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Friday, August 11, 2006
Saved By Islam, Or Something
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 7:15PM
There are so many left-footed and left-handed little outrages packed into the stock phrase now used to describe our blessed terror-plot tipster (Pakistani, I think) that one has to crack open a beer to properly take, well, stock.
Indeed we should all be heaping praise and benedictions upon the person who saw fit to save, as it happens, hundreds of innocent lives from rending immolation above the deep-water Atlantic Ocean this August 16th. But this person has been dubbed by a battery of major news outlets, in typical psittacine fashion, "a worried member of the Muslim community."
It is not, we are to understand, quite right to identify our helpful fellow man or woman simply, for informational purposes, as an adherent of Islam -- that is, as an individual. It is newsworthy that the person is Muslim, yes -- but it is newspeak that the person is constituented into a Representative of Islam, incomprehensible outside the context of a supposed "Muslim community," which makes almost as much sense as lumping Howard Dean and Pat Robertson in a presumptive "Christian community," or indeed Jurgen Habermas and David Irving in a so-called "European community."
Amartya Sen has written nicely on the problems wrapped up in carving the world up according to religions, and one of those problems is that fools term individuals primarily as things that make up groups which have ways of seeing the world that aren't yours. You are then supposed to support their right to see the world in that manner because you have been disentitled to disprove, or even disapprove of, it.
Well from time to time a person comes along from one religion or another for whom mass murder, as well as the fearsome probability of mass murder, is too much to bear under any pretext or on behalf of any community. That scores of Britons and, by implication, millions of the rest of us, have lives, limbs, and livelihoods to look forward to once again seems to me to score one for sane individuals first -- and against insane communities second.
Correction
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 3:37PM
In my article today I state that the Stop Over Spending Act reinstitutes the PAYGO rule. Sorry, but that's not entirely accurate. It only reinstitutes it in a very narrow fashion, applying only to amendments to bills in the reconciliation process. (For a definition of the reconciliation process, go here (PDF).) The PAYGO rule does not apply to any other budget legislation.
Thanks to the folks at the Senate Budget Committee for pointing that out.
Prediction
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 2:47PM
I mentioned this to a friend in conversation and he suggested I go on the record, so here goes: At some point, Andrew Sullivan will attach his beloved "Christianist" label to someone who is not actually a Christian. (Note: It's possible this has already happened, but if so I missed it.)
Joe-Mentum Returns
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 1:46PM
Yes, Senator Lieberman's clever plan to lure 26 young Muslims wayward youth into his wiley plan to win re-election is now truly taking hold.
Initial polling from Rasmussen shows Lieberman with a 46 percent to 41 percent lead over Nutty Ned. The nameless Repuiblican garners a mere 6 percent.
Somewhere we hear Daily Kos chat room habitues' heads exploding.
Re: Myopic Dems...
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 1:26PM
Way to go, Philip. Blame the Republicans for the likelihood of Lamont Democratic success. I'd be more convinced if the Democrats themselves weren't so busy purging their center, which is why I'm still puzzled by Krauthammer's contention that being anti-Iraq could be a short-term Dem winner. Anything that mitigates Republican sins cannot be seen as helpful to Democratic chances THIS year.
Re: Myopic Dems
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 1:10PM
Wlady: If the Democrats win control of Congress this year, it won't be because of the Lamontization of the party, but in spite of it. Republicans have really done a lot to turn off the conservative base in the past two years, and while the Lamontization of the party helps Republicans energize their base, it may not be enough.
Meanwhile, U.S. News's "Washington Whispers" obtained a GOP strategy memo that includes survey results suggests Republicans may be in good shape with their base come November:
Many Democrats may hate the war in Iraq and itch to dump the president, but a new GOP survey shows that Republican base voters stand ready to jam the November polls to return their team to Congress. A three-page-survey memo obtained by Washington Whispers reveals that despite reports of some dissatisfaction with the economy, the war, and President Bush, 81 percent of Republican voters are "almost certain" to vote and an additional 14 percent say they are "very likely." It goes without saying that they'll vote Republican: By a margin of 84 percent to 6 percent, they will pull the GOP toggle switch in the voting booth. And here is something you don't hear very often: 88 percent of Republicans approve of how the prez is handling his job.
Big Ripoff At America's Future Foundation
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 12:57PM
On Tuesday, the America's Future Foundation will hold a roundtable featuring Tim Carney, author of The Big Ripoff: How Big Business and Big Government Steal Your Money. Admission is only $5 for non-members.
And for all you ladies out there, Tim is a cutie!
Re: I'll Use My Dead Daughter For Propaganda
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 12:52PM
David, I was able to survive at Reuters because I focused on business news. Luckily, I didn't have to interact much with the London global news desk.
Wallace Speaks
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 12:49PM
Hot Air has audio excerpts of Sean Hannity's interview with Mike Wallace, discussing his interview with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As the saying goes, it speaks for itself. Absolutely sickening.
Hat Tip: Alarming News.
Re: Myopic Dems...
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 12:09PM
Philip: There's something disturbing about Krauthammer's column today -- he predicts long-term "desolation" for the neo-McGovernized Democrats, yet seems to concede that in the short run the party's Lamontization could be allow it to win back control of "one or both houses of Congress" this fall. Well, all I can say is that if that comes to pass, all bets are off. Once insanity takes over, there's no guarantee sanity can ever be restored.
I'll Use My Dead Daughter For Propaganda
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 11:40AM
Phil: Your former employer involved in another photo scandal.
I'm curious, how did a nice boy like you ever come to work for such trogs?
Myopic Dems...
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 11:38AM
As is often the case, Krauthammer sees the the big picture:
The
war will end, as will the Bush presidency. But the larger conflict that defines our times -- war on Islamic radicalism, more politely known as the war on terrorism -- will continue, as the just-foiled Iraq airliner plot unmistakably reminds us. And the reflexive antiwar sentiments underlying Ned Lamont's victory in London will prove disastrous for the Democrats in the long run -- the long run beginning as early as November '08. Connecticut
Absolutely. The Republicans have dug themselves quite a hole, and the Democrats could make gains this November, but the fight against terrorism is the defining struggle of our time, and Democrats are doomed in the long term given that they have been overtaken by peaceniks.
Mike Wallace Smitten With Evil
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 11:00AM
It seems that veteran newsman Mike Wallace's puppy love for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad goes deeper than it initially appeared. Drudge reports:
PITBULL JOURNALIST GOES SOFT ON IRANIAN MADMAN: 88-year-old CBS journalist Mike Wallace says Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a 'reasonable' man on Sean Hannity's ABC radio program... Points out Ahmadinejad not anti-Jewish... just anti-Zionist state. Says many Jews in Iranian Parliament, in great positions in Iranian life... Believes Ahmadinejad sincere in his hope for peaceful coexistence between
and West... Troubled by comparisons of leader to Hitler... Marvels at Ahmadinejad's civil engineering degree, 'intellect', 'savvy'... Asks viewers not to bring 'prejudices' to Sunday night '60 MINUTES' broadcast... Proclaims 'discussion' was sincere and not for propaganda purposes... Developing... Iran
Now, I've always acknowledged that people can be critical of Israel without being anti-Semitic, but I'm just not sure how Ahmadinijad is going to wipe Israel off the map without killing the 5 million Jews who live there.
On the Road to Serfdom Again
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 10:45AM
Willie Nelson joins Bernie Sanders in Vermont. Video available.
McCarrick to Lebanon
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 10:42AM
He visits Lebanon to mourn the humanitarian situation, but claims not to make any political judgments. As admirable as that humble instinct is, I suspect that stepping into the fray at all is necessarily political, especially when I see this paragraph:
So the victims are the same? Does that mean the Israelis are morally equivalent to terrorists? McCarrick's presence seems to play into Hezbollah's PR campaign. If he is only there to call attention to the civilian suffering (already VERY well reported) and say "the world must do something" (that's really his quote, believe it or not), then the most he appears to do is call attention to himself.
McCarrick shows no indication of retiring quietly into the night. Does he aspire to be a clerical Bono or Bill Clinton?
Apocalypse Soon Enough
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 9:43AM
Members of the Iraqi parliament are apparently en route to meet the Cindy Sheehan Code Pink peace delegation in Jordan, unless the Elders of Zion somehow hatch a dastardly plot to prevent the meeting from ever taking place. Who will remain behind to maintain Sheehan's new Crawford homested is still unknown.
Timanna or Tim and Anna?
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 9:35AM
One of my best good friends, as Forrest Gump might say, Tim Sheahan presented his girlfriend with an absolutely absurd/hilarious little cartoon on the occassion of their first anniversary. Very much worth a click.
Haste Makes Waste
Posted by on 8.11.06 @ 1:00AM
Philip: Here's an editor's note apology that confirms everything you say in your piece today regarding errors caused by deadline haste.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
We Can Hear You ...
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 8:48PM
Lost amid the success by British intelligence and law enforcement in breaking up parts of the airline terror threat is the fact that U.S. intelligence sources were in on the case. How?
Well, let's just say the NSA should come out of this case looking pretty good. And whoever leaked classified information about international eavesdropping on terrorist conversations should be getting very nervous. This British case just became Exhibit A for how important the listening program is.
Questions for Homeland Chief Chertoff:
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 7:30PM
Exactly how many "student" visas are issued annually to those from Islamic States? How many actually go to their stated destinations (thinking of the covey of missing Egyptians who never made it to Bozeman, Montana, but who were not, the FBI assured us long before that little dustup in Britain, "terrorist" suspects) and how many actually meet the terms of their visa and go home? A corollary: how many are missing and unaccounted for right now in the United States?
And while you're at it, Judge Michael, stop entertaining the media's fascination with some connection between the would-be aircraft bombers and Al Qaeda. It makes no difference what other affiliations an Islamic Jihadist happens to have and so long as Osama has king's X in Pafganistan it never will.
Thanks.
And I Thought...
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 5:38PM
...that American indoctrination education was bad! From
the Newsweek International Edition:
A recent study of German high-school textbooks by the Institute for the German Economy, in Cologne, found entrepreneurs-instead of getting credit for creating jobs-taking the blame for everything from unemployment to alcoholism to Internet fraud and cell-phone addiction. Some high-school social-studies textbooks teach globalization as an unmitigated catastrophe; students are advised to consult the radical anti-globalization protest group Attac for further information. In France, books approved by the Education Ministry promote statist policies and voodoo economics. "Economic growth imposes a way of life that fosters stress, nervous depression, circulatory disease and even cancer," reports "20th-Century History," a popular high-school text published by Hatier. Another suggests Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were dangerous free-market extremists whose reforms plunged their countries into chaos and despair.
Read about that and the backlash to it (PDF).
I'm Selling My Bonds
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 4:58PM
If this is the youth of the future, I'll have plenty to laugh about for years to come.
Goring Al's Ox
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 1:17PM
It's Always Bush's Fault
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 1:08PM
From Harry Reid's statement on the British terror plot:
This latest plot demonstrates the need for the Bush administration and the Congress to change course in Iraq and ensure that we are taking all the steps necessary to protect Americans at home and across the world.
What Voters?
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 12:58PM
The bias begins right at the top: Gwen Ifill's second question to Ned Lamont on yesterday's Lehrer Newshour reads: "So what did last night's victory tell you about what voters in Connecticut want?" The presumption that liberal Democrats (a.k.a. voters) speak for everybody is not one a publicly supported journalist should be sharing.
In the Washington Post's letters section today, the single letter about Lieberman-Lamont trashes Lieberman for his "super-sized ego" and reminds him that "Connecticut voters rejected him." Again, not liberal/Democratic primary voters, but (all) Connecticut voters.
Ifill's interviews with Lamont and then Lieberman had their uses, though. The contrast between the elated Lamont and the deflated Lieberman was striking, suggesting Lieberman will have to summon some new fire and energy if his second-half comeback is to be more than half-time wishful thinking.
Ifill did do Lieberman one service -- her program ran the clip of the famous kiss Joe received from President Bush at a State of the Union. What's unmistakably clear from it is that Bush was the instigator, coming over and planting the kiss before Joe could even react (much like the quick shoulder squeeze Bush performed on Angela Markel). It used to be that liberals didn't blame the victim in such circumstances. But now they're for all intents saying that Lieberman was asking for it.
In a larger sense, that's why he's still running -- losing in a fair fight is one thing; losing in a smear quite another.
Going Out With All the Class She's Known For
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 12:33PM
Cynthia McKinney's (bizarrely large) entourage of thugs hurls anti-Semetic epithets at reporters. Is anyone surprised? (Via Dave Weigel.)
Extra-weird side-note: McKinney's belligerent bodyguard was in Enter the Dragon.
Ahmadinejad Speaks to Wallace
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 11:59AM
CBS has released excerpts of Mike Wallace's interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which will air on '60 Minutes' this Sunday. Among other gems, Ahmadinejad had this criticism of the Bush Administration:
They want to build an empire. And they don't want to live side-by-side in peace with other nations.
I guess Bush just doesn't understand that really getting along with your neighbors means calling for them to be wiped off the map.
If you want to read something truly nauseating, check out Mike Wallace dismissing "common perceptions" about the Iranian leader. Apparently, he's pretty handsome. Any interest ladies?
Ms. Anya Goes Wobbly
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 11:36AM
Paul Sands does a wonderful takedown of Anya Kamenetz' eulogy for a Starbucks union organizer who lost his battle after heroically gaining "some success at at least three Starbucks in Manhattan." Be still my beating heart. Anyway, Paul's bit is a must read. The Jungle this is not.
Clarett Chronicles
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 11:05AM
For those following the ongoing saga of Maurice Clarett (the former Ohio State football star), he was arrested again yesterday:
When police ran into Clarett this time, officers said he was driving erratically and carrying an arsenal that included three semiautomatic handguns and an AK-47- type assault rifle in the front seat - all loaded.
A highway chase ensued, then ended in the early hours Wednesday when police spiked the tires of his vehicle.
Even then, officers said they could not easily subdue Clarett because the bulletproof vest he was wearing thwarted their stun guns.
It took several officers and Mace to get the 6-foot, 245-pounder into handcuffs. The struggle continued as he kicked at the doors of the transport vehicle that took him away.
54-44
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 10:43AM
Those numbers represent Kerry's margin of victory over Bush in Connecticut in the 2004 election. Now, in a Democratic primary, Lieberman loses by 4 points, and we're supposed to believe it's a referendum on Bush.
Ode to Hezbollah
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 10:29AM
On the front page of today's Washington Post, there's a story about how Hezbollah was transporting Iranian "supplies" accross the Litani River now that Israel has destroyed every bridge. It reads:
They worked with precision -- everyone had a job, hardly a movement was wasted.
And they worked with speed -- no one knew when one of the distant sounds might signal an Israeli attack.
"It's dangerous," one young man said, nerves quickening his pace, as he lugged loads of bread, "but Hezbollah is strong."
Wow, those guys are good. Maybe as part of the cease fire agreement we can get them to drop their careers in martyrdom and come over to America to work on road construction.
Terror Plot
Posted by on 8.10.06 @ 10:08AM
As you'd expect, the NutRoots are having a field day with the overnight terrorism arrests in London.
At some point, you'd think psychiatrists at a research facility would want to study this mania that exists in places like Daily Kos and My DD and the DU. Medication probably wouldn't help.
Here's a bet that within 24 hours an aide close to Howard Dean - if not the man himself - and / or Ned Lamont goes on the record as saying that the arrests in London could not be merely a coincidence given the stunning primary results in Connecticut.
That's right. The Brits are simply scared of a world where Ned Lamont could lead and would do anything to block it. Actually, who could blame them?
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
Sinking to Her Level
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 9:21PM
For a lighter look at D.C.'s misguided bid for congressional representation, check out Stephen Colbert's hilarious interview with delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Re: Rules of the Game
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 9:12PM
Wlady, I didn't catch that, thanks to my news exile (which ends when I get "wired" again next week). But what strikes me about it is the shamelessness. Usually, such threats are veiled. But dragging the kids' tuition into it? That seems like a cheap Godfather-ish move. You do this for the Don, and you can enjoy a fine retirement. Otherwise, it's Stafford loans for you! Sheesh.
Why No One Should Take The Far Left Very Seriously
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 4:55PM
Clearly, Ms. Gies is what Stalin referred to as a "useful idiot."
Rules of the Game
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 4:43PM
I don't know if anyone has commented on the eye-opening cynicism reflected in the paragraph below, from yesterday's Washington Post report on Abramoff-tainted Rep. Bob Ney's decision not to seek re-election to his Ohio seat:
House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) met with Ney last week to urge him to step aside, reminding him that with a son in college and a daughter nearing college age, he will need money, according to several congressional Republican aides. If he lost his House seat for the party, Boehner is said to have cautioned, Ney could not expect a lucrative career on K Street to pay those tuition bills, along with the hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees piling up.
Political disgrace is now no impediment to cashing in? Mind you, this under conservative Republican supervision and with conservative Republican approval and encouragement...
Re: Lamont, Good for Republicans...
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 3:14PM
David, your point is well taken, but one thing to keep in mind is that it isn't Lamont alone who matters, it's that Lieberman's defeat in the primary shows Democratic leaders that they will have to pay more attention to the far left of the party. Even if Lamont doesn't stand a chance in November, Democratic leaders will give more lip service to the loony left. In a joint statement with Chuck Schumer today, Harry Reid said:
"the perception was that he was too close to George Bush and this election was, in many respects, a referendum on the President more than anything else. The results bode well for Democratic victories in November and our efforts to take the country in a new direction."
The thought of a Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who is more beholden to the far left taking America in "a new direction" will, I think, motivate many conservatives, even if they are disgusted by the current crop of Republicans in Washington.
First-and-Ten
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 1:26PM
The real winner yesterday? American football, not exactly a cut-and-run sport. When Joe Lieberman wins his fourth term next November, people will remember his comeback was launched with his brilliant football reference to the effect that while Lamont might have won the first half of the game, he'll win the second half.
Meanwhile, yesterday the NFL owners selected a new commissioner, who survived a treacherous election process a lot more worthy of the Vatican than of a lowly small state at its primary stage -- 185 original candidates, five election rounds. From all accounts, new commish Roger Goodell is tougher than his late father, a cut-and-run Republican when such a thing was still imaginable. But that's another story.
Speaking of comebacks, Philip: Wasn't Clinton dubbed the Comeback Kid because of his surviving Gennifer Flowers? But, of course, it's how you finish second that counts. Not just Clinton, but Eugene McCarthy and George McGovernik also "won" by coming in second in New Hampshire. Lieberman is fortunate that in finishing second himself, he won the war for momentum. By November 7, Lamont will be about as electable as the characters who joined him on the stage last night.
RE: Lamont: Good for Republicans...
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 1:02PM
...Bad for Conservatives
Phil: I wouldn't be so pessimistic. I think the frustration among alienated GOP voters is so intense that one victory by the far left is not enough to motivate them. They might be motivated if the left wins a lot more, but do you see any other such high-profile races out there? I don't.
Furthermore, this will likely prove a pyrrhic victory for the far left. Chances are Lieberman will win in November, and Lamont will only ever see the inside of the Senate as a tourist. As November approaches, it will become clearer that Lamont doesn't have a chance, and whatever alarm that currently exists among the GOP base will dissipate.
It's going to take a lot more Ned Lamonts before those disaffected GOP voters hold their noses and return to the voting booth this November.
That Loud Exhaling Sound You Hear...
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 12:49PM
...is the Capitol Hill Police heaving a collective sigh of relief.
Lamborn Wins!
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 12:41PM
John: Think you were a bit premature on that Lamborn call. The Club went 2-for-2 last night.
Rahm a Lang a Ding-dong
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 12:13PM
Apparently D-Triple-C chairman Rep. Rahm "Twinkletoes" Emanuel is singing from Daily Kos's songsheet given his quote in the New York Times today about the Connecticut race: "This shows what blind loyalty to George Bush and being his love child means."
Kos is now calling for Lieberman to be stripped of his committee assignments. Sens. Reid and Schumer have officially dumped Lieberman, pinning his loss to the support of the war. Reid, we are reliably told, has again reached out to former President Bill Clinton to intercede on the party's behalf to talk Lieberman out of an independent run.
Lamont:Good for Republicans, Bad for Conservatives
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 12:02PM
As has been noted before, a Ned Lamont victory is a gift to Republicans. With the anti-war left having taken over the Democratic Party while
Right now, grass roots conservatives are clearly frustrated with Republican leaders who won’t fight to advance a conservative agenda even though they are in control of the presidency and both branches of Congress. This presents a problem for Republicans this November and beyond, because there is a danger that their discouraged base may stay home on Election Day (or at least be less active than they otherwise would be). Were the Democratic Party controlled by reasonable people, there might be a greater danger of this happening. But grass roots conservatives are much less likely to stay home if it means putting the Michael Moore wing of the Democratic Party in charge. Republican leaders know this, and they know that no matter how much they increase spending, or ignore other core conservative issues, at the end of the day, conservatives will suck it up and begrudgingly vote for them. However angry conservatives are with Republicans, they will come out on Election Day in full force considering the face of the Democratic Party that was represented at the victory rally last night: Lamont, flanked by Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, speaking to supporters who chanted for a withdrawal from
The New 'Comeback Kid'
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 11:11AM
By immediately vowing to run as an independent in last night's concession speech and declaring the Democratic primary merely the "first half" of the campaign, Joe Lieberman seems to have done an effective job of minimizing the impact of what could have been portrayed as an embarrassing defeat. Instead of writing his political obituary today, the story has already shifted to his run as an independent.
The cover of the Washington Post has a photo of a smiling Lieberman waving to the crowd, and the lead story describes how "Lieberman appeared almost exuberant in defeat." The Hartford Courant's story is headlined, "Lieberman Defiant in Defeat." And a survey of stories appearing on Google News reveals that today's coverage is focused on Liberman's filing to run as an independent.
Last week, a poll showed Ned Lamont leading the race by 13 points, and it was pretty much assumed that he was going to win. By coming to within 4 points, Lieberman reached the high-end of expectations.
It's tough to know what will happen between now and November, but Lieberman's defeat last night reminded me of when Bill Clinton's second-place finish in the
Be Afraid: Be Very Afraid
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 11:04AM
But only if you're a Dem and one of the few who haven't entirely lost your mind. Michael Moore's letter to the Dems - not just gloating about Lamont's victory, but launching into La La Land about it -- is a thing of beauty. The money quote:
Let the resounding defeat of Senator Joe Lieberman send a cold shiver down the spine of every Democrat who supported the invasion of Iraq and who continues to support, in any way, this senseless, immoral, unwinnable war. Make no mistake about it: We, the majority of Americans, want this war ended -- and we will actively work to defeat each and every one of you who does not support an immediate end to this war.
He ends, of course, with a parallel threat to Republicans, saying, "We'll take care of you this November." Scared yet?
Note to the aforementioned few sane Dems. Give us a call. We can work something out. Trust me. You have nowhere else to go.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish...
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 10:48AM
Our friends at RedState have made the transformation from .org to .com. And to launch the site this week, with all its new-fangled techno-features, be sure to check out the Rush Limbaugh podcast (available on the home page and part of the RedState Radio Podcast Series). New site coordinates: www.redstate.com.
Ned-mentum
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 9:52AM
Apparently Ned Lamont supporters were pretty giddy over their win last night. According to some DC-based folks who traveled up to the Connecticut over the weekend to help Lamont, there was much joy in Lamont-land late Tuesday and early Wednesday morning. Joy to the point where some people around the Democratic nominee were calling him, "Mr. Senator." And apparently Lamont was doing anything to dissuade such talk. It's a bit too early for that.
Oliver Stone, Jingoist
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 9:24AM
Anthony Kaufman on World Trade Center over at AlterNet:
"A celebration of authority, God, and president Bush, "World Trade Center" doesn't feel like an Oliver Stone movie. If conservatives were worried that Stone, the director of anti-establishment touchstones "Platoon," "Born on the Fourth of July," and "JFK," would turn this 9/11 movie into a platform for personal politics, he has proved them resoundingly wrong. Instead, Stone delivers the Bush base a jingoistic, All-American all-you-can-eat buffet on a silver platter."
Democracy Works....When We Win
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 9:11AM
The Kos crowd definitely earned some crowing rights last night with the Lamont win, but the summation of this triumphal post was interesting:
"What tonight showed is that democracy can work. That even the most powerful, entrenched forces can be dislodged by people-power."
This is sort of the Dean Democracy for America premise: The whole American political culture is corrupt, except when we win. America's democracy is ailing and faded, except when we win. Self-funded wealthy candidates are the bane of politics, except when they're our guys.
Kudos to Lamont for fighting an absurdly uphill battle and coming out on the other side victorious. It's an impressive feat, aided, no doubt, by Lieberman's promise to run as an independent and the lack of party loyalty it suggested, but neither he nor Kos fixed democracy last night. Why isn't winning a tough primary enough?
ALSO: Let's hear it for Tabin election night coverage. It's always great and last night was no exception.
Walberg Wins in Michigan
Posted by on 8.9.06 @ 12:09AM
UPDATE: Win some, lose some. CfG's candidate in Colorado's 5th district, Doug Lamborn, has lost. UPDATE: Lesson: Avoid preamautre chicken-couinting.
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
Ned Lamont Speaks
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 11:44PM
Actually, he's screaming into the mic. Standing behind him: Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Next to him: A blond woman who looks a whole lot like Jane Hamsher (the one Lamont claimed to know nothing about). UPDATE: I retract the allegation; the blond woman was Lamont's wife.
Th-Th-Th-That's All Folk
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 11:36PM
Stick a fork in Loony Toon Cynthia McKinney-- she's done.
Lieberman Concedes-- But...
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 11:24PM
"We've just finished the first half, and the Lamont team is ahead -- But in the second half, our team, Team Connecticut, is going to surge forth to victory in November." He's attacking Lamont hard. The independent race is definitely on.
Drudge Calls the Race in CT
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 10:39PM
Connecticut // U.S. Senate - - Dem PrimaryAfter the talk in recent weeks of a double-digit blow-out, a result this close is a shot in the arm to an independent Lieberman campaign. So is this.
608 of 748 Precincts Reporting - 81.28%
Lamont, Ned 116,387 51.71% **Winner
Lieberman, Joe (i) 108,683 48.29%
Michigan
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 10:17PM
Here's a better link for results (the one I gave earlier doesn't seem to be updating).
McKinney's Last Hurrah
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 10:00PM
We all should have seen the spurious charges of "irregularites" coming from a mile away.
Other Races to Watch
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 8:45PM
In Michigan, incumbent Republican squish Joe Schwarz is facing a challenge from Club for Growth-backed conservative Tim Walberg, and could very well lose. Official results from that race will appear here. CfG also has a dog Colorado's 5th district, where they back Doug Lamborn in the Republican primary. (I can't find a results link for that one at the moment, but I'll add one if I can.) UPDATE: Here's a link that'll have results for CO-5 (as well as the contested Democratic primary in CO-7).
Watching the Polls
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 7:49PM
They're closed in Georgia -- Results in the McKinney-Johnson race will appear here as they come in. Connecticut polls close at eight. Stay tuned.
No Go Joe?
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 7:29PM
The initial reports from Connecticut aren't good for Sen. Joe Lieberman. Turnout appears to be exceedingly high in the suburbs, which is good for Nutty Ned. Turnout is low in the traditionally moderate, blue collar communities, such as Waterbury, where Lieberman was hoping for strong support to blunt the suburban push.
We're hearing conflicting things from people who are close to Lieberman. Some say the Lieberman has in excess of 20,000 signatures that he could file tomorrow to run as an independent on the November ballot. Others aren't so sure he has the necessary signatures because the drive for John Hancocks was not as intensive as some believed.
There are others who aren't so sure Lieberman will, in fact, submit his name for consideration. What we have heard in Washington Democrat circles is that Sen. Harry Reid and others have spoken with former President Bill Clinton about interceding on their behalf and persuading Senator Lieberman not to run in November.
We'll know soon enough what Lieberman's plans are.
Mon Dieu!
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 6:10PM
Employee on phone with a French company: I'm sorry that you're offended that I don't speak French, sir...Well, I don't know what to tell you. I speak English and Korean; I just don't speak French. We have a great offer here. I think you'd like to hear about it, even in English...Well, if you'd like I can speak to you with what French I do know but I'm afraid it will only be "hello" and "yes" or "no."...I'm sorry that you think my lack of French represents what's wrong with America in general...Think the French guy speaks Korean?
Remember That 'Bipartanship'...
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 5:45PM
...always means giving in to liberals. Look at the last line of this letter to the editor from the Democrats' fearless leader, Nancy Pelosi, on Social Security reform:
Once privatization is no longer an option, we look forward to working with Mr. Paulson and others in the administration in a bipartisan fashion.
In other words, 'bipartisan' means liberals get everything they want and conservatives get nothing.
Iran and MAD
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 4:13PM
Middle East guru Bernard Lewis has a must read article in today's WSJ that lays out why we cannot depend on the Cold War doctrine of mutual assured destruction (MAD) to deter Iran from using nuclear weapons if they do acquire them.
I found this section of Lewis’s piece particularly haunting:
A passage from the Ayatollah Khomeini, quoted in an 11th-grade Iranian schoolbook, is revealing. "I am decisively announcing to the whole world that if the world devourers [i.e., the infidel powers] wish to stand against our religion, we will stand against their whole world and will not cease until the annihilation of all of them. Either we all become free, or we will go to the greater freedom which is martyrdom. Either we shake one another’s hands in the joy of the victory of Islam in the world, or all of us will turn to eternal life and martyrdom. In both cases, victory and success are ours.”
It is best to view
Remember To Chew Your Food 25 Times...
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 2:18PM
A great column from the Foundation for Economic Education. Money quote:
A prime example is New York City. It established an Office of Emergency Management (OEM) in 1996, which allegedly "works to mitigate, and plan and prepare for emergencies . . . and seek funding opportunities to support of [sic] the overall preparedness of the City of New York." Why do I suspect that bit about funding is its real raison d'etre?No matter: the OEM considers us all morons, unable to discern its true intent, if its "Quick Heat-Beating Tips" are any indication. First on the list is "Stay out of the sun." Whoa-ho! There's a novel idea! And leave your fur coat in the closet: instead, opt for "lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothes." We should also "drink plenty of . . . water," and "keep rooms well-ventilated with air conditioners and fans." Duh. Folks without a.c. or fans can "keep [their] windows open." Such invaluable tips are one reason we pay Our Rulers the big bucks.
A Real Health Care Crisis
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 11:54AM
Investor's Business Daily on John Kerry's health care plan:
Want a real crisis?Absolve people of their duty through a universal third-party payer - the government - and watch a problem erupt. With little or no money coming out of their pockets, people will overuse the system, sending costs even higher through increased demand. The strain placed on medical professionals will make waiting times unbearable. With no mechanism for self-rationing in place - such as personal responsibility or cost - the government will ration care.
I Have Heard...
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 11:40AM
...that WaPo reporter Thomas Ricks is a paid propogandist for Hezbollah.
How do I know? I've been told by various sources.
Opportunity of a Lifetime
Posted by on 8.8.06 @ 1:57AM
A classified ad I noticed last evening in the newsletter of the home association of the neighborhood next to mine. I haven't stopped laughing since. (Yes, it is a liberal neighborhood.)
SOCCER COACH WANTED: I am looking for a soccer coach to teach a group of three or four, 4 year olds soccer. Soccer playing and or coaching experiences required. Focus on listening, teamwork and social skills. If you are interested please send an email to [address withheld]. Thanks.
Last time I saw children this young playing soccer, they were all scurrying in the wrong direction, their mothers chasing after them.
Monday, August 7, 2006
Time to Buy U.S. Stocks...
Posted by on 8.7.06 @ 1:32PM
Paul Krugman in today's NY Times:
These are the dog days of summer, but there's a chill in the air. Suddenly - really just in the last few weeks - people have starting talking seriously about a possible recession.
Re: Novak Scrapes the Bottom of the Nutty Barrel
Posted by on 8.7.06 @ 12:56PM
Right on, David! I was thinking the same thing when I read Novak this morning. Writing, "Only a conspiracy theorist might claim…" allows him to appear as if he's distancing himself from conspiracy theorists while at the same time spreading a conspiracy theory.
Whining about how it's taboo to criticize Israel has been the latest tactic of Israel-bashers (see Walt/ Mearsheimer), because if you criticize their arguments, they just point to it as further evidence of a "criticism-free" zone.
Novak Scrapes the Bottom of the Nutty Barrel
Posted by on 8.7.06 @ 12:07PM
Robert Novak is usually a sanguine columnist, but when it comes to Israel, he often dives off the deep end of an empty pool and hits his head on the bottom. Case in point is his column today:
Reports of Israeli air attacks on Qana in Lebanon, killing at least 28 people including 19 children July 30, threatened Israel with a American public relations calamity. But this soon was eclipsed on cable television and front pages of many newspapers by actor Mel Gibson's drunken anti-Semitic rant.The attention by much of the news media turned from Lebanon to Gibson attempting an apology sufficiently abject to satisfy the Anti-Defamation League. Only a conspiracy theorist might claim this was an intentional escape route for American politicians to avoid a possible Israeli atrocity, but it certainly served that purpose. Washington remains largely a bipartisan, criticism-free zone for Israel.
Maybe Washington is an criticism-free zone for Israel (I doubt it), but what about much of the press? Heck, Reuters has gone so far as to doctor photos.
As for the "Gibson-not-a-conspiracy-conspiracy" that's just (expletive deleted) loony. Gibson, who has never been too hot on Jews, suddenly decides to take one for Israel by getting drunk and mouthing off to a cop. Or maybe Gibson's anti-semitism was just an act all these years. It was part of a grand plan; he was just waiting for the right moment to help keep Israel off the front page. In fact, it was probably a plan hatched by Hollywood producers, wealthy New York bankers, and Mossad.
Boy, those Jews are clever!
Return of the McGovernites
Posted by on 8.7.06 @ 11:45AM
Over at Opinion Journal, Martin Peretz reflects on the ascendance of Ned Lamont, who represents the return of the "peace" Democrats and an early Christmas present for Republicans.
Since Sept. 11, and especially since the Iraq War, the Democratic Party has faced a dilemma. Should it appeal to the vehemently anti-War Left at the risk of alienating moderates? Or should it target moderates at the risk of alienating the base of the party? While John Kerry did seem to have a special knack for flip-flopping, his need to do so was rooted in the intra-party warfare among Democrats. He had to criticize the Iraq War as a big mistake to satisfy Howard Dean voters while still sounding hawkish enough to attract moderates. As a result he had no discernable position on the war.
Over at the headquarters of the modern anti-war left, Daily Kos, they believe that the idea of the Angry Left is a myth. To them, polls showing waning support for the war indicate that opposition is now a moderate, rather than a fringe position.
There are two ways I'd respond to that. First, as we all know, poll results largely depend on how the question is asked. For instance, when asked in a recent CBS/NY Times poll, "Do you think the result of the war with Iraq was worth the loss of American life and other costs of attacking Iraq, or not?" only 30 percent thought it was worth it compared with 63 percent who answered that it wasn't. But when the same poll asked, "Looking back, do you think the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq, or should the U.S. have stayed out?" there was a much more even split: 47 percent said "did the right thing" and 48 percent said "should have stayed out."
But there is something else that the anti-war left is missing. When those of us on the right use the term "Angry Left," we aren't using it to mean anybody who opposes the war (and certainly there are many reasonable conservative arguments against the war). The term "Angry Left" refers to those liberals whose lives revolve around opposition to the war and hatred for President Bush.
As Peretz puts it, "Ned Lamont is Karl Rove's dream come true. If he, and others of his stripe, carry the day, the Democratic party will lose the future, and deservedly."
Santorum Still In It
Posted by on 8.7.06 @ 10:43AM
Now down to six points, Santorum's race seems to be playing out the way his folks had been predicting months ago, when he was down 21 points: that the gap would narrow as more voters saw and heard Casey. The fact that the Green Party is in the midst of this probably doesn't hurt either.
As Real Clear Politics points out, Santorum has to get his personal numbers up, but a month of August town hall meetings, and getting out across the state will help do that.
Sunday, August 6, 2006
Radio Week
Posted by on 8.6.06 @ 8:15PM
Busy, busy, busy. Monday, I'll be subbing for Laura Ingraham (9 am to noon) on TRN. We'll start with MGen. Dan Harel of the IDF, Israel's military attache in Washington to update the war. Later in the show we'll be joined by John Fund of the Wall St. Journal to predict the Lieberman purge and Eric Shawn of Fox News to talk about the latest UN mess.
And that's not all. Starting Tuesday nite, I'm subbing for Hugh Hewitt (6-9 pm on Salem Radio Net). We'll be programming each day to keep up with the news. And there's a lot to keep up with. See ya on the radio.
Judgmentalism Free Zone
Posted by on 8.6.06 @ 7:38PM
It wasn't that long ago that certan Europeans were lauding Tour de France winner Floyd Landis as their kind of kind of (because kind, gentle, and nonthreatening) Americano. Now they no doubt know better -- he's no different from their own bike riders who've found themselves suspended from improper reliance on pedaling enhancers. I suppose we'll know soon enough if they consider the likely sanctions against Landis disproportionate to the crime. Certainly that's a possibility some might consider here. An almost damning "essay" by one Sarah Kaufman in today's Washington Post Style section pulls back late in the piece.
"We're tempted to believe that what is in an athlete's specimen cup reveals what is in his heart. If he's peeing out dope, he must be a bad guy," she writes in a way little girls didn't used to be taught to write. "Yet it may only mean that he's a human being who made a bad mistake."
So here's your penance, Floyd. Go and mistake no more.
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