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Young Right Tries to Define Post-Buckley Future By / NYT — Permalink In 1954, when he was 28, William F. Buckley Jr. founded National Review to bear the standard of a fledgling conservative movement defined by three commitments: to fight Communism, to diminish the federal government and to uphold traditionalism in social affairs. | |
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Steve M.: Oh, and by the way, as the presidential campaign goes on and you hear conservatives deride Kerry and Edwards as... Pejman Yousefzadeh: This is the latest such tripe, and I would spend time telling you just how ridiculous I find a number of its assertions, except that I see Jonah Goldberg already has. Betsy Newmark: The New York Times has once again put on his anthropological hat and gone investigating the conservative movement. |
Glenn Reynolds: Interesting article from the New York Times, which might profitably be read together with this piece by Jim Glassman. Andrew Sullivan: THE NEXT CONSERVATISM: An interesting take on the younger generation of coservatives in the NYT. Jonah Goldberg: BABY GORILLAS IN THE MIST — The New York Times's David Kirkpatrick covers the trials and tribulations of young conservatives. |
| Also: Roger Kimball, Roger Ailes, Josh Chafetz, Steven Taylor, Ken Masugi | |
How a serial liar suckered Dems and the media By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink Well, the week went pretty much as I predicted seven days ago: BUSH LIED!! Not. BLAIR LIED!!! Not. | |
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Charles Johnson: Mark Steyn has the goods: How a serial liar suckered Dems and the media. This isn't difficult. Tom Maguire: Mark Steyn On Joe Wilson — Mark Steyn is beautiful on Joe Wilson. Chew on a few soundbites, then send an e-mail to Daniel Okrent of the NY Times. Betsy Newmark: Mark Steyn smacks around Joe Wilson. Steyn does a masterful job. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: Mark Steyn gives Joe Wilson the what-for: "Well, the week went pretty much as I predicted seven days ago: BUSH LIED!! Glenn Reynolds: MARK STEYN: "Well, the week went pretty much as I predicted seven days ago: BUSH LIED!! Not. BLAIR LIED!!! Not. Roger L. Simon: MEANWHILE, in the spirit of "that's what makes horse racing," this blog is praised and criticized in the mainstream media on the subject of Wilson, using the very same quote. |
Fuel for the pro-war blogs LAT — Permalink It takes a strong stomach to plunge into the sea of malice, mendacity and misrepresentation that now churns around the affair of former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV and his wife, Valerie Plame. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: I just saved you the time you might have taken instead to read this. UPDATE: I won't give you a "shorter Tom Maguire." Tom Maguire: MORE: A Wilson defense from columnist Tim Rutten of the LA Times, which continues the pattern established by Josh... |
TChris: Responding to right-wing charges that the mainstream media were sold a bill of goods by Joseph Wilson and that the media... Glenn Reynolds: The Los Angeles Times' Tim Rutten on the other hand — still spinning for Wilson — uses the same quote, but isn't as happy about it. |
Debunking Distortions About My Trip to Niger WaPo — Permalink For the second time in a year, your paper has published an article [news story, July 10] falsely suggesting that my wife, Valerie Plame, was responsible for the trip I took to Niger on behalf of the U.S. government to look into allegations that Iraq had sought to purchase several hundred tons of yellowcake uranium from that West African country. | |
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TChris: Wilson defends himself against one such story here. Tom Maguire: Be Careful - Tim Dunlop has changed my mind on some things, so be forewarned as to his sinister powers...) MORE: Wilson... |
Jonah Goldberg: THIN GRUEL CONTINUED — Joe Wilson responds to the Washington Post today. The Big Trunk: Where's the rest of the story? |
No Poll Boost From Edwards NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 16 - Senator John Edwards is viewed far more favorably than unfavorably by Americans in the aftermath of his introduction as Senator John Kerry's running mate, and the intensity of feeling for Mr. Kerry has deepened, among his backers in the presidential race, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: I have no informed thoughts on exactly how the trend — if you can even use that term — gels with the reported increase in skepticism about the war. Captain Ed: CBS/NYT Poll: No Bounce For Edwards, Better Reporting, Same Old Methodology — The New York Times improved its polling... DemFromCT: From the NY Times version of the story: "The poll also found that Mr. Bush's approval ratings were at low levels for an... |
Glenn Reynolds: And there's more support here: "But naming Mr. Edwards did not immediately win over any substantial number of voters for... Kash: Sloppy Reporting from the New York Times — The New York Times is having difficulty correctly reporting the results of their own poll today. Joe Gandelman: A Political Expert's Analysis Of Dick Cheney — And this time non-partisan political scientist Larry Sabato offers one... |
| Also: Mickey Kaus | |
9/11 Commission Finds Ties Between al-Qaeda and Iran Time — Permalink Next week's much anticipated final report by a bipartisan commission on the origins of the 9/11 attacks will contain new evidence of contacts between al-Qaeda and Iran—just weeks after the Administration has come under fire for overstating its claims of contacts between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein's Iraq. | |
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DeLong: 1030 Days Overdue, and Counting... Why have we been dinking around in Iraq when it is the Iranian government that has an ongoing "operational relationship" with Al Qaeda? Kevin Drum: Glenn Reynolds comments: [snipped quote] Let's turn that around. Tim Dunlop: Iraqn — Give or take a letter—that is, a mere one twenty-sixth of the entire alphabet—the Bush administration's... |
Matthew Yglesias: The Plot Thickens — Now that sounds to me like a regime with "ties" to al-Qaeda. Pejman Yousefzadeh: IRAN AND AL QAEDA — Following up on a report stating that the 9/11 Commission is prepared to present findings of links... Glenn Reynolds: TIME IS REPORTING that the 9/11 Commission will spell out a connection between Iran and Al Qaeda: [snipped quote] Will... |
| Also: Fred Lapides, Arthur Chrenkoff, Joe Gandelman | |
Dress Code May Hinder Their Work, Air Marshals Say By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 16 - Beards are out. So are jeans and athletic shoes. Suit coats are in, even on the steamiest summer days. That dress code, imposed by the Department of Homeland Security, makes federal air marshals uneasy - and not just because casual clothes are more comfortable in cramped airline seats. | |
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Ed Cone: The NYT says a square dress code imposed on federal air marshalls by the Department of Homeland Security makes the skycops too easy to spot. Tim Dunlop: The Serpico factor — In these trying times, it's good to know your security is in the hands of minds such as these: [snipped quote] It's not the suits that worry me so much. James Joyner: Dress Code May Hinder Air Marshals — NYT - Dress Code May Hinder Their Work, Air Marshals Say [snipped quote] Well, that would be fine, too. |
Ezra Klein: Don't Forget The Cufflinks — We've really got to get more serious about air safety than this. Ann Althouse: The dress code imposed on federal air marshals presents a bit of a problem, as described in this NYT article: ... |
Creator of the web turns knight BBC — Permalink Tim Berners-Lee, the British inventor of the world wide web, has received his knighthood from the Queen. The "father of the web", who already has an OBE, went to Buckingham Palace to get his reward for "services to the global development of the internet". | |
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Dan Gillmor: Sir Tim — You don't have to be a fan of royalty to still be happy for Tim Berners-Lee, who was knighted today (BBC) in London. Philip Greenspun: By contrast... the Queen of England seems to be English — According to this story in the BBC local boy Tim Berners-Lee... |
Jan Haugland: It's — Sir Tim Berners-Lee, if I may The creator of the World Wide Web has been knighted by the British Queen. |
Values, Values Everywhere By / NYT — Permalink I know that John Kerry shares my values. I know that John Kerry shares your values. I know that John Kerry shares John Edwards's values, who also, by the way, shares my values. I know they both share your accountant's values, your butcher's values, your mechanic's values. | |
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Steve M.: SHORTER DAVID BROOKS — Two rich, preppy Ivy League elitists are running for President by claiming to have Middle American values. Tom Smith: David Brooks on Values — Brooks can be funny, when he's not trying to be nice. Via RCP. |
James Joyner: Values Politics — David Brooks, in his piece "Values, Values Everywhere" [RSS], notes that the V-word has been popping... Betsy Newmark: David Brooks is a hoot about Kerry and his "values." [snipped quote] Exactly. |
Young guns conspire to get rid of Chirac By / Telegraph — Permalink President Jacques Chirac's ambition to run for a third term as president, when he will be 74, has provoked a crisis at the heart of his government and party which has now flared spectacularly into the open. | |
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James Joyner: Dumping Chirac — Telegraph - Young guns conspire to get rid of Chirac [snipped quote] French politics is truly bizarre. Andrew Stuttaford: Step forward Nicolas Sarkozy. Now read on. And enjoy. |
Betsy Newmark: Chirac is facing protests and challenges from the Young Turks in his party who oppose his control of the party. |
New Reports Again Question Whether Iraq Sought Uranium in Niger NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 17 — Were those infamous 16 words correct after all? It has been a year and a half since President Bush's 2003 State of the Union address, in which he suggested in a single sentence that Iraq might have been trying to acquire uranium in Africa for its nuclear weapons program. | |
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Ace: Always Bury Bad News on a Weekend — The New York Times actually reports that Bush seems to have been telling the truth... |
Betsy Newmark: The New York Times gets around to reporting that those 16 words may have been true after all. But note how the headline doesn't fit the content. |
Isaac Asimov By / Slate — Permalink Isaac Asimov was the steak-and-buffet restaurant of American authors: What he lacked in quality, he made up for in volume. If you didn't like what he was serving, you could wait a few minutes for him to bring out something else. | |
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Kevin Drum: ASIMOV'S ROBOTS...You know, I might have taken Chris Suellentrop's article about I, Robot more seriously except for... |
Steven Taylor: Source: Isaac Asimov - How I, Robot gets the science-fiction grandmaster wrong. By Chris Suellentrop |
Armstrong Clears Path to Sixth Tour Title AP — Permalink PLATEAU DE BEILLE, France - Start icing the champagne. Lance Armstrong cleared his path to a record sixth straight Tour de France crown, overpowering rivals to win the 13th stage Saturday. His two-day display of dominant mountain riding has all but decided cycling's showcase event even before it veers into the Alps next week. | |
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Charles Johnson: Clash of the Titans — Lance Armstrong has crushed Jan Ullrich's morale—again: Armstrong Clears Path to Sixth Tour Title. |
Robert Garcia Tagorda: With today's dominating Stage 13 performance, is there any doubt that Lance Armstrong has sealed the deal? |
Topical Take Steyn Online — Permalink What do you make of this story about 14 Syrian musicians whose in-flight bathroom use was more coordinated than a synchronized swimming routine? It sounds a lot like the kind of dry run James Woods witnessed and which I recounted in this excerpt from The Face Of The Tiger. | |
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John Derbyshire: RE: TERROR IN THE SKIES — Great minds think alike |
Michelle Malkin: 2) Power Line pursues the Syrian band angle. 3) A timely Mark Steyn flashback. |
US again denies money to population fund By / Boston Globe — Permalink WASHINGTON — The Bush administration announced yesterday that it is withholding the United States' contribution to the UN Population Fund for the third straight year, once again accusing the family-planning organization of supporting coercive abortion in China. | |
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DHinMI: 80,000 Casualties in the War on Compassionate Conservatism — If somebody is calculating the cost of the Bush... |
Natasha @PacificViews: Bush has again witheld UNFPA funding, and fortunately the author of this article had the sense to find a quote pointing... |
Man Accused of Hitting Woman With Gator AP — Permalink PORT ORANGE, Fla. (AP) - A man hit his girlfriend with a 3-foot alligator and threw beer bottles at her during an argument in the couple's mobile home, authorities said. David Havenner, 41, was scheduled for a bond hearing Saturday on misdemeanor charges of battery and possession of an alligator. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Ouch. This sounds like a charming couple. This is what happens when couples can't get booked on Jerry Springer. |
TChris: Close contender: the Florida man who allegedly hit his girlfriend with an alligator during a domestic dispute. |
Gaddafi 'eyes Palace bid' BBC — Permalink Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi could buy newly-promoted Crystal Palace, according to newspaper reports. "I've been told that Gaddafi and his son are interested in acquiring Palace," the club's chairman Simon Jordan told the Guardian. | |
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Damian Penny: Moammar United FC — If this story is true, Arsenal won't be the only Premiership club I'll be rooting against this... |
Harry @HarrysPlace: You missed out Uday — Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi could buy newly-promoted Crystal Palace, according to reports. |
McCain Rallies to GOP's Cause By / WaPo — Permalink LANSING, Mich., July 16 — He called Vice President Cheney "indispensable and very debonair." The vice president called him "one of the great Americans of our generation." Standing before an enormous American flag and balloons, the two white-haired politicians wrapped their arms around each other. | |
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John Rosenberg: But it seems apt, given this assertion by WaPo reporter Dan Balz in his article today that could have been (but wasn't) entitled "Bush Panders To Cubans." |
Captain Ed: McCain Steps Up Again — Uberpolitician John McCain, the darling of the Democrats until they finally decided he couldn't... |
Bush's Foreign Fantasy Slate — Permalink Earlier this week, at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, home of the Y-12 nuclear-weapons facility, in Tennessee, President Bush gave one of his best-written speeches. This was his "America is safer" speech, and we will no doubt hear variations on it many times in the next four months. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: A Subtle Shift — Fred Kaplan catches Bush's latest semantic games: [snipped quote] Bill Clinton, of course, was widely... |
Laura Rozen: As usual, Fred Kaplan says better what I was trying to say below. |
'Reason' and 'Stand Up Fight Back': Are You Listening, Senator Kerry? By / NYT — Permalink It's no picnic preaching liberalism these days. Marxism died long ago. The political power Democrats earned from the New Deal collapsed in 1994 with their loss of Congress. Their last big idea, President Clinton's health care proposal, crashed and burned. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: Also, a two-headed review by Will Saletan of Reason: Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America, by Robert B. Reich,... |
DemFromCT: Amongst the articles is a Will Saletan review of the above authors, and their message can be read at any time by... |
Elton John's witch-hunt Telegraph — Permalink First, they came for the Communists, to paraphrase Martin Niemöller, and I didn't speak up, because I was not a Communist. Then, they came for the Jews, and I did not speak up, because I was not a Jew. | |
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Michelle Malkin: The civil liberties alarmists are bawling and the sky is falling because...they can't take photos of sensitive areas... |
Betsy Newmark: And others can despise you for what you say. Even a London newspaper is laughing at Sir Elton. |
Silver lining in Iraqi clouds By / Washington Times — Permalink The big news out of Iraq this week was the capitulation by the Philippine government Tuesday to the demands of terrorists, and the explosion of a massive car bomb Wednesday outside the "Green Zone" in Baghdad. | |
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Deacon: Progress — Jack Kelly in the Washington Times sees steady progress in the war against terrorism in Iraq. |
Betsy Newmark: Jack Kelly looks at the good news from Iraq. There's definitely a glass half-full aspect to all this, but it's nice to see the other side occasionally. |
Elton attacks 'censorship' in US BBC — Permalink Elton John has said stars are scared to speak out against war in Iraq because of "bullying tactics" used by the US government to hinder free speech. "There's an atmosphere of fear in America right now that is deadly. Everyone is too career-conscious," he told New York magazine, Interview. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Elton John is a bimbo. If he thinks that celebrities are having any trouble speaking out against Bush or the War in Iraq, he just hasn't been listening. |
Steve Antler: UPDATE: And speaking of useful idiots... |
Hamilton pulls out of Tour de France AP — Permalink PLATEAU DE BEILLE, France - American rider Tyler Hamilton pulled out of the Tour de France on Saturday, eliminating one of the top threats to Lance Armstrong's bid for a record sixth Tour crown. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: Iban Mayo is off the charts, as is Roberto Heras. Tyler Hamilton is out with an ailing back. |
Bill Hobbs: TdF: Tyler Drops Out, Lance Wins Stage — Tyler Hamilton, one of the few riders considered capable of beating Lance... |
Boston Labor Dispute Awaits The Democratic Convention WaPo — Permalink BOSTON — When Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) welcomes delegates to the Democratic National Convention here, the chairman of the California delegation plans to stand up and walk out. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: LABOR PAINS — Okay, it's not the most clever of titles, but it does describe the kind of problems the Democrats will... |
Captain Ed: The Washington Post reports that Republican Governor Mitt Romney had to step in to replace the head of the arbitration... |
How Kerry Can Win By / The Nation — Permalink J ohn Kerry can win, given George W. Bush's incompetence, and White House strategists realize that. All the Democrats need to do is to peel away some of the Republican "unbase"—the most wobbly members of the GOP coalition. | |
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Mary @PacificViews: Kevin Phillips thinks it might be in the gene pool. |
Susan Madrak: SHOOT THE MOON — Kevin Phillips in The Nation: "To win this election decisively, John Kerry is going to have to feel... |
Bush Defers Decision on CIA Chief By / WaPo — Permalink The White House has put off for now a decision on whether to name a new CIA director before the November election, as officials continue to search for a candidate they believe could do the job and survive Senate confirmation during a heated campaign, according to senior administration and congressional officials. | |
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Holden: Your preznit is intent on naming a new Director of Central Intelligence - after November 2. |
James Joyner: Bush Defers Decision on CIA Chief — WaPo - Bush Defers Decision on CIA Chief "The White House has put off for now a... |
Interviews of Muslims to Broaden By / WaPo — Permalink FBI agents have launched a series of interviews of Muslims and Arab Americans in the Washington area and across the country, hoping to glean information that could prevent a major terrorist attack during this election year. | |
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Kash: From a front page story in today's Washington Post: "Interviews Of Muslims To Broaden FBI Hopes to Avert a Terrorist... Michelle Malkin: The Washington Post reports today on renewed efforts by the FBI to gather intelligence from Arab/Muslims via targeted... |
James Joyner: Interviews Of Muslims To Broaden — WaPo - Interviews Of Muslims To Broaden [snipped quote] Whether this will yield much in the way of useful intelligence is unclear. |
9/11 Panel Is Said to Urge New Post for Intelligence By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 16 - The final report of the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks will recommend the creation of a cabinet-level post to oversee the nation's intelligence agencies, a position that would take power away from the C.I.A., the F.B.I.,... | |
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James Joyner: NYT - 9/11 Panel Is Said to Urge New Post for Intelligence "The final report of the commission investigating the Sept... |
Matthew Yglesias: What About Rumsfeld — The 9/11 Commission looks set to recommend creating a director of national intelligence who would... |
CBS Poll: Kerry Holds 5-Point Edge CBS News — Permalink (CBS) Senator John Kerry heads toward his nominating convention holding a slight lead over President George W. Bush in the CBS News/New York Times poll, and the ticket of Kerry and his vice presidential nominee John Edwards seems to have generated increased enthusiasm for the Kerry candidacy. | |
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DemFromCT: If anyone's missed the CBS/NY Times poll, Kerry/Edwards is up 5 points (49 - 44), most people realize Iraq was a mistake, and "This year the electorate is especially well tuned-in. |
Pie: "CBS/AP) The public continues to grow more critical of the war in Iraq, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll. |
'I Didn't Cheat Anybody' ABCNEWS — Permalink In her first interview after a federal judge sentenced her to five months in prison, Martha Stewart told Barbara Walters that she cheated no one and hopes she will be vindicated on appeal. Watch the full interview tonight on 20/20 at 10 p.m. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Martha, Martha, Martha — Honestly: the imagery is a LITTE OVERBLOWN, my dear... |
John Cole: Please, Martha — I thought Martha Stewart was getting screwed until I read this: [snipped quote] Yeah- you are a regular Mandela in an apartheid jail. |
Partisanship Is Their Principle By / NRO — Permalink The drawn-out fight waged on Capitol Hill over many of President Bush's judicial nominees goes beyond the usual charges of rank partisanship. It comes down to a question that concerns our very form of government. | |
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Orin Kerr: You never have to wait very long before one side tries to outfox the other by trotting out what their opponents said... |
Michael DeBow: Ed Meese hammers the Senate Dems' obstructionism on judicial nominees, on NRO today. |
A Pause for Hindsight NYT — Permalink Over the last few months, this page has repeatedly demanded that President Bush acknowledge the mistakes his administration made when it came to the war in Iraq, particularly its role in misleading the American people about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction and links with Al Qaeda. | |
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Roger Ailes: Meet Your Liberal Media: The Lie That Dare Not Speak The Name Judith Miller Edition — The New York Times regrets misleading the country in support of George Bush's little war. |
Max B. Sawicky: NEW YORK TIMES APOLOGIZES; STILL WRONG The editorial page issues a mea culpa, but the culpa's all wrong. |
AP Seeks Release of Bush Military Records AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - The Associated Press asked a federal judge Friday to order the Pentagon to quickly turn over a full copy of President Bush's military service record. | |
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TChris: Controversy Continues Over Bush Service Records — The struggle to obtain the complete records of President Bush's military service continues. The Poor Man: Keep On Keepin' On — [snipped quote] In a related story, the AP corporate offices were inadvertently cruise-missiled to... |
Susan Madrak: DRIP DRIP DRIP — Looks like the AP grew a pair: "WASHINGTON (AP) - The Associated Press asked a federal judge Friday... Holden: AP Takes Quest for AWOL's Records To Federal Court — The Associated Press is not giving up on their efforts to view all... |
Iraqi PM executed six insurgents: witnesses ABC News — Permalink MAXINE MCKEW: Let's go straight to the allegations that Iyad Allawi executed as many as six suspected insurgents at a Baghdad police station at the end of June. | |
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TChris: There are reports that Iraq's new Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, executed about a half dozen suspected insurgents in June... Arthur Chrenkoff: Allawi, by the way is denying the story; Paul McGeough is sticking to it. Mark Kleiman: UPDATE I don't know Paul McGeough's work, but if he's not a liar his account convinces me he had the story right. |
Jan Haugland: Allawi alleged to have executed prisoners — Australian journalist Paul McGeough says he has himself spoken to two... Holden: Important links: Paul McGeough's original story in the Sydney Morning Herald, and an interview of McGeough recorded today by the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC). Kos: (Incidentally, the author of the piece defends running the story here, and discussed why he thinks it's true.) |
| Also: Tom Maguire, Charles Johnson, Tim Dunlop, James Joyner | |
Caption Contest! By / WaPo — Permalink I can't resist. Please take a look at this highly amusing AP photo of Rove and send your proposed captions to froomkin@washingtonpost.com. Please include your full name and your home town, or I won't be able to use your entry. | |
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David Allan Pell: Rumor with a View — So it seems that the Cheney being off the ticket rumor just won't die even though pretty much... |
Susan Q. Stranahan: Denials flew, White House spokesman Scott McClellan scolded, and reporters failed to secure a confirmation. |
Report: Allawi shot Iraqi suspects Washington Times — Permalink Baghdad, Iraq, Jul. 16 (UPI) — Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi killed six suspected insurgents just days before he was handed power, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. | |
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David Neiwert: Something is wrong here — If ever one needed evidence that there is a real problem with the American press' handling of... Edward _: First published in the Sydney Morning Herald (but recently picked up by the Washington Times---hat tip to Constant... Holden: Run this story. USA! USA! USA! UPDATE IV: And the winner is: The Washington Times (!). Thanks, Omar K. Ravenhurst. |
Mark Kleiman: Oddly, the Washington Times, which might be expected to be friendly toward the new Iraqi regime, uses the neutral "killed" and "fatally shot." James Joyner: The American press, sort of, has caught on to the story: UPI/Washington Times - Report: Allawi shot Iraqi suspects ... |
Search for Former Chess Champion Ends at Tokyo Airport By / NYT — Permalink TOKYO, July 16 — After more than two decades of living in near obscurity, the former world chess champion Bobby Fischer has been apprehended by Japanese immigration authorities for allegedly trying to leave the country without a valid passport. | |
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KJL: THE SEARCH FOR BOBBY FISCHER IS OVER — I confess, most of this was completely new to me. |
Kevin Drum: END OF THE ROAD....We've finally apprehended Bobby Fischer. Thank God our long national nightmare is finally over. |
Search for Former Chess Champion Ends at Tokyo Airport AP — Permalink TOKYO (AP) — After decades of evading the public eye and U.S. justice officials, former world champion Bobby Fischer — possibly the best and certainly the most eccentric chess player ever — has been taken into custody by Japanese immigration after allegedly trying to leave the country with an invalid passport. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: FINDING BOBBY FISCHER — Bet this will take you by surprise: [snipped quote] I suppose we could say that Fischer has been checkmated. Will Baude: Bobby Fischer— found — Chess champ and nutcase Bobby Fischer is now in custody— it is still unclear whether he will... |
C. D. Harris: Searching For Bobby Fischer No More — The one-time Chess Grandmaster was detained in Tokyo's Narita Airport attempting to leave the country with an invalidated passport. |
Bin Laden's Goal: Kill 4 Million Americans NewsMax.com — Permalink "It is not a question of if....it is a question of when," claims the author of a controversial new book "Osama's Revenge: The Next 9/11: What the Media and the Government Haven't Told You," (Prometheus Books). | |
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James Joyner: Bin Laden's Goal: Kill 4 Million Americans — Bin Laden's Goal: Kill 4 Million Americans [snipped quote] I'm sure this is... John Derbyshire: THE NEXT BIG ONE — Newsmax.com reviews a new book claiming that the terrorists already have several small nukes in place in US cities. |
Clayton Cramer: This story discusses a new book that is out that claims that al-Qaeda already has tactical nukes in the U.S., ready to be used. |
Life After Death for CAPPS II? By / Wired — Permalink The government's controversial plan to screen passengers before they board a plane is dead — but it may return in a new form with a new name. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge bluntly told a reporter Wednesday that the Computer Assisted Passenger... | |
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Brian Doherty: Today Wired.com reports that a similar program will indeed probably be launched, though under a different name. |
Daniel Drezner: For more on the CAPPS debate, check out Ryan Singel's account in Wired. Orin Kerr wonders: "Why haven't major newspapers and TV picked up on it? |
Pro-life speakers sought for convention By / Washington Times — Permalink More than half the Republicans in the House have signed a formal complaint to President Bush about the failure to give prominent conservative, pro-life party members even one prime-time speaking role at the Republican National Convention. | |
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Michelle Malkin: The Washington Times and Bob Novak report separately on efforts by conservatives to diversify the Karl Rove-approved, namby-pamby, prime-time speakers line-up. Andrew Sullivan: But the social conservatives need to find someone to speak at the convention. Why not Santorum or DeLay? Why not James Dobson? Ramesh Ponnuru: REP. MIKE PENCE has gotten 127 House Republicans to sign a letter asking that Henry Hyde get a prime-time speaking slot at the convention. |
Digby: The Natives Are Restless — Following up my post from yesterday: [snipped quote] This controversy just guaranteed that... Noam Scheiber: But that's apparently what the intramural debate over the Republican convention has come to—House conservatives are... |
History's Verdict NRO — Permalink The summers of 1944 and 2004. About this time 60 years ago, six weeks after the Normandy beach landings, Americans were dying in droves in France. We think of the 76-day Normandy campaign of summer and autumn 1944 as an astounding American success — and... | |
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Betsy Newmark: Victor Davis Hanson reminds us of the many blunders and mistakes that we made between D-Day and V-E Day. It's a daunting list. Jason: Perspective — [snipped quote] Victor Davis Hanson The whole essay is extremely sharp. Nice work. Splash, out Charles Johnson: History's Verdict — Victor Davis Hanson provides the historical perspective so sorely lacking from most discourse about the Iraq War. |
Michael DeBow: Also on NRO, a strong piece by VDH on the inevitability of tragic mistakes in war. Steve M.: Well, now, in National Review Online, right-wing historian Victor Davis Hanson is comparing Iraq to the period in 1944... Hugh Hewitt: Don't miss Victor Davis Hanson in National Review.com today. And thanks for book plugs to Raincross Conservative, RightWingNews, The Crusader, ParsonsPantry, and Cockalorum. |
Kerry Keeps His Faith in Reserve By / WaPo — Permalink John F. Kerry, a lifelong Roman Catholic, carries in his briefcase an unmarked manila folder stuffed full of religion articles, scriptures, personal reflections — and a sermon the Democrat has been fine-tuning since the early 1980s. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Witness an interesting post by Amy Sullivan today, explaining comments she made to a Washington Post reporter about John Kerry's reluctance to talk about faith. |
Hugh Hewitt: John Kerry's Catholicism is the subject of a lengthy Washington Post piece this morning. |
Inside the Beltway By / Washington Times — Permalink Every vote counts? "The president of the United States shook hands and nearly kissed a dog." —Official White House pool report surrounding President Bush's impromptu stop in Pottstown, Pa., on his way to a campaign appearance in Lancaster. | |
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Dean Esmay: According to the Washington Times story, Major Stone's aunt, who is also acting as family spokeswoman, says:... Greyhawk: From John McCaslin's July 12th Inside the Beltway column in the Washington Times "The family of U.S. Air Force Maj... |
Smash: JOHN MCCASLIN: [snipped quote] He's worth a mint. Sue his ass. (Hat tip: Greyhawk) |
Martha Stewart sentenced to 5 months AP — Permalink NEW YORK - Domestic icon Martha Stewart moved one step closer to a drastically different lifestyle behind bars when the millionaire entrepreneur was sentenced Friday to five months in prison for a stock-trading scandal. Some experts had expected Stewart to get 10 to 16 months in prison. | |
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James Joyner: Martha Stewart Sentenced — AP - Martha Stewart sentenced to 5 months [snipped quote] This still doesn't strike me as... |
Steven Taylor: Martha to Jail — Martha Stewart sentenced to 5 months "Martha Stewart was sentenced Friday to five months in prison and... |
Iraqi PM shot inmates, says witnesses ABC News — Permalink There are allegations that the Iraqi Interim Prime Minister shot seven and killed six Iraqi insurgents in the week leading up to the handover of sovereignty last month. | |
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TChris: Allawi denies the accusation. The award winning journalist who broke the story has left Iraq for his own safety. Roger L. Simon: Tim linked to Iraqi blogger Zeyad who wrote back on July 1: Another widespread and preposterous rumour is that Ayad... James Joyner: A similar report: Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) - Iraqi PM shot inmates, says witnesses "Two unnamed people, who... |
Joe Gandelman: A New Controversy Over Iraq's New Prime Minister — The rounds of outrage, stories and follow up stories have started... Tim Blair: The ABC has more: "Two unnamed people, who are alleged to have witnessed the shootings, told Australian journalist Paul... Holden: UPDATE II: The Sydney Morning Herald provides some context. UPDATE III: ABC News Online (Australia) picks it up. |
A Kerry cabinet By / Townhall.com — Permalink I have long believed that presidential challengers would help themselves by announcing at least some of their top appointments before the election. After all, we already know the incumbent's appointees. | |
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James Joyner: Shadow Cabinets — Bruce Bartlett has made a proposal that has excited a few people in the blogosphere. Jacob T. Levy: Cabinet-making: Dan Drezner and Bruce Bartlett and Matthew Yglesias all enthuse about the idea of a Presidential challenger naming a shadow cabinet. Matthew Yglesias: Shadow Cabinet — Dan Drezner and Bruce Bartlett both say it would be a good idea for challengers to run with "shadow cabinets" of future appointees to key positions. |
Angry Bear: Kerry's Cabinet — Bruce Bartlett, a conservative columnist for The National Review, ponders who should comprise the economic team in a Kerry cabinet. Greg Ransom: WHAT THE KERRY ADMINISTRATION will look like. James Rubin is one Kerry guy I really admired on September 11, 2001. Daniel Drezner: Bruce Bartlett beats me to the punch — Bruce Bartlett's latest column opens with a suggestion that I've had in the back... |
Failure Is Not an Option, It's Mandatory By / NYT — Permalink For three days this week the nation was transfixed by the spectacle of the United States Senate, in all its august majesty, doing precisely the opposite of statesmanlike deliberation. | |
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Kevin T. Keith: Republican Cynicism: Bigotry, Class War, or Both? Thomas Frank has an outstanding op-ed in today's New York Times. Fontana Labs: Two items (a) Much of what's wrong with our political discourse, wrapped in a failed amendment: Thomas Franks limns the... Digby: Wingnut Victimology — Thomas Frank's op-ed in the NY Times: "Of course, as everyone pointed out, the whole enterprise was doomed to failure from the start. |
Attaturk: Poor Jerry and the fundies, as the NY Times points out they are tools used by the GOP, but failure still makes them... Ezra Klein: Winning by Losing — Thomas Frank says: [snipped quote] Ah, the wonders of cynical, politically motivated failure. Ted Barlow: However, he's managed to pop out a tight editorial for the NY Times. |
| Also: Steve M., Edward _ | |
The Senate's bad intelligence Salon — Permalink The Hon. Pat Roberts, Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence The Hon. Jay Rockefeller, Vice Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Dear Sen. Roberts and Sen. Rockefeller, | |
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Glenn Reynolds: JOE WILSON has sent a letter defending himself. Tom Maguire is unimpressed. UPDATE: Tom's commenters are even less impressed with Wilson's version of events. Josh Marshall: Don't miss Joe — Wilson's letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, reprinted here in Salon. Holden: Ambassador Joseph Wilson responds to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in a lengthy letter published by Salon. |
Tom Maguire: Joe Says It Ain't So — Joe Wilson rises to his own defense in an open letter to the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence ("SSCI"). Tim Dunlop: Joseph Wilson 10 — As I was one of those who criticised Joseph Wilson for what appears to be lying, let me link to his... Attaturk: In Salon today, the Ambassador strikes back, just an excerpt: First conclusion: "The plan to send the former ambassador... |
| Also: The Poor Man | |
Whoopi slams GOP NY Daily News — Permalink WASHINGTON - Whoopi Goldberg lashed out at Republicans again yesterday, branding them hypocrites for trying to "punish" her for joking about the President. | |
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Pessimist: Whoopi had this to say in response: Whoopi slams GOP, Calls outrage over Prez bashing 'a little fake' Brian Montopoli: In its story about Whoopi Goldberg being dropped from her gig as SlimFast spokesperson, the (New York) Daily News followed the formula to a tee. Susanna Cornett: Whoopi Goldberg, in defending her blue remarks at a Kerry benefit in NYC that recently resulted in her being dropped as... |
John Hawkins: Well today, predictably, Whoopi started whining about her well deserved firing... "America's heart and soul is freedom... Joel Foreman: Her response: "America's heart and soul is freedom of expression without fear of reprisal," What Ms. Goldberg fails to see is the distinction so many fail to see. Clayton Cramer: (Remember: Slim-Fast is run by a heavy Democratic contributor.) And Whoopi's response? [snipped quote] Huh? This is nonsense. |
| Also: Hugh Hewitt, Betsy Newmark | |
Joseph Wilson vs. the right-wing conspiracy By / Salon — Permalink Choreographed editorials and Op-Ed pieces on Thursday in the Wall Street Journal, National Review and by conservative columnist Robert Novak signaled the revving up of a Republican campaign to discredit former ambassador Joseph Wilson and his claims that President Bush trumpeted flimsy intelligence in the drive to invade Iraq. | |
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Tim Dunlop: There's also this summary of the case for the defence. Bill @INDCJournal: (Joe Wilson links via Instapundit, who is on a damn tear - just hit that link and keep scrolling upwards) UPDATE: Salon is actually covering for the bastahd! Captain Ed: Salon's Mary Jacoby carries Wilson's water (annoying ad required for reading) in attempting to counter the... |
Jonah Goldberg: THINNER GRUEL — Salon.com has a "defense" of Joe Wilson. Glenn Reynolds: SALON is carrying water for Joe Wilson. Ed Morrissey isn't impressed. Steve Gilliard: The liars against Bush — Yellowcake uranium: what Saddam didn't buy from Niger Joseph Wilson vs. the right-wing... |
| Also: The Poor Man | |
Citing Falwell's Endorsement of Bush, Group Challenges His Tax-Exempt Status By / NYT — Permalink Hoping to send a warning to churches helping the Bush campaign turn out conservative voters, a liberal group has filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service charging that an organization run by the Rev. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Not only should he lose his tax exemption, he ought to be hounded by the media until he apologizes to Christians who don't share his politics, and especially to Jim Wallis. Holden: The tax-exempt status of Jerry Falwell Ministries is challenged after Falwell endorses Bush in an e-mail newsletter and... Susan Madrak: SIC 'IM — Falwell challenged on his tax-exempt status... [snipped quote] Go, team! |
Attaturk: While Jerry does his best to flaunt the laws regarding tax-free status, I wonder if he thinks about the Hobsian Dilemma... Kevin T. Keith: I can't produce a coherent argument on this subject - it's just that, when I read this article, two thoughts keep... QD @SouthernAppeal: Falwell: Barry Lynn, president of Americans United for the Silencing of Conservative Churches (well, ok for "the... |
Kerry's Economic Deficit NRO — Permalink The challenger will have trouble darkening this bright picture. If it's not bad enough that rapid economic recovery has neutered Sen. Kerry's principal domestic criticism of President Bush, now comes even worse news for the Democratic campaign: The budget deficit is starting to substantially shrink. | |
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C. D. Harris: Good News For America=Bad News For Kerry - Yet Again — Another blow for John "Weeble" Kerry's campaign: The budget decifit is shrinking, just as we supply-siders predicted. B.C: Draggin' That Dead Donk Horse Out & Kickin' The S**t Out Of It (Yet Again) In the "News You Won't Be Seeing From The... |
Ace: Kerry's Deficit Deficit — Sadly, the budget deficit just isn't coming in as high as anticipated. Matthew Yglesias: Today, the crack National Review Online economics team decides to crank up the fog machine: "Just as the 1.5 million... |
Iraqi PM executed six prisoners: witnesses By / The Age — Permalink Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi addresses a press conference this week. Iyad Allawi, the new Prime Minister of Iraq, pulled a pistol and executed as many as six suspected insurgents at a Baghdad major crimes unit just days before Washington handed... | |
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Mark Kleiman: Gross terminological inexactitude — I don't know whether the new Prime Minister of Iraq did or did not shoot six... Holden: UPDATE: this story was just picked up by another Australian paper, The Age. How long will it be before the AP or other US-based media are on to it? |
Tim Dunlop: See the new boss — Same as the old boss? |
Former CIA director used Pentagon ties to introduce Iraqi defector Knight Ridder — Permalink WASHINGTON - A former CIA director who advocated war against Saddam Hussein helped arrange the debriefing of an Iraqi defector who falsely claimed that Iraq had biological-warfare laboratories disguised as yogurt and milk trucks. | |
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Josh Marshall: More information on the thoroughness of the Senate intel committee report ... This new article by Knight Ridder's... James Joyner: Former CIA director used Pentagon ties to introduce Iraqi defector [snipped quote] Interesting. Attaturk: Via this report from Knight-Ridder comes the story (not discussed by the Senate in its report) of how Woolsey subverted... |
Matthew Yglesias: Knight-Ridder's team of Landay and Strobel report on former CIA director turned superhawk James Woolsey's role in... Holden: R. James Woolsey: Former CIA Director, Bogus WMD Intelligence Pimp, War Profiteer — James Woolsey acted as a conduit... Mary InLosGatos: Today, in another round of this deadly serious game, a senior U.S. official has exposed exactly who was responsible for... |
| Also: Laura Rozen | |
Is Math a Sport? By / Slate — Permalink Last week, the first contingent of U.S. Olympians arrived in Athens. The five men and one woman, survivors of a merciless selection process, stood ready to test themselves against the strongest competitors in the world. Sunday, they go home. | |
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James Joyner: Defining 'Sports' — Jordan Ellenberg's Slate article, Is Math a Sport? tries to solve an age old riddle: distinguishing sports from mere games. Matthew Yglesias: Wittgenstein References In Everything — Jordan Ellenberg takes on the big issue of the day: Are math competitions sports? |
Daniel Drezner: Math is not a sport — Jordan Ellenberg has a Slate column on whether math should be considered a sport. Sounds preposterous? |
Terror in the Skies -- Again? By / Front Page Magazine — Permalink On June 29, 2004, at 12:28 p.m., I flew on Northwest Airlines flight #327 from Detroit to Los Angeles with my husband and our young son. Also on our flight were 14 Middle Eastern men between the ages of approximately 20 and 50 years old. | |
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Clayton Cramer: UPDATE: Here's a bit more from the author of the first article I linked to: "Two days after my experience on Northwest... Betsy Newmark: Here's a description of a scary experience that one family had on an airline flight. |
The Big Trunk: The Mohamed profile, part 2 — FrontPage has posted the chilling first-person account of Annie Jacobsen regarding what... |
Obesity deemed an illness By / Washington Times — Permalink Obesity is now an illness and can be covered by Medicare, the federal health-insurance program for the elderly and disabled. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced yesterday the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would remove language in Medicare's coverage manual that states obesity is not an illness. | |
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Michael DeBow: HHS has defined obesity as an "illness" covered by Medicare: In today's Washington Times, Marguerite Higgins considers the possible impact of this decision. Whiskey: Taxpayers must eat the cost of obesity — The Department of Health and Human Services now considers obesity as an... |
James Joyner: Obesity Deemed an Illness — Washington Times - Obesity deemed an illness "Obesity is now an illness and can be covered... |
Martha gets five months CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison and fined $30,000 Friday for lying to investigators about her sale of ImClone Systems stock in late 2001. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: Judge Cedarbaum, however, slapped Martha on the wrist with a mere 5 months and a $30,000 fine, which was the bare minimum under the sentencing guidelines. |
Joe Gandelman: She won't be going bye-bye for several years: "Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison Friday. |