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LESSON IN POLITICS: Reid calls president 'loser' By / Las Vegas Review-Journal — Permalink In the course of a discussion on filibusters and Senate rules, Washington's top Democrat gave the 60 juniors a lesson in partisan politics, particularly about the commander in chief. "The man's father is a wonderful human being," Reid said in response to a question about President Bush's policies. | |
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TheAnchoress: Ms. Newmark shakes her head in disgust at Harry Reid's unfathomable stupidity and his nasty, quite wrong, undiplomatic,... Captain Ed: Open Mouth, Insert Foot, Repeat As Desired — As if the Democrats couldn't look more foolish than they already have this... John Cole: A Real Charmer — Why don't politicians ever learn: [snipped quote] Reid later apologized, but sheesh. |
Betsy Newmark: Harry Reid should start thinking before he speaks. He is having to apologize for calling Bush a loser. Hugh Hewitt: Posted at 3:30 PM, Pacific with updates — Democratic Senator Harry Reid called George Bush a loser today, just as the president began a trip abroad. Lambert @Corrente: Just wild about Harry! But this latest, I just don't get: [snipped quote] I don't get it. What's to apologize for? |
| Also: Orrin Judd, Taegan Goddard | |
Student Suspended for Call to Mom in Iraq AP — Permalink COLUMBUS, Ga. — A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a mobile phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said. | |
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Betsy Newmark: That is what runs through my mind when I read of stupid stories like this. Smash: Outrageous — "Student Suspended For Talking To Military Mother In Iraq" (Hat tip: Joe Gandelman) STEVE VERDON proposes "suspend the teacher for 10 days, too." |
Joe Gandelman: Student Suspended For Talking To Military Mother In Iraq — Here's a story that pits common sense against unfeeling... Pudentilla: red state values — [snipped quote] mighty christian of you mr. parham. republican jesus must be proud, and we're sure... |
Mother's call gets son in hot water By / Ledger-Enquirer — Permalink Kevin Francois gave up his lunch break to talk to his mother, but it ended up costing him the rest of the school year. Francois, a junior at Spencer High School in Columbus, was suspended for disorderly conduct Wednesday after he was told to give up his cell phone at lunch while talking to his mother who is deployed in Iraq, he said. | |
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Avedon Carol: This is so dumb that even Michelle Malkin noticed - student on lunchbreak gets a phone call from his mother who is deployed in Iraq. Michelle Malkin: More school follies: "Kevin Francois gave up his lunch break to talk to his mother, but it ended up costing him the rest of the school year. |
Steve Verdon: Stupid Public School Officials — Kevin Francois got a call from his mother during his lunch break at school. Joanne Jacobs: Zero tolerance for sergeant's son — A 17-year-old boy was suspended from his Georgia high school for 10 days because he... |
Evolution Isn't a Natural Selection Here By / LAT — Permalink CLAY CENTER, Kan. — In this rural swath of northern Kansas, where the grass rolls thick and green to the horizon, a white cross dominates the landscape. Kathy Martin, a member of the state board of education, and her family built it on their farm this spring, gathering weathered chunks of limestone from the horse pasture and laying them on a hillside. | |
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Hunter @DailyKos: It's better than the stuff I wrote following this 'Hunter special' — kos) By now everyone's heard of the events in Kansas: [snipped quote] Ok, here we go. Kevin Drum: MAYBE THE WORLD REALLY IS FLAT...I've been ignoring the recent outbreak of idiocy over evolution in Kansas because it's... Julian Sanchez: The bill is presumably so-named to distinguish it from the fake ID being debated in Kansas. |
Ken Masugi: Another Topeka Showdown: Evolution — Fifty-plus years after Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka) the Kansas State... Greg @TheTalentShow: If things aren't going your way, change the rules. (via Kevin) "The hearings in Topeka, scheduled to last several days, are focusing on two proposals. Orrin Judd: IT'S NOT VERY SCIENTIFIC TO IGNORE THE RESULTS: Evolution Isn't a Natural Selection Here: Kansas looks again at whether... |
Reid Says He Doesn't Intend to Filibuster By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has privately told individual Republicans he doesn't intend to block votes on any Supreme Court nominees except in extreme cases, according to officials familiar with the conversations. | |
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Captain Ed: Reid Wavering On Filibuster? Has Harry Reid gotten nervous about the upcoming confrontation on judicial confirmations? Armando @DailyKos: Reid: Filibuster SC Nominees Only in Extreme Cases — This from AP: [snipped quote] Hmmm. |
Jayson @PoliPundit: After reading between the lines of this liberal-media polemic, I think it's pretty safe to say the following: a) Harry... |
USA Today Reporter Resigns By / WaPo — Permalink A USA Today Pentagon correspondent, Tom Squitieri, resigned under pressure yesterday after the paper learned he had lifted quotes from another newspaper for a front-page story and used several other quotes, without attributing them to other publications, that were cut during editing. | |
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Avedon Carol: Roger Ailes notes that USA Today has given the ax to anti-Clinton hack Tom Squitieri for plagiarism, and reminds us of why this is so gratifying for so many of us. James Joyner: USA Today Reporter Resigns (WaPo, C1) "A USA Today Pentagon correspondent, Tom Squitieri, resigned under pressure... Jim Romenesko: USAT newsman who lifted quotes had been critical of Kelley — Washington Post | USA Today USA Today Pentagon... |
Joe Gandelman: USA Today Reporter Resigns For Lifting Other Papers' Quotes — Here's yet another high profile resignation from the... Roger Ailes: No mention of it here, natch. And Squit's gotten himself lawyered up — with one of Paula Jones's old legal hacks, Joseph Cammarata. Cori Dauber: Tight Standards — A USA Today reporter gets the boot, not for using any material that is false, but for taking quotes from other newspaper's stories without attribution. |
| Also: Garrett M. Graff | |
Court yanks down FCC's broadcast flag By / CNET.com — Permalink In a stunning victory for hardware makers and television buffs, a federal appeals court has tossed out government rules that would have outlawed many digital TV receivers and tuner cards starting July 1. | |
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Avedon Carol: Declan McCullagh says the U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that the FCC can just butt out of telling people they can't... Jeff Jarvis: That will be a lot easier — and more lucrative — than playing legal wack-a-mole. : Wikipedia background here. |
Dan Gillmor: A Win for Fair Use, Consumer Rights — [snipped quote] Now the entertainment cartel will have to get its wishes the old-fashioned way. James Joyner: Court Overturns FCC's Broadcast Flag Rule — Court yanks down FCC's broadcast flag (CNET News) "In a stunning victory... |
USA Today Reporter Quits Over Lifting Quotations By / NYT — Permalink Tom Squitieri, a 16-year veteran of USA Today, resigned from the newspaper yesterday after his editors said he lifted quotations from other newspapers without attribution. | |
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James Joyner: Jim Romanesko cites the NYT report on the incident, which contains this tidbit: [quote] Mr. Cammarata said Mr. Squitieri "had...[end quote] Jim Romenesko: > Squitieri wanted to leave USAT, had been talking to other papers (NYT) Garrett M. Graff: More on Squitieri — The Washington Post and New York Times update with more details on the resignation under pressure of USA Today's Pentagon writer Tom Squitieri. |
Roger Ailes: Squit While You're A (Talking) Head — USA Today has canned that old Clinton-bashing hand, Tom "Squit" Squitieri, for lifting quotes without attribution in his Pentagon reporting. Taegan Goddard: The New York Times has more on the story. Link | Related News |
Tuning in to Jon Stewart, and Britney Schmidt By / NYT — Permalink Many authors hate to go on grinding book tours. But I've always found it a useful way to be a foreign correspondent in America and take the pulse of the country. Here are the two most important things I learned from a recent book tour: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times | |
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Avedon Carol: And this time Tom Friedman has discovered that people watch The Daily Show and even get their news from it. Terry Heaton: The Daily Show isn't nearly so fake as it seems — On tour around the U.S. while promoting his new book, The World Is... Jim Romenesko: Even grandmas are getting their news from Comedy Central — New York Times Thomas Friedman was surprised to learn on his... |
Matthew Yglesias: More Friedman Than Friedman — Today's column is like the Tom Friedman column to end all Tom Friedman columns. Joanne Jacobs: A flat, smart world — After a rambling start about learning to love learning, Thomas Friedman's New York Times' column... |
Reid Calls Bush 'A Loser,' Then Apologizes By / AP — Permalink May. 6, 2005 - Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid called President Bush "a loser" during a civics discussion with a group of teenagers at a high school on Friday. "The man's father is a wonderful human being," Reid, D-Nev., told students at Del Sol High School when asked about the president's policies. | |
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Jayson @PoliPundit: Conundrum of Self-Parodies — From the Associated Depressed: [snipped quote] Ah, yeah, could you have scriped that one for an SNL-style political satire??? |
McQ: Reid: Bush a "loser" — What a wonderful man Harry Reid must be: [snipped quote] Yeah, wonderful Harry ... get in front... |
DeLay Calls for Greater Humility By / WaPo — Permalink House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) delivered an emotional homily yesterday on the need for greater humility in public servants, declaring himself a sinner before a largely Christian audience and warning that pride has brought down leaders throughout history. | |
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Avedon Carol: Roger also says that - oh, I love this! - Tom "I am the federal government" DeLay has called for greater humility. No, really. Roger Ailes: Hate The Sin, Hate The Sinner — Bugchaser Tom DeLay declares himself a sinner; respectfully refuses to identify his... Lambert @Corrente: Greatest headlines of our time: "Delay calls for greater humility" — I kid you not: [snipped quote] Heartwarming thought. |
McQ: Talking the talk — But will he and others actually try to walk the walk: [snipped quote] Or spent less time talking about controlling judges through the "purse strings". Ezra Klein: And DeLay's Repentance-palooza continues: [snipped quote] Indeed it's true, greatness is quite possible from lowly sinners who trust in God. Taegan Goddard: Though the trip "was billed as an effort to promote an exchange of ideas with British conservatives," the new... |
| Also: Joe Gandelman, Pudentilla, Oliver @LiquidList | |
McCain wants Kerry to stop looking ahead By / Boston Herald — Permalink WASHINGTON - Straight-talking Sen. John McCain wants his friend Sen. John Kerry to ice his ''obvious'' desire to run for president again and focus on his day job. ''It's pretty obvious, the way he's acting, he'd like to try it again,'' the Arizona Republican said of a 2008 Kerry bid. | |
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Taegan Goddard: McCain Thinks Kerry Will Run Again — Sen. John McCain thinks his friend, Sen. John Kerry, is going to run for president in 2008, the Boston Herald reports. Jeff Quinton: McCain & Kerry — Boston Herald "Straight-talking Sen. John McCain wants his friend Sen. John Kerry to ice his... |
James Joyner: McCain Tells Kerry to Focus on Senate — McCain wants Kerry to stop looking ahead (Boston Herald) [snipped quote] I don't think anyone's underestimating Clinton. |
Democratic Suicide NRO — Permalink When will the Dems start winning again? When they start living and speaking like normal folks. We are in unsure times amid a controversial war. Yet the American people are not swayed by the universities, the major networks, the New York Times, Hollywood, the major foundations, and NPR. | |
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Ed Driscoll: Another Update: Some most definitely related thoughts from Victor Davis Hanson. TheAnchoress: And pathetic. UPDATE: Victor Davis Hanson talks here about the inability of the Democrats to evolve and grow up. |
Hugh Hewitt: Victor Davis Hanson writes this morning that the Democrats seem intent on continuing their electoral suicide, which... Lorie Byrd: Democrats Need To Start Acting Like Normal Folks — Victor Davis Hanson has hit the nail on the head when it comes to identifying why the Democrats have lost so many elections. |
Tory leader runners and riders BBC — Permalink Tory leader Michael Howard has announced he is to stand down following his party's election defeat in order to allow a younger leader to take over. Speculation about who will take over the Conservative leadership has begun, with bookmakers William Hill already offering 3/1 odds on the shadow home secretary David Davis. | |
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Cernig: With the anounced intention of Michael Howard to step down as leader of the Toties, a new leadership contest also waits in the wings. |
Hugh Hewitt: The particulars of the process are detailed here, and handicapping of the leading contenders is here and here. |
CNBC Pulls Tina Brown Show Broadcasting & Cable — Permalink The subterranean ratings of Topic A with Tina Brown have finally prompted CNBC to pull the weekly interview show. A memo sent to CNBC employees late Friday said that Brown was leaving the show to work on a book on the legacy of Princess Diana. | |
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TheAnchoress: So, when this news about Tina Brown's show being cancelled broke, another blogger suggested that it was my fault, because of this piece, here. |
Brian Stelter: BCBeat has the full memo. > B&C's John Higgins had the scoop first. |
All the action from Bognor to Ballymena - live(ish) as it happens. Steyn Online — Permalink 9.30am BST Yes, Labour's 60-65 majority was achieved with only 36% of the vote - an all-time low for a winning party in Britain. That reflects an election in which the traditional party labels didn't quite capture the real divisions in the electorate. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: A THIRD UPDATE: Quoth Mark Steyn: ". . . The word is that George Galloway is ahead in Bethnal and Bow Green. Arthur Chrenkoff: As Mark Steyn comments: "The defeat of Oona King, a black Jewish pro-war Labour MP, will mark an ominous development in British politics. Brian Micklethwait: Mark Steyn |
Captain Ed: UPDATE: Mark Steyn live-blogged the elections, and gives us his spot-on analysis: "9.30am BST Yes, Labour's 60-65... Damian Penny: Mark Steyn, meanwhile, live-blogged the election results: Making a big song and dance about the reduced majority - around 60-65 seats - is ridiculous. |
Terror Suspect Gets Bush Fundraiser Invite By / AP — Permalink HARTFORD, Conn. - A year after federal agents raided his home in a terrorism investigation, Muslim businessman Syed Maswood is lucky to get on an airplane without being detained and searched. But that didn't stop him from getting an invitation to dine with input type="hidden" name="c1" value=" | |
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Greg @TheTalentShow: GOP Woos Terrorist Suspect — They don't care who you are, they just want your money : "A year after federal agents... Tarek @LiquidList: Support Islamic charities endorsed by the IRS AND donate cash to the Bush administration! |
Cookie Jill: terror suspect receives bush fundraiser invite you just have to love the irony. |
Microsoft Reverses, Will Back Gay Rights By / AP — Permalink SEATTLE - After being criticized for quietly dropping support for a state gay rights bill, Microsoft Corp. chief executive Steve Ballmer told employees Friday that management would publicly back such legislation in the future. | |
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Tarek @LiquidList: It's Not Like All the Right Wingers Will Switch to Mac It's good news that Microsoft reversed its earlier decision and... |
Edward _: Among the criticism Microsoft had received for its withdrawal of support of the legislation was to have Lorri L. Jean,... |
CEO: Microsoft to Support Gay-Rights Bill By / AP — Permalink (05-06) 12:47 PDT Seattle (AP) — In a turnaround Friday, Microsoft Corp. chief executive Steve Ballmer said the company will support gay rights legislation. | |
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Chris Bowers: John Aravosis Takes Down Microsoft — John's one-man crusade against Microsoft seems to have worked |
Jeralyn Merritt: In an about-face today, it has announced it will support Washington State's gay rights bill. |
FAQ: How Real ID will affect you By / CNET.com — Permalink What's all the fuss with the Real ID Act about? President Bush is expected to sign an $82 billion military spending bill soon that will, in part, create electronically readable, federally approved ID cards for Americans. What does that mean for me? | |
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Julian Sanchez: Real ID and Fake ID — Declan McCullagh has a great roundup over at CNET News on the Real ID Act, which passed in the... |
Glenn Reynolds: CNET HAS AN FAQ on the "Real ID Act." I'm skeptical that this will have significant anti-terrorist benefits. |
Memo disputes Bush Iraq claims Knight Ridder — Permalink WASHINGTON — A highly classified British memo, leaked during Britain's just-concluded election campaign, claims President Bush decided by summer 2002 to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and was determined to ensure that U.S. intelligence data supported his policy. | |
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Christy @ThinkProgress: According to recently leaked notes from a 6/23/02 meeting between Britain and President Bush, the chief of Britain's... Juan Cole: But people would know they had lied. Other commentary: Ray McGovern. Warren Strobel and John Walcott. |
Edward _: The Secret Memo and What It Means — The secret memo was first published by The Times in London on Sunday. |
NC News Wire AP — Permalink WAYNESVILLE, N.C. — The minister of a Haywood County Baptist church is telling members of his congregation that if they're Democrats, they either need to find another place of worship or support President Bush. | |
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Steve M.: UPDATE: Via Sisyphus Shrugged, here's a somewhat expanded version of the WLOS story, from AP and the Raleigh News & Observer. |
Richard TPD: What would Jesus say? Update: Media coverage is starting to come in. |
The Same Old Saw On Social Security By / WaPo — Permalink Having lured the president out onto a far limb on Social Security, the Democrats have begun sawing. Democratic leaders immediately rejected the president's plan and stood up for all that is good and true and saintedly Rooseveltian — without, of course, offering any alternative. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: It's a rule Charles Krauthammer takes advantage of on a fairly regular basis: [snipped quote] For one thing, the Republican Party never did believe in Social Security. TheAnchoress: And Charles Krauthammer is sighing in tiredness as he tries to explain, once more, why the Democrats are playing games with Social Security, rather than serving the nation. |
Betsy Newmark: Charles Krauthammer is his usual precise and devastatingly intelligent self in looking at the dishonest campaign that... |
Voinovich yet to meet Bolton, air concerns By / Washington Times — Permalink Sen. George V. Voinovich, who two weeks ago shocked the Bush administration by suddenly delaying a vote on the nomination of John R. Bolton to United Nations ambassador, has not heeded White House calls to privately question the nominee about his concerns. | |
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Michelle Malkin: Meanwhile, feckless Ohio Sen. George Voinovich has yet to meet with Bolton and is instead gallivanting in Slovenia. |
Laura Rozen: Voinovich still in play? Or perhaps he really meant it about the kitchen test — he doesn't seem too anxious to meet with Bolton. |
More than the war Guardian — Permalink The Liberal Democrats had high hopes coming in to the election. Pre-polling day chatter had them riding strong discontent with both Tony Blair and the Tories to make strong popular vote gains and gain 15-30 new parliamentary seats. | |
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Kos @DailyKos: Next is a piece by yours truly trying to measure the Lib Dem's performance in this election. |
Jerome Armstrong: The Lib Dems electoral gains — Markos and I stayed up till 4 am his time in London chatting on IM as the UK returns... |
U.S. Cites Signs of Korean Preparations for Nuclear Test NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 5 - White House and Pentagon officials are closely monitoring a recent stream of satellite photographs of North Korea that appear to show rapid, extensive preparations for a nuclear weapons test, including the construction of a reviewing stand,... | |
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Clayton Cramer: A Wicked Thought About North Korea's Nuclear Test Preparations — This news story reports that North Korea seems to be... Plutonium Page: Today's New York Times tells the story: [snipped quote] (Emphasis mine) So, is Kim Jong Il putting on a show for us, or... |
Pudentilla: shades of colin powell: the ole satellite photos of nukes routine — [snipped quote] of course, north korea could be... |
Paxman v Galloway BBC — Permalink For anyone who missed it overnight, the tussle between George Galloway and Jeremy Paxman was one of the highlights, which came shortly after his victory over Labour's Oona King. JP: We're joined now from his count in Bethnal Green and Bow by George Galloway. | |
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Iain Murray: That Galloway Interview in Full — Here's how it went, courtesy of the BBC Election Weblog (which has a link to the... Oliver Kamm: Do see it - rather than just read it - if you haven't already. It says implicitly and more eloquently than I can what the Galloway phenomenon is about. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: UPDATE: Jeremy Paxman is a slimy reporter, but in this case, I'm rooting for him. |
Kicked in the ballots By / The Sun — Permalink GRIM Tony Blair looks shell-shocked early today after voters kicked him in the ballots by HALVING his Commons majority. He made history as the first Labour PM to win a consecutive third term. | |
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Perry de Havilland: Pretty much the result I was looking for — The Daily Mail's print headline screamed "You gave him a bloody nose!" and... |
Kos @DailyKos: Best headline: "Kicked in the ballots" |
'Whore College' Offers Hands-On Training By / AP — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO - The 25 students in jeans and T-shirts could have been in any career that requires hustle. The classes, covering topics such as effective marketing, stress reduction and legal issues, could have been part of any professional development seminar. | |
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Ace: They just have very competitive intramural leagues. * This is a real college for whoring. |
Woundwort: I'm guessing that a person's GPA is not what is important at this school. |
Two Former Aides to DeLay Paved Way for Lobbyist's Deal LAT — Permalink SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — Two former top aides of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's brokered a political deal here five years ago that helped land island government contracts worth $1.6 million for a Washington lobbyist now the target of a federal corruption probe. | |
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Pudentilla: tom delay - bringing serfdom to america, one bribe at a time — [snipped quote] we await with great anticipation the... |
Rich Lowry: ABRAMOFF, FORMER DELAY AIDES, AND SAIPAN — We'll be hearing more about this long investigative piece in the LA Times today... |
Fight over finger found in custard AP — Permalink RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) — To a dessert shop customer, the severed fingertip found in a pint of frozen custard could be worth big dollars in a potential lawsuit. To the shop worker who lost it, the value is far more than monetary. | |
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Ace: He's being cagey about the actual location of the finger, occasionally revealing it for TV cameras... but won't give it to the injured man's doctor. |
Kevin Drum: GIVING HIM THE FINGER....This is really unbelievable: [snipped quote] I realize this is a vain hope, but I hope no lawyer is willing to take Stowers as a client. |
Employers Boost Hiring, Jobless Rate Steady By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers ramped up hiring in April, adding 274,000 jobs, enough to hold the nation's jobless rate steady at 5.2 percent. The latest figures offered a hopeful sign that the labor market is gaining traction and that any economic rough patch will be temporary. | |
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Paul @PowerLine: JOHN adds: Along those lines, the payroll jobs report for April came in this morning at a very solid 274,000 new jobs, higher than expected. Pejman Yousefzadeh: EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS — Despite the unfortunate uptick this week in jobless claims, this seems like good news:... |
Steve Soto: Even With A Strong April Jobs Report, Consumer Confidence Sinks In May — The Labor Department reported the addition of... |
FDA to Implement Gay Sperm Donor Rules By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK (AP) - To the dismay of gay-rights activists, the Food and Drug Administration is about to implement new rules recommending that any man who has engaged in homosexual sex in the previous five years be barred from serving as an anonymous sperm donor. | |
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Zoe Kentucky: No Gay Sperm, Please — The FDA is getting ready to implement their new "recommendations" banning gay men from being anonymous sperm donors. James Joyner: FDA to Implement Gay Sperm Donor Rules — The FDA is banning gay men from serving as anonymous sperm donors if they have had homosexual sex in the past five years. |
Jonathan Gewirtz: Some of the people quoted in this article are concerned that new FDA guidelines will discourage homosexual men from donating sperm for purposes of artificial insemination. Steve Antler: Shouldn't he therefore be supporting these new rules on the basis of truth-in-packaging, rather than opposing them on civil rights grounds? |
Tony Blair alone bears the blame By / Guardian — Permalink The story of the night is the defection from Labour by those marching over to the Lib Dems - and some even to the Tories. Labour MPs never believed those opinion polls giving them an eight or 10 point lead. What they found on the doorsteps was profound anger focused on the person of Tony Blair himself. | |
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Avedon Carol: Polly Toynbee seems to think that what happened last night was that Labour voters defected to the Liberal Democrats, and... Stirling Newberry: Open Letter to Polly Toynbee — I am shocked and appalled at the vitriol from Labour supporters over the election. |
Norm Geras: Polly Toynbee too, for whom, strangely, Tony Blair 'is the man who alone takes the blame for so many lost seats' - what,... |
NAMES & FACES WaPo — Permalink Don't know if you caught it last week, but Joe Scarborough , MSNBC's congressman-turned-TV-guy, pitched a hissy fit about Arnold "The Guv" Schwarzenegger on his show: "You know, this guy has been in so much trouble," he blabbered on his April 25 show. | |
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Brian Stelter: Scarborough & A Fake Schwarzenegger — Joe Scarborough got duped, the Washington Post explains in today's Names & Faces column. |
Radley Balko: Ba-Ba-Booey — Joe Scarborough gets duped. |
The Left Catches On By / TCS — Permalink Something remarkable is happening as a Republican Congress and president move to crackdown on 527 groups like the MoveOn.org Voter Fund and Swift Boat Veterans for Truth: Liberals are realizing that something's fishy. | |
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Michelle Malkin: His latest Tech Central Station column reports on some on the Left finally catching on to [snipped quote] Ya think? |
Glenn Reynolds: RYAN SAGER notes that Democrats are catching on to the problems with campaign finance "reform:" [snipped quote] Better late than never, I guess. |
A Killing Commanded by Tradition By / WaPo — Permalink GAZON, Afghanistan — Begum Nessa recalled waking up with a start. Someone was banging on the wooden door of the house. She sat up in the darkness as her husband, Mohammed Aslam, rushed outside. | |
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Richard Reeb: Today's Washington Post carries that sloppy traditional thinking to a useful aburdity in a long piece (five virtual... Cori Dauber: And I'm not sure we can even imagine — or want to — how bad things have to have been for this story to be an improvement, no matter how miniscule. |
Pudentilla: afghanistan is still a mess — [snipped quote] we're going to have to raise a statue to rummy, just so folks can enjoy... |
In Kansas, Darwinism Goes on Trial Once More By / NYT — Permalink TOPEKA, Kan. , May 5 - Six years after Kansas ignited a national debate over the teaching of evolution, the state is poised to push through new science standards this summer requiring that Darwin's theory be challenged in the classroom. Larry W. Smith/Getty Images | |
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Riggsveda @Corrente: In the meantime, I'm still marveling at the unintelligent design of the Kansas Board of Education and their pursuit of... James Joyner: Scopes Monkey Trial Sequel in Kansas — Evolution hearings open in Kansas (Reuters) [snipped quote] There is serious... |
Ed Cone: Truth — Science vs religion in Kansas. I've always thought it would be a terrible day for creationists if they actually made it into a serious science curriculum. |
Saving PBS From the GOP By / LAT — Permalink Republican hacks are slowly strangling National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System. And the liberals who are complaining about it have nobody to blame but themselves. Well, OK, maybe not "nobody." Surely some of the blame lies with the Republican hacks. | |
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Kevin Drum: JON CHAIT WATCH...Jon Chait admits today that both PBS's "Now" and the Wall Street Journal editorial page have a point... |
Jim Romenesko: Chait: "Hack attack on PBS should come as no surprise" — Los Angeles Times "It's President Bush's basic MO," says Jonathan Chait. |
A Turn of the Dial By / WSJ — Permalink One of the most ferocious battles in the culture wars — one that, at times, makes the trench warfare of World War I seem short and sweet — has to do with the true character of National Public Radio. | |
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Matt Welch: Looking at this Center for the Study of Popular Culture complaint about the bias of NPR's "On the Media" program, a... |
Jim Romenesko: Claim: "On the Media" hosts are mean to Fox News, Bush — Wall Street Journal "OTM" co-host Brooke Gladstone "nurses a... |
ABORTION STAND HALTS CLINTON'S SHIFT TO MIDDLE New York Post — Permalink WASHINGTON — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is putting the brakes on her move to the political middle by opposing legislation that would bar helping underage girls cross state lines for an abortion without their parents' consent. | |
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TheAnchoress: She's not. She's saying verrrrry little, here, too. |
K. J. Lopez: MEET HILLARY CLINTON — She can talk all she wants, but here is where she is at: opposing a bill that would prohibit... |
Custard Customer Refuses to Let Finger Go By / AP — Permalink To a dessert shop customer, the severed fingertip found in a pint of frozen custard could be worth big dollars in a potential lawsuit. To the shop worker who lost it, the value is far more than monetary. | |
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Christopher Kanis: Sick society — Here's one showing how our lawsuit culture turns people into monsters: [snipped quote] Clarence Stowers is guilty of, at the very least, theft. |
Kehaar: Finger Food follow-up — Custard Customer Refuses to Let Finger Go |
ABC's inquiry appears to reflect a news shift By / Boston Globe — Permalink ABC's decision to dig up dirt on a linchpin of another network's entertainment lineup reflects the changing values of television news, several media analysts said yesterday. | |
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Brian Stelter: "Fallen Idol:" Not An ABC/Fox Fight — Mark Jurkowitz: "ABC's decision to dig up dirt on a linchpin of another network's... |
Jim Romenesko: Additional items for May 6, 2005 > Chicago Tribune says 29 words at issue in libel case| (Related) (CT/S-T) > Morgan of... |
Why I'm Rooting for the Religious Right By / Opinion Journal — Permalink I am not a Christian, or even a religious believer, and my opinions on social issues are decidedly middle-of-the-road. So why do I find myself rooting for the "religious right"? | |
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Hugh Hewitt: Yesterday James Taranto and Christopher Hitchens both wrote on the "religious right." Richard Reeb: Today David Brooks at the New York Times, and James Taranto and Christopher Hitchens at the Wall Street Journal, weigh... Paul @PowerLine: James Taranto develops some of these themes in explaining why he's "rooting for the religious right." |
TheAnchoress: James Taranto's response to Christopher Hitchen's rant. It's very good, so you'll want to read it, too! Dale Franks: Wall Street Journal editor James Taranto, hardly a religious zealot, also chimes in on the foolishness of the Theocracy claim. Ed Cone: Taranto v Hitchens — Taranto and Hitchens debate the "Religious Right" on the WSJ editorial page (free reg. req.) |
| Also: Avedon Carol, James Joyner, Joe Katzman, Dean Esmay, Mike Rappaport | |
Black Caucus shows constituent changes By / Washington Times — Permalink About 35 years after its founding, Congressional Black Caucus members no longer vote lock step with each other and the Democratic Party, reflecting a significant change in the economic status and demographics of their constituents and their own political aspirations. | |
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Todd Zywicki: Congressional Black Caucus, Small Business, and Bankruptcy Reform: Interesting article in the Washington Times this... |
Betsy Newmark: In a related story, the Washington Times looks at how the interests of the Black Caucus have changed since more blacks are moving into the middle class. |
Galloway's East End street fight BBC — Permalink George Galloway's vehement anti-war stance was always going to be one of the highlights of the 2005 general election. His successful and bitter single-issue campaign to oust Oona King from one of the most Muslim seats in the country has secured his place in British political history. | |
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Avedon Carol: Thoroughly safe Labour seats in Newham were retained but not without a 20% loss of votes to Respect, and in Bethnal... David Carr: Oh and George Galloway is back in Parliament. I will offer up some more thoughts later and as soon as I have some time to spare. |
Norm Geras: Spider — The spider on the glass, of course, was the result at Bethnal Green and Bow - except that spiders for the most part aren't as bad as this result. Kiwi Bob: UK Election Shame — Scum sucking toad and Saddamite George Galloway has won the east London seat of Bethnal Green... |
Clear skies end global dimming Nature — Permalink Earth's air is cleaner, but this may worsen the greenhouse effect. Our planet's air has cleared up in the past decade or two, allowing more sunshine to reach the ground, say two studies in Science this week. | |
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Kevin Aylward: Now you can burn fossil fuels guilt-free!!! [Nature] Unscrupulous lap dancers face a class action Texas. Jan Haugland: Of course that can't be good news: Our planet's air has cleared up in the past decade or two, allowing more sunshine to... Michelle Malkin: IF YOU REALLY WANT TO REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING... ...increase pollution!?! |
McQ: Or it is at least enhanced by that per a new article in Nature: "Our planet's air has cleared up in the past decade or... Steve Antler: UPDATE: More here and here. Christopher Kanis: For Enviroloonies, All News is Bad News — Cleaner air is apparently now a bad thing. |
Google trying to patent news ranking by quality Reuters — Permalink Web search leader Google Inc. has applied for U.S. and international patents on technology to rank stories on its news site based on the quality of the news source, according to patent applications obtained by Reuters on Thursday. | |
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Jeff Goldstein: And as such, WE'LL determine what you should be reading, thank you very much." From Reuters: [snipped quote] Oh well. McQ: This ought to be interesting — Google has applied for patents on technology to rank stories on its news site based on the quality of the news source. |
Roger L. Simon: The Google Nomenklatura — The news that Google - our once warm-and-fuzzy Internet friend - has, in Reuters' words,... Charles Johnson: Google reacts to criticism of their obviously biased news division by placing a big bet on mainstream media: Google trying to patent news ranking by quality. |
Powell Aide to Discuss Bolton By / WaPo — Permalink The Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff prepared to interview former secretary of state Colin L. Powell's chief of staff today as bipartisan harmony on the committee became increasingly frayed over Democratic requests for documents, interviews and other materials related to John R. Bolton's nomination as U.N. ambassador. | |
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Steve Clemons: The Washington Post's Glenn Kessler reveals today the story running around town about Richard Armitage "endorsing" John Bolton. Laura Rozen: This is a regular centipede. Update: Bolton's new best friend? Richard Armitage. Read it for yourself. |
Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post has an article today that Powell aide, Larry Wilkerson, is going to testify to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about his criticisms of John Bolton. |
Blair Wins Re-election, but His Hold Is Weakened By / NYT — Permalink LONDON, Friday, May 6 - Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain returned to power on Friday for a record-setting third successive term, according to official election results, with a much reduced majority reflecting his unpopularity over the war in Iraq. | |
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Dr. Steven Taylor: Blair Wins; Labour Weakened — Via the NYT: Blair Wins Re-election, but His Hold Is Weakened [snipped quote] It may well... |
Armando @DailyKos: Here's the first cut: [snipped quote] Iraq. Bush. Clearly Blair was slapped around because of them. |
Evolution hearings open in Kansas Reuters — Permalink TOPEKA, Kansas (Reuters) — A six-day courtroom-style debate opened Thursday in Kansas over what children should be taught in schools about the origin of life — was it natural evolution or did God create the world? | |
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Steve Verdon: Kansas' Creationist Claptrap — I think the "Scopes Monkey Trial" James noted below is going to be a loss for evolutionary theory. Norbizness: Remember not to getcher mind fixated on the basis of modern geology, paleontology, zoology, and 15 other ologies I can't... |
Jack Cluth: Another attempt to drag public education kicking and screaming back into the 15th century — Evolution hearings open in... |
Blair secures historic third term BBC — Permalink Tony Blair has won an historic third term in government for Labour but with a drastically reduced majority. Mr Blair pledged to respond "sensibly and wisely" to the result, which the BBC predicts will see his majority cut from 167 in 2001 to 66. | |
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Natasha @PacificViews: Labour's still in charge, but with somewhere around 100 fewer seats than they had before. |
Natalie Solent: Here we go again. It looks like the Lib Dems took seats off Labour rather than the Tories. That was opponents of the war, obviously. |
FDA set to ban gay men as sperm donors AP — Permalink NEW YORK - To the dismay of gay-rights activists, the Food and Drug Administration is about to implement new rules recommending that any man who has engaged in homosexual sex in the previous five years be barred from serving as an anonymous sperm donor. | |
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Mipe @ThinkProgress: New Level of Ignorance at FDA — Food and Drug Administration officials are set to "implement new rules recommending... Phemfrog: This is f**king insane—Chris http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ id/7749977/ From the Associated Press: "NEW YORK - To the dismay... |
Norbizness: Starting with a God-placating ban on gay sperm: "Under these [proposed FDA] rules, a heterosexual man who had... |
Galloway on Course for Dramatic Win By / PA — Permalink George Galloway looked set to score a major victory over Labour today, stealing the supposedly safe seat of Bethnal Green and Bow. Labour sources admitted they feared they had lost the seat, in which Tony Blair loyalist Oona King held a 10,000 majority at the last election. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: [LATER: I think that Meryl is wrong about this — at least The Scotsman says Galloway is set to win it, and this report shows a Galloway victory. |
Gene @HarrysPlace: Update: Damn. Go to bed, everyone. I'm closing the thread. |
Charged with passing top-secret info Newsday — Permalink WASHINGTON — An analyst in a controversial Pentagon intelligence office was charged yesterday with passing top-secret information to two staff members of a pro-Israeli lobbying group here. | |
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Captain Ed: However, Michelle points out a Newsday report from yesterday which shows why the Franklin case should be making more of a splash. |
Michelle Malkin: Meanwhile, just to make clear, the info Franklin is accused of mishandling wasn't any old classified information:... |
Exit poll suggests Labour victory BBC — Permalink Tony Blair is on course to win an historic third term for Labour but with a much reduced majority, according to a joint BBC/ITV exit poll. The poll suggests Mr Blair's majority will be reduced from 160 to 66. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Blair Is Projected Winner But Could Be Dumped — Projections give Great Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair his third... Jan Haugland: UK exit poll: Blair and Labour win — The first exit poll after the elections closed in Britain a few minutes ago indicates a Labour win, but with a reduced majority. Taegan Goddard: British Prime Minister Tony Blair, quoted by the BBC, after winning an "historic third term" but with "a greatly reduced majority." |
Patrick Ruffini: Ugh. - 7:16 p.m. Exit poll: Lab 37%, Con 33%, LibDem 22% Lab Majority 66, down from 160 If the exit polls bear out, and... Kenny Baer: And this just in: the BBC/ITV exit polls predict a Labour majority of 66. Wow. Blair may be a desperado by the time dawn breaks. Norm Geras: Looking grim — The BBC/ITV exit poll predicted a majority for Labour of 66. At this point in the night I would certainly settle for that. |
| Also: Kevin Aylward, Kevin Drum, Josh Chafetz | |
Why I'm Rooting Against the Religious Right By / Opinion Journal — Permalink I hope and believe that, by identifying itself with "faith" in general and the Ten Commandments in particular, a runaway element in the Republican leadership has made a career-ending mistake. In support of this, let me quote two authorities: | |
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TheAnchoress: Hence we have the excellent writer Christopher Hitchens, who has never met a religion that didn't make him vomit on his... James Joyner: Hitchens, "Why I'm Rooting Against the Religious Right" (OpinionJournal) "At least two important conservative thinkers,... Paul @PowerLine: Saving our republic from the theocrats — Christopher Hitchens writing in the Wall Street Journal, wants to "save the Republic from shallow, demagogic sectarians." |
Avedon Carol: And she didn't have a link to this story but I found it at the BBC - Brazil turns down US Aids funds Ann Althouse: Christopher Hitchens digs up a kickass Barry Goldwater quote: "The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. Norm Geras: Free and pluralist — Christopher Hitchens on the religious right in the US: [snipped quote] (Via Roger.) |
| Also: Joe Katzman, Steve M., John Cole, Dean Esmay, Roger Ailes, Jan Haugland, Roger L. Simon | |
Blair May Be Ousted As PM Even if He Wins By / AP — Permalink LONDON May 5, 2005 — Tony Blair's projected victory in Britain's national election Thursday may turn bittersweet if the Labour Party's diminished majority in Parliament sets the stage for anti-war critics within the party to oust him as prime minister. | |
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Avedon Carol: Anyway, everyone is hoping this means Blair will be gone soon, presumably to be replaced by Gordon Brown. Joe Gandelman: For instance, the AP says this: [snipped quote] Indeed, the projections were barely out when some pointed the finger at... Steve Bainbridge: Blair — AP reports: [snipped quote] If the Brits are done with him, can we have him? |
Dr. Steven Taylor: Here's the ABC News version of the story: Blair May Be Ousted As PM Even if He Wins Filed under: Global Politics |... Steve Soto: Blair's party went into the elections with a 161 seat lead in the House of Commons, but is expected to now come out of... |
Col. David H. Hackworth, 1930-2005: Legendary U.S. Army Guerrilla Fighter, Champion of the Ordinary Soldier PRNewsWire — Permalink NEW YORK, May 5 /PRNewswire/ — Col. David H. Hackworth, the United States Army's legendary, highly decorated guerrilla fighter and lifelong champion of the doughboy and dogface, groundpounder and grunt, died Wednesday in Mexico. He was 74 years old. | |
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Lexington Green: Rest in peace, sir. (Phil Carter has this post, linking to this obituary; further details here. ) Phillip Carter: Taps for "Hack" — The Pentagon lost one of the most persistent thorns in its side yestersday, with the death of retired Army Col. David Hackworth. Jeralyn Merritt: He was 74. He seemed much younger on tv. Here's a detailed obituary. |
Steve M.: Well put. There's more in the obituary that appears at Yahoo News and on Hackworth's Web site. James Joyner: COL David H. Hackworth, 1930-2005 — Col. David. The Poorman: Loss — David H. Hackworth has passed: [snipped quote] A hero, an American hero, absolutely, in every sense of the word, right to the end. |
Kansas Begins Hearings on Diluting Teaching of Evolution By / NYT — Permalink TOPEKA, May 5 -In the first of three daylong hearings characterized here as the direct descendant of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, a parade of Ph.D.'s testified today about the flaws they find in Darwin's theory of evolution, transforming a small auditorium... | |
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Ted @CrookedTimber: Bush's federal court nominee Janice Rogers Brown claims that America is in the midst of a religious war.Kansas... Stephen: Madrassas in Kansas — NYT: Kansas Begins Creationism Hearings [snipped quote] Words fail me. Riggsveda @Corrente: Intellectual Piracy films Don't think these scurvy dogs will get away with this: [snipped quote] Infidels! Poseurs! |
Giblets: Giblets will show that there are serious FLAWS in their so-called science - gaps which they can never explain without the divine mystery of Gibletsian intervention! Jason Van Steenwyk: Nevertheless, check out the New York Times' headline, here: Kansas Begins Teaching Headlines on Diluting Teaching of Evolution No, that is not what is at stake here. |
FDA to ban sperm from men who had gay sex AP — Permalink NEW YORK (AP) — To the dismay of gay-rights activists, the Food and Drug Administration is about to implement new rules recommending that any man who has engaged in homosexual sex in the previous five years be barred from serving as an anonymous sperm donor. | |
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Jack Cluth: This is what happens when zealotry takes precedence over science — FDA wants sperm banks to bar donors who've had gay... Amanda Marcotte: Public service announcement — Now the FDA, which has previously confused its duty to protect people's health with the... |
Steve M.: Jessica at Feministing, Amanda at Pandagon, and Echidne have spotted this AP/CNN story: To the dismay of gay-rights... Sadly, No!: More Sodomy — Just what you wanted to read about- more sodomy! |
School board bans band from performing 'Louie Louie' AP — Permalink BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A pop culture controversy that has simmered for decades came to a head when a middle school marching band was told not to perform "Louie Louie." | |
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Jan Haugland: Urban legend denies school band to play 'Louie Louie' — A Michigan school has banned a marching band from playing "Louie Louie" at a festival. Oliver @LiquidList: Finally, does a journey to stupid censorship begin with a giant step back to 1956? Gary Farber: ANIMAL HOUSE LIVES. Plus ca change. |
Joe Gandelman: Decency is indeed a valid and "appropriate" (favorite school word) issue, particularly at hormone-raging middle schools... Cookie Jill: screwy screwy...ahhhh...baby...s he's gotta go now...aiaiaiyayayaya — [snipped quote] guess this "super"intendent... Jesse Walker: Now school officials in Benton Harbor, Michigan, have decided the song is indecent even if there's no words at all: The... |
| Also: Steve Bainbridge | |
Exit Polls: Blair Wins Historic Third Term By / AP — Permalink "/ Iraq, according to projections based on exit polls. Such an outcome, if confirmed by the actual vote count, could set the stage for Blair to be replaced in midterm by a party rival such as Gordon Brown. | |
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Jayson @PoliPundit: Check out this self-parody of a "news account." And this one too. Steve Soto: The early exit polls are coming in, and it looks like Tony Blair's Labor Party will retain control of the government, but by a much smaller majority in Parliament. |
Charles Johnson: Exit Polls: Blair Wins Historic Third Term — Good news from Britain, where according to exit polls, Tony Blair is going to have a historic third term as Prime Minister. James Joyner: Update: Blair Projected Winner in British Election (AP 5:09 PM EDT) [snipped quote] While my ideology leads me to root for the Tories, I'm happy to see Mr. Blair win this one. |
Stuck in Lincoln's Land By / NYT — Permalink On Sept. 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln gathered his cabinet to tell them he was going to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. He said he had made a solemn vow to the Almighty that if God gave him victory at Antietam, Lincoln would issue the decree. | |
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Jesse Taylor: I need an aspirin — I was full well set to gnaw on the latest turd wrapped in newspaper and offered to the public from David Brooks, but I just can't. Armando @DailyKos: David Brooks Opposes Frist's Nuclear Option — In a revolting display of ignorance, mendacity and distortion, David... Matthew Yglesias: Way down near the bottom of today's column, past the swipe at Prospect editor Bob Kuttner and after the burning of... |
Steve M.: It's pleasant to imagine that David Brooks's newest column is just what it seems to be on the surface — a conservative's call for moderation in religious matters. Barbara O'Brien: Armando at Daily Kos already took today's column apart pretty well, but I want to add some points to what Armando said... John Cole: Shorter David Brooks — This column by David Brooks is a real clunker: [snipped quote] Shorter David Brooks: If you... |
| Also: Jeffrey Dubner, Jan Haugland, Tom Tomorrow | |
FBI: Male enhancement drugs illegally provided to mob CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN) — Three doctors from the Westchester suburbs of New York City allegedly provided mob figures with erectile dysfunction drugs in exchange for various favors, the FBI said Thursday. | |
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Steve M.: On a lighter note, you may have seen this story yesterday: FBI: Male enhancement drugs illegally provided to mob Three... Joe Gandelman: There are allegations that some doctors from the New York suburbs were helping mob figures with stick ups:... |
Steve Bainbridge: "Three doctors from the Westchester suburbs of New York City allegedly provided mob figures with erectile dysfunction... Jan Haugland: Viagra for the mob — That settles it. The mobster is neither glad to see you nor having a gun in his pocket. |
Silicon Insider: The Great Hidden Tech Boom By / ABCNEWS — Permalink Blogs — the New Tech Boom, Zeitgeist of the Future? May. 5, 2005 - Having declared newspapers (and most of the rest of the mainstream media) dead, what do we do now? | |
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Michelle Malkin: Michael Malone of ABC News asserts that "[m]any blogs enjoy readerships larger than some major metropolitan newspapers." Glenn Reynolds: ARE BLOGS PART OF A GREAT HIDDEN TECH BOOM? ("If all that sounds nuts — I mean, we're talking about blogs here — you... Pejman Yousefzadeh: PAJAMAS! (STILL MORE) More information on Pajamas Media can be found here. The article is long, but definitely worth a read. |
Roger L. Simon: UPDATE: Mike Malone, ABC's Silicon Insider, discusses Pajamas MEdia today in an interesting column - "Blogs — the New Tech Boom, Zeitgeist of the Future?" Gary Farber: HAVE NO FEAR. This will not be one of the eighty percent of blogs out there that will die in the next eighteen months. |
Is Blair a Liar? Brits Don't Care By / LAT — Permalink How can you tell if a political party is brain-dead? Easy. It spends an entire campaign denouncing the incumbent as a smarmy, good-for-nothing liar, rather than outlining its own agenda. | |
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Brad DeLong: (We Fear the Stupidity of Our Adversaries... Department) Matthew Yglesias looks into the abyss and shudders as he... McQ: The Democrat election strategy, British version — Max Boot makes a good point in the LA Times today Orrin Judd: THE LIMEY GALE SAYERS (*): Is Blair a Liar? Brits Don't Care (Max Boot, May 5, 2005, LA Times) [snipped quote] And he's a crypto-Catholic. |
Matthew Yglesias: Taxes, Spending, and Britain — Max Boot, what passes for an intelligent conservative op-ed writer, offers some advice... Ed Driscoll: Update: Speaking of the British elections, this comment by Max Boot in the L.A. Times about the Tories makes perfect sense on both sides of the Atlantic. Betsy Newmark: Max Boot has some thoughts on how both our political parties can learn from the mistakes of the Tories in today's elections. |
| Also: Glenn Reynolds | |
What Should a Reconfigured Tax System Look Like? By / NYT — Permalink TAX systems are like septic tanks: they need to be cleaned out every 10 years or so. The last significant structural tax reform in the United States was in 1986, so we are long overdue for a thorough cleansing. | |
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Steve Antler: Tax references, and bad joke of the day... Via Don Luskin*, here's Hal Varian's NYT tax article and a PDF of the complete Hassett/Hubbard/Auerbach/ Bradford/Gale/Graetz study . Donald Luskin: THAT NOTED RIGHT WING TAX ECONOMIST HACK — So my friend Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute is now... |
Alex Tabarrok: Tax Reform — Hal Varian has a short article on tax reform in his NYTimes column. |
The Christian Complex By / WaPo — Permalink The state of America's political discourse is such that the president has felt it necessary to declare that unbelievers can be good Americans. In last week's prime-time news conference, he said: "If you choose not to worship, you're equally as patriotic as somebody who does worship." | |
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Avedon Carol: The shock column of the week is George F. Will saying that religious fanatics should stop playing the victim card and obey the Constitution. James Joyner: Will, "The Christian Complex" (WaPo, A25) "The state of America's political discourse is such that the president has... Jeff Jarvis: Jumping the shark for Jesus, continued : George Will has a good start to a column today about George Bush apparently trying to pull back from the follies of the religious fringe. |
Jonah Goldberg: GEORGE WILL — I just got around to reading Will's column. I think it provides a useful corrective and I agree with a lot of it. Richard Reeb: George Will's Condescension Misses the Point — "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Tbogg: That was the morning of the Scooby-Doo cartoon-athon — George Will must have wandered into the kitchen to get a Lucky... |
| Also: Sam Rosenfeld, John Cole, Josh Chafetz, Chris Mooney, Glenn Reynolds, Atrios | |
Blair Projected Winner in British Election By / AP — Permalink "/ Tony Blair's Labour Party won an unprecedented third term in office but with a sharply reduced majority in Parliament that could set the stage for Blair to be replaced by a party rival, according to exit poll projections broadcast as vote counting began in Britain's national election Thursday. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: EXIT POLLS show a Blair victory, though with a reduced margin. Stay tuned to see if the coverage matches my prediction. Dr. Steven Taylor: Exit Polls: Labour Wins — Via ABC News: Blair Projected Winner in British Election [snipped quote] Quite interesting. |
Byron LaMasters: UK Election Open Thread — Labour looks to win a third majority in a row for Tony Blair, although sharply reduced from their current majority. Lorie Byrd: Winner Projected In UK Elections — No big surprises here. |
David Hackworth dies of cancer, 74 By / WorldNetDaily — Permalink Retired Army Col. David Hackworth, one of the most decorated veterans in U.S. history who became a vocal advocate for military reform, died yesterday in Mexico at 74. Hackworth returned from Vietnam as a strong critic of the war, later becoming a journalist and author of several best-selling books. | |
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Vox Day: RIP Col. David Hackworth — The commentariat has lost one of its most unique members: [snipped quote] I never met Col... Michelle Malkin: DAVID HACKWORTH, R.I.P. The outspoken retired Army colonel died of cancer yesterday, WND reports. |
Tim Cavanaugh: David Hackworth, R.I.P. The one and only Hack, irrascible soldier's soldier, irrepressible blowhard, "Patton of... |
Bush Ally in House Alters Social Security Debate Strategy WaPo — Permalink With President Bush's top domestic priority fading fast, Republicans once again have turned to one of their least liked but most effective colleagues: Rep. Bill Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. | |
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Reihan Salam: THIS MAKES ME EXTREMELY NERVOUS: I have to say, I'm pretty encouraged by Rep. Bill Thomas's talk of tackling "broader... Matthew Yglesias: House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas is taking some decisive steps toward the occasionally rumored switcheroo by... Pudentilla: corporate interests look to get their mitts on soc sec legislation — [snipped quote] wouldn't it just be simpler to make... |
Steve Soto: Sure enough, today's Post indicates that Ways and Means Committee chairman Bill Thomas is ready to save Bush's bacon on... Lambert @Corrente: Alpo Accounts: Rep. Bill Thomas? We remember Rep. Bill Thomas! |
Exit Poll Projects Blair Win By / Reuters — Permalink LONDON (Reuters) - Britons grudgingly returned Prime Minister Tony Blair to power for a third time on Thursday, according to an exit poll of voters, but with a vastly reduced mandate after a bruising election campaign dominated by Iraq. | |
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Randall Parker: The Consevatives picked up the largest chunk of Labour's losses. Ken Masugi: That's down from the 161-seat margin in the 646-seat parliament. |
David Adesnik: A TONY VICTORY FOR BLAIR: I'm glad Blair won. He risked his entire political career in order to support the war in Iraq simply because he believed it was the right thing to do. |
David Hackworth, Vietnam vet and military analyst, dies at 74 By / AP — Permalink HARTFORD, Conn. — Retired Army Col. David Hackworth, a decorated Vietnam veteran who spoke out against the war and later became a journalist and an advocate for military reform, has died, his wife said Thursday. He was 74. | |
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Jeff Quinton: REACTION W. Thomas Smith, Jr. has a link to the AP story. |
Steve M.: The AP obituary is here, from Newsday: Retired Army Col. David Hackworth, a decorated Vietnam veteran who spoke out... |
Small blast at UK consulate in NYC CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN) — An "improvised explosive device" made from a "novelty-type grenade" has exploded in front of the building that houses the British consulate in New York City, police said. | |
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Scott Sala: FOX is reporting a UN worker is being questioned. CNN confirms a Dutch national has been detained. Michelle Malkin: U.N. EMPLOYEE QUESTIONED IN NYC BLAST — Bumping this story to the top from my a.m. post on the NYC blasts. Marc @USSNeverdock: CNN has more. [snipped quote] As in IED. A developing story, so we'll have to wait and see who claims responsibility. |
Ace: Another Shock: UN Employee Questioned Re: British Consulate Bombing — Wow! It's a good thing we don't have John Bolton as Ambassador to the UN! Steve M.: The devices, which contained black gunpowder and fuses, blew out a chunk of concrete in the flower box where they were planted outside the building.... —CNN Disturbing. Gene @HarrysPlace: Blasts at UK consulate in NYC — I'm not sure what to make of this, apparently timed for election day in the UK. |
| Also: K. J. Lopez | |
New U.S. Rule Opens National Forests to Road Building (Update1) Bloomberg — Permalink May 5 (Bloomberg) — The Bush administration today issued rules that would open up almost 60 million acres of U.S. forestland to road construction, logging and other commercial purposes. States will have 18 months to protest the changes. | |
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Cookie Jill: "- bloomberg" hmmmm....highways....inte resting to note that bushco also want to privatize them. (nytimes) |
Richard TPD: "One parking lot, under God..." It hurts to read stuff like this: [snipped quote] Via Skippy. |
Burqa trap set for terror suspect BBC — Permalink Pakistani agents wearing burqas seized al-Qaeda suspect Abu Faraj al-Libbi by ambushing his motorbike in a rural town, police told the BBC. The man alleged to be a top al-Qaeda organiser was riding pillion and managed to run into a house where agents flushed him out with tear gas. | |
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Tom Maguire: Yet here we are, weeks later - a major arrest, and other foreigners arrested as well: "On Thursday the Pakistani... Marc @USSNeverdock: al Qaeda - Was Pakistan Tipped Off to Libbi — More interesting information is coming out about the capture of Abu Faraj al-Libbi. Orrin Judd: POETIC JUSTICE: Burqa trap set for terror suspect (BBC, 5/05/05) "Pakistani agents wearing burqas seized al-Qaeda... |
Charles Johnson: The Burqa Trap — Here's some poetic justice, as the misogyny of the Islamists is turned against them: Burqa trap set for terror suspect. Jan Haugland: Update: al-Libby was trapped by a burqa trick: Pakistani agents wearing burqas seized al-Qaeda suspect Abu Faraj... |
Fox: New Docs 'Prove' Kofi Lied to Probers NewsMax.com — Permalink U.N. investigators have turned over to Congress boxes of evidence on the Oil-for-Food program, including "proof" that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan lied to the Independent Inquiry Committee probing the scandal, Fox News Channel reporter Jonathan Hunt said Thursday. | |
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Scott Sala: Newsmax has a writeup about a FOX News broadcast where reporter Jonathan Hunt said evidence has been turned over that... |
Ace: Pleasepleasepleasepleasep leaseplease... "U.N. investigators have turned over to Congress boxes of evidence on the... |