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Is It a Hoax? By / Weekly Standard — Permalink DOCUMENTS CITED Wednesday by 60 Minutes in a widely-publicized expose of George W. Bush's National Guard Service are very likely forgeries, according to several experts on document authenticity and typography. | |
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Ace: Update: The Weekly Standard's expert says "fake," too. I have yet to hear from a document-authentication expert stake... Captain Ed: Hayes notes that one of the experts is a self-described Kerry supporter who nonetheless says he is "99% sure" that the... Lorie Byrd: Money Quote The money quote from the Stephen Hayes Weekly Standard story on the Bush National Guard forged document... |
Josh Marshall: In an article today in Weekly Standard, for instance, Steve Hayes writes that ... [snipped quote] This AP article also... Hindrocket: Experts Agree: 60 Minutes Perpetrated a Hoax — Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard has consulted several experts who have evaluated the "newly-discovered" 60 Minutes documents. Hugh Hewitt: Stephen Hayes and RogerLSimon put some exclamation points on the unravelling of the "Tiffany Network's" fraudulent scoop. |
| Also: Lambert @Corrente, Betsy Newmark, Tom Maguire, John Hawkins, Allah, Orrin Judd, Greg Ransom, Glenn Reynolds, Bird Dog, McQ, Pejman Yousefzadeh | |
'60 Minutes' Documents on Bush Might Be Fake By / CNSNews — Permalink (CNSNews.com) - The 32-year-old documents produced Wednesday by the CBS News program "60 Minutes," shedding a negative light on President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard, may have been forged using a current word processing program, according to typography experts. | |
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Fontana Labs: Who knew that typewriter history might matter politically? Of course, the point is not whether the documents are fake; it's whether there's room for confusion. C. D. Harris: It took less than a day for a bunch of bloggers to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that these documents are amateurish fakes. John Hawkins: The folks over at Cybercast News Service also had some experts take a look at these memos and, "Three independent... |
Acidman: pitiful — This story is absolutely pathetic. I cannot imagine a reason for running with that story unless 60 Minutes WANTED to besmear George Bush. Gary Farber: IBM EXECUTIVE TYPEWRITERS. So now we hear that the Bush Jerry B. Killian documents may be forgeries. Are they? I have no idea. Rice Grad: The documents used to attack President Bush were apparently fakes. |
| Also: Joe Gandelman, Betsy Newmark, Glenn Reynolds, Virginia Postrel, Clayton Cramer, Ace, Hugh Hewitt, Roger L. Simon, Allah, Pejman Yousefzadeh | |
Son of Late Officer Questions Bush Memos AP — Permalink DALLAS Sept. 9, 2004 — The authenticity of newly unearthed memos stating that George W. Bush failed to meet standards of the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War was questioned Thursday by the son of the late officer who reportedly wrote the memos. | |
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PoliPundit: Typos — Alert reader Cliff Thier sends in his two cents on the forged documents: [snipped quote] UPDATE: Killian's son says they're fake. Jeff Goldstein: AP to Rather: "Oh no you did-int" — Son of Late Officer Questions Bush Memos... (via Drudge) Reached for comment, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) shouted, "Look! Allah: UPDATE: Two more document experts pile on. See Hugh Hewitt's latest post and this AP article for more. |
Captain Ed: Killian's Son Suspicious Of CBS Documents — The son of the officer who supposedly wrote memos in 1972 and 1973... Wretchard: Crucially, ABC News (the mainstream media) has published a story questioning the veracity of the 60 Minutes documents. Greg Ransom: THE SON of Lt. Col. Jerry Killian is now challenging the authenticity of at least one of the CBS documents which Dan... |
| Also: Roger L. Simon, Glenn Reynolds, Bird Dog, Tim Cavanaugh, McQ, Pejman Yousefzadeh | |
Bid cited to boost Bush in Guard Boston Globe — Permalink In August 1973, President Bush's superior officer in the Texas Air National Guard wrote a memorandum complaining that the commanding general wanted him to ''sugar coat" an annual officer evaluation for First Lieutenant Bush, even though Bush had not been at... | |
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Mark Kleiman: The versions released by the White House were merely copies of those provided by CBS, though Rather reported that the White House did not dispute their authenticity. Hugh Hewitt: The Boston Globe story relies on the CBS assertion of authentication. There are thousands and thousands of "expert witnesses" out there. Charles Johnson: Here's today's Boston Globe story on President Bush's Air National Guard service, focusing on memos purportedly from the... |
James R. Rummel: So I see that CBS has some documents that make Bush look bad, Something that the Boston Globe printed on their front page. Bill @INDCJournal: In light of this information, I think that it would be highly appropriate for CBS News and the Boston Globe to attempt... The Big Trunk: The sixty-first minute — Today's big Boston Globe story on President Bush's Air National Guard service is based on... |
| Also: Howard Kurtz | |
CBS News denies Bush docs forged By / WorldNetDaily — Permalink Amid questions raised on Internet weblogs about the authenticity of National Guard documents potentially damaging to President Bush, CBS News told WorldNetDaily it stands by its claims. George W. Bush during his Texas Air National Guard service | |
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Christopher Kanis: Well, check out this update at Powerline: "UPDATE 11: CBS is sticking to its story. It's not entirely clear which story, however. Ace: The media world turned upside down. CBS Denies Incompetence: But the proof's already there. The Big Trunk: UPDATE 11: CBS is sticking to its story. It's not entirely clear which story, however. |
Greg Ransom: And here is an update on the story from WorldNetDaily. Bird Dog: CBS News is sticking to its story, but then the CBS spokeswoman, Kelli Edwards, wrote this e-mail to WorldNetDaily: ... |
Some Question Authenticity of Papers on Bush WaPo — Permalink Documents unearthed by CBS News that raise doubts about whether President Bush fulfilled his obligations to the Texas Air National Guard include several features suggesting that they were generated by a computer or word processor rather than a Vietnam War-era typewriter, experts said yesterday. | |
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Kevin Drum: So instead of writing separate posts, I'm going to write about a bunch of things all at once: The Killian memos: The... Atrios: But, in any case, CBS more than stands by their case. Greg Ransom: Also the Washington Post is now on the story. UPDATE VI: KerrySpot asks: "AT WHAT POINT DOES CBS GIVE UP?" |
Orrin Judd: WOW, THAT WENT MAINSTREAM IN RECORD TIME: Some Question Authenticity of Papers on Bush (Michael Dobbs and Mike Allen,... Bill Hobbs: And the WaPo just posted a story online that will be in its print edition Friday about the possibility the documents were forged. Glenn Reynolds: Speculations on whodunit, and why, here. MORE: The forgery story is on page A1 of the Washington Post for tomorrow. |
| Also: Kevin Raybould | |
Bush Gains Solid Lead, Poll Shows WaPo — Permalink President Bush emerged from his New York convention with a solid lead over Democratic challenger John F. Kerry, strengthening his position on virtually every important issue in the campaign and opening up a clear advantage over his rival on many of the... | |
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Bill Hobbs: Poll: Bush Leads Big — The latest WaPo/ABC News poll has President Bush up 52-43 over John Kerry among likely voters. Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: The Washington Post also notes that this ABC News/Washington Post indicates success for the Republicans... Glenn Reynolds: WASHINGTON POST / ABC NEWS POLL: Bush 52-43 among likely voters. |
Andrew Sullivan: FOX'S POLLING: Fox's polling has always been pretty reliable to my mind and their data showing a razor-thin lead for Bush seems more credible to me than the Washington Post poll. Armed Liberal: Based on today's WaPo/ABC polls (check out the trust on terrorism and certainty levels), I'm not alone. Come on, John!! James Joyner: WaPo: Bush 52, Kerry 43 — Bush Gains Solid Lead, Poll Shows (WaPo) [snipped quote] Impressive indeed, especially since this is a likely voter poll. |
| Also: Dale Franks, Ed Driscoll, Ramesh Ponnuru, Orrin Judd, Taegan Goddard | |
Records Say Bush Balked at Order WaPo — Permalink President Bush failed to carry out a direct order from his superior in the Texas Air National Guard in May 1972 to undertake a medical examination that was necessary for him to remain a qualified pilot, according to documents made public yesterday. | |
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Joe Gandelman: In any event, the campaign furor over George Bush's military history goes on, with new allegations here and here and... Bill @INDCJournal: After contacting several experts, a rather notable Forensic Document Examiner named Dr. Philip Bouffard took the time to... David Allan Pell: Failure to Care — There are now new reports of the President's failure to perform all of his duties in the National Guard during the Vietnam era. |
Ken Layne: See, if you didn't make much noise about the fact that Kerry actually fought in Vietnam, it was unlikely the lazy... Josh Marshall: But the records published by CBS — and summarized here in the Post — show Bush received a direct order to submit to that physical by a given date and refused or failed to do so. Avedon Carol: I recommend starting there and reading upward to the top of the page, and do check out the WashPost story - which... |
| Also: McQ, Mark Kleiman, Steve Soto, Skippy, Steve Gilliard, Lambert @Corrente, Orrin Judd, Laura Rozen, Oliver Willis | |
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan White House — Permalink MR. McCLELLAN: Iraq — with General Abizaid and General Casey, and Ambassador Negroponte were all — via satellite. Then he had some photo opportunities with the School Principals of the Year. | |
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Natasha @PacificViews: He finds the most pointed instance, but do read the whole press gaggle, wherein sharp questions abound regarding whether... Tbogg: Reporter going smartass on Tapdancin' Scotty: Q Al Gore is saying today that Cheney's comments on the election are... Josh Marshall: In this morning's press gaggle, one of the reporters asked the following question: "This was a direct order he defied, right? |
Oliver Willis: Second of all, he's throwing out insults at Al Gore, someone Scott McClellan ain't fit to lick the boots of. Ezra Klein: That File's Getting Large — File under things that make me want to weep for our republic. I do, however, agree with Josh Marshall. Tim Dunlop: Why the hell not? UPDATE 4: The White House has now released a statement (also mentioned in comments by Peter). |
Texan Rues Getting Bush Into Guard CBS News — Permalink (CBS) Former Texas House Speaker and Lt. Governor Ben Barnes tells Correspondent Dan Rather that he regrets what he calls the "life or death" decision he made to help President Bush get into the Texas Air National Guard. | |
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Dale Franks: Rather than cover the ground that McQ and Jon have covered, I've decided to offer some observations about the forgery allegations over the CBS Documents. Steve M.: The documents in question are dated 1972 and 1973; they're available partway down the left column at this CBS page; they're PDFs. Tim Cavanaugh: But in the interest of attending to this Hot Topic, the latest on President Bush's Air National Guard records: CBS produces documents indicating Bush failed to obey an order. |
Armed Liberal: 36 hours — Not to get all blogger triumphalist or anything, but it's amusing to note that we're talking roughly 36... Baldilocks: Lots of big bloggers are in a whirlwind about the latest GWB service document release, showcased on CBS' 60 Minutes last night. Hugh Hewitt: CBS states: "But 60 Minutes has obtained a number of documents we are told were taken from Col. Killian's personal file. |
| Also: Charles Johnson, Vanderleun, Michael Froomkin, Hesiod, The Big Trunk, Taegan Goddard, DeLong, Jeff Jarvis, Jeralyn Merritt, Byron L, Bird Dog | |
False Documentation? ABCNEWS — Permalink Sept. 9, 2004 — Questions are being raised about the authenticity of newly discovered documents relating to George W. Bush's service in the National Guard during the Vietnam War. | |
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Orrin Judd: MORE: False Documentation? |
Glenn Reynolds: Meanwhile the widow is questioning the documents, too: [quote] "The wording in these documents is very suspect to me," she...[end quote] |
Washington Post-ABC News Poll: Elections 2004 WaPo — Permalink This Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone September 6-8, 2004 among 1,202 randomly selected adults nationwide, including 952 self-identified registered voters. Margin of sampling error for overall results and for registered voters is plus or minus three percentage points. | |
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Captain Ed: More Disastrous Polling Results For Kerry At ABC/WaPo — ABC News and the Washington Post have released the results of... James Joyner: The actual survey: Washington Post-ABC News Poll: Elections 2004 One question/result of note: "(IF NAMED CANDIDATE) Will... |
Ruy Teixeira: ABC News/Washington Post, polling September 6-8 among RVs, gives Bush an estimated 4 point lead. Why do I say "estimated"? Ramesh Ponnuru: NOW THAT I LOOK AT THE DETAILS — The fav/unfav numbers are from registered voters. Dick Cheney, by the way, gets 43-37, while John Edwards is 39-26. |
A Disgraceful Campaign Speech NYT — Permalink There are some things a presidential campaign should steer clear of, through innate good taste, prudence or just a sensible fear of a voter backlash. We'd have thought that both the Kerry and Bush camps would instinctively know that it would be appalling to suggest that terrorists were rooting for one side or another in this race. | |
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Andy McCarthy: CHENEY COMMENTS — I'm late weighing in on this, but I just finally saw a tape of Vice President Cheney's remarks that... Josh Chafetz: I think his criticism of Cheney's recent comments is along the right lines — the comments weren't disgraceful, as the... James Panero: This is one desperate editorial. So, someone shouldn't claim to protect America better than someone else? |
Ellen Dana Nagler: The New York Times editorial page is outraged, but temperate in language. Stefan Beck: PostedThe Times is so exercised about Dick Cheney's remarks yesterday that it saw fit to print not only an unsigned... Dan Gillmor: Cheney's Warning — NY Times: A Disgraceful Campaign Speech. |
| Also: Vanderleun, Tom Maguire, Allah | |
Powell Declares Genocide in Sudan in Bid to Raise Pressure By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 — Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, seeking to raise pressure on Sudan to stop the atrocities in Darfur, declared today for the first time that the killings, rapes and destruction that have forced 1.5 million people from their homes amounted to genocide and should be treated as such by the United Nations. | |
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Henry Farrell: The New York Times says that the term 'genocide' "was used by the Clinton administration to describe atrocities in Yugoslavia and Rwanda" - I don't know that this is true. Joe Gandelman: The New York Times notes a possible political dimension to the U.S. stance: "There was also a political dimension to... Jeanne D'Arc: [UPDATE: Powell also mentioned the possibility of the US paying for a larger African Union force. ] People are dying now. |
John Quiggin: Today, for the first time, Colin Powell described the campaign by the Janjaweed militia, backed by the Sudanese government, as genocide. Gary Farber: POWELL CONCLUDES IT'S GENOCIDE IN DARFUR here. [snipped quote] I dunno; what about our commitment to prevent and punish genocide? |
Bush Gains In Post-Convention Poll CBS News — Permalink (CBS) One week after their convention, the Republican ticket of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney hold a seven-point lead over Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards among registered voters surveyed in a new CBS News poll. | |
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Joe Gandelman: More Good Polling News For George Bush — A new CBS News poll shows President George Bush ahead of John Kerry by 7... Chris Bowers: Reversing Roles from 2000 — The new CBS poll is going to come out either tonight or tomorrow, and it will not contain good news for Kerry. PoliPundit: More Bounce — CBS: Bush up by 7. Not once in the entire analysis does the story tell us what the actual horse race numbers are. |
Steve M.: A 7-point Bush lead in the latest CBS poll? That's surmountable. A 3-point Bush lead in the latest Economist/YouGov poll? Jonah Goldberg: BUSH UP 7 — In new CBS poll. Pejman Yousefzadeh: ANOTHER UPDATE: Perhaps the reason why the National Guard controversy has been revived can be found in this story: "One... |
| Also: Taegan Goddard | |
New Questions On Bush Guard Duty CBS News — Permalink (CBS/AP) As a fighter pilot for the Texas Air National Guard, then-Lt. George W. Bush was assigned to fly F-102's out of Houston's Ellington Air Force Base. Early on, he received excellent evaluations, say reports released years ago by the White House. | |
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Captain Ed: More Indications That CBS Documents Are Fraudulent — As the documents from CBS get wider dissemination and the... John Hawkins: Well, well, well, it looks like the "new" 30 year old memos from Bush's squadron commander, Col. Jerry Killian's "personal file" that "Sixty Minutes" came up with are fakes! McQ: You can see the documents here. Developing. UPDATE: CBS News claims it consulted an expert : "Killian died in 1984. |
Gary Farber: Here is the document in question. Here is the main CBS piece. Conclusion: does this prove the document isn't a forgery? Ace: The documents in question were "discovered" by CBSNews and relied upon for this report suggesting that Bush "discussed... Micah Sifry: Doug Ireland gets to the heart of the matter, which CBS left out of its 60 Minutes broadcast last night: "He was... |
| Also: Josh Marshall, Steve M., Avedon Carol, Kos, Andrew Sullivan, Lambert @Corrente, Laura Rozen, Jeralyn Merritt, William J. Dyer, Kevin Drum, Atrios | |
Documents Suggest Special Treatment for Bush in Guard NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 - President Bush's Vietnam-era service in the National Guard came under renewed scrutiny on Wednesday as newfound documents emerged from his squadron commander's file that suggested favorable treatment. | |
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Virginia Postrel: (By way of background, here's today's NYT report on the "newfound documents.") SLZoll: But Ed is pulling another fast one, because of course, Barnes DIDN'T tell CBS that he had contact with the Bush family... Mark Kleiman: The coverage in tomorrow's papers is pretty extensive, but the Post, the NY Times, and the AP stories all have one thing... |
Jon Henke: The New York Times first story on the Texans for Truth... "Anticipating his remarks, Republicans worked to discredit Mr... Howard Kurtz: The Guard business is big news everywhere, including the New York Times: "Vietnam-era service in the National Guard... Oliver Willis: Old habits die hard. George Bush has often been labeled as the "CEO President", the label implying that he would run our government with the efficiency of a corporation. |
| Also: Josh Marshall, Andrew Sullivan, Tom Maguire, William J. Dyer | |
Kerry Returns to Form By / Slate — Permalink DES MOINES—The most interesting thing to happen with the Kerry campaign Wednesday was an exchange between Stephanie Cutter, a Kerry spokeswoman, and CNN's Candy Crowley. Disgruntled reporters gathered around Cutter after Kerry's anticipated but disappointing speech in Cincinnati that criticized President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq. | |
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Tom Maguire: Chris Suellentrop found her, promoting the "Department of Wellness"!) H.D. Miller: Idiots — Apparently Teresa Heinz has been helping her husband's "disciplined campaign". [snipped quote] A Department of Wellness? Nick @BeggingToDiffer: IN THE NEWS — If you're already bored like me with today's media hatchet job on President Bush and Bill "My comments... |
Jan Haugland: Kerry has not taken Clinton's advice to heart — Whoever wins the US presidential election in November, stand up... Betsy Newmark: Kery just keeps losing the writers at Slate. Here is Chris Suellentrop. [snipped quote] Read the rest. This guy is an awful campaigner. PoliPundit: It turns out that it came from the senator's biggest financial backer: [snipped quote] No wonder the candidate has been hiding from the press for over five weeks. |
| Also: Stanley Kurtz, Mitch Berg, Robert Garcia Tagorda | |
Vote for Bush or Die The Nation — Permalink O n August 11, John Kerry criticized the Bush Administration for blocking a bipartisan plan to give seniors access to lower-priced prescription drugs from Canada. With almost 80 percent of Medicare recipients supporting Kerry's position, the Bush campaign was faced with the prospect of defending a politically unpopular position. | |
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Skippy: judd legum of winning argument has a great piece in the nation (co-authored with david sirota) titled "vote for bush or die." Oliver Willis: The Theme of Campaign '04 |
Ellen Dana Nagler: Only Al Gore, bless him, goes all out and tells it like it is, describing Cheney's statement as a "sleazy and despicable... Kos: The GOP playbook (click on image for story.) Update: Nick over at Tapped notes that the White House isn't even trying very hard in its latest lie attempts. |
Kerry Rips Cheney Statement WaPo — Permalink Democrat John F. Kerry yesterday denounced as "outrageous and shameful" Vice President Cheney's statement that Americans risk another terrorist attack if President Bush is not reelected, as congressional Democrats assailed the credibility of a leading administration voice on national security. | |
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Ellen Dana Nagler: Democratic voices, including those of the presidential candidate, are angry but, um, judicious. David Allan Pell: The Short and Short of It — John Kerry has ripped Dick Cheney over the Veep's suggestion that a vote for the Dems would... Atrios: The Cheney gang altered their official transcript. Funny. |
Sadly @SadlyNo: The Washington Post reports: [snipped quote] So you can see the new and improved transcript on the White House web site. Nick Confessore: Here's an administration spokesman explaining to the Washington Post why they altered the verbatim transcript of Dick... Michael Totten: UPDATE: Katherine in the comments points to this this Washington Post story: [snipped quote] (Sigh.) So, okay. |
Sharon Bush Denies Kitty Kelley Account By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush's former sister-in-law denied yesterday that she had given author Kitty Kelley any information about allegations of past drug use by Bush. Sharon Bush is quoted in Kelley's forthcoming book about the Bush family as making one of the... | |
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Steve Bainbridge: Development:Sharon Bush, who is divorced from the president's brother Neil, said in a statement: "I categorically deny... KJL: SHARON SAYS NO — Sharon Bush, Neil's ex, says Kitty Kelley lies about stuff Kelley says Sharon Bush gave her about W. coke use. Taegan Goddard: Sharon Bush Denies Being Book's Source — President Bush's former sister-in-law "denied yesterday that she had given... |
Jeff Goldstein: Swift Boat vets 4, the unholy alliance of Kitty Kelley and Oliver Willis, 0 — Howard Kurtz, Washington Post Hesiod: Sharon Bush denies she was the source for Kitty Kelley's "Dubyah snorted coke at Camp David" nugget from her new book. Betsy Newmark: Howard Kurtz was on the Laura Ingraham show yesterday and he sounded genuinely disgusted that anyone in the media would give this book any promotion. |
| Also: Steve Soto, Kos, Captain Ed, Ken Masugi | |
09/09/04 Poll: Marginal Convention Boost For Bush By / Fox News — Permalink NEW YORK — Thoughts of the Republican National Convention (search) appear to have faded as quickly as memories of Labor Day at the beach, as less than a week after the GOP gathering in New York City the latest FOX News/Opinion Dynamics poll shows the presidential race in a dead heat. | |
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Ace: The conservatively-biased, pro-Republican FoxNews OpinionDynamics poll gives Bush a small bounce and lead, smaller than... Taegan Goddard: Update: A new Fox News poll shows Bush getting a "minimal bounce" out of the convention and is now leading Kerry 47% to 45%. |
Steve M.: That's really surmountable. A 2-point Bush lead in the latest Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll? That's highly surmountable. |
Daddy Darkest By / American Prospect — Permalink A little more than 20 years ago, back when I was a baby reporter for an alternative newspaper in Boston, we had an election for governor. The Democratic side was a true bloodletting, a rematch between former Governor Michael Dukakis and the incumbent, Edward King, who had pretty much Atwatered Dukakis out of the Corner Office four years earlier. | |
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Orrin Judd: IT IS THE DADDY PARTY: Daddy Darkest: George W. Bush thinks of Americans as little kids. No wonder we've grown so dysfunctional. Mathew Gross: And don't miss his pointer to this fine piece of literature, which is basically George Lakoff with more wit. |
Kevin Raybould: More on Bad Media — You know, Charles Pierce may just be the best columnist in America: [snipped quote] Which is pretty much correct. Atrios: Pierce — Stealing most of it, but go read the rest: [snipped quote] (via FA) |
Memos Show Bush Suspended From Flying AP — Permalink WASHINGTON Sept. 9, 2004 — The White House released memos Wednesday night saying that George W. Bush was suspended from flying fighter jets for failing to meet standards of the Texas Air National Guard. | |
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The Poor Man: I would certainly never traffic in conspiracy theories, but it might strike less dispassionate minds as somewhat... Wind Rider: Terry McAuliffe's latest "oo oo oo" moment comes with the scandalous revelation of a staff memo that documents and notifies Bush he's off flying status for his lapsed physical. |
SLZoll: And now let's read what their commander, Jerry Killian wrote back in 1972, per ABC News : "On this date I ordered that... Oliver Willis: The Current Coverup — Months, months ago the White House claimed that it had released all of the Bush files it had, yet... |
An Elder Challenges Outsourcing's Orthodoxy By / NYT — Permalink At 89, Paul A. Samuelson, the Nobel Prize-winning economist and professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, still seems to have plenty of intellectual edge and the ability to antagonize and amuse. | |
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Kieran Healy: Theory and Practice — Dan Drezner reports on a small tiff between Paul Samuelson and Jagdish Bhagwati over outsourcing. Daniel Drezner: Paul Samuelson's outsourcing "bombshell" — Steve Lohr breathlessly reports in the New York Times that Nobel prize... |
Orrin Judd: An Elder Challenges Outsourcing's Orthodoxy (STEVE LOHR, 9/09/04, NY Times) [snipped quote] It's always worth recalling... Ed Cone: Paul Samuelson challenges the theory that outsourcing and free trade will necessarily have a net benefit to the US economy. |
Nader off the ballot in Florida By / Tallahassee Democrat — Permalink In a tactical victory for John Kerry, a Leon County circuit judge issued an emergency order Wednesday night knocking Ralph Nader off Florida's ballot. "I've never seen, in 40 years, a more pell-mell kangaroo court procedure involving any of our third-party activities," Nader told the Tallahassee Democrat after the ruling by Judge Kevin Davey. | |
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Byron L: More important, though, than the fact that Ralph Nader is calling anyone who disagrees with him "fascist", is that a... Michael Froomkin: Nader Kicked Off Florida Ballot — A Florida court has ruled — correctly, given the precedents, IMHO — that Ralph... |
Kos: Nader off Florida ballot, for now — Who knows if this will stick, but a state judge has knocked Nader off the ballot. KJL: NO NADER IN FLORIDA |
Before you fall for Dems' spin, here are the facts By / The Hill — Permalink What do you really know about George W. Bush's time in the Air National Guard? That he didn't show up for duty in Alabama? That he missed a physical? That his daddy got him in? | |
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Bill Hobbs: Facts — Byron York has all the pertinent known facts about George W. Bush's National Guard service. Pejman Yousefzadeh: And hey, let's not forget literary incompetence. UPDATE: Byron York has more. As does Dale Franks. Betsy Newmark: Byron York lays out the record on Bush's National Guard service - the record that you rarely see, except in right wing sources. |
C. D. Harris: So Byron York has updated his earlier, definitive debunking of this trope: "The future president joined the Guard in May 1968. Tim Graham: For some real balance to CBS trying to highlight any flaw in Bush's National Guard service, see Byron York's summary. Orrin Judd: THE RECORD: Bush's National Guard years: Before you fall for Dems' spin, here are the facts (Byron York, 9/08/04, The... |
| Also: Captain Ed, Glenn Reynolds, Bird Dog | |
Book Unflattering to Bush Draws His Campaign's Fire By / NYT — Permalink Anticipating a barrage of unflattering accusations and innuendo about President Bush's personal life in a soon-to-be-published book by the celebrity biographer Kitty Kelley, the Bush campaign has opened a wave of advance counterstrikes intended to undermine her credibility. | |
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Nick Confessore: KITTY KELLEY UPDATE. This New York Times article on Kitty Kelley's The Family offers up some new tidbits. Atrios: Test — Will they cave: "A representative of the White House recently called Neal Shapiro, president of NBC News, to... Taegan Goddard: Meanwhile, the New York Times notes the Bush campaign "has opened a wave of advance counterstrikes intended to undermine" Keeley's credibility. |
Steve Gilliard: Book Unflattering to Bush Draws His Campaign's Fire By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK Published: September 9, 2004 [snipped quote] What the hell is in this book? Hesiod: UPDATE: More evidence supporting Kitty Kelley's version: [quote] "Doubleday, the book's publisher and part of the Random House...[end quote] Steve Soto: First, if the White House is so unconcerned about the Kitty Kelley book because it is bogus, you couldn't tell from the... |
Pup shoots man, saves litter mates AP — Permalink PENSACOLA, Florida (AP) — Nice shootin', Rex! A man who tried to shoot seven puppies was shot himself when one of the dogs put its paw on the revolver's trigger. Jerry Allen Bradford, 37, was charged with felony animal cruelty, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: The gun then discharged, the sheriff's report said. (Source) Roger L. Simon: MORE: For those who still wonder what I mean about the "New Reactionaries"... As of 9:35AM PDT, the Jakarta Bombing is... |
Oliver Willis: Pup shoots man, saves litter mates [snipped quote] CK says "I approve this message". |
Cheney Spits Toads By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON — George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have always used the president's father as a reverse lodestar. In 1992, the senior Mr. Bush wooed the voters with "Message: I care.'' So this week, Mr. Cheney wooed the voters with, Message: You die. | |
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Kevin T. Keith: Today's column is a classic: non-sequitur and barely coherent, but it rips the heart out of the Bush/Cheney madness in a way we only wish John Kerry would do. Tom Maguire: Mickey also points out that the NY Times is outraged. Outraged! So is Maureen Dowd. Glenn has links, led by Julian Sanchez at Reason. Tbogg: Mo Dowd: Every time Mr. Cheney opens his mouth, vermin leap out. |
Atrios: MoDo — Link: Mr. Cheney implies that John Kerry couldn't protect us from an attack like 9/11, blithely ignoring the... Steve Gilliard: Taking names — From the mouth of Dick Cheney Cheney Spits Toads By MAUREEN DOWD "It's like that fairy tale where vipers... |
Hate in America By / Townhall.com — Permalink WASHINGTON — The magnificent work of the New York Police Department last week under the masterful leadership of Commissioner Ray Kelly obscured an ugly fact of life today in America. | |
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Jeff Quinton: Novak Bashes Bloggers — Bob Novak: [snipped quote] (Via James Joyner.) James Joyner: Novak: Bloggers to Blame for Hate in America — Bob Novak was astounded by the level of venom outside the GOP convention last week: [snipped quote] That's really saying something. Ed Driscoll: Bob Novak writes about a new phenomenon in American politics: out and out hatred and rancor by urban leftwing protestors: [snipped quote] Bob must be whoring for hits though. |
Orrin Judd: ALL WE NEED IS HATE: Hate in America (Robert Novak, September 9, 2004, Townhall) [snipped quote] Wasn't even an attack on the generic "system" but on the president and his party. Betsy Newmark: Robert Novak looks at how the protestors in New York last week are filled with hate and how they differed from the protestors of 1968. |
Powell Says Genocide Has Occurred in Darfur By / WaPo — Permalink In the strongest U.S. statement to date on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell today said for the first time that "genocide" has been committed there and that the government of Sudan and Arab militias "bear responsibility." | |
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James Joyner: Powell Says Genocide Has Occurred in Darfur (WaPo) "In the strongest U.S. statement to date on the humanitarian crisis... Gene @HarrysPlace: Powell charges genocide in Darfur — The Washington Post reports: In the strongest U.S. statement to date on the... |
Kevin Drum: GENOCIDE IN DARFUR....Colin Powell testified today that the Janjaweed massacres in Sudan constitute genocide. Good for him. |
Bad News for Kerry By / WaPo — Permalink After two testosterone-charged conventions, try to remember that three years ago there was much talk about the "feminization" of politics. The change since Sept. 11 explains the bind John Kerry is in and why he, more than George W. Bush, is hostage to events. | |
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Lorie Byrd: The Candidate Of The Intellectually Vain — George Will explains why John Kerry's belief that George Bush is a moron isn't helping him. Stephen Green: Tanlged Web — George Will puts it all in two short grafs: [snipped quote] Does Kerry have a lousy staff, or what? |
Bruce Sanborn: That good blogger, Peter Schramm, at NoLeftTurns comments on and points us to George Will's latest. Betsy Newmark: George Will covers a lot of ground in his editorial today. He lays the essential incoherence of Kerry's ever-changing positions on the war in Iraq. |
Lawsuit uncovers Bush Guard records AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats pounced on the latest revelations about President Bush's Air National Guard service Wednesday, saying newly released records show Bush shirked his duty and lied about it. | |
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Tim Cavanaugh: CNN reports White House produced copies of two of the docs, weakening the forgery accusation. Kevin Drum: In fact, the White House has now released their own copies of two of the memos and doesn't dispute their authenticity. |
Kriston @BeggingToDiffer: Dan Bartlett's refutations notwithstanding—whi ch were seemingly directed at Texans for Truth, a more or less... |
Stung! By / Salon — Permalink On Feb. 13, as controversy swirled around President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War, the White House released more than 400 pages of documents on the press corps, proving, it claimed, that Bush had served honorably and fulfilled his commitment. | |
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Stirling Newberry: After the convenstion, people thought that the military records "thing" would go away. Oliver @LiquidList: Politics: Story Of The Month — Can you say damning? Lambert @Corrente: Just to keep the story alive, you know....Heck Salon did.. |
Charles Kuffner: Eric Boehlert puts the pieces together into a narrative. Read and decide for yourself. Steve Gilliard: Stung! A swarm of new media stories on young George W. Bush's dereliction of duty pops his heroic-leadership bubble. Josh Marshall: Late Update: Part of the work has been done in this must-read piece by Eric Boehlert in Salon. |
| Also: Atrios | |
Chirac's jet flew an extra 1,200 miles to let him sleep By / Telegraph — Permalink The most direct route from Paris to Moscow by aircraft is to fly due east. Unless you are President Chirac, that is. The French premier likes his sleep so much that, en route to a Black Sea summit with President Putin and Chancellor Schröder, he had his flight diverted by 1,200 miles so that he could have a long sleep. | |
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Orrin Judd: THE BIG SLEEP: Chirac's jet flew an extra 1,200 miles to let him sleep (Christian Jennings, 09/09/2004, Daily Telegraph)... Captain Ed: Perhaps the French people are, but Chirac's support only extends to the limits of his beauty sleep: [snipped quote] The... |
Glenn Reynolds: Meanwhile, Chirac isn't exactly living up to the spirit of Kyoto: "The answer was simple: the French air force, which... |
Unraveling Kerry's Iraq Plan NYT — Permalink Nobody gets angrier about Senator John Kerry's complicated position on Iraq than his own supporters. The Democratic base would love to see him lashing out at President Bush over the war. | |
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Orrin Judd: MORE: Unraveling Kerry's Iraq Plan (NY Times, September 9, 2004) "Nobody gets angrier about Senator John Kerry's complicated position on Iraq than his own supporters. Hugh Hewitt: Not only can they not figure out how he would act as Commander-in-Chief from his speeches, as even the editors of the... |
Ann Althouse: NYT editorial page calls Kerry's position on Iraq incoherent and his strategy of shifting to domestic issues... |
One Weekend in April, A Long Time Ago . . . By / Weekly Standard — Permalink "Kerry standing by says, 'Do we want to see the body bags coming back again.'" * "Kerry is more optimistic. 'I don't think Congress would let it happen. I think there is a very strong sensitivity just ingrained in people like me, Harkin and Gore by virtue of the Vietnam experience that sounds alarm bells. | |
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Bill Hobbs: Worth Another Look: Kerry's 1985 Trip to Managua — Hugh Hewitt takes a look at John Kerry's 1985 trip to Nicaragua to meet with Nicaragua's el presidente Daniel Ortega. The Big Trunk: Hugh Hewitt usefully recalls Kerry's 1985 mission to Managua in his Standard Online column: "One weekend in April, a... |
Hugh Hewitt: There isn't time for a documentary to be made about it, but Kerry's reckless trip to Managua in April of 1985, is as... |
Bush gains in 2 key states By / USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Bush holds clear leads over Sen. John Kerry in the battlegrounds of Missouri and Ohio — states the president probably needs to hold to win re-election — according to USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup polls. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: What liberal media? Via OTB comes a link to a USA Today story on the lastest polling data. Tarek @LiquidList: However, the story above the fold about the presidential race is "Bush Gains in Two Key States". Sigh. |
James Joyner: Bush Leads in Missouri and Ohio — Bush gains in 2 key states (USA Today) [snipped quote] (Hat tip: Steven Taylor) Dowd's spin is quite persuasive. Orrin Judd: THE REDS ARE NOT IN PLAY: Bush gains in 2 key states (Susan Page, 9/08/04, USA TODAY) [snipped quote] Mr. Kerry's retreat... |
Terrorists behind fatal bomb blast The Age — Permalink A powerful car bomb which exploded today outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta, killing at least six people, was a terrorist attack on Australia, the federal government said. | |
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Tim Dunlop: Embassy bombing — In the middle of an important election campaign, Australia was today confronted with a terrorist attack. Tim Blair: UPDATE V. Alexander Downer: "It is clearly a terrorist attack, it was outside the Australian embassy, you would have to conclude that it was directed towards Australia." |
Orrin Judd: THE TEST: Terrorists behind fatal bomb blast (The Age, September 9, 2004) [snipped quote] Time for the Aussies to take the test that Spaniards failed. |
Massacre Draws Self-Criticism in Muslim Press By / NYT — Permalink BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept. 8 - The brutal school siege in Russia, with hundreds of children dead and wounded, has touched off an unusual round of self-criticism and introspection in the Muslim and Arab world. | |
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Jeff Jarvis: A few days ago, I found some outrage here. And today the Times finds "self-criticism" from the Muslim press. Fred Lapides: Massacre Draws Self-Criticism in Muslim Press — Muslims react to Russian massacre, via The New York Times "The brutal... Allah: The Muslims told them it was okay. UPDATE: Here's what happens when private citizens inject themselves into a hostage situation. |
Ed Cone: NYT: [snipped quote] — Lip service, or the start of something important? Ken Masugi: The Arab Press on the Russian Schoolchildren — NY Times reports self-criticism: '"It is a certain fact that not all... |
U.S. Troops' Death Rate Rising in Iraq By / WaPo — Permalink With the latest spike in violence in Baghdad, more U.S. troops have died since the turnover of power to an interim Iraqi government at the end of June than were killed during the U.S.-led invasion of the country in the spring of 2003. | |
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David Allan Pell: At the Risk of Sounding Unpatriotic... It seems like the level of violence (and the ability of those who perpetrate it... Oliver Willis: U.S. Troops' Death Rate Rising in Iraq "A total of 148 U.S. military personnel have been killed since the partial... |
Cori Dauber: I have no doubt, because it is Ricks, that the trees here are the right trees, but I wonder if he isn't getting a bit... Andrew Sullivan: Steven Metz, a guerrilla warfare expert at the Army War College. It is becoming harder and harder to ignore the grim news from Iraq. |
Bomb an 'attack on Australia' NEWS.com.au — Permalink AT least eight people have been killed and up to 100 are wounded after an apparent terrorist attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta. Early indications are that a car bomb was detonated outside the compound in the Indonesian capital, ripping the gates off and and leaving a three-metre crater in the ground. | |
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Tim Blair: UPDATE XIII. Police officer Katmadi: "This bomb seems to be bigger than the Marriott one. There are so many victims." |
Arthur Chrenkoff: The toll now stands at 11 dead and up to 160 injured: "[The blast] ripped apart the heavily-fortified gates of the... |
Bomb 'linked to president elections' NEWS.com.au — Permalink THE fatal Jakarta bomb blast outside the Australian embassy today was probably be related to the next stage of presidential elections in that country, an expert on Indonesian affairs said. The powerful car bomb killed at least seven people, according to local hospital officials. | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: Another expert, National Council of Churches in Australia president Professor James Haire, who has intimate knowledge of... |
Tim Blair: Two of the dead were security guards. UPDATE XII. Expert's view: The attack aimed to disprupt Indonesian elections. |
COMMENT: Bush eloquently lays out his vision while ignoring reality By / Detroit Free Press — Permalink The Democrats could take a lesson or two from President George W. Bush. The president gave a superb speech accepting the Republican nomination. He has come to deliver formal speeches with confidence and poise, quite different from his normal clumsy, gaffe-prone speaking style. | |
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Laura Rozen: Fareed Zakaria is as always must read: [snipped quote] And this was delivered as a backhanded compliment. Andrew Sullivan: FAREED CALLS IT: My old friend and fellow-conservative, Fareed Zakaria, has been writing up a storm lately. |
Gregory Djerejian: And yet, as Fareed Zakaria reminds us, perseverance (Bush's strong suit) has its limits: "Bush's attitude is partly responsible for the problems in Iraq. |
Aid agencies say they may pull out of Iraq Guardian — Permalink The remaining international aid agencies in Iraq are considering pulling out of the country after the kidnapping of four humanitarian workers, including two Italian women, from their headquarters in Baghdad, it was claimed yesterday. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: As humanitarian aid groups ponder cutting and running from Iraq, Spencer Ackerman frets about the dire implications this... Libertarian: The aid agencies want out of the mess. |
Juan Cole: The Guardian reports that the rest of the foreign aid agencies still operating in Iraq are now planning to withdraw, in the wake of the taking of the two Italian hostages. |
KERRY'S NEW LOW By / New York Post — Permalink YESTERDAY John Kerry an nounced somberly that the nation had reached a "tragic milestone." He was referring to the thousandth American death in the Iraq war. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: Related thoughts here: "Americans with grave concerns about Iraq actually deserve a better advocate than Kerry,... |
Betsy Newmark: John Podhoretz looks at Kerry's newest attack on Bush's Iraq policy. He thinks that Kerry lost the election with that speech. |
Wall-to-Wall Supporters: It Sure Is Crowded in Here -- or Is It? By / WaPo — Permalink On Tuesday, correspondents from The Washington Post and the Washington Times counted the crowds at President Bush's three stops in Missouri, then compared the actual figure with the official Bush campaign figure: • Lee's Summit: Actual attendance, 8,500. | |
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Taegan Goddard: The campaigns, well aware of this practice, can't resist putting their thumbs on the scale," the Washington Post reports. Captain Ed: Bush-Hitler Comparison Endorsed By Minnesota Democrats — The Bush-Hitler comparisons just keep on coming from the... |
Steve Soto: And note that both the Post and the Washington Times have confirmed that the Bush/Cheney campaign have been inflating the size of their crowds. |
BEYOND THE BUSH BOUNCE By / New York Post — Permalink PRESIDENT Bush enters Sep tember with a remarkable double-digit lead as a result of one of the most successful conventions in recent years. The key to the GOP success was, of course, its focus on terrorism, reminding Americans what a dangerous world we inhabit. | |
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Hindrocket: Morris on the Kerry Campaign — Dick Morris is one of the commentators we link to on a "for what it's worth" basis. |
Betsy Newmark: Dick Morris must still bear some animus to James Carville and Paul Begala. |
Global opinion favours Kerry over Bush, says poll By / Financial Times — Permalink World opinion is overwhelmingly in favour of John Kerry, the Democrat candidate, to win the US presidential election, according to a poll covering 35 countries. | |
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Jack Cluth: Global opinion favours Kerry over Bush, says poll Uncle Sam Just to give y'all an idea of how universally despised Our... Susanna Cornett: Cool, where's that Republican lever? UPDATE! MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY, "AND WE CARE... WHY?" |
Karl-T: Germans — One in Five Germans Wants the Berlin Wall Back Germans would vote 74-10 Kerry v. Bush, World Would Vote Kerry It's quite interesting in my opinion. |
Kerry Navy probe to expand scope? By / WorldNetDaily — Permalink In an effort to push forward a Navy investigation, the public interest group Judicial Watch has made a supplemental filing to its complaint about John Kerry's official record, pointing out two of the three citations successively issued with the senator's Silver Star award were not signed by the secretary of the Navy, contrary to regulations. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: Is this another rope-a-dope? Hmm. It just might be: "Kerry Navy probe to expand scope?" |
William J. Dyer: Art Moore's related WorldNetDaily.com article indicates that John O'Neill's Unfit for Command co-author, Dr. Jerome... |
One Cheney can't explain away By / MSNBC — Permalink "The vice president stands by my explanation of the statement," the harried aide said. "I'm going to leave it at what I said. I've explained what the vice president was saying." The aide is Anne Womack, Vice President Dick Cheney's spokeswoman. | |
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Ken Layne: Then again, he apparently has the power and authority to launch terrorist attacks upon America if voters don't make the "right choice.") |
Julian Sanchez: Here's what most of the articles I've seen are quoting: "Because if we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that... |
Ex-national veterans leaders back Bush Washington Times — Permalink Washington, DC, Sep. 8 (UPI) — George W. Bush picked up the endorsement of two veterans' group leaders Wednesday as questions about his service in the Texas Air National Guard resurfaced. | |
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Baldilocks: Meanwhile, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion have endorsed President Bush. I wonder why that is. |
Glenn Reynolds: LEADERS OF THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS AND THE AMERICAN LEGION have both just endorsed Bush. |
Belgium considers euthanasia for children Reuters — Permalink BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian lawmakers belonging to Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt's ruling Flemish Liberal party have introduced a bill seeking to expand the country's controversial euthanasia legislation to include minors. | |
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KJL: WELL OF COURSE — I buy the slippery slope on all this. |
Orrin Judd: THE SPIRIT OF BESLAN (via Matthew Cohen): Belgium considers euthanasia for children (Reuters, September 08, 2004) |
President Discusses Reforming & Strengthening Intelligence Services White House — Permalink Thank — thank you all for coming today. We are going to discuss intelligence reform. I will be submitting a plan to the Congress that strengthens intelligence reform — strengthens the intelligence services. We believe that there ought to be a National Intelligence Director who has full budgetary authority. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: Budget Authority — Why did George W. Bush announce his support for "a national intelligence director who has full... Daniel Drezner: Bush flip-flops on intelligence reform — Looks like President Bush has changed his mind on intelligence reform:... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: So I am dismayed—to put it mildly—that President Bush has decided to give in to the demands for an NID. |
Bush likely to bow out of one debate By / MSNBC — Permalink President Bush may skip one of the three debates that have been proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates and accepted by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Republican officials said yesterday. | |
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Sarah Wildman: OPEN FORUM. The Bush team has indicated that it will try to wiggle out of one of the three presidential debates. Joe Gandelman: Bush Likely To Agree To Only Two Debates, Not Three — There are two ways of looking at leaks from the GOP camp... James Joyner: The Bush-Kerry Debates — Bush likely to bow out of one debate (MSNBC) "President Bush may skip one of the three... |
Jesse Taylor: Obviously Not What They Said — So, after Cheney tried to pretend that his comments on a Kerry presidency were a... Christopher Kanis: OH, THAT LIBERAL MEDIA — Ever see an anonymous source from the Clinton Administration — or from the Kerry campaign, for that matter — identified like this? Oliver Willis: Bush, The Debate Wimp — Who isn't surprised that Bush is backing out of the debate where he would have to actually face the American people? |
| Also: Matt Davis | |
One in Five Germans Wants the Berlin Wall Back By / Reuters — Permalink BERLIN (Reuters) - Fourteen years and a trillion euros after reunification one in five Germans would like to see the barrier that split the country during the Cold War put back, a survey found Wednesday. | |
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Blackfive: As if America needs a warm-water port... Then, there's this little gem from Reuters. |
Denis Boyles: But a new poll shows than 25 percent of west Germans want the wall back, while a third of east Germans say they're no better off now than they were under communism. |
Russia Threatens to Strike Terror Bases By / AP — Permalink MOSCOW - A top Russian general on Wednesday warned the military will strike "terrorist bases in any region of the world," while authorities offered a $10 million reward for information leading to two Chechen rebel leaders blamed for last week's deadly raid on a school. | |
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Donald Sensing: Russia will make pre-emptive war — A high-ranking Russian military officer: [snipped quote] Those unilateralist Russians. Edward _: The Putin Doctrine? Has Pandora's Box been opened? |
David Cohen: KICKING VICHY — Russia Threatens to Strike Terror Bases (Steve Gutterman, AP, 9/8/04) [snipped quote] Well, that certainly clarifies things. |
Global poll shows a Kerry landslide IHT — Permalink PARIS If the world could cast a vote in the United States presidential election, John Kerry would beat George W. Bush by a landslide, according to a poll released on Wednesday that is described as the largest sample of global opinion on the race. | |
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Avedon Carol: The IHT says if the whole world could vote, it would be Kerry in a landslide: "It is absolutely clear that John Kerry... Charles Johnson: If the World Could Vote... Global poll shows a Kerry landslide. (Hat tip: Ethel.) Orrin Judd: AMERICANS MAY NOT LIKE HIM, BUT...: Global poll shows a Kerry landslide (Thomas Crampton, September 08, 2004,... |
Jan Haugland: Polls are great for Kerry - over here — If Hans Blix had his way and all the world had been allowed to vote in the US election, Kerry would have beaten Bush by a landslide. Michael Graham: A University of Maryland group has conducted an international poll of 34, 300 adults on the Bush/Kerry election. Chris Bowers: Lots more where these came from. Let's do our best to not let down the rest of the world. World :: Wed Sep 8th, 2004 at 12:40:43 PM EST :: 15 Comments |
| Also: Ogged @Unfogged, Taegan Goddard | |
Bush fell short on duty at Guard Boston Globe — Permalink In February, when the White House made public hundreds of pages of President Bush's military records, White House officials repeatedly insisted that the records prove that Bush fulfilled his military commitment in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. | |
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CJR: The Boston Globe started the big splash yesterday morning with a multi-bylined piece edited and authored by Walter... Kos: But the Boston Globe exposed that lie Wednesday morning: "On July 30, 1973, shortly before he moved from Houston to... Donald Sensing: BOHICA! When I was in the Army, the soldiers of a unit I served in adopted an informal motto: "Bohica!" |
McQ: The Boston Globe claims: "But Bush fell well short of meeting his military obligation, a Globe reexamination of the... Baldilocks: Stop It Now — The subject and the attitude behind this have brought up so much anger and disgust in me (again) that I can barely see straight. Lambert @Corrente: (Of course, Reagan DOD officials are all in the tank for the Democrats...) The money quote in Walter Robinson's story... |
| Also: Mitch Townsend, Jeff Jarvis, Joe Gandelman, Ken Layne, Kevin Raybould, Skippy, Atrios, Ezra Klein, Avedon Carol, Magpie @PacificViews, Steve Soto, Barbara O'Brien, Kevin Drum, Mathew Gross, Oliver @LiquidList, Oliver Willis, Jeffrey Dubner, Howard Kurtz, Max B. Sawicky, SK Bubba, Taegan Goddard, The Big Trunk, Christopher Kanis, DeLong, The Poor Man | |
Missing in Action By / NYT — Permalink President Bush claims that in the fall of 1972, he fulfilled his Air National Guard duties at a base in Alabama. But Bob Mintz was there - and he is sure Mr. Bush wasn't. Plenty of other officers have said they also don't recall that Mr. Bush ever showed up for drills at the base. | |
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Gary Farber: THE BUSH RECORDS ROUNDUP. The Lechliter analysis 32 page pdf here. The original flight memos here. Service records here. Howard Kurtz: Nick Kristof nevertheless gives Mintz a nice ride in his NYT column, concluding that the prez's spotty guard service... Joe Gandelman: ANOTHER KEY STORY: New York Times Op-Ed piece by Nicholas Kristof contending some who were there when Bush says he... |
Hugh Hewitt: Kurtz correctly id's the main thrust of this barrage of non-news, represented by Nichols Kristof's closing paragraph in... Tom Maguire: Nick Kristof's hit piece on Bush's National Guard Service has significant errors, omissions, and distortions. Hesiod: AWOL'S NOT JUST FOR HOLDING UP A ROOF: Not only was George W. Bush snorting coke like Al Pacino in scarface at Camp... |
| Also: Dale Franks, Richard TPD, Matthew Yglesias, Orrin Judd, Avedon Carol, Barbara O'Brien, Kevin Drum, The Farmer, Oliver Willis, SK Bubba, Jeralyn Merritt, Bird Dog | |
Cheney Warns of Terror Risk if Kerry Wins By / NYT — Permalink COLUMBIA, Mo., Sept. 7 - Stepping up the battle over national security, Vice President Dick Cheney warned on Tuesday that the country would be at risk of a terror attack if it made "the wrong choice" in November, and President Bush accused Senator John Kerry of adopting the antiwar language of his Democratic primary rival Howard Dean. | |
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Tom Burka: Earlier this week, Cheney had said that if Americans chose Kerry, the nation would suffer a devestating terrorist... Matt Stoller: Dictatorship as an Issue — Ok, so Cheney comes out and says that terrorists will strike if Kerry is elected. Charles Johnson: Cheney Warns, Edwards Whines — Yesterday Dick Cheney criticized John Kerry's "law enforcement" attitude toward the war... |
Barbara O'Brien: All the News That Fits the Print cropnytimes.jpg Side-by-side headlines on the front page of today's New York Times:... Edward _: Bush Getting Increasingly Wobbly on Terror — For all the staged chestbeating and applause for the steady leadership we... Shawn @LiquidList: Meanwhile, through we have "ceded control" to rebel groups, and reached a casualty milestone, Dick Cheney is threatening voters with lethal catastrophe if they vote for Kerry. |
| Also: Hugh Hewitt, Jack Balkin, Patterico | |
Media View Kitty Kelley's Bush Book With Caution By / WaPo — Permalink It is the book that some Republicans have been worrying about for weeks, filled with lurid allegations by a celebrity biographer whose controversial reputation has only boosted her sales. | |
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Michael Froomkin: The Poor Man: Kitty Kelley's Shocking Revelations has the goods: Everybody is talking about Kitty Kelley's new book "The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty". Lambert @Corrente: [quote]"Enough is enough when it comes to trying to dig up people's backgrounds in politics," Bush said in 1999. (via WaPo) [end quote]... Nick Confessore: All that said, however, I'm really disappointed in the eagerness with which reputable news organizations are preparing to give Kelley prime-time interviews to air her allegations. |
Betsy Newmark: Howard Kurtz looks at the media plans to give Kitty Kelley a big platform to launch her book on the Bush family. Noam Scheiber: Even if it has some earth-shattering revelations, Kelley's credibility is so suspect that, at worst, the Bushies will be... Avedon Carol: Talking headlines — So, Howard Kurtz suggests that the Kitty Kelly book has the media in a tizzy: "ABC spokesman... |
| Also: Shawn @LiquidList, Tim Graham, Captain Ed, Steve Soto, The Poor Man, Oliver Willis | |
Cheney Warns Against Vote for Kerry By / AP — Permalink DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday warned Americans about voting for Democratic Sen. John Kerry, saying that if the nation makes the wrong choice on Election Day it faces the threat of another terrorist attack. | |
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Norbizness: We're now officially the 382,385th weblog to weigh in on the following wit and wisdom from Dick "Criswell" Cheney, which... Jon Henke: Cheney, selective editing, and selective outrage... Dick Cheney... "Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday warned... Oliver @LiquidList: Politics: Three Cheers For Smears — The blogs are already all over Dick Cheney's line about the increased threat of a... |
Steve M.: (AP story here.) Tim Blair: Sure looks like it — but Patterico has evidence that the damning quote was Dowdified! Matthew Yglesias: That's right, as the vice president's most recent slanders show. |
| Also: Patterico, Libertarian, Orrin Judd, Ezra Klein, Tom @Corrente, Avedon Carol, Steve Gilliard, Dan Gillmor, Michael Totten, Robert Garcia Tagorda, Taegan Goddard, Steve Soto, Fafnir, Joe Gandelman, Ken Layne, Sam Rosenfeld, David Allan Pell, Kos, Tgirsch, Oliver Willis, Josh Marshall, Atrios | |
Kerry Comments in August Have Him Playing Into GOP Hands By / WaPo — Permalink John F. Kerry's August swoon began with a detour on Iraq. Standing just feet from the edge of a sunny Grand Canyon one month ago, a calm and confident Kerry interrupted a day dedicated to domestic politics to discuss, once again, his 2002 vote for the resolution authorizing war against Saddam Hussein. | |
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Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post notes that it is Kerry's own fault that he's been tied into knots on his position on Iraq. Dale Franks: In entirely unrelated news, John Kerry may soon offer an apology for his...uh...less nuanced remarks about the Vietnam War 35 years ago. Thomas Lang: This morning's Washington Post brings us a Jim VandeHei analysis mapping out some reasons why. |
Greg Ransom: KERRY TO APOLOGIZE? The Washington Post: [snipped quote]. (via The Corner). Rich Lowry: This is from the Washington Post yesterday: [snipped quote] It's probably too late for a lot of vets, but if (in the... Hugh Hewitt: The Washington Post has an side baseball account of Kerry's August collapse, but for all the focus on tactics, the... |
| Also: Robert Garcia Tagorda, Gregory Djerejian, Dean Esmay, Orrin Judd | |
U.S. Conceding Rebels Control Regions of Iraq NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 - As American military deaths in Iraq operations surpassed the 1,000 mark, top Pentagon officials said Tuesday that insurgents controlled important parts of central Iraq and that it was unclear when American and Iraqi forces would be able to secure those areas. | |
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Ken Layne: Bush & Cheney have created the world's biggest terror camp, and if John Kerry or anyone else pulls out before that place... Shawn @LiquidList: Nope: "As American military deaths in Iraq operations surpassed the 1,000 mark, top Pentagon officials said Tuesday that... Matthew Yglesias: And Bush has actually created a new zone of operations for anti-American groups in central Iraq, all the while driving anti-Americanism to new heights. |
Edward _: Then again, don't be so sure you know what that would be... In Iraq, where terrorists ARE shooting Americans in the back... Jesse Taylor: Opinion Journal's Wet Dream — I eagerly await the reports from the ever-shrinking portion of Iraq we seem to be controlling about all the new gelato stands opening up. Steve Soto: The Pentagon has conceded that they have lost control of major parts of Iraq. OK, your turn. |
| Also: Michael Young, Oliver Willis, Mathew Gross, Andrew Sullivan | |
Exclusive Interview: Ben Barnes CBS News — Permalink Correspondent Dan Rather talks exclusively to former Texas House Speaker and Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, a Democrat, about the role Barnes says he played in getting President George W. Bush into the Texas Air National Guard — and why he now regrets it. | |
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Jeffrey Dubner: One of the odd things about 60 Minutes II's fairly declawed National Guard segment last night is that it left out the most accrediting detail about Ben Barnes's story. Betsy Newmark: Here is the link to CBS News and there is a link at the bottom of the page that you can use. Kevin Drum: And of course 60 Minutes II will have its interview with Ben Barnes tonight. |
Joe Gandelman: Meanwhile, CBS' 60 Minutes will interview former Texas House Speaker and Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, a Democrat, about the role... The Farmer: 60 Minutes II main page. (thanks Riggsveda for reminding me of all of this today) Taegan Goddard: But despite the promo, featuring the man who says he got Bush into a coveted guard slot, Josh Marshall says "the big... |
| Also: The Poor Man, Josh Marshall | |
Bush Likely To Bow Out Of 1 Debate By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush may skip one of the three debates that have been proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates and accepted by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Republican officials said yesterday. | |
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Mark Kleiman: Which reminds me: Does the revelation that President Bush, who can't remember whether or not he thinks America can win... Steve Gilliard: Debates are for real men — To call Bush a chicken is an insult to this fine bird Bush Likely to Bow Out of 1 Debate By... Kevin Raybould: The lack of press conferences by himself and the murmurings about skipping a town hall style debate are more evidence of... |
Lambert @Corrente: The Boy in the Bubble — I'm having a little cognitive dissidence on this one: [snipped quote] Weird. Kos: I'll let Atrios take this one: [quote] So, Bush is scared to face questions by regular folks because some of them may come from "partisan" people.[end quote] Atrios: Chicken George and the Media — So, Bush is scared to face questions by regular folks because some of them may come from "partisan" people. |
| Also: Eugene Oregon, Steve Soto, Peteco, Taegan Goddard | |
Don't Duck the Debates WaPo — Permalink THIS IS, or so we are constantly told by partisans on both sides, the most important election of our lives — at least. At the Republican convention last week, Vice President Cheney called it "one of the most important, not just in our lives, but in our history." | |
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James Joyner: Editorial: Don't Duck the Debates (WaPo) "THIS IS, or so we are constantly told by partisans on both sides, the most important election of our lives — at least. Frederick Maryland: Especially ridiculous is what Bush-Cheney campaign manager Ken Mehlman said Sunday on ABC's "This Week": "We look forward to these debates. Aaron @LiquidList: Politics: Campaign Doubletalk — You have to give credit to Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman for his creativity in... |
Orrin Judd: BR'ER POST: Don't Duck the Debates (Washington Post, September 8, 2004) [snipped quote] You'd think it would be as hard... Avedon Carol: The Washington Post editorializes: Don't Duck the Debates: THIS IS, or so we are constantly told by partisans on both sides, the most important election of our lives — at least. |
Cheney: Kerry Victory Is Risky WaPo — Permalink COLUMBIA, Mo., Sept. 7 — Vice President Cheney warned on Tuesday that if John F. Kerry is elected, "the danger is that we'll get hit again" by terrorists, as the Bush campaign escalated a furious assault on the Democratic presidential nominee that has kept Kerry from gaining control of the election debate. | |
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Tbogg: Dick threat — Dick Cheney: [snipped quote] Shorter Dick Cheney: Nice country you got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it. Dave Johnson: Violence — Fistfight Breaks Out Over Kerry Veterans: [snipped quote] In another news report today, [snipped quote] These are related stories. Patterico: UPDATE: The L.A. Times, New York Times, and Washington Post each have stories on Cheney's quote. |
Deacon: Here's the Washington Post's report on the flap by Dana Milbank and Spencer Hsu. I view Cheney's statement as essentially a truism. Frederick Maryland: Well, it was Dick Cheney himself yesterday who, during a campaign stop in Des Moines, said this about John Kerry: "It's... |
Gay Activists in the G.O.P. Withhold Endorsement By / NYT — Permalink The board of Log Cabin Republicans, the largest group for gay men and lesbians in the party, voted overwhelming last night against endorsing President Bush for re-election because of his support for a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. | |
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Avedon Carol: The NYT says pro-Bush gay votes accounted for 45,000 ballots in Florida in 2000.) So, it's on to the debates, and we'll see how that affects things. Jeffrey Dubner: As Sasha Polakow-Suransky predicted last week, the Log Cabin Republicans have voted against endorsing George W. Bush. Byron L: The New York Times: [snipped quote] Absolutely. The Bush administration filp-flopped on gay marriage. In 2000, it was a state issue. |
Zoe Kentucky: And, giving credit where credit is due, the Log Cabin Republicans recently discovered they have half a backbone and have officially refused to endorse Bush/Cheney. Howard Kurtz: And speaking of Bush's past, here's my report on the forthcoming Kitty Kelley book, the White House denunciations and... Kos: Log Cabin Republicans abandon Bush — Who knew they had a spine? [snipped quote] I guess you get kicked enough times, and you're bound to finally surrender. |