Sunday, October 31, 2004
Monkey Mail
Funny:
In reference to this, presumably.
Ms. Harrington's email can be found at georgewbush.com site as well as the University of Toledo Young Republicans site...
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In reference to your website, I am here to tell you to take
down the e-mail address of Megan Harrington. That is
invasion of privacy, and defamation, and if it is not off in
twenty-fours hours, the proper authorities will be contacted
to remove your website. To use someone's e-mail without
their reference is invasion of privacy, and I hope you
realize that.
In reference to this, presumably.
Ms. Harrington's email can be found at georgewbush.com site as well as the University of Toledo Young Republicans site...
Bush Haters
Link:
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Lisa Dupler, a 33-year-old from Columbus, held up a rainbow-striped John Kerry sign outside the Nationwide Arena on Friday, as Republicans streamed out after being rallied by George W. Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A thickset woman with very short, dark hair, Dupler was silent and barely flinched as people passing her hissed "faggot" into her ear. An old lady looked at her and said, "You people are sick!" A kid who looked to be about 10 or 11 affected a limp wrist and mincing voice and said, "Oh, I'm gay." Rather than restraining him, his squat mother guffawed and then turned to Dupler and sneered, "Why don't you go marry your girlfriend?" Encouraged, her son yelled, "We don't want faggots in the White House!"
The throngs of Republicans were pumped after seeing the president and the action hero. But there was an angry edge to their elation. They shrieked at the dozen or so protesters standing on the concrete plaza outside the auditorium. "Kerry's a terrorist!" yelled a stocky kid in baggy jeans and braces. "Communists for Kerry! Go back to Russia," someone else screamed. Many of them took up the chant "Kerry sucks"; old women and teenage boys shouting with equal ferocity.
Something's Coming
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Could it be? Yes, it could.
Something's coming, something good,
If I can wait!
Something's coming, I don't know what it is,
But it is
Gonna be great!
With a click, with a shock,
Phone'll jingle, door'll knock,
Open the latch!
Something's coming, don't know when, but it's soon;
Catch the moon,
One-handed catch!
Around the corner,
Or whistling down the river,
Come on, deliver
To me!
Will it be? Yes, it will.
Maybe just by holding still,
It'll be there!
Big Media Matt says he has lots of second hand, and now first hand, anecdotal evidence that Democrats are really mobilized now. As a swing state resident living in an urban area, I can't look out my window without seeing people with clipboards walking down the street. Lots of people I know talk about their out of state friends coming to town. I hear, though I don't know, that the operation in 'burbs is quite impressive too. I hope so.
Whatever happens this election, we will have achieved something -- the mobilization of the left of center crowd to do... something. Will all this voter registration/canvassing/GOTV efforts on Tuesday put us over the top? I'm not sure. I think we'll win, but no one can be sure. But, at the very least I think the seeds of... something... have been planted.
November Surprise?
A rumor from a reliable source suggests that there's a good chance that Tommy Thompson is set to announce that drug reimportation from Canada will be fully legalized.
I'm sure that, if this happens, it'll be a big "read the fine print" bait and switch.
Treat as rumor until confirmed, presumably at a 10AM or so press conference...
...or, more generally, it could be some other major senior pandering drug thing...
...just to add, this is *rumor* as I said. I wouldn't publish unless I thought it was a plausible rumor, but that doesn't mean it's a *true* rumor. I normally don't traffic in too many unconfirmed things, but this close to the election there's value in putting this stuff out there before the fact.
I'm sure that, if this happens, it'll be a big "read the fine print" bait and switch.
Treat as rumor until confirmed, presumably at a 10AM or so press conference...
...or, more generally, it could be some other major senior pandering drug thing...
...just to add, this is *rumor* as I said. I wouldn't publish unless I thought it was a plausible rumor, but that doesn't mean it's a *true* rumor. I normally don't traffic in too many unconfirmed things, but this close to the election there's value in putting this stuff out there before the fact.
Et Tu, Colin?
Link:
I'm sure this was an authorized leak, though I no longer have any idea what game the cowardly Colin thinks he's playing.
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Even Secretary of State Colin Powell, a former general who stays in touch with the Joint Chiefs, has acknowledged this privately to friends in recent weeks, NEWSWEEK has learned. The insurgents have effectively created a reign of terror throughout the country, killing thousands, driving Iraqi elites and technocrats into exile and scaring foreigners out. "Things are getting really bad," a senior Iraqi official in interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's government told NEWSWEEK last week. "The initiative is in [the insurgents'] hands right now. This approach of being lenient and accommodating has really backfired. They see this as weakness."
I'm sure this was an authorized leak, though I no longer have any idea what game the cowardly Colin thinks he's playing.
Statement From 'Jersey Girls' on Bin Laden Video
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We cried when we saw the tape on Friday of Osama Bin Laden. He's tanned and healthy. He does not look desperate or scared. He does not look like a man on the run.
Three years ago, President Bush promised us he would capture Osama Bin Laden--Dead or Alive. He didn't do that.
The man that murdered our husbands, is back terrorizing our country again. The videotape of him has brought us back to 9/11. We feel threatened. We feel vulnerable. We are scared.
Our question to President Bush is: Why didn't you catch him when you promised us you would? Why is this mass murderer--this madman-- still out there making videotapes and terrorizing our country three years after you promised our country that you would make us safe from him? President Bush, why cant you keep us safe from this madmen?
Kristen Breitweiser and Monica Gabrielle
Shenanigans Continue
Even after being busted, the thugs in West Virginia are still at it:
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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Stephen Skinner
[email protected]
REPUBLICAN PARTY DECEIVING VOTERS IN WEST VIRGINIA
Charles Town, W.V., Oct . 31, 2004 – Democratic leaders in one of the
nation’s most hotly-contested battleground states are receiving reports
of voter suppression activities that can be traced back to the
Republican Party. The suppression activities have continued despite
warnings from officials in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
“These phone calls are outrageous and illegal,” says Michael Cassell,
Chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic Party. “They are designed
to suppress the vote for John Kerry and all democrats. The republicans
were warned before, but they continue to break the law”
In mid-October, John Smalls, County Clerk in Berkeley County, W.V.,
sent a letter to the Eastern Panhandle Republican Party about phone
calls that were traced back to its headquarters. The calls made to
Democrats in this tri-county area 60 miles northwest of Washington,
D.C., informed Democratic voters they were either not registered at
all, or would not be able to vote on election day.
At that time, Republican Party spokesperson Mary Diamond admitted that
some mistakes may have been made. She said the calls were made to
determine if people were registered to vote.
When he learned of the activities in neighboring Berkeley County, John
Ott, the top election official in Jefferson County stated, “This is an
improper act.” He encouraged voters to contact authorities if they
receive improper phone calls.
In the last few days, suppression activities have spread to Jefferson
County. Several voters have received phone calls telling them that
they are not registered despite the fact that they are.
“These calls are being made by people who claim they are calling from
Democratic headquarters in Charles Town,” Cassell said. “They trick
voters into revealing personal information, and then tell them they
cannot vote.”
“He told me I was not a registered voter,” said Bill Jackson of Charles
Town, of the phone call he received. “Later when I found out that he
was not calling from Democratic headquarters, I was outraged. I wonder
how many other voters have gotten these calls.”
“This is exactly the kind of dirty trick Republicans tried in Florida
four years ago.” Cassell says. “I’m calling on the US Attorney to
prosecute these illegal phone calls. ”
Land's End Founder Runs Full Page anti-Bush Ad
Link.
Apparently a longtime Republican.
You can buy fine Land's End merchandise here. Or don't. They're now owned by Sears. Or do, Comer is still the Chairman. I'm so confused.
Apparently a longtime Republican.
Fox News Tracking
Two day sample, Friday and Saturday. 46-46 likely voters (kerry up 1 among RV). Same poll had Bush up by 5 on Friday and up by 2 yesterday...
Bastards
More Republican election shenanigans. NBC had a report this morning saying they're also going to challenge a bunch of new registrations in West Philadelphia, too, but I can't find an article about that.
...just to clear something up - of course there are some fake voter registrations out there. Any time you have paid voter registration workers there's a decent chance you're going to get some made up cards, as is the case with paid petition signature gatherers. But, in these situations voter registration fraud has nothing to do with actual voter fraud or any intent to commit voter fraud. No one will try to vote as "Mickey Mouse."
The Republicans are doing everything possible to cast as wide a net as they can to a) plant doubt about the accuracy of voting b) call the Democrats the party of "voter fraud" c) slow down the voting as much as possible in urban areas because they don't like it when black people vote and d) set the stage for legal challenges after the fact. With a little luck they may manage to find an actual incident of voter fraud or two on election day, and you can bet that's all we'll hear about.
Make sure to check out the voting page at eriposte and Jack Hitt's This American Life piece. Hitt had the Republicans send him the "worst" stuff they had, and here's what he got:
...just to clear something up - of course there are some fake voter registrations out there. Any time you have paid voter registration workers there's a decent chance you're going to get some made up cards, as is the case with paid petition signature gatherers. But, in these situations voter registration fraud has nothing to do with actual voter fraud or any intent to commit voter fraud. No one will try to vote as "Mickey Mouse."
The Republicans are doing everything possible to cast as wide a net as they can to a) plant doubt about the accuracy of voting b) call the Democrats the party of "voter fraud" c) slow down the voting as much as possible in urban areas because they don't like it when black people vote and d) set the stage for legal challenges after the fact. With a little luck they may manage to find an actual incident of voter fraud or two on election day, and you can bet that's all we'll hear about.
Make sure to check out the voting page at eriposte and Jack Hitt's This American Life piece. Hitt had the Republicans send him the "worst" stuff they had, and here's what he got:
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He sent me a copy. It's all newspaper clips, many of them unverified charges. There are a few that check out. There really was, for example, this white guy working for an outfit affiliated with the NAACP, who registered voters under names like Mary Poppins and Jeffrey Dahmer, and it's true, he was paid in crack cocaine. Very bad... and a great story. And then there was the Colorado guy who registered himself 35 times. Also true. Also very bad. But the reason you're going to be hearing about these two examples over and over in the offical Republican talking points in the next few days is that that's the best they've got in their hundreds of pages.
Strange enough, reading the very stories they sent often undercut their main argument. For example, that Colorado guy? Here's a line from the article the GOP sent me: "Just because you register someone 35 times, doesn't mean they vote 35 times." Or, here's another one: "Election officials of both parties say that bad registrations do not necessarily translate into election day fraud. New identification laws, as well as signature checks, make ballot box stuffing extremely difficult." Let me repeat: these are quotes from the official Republican vote fraud press packet.
Tora Bora
From KR:
(thanks to Jack)
-
Knight Ridder reporters Barry Schlachter of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Jonathan S. Landay and photographers Carl Juste and Peter Andrew Bosch of The Miami Herald were at Tora Bora during the battle, and photographer David Gilkey of the Detroit Free Press and reporter Drew Brown traveled there a year later, interviewed Afghan fighters, retraced al-Qaida escape routes and talked to Pakistani intelligence officers who were tracking al Qaida.
Their reporting found that Franks and other top officials ignored warnings from their own and allied military and intelligence officers that the combination of precision bombing, special operations forces and Afghan forces that had driven the Taliban from northern Afghanistan might not work in the heartland of the country's dominant Pashtun tribe.
While more than 1,200 U.S. Marines sat at an abandoned air base in the desert 80 miles away, Franks and other commanders relied on three Afghan warlords and a small number of American, British and Australian special forces to stop al-Qaida and Taliban fighters from escaping across the mountains into Pakistan.
"We did rely heavily on Afghans because they knew Tora Bora . . . ," Franks wrote.
Military and intelligence officials had warned Franks and others that the two main Afghan commanders, Hazrat Ali and Haji Zaman, couldn't be trusted, and they proved to be correct. They were slow to move their troops into place and didn't attack until four days after American planes began bombing - leaving time for al-Qaida leaders to escape and leaving behind a rear guard of Arab, Chechen and Uzbek fighters.
"Ali and Zaman both assured our people that they had forces in blocking positions on the Spin Ghar (mountains) when there were, in fact, no people there," said a U.S. military official who played a key role in the campaign. "So besides taking Afghans at their word, we had no plans to bring up sufficient forces to make up for perfidy."
U.S. reconnaissance photos showed what appeared to be campfires at high altitudes along the trails across the mountains into Pakistan. The Afghans said the fires belonged to sheep herders. Instead, "they were exfiltrators, pure and simple," said an American military official.
Zaman and Ali began trying to negotiate an al-Qaida surrender even before they began their ground attack. Then, on the second day of the attack, Zaman declared a cease-fire. Ali and a third commander, Haji Zahir, who joined the attack at the last minute, resumed fighting after a few hours, and the U.S. bombing never stopped. But Zaman left open an escape route through the Waziri Tangi valley.
U.S. intelligence analysts estimated that 1,000 to 1,100 al-Qaida fighters, along with some of the group's top leaders, escaped the American dragnet at Tora Bora.
A Pakistani official later told Knight Ridder that intelligence reports suggested that some 4,000 al-Qaida members escaped and that 50 to 80 top leaders paid Zaman or Ali as much as $40,000 apiece for safe passage out of Tora Bora.
(thanks to Jack)
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Queen Elizabeth backs Kerry
She'll never forgive Bush for trashing her roses, but now, she's worried that he's trashing the environment. Britain, our biggest member of the coalition.
Read on.
The Queen has made a rare intervention in world politics to warn Tony Blair of her grave concerns over the White House's stance on global warming.
She is understood to have asked Downing Street to lobby the US after observing the alarming impact of Britain's changing weather on her estates at Balmoral in Scotland and Sandringham in Norfolk. The revelation gives an unusual glimpse into the mind of the monarch, who normally strives to stay above politics.
Further evidence of the Queen's views on global warming will be seen this week when she opens one of the most high-profile conferences ever staged in Europe on the issue. She is keen for this to be interpreted as a symbolic and political statement.
...
'There has been dialogue between Downing Street and Buckingham Palace on all issues relating to climate change including the US position and the latest science. She is very keen to get involved,' said one of the UK's most eminent experts on climate change, who agreed to speak to The Observer on condition of anonymity.
He added: 'From her own observations on the climate she has become worried like the rest of us. She has made it clear she wants to raise the importance of the issue.'
Read on.
More Republicans Celebrating Proof of Failure
Yay! Bin Laden's alive!
Weird people, Republicans.
..and, Josh Marshall has the poll results.
- Wrapping up a campaign shadowed by war and terrorism, President Bush (\ and Democratic Sen. John Kerry unabashedly sought political advantage Saturday from Osama bin Laden's re-emergence.
"It's very helpful to the president," contended Bush ally Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., although the president didn't mention the menacing new message from bin Laden at his first campaign stops on a four-state, 14-hour swing.
Weird people, Republicans.
..and, Josh Marshall has the poll results.
Stop the CRAP
My longtime friend Malachi has put together some pre-election agit-rock. Check it out.
bin Laden = "a little gift"
What Republicans think of the guy responsible for thousands killed:
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A senior GOP strategist added, "anything that makes people nervous about their personal safety helps Bush."
He called it "a little gift," saying it helps the President but doesn't guarantee his reelection.
Report from Iowa
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Iowa Republicans are running ads on Rock radio stations, as well as dropping mail, robo calls and buying print ads in college newspapers, saying that a vote for the Democrats is a vote to reinstate the draft.
Unfortunately, they urge people to go to the Congressional website and tell them to search under the bill number that will take them to Charlie Rangel's draft bill. The rhetoric is that Democrats want to draft anyone under 27.
The Osama Endorsement
I was struck yesterday by how genuinely obsessed the Corner Kids appeared to be in the twin questions of "who does Osama want to be president?" and "who will this tape help/hurt."
As for the first question, I find it mostly ridiculous to either claim to know or even care. I find it even more ridiculous that plenty of our media pontificators have, without any ability to know, have decided they can divine the will of bin Laden and al Qaeda. There are plenty of good arguments for believing that bin Laden is quite happy with Bush, and none, aside from Brooksian "he talks tough and looks manly in a flightsuit" arguments, against that idea. But, the question is both irrelevant and irresponsible. Frankly, I doubt he really gives a shit, and I don't give a shit what he thinks.
As for the second question, without any polling information to justify it, speculation by "responsible people" in the media is completely irresponsible. Not that it stopped them. And, doing so without reminding people of the relevant context, as E&P points out, is truly irresponsible. It's a throwback to the days when it was considered unpatriotic to question the might of Dear Leader, facts be damned. E&P explains it very simply:
...and, just to add, on the issue of Tora Bora shame on our media for regularly ignoring their own reporting on this subject.
As for the first question, I find it mostly ridiculous to either claim to know or even care. I find it even more ridiculous that plenty of our media pontificators have, without any ability to know, have decided they can divine the will of bin Laden and al Qaeda. There are plenty of good arguments for believing that bin Laden is quite happy with Bush, and none, aside from Brooksian "he talks tough and looks manly in a flightsuit" arguments, against that idea. But, the question is both irrelevant and irresponsible. Frankly, I doubt he really gives a shit, and I don't give a shit what he thinks.
As for the second question, without any polling information to justify it, speculation by "responsible people" in the media is completely irresponsible. Not that it stopped them. And, doing so without reminding people of the relevant context, as E&P points out, is truly irresponsible. It's a throwback to the days when it was considered unpatriotic to question the might of Dear Leader, facts be damned. E&P explains it very simply:
-
One would think, however, that before the media helps re-elect the president by emphasizing the very subjective "strong on terrorism" analysis, they might pause to give equal or even added weight to the demonstrable fact that the tape reminds us that: 1) 9/11 happened on Bush's watch 2) Bush has not yet caught Bin Laden perhaps because he 3) switched his attention to Iraq where 4) we have contributed to the terrorist threat against us in numerous tragic ways, not to mention suffering more U.S. casualties (dead and injured) than we absorbed in 9/11.
...and, just to add, on the issue of Tora Bora shame on our media for regularly ignoring their own reporting on this subject.
Election Prediction
Well, I suppose it's time. Kerry +3 in the popular vote. Electoral votes=(Gore States)+(New Hampshire+Ohio). Which, if I've clicked the little map correctly makes it 284-254.
...let me add that possible "bonus states" if things go well are Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and Arkansas. Possible "oh shit we're in trouble" states are Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Obviously Ohio could be a disappointment too.
...let me add that possible "bonus states" if things go well are Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and Arkansas. Possible "oh shit we're in trouble" states are Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Obviously Ohio could be a disappointment too.
Terra Terra Terra
Fox telling us that we're going to orange!
Sure would be nice if we had a president who didn't let Bin Laden get away.
...oops, apparently they changed their mind. Didn't poll well.
Sure would be nice if we had a president who didn't let Bin Laden get away.
...oops, apparently they changed their mind. Didn't poll well.
Rushing
Ted Barlow describes a recent NPR interview with a former Marine spokesman in Iraq. Interesting stuff.
...and, after reading that you can go vote in another poll.
...and, after reading that you can go vote in another poll.
Chatter
CNN yesterday:
MSNBC just now:
God I hate our media.
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DOBBS: But, obviously, officials in this city and around the country are taking this very seriously, and, basically, what you're saying here is -- by inference at least on my part -- that they're very concerned about the possibility of an attack now?
ARENA: They are. They always are, whenever a bin Laden tape comes out, Lou. It's always viewed as a possible signal. They try to compare that to electronic intercepts to see if there are any key phrases or words that are used in that message that could be a signal.
DOBBS: Parallels between this videotape message, the first in which bin Laden speaks on a videotape in more than two years now, and other terrorist attacks combining that with so-called chatter and other signals that are our intelligence community looks for.
ARENA: Well, I'll tell you that right now, the stance of the intelligence community is one of a lot of concern, only because the intelligence continues to suggest that al Qaeda is planning what they call a spectacular attack on U.S. soil.
Now, even though there was a report that there was information, a stream of intelligence that was deemed to be not credible, one which said that there would be an attack to coincide with the U.S. elections -- that was deemed not credible -- other intelligence has suggested that there will be an attack, Lou.
DOBBS: Level of chatter at this point?
ARENA: Low. Lower than it's been. Now it does ebb and flow, but it's interesting to note that before the September 11 attacks, the chatter level fell. No one is saying that that means anything. It is what it is, but the chatter level has fallen over recent weeks.
DOBBS: Kelli Arena, our justice correspondent.
MSNBC just now:
-
Francona: The people I've talked to are telling me that they've seen increased chatter over the last several weeks and they attribute this as we lead up to the election process, but once again no specific threats and nothing that they can pin any reason to raise the level of alert.
Willow Bay: Now when you say chatter, is it chatter similar to the level around 9/11?
Francona: It's not that high but it's that type of traffic. They're seeing more internet traffic. More telephone calls.
God I hate our media.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Peter Bergen on Tora Bora
Link:
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Apologists for the US military failure at Tora Bora will no doubt provide several compelling reasons why this was the case, including a lack of airlift capabilities from the US base in neighboring Uzbekistan. However, such explanations are hard to square with the fact that scores of journalists managed to find their way to Tora Bora, a battle covered on live television by the world's leading news organizations. If Fox and CNN could arrange for their crews to cover Tora Bora it is puzzling that the US military could not put more boots on the ground to find the man who was the intellectual author of the 9/11 attacks. Sadly, there were probably more American journalists at the battle of Tora Bora than there were US troops. And in that sense, Sen. Kerry's charge that Tora Bora was a missed opportunity to bring bin Laden to justice isn't "garbage", but an accurate reflection of the historical record.
Vote Fraud
Jack Hitt has done a piece on election fraud stuff for this weekend's This American Life. They've posted it up early, and you can listen to it here. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but people who have say it's quite good.
...Mosh the Vote transcribes it.
...Mosh the Vote transcribes it.
I Heart Danni Pletka
She was new to me, but let me say that she is truly a wonderfully brilliant spokesperson and I hope the Bush administration puts her out there every possible minute.
In all seriousness, these people scare me. At least the older generation of necons know that Fox News is in fact propaganda for the great unwashed. The younger generation appears to have been weaned on a steady diet of Rush Limbaugh and Brit Hume. True believers of the stupid.
In all seriousness, these people scare me. At least the older generation of necons know that Fox News is in fact propaganda for the great unwashed. The younger generation appears to have been weaned on a steady diet of Rush Limbaugh and Brit Hume. True believers of the stupid.
This is a Big Country
I just watched a CNN report about polling place security due to fears of election day terrorism. Look, even if someone does blow up a car bomb in Georgia that doesn't mean people in Oregon need to panic.
Get a grip.
Get a grip.
School Bigots
From the ACLU:
Well, now they have their controversy. Congratulations, morons.
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WEBB CITY, MO - The American Civil Liberties Union has come to the defense of a high school junior who was sent home twice from school for wearing t-shirts bearing gay pride messages. The principal cited concerns that other students may be offended by the shirts worn by Brad Mathewson.
"This school allows its students to freely express their views on gay and lesbian rights - but only if they’re on the anti-gay side of the issue," said Jolie Justus, a member of the legal panel for the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri, noting that bumperstickers in favor of Missouri’s recently-passed anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment are ubiquitous in the school’s hallways and parking lot. "This is a classic case of censorship. Brad Mathewson has the same Constitutional right to political speech and expression that the Supreme Court says all students have."
Mathewson was sent to the principal’s office by his homeroom teacher on October 20 after she spotted his t-shirt. The shirt bears the name of the Gay-Straight Alliance at his old high school in Fayetteville, Arkansas (FHS Gay-Straight Alliance), a pink triangle, and the words, "Make a Difference!" When an assistant principal saw it, he told Mathewson to go home and change shirts because someone might be offended by it. Although Mathewson pointed out the anti-gay marriage stickers seen throughout the school, his concerns were ignored. Mathewson was again disciplined when he came to school on October 27 wearing a t-shirt featuring a rainbow and the phrase, "I’m gay and I’m proud."
"Even though nobody complained about my t-shirts, my school told me I couldn’t wear them just because someone might get offended," said Mathewson, a junior at Webb City High School. "But every day I see students at my school with anti-gay stickers on their notebooks and sometimes on their shirts, and I find that offensive. I understand that they have a right to express what they think, but I have a right to do the same thing."
Mathewson and his mother met with school o fficials yesterday morning to express their concerns about the censorship. In the meeting, two assistant principals and the principal told Mathewson that they wouldn’t allow him to wear shirts bearing gay pride messages because they feared it would cause controversy.
Well, now they have their controversy. Congratulations, morons.
Chalabites
Via Digby, we get this from Knight ridder:
I'm just too pissed off to insert the obligatory snarky remark.
-
Al Qaqaa was on a classified list of Iraqi weapons facilities that the CIA provided to Pentagon and military officials before the invasion, said the U.S. intelligence official.
But when the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command produced their own list of sites that a limited number of U.S. "exploitation teams" should search, priority was given to those identified by exiled Iraqi opposition groups, he said. Al Qaqaa wasn't one of them.
I'm just too pissed off to insert the obligatory snarky remark.
What the Hell Were They Thinking?
That press conference was just horrible and guaranteed that this story would survive throughout the weekend. They are so off their game.
Mars, my bitches!
(oy. blogger's playing time stamp games today)
Mars, my bitches!
(oy. blogger's playing time stamp games today)
Bleg
I hate doing this, but I'm trying to track something down and I can't find it. Recently (within the past 10 days) there was an article which quoted a Bush flak claiming that Democrats were engaging in voter suppression by saying mean things about George Bush... ring a bell?
...thanks, got it!
...thanks, got it!
Ammunition
This soldier they trotted out is talking about an ammunition removal mission near al QaQaa, not explosives.
...and di Rita is talking about only RDX, and not HMX...
wow. what a sad display. I feel bad for that poor Major they put on the sacrificial altar. Even CNN's water carrying Pentagon reporter managed to notice that he did whatever he did on April 13th, before the April 18th video...
...and di Rita is talking about only RDX, and not HMX...
wow. what a sad display. I feel bad for that poor Major they put on the sacrificial altar. Even CNN's water carrying Pentagon reporter managed to notice that he did whatever he did on April 13th, before the April 18th video...
Time to Vote
It's important to get the word out that many states mandate that employers give time off to workers who want to go vote. This is something many employers and workers are probably not even aware of. It's important to get this information out there so workers and their bosses know.
Hardball in Ohio
Republicans have proven themselves to just be a pack of disgusting thugs. I hope some of them go to jail for this bullshit. I sure as hell wouldn't accept a registered letter from the Republican party, and I definitely wouldn't bother to stand in line for an hour at my post office to pick it up if I wasn't home to get it. Let's see some prosecutions, damnit.
What the hell do you care? What a monster.
-
When Catherine Herold received mail from the Ohio Republican Party earlier this year, she refused it.
The longtime Barberton Democrat wanted no part of the mailing and figured that by refusing it, the GOP would have to pay the return postage.
What she didn't count on was the returned mail being used to challenge the validity of her voter registration.
Herold,who is assistant to the senior vice president and provost at the University of Akron,was one of 976 Summit County voters whose registrations were challenged last week by local Republicans on behalf of the state party.
...
The challengers, all older longtime Republicans -- Barbara Miller, Howard Calhoun, Madge Doerler and Louis Wray -- were subpoenaed by the elections board and were present at the hearings. Akron attorney Jack Morrison, a Republican, volunteered to represent the four.
Democratic board member Russ Pry suggested that the four could be subject to criminal prosecution for essentially making false claims on the challenge forms. The form states that making a false claim is subject to prosecution as a fifth-degree felony.
...The angry voters had the Republicans on the defensive.
``Why'd you do it?'' one challenged voter shouted out at Calhoun. ``Who the hell are you?'' the man asked.
``What the hell do you care?'' replied Calhoun, an attorney.
What the hell do you care? What a monster.
Dear Media
How many times are Pentagon sources going to lie to you before you stop treating their version as credible?
Love,
Atrios
Love,
Atrios
Dear Media
There is a big difference between "explosives" and "munitions." Comparing the weights of the two is a meaningless exercise which only confuses your readers and viewers.
Love,
Atrios
Love,
Atrios
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Monkey Mail
Unlike Danny Boy Okrent, I'll not publish the identity of this correspondent.
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SO CALLED "MISSING WEAPONS" ENDED UP IN SYRIA WITH THE WMD'S - CHECK OUT THE BLOGS....
JOHN KERRY, CBS, AND THE TIMES WILL BE THE BIG LOSERS IN THIS STORY. And you will be, too, unless you report the TRUTH !!!
THIS STORY CONFIRMS WEAPONS (AND PROBABLY WMD'S) WERE MOVED TO SYRIA
SENATOR KERRY IS A LIAR.
HE'S NO WAR HERO (ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO REAL HEROES WHO LOST THEIR LIVES AND LIMBS).
HE'S LIED THAT VIETNAM ATROCITIES WERE ROUTINE AND NEVER RETRACTED THOSE STATEMENTS
HE'S LIED ABOUT HIS PURPLE HEARTS AND HIS "DIS-HONORABLE" DISCHARGE
HE'S LIED ABOUT HIS VOTING RECORD
HE'S LIED ABOUT HIS FLIP FLOPS
AND YOU, AS A MEMBER OF THE MEDIA, ARE CULPABLE.
300+
That's how many emails I've gotten in the past 24 hours (not including spam, and just those to my [email protected] account). I'm not complaining nor trying to discourage people from emailing, just trying to make the points that I get way too much email to respond to most of it - 1 minute per would equal 5 hours. And, I occasionally miss things, particularly if I'm away from the computer for a couple of hours and have to go through 70 emails, so if you've sent something important, such as large cash offers for minimal work, feel free to resend..
Bogus Challenge in Ohio
Link. (minor warning - link is "work safe," though some of the site isn't.)
email Megan Harrington at [email protected] and challenge her status as a decent human being.
and, even more Ohio bullshit. When will our media wake up to the fact that there is a national well-orchestrated and well funded Republican attempt to suppress voters?
bastards.
...wow, I didn't realize this is all based on *registered* mail. Fuck, I wouldn't bother heading over to the post office to sign for registered mail from the Republican Party that I wasn't home to receive. Let the indictments begin!
email Megan Harrington at [email protected] and challenge her status as a decent human being.
and, even more Ohio bullshit. When will our media wake up to the fact that there is a national well-orchestrated and well funded Republican attempt to suppress voters?
bastards.
...wow, I didn't realize this is all based on *registered* mail. Fuck, I wouldn't bother heading over to the post office to sign for registered mail from the Republican Party that I wasn't home to receive. Let the indictments begin!
"Video Shows Explosive Went Missing After War"
This whole "when did they go missing" debate was mostly irrelevant to the underlying issue, but... game, set, match.
Terror Video
Frankly, as far as I'm concerned ABC should pre-empt their prime time broadcast and show the whole damn thing. Go ahead and remind people that Bush diverted attention to Iraq and let a bunch of terrorists thrive in Pakistan/Afghanistan border areas. But, the real story here isn't the existence of a rather bizarre video, it's the fact that someone in the Department of Homeland Security or other federal agency is leaking to Drudge to put pressure on ABC to get them to run it. Now, that's truly scary. Anyway, am I the only one who remembers the good old days when broadcasting these types of videos were thought to be a threat to national security? When Condi and the gang warned that the people on the videos could be sending "secret codes" to terrorists around the world, and they leaned on the networks to not broadcast them. At the time I thought those were just attempts to throw their muscle around, to prove they could, but they claimed they were serious. But, now we have someone involved with our national security leaking this stuff to an online gossip in order to put pressure on a major broadcaster. That's a story.
And, I'm sure that Drudge's magical source within ABC is VRWC player and ABC Producer Chris Vlasto...
You can find Drudge on your own.
...Fox runs it, freepers confused by "gay" terrorist...
...and, thank you Drudge for hyping ABC on the night they do a slam dunk piece on the al qa qaa explosives...
And, I'm sure that Drudge's magical source within ABC is VRWC player and ABC Producer Chris Vlasto...
You can find Drudge on your own.
...Fox runs it, freepers confused by "gay" terrorist...
...and, thank you Drudge for hyping ABC on the night they do a slam dunk piece on the al qa qaa explosives...
IAEA Seals
I've been informed that while the video that KSTP broadcast/posted didn't have any images of IAEA seals, they do in fact have footage, which should be coming out, of those seals. The seals mean that it was something nuclear or nuclear related, which the IAEA was monitoring (and would include the explosives in question)...
...and Garance reminds us that RDX has been used against the US at least 4 times.
...here's the footage of the seal.
...and Garance reminds us that RDX has been used against the US at least 4 times.
...here's the footage of the seal.
Lockhart Statement on Fake Ad
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Now we know why this ad is named ‘Whatever it Takes.’ This administration has always had a problem telling the truth from Iraq to jobs to health care. The Bush campaign’s advertising has been consistently dishonest in what they say. But today, it’s been exposed for being dishonest about what we see.
If they won’t tell the truth in an ad, they won’t tell the truth about anything else. This doctored commercial is fundamentally dishonest and insults the intelligence of the American people. The Bush campaign has no choice but to take this ad down immediately and issue an apology for its latest attempt to mislead the American people.
Unless George Bush has changed its position on human cloning, it’s got to pull this fundamentally dishonest ad immediately.
CNN's been covering it.
Bush Internals
You know the Bush campaign is getting desperate once they start spreading phony poll numbers to every Republican operative in Washington. Hell, even I, under my "lifelong Republican" persona, managed to get this "information."
Silly Cornerites.
Silly Cornerites.
Conservatives Continue to Blame Troops
Add Ingraham and Kristol to the list, along with Giuliani.
The truth?
The truth?
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The Second Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division arrived outside the site on April 10, under the command of Col. Joseph Anderson. The brigade had been ordered to move quickly to Baghdad because of civil disorder there after Mr. Hussein's government fell on April 9.
They gathered at Al Qaqaa, about 30 miles south, simply as a matter of convenience, Colonel Anderson said in an interview this week. He said that when he arrived at the site - unaware of its significance - he saw no signs of looting, but was not paying close attention.
Because he thought the brigade would be moving on to Baghdad within hours, Al Qaqaa was of no importance to his mission, he said, and he was unaware of the explosives that international inspectors said were hidden inside.
Clark Statement on Giuliani
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“For President Bush to send Rudolph Giuliani out on television to say that the 'actual responsibility' for the failure to secure explosives lies with the troops is insulting and cowardly.
“The President approved the mission and the priorities. Civilian leaders tell military leaders what to do. The military follows those orders and gets the job done. This was a failure of civilian leadership, first in not telling the troops to secure explosives and other dangerous materials, and second for not providing sufficient troops and sufficient equipment for troops to do the job.
“President Bush sent our troops to war without sufficient body armor, without a sound plan and without sufficient forces to accomplish the mission. Our troops are performing a difficult mission with skill, bravery and determination. They deserve a commander in chief who supports them and understands that the buck stops in the Oval Office, not one who gets weak knees and shifts blame for his mistakes.”
Clonegate?
It's amazing that Bush takes criticism of his leadership and throws it onto the troops, implicitly blaming them for his fuckups. However, we should give him some credit. It appears that he may have found a high tech solution to our troop shortage problem. No word yet on the Christian Right's response to Bush's new embrace of cloning technology.
Saint Rudy
Absolutlely stunning. (windows media)
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The president was cautious the president was prudent the president did what a commander in chief should do. No matter how you try to blame it on the president the actual responsibility for it really would be for the troops that were there. Did they search carefully enough? Didn't they search carefully enough?
KSTP Exclusive
Link:
(thanks to quiche)
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A 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS crew in Iraq shortly after the fall of Saddam Hussein was in the area where tons of explosives disappeared.
The missing explosives are now an issue in the presidential debate. Democratic candidate John Kerry is accusing President Bush of not securing the site they allegedly disappeared from. President Bush says no one knows if the ammunition was taken before or after the fall of Baghdad on April 9, 2003 when coalition troops moved in to the area.
Using GPS technology and talking with members of the 101st Airborne 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS determined our crew embedded with them may have been on the southern edge of the Al Qaqaa installation, where that ammunition disappeared. Our crew was based just south of Al Qaqaa. On April 18, 2003 they drove two or three miles north into what is believed to be that area.
During that trip, members of the 101st Airborne Division showed the 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS crew bunker after bunker of material labelled explosives. Usually it took just the snap of a bolt cutter to get in and see the material identified by the 101st as detonation cords.
"We can stick it in those and make some good bombs." a soldier told our crew.
There were what appeared to be fuses for bombs. They also found bags of material men from the 101st couldn't identify, but box after box was clearly marked "explosive."
In one bunker, there were boxes marked with the name "Al Qaqaa", the munitions plant where tons of explosives allegedly went missing.
Once the doors to the bunkers were opened, they weren't secured. They were left open when the 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS crew and the military went back to their base.
"We weren't quite sure what were looking at, but we saw so much of it and it didn't appear that this was being secured in any way," said photojournalist Joe Caffrey. "It was several miles away from where military people were staying in their tents".
Officers with the 101st Airborne told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the bunkers were within the U.S. military perimeter and protected. But Caffrey and former 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Reporter Dean Staley, who spent three months in Iraq, said Iraqis were coming and going freely.
(thanks to quiche)
Giuliani Blames the Troops
Stunning. Giuliani on the Today Show:
(caught by ripple of hope)
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The actual responsibility for it really would be for the troops that were there. Did they search carefully enough? Didn't they search carefully enough?
(caught by ripple of hope)
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
qaqaamania
While the media seems to understand that the missing explosives are a story, they haven't, as far as I have seen, addressed why.
For me, once it became clear that after the fall of Baghdad the securing of WMD sites wasn't a top prioirty (though finding them was), I knew that the Bushies weren't genuinely concerned about WMDs as a threat. They wanted to find them for propaganda purposes, but they weren't actually worried about them.
And, then, they seemed uninterested in securing even the conventional sites.
But, here's the deal. The Bushies wanted to prove they could kick ass quickly and easily. The al Qa Qaa issue isn't about a failure of Bush to be omniscient. It's about a failure of the administration to commit sufficient troops to cover all bases.
For me, once it became clear that after the fall of Baghdad the securing of WMD sites wasn't a top prioirty (though finding them was), I knew that the Bushies weren't genuinely concerned about WMDs as a threat. They wanted to find them for propaganda purposes, but they weren't actually worried about them.
And, then, they seemed uninterested in securing even the conventional sites.
But, here's the deal. The Bushies wanted to prove they could kick ass quickly and easily. The al Qa Qaa issue isn't about a failure of Bush to be omniscient. It's about a failure of the administration to commit sufficient troops to cover all bases.
Et Tu, Pootie-Poot?
The latest wingnut (see drudge) deflection is funny. The Bush administration and their fans have gone from being a caricature of PC with their patriotic correctness to a caricature of PoMo with an entirely invented set of facts. But, for those of us in the reality-based community, we have:
...Marshall has more.
...just want to add, as Juan Cole suggested earlier on the Majority Report, we have the satellite photos to tell us what happened to this stuff, roughly. Well, either we do or we've been spending a lot of money on a useless intelligence gathering operation.
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Looters stormed the weapons site at Al Qaqaa in the days after American troops swept through the area in early April 2003 on their way to Baghdad, gutting office buildings, carrying off munitions and even dismantling heavy machinery, three Iraqi witnesses and a regional security chief said Wednesday.
The Iraqis described an orgy of theft so extensive that enterprising residents rented their trucks to looters. But some looting was clearly indiscriminate, with people grabbing anything they could find and later heaving unwanted items off the trucks.
Two witnesses were employees of Al Qaqaa - one a chemical engineer and the other a mechanic - and the third was a former employee, a chemist, who had come back to retrieve his records, determined to keep them out of American hands. The mechanic, Ahmed Saleh Mezher, said employees asked the Americans to protect the site but were told this was not the soldiers' responsibility.
...Marshall has more.
...just want to add, as Juan Cole suggested earlier on the Majority Report, we have the satellite photos to tell us what happened to this stuff, roughly. Well, either we do or we've been spending a lot of money on a useless intelligence gathering operation.
Mary Cheney - America's Biggest Problem
WaPo:
- The rally was a love-fest in the conservative, rural Florida community. Three busloads of schoolchildren from the Heritage Christian School waited for an hour and a half to see Cheney and clap for the man they said speaks to the issues important to their lives.
Asked to name the country's biggest problem, 12-year-old Vivian Resto said, "Homosexuals. I think it's kind of gross, and my mom and I believe it should be a man and a woman."
Crass Commercialism
Brian Wilson's Smile. Good.
New Elvis Costello. Good.
New REM. Don't know. Mrs. Atrios stole the CD.
Coming soon...
ROTK special edition.
Buffy Season 7.
New Elvis Costello. Good.
New REM. Don't know. Mrs. Atrios stole the CD.
Coming soon...
ROTK special edition.
Buffy Season 7.
Offense and Defense
As we're nearing the end of this campaign, I realize I've learned one thing. To our media, issues don't matter. Substance of any particular charge or countercharge doesn't matter. All that matters is, for whatever reason, which candidate they've tagged "on offense" and which they've tagged "on defense" for any particular news cycle.
What Bush Thinks of You
It looks like Drudge has demolished the Texans for Truth server, so you can't see the video of Bush giving the world the finger.
Bob Harris was kind enough to create a lovely animated .gif which hits the high points.
...here's the video.
Bob Harris was kind enough to create a lovely animated .gif which hits the high points.
...here's the video.
Kos Hits the Big Time
The bug man attacks!
Call DeLay's campaign office and politely ask for any evidence that the Daily Kos "raises money for fighters against the U.S. in Iraq"
Fort Bend Headquarters
7002 Riverbrook Drive, Suite 200
Sugar Land, TX 77479
281-343-1333 phone
281-343-1344 fax
Clear Lake Headquarters
421 Bay Area Blvd
Houston, TX 77058
281-280-9874 phone
281-280-9879 fax
Call DeLay's campaign office and politely ask for any evidence that the Daily Kos "raises money for fighters against the U.S. in Iraq"
Fort Bend Headquarters
7002 Riverbrook Drive, Suite 200
Sugar Land, TX 77479
281-343-1333 phone
281-343-1344 fax
Clear Lake Headquarters
421 Bay Area Blvd
Houston, TX 77058
281-280-9874 phone
281-280-9879 fax
Weak Endorsements
Young Ezra Klein wonders why all of Slate's endorsements for Kerry are so tepid. It's rather simple. In the circle of punditry that Slate operates in, it's cool to pose as a Democrat who hates Democrats.
Statement from Wesley Clark
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Today George W. Bush made a very compelling and thoughtful argument for why he should not be reelected. In his own words, he told the American people that “…a political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your Commander in Chief.
President Bush couldn’t be more right. He jumped to conclusions about any connection between Saddam Hussein and 911. He jumped to conclusions about weapons of mass destruction. He jumped to conclusions about the mission being accomplished. He jumped to conclusions about how we had enough troops on the ground to win the peace. And because he jumped to conclusions, terrorists and insurgents in Iraq may very well have their hands on powerful explosives to attack our troops, we are stuck in Iraq without a plan to win the peace, and Americans are less safe both at home and abroad.
By doing all these things, he broke faith with our men and women in uniform. He has let them down. George W. Bush is unfit to be our Commander in Chief.
Bizarro World
Drudge's latest really helps to illustrate everything that's wrong with the bizarro media world inhabited by conservatives. ABCNews has a terrorist tape which they haven't yet broadcast. This proves they have a liberal bias, you see, because broadcasting credible threats from al Qaeda terrorists who Bush hasn't managed to catch would be good for Bush. Makes sense to me.
They have, however, given it over to US intelligence agencies, who also apparently also have a liberal bias, because they haven't released the videos either. Well, except to Drudge of course.
They have, however, given it over to US intelligence agencies, who also apparently also have a liberal bias, because they haven't released the videos either. Well, except to Drudge of course.
Bush Campaigns For Kerry
Bush today:
Indeed.
And, dare I say it...
Heh.
-
For a political candidate to jump to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your commander in chief.
Indeed.
And, dare I say it...
Heh.
Spiked Poll?
Jerome has word from a pollster that CBS spiked a Florida poll because it showed Kerry up by a whopping 4 points. I had heard that the 4 point poll was what they got after redoing a previous poll they weren't happy with - one which showed Kerry up by 8 or 9.
Now, I have no idea if this poll is a more accurate representation of reality than any other, but there's no chance they would spike such a poll if it showed Bush ahead by that much.
They're just scared of Drudge screaming "liberal bias" at them. Cowards.
Now, I have no idea if this poll is a more accurate representation of reality than any other, but there's no chance they would spike such a poll if it showed Bush ahead by that much.
They're just scared of Drudge screaming "liberal bias" at them. Cowards.
Two Things at Once
So, Kelly Wallace was just on making a snide remarks about how for the "third day in a row" Kerry had promised to talk about economic issues facing the middle class, but he was instead talking about the missing explosives. She also warned that Kerry's criticisms could turn off undecided voters.
Of course, if you listened to the faint audio of Kerry speaking behind her he was clearly talking about economic issues.
And, then, flash to Dana Bash talking about Bush being on the offensive. For some reason, there was no need to warn Bush and Cheney that their negative attacks would turn off undecided voters...
Of course, if you listened to the faint audio of Kerry speaking behind her he was clearly talking about economic issues.
And, then, flash to Dana Bash talking about Bush being on the offensive. For some reason, there was no need to warn Bush and Cheney that their negative attacks would turn off undecided voters...
Vanguard Founder Endorses Kerry
Link:
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Heartbroken, Bogle began looking for a way to reform the mutual-fund industry. The quest led him to found the Vanguard Group. The start was shaky, but through faith, drive and perseverance, Vanguard eventually flourished. With low costs and innovations such as index funds, Bogle and his "crew members" (he dislikes the word employee) revolutionized the way ordinary folk invest. Today, Malvern-based Vanguard is one of the two largest mutual-fund organizations in the world, with assets of $750 billion.
Bogle, the epitome of the WASP establishment, was determined to build a business based on character, integrity and service. This year, Time magazine named the retired Vanguard founder one of the world's 100 most powerful, influential people.
Leadership is something that has fascinated Bogle, 75, all his life. In speeches on the subject, Bogle approvingly quotes Goethe: "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."
But "there's a fine line between boldness and recklessness," cautions Bogle, a Republican who intends to vote for John Kerry. Boldness must be tempered by foresight and deliberation, Bogle says.
"We can't have a country run by philosophers," says Bogle, who chairs the board of the National Constitution Center. "But a good leader is thoughtful. He seeks the counsel of others and is capable of introspection. Before making a decision, he walks around it and tries to see it from all sides."
A sense of fallibility helps a leader, Bogle says. It inhibits arrogance, tames boldness so it doesn't lapse into recklessness.
"If you can't admit you're wrong, you have a problem," Bogle says, "because we're all wrong so often. Why is admitting it so awful?"
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
qa qaa
Josh Marshall has the sort of amusing update from tomorrow's Times.
And, some guy at Media Matters comments on some of the media coverage...
And, some guy at Media Matters comments on some of the media coverage...
Florida Poll
Jerome has word from a pollster that CBS is holding their Florida poll because Kerry is too far ahead. I'd heard from someone else that their poll originally had Kerry up by even more, and they redid it.
I have no way of knowing if this is poll more accurately reflects the state of reality than any other, but would any polling firm hesitate from releasing a poll which showed Bush way ahead?
I have no way of knowing if this is poll more accurately reflects the state of reality than any other, but would any polling firm hesitate from releasing a poll which showed Bush way ahead?
New U2
It it just me, or does the new U2 song in the Ipod commercial sound a bit too much like "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Diana Ross and the Supremes...
"Caging"
The GOP has a list, they're checking it twice, and apparently they want to try to prevent some servicemembers from voting.
Gerlach
Here's the ad being run against Lois Murphy. There's a similar mailing being sent out in Ginny Schrader's district.
Give to Murphy if you're feeling generous. You can give to Schrader here.
Or, if you don't have any money you can call the campaign office of Gerlach and ask them, very politely, why their boss hates America.
(610) 458-7374
You can also ask why the whiny little boy is such a hypocrite:
Give to Murphy if you're feeling generous. You can give to Schrader here.
Or, if you don't have any money you can call the campaign office of Gerlach and ask them, very politely, why their boss hates America.
(610) 458-7374
You can also ask why the whiny little boy is such a hypocrite:
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Exton - - Pennsylvania 6th District Congressman Jim Gerlach issued the following statement in response to Lois Murphy’s negative attacks made recently:
"Lois Murphy must have read the Democratic Party’s Negative Political Attacks handbook from cover to cover. These attacks show that she is more concerned about my campaign than she is about the thousands of dollars she received from Enron through Representatives Charlie Rangel and Karen McCarthy."
"She is spending what little time we have left before the November elections attacking me instead of explaining her stances on issues like medical malpractice insurance reform, making the federal income tax cuts permanent and the many other issues that southeastern Pennsylvanians feel are important."
"Today, I call on Lois to stop the attackes and tell us what specific plan she has to improve the lives of our fellow citizens."
More from NBC
From MSNBC today. Jim Miklaszewski reporting:
-
Following up on that story from last night, military officials tell NBC News that on April 10, 2003, when the Second Brigade of the 101st Airborne entered the Al QaQaa weapons facility south of Baghdad, that those troops were actually on their way to Baghdad, that they were not actively involved in the search for any weapons, including the high explosives, H.M.X. and R.D.X. The troops did observe stock piles of conventional weapons but no H.M.X. or R.D.X. and because the Al Qaqaa facility is so huge, it's not clear that those troops from the 101st were actually anywhere near the bunkers that reportedly contained the H.M.X. and R.D.X. Three months earlier, during an inspection of the Al Qaqaa compound, the International Atomic Energy Agency secured and sealed 350 metric tons of H.M.X. and R.D.X. Then in March shortly before the war began, the I.A.E.A. conducted another inspection and found that the H.M.X. stockpile was still intact and still under seal. But inspectors were unable to inspect the R.D.X. stockpile and could not verify that the R.D.X. was still at the compound. Pentagon officials say elements of the 101st airborne did conduct a thorough search of several facilities around the Al QaQaa compound for several weeks during the month of April in search of W.M.D. They found no W.M.D. And Pentagon officials say it's not clear at that time whether those other elements of the 101st actually searched the Al QaQaa compound. Now, Pentagon officials say U.S. troops and members of the Iraq Survey Group did arrive at the Al QaQaa compound on May 27. And when they did, they found no H.M.X. or R.D.X. or any other weapons under seal at the time. Now, the Iraqi government is officially said that the high explosives were stolen by looters. Pentagon officials claim it's possible -- they're not sure, they say, but it's possible that Saddam Hussein himself ordered that these high explosives be removed and hidden before the war. What is clear is that the 350 metric tons of high explosives are still missing, and that the U.S. or Iraqi governments or international inspectors for that matter cannot say with any certainty where they are today.
al Qa Qaa
On MSNBC today:
And, as Josh keeps reminding us it wasn't the first time troops were there.
-
MSNBC, 10/26/04 (Transcript):
Amy Robach: And it's still unclear exactly when those explosives disappeared. Here to help shed some light on that question is Lai Ling. She was part of an NBC news crew that traveled to that facility with the 101st Airborne Division back in April of 2003. Lai Ling, can you set the stage for us? What was the situation like when you went into the area?
Lai Ling Jew: When we went into the area, we were actually leaving Karbala and we were initially heading to Baghdad with the 101st Airborne, Second Brigade. The situation in Baghdad, the Third Infantry Division had taken over Baghdad and so they were trying to carve up the area that the 101st Airborne Division would be in charge of. As a result, they had trouble figuring out who was going to take up what piece of Baghdad. They sent us over to this area in Iskanderia. We didn't know it as the Qaqaa facility at that point but when they did bring us over there we stayed there for quite a while. We stayed overnight, almost 24 hours. And we walked around, we saw the bunkers that had been bombed, and that exposed all of the ordinances that just lied dormant on the desert.
AR: Was there a search at all underway or did a search ensue for explosives once you got there during that 24-hour period?
LLJ: No. There wasn't a search. The mission that the brigade had was to get to Baghdad. That was more of a pit stop there for us. And, you know, the searching, I mean certainly some of the soldiers head off on their own, looked through the bunkers just to look at the vast amount of ordnance lying around. But as far as we could tell, there was no move to
secure the weapons, nothing to keep looters away. But there was – at that point the roads were shut off. So it would have been very difficult, I believe, for the looters to get there.
AR: And there was no talk of securing the area after you left. There was no discussion of that?
LLJ: Not for the 101st Airborne, Second Brigade. They were -- once they were in Baghdad, it was all about Baghdad, you know, and then they ended up moving north to Mosul. Once we left the area, that was the last that the brigade had anything to do with the area.
AR: Well, Lai Ling Jew, thank you so much for shedding some light into that situation. We appreciate it.
LLJ: Thank you.
And, as Josh keeps reminding us it wasn't the first time troops were there.
Stunning Consumer Confidence Fall
I really do wonder what's behind this:
As someone who has been less than optimistic about the economy under Bush, I'm still not sure what has changed in the past few months to lower expectations so much, relative to where we were before. Maybe it's just happy talk fatigue.
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Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. consumer confidence fell for a third straight month in October, suggesting growing voter discontent with the economy a week before President George W. Bush seeks re-election.
The Conference Board's consumer confidence index dropped to 92.8, the lowest since March, from a revised 96.7 in September, down from the previous estimate. Americans' assessments of the current economy and their outlook for the next six months fell.
The survey is the Conference Board's last before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 2. Since the index began in 1967, every incumbent president has lost his re-election bid when the consumer confidence index was below 99 on Election Day.
``It's not good news for Bush. He can still win, but this is not a good omen,'' said Delos Smith, a Conference Board economist. ``People are nervous about their jobs and incomes.''
As someone who has been less than optimistic about the economy under Bush, I'm still not sure what has changed in the past few months to lower expectations so much, relative to where we were before. Maybe it's just happy talk fatigue.
BRUUUUUUUUUCE
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Madison, WI – The Kerry-Edwards campaign announced today that rock legend Bruce Springsteen will hit the campaign trail for the Kerry-Edwards ticket in the closing days of the 2004 campaign.
Springsteen will join John Kerry at campaign rallies in Madison, WI, and Columbus, OH, on Thursday, October 28th, and join the Democratic nominee for an election-eve rally in Cleveland, OH, on November 1st.
Springsteen is expected to perform one or two songs.
And It Continues...
Free airtime for candidates in California. *Republican* candidates, that is.
Full story here.
Full story here.
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Attempting to boost Republican Party prospects, the owner of a chain of Central Valley television and radio stations has donated $325,000 in air time for GOP candidates in many of the state's hottest legislative elections.
The contribution by Harry J. Pappas comes in the final days of campaigning, and those involved in the campaigns could not recall another instance in which a California media mogul donated time on public airwaves for advertisements to benefit one party over another.
Critics say the contribution is a clear attempt to sway close elections, is likely to raise new questions of media bias, and violates federal law requiring broadcasting companies to provide equal time to political candidates.
"They're the public's airwaves," said attorney Karen Getman, who represents the Assembly Democratic Caucus and formerly served as chairwoman of the state's Fair Political Practices Commission. "You're not free to give them to one side in a partisan debate."
Funny Reporting
Link:
Washington Post early filing, found in Google news and here:
Washington Post later filing:
-
PHILLIPS: We've heard that line plenty of times out of the mouth of John Kerry. Eight days and counting, and he pulls out the biggest gun yet. Former President Bill Clinton joining him at this rally live in Philadelphia. Hundreds and hundreds of people lining the street.
Washington Post early filing, found in Google news and here:
-
Clinton's health scare - an emergency quadruple bypass followed a diagnosis of dangerously blocked arteries - has invested an element of drama to these appearances. A Philadelphia Fire Department spokesman estimated the crowd between 80,000 and 100,000. If this number is accurate, it would be among the largest crowds Clinton ever addressed in the United States, although he has appeared before larger assemblages overseas.
Washington Post later filing:
-
A Philadelphia fire department spokesman estimated the crowd at around 80,000, although some news organizations placed the number lower. In either event, it would be among the largest crowds Clinton has ever addressed in the United States, although he appeared before larger assemblages overseas.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Another $70 Billion
Cute:
-
The Bush administration intends to seek about $70 billion in emergency funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan early next year, pushing total war costs close to $225 billion since the invasion of Iraq early last year, Pentagon and congressional officials said yesterday.
White House budget office spokesman Chad Kolton emphasized that final decisions on the supplemental spending request will not be made until shortly before the request is sent to Congress. That may not happen until early February, when President Bush submits his budget for fiscal 2006, assuming he wins reelection.
Chenronesty
I agree with Julian Sanchez that one Sunday morning when Cheney told Tim Russert, "We believe [Saddam Hussein] has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons" that, in context, it was clear he was referring to weapons programs and not actual weapons. And, so, to go nuclear, so to speak, on Cheney because of this comment isn't entirely fair.
However, there is an additional bit of context which is missing from this analysis. Following his appearance on Meet the Press on March 16, 2003, how long did it take him to correct the record even though many stories were written about this? He corrected the remark six full months later on a subsequent MTP appearance in September. I haven't been able to find any other evidence of a correction before this time.
Did Cheney accidentally misspeak? Probably. But, once it his statement was out there, and being repeated, did he make any attempt to correct it? As far as I can tell, no.
However, there is an additional bit of context which is missing from this analysis. Following his appearance on Meet the Press on March 16, 2003, how long did it take him to correct the record even though many stories were written about this? He corrected the remark six full months later on a subsequent MTP appearance in September. I haven't been able to find any other evidence of a correction before this time.
Did Cheney accidentally misspeak? Probably. But, once it his statement was out there, and being repeated, did he make any attempt to correct it? As far as I can tell, no.
Apples and Oranges BIG MOTHEREFFING BOMBS
Josh Marshall gives us this little self-contradictory exchange from Our Dear Scotty:
Aside from Scotty not remember which number he pulled out of his ass mere seconds before, we also need to point out that he's playing a little rhetorical game here. "X munitions" are not comparable to "Y tons of explosives."
-
"We've destroyed more than 243,000 munitions, we've secured another nearly 163,000 that will be destroyed."
Followed a few moments later by this ...
"And as I pointed out, that's why we've already destroyed more than 243,000 munitions and have another nearly 363,000 on line to be destroyed."
Aside from Scotty not remember which number he pulled out of his ass mere seconds before, we also need to point out that he's playing a little rhetorical game here. "X munitions" are not comparable to "Y tons of explosives."
Windows XP Service Pack 2 - Uninstalled
Worked fine when I first installed it, then I started having lots of problems with Windows locking up, explorer/IE crashing, downloading pictures from my camera causing a crash, etc...
Uninstalled it, and things working fine so far...
Uninstalled it, and things working fine so far...
4000 MFBs
It's a bit morbid coming up with units of measurement for explosives that are comprehensible and actually mean something. According to Phil Carter, the amount of explosives (stable and easily transportable) floating around out there now are roughly equal to 4000 (there's a range) of the explosions which took down the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
Prediction
Kerry wins popular and electoral votes. These Gallup samples are just sillier and sillier...
Lockhart Statement
This is about right:
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Washington, DC – Kerry-Edwards Senior Advisor Joe Lockhart issued the following statement on reports of missing explosives in Iraq:
“Today, the Bush administration must answer for what may be the most grave and catastrophic mistake in a tragic series of blunders in Iraq. How did they fail to secure nearly 380 tons of known, deadly explosives despite clear warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency to do so? And why was this information unearthed by reporters -- and was it covered up by our national security officials?
“These explosives can be used to blow up airplanes, level buildings, attack our troops and detonate nuclear weapons. The Bush administration knew where this stockpile was, but took no action to secure the site. They were urgently and specifically informed that terrorists could be helping themselves to the most dangerous explosives bonanza in history, but nothing was done to prevent it from happening.
“This material was monitored and controlled by UN inspectors before the invasion of Iraq. Thanks to the stunning incompetence of the Bush administration, we now have no idea where it is.
“We need to know what the administration knew about this and when. We need to know why they failed to safeguard these explosives and keep them out of the hands of our enemies. The National Security Advisor should be at her desk in Washington tomorrow to work this problem and answer these questions, instead of giving speeches in battleground states.”
Twofer
Wolcott takes down Fineman and Nagourney:
(via Ailes)
-
First of all, how does Fineman know the crowds aren't pumped up for Kerry? Did he attend these rallies? Did he ask anyone? No, he's assuming, as most of the media elite do, that no one could possibly be "up" for a Kerry event because the media narrative is that Kerry is a stiff hunk of bark.
As reflected in Adam Nagorney telling Charlie Rose that heck he has more charisma than poor Kerry.
Really, Adam? You think you could hold the interest of 12,000 people, as Kerry did at a recent rally in Reno, Nevada?
You're the kind of putz people walk away from at cocktail parties!
(via Ailes)
Stunning
This stuff was looted 18 months ago, and no one told Rice until a month ago? [watching CNN]
Is anyone in charge in this goddamn administration?
Is anyone in charge in this goddamn administration?
Countdown
Before the Bushies start claiming the looted explosives WERE the WMD. We've found them! Oops we lost them again...
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Meanwhile, In Important News...
I have to admit I was always a bit confused about where exactly all the explosives were coming from. Sure, some basic devices can be created with a bit of know-how, but some some of the bigger car bombs were a bit more impressive than that. Now we know:
...and, Josh notes how silly the reporters are for buying into the "I didn't do it" boy administration's spin. God, can these bastards take responsibility for anything?
ARRRRRRGGH
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BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 24 - The Iraqi interim government has warned the United States and international nuclear inspectors that nearly 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives - used to demolish buildings, produce missile warheads and detonate nuclear weapons - are missing from one of Iraq's most sensitive former military installations.
The huge facility, called Al Qaqaa, was supposed to be under American military control but is now a no-man's land, still picked over by looters as recently as Sunday. United Nations weapons inspectors had monitored the explosives for many years, but White House and Pentagon officials acknowledge that the explosives vanished after the American invasion last year.
The White House said President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, was informed within the past month that the explosives were missing. It is unclear whether President Bush was informed. American officials have never publicly announced the disappearance, but beginning last week they answered questions about it posed by The New York Times and the CBS News program "60 Minutes."
Administration officials said yesterday that the Iraq Survey Group, the C.I.A. task force that searched for unconventional weapons, has been ordered to investigate the disappearance of the explosives.
American weapons experts say their immediate concern is that the explosives could be used in major bombing attacks against American or Iraqi forces: the explosives, mainly HMX and RDX, could be used to produce bombs strong enough to shatter airplanes or tear apart buildings. The bomb that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 used less than a pound of the material of the type stolen from Al Qaqaa, and somewhat larger amounts were apparently used in the bombing of a housing complex in November 2003 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the blasts in a Moscow apartment complex in September 1999 that killed nearly 300 people.
The explosives could also be used to trigger a nuclear weapon, which was why international nuclear inspectors had kept a watch on the material, and even sealed and locked some of it. But the other components of an atom bomb - the design and the radioactive fuel - are more difficult to obtain. "This is a high explosives risk, but not necessarily a proliferation risk," one senior Bush administration official said.
...and, Josh notes how silly the reporters are for buying into the "I didn't do it" boy administration's spin. God, can these bastards take responsibility for anything?
ARRRRRRGGH
He Forgot Bulgaria!
Washington Times:
What Kerry said was:
Most likely what he meant was that he met with the permanent Security Council, plus who knows who else. Permanent SC=US+French, British, Russians, China.
-
Speaking before the Council on Foreign Relations in New York in December 2003, Mr. Kerry explained that he understood the "real readiness" of the United Nations to "take this seriously" because he met "with the entire Security Council, and we spent a couple of hours talking about what they saw as the path to a united front in order to be able to deal with Saddam Hussein."
But of the five ambassadors on the Security Council in 2002 who were reached directly for comment, four said they had never met Mr. Kerry. The four also said that no one who worked for their countries' U.N. missions had met with Mr. Kerry either.
The former ambassadors who said on the record they had never met Mr. Kerry included the representatives of Mexico, Colombia and Bulgaria. The ambassador of a fourth country gave a similar account on the condition that his country not be identified.
What Kerry said was:
-
So I sat with the French and British, Germans, with the entire Security Council, and we spent a couple of hours talking about what they saw as the path to a united front in order to be able to deal with Saddam Hussein.
Most likely what he meant was that he met with the permanent Security Council, plus who knows who else. Permanent SC=US+French, British, Russians, China.
Greatest Equations
If you managed to get through the NYT article which (no joke) actually cited a Pioneer Fund recipient and another Pioneer Fund cheerleader (I swear, the weekly David Duke column is inevitable), you got to their amusing geeky diversion about great equations. This was always my favorite, and on a good day I can even manage to explain it.
Woof
The wingnuts have been drooling about this "scoop" for days. If Kos is right about what it is... bring it on.
Looted Explosives
More consequences of post-occupation incompetence.
"Freedom's untidy. And free people are free to commit mistakes, and to commit crimes."
-D. Rumsfeld, on looting in Iraq.
"Freedom's untidy. And free people are free to commit mistakes, and to commit crimes."
-D. Rumsfeld, on looting in Iraq.
Oy
Link:
And, despite Dick Cheney's disingenuous whining at the debate, as far as I can tell these 50 are not included in the official coalition casualty list.
bastard
-
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The bodies of about 50 Iraqi soldiers were found on a remote road in eastern Iraq, apparently the victims of an ambush as they were heading home on leave, Iraqi authorities said Sunday. Also, a State Department security officer was killed during a mortar or rocket attack at a U.S. base near the Baghdad airport.
And, despite Dick Cheney's disingenuous whining at the debate, as far as I can tell these 50 are not included in the official coalition casualty list.
bastard
More Okrent
Cadenhead writes him a letter. And, here's Schwenk's open letter in case anyone's missed it.
As I wrote in comments, given the imbalance of power there's no real equivalent I can think of, but the best I can come up with is this: Putting Schwenk's name and city in his column is roughly equivalent to putting up Okrent's name, cell number, home phone, and address on the screen during the Superbowl in response to his criticisms of the coach.
Okrent's set a new standard for the reader's advocate - say mean things to us and we will try to destroy you. Not since the good old days when Susan Schmidt was contacting people's employers after receiving harsh emails have the guardians of our discourse proven themsleves to such thin-skinned thugs, drunk on power.
The pitiful part is Okrent knows he fucked up, but he'll never admit it, much as the Times will never revisit its Whitewater reporting with any honesty.
Make sure to check out the secret diary of Adam Nagourney!
As I wrote in comments, given the imbalance of power there's no real equivalent I can think of, but the best I can come up with is this: Putting Schwenk's name and city in his column is roughly equivalent to putting up Okrent's name, cell number, home phone, and address on the screen during the Superbowl in response to his criticisms of the coach.
Okrent's set a new standard for the reader's advocate - say mean things to us and we will try to destroy you. Not since the good old days when Susan Schmidt was contacting people's employers after receiving harsh emails have the guardians of our discourse proven themsleves to such thin-skinned thugs, drunk on power.
The pitiful part is Okrent knows he fucked up, but he'll never admit it, much as the Times will never revisit its Whitewater reporting with any honesty.
Make sure to check out the secret diary of Adam Nagourney!
Tucker Eskew has a Blog
Go say hello to one of Bush's senior advisers. He sure does have a purty mouth.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
The Liberal Media
Why isn't it showing all of the pictures of Red Sox fans who weren't killed by police? hmmmm?????
PULL This
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that despite the Rovian maneuvers to discredit Hatfield's biography Fortunate Son, it's pretty likely that Bush did do his community service as some sort of consequence of being busted for cocaine. I don't think a 20something drug bust should disqualify anyone for anything, really, although obviously our currrent Bush-supported drug laws don't agree with me.
But, the incredible thing about the latest accusation regarding Bush's work with Project PULL in the early 70s isn't that according to people who worked with him it wasn't voluntary. I mean, come on, we know that it isn't exactly in the Bush family gene pool to do something like that. The incredible thing is that in addition to lying about why he was doing it, he lied about the importance of his involvement:
It's incredible that all signs point to his being a volunteer working off some community service time. Instead of just claiming to be a volunteer, he claimed he was asked to "help run the program."
Is there anything he won't lie about?
And, remember folks, it's not about the sex, it's about the lying...
...just a thought. I'm pretty surprised they got away with running this story so close to the election. I'm guessing the reporters may even have a bit more up their sleeves that makes this an even more solid story... Developing, as they say...
But, the incredible thing about the latest accusation regarding Bush's work with Project PULL in the early 70s isn't that according to people who worked with him it wasn't voluntary. I mean, come on, we know that it isn't exactly in the Bush family gene pool to do something like that. The incredible thing is that in addition to lying about why he was doing it, he lied about the importance of his involvement:
-
HOUSTON - Former employees of a now-defunct inner-city program here have disputed the role President Bush says he played working with troubled teens in 1973.
"I was working full-time for an inner-city poverty program known as Project PULL," he said in his 1999 autobiography, A Charge to Keep. "My friend John White... asked me to come help him run the program... . I was intrigued by John's offer... . Now I had a chance to help people."
Bush often has cited this work for the Professional United Leadership League as the source for his belief in compassionate conservatism.
Some former associates of White, who died in 1988, speaking on the record for the first time, say that Bush wasn't helping to run the program but was instead a volunteer, and that White hadn't asked Bush to come aboard. Instead, the associates said, White told them he agreed to take Bush on as a favor to Bush's father, who was honorary cochairman of the program at the time. They say White, a tight end for the Houston Oilers in the '60s, told them Bush had gotten into some kind of trouble, but White never gave them specifics.
While they question how he came to the group, they also praise his work and agree that he connected well with the youths.
"We didn't know what kind of trouble he'd been in, only that he'd done something that required him to put in the time," said Althia Turner, White's administrative assistant.
"He didn't help run the program. I was in charge of him and I wouldn't say I helped run the program, either," said David Anderson, a recreational director at PULL.
A White House spokesman, told about the interviews, denied that Bush had been in any trouble or that Bush's father, who was ambassador to the United Nations at the time, had arranged the job at PULL. He acknowledged that Bush wasn't paid for his work there.
"It was incorrect to say he was working there," spokesman Trent Duffy said. "He was doing volunteer service and getting paid by the Guard."
It's incredible that all signs point to his being a volunteer working off some community service time. Instead of just claiming to be a volunteer, he claimed he was asked to "help run the program."
Is there anything he won't lie about?
And, remember folks, it's not about the sex, it's about the lying...
...just a thought. I'm pretty surprised they got away with running this story so close to the election. I'm guessing the reporters may even have a bit more up their sleeves that makes this an even more solid story... Developing, as they say...
Liars
Surprise. And shame on our pathetic media for, as usual, thinking scary puppies are more important than the fact that the president who allowed 9/11 to happen then allowed the perpetrator of 9/11 to get away so he could have his war against a country which had nothing to do with 9/11 is now lying about it.
You'd think we'd have better memories about the events surrounding the "most important day ever" and the subsequent war.
You'd think we'd have better memories about the events surrounding the "most important day ever" and the subsequent war.
Puppies
Crossfire yesterday:
The "applause" after the end of the video clip was actually laughter.
-
WATKINS: Well, let's talk about what is happening right now.
The Bush campaign has rolled out its latest ad. And it may be the most powerful in its arsenal to date. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
NARRATOR: In an increasingly dangerous world, even after the first terrorist attack on America, John Kerry and the liberals in Congress voted to slash America's intelligence operations by $6 billion, cuts so deep they would have weakened America's defenses. And weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
WATKINS: Wow. Very strong and right on the mark.
The ads begin airing today in 14 states and on national cable. Bush aides say it was produced in the spring, but it was so effective in focus groups that they held it back until now. Good move.
(LAUGHTER)
BEGALA: This is -- now, the guy who makes Bush's ads, Mark McKinnon, is a dear friend of mine. We went to college together. I love him.
Mark, you need to switch to decaf, bud.
(LAUGHTER)
BEGALA: That's the dumbest ad.
(CROSSTALK)
WATKINS: That's a great ad. That's a great ad.
BEGALA: Those are puppies, Joe.
WATKINS: Americans care about being safe.
BEGALA: Ronald Reagan used a bear, a big threatening image, for the Soviet Union. These are puppies. What's next, Garfield the cat, Lassie?
(LAUGHTER)
BEGALA: Oh, I'm afraid. These puppies are coming. The puppies are coming.
The "applause" after the end of the video clip was actually laughter.
Weakness
As a few people have pointed out, there's a strange line in the Puppies ad:
Indeed.
-
[W]eakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.
Indeed.
Win Back Respect
Yes, once again, this is a good ad. They got a hundred from me, and a thousand from Kleiman. Go add some more.
Stop the Negroes From Voting
So, the Republicans have 3600 people signed up to do everything they can do discourage people from voting in Ohio.
We're going to need some citizen journalists to check out what's going on. Please, people in Cleveland make sure to travel around to various polling places and report in on what's happening on Nov. 2.
We're going to need some citizen journalists to check out what's going on. Please, people in Cleveland make sure to travel around to various polling places and report in on what's happening on Nov. 2.
Patsy Keever Up in Latest Poll
Close race:
-
ASHEVILLE - U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor slightly trails challenger Patsy Keever in a poll released Friday.
The survey conducted by the Asheville Center for Social Research at UNC Asheville found that 41.2 percent of residents polled support Taylor, 43.5 percent would vote for Keever, and 15.3 percent were undecided.
The poll involved 493 residents of Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood and Transylvania counties contacted by telephone between Oct. 11 and 21. With a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, the two candidates are in a statistical tie, said Mark West, director of the center and a professor of mass communication at the university.
Friday, October 22, 2004
Open Thread II
No cat blogging today. Cats too shy. Maybe tomorrow...
However, we do have boobies vs. puppies.
(thanks to woot, of course)
However, we do have boobies vs. puppies.
(thanks to woot, of course)
Stolen Honor Funded By NRA?
The Brady Campaign says they have a source who says the NRA was behind it:
-
Dear StoptheNRA member:
Can it be true that the NRA is behind the Stolen Honor "documentary" attacking John Kerry to be aired in part or in its entirety by Sinclair Broadcasting?
We have received credible information from a source inside the NRA that the NRA is a significant funder of the Stolen Honor "documentary" which is scheduled to be aired on 62 stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting in late October. This "documentary" is the source of much controversy as it is a blatant political attack on a presidential candidate days before an election and is being aired by a broadcast company owned by supporters of President Bush. They are characterizing it as "news" and claiming not to be subject to election laws.
The NRA has made no secret of its disdain for election laws and using its resources to try and get around these laws and impact the election. The NRA has a history of trying to circumvent these laws by attempting to buy TV stations, expressing desires to broadcast from Mexico or even from a ship offshore in international waters. By allegedly funding this "documentary" and working with an existing pro-Bush broadcaster to air it, they are succeeding where they have failed in the past. They need to be stopped from making this end-run around our nation's election laws.
Consider this:
The Assistant General Counsel of the NRA, James H. Warner, appears in the "documentary" as someone who is highly critical of John Kerry. Is this just a coincidence?
We have been told by a source inside the NRA (whom we cannot identify to protect him and his family) that the NRA is a significant funder of Stolen Honor. The producers of Stolen Honor, Red, White and Blue Productions, a for-profit company, brag on their website that they have received funding from "individuals and entities nationwide" and are actively soliciting contributions. Since when do for-profit companies or news organizations solicit donations?
There is no reporting of contributors by Red, White and Blue Productions. No accountability. Nothing. Is this just an attempt by the producers to circumvent campaign finance laws and allow their supporters to hide their identities?
Sinclair Broadcasting and the NRA have shown their support for President Bush through endorsements and contributions. Is Red, White and Blue Productions acting as the go-between in order for the NRA to get its wish and use the airwaves to further its extreme political agenda?
All groups who are involved in broadcast activities that attempt to influence elections (including the so-called 527 organizations) must disclose their donors. Why does Red, White and Blue Productions think it is exempt from this requirement?
The Washington bureau chief and top reporter for Sinclair Broadcast Group was fired after he criticized the company's plans to produce a news program based on a "documentary" critical of John Kerry. After his firing he was "escorted out of the building." Are these people afraid the truth is going to come out?
These are questions that need to be asked and investigated. Our nation's campaign finance laws are there to make sure the rich and powerful do not take over our election process. We supported campaign finance reform and the NRA opposed it. They even lost their challenge to those laws in court. What lengths will they go to by-pass these laws?
Time is running short. The election is almost here.
How You Can Help:
1) Call the offices of Campaign Finance Reform sponsors Senators McCain (202-224-2235) and Senator Feingold (202-224-5323) and demand that the Senate investigate who is funding the "documentary" produced by Red, White and Blue Productions and to be aired in part by Sinclair Broadcasting.
2) Call Red White and Blue Productions at 717-213-4955 and demand they release the names of the individuals and entities contributing to the making of this "documentary."
3) Forward this e-mail to as many friends and relatives as you can. Time is running out.
4) Please click here to make a contribution to our efforts to get to the truth. Sensible gun laws need protection today.
Thank you,
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