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Bush Demands That Syria Leave Lebanon By / AP — Permalink ARNOLD, Md. - President Bush on Wednesday demanded in blunt terms that Syria get out of Lebanon, saying the free world is in agreement that Damascus' authority over the political affairs of its neighbor must end now. | |
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Tim Cavanaugh: President Bush says today "You get your troops and your secret services out of Lebanon so that good democracy has a... Charles Johnson: Bush: "You Get Your Troops Out of Lebanon" — A blunt statement from the President: Bush Demands That Syria Leave Lebanon. Mitch Berg: Bet Raised — Bush pushed a big pile of chips into the Lebanese pot today: [snipped quote] For all the left's... |
H.D. Miller: Here's George W. Bush suggesting that it might be time for Bashar and Co. to leave Lebanon. Roger L. Simon: Bush speaks out on Lebanon: ARNOLD, Md. - President Bush on Wednesday demanded that Syria get out of Lebanon, saying the... Joe Gandelman: Bush Warns Syria: GET OUT! Can Syria see the handwriting on the wall — or does it need the wall to fall in on it? |
| Also: Glenn Reynolds | |
The war's silver lining By / Guardian — Permalink Tony Blair is not gloating. He could - but he prefers to appear magnanimous in what he hopes is victory. In our Guardian interview yesterday, he was handed a perfect opportunity to crow. | |
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Ace: Ilbis tips to this piece: "The war's silver lining We need to face up to the fact that the Iraq invasion has... Roger L. Simon: And now even The Guardian is changing its tune... Their Jonathan Freedland writes: Even so, it cannot be escaped: the... Jan Haugland: Next in our 'eating crow' department we find The Guardian's Jonathan Freedland, inspired by Tony Blair's wise decision... |
Oliver Kamm: And even The Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, an opponent of the Iraq War, acknowledges that if, in his interview,... Pejman Yousefzadeh: Vide Tony Blair: "Tony Blair is not gloating. He could - but he prefers to appear magnanimous in what he hopes is victory. Harry @HarrysPlace: Being Big Enough — One of the Guardian's anti-war columnists Jonathan Freedland surveys the changes in the Middle East... |
| Also: Norm Geras, Mitch Berg, Dr. Frank, Dale Franks, Orrin Judd | |
The Online Insurgency By / Rolling Stone — Permalink They signed up 500,000 supporters with an Internet petition — but Bill Clinton still got impeached. They organized 6,000 candlelight vigils worldwide — but the U.S. still invaded Iraq. | |
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Kevin Aylward: Rolling Stone Magazine sums up their existence thusly,Like so many other Internet start-ups, MoveOn has raised — and... Ufrh4 @Centerfield: I posted an entry to my blog about Tim Dickenson's article that appears in Rolling Stone, but I thought it would be... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: Because Rolling Stone may have blown the cover on his covert operation to make the Democratic Party look horrible:... Stephen Green: Rolling Stone's Tim Dickinson doesn't seem much impressed with MoveOn.org: [snipped quote] And: [snipped quote] Ouch. |
GOP Jewish Group Critizes Byrd's Remarks By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - A pair of Jewish groups accused Sen. Robert Byrd (news, bio, voting record) on Wednesday of making an outrageous and reprehensible comparison between Adolf Hitler's Nazis and a Senate GOP plan to block Democrats from filibustering. | |
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Captain Ed: Jewish Groups Denounce Byrd's Nazi Remarks — Two Jewish groups have denounced Senator Robert Byrd for his equating... Spoons: KLANSMAN FALLS VICTIM OF GODWIN'S LAW — Some folks never learn. |
Jason Van Steenwyk: "GOP Jewish Group Criticizes Byrd's Remarks" The subhead: "Jewish Republican Group Accuses Sen. Robert Byrd of Comparing Nazis to GOP Filibuster Plan" Geez. |
Court Considers Government Displays of Ten Commandments By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 2 - The justices of the Supreme Court appeared to wrestle with contradictory impulses as they heard arguments today in two cases challenging government displays of the Ten Commandments. | |
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David Allan Pell: Drawing the Line Without a Pencil — Here are a few outtakes from today's Supreme Court hearing during which the... Tom Smith: THE TEN SUGGESTIONS — As the Ten Commandments may not be posted on government property, or may soon not be, because of... |
Ann Althouse: Linda Greenhouse has a nicely detailed account in the NYT. |
Sen. Byrd's Hitler Comments Draw Fire By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senator's likening of Republican strategy on blocked judicial nominees to Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany drew condemnation on Wednesday from top Republicans and the Anti-Defamation League. | |
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Lambert @Corrente: Senator Byrd utters the F-word — And the Piranha brothers try to nail Byrd's head to the floor. Anyhow, here's what Byrd said. |
Captain Ed: UPDATE: Reuters has added coverage as well: "A U.S. Senator's likening of Republican strategy on blocked judicial... |
Rough Justice By / Slate — Permalink Dissenting from Tuesday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the execution of juveniles, Justice Antonin Scalia ridicules his colleagues for switching sides on the basis of "evolving standards." He calls the majority opinion a "mockery" for supposing that the Constitution's meaning "has changed over the past 15 years." | |
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Ann Althouse: UPDATE: William Saletan accuses Justice Scalia of switching sides with respect to juvenile moral development by... Orin Kerr: Justice Scalia Isn't Exactly A Model of jurisprudential consistency, but those trying to play "gotcha" with him have to do much better than this piece by William Saletan in Slate. Oliver @LiquidList: Politics: Flip-Flopper On The High Court — If only the Word could have been made Flesh at Slate.com today, then William... |
Ramesh Ponnuru: SCALIA'S POLF-PILF — William Saletan argues that Justice Scalia, in arguing that the Court has an inconsistent view of... Fred Clark: So it's good to see the Supreme Court of the United States finally reject the perverse logic of the statutory rapist in... |
"The Whore Lived Like a German" By / DER SPIEGEL — Permalink In the past four months, six Muslim women living in Berlin have been brutally murdered by family members. Their crime? Trying to break free and live Western lifestyles. Within their communities, the killers are revered as heroes for preserving their family dignity. | |
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Robin Burk: I feel a little of that for Mona and the other young women of Jordan and elsewhere who face this threat from those who should be supporting and protecting them. Glenn Reynolds: DER SPIEGEL: [snipped quote] — UPDATE: More background here. ANOTHER UPDATE: And read this article, too. |
Eugene Volokh: Blood-Curdling: This article on "honor killings" of Muslim women — in Germany — is generally shocking. |
Don't Rush on the Road to Damascus By / NYT — Permalink THE assassination last month of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister, has given new life to an old idea: using the issue of Lebanese independence to undermine Syria's strategic position. | |
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Michael Young: The latest offering comes in today's New York Times, which has published a piece by Flynt Leverett, formerly of the NSC... Pejman Yousefzadeh: EXPERTS AND NON-EXPERTS — Don't miss this Michael Young post, which rips to shreds one of the more ill-informed opinion pieces yet seen on the events in Syria and Lebanon. Mitch Berg: Flynt Leverett in the Times, though, sounds a few cautionary notes. |
Jonah Goldberg: Flynt Leverett writes in the Times that Syria should stay because Hezbollah will run the show if the Syrians leave. Orrin Judd: Don't Rush on the Road to Damascus (FLYNT LEVERETT, 3/02/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] Realism is French for: "your freedom can wait." Ed Cone: Flynt Leverett in the NYT: Go slow in Lebanon. I'm sure he makes some sound arguments, but who's going to explain it to her? |
Nevada Democrats decry Gibbons' remarks AP — Permalink RENO, Nev. (AP) - Nevada Democrats are decrying remarks by U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons condemning "tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals" for their opposition to the war in Iraq. | |
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Captain Ed: UPDATE: Check out what the Democrats have decided to complain about instead: "Nevada Democrats are decrying remarks by... Paul @Wizbang: More Related Update The Vegas Democrats have found a sense of outrage... sorta Nevada Democrats decry Gibbons' remarks... |
Buckfush: The Anti-American Congressman Gibbons — From the diaries—Chris As heard today on the Ed Schulz show, Ed gave some much... |
The Queen: Have you been playing long? Eric Clapton: It must be about 45 years now By / Telegraph — Permalink Pundits pronounce almost daily on the workings of the Queen's mind, but few people really know her likes and dislikes. As of last night, however, there is at least one certainty: Her Majesty has quite clearly never been a fan of virtuoso electric guitar. | |
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The Big Trunk: The British media are mocking the Queen's obliviousness to guitar idol Eric Clapton at the reception. K. J. Lopez: ERIC CLAPTON? HMMM. NO. NEVER HEARD OF YOU. The queen is evidently not a Claptonite. |
Roger L. Simon: "Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl... ... but she doesn't have a lot to say." (hat tip: K-Lo) UPDATE: Well, she seems to have recognized this guy. |
A Way to End Bitter Fights Over Justices By / LAT — Permalink An activist judiciary has joined the legislative and executive branches in making public policy. The influence of judges has been magnified by their relative immunity from political pressure. That fact alone makes judicial appointments important. | |
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Ken Masugi: To keep the Supreme Court independent yet still accountable, libertarian Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute supports a single term of "ten or 12 years." Greg Ransom: Doug Bandow has a related idea — ending lifetime appointments for all those old people in black robes. |
Dale Franks: Judicial Term Limits — The Cato Institute's Doug Bandow argues, as I do below, for term limits for the Federal Judiciary. |
GOP Lawmakers Attack Democrats, AARP By / AP — Permalink (03-02) 08:33 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) — Republicans attacked the AARP as well as congressional Democrats on Wednesday as they struggled to build momentum behind President Bush's call for personal investment accounts under Social Security. | |
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PGL: Opposing The Social Security Plan That Does Not Exist — Via Duncan Black comes the latest in hypocrisy from the GOP... DeLong: Orwellian Once Again — And we hand the mike to Atrios: [quote] Eschaton: "There is Plan and No Plan":Cute trick.[end quote] |
Atrios: There is Plan and No Plan — Cute trick. |
Saudi Shiites Look to Iraq and Assert Rights By / NYT — Permalink QATIF, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 25 - The Shiite Muslim minority in this kingdom once marked their Ashura holy day furtively in darkened, illegal community centers out of fear of stirring the powerful wrath of the religious establishment. | |
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Robin Burk: "Or alternatively in today's NYT check out this article about Shiites in Saudi Arabia." Orrin Judd: IGNITION SWITCH: Saudi Shiites Look to Iraq and Assert Rights (NEIL MacFARQUHAR, 3/02/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] And the Shi'a shall lead.... |
Steven Taylor: Via the NYT: Saudi Shiites Look to Iraq and Assert Rights [snipped quote] Intriguing, to be sure. |
Terror and the English Language NRO — Permalink Making use of a chief weapon. The long, twilight struggle against Islamo-fascism requires Civilization to deploy numerous weapons against this implacable foe. As usual, these will include intelligence, covert operations, and high-tech armaments. | |
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Stefan Beck: Reading this transcript, I was reminded of this quotation from Ayatollah Khomeini in Deroy Murdock's NRO piece today: "Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. |
Cori Dauber: Here's a wonderful essay making several of the same points, quite powerfully. |
Lebanon 'victory' spurs Syrians to demand a voice By / Washington Times — Permalink DAMASCUS, Syria — Demonstrations that brought down the government of neighboring Lebanon on Monday inspired Syria's intellectuals and activists to issue new calls yesterday for greater political participation in their own country — a nation known for its strict limits on dissent. | |
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Charles Johnson: Sea Change in Syria — The waves of change sweeping across the Middle East now reach Syria: Lebanon 'victory' spurs Syrians to demand a voice. Orrin Judd: BEIRUT CAUSES: Lebanon 'victory' spurs Syrians to demand a voice (Rhonda Roumani, March 2, 2005, THE WASHINGTON TIMES)... Hindrocket: Hear Those Dominoes Fall — Good news out of Syria yesterday, as reported by the Washington Times: "Lebanon 'victory'... |
Betsy Newmark: Gee, the inspiration democracy continues to have an impact throughout the Mideast. Pejman Yousefzadeh: CHANGE ROILS SYRIA — Aspirations for freedom are contagious, after all: [snipped quote] It should be understood that... |
Yahoo! offers free ice cream CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Here's the scoop on Yahoo!'s 10th birthday: Free ice cream. The search engine giant is celebrating its 10th birthday by offering Baskin-Robbins ice cream through its Web site. | |
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Michele Catalano: So for all you registered Yahoo members who want to celebrate the birthday today, go to Yahoo and download a coupon for a free Baskin Robbins ice cream. Kehaar: Happy Birthday, Yahoo! Free ice cream for everyone! |
Gary Farber: Oh, wait, they did. [snipped quote] 2.5 ounces likely won't make you feel over-full, but, hey, the price is tolerable. |
Social Security Vote May Be Delayed WaPo — Permalink The Senate's top Republican said yesterday that President Bush's bid to restructure Social Security may have to wait until next year and might not involve the individual accounts the White House has been pushing hard. | |
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Patrick Ruffini: There's handwringing galore as WaPo indulges in two consecutive days of the D.C. art form it has perfected: collecting... Ezra Klein: Now he's not even sure he can bring Social Security to the floor before 2007, which is congressional code for "never". RCox: On Being Misunderestimated - on Social Security — Chicken Little is the loose this morning with both The Washington... |
Noam Scheiber: The Washington Post reports today that a vote on Social Security privatization in Congress may be postponed till next year—or till never. Tom Maguire: Mostly Dead Is Partly Alive — Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist may not have put the final nail in the coffin of Bush's... Steve Soto: Frist Indicates That Bush May Lose On Private Accounts — All you need to know today about the Social Security battle:... |
| Also: Josh Marshall, Barbara O'Brien, Spoons, Taegan Goddard, Kevin Drum, K. J. Lopez | |
High Court Debates Commandments Displays By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Ten Commandments displays should be allowed on government property because they pay tribute to America's religious and legal history, the Supreme Court was told Wednesday, in cases that could render a new definition of the role that religion plays in the life of the nation. | |
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The Big Trunk: We hold these truths — Today the Supreme Court heard oral argument in the Kentucky and Texas Ten Commandments cases: "High court debates commandments displays." |
Amanda Marcotte: My fellow Texans keep on making the rest of us look like fools — Right now, a good number of Texans, your friendly... |
Haunted by Threats, U.S. Judge Finds New Horror By / NYT — Permalink CHICAGO, March 1 - For Joan Humphrey Lefkow, the nightmare began shortly after her appointment as a federal judge in 2000, when an Oregon group's lawsuit to block white supremacists from using a name it had trademarked, World Church of the Creator, landed in her lap. | |
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Tom Maguire: Jodi Wilgoren of the NY Times may have committed a deadly lapse of judgment in her moving account of execution-style slaying of the husband and mother of a Federal judge. Charles Kuffner: RIP, Michael Lefkow and Joan Humphrey — I heard about the awful, gruesome murders of Michael Lefkow and Donna Humphrey,... Joe Gandelman: If they put it in a movie it would seem terribly trite: the murder of the family of a judge presiding over a case... |
Michelle Malkin: THE MURDER OF JUDGE LEFKOW'S FAMILY — Have you been following the news about the horrific, execution-style murders of Chicago-area judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow's mother and husband? David Neiwert: Indeed, according to the last graf of the New York Times report: Sympathizers abound. Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: Via David Neiwert, we find this troubling passage from the New York Times story, too: [snipped quote] Never trust anyone who calls himself a "libertarian socialist." |
| Also: Armando @DailyKos | |
Transform It, Don't Reform It By / WaPo — Permalink As the discussion about overhauling Medicaid becomes more urgent, there is a grave danger that it will be narrowly focused on money, trapping lawmakers in an unproductive power struggle between federal and state governments. | |
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Max B. Sawicky: Adding his own unique schizzle to the debate is the philandering Western civilization expert Newt Gingrich. Michelle Malkin: GINGRICH'S BOLD MEDICAID REFORM PROPOSAL — Newt Gingrich has an op-ed in this morning's Washington Post calling on... |
Susan Madrak: I was reading a piece Newt Gingrich wrote for today's Post about Medicaid, and he talked about removing the option for using emergency rooms as expensive primary care. Kevin Drum: PROFESSOR NEWT?....Over at Suburban Guerrilla, Susan comments on Newt Gingrich's latest foray into public policy. |
Tearing down the press By / Salon — Permalink For the last four years the persistent storyline about the White House's relationship with the press has focused on the administration's discipline, denial of access, and ability to stay on message. | |
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Tarek @LiquidList: First, on a national level, we learn from the good offices of Romanesko that Eric Boehlert in Salon has gathered some... |
Chris Mooney: The White House War on the Press — Eric Boehlert's Salon piece today—which discusses how the Bush administration's war... |
Martha: The exit will be televised CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Five months ago Martha Stewart one-upped the media by checking into prison before the television cameras had arrived. On her way out this week, she's planning to let the world watch. | |
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Jack Cluth: "UPDATE: Martha: The exit will be televised. The domestic diva snuck into prison five months ago, but she's not planning to sneak out. |
Roger L. Simon: Unfortunately for us, however, it seems this will. |
Mayor endorses gin to fourth graders By / Las Vegas Sun — Permalink Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman told a group of fourth graders on Monday that if he was marooned on a desert island the one thing he would want to have with him is a bottle of gin. | |
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Paul @Wizbang: What Happens in Vegas - Is Often an Embarrassment — As if the major of Las Vegas weren't embarrassing enough in the... |
Stephen Green: For the Children — Frank Martin asks, "What's the official VodkaPundit position on this?" |
Military bankruptcy exemption defeated By / Indianapolis Star — Permalink WASHINGTON — The Senate rejected Tuesday an effort backed by Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., to exempt service members from some of the tighter bankruptcy restrictions Congress is considering. | |
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DavidNYC @DailyKos: The Republicans, of course, derailed it: "The Senate rejected Tuesday an effort backed by Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., to... |
Skippy: while pretending to support the troops, the gop has defeated an amendment that would exempt us veterans from the draconian bankruptcy laws. |
What Became of the CIA By / Opinion Journal — Permalink My first personal encounter with the CIA came in 1989. I was living in Washington, editing a new publication about communist affairs under the auspices of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. | |
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Cori Dauber: Read this superb little piece on what went wrong inside the intelligence community, particularly the CIA, prior to the... Pejman Yousefzadeh: This article provides both in-depth analysis and a telling anecdote: [snipped quote] Read the rest. The Big Trunk: Today's OpinionJournal republishes Schoenfeld's article in its entirety: "What became of the CIA." |
S.L. Zoll: Editor, Schmeditor — A piece by Gabriel Schoenfeld criticizing the CIA appears in today's edition of the WSJ's Opinion Journal. Orrin Judd: SPIES LIKE US: What Became of the CIA: How is it that America's intelligence analysts don't recognize ham and think bin Laden is "gentle"? |
Managing A Mideast Revolution By / WaPo — Permalink There's an obscure branch of mathematics known as "catastrophe theory," which looks at how a small perturbation in a previously stable system can suddenly produce dramatic change. A classic example of the theory is the way a bridge, after bearing immense weight for many years, can suddenly collapse because of a new stress. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: How then to respond to David Ignatius, who warns us not to crow and gloat? Jonah Goldberg: THE GLORIOUS CATASTROPHE & HEZBOLLAH — David Ignatius has lots of useful tidbits here. He also raises something I haven't seen addressed fully. |
Cori Dauber: More Thoughts From Ignatius — First, it's just something to see the word "dominoes" pop up in a Post column not from Krauthammer. Nathan Newman: And it would be ironic if Bush's actions indirectly give Iran new control of Lebanon via its allied Hezbollah militias. |
The medium isn't the message, actually By / Townhall.com — Permalink The moment of "blog triumphalism" is upon us. This may sound like odd news to you, since it's entirely possible that you still don't know what a blog is. If you're in the dark, hie thee to the nearest Internet search engine and type in the word. | |
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Stephen Green: Close Enough for a Cigar — Jonah Goldberg on blogs: [snipped quote] And most print publications are concerned with equally-frivilous topics. The Big Trunk: Invitation to a blogging — In his column today Jonah Goldberg places the phenomenon of blogging in the context of the... |
James Joyner: Continued... Update (1440): Jonah Goldberg warns against "blog triumphalism" and reminds us, "The typical blogger is not... |
TERRORIST VS. TERRORIST By / New York Post — Permalink OSAMA bin Laden gets it. The terror-master understands that the campaign of bombings and assassinations has backfired in Iraq, erasing popular support for Islamist fanatics and unleashing the forces of freedom. So World Terrorist No. 1 sent a message to Regional Terrorist No. 1: We're losing. | |
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James Joyner: Osama Gets It — Ralph Peters, correctly I think, believes that the recent comminique between Osama bin Laden and Abu... Orrin Judd: THE LAST ATTACK WORKED SO WELL: TERRORIST VS. TERRORIST (RALPH PETERS, March 2, 2005, NY Post) [snipped quote] Osama is... |
Stephen Green: Required Reading — Ralph Peters: "OSAMA bin Laden gets it. |
Report: Madrid Train Bombers Also Targeted New York Reuters — Permalink MADRID (Reuters) - The Madrid train bombers had detailed plans of New York's Grand Central Station, indicating they also planned to attack there, a Spanish newspaper reported Wednesday. | |
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Charles Johnson: Planned Attack on Grand Central Station — One of the suspects arrested (and now released) for involvement in the Madrid... Robin Burk: The Situation in Spain — Today's Wall Street Journal has a (subscription) article titled Burying the Truth which... |
Joe Gandelman: It sounds as if New York City narrowly escaped another terrorist attack: a train bombing at the hands of the terrorists accused of last year's bloody Madrid train bombings. |
Pinkett Smith's Remarks Debated By / Harvard Crimson — Permalink After some students were offended by Jada Pinkett Smith's comments at Saturday's Cultural Rhythms show, the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Supporters Alliance (BGLTSA) and the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations have begun working together to increase sensitivity toward issues of sexuality at Harvard. | |
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Acidman: selective outrage — Just read this quote slowly and ponder its meaning: "After some students were offended by Jada... |
K. J. Lopez: ACTRESS JADA PINKETT SMITH... ...may be too "heteronormative" for Harvard. |
Greenspan: Economy Sound, Spending Curbs Needed Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Wednesday the U.S. economy is growing at a "reasonably good pace" but said the country must tackle its budget deficits, primarily through spending restraint. | |
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Kash: Garbage from Greenspan — Without a shred of evidence or theoretical justification, Greenspan said this today on Capitol... |
Ezra Klein: The Continuing Greenspan Hackery Watch — Kash takes Greenspan out to the woodshed and gives his absurd antitax jihad the what-for (read it in full). |
Democrats on Senate Panel Pummel Judicial Nominee By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 1 - The Senate moved closer to a major partisan breakdown over judicial appointments on Tuesday as Democrats on the Judiciary Committee assailed one of President Bush's nominees and asserted he would not be confirmed to the bench. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: The newspaper accounts of the Democrats' decision to continue their obstruction in the face of successive defeats in 2002 and 2004 on this very issue are here, here, here and here. Orrin Judd: CALLING TINIAN: Democrats on Senate Panel Pummel Judicial Nominee (NEIL A. LEWIS, 3/02/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] You know what they say: donkeys learn to love the whip. |
Captain Ed: The New York Times, meanwhile, doesn't mention anything about the debate over the cloture rule in its piece by Neil A... |
Senate Intelligence Chairman Opposes C.I.A. Abuse Inquiry By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 1 - The Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee is opposing a request by the panel's top Democrat to investigate possible misconduct by the C.I.A. in the treatment of terrorism suspects, Congressional officials said Tuesday. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: GETTING AWAY WITH IT: The Senate Republicans cover for the administration on torture. |
Dave Johnson: Senate Intelligence Chairman Opposes C.I.A. Abuse Inquiry: [snipped quote] Impunity. |
Former U.S. Rep. Tillie Fowler Dies at 62 By / AP — Permalink JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Former U.S. Rep. Tillie Fowler, who became prominent on defense issues during her four terms in Congress, died Wednesday, two days after suffering a brain hemorrhage. She was 62. | |
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Michelle Malkin: TILLIE FOWLER, R.I.P. The former Republican congresswoman from Florida, who specialized in defense issues, died today of complications from a brain hemorrhage. |
K. J. Lopez: R.I.P. Former Rep. Tillie Fowler has died. |
Dean says Democrats 'not going to concede the South' By / AP — Permalink JACKSON, Miss. - Praying for American troops and evoking biblical images of helping the needy, Howard Dean told Mississippi Democrats on Tuesday night that the national party won't give up on socially conservative states. | |
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Scott Sala: What I find disturbing as a Republican is that no matter what you think of Howard Dean, he is super-charged and taking... Susan Madrak: AMEN — Dr. Dean in Mississippi: [snipped quote] Dean was right all along. |
K. J. Lopez: DEAN ON LIFE [quote] "I want to reach out to people who are worried about values," Dean said.[end quote] |
Supreme Court Bans Execution of Juveniles By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court abolished the death penalty for juveniles Tuesday, ruling that it was excessive and cruel to execute a person who was under 18 when the crime was committed. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Exectuting Minors — I'm quite sure that banning the execution of minors is not going to be a serious impediment to... |
Jon @ThinkProgress: The practice has been disavowed, since 1990, in human rights bastions such as Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, Congo and China. |
OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! DON'T LET FREAK FOOL YOU By / New York Post — Permalink SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Pass the Kleenex, Jacko's having a moment. And don't forget to remind him to watch his mascara. It was Michael Jackson's turn to cry. And he did so, right here in the courtroom — quietly, elegantly, and ever so delicately. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: He is a full-grown freak. And he must pay." - Andrea Peyser, New York Post. Let's wait for the verdict, shall we? |
Jonah Goldberg: So I'm sypmathetic to Peyser's overall take. But I think this column — linked on Drudge — is simply insufficiant. |
The Beauty of the Flat Tax NRO — Permalink It's fair and it works. On his trip to Slovakia last week, President Bush praised Prime Minister Dzurinda for the flat-tax system he instituted last year. Bush noted that the new tax regime simplified tax collection, attracted foreign capital, and created economic vitality and growth. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: Bruce Bartlett has a useful piece on this. My own view is that progressive taxation is immoral. |
Greg Ransom: BRUCE BARTLETT on the beauty of the flat tax — it's fair and it works. |
Palestinians agree steps forward BBC — Permalink The Palestinians and the international community say they have agreed "practical steps" to create a viable Palestinian state. An agreement reached at a London summit covers governance, security, and economic and social development. | |
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Charles Bird: She's working with Canadians on ballistic missiles. She's involved in the Israel-Palestinian peace process. |
Charles Johnson: Judging from this BBC article, the Europeans don't need Mahmoud Abbas to even acknowledge any past broken agreements: Palestinians agree steps forward. |
Hate Groups Eyed In Judge Kin Slay CBS News — Permalink (CBS/AP) The mother and husband of a federal judge were brutally killed execution style, according to a newspaper report. The judge was once the target of a murder plot by a white nationalist, and postings praising the slayings on supremacist Web sites were accompanied by "RAHOWA!", meaning "racial holy war." | |
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Joe Gandelman: And there are more gruesome details from CBS — details that indicate this was an execution: "The mother and husband of... |
Lambert @Corrente: Nice to see Bush condemn the assassination of a Federal judge's family — The details: [snipped quote] Yech. |
Muslim Victims of Terrorism By / The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies — Permalink Jonathan L. Snow February 25, 2005 Jihadist terrorism is generally viewed as attacks by Islamist radicals against Western, non-Muslim targets. In truth, not only are Muslims frequently targeted by Jihadists, they are disproportionately the victims of Islamist terrorism. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: READER SAKET VEMPRALA sends this link to a tabulation of Muslim victims of terrorism. |
Stephen Green: Kill All Infidels - But First, Brother Hassan — Most Islamic terrorism kills Muslims. Here's the full report. |
Times Appoints Op-Ed Columnist NYT — Permalink John Tierney, a longtime reporter for The New York Times, was named yesterday as an Op-Ed page columnist for the newspaper. His column will appear twice a week beginning in April. Mr. Tierney, 51, joined The Times in 1990, and has been a general assignment reporter, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and a columnist. | |
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Ezra Klein: Tierney — The NY Times has chosen their new columnist, and the lucky winner is libertarian gadfly John Tierney (who looks shockingly like Regis Philbin. |
Chris Mooney: It's Official — John Tierney will be the new conservative New York Times op-ed columnist. |
Eric Zorn's Notebook Chicago Tribune — Permalink The blog posting below is reprinted from the morning of April 27, 2004; for today's reflection on the murder of Judge Joan H. Lefkow's husband and mother, scroll down or click here. | |
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ArchPundit: As Eric Zorn points out, Judge Lefcow ruled in favor of him, but was overruled by the Appeals Court and was enforcing their decision. Charles Kuffner: I want to quote Eric Zorn here, because I think he sums up how I feel about this very well: [snipped quote] I've written before that my dad was a judge for 14 years in New York. |
Michelle Malkin: Chicago Tribune writer and blogger Eric Zorn has been on top of developments, and analyzes the devastating effect of... David Neiwert: Chicago Tribune reporter Eric Zorn hits the notes just about right at his blog: Tempting though it is, I'm not going to... |
Supreme Court, 5-4, Forbids Execution in Juvenile Crime By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 1 - Concluding that the United States and the world have turned against the death penalty for youthful offenders, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the Constitution categorically bars capital punishment for crimes committed before the age of 18. | |
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Jon @ThinkProgress: Scalia and Thomas: No One Unqualified For Execution — Yesterday, Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence... |
Julian Sanchez: Just Out of Curiosity — So, now that we don't execute kids (or people who were kids when they committed their crimes), will we ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? |
For Daschle, Democrats Are the Farewell Party By / WaPo — Permalink Everybody leaves the world's most exclusive club sometime, and last night the tribute at the National Building Museum was for a man who had left it most reluctantly — Democrat Tom Daschle, tossed out of the Senate in November by the good people of South Dakota after an expensive and contentious race. | |
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Sam Rosenfeld: Ann Gerhart's report on last night's farewell tribute to Tom Daschle at the National Building Museum offers a helpful... |
Tim Graham: "CENTRIST" DASCHLE — Washington Post writer Ann Gerhart covered a soiree for defeated Tom Daschle today, which could... |
Kos Party By / Weekly Standard — Permalink SOMEWHERE ON A STREET NEAR YOU, one or both of our major political parties will soon have a ward committee meeting. Ward committee members are the people in your community who think an ideal weekend is spent stuffing envelopes or manning a phone bank on behalf of their pet cause. | |
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James Frederick Dwight: SPANNING THE GLOBE 1) SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION/SUCKING UP - I HAVE ANOTHER ARTICLE up on the Weekly Standard's site. Vanderleun: The Weekly Standard's Kos Party AND IN OTHER NEWS, EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE IS... |
Ace: Update: Soxblog has similar thoughts in a piece he pens for — God, I'm so jealous I could spit a kidney — the Weekly Standard online. Pejman Yousefzadeh: CHIEF AMONGST THE LEMMINGS — I congratulate Markos Moulitsas on his relentless determination to ensure that Democrats... |
Democrats United Against 'Nuclear' Option AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are game to see several of President Bush's judicial nominees confirmed for the bench but Democrats oppose many of them. On Tuesday, Sen. Robert Byrd (search) compared Republican tactics on nominees to Adolph Hitler's use of power in Nazi Germany. | |
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Ace: He recognized the enormous psychological value of having the law on his side," he said. From FoxNews. McQ: Then, there's Robert Byrd... "Hitler never abandoned the cloak of legality; he recognized the enormous psychological value of having the law on his side. |
Captain Ed: Only Fox News gave any coverage at all, and they had the sense to report it properly: "Senate Republicans are game to... |
U.S. and France Join to Urge Syria to Pull Out of Lebanon NYT — Permalink LONDON, March 1 -The United States and France together called on Syria on Tuesday to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, just a day after the pro-Syrian government of Lebanon collapsed under popular pressure. | |
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Talking Dog: We have an assassination in Lebanon where the suspect list seems to be coming down to one particular government based in... Joe Gandelman: U.S. And France AGREE: Syrian Troops Should Quit Lebanon — You know Syria is in trouble when the United States and France AGREE on a demand: it's time to quit Lebanon. |
Tom Maguire: Syria is being influenced by US diplomatic pressure being applied today. Syria is being influenced by the presence of US troops in Iraq today. |
Black robes and betrayal By / Washington Times — Permalink The U.S. Supreme Court has struck again — this time overturning by a 5-4 decision, all statutes that apply the death sentence to 16- and 17-year-old murderers. | |
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Deacon: Tony Blankley demonstrates the point in a devastating Washington Times editorial: [snipped quote] Scalia is right — words have no meaning to this Court. |
Greg Ransom: BLACK ROBES AND BETRAYAL: "Even if you are of a sympathetic nature .. you might still find this Supreme Court opinion... |
911 for 401(k)s By / Slate — Permalink 401(k) plans are a huge success, right? According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 27.9 percent of workers, or about 36.6 million of them, had 401(k) plans in 2001. The Investment Company Institute fact book estimates that 401(k) assets rose from $864 billion in 1995 to $1.867 trillion in 2003. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Slate's Daniel Gross takes a look at the strange case of the 401(k) plan, which, by any reasonable standard, is pretty... |
Nick @BeggingToDiffer: As Slate's Moneybox points out today, rational decision making isn't exactly a common strength of mankind. |
Governors and Officials Step Up Talks on Medicaid By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 1 - Governors and the Bush administration agreed on Tuesday to intensify negotiations on ways to clamp down on Medicaid costs after four days of talks sputtered to an inconclusive end. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Today's New York Times report on the state of Bush's efforts to cut Medicaid spending takes note of a bipartisan... Orrin Judd: FUNDING FRACTURE: Governors and Officials Step Up Talks on Medicaid (ROBERT PEAR, 3/02/05, NY Times) |
Nathan Newman: Medical Costs v. the Ownership Society — Take two stories in the last two days— first the fact that most families... |
Churchill defends Sept. 11 essay in speech at UW-Whitewater JSOnline — Permalink Whitewater - Ward Churchill, the strident University of Colorado professor, dealt with his own "blowback" in an appearance Tuesday at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. | |
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Ann Althouse: Here's the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Report: [quote] The people he was referring to as "little Eichmanns" in his essay were...[end quote] |
Greg Ransom: Sean Hackbarth has coverage of the anti-Churchill rally — and the pro-Churchill rally: Churchill's speech is covered here. |
The Mystery of Low Interest Rates By / WaPo — Permalink Something strange happened on the way to higher interest rates: They declined. We're talking about rates on long-term mortgages and bonds. These rates truly affect the economy, because they influence housing and business investment. Most economists expected them to rise. | |
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Kash: The Interest Rate Mystery — Samuelson opines about the state of interest rates in the US in today's Washington Post :... |
Greg Ransom: ROBERT SAMUELSON — The Mystery of Low Interest Rates: "Among worriers, the fear is that cheap credit has created a... |
Kansas Voters Keep Anti-Bias Ordinance By / AP — Permalink One of the minister's granddaughters, meanwhile, fell far short in her efforts to unseat an openly gay member of the City Council. The Rev. Fred Phelps Sr. was seeking to remove from the books a city ordinance that prohibits discrimination against gays in municipal hiring. | |
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Ed Cone: Voters hate platform of "God hates fags" guy. And his grandaughter, too. Topeka votes down the Phelps family. |
Atrios: Not Everything The Matter With Kansas — Kudos: "TOPEKA, Kan. |
One in Four Americans Would Use Nukes Against Terrorists, Gallup Finds By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK More than one in four Americans would go so far as to utilize nuclear bombs if need be in the fight against terrorism, according to a national survey reported today by The Gallup Organization. | |
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Mary Madigan: When the results of this poll were reported in Editor and Publisher, they left out the conclusion. Charles Johnson: One in Four Americans Would Nuke Terrorists — According to a new Gallup poll, more than one in four Americans would use... |
James Joyner: One in Four Americans Would Use Nukes Against Terrorists — One in Four Americans Would Use Nukes Against Terrorists,... Atrios: Better than Expected — I'm glad a significant portion of our country is still sane: Finally, the option of using... |
U.S. Commander Says Size of Iraq Insurgency Falling Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Iraqi insurgents is falling and the days of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of the al Qaeda-related militants, are numbered, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East said on Tuesday. | |
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Robin Burk: UPDATE: Gen. Abazaid says the insurgency is shrinking. Key quote: [snipped quote] Yup. |
Jason Van Steenwyk: Here's Reuters: Headline: "U.S. Commander Says Size of Iraq Insurgency Falling" "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of... |
Judge on Iraq war crimes tribunal assassinated By / MSNBC — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - A judge working on the special tribunal established to try Saddam Hussein and other senior officials in his toppled regime was assassinated Tuesday in Baghdad, but U.S. officials told NBC News that initial reports that the victim was the presiding judge were erroneous. | |
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Cori Dauber: The lead story on NBC tonight was that the lead judge in the upcoming trial of Saddam Hussein has been assassinated. Captain Ed: NBC has corrected its preliminary reporting with an update from the same reporter that originally reported it was Juhi:... |
Charles Johnson: But it turns out that NBC had the wrong judge: Judge on Iraq war crimes tribunal assassinated. (Hat tip: jmc.) Joe Gandelman: One of the judges working on the trial of Sadaam Hussein was assassinated yesterday in Baghdad — perhaps the... |
Gen. Abizaid: Noose is Tightening on Terrorists Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — Al Qaeda is feeling the pinch from intelligence units working to flush out terrorist leaders including Usama bin Laden (search), Gen. John Abizaid, the head of U.S. Central Command, told lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. | |
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Jason Van Steenwyk: Here's Fox: Headline: Gen. Abizaid: Noose is Tightening on Terrorists "WASHINGTON — Al Qaeda is feeling the pinch from... |
Cori Dauber: NBC framed this as just more evidence of the "everyday danger" in Iraq, somewhat ironic given that, unlike Fox, they... |
2,000 Demonstrate at Iraqi Bombing Site By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - More than 2,000 people demonstrated Tuesday at the site of a car bombing south of Baghdad that killed 125 people, chanting "No to terrorism!" An Internet statement purportedly by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida in Iraq group claimed responsibility the bombing. | |
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Jeff A. Taylor: I'm sure there is a dark cloud to this silver lining, but it is hard for me to see. Cori Dauber: That march, while it's the headline event in this AP article, isn't really the primary point of the article. Natalie Solent: They would. (Via Instapundit.) |
Robin Burk: On Tuesday 2000 people filled the streets in protest at the bombing. The insurgency is over. We're just seeing its dying twitches. Hindrocket: Iraqis Demonstrate Against Terrorists — In Hillah, site of yesterday's bombing, several thousand Iraqis demonstrated... Jeff Goldstein: Creating new terrorists: Chimpy McHitlerBurton's smirky rodeo ride through history continues, #5 — From the AP:... |
| Also: Ace, McQ, Glenn Reynolds, K. J. Lopez | |
Senator: Decency Rules Should Apply to Pay TV, Radio Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens said on Tuesday he would push for applying broadcast decency standards to cable television and subscription satellite TV and radio. | |
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Jeff Goldstein: Case in point (from Reuters): "Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens said on Tuesday he would push for applying... Nick Gillespie: [quote]"There has to be some standard of decency," he said... Stevens told reporters afterward that he would push legislation...[end quote] Stephen Green: Yet Another Reason I'll Never Be a Conservative — Guys who reason like this: [snipped quote] Translation: "Do what we want before we find a reason and way to censor you." |
Ace: Senator Ted Stevens Wants to Take Your Skinemax Away — As Charleton Heston would say: Out of my cold, dead hands, bub. Bill @INDCJournal: Except when it comes to regulating indecency, medical ethics, abortion, marriage, illegal drugs, illegal drugs that... |
High Court Ends Death Penalty for Youths By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Constitution forbids the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes, ending a practice used in 19 states. | |
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Jan Haugland: US Supreme Court bans execution of minors — The US Supreme Court has decided 5-4 to forbid executions of criminals who were under 18 years at the time of the crime. Greg Ransom: The Supreme Court pulls another law from out of its ass: [quote] "The age of 18 is the point where society draws the line for many purposes between childhood and adulthood.[end quote] Ufrh4 @Centerfield: Supreme Courts Throws Out Juvenile Death Penalties — Earlier this morning the Supreme Court ruled death penalty... |
C. D. Harris: Five judges rewrote the Constitution found juvenile executions unconstitutional today, striking down laws in 19 States: ... Joe Carter: Scalia Slapdown — In a ruling handed down earlier today, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the death penalty for murders committed before the age of 18. Joe Gandelman: Supreme Court Bans Execution Of Juveniles — The Supreme Court has nixed the policy in 19 states that allows the... |
| Also: Ann Althouse, James Joyner | |
Democrats Lash Out at Bush Nominees By / AP — Permalink President Bush's decision to recycle the name of a previously rejected federal judgeship nominee shows the White House isn't ready to work with Democrats on filling bench vacancies, Senate Democrats said Tuesday. | |
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McQ: The Nuclear Option in the Senate — Question: Who's really using the "nuclear option" in the judicial nomination process? Betsy Newmark: Well, Arlen Specter's first foray into creating a new atmosphere over judicial nominations does not seem to be a success. |
Captain Ed: The Washington Post mentions Byrd's Nazi reference but not his equating the GOP to the Nazis. Broadcast networks haven't touched it, either. Armando @DailyKos: Democrats Criticize Bush for Recycling Rejected Judicial Nominees — An Opposition Party talks like this: [snipped quote] Good. |
'N.Y. Times' Picks John Tierney for Op-Ed Page By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK The New York Times has named conservative columnist John Tierney to its op-ed page after the departure of Times legend William Safire, the paper announced Tuesday. "Safire retired, and now we have John Tierney as a new Op-Ed columnist," Diane McNulty, a Times spokeswoman, told E&P. | |
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Garance Franke-Ruta: Now Tierney has been appointed the New York Times' new house conservative, slotted to join the Op-Ed page as a replacement for William Safire. Patrick Ruffini: Sign of the Times — The New York Times picks John Tierney to replace Safire. Bravo, Bill Keller. Virginia Postrel: New Voice I'm delighted that John Tierney has been named to succeed William Safire as a Times op-ed columnist. |
Michelle Malkin: WILLIAM SAFIRE'S REPLACEMENT — The New York Times chooses John Tierney. Excellent choice. Radley Balko: Super — John Tierney will replace Bill Safire on the NY Times op-ed page. Best decision the paper has made in a long, long time. Julian Sanchez: First We Take Manhattan — Gen-u-ine libertarian John Tierney will be taking the spot on the New York Times op-ed page... |
| Also: Atrios, K. J. Lopez | |
German jobless rate at new record BBC — Permalink More than 5.2 million Germans were out of work in February, new figures show. The figure of 5.216 million people, or 12.6% of the working-age population, is the highest jobless rate in Europe's biggest economy since the 1930s. | |
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Jan Haugland: Old Europe watch: Germany's decline — The German economy is still in stagnation, and much worse, the unemployment is now at its highest level since the 1930s. JD @SouthernAppeal: Now comes the news that unemployment in Germany is at 1930s levels. "More than 5.2 million Germans were out of work in February, new figures show. Orrin Judd: GERHARD SHREDDER, TAKING GERMANY BACK TO THE 30s: German jobless rate at new record (BBC, 3/01/05) [snipped quote] Good... |
Jayson @PoliPundit: Utopia — Here are the latest figures from the ongoing train wreck that is the German economy: 11.7 percent = adjusted unemployment rate. Ace: Unemployment Rate Hits New Record at 12.6% ...in Germany. In related news, various German boy bands are recording new disco-themed versions of the Horst Wessel song. Pejman Yousefzadeh: And yet, there is—quite clearly—something terribly wrong with the German economy: [snipped quote] Perhaps Germany needs its own version of Mikulas Dzurinda. |
| Also: Steve Antler, Greg Ransom, Stephen Green | |
Mideast Climate Change NYT — Permalink It's not even spring yet, but a long-frozen political order seems to be cracking all over the Middle East. Cautious hopes for something new and better are stirring along the Tigris and the Nile, the elegant boulevards of Beirut, and the impoverished towns of the Gaza Strip. | |
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Nico @ThinkProgress: And conservatives can't restrain their rage that the New York Times only attributed a "healthy share of the credit" to... Tom Maguire: And, although I reluctant to characterize them as "Bush's fans", let's add to the mix the voice of the NY Times: "The... Captain Ed: A Healthy Dose Of Crow At The Paper Of Record — The New York Times editorial board must have experienced considerable... |
Ed Driscoll: More on the Times, from Reason: "The NYT is astonished. Dale Franks: The important thing is this editorial where the editors of the Times finally seem to realize that something's up in the... Steven Taylor: Speaking of the Middle East and Democracy… James Joyner (and Dale Franks and Cori Dauber and Captain Ed and, no... |
| Also: Roger L. Simon, Jan Haugland, Charles Paul Freund, Ted Belman, Oliver @LiquidList, Cori Dauber, Pejman Yousefzadeh, K. J. Lopez, James Joyner, Glenn Reynolds, Ace, Orrin Judd | |
Beirut drama dominates Arab media By / BBC — Permalink Newspapers in Lebanon have greeted the fall of the government on Monday as a historic moment and proof of people power on the streets of Lebanon. In Syria, state-controlled newspapers have ignored or played down the Lebanese cabinet's resignation. | |
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Bill @INDCJournal: And via Ace, behold unthinkable speculation from the Arab media: "[W]ith Arab satellite stations focusing so intensely... Ace: Paradigm Shift Goes Pan-Arabic: Now Even the Arab Press Begins to Wonder — Must read. |
Jeff Goldstein: I don't know how that stupid, corporatist puppet President of ours even sleeps at night, knowing the suffering he has... Norm Geras: Then there's this: "Newspapers in Lebanon have greeted the fall of the government on Monday as a historic moment and proof of people power on the streets of Lebanon. |
To Have and to Hold, for Richer for Poorer By / NYT — Permalink Leo Tolstoy wrote a lovely novella called "Family Happiness," narrated by a young woman who goes out for a walk with a man she loves. They talk about nothing in particular - frogs, actually - but exchange looks and gestures. | |
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eRobin @AmStreet: Or so sayeth NYT resident sociologist, self-help guru and family health expert, David Brooks: "I'm not saying that... Orrin Judd: 'TIL DEATH: To Have and to Hold, for Richer for Poorer (DAVID BROOKS, 3/01/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] Which is, of... Steve M.: David Brooks today STELLA [crossing to bureau]: Stanley doesn't give me a regular allowance, he likes to pay the bills... |
Chris Andersen: The dangers of mockery — Atrios and others are openly mocking today's David Brooks' column about the sign of the... Amanda Marcotte: Through Steve Gilliard, we find that he's taken one step closer, pushing on from his columns in the past complaining how... Joe Drymala: Um Is David Brooks' column today saying what I think it's saying? |
| Also: Atrios | |
Q&A: Leaving Lebanon? Time — Permalink TIME: Can you tell me when you will you be out of Lebanon? ASSAD: Out completely? ASSAD: Actually, our discussion should be with Terji Roed-Larsen, United Nations envoy, who is coming back in March. It [withdrawal] should be very soon and maybe in the next few months. | |
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Tim Cavanaugh: President Bashar al-Assad tells Joe Klein troops will be gone in a matter of months: [snipped quote] He may not have that long. Captain Ed: Assad: We'll Be Gone No Later Than A Few Months — Syrian dictator Bashar Assad has told Time Magazine in an interview... |
Jan Haugland: Syria's Assad promises to withdraw army within months — Syria's Bashar Assad has been interviewed by Time's Joe Klein,... Stephen Green: Whoa — Unlinked release from Time magazine: [snipped quote] Just... whoa. UPDATE: Link here. |
Ailing Germany slides down economic league By / Telegraph — Permalink Germany risks becoming the new sick man of Europe as the Continent's one-time economic giant sinks deeper into malaise and falls further behind the rest of the EU, experts warned yesterday. | |
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Jan Haugland: Update: More on Germany's misery from The Telegraph, including a nice table of purchase power: Most startling is the... Hindrocket: Not anymore. A German group funded a study which appeared in Die Welt and was reported on in today's Telegraph. |
Iain Murray: Deutschland, Deutschland unter Alles — I can't be the only one mildly amused by Germany being overtaken by Spain in the... |
Supreme Court Bars Death Penalty for Juvenile Killers By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 1 - The Supreme Court ruled today, in one of the most closely watched capital punishment cases in years, that imposing the death penalty on convicted murderers who were younger than 18 at the time of their crimes is unconstitutional. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: Roper v. Simmons — I'm increasingly opposed to the death penalty on both pragmatic and moral grounds, but I... Chris Nolan: First, the Supreme Court has ruled that it's unconstitutional to execute children. |
Tom Smith: I am far from sure they have evolved any, rather than devolved, or declined, since the Court last trained its moral... DavidNYC @DailyKos: SCOTUS Bans Death Penalty for Juveniles — The Supreme Court (finally) does the civilized thing: [snipped quote] I can... |
Supreme Court Strikes Down Death Penalty for Juveniles By / AP — Permalink The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Constitution forbids the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes, ending a practice used in Virginia and 18 other states. | |
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Fred Clark: She was very mature for 14 — If a man Antonin Scalia's age were caught in bed with a teenage minor he would find himself in court facing statutory rape charges. McQ: The immediate effect: "The decision almost certainly means that Washington area sniper Lee Boyd Malvo, sentenced to life... Joe Drymala: Baby Steps — The Supreme Court banned the death penalty for minors today: [snipped quote] We take our victories where we can find them. |
Betsy Newmark: The Supreme Court continues to disappoint. This decision on allowing juveniles to be executed is very depressing. Jeralyn Merritt: Supreme Court Bans Juvenile Death Penalty — AP Reports: [snipped quote] No. 03-633, Roper v. Simmons, affirmed 5-4, in an opinion written by Justice Kennedy. |
Revolution NRO — Permalink Freedom, our most lethal weapon against tyranny. Some ancient Chinese philosopher is said to have taught his students that one cannot understand an event simply by attempting to reconstruct a chain of causality leading up to it. | |
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Captain Ed: Michael Ledeen puts the dizzying series of events occuring in Southwest Asia into perspective in today's National Review. Roger L. Simon: Soon they may be sounding like Michael Ledeen. BTW, this editorial in the Times could signal a sea change in the MSM, at least for a while. Judith Weiss: I just sent an email to Michael Ledeen, about an unfortunate phrase in an otherwise excellent article: [quote] "then the...[end quote] |
Andrew Sullivan: A REVOLUTIONARY MOMENT: Michael Ledeen's right. Hitch gleefully inters the "Arab street" here. Pejman Yousefzadeh: Perhaps instead, Michael Ledeen hacked the Times and inserted something akin to his own thoughts: "Many of the brave... Orrin Judd: SO GEORGE BUSH WOULD BE RIGGS? : Revolution Freedom, our most lethal weapon against tyranny. |
Blogs Keep Internet Customers Coming Back By / WSJ — Permalink When GreenCine Inc. launched an online journal two years ago, the San Francisco online DVD-rental company hoped that a steady diet of film reviews, festival dispatches and filmmaker interviews would energize its community of cinephiles, turn regulars onto new movies and attract more members. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Blogs: We're One In 8 Million — Egads, and here I thought The Moderate Voice was so distinctive: it turns out that... Charles Johnson: The Wall Street Journal says 32 million people now read blogs: Some eight million Americans now publish blogs and 32... |
Michelle Malkin: According to the Wall Street Journal, "Some eight million Americans now publish blogs and 32 million people read them,... |
Putin sets up youth brigade to tighten grip By / Telegraph — Permalink With President Putin's popularity in sharp decline, the Kremlin has set up a new Russian youth movement to ensure its control of the streets in the event of mass anti-government protests. | |
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Joe Gandelman: More Bad News From Russia: The Putin Youth — In yet another indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin has... Glenn Reynolds: THE PUTIN YOUTH? This report isn't encouraging: [snipped quote] This seems unlikely to succeed. K. J. Lopez: OH MY — London Telegraph: "With President Putin's popularity in sharp decline, the Kremlin has set up a new Russian... |
Gary Farber: FASCISM MARCHES FORWARD in Russia. [snipped quote] Sounds right. Smash: Real Brownshirts — JOE GANDELMAN points out that some counter-protesters actually are trying to crush dissent. |
Engineers devise invisibility shield By / Nature — Permalink Electron effects could stop objects from scattering light. The idea of a cloak of invisibility that hides objects from view has long been confined to the more improbable reaches of science fiction. But electronic engineers have now come up with a way to make one. | |
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Charles Kuffner: The cloak of invisibility! Engineers devise invisibility shield. Need I say more? [snipped quote] Now there's a reporter that knows his audience. Ronald Bailey: The Federation (OK, 21st century Earthling scientists) have found to a way to make objects invisible, thus creating their own cloaking devices. Tyler Cowen: Can we make objects invisible? [snipped quote] Read more here. |
Gary Farber: YES, YES, IT'S AN INVISIBILITY SCREEN. Blah blah blah invisible, blah blah blah. Such an old idea, who can fuss about a new take? Steve Bainbridge: Engage the cloaking device — From Nature: [snipped quote] All we need now is a holodeck, a transporter, and warp drive. Pejman Yousefzadeh: NOW YOU SEE ME . . . Now you don't? "The idea of a cloak of invisibility that hides objects from view has long been confined to the more improbable reaches of science fiction. |
Judge Says Terror Suspect Can't Be Held as an Enemy Combatant By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 - A federal district judge in South Carolina ruled Monday that President Bush had greatly overstepped his authority by detaining an American citizen as an enemy combatant for nearly three years without filing criminal charges. | |
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Chris Nolan: The other good news came when a Bush-appointed judge in South Carolina told government lawyers to free Jose Padilla, the "enemy combatant" who has been in jail for three years. Jacob Sullum: Detention Contention — A federal judge in South Carolina has given President Bush the rebuke he deserves for claiming... |
James Joyner: Judge Rules Padilla Must be Charged or Released — Judge Says Terror Suspect Can't Be Held as an Enemy Combatant (NYT... Ogged @Unfogged: Reprieve — The Supreme Court decision stopping the execution of juveniles is one step toward civilization, but I'm even... |
A Bill Bankrupt Of Pity By / WaPo — Permalink My late parents, who came of age during the Great Depression, offered my sister and me a couple of simple rules about money: Never take on financial burdens you can't bear, and always pay your bills. Many years later, I still think they were right. | |
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Nathan Newman: As E.J. Dionne details in his column today, half of those facing bankruptcy are there because of medical bills, and of... Jeff Alworth: Another Voter for Poor Farms — I read with great interest this new bankruptcy legislation that will prevent financial scofflaws from reneging on their obligations. Atrios: Dionne writes: If Democrats sell out on the bankruptcy bill, they will, alas, show which side they're on. |
Matthew Yglesias: E.J. Dionne really doesn't like the bankruptcy bill that's going through Congress at the moment. David @ThinkProgress: Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne writes about how the U.S. Senate is on the verge of passing a... |
Protesters celebrate victory and ready for next step in battle for independence By / Lebanon Daily Star — Permalink BEIRUT: Tens of thousands of protesters calling for the government's resignation had their voices finally heard when Prime Minister Omar Karami handed in his resignation and left behind him a Lebanon crazed with cheers of victory. | |
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Gregory Djerejian: Our chants have been heard and Karami respected our voices and resigned." —from the Daily Star And why wouldn't he be so awestruck and incredulous? |
Gene @HarrysPlace: Choosing freedom over martyrdom — Demonstrators in Beirut against the Syrian occupation of Lebanon have changed the... |
National Fat League? AP — Permalink CHICAGO (AP) — It's no secret that size matters in the National Football League, but a new study suggests that a whopping 56 percent of NFL players would be considered obese by some medical standards. | |
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Jack Cluth: News flash.... National Fat League? |
John Cole: Obesity in the NFL — From CNN SI: [snipped quote] I have no idea what the deal is with the BMI, but I do know that... |
Illinois Anti-Gun Activist Arrested U.S. Newswire — Permalink BELLEVUE, Wash., March 1 /U.S. Newswire/ — The arrest of a Springfield, Ill. anti-gun activist by police who allegedly found an illegal handgun and drugs in her home during a contested search prompted the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms to bid Annette "Flirty" Stevens a "welcome to the party." | |
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Stephen Green: Do As I Say — Authorities have nabbed yet another gun-control advocate with an illegal firearm: [snipped quote] Even if the search was illegal, doesn't make the pistol kosher. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: HYPOCRISY — Oh, but this is funny: [snipped quote] (Link via Stephen Green.) |
U.S. Cites Array of Rights Abuses by the Iraqi Government in 2004 By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 - The State Department on Monday detailed an array of human rights abuses last year by the Iraqi government, including torture, rape and illegal detentions by police officers and functionaries of the interim administration that took power in June. | |
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Tom Burka: Iraqi Government As Good On Human Rights As U.S. Government, State Department Finds — Hardly Tortured Anyone Who Did... Norbizness: Bad puppet! Very bad! (whispering) I'm proud of you, my boy. Speaking of illegal detentions, we're appealing that Padilla decision. Steve Soto: State Department Report On Human Rights Abuses Tags Iraqis But Ignores Abu Ghraib — Condi Rice's State Department is... |
Natasha @PacificViews: And for our capper, the State Department's report on Iraqi human rights abuses in 2004 is out. Billmon: Pots and Kettles — U.S. Cites Array of Rights Abuses by the Iraqi Government in 2004 The State Department on Monday... Armando @DailyKos: Human Rights Abuse in Iraq — While I have not read the report, it appears that the State Department has some harsh words for the interim Iraq government's human rights record. |
| Also: Susan Madrak | |
Ex-Chief of Hewlett Seen as Candidate to Head World Bank By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, March 1 - Carleton S. Fiorina, who lost her job as chief executive of Hewlett-Packard two weeks ago, has emerged as a strong candidate to become the next president of the World Bank, according to an official in the Bush administration. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: SOME FAILURES NEVER DIE NOR FADE AWAY They Just Move on to Wreak Greater Havoc Elsewhere Incredibly, the New York... |
Sadly, No!: If it's not, well, uh oh: [snipped quote] And now, the punchline: "The official familiar with the list would discuss the... |
What's Wrong With American High Schools By / LAT — Permalink The approaches of 50 years ago cannot work today, Bill Gates says. Our high schools are obsolete. By obsolete, I don't just mean that they are broken, flawed and underfunded — although I can't argue with any of those descriptions. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: I don't really know how spot on Bill Gates' diagnosis of problems in American high schools is, or how good an idea his proposed solutions are. Ezra Klein: The Long View — Matt's post on the increasingly narrow social outlook of big business is worth thinking about. |
Greg Ransom: BILL GATES tells us what we already know — American high schools suck. |
Public Views on Social Security Need to Swing Soon, Senator Says By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 - Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the chairman of the Finance Committee, said Monday that if public opinion did not soon begin to swing in favor of President Bush's Social Security plan, it would be an indication that the plan was in trouble. | |
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Steve Soto: Even Senator Charles Grassley confirms that Bush has only about 2 to 3 weeks to steer public opinion his way before GOP... Howard Kurtz: Which may help explain the following report in the New York Times: "Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the chairman... |
Ed Kilgore: Yesterday Senate Finance — Committee chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley said Bush's Social Security plan ain't going anywhere unless there is a significant shift in public opinion. |
US bans death penalty for juveniles Guardian — Permalink The US Constitution forbids the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes the Supreme Cort ruled, ending a practice used in 19 states. The 5-4 decision throws out the death sentences of about 70 juvenile murderers and bars states from seeking to execute minors for future crimes. | |
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William J. Dyer: Executing criminals who couldn't legally buy a drink when they committed their capital crimes — I haven't yet read the... |
Andrew Stuttaford: DEATH PENALTY COMMONSENSE — Looks like a good decision to me (although international 'law' should not have been cited in any way). |
ACLU, Ex-Detainees to Sue Rumsfeld Over Abuse By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Human rights lawyers will file a lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on behalf of eight men who say they were tortured by U.S. forces in custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, sources familiar with the case said. | |
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Charles Johnson: ACLU Sues Rumsfeld — The ACLU is taking a break from persecuting the Boy Scouts, eradicating crosses from State seals,... Michael Froomkin: It's Rumsfeld — Updating ACLU & Human Rights First to File Torture Allegations Against 'High Ranking US Official'... |
Norbizness: Memo to the ACLU: maybe they didn't tell you how much I hate nuisance lawsuits, but I've seen your Executive... |
With New Chief, Uruguay Veers Left, in a Latin Pattern By / NYT — Permalink MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Feb. 28 - When tiny Uruguay inaugurates its new president here on Tuesday, it will make a clear break with the country's past. After 150 years in which two moderate parties alternated in power, Uruguay's five million people will have turned decisively to the left. | |
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Randy Paul: Tabar Vázquez Takes Office — Tabar Vázquez, Uruguay's newly elected leader took office today and Larry Rohter comments here on the leftward swing in South America. Orrin Judd: PRETTY FRACTURED CONSENSUS (via Glenn Dryfoos) With New Chief, Uruguay Veers Left, in a Latin Pattern (LARRY ROHTER,... |
Nathan Newman: "New Leftist Consensus in South America" — A new Uruguay President has inaugurated what the NY Times labels the "new... |
Big biz battles for Bush's bench By / Salon — Permalink Last year, when the Senate considered William G. Myers III for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, Democrats blocked his nomination with a filibuster after questions arose about his work as a lobbyist for mining and cattle interests. | |
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Leah A: In Salon, where you will learn of the intense and expensive campaign planned by industrial and business interests on... |
Susan Madrak: BIRDS OF A FEATHER — Look who's helping: [snipped quote] In other words, they're pushing to get judges who won't actually enforce any laws they find inconvenient. |