January 31, 2004
Add P Diddy to the Liberal Conspiracy
According to USNews, the rapper (also known as Sean Puuufy Combs), is joining with Democrats:
For a middle-aged white guy, Democratic Party grandmaster Terry McAuliffe's got a pretty good dance step. But it took more than boogie-woogie to score what could be a politically important late-night meeting with hip-hop king Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Friends of both say they got together last month at P. Diddy's New York recording studio as he worked on his Super Bowl ditty. McAuliffe asked the sometime social activist to help out in the fall presidential elections. For the first time, the influential celebrity agreed. "He will be involved in some of what we're doing in the future," says a Dem. One likely job: the "Something New" campaign, which uses hip-hop concerts to goose youths to vote. "P. Diddy," said one participant, "was thoughtful and very impressive." The meeting occurred on the very day he was seen back with Jennifer Lopez, who later broke up with Ben Affleck. Some star-struck Dems hoped she'd be at the meeting, but hanging out with P. Diddy in the recording studio was enough for McAuliffe, who's been bragging ever since about "laying track with P. Diddy."
Posted by Eric at 09:44 PM | Comments (23)
Add P Diddy to the Liberal Conspiracy
According to USNews, the rapper (also known as Sean Puuufy Combs), is joining with Democrats:
For a middle-aged white guy, Democratic Party grandmaster Terry McAuliffe's got a pretty good dance step. But it took more than boogie-woogie to score what could be a politically important late-night meeting with hip-hop king Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Friends of both say they got together last month at P. Diddy's New York recording studio as he worked on his Super Bowl ditty. McAuliffe asked the sometime social activist to help out in the fall presidential elections. For the first time, the influential celebrity agreed. "He will be involved in some of what we're doing in the future," says a Dem. One likely job: the "Something New" campaign, which uses hip-hop concerts to goose youths to vote. "P. Diddy," said one participant, "was thoughtful and very impressive." The meeting occurred on the very day he was seen back with Jennifer Lopez, who later broke up with Ben Affleck. Some star-struck Dems hoped she'd be at the meeting, but hanging out with P. Diddy in the recording studio was enough for McAuliffe, who's been bragging ever since about "laying track with P. Diddy."
Posted by Eric at 09:44 PM | Comments (7)
Saturday Brings At Least 18 Deaths in Iraq
According to Reuters:
The U.S. military said three U.S. soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb blew up next to a convoy traveling between Kirkuk and Tikrit, the hometown of ousted leader Saddam Hussein 175 km north of Baghdad.The deaths brought to 364 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action since the start of the Iraq war last March. Including non-combat deaths, the toll is 522.
Soldiers and policemen in Baghdad gave conflicting accounts of the first blast in Baghdad's Baladiyyat district, some saying it was mortar fire and others rockets. A father and son who ran a kiosk nearby were killed, sources at a hospital said.
Guerrillas have often struck on significant dates -- a car bomb destroyed a Baghdad restaurant on New Year's Eve, killing eight, and on October 27, the first day of Ramadan, coordinated suicide attacks in Baghdad killed at least 35.
Posted by Eric at 08:39 PM | Comments (24)
Saturday Brings At Least 18 Deaths in Iraq
According to Reuters:
The U.S. military said three U.S. soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb blew up next to a convoy traveling between Kirkuk and Tikrit, the hometown of ousted leader Saddam Hussein 175 km north of Baghdad.The deaths brought to 364 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action since the start of the Iraq war last March. Including non-combat deaths, the toll is 522.
Soldiers and policemen in Baghdad gave conflicting accounts of the first blast in Baghdad's Baladiyyat district, some saying it was mortar fire and others rockets. A father and son who ran a kiosk nearby were killed, sources at a hospital said.
Guerrillas have often struck on significant dates -- a car bomb destroyed a Baghdad restaurant on New Year's Eve, killing eight, and on October 27, the first day of Ramadan, coordinated suicide attacks in Baghdad killed at least 35.
Posted by Eric at 08:39 PM | Comments (4)
Sunday Show Lineups
ABC's "This Week"
Terry McAuliffe
James Woolsey, former CIA director
Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
CBS' "Face the Nation"
John Edwards
NBC's "Meet the Press"
Howard Dean
CNN's "Late Edition"
Joe Lieberman
David Kay
Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano
Pat Robertson
"Fox News Sunday"
Kay
Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.
Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.
Posted by Eric at 08:38 PM | Comments (9)
Sunday Show Lineups
ABC's "This Week"
Terry McAuliffe
James Woolsey, former CIA director
Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
CBS' "Face the Nation"
John Edwards
NBC's "Meet the Press"
Howard Dean
CNN's "Late Edition"
Joe Lieberman
David Kay
Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano
Pat Robertson
"Fox News Sunday"
Kay
Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.
Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.
Posted by Eric at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)
Chandler Ads
The always fantastic Political Wire notes this about Ben Chandler and his recent ad buys on several blogs, including The Hamster:
Ben Chandler's congressional campaign has started advertising on Political Wire and several other blogs via BlogAds. In less than a day, online campaign donations covered the cost of the entire ad buy.Nice. Blogs, of course, have helped fundraising. Just look at the funds the DNC has raised through its blog. And don't forget about the presidential campaign sites.
Also, help support The Hamster and click on these other good folks:
OpenMinds: "Switch to openminds.us for reliable, accelerated dialup access with the latest "Open Source" technology and US-based support
for the maximum online security, safety, and privacy."
The Cheating Culture: "The collapse of Enron in late 2001 began a wave of corporate scandals unparalleled in U.S. history. Corporate cheating has cost many Americans their retirement savings, undermined investor confidence in the stock market, and highlighted the need for much stronger government regulation of big business. Today, it is far from clear whether real reform will occur or whether many of the executives responsible for the recent scandals will ever be brought to justice."
Or support this site through cheap ads here.
Posted by Eric at 04:25 PM | Comments (25)
Chandler Ads
The always fantastic Political Wire notes this about Ben Chandler and his recent ad buys on several blogs, including The Hamster:
Ben Chandler's congressional campaign has started advertising on Political Wire and several other blogs via BlogAds. In less than a day, online campaign donations covered the cost of the entire ad buy.Nice. Blogs, of course, have helped fundraising. Just look at the funds the DNC has raised through its blog. And don't forget about the presidential campaign sites.
Also, help support The Hamster and click on these other good folks:
OpenMinds: "Switch to openminds.us for reliable, accelerated dialup access with the latest "Open Source" technology and US-based support
for the maximum online security, safety, and privacy."
The Cheating Culture: "The collapse of Enron in late 2001 began a wave of corporate scandals unparalleled in U.S. history. Corporate cheating has cost many Americans their retirement savings, undermined investor confidence in the stock market, and highlighted the need for much stronger government regulation of big business. Today, it is far from clear whether real reform will occur or whether many of the executives responsible for the recent scandals will ever be brought to justice."
Or support this site through cheap ads here.
Posted by Eric at 04:25 PM | Comments (3)
NY Times Bestseller
For week of Feb 8, 2004.
1) Price of Loyalty.
2) American Dynasty.
3) Prison without Bars, Pete Rose.
4) Dude, Where's My Country.
5) Lies ... Franken.
7) Enemy Within, Michael Savage
12) Bill O'Reilly
14) Had Enough? Carville
16) Tour of Duty, John Kerry book, Douglas Brinkley
Also selling, Zell Miller (17), Robert E. Rubin and Jacob Weisberg (20), David Frum and Richard Perle (23), Albright (25), and Molly Ivins (34).
Posted by Eric at 01:13 PM | Comments (7)
NY Times Bestseller
For week of Feb 8, 2004.
1) Price of Loyalty.
2) American Dynasty.
3) Prison without Bars, Pete Rose.
4) Dude, Where's My Country.
5) Lies ... Franken.
7) Enemy Within, Michael Savage
12) Bill O'Reilly
14) Had Enough? Carville
16) Tour of Duty, John Kerry book, Douglas Brinkley
Also selling, Zell Miller (17), Robert E. Rubin and Jacob Weisberg (20), David Frum and Richard Perle (23), Albright (25), and Molly Ivins (34).
Posted by Eric at 01:13 PM | Comments (2)
Bush's Proposed Mercury Rules Show Industry Influence
Surprise! WPost:
A side-by-side comparison of one of the three proposed rules and the memorandums prepared by Latham & Watkins -- one of Washington's premier corporate environmental law firms -- shows that at least a dozen paragraphs were lifted, sometimes verbatim, from the industry suggestions ...Latham & Watkins was among the law firms and utility industry groups that lobbied the administration last year during deliberations over mercury rules in the Clean Air Act. The firm represents Cinergy Inc. and other major utilities and energy companies with a major interest in the outcome of the rule-making. Holmstead, an assistant EPA administrator, and his chief counsel, Bill Wehrum, worked for Latham & Watkins before joining the EPA.
There is nothing unusual about industry groups peppering government agencies with position papers and recommendations. Indeed, lawyers for Latham & Watkins served on an EPA mercury advisory group and submitted two detailed memos -- one dated March 8, 2002, that dealt with the challenges of regulating different grades of coal, and another, dated Sept. 4, that outlined a number of regulatory legal theories. However, some former EPA officials said it is rare for the agency to simply insert large chunks of an industry analysis into a proposed rule.
Posted by Eric at 05:26 AM | Comments (37)
Bush's Proposed Mercury Rules Show Industry Influence
Surprise! WPost:
A side-by-side comparison of one of the three proposed rules and the memorandums prepared by Latham & Watkins -- one of Washington's premier corporate environmental law firms -- shows that at least a dozen paragraphs were lifted, sometimes verbatim, from the industry suggestions ...Latham & Watkins was among the law firms and utility industry groups that lobbied the administration last year during deliberations over mercury rules in the Clean Air Act. The firm represents Cinergy Inc. and other major utilities and energy companies with a major interest in the outcome of the rule-making. Holmstead, an assistant EPA administrator, and his chief counsel, Bill Wehrum, worked for Latham & Watkins before joining the EPA.
There is nothing unusual about industry groups peppering government agencies with position papers and recommendations. Indeed, lawyers for Latham & Watkins served on an EPA mercury advisory group and submitted two detailed memos -- one dated March 8, 2002, that dealt with the challenges of regulating different grades of coal, and another, dated Sept. 4, that outlined a number of regulatory legal theories. However, some former EPA officials said it is rare for the agency to simply insert large chunks of an industry analysis into a proposed rule.
Posted by Eric at 05:26 AM | Comments (2)
Funny Comments
I was reading through the comments in the comment-popular Al Franken Attacks People! entry. Here was an exchange:
And Limbaugh isn't equal time. You name for me one person in the media who blatantly extolls the vitrues of the left and tells his audience to vote democratic the way that hannity, rush, miller, o'reilly, scarborough, kudlow, cramer, savage, ingraham, and the rest of the folks with their own editorially slanted shows do.Posted by: pop at January 30, 2004 02:43 PMLiberal media, my ass!
So then someone responds:
pop-Fear the liberal juggernaut that is Kate Kudson.Since you asked, the liberal media is known as CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, NPR, PBS (read the Bernard Goldberg book) along with a majority of the entertainment industry with the content they produce and publicity they generate. I am making the point that now there alternatives and liberals are crying foul because of the huge success these alternatives are enjoying.
You want names? Ok, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Bill Moyers, Ted Turner, Christine Amanpour, Andy Rooney, Aaron McGruder, Paul Begala, James Carville, Chris Matthews, Janeane Garofalo, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney, Michael Moore, Martin Sheen, Danny Glover, Sean Penn, Alec Baldwin, Tim Robbins, Julia Roberts, Mike Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Ed harris, Woody Harrelson, Richard Gere, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jessica Lange, Woody Allen, Johnny Depp, Kate Hudson, Harrison Ford, Al Franken, Ed Asner, Dixie Chicks, Barbara Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Michael Stipe, Chris Martin, Chrissy Hynde, Sheryl Crowe, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Bono, John Cougar, Willie Nelson, Moby,Norman Mailer, Hans Blix.
All these outspoken fools have a huge impact on the people who formulate their judgement on sound-bites.
Liberal media is not just broadcast news or a talk radio show personality, it's a conspiracy!
Posted by: gjaz at January 30, 2004 04:44 PM
I mean, I know when I saw "Alex and Emma," I was like, "You know, tax cuts that disproportionately affect the wealthiest 1% of Americans will do nothing to stimulate the US economy, as conservatives have put forth in Reaganesque trickle-down economic theory." But maybe I was reading too much into Kate Hudson's acting.
Posted by Eric at 05:14 AM | Comments (96)
Funny Comments
I was reading through the comments in the comment-popular Al Franken Attacks People! entry. Here was an exchange:
And Limbaugh isn't equal time. You name for me one person in the media who blatantly extolls the vitrues of the left and tells his audience to vote democratic the way that hannity, rush, miller, o'reilly, scarborough, kudlow, cramer, savage, ingraham, and the rest of the folks with their own editorially slanted shows do.Posted by: pop at January 30, 2004 02:43 PMLiberal media, my ass!
So then someone responds:
pop-Fear the liberal juggernaut that is Kate Kudson.Since you asked, the liberal media is known as CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, NPR, PBS (read the Bernard Goldberg book) along with a majority of the entertainment industry with the content they produce and publicity they generate. I am making the point that now there alternatives and liberals are crying foul because of the huge success these alternatives are enjoying.
You want names? Ok, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Bill Moyers, Ted Turner, Christine Amanpour, Andy Rooney, Aaron McGruder, Paul Begala, James Carville, Chris Matthews, Janeane Garofalo, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney, Michael Moore, Martin Sheen, Danny Glover, Sean Penn, Alec Baldwin, Tim Robbins, Julia Roberts, Mike Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Ed harris, Woody Harrelson, Richard Gere, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jessica Lange, Woody Allen, Johnny Depp, Kate Hudson, Harrison Ford, Al Franken, Ed Asner, Dixie Chicks, Barbara Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Michael Stipe, Chris Martin, Chrissy Hynde, Sheryl Crowe, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Bono, John Cougar, Willie Nelson, Moby,Norman Mailer, Hans Blix.
All these outspoken fools have a huge impact on the people who formulate their judgement on sound-bites.
Liberal media is not just broadcast news or a talk radio show personality, it's a conspiracy!
Posted by: gjaz at January 30, 2004 04:44 PM
I mean, I know when I saw "Alex and Emma," I was like, "You know, tax cuts that disproportionately affect the wealthiest 1% of Americans will do nothing to stimulate the US economy, as conservatives have put forth in Reaganesque trickle-down economic theory." But maybe I was reading too much into Kate Hudson's acting.
Posted by Eric at 05:14 AM | Comments (27)
Just Checking on O'Reilly
Remember this?
"And I said on my program, if -- if -- the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush administration again." Bill O'Reilly, Good Morning America, 3-18-03
Last time I checked, O'Reilly's been doing a lot of trusting the Bush administration. As of today, over 318 days since he said he would apologize to America.
Posted by Eric at 04:53 AM | Comments (69)
Just Checking on O'Reilly
Remember this?
"And I said on my program, if -- if -- the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush administration again." Bill O'Reilly, Good Morning America, 3-18-03
Last time I checked, O'Reilly's been doing a lot of trusting the Bush administration. As of today, over 318 days since he said he would apologize to America.
Posted by Eric at 04:53 AM | Comments (21)
Stupid Quote Saturday
"Why would he want to rape her? She doesn't look like a day at the beach." Judge Gene Stephenson on a rape victim.
"For over 30 years, Kerry's primary occupation has been stalking lonely heiresses. Not to get back to his combat experience, but Kerry sees a room full of wealthy widows as "a target-rich environment." This is a guy whose experience dealing with tax problems is based on spending his entire adult life being supported by rich women. What does a kept man know about taxes?" Ann Coulter
"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling." George W. Bush, January 23.
“Liberals are afraid. They believe that they can make friends with people like Osama bin Laden. They think if they just show people like that that our military is not going to harm them, that we have no intention of going beyond our borders and we're not going to launch missiles at them, they'll leave us alone.” Rush Limbaugh
"Well, we’ve paid it, you know. We’ve paid it. We inherited this. I almost think that he set out to do this. I have the weird feeling sometimes that he set it up so that everything would collapse when Bush took over, because he knew he couldn’t run again." Michael Savage.
Posted by Eric at 04:38 AM | Comments (56)
Stupid Quote Saturday
"Why would he want to rape her? She doesn't look like a day at the beach." Judge Gene Stephenson on a rape victim.
"For over 30 years, Kerry's primary occupation has been stalking lonely heiresses. Not to get back to his combat experience, but Kerry sees a room full of wealthy widows as "a target-rich environment." This is a guy whose experience dealing with tax problems is based on spending his entire adult life being supported by rich women. What does a kept man know about taxes?" Ann Coulter
"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling." George W. Bush, January 23.
“Liberals are afraid. They believe that they can make friends with people like Osama bin Laden. They think if they just show people like that that our military is not going to harm them, that we have no intention of going beyond our borders and we're not going to launch missiles at them, they'll leave us alone.” Rush Limbaugh
"Well, we’ve paid it, you know. We’ve paid it. We inherited this. I almost think that he set out to do this. I have the weird feeling sometimes that he set it up so that everything would collapse when Bush took over, because he knew he couldn’t run again." Michael Savage.
Posted by Eric at 04:38 AM | Comments (26)
MoveOn.org Ad
This Sunday, during the Superbowl, you won't see this MoveOn.org ad about budget deficits.
The NY Times editorial page writes of the decision:
"CBS is being accused of censoring an anti-Bush ad to curry favor with the White House and federal regulators. That seems unfair. All the networks (as opposed to local affiliates, which have their own policies) have consistently rejected such advocacy commercials from groups other than political candidates."According to them, the larger issues is
That does not mean that the network was right. The CBS argument that contentious policy matters are best left exclusively to its news division strikes us as wrongheaded and patronizing. The networks should be screening ads for accuracy and taste, then leaving it up to viewers to judge for themselves.I agree with that statement. It seems that, as a society, we've blocked out policy debates from the public discourse. What's wrong with introducing policy ads, whether it's conservative or liberal, during a highly-watched telecast? Are they afraid of football fans breaking into spontaneous discussions about Medicare reform, 2nd amendment rights, and whether a US budget deficit would create a disorderly exchange rate realignment that would cause macroeconomic problems and a generalized deflation, which would increase uncertainty and possibly decrease the buying power of the Euro (unlikely, I contend)?
OK, so MoveOn.org doesn't get its Superbowl ad. Still, don't chalk it up as a loss for MoveOn. As a result of the CBS block, Senator Dick Durbin made a statement about the org and CBS on the Senate floor. Senator Wyden wrote a letter. Members of the House wrote a letter. And the SF Chron and Boston Globe wrote editorials. The Boston Globe:
What better place for a contest of ideologies than in this annual extravaganza of excess that is as much about selling commercial images as it is about the guts and grit of football. CBS would provide a much needed public service at the start of this presidential year by selling some Super Bowl air time to opposing political advocates who, with spots as clever as any for a razor or a computer, might jolt blase voters into caring.And not to mention the fundraising MoveOn.org is getting as a result of the CBS block! Regardless, according to MoveOn.org, the organization will air the ad in key battleground states and on CNN during the Superbowl half-time.
The organization, which raised $1.6 million for the advertisement, said it would spend $200,000 to buy two commercials on CNN during the Super Bowl half-time. Starting Feb. 4, it will also spend $800,000 on commercials in Florida, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and West Virginia.And don't expect MoveOn.org to go away. You just won't see them on CBS.
Posted by Eric at 03:39 AM | Comments (30)
MoveOn.org Ad
This Sunday, during the Superbowl, you won't see this MoveOn.org ad about budget deficits.
The NY Times editorial page writes of the decision:
"CBS is being accused of censoring an anti-Bush ad to curry favor with the White House and federal regulators. That seems unfair. All the networks (as opposed to local affiliates, which have their own policies) have consistently rejected such advocacy commercials from groups other than political candidates."According to them, the larger issues is
That does not mean that the network was right. The CBS argument that contentious policy matters are best left exclusively to its news division strikes us as wrongheaded and patronizing. The networks should be screening ads for accuracy and taste, then leaving it up to viewers to judge for themselves.I agree with that statement. It seems that, as a society, we've blocked out policy debates from the public discourse. What's wrong with introducing policy ads, whether it's conservative or liberal, during a highly-watched telecast? Are they afraid of football fans breaking into spontaneous discussions about Medicare reform, 2nd amendment rights, and whether a US budget deficit would create a disorderly exchange rate realignment that would cause macroeconomic problems and a generalized deflation, which would increase uncertainty and possibly decrease the buying power of the Euro (unlikely, I contend)?
OK, so MoveOn.org doesn't get its Superbowl ad. Still, don't chalk it up as a loss for MoveOn. As a result of the CBS block, Senator Dick Durbin made a statement about the org and CBS on the Senate floor. Senator Wyden wrote a letter. Members of the House wrote a letter. And the SF Chron and Boston Globe wrote editorials. The Boston Globe:
What better place for a contest of ideologies than in this annual extravaganza of excess that is as much about selling commercial images as it is about the guts and grit of football. CBS would provide a much needed public service at the start of this presidential year by selling some Super Bowl air time to opposing political advocates who, with spots as clever as any for a razor or a computer, might jolt blase voters into caring.And not to mention the fundraising MoveOn.org is getting as a result of the CBS block! Regardless, according to MoveOn.org, the organization will air the ad in key battleground states and on CNN during the Superbowl half-time.
The organization, which raised $1.6 million for the advertisement, said it would spend $200,000 to buy two commercials on CNN during the Super Bowl half-time. Starting Feb. 4, it will also spend $800,000 on commercials in Florida, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and West Virginia.And don't expect MoveOn.org to go away. You just won't see them on CBS.
Posted by Eric at 03:39 AM | Comments (40)
January 30, 2004
Daily Stories
AP. Kerry Courts South Ahead of Primaries .
Arianna Huffington. Judy Dean and the politics of authenticity.
Robert Kuttner. Pocketbook Populists: Economic populism simply means a politics of advancing the well-being of working- and middle-class Americans..
Kevin Phillips. All Eyes on Dixie: The South isn't all Bob Jones University, and Democrats can make inroads there.
Cliff Schecter and Ruy Teixeira. All Eyes on Dixie: Perhaps. But Democrats on the hunt for new electoral votes should look to Ohio.
TomPaine.com. Ducking The Law: Justice Antonin Scalia isn't judging the law—or himself—fairly. .
Ellis Henican. CBS' Blackened Eye.
WP. 2 congressional panels echo Kay on Iraqi weaponry.
ChicTrib. Anti-Bush ad rejected by CBS thrown to CNN: Moveon.org seeks halftime audience.
KC Star. Great Lakes cleanup from Bush aid called drop in the bucket.
StarTrib. Kerry, Bush in statistical dead heat among Minnesota voters.
Reuters. Poll: Democrat Kerry Opens Big Leads in Missouri, Arizona .
Free Press. Dean sets sights on Michigan win; visits E. Lansing .
AP. Kerry finds himself target as front-runner .
Houston Chron. Democrats vow they can win South.
Guardian. Key black congressman backs Kerry campaign: Democrat presidential frontrunner wins vital support in South.
USA Today. Candidates feel cash crunch .
Krugman. Where's the Apology?.
Bob Herbert. The Halliburton Shuffle.
NYT. Senators to Request Extension for 9/11 Panel.
Bruce G. Bodaken. The 43 Million Uninsured Expanding health care to cover all .
Seattle PI. Review pre-war Iraq intelligence .
LAT. Candidates Cast Kerry as Insider.
LAT. Citizen Clinton Takes the Hill.
LAT. Iraq War Questions Gain Momentum.
Miami Herald. Saddling America with unhealthy debt.
csmonitor. David Kay's assessment that "the world is far safer" with Hussein out of power doesn't justify any faults in intelligence estimates..
Andrew Greeley. The case against the Iraq war .
Derrick Z. Jackson. Kerry grabs torch of Democrats' anger.
AJC. Homosexual marriage ban protects hate, not families.
EJ Dionne Jr. Kerry and the Party Establishment .
WP. White House Intensifies Efforts to Safeguard Patriot Act .
WP. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61587-2004Jan29.html?nav=hptoc_p.
WP. Dean Tackles Kerry's Record .
WP. Inquiry Leaves BBC in Crisis: 2nd Official Quits Over Iraq Findings; Journalists Walk Out .
Posted by Eric at 11:51 PM | Comments (82)
Daily Stories
AP. Kerry Courts South Ahead of Primaries .
Arianna Huffington. Judy Dean and the politics of authenticity.
Robert Kuttner. Pocketbook Populists: Economic populism simply means a politics of advancing the well-being of working- and middle-class Americans..
Kevin Phillips. All Eyes on Dixie: The South isn't all Bob Jones University, and Democrats can make inroads there.
Cliff Schecter and Ruy Teixeira. All Eyes on Dixie: Perhaps. But Democrats on the hunt for new electoral votes should look to Ohio.
TomPaine.com. Ducking The Law: Justice Antonin Scalia isn't judging the law—or himself—fairly. .
Ellis Henican. CBS' Blackened Eye.
WP. 2 congressional panels echo Kay on Iraqi weaponry.
ChicTrib. Anti-Bush ad rejected by CBS thrown to CNN: Moveon.org seeks halftime audience.
KC Star. Great Lakes cleanup from Bush aid called drop in the bucket.
StarTrib. Kerry, Bush in statistical dead heat among Minnesota voters.
Reuters. Poll: Democrat Kerry Opens Big Leads in Missouri, Arizona .
Free Press. Dean sets sights on Michigan win; visits E. Lansing .
AP. Kerry finds himself target as front-runner .
Houston Chron. Democrats vow they can win South.
Guardian. Key black congressman backs Kerry campaign: Democrat presidential frontrunner wins vital support in South.
USA Today. Candidates feel cash crunch .
Krugman. Where's the Apology?.
Bob Herbert. The Halliburton Shuffle.
NYT. Senators to Request Extension for 9/11 Panel.
Bruce G. Bodaken. The 43 Million Uninsured Expanding health care to cover all .
Seattle PI. Review pre-war Iraq intelligence .
LAT. Candidates Cast Kerry as Insider.
LAT. Citizen Clinton Takes the Hill.
LAT. Iraq War Questions Gain Momentum.
Miami Herald. Saddling America with unhealthy debt.
csmonitor. David Kay's assessment that "the world is far safer" with Hussein out of power doesn't justify any faults in intelligence estimates..
Andrew Greeley. The case against the Iraq war .
Derrick Z. Jackson. Kerry grabs torch of Democrats' anger.
AJC. Homosexual marriage ban protects hate, not families.
EJ Dionne Jr. Kerry and the Party Establishment .
WP. White House Intensifies Efforts to Safeguard Patriot Act .
WP. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61587-2004Jan29.html?nav=hptoc_p.
WP. Dean Tackles Kerry's Record .
WP. Inquiry Leaves BBC in Crisis: 2nd Official Quits Over Iraq Findings; Journalists Walk Out .
Posted by Eric at 11:51 PM | Comments (7)
No Joementum at Home
Another sad news day for Joe. His own home state is shunning the longtime public servant for John Kerry, according to a Husky poll:
Forty-three percent of those who said they are likely to vote in the state's March 2 presidential primary said they would vote for Kerry. Lieberman had the support of 18 percent of those surveyed.If asked, Joe would probably say he's in a two-way tie for 1st.The two New England senators are followed by former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, with 8 percent; North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, with 6 percent; and retired General Wesley Clark, with 4 percent.
Twenty-one percent of those surveyed say they are undecided.
Posted by Eric at 05:44 PM | Comments (76)
No Joementum at Home
Another sad news day for Joe. His own home state is shunning the longtime public servant for John Kerry, according to a Husky poll:
Forty-three percent of those who said they are likely to vote in the state's March 2 presidential primary said they would vote for Kerry. Lieberman had the support of 18 percent of those surveyed.If asked, Joe would probably say he's in a two-way tie for 1st.The two New England senators are followed by former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, with 8 percent; North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, with 6 percent; and retired General Wesley Clark, with 4 percent.
Twenty-one percent of those surveyed say they are undecided.
Posted by Eric at 05:44 PM | Comments (15)
Dean Winning Delegates
If it is Howard Dean's long term strategy to win delegates, and not necessarily states, then he's doing fine for now. For now. Howard Dean has a 19-delegate lead over John Kerry in the CNN.com delegate count.
Dean 113
Kerry 94
Edwards 36
Clark 30
Lieberman 25
Sharpton 4
Kucinich 2
2,161 delegates are needed for the nomination.
Posted by Eric at 05:41 PM | Comments (20)
Dean Winning Delegates
If it is Howard Dean's long term strategy to win delegates, and not necessarily states, then he's doing fine for now. For now. Howard Dean has a 19-delegate lead over John Kerry in the CNN.com delegate count.
Dean 113
Kerry 94
Edwards 36
Clark 30
Lieberman 25
Sharpton 4
Kucinich 2
2,161 delegates are needed for the nomination.
Posted by Eric at 05:41 PM | Comments (12)
Nation Eds: Don't Run, Ralph
The editors of The Nation, one of the more liberal publications out there, and a place where Ralph Nader-penned pieces often appear, is telling Ralph to cut the silliness.
You have said your candidacy could actually help Democrats by raising issues against Bush that a Democratic candidate would avoid and by boosting turnout for good candidates for the House and Senate, where the slender bulwarks against Bushism must be reinforced. But these arguments do not compel a candidacy by you. As a public citizen fighting for open debates and rallying voters to support progressive Democrats for Congress, or good independents or Greens for that matter, you can have a far more productive impact than as a candidate dealing with recriminations about being a spoiler or, worse, an egotist. And the very progressives distressed by the prospect of your candidacy would contribute eagerly to have that voice amplified.Even if Ralph does run, I doubt he'll take votes away from the Democrat. The people who will vote for Ralph (instead of voting to kick out Bush), are likely the ones who wouldn't vote for a mainstream politician (aka a Democrat) regardless. Still, as I've mentioned before, that's only part of the issue. Another is the effect a Nader candidacy would have on the legitimate Nader-connected orgs, like Public Citizen, and the PIRGs, who have had a slight backlash as a result of their connections with Nader. Also, Nader's legitimacy as a public advocate would be hurt.And if you think that this year you can help the anti-Bush cause by running and peeling off disgruntled Republicans, McCainiacs, Perotistas and the like while not disrupting the Democratic charge, please be honest with yourself. Once upon a time, maybe as late as 1992, when you dallied with a "none of the above" campaign and got 2 percent of the vote in New Hampshire from write-ins in both the Democratic and Republican primaries, your appeal stretched across the political spectrum. No longer, alas. Your nephew, Tarek Milleron, wrote recently that if you run in 2004 it will be "the year of the Elks clubs, the garden clubs, meetings with former Enron employees, the veterans groups, Wal-Mart employees," not progressive super rallies. But how many Elks club presidents are inviting you to speak? How many veterans groups? Such relationships take time to build and can't be conjured out of thin air in the midst of a presidential campaign.
You once told us you play chess at many levels at once. For all we know, you're thinking of running hard and then, if the race is close, throwing your support to the Democrat in the final days. While such a tactic might make for a satisfying conclusion to an otherwise futile quest, we don't think it justifies the risks, antagonism, confusion and contortions that such a run would entail.
Posted by Eric at 11:23 AM | Comments (107)
Nation Eds: Don't Run, Ralph
The editors of The Nation, one of the more liberal publications out there, and a place where Ralph Nader-penned pieces often appear, is telling Ralph to cut the silliness.
You have said your candidacy could actually help Democrats by raising issues against Bush that a Democratic candidate would avoid and by boosting turnout for good candidates for the House and Senate, where the slender bulwarks against Bushism must be reinforced. But these arguments do not compel a candidacy by you. As a public citizen fighting for open debates and rallying voters to support progressive Democrats for Congress, or good independents or Greens for that matter, you can have a far more productive impact than as a candidate dealing with recriminations about being a spoiler or, worse, an egotist. And the very progressives distressed by the prospect of your candidacy would contribute eagerly to have that voice amplified.Even if Ralph does run, I doubt he'll take votes away from the Democrat. The people who will vote for Ralph (instead of voting to kick out Bush), are likely the ones who wouldn't vote for a mainstream politician (aka a Democrat) regardless. Still, as I've mentioned before, that's only part of the issue. Another is the effect a Nader candidacy would have on the legitimate Nader-connected orgs, like Public Citizen, and the PIRGs, who have had a slight backlash as a result of their connections with Nader. Also, Nader's legitimacy as a public advocate would be hurt.And if you think that this year you can help the anti-Bush cause by running and peeling off disgruntled Republicans, McCainiacs, Perotistas and the like while not disrupting the Democratic charge, please be honest with yourself. Once upon a time, maybe as late as 1992, when you dallied with a "none of the above" campaign and got 2 percent of the vote in New Hampshire from write-ins in both the Democratic and Republican primaries, your appeal stretched across the political spectrum. No longer, alas. Your nephew, Tarek Milleron, wrote recently that if you run in 2004 it will be "the year of the Elks clubs, the garden clubs, meetings with former Enron employees, the veterans groups, Wal-Mart employees," not progressive super rallies. But how many Elks club presidents are inviting you to speak? How many veterans groups? Such relationships take time to build and can't be conjured out of thin air in the midst of a presidential campaign.
You once told us you play chess at many levels at once. For all we know, you're thinking of running hard and then, if the race is close, throwing your support to the Democrat in the final days. While such a tactic might make for a satisfying conclusion to an otherwise futile quest, we don't think it justifies the risks, antagonism, confusion and contortions that such a run would entail.
Posted by Eric at 11:23 AM | Comments (77)
Pandagon on Dean
Interesting analysis from Jesse at Pandagon. Reason for loss of Dean momentum?
"Anybody But Bush" has become the crystalline message of the Democratic primaries. Kerry's getting support thrown to him now in large part because he's looking like the best non-Bush alternative available. If Edwards, Dean, Clark, or even Sharpton step up and start looking like they're going to be the candidate with the broadest and best support, they're going to be the frontrunner, very few questions asked ...This is on display in a great deal of Dean's rhetoric. "I'm the only candidate who did X at X point in time." "Everyone else up here did X, and I didn't." The issue isn't who was the bestest Democrat any more. Almost everyone's moved near the Dean locus, over the threshold of whether or not they're sufficiently opposed to the Bush platform, and the most successful of the candidates aren't arguing over who's going to be the purest alternative to Bush, and are instead arging over why they have the best chance of being the alternative to Bush.
Dean is trying to convince voters that he's the purest choice rather than the best one. And it's not working. You don't appeal to pragmatism through purity.
Posted by Eric at 10:59 AM | Comments (187)
Pandagon on Dean
Interesting analysis from Jesse at Pandagon. Reason for loss of Dean momentum?
"Anybody But Bush" has become the crystalline message of the Democratic primaries. Kerry's getting support thrown to him now in large part because he's looking like the best non-Bush alternative available. If Edwards, Dean, Clark, or even Sharpton step up and start looking like they're going to be the candidate with the broadest and best support, they're going to be the frontrunner, very few questions asked ...This is on display in a great deal of Dean's rhetoric. "I'm the only candidate who did X at X point in time." "Everyone else up here did X, and I didn't." The issue isn't who was the bestest Democrat any more. Almost everyone's moved near the Dean locus, over the threshold of whether or not they're sufficiently opposed to the Bush platform, and the most successful of the candidates aren't arguing over who's going to be the purest alternative to Bush, and are instead arging over why they have the best chance of being the alternative to Bush.
Dean is trying to convince voters that he's the purest choice rather than the best one. And it's not working. You don't appeal to pragmatism through purity.
Posted by Eric at 10:59 AM | Comments (16)
Gross
From the Reliable Source:
"Are you James Carville?" a Granite State voter asked the Democratic strategist-turned-CNN commentator.Ewww."Yes," Carville replied.
"Are you still married to Mary Matalin?"
"Last time I left home I was."
The man demanded to know: How can these two partisan firebrands coexist? "How do you do it?" he asked.
"She usually goes on the bottom," Carville said.
Matlin later said: ""He's obviously regressing. In the future when he does this -- " She paused. "He won't do it again. He's being punished."
Posted by Eric at 10:32 AM | Comments (14)
Gross
From the Reliable Source:
"Are you James Carville?" a Granite State voter asked the Democratic strategist-turned-CNN commentator.Ewww."Yes," Carville replied.
"Are you still married to Mary Matalin?"
"Last time I left home I was."
The man demanded to know: How can these two partisan firebrands coexist? "How do you do it?" he asked.
"She usually goes on the bottom," Carville said.
Matlin later said: ""He's obviously regressing. In the future when he does this -- " She paused. "He won't do it again. He's being punished."
Posted by Eric at 10:32 AM | Comments (10)
MSNBC/Reuters/Zogby Shows Kerry Leading Big
The latest polls in the battleground states shows Kerry with the advantage, and the others fighting for the second place spot. To note:
ARIZONA
Kerry - 38
Clark - 17
Dean - 12
Edwards - 6
MISSOURI
Kerry - 45
Edwards - 11
Dean - 9
Lieberman - 4
Clark - 3
OKLAHOMA
Clark - 27
Kerry - 19
Edwards - 17
Dean - 9
S. CAROLINA
Edwards - 25
Kerry - 24
Dean - 9
Clark - 8
Notes about the poll, according to MSNBC:
Only three weeks ago, pundits and strategists considered Dean the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. But since his lackluster third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 19 and his second-place finish in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Dean’s campaign has struggled to regain its footing.The most striking finding of Zogby’s survey of the four primary states, Arizona, Missouri, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, is that Dean holds the lead in none of them, and in fact the best he can place is 12 percent in Arizona.
Posted by Eric at 10:26 AM | Comments (12)
MSNBC/Reuters/Zogby Shows Kerry Leading Big
The latest polls in the battleground states shows Kerry with the advantage, and the others fighting for the second place spot. To note:
ARIZONA
Kerry - 38
Clark - 17
Dean - 12
Edwards - 6
MISSOURI
Kerry - 45
Edwards - 11
Dean - 9
Lieberman - 4
Clark - 3
OKLAHOMA
Clark - 27
Kerry - 19
Edwards - 17
Dean - 9
S. CAROLINA
Edwards - 25
Kerry - 24
Dean - 9
Clark - 8
Notes about the poll, according to MSNBC:
Only three weeks ago, pundits and strategists considered Dean the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. But since his lackluster third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 19 and his second-place finish in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Dean’s campaign has struggled to regain its footing.The most striking finding of Zogby’s survey of the four primary states, Arizona, Missouri, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, is that Dean holds the lead in none of them, and in fact the best he can place is 12 percent in Arizona.
Posted by Eric at 10:26 AM | Comments (2)
New Ad on The Hamster
Help elect a Democrat in Kentucky. Ben Chandler.
Democrats, of course, need to pick up seats in the south, and it looks like Chandler has a very good chance of winning. The latest Survey USA Poll has Chandler defeating Alice Kerr (R) 54-44.
Posted by Eric at 09:47 AM | Comments (169)
New Ad on The Hamster
Help elect a Democrat in Kentucky. Ben Chandler.
Democrats, of course, need to pick up seats in the south, and it looks like Chandler has a very good chance of winning. The latest Survey USA Poll has Chandler defeating Alice Kerr (R) 54-44.
Posted by Eric at 09:47 AM | Comments (10)
500 Billion!
President Bush's new budget projects the Medicare overhaul he just signed will be one-third more costly than estimated and this year's federal deficit will surge past a half trillion dollars (aka 500 billion!! --hamster) for the first time, administration and congressional officials said Thursday.500 billion!The White House will estimate the cost of creating prescription drug benefits and revamping the mammoth health-care program for the elderly and disabled at $534 billion (over 500 billion!! ---hamster) for the decade that ends in 2013, the officials said. The number will be in the 2005 budget Bush proposes Monday.
Posted by Eric at 01:40 AM | Comments (43)
500 Billion!
President Bush's new budget projects the Medicare overhaul he just signed will be one-third more costly than estimated and this year's federal deficit will surge past a half trillion dollars (aka 500 billion!! --hamster) for the first time, administration and congressional officials said Thursday.500 billion!The White House will estimate the cost of creating prescription drug benefits and revamping the mammoth health-care program for the elderly and disabled at $534 billion (over 500 billion!! ---hamster) for the decade that ends in 2013, the officials said. The number will be in the 2005 budget Bush proposes Monday.
Posted by Eric at 01:40 AM | Comments (17)
Michael Savage: "I have the weird feeling sometimes" Clinton Set Up Bush Disasters
He said it, I quote it, we laugh at it. From reliable Newsmax:
MS: It’s not much more complex than fighting for your survival at a certain point. We are not the French where we have to, you know, buy people off. Clinton bought people off for eight years. He was a master of deceit. But everyone knew the piper had to be paid at the end of the road.Also, Michael Savage says "Kerry can beat Bush."Well, we’ve paid it, you know. We’ve paid it. We inherited this. I almost think that he set out to do this. I have the weird feeling sometimes that he set it up so that everything would collapse when Bush took over, because he knew he couldn’t run again.
I think he’s the devil. I truly do. I actually think that the man is demonic. But I don’t want to spend my time talking about him. He’s not the issue right now. The issue is the election, and does it really make a difference? I think it does. Let’s take one issue.
Posted by Eric at 01:33 AM | Comments (43)
Michael Savage: "I have the weird feeling sometimes" Clinton Set Up Bush Disasters
He said it, I quote it, we laugh at it. From reliable Newsmax:
MS: It’s not much more complex than fighting for your survival at a certain point. We are not the French where we have to, you know, buy people off. Clinton bought people off for eight years. He was a master of deceit. But everyone knew the piper had to be paid at the end of the road.Also, Michael Savage says "Kerry can beat Bush."Well, we’ve paid it, you know. We’ve paid it. We inherited this. I almost think that he set out to do this. I have the weird feeling sometimes that he set it up so that everything would collapse when Bush took over, because he knew he couldn’t run again.
I think he’s the devil. I truly do. I actually think that the man is demonic. But I don’t want to spend my time talking about him. He’s not the issue right now. The issue is the election, and does it really make a difference? I think it does. Let’s take one issue.
Posted by Eric at 01:33 AM | Comments (13)
January 29, 2004
Thursday Stories
Jim Lobe. Will Dubya Dump Dick?
Marsha Rosenbaum. Random drug testing in schools does not deter drug use, it alienates students, deters them from participating in extracurricular programs, and erodes the trust between a parent and a child
motherjones. Dick's Back: Dick Cheney is suddenly running around like his job depended on it. Which it might.
CAP. Harnessing Medicare’s Buying Power
Ivo H. Daalder. Why Legitimacy in Iraq Matters
CAP. Neglecting Intelligence, Ignoring Warnings
NYT. Kerry Notches 2nd Victory but Next Round Is Far From Certain
NYT. Neel: New Man at Top Is Something of an Old Hand
USA Today. Voter turnouts show Dems 'energized and angry'
Biz Week. Running on Middle-Class Relief: Can a Democratic presidential contender who focuses on economic issues gain traction in an improving economy?
WP. Dean's Money Advantage Dwindles: Candidate Won't Buy More Feb. 3 Ads
AP. Kerry lines up endorsements; Dean shakes up staff
Raleigh News & Observer. Democrats court blacks in South Carolina
Newsday. Kerry Rides Wave of Momentum: Campaign goes national
Sidney Blumenthal. In full voice against Bush: The remaining Democratic hopefuls are all singing from the same hymn sheet to defeat the president
AP. Clyburn endorsement could help Kerry make up ground in SC
Posted by Eric at 11:54 PM | Comments (13)
Thursday Stories
Jim Lobe. Will Dubya Dump Dick?
Marsha Rosenbaum. Random drug testing in schools does not deter drug use, it alienates students, deters them from participating in extracurricular programs, and erodes the trust between a parent and a child
motherjones. Dick's Back: Dick Cheney is suddenly running around like his job depended on it. Which it might.
CAP. Harnessing Medicare’s Buying Power
Ivo H. Daalder. Why Legitimacy in Iraq Matters
CAP. Neglecting Intelligence, Ignoring Warnings
NYT. Kerry Notches 2nd Victory but Next Round Is Far From Certain
NYT. Neel: New Man at Top Is Something of an Old Hand
USA Today. Voter turnouts show Dems 'energized and angry'
Biz Week. Running on Middle-Class Relief: Can a Democratic presidential contender who focuses on economic issues gain traction in an improving economy?
WP. Dean's Money Advantage Dwindles: Candidate Won't Buy More Feb. 3 Ads
AP. Kerry lines up endorsements; Dean shakes up staff
Raleigh News & Observer. Democrats court blacks in South Carolina
Newsday. Kerry Rides Wave of Momentum: Campaign goes national
Sidney Blumenthal. In full voice against Bush: The remaining Democratic hopefuls are all singing from the same hymn sheet to defeat the president
AP. Clyburn endorsement could help Kerry make up ground in SC
Posted by Eric at 11:54 PM | Comments (3)
When Judges Attack
Yeah, that's not nice.
Circuit Judge Gene Stephenson on Thursday publicly apologized for insulting comments he made about a rape victim and removed himself from the case."The remarks were inappropriate. It's something I've never done before and won't do again," Stephenson said.
"I would just ask that she accept my apology. If she could find it in her heart to accept it, I'd appreciate it," the judge said
During proceedings in the rape case Monday before the prosecutor and defense attorney, Stephenson looked at a photograph of the battered victim and said, "Why would he want to rape her? She doesn't look like a day at the beach," according to a transcript reviewed by the Orlando Sentinel.
The victim was not in the courtroom at the time.
Posted by Eric at 11:07 PM | Comments (112)
When Judges Attack
Yeah, that's not nice.
Circuit Judge Gene Stephenson on Thursday publicly apologized for insulting comments he made about a rape victim and removed himself from the case."The remarks were inappropriate. It's something I've never done before and won't do again," Stephenson said.
"I would just ask that she accept my apology. If she could find it in her heart to accept it, I'd appreciate it," the judge said
During proceedings in the rape case Monday before the prosecutor and defense attorney, Stephenson looked at a photograph of the battered victim and said, "Why would he want to rape her? She doesn't look like a day at the beach," according to a transcript reviewed by the Orlando Sentinel.
The victim was not in the courtroom at the time.
Posted by Eric at 11:07 PM | Comments (11)
Did Dean Spend Too Much on Ads?
Possibly, since the campaign is suspending activity on airing ads in 7 primary states:
Coming on the heels of the campaign's decision not to buy TV ads in those states, Dean said he will focus on picking up as many delegates as he can, but that only requires him to place, not win, in the blitz of upcoming primaries and caucuses.Responding to the comission Joe Trippi received (15% of ad buys) from the Dean camp, Dan Conley asks if there's a conflict of interest? (link via politicalwire)"We're going to have to win eventually," he said. "But the question was do we have to win on February 3. Of course we want to, but we don't have to."
Dean's advertising plan puts him at a distinct disadvantage with high-spending rivals John Kerry, John Edwards and Wesley Clark, said officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
With his money and momentum depleted after losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, Dean has decided to save his ad money for the Feb. 7 elections in Michigan and Washington state and, 10 days later, those in Wisconsin.
Posted by Eric at 08:55 PM | Comments (22)
Did Dean Spend Too Much on Ads?
Possibly, since the campaign is suspending activity on airing ads in 7 primary states:
Coming on the heels of the campaign's decision not to buy TV ads in those states, Dean said he will focus on picking up as many delegates as he can, but that only requires him to place, not win, in the blitz of upcoming primaries and caucuses.Responding to the comission Joe Trippi received (15% of ad buys) from the Dean camp, Dan Conley asks if there's a conflict of interest? (link via politicalwire)"We're going to have to win eventually," he said. "But the question was do we have to win on February 3. Of course we want to, but we don't have to."
Dean's advertising plan puts him at a distinct disadvantage with high-spending rivals John Kerry, John Edwards and Wesley Clark, said officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
With his money and momentum depleted after losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, Dean has decided to save his ad money for the Feb. 7 elections in Michigan and Washington state and, 10 days later, those in Wisconsin.
Posted by Eric at 08:55 PM | Comments (4)
Kerry: Threshhold Credibility Candidate?
Ruy Teixeira, co-author of The Democratic Majority, says Kerry has three important ingredients that other candidates do not. What are they?
To radically simplify, a presidential candidate needs to impress voters in three ways: as commander-in-chief and defender of national security; as steward of the economy and custodian of the domestic agenda; and through his campaigning and ability to connect with voters. In each of these areas, Kerry, in DR's view, achieves threshhold credibility--that is, he's good enough to make most voters give him a closer look without saying: "no way can I vote for that guy".However, Ruy warns, that doesn't mean anything in the general election:Instead voters (at least our typical primary voter) might say: Kerry as commander-in-chief? He seems plausible. Kerry on domestic issues? Well, pretty good, he seems to know what he's talking about. Kerry as campaiger? Not exciting, sure, but at least he's disciplined and doesn't say a lot of goofy stuff.
There you have it. Threshhold credibility! Contrast that with Dean, who seems implausible to many as commander-in-chief and, as a campaigner, has shown an inability to keep a lid on it when he really needs to. Or compare with Clark, who seems very plausible indeed as commander-in-chief, but seems painfully thin in the domestic area and has shown himself not-quite-ready-for-prime-time on the campaign trail. Or with Edwards, who is a great campaigner, with a pretty good to excellent domestic agenda, but who falls short in the commander-in-chief department.
But will that be enough for him to win the general election? Almost certainly not. Credibility in these departments merely means voters will give him a close look. He'll still have to close the sale and there are reasons to worry that Kerry has not yet found the themes and signature programs that will enable him to do so.
Posted by Eric at 03:16 PM | Comments (17)
Kerry: Threshhold Credibility Candidate?
Ruy Teixeira, co-author of The Democratic Majority, says Kerry has three important ingredients that other candidates do not. What are they?
To radically simplify, a presidential candidate needs to impress voters in three ways: as commander-in-chief and defender of national security; as steward of the economy and custodian of the domestic agenda; and through his campaigning and ability to connect with voters. In each of these areas, Kerry, in DR's view, achieves threshhold credibility--that is, he's good enough to make most voters give him a closer look without saying: "no way can I vote for that guy".However, Ruy warns, that doesn't mean anything in the general election:Instead voters (at least our typical primary voter) might say: Kerry as commander-in-chief? He seems plausible. Kerry on domestic issues? Well, pretty good, he seems to know what he's talking about. Kerry as campaiger? Not exciting, sure, but at least he's disciplined and doesn't say a lot of goofy stuff.
There you have it. Threshhold credibility! Contrast that with Dean, who seems implausible to many as commander-in-chief and, as a campaigner, has shown an inability to keep a lid on it when he really needs to. Or compare with Clark, who seems very plausible indeed as commander-in-chief, but seems painfully thin in the domestic area and has shown himself not-quite-ready-for-prime-time on the campaign trail. Or with Edwards, who is a great campaigner, with a pretty good to excellent domestic agenda, but who falls short in the commander-in-chief department.
But will that be enough for him to win the general election? Almost certainly not. Credibility in these departments merely means voters will give him a close look. He'll still have to close the sale and there are reasons to worry that Kerry has not yet found the themes and signature programs that will enable him to do so.
Posted by Eric at 03:16 PM | Comments (3)
Hamster Numbers: Extreme Poverty
-- National Center for Children in Poverty
Posted by Eric at 03:07 PM | Comments (5)
Hamster Numbers: Extreme Poverty
-- National Center for Children in Poverty
Posted by Eric at 03:07 PM | Comments (3)
Moby Likes Sharpton
Singer Moby thinks Al Sharpton "would, in many ways, be the best nominee." Thank God Democrats don't think like Moby.
have you heard him speak?
he's bright and personable and aware and informed and all of the things that we want all of the other candidates to be.
when al sharpton speaks you feel as if you're listening to a human being and not a political robot.
the other candidates, dean, clark, & kerry are all good men who are principled and qualified.
but if any of them want to actually win they should hire al sharpton to teach them how to be quick and genuine and honest and personable.
if al sharpton actually had a chance i would support him in a heartbeat.
Posted by Eric at 09:35 AM | Comments (44)
Moby Likes Sharpton
Singer Moby thinks Al Sharpton "would, in many ways, be the best nominee." Thank God Democrats don't think like Moby.
have you heard him speak?
he's bright and personable and aware and informed and all of the things that we want all of the other candidates to be.
when al sharpton speaks you feel as if you're listening to a human being and not a political robot.
the other candidates, dean, clark, & kerry are all good men who are principled and qualified.
but if any of them want to actually win they should hire al sharpton to teach them how to be quick and genuine and honest and personable.
if al sharpton actually had a chance i would support him in a heartbeat.
Posted by Eric at 09:35 AM | Comments (20)
Kerry Touts Veteran / Life-Saving Skills
The new Kerry ad will run in South Carolina and Missouri. The ad features a soldier Kerry served with in Vietnam. The script:
David Alston: "When the bullets began to hit the side of the boat, the boom, the pow, pow, pow, we found out that John Kerry can lead."
Kerry: "There's this sense after Vietnam that every other day is extra. That you have to do what's right. You know it's right to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to guarantee all Americans health care and invest in our kids. That's why I'm running for president."
Alston: "He wants better for America."
Kerry: "I'm John Kerry and I approved this message."
Alston: "This man would make a great president."
The ad can be viewed at JohnKerry.com.
The AP notes this:
In that state, the reason why Kerry's running this new spot is clear. Alston is black, a reverend and a resident of South Carolina. Religion influences South Carolina Democrats' views on social issues, and almost half the Democrats expected to vote in the primary are blacks.Kerry uses the spot to remind voters that he has a military background, which also could draw more veterans to his campaign. He already has many veterans on board and could court more in Missouri and South Carolina where the ad will run. Missouri has a heavy military presence and South Carolina is home to 400,000 veterans.
And Kerry attempts to make the case that strong leadership in Vietnam can translate into strong leadership in the White House.
More can be read in the Atlantic Monthly about Kerry and his 'nam experience.
Posted by Eric at 12:02 AM | Comments (11)
Kerry Touts Veteran / Life-Saving Skills
The new Kerry ad will run in South Carolina and Missouri. The ad features a soldier Kerry served with in Vietnam. The script:
David Alston: "When the bullets began to hit the side of the boat, the boom, the pow, pow, pow, we found out that John Kerry can lead."
Kerry: "There's this sense after Vietnam that every other day is extra. That you have to do what's right. You know it's right to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to guarantee all Americans health care and invest in our kids. That's why I'm running for president."
Alston: "He wants better for America."
Kerry: "I'm John Kerry and I approved this message."
Alston: "This man would make a great president."
The ad can be viewed at JohnKerry.com.
The AP notes this:
In that state, the reason why Kerry's running this new spot is clear. Alston is black, a reverend and a resident of South Carolina. Religion influences South Carolina Democrats' views on social issues, and almost half the Democrats expected to vote in the primary are blacks.Kerry uses the spot to remind voters that he has a military background, which also could draw more veterans to his campaign. He already has many veterans on board and could court more in Missouri and South Carolina where the ad will run. Missouri has a heavy military presence and South Carolina is home to 400,000 veterans.
And Kerry attempts to make the case that strong leadership in Vietnam can translate into strong leadership in the White House.
More can be read in the Atlantic Monthly about Kerry and his 'nam experience.
Posted by Eric at 12:02 AM | Comments (1)
January 28, 2004
Wed Stories
Reuters. US Intelligence on Iraq: Political Battleground
Marie Cocco. This Time, Democrats Go for the Win
Newsday. Kerry Wins, But Race for Nomination Is Not Over
AP. Exit Poll: Kerry scores on beating Bush
AP. Blair cleared in weapons expert's suicide
Robert Scheer . David Kay's admission makes clear, the president misled Congress into approving his preemptive war. So why is there no talk of impeachment?
Salon. Kerry wins again: Meanwhile, Dean spins second as a moral victory -- but will he ever come in first? -- Edwards' backers say his fourth-place finish beats Clark's third, and Lieberman vows to fight on
Matt Bivens. 'The Deserter': George Bush's AWOL days in the 1970s meet the military's own definition for 'desertion'.
Dean Baker . In this week's review of economics reporting: Copyrights on the Web... Congress' New Budget Challenge... and more.
Daniel Ellsberg . The Next 'Pentagon Papers'
AP. Surveys suggest Dean halted slide before election, but voters' doubts lingered
BG. Despite a second defeat, Dean says he feels revitalized
BGlobe. SC seen largely up for grabs
USAT. Regardless of place, Dean's machine still sets pace
KRT. Dean says second-place finish will revive his campaign
BBC. Press cautious on Kerry success
Sydney Morning Herald. The view from New Hampshire
NYT. Democrats Back on the Stump After Kerry's Big Victory
AZ Daily Sun. Local AZ Kerry supporters happy with results
ChicTrib. 'Rev' ready to rev up
Posted by Eric at 11:56 PM | Comments (77)
Wed Stories
Reuters. US Intelligence on Iraq: Political Battleground
Marie Cocco. This Time, Democrats Go for the Win
Newsday. Kerry Wins, But Race for Nomination Is Not Over
AP. Exit Poll: Kerry scores on beating Bush
AP. Blair cleared in weapons expert's suicide
Robert Scheer . David Kay's admission makes clear, the president misled Congress into approving his preemptive war. So why is there no talk of impeachment?
Salon. Kerry wins again: Meanwhile, Dean spins second as a moral victory -- but will he ever come in first? -- Edwards' backers say his fourth-place finish beats Clark's third, and Lieberman vows to fight on
Matt Bivens. 'The Deserter': George Bush's AWOL days in the 1970s meet the military's own definition for 'desertion'.
Dean Baker . In this week's review of economics reporting: Copyrights on the Web... Congress' New Budget Challenge... and more.
Daniel Ellsberg . The Next 'Pentagon Papers'
AP. Surveys suggest Dean halted slide before election, but voters' doubts lingered
BG. Despite a second defeat, Dean says he feels revitalized
BGlobe. SC seen largely up for grabs
USAT. Regardless of place, Dean's machine still sets pace
KRT. Dean says second-place finish will revive his campaign
BBC. Press cautious on Kerry success
Sydney Morning Herald. The view from New Hampshire
NYT. Democrats Back on the Stump After Kerry's Big Victory
AZ Daily Sun. Local AZ Kerry supporters happy with results
ChicTrib. 'Rev' ready to rev up
Posted by Eric at 11:56 PM | Comments (14)
Go, Joe
Through Political Wire, we find this from Stuart Rothenberg about why Joe Lieberman should go. Then again, maybe he still thinks he's in a tough battle for 3rd place.
But Lieberman risks something much greater than defeat if he continues his Don Quixote-like Presidential bid. He risks looking increasingly pathetic, a politician who can't accept the obvious. Personally, that's not something I'm looking forward to ... The longer Lieberman stays in the Democratic race, the more likely he will become the butt of jokes. The longer he runs for President, the more clueless he will seem ... His suggestion that he finished in a virtual dead heat for third place - and that this gives him momentum - makes him look silly, even delusional.The problem, obviously, is if you're a Bush supporter and Joe wins the primaries right after Ms. Piggy joins the Air Force, you ain't gonna vote for Joe if it ends up being a Bush vs. Joe battle. Hence, Republican lite = Joe argument.New Hampshire exit polling shows just how unsuccessful Lieberman was in his efforts to attract the kind of voters he'd need to be successful on February 3rd - or any other time, for that matter.
According to the poll, the Connecticut senator performed best among primary voters who usually think of themselves as Republicans, consider themselves conservative on political matters, attend religious serves weekly, are satisfied with (but not enthusiastic about) the Bush administration, believe the Bush tax cuts should be left entirely in place, and strongly approve of the US decision to go to war in Iraq. In other words, Lieberman is doing best among Bush voters. Really, I'm not making this up. Check the exits yourself.
Posted by Eric at 09:57 PM | Comments (25)
Go, Joe
Through Political Wire, we find this from Stuart Rothenberg about why Joe Lieberman should go. Then again, maybe he still thinks he's in a tough battle for 3rd place.
But Lieberman risks something much greater than defeat if he continues his Don Quixote-like Presidential bid. He risks looking increasingly pathetic, a politician who can't accept the obvious. Personally, that's not something I'm looking forward to ... The longer Lieberman stays in the Democratic race, the more likely he will become the butt of jokes. The longer he runs for President, the more clueless he will seem ... His suggestion that he finished in a virtual dead heat for third place - and that this gives him momentum - makes him look silly, even delusional.The problem, obviously, is if you're a Bush supporter and Joe wins the primaries right after Ms. Piggy joins the Air Force, you ain't gonna vote for Joe if it ends up being a Bush vs. Joe battle. Hence, Republican lite = Joe argument.New Hampshire exit polling shows just how unsuccessful Lieberman was in his efforts to attract the kind of voters he'd need to be successful on February 3rd - or any other time, for that matter.
According to the poll, the Connecticut senator performed best among primary voters who usually think of themselves as Republicans, consider themselves conservative on political matters, attend religious serves weekly, are satisfied with (but not enthusiastic about) the Bush administration, believe the Bush tax cuts should be left entirely in place, and strongly approve of the US decision to go to war in Iraq. In other words, Lieberman is doing best among Bush voters. Really, I'm not making this up. Check the exits yourself.
Posted by Eric at 09:57 PM | Comments (14)
Trippi Out, Neel In
Wow. Trippi ran one of the best campaigns out there, turning an obscure Vermont gov into a legitimate contender through unprecedented and innovative methods. Now, he's out.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Dean told congressional supporters in a telephone conference call that he was installing Roy Neel as campaign CEO. Dean added that Trippi would remain on the payroll, the source said. But another source said that Trippi had decided to depart the campaign rather than accept the change ... Neel, Gore's former senatorial chief of staff, served as chief executive of the U.S. Telecom Association in Washington before working on Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. Neel was named to head Gore's transition team in anticipation of the former vice president winning the White House.Regardless of Trippi's success BEFORE the primaries, the campaign lacks momentum and Dean lost two states he was expected to win. Maybe this will give the campaign a kick in the butt. Still, given Trippi's success in making Dean a legitimate presidential contender and voice in the Democratic Party, one wonders if Dean is junking his most valuable asset.
Posted by Eric at 07:53 PM | Comments (164)
Trippi Out, Neel In
Wow. Trippi ran one of the best campaigns out there, turning an obscure Vermont gov into a legitimate contender through unprecedented and innovative methods. Now, he's out.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Dean told congressional supporters in a telephone conference call that he was installing Roy Neel as campaign CEO. Dean added that Trippi would remain on the payroll, the source said. But another source said that Trippi had decided to depart the campaign rather than accept the change ... Neel, Gore's former senatorial chief of staff, served as chief executive of the U.S. Telecom Association in Washington before working on Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. Neel was named to head Gore's transition team in anticipation of the former vice president winning the White House.Regardless of Trippi's success BEFORE the primaries, the campaign lacks momentum and Dean lost two states he was expected to win. Maybe this will give the campaign a kick in the butt. Still, given Trippi's success in making Dean a legitimate presidential contender and voice in the Democratic Party, one wonders if Dean is junking his most valuable asset.
Posted by Eric at 07:53 PM | Comments (12)
Voter Turnout
The other day someone mentioned to me that one big positive from New Hampshire was the voter turnout. Indeed, New Hampshire had its largest primary turnout. Now, if you're satisfied with the way the country is going, chances are you aren't turning out in record numbers to help elect the guy who wants to beat the sitting president. The AP puts some perspective on the turnout.
In Tuesday's primary, independent voters played a major role, making up almost half -- 45 percent -- of New Hampshire's record Democratic primary turnout of about 200,000. Seven in 10 independents who voted in the primary said the nation's economy is not in good shape, according to an exit poll conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International.Further, the Indys are angry at Bush.Almost nine in 10 said they were worried about the direction of the nation's economy in the next few years. Eight in 10 said the Bush tax cuts should be canceled altogether or only for the wealthy. The views about the economy of independents who voted in the Democratic primary were almost as sour as those of Democratic voters.
Four in 10 of the independents who voted in the Democratic primary said they were angry at Bush, and another four in 10 said they were dissatisfied. Eight in 10 said they were worried there will be another major terrorist attack in this country. Results of the survey of 1,848 voters were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, higher for subgroups.The larger point is the poor economy presents a chance for the Democrats to bring new people into the party. They will need to do this to win the battleground states.Almost four in 10 voters in New Hampshire are independents, political analysts say. Their support will be crucial in the general election in a state Bush won in 2000 by just over 7,000 votes. At stake are four electoral votes.
Polling as recently as December showed Bush drawing support from fewer than half -- 47 percent -- of independents in a matchup with a Democratic candidate. About a third said they would vote for the Democrat and another 21 percent were undecided. That's not a strong position for a Republican president in a state with a Republican governor, Republican congressional delegation and Republican-dominated state legislature.
Posted by Eric at 05:48 PM | Comments (30)
Voter Turnout
The other day someone mentioned to me that one big positive from New Hampshire was the voter turnout. Indeed, New Hampshire had its largest primary turnout. Now, if you're satisfied with the way the country is going, chances are you aren't turning out in record numbers to help elect the guy who wants to beat the sitting president. The AP puts some perspective on the turnout.
In Tuesday's primary, independent voters played a major role, making up almost half -- 45 percent -- of New Hampshire's record Democratic primary turnout of about 200,000. Seven in 10 independents who voted in the primary said the nation's economy is not in good shape, according to an exit poll conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International.Further, the Indys are angry at Bush.Almost nine in 10 said they were worried about the direction of the nation's economy in the next few years. Eight in 10 said the Bush tax cuts should be canceled altogether or only for the wealthy. The views about the economy of independents who voted in the Democratic primary were almost as sour as those of Democratic voters.
Four in 10 of the independents who voted in the Democratic primary said they were angry at Bush, and another four in 10 said they were dissatisfied. Eight in 10 said they were worried there will be another major terrorist attack in this country. Results of the survey of 1,848 voters were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, higher for subgroups.The larger point is the poor economy presents a chance for the Democrats to bring new people into the party. They will need to do this to win the battleground states.Almost four in 10 voters in New Hampshire are independents, political analysts say. Their support will be crucial in the general election in a state Bush won in 2000 by just over 7,000 votes. At stake are four electoral votes.
Polling as recently as December showed Bush drawing support from fewer than half -- 47 percent -- of independents in a matchup with a Democratic candidate. About a third said they would vote for the Democrat and another 21 percent were undecided. That's not a strong position for a Republican president in a state with a Republican governor, Republican congressional delegation and Republican-dominated state legislature.
Posted by Eric at 05:48 PM | Comments (14)
Frist Aide on Leave
The first in what should be many more ... who else, and how far did the leaks go (authorized)?
An aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has been put on leave during an investigation into how Republicans gained access to Democratic memos concerning opposition to President Bush's judicial nominees.Manuel Miranda, who works for the Tennessee Republican on judicial nominations, is on leave pending the outcome of the inquiry by the Senate sergeant-at-arms, Frist spokesman Nick Smith said Tuesday. In the matter under investigation, Democratic memos stored on a computer server shared by Judiciary Committee members ended up in GOP hands.
Miranda told The Knoxville News-Sentinel that investigators were looking at work he performed for the Judiciary Committee before he joined Frist's office. "There was no stealing," he said. "No systematic surveillance. I never forwarded these memos – period."
Asked about the investigation Tuesday, Frist refused to talk about it.
Posted by Eric at 01:44 PM | Comments (59)
Frist Aide on Leave
The first in what should be many more ... who else, and how far did the leaks go (authorized)?
An aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has been put on leave during an investigation into how Republicans gained access to Democratic memos concerning opposition to President Bush's judicial nominees.Manuel Miranda, who works for the Tennessee Republican on judicial nominations, is on leave pending the outcome of the inquiry by the Senate sergeant-at-arms, Frist spokesman Nick Smith said Tuesday. In the matter under investigation, Democratic memos stored on a computer server shared by Judiciary Committee members ended up in GOP hands.
Miranda told The Knoxville News-Sentinel that investigators were looking at work he performed for the Judiciary Committee before he joined Frist's office. "There was no stealing," he said. "No systematic surveillance. I never forwarded these memos – period."
Asked about the investigation Tuesday, Frist refused to talk about it.
Posted by Eric at 01:44 PM | Comments (7)
DSCC Gets Loco
The DSCC, trying to shed its image as the organization of Washington insiders unconcerned about the grassroots, is pushing a new website: FromTheRoots.org. The DSCC describes it as:
FromTheRoots.org is a community weblog site with up-to-the-minute news, commentary and strategy on taking back the U.S. Senate and defeating President Bush. By electing more Senate Democrats, we will be able to set the agenda and stop the right-wing policies of the Bush Administration. The DSCC wants to keep committed Democrats like yourself informed about the issues, and wants you to participate in what's happening in your community. As the site grows there will also be actions and local events that you can join to get our country back on track.Indeed, they say you can communicate with DSCC staff, post your own diary entries, and get info from the DSCC crew (they also have a link section, but no Hamster! Oh no!). Regardless, it's a nice effort and further evidence of the Washington institutions giving in to the blogosphere.
Posted by Eric at 01:38 PM | Comments (20)
DSCC Gets Loco
The DSCC, trying to shed its image as the organization of Washington insiders unconcerned about the grassroots, is pushing a new website: FromTheRoots.org. The DSCC describes it as:
FromTheRoots.org is a community weblog site with up-to-the-minute news, commentary and strategy on taking back the U.S. Senate and defeating President Bush. By electing more Senate Democrats, we will be able to set the agenda and stop the right-wing policies of the Bush Administration. The DSCC wants to keep committed Democrats like yourself informed about the issues, and wants you to participate in what's happening in your community. As the site grows there will also be actions and local events that you can join to get our country back on track.Indeed, they say you can communicate with DSCC staff, post your own diary entries, and get info from the DSCC crew (they also have a link section, but no Hamster! Oh no!). Regardless, it's a nice effort and further evidence of the Washington institutions giving in to the blogosphere.
Posted by Eric at 01:38 PM | Comments (15)
What to Expect
Southern blogger wyethwire has some things to look for in the SC primary. Among them:
EDWARDS VERSUS CLARK: Terry McAulliffe is treating Feb 3rd like the Bowl Championship Series - candidates need a "quality win" in order to continue to Super Tuesday. Edwards and Clark will fight to the death. This ought to be an interesting competition between field versus media. Edwards inherited the Gephardt field campaign, but Clark's commercials are some of the best I've ever seen. There is a big debate in the South Carolina Democratic Party about what strategy works best - an air blitiz or a ground game. Edwards versus Clark may settle that debate.WILL KERRY COMPETE: Kerry got a 15 point bounce in South Carolina after Iowa. He might get another bounce out of his double-digit win in New Hampshire. It will be interesting to see if the bounce overpowers the "write off the South" remarks of the other day. Kerry is already sending surrogates to South Carolina, John Grisham will be stumping for Kerry in SC tomorrow. And Kerry's staff is already building events around the South Carolina debate in Greenville.
LOOK OUT FOR SHARPTON: I have been convinced for some time that Sharpton will come in second. I did a long list of reasons back in December. Plus, Sharpton has been campaigning nonstop in South Carolina since the DC "primary." In the next seven days, Sharpton has 16 scheduled events in the Palmetto State. I still have a wager with a prominent GOP activist that Sharpton will place third.
However, there is another theory about Sharpton's support - that it is a comfortable place for undecided African-American voters. I have heard plenty of anecdotal evidence of black voters that have told pollsters that they support Sharpton, but they are still waiting for another candidate to make the sale. Just like Iowa and New Hampshire, most South Carolina voters will decide late - perhaps as late as Sunday or Monday night.
Posted by Eric at 09:08 AM | Comments (137)
What to Expect
Southern blogger wyethwire has some things to look for in the SC primary. Among them:
EDWARDS VERSUS CLARK: Terry McAulliffe is treating Feb 3rd like the Bowl Championship Series - candidates need a "quality win" in order to continue to Super Tuesday. Edwards and Clark will fight to the death. This ought to be an interesting competition between field versus media. Edwards inherited the Gephardt field campaign, but Clark's commercials are some of the best I've ever seen. There is a big debate in the South Carolina Democratic Party about what strategy works best - an air blitiz or a ground game. Edwards versus Clark may settle that debate.WILL KERRY COMPETE: Kerry got a 15 point bounce in South Carolina after Iowa. He might get another bounce out of his double-digit win in New Hampshire. It will be interesting to see if the bounce overpowers the "write off the South" remarks of the other day. Kerry is already sending surrogates to South Carolina, John Grisham will be stumping for Kerry in SC tomorrow. And Kerry's staff is already building events around the South Carolina debate in Greenville.
LOOK OUT FOR SHARPTON: I have been convinced for some time that Sharpton will come in second. I did a long list of reasons back in December. Plus, Sharpton has been campaigning nonstop in South Carolina since the DC "primary." In the next seven days, Sharpton has 16 scheduled events in the Palmetto State. I still have a wager with a prominent GOP activist that Sharpton will place third.
However, there is another theory about Sharpton's support - that it is a comfortable place for undecided African-American voters. I have heard plenty of anecdotal evidence of black voters that have told pollsters that they support Sharpton, but they are still waiting for another candidate to make the sale. Just like Iowa and New Hampshire, most South Carolina voters will decide late - perhaps as late as Sunday or Monday night.
Posted by Eric at 09:08 AM | Comments (38)
Hamster Numbers: Voting
Average percentage of the Jewish vote won by the Democratic presidential candidate in the 1980s: 59 [Voter News Service (Brooklyn)]
Average percentage since then: 79 [Voter News Service (Brooklyn)]
Posted by Eric at 09:06 AM | Comments (25)
Hamster Numbers: Voting
Average percentage of the Jewish vote won by the Democratic presidential candidate in the 1980s: 59 [Voter News Service (Brooklyn)]
Average percentage since then: 79 [Voter News Service (Brooklyn)]
Posted by Eric at 09:06 AM | Comments (4)
Franken Assaulting People?
If you've been reading what's been written in the conservative press lately, you may have been hearing a lot about Al Franken and an incident with a Lyndon LaRouche supporter. However, there is more to the story than what the NY Post and Newsmax.com have been selectively reporting. This is what I wrote on AlFrankenWeb.com.
Jan 27. Smear. The Fox-owned NY Post and conservative magazines have launched a smear campaign against Al Franken by taking one incident out of context. Here, we are given the image of an unstable Al Franken attacking a poor man without warrant. In the NY Post, no description of the heckler is mentioned except that he was "shouting accusations." Newsmax portrays the heckler as the victim. Sounds bad, doesn't it? Al Franken just attacking innocent hecklers. Indeed, the way the story is framed in the conservative papers makes Franken sound bad. However, both of the conservative papers took the incident completely out of context. Indeed, they failed to mention some important parts of the story:
Point #1: The Heckler First Attacked People. According to Palace Theatre's manager, the heckler attacked the security guards and the theater manager:
Two members of Dean's security team immediately moved in on the man, who shoved and elbowed them, Ramsey said.
"He was screaming. He was out of control," Ramsey said.
Ramsey said he went over to help calm the situation and also got elbowed and pushed.
Point #2: Out of Control Attacker Then Presented Danger to Dean and Crowd. So what else did the heckler do that the conservative media did not report? He posed a potential danger to Howard Dean who, since he is a presidential candidate, is always subject to risk.
The protester had clambered over two or three people and had perched himself on the balcony railing.
"I thought he was going to jump. He was screaming at Dean. I was scared for a minute that he was going to jump on the stage and attack Dean," Ramsey said.
One New Hampshire voter sitting in the balcony said the heckler "kind of barreled through like a Patriots fullback."
"The way he moved, I thought he was going to jump or something," Wendy Branch of Northwood said. "Even if he didn't intend to jump, he was setting himself up for a fall. It was a little alarming."
Point #3: Franken Subdued the Attacker Only After He was Attacked. Al Franken was with the security guards trying to help get the heckler out of the room. However, it was only after the heckler physically attacked Franken and broke his glasses that Franken resorted to a wrestling move intended to subdue the attacker:
Ramsey said a news photographer later told him Franken reacted to being elbowed by the protester, who knocked his glasses off.Indeed, while the Post used loaded language - "'body-slammed" - the reality is Franken subdued a man who had already assaulted two security guards. Indeed, this is why the theater manager said:
I never met Al Franken before. He is now my new heroSummary: Why did such a potentially scandalous story have so few details in the NY Post and Newsmax? Why were the New York Post and Newsmax.com slim on details of the protestor and his actions? The answer is that presenting the full and real story would detract from the ambiguous and negative picture presented of Franken, as you saw in points 1-3 ...
The conservative media will continue to spin this in the way they see fit: Nut-case Franken assaulted an innocent man without warrant. Put Franken in jail! However, as a complete account from people there showed, the conservative media left out crucial details of an affair in which Al helped security guards stop an angry assaulter who attacked others and further presented a danger to the people around him.
EDIT: Also posted, an interview with the theater manager, who said "Franken reacted to being struck pretty violently."
Posted by Eric at 08:36 AM | Comments (123)
Franken Assaulting People?
If you've been reading what's been written in the conservative press lately, you may have been hearing a lot about Al Franken and an incident with a Lyndon LaRouche supporter. However, there is more to the story than what the NY Post and Newsmax.com have been selectively reporting. This is what I wrote on AlFrankenWeb.com.
Jan 27. Smear. The Fox-owned NY Post and conservative magazines have launched a smear campaign against Al Franken by taking one incident out of context. Here, we are given the image of an unstable Al Franken attacking a poor man without warrant. In the NY Post, no description of the heckler is mentioned except that he was "shouting accusations." Newsmax portrays the heckler as the victim. Sounds bad, doesn't it? Al Franken just attacking innocent hecklers. Indeed, the way the story is framed in the conservative papers makes Franken sound bad. However, both of the conservative papers took the incident completely out of context. Indeed, they failed to mention some important parts of the story:
Point #1: The Heckler First Attacked People. According to Palace Theatre's manager, the heckler attacked the security guards and the theater manager:
Two members of Dean's security team immediately moved in on the man, who shoved and elbowed them, Ramsey said.
"He was screaming. He was out of control," Ramsey said.
Ramsey said he went over to help calm the situation and also got elbowed and pushed.
Point #2: Out of Control Attacker Then Presented Danger to Dean and Crowd. So what else did the heckler do that the conservative media did not report? He posed a potential danger to Howard Dean who, since he is a presidential candidate, is always subject to risk.
The protester had clambered over two or three people and had perched himself on the balcony railing.
"I thought he was going to jump. He was screaming at Dean. I was scared for a minute that he was going to jump on the stage and attack Dean," Ramsey said.
One New Hampshire voter sitting in the balcony said the heckler "kind of barreled through like a Patriots fullback."
"The way he moved, I thought he was going to jump or something," Wendy Branch of Northwood said. "Even if he didn't intend to jump, he was setting himself up for a fall. It was a little alarming."
Point #3: Franken Subdued the Attacker Only After He was Attacked. Al Franken was with the security guards trying to help get the heckler out of the room. However, it was only after the heckler physically attacked Franken and broke his glasses that Franken resorted to a wrestling move intended to subdue the attacker:
Ramsey said a news photographer later told him Franken reacted to being elbowed by the protester, who knocked his glasses off.Indeed, while the Post used loaded language - "'body-slammed" - the reality is Franken subdued a man who had already assaulted two security guards. Indeed, this is why the theater manager said:
I never met Al Franken before. He is now my new heroSummary: Why did such a potentially scandalous story have so few details in the NY Post and Newsmax? Why were the New York Post and Newsmax.com slim on details of the protestor and his actions? The answer is that presenting the full and real story would detract from the ambiguous and negative picture presented of Franken, as you saw in points 1-3 ...
The conservative media will continue to spin this in the way they see fit: Nut-case Franken assaulted an innocent man without warrant. Put Franken in jail! However, as a complete account from people there showed, the conservative media left out crucial details of an affair in which Al helped security guards stop an angry assaulter who attacked others and further presented a danger to the people around him.
EDIT: Also posted, an interview with the theater manager, who said "Franken reacted to being struck pretty violently."
Posted by Eric at 08:36 AM | Comments (73)
January 27, 2004
Tuesday Stories
Dow Jones. White House Repeats Bush FY05 Budget Will Cut Deficit
Reuters. Clark Seeks Respectable Finish, Looks Ahead
LA Times. Democrats Spend $3.5 Million on N.H. Primary Ad Blitz
The Hill. GOP deficit angst rises $4.2 trillion outlook emboldens party’s fiscal conservatives
E. J. Dionne Jr.. For Kerry, Veteran Voices . . .
WP. Consultant Works His Magic on Kerry
WP. Democrats Hone Tactics For the Big Prizes Ahead
WP. UN Election Team To Be Sent to Iraq
SciAmerican. Rover Opportunity Sends More Postcards from the Red Planet
Reuters. Halliburton counters bad publicity with US ads
Reuters. Federal Judge Strikes Down Part of Patriot Act
CNN. Limbaugh lawyer denies any talk of plea deal
CNN. Dean predicts comeback, takes swipe at media
Reuters. Clark Makes Final Dash for Voter Support in NH
NYT. McCain, Victor of '00, Returns in Aid of the Vanquished
Houston Chronicle. `Wholesale' politics in `retail' country
MSNBC. Six signs to watch in New Hampshire vote
Krugman. Red Ink Realities
NYT. Budget Office Forecasts Record Deficit in '04
NYT. Supreme Court to Review Using Execution in Juvenile Cases
NYT. White House Is Less Certain Now About Iraq's Arms
Posted by Eric at 11:58 PM | Comments (40)
Tuesday Stories
Dow Jones. White House Repeats Bush FY05 Budget Will Cut Deficit
Reuters. Clark Seeks Respectable Finish, Looks Ahead
LA Times. Democrats Spend $3.5 Million on N.H. Primary Ad Blitz
The Hill. GOP deficit angst rises $4.2 trillion outlook emboldens party’s fiscal conservatives
E. J. Dionne Jr.. For Kerry, Veteran Voices . . .
WP. Consultant Works His Magic on Kerry
WP. Democrats Hone Tactics For the Big Prizes Ahead
WP. UN Election Team To Be Sent to Iraq
SciAmerican. Rover Opportunity Sends More Postcards from the Red Planet
Reuters. Halliburton counters bad publicity with US ads
Reuters. Federal Judge Strikes Down Part of Patriot Act
CNN. Limbaugh lawyer denies any talk of plea deal
CNN. Dean predicts comeback, takes swipe at media
Reuters. Clark Makes Final Dash for Voter Support in NH
NYT. McCain, Victor of '00, Returns in Aid of the Vanquished
Houston Chronicle. `Wholesale' politics in `retail' country
MSNBC. Six signs to watch in New Hampshire vote
Krugman. Red Ink Realities
NYT. Budget Office Forecasts Record Deficit in '04
NYT. Supreme Court to Review Using Execution in Juvenile Cases
NYT. White House Is Less Certain Now About Iraq's Arms
Posted by Eric at 11:58 PM | Comments (31)
Why Kerry?
Experience, likability and electability, according to exit polls:
But Kerry was the top choice of more than half the poll respondents who said they were looking for a candidate who had the experience for the White House and who they thought had the best chance of beating President Bush in November.Interestingly as well, Kerry won the 'anti-war' vote. "As he did in Iowa, Kerry beat Dean among the two-thirds of respondents who disapproved of the war in Iraq -- Dean's signature issue. However, the margin was smaller in the New Hampshire exit poll than it was in the Iowa caucuses, where Kerry beat Dean by 10 points among war opponents."Dean went into the nation's first binding primary haunted by his howling speech to supporters after the Iowa caucuses. When asked if he has the right temperament to be president, more than a third of those responding to the polls said he didn't.
Dean's negative numbers also were high, with more than one-third of those polled saying they had an unfavorable opinion of him, as well as of Lieberman and Clark.
Kerry and Edwards were viewed much more favorably by almost three-quarters of those polled.
Posted by Eric at 10:03 PM | Comments (36)
Why Kerry?
Experience, likability and electability, according to exit polls:
But Kerry was the top choice of more than half the poll respondents who said they were looking for a candidate who had the experience for the White House and who they thought had the best chance of beating President Bush in November.Interestingly as well, Kerry won the 'anti-war' vote. "As he did in Iowa, Kerry beat Dean among the two-thirds of respondents who disapproved of the war in Iraq -- Dean's signature issue. However, the margin was smaller in the New Hampshire exit poll than it was in the Iowa caucuses, where Kerry beat Dean by 10 points among war opponents."Dean went into the nation's first binding primary haunted by his howling speech to supporters after the Iowa caucuses. When asked if he has the right temperament to be president, more than a third of those responding to the polls said he didn't.
Dean's negative numbers also were high, with more than one-third of those polled saying they had an unfavorable opinion of him, as well as of Lieberman and Clark.
Kerry and Edwards were viewed much more favorably by almost three-quarters of those polled.
Posted by Eric at 10:03 PM | Comments (0)
Kerry to Win Big
Looks like a big win for Kerry, and a whimper for the rest.
Kos is predicting that this is the end for Dean:
Way back when, I wrote a series on "how they could win". I pegged Iowa and New Hampshire as the Kerry/Dean battleground, arguing only one could survive.Really, I have to give a lot of credit to Kerry. I, like many, wrote him off a long time ago. With 95% reporting:Dean has enough money to limp on, but by all indications, he's through. If there's something we should all take from this election cycle, it's that the unexpected can and does happen. But for now, Dean would have to pull a miracle to survive.
As I wrote way back when, Feb 3 will determine the anti-Kerry. And I stand by that analysis. Lieberman and Clark are on life support.
So if anyone will stop Kerry, it's up to Edwards. Watch the establishment rally around Kerry to end this thing as quickly as possible.
Kerry 39
Dean 26
Clark 13
Edwards 12
Lieberman 9
Posted by Eric at 09:07 PM | Comments (7)
Kerry to Win Big
Looks like a big win for Kerry, and a whimper for the rest.
Kos is predicting that this is the end for Dean:
Way back when, I wrote a series on "how they could win". I pegged Iowa and New Hampshire as the Kerry/Dean battleground, arguing only one could survive.Really, I have to give a lot of credit to Kerry. I, like many, wrote him off a long time ago. With 95% reporting:Dean has enough money to limp on, but by all indications, he's through. If there's something we should all take from this election cycle, it's that the unexpected can and does happen. But for now, Dean would have to pull a miracle to survive.
As I wrote way back when, Feb 3 will determine the anti-Kerry. And I stand by that analysis. Lieberman and Clark are on life support.
So if anyone will stop Kerry, it's up to Edwards. Watch the establishment rally around Kerry to end this thing as quickly as possible.
Kerry 39
Dean 26
Clark 13
Edwards 12
Lieberman 9
Posted by Eric at 09:07 PM | Comments (1)
No Joementum in Media
NY Times, USA Today and The Boston Globe all had front page stories on the NH primary with photos of four candidates. Guess who wasn't included?
Posted by Eric at 07:09 PM | Comments (12)
No Joementum in Media
NY Times, USA Today and The Boston Globe all had front page stories on the NH primary with photos of four candidates. Guess who wasn't included?
Posted by Eric at 07:09 PM | Comments (3)
Cheney To Be Dumped?
Cheney is a political liability, and the GOP would be very, very smart to dump him. According to MSNBC's Jeanette Walls, this could happen.
A well-placed source says that the president will “most likely” drop Dick Cheney from his re-election ticket and his first choice for a replacement is former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.Other people mentioned for VP have been Condi Rice, Powell, and GOP office holders in strategic states.“The issue of Cheney’s health will probably be given as the reason,” says the insider. “There’s a short list of possible replacements, and Rudy is at the top of the list.”
The source adds that the selection of the former New York mayor may be overridden by Bush advisors from the far right. “Giuliani has been pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and is pretty liberal on some other social issues, but the thinking is that he might broaden Bush’s appeal.”
If, however, Giuliani gets bumped from the ticket, says the source, “expect him to get a prime assignment in Washington as an consolation prize.”
Bush’s rep didn’t return calls, and a spokeswoman for Giuliani said, “Rudy Giuliani has been out in Iowa and New Hampshire talking about the incredible accomplishments of Vice President Dick Cheney with George Bush and working very hard to get them both re-elected.”
Posted by Eric at 06:07 PM | Comments (36)
Cheney To Be Dumped?
Cheney is a political liability, and the GOP would be very, very smart to dump him. According to MSNBC's Jeanette Walls, this could happen.
A well-placed source says that the president will “most likely” drop Dick Cheney from his re-election ticket and his first choice for a replacement is former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.Other people mentioned for VP have been Condi Rice, Powell, and GOP office holders in strategic states.“The issue of Cheney’s health will probably be given as the reason,” says the insider. “There’s a short list of possible replacements, and Rudy is at the top of the list.”
The source adds that the selection of the former New York mayor may be overridden by Bush advisors from the far right. “Giuliani has been pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and is pretty liberal on some other social issues, but the thinking is that he might broaden Bush’s appeal.”
If, however, Giuliani gets bumped from the ticket, says the source, “expect him to get a prime assignment in Washington as an consolation prize.”
Bush’s rep didn’t return calls, and a spokeswoman for Giuliani said, “Rudy Giuliani has been out in Iowa and New Hampshire talking about the incredible accomplishments of Vice President Dick Cheney with George Bush and working very hard to get them both re-elected.”
Posted by Eric at 06:07 PM | Comments (36)
How States Deal: Find New Revenue
With state budgets shrinking as tax revenue decreases in wake of the Bush recession, local governments are being forced to get creative. Oh how, you ask?
Rather than drain Waterford dry, officials are looking to another liquid asset: renting out advertising space on the township’s five water towers. Supporters say it would mean a free paint job and as much as $200,000 a year in ad revenue.In Feb of last year, Max Sawicky of the EPI suggested ways the fed government could help states with their budget problems. For wonky numbers on the falling total revenues, see the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. The cliff-notes:“I think it could be done in good taste,” Fortino said. The township is still considering the idea. “It’s not like there’s anything that glamorous about a big silver water tower anyway. ...There aren’t a lot of things we can do (to raise revenue), not in large amounts anyway. Things are going to get worse before they get better.”
In Ferndale, the city accepted a donation of a new police cruiser from Schmid Ford — saving the city $20,000 in return for a small, “tasteful” mention of the dealership on the side of the cruiser. South Lyon leases space in its city hall to the local school district. Livonia staged a fund-raiser when it could no longer afford to put up its Christmas lights. Plymouth Township is selling off excess capacity in its sewer system.
Unfortunately, most of the money-making schemes are nickel-and-dime affairs compared to the money the communities have lost. Even if Waterford goes ahead with the water tower deal, and even if it gets the hoped-for $200,000, the money pales beside the $1 million-plus in state cuts the township has already endured.
Since 2001, the state of Michigan has held back more than $422 million in revenue sharing funds — money collected through sales taxes and meant to be shared with communities. Each year, state government has kept more and more of the sales tax revenue for itself to offset the ballooning budget deficit. The state must, by law, balance its budget.
In recent years, the overall fiscal position of the government — reflecting federal, state, and local governments combined — has shifted from one of surpluses to one of substantial deficits. Just-released government data show the principal reason for this shift is that revenue collections have shrunk markedly. Combined federal, state, and local revenues fell in fiscal year 2003 to their lowest level, measured as a share of the economy, since 1968.
Posted by Eric at 12:17 PM | Comments (9)
How States Deal: Find New Revenue
With state budgets shrinking as tax revenue decreases in wake of the Bush recession, local governments are being forced to get creative. Oh how, you ask?
Rather than drain Waterford dry, officials are looking to another liquid asset: renting out advertising space on the township’s five water towers. Supporters say it would mean a free paint job and as much as $200,000 a year in ad revenue.In Feb of last year, Max Sawicky of the EPI suggested ways the fed government could help states with their budget problems. For wonky numbers on the falling total revenues, see the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. The cliff-notes:“I think it could be done in good taste,” Fortino said. The township is still considering the idea. “It’s not like there’s anything that glamorous about a big silver water tower anyway. ...There aren’t a lot of things we can do (to raise revenue), not in large amounts anyway. Things are going to get worse before they get better.”
In Ferndale, the city accepted a donation of a new police cruiser from Schmid Ford — saving the city $20,000 in return for a small, “tasteful” mention of the dealership on the side of the cruiser. South Lyon leases space in its city hall to the local school district. Livonia staged a fund-raiser when it could no longer afford to put up its Christmas lights. Plymouth Township is selling off excess capacity in its sewer system.
Unfortunately, most of the money-making schemes are nickel-and-dime affairs compared to the money the communities have lost. Even if Waterford goes ahead with the water tower deal, and even if it gets the hoped-for $200,000, the money pales beside the $1 million-plus in state cuts the township has already endured.
Since 2001, the state of Michigan has held back more than $422 million in revenue sharing funds — money collected through sales taxes and meant to be shared with communities. Each year, state government has kept more and more of the sales tax revenue for itself to offset the ballooning budget deficit. The state must, by law, balance its budget.
In recent years, the overall fiscal position of the government — reflecting federal, state, and local governments combined — has shifted from one of surpluses to one of substantial deficits. Just-released government data show the principal reason for this shift is that revenue collections have shrunk markedly. Combined federal, state, and local revenues fell in fiscal year 2003 to their lowest level, measured as a share of the economy, since 1968.
Posted by Eric at 12:17 PM | Comments (0)
Email Worms
Let me tell you the tale of the time that I woke up and I found 900 new email messages in my account. Oh my, I thought, is Ann Coulter stalking me again? Alas no, there's a new worm spreading.
Posted by Eric at 11:49 AM | Comments (36)
Email Worms
Let me tell you the tale of the time that I woke up and I found 900 new email messages in my account. Oh my, I thought, is Ann Coulter stalking me again? Alas no, there's a new worm spreading.
Posted by Eric at 11:49 AM | Comments (6)
Oscars
Alright, I'm pretty happy. Bill Murray, and Keisha Castle-Hughes got Oscar noms.
Posted by Eric at 11:03 AM | Comments (152)
Oscars
Alright, I'm pretty happy. Bill Murray, and Keisha Castle-Hughes got Oscar noms.
Posted by Eric at 11:03 AM | Comments (7)
The Joy of Noonan
What an unusual girl, that Peggy Noonan.
And so my Democratic friends, patriots who vote Democratic and are voting in today's primary and the ones down the road. Please. We will take Joe Lieberman or John Kerry or even young John Edwards, men who appear to be somewhere in the normal range. We need a person who could rally the nation on a terrible day, and who could arguably meet the security demands the age requires. We can't afford flip-outs, or people who are too obviously creepy. Just a person in the normal range. Is that asking too much? Say it ain't so. Give Gen. Clark his marching orders: Retreat!It's interesting how a huge qualification for being president now is not being nuts ...
Posted by Eric at 09:45 AM | Comments (29)
The Joy of Noonan
What an unusual girl, that Peggy Noonan.
And so my Democratic friends, patriots who vote Democratic and are voting in today's primary and the ones down the road. Please. We will take Joe Lieberman or John Kerry or even young John Edwards, men who appear to be somewhere in the normal range. We need a person who could rally the nation on a terrible day, and who could arguably meet the security demands the age requires. We can't afford flip-outs, or people who are too obviously creepy. Just a person in the normal range. Is that asking too much? Say it ain't so. Give Gen. Clark his marching orders: Retreat!It's interesting how a huge qualification for being president now is not being nuts ...
Posted by Eric at 09:45 AM | Comments (12)
Babes For / Against Bush
Hmm ...
On the "for" side:
And on the 'against' side:
Hmmm ... the choice would seem obvious. But wait! What is this about the 'for' calendar?
George W. Bush has his sexy groupies doing something even Bill Clinton's harem wouldn't: taking it off in public to raise, um, support for their guy. "We thought it would be fun," says BabesForBush.com calendar girl Karen Henry. "It's also to show our serious support for him." But she says her group's tasteful 2004 calendar--it even includes well-dressed men, ugh--isn't just a rip-off of the movie Calendar Girls by middle-aged Bushies. Henry, the smartly dressed Miss July, and conservative radio talk show host Martha Zoller, Miss February, tell us the idea was really sparked by the nearly pornographic BabesAgainstBush.com calendar, which shows mostly nude women with artfully placed American flags, duct tape, and microphones. "It was tasteless and vulgar," says Henry. "Ours is cute," she adds. "Imitation," says an amused BabesAgainst spokesman David Livingstone, "really is the sincerest form of flattery."The 'for Bush' women have well-dressed men in what's billed as a female calendar? Now that's a buzzkill.
Posted by Eric at 02:41 AM | Comments (43)
Babes For / Against Bush
Hmm ...
On the "for" side:
And on the 'against' side:
Hmmm ... the choice would seem obvious. But wait! What is this about the 'for' calendar?
George W. Bush has his sexy groupies doing something even Bill Clinton's harem wouldn't: taking it off in public to raise, um, support for their guy. "We thought it would be fun," says BabesForBush.com calendar girl Karen Henry. "It's also to show our serious support for him." But she says her group's tasteful 2004 calendar--it even includes well-dressed men, ugh--isn't just a rip-off of the movie Calendar Girls by middle-aged Bushies. Henry, the smartly dressed Miss July, and conservative radio talk show host Martha Zoller, Miss February, tell us the idea was really sparked by the nearly pornographic BabesAgainstBush.com calendar, which shows mostly nude women with artfully placed American flags, duct tape, and microphones. "It was tasteless and vulgar," says Henry. "Ours is cute," she adds. "Imitation," says an amused BabesAgainst spokesman David Livingstone, "really is the sincerest form of flattery."The 'for Bush' women have well-dressed men in what's billed as a female calendar? Now that's a buzzkill.
Posted by Eric at 02:41 AM | Comments (39)
Spam Gone by 2005?
That's the claim being offered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland by Bill Gates and a few others. See:
Microsoft Corp . founder Bill Gates predicted the demise of unsolicited commercial e-mail at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday, according to a company spokesman. His prediction was backed up on Monday by the head of a prominent anti-spam company.I believe the phrase is "I'll believe it when I see it." The most amusing spam I've received of late is one letting me know I can get my own ATM machine. Something I've always wanted."I believe we'll solve spam by the end of 2005," said Enrique Salem, president and chief executive of privately held Brightmail Inc., which scrubs spam for large Internet service providers like Verizon Communications and BellSouth Corp..
That may seem like wishful thinking to Internet users who have seen no drop in herbal Viagra offers since a new federal anti-spam law went into effect on January 1.
Salem said Brightmail numbers show that the proportion of spam has increased to around 60 percent of all e-mail, from 58 percent in December. That figure should peak around 65 percent later this year and than start to decline as improved filtering techniques take hold and federal agents begin enforcing the new law, he said.
Quick, what state consumes the most amount of spam per-capita? Click below for the answer.
It's none other than the local bruddahs in Hawaii. 5.5 cans per year. Represent!
Posted by Eric at 01:27 AM | Comments (33)
Spam Gone by 2005?
That's the claim being offered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland by Bill Gates and a few others. See:
Microsoft Corp . founder Bill Gates predicted the demise of unsolicited commercial e-mail at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday, according to a company spokesman. His prediction was backed up on Monday by the head of a prominent anti-spam company.I believe the phrase is "I'll believe it when I see it." The most amusing spam I've received of late is one letting me know I can get my own ATM machine. Something I've always wanted."I believe we'll solve spam by the end of 2005," said Enrique Salem, president and chief executive of privately held Brightmail Inc., which scrubs spam for large Internet service providers like Verizon Communications and BellSouth Corp..
That may seem like wishful thinking to Internet users who have seen no drop in herbal Viagra offers since a new federal anti-spam law went into effect on January 1.
Salem said Brightmail numbers show that the proportion of spam has increased to around 60 percent of all e-mail, from 58 percent in December. That figure should peak around 65 percent later this year and than start to decline as improved filtering techniques take hold and federal agents begin enforcing the new law, he said.
Quick, what state consumes the most amount of spam per-capita? Click below for the answer.
It's none other than the local bruddahs in Hawaii. 5.5 cans per year. Represent!
Posted by Eric at 01:27 AM | Comments (36)
Hamster Numbers: Voting
Percentage of votes cast in U.S. elections last year that were counted by the largest voting-technology firm: 52 [Election Systems & Software (Omaha)]
Campaign contributions that one voting-technology CEO raised to become a Bush “Pioneer” this year (2003): $100,000 [Bush-Cheney ’04, Inc. (Arlington, Va.)]
Posted by Eric at 01:15 AM | Comments (0)
Hamster Numbers: Voting
Percentage of votes cast in U.S. elections last year that were counted by the largest voting-technology firm: 52 [Election Systems & Software (Omaha)]
Campaign contributions that one voting-technology CEO raised to become a Bush “Pioneer” this year (2003): $100,000 [Bush-Cheney ’04, Inc. (Arlington, Va.)]
Posted by Eric at 01:15 AM | Comments (0)
Democrats on Middle Class Issues
Though we often forget it, elections are traditionally about electing the person who has the best issue platform. The Drum Major Institute ("this one time at band camp...") has the Democrats on "issues important to America's middle class" (pdf) ... The press release summarizes the positions the candidates took:
• Most candidates agree that the main challenges facing the middle class are falling income and job security, affordable health care, and the rising cost of higher education.
• The candidates disagreed on their approaches to expanding access to health care, on support of a National Usury Law to limit credit card companies’ interest charges, on an increase in the minimum wage with annual adjustments for inflation, and on their plans to restructure the tax code to best meet the needs of middle class families.
• Several candidates refused to commit to support for various proposals, including Clark on increasing federal regulation of the credit card industry, Dean on increasing the ceiling for eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and Lieberman on raising the minimum wage with annual adjustments for inflation.
• All of the candidates supported the expansion of eligibility for unemployment insurance, making college tuition tax-deductible, and the Employee Free Choice Act that allows a union to be certified if a majority of employees have signed authorization cards.
• When asked what each candidate had already done to improve the lives of the middle class, responses ranged from General Clark’s work to improve the quality of military housing for soldiers under his command, to Dr. Dean’s creation of 56,000 new jobs as Governor of Vermont, to Senator Kerry’s defense of Medicare and Social Security during the Newt Gingrich era.
Posted by Eric at 01:14 AM | Comments (30)
Democrats on Middle Class Issues
Though we often forget it, elections are traditionally about electing the person who has the best issue platform. The Drum Major Institute ("this one time at band camp...") has the Democrats on "issues important to America's middle class" (pdf) ... The press release summarizes the positions the candidates took:
• Most candidates agree that the main challenges facing the middle class are falling income and job security, affordable health care, and the rising cost of higher education.
• The candidates disagreed on their approaches to expanding access to health care, on support of a National Usury Law to limit credit card companies’ interest charges, on an increase in the minimum wage with annual adjustments for inflation, and on their plans to restructure the tax code to best meet the needs of middle class families.
• Several candidates refused to commit to support for various proposals, including Clark on increasing federal regulation of the credit card industry, Dean on increasing the ceiling for eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and Lieberman on raising the minimum wage with annual adjustments for inflation.
• All of the candidates supported the expansion of eligibility for unemployment insurance, making college tuition tax-deductible, and the Employee Free Choice Act that allows a union to be certified if a majority of employees have signed authorization cards.
• When asked what each candidate had already done to improve the lives of the middle class, responses ranged from General Clark’s work to improve the quality of military housing for soldiers under his command, to Dr. Dean’s creation of 56,000 new jobs as Governor of Vermont, to Senator Kerry’s defense of Medicare and Social Security during the Newt Gingrich era.
Posted by Eric at 01:14 AM | Comments (24)
January 26, 2004
Monday Stories
Sean Gonsalves. The problem is the solution? D.C. Youth Court offers alternative to juvenile justice system
Cynthia Tucker. Our 'nation at war': Less affluent are making disproportionate sacrifices in Bush's battles
Geov Parrish. Now it gets interesting: Think you know how 2004 will play out? Think again
George Soros. The US is now in the hands of a group of extremists
John Hood. Bush's Missed Opportunity ...and its potential costs
Tom Hayden. A new generation of progressive Indian-Americans are taking on the conservatives now trying to dominate and speak for their community
Naeem Mohaiemen. The Dark Side of the Outsourcing Revolution
Salon. With the exception of front-runner John Kerry, the Democratic contenders believe that even a third- or fourth-place finish can be a springboard to the big prize
Beth Shulman. Working and Poor in the USA
Katrina vanden Heuvel. Oligarchs for Bush
CNN. When second, third, even fourth, actually matters
SFC. ROVER: Arrival in 'an alien and bizarre landscape'
SFC. Liberals turn to shows, music to hit Bush
SFC. Kowtowing to the NRA
LAT. Dean Loses Ground as Primary Voters Shift Toward Stability
LAT. As New Hampshire's primary nears, the new favorite challenges his rivals' gibes -- and Dean again voices skepticism about success in Iraq
LAT. GOP Hopefuls Aim to Outsmart Boxer
LAT. Saving the Sierra Club
Joy Ann Reid. 20-somethings respond to Bush
CSMonitor. A bold approach to chronic homelessness
CSMonitor. In volatile race, Kerry leads heading into key vote
AP. Democrats telling voters that Bush has no corner on faith
BG. Democrats try to leave Bush behind on education
AJC. Parties in a quandary about gay marriage
AJC. Give partners spousal privileges
Kansas City Star . Veterans' vote gets political attention
Boston Globe. Clark takes lumps while honing media savvy
Chicago Sun Times. Electability may be key to Kerry win in NH primary
Reuters. Kerry Lead Shrinks to Three Points in New Hampshire
NYT. Education Is No Protection
NYT. Rule Change May Alter Strip-Mine Fight
NYT. With the Race Changing Fast, Clark Adjusts
NYT. Ex-Inspector Kay Says C.I.A. Missed Disarray in Iraqi Arms Program
NYT. Delays and Split on Iraqi Council Imperil U.S. Plan
Mother Jones. The first great human-rights campaign -- the movement to end slavery in the British Empire -- had no business succeeding. But the legacy of its extraordinary achievement lives on today
StarTrib. 9/11 commission/Give it the time it needs
Posted by Eric at 11:53 PM | Comments (6)
Monday Stories
Sean Gonsalves. The problem is the solution? D.C. Youth Court offers alternative to juvenile justice system
Cynthia Tucker. Our 'nation at war': Less affluent are making disproportionate sacrifices in Bush's battles
Geov Parrish. Now it gets interesting: Think you know how 2004 will play out? Think again
George Soros. The US is now in the hands of a group of extremists
John Hood. Bush's Missed Opportunity ...and its potential costs
Tom Hayden. A new generation of progressive Indian-Americans are taking on the conservatives now trying to dominate and speak for their community
Naeem Mohaiemen. The Dark Side of the Outsourcing Revolution
Salon. With the exception of front-runner John Kerry, the Democratic contenders believe that even a third- or fourth-place finish can be a springboard to the big prize
Beth Shulman. Working and Poor in the USA
Katrina vanden Heuvel. Oligarchs for Bush
CNN. When second, third, even fourth, actually matters
SFC. ROVER: Arrival in 'an alien and bizarre landscape'
SFC. Liberals turn to shows, music to hit Bush
SFC. Kowtowing to the NRA
LAT. Dean Loses Ground as Primary Voters Shift Toward Stability
LAT. As New Hampshire's primary nears, the new favorite challenges his rivals' gibes -- and Dean again voices skepticism about success in Iraq
LAT. GOP Hopefuls Aim to Outsmart Boxer
LAT. Saving the Sierra Club
Joy Ann Reid. 20-somethings respond to Bush
CSMonitor. A bold approach to chronic homelessness
CSMonitor. In volatile race, Kerry leads heading into key vote
AP. Democrats telling voters that Bush has no corner on faith
BG. Democrats try to leave Bush behind on education
AJC. Parties in a quandary about gay marriage
AJC. Give partners spousal privileges
Kansas City Star . Veterans' vote gets political attention
Boston Globe. Clark takes lumps while honing media savvy
Chicago Sun Times. Electability may be key to Kerry win in NH primary
Reuters. Kerry Lead Shrinks to Three Points in New Hampshire
NYT. Education Is No Protection
NYT. Rule Change May Alter Strip-Mine Fight
NYT. With the Race Changing Fast, Clark Adjusts
NYT. Ex-Inspector Kay Says C.I.A. Missed Disarray in Iraqi Arms Program
NYT. Delays and Split on Iraqi Council Imperil U.S. Plan
Mother Jones. The first great human-rights campaign -- the movement to end slavery in the British Empire -- had no business succeeding. But the legacy of its extraordinary achievement lives on today
StarTrib. 9/11 commission/Give it the time it needs
Posted by Eric at 11:53 PM | Comments (0)
The Bush Legacy
Someone has to get a summer job. Deficits galore.
Federal deficits will total nearly $2.4 trillion over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office projected Monday, a worsening of nearly $1 trillion since its last forecast in August.Conrad, that joker. Deficits, which reminds me ...In its annual wintertime economic update, Congress' nonpartisan fiscal analyst also projected that the red ink would hit a record $477 billion this year.
Though the report envisions next year's shortfall dipping to $362 billion, the estimates are sure to become ammunition in the election-year fight over red ink. Already, Democrats are hitting President Bush for the stark reversal from huge surpluses of just three years ago, while conservative Republicans are criticizing him for excessive spending as well.
"The president wants to go to Mars, and he's got deficits going to the moon," said Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee.
Posted by Eric at 07:14 PM | Comments (89)
The Bush Legacy
Someone has to get a summer job. Deficits galore.
Federal deficits will total nearly $2.4 trillion over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office projected Monday, a worsening of nearly $1 trillion since its last forecast in August.Conrad, that joker. Deficits, which reminds me ...In its annual wintertime economic update, Congress' nonpartisan fiscal analyst also projected that the red ink would hit a record $477 billion this year.
Though the report envisions next year's shortfall dipping to $362 billion, the estimates are sure to become ammunition in the election-year fight over red ink. Already, Democrats are hitting President Bush for the stark reversal from huge surpluses of just three years ago, while conservative Republicans are criticizing him for excessive spending as well.
"The president wants to go to Mars, and he's got deficits going to the moon," said Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee.
Posted by Eric at 07:14 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Moore readies new film ‘Fahrenheit 9-11’
As he tells the AP, he's getting ready for the controversy once again ... this time, claiming terrorism isn't that big of a threat as people think. Controversial? Of course.
Now he’s working on another film, “Fahrenheit 9-11,” due for release late this summer. As the title implies, the subject is terrorism.It will feature Moore on a quest for answers to troubling questions - a recurring role he first assumed in “Roger & Me,” the hilarious and heartbreaking 1989 tale of woe in his hometown of Flint after General Motors Corp. shuttered 11 auto manufacturing plants and laid off 33,000 workers.
“You know the question a lot of people were asking after Sept. 11 - ‘Why do they hate us?’ The question I want to ask is, why DON’T they hate us - and then take my camera around the world a bit and show what’s done in our name.”
Terrorism is wrong, Moore says. But when he’s finished cataloguing misdeeds by the U.S. government and corporations, viewers will feel lucky their country hasn’t drawn more attacks. And why, he continues, are Americans so obsessed with terrorism in the first place? Sept. 11 was horrific. But the typical citizen has almost no chance of encountering terrorists.
He accuses the Bush administration of exaggerating the danger to frighten voters into giving the president another term: “It is one of the most successful lies ever perpetrated upon a people.”
Posted by Eric at 05:34 PM | Comments (41)
Michael Moore readies new film ‘Fahrenheit 9-11’
As he tells the AP, he's getting ready for the controversy once again ... this time, claiming terrorism isn't that big of a threat as people think. Controversial? Of course.
Now he’s working on another film, “Fahrenheit 9-11,” due for release late this summer. As the title implies, the subject is terrorism.It will feature Moore on a quest for answers to troubling questions - a recurring role he first assumed in “Roger & Me,” the hilarious and heartbreaking 1989 tale of woe in his hometown of Flint after General Motors Corp. shuttered 11 auto manufacturing plants and laid off 33,000 workers.
“You know the question a lot of people were asking after Sept. 11 - ‘Why do they hate us?’ The question I want to ask is, why DON’T they hate us - and then take my camera around the world a bit and show what’s done in our name.”
Terrorism is wrong, Moore says. But when he’s finished cataloguing misdeeds by the U.S. government and corporations, viewers will feel lucky their country hasn’t drawn more attacks. And why, he continues, are Americans so obsessed with terrorism in the first place? Sept. 11 was horrific. But the typical citizen has almost no chance of encountering terrorists.
He accuses the Bush administration of exaggerating the danger to frighten voters into giving the president another term: “It is one of the most successful lies ever perpetrated upon a people.”
Posted by Eric at 05:34 PM | Comments (12)
Kurtz in Ethics Probe?
So reports the Media Horse, of course:
HOWARD KURTZ CAUGHT IN ETHICS PROBE
Conflict-of-Interest Charges to Get Kurtz Fired?
Charges of Personal Influence Peddling at Wash Post
MWO has learned from highly informed Washington sources that Howard 'Mistah' Kurtz faces numerous dangerous charges of conflict-of-interest and influence peddling in his media column at the Washington Post...The charges stem from documented instances of Kurtz's involvement in what appears to be insider trading of information aimed at enriching his wife, GOP right-wing media consultant Sheri Annis..."No one has used the word 'fired' yet," one source close to the investigation told MWO, "but Kurtz better be watching his back."...
Developing...
Posted by Eric at 05:30 PM | Comments (14)
Kurtz in Ethics Probe?
So reports the Media Horse, of course:
HOWARD KURTZ CAUGHT IN ETHICS PROBE
Conflict-of-Interest Charges to Get Kurtz Fired?
Charges of Personal Influence Peddling at Wash Post
MWO has learned from highly informed Washington sources that Howard 'Mistah' Kurtz faces numerous dangerous charges of conflict-of-interest and influence peddling in his media column at the Washington Post...The charges stem from documented instances of Kurtz's involvement in what appears to be insider trading of information aimed at enriching his wife, GOP right-wing media consultant Sheri Annis..."No one has used the word 'fired' yet," one source close to the investigation told MWO, "but Kurtz better be watching his back."...
Developing...
Posted by Eric at 05:30 PM | Comments (3)
NH Predictions
Alright, given my past predictions, I probably wouldn't even beat Ms. Cleo. And she's not even psychic! Anyway, here's the Hamster predictions:
Kerry - 29
Edwards - 24
Dean - 22
Clark - 17
Lieberman - 6
EDIT: Wooo, no more predictions for me!
Posted by Eric at 05:08 PM | Comments (7)
NH Predictions
Alright, given my past predictions, I probably wouldn't even beat Ms. Cleo. And she's not even psychic! Anyway, here's the Hamster predictions:
Kerry - 29
Edwards - 24
Dean - 22
Clark - 17
Lieberman - 6
EDIT: Wooo, no more predictions for me!
Posted by Eric at 05:08 PM | Comments (1)
Newsmax Endorses Joe Lieberman
Now common, that's just rubbing it in ... Newsmax:
Any candidate who seeks the presidency of the United States needs to demonstrate that he or she is first and foremost a person of integrity.Wonder if the Lieberman camp will pick it up. Obviously, if they were smart, they wouldn't.We believe that issues of integrity always trump party and ideological concerns. Only Sen. Joseph Lieberman has demonstrated such integrity. Certainly, Lieberman knows he has staked out positions that do not make many in the Democratic Party or the major media happy with him. For instance, he has supported President Bush’s successful effort to remove Saddam Hussein.
Interesting, since Newsmax has run some pretty harsh articles on him. See
Lieberman Void of Moral 'Kosher Beef,' Says Rabbi
The Al "Passionate Kisses" Gore and Joe "Morality" Lieberman Campaign
Cheney All Over Lieberman
Posted by Eric at 01:13 PM | Comments (7)
Newsmax Endorses Joe Lieberman
Now common, that's just rubbing it in ... Newsmax:
Any candidate who seeks the presidency of the United States needs to demonstrate that he or she is first and foremost a person of integrity.Wonder if the Lieberman camp will pick it up. Obviously, if they were smart, they wouldn't.We believe that issues of integrity always trump party and ideological concerns. Only Sen. Joseph Lieberman has demonstrated such integrity. Certainly, Lieberman knows he has staked out positions that do not make many in the Democratic Party or the major media happy with him. For instance, he has supported President Bush’s successful effort to remove Saddam Hussein.
Interesting, since Newsmax has run some pretty harsh articles on him. See
Lieberman Void of Moral 'Kosher Beef,' Says Rabbi
The Al "Passionate Kisses" Gore and Joe "Morality" Lieberman Campaign
Cheney All Over Lieberman
Posted by Eric at 01:13 PM | Comments (1)
Thanks for Visiting
A blogging note, thanks for visiting the site. This last week's traffic - about 92,000 - was the largest in the site's history. A lot of this was from Google searches, but there's still a good number from daily / regular visits Hope you'll continue to come back, and if you have suggestions on improving the site, let me know.
Posted by Eric at 12:43 PM | Comments (56)
Thanks for Visiting
A blogging note, thanks for visiting the site. This last week's traffic - about 92,000 - was the largest in the site's history. A lot of this was from Google searches, but there's still a good number from daily / regular visits Hope you'll continue to come back, and if you have suggestions on improving the site, let me know.
Posted by Eric at 12:43 PM | Comments (8)
Hamster Numbers: AIDs
"Over the past year (2003), more than 3 million people have died from AIDS. More than 20 million people have already died from AIDS and at least 40 million more are infected. By the end of the decade, the CIA predicts that as many as 100 million people will be infected around the world. The latest data show that the epidemic is now rapidly spreading across Asia and the Americas as well as in Africa." --Misleader.org
Posted by Eric at 12:37 PM | Comments (8)
Hamster Numbers: AIDs
"Over the past year (2003), more than 3 million people have died from AIDS. More than 20 million people have already died from AIDS and at least 40 million more are infected. By the end of the decade, the CIA predicts that as many as 100 million people will be infected around the world. The latest data show that the epidemic is now rapidly spreading across Asia and the Americas as well as in Africa." --Misleader.org
Posted by Eric at 12:37 PM | Comments (1)
Halliburton Working the PR
In an attempt to repair its image in light of recent scandals, Halliburton is pushing the tear envelope with its latest ads. Cue Center for American Progress:
"NOT CONTROVERSIAL" – HALLIBURTON ADS: While it is unclear whether Vice President Cheney's previous employer Halliburton will air its new ads during the Super Bowl, most major networks are allowing the embattled oil company to whitewash its record on the tube. As AP reports, a new "television spot running says Halliburton supplies hot meals, laundry and telephone links for soldiers in Iraq. The ad shows a man in desert camouflage holding a phone, his lip trembling, and shouting, 'It's a girl!'" The ad concludes, "Halliburton. Proud to serve our troops." Of course, Halliburton has been reprimanded by the Pentagon for serving unsanitary food to U.S. troops in Iraq. It is also facing scrutiny for overcharging the government, and accepting $6 million in bribes for its work in Iraq. Make sure to check out a screen shot from the ad. View ad in WMV format.See CAP's policy paper on what to do with Cheney Co.
Posted by Eric at 11:54 AM | Comments (10)
Halliburton Working the PR
In an attempt to repair its image in light of recent scandals, Halliburton is pushing the tear envelope with its latest ads. Cue Center for American Progress:
"NOT CONTROVERSIAL" – HALLIBURTON ADS: While it is unclear whether Vice President Cheney's previous employer Halliburton will air its new ads during the Super Bowl, most major networks are allowing the embattled oil company to whitewash its record on the tube. As AP reports, a new "television spot running says Halliburton supplies hot meals, laundry and telephone links for soldiers in Iraq. The ad shows a man in desert camouflage holding a phone, his lip trembling, and shouting, 'It's a girl!'" The ad concludes, "Halliburton. Proud to serve our troops." Of course, Halliburton has been reprimanded by the Pentagon for serving unsanitary food to U.S. troops in Iraq. It is also facing scrutiny for overcharging the government, and accepting $6 million in bribes for its work in Iraq. Make sure to check out a screen shot from the ad. View ad in WMV format.See CAP's policy paper on what to do with Cheney Co.
Posted by Eric at 11:54 AM | Comments (5)
EBAY Founder Endorses Wesley Clark
And the rich guy tells the Clark website about his endorsement and the role of government with business ...
Q: In founding eBay, your focus seemed to be giving people the tools they need to do things for themselves. Do you think that's a good model for government?With Clark having skipped the Iowa caucus, the campaign needs a third or better showing in NH. If not, SC could go to Edwards.A: Absolutely. That's what government should be about: laying a foundation for the growth and development of its citizens and economy. Government should focus on creating the right kind of environment for us to make good things happen for ourselves. The most important part of that environment is access to the tools we need to reach our potential - tools like health, education, a robust economy, security, and liberty. And to varying degrees, some of us need more help from government on different dimensions in order to reach our own individual potential. But I don't think the government should give people the outcomes they're looking for. Instead, it should give everyone equal access to the tools they need to reach their own potential.
Posted by Eric at 11:01 AM | Comments (8)
EBAY Founder Endorses Wesley Clark
And the rich guy tells the Clark website about his endorsement and the role of government with business ...
Q: In founding eBay, your focus seemed to be giving people the tools they need to do things for themselves. Do you think that's a good model for government?With Clark having skipped the Iowa caucus, the campaign needs a third or better showing in NH. If not, SC could go to Edwards.A: Absolutely. That's what government should be about: laying a foundation for the growth and development of its citizens and economy. Government should focus on creating the right kind of environment for us to make good things happen for ourselves. The most important part of that environment is access to the tools we need to reach our potential - tools like health, education, a robust economy, security, and liberty. And to varying degrees, some of us need more help from government on different dimensions in order to reach our own individual potential. But I don't think the government should give people the outcomes they're looking for. Instead, it should give everyone equal access to the tools they need to reach their own potential.
Posted by Eric at 11:01 AM | Comments (2)
What Have Bush Appointees Been Doing?
People for the American Way, a liberal organization that focuses on mostly the judiciary, has compiled a report documenting the decisions recent Bush judicial appointees have been involved in. Among some of the decisions / ideology pushed ...
Since the Supreme Court takes so few cases, the federal appellate courts are effectively the courts of last resort for the vast majority of Americans. And while these appellate judges have been on the bench for only a short period, a preliminary review of the early decisions and dissents of these controversial Bush nominees shows that a number have written significant opinions on civil rights, constitutional liberties, congressional authority, and related issues. This is particularly true with respect to Bush-nominated judges who received significant opposition, such as Jeffrey Sutton, Dennis Shedd, Michael McConnell, and John Roberts. These judges have issued a number of troubling opinions, primarily in dissent, that have sought to:question the constitutionality of the Endangered Species Act
allow the Bush Administration to keep secret the records of Vice President Cheney’s energy task force
overturn National Labor Relations Board rulings against anti-union discrimination and other unfair labor practices by employers
re-write by court order a state law regulating First Amendment activity
cut back severely on the scope of the federal arson law due to “federalism” concerns
Posted by Eric at 09:12 AM | Comments (1)
What Have Bush Appointees Been Doing?
People for the American Way, a liberal organization that focuses on mostly the judiciary, has compiled a report documenting the decisions recent Bush judicial appointees have been involved in. Among some of the decisions / ideology pushed ...
Since the Supreme Court takes so few cases, the federal appellate courts are effectively the courts of last resort for the vast majority of Americans. And while these appellate judges have been on the bench for only a short period, a preliminary review of the early decisions and dissents of these controversial Bush nominees shows that a number have written significant opinions on civil rights, constitutional liberties, congressional authority, and related issues. This is particularly true with respect to Bush-nominated judges who received significant opposition, such as Jeffrey Sutton, Dennis Shedd, Michael McConnell, and John Roberts. These judges have issued a number of troubling opinions, primarily in dissent, that have sought to:question the constitutionality of the Endangered Species Act
allow the Bush Administration to keep secret the records of Vice President Cheney’s energy task force
overturn National Labor Relations Board rulings against anti-union discrimination and other unfair labor practices by employers
re-write by court order a state law regulating First Amendment activity
cut back severely on the scope of the federal arson law due to “federalism” concerns
Posted by Eric at 09:12 AM | Comments (5)
The News Mags
Kerry gets the Iowa media bounce with this treatment from Newsweek.
TIME decides not to go with a post-Iowa cover, instead focusing on prescription drugs.
Newsweek on Apple golden boy Steve Jobs and the potential long term gains for the Apple stock.
US News says forget the issues! It's all about the electability.
Following Howard Dean, Gen. Wesley Clark is probably the first general to appear on the cover of The Advocate.
The Nation looks at America and its role in the world..
Weekly Standard plays up the in-fighting in the Democrats and cotends the Dems are out of touch.
Posted by Eric at 08:11 AM | Comments (46)
The News Mags
Kerry gets the Iowa media bounce with this treatment from Newsweek.
TIME decides not to go with a post-Iowa cover, instead focusing on prescription drugs.
Newsweek on Apple golden boy Steve Jobs and the potential long term gains for the Apple stock.
US News says forget the issues! It's all about the electability.
Following Howard Dean, Gen. Wesley Clark is probably the first general to appear on the cover of The Advocate.
The Nation looks at America and its role in the world..
Weekly Standard plays up the in-fighting in the Democrats and cotends the Dems are out of touch.
Posted by Eric at 08:11 AM | Comments (13)
Tied Up, Says MSNBC/Reuters
Looks like another nail-biter, latest poll.
If the primary were held today, for whom would you vote?
Kerry 28%
Dean 25%
Clark 11%
Edwards 10%
Lieberman 9%
Kucinich 2%
Sharpton 1%
Someone else 2%
Not sure 13%
ARG offers a different picture:
Kerry 38%
Dean 20%
Edwards 16%
Clark 15%
Lieberman 5%
Posted by Eric at 07:54 AM | Comments (10)
Tied Up, Says MSNBC/Reuters
Looks like another nail-biter, latest poll.
If the primary were held today, for whom would you vote?
Kerry 28%
Dean 25%
Clark 11%
Edwards 10%
Lieberman 9%
Kucinich 2%
Sharpton 1%
Someone else 2%
Not sure 13%
ARG offers a different picture:
Kerry 38%
Dean 20%
Edwards 16%
Clark 15%
Lieberman 5%
Posted by Eric at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)
The Comedy on Monday
"Prosecutors say that they have enough evidence to convict Rush Limbaugh of ten felony counts. This is the biggest blow for conservatives since they discovered Ann Coulter had a penis." Bill Maher
"John Edwards did very well the other night. Political experts say Edwards did well in Iowa because he emphasizes optimism and kindness. It doesn't always work out though. Today, he tried to kiss a baby and it turned out to be Dennis Kucinich." Conan O'Brien
"Due to budget crunches, Bush has had to scale some of the programs. He has a new program, 'Leave A Couple of Kids Behind.'" —David Letterman
"Yesterday in the Iowa caucuses, Dennis Kucinich got only one percent of the vote. Apparently Kucinich knew he was in trouble when he saw a sign that said, 'You must be this tall.'" —Conan O'Brien
"CBS announced that it will not air moveon.org's winning anti-Bush ad during the Superbowl, saying they don't air so-called Issue Ads. Unless the issue is that girls are sluts for beer." Tina Fey
"According to researchers, sex benefits the heart, burns calories, reduces depression, boosts immunity and releases pain reducing endorphins. But most importantly, it makes boys like you." Tina Fey
Comics
Fighting Words. The Rove Plan
Boondocks. Sunday Comic
Mike Keefe. Osama Who?
Doug Marlette. My Fellow Heteros
Jeff Stahler. You owe me allowance
"Labor Secretary Has Her Hours Cut"
Yee-Haw! My Vote Cancels Out Y'all's!
Marty DiBergi: "This tasteless cover is a good indication of the lack of musical invention within. The musical growth of this band cannot even be charted. They are treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry."
Nigel Tufnel: That's just nitpicking, isn't it?
Ian Faith: The Boston gig has been cancelled...
David St. Hubbins: What?
Ian Faith: Yeah. I wouldn't worry about it though, it's not a big college town.
---This is Spinal Tap
Bob: Every time a cast member swears, they have to put a nickel in the swearing jar.
David: [drops a nickel into an already full jar] The money goes to Swears For Cares, an non-profit organization committed to raising money through swearing.
Bob: So hopefully, we'll make a little difference.
David: [holds up a nickel] A little *fucking* difference.
---Mr. Show
Posted by Eric at 12:07 AM | Comments (84)
The Comedy on Monday
"Prosecutors say that they have enough evidence to convict Rush Limbaugh of ten felony counts. This is the biggest blow for conservatives since they discovered Ann Coulter had a penis." Bill Maher
"John Edwards did very well the other night. Political experts say Edwards did well in Iowa because he emphasizes optimism and kindness. It doesn't always work out though. Today, he tried to kiss a baby and it turned out to be Dennis Kucinich." Conan O'Brien
"Due to budget crunches, Bush has had to scale some of the programs. He has a new program, 'Leave A Couple of Kids Behind.'" —David Letterman
"Yesterday in the Iowa caucuses, Dennis Kucinich got only one percent of the vote. Apparently Kucinich knew he was in trouble when he saw a sign that said, 'You must be this tall.'" —Conan O'Brien
"CBS announced that it will not air moveon.org's winning anti-Bush ad during the Superbowl, saying they don't air so-called Issue Ads. Unless the issue is that girls are sluts for beer." Tina Fey
"According to researchers, sex benefits the heart, burns calories, reduces depression, boosts immunity and releases pain reducing endorphins. But most importantly, it makes boys like you." Tina Fey
Comics
Fighting Words. The Rove Plan
Boondocks. Sunday Comic
Mike Keefe. Osama Who?
Doug Marlette. My Fellow Heteros
Jeff Stahler. You owe me allowance
"Labor Secretary Has Her Hours Cut"
Yee-Haw! My Vote Cancels Out Y'all's!
Marty DiBergi: "This tasteless cover is a good indication of the lack of musical invention within. The musical growth of this band cannot even be charted. They are treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry."
Nigel Tufnel: That's just nitpicking, isn't it?
Ian Faith: The Boston gig has been cancelled...
David St. Hubbins: What?
Ian Faith: Yeah. I wouldn't worry about it though, it's not a big college town.
---This is Spinal Tap
Bob: Every time a cast member swears, they have to put a nickel in the swearing jar.
David: [drops a nickel into an already full jar] The money goes to Swears For Cares, an non-profit organization committed to raising money through swearing.
Bob: So hopefully, we'll make a little difference.
David: [holds up a nickel] A little *fucking* difference.
---Mr. Show
Posted by Eric at 12:07 AM | Comments (5)
Golden Globes
I can't say I've seen any 'great' movies this year. LOTR was good, not great, but I think it'll win the Oscar because people will vote for the film based on the entire series and not on that individual last film. And sure, why not? It was incredibly well made and it'd be unfortunate if it didn't pick up one major award.
Cold Mountain was incredibly mediocre, though I wouldn't mind a supporting actress nom for Natalie Portman. But Kidman and Law, please no.
Bill Murray won for best actor in a comedy. Now, maybe, the Academy will be smart enough to give him an Oscar nom. Probably not.
Posted by Eric at 12:04 AM | Comments (8)
Golden Globes
I can't say I've seen any 'great' movies this year. LOTR was good, not great, but I think it'll win the Oscar because people will vote for the film based on the entire series and not on that individual last film. And sure, why not? It was incredibly well made and it'd be unfortunate if it didn't pick up one major award.
Cold Mountain was incredibly mediocre, though I wouldn't mind a supporting actress nom for Natalie Portman. But Kidman and Law, please no.
Bill Murray won for best actor in a comedy. Now, maybe, the Academy will be smart enough to give him an Oscar nom. Probably not.
Posted by Eric at 12:04 AM | Comments (3)
January 25, 2004
Sunday Stories
Reuters. Bush's clampdown on spending met with skepticism
Palm Beach Post. Sierra Club exits Everglades coalition
BGlobe. Court rejects bid to redistrict Colo. map
NYT. Democrats Look to Independents in Tuesday's Vote
NYT. Rivals Mine Kerry Senate Years for Material to Slow Him Down
NYT. A Concerned Bloc of Republicans Wonders Whether Bush Is Conservative Enough
NYT. President Bush has created an environmental policy vacuum that offers substantial rewards for any ambitious Democrat willing to fill it
WP. Dean Criticizes Kerry's Stance on '91 War
WP. For Children, a Stake in the Future
AP. Attacks by Insurgents Kill 5 GIs in Iraq
AP. S.D. GOP Picks Nominee for Janklow's Seat
Eric Boehlert. Playing politics with the 9/11 commission
Mark Follman. The CIA revolt against the White House
Rebecca Traister. Stand by your man '04: Judy Dean's TV moment: She loves her work and her husband and doesn't love the spotlight. What could be more normal?
Posted by Eric at 11:39 PM | Comments (1)
Sunday Stories
Reuters. Bush's clampdown on spending met with skepticism
Palm Beach Post. Sierra Club exits Everglades coalition
BGlobe. Court rejects bid to redistrict Colo. map
NYT. Democrats Look to Independents in Tuesday's Vote
NYT. Rivals Mine Kerry Senate Years for Material to Slow Him Down
NYT. A Concerned Bloc of Republicans Wonders Whether Bush Is Conservative Enough
NYT. President Bush has created an environmental policy vacuum that offers substantial rewards for any ambitious Democrat willing to fill it
WP. Dean Criticizes Kerry's Stance on '91 War
WP. For Children, a Stake in the Future
AP. Attacks by Insurgents Kill 5 GIs in Iraq
AP. S.D. GOP Picks Nominee for Janklow's Seat
Eric Boehlert. Playing politics with the 9/11 commission
Mark Follman. The CIA revolt against the White House
Rebecca Traister. Stand by your man '04: Judy Dean's TV moment: She loves her work and her husband and doesn't love the spotlight. What could be more normal?
Posted by Eric at 11:39 PM | Comments (4)
Free Ride for Bush on Miller Show
If the future host of a show on a major cable news channel said the following statement about a Democratic president, imagine the uproar. Of course, CNBC has always leaned Republican, from it's morning Squak Box to its night talk shows (which are openly dismissive of Democrats in general).
Dennis Miller has usually been happy to spray his acerbic wit across the political spectrum, but things will be different on his new CNBC talk program. President Bush is in a mock-free zone.Still, everyone should watch Miller's new show. After all, the best reason was given by Miller himself: "Watch my new show or I'll have to do football again.""I like him," Miller explained. "I'm going to give him a pass. I take care of my friends."
Miller is a familiar figure from his years on "Saturday Night Live," HBO and "Monday Night Football," but he will be in a different role on his daily show that debuts 9 p.m. EST Monday.
This is the Miller who has appeared at fund-raisers for Bush, ridden with the president on Air Force One, sat in the gallery at last week's State of the Union speech and was even talked about as a Republican senatorial candidate in California.
Posted by Eric at 07:34 PM | Comments (27)
Free Ride for Bush on Miller Show
If the future host of a show on a major cable news channel said the following statement about a Democratic president, imagine the uproar. Of course, CNBC has always leaned Republican, from it's morning Squak Box to its night talk shows (which are openly dismissive of Democrats in general).
Dennis Miller has usually been happy to spray his acerbic wit across the political spectrum, but things will be different on his new CNBC talk program. President Bush is in a mock-free zone.Still, everyone should watch Miller's new show. After all, the best reason was given by Miller himself: "Watch my new show or I'll have to do football again.""I like him," Miller explained. "I'm going to give him a pass. I take care of my friends."
Miller is a familiar figure from his years on "Saturday Night Live," HBO and "Monday Night Football," but he will be in a different role on his daily show that debuts 9 p.m. EST Monday.
This is the Miller who has appeared at fund-raisers for Bush, ridden with the president on Air Force One, sat in the gallery at last week's State of the Union speech and was even talked about as a Republican senatorial candidate in California.
Posted by Eric at 07:34 PM | Comments (9)
January 24, 2004
NEWSWEEK: Majority Want Bush Out
Dean's support drops in half. Kerry with a comfy national lead, and beats Bush. Guess there wasn't a SOTU poll bounce. Heck, the Saddam poll bounce didn't last very long either.
Meanwhile, a week after President Bush's State of the Union address, his approval rating has fallen to 50 percent from 54 percent in the last Newsweek Poll (1/8-9/04). Yet, a 52-percent majority of registered voters says it would not like to see him re-elected to a second term. Only 44 percent say they would like to see him re-elected, a four-point drop from the last Newsweek Poll. (Of that, 37% strongly want to see him re-elected, and 47% strongly do not). However, a large majority of voters (78%) says that it is very likely (40%) or somewhat likely (38%) that Bush will in fact be re- elected to a second term in office. Only 10 percent believe it is not too likely or not at all likely (10%).
Kerry - 30
Edwards - 13
Clark - 12
Dean - 12
Also:
Kerry also leads the pack of Democratic contenders among registered voters as the candidate who would have a better chance of beating President George W. Bush if the election were held today. A Kerry-Bush match-up would have Kerry up by 49 percent to Bush's 46 percent. A Clark and Bush match-up would be a close race, with Bush at 48 percent and Clark at 47 percent. Bush would have an edge over Edwards (49% to 46%). Yet, with a plus or minus margin of error, these match-ups result in a statistical dead heat. And the President would beat Dean (50% to 45%) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (49% to 45%).These, again, are national numbers.And Democrats and Democratic learners also think Sen. John Kerry has the best chance (48%) of defeating Bush in November, and is the candidate mostly likely to do so (43%). Howard Dean follows at 26 percent (a drop from 38% in the 12/11-12/03 Newsweek Poll). Only 15 percent think Dean would most likely defeat Bush. In third is Wesley Clark at 23 percent, and John Edwards at 22 percent. Only 14 percent say Joe Lieberman has a good chance of beating George Bush.
And more registered voters (54%) and Democrats and Democratic leaners (74%) have a favorable opinion of Kerry followed by Lieberman with 48 percent of registered voters, but only 56 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners. Edwards follows with 60 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners, but only 46 percent of registered voters. However, 42 percent of registered voters have an unfavorable opinion of Howard Dean, though a 57-percent majority of Democrats and Democratic leaners has a favorable opinion of the Vermont Governor.
Posted by Eric at 05:40 PM | Comments (155)
NEWSWEEK: Majority Want Bush Out
Dean's support drops in half. Kerry with a comfy national lead, and beats Bush. Guess there wasn't a SOTU poll bounce. Heck, the Saddam poll bounce didn't last very long either.
Meanwhile, a week after President Bush's State of the Union address, his approval rating has fallen to 50 percent from 54 percent in the last Newsweek Poll (1/8-9/04). Yet, a 52-percent majority of registered voters says it would not like to see him re-elected to a second term. Only 44 percent say they would like to see him re-elected, a four-point drop from the last Newsweek Poll. (Of that, 37% strongly want to see him re-elected, and 47% strongly do not). However, a large majority of voters (78%) says that it is very likely (40%) or somewhat likely (38%) that Bush will in fact be re- elected to a second term in office. Only 10 percent believe it is not too likely or not at all likely (10%).
Kerry - 30
Edwards - 13
Clark - 12
Dean - 12
Also:
Kerry also leads the pack of Democratic contenders among registered voters as the candidate who would have a better chance of beating President George W. Bush if the election were held today. A Kerry-Bush match-up would have Kerry up by 49 percent to Bush's 46 percent. A Clark and Bush match-up would be a close race, with Bush at 48 percent and Clark at 47 percent. Bush would have an edge over Edwards (49% to 46%). Yet, with a plus or minus margin of error, these match-ups result in a statistical dead heat. And the President would beat Dean (50% to 45%) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (49% to 45%).These, again, are national numbers.And Democrats and Democratic learners also think Sen. John Kerry has the best chance (48%) of defeating Bush in November, and is the candidate mostly likely to do so (43%). Howard Dean follows at 26 percent (a drop from 38% in the 12/11-12/03 Newsweek Poll). Only 15 percent think Dean would most likely defeat Bush. In third is Wesley Clark at 23 percent, and John Edwards at 22 percent. Only 14 percent say Joe Lieberman has a good chance of beating George Bush.
And more registered voters (54%) and Democrats and Democratic leaners (74%) have a favorable opinion of Kerry followed by Lieberman with 48 percent of registered voters, but only 56 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners. Edwards follows with 60 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners, but only 46 percent of registered voters. However, 42 percent of registered voters have an unfavorable opinion of Howard Dean, though a 57-percent majority of Democrats and Democratic leaners has a favorable opinion of the Vermont Governor.
Posted by Eric at 05:40 PM | Comments (5)
Mean Dean Doll
Ha. Just one ha.
Posted by Eric at 05:15 PM | Comments (29)
Mean Dean Doll
Ha. Just one ha.
Posted by Eric at 05:15 PM | Comments (9)
Guest Lineup for Sunday Talk Shows
ABC's "This Week"
Wesley Clark
John Edwards
John Kerry
Joe Lieberman
CBS' "Face the Nation"
Kerry.
NBC's "Meet the Press"
Clark.
CNN's "Late Edition"
Edwards, Lieberman, Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Bob Graham, D-Fla., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.; New York Gov. George Pataki; Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie; Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe.
"Fox News Sunday"
Kerry.
Posted by Eric at 08:14 AM | Comments (22)
Guest Lineup for Sunday Talk Shows
ABC's "This Week"
Wesley Clark
John Edwards
John Kerry
Joe Lieberman
CBS' "Face the Nation"
Kerry.
NBC's "Meet the Press"
Clark.
CNN's "Late Edition"
Edwards, Lieberman, Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Bob Graham, D-Fla., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.; New York Gov. George Pataki; Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie; Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe.
"Fox News Sunday"
Kerry.
Posted by Eric at 08:14 AM | Comments (0)
When Stupid People Make Stupid Allegations
For example, Bob Novak on CNN's Crossfire:
NOVAK: Ms. Steenburgen, I'm just dying to know if you agree with your candidate, General Clark, that the president of the United States is a deserter? Desertion is one of the most heinous crimes. It's a felony. You put people in prison. Do you think -- do you think -- do you agree with that?One would hope Novak would do more research and actually look at the transcript of the debate before inaccurating portraying politicians. Clark never said the statement, of course. Then again, we must be fair to Novak. After all, it's not like he has a research staff at CNN or even gets paid a salary. Further, it's not like his show is located at a research university or anything, where there is a student enrollment of more than 8,000, including thousands more in graduate and part time professional students. Also, we are assuming it was faulty research that caused this butchering of the facts, and not a desire for partisan spin on the level of Sean Hannity (more likely, given Begala tried to correct Novak previously). Just to be fair.STEENBURGEN: Well, I don't agree with the spin you just put on it.
If I understand correctly, it was Michael Moore that said that, not Wesley Clark. And I would also say that, if being critical of an administration was a crime, I don't know what you would have had to do during the Clinton administration. So -- so, you know, I think you better keep it straight who said what.
Posted by Eric at 07:43 AM | Comments (35)
When Stupid People Make Stupid Allegations
For example, Bob Novak on CNN's Crossfire:
NOVAK: Ms. Steenburgen, I'm just dying to know if you agree with your candidate, General Clark, that the president of the United States is a deserter? Desertion is one of the most heinous crimes. It's a felony. You put people in prison. Do you think -- do you think -- do you agree with that?One would hope Novak would do more research and actually look at the transcript of the debate before inaccurating portraying politicians. Clark never said the statement, of course. Then again, we must be fair to Novak. After all, it's not like he has a research staff at CNN or even gets paid a salary. Further, it's not like his show is located at a research university or anything, where there is a student enrollment of more than 8,000, including thousands more in graduate and part time professional students. Also, we are assuming it was faulty research that caused this butchering of the facts, and not a desire for partisan spin on the level of Sean Hannity (more likely, given Begala tried to correct Novak previously). Just to be fair.STEENBURGEN: Well, I don't agree with the spin you just put on it.
If I understand correctly, it was Michael Moore that said that, not Wesley Clark. And I would also say that, if being critical of an administration was a crime, I don't know what you would have had to do during the Clinton administration. So -- so, you know, I think you better keep it straight who said what.
Posted by Eric at 07:43 AM | Comments (11)
Stupid Quote Saturday
"Kerry and Clark now represent the two major wings of the Democratic Party -- the Kennedy wing and the Clinton wing. One drowns you after the extramarital affair; the other one calls you a stalker." Ann Coulter
"One of the most meaningful things that's happened to me since I've been the governor — the president — governor — president. Oops. Ex-governor."—George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 9, 2004
"Already, the Kay Report identified dozens of weapons of mass destruction- related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations." George W. Bush
"People who hate America tend to love Michael Moore - and that's all you need to know." Bill O'Reilly
Posted by Eric at 12:01 AM | Comments (48)
Stupid Quote Saturday
"Kerry and Clark now represent the two major wings of the Democratic Party -- the Kennedy wing and the Clinton wing. One drowns you after the extramarital affair; the other one calls you a stalker." Ann Coulter
"One of the most meaningful things that's happened to me since I've been the governor — the president — governor — president. Oops. Ex-governor."—George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 9, 2004
"Already, the Kay Report identified dozens of weapons of mass destruction- related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations." George W. Bush
"People who hate America tend to love Michael Moore - and that's all you need to know." Bill O'Reilly
Posted by Eric at 12:01 AM | Comments (32)
January 23, 2004
Friday Stories
AP. Dean Loses Support in New Hampshire Polls
AP. Panel Named to Decide Fate of Conn. Gov.
Frank O'Donnell. Sins Of Omission: The president decided that since he couldn't say anything nice about the environment, best not say anything at all
Laura Flanders. Contrary to popular liberal perception, the State of the Union highlighted divisions among conservatives
HoustChron. Halliburton audit finds possible problems
AP. Report: Two Halliburton employees accepted kickbacks
TIME. Scoping Out the Volunteers
AJC. Debate hurt by weak questions
BGlobe. Edwards camp picks up the intensity
Newsday. Fierce Competition for Vet Votes
StarTrib. Q&A: Russell Feingold: 'A feeling that this country isn't being very well run’
Helen Thomas. This year's speech emphasizes freedom, not WMDs, in Iraq
Newsday. Seeking to regain his footing, Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean acknowledged that his much-mocked Iowa concession speech could have been "done a little better" but said he would continue to take risky stands
LAT. The judiciary panel's rift widens amid a probe into GOP staff tapping the Democrats' files
LAT. 'Boy Mayor' Kucinich Took Charge in Utility Debt Crisis
CSMonitor. Can a class encourage couples to marry? Class graduates weigh in on their value and effectiveness
CSMonitor. Bush's $5 trillion problem: Rising deficit troubles GOP
BGlobe. Dean returns to his message
BGlobe. Kerry's gains ignite cash-raising push
Derrick Z. Jackson. Kerry still needs to explain war vote
Thomas Oliphant. Now, it's a steep hill for Dean and Clark
E. J. Dionne Jr. Wedge Hammer
WP. WH Restraint Pledged on Spending
Michael Kinsley. The Compassion Puzzle
WP. Key Gephardt Backer Courted by All
WP. Dean Tries Self-Deprecation: After Iowa outburst, onetime front-runner seeks to humanize campaign.
NYT. Words of Support From Bush at Anti-Abortion Rally
NYT. On TV, a Softer, Gentler Dean
NYT. Democrats Vow to Battle Bush on Social Issues
NYT. The Other America
Krugman. Democracy at Risk
Blog Entries
TBogg. Mel Gibson Thinks Children Should See R-Rated Movies!!!
Nate Newman. FBI & ACLU: Together v. Internet Deregulation
DNC. They'll stop at nothing
Altercation. On the Kerry Surge, a few things to remember
Rittenhouse Review. PURELY PRECIOUS: Andy Sullivan and the Republicans
Talk Left. Los Angeles City Council Rejects Patriot Act
CalPundit. Debate Comments
Atrios. Debate Comments
Pandagon. Debate Comments
Posted by Eric at 11:59 PM | Comments (29)
Friday Stories
AP. Dean Loses Support in New Hampshire Polls
AP. Panel Named to Decide Fate of Conn. Gov.
Frank O'Donnell. Sins Of Omission: The president decided that since he couldn't say anything nice about the environment, best not say anything at all
Laura Flanders. Contrary to popular liberal perception, the State of the Union highlighted divisions among conservatives
HoustChron. Halliburton audit finds possible problems
AP. Report: Two Halliburton employees accepted kickbacks
TIME. Scoping Out the Volunteers
AJC. Debate hurt by weak questions
BGlobe. Edwards camp picks up the intensity
Newsday. Fierce Competition for Vet Votes
StarTrib. Q&A: Russell Feingold: 'A feeling that this country isn't being very well run’
Helen Thomas. This year's speech emphasizes freedom, not WMDs, in Iraq
Newsday. Seeking to regain his footing, Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean acknowledged that his much-mocked Iowa concession speech could have been "done a little better" but said he would continue to take risky stands
LAT. The judiciary panel's rift widens amid a probe into GOP staff tapping the Democrats' files
LAT. 'Boy Mayor' Kucinich Took Charge in Utility Debt Crisis
CSMonitor. Can a class encourage couples to marry? Class graduates weigh in on their value and effectiveness
CSMonitor. Bush's $5 trillion problem: Rising deficit troubles GOP
BGlobe. Dean returns to his message
BGlobe. Kerry's gains ignite cash-raising push
Derrick Z. Jackson. Kerry still needs to explain war vote
Thomas Oliphant. Now, it's a steep hill for Dean and Clark
E. J. Dionne Jr. Wedge Hammer
WP. WH Restraint Pledged on Spending
Michael Kinsley. The Compassion Puzzle
WP. Key Gephardt Backer Courted by All
WP. Dean Tries Self-Deprecation: After Iowa outburst, onetime front-runner seeks to humanize campaign.
NYT. Words of Support From Bush at Anti-Abortion Rally
NYT. On TV, a Softer, Gentler Dean
NYT. Democrats Vow to Battle Bush on Social Issues
NYT. The Other America
Krugman. Democracy at Risk
Blog Entries
TBogg. Mel Gibson Thinks Children Should See R-Rated Movies!!!
Nate Newman. FBI & ACLU: Together v. Internet Deregulation
DNC. They'll stop at nothing
Altercation. On the Kerry Surge, a few things to remember
Rittenhouse Review. PURELY PRECIOUS: Andy Sullivan and the Republicans
Talk Left. Los Angeles City Council Rejects Patriot Act
CalPundit. Debate Comments
Atrios. Debate Comments
Pandagon. Debate Comments
Posted by Eric at 11:59 PM | Comments (6)
Dean Continues to Drop in NH
According to new poll:
Kerry has the support of 37 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in the WMUR-TV tracking poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Dean has slipped to 19 percent. The poll has a margin of error of 4.7 percent.The turnaround since the Iowa caucus has been dramatic. In a tracking poll before the caucus, Kerry was second, with 24 percent support, while Dean was first, with 33 percent. Since Kerry's victory in Iowa, he has gained 13 percent, while Dean has lost 14 percent.
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark has also slipped somewhat, with 15 percent support, compared to 18 percent on Jan. 19. Sen. John Edwards has finally shown some upward movement, with 11 percent support, compared to 8 percent previously.
Posted by Eric at 08:55 PM | Comments (138)
Dean Continues to Drop in NH
According to new poll:
Kerry has the support of 37 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in the WMUR-TV tracking poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Dean has slipped to 19 percent. The poll has a margin of error of 4.7 percent.The turnaround since the Iowa caucus has been dramatic. In a tracking poll before the caucus, Kerry was second, with 24 percent support, while Dean was first, with 33 percent. Since Kerry's victory in Iowa, he has gained 13 percent, while Dean has lost 14 percent.
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark has also slipped somewhat, with 15 percent support, compared to 18 percent on Jan. 19. Sen. John Edwards has finally shown some upward movement, with 11 percent support, compared to 8 percent previously.
Posted by Eric at 08:55 PM | Comments (6)
David Duke to Run for Congress?
I'm sure the RNC will love that.
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, in federal prison after pleading guilty to mail and tax fraud, is considering a run for Congress when he is released this year, his secretary said Friday.I like how David Duke has a secretary. Klansmen and their busy schedules. In the past, Duke has caused some problems for the RNC (well, duh):Roy Armstrong said Duke is considering entering the race for the seat of Republican Rep. David Vitter. In 1999, Duke finished third in the primary for that seat.
Armstrong said Duke could be released to a halfway house in mid-April, a year after he began his prison term.
"He was skeptical that he would be able to raise the money to run an effective campaign in time, but he said he would consider his options," Armstrong said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Duke has been a major embarrassment to the GOP since winning a Louisiana statehouse seat in 1989. In 1990, he was the Republican Party's nominee in an unsuccessful bid to defeat then-incumbent Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.). One year later, Duke gave up his legislative seat to run against and beat Republican Gov. Buddy Roemer in the gubernatorial primary. As the GOP nominee, Duke lost the general election to Democrat Edwin W. Edwards.These contests forced the national and state Republican parties into a defensive posture. GOP officials repudiated Duke at every turn, and many Republican leaders openly endorsed Duke's Democratic opponents. Duke has scared moderate whites away from the GOP in the South, where the party depends on large majorities among white voters to win elections.
Yesterday, the party moved quickly once again to disassociate itself from Duke. Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson declared: "There is no room in the party of Lincoln for a Klansman like David Duke."
Posted by Eric at 07:58 PM | Comments (10)
David Duke to Run for Congress?
I'm sure the RNC will love that.
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, in federal prison after pleading guilty to mail and tax fraud, is considering a run for Congress when he is released this year, his secretary said Friday.I like how David Duke has a secretary. Klansmen and their busy schedules. In the past, Duke has caused some problems for the RNC (well, duh):Roy Armstrong said Duke is considering entering the race for the seat of Republican Rep. David Vitter. In 1999, Duke finished third in the primary for that seat.
Armstrong said Duke could be released to a halfway house in mid-April, a year after he began his prison term.
"He was skeptical that he would be able to raise the money to run an effective campaign in time, but he said he would consider his options," Armstrong said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Duke has been a major embarrassment to the GOP since winning a Louisiana statehouse seat in 1989. In 1990, he was the Republican Party's nominee in an unsuccessful bid to defeat then-incumbent Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.). One year later, Duke gave up his legislative seat to run against and beat Republican Gov. Buddy Roemer in the gubernatorial primary. As the GOP nominee, Duke lost the general election to Democrat Edwin W. Edwards.These contests forced the national and state Republican parties into a defensive posture. GOP officials repudiated Duke at every turn, and many Republican leaders openly endorsed Duke's Democratic opponents. Duke has scared moderate whites away from the GOP in the South, where the party depends on large majorities among white voters to win elections.
Yesterday, the party moved quickly once again to disassociate itself from Duke. Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson declared: "There is no room in the party of Lincoln for a Klansman like David Duke."
Posted by Eric at 07:58 PM | Comments (4)
Al on Letterman
Al Franken on Letterman tonight.
Posted by Eric at 03:15 PM | Comments (8)
Al on Letterman
Al Franken on Letterman tonight.
Posted by Eric at 03:15 PM | Comments (2)
Daily Hamster Numbers: Fat
Grams by which the amount of fat in McDonald’s fattiest salad exceeds that in its fattiest burger: 3 [McDonald’s (Oak Brook, Ill.)]
Percentage change since 2000 in the number of U.S. surgeries performed each year to treat morbid obesity: +178 [American Society for Bariatric Surgery (Gainesville, Fla.)]
Number of Florida high school students who take physical-education courses online: 1,204 [Florida Virtual School (Orlando)]
Posted by Eric at 12:13 PM | Comments (35)
Daily Hamster Numbers: Fat
Grams by which the amount of fat in McDonald’s fattiest salad exceeds that in its fattiest burger: 3 [McDonald’s (Oak Brook, Ill.)]
Percentage change since 2000 in the number of U.S. surgeries performed each year to treat morbid obesity: +178 [American Society for Bariatric Surgery (Gainesville, Fla.)]
Number of Florida high school students who take physical-education courses online: 1,204 [Florida Virtual School (Orlando)]
Posted by Eric at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)
Should Kucinich Drop Out?
Remember, Kucinich does hold elected office (unlike Sharpton, who's in this for show and himself). Should he drop?
If it isn't, says Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University, Kucinich risks leaving a joke-like legacy "the guy who stayed at the debate too long. The man who came to dinner and wouldn't leave." ... But Robert Johnstone, a political scientist at Earlham College in Indiana, noted that the primaries in conservative or moderate states following New Hampshire - including South Carolina and Arizona - might only perpetuate Kucinich's poor standing.Kucinich's camp responds:"His ideological purity appeals to a certain strand of unreconstructed liberal activist, yet has made virtually no impact on the broader public," Johnstone said.
Kucinich maintains he's in for the long haul, and that he's the only candidate who can beat President Bush in November."Dennis Kucinich has 49 states to go, expects to be in each one, expects this to be a brokered convention, and expects to be the candidate," campaign spokesman David Swanson said ... The campaign blames its poor performance largely on media coverage, especially by the major newspapers and TV networks. "The media attention is more than anything else the single greatest cause of the polls," Swanson said.
Posted by Eric at 12:02 PM | Comments (43)
Should Kucinich Drop Out?
Remember, Kucinich does hold elected office (unlike Sharpton, who's in this for show and himself). Should he drop?
If it isn't, says Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University, Kucinich risks leaving a joke-like legacy "the guy who stayed at the debate too long. The man who came to dinner and wouldn't leave." ... But Robert Johnstone, a political scientist at Earlham College in Indiana, noted that the primaries in conservative or moderate states following New Hampshire - including South Carolina and Arizona - might only perpetuate Kucinich's poor standing.Kucinich's camp responds:"His ideological purity appeals to a certain strand of unreconstructed liberal activist, yet has made virtually no impact on the broader public," Johnstone said.
Kucinich maintains he's in for the long haul, and that he's the only candidate who can beat President Bush in November."Dennis Kucinich has 49 states to go, expects to be in each one, expects this to be a brokered convention, and expects to be the candidate," campaign spokesman David Swanson said ... The campaign blames its poor performance largely on media coverage, especially by the major newspapers and TV networks. "The media attention is more than anything else the single greatest cause of the polls," Swanson said.
Posted by Eric at 12:02 PM | Comments (8)
New Book: The Buying of the President
It's not news that money influences politics. Still, it's important to be informed about who's funding political campaigns. Openness in the political process doesn't hurt anyone. When oil and energy companies heavily funded the Bush / Cheney political campaign, it was no surprise that the administration of Bush and Cheney favored those contributors. The non-partisan Center for Public Integrity has released a new book, The Buying of the President, which they were kind enough to send me. The book documents the money behind political campaigns. Among some of the interesting tidbits, as mentioned by the press release:
Bush, who has signaled an interest in Social Security privatization, and even appointed a commission that concluded in December 2001 that any reform of the New Deal program should "include a system of voluntary personal accounts," numbers financial firms Merrill Lynch & Co. (his second most generous career patron), Credit Suisse First Boston (fifth), UBS Paine Webber (eighth) and Goldman Sachs Group (ninth) among his top ten patrons. All were members of a group called the Coalition for American Financial Security, which favors privatization—and the millions of individual stock market accounts (and brokerage fees to administer them) that would be created ... The Buying of the President 2004 also provides new information about the "Top 50 Patrons" of the two major political parties, which illuminates the relationships between the presidential candidates and their respective parties. For example, the top "soft money" (large, unlimited contributions) donor to the Republican Party since 1991 has been Philip Morris, contributing $10.3 million. The top "soft money" donor to the Democratic Party since 1991 has been the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), contributing $16.5 million.The book has the Top Ten Patrons of the Democratic challengers as well. The Center's website recently released updated figures, which can be found in this pdf file here. To note (through Sept 10,2003) :The book includes chapters on the bitter primary battle Bush campaign workers waged against John McCain, and looks closely at the Florida recount of 2000 and how President-elect Bush failed to reveal the names of hundreds of donors on his disclosure forms, including that of White House strategist Karl Rove. The book also profiles the Republican and Democratic parties, and offers an in-depth look at the first years of the Bush administration.
BUSH
1) Enron - $602.6k
2) MerillLynch - $505k
3) MBNA Corp - $493,291
CLARK (because of previous political experience and amount of campaigning, little information in this update)
1) Citigroup - $6,250
2) Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom - $5,950
3) Sullivan and Cromwell - $5,500
DEAN
1) Time Warner - $65,225
2) Microsoft - $25,100
3) IBM - $23,250
EDWARDS
1) Stephen Bing (guy who impregnated Elizabeth Hurley, and Hollywood producer) - $907,000
2) Baron and Budd - $408,250
3) Girardi and Keese - $362,475
KERRY -
1) Mintz, levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glowsky and Popeo - $230,798
2) FleetBoston - $182,387
3) Time Warner - $140,710
LIEBERMAN
1) Citigroup - $110,646
2) Hartford Financial - $83,650
3) Goldman Sachs - $80,250
KUCINICH
1) United Auto Workers - $53,534
2) Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union - $45,000
3) Teamsters - $41,250
SHARPTON
1) Inner City Broadcasting Corp - $27,300
2) Zoe Ministries - $15,400
3) Don King Productions - $15,400
Posted by Eric at 11:43 AM | Comments (10)
New Book: The Buying of the President
It's not news that money influences politics. Still, it's important to be informed about who's funding political campaigns. Openness in the political process doesn't hurt anyone. When oil and energy companies heavily funded the Bush / Cheney political campaign, it was no surprise that the administration of Bush and Cheney favored those contributors. The non-partisan Center for Public Integrity has released a new book, The Buying of the President, which they were kind enough to send me. The book documents the money behind political campaigns. Among some of the interesting tidbits, as mentioned by the press release:
Bush, who has signaled an interest in Social Security privatization, and even appointed a commission that concluded in December 2001 that any reform of the New Deal program should "include a system of voluntary personal accounts," numbers financial firms Merrill Lynch & Co. (his second most generous career patron), Credit Suisse First Boston (fifth), UBS Paine Webber (eighth) and Goldman Sachs Group (ninth) among his top ten patrons. All were members of a group called the Coalition for American Financial Security, which favors privatization—and the millions of individual stock market accounts (and brokerage fees to administer them) that would be created ... The Buying of the President 2004 also provides new information about the "Top 50 Patrons" of the two major political parties, which illuminates the relationships between the presidential candidates and their respective parties. For example, the top "soft money" (large, unlimited contributions) donor to the Republican Party since 1991 has been Philip Morris, contributing $10.3 million. The top "soft money" donor to the Democratic Party since 1991 has been the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), contributing $16.5 million.The book has the Top Ten Patrons of the Democratic challengers as well. The Center's website recently released updated figures, which can be found in this pdf file here. To note (through Sept 10,2003) :The book includes chapters on the bitter primary battle Bush campaign workers waged against John McCain, and looks closely at the Florida recount of 2000 and how President-elect Bush failed to reveal the names of hundreds of donors on his disclosure forms, including that of White House strategist Karl Rove. The book also profiles the Republican and Democratic parties, and offers an in-depth look at the first years of the Bush administration.
BUSH
1) Enron - $602.6k
2) MerillLynch - $505k
3) MBNA Corp - $493,291
CLARK (because of previous political experience and amount of campaigning, little information in this update)
1) Citigroup - $6,250
2) Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom - $5,950
3) Sullivan and Cromwell - $5,500
DEAN
1) Time Warner - $65,225
2) Microsoft - $25,100
3) IBM - $23,250
EDWARDS
1) Stephen Bing (guy who impregnated Elizabeth Hurley, and Hollywood producer) - $907,000
2) Baron and Budd - $408,250
3) Girardi and Keese - $362,475
KERRY -
1) Mintz, levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glowsky and Popeo - $230,798
2) FleetBoston - $182,387
3) Time Warner - $140,710
LIEBERMAN
1) Citigroup - $110,646
2) Hartford Financial - $83,650
3) Goldman Sachs - $80,250
KUCINICH
1) United Auto Workers - $53,534
2) Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union - $45,000
3) Teamsters - $41,250
SHARPTON
1) Inner City Broadcasting Corp - $27,300
2) Zoe Ministries - $15,400
3) Don King Productions - $15,400
Posted by Eric at 11:43 AM | Comments (1)
Louisiana Senate Secretary Forwards Lawmakers Porn
Forwarding sexual images and jokes can get you in trouble, especially if the email recipients are state lawmakers.
Senate Secretary Mike Baer contends he was trying to delete the items from his e-mail box but accidentally forwarded them on Jan. 16 to legislators, their staff and members of the governor's office.I dunno ... well, it depends on the email program he's using, but when you press the forward button, you usually have to specify who the recipient is. It doesn't just 'send' automatically. Then again, logic would dictate that someone in that position wouldn't be so stupid on purpose.The mailing contained several attachments Baer received from others, including jokes that contained sexual content. Also attached was a three-minute video that focused entirely on female genitalia.
The message provoked several complaints.
Senate President Don Hines said Thursday he wants to determine whether Baer intended to send the e-mail to certain individuals and instead mistakenly sent the vulgar jokes and video files to several hundred people.
Baer sometimes e-mails jokes to a list of more than five dozen people, including lobbyists, legislators and even reporters ... The incident was the second time in less than three months that Baer was the subject of complaints. In November, Baer apologized for saying during election night television coverage that black voting precincts "don't get their numbers just right." Baer called it a slip of the tongue.
Posted by Eric at 11:08 AM | Comments (3)
Louisiana Senate Secretary Forwards Lawmakers Porn
Forwarding sexual images and jokes can get you in trouble, especially if the email recipients are state lawmakers.
Senate Secretary Mike Baer contends he was trying to delete the items from his e-mail box but accidentally forwarded them on Jan. 16 to legislators, their staff and members of the governor's office.I dunno ... well, it depends on the email program he's using, but when you press the forward button, you usually have to specify who the recipient is. It doesn't just 'send' automatically. Then again, logic would dictate that someone in that position wouldn't be so stupid on purpose.The mailing contained several attachments Baer received from others, including jokes that contained sexual content. Also attached was a three-minute video that focused entirely on female genitalia.
The message provoked several complaints.
Senate President Don Hines said Thursday he wants to determine whether Baer intended to send the e-mail to certain individuals and instead mistakenly sent the vulgar jokes and video files to several hundred people.
Baer sometimes e-mails jokes to a list of more than five dozen people, including lobbyists, legislators and even reporters ... The incident was the second time in less than three months that Baer was the subject of complaints. In November, Baer apologized for saying during election night television coverage that black voting precincts "don't get their numbers just right." Baer called it a slip of the tongue.
Posted by Eric at 11:08 AM | Comments (2)
Moby vs. Drudge
The musician is taking on the cyber-gossiper, according to Lloyd Grove:
Activist rocker Moby is leading a jihad against cybergossip Matt Drudge, blaming him for inciting "far right-wingers" who sent abusive and racist E-mails to comedian Margaret Cho.Drudge responds: "Those E-mails are mild compared to what I receive on a daily basis. That is the nature of the Internet. Moby and his friends just have to 'butch up.'"
On his Web site and in private messages to friends, Moby has been claiming that Drudge "took out of context" Cho's stream of anti-Republican invective - intended as comedy shtick - during last week's moveon.org awards show at the Hammerstein Ballroom."I was outraged," Moby told me. "Everyone knows that Margaret's comedy is very irreverent and Lenny Bruce-style confrontational, and Matt Drudge took it out of context and exposed her to some really irresponsible and vile reactions."
Posted by Eric at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
Moby vs. Drudge
The musician is taking on the cyber-gossiper, according to Lloyd Grove:
Activist rocker Moby is leading a jihad against cybergossip Matt Drudge, blaming him for inciting "far right-wingers" who sent abusive and racist E-mails to comedian Margaret Cho.Drudge responds: "Those E-mails are mild compared to what I receive on a daily basis. That is the nature of the Internet. Moby and his friends just have to 'butch up.'"
On his Web site and in private messages to friends, Moby has been claiming that Drudge "took out of context" Cho's stream of anti-Republican invective - intended as comedy shtick - during last week's moveon.org awards show at the Hammerstein Ballroom."I was outraged," Moby told me. "Everyone knows that Margaret's comedy is very irreverent and Lenny Bruce-style confrontational, and Matt Drudge took it out of context and exposed her to some really irresponsible and vile reactions."
Posted by Eric at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
Dean Remixes Spread
MTV, of all places (when did they start covering music?), has news on the spreading Dean mp3 remixes:
After his disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses on Monday (see "John Kerry Scores Solid Victory In Iowa Caucuses"), a red-faced Dean made a impassioned entreaty to his supporters in Des Moines that left him hoarse and sounded reminiscent of wrestler Randy "Macho Man" Savage's patented "Oooooh yeah!" The gruff, fist-pumping appeal made its way onto the Internet, where inventive and aspiring remixers have added their own sardonic twists to the fiery speech.And someone made a Dean-Nazi ref:One of the first remixes to surface, Jonathan Strong's "Dean Goes Nuts Remix" hosted by Right-Magazine.com, featured Dean's shrieking yowl set to Aphex Twin's frenetic electronic "Wax the Nip" from 1995's I Care Because You Do. The track has since been taken down due to bandwidth issues. With many pundits speculating that Dean's campaign has gone off the rails, it's no surprise that a remix with Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" has also made its way onto the Web. Other remixes include Dean paired with Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" and Lil Jon's "Throw It Up." ... That "Yeeeeeeah!" figures prominently in many of the remixes, mostly created by resourceful college students and blog enthusiasts, such as the high-energy house version ("US Tour (Chris Flyer Remix)"), the funky horn mix, (Jonathan Barlow's "Howarddean") and the Ministry-like alarm call version (James Lileks' "Yeaahg"). Metal band Viral Solstice even made their own hardcore punk tweak, "Hardcoredean."
Other approaches were less sonically ambitious but proved just as satirically effective. On Wednesday, shock jock Howard Stern played a recording of Dean's speech set to crowd noise from a professional wrestling match. Later he played it with the theme from "Rocky" underneath, but the most popular versions heard on Stern's syndicated radio show have yet to spread online: Dean's shouting played overtop a Nazi rally and AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)."Given the RNC's vigilance against putting politicians in the same sentence as Nazis, I'll expect a press release from Ed Gillespie any minute now.
Posted by Eric at 07:52 AM | Comments (16)
Dean Remixes Spread
MTV, of all places (when did they start covering music?), has news on the spreading Dean mp3 remixes:
After his disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses on Monday (see "John Kerry Scores Solid Victory In Iowa Caucuses"), a red-faced Dean made a impassioned entreaty to his supporters in Des Moines that left him hoarse and sounded reminiscent of wrestler Randy "Macho Man" Savage's patented "Oooooh yeah!" The gruff, fist-pumping appeal made its way onto the Internet, where inventive and aspiring remixers have added their own sardonic twists to the fiery speech.And someone made a Dean-Nazi ref:One of the first remixes to surface, Jonathan Strong's "Dean Goes Nuts Remix" hosted by Right-Magazine.com, featured Dean's shrieking yowl set to Aphex Twin's frenetic electronic "Wax the Nip" from 1995's I Care Because You Do. The track has since been taken down due to bandwidth issues. With many pundits speculating that Dean's campaign has gone off the rails, it's no surprise that a remix with Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" has also made its way onto the Web. Other remixes include Dean paired with Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" and Lil Jon's "Throw It Up." ... That "Yeeeeeeah!" figures prominently in many of the remixes, mostly created by resourceful college students and blog enthusiasts, such as the high-energy house version ("US Tour (Chris Flyer Remix)"), the funky horn mix, (Jonathan Barlow's "Howarddean") and the Ministry-like alarm call version (James Lileks' "Yeaahg"). Metal band Viral Solstice even made their own hardcore punk tweak, "Hardcoredean."
Other approaches were less sonically ambitious but proved just as satirically effective. On Wednesday, shock jock Howard Stern played a recording of Dean's speech set to crowd noise from a professional wrestling match. Later he played it with the theme from "Rocky" underneath, but the most popular versions heard on Stern's syndicated radio show have yet to spread online: Dean's shouting played overtop a Nazi rally and AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)."Given the RNC's vigilance against putting politicians in the same sentence as Nazis, I'll expect a press release from Ed Gillespie any minute now.
Posted by Eric at 07:52 AM | Comments (2)
4x More Youth Voters
The Dems are turning youthful idealism into votes. Internet, obviously, is a huge part of this. From LAT:
About 21,000 people under 30 braved frigid temperatures on behalf of their Democrat of choice — or 17% of caucus-goers, according to entrance polls. That's four times as many young people as those who caucused in 2000.The political interest and participation of young voters contributed to one of the highest turnouts in the Iowa caucuses in years.
"If this trend continues, this largely untapped pool of voters — nearly 40 million in the 18-29 age range — will play a significant role throughout the rest of this election year," said William A. Galston, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, a Maryland-based foundation, in a statement this week.
Younger voters favored the more liberal Democrats, Howard Dean and Dennis J. Kucinich, in higher-than-average percentages, and were less likely to support John Edwards and Dick Gephardt. John F. Kerry's youth vote, near 35%, was about the same as his overall support among Democrats in Iowa, 37.6%.
Posted by Eric at 07:28 AM | Comments (39)
4x More Youth Voters
The Dems are turning youthful idealism into votes. Internet, obviously, is a huge part of this. From LAT:
About 21,000 people under 30 braved frigid temperatures on behalf of their Democrat of choice — or 17% of caucus-goers, according to entrance polls. That's four times as many young people as those who caucused in 2000.The political interest and participation of young voters contributed to one of the highest turnouts in the Iowa caucuses in years.
"If this trend continues, this largely untapped pool of voters — nearly 40 million in the 18-29 age range — will play a significant role throughout the rest of this election year," said William A. Galston, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, a Maryland-based foundation, in a statement this week.
Younger voters favored the more liberal Democrats, Howard Dean and Dennis J. Kucinich, in higher-than-average percentages, and were less likely to support John Edwards and Dick Gephardt. John F. Kerry's youth vote, near 35%, was about the same as his overall support among Democrats in Iowa, 37.6%.
Posted by Eric at 07:28 AM | Comments (0)
National Guard Exodus
Turnover rate increasing, in USA Today:
A recent survey of 5,000 soldiers from 15 states showed that the rate at which Army Guard members choose to leave the military could jump — to 20-22% a year among those who have served long overseas tours, typically 12 months ... Norbert Ryan, president of the Military Officers Association of America, an advocacy group in Alexandria, Va., says the National Guard and the Army Reserve are both trying to "get out ahead of this issue" to prevent a troop drain.Ryan says part-time and full-time soldiers are being deployed so often because the active-duty military is too small. Ryan points to a recent survey in the Navy Times newspaper that showed 8 out of 10 U.S. troops say the force is "stretched too thin."
"Unless things get rosy in the next six months, people are going to leave," Ryan says. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld opposes increasing the size of the active-duty military, insisting it is unnecessary.
Posted by Eric at 07:08 AM | Comments (2)
National Guard Exodus
Turnover rate increasing, in USA Today:
A recent survey of 5,000 soldiers from 15 states showed that the rate at which Army Guard members choose to leave the military could jump — to 20-22% a year among those who have served long overseas tours, typically 12 months ... Norbert Ryan, president of the Military Officers Association of America, an advocacy group in Alexandria, Va., says the National Guard and the Army Reserve are both trying to "get out ahead of this issue" to prevent a troop drain.Ryan says part-time and full-time soldiers are being deployed so often because the active-duty military is too small. Ryan points to a recent survey in the Navy Times newspaper that showed 8 out of 10 U.S. troops say the force is "stretched too thin."
"Unless things get rosy in the next six months, people are going to leave," Ryan says. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld opposes increasing the size of the active-duty military, insisting it is unnecessary.
Posted by Eric at 07:08 AM | Comments (0)
Dean Camp
Say what you want about Howard Dean, the organization behind Howard Dean knows what it's doing. Tom Tomorrow wrote this:
...but if I were in the Dean camp right now, I'd be trying to pull a little ju jitsu--turn that "yeaarrggh" thing around, make it a joke, embrace it. Open campaign rallies with that remix that's floating around the 'net. Hand out t-shirts to volunteers which just say "YEEAAARRRGGH" across the front. Maybe have Dean open speeches with some mildly self-deprecating joke: "I've taken a lot of kidding for my speech in Iowa--but if you think *I* was hollering then, wait till *you* get the bill for Bush's spending spree!"I agree completely. On cue, the Dean camp is doing exactly what it should be doing with the Dean yelp - on Letterman. Candidates shouldn't take themselves too seriously. Remember Bob Dole after he lost in 1996? Two different people. Same with Al Gore. Gore's organization completely mishandled him and contributed to his loss (among other factors).You can't make it go away, but you can turn it around.
Posted by Eric at 06:59 AM | Comments (11)
Dean Camp
Say what you want about Howard Dean, the organization behind Howard Dean knows what it's doing. Tom Tomorrow wrote this:
...but if I were in the Dean camp right now, I'd be trying to pull a little ju jitsu--turn that "yeaarrggh" thing around, make it a joke, embrace it. Open campaign rallies with that remix that's floating around the 'net. Hand out t-shirts to volunteers which just say "YEEAAARRRGGH" across the front. Maybe have Dean open speeches with some mildly self-deprecating joke: "I've taken a lot of kidding for my speech in Iowa--but if you think *I* was hollering then, wait till *you* get the bill for Bush's spending spree!"I agree completely. On cue, the Dean camp is doing exactly what it should be doing with the Dean yelp - on Letterman. Candidates shouldn't take themselves too seriously. Remember Bob Dole after he lost in 1996? Two different people. Same with Al Gore. Gore's organization completely mishandled him and contributed to his loss (among other factors).You can't make it go away, but you can turn it around.
Posted by Eric at 06:59 AM | Comments (5)
January 22, 2004
Thursday Stories
ChicTrib. Bush cites employment programs as Job 1 Visits key states to laud economy, security policies
National Catholic Reporter. Re-igniting the religious left New groups aim to recover political clout ceded to the right
WP. Six Killed in Separate Attacks in Iraq Iraqi Police Reportedly Shot in Fallujah
LAT. Dean’s Late-Night Battle Cry Likely to Echo From Here On; Includes James Lileks's MP3 Remix on Right Side
AP. ACLU: States' Database a Privacy Threat
AP. On Road, Bush Talks Economy, Terror War
LAT. Edwards marks 100th town hall meeting
WP. Clark Refining His Battle Cry: General's Campaign Trumpets His Mix of Experience and Inexperience
WP. N.H. Debate Looms Large For Democratic Hopefuls
NYT. Lawmakers Not Rushing to Take Up Terrorism Act
NYT. Ex-C.I.A. Aides Ask Inquiry by Congress Over Leak of Name
NYT. Conservative Republicans Push for Slowdown in U.S. Spending
NYT. New Hampshire Voters Eye Kerry and Edwards
NYT. Kerry Turns Focus on Bush
NYT. Dean's Campaign Alters Approach After Iowa Loss
Reuters. Hard to say how to tame gene-altered life, says report
AP. U.S. government dusts off 1800s law in targeting environmental group Greenpeace
Posted by Eric at 11:58 PM | Comments (206)
Thursday Stories
ChicTrib. Bush cites employment programs as Job 1 Visits key states to laud economy, security policies
National Catholic Reporter. Re-igniting the religious left New groups aim to recover political clout ceded to the right
WP. Six Killed in Separate Attacks in Iraq Iraqi Police Reportedly Shot in Fallujah
LAT. Dean’s Late-Night Battle Cry Likely to Echo From Here On; Includes James Lileks's MP3 Remix on Right Side
AP. ACLU: States' Database a Privacy Threat
AP. On Road, Bush Talks Economy, Terror War
LAT. Edwards marks 100th town hall meeting
WP. Clark Refining His Battle Cry: General's Campaign Trumpets His Mix of Experience and Inexperience
WP. N.H. Debate Looms Large For Democratic Hopefuls
NYT. Lawmakers Not Rushing to Take Up Terrorism Act
NYT. Ex-C.I.A. Aides Ask Inquiry by Congress Over Leak of Name
NYT. Conservative Republicans Push for Slowdown in U.S. Spending
NYT. New Hampshire Voters Eye Kerry and Edwards
NYT. Kerry Turns Focus on Bush
NYT. Dean's Campaign Alters Approach After Iowa Loss
Reuters. Hard to say how to tame gene-altered life, says report
AP. U.S. government dusts off 1800s law in targeting environmental group Greenpeace
Posted by Eric at 11:58 PM | Comments (6)
Marine Scientists: Whales losing fear of humans
I guess they haven't seen me bench press.
Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week. OK, I'll stop. Honolulu Adv:
Many whales appear to have lost their aversion to boats and humans, said Joe Mobley, an animal behavior expert, whale researcher and professor at the University of Hawai'i's West O'ahu campus.Scientists say as the number of whales increase, they become more comfortable with human contact."There are things the whales are doing that they never used to do," he said. "I've been out on boats where they come up and touch the boat with their bodies or tap it with a fluke."
The animals may be responding to a change in human behavior over the past century from industrial whaling to commercial whale watching, from a period when they were being killed for their blubber to one in which they are being viewed regularly by humans armed only with cameras.
"You're seeing a younger generation of whales who are more comfortable with interaction. Some are not fearful of humans at all," said Christine Brammer, O'ahu program coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
Posted by Eric at 09:37 PM | Comments (8)
Marine Scientists: Whales losing fear of humans
I guess they haven't seen me bench press.
Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week. OK, I'll stop. Honolulu Adv:
Many whales appear to have lost their aversion to boats and humans, said Joe Mobley, an animal behavior expert, whale researcher and professor at the University of Hawai'i's West O'ahu campus.Scientists say as the number of whales increase, they become more comfortable with human contact."There are things the whales are doing that they never used to do," he said. "I've been out on boats where they come up and touch the boat with their bodies or tap it with a fluke."
The animals may be responding to a change in human behavior over the past century from industrial whaling to commercial whale watching, from a period when they were being killed for their blubber to one in which they are being viewed regularly by humans armed only with cameras.
"You're seeing a younger generation of whales who are more comfortable with interaction. Some are not fearful of humans at all," said Christine Brammer, O'ahu program coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
Posted by Eric at 09:37 PM | Comments (4)
New DCCC Flash Ad
Featuring Tom Delay as 'The Exterminator.' Watch it now.
Posted by Eric at 08:17 PM | Comments (6)
New DCCC Flash Ad
Featuring Tom Delay as 'The Exterminator.' Watch it now.
Posted by Eric at 08:17 PM | Comments (4)
Interior finishes plan on Alaska drilling
After a while, stuff like this fails to surprise anyone.
Interior Secretary Gale Norton signed off on a plan Thursday for opening most of an 8.8 million-acre swath of Alaska's North Slope to oil and gas development. Some of the drilling could occur in areas important for migratory birds, whales and wildlife.In other enviro news, Robert Redford has something to say about the Bush - Cheney energy bill, courtesy of NRDC, a group that likes its celeb connections. Also, the EPA says it will force cleanups of aging coal-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act. This, uh, is suspect.The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management will use the plan to manage a northwest portion of the government's 23.5 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Geologists believe the reserve may contain 6 billion to 13 billion barrels of oil.
It is located just west of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where President Bush wants to open a 1.5 million-acre coastal plain to drilling as one of his top energy priorities. The Senate, in debating a massive energy bill, has rejected drilling there.
Environmentalists said the management plan threatens the health of Arctic tundra, ponds and lakes that are home to wildlife and migratory birds and provide a vital subsistence hunting and fishing ground for native Alaskans.
Posted by Eric at 08:13 PM | Comments (22)
Interior finishes plan on Alaska drilling
After a while, stuff like this fails to surprise anyone.
Interior Secretary Gale Norton signed off on a plan Thursday for opening most of an 8.8 million-acre swath of Alaska's North Slope to oil and gas development. Some of the drilling could occur in areas important for migratory birds, whales and wildlife.In other enviro news, Robert Redford has something to say about the Bush - Cheney energy bill, courtesy of NRDC, a group that likes its celeb connections. Also, the EPA says it will force cleanups of aging coal-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act. This, uh, is suspect.The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management will use the plan to manage a northwest portion of the government's 23.5 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Geologists believe the reserve may contain 6 billion to 13 billion barrels of oil.
It is located just west of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where President Bush wants to open a 1.5 million-acre coastal plain to drilling as one of his top energy priorities. The Senate, in debating a massive energy bill, has rejected drilling there.
Environmentalists said the management plan threatens the health of Arctic tundra, ponds and lakes that are home to wildlife and migratory birds and provide a vital subsistence hunting and fishing ground for native Alaskans.
Posted by Eric at 08:13 PM | Comments (1)
Jon Stewart on Politics
Take notes, Miller. From WPost:
The town meeting, in Manchester, will focus on the media. Invited panelists include NBC News's Tom Brokaw, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, Time columnist Joe Klein and -- evidently because she has time on her hands -- former presidential candidate Carol Moseley Braun.Jon's an incredibly nice guy. I sent him a fan letter when I was 15 or so and he sent me back a nice, personalized autographed picture with a short note. Nice guy. Good in "Playing by Heart.""The concept is giving the media a voice in politics," Stewart says. "They've been silenced for so long." Oddly, the session will not be broadcast. "Because you know the slogan: What happens in New Hampshire stays in New Hampshire."
Though claiming to have no political acumen, Stewart predicts a tough race for Sen. John Edwards, who actually announced his candidacy on "The Daily Show": "His integrity and down-to-earth common sense will only get him crushed by the democratic process."
And how will the 2004 race end? "It ends with Howard Dean in a white Bronco being chased down the Santa Monica Freeway."
Posted by Eric at 06:57 PM | Comments (8)
Jon Stewart on Politics
Take notes, Miller. From WPost:
The town meeting, in Manchester, will focus on the media. Invited panelists include NBC News's Tom Brokaw, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, Time columnist Joe Klein and -- evidently because she has time on her hands -- former presidential candidate Carol Moseley Braun.Jon's an incredibly nice guy. I sent him a fan letter when I was 15 or so and he sent me back a nice, personalized autographed picture with a short note. Nice guy. Good in "Playing by Heart.""The concept is giving the media a voice in politics," Stewart says. "They've been silenced for so long." Oddly, the session will not be broadcast. "Because you know the slogan: What happens in New Hampshire stays in New Hampshire."
Though claiming to have no political acumen, Stewart predicts a tough race for Sen. John Edwards, who actually announced his candidacy on "The Daily Show": "His integrity and down-to-earth common sense will only get him crushed by the democratic process."
And how will the 2004 race end? "It ends with Howard Dean in a white Bronco being chased down the Santa Monica Freeway."
Posted by Eric at 06:57 PM | Comments (3)
Clark and His Bosnian Whorehouses
I wouldn't let him through the door either.
Campaign officials planned for the retired general, accompanied by the media, to greet college students at the Durham Book Exchange, where hundreds had lined up in the cold to exchange their textbooks for the new semester.But - as cameras and reporters waited - store personnel were adamant: Clark wouldn't be let in.
Brian Morrison, an employee at the front door, explained the establishment was simply "too busy.''
But, moments later, Morrison was caught on tape telling ABC News staffers that there was no way Clark would cross the threshold after being connected with "military people who run whorehouses in Bosnia.''
Oops.
The store's owner, Bill Zak, wearing an orange watch cap - the trademark of Dean's volunteers - said it had nothing to do with the candidate, or who he supported. "It's nothing personal,'' he said, removing the cap quickly. "This is school. These kids have homework to do.''
Posted by Eric at 05:57 PM | Comments (18)
Clark and His Bosnian Whorehouses
I wouldn't let him through the door either.
Campaign officials planned for the retired general, accompanied by the media, to greet college students at the Durham Book Exchange, where hundreds had lined up in the cold to exchange their textbooks for the new semester.But - as cameras and reporters waited - store personnel were adamant: Clark wouldn't be let in.
Brian Morrison, an employee at the front door, explained the establishment was simply "too busy.''
But, moments later, Morrison was caught on tape telling ABC News staffers that there was no way Clark would cross the threshold after being connected with "military people who run whorehouses in Bosnia.''
Oops.
The store's owner, Bill Zak, wearing an orange watch cap - the trademark of Dean's volunteers - said it had nothing to do with the candidate, or who he supported. "It's nothing personal,'' he said, removing the cap quickly. "This is school. These kids have homework to do.''
Posted by Eric at 05:57 PM | Comments (10)
Caption This: Bush and Menu
BUSH: "I hope this Mexican food has an exit strategy."
--Joke paraphrased from a previous Al Franken joke ...
Posted by Eric at 03:21 PM | Comments (46)
Caption This: Bush and Menu
BUSH: "I hope this Mexican food has an exit strategy."
--Joke paraphrased from a previous Al Franken joke ...
Posted by Eric at 03:21 PM | Comments (34)
The Hunting of the President: The Movie
Ooh, looks scary (link from Atrios).
Posted by Eric at 03:07 PM | Comments (16)
The Hunting of the President: The Movie
Ooh, looks scary (link from Atrios).
Posted by Eric at 03:07 PM | Comments (12)
Medicare and Minorities
If you ever wanted a report detailing the impact of Medicare cuts by the Bush administration on minorities, especially African-Americans, look no further than here. Report prepared by the Democratic Whip's office and Congressional Black Caucus.
58% of African American Medicare recipients do not have coverage beyond Medicare, as compared to only 21% of white beneficiaries. As a result, when medicare beneficiaries are used up (more likely with AA), AA are left without insurance.
Posted by Eric at 02:45 PM | Comments (10)
Medicare and Minorities
If you ever wanted a report detailing the impact of Medicare cuts by the Bush administration on minorities, especially African-Americans, look no further than here. Report prepared by the Democratic Whip's office and Congressional Black Caucus.
58% of African American Medicare recipients do not have coverage beyond Medicare, as compared to only 21% of white beneficiaries. As a result, when medicare beneficiaries are used up (more likely with AA), AA are left without insurance.
Posted by Eric at 02:45 PM | Comments (2)
Laugh a Little with Dennis
Whoooo!! Here we go now:
Comic Dennis Miller was up in the visitors gallery shooting verbal spitballs at lawmakers waiting for Bush to arrive.ZING!Miller - who, we hear, had had a private meeting with Vice President Cheney earlier - couldn't resist remarking on House Speaker Dennis Hastert's waistline.
"Looks like Hastert had his stomach stapled," Miller joked.
When he spotted Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) scribbling on a pile of papers, Miller quipped, "He's probably writing to Penthouse Forum ... 'Jed, the stable boy, walked into the room...'"Tada-tish!
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) drew a dart for her white-trimmed crimson dress.ROFLO! You see, because, HAHAHAHAHA, the colors of Loretta's dress, HAHAHAHA ... are RED AND WHITE, AAAH HAHAHA ... AND THOSE, HHAHAHA, are XMAS COLORS! Hence, Santa's little helper!! AAAHAHAHAHA"Who's Santa's little helper?" Miller wondered aloud.
EDIT: FAIR has an item on Dennis. Conflict of interest?
Posted by Eric at 11:20 AM | Comments (49)
Laugh a Little with Dennis
Whoooo!! Here we go now:
Comic Dennis Miller was up in the visitors gallery shooting verbal spitballs at lawmakers waiting for Bush to arrive.ZING!Miller - who, we hear, had had a private meeting with Vice President Cheney earlier - couldn't resist remarking on House Speaker Dennis Hastert's waistline.
"Looks like Hastert had his stomach stapled," Miller joked.
When he spotted Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) scribbling on a pile of papers, Miller quipped, "He's probably writing to Penthouse Forum ... 'Jed, the stable boy, walked into the room...'"Tada-tish!
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) drew a dart for her white-trimmed crimson dress.ROFLO! You see, because, HAHAHAHAHA, the colors of Loretta's dress, HAHAHAHA ... are RED AND WHITE, AAAH HAHAHA ... AND THOSE, HHAHAHA, are XMAS COLORS! Hence, Santa's little helper!! AAAHAHAHAHA"Who's Santa's little helper?" Miller wondered aloud.
EDIT: FAIR has an item on Dennis. Conflict of interest?
Posted by Eric at 11:20 AM | Comments (17)
Fun with Google
"_____ is a communist."
Wesley Clark: 10 results.
Howard Dean: 7
John Edwards: 0
John Kerry: 0
Dennis Kucinich: 4
Joe Lieberman: 0
Al Sharpton: 0
Noam Chomsky: 11
Bill Clinton: 26
Hillary Clinton: 9
Al Franken: 0
Al Gore: 18
Michael Moore: 26
Note: Context of the statement is not taken into consideration, just the fact that it exists.
Posted by Eric at 11:14 AM | Comments (16)
Fun with Google
"_____ is a communist."
Wesley Clark: 10 results.
Howard Dean: 7
John Edwards: 0
John Kerry: 0
Dennis Kucinich: 4
Joe Lieberman: 0
Al Sharpton: 0
Noam Chomsky: 11
Bill Clinton: 26
Hillary Clinton: 9
Al Franken: 0
Al Gore: 18
Michael Moore: 26
Note: Context of the statement is not taken into consideration, just the fact that it exists.
Posted by Eric at 11:14 AM | Comments (5)
Comeback Kerry: NH a Win?
The momentum is with Kerry, as he is beating the sinking Howard Dean in the latest polls. From Political Wire:
It's pretty clear there is a backlash from Dean's sharp-attack campaign style and his Iowa caucus speech. Still, the larger question remains: Can Kerry do well in states not close to his own?Suffolk University puts Kerry ahead 27 to 19 percent. Wesley Clark is third at 15 percent.
Zogby has Kerry leading Dean 27 to 24 percent, with Clark at 15 percent.
A Boston Globe/WBZ-TV poll shows Kerry ahead of Dean 31 to 21 percent, with Clark at 16 percent.
American Research Group has Kerry leading 27 to 22 percent, with Clark at 19 percent.
Posted by Eric at 11:09 AM | Comments (64)
Comeback Kerry: NH a Win?
The momentum is with Kerry, as he is beating the sinking Howard Dean in the latest polls. From Political Wire:
It's pretty clear there is a backlash from Dean's sharp-attack campaign style and his Iowa caucus speech. Still, the larger question remains: Can Kerry do well in states not close to his own?Suffolk University puts Kerry ahead 27 to 19 percent. Wesley Clark is third at 15 percent.
Zogby has Kerry leading Dean 27 to 24 percent, with Clark at 15 percent.
A Boston Globe/WBZ-TV poll shows Kerry ahead of Dean 31 to 21 percent, with Clark at 16 percent.
American Research Group has Kerry leading 27 to 22 percent, with Clark at 19 percent.
Posted by Eric at 11:09 AM | Comments (24)
Excellent Taxes
As I have recently learned through emails to Margaret Cho, I am going to pay less taxes this year because of my Asian status. Excellent! Now to work on the black, female and etc part.
Posted by Eric at 09:37 AM | Comments (55)
Excellent Taxes
As I have recently learned through emails to Margaret Cho, I am going to pay less taxes this year because of my Asian status. Excellent! Now to work on the black, female and etc part.
Posted by Eric at 09:37 AM | Comments (41)
Is the Hometown Boston Globe Anti-Kerry?
Timothy Noah in Slate seems to think so:
The instances of Kerry-bashing at the Globe are too numerous to cite here, but let's review some highlights:Boston Herald media critic Dan Kennedy offers this response:In March 1989, reporter John Robinson mocked the newly divorced Kerry as "the Senate's Romeo," and wrote that Kerry "reportedly courted" the actress Morgan Fairchild "on the QT while dating another woman."
In October 1996, in the midst of a heated Senate re-election campaign, Globe columnist David Warsh suggested that Kerry won a Silver Star in Vietnam for "finishing off" an enemy soldier who was wounded and therefore posed no threat. This was untrue; the enemy soldier, though wounded, quickly got back on his feet.
In March 2003, reporters Michael Kranish, Frank Phillips, and Brian C. Mooney reported that Kerry had tried to pass himself off as Irish to boost his popularity in Massachusetts, which has a large Irish population.
In November 2003, columnist Joan Vennochi wrote, "John Kerry's presidential campaign needs more than a new campaign manager. It needs a new candidate."
On Jan. 18, reporter Patrick Healy nailed Kerry for falsely claiming that he'd been endorsed by John C. Land III, the Democratic leader in South Carolina's State Senate. In fact, Land endorsed John Edwards.
Yes, over the years the Globe has run tough pieces on Kerry - some fair, some not - by what Noah properly observes is an astonishingly large stable of columnists.Links from Poynter.But when it come to truly inspired anti-Kerry pieces of recent vintage, the Globe's not even on the radar.
I could go through a laundry list (if you'd like to compile your own, search these incomparable archives), but I'll close with this. Without question, the meanest, most vicious Kerry-basher working in the media today is someone whose name pops up on Noah's screen every time he clicks to the Slate home page.
That would, of course, be Mickey Kaus, who actually ran a Kerry Loathsomeness Contest last year, and who recently had to suspend his Kerry Withdrawal Contest.
Actual Kaus lead-in for an item on John Edwards on Tuesday: "I'd rather be trashing Kerry ..."
The fact is that Kerry is an ambiguous figure on the Massachusetts political landscape. He's long labored in the shadows of the state's senior senator, Ted Kennedy. He is reserved and formal, which is another way of saying that he's aloof. He doesn't stroke reporters, and reporters love nothing better than to be stroked. He has a reputation for being inattentive to the needs of local officials. He is, for better or worse, a big thinker who's always had his eye on national politics.
Posted by Eric at 09:23 AM | Comments (48)
Is the Hometown Boston Globe Anti-Kerry?
Timothy Noah in Slate seems to think so:
The instances of Kerry-bashing at the Globe are too numerous to cite here, but let's review some highlights:Boston Herald media critic Dan Kennedy offers this response:In March 1989, reporter John Robinson mocked the newly divorced Kerry as "the Senate's Romeo," and wrote that Kerry "reportedly courted" the actress Morgan Fairchild "on the QT while dating another woman."
In October 1996, in the midst of a heated Senate re-election campaign, Globe columnist David Warsh suggested that Kerry won a Silver Star in Vietnam for "finishing off" an enemy soldier who was wounded and therefore posed no threat. This was untrue; the enemy soldier, though wounded, quickly got back on his feet.
In March 2003, reporters Michael Kranish, Frank Phillips, and Brian C. Mooney reported that Kerry had tried to pass himself off as Irish to boost his popularity in Massachusetts, which has a large Irish population.
In November 2003, columnist Joan Vennochi wrote, "John Kerry's presidential campaign needs more than a new campaign manager. It needs a new candidate."
On Jan. 18, reporter Patrick Healy nailed Kerry for falsely claiming that he'd been endorsed by John C. Land III, the Democratic leader in South Carolina's State Senate. In fact, Land endorsed John Edwards.
Yes, over the years the Globe has run tough pieces on Kerry - some fair, some not - by what Noah properly observes is an astonishingly large stable of columnists.Links from Poynter.But when it come to truly inspired anti-Kerry pieces of recent vintage, the Globe's not even on the radar.
I could go through a laundry list (if you'd like to compile your own, search these incomparable archives), but I'll close with this. Without question, the meanest, most vicious Kerry-basher working in the media today is someone whose name pops up on Noah's screen every time he clicks to the Slate home page.
That would, of course, be Mickey Kaus, who actually ran a Kerry Loathsomeness Contest last year, and who recently had to suspend his Kerry Withdrawal Contest.
Actual Kaus lead-in for an item on John Edwards on Tuesday: "I'd rather be trashing Kerry ..."
The fact is that Kerry is an ambiguous figure on the Massachusetts political landscape. He's long labored in the shadows of the state's senior senator, Ted Kennedy. He is reserved and formal, which is another way of saying that he's aloof. He doesn't stroke reporters, and reporters love nothing better than to be stroked. He has a reputation for being inattentive to the needs of local officials. He is, for better or worse, a big thinker who's always had his eye on national politics.
Posted by Eric at 09:23 AM | Comments (1)
Clean Air Villain of the Year
Edison Electric Institute President Tom Kuhn just beats Rep. Joe Barton in the race, from the Clean Air Trust. Among some of Tom's accomplishments:
In a race this close, our panel of judges gave Kuhn the disapproving nod because of the terrible impact of his efforts to block controls on toxic mercury. When he won the Clean Air Trust "villain of the month" award in February 2003, we noted that Kuhn was a key "pioneer" fundraiser for President Bush's campaign, and that he was leading a lobbying blitz to postpone mercury cleanup requirements.Wish I could post a picture of / email for Tom, but Edison won't let me access their bios. "Members only." Of course.Kuhn has succeeded to the extent that key sponsors of the President's pollution plan (Senators James Inhofe, R-OK and George Voinovich, R-OH) have adopted the Kuhn do-virtually-nothing position, as has new EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt.
Kuhn showed his continuing clout just last week when Leavitt traveled to an EEI meeting at a posh Arizona resort to speak privately to assembled power company executives. (He also showed his contempt for the media by barring a reporter from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who was attempting to report on what allegedly was a public speech by Leavitt. Perhaps Kuhn didn't want the reporter to listen to Leavitt's question and answer session with the power company executives.)
Posted by Eric at 12:46 AM | Comments (23)
Clean Air Villain of the Year
Edison Electric Institute President Tom Kuhn just beats Rep. Joe Barton in the race, from the Clean Air Trust. Among some of Tom's accomplishments:
In a race this close, our panel of judges gave Kuhn the disapproving nod because of the terrible impact of his efforts to block controls on toxic mercury. When he won the Clean Air Trust "villain of the month" award in February 2003, we noted that Kuhn was a key "pioneer" fundraiser for President Bush's campaign, and that he was leading a lobbying blitz to postpone mercury cleanup requirements.Wish I could post a picture of / email for Tom, but Edison won't let me access their bios. "Members only." Of course.Kuhn has succeeded to the extent that key sponsors of the President's pollution plan (Senators James Inhofe, R-OK and George Voinovich, R-OH) have adopted the Kuhn do-virtually-nothing position, as has new EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt.
Kuhn showed his continuing clout just last week when Leavitt traveled to an EEI meeting at a posh Arizona resort to speak privately to assembled power company executives. (He also showed his contempt for the media by barring a reporter from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who was attempting to report on what allegedly was a public speech by Leavitt. Perhaps Kuhn didn't want the reporter to listen to Leavitt's question and answer session with the power company executives.)
Posted by Eric at 12:46 AM | Comments (8)
Hamster Numbers: Patriot Act
Approximate number of governing bodies that have passed anti-Patriot Act resolutions: 240
Number of people the resolutions encompass: 30 million in 37 states.
-ACLU
Posted by Eric at 12:21 AM | Comments (59)
Hamster Numbers: Patriot Act
Approximate number of governing bodies that have passed anti-Patriot Act resolutions: 240
Number of people the resolutions encompass: 30 million in 37 states.
-ACLU
Posted by Eric at 12:21 AM | Comments (12)
January 21, 2004
Wed Stories
Reuters. Poll: Dean Holds Slim New Hampshire Lead Over Kerry
LAT. After Iowa Victory, Kerry Faces Round 2
Hartford Courant. Decisive Undecideds In Iowa
AP. Straw Urges U.N. on Iraq Election Dispute
Concord Monitor. Kerry ready for another fight
Concord Monitor. A loss for many more than Dick Gephardt
Concord Monitor. Clark touts experiences in military
AP. Kerry, Edwards Rake in Tens of Thousands
Robert Dreyfuss . The Iraq of last night's State of the Union bore little resemblance to the nation we invaded now on the brink of civil war
The Age. Political cycle drives Bush vision in 2004
Lionel Van Deerlin. The price of loyalty
James O. Goldsborough. Making illegal residents legal: President Bush's immigration reform plan, delayed three years because of Sept. 11, is a politically expedient confession of the massive failure of U.S. immigration policy for two decades
Copley News. Critics dismissed in surprisingly combative speech
Washington Post. Army Reserve Chief Fears Retention Crisis
Mercury News. Internet emerging as political force
Daily Star. Dean's backers keeping the faith
SFC. Kerry's California campaign finds new life with surprise win in Iowa
Seattle PI. Bush lays out his record for debate
Glen Johnson. The candidates hit N.H. running hard
Robert Kuttner. Will voters focus on Bush details?
AJC. Reduce penalty for teens' consensual sex
David Corn. Bush's Defiant State of the Union
Robert L. Borosage . Are You Better Off?
Gary Kamiya. In his State of the Union address, the president posed once again as the indomitable wartime leader -- but it didn't play as well this time
AP. Howard Dean's fatal system error
AP. U.N. said close to sending team to Iraq
Charles Lewis. The Buying of the President 2004: Part 1 of 3: Who’s really bankrolling Bush and his Democratic challengers -- and what they expect in return
Ivins. It's about money: Follow the greenbacks to learn where seemingly haphazard Bush policy comes from
E. J. Dionne Jr. Can He Come Back?
Harold Meyerson. Labor's Iowa Implosion
WP. A Wide-Open Race In New Hampshire
NYT. Dean's New-Voter Strategy Seemed to Work, for Others
NYT. Democrats Sound Themes That Will Persist in Congress and Campaign
NYT. Kerry Confident as Race Turns to New Hampshire
Posted by Eric at 11:43 PM | Comments (11)
Wed Stories
Reuters. Poll: Dean Holds Slim New Hampshire Lead Over Kerry
LAT. After Iowa Victory, Kerry Faces Round 2
Hartford Courant. Decisive Undecideds In Iowa
AP. Straw Urges U.N. on Iraq Election Dispute
Concord Monitor. Kerry ready for another fight
Concord Monitor. A loss for many more than Dick Gephardt
Concord Monitor. Clark touts experiences in military
AP. Kerry, Edwards Rake in Tens of Thousands
Robert Dreyfuss . The Iraq of last night's State of the Union bore little resemblance to the nation we invaded now on the brink of civil war
The Age. Political cycle drives Bush vision in 2004
Lionel Van Deerlin. The price of loyalty
James O. Goldsborough. Making illegal residents legal: President Bush's immigration reform plan, delayed three years because of Sept. 11, is a politically expedient confession of the massive failure of U.S. immigration policy for two decades
Copley News. Critics dismissed in surprisingly combative speech
Washington Post. Army Reserve Chief Fears Retention Crisis
Mercury News. Internet emerging as political force
Daily Star. Dean's backers keeping the faith
SFC. Kerry's California campaign finds new life with surprise win in Iowa
Seattle PI. Bush lays out his record for debate
Glen Johnson. The candidates hit N.H. running hard
Robert Kuttner. Will voters focus on Bush details?
AJC. Reduce penalty for teens' consensual sex
David Corn. Bush's Defiant State of the Union
Robert L. Borosage . Are You Better Off?
Gary Kamiya. In his State of the Union address, the president posed once again as the indomitable wartime leader -- but it didn't play as well this time
AP. Howard Dean's fatal system error
AP. U.N. said close to sending team to Iraq
Charles Lewis. The Buying of the President 2004: Part 1 of 3: Who’s really bankrolling Bush and his Democratic challengers -- and what they expect in return
Ivins. It's about money: Follow the greenbacks to learn where seemingly haphazard Bush policy comes from
E. J. Dionne Jr. Can He Come Back?
Harold Meyerson. Labor's Iowa Implosion
WP. A Wide-Open Race In New Hampshire
NYT. Dean's New-Voter Strategy Seemed to Work, for Others
NYT. Democrats Sound Themes That Will Persist in Congress and Campaign
NYT. Kerry Confident as Race Turns to New Hampshire
Posted by Eric at 11:43 PM | Comments (19)
What's the Environment?
Last year Bush faked love for the environment in his SOTU speech. Luckily, this year, he didn't even try. See NRDC:
In last night's State of the Union address, President Bush trumpeted his administration's accomplishments from last year and outlined some of his initiatives for this one. What was most notable was that he said nary a word about the environment. Nothing, for example, about his "Healthy Forests" initiative, which will allow loggers to cut down large, fire-resistant trees miles away from where people live, or his "Clear Skies" initiative, which, if passed, would allow power plants to emit more pollution for a longer time than current law.Still, Bush found time to warn people about the epidemic of steroids in pro players.He did include one sentence about energy policy. "Consumers and businesses need reliable supplies of energy to make our economy run," he said, "so I urge you to pass legislation to modernize our electricity system, promote conservation, and make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy." He did not explicitly call for Congress to pass the energy bill it is currently debating. It's just as well. That bill would not modernize the electricity grid, promote conservation or make the country less dependent on foreign energy sources. NRDC would agree with the president that the criteria he spelled out are necessary ingredients for a sensible energy policy. We called for such a policy three years ago when we released "A Responsible Energy Policy for the 21st Century".
The fact that President Bush avoided mentioning his administration's environmental policies could be seen as a tacit admission that his record is deplorable and the issue is a vulnerable one for him (see the Bush Record). Polls show that the majority of Americans believe he is more interested in protecting his corporate campaign contributors than public health and the environment.
Posted by Eric at 08:45 PM | Comments (113)
What's the Environment?
Last year Bush faked love for the environment in his SOTU speech. Luckily, this year, he didn't even try. See NRDC:
In last night's State of the Union address, President Bush trumpeted his administration's accomplishments from last year and outlined some of his initiatives for this one. What was most notable was that he said nary a word about the environment. Nothing, for example, about his "Healthy Forests" initiative, which will allow loggers to cut down large, fire-resistant trees miles away from where people live, or his "Clear Skies" initiative, which, if passed, would allow power plants to emit more pollution for a longer time than current law.Still, Bush found time to warn people about the epidemic of steroids in pro players.He did include one sentence about energy policy. "Consumers and businesses need reliable supplies of energy to make our economy run," he said, "so I urge you to pass legislation to modernize our electricity system, promote conservation, and make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy." He did not explicitly call for Congress to pass the energy bill it is currently debating. It's just as well. That bill would not modernize the electricity grid, promote conservation or make the country less dependent on foreign energy sources. NRDC would agree with the president that the criteria he spelled out are necessary ingredients for a sensible energy policy. We called for such a policy three years ago when we released "A Responsible Energy Policy for the 21st Century".
The fact that President Bush avoided mentioning his administration's environmental policies could be seen as a tacit admission that his record is deplorable and the issue is a vulnerable one for him (see the Bush Record). Polls show that the majority of Americans believe he is more interested in protecting his corporate campaign contributors than public health and the environment.
Posted by Eric at 08:45 PM | Comments (13)
Kerry Takes Huge Lead
Wow, interesting.
Sen. John F. Kerry has catapulted into a 10-point New Hampshire lead six days before the nation's first primary, bouncing out of Iowa and over longtime frontrunner Howard Dean, according to a new Boston Herald poll.And it's not only the Boston Herald poll showing Kerry catching up with or leading Dean. Political Wire notes:
The Massachusetts senator leads Dean 31 percent to 21 percent, with a slipping Wesley K. Clark at 16 percent after skipping the Iowa caucuses.
Sen. John Edwards is in fourth place with 11 percent, followed by Sen. Joseph Lieberman with 4 percent. Rev. Al Sharpton and Rep. Dennis Kucinich continue to barely register.
Herald pollster R. Kelly Myers called it a ``dramatic turn-around for John Kerry.''
``His once fledgling campaign has found new legs and he now finds himself the clear front-runner in this race,'' Myers said.
The ARG New Hampshire Tracking Poll shows the expected surge by John Kerry. "While Howard Dean has a 2 percentage-point lead over John Kerry in the 3-day average, Kerry has a 1 percentage-point lead in the 2-day average and Kerry has a 5 percentage-point lead in the one-day sample on January 20."Alright. This campaign was written off a long time ago by people like me, wasn't it, John?
Zogby also shows Kerry catching up. "In the one night of polling (Tuesday) after the Iowa caucus, Kerry actually led Dean by 2 points."
Suffolk University shows Kerry and Dean in a statistical tie.
Update: A new Boston Globe/WBZ tracking poll shows Kerry slightly ahead of Dean.
Not so long ago, this campaign was written off.This is true.
But in your homes and community halls, in barns and VFW halls and restaurants where I never got to eat, you gathered, you listened and you stood with me on this caucus night so that we can defeat George Bush and the special interests he serves – and give America back its future and its soul.Still, while Kerry may win Iowa and New Hampshire, can he carry or do well in states like California, the 'super Tuesday' states and South Carolina?And I have listened to you and learned from you – and from the people of New Hampshire – and you have made me a better candidate. And I thank you for that too.
Now as you send me on to New Hampshire, to the other contests ahead, I make you this pledge: I have only just begun to fight. In the months and years ahead, I will fight for you.
Posted by Eric at 08:36 PM | Comments (54)
Kerry Takes Huge Lead
Wow, interesting.
Sen. John F. Kerry has catapulted into a 10-point New Hampshire lead six days before the nation's first primary, bouncing out of Iowa and over longtime frontrunner Howard Dean, according to a new Boston Herald poll.And it's not only the Boston Herald poll showing Kerry catching up with or leading Dean. Political Wire notes:
The Massachusetts senator leads Dean 31 percent to 21 percent, with a slipping Wesley K. Clark at 16 percent after skipping the Iowa caucuses.
Sen. John Edwards is in fourth place with 11 percent, followed by Sen. Joseph Lieberman with 4 percent. Rev. Al Sharpton and Rep. Dennis Kucinich continue to barely register.
Herald pollster R. Kelly Myers called it a ``dramatic turn-around for John Kerry.''
``His once fledgling campaign has found new legs and he now finds himself the clear front-runner in this race,'' Myers said.
The ARG New Hampshire Tracking Poll shows the expected surge by John Kerry. "While Howard Dean has a 2 percentage-point lead over John Kerry in the 3-day average, Kerry has a 1 percentage-point lead in the 2-day average and Kerry has a 5 percentage-point lead in the one-day sample on January 20."Alright. This campaign was written off a long time ago by people like me, wasn't it, John?
Zogby also shows Kerry catching up. "In the one night of polling (Tuesday) after the Iowa caucus, Kerry actually led Dean by 2 points."
Suffolk University shows Kerry and Dean in a statistical tie.
Update: A new Boston Globe/WBZ tracking poll shows Kerry slightly ahead of Dean.
Not so long ago, this campaign was written off.This is true.
But in your homes and community halls, in barns and VFW halls and restaurants where I never got to eat, you gathered, you listened and you stood with me on this caucus night so that we can defeat George Bush and the special interests he serves – and give America back its future and its soul.Still, while Kerry may win Iowa and New Hampshire, can he carry or do well in states like California, the 'super Tuesday' states and South Carolina?And I have listened to you and learned from you – and from the people of New Hampshire – and you have made me a better candidate. And I thank you for that too.
Now as you send me on to New Hampshire, to the other contests ahead, I make you this pledge: I have only just begun to fight. In the months and years ahead, I will fight for you.
Posted by Eric at 08:36 PM | Comments (0)
Further Dean Drop Theories
This article in the USA Today cites a 'high-level campaign adviser' in the Dean campaign, suggesting more Dean drop theories. Regardless, Dean's showing was disappointing, but the larger point that needs to be made is this is the first primary (actually, a caucus) and it's still very, very early ... the media loves a horse race, and the US does not vote the same as Iowa.
A top Dean campaign official acknowledged that Dean "may have got carried away" Monday night. But he said there is no calculated strategy to tone down the candidate.Another high-level campaign adviser, however, said the raucous exhortation was a mistake that resulted from Dean's exhaustion and from not realizing that his message to 800 supporters in a ballroom was being seen by millions on TV ...
• Gaffes. Iowans interviewed said Dean was "a loose cannon" who too often had to take back statements. At a Concord rally, Dean was reminded of one of them, his controversial statement that he wanted to appeal to "guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." When Dean asked that a man in the audience holding a Confederate flag be removed, several burly security men forcibly dragged the man out. During a later disturbance involving a heckler, the candidate led his audience in a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.
• The tape. A 4-year-old tape of a Canadian TV show in which Dean said the Iowa caucuses were controlled by "extremists" was "devastating," Dean's pollster Paul Maslin said.
• Negative ads. Dean's anti-war attack ads against his opponents turned off Iowans who wanted a more positive tone and pushed them toward Kerry and Edwards.
• Organization. Despite 3,500 out-of-state volunteers, the senior adviser said Dean's campaign didn't put together a strong field organization until two months ago. But Maslin said Dean's workers did get the vote out - even if it wasn't his. "We knocked on everybody's door," he said. "We turned out Edwards and Kerry voters, I'm absolutely convinced."
Posted by Eric at 10:39 AM | Comments (118)
Further Dean Drop Theories
This article in the USA Today cites a 'high-level campaign adviser' in the Dean campaign, suggesting more Dean drop theories. Regardless, Dean's showing was disappointing, but the larger point that needs to be made is this is the first primary (actually, a caucus) and it's still very, very early ... the media loves a horse race, and the US does not vote the same as Iowa.
A top Dean campaign official acknowledged that Dean "may have got carried away" Monday night. But he said there is no calculated strategy to tone down the candidate.Another high-level campaign adviser, however, said the raucous exhortation was a mistake that resulted from Dean's exhaustion and from not realizing that his message to 800 supporters in a ballroom was being seen by millions on TV ...
• Gaffes. Iowans interviewed said Dean was "a loose cannon" who too often had to take back statements. At a Concord rally, Dean was reminded of one of them, his controversial statement that he wanted to appeal to "guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." When Dean asked that a man in the audience holding a Confederate flag be removed, several burly security men forcibly dragged the man out. During a later disturbance involving a heckler, the candidate led his audience in a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.
• The tape. A 4-year-old tape of a Canadian TV show in which Dean said the Iowa caucuses were controlled by "extremists" was "devastating," Dean's pollster Paul Maslin said.
• Negative ads. Dean's anti-war attack ads against his opponents turned off Iowans who wanted a more positive tone and pushed them toward Kerry and Edwards.
• Organization. Despite 3,500 out-of-state volunteers, the senior adviser said Dean's campaign didn't put together a strong field organization until two months ago. But Maslin said Dean's workers did get the vote out - even if it wasn't his. "We knocked on everybody's door," he said. "We turned out Edwards and Kerry voters, I'm absolutely convinced."
Posted by Eric at 10:39 AM | Comments (4)
Hamster Numbers: Fund Fees
"Mutual fund fees, many buried deep within fund prospectuses and financial statements, cost investors an estimated $75 billion a year."
"New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer estimates that someone who invested $100,000 in a mutual fund would lose as much as $6,000 over 10 years because of excessive, undisclosed fees."
"Furthermore, small shareholders – those investors trying to save for things like college education or a down payment on a house – pay more in mutual fund fees than their wealthy counterparts. Even more infuriating, the mutual fund industry is now trying to pass on the cost of higher insurance premiums to protect themselves against future investor lawsuits for these same fee abuses."
-Centetr for American Progress.
Posted by Eric at 09:07 AM | Comments (28)
Hamster Numbers: Fund Fees
"Mutual fund fees, many buried deep within fund prospectuses and financial statements, cost investors an estimated $75 billion a year."
"New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer estimates that someone who invested $100,000 in a mutual fund would lose as much as $6,000 over 10 years because of excessive, undisclosed fees."
"Furthermore, small shareholders – those investors trying to save for things like college education or a down payment on a house – pay more in mutual fund fees than their wealthy counterparts. Even more infuriating, the mutual fund industry is now trying to pass on the cost of higher insurance premiums to protect themselves against future investor lawsuits for these same fee abuses."
-Centetr for American Progress.
Posted by Eric at 09:07 AM | Comments (1)
Young Republicans Practicing Hispanic Outreach in California
It's never too early to start voter outreach in your high school campus. Just ask Tim Bueler, likely candidate for jr. class court attendant at the prom:
Since the beginning of January, Bueler has been escorted by an adult school official to and from every class and to his father's car at the end of the day. The precaution was ordered by the school district superintendent after several confrontations between Bueler and fellow members of the school Conservative Club, and other students who object to what they claim are "racist" writings in the club's political tracts ...According to a timeline issued by the Cotati-Rohnert Park City School District, the controversy started Dec. 3 when the Conservative Club, which Bueler organized last fall, posted an inflammatory flier at the high school announcing the creation of a "Conservative Hotline," where students could report examples of "un-American" comments by their teachers.
"Let's take a stand against the liberal traitors who call themselves teachers," proclaimed the flier, which had not been approved by the club's faculty advisor as required under school rules.
In response, an anonymous faculty member proposed a "Liberal Hotline" to counter the Conservative Club. "Have you heard any un-American comments expressed by your reactionary students lately?" the flier asked, parodying the original. "Let's take a stand against the neo-conservative wing-nuts who call themselves Americans." The Liberal flier concluded: "P.S. Flush Rush," referring to right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
On Dec. 12 Bueler inflamed matters by distributing a Conservative Club newsletter in which he wrote that "Liberals welcome every Muhammad, Jamul and Jose who wishes to leave his Third World state and come to America — mostly illegally — to rip off our health-care system, balkanize our language and destroy our political system."
The statement was borrowed directly from the sayings and writings of nationally syndicated San Francisco radio host Michael Savage, whom Buehler credits for inspiration.
The resulting political turmoil — which angered some of the school's Latino students and provoked a letter of protest from 40 school officials, including the nurse and Principal Carter — has tested the 1st Amendment tethers of this bedroom community about one hour's drive north of San Francisco.
Posted by Eric at 09:06 AM | Comments (91)
Young Republicans Practicing Hispanic Outreach in California
It's never too early to start voter outreach in your high school campus. Just ask Tim Bueler, likely candidate for jr. class court attendant at the prom:
Since the beginning of January, Bueler has been escorted by an adult school official to and from every class and to his father's car at the end of the day. The precaution was ordered by the school district superintendent after several confrontations between Bueler and fellow members of the school Conservative Club, and other students who object to what they claim are "racist" writings in the club's political tracts ...According to a timeline issued by the Cotati-Rohnert Park City School District, the controversy started Dec. 3 when the Conservative Club, which Bueler organized last fall, posted an inflammatory flier at the high school announcing the creation of a "Conservative Hotline," where students could report examples of "un-American" comments by their teachers.
"Let's take a stand against the liberal traitors who call themselves teachers," proclaimed the flier, which had not been approved by the club's faculty advisor as required under school rules.
In response, an anonymous faculty member proposed a "Liberal Hotline" to counter the Conservative Club. "Have you heard any un-American comments expressed by your reactionary students lately?" the flier asked, parodying the original. "Let's take a stand against the neo-conservative wing-nuts who call themselves Americans." The Liberal flier concluded: "P.S. Flush Rush," referring to right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
On Dec. 12 Bueler inflamed matters by distributing a Conservative Club newsletter in which he wrote that "Liberals welcome every Muhammad, Jamul and Jose who wishes to leave his Third World state and come to America — mostly illegally — to rip off our health-care system, balkanize our language and destroy our political system."
The statement was borrowed directly from the sayings and writings of nationally syndicated San Francisco radio host Michael Savage, whom Buehler credits for inspiration.
The resulting political turmoil — which angered some of the school's Latino students and provoked a letter of protest from 40 school officials, including the nurse and Principal Carter — has tested the 1st Amendment tethers of this bedroom community about one hour's drive north of San Francisco.
Posted by Eric at 09:06 AM | Comments (50)
The Dean Yell
Like it or not, the 'yell' after Howard Dean's unusual speech in Iowa was the talk in many political circles the day after Iowa, including among many pro-Dean and liberal people I talked with. More importantly, however, the media has raised some eyebrows and, again like it or not, that's going to translate into more 'questions' about Howard Dean:
Top aides could only shake their heads when asked about Dean's performance following the Iowa caucuses results, while critics pounced on it as evidence of a man they said was out of control. Former Senator Alan K. Simpson, a Republican from Wyoming, said of Dean, "He looked like a prairie dog on speed."The people who were happy with the speech, according to the NY Times, were Republicans:Even the usual fount of his most stalwart support -- Blogforamerica, the Web-based dialogue box operated by his campaign -- was a flurry of comment, much of it critical.
"Tonight, after the caucus results, Dean gave his speech to the troops. Yes, he was over the top, but he wasn't speaking to America, he was speaking to us, the Deaniacs," one writer penned. "Having said that, I feel I must say this. . . . He should never broadcast a speech like that again. Never. Ever. Again."
For some Dean supporters in New Hampshire, his reaction was enough to spark questions about their man, with some paying a visit to Manchester's Holiday Inn Center to hear him deliver his first post-Iowa speech.
Judith Pence, a former school principal and now education consultant from Manchester, said she has been a Dean supporter since Labor Day. But after watching Dean react to the Iowa results, Pence said she was left unsettled.
"A simple congratulations to the winners and now on to New Hampshire would have been better," said Pence, who added that listening to Dean yesterday in Manchester reassured her.
"Howard Dean scared a lot of children last night," Tucker Carlson, a Republican political commentator, declared on CNN. Like the other cable news networks, CNN played the image of Dr. Dean, his sleeves rolled up, neck bulging, pointing at the crowd, over and over.Republican officials could not have been happier. "That's six ads," one party official said, referring playfully to the number of advertisements that might be mined from that appearance to reinforce efforts to portray Dr. Dean as angry and nonpresidential.
Dr. Dean made his address late on Monday before a room of supporters, declaring: "We're going to South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico. We're going to California and Texas and New York!" After listing still more states and finally Washington, he punctuated the speech with a throaty howl.
Even some of Dr. Dean's supporters said the speech had affected their perception of the candidate.
Dan Goldberg, a marketing executive with a film distribution company in New York, said he had been planning to volunteer for Dr. Dean in New Hampshire. After watching the speech, Mr. Goldberg said, he changed his mind.
"Any chances I would vote for Dean were completely erased by that speech last night — scary," he said. "I thought mirrors in my apartment would shatter."
Dr. Dean and his staff said the focus on his speech was another instance of unfair treatment at the hands of the news media, which they accused of turning a surprisingly upbeat address after a third-place finish into a negative.
But political experts and some Democrats said the speech could be for Dr. Dean what Dan Quayle's famous misspelling of the word "potato" was for Mr. Quayle in 1992: a reinforcement of a perceived character flaw. In Mr. Quayle's case, the misspelling went to questions about his intellect.
Even before Monday night, opponents were trying to portray Dr. Dean as the angriest man in politics, prompting "Saturday Night Live" last weekend to depict him as a cursing egomaniac.
Posted by Eric at 08:46 AM | Comments (59)
The Dean Yell
Like it or not, the 'yell' after Howard Dean's unusual speech in Iowa was the talk in many political circles the day after Iowa, including among many pro-Dean and liberal people I talked with. More importantly, however, the media has raised some eyebrows and, again like it or not, that's going to translate into more 'questions' about Howard Dean:
Top aides could only shake their heads when asked about Dean's performance following the Iowa caucuses results, while critics pounced on it as evidence of a man they said was out of control. Former Senator Alan K. Simpson, a Republican from Wyoming, said of Dean, "He looked like a prairie dog on speed."The people who were happy with the speech, according to the NY Times, were Republicans:Even the usual fount of his most stalwart support -- Blogforamerica, the Web-based dialogue box operated by his campaign -- was a flurry of comment, much of it critical.
"Tonight, after the caucus results, Dean gave his speech to the troops. Yes, he was over the top, but he wasn't speaking to America, he was speaking to us, the Deaniacs," one writer penned. "Having said that, I feel I must say this. . . . He should never broadcast a speech like that again. Never. Ever. Again."
For some Dean supporters in New Hampshire, his reaction was enough to spark questions about their man, with some paying a visit to Manchester's Holiday Inn Center to hear him deliver his first post-Iowa speech.
Judith Pence, a former school principal and now education consultant from Manchester, said she has been a Dean supporter since Labor Day. But after watching Dean react to the Iowa results, Pence said she was left unsettled.
"A simple congratulations to the winners and now on to New Hampshire would have been better," said Pence, who added that listening to Dean yesterday in Manchester reassured her.
"Howard Dean scared a lot of children last night," Tucker Carlson, a Republican political commentator, declared on CNN. Like the other cable news networks, CNN played the image of Dr. Dean, his sleeves rolled up, neck bulging, pointing at the crowd, over and over.Republican officials could not have been happier. "That's six ads," one party official said, referring playfully to the number of advertisements that might be mined from that appearance to reinforce efforts to portray Dr. Dean as angry and nonpresidential.
Dr. Dean made his address late on Monday before a room of supporters, declaring: "We're going to South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico. We're going to California and Texas and New York!" After listing still more states and finally Washington, he punctuated the speech with a throaty howl.
Even some of Dr. Dean's supporters said the speech had affected their perception of the candidate.
Dan Goldberg, a marketing executive with a film distribution company in New York, said he had been planning to volunteer for Dr. Dean in New Hampshire. After watching the speech, Mr. Goldberg said, he changed his mind.
"Any chances I would vote for Dean were completely erased by that speech last night — scary," he said. "I thought mirrors in my apartment would shatter."
Dr. Dean and his staff said the focus on his speech was another instance of unfair treatment at the hands of the news media, which they accused of turning a surprisingly upbeat address after a third-place finish into a negative.
But political experts and some Democrats said the speech could be for Dr. Dean what Dan Quayle's famous misspelling of the word "potato" was for Mr. Quayle in 1992: a reinforcement of a perceived character flaw. In Mr. Quayle's case, the misspelling went to questions about his intellect.
Even before Monday night, opponents were trying to portray Dr. Dean as the angriest man in politics, prompting "Saturday Night Live" last weekend to depict him as a cursing egomaniac.
Posted by Eric at 08:46 AM | Comments (14)
Democratic Reaction to the SOTU
See the NY Times for excerpts of candidate statements
CLARK: "Tonight, more than eight million Americans are out of work. But President Bush will pledge to spend trillions to privatize Social Security and make his tax cuts for the very rich permanent, locking in an unfair advantage for those who need it least ... Tonight, 44 million Americans still don't have health care. But President Bush won't do nearly enough to make health care truly affordable. He won't do nearly enough to make health care truly accessible."
DEAN: "The state of the union may look rosy from the White House balcony or the suites of George Bush's wealthiest donors. But hard-working Americans will see through this President's effort to wrap his radical agenda with a compassionate ribbon."
KERRY: "Tonight, President Bush talked about how he wants to help people find jobs, but for three years he's stood by while we've lost more jobs than at any time since the Great Depression. He promised to create 250,000 jobs last month, but he's only created a thousand. We're 249,000 jobs short. Americans should be able to trust that what the President tells them is true."
EDWARDS: "What this president fails to understand is that we still live in two different Americas: one for the privileged few, and another for everybody else. Instead of proposing ideas that would help heal our great divides, he is dividing us even further and believes that compassionate language and empty slogans will make working Americans forget the burdens they face every day."
KUCINICH: "The President mentioned the words "terror" and "terrorism" so many times tonight that it's clear to me that he is promoting a culture of fear. It's unfortunate because he could have done something more calming and healing for the nation. Instead he chose to continue to raise the red flag of terror."
The 'equal time' Dem response is here.
Posted by Eric at 12:26 AM | Comments (112)
Democratic Reaction to the SOTU
See the NY Times for excerpts of candidate statements
CLARK: "Tonight, more than eight million Americans are out of work. But President Bush will pledge to spend trillions to privatize Social Security and make his tax cuts for the very rich permanent, locking in an unfair advantage for those who need it least ... Tonight, 44 million Americans still don't have health care. But President Bush won't do nearly enough to make health care truly affordable. He won't do nearly enough to make health care truly accessible."
DEAN: "The state of the union may look rosy from the White House balcony or the suites of George Bush's wealthiest donors. But hard-working Americans will see through this President's effort to wrap his radical agenda with a compassionate ribbon."
KERRY: "Tonight, President Bush talked about how he wants to help people find jobs, but for three years he's stood by while we've lost more jobs than at any time since the Great Depression. He promised to create 250,000 jobs last month, but he's only created a thousand. We're 249,000 jobs short. Americans should be able to trust that what the President tells them is true."
EDWARDS: "What this president fails to understand is that we still live in two different Americas: one for the privileged few, and another for everybody else. Instead of proposing ideas that would help heal our great divides, he is dividing us even further and believes that compassionate language and empty slogans will make working Americans forget the burdens they face every day."
KUCINICH: "The President mentioned the words "terror" and "terrorism" so many times tonight that it's clear to me that he is promoting a culture of fear. It's unfortunate because he could have done something more calming and healing for the nation. Instead he chose to continue to raise the red flag of terror."
The 'equal time' Dem response is here.
Posted by Eric at 12:26 AM | Comments (2)
January 20, 2004
Tuesday Stories
Boston Globe. Momentum is focus of television coverage
Boston Globe. Despite setback, candidate looks ahead
JOHN DALTON. Wesley Clark is uniquely qualified to lead the nation
theunionleader. Shaheen: Kerry still faces a tough fight for NH voters
D. Allan Kerr. Democrats’ attacks on Clark frustrating
Portsmouth Herald. Gephardt supporters surprised, saddened at campaign collapse
CMonitor. The Union Leader endorses Lieberman
CMonitor. The price keeps going up: Kerry, Clark put high value on 1 veteran's vote
CMonitor. They all want more medical coverage: A primer on candidates' health policy proposals
NYT. In New Hampshire, Lieberman Turns His Attention to Bush
WP. Kerry Scores Victory in Iowa: Edwards Takes Second Place; Dean, Gephardt Far Behind
AP. Kerry ready for tough New Hampshire fight
NYT. Dean Lags Far Behind Edwards; Gephardt Finishes Fourth
Reuters. Dean's Insurgent Campaign Suffers Setback in Iowa
Larry King Live. Dean: 'I'm Delighted to Have Finished in the Top Three'
Posted by Eric at 11:59 PM | Comments (74)
Tuesday Stories
Boston Globe. Momentum is focus of television coverage
Boston Globe. Despite setback, candidate looks ahead
JOHN DALTON. Wesley Clark is uniquely qualified to lead the nation
theunionleader. Shaheen: Kerry still faces a tough fight for NH voters
D. Allan Kerr. Democrats’ attacks on Clark frustrating
Portsmouth Herald. Gephardt supporters surprised, saddened at campaign collapse
CMonitor. The Union Leader endorses Lieberman
CMonitor. The price keeps going up: Kerry, Clark put high value on 1 veteran's vote
CMonitor. They all want more medical coverage: A primer on candidates' health policy proposals
NYT. In New Hampshire, Lieberman Turns His Attention to Bush
WP. Kerry Scores Victory in Iowa: Edwards Takes Second Place; Dean, Gephardt Far Behind
AP. Kerry ready for tough New Hampshire fight
NYT. Dean Lags Far Behind Edwards; Gephardt Finishes Fourth
Reuters. Dean's Insurgent Campaign Suffers Setback in Iowa
Larry King Live. Dean: 'I'm Delighted to Have Finished in the Top Three'
Posted by Eric at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
The Onion on SOTU Key Points
Things that go ha in the night.
Posted by Eric at 11:14 PM | Comments (35)
The Onion on SOTU Key Points
Things that go ha in the night.
Posted by Eric at 11:14 PM | Comments (11)
Bush SOTU
Here's the transcript ...
I'll post responses when they are available. Al Franken's response can be heard here. Center for American Progress will probably also have a good response online. They already did a pre-speech rebuttal.
Posted by Eric at 09:41 PM | Comments (38)
Bush SOTU
Here's the transcript ...
I'll post responses when they are available. Al Franken's response can be heard here. Center for American Progress will probably also have a good response online. They already did a pre-speech rebuttal.
Posted by Eric at 09:41 PM | Comments (0)
The New Kerry: 2nd Place in NH, Closing in on Dean
If you're just waking up, welcome to the new world of presidential politics. John Kerry's already won the Iowa caucuses and, this morning, he's positioned to win next week's primary here, too.Howard Dean remains on top of our exclusive 7News Suffolk University poll with 23 percent but Kerry's at 20 precent - close enough statistically to now make this race too close to call.
Wesley Clark--at 15 percent--is still within shouting distance, but Iowa runner-up John Edwards and Joe Lieberman are far behind the leaders, suggesting New Hampshire could turn into a Kerry-Dean showdown ... Another key number from our poll is 26 percent undecided. It's not that one in four likely Democratic primary voters don't know the candidates - it's that many are no longer sure whom they want to vote for.
And given Dean's big leads here in the past, the obvious conclusion is that some of his supporters may become former supporters.
Posted by Eric at 08:10 PM | Comments (61)
The New Kerry: 2nd Place in NH, Closing in on Dean
If you're just waking up, welcome to the new world of presidential politics. John Kerry's already won the Iowa caucuses and, this morning, he's positioned to win next week's primary here, too.Howard Dean remains on top of our exclusive 7News Suffolk University poll with 23 percent but Kerry's at 20 precent - close enough statistically to now make this race too close to call.
Wesley Clark--at 15 percent--is still within shouting distance, but Iowa runner-up John Edwards and Joe Lieberman are far behind the leaders, suggesting New Hampshire could turn into a Kerry-Dean showdown ... Another key number from our poll is 26 percent undecided. It's not that one in four likely Democratic primary voters don't know the candidates - it's that many are no longer sure whom they want to vote for.
And given Dean's big leads here in the past, the obvious conclusion is that some of his supporters may become former supporters.
Posted by Eric at 08:10 PM | Comments (2)
Then and Now
Courtesy of the Center for American Progress:
THEN
"Any appointment of a federal judge during a recess should be opposed."
- Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) opposing the appointment of an African American judge, December 2000
NOW
"Judge Pickering's record deems this recess appointment fully appropriate."
- Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), 1/17/04
Posted by Eric at 12:27 PM | Comments (24)
Then and Now
Courtesy of the Center for American Progress:
THEN
"Any appointment of a federal judge during a recess should be opposed."
- Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) opposing the appointment of an African American judge, December 2000
NOW
"Judge Pickering's record deems this recess appointment fully appropriate."
- Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), 1/17/04
Posted by Eric at 12:27 PM | Comments (2)
Ohio GOP leader ignores order to liquidate secret account
Ahhh, money and politics, what a beautiful mix.
As leader of the Ohio Republican Party, Bob Bennett is happy to take credit for the GOP's 10-year dominance of state government.A big supply of campaign cash also helps. On Friday, Bennett refused to back away from one controversial method to help keep that money coming.
The state party, and its county parties, can accept large amounts of money from secret donors to their operating accounts. These funds pay for salaries, get-out-the-vote drives and other day-to-day party activities.
Campaign reformers say these accounts need to be disclosed.
Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, Ohio's top election official, has ordered party leaders to liquidate the accounts. He argues changes in federal campaign finance laws require party officials to do this.
Bennett disagrees. The destruction of those assets "may be a goal of Secretary Blackwell, but it is not something mandated by law," he said.
Blackwell says he's not trying to bankrupt the party. He just wants them to follow the law.
"There are alternative ways of moving that (money) that won't decimate the party's coffers," he said. "If there was money raised in a secret account, as of the end of last year they should have spent all the money in those accounts."
Posted by Eric at 11:28 AM | Comments (15)
Ohio GOP leader ignores order to liquidate secret account
Ahhh, money and politics, what a beautiful mix.
As leader of the Ohio Republican Party, Bob Bennett is happy to take credit for the GOP's 10-year dominance of state government.A big supply of campaign cash also helps. On Friday, Bennett refused to back away from one controversial method to help keep that money coming.
The state party, and its county parties, can accept large amounts of money from secret donors to their operating accounts. These funds pay for salaries, get-out-the-vote drives and other day-to-day party activities.
Campaign reformers say these accounts need to be disclosed.
Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, Ohio's top election official, has ordered party leaders to liquidate the accounts. He argues changes in federal campaign finance laws require party officials to do this.
Bennett disagrees. The destruction of those assets "may be a goal of Secretary Blackwell, but it is not something mandated by law," he said.
Blackwell says he's not trying to bankrupt the party. He just wants them to follow the law.
"There are alternative ways of moving that (money) that won't decimate the party's coffers," he said. "If there was money raised in a secret account, as of the end of last year they should have spent all the money in those accounts."
Posted by Eric at 11:28 AM | Comments (3)
Rush, Laura, Hannity to Have a Gay Ol' Ad Time
According to US News, the HRC will be giving some ad dough to the yakkers:
Uncivil Union: Oh boy, this'll be weird. All week, an odd union of conservatives and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay lobby, plan to air radio ads on Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, and Sean Hannity blasting calls for a constitutional ban on homosexual marriage. Fact is, says HRC Prez Cheryl Jacques, lots of conservatives hate messing with the Constitution, and the ads will highlight such complaints.Ha ... But seriously, as the HRC president says, many supporters of gay rights are libertarians, some of whom listen to conservative radio.
Posted by Eric at 11:08 AM | Comments (57)
Rush, Laura, Hannity to Have a Gay Ol' Ad Time
According to US News, the HRC will be giving some ad dough to the yakkers:
Uncivil Union: Oh boy, this'll be weird. All week, an odd union of conservatives and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay lobby, plan to air radio ads on Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, and Sean Hannity blasting calls for a constitutional ban on homosexual marriage. Fact is, says HRC Prez Cheryl Jacques, lots of conservatives hate messing with the Constitution, and the ads will highlight such complaints.Ha ... But seriously, as the HRC president says, many supporters of gay rights are libertarians, some of whom listen to conservative radio.
Posted by Eric at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)
Hamster Numbers: National Debt
average when bush first took office: $500 per family
average family’s share of the national debt five years from now: $84,000
Posted by Eric at 11:01 AM | Comments (32)
Hamster Numbers: National Debt
average when bush first took office: $500 per family
average family’s share of the national debt five years from now: $84,000
Posted by Eric at 11:01 AM | Comments (13)
January 19, 2004
Monday Stories
WP. In Ga., Dean Embraces Carter
WP. Republicans Sent to Iowa: GOP Taking Advantage of High Political Interest
NYT. With Hopes Up and Elbows Out, Democrats Give Iowa Their All
NYT. Peace, and Kucinich, Gets a Chance
Doug Ireland. Gephardt’s Last Stand: Opportunism may be the death of Gephardt's presidential bid
Eleanor Clift. Fresh Recruits: If Bush wants to continue to occupy Iraq, he's going to have to find some new soldiers to do the work
CNN. Danish army: Iraqi shells WMD-free
USAToday. Kerry snaps up undecideds
Garance Franke-Ruta and Harold Meyerson. The GOP Deploys: From an undisclosed location, Bush-Cheney '04 gears up
Robert Kuttner. America as a One-Party State: Today's hard right seeks total dominion. It's packing the courts and rigging the rules. The target is not the Democrats but democracy itself
Center for Law and Social Policy. Who Are "Fragile Families" and What Do We Know About Them?
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. WMD in Iraq - Evidence and Implications
AP. Panel says Energy Dept. can't justify relaxed testing of radioactive waste shipments
Geov Parrish. There are lots of reasons to support Dennis Kucinich, even though he won’t get the nomination
pasadenaweekly. Really Hard News
NY Press. The Washington (End Of) Times: Drudge and Sullivan give genocidal Moonie a pass
Keith A. Owens. The pimping of MLK Jr.
LV City Life. Seven days of Sodom: The biggest week in the adult-entertainment proved just how much the industry has evolved
Hartford Advocate. Journalists Take Flak in Iraq: U.S. soldiers harass the press when there's bad news to report
FW Weekly. Paying for Post-9/11 Paranoia: Those swept up locally by anxious law enforcement agencies get on with life
eastbayexpress. Flameout of the Armchair Radicals: An ugly spat between leftist media factions demonstrates why giving everyone their say isn't always the best idea.
dallasobserver. What’s Wrong With This Picture? For Hal Samples, who uses photos to help the homeless, nothing—and everything
Intervention Mag. Looking For Wesley Clark
Knight Ridder. Dean worships with Carter, hoping to bolster appeal in the South
Miami Herald. Kerry, soldier he saved reunite
Miami Herald. 3 in military mourn brother killed in Iraq
LAT. Will Sierra Club get anti-immigration agenda?
Charlotte Observer. Here's how Iowa caucuses work
AP. Iowa caucus may see closest finish in decades
Salon. How Satan is propping up Bush's war on terror
Posted by Eric at 11:59 PM | Comments (1)
Monday Stories
WP. In Ga., Dean Embraces Carter
WP. Republicans Sent to Iowa: GOP Taking Advantage of High Political Interest
NYT. With Hopes Up and Elbows Out, Democrats Give Iowa Their All
NYT. Peace, and Kucinich, Gets a Chance
Doug Ireland. Gephardt’s Last Stand: Opportunism may be the death of Gephardt's presidential bid
Eleanor Clift. Fresh Recruits: If Bush wants to continue to occupy Iraq, he's going to have to find some new soldiers to do the work
CNN. Danish army: Iraqi shells WMD-free
USAToday. Kerry snaps up undecideds
Garance Franke-Ruta and Harold Meyerson. The GOP Deploys: From an undisclosed location, Bush-Cheney '04 gears up
Robert Kuttner. America as a One-Party State: Today's hard right seeks total dominion. It's packing the courts and rigging the rules. The target is not the Democrats but democracy itself
Center for Law and Social Policy. Who Are "Fragile Families" and What Do We Know About Them?
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. WMD in Iraq - Evidence and Implications
AP. Panel says Energy Dept. can't justify relaxed testing of radioactive waste shipments
Geov Parrish. There are lots of reasons to support Dennis Kucinich, even though he won’t get the nomination
pasadenaweekly. Really Hard News
NY Press. The Washington (End Of) Times: Drudge and Sullivan give genocidal Moonie a pass
Keith A. Owens. The pimping of MLK Jr.
LV City Life. Seven days of Sodom: The biggest week in the adult-entertainment proved just how much the industry has evolved
Hartford Advocate. Journalists Take Flak in Iraq: U.S. soldiers harass the press when there's bad news to report
FW Weekly. Paying for Post-9/11 Paranoia: Those swept up locally by anxious law enforcement agencies get on with life
eastbayexpress. Flameout of the Armchair Radicals: An ugly spat between leftist media factions demonstrates why giving everyone their say isn't always the best idea.
dallasobserver. What’s Wrong With This Picture? For Hal Samples, who uses photos to help the homeless, nothing—and everything
Intervention Mag. Looking For Wesley Clark
Knight Ridder. Dean worships with Carter, hoping to bolster appeal in the South
Miami Herald. Kerry, soldier he saved reunite
Miami Herald. 3 in military mourn brother killed in Iraq
LAT. Will Sierra Club get anti-immigration agenda?
Charlotte Observer. Here's how Iowa caucuses work
AP. Iowa caucus may see closest finish in decades
Salon. How Satan is propping up Bush's war on terror
Posted by Eric at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
What Happened to Dean?
Taegan Goddard's excellent "Political Wire" has these thoughts:
*Dean's "outsider campaign" had trouble assimilating insiders. His plunge coincided almost perfectly with endorsements from Al Gore, the ultimate insider, and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the most coveted endorsement in the state.
*Negative ads by Dean and Rep. Dick Gephardt worked perfectly in that nearly destroyed each other.
*The capture of Saddam Hussein made the pro-war votes by Sen. John Kerry and Sen. John Edwards more palatable to many Democratic voters. In addition, Dean's first reaction to the news raised many eyebrows.
Posted by Eric at 11:08 PM | Comments (33)
What Happened to Dean?
Taegan Goddard's excellent "Political Wire" has these thoughts:
*Dean's "outsider campaign" had trouble assimilating insiders. His plunge coincided almost perfectly with endorsements from Al Gore, the ultimate insider, and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the most coveted endorsement in the state.
*Negative ads by Dean and Rep. Dick Gephardt worked perfectly in that nearly destroyed each other.
*The capture of Saddam Hussein made the pro-war votes by Sen. John Kerry and Sen. John Edwards more palatable to many Democratic voters. In addition, Dean's first reaction to the news raised many eyebrows.
Posted by Eric at 11:08 PM | Comments (3)
Dick Gephardt Out
CNN is reporting he's dropping out now.
Posted by Eric at 09:46 PM | Comments (4)
Dick Gephardt Out
CNN is reporting he's dropping out now.
Posted by Eric at 09:46 PM | Comments (1)
The Iowa Shocker ...
This is pretty much the results ... with 92%
Kerry
38
Edwards
32
Dean
18
Gephardt
11
It's pretty clear that the results surprised most Iowa observers. The story, of course, is the Dean third place finish. And it's not even a close third place finish. Makes New Hampshire a lot more interesting ... Bad news for Clark, and Dean, good news for Edwards and, especially, John Kerry. Questions abound, and this is getting to be an interesting race. On to New Hampshire ...
Posted by Eric at 08:51 PM | Comments (159)
The Iowa Shocker ...
This is pretty much the results ... with 92%
Kerry
38
Edwards
32
Dean
18
Gephardt
11
It's pretty clear that the results surprised most Iowa observers. The story, of course, is the Dean third place finish. And it's not even a close third place finish. Makes New Hampshire a lot more interesting ... Bad news for Clark, and Dean, good news for Edwards and, especially, John Kerry. Questions abound, and this is getting to be an interesting race. On to New Hampshire ...
Posted by Eric at 08:51 PM | Comments (6)
Final Zogby Poll
Link. Before the actual Iowa results come up soon ...
Kerry - 25 (24)
Dean - 22 (23)
Edwards - 21 (18)
Gephardt - 18 (19)
Posted by Eric at 06:33 PM | Comments (47)
Final Zogby Poll
Link. Before the actual Iowa results come up soon ...
Kerry - 25 (24)
Dean - 22 (23)
Edwards - 21 (18)
Gephardt - 18 (19)
Posted by Eric at 06:33 PM | Comments (24)
Top Bush Scandals of 2003
According to Democrats.com ...
1) Iraq
2) Treasongate: The Valerie Plame Affair
3) Ground Zero Lies
4) 9/11 Cover-up
5) Big Brother
See the explanations here.
Posted by Eric at 11:55 AM | Comments (67)
Top Bush Scandals of 2003
According to Democrats.com ...
1) Iraq
2) Treasongate: The Valerie Plame Affair
3) Ground Zero Lies
4) 9/11 Cover-up
5) Big Brother
See the explanations here.
Posted by Eric at 11:55 AM | Comments (8)
Political Director for ABC News: Dean Sweater Legit Issue
I keeed you not. From CNN's Reliable Sources:
KURTZ: I'm getting vertigo just listening to you talk about the spin.Granted, if the sweater said something like, oh I dunno, "Sweating like a pregnant nun" or "Marilyn Manson = God" then maybe there's an issue ... but ol' Howie's sweater?Mark Halperin, it's no secret that the press has hammered Howard Dean for weeks now, even to the point of scoffing that he's worn sweaters a couple of days on the campaign trail. Is there an effort consciously, subconsciously to knock him down, to make it a more competitive race by bringing down the front-runner?
HALPERIN: I think the press already in this election season, of course, where no one has voted yet, has already made two errors with Howard Dean. I don't think we scrutinized him enough in the early part of the year, when he had already started to rise and there was more scrutiny of him was warranted. And I think over the last month we've almost certainly made a mistake in giving him an incredibly disproportionate amount of the scrutiny.
I do think looking at the sweater is actually a legitimate issue, and I'm not kidding about that. But I think, in general, he has gotten a disproportionate amount of scrutiny, and that's played too decisive a role here at the end.
I gotta admit though ... just looking at Howie in that sweater confirms my fears that he's a bad mutha - SHUT YO MOUTH - but I'm talkin' bout Dean.
Posted by Eric at 11:30 AM | Comments (41)
Political Director for ABC News: Dean Sweater Legit Issue
I keeed you not. From CNN's Reliable Sources:
KURTZ: I'm getting vertigo just listening to you talk about the spin.Granted, if the sweater said something like, oh I dunno, "Sweating like a pregnant nun" or "Marilyn Manson = God" then maybe there's an issue ... but ol' Howie's sweater?Mark Halperin, it's no secret that the press has hammered Howard Dean for weeks now, even to the point of scoffing that he's worn sweaters a couple of days on the campaign trail. Is there an effort consciously, subconsciously to knock him down, to make it a more competitive race by bringing down the front-runner?
HALPERIN: I think the press already in this election season, of course, where no one has voted yet, has already made two errors with Howard Dean. I don't think we scrutinized him enough in the early part of the year, when he had already started to rise and there was more scrutiny of him was warranted. And I think over the last month we've almost certainly made a mistake in giving him an incredibly disproportionate amount of the scrutiny.
I do think looking at the sweater is actually a legitimate issue, and I'm not kidding about that. But I think, in general, he has gotten a disproportionate amount of scrutiny, and that's played too decisive a role here at the end.
I gotta admit though ... just looking at Howie in that sweater confirms my fears that he's a bad mutha - SHUT YO MOUTH - but I'm talkin' bout Dean.
Posted by Eric at 11:30 AM | Comments (5)
I'm Bob Barker, Reminding You ...
I was watching Celebrity Poker the other night in my dorm room (also known as party central), and Nicole Sullivan defeated the hilarious David Cross and ended up with the big, ol' grand prize of $100,000 for a group called Alley Cat Allies. Personally having a cat, and having seen problems related to not spaying or neutering cats, perhaps it's best to remind y'all to spay or neuter your cat. You'll find resources here.
Remember:
David Cross's charity was The National Gulf War Resource Center, which advocates on behalf of Gulf War vets, especially on the issue of Gulf War illnesses.
Posted by Eric at 11:18 AM | Comments (46)
I'm Bob Barker, Reminding You ...
I was watching Celebrity Poker the other night in my dorm room (also known as party central), and Nicole Sullivan defeated the hilarious David Cross and ended up with the big, ol' grand prize of $100,000 for a group called Alley Cat Allies. Personally having a cat, and having seen problems related to not spaying or neutering cats, perhaps it's best to remind y'all to spay or neuter your cat. You'll find resources here.
Remember:
David Cross's charity was The National Gulf War Resource Center, which advocates on behalf of Gulf War vets, especially on the issue of Gulf War illnesses.
Posted by Eric at 11:18 AM | Comments (8)
Daily Hamster Numbers: Economic Ladder
Percentage change since last year in the number of U.S. millionaires: -3 [Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (N.Y.C.)]
Percentage change since 2001 in the number of U.S. families in poverty: +6 [U.S. Department of Commerce]
-Harpers Index
Posted by Eric at 11:00 AM | Comments (23)
Daily Hamster Numbers: Economic Ladder
Percentage change since last year in the number of U.S. millionaires: -3 [Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (N.Y.C.)]
Percentage change since 2001 in the number of U.S. families in poverty: +6 [U.S. Department of Commerce]
-Harpers Index
Posted by Eric at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
Happy MLK Jr. Day
People for the American Way has some of his quotes and ideas online.
If you have the day off, as I do, enjoy it. Some do not.
Posted by Eric at 10:39 AM | Comments (3)
Happy MLK Jr. Day
People for the American Way has some of his quotes and ideas online.
If you have the day off, as I do, enjoy it. Some do not.
Posted by Eric at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
See Candidates Eat
Yeah, that's a little bit weird.
I want to give James O'Brien due credit for coming up with an entirely original (albeit very, very weird) way to analyze the current political contest, which launches tonight with the Iowa caucuses.O'Brien meets with various candidates and watches them, well, eat.
"John Edwards is choking on a piece of popcorn chicken, and I'm worried I may have to Heimlich him," O'Brien begins his article in the February GQ.
Howard Dean "eschews the quiche because it has 'something in it.' He orders a peach yogurt instead. A disappointing choice: I've never known a man to open up over a cup of peach yogurt."
Dick Gephardt "shoves a piece [of cherry pie] into his mouth and moans."
O'Brien wasn't allowed to watch John Kerry eat.
"The senator may have some issues with food," he theorizes, recalling when Kerry ordered a Philadelphia cheese steak with "Swiss cheese [everyone knows you get it with Cheez Whiz] and proceeded to eat it daintily and with seeming disgust."
Posted by Eric at 09:54 AM | Comments (24)
See Candidates Eat
Yeah, that's a little bit weird.
I want to give James O'Brien due credit for coming up with an entirely original (albeit very, very weird) way to analyze the current political contest, which launches tonight with the Iowa caucuses.O'Brien meets with various candidates and watches them, well, eat.
"John Edwards is choking on a piece of popcorn chicken, and I'm worried I may have to Heimlich him," O'Brien begins his article in the February GQ.
Howard Dean "eschews the quiche because it has 'something in it.' He orders a peach yogurt instead. A disappointing choice: I've never known a man to open up over a cup of peach yogurt."
Dick Gephardt "shoves a piece [of cherry pie] into his mouth and moans."
O'Brien wasn't allowed to watch John Kerry eat.
"The senator may have some issues with food," he theorizes, recalling when Kerry ordered a Philadelphia cheese steak with "Swiss cheese [everyone knows you get it with Cheez Whiz] and proceeded to eat it daintily and with seeming disgust."
Posted by Eric at 09:54 AM | Comments (1)
Iowa Predictions?
I don't pretend to have any psychic ability, though I can do a pretty nifty 'guess your card' trick that I pass off as me having psychic ability ... but here's my prediction about Iowa:
1) Dean
2) Gephardt
3) Kerry
4) Edwards
Your prediction?
Posted by Eric at 04:34 AM | Comments (46)
Iowa Predictions?
I don't pretend to have any psychic ability, though I can do a pretty nifty 'guess your card' trick that I pass off as me having psychic ability ... but here's my prediction about Iowa:
1) Dean
2) Gephardt
3) Kerry
4) Edwards
Your prediction?
Posted by Eric at 04:34 AM | Comments (14)
40 Hour Work Week?
For many if not most professionals today, Balak said, working in excess of 40 hours a week "is expected. You don't have an option."Recent government surveys appear to contradict Balak. They show the amount of weekly hours put in by full-time workers has remained virtually unchanged since the mid-1970s — 43 hours then, 42.9 hours now.
But there is more to it than meets the eye because the surveys include both salaried and hourly workers. An unpublished U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study, for example, finds that those in administrative, managerial and executive occupations spent an average of 45 hours at work each week in 2002.
Hourly workers, who must by law be paid time-and-a-half for overtime, tend to work about 40 hours a week, just as they did in the '70s. It's among the growing number of salaried workers — who aren't eligible for overtime — where the extra hours largely are being worked.
Currently, about 50 million U.S. employees are not eligible for overtime; about 71 million are eligible.
Posted by Eric at 04:26 AM | Comments (4)
40 Hour Work Week?
For many if not most professionals today, Balak said, working in excess of 40 hours a week "is expected. You don't have an option."Recent government surveys appear to contradict Balak. They show the amount of weekly hours put in by full-time workers has remained virtually unchanged since the mid-1970s — 43 hours then, 42.9 hours now.
But there is more to it than meets the eye because the surveys include both salaried and hourly workers. An unpublished U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study, for example, finds that those in administrative, managerial and executive occupations spent an average of 45 hours at work each week in 2002.
Hourly workers, who must by law be paid time-and-a-half for overtime, tend to work about 40 hours a week, just as they did in the '70s. It's among the growing number of salaried workers — who aren't eligible for overtime — where the extra hours largely are being worked.
Currently, about 50 million U.S. employees are not eligible for overtime; about 71 million are eligible.
Posted by Eric at 04:26 AM | Comments (3)
Ron Silver and Al Sharpton
On Bill Maher's "Real Time with Bill Maher." Wowsers! Real cat fight.
Repeats on HBO:
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO Jan 21 12:00am
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO Jan 21 11:00pm
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO Jan 23 08:00pm
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO Jan 23 11:30pm
Posted by Eric at 12:14 AM | Comments (59)
Ron Silver and Al Sharpton
On Bill Maher's "Real Time with Bill Maher." Wowsers! Real cat fight.
Repeats on HBO:
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO Jan 21 12:00am
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO Jan 21 11:00pm
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO Jan 23 08:00pm
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO Jan 23 11:30pm
Posted by Eric at 12:14 AM | Comments (5)
Comedy Monday
"Big news — Carol Moseley Braun dropped out of the Democratic presidential race after a poll revealed she was only 98 points ahead of Joe Lieberman." —Craig Kilborn
"Last night we had Carol Moseley Braun on the program. She's explaining to me why she should be the next president of the United States. I get home that night, check the Internet, and she dropped out of the race. ... My guess is this whole presidential run was a ruse to get on this program. Gore did the same thing." —Jon Stewart
"O'Neill also provided Suskind with several damming pre-9/11 memos including one entitled 'Foreign Suitors For Iraqi Oil Field Contracts' and another entitled 'Military Plan For Post-Saddam Iraq.' Said a Bush Administration official — 'So that's where the military plan for post-Saddam Iraq went! Can you fax that?'" —Jon Stewart
"According to a new study, most Americans under 25 get their information on politics from the internet — which may explain why the Democratic frontrunner is Senator 'You Can Add Inches to Your Penis.'" —Conan O'Brien
"According to a new survey about the Democratic candidates for president, most of Howard Dean's support comes from urban voters, most of Wesley Clark's support comes from rural voters. The survey also reveals that all of Dennis Kucinich's support comes from his family." —Conan O'Brien
"Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill has written a book about his years with the Bush Administration. He said that President Bush while at cabinet meetings is disengaged, he's uninformed, distracted, he's passive, and the Democrats are saying to themselves — how can we possibly beat this guy?" —David Letterman
Comics
Jeff Danzier. Karl Rove Awake At Night? Why?.
Drew Sheneman. Conservative Group Hypocrisy.
Sandy Huffaker. SC Approves Secret Arrests.
Boondocks. If MLK Jr. Were Alive Today.
Fighting Words. Happy MLK Jr. Day.
God: What are you doing now?
King Arthur: Averting our eyes, oh Lord.
God: Well, don't. It's just like those miserable psalms, always so depressing.
--Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Dr. Peter Flynn: I understand you're a neurosurgeon.
Bert Fischer: No, I'm a barber, but a lot of people make that mistake.
--Rushmore
Glenn Welsch, Mayor: There's a saying in Missouri, if you don't like the weather just wait five minutes. In Blaine, with hard work, I think we can get that down to three or four minutes.
--Waiting for Guffman
U.S. To Give Every Iraqi $3,544.91, Let Free-Market Capitalism Do The Rest
Typo Results In 10,000-Acre Wyoming Skate Park
Posted by Eric at 12:00 AM | Comments (27)
Comedy Monday
"Big news — Carol Moseley Braun dropped out of the Democratic presidential race after a poll revealed she was only 98 points ahead of Joe Lieberman." —Craig Kilborn
"Last night we had Carol Moseley Braun on the program. She's explaining to me why she should be the next president of the United States. I get home that night, check the Internet, and she dropped out of the race. ... My guess is this whole presidential run was a ruse to get on this program. Gore did the same thing." —Jon Stewart
"O'Neill also provided Suskind with several damming pre-9/11 memos including one entitled 'Foreign Suitors For Iraqi Oil Field Contracts' and another entitled 'Military Plan For Post-Saddam Iraq.' Said a Bush Administration official — 'So that's where the military plan for post-Saddam Iraq went! Can you fax that?'" —Jon Stewart
"According to a new study, most Americans under 25 get their information on politics from the internet — which may explain why the Democratic frontrunner is Senator 'You Can Add Inches to Your Penis.'" —Conan O'Brien
"According to a new survey about the Democratic candidates for president, most of Howard Dean's support comes from urban voters, most of Wesley Clark's support comes from rural voters. The survey also reveals that all of Dennis Kucinich's support comes from his family." —Conan O'Brien
"Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill has written a book about his years with the Bush Administration. He said that President Bush while at cabinet meetings is disengaged, he's uninformed, distracted, he's passive, and the Democrats are saying to themselves — how can we possibly beat this guy?" —David Letterman
Comics
Jeff Danzier. Karl Rove Awake At Night? Why?.
Drew Sheneman. Conservative Group Hypocrisy.
Sandy Huffaker. SC Approves Secret Arrests.
Boondocks. If MLK Jr. Were Alive Today.
Fighting Words. Happy MLK Jr. Day.
God: What are you doing now?
King Arthur: Averting our eyes, oh Lord.
God: Well, don't. It's just like those miserable psalms, always so depressing.
--Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Dr. Peter Flynn: I understand you're a neurosurgeon.
Bert Fischer: No, I'm a barber, but a lot of people make that mistake.
--Rushmore
Glenn Welsch, Mayor: There's a saying in Missouri, if you don't like the weather just wait five minutes. In Blaine, with hard work, I think we can get that down to three or four minutes.
--Waiting for Guffman
U.S. To Give Every Iraqi $3,544.91, Let Free-Market Capitalism Do The Rest
Typo Results In 10,000-Acre Wyoming Skate Park
Posted by Eric at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
January 18, 2004
McGovern Endorses Clark: "the best Democrat"
I guess it would have been a little more interesting if McGovern endorsed the 'other McGovern' (ha) Dean. PR:
Today, we are fighting the wrong war in Iraq. And that's one of the reasons I'm standing here today. Because there is only one man in this race with four stars on his shoulders and thirty-four years of military experience. There is only one man in this race who stopped genocide and saved 1.5 million Kosovar Albanians from ethnic cleansing. There is only one man in this race who has a success strategy to get us out of the war in Iraq - and get our servicemen and women home safely. And that man is Wes Clark.Wes Clark is also a champion of America's working families, because he knows that you can't be strong abroad unless you're strong at home. Wes Clark understands the problems facing ordinary Americans, especially the three million Americans who've lost their job since George W. Bush arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And the 44 million Americans don't have health care, and the thousands who can't afford the sky-rocketing costs of education.
Wes Clark is the only man who can get our country back on track. He's got a jobs program to get our economy going ... a real tax reform to help our working and hard-pressed families ... and a health care plan to make health care affordable for all Americans and universal for all our children. He wants to fight for all Americans, from all walks of life. These are not just Democratic values. These are American values.
Running for president is no easy task. And I have the battle scars to show it. I, too, was the subject of a few dirty tricks during my day. But I'll tell you, there is no better man to withstand the Republican attacks then Wes Clark. And the Republicans know that - they're running scared. The last thing they want is a four star general on their hands. So to my Republican friends out there: get ready, here we come.
Posted by Eric at 06:44 PM | Comments (4)
McGovern Endorses Clark: "the best Democrat"
I guess it would have been a little more interesting if McGovern endorsed the 'other McGovern' (ha) Dean. PR:
Today, we are fighting the wrong war in Iraq. And that's one of the reasons I'm standing here today. Because there is only one man in this race with four stars on his shoulders and thirty-four years of military experience. There is only one man in this race who stopped genocide and saved 1.5 million Kosovar Albanians from ethnic cleansing. There is only one man in this race who has a success strategy to get us out of the war in Iraq - and get our servicemen and women home safely. And that man is Wes Clark.Wes Clark is also a champion of America's working families, because he knows that you can't be strong abroad unless you're strong at home. Wes Clark understands the problems facing ordinary Americans, especially the three million Americans who've lost their job since George W. Bush arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And the 44 million Americans don't have health care, and the thousands who can't afford the sky-rocketing costs of education.
Wes Clark is the only man who can get our country back on track. He's got a jobs program to get our economy going ... a real tax reform to help our working and hard-pressed families ... and a health care plan to make health care affordable for all Americans and universal for all our children. He wants to fight for all Americans, from all walks of life. These are not just Democratic values. These are American values.
Running for president is no easy task. And I have the battle scars to show it. I, too, was the subject of a few dirty tricks during my day. But I'll tell you, there is no better man to withstand the Republican attacks then Wes Clark. And the Republicans know that - they're running scared. The last thing they want is a four star general on their hands. So to my Republican friends out there: get ready, here we come.
Posted by Eric at 06:44 PM | Comments (8)
Bid Today
Good auction available here from the White House.
Posted by Eric at 12:01 PM | Comments (19)
Bid Today
Good auction available here from the White House.
Posted by Eric at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)
306 Days and Counting
Michael Moore also reminds us about this little tidbit:
In the build up to the war with Iraq, Bill O'Reilly was on television every night backing up Bush's whoppers. Like the White House team, O'Reilly assured us that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. On March 18, 2003, O'Reilly was on ABC's "Good Morning America." He made the following promise about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction:Odd."If the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush Administration again, all right?"
It's time for Bill O'Reilly to apologize to the nation and tell us that he no longer trusts the Bush Administration. How long must we wait?
Posted by Eric at 07:01 AM | Comments (70)
306 Days and Counting
Michael Moore also reminds us about this little tidbit:
In the build up to the war with Iraq, Bill O'Reilly was on television every night backing up Bush's whoppers. Like the White House team, O'Reilly assured us that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. On March 18, 2003, O'Reilly was on ABC's "Good Morning America." He made the following promise about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction:Odd."If the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush Administration again, all right?"
It's time for Bill O'Reilly to apologize to the nation and tell us that he no longer trusts the Bush Administration. How long must we wait?
Posted by Eric at 07:01 AM | Comments (2)
Moore Endorses Clark; Appears at NH Event for Clark
From MichaelMoore.com, the endorsement which was expected given Moore's glowing words of Gen. Clark in the past:
Many of you have written to me in the past months asking, "Who are you going to vote for this year?"And the event in New Hampshire, which the Clark backers were billing as the 'big' event of the NH push:I have decided to cast my vote in the primary for Wesley Clark. That's right, a peacenik is voting for a general. What a country!
I believe that Wesley Clark will end this war. He will make the rich pay their fair share of taxes. He will stand up for the rights of women, African Americans, and the working people of this country.
And he will cream George W. Bush.
I have met Clark and spoken to him on a number of occasions, feeling him out on the issues but, more importantly, getting a sense of him as a human being. And I have to tell you I have found him to be the real deal, someone whom I'm convinced all of you would like, both as a person and as the individual leading this country. He is an honest, decent, honorable man who would be a breath of fresh air in the White House. He is clearly not a professional politician. He is clearly not from Park Avenue. And he is clearly the absolute best hope we have of defeating George W. Bush.
And the flamboyant Michael Moore, longtime political activist, who described Clark as a man who, unlike other candidates who talk the talk, walks the walk.The bleachers were a cloud of cheers when Moore drew attention to the general’s ability to relate easily with all kinds of folk.
“What do you see on this stage?” he called out. “The peacenik and the general.”
Clark demonstrated that he has adapted to the lingo of political rallying. “It’s time to put a Democrat back in the White House,” he said. “George Bush must go!”
“We need a higher standard of leadership in this country,” Clark said, and the cheers came. “Leadership that will pull this country together and not polarize us.”
“President Bush did not do all he could have to protect the U.S. before 9/11,” Clark said, “and after 9/11 he took us to war we did not have to fight.”
Posted by Eric at 06:54 AM | Comments (17)
Moore Endorses Clark; Appears at NH Event for Clark
From MichaelMoore.com, the endorsement which was expected given Moore's glowing words of Gen. Clark in the past:
Many of you have written to me in the past months asking, "Who are you going to vote for this year?"And the event in New Hampshire, which the Clark backers were billing as the 'big' event of the NH push:I have decided to cast my vote in the primary for Wesley Clark. That's right, a peacenik is voting for a general. What a country!
I believe that Wesley Clark will end this war. He will make the rich pay their fair share of taxes. He will stand up for the rights of women, African Americans, and the working people of this country.
And he will cream George W. Bush.
I have met Clark and spoken to him on a number of occasions, feeling him out on the issues but, more importantly, getting a sense of him as a human being. And I have to tell you I have found him to be the real deal, someone whom I'm convinced all of you would like, both as a person and as the individual leading this country. He is an honest, decent, honorable man who would be a breath of fresh air in the White House. He is clearly not a professional politician. He is clearly not from Park Avenue. And he is clearly the absolute best hope we have of defeating George W. Bush.
And the flamboyant Michael Moore, longtime political activist, who described Clark as a man who, unlike other candidates who talk the talk, walks the walk.The bleachers were a cloud of cheers when Moore drew attention to the general’s ability to relate easily with all kinds of folk.
“What do you see on this stage?” he called out. “The peacenik and the general.”
Clark demonstrated that he has adapted to the lingo of political rallying. “It’s time to put a Democrat back in the White House,” he said. “George Bush must go!”
“We need a higher standard of leadership in this country,” Clark said, and the cheers came. “Leadership that will pull this country together and not polarize us.”
“President Bush did not do all he could have to protect the U.S. before 9/11,” Clark said, “and after 9/11 he took us to war we did not have to fight.”
Posted by Eric at 06:54 AM | Comments (0)
New NY Times Poll
Posted by Eric at 06:45 AM | Comments (0)
New NY Times Poll
Posted by Eric at 06:45 AM | Comments (0)
At Least 18 Dead in Latest Iraq Attack
Just this morning:
At least 28 people, including six Americans, were wounded by the blast, which occurred at about 8 a.m. near the "Assassin's Gate" to Saddam Hussein's former Republican Palace complex, now used by the U.S.-led occupation authority for headquarters. The gate is used by hundreds of Iraqis employed by the Coalition Provisional Authority, the formal name of the U.S.-led occupation authorities, as well as U.S. military vehicles.The 18 dead included 16 Iraqi civilians and two American civilians, the U.S. military press office said. The wounded included 22 Iraqi civilians, four American civilians and two U.S. soldiers, the press office said.
Brig. Gen. Mark Hertling, deputy commander of the 1st Armored Division, said the blast was caused by one suicide bomber driving a car.
"It certainly was a vehicle-borne bomb, suicide bomb. There was evidently someone in the car," Hertling told CNN International.
Posted by Eric at 04:30 AM | Comments (7)
At Least 18 Dead in Latest Iraq Attack
Just this morning:
At least 28 people, including six Americans, were wounded by the blast, which occurred at about 8 a.m. near the "Assassin's Gate" to Saddam Hussein's former Republican Palace complex, now used by the U.S.-led occupation authority for headquarters. The gate is used by hundreds of Iraqis employed by the Coalition Provisional Authority, the formal name of the U.S.-led occupation authorities, as well as U.S. military vehicles.The 18 dead included 16 Iraqi civilians and two American civilians, the U.S. military press office said. The wounded included 22 Iraqi civilians, four American civilians and two U.S. soldiers, the press office said.
Brig. Gen. Mark Hertling, deputy commander of the 1st Armored Division, said the blast was caused by one suicide bomber driving a car.
"It certainly was a vehicle-borne bomb, suicide bomb. There was evidently someone in the car," Hertling told CNN International.
Posted by Eric at 04:30 AM | Comments (1)
January 17, 2004
Halliburton Gets More Iraq Work
In other news, the sun rose in the east. WP:
Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee and a leading critic of the KBR fuel contract, called the new award yesterday "mind-boggling."Hahahaha ... that joke never gets old."It's special treatment to reward the company with yet another contract in the face of all these unresolved questions," he said in a prepared statement.
David J. Lesar, chief executive of Halliburton, a position that Dick Cheney held from 1995 to 2000, said the new contract "validated" the work KBR has already done. KBR was awarded more than $2.2 billion under the no-bid contract.
"We were chosen because we were the best qualified with a proven track record of the ability to perform," Lesar said in a prepared statement.
Posted by Eric at 07:52 AM | Comments (12)
Halliburton Gets More Iraq Work
In other news, the sun rose in the east. WP:
Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee and a leading critic of the KBR fuel contract, called the new award yesterday "mind-boggling."Hahahaha ... that joke never gets old."It's special treatment to reward the company with yet another contract in the face of all these unresolved questions," he said in a prepared statement.
David J. Lesar, chief executive of Halliburton, a position that Dick Cheney held from 1995 to 2000, said the new contract "validated" the work KBR has already done. KBR was awarded more than $2.2 billion under the no-bid contract.
"We were chosen because we were the best qualified with a proven track record of the ability to perform," Lesar said in a prepared statement.
Posted by Eric at 07:52 AM | Comments (8)
Bush and MLK Jr.
Calpundit on how Bush is celebrating this MLK Jr. weekend ...
BUSH AND MLK....So I see that President Bush has installed Charles Pickering on the 5th Circuit Court via a recess appointment. Pickering, of course, has been filibustered by Democrats largely because of his lamentable record on civil rights.Read the PFAW fact sheet on the dude.But why do it today? After all, Congress has been in recess for over a month.
Let's see: last year Bush decided to celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday by announcing his opposition to affirmative action at the University of Michigan. This year he decided to appoint a judge universally reviled by civil rights groups.
Quite a coincidence, isn't it?
Posted by Eric at 03:14 AM | Comments (29)
Bush and MLK Jr.
Calpundit on how Bush is celebrating this MLK Jr. weekend ...
BUSH AND MLK....So I see that President Bush has installed Charles Pickering on the 5th Circuit Court via a recess appointment. Pickering, of course, has been filibustered by Democrats largely because of his lamentable record on civil rights.Read the PFAW fact sheet on the dude.But why do it today? After all, Congress has been in recess for over a month.
Let's see: last year Bush decided to celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday by announcing his opposition to affirmative action at the University of Michigan. This year he decided to appoint a judge universally reviled by civil rights groups.
Quite a coincidence, isn't it?
Posted by Eric at 03:14 AM | Comments (13)
Stupid Quote Saturday
"No President has ever done more for human rights than I have." GW Bush to the New Yorker.
"President Bush can claim consistency. Does Governor Dean's support for Bosnia and Kosovo, and his opposition to Iraq, make him a hypocrite? No. It makes him a Democrat -- Judy." CNN's Bill Schneider
"If you went on the air tonight and called hannity a Nazi, these MoveOn people would kiss your butt. But you don't do that - because you aren't a name caller, aren't a bomb thrower and have respect for other people. But the MoveOn folks - they don't." Bill O'Reilly to Alan Colmes on why the left doesn't like him.
"Pause for a moment to consider the probable mental state of Howard Dean and then ask me that question again. Yes, of course liberalism is a mental defect. Liberals are wracked by self-loathing as the result of some traumatic incident -- say, driving drunk off a bridge with your mistress passed out in the back seat and letting the poor girl drown because you're a married man and a U.S. senator, just to take one utterly random, hypothetical example off the top of my head." Ann Coulter in recent interview to FrontPageMag.
Posted by Eric at 02:51 AM | Comments (47)
Stupid Quote Saturday
"No President has ever done more for human rights than I have." GW Bush to the New Yorker.
"President Bush can claim consistency. Does Governor Dean's support for Bosnia and Kosovo, and his opposition to Iraq, make him a hypocrite? No. It makes him a Democrat -- Judy." CNN's Bill Schneider
"If you went on the air tonight and called hannity a Nazi, these MoveOn people would kiss your butt. But you don't do that - because you aren't a name caller, aren't a bomb thrower and have respect for other people. But the MoveOn folks - they don't." Bill O'Reilly to Alan Colmes on why the left doesn't like him.
"Pause for a moment to consider the probable mental state of Howard Dean and then ask me that question again. Yes, of course liberalism is a mental defect. Liberals are wracked by self-loathing as the result of some traumatic incident -- say, driving drunk off a bridge with your mistress passed out in the back seat and letting the poor girl drown because you're a married man and a U.S. senator, just to take one utterly random, hypothetical example off the top of my head." Ann Coulter in recent interview to FrontPageMag.
Posted by Eric at 02:51 AM | Comments (14)
Al Franken to Offer State of Union Response
In coordination with 2020 Democrats. The Press Release:
Leading progressive commentator, best-selling author and comedian Al Franken
will offer candid analysis of President Bush's 2004 State of the Union address
this Tuesday evening following the official Democratic Party response. On a
conference call, Franken will join at least a thousand callers as well as
hundreds of members of 2020 Democrats gathering at house parties across the
country.2020 Democrats is a nationwide network of progressive youth committed to
creating a vision that articulates the long-term aspirations of our party and
our nation. In an effort to communicate youth views on the state of our union,
2020 asked young people from around the country to submit their views on the
State of the Union at www.2020Democrats.org/souvision.php. On Tuesday morning,
these views will be delivered to the White House.After the speech, Franken will offer his own humorous - and serious - opinions
on the President's performance and comment on the importance of youth
involvement in politics.For more information on 2020 Democrats, visit www.2020democrats.org.
WHAT: State This / Al Franken Responds to the State of the Union Address
Franken will make commentary and take questions from interested media and the
young people of 2020.WHEN: Tuesday, January 20th, 2004
Approximately 10:30 pm for 20 minutes, immediately following the Democratic
Party's response to the State of the Union address.CALL IN NUMBER: 1-877-366-0713
PASSCODE: 64520911#
Posted by Eric at 01:25 AM | Comments (9)
Al Franken to Offer State of Union Response
In coordination with 2020 Democrats. The Press Release:
Leading progressive commentator, best-selling author and comedian Al Franken
will offer candid analysis of President Bush's 2004 State of the Union address
this Tuesday evening following the official Democratic Party response. On a
conference call, Franken will join at least a thousand callers as well as
hundreds of members of 2020 Democrats gathering at house parties across the
country.2020 Democrats is a nationwide network of progressive youth committed to
creating a vision that articulates the long-term aspirations of our party and
our nation. In an effort to communicate youth views on the state of our union,
2020 asked young people from around the country to submit their views on the
State of the Union at www.2020Democrats.org/souvision.php. On Tuesday morning,
these views will be delivered to the White House.After the speech, Franken will offer his own humorous - and serious - opinions
on the President's performance and comment on the importance of youth
involvement in politics.For more information on 2020 Democrats, visit www.2020democrats.org.
WHAT: State This / Al Franken Responds to the State of the Union Address
Franken will make commentary and take questions from interested media and the
young people of 2020.WHEN: Tuesday, January 20th, 2004
Approximately 10:30 pm for 20 minutes, immediately following the Democratic
Party's response to the State of the Union address.CALL IN NUMBER: 1-877-366-0713
PASSCODE: 64520911#
Posted by Eric at 01:25 AM | Comments (5)
FAIR on Fair and Balanced Fox
So, asks FAIR, "When Are Nazi Comparisons Deplorable? For Fox News, only when Republicans are the target." Ain't that the truth. Notes:
It should be noted that however hyperbolic, comparisons to Hitler andFAIR could have also mentioned that O'Reilly made refs to the ACLU = Nazis.
fascism are not unknown in the American political debate. Rush Limbaugh
has routinely called women's rights advocates "femi-Nazis," and references
to "Hitlery Clinton" are a staple of right-wing talk radio. Republican
power-broker Grover Norquist on NPR (10/2/03) compared inheritance taxes
to the Holocaust.Closer to home for Fox News, on the very same day that Gibson, Hannity and
O'Reilly were talking about the Hitler/Bush comparison as evidence of the
left's extremism, a column ran in the New York Post that described
Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean as a follower of Josef
Goebbels, referred to him as "Herr Howie," accused him of "looking for his
Leni Riefenstahl," called his supporters "the Internet Gestapo" and
compared them to "Hitler's brownshirts."The New York Post, like Fox News Channel, is part of News Corporation,
Rupert Murdoch's conservative media empire. And this piece wasn't just put
up on the Post's website as part of a contest--it was written by a
right-wing commentator who frequently appears in the Post's pages, Ralph
Peters, and selected for the op-ed page by the Post's own editors. So
it's more than a little embarrassing that these blatant Nazi comparisons
were being made in the Post while the paper's corporate sibling was
denouncing such comparisons as a sign of derangement.So what did the Murdoch organization do? Fox appears to have completely
ignored the Post's own Nazi analogies--there's no reference to the column
whatsoever in the cable channel's transcripts. And the New York Post seems
to have sent the column down the memory hole--clicking on a link that used
to go to Peters' story gives you a "page not found" message, and the text
isn't found in the Nexis media database. (Ironically, in light of this
Orwellian disappearing act, the column also compared Dean to Big Brother.)
ACLU's INTELLECTUAL FASCISM: "The ACLU is the most fascist organization I have seen in decades. They want to tell you how to live. They don't want to abide by the Constitution. They want to go AROUND the Constitution. They're intellectual fascists. And they use the courts as their Panzer divisions."
Posted by Eric at 01:21 AM | Comments (42)
FAIR on Fair and Balanced Fox
So, asks FAIR, "When Are Nazi Comparisons Deplorable? For Fox News, only when Republicans are the target." Ain't that the truth. Notes:
It should be noted that however hyperbolic, comparisons to Hitler andFAIR could have also mentioned that O'Reilly made refs to the ACLU = Nazis.
fascism are not unknown in the American political debate. Rush Limbaugh
has routinely called women's rights advocates "femi-Nazis," and references
to "Hitlery Clinton" are a staple of right-wing talk radio. Republican
power-broker Grover Norquist on NPR (10/2/03) compared inheritance taxes
to the Holocaust.Closer to home for Fox News, on the very same day that Gibson, Hannity and
O'Reilly were talking about the Hitler/Bush comparison as evidence of the
left's extremism, a column ran in the New York Post that described
Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean as a follower of Josef
Goebbels, referred to him as "Herr Howie," accused him of "looking for his
Leni Riefenstahl," called his supporters "the Internet Gestapo" and
compared them to "Hitler's brownshirts."The New York Post, like Fox News Channel, is part of News Corporation,
Rupert Murdoch's conservative media empire. And this piece wasn't just put
up on the Post's website as part of a contest--it was written by a
right-wing commentator who frequently appears in the Post's pages, Ralph
Peters, and selected for the op-ed page by the Post's own editors. So
it's more than a little embarrassing that these blatant Nazi comparisons
were being made in the Post while the paper's corporate sibling was
denouncing such comparisons as a sign of derangement.So what did the Murdoch organization do? Fox appears to have completely
ignored the Post's own Nazi analogies--there's no reference to the column
whatsoever in the cable channel's transcripts. And the New York Post seems
to have sent the column down the memory hole--clicking on a link that used
to go to Peters' story gives you a "page not found" message, and the text
isn't found in the Nexis media database. (Ironically, in light of this
Orwellian disappearing act, the column also compared Dean to Big Brother.)
ACLU's INTELLECTUAL FASCISM: "The ACLU is the most fascist organization I have seen in decades. They want to tell you how to live. They don't want to abide by the Constitution. They want to go AROUND the Constitution. They're intellectual fascists. And they use the courts as their Panzer divisions."
Posted by Eric at 01:21 AM | Comments (19)
January 16, 2004
Friday Stories
SF Chron. Bush guest worker plan recalls bracero program: Thousands of Mexican workers were defrauded of 10% of pay
oaklandtribune. Voting machine software questioned
DesM Reg. Top 4 in virtual tie, latest polls show
NYT. Gore Environmental Speech Becomes an Assault on Bush
Paul Krugman . Who Gets It?
Bob Herbert. Masters of Deception
WP. Democrats Wrestle With 'Electability'
WP. Clark Attacked From Both Parties on Iraq
LAT. To O'Neill, Ideologues Won the Tax-Cut War
The Age. Dean bandwagon bogs down
Eileen Mcnamara. Dean's M.D. wife gets roasted for being real
LAT. Kerry Redefined by Post-Vietnam Efforts
Derrick Z. Jackson. The fury of the Democratic convert
Salon. "The yellow light is flashing": Matt Drudge says Wesley Clark's statements to Congress in September 2002 made the case for war in Iraq, but the transcript proves otherwise
Salon. "Don't be an asshole, vote Democratic" The creator of the MoveOn parody ad "Bush in 41.2 Seconds" discusses the Republican reaction to his accidental meme
AP. Official: Israel to kill Hamas founder
AP. Poll finds Kerry, Edwards surging in Iowa
David Corn. Not-So-Special Counsel: why calling the top CIA leak investigator a "special counsel" is false advertising
Jeff Faux. NAFTA at 10: Where do we go from here?
David Corn. Powell Retreats on Iraq-al Qaeda Link
Rob Gurwitt . Defender of the Free Word: Librarian Trina Magi stands up to the Patriot Act
motherjones. Book of Revelation: The White House is politically driven and Bush isn't fully engaged. No, really
motherjones. Straight Politics: Conservatives don't like gay marriages, but they love "healthy marriages."
scotsman. Israel to Resume Hamas 'Assassinations' after Suicide Bomb
Reuters. Bush and Bremer Meet as Iraqi Shi'ites Demand Poll
AP. Gephardt steps up criticism of Dean on trade, health
UK Telegraph. Dean: Is he heading for a tumble?
AP. NC Gov. Easley stumps for Edwards in Iowa
USAT. Iowa caucuses: 'No one is ahead'
Kansas City. Iowa's caucuses: A mixer where everyone must sign dance card
UK Indy. Forget the candidates, it's really Paul Newman versus Madonna
NYT. Race Tightens in Final Days of Iowa Battle
Amanda Griscom, Grist Magazine. Kucinich's Mission to Planet Earth
Porsmouth Herald. Kucinich support rolls into town
AP. Hundreds protest as Bush visits MLK tomb
Blog Entries
Orcinus. On Pat Buchanan
Tapped. DLCERS FOR DEAN
Josh MMarsh. Woe to the Democrat who uses Drudge as a clip service: Lieberman
Pandagon. Lies And The Lying Goldbergs Who Don't Understand Them
PlanetSean. PlanetSean
Chris Mooney. Waxman & Co. Get Fed Up
Posted by Eric at 11:16 PM | Comments (2)
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