The Hamster

Posted by Eric at 11:59 PM | Comments (12)

Severin Idiot

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is renewing its objections to right-wing radio host Jay Severin. From the PR:

The Globe reported that in a conversation with a caller who suggested that the United States befriend Muslims in this country, Severin said: "I believe that Muslims in this country are a fifth column ... The vast majority of Muslims in this country are very obviously loyal, not to the United States, but to their religion. And I'm worried that when the time comes for them to stand up and be counted, the reason they are here is to take over our culture and eventually take over our country."

"My suspicion is that the majority of Muslims in the United States, who regard themselves as Muslims first and not as Americans really at all, see an American map one day where this is the United States of Islam, not the United States of America. I think it pays to harbor those suspicions."

Severin asked the caller: "Do you think we should befriend them?" "Yes,"
the caller said.

"I've got good news for you: We have," Severin replied. "Thanks for the call and that's what I'm worried about." Then, introducing another caller, Severin said: "I have an alternative viewpoint. It's slightly different than yours. You think we should befriend them; I think we should kill them."

Severin told the Globe: "To anyone who may have been offended by misunderstanding or misconstruing my remarks, I want you to know that I regret that."

"The actual transcript of the program is even worse than what had initially been reported," said CAIR's Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Based on Mr. Severin's claim that Muslim citizens are a 'fifth column' in this country
and his apparent belief that they should be killed, we renew our call for his
termination." Awad added that CAIR will ask for an FCC investigation of
Severin's remarks.

Posted by Eric at 08:31 PM | Comments (15)

Severin Idiot

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is renewing its objections to right-wing radio host Jay Severin. From the PR:

The Globe reported that in a conversation with a caller who suggested that the United States befriend Muslims in this country, Severin said: "I believe that Muslims in this country are a fifth column ... The vast majority of Muslims in this country are very obviously loyal, not to the United States, but to their religion. And I'm worried that when the time comes for them to stand up and be counted, the reason they are here is to take over our culture and eventually take over our country."

"My suspicion is that the majority of Muslims in the United States, who regard themselves as Muslims first and not as Americans really at all, see an American map one day where this is the United States of Islam, not the United States of America. I think it pays to harbor those suspicions."

Severin asked the caller: "Do you think we should befriend them?" "Yes,"
the caller said.

"I've got good news for you: We have," Severin replied. "Thanks for the call and that's what I'm worried about." Then, introducing another caller, Severin said: "I have an alternative viewpoint. It's slightly different than yours. You think we should befriend them; I think we should kill them."

Severin told the Globe: "To anyone who may have been offended by misunderstanding or misconstruing my remarks, I want you to know that I regret that."

"The actual transcript of the program is even worse than what had initially been reported," said CAIR's Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Based on Mr. Severin's claim that Muslim citizens are a 'fifth column' in this country
and his apparent belief that they should be killed, we renew our call for his
termination." Awad added that CAIR will ask for an FCC investigation of
Severin's remarks.

Posted by Eric at 08:31 PM | Comments (2)

Thank You, Center for American Progress

"Conservatives have spent the last 20 years distorting reality and getting away with it. That is about to change. The Center for American Progress has launched this new database project to chart the dishonesty and lies of conservatives – and compare them with the truth. In this database, each conservative quote will be matched against well-documented facts."

www.claimvfact.org.

Posted by Eric at 08:18 PM | Comments (11)

Thank You, Center for American Progress

"Conservatives have spent the last 20 years distorting reality and getting away with it. That is about to change. The Center for American Progress has launched this new database project to chart the dishonesty and lies of conservatives – and compare them with the truth. In this database, each conservative quote will be matched against well-documented facts."

www.claimvfact.org.

Posted by Eric at 08:18 PM | Comments (3)

Fear Fartman

Howard Stern is a political force to be reckoned with. Don't believe me? Look at the history. Jody Rosen in the LAT:

Some might dismiss this as bluster, but Stern's words should send a shiver up Karl Rove's spine. Stern has a record of successful election-year activism; political observers in New York and New Jersey remember how his on-air endorsements delivered key votes to George Pataki and Christine Todd Whitman in past gubernatorial races.

What's more, although Stern's approximately 8.5 million listeners are often dismissed as overgrown frat boys, they might more accurately be called swing voters. They are overwhelmingly white and male, many are well educated and well off, and they vote. And millions of them listen to Stern's show in battleground states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida — where the election will be decided ... By all indications, Stern's message is getting through. Since the FCC crackdown, his ratings have been going up. For example, Arbitron says he's now No. 1 in Los Angeles in the 25-to-54 age group, a spot he last occupied in 1995. And among entertainer websites, his was rated second (behind Oprah's) in mid-April.

Posted by Eric at 06:06 PM | Comments (14)

Fear Fartman

Howard Stern is a political force to be reckoned with. Don't believe me? Look at the history. Jody Rosen in the LAT:

Some might dismiss this as bluster, but Stern's words should send a shiver up Karl Rove's spine. Stern has a record of successful election-year activism; political observers in New York and New Jersey remember how his on-air endorsements delivered key votes to George Pataki and Christine Todd Whitman in past gubernatorial races.

What's more, although Stern's approximately 8.5 million listeners are often dismissed as overgrown frat boys, they might more accurately be called swing voters. They are overwhelmingly white and male, many are well educated and well off, and they vote. And millions of them listen to Stern's show in battleground states — Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida — where the election will be decided ... By all indications, Stern's message is getting through. Since the FCC crackdown, his ratings have been going up. For example, Arbitron says he's now No. 1 in Los Angeles in the 25-to-54 age group, a spot he last occupied in 1995. And among entertainer websites, his was rated second (behind Oprah's) in mid-April.

Posted by Eric at 06:06 PM | Comments (0)

Republican Candidate for Congress: A Little Nutty

The son of Joe Paterno just won the Republican primary for Congress, and he's a real winner. As the DCCC's blog notes

Let us first congratulate you on your victory in the Republican primary for PA's 17th, you ran a swell campaign and your utter lack of experience was nobly countered by the repetition of your father's well-respected name. However, in the spirit of good will and friendly advice, let us list some things that you should leave off of your website in the future

From HIS OWN WEBSITE:

Case 1:

In my opinion, President Clinton, at the very least, conspired to commit murder at least 56 times. In my opinion, the President has abused his power for his own political gain, betrayed the public trust and will continue to do so unless the American people wake up and see the man for what he really is.

In the last decade, primarily in the last four years, Clinton has known several people who have died "mysteriously" or "accidentally." I can not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he had a hand in these deaths. I am not trying to prove that he did. My goal is to present the facts that are known, look at them as a composite, rather than individual isolated events, and then ask this one crucial question: Was it in the best interests of the president for these people to be dead?

That is what happens to people who threaten this president. They die, they die fast and they die before they can do any damage.

Maybe that is why it is so hard to even consider the possibility that the president is as calculating and dangerous as I think he is. I admit, I struggled with whether any of this made sense. But then I detached myself from my expectations and looked at the facts that were available and I made my assessment. There have been several strange deaths associated with the Clinton White House that individually appear to be accidents, or tragedies, but may in fact have been connected by one theme: they all benefited the president politically. My last two columns looked at the circumstances of some of those deaths (all but a couple of which took place since 1993), and now I would like to focus on what the president was trying to hide.

Clinton has always tried to stay one step ahead of the game, always keeping his enemies in front of him and his friends afraid of him. He is most likely guilty of the following crimes: conspiracy to commit murder, accessory to murder, campaign fraud, obstruction of justice, money laundering, extortion, drug running, bribery, destruction of subpoenaed documents, federal witness tampering . . . the list goes on and on.

I believe that the president is a criminal. I believe this because I don't believe in massive coincidences. I believe this because I know that there is nothing the man wouldn't do to become president and stay there.

If, as we are supposed to believe, all these events are isolated occurrences, then the president is the luckiest man in the world.

Posted by Eric at 10:23 AM | Comments (32)

Republican Candidate for Congress: A Little Nutty

The son of Joe Paterno just won the Republican primary for Congress, and he's a real winner. As the DCCC's blog notes

Let us first congratulate you on your victory in the Republican primary for PA's 17th, you ran a swell campaign and your utter lack of experience was nobly countered by the repetition of your father's well-respected name. However, in the spirit of good will and friendly advice, let us list some things that you should leave off of your website in the future

From HIS OWN WEBSITE:

Case 1:

In my opinion, President Clinton, at the very least, conspired to commit murder at least 56 times. In my opinion, the President has abused his power for his own political gain, betrayed the public trust and will continue to do so unless the American people wake up and see the man for what he really is.

In the last decade, primarily in the last four years, Clinton has known several people who have died "mysteriously" or "accidentally." I can not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he had a hand in these deaths. I am not trying to prove that he did. My goal is to present the facts that are known, look at them as a composite, rather than individual isolated events, and then ask this one crucial question: Was it in the best interests of the president for these people to be dead?

That is what happens to people who threaten this president. They die, they die fast and they die before they can do any damage.

Maybe that is why it is so hard to even consider the possibility that the president is as calculating and dangerous as I think he is. I admit, I struggled with whether any of this made sense. But then I detached myself from my expectations and looked at the facts that were available and I made my assessment. There have been several strange deaths associated with the Clinton White House that individually appear to be accidents, or tragedies, but may in fact have been connected by one theme: they all benefited the president politically. My last two columns looked at the circumstances of some of those deaths (all but a couple of which took place since 1993), and now I would like to focus on what the president was trying to hide.

Clinton has always tried to stay one step ahead of the game, always keeping his enemies in front of him and his friends afraid of him. He is most likely guilty of the following crimes: conspiracy to commit murder, accessory to murder, campaign fraud, obstruction of justice, money laundering, extortion, drug running, bribery, destruction of subpoenaed documents, federal witness tampering . . . the list goes on and on.

I believe that the president is a criminal. I believe this because I don't believe in massive coincidences. I believe this because I know that there is nothing the man wouldn't do to become president and stay there.

If, as we are supposed to believe, all these events are isolated occurrences, then the president is the luckiest man in the world.

Posted by Eric at 10:23 AM | Comments (12)

Hamster Numbers: Inmates

"About 70 percent of the prison inmates in the United States are illiterate. Perhaps 200,000 of the country's inmates suffer from a serious mental illness. A generation ago such people were handled primarily by the mental-health, not the criminal-justice, system. Sixty to 80 percent of the American inmate population has a history of substance abuse. Meanwhile, the number of drug-treatment slots in American prisons has declined by more than half since 1993." Eric Schlosser

Posted by Eric at 08:53 AM | Comments (21)

Hamster Numbers: Inmates

"About 70 percent of the prison inmates in the United States are illiterate. Perhaps 200,000 of the country's inmates suffer from a serious mental illness. A generation ago such people were handled primarily by the mental-health, not the criminal-justice, system. Sixty to 80 percent of the American inmate population has a history of substance abuse. Meanwhile, the number of drug-treatment slots in American prisons has declined by more than half since 1993." Eric Schlosser

Posted by Eric at 08:53 AM | Comments (2)

Another Senior EPA Official Leaves

This time, Marianne Lamont Horinko, from Grist:

Christine Todd Whitman flew the coop last spring, and yesterday one of her right-hand women -- Marianne Lamont Horinko, the assistant EPA administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response -- announced that she will follow suit on June 1.

Horinko served as the agency's acting administrator for four months after Whitman's departure from the top EPA spot and before Mike Leavitt's appointment as her replacement. During Horinko's tenure, she quietly -- and by all accounts deferentially -- took a beating in what is known to be one of the most thankless jobs inside the Beltway. In an email announcing her resignation to EPA staff, she wrote of the "strength and courage" needed to withstand the "slings and arrows" that came along with the job ... "Frankly, it's hard to believe that she lasted this long," said Barbara Elkus, a senior policy advisor at the League of Conservation Voters and a former EPA employee who worked with Horinko. "I think at one point in her career she had good environmental inklings, so I was surprised to see that she put up with so much. She did everything they told her to. Many people assumed it was because she hoped for something in exchange -- like Whitman's job. So it was another surprise that she stayed on when she didn't get it."

Posted by Eric at 08:37 AM | Comments (14)

Another Senior EPA Official Leaves

This time, Marianne Lamont Horinko, from Grist:

Christine Todd Whitman flew the coop last spring, and yesterday one of her right-hand women -- Marianne Lamont Horinko, the assistant EPA administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response -- announced that she will follow suit on June 1.

Horinko served as the agency's acting administrator for four months after Whitman's departure from the top EPA spot and before Mike Leavitt's appointment as her replacement. During Horinko's tenure, she quietly -- and by all accounts deferentially -- took a beating in what is known to be one of the most thankless jobs inside the Beltway. In an email announcing her resignation to EPA staff, she wrote of the "strength and courage" needed to withstand the "slings and arrows" that came along with the job ... "Frankly, it's hard to believe that she lasted this long," said Barbara Elkus, a senior policy advisor at the League of Conservation Voters and a former EPA employee who worked with Horinko. "I think at one point in her career she had good environmental inklings, so I was surprised to see that she put up with so much. She did everything they told her to. Many people assumed it was because she hoped for something in exchange -- like Whitman's job. So it was another surprise that she stayed on when she didn't get it."

Posted by Eric at 08:37 AM | Comments (0)

Simmons to March at GOP Convention

From MTV:

On August 30, the same day the Republican National Convention commences in the Big Apple, Simmons and his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network are planning to hold "The March on New York."

According to a spokesperson for the HHSAN, Simmons' organization is planning for tens of thousands to converge on NYC, and is calling out to people all over the world to participate. The group is expecting that members of the hip-hop community will have a particularly strong presence at the march. So far no artists are confirmed, but the HHSAN says it will announce names throughout the summer.

The three main topics Simmons wants to address at the March on New York are the three he's been speaking about most ardently for the past year: the elimination of the Rockefeller drug laws (see "Diddy, Jay-Z, Susan Sarandon Rally Against New York Drug Laws"), national funding for deprived schools across the country, and voter registration.

Posted by Eric at 01:54 AM | Comments (18)

Simmons to March at GOP Convention

From MTV:

On August 30, the same day the Republican National Convention commences in the Big Apple, Simmons and his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network are planning to hold "The March on New York."

According to a spokesperson for the HHSAN, Simmons' organization is planning for tens of thousands to converge on NYC, and is calling out to people all over the world to participate. The group is expecting that members of the hip-hop community will have a particularly strong presence at the march. So far no artists are confirmed, but the HHSAN says it will announce names throughout the summer.

The three main topics Simmons wants to address at the March on New York are the three he's been speaking about most ardently for the past year: the elimination of the Rockefeller drug laws (see "Diddy, Jay-Z, Susan Sarandon Rally Against New York Drug Laws"), national funding for deprived schools across the country, and voter registration.

Posted by Eric at 01:54 AM | Comments (7)

Gen. Clark Responds

But what would he know about military service and patriotism? Karen Hughes is much better qualified. Clark:

The evaluations were uniformly glowing. One commander wrote that Mr. Kerry ranked among "the top few" in three categories: initiative, cooperation and personal behavior. Another commander wrote, "In a combat environment often requiring independent, decisive action, Lt. j.g. Kerry was unsurpassed." The citation for Mr. Kerry's Bronze Star praises his "calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire."

In the United States military, there's no ideology — there are no labels, Republican or Democrat — when superiors evaluate a man or woman's service to country. Mr. Kerry's commander for a brief time, Grant Hibbard, now a Republican, gave Mr. Kerry top marks 36 years ago ... Although President Bush has not engaged personally in such accusations, he has done nothing to stop others from making them. I believe those who didn't serve, or didn't show up for service, should have the decency to respect those who did serve — often under the most dangerous conditions, with bravery and, yes, with undeniable patriotism.

Posted by Eric at 01:51 AM | Comments (41)

Gen. Clark Responds

But what would he know about military service and patriotism? Karen Hughes is much better qualified. Clark:

The evaluations were uniformly glowing. One commander wrote that Mr. Kerry ranked among "the top few" in three categories: initiative, cooperation and personal behavior. Another commander wrote, "In a combat environment often requiring independent, decisive action, Lt. j.g. Kerry was unsurpassed." The citation for Mr. Kerry's Bronze Star praises his "calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire."

In the United States military, there's no ideology — there are no labels, Republican or Democrat — when superiors evaluate a man or woman's service to country. Mr. Kerry's commander for a brief time, Grant Hibbard, now a Republican, gave Mr. Kerry top marks 36 years ago ... Although President Bush has not engaged personally in such accusations, he has done nothing to stop others from making them. I believe those who didn't serve, or didn't show up for service, should have the decency to respect those who did serve — often under the most dangerous conditions, with bravery and, yes, with undeniable patriotism.

Posted by Eric at 01:51 AM | Comments (6)

Specter Barely Wins PA

From the AP:

Specter, 74, eked out a win against Rep. Pat Toomey, 42, despite a low turnout among Pennsylvania's 3.1 million registered Republicans that had been expected to aid the challenger.

With 96% of precincts reporting, Specter had 511,769 votes, or 51%, to Toomey's 494,695 votes, or 49%.

The race, one of the GOP's most closely watched contests this year, tested the strength of the party's conservative wing. Specter's win also was a victory for President Bush, who endorsed Specter and is counting on his supporters to help him win carry a state he narrowly lost to Democrat Al Gore in 2000.

Specter, of Philadelphia, will face Democratic Rep. Joe Hoeffel in the Nov. 2 general election.

Posted by Eric at 01:27 AM | Comments (38)

Specter Barely Wins PA

From the AP:

Specter, 74, eked out a win against Rep. Pat Toomey, 42, despite a low turnout among Pennsylvania's 3.1 million registered Republicans that had been expected to aid the challenger.

With 96% of precincts reporting, Specter had 511,769 votes, or 51%, to Toomey's 494,695 votes, or 49%.

The race, one of the GOP's most closely watched contests this year, tested the strength of the party's conservative wing. Specter's win also was a victory for President Bush, who endorsed Specter and is counting on his supporters to help him win carry a state he narrowly lost to Democrat Al Gore in 2000.

Specter, of Philadelphia, will face Democratic Rep. Joe Hoeffel in the Nov. 2 general election.

Posted by Eric at 01:27 AM | Comments (5)

April 27, 2004

Tuesday Stories