meme orandum
| A newfangled news tangle |
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TED TURNER COMPARES FOXNEWS TO HITLER Drudge Report — Permalink Ted Turner called FOX an arm of the Bush administration and compared FOXNEWS's popularity to Hitler's popular election to run Germany before WWII. Turner made the controversial comments before a standing-room-only crowd at the National Association for Television Programming Executives's opening session Tuesday. | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: Drudge reports that Turner charmed the standing room-only opening session of the National Association for Television... Ace: Ted Turner Loses It After Losing It (WuzzaDem) I think we've all heard this via Drudge: "Media mogul and noted hothead... Ed Driscoll: Because today, according to Ted Turner, it's Fox News' turn to play Hitler: [snipped quote] As Dennis Miller said in... |
Charles Johnson: UPDATE at 1/25/05 2:46:13 pm: At Drudge Report: A FOXNEWS spokesperson responded: "Ted is understandably bitter having... Betsy Newmark: Ted Turner is really sounding more demented every time he sticks his head above ground and mouths off. he has some obsession with Rupert Murdoch, Fox, and Nazis. Lorie Byrd: Now Fox News = Hitler — This is too funny: [snipped quote] Actually, I think he lost his mind some time ago. |
| Also: Jeff Quinton, Steve Antler | |
As a Matter of FactCheck.org NRO — Permalink The truth about Social Security even eludes the supposed truth-seekers. It's a sad commentary on the state of public discourse when you have to fact-check FactCheck.org. But that's what it's come to. | |
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PGL: Donald Luskin Proposes A Massive Increase in the Payroll Tax — Via Jesse Taylor and many other wise bloggers comes a... DeLong: Stupidest Man Alive Once Again... Pandagon directs us this morning to, yes, Donald Luskin, the stupidest man alive. Jesse Taylor: . But Gollum Luskin steps in and not only screws the pooch, he invites R. Kelly over to videotape it. |
Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: Via Brad DeLong comes news of an article in the National Review that is, if possible, even dumber than the one in which John Tamny told us that trade deficits didn't matter. Kevin Drum: Here is Luskin complaining about the future total value of Social Security payments: "If payrolls are $295.5 trillion... Avedon Carol: Stupidity report — Brad DeLong finds the Stupidest Man Alive (thanks to Jesse), and it is Donald Luskin, doing some amazing Social Security math over at NRO. |
| Also: Betsy Newmark | |
'Aviator' Gets 11 Academy Award Nods By / AP — Permalink BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - The Howard Hughes epic "The Aviator" led Academy Awards contenders with 11 nominations Tuesday, including best picture among them, plus acting honors for Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda and a directing slot for Martin Scorsese. | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: The angry left: Moore passes the baton to Turner — So Michael Moore missed out on Oscar nominations. James Joyner: Oscars Snub Fahrenheit 9/11 and Passion of the Christ 'Aviator' Gets 11 Academy Award Nods (AP) [snipped quote] "The... Steve Bainbridge: So Fahrenheit 911 got zero Academy Award nominations - none, nada, zilch - while the Passion of the Christ picked up... |
Vanderleun: Flick-Pix — Give an Oscar to Michael Moore, Take a Big B.O. Bath There's a lot of talk and a little bit of surprise... Captain Ed: The AMPAS announced the Oscar nominations this morning, and ironically enough, neither film championed by the right and left got nominated for Best Picture. Ace: Mooreover — Zero nominations. The Passion is effectively shut out as well. |
| Also: Charles Johnson, McQ | |
Backers of Gay Marriage Ban Use Social Security as Cudgel NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 - A coalition of major conservative Christian groups is threatening to withhold support for President Bush's plans to remake Social Security unless Mr. Bush vigorously champions a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Bush Is Told: Now It's OUR TURN (Or Else) ChipsThe religious right has begun to send a firm message to the White House... Steve Soto: And to top it all off, as Yuval noted below the Arlington Group, a front group for social conservatives, is complaining... Jerome Armstrong: It looks like that Bush, in promoting his neo-liberalism abroad, fell flat with the home crowd, especially in terms of... |
Noam Scheiber: SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES LIKE THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY, TOO: The Times has an interesting piece today about how leading... Matthew Yglesias: The New York Times reports that some social conservative leaders are getting sick and tired of being the perennial... Yuval Rubinstein: According to an article in today's New York Times, these groups are planning to oppose the Social Security phase-out if... |
| Also: Steve M., Nathan Newman, Tom Maguire, The Farmer | |
Democrats Call Rice Liar, Bush Apologist By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - One Senate Democrat called Condoleezza Rice a liar Tuesday and others said she was an apologist for Bush administration failures in Iraq , but she remained on track for confirmation as secretary of state. | |
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John Cole: They Aren't Even Trying to Be Discreet — If you had any doubt that the recent disgusting behavior by the Democrats was... Oliver Willis: Democrats Call Rice Liar and a Apologist [snipped quote] Oh no. The mean Democrats are being "partisan". |
Charles Johnson: Dems Hit Bottom, Dig — This is a perfect example of why I can no longer be part of the Democrat Party; they have purely... Mathew Gross: Some Dems Have 'Em (Some Don't) So much for Salazar: "Kicking off the Democratic assault, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (news,... |
ANOTHER COLUMNIST WAS PAID TO PROMOTE BUSH PROPOSAL Drudge Report — Permalink In 2002, syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher repeatedly defended President Bush's push for a $300 million initiative encouraging marriage as a way of strengthening families. | |
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Michelle Malkin: So now, Drudge has a preview of Howard Kurtz's Washington Post article tomorrow exposing a conservative writer I have long admired, Maggie Gallagher. Glenn Reynolds: ANOTHER OPED PAYOLA SCANDAL? What are these people thinking? |
Scott Sala: Maggie Gallagher received $21,500 from the Department of Health and Human Services to promote marriage for the poor. |
ABC, CNN, and NBC Touted Saddam 100-Percent Media Research Center — Permalink Will They Dismiss a Real Vote, When They Fell for a Fraud? While the network news gurus have spent weeks questioning whether Sunday's elections in Iraq would (A) occur on time or (B) be accepted as legitimate, it's important to remember that when Saddam... | |
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Cori Dauber: Busted — Via Instapundit, the MRC does the invaluable service of reminding us exactly what language the media was using... Tim Graham: 2002 VS. 2005 — As you watch the top TV news stars furrow their brows about the questionable nature of the Iraqi... Glenn Reynolds: WERE THE MEDIA REALLY more enthusiastic about Iraqi elections two years ago than they are today? |
Betsy Newmark: The Media Research Council reminds us of how the networks covered the 2002 election when Saddam won almost 100%. Ed Driscoll: Iraqi Elections — Over the weekend, Glenn Reynolds wrote: [snipped quote] Meanwhile, the Media Research Center has an... |
Senate Democrats Speak of Slowing Confirmation Votes By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 - Trying to show that they remain a force despite their reduced numbers, Senate Democrats on Monday threatened new hurdles for President Bush's cabinet choices and expressed deep misgivings about the planned Social Security changes at the heart of this year's Republican agenda. | |
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Kos @DailyKos: For the record, Boxer is not the only Senate Democrat showing renewed vigor. The entire caucus is showing signs of life. Howard Kurtz: The Democrats, who have little power on the Hill, may be slowing down the clock: "Trying to show that they remain a... PoliPundit: And it's only going to get worse: "Trying to show that they remain a force despite their reduced numbers, Senate... |
Sam Rosenfeld: An article like this gives one the impression of a caucus that has blessedly resisted the myth that "obstructionism" is politically deadly and to be avoided. Captain Ed: The Democratic minority has decided to express its frustration at the marginalization they inflicted upon themselves by... Steve Bainbridge: Dem Slowdown — [snipped quote] Orrin Judd aptly labels the Democrat stall: "The Politics of Petulance." |
| Also: Orrin Judd | |
Democrats Use Rice Debate to Inveigh Against War in Iraq By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 - Senate Democrats who oppose President Bush's Iraq policy spoke today against Condoleezza Rice's nomination to be secretary of state, signaling that they intended to vigorously oppose the administration's foreign policy despite their minority status. | |
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Captain Ed: Temper Tantrum Continues In Full Senate — As hard as I tried, I just couldn't get worked up about the day-long temper... Ramesh Ponnuru: EVAN BAYH is the name that jumps out at you on this list of Democrats against Rice's confirmation |
David Allan Pell: A headline in the NYT sums it up thusly: Democrats Use Rice Debate to Inveigh Against War in Iraq The sentiment might be right, but the timing is way off. |
Turner Compares Fox's Popularity to Hitler Broadcasting & Cable — Permalink Ted Turner called Fox a propaganda tool of the Bush administration and indirectly compared Fox News Channel's popularity to Adolf Hitler's popular election to run Germany before World War II. | |
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Charles Johnson: But not too burned out to compare Fox News to you-know-who: Turner Compares Fox's Popularity to Hitler. (Hat tip: NY Nana.) Cori Dauber: But if that was all that was going on, would we so consistently see this level of hysteria in the response to Fox from major media figures, from academics, and from journalists. |
TVNewser: We wish him well." (Via B&C) > "They don't call Turner the loudmouth of the South for nothing. |
U.S. Hostage Pleads for His Life in Iraq By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - An American hostage pleaded for his life with a rifle pointed at his head in a video released Tuesday while 11 Iraqi police died in fierce clashes and gunmen assassinated a senior judge in slayings highlighting security risks ahead of this weekend's elections. | |
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James Joyner: American Hostage Roy Hallums Begs for Life on Video — U.S. Hostage Pleads for His Life in Iraq (AP) "An American... Joe Gandelman: An American hostage...on video tape...pleading for his life with a gun visibly at his head...shortly before Iraqi elections: Do we need a psychic to guess the intent of this event? |
Paul @Wizbang: Another American Hostage on Video Tape — Notice the gun to his head: U.S. Hostage Pleads for His Life in Iraq ...In the... Michelle Malkin: REPORTING ON AMERICAN HOSTAGE ROY HALLUMS — If you are wondering about the video of American hostage Roy Hallums that... |
Would-be suicide bomber angry at those who sent him USA Today — Permalink BAGHDAD — His head and hands were wrapped in bandages and his uncovered face looked like bubbled tar. Ahmed Abdullah al Shaya survived the explosion of the bomb-rigged gas truck that he was driving on Christmas day. | |
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Michael Ledeen: So here's a story from USA Today about a case in which the martyr-to-be thought he was going to run away...but they tricked him. Pejman Yousefzadeh: YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY — Today, you learn—in the exceedingly unlikely event that you did not know it... Orrin Judd: THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM LIKE THEY USED TO...: Would-be suicide bomber angry at those who sent him (Steven Komarow and Sabah... |
Greyhawk: Suicide Bombing: Not All it's Cracked up to Be — Here's a different sort of story from USA Today: "His head and hands... James Joyner: Would-be Suicide Bomber Angry at Those who Sent Him — Would-be suicide bomber angry at those who sent him (USA Today)... |
Johnny By / Weekly Standard — Permalink WHEN A PROMINENT AMERICAN in any field passes on, it's front page news. Some sneer at this and say, "The same thing happens to everyone. Why is it bigger if it happens to a star?" But I think it is bigger. | |
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The Big Trunk: "No pants" — In his Standard Online column, comedian Larry Miller offers a remembrance of his Tonight Show appearance... |
Orrin Judd: (William F. Buckley, 1/25/05, National Review) -Johnny: Remembering Johnny Carson, 1925 - 2005. |
FBI: Boston Terror Tip Was a False Alarm AP — Permalink BOSTON — The FBI said Tuesday that the possible terrorist plot reported against Boston by a tipster last week was a false alarm. "There were in fact no terrorist plans or activity under way," the FBI said in a statement. | |
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Steve M.: A leading theory was that a smuggler tipped authorities to a false terror plot to exact revenge on a group of Chinese... |
Jeff Quinton: FBI: Boston tip was "false alarm" AP [snipped quote] UPDATE: Michelle Malkin points out Jose Beltran Quinones has been arrested in Mexicali, Mexico. |
Politics and Values in a 51%-48% Nation Pew Research Center — Permalink Public attitudes on national security are now much more strongly associated with partisan affiliation than they were in the late 1990s. A comprehensive study of long-term public values finds that beliefs about national security are now twice as important as economic or social values in shaping a person's partisan identification. | |
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Avedon Carol: (Also I Hate Polls, reacting to some incoherent poll results: As I always say, there is no higher morality than that of... |
Eugene Oregon: I Hate Polls — This Pew Research Center poll has lots of interesting information. |
Results, Not Timetables, Matter in Iraq WaPo — Permalink The debate on Iraq is taking a new turn. The Iraqi elections scheduled for Jan. 30, only recently viewed as a culmination, are described as inaugurating a civil war. The timing and the voting arrangements have become controversial. | |
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Donald Sensing: In today's Washington Post, former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz have a jointly-written article, "Results, Not Timetables, Matter in Iraq." Dale Franks: Results, not timetables — Henry Kissinger and George Schultz have penned a detailed assessment of progress in Iraq, as well as policy suggestions for being successful there. |
Wretchard: The Kissinger-Schultz Article — An article jointly authored by Henry Kissinger and George Schultz in the Washington... Cori Dauber: This just can't be good — I just agreed with Henry Kissinger. But I feel really strange about it. |
Meat Packing Industry Criticized on Human Rights Grounds By / NYT — Permalink For the first time, Human Rights Watch has issued a report that harshly criticizes a single industry in the United States, concluding that the nation's meat packing industry has such bad working conditions that it violates basic human and worker rights. | |
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Henry Farrell: Which is why I hope that this recent NYT story describing a Human Rights Watch report on the US meatpacking industry... |
Susan Madrak: HUMAN MEAT — This may be enough to push me over into the vegetarian column: [snipped quote] Don't worry, I'm sure the USDA is right on top of it. |
. . . Oh, Never Mind By / WaPo — Permalink Perhaps I owe readers an apology. While I was critical of President Bush's inaugural address in some respects, it appears that I took its promise of an expansive campaign on behalf of democracy too seriously. | |
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Dale Franks: Cynicism — E.J. Dionne has irked me. After carefully considering the president's inauguration speech, he's decided that it's a bunch of right-wing BS. Ramesh Ponnuru: SPEECH REAX — A friend emails a note with this conclusion: "So far the worst piece on the Bush speech is (slightly surprisingly) by E. J. Dionne. |
Avedon Carol: A couple of things — Good news - E.J. Dionne came down from whatever he was smoking on inauguration day and has reevaluated the big speech. |
Democrats Call Rice Liar, Bush Apologist ABCNEWS — Permalink WASHINGTON Jan 25, 2005 — One Senate Democrat called Condoleezza Rice a liar Tuesday and others said she was an apologist for Bush administration failures in Iraq, but she remained on track for confirmation as secretary of state. | |
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Avedon Carol: Most impressive is the headline at ABC (from AP): Democrats Call Rice Liar, Bush Apologist. |
Ramesh Ponnuru: DAYTON joins the Boxer caucus. Actually, he takes the lead. |
Film Critics By / TNR — Permalink John Kerry let slip a few gaffes in his run for president, and the one that may have hurt him most is barely remembered. In July, at a Bush-bashing fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall, Kerry told a group of Hollywood entertainers that they "conveyed the heart and soul of the country." | |
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Julian Sanchez: Blue State Bluenoses — The latest in a long line of victory-through-capitulat ion suggestions for besieged Democrats... |
Jim Henley: Now I Know Why God Put OTHER People on the Earth - A disadvantage of working at a day job where you really don't feel... |
Personal to Johnny NRO — Permalink My nights on Tonight. If Johnny Carson could have managed it, no doubt his death would have been a private affair. Who would have been invited to his memorial service? We don't know. That is the measure of his integrity as a private man. | |
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Orrin Judd: MORE (via Tom Morin): Personal to Johnny: My nights on Tonight. (William F. Buckley, 1/25/05, National Review) -Johnny: Remembering Johnny Carson, 1925 - 2005. |
Michael DeBow: Lileks explains Carson's brand of cool. Also recommended: Tributes from William F. Buckley and Steve Martin. |
Clinton Seeking Shared Ground Over Abortions By / NYT — Permalink ALBANY, Jan. 24 - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Monday that the opposing sides in the divisive debate over abortion should find "common ground" to prevent unwanted pregnancies and ultimately reduce abortions, which she called a "sad, even tragic choice to many, many women." | |
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MWS @Centerfield: An interesting article in the New York Times about what seems to be Hilary Clinton's attempt to move to the center on the abortion issue. New Donkey: Higher Ground on Abortion — In sharp contrast to the president's evasive and deceptive phone-in comments on abortion... Howard Kurtz: I don't know, but those who see her mapping an '08 strategy will make much of this New York Times report: "Senator... |
Medium Lobster: Hillary Clinton is reaching out to pro-life voters by softening her rhetoric on abortion, and the Medium Lobster can... Joe Gandelman: Hillary Continues Her Move Towards The Center — Hillary Clinton is continuing to take stances that carve out a key spot... Hugh Hewitt: A new American blogger in China. Oh, by the way. Hillary is running for president. Official announcement to follow in three years. |
| Also: David Allan Pell, Ann Althouse, Dale Franks, Avedon Carol, Taegan Goddard, Orrin Judd, Mike Rappaport, Michelle Malkin, KJL | |
Doctors Vanish From View By / US News — Permalink 'It was slow water torture," says Paul Ryack. That's how the 63-year-old board-certified internist describes his working life just a few years ago. With a few thousand patients, many of them elderly, he could barely find time to listen to halting explanations... | |
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Barbara O'Brien: [Link] So I'm reading this article and remembering that, back in the 1980s, the news mags were telling us that problems... |
Dale Franks: Invisible Doctors — US News reports that Doctors are giving up medicine in ever greater numbers, frustrated by massive... |
Budget Office Predicts $368 Billion Deficit This Year NYT — Permalink The Congressional Budget Office predicted today that the federal government will run a deficit of $368 billion this year, a figure that does not include a request that administration officials plan to unveil later today for $80 billion more in funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. | |
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DeLong: Kevin Drum watches OMB Director Joshua Bolten put on the big shoes and the rubber nose as he takes a starring role in... |
Kevin Drum: THE BUDGET FANTASYLAND CONTINUES...Hot on the heels of the CBO's projections, the White House made their own budget... |
Balking at Vote, Sunnis Seek Role on Constitution By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 24 - Sunni Arab leaders who have been the most vocal in calling for a boycott or postponement of the coming elections say they intend to get involved in politics after the vote, including taking part in writing a permanent constitution. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: In what counts as a bit of good news from Iraq, Sunni Arab political leaders who will be boycotting next week's election... Hugh Hewitt: The New York Times has an article on Sunni plans post-election. We are closing in on a huge moment for the middle east. Glenn Reynolds: That's news, all right. Here's the story. |
Cori Dauber: Take for example today's lead article from the Times, "Balking at Vote, Sunnis Seek Role on Constitution." Rich Lowry: WILL WONDERS NEVER CEASE — For the second day in a row, the New York Times has a positive Iraq piece, this one about Sunnis wanting to have a part drafting the consitution. Juan Cole: Ed Wong of the New York Times writes an important piece about the behind the scenes maneuverings of major Sunni Arab... |
'Good man' follows the law By / USA Today — Permalink Judge Alberto Gonzales is an exceptional attorney, devoted public servant and good man of humble beginnings. His nomination to serve as our 80th attorney general — and our first of Hispanic descent — is an inspiring American success story. | |
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Eugene Oregon: Sen. John Cornyn [snipped quote] Or Human Rights Watch "At his oversight hearing, Mr. Gonzales also demonstrated a lack... |
KJL: RE: CORNYN — Here he is defending Gonzales in USA Today today, by the way. |
Torture in Iraq Still Routine, Report Says By / WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, Jan. 24 — Twenty months after Saddam Hussein's government was toppled and its torture chambers unlocked, Iraqis are again being routinely beaten, hung by their wrists and shocked with electrical wires, according to a report by a human rights organization. | |
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Tarek @LiquidList: Politics/Media: Mixed Bag — I've been eerily quiet here lately and I apologize. A little of this and a little of that, you understand. Arnold P. California: I Wonder if the Rape Rooms Are Still in Use — Because the torture chambers apparently are. WMD Ties to al Qaeda Freedom Democracy? |
Laura Rozen: How can that be? How can this? |
Election Is Looking Up for Allawi By / LAT — Permalink BAGHDAD — A pair of expectant eyes peer over Iraq. On bus stops and lampposts, television screens and billboards, the ubiquitous close-up image of interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's gaze has become the central icon of his election campaign. | |
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Patrick Ruffini: More Iraqi Horserace Coverage, Please — Via Betsy Newmark comes this very interesting piece in the L.A. Times on the... Orrin Judd: KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK: Election Is Looking Up for Allawi (Edmund Sanders, January 25, 2005, LA Times) [snipped quote] Continue? |
Betsy Newmark: Who knows about polling results in Iraq, but it sounds as if Allawi's slate is doing better than first thought, although... |
Search engine Google sets sights on video By / USA Today — Permalink Internet search giant Google's next target: video. Monday night, Google (GOOG) introduced a test site that searches closed-caption TV show transcripts (www.google.com/video). What the site won't let you do is locate specific video clips, even though some smaller video search engines offer that. | |
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James Joyner: Google Video Search — Search engine Google sets sights on video (USA Today) [snipped quote] Wizbang's Paul had the same... |
Paul @Wizbang: Blogger's Manna From Google Heaven — Oh this could come in handy: Search engine Google sets sights on video Internet search giant Google's next target: video. |
Militants Show Video of U.S. Hostage; Judge Killed By / Reuters — Permalink BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Insurgents distributed a video Tuesday showing a U.S. hostage pleading for his life, and militants assassinated a senior judge in Baghdad, pressing their campaign of violence ahead of Sunday's watershed election. | |
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Chad Evans: Roy Hallums, American Hostage, on Video Tape Plea — An American worker, Roy Hallums, who was abducted out of his... |
James Joyner: This ABC News report on the story, though, shows the bizarre mindset of some so-called human rights groups: "Hallums is... |
The Democratic Ideal By / Opinion Journal — Permalink Wouldn't. Couldn't. Shouldn't. These were the refrains of the cognoscenti in response to President Bush's inaugural address. Many conceded that the speech had moments of eloquence. But as a framework for U.S. policy, they found it had no hope of success and could lead to a passel of troubles. | |
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Deacon: President Bush's higher realism - Part Two — Joshua Muravchik, in the Opinion Journal, explains why, when it comes to... Orrin Judd: THE END IS NIGH: The Democratic Ideal: The president's "realist" critics need to get real. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: "MORE REALISTIC THAN THE REALISTS" — Joshua Muravchik offers praise for the Inaugural Address: [snipped quote] I've... Greg Ransom: JOSHUA MURAVCHIK — the Wilsonians are the realists. |
DON'T DO THE MATH New Yorker — Permalink In the business world, bad news is usually good news—for somebody else. Ever since Merck announced, this past fall, that the pain reliever Vioxx could be linked to an increased risk of strokes or heart attacks, ads from lawyers trolling for potential... | |
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Henry Farrell: Update: via Bill Gardner, I see that James Surowiecki is similarly critical of the marketing of Vioxx: But companies... |
Orrin Judd: HOIST: DON'T DO THE MATH (James Surowiecki, 2005-01-17, The New Yorker) [snipped quote] Pharma should be treated like tobacco and banned from advertising. |
Republicans and the future By / Washington Times — Permalink T.S. Eliot once wrote that politics is too important to be left only to politicians. Last year, 1.4 million Americans from all 50 states resoundingly agreed and volunteered their time on behalf of President Bush's re-election campaign. | |
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Scott Sala: Ken Mehlman Writes — Ken Mehlman, the new GOP party chairman, has a piece in the Washington Times today. |
Orrin Judd: AND REDDER: Republicans and the future (Ken Mehlman, 1/24/05, Washington Times) "T.S. Eliot once wrote that politics is too important to be left only to politicians. |
White House Looking for Ways to Ease Opposition to Social Security Overhaul NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 - The Bush administration, facing opposition from Democrats and unease among Republicans over its plan to overhaul Social Security, is looking at new ideas for cutting future benefits that would hit wealthy retirees harder than those in the middle or bottom ranks of wage-earners, people involved in the discussions say. | |
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Steve Soto: It comes on the same day that the NYT is reporting that the White House is backing up already and looking at how to... Tom Maguire: Background On White House Soc Sec Reform — The Times tries to peer through the fog, smoke and mirrors, and ascertain... Orrin Judd: ON NOT PAYING FOR WARREN BUFFETT'S RETIREMENT: White House Looking for Ways to Ease Opposition to Social Security... |
Josh Marshall: The NY Times piece ("White House Looking for Ways to Ease Opposition to Social Security Overhaul") describes White House... Taegan Goddard: Nonetheless, the New York Times says that "despite signs of reluctance from Capitol Hill, the White House remains... |
Army Closed Many Abuse Cases Early WaPo — Permalink Army personnel have admitted to beating or threatening to kill Iraqi detainees and stealing money from Iraqi civilians but have not been charged with criminal conduct, according to newly released Army documents. | |
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Steve Soto: The Post also reported today that the Army has routinely closed investigations against scores of corrupt soldiers... Andrew Sullivan: AND NOW IT'S NORMAL: Military abuse and torture of detainees may be more widespread than the official reports have found. Jesse Taylor: On the negative side, they're dealing with many of them by dismissing them without findings of innocence or guilt. |
Ace: Furthermore, the Washington Post reports that five non governmental organizations also obtained army documents through lawsuits detailing the abuse of Iraqi "civilians." Tbogg: George Bush's war: The newly released reports detail allegations similar to those that surrounded the documented abuse... Laura Rozen: And they did so well on getting to the bottom of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo abuse as well! |
Militant Imams Under Scrutiny Across Europe By / NYT — Permalink LONDON, Jan. 24 - In nightly sermons broadcast on the Internet, Sheik Omar Bakri Muhammad, a 46-year-old Syrian-born cleric, has urged young Muslim men all over the world to support the Iraq insurgency on the front line of "the global jihad," investigators say. | |
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Mark Leon Goldberg: This New York Times piece on the growing importance of certain European mosques in recruiting young European Muslims to fight Americans in Iraq deserves attention. |
Cori Dauber: I've Got a Question — In the credit-where-credit-is-du e department, I have to say that in the last year or so, maybe... |
Mayor unveils first specific actions on air toxics issue By / Houston Chronicle — Permalink Taking his strongest stance yet on the city's air pollution problems, Mayor Bill White on Monday said the city would set up an air pollution monitoring network along the fences of some of the region's industrial plants to track down companies contributing to risky levels of carcinogenic chemicals in city air. | |
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Charles Kuffner: Tracking toxic air "Taking his strongest stance yet on the city's air pollution problems, Mayor Bill White on Monday... |
Jack Cluth: It is a step in the right direction... Mayor unveils first specific actions on air toxics issue: New plan would monitor... |
Listen to What the Man Says NYT — Permalink Could the Palestinians finally be figuring out how to get what they want? It's a sign of how low the expectations are for Mideast peace that we wanted to publish this editorial about a possible cease-fire in Gaza as soon as we could, lest the possible cease-fire be broken before we could congratulate those who agreed to it. | |
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Rich Lowry: AN INADVERTENT TRIBUTE TO SHARON — Here were some other amazing words in the Times today in an editorial on the PA and... |
David Gerstman: Words like pearls — The editors of The New York Times can barely restrain their enthusiasm in "Listen to what the man says." |
Fourth estate or fifth column By / Townhall.com — Permalink There are still people in the mainstream media who profess bewilderment that they are accused of being biased. But you need to look no further than reporting on the war in Iraq to see the bias staring you in the face, day after day, on the front page of the New York Times and in much of the rest of the media. | |
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Richard Reeb: Thomas Sowell Nails Media — The national and international media's assault on America's mission in Iraq is so... |
Betsy Newmark: Thomas Sowell likes to call a spade a spade so he calls the media a fifth column. |
GOP discord bogs Social Security reform By / Washington Times — Permalink Several Republicans are questioning President Bush's proposals on Social Security reform, and one top House Republican is pushing new ideas, leaving some Bush allies doubting that legislation will advance this year. | |
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Taegan Goddard: The Washington Times says some Bush allies are "doubting that legislation will advance this year." |
Betsy Newmark: While, I'm always glad to have real life examples for my class, it is extremely irritating to have someone like Bill... |
The Sticky Ladder By / NYT — Permalink In his Inaugural Address President Bush embraced the grandest theme of American foreign policy - the advance of freedom around the world. Now that attention is turning to the State of the Union address, it would be nice if he would devote himself as passionately to the grandest theme of domestic policy - social mobility. | |
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The Poor Man: Bobo the Clown just murdered irony: [snipped quote] Um, Bobo, on what f**king episode of Star Trek do you expect to see George W. Bush become a champion of social mobility? Matt Davis: But not Brooks. It's all just some weird coincidence: "In his State of the Union address, President Bush is no doubt going to talk about his vision of an ownership society. |
Tom Maguire: David Brooks On "The Hereditary Meritocracy" — David Brooks writes on declining social mobility in the US, and warns of... Tbogg: I'm being serious here... Shorter David Brooks: "I fail to see what is so amusing about having the President discuss America as a meritocracy, so stop your hysterical giggling." |
The Anglosphere Challenge to the Political Left By / TCS — Permalink "People who define themselves primarily as members of collective entities, whether families, religions, racial or ethnic groups, political movements, or even corporations, cannot be the basis of a civil society. | |
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Jon Henke: First, note the points Arnold Kling makes here... "...modern technological change requires [...] easy entry and exit for social, economic, and political institutions. Greg Ransom: ARNOLD KLING has a terrific article out today at Tech Central Station. |
Glenn Reynolds: ARNOLD KLING looks at the dubious future of self-marginalizing groups — in a discussion inspired by Jim Bennett's new book, The Anglosphere Challenge. |
Social Security Changes, Tax Cuts Among GOP Senators' 10 Priorities By / WaPo — Permalink Senate Republican leaders outlined their 10 top legislative priorities yesterday, focusing mainly on cutting taxes and restructuring Social Security. But two notable omissions — changes to immigration laws and a ban on same-sex marriage — underscored tensions with their conservative wing. | |
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Sam Rosenfeld: Instead they offered a list of ten legislative items that are eminently worthy but are destined to get little more attention than a paragraph in a Tuesday Washington Post piece. Steve Soto: A Tale Of Two Agendas - More Tax Cuts, Or Helping People — Today, both the Senate Republicans and the Senate Democrats... |
Captain Ed: Senate GOP Agenda Missing Illegal Immigration And Gay Marriage — The conservative wing of the GOP will not delight in the Senate's agenda for this session of Congress. |
al-Qaida Official Admits to U.N. Assault By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - An al-Qaida lieutenant in custody in Iraq has confessed to masterminding most of the car bombings in Baghdad, including the bloody 2003 assault on the U.N. headquarters in the capital, authorities said Monday. | |
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James R. Rummel: Perspective — According to this news story, a high raking al-Queda operative has confessed to the bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad. Charles Johnson: AP: "Al Qaeda Official" — An amazing headline on an Associated Press story by an Arab stringer: al-Qaida Official Admits to U.N. Assault. |
Cori Dauber: (His link has gone stale: try this one.) Ace: Now It's Official — AP headline yesterday: AL-QAEDA OFFICIAL ADMITS TO U.N. ASSAULT Just let that sink in for a bit. |
Iraq Announces Capture Of Aide to Wanted Militant By / WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, Jan. 24 — Iraqi officials announced Monday that they had captured a top lieutenant of insurgent leader Abu Musab Zarqawi who admitted involvement in a substantial share of the car bombings carried out in Iraq since August 2003. | |
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Tarek @LiquidList: I'll give you one guess to try and tell me whether this guy will have a trial before he's tortured by Rummy's Strategic Support Branch? |
Cori Dauber: A Very Different Kind of Round-Up — Take at look at this Washington Post article. |
Political Islam Put to the Test In Southern Iraq By / WaPo — Permalink BASRA, Iraq, Jan. 24 — Along Basra's Algeria Street, a bustling thoroughfare as storied and dreary as this city, Adnan Abu Tariq hurried to his trading company office Monday and whispered his plans for Sunday's elections. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: A long background piece on the politics in Basra from the Post. The New York Times has an article on Sunni plans post-election. Juan Cole: Award-winning journalist Anthony Shadid reports on the political scene in Basra, Iraq's southern port city, with its population of 1.3 million. |
Cori Dauber: Take this superb article on the political situation in Basra, for example. |
Hugh Hewitt's 95 Theses By / TCS — Permalink While it's not the first book on the subject, Radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt has written perhaps the most easily accessible book on the Blogosphere yet — what it is, what it's accomplished, and where it's going. It's also unique in its discussion of the business aspects of blogging. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: Ed Driscoll reviews Blog at TechCentralStation. Rising west coast media powerhouse Carol Platt Liebau does so at her site. Betsy Newmark: Ed Driscoll applauds Hugh Hewitt's 95 Theses in Hewitt's book, Blog. |
Orrin Judd: MORE JIM JONES THAN MARTIN LUTHER: Hugh Hewitt's 95 Theses (Edward B. Driscoll, Jr, 01/25/2005, Tech Central Station)... Ed Driscoll: Hugh Hewitt's 95 Theses — I'm safely back in San Jose after a day spent in airplanes and airports, and my interview with Hugh Hewitt about Blog is online at Tech Central Station. |
Senator Clinton Speaks of 'Common Ground' on Abortion By / NYT — Permalink ALBANY, Jan. 24 - Proposing new political language about abortion rights for the Democratic Party, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said today that friends and foes on the issue should come together on "common ground" to reduce the number of "unwanted pregnancies" and ultimately abortions, which she called a "sad, even tragic choice to many, many women." | |
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Tom Smith: Abortion statistics — This speech by Hillary is quite interesting. Stephen Green: According to Drudge, it sure looks that way: [snipped quote] The New York Times has the full story. |
Tom Maguire: No Respect — Hillary joins in the Democratic scramble back to the center on abortion: "While she acknowledged in her... |
AARP 'dead set against' Bush's Social Security plan By / USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — The nation's largest seniors' lobby will oppose any proposal that takes tax money out of Social Security to create private investment accounts for today's workers, the head of AARP said Monday. That puts the group on a collision course with President Bush and Republicans in Congress. | |
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Taegan Goddard: AARP Opposes Bush Plan — "The nation's largest seniors' lobby will oppose any proposal that takes tax money out of... |
Josh Marshall: AARP digs in even deeper against the president's phase-out plan. |
Lawmaker's Son Charged in Tire-Slashing By / AP — Permalink MILWAUKEE - The sons of a first-term congresswoman and Milwaukee's former acting mayor were among five Democratic activists charged Monday with slashing the tires of vans rented by Republicans to drive voters and monitors to the polls on Election Day. | |
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James Frederick Dwight: I'm a little unclear on why the story about paid Kerry workers slashing the tires of Republican campaign vans isn't a bigger deal. Hugh Hewitt: Here is the story of the five Kerry campaign employees who were charged with slashing tires on GOP get-out-the-vote vans on election day. Jeralyn Merritt: Five Dem Activists Charged With Slashing Tires of GOP Workers — A few bad apples? [snipped quote] Yes, if they did it, it's wrong. |
Steve Bainbridge: In case you missed it, Hugh posted a good one on the real vote suppression story: "Here is the story of the five Kerry... Ace: Damn Dirty Democrats [Say Anything] Sadly, this sort of thing was par for the course among Democrat "activists" this last election cycle. |
The Greenspan Succession By / NYT — Permalink Alan Greenspan is expected to retire next year. The Bush administration, because of its nature, will have a hard time finding a successor. One Fed chairman famously described his job as being to "take away the punch bowl just when the party gets going." | |
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Stephen Green: Yes, Paul Krugman: [snipped quote] Forget the partisan sniping about Bush's personality, and ask yourself: Who replaces Greenspan? |
Dale Franks: Despite my initial fears that this was a sign of the Apocalypse, Krugman actually makes some sense. |
Torture Still Routine in Iraqi Jails, Report Says By / Reuters — Permalink BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi authorities routinely torture prisoners, a leading human rights group said Tuesday, citing examples of abuse which will sound all too familiar to those who suffered under Saddam Hussein . | |
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Taegan Goddard: Torture Continues in Iraq — [snipped quote] Reuters reports. |
Kos @DailyKos: Torture in Iraq — Good thing the US saved Iraqis from torture, huh? [snipped quote] So why did we invade again? |
Media Backtalk WaPo — Permalink Consumers used to get their news from newspapers, magazines and evening broadcasts from the three television networks. Now, with the Internet, cable TV and 24-hour news networks, the news cycle is faster and more constant, with every minute carrying a new deadline. | |
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Duckman GR: Howie Conflicted Kurtz, (Atrios nod) responded to a question as follows. Arlington, Va.: Hi Howard, Thanks for the chats — they're always interesting. |
Roger Ailes: Hard as it is to believe, Howie the Putz didn't mention the Jumana Hanna story in his online chit-chat today. |
Bush Seeks $80B for Military Spending By / Reuters — Permalink The Bush administration will announce as early as Tuesday that it will seek about $80 billion in new funding for military operations this year in Iraq and Afghanistan, pushing the total for both conflicts to almost $300 billion so far. | |
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McQ: Since no new spending has been assumed for those wars this year (even though we know we have an $80 billion dollar... Chris Bowers: The Endless War — We are not leaving Iraq anytime soon: [snipped quote] Support for the war is already declining, and... |
Steve Soto: While Bill Frist's president asked for another $80 billion for Iraq, catching his own party by surprise, he and his... Josh Marshall: White House slides through the card for the annual $80-odd billion in Iraq spending. |
Postponed execution tests a region's views on crime By / Christian Science Monitor — Permalink Boston - A federal judge in Connecticut said Monday he will order a postponement of the execution of serial killer Michael Ross, who had been scheduled to be put to death at 2:01 a.m. Jan. 26. | |
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TChris: As the Christian Science Monitor reports, some fear that a New England execution will open the door to greater reliance... |
Orrin Judd: EVEN OUR BLUES ARE REDDISH: Postponed execution tests a region's views on crime: The death penalty is to be used this... |
WOULD YOU LET YOUR DAUGHTER WEAR THIS PROM DRESS? By / New York Post — Permalink This prom dress is so skimpy, even the designer's CEO wouldn't let his teenage daughter wear it. But the dangerously revealing gown, prominently advertised in Seventeen Prom, YM Prom and Teen Prom, and on sale in a Midtown shop, is a top seller for the company this season. | |
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Michelle Malkin: MOMMYBLOGGING: PORN STAR PROM DRESSES — One of the most buzzed-about stories on the web yesterday was the N.Y. Post's feature on super-skimpy prom dresses. Michele Catalano: How...revealing [Updated] Would you let your daughter wear this to her prom? Joanne Jacobs: Prom undress — Kimberly Swygert is so old and unhip she thinks a $495 prom dress should cover a girl's breasts. |
Jan Haugland: The NY Post prints a very, eh, nice picture of a lady in a near non-existant dress and asks: Would you let your daughter wear this prom dress? Ace: The Porn Look Is In [Say Anything] This could be what your little girl wants to wear to the prom. Kevin Aylward: I can't do these two strange stories justice, so just go read them... Politicians Gone Wild Prom Dresses Gone Wild |
| Also: KJL | |
Storm's Aftermath; Blog Nation; 'Paging Dr. Gupta' CNN — Permalink THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It looks pretty from here, doesn't it? Try 11 degrees outside, about zero with the wind chill. Later Liberty on a chilly... | |
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Jesse Taylor: More Hewitt-ization — The transcript of Hewitt's open urinating on his own ideals. Greyhawk: FIST — This, is CNN: [snipped quote] Glenn, as the proprietor of the Mabil Gazette, I bet a nickle Hugh said Fisked. Captain Ed: Hugh went from there to CNN and an appearance on American Morning. |
Hugh Hewitt: [CNN transcript here. Scroll down. No transcript yet for F&F. Send me a pointer if you see one. Glenn Reynolds: ER, I THINK YOU MEANT FISKED, HUGH: [snipped quote] Then again, given what Blair did to them this time, maybe it's not a transcription error . Roger Ailes: Hugh Hewitt: I Love Fisting — At least that's how I read this: [snipped quote] I never knew Hugh had it in him. |
Countdown to global catastrophe By / Independent — Permalink The global warming danger threshold for the world is clearly marked for the first time in an international report to be published tomorrow - and the bad news is, the world has nearly reached it already. | |
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Sir George: In Ten Years We May Have Been Warned — Yep, the climate scientists have issued their first ever warning of impending... Joe Gandelman: If you read this report in England's Independent, we all might as well take Jim Jones style Kool Aid right now: "The... Acidman: While you people up north are digging out of snowbanks and I am freezing my Cracker ass off in Southeast Georgia, stop shivering for a moment and read this. |
Scott Burgess: As anyone would be, I was still a bit depressed by yesterday's main Independent story, Countdown to Global Catastrophe -... Paul @Wizbang: Countdown to Global Catastrophe (Ominous Music Here) I clipped more of this than I usually would, but read the whole... Jan Haugland: Just to add insult to injury, as Scott Burgess notes, the Independent had to choose this day, with Northern Europe and... |
| Also: David Cohen, Bill @INDCJournal, Brian Montopoli, Jack Fowler, Mathew Gross | |
Europe has taken over the Holocaust By / Telegraph — Permalink According to a poll by the University of Bielefeld, 62 per cent of Germans are "sick of all the harping on about German crimes against the Jews" - which is an unusually robust formulation for a multiple-choice questionnaire, but at least has the advantage of leaving us in no confusion as to how things stand in this week of panEuropean Holocaust "harping on". | |
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Charles Johnson: Steyn: Europe Has Taken Over the Holocaust — Mark Steyn: Europe has taken over the Holocaust. look at how my colleagues at The Spectator chose to mark the anniversary. Maimon Schwarzschild: Europe's "Remorse" toward the Jews — Mark Steyn has it right, unfortunately, about this week's official commemorations... |
KJL: THE LEGEND OF JENIN lives on. Betsy Newmark: Mark Steyn is his usual sharp self in looking at the attitude in Europe today towards the Holocaust and Israel. |
Sen. Boxer takes victim role after hearing for Rice By / Washington Times — Permalink Sen. Barbara Boxer says she is the real victim of last week's confirmation hearing for Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice, yet continued yesterday to question the national security adviser's honesty. | |
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John Cole: Rice responds. Boxer then whines that Rice attacked her. Meanwhile, Boxer and the DSCC are using the event to raise money. Charles Johnson: Babs Plays Victim Card — I was wondering if Barbara Boxer could possibly get any more disgusting; well, she can: Sen. Boxer takes victim role after hearing for Rice. Orrin Judd: MORE: Sen. Boxer takes victim role after hearing for Rice (Audrey Hudson, 1/23/05, THE WASHINGTON TIMES) [quote] "She turned...[end quote] |
Jesse Taylor: Liberals Are Assholes, Yadda Yadda Yadda — This story was widely cited over the conservo-sphere yesterday: "Sen. Boxer takes victim role after hearing for Rice". Captain Ed: The tears this week come from her claims of victimhood at the hands of Condoleezza Rice after last week's confirmation hearings. Jane Galt: It must be awfully hard to be a senator — Everyone's so meeeeeean: [snipped quote] Sorry, was there a question there? |
| Also: Steve Bainbridge | |
The Iraqi people will defy the Ba'athists and Islamofascists By / Guardian — Permalink Just look at who is trying to stop Iraqis voting and by what methods. That alone shows how important this week's elections are to Iraq. The horrific war against the Iraqi people is being run by the same people who oppressed and tortured them for decades - Saddam's henchmen and gaolers. | |
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Greyhawk: William Shawcross writes in The Guardian [quote] Tony Blair said in Baghdad in December: "On the one side...[end quote] Natalie Solent: And here's where I turn my sarcasm button off: it did. Damian Penny: William Shawcross, writing in The Guardian, rightly calls that paper's target audience on its blinkered refusal to... |
Jan Haugland: Democrats against democracy — William Shawcross gives the Guardian readership what they need, but probably not what... Captain Ed: Shawcross Calls Out The West — William Shawcross launches an attack on so-called democrats who remain AWOL on the upcoming Iraqi elections in today's Guardian (UK). Deacon: William Shawcross is a distinguished British author. He first came to prominence as a critic of the U.S. policy in Southeast Asia. |
| Also: Norm Geras, Ace | |
5 charged in election-day tire slashings By / JSOnline — Permalink Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann announced this morning that five of the seven men arrested in the election-day slashing of Republican vehicles' tires - including the sons of two prominent Milwaukee Democratic politicians - have been charged with felonies and will appear in court this afternoon. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: This isn't election fraud, exactly, but it's pretty lame. The Big Trunk: Today's installment ought to help out those who are still searching for a unifying thread: "5 charged in election day tire slashings." |
Taegan Goddard: Five Charged in Tire Slashing — Five men arrested in the "election-day slashing of Republican vehicles' tires —... |
Conservative group to meet with state lawmakers By / AP — Permalink Some Mississippi lawmakers are scheduled to speak Thursday to the Council of Conservative Citizens, an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center calls "a patently white supremacist group." | |
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Chris Lawrence: Ah, to live in Rankin County — It's always nice to see our state legislators up to business as usual: "Some... Atrios: Bobo's World — Link: Some Mississippi lawmakers are scheduled to speak Thursday to the Council of Conservative... |
Fontana Labs: Atrios links to this story relating how "several [Mississipi] House and Senate members" are to speak to the Council of... |
Bush to Seek About $80 Bln for Military Operations Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration plans to announce as early as Tuesday that it will seek about $80 billion in new funding for military operations this year in Iraq and Afghanistan, administration and congressional sources said on Monday. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: Reuters reports that the $80 billion is in addition to $25 billion in emergency spending already approved for this fiscal year, which just started October 1. Radley Balko: Bush asks for $80 billion more. |
The Poor Man: $80 Billion Here, $80 Billion There retty soon you're talking about real money. |
Jan. 24 called worst day of the year By / MSNBC — Permalink LONDON - Is the midwinter weather wearing you down? Are you sinking in debt after the holidays? Angry with yourself for already breaking your New Year's resolutions? Wish you could crawl back under the covers and not have to face another day of rain, sleet, snow and paperwork? | |
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Brian Montopoli: Go to comments — January 24, 2005 Blog Report Gloom, Doom and Despair Wrack Cyberscribes According to some very fuzzy... Jan Haugland: The sky is falling on this depressing day — January 24 is called the worst day of the year by a British psychologist:... Tim Cavanaugh: Professor Cliff Arnall, a specialist in seasonal disorders at the University of Cardiff, Wales, has proven with science that January 24 is the most depressing day of the year. |
Michele Catalano: Cathy and the Worst Day Ever: A Precautionary Tale of Bad Scientific Data When Applied to a Mentally Unbalanced Comic... Jack Cluth: If you need me, I'll be playing Russian Roulette on the living room floor — Jan. 24 called worst day of the year:... Ace: Interesting: [snipped quote] Hmmm... I don't know if an icy elitist frostberg counts as "paradise," but I did buy the stupid tickets today. |
| Also: Betsy Newmark | |
Pentagon Sends Its Spies to Join Fight on Terror By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 - The Pentagon has created battlefield intelligence units that for the first time have been assigned to work directly with Special Operations forces on secret counterterrorism missions, tasks that had been largely the province of the Central Intelligence Agency, senior Defense Department officials said Sunday. | |
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Jon Henke: The torture debate, the Patriot Act, the CIA/Pentagon clandestine intelligence operations...all raise legitimate... Steve Bainbridge: (See, e.g., NYT and USA Today). Did the Pentagon intend to disclose this program or did it only to do so in response to Gellman's investigation? |
Phillip Carter: The New York Times plays catch-up and adds some detail of its own here. And Dana Priest reports in the Post that former-Army-spook-turned- L.A. James Joyner: Pentagon Sends Its Spies to Join Fight on Terror (NYT, p. 1) "The Pentagon has created battlefield intelligence units... |
Internet News Sites Are Back in Vogue By / NYT — Permalink When L. Gordon Crovitz, the president of Dow Jones & Company's electronic publishing division, sat down last spring to assemble a three-year strategic plan, one of the things he foresaw was a potentially costly gap about to open. | |
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Susan Q. Stranahan: "That is a wonderful problem to have," Crovitz told the New York Times' Eric Dash. Lots of the mainstream media would love to have the same dilemma. Ed Cone: NYT on the growth of online advertising: "(N)ews and information sites, long thought to be dot-gone relics of 1999, are making a big comeback in 2005." Glenn Reynolds: THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS THAT Internet advertising is booming: [snipped quote] Sounds like good news for Henry Copeland, anyway! |
Hugh Hewitt: I also pointed the CNN audience to this morning's lead story in the New York Times' business section on the shortage of... Orrin Judd: NOW IF ONLY SOMEONE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE MONEY OFF A BLOG...: Internet News Sites Are Back in Vogue (ERIC DASH,... |
Saudi Suicide Bomber Claims Zarqawi was Captured, Then Released By / Voice of America — Permalink A suicide bomber from Saudi Arabia, who survived a failed attempt to blow up the Jordanian mission Baghdad in December, alleges that Iraqi police may have captured, and then released, the most wanted terrorist in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, two months ago. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Maybe It Was Because Of The Groucho Marx Glasses He Wore — Your Iraq tax dollars at work: if the report from this Saudi... Jeff Quinton: VOA "A suicide bomber from Saudi Arabia, who survived a failed attempt to blow up the Jordanian mission Baghdad in... |
KJL: ZARKAWI RUMORS, AGAIN — One hopes this isn't true: Saudi bomber claims Iraqis had Zarkawi two months ago, then released him because they didn't recognize him. |
Some See Risks For the G.O.P. in New Strength NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 - President Bush begins his second term with the Republican Party in its strongest position in over 50 years, but his clout is already being tested by Republican doubts about his domestic agenda, rising national unease about Iraq and the threat of second-term overreaching, officials in both parties say. | |
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Sam Rosenfeld: This is a rather small quibble, but what's with this paragraph from Adam Nagourney and Richard Stevenson's latest piece in The New York Times? Zoe Kentucky: Wobbly Beginning — President Bush should know that he's off to a not-so-stellar start when the first weekend after his... |
Bryan Keefer: Today Adam Nagourney and Richard Stevenson of the New York Times bring us this doozy: "President Bush begins his second... |
Court OKs dog sniff during traffic stop AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court gave police broader search powers Monday during traffic stops, ruling that drug-sniffing dogs can be used to check out motorists even if officers have no reason to suspect they may be carrying narcotics. | |
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Radley Balko: First the bad: "The Supreme Court gave police broader search powers Monday during traffic stops, ruling that... Jacob Sullum: Let Loose the Dogs — Today the Supreme Court ruled that using a drug-sniffing dog during a routine traffic stop, even... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Here are some links to news articles and web reaction: Associated Press provides this quote from the majority opinion of... |
Russian Lawmakers Targets Jewish Groups By / AP — Permalink MOSCOW - A group of nationalist Russian lawmakers called Monday for a sweeping investigation aimed at outlawing all Jewish organizations and punishing officials who support them, accusing Jews of fomenting ethnic hatred and saying they provoke anti-Semitism. | |
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Patrick: Russian Politicos Blame the Victim (Again) Excuse me, but just what the hell is going on in Russia these days? |
Betsy Newmark: Read this if you doubt that there is a resurgence of anti-semitism in Europe. Though, in the case of Russia, perhaps anti-semitism never receded. |
Senior Zarqawi aide captured By / Reuters — Permalink BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has announced the capture of a senior aide to leading militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, hours after Zarqawi claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb near the offices of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. | |
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Joe Gandelman: You would not WANT to be in the shoes today of Abu Omar al-Kurdi, a senior aide to of leading militant Abu Musab... Jeff Goldstein: Senior Zarqawi aide captured — From Reuters: [snipped quote] Gee, I hope the Iraqi Security Forces interrogating him didn't do anything, y'know...coercive. |
Smash: Zarqawi is Doomed — "Those who vote... are infidels" REUTERS reports: "Iraq has announced the capture of a senior aide... |
Pentagon denies news report of new spy unit By / USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — The Pentagon acknowledged Sunday that it is trying to improve its network of spies abroad but denied a published report that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had reinterpreted U.S. law to create an espionage unit under his control. | |
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Atrios: The most recent: DiRita denied that Rumsfeld controls a secret group of spies. |
James Joyner: Pentagon Denies News Report Of New Spy Unit (USA Today, p. 2) "The Pentagon acknowledged Sunday that it is trying to... |
Will John Kerry run again? The ball is in Teresa's hands PittsburghLIVE.com — Permalink Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry may want to consider running for president again in 2008. But his wife, local ketchup heiress Teresa Heinz Kerry of Fox Chapel, has made it clear she won't sit still for another campaign. | |
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Captain Ed: Dems Wooing Popular Candidate For Run Against Santorum — Democratic heavyweights have apparently settled on their first... Taegan Goddard: But his wife, local ketchup heiress Teresa Heinz Kerry... has made it clear she won't sit still for another campaign," the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. |
James Joyner: Will John Kerry Run Again? The Ball is in Teresa's Hands Will John Kerry run again? |
23 at Guantanamo Attempted Suicide in 2003 By / AP — Permalink SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Twenty-three terror suspects tried to hang or strangle themselves at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay during a mass protest in 2003, the military confirmed Monday. | |
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Ace: Another Pot Shot at Our Troops By The MSM (Also at The Urban Grind) Only a terrorist lover/aplologist would consider this news. |
Jeralyn Merritt: 23 Previously Unreported Attempted Suciides at Guantanamo in 2003 — The Government has disclosed that during a 2003 mass protest at Guantanamo, 23 detainees attempted sucide. |
The Iraq Election and the Bogus Objections to It By / TCS — Permalink As the days wind down to the Iraq election, scheduled for January 30, opponents of the Bush administration's project for democratization of the Islamic world, including Americans, Europeans, and Iraqis, continue to object to the timing of the vote. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: By now, hardly anyone is alive who remembers anything else. UPDATE: More here. |
Mike Rappaport: The Real Culprit in Iraq — An interesting column by Stephen Schwartz: "Many Arab Sunnis in Iraq clearly want to... |
Going 'Nuclear' Opinion Journal — Permalink It's been a long time coming, but we now have an approximate date for a confrontation in the Senate on judicial nominations. Majority Leader Bill Frist has announced that if Democrats filibuster the nominations he expects to bring to the floor next month, he'll take action. | |
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PoliPundit: Filibusters — The WSJ makes an excellent case for the "nuclear" option on judicial-nominee filibusters |
Jonathan H. Adler: FRIST TO GO NUCLEAR — So suggests the WSJ in this editorial. |
Bush Job Approval Rating Unchanged at Inauguration Zogby — Permalink President Bush's job approval rating held steady from mid-December, when it dropped to 49%, though his personal approval numbers are up slightly, a new Zogby America poll shows. The same poll found only one-in-three Americans confident democracy will be achieved in Iraq. | |
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EDM Staff: Zogby Poll: Bush Job Approval Lags, 'Shame' Quotient Rises — President Bush's job approval rating still hovers at 49... |
Steve Soto: Zogby: No Support For Iran Attack - But 31% Of Americans Ashamed To Have Bush President — The latest Zogby poll out... |
CHAIRMAN: EXAMINE RACE, GENDER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES Drudge Report — Permalink House Ways and Means chairman Rep. Bill Thomas [R-CA] on Sunday claimed Congress should consider looking at Social Security reforms that would payout future benefits — on such factors as race and gender! Depressed and determined Dems are ready to rip hard, top party sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT. | |
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Roger L. Simon: I missed Meet the Press yesterday and only this morning saw the "strange" excerpts on Drudge featuring the comments of... Christopher Kanis: THE STUPID PARTY — House Ways and Means chairman Rep. Bill Thomas [R-CA] wants to determine your Social Security benefits based upon your race and gender. |
Roger Clegg: A BAD IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS NOT COME — Drudge reports that House Ways and Means chairman Rep. Bill Thomas (R-California)... |
Study Says All Stem Cell Lines Tainted By / LAT — Permalink All human embryonic stem cell lines approved for use in federally funded research are contaminated with a foreign molecule from mice that may make them risky for use in medical therapies, according to a study released Sunday. | |
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Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: Waiter, There's Some Mouse In My Stem Cells ... From the LA Times: [snipped quote] The basic problem is that stem cells... Brian Montopoli: Paul Glastris takes note of a Los Angeles Times report that all of the stem cell lines approved for federal funding by... |
Paul Glastris: According to the LA Times, a study released yesterday by researchers at the University of California San Diego and the... KJL: "CONTAMINATION" — What to make of the LA Times story up last night about "contaminated" stem cell lines ("Study Says All Stem Cell Lines Tainted")? |
Congresswoman's Son, Four Others Charged With Slashing Republican Van Tires on Election Day By / AP — Permalink MILWAUKEE (AP) - The sons of a first-term congresswoman and Milwaukee's former acting mayor were among five Democratic activists charged Monday with slashing the tires of vans rented by Republicans to drive voters and monitors to the polls on Election Day. | |
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B.C: The REAL Party of Disenfranchisement — After the 2000 election and the 4+ years of the Wailing & Gnashing of Teeth over... |
The Poor Man: Disgraceful his is contemptible: [snipped quote] Innocent until proven guilty, etc. |
Take My Wife -- Please? Well, Not Quite. By / WaPo — Permalink PARK CITY, Utah, Jan. 23 — Saturday night's premiere of "The Aristocrats" was so packed that even the producers of the movie had trouble getting in, but when filmmakers Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette (Penn being the larger, talkier half of the magic act Penn & Teller) finally introduced their offering, they looked a little nervous. | |
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Nick Gillespie: Whole story here. |
Radley Balko: The Aristocrats — The Washington Post reports on the coming documentary from Penn Gillette and Paul Provenza. |
A 'cure' worse than the cold By / US News — Permalink Fire and freedom captured the headlines of the president's stirring inaugural address, but it was a handful of words toward the end of the speech that are likely to have the most profound impact on the daily lives of millions of Americans. | |
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Dale Franks: Privatizing Social Security — USA Today's Mort Zuckerman makes a cogent and detailed argument against privatizing Social Security. |
Josh Marshall: Mort Zuckerman gives the thumbs down to phasing-out Social Security. |