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A Suicidal Selection By / LAT — Permalink With Dean as party chairman, the Democrats wouldn't need enemies. A few weeks ago, when former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean declared his intention to run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, news reports had the general tone of "Get this, that crazy scream guy is back and he wants to run the party." | |
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Noam Scheiber: I'm open to the possibility. (Certainly more open to it than my colleague Jon Chait.) But I take issue with part of her argument. JollyBuddah: From the diaries, since there is nothing quite like seeing the Dean-o-phone squirm—Chris Jonathan Chait has an... McQ: Dean as a manager: "A Disaster" — Jonathan Chait takes exception with the conventional wisdom that Howard Dean is a... |
Garance Franke-Ruta: Since my friend Jon Chait has cited my piece on Howard Dean in a column entitled "A Suicidal Selection," I feel I should... James Joyner: Of course, this is a party that just decided that Howard Dean would be their best spokesman for the next several years,... Joe Gandelman: Democratic Party May Be Readying The Kool Aid — Kool_1 Why don't they just rename the Democratic Party the Hemlock Society and be done with it? |
| Also: Steven Taylor, Will Collier, Pejman Yousefzadeh, PoliPundit, Jonah Goldberg | |
The Global Throng NRO — Permalink Why the world's elites gnash their teeth. Do we even remember "all that" now? The lunacy that appeared after 9/11 that asked us to look for the "root causes" to explain why America may have "provoked" spoiled mama's boys like bin Laden and Mohammed Atta to murder Americans at work? | |
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Dale Franks: The Wisdom of the Global Elites — Victor Davis Hanson reviews the track record of prognostication from the Bush Adminbistration's naysayers in the War On Terror. Ted Belman: Dissing the Dissenters — Victor Davis Hanson is at his very best in his latest article The Global Throng appearing in NRO. Ace: Must-Read VDH Rant — Very rant-ish, but very good: [snipped quote] Thanks to JimW. |
James Joyner: Update (1240): Victor Davis Hanson has a great, related piece this morning. Ed Driscoll: The Global Throng — Victor Davis Hanson lambasts the world's elites and their actions and slogans of the past three and half years. Wind Rider: It's Friday, so that means Hanson — VDH serves up an scathing wrap up of the growing irrelevance and impotence of the pampered, and oft quite loony left. |
| Also: John Cole, Roger Kimball | |
The Propaganda President By / Slate — Permalink If "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il of North Korea and George W. Bush ever meet, I suspect the two will bond like long-lost brothers. Both men are first-born sons of powerful fathers who partied like adolescents well into their adult lives, after which they submitted to their dynastic fates as heads of state. | |
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Jan Haugland: Bush=Hitler meme mutates — Jack Shafer has written the blog-bait article of the day, and of course I have to bait, eh, bite. Orrin Judd: OBLIGATORY BRUTAL COMMUNIST DICTATOR COMPARISON: The Propaganda President:George W. Bush does his best Kim Jong-il. Betsy Newmark: But it jumped into Jack Shafer's mind and from there to the Slate website. [snipped quote] Yeah, except for that whole death camp thing. |
James Joyner: Update (1547) Slate's Jack Shafer terms Bush "The Propaganda President" and compares him to yet another despot: "If... John Cole: That is why this idioitic piece by Jack Shafer was so refreshing: [snipped quote] Tell me again why Slate isn't making a profit? K. J. Lopez: OH BROTHER — W as Kim Jong-il. |
CNN's line of fire Washington Times — Permalink In war, mistakes happen and innocents are often killed. For journalists covering the action, the risk is extremely high. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 36 were killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2004, some unfortunately as a result of U.S. fire. | |
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Joe Gandelman: CNN Executive Claims U.S. Military Targeted Journalists — CNN'S Chief News Executive has used his mouth to dig himself... Scott Sala: Captain Ed has a link to the Washington Times' coverage of the story - the first in the mainstream media (albeit an editorial) according to Ed. Charles Johnson: CNN's Line of Fire — The Washington Times weighs in on the Eason Jordan controversy: CNN's line of fire. |
Cori Dauber: The WashTimes writes: According to information on CPJ's Web site (www.cpj.org), between 2003 and 2004, 12 journalists were killed as a result of U.S. fire. Roger L. Simon: The Washington Times this morning has an editorial detailing how Jordan has made his disputed (or semi-disputed)... Captain Ed: Eason's Fables Makes The Washington Times Editorial Page — The Washington Times becomes the first major daily to take... |
| Also: Bill @INDCJournal, The Big Trunk, Glenn Reynolds, Greg Ransom | |
Gambling With Your Retirement By / NYT — Permalink A few weeks ago I tried to explain the logic of Bush-style Social Security privatization: it is, in effect, as if your financial adviser told you that you wouldn't have enough money when you retire - but you shouldn't save more. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Default — I see that no less a figure than Paul Krugman has now taken two cracks at the clawback issue, eliding the... Arnold Kling: If the Administration were to choose any interest rate above zero, then they become open to Paul Krugman's charge that ... Barbara O'Brien: For more on why Bush's scheme is a really, really bad idea, read today's columns by Paul Krugman and E.J. Dionne. |
Avedon Carol: There Is No Crisis reports that Cato's attempt to rebut the view that there is no crisis misstates the results of a... Howard Kurtz: Paul Krugman in the New York Times seizes on the math of this unnamed official (more on him later): "For years,... Tom Maguire: MORE: Paul Krugman hates the Notional Offset; Arnold Kling tries for a bit of a salvage operation. |
Pentagon sites: Journalism or propaganda? CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — The U.S. Department of Defense plans to add more sites on the Internet to provide information to a global audience — but critics question whether the Pentagon is violating President Bush's pledge not to pay journalists to promote his policies. | |
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Digby: He's going to swoon the minute he hears about this... Here's the story: "Pentagon sites: Journalism or propaganda? Oliver Willis: DoD's Clumsy Propaganda — I don't pretend that we don't do this kind of thing. It just seems clumsy. |
Hindrocket: A reader pointed out that earlier today, CNN finally did address the issue of journalism vs. propaganda. |
Iraqi insurgents resume deadly attacks ABC News — Permalink TONY EASTLEY: In Iraq insurgents have returned to their grizzly trade, killing more than two dozen people, including two US Marines. In the deadliest attack insurgents ambushed a bus and killed 12 Iraqi army recruits. | |
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Paul @Wizbang: Great News From Iraq — It was obvious Sunday we would get a few of these stories... Let's hope this is the new norm:... Emperor Darth Misha I: Mickey Moore-on's "Minutemen" ...continue to score success after success in their "popular uprising" Smash: UPDATE — From an interview aired on Austalia's ABC Radio: [snipped quote] Not just an election — a revolution! |
Jason Van Steenwyk: Iraq meets Kurosawa — Looks like someone's been dropping copies of The Seven Samurai in a little town called al-Mudhariya. Norm Geras: The magnificent villagers — Via Tim Blair, who relates it back to this - and one can also throw in a mention of this -... |
Feingold sizes up presidential race By / JSOnline — Permalink Washington - Talking at length about his political plans and the future of his party, Sen. Russ Feingold said he would consider running for president in 2008 if there is enough encouragement and interest from Democrats and if he thinks he has a real shot at winning the nomination. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: Should Russ Feingold Run for President? Russ Feingold is considering a run for President in 2008. He says he might if there's enough support. Chris Bowers: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel interviewed Feingold: "Feingold, who plans to step up his national travel and speaking,... Ann Althouse: Russ Feingold wants somebody to say "Hey, we think you ought to run for president." [snipped quote] Do the Democrats have anyone better? |
James Joyner: Russ Feingold Considers Presidential Run — Feingold sizes up presidential race (JS Online) "Talking at length about his... Taegan Goddard: Feingold Discusses 2008 Plans — In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Sen. Russ Feingold "said he would... Eugene Oregon: My Heart Just Skipped a Beat — From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [snipped quote] I'm positively giddy. |
Cookie klatch lands girls in court By / Denver Post — Permalink Durango - Two teenage girls decided one summer's evening to skip a dance where there might be cursing and drinking to stay home and bake cookies for their neighbors. They were sued, successfully, for an unauthorized cookie drop on one porch. | |
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Jan Haugland: One evening last summer they decided to skip dancing and drinking and instead bake cookies for their neighbours. Jonah Goldberg: END OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION, CONT'D — Girls sued for dropping off cookies at neighbor's house. Joanne Jacobs: Cookie monsters — In Durango, Colorado, a woman successfully sued two teen-age girls for dropping off home-made cookies at 10:30 one night. |
Emperor Darth Misha I: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished — As is clearly shown in this article, submitted to us by LC Patrick. Acidman: no good deed goes unpunished — I'll bet these girls learned a lesson. I don't think it was a good one, but that's the way things go today. |
Tapes Reveal Enron's Power Plant Rigging By / LAT — Permalink Enron Corp. traders conspired to shut down a healthy power plant as blackouts rolled across California in early 2001, according to documents released Thursday. | |
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Mary @PacificViews: But today we have proof that those who were pushing deregulation were actually planning to fleece the public and had planned from the first to institute an elaborate con. Kevin Drum: New Enron tapes were released yesterday, and they contain some of the clearest evidence yet of Enron's strategy of... |
Andrew Cory: , I will say that Enron was allowed to concentrate power in their hands, and as a result we saw This: [snipped quote] Too much power in too few hands will corrupt those who hold it. ArchPundit: Example numero uno: Enron [snipped quote] Being for deregulation often results in less free markets though it is pro-business in terms of the business with the control. |
Avoiding the Tough Questions By / WaPo — Permalink Good policy can withstand tough scrutiny. And a good politician can tolerate tough questioning. President Bush is barnstorming through five states to try to drum up support for remaking Social Security, but instead of fleshing things out and confronting his critics, he is surrounding himself with hand-picked flatterers and adoring crowds. | |
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Atrios: Even More SS — Dan Froomkin has some nice stuff which you should go read and come back. Michael Froomkin: Must-Read (Other) Froomkin on Social Security — The first section of my brother's column today for WashingtonPost.com is a must-read on Social Security. |
DeLong: Daniel Froomkin Writes About Social Security — In his morning White House briefing: "Avoiding the Tough Questions... |
1-0 in the propaganda war By / Guardian — Permalink Fascism is coming back into fashion, at least in the propaganda wars. For the right, it comes in the shape of a new word: "islamofascism". That conflates all the elements into one image: suicide bombs, kidnappings and the Qur'an; the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan; Iranian clerics and Hitler. | |
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C. D. Harris: Albert Scardino sneers in the Guardian at the success of the right's use of the label "Islamofascists" for Islamist... Norm Geras: In today's Guardian Albert Scardino seems more comfortable with the parallels to be drawn between the Bush... |
James Joyner: Fascists and Nazis, Democrats and Republicans — Albert Scardino has a piece in the Guardian entitled, "1-0 in the... Scott Burgess: Bush/Hitler comparison of the Day: From American Guardianista (and former press aide to failed New York mayor David... |
Bush Plans to Broaden Health Care By / WaPo — Permalink The budget President Bush unveils next week will propose spending an extra $140 billion over 10 years to expand health coverage to millions more Americans, his top health adviser said yesterday. But many of the proposals are familiar ideas that never made it past the talking stage in Bush's first term. | |
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Steve Verdon: Bush Health Care Plans — President Bush trying not to be out compassioned by the Left has floated the following ideas,... Ellen Dana Nagler: His pronouncements on Bush's budget proposals for health care are meeting with some skepticism. I wonder why. |
Greg Ransom: I WAS almost suckered in by this duplicitious WaPost lead paragraph on medical care reform: "The budget President Bush... Atrios: Your In-Laws Are Going to Live With You — They want to save a few pennies by making it harder for old people to go into... |
Onward to Iran? By / Boston Globe — Permalink WHEN PRESIDENT BUSH'S rhetoric about freedom soars, much of the world shrinks because it may mean another Iraq. Thus when the president fingered Iran as the ''world's primary state sponsor of terror, pursuing nuclear weapons, while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve," you have to wonder, is Iran next? | |
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Jayson @PoliPundit: Senator Joe Biden, as paraphased by the Boston Globe, February 2005. (Emphasis added.) Hat tip: LGF. |
Charles Johnson: Biden: World Should "Address Iran's Emotional Needs" — According to H.D.S. Greenway in the Boston Globe, Senator Joe... |
Dems Invoke FDR By / Fox News — Permalink Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine: Senate Democrats gathered at the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial (search) today to invoke the image of FDR in calling on President Bush to remove private accounts from his Social Security (search) proposal. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: Another blast from the past: Harry Reid used to support Social Security reform: "Most of us have no problem with... |
K. J. Lopez: BET HE HATES NEXIS — Harry Reid, 1999: "Most of us have no problem with taking a small amount of the Social Security proceeds and putting it into the private sector." |
P-I, Times single-copy price to be 50 cents Seattle Post-Intelligencer — Permalink Financial troubles at The Seattle Times Co. are becoming more apparent to the city's daily newspaper readers. The company, which handles business operations for both The Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, plans to double the single-copy... | |
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Tom Biro: Seattle newspapers double their newsstand price — The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Dan Richman and Todd Bishop report... Matt Welch: ATTN: Seattlites — I'll be on KOMO News Radio AM 1000 at 11:15 a.m., jabbering about the Seattle Times Co.'s decision... |
James Joyner: To Offset Declining Sales, Paper Raises Price — P-I, Times single-copy price to be 50 cents (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) [snipped quote] Makes sense to me. |
Gross criticizes Social Security plan CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Bill Gross, manager of the world's largest bond fund, is criticizing President Bush's plan to privatize part of Social Security. Gross, managing director at Pimco, called the argument about the solvency of Social Security "silly"... | |
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Avedon Carol: I doubt it. Even Bill Gross, the "manager of the world's largest bond fund," has said the whole idea is "silly". Yuval Rubinstein: Er, perhaps not: [snipped quote] If anything, Bush will go down in the history books as the (unwitting) father of Iraqi theocracy. |
Josh Marshall: From CNN/Money: "Bill Gross, manager of the world's largest bond fund, is criticizing President Bush's plan to privatize part of Social Security. Frederick Maryland: Bond Manager Calls Bush Plan "Silly" — Not everyone in the financial-investment sector is thrilled with Bush's... |
Bartleby Democrats WaPo — Permalink HERMAN MELVILLE'S "Bartleby, the Scrivener" tells the tale of a lawyer's assistant who inexplicably stops doing his job, instead spending his days staring blankly at a brick wall. "I'd prefer not to," he invariably tells his employer when asked to copy a paper, go to the post office or even answer a question. | |
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Deacon: Bartleby the Democrat — The editors of the Washington Post are sufficiently disgusted by the Democrats' posture in the... Betsy Newmark: The Wasington Post has come up with the perfect description for the Democrats - Bartleby Democrats. |
Dale Franks: The Scriveners — The editors of the Washington Post editorialize that, when it come's to Social Security, the Democrats... Pejman Yousefzadeh: "BARTLEBY DEMOCRATS" — The Washington Post sounds off quite properly: [quote] HERMAN MELVILLE'S "Bartleby, the Scrivener"...[end quote] |
Shiite Coalition Takes a Big Lead in Early Vote Count in Iraq NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 3 - Preliminary election returns released Thursday by Iraqi authorities showed that 72 percent of the 1.6 million votes counted so far from Sunday's election went to an alliance of Shiite parties dominated by religious groups with strong links to Iran. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: "According to Friday's NYT, the religious Shiites who are backed by Iran have opened what may be an insurmountable lead..." DeLong: Iraqi Election results — The religious Shia do well: "The Washington Monthly: EARLY ELECTION RESULTS FROM IRAQ...The... Joe Gandelman: Shiite Coaltion Ahead In Early Iraq Vote Counting — The bigwigs in Iran must be smiling today as preliminary figures... |
McQ: Preliminary Iraqi Election Results — We're starting to see some of the results from the Iraqi election begin to come in... Matthew Yglesias: You might have thought everyone would learn something from the unfortunate exit poll episode in November, but apparently... Cori Dauber: There's a New Narrative in Town — Sure, sure, that election was exciting, but the lead article in today's Times cements... |
| Also: Juan Cole, Steven Taylor, Kevin Drum, James Joyner, Orrin Judd | |
Volcker's awkward questions Economist — Permalink The Volcker committee investigating the scandal surrounding the UN's oil-for-food programme has issued a critical report. The programme's director, Benon Sevan, comes in for especially tough judgment. But the questions left unanswered have made the UN's harshest critics only hungry for more | |
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Glenn Reynolds: UNSCAM UPDATE: The Economist reports on the Volcker investigation: [snipped quote] Read the whole thing. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: AFTER THE VOLCKER REPORT — This story asks the right question in response to the issuance of the Volcker Report on the... |
The Senate and Mr. Gonzales NYT — Permalink The confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general yesterday was depressing. The president deserves a great deal of leeway in choosing his own cabinet. But beyond his other failings, Mr. Gonzales has come to represent the administration's role in paving the way for the abuse and torture of prisoners by American soldiers and intelligence agents. | |
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Greg @TheTalentShow: The Sinister Six — The NY Times has a great editorial that sums up why I'm so pissed off about the six Democratic... Steve Clemons: About Attorney General Gonzales, the New York Times reminds us: Mr. Gonzales testified that he agreed with the substance... Armando @DailyKos: Why We Opposed Gonzales — The New York Times explains it well: [snipped quote] Ms. Gail Collins and the NYT Ed Board state it well, as they have throughout on this issue. |
Avedon Carol: The New York Times: "The confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general yesterday was depressing. Orrin Judd: The Senate and Mr. Gonzales (NY Times, 2/04/05) "The confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general yesterday was depressing." |
Gregoire receives death threat By / AP — Permalink OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Patrol is keeping close watch over both Gov. Christine Gregoire and her Republican rival, Dino Rossi, after Gregoire received a death threat and emotions over the contested election continue to run high. | |
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McQ: UPDATE: Speaking of crossing the line, it appears that the same sort of unacceptable nonsense is evident in Washington... Stefan Sharkansky: Christine Gregoire has received a death threat. She blames it on talk radio. |
Michelle Malkin: She tells the Seattle Times, she blames "the level of discussion on some of these talk radio shows" for whipping up people. James Joyner: Gregoire Claims Death Threat, Blames Talk Radio — Gregoire receives death threat (Seattle Times) [snipped quote] So,... |
Some Dems nervous as Dean resurges By / USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — Howard Dean is on the verge of an astonishing comeback. Can he replicate that feat for his demoralized party? Dean, the former Vermont governor and presidential candidate, is the front-runner to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee when its 447 members cast their votes Feb. 12. | |
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Garance Franke-Ruta: Already, there is some indication that he recognizes this may be his best course of action. Taegan Goddard: Dean's Resurgence — "Howard Dean is on the verge of an astonishing comeback," USA Today reports. |
Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: Some Democrats are nervous a possible Dean chairmanship — but others say the GOP would be making a mistake by... |
E.P.A. Accused of a Predetermined Finding on Mercury By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 - The Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general charged on Thursday that the agency's senior management instructed staff members to arrive at a predetermined conclusion favoring industry when they prepared a proposed rule last year to reduce the amount of mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants. | |
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Jesse Taylor: Quicksilver — See, the EPA got it right. Don't hire second, third and fourth-tier conservative pundits to spread your propoganda. Chris Mooney: Good Grief — From today's New York Times expose about the latest funny science at the EPA on mercury |
Dwight Meredith: Once the conclusion is confirmed, you implement public policy based on the confirmation: [snipped quote] And if your... |
U.S. 'in for a shock' San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Baghdad — Partial results from Sunday's election suggest that U.S.-backed Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's coalition is being roundly defeated by a list with the backing of Iraq's senior Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al- Sistani, diminishing Allawi's chances of retaining his post in the next government. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: Um, About That Election ... According to this story in the Los Angeles Times, Bush's puppet government in Iraq was a big loser in the recent election. Steve Soto: Update: Both the NYT piece by Dexter Filkins and this piece by Borzou Daragahi, the San Francisco Chronicle's foreign... |
Julia @AmStreet: I think we can all agree that 18% probably doesn't. [snipped quote] I mean, we all support the right of the iraqi people to decide who is going to run their country, right? |
Saving Graces By / Reason — Permalink The loudest objections from Democrats during President Bush's State of the Union address came when he declared that if Congress fails to reform Social Security "the entire system" will be "exhausted and bankrupt" by 2042. They were right to object. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Last but by no means least, Jacob Sullum wrote a column which advocates defaulting on the Trust Fund debt ("[S]ince this... |
Julian Sanchez: New at Reason — Democrats are right, says Jacob Sullum: We don't need private accounts to save Social Security—they're just a good idea. |
Social Security Hard Sell; Sparring on the Hill; Donnie Fowler Still in DNC Race CNN — Permalink THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States. ANNOUNCER: From the halls of Congress, into the heartland, President Bush tries to sell Americans on Social Security reform. | |
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Kos @DailyKos: But it's really his arrogance that's grating: [snipped quote] I'm not saying he should drop out. |
Jeffrey Dubner: Indeed, the actual Social Security coverage in yesterday's Inside Politics wasn't any more hard-hitting; CNN showed a... |
Video Games' Chaos Echoed In Streets, D.C. Leaders Say WaPo — Permalink District political, religious and community leaders gathered at a Southeast Washington church yesterday to support a proposed ban on the sale of violent and sexually explicit video games to minors. They summed up their objections in a word: poison. | |
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Jesse Taylor: The District of Columbia and Virginia are considering a host of laws that would restrict or ban videogame sales. |
John Cole: Sheer Idiocy — Must be a full moon or something, because I find myself in full agreement with Jesse on this issue: "Legislation is pending in Georgia. |
U.S. to Pull 15,000 Troops Out of Iraq By / WaPo — Permalink Buoyed by a higher turnout and less violence than expected in Sunday's Iraqi elections, Pentagon authorities have decided to start reducing the level of U.S. forces in Iraq next month by about 15,000 troops, down to about 135,000, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said yesterday. | |
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McQ: Per the Washington Post: "Buoyed by a higher turnout and less violence than expected in Sunday's Iraqi elections,... Kevin Drum: MORE TROOPS....Paul Wolfowitz testified before Congress on Thursday that troop levels in Iraq would be reduced by 15,000 now that the elections are over. Lorie Byrd: From the Washington Post: "Buoyed by a higher turnout and less violence than expected in Sunday's Iraqi elections,... |
Matthew Yglesias: In other Iraq news, the Bush administration, last seen orchestrating a massive smear job aimed at labeling Ted Kennedy a... James Joyner: U.S. to Pull 15,000 Troops Out of Iraq — U.S. to Pull 15,000 Troops Out of Iraq (WaPo) [snipped quote] Makes sense to be. Orrin Judd: HAVING WON: U.S. to Pull 15,000 Troops Out of Iraq (Bradley Graham, , February 4, 2005, Washington Post) "Buoyed by a... |
Normal Service Resumed By / Opinion Journal — Permalink George Bush finally began his second term on Wednesday night with an address that marked the return of the Bush of the stump, the Bush who was re-elected president three months ago and whom the nation knows well. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Peggy Noonan is back to liking a Bush's speech. She especially liked the Social Security section. K. J. Lopez: PEGGY ON DEMS, SOTU — [snipped quote] The whole thing, here. |
SLZoll: Peggy, who for the past two weeks hasn't been thrilled with the inaugural address, is happy once again, because her... Sadly, No!: Shorter Peggy Noonan — Normal Service Resumed — The George Bush the nation re-elected is back. "Just shut up. |
The Liberal Beast Meets Mr. Right By / LAT — Permalink For a long time now — really ever since Arianna Huffington inexplicably gave up her right-wing politics — KCRW in Santa Monica has been trying to find a conservative willing to take a permanent place on its talk show, "Left, Right and Center." | |
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Kevin Roderick: Blankley tells his side * Tony Blankley, who we revealed on Jan. 25 is the new Mr. Right on KCRW's "Left, Right &... Betsy Newmark: Tony Blankley is going to become Mr. Right. He has set out to evangelize conservative ideas in Santa Monica. Good luck. |
The Big Trunk: Curbing his liberalism — In undertaking the conservative wing of a Santa Monica-based left-cener-right television talk... |
School May Fire Professor for 9/11 Comment By / AP — Permalink AURORA, Colo. - University of Colorado administrators Thursday took the first steps toward a possible dismissal of a professor who likened World Trade Center victims to a notorious Nazi. | |
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Jan Haugland: The university administrators are now taking steps that may lead to his dismissal. Eugene Volokh: Firing for his views: Nonetheless, I agree with Glenn Reynolds and Steve Bainbridge that he ought not be fired for this depravity (and there is talk of that happening). Steve Bainbridge: Voltaire and Ward Churchill — As you probably know by know, Ward Churchill is the University of Colorado professor and... |
McQ: CU Thinking about Dismissing Churchill — I'm really not at all happy about this either: "University of Colorado... Tom Paine: So, a question to our American cousins - what would happen if Ward Churchill was televised firing a shotgun into the... Charles Johnson: School May Fire "Little Eichmanns" Professor — The University of Colorado may fire professor Ward Churchill, and the moonbats are seething. |
| Also: JD @SouthernAppeal | |
Cool Reception on Capitol Hill to Social Security Plan NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 - President Bush's plan for overhauling Social Security, the centerpiece of his second-term domestic agenda, met with a cool reception Thursday on Capitol Hill, where some influential Republicans expressed skepticism and all but one of the Senate's 44 Democrats vowed to oppose any proposal that increases the federal deficit. | |
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Steve Soto: First, influential GOP Representative Jim McCrery of Louisiana yesterday said that the Bush plan to divert Social... |
Barbara O'Brien: Be Nice — According to today's New York Times, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska is the only Senate Democrat who did not... |
State of the Union: A Smaller Audience By / WaPo — Permalink About 38 million people watched President Bush's State of the Union address Wednesday across four broadcast and three cable networks — his worst SOTU performance ever. In fact, it's the second smallest SOTU audience in the past 12 years or more. | |
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Brian Stelter: SOTU: Ratings Analysis — Lisa de Moraes calls Wednesday President Bush's "worst SOTU performance ever," in terms of ratings. |
Oliver Willis: Tuning Out The B.S. The lie to b.s. ratio has gotten so high, no wonder people are tuning out. [snipped quote] Lame duck yet? |
German Boxing Legend Max Schmeling Dies at 99 AP — Permalink BERLIN (AP) — German heavyweight boxer Max Schmeling, whose bouts against American Joe Louis set off a propaganda war between the Nazi regime and the United States on the eve of World War II, has died at age 99. | |
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Dean Esmay: Still, all that aside: I was surprised to learn today that Max Schmeling was a fascinating man and a genuinely decent human being. |
James Joyner: German Boxing Legend Max Schmeling Dies at 99 — German Boxing Legend Max Schmeling Dies at 99 (NYT) [snipped quote] Who knew he was still alive? |
Watergate Papers Go Public By / WaPo — Permalink AUSTIN — Thousands of pages of notes, memos, transcripts and other materials collectively known as the Woodward and Bernstein Watergate Papers open to the public today at the University of Texas, minus the most fascinating detailconnected to the demise of the Nixon administration: the identity of Deep Throat. | |
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Nathan Hallford: Nice Quip: Today, numerous documents form Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate investigations will go on display at the University of Texas. |
Taegan Goddard: Watergate Papers Go Public — "Thousands of pages of notes, memos, transcripts and other materials collectively known as... |
Churchill probe ordered By / Rocky Mountain News — Permalink AURORA - The University of Colorado Board of Regents ordered an investigation Thursday into whether embattled ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill should be fired, and then took the extraordinary step of apologizing to the nation for Churchill's writings about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. | |
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James Panero: Why is it that it takes a public outcry and national media coverage to challenge tenured ideas? |
Jeralyn Merritt: Churchill: Melee at Colorado Regents Meeting — A scuffle by protesters at the C.U. Regents meeting over Professor Ward Churchill resulted in two arrests Thursday. |
Rumsfeld may skip Germany because of war-crimes suit AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday he may skip a trip to a security conference in Germany next week because of a lawsuit there accusing him of war crimes. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: Rumsfeld isn't taking any chances—he'll skip an important conference to avoid the chance something wierd will happen. |
Steve Bainbridge: Rescuing Rummy — So Donald Rumsfeld is afraid to go to Germany because he might get arrested on war crimes charges. |
Marine general: It's 'fun to shoot people' CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — A three-star Marine general who said it was "fun to shoot some people" should have chosen his words more carefully, the Marine Corps commandant said Thursday. | |
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Lord Spatula I: Naturally, the PC crowd went ballistic, and the Marine Corps commandant, showing a surprising display of spinelessness... |
Frederick Maryland: General: It's "Fun to Shoot Some People" — CNN.com reports: [snipped quote] According to the dictionary, candor is defined as: "Frankness or sincerity of expression." |
EU lawmakers want communist symbols banned AP — Permalink BRUSSELS (AP) — A group of conservative European Union lawmakers from eastern Europe called Thursday for a ban on communist symbols, including the red star and the hammer and sickle, to match a proposed EU ban on the Nazi swastika. | |
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Jan Haugland: They want to extend the ban to the entire European Union. Now some EU lawmakers want to ban communist symbols, too. McQ: Banning hate — In the increasingly Orwellian EU, we have this story: [snipped quote] What's next? The cross? |
Arthur Chrenkoff: It seems, though, that at least some in the (enlarged) EU do (hat tip: Dan Foty and Jeffrey A. Norris) |
900 Palestinian Prisoners to Gain Freedom By / AP — Permalink JERUSALEM - Israeli Cabinet ministers on Thursday approved the release of 900 Palestinian prisoners and a military pullout from the West Bank town of Jericho within days in overtures intended to improve the climate ahead of next week's Mideast summit. | |
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Charles Johnson: Why? Why is Israel doing this? Can anyone enlighten me? I'm willing to listen to arguments that this is a sensible policy, and not the sheer insanity it seems to be. |
David Gerstman: Get out of jail free — Yahoo News! has a headline, "900 Palestinian Prisoners to Gain Freedom". "To gain freedom?" |
The Outsiders By / TNR — Permalink If you've bothered to pay any attention to the low-wattage drama of the race for chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), you probably know that Howard Dean is on the verge of winning it. | |
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Garance Franke-Ruta: As corrupt as the selection process may have been, according to Ryan Lizza's must-read in The New Republic, it was still democratic. Jerome Armstrong: Ryan's tagged along the whole campaign, and his TNR article, The Outsiders, takes a good look at the new dynamics that have been at play during the DNC race. Oliver Willis: Dean: Lock — Simon Rosenberg has dropped out and endorsed Dean. It's ours. |
Hesiod @AmStreet: The latter group seems genuinely freaked out by Dean. Will Collier: UPDATE: Check out this facinating Ryan Lizza TNR piece chronicling Dean's rise and the impact of the leftie blogosphere... PoliPundit: Dean — Liberal Jonathan Chait, on Howard Dean's likely election as Democrat National Committee chairman |
| Also: Taegan Goddard, Greg @TheTalentShow, Kos @DailyKos | |
U.S. General Says It Is 'Fun to Shoot Some People' By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. Marine Corps general who said it was "fun to shoot some people" should have chosen his words more carefully but will not be disciplined, military officials said on Thursday. | |
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Donald Sensing: Maybe that's why US Marine Lt. Gen. James Mattis, speaking of fighting the enemy told a conference in San Diego Tuesday, [quote] "Actually it's quite fun to fight 'em, you know.[end quote] Jonah Goldberg: GENERAL MATTIS — Rich mentioned this story about General Mattis yesterday. Spoons: This general needs another star — Hell, I'd vote for him for President: [snipped quote] The fact that there was even a... |
James Frederick Dwight: Lieutenant General James Mattis, who has spent parts of the past two years commanding American troops in Afghanistan,... Tom Smith: Those darn Marines — This Marine general is saying it can be fun to shoot people. Though apparently, he likes to shoot people who "slap women around." Jeff Quinton: Marine General: It's fun to shoot some people — Reuters [snipped quote] Added to today's Beltway Traffic Jam. |
Garofalo: Fingers with ink comparable to Nazi salute WorldNetDaily — Permalink Actress and liberal talk-radio host Janeane Garofalo is taking issue with congressional Republicans who dipped their fingers in ink for President Bush's State of the Union speech as a sign of solidarity with Iraqi voters, likening it to a Nazi salute. | |
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James Joyner: Huh? Meanwhile, Janeane Garofalo compares solidarity with Iraqi voters to Nazism. Arthur Chrenkoff: The angry left rides again — The smiling face of the American left, Janeane Garofalo, compares the Republican... |
Roger L. Simon: Frequent commenter Peter Argus sent this inspiring collage of ink-stained Iraqi voters. inkyy.jpg Some, perhaps less mature, observers did not share his enthusiasm. McQ: Goodwin's law and the left — Seems its an epidemic: [snipped quote] Maybe they don't get it yet, but this type of... |
Rumsfeld tried to resign during prison scandal MSNBC — Permalink WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld twice submitted his resignation last year during the scandal over the U.S. abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, Iraq, but President Bush declined both times, he said in an interview airing Thursday. | |
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Edward _: Today we learn that Rummy twice offered his resignation to the President during the height of the Abu Ghraib scandal,... Kriston @BeggingToDiffer: IT'S NEVER TO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING — SecDef Donald Rumsfeld tried to resign twice at the height of the Abu Ghraib... |
Jan Haugland: Rumsfeld offered to resign over Abu Ghraib — Surprise announcement of the day: "I submitted my resignation to President... Laura Rozen: Rumsfeld tells reporters, he submitted his resignation twice during the Abu Ghraib scandal, but Bush wouldn't accept it. |
'Fuzzy Math' and the Iraqi Election By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink Everyone, of course, is thrilled that so many Iraqis turned out to vote, in the face of threats and intimidation, on Sunday. But in hailing, and at times gushing, over the turnout, has the American media (as it did two years ago in the hyping of Saddam's WMDs) forgotten core journalistic principles in regard to fact-checking and weighing partisan assertions? | |
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Barbara O'Brien: Says Greg Mitchell in Editor & Publisher: "For days, the press repeated, as gospel, assertions offered by an election... Lambert @Corrente: [quote]They quoted this official, Safwat Radhid, exclaiming: "Only God Almighty knows the final turnout now." (via Editor and Publisher) [end quote] Hmmm.... Have we heard stories like this before? Jon Henke: Today, the story is picked up at Editor & Publisher. [snipped quote] I'm aghast at this casual fact-checking, for quite a few reasons. |
Kos @DailyKos: Um, maybe turnout wasn't so high... We knew this was coming. Digby: Making It Up — Not that it matters, because the spin is firmly emplanted in the public's mind that the Iraq election... |
Participants Would Forfeit Part of Accounts' Profits By / WaPo — Permalink Under the White House Social Security plan, workers who opt to divert some of their payroll taxes into individual accounts would ultimately get to keep only the investment returns that exceed the rate of return that the money would have accrued in the traditional system. | |
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Tom Maguire: The Washington Post took a stab at the concept, and completely fluffed it. Kevin Drum: GEORGE BUSH'S RUBE GOLDBERG FOLLY...The Washington Post describes the White House's latest explanation of its Social... DeLong: But it's a loan—you have to pay it back: "washingtonpost.com: Participants Would Forfeit Part of Accounts' Profits:... |
Josh Marshall: And as the Post notes, most of the money you make in your private account goes back to the government. Atrios: Loan — Peter Orszag gets it right: Under the White House Social Security plan, workers who opt to divert some of their... Steve Soto: Think Again The Bush bait and switch on his privatization plan reached its zenith today when an unnamed administration... |
| Also: Jesse Taylor, Avedon Carol, Hilzoy @ObsidianWings, Patrick Ruffini, Matthew Yglesias, Jeff A. Taylor, Kos @DailyKos, Steve M., K. J. Lopez, Susan Madrak, Rich Lowry | |
For Moderates, A Chance for Subtle Protest By / WaPo — Permalink Pity the Republican moderates who sat in the chamber last night for President Bush's State of the Union address. On issue after issue — Social Security, same-sex marriage, energy, taxes and lawsuit restrictions — Bush's rhetoric split the House chamber... | |
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Kevin Aylward: Dana Milbank (Washington Post) - "Democrats participated in 'outright heckling.' [B]ush's rhetoric split the house... Avedon Carol: However, Dana Milbank says the Republican moderates all made their own quiet protests by mostly not standing or clapping... Betsy Newmark: Proving that you can gain more attention for being a "maverick" than for being a loyal Party person, Dana Milbank kept... |
Steve Soto: Dana Milbank's piece in the Post this morning points out that Bush left the GOP moderates with little to cheer about last night. New Donkey: In case you have an unslaked thirst for essence-of-SOTU, check out Dana Milbank's painstaking WaPo account of who stood,... Josh Marshall: Milbank looks for signs of Caucus membership with hand-clap-ometer ... [snipped quote] Remember for future reference, Collins easily swayed by colleagues' hand slaps. |
| Also: Kevin Drum | |
Bush Issues Call to Action on Social Security Makeover LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Bush used his State of the Union address Wednesday to launch a determined push for sweeping changes in the nation's Social Security system, including new individual investment accounts for younger workers and potentially deep but unspecified cuts in benefits for future retirees. | |
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Steve Soto: And these admissions from the White House that the privatization plan does nothing to address the system's solvency... Josh Marshall: TPM reader — RT did the leg work so I'll let him speak for himself ... "From today's LA Times top story, referenced in... Kos @DailyKos: Maybe there is no crisis after all — The White House seems to be changing rationales: [snipped quote] They keep pushing... |
Kevin Drum: Now, via Josh Marshall, it appears that George Bush has quietly stopped talking about the private account free lunch as well: [snipped quote] Now why would Bush do this? Skippy: awol accidentally tells truth; screws gop the lovely hesiod sends us an la times piece which points out that in his... Oliver Willis: No we don't! He was for saving social security before he was against it. |
In Davos, Part VI (The End) NRO — Permalink Welcome to the sixth and last part of this Davos journal, marking the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, 2005. Previous parts, in ascending order, are here, here, here, here, and here. Or you could check the archive. I forget how adept you all are. | |
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Sims @SouthernAppeal: Commentary from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland — If you haven't checked out Jay Nordlinger's six-part... Hugh Hewitt: Jay Nordlinger reports at NationalReview.com today on what he was told happened after the Eason Jordan accusation... Steve Bainbridge: Hewitt on Jordan — Hugh Hewitt continues to rag on CNN's Eason Jordan, as well he should: "Jay Nordlinger reports at... |
Scott Sala: Also La Shawn Barber starts the The Eason Jordan Repository. And National Review. UPDATE: Roger L. Simon got the email too. James Panero: Not to worry. Here are the links to his six part report on the shindig that is Davos (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). |
Report Rips Management of Oil-for-Food Fox News — Permalink UNITED NATIONS — The man who ran the U.N. Oil-for-Food program "seriously undermined" the integrity of the United Nations, a U.N.-authorized investigation of the troubled program found in a report released Thursday. | |
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Jan Haugland: I can't see it... Update: You can download the report from Fox in PDF format. The report is way more damning than accusing Sevan of "conflict of interest." Jeff Goldstein: UNquestionable malfeasance — From FOXNews [snipped quote] And so it continues, the bureaucracy proceeding apace, with... |
Cori Dauber: Volcker Report Out — And it's not looking good, not at all, for Benan Sevan. Greg Ransom: THE VOLCKER REPORT on the U.N.'s corrupt "Oil-for-Food" program in Iraq has been released. |
Senate Votes 60-36 to Confirm Gonzales as Attorney General By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 - The Senate confirmed Alberto R. Gonzales as attorney general this afternoon, but only after one of the most polarized debates over a cabinet nominee in years. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Gonzales — Well, it looks like we have a new attorney generalissimo. Josh Chafetz: GONZALES IS CONFIRMED as the new Attorney General. I'm not wildly enthusiastic, but, then, the Bush Administration didn't ask me. |
Gary Farber: Fact-checked. Apparently we've gone and swapped Senator Wayne Allard (R. Asshole) for Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska. |
Churchill's pickup vandalized By / Rocky Mountain News — Permalink Vandals painted two swastikas on the truck of besieged University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill, Boulder County sheriff's deputies said Wednesday. The vandals painted the swastikas on the tailgate of Churchill's Chevrolet pickup late Tuesday or early Wednesday, said Lt. Phil West, a sheriff's spokesman. | |
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McQ: Crossing the line against Ward Churchill — Its one thing to disagree with someone, to speak against his ideas and his actions. Iowahawk: Newsy News Niblets BRITAIN ROCKED BY ROYAL HOSTAGE CRISIS AP Releases New Photo of Captured Prince Albert "Better let... |
Charles Johnson: Ward Churchill Alleges Vandalism — Ward Churchill, the University of Colorado professor who described the victims of... |
The Difference Between Faint and Fainthearted By / WaPo — Permalink Don't faint, Hillary, you're all we've got! There was a tiny ripple of panic among Downstate Dems when the junior senator from New York uncharacteristically swooned on the road in Buffalo on Monday. After all, who else do New Yorkers have to make them feel a part of the action? | |
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Greyhawk: The Difference Between "Almost" and "There" — Tina Brown, praising Hillary Clinton in the Washington Post, comes very... Judith Weiss: Journalistic narcissism Dept. Via The Corner, Telling comment on the media in Iraq from Tina Brown: [snipped quote] We knew, but the reporters didn't. |
Jeremy Brown: A Long Hard Look in the Funhouse Mirror — Sometimes a journalist gets so homesick for the truth he's willing to meet it... Tim Graham: In yet another Hillary-boosting WashPost column, Tina Brown despairs at the bungled timing behind Iraq gloom from... |
Senate confirms Gonzales for attorney general AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Thursday to confirm White House counsel Alberto Gonzales as attorney general, setting aside Democratic complaints he helped craft questionable U.S. policies on the treatment of foreign prisoners. The Most "WOW!" Travel Dealson the | |
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Matt Davis: Son of Beach. Sheet. Alberto Gonzales confirmed, in defiance of all standards of decency. F'ing cowardly Dems. Oliver Willis: Meet Your New Torture Czar — The Republican lemmings, aided and abetted by Senators Salazar and Lieberman, have their torture architect now in place. |
Jayson @PoliPundit: "Slim Majority" — Alberto Gonzales was just confirmed as the Attorney General of the United States. The vote tally: In favor: 60. |
All the news that's fit to be given away By / Christian Science Monitor — Permalink Since starting college three years ago, Katherine Toy has developed a new habit: reading a daily newspaper. But the paper that has become her regular companion on the Boston subway isn't a traditional daily. For one, the Boston Metro doesn't have the wingspan of a broadsheet. | |
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John Cole: A Growing Trend — Interesting story in the CS Monitor: [snipped quote] Information wants to be free. Nick Gillespie: Our Man Matt Welch on Free Newspapers...and more in a Christian Science Monitor story about the DC Examiner, the new... |
Matt Welch: Here's Me Yakking in a Christian Science Monitor Article About Free Daily Newspapers |
We're going to do it again, says man behind Beslan bloodbath By / Times of London — Permalink THE Chechen rebel leader who masterminded the Beslan school siege last autumn plans more such operations, despite his apparent remorse over the deaths of more than 330 people — half of them children — in the North Ossetia attack. | |
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Charles Johnson: Beslan Monster: "We're Planning More" — Shamil Basayev, the Chechnyan Islamic fascist who masterminded the Beslan child... Colt: In an interview with U.K. Channel 4, Shamil Basayev says: "We are planning more Beslan-type operations in the future because we are forced to do so." |
Jan Haugland: Basayev will kill more children — The Chechen terrorist leader Shamil Basayev has no regrets for the slaughter of... Chad Evans: The man behind the Russian School Hostage Siege in Beslan says he'll do it again. |
A Day to Remember By / NYT — Permalink As someone who believed, hoped, worried, prayed, worried, hoped and prayed some more that Iraqis could one day pull off the election they did, I am unreservedly happy about the outcome - and you should be, too. Why? | |
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Cori Dauber: Forward as Much as Back — Tom Friedman still thinks there have been real and serious mistakes made on Iraq, but the... Matthew Yglesias: Thomas Friedman offers up some of the pearls of wisdom that cloud men's minds: "In other words, this election has made... Dale Franks: Living in a fantasy world — I'm sure Tom Friedman is a good guy, but the elections in Iraq appear to have made him giddy. |
Damian Penny: The real losers — Tom Friedman: ...not everyone is wearing a smiley face after the Iraqi elections, and that is good, considering who is unhappy. Judith Weiss: UPDATE: Related: When Tom Friedman is good, he's very very good. And he has promoted the cause of liberal Arabs for a long time. Bill @INDCJournal: Thomas Friedman ... pens a great column. |
Winning The War Of Perception By / WaPo — Permalink If George W. Bush could sing and dance to "Yankee Doodle Dandy," he probably would have last night, as part of a sentimental patriotic spectacle technically known as the State of the Union address. | |
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Cori Dauber: But, as he demonstrates over and over again, every time they let him up from the kid's table to write about the big kid... Susan Q. Stranahan: Her beef is with the Washington Post's Style columnist Tom Shales and his critique of the State of the Union speech. Tim Graham: HANKIES FOR RATHER? Tom Shales writes in today's WashPost: [snipped quote] Sorry, Tom, but we're quite happy about it. |
Oliver @LiquidList: Mostly, I think I'm aligned with Tom Shales (who by the way is truly a TV writer unparalleled in TV writing talent by any other TV writer on the planet). Betsy Newmark: As has gotten to be my habit, I checked in with Shales to see if he continued his tradition of talking about Bush's tie. |
Senate OKs Gonzales As Attorney General By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation Thursday as attorney general despite Democratic accusations that he helped formulate White House policies that led to overseas prisoner abuse and was too beholden to President Bush to be the nation's top law enforcement official. | |
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Matt Davis: Update (from Soto): Here are the Democrats who voted in favor of Gonzales, all of whom apparently checked their morals... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Alberto Gonzales has been confirmed as our Attorney General [snipped quote] Reactions |
Public Opinion Watch Center for American Progress — Permalink In this edition of Public Opinion Watch: • That Cleared Up Everything, Right? The latest Democracy Corps poll (see also the useful accompanying charts) provides a wide range of data indicating that the public, while they may have granted Bush a second term, remains distinctly unenthusiastic about his agenda. | |
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Sam Rosenfeld: The latest polling from Hart Research advises Social Security advocates not to get bogged down in a philosophical debate... Kevin Drum: TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY...I don't really have much comment on this, but I thought I'd pass along the conclusions... |
Chris Nolan: You're Talking to Me — After last night's State of the Union Speech, it's pretty clear to me that Democrats are in a lot deeper trouble than the party realizes. |
Georgian Prime Minister Found Dead By / AP — Permalink TBILISI, Georgia (AP) - Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, who helped lead Georgia's revolution that toppled the corruption-tainted regime of Eduard Shevardnadze, died early Thursday in a friend's apartment from what officials claimed was an accidental gas leak from a heater. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: AFTER YUSHCHENKO, this is going to make a lot of people suspicious: [snipped quote] I think that this is likely to hurt Putin's position. |
K. J. Lopez: GEORGIAN PRIME MINISTER DEAD — Viktor Yushchenko might be considering himself lucky right about now—some fingers are pointing to Russia. |
Bush Makes Case for Social Security Plan WaPo — Permalink President Bush called last night for a historic restructuring of Social Security that would allow younger workers for the first time to invest some of their payroll taxes in the stock market, declaring in his annual State of the Union address that without change the venerable program is headed toward bankruptcy. | |
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Hindrocket: Today's Award for Cluelessness...goes to the Washington Post, which wrote in its coverage of the State of the Union... K. J. Lopez: JUST A HUG — Also in the Washington Post: [snipped quote] Via. |
Joshua Sharf: WaPo Reporter Gives Mea Culpa — Powerline notes the following paragraph in my friend Peter Baker's SOTU report this... |
Matthews: White House Staged Slain Marine Mom's Hug NewsMax.com — Permalink MSNBC's "Hardball" host Chris Matthews suggested last night that the high point of President Bush's State of the Union Address - the emotional hug between grateful Iraqi voter Safia Taleb al-Suhail and Janet Norwood, mother of a Marine who died liberating her country - was staged by the White House. | |
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Oliver @LiquidList: UPDATE: NewsMax, the most outraged news source in history, is outraged that Hardball host Chris Matthews could ever think the hug was staged. |
Michelle Malkin: CHRIS MATTHEWS SLIMES A MILITARY FAMILY — Last night, MSNBC blabber Chris Matthews suggested that the powerfully moving... |
All Players Gained From 'Oil-for-Food' By / LAT — Permalink UNITED NATIONS — It was the summer of 1990, and Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard had just stormed into oil-rich Kuwait. The U.N. Security Council, hoping to induce Iraq to withdraw and disarm, responded by imposing sanctions. | |
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Kevin Drum: Whether the Volcker report names names remains to be seen, but the LA Times has a lengthy review of the scandal today... K. J. Lopez: It sounds like the Volcker interim report, released today, will not be overly damning when it comes to him (see Volcker in WSJ—sub required)—and the blamesharing spin is on. |
Orrin Judd: OUR MONSTER: All Players Gained From 'Oil-for-Food': On the U.N. Security Council, competing national interests and... Gary Farber: WHAT WENT WRONG with the Iraqi Oil-For-Food Program: a reasonably comprehensive, and credible, look by the LA Times. |
Inquiry Severely Criticizes U.N.'s Oil-for-Aid Program By / NYT — Permalink An interim report by a United Nations-appointed panel investigating the oil-for-food program in Iraq severely criticizes its director and depicts the program as "tainted" for failing to follow the organization's own procedures. | |
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Kevin Drum: OIL FOR FOOD...Paul Volcker's preliminary report on the UN oil-for-food program is supposed to come out today, and in a... |
Damian Penny: Oil-for-food report released — The UN's internal investigation into its oil-for-food program says the program was... |
George Bush Talks Big, and He Delivers By / LAT — Permalink No, the insurgency isn't over. No, U.S. troops can't come home yet. No, one election does not a democracy make. No, paradise has not dawned in Mesopotamia. Every caveat offered by the cautious is true. Yet even days later, all I can say is ... wow! | |
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William J. Dyer: But Max Boot's op-ed today, titled "George Bush Talks Big, and He Delivers," exactly nails it on Bush's foreign policy. Orrin Judd: DELIVERY MAN: George Bush Talks Big, and He Delivers (Max Boot, February 3, 2005, LA Times) [snipped quote] No, nerves don't seem to be a big concern. |
Betsy Newmark: Max Boot, a military historian, knows why the civilian leader in wartime is so important. Glenn Reynolds: THOUGHTS on Bush's Iran Strategy. UPDATE: Max Boot: "George Bush Talks Big, and He Delivers." |
House GOP Leaders Name Loyalist to Replace Ethics Chief By / WaPo — Permalink House Republican leaders tightened their control over the ethics committee yesterday by ousting its independent-minded chairman, appointing a replacement who is close to them and adding two new members who donated to the legal defense fund of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.). | |
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Avedon Carol: Naturally, the fact that the SOTU was the big news of the night means the Republicans had to be trying to slip something... Zoe Kentucky: It must be French — Apparently "integrity" is a French word now because the House GOP leadership will have nothing to do with it. |
Sam Rosenfeld: Incidentally, take a look at both The New York Times' write-up of the ethics decisions and The Washington Post's version. |