meme orandum
| A newfangled news tangle |
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Johnny Carson, longtime host of 'Tonight Show,' dies at 79 AP — Permalink Johnny Carson, the "Tonight Show" TV host who served America a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm for 30 years, has died. He was 79. "Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press. | |
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Jeff Jarvis: 'I'll be right back' : Johnny Carson has died at age 79. Once, many years ago, while I was a TV critic, I happened to be on a plane with Lucille Ball. Tom Biro: Johnny Carson dies at age 79 — After being engrossed in the football this afternoon, I totally missed the passing of... Tom @Corrente: Bummed — Johnny Carson died today. I grew up watching him and have missed him a lot since he retired. |
Will Collier: Johnny — NBC is reporting that Johnny Carson has died. I really feel sorry for people who weren't old enough to see and appreciate Carson while he was still on the air. McQ: Johnny Carson — I remember one of the great thrills of my young life was sneaking out of bed and watching Johnny Carson. Jeralyn Merritt: From another article: [quote] "Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press.[end quote] |
Johnny Carson, King of Late Night, Dies By / AP — Permalink LOS ANGELES - Johnny Carson (news), the "Tonight Show" TV host who served America a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm for 30 years, has died. He was 79. "Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press. | |
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Avedon Carol: Stories from ABC and AP, but Mark says he will be posting something personal later. Charles Johnson: RIP, Johnny Carson — Johnny Carson, King of Late Night, Dies. Damian Penny: Johnny Carson, R.I.P. He's dead at 79. |
Kevin Aylward: Johnny Carson, Dead At 79 capt.ny11701231900.people _carson_ny117.jpgLOS ANGELES (AP) - Johnny Carson, the quick-witted... Norbizness: These Things Draw Themselves — The story here. Michele Catalano: More here [snipped quote] Bio here MSNBC story: "The day television died was May 22, 1992, when Johnny Carson hustled... |
| Also: Pejman Yousefzadeh | |
In One Night, Iraqi Turns From Friend to Foe By / WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD — The day after the soldiers came, Imaad ordered his mother to go through her refrigerator and pantry and throw out all the cheese that had been made outside Iraq. He went around and collected any images of Westerners in the house, threw them in a pile and burned them until they were floating bits of ash. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: A rightie blogger at Power Line found this WaPo article "hilarious." I don't see the humor. Charles Johnson: Ridiculous Article of the Day — Today's most ridiculous report from Iraq is this one by the Washington Post's Jackie Spinner: In One Night, Iraqi Turns From Friend to Foe. Jeff Jarvis: Yes, it will be on the final : Tim Blair's attitudinal fisking [sorry Mr. Strunk, sorry Mr. White for that phrasing] of... |
Roger L. Simon: The Myth of the Foreign Correspondent — Two ears, a tail and a hoof go to Tim Blair for his witty deconstruction of a... Jan Haugland: Imperialism by girlie mags — The US forces lose another heart and mind in Iraq with its brutal occupation, as told to... Hindrocket: Don't miss this unintentionally hilarious account in today's Washington Post, which, if true, suggests that the Americans must be the best-behaved occupation troops in history. |
| Also: Tim Blair, Ed Driscoll | |
Now Playing: 'Anybody But Dean, Part 2' By / Newsweek — Permalink Jan. 31 issue - Within hours of George Bush's Inauguration, everyone was playing his assigned role. Republicans, happily united, were dancing the night away at glittering balls in downtown Washington. Democrats, meanwhile, divided into familiar warring camps: for and against Howard Dean. | |
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Captain Ed: Desperate enough to validate practically every argument made by Republicans and conservative commentators during the... Taegan Goddard: Howard Feinman says Democrats have "divided into familiar warring camps: for and against Howard Dean" for party chairman. Oliver Willis: This "anybody but Dean" stuff is just so stupid. When will the Dems in Washington get it? It's not working. |
Dave Johnson: I Never Seem To Learn — I never seem to learn. Why do I bother to even look at stuff like this anymore? Orrin Judd: Now Playing: 'Anybody But Dean, Part 2': While the GOP danced, the Dems once again found themselves looking for a leader who's not from Vermont. |
Late-Night King Johnny Carson Dies at 79 By / AP — Permalink LOS ANGELES - Johnny Carson (news), the "Tonight Show" host who served America a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm for 30 years, died Sunday. He was 79. NBC said Carson died of emphysema at his Malibu home. | |
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Captain Ed: Goodbye, Johnny — I found out earlier today that Johnny Carson passed away at 79 from emphysema. Mitch Berg: From then - probably '86 until Carson signed off as the show's host in '92 - Carson was an intermittent pleasure, but a... |
Edward _: Johnny Carson has died at the age of 79. Anyone too young to remember the elegantly simple charm of Jay Leno's predecessor missed a true master of the art. |
Loyal Nixon secretary Rose Mary Woods dead at 87 By / AP — Permalink COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Rose Mary Woods, the devoted secretary to President Nixon who said she inadvertently erased part of a crucial Watergate tape, has died. She was 87. Woods died Saturday night at a nursing home in Alliance, Roger Ruzek, owner of a funeral home in Sebring, said Sunday. | |
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Ed Driscoll: Another Famous Death — While she's much more of a footnote in history, especially when compared with Johnny Carson, it's worth nothing that Rose Mary Woods died, at age 87. |
Orrin Judd: IF SHE'D ERASED THEM ALL WE'D HAVE AVOIDED THE FORD & CARTER DEBACLES: Loyal Nixon secretary Rose Mary Woods dead at 87... |
From The Great Carsoni to Heeere's Johnny ABCNEWS — Permalink While Carson was launching the careers of comedians — Don Rickles, Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, Bob Newhart and more — he may have been ruining the sex lives of Americans. His celebrity guests appreciated the attention, though. | |
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Jeff Goldstein: Johnny Carson dies at 79 — Whatever. What I want to know is, who gets points? Man. Death is fun! |
Jeralyn Merritt: Johnny Carson Has Died — Johnny Carson has died at 79 of emphysema. Here's more on his career. |
Gonzales: Did He Help Bush Keep His DUI Quiet? By / Newsweek — Permalink Jan. 31 issue - Senate Democrats put off a vote on White House counsel Alberto Gonzales's nomination to be attorney general, complaining he had provided evasive answers to questions about torture and the mistreatment of prisoners. | |
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Richard TPD: A new Bush scandal a-brewing — It seems we're going to be hearing more about Bush's drunk-driving episode from 30 years ago. Mark Kleiman: Sure looks that way, doesn't it? Senate Democrats should demand another round of hearings, and filibuster Gonzales's nomination if Hatch refuses to hold them. |
Matthew Yglesias: Gonzalezmania — A correspondent points me to this Newsweek story suggesting that Alberto Gonzalez is dishonest and has no respect for the rule of law. |
He's a worldbeater, all right By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink I picked up the Village Voice for the first time in years this week. Couldn't resist the cover story: ''The Eve Of Destruction: George W. Bush's Four-Year Plan To Wreck The World.'' Oh, dear. It's so easy to raise expectations at the beginning of a new presidential term. | |
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Charles Johnson: Steyn: He's a Worldbeater — No one comments on the incoherent flailing of the Democrat Party better than Mark Steyn: He's a worldbeater, all right. Roger L. Simon: Huis Clos — As is so often the case, Mark Steyn has this week's mots justes: The Democrats' big phrase is "exit strategy." |
The Big Trunk: Eve of destruction (and I feel fine) In his Sunday Chicago Sun-Times column Mark Steyn performs his usual alchemy,... Orrin Judd: GOOD, IT COULD USE A BEATING: He's a worldbeater, all right (MARK STEYN, January 23, 2005, Chicago Sun-Times) "I picked up the Village Voice for the first time in years this week. |
Commandos Get Duty on U.S. Soil By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 - Somewhere in the shadows of the White House and the Capitol this week, a small group of super-secret commandos stood ready with state-of-the-art weaponry to swing into action to protect the presidency, a task that has never been fully revealed before. | |
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Avedon Carol: The road to lampshades — He may be the most hated president ever, but this is just sheer paranoia on his part:... Vox Day: It's just a matter of time — [snipped quote] Oh, well as long as its scope appears to be limited, I'm sure it's fine. |
Jeralyn Merritt: Secret Commandos Doing Domestic Spying — The New York Times reports on an "extraordinary army" of secret Commandos... |
A Bunch of Krabby Patties By / NYT — Permalink I should have known. I can't believe I thought he was just an innocent little sponge wearing tight shorts. What in the name of Davy Jones's locker would a sponge be doing holding hands with a starfish or donning purple and hot-pink flowered garb to redecorate the Krusty Krab if he weren't a perverted invertebrate? | |
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Gregory Djerejian: Dowdification Watch — MoDo, writing in today's NYT: [quote] The vice president told Don Imus that Iran was "right at the top...[end quote] |
Bill Hobbs: Well, no one told Maureen Dowd, who reflected the NYT's lie in her latest incomprehensibly bad column, which is based... |
The Making of a Molester By / NYT — Permalink Not long ago, Roy became a type of monster. The transformation took a year and a half, and now, one morning each week, he sits in a room of similar cases. The windowless room is plain, with a blue industrial carpet, a circle of brown cushioned office chairs, a... | |
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Ed Cone: For its cover article The Making of a Molester, the magazine asks if the Internet [snipped quote] Um, no? I read the article. |
Fontana Labs: The near occasion of sin — There's an interesting article in the NYT magazine about a man's transformation into a sex offender. |
Pentagon runs clandestine intelligence-gathering infrastructure CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency since 2002 has run an intelligence-gathering and support unit that has authority to operate clandestinely anywhere in the world where it is ordered to go in support of anti-terrorism and counter-terrorism missions, a senior defense official said Sunday. | |
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Captain Ed: CNN now has a report confirming the existence of the intelligence unit, but contradicts the Post in several critical... |
Andrew Cochran: UPDATE: CNN interviewed a "senior DOD official" who expanded on the statement and the unit's role. |
Expect tire-slashing charges Monday JSOnline — Permalink The investigation into the Great Tire-Slashing Caper will end Monday with felony charges against the adult sons of two prominent Milwaukee politicians - U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and former Acting Mayor Marvin Pratt. | |
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Captain Ed: Milwaukee Democrats To Face Felony Charges In Election-Day Conspiracy — Two sons of prominent Democratic polticians and... Michelle Malkin: DEMOCRATIC VOTER CRIMES — The Milwakuee Journal Sentinel's Spivak and Bice report that felony charges may come down tomorrow in the Democratic tire-slashing case. |
Clayton Cramer: Just to show you that this isn't just a problem of East Saint Louis Democrats having a certain lack of respect for the... Lorie Byrd: UPDATE: What is going on here? It looks like more Democrat election crimes are going to be prosecuted. (Registration required.) |
Johnny Carson, late-night TV legend, dies at 79 CNN — Permalink (CNN) — Johnny Carson, host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" for nearly 30 years, died Sunday of emphysema. "He passed away this morning," Carson's nephew, Jeffrey Sotzing, told CNN. Carson, a longtime smoker, was 79 and had announced in 2002 that he was suffering from the disease. | |
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Edward _: A Real Prince Passes (Johnny Carson RIP) I heard a short entertainment brief just the other day about how David... |
Oliver Willis: Carson — I don't have much to add to the whole Johnny Carson death coverage, and any expression of sentiment on my part would be unrealistic since I was never a huge fan of his. |
Semantics Shape Social Security Debate By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush is trying to keep the word "private" from going public. As the two parties brace for the coming debate over restructuring Social Security, polls and focus groups for both sides have shown that voters — especially older ones, who vote in disproportionately heavy numbers — distrust any change that has the word "private" attached to it. | |
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Max B. Sawicky: [Sidenote: henceforth on MaxSpeak we adopt the practice of capitalizing Bush's proposals as follows: Social Security PRIVATIZATION, which aims to establish PRIVATE accounts. |
Orrin Judd: CORNERING THE DECLINING 40%: Semantics Shape Social Security Debate: Democrats Assail 'Crisis' While GOP Gives... |
Johnny Carson, late-night TV legend, dead at 79 AP — Permalink LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — Johnny Carson, the "Tonight Show" TV host who served America a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm for 30 years, has died. He was 79. "Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Johnny Carson Dies by Joe Gandelman Johnny Carson, the talk show icon, is dead: [snipped quote] When he left, Jay Leno... |
James Joyner: Johnny Carson Dies at 79 — Johnny Carson, late-night TV legend, dead at 79 (CNN) [snipped quote] A true shame. |
McCain to Raise Questions on Secret Spy Unit Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON - A Republican lawmaker said Sunday his Senate committee would look into a reported move by the Pentagon to reinterpret U.S. law to give Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld broad authority over spy operations abroad. | |
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Steve Soto: John McCain has come out today and announced that he will question the Pentagon about this at the Senate Armed Services Committee. |
Oliver Willis: MORE: John McCain says he's going to "raise questions". Oh, golly, I bet they're really scared now! He might wag his finger at them, even... |
Ex-'Tonight Show' Host Johnny Carson Dies Fox News — Permalink LOS ANGELES — The king of late night talk shows, Johnny Carson (search), died Sunday of complications from emphysema. He was 79. "Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press. | |
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Porphyrogenitus: Here's Johnny — Johnny Carson has died of Emphysema. I remember when he hosted the Tonight Show, he was always a class act. |
Christopher Kanis: JOHNNY CARSON 1925-2005 I have no idea what he was like in real life, but he was easily one of the most likeable TV personalities I've ever seen. |
Justice Scalia: The Charm Offensive Time — Permalink Though he bravely overcame his illness to deliver the presidential oath of office at last week's Inaugural, most court watchers assume that Chief Justice William Rehnquist's cancer will soon force him to retire from the Supreme Court. | |
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Taegan Goddard: Scalia Has Edge to Replace Rehnquist — With conventional wisdom saying Chief Justice William Rehnquist's cancer "will... James Joyner: Scalia Vying for Chief Justice Seat — Justice Scalia: The Charm Offensive (TIME) [snipped quote] Interesting. |
Orrin Judd: HE'S GOT A RECORD: Justice Scalia: The Charm Offensive: The Supreme Court Justice is vying for the chief's seat on the... |
Some Question Background of Unit's Leader By / WaPo — Permalink Col. George Waldroup, an Army reserve officer who commands the Defense Intelligence Agency's Strategic Support Branch, is described by associates as a colorful Texan who refers to himself in the third person, as "GW." | |
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Matthew Yglesias: And, apparently, they like to appoint similarly talented subordinates to run their new secret units. |
Lambert @Corrente: Sounds like some sort of high-tech jock strap... Anyhow, Barton Gellman at WaPo does some actual reporting on the... |
Cover the Terror War as a War By / LAT — Permalink His new book is "Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That Is Changing Your World." His blog is www.HughHewitt.com. An experimental column in which the Los Angeles Times invites outside critics to slap around a Southern California newspaper that has a two-part (or bigger) Sunday Calendar section. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: My turn came this week, and given that neither the feature nor my participation in it is guaranteed to survive, I aimed... Glenn Reynolds: HUGH HEWITT offers advice to the news media in today's Los Angeles Times: "Cover the Terror War as a War." |
Cori Dauber: I hope you read his entire piece; it perfectly encapsulates one of the most important criticisms of the media driving this blog forward and giving it purpose. |
Yushchenko Takes Oath, Pledges to Join Europe By / Reuters — Permalink KIEV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Viktor Yushchenko became Ukraine's president Sunday and vowed to seek a full place in Europe for the people he led in a peaceful revolt against a rigged national election and pressure from Russia. | |
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Captain Ed: Exhibit A Of Bush's Inaugural Address — In what should be seen as the first example of the new policies articulated in... |
Glenn Reynolds: ED MORRISSEY offers a Ukrainian perspective on Bush's inauguration speech. Seems like it's playing pretty well there . . |
Focus: The search for the lost library of Rome By / Times of London — Permalink Down a side street in the seedy Italian town of Ercolano, wafted by the scent of uncollected rubbish and the fumes of passing motor-scooters, lies a waterlogged hole. A track leads from it to a high fence and a locked gate. Dogs defecate in the undergrowth where addicts discard their needles. | |
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Orrin Judd: SOON THE DARK AGES WILL BE OVER (via H. Koenig): The search for the lost library of Rome (Robert Harris, 1/23/05, Times... |
Andrew Stuttaford: THE LOST LIBRARY OF HERCULANEUM — Is it still there? |
Scores of felons voted illegally Seattle Times — Permalink Scores of convicted felons voted illegally in the state's 2004 general election, and officials never noticed because of serious flaws in the system for tracking them, The Seattle Times has found. | |
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Hindrocket: Pull On Superman's Cape has a shot of this morning's Seattle Times: STFelonsVotingHeadline.jp g The Times article is here. |
Michelle Malkin: At least 129 felons voted illegally in Washington State last fall, the Seattle Times reports. |
Secret Unit Expands Rumsfeld's Domain By / WaPo — Permalink The Pentagon, expanding into the CIA's historic bailiwick, has created a new espionage arm and is reinterpreting U.S. law to give Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld broad authority over clandestine operations abroad, according to interviews with participants and documents obtained by The Washington Post. | |
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Captain Ed: CNN: WaPo Report On Military Spy Unit Incorrect On Key Details — The Washington Post dropped a bombshell this morning... Steve Soto: Rummy's Been Running Clandestine Intelligence Operation Unknown To Congress For Nearly Three Years — At the start of... Kevin Drum: A recently created organization called the Strategic Support Branch is the heart of the Pentagon's operation: [snipped quote] This should be a public discussion. |
Avedon Carol: Things to watch out for — In the WaPo, Secret Unit Expands Rumsfeld's Domain: The Pentagon, expanding into the CIA's... Matthew Yglesias: Covert Military Actions — I can see a reasonably strong case for the creation of a new covert military unit to do some... Andrew Cochran: Wash Post story on Pentagon intel unit (Updated) The networks and newswires are trumpeting today's Washington Post story... |
| Also: Jeralyn Merritt | |
As Election Nears, Iraqis Remain Sharply Divided on Its Value By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 22 - Hejaz Hazim, a computer engineer who could not find a job in computers and now cleans clothes, slammed his iron into a dress shirt the other day and let off a burst of steam about the coming election. "This election is bogus," Mr. Hazim said. | |
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Cori Dauber: Mind you, the interviews don't appear to have been conducted in actual resturants, but other than that, the form translates perfectly. |
Orrin Judd: SUBJECTIVE WHEN IT SUITS: As Election Nears, Iraqis Remain Sharply Divided on Its Value (JEFFREY GETTLEMAN, 1/23/05, NY... |
Bush Doctrine Is Expected to Get Chilly Reception By / WaPo — Permalink When President Bush flew to Canada in his first international trip following his reelection, the White House portrayed it as the beginning of a fence-mending tour to bring allies back into the fold after a tense first term. But after Bush left, the Canadians were more furious than before. | |
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Shawn @LiquidList: From the Post: [snipped quote] At least Canada recognizes the missle defense system protects us from absolutely nothing. |
Patrick Ruffini: In fact, this theme is the lede in Peter Baker's piece in Sunday's WaPo, a concoction contrasting expectations of global "fence-mending" with the President's bold Second Inaugural. |
Numbed by the Numbers, When They Just Don't Add Up By / NYT — Permalink Some people in the newspaper business - including, I suspect, a few sitting upstairs from me, in the New York Times Company's corporate offices - were displeased by a story that ran on Jan. 10, "Your Daily Paper, Courtesy of a Sponsor." | |
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Jeff Jarvis: Dan Okrent has a good column on the topic today. He says it is a refreshingly equal-opportunity sin; readers from left and right complain about numbers. |
Cori Dauber: Heave a Sigh of Relief — Half of why we need Okrent on the job is just so we can get someone on the inside to admit... |
Zarqawi pledges war on Iraq elections Telegraph — Permalink Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has declared a "bitter war" on Iraq's parliamentary elections in an audio tape posted on the Internet. The tape urged Sunni Muslims to fight against the vote next Sunday, which the speaker said was a plot against them by Washington and its "infidel" Shi'ite Muslim allies. | |
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Andrew Stuttaford: MINUTEMEN — This statement, reportedly from Zarqawi, is worth repeating: "We have declared a bitter war against the... |
Roger L. Simon: More "Zarqawi Wowee" — Sounds like something I used to smoke in the Seventies, but it's another tape from the possibly jailed/possibly not religious psycho killer. |
What Is Bush Saying? NRO — Permalink The inaugural address and the language used. The inaugural address was in several respects confusing. The arresting feature of it was of course the exuberant idealism. But one wonders whether signals were crossed in its production, and a lead here is some of the language used. | |
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Ace: \ William F. Buckley has his doubts, too: [snipped quote] I think many appreciate the sentiments of the speech — as do... |
Roger L. Simon: It doesn't have to do with all that wild "freedom talk," does it, by some President who is raising eyebrows even from his own party? |
Can Anyone Unseat F.D.R.? By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON — To some Republicans, the start of this presidential term is their moment, their chance to become the permanent majority party with a new vision that goes by various names: the ownership society, the Conservative New Deal, the New New Deal. | |
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Steve Antler: I. UPDATE: On a related note: "The ownership society sounds good and grand, but I don't see it has much substance," said... |
Orrin Judd: COURAGE OF THEIR CONVICTIONS: Can Anyone Unseat F.D.R.? |
The scariest prospect of all: Iran with the bomb By / Telegraph — Permalink President Bush, during his inauguration speech last week, promised that he would "spread freedom to the darkest corners of the world". There were some among his world-wide audience to whom that sounded like a threat: we will invade your country unless you change your government to one which we think supports freedom. | |
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Perry de Havilland: And by that question I do not mean 'might they give nukes to Al-Qaeda' or sundry other Islamic loonies, but rather is... |
Orrin Judd: ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE DRUM BEATS: The scariest prospect of all: Iran with the bomb (Edward Luttwak, 23/01/2005, Sunday... |
Muslims boycott Holocaust remembrance By / Times of London — Permalink BRITISH Muslims are to boycott this week's commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz because they claim it is not racially inclusive and does not commemorate the victims of the Palestinian conflict. | |
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Jan Haugland: The search for moderate muslims continues — Britain is going to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz this week, but... Damian Penny: Old ghosts stirring — Britain: the Muslim Council of Britain plans to boycott an upcoming Holocaust rememberance... Charles Johnson: Muslims Boycott Holocaust Remembrance — Iqbal Sacranie and the Muslim Council of Britain are getting quite fearless... |
Joe Gandelman: British Muslims will be boycotting the ceremonies, deciding to insist on mix apples with the oranges, arguing it isn't... Andrew Stuttaford: A BOYCOTT — From the London Sunday Times "British Muslims are to boycott this week's commemoration of the liberation of... |
Espionage by any other name By / Washington Times — Permalink This week in the New Yorker magazine Seymour Hersh wrote the following words: "The administration has been conducting secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran ... Much of the focus is on accumulation of intelligence and targeting information on Iranian... | |
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Avedon Carol: This time it's Tony Blankley in The Washington Times suggesting that Sy Hersh should be investigated for espionage. Roger Ailes: Tony Blankley Signs His Own Death Warrant — Elsewhere in the Father's Rag, Tony Blankley argues that Sy Hersh is guilty... |
David Neiwert: Reality-based killer whales Talking treason — So the Washington Times' Tony Blankley thinks Seymour Hersh should be... |
Bush Pulls 'Neocons' Out of the Shadows By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — In the unending struggle over American foreign policy that consumes much of official Washington, one side claimed a victory this week: the neoconservatives, that determined band of hawkish idealists who promoted the U.S. invasion of Iraq and now seek to bring democracy to the rest of the Middle East. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Freedom — I'm sure I could come up with at least 1,001 negative things to say about George Bush, but here is one I'd... Barbara O'Brien: Good Catch — Susan at Suburban Guerrilla scores big. [snipped quote] So where does the "punditrocracy" end and the Bush Administration begin? |
Susan Madrak: ANOTHER WINGNUT CONFLICT OF INTEREST — There's a story in today's L.A. Times that the neocons are, in fact, back in the... |
Bush Speech Not a Sign of Policy Shift, Officials Say WaPo — Permalink White House officials said yesterday that President Bush's soaring inaugural address, in which he declared the goal of ending tyranny around the world, represents no significant shift in U.S. foreign policy but instead was meant as a crystallization and clarification of policies he is pursuing in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East and elsewhere. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: C'mon, folks. It's just a bunch of words. It's not like we meant it or anything. I almost feel sorry for Brooks. Avedon Carol: She also notes that even Dan Balz at The Washington Post seems to have forgotten everything he's learned over the last five years, because he's got the fairy dust in his eyes, too. Belle Waring: UPDATE: from the Washington Post, "Bush Speech Not a Sign of Policy Shift, Officials Say; Address Said to Clarify 'The Values We Cherish'" Right. |
Cori Dauber: In any event, here's the Post's story today: White House officials said yesterday that President Bush's soaring... Joe Gandelman: But it also came in for some snarky criticism from usually friendly quarters... UPDATE: I've never EVER heard of an... Gene @HarrysPlace: Bush speech alarms leading conservative — While some White House officials downplay the likelihood that President... |
| Also: Steven Taylor, Oliver Willis, Jim Henley, Giblets, Gregory Djerejian, David Adesnik, Greg Ransom, Armando @DailyKos | |
Self-doubt leaves French feeling down in the mouth By / Scotsman — Permalink IT IS official: the French are a nation of depressed pessimists, wracked with self-doubt and unable to see a positive future. This gloomy portrait of the current state of Gallic morale - or rather the lack of it - was made public yesterday in a damning report by France's prefects, the country's top administrators. | |
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Charles Johnson: French: Lifeless, Resigned, Anxious, Depressed — Long years of surrender and appeasement have taken their toll on the... Tim Blair: The French: "This gloomy portrait of the current state of Gallic morale - or rather the lack of it - was made public... |
Patrick Ruffini: Triste Chic — Here's a damningly self-critical government report you won't see on the front page of the Washington Post. Peter Burnet: IF YOU RELIED ON SARTRE, FOUCAULT AND DERRIDA TO EXPLAIN LIFE, YOU'D BE A LITTLE DOWN TOO — Self-doubt leaves French... |
Summers Storm By / WaPo — Permalink Larry Summers, the Harvard University president and former Treasury secretary, has never been mistaken for a diplomat. So when you combine someone of Summers's compulsively impolitic instincts with a topic as volatile as gender differences, the ensuing explosion doesn't come as a huge surprise. | |
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Kevin Drum: Today in the Washington Post, for example, Ruth Marcus winces at MIT biology professor Nancy Hopkins's... Orrin Judd: CLASH OF HERESIES: Summers Storm (Ruth Marcus, January 22, 2005, Washington Post) "Larry Summers, the Harvard... Ed Driscoll: Power Line and Ruth Marcus also have some thoughts. |
Ann Althouse: Here's a good opinion piece (by Ruth Marcus) in the Washington Post about Harvard President Larry Summers and his... KJL: Actually Larry Summers. I don't agree with every word, but Ruth Marcus is worth reading today on the firestorm. |
Animal House or Old School? NRO — Permalink The more things change... This summer I had an intern researcher drone named "Lyle." But I tended to call him things like "meat sack," "you," and "the kid-whose-head-someone-used-as-a-toilet-but-forgot -to-flush." | |
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Christopher Kanis: TIME — Jonah Goldberg has a typically thought-provoking column about time, and change, Animal House, and stuff like... |
Porphyrogenitus: Getting Older — I read the latest G-File today. I identify with it a lot: [snipped quote] I donno what to make of it except the usual thing, time passing and getting older. |
Iraq refuses to say if Zarqawi detained AP — Permalink Iraq's interior minister on Saturday refused to comment on rumors that the top terror leader in the country had been taken into custody. "I wouldn't like to comment for the time being," Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib said when asked about rumors that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been arrested. | |
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Roger L. Simon: The Mesopotamian Rumor Mill — I don't know what to make of this AP report that continues to flog the rumor that terror... McQ: For what its worth: [snipped quote] You'd think a 25 million reward would bring someone out of the woodwork, wouldn't you? |
Captain Ed: The Jerusalem Post reports that Iraq's Interior Minister has suddenly gone coy about the latest rumors of an arrest of... |
Germans 'sick of Nazi reminders' Times of London — Permalink MOST Germans would prefer to forget the Holocaust and are tired of hearing about Nazi crimes during the Third Reich, according to a poll released just before the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, writes Justin Sparks. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Meanwhile, in Germany, a new poll found that a whopping number of Germans are "sick" of hearing about Nazi war crimes... Charles Johnson: Germans Sick of Being Reminded — Sixty years after the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, a new poll released by... |
Damian Penny: Germany: in the land where it all started, a majority of people are "sick" of being reminded of the Holocaust - and also... |
Ideals and Reality By / NYT — Permalink If you want to understand America, I hope you were in Washington on Thursday. I hope you heard the high ideals of President Bush's inaugural address, and also saw the stretch Hummer limos heading to the balls in the evening. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: I got a great kick this morning out of poor, clueless David Brooks gushing about how difficult it will be to support... Avedon Carol: David Brooks must have been on LSD when he heard Bush's speech, because he hallucinated all sorts of grand things and turned it into a column. Cori Dauber: David Brooks articulates well the fact that the speech uses an articulation of abstract ideals to construct a concrete... |
Belle Waring: How To Ascribe Super-Powers To Words — I know it's considered poor sport to shoot fish in a barrel, but what on earth is David Brooks talking about? David Adesnik: David Brooks notes in passing that [snipped quote] Our soldiers in Iraq (and Afghanistan) have suffered and will continue... Richard Reeb: Where the Rubber Meets the Road — David Brooks has a thoughtful piece today on the inextricable relationship between America's principles and her practices. |
| Also: Deacon, FrancoAlemán | |
Germany to Deport Hundreds of Islamists - Magazine Reuters — Permalink BERLIN (Reuters) - German officials are drawing up lists of hundreds of Islamic militants to be deported from the country under a new law making expulsions easier, the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel said on Saturday. | |
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Charles Johnson: Germany to Deport Hundreds of Islamists — According to weekly magazine Der Spiegel, German authorities are drawing up lists of hundreds of Islamic extremists to be deported. |
Tim Blair: COMMENCE THE SWEEPING OF THE MILITANTS — Via LGF, news that Germany is getting serious: [snipped quote] Sounds dandy. |
Pataki for UN? By / Townhall.com — Permalink WASHINGTON — Sources close to New York Gov. George Pataki say he has been asked whether he would consider filling the vacancy of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. No firm offer has been made to Pataki, who is without diplomatic or international experience. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Robert Novak reports that Pataki is being considered for UN representative. Pataki is a man whose appeal totally eludes me. Joe Gandelman: Prominent NY Politico To Fill UN Ambassdor's Slot? by Joe Gandelman New York Governor George Pataki has reportedly been... |
Alexander K. McClure: Ambassador Pataki — Robert Novak writes that Governor George E. Pataki of New York is seriously being considered to... Orrin Judd: MOYNIHAN TRAIL: Pataki for UN? |
Boston Terror Plot Suspect in Custody Fox News — Permalink BOSTON — One of the 13 Chinese nationals allegedly involved in a terror plot against Boston was in custody and being questioned by authorities on Saturday, FBI sources told FOX News. | |
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Ace: Chinese Dirty-Bomb Plot Suspect Nabbed — You all know this, of course. Good news. There's not much more to say about this... except. |
Michelle Malkin: No story links anywhere yet, but we'll keep an eye out. (Update: Here it is.) |
Python swallows Bush! By / Salon — Permalink Americans may know Terry Jones best as a naked organist and a purveyor of crunchy frog-filled chocolates and "being hit on the head" lessons, but the founding member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python's Flying Circus has plenty of other talents. | |
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Avedon Carol: Via Mark Evanier I see that Salon has an interview with Terry Jones "about becoming a political writer, the decline of... |
Echidne @AmStreet: Monty Bush's Flying Circus — Terry Jones, one of the founding members of the British comedy troupe Monty Python's... |
A Path to Road Safety With No Signposts By / NYT — Permalink "I WANT to take you on a walk," said Hans Monderman, abruptly stopping his car and striding - hatless, and nearly hairless - into the freezing rain. Like a naturalist conducting a tour of the jungle, he led the way to a busy intersection in the center of town, where several odd things immediately became clear. | |
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James Joyner: A Path to Road Safety With No Signposts [RSS] (NYT) [snipped quote] Very interesting, indeed. It's certainly counter-intuitive. Ann Althouse: Today, I see this: "Like a naturalist conducting a tour of the jungle, [Hans Monderman] led the way to a busy... |
Michael Froomkin: Fascinating Article in NYT on Road Design. Yes, Road Design. A Path to Road Safety With No Signposts. |
Does Not Compute By / NYT — Permalink Carlisle, Mass. — THE Federal Bureau of Investigation has officially entered what computer professionals call "software hell." After spending $170 million to create a program that would give agents ready access to information on suspected terrorists, the bureau admitted last week that it's not even close to having a working system. | |
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Scott Rosenberg: On today's New York Times op-ed page, Nicholas Carr of "Does IT Matter?" puts the FBI software meltdown in the context... |
Cori Dauber: The good news is the New York Times is not taking gratuitous shots at the FBI for their computer troubles — The bad news is, that's the only good news. |
The Speech Misheard Round the World By / NYT — Permalink Cambridge, Mass. — SINCE 9/11, President Bush and his advisers have engaged in a series of arguments concerning the relation between freedom, tyranny and terrorism. The president's inaugural paean to freedom was the culmination of these arguments. | |
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Cori Dauber: Okay, now you're just making stuff up — An oped in the Times today by a Harvard sociologist who is quite unimpressed with the inaugural. |
David Adesnik: THAT SPEECH WAS NO ACCIDENT: Bush's second inaugural address was the result extensive consultation with this... |
Al-Aksa Brigades says it's ready for mutual cease-fire AP — Permalink The Al Aksa Martyrs' Brigades will agree to a mutual cease-fire if Israel pledges to halt its attacks on the Palestinians, the group's spokesman announced Saturday. A masked Abu Mohammed, Al Aksa's spokesman in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, made the announcement at a Gaza news conference. | |
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Charles Johnson: Meanwhile, the death squad held a press conference and said they would agree to a cease fire. |
Orrin Judd: C'MON & EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD: Virtually no security incidents in Gaza in last three days (THE JERUSALEM POST, Jan. 22,... |
Iraq's interior minister says no arrest warrant for Chalabi Khaleej Times — Permalink BAGHDAD - Iraq's Interior Minister Falah al-Naquib said on Saturday there was no arrest warrant for Ahmed Chalabi after the country's defense minister warned the maverick politician would be jailed for slandering the government. | |
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Juan Cole: [Update 12:35 pm: Interim Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib has denied that there is any warrant outstanding for Chalabi. |
Kevin Drum: UPDATE 2: Interior Minister Falah al-Naquib says there's no arrest warrant for Chalabi, and since he's the guy in charge... |
Roe V. Wade Anniversary Raises Questions AP — Permalink NEW YORK (AP) — Coming just two days after George W. Bush's inauguration, Saturday's anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion is dominated by the hopes of one side — and fears of the other — that the president will try to overturn Roe v. Wade through appointments to fill expected high court vacancies. | |
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Captain Ed: The Anniversary Of Judicial Dictatorship — Today is the 32nd anniversary of the seminal Supreme Court decision Roe v... |
Betsy Newmark: Why would pro-choice proponents support a bill that offers preganant women about to undergo an abortion the option of anesthesia for the fetus? |
On Tyranny By / Weekly Standard — Permalink A social science that cannot speak of tyranny with the same confidence with which medicine speaks, for example, of cancer, cannot understand social phenomena as what they are. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered. | |
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Ken Masugi: Praise of Bush's Second Inaugural — Quoting Leo Strauss from On Tyranny, Bill Kristol describes the "powerful and... Pejman Yousefzadeh: It should also be remembered that President Bush's rhetoric, while powerful, is hardly revolutionary—as William Kristol... Orrin Judd: CONTAINING EVIL IS EVIL: On Tyranny: George W. Bush's Second Inaugural was a powerful and subtle speech. |
Deacon: For more on the Bush address, see the comments of Fred Barnes, Joseph Bottum, and Bill Kristol. Libertarian Jackass: This is just sad. Maybe we'll only understand Bush's words in historical perspective, right Billy? |
Mystery in Iraq as $300 Million is Taken Abroad By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 21 - Earlier this month, according to Iraqi officials, $300 million in American bills was taken out of Iraq's Central Bank, put into boxes and quietly put on a charter jet bound for Lebanon. | |
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Jerome Armstrong: With the amount of money being thrown at Iraq, it's not hard to understand how $300 Million comes up missing via corruptness in Iraq. The Talking Dog: That oil for food program sure justified thousands dead… The Grey Lady treats us to this account of some... |
Juan Cole: CNN expressed puzzlement about the latter, but the reference is in part to charges Chalabi made of financial corruption... |
Official disputes unverified voter tally By / JSOnline — Permalink A week after questions arose over 10,000 voters who registered on election day but whose identity couldn't be confirmed with verification cards, Milwaukee's top election official declared Friday that the number is inaccurate because it is based on an estimate. | |
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Captain Ed: The Cheesewash Continues — One day after Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announced the formation of an investigative panel... |
Ann Althouse: Here's the latest Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article trying to sort through the evidence of fraud in the presidential election. |
Don't Worry Your Pretty Little Head By / Slate — Permalink Larry Summers, the president of Harvard, suggested the other day that innate differences between the sexes might help explain why relatively few women become professional scientists or engineers. For this, he has been denounced—metaphorically, of course—as a Neanderthal. | |
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Kevin Drum: Over at Slate William Saletan bemoans the "pseudo-feminist show trial of Larry Summers." Eugene Volokh: Will Saletan (Slate) on Sex Differences and Math and Science: A well-written and interesting article. |
Jan Haugland: Update: Slate's Will Saletan puts this argument in slightly more polite terms. Let's be clear about what this isn't. |
No room for progressives on primetime in inauguration coverage either Media Matters for America — Permalink Republican and conservative guests and commentators outnumbered Democrats and progressives on FOX News, CNN, and MSNBC during primetime inauguration coverage on January 20, just as they had done earlier in the day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, as Media Matters for America documented. | |
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Dan Gillmor: That 'Liberal' Mainstream Media (TV News Edition) See this "inventory" of inauguration coverage for some interesting comparisons. James Joyner: Liberal press watchdog Media Matters counted noses on the cable news networks and found No room for progressives on... Atrios: Today they covered it from 5-11 on the same day. |
Kevin Aylward: MMA - No room for progressives on primetime in inauguration coverage either Bonus - They're not happy that the few... Kevin Raybould: Hint: it wasn't. Kos @DailyKos: Media Bias, Part II — This has got to stop. |
Iraqi minister: Chalabi will be arrested CNN — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Iraq's interim defense minister said former Iraq exile leader Ahmed Chalabi will be arrested Saturday and handed over to Interpol to face bank fraud charges in Jordan. Saturday is both the final day of the Muslim pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca and the end of Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice. | |
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Juan Cole: Interim Defense Minister Hazem Shaalan announced on al-Jazeerah Friday that Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi would be... |
Kevin Drum: On the other hand, announcing it now should also give Chalabi plenty of time to get out of Dodge — something that... |
Norwegians Confused by Bush Salute AP — Permalink OSLO, Norway — President Bush's "Hook 'em, 'horns" salute got lost in translation in Norway, where shocked people interpreted his hand gesture during his inauguration as a salute to Satan. | |
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Jan Haugland: The Associated Press is poking some well-deserved fun at Norwegian collegues in the article Norwegians Confused by Bush Salute. |
Steve M.: It can't just be the raising of the arm, trying to get your fingers in the right position... As stupid as this might... |
Loud, peaceful protest interrupts Bush speech San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Washington — Thousands of people demonstrated in the streets of the nation's capital Thursday to urge an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and to remind President Bush at his second inauguration that nearly half the country does not share his views. | |
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Michelle Malkin: DEMS GAVE CODE PINK DISRUPTERS TICKETS — The San Francisco Chronicle reported today: [snipped quote] Wonder which members of Congress supplied the tickets? |
Scott Sala: Democrat Disgust — Michelle Malkin writes about nationally-elected Democrats allegedly giving VIP Inaugural tickets to... |
US and UK look for early way out of Iraq Guardian — Permalink Private memos are circulating in Washington, Baghdad and London setting out detailed scenarios for withdrawal of US and British forces from Iraq as early as possible, a Foreign Office source said yesterday. | |
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Oliver Willis: UPDATE: And now they're getting ready to pull out after the "election" ("Yes, deal with the mess we made, inadequately... |
Orrin Judd: BLUE BIRDS OVER: US and UK look for early way out of Iraq (Ewen MacAskill, Richard Norton-Taylor and Rory McCarthy,... |