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Archive Edition for   Sunday, May 2, 2004Go to Current Page
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Quoted in this edition:

ABCNEWS
  Dalia Sussman
Amygdala
  Gary Farber
Aljazeera
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
  Emperor Darth Misha I
Associated Press
  Bassem Mroue
  Steven Senne
  Eric Schmitt
  Alisa Tang
  John J. Lumpkin
  Ron Fournier
Asymmetrical Information
  Mindles H. Dreck
The Australian
  Per Ahlmark
baldilocks
  Baldilocks
Balkinization
  Jack Balkin
BBC
Betsy's Page
  Betsy Newmark
Billmon
  Billmon
BLACKFIVE
  Blackfive
Body and Soul
  Jeanne D'Arc
Brad DeLong's Semi-Daily Journal
  Brad DeLong
BuzzMachine
  Jeff Jarvis
Captain's Quarters
  Captain Ed
Change for America
  Joe Drymala
Chicago Sun Times
  Mark Steyn
CNN
The Corner
  Andrew Stuttaford
  KJL
  Rich Lowry
Counterspin Central
  Hesiod
Crescat Sententia
  Will Baude
  Greg Goelzhauser
  Jeremy Blachman
Daily Kos
  Meteor Blades
  DemFromCT
Daimnation!
  Damian Penny
danieldrezner.com
  Daniel Drezner
EdCone.com
  Ed Cone
EdDriscoll.com
  Edward Driscoll
Foreign Affairs
  Alan Wolfe
Harvard Crimson
  Evan M. Vittor
Hit & Run
  Mike Alissi
Independent
  Charles Arthur
Instapundit.com
  Glenn Reynolds
INTEL DUMP
  Phil Carter
Israel news and commentary from IsraPundit
  Ted Belman
Jerusalem Post
  Margot Dudkevitch
Juan Cole * Informed Comment *
  Juan Cole
Kerry for President Press Room
Kim du Toit
  Kim du Toit
Knight Ridder
  Seth Borenstein
lgf
  Charles Johnson
LibertarianJackass.com
  Libertarian
Los Angeles Times
  T. Christian Miller
  Ronald Brownstein
Marginal Revolution
  Alex Tabarrok
Mark A. R. Kleiman
  Mark Kleiman
Mathew Gross
  Mathew Gross
Matthew Yglesias
  Matt Yglesias
MSNBC
  Mark Hosenball
MyDD
  Jerome Armstrong
New York Times
  Neil Macfarquhar
  Jonathan A. Knee
  Philip Shenon
  Adam Nagourney
  Adam Liptak
  John Kifner
  Abby Goodnough
  John Schwartz
  Michael Ignatieff
New Yorker
  Seymour M. Hersh
No More Mister Nice Blog
  Steve Messina
Obsidian Wings
  Edward _
Oh, That Liberal Media
  John Rosenberg
Oliver Willis
  Oliver Willis
Opinion Journal
Orcinus
  David Neiwert
Outside the Beltway
  James Joyner
OxBlog
  David Adesnik
  Patrick Belton
pandagon.net
  Ezra Klein
Pejmanesque
  Pejman Yousefzadeh
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PoliBlog
  Steven Taylor
Porphyrogenitus
  Porphyrogenitus
Power Line
  Hindrocket
  The Big Trunk
Priorities & Frivolities
  Robert Garcia Tagorda
ProfessorBainbridge.com
  Steve Bainbridge
QandO
  McQ
  Jon Henke
Rantingprofs
  Cori Dauber
Reuters
  Fadel Badran
The Right Coast
  Mike Rappaport
Right Wing News
  John Hawkins
Roger Ailes
  Roger Ailes
Roger L. Simon
  Roger L. Simon
Sadly, No!
  Peanut @SadlyNo
Secular Blasphemy
  Jan Haugland
South Knox Bubba
  SK Bubba
Southern Appeal
  Nathan Hallford
  Steve Dillard
t a c i t u s
  Tacitus
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire
  Taegan Goddard
Talking Points Memo
  Josh Marshall
TalkLeft
  TChris
  Jeralyn Merritt
TAPPED
  Matthew Yglesias
Telegraph
  Philip Sherwell
  Charles Laurence
This Modern World
  Tom Tomorrow
Tim Blair
  Tim Blair
Time
  Timothy J. Burger
Townhall.com
  Robert Novak
Unqualified Offerings
  Jim Henley
VodkaPundit
  Stephen Green
The Volokh Conspiracy
  Eugene Volokh
The Washington Monthly
  Kevin Drum
Washington Post
  Richard Leiby
  Robert Kagan
  Jackson Diehl
  Jim VandeHei
White House
World O'Crap
  SLZoll



Rangers Lead the Way in Exposing Authour as a Fraud
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
In the Style section last summer we profiled a Los Angeles writer named Micah Ian Wright, who'd just published a shrill antiwar poster book called "You Back the Attack! We'll Bomb Who We Want!"
McQ: What an ass ... Why? "In the Style section last summer we profiled a Los Angeles writer named Micah Ian Wright, who'd...
Tom Tomorrow: Via various readers, I learn that the artist behind them was apparently remixing his own life's story while he was at it.
Tim Blair: You know those hilarious anti-war posters that you love? Turns out they're the work of a filthy liar. Just thought you'd like to know.
Pejman Yousefzadeh: Well, as it turns out, Wright is a liar: [snipped quote] A rather pathetic excuse on Vonnegut's part to explain away Wright's mendacity.
Captain Ed: Kurt Vonnegut, who has to be one of the most overrated authors of the twentieth century, reveals his amorality in his...
Glenn Reynolds: LYING LIARS AGAINST THE WAR: That would be antiwar activist and fake military veteran Micah Wright, whom the Washington...
Also: Greyhawk, Michele Catalano

U.S. Hostage Hamill Escapes in Iraq
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - American hostage Thomas Hamill, kidnapped three weeks ago in an insurgent attack on his convoy, was found by U.S. forces Sunday south of Tikrit after he apparently escaped from his captors, the U.S. military said. An official said he was in good health.
Emperor Darth Misha I: We rejoice with the Hamill family at these wonderful news: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - American hostage Thomas Hamill,...
Hindrocket: An Escape, a Question, and a Comparison — Thomas Hamill, an American contractor kidnapped three weeks ago during an...
Kim du Toit: Good News — Hostage Tom Hamill has escaped from captivity, and was rescued by our troops.
Jeralyn Merritt: Thomas Hamill, the American Halliburton employee taken hostage and shown on Arab tv a few weeks ago, escaped his captors and ran to the safety of a military convoy yesterday.
Charles Johnson: US Hostage Escapes — Some good news from Iraq: US Hostage Hamill Escapes in Iraq.
Blackfive: Hostage Escapes — This is a great story: U.S. Hostage Hamill Escapes in Iraq By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press Writer...
Also: Mitch Berg, Captain Ed, Cori Dauber

Contradicting Bill
  By / Time   —   Permalink 
How much of a warning did Bill Clinton give incoming President George W. Bush that Osama bin Laden posed a grave danger? It depends on which President you ask. In his interview with the 9/11 commission last week, sources tell Time, Bush testified that Clinton...
Hesiod: BUSH VS. CLINTON: Bill Clinton told the 9/11 panel that in pre-inauguration meeting with George W. Bush, he ranked Osama...
Stephen Green: From Time: [snipped quote] It's a he-said/he-said argument, although I'm slightly more likely to give Bush the benefit of...
Betsy Newmark: There are already leaks from the President's session with the 9/11 Commission.
Steven Taylor: He Said/He Said — I'm with Stephen Green: there's no way to know whose account is accurate (go here to see what the story is), but I lean towards Bush.

Kerry takes a spill from bike
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
Kerry was riding south on a two-lane road at about 1:00 p.m. in the direction of Walden Pond State Reservation in Concord, a quiet, suburban town about 18 miles northwest of Boston.
Captain Ed: This time, the SOB appears to be sand: "Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry took a spill from his bicycle...
Tim Blair: II Not for the first time, John Kerry has difficulty maintaining verticality: [snipped quote] A Serotta bike will cost you anywhere from $1,800 to $5,000.
Glenn Reynolds: THE GOOD NEWS: Kerry wasn't hurt when he fell off his bike. The bad news: this photo made the papers.

Iraq oil-for-food kickbacks 'higher than suspected'
  By / Telegraph   —   Permalink 
Kickbacks paid to Saddam Hussein's regime on contracts signed under the United Nations' oil-for-food programme were far higher than the 10 per cent rake-off previously assumed to be the norm.
Gary Farber: I've not been posting on the "Oil-For-Food" scandals because so many other blogs were doing a good job on it.
Jan Haugland: However, it is now revealed that in many cases the markup was higher, sometimes as high as 100 per cent.
The Big Trunk: First, the Telegraph reports on the magnitude of the corruption involved in UNscam: "Iraq oil-for-food kickbacks 'higher...
Glenn Reynolds: UN SLEAZEFEST DOUBLEHEADER: First this: "Kickbacks paid to Saddam Hussein's regime on contracts signed under the United...

Intelligence: A Double Game
  By / MSNBC   —   Permalink 
May 10 issue - Ahmad Chalabi, the longtime Pentagon favorite to become leader of a free Iraq, has never made a secret of his close ties to Iran. Before the U.S. invasion of Baghdad, Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress maintained a $36,000-a-month branch office in Tehran—funded by U.S. taxpayers.
Gary Farber: THE THREE-FACED MAN, our pal, Ahmad Chalabi. [snipped quote] Aren't we glad the Pentagon adopted him?
Oliver Willis: The Con Job Continues — Cheney-Rumsfeld chum and rejected puppet leader of Iraq, Ahmad Chalabi, may be screwing us...
SLZoll: Giving Conmen a Bad Name From Newsweek: U.S. intelligence agencies have recently raised concerns that Chalabi has become too close to Iran's theocratic rulers.
Charles Johnson: Newsweek accuses Ahmed Chalabi of being in bed with the mad mullahs of Iran: MSNBC - Intelligence: A Double Game.
Josh Marshall: But first, a note about this article in Newsweek which discusses US suspicions that Ahmed Chalabi and his close aides...

Prisoner Abuse Probe Widened
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD, May 1 — A top Pentagon intelligence officer is leading an investigation into interrogation practices at an Army-run prison where Iraqi detainees were allegedly beaten and sexually abused, officials announced Saturday.
Alex Tabarrok: Outsourcing that I am against — President Bush says his is appalled and disgusted by the torture of Iraqis by Americans.
Tom Tomorrow: Nothing funny...about this: "BAGHDAD, May 1 — A top Pentagon intelligence officer is leading an investigation into...
James Joyner: Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners IV — WaPo: Prisoner Abuse Probe Widened "A top Pentagon intelligence officer is leading an...
Baldilocks: Well, as we now know, some didn't catch the hint. Contrast this command with that of one General Janis Karpinski.
DemFromCT: Iraq Thread — Blair Appalled by Iraq Abuse Photos, Inquiry Starts [snipped quote] Prisoner Abuse Probe Widened Military...
Phil Carter: The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times carry detailed reports in Friday's paper on the scandal at Abu Ghraib prison,...

Election's Final Score in October?
  LAT   —   Permalink 
A 72-year streak links the victory or defeat of the Washington Redskins on the eve of election day with the presidential race. If the Redskins go down to defeat or tie, the sitting president's party loses the White House.
James Joyner: Fun with Stats — Steve Bainbridge is going to be pulling extra hard for his Redskins after reading this odd statistic...
Steve Bainbridge: Redskins as Political Predictor — From the LA Times (R):A 72-year streak links the victory or defeat of the Washington...
Steven Taylor: Druming up Support for the 'Skins — Steve Bainbridge is trying to get loyal Cowboys fans to root for the Redskins.

Playing Favorites
  By / ABCNEWS   —   Permalink 
May 2— George W. Bush has an edge on John Kerry on the personal attributes of compassion, values and likeability, another reason Bush has improved his overall position against Kerry since the Democratic primaries.
James Joyner: Bush More Compassionate — ABC: Voters Find Bush More Compassionate, Compatible, Likeable than Kerry [snipped quote] If...
Blackfive: New ABC Poll - Bush More Likeable — A new ABC Poll is out showing people to believe that Bush is more compassionate, likeable, and caring than Kerry.

UN threatens authors of 'racy' exposé
  By / Telegraph   —   Permalink 
The United Nations has threatened to fire two officials who wrote an expose of sleaze and corruption during its peacekeeping missions of the 1990s.
Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, is understood to have favoured an attempt to block publication of the...
Gary Farber: See more background here and here. See also this.
Glenn Reynolds: Then there's this not very promising sign of the U.N.'s attitude toward housecleaning: "The United Nations has...
The Big Trunk: Finally, the Telegraph reports on Kofi Annan's threats to fire officials who wrote an expose of corruption in its 1990s...

UN chief's career clouded
  By / The Australian   —   Permalink 
NO other organisation is regarded with such respect as the United Nations. This is perhaps natural, for the UN embodies some of humanity's noblest dreams.
But, as the current scandal surrounding the UN's administration of the Iraq oil-for-food program...
Porphyrogenitus: Speaking of which, former Swedish PM Per Ahlmark has a piece on how the UN's vices don't seem to matter to many: "NO...
Tim Blair: Former deputy prime minister of Sweden Per Ahlmark might disagree, particularly if any UN-backing involved Kofi Annan: [snipped quote] Yay for the UN!
Glenn Reynolds: MORE LOST CREDIBILITY FOR KOFI ANNAN — but maybe it doesn't matter: [snipped quote] Read the whole, damning thing.

'Lowering Our Sights'
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
Calls for a withdrawal from Iraq are starting to pop up all over the place now and will proliferate in the coming days and weeks. I find even the administration's strongest supporters, including fervent advocates of the war a year ago and even some who could be labeled "neoconservatives," now despairing and looking for an exit.
Cori Dauber: What are we doing? Robert Kagan in today's Post is right — now the issue isn't even how this appears in Iraq.
Matt Yglesias: How else to explain remarks like this from Robert Kagan in an otherwise sensible column: "That is what President Bush has been saying all along.
Tacitus: Kagan in WaPo: "All but the most blindly devoted Bush supporters can see that Bush administration officials have no...

Transcript for May 2
  MSNBC   —   Permalink 
PLEASE CREDIT ANY QUOTES OR EXCERPTS FROM THIS NBC TELEVISION PROGRAM TO "NBC NEWS' MEET THE PRESS."
MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: the American death toll in Iraq approaches 750; wounded or injured nearing 4,000. Can the United Nations help stabilize Iraq?
Glenn Reynolds: READER TUCKER GOODRICH notes something interesting from the transcript of Kofi Annan's oil-for-food interview on Meet...
Captain Ed: The transcript tells the story: "MR. RUSSERT: Someone also very close to you has alleged involvement in this scandal.
Roger L. Simon: Last Blog before Lakers/Spurs Tip Off — Oil-for-Food, of course — I was off at the "Jogathon" for my daughter's...

Mother, 4 daughters, killed in Gaza shooting
  By / Jerusalem Post   —   Permalink 
A pregnant mother and her four daughters were shot dead Sunday after two terrorists opened fire at Israeli cars traveling near the Kissufim Crossing at the entrance to the Gush Katif settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip.
Tim Blair: NO WHEELCHAIR, NO OUTRAGE — Damian Penny writes: [snipped quote] The Sydney Morning Herald's account of this atrocity seems remarkably outrage-free.
Charles Johnson: And Again — Today Palestinian Arab savages murdered a 34-year old pregnant Israeli woman and her four daughters, walking up to their car and shooting them at close range.
Damian Penny: Today, gunmen from Hamas and Islamic Jihad walked up to a car containing a mother and her four daughters, aged 2 to 11, and shot them all dead at close range.

U.S. Plan for Fallujah Hits Snag
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
FALLUJAH, Iraq, May 2 — The U.S. Marine plan to have former Iraqi soldiers restore order in Fallujah ran into trouble Sunday as the former Iraqi general heading the new force denied there were any foreign fighters in the city, calling into question his commitment to American military objectives.
Meteor Blades: Doesn't Play Well With Others ... A tip of the mojo hat to Galiel for pointing out that General Saleh won't be helping the Marines in their retreat from Fallujah after all.
Tacitus: Confusion — Doubling-back, bad information and second thoughts on the Fallujah deal. Who's in charge, here?

Bremer Takes Back Statements About Bush
  AP   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD, Iraq - L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq , said Sunday he regrets a statement he made more than six months before the Sept. 11 attacks that the Bush administration was "paying no attention" to terrorism.
Taegan Goddard: Quote of the Day — "The new administration seems to be paying no attention to the problem of terrorism.
Ezra Klein: Forgiven? Looks like Bremer got the thumbscrews. "I'm sorry for what I said. I was right but saying so was wrong.

After Attack, Company's Staff Plans to Leave Saudi Arabia
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
CAIRO, May 2 - The multinational engineering company whose offices in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, were hit Saturday by a deadly attack announced Sunday that it would evacuate other people on the project.
Gary Farber: THE VILLAINS FOUND. In Saudi Arabia.
James Joyner: Contractors Leaving Saudi Arabia — Another reason why relying on contractors in a war zone is a really bad idea: After...

Don't count on Koppel for whole war story
  By / Chicago Sun Times   —   Permalink 
According to Ted Koppel, dragging his gravitas like a ball and chain, ''The most important thing a journalist can do is remind people of the cost of war.''
So on Friday night on ABC he read out the names of the American men and women to die in Iraq.
Charles Johnson: Don't Count on Koppel — Mark Steyn refuses to be asphyxiated by the media's smog of negativity in a new column about...
Glenn Reynolds: MARK STEYN ON TED KOPPEL: [snipped quote] Read the whole thing. UPDATE: ABC also seems to have double-counted.

Is That Really Legal?
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
The Federal Communications Commission's well-publicized post-Super Bowl campaign against broadcaster "indecency" is misplaced, if not downright comical. While the F.C.C. is fining radio "shock jocks" for using language milder than what can be heard in most high-school parking lots, Americans can see graphic pornography on the Internet.
TChris: Editorial Favors Censorship of Porn — In an op-ed piece published in today's NY Times, Jonathan Knee argues that the...
Mike Alissi: Brilliant Idea of the Day — In today's New York Times, Jonathan Knee of the Columbia Business School suggests banning...
Jack Balkin: Showing A Little Knee — Jonathan Knee's op-ed in the New York Times argues that the government should make it a crime...

The Power of a Peace Candidate
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
When Ralph Nader announced his independent candidacy for president in February, he claimed his chief target would be "the giant corporation in the White House . . . George W. Bush." Two months later, a more plausible agenda is beginning to emerge.
Josh Marshall: The point of the piece Advertisement is that Kerry's opposition both to President Bush's policy and equally to any...
Edward Driscoll: CORVAIR SUMMER: "Contrary to the conventional wisdom of winter", the Washington Post writes, Ralph Nader "may be poised for a hot summer".

Pentagon seeks to bar contractors from carrying guns in Iraq
  By / Knight Ridder   —   Permalink 
ORLANDO, Fla. — As the insurgency and violence in Iraq intensify, the Department of Defense has proposed a new rule for most of the estimated 70,000 civilian contractors working in the war-torn region: They can't carry guns.
Eugene Volokh: We won't defend you, and neither can you: Knight-Ridder reports: [snipped quote] Now I realize that contractors' carrying...
Jan Haugland: Civilian contractors in Iraq may be disarmed — Via Volokh, the US Department of Defense is proposing to disarm most of the civilian contractors working in Iraq.

A year on from 'Mission Accomplished', an army in disgrace, a policy in tatters and the real prospect of defeat
  Independent   —   Permalink 
Wisps of grey smoke were still rising from the wreckage of four Humvees caught by the blast of a bomb which had just killed two US soldiers and wounded another five. It seemed they had been caught in a trap.
Jerome Armstrong: At what point do we leave? Patrick Cockburn, in the Independent, the real prospect of defeat.
Mathew Gross: Patrick Cockburn, in the Independent, believes the chance we had to win the battle for hearts and minds in Iraq has been...

US hostage 'escapes' in Iraq
  BBC   —   Permalink 
An American hostage has been found by US forces in Iraq, the military says.
Thomas Hamill was found south of Tikrit after he apparently escaped from his captors, US Army spokesman Brig Gen Mark Kimmitt told reporters.
Cori Dauber: Jeff Jarvis is right about the BBC. What's with the scare quotes around the word "escaped"?
Patrick Belton: UPDATE: And here is the announcement - an American hostage, Thomas Hamill, has escaped from his captors.
Jeff Jarvis: Bravo : American hostage Thomas Hamill escapes and is safe. Great news.

Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Appears More Extensive
  By / LAT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — At least one Iraqi prisoner died after interrogation, some were threatened with attack dogs and others were kept naked in tiny cells without running water or ventilation, according to an account written by a military police sergeant who is one of six U.S. soldiers charged in a growing scandal over prisoner abuse in Iraq.
Billmon: CACI has told the Los Angeles Times that it " knew of no allegations of abuse" against it's employees.
Mark Kleiman: First thoughts on Abu Ghraib 1. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! 2.

Jack Kelly: They're out there
  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   —   Permalink 
Within a long, convoluted answer to a softball question tossed him by MSNBC's Chris Matthews on his "Hardball" program Tuesday, Sen. John Kerry said something remarkable:
"It appears, as we peel away the weapons of mass destruction issue, and — we may yet find them, Chris," Kerry said.
Ted Belman: Jack Kelly: They're out there — The case of Iraq's weapons is not closed Within a long, convoluted answer to a softball...
The Big Trunk: Today's column by Jack Kelly of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, just one step removed from the bigfoot media, should help the slow learners in the audience: "They're out there."

Officer Suggests Iraq Jail Abuse Was Encouraged
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON, May 1 — An Army Reserve general whose soldiers were photographed as they abused Iraqi prisoners said Saturday that she knew nothing about the abuse until weeks after it occurred and that she was "sickened" by the pictures.
Roger Ailes: Military Justice — Here are the latest reports from The New Yorker, The New York Times and The Sunday Herald on American and British military abuses of Iraqi prisoners of war.
Mark Kleiman: 8. If it's true that the brass is trying to stick a bunch of reservists with all of the blame, that's a disgrace.
Gary Farber: ABU GHRAIB BY HERSH here. I'm not commenting at present because I've become fully irrational on this subject for the time being.
James Joyner: NYT has a related report, Officer Suggests Iraq Jail Abuse Was Encouraged [RSS] "An Army Reserve general whose soldiers...
Brad DeLong: Gen. Karpinski: I "Should Have Been More Aggressive" After Military Intelligence "Exclude[d] the [Red Cross] from...

American Hostage Hamill 'Escapes' from Iraqi Captors
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. hostage Thomas Hamill is free three weeks after television pictures showed him being driven away by armed men following an attack on a convoy in Iraq, the U.S. military said Sunday.
Glenn Reynolds: AMERICAN HOSTAGE HAMILL escapes from captors. Cool.
KJL: HAMILL — What great news.

Presidential Campaigns May Play Cameo Role
  By / LAT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — No presidential race in modern times has begun earlier, or reached a crescendo as quickly, as the battle between President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry. And yet few presidential contests may pivot more on events that will only unfold closer to election day.
Steven Taylor: Short Memories, Poor Analysis and the Press — I wonder to the degree to which this is as unique as many analysts are...
Betsy Newmark: Ron Brownstein looks at history and today's poll numbers and economic indicators and spends much time and ink...

Kerry Struggling to Find a Theme, Democrats Fear
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON, May 1 — Two months after Senator John Kerry effectively captured the Democratic presidential nomination, party officials say his campaign is being regularly outmaneuvered by the White House as it struggles to find a focus and to make the transition from the primaries to the fight with President Bush.
Glenn Reynolds: Though goofy photos are becoming something of a campaign theme, which I'm told is important. . . .
Libertarian: THE KERRY CAMPAIGN Plenty of commentary out there on Kerry's alleged campaign stuggles, but here at LJ.com we care little about such things.
Hindrocket: Kerry Takes the High Road — Tomorrow's New York Times has an article about the difficulties John Kerry's campaign is encountering.
Steve Messina: Adam Nagourney's latest article (on the front page of the Sunday New York Times above the fold, of course,where it will...
Captain Ed: In fact, the Kerry campaign has been so inept that even Democrats are willing to go on record to discuss their concerns,...

BGLSTA Bathroom Study Released
  By / Harvard Crimson   —   Permalink 
Harvard's lack of gender non-specific bathrooms has caused transgender and gender-variant students to alter eating and drinking habits and suffer severe cases of dehydration, according to a report released yesterday by the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Supporters Alliance (BGLTSA).
James Joyner: Harvard's Confusing Bathrooms — According to the Harvard Crimson, apparently a lot of the university's students are...
Will Baude: bathrooms — Jeremy and Amber note the Harvard story about gender-neutral bathrooms.
Captain Ed: Harvard Academic Work Not Difficult Enough — Apparently, the scholastic work at Harvard must be a breeze these days, as...
Jeremy Blachman: There's an article in Thursday's Harvard Crimson about a report asking for gender-neutral bathrooms at Harvard to accommodate transgendered students.

General Suggests Abuses at Iraq Jail Were Encouraged
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON, May 1 — The Army Reserve general whose military police officers were photographed as they mistreated Iraqi prisoners said Saturday that she had been "sickened" by the pictures and had known nothing about the sexual humiliation and other abuse until weeks later.
Andrew Stuttaford: McNab may or may not be correct in his view that these disgraceful incidents were 'just' the actions of stupid kids...
Hesiod: BLOWING THE WHISTLEASS: Hmmm...it may turn out that the abuses heaped upon Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib were NOT...
Phil Carter: Post-Script: The Sunday Washington Post and New York Times reports on Abu Ghraib paint a slightly different picture of...
Jon Henke: The Iraq Prison Reality — The NYTimes reports... [snipped quote] And so, we have a bit of context for those pictures.
Billmon: Mission accomplished. saddambush.jpg Update 6:55 PM ET:M It looks like the designated fall person for the Abu Ghrab...

In Re Scalia the Outspoken v. Scalia the Reserved
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
PHILADELPHIA, April 29 — About 20 minutes into stock remarks in praise of the Constitution, Justice Antonin Scalia paused. "Everything I've said up to now," he told a hotel ballroom full of lawyers here on Thursday, "has been uncontroversial."
Mike Rappaport: Justice Scalia — The New York Times does a piece on Justice Scalia. Nothing too unusual in the article.
Gary Farber: I AM SO GLAD WE HAVE NO ACTIVIST JUDGES. As seen here.
Betsy Newmark: The New York Times has an interesting profile of Justice Scalia, much as they might profile some weird alien whom they don't quite understand but find intriguing nevertheless.
Nathan Hallford: Justice Scalia: The New York Times has an interesting article looking at the outspoken Scalia versus the reserved Scalia.
TChris: More frightening is Justice Scalia's belief that criminal defendants are not entitled to a lawyer unless they can afford to hire one.

As a New Iraqi Force Goes to Work in Falluja, Questions Arise About Its Leader's Record
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
FALLUJA, Iraq, May 1 — The new Marine-approved Iraqi force began taking up positions on Saturday on a few quiet street corners in this embattled city amid reports that some residents were celebrating its arrival as a victory over the Americans.
Cori Dauber: Update: I'd actually meant to link this article about Saddam's general. Neither one makes me feel particularly comfortable.
Tacitus: So, in Fallujah, thanks to Administration floundering, we've got a situation where the locals clearly feel they've...
Meteor Blades: "But the record of the man chosen to lead the force — a commander in Saddam Hussein's feared Republican Guard —...
Billmon: Meet the New Boss III "The new Marine-approved Iraqi force began taking up positions on Saturday on a few quiet street...

Arabs repulsed, furious over prison photos
  CNN   —   Permalink 
(CNN) — Graphic pictures showing the apparent abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. and British soldiers in Iraq have angered Arabs across the world, as well as U.S. and British officials.
Gary Farber: More here. Here. My present rule is to say nothing, because if you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all.
Oliver Willis: American Abuse — You know, when I see these photos of Iraqi prisoners being tortured by American and British soldiers,...
David Neiwert: Iraqi prisoners and war crimes — It's no great surprise that the rest of the world is outraged over the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by American and British interrogators.

Justice Souter assaulted during jog
  CNN   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (CNN) — U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter was assaulted by several men Friday night and taken to a hospital with minor injuries, according to a court spokeswoman.
The incident occurred while he was jogging at about 9 p.m. Friday, said Kathy Arberg, a court spokeswoman.
Will Baude: Insta-style blogging — Amber Taylor's complaints about Instapundit-style blogging (all links, no content)...
Patrick Belton: Which is why this is really awfully sad.
Steven Taylor: Souter Assaulted on Jog/Suffers Minor Injuries — Justice Souter assaulted during jog "U.S. Supreme Court Justice David...
Jeralyn Merritt: Justice Souter Attacked While Jogging — Supreme Court Justice David Souter was attacked last night while jogging.
Steve Bainbridge: While I was Away: Souter Mugged — As much as I deplore violence, this report gives me new hope for the Supreme Court.
Steve Dillard: Update: Here's a link to the story. Update II: Although I rarely delete comments, I have done so with respect to a comment attached to this post.
Also: Atrios

Supreme Court Justice Assaulted During Jog
  AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice David Souter suffered minor injuries when a group of young men assaulted him as he jogged on a city street, a court spokeswoman said Saturday.
The attack occurred about 9 p.m. Friday at 5th and N streets SW, D.C. police said.
James Joyner: Souter Assaulted — WaPo/AP: Supreme Court Justice Assaulted During Jog [snipped quote] It goes without saying that it's good that Souter is apparently fine.
TChris: Souter Attacked — Supreme Court Justice David Souter was attacked while jogging alone at about 9:00 p.m. yesterday.

Darwin-Free Fun for Creationists
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
PENSACOLA, Fla., April 29 — Robert and Schön Passmore took their children to Disney World last fall and left bitterly disappointed. As Christians who reject evolutionary theory, the family scoffed at the park's dinosaur attractions, which date the apatosaurus, brachiosaurus and the like to prehistoric times.
Greg Goelzhauser: Professor Leiter's comments prompted me to post a little more from the New York Times article.
Jack Balkin: When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth— 6,000 Years Ago — A new creationist theme park has opened in Florida, the New York...

Kerry Struggles on Iraq Issue
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
FULTON, Mo., April 30 — Despite President Bush's failure to find weapons of mass destruction and end the bloodshed in Iraq, John F. Kerry is struggling to present himself as a stronger foreign policy leader who offers voters an exit strategy significantly different from the president's.
James Joyner: The Challenger's Dilemma — WaPo has an Analysis piece entitled "Kerry Struggles on Iraq Issue."
John Rosenberg: A Jim VandeHei article on page A6 runs under the head - subhead "Kerry Struggles On Iraq Issue - Democrat Isn't Presenting a Sharp Contrast With Bush."
Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post looks at the problems Kerry is in finding a way to gain traction on Bush concerning Iraq.

Three Cheers for Assimilation
  NYT   —   Permalink 
Q Your new book, ''Who Are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity,'' suggests that Hispanic immigrants are undermining the greatness of the United States.
Over 50 percent of the immigrants coming into the country are Hispanic, from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America.
Robert Garcia Tagorda: In the meantime, check out Samuel Huntington's interview with the New York Times Magazine and Bernard Lewis's talk with the Atlantic Monthly.
John Rosenberg: Huntingdon is interviewed in today's New York Times Magazine.
Libertarian: THREE CHEERS FOR ASSIMILATION Interview with Samuel Huntington. I've lived in Southern California all my life.
McQ: Now, consider this: "But aren't those problems relatively small? Doesn't America's greatness lie in its ability to assimilate all kinds of people?

TORTURE AT ABU GHRAIB
  By / New Yorker   —   Permalink 
In the era of Saddam Hussein, Abu Ghraib, twenty miles west of Baghdad, was one of the world's most notorious prisons, with torture, weekly executions, and vile living conditions.
Jim Henley: That's the thrust of Seymour Hersh's New Yorker report on Abu Ghraib, which quotes the official investigation into the prison.
Tom Tomorrow: Seymour Hersh has more in the New Yorker: "A fifty-three-page report, obtained by The New Yorker, written by Major...
Mark Kleiman: Yes, I'm glad to be the citizen of a country where there's not only a free press to report such things (kudos, once...
Kevin Drum: It's true that the Army was already investigating, and Seymour Hersh's summary of their investigation makes it clear that it was fairly exhaustive.
Hesiod: SY DUCK: From My Lai to Abu Ghraib...Seymour Hersh does it again.
Jeralyn Merritt: Hersh: Sadistic Torture at Abu Ghraib — Don't miss this new New Yorker article by Seymour Hersh on the sadistic torture...
Also: David Neiwert, Mary InLosGatos, Max B. Sawicky, Billmon, Dan Gillmor, Robert Garcia Tagorda, Jesse Walker, DemFromCT, Daniel Drezner, Tim Dunlop, Juan Cole

High-Tech Voting System Is Banned in California
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
California has banned the use of more than 14,000 electronic voting machines made by Diebold Inc. in the November election because of security and reliability concerns, Kevin Shelley, the California secretary of state, announced yesterday.
Andrew Stuttaford: DIEBOLD CAST OUT — From yesterday's New York Times: "California has banned the use of more than 14,000 electronic...
Ed Cone: NY Times: [snipped quote] — This story goes way beyond California. Looks like common sense has some momentum.
Jeanne D'Arc: Kevin Shelley Yesterday Kevin Shelley, California's Secretary of State, banned four counties from using touch screen...

Lesser Evils
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
It has taken nearly three years, but the 9/11 commission and the Supreme Court hearings on enemy combatants have given us our first serious public discussion about how to balance civil liberties and national security in a war on terror.
Gary Farber: LESSER EVILS discussed by Michael Ignatieff. [snipped quote] Timely words this week. Read The Rest Scale: 4 out of 5.
Mindles H. Dreck: At the very least, it seems to me that anyone who professes fear at the President seeking divine guidance in choosing '...
DemFromCT: The cover story for the Times Sunday magazine (link unavailable until 8 pm on the NY Times website -Update [2004-5-1...

Bush Voices 'Disgust' at Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners
  NYT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON, April 30 — President Bush said Friday that he was deeply disgusted by reports that Iraqi detainees were abused by American military police, and he vowed that any soldier found to be at fault would be punished.
Daniel Drezner: British troops are facing similar allegations. Both Tony Blair and George W. Bush have expressed "disgust" at the acts.
Gary Farber: ABU GHRAIB, the revision. [snipped quote] Read The Rest as interested. Similarly here.

Biden for Vice President
  By / Townhall.com   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — Influential Democrats are urging Sen. John Kerry to consider Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the party's principal voice on foreign policy, as his choice for vice president.
Picking the 61-year-old Biden would be reminiscent of George W. Bush's selection in 2000 of Dick Cheney, then 59.
Betsy Newmark: Robert Novak floats the name of Joe Biden as a Veep choice for Kerry. I can see the slogans now: Vote for the Flip-flopper and the Plagiarist.
McQ: Robert Novack says: [snipped quote] Frankly I think Kerry needs someone who can add a little fire to his campaign, and Biden isn't that person.
Edward Driscoll: In contrast, Robert Novak writes that others are urging Sen. John Kerry to consider everybody's favorite plagiarist, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware.

'A Slam-Dunk Case'
  Opinion Journal   —   Permalink 
A funny thing has happened to the accusation that President Bush "lied" or "misled" Americans about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Bob Woodward's new book, "Plan of Attack," blows the charge away, not that you've read about that in many other places.
McQ: So much for the "Bush Lied" meme — The Wall Street Journal points out: "A funny thing has happened to the accusation...
Mike Rappaport: Woodward Supports Bush — The Wall Street Journal argues that the Woodward book shows that Bush did not lie about the...

Iraqis Hail Falluja 'Victory' as U.S. Changes Tack
  By / Reuters   —   Permalink 
FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - Soldiers of the old Iraqi army led by one of Saddam Hussein's generals patrolled the city of Falluja on Saturday, a year after George W. Bush declared the U.S. "mission accomplished" in ousting the Iraqi regime.
Blackfive: Update 1:20PM CST: Forget what I said about Al Jazeera. Just check out this Reuters article (notice the headline).
Charles Johnson: "The Brave Mujahideen of Fallujah" The mujahideen declare victory over the US in Fallujah. (Hat tip: mpax.)

Sex, the final frontier: Nasa acts to ensure that astronauts don't follow their urges
  By / Independent   —   Permalink 
In the First World War, frontline troops who were away from their loved ones for long periods famously had bromide put into their tea to reduce the distraction of their sexual drive. But yesterday it was suggested that such measures might be taken a lot further - to Mars, in fact.
Eugene Volokh: No sex, please, we're astronauts: "Dr Rachel Armstrong, speaking yesterday at a British Interplanetary Society...
Andrew Stuttaford: WHAT WOULD KIRK SAY? I think we know.
Steven Taylor: Space Opera — Sounds like someone has been reading the Kim Stanely Robinson Mars books, and have taken them a tad too seriously.

Falluja Choices Exhausted, U.S. Turns to Iraqi Officer
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON, April 30 — The hastily improvised plan to send a small Iraqi force into Falluja, led by a former general in Saddam Hussein's army, is a last-ditch effort to avert a violent and politically charged urban battle, senior Pentagon officials and American commanders said Friday.
Cori Dauber: Then we brought in a general who had fought under Saddam? But who hadn't even been completely vetted yet?
Tacitus: As you read this, General Abizaid sheepishly acknowledges that yes, they'll still find all the jihadis in Fallujah — they just might not find them in Fallujah.
DemFromCT: Iraq Thread - Saving Face — [snipped quote] Gen. Abizaid explains that the plan won't work overnight (or maybe at all).

Thai Leader Rejects Foreign Criticism
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
PATTANI, Thailand - Thailand's leader shrugged off international criticism of his government's crackdown on suspected Islamic militants, saying in speech to the nation Saturday that he had no choice but to use overwhelming force.
Baldilocks: Just so I can keep thinking of this story and grinning while enjoying a pleasant meal.
Charles Johnson: The Unilateral Cowboys of Thailand — Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra tells the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to buzz off.

Accused Soldiers Didn't Know Geneva Rules
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — The six U.S. soldiers facing courts-martial in connection with mistreatment of detainees at an Iraqi prison did not receive in-depth training on the Geneva Conventions, which govern the handling of captives, a military spokeswoman said Friday.
Libertarian: WHO CARES ABOUT THE GENEVA RULES? It's a matter of basic human decency.
John Hawkins: The US soldiers who did this to Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison are disgraces to the uniform... [snipped quote] Not...
Josh Marshall: An article out from the Associated Press says that the half-dozen soldiers facing courts-martial Advertisement for...

Allegations of Abuse Lead to Shakeup at Iraqi Prison
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD, April 29 — The commander of the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been transferred to Iraq to oversee the treatment of 8,000 detainees as part of an investigation into alleged sexual and physical abuse at a U.S. Army-run prison outside Baghdad, officials said Thursday.
Robert Garcia Tagorda: Torture at Abu Ghraib — Besides committing barbarous acts against Iraqi prisoners, these perpetrators have brought...
David Adesnik: JUSTICE, NOT FORGIVENESS: There is no excuse for the crude and humiliating treatment of Iraqi prisoners.
Peanut @SadlyNo: The thugs' new master won't be challenged by his court scribes, who'll give him PR points for castigating their acolytes even while enabling new atrocities now.
Kevin Drum: ABU GHRAIB....What happened at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad was horrific: [snipped quote] You don't have to read Arabic to see how this is playing in the Middle East, either.

President Bush Welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Martin to White House
  White House   —   Permalink 
PRESIDENT BUSH: The Prime Minister and I will have some opening comments. We'll answer two questions per side.
Mr. Prime Minister, welcome. I'm glad you're here. I've really been looking forward to this meeting because I view it as a meeting between friends and allies.
SK Bubba: On April 30, he said "there are no longer torture chambers or rape rooms or mass graves in Iraq." No more torture chambers or rape rooms?
Robert Garcia Tagorda: Democratic Skin — I wouldn't necessarily argue, as Josh Marshall does, that George W. Bush "now routinely accuses...
Billmon: George W. Bush Remarks to Reporters April 30, 2004 "Covering their faces with checkered headscarves, militiamen loyal...
Matthew Yglesias: Appearing at a press conference today with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, the president decided to elevate the...

Outrage at US abuse of Iraqi prisoners
  Aljazeera   —   Permalink 
Pictures showing abuse of Iraqi prisoners have sparked shock among officials and triggered condemnation of US foreign policy.
The office of Prime Minister Tony Blair, the US strongest ally in its war in Iraq, condemned the abuses.
Edward _: A Touch of Humility — As expected, the Arab reaction to the Abu Ghraib prison photos is chock full of hypocrisy charges.
Kevin Drum: And while I can't read the text, my guess is that the Arabic version is more inflammatory than the relatively straightforward English version.
Juan Cole: But another possible guilty party is "civilian contractors" (some would say mercenaries): ' A military report into the...

This Moment in Iraq is a Moment of Truth
  Kerry for President Press Room   —   Permalink 
It is an honor to be here at Westminster College and I want to thank President Lamkin for his kind invitation. It is not often in the whirlwind of this campaign that I am able to say yes to an invitation and make good on that commitment within a matter of days.
Jeff Jarvis: The Kerry plan : I've been begging for a Kerry plan for Iraq. Today, he presents it. "This anniversary is not a time to shout.
Glenn Reynolds: SOME GOOD STUFF FROM KERRY: "I believe that failure is not an option in Iraq." Unfortunately, I don't see the multilateralism he champions as viable.

Native Son: Samuel Huntington Defends the Homeland
  By / Foreign Affairs   —   Permalink 
Summary: In Who Are We? , Samuel Huntington turns his formidable intellect to the challenges posed by immigration. Unfortunately, he has abandoned the clear-eyed realism of his past work in favor of disdainful moralism, whipping up nativist hysteria instead of offering real solutions.
Matt Yglesias: Sloppy, Sloppy, Sloppy — Alan Wolfe notes yet another instance of Samuel Huntington not reading his own data:...
Rich Lowry: SAM HUNTINGTON'S NATIVISM — Alan Wolfe has a vicious review of Huntington's new book, Who Are We?, in the new issue of Foreign Affairs.

Newsview: Dems Fear Kerry Looks Like Gore
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - It's a recurring nightmare for Democratic strategist Tony Coelho — the party's presidential candidate portrayed as a flip-flopping opportunist, ill-served by a strife-torn staff. It happened in 2000, when Coelho ran Al Gore 's campaign.
Betsy Newmark: The Democrats are all worried that Bush will succeed in painting Kerry in negative colors in the same way they painted Gore.
Glenn Reynolds: KERRY = GORE: That's the fear of leading Democrats like Tony Coelho and Donna Brazile.

U.S. Marines Cede Control of Falluja to Iraqi Troops
  NYT   —   Permalink 
FALLUJA, Iraq, April 30 — Marines withdrew today from most of the positions they had taken during the three-week siege of the volatile city of Falluja as the American military began handing over control of security here to a former Iraqi general and up to 1,100 men under his command.
Gary Farber: PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN (BY ME) TIDBIT here: "It was members of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps who lured four American security contractors to their deaths and mutilations on March 31."
Joe Drymala: The laughter from those attending the news conference could reportedly be heard all the way to Fallujah,...