Republicans have been running them for years, largely under the radar of
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Thread 2
Place is overfull, as it was yesterday. Stuck in my seat because they'll probably lock the place down soon, if they haven't already. Can't miss the balloon drop...
Convention Thread I
chat.
...shocked at how quiet things were for Lieberman. I don't much like the guy, and I know most of my readers don't either, but I thought he had more support out there generally. Obvious applause lines fell flat or were met with polite applause.
...shocked at how quiet things were for Lieberman. I don't much like the guy, and I know most of my readers don't either, but I thought he had more support out there generally. Obvious applause lines fell flat or were met with polite applause.
Spicy
Great moments in punditry, courtesy of Chris Matthews:
-
MATTHEWS: Let me go to Richard Holbrooke.
You have dealt with a lot of different cultures in the world. You know our own. Do you think the American people have an appetite for a spicy woman of a Latin background from Africa?
...
MATTHEWS: Well, I have to tell you, I personally—of course, I don‘t mind saying it. I find her very attractive. She‘s a European film star in the Jeanne Moreau mode or Anouk Aimee.
But I don‘t think everybody likes foreign movies like I love do. I
love the fact she paid tribute to the Peace Corps, especially where I was
in the Peace Corps right next to her country while she was still there in
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: ... and right next to Mozambique. I love the fact she went to Witwatersrand, a liberal university, and fought against apartheid. It‘s all great stuff.
But coffee—you remember your first cup of coffee, how it was bitter. And then after a couple months, you go, I really can‘t live without this stuff. Is she an acquired taste?
...
HOLBROOKE: Kati came from Europe. My parents from Russia and Hitler‘s Germany.
MARTON: With nothing.
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: Your actual parents, not your grandparents?
HOLBROOKE: No, no, my parents. My father was a refugee from communism, my mother from Hitler.
MATTHEWS: I thought you were kind of a Waspy guy. I didn‘t know this
The Great White Hope
One of the media conversations I'm peripherally aware of (again, in this bubble I don't have the omniscient view of the media borg I usually do) is the "why do people call Obama black?" It's quite fascinating, really, that this is an issue. The same issue was raised when Halle Berry won her Oscar. I'll try to be kind to those raising the it, but they really seem to have a view of race as being genetic or "in the blood," which is, uh, a rather interesting view of race. The "one drop rule" still exists -- not because it's government imposed, but because if you look black people categorize you as black. Now, I look forward to a colorblind society but it doesn't exactly exist right now. Obama is black because people see him as black. The content of "black blood" in him is irrelevant. I highly doubt any of the people saying this didn't think of Obama as a "black man" before they discovered that one of his parents was white.
Look, this is why silly liberals like me say things like "race is a social construct." That isn't to say there aren't some persistent genetic differences between populations, but those populations don't match up very well with what we, as a society, call "race." And, those conceptions of "race" differ quite a bit from country to country.
But, as for why this issue is coming up now specifically, Obama himself says it much better than I ever could:
I've never been a big fan of the term "African-American" as it ties a race into a geography, and it becomes increasingly confusing as immigration patterns become more complex. I'm happy to identify people in any way they want to be identified, but I do think the adoption of the term has been counterproductive in a number of ways. Is Theresa Heinz Kerry an African-American? Would an Afrikaaner immigrant to the US be? What do we call black Hatian immigrants, or black citizens of Britain? Once it becomes complicated, we default to the term which is really the primary issue - skin tone.
Look, this is why silly liberals like me say things like "race is a social construct." That isn't to say there aren't some persistent genetic differences between populations, but those populations don't match up very well with what we, as a society, call "race." And, those conceptions of "race" differ quite a bit from country to country.
But, as for why this issue is coming up now specifically, Obama himself says it much better than I ever could:
-
If I was arrested for armed robbery and my mug shot was on the television screen, people wouldn't be debating if I was African-American or not. I'd be a black man going to jail. Now if that's true when bad things are happening, there's no reason why I shouldn't be proud of being a black man when good things are happening, too.
I've never been a big fan of the term "African-American" as it ties a race into a geography, and it becomes increasingly confusing as immigration patterns become more complex. I'm happy to identify people in any way they want to be identified, but I do think the adoption of the term has been counterproductive in a number of ways. Is Theresa Heinz Kerry an African-American? Would an Afrikaaner immigrant to the US be? What do we call black Hatian immigrants, or black citizens of Britain? Once it becomes complicated, we default to the term which is really the primary issue - skin tone.
If You're Going to Fight With Those Things, You Better Use Some Protective Headgear
Another Republican in trouble:
South Carolina's agriculture commissioner was arrested Thursday on charges of taking at least $20,000 in payoffs to protect a cockfighting ring from the law.
Charles Sharpe, 65, was indicted on federal charges including extortion and money laundering. He was accused of accepting the money from an organization involved in breeding and raising birds for cockfighting in exchange for helping the group avoid legal trouble. Cockfighting is illegal in South Carolina.
Sharpe, a Republican, served in the state House from 1985 until 2002 and was chairman of the Agriculture Committee. In 2002, he was elected agriculture commissioner.
[snip]
Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, called cockfighting barbaric and demanded Sharpe resign immediately.
``In exchange for thousands of dollars, he has allegedly used his connections and his stature not only to enrich himself, but also to provide protection for an organized criminal network of cockfighters,'' Pacelle said.
Brits Raise Warnings on Iraq and Afghanistan
The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has issued its fifth report on the “war against terrorism”, warning that both Iraq and Afghanistan are on the verge of becoming failed states:
Reading around, I discovered another little Iraq info tidbit: 200 Jordanian truck drivers have been killed in Iraq by armed thieves or U.S. forces since the war began. I wonder, are the number of foreign workers' deaths in Iraq compiled anywhere?
“Iraq has become a ‘battle ground’ for al Qaida, with appalling consequences for the Iraqi people. The coalition’s failure to bring law and order to parts of Iraq created a vacuum into which criminal elements and militias have stepped.”
“The insufficient number of troops in Iraq has contributed to the deterioration in security.
“The failure of countries other than the US and the United Kingdom to send significant numbers of troops has had serious and regrettable consequences, not only for the Iraqis but also in terms of the burden placed on UK resources and perceptions of the legitimacy of operations in Iraq.”
[snip]
“The alternative to a positive outcome in Iraq may be a failed state and regional instability.”
[snip]
“Fine communiqués and ringing declarations are no substitute for delivery of the forces and equipment which Afghanistan needs on the ground.”
“There is a real danger if these resources are not provided soon that Afghanistan – a fragile state in one of the most sensitive and volatile regions of the world – could implode, with terrible consequences.”
[snip]
At a news conference to launch the report, the committee chairman, Labour MP Donald Anderson, conceded that the invasion of Iraq had resulted in a heightened terrorist threat.
“It would be difficult to resist the argument that the threat has increased,” he said.
UPDATE: The Pakistanis came through on the July Surprise. Unfortunately for Bush, they appear to have captured Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian wanted in the Africa embassy bombings, rather than Osama bin Laden. If the report is true, I'm happy to hear that another alleged terrorist has been taken out of circulation. But I don't see this bumping Big John's speech off of the unseeing eye.
Thanks to bo for the link.
DNC Thursday
It's Big John's day. Let's read some "record for donations" headlines tomorrow. The DNC is the only group that can spend coordinated money on the Kerry campaign, and they can also make "independent" expenditures . Give them a warchest -- Kerry's on the public dole starting now. And, you know the Bush administration is going to take advan tage of their extra month of Bush campaign private expenditures.
Random Environment Thoughts
Wrote the following while attending an Enviornment Votes 2004 event....
"Worst administration ever" was Carol Browner's assessment of the Bush administration on the environment. It's hard to argue with that, though they haven't yet had a chance to do quite as much damage as they'd like. I don't talk about environmental stuff much, other than the basic "Bush is bad," because serious discussion is rather wonky and there really isn't much point of doing that. But, rhetorically I think there is an opportunity to reframe the issue in a way that can appeal to a broader chunk of voters.
At heart, most (though not all) environmental issues can be reframed as property rights and personal health issues. Do firms have the right to pollute your air, water, and soil or not? For various reasons (somewhat their own fault, probably, but largely due to the spin machine), the environmental movement has become associated with things that people don't perceive as affecting them personally - endangered species that they've never heard of, clumps of trees in countries they don't care much about, etc... I'm not trying to diminish the importance of any of these issues, I'm just pointing out that it's easier to get people to care about things which do affect them personally..
While Rush Limbaugh's listeners are probably convinced that mercury is good for you, most people don't really want their kids to be exposed to it. People like Big Media Matt don't really care about pristine landscapes, but they do care that they can't drink their tapwater.
Make people understand that it isn't just about abstract natural beauty, endangered insects, or the abstract if possibly very real coming global warming catastrophe. It's about cancer, asthma, and kids getting brain damage. Environmental issues have broad general support by people, but the specifics are too often associated with things which are too far removed from them. Find a way to bring it home.
Another point that Robert F. Kennedy frequently makes (and just did again), is that part of the problem is that we don't really have a "free market." He passed on a quip from Jim Hightower, "A free market is nice, we should try it some time." Now, this is a bumper sticker way to frame the issue which is slightly misleading under the rules of standard acceptable discourse about economic issues, but it's actually quite true. A true "free market" requires people/firms to pay the full costs of their economic activities. Polluting companies are getting something for free. In an alternative universe where issues actually mattered we could have a sensible debate about the appropriate means for dealing with this - regulations, emissions taxes, fake market-based "cap and trade" systems, etc... All of those methods have their imperfections, but the answer isn't "no government intereference." Even the conservatarian fantasy of Coase-theorem based solution of assigning property rights clearly and letting individual actors bargain was practical in more cases, it would still involve very costly enforcement and court fights over what would need to be incredibly complicated contracts (conservatarians frequently ignore the fact that people don't always honor their contracts, and costly legal battles then follow...) Government of a different sort, but still government.
Robert Kennedy just contrasted the press's treatment of the Mark Rich pardon with their lack of interest in the fact that the Bush administration has thrown out dozens of criminal cases against big donors related to violation of environnmental laws .
Elliot Spitzer said a couple of things which were interesting. He said they've "turned federalism against this administration," and informed the audience that during a speech to the Federalist Society he told them, "You've let a genie out of the bottle and you're going to live to regret it."
"Worst administration ever" was Carol Browner's assessment of the Bush administration on the environment. It's hard to argue with that, though they haven't yet had a chance to do quite as much damage as they'd like. I don't talk about environmental stuff much, other than the basic "Bush is bad," because serious discussion is rather wonky and there really isn't much point of doing that. But, rhetorically I think there is an opportunity to reframe the issue in a way that can appeal to a broader chunk of voters.
At heart, most (though not all) environmental issues can be reframed as property rights and personal health issues. Do firms have the right to pollute your air, water, and soil or not? For various reasons (somewhat their own fault, probably, but largely due to the spin machine), the environmental movement has become associated with things that people don't perceive as affecting them personally - endangered species that they've never heard of, clumps of trees in countries they don't care much about, etc... I'm not trying to diminish the importance of any of these issues, I'm just pointing out that it's easier to get people to care about things which do affect them personally..
While Rush Limbaugh's listeners are probably convinced that mercury is good for you, most people don't really want their kids to be exposed to it. People like Big Media Matt don't really care about pristine landscapes, but they do care that they can't drink their tapwater.
Make people understand that it isn't just about abstract natural beauty, endangered insects, or the abstract if possibly very real coming global warming catastrophe. It's about cancer, asthma, and kids getting brain damage. Environmental issues have broad general support by people, but the specifics are too often associated with things which are too far removed from them. Find a way to bring it home.
Another point that Robert F. Kennedy frequently makes (and just did again), is that part of the problem is that we don't really have a "free market." He passed on a quip from Jim Hightower, "A free market is nice, we should try it some time." Now, this is a bumper sticker way to frame the issue which is slightly misleading under the rules of standard acceptable discourse about economic issues, but it's actually quite true. A true "free market" requires people/firms to pay the full costs of their economic activities. Polluting companies are getting something for free. In an alternative universe where issues actually mattered we could have a sensible debate about the appropriate means for dealing with this - regulations, emissions taxes, fake market-based "cap and trade" systems, etc... All of those methods have their imperfections, but the answer isn't "no government intereference." Even the conservatarian fantasy of Coase-theorem based solution of assigning property rights clearly and letting individual actors bargain was practical in more cases, it would still involve very costly enforcement and court fights over what would need to be incredibly complicated contracts (conservatarians frequently ignore the fact that people don't always honor their contracts, and costly legal battles then follow...) Government of a different sort, but still government.
Robert Kennedy just contrasted the press's treatment of the Mark Rich pardon with their lack of interest in the fact that the Bush administration has thrown out dozens of criminal cases against big donors related to violation of environnmental laws .
Elliot Spitzer said a couple of things which were interesting. He said they've "turned federalism against this administration," and informed the audience that during a speech to the Federalist Society he told them, "You've let a genie out of the bottle and you're going to live to regret it."
Department of Amusing Nitpicks
In a typically patronizing article about bloggers and blogging and that whole Internet publishing thing we're all so threatened by these days, CBS columnist John C. Dvorak allows that:
Well, John, for starters, it's "pore over" not "pour over." Now, where did I put my Spock ears?
"... like the legions of Star Trek fans who pour over every episode frame-by-frame to find flaws, bloggers will, in fact, become the watchdog of the media, combing news reports, and keeping everyone honest. What's more important than that?"
Well, John, for starters, it's "pore over" not "pour over." Now, where did I put my Spock ears?
Prisoner Abuse: Interrogation, Torture, and the Law
The Crimes of War Project has announced the creation of a new series on abuse of prisoners detained by US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq called "Prisoner Abuse: Interrogation, Torture, and the Law". The new series includes:
- A report card on U.S. policy as graded by leading international humanitarian law scholars from around the world. The evaluation will look at how U.S. actions in response to the war on terror have (or have not) complied with international standards.
- An in-depth, on-the-ground investigation in Afghanistan and Pakistan into the conditions at U.S. detention facilities with first-hand accounts from released prisoners.
- A timeline of events to determine who knew what when focusing on the reporting of allegations of wrongdoing compared with actions taken to investigate or remedy the situation.
- Basic Q&A on the implications of humanitarian law on current events, including Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, zeroing in on the questions that remain outstanding.
- A legal analysis of the photographs that have been released.
- A map of detention centers around the world tracking allegations of abuses.
Check it out [click on Prisoner Abuse once you get to the Crimes of War site].
Lost Voice
I think Josh Marshall gets it just about right here. The truth about "anti-Bush rage" is, as he says, that it was an anger born from powerlessness. It was anger at Bush, sure, but more than that it was anger at the lack of representation in the political discourse - from politicians or from members of the media - for a large chunk of the population who never particularly felt themselves to be "radicals" or "on the fringe" or, hell, even "angry."
Since few with a prominent voice were taking Bush on, those with less prominent voices were doing it themselves. Without the megaphone that the mainstream media provides to amplify their sentiments, all that was left was turning up the volume .
People were trying to give a wake up call to the powers that be. And, until they started to listen (some), anyone who threw out a bit of red meat was seen as a breath of fresh air.
I think the speakers at the convention have, by and large, done an excellent job doing exactly what challengers need to do - making the case for change. The criticisms have been strong, but not over the top, and at this moment that's exactly how they should be.
Sorry for light posting, but just getting from place to place is taking forever right now and I have to go to lots of places...
Since few with a prominent voice were taking Bush on, those with less prominent voices were doing it themselves. Without the megaphone that the mainstream media provides to amplify their sentiments, all that was left was turning up the volume .
People were trying to give a wake up call to the powers that be. And, until they started to listen (some), anyone who threw out a bit of red meat was seen as a breath of fresh air.
I think the speakers at the convention have, by and large, done an excellent job doing exactly what challengers need to do - making the case for change. The criticisms have been strong, but not over the top, and at this moment that's exactly how they should be.
Sorry for light posting, but just getting from place to place is taking forever right now and I have to go to lots of places...
Today on Holden's Obsession with the Gaggle
Trent Duffy subbed for Little Scottie (seen here playing golf with the boss) yesterday. First, an update on the preznit's activities:
The President then taped some new ads for his reelection campaign, and for more details on that, I would refer you to the campaign headquarters in Arlington.
Following that, he went mountain biking for roughly one hour and 19 minutes, according to the President, and the ride was for about 18 miles.
So, according to the President, the President rode his bike for one hour, 19 minutes. That means he rode for five minutes, fell off, then went back to his den to watch Sponge Bob, right? [anonymous in nc provides Tom Toles' take on the ride.]
After his "bicycle ride", the preznit placed a call to one of his good buddies:
I have one international call to read out to you. The President today spoke with Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia for roughly 10 minutes.
Following that, a preview of the next Friday Night Surprise:
Q Trent, when do you expect to release your new budget deficit numbers? The congressional numbers suggest that the deficit could be $420 billion, which Gene Sperling says is a new record for fiscal mismanagement and deficit spending.
MR. DUFFY: Well, let's remember what caused the deficit. The economy and the recession took a great toll on federal revenues. Obviously, the President's response to that recession was an aggressive economic program based on tax relief. And then the terrorists hit us, and that required some appropriate spending increases, not only to fight the global war on terror, but to protect the homeland.
[Duffy-fluffing editted out]
But the President is on track to cut the deficit in half over the next five years through a combination of continued economic growth, as well as serious spending restraint.
Q Trent, when do you expect to release those numbers?
MR. DUFFY: You can talk with OMB for an exact date. I know they're going through the final preparations now.
Q Trent, there are some who say the numbers have been delayed in their release -- I guess they were due on the 15th -- so as not to give the Democrats any more fodder during their convention.
A question to which Mr. Duffy responded with the understatement of the centruy:
MR. DUFFY: I think the Democrats have shown that they have lots of fodder for their convention.
New Jobless Thursday
Add 345k to the New Jobless rolls, up 4k over last week:
Consumer spending, which drives our economy, is down for the second straight month:
It's time for some new economic leadership in this country. Shoot, I'd settle for any leadership at all.
In the week ending July 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 345,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 341,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,250, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average of 337,250.
Consumer spending, which drives our economy, is down for the second straight month:
The Federal Reserve reported Wednesday that the U.S. economy cooled off in June and July as consumer spending, especially on autos, slowed significantly after a big surge in early spring.
Income Falls 9.2% During First Two Years of Bush
This is not too surprising, the dotcom bubble burst and many people lost high-paying jobs. But what has George Bush done to alleviate the situation, other than tax cuts for the rich? Two unprecedented years of falling incomes elicited no response from the administration. As far as the economy is concerned, he's still reading My Pet Goat.
The total adjusted gross income on tax returns fell 5.1 percent, to just over $6 trillion in 2002, the most recent year for which data is available, from $6.35 trillion in 2000. Because of population growth, average incomes declined even more, by 5.7 percent.
Adjusted for inflation, the income of all Americans fell 9.2 percent from 2000 to 2002, according to the new I.R.S. data.
[snip]
Before the recent drop, the last time reported incomes fell for even one year was in 1953. The only other time since World War II that the I.R.S. reported an interruption in income gains was from 1947 to 1949, but that was because of changes in the tax law at the time that affected how income was reported rather than an actual fall.
Coolest Celebrity Sighting
The number of celebrities I've seen over the past few days is quite stunning (both political and "hollywood.") But, seeing Steve Buscemi cruising around the convention was truly cool.
Surreal Moment of the Night
So, there was a "blogger party" tonight which was actually pretty cool. Some of the organizers thought it'd be cute to slap "Atrios" nametags on many of the attendees. The surreal moment was seeing James Taranto wearing one...
But, anyway, I was locked out of the hall for the Edwards speech. The place was overcrowded and I was out in the perimeter on the Majority Report. Saw about 2/3 of it on a monitor. I wouldn't say home run, but almost a triple.
But, anyway, I was locked out of the hall for the Edwards speech. The place was overcrowded and I was out in the perimeter on the Majority Report. Saw about 2/3 of it on a monitor. I wouldn't say home run, but almost a triple.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Hope is on the way
John Edwards hit a homerun!
"This is America where everything is still possible." One America.
"This is America where everything is still possible." One America.
Not for the Media
Jesse has a post which you should go read and then come back.
One thing that I really want to stress is just how much this event is not a canned television event. It's one of those things you always hear about conventions, that they're just a canned event, that they're a show put on for the audiences at home. It's shocking how not true that is. Sure, they're timing the event to fit in with the hour or so of network coverage that they've been granted, because while a football game can cut into the Sunday night lineup, something stupid like this can't. But, otherwise this is a show for the people who are here. And, if the media don't like the "canned" version, they're free to cover it any way they want, which appears to involve interviewing people in funny hats.
One thing that I really want to stress is just how much this event is not a canned television event. It's one of those things you always hear about conventions, that they're just a canned event, that they're a show put on for the audiences at home. It's shocking how not true that is. Sure, they're timing the event to fit in with the hour or so of network coverage that they've been granted, because while a football game can cut into the Sunday night lineup, something stupid like this can't. But, otherwise this is a show for the people who are here. And, if the media don't like the "canned" version, they're free to cover it any way they want, which appears to involve interviewing people in funny hats.
Rumor
I might as well report one since that's what we do supposedly. I hear Falwell may be giving the opening invocation at the RNC hatefest...
...oops. I did indeed hear it from John Aravosis. I didn't see it on his blog when I checked before. Must have missed it (thanks to penalcolony).
...oops. I did indeed hear it from John Aravosis. I didn't see it on his blog when I checked before. Must have missed it (thanks to penalcolony).
Mainstream Bloggers
I know there's nothing more boring than blogging about blogging and blogging about the media covering the bloggers covering the media covering... well, you know.
But, still, this is really about the media and not the meta-meta-blogging.
It's really quite fascinating how the media is treating the bloggers and blogging. First, they spend a lot of time talking about how we don't have "editors" or "fact-checkers" and how you just can't reusr that stuff you read in the internet, especially from those pesky bloggers. Who remembers this from Judy Woodruff?
So, Judy feels free to push unconfirmed information from Drudge, and remind viewers of the time that Clinton held up traffic at LAX for hours. She didn't say that he held up traffic, of course, but that's the only reason it was a story at the time. Except that, it wasn't actually true.
Then, of course, we're chastized for spreading rumors. Who remembers this?
Blitzer later offered up a bullshit non-excuse excuse for that, which you can read about at the link.
So, what's the media's next step? Well, shower a lot of attention on a self-described gossip blog which sometimes makes things up (Wonkette). Look, I like Wonkette and enjoy reading it, and given the many many media interview requests I've blown off trust me I'm not envying the attention. It's just Wonkette isn't really representative of blogs in any meaningful way. Happy for Wonkette getting attention as Wonkette, rather silly that she's getting attention as a "blogger."
And, then, they start their own blogs which have only the absolute worst aspects of blogs -- overly self-referential, no original content, an obsession with unfunny snark, and an adulation of uber-hip cynicism.. You know, sort of like Kausfiles. See CNN and MSNBC.
It's sort of funny seeing the media try to grab a medium, insult all the people who are currently doing it, and then turn around and do it really really really badly themselves. But, hey, I'm not sure why blogging should be much different...
(sightky edited, 7/28)
But, still, this is really about the media and not the meta-meta-blogging.
It's really quite fascinating how the media is treating the bloggers and blogging. First, they spend a lot of time talking about how we don't have "editors" or "fact-checkers" and how you just can't reusr that stuff you read in the internet, especially from those pesky bloggers. Who remembers this from Judy Woodruff?
-
WOODRUFF: Just two days after moving closer to a presidential race, John Kerry already is in denial mode. His office says the senator does not pay $150 to get his hair cut, as claimed by Matt Drudge on the Internet. The Boston Herald quotes a source as saying that Kerry pays more like $75 to get what some have called the best hair in the Senate.
The Drudge Report, which we’ve not yet confirmed, says Kerry’s do is the work of a stylist at the chic Cristophe salon. And you may remember Cristophe from the $200 trim that he gave Bill Clinton on board Air Force One while it sat on the tarmac at LAX in Los Angeles. Clinton learned then what Kerry may know now. Even hair can be a cutting issue when you are or want to be president.
So, Judy feels free to push unconfirmed information from Drudge, and remind viewers of the time that Clinton held up traffic at LAX for hours. She didn't say that he held up traffic, of course, but that's the only reason it was a story at the time. Except that, it wasn't actually true.
Then, of course, we're chastized for spreading rumors. Who remembers this?
-
BLITZER (question to King, Wednesday, 3/24/04): What administration officials have been saying since the weekend, basically that Richard Clarke from their vantage point was a disgruntled former government official, angry because he didn't get a certain promotion. He's got a hot new book out now that he wants to promote. He wants to make a few bucks, and that his own personal life, they're also suggesting that there are some weird aspects in his life as well, that they don't know what made this guy come forward and make these accusations against the president. Is that the sense that you're getting, speaking to a wide range of officials?
Blitzer later offered up a bullshit non-excuse excuse for that, which you can read about at the link.
So, what's the media's next step? Well, shower a lot of attention on a self-described gossip blog which sometimes makes things up (Wonkette). Look, I like Wonkette and enjoy reading it, and given the many many media interview requests I've blown off trust me I'm not envying the attention. It's just Wonkette isn't really representative of blogs in any meaningful way. Happy for Wonkette getting attention as Wonkette, rather silly that she's getting attention as a "blogger."
And, then, they start their own blogs which have only the absolute worst aspects of blogs -- overly self-referential, no original content, an obsession with unfunny snark, and an adulation of uber-hip cynicism.. You know, sort of like Kausfiles. See CNN and MSNBC.
It's sort of funny seeing the media try to grab a medium, insult all the people who are currently doing it, and then turn around and do it really really really badly themselves. But, hey, I'm not sure why blogging should be much different...
(sightky edited, 7/28)
Mohamed El Baradei Returns to Iraq
IAEA head returns to complete his mission, which had been so rudely interrupted by Bush's bombs:
But what's this? Remember reports earlier this month concerning the removal of uranium from Iraq by the US of A? Looks like that action may have violated international law:
Who knows if this is true. Ahmed Chalabi's nephew Salem has not allowed Saddam's lawyers to visit him, so perhaps they hope some additional attention will help them to gain access to their client. I can think of at least one president and one prime minister who may hope that Saddam never has his day in court.
Agence France-Presse quotes ElBaradei as saying the IAEA's return "is an absolute necessity, not to search for weapons of mass destruction, but to draft the final report on the absence of WMDs in Iraq so that the international community can lift the [remaining] sanctions on Iraq." The director general also stated that inspectors "will complete the mission [the UN had] assigned to them before the invasion."
But what's this? Remember reports earlier this month concerning the removal of uranium from Iraq by the US of A? Looks like that action may have violated international law:
Questions have also been raised about the legality of last month's transfer of low-grade uranium and other radioactive materials, airlifted from Iraq to the United States.IRAQ UPDATE: Saddam's lawyers say that their client has suffered a stroke:
Confirming the transfer in a July 6 statement, the US Department of Energy asserted the mission was "consistent with [US] authorities and relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions."
However, the Associated Press reports that an unnamed UN official questioned the legality of the move, saying the nuclear material belonged to Iraq and was under the control and supervision of the IAEA. The United States did not notify the UN Agency of the transfer until June 30, after the joint effort between the US departments of Defense and Energy was completed and the materials secured at undisclosed locations in the United States.
''The American authorities just informed us of their intention to remove the materials, but they never sought authorization from us,'' IAEA official Gustavo Zlauvinen told the AP.
"Our information is that he's in very poor health. We understand from the International Committee of the Red Cross that our client has had a brain scan to discover how badly he has been affected by the stroke. We believe he could die because of his health problems."
Who knows if this is true. Ahmed Chalabi's nephew Salem has not allowed Saddam's lawyers to visit him, so perhaps they hope some additional attention will help them to gain access to their client. I can think of at least one president and one prime minister who may hope that Saddam never has his day in court.
Hold On Chimpy, Friday's Coming
I smell a Friday night press release coming:
The White House will project soon that this year's federal deficit will exceed $420 billion, congressional aides said, a record figure certain to ignite partisan warfare over President Bush (news - web sites)'s handling of the economy.
[snip]
White House budget office spokesman Chad Kolton said the report will be issued when it is ready, and offered no date. Friday will be a day after the Democratic National Convention ends — a release date that would prevent presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), D-Mass., and others at the gathering from citing its figures to criticize Bush.
Hmmmmm. Record deficit revealed just over four months prior to an election. How can you spin that, spokesman Kolton?
[T]he White House was ready to emphasize that the figure is well below the $521 billion it projected for this year last February, and tie it to improvements in the economy.
"It is hard to disregard the strong progress made on the economy and our fiscal situation," [White House budget office spokesman Chad] Kolton said Tuesday.
Clever boy, claim that the record deficit is less than what you said it might be five months ago. Think that will work?
Democrats have said Bush purposely overestimated this year's budget gap so he could take credit for improvement when the real figures came in.
"The new estimate ... will set a new record of fiscal mismanagement and deficit spending," said Kerry economic adviser Gene Sperling.
Oh, well. At least the price of oil is coming down like Bandar Bush promised, right?
Crude prices shot to a 21-year high Wednesday as markets reacted to a threat by Russian authorities to shut down most of the production from that country's largest oil company.
D'oh!!
The G-8 Follies: Is We Safer Yet?
Surprise, surprise. Government agents infiltrated protest groups at last month's Group of 8 Summit in Sea Island, Georgia:
Unfortunately, the 40 undercover officers selected for this vital mission were all named Clouseau:
Then there was that little lack of authority problem:
All told, we had an estimated 20,000 security officers surrounding Sea Island, protecting the G-8 participants from 350 protestors. Our national security depends upon our ability to shield Dear Leader from these dreaded t-shirts [note: anti-Bush wear may not be workplace-safe].
In a formal post-G-8 security briefing Monday at a meeting of Georgia police chiefs in Savannah, state Homeland Security Director Bill Hitchens said as many as 40 undercover officers infiltrated the protest groups and posed as demonstrators.
Unfortunately, the 40 undercover officers selected for this vital mission were all named Clouseau:
"There were a few people at the rallies and marches that looked like law enforcement," [protest organizer Robert Randall] said. "The handcuffs tucked into their back pockets was a pretty good indication of who they were."
Then there was that little lack of authority problem:
Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said at the meeting that security plans hit a snag June 10 when about 70 protesters marched on the 4-mile F.J. Torras Causeway linking St. Simons and Sea islands to the mainland. The summit lasted from June 8-10.
Federal officials told police to keep pedestrians off the causeway and posted signs saying none were allowed. The problem, Doering said, was he had no authority to prohibit walkers unless they blocked traffic.
"A lot of people including the Secret Service and State Patrol assumed ... that the causeway was closed to pedestrians," Doering said. "Even though signs were actually posted, well, legally it wasn't."
All told, we had an estimated 20,000 security officers surrounding Sea Island, protecting the G-8 participants from 350 protestors. Our national security depends upon our ability to shield Dear Leader from these dreaded t-shirts [note: anti-Bush wear may not be workplace-safe].
Shove It
The fact that the media covers for Scaife's ridiculous little Western PA rag while professing shock and horror that Theresa Heinz Kerry showed more restraint than I would have when she told their guy to "shove it" is yet another example of how morally bankrupt they all are. Conason:
Of course, many Scaife-stories end up bubbling up into the mainstream press, who happily report them while chastizing bloggers for spreading "rumor" and not "fact-checking."
Unbelievable.
-
A few days after the Massachusetts Senator and his wife celebrated their second Christmas together, the Tribune-Review ran a column suggesting that Mr. Kerry had been enjoying a "very private" relationship with another woman. There was no byline on the story and no evidence to support the salacious insinuation. There was nothing to it, in fact, except pure malice.
When fresh accusations about her husband’s fidelity erupted earlier this year in the right-wing press, Ms. Heinz Kerry could scarcely have been surprised that the smear’s most eager purveyors included Internet sites financed by Mr. Scaife and his family foundations. Those "news sources" have also impugned Mr. Kerry’s patriotism, maligned his military service and distorted his voting record. They happen to be operated by the same discredited scribblers who once tried to convince America that Bill and Hillary Clinton were murderers and drug smugglers.
Meanwhile, Ms. Kerry herself is hardly exempt from the angry fantasies emanating from Mr. Scaife’s strange universe. Last spring, a Scaife-funded "research group" sent out a study that accused her of covertly financing violent radicals of various kinds, including Islamists, through the straitlaced Heinz foundations that she controls. There was absolutely no basis for that tale—as the right-wing sleuths could have learned by making a single phone call. The Heinz money they had "traced" through a San Francisco group had actually gone in its entirety to support anti-pollution projects in Pennsylvania.
Those are only a few brief examples among dozens. The Scaife disinformation conglomerate has churned out nastiness about Ms. Heinz Kerry by the carload for years, and finally she talked back. The guy she scorched last Sunday was meant to take that message back to his boss in Pittsburgh—a man who has deserved the brunt of such refreshing candor for a long, long time.
Of course, many Scaife-stories end up bubbling up into the mainstream press, who happily report them while chastizing bloggers for spreading "rumor" and not "fact-checking."
Unbelievable.
Pens
Awhile back, responding to a request by a former blogger who is currenty in Afghanistan, a bunch of you generously sent many pens to be distributed to children there. An emailer just wrote in to tell me that he just received a credit from Office Max, though which many of us ordered the pens, for the amount and he's wondering if this is some odd error or if Office Max has done this for other people as well. Anyone?
CNN's Truth Squad Lies
CNN says Brent Bozell is "part of the truth squad," and then lets him lie and say that Ken Lay slept in the Clinton White House. 13 times.
Here's a little truth squad for CNN: Number of times Ken Lay slept in the White House when Clinton was in office? 0.
Here's a little truth squad for CNN: Number of times Ken Lay slept in the White House when Clinton was in office? 0.
Spending Your Money in Iraq
Yesterday I wrote a little piece about Iraq in which I briefly mentioned that the U.S. is planning to spend $60 million dollars to get 30,000 "corrupt, violent or useless" members of the New [and Improved] Iraqi Police Force to resign.
This left me to wonder about what other creative ways the Bush administration might develop to spend our tax dollars in Iraq.
Well, how about that bribery program?
This left me to wonder about what other creative ways the Bush administration might develop to spend our tax dollars in Iraq.
Well, how about that bribery program?
Even patrol leaders now carry envelopes of cash to spend in their areas. The money comes from brigade commanders, who get as much as $50,000 to $100,000 a month to distribute for local rehabilitation and emergency welfare projects through the Commanders Emergency Response Program.
There are few restrictions on the expenditures, and officers acknowledge they consider the money another weapon.
[snip]
"I'm trying to give them something to do rather than take shots at someone," said Sinclair, who said he gets $50,000 every three or four weeks to distribute. "It's not bribery. It's priming the pump. And it works well."
Pretty cool, huh? I'm sure that none of that easy cash winds up in the black market or in the hands of the insurgents our men and women are fighting, aren't you? I imagine a portion of this slush fund finds it's way into the pockets of our underpayed and overworked soldiers, so it's not all bad.
Oh, and let's not forget Halliburton. Looks like Dick Cheney's company is as careful with government equipment as, say - Florida is with their electronic voting records:
Halliburton Co. has lost $18.6 million of government property in Iraq, about a third of the items it was given to manage, including trucks, computers and office furniture, government auditors claim.Kudos to rorschach for being the first one on the bribery story.
[snip]
"This occurred because [Halliburton subsidiary] KBR did not effectively manage government property," Bowen wrote. "As a result, we projected that KBR could not account for 6,975 property items from an inventory of 20,531 valued at $61.1 million."
Florida May Be the Next Florida
Oops! Florida election officials have lost nearly all the electronic voting records from their 2002 gubernatorial election:
Almost all the electronic records from the first widespread use of touch-screen voting in Miami-Dade County have been lost, stoking concerns that the machines are unreliable as the presidential election draws near.
The records disappeared after two computer system crashes last year, county elections officials said, leaving no audit trail for the 2002 gubernatorial primary. A citizens group uncovered the loss this month after requesting all audit data from that election.
[snip]
"This shows that unless we do something now - or it may very well be too late - Florida is headed toward being the next Florida," said Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, a lawyer who is the chairwoman of the [Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition].
Hey, Florida - ever hear of backing your data up on CD? Coupled with Jeb's new law prohibiting manual recounts of electronic votes and his continued attempts to disenfranchise non-Hispanic felons and - well, I think you can see where this is going.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Langevin
Okay, now that we have an anti-choice speaker in primetime, can we stop spreading the "democrats won't let anti-choice people speak!!!" nonsense?
Obama
Well, I'll just state the obvious -- the rising star is exceeding even the inflated expectations.
(quote corrected, thanks to jeff. That's what I get from stealing stuff off of Kos's site...)
Here's his site. He probably doesn't need the money to win this campaign, but it will make him a kingmaker.
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We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States.
We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.
There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it.
We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
In the end, that's what this election is about.
(quote corrected, thanks to jeff. That's what I get from stealing stuff off of Kos's site...)
Here's his site. He probably doesn't need the money to win this campaign, but it will make him a kingmaker.
Dean Speech
Now I feel like a real journalist. I've read the speech, before he's even given it! Maybe I should write up an advance story about it, as the wire reporters are no doubt doing write now. Let's try it...
July 26 (AP) -- Extreme left Bush-hater Howard Dean, addressed the delegates at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Continuing with the Bush-bashing theme set early by the very liberal Hillary Clinton, Dean, clad in a Che Guevara T-shirt, declared that Bush is "The Great Satan," and called for the immediate nationalization of the means of production...
July 26 (AP) -- Extreme left Bush-hater Howard Dean, addressed the delegates at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Continuing with the Bush-bashing theme set early by the very liberal Hillary Clinton, Dean, clad in a Che Guevara T-shirt, declared that Bush is "The Great Satan," and called for the immediate nationalization of the means of production...
Popping Ballons
So, the convention ceiling is of course filled with the customary balloons, awaiting their drop. I hear Ralph Nader is going to sneak in and trigger them early (joke). But, the disconcerting thing is that occasionally they pop, just loudly enough to sound like something other than a balloon popping...
Dean to Hannity
Last night:
-
[Y]ou should watch "Outfoxed." It's a great movie that says why people like you say things like that on this television station.
What's the Story
One question the media seems to shy away from is this: What makes about 20,000 people (excluding the media) people attend this thing for 4 days. What makes people get excited about this? What makes this fun for people? While we hear a lot about people being turned off about politics, a lot of people are actively engaged. A lot of people are giving money. A million people have donated to John Kerry. A small percentage of the population, sure, but still a lot of people. You can't say people are donating out of some narrowly defined perception of self-interest -- people are donating because they want to feel involved.
Here, people are excited. Sure, there's the usual layer of cynicism and a lot of celebrity spotting. But, remember that most of the celebrities are politicians. They're the rock stars here.
There does seem to be a sense here that everything is coming together in the right way. People expect to win. I know the theme of the week is "we are so damn united!" but there's something genuine about it. It isn't the "anybody but Bush" idea that people keep pushing either.
About 14 months ago it was probably CW that the candidate would be Kerry. It was what I thought, anyway. Then the Iraq war came along and messed things up, Dean roared his might roar, and Kerry was in the single digits. I think I declared him toast at some point in December.
Overall, there's a greater sense that the details matter less than the big picture. And, the big picture is that Kerry is a candidate who can win, and he'll be a pretty damn good president. Optimism is spilling over in other places -- the NC Dems were convinced that Erskine Bowles will take the Senate seat there, which would be a big coup.
On the whole, things feel pretty okay. But, maybe that's because I've read/watched almost no media since I've been here.
Here, people are excited. Sure, there's the usual layer of cynicism and a lot of celebrity spotting. But, remember that most of the celebrities are politicians. They're the rock stars here.
There does seem to be a sense here that everything is coming together in the right way. People expect to win. I know the theme of the week is "we are so damn united!" but there's something genuine about it. It isn't the "anybody but Bush" idea that people keep pushing either.
About 14 months ago it was probably CW that the candidate would be Kerry. It was what I thought, anyway. Then the Iraq war came along and messed things up, Dean roared his might roar, and Kerry was in the single digits. I think I declared him toast at some point in December.
Overall, there's a greater sense that the details matter less than the big picture. And, the big picture is that Kerry is a candidate who can win, and he'll be a pretty damn good president. Optimism is spilling over in other places -- the NC Dems were convinced that Erskine Bowles will take the Senate seat there, which would be a big coup.
On the whole, things feel pretty okay. But, maybe that's because I've read/watched almost no media since I've been here.
Inside the Mind of Bill O'Reilly
The guy is fascinating, really. I went to an even sponsored by The Creative Coalition at which O'Reilly was on a panel with some celebrities, members of congress, etc..., discussing what to do about funding for arts in education in the country. Listening to O'Reilly talk is just fascinating. He is 100% convinced of everything he says, even when he's just pulling things out of his ass. It's almost impossible to argue with him, because there's virtually no logical connection between one statement and the next.
By the end, I think a reasonable summation of his final argument was: The reason there isn't enough education funding for the arts is that celebrities have shamefully failed to use their powers of public persuasion to convince people to support more arts funding, and this is a travesty about which they should be horribly ashamed even though more federal arts funding would be a bad thing.
By the end, I think a reasonable summation of his final argument was: The reason there isn't enough education funding for the arts is that celebrities have shamefully failed to use their powers of public persuasion to convince people to support more arts funding, and this is a travesty about which they should be horribly ashamed even though more federal arts funding would be a bad thing.
The Enemy of Thoughtfulness
Tired of playing nice with Georgie and his Band of Thugs? So is Richard Dreyfuss:
In a speech that went on so long that California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres began to hover nervously at his side, Dreyfuss called Bush ``arrogant and incompetent'' and said ``his appeal to patriotism is simplistic and thuggish.''
Dreyfuss added, ``He is the enemy of thoughtfulness.''
``I wasn't raised in George Bush's America, and I wouldn't be comfortable in it,'' Dreyfuss said. ``In this America, you point toward a sin and you are pointed at. You are the irritant not the gatekeeper. You smell funny -- sinister funny. Terrorist-friendly. You mention due process and the silence is not respectful, it is ominous.''
The delegates gave him a standing ovation, which led Dreyfuss to give a few last remarks, urging them to counter the Republicans' every attack and ``be consistent and in their face.''
Iraq Update
Atrios forgot to re-key the locks, so how about some rapid-fire blogging until 5?
Looks like the hostage is now the weapon of choice in Iraq:
We're going to need a scorecard with groups like The Lions of Allah Brigade, Group of Death, Islamic Army, and The Holders of the Black Banners grabbing any foreigner they see.
Meanwhile Muqtada al-Sadr is flexing his muscles in the south:
The US Army is trying out a new strategy in Fallujah: extortion. They're dropping leaflets over the city that say:
And why not? We're already planning to pay 30,000 "corrupt, violent or useless" members of the New Iraqi Police Force $60 million to go away. Your tax dollars at work.
Looks like the hostage is now the weapon of choice in Iraq:
A Jordanian company working for the U.S. military decided Tuesday to withdraw from Iraq, complying with demands of kidnappers threatening to kill two employees, even as a senior Egyptian diplomat returned to work a day after being released by militants.
We're going to need a scorecard with groups like The Lions of Allah Brigade, Group of Death, Islamic Army, and The Holders of the Black Banners grabbing any foreigner they see.
Meanwhile Muqtada al-Sadr is flexing his muscles in the south:
In the southern city of Basra, about 50 armed members of firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's personal militia snatched about 20 people Monday during raids against people selling and drinking alcohol, police said. The detainees were later handed over to police. During the raids, militiamen dragged men out of their houses and smashed cartons of canned drinks, apparently beer, Al-Arabiya TV showed in broadcast footage.
The US Army is trying out a new strategy in Fallujah: extortion. They're dropping leaflets over the city that say:
If the security situation does not improve you will lose $102-million, which is already allocated and approved. This amount of money will be transferred to peaceful and open towns.
We ask the citizens of Fallujah to make way for multi-national forces to start the rebuilding of Fallujah, and to make way for American forces to move freely in the city and make real estimates for construction.
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