Hugs, Kisses, Bombs

He Lives...On...Through Myspace

2006-10-03T09:26:00.000-05:00

Get your daily funnies courtesy of Superfan Todd O'Connor

BEARSSSSSSSSSSHHH!!1

Hilarious Firefox Video Ad

2006-09-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

http://one.revver.com/watch/19542/format/flv

This cracks me up.

Iran Talks, Iran Walks

2006-08-22T11:58:00.000-05:00

It's reported today that Iran has entered into negotiations with the European quartet seeking a resolution to their acquisition of nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, Iran's navy is attacking and boarding a Romanian owned oil rig.

41% more Conservative babies than Liberal ones

2006-08-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

Professor Arthur Brooks has an opinion editorial at opinionjournal.com analysing data from a recent survey of families.

Democrats can "get out the vote" to motivate young people to go to the polls, but Conservatives are getting out 41% more babies than Liberals. It's an interesting analysis as the 2 child home has taken shape and what that means for campaigns.

USA defeats Slovenia 114-95

2006-08-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

USA Basketball defeated Slovenia early morning CST time. Slovenia came out tough with dribble penetration that caught the US squad by surprise. In the 2nd quarter the US turned it into high gear. The US led by 29 at one point, but Slovenia closed it to 13 in the final minutes.

Full story at USA Today.

Illegal Immigration Rally

2006-07-19T12:46:00.000-05:00

Dinner at P.F. Chang's

2006-06-20T09:35:00.000-05:00

This evening was a last minute adjustment. Original plans to dine at Nuevo Leon in Pilsen were amended to congress at an eatery closer to Streeterville. It was an amendment of success. We were treated to P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

Located at 530 North Wabash, the northwest corner of the intersection of Wabash and Grand, it is only one block east of the Red Line Grand stop. With its friendly connection to public transportation, it is an easy choice for the pre-destination diner or the streetside walk up.

Moderately priced for the neighborhood, P.F. Chang's drew a casual after work array of guests. The kitchen was alive with orders and staffed by solid dining professionals. The food moves quickly from the refridgerator to your table. The wok preparation ensures a quick hot meal and still reserving time for a blending of flavors over intense heat.

Our waitress apparently skipped over the sauce demonstration to show guests the various blends they can generate with the base sauces available at each table. Rice wine vinegar, chili oil, soy sauce, hot mustard, spicy chili sauce and a mystery base product that had a salty, tangy taste to it.

I ordered the Sichuan by the Sea Calamari. My calamari binge continues as the seafood combines the texture of steak with the lightness of fish that I cannot resist. I'm dying to get my hands on some raw calamari fillets to experiment with my own combination of flavors. The Sichuan Calamari isn't fried calamari rings or fried baby calamari found in the appetizer section of a dozen chain eateries. It's squid fillets that are prime cuts. They're basted in corn starch and cooked in a sweet and spicy chili sauce to coat each piece of calamari with taste and texture. The crisp of the initial bite was complemented with the spice once the sauce hits your tongue.

I really enjoyed P.F. Chang's. It is on my list of returns. Other members of the party were already familiar with the joint, though they had not dined at this particular location before. They're expectations were high and their perceptions remain unchanged. P.F. Chang's is a great destination for Chinese cuisine.

Big Grins

2006-06-19T01:30:00.000-05:00

Nice Catch; Better Kick!

2006-06-19T01:18:00.000-05:00

Dylan and Maggie

2006-06-19T01:17:00.000-05:00

BBQ Dinner

2006-06-19T01:15:00.000-05:00

Grilled King Salmon with eggplant, yellow zucchini squash and green zucchini squash.

Hoorj!

2005-11-22T13:17:00.000-06:00

I guess I should be happy. This morning I paid $2.149 for a gallon of unleaded fuel at Costco. Sure beats $3.09 I paid about three months ago.

French Ambassador Admits to Oil for Food Payment

2005-11-19T14:27:00.000-06:00

A retired French Ambassador admits to receiving a payment from the Iraqi government while he was working for a Moroccan bank trying to recoup some debts Iraq owed to it. Jean-Bernard Merimee was working for the Morrocan Bank BCME at the time. He was already retired by the French Foreign Ministry, but he retained the title of "Ambassador for Life".

When Merimee approached the president of the BCME about accepting debt repayments from the Oil for Food funds the president scoffed. Merimee then set up his own business to insulate the bank from charges of bribery.

The full story can be read in the London Daily Telegraph.

"Memogate" Document Examiner Responds to Mapes' Book

2005-11-11T12:27:00.000-06:00

It appears that Mary Mapes is still misrepresenting the views of the experts she consulted for examining the critical documents in the "60 Minutes II" Bush National Guard story.

Emily Will has established a webpage to respond to, and correct, Ms. Mapes' errors in the book.

Book version is ABSOLUTELY FALSE. What did happen is that in our conversation on Sunday I outlined several problems with two questioned signatures, and with the typescript of the documents, including the superscripting and the proportional spacing, and I said that I had been researching online to determine the earliest date of production of typerwiters offering those features.

What's the over/under line on the number of falsehoods in Mapes' book?

Senator Durbin's Short Term Memory

2005-11-11T12:15:00.000-06:00

I dug up the congressional record for the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998. It includes an interesting detail to how Democrats voice their concerns about policy when there is a Democrat in the White House.

Click image for a full view of the bill details

Senator Durbin was in the minority in 1998. He is still in the minority today. His views on Iraq have shifted dramatically as within this timeline we've seen a handover of White House policy from Democrats to Republicans.

Terrel Owens Press Conference Comedy Gold

2005-11-08T14:18:00.000-06:00

Press: "What have you[Drew Rosenhaus] done for Terrel Owens other than get him suspended indefinitely?"

Rosenhaus: "Next question."

h4w h4w h4w! We need to find out who asked that question.

Cliff May Links

2005-11-02T12:35:00.000-06:00

09/29/2003 NRO story: "Spy Games"

That wasn't news to me. I had been told that — but not by anyone working in the White House. Rather, I learned it from someone who formerly worked in the government and he mentioned it in an offhand manner, leading me to infer it was something that insiders were well aware of.

07/11/2003 NRO story: "Scandal!"

09/28/2003 Corner post: "The Wilson Saga: A Recap"

When I learned that his wife worked for the CIA, it caused me to think better about him. In fact, one friend, a Democrat, cited his wife's occupation to me to suggest that Wilson was not as rabid a partisan as I believed (and as I had alleged in NRO).

WHITE SOX WINNNER!!!

2005-10-27T00:24:00.000-05:00

The Powerline Boys Talk to Marvin Kalb

2005-09-30T18:26:00.000-05:00

Powerline has a post about a reader email sent to Marvin Kalb. Kalb regularly hosts discussions about public policy and the media that broadcast on C-SPAN.

Kalb is no doubt a bright man, but you can observe from his email that he holds back judgement despite the fact that incredible evidence exists about the falsity of the documents used by Dan Rather and 60 Minutes II. Frankly, I expect more from a Harvard Lecturer in Public Policy

Second Issue of COD's "Courier" Features Workers Party Chat

2005-09-27T18:39:00.000-05:00

I grabbed a copy of the September 23rd edition of the COD student newspaper "The Courier". On the cover is a report from the first meeting of the year held by the "Students for a Democratic Foreign Policy" club. The featured guest was a member of the Workers Party. Well, at least that is what the Courier reports. However, if you go to the Workers Party website you can clearly see that the guest, Michael Thorburn, is one of the Workers Party leadership.

You can read the Courier article here[PDF].

What is interesting about the SDFP club at COD is that I saw their booth at COD on the first day of school. It was being manned by two members of the faculty. It apparently had no student volunteers. I figured they would at least have some members from last year, assuming the club is entering its second year. However, if you browse around the Workers Party website you'll find updates in their newsletter from a group called the "Youth & Students for a Democratic Foreign Policy".

Is the SFDP club at COD a creation of the Workers Party in Chicago?

The Courier reports that a lot of the students that attended the first SFDP meeting departed early. They were upset that the guest speaker was not answering their questions. There's a reason Michael Thorburn wouldn't answer questions. His political party has an expressed belief that "The speaking tour is an important part of the YSDFP program of bringing anti-imperialist politics to the center of student life."

Former DSCC Staffer Hires Top Dollar Defense Attorney

2005-09-24T15:39:00.000-05:00

Katie Barge is the former director of research for the DSCC. The Washington Post, quoting sources familiar with the investigation, tell us that Katie Barge is one of the two former staffers that resigned from the committee as a result of the illegal acquisition of Virginia Lt. Gov Michael Steele's credit report.

On September 21, the Post reported an interesting tidbit.

Bill Lawler, an attorney representing Barge, said she had brought the matter to her superiors' attention. "She resigned because she didn't want this episode to negatively reflect on the committee," Lawler said.

Bill Lawler is William Lawler III. He is an attorney at Vinson & Elkins LLP. The V&E bio notes his legal experience.

Represented Governor of New Jersey in broad public corruption, bribery and false statements investigation

That governor would be former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey. The Bergen Record -- a Jersey paper -- columnist Mike Kelly wrote about McGreevey's troubles on September 28, 2004. He notes that Lawler is a well known white collar criminal defense attorney. Although...

Lawler doesn't come cheap. He charges $420 an hour.

Lawler must be a great attorney. His firm, Vinson & Elkins, also represented former Senator Robert Torricelli of the investigation into the Senator's fundraising methods. V&E seems to do a lot of work for New Jersey Democrats.

Before Senator Schumer was elected as chairman of the DSCC, another New Jersey Senator, Jon Corzine, was heading the organization. Senator Corzine is now running for governoer of the State of New Jersey.

Katie Barge has held a research position for the Edwards Campaign, a supervisory role of research at Media Matters, and in late Februray of this year she was named as Director of Research for the DSCC. I'm not very familiar with the compensation package for a political researcher, but does it fall in the range to afford a $420 an hour defense attorney?

Who would recommend Katie Barge hire William Lawler III to represent her legal interests?

Jefferson Staffer Subpoenaed

2005-09-18T00:28:00.000-05:00

A staffer for Congressman William Jefferson was subpoenaed by a grand jury convened by the Northern District of Virginia. The staffer had to inform the House of Represenatives according to House rules.

September 16, 2005 - Jefferson staffer says she was subpoenaed

Collection of Times-Picayune Stories about Congressman William Jefferson

2005-09-16T17:51:00.000-05:00

August 4, 2005 - FBI raids Jefferson's car, homes, treasurer
August 7, 2005 - Jefferson left in political limbo by raids
August 10, 2005 - Jefferson may face grand jury
August 11, 2005 - Jefferson raids lead to plenty of guessing
August 13, 2005 - Probe seems to target Africa dealings
August 16, 2005 - Tech firm CEO is probe figure
August 16, 2005 - What's a smart pol doing in a fix like this?
August 21, 2005 - Jefferson raids may signal return of the sting
August 25, 2005 - Jefferson probe focus is Nigeria telecom deal
August 27, 2005 - Feds raided home of Nigerian official

Here is a quick refresh of the Jefferson story.

NY Times Public Editor Thinks Out Loud

2005-09-16T17:04:00.000-05:00

A bottom-line question: Does a corrections policy not enforced damage The Times's credibility more than having no policy at all?

Byron Calame is writing about Paul Krugman's Op/Ed columns.

Reuters' Poor Taste

2005-09-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

This photo was shot by photographer Rick Wilking. Rick is a former White House staff photographer that knows the President well. He spoke to David Goldenberg, of Gelf Magazine, about this photo and his recent visit to New Orleans to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Wilking proclaims innocence. He's right. He took the snapshot from a distance and didn't have a clue as to what the note actually said. He sent the image to Reuters and they touched up the photo to reveal the contents of the note. Then Reuters placed the shot on their wire service.

Poynter Online has the Reuters admisssion.

Larry David Tries to 'Curb Global Warming'

2005-09-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

"I was conscious of who I could possibly ask out, that's what I was conscious of," he said. "And I was there during Vietnam. If every student was like me in college, we'd still be in Vietnam."

Larry David talking to talking to the AP.

Come Again?

2005-09-13T00:13:00.000-05:00

Did she just say what I think she said?

"My opinion is, the judge should be lynched.''

That is Carol Westfall, Executive Director of the Akron Women's Medical Group quoted in the Akron Beacon Journal.

The judge is the first female judge to serve in the Southern District of Ohio. I take it the US Marshalls should be arriving any day now at the Akron Women's Clinic to serve Carol Westfall with criminal charges.

Will MoveOn.org Heed Their Own Advice?

2005-09-08T23:21:00.000-05:00

MoveOn.org Political Action(can you tell the difference between MoveOn.org Political Action, MoveOn.org Civic Action, MoveOn.org Political Action Committee?) held a protest today outside the White House. The subject of the protest was the President.

Byron York offers this report from the scene.

NY Times Runs Same Story Two Ways

2005-09-08T01:02:00.000-05:00

The NY Times owns the International Herald Tribune. IHT is a paper designed for American Ex-Pats that live in Western Europe. The local ABC affiliate in Houston has a report of the two different versions of the same story that the NY Times published in the NY Times and the IHT.

The Times explains.

Late Tuesday, a spokesperson for the New York Times told us the two online versions can differ because of different deadlines, but that, "The two versions are not substantially different. The thesis is the same: that Houston is benefiting from the situation in New Orleans."

The statement that appears in IHT and not in the NY Times?

"No one would accuse this city of being timid in the scramble to profit from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina."

Is a mad scramble the same thing as a thoughtful gesture?

Dotty Lynch's Political Reporting

2005-09-08T00:52:00.000-05:00

Is it wrong if every time I read a political column from CBS News Senior Political Editor Dotty Lynch I think of her Democrat Party Connections?

AHH! What the?

Dotty Lynch in fantasy world
Dotty Lynch in person

Reflections of a German Ex-Pat in the US

2005-09-08T00:29:00.000-05:00

This past Labor Day I attended a nice barbeque in the northern suburbs of Chicago. The food was great and the conversation was pleasant. One woman I met was a German ex-patriate living in the United States. She had few nice things to say about the United States.

Specifically, the politics of the US was very alarming to her. From her observation of political literature, television and reporting, she developed a disdain for President Bush and the War on Terrorism. I took the opportunity to ask her how the US compares to Germany in this way. She was very forthcoming about the modern wonder that is Germany.

Everything is better in Germany she tells me. I ask if she is looking forward to moving back to Germany. Then, the revelation...

I'm never moving back to Germany.

I thought that perhaps I was a bit sauced. However, I looked at the person next to me and they had the exact same face of puzzlement. She spoke of the fear of the "age 60" crisis. The German national healthcare program is very weighted against people over the age of 60. Once you hit the age of doom, the German state considers you a non-contributor and relegates you to the waiting lines for service that they appear to have resurrected from the old East Germany.

Bad News To Start The Week

2005-09-05T01:20:00.000-05:00

AP reports that new parking meter technology will reset itself when the parked car pulls away from the curb.

Dicks!

via Fark.com

Louisiana State of Emergency

2005-09-05T01:10:00.000-05:00

The September 3rd Washington Post reported that the Governor of Louisiana had not yet declared a state of emergency. That seemed odd considering the damage of the storm.

It turns out that the Post was wrong. They issued a correction. Governor Blanco did declare a state of emergency. She did it on August 26th.

The reporting was awfully sloppy considering you only had to hop over to the Louisiana Governor's page to check her press releases.

People Looting, Ok. Police Looting?

2005-09-04T21:50:00.000-05:00

The video tells the story.

New Orleans Teen Arrested For Saving People

2005-09-04T15:59:00.000-05:00

This story is just outrageous. A resourceful teen commandeered a school bus as he saw chaos ensuing in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit. He filled the bus with 100 people and drove 7 hours to the Astrodome. When he arrived he was arrested and the bus was not permitted to enter the temporary housing site.

This teenager deserves credit for taking matters into his own hands to save lives. He wasn't looting merchandise. He was taking transportation equipment that was abandoned in order to help people.

Did Condeleeza Rice Say "It cannot be Gaza only."

2005-08-26T10:07:00.000-05:00

Charles Johnson highlights a review of the transcript of an interview by the New York Times with Condeleeza Rice from last week. The quote in question appeared in the NY Times when asked about the Israeli withdrawl from the Gaza Strip as "It cannot be Gaza only."

"Jewish Current Issues" blog takes a look at the transcript posted by the State Department of the interview and finds the quote was engineered by the NY Times by combining two unrelated statements. Rich Richman writes...

Indeed, it didn’t . . . she doesn’t . . .and in fact the Times made the quote up.

Oh how special it would be to have the privelage to examine the raw data collected by the NY Times for their stories. I'd love to see their notes, their unedited questions and their recordings of interviews. We learn again today that the NY Times has a way of turning good news into bad news.

Robertson-Televangelist-Million Viewers/Stephanopolous-Presidential Adviser-Nuff Said

2005-08-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

Newsmax puts the media response to Pat Robertson's comments regarding Hugo Chavez in political context. After leaving the White House, George Stephanopolous wrote an article in Newsweek that encouraged President Clinton to assasinate Saddam Hussein.

"Assassination may be Clinton's best option," the future "This Week" host urged. "If we can kill Saddam, we should."

Read the Newsmax article and go read the Newsweek article. You have to find the Newsweek article on your own.

Cedric Benson Appears at Halas Hall

2005-08-25T23:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I read that Bears first round draft pick Cedric Benson has put his Libertyville home up for sale and shipped two cars back to Texas. Today I read that he made a surprise appearance at Halas Hall to meet with Bears GM Jerry Angelo.

Yesterday's information came from a Texas sports writer that has followed Benson since his Texas High School football days. Then again, the Tribune reports this today.

Benson was in town to put the Lake County home he purchased shortly after being drafted on the market.

This guy has been a real workout for Bears' fans. I haven't even seen him play a down in the NFL and I already question his motivation.

Jesse Jackson Virus Alive And Well

2005-08-25T22:40:00.000-05:00

Jesse Jackson has been invited to Venezuela to address their National Assembly.

Was this invitation extended after Pat Robertson's comments about Hugo Chavez?
Who is paying for the trip?

Apparently Jesse spoke today in Chicago with a representative of the Venezuelan Consul General's office. I just might call his office to inquire.

Minnesota Gov Eats PETA Request

2005-08-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

Govenor Pawlenty of Minnesota took a request from PETA to heart, and to his stomach. Story Here

"PETA should stay out of Minnesota's proud fishing lifestyle," Pawlenty said Tuesday in a two-paragraph news release issued by his staff. "Because of their letter, I'm going out for a walleye dinner tonight."

Well done.

14 Senators Agree To End Filibuster-a-thon

2005-05-24T11:45:00.000-05:00

Last night 14 Senators came to an agreement to end the filibuster of President Bush's judicial nominees. The agreement says that the 14 Senators will vote for cloture on 3 nominees, Judge Owen, Judge Prior and Judge Rogers-Brown. Two other nominees, Henry Saad and William Myers, will continue to face filibuster, though neither may have majority support in an up or down vote.

The NY Times has the text of the agreement.

I don't like the agreement because it still allows for Senators to filibuster judicial nominees for "extraordinary circumstances". It doesn't define those circumstances. What if those Senators retire? What if they are not re-elected? Needless to say, this agreement is very temporary for it doesn't really address the issue of using the filibuster in order to defeat a nomination to the court.

The historical citation of the use of the filibuster against Justice Abe Fortas in his nomination to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court isn't applicable to the current debate. Fortas had majority support for the nomination. He was filibustered by Republican Senators that wanted to extend the debate on his nomination. The extension of debate was then use to highlight the contentious aspects to Mr. Fortas' record as a Justice. Information was heard regarding his personal consultation to President Johnson on the Vietnam War. Once this information was presented the filibuster was meaningless because Fortas lost majority support.

Today's use of the filibuster is to extend debate so as not to introduce information to change votes, but to simply delay the vote forever. No knew information has been presented since the use of the filibuster against President Bush's nominees. Democrats tried to induce nominees to abandon standard legal practice through the usurption of attorney-client privelage, but the nominees staved off the effort.

I think the Senate rules should be changed to end the use of the filibuster against judicial nominees. But I think this rule change is only because of a breakdown in politics. We have relied on the courts to settle our most contentious political issues through the cosmic interpretation of the Constitution. As long as we continue to permit judges to snake their way through the Constitution to create rights that previously never existed then we open up the flood gates for all tactics in the judicial nomination process.

We have to debate these issues in the legilsative chambers, not the judicial chambers. 9 unelected officials cannot decide the fate of the country for they continue to see words that are not there and fail to see the words that are there.

I'm Immoral

2005-05-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

Steve Soto, another one of those holier than thou progresslaves, says I am immoral. I'm not simply a theocrat. In fact, I'm an autocrat. But philosophically, I am immoral.

"In Morals We Trust"

We know that what the Bush administration really wants is an autocracy with unchecked power.

So long as the Democratic party continues to listen to progresslaves like Steve Soto, unfortunately we are likely to end up with something resembling an autocracy. But it won't be for the reasons Soto sites. Instead, the people will have choices between something we know versus something crazy.

The people take a lot more risks with their own money than they do with their votes.

Islamic Supremacy Watch

2005-05-20T10:58:00.000-05:00

These are two photos from a demonstration held outside the US Embassy in London earlier today. As we see, the organizers exploit another story about the United States to express Islamic Supremecist views instead of simply protesting the details of the story. This is one of hundreds of examples every year.

Charles Johnson quotes the London Times report that exposes the ugly face of the so called Religion of Peace™.

The crowd, led by a man on a megaphone, chanted “USA watch your back, Osama is coming back” and “Kill, kill USA, kill, kill George Bush”.

They also chanted “Bomb, bomb New York” and “George Bush, you will pay, with your blood, with your head”.

Travis County Prosecutor Investigatin Delay Raises Money Citing His Investigation

2005-05-19T16:13:00.000-05:00

From the "I swear to God the investigation isn't politically motivated" files, Travis County DA Ronnie Earle was recently featured as the guest speaker at a Texas PAC dedicated to recapturing control of the Texas Statehouse. The Houston Chronicle reports.

"In his remarks, Earle likened DeLay to a bully and spoke about political corruption and the investigation involving DeLay, the House majority leader from Sugar Land, according to a transcript supplied by Earle."

Netflix Takes Over Wal-Mart DVD Rentals

2005-05-19T12:20:00.000-05:00

Hooray Capitalism!

I use the Wal-Mart DVD rental service. I used to use Netflix. I switched to Wal-Mart for the lower price. Netflix had recently raised my rate so I scanned the market and learned of Wal-Marts entry. Once the DVD's started arriving it became clear that this market was almost indentical in terms of browse and delivery. Wal-Mart lowered my membership rate(2 DVDs out at the same time) over the next 2 years.

Today I learn that Netflix has agreed to take over Wal-Mart's DVD rental service. I guess that is ok, but I know my membership rate will increase. But even if it does rise I received a reminder from Blockbuster for some overdue fees I have not yet paid from November 2004. I still had my card and used it to rent Spartan to watch with some friends. Apparently we were a little late in returning the DVD. I paid $21 in late fees. Netflix will likely charge me $20 a month for the 2 DVD rental service.

Netflix is nice, but you really do pay an arm and leg for on demand rentals from Blockbuster.

CAIR's Hate Crimes Nonsense - article by Daniel Pipes

2005-05-19T12:08:00.000-05:00

Daniel Pipes writes about the 2005 CAIR report regarding hate crimes against American Muslims. What he finds is that the incidents reported by CAIR as hate crimes do not fit the criteria predominantly designated for an act to qualify as a hate crime. Pipes' research shows the sloppiness in CAIR's reporting and inattention to follow-up on the details of each report.

On May 12, 2005, Andrea Elliot filed a report for the NY Times, the day after CAIR released their study, that includes this fallacy.

The organization said it verified the legitimacy of a reported crime before including it in its annual study

The Associated Press was able to obtain an advanced copy of the CAIR report and produced this report. Again we see the willingness of the media to present CAIR's study with little or no challenge to the individual incidents contained within the report. The AP story nearly resembles the CAIR press release.

One might be inclined to expect more from the media considering the well documented evidence of connections between terrorism apologetics and the leadership and organizational membership of CAIR. Trust, but verify.

Market +1, Waste -1

2005-05-17T15:43:00.000-05:00

Good news from the land of inefficiencies. Two Chicago hot dog bun makers are uniting together in a pledge to solve one of America's long traditions in waste of resources. S. Rosen and Vienna Beef are convening today in Chicago's Loop for the celebration. This press release announces that "Justice Will be Served".

What in the hell am I talking about? The days of 6 hot dog bun packaging are over. S. Rosen will now produce the 8 bun package to complement the 8 hot dog package from Vienna Beef. Rejoice!

Celebrate by consuming a Chicago Style Hot Dog to honor this occasion. In fact, tell me how you like your dogs. I prefer tomatoes, onions, lots of peppers, ketchup and mustard. Sometimes I drown them in cheese or chili. The Hot Dog is just one more in a long line in the Americanization of European delicacies. Utensils, who needs em?

Pakistan Information Minister Rejects Newsweek Retraction

2005-05-17T11:32:00.000-05:00

The Pakistani Information Minister issued a statement rejecting the retraction Newsweek offerred regarding their story of the desecretion of a koran. Newsweek reported that interrogations at Camp X-Ray included one example of a koran being flushed down a toilet.

Reuters has the story on the Pakistani Information Minister. What's wierd about the statement is this quote from the minister.

"They should understand the sentiments of Muslims and think 101 times before publishing news which hurt feelings of Muslims."

How do we deport our sensitivity training experts to the Muslim world?

Anonymous Sources

2005-05-16T23:38:00.000-05:00

Newsweek runs a story about the alleged desecration of a koran. The source is anonymous.

Roger L. Simon opines about it in a post on Arianna Huffington's blog.

Jim Lampley, an HBO Boxing commentator, responds to Simon's criticism of anonymous sourcing by urging the media to look into a Vanity Fair story that is anonymously sourced.

Stick to the ring your familiar with Jim.

Mario Cuomo and Greg Palast Settle Libel Suit

2005-05-11T12:15:00.000-05:00

Newsday reports that Mario Cuomo and Greg Palast have settled the libel suit filed by Cuomo against Palast over allegations Palast made in his book "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" that Cuomo interferred with a court decision against a New York utility firm. Cuomo denied the charge. Palast later removed the passage from other releases of the book.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The initial suit demanded 15 million in damages.

100 Days and Counting

2005-05-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

Today is the 100th day since Senator John F. Kerry appeared on "Meet the Press" and told Tim Russert he would sign his 180 form to release all of his military records into the public domain. It should be no surprise; the junior senator from Massachusetts isn't even holding the pen yet.

The word spreads fast in the blogosphere. PoliPundit, The Pirate's Cove, and Cao's Blog are all blogging about the subject with some tips and pointers to help Senator Kerry remember.

I'm optimistic. But I am also realistic. This is afterall the man who said he voted for the war before he voted against it.

Larry Franklin Turns Himself In

2005-05-05T15:15:00.000-05:00

Larry Franklin, a former DoD analyst with specialization in Middle Eastern and Iranian affairs, turned himself into the FBI. He was a target of an ongoing four year investigation by the FBI into the illegal procurement of classified material that may have been passed on to non-privelaged people. Franklin's attorney said that he plans to file a plea of innocence.
[Full AP Report]

Over at Justin Raimundo's blog he has already decided that Larry Franklin is an Israeli spy committing acts of treason against the United States. The AP story does not say or imply that Franklin gave classified documents to officials at AIPAC. The anonymous officials speaking to the AP describe that Franklin dictated aspects of classified documents to the AIPAC officials.

I don't know if Franklin was spying on behalf of Israel. The documents in question relate to intelligence that US troops may face attacks from Iranian allied forces when conducting missions in Northern Iraq. A search of Franklin's home turned up 83 classified documents.

Franklin should have had zero classified documents at his home. However, he is not the first government official to bring his work home with him or carelessly handle sensitive documents. FBI Agent John O'neill misplaced a briefcase at a briefing that contained classified documents he was carrying with him. The removal of the documents from the FBI headquarters was wrong. Eventually the incident was used to force O'neill into retirement.

Was O'neill a traitor? He was awfully cozy with security agents in France, Yemen and Italy. In fact, O'neill was a major source of information for the book "Forbidden Truth".

Apparently, Raimundo has made up his mind. I have not.

Buy This For Me

2005-04-21T15:18:00.000-05:00

There are two things I want to do right now. First, I want to improve through practice my Spanish skills. It's been a while since I was regularly learning new Spanish lessons at the same time the lessons were entirely in Spanish. I liked the classes. I scored well.

Second, I want to learn Arabic. Reading "The Arabists" and all the other texts I've consumed after 9/11 lead me to want to travel into the Arab world. Again, because I want to understand. But there I'm caught in a tug of war between international understanding and domestic entrepreneurship.

I've reserved John Sperling's auto-biography "Rebel With a Cause". His story appeals to me as his life began a very poor boy and lives in his 9th decade as a very wealthy man. But it is not his wealth that attracts my attention. It is his mid life crisis. He split from his leftist activism, university teaching and California dreaming to eventually launch the University of Phoenix -- a for profit educational institute.

Who the Hell is Ward Harkavy?

2005-04-21T15:08:00.000-05:00

I'm listening to the Michael Medved show on WIND 560AM through their netstream and a caller pops in the conversation about John Bolton. He says he read something about Bolton's actions in obstructing the Iran-Contra affair at the Village Voice Blog.

So I drop in at the Village Voice, something I usually avoid because of the Voice's arch leftist bent and New York proximity, but I want to understand where the caller is coming from. It turns out the information the caller cites comes from one of the few blogs hosted by the Village Voice. It is called "The Bush Beat" and its editor is Ward Harkavy. Ward's an old sports editor for the Voice until they scalped the sports section of the Village Voice.

Each day Ward overloads the reader with corners, curves and fastballs relative to President Bush. Today's post is about, what else, power, money, politics, religion, philosophy and pizza. I'm hungry.

I don't think Ward Harkavy would like me very much. I'm Roman Catholic. I attend a church attended to my the Order of Opus Dei. I've expressed interest in studying religion and philosophy at Ave Maria University. I come from a Domioes Pizza fed family. I subscribe to Father Richard John Neihaus' "First Things" journal. I like the selection of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope and the choice of Benedict for a title. I don't think much of Gary Wills. I read the Wall Street Journal when I can afford it.

Ultimately, I'm the guy that Ward prays for my sins. But this is the Village Voice. The only prayers they offer are to stay affloat. Nonetheless, they still have some ad subscribers, but their sidebar directs you to Indymedia, FAIR, the ACLU's "torture" site, Halliburton Watch, Human Rights Watch, the Center for Constitutional Rights and Henry Waxman's minority office on the House Reform Committee. Do I to try to understand Ward's politics?

There's way too many writers to chronicle, but I actually am interested in understanding some of Ward Harkavy's bio. Where's he from? Where has he written? What schools did he attend? Alternatively, it is easier to settle with the conclusion that he edits for the Village Voice so he's likely a tool of some other pizza chain dominatrix with monetary connections manipulating the Gay Arena.

Er, maybe not pizza, but rather mystery meat.

The Family That Plays Together, Stays Together

2005-04-15T14:03:00.000-05:00

Once again a member of Congress is upset that the media reports facts. This time it is Bernie Sanders(I-VT). Bernie passes around the cash to keep his family in his business.

Bennington Banner Story

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Bernard Sanders used campaign donations to pay his wife and stepdaughter more than $150,000 for campaign-related work since 2000, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission.

This article didn't please Rep. Sanders so he labeled the story "a lie". The Bennington Banner followed up with an editorial about the concerns.

The way Rep. Sanders has reacted to the revelatons, we think, indicates that he realizes how the situation looks. He claims the story was a lie, although the information came from public government records and was confirmed by his own staff, and he does not refute any of the facts in our report.

Those dirty facts are always get in the way of progress.

Uhh, Frontpage Please

2005-04-14T21:28:00.000-05:00

Yea, it's buried in section B, page 9, but the San Francisco Chronicle gives some space to Brian Simpson to explain to Californians why they are paying so much at the pump.

Who's to blame for high gasoline prices?

U.N. Votes To Outlaw Nuclear Terrorism (washingtonpost.com)

2005-04-14T12:13:00.000-05:00

A moment of silence please; the United Nations expands international law for the safety or people and the environment throughout our wonderful planet. Today, the General Assembly "Votes To Outlaw Nuclear Terrorism".

The Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism is the first anti-terrorism treaty to be adopted since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. It is the 13th anti-terrorism treaty and builds on recent efforts by the U.N. Security Council to compel states to strengthen their laws and policies to combat terrorist groups.

The treaty goes into effect if it is ratified by 22 member states. I'm so elated that the it only took the UN bureaucracy 42 months to look out the windows of their Manhattan offices. Heck, for a few months they were inhailing the evidence.

Beltway Irony

2005-04-13T09:21:00.000-05:00

It is little stories like these that have placed Eric Phieffer's "Beltway Buzz" blog at National Review Online on my morning reads.

Earlier this week, Democracy for America sent a letter to supporters blasting Tom DeLay for having his wife and daughter on his campaign re-election payroll.

Before it was Democracy for America, the organization was Dean for America, created by DNC Chair Howard Dean to support his now-failed presidential bid. What DFA's letter failed to mention is that Democracy for America is now run by – Dean’s younger brother, Jim. In the 2004 cycle, he was paid $22,177 By Dean For America and $6,009 by Democracy For America, according to the non-partisan Political Money Line website. Up to date dollar numbers for 2005 are not currently available.

Protestors at John Bolton Hearing

2005-04-12T14:45:00.000-05:00

The protestors at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nomination of John Bolton for US Ambassador to the United Nations was interrupted by protestors. Three women from the organization "Code Pink 4 Peace" stood up and held banners as they shouted their slogans against the Bolton nomination.

One of the protestors was Gael Murphy. Gael is one of two co-founders of Code Pink. The other co-founder is Medea Benjamin.

This was not the first time Gael Murphy has been escorted from a committee hearing. During Don Rumsfeld's testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding Abu Ghraib, Gael stood up and disrupted that hearing as well.

Are there more? Yes.

Gael was also escorted out of the Republican National Convention. You might say that perhaps Gael shows up on a watch list, though there doesn't seem to be any real security threat other than obtaining security clearance DURING THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH. It does not appear that she has in fact threatened anyone with anything other than a banner they don't want to see and some words they don't want to hear.

I wonder if she would agree to an interview.

MORE: Gael has apparently met the Protest Warriors. They liked her almost as much as I do.

More Trouble at Old Grey Lady

2005-04-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

Editor and Publisher has a story -- "Fired 'NYT' Foreign Correspondent Angrily Denies Charges" -- that includes some quotes from Susan Sachs, the fired Times reporter.

It's he said, she said. Sachs is employing the services of the Newspaper Guild, a Communications Workers of America union, to defend herself against the charges.

Washington Post Sells Short

2005-04-07T12:57:00.000-05:00

Mike Allen, original reporter for the Washington Post on the "GOP Talking Points Memo", has filed a new report about the admission from Senator Mel Martinez that the author of the memo works in his office. Brian Darling, Martinez's General Counsel, admitted to authoring the memo and then provided his resignation.

Allen fumbles the story in only the second paragraph though. He describes Darling as a former lobbyist "on gun rights and other issues". Allen is right about the "other issues". However, he is depiction of Darling's lobbying efforts as "gun rights" is really inaccurate. Darling worked with the Airline Pilots Security Alliance as a spokesman and legislative consultant. The aim of the group was to support legislation for pilots to carry arms in the cockpit.

A more accurate representation would have reflected the aims and accomplishments of APSA. Simply toting it as lobbying for "gun rights" is not enough. The Post readers deserve more.

The French Way

2005-03-31T13:43:00.000-06:00

I can't help but laugh at the French. In the Economist, there is a story about France's attempts to combat the Americanization of France. The subject is Google.

Google is an American model that is just not French enough for France. In fact, since Google's model is popularity it is specifically un-French. So France, at the behest of President Jacques Chirac, is moving forwards with plans to tackle the Americanization of France. He's launching a TV network to challenge english speaking news channels. Agence-France Press is suing Google for copyright infringement. And he's launching a search engine to compete with Google that will return search results constructed by a "committee of experts".

The simple response; Why does France hate the market?

Martin Jacques: The neocon revolution

2005-03-31T13:31:00.001-06:00

In today's Guardian newspaper, Martin Jacques posits a column addressing the tenacity of the "neocons" in Washington. He writes about the underestimation that many in Europe have expelled in relation to the "neocon" policies born in Washington. Jacques tells us that throughout Europe the power brokers romanticized a dramatic shift from a 2nd term Bush Administration.

The jolly olde Marxist has tapped into a few accurate representations of the Bush Administration. First among them, is the recognition that elections in Iraq and democratic revurberations throughout the Middle East have vindicated the freshly minted policy of pre-emptive strikes. Where Europe manned the booths of skepticism, the Americans and British flaunted their proposals of optimism. Not without error, the Iraq policy has not been atrocious. Neither has it been a collossal, or as Democratic Presidential Nominee Dick Gephardt phrased it, a "miserable failure".

Indeed, Iraq was a bumpy road that has deemed a review of the US foreign policy vehicle for service. In its re-examination, the United States is moving forward on the heels of its successes while it internalizes the failures. Will the United States learn nothing? On the contrary, the US lessons have been, and will continue to be, aired in the public eye. On the hill will be many future hearings engaging the Pentagon and the White House in the questions of judgement. But there is a clear message to be understood from the Iraq policy.

The Iraq policy was right. Divided in bureaucratic wrangling, the United Nations was a compromised institution on matters of Iraq. The nations that recognized this reality joined in the Coalition of the Willing. The reluctant, or the skeptics, joined the opposition. What the opposition failed to do is build a strong case that the United States and United Kingdom were wrong. The foundation of their case was international law, perhaps the poorest example of perceived reality. In other words, using international law for the foundation of your argument is like constructing a castle of sand on the ocean shores.

Martin Jacques goes on to cite the Kyoto Protocol and the International Criminal Court as examples of the "neocons" influence in Washington. What he fails to mention is that each of these treaties was dead on arrival in Washington circles. The US Senate rejected the Kyoto Protocol with a 95-0 vote. The Clinton Administration had previously pledged support for the outcome driven intentions of the Kyoto Protocol, but ultimately never supported its final wording. At roughly the same time as the Kyoto debate was the rave in Washington, the "neocons" were desperately trying to get a meeting with President Clinton to discuss the contents of their letter from the Project for a New American Century. These players were interested in Iraq as the real dividing issue in International Relations.

Years later we would learn that the PNAC was almost exactly right. Iraq was a wedge issue at the UN. Unanimous agreement was made possible through the silent abstentations of the opposition.

Finally, I want to address where Jacques has his facts wrong.

The withdrawal of the US from international treaties does not condemn international law to the dustbin of history. It is evident, however, that the Americans are determined either to render these treaties redundant simply by ignoring them, force them to be renegotiated or perhaps both. In effect, what the Americans are intent on doing is reordering the world system to take account of their newly defined power and interests.

When has the United States ever been intent on sitting out of the world order discussions? The Bush Administration was against Kyoto and the ICC well before 9/11 and Iraq. What is true is that Kyoto and the ICC were condemned to the dustbin of history because of their total illrelevance to present security threats.

US perception will shift when the disenchanted Marxists of Europe understand the what they don't want to accept. 9/11 changed everything.

"Mein Kampf" Not THE Bestseller in Turkey

2005-03-29T13:15:00.000-06:00

Charles Johnson has a posts a link about the growing popular nature of Hitler's "Mein Kampf". Seen as a precursor to growing anti-semitism, the Christian Science Monitor posits a story that is even more alarming.

Not even Hitler's work can best that of the Turkish novel "Metal Storm". The novel depicts the United States attacking Turkey over policy differences. The Turks are victorious when Washington is nuked. "Metal Storm" has been the best selling book in Turkey for most of 2005. And, as the CSM story informs, it's narratives have entered the column's of Turks and been "presented it as fact".

Ralph Nader Joins The American Taliban

2005-03-25T00:38:00.000-06:00

Ralph Nader issued a press release that calls for restoring the feeding tube to Terri Schiavo. He thinks that the current method is an injustice to her civil rights and the erroneous denials of a new trial by state and federal courts despite new evidence.

The court is imposing process over justice. After the first trial in this case, much evidence has been produced that should allow for a new trial-which was the point of the hasty federal legislation. If this were a death penalty case, this evidence would demand reconsideration. Yet, an innocent disabled woman is receiving less justice.

Nobody showed him the "GOP Talking Points Memo"?

Egyptian Foreign Minister Comments on Meeting with Abbas

2005-03-02T14:04:00.000-06:00

Ahmed Abul Gheit, Egyptian Foreign Minister, appeared on "News From CNN" with Wolf Blitzer on Monday. In the transcripts Gheit recounts his conversation with Prime Minister Abbas that very same day.

I met him only half an hour ago, the Palestinian president. He says, "I have to carry out an investigation."

I'm not allowed to carry out the investigation because the Palestinian investigators are not allowed to enter into the situation where the events was initiated from. Then we have to keep working, all of us together.

We have to restrain our activities, Palestinians and Israelis, our actions. And at the same time, to work together to collaborate in order to identify who is responsible and who is doing this for that process.

The very same day, Islamic Jihad proclaimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. A day later, IJ held their usual celebration of the bomber in Ramallah.

The Debate About Patrick Fitzgerald

2005-02-28T12:33:00.000-06:00

The Chicago Tribune Magazine features a cover story about Patrick Fitzgerald. Kirsten Scharnberg writes about his career as a prosecutor working for the Department of Justice.

She depicts Fitzgerald as a workaholic describing the story of his New York City apartment lacking natural gas for the entire length of his lease - several years. His work schedule is hectic. It's difficult to explain why it is not hectic.

Fitzgerald has been the go to guy for the government in prosecuting terrorism cases. He prosecuted the landmark sedition case against the "Blind Sheikh", Omar Abdel Rahman, based on a 200 year old statute. He prosecuted the landmark RICO case applied to terrorism financial networks in Chicago.

He's not batting a thousand, but he's pretty dang close. Right now he is the appointed special prosecutor investigating the alleged crime of blowing the cover of a Valerie Plame, an alleged covert agent working for the CIA. Of all his cases, this one is the most explosive one national political grounds.

Chris Bowers: The TV Edition

2005-02-24T17:50:00.000-06:00

Chris Bowers reacts to his appearance on the new MSNBC show "Connected: Coast to Coast".

I just saw the tape--really, I'm not that ugly in person. I now have a newfound respect for anyone who says anything on television. When those lights came on, and I was looking at nothing but two huge lights and a blank wall, I instantly forget everything I had planned to say. To make matters worse, I knew people were looking at me, but I didn't know how I looked, and I was unable to adjust. I also guess I was looking up too high--everyone else was looking straight at the camera, but I looked smug. Live and learn I guess. Still, the "twenty second" comment worked well, I thought.

I watched the segment and thought he did a good job.

They're Here

2005-02-23T03:42:00.000-06:00

Jeff Gannon and the South Dakota Senate Race

2005-02-23T03:22:00.000-06:00

It seems that there are many people that are not up to par on the facts ot the South Dakota Senate Race. Jeff Gannon did file stories on this race that included some charges about the independence of Daily Argus Leader political reporter David Kranz. Gannon's reporting, as is everything Jeff Gannon, is now being questioned by bloggers and their readers.

It is important to gain an understanding of the events in the SD Senate Race because Jeff Gannon is merely a reporter of the David Kranz story. Jon Lauck, editor of the Daschle v Thune weblog, did the initial research on the memos from the archives of former South Dakota pols. The memos revealed that the SD Democrat campaigns relied on David Kranz to print their oppo research.

The entire story is interesting. It is best told by Jon Lauck himself.

Daschle v. Thune: The Argus Leader and the Degradation of American Democracy

The Middle Ground of Politics: Pro-life/Pro-choice

2005-02-17T01:47:00.000-06:00

New Donkey reacts to some commentary from Noam Scheiber and Kevin Drum pointing out a NY Times story addressing the National Right to Life Foundation's reaction to Senator Clinton's so called "middle ground" speech on abortion.

The New Donkey is trying to analyse the center of politics of abortion. He concludes that in the center, like the right and the left, there is real desire to decrease the number of abortions. He points to the opinions of the National Right to Life Foundation in regards to contraception options.

The short short version of the "decreasing abortion rate" debate is that the best way to decrease the number of abortions is to decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies. Comprehensive sex education, condoms, birth control and the "morning after pill" are the most commonly cited methods of decreasing the number of unwanted pregnancies.

This isn't really disputable. The facts are clear on these items. They, like many objects, have a rate of failure, so they are not perfect.

The fundamental issue for Pro-Lifers - like me - is that we want to decrease the number of abortions. However, the differences between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice are biological and ethical. Pro-Life advocates seek to identify when life begins. In biology, this question is already answered. Life begins at conception. Ethically is where the divide begins.

Pro-Lifers are trying to seek protections for the unborn. They want to end the "property" status of the baby that makes up the standing for "privacy". We witness the animosity for any laws that grant legal standing for a fetus in the Congress. "Lacey and Connor's Law" was opposed by the the Pro-Choice organizations. Any citation in the law that makes it a crime to harm a fetus creates the grounds for the people to petition their government for redress of grievances.

The other aspect to this debate is the commercial interests. Abortion is an industry. Inaccurately categoerized as "Healthcare", Abortion has become a major fundraising issue for Progressives. That money comes from people genuinely interested in maintaining the property status of a fetus. But we cannot ignore the commercial interests that need abortion. If the fetus were treated under the law as a person then the sociological results of permiscous sex with multiple partners could accurately be addressed by the people.

The Adult Erotic Entertainment industry is a major contributor to Pro-Choice organizations. Their profits are linked to the law. If abortion is outlawed then their balance sheet will feel the effects. People will have to consider their options more carefully. Spontaneous sexual encounters would carry a much higher risk.

Even Senator Clinton recognized that Pro-Life supporters that want to end abortion derive their ethics from religion. She understands that decreasing the number of abortions isn't the only motivation of Pro-Life supporters. They also are concerned about the cultural norms that have shifted radically over the last 30 years.

Syria, Iran to Build 'Common Front'

2005-02-16T08:53:00.000-06:00

Reuters reports that Iran and Syria have agreed to form a "common front" to confront attacks against the two countries. The announcement came from the Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref.

No more than 5 minutes after this report hit the wires, the Syrian ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, appeared on CNN and questioned the existence of this "common front". Reuters is quoting the Iranian Vice-President exiting a meeting with the Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari.

Odd, isn't it, that the Syrian Ambassador to the United States was not aware of this agreement? He neither confirmed, nor denied the the pact, but he clearly acted like he knew nothing of its plans.

US Withdraws Its Ambassador To Syria

2005-02-16T01:45:00.000-06:00

Wretchard, over at The Belmont Club, offers his take on the withdrawl of the US Ambassador from Syria.

"The Curtain Rises"

I view the withdrawl of the US Ambassador a little differently.

I see this as the United States yielding to the Europeans on this matter as it relates to Syria. As it likely will, relative to the Syrian intelligence and security apparatus operating - likely controlling - the spook community in Lebanon, the Europeans will be seeking answers from the Syrians rather than an admission that is unlikely to come.

Remarkable as it sounds, the United States and France worked together to pass UNSC resolution 1559 in September 2004. It passed with nine votes in support and six abstentations, among them were China and Russia. Lebanon objected to the resolution, but France continued to press for it.

The resolution called for 'support for a free and fair electoral process in Lebanon's upcoming presidential election conducted according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence.'

It is a wonder why Lebanon would object to this, but it is especially ironic that 'foreign interference' did in fact occur. The chief critic of the interference was Rafiq al-Hariri.

It's important to note that the abstentations were explained as objections to the resolution addressing domestic political concerns of a member nation that had not officially requested the resolution. China and Russia could have vetoed, but declined.

These indications lead me to believe the US wants Europeans to try their hand with Syria, but I still think the hit was an Iranian job. Iran was the most protected of the parties that could pull off this job. It's negotiations with the Euro trio are too engaged for the Europeans to abandon. Iran is calculating that Europeans are too implanted against hard power for their governments to implicate Iran in the assasination.

Debka and Larry Johnson both say Syria, but this strike would make Syria the Prophet of Idiocy.

Rafiq al-Hariri Assasination: Editorials and Arab Press Roundup

2005-02-15T17:52:00.000-06:00

The NY Times, Chicago Tribune and Daily Star in Lebanon all have editorial reactions to yesterday's bombing.

NY Times: "Hit Job in Beirut"

Chicago Tribune: "The Other Occupation"

Daily Star: "On The Brink Of An Abyss"

Getting the picture? The LA Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post have yielded to haste perhaps to see more information before they publish reactions.

More good information comes courtesy of UPI International. They have a roundup of Arab Press reactions to the bombing.

Beirut Bombing Claims Life of Former Prime Minister

2005-02-14T16:00:00.000-06:00

Rafiq al-Hariri was killed today by explosives targeting his motorcade.

Al Jazeera has a report asking who killed Rafiq. They question three middle east analysts on the subject.

Rime Allaf is skeptical on the the benefactor of this attack.

"What exactly would the Syrians gain from this? Precisely because most people would say that this is the Syrians who have done this. It doesn't make any sense," Rime Allaf, Middle East analyst at the Royal Institute for International Affairs in London, UK, said.

"The first people who will be hurt by this is Syria. Given the chaos in Lebanon and the rising anger between the factions, analytically Syria loses a lot by this," Allaf told Aljazeera.net.

Murhaf Jouejati thinks it would be crazy to think the Syrians did this.

Murhaf Jouejati a Syrian analyst at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told Aljazeera.net that it was too early to accuse anyone of being behind the killing.

"This is not good news. The Syrians are not crazy and they are not going to be assassinating Lebanese officials," he said.

"They (the Syrians) have been engaging in dialogue with the opposition ... I think there are many local parties who would have an interest in the destablisation of Lebanon."

Michael Young, opinion editor of the Daily Star had this to say.

"It may very well strengthen the opposition to the Syria presence. There will be a fierce reaction from the Sunni community. I think the government is very embarrassed. They may have to pay for the backlash," he told Aljazeera.net.

Young said Damascus may be blamed for the killing and that this would have an effect on Syria's already tense relations with the US.

"It becomes a question of how much the US and France want to escalate against Syria. The Americans will hold Syria directly responsible. They will not seek conciliation over Resolution 1559. UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen was seeking a delay in its implementation, but now I think there will be no delay," he said.

The magnitude of the blast had local Lebanese commentary pointing the finger at an intelligence agency. Reuters reported that the bomb was sophisticated enough to jam communications devices in the area.

A group contact Al Jazeera to claim responsibility for the attack. Al Jazeera is quoted in a report by the Tehran Times that the caller was not a native speaker of Arabic. They claimed the event was a "martyrdom attack" which would be in line with Islamist terror tactics. However, early reports suggest that nearly 500 lbs of explosives were used.

Predictably, regional governments condemned the attack. But the also mentioned in the Tehran Times story are comments from Iranian officials.

He[Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi] said there is no doubt that such a terrorist act which targeted the Lebanese national sovereignty and territorial integrity would only benefit the Zionist regime.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said that only well-organized terrorist organizations such as those by Zionist regime have the potential to do such a massive terrorist act.

Michel Aoun, the exiled political leader of Lebanon, didn't stop short before blaming Syria. Aoun announced that the Syrians run the security and intelligence apparatus in Lebanon. His exile was the result of the Syrian military offensive.

Rafiq al-Hariri was not a political figure without controversy. He resigned in protest in late 2004 as a result of Syrian domination of Lebanese politics. It is no secret that Syria has engaged Lebanon as a quasi-proxy state to carry out its militant efforts against Israel. Lebanese politicians have complained for years that Syria is not welcome in Lebanon.

Syria rebuts that the Lebanese government wants them in Lebanon. Hariri could have been targeted for his more outspoken criticism of Syria. Clearly he was not a close ally to the Syrian government and his actions were outside the interests of Syria.

The United States stopped short of blaming Syria. Though, they did join France in calling for an investigation into the responsibility for the attack. France and the United States have been seeking reform by the Syrian government through diplomatic channels and the UN Security Council. Together they worked on the passage of UNSC resolution 1559[UNSC Res 1559: PDF]. It calls for an immediate withdrawl of all non-Lebanese forces from Lebanon territory.

The Last Samurai

2005-02-13T14:48:00.000-06:00

I watched The Last Samurai again last night on HBO. This truly is a great film depicting the sociological emergence of a nation as it struggles with it historical cultural connections and the coming wave of modernity.

Rarely does a picture tell the story through song and music. However, Hans Zimmer's scores do in fact connect you to the story through song. As I listen to the soundtrack I can close my eyes and see Katsumoto, played by the excellent Ken Watanabe, observing Nathan Algren, played by Tom Cruise, struggling to defend himself in battle from an inevitable death. As the events pass, Katsumoto witnesses the next phrase of his yet unfinished poem.

It is rare for me to enjoy a Tom Cruise film. I usually come to the conclusion that the films he stars in are great films, yet suffer as a result of his acting. Though, in "The Last Samurai" Cruise excels as an fortunate soldier that seeks death, not through battle with a human enemy, but a battle with his own demons of sorrow and guilt. His emotions only controllable in battle, Cruise discovers a life in the Samurai that impresses him. He connects the dedication of the Samurai to his own dedication. Where the two tales clash, Cruise discovers where his path took a wrong turn.

Edward Zwick directs a picture that I think was snubbed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the category of best picture and direction. Perhaps because this film was a Warner Bros release and Mystic River was also released by Warner Bros it did not crowd the nominations with two Warner releases.

527s: Bye Bye

2005-02-12T23:40:00.000-06:00

Andrew Stuttaford has a little brief over at the Corner about the new crackdown planned for 527s. You'll recall that 527s raised amazing amounts of cash in the most recent election cycle as a result of the effects of McCain-Fiengold, or as the supporters of the bill refer to it - BPCRA(Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act).

Andrew refers to some McCain-Fiengold opposition that is getting behind the new crackdown on 527s.

I understand his criticism. I didn't like McCain-Fiengold. I think Senator Mitch McConnel had the right position on the bill on the basis of a violation of the free expression clause. Unfortunately, SCOTUS only found a few provisions guilty of a violation of first amendment rights.

But upon review of the 2004 general election I have to conclude that 527s were a vital aspect to telling the stories of the candidates. As they hire operators to market only those aspects of the candidate that they want to release, the 527s were there to talk about everything else. The most effective of these was the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. They absolutely hammered John Kerry during a critical month long period that was the gap between the end of the Democrat Party National Convention and the Republican Party National Convention.

Even today, their impact continues to be felt. The SBVT caught the interest of Anneberg Fellow Thomas Lipscomb. He followed the accusations in order to trace the timeline and veracity of John Kerry's depiction of his activities in Vietnam. As recently as a few weeks ago, John Kerry was on "Meet the Press" again changing his story about the "Christmas in Cambodia" event. He went so far as to say he was running guns on classified CIA missions to the Khmer Rouge. It was another Kerry shocker that had the blogosphere again questioning the judgement of John Kerry.(You can read Lipscomb's latest piece in Oregon Magazine)

The 527 organizations were performing a task that politicians have attempted to avoid - those events that do not make them look like the upstanding citizens they campaign as. While this new opposition is accurate in depicting a 527 organization as having the potential to swoop into your district, in the final weeks, and flood the airwaves with ads paid for by billionaires like George Soros and Peter Lewis, so as to change the election outcome, McCain and other propose we just get rid of the 527s.

A better method is real time disclosure of financial contributions for all political activity. Freshman Congressman Bobby Jindal of Louisiana came as close to this as he could come when he ran for governor of his state. His turn around was about 2 business days for reporting all contributions to his website where anyone could view the data. Jindal barely lost that election, but it didn't take him very long to win another.

Column: Ward Churchill Colorado Media Wrap

2005-02-12T15:13:00.000-06:00

Instapundit links to a Dave Kopel piece in the Rocky Mountain News that rounds up a lot of the Ward Churchill controversy.

Among other things, Kopel questions the coverage of the story done by the Denver Post, pointing to the January '87 Denver Post profile of Ward Churchill that I blogged about previously.

Eason Jordan Issues a Statement

2005-02-12T14:26:00.000-06:00

Jay Rosen, over at Pressthink, has a post that includes a statement released by Eason Jordan regarding his comments at Davos.

PressThink: Eason Jordan Resigns

While my CNN colleagues and my friends in the U.S. military know me well enough to know I have never stated, believed, or suspected that U.S. military forces intended to kill people they knew to be journalists, my comments on this subject in a World Economic Forum panel discussion were not as clear as they should have been.

I hope this emphasized statement is accurate. A release of the tape to the press would be the best way to authenticate the veracity of Jordan's statement.

The Diana Oughten Story

2005-02-12T01:48:00.000-06:00

In following up on the reactions to Ward Churchill I read that David Horowitz highlights that Churchill's book, "Pacifism as Pathology", is dedicated to Diana Oughten. Horowitz mentions that she is one of the three casualties of the accidental explosion in the Weathermen bomb factory in a Manhattan condo in Greenwich.

Wanting to know more about Diana Oughten's role in the Weathermen I did what any Internet junkie would do - Google it. One hit is a fascinating read from UPI's history archive. It is a 6 part story about the metamorphisis of a small town girl from wealth to radical aligned with the destruction of American Society.

United Press International - 1970 - Diana Oughton story - Part I

Eason Jordan Submits Resignation

2005-02-12T01:42:00.000-06:00

Tips and praise to the team over at "Easongate" for their efforts to try and tell this story. As veterans they were on this story from leveled accusation to acceptable conclusion.
Easongate: The Price of Slander

They're still one piece short of a completely assembled puzzle. They are calling for a release of the Davos video tape. As veterans, they probably can make a case to the World Economic Forum on behalf of active and retired members of the United States Military. I hope they are successful.

Saving Lives With Toys

2005-02-11T23:17:00.000-06:00

Army vet Blackfive has a must read story from a Marine in Iraq that requested toys from American citizens to hand out to Iraqi children. I refuse to tell the story because it must be read.

The Heart of America (Follow Up) And Journalists

The story is from December 2004.

Ward Churchill: Weather Underground Explosives Instructor?

2005-02-11T17:38:00.000-06:00

Over at LGF there is yet another discussion about Ward Churchill. Among the comments is a link to 1987 Denver Post article that says Ward Churchill came back from Vietnam and traveled to Chicago to instruct the Weather Underground on explosives.

But the Weather Underground knew more about Marxism than about bombs. Churchill briefly taught the Weathermen and Weatherwomen how to make bombs and how to fire weapons - "which end does the bullet go, what are the ingredients, how do you time the damned thing."

Apparently, Ward Churchill's name comes up in COINTELPRO documents obtained by defense counselors for criminal targets of the domestic intelligence operation. He wrote an acclaimed book about the subject after deep discussions with the attorneys that defended the COINTELPRO targets.

I have not ventured deep into this information, though, it does seem odd that the author of an informative book happens to be one of the people investigated by the FBI.

Does North Korea Have Nuclear Weapons?

2005-02-11T16:08:00.000-06:00

Selig Harrison writes in Foreign Affairs that the North Korean nuke evidence may not be as concrete as previously reported.

"Did North Korea Cheat": Jan/Feb-2005

Mitchell Weiss and Robert Galluci respond to Harrison in the current issue of Foreign Affairs.

"Red Handed" Mar/Apr-2005

Tip: Dan Drezner

Bait and Switch: Progressive Catholic Style

2005-02-10T21:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. This marks the start of Lent, the 40 days and 40 nights of mourning the death of Jesus, for Catholics. Believe it or not it always held on a Wednesday.

I went to church with my folks to receive our ashes. To our surprise the service was led by a visiting Augustinian priest. His name is Fr. James Friedel. He gave a good homily about the gospel message of piety and the resistance of fame and accolades.

But the service was supposed to end there. Ash Wednesday is not a day to celebrate Mass. Fr. Friedel continued the service by moving on to celebrate a full mass. Both of my folks glared awkwardly as the service continued into a mass.

The usual short service to receive ashes proceeded to a 95 minute mass. At the end of the mass we received an explanation. As it was revealed the priest decided, with the blessing of the progressive "employees" of the church, the service was extended as the final Lenten retreat mass called "Becoming Aware". The full-time employees of the church organized a special Lenten retreat that consisted of three days of special prayer and town hall style gatherings. Widely unpopular and sparesly attended they chose to make the last Ash Wednesday service the final Lenten retreat mass.

The evening treat was 30 minutes of Liberation Theology from Father Friedel. We learned about the roots of terrorism; poverty.

First, I asked my folks about this irregularity and they said this was the first time in their 50 some odd years of Catholic practice that they had received communion on Ash Wednesday. But the roots of terrorism were enlightening. One of the wealthiest men in the world is the most wanted terrorist in the world and he shuns the wealth in order to live in poverty by choice. Sounds like a plan for a life of hardship, strife and angst.

I'm waiting everyday for the Latin American immigrants to detonate their bombs. Clearly the poverty they face in their hometowns is the reason they have come to the United States. We are just waiting for their terrorism to start.

Oppo Research

2005-02-10T21:19:00.000-06:00

I don't find this subject to be particularly difficult. Essentially it is more or less about exposing people for either misleading, lying or failing to disclose information that may change your audience perspective.

For a composition assignment I wrote a guide to find out that the progressive website "Buzzflash" is nothing more than an astroturf stadium for the public relations firm Mark Karlin & Associates. Mark himself is an avid gun control advocate but I figured it was odd to read a site that interviews George Soros and Bill Moyers and the reader has no clue as to who operates, edits and owns Buzzflash.

Even in the Internet realm I believe in a formal introduction.

Gotcha Journalism for Dummies

2005-02-10T20:50:00.000-06:00

Talon News White House correspondent Jeff Gannon abruptly resigned his post in the aftermath of oppo digs by folks on the Internet. In an interview today with Wolf Blitzer, Jeff Gannon explained some of the missing details.

His real name is JD Guckert(rhymes with Rupert). He uses the name Jeff Gannon for this very reason. It is a simple name that is difficult to misconstrue. While the use of a psuedonym as a White House correspondent seems irregular I don't know enough about the history of White House reporters to say it is wrong.

Nonetheless, Gannon told Wolf that he resigned because the nature of his work was sparking communications with members of his family. People were contacting his extended family to inquire about information into his previous business relationships as well as his background. To me this is more than reasonable to resign. Once you become the story then your reports are suspect to irrational scrutiny.

What I do witness in this story is the fervor that players on the Internet employ when they want to know more. I knew Jeff Gannon from the White House daily press briefings that are shown on C-SPAN. Other people were not as familiar with him or Talon News. It got bad once I started seeing his home number posted. Then other people were conducting background searches using "People Finder". Then the blogger "Billmon" posted a tax lien form copy for JD Guckert. Thankfully he did black out the social security number, but it didn't take long for that to be cleaned up to reveal his social security number.

The good news from this story is that we know a little more than we did the day before about the requirements to enter a White House press briefing. Apparently almost anyone can get in the room by meeting quite minimal requirements.

Now to work on the process of getting Scott McClellan to call on you.

2004-01-27T13:13:00.000-06:00

I laughed and I laughed

Stewart: "Our show is a perfect venue to talk to young viewers."

Dean: "I find that young viewers care about things like the environment and renewable energy..."

Stewart: "Younger."

Dean: "People care about green grass and not spending any more money than they..."

Stewart: "Younger."

Dean: "People care about cleanliness."

Stewart: "You know what, can you just jiggle your keys."

Jon Stewart is a great way to break down politics for young people.