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Kerry's showing he just can't take the heat By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink Both candidates gave speeches late on Thursday night. George W. Bush was more or less expected to. John Kerry didn't have to, but reported for duty even though nobody wanted him to. Unnerved by sagging numbers, he decided to start the post-Labor Day phase of the campaign three days before Labor Day. | |
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Allah: Steyn puts lib outrage over Zell Miller's supposed hatefulness into context: "That seems to be the way John Kerry likes it. Pejman Yousefzadeh: A VERITABLE FEAST FOR ANY COMMENTATOR — John Kerry really has to stop giving Mark Steyn material: "Both candidates gave speeches late on Thursday night. PoliPundit: See here and here, for instance. The net effect of the Swiftees, the RNC, and the midnight speech, has been to turn Kerry into a walking punchline. |
Glenn Reynolds: MARK STEYN writes that Kerry can't take the heat: [snipped quote] I don't think a Kerry administration would work out well. John Cole: The Wimp Factor — Mark Steyn on Kerry: [snipped quote] No one has questioned his patriotism. No one. Tom Smith: Steyn does it again — Steyn nails it again. Bush, Kerry, the difference. |
| Also: McQ, Will Collier, Betsy Newmark, Ed Driscoll | |
Bush's Big Bounce By / Newsweek — Permalink Sept. 4 - Coming out of the Republican National Convention in New York, President George W. Bush now holds a 11-point lead over Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry (52 percent to 41 percent) in a three-way race, according to the latest NEWSWEEK poll. | |
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Byron L: Both Time and Newsweek polls have Bush up by 11 points (although American Research Group and Zogby have mid-convention polls showing one and two point Bush leads respectively). Ezra Klein: Bad News — Looks like Newsweek is backing up Time's poll with numbers of their own. DemFromCT: Newsweek Weighs In With a Bush Bounce link. |
Allah: Obligatory link to Newsweek uberbounce poll here, although Ace points to this Freeper thread as proof that Republicans shouldn't get cocky. Joe Gandelman: Newsweek Poll Echoes Time's Poll: Bush Got A Big Bounce — Newsweek's latest poll is almost a mirror image of the Time magazine poll that created such a political stir on Friday. KJL: 11 POINTS — Newsweek poll. (Here's Newsweek on their poll—13 point bounce since early Aug.) |
| Also: Smash | |
Campaign 2004: Bush Opens Double-Digit Lead Time — Permalink New York: For the first time since the Presidential race became a two person contest last spring, there is a clear leader, the latest TIME poll shows. If the 2004 election for President were held today, 52% of likely voters surveyed would vote for President... | |
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Sam Rosenfeld: But it still strikes me that the way this bruising month for John Kerry has played out, with the knocks on his war... Steve M.: Let's put this into context: Yes, Time has Bush up by 11 among likely voters (or up by 10, according to Polling Report, though Newsweek has Bush up by 11). Steve Soto: Matthews has now crossed into the camp of "Kerry is Finished" based largely on the political media's perception of the... |
Clayton Cramer: Time is reporting that Bush's lead over Senator Dukakis (whoops, I mean Kerry) is now double digits: [snipped quote] The... Tully @Centerfield: A national Newsweek poll conducted September 2nd and 3rd and released today seems to confirm yesterday's TIME poll,... Roger L. Simon: If the latest poll numbers are in any way predictive of this election, if Bush wins by five or more points, the big... |
| Also: Acidman, Arthur Chrenkoff, Robert Garcia Tagorda, The Farmer, Ruy Teixeira, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Betsy Newmark, McQ, Captain Ed, Tim Blair, Smash, Kevin Drum, Dale Franks, C. D. Harris, Ann Althouse, Donald Sensing, Armed Liberal, DemFromCT, Oliver Willis, Josh Marshall, Chris Bowers, Rice Grad, Will Collier, Bill Hobbs, Bird Dog, Ace, Charles Johnson, Allah, James Joyner, David Allan Pell, Glenn Reynolds, KJL, Orrin Judd, Jan Haugland, Taegan Goddard | |
Bush Leads Kerry by 11 Points in Newsweek Poll After Convention Bloomberg — Permalink Sept. 4 (Bloomberg) — President George W. Bush leads his Democrat opponent John Kerry by 11 percentage points according to a poll immediately after the Republican National Convention in New York, Newsweek magazine reported. | |
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Ace: Newsweek: Eleven Point Lead — Newsweek (a liberal skewing poll) has Bush up 54-43. But Rasmussen still has it as about 49-45. Robert Garcia Tagorda: UPDATE: Newsweek shows a similar 11% Bush advantage. (Credit: Glenn Reynolds.) Continued >> *This is obviously a simplified explanation. |
Glenn Reynolds: BOUNCE UPDATE: Guess the Time poll mentioned below wasn't a fluke, because the Newsweek poll shows a similar bounce Smash: UPDATE 2: Bloomberg quotes the Newsweek poll, but with slightly different numbers: "Bush is supported by 54 percent of... |
WHEN THE KILLERS COME FOR THE KIDS By / New York Post — Permalink THE mass murder of children revolts the human psyche. Herod sending his henchmen to massacre the infants of Bethlehem haunts the Gospels. Nothing in our time was crueler than what the Germans did to children during the Holocaust. Slaughtering the innocents violates a universal human taboo. | |
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Michael DeBow: More on the Russian massacre: Ralph Peters has a righteous op-ed in the NY Post today. Cori Dauber: And in your effort to write evocative, powerful prose, did you misplace the moral compass that allows you to see and think like a friggin' human being? Charles Johnson: When the Killers Come for the Kids — Ralph Peters: When the Killers Come for the Kids. |
KJL: RE: THE RUSSIAN SCHOOL — Ralph Peters: "If Muslim religious leaders around the world will not publicly condemn the... Joe Gandelman: Ralph Peters writes in today's New York Post: "The mass murder of children revolts the human psyche. Hindrocket: In this morning's New York Post, Ralph Peters forcefully raises the question of what we are to conclude about the nature... |
| Also: Dale Franks, Lexington Green | |
Newsweek Poll: Republican Convention 2004 PRNewsWire — Permalink NEW YORK, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ — Immediately following the Republican National Convention in New York, the latest Newsweek Poll shows that, in a two-way presidential trial heat, the Bush/Cheney ticket would win over a Kerry/Edwards ticket by 54 percent vs. 43 percent among registered voters. | |
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Byron L: Still, looking at the internals of the Newsweek poll suggests a strong pro-Bush bias. PoliPundit: Newsweek polls tend to be Democrat-leaning outliers. UPDATE: Link, thanks to alert reader Voice of Reason. McQ: From Newsweek: "Immediately following the Republican National Convention in New York, the latest Newsweek Poll shows... |
Orrin Judd: AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, I THOUGHT CABANA BOY COULD FLY: Newsweek Poll: Republican Convention 2004 (September 4, 2004,... Betsy Newmark: A reader, Keith G. points out this tidbit. |
George Jr sent out of Texas by father as a 'drunken liability' Guardian — Permalink The US president, George Bush, was transferred to the Alabama National Guard during the Vietnam war because his drunken behaviour was a political liability to his father in Texas, the wife of one of his father's former confidants revealed yesterday. | |
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Orrin Judd: George Jr sent out of Texas by father as a 'drunken liability' (Gary Younge, September 3, 2004, The Guardian)... Michael DeBow: Thinking about Presidential candidates' bravery: If the Susan Estrich column I noted yesterday and this Guardian story... KJL: I GUESS IT'S OFFICIAL: KERRY-EDWARDS CAN'T WIN ON SUBSTANCE — Breaking news: George W. was a drunk. |
Betsy Newmark: Get ready for more sleaze-mongering by Bush opponents and Sixty Minutes. (As if there is a difference Tbogg: He didn't mention that on his resume... Preparing to be the Leader of the Free World Mrs Allison said that in 1972 her... |
Letter from New York San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink I'D MADE THE MISTAKE of wearing cute shoes to cover the Republican National Convention and found myself hobbling off the subway toward my apartment — or rather, the one I occupied for seven years, before moving to the Bay Area this spring. | |
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Orrin Judd: MORE: Letter from New York (Farai Chideya, September 4, 2004, SF Chronicle) "A typical conversation went like this: Guest A: Ohmygod. Glenn Reynolds: ANOTHER UPDATE: I guess we can call this an informal Democratic focus group: "Near the end of the night's broadcast, I took a poll. |
PoliPundit: Dispirited Democrats — Here's how Democrats are reacting to the RNC: "On Monday night, the Republicans were having their party, so I had mine. |
The AP Changes "Boos" to "Ooohs" in Report on Bush and Clinton Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK The Associated Press changed "boos" to "ooohhs" Friday afternoon in reporting on President George Bush's first statement to supporters on the heart ailment that has befallen former President Bill Clinton. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Will the AP issue an apology for lying about boos at a President Bush rally when he announced that Clinton was getting heart surgery. Glenn Reynolds: POWER LINE HAS MORE ON THE BOGUS-BOOS REPORT FROM AP, mentioned below. UPDATE: Here's a firsthand report from a blogger who was there. Ken Layne: Here's the Update! |
Susanna Cornett: And that is the point - shortly after that went out on the AP wire, bylined Tom Hays and giving a list of other... Hindrocket: FURTHER UPDATE: Editor & Publisher notes the AP's about-face: [quote] The Associated Press changed "boos" to "ooohhs" Friday...[end quote] |
Excerpts from Putin's address BBC — Permalink President Putin addressed the Russian nation on television on Saturday. Excerpts from his remarks: It's difficult to speak, and it's bitter. A terrible tragedy has occurred in our land. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: And Vladimir Putin offers an insufficient assessment: he criticizes law-enforcement agencies, points to the Soviet... Chris Bertram: Putin's speech — I just read the transcript of Putin's speech following the murders in Beslan. |
DeLong: The Emergence of Weimar Russia — Chris Bertram marks another stage in the emergence of Weimar Russia: "Crooked... |
AP Retracts 'Clinton Booed' Story NewsMax.com — Permalink The Associated Press has retracted its Friday afternoon report that a crowd at a Bush rally in West Allis, Wisc., booed when President Bush offered ex-President Clinton best wishes for a speedy recovery from coronary bypass surgery scheduled for next week. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Score another one for the blogosphere. The AP has retracted their lying booing story. Hindrocket: At around 9:30 this morning, the AP issued a retraction: "This is a correction to an incorrect story posted by AP on... |
Orrin Judd: AP FIBBED, CLINTON LIVED: AP Retracts 'Clinton Booed' Story (NewsMax, 9/04/04) [snipped quote] To their credit, that's... |
Leak Inquiry Includes Iran Experts in Administration WaPo — Permalink FBI counterintelligence investigators have in recent weeks questioned current and former U.S. officials about whether a small group of Iran specialists at the Pentagon and in Vice President Cheney's office may have been involved in passing classified... | |
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Allah: If you believe the anonymous U.S. government officials quoted today in the L.A. Times, there's a Jew with a microphone... SLZoll: From the Wash Post: FBI counterintelligence investigators have in recent weeks questioned current and former U.S... Kevin Hayden: Unnamed sources make partisan claims about spy investigation — The Neocon Network Sharonistas get the once-over and... |
Juan Cole: The Washington Post also reveals that the investigation extends to David Wurmser, who wants to overthrow the governments... DemFromCT: Spy Stories — Here's the WaPo version... Leak Inquiry Includes Iran Experts in Administration as they catch up with Josh Marshall's work (among others including Laura Rozen). Digby: The election is heating up. And it is revealed: [snipped quote] Do the Malebranche in The Inferno come to mind? Yeah, me too. |
| Also: Josh Marshall, Laura Rozen | |
Closing Laps in Race to November WaPo — Permalink WEST ALLIS, Wis., Sept. 3 — President Bush and Democrat John F. Kerry entered the final stage of the White House race Friday with the incumbent savoring a successful convention week and the challenger faulting Bush for presiding over a loss of jobs. | |
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Orrin Judd: THANK GOODNESS THE DEMOCRATS AREN'T NEGATIVE AND DIVISIVE: Closing Laps in Race to November (Mike Allen and Lois Romano,... Ramesh Ponnuru: "THE OLD HITLER BUSINESS" — John Glenn's take on the Republican convention (bottom of the page). |
Steve Antler: EconoPundit's two questions... Former senator John Glenn (D-Ohio) took the defense a step further by comparing the Republicans' misleading statements to those of Nazi Germany. |
London Convention Will Celebrate 9/11 MEMRI — Permalink The London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported that the extremist Islamic movement Al-Muhajiroun had announced a convention in London, titled "The Choice is in Your Hands: Either You're with the Muslims or with the Infidels," to mark the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks. | |
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Captain Ed: Some British Muslims apparently will mark the upcoming third anniversary of 9/11 in their own unique way — by holding a... Sir George: Take One J-DAM and Call Me in the Morning — MEMRI has this translation "The London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported... |
Joseph Alexander Norland: Under the heading, "London Convention Will Celebrate 9/11", MEMRI reports |
Bush Leads in Race to 270 Electoral Votes By / Newsday — Permalink WASHINGTON — In a seesaw campaign, President Bush has opened a lead over John Kerry in their drive to White House victory by making gains in the Midwest and solidifying his Southern base. | |
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Orrin Judd: Bush Opens Lead in Electoral Vote Race (RON FOURNIER, September 4, 2004, AP) "According to the AP analysis, Bush made... Ace: Electoral Watch: As expected, Bush advances in electors. |
Betsy Newmark: The AP now has Bush leading in the electoral vote count. I'm ready for the bandwagon effect to kick in. |
Democrats Urge Kerry to Turn Up Intensity of Campaign NYT — Permalink President Bush roared out of his New York convention last week, leaving many Democrats nervous about the state of the presidential race and pressing Senator John Kerry to torque up what they described as a wandering and low-energy campaign. | |
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H.D. Miller: Titanic — Looks like the good ship John F. Kerry has just struck an iceberg; all the Democratic nabobs are clammoring for a realignment of the deck chairs. |
Tom Maguire: . Both sides are engaged in a last-gasp push for 527 funds. |
U.S. Near Seizing Bin Laden, Official Says By / AP — Permalink ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The United States and its allies have moved closer to capturing Osama bin Laden in the last two months, a top U.S. counterterrorism official said in a television interview broadcast Saturday. "If he has a watch, he should be looking at it because the clock is ticking. | |
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Captain Ed: Matthew Pennington at the AP reports that a State Department counterterrorism official says that the US is closer than... |
Jeralyn Merritt: US Says Close to Capturing Bin Laden — A State Department official today said the U.S. is close to capturing Osama bin Laden. |
Deadly Stalemate in Chechnya NYT — Permalink A staggering series of recent terrorist attacks rooted in the Chechen conflict have been both horrific and remote to most Americans. It's hard to imagine what the public reaction would have been here if terrorists had seized a school full of children, blown up... | |
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Charles Johnson: The day after 156 children were slaughtered—after three days of torture, rape, and fear—the New York Times... Vanderleun: This morning's lead editorial on Russia is a textbook example of denial, incapacity and intellectual insanity: ( Deadly... |
Cori Dauber: EVEN WHEN THEY'RE RIGHT — THEY'RE WRONG — The Times editorial writers figure out both that the suffering of the... |
Strategy Shift By / ABCNEWS — Permalink A K R O N, Ohio, Sept. 4, 2004— With 59 days to go until the presidential election, the campaign of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. — trailing by double-digits in two recent national polls — has made a shift in strategy. | |
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H.D. Miller: Meanwhile, back up on the bridge, Kaptain Kerry, with the help of major national figures like the mayor of Akron has... |
Orrin Judd: SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY: Strategy Shift (Jake Tapper, 9/04/04, ABCNEWS.com) [snipped quote] That headline is a tad... |
Bay staties for Bush: Union led by White House pal eyes endorsement By / Boston Herald — Permalink The state troopers' union is seriously considering an endorsement of President Bush [related, bio], a vote that would be an embarrassment for Sen. John F. Kerry [related, bio] and a risky move for the union, according to government and law enforcement sources. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Captain Ed has a disgusting story about Democratic politics in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts State Troopers Union is considering endorsing Bush. |
Captain Ed: Zell Was Right About Democrats — CQ reader Bill Shrumm points out an article in today's Boston Herald which emphasizes... |
How Kerry Became a Girlie-Man By / NYT — Permalink ONLY in an election year ruled by fiction could a sissy who used Daddy's connections to escape Vietnam turn an actual war hero into a girlie-man. As we leave the scripted conventions behind us, that is the uber-scenario that has locked into place,... | |
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The Poor Man: And may I submit that Mark Rich has just written perhaps the shrillest thing I have ever read: [snipped quote] If Frank... |
Digby: Frank Rich gets to the essence of this political season in his column today called "How Kerry Became a Girlie-Man" |
U.S. Said to Be Closer to Bin Laden Capture AP — Permalink ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The United States and its allies have moved closer to capturing Usama bin Laden (search) in the last two months, a top U.S. counterterrorism official said in a television interview broadcast Saturday. | |
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Michael Froomkin: The request for an investigation originates from Judicial Watch. |
Allah: Insults aren't all that Kerry has to worry about, although Allah expects that the further he falls behind the more his... |
Pro-Bush Booth Angers Many U.S. Muslims By / AP — Permalink ROSEMONT, Ill. - At the largest annual convention of American Muslims, a pro-Bush booth has stirred anger among attendees who believe the president's actions since Sept. 11, 2001, have hurt more innocent Muslims than terrorists. | |
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Charles Johnson: No, silly. They're outraged that any Muslim could support President Bush: Pro-Bush Booth Angers Many U.S. Muslims. |
Allah: Finally, with thanks to Tanker S. for the link, there's another convention happening today — and not everyone's thrilled with all the booths on the floor. |
Official: U.S. Capture of bin Laden Close By / AP — Permalink ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The United States and its allies have moved closer to capturing Osama bin Laden in the last two months, a top U.S. counterterrorism official said in a television interview broadcast Saturday. "If he has a watch, he should be looking at it because the clock is ticking. | |
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Joe Gandelman: U.S. Official Says Capture Of Bin Laden Is Close — This story started as a small story in a Pakistani paper and now has... |
Ace: One big month of job production in September will seal the deal. So would a major Al Qaeda capture. |
Bush, Republicans Outpoll Kerry, Democrats on TV By / Reuters — Permalink Nearly 28 million Americans — more than a quarter of them watching cable's Fox News Channel alone — tuned in to see Bush accept his nomination for a second term at the climax of the Republican National Convention on Thursday, according to Nielsen Media Research. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: UPDATE: This is also quite interesting: "Although the election is not until November, President Bush and his Republican... Betsy Newmark: I'm not sure what can be concluded from these numbers, but, for what it's worth, the GOP convention had a higher viewership than the Democratic convention. |
Captain Ed: Winning The Ratings War, And Why — In a sign that the Republican base may be more fired up than the Bush-haters on the... Ace: I don't know what this means, but it must mean something: Bush's big speech garnered 28 million television viewers, while the Kerrey's only managed 25. |
The Kerry Crackup By / Weekly Standard — Permalink IN A WEEK dedicated to Republican speechifying about why John Kerry should not be the next president of the United States, the most persuasive words came from a Democrat. And I don't mean Zell Miller's invigorating speech on Wednesday. | |
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Orrin Judd: GENIUS/LUNATIC/GENIUS/LUN ATIC: The Kerry Crackup: The Democratic candidate does a good Al Gore impression. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: John Kerry will accuse Stephen Hayes of attacking his patriotism. It will be the ultimate proof that Hayes's writing has hit its mark—as it has. |
Kerry Urges Voters to Look Past Bush's 'Last-Minute Promises' By / NYT — Permalink NEWARK, Ohio, Sept. 3 - Senator John Kerry opened the final 60 days of the presidential campaign on Friday with a slashing indictment of President Bush's record on jobs and health care, saying he had misled the United States into war in Iraq and left a trail of broken promises and worsened problems at home. | |
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Steve Soto: Because Kerry didn't set the negatives early on Bush, all he can do is use valuable time doing it now by talking about... DemFromCT: But take no comfort if you're not on Medicare (yet). You're next. That is, if you have a job. BTW, Kerry's on it. |
Ann Althouse: From "gauzy-sounding talk" to "slashing indictment." The NYT continues its effort to cheer up Kerry supporters. |
Campaign column: Bush's tactical victory By / BBC — Permalink George Bush is a master at disguising the punch. In 2000, he fooled Al Gore into underestimating his talent as a politician, causing Mr Gore to overreach. This time, he has forced John Kerry to have the wrong conversation with the voters. | |
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Orrin Judd: A MAN, NO PLAN, VIETNAM: Bush's tactical victory (Tom Carver, 9/04/04, BBC) [snipped quote] Is there anybody left who still thinks the Democratic Convention was a success? |
Joe Gandelman: The BBC's correspondent has a devastating column on the U.S. Presidential race so far — and John Kerry won't like it. |
Russia siege toll tops 350 CNN — Permalink BESLAN, Russia (CNN) — The death toll in the Russian hostage crisis has climbed beyond 350 as President Vladimir Putin denounced the massacre as "an attack on our country." | |
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Allah: Not even ballpark. UWAU: Scenes from an atrocity: "When children started to faint from thirst, the adults urged them to urinate. |
Joanne Jacobs: Update: Russian authorities now say 323 hostages, including 156 children, were killed in the siege. |
Putin Says Russia Faces Full 'War' to Divide Nation By / NYT — Permalink MOSCOW, Sept. 4 - In a rare address to his nation at a time of grave crisis, President Vladimir V. Putin said Saturday that the school siege the southern city of Beslan was an attack on all of Russia and called for the mobilization of society to resist what he called "a total and full-scale war" to splinter the country. | |
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Lowell Schiller: The New York Times reports that Putin delivered rare address to the Russian nation, acknowledging Russian failures that made terror attakcs more likely. |
Susanna Cornett: Terror strikes Russia - again — The killing done by terrorists in Russia over the last few days is just horrific. |
Chechen Rebels Want Own Muslim State, Laws AP — Permalink MOSCOW - Rebels linked to the school hostage-taking seek independence from Russia and most want to make Chechnya a sovereign Muslim nation. The first war between Chechen rebels and Russian forces in the past decade had less of a religious element than the current conflict, which began in September 1999. | |
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Cori Dauber: Update: As I was saying, don't assume these "militants," "rebels," "guerrillas," ("murdering bastards," whatever, you... Bird Dog: What do the terrorists want? Muslim theocracy and sharia. This news report states that this atrocity was financed by al Qaeda. |
Charles Johnson: Religion of Peace Slaughters 155 Children — An average person stumbling across this article might be a little... |
Security Concerns Prompt LAX Shutdown AP — Permalink LOS ANGELES — Several terminals at Los Angeles International Airport (search) were shut down early Saturday because of a possible security breach at one terminal and the apparent explosion of a flashlight battery during screening at another, authorities said. | |
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Ken Layne: The wires say corroded batteries in the flashlight "exploded" while a TSA employee was checking it. |
Cori Dauber: What the hell is going on out there? Update: All Fox puts up is the same wire story. I checked, and neither MS nor CNN have even that much. |
Prime-time Republicans are hard to take By / Newsday — Permalink As I watched Tuesday night's network coverage of the unrelenting political propaganda hour known as the Republican National Convention, the first thought that came to mind was of old newsreels of those self-congratulatory Nazi rallies held in Germany during the reign of Adolf Hitler. | |
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Orrin Judd: MORE (via Ed Driscoll): Prime-time Republicans are hard to take (HUGH PEARSON, September 2, 2004, NY Newsday) "As I... |
John Derbyshire: DIPWAD LEFTY RANT OF THE WEEK — Hugh Pearson in Long Island Newsday: [snipped quote] Just like those ol' Nazis! |
L.A. Airport Shut Down on Security Concern AP — Permalink LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Angeles International Airport was shut down early Saturday because of a possible security breach and a separate incident at an international terminal security screening station, an airport spokesman said. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: It may be only a flashlight whose batteries exploded. Stay tuned. Here's an early AP report. Please use comments to update. |
Cori Dauber: Update: Partial confirmation from AP; no flights departing, flights landing, but passengers not being allowed to deplane. |
Clinton Suffers Pains in Chest; Bypass Surgery Is Scheduled By / NYT — Permalink Stricken with chest pains and shortness of breath, former President Bill Clinton checked into a Manhattan hospital yesterday for heart bypass surgery after X-rays revealed significant blockages in three or four coronary arteries. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: Bill Clinton and Post-Convention Politics — Because my grandfather recently underwent quadruple bypass surgery — an... |
Cori Dauber: SURREAL — Aren't you a bit freaked out by this story? |
A Hidden Swing Vote: Evangelicals NYT — Permalink The press has made a big issue of how President Bush and Senator John Kerry are both trying to woo voters from groups that usually support the other side, be they military veterans, Hispanics or Jews. Yet one group that receives almost no attention is Christian evangelicals. | |
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Kieran Healy: Religion and Class — Berkeley's Mike Hout and my colleague Fr Andrew Greeley have an Op-Ed in the Times today making... |
Steve Gilliard: Evangelicals are not a monolith — Not a campaign headquarters A Hidden Swing Vote: Evangelicals By MICHAEL HOUT and... |
I understand, up to a point Economist — Permalink IF THERE is one thing interpreters working for the European Union dread, it is attempts at humour. It is not just that jokes are hard to translate; because of the time needed for interpretation, they can prompt laughter at the wrong moment. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: BABEL DIPLOMACY — This article is hysterically funny. Many thanks to Patrick Belton for the link. |
Patrick Belton: ECONOMIST ANSWERS THE QUESTION THAT'S BEEN ON EVERYONE'S MIND: Why are Eurocrats in Brussels so side-splittingly funny? |
Guardsman Given Life in Prison for Trying to Help Al Qaeda By / NYT — Permalink SEATTLE, Sept. 3 - A National Guardsman was sentenced on Friday to life in prison for trying to aid Al Qaeda. The soldier, Specialist Ryan G. Anderson, had been caught in a sting operation offering information on military vulnerabilities to investigators posing as members of the Qaeda terrorist group. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: National Guardsman: Life in Prison for Trying to Help al Qaeda — Specialist Ryan G. Anderson was sentenced yesterday to... |
Cori Dauber: TRAITOR — Yeah, I'm pretty sure we can question this guy's patriotism. |
LA Airport shuts down on security scares Reuters — Permalink LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles International Airport has been shut down for more than four hours after a reported security breach but federal officials say no terrorism is suspected. | |
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Ace: The explosion seems to have involved corroded flashlight batteries. |
Kevin Roderick: Labor Day shorts — Updated all weekend, newest at top • LAX mess: Four terminals were shut down for several hours... |
Putin Orders Crackdown After School Bloodbath Reuters — Permalink BESLAN, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a clampdown in the Caucasus on Saturday after a hostage seizure at a school by Chechen separatists ended in a bloodbath with 322 people killed, half of them children. | |
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Mike Hendrix: He invited the charges himself by refusing to run on his liberal/dove Senate record—he, like everybody else, knows that... |
Charles Johnson: Their method to achieve this utopian Islamic state? The mass murder of children. |
Poll: Tough road for Perry re-election By / Houston Chronicle — Permalink AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry is recovering from a record plunge in his personal popularity last spring, but his negatives still outweigh his positives, a new poll shows. The latest Texas Poll results for Perry and other, more popular state leaders, suggest a tough re-election road ahead for the governor, analysts said. | |
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Jack Cluth: Poll: Tough road for Perry re-election: Results appear to favor challenges by Hutchison and Strayhorn Stealth Governor... |
Charles Kuffner: Perry's poor popularity — The Guv's numbers are better than before, but they're still net negative. |
Speech Fails to Sway These Undecideds WaPo — Permalink CLAYTON, Mo., Sept. 3 — Half a dozen undecided voters who gathered here to watch President Bush's acceptance speech made it clear before he took the podium that they had serious doubts about his leadership and his political choices. | |
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DemFromCT: But here's my favorite (illustrating why it's called a 'bounce'): Speech Fails to Sway These Undecideds [snipped quote] They're slow, but they get there. Digby: Here's A Shocker — They Still Don't Know Who They'll Vote For ...because they are from another planet. |
William J. Dyer: Mainstream media decidedly undecided about undecideds — In Saturday's WaPo: "Speech Fails to Sway These Undecideds." |
Zell Miller, scalawag American Thinker — Permalink Because Zell Miller gave an effective speech whilst being from the South this was seen by the Solons in the one party media as an excuse to trot out the hackneyed bogeyman of the Ku Klux Klan. Just this morning on Don Imus's radio show, Dick Cavett stepped over the line to declare, "Zell Miller looks like a Klansman." | |
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Mike Hendrix: Unabashed bigotry — Via Ed Driscoll, a very interesting look at the "Zell Miller is a racist" canard put forth by... Betsy Newmark: Steve Gilbert points out that Zell is a scalawag in the historical sense. |
Ed Driscoll: Zell Miller, Scalawag — [snipped quote] (Via Betsy Newmark.) |
Democrat Says He Helped Bush Into Guard to Score Points By / WaPo — Permalink A former senior politician from Texas has told close friends that he recommended George W. Bush for a pilot's slot in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War because he was eager to "collect chits" from an influential political family. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Former Lt. Governor Ben Barnes sounds like such a total sleaze. |
William J. Dyer: Saturday's WaPo contains his article entitled "Democrat Says He Helped Bush Into Guard to Score Points," which contains... |
Convention Helps Bush Gain Undecided Voters LAT — Permalink Maybe it was the one-two punch of Vice President Dick Cheney and First Lady Laura Bush, extolling the virtues of the man who wants to be president — again. Maybe it was the lack of punching back by Sen. John F. Kerry, the target of increasing attacks at the Republican National Convention and in a barrage of broadcast ads. | |
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Orrin Judd: BUT WAIT, THERE'S [FOUR] MORE: Convention Helps Bush Gain Undecided Voters: Interviews among a small group show the... |
William J. Dyer: In Saturday's LAT: "Convention Helps Bush Gain Undecided Voters." |
Russia Standoff Ends in Bloodshed for 200 By / AP — Permalink BESLAN, Russia (AP) - The three-day hostage siege at a school in southern Russia ended in chaos and bloodshed Friday, after witnesses said Chechen militants set off bombs and Russian commandos stormed the building. Hostages fled in terror, many of them children who were half-naked and covered in blood. | |
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John Hawkins: The Russian School Massacre — Everyone who participated in this, who helped make it happen, who cheers it on as some... Glenn Reynolds: Note the t-shirt. More information here. This is what we're dealing with, for those who have forgotten. |
Charles Johnson: "If a Child Utters a Sound, We'll Kill Another" — A horrifying account by a survivor of the Beslan school takeover by... |
Bush Offers Best Wishes for Clinton AP — Permalink WEST ALLIS, Wis. - President Bush on Friday offered former President Bill Clinton , who faces heart bypass surgery, "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery." "He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally. | |
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Captain Ed: The Associated Press, one of the primary resources of the mainstream news media, deliberately reported false news... Hindrocket: The AP put up a revised version which is exactly the same as the original, except that it omits the two sentences about the crowd booing and Bush "doing nothing to stop them." Orrin Judd: INTERESTING ANGLE TO TAKE: Bush Offers Best Wishes for Clinton (AP, 9/03/04) [quote] President Bush on Friday wished Bill Clinton "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."[end quote] |
Christopher Kanis: They weren't booing, they were shouting "Moookie!" The AP has yet another version of the Bush-supporters-cheered story. Mathew Gross: Here in North Carolina, we just call it crass. Update: Yahoo! (or the AP?) edits the offending line. Down the memory hole! |
Historians dispute Schwarzenegger's convention comments AP — Permalink VIENNA, Austria (AP) — Austrian historians are challenging California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for telling the Republican National Convention that he saw Soviet tanks in his homeland as a child and that he left a "Socialist" country when he moved away in 1968. | |
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Sam Rosenfeld: CNN reports that a lot of Austrian scholars and officials are mighty perplexed by Arnold Schwarzenegger's patently... Jan Haugland: Afterwards, I discovered that journalist David Stenerud in TV Nettavisen had written a Norwegian article based on the same AP article as posted on CNN. Duckman GR: The thing that truly amazes me, amidst all the smackdown of his memories, the one that nobody seems to remark on much, is the Nixon line. |
Tom Maguire: Meanwhile, the AP does a bit of historical sleuthing, and delivers the real dirt on Arnold's speech to the Republican... Joe Gandelman: Arnold Schwarzenneger Under Fire — From historians who are singing: "Don't much about his-stor-y..." Friendly advice... Greg Ransom: Now the AP has dug up folks in Austria to "prove" Schwarzenegger is a liar. How? |
| Also: Matthew Yglesias, Steve Gilliard, Atrios | |
Beliefnet Editor-in-Chief Steven Waldman writes daily dispatches from the 2004 political conventions. beliefnet — Permalink Bush is to God-talk what Clinton was to policy-talk and Michael Phelps is to swimming. He's the master, the best. Though he occasionally stumbles, for the most part, there is no one better at discussing faith in a way that is both inspiring and non-threatening. | |
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KJL: THE CROSS IN THE PODIUM — More Waldman: If you buy that the crosses at Ground Zero were crosses, do you have to believe the RNC podium wasn't an accident? |
Andrew Sullivan: Steve Waldman makes a similar point at Beliefnet: [snipped quote] But that's not the way they are, is it? |
New Kerry Ads Bring Focus Back on Economy AP — Permalink NEW YORK Sept. 2, 2004 — John Kerry, seeking to shift the presidential campaign focus to the economy, pledges to "stand up for the middle class" and suggests President Bush "sides with the special interests" in new ads that are part of a $50 million post-Labor Day blitz starting in seven key states. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: His post reacts to this Associated Press dispatch, which describes a $50-million ad blitz targeted to middle-class voters in battleground states. |
Kevin Drum: But this has me very discouraged indeed: [snipped quote] It's fine to hammer away on domestic issues with specific target groups. |
Bush, Republicans reduce John Kerry to a punch line By / Knight Ridder — Permalink NEW YORK - Before a recent rally for President Bush in Las Cruces, N. M., campaign officials showed the crowd a video featuring John Kerry's shifting explanations of his stands on issues. | |
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Orrin Judd: THE BUTT OF THE JOKE OBJECTS: Bush, Republicans reduce John Kerry to a punch line (William Douglas, 9/03/04, Knight... |
Ed Driscoll: Evening At The Improv — There's a twinge of biased anger in this Knight Ridder piece titled, " Bush, Republicans reduce... |
Audience boos as Bush offers best wishes for Clinton's recovery Newsday — Permalink WEST ALLIS, Wis. (AP) _ President Bush on Friday wished Bill Clinton "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery." "He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally. Bush's audience of thousands in West Allis, Wis., booed. | |
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Pessimist @LeftCoaster: George W. Bush can't seem to take an unopposed 'victory' in stride: Audience boos as Bush offers best wishes for... Kevin Drum: THE REPUBLICAN BASE....Charming: [snipped quote] That's our big-hearted president for you. UPDATE: Hmmm, maybe not. |
Hindrocket: The same misinformation is being promulgated in Georgia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, California, Tennessee,... Oliver Willis: Audience boos as Bush offers best wishes for Clinton's recovery [quote] President Bush on Friday wished Bill Clinton "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."[end quote] |
Source: Bush administration briefed about spy probe early AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI first briefed senior White House officials early in the Bush administration about an investigation into whether a major pro-Israel lobbying organization was providing U.S. intelligence information to Israel, officials said Friday. | |
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DemFromCT: By the way, the AP reports this Administration has been sitting on the story for years: Source: Bush administration... |
Laura Rozen: Update: The AP reports tonight the Bush administration was briefed about an FBI counterintelligence investigation into... |
Audience boos as Bush offers best wishes for Clinton's recovery AP — Permalink WEST ALLIS, Wis. (AP) President Bush on Friday wished Bill Clinton ''best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery.'' ''He's is in our thoughts and prayers,'' Bush said at a campaign rally. Bush's audience of thousands in West Allis, Wis., booed. | |
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Talking Dog: The Unseen Editor forwards me the latest outrage in Bozo (as distinct from Gonzo) Journalism: the Associated Press's account of a Bush rally in Wisconsin. Ken Layne: Bush supporters treated the news of Clinton's illness with the usual class, and as usual, Bush did nothing to suggest this was repulsive behavior. |
Susanna Cornett: UPDATE II: You can still get to the original article on the Boston Globe site, but I couldn't find it by searching from the front page on politics using either "booed" or "Bush". Byron L: I would expect the media to give those who booed President Bush's call for ''best wishes for a swift and speedy... |
EU seeks Russian explanation for school siege toll Reuters — Permalink VALKENBURG, Netherlands, Sept 3 (Reuters) - The European Union asked Russia to explain the bloody end to the siege of a school by Chechen gunmen on Friday with huge loss of life. | |
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Wretchard: Dateline Europe: the EU seeks Russian explanation for school siege toll: "Valkenburg, Netherlands, Sept 3 (Reuters) -... |
Natasha @PacificViews: The EU is questioning their procedure, while extending their sympathies. But you have to admit, the Russians are nothing if not decisive and steadfast. |
Frank Rich: A dog fight for the presidency By / NYT — Permalink NEW YORK Only in an election year ruled by fiction could a sissy who used Daddy's connections to escape Vietnam turn an actual war hero into a girlie-man. As we leave the scripted conventions behind us, that is the uber-scenario that has locked into... | |
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Richard TPD: Frank Rich on our high-testosterone elections — Assorted chunks from one of the most perceptive articles yet on the... Orrin Judd: A dog fight for the presidency (Frank Rich, September 03, 2004, NY times) [snipped quote] Has the Times truly gone insane? |
Donald Sensing: Bush is a sissy — The Stature Gap is now obvious The Noo Yawk Times own Frank Rich, writing in the Times-owned paper,... |
Bill Clinton to Undergo Bypass Surgery By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK (AP) - Bill Clinton was hospitalized with chest pains and shortness of breath Friday and will undergo heart bypass surgery in an operation that could sideline the former president at the height of the campaign for the White House. | |
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Tom Maguire: Best Wishes To Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton — This is terrible news. Wild Bill does not have the temperment to be an invalid. Talking Dog: Much as a particular political figure in his late 50's was widely thought to be the likeliest candidate to need heart... Ace: Bill Clinton Undergoes Emergency Bypass Surgery — Let's all pray for the best. If nothing else, the man keeps it interesting. |
John Hawkins: "Bill Clinton was hospitalized with chest pains and shortness of breath Friday and will undergo heart bypass surgery in... Dean Esmay: Getting Old Sucks — President Clinton has heart problems and will undergo surgery soon. |
Reports: Clinton to Undergo Heart Surgery AP — Permalink LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Former president Bill Clinton, after experiencing chest pains, is to have heart surgery for a quadruple bypass, media reports said Friday. CBS News and CNN reported that Clinton, a former Arkansas governor, had gone to Columbia Presbyterian hospital in Manhattan with complaints of chest discomfort. | |
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Joe Gandelman: President Bill Clinton is going to undergo heart surgery, after developing heart pains: [snipped quote] A heart operation... Jeralyn Merritt: Use the comments if you'd like. Here's more: [snipped quote] [snipped quote] Update: Surgery may be today. Jon Henke: The AP reports.... [snipped quote] Godspeed, Mr President. I hope your doctors are all Democrats, if only for the day. |
Jan Haugland: Heart surgery for Clinton — Former president Bill Clinton is admitted to hospital suffering mild chest pain and short breath, and is to undergo a quadruple heart bypass. Mathew Gross: Breaking: Clinton To Have Heart Surgery AP: [snipped quote] Developing.... Josh Marshall: Breaking News from — CNN: [snipped quote] Says AP: Clinton to have quadruple bypass. |
| Also: Joel Foreman, Allah, Ogged @Unfogged | |
BUSH: 'I'LL NEVER RELENT' By / New York Post — Permalink In a rousing speech accepting the Republican nomination, President Bush last night pledged to keep the homeland safe and prosecute the war on terror abroad with unwavering vigor. "I will never relent in defending America — whatever it takes," Bush said in a prime-time speech in the city that changed his presidency on 9/11. | |
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Hindrocket: More Good Poll News — Deborah Orin writes the lead article on President Bush's speech in the New York Post. |
Orrin Judd: MORE: BUSH: 'I'LL NEVER RELENT' (DEBORAH ORIN, 9/03/04, NY Post) "Pollster Frank Luntz said Bush did very well with... |
The Bush Twins, Ready to Rock By / WaPo — Permalink In the wee hours yesterday morning, reporters were on the hunt for the real rock stars of the Republican convention — those irresistible Bush twins — and found them hanging out with a posse of pals in the DJ booth at Avalon, a 1846 Episcopalian cathedral-turned- dance club. | |
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SLZoll: Jessica was officially fired for misusing an office computer, but the men she wrote about kept their jobs. Atrios: Daryn *Hearts* Rush — Eww. |
Susan Madrak: GAG ME — Explain to me again why Andrea Mitchell is allowed to cover Washington when she's married to Alan Greenspan,... |
Clinton to Have Heart Bypass Surgery Fox News — Permalink NEW YORK — Former President Bill Clinton (search) will undergo heart bypass surgery (search) after complaining of mild chest pain and shortness of breath, his office said Friday. Clinton, 58, was being admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital, a statement said. | |
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Damian Penny: Clinton admitted to hospital — Bill Clinton will undergo heart bypass surgery: Former President Bill Clinton will... Bird Dog: Prayers for a Speedy and Complete Recovery — Bill Clinton had chest pains a few days ago. |
KJL: Evidently Fossello said, ""Who knows? It could be the result of a successful Republican convention..." JUST STOP NOW. Trapper John: UPDATE: Only the NYT is using the term "heart attack," by the way. Here's a Fox report, and Reuters. |
Scores killed in school siege CNN — Permalink BESLAN, Russia (CNN) — Hundreds of people held hostage at a school in southern Russia fled to safety Friday, but scores are reported dead as pitched battles continue between troops and hostage-takers. Reports said the hostages may have numbered as many as 1,200 and that 70 percent of them were children. | |
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Roger L. Simon: This kind of barbarian behavior cannot be allowed to contine.CNN.com - Scores killed inïschool siege - Sep 3, 2004... Bill Hobbs: A Sad Reminder — As the U.S. presidential campaign heads into its final two months, today's events in Russia, where... |
Hesiod: HASTY PUTIN: "Vlad the Inhaler" does it again! [snipped quote] And thanks to Bush the Incompetent, coming soon to an elementary school near you! |
Bill Clinton to undergo bypass surgery CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN) — Former President Bill Clinton will undergo heart bypass surgery as early as Saturday. Clinton was in New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Friday undergoing tests for chest discomfort. Clinton's office issued the following statement: | |
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Taegan Goddard: Clinton Scheduled for Heart Surgery — Former President Bill Clinton will undergo heart bypass surgery as early as Saturday, CNN reports. Tim Blair: ILL BILL — The 42nd President will shortly face the knife: [snipped quote] Best of luck to the old rogue. |
Donald Sensing: But today former President Bill Clinton was admitted for heart exams and will have heart surgery in a few days. SK Bubba: Heartbroken in NY — Breaking news: Clinton admitted to NY hospital for bypass surgery. (By way of Phillip at Delusional Duck). |
Russians Storm School; 150 May Be Dead By / AP — Permalink BESLAN, Russia (AP) - Commandos stormed a school Friday in southern Russia and battled separatist rebels holding 1,200 hostages, as crying children, some naked and covered in blood, fled through explosions and gunfire. An official said the death toll could be significantly higher than 150. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Just read some of the details in this AP report (with our help): "BESLAN, Russia (AP) - The three-day hostage siege at... Sir George: Killing Kids — By now you surely know that the hostage situation in Russia didn't go very well, but then again, it could've been far worse. Talking Dog: Over in another front in a (pretty hopeless) War on Terror, Russian officials decided to storm a school at Beslan,... |
Damian Penny: Carnage in Russia — AP says 150 people may be dead: Commandos stormed a school Friday in southern Russia and battled... Hindrocket: The crisis appears to be coming to an end; this Associated Press report contains the most current information I've seen. Tarek @LiquidList: Putin's increasingly power-obsessed Kremlin and an increasingly desperate and sometimes evil force of rebels,... |
Feel the Hate By / NYT — Permalink "I don't know where George Soros gets his money," one man said. " I don't know where - if it comes from overseas or from drug groups or where it comes from. "George Soros, another declared, "wants to spend $75 million defeating George W. Bush because Soros wants to legalize heroin. | |
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Xan @Corrente: Irrational Bushiviki Hate — Krugman, as usual, nails it: (via NYT) [snipped quote] I cite this before mentioning that... Pejman Yousefzadeh: UPDATE: Not that I expect John Kerry to understand this, but this is what it means to unfairly denigrate someone's patriotism: [snipped quote] This deserves condemnation. |
Lambert @Corrente: "Winston, in addition to his regular work, spent long periods every day in going through back files of The Times and..." |
A New Course For America Kerry for President Press Room — Permalink Springfield, OH - The election comes down to this. If you believe this country is heading in the right direction, you should support George Bush. But if you believe America needs to move in a new direction, join with us. | |
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Donald Sensing: Kerry, Speech to the International Association of Fire Fighters, Aug. 19, 2004: [snipped quote] Kerry, address in... Armed Liberal: But it'd be nice to see Kerry go down fighting. read the rest! » And I don't mean the kind of silly flailing he did last night. |
Greg Ransom: MORE REACTIONS to John Kerry's "Unfit for Duty" speech: Pejmanesque "John Kerry has embarked on the loathsome tactic of... Stefan Sharkansky: John Kerry Death Spiral — John Kerry's response to Zell Miller's withering attack on John Kerry's Senate record — hold... |
Text: President Bush's Acceptance Speech to the Republican National Convention WaPo — Permalink The text of President George Bush's speech at the Republican National Convention: AUDIENCE: Four more years. Four more years. Four more years. BUSH: Thank you all. | |
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Smash: The Bush Doctrine — IT WAS PRESIDENT BUSH'S TURN to address the American people last night, and like his opponent... Greyhawk: The Speech — President Bush concluded his speech last night with an outstanding statement of personal resolve and... Orrin Judd: THE CALLING FROM BEYOND THE STARS: Text: President Bush's Acceptance Speech to the Republican National Convention... |
Ann Althouse: 8. The speech itself is quite good. He is forceful and clear and with almost no flubs—and no embarrassingly funny flubs. Max B. Sawicky: THE TEXT YOU ENTERED WAS NOT FOUND Here: 1. Steve M.: From the Bush speech: Three days after September the 11th, I stood where Americans died, in the ruins of the twin towers. |
| Also: Jan Haugland, James Joyner, Kash, Ken Masugi, Joe Gandelman, Robert Garcia Tagorda, David Allan Pell, Daniel Drezner | |
Bush Is 'Unfit' to Lead U.S., Kerry Charges By / NYT — Permalink SPRINGFIELD, Ohio, Friday, Sept. 3 - Roaring back at his Republican rivals, Senator John Kerry called President Bush "unfit to lead this country" for "misleading'' America into war in Iraq and said Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney avoided fighting in the Vietnam War. | |
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Tom Maguire: Kerry Rallies His Base in Ohio — Ok, we don't expect a lot of undecideds to show up at a midnight rally in Springfield, Ohio. Charles Johnson: The New York Times features a blatant lie from Kerry right at the start of their article on his speech: Bush Is 'Unfit' to Lead U.S. C. D. Harris: John "Weeble" Kerry Is Toast — How do I know? Because he's resorting to the "they... attacked my patriotism" canard. |
John Cole: It sounds like Michael Moore and Terry McAwful co-wrote it: "For the past week, they have attacked my patriotism and even my fitness to serve as commander in chief. Robert Garcia Tagorda: According to the New York Times, retaliation was precisely what the Democratic faithful wanted: [snipped quote] I doubt that such a cautious response won over the crowd. Hugh Hewitt: Could Kerry have given a more off-key, bitter, and self-destructive speech than the one he delivered last night in Ohio? |
Bush Runs Offense and Leads Kerry by 2 Points Zogby — Permalink President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney have taken a two point lead over Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and North Carolina Senator John Edwards (46%-44%), according to a new Zogby America poll. | |
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Steve Soto: It should be pointed out that a Zogby poll done at the same time as the Time poll shows Bush at 46%, exactly where he was back in the first week of July, and Kerry dropping to 44%. EDM Staff: Zogby Poll of Likely Voters Shows Bush 46%, Kerry 44% A Zogby poll conducted August 30-September 2 showed George W. Bush leading John Kerry among likely voters by 2%. David Allan Pell: They have the President out in front by a 52%-41% margin. Note that Zogby shows a much smaller bounce. |
Robert Garcia Tagorda: The Liberal Cocoon — Time's latest poll shows a 52%-41% lead for George W. Bush — a wide margin, especially in comparison to other surveys. Josh Marshall: Zogby, over the same period and also of likely voters, Bush 46%, Kerry 44%. ARG, covering through Wednesday Sept. 1st, also among likely voters, Bush 48%, Kerry 47%. Steve M.: My favorite line from John Zogby's comments on his new presidential poll, conducted throughout the week: Remember that... |
| Also: DemFromCT, James Joyner, Joe Gandelman, Taegan Goddard, Chris Bowers, Ace | |
Bush's camp may cut 1 debate By / Arizona Republic — Permalink NEW YORK - Could Tempe find itself the odd location out for the upcoming presidential debates? President Bush's campaign won't say for sure whether he will agree to the three debates proposed by the independent Commission on Presidential Debates, or if a... | |
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Nick Confessore: Looks like the Bush campaign is sending up a trial balloon to try to get out of one of the three debates tentatively scheduled by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Lambert @Corrente: What a coWard: Bush waffles on third debate with Kerry — Bush is stiffing the country on debates. Josh Marshall: Bush backing out of the debate commission's third presidential debate? |
Steve Gilliard: The chickenhawk returns — The Oval Office, where Bush hides Bush's camp may cut 1 debate Billy House Republic... Steve Soto: Associated Press, August 18, 2000 Wimpy-assed Bush may now only want two debates, with the later one being nowhere near Election Day. Kevin Drum: A couple of his aides are hinting that maybe two debates are enough. Since Bush wobbles on practically everything except for taxes and Iraq, this is no big surprise. |
| Also: Orrin Judd | |
Bloody end to Russia school siege BBC — Permalink At least 100 bodies have reportedly been found in a school in southern Russia where Chechen separatists had been holding hundreds of hostages. Heavy gunfire and loud explosions were heard throughout the morning as Russian troops stormed the school, in the town of Beslan in North Ossetia. | |
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Jerusalem Posts: The fact that 9 of the terrorists were Arab proves the Wahhabi influence spreading globally. Steve Gilliard: Many dead in Russian school siege — Russian troops under fire High death toll in Russia siege [snipped quote] Sadly predictable. Bird Dog: Update [2004-9-3 17:10:13 by Bird Dog]: MASSACRE: "At least 200 people have died at a school in southern Russia where... |
Chris Bertram: Horror in southern Russia — I tried to write something earlier about the horrifying developments in Russia where it seems that perhaps up to 300 people may have been murdered. Charles Johnson: Arabs Killed in Russian School — The BBC reports that at least nine of the "Chechen separatists" killed when Russian troops stormed the school were Arabs. Patrick Belton: REQUIESCANT: In place of death there was light. - Leo Nikolayevitch Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilych |
| Also: Jan Haugland, Ralf Goergens | |
Soldiers Storm Russian School; Fate of Many Hostages Is Unclear NYT — Permalink BESLAN, Russia, Sept. 3 — Russian forces today stormed a school here where heavily armed fighters held hundreds of children, parents and teachers after two large explosions rocked the building this afternoon, provoking fierce gunfights as frightened and wounded hostages streamed out. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Not Good... ... busy as I've been with the convention, I haven't been following the story of the Russian kids held hostage that's now reached its awful conclusion. DemFromCT: There's little room for the Russian hostage disaster (which has 'resolved' with a major loss of life) and convention talk. |
Jeff Jarvis: Terrorism is the world's war : It's impossible to express outrage equal to the terrorist atrocity in Russia. James Joyner: Russians Storm School, End Seige — Soldiers Storm Russian School; Fate of Many Hostages Is Unclear (NYT) "Russian... |
Back to the Future By / Slate — Permalink NEW YORK—For $2.4 trillion, guess what word—other than "a," "and," and "the"—occurs most frequently in the acceptance speech George W. Bush delivered tonight. The word is "will." It appears 76 times. This was a speech all about what Bush will do, and what will happen, if he becomes president. | |
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Atrios: Lord Saletan is Shrill — I mean, I bet even that shrill Krugman would get a little uncomfortable with such shrillness. Oliver Willis: I Wish, I Wish — William Saletan rips Bush's speech to ribbons, showing how it's almost as if he hadn't been president the last four years. Kos: Over at slate, Lord Saletan isn't kind: [quote] For $2.4 trillion, guess what word—other than "a," "and," and "the"—occurs...[end quote] |
DeLong: No Candidate Left Behind — Bob of Unfogged quotes William Saletan: [quote] Unfogged: ...guess what word—other than "a,"...[end quote] McQ: William Saletan in Slate says Bush wants to go "Back to the Future": "This was a speech all about what Bush will do, and what will happen, if he becomes president. Howard Kurtz: Slate's William Saletan wonders who was minding the store from 2001 to, say, this week: "His was a speech all about... |
| Also: Bob @Unfogged, Mark Kleiman | |
At a glance: Russian school siege BBC — Permalink BBC News Online documents events as they unfold at the besieged school in the Russian town of Beslan, where gunmen have been holding adults and children hostage since Wednesday. Come back to this page for regular updates. 1218:At least seven dead, reports Itar-Tass. | |
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Greyhawk: [quote]Where I was, there were 10th-grade students and 11th-grade students. We saw them running, and so we started running, too."[end quote] Harry: The BBC website is updating regularly with the latest developments. Update: Interfax reports that more than 100 bodies have been found in the school gym. |
James Joyner: BBC has an excellent timeline, At a glance: Russian school siege. Jeff Quinton: 9:15 EDT: BBC has a timeline (all times are GMT/UTC.) 9:30 EDT: Rusty Shackleford "I wish it had not ended this way, but Russia has now declared war on terrorists. |
Soldiers Storm Russian School; Fate of Hostages Is Unclear NYT — Permalink BESLAN, Russia, Sept. 3 - Russian forces on Friday stormed a school here where heavily armed fighters held hundreds of children, parents and teachers after two large explosions rocked the building on Friday afternoon, provoking fierce gunbattles as frightened and wounded hostages streamed out. | |
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Jeff Quinton: Things are quiet now. 8:12 a.m. EDT: N.Y. Times "Russian forces on Friday stormed a school here where heavily armed... |
Wretchard: Till the next time. 11:30 Zulu Interesting take by the NYT on the bloody end to the child hostage situation in Russia. |
Kerry says Bush 'unfit to lead this nation' CNN — Permalink SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (CNN) — Striking back less than an hour after the completion of the Republican National Convention, where he was the subject of countless GOP barbs, Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry re-entered the fray, calling President Bush "unfit to lead this nation." | |
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Rice Grad: Time for Ad Hominem attacks: John Kerry says Bush is "unfit to lead this nation," reports the AP. Lambert @Corrente: Heh. Maybe the cattle have been talking to the goats? Oops, mea culpa. That's just a really vile rumor, without any truth to it (So sorry!) |
Talking Dog: (BTW, Fightin' John has arrived; it couldn't happen too soon— but the man is a closer, and I am convinced now more than ever, our next President.) Roger L. Simon: Kerry sounds a bit that way already, jumping on Bush and calling him 'unfit to lead this nation' minutes after the balloons had barely fallen on Madison Square Garden. |
U.S. Economy Added 144,000 Jobs in August Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. job market brightened modestly in August as employers added 144,000 workers to their payrolls and hiring totals for the two prior months were revised up, the Labor Department reported on Friday. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: The Job Numbers — The latest job numbers are a bit below expectations, but the good news for President Bush is the unemployment figure of 5.4%. Ramesh Ponnuru: AUGUST JOBS NUMBERS — Decent, not spectacular. |
Jon Henke: And I heard the number of those who were employed... Well, the jobs report, while not actually bad, wasn't quite a ray... Taegan Goddard: Reuters has more. |
Bloody end to school siege CNN — Permalink BESLAN, Russia (CNN) — Russian troops have stormed and secured a school in southern Russia where an armed gang, believed to be Chechen rebels, took hundreds of children, parents and teachers hostage. | |
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James Joyner: "It also said soldiers were battling gunmen who had fled to the house in the south of the town." '100 bodies' in siege... Ralf Goergens: A quick news overview of the Russian hostage crisis — The Russian hostage situation has been resolved bloodily, but the... |
Jan Haugland: Russian school stormed — Russian forces have stormed the school where hundreds of children and parents have been held hostage. Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: Russian forces insist storming the building wasn't planned: "However, Russia said the storming wasn't planned. |