meme orandum
| Fresh brewed news plus stewing views |
|
|
Sen. Durbin Apologizes for Gitmo Remarks By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Under fire from Republicans and some fellow Democrats, Sen. Dick Durbin apologized Tuesday for comparing American interrogators at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to Nazis and other historically infamous figures. "To them I extend my heartfelt apologies." | |
|
Michelle Malkin: So, I just watched the Durbin non-apology apology (video and transcript available at The Political Teen) and caught up on the news stories (here, here, and here). Betsy: Of course, John McCain is right there to provide absolution and put the issue away. [snipped quote] Trust John McCain. Smash: Durbin Apologizes — SENATOR DICK DURBIN has apologized for comparing the treatment of detainess at Guantanamo to... |
Captain Ed: Fox News, AP, and other outlets report that Senator Dick Durbin has apologized for his comparison between the American... Patrick Carver: Durbin apologizes, this time for real..seriously, he means this time...honest: The Washington Post reports that Durbin,... Ed Driscoll: Ed Morrissey says that it's better than the first one—and he's right—but it still contains these weasel words: [quote] "Some...[end quote] |
| Also: Will Collier, Greg Saunders, Greg @TheTalentShow, Spoons, Gateway Pundit, McQ, Scott @PowerLine, Alexander K. McClure, Jeff Quinton, K. J. Lopez | |
Marines See Signs Iraq Rebels Are Battling Foreign Fighters By / NYT — Permalink KARABILA, Iraq, June 20 - Late Sunday night, American marines watching the skyline from their second-story perch in an abandoned house here saw a curious thing: in the distance, mortar and gunfire popped, but the volleys did not seem to be aimed at them. | |
|
Damian Penny: "Red on Red" — I like the sound of this: Marines patrolling this desert region near the Syrian border have for months... Pejman Yousefzadeh: INFIGHTING — Assuming that this report is right about a violent split between nationalist and religious insurgents, it... Glenn Reynolds: IT'S FUNNY THAT THERE'S AN UPSURGE IN DEFEATIST RHETORIC even as we see the terrorists in Iraq fighting among... |
Bill Roggio: Today's New York Times reports further cases of 'red-on-red', AKA the enemy fighting amongst themselves. McQ: Red on Red — An interesting development observed by our Marines in Iraq: "Late Sunday night, American marines watching... Norm Geras: One sign of a different kind of progress than the Secretary-General is referring to is 'red on red' fire. |
| Also: Ann Althouse, Tom Maguire, Rich Lowry, Tully @Centerfield | |
Durbin Apologizes for Nazi, Gulag, Pol Pot Remarks By / Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — Sen. Dick Durbin (search) went to the Senate floor late Tuesday to offer his apologies to anyone who may have been offended by his comparison of treatment of detainees at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Nazis, Soviet gulags and Cambodia's Pol Pot. | |
|
Ace: Now he takes another step closer to confessing actual error on his own part: "WASHINGTON — Sen. Dick Durbin (search)... Orrin Judd: I SPOKE RIGHT, YOU HEARD WRONG: Durbin Apologizes for Nazi, Gulag, Pol Pot Remarks (Sharon Kehnemui Liss, 6/21/05, Fox News) [snipped quote] Always blame the "some", huh? |
Gerry @DalyThoughts: Durbin Apologizes for Nazi, Gulag, Pol Pot Remarks — FOXNews (hat tip, Richard m): [snipped quote] I do not count for a... |
Ex-KKK Member Convicted in 1964 Killings AP — Permalink PHILADELPHIA, Miss. - Forty-one years to the day after three civil rights workers were beaten and shot to death, an 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klansman was found guilty of manslaughter Tuesday in a trial that marked Mississippi's latest attempt to atone for its bloodstained, racist past. | |
|
Vernon Jordan: Vernon Jordan: The Wheels of Justice — The conviction of Edgar Ray Killen comes on the 41st anniversary of the brutal... Jeralyn Merritt: Vernon Jordan on the Killen Verdict — Vernon Jordan, over at Huffington Post, has this to say about the Edgar Killen... Dr. Steven Taylor: Killen Found Guilty — Via the AP: Ex-KKK Member Convicted in 1964 Killings Given that only this morning the jury was supposedly deadlocked, that's a remarkably quick verdict. |
Scott Sala: Technorati Tags: NYC+term+limits NYC+term+limits+abolish Henry+Stern NY+daily+Newspapers — Mississippi Burning... James Joyner: Ex-KKK Member Convicted in 1964 Killings (AP) [snipped quote] It's rather amazing that six jurors changed their mind over the course of hours. |
Bush Defends Strategy In Iraq, Pledges to 'Complete the Mission' By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush said yesterday that "cold-blooded" killers will fail in their attempt to drive the United States out of Iraq prematurely, as he defended the administration's war strategy and its policies for secretly detaining hundreds of alleged terrorists around the world. | |
|
Barbara O'Brien: Jim VandeHei writes in today's Washington Post that Bush is fightin' back. Oliver @LiquidList: Politics: Graduate School This Is Not — From the Post: [snipped quote] I've encountered people like Bush in some of my... Faiz @ThinkProgress: The Ever Changing Definition of "Mission" In Iraq — A headline in the Washington Post today declares "Bush Defends Strategy In Iraq, Pledges to 'Complete the Mission'." |
Steve Soto: This poll sample contained the following party ID breakdown: GOP 33.0% Ind 31.1% Dem 34.2% Short of ramping up towards... Cori Dauber: Here's VandeHei's account: Still, the president's agenda overseas is often overshadowed by controversy over his war policies. Norm Geras: President Bush pledges that the US will 'complete the mission'. |
'Wikitorial' Pulled Due to Vandalism By / LAT — Permalink The Times' interactive writing experiment goes on hold after explicit images are put on its site. The Los Angeles Times has canceled a novel Internet feature that allowed readers to rewrite an editorial on the newspaper's website, after some users sabotaged the site with foul language and pornographic images. | |
|
Patterico: L.A. Times Wikitorial Defaced with Porn It turns out that the reason the L.A. Times wikitorial came down was because some people were defacing it with pornographic pictures. Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: The L.A. Times is already suggesting "wikitorials" could be back in some other, presumably more... Kevin Roderick: Give Newman credit: The L.A. Times story in Tuesday's paper says Newman proposed the wiki approach. |
Bill Diamond: I suspect, but can't yet prove, that it's the same lovely group of "merry-makers" who found it "funny" to vandalize the Los Angeles Times' "Wikitorial" over the weekend. Jeff Jarvis: I didn't see the LA Time story today on my first search. Jim Romenesko: LAT might bring back wikitorials — but with some changes — Los Angeles Times "As long as we can hit a high standard... |
Bush Backs Soc. Sec. Bill Without Accounts By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - President Bush encouraged a Republican senator Tuesday to offer Social Security legislation that would not include the private investment accounts that were the centerpiece of the plan Bush has promoted all year. Congress has been deadlocked on it. | |
|
Guest @ThinkProgress: If you read the AP's breathless headline: "Bush Backs Soc. Sec. Bill Without Accounts," you might be tempted to think there was a breakthrough in the Social Security stalemate. SK Bubba: Breaking news on Social Security — President Bush has announced support for a new Social Security reform plan. |
Josh Marshall: Who can tell me how many bits of White House bamboozlement have been eaten whole by the author of this paragraph from an article in the Associated Press? Justin @SouthernAppeal: We've lost the battle for now? Bush Backs Soc. Sec. |
Lions Rescue, Guard Beaten Ethiopian Girl By / AP — Permalink ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — A 12-year-old girl who was abducted and beaten by men trying to force her into a marriage was found being guarded by three lions who apparently had chased off her captors, a policeman said Tuesday. | |
|
TheAnchoress: Okay the first one didn't happen today, but I just heard about it and I LOVE this story about the Ethiopian girl being protected by lions. Richard TPD: Is there a god? I read something like this, and I have to wonder: [snipped quote] This is an amazing article. |
Joe Gandelman: Another Sign That Animals Are Here For A REASON — To those who think animals don't have feelings and aren't on this... Glenn Reynolds: WELL, THIS is heartwarming: [snipped quote] Can we clone those lions? |
Daley says Durbin should apologize for Guantanamo remarks By / AP — Permalink Mayor Richard Daley said Tuesday that even though U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is a good friend, the fellow Democrat should apologize for comments comparing the actions of American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis, Soviet gulags and Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot. | |
|
Captain Ed: Mayor Richard Daley, the man behind Durbin's power base in Chicago, refused to play along with Democrats in minimizing... |
Glenn Reynolds: ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader J.P. Dawson thinks that Mayor Richard Daley deserves credit for pushing Durbin to do the right... |
Frist Reverses Himself, Pushes Bolton Vote By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Reversing field after a meeting with President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he will continue pushing for a floor vote on John R. Bolton for U.N. ambassador. Frist switched his position after initially saying Tuesday that negotiations with Democrats to get a vote on Bolton had been exhausted. | |
|
Joe Gandelman: The Washingon Post explains the context of this political mess: "Frist's abrupt public turnabout underscored the... SK Bubba: Sen. Dr. Bill "Long Distance Diagnosis" Frist is admitting defeat and sending Bolton back to cool his heels in the White House parlor while Bush decides what to do with him next. |
Steve Soto: After bitchslapping Bill Frist today at the White House, it was announced that Frist will keep trying to get an up or down vote on John Bolton's nomination as ambassador to the UN. Gerry @DalyThoughts: Frist Reverses Himself, Pushes Bolton Vote — The Associated Press: [snipped quote] I agree with the strategy of continuing to press for votes. |
Dean answers Cheney's barb about mother AP — Permalink BOSTON — Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, responding to criticism from the vice president, said he doesn't "care if Dick Cheney likes my mother or not." The vice president said in a recent interview that Dean was not the type of person to lead a political party and mentioned the chairman's mother. | |
|
James Joyner: Dean and Cheney Exchange Barbs — Dean Answers Cheney's Barb About Mother (AP) "Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean,... Greg Saunders: Thirty three years later, the tables have turned and it's conservatives who don't understand the world outside their... |
Greg @TheTalentShow: It's a really stupid thing to say.. Thirty three years later, the tables have turned and it's conservatives who don't... TChris: Cheney Says Howard Dean "Never Won Anything" — Statements like this might cause a casual observer to wonder whether the vice president has lost touch with reality. |
Frist changes course on Bolton vote AP — Permalink EXPERIENCE: Undersecretary of state for arms control and international security since May 11, 2001; assistant U.S. attorney general, 1985-1989; assistant administrator for program and policy coordination, U.S. Agency for International Development, 1982-1983;... | |
|
Joe Gandelman: Frist Meets Bush And Changes Bolton Vote Position — Politicians do change their positions but Senate Majority Leader... Jeralyn Merritt: Frist changes his mind and announces he will push for an up-or-down vote after meeting with Bush today. |
SK Bubba: (UPDATE: Looks like Sen. Dr. Bill got called on the carpet and had to flip-flop as I was typing this post. Kos @DailyKos: Bush tugs on Frist's leash — Bush owns Frist. [snipped quote] Grow some balls, Bill! Do you really want to be Bush's patsy? |
Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes By / NYT — Permalink Political scientists have long held that people's upbringing and experience determine their political views. A child raised on peace protests and Bush-loathing generally tracks left as an adult, unless derailed by some powerful life experience. | |
|
Amanda Butler: So, it's with no uncertain suspicion---and the burden of proof on those who would allay my suspicions---that I approach... Jonah Goldberg: ARE POLITICAL ATTITUDES GENETIC — Some researchers say, "sorta." Personally, I don't really buy it. Ann Althouse: Are politics genetic? Maybe! Are you just influenced by your parents, or is there something very basic in your nature that makes you lean left or right? |
Julian Sanchez: Well, if it's not quite that simple, The New York Times is reporting on a new study suggesting that our gut-level... Pejman Yousefzadeh: POLITICS IN THE GENES — To the extent that genetics can influence attitudes in general, I suppose that I can get on board this study. Taegan Goddard: Are Your Politics Hardwired? [snipped quote] the New York Times reports. Link | Related News |
Support for governor plunging, poll finds By / San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suddenly ranks among the most unpopular governors in modern California history, as residents grow increasingly unhappy about the action hero-turned-politician's budget plans and his call for a special election, according to a new Field Poll. | |
|
Digby: This post from Atrios tells me we're going to be seeing a lot of them: [snipped quote] Well, when you run as a superhero... Gerry @DalyThoughts: Support for Schwarzenegger plunging, poll finds — San Francisco Chronicle: [snipped quote] It is hard governing as a moderate Republican. Taegan Goddard: Schwarzenegger's Support Plummets — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) "suddenly ranks among the most unpopular... |
Joe Gandelman: Arnold Schwarznegger's Low Poll Numbers Tumble Further — After winning a bitter recall election as an outsider who... Paradox @LeftCoaster: Arnie Hammered with Terrible Polling Numbers — Arnold Schwarzenegger is now one of the most unpopular governors in the State's history. Atrios: Recall, bitches! |
How Cheney Fooled Himself By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush planted the seeds of the destruction of his Iraq policy before the war started. Salvaging the venture will require an unprecedented degree of candor and realism from a White House that was never willing to admit — even to itself — how large an undertaking it was asking the American people to buy into. | |
|
Barbara O'Brien: E.J. Dionne has a must-read column in today's Washington Post. Laura Rozen: E.J. Dionne asks if deception, or delusion, were the crux of the Bush administration's pre-war misassumptions:... |
Kevin Drum: UPDATE: Hmmm, it turns out everyone else is talking about this too. Read 'em all! UPDATE 2: Laura and E.J. too. |
Poll shows Americans 'generally in a funk' USA Today — Permalink Fewer Americans fear a terrorist attack on the USA in the next several weeks than at any time since 9/11, a new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows. (Related link: Poll results) Overall, 35% say another attack is likely soon, down from 39% in January and a high of 85% in October 2001, a month after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. | |
|
Jayson @PoliPundit: Projecting — Citing anti-Bush opinion polls, USA Today has gone off marching to the beat of the same drummer as the rest of the spaced-out liberal media. Gerry @DalyThoughts: Now, by 20 points, the opposition holds sway, 39-59%. There are three questions on Guantanamo Bay. |
Steve Soto: Gallup Says Opposition To Iraq War Up 12 Points Since March (thanks to Gallup for the graphic) Gallup's latest poll for CNN and the USAT shows Bush stuck at a 47% approval rating. |
The Guantanamo Debate Comes Home By / WaPo — Permalink The U.S.-run detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, needs "to be closed down or cleaned up," former president Bill Clinton told the Financial Times. It may be surprising that the former American president is quoted in a British newspaper. | |
|
Arianna Huffington: In a great piece in Tuesday's Washington Post (via Kos), Jefferson Morley writes: In the U.S. media, the debate about... Andrew Sullivan: GITMO AND THE FOREIGN PRESS: It's been a far bigger story abroad - for a long time. Some of this can be attributed to anti-Americanism. |
Armando @DailyKos: GOP Focuses On Nazis, World Focuses on Torture — Jefferson Morley explains that while the GOP has its panties in a... |
Bush faces hard choices over Bolton By / Christian Science Monitor — Permalink WASHINGTON - A second failed Senate vote to move the nomination of John Bolton as US ambassador to the United Nations this week leaves President Bush with three options, all costly. One is to go for another vote. | |
|
Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: The Christian Science Monitor has a superb piece on Bush's options. |
Orrin Judd: Bush faces hard choices over Bolton: The president could push for a recess appointment if he can't boost Senate support. |
GOP, Dean trade barbs in Boston By / Boston Herald — Permalink A toned-down Howard Dean juiced up about 300 Democratic activists yesterday during his first party fund-raiser in Boston since taking over the Democratic National Committee helm, but took jabs at familiar targets, including Republican Gov. Mitt Romney. | |
|
Trey Jackson: As reported in the Boston Herald, Dean said the following: "It's a delight to be in state with two Democratic senators,... |
K. J. Lopez: THANKS, DOC — More from Howard Dean: "They say they want small government, but their government is just big enough to fit inside Terri Schiavo's bed in the nursing home." |
There's Progress in Iraq By / WaPo — Permalink Today I am traveling to Brussels to join representatives of more than 80 governments and institutions in sending a loud and clear message of support for the political transition in Iraq. | |
|
Captain Ed: If Arthur Chrenkoff and even Kofi Annan can do it, certainly we should be hearing more of it from the Bush administration. Bill Roggio: Kofi Annan publishes a column in the Washington Post touting the political progress in Iraq and the strides made to... Norm Geras: Iraqi developments — There's progress in Iraq according to Kofi Annan - and furthermore the UN is four-square behind it. |
Jan Haugland: Unlikely op-ed of the day - More UNSCAM — Kofi Annan in the WaPo: "There's Progress in Iraq" If you would excuse me for... McQ: He lays it out in an op/ed in the Washington Post. Some of the highlights: [snipped quote] Precisely the points that have been made on this blog and elsewhere. Pejman Yousefzadeh: I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT A BODY-SNATCHING — Whoever this person really is, he/she might make a good Secretary-General for... |
| Also: Marc @USSNeverdock, Cori Dauber, Smash | |
Blast kills Lebanese politician BBC — Permalink A veteran Lebanese politician has been killed in a bomb blast in Beirut. George Hawi - former Communist Party leader and an opponent of Syria - died when his car blew up as he drove through the Wata Musaitbi district. | |
|
Joe Gandelman: According to the BBC, fingers in Lebanon are already pointing squarely at Syria and/or Syrian-sympathizing forces within the country. Jan Haugland: BBC says the bomb was placed under the passenger seat and triggered by remote control. |
Michael J. Totten: Yet Another Syrian Assasination in Lebanon — Lebanon's regularly scheduled political assassination has been completed. Pejman Yousefzadeh: TERRORISM IN LEBANON — Isn't it interesting that people who speak out against the Syrians suddenly find themselves in the inconvenient position of being dead? |
Mass. Gov. Considering Presidential Bid By / AP — Permalink BOSTON - Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has spent the last several months addressing Republican loyalists around the country, acknowledged on Tuesday that he's considering a presidential bid in 2008. "But I'm planning on running for governor. | |
|
Jayson @PoliPundit: The Math Doesn't Add Up for a Mitt Romney presidential run. Look, I don't have anything against Romney. He seems like a good fellow. Gerry @DalyThoughts: Mass. Gov. Considering Presidential Bid — The Associated Press: [snipped quote] Not exactly a surprise. |
Taegan Goddard: Romney Discusses 2008 Plans — In comments to the AP, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) did little to clarify his... |
Sweden cuts rates to 1.5% adding to ECB pressure Reuters — Permalink SwedenSweden's central bank cut interest rates by a surprisingly large 50 basis points to a new historic low of 1.50 percent on Tuesday and some analysts said the door was open to further easing. | |
|
Kash: Yesterday the Swedish central bank acknowledged the increasingly gloomy economic prospects in Europe for this year when... Orrin Judd: MORE: Sweden cuts rates as economic growth falters (Rupini Bergström, June 21 2005, Financial Times) "Sweden's... |
Brad DeLong: Sweden Cuts Interest Rates — More reality-based monetary policy in Europe: FT.com / Europe - Sweden cuts rates to 1.5%... Stirling Newberry: As Predicted Europe's Monetary Discipline Starts to Crumble — Sweden cuts rates by 50 basis points to historic lows. |
Public Broadcasting Monitor Had Worked at Center Founded by Conservatives By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, June 20 - A researcher retained secretly by the chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, to monitor the "Now" program with Bill Moyers for political objectivity last year, worked for 20 years at a journalism center founded by the... | |
|
Dr. Steven Taylor: More on the CPB Wars — Via the NYT: Public Broadcasting Monitor Had Worked at Center Founded by Conservatives ... Jim Romenesko: Monitor of Moyers' "NOW" show tied to conservative outfit — New York Times Fred Mann worked for 20 years at the... |
Steve Bainbridge: Naturally, the NY Times is shocked. Pudentilla: conservative hack monitored moyers for bias: you paid for it — [snipped quote] of course not, it's okay if you're a republican. |
Voice of America gets flak over outsourcing decision Chicago Tribune — Permalink Labor leaders and activists have denounced the business community for years for "outsourcing" work to other countries. Now the federal government is planning to shift a handful of highly symbolic jobs overseas, and labor unions and lawmakers are protesting angrily. | |
|
Jayson @PoliPundit: They blocked various tort and lawsuit reforms for over a decade. Now? They've been reduced to this. Jim Romenesko: Additional items for June 21, 2005 > Brown named national editorial director of j-school initiative (E&P) > Dems want... |
Matt Welch: This has Democrats, including John Kerry, hopping mad: [snipped quote] The Chicago Tribune article is full of laughs,... |
Utah Scout Found Alive in Woods Fox News — Permalink KAMAS, Utah — Authorities confirmed Tuesday that a missing 11-year-old scout has been found alive in Utah, four days after he vanished. Brennan Hawkins (search) was located safe and sound with no major injuries. | |
|
Tom @ScaredMonkeys: Fox News "Authorities confirmed Tuesday that a missing 11-year-old scout has been found alive in Utah, four days after he vanished. |
Jeff Goldstein: The 11-year-old had been missing since Friday and is said to be in great shape. (via FOXNews) Wow. |
Poll shows dissatisfaction with Iraq war CNN — Permalink (CNN) — Nearly six in 10 Americans oppose the war in Iraq and a growing number of them are dissatisfied with the war on terrorism, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday. Only 39 percent of those polled said they favored the war in Iraq — down from 47 percent in March — and 59 percent were opposed. | |
|
Arianna Huffington: But the wheels are starting to come off, with approval of the war now down to 39 percent, and with growing defections from within the president's own party. Norbizness: The overall support for the war dropping below 40%, with 56% opining that it's not been worth it. Cori Dauber: Big, Big Trouble — Here are the latest Gallup numbers on Iraq: Only 39 percent of those polled said they favored the... |
Captain Ed: Poll Shows Gitmo Support Extends Beyond GOP, Bush — CNN/USA Today/Gallup released its latest poll numbers among adults,... Barbara O'Brien: Do the Duck lameduck.jpg A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released yesterday says that nearly six in ten Americans oppose the war in Iraq. Billmon: I don't understand the reason for the disconnect, particularly since the most recent Gallup poll shows the Iraq sinkhole... |
| Also: Taegan Goddard, Atrios | |
U.N. Family Ties: Is There a Replay of the Kofi and Kojo Annan Scandal? Fox News — Permalink UNITED NATIONS — Oil-for-Food is the biggest scandal ever to hit the United Nations (search), but it is just one of many scandals erupting at the world body - all symptoms of trouble at the core. | |
|
Jan Haugland: PS: And just today, when Roger reports another set of revelations about oil-for-food from Claudia Rosett. |
Roger L. Simon: Another OFF Victory for Rosett - "A Matter of Urgency" — While Democratic Party fuddy-duddies (formerly known as... |
Frist reverses, says he will push for Bolton vote By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — Reversing field after a meeting with President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he will continue pushing for a floor vote on John R. Bolton for U.N. ambassador. Frist switched his position after initially saying today that negotiations with Democrats to get a vote on Bolton had been exhausted. | |
|
Steve Clemons: After lunch with the President today, however, Senator Frist changed course: [snipped quote] What does this all mean? |
Chris Bowers: Dance For Me Puppet — Bill Frist, a tough leader who stands by his decisions, has a spine made of steel (emphasis mine): [snipped quote] Hahahahahahaha! |
U.S. Said Delaying Saddam Interrogations By / AP — Permalink BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Iraq's justice minister on Tuesday accused the United States of trying to delay Iraqi efforts to interrogate Saddam Hussein, saying ''it seems there are lots of secrets they want to hide.'' | |
|
Norbizness: That way, you can make sense of the following developments: — The Iraqi Justice Minister complaining that the U.S. is... |
TChris: Hiding Saddam's Secrets — For all the posturing the Bush administration has done with regard to Saddam Hussein, it... |
Rape in China: A Nightmare for 26 Pupils By / NYT — Permalink XINJI, China - The teacher always sent a girl to buy his cigarettes. He left the class unsupervised and waited in his office. When the girl returned to class with flushed cheeks and tousled hair, the other students said nothing. | |
|
Chris Nolan: A story about a teacher who allegedly raped 26 of his female pupils contains this chilling paragraph: "It is the sort of... |
Richard TPD: This is one of those stories, so horrific it made it to the front page of today's New York Times. [snipped quote] That's just the beginning. |
Are Accounts of Consensual Sex a Violation of Privacy Rights? The Lawsuit Against the Blogger "Washingtonienne" By / FindLaw's Writ — Permalink Jessica Cutler - better known as "Washingtonienne" — achieved notoriety with a web log ("blog") about her sexual exploits, written while she was a staffer for U.S. Senator Michael DeWine of Ohio. | |
|
Jeff Goldstein: Summer Lovin', Redux — Jessica Cutler (aka Washingtonienne) is back in the news! |
Jonathan H. Adler: The complaint is here. More on the lawsuit here. |
Postings of Obscene Photos End Free-Form Editorial Experiment By / NYT — Permalink A Los Angeles Times experiment in opinion journalism lasted just two days before the paper was forced to shut it down Sunday morning after some readers repeatedly posted obscene photos. | |
|
Joe Gandelman: The L.A. Times' Experiment In Wikitorials Bites The Dust (For Now) The foward-looking experiment by the L.A. Time's... Kevin Roderick: Hardcore * Porn photos posted late at night doomed the L.A. Times wikitorial, the New York Times reports Tuesday. Ogged @Unfogged: We'll Make It Shiny! So much for the LA Times's "wikitorial" experiment. |
Jeff Jarvis: The New York Times and other media outlets have covered the collapse of its wikitorial project and I've heard more than... Jim Romenesko: > Were Slashdot readers responsible for adding porn to wikitorial? (NYT) > "Wikipedia.com has become a raging success" (Christian Science Monitor) Stirling Newberry: Wikitorials Shut Down — New York Times covers the details There are two problems in place. |
The 11-Year-Old Wife By / NYT — Permalink When Pakistan's prime minister visits next month, President Bush will presumably use the occasion to repeat his praise for President Pervez Musharraf as a bold leader "dedicated in the protection of his own people." | |
|
Tom Watson: In his latest update today, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof makes that case that Mukhtar Mai's saga is... K. J. Lopez: HONOR KILLINGS AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN PAKISTAN — Nick Kristof: [snipped quote] I know it's a delicate balance with... |
Cori Dauber: But No. Who's going to argue with Nicolas Kristof when he writes about the brutalization of Pakistani women, or the need... |
What Became of Federalism? By / LAT — Permalink The Bush White House has been favoring Washington over the states. The recent Supreme Court decision invalidating California's medical marijuana law has come under fire — correctly — from both the left and the right for undermining federalism. | |
|
Dale Franks: Bush Kills Federalism — Former Bush Administration Justice Dept. official John Yoo takes his old boss to task in today's Los Angeles Times. |
Matt Welch: Who Killed Federalism? John Yoo, who worked in the Justice Department from 2001-2003, blames George Bush. |
Jury Evenly Split in Mississippi Murder Case By / WaPo — Permalink PHILADELPHIA, Miss., June 20 — Jurors formed a semicircle around the judge overseeing the trial in the infamous 1964 killings of three civil rights workers and announced Monday that they are deadlocked 6 to 6, casting a sense of despair over a courtroom packed mostly with prosecution supporters. | |
|
Chris Lawrence: Justice and show trials — James Joyner comments thusly on the jury deadlock in the Killen trial: One of the many... |
James Joyner: Jury Evenly Split in Mississippi Murder Case — Jury Evenly Split in Mississippi Murder Case (WaPo, A3) |
Mississippi Jury Convicts Ex-Klansman in 1964 Killings By / NYT — Permalink Edgar Ray Killen, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan, was found guilty today of felony manslaughter in the killings of three civil rights workers in Mississippi four decades ago. The verdict, delivered on the 41st anniversary of the deaths, was less severe than the murder conviction that the state prosecutors had sought. | |
|
TChris: Killen Verdict — The 6-6 jury split that TalkLeft described yesterday didn't last long, as the jury returned a guilty verdict today against former KKK member Edgar Ray Killen. |
John Cole: Guilty — Justice was slow, but caught up with him in the end: [snipped quote] Good. |
Why the Democrats Will Keep Losing By / Mother Jones — Permalink Since the 2004 elections, many have been debating "why Kerry lost," and more broadly "why the Democrats have been losing ground." Much of the debate has focused on the never-ending seesaw of "swing voters vs. base voters," or cultural/religious/"What's the Matter with Kansas?" issues, even George Lakoff-type "reframing" of key concepts and themes. | |
|
Billmon: Rotten Boroughs — Donkey Rising points to a Mother Jones article that describes some of the built-in advantages enjoyed... Stirling Newberry: The kick off point is in the Nation magazine about how the Republicans have a clear advantage in how districts are drawn. |
Rickheller @Centerfield: Here now (thanks to petey) is an article in the left-wing Mother Jones magazine, which takes issue with that, arguing... Edm Staff: Dems' Chances Undercut by Rigged System — Steven Hill has a disturbing article in Mother Jones, "Why the Democrats Will... |
US strategy in Iraq: Is it working? By / Christian Science Monitor — Permalink The US military strategy in Iraq has been consistent for months now: Use aggressive military operations to disrupt the flow of foreign fighters entering the country and the insurgent support lines that run along the Euphrates River west to the Syrian border. | |
|
Dan Darling: Analytical differences and the insurgency — Bill already linked to this article in the Christian Science Monitor on the... Juan Cole: Dan Murphy of the Christian Science Monitor examines the debate over whether the US military is making progress in Iraq or not. |
Bill Roggio: The Christian Science Monitor looks at the US Strategy in Iraq and asks if it is working. |
Editorial: Durbin's message/U.S. must end prisoner abuse Minneapolis Star Tribune — Permalink Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., set off a firestorm last week when he compared U.S. treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo to practices employed by Nazis, Soviets, Pol Pot and their ilk. | |
|
Captain Ed: Case in point: the serially demented Minneapolis Star-Tribune editorial board, which not just excuses Durbin's statement... Mitch Berg: In a portfolio of fantasy-based madness, today's editorial stands out. Scott @PowerLine: The Star Tribune is Fonda Durbin — Tomorrow's Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial endorses the vile, ignorant... |
Marc @USSNeverdock: America - Deranged Left Supports Durbin — More from the "we support the troops" crowd. In a way it's good these idiots put this stuff out. Hugh Hewitt: The Minneapolis Star Tribune publishes a howler of an editorial today. What world do these people live in? Atrios: Strib — Link: [snipped quote] What kind of America do you want to live in? |
| Also: Charles Johnson | |
Marine units found to lack equipment By / Boston Globe — Permalink WASHINGTON — Marine Corps units fighting in some of the most dangerous terrain in Iraq don't have enough weapons, communications gear, or properly outfitted vehicles, according to an investigation by the Marine Corps' inspector general provided to Congress yesterday. | |
|
Nellie B: The Boston Globe reports that an "estimated 30,000 Marines in Iraq need twice as many heavy machine guns, more fully... |
John Cole: Marine Readiness — The Boston Globe has a troubling story about the overall state of Marine equipment readiness over... |
Anti-Syrian politician assassinated in Beirut By / Reuters — Permalink BEIRUT (Reuters) - An anti-Syrian politician was killed in Lebanon on Tuesday when a bomb ripped through his car, two days after parliamentary elections brought victory for an alliance opposed to Damascus' role in the country. | |
|
Joe Gandelman: Reuters reports: "An anti-Syrian politician was killed in Lebanon on Tuesday when a bomb ripped through his car, two... |
Captain Ed: Instead of congratulating them on their successful, free elections, Bashar Assad reminded them of their previous vassal... |
Schiavo's Remains Buried Amid Acrimony By / AP — Permalink TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The burial of Terri Schiavo's cremated remains didn't bring an end to the acrimony between her husband and her family. Michael Schiavo angered his late wife's family Monday by not notifying them about the burial beforehand and by inscribing on her bronze grave marker the words "I kept my promise." | |
|
Joe Gandelman: Terri Schiavo's Grave Marker Used For Husband's Parting Shots — If you're not someone wrapped up in the obsession over... |
Patterico: Despite the existence of a court order that he inform the Schindlers of any memorial service, he held the memorial... |
The Adams Principle By / NYT — Permalink The work ethic is alive and well among America's retirees, or at least the ones who bombarded me with letters after I suggested raising the retirement age for Social Security. They said they would be glad to keep working if I could find them a job. | |
|
Steve M.: Consider his current column, in which he gives two reasons that an employer might not hire a senior-citizen job-seeker:... Ann Althouse: John Tierney responds to the criticism he received after he dared to suggest raising the age at which people qualify for Social Security benefits. Tbogg: Shorter John Tierney — Let's not let some silly social contract keep us from hiring older people at poverty wages to perform menial work for boomers like mysel—Hey! |
Attaturk: Tierney: Wal-Mart Greeters, Stat — Today Bobo's li'l buddy displays a continuing desire to work elderly Americans into the grave and little to no knowledge of the actual world. Jo Fish: I love this line in his latest column. [snipped quote] Note to the Times Editors and Publishers: you know what to do with this, right? |
The age of celebrity: A little squirt (Or: Why do we all hate Tom Cruise?) Independent — Permalink If Tom Cruise's life was a movie scripted by publicists (and there are those convinced that it is) here is how the story would go: The world's most successful male film star - dashing, sexy, energetic, focused, youthful, charming, and not nearly as short as all those cruel journalists keep insisting - continues to glide from one stellar project to another. | |
|
John Derbyshire: Be careful with that word "hate," guys. You'll have the Southern Poverty Law Center down on you like a ton of bricks. |
Steve Bainbridge: Are You Getting Tired of Tom Cruise's Schtick? The Independent is. |
Firm Says House Lawyers Approved Payments for Trips By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, June 20 - A law firm under scrutiny for its role in arranging overseas trips for members of Congress says House ethics lawyers advised the firm several years ago that it could pay for some Congressional travel, an assertion that may bolster the... | |
|
Captain Ed: House lawyers advised Preston, Gates, & Ellis in 1996 that it could pay for trips taken by Representatives as long as... |
Rich Lowry: New York Times reports that Abramoff firm Preston Gates got approval for how it handled overseas travel: "Internal... |
Dean accuses Romney of changing position on issues By / AP — Permalink BOSTON —Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean accused Republican governors of towing the party line and said Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has switched his positions on major issues to line up with the White House. | |
|
Betsy: Could anything do more to raise Mitt Romney's popularity than to have Howard Dean criticize him? |
K. J. Lopez: MEANWHILE, DEAN GOES TO WORK FOR ROMNEY! Dean attacks Romney. Quickest way to be loved by sane Americans.... |
Opting Out in the Debate on Evolution By / NYT — Permalink When the Kansas State Board of Education decided to hold hearings this spring on what the state's schoolchildren should be taught about evolution, Dr. Kenneth R. Miller was invited to testify. Lots of people thought he was a good choice to speak for science. | |
|
Commissar: Opting Out in Kansas — NYT - Opting Out in the Debate on Evolution It appears that Kansas school children will be "taught the controversy." |
John Derbyshire: COMBAT FATIGUE — When you have patiently refuted your opponents' arguments a thousand times and they still keep coming... |
Bomb Kills Anti-Syrian Politician in Beirut AP — Permalink BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — A bomb blast killed a politician who was a harsh critic of Syria's power in Lebanon as he rode in his car Tuesday, police said, the second slaying of an anti-Syrian figure this month. | |
|
Dr. Steven Taylor: Another Assassination in Lebanon — Via the AP/NYT: Bomb Kills Anti-Syrian Politician in Beirut [snipped quote] It would... |
K. J. Lopez: AIMING AT THE REVOLUTION — Another anti-Syrian pol in Lebanon has been killed: "A bomb blast killed a politician who... |
Let's Go to the Memo By / Slate — Permalink Listen to this story on NPR's Day to Day. Is there anything important in the Downing Street memo? This is the now-notorious secret transcript of a British ministerial meeting on July 23, 2002—obtained and published by the Sunday Times of London just this... | |
|
Henry @CrookedTimber: I don't think that this claim holds; and there's an analogy that I think makes this clearer (Kaplan uses a version of this analogy in his article, but doesn't develop it). |
Daniel Drezner: On this point, Fred Kaplan's essay in Slate does a nice job of encapsulating what I think: "The memos do not show, for... |
Democrats Block a Vote on Bolton for the Second Time By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, June 20 - For the second time in a month, Senate Democrats blocked a vote on Monday evening on the nomination of John R. Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations, raising the possibility that President Bush will circumvent the confirmation process and appoint Mr. Bolton when Congress recesses. | |
|
Joe Gandelman: The bare-bones news report could not be more grim for the White House — and for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist,... McQ: Well it appears that may soon be the case: "Senate Democrats on Monday again blocked the nomination of John Bolton as... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: RECESS — Enough, already. Slanders and libels should only be put up with for a certain amount of time. Jo Fish: Duh — Lincoln Chafee (R-Dunce) is a sitting US Senator and he says this about the Bolton nomination: [snipped quote] Gee, how insightful. |
Personal attacks on Hillary will only embolden her The Hill — Permalink I am no defender of Hillary Rodham Clinton's, to put it mildly. But the recent charges in Ed Klein's book to the effect that she is a closet homosexual or that Bill raped her and that this act triggered Chelsea's conception are as crazy as the list that was circulating around of the 20 or so people the Clintons allegedly had killed. | |
|
Patrick Ruffini: Also in The Hill, the invaluable Dick Morris has a must-read urging conservatives to be level-headed and smart when... |
K. J. Lopez: IS ED KLEIN ON THE HILLARY PAYROLL? You wouldn't be crazy for asking that after reading Dick Morris today. |
A liberal's defense of Fox News By / Christian Science Monitor — Permalink LOS ANGELES - I work for Fox News as a commentator. I say whatever I want. I'm the blonde on the left, figuratively and literally - the one who's usually smiling because it's TV, not the Supreme Court or Congress, and I find civility more effective in any event. | |
|
James Wolcott: Meanwhile... Enriched as he is with a tainted-mushroom imagination, probably even David Lynch couldn't envision a sight... C. D. Harris: It Doesn't Have To Be All Rancour, All The Time A liberal defends Fox News: "I'm fortunate enough to have been around,... Jim Romenesko: "Fox News is the best place I've ever worked," says Estrich — Christian Science Monitor "There were certainly times... |
James Martin Capozzola: SUSAN ESTRICH DEFENDS FOX NEWS — Cable Operation Needs a Better Lawyer Self-styled "liberal," "feminist," "Democrat"... Brian Stelter: And that's what the press is supposed to do." Here's the rest of her Christian Science Monitor column... Betsy: But I admire her for defending her employer, Fox News and defends Roger Ailes, Neil Cavuto, and Brian Wilson. Good for her. |
President Hosts United States - European Union Summit White House — Permalink PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you all, please be seated. Thanks for coming. There will be opening statements from the three leaders and then we'll take two questions from the American side, two questions from the European side. | |
|
Cori Dauber: And here's the exchange in full: Q Mr. President, many in Europe are worrying that with the fight against terrorism the... Faiz @ThinkProgress: "[6/20/05]" |
Jack Balkin: JB President Bush to reporters yesterday: "Q Mr. President, many in Europe are worrying that with the fight against... James Martin Capozzola: PRESIDENT BUSH THINKS — Quote of the Week [snipped quote] — President George W. Bush, June 20, 2005 | HOME |
PA warns Islamic Jihad, Fatah against further escalation in violence Haaretz — Permalink In response to a string of deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis, the Palestinian Interior Ministry on Monday warned Islamic Jihad and figures in the Fatah movement against a further escalation in violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. | |
|
Captain Ed: They have sold themselves on death instead of life, and reason and compassion hold no attraction for them. (via the Corner, and Power Line also addresses this story) |
Scott @PowerLine: Here's the story our caller referred to: [snipped quote] This story represents the phenomenon that Charles Johnson refers to as "Cease fire, Palestinian style." |
Dad picks up $600 tab to get Marine battle ready Arizona Republic — Permalink John Tod of Mesa had been prepared to face Father's Day worrying about his son's pending date with the war in Iraq. Then Uncle Sam stepped in with more disappointing developments. Marine Pfc. | |
|
Nellie B: DailyKos helpfully flags a story from The Arizona Republic about a local man's shopping list for his... Jason Van Steenwyk: American Sucker: A fisking — That pretty much describes this Dad, this reporter, and anyone else who takes this news story at face value. Jo Fish: What a shameful story... [snipped quote] So hey, all you f**ked up wingnut pussies who are so het up about Dick Durbin,... |
Arianna Huffington: Don't you think it makes them more upset to learn that Marines are still being told by their commanders that they should... John Cole: But, if this s**t is still going on, some damned heads need to roll: "John Tod of Mesa had been prepared to face... Cori Dauber: Troops Lacking Armor — A Story That Won't Die — A newspaper publishes a column about a father needing to buy his son... |
| Also: Attaturk, Kos @DailyKos | |
Palestinian Woman Heading for Treatment at Israeli Hospital Caught Carrying Explosives By / AP — Permalink SHIKMA PRISON, Israel (AP) - A badly burned Palestinian woman was alternately defiant and tearful Monday after Israeli soldiers caught her trying to enter Israel with 22 pounds of explosives hidden on her body. | |
|
Jan Haugland: She repaid it by strapping herself with explosives, apparently intending to blow herself up at the hospital. John Cole: Unbelievable — Via Sullivan, this story: [snipped quote] Words fail me. Andrew Sullivan: I am not making this up. |
Captain Ed: A suicide bomber — but fortunately, an incompetent one: [snipped quote] Biss later changed her story, claiming that she... James Joyner: Palestinian Woman Heading for Treatment at Israeli Hospital Caught Carrying Explosives — Palestinian Woman Heading for... Jonah Goldberg: I GUESS THERE'S NO WORD FOR CHUTZPAH IN ARABIC — I guess I missed the clause in the Koran condoning this sort of thing:... |
Chinese Blogger Slams Microsoft By / Wired News — Permalink SHANGHAI, China — Twenty-eight floors above the traffic-choked streets of China's most wired city, blogger and tech entrepreneur Isaac Mao sums up his opinion of Microsoft and its treatment of the Chinese bloggers with one word. "Evil," says Mao. | |
|
Richard TPD: And all that was simply my way of leading up to the news, which is that Chinese blogger Isaac Mao has a stronger take on the topic than some commenters who shrug it off. Jan Haugland: Chinese blogger slams Microsoft — Wired: Twenty-eight floors above the traffic-choked streets of China's most wired... Rebecca MacKinnon: Isaac Mao slams Microsoft — And boy does he slam them hard. The story is in Wired. Here's the first paragraph: [snipped quote] Ouch. |
Tom Smith: Send in that lady with the hammer — Well, this is disturbing. (via instapundit). Dean Esmay: Mao Condemns Microsoft by Dean A Chinese blogger named, ironically enough, Mao, is condemning Microsoft as evil. Me? Glenn Reynolds: CHINESE BLOGGER SLAMS MICROSOFT: [snipped quote] Read the whole thing. |
W.House Does Not Rule Out Bolton Recess Appointment Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Monday did not rule out the possibility of sidestepping the Senate by naming John Bolton as U.N. ambassador in a recess appointment, as it urged an up-or-down Senate vote on the nomination. | |
|
Joe Gandelman: Time (and political polls) will tell... Now the operative question is whether GWB will bypass the political stalemate... Norbizness: Bart and Lisa [in unison]: No. Cause we got ourselves recess appointment power. Timely. Pithy. And more work than it looks like. Steve Soto: Bolton Will Probably Be A Recess Appointment — Get ready for the White House to install John Bolton through a recess appointment. |
Barbara O'Brien: Meanwhile, President Bush vows to fight back. [quote] "We'll, put him in.[end quote] Michelle Malkin: See here, here, here, and here. Meanwhile, Robert Novak reports on the Dodd charade. *** Stay tuned... 552pm Roll is being called. |
Facing the Music By / New York Sun — Permalink Been following the latest horrifying stories from what Amnesty International calls the "gulag of our time"? John Kass of The Chicago Tribune was outraged by the news that records by Christina Aguilera had been played at Guantanamo at full volume in order to soften up detainees. | |
|
Jan Haugland: Christina Aguilera's part in the war on terror — Mark Steyn has more on music and torture By now, one or two readers may be frothing indignantly, "That's not funny! Betsy: Mark Steyn hits it out of the ballpark again. After musing about which music should be paid for the terrorists being held at Guantanamo. Scott @PowerLine: On a related note, so to speak, Mark Steyn picks up in the New York Sun today where he left off in the Chicago Sun-Times yesterday: "Facing the music." |
Ace: Steyn on Dickie Durban — It's all good: [snipped quote] Dave Chappelle has a funny bit concerning the few times that... Charles Johnson: Steyn: Facing the Music — Mark Steyn has the last word on Dick Durbin and the Democratic Party's lemming-like rush over the cliff: Facing the Music. TheAnchoress: And it is a must read. Also read Mark Steyn, Durbin Slanders His Country. and Facing the Music. A Vietnam-era POW speaks up. |
| Also: Michelle Malkin, Orrin Judd, Glenn Reynolds, Ed Driscoll | |
Manny, Moe & Rafsanjani NRO — Permalink The Iranian comedy routine. One of the reasons I have been so concerned about Iran for such a long time is that I fear the mullahs' cleverness, ruthlessness, and ability to mount brilliant deceptions. | |
|
Forkum: From The National Review: Manny, Moe & Rafsanjani by Michael Ladeen. Smash: The Real Story in Iran — ELECTION TURNOUT in Iran was embarrassingly low. Charles Johnson: Ledeen: Manny, Moe & Rafsanjani — Michael Ledeen looks at the pending outcome of the Iranian sham election, and... |
Jan Haugland: In fact, he argues the electoral fraud was so ineptly executed it is going to backfire. TheAnchoress: Ledeen on Iran's rigged election Michael Ledeen is a favorite read, and I love his column today on the nincompoopery... Betsy: Michael Ledeen explains what has been going on in the so-called Iranian election. The mullahs are just making this stuff up as they go along. |
The Truth About Hillary NRO — Permalink An author tells his story. TThe Clintons will always make headlines — for both their larger-than-life aspects and the simple facts of presidential history (and future presidential history?) . | |
|
Steve Antler: "...for the rest of her life..." Edward Kline, June 20, 2005: The health-care disaster knocked Hillary out of the box... S.Z.: Sleaze Sells Over at the NRO, Kathryn Jean Lopez Interviews Edward Klein, author of The Truth [sic] About Hillary. Jesse Taylor: Kathryn Lopez interviews him, and it's almost impossible to describe how much of a complete simpleton he comes off as. |
TheAnchoress: Ed Klein speaks up on his Hillary Book Kathryn Jean Lopez at National Review interviews Klein and gets right to the point about the whole distasteful "rape" story. Kevin Drum: Unless, of course, an EXCLUSIVE interview in the biggest selling conservative magazine on the planet counts as "not paying any attention." Tom Maguire: J Taylor Versus E Klein — Ed Klein, newly notorious for Drudge's blurb of his new "Truth About Hillary" book, is interviewed by K Lo of NRO. |
| Also: Dr. Steven Taylor, K. J. Lopez | |
'Berlusconi's fat' moulded to art BBC — Permalink An art work purportedly made from excess fat from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sold for $18,000 (9,862). Switzerland-based artist Gianni Motti claims to have bought the fat from a clinic where the leader had a liposuction operation performed. | |
|
McQ: Some like fat: "An art work purportedly made from excess fat from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sold for $18,000 (9,862). Joe Gandelman: Italian Leader's Fat Made Into Art — If THIS "ARTWORK" made from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's fat could... Betsy: Here's the gross story of the day. Eeeeuuuuw. |
Jan Haugland: Yuck: An art work purportedly made from excess fat from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sold for $18,000 (£9,862). Ann Althouse: BBC reports: [snipped quote] We're asked to think the artist thought this up entirely independently of the widely known film/book "Fight Club." |
Bush Remarks May Have Spurred Iran Voters By / AP — Permalink TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's spy chief used just two words to respond to White House ridicule of last week's presidential election: "Thank you." His sarcasm was barely hidden. The backfire on Washington was more evident. | |
|
Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: The AP reports this: " "I say to Bush: 'Thank you,'" quipped Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi." The upshot? Steve Soto: I mean, it's not like the Administration can effectively spur regime change through Bush's stupid comments of late, right? Hooman Majd: Both Ali Yunesi, Iran's intelligence minister, and Kamal Kharrazi, the foreign minister, expressed a wry 'thank you" to... |
Jan Haugland: Iran's sham voting turnout and the usual AP suspects — The Associated Press buys the story about Iran's vast voter turnout, and turns it into a bit of Bush-bashing. Michael Signer: Well, whatever his intentions were (not trying to be too mysterious here), the President was rewarded with large increases in the turn-out among Iran's conservative base. Steve M.: Pure Bushism, working like a charm: TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's spy chief used just two words to respond to White House ridicule of last week's presidential election: "Thank you." |
Terror Camps Scatter, Persist By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — U.S. counter-terrorism authorities say that the detention of a Lodi, Calif.-based group of Pakistani men this month underscores a serious problem: the Islamabad government's failure to dismantle hundreds of jihadist training camps. | |
|
Steve M.: According to an article in yesterday's L.A. Times (also available here), the leader of a Pakistani Al Qaeda camp where... Cernig: Or maybe it's the evidence that invading Iraq has hurt the war on terror, partly because it led to some truly awful choices of allies. |
Smash: Pakistan's Terror Problem — AL QAEDA'S TRAINING APPARATUS is reestablishing itself into a network of smaller jihadi... |
"Dollars for Dismissals" NRO — Permalink The prosecutor in the DeLay case dropped charges in exchange for cash to pet cause. Ronnie Earle, the Texas prosecutor who has indicted associates of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in an ongoing campaign-finance investigation, dropped felony charges... | |
|
Captain Ed: Apparently only if they don't comply with the Ronnie Earle Clemency Program, which consists of demands for huge cash... Pejman Yousefzadeh: LAWYERS LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY — Today, I learned about a new form of settlement agreement: [snipped quote] Inventive, isn't it? K. J. Lopez: "DOLLARS FOR DISMISSALS" — If you haven't, you'll want to read Byron on Tom DeLay's prosecutor. |
Betsy: Byron York has some more information on Ronnie Earle, the Democratic prosecutor who has been gunning for Tom DeLay and... Rich Lowry: If you haven't read Byron York's important piece on the home page on Ronnie Earle, the DeLay prosecutor, defintely check it out. |
Fake Documents Got Workers Into Nuke Plant By / AP — Permalink KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sixteen foreign-born construction workers with phony immigration documents were able to enter a nuclear weapons plant in eastern Tennessee because of lax security controls, a federal report said Monday. | |
|
McQ: Oh yeah, we're doing so much better with security — If it wasn't so serious it would almost be laughable:... SK Bubba: Disturbing ORNL Y-12 and FBI news — [snipped quote] Full story here. Meanwhile, in related news: [snipped quote] Wait a second. |
John Cole: Homeland Insecurity — Good thing we are taking the war on terror so seriously: [snipped quote] It is hard to figure out... Bill West: Illegals + Fake Docs + Real Nukes = BIG Problems — The Associated Press and Washington Post today reported that sixteen... |
Enemy of the State By / American Spectator — Permalink The North Koreans are apparently preparing to detonate a nuclear weapon in a test that may drift radiation over North America. As a senior Defense Department official said Thursday, one unmistakable message of the test will be that the world cannot deny any nation such weapons. | |
|
Scott @PowerLine: Over at the American Spectator site, Jed Babbin denies the Star Tribune's deniable falsehoods, at least insofar as the subject is Guantanomo: "Enemy of the state." |
Hugh Hewitt: And don't miss Jed Babbin in today's Spectator. |
Breaking the Durbin Code By / Weekly Standard — Permalink SENATE MAJORITY LEADER BILL FRIST and Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter should move this week to initiate a censure resolution of Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for his remarks on the Senate's floor on June 14, 2005. | |
|
Riggsveda @Corrente: And don't go bringing up that crap about how Rick Santorum compared the Senate Democrats' insistence on playing by the... Andrew Sullivan: Hugh Hewitt should answer one single question: does he doubt the FBI interrogator who witnessed the appalling treatment of some detainees at Guantanamo? Hugh Hewitt: Posted at 1:00 AM, EST with updates — "Breaking the Durbin Code" in the WeeklyStandard.com this morning is an effort to... |
Tom Maguire: MORE: Here is the Hugh Hewitt article that inspired Andrew Sullivan. Michelle Malkin: Also good: Hugh Hewitt's piece in the Weekly Standard on "Breaking the Durbin Code" and Gerard Van der Leun on how and why Durbin is the Democratic rule, not the exception. Greg Ransom: UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt makes The Case for Censure. June 8th, 2005 |
| Also: Justin @SouthernAppeal, Scott @PowerLine, Kos @DailyKos, Dirty Harry, TheAnchoress | |
Republican: Democrats Demonize Christians By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - A Republican congressman accused Democrats on Monday of "denigrating and demonizing Christians" by concluding there was religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy. "Like a moth to a flame, Democrats can't help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians," Hostettler said. | |
|
Chris Bowers: Here are netroots actions I recommend: Email your local media and ask them to give time to Representative Hostettler's... Orrin Judd: GOTTA KNOW BETTER THAN TO CRITICIZE ISRAEL: Republican: Democrats Demonize Christians (ANDREW TAYLOR, 6/20/05,... |
David Sirota: Today was just another example of why: he offered an amendment that would put Congress on record against "coercive and abusive religious proselytizing" at the Air Force Academy. |
Anti-Syrian Alliance Claims Victory in Lebanese Election By / NYT — Permalink TRIPOLI, Lebanon, June 19 - Opponents of Syrian domination claimed a stunning majority victory in the final round of Lebanon's parliamentary elections on Sunday night in a rebellion touched off by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri four months ago. | |
|
John @PowerLine: Two Elections — In Lebanon, an anti-Syrian coalition won what the New York Times termed a "stunning majority victory." Captain Ed: Lebanon Stands On Its Own Two Feet — Despite the efforts of Syria and its ally Hezbollah in the south, the reformers in... Pejman Yousefzadeh: Well, as the title asks, who's laughing now? [snipped quote] Read it all. |
Commissar: The NYTimes went so far as to note that this result is "perhaps an example of a greater yearning for democracy in the Arab world." Smash: UPDATE: More in today's New York Times. Marc @USSNeverdock: What's even more astonising is that the New York Times notices. |
| Also: Glenn Reynolds, K. J. Lopez | |
Libraries Say Yes, Officials Do Quiz Them About Users By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, June 19 - Law enforcement officials have made at least 200 formal and informal inquiries to libraries for information on reading material and other internal matters since October 2001, according to a new study that adds grist to the growing debate in Congress over the government's counterterrorism powers. | |
|
RDF @Corrente: Reading Is FUNdamental — From the New York Times we get information we will never know: [snipped quote] Keep reading, kids, LauWa is a librarian. Tom Tomorrow: Three: "WASHINGTON, June 19 - Law enforcement officials have made at least 200 formal and informal inquiries to... Pudentilla: sneek and peek — [snipped quote] well somebody's obviously lying. hmm. awol's boys or the librarians. let's think about that for a nano-second, shall we? |
Tarek @LiquidList: Politics: Don't Lie to Me — It's interesting that in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the Bush... Lindsay Beyerstein: Yes, feds quiz librarians — [snipped quote] Later this week, The American Library Association will present the full... |
GOP eyes Golisano in run for governor By / Democrat And Chronicle — Permalink Imagine seeing billionaire B.Thomas Golisano hand-in-hand with former New York City Mayor Rudolph Guiliani, state Republican Chairman Stephen Minarik or even political rival Gov. George Pataki? | |
|
Scott Sala: Technorati Tags: Ed+Cox+Website Ed+Cox+For+Senate Ed+Cox+For+NY Ed+Cox+Online — Billionaire Boys Club After 3 times... Taegan Goddard: New York Republicans Court Golisano — Billionaire Tom Golisano is being wooed by Republican leaders in New York to run... |
Alexander K. McClure: 2006 New York Governor Race — If George Pataki does not seek another term, then Tom Golisano seems to be the candidate of some in the Republican establishment. Gerry @DalyThoughts: GOP eyes Golisano in run for governor [NY] The Democrat & Chronicle: [snipped quote] If he were really such a thorn,... |
Rice Makes Case for Democracy in Egypt By / AP — Permalink CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a forceful case for democracy in the Muslim world Monday, telling Egypt's conservative government leaders "the fear of free choices can no longer justify the denial of liberty." | |
|
Barbara O'Brien: Via Think Progress—Rice actually said this— "For 60 years, my country, the United States, pursued stability at the... Judd @ThinkProgress: Not only is the administration's policy successful, it is the only administration that has been successful for the last... |
Gateway Pundit: Holding nothing back, The "female" Secretary of State spoke at a dinner of 700 guests to explain the new course of... Smash: Preaching Democracy in Egypt — SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZA RICE, in Cairo: [snipped quote] Rice went on to make specific criticisms of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Hamas. |
Report: Saddam Insists He Is Iraqi Leader By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK - Saddam Hussein loves Doritos, hates Froot Loops, admires President Reagan, thinks Clinton was "OK" and considers both Presidents Bush "no good." He talks a lot, worries about germs and insists he is still president of Iraq. | |
|
Dr. Steven Taylor: Tales of Saddam — Via the AP: Report: Saddam Insists He Is Iraqi Leader "Saddam Hussein loves Doritos, hates Froot... Jayson @PoliPundit: In Other News, Howard Dean Insists That He's the Sith Emperor — According to our trusty "Fourth Estate," Saddam believes he's still President of the Republic of Iraq. |
Ann Althouse: I love the first paragraph for this news story: [snipped quote] Before he liked Cheetos, then he got some Doritos and forgot all about his Cheetos. |
AP: Feds Collect Data on Air Travelers By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — A federal agency collected extensive personal information about airline passengers although Congress told it not to and it said it wouldn't, according to documents obtained Monday by The Associated Press. | |
|
Norbizness: I was set to include this story in another tiresome link-dump, probably called something like "Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Atrios: Congress - Irrelevant — The Bush executive branch just does whatever it wants no matter what the law is. |
Julian Sanchez: Fly With Friendly Eyes — Via Atrios comes a report that the Transportation Security Administration has |
Byrd memoir laments early fling with Klan as 'foolish mistake' By / AP — Permalink MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The Ku Klux Klan is the central paradox of Robert C. Byrd's life - "an extraordinarily foolish mistake" that has haunted him for 40 years but the very thing that launched one of the longest careers in the U.S. Senate. | |
|
McQ: Well, yes, and you almost feel for the old coot. But then you get into the particulars. Rick Brookhiser: ROBERT BYRD'S KLAN TITLE WAS EXALTED CYCLOPS — Why didn't they spell it Exalted Kyklops? |
Daniel Koffler: A Pork Farmer's Palimpsest — Robert Byrd has a new autobiography out, and at 770 pages, it should make for some light and lazy summer reading. |
Jury Weighs Ex-Klansman's Fate in Deaths By / AP — Permalink PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (AP) — The murder case against a former Klansman charged in the slayings of three civil rights workers went to the jury Monday after prosecutors made an impassioned plea for a conviction, saying the victims' families have waited a long 41 years for someone to be brought to justice. | |
|
Kevin Aylward: In the case of the 1964 murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi, that's what one witness is saying about the... |
Jeralyn Merritt: They have only deliberated three hours. But the judge is going to make them deliberate tomorrow. Background here . |
Blunt Challenges Pelosi's Rhetoric U.S. Newswire — Permalink WASHINGTON, June 20 /U.S. Newswire/ — House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) today issued the following statement regarding comments made by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) on the House floor Thursday calling, the war in Iraq a "grotesque mistake" and the resources allocated for fighting the war spent "without success:" | |
|
Arianna Huffington: Blunt said Pelosi's comments had "emboldenedâthe enemy". Hastert played the "support our troops" card. |
McQ: UPDATE:Nancy Pelosi joins the defeatist parade and Roy Blunt (figuratively) slaps her: "House Majority Whip Roy Blunt... |
Under fire, Bush defends policies in Iraq By / Salon — Permalink Under fire at home and abroad, President Bush on Monday defended his policies on Iraq and the war on terrorism, saying the Iraqi conflict will be won despite attempts by "cold-blooded killers" to derail the U.S. "I think about Iraq every day. | |
|
Zoe Kentucky: Bush was not-so-graceful under pressure today, as evidenced by this comment he made while being peppered with questions about the war in Iraq. |
Billmon: High Value Detainees — Warning! Satire Alert [snipped quote] End satire alert. |