on Thursday, saying federal courts had "run amok," in large part because of the failure of Congress to confront them. | |
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Mark Kleiman: The mystery of the disappearing paragraph — The print version, and early internet versions, of this New York Times... TChris: More ominous words from Tom DeLay as he continues his effort to distract the nation from his ethical lapses. Ann Althouse: The NYT reports comments by Tom DeLay at a conference with the inflammatory title "Confronting the Judicial War on... |
Fafnir: judges run amok! Oh no! I have been kidnapped - kidnapped by judges run amok! Taegan Goddard: DeLay Escalates War Against Judges — House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) "escalated his talk of a battle between the... Susan Madrak: DANGEROUS IDIOTS — As Kos notes, these people are crazy: [snipped quote] Um, that would be the misunderstanding created by an accurate reading of the U.S. Constitution? |
| Also: Kos @DailyKos, Nathan Hallford, Pudentilla | |
Judge Sentences Spammer to Nine Years By / AP — Permalink (04-08) 11:10 PDT Leesburg, Va. (AP) — A Virginia judge sentenced a spammer to nine years in prison Friday in the nation's first felony prosecution for sending junk e-mail, though the sentence was postponed while the case is appealed. | |
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Jan Haugland: Spammer gets nine years — Today's heroes are Virginia prosecutor Lisa Hicks-Thomas, Loudoun County Circuit Judge Thomas... Ken Masugi: Nine Years for Spamming — A Virginia court sentenced a spammer to 9 years, in the nation's first felony prosecution for sending junk e-mail (Matthew Barakat, AP. via SFC). DavidNYC @DailyKos: VA: Spammer Gets NINE Years in Prison — Whoa, will ya look at this: [snipped quote] Memo to Viagra peddlers, Russian... |
James Joyner: Judge Sentences Spammer to Nine Years (AP) [snipped quote] I live right up the road from AOL and used to pass them on my way to work every day until I changed jobs. Joe Gandelman: Spammer Gets 9 Years In Slammer — Like an avenging angel of the Internet, a judge has ruled that a spammer must spend 9... Pudentilla: spam in the can? [snipped quote] perhaps we will have more sympathy when the spammers figure out how to stop sending lesbians spam emails for cialis. |
The Pope Didn't End Communism By / Slate — Permalink November, 1989. I'm charging down one of Hitler's autobahns at well more than twice the speed limit, not to mention in total violation of the day visa the East German Communists issued me. | |
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Roger Ailes: John Paul The Overrated — On Slate, Marc Fisher provides a much-needed corrective to the Pope-defeated-communism myth being perpetuated by the likes of Peggy Noonan. Tim Cavanaugh: Weekend At Peter's — Slate closes out PopeWeek with two closer looks at the fleshy reality behind all the spiritual... Stirling Newberry: Marc Fisher on The Fall of Stalinism — Putting the credit where it belongs. |
Randall Parker: Too Much Credit Given To John Paul II For Collapse Of Communism — Marc Fisher, who served as the Washington Post Berlin... Frederick Maryland: Who Lifted the Iron Curtain — In this Slate column, the Washington Post's Marc Fisher recalls his days as the... |
The Bush Dilemma NRO — Permalink If the president is willing to take risks abroad, why won't he do it at home? Recent developments in the Middle East — whether democratic unrest in Lebanon, Syrian vows to keep within its own borders, promises of elections in Egypt, or Sunni clerics'... | |
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Paul @PowerLine: Home fires — Victor Davis Hanson asks "if the president is willing to take risks abroad, why won't he do it at home?" |
Joseph Alexander Norland: Following is the first half of his most recent article, cited from NRO, 2005_04_08. |
Poll: Bush, Congress Approval Slumping By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON Apr 8, 2005 — President Bush's standing with the public is slumping just three months into his final term, but Americans have an even lower regard for the job being done by Congress. Bush's job approval is at 44 percent, with 54 percent disapproving. | |
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Amy Sullivan: Guest: Amy Sullivan — THE REFORM PARTY...The latest disapproval numbers for Bush and Congress, taken from yesterday's... Chris Bowers: Amy Sullivan notes: "The latest disapproval numbers for Bush and Congress, taken from yesterday's Wall St. Journal... |
Joe Gandelman: The Poll Numbers Continue Going Down — Bad news for President George Bush and Congress: a new poll shows many Americans think you are effectiveness challenged. Atrios: Red Alert 44%: WASHINGTON Apr 8, 2005 — President Bush's standing with the public is slumping just three months into... |
Fired 'NYT' Foreign Correspondent Angrily Denies Charges By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK Fired New York Times foreign correspondent Susan Sachs, who lost her job for allegedly sending anonymous e-mails to the wives of Times reporters in Baghdad commenting on the reporters' sexual behavior, contends she is innocent and will fight the charges against her. | |
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Atrios: Some fun at the Times: NEW YORK Fired New York Times foreign correspondent Susan Sachs, who lost her job for allegedly... Jim Romenesko: Sachs' attorney says: [snipped quote] (Related E&P story.) |
Cori Dauber: But I am very struck by the parallel between her statement and the statements made by so many people, over the years, responding to allegations made in the press. |
Alert issued for ex-flight school student CNN — Permalink ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — An anti-terrorism task force headed by the FBI has issued a special alert bulletin concerning a man who authorities said took flight lessons while in the United States illegally. | |
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Charles Johnson: Learning to Fly — Alert issued for ex-flight school student. Michelle Malkin: And nearly four years later, illegal aliens are still able to enroll in U.S. flight schools and leave the country without getting caught: [snipped quote] Behavioral profiling? |
Captain Ed: UPDATE: Maybe when people watch this show, they'll understand why Michelle Malkin writes about idiotic lapses such as... |
State employs a Herald columnist By / Boston Globe — Permalink Governor Mitt Romney's administration has awarded a $10,000 contract to a Boston Herald op-ed columnist to promote the governor's environmental policies. The columnist, Charles D. Chieppo, started working yesterday with the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. | |
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Joe Gandelman: More Ethical Political/Journalistic Stew: Another Columnist On Gov't Payroll — Now we KNOW Massachusetts Governor Mitt... Jim Romenesko: Boston Herald op-ed columnist's deal with state questioned — Boston Globe The Massachusetts governor has awarded a... Dan Gillmor: Another "Journalist" on a Government Payroll — "Boston Globe: State employs a Herald columnist. |
Atrios: Meanwhile, in the Ethical Media — Boston Herald columnist on the take, which I'm sure won't be disclosed at the end of... Matt Welch: Parliament of Whores ... and Tattletales — More tales of journalists behaving badly: Boston Herald columnist Charles... Taegan Goddard: Romney Administration Pays Columnist — Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) administration "has awarded a $10,000... |
Opposition Chief at Risk in Mexico NYT — Permalink MEXICO CITY, April 7 - In a vote that casts doubt on the strength of Mexico's fledgling democracy, this city's popular leftist mayor lost a critical battle in Congress on Thursday over a measure that is likely to force him off the ballot in presidential elections next year and could lead to his imprisonment. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: In case you haven't seen it on every other liberal blog already, take a look at efforts by Mexico's two largest parties... Nathan Newman: How About Democracy in Mexico? So where is the conservative outrage over violations of democracy in Mexico? |
Randy Paul: What really rankles me is this comment in the New York Times: "Mr. Lpez, who has a history of leading violent protests,... |
Potential GM Loss to 'L.A. Times' May Be Double Inital Estimates By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK It's likely that the Los Angeles Times stands to lose twice as much in General Motors advertising than the $10 million reported, according to a note released this afternoon by Prudential Equity Group. | |
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Ed Driscoll: Interesting comment from Editor & Publisher: "Prudential is more alarmed about the situation, saying it should be of... |
Hugh Hewitt: Big story on the continuing, rapid decline of the Los Angeles Times: GM says enough is enough and pulls its advertising —which totaled $21 million last year. |
Jack Abramoff By / Slate — Permalink Where to begin examining the extraordinary career of Jack Abramoff? His work trying to secure a visa for the great Zairean kleptocrat Mobutu Sese Seko, perhaps, or the bilking of an estimated $66 million out of Native American tribes, clients he described as "monkeys," "troglodytes," and "idiots"? | |
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Dan Froomkin: Special to washingtonpost.com — More and more polls are telling the same story: Americans no longer approve of the way President Bush is doing his job. Laura Rozen: Writing in Slate, the FT's James Harding has at the relationship Tom DeLay can't shake: [snipped quote] Abramoff's... |
Garance Franke-Ruta: Fortunately, Slate today has an excellent explainer on the DeLay-Abramoff connections and why they are a scandal and where the story is thus far. EBW @Wampum: Jack Abramoff & Tom Delay [via triballaw] Slate has a piece out on one of the least liked toads ever to "work" Tribal... |
Katsav meets Khatami at pope's funeral AP — Permalink President Moshe Katsav shook hands and chatted briefly Friday with the leaders of Israel's arch-enemies, Syria and Iran, during the funeral of Pope John Paul II, the president's office said. | |
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Judith Weiss: Jeff has a roundup of blog reactions to a historic handshake. (Whether or not it leads to anything, it is still historic. Damian Penny: I'll leave the final word on John Paul II to this powerful story - which may mean nothing, but I believe says a lot:... |
Gene @HarrysPlace: Khatami and Assad shake hands with Zionist devil — I wonder how this will be reported by the state-controlled media in Iran and Syria— if at all. |
Rudolph agrees to plead guilty CNN — Permalink (CNN) — Accused 1996 Olympics bomber Eric Rudolph has agreed to plead guilty to all charges against him in connection with that bombing and three others — including a deadly 1998 bombing in Alabama. The reported plea deal would give Rudolph a life sentence, sources close to the case said Friday. | |
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LeanLeft: He will receive 4 life sentences, escaping the death penalty. James Joyner: Rudolph agrees to plead guilty CNN) [snipped quote] Somehow, life in prison seems too light a sentence for this dirtbag. |
TChris: Rudolph to Plead Guilty; Avoids Death Penalty — CNN reports that Eric Rudolph will plead guilty to all charges alleging... |
Quan studies his odds in a DeLay challenge By / Houston Chronicle — Permalink Democrats are wooing term-limited Houston City Councilman Gordon Quan as a possible 2006 challenger to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Quan recently met with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee officials in Washington and admits he finds the idea intriguing. | |
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Charles Kuffner: I want to talk a little about the continued speculation over other Democratic contenders jumping into the quest to... |
Byron LaMasters: Richard Morrison has stated flat out that he is running again, and today, the Houston Chronicle notes that Houston City... |
ChevronTexaco's CEO banking on peak oil situation By / San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink There's been a lot of ink spilled this week about the risk ChevronTexaco's chief exec, David O'Reilly, has taken in paying about $16.4 billion for rival Unocal and its oil resources. | |
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Steve Soto: "Peak Oil" And The Bush Energy Policy — I want you to take a close look at this piece in today's San Francisco Chronicle by their top-notch business writer David Lazarus. |
Cookie Jill: coming soon to a gas station near you...$6.00/gallon? |
GM pulls ads from L.A. Times CNN — Permalink The automaker doesn't specify what happened, but cites misrepresentations in the paper's coverage. SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. has pulled its advertising from the Los Angeles Times over what it called factual errors and misrepresentations in the newspaper, a spokesman for the automaker said. | |
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Captain Ed: General Motors announced today that it will no longer buy advertising in Los Angeles' only major broadsheet due to the... |
Mitch Berg: Watch for the left to start crying bloody murder over this story [snipped quote] Remember when Twin Cities Federal yanked its ads from the City Pages and the Strib? |
A QUESTION OF ETHICS: Columnist's error being investigated Detroit Free Press — Permalink As a newspaper, our credibility is paramount. On Thursday, we reported that a Mitch Albom column in Sunday's editions misled readers by saying that two ex-Michigan State basketball players were at Saturday night's Final Four game. They were not. | |
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Kevin Aylward: The Free Press apologizes for misleading readers.Albom's Apology The Free Press issued this statement today A QUESTION... Jim Romenesko: Freep pledges "thorough review" of fabricated Albom column — Detroit Free Press | Detroit News Free Press publisher and... |
Matt Welch: Tuesdays With Sorry — Sportswriter-turned hysterically best-selling nostalgia-peddler Mitch Albom is in full-court... Ed Cone: Mitch Albom didn't make his problems go away with an apology. The editors are taking heat, too. |
"Get Tom DeLay!" NRO — Permalink A Times crusade. For the old-fashioned, the definition of a "news story" is a story that is new — hence the name. But the newspeople at the newspapers the Washington Post and the New York Times have an updated definition — anything that hurts Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay on any given day. | |
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Charles Bird: Rich Lowry is right in saying that much of this is about partisan politics. |
Matthew Yglesias: Lowry for the Defense — A few more defenses like this one from Rich Lowry, and Tom DeLay won't need detractors. |
TSA slated for dismantling By / MSNBC — Permalink The Transportation Security Administration, once the flagship agency in the nation's $20 billion effort to protect air travelers, is now slated for dismantling. The latest sign came yesterday when the Bush administration asked David M. Stone, the TSA's director, to step down in June, according to aviation and government sources. | |
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James Joyner: MSNBC also has coverage. The idea that airport security would get better when handled by government employees was always dubious. Pejman Yousefzadeh: AND GOOD RIDDANCE TO IT — We learn today that the Transportation Security Administration is scheduled to be dismantled. Dr. Steven Taylor: What a Shame — Via MSNBC: TSA slated for dismantling [snipped quote] Of the various dumb things (and ineffective) things... |
Joe Gandelman: Now There Won't Be Any Place That Hires People Who Like To Pat Down Women The T & A agency...we mean the TSA... Michelle Malkin: You've probably already heard—and cheered: The Transportation Security Administration is reportedly now "being slated for dismantling." K. J. Lopez: TSA — In one sense, this is wonderful news, the Transportation Safety Administration is closing. |
| Also: Glenn Reynolds | |
'Star Trek' Bit Players Cling On By / LAT — Permalink For three days, the actor sat at a table in a windowless wing of the Pasadena Center while hundreds of devotees milled nearby. He posed for snapshots. He answered the same questions over and over. He doled out trading cards bearing his mug. | |
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James Joyner: 'Star Trek' Bit Players Cling On — L.A. Times has an amusing feature on some actors who played minor parts in Star Trek still cashing in on their "fame." Steve Bainbridge: Guy Fleegman Lives — [snipped quote] What a way to make a living. |
Orrin Judd: WEEKEND RENTALS: 'Star Trek' Bit Players Cling On: Even those with fleeting roles can live long and prosper in the world of Trekkie conventions, hawking autographs at $20 a pop. K. J. Lopez: MAAB, FROM CAPELLA IV — Star Trek fans don't discriminate. |
The pope who turned anti-Semitism aside By / Boston Globe — Permalink AS A YOUNG boy in the 1930s, my father attended public school in Snina, a town in eastern Czechoslovakia. Twice a week, a Catholic priest would come in to teach the catechism, during which the few children who were Jewish would wait outside. | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: The Pope and the Jews: Two great pieces, by Jeff Jacoby in the "Boston Globe" and Roger Cohen in the "International Herald Tribune", recall two encounters from the distant past. |
Damian Penny: The papal legacy — Jeff Jacoby argues that the attitude Pope John Paul II held toward the Jews - who suffered at the hands of Catholics for generations - was revolutionary. |
Tom Foolery By / TNR — Permalink As the liberal offspring of conservative parents, I rarely find anything political over which to bond with my red-state family. I was therefore pleasantly surprised this week to learn that Tom DeLay's theatrics during the Terri Schiavo tragedy have, in... | |
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Ramesh Ponnuru: MICHELLE COTTLE ON DELAY — She calls the New York Times piece earlier this week "a whole lot of ink wasted on nothing." |
Glenn Reynolds: But Michelle Cottle writes in The New Republic that the latest story is much ado about nothing. |
Cardinal Law, Ousted in U.S. Scandal, Is Given a Role in Rites By / NYT — Permalink ROME, April 7 - Cardinal Bernard Law, who was forced to resign in disgrace as archbishop of Boston two years ago for protecting sexually abusive priests, was named by the Vatican today as one of nine prelates who will have the honor of presiding over funeral Masses for Pope John Paul II. | |
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Riggsveda @Corrente: Seems like just the kind of guy to honor with a special place at the Pope's funeral, doesn't he? James Joyner: Cardinal Law, Ousted in U.S. Scandal, Is Given a Role in Rites (rss) [snipped quote] The real scandal is that this... |
Jan Haugland: Bernard Law to preside over John Paul II's funeral masses — Bernard Law, the Boston archbishop who gained notoriety in... K. J. Lopez: LAW PROMINENCE — This is infuriating—the kinda thing I hope the next pope gets cannot be. |
Gay U.S. Soldier Wants to Serve Openly By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - An Army sergeant who was wounded in Iraq wants a chance to remain in the military as an openly gay soldier, a desire that's bringing him into conflict with the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. | |
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Scott Sala: Gay Soldiers — The emphasis on firsts these days is way overblown: He is believed to be the first gay soldier wounded... James Joyner: Gay U.S. Soldier Wants to Serve Openly (AP) [snipped quote] Scout may well be the Jackie Robinson of his cause. |
Ace: For another thing, he actually says he's some kind of homo! Comes right out and admits it! |
Earth's Oldest Known Object on Display By / AP — Permalink MADISON, Wis. - A tiny speck of zircon crystal that is barely visible to the eye is believed to be the oldest known piece of Earth at about 4.4 billion years old. | |
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Edward _: Sure to Drive Creationists Nuts — Going on display at the University of Wisconsin-Madison tomorrow is what's being... |
Ann Althouse: It's really tiny and it's really old. 4.4 billion years old. Here, on display, in Madison: a bit of zircon! |
One Hundred Years of Uncertainty By / NYT — Permalink JUST about a hundred years ago, Albert Einstein began writing a paper that secured his place in the pantheon of humankind's greatest thinkers. With his discovery of special relativity, Einstein upended the familiar, thousands-year-old conception of space and time. | |
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Jan Haugland: For one hundred years, we've known the universe is weird — Brian Greene writes a great op-ed celebrating a century of uncertainty. Ed Cone: I felt like Pinto at the Professor's house reading Brian Greene's article on Einstein and quantum physics ([snipped quote]) in this morning's Times. |
Orrin Judd: ALL WAVES ARE COLLAPSED: One Hundred Years of Uncertainty (BRIAN GREENE, 4/08/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] The answer to... |
UN turning a blind eye to Darfur deaths, says Straw Scotsman — Permalink BRITAIN yesterday accused other members of the United Nations Security Council of turning a blind eye to the atrocities in the Darfur region of Sudan. In a strongly worded statement, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said they had put commercial or political interests above their commitments under the UN charter. | |
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Joseph Britt: Criticize Paris, Washington and other governments all you want — and I agree with much of that criticism — but Egypt... |
Roger L. Simon: Hum Drum — As anyone following this blog knows, I did not share the interest that many had in the Terri Schiavo case. |
'Gannon' Appears at National Press Club, Draws Heat By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK More than two months after he resigned as the White House correspondent for right-leaning Talon News, James Guckert, also known as Jeff Gannon, was back in the spotlight this morning as part of a panel at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. | |
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Kevin Drum: More from AMERICAblog, Editor & Publisher, and Matt. |
Laura Rozen: Editor & Publisher's dispatch from the much pre-publicized National Press Club event on blogging and journalism today. |
The Worst of the Bad Nominees NYT — Permalink When a president picks his administration officials, the opposing political party can't expect to be thrilled with the selections. Right now, Democrats in the Senate are trying to block the nominations of three men chosen by George W. Bush for important posts:... | |
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Jon Henke: John Bolton: UN Skeptic, Saviour — The New York Times Editors search desperately for a reason to oppose John Bolton's nomination to the UN. |
Steve Clemons: Senators Will Hear Testimony about John Bolton's "Fitness" for the U.N. The New York Times ran an important editorial this morning titled "The Worst of the Bad Nominees." |