Colonel Harland Sanders' handwritten recipe of 11 herbs and spices was to be removed Tuesday from safekeeping at KFC's corporate offices for the first time in decades. ...Louisville-based KFC, part of the fast-food company Yum Brands Inc., hired off-duty police officers and private security guards to whisk the document away to an undisclosed location in an armored car.Stay tuned.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
In the bunker with Dick Cheney?
Maybe....
Monday, September 08, 2008
Hitting back
Clearly, the Obama campaign takes no advice from TONE. Despite our counsel to avoid personality politics, it is releasing the ad below.
Before we get to that, however, check out Obama's interview with Keith Olbermann (part 2 will be broadcast tomorrow).
OK, now the ad:
Before we get to that, however, check out Obama's interview with Keith Olbermann (part 2 will be broadcast tomorrow).
OK, now the ad:
Family values?
Struggling to accept that her child would be born with Down syndrome and fearful of public criticism of a governor’s pregnancy, Ms. Palin had concealed the news that she was expecting even from her parents and children until her third trimester.The New York Times
Before her son was born, Ms. Palin went to extraordinary lengths to ensure that his arrival would not compromise her work. She hid the pregnancy. She traveled to Texas a month before her due date to give an important speech, delivering it even though her amniotic fluid was leaking. Three days after giving birth, she returned to work.
A few weeks after he was elected to the Senate at age 29 (the Constitution requires Senators to be 30, so that is as young as you can be and be elected--and then only if you will turn 30 before the first Monday in January), Joe Biden's wife and year-old daughter were killed in a traffic accident. His two sons, 2 and 3, were seriously injured. Biden considered resigning his seat in the Senate before being sworn in, but decided to serve after his mother promised to take care of the boys. Biden promised to come back to Wilmington, a 2-hour train ride, every night, which he has done for the past 29 years.
And which is the party of family values?
A dissent
A lot of Democrats and liberal blogs are pressing the Obama campaign to take the gloves off and go after McCain and Palin. And the media buzzes with liberal commentary on Palin's unfitness for high office.
The Republicans would like nothing better than to make this a campaign about personalities, and to keep Palin at center stage for as much of the next eight weeks as possible. The thing they most want to avoid is a contest on the issues. So that is where Obama and Biden need to concentrate.
This doesn't mean avoiding criticism of McCain. On Saturday, I heard Obama pointing out that McCain's message of change doesn't include changes from Bush's tax, economic, energy, etc. policies. That's the way to attack.
We in the media and the blogosphere can go out after Palin's personality, positions and phylo-thin resume. (I am planning a post on those subjects.) Obama and Biden should attack her, or McCain, only when the subject is relevant to issues that will make a real difference in voters' lives.
(Note: McCain's impetuous choice of someone so unqualified is a valid point that should be made.)
The Republicans would like nothing better than to make this a campaign about personalities, and to keep Palin at center stage for as much of the next eight weeks as possible. The thing they most want to avoid is a contest on the issues. So that is where Obama and Biden need to concentrate.
This doesn't mean avoiding criticism of McCain. On Saturday, I heard Obama pointing out that McCain's message of change doesn't include changes from Bush's tax, economic, energy, etc. policies. That's the way to attack.
We in the media and the blogosphere can go out after Palin's personality, positions and phylo-thin resume. (I am planning a post on those subjects.) Obama and Biden should attack her, or McCain, only when the subject is relevant to issues that will make a real difference in voters' lives.
(Note: McCain's impetuous choice of someone so unqualified is a valid point that should be made.)
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Must read
Tom Friedman on the need for national priorities.
On Wednesday, The New York Times on the Web flashed a headline that caught my eye: “U.S. to Unveil $1 Billion Aid Package to Repair Georgia.” Wow, I thought. That’s great: $1 billion to fix Georgia’s roads and schools. But as I read on, I quickly realized that I had the wrong Georgia.Friedman goes to to explain why innovation must be our national aim.
While we still have enormous innovative energy bubbling up from the American people, it is not being supported and nurtured as needed in today’s supercompetitive world. Right now, we feel like a country in a very slow decline — in infrastructure, basic research and education — just slow enough to lull us into thinking that we have all the time and money to play around in Tbilisi, Georgia, more than Atlanta, Georgia.Read the whole thing.
Unbelievable
It was hard enough to believe that John McCain would say once that Gov. Palin's position as commander of the Alaska National Guard qualifies as experience in foreign affairs, but he's said it again.
The most charitable way to look at this is that the Republicans are so desperate that they figure their only chance is if the American people are really, really dumb.
The most charitable way to look at this is that the Republicans are so desperate that they figure their only chance is if the American people are really, really dumb.
Friday, September 05, 2008
An old Republican slogan:
"Don't confuse me with facts!"
AP dissects some of the distortions, exaggerations and outright falsehoods heard at the Republican convention. (Why didn't we hear more about this from the media AT the convention?)
AP dissects some of the distortions, exaggerations and outright falsehoods heard at the Republican convention. (Why didn't we hear more about this from the media AT the convention?)
Just wondering
Does anyone know Sarah Palin's position on jacklighting?
It could shed a lot of light (no pun intended) on her character.
It could shed a lot of light (no pun intended) on her character.
The new Giuliani?
The pundits--at least the liberal ones--said that Rudy Giuliani's campaign speech consisted of a noun, a verb and 911. John McCain seems to have learned something from his erstwhile rival. His campaign speeches now consist of a noun, a verb and POW.
For what it's worth
If you use gmail, Google's email, and do a spell-check, it will highlight blogspot (the host of this blog) as an unrecognized word. Blogspot is a Google site.
(By the bye: the spell-check on blogspot doesn't recognize blogspot, either.)
(By the bye: the spell-check on blogspot doesn't recognize blogspot, either.)
Thursday, September 04, 2008
The wheels of justice turn slowly
A death row inmate in Texas (where else?) is seeking a new trial on the unusual grounds that the judge and the prosecutor were having an affair during his trial. A hearing has been scheduled for September 12--two days after the inmate is scheduled to die.
"In a letter sent today to the Texas governor, 22 former judges and prosecutors, including the former chief judge of the federal Third Circuit Court of Appeal and the former attorneys general of Maryland and Tennessee, called the setting of Hood's hearing date 'inexplicable." They've also asked the governor to issue a stay.
Thanks to ABC News.
"In a letter sent today to the Texas governor, 22 former judges and prosecutors, including the former chief judge of the federal Third Circuit Court of Appeal and the former attorneys general of Maryland and Tennessee, called the setting of Hood's hearing date 'inexplicable." They've also asked the governor to issue a stay.
Thanks to ABC News.
Maybe we weren't so far off
ABC collected a focus group to watch Palin's performance last nights. The independents--the people you'd think that McCain and his handlers want to swing--were not impressed.
Update: HuffPost describes two more focus groups, these of women who (mostly, it sounds like) supported Hillary Clinton. They weren't too impressed, either.
Update: HuffPost describes two more focus groups, these of women who (mostly, it sounds like) supported Hillary Clinton. They weren't too impressed, either.
Oh, those elitists!
Vanity Fair, an alleged magazine, weighed into the political wars with a typically hard-hitting approach: it analyzed the cost of the outfit Cindy McCain wore Tuesday night.
The total? $300,000. That's right, six figures.
Wonder what she'll trot out tonight.
And they have the absolute gall to call Democrats elitist.
(The alleged magazine computes Laura Bush's togs as having cost between $3400 and $4,300, which is still more than the average person can afford to spend on a wardrobe, let alone an outfit.)
The total? $300,000. That's right, six figures.
Wonder what she'll trot out tonight.
And they have the absolute gall to call Democrats elitist.
(The alleged magazine computes Laura Bush's togs as having cost between $3400 and $4,300, which is still more than the average person can afford to spend on a wardrobe, let alone an outfit.)
We're not alone
In suggesting that Palin's presentation last night was not as effective in the ultimate end--winning the election--as most of the media seemed to think this morning. James Fallows, of The Atlantic has a perceptive analysis.
Department of Low Expectations
Palin managed to walk out on stage without tripping over her high heels and didn't have bear grease in her hair, so the media--led by the NYT--are rapturous over her speech. In my admittedly partisan view, she delivered a series of lines written for her, rather than a seamless speech. Some of the attack lines were good, there's no question about it. But I thought they were directed in a defensive, hectoring tone that had no warmth.
Indeed, it's now clear, even before McCain's speech tonight, that the campaign is going to be Obama and Biden's warmth, optimism and hope for the future against the Republicans' defense of the status quo. I'm glad to be on the side that looks to a brighter day ahead.
Indeed, it's now clear, even before McCain's speech tonight, that the campaign is going to be Obama and Biden's warmth, optimism and hope for the future against the Republicans' defense of the status quo. I'm glad to be on the side that looks to a brighter day ahead.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Palin's speech
I'm listening to Palin's speech. It's not as good as I thought it might be (or maybe feared). Right now she's enthusing over the virtues of small town people. All very good, but there aren't many voters left who come from small towns.
Note: Her youngest daughter just took her hand, licked it and smoothed down her baby brother's hair. She's a real sweetie!
Note: Her youngest daughter just took her hand, licked it and smoothed down her baby brother's hair. She's a real sweetie!
Just plain sad
We used to be able to convince ourselves that John McCain was a little bit different from other Republicans. That gets harder and harder to do with every passing day, maybe with each hour. The latest installment: In an interview with Charles Gibson, of ABC:
Gibson: Can you look the country straight in the eye and say Sarah Palin has the qualities and has enough experience to be commander in chief?MCCAIN: Oh, absolutely. Having been the governor of our largest state, the commander of their National Guard, she was once in charge of their natural resources assets, actually, until she found out there was corruption and she quit and said it had to be fixed.
Of course, it helps to be a mayor. When I think people compare her experience, in fact, and accomplishments, I think ethics in lobbying reform in a state that was beset by the influence of special interests, cutting taxes, giving the citizens back money.
I mean, she's got an incredible resume, including a beautiful family and a wonderful, loving, caring family. So I will think that, over time, people will compare her accomplishments with that of Sen. Obama, and his are very meager.
Who said it?
The gifts that God has given to Barack Obama are as enormous as his future is unlimited. As his mentor, as his colleague, as his friend, I look forward to helping him reach to the stars and realize not just the dreams he has for himself but the dreams we all have for him and our blessed country.Can you guess?
That's right, none other than Joe Lieberman, introducing Obama at a Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Connecticut in 2006. (The sanctimoniousness gave it away, didn't it?)
Thanks to Political Wire for this one.
Wisdom of crowds
I love The New York Times' letters page. Here are some offerings from today's letters:
Re “Palin Daughter’s Pregnancy Interrupts G.O.P. Convention Script” (news article, Sept. 2):
Gov. Sarah Palin has said she decided to carry to term her child who has Down syndrome. Of her daughter’s premarital pregnancy, she also says, “We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby.”
But how can one claim to be anti-choice and twice speak about “decisions”? A true pro-life candidate must believe that there is no choice but to bear the child, and that the law should bar any such decisions to the contrary.
Indeed, if the governor learned of her own child’s Down syndrome from prenatal testing, is it not hypocrisy to ever have such a test since the fetus has a right to life regardless?
Perhaps Governor Palin is, in fact, a proponent of choice after all.
Lawrence Rosen
Princeton, N.J., Sept. 2, 2008
Princeton, N.J., Sept. 2, 2008
Re “Palin Disclosures Spotlight McCain’s Screening Process” (front page, Sept. 2):
Ever since Gov. Sarah Palin was unveiled as John McCain’s running mate, the press has had a field day in uncovering her foibles, personal and political. The real story, however, is Mr. McCain’s lack of judgment.
Mr. McCain has already caused concern by his appalling ignorance of world geography and his tendency to oversimplify complex foreign policy issues. His choice of Ms. Palin makes it plain that he is not in the least concerned with America’s stature in the world or the ability of the next vice president to step into the role of commander of chief.
The American people deserve better from the Republican Party.
John Jeffries Martin
I love how the pregnancy of Sarah Palin’s daughter is, according to John McCain’s campaign, “a private family matter.” This, after the Republican Party has spent 30 years making policy on women’s bodies. Why can’t Republicans recognize that reproductive decisions are private for all American women?
Claire Bushey
Chicago, Sept. 2, 2008
Chicago, Sept. 2, 2008
Double standard
As this blogger points out, Michelle Obama has taken a lot of heat for saying that "for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country." Yet Todd Palin was, for years, a member of a party that preaches secession. Should he be judged by the same standard?
(Is there a legitimate distinction between a potential First Lady and a prospective Second Gentleman? To some extent, maybe.)
(Is there a legitimate distinction between a potential First Lady and a prospective Second Gentleman? To some extent, maybe.)
Let's be careful
For those of us who think that in picking Sara Palin, John McCain, (a) made a serious, perhaps fatal, error; (b) toadied to the right wing of his party; (c) showed cynicism and contempt for the voters;(d) lost his ever-loving mind; or (e) all of the above, it's all too easy to take cheap shots at Gov. Palin.
This is a bad thing. It is bad, because it is unfair, intellectually dishonest and because it will actually motivate some people to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. Not only that, but it calls into question the idea--to which I subscribe, and I hope you do, too--that a woman should be permitted to make the kind of choices that Sarah Palin has, without being judged unworthy because she has children. (Let me hasten to add that she is also free to decide to devote her life to her children, or to take some middle ground.)
If you are saying that this page has taken some cheap shots, all we can say is that you may be right. And if we did, we were wrong.
Yesterday, I mentioned that a woman I know was outraged that Gov. Palin had put her daughter in the national spotlight by accepting the vice-presidential slot. Another woman friend was outraged that the governor would accept a place on the ticket while caring for a special needs infant.
When these kinds of assertions come up, the question we should ask, it seems to me, is whether we would say the same thing if Gov. Palin's husband were the candidate. Would we say that he should not put his daughter in the limelight? Maybe we would. Would we suggest that he could not be vice-president (or perhaps even governor) once he found out that he would have a Downs' syndrome child? I don't think so.
From now on, here at TONE we'll try to avoid cheap shots at Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain, no matter how tempting they are as targets.
George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove remain fair game, however.
This is a bad thing. It is bad, because it is unfair, intellectually dishonest and because it will actually motivate some people to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. Not only that, but it calls into question the idea--to which I subscribe, and I hope you do, too--that a woman should be permitted to make the kind of choices that Sarah Palin has, without being judged unworthy because she has children. (Let me hasten to add that she is also free to decide to devote her life to her children, or to take some middle ground.)
If you are saying that this page has taken some cheap shots, all we can say is that you may be right. And if we did, we were wrong.
Yesterday, I mentioned that a woman I know was outraged that Gov. Palin had put her daughter in the national spotlight by accepting the vice-presidential slot. Another woman friend was outraged that the governor would accept a place on the ticket while caring for a special needs infant.
When these kinds of assertions come up, the question we should ask, it seems to me, is whether we would say the same thing if Gov. Palin's husband were the candidate. Would we say that he should not put his daughter in the limelight? Maybe we would. Would we suggest that he could not be vice-president (or perhaps even governor) once he found out that he would have a Downs' syndrome child? I don't think so.
From now on, here at TONE we'll try to avoid cheap shots at Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain, no matter how tempting they are as targets.
George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove remain fair game, however.
OOPS!
Chuck Todd, of NBC, Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan forget that the mike is always live.
(Sarah Palin could tell them that the gun is always loaded.)
TPM kindly supplies a transcript:
(Sarah Palin could tell them that the gun is always loaded.)
TPM kindly supplies a transcript:
Chuck Todd: Mike Murphy, lots of free advice, we'll see if Steve Schmidt and the boys were watching. We'll find out on your blackberry. Tonight voters will get their chance to hear from Sarah Palin and she will get the chance to show voters she's the right woman for the jobUp next, one man who's already convinced and he'll us why Gov. Jon Huntsman. (cut away)
Peggy Noonan: Yeah.
Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. I mean, these guys -- this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it's not gonna work. And --
PN: It's over.
MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.
CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too.
PN: Saw Kay this morning.
CT: Yeah, she's never looked comfortable about this --
MM: They're all bummed out.
CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?
PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this -- excuse me-- political bullshit about narratives --
CT: Yeah they went to a narrative.
MM: I totally agree.
PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it.
MM: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.
CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky.
MM: Yeah.
Who's at fault?
Josh Marshall points out that it is the McCain campaign that has been stirring things up about Bristol Palin's pregnancy.
Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
John McCain would like the American people to think of him as a straight-talking maverick who'll wage war on earmarks and the lobbyists who obtain them.
Sarah Palin, as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, lobbied for and got $27 million in federal earmarks. That's more than $4,000 for every man, woman and child in Wasilla.
Sarah Palin, as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, lobbied for and got $27 million in federal earmarks. That's more than $4,000 for every man, woman and child in Wasilla.
Whiners of the World, Unite!
Phil Gramm--a likely treasury secretary in a McCain administration--to a group of Bankers' Lobbyists in St. Paul yesterday:
If you’re sitting here today, you’re not economically illiterate and you’re not a whiner, so I’m not worried about who you’re going to vote for.If Obama and Biden get the votes of all the whiners, they'll exceed the electoral landslide that FDR piled up in 1936.
So much ignorance, so little time
Does Sarah Palin think that the Pledge of Allegiance was written by the Founding Fathers? Daily Kos says she does. (Warning, the link on the DK page returns no result and says that the blog linked to does not exist--was it, maybe, taken down since last week? The world wonders.)
Note: One of the comments to the Daily Kos post said that Palin's response reminded him of Ma Ferguson, Governor of Texas in the '20's, who was quoted as saying, “If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it ought to be good enough for the children of Texas.”
Note: One of the comments to the Daily Kos post said that Palin's response reminded him of Ma Ferguson, Governor of Texas in the '20's, who was quoted as saying, “If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it ought to be good enough for the children of Texas.”
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
A woman's point of view
A woman of my acquaintance is outraged that Gov. Palin would step in to the national limelight--bringing her family with her--knowing of her daughter's pregnancy.
I hadn't thought of this, but she's absolutely right.
I hadn't thought of this, but she's absolutely right.
Too, too delicious
From the Chickens Coming Home to Roost Department:
(Our motto: Never Let the Easy Ones Pass You By.)
Republican John McCain, whose running mate disclosed that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, has opposed proposals to spend federal money on teen-pregnancy prevention programs and voted to require poor teen mothers to stay in school or lose their benefits.
(Our motto: Never Let the Easy Ones Pass You By.)
Monday, September 01, 2008
Hard to believe
Jake Tapper, of ABC, reports that the Alaska Independence Party (which he describes as a "'fringe'"--that is, he puts "fringe" in quotes--party) claims that Sarah Palin was a member. There is a YouTube video of her sending a message to the party for its 2008 convention. In it, she sounds like she is trying to bring party members into the mainstream of Alaskan politics.
The party's vice-chair told a group of supporters that Palin was a member of the party before ran for mayor of Wasilla. If true--and as far as we know there is no support for the boast--that could--we emphasize "could"--mean that she was part of a party that looks toward an ultimate goal of separating Alaska from the United States as late as 2000.
It's hard to believe that Ms. Palin (or does she prefer Mrs.?) ever seriously flirted with the idea of Alaskan secession, and this page should be the last to indulge in the practice of guilt by association. Mere membership in any party should not be a license to attribute all of the party's platform proposals to any individual.
It seems fair to ask, however, how the Republican Party--given its premises and its platform--could run a vice-presidential nominee who ever seriously suggested breaking away from the United States.
Well, maybe they'll argue that that constitutes experience in international relations.
Update: The NYT reports that Palin has been confirmed to have been a member of the AIP "for two years in the 1990s." In 1990, she was 26 years old; in 1999, she was 35. So this was not exactly a youthful flirtation. She married in 1988 (according to Wikipedia, she and her husband eloped--what was that about?), and had her first child the following year. So she was at least a young mother when she joined the AIP.
The party's vice-chair told a group of supporters that Palin was a member of the party before ran for mayor of Wasilla. If true--and as far as we know there is no support for the boast--that could--we emphasize "could"--mean that she was part of a party that looks toward an ultimate goal of separating Alaska from the United States as late as 2000.
It's hard to believe that Ms. Palin (or does she prefer Mrs.?) ever seriously flirted with the idea of Alaskan secession, and this page should be the last to indulge in the practice of guilt by association. Mere membership in any party should not be a license to attribute all of the party's platform proposals to any individual.
It seems fair to ask, however, how the Republican Party--given its premises and its platform--could run a vice-presidential nominee who ever seriously suggested breaking away from the United States.
Well, maybe they'll argue that that constitutes experience in international relations.
Update: The NYT reports that Palin has been confirmed to have been a member of the AIP "for two years in the 1990s." In 1990, she was 26 years old; in 1999, she was 35. So this was not exactly a youthful flirtation. She married in 1988 (according to Wikipedia, she and her husband eloped--what was that about?), and had her first child the following year. So she was at least a young mother when she joined the AIP.
You heard it here second
In case you missed it, Gail Collins on the upcoming Vice-Presidential debate:
Joe Biden may already be practicing his drop-dead line for the vice-presidential debate: “I know Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton is a friend of mine, and governor, you’re no Hillary Clinton.”
Commander in chief
It's true, I actually heard a McCain flack cite Sarah Palin's experience as the commander of the Alaska National Guard as a reason why she is qualified to be President. No shame.
Have you noticed that, despite the GOP and media excitement over Palin, the dynamic of the race has changed in the last few days? To begin with, the GOPhers are now on the defensive over what was probably their most effective issue--the claim that McCain's greater experience justified his election. Not only has he saddled himself with a laughably untested running mate, but he's now up against a team of Obama and Biden that, combined, has more experience, intellect, eloquence and humor than the Republicans.
Speaking of humor, McCain, who was once the happy warrior, has become increasingly testy and combative. Not a good sign for the Republicans. McC's only chance is to be an effective counter-puncher; increasingly, he looks slow and, yes, old.
If you didn't get a chance to see Obama and Biden on Sixty Minutes, last night, take a look on line. From our admittedly biased perspective, the look like a terrific team.
Have you noticed that, despite the GOP and media excitement over Palin, the dynamic of the race has changed in the last few days? To begin with, the GOPhers are now on the defensive over what was probably their most effective issue--the claim that McCain's greater experience justified his election. Not only has he saddled himself with a laughably untested running mate, but he's now up against a team of Obama and Biden that, combined, has more experience, intellect, eloquence and humor than the Republicans.
Speaking of humor, McCain, who was once the happy warrior, has become increasingly testy and combative. Not a good sign for the Republicans. McC's only chance is to be an effective counter-puncher; increasingly, he looks slow and, yes, old.
If you didn't get a chance to see Obama and Biden on Sixty Minutes, last night, take a look on line. From our admittedly biased perspective, the look like a terrific team.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Where were they when....
Today, John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, swooped down on Jackson, MS, to check on the evacuation of people from the Gulf Coast ahead of Hurricane Gustav. As Will Thomas notes, this visit was of no use to the evacuees or those who are helping them; indeed, it put a load on local and state officials who had to make provision for the candidates, their staffs, Secret Service Details, press, etc., etc.
Of course, three years after Katrina, Republicans can be forgiven for a certain paranoia about Gustav, especially on what was supposed to be the first day of their national convention. (Almost all events have been canceled, in view of the hurricane, although it will hit nowhere near the Twin Cities.)
So, where was the Senator from Arizona on the day that Katrina made landfall? He was in Phoenix, with a friend:
The official White House caption for this photo reads, "President George W. Bush joins Arizona Senator John McCain for a small celebration of McCain's 69th birthday Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, after the President's arrival at Luke Air Force Base, near Phoenix."
Of course, three years after Katrina, Republicans can be forgiven for a certain paranoia about Gustav, especially on what was supposed to be the first day of their national convention. (Almost all events have been canceled, in view of the hurricane, although it will hit nowhere near the Twin Cities.)
So, where was the Senator from Arizona on the day that Katrina made landfall? He was in Phoenix, with a friend:
The official White House caption for this photo reads, "President George W. Bush joins Arizona Senator John McCain for a small celebration of McCain's 69th birthday Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, after the President's arrival at Luke Air Force Base, near Phoenix."
Life imitates art, or at least televsion
Doesn't Sarah Palin remind you of someone?
Is she not doing a bad Gilda Radner skit?
Remember, the original Saturday Night Live cast was dubbed "The Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players."
Is she not doing a bad Gilda Radner skit?
Remember, the original Saturday Night Live cast was dubbed "The Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players."
Friday, August 29, 2008
One man's journey
A friend I met in the Obama campaign sent the following account of the journey that brought him to this point in our history. He has graciously permitted me to quote him:
Joe Biden quotes
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
So many thoughts and emotions came up for us, far too many to relate in this brief space. But some of the more salient bear noting, especially those that reminded me most poignantly of my own journey to this place of new-found hopefulness.
I grew up in a somewhat segregated small town in Central Indiana in the 1940's and 1950's, where African -Americans could go to public schools and participate in athletics, but could not swim in the local public pool, eat at the local drugstore lunch counter, or even try out for cheerleader. Racial epithets and covert prejudice were common, and some neighboring towns were widely known to be off-limits to Blacks after dark. I was extremely fortunate, however, to have had tolerant and accepting parents, and enough open-minded adults in the community that I felt I could and did develop some life-long friendships and attachments to several of my Black classmates (all of whom went on to impressive careers as lawyers,or school teachers, or ministers,or community leaders, etc).
I joined a fraternity while in college that had, it turned out, a national, de facto prohibition against admitting Blacks. None of the fraternities in my college accepted Blacks, and unfortunately few Blacks chose to attend my college.
I spent almost four years after college in the US Navy, almost all of it in Georgia and Virginia in the early sixties. I was introduced to Southern segregationist politics in
When I took my first (and only) law firm job in 1969, I learned that I would be joining an incoming class that had the first Black lawyer in the firm's then 120 year history (he later became with me a partner, a State Senator in Connecticut, president of the National Council of Christians and Jews, and remains one of my best friends .He was a delegate this week to the Convention, too)Happily, my firm has since taken leadership roles over the years to advance the opportunities for lawyers and staff of all colors and gender, so that now I think I can safely say that diversity is the norm, not the exception for us.
I set this brief history out to simply remind myself of how far we have come in this country (and in my own life) in the struggle to achieve racial justice. And to remind myself that Barack Obama, and hundreds of the delegates to the Denver Convention this week, had to overcome in their lives much of the prejudice and discrimination I just described. But we also were repeatedly reminded this week of how many miles we still have to go before we sleep, not only to achieve racial justice, but social, economic, and gender justice as well.
Almost too easy:
From McCain's announcement of his choice of Palin as his running mate.
Think she's ever led troops in battle?
As the head of Alaska's National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself Gov. Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.Huh?
Think she's ever led troops in battle?
Let's not forget
Today is John McCain's birthday! He's 72 years old. And I do mean old.
So, from one old guy to another:
So, from one old guy to another:
Republicans change position on major issue, now favor affirmative action!
Does anyone think that McCain would have chosen Sarah Palin if she were a man? I didn't think so.
Talkingpointsmemo had a screen shot from, showing McCain and Palin behind a podium emblazoned with the slogan "Country First."
If McCain were really putting the country first, is she the person he would have chosen to take over as President if he dies or becomes incapacitated in office?
Talkingpointsmemo had a screen shot from, showing McCain and Palin behind a podium emblazoned with the slogan "Country First."
If McCain were really putting the country first, is she the person he would have chosen to take over as President if he dies or becomes incapacitated in office?
Even before being named...
...there's a scandal about Gov. Sarah Palin (R.AK). (TONE regrets the earlier mis-spelling of her name.)
Before it fades away in the 24-hour news cycle
This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
Instead, it is that American spirit -- that American promise -- that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours -- a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
"The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead -- people of every creed and color, from every walk of life -- is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
'We cannot walk alone,' the preacher cried. 'And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.'
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise -- that American promise -- and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
Barack Obama,
Denver, CO
August 28, 2008
August 28, 2008
And the loser is.....
Apparently both Mitt (the Great Flip-Flopper) Romney and Tim (the Man Who Vetoed Money to Repair Roads and Bridges Before the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse) Pawlenty are out of the Republican Veepstakes. Last-minute reports are that it will be the governor of Alaska, Sarah Pallin.
Credit to my law partner, Kevin Powers, who has been predicting her for a while. (Could he have a pipeline to McCain? Hmmm. I'll have to check on that.)
Credit to my law partner, Kevin Powers, who has been predicting her for a while. (Could he have a pipeline to McCain? Hmmm. I'll have to check on that.)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Anthems
Stevie Wonder just sang Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm yours) for Barack and Michelle.
This being the Old New Englander, we still favor Happy Days are Here Again as the Democratic anthem.
Or the great American song, This Land is Your Land.
But if we're going to R&B, it ought to be Ain't No Mountain High Enough.
This being the Old New Englander, we still favor Happy Days are Here Again as the Democratic anthem.
Or the great American song, This Land is Your Land.
But if we're going to R&B, it ought to be Ain't No Mountain High Enough.
Bizarre
From a Dallas Morning News interview with John Goodman, who, according to the paper "helped craft Sen. John McCain's health care policy." After noting that those who must use the emergency room are, in effect, insured by the government, Goodman said,
Update: The McCain campaign denies that Goodman was an advisor.
I have a solution. And it will cost not one thin dime. The next president of the United States should sign an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to cease and desist from describing any American – even illegal aliens – as uninsured. Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care.
So, there you have it. Voila! Problem solved.
I guess that passes for thinking among the GOPhers.
By the way, the Morning News headline for the article containing Goodman's comments was "Texas still leads nation in rate of uninsured residents."Update: The McCain campaign denies that Goodman was an advisor.
Another great line
Bill Richardson:
John McCain may pay hundreds of dollars for his shoes, but we'll pay for his flip-flops.
Man of honor?
There's a theme that recurs in your books and your speeches, both about putting country first but also about honor. I wonder if you could define honor for us?Read it in my books.
I've read your books.
No, I'm not going to define it.
But honor in politics?
I defined it in five books. Read my books.
John McCain in an interview with Time.
Hmm. Could it be that his mind was a little fuzzy?
Seriously, read the whole interview. John McCain has turned into the Manchurian candidate. He's clearly under the thumb of handlers who don't want to show the old--and we hope, the true McCain. Too bad for them, and him, because that guy might have a shot. When the American people see the new guy, he's going to get buried.
Best line of the day
So far, at least.
A talkingpointsmemo.com reader: "Lieberman is now seen as George Bush without the intellectual complexity."
It's early yet, but it would take a real talent to top that one.
A talkingpointsmemo.com reader: "Lieberman is now seen as George Bush without the intellectual complexity."
It's early yet, but it would take a real talent to top that one.
The zinger that might have been
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Obama's people edited this line out of Dennis Kucinich's convention speech yesterday:
"They're asking for another four years -- in a just world, they'd get 10 to 20."
"They're asking for another four years -- in a just world, they'd get 10 to 20."
Kudos
Give credit where credit is due; that seems to be our new motto. I've never been a big fan of Bill Clinton, but last night's speech was terrific. I just hope he means it when he says he's willing to get out on the campaign trail for Obama.
To begin with, if I were Obama, I'd ask Bill to travel to the Twin Cities next week, along with Joe Biden, to bring some reality to the Republican fantasy that will unfold there.
And what would you think of Bill Clinton as ambassador to the UN?
To begin with, if I were Obama, I'd ask Bill to travel to the Twin Cities next week, along with Joe Biden, to bring some reality to the Republican fantasy that will unfold there.
And what would you think of Bill Clinton as ambassador to the UN?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Credit where credit is due
As regular readers will recall, this page was very critical of Hillary Clinton during the primary campaign. Let us acknowledge, then, that she has been a good soldier for the Democrats and the Obama campaign, crowned by her motion to nominate him by acclamation.
Let's also pay tribute to her ability to keep the fervent loyalty of her supporters. There are many who do not like Sen. Clinton, but she has built a cadre of people--not all of them women--who would walk through fire for her. Not many politicians can claim such a cadre.
Let's also pay tribute to her ability to keep the fervent loyalty of her supporters. There are many who do not like Sen. Clinton, but she has built a cadre of people--not all of them women--who would walk through fire for her. Not many politicians can claim such a cadre.
A true test of character?
When I was canvassing for Obama before the New Hampshire primary, I ran into a number of independents who said they were intending to or thinking of voting in the Republican primary. Whenever I thought it not too awkward, I'd try to nudge them toward McCain as the best of the GOPhers.
Which makes me especially distressed that ambition seems to have stripped John McCain of all sense of decency and propriety, not to mention accuracy. The latest evidence of this is the way that McCain has twisted and distorted Barack Obama's words about Iran. TPM covers it very well here, so I won't repeat the details.
There are a lot of people who are after Barack to call McCain out for his distortions. A better tactic would be for him challenge McCain out what lies beneath the pattern of distortions that we are seeing. "Why is John McCain unwilling to have a serious debate on the challenges that face this nation? Why is he afraid to face what I really say? Why does he feel compelled to distort my remarks? Is it because he knows that he can't respond fairly and honestly to the ideas that I have put forward?"
Which makes me especially distressed that ambition seems to have stripped John McCain of all sense of decency and propriety, not to mention accuracy. The latest evidence of this is the way that McCain has twisted and distorted Barack Obama's words about Iran. TPM covers it very well here, so I won't repeat the details.
There are a lot of people who are after Barack to call McCain out for his distortions. A better tactic would be for him challenge McCain out what lies beneath the pattern of distortions that we are seeing. "Why is John McCain unwilling to have a serious debate on the challenges that face this nation? Why is he afraid to face what I really say? Why does he feel compelled to distort my remarks? Is it because he knows that he can't respond fairly and honestly to the ideas that I have put forward?"
Two New York stories
Think you've got problems? You'll shed a tear when you read about this family.
And I suspect you'll shed a different kind of tear when you learn about Sister Lucita Cangemi.
Two New York--and American--stories.
And I suspect you'll shed a different kind of tear when you learn about Sister Lucita Cangemi.
Two New York--and American--stories.
Happy Days Are Here Again
The MSM are pushing the disunion-angst theme at the Democratic convention. Viz. this from today's NYT.
I fear that when Barack Obama walks out on stage tomorrow night, it will be to some pulsing post-modern beat. Maybe I'm showing my age (why stop now?), but to me the theme of this even, and the Democratic Party, should be
I fear that when Barack Obama walks out on stage tomorrow night, it will be to some pulsing post-modern beat. Maybe I'm showing my age (why stop now?), but to me the theme of this even, and the Democratic Party, should be
Monday, August 25, 2008
As if things weren't bad enough
MSNBC reports that Bush is sending Dick Cheney to Georgia, and that John McCain is also dispatching his wife to the same place.
As an old Georgian expression has it, "Oy, gevalt!"
As an old Georgian expression has it, "Oy, gevalt!"
Musical interlude
Now, for your listening pleasure, the latest from the Obama campaign. Take a look here.
Practice makes perfect
Unless it doesn't.
McCain's people are running this ad using as his spokesperson...Hillary Clinton!
(Guess all those people who told Hillary she was acting as a stalking horse for the Repubs were right.)
We can expect a lot more of this from McCain's people, trying to counter McCain's age with references to Obama's (relative) inexperience. (For those who may not remember, Obama has more experience in elective office than a number of estimable presidents: Lincoln, TR, Wilson, and FDR come to mind. Not to mention the Republican hero, Eisenhower.
The real response to the McCain argument was given by my high school French teacher, Mary Jane Hogan. She used to tell us that the adage "Practice makes perfect," is wrong. Perfect practice makes perfect, she would say. If you practice it wrong, you just get worse. So, if you keep arguing for the wrong policies, as McCain has, you'll stay on the wrong road if you get into office.
McCain's people are running this ad using as his spokesperson...Hillary Clinton!
(Guess all those people who told Hillary she was acting as a stalking horse for the Repubs were right.)
We can expect a lot more of this from McCain's people, trying to counter McCain's age with references to Obama's (relative) inexperience. (For those who may not remember, Obama has more experience in elective office than a number of estimable presidents: Lincoln, TR, Wilson, and FDR come to mind. Not to mention the Republican hero, Eisenhower.
The real response to the McCain argument was given by my high school French teacher, Mary Jane Hogan. She used to tell us that the adage "Practice makes perfect," is wrong. Perfect practice makes perfect, she would say. If you practice it wrong, you just get worse. So, if you keep arguing for the wrong policies, as McCain has, you'll stay on the wrong road if you get into office.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A house is a house is a house
John McCain doesn't know how many houses he owns.
Then again, it's not clear that anyone else does, either. His staff says four. Newsweek reported last summer that he and Cindy own seven. A group called Progressive Accountability says the number if 10. And counting?
What does this tell us? That McCain is a rich guy who may be out of touch with most Americans? (Remember that he is the son and grandson of admirals and grew up on military bases around the world--not as a rich kid, but one with the privileges that accrue to the children of officers in a closed society that is in many ways cut off from the civilian US, even on bases in this country.)
Or is the guy losing his memory, perhaps?
Then again, it's not clear that anyone else does, either. His staff says four. Newsweek reported last summer that he and Cindy own seven. A group called Progressive Accountability says the number if 10. And counting?
What does this tell us? That McCain is a rich guy who may be out of touch with most Americans? (Remember that he is the son and grandson of admirals and grew up on military bases around the world--not as a rich kid, but one with the privileges that accrue to the children of officers in a closed society that is in many ways cut off from the civilian US, even on bases in this country.)
Or is the guy losing his memory, perhaps?
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Watch out for falling sky
A new Zogby poll has McCain leading Obama by five points nationally! Not only that, but more Americans trust McC on the economy than trust Barack.
Uh, huh.
You may choose to believe that more Americans trust McCain than Obama on the economy. You are also free to believe in the tooth fairy. The one is as likely as the other.
Uh, huh.
You may choose to believe that more Americans trust McCain than Obama on the economy. You are also free to believe in the tooth fairy. The one is as likely as the other.
Could we be so lucky?
As to have John McCain pick Joe Lieberman as his running mate?
Please, please, please......
A friend suggests the perfect bumper sticker for the pair:
Please, please, please......
A friend suggests the perfect bumper sticker for the pair:
GRUMPY OLD MEN
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Now HERE's a surprise
or maybe not. Thanks to Taegan Goddard's Political Wire for this one:
According to a study by the Center for Responsive Politics, Obama has out-raised McCain among troops deployed abroad, six to one!
Now, the sample size--based on campaign-finance reports--is small, but indicative. The troops, after all, know which side their bread is buttered on, and they know what really counts.
Wonder if the MSM will pick this one up. I bet the answer is no: it doesn't fit their model of the campaign.
According to a study by the Center for Responsive Politics, Obama has out-raised McCain among troops deployed abroad, six to one!
Now, the sample size--based on campaign-finance reports--is small, but indicative. The troops, after all, know which side their bread is buttered on, and they know what really counts.
Wonder if the MSM will pick this one up. I bet the answer is no: it doesn't fit their model of the campaign.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Another view
of the roots of the Georgian crisis, by Anatol Lieven, of the New America Foundation. You might be surprised that I agree with most of what he writes, in view of my earlier comments. However, I don't think three's really a conflict. I don't defend what the Georgians did in going into South Ossetia; clearly it was going to provoke a strong Russian reaction. That doesn't justify a full-scale invasion of Georgia, however.
Georgia on my mind
The Russian attack on Georgia is an obvious revival of Czarist imperialism. More properly, Russian imperialism; the Soviets were little different from either the Czars or the present republic.
Less obvious is a parallel between Georgia and Czechoslovakia, a theme being played by the Georgians themselves, who suggest that if the West will not stand up to Russian imperialism in their country, the other nations on the fringe of the old Soviet borders are doomed. There is a good deal of cynicism in this, but also truth; if the Russians manage to topple the elected (and recently re-elected) government of Georgia, how safe can the Baltic nations or even Ukraine feel? All have large Russian minorities (which were greatly augmented during the Soviet years, as part of a policy to dilute the power of hereditary claims on such lands), such as the ones being used by the Russians in South Ossetia and the other Georgia's other break-away region, Abkhazia.
The Georgians, encouraged by loud protestations of friendship and alliance from the West--particularly by our own George W.--overstepped by moving into South Ossetia last week. Or maybe not. It's been suggested that a collision with Russian interests was inevitable, and that the Georgians knew they'd lose militarily but hoped to arouse the West to protect them against serious future threats. That's a high-risk strategy, but when you are the pro-western president of a small nation on the border of Russia, it may be the best you can hope for.
According to The New York Times, the Russian offensive has now reached into Georgia itself, outside the borders of the separatist enclaves. That presents the West with a real challenge; whether the Georgian simile between that small nation and the Czechs at the time of Munich was valid or not, it looks legitimate today.
So, what can the West do?
Given Russia's oil and gas wealth, and Western Europe's dependence on supplies from it, economic sanctions are likely to be laughed at. Nor can we expect any of our important NATO allies to do anything to annoy the Russians. (Not even the Poles, with their hereditary hatred of Russia.) The French, Germans and Italians, who won't even engage the Taliban in Afghanistan in a meaningful way, are not likely to flex military muscles or do anything else that might antagonize the Bear.
The American debacle in Iraq is, of course, a contributing factor here; we are so spread out and weakened that the Russians were undoubtedly encouraged to believe that we will do nothing but bluster at their ambitions. (They may prove correct in that assessment.) One of the few beneficial effects of our ineffectual adventuring, however, has been to place American forces not too far from Georgia. There are steps that we could take to make the Russians pause and that might encourage a diplomatic end to the crisis. They would first raise the temperature a great deal, but Putin--the man who still controls Russia, from all appearances--seems to be like my uncle Harold, about whom we used to say that you had to hit him upside the head with a 2 x 4 to get his attention.
The 2 x 4 might include:
--Shipping surface-to-air missiles to Georgia. Shoulder-fired missiles took a great
toll on Soviet aircraft in Afghanistan.
--Move elements of the Sixth Fleet from the Mediterranean into the Black Sea.
--Move a carrier task group to the Eastern Med, off Turkey, where it could
potentially provide air support to the Georgians. (We would not have to announce
that; Russian intelligence would undoubtedly pick it up.)
--Send American aircraft to Georgia and park them ostentatiously around Georgian
airfields, to deter further Russian airstrikes there. Some of them could be A-10
Warthog ground-attack aircraft (tank-busters) as a pointed warning against further
ground incursions
As I say, these steps would be serious and would increase tension to a very high level. They would have to be accompanied by insistence that a diplomatic solution is absolutely necessary. But I fear that we have few other options except defeat for our declared allies in Georgia, and for other democracies along the rim of the old Soviet Union. That is where George W. Bush's policies have left us.
Less obvious is a parallel between Georgia and Czechoslovakia, a theme being played by the Georgians themselves, who suggest that if the West will not stand up to Russian imperialism in their country, the other nations on the fringe of the old Soviet borders are doomed. There is a good deal of cynicism in this, but also truth; if the Russians manage to topple the elected (and recently re-elected) government of Georgia, how safe can the Baltic nations or even Ukraine feel? All have large Russian minorities (which were greatly augmented during the Soviet years, as part of a policy to dilute the power of hereditary claims on such lands), such as the ones being used by the Russians in South Ossetia and the other Georgia's other break-away region, Abkhazia.
The Georgians, encouraged by loud protestations of friendship and alliance from the West--particularly by our own George W.--overstepped by moving into South Ossetia last week. Or maybe not. It's been suggested that a collision with Russian interests was inevitable, and that the Georgians knew they'd lose militarily but hoped to arouse the West to protect them against serious future threats. That's a high-risk strategy, but when you are the pro-western president of a small nation on the border of Russia, it may be the best you can hope for.
According to The New York Times, the Russian offensive has now reached into Georgia itself, outside the borders of the separatist enclaves. That presents the West with a real challenge; whether the Georgian simile between that small nation and the Czechs at the time of Munich was valid or not, it looks legitimate today.
So, what can the West do?
Given Russia's oil and gas wealth, and Western Europe's dependence on supplies from it, economic sanctions are likely to be laughed at. Nor can we expect any of our important NATO allies to do anything to annoy the Russians. (Not even the Poles, with their hereditary hatred of Russia.) The French, Germans and Italians, who won't even engage the Taliban in Afghanistan in a meaningful way, are not likely to flex military muscles or do anything else that might antagonize the Bear.
The American debacle in Iraq is, of course, a contributing factor here; we are so spread out and weakened that the Russians were undoubtedly encouraged to believe that we will do nothing but bluster at their ambitions. (They may prove correct in that assessment.) One of the few beneficial effects of our ineffectual adventuring, however, has been to place American forces not too far from Georgia. There are steps that we could take to make the Russians pause and that might encourage a diplomatic end to the crisis. They would first raise the temperature a great deal, but Putin--the man who still controls Russia, from all appearances--seems to be like my uncle Harold, about whom we used to say that you had to hit him upside the head with a 2 x 4 to get his attention.
The 2 x 4 might include:
--Shipping surface-to-air missiles to Georgia. Shoulder-fired missiles took a great
toll on Soviet aircraft in Afghanistan.
--Move elements of the Sixth Fleet from the Mediterranean into the Black Sea.
--Move a carrier task group to the Eastern Med, off Turkey, where it could
potentially provide air support to the Georgians. (We would not have to announce
that; Russian intelligence would undoubtedly pick it up.)
--Send American aircraft to Georgia and park them ostentatiously around Georgian
airfields, to deter further Russian airstrikes there. Some of them could be A-10
Warthog ground-attack aircraft (tank-busters) as a pointed warning against further
ground incursions
As I say, these steps would be serious and would increase tension to a very high level. They would have to be accompanied by insistence that a diplomatic solution is absolutely necessary. But I fear that we have few other options except defeat for our declared allies in Georgia, and for other democracies along the rim of the old Soviet Union. That is where George W. Bush's policies have left us.
Friday, August 08, 2008
What is it about these people?
First it was John McCain offering up his wife, Cindy, for a "beauty" contest that turned out to be "essentially a topless beauty pageant. And occasionally bottomless, too." Now, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, (R. MN), formerly known as The Man Who Vetoed Money That Would Have Repaired the I-35 Bridge Before it Collapsed, and now a top contender to be McC's VP nominee, is described this way in the NY Times:
What is it about these people? I mean, I never really believed that they were the party of values, but at least a little taste would be nice.
As is his way, Gov. Tim Pawlenty made a self-deprecating aside on a local radio show this spring during the ceremonial start of the state’s beloved fishing season. He praised his wife’s willingness to fish with him and to watch hockey games, then added, “And I jokingly say, ‘Now, if I could only get her to have sex with me.’ ”Self-deprecating is one way to describe it. I call it creepy.
What is it about these people? I mean, I never really believed that they were the party of values, but at least a little taste would be nice.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Flopping and flipping...
flipping and flopping.
John McCain admits that checking the pressure in your tires is a good idea: .“Obama said a couple of days ago says we all should inflate our tires. I don’t disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it.”
Well, OK, so maybe Barack was wrong when he said that McC and his crowd enjoy being ignorant.
John McCain admits that checking the pressure in your tires is a good idea: .“Obama said a couple of days ago says we all should inflate our tires. I don’t disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it.”
Well, OK, so maybe Barack was wrong when he said that McC and his crowd enjoy being ignorant.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
This is huge
Scientists at MIT take a giant step toward a practical means to efficiently split water into its constituents, which would permit hydrogen to become the equivalent of petroleum (and, I think, natural gas). Indeed, given that the Earth is 70 percent covered by water, and that combining hydrogen with oxygen (as in a fuel cell or an internal combustion engine) produces water again, coal, too, might be replaced.
I hasten to add that I don't really understand what this is all about; high-school chemistry was the only subject I flunked. But I think I know enough to realize that if this proves to be practical at scale, it is one of the most important developments since the splitting of the atom. And maybe before that.
I hasten to add that I don't really understand what this is all about; high-school chemistry was the only subject I flunked. But I think I know enough to realize that if this proves to be practical at scale, it is one of the most important developments since the splitting of the atom. And maybe before that.
A sad anniversary
Before we leave this day, let us note that, 63 years ago the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
The verdict is in
The suspense did not last long.
I am shocked! shocked!! to learn that CNN and Reuters report a guilty verdict in the Hamdan show trial. The surprise is that Reuters reports that he was actually acquitted of two of the charges.
I am shocked! shocked!! to learn that CNN and Reuters report a guilty verdict in the Hamdan show trial. The surprise is that Reuters reports that he was actually acquitted of two of the charges.
Breaking news--Verdict at Guantanamo
A military jury has reached a verdict in the first "war-crimes" trial at Guantanamo Bay. Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's former driver, has been on trial for allegedly aiding in al Qaeda's terror efforts.
The verdict is to be announced shortly.
I bet they find him guilty.
The verdict is to be announced shortly.
I bet they find him guilty.
A new entry
Thanks to McCain's celebrity ad, there's a new entry in the Presidential race.
See more funny videos at Funny or Die
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Ooops
Here's something that will endear John McCain to Evangelicals and social conservatives.
So there he was campaigning at the huge annual motorcycle rally at Sturgis, SD, and someone told him about a beauty contest at a local joint called the Buffalo Chip. So what does McC do, but suggest that Cindy, his wife, enter:
Cute, if a little hokey right? Well.......
Here's a video of the Miss Buffalo Chip contest which, incidentally, they hold every night.
A reader at Talkingpointsmemo suggests that, "This amounts to John McCain volunteering his wife for a Girls Gone Wild video."
Remember the Republicans are the party of values.
So there he was campaigning at the huge annual motorcycle rally at Sturgis, SD, and someone told him about a beauty contest at a local joint called the Buffalo Chip. So what does McC do, but suggest that Cindy, his wife, enter:
Cute, if a little hokey right? Well.......
Here's a video of the Miss Buffalo Chip contest which, incidentally, they hold every night.
A reader at Talkingpointsmemo suggests that, "This amounts to John McCain volunteering his wife for a Girls Gone Wild video."
Remember the Republicans are the party of values.
Let us save you time
We're going to save you a lot of time and energy over the next three months, by removing the need to keep following the presidential campaigns. That's right, we're going to tell you now what will happen.
Here it is:
The campaign will be close into October, perhaps as late as about October 24th. Then Obama will begin to edge ahead--he'll have a relatively small lead before that, but the gap will begin to widen. In the last weekend before the voting, the media will be talking about whether McCain can close the gap, but that isn't going to happen. In the end, Obama will win it going away, and it won't really be close.
You heard it here, first.
(The foregoing is based on the assumption that there will be no major shockers between now and election day--that McCain doesn't have a heart attack or it come out that Obama underwent electroshock therapy, nor some really huge gaffe by one of the candidates or his close associates ("Rum, Romanism and rebellion"). If something like that happens, all bets are off.)
Now, don't you feel relieved to have all that free time for the next three months? We're always glad to help.
Here it is:
The campaign will be close into October, perhaps as late as about October 24th. Then Obama will begin to edge ahead--he'll have a relatively small lead before that, but the gap will begin to widen. In the last weekend before the voting, the media will be talking about whether McCain can close the gap, but that isn't going to happen. In the end, Obama will win it going away, and it won't really be close.
You heard it here, first.
(The foregoing is based on the assumption that there will be no major shockers between now and election day--that McCain doesn't have a heart attack or it come out that Obama underwent electroshock therapy, nor some really huge gaffe by one of the candidates or his close associates ("Rum, Romanism and rebellion"). If something like that happens, all bets are off.)
Now, don't you feel relieved to have all that free time for the next three months? We're always glad to help.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Reason enough to vote for him
Obama tells Congressional Democrats that he would have the Justice Department comb Bush's executive orders to weed out any that "trample on liberty."
You can bet that John McCain won't do that, in the unlikely event that he is elected.
There is so much to be done that one term of an Obama presidency would not be enough to undo the damage the Bush and is cronies have done to the United States. In addition to trashing our reputation--our most important asset--overseas, and to the damage done by executive orders that undermine, if not actually violate, the Constitution and laws of the United States, there are thousands of regulations, many of them obscure, that were designed to turn back the clock on civil rights and liberties, employment rights and many other achievements that we had thought were well protected.
A massive project awaits the Obama administration.
You can bet that John McCain won't do that, in the unlikely event that he is elected.
There is so much to be done that one term of an Obama presidency would not be enough to undo the damage the Bush and is cronies have done to the United States. In addition to trashing our reputation--our most important asset--overseas, and to the damage done by executive orders that undermine, if not actually violate, the Constitution and laws of the United States, there are thousands of regulations, many of them obscure, that were designed to turn back the clock on civil rights and liberties, employment rights and many other achievements that we had thought were well protected.
A massive project awaits the Obama administration.
World's Oldest Joke
According to Reuters, the world's oldest joke comes from the Sumerians, a people who used to live in what is now southern Iraq, and dates from about 4000 years ago. I warn you, it's not very funny: "Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap." I guess you had to be there.
True, 4000 years is a long time, but that's not the world's oldest joke. Painstaking research reveals that the oldest joke is:
Abel: I've been seeing spots in front of my eyes.
Cain: Oh? Have you seen a doctor?
Abel: No, just spots.
True, 4000 years is a long time, but that's not the world's oldest joke. Painstaking research reveals that the oldest joke is:
Abel: I've been seeing spots in front of my eyes.
Cain: Oh? Have you seen a doctor?
Abel: No, just spots.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Hard to believe
Seven years of trade talks broke down over Chinese food? Hard to believe that disputes over moo goo gai pan or hot and sour soup could be that acrimonious, but so the NYT reports.
Contemptible
The House Judiciary Committee voted this morning to cite Karl Rove for contempt. The vote is only a preliminary skirmish in the campaign to bring Rove to justice. Whatever they do to him, it will not be enough to express my contempt for the man.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Truer words were never spoken
"This is not America." That's what a flack for the Pentagon's Office of Military Commissions responded when a reporter noted that in our country, reporters are able to watch witnesses and see evidence.
William Glaberson's perspective on the show trial of Salim Hamdan shows us how distorted the American ideal of a nation under laws has become. Guantanamo is a place where there is a judge and a jury, albeit a military jury, yet the judge has ruled that the 5th Amendment does not apply to the defendant. For those of you who don't have a copy of the Constitution handy, the relevant portions of the Amendment read, "No person... shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." "No person"--not just citizens, or residents of the US, but every person in the jurisdiction of the United States. That's what you'd think anyway. But not in this administration's Alice-in-Wonderland view of justice.
In an ironic twist, Glaberson reveals that the government has presented an organizational chart of Osama bin Laden's security detail, of which Hamdan was a low-level figure. The head of the detail, one Abellah Tabarek, was also a prisoner at Guantanamo. He was released in 2004, while his subordinate is on trial.
And in a final irony, if Salim Hamdan should, somehow, obtain an acquittal, the government still maintains its right to hold him at Guantanamo, indefinitely. As an observer of the trial from the ACLU noted, "Where else in the world is someone being prosecuted for a crime who is already serving a life sentence and will continue to serve one if he’s acquitted?"
And we wonder why our opponents prosper.
William Glaberson's perspective on the show trial of Salim Hamdan shows us how distorted the American ideal of a nation under laws has become. Guantanamo is a place where there is a judge and a jury, albeit a military jury, yet the judge has ruled that the 5th Amendment does not apply to the defendant. For those of you who don't have a copy of the Constitution handy, the relevant portions of the Amendment read, "No person... shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." "No person"--not just citizens, or residents of the US, but every person in the jurisdiction of the United States. That's what you'd think anyway. But not in this administration's Alice-in-Wonderland view of justice.
In an ironic twist, Glaberson reveals that the government has presented an organizational chart of Osama bin Laden's security detail, of which Hamdan was a low-level figure. The head of the detail, one Abellah Tabarek, was also a prisoner at Guantanamo. He was released in 2004, while his subordinate is on trial.
And in a final irony, if Salim Hamdan should, somehow, obtain an acquittal, the government still maintains its right to hold him at Guantanamo, indefinitely. As an observer of the trial from the ACLU noted, "Where else in the world is someone being prosecuted for a crime who is already serving a life sentence and will continue to serve one if he’s acquitted?"
And we wonder why our opponents prosper.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Most exciting story of the week
Actually, the most exciting story in a long time: Solar power collected in space and beamed to Earth. Sound like fiction? No, the technology is available now. Expensive? Projected cost of .08-.10 per kilowatt hour--competitive today.
When I read this on the Op-Ed page of the NYT, I thought maybe it was a satire or some wild-eyed dreamer, but the author, O. Glenn Smith, is a former manager of the International Space Station project at NASA.
This is one that clearly deserves further consideration.
When I read this on the Op-Ed page of the NYT, I thought maybe it was a satire or some wild-eyed dreamer, but the author, O. Glenn Smith, is a former manager of the International Space Station project at NASA.
This is one that clearly deserves further consideration.
Comment of the day
Dana Milbank of WAPO on the McCain campaign, on MSNBC:
"Well, it's a low budget campaign. He told them to cut out the fat and they misunderstood him and thought he said facts."
"Well, it's a low budget campaign. He told them to cut out the fat and they misunderstood him and thought he said facts."
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Good news on the justice front
Radovan Karadzic, one of two principal criminals from the Bosnian War of the 1990's, was arrested by Serbian police and will be shipped (as freight, we hope) to the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague. He deserves to be presumed innocent, like any defendant, but I fear that I cannot suspend disbelief that far.
My cynicism also leads me to doubt that Karadzic's capture represents a real change in attitude in Serbia. But on that, I may be wrong; I speak with no real knowledge of the psyche of that country if, indeed, a nation may be said to have a collective psyche. (Is the United States the rogue, criminal country we have been for the past eight years, or something different and better? I know my answer to that one.)
And speaking of the US, the military judge at the show trial of Salim Hamdan, the first of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to face a military tribunal, threw out evidence obtained while Hamdan was a prisoner in Afghanistan. The material was gathered by coercive interrogation (i.e., the third degree), or maybe you call it torture. (As described in the NYT, the methods used are probably more police brutality than torture, if such a fine distinction may be made.)
OK, that's all the good news. The same judge also ruled that Guantanamo detainees lack a broad right against self-incrimination. Given what the judge threw out, the prosecution will have to rely on statements that Hamdan allegedly made at Guantanamo where, believe me, he got no Miranda warning. After all, we couldn't expect that the guy might actually be acquitted, right?
My cynicism also leads me to doubt that Karadzic's capture represents a real change in attitude in Serbia. But on that, I may be wrong; I speak with no real knowledge of the psyche of that country if, indeed, a nation may be said to have a collective psyche. (Is the United States the rogue, criminal country we have been for the past eight years, or something different and better? I know my answer to that one.)
And speaking of the US, the military judge at the show trial of Salim Hamdan, the first of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to face a military tribunal, threw out evidence obtained while Hamdan was a prisoner in Afghanistan. The material was gathered by coercive interrogation (i.e., the third degree), or maybe you call it torture. (As described in the NYT, the methods used are probably more police brutality than torture, if such a fine distinction may be made.)
OK, that's all the good news. The same judge also ruled that Guantanamo detainees lack a broad right against self-incrimination. Given what the judge threw out, the prosecution will have to rely on statements that Hamdan allegedly made at Guantanamo where, believe me, he got no Miranda warning. After all, we couldn't expect that the guy might actually be acquitted, right?
Monday, July 21, 2008
Surge?
John McCain has been bashing Barack Obama for having opposed the "surge" in Iraq. Any progress that he made by playing the foreign policy card was undone over the weekend, and then some. Did you see the video of Obama's reception by the troops in Kuwait? Better than gold--platinum.
Now, I was thinking about McCain's assumption that the surge has worked. There are a lot of weaknesses in McCain's argument--the factors other than the relatively few additional American troops that could account for the decline in violence.
Turns out I may have been wasting my time. Juan Cole, who knows whereof he speaks, argues that there has been little improvement in the situation at all.
Now, I was thinking about McCain's assumption that the surge has worked. There are a lot of weaknesses in McCain's argument--the factors other than the relatively few additional American troops that could account for the decline in violence.
Turns out I may have been wasting my time. Juan Cole, who knows whereof he speaks, argues that there has been little improvement in the situation at all.
Summer Reflections
I know that in a few months we'll be looking back fondly upon summer as we grit our teeth to face a long New England winter, but today I contemplate a solid week of heat, humidity and daily thunder storms (at least according to the meteorologists). Sheesh! Had I wanted this, I would have lived in Florida, Georgia or South Carolina.
I try to maintain perspective by asking myself whether I'd really like to live somewhere where there is no real winter. The answer, so far at least, is 'no.' Of course, with the advance of global warming, I might achieve that without moving.
I try to maintain perspective by asking myself whether I'd really like to live somewhere where there is no real winter. The answer, so far at least, is 'no.' Of course, with the advance of global warming, I might achieve that without moving.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Not all bad news
Among all the economic and political woe, there's good news tonight! (With apologies to Gabriel Heater.)
Foyle's War is back on PBS.
Foyle's War is back on PBS.
National priorities
Did you notice how the passing of former White House press secretary Tony Snow evoked more comment than the death of Dr. Michael DeBakey, the man who pretty much invented modern heart surgery? (The New York Times was an exception.)
From all reports, Tony Snow was a warm man, the exceptional conservative with a real sense of humor, not all of it at the expense of his political opponents. But he was a press secretary--basically, a flack. Michael DeBakey extended the lives of thousands of people.
Let's keep our eye on the ball, folks.
From all reports, Tony Snow was a warm man, the exceptional conservative with a real sense of humor, not all of it at the expense of his political opponents. But he was a press secretary--basically, a flack. Michael DeBakey extended the lives of thousands of people.
Let's keep our eye on the ball, folks.
So much to do
Frank Rich reminds us of just how the criminals in the Bush administration have undermined our security--perhaps opening us up to another 9/11 attack.
Even if Obama wins, undoing the evil done by Bush & Co.--not just to our moral, economic and security position, but to almost all aspects of our national life--will take a lengthy, intense effort that will last at least until 2012. Indeed, it may not be possible to accomplish the task in two administrations.
Even if Obama wins, undoing the evil done by Bush & Co.--not just to our moral, economic and security position, but to almost all aspects of our national life--will take a lengthy, intense effort that will last at least until 2012. Indeed, it may not be possible to accomplish the task in two administrations.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Bush tells the truth, for once
Oops!
A briefing book distributed to reporters at the G-8 summit describes Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi as one of the "most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for government corruption and vice."
Noting that Berlusconi took office in 1994 promising to "purge the notoriously lackadaisical Italian government of corruption," the biography goes on, "however, he and his fellow Forza Italia Party leaders soon found themselves accused of the very corruption he had vowed to eradicate."
The White House has apologized for this excursion into candor at the expense of a man who welcomed Mr. Bush to Italy last month by calling him, "a personal friend of mine and also a great friend of Italy." With friends like these, Silvio...
A briefing book distributed to reporters at the G-8 summit describes Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi as one of the "most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for government corruption and vice."
Noting that Berlusconi took office in 1994 promising to "purge the notoriously lackadaisical Italian government of corruption," the biography goes on, "however, he and his fellow Forza Italia Party leaders soon found themselves accused of the very corruption he had vowed to eradicate."
The White House has apologized for this excursion into candor at the expense of a man who welcomed Mr. Bush to Italy last month by calling him, "a personal friend of mine and also a great friend of Italy." With friends like these, Silvio...
Pet Pander?
What the hell, it's the silly season:
A new poll reveals that pet owners prefer McCain to Obama. The AP suggests that that may be because the Arizona senator has a number of four-legged friends, while the Obama family does not.
Perhaps significantly, McCain's margin among cat caretakers is significantly narrower (41-38 percent--probably within the margin of error) than among those who own dogs (43-34 percent). I always knew that cat people were smarter than dog owners.
On the other hand, Obama leads by a wide margin among those who do not own pets: 48-34 percent.
Sen. Obama has told his daughters that they will get a dog after the campaign is over. The American Kennel Club is conducting a poll on what kind of dog the Obama's should get. However, the AKC has narrowed the field to five breeds, all unsuitable: Bichon Frise, Chinese crested (crested what?), poodle, soft-coated Wheaten terrier (huh?) or miniature Schnauzer.
(In the spirit of full disclosure, as a teenager, I had a miniature poodle, and he was a great dog. For one thing, he didn't know he was a poodle. He thought he was a hound.)
Clearly, the dog for the Obama clan is a Scottie. Black. Maybe name him Fala.
A new poll reveals that pet owners prefer McCain to Obama. The AP suggests that that may be because the Arizona senator has a number of four-legged friends, while the Obama family does not.
Perhaps significantly, McCain's margin among cat caretakers is significantly narrower (41-38 percent--probably within the margin of error) than among those who own dogs (43-34 percent). I always knew that cat people were smarter than dog owners.
On the other hand, Obama leads by a wide margin among those who do not own pets: 48-34 percent.
Sen. Obama has told his daughters that they will get a dog after the campaign is over. The American Kennel Club is conducting a poll on what kind of dog the Obama's should get. However, the AKC has narrowed the field to five breeds, all unsuitable: Bichon Frise, Chinese crested (crested what?), poodle, soft-coated Wheaten terrier (huh?) or miniature Schnauzer.
(In the spirit of full disclosure, as a teenager, I had a miniature poodle, and he was a great dog. For one thing, he didn't know he was a poodle. He thought he was a hound.)
Clearly, the dog for the Obama clan is a Scottie. Black. Maybe name him Fala.
Age(ent) of change?
An AP-Yahoo poll shows that about 20 percent of respondents think "old" when they hear John McCain's name and "change" or "outsider" when they hear Barack Obama's. (It's not clear if that is the same 20 percent.) These responses led all others in the poll.
This is the kind of report that makes me think that Obama should have taken McCain up on his town-hall-meeting idea. Maybe he will, as the list of McCain's gaffe's grows.
This is the kind of report that makes me think that Obama should have taken McCain up on his town-hall-meeting idea. Maybe he will, as the list of McCain's gaffe's grows.
We're baaaaacckkk
Hello again to any faithful readers who are still checking in, and to anyone who might happen upon us.
After almost a month off the air, TONE is back. There's lots to comment on; indeed, a surfeit of news seemed to sap TONE's energy and is partly responsible for the absence of recent posts. To anyone who's missed us, thanks for your interest.
After almost a month off the air, TONE is back. There's lots to comment on; indeed, a surfeit of news seemed to sap TONE's energy and is partly responsible for the absence of recent posts. To anyone who's missed us, thanks for your interest.
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