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Saturday, February 4, 2006
Tonight on Heartland with John Kasich
Posted by on 2.4.06 @ 3:50PM
I'll be on Fox News Channel with John tonight about 8:10 EST talking about Iran and the cartoon intifada. Hope you can catch it.
Double Standards in Beantown
Posted by on 2.4.06 @ 3:04PM
Speaking of Eugene Volokh, he compares the Boston Globe editorial on the Danish cartoons to their editorials on art offensive to Christians. The results are non-shocking.
Re: Cartoon Intifada
Posted by on 2.4.06 @ 2:30PM
Guys: Volokh can't explain away what Cooper said. State is getting this wrong, badly so. It's only made worse by the fact that their spokesmen are only clear when they're on the wrong side, as is Cooper. So where is Condi? Why isn't she simply saying that freedom of religion goes hand in hand with freedom of the press? And that religious rules of one group do not, will not and can not restrict the free speech and free press rights of all?
Barbarians at the Gates
Posted by on 2.4.06 @ 1:44PM
The Danish Embassy in Damascus has been set ablaze as part of the Cartoon Intifada. And don't miss the painfully clear message sent by Muslim protestors in London -- just read their signs.
State
Posted by on 2.4.06 @ 1:39PM
James, Jed: as Eugene Volokh points out, Reuters made Foggy Bottom's position look much worse than it is. But our diplomats should be able to speak much more concisely and clearly than they did.
Re: Cartoon Intifada
Posted by on 2.4.06 @ 1:33PM
James: Sorry, pal, but State is doing what it usually does. Backing the bad guys. Here's the latest from State spokesbeing Kurtis Cooper (reported with enthusiasm by both Reuters and al-Jazeera):
"These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims. We fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression, but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable."
What is not acceptable is the State Department impliedly agreeing that Sharia law should be substituted for the First Amendment. I'm not saying Condi should go. Yet. But Cooper, and whomever supposedly supervises him, should be getting pink slips before sundown.
Re: Cartoon Intifada
Posted by on 2.4.06 @ 12:34PM
Let's not go calling for the head of State just yet. Courtesy of Powerline, which posted the transcript, Scott McCormack puts the official line like this:
"Our response is to say that while we certainly don't agree with, support, or in some cases, we condemn the views that are aired in public that are published in media organizations around the world, we, at the same time, defend the right of those individuals to express their views. For us, freedom of expression is at the core of our democracy and it is something that we have shed blood and treasure around the world to defend and we will continue to do so. That said, there are other aspects to democracy, our democracy - democracies around the world - and that is to promote understanding, to promote respect for minority rights, to try to appreciate the differences that may exist among us."
Fair enough: simply because the cartoons should absolutely not be withdrawn on account of blackmail does not mean they absolutely should have been run in the first place. That's an editorial decision. Editors, of course, must know beforehand that taste is not defined and enforced by the state -- or by religion with a bomb behind its back.
Australia John Howard scandal
Posted by on 2.4.06 @ 12:06AM
Spoke Australia source that the Oil for Food scandal has now washed onshore to damage the John Howard government. The allegations are graft, skimming, kickbacks, bribery and conspiracy to conceal with regard trading with Baghdad as late as 2002; and the tale points to a bevy of plutocrats and also toward Howard and his able, popular Foreign Secretary Alexander Downer. It is smoke for now, but there is noise of documents linking Howard directly, at least as someone who should have known of the schemes earlier than now. Worse ahead. Downer and Howard are ducking questions thrown at them each time they appear without buffers.
Not resigning weather, now now.
Friday, February 3, 2006
Re: Cartoon Intifada
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 7:52PM
(a) Wish I'd originated that headline; (b) the State Department, siding with the Muslims against Europe, means the inmates are still running that particular asylum; and (c) the more these protests continue, the greater the risk of permanent damage to freedom of the press here as well as in Europe. This began as farce, and now may end as tragedy. For freedom of the press, and us all.
Those Toons
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 5:14PM
I had missed this: The Islamic Society of Denmark apparently ginned up this controversy by mixing in with the images that were actually published three cartoons that are much more offensive than the others -- and obviously created by a Muslim. (Who else would think to use "unclean" animals like pigs and dogs for maximum shock-value?)
Meanwhile, the US State Department is siding against Europe. Bernard Vanden Bloock, a Belgian Instapundit reader, has apt thoughts.
Taboos and Old Reliables
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 3:07PM
You didn’t think you’d see the day when the European media was taking a harder stand than the U.S. on an important issue in the Islamic world, but that’s what appears to be happening, as major U.S. media outlets are refusing to run the offending cartoons. "I don't think we would run a cartoon in this newspaper that would be deemed offensive to any religious figure," says a foreign editor of The Detroit Free Press. "We're very careful in terms of any photo or any caricature that we run." Can someone do a check and see if this paper has ever run Ted Rall cartoons?
But hey, all is not lost: American cultural institutions are still very comfortable offending Christians and patriotic Americans. A new exhibit in
So, working off a formulation that Mark Steyn used in his recent New Criterion piece, “It’s the Demography, Stupid,” let me see if I have this right: In the first case, what we need to do is express our intolerance for those who express intolerance of the intolerant; in the second case, we need to show tolerance for those who show intolerance to the tolerant, or perhaps it’s showing tolerance for those who are tolerant of the intolerant.
But then it’s handier, and shorter, to just remember James Burnham’s formulation: “Liberalism is the ideology of Western suicide.”
India waking
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 2:50PM
Report from Gujarat province in India that the national strike by government employed airport workers that has paralyzed India air travel and commerce is a sign of India transforming itself into a 21st century economy. The Singh-led Congress Party created a welfare state of indolence from the 1950s to 2000, and the Congress Party must now lead the struggle to dismantle the sloth machine.
The airport strike is called because the Congress Party-led government wants to privatize the airports. This certainly means up to half their workers will be out of a job in three years. The Communist-led Calcutta governent fights back by supporting a shutdown in the Calcutta airport. But the Congress Party is adamant.
India is the dozing tiger of Asia; it will match and surpass the late start Chinese when Mother India finally finds the will to shed its fantasy of Marxism and fatalism and sentimental indolence. Sooner or later?
Note that the future prosperity of the United States depends upon its alliance with India, and upon India's ability to discover that supply-side capitalism works and works and works.
New York Times errors!
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 2:23PM
Re: this ridiculous paragraph from a story by Adam Nossiter in the New York Slimes:
In the late 1980s, Mr. Landrieu was one of a handful of white state legislators who distanced themselves from the ex-Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, when Mr. Duke was elected to the state House from Metairie. Mr. Landrieu denounced Mr. Duke while other white lawmakers, particularly Republicans, embraced him. That stance solidified his support among blacks.
This is so wrong, on so many levels, that it raises the question of how incredibly skewed and biased and insular is the worldview of the NY Times editors who could let this see print without a fact check.
For background: I know what I speak of here. I was quite literally one of the founding board members of the universally acknowledged premier anti-Duke organization, the Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism. Before that, as a Republican activist, I spent many months organizing anti-Duke efforts within the party. Later, I was managing editor of Gambit magazine as Gambit won many awards and earned INTERnational recognition for its groundbreaking reports (some by me) exposing Duke skulduggery and Duke's continuing, but until then, hidden ties with neo-Nazi groups and Nazi-based proposals.
Anyway, I wrote a LOT more lengthily on this earlier this morning, but had a computer glitch that ate the whole thing. So I'll summarize this time.
1. Only three or four legislators in the whole state "embraced" Duke -- EVER.
2. Far more than a handful of white legislators, INCLUDING Republicans, denounced him, ESPECIALLY in the late 1980s when he was first running for, and barely winning by 227 votes under unique circumstances, the state House seat that (for only three years) was his only public office.
3. Many more legislators worked behind the scenes to isolate Duke.
4. If Mitch Landrieu's strong anti-Duke stance "solidified" his support among black voters (in truth, every Landrieu running since the late 1960s has enjoyed strong black support), why was it that AFTER Duke's fall, in the 1994 race for mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu finished third behind black Democrat Marc Morial and white Democrat Donald Mintz?
Now, to correct some misimpressions fed by Nossiter (without him being flat-out inaccurate on these following ones, but only that what he wrote feeds the misimpressions):
1.) Duke did badly in both of his statewide races among white New Orleanians across the board. No New Orleans politician of any note embraced him, because he just wasn't popular. Despite the media-fed myth post-Katrina that New Orleans was a hotbed of racial tension, the truth is that while such tensions clearly existed, they almost certainly were comparatively less severe than in many major American cities,South OR North, because of New Orleans' unique history of free, middle-class "Creoles of color" extending back even before the Civil War. At least among certain classes of New Orleanians, the cooperation and comfort levels across races and cultures has always been stronger in New Orleans than elsewhere -- including, for instance, in Ted Kennedy's Boston.
2.) Duke's support came more from white Democrats than from Republicans. Indeed, among Republican ACTIVISTS (admittedly a different subset from all GOP voters), Duke got clobbered. At both state conventions where he vied for support for statewide races, he received less than 10% (and once, if I remmber correcly, less than 5%) of the delegate votes. (By the way, much of that anti-Duke success owed to the organizing power of the state Christian Coalition, which worked hard against him.) And GOP officials such as former Gov. Dave Treen took particularly strong and effective stands against Duke.
I could go on (and did the first time, before the computer glitch), but the main point is that while Mitch Landrieu's stance against Duke was strong and admirable (and while I like Mitch personally), he was far from the lone white knight standing against the Duke tide that Nossiter portrays him. And his own district was far more an anti-Duke district than a pro-Duke one. Again, the point is not to belittle Mitch -- he did the right thing when it counted most -- but to say that Nossiter's reporting is just pathetic. He paints a picture that slanders many white politicians who stood against Duke, that slanders Republicans, that implicates white voters in general and GOP voters in New Orleans in a miasma of feverish racist actions that only the brave Mitch Landrieu stood against. The New York Times should be ashamed for letting such a picture be painted, especially devoid of facts.
Iran indicator, watch the fleet
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 2:23PM
Much noise and doubt from the EU and UN remains to sort through about Iran and its apocalyptic aggression; however the leading indicator I am told to watch, at the end of the day, is the US Navy.
When it is time, the POTUS, whoever he is at the time, will deploy multiple carrier battle groups to the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Med, Indian Ocean; and the deployment will be deliberate and over weeks. The interval will be a form of last grasp diplomacy.
Until the fleet puts to sea with the usual arsenal of recon and strike aircraft, until the straegic bombers concentrate, the posturing in Tehran and Vienna and Washington will be entertainment value only. Enjoy.
The Cartoon Intifada
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 2:09PM
Jed -- quite right to name-check Salman Rushdie. The crucible for the European will to liberty is the howler you quoted: "Freedom of the press and of artists must be protected. But it ends where you start trampling on people's dignity."
By this standard, Mapplethorpe and Serrano would have been run out on a rail long ago. Marilyn Manson, who is a very good artist if you like that sort of thing, would be banned out of business. Whose dignity counts? The trouble is that "people's dignity" is a legal netherworld when definitional reliance is placed upon the indignant. That problem is illustrated by Salman Rushdie, someone who should know about the dilemmas stirred up by dignity and Islamist censorship. Writes he, back on December 10, 2005 in the Times of London:
When we, as individuals, pick and mix cultural elements for ourselves, we do not do so indiscriminately, but according to our natures. Societies, too, must retain the ability to discriminate, to reject as well as to accept, to value some things above others, and to insist on the acceptance of those values by all their members. This is the question of our time: how does a fractured community of multiple cultures decide what values it must share in order to cohere, and how can it insist on those values even when they clash with some citizens' traditions and beliefs?
Let's pause at the phrase "according to our natures." Trick or trap number one is the sonorous inslip of the s, which polytheizes "human nature" and lends some subliminal metaphysical heft to the sea of psychophilosophical fantasies that has given us multiculturalism itself. Multiculturalism is, absurdly, an attempt to force culture not to work itself out; its pernicious unnaturalness cannot understand that real immigration control is not measured in size of portions but in quality of digestion; Nietzscheans among us might see states in Europe and beyond that have gorged half-chewingly at a national-cultural buffet line of immigrants and now complain of dyspepsia. Patience! Eat with good table manners, treat your stomach organs with some reverence --.
Taboos or Free Speech?
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 1:11PM
The battles over the cartoons published -- first in Denmark and then in several other Euro nations -- depicting Islam's founder Mohammed are still escalating. Danish PM Rasmussen characterized the controversy as a clash between Islamic taboos and western freedom of the press. In that, he is entirely correct. But the EUnuchs had yet to sound off. Now they have, as reported here in the Financial Times:
"I can understand the motivation at one level; they are standing up for freedom of speech. They also have to understand the offense that's caused,'' he told the BBC.
Nadeem Elyas, chairman of the Central Council of Muslims, a moderate German Muslim lobby, said the cartoons were "insulting."
"Freedom of the press and of artists must be protected. But it ends where you start trampling on people's dignity," he told the FT, while adding that he recognised newspapers had a duty to report the controversy."
Elyas is echoing the sentiments of Kofi Annan who said almost the same yesterday. Which of the EU nations will be the first to outlaw cartoons depicting Mohammed? How soon will Brussels declare the cartoons a violation of human rights? And how long will it be before the hyperlibs here begin to apologize for the European cartoons?
Salman Rushdie was condemned to death and a life in hiding for "Satanic Verses." Which cartoonists will be condemned as he was? Taboos or free speech? Which will govern in Europe?
More important that European reaction is the reaction of leading Iraqi Shia cleric Ali al-Sistani. Condemning the cartoons, Sistani also said that radical Islamists were partially responsible for distorting the image of Islam. His comments show a courage sufficient to distance most Iraqi Shia from Iran. He, unlike Ahmadinejad, is someone with whom we can deal.
Smack!
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 12:24PM
Business Week's Eamon Javers has been on quite the witch hunt for conservative columnists with ties to lobbyists and think tanks in recent weeks. Turns out Javers has some lobbyist pals of his own. Lisa DePasquale nails him here.
Olmert sweating
Posted by on 2.3.06 @ 2:06AM
Best Israeli source reports that the decision to send in mounted and billy club tough guys at Amona settlement on West Bank was Olmert, acting as a poll reading pol. Olmert sees that he can get no more votes from the right, so he is zipping left to attract the vote that despises the settlements, specially the outpost temp settlements.
Olmert with sweaty palms. Polls show seat count between 33 and 45, and this swing illustrates how the public does not know how to read him
Read Olmert uncertain.
Thursday, February 2, 2006
NSA Leak Investigation
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 6:19PM
Powerline posits the motivations and sources of information that had Sen. John Rockefeller spluttering over CIA Director Porter Goss's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee today.
Goss did a couple of things today that should have some folks sitting up and paying attention.
First, he outlined in fairly strong language just how damaging the leak of the NSA international eavesdropping program was. It made his job harder, froze ongoing programs and placed American operatives and assets in danger.
Second, by detailing the severity of this leak, he placed in clear context the Valerie Plame case. Only Democrats and former intelligence community members sympathetic to Plame and her husband Joe Whatshisname and antagonistic toward the Bush Administration have claimed damage was done by the release of her name. Rockefeller in particular has made such charges with no evidence to back them up.
Where we quibble with our friends at Powerline is the source of the leak. As we have reported from the beginning, from the indications we've gotten from sources on Capitol Hill, in law enforcement and in the Administration, the strong suspicion and anecdotal evidence is that the leak of the NSA program came off of Capitol Hill from the office of a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. We stand by that reporting.
This Will Make You Proud
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 6:05PM
Even though it's about a U.S. Marine, the Army colonel father-in law of one of our contributors sent him this link to an usual posting that both pays tribute to this Marine's heroics and asks why such people aren't being featured on the Evening News.
Katrina Czar Is Full of, uh, Baloney
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 3:40PM
Donald Powell, the Gulf Coast recovery coordinator for the White House, had an op-ed in the Wash Post this morning on the "Baker bill" that would set up a revolving loan fund called the Louisiana Recovery Corporation to help New Orleans and surrounding parishes get back on their feet. There is no nicer way to say it than to say that Mr. Powell is either extremely dim-witted or else duplicitous. Volumes could be written refuting the nonsense in his column, but the upshot of it is this:
The administration's position amounts to opposing the bill written by a conservative Republican; a bill that would set up a quasi-private corporation to promote the free market; a corporation that would recoup for the taxpayers a large portion of the original investment rather than just give the federal money away in the form of grants and irrecoverable appropriations; a REVOLVING loan fund, fergoshsakes, which indeed means the same money is effectively used over and over again so as to reduce the long-term impact on the Treasury; a loan fund the majority of whose directors would be appointed by President Bush and independent of supposedly corrupt political influence in Louisiana; a loan fund supported by each of the three living Republican former governors of Louisiana and by the only U.S. House Appropriations Committee chairman in decades to actually cut domestic discretionary spending (as opposed to merely cutting from the scheduled increase); all created by a bill that passed the key House committee by an overwhelming, bipartisan, 50-9 margin.
In its stead, the numbskulled Mr. Powell offers Community Development Block Grants that must be funneled through the very Louisiana state government that is supposedly so corrupt; in order to help property owners restore the value of some 20,000 homes out of the 235,000 or so homes that are right now unlivable (about two-thirds of which, at a much more effective dollar-for-dollar cost, would be helped under the Baker bill)... and, oops, I have to go to a meeting. More later.
For now, just note that not only are Powell's (and the president's) policy choices wrongheaded, but the column is riddled with misstatements and what certainly look like deliberate attempts to produce misimpressions of what the Baker bill actually does. In short, the Powell column is intellectually dishonest. And so is the administration's approach to Katrina recovery.
Blunt Talk
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 3:17PM
Rep. Roy Blunt's staff may be saying he is staying on as House Republican Whip, but don't place a lot of money on that bet just yet. We're hearing that while Blunt wants to keep his leadership post, and many caucus members are saying the right things just an hour after defeat. But it is far from certain that Blunt is the long-term or even mid-term answer to the Whip post.
One of the reasons Blunt failed to gain traction -- and a point we humbly point out we've been making here for some time -- is that the Whip operation has declined badly over the past 18 months. Just how badly was evident yesterday in the deficit-cutting legislative vote.
We should be clear, we've received no indication from our Boehner sources that there is a move afoot to push Blunt out of his post, nor does Boehner as Majority Leader have the stated ability to push Blunt out. But generally what a Majority Leader wants, a Majority Leader gets.
And what a third party who ensured the election of that Majority Leader wants, that third party usually gets. As Drudge says ... Developing ....
Re: Cartoon Kerfuffle Continues
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 2:52PM
Have to disagree with you, SallyVee. This is not "taqiya", which is "precautionary dissimulation." There's no dissimulation here, just a blunt-force attempt to impose Islamist censorship on the media. And I do agree that it's no longer just a "kerfuffle." There are Palestinian terror groups, such as Al-Aqsa "martyrs" brigade, threatening to kill Danes and others if there's no apology by the Danish government.
If this continues, it could build into a watershed for Europe and for us. Just how much censorship of the news, op-eds and editorial cartoons will we stand for? This is an outrage against freedom, and it shouldn't be tolerated in any degree or form.
Subverting Dems now
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 2:49PM
What happens when there is a revolution in your neighborhod? The mob gets itchy.
Pelosi will need a food taster. Same for Hoyer. And Reid is wise to start shredding his family-documented cooperation with casinos, Indian and non-Indian.
Re: No Snafu
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 2:48PM
Dave, James: Shadegg's dropping out for second round wasn't unexpected. See the Washington Prowler's account that ran on Monday morning on our main page. It would appear that Boehner and Shadegg had some arrangement... Of course, it's also possible that Shadegg dropped out because he just didn't have the numbers.
World Turned Upside Down
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 2:39PM
First report best source: Boehner wins. Start the shredders at DeLayLand.
No Snafu
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 2:29PM
The Hill corrects its earlier report: apparently, GOP leaders figured out their clerical error on the first ballot, so didn't have to recast. Blunt only garnered 110 on the first go-'round, Boehner took 79, Shadegg 40 and Jim Ryun 2. Shadegg dropped out before the second ballot.
Boehner Win
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 2:21PM
It's great news. By which I mean it's great news Blunt lost. His overly confident approach was disgusting -- the guy wouldn't answer the Republican Study Committee's questionnaire, wouldn't debate the other guys. He was bereft of ideas, and thought projecting a front-runner status would substitute.
It's a good day for the House.
Boehner's Da Man
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 2:15PM
Boehner's it, but it's Blunt everyone will still be looking at. No word yet on whether Blunt intends to continue as Whip, though the assumption is that he's as good as his word on his staying around.
Boehner's election is good news for the caucus, particularly in an election year. He carries none of Blunt's baggage, and still gives the GOP a solid fundraiser to help the party.
It's Boehner
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 2:10PM
122-109. Conceivable translation: Blunt's people cut for Shadegg; Shadegg's people cut for Boehner. FOX News is reporting that Shadegg dropped out after the first ballot. But how does this square with the snafu?
Leader Vote Snafu
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 1:53PM
The Hill's Patrick O'Connor reports in an email that Caucus chairman Deborah Pryce threw out the first ballot of the House leadership election "after members discovered an error in the number of ballots received compared to the number of members present in the room." Pryce thinks it was a clerical error, and members did not learn the results of the first ballot.
Malaise Moment
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 1:40PM
As the reviews of the President's SOTU speech come in, a clear distinction is being drawn between the political points he scored against foolish Democrats and the alarmingly unconservative substance of his some of his remarks. Three years ago Bush was haunted by the "16 words" included in his address about Iraqi efforts to purchase uranium in Africa. This time five little words may come back to haunt him: "America is addicted to oil."
When a President suggests that his own country is afflicted with a moral or genetic flaw, he's basically pointing the finger of blame at the citizenry. Jimmy Carter tried that in his famous "malaise" speech, and look where it got him. Will the "addicted" comment go down as Bush's "malaise" moment?
Of course all the usual suspects are now free to revive the old nostrums. My favorite response so far is the lead letter in today's New York Times correspondence section, especially this:
Mr. President, the only alternative is an efficient mass transit system in every town in the United States.What we need is a Manhattan Project to develop rail, bus, trolley, light rail and all variations of mass transit that get us away from the one-person-one-car habit forced upon the American public for the last five decades, the real cause of addiction to foreign oil.
The writer in question must be a deeply unhappy individual, forced as he is to reside iin the one-person-one-car town of Pismo Beach, California, a lovely place famous for its long, long pier that stretches halfway to Hawaii -- with no mass transit in sight.
Re: House Leadership
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 11:22AM
The House Republican Caucus meets at noon to vote (by secret ballot) on the new majority leader. Results will be posted here as soon as they're available.
Who Do the Youngs Think They Are?
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 11:20AM
The ejections of Cindy Sheehan and Mrs. C.W. Bill Young (that's Beverly to Rep. Young) from the House chamber during the State of the Union Address has provoked a great deal of self-righteous chest-thumping, on the front page of the Post no less.
Such infantile behavior is expected from Mother Sheehan, as RET writes in his column today. But I expect more class from Republicans. Not the Congressman Young or his wife. She's still calling Terrance W. Gainer, Capitol Chief of Police, an "idiot." The Post reports that she had "saltier" words for him Tuesday night. Young is so kind as not to call for Gainer's head, but he wouldn't rule out legal action. What a gentleman.
Mrs. Young and Mrs. Sheehan broke the rules. Visitors to the galleries cannot put their feet up or chew gum without getting tossed. Rather than Gainer apologizing to the Youngs, the Youngs owe him an apology. Now, make it two apologies: one for breaking the rules, and another for acting like a classless, liberal protester when caught.
An Immigrant's Family vs. His Job Skills
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 11:13AM
Ilya Shapiro, frustrated at the difficulty of getting a Green Card, writes:
It is perhaps self-serving of me to point this out, but I think this country would be better off if it were possible to get a green card by some method other than through family ties or a difficult-to-obtain employer sponsorship (on which more later). As it stands now, even those worthy skilled professionals who secure a quota-restricted temporary worker visa (H1-B) have to leave upon that visa's expiration, with no mechanism for applying for permanent residence -- unlike in every other immigrant-accepting country in the world.It is indeed crazy that an American relative counts for more than a law degree, and this reminded me of an interesting paper (.pdf) that I read the other day on why immigrants from Mexico assimilate more slowly than immigrants from other countries. Its conclusion:
The source of the problem seems to be US immigration policy. By admitting large numbers of Mexicans relative to other groups on a family rather than job basis, the US selects a group of immigrants from Mexico who are already at a disadvantage. The large numbers allow highly concentrated ethnic enclaves to form, which is not conducive to assimilation. Additionally, the fact that such a small proportion of Mexican immigrants are admitted on an employment preference basis means that the average level of skills of incoming Mexicans is lower than that for other immigrant groups.Why was I reading this paper? I wanted to learn about the views of the author, Edward P. Lazear, as he has just been chosen to chair the President's Council of Economic Advisers, replacing new Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. It would be nice to see Lazear's insights on this issue gain influence.Mexico is a large country with an abundant supply of highly skilled potential immigrants to the US. Changes in US immigration selection policy that moved in the direction of employment based preferences for Mexican immigrants would likely close the gap between assimilation of Mexicans and other immigrants to the United States.
House Leadership
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 11:00AM
As of 10 this morning, it remains unclear who is standing where in the race for House Majority Leader. The team of Rep. Roy Blunt insists they have at least 100 backers locked in, but no one is certain of a number that still remains in flux.
In order to get 100, Blunt last night identified Rep. Wayne Gilchrist as a supporter. But Gilchrist has been a Rep. John Boehner backer up until now.
The smart money, according to GOP caucus members, remains on a second ballot that has Boehner emerging as the leader. That said, Blunt's performance yesterday, handing the conservative Republican Study Group a legislative win in the spending wars, may have helped him more than his poor performance at the caucus retreat earlier this week.
Head wounds
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 10:35AM
Medical source reports that the wounds to ABC team, specially Woodruff, are most threatening. Suggestion that shrapnel penetrated the skull. Woodruff transferred to the best of the best for head wounds. U.S. medicals have a deal of experience now because of the IEDs. My experience is that prayer works well, too.
Cartoon Kerfuffle Continues
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 9:24AM
According to this BBC report, the editor of the France Soir newspaper was fired for reprinting the editorial cartoon depictions of Mohammed that have Muslims in an uproar. Several European papers, like France Soir, republished the cartoons originally published by the Norwegian paper, Jyllands Posten, setrting off protests and a trade embargo against Norwegian products in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. (Michelle Malkin has posted the offending cartoons here.)
This incident may have a salutary effect. The Euros have spent so much time and energy avoiding any circumstance that would give offense to anyone, they've gradually surrendered freedom of speech and of the press to radical Islamists who want to preclude criticism of terrorism. This incident is, to some degree, reviving European concern at the erosion of free speech by imposition of religious dogma. Let's hope they rebel against the Islamists and get back to being democracies. We need to follow this debate closely because we need to have precisely the same one here, and for the same reason.
I'm From the Government and I'm Here to Help
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 8:30AM
President Bush might want to go review old Reagan speeches and pick up some general distrust of government as the solution. The verdict is in on his State of the Union: Bush thinks the federal government is the primary agent of change. See more from David Hogberg today, then check out George Will and Bob Novak echoing his thoughts.
Decent Budget News
Posted by on 2.2.06 @ 7:48AM
The House voted (again -- it's a redo from last year because the Senate slightly changed the bill) to cut slightly the growth of entitlement spending yesterday. It's a solid first step. But the way Roy Blunt's gloating a conservative might suppose the battle is won. Makes you wonder what Blunt would/will do once he's majority leader.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
Kathmandu and PACOM
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 10:21PM
Kathmandu source reports that a general officer from PACOM flew in yesterday, February 1, on the critical day of a national protest by a coalition of the disenfrachised against the peculiar one-man state of King Gyanendra. The general, visiting the Amerian embassy, told the international media present that the United States was concerned at the deterioration of the state. Why does the US get involved in the roof of the world? Because Nepal is an agreed-upon battlefield between the two superstates of the 21st century, India (the team we support) and China (the team we are correct to fear), and also because the Maoist guerillas who control the high ground in the countryside are a sincere terror-for-hire gang and King Gyanendra is now taking arms and momney from Bejing as well as the jihadist crowd in Islamabad. Also, Gyanendra is a rascal and bully, and the people of Nepal deserve better than to be abandoned to beggary and injustice by a so-called international community.
Blunt Closer and Closer
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 6:38PM
Late word from House gallery source that not only did Roy Blunt deliver squeakily the vote, 216-214, to complete Mike Pence's September initiative for Operation Offset -- cutting money from the budget to match the money spent on Katrina relief -- but also that Blunt is within celebrating distance of the 117 votes he needs for GOP leadership. Importantly, source does not say that 117 is a done deal. Blunt remains heavy establishment favorite, however this is a secret, secret, secret ballot and there is no motive for anyone ever to reveal his or her vote.
8 Noms For The Cowpokes
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 4:24PM
For those who dare to care: I predicted for 2006 "More bisexuality. The gay phenomenon is so last year" -- and sure enough Brokeback Mountain rides in with eight, count 'em, Oscar nods. Though director Ang Lee had the fashionable, acceptable attitude when he said, "I didn't know there were so many gay people out there. Everywhere, they turn up," it should be clear that Brokeback Mountain is less a gay cowboy movie than a bisexual cowboy movie. (Or, as the Washington Post calls it with such adult wit, "cowpoke.")
The distinction matters because the motive collapses into incoherence, a land where everything is possible but nothing is true. Reflecting such ritually subjective terms, Lee gushed, "I think I'm amazed how people everywhere have had the sensitivity to want to get into the complexity of the issue, the probability of love, the illusion of love, all those things. It's not simple things [sic] you can categorize as right or wrong."
If demolishing this nonsense in greater detail appeals to you, read on here.
Pay to Smear
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 3:18PM
In my e-mail inbox, two messages, one on top of the other. The first, from the New Republic, reads: "Today at TNR Online: Bush's Diminished Presidency." The second, right underneath, from the Republican National Committee, announces: "What They're Saying About President Bush's State Of The Union Address." I bet that doesn't include the New Republic's line (which in any case no one will read because TNR wants readers to pay for its web content!).
That Sinking Feeling
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 2:16PM
So we now know that CBS White House correspondent John Bouffant Roberts won't be the successor to Gunga Dan Rather. How do we know? Because Roberts is going over to CNN. We have no report of the IQ levels at either network being modified as the result of the move. Nor will there be any disturbance in the levels of liberalism at CBS or CNN. This, in thermodynamic terms, will not disturb the equilibrium of the MSM.
Hynes in Granite
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 1:02PM
One of my favorite AmSpec contributors Patrick Hynes is listed on a web poll as a potential candidate for Chairman of the New Hampshire GOP ...
New Orleans Slighted
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 11:34AM
Acknowledging that there is a difference between throwing money at a problem (BAD idea) and recognizing a problem, I must admit SEVERE disappointment last night with the paltry attention paid by Bush to the greatest natural disaster in this nation's history. For many, many reasons, INCLUDING federal incompetence through horrible engineering by the Corps of Engineers, about two-thirds of one of the world's great cities still lies in ruins. But all Bush could do was boast about the money already approved for hurricane relief (he needs to check on how much of it has actually made its way to victims so far -- VERY very little of it) and then change the subject to how people in New Orleans and elsewhere all need good schools, etc. (Huh?) From the day Hurricane Katrina appeared in the Gulf, notwithstanding all the imbecilic moves by state and local officials in Louisiana, the Bush administration's response has been uncaring, incompetent, and obstinately unhelpful. Any budgetary concerns he has about the brilliant "Baker bill" for a reconstruction revolving fund are made inconsequential and frankly hypocritical in light of Bush's veto-less, budget-bloating, big-government, free-spending record.
In sum, then, in terms of how well the speech dealt with Louisiana, the speech was so utterly inadequate as to be an insult.
Weighing In...
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 11:25AM
Everyone (but not us) seemed to miss the moment at the end of the SOTU, when a special appearance was made by the February issue of The American Spectator. As the President was walking out shaking hands with MOC's (Members of Congress), one unnamed Member had a copy of the magazine in his left hand as he was reaching out to POTUS with his right. Go AmSpec!
And as everyone seems to be playing this game, my favorite line of the night was, "We love our freedom, and we will fight to keep it." Runner-up moment, Hillar-ious' not-so-graceful reaction to the mention of her beloved, BBB (Baby-Boomer Bill).
Sheehan Shenanigans
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 11:24AM
We're told by reliable Democratic House leadership sources that Rep. Lynn Woolsey, the Democrat from California who provided war protestor Cindy Sheehan a ticket to the State of the Union address last night, was warned in advance that Sheehan intended to let loose a protest during the speech.
But it wasn't just Woolsey's idea. She was encouraged to give the ticket to Sheehan by others inside her caucus. It isn't clear that Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was aware of the plan, but Woolsey staff are saying this morning that this wasn't just Woolsey's idea, and that given the media coverage that was sure to take place, she didn't move without approval from higher ups in the caucus.
NSA Ain't Illegal
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 9:21AM
The problem with what Cong. Barr is saying is that, under the Constitution, FISA, and the courts' consideration of the president's power to conduct warrantless searches, the NSA terrorist surveillance program is legal. As I said in my column a couple of weeks ago, the legal authority for the president to order warrantless searches of this kind is clear. Were there instances where it was exceeded? We don't know, and neither does Mr. Barr.
The question to Mr. Barr is, do you want to stop this program? If you believe it is illegal, you must want the illegal conduct stopped forthwith. And if it is stopped, what do we do to conduct intelligence gathering on those in the U.S. who are talking to al Qaeda and other terrorist groups abroad?
Re: Terrorist Surveillance Program
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 5:17AM
In today's column, I note in a parenthetical that "Liberal writers routinely state flatly that the program was illegal, as if this were a simple fact rather than a deduction from speculation about how the program actually worked." Perhaps that should have read "Liberal writers, and Bob Barr, routinely state flatly..."
If Congressman Barr would explain how exactly he can be sure, without knowing the technical details, that the program in question is covered under FISA or otherwise "in violation of a federal law," I'd be most interested.
Re: Terrorist Surveillance Program
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 2:10AM
Critics like Congressman Barr may dislike the president's terminology, but I thought when Mr. Bush explained the terrorist surveillance program last night he scored more political points than at any time last evening. That's because, post-9/11, his argument had the advantage of being a no-brainer:
"If there are people inside our country who are talking with Al Qaida, we want to know about it, because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again."
Re: Terrorist Surveillance Program
Posted by on 2.1.06 @ 12:15AM
The President's state-of-the-union speech has given us a new term with which to define warrantless electronic surveillance conducted in violation of a federal law: "terrorist surveillance program." And here all along I thought it was "NSA spying."
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Marginalizations
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:51PM
After a moment's reflection (during this lull courtesy of Citizen Kaine), the most important word of the night emerges to me as "marginalized," contra the word "defeated." Terrorists are to be defeated, but insurgents marginalized. This cuts several ways, but the central message is that defeating the non-terrorist insurgents is not necessary to America's vital interests. By inference, absorbing them into democracy is.
Most important phrase on the domestic front: "we must never give in to the belief that America is in decline, or that our culture is doomed to unravel." Our culture is not doomed but it is unraveling. Building a professional army of scientists and mathematicians is precisely the wrong kind of educational emphasis required for unmarginalizing anywhere but along the bottom line.
Tim Who?
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:50PM
The best way to grade Kaine's speech is the reaction it bestirs in the Dem-friendly media. They tuned out in less time than it took to run a commercial break. No follow-up, no instant stardom. Sorry, Tim. No national candidacy for you. You spoke for a while, and nobody heard you say anything worth remembering for the 11pm broadcast. I'm betting you get less than six column inches in the WaPo tomorrow.
Gingrich: A Great Job
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:43PM
What?! Somebody check Newt's pulse. He gives Governor Kaine "very high marks." Decent text. Atrocious delivery.
Baffling
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:40PM
It's so sad to remember: Jerry Kilgore lost to this guy. Sigh...
A Marine view on Kane
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:37PM
I am IM-ing with my Marine brother, who is not a political junkie, so is not familiar with Kaine. He asks: "Who is this churchboy? Their sop to the red states?" Maybe he doesn't need to follow politics any more than he does.
Re: Hello, Boys and Girls
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:35PM
John: By process of elimination, you're not crazy. Kaine only won because he faced an awful campaign. Dems will rue this choice. It's good on paper, but the man's a goof.
Tim Looks Shifty
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:35PM
John: He does resemble a Mr. Rogers gone bad. I've seen that smile before on some used car salesman. He keeps saying there's a better way. But he never says what it is. Or did I miss something?
A VA View on Kaine
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:34PM
A Virginia blog, Bearing Drift, is liveblogging Kaine as well.
Hello, Boys and Girls
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:32PM
Am I crazy, or does Tim Kaine have a noticeable Mr. Rogers vibe?
Timmy's Speech
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:32PM
Looks like a yawner. Nothing new here. Here's the text.
UPDATE: Kaine makes Bush look like a regular orator. Sheesh. And... of course, watch the eyebrow.
Re: "Reduce Dependence on Middle Eastern Oil"
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:29PM
Oil is (mostly) fungible. It's not that much of a simplification to say that consumption of any oil enriches everyone who has oil to sell. Of course, this mean that cutting into Middle Eastern oil wealth is a lot harder than a lot of people realize. A reduction in US consumption would put downward pressure on oil prices and hurt petrocrats' revenues, which is good. But the OPEC cartel is designed to support prices, and wouldn't sit still in the face of falling demand. Really, a post-petroleum economy is the only way to permanently break OPEC.
The "Advanced Energy Initiative"
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:25PM
There seems to be only a passing glance at nuclear power. Are the Iranians the only people interested in developing it? Maybe there will be more inclusion of it as the initiative progresses. Sen. Domenici will push it, as may others.
Here's the White House's description of the initiative:
“In His State Of The Union Address, President Bush Outlined The Advanced Energy Initiative To Help Break
Changing The Way We Power Our Homes And Businesses
The Administration Will Work To Diversify Energy Sources For American Homes And Businesses. Accelerating research in clean coal technologies, clean and safe nuclear energy, and revolutionary solar and wind technologies will reduce overall demand for natural gas and lead to lower energy costs. The President's Advanced Energy Initiative proposes speeding up research in three promising areas:
Ø The President's Coal Research Initiative. Coal provides more than half of the Nation's electricity supply, and
- The President's 2007 Budget Includes $54 Million For The FutureGen Initiative. The FutureGen initiative is a partnership between government and the private sector to develop innovative technologies for an emissions-free coal plant that captures the carbon dioxide it produces and stores it in deep geologic formations.
Ø Expanding Clean Energy from Wind. The 2007 Budget includes $44 million for wind energy research – a $5 million increase over FY06 levels. This will help improve the efficiency and lower the costs of new wind technologies for use in low-speed wind environments. Combined with ongoing efforts to expand access to Federal lands for wind energy development, this new funding will help dramatically increase the use of wind energy in the
Changing The Way We Power Our Automobiles
We Are On The Verge Of Dramatic Improvements In How We Power Our Automobiles, And The President's Initiative Will Bring Those Improvements To The Forefront. The
Ø The Biorefinery Initiative. To achieve greater use of "homegrown" renewable fuels in the United States, advanced technologies need to be perfected to make fuel ethanol from cellulosic (plant fiber) biomass, which is now discarded as waste. The President's 2007 Budget will include $150 million – a $59 million increase over FY06 – to help develop bio-based transportation fuels from agricultural waste products, such as wood chips, stalks, or switch grass. Research scientists say that accelerating research into "cellulosic ethanol" can make it cost-competitive by 2012, offering the potential to displace up to 30% of the Nation's current fuel use.
Ø Developing More Efficient Vehicles. Current hybrids on the road run on a battery developed at the DOE. The President's plan would accelerate research in the next generation of battery technology for hybrid vehicles and "plug-in hybrids." Current hybrids can only use the gasoline engine to charge the on-board battery. A "plug-in" hybrid can run either on electricity or on gasoline and can be plugged into the wall at night to recharge its batteries. These vehicles will enable drivers to meet most of their urban commuting needs with virtually no gasoline use. Advanced battery technologies offer the potential to significantly reduce oil consumption in the near-term. The 2007 Budget includes $30 million – a $6.7 million increase over FY06 – to speed up the development of this battery technology and extend the range of these vehicles.
Ø The Hydrogen Fuel Initiative. In his 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush announced a $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative to develop technology for commercially viable hydrogen-powered fuel cells, which would power cars, trucks, homes, and businesses with no pollution or greenhouse gases. Through private-sector partnerships, the Initiative and related FreedomCAR programs will make it practical and cost-effective for Americans to use clean, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2020. The President's 2007 Budget will provide $289 million – an increase of $53 million over FY06 – to accelerate the development of hydrogen fuel cells and affordable hydrogen-powered cars. Through the President's program, the cost of a hydrogen fuel cell has been cut by more than 50% in just four years.
Ø
The President's Advanced Energy Initiative Will Build On The Progress Made Since 2001
Since 2001, The Administration Has Worked To Ensure Affordable, Reliable, Secure, And Clean Sources Of Energy. In 2001, the President put forward his National Energy Policy, which included over 100 recommendations to increase domestic energy supplies, encourage efficiency and conservation, invest in energy-related infrastructure, and develop alternative and renewable sources of energy. Over the past four years, the Administration has worked to implement these recommendations and improve the Nation's energy outlook.
Last Summer, The President Signed The First Comprehensive Energy Legislation In Over A Decade. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is strengthening
I Call for State of the Union Reform
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:17PM
To end laundry lists. Stop. Please. It reminds me of sitting in front of the living room TV, trying to total the cost of Bill Clinton's programs for civics class the next day.
Yo, Gov. Timmy
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:10PM
So how many redrafts of his speech has Gov. Kaine done in the past thirty or forty minutes? I'd hate to be his speech writer about now.
"Reduce Dependence on Middle Eastern Oil"
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:08PM
Sure. Why not?
But let us note also that Middle Eastern oil is a sliver of our crude oil imports. Canada and Mexico top the list (pdf).
Oedipal Confusion
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:06PM
Am consulting my Oxford Shakespeare, specially the two Lear versions, to figure out the reference to "two of my dad's favorite baby-boomers, me and President Clinton."
Is this Oedipal game disguised as sibling rivalry? Does Bill Clinton have a new father? Does POTUS expect that the next presidential race will turn on his ability to embrace the opposition's nomination's legal relative?
Elizabethan parlor games here, poison tongues are somewhere in the room. Calling Thackeray for an update.
The Party of No
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:03PM
Against medical liability reform. They'd rather federalize health care.
Entitlements Commission
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:00PM
A commission? We don't need a commission. We know the Social Security solution. We need action.
Interestingly: when was the last time that only the opposition party applauded something they sarcastically liked in the SOTU?
Blunt swallows and smiles
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:58PM
Earmark reform, favors Boehner and Shadegg. Blunt swallows and smiles. Did POTUS just tip the scale toward a second ballot?
Yikes. Blunt scrambles the jets.
Earmark Reform
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:57PM
For a brief moment, when John McCain obnoxiously clapped, I remembered why I liked him in 2000.
Re: Terrorist Surveillance Program
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:57PM
I don't think there will be a starker image from the speech tonight for the American viewer than the sight of one half of the chamber sitting on its hands at the President's words. It's most of what anyone needs to know to distinguish the parties.
GOP leadership
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:56PM
Tax cuts. Listening to see if this segment favors Blunt, Boehner, Shadegg?
Whoa, Big Fella
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:56PM
Our economy can't function without immigrants, sure. Starting with them guys who came over the Bering Strait a millenium or so ago, we're all immigrants. But why does that sound like you don't want to control illegal immigration?
The Dems Want Your Money
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:56PM
Otherwise, they'd stand and applaud permanent tax cuts.
"A Second Rate Economy"
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:55PM
This economic section reeks of inserts from Cheney's office. And I love it.
President foreign policy
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:52PM
Roughly thirty minutes of foreign policy so far, clear, passionate, unambiguous, historically accurate, rugged, visionary, inarguable.
Terrorist Surveillance Program
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:51PM
If there are people in our country who are talking to al-Queda, we want to know about it because we're not going to sit back and wait to be hit again.
Ok, Dr. Dean. What's your answer? Other than saying "no."
Re: NSA Rocks
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:51PM
John, this is strong and bold. And Hillary knows it. Just look at her smirk and shake her head.
Slapping the Jihad's Enablers
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:48PM
Egypt's Mubarak and Hamas's Meshed and Saud's Abdullah get slapped.
Then:
"Must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons."
Clarity.
Citizens of Iran: "a free and democratic Iran ..."
Ahmadinejad stares back from the mystery of his hidey-hole.
SOTU Hilly
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:45PM
Hillary looks depressed. Maybe she was planning on a drink with Cindy after class.
Hamas Demands
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:44PM
Must recognize Israel and reject terrorism. Strong words. Fat chance.
"Second Guessing is not a Strategy"
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:40PM
With lines like that I might be able to sleep well tonight, especially if they keep giving me images of Kerry looking so sour.
For the Troops, Against Their Purpose
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:40PM
Dems sit when Bush says we're winning, but stand when he says we must back the troops.
Ready for Bed?
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:39PM
Bush is running over the applause lines, speeding up. Slow, pal. Sleep in tomorrow.
New Starting Five Rogues
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:36PM
POTUS names the names:
Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Iran.
To my memory, this is the first time Burma and Zimbabwe have been demoted to North Korea status. Mugabe swallows and smiles.
"We Will Never Surrender To Evil"
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:36PM
...and Charlie Rangel stays seated. Just for the record.
Sam's Catching On
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:35PM
I'm enjoying watching Justice Alito tonight: before the speech, he was a little awestruck, looking around the chamber. At the last applause line, he wasn't sure if he should clap or not. So he meekly looked to his right, saw other justices clapping, and decided it's a good idea.
Call for Comity
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:29PM
"I will do my part." That he began with this signals just how poisonous the "tone" is in Washington. Nasty.
Energy Policy
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:27PM
John: The embargoed parts of the speech ain't all that juicy. Except for the energy initiative, that is.
Not an Arrest
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:25PM
Major Garrett of Fox News: Reports Sheehan was detained, not arrested.
The Act
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:24PM
Isn't there something a little unseemly about the way reporters talk before a speech when they've obviously read an embargoed advance copy? The president "will need to address energy." Oh, will he, now? I wonder whether that'll pop up in the speech! Why not just read the unembargoed excerpts and provide context, instead of playing games?
SOTU Cindy ARRESTED
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:20PM
She apparently was trying to unfurl some banner and was hauled away. Too bad they couldn't have taken Boxer and Pelosi out with her.
SOTU Cindy
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 8:56PM
Several reports say that San Francisco congressbeing Lynn Woolsey (D-of course) has given a gallery pass to Cindy Sheehan to attend the president's speech. It's better than even money that CBS, NBC and ABC will have more camera time on her than on the prez. Too bad the Dems didn't invite her to deliver the rebuttal instead of boring old Tim Kaine. This could be hilarious. Start popping the corn.
Hormuz Project
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 8:43PM
Best Iran source reports on four new parallel tunnels under construction in north Tehran, in what is called Mini-City, that are designed to deny and deceive signals intelligence.
The tunnels, called the Hormuz Project, are 50 meters deep, about 150 to 300 meters long, and double concrete walled with a lead layer in between; also there is provision for fiberglass sound proofing. These measures are to shield radiation leakage and to muffle the loud whirring of a cascade array of P-2 gas centrifuge machines for processing uranium into the 90% purity necessary for a nuclear weapon. The tunnels are being built by the Hora engineering company which has its headquarters at Khatam Al Aribia, the main engineering headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Council (IRGC).
The information is sourced to the NCRI, National Council for Resistance in
The significance of the revelation – there are photographs of the city suburbs with dotted lines identifying the position of the tunnel to anyone’s GPS -- is that
Only way to get at a world power with such a bloody-minded war plan is to use blockade or fire-teams. Either option, just the gaming of either option, will close supply lines from the
Make my day, is
Barrels of oil at $70. Just the beginning.
Polling Preview
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 7:22PM
Mark "Mystery Pollster" Blumenthal:
From the polling perspective, if recent history repeats itself, we can assume two things will occur after the President's State of the Union (SOTU) speech tonight. First, CNN/USAToday/Gallup and perhaps CBS News will conduct instant reaction polls among speech watchers who will express great enthusiasm for the President and his address. Second, the traditional poll of all Americans conducted in the weeks following the speech will show little or no "bump" in the President's job approval ratings.By way of explanation, Blumenthal points to a tendency for the SOTU audience to be disproportionately packed with a president's copartisans.
Get Smashed on a Tuesday Night
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 6:47PM
It's the State of the Union drinking game! Sample: "Every time the camera shows.... John Kerry: Threaten to talk through the rest of the speech until your friends 'cloture' you, then 1 long drink."
SOTU Preview
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 6:04PM
Thanks to a White House source, we can give you the following excerpts from the president's State of the Union address to be delivered at 9 pm tonight:
“In this decisive year, you and I will make choices that determine both the future and the character of our country. We will choose to act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom – or retreat from our duties in the hope of an easier life. We will choose to build our prosperity by leading the world economy – or shut ourselves off from trade and opportunity. In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting – yet it ends in danger and decline. The only way to protect our people … the only way to secure the peace … the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership – so the
“Abroad, our Nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal – we seek the end of tyranny in our world… the future security of
“In a time of testing, we cannot find security by abandoning our commitments and retreating within our borders. If we were to leave these vicious attackers alone, they would not leave us alone. They would simply move the battlefield to our own shores.”
“…Ultimately, the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their dark vision of hatred and fear by offering the hopeful alternative of political freedom and peaceful change.”
“To overcome dangers in our world, we must also take the offensive by encouraging economic progress, fighting disease, and spreading hope in hopeless lands.”
“Here at home,
“The American economy is pre-eminent – but we cannot afford to be complacent. In a dynamic world economy, we are seeing new competitors like
“We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity. Our greatest advantage in the world has always been our educated, hard-working, ambitious people – and we are going to keep that edge.”
“
“Our government has a responsibility to help provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility. For all Americans, we must confront the rising cost of care … strengthen the doctor-patient relationship … and help people afford the insurance coverage they need.”
“…our greatness is not measured in power or luxuries, but by who we are and how we treat one another. So we strive to be a compassionate, decent, hopeful society.”
Timmy's Better Way
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 5:52PM
The Dems are sending around excerpts from Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's response to the State of the Union Address. It appears that his theme is "there's a better way."
An interesting note to strike for the party devoid of ideas. Take his section on taxes, for example:
Tonight, we heard the President again call to make his tax policies permanent, despite his Administration's failure to manage our staggering national debt. Over the past five years, we've gone from huge surpluses to massive deficits. No parent makes their child pay the mortgage. Why should we allow this Administration to pass down the bill for its reckless spending to our children and grandchildren?
The better way turns out to be Democratic Party retread: tax hikes. That was Mark Warner and Tim Kaine's "better way" for Virginia -- the biggest tax increase in Commonwealth history. Look for concrete ideas and not more of the same from the Democrats tonight. But don't hold your breath.
Also, we'll be watching the State of the Union tonight on AmSpecBlog. Join us here for running commentary.
Hollywood Goes to War, Year 5
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 4:27PM
Alternative history writing project continues at Academy Award bunker where the war in year five is regarded as useful but over budget and wrongly cast.
Of the five films for best, have paid to see one, Munich, and aim to see one more on DVD, Good Night, and Good Luck; am uncompelled by the alternate lifestyle persons in Brokeback Mountain and Capote, and am unattracted to traffic incidents in L.A. in Crash.
Did hurry to pay to see Syriana, because it is based on a book by a confessional, compelling, ironic CIA officer, Baer.
Devote myself mostly to Spielberg's alternate history of the Mossad in
Importantly, it is necessary to accept that there are no facts in Spielberg's or Clooney's movies, not even the weather. This is not a negative. What you can find is a sentimental belief that Team America and Team
Most revealing to me are the versions of the jihadists that
My experience of the jihad crowd, and of the new league opened in Tehran that is a more traditional empire builder with the Disappearing Imam scenario added for Scheherazade fans, is that the enemy is most intelligent, worldly, quick, sober, and well read; also that the jihad directors are several moves on the chessboard ahead of our politicians.
But then, the truth of the battle would be scary like a cat scan and doesn't have a neat third act to tidy up the questions and get out at 111 minutes.
Maybe next year, when oil is projected at $101/bl in a panic and the traffic in
Dhimmied Danes
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 3:21PM
The cartoon-generated Arab boycott of Danish goods has become serious enough that one affected company, Arla Foods (a milk and dairy products exporter with a nearly $500 million annual market in the
The Saudis -- ever the voice of reason -- are escalating the controversy. Interior minister Prince Naif has called on all Arab and Islamic nations to take a stand, saying that the cartoon depictions of Mohammed were denigrating to him and insulting to all Muslims. The Danes' response is uneven. The government, while defending freedom of the press is at odds with Arla's directors who seem to welcome dhimmitude if it can restore their sales. According to the Saudi government daily, Arab News:
Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen briefed European Union colleagues about the matter yesterday in
. He has repeatedly rejected calls to intervene, saying the government has no say over media. Brussels But Arla's executive director urged the Danish government to take action. "I urgently beg the government to enter a positive dialogue with the many millions of Muslims who feel they have been offended by
," Peder Tuborgh said in a statement. Denmark "Freedom of expression is an internal Danish issue but this has a totally different dimension," Tuborgh said. "This is about
having offended millions of Muslims." Denmark Villy Soevndal, leader of the small opposition Socialist People's Party, said
"cannot be a country where the prime minister goes into hiding while Denmark loses export money, Danish citizens are being threatened and Danish flags burned." Denmark
This little dustup is of growing importance in the context of increasing self-censorship by the media -- and, tacitly, by European governments -- under the pressure of Muslim activists who want to impose their law where freedom of the press now exists. If the Danes give in, and the government apologizes, it will be a major blow to freedom of the press in all of Old Europe. Dhimmitude descends where free men refuse to stand for their freedoms.
The creeping Islamic censorship of free speech is not limited to
Apparently so. Today the WaPo published a pro-Hamas op-ed authored by a Hamas activist who was deported to
Batchelor has it right. We should hear more from Ayman al-Zawahiri. And maybe the place for Dr. Z's blog is on the Post's website.
Dr. Z and Mordor
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 1:18PM
Best Ummah source reports that the new video from bumpy Dr. Zawahri contains familiar and always revealing theology.
Dr. Z outranks the serial killing Zarqawi just because Dr. Z has intimate connection to the spiritual component of the jihad. When strongman Zarqawi speaks, it is the voice of a regional commander, exhorting, threatening, boasting, otherwise behaving like a Kubrick ape-man in the opening act of 2001.
However when Dr. Z speaks, we can hear the preacherliness of the Global Caliphate: we can hear specially the rationalizations for the murder of innocence promised ahead, like the opening chapter in Hobbitville, nightmares of the Dark Land (Tolkien: Mordor) rising.
For example, Dr. Z says that there is still time for the American public to come to its senses and reject the “butcher of
Dr. Z says that if the Americans do not accept the hudna, that is, do not negotiate a peace treaty with him on his terms, then we, idiot wilderness infidel pork-eating porky children, will deserve what is going to fall on us. Then he makes his signature banal reference to attacks in America -- attacks to come -- and the familiar big, very big, really really big metaphorical trope about destruction, chaos, poverty, weeping, cancelled baseball seasons.
Most strangely, Dr. Z makes an exception for the “butcher of
Dr. Z is not ungifted. He has the skill of Mordor to make each pronouncement at the same volume and tone as the last, flames roaring over his head, cacophonic Arabic woodwinds and thumping beat suggesting cobras and scorpions. In sum, he is a Hollywood villain as only the Tolkien crowd could imagine -- not Sauron himself, better understood as a Deputy Dark Lord with a mechanical, compromised look to him, as if he was much too tempted by being a smarty-pants once upon a time. (OBL is what we have for Sauron: no human contact, floating between life and death, passionate only about his own martyrdom, his great eye on the Global Caliphate of 2020.)
Dr. Z needs to blog. We need to hear more of his unhappy dreamlife. He is now lost to ordinary plot summary. His villainy is on repeat. We can see that he was a careerist at some time in the near past; and that he has committed himself to this transformation as an act of will, but we cannot grasp all of his motives. Guilt? Unpaid taxes? Dyslexia? Too short? He yearns to be timeless; instead, he might just be halfway to a predictable, wicked cartoon of another Egyptian bully.
Re: The Ayes Have It
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 11:41AM
58 to 42 is about the perfect margin to drive the hard left nuts -- they believe (wrongly) that a filibuster could have stopped Alito, if only the Dems had the spine. Cracking 40 nays should generate much rending of garments, gnashing of teeth, and donkey vs. donkey infighting.
See Ed Whelan for some related points.
Re: Sore Loser
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 11:38AM
Dave: Yes, but Alito is a New Jersey Italian, a fact of which the states's two senatorial clowns will be reminded frequently in the coming months and years. Not only did Menendez and Lautenberg vote not to confirm, but they voted against cloture in the 72-25 vote that will really go down as the true measure of Alito's victory.
The Ayes Have It
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 11:34AM
Nay (42): Akaka, Baucus, Bayh, Biden, Bingaman, Boxer, Cantwell, Carper, Chafee, Clinton, Dayton, Dodd, Dorgan, Durbin, Feingold, Feinstein, Harkin, Inouye, Jeffords, Kennedy, Kerry, Kohl, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Leahy, Levin, Lieberman, Lincoln, Menendez, Mikulski, Murray, Nelson, (FL), Obama, Pryor, Reed, Reid, Rockefeller, Salazar, Sarbanes, Schumer, Stabenow, Wyden.
Aye (58): Alexander, Allard, Allen, Bennett, Bond, Brownback, Bunning, Burns, Burr, Byrd, Chambliss, Coburn, Cochran, Coleman, Collins, Conrad, Cornyn, Craig, Crapo, DeMint, DeWine, Dole, Domenici, Ensign, Enzi, Frist, Graham, Grassley, Gregg, Hagel, Hatch, Hutchison, Inhofe, Isakson, Johnson, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Martinez, McCain, McConnell, Murkowski, Nelson (Neb.), Roberts, Santorum, Sessions, Shelby, Smith, Snowe, Specter, Stevens, Sununu, Talent, Thomas, Thune, Vitter, Voinovich, Warner.
Sore Loser
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 11:13AM
After his wistful yearning for Harriet, Harry Reid is nearly re-reading Ted Kennedy's Center for American Progress speech from two weeks ago. Pal, the gig is up. Now's the time for grace. You could use all the good will you can engender with your lobbying ties under such close scrutiny (see today's Prowler report).
UPDATE: This is really the kitchen sink approach: throw everything at Alito -- he's not a woman, he's not Hispanic. Make up your mind!
Oh, Harriet
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 11:04AM
Strangely, Pat Leahy and Harry Reid are still singing the praises of Harriet Miers. Ah, yes, the days of nominees who needed to cram on Con law for their hearings.
The Party of Two Americas
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:33AM
So the party of inclusion deems it necessary to give two responses to the State of the Union: one for English speakers, and one for Spanish speakers. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine will deliver the main event, if you will, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will address the rest.
What's the strategy here? There has been some consternation among the left that Tim Kaine is too moderate. So perhaps the party is diluting his message. But regardless, shouldn't the Democratic Party have a message for the entire country, instead of segregating it? Gov. Kaine knows Spanish -- he could have delivered both speeches. But the Democrats are still judging Americans by the color of their skin, not the content of their characters. They figure Hispanic Americans are as narrow-minded as they apparently are. So they send an envoy, an ambassador, to this foreign group to deliver a message they can only understand from "one of their own." It's nothing but a stunt, and a shameful one at that.
"Air Force One" and Commander-in-Chief Warrior
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 10:27AM
Puzzle if the American public was educated to see the commander-in-chief as an unambiguous warrior long before the soap-opera slow and unusually claustrophobic "24." Note "Air Force One", the 1997 Harrison Ford thriller, as a brief for omniscient presidential powers in wartime. Mass murder, betrayal, threats, assassination, causus belli like raindrops, and deliberate distortion of the facts to keep the delightfully compliant media as agog as the movie going audience. And the bad guys are terrorists with a credible cause, an inspirational sense of self-sacrifice, and discipline like Russian airborne. Still, the national security apparatus of the United States in a one-man attack dog who shoots and shoots and shoots and shoots. Can guess the Harrison Ford approval rating was 105%. Ask who is a better model for the Ford character. Boy Clinton, who is not known to have fired a weapon in anger nor committed US riflemen to more than retreat? Or the cowboy?
No More 24
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 9:47AM
Loose Canons regretfully announces that we have lost all patience with Fox's "24." In last night's episode: (1) we found out that the missing nerve gas was America's (and, lest we forget, had been stored at a small California airport where terrorists could get to it conveniently). Never mind the fact that we don't have such stuff; (2) the president's chief of staff convinced his idiot boss to be quiet about the assassination of a previous president of the US and the nerve gas's destination because it could be used to prove the presence of WMD in SW Asia; and (3) Our Hero took time, in the middle of threatening torture, scorning the president and Saving the Day to negotiate his love life with two ladies.
Yes, it's fast-paced. Yes, it's relatively well acted and directed. But no, it's not bearable. Jack Bauer is morphing into Dirty Harry as rewritten by Michael Moore.
Hello, Larry
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 2:07AM
Count on Larry King to ask all the hard questions regarding Bob Woodruff's condition:
KING: ...Now there are rumors, as there always will be in cases like this, about disfigurement. What do you know?RADDATZ: I'm not going to go beyond anything that ABC News has released but I don't think that is the case here....
Or to bring on a guest like the fellow-traveling Peter Arnett, whom he introduced as "formerly with CNN." Formerly of CNN? How about telling us he was fired by CNN in 1999 for cooking up a story? (Or for that matter that NBC fired him three years ago for something equally flagrant?) As you can see, Peter was in fine form last night:
PETER ARNETT, VIETNAM WAR CORRESPONDENT: ...You cover wars. You die. But really in a democracy such as ours the mainstream media has a major job to get out and see what's going on. Otherwise, what would we have to choose from, what our government tells us and today what Al-Jazeera tells us? We have to be there with an independent voice...
I wonder if his friends at Al Jazeera will mind being compared to "our government."
For what it's worth, Christiane Amanpour seconded Arnett about their having to serve as "an independent eye on these conflicts."
Arch Villain Meshal's Triumphant Return
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 1:48AM
Jerusalem source reports that Hamas chief and Damascus-Tehran chimp Khaled Meshal is close to a deal with Cairo to transfer his operation back into Gaza City.
Egypt Secret Police Chief Suleiman, the heavy duty factotum of aging, despairing, betraying Mubarak of Egypt, has negotiated a deal to give Meshal triumphant return travel package back through Cairo to the Sinai and through the open Rafah crossing.
Israel says it will stop the return of the notorious Mr. K. No such luck is available since the EU claims to be the guard poodle of this now smuggler-open border.
Meshal is an arch villain. Terrorism with a ghoulish face. IDF will want to target his tonsils as soon as he provides opportunity, and this time, overpraised Mossad geniuses, no oafish, over-clever subtlety, just use a Hellfire.
And does Dr. Rice know all this subterfuge in plain sight? Roger. And what is she going to do about it? Cut off Hamas's money. How? Ask Prince Bandar please don't give any more charity to Gaza?
Lebanon, Syria and the Waiting Game
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 1:37AM
Spoke with Walid Jumblatt, leader of the British connected and MI-6 blessed Druze of Lebanon. Jumblatt condemns the al-Assads of Damascus as terrorists and says that they are playing a waiting-out Bush game -- stalling the UN in hopes of regime change in Washington. Even a congressional setback in November would brighten Damascus's eyes.
Jumblatt was also consistent that he will negotiate and cooperate with Hamas-run Palestinian Authority as soon as the PA government is formed.
Jumblatt knows there is no down side to him if he supports Hamas. Europe, and the EU councils, and the MI-6 money and support, will not go away because Jumblatt is anti-Israel.
President Paranoid Still Missing
Posted by on 1.31.06 @ 1:14AM
Iran President Ahmadinejad remains out of sight and unlocated by routine signals intelligence at the beginning of the second week of mystery.
Meanwhile the Basiji, the bully boy militia attached to the revolution, begin national defense exercises in Khuzestan, the province neighboring Iraq in the south, also scene of the terror bomb blasts last week, at the city of Ahvaz. The national defense exercises are not terror related. The exercises are more practice to repel airborne assault, and also practice to engage in urban fighting.
These national defense exercises resemble the crude, panicky, lumbering exercises practiced by Iraqi forces during the chatty decade of paranoia between Gulf I and Iraqi Freedom. (See 1997 Harrison Ford vehicle "Air Force One" for a glimpse at the Iraq obsessed national security apparatus of the Clintonistas.)
Quick observation at this point in time is that Iran is major league spooked. Spooked enough to launch diversionary strike? Spooked enough to keep Ahmadinejad in the genie's bottle that birthed him?
Puzzle if Ahmadinejad is working up a spectacular performance for the occasion of the IAEA condemnation on Ground Hog Day. Puxatawney Phil and Persian Paranoid both come out to see their shadow and scoot back into the cave for six more weeks of winter?
Monday, January 30, 2006
Perm 5 Agree
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 10:09PM
The five permanent (i.e., veto-holding) members of the UN Security Council agreed tonight in London to transfer the Iran issue from the IAEA to the Security Council. This agreement, which includes both Russia and China, will not immediately trigger a sanctions debate. Apparently, the introduction of resolutions and debate on them will be withheld until the March IAEA report.
This is a major step on Iran. The Perm-5 agreement, which does not guarantee votes by Britain, France, Russia or China for sanctions, nevertheless is a major blow to Iran. It puts more diplomatic pressure on the mullahs, and reduces to finite terms the otherwise infinite flow of Euro-diplomacy. The UN won't do anything decisive or effective, but at least the clock is running on Iran. What Iran may do in response to this vote will tell much about how the next round will go. It is entirely possible that Iran will strike -- economically or through its terrorist proxies -- in answer to this vote. The more reckless Iran gets, the shorter their time will, ultimately, be.
Off the Deep End
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 8:17PM
In my article on Ted Kennedy and the Alito nomination, I suggested that the senior senator from Massachusetts may not care enough mount to filibuster. Clearly I was wrong. But Kennedy's complete meltdown tonight takes his madness to a whole new level. So what's his method? A few theories:
-The nuts on the left needed a compelling performance, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington-style. But a filibuster sufficiently pleased them. So the breakdown wasn't necessary.
-He needs it for re-election this year. But this one doesn't wash either: the highest percentage an opponent has ever garnered was 41 percent -- Mitt Romney in 1994.
-Kennedy really believes this stuff. I doubt it. If he did, he would have been this exercised about it every day from late October until now. No, this is a last-minute break. So unless I'm missing something, that leaves one possibility:
-He's lost it. Batty. Mad. Truly nuts. I've no other way to explain it. He became personally invested in the political (not principled) victory, and went way out on a limb for it. When defeat was apparent, he desperately denied it, thinking histrionics would work. And it only backfired. Seriously -- the man said "our founding fathers failed the test."
No matter why he went nuts, this will make great campaign footage -- for his opponent and for Republicans nationwide. Best of luck to his handlers.
Restore Their Meds, Please
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 7:28PM
So my plan for the Kerry minibuster on Alito has failed, and the good guys won. The collateral damage amongst the hyperlibs - especially their bloggocracy - is hysterical as well as hilarious. But they're going farther than usual. Now, at least among the Lord of the Flies Boys at DailyKos, they're apparently calling for violence:
In every case, the warriors in those wars suffered immense setbacks, repeatedly so, and found it hard to get the politicians to speak up and stand up for them. Eventually, however, because they refused to surrender, and because they took the fight beyond the electoral arena, they won. We will, too.
Wow. The KosKidz and others are also talking about Dems who voted for cloture in terms both obscene and threatening. They're a marvel to behold.
A couple of weeks ago, Peggy Noonan wrote about how the Dems lost Congress twelve years ago and the White House six years ago. What she didn't add was, and then they lost their minds.
Guns or Butter?
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 6:43PM
That should read, "Nukes or Butter?" If you compare the EUnuchs' reactions to a Saudi boycott of Danish products to their continued dithering on Iran, you should conclude that the nations of shopkeepers of Europe are following in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers. Their fathers appeased Hitler. Their grandfathers, the Kaiser. Now they're appeasing Ahmadinejad.
Unfair comparisons are one fuel of politics. And it’s hard to be fair to
First, we have the prospect of
But the Saudi action was enough to earn it a chastisement from the EU. A senior EU official today threatened to report
Having again tried, and again failed, to get Iran to budge on its nuclear weapons program, the EU-3 are now doing what they do best: dithering. On one hand, they're determined to talk Russia and China out of blocking referral of Iran to the UN Security Council in Thursday’s IAEA meeting. But, natch, they're undecided on whether anyone should be doing anything at all about Iran.
The worst signal on
Drone War and its Discontents
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 6:04PM
It is impossible to escape the impression that the LA Times commonly uses false standards of measurement against the military undertakings of the United States. That newspaper, for which it was not good enough to be against the troops, turns out to be against the drones, too.
The final graf in this vaguely agonized stand epitomizes its tone of mournful disapproval with a wistful coda: "The CIA does not even acknowledge that such a targeted-killing program exists, and some attacks have been explained away as car bombings or other incidents. It is not known how many militants or bystanders have been killed by Predator strikes, but anecdotal evidence suggests the number is significant."
Many significant statements can be put forward in defense of drones but also a few questions, such as: subtracting out (a) those nations that have given their approval for a strike -- like, as we've discovered, Yemen, (b) those nations that the US needn't strike -- like Australia or Poland, (c) those nations that have no government to ask for permission -- like Somalia, and (d) those nations that have given approval on the condition of their public disapproval -- like Pakistan, -- what offended country is left?
Come forward, you critics, with the name of that blighted land.
Then we can talk. In the meantime: the "significant" number of
"bystanders" is meant to make us queasy. But what alternative
presents itself? What alternative can you drag down from the attic,
up from the basement? "Public oversight?" -- so we can lash
ourselves appropriately for killing off innocents with terrorists
in their midst? How else would you prefer to eliminate real, live,
individual foes? Better grow out those beards again, you CIA ops
with knives between teeth. Toughen up your calluses; sharpen your
grappling irons. But wait: is this the same crowd that bemoans our
two-faced relationships with bad foreign governments, and breaks
out in hives at the thought of -- assassination as government
policy? Ask Victor Yuschenko, you foes of telecom-war, how
his enemies kept collateral damage low.
Cloture on Alito
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 5:48PM
72 Yea, 25 Nay
UPDATE: Roll call here (I'm pretty sure the bit about the Rear Admiral under "Nomination Description" is a mistake, which for all I know will be fixed by the time you click through).
Dr. Z Rapping
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 4:18PM
Bump on the noggin rapper Dr. A Zawahiri is back on air with talking points for Pelosians and Deaniacs.
Am eager to see this crosscut with Sheehan campaign against less than limber Dianne F. in California.
The puzzle for historians will be how George Bush would have done so well without enemies as wildly predictable (we have been waiting impatiently for the Sony camcorder shipment to reach Waziristan since the Jan 13 missile strike took out Dr. Z's MTV son-in-law and his editing skills) as Al Q and the cobra-hissing Dr. Z.
This excerpt from whining jeremiad that is specially dreamy, everything we want in Goebbels-deriviative fantasies of cherry blossoms and bile:
"Butcher of Washington, you are not only defeated and a liar, but also a failure. You are a curse on your own nation."
This is the day before the SOTU roll-out. Call for rewrite! Draft 25. Get Dr. Z's curdling lip in there!
Am I deaf? Is this the sound of box office? Roll file film, go to Arabic croaking, underline: defeated, liar, curse.
The RNC does not earn this luck. It is the hot streak of being on the gun side of history.
Woodruff, the Muse, the Reaper
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 3:36PM
Have walked Nativity Square wearing a flak jacket and a mobile phone during the siege of '02, have ridden in a HUMVEE without armored doors on the Philadelphi route in Gaza during Hamas/Islamic Jihad attack, have darted along the alternate route at the Jordan River wire, through the minefields, at sunset, to avoid the IDF patrols and the fleeing Al Aqsa gunmen from another attack on the West Bank, have entered Hebron several times in an unarmored vehicle with only a pistol armed guide and my mobile phone and blackberry to walk the Casbah and puzzle, have stood on Masada at noontime on the second day of the Iraq operation, expecting Iraqi incoming from H3 - all this is true, all this was reckless and vainglorious and inexcusable. If anything negative had happened, not only would I have expected condemnation from my sponsors, not only would I have deserved the fury of my family (who did not accede to risking the family unit before Dad departed to be Mr. War Correspondent), but also there would not have been one cent of life insurance cent available because of the clear violation of the war zone warnings. Will I do similar again? Likely. There is the paradox when you look at the reports of the Woodruff incident. What he and his cameraman did, standing up in a lead Iraqi column vehicle, was bottomlessly risky and, in the event of death, a truly stupid way to die. Reporting in a war zone requires common sense and proportional thinking. At the same time, there is something cunningly compelling, plain joyful, when you are carrying a microphone or camera in the face of the random enemy and unbeatable odds. It may be a stealthy muse - one mordant, ruthless, iron-minded stealthy muse, distant cousin to the Reaper - and it may be that you are not going to listen to reason.
Defending Democracy
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 2:36PM
To argue, as David Yerushalmi does, that Hamas's victory shows "the fallacy of the democracy thesis," one would have to first establish that the Palestinian Authority is a democracy. It isn't just yet; as Glenn Reynolds is fond of repeating, democratization is a process, not an event. If, as Yerushalmi speculates, Hamas proceeds to "eliminate any real democratic limits on tyranny by simply eliminating or reducing to a caricature the democratic institutions," then the democratization process will have failed. But Hamas's victory shouldn't scare us off from the goal of completing that process.
Democratic politics are critical to the political evolution that will kill off bin Ladenism, and it isn't surprising that the evolution of Islamic activism should start off from an ugly place ("Latin American anti-Yanquism on speed," as Reuel Marc Gerecht puts it). That doesn't mean that this evolution isn't possible. Contra Yerushalmi, national character is not a static quality: Anti-Semitism and militarism were no less fundamentally German 100 years ago than radicalism is fundamentally Palestinian today.
Palestine Empty Pockets
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 1:18PM
Hamas takeover of the Palestinian Authority means endless trouble going forward, and the grotesque, apocalyptic scenario of a Hamas link up with the Muslem Brothers to take over Cairo at Mubarak's death -- but most especially right now it means that the Gaza/West Bank terror gangs are out of cash.
The PA meets a payroll (read: handout) for estimated $137,000 per month. Estimates are that the PA needs $68 million per month. This is the entire legitimate income of
What is to be done? Terror is a cash and carry business. And Hamas does not plan to back off on its boasts to destroy
Best supposing is that
Note that Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, exiled in
Extra coffee! Going to be late nights in the rockets' red glare over
Pet of the Week
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 12:56PM
Reuters reports that President Bush claims Bill Clinton is like a member of the Bush family. Apparently the animal-loving Bushes have a new dog.
Chafee Against Alito, For Cloture
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 12:07PM
The former mayor of Warwick will vote against the filibuster and against Alito's nomination. Jim Baron, the Pawtucket Times/Woonsocket Call columnist with whom I was acquainted as a pup intern at the Times, argues Chafee's playing both sides in a "cynical political calcuation." The NRSC money keeps flowing Chafee's way, which will help in his primary race against Stephen Laffey, and he can claim some moderate/liberal credibility when/if the general election rolls around.
The party should cut him off.
Bush Hits 50 Percent
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 10:35AM
In his approval ratings, according to Rasmussen. Don't hold your breath waiting for the major press to report this as loudly as they do when his ratings dip.
Snowe: Not for Filibuster
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 10:31AM
Senate source reminds that Snowe of Maine has never and does not vote for filibuster -- that is, against cloture.
She may vote no on Alito, but not with Kerry and the filibuster crew.
First Google, Now San Francisco
Posted by on 1.30.06 @ 7:24AM
The city is barring Falun Gong from marching in its Chinese New Year parade.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Roberts and Alito -- Regular Charity Cases
Posted by on 1.29.06 @ 10:46PM
Thought I'd take a look at Eleanor Clift's latest column (don't worry -- it's not a habit) for what thoughtless/ridiculous things she had to say. I didn't have to read past the first paragraph:
Get ready for the divider, not the uniter, when President Bush delivers his State of the Union address Tuesday to a packed House chamber. It will be a ceremonial evening, with Chief Justice John Roberts likely to be joined by newly confirmed Associate Justice Samuel Alito in the front row to look up admiringly at the man who made their careers.
Made their careers? I could see her arguing that for John Roberts based solely on his posts on the D.C. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court (obviously discounting his immense legal knowledge independent of the last two points on his resume). But Sam Alito? When Bush took office, he'd already been serving on the 3rd Circuit for 11 years.
Yep, a coupla' bums he found wandering on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Too Close to Call
Posted by on 1.29.06 @ 10:34PM
Admittedly, I'm hopeful that Roy Blunt doesn't have this race wrapped up just yet (see below). But the article on the race in the Washington Post tomorrow confirms my hopes... and suspicions:
With 92 declared supporters, Blunt remains the favorite, well ahead of Boehner's 49 declared supporters and Shadegg's 16. But House members and advisers say the race remains more open than it looks. All three candidates will make presentations to a gathering of conservative House members in Baltimore today. The House returns tomorrow for President Bush's State of the Union address, the first time most members will have the chance to discuss the race among themselves.
A few points that bear repeating: 1- Phone commitments are shaky; 2- This is a secret ballot; 3- Blunt has more than 25 unaccounted supporters. Who are these folks, how reliable are they, and why won't they publicly declare? Don't get me wrong: this race is uphill for the Shadegg crowd. But call your representatives. It's not over 'till it's over.
House Race: Two on Laurels, One on Principles
Posted by on 1.29.06 @ 10:22PM
The New York Times, in its House majority leader race report for tomorrow's editions, captures the essence of each campaign:
Mr. Blunt, 56, the majority whip who has been serving as interim majority leader since Mr. DeLay's indictment in Texas last fall on campaign-related money laundering charges, has portrayed himself as a seasoned member of the leadership team - essentially the incumbent. "This is no time for on-the-job training," Mr. Blunt said in an interview.
Mr. Boehner (pronounced BAY-ner), 56, the chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee and a member of the House leadership in the 1990's, is emphasizing his legislative capabilities, pointing to major education and pension bills he delivered with rare bipartisan support. "I am the only one with broad legislative skills and experience," Mr. Boehner said.
Mr. Shadegg (pronounced SHAD-egg), also 56, a conservative leader who surrendered his post as chairman of the internal party policy committee when he entered the race, is selling himself as the candidate who can bring the new vision that he said the party needed given the scandals and the drifting away from a commitment to hold spending in check.
"We need a clean break from the past," said Mr. Shadegg, who entered the race five days after his two competitors, giving them a substantial head start. "We need someone who has no baggage going back to K Street or past practices."
House Republicans are facing a conservative base widely dissatisfied with their free-spending ways and a general public that perceives them as corrupt. Yet the most the front-runners in the majority leader race can say for themselves is that they're insiders. They're in the middle of a crisis but don't seem to realize it. Everything I've seen from the Blunt and Boehner camps indicates anything but a Shadegg victory means more of the same. It's bad news for the party, bad news for conservatism, and bad news for the country.
EUnuchs on the March
Posted by on 1.29.06 @ 5:01PM
It's fascinating. For European diplomats, nothing succeds like failure. Bloomberg reports that the EU-3 are resuming nuclear talks with Iran tomorrow, allowing Ahmadinejad & Co. to continue to dance away from even the possibility of UN Security Council action. The fact that there is no change whatsoever in Iran's position since the talks were declared dead will, inevitably, produce the same result after this round. And leaves the EU-3 tugging its collective forelock at the feet of the Iranian regime. When will they ever learn? Never.
China and Russia, siding with Iran, will certainly stall the UN, and the Euros are doing the same. The game remains the same for appeasers the world 'round. So how long do we wait before taking action against the mullahs' regime and their nuclear operations? If the Euros have their way, it will be long enough for Iran to deploy nuclear weapons.
Re: Alito and the Betrayal Margin
Posted by on 1.29.06 @ 3:18PM
John B.: I get the impression from the tone of your posts that you're completely misreading the situation on the Hill.
There is no way that Alito is going to be stopped. Unless they're really, really stupid, the Dems calling for a filibuster don't actually want a successful filibuster. They want to convince their far left base (which is really stupid) that they've done all they can. If the cloture vote fails, the judicial filibuster will be swiftly killed for good on a simple majority vote (the so-called nuclear option). It will represent a massive miscalculation by the Democrats. We should be hoping for that, not fearing it.
Alito and the Betrayal Margin
Posted by on 1.29.06 @ 2:46PM
Choral member Democrats falling in line, D-Day Minus 1:
Obama indicates he will vote for cloture and asks a sensible question: why would any Democrat vote yes for cloture if he or she aimed to vote no on the Alito nomination on the Senate floor?
Also Lieberman, a Doubtful Dem as of Friday, now falls in with the chorus and says he will vote no for cloture on Monday afternoon.
Moving count, this leaves the cloture vote still in doubt.
Among the Dems, only Nelson, Johnson and Byrd of Deep Red States are pledged to vote for cloture.
Dems Dorgan and Conrad of Deep Red North Dakota are considered likely cloture yes votes.
However this means that the wobbly Republican senators now are critical to the Frist led cloture vote. Losing even one red senator makes the task to get to 60 most arduous.
Snowe of Blue Maine and Chafee of Blue Rhode Island are considered uncertain, and they are both standing reelection in activist dominated small states, where a rush of outside (netroot or DNC cash) help could send them to defeat. The mention of Stevens of Alaska as wobbly appears specious.
Am watching most closely which way Snowe and Chafee jump when they announce their decision before the vote scheduled for 4:30 pm est.
My hardest count now, pushing all doubters to one side or another, is 60 for cloture, 40 to continue debate (filisbuster).
In sum, there is no margin for betrayal on either side of the fight.
Cindy for Senator
Posted by on 1.29.06 @ 10:17AM
Cindy Sheehan may challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein for in the Democratic primary this spring, ABC reports. Here's hoping for some political entertainment...
Alito Cloture Not Done
Posted by on 1.29.06 @ 1:39AM
Reverse engineering intelligence gathered from the Democrat blog sites, informed by the report of a delightfully frantic phone call by Ted Kennedy to the so-called netroots with regard whom among his colleagues he doubts, the Alito filibuster fight centers around eleven Doubtful Democrats.
The Doubtful Democrats are Pryor and Lincoln of Arkansas, Cantwell and Murray of Washington, Baucus of Montana, Dorgan and Conrad of North Dakota, Bayh of Indiana, Lautenberg and Menendez of New Jersey, Lieberman of Connecticut.
Breaking this eleven down, there are six in red states and seven in blue states.
As of this moment, Nelson of Red Nebraska and Byrd of Red West Virginia and Johnson of Red South Dakota are pledged to vote with the GOP for cloture. (Add to this the most likely and all but announced, determined, certain cloture votes of Democrats Dorgan and Conrad of Red North Dakota. )
The summary is that at this moment there are now five reliable Red State Democrats to join fifty-five Republicans for cloture.
The summary also is that Team Cloture cannot lose any of the fifty-five GOP senators unless some other of the doubtful Dems defect.
The summary also is that these are most tight numbers, and that when Ted Kennedy told the Dem callers to concentrate on Republicans Snowe of Blue Maine and Chafee of Blue Rhode Island, he knew where the seam is in the Frist managed cloture vote.
This is not a done deal. Repeat, not done. It is a likely GOP win, but it is not an easy win; and Bill Frist will not be comforted until he hears from some three or four of the Doubtful Democrats that they support cloture.
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