The Hamster

News
AP. Edwards reaches out to black Ohio voters
AP. Al Franken urging GOP protests
AP. Iraq Prison Probe Faults Intelligence Unit
AP. Ranks of Poverty, Uninsured Rose in 2003
AP. Man Burns Marine Van After GI Son's Death
LAT. Republican Party's Platform Embraces Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
BG. GOP hardens stand against gay marriage
AP. Gov. McGreevey Makes Public Appearance
AP. Witness: Marines Hit Iraq Inmate Who Died
AP. Bush Makes Fourth Trip of Year to N.M.
AP. Democrats' Theme: Mission Not Accomplished
AP. Bush's Father Foresaw Costs of Iraq War
NYT. A Scarred Campaign Veteran, Caught in a New Crossfire
NYT. Lawyer for Bush Quits Over Links to Kerry's Foes
NYT. Internet Gives Teenage Bullies Weapons to Wound From Afar
WP. Voters May Have Their Say Before Election Day
WP. Firing Missives Over Vietnam; Kerry's Special Delivery Finds a Reply Waiting
AP. Republicans Tweak Platform Language; Additions Intended to Underscore Inclusiveness
WP. Daschle's Senate Role Dominates S.D. Race; Rival Says Minority Leader Answers to Liberals
ChicST. Brady blasts Keyes' stand on gun control
ChicTrib. Keyes turns down role at convention
Reuters. Minorities bear brunt of 'subtler' bias at US polls, report says
Reuters. Discrimination at Polls Now 'Subtler, More Creative'
Cox. Campaigns launched to protect minority votes

Commentary
Katrina vanden Heuvel. Oil and the Bush 'Fear Factor'
Robert Scheer. Iraqi Olympic Soccer Players Kick the Stuffing Out of Bush's Fantasy
David L. Englin. Band of Brothers; How Kerry's veterans could send "Brother John" to the White House
Max Blumenthal. The Voting Machine Jackpot
Noy Thrupkaew. The Mark of Rove
Gordon Carmichael. A Veteran for Real Truth; A Vietnam veteran -- and Purple Heart recipient -- reacts to the swift-boat smear.
Matthew Yglesias. Penalty Kicks; Bush tried to take credit for bringing Iraq to the Olympics; their soccer team gave him what he deserved.
Charles P. Pierce. Start Value; There’s a simple reason why George W. Bush should never win the gold: His routine is just too easy
Christian E. Weller. Bush Can't Have His Cake and Eat It, Too
Paul Waldman. Mad As Hell; How I got a disturbing view of Brent Bozell's undying rage
John Nichols. Not So Swift
Joe Conason. Assault on Kerry dishonors G.O.P. What happened to Republican respect for veterans?
BG. Disgraced by Abu Ghraib
Ellen Goodman. Setting back women's rights
Des Moines Register. Rumsfeld should go: Responsibility for prison abuse flowed from many other mistakes at the top
Stewart Nusbaumer. The Republican War Against Vietnam Veterans
Gerald Rellick. Swift Boat Stooges for Bush: Right wing vets use the cheap shot for the political smear: Discredit the sailor and you discredit the political candidate
Sidney Blumenthal. A ruinous trap of their own making; Iraq is now more dangerous to the US than when they went to war
Marie Cocco. Fuhgeddabout making nice; When Bush comes next week, he’ll discover a New York state of aversion to him
Sheryl McCarthy. Guantanamo abuses amount to war crimes
Seattle PI. Scandal taints top brass
Thomas Oliphant. Bush smear could come back to bite him
NYT. Holding the Pentagon Accountable: For Abu Ghraib

Posted by Eric at 11:59 PM | Comments (58)

Mary Bono to Skip GOP Convention

Though she'll vote for Bush, she has a problem with one of her party's positions:

Among the reasons she gave for staying home is her disagreement with the party's support of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. She said that isn't popular in her district, which includes a large gay population in the western Coachella Valley.

Bono supports a provision offered by the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay group, which acknowledges that not all Republicans agree on the issue and the party should respect all viewpoints. That proposal was rejected Wednesday by party officials putting together the platform, which is essentially its official ideology.

Bono doesn't favor gay marriages. However, she was one of only 17 Republicans who voted against a marriage protection bill in the House last month. That bill would have stripped federal courts' jurisdiction over marriage cases, a step that could extend far beyond same-sex marriages, Bono said.

Posted by Eric at 03:43 PM | Comments (35)

Bush Camp to Continue Olympic Ads

Defies USOC and Iraqi soccer team:

The USOC asked the campaign to pull the ads on Thursday, committee spokesman Darryl Seibel said. The ad shows a swimmer and the flags of Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites).

"In 1972, there were 40 democracies in the world. Today, 120," an announcer says. "Freedom is spreading throughout the world like a sunrise. And this Olympics there will be two more free nations. And two fewer terrorist regimes."

Some of the players on the Iraqi Olympic soccer team have complained about the ad appearing as part of a political campaign.

Reaction by Olympic officials has been negative, according to this article in the Star Trib:

The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) is responsible for protecting the Olympic brand in the United States, and Heiberg said it was taking steps to do so.

"The USOC took immediate action," he said without elaborating. "The USOC is dealing with this matter."

Other IOC members reacted strongly. "This is quite amazing," one member said on condition of anonymity. "The arrogance is unbelievable. To use the Olympic name like this, without permission ... it's just incredible."

Another said: "That anyone should do this is just astonishing."

Posted by Eric at 03:23 PM | Comments (41)

Bush and Company Love Right-Wing Media

According to a Boston Globe analysis:

Hennen is not the only talk-show host of a conservative bent or broadcasting in a battleground state who has had good access to high-ranking administration officials. On the White House website, www.whitehouse.gov, nearly all of the administration radio interviews featured since April are with conservative commentators, hosts at stations in battleground states, or both.

A White House spokesman, Ken Lisaius, flatly denied that political considerations are involved in making administration officials available to radio stations, or any other news media.

"We're not concerned with politics," he said. "It's the Bush-Cheney campaign that's focused on politics." ... But of 61 interviews featured on the White House website since April in which the interviewer and station or network is identified, 54 were conducted either by conservative commentators or by hosts in markets located in battleground states, a Globe analysis shows.

Posted by Eric at 02:31 PM | Comments (33)

Hamster Numbers: Coalition Deaths

From Mother Jones and The Defense Department:

Number of U.S. service members killed since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 19, 2003: 966

Number killed since President Bush declared an end to "major combat" on May 1, 2003: 828

Number killed since the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government on June 28, 2004: 111

Posted by Eric at 02:10 PM | Comments (16)

Weird Characters

Anyone know what's up with the weird font characters on the blog (such as the ones in the blog entry below) and how to fix them?

Posted by Eric at 12:06 PM | Comments (67)

Dems Launch ZellOut.com

From a ZELLOUT.com press release:

A team of Democrats today announced the launch of ZELLOUT.com (www.zellout.com), an online campaign that calls on Senator Zell Miller to declare himself a Republican and switch parties. Signing the online petition automatically sends an email to Sen. Miller's office. The group is urging Democrats to flood the faux Democrat with demands that he finally admit what is obvious to all -- "Democrat" Zell Miller is a Republican.

"Just think how desperate the Bush Republicans are," said Eric Carbone, founder of Zellout.com. "The Republicans are using Zell Miller to give their convention a veneer of bipartisanship, when in fact Zell Miller is as much a Democrat as George W. Bush is," says Carbone.

Here's some Zell Miller quotes:

Kerry An “Authentic Hero”: "My job tonight is an easy one: to present to you one of this nation's authentic heroes, one of this party's best-known and greatest leaders -- and a good friend. He was once a lieutenant governor -- but he didn't stay in that office 16 years, like someone else I know. It just took two years before the people of Massachusetts moved him into the United States Senate in 1984. -- U.S. Senator Zell Miller [Remarks to the Democratic Party of Georgia Jefferson Jackson Dinner 2001]

Kerry “Strengthened Our Military”: "In his 16 years in the Senate, John Kerry has fought against government waste and worked hard to bring some accountability to Washington. Early in his Senate career in 1986, John signed on to the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Deficit Reduction Bill, and he fought for balanced budgets before it was considered politically correct for Democrats to do so. John has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment.” -- U.S. Senator Zell Miller [Remarks to the Democratic Party of Georgia Jefferson Jackson Dinner 2001]

The Bush campaign would probably call those 'flip-flops'

Posted by Eric at 11:55 AM | Comments (67)

Tie? What Tie?

From Alan Waldman in the Orlando Weekly:

The latest state polls, as of Aug. 24, put Kerry ahead of Bush by 108 electoral votes (with Colorado's nine votes tied). Currently, Kerry leads in former Bush states Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, Nevada and New Hampshire. (And at one time or another during the past five weeks, Kerry has also led in former Bush states Arkansas, Ohio, Arizona and West Virginia.)

Why is Kerry leading handily in electoral votes while the popular vote remains close? Because there has been a major shift in about 15 states, with seven former "battlegrounds" moving to Kerry and eight former Bush states becoming freshly competitive. Although many pollsters and pundits have been focusing much of their attention on Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, New Hampshire and New Mexico, those states have moved firmly toward Kerry. At the same time, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and even South Carolina are now in play.

Seven ongoing battleground states have stayed close, with the candidates currently within 5 percent of each other. In addition Kerry currently has a dozen states in the West, East and Midwest, which provide an unshakeable foundation of 113 electoral votes for him – versus 17 mostly smaller bedrock Bush states, with 134 votes. Finally, Kerry benefits from the fact that currently only onestate (Nevada; five votes) is likely to be taken from him by the Nader vote.

More battleground poll looks in the article.

Posted by Eric at 11:51 AM | Comments (40)

Rio Grande Tubers Vouch for Bush

Bartcop.

Posted by Eric at 11:41 AM | Comments (68)

GWU Poll: Kerry by 2

Noted by Political Wire:

The latest George Washington University Battleground Poll shows Sen. John Kerry with a two point lead over President Bush, 49% to 47%, in a two-way race where the candidate is named. Just 4% of the electorate remains undecided.

The most striking finding: If the election were just an up or down vote on Bush, 60% say they would not vote to re-elect the president.

Posted by Eric at 11:19 AM | Comments (36)

Spears at GOP Convention?

Sex-scared conservatives are worried that the scandalous Britney Spears will ruin the New York fun. From MSNBC:

"Through her immature antics, Spears has probably done more to undermine sexual morality than all the misguided legislation introduced in the United States over the last decade," the Illinois Family Institute wrote in an e-mail to members. "It would be the height of hypocrisy for a party that claims to represent wholesome values to celebrate her."

Citing Spears' "lesbian" kiss with Madonna, her "general immodesty," and her annulled marriage to a childhood friend, the group is urging Republicans to call the GOP's convention hotline to protest any appearance by Spears.

Response to the e-mail has been "overwhelmingly positive," the group’s executive director, Peter LaBarbera, tells The Scoop, though "a few people have argued that the Democrats have all the Hollywood celebrities so we need her star power, but I think that could be played to the Republicans' advantage. . . . [Many] Americans are sick of celebrities' political views being shoved down their throat."

The IFI isn’t the only conservative group that wants Britney to stay away from the GOP convention. "I do hope she won't be there," Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition tells The Scoop. "If she is there, I doubt that she’ll be gyrating on stage. And I hope she doesn’t have a wardrobe malfunction."

Posted by Eric at 11:09 AM | Comments (20)

O'Reilly Spins for Swift Vets for Lies

Media Matters:

Speaking to a caller on the August 23 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, O'Reilly described the anti-Kerry group's accusations as follows:

I think what they're doing is they're saying that in their experience, Kerry did X, Y, and Z. It's very -- it's nuanced [caller's name]. They don't say, "Well, he -- he lied about this." They say, "I didn't see any firing." Or, "I didn't see any Viet Cong."

The following are some examples of Swift Boat Veterans members accusing Kerry of lying about his service in Vietnam.

From the first ad sponsored by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which was narrated by members of the group:

Al French: "He is lying about his record."

Louis Letson: "I know John Kerry is lying about his first Purple Heart, because I treated him for that injury."

Van Odell: "John Kerry lied to get his bronze star. I know. I was there. I saw what happened."

Grant Hibbard: "He betrayed all his shipmates. He lied before the senate."

Posted by Eric at 11:04 AM | Comments (48)

Laura Disses Diddy?

She can hate him now? From NYDN:

Sean (Puffy) Combs hasn't had a day like this since J.Lo kicked him to the curb. His Diddiness scrubbed last night's scheduled performance at the new Ohio slavery museum over what the rap mogul feels was a snub by the First Lady's office.

Combs reportedly was on his way to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati to play at the museum's dedication concert when somebody told him Laura Bush would not feel comfortable sharing the stage with him.

"He was planning on doing it," a Combs aide told us. "But we don't understand why she wouldn't want to stand with him. He hasn't been partisan at all."

Posted by Eric at 10:54 AM | Comments (45)

MPs Want to Impeach Blair

About, what else, the Iraqi war:

The cross-party group say they have rock-solid academic backing for their attempt to invoke an ancient mechanism that could unseat the Prime Minister.

This latest assault on Mr Blair’s integrity is being led by the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalists together with a Conservative MP, but it is expected that other Tories and Liberal Democrats will sign up along with disaffected Labour backbenchers.

The power of impeachment has not been used in Britain for 150 years, but it remains on the statute book despite an attempt to erase it in 1999.

Alex Salmond, the SNP leader at Westminster and the favourite to succeed John Swinney as overall Nationalist leader, will spearhead the campaign, along with Tory MP Boris Johnson and Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price, at its public launch in London today.

Posted by Eric at 03:56 AM | Comments (58)

LA Times Poll on Kerry - Bush and Swift Vets

From the LA Times, it notes that many have seen the Swift Vets ads:

But with the controversy attracting intense media attention, especially on talk radio and cable television, the ads have achieved extraordinary visibility among voters. Fully 48% of those polled said they had seen the ad accusing Kerry of lying to win his medals; an additional 20% said they had heard about it. Similarly, 44% said they had seen the ad criticizing Kerry's Senate testimony; another 17% said they had heard about it.

However, few say Kerry is dishonest about his record:

At the same time, 18% of those surveyed said they "believe that Kerry misrepresented his war record and does not deserve his war medals," while 58% said Kerry "fought honorably and does deserve" the medals.

Attitudes on that question divided along party lines. As many Republicans said they believed Kerry was lying as believed he fought honorably. By nearly 10 to 1, Democrats said Kerry served honorably.

Independents sided with Kerry in the dispute by more than 5 to 1.

Still, the numbers on Kerry's service quals have dropped:

Asked how Kerry's overall military experience would affect their vote, 23% said it made them more likely to vote for him, while 21% said it made them less likely; the remaining 53% said it would make no difference. That has to be a disappointment for the Kerry camp after a Democratic convention last month that placed Kerry's Vietnam service at the top of the marquee.

Two other key questions produced even more troubling results for Kerry.

In the July Times poll, 53% of voters said Kerry had demonstrated in his Vietnam combat missions the "qualities America needs in a president," while 32% said that by "protesting the war in Vietnam, John Kerry demonstrated a judgment and belief that is inappropriate in a president."

In the August survey, that balance nudged away from Kerry, with 48% saying he had demonstrated the right qualities and 37% saying he had exhibited poor judgment.

Posted by Eric at 03:45 AM | Comments (28)

August 25, 2004

Bushes Against Bush

Members of Bush families: unite against the Bush that has so wrecked your last name: Bushes Against Bush: "There are several, apparently independent, Bush families in the world. Some of us know about our genealogy and know that we are not related to George W. Bush. Some of us know that we are. Some of us don't know. What we all do know is that we want to distinguish ourselves from the 43rd President of the United States who shares our name."

Posted by Eric at 10:10 PM | Comments (42)

Rock Against Bush Releases 2nd Album

Following the success of their first album, Rock Against Bush - a coalition of anti-Bush punk rock bands, most younger than the Vote for Change groups - has released its second album. On this one:

1. Favorite Son/Green Day (unreleased) Listen Listen Listen
2. Let Them Eat War/Bad Religion Listen Listen Listen
3. Unity/Operation Ivy Listen Listen Listen
4. Necrotism: Decanting the Insalubrious (Cyborg Midnight) Part 7/The Lawrence Arms (unreleased) Listen Listen Listen
5. We Got the Power/Dropkick Murphys (rare) Listen Listen Listen
6. Drunken Lullabies/Flogging Molly
7. Doomsday Breach/Only Crime
8. Gas Chamber/Foo Fighters (rare)
9. Status Pools/Lagwagon (unreleased)
10. What You Say/Sugarcult
11. 7 Years Down/Rancid
12. Off With Your Head/Sleater-Kinney (rare)
13. Scream Out/The Unseen (unreleased)
14. Violins/Yellowcard (unreleased)
15. Like Sprewells on a Wheelchair/Dillinger Four (unreleased)
16. Chesterfield King live/Jawbreaker (unreleased)
17. Born Free live/Bouncing Souls (unreleased)
18. No Hope live/Mad Caddies (unreleased)
19. Kids Today/The Dwarves (unreleased)
20. Can't Wait to Quit/Sick of It All (rare)
21. Comforting Lie/No Doubt
22. State of Fear/Useless ID (unreleased)
23. I'm Thinking/Autopilot Off (unreleased)
24. My Star/The International Noise Conspiracy (unreleased)
25. Time's Up/Donots (unreleased)
26. Kill the Night/Hot Water Music (unreleased)
27. You're Gonna Die/Thought Riot
28. Fields of Agony acoustic/No Use For a Name (unreleased)

Posted by Eric at 09:49 PM | Comments (19)

Partisan Porter Goss

Center for American Progress has the goods.

Posted by Eric at 02:55 PM | Comments (45)

Asian Pollution Reaches New England

Another reason why countries need to work together on the environment. Another reason why you need a president who works with other countries. From E Magazine:

An international group comprised of the world’s leading atmospheric scientists has found that airborne industrial pollution from Asia is lingering high over New England and the Atlantic Ocean this summer, raising concerns that improved American air quality in recent years may be jeopardized by the effects of increasing industrialization and weak regulation abroad.

"We have to be concerned whether the cost of continuing to ratchet up emission controls is not going to be offset by growing pollution coming to us from Asia," says Daniel Jacob, deputy mission scientist for the study, dubbed the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation. "At some point, it may be cheaper to sell pollution control equipment to China."

According to University of New Hampshire atmospheric scientist and study team leader Robert Talbot, the new findings should lead to international treaties capping pollution outputs. "I don't think we had the knowledge that it was quite so extensive and quite so long-range,” he says. “Papers are starting to appear saying it may be difficult for several Pacific cities to meet pollution standards because of Asia."

Posted by Eric at 01:01 PM | Comments (25)

Cheney 'Breaks from Bush on Gays'

You've heard about this, but here it is: "Vice President Dick Cheney, whose younger daughter is a lesbian, said Tuesday that he believed that decisions about same-sex marriages should be left to the states, contending that "freedom means freedom for everyone"."

Freaking liberals who screw with the moral fabric of our country. Those comments, according to our great friends at NewsMax.com, drew criticism from conservatives. Can we not crown Cheney Master of the Universe?

Those comments drew criticism from the conservative Family Research Council, with President Tony Perkins saying: "I find it hard to believe the vice president would stray from the administration's position on defense policy or tax policy. For many pro-family voters, protecting traditional marriage ranks ahead of the economy and job creation as a campaign issue."

Perkins added that if Cheney sees a problem with activist judges, "then how can he not endorse the same solution the president and his pro-family allies have proposed? We urge Vice President Cheney to support President Bush and a constitutional amendment on marriage."

Posted by Eric at 12:18 PM | Comments (55)

Murkowski v. Knowles

In a very winnable race, popular former gov Tony Knowles will face the unpopular Lisa Murkowski in the conservative state of Alaska:

Murkowski's victory was her first test in a statewide election. She is a former state lawmaker who was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, newly elected Gov. Frank Murkowski. He gave his seat to his daughter after the Legislature changed state law to allow the new governor and not the incumbent -- Knowles in this case -- the power to fill Senate vacancies.

Murkowski's challengers made nepotism an issue in the race, along with attacking her credentials as a conservative. Miller, 53, claimed that before joining the Senate, Murkowski backed gun control, abortion rights and tax increases.

Knowles, 61, and Lisa Murkowski, 47, are two of the biggest political names in Alaska.

Knowles served as mayor of Anchorage for six years in the 1980s and was governor from 1994 to 2002. Murkowski served in the Legislature for four years before being appointed to the Senate.

Help out Tony (a former Hamster advertiser) by visiting his website here.

Posted by Eric at 12:04 PM | Comments (43)

Michelle Malkin and Dual Citizenship

See Ornicus for more on everyone's favorite Coulter-wannabe. Includes pretty in-depth discussion about the Nisei and WW2.

Posted by Eric at 10:37 AM | Comments (67)

The Moby Rumor

I repost, you decide:

Noticed that Sen. John McCain looks a little pained in his pro-Bush advertisements? Rock star Moby knows why: "I'm best friends with [John's son] Sid McCain. John McCain hates President Bush. He's just doing those ads to help the Republicans." We asked Moby if he'd be protesting the convention. "I'm just going to sit by and watch," he told us. "I'm not hopeful"...

Posted by Eric at 10:24 AM | Comments (50)

Republican 527 Set to Attack

From the NY Times: "A day after President Bush called for an end to campaign spending by independent groups, one such Republican organization said on Tuesday that it had raised $35 million to counter Democratic attacks on television and hoped to wage a $125 million advertising campaign through Election Day. The organization, the Progress for America Voter Fund, is the first Republican group to announce that it had raised a substantial amount of money to compete with Democratic-leaning groups that have collected tens of millions of dollars."

Meanwhile, MoveOn.org will launch its own ads featuring noted Hollywood stars.

Posted by Eric at 09:51 AM | Comments (75)

Lying About Service?

I'm sure the Swift Boat Vets are concerned about this:

I am not referring to the Bush's missing time in the Air National Guard. That episode did receive much attention--though only in the past year, not when the issue was first raised during the 2000 presidential campaign. Back then Bush was disingenuous about his Guard service. In his campaign autobiography, he wrote that he had completed his pilot training in 1970 while assigned to an air base in Houston and "continued flying with my unit for the next several years." But as the Boston Globe revealed, he stopped flying during his final 18 months of service in 1972 and 1973. Bush had been grounded after failing to take a flight exam, and had won permission to train with a unit in Alabama where he did no flying. There are no records proving he showed up for duty in Alabama, but Bush has insisted he did.

Putting aside the controversy over Bush's Air National Guard service (or dereliction of duty), there was another instance when Bush clearly did not speak truthfully about his military record. In 1978, Bush, while running for Congress in West Texas, produced campaign literature that claimed he had served in the US Air Force. According to a 1999 Associated Press report, Bush's congressional campaign ran a pullout ad in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that declared he had served "in the US Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard where he piloted the F-102 aircraft."

Bush lost that congressional race, but twenty-one years later, the AP questioned him about the ad. The news outlet had a good reason to do so. Bush had never served in the Air Force. He had only been in the Air National Guard. But when AP asked Bush if he had been justified in claiming service in the Air Force, Bush, then the governor of Texas and a presidential candidate, said, "I think so, yes. I was in the Air Force for over 600 days."

Posted by Eric at 09:30 AM | Comments (34)

Cleland and Rassman to Press Bush at Ranch

From Reuters:

Kerry is sending to Crawford former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia, a frequent companion of Kerry's on the campaign trail and a fellow Vietnam War veteran who lost three limbs during the war.

Cleland and former Army Green Beret Jim Rassman, whose life was saved by Kerry during a Vietnam war firefight, will try to deliver a letter protesting the ads to Bush at his heavily guarded ranch, Kerry aides said ... The Kerry letter, signed by at least seven Democratic senators who have served in the military, calls on Bush to "recognize this blatant attempt at character assassination, and publicly condemn it."

"Call on this group to cease and desist," they wrote.

Meanwhile, JohnKerry.com announces the launch of a new ad asking Bush to "denounce the smear" and "get back to the issues."

Posted by Eric at 09:02 AM | Comments (57)

Case Study in Bias

Ben Wasserstein in the LA Times: "The conservative media's handling of the Swift boat dispute is a case study in bias."

On TV and radio, all the action came Thursday. On the Fox News Channel, the afternoon news show, "Studio B With Shepard Smith," offered a three-minute report on the "ongoing spat" over Kerry's military record without mentioning the new evidence about Thurlow's contradictions. The imbroglio over Kerry's Vietnam record led "The Big Story With John Gibson" and, again, not once in the five-minute segment was the Thurlow discrepancy discussed.

Next came Fox's "Special Report With Brit Hume," which opened with the teaser: "And despite Navy records, the dispute goes on about whether Kerry earned one of his medals under fire or not." Addressing the claims in the Washington Post article, there was a pre-taped interview with O'Neill, who asserted that Thurlow's "Bronze Star citation is based on the report that John Kerry wrote." The fact that there is no evidence that Kerry wrote that report was not mentioned. Military analyst Bill Cowan appeared to answer questions like, "If you yourself wrote an after-action report … would that be taken into consideration?" This discussion of Kerry's alleged report left no time for comment on the controversy over whether Thurlow deserved his Bronze Star and why he waited so long to examine the citation's language.

Later, on the "Fox Report With Shepard Smith," Laurie Dhue introduced a segment about Kerry's reaction to the ads of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The report made no mention of Thurlow or the Post's story. Half an hour into the show, a second Kerry segment mentioned the Post story and summarized it in a fair-minded way. This was the first "fair and balanced" treatment of the story after hours of derision or avoidance on Fox.

Posted by Eric at 08:24 AM | Comments (104)

Food Stamps on the Rise

A new study from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities notes that "following years of decline, food stamp participation has been on the rise for nearly four years." The CBPP notes:

Many states have had large increases in participation. Seasonal patterns can mask trends in food stamp participation since caseloads tend to rise in the winter months and fall in the summer. Participation has increased in 11 of the last 12 months, instead of declining during the summer months as would have been consistent with historical trends. The rise in food stamp caseloads in recent months may indicate a long-term upward trend in food stamp participation. Participation in May 2004 was at its highest level since November 1996. Between May 2003 and May 2004, food stamp participation increased in 48 states and the District of Columbia. In two states, food stamp participation increased by more than 20 percent. In 19 additional states, participation increased by more than 10 percent.

This upward trend follows a long period of caseload decline. Between the peak in March 1994 and the low point in July 2000, food stamp participation fell by 11 million people, a 40 percent decline. In 62 of the 76 months between March 1994 and July 2000, participation declined. In contrast, participation has increased in 38 of the 46 months since July 2000.

Posted by Eric at 06:34 AM | Comments (79)

Hawaii Republican Gov Criticizes Swift Vets for Lies

From the Honolulu Star Bulletin:

In an interview yesterday, Lingle said the current national debate over Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam War experiences should not be part of the presidential campaign.

"I said from the very beginning, he is a hero, and I don't think anyone should try to take that away from him," Lingle said.

But Lingle added that now Kerry should be judged on his record as a senator and his ability to lead.

"I respect anyone who served their country in a war and put their life on the line. How he conducted himself after he came back is not the way I would have conducted myself necessarily, but I don't think anyone should take from his service," Lingle said.

Lingle during the 'Nam era:

In protest over the Vietnam War in 1972, Gov. Linda Lingle, then a college student in California, voted for George McGovern, the Democratic candidate for president. Republican Lingle said her vote for a Democrat was "because of the war."

Posted by Eric at 06:30 AM | Comments (51)

John O'Neill Lies

The truth dies; For example:

O'Neill said on CNN on August 11, "[T]he people in our organization have no partisan ties, we didn't campaign in the last four elections for Democrats, by and large we didn't campaign for anybody."

That's a lie. The new Swift Boat Veterans for Truth advertisement, unveiled August 20, features Ken Cordier criticizing Kerry. Cordier is identified in the ad as "P.O.W., Dec. 1966 - Mar. 1973."

But Cordier isn't just a former prisoner of war. He was also a member of the Bush-Cheney '04 National Veterans Steering Committee until controversy over his dual role with the campaign and the SBVT led to his resignation. The Bush-Cheney '04 campaign web site suddenly -- mysteriously -- omits Cordier's name from the list of Steering Committee members, presumably in an effort to hide ties between the campaign and this 527 advertising. But images from a cached copy of the page, as well as a list of committee members, prove his membership.

Cordier was also named to a Bush administration POW Advisory Committee.

Cordier's involvement with the Bush campaign is not a new development. In September 2000, Dick Cheney personally announced Cordier's selection as Vice-Chair of the Veterans for Bush-Cheney '00.

And also this:

On the August 12 edition of CNN's Crossfire, O'Neill claimed he has had "no serious involvement in politics of any kind in over 32 years."

In fact, O'Neill has made more than $14,000 in federal contributions to Republican candidates and causes since 1990; most people would consider giving $14,000 a "serious" involvement.

John O'Neill: "helping run what is arguably the most aggressive outside campaign to defeat Senator John F. Kerry thus far in the presidential election cycle"

Posted by Eric at 04:41 AM | Comments (60)

The Hamster Back Up

So, after Lunarpages decided to be a royal George W. Bush and yank my account without an initial explanation and refused to respond to my emails and telephone calls (they say they don't want Movable Type on their system, which was never mentioned when I signed up), I moved to a new hosting company, Hosting Matters. I got to the company through Jeralyn at Talk Left, who uses it for her blog and recommended it. They appear to have strong support for the Movable Type blog system (which Lunarpages didn't have), so hopefully all will go well.

Thanks for your patience during this time. Regular updates will begin today.

Posted by Eric at 03:29 AM | Comments (89)

August 20, 2004

Bush Ups Nation Circulation

This isn't surprising, but it's worth a note:

As the nation awaits the formal start of the presidential race on Labor Day, The Nation has picked up the most support among political magazines. Circulation of the liberal journal, a weekly voice of opposition to George W. Bush, has risen 71% during his presidency so that it's now the top seller in the field of opinion mags.

At 165,000 copies, The Nation's circ is still dwarfed by the size of The New Yorker (1 million), The Atlantic Monthly (448,000) and other glossies.

Comparatively, The Nation is doing rather well: "At The New Republic, which initially backed Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) for president, circ has dropped 39% since 2000, to 63,500, as the mag focused on what publisher Stephanie Sandberg calls a core audience of opinion leaders ... On the conservative side, National Review, a strong supporter of Bush and Dick Cheney ("Veep for the Ages"), has grown just 6% on their watch, to 154,800, while The Weekly Standard is up 30%, to 69,700."

Posted by Eric at 09:26 AM | Comments (26)

Bush Ups Nation Circulation

This isn't surprising, but it's worth a note:

As the nation awaits the formal start of the presidential race on Labor Day, The Nation has picked up the most support among political magazines. Circulation of the liberal journal, a weekly voice of opposition to George W. Bush, has risen 71% during his presidency so that it's now the top seller in the field of opinion mags.

At 165,000 copies, The Nation's circ is still dwarfed by the size of The New Yorker (1 million), The Atlantic Monthly (448,000) and other glossies.

Comparatively, The Nation is doing rather well: "At The New Republic, which initially backed Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) for president, circ has dropped 39% since 2000, to 63,500, as the mag focused on what publisher Stephanie Sandberg calls a core audience of opinion leaders ... On the conservative side, National Review, a strong supporter of Bush and Dick Cheney ("Veep for the Ages"), has grown just 6% on their watch, to 154,800, while The Weekly Standard is up 30%, to 69,700."

Posted by Eric at 09:26 AM | Comments (8)

When People Who Know Nothing Talk About Things They Know Nothing About

Someone needs to go to debating school. Michelle Malkin talks about the Swiftboat Vets on Hardball. She bombs. Blogitics with the video clip.

Posted by Eric at 03:31 AM | Comments (66)

When People Who Know Nothing Talk About Things They Know Nothing About

Someone needs to go to debating school. Michelle Malkin talks about the Swiftboat Vets on Hardball. She bombs. Blogitics with the video clip.

Posted by Eric at 03:31 AM | Comments (10)

Hottest University for Politics: George Washington U

According to the 2005 Kaplan/Newsweek guide to colleges, the DC-based school is number one for political junkies, beating Georgetown, among others. From the GWU propoganda department:

The 2005 Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get into College" Guide named The George Washington University as the hottest university in the nation for "political junkies." GW is commended for its blend of academics and politics in the classroom and throughout campus, as well as for its fixed tuition program. For the second time in three years GW is on the "Hot Schools" list.

"There aren't many universities that hosted John Kerry, Tom Ridge, foreign diplomats, U.S. ambassadors and government officials for speeches and campus programs in a single academic year," said GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. "However, at GW students expect and receive attention from those in the global political arena."

From professors who engage in political consulting to internships with government agencies, non-profits and policy and advocacy groups; from guest speakers in government and international affairs to study abroad programs and CNN's "Crossfire," GW has near limitless opportunities for those interested in politics and a real-life laboratory setting.

Posted by Eric at 02:46 AM | Comments (47)

Hottest University for Politics: George Washington U

According to the 2005 Kaplan/Newsweek guide to colleges, the DC-based school is number one for political junkies, beating Georgetown, among others. From the GWU propoganda department:

The 2005 Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get into College" Guide named The George Washington University as the hottest university in the nation for "political junkies." GW is commended for its blend of academics and politics in the classroom and throughout campus, as well as for its fixed tuition program. For the second time in three years GW is on the "Hot Schools" list.

"There aren't many universities that hosted John Kerry, Tom Ridge, foreign diplomats, U.S. ambassadors and government officials for speeches and campus programs in a single academic year," said GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. "However, at GW students expect and receive attention from those in the global political arena."

From professors who engage in political consulting to internships with government agencies, non-profits and policy and advocacy groups; from guest speakers in government and international affairs to study abroad programs and CNN's "Crossfire," GW has near limitless opportunities for those interested in politics and a real-life laboratory setting.

Posted by Eric at 02:46 AM | Comments (6)

Bozell Lies About Media Coverage

And strange, he's the head of an organization that claims to be a watchdog of media lies. From Media Matters:

When Bozell's fellow O'Reilly guest, Paul Waldman, editor of the progressive Internet magazine Gadflyer.com, noted that "a LexisNexis search produced over 500 newspaper and television stories about" the Swift Boat Veterans, Bozell insisted that this coverage started after the group announced in early August that it was planning to run an anti-Kerry television ad in three swing states. FOX News Channel host John Gibson, who was filling in for regular host Bill O'Reilly, agreed with Bozell.

But a Nexis search of print and TV sources for "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" produced 157 results for the three-month period between Swift Boat Veterans' May 4 press conference and the August 4 ad release. As MMFA noted on May 4, Swift Boat Veterans founder John E. O'Neill appeared on the April 20 edition of CNN's Wolf Blitzer Reports -- two weeks before the press conference. CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News all devoted significant coverage to the group's May 4 press conference, as MMFA noted.

The group also received substantial nationwide newspaper coverage before and after the press conference, with articles appearing in The New York Times (5/5), The Washington Post(5/5), the Los Angeles Times (5/4), The Wall Street Journal (5/4 -- op-ed by O'Neill), and The Boston Globe (5/4), among others.

Posted by Eric at 02:28 AM | Comments (64)

Bozell Lies About Media Coverage

And strange, he's the head of an organization that claims to be a watchdog of media lies. From Media Matters:

When Bozell's fellow O'Reilly guest, Paul Waldman, editor of the progressive Internet magazine Gadflyer.com, noted that "a LexisNexis search produced over 500 newspaper and television stories about" the Swift Boat Veterans, Bozell insisted that this coverage started after the group announced in early August that it was planning to run an anti-Kerry television ad in three swing states. FOX News Channel host John Gibson, who was filling in for regular host Bill O'Reilly, agreed with Bozell.

But a Nexis search of print and TV sources for "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" produced 157 results for the three-month period between Swift Boat Veterans' May 4 press conference and the August 4 ad release. As MMFA noted on May 4, Swift Boat Veterans founder John E. O'Neill appeared on the April 20 edition of CNN's Wolf Blitzer Reports -- two weeks before the press conference. CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News all devoted significant coverage to the group's May 4 press conference, as MMFA noted.

The group also received substantial nationwide newspaper coverage before and after the press conference, with articles appearing in The New York Times (5/5), The Washington Post(5/5), the Los Angeles Times (5/4), The Wall Street Journal (5/4 -- op-ed by O'Neill), and The Boston Globe (5/4), among others.

Posted by Eric at 02:28 AM | Comments (4)

EEA Report: Adapt Now

In regards to the environment and climate change, Europe must "learn how to live with a changing climate as well as seeking to limit its effects by cutting emissions," a report from the European Environment Agency says:

Europeans must learn how to live with a changing climate as well as seeking to limit its effects by cutting emissions, the European Environment Agency says.
An EEA report, Impacts of Europe's changing climate, says fewer than 50 years remain to act against the threat.

It says melting meant Europe's glaciers lost a tenth of their mass last year, and harvests fell by almost a third.

The EEA says the climate change under way now probably exceeds all natural climate variation for a thousand years.

Posted by Eric at 02:23 AM | Comments (32)

EEA Report: Adapt Now

In regards to the environment and climate change, Europe must "learn how to live with a changing climate as well as seeking to limit its effects by cutting emissions," a report from the European Environment Agency says:

Europeans must learn how to live with a changing climate as well as seeking to limit its effects by cutting emissions, the European Environment Agency says.
An EEA report, Impacts of Europe's changing climate, says fewer than 50 years remain to act against the threat.

It says melting meant Europe's glaciers lost a tenth of their mass last year, and harvests fell by almost a third.

The EEA says the climate change under way now probably exceeds all natural climate variation for a thousand years.

Posted by Eric at 02:23 AM | Comments (2)

On Keyes: The Hand of God?

Stentor Danielson in Open Source Politics:

There's been some buzz recently about remarks made by now-Senate candidate Alan Keyes back in May about September 11. Keyes' theory is that the terrorist attacks were a wake-up call from a God angry about abortion. It's nice that he managed to narrow it down so well, since the last time we heard this theory, Pat Robertson was attributing the attacks to the whole suite of conservative bogeymen, from pagans to feminists.

Keyes isn't painting a terribly flattering picture of God. Being omnipotent, God is usually able to target his punishments a bit more effectively. He promised Abraham he'd let the whole city of Sodom off the hook if he could find 10 righteous people in it. And when he couldn't, he still took the time to evacuate Lot and his family. So knocking down the World Trade Center and the Pentagon sounds like a pretty ham-handed strategy. Perhaps Keyes thinks that 4,000 pro-choice WTC employees were warned to stay home on September 11.

Posted by Eric at 02:18 AM | Comments (31)

On Keyes: The Hand of God?

Stentor Danielson in Open Source Politics:

There's been some buzz recently about remarks made by now-Senate candidate Alan Keyes back in May about September 11. Keyes' theory is that the terrorist attacks were a wake-up call from a God angry about abortion. It's nice that he managed to narrow it down so well, since the last time we heard this theory, Pat Robertson was attributing the attacks to the whole suite of conservative bogeymen, from pagans to feminists.

Keyes isn't painting a terribly flattering picture of God. Being omnipotent, God is usually able to target his punishments a bit more effectively. He promised Abraham he'd let the whole city of Sodom off the hook if he could find 10 righteous people in it. And when he couldn't, he still took the time to evacuate Lot and his family. So knocking down the World Trade Center and the Pentagon sounds like a pretty ham-handed strategy. Perhaps Keyes thinks that 4,000 pro-choice WTC employees were warned to stay home on September 11.

Posted by Eric at 02:18 AM | Comments (8)

On Keyes: The Hand of God?

Stentor Danielson in Open Source Politics:

There's been some buzz recently about remarks made by now-Senate candidate Alan Keyes back in May about September 11. Keyes' theory is that the terrorist attacks were a wake-up call from a God angry about abortion. It's nice that he managed to narrow it down so well, since the last time we heard this theory, Pat Robertson was attributing the attacks to the whole suite of conservative bogeymen, from pagans to feminists.

Keyes isn't painting a terribly flattering picture of God. Being omnipotent, God is usually able to target his punishments a bit more effectively. He promised Abraham he'd let the whole city of Sodom off the hook if he could find 10 righteous people in it. And when he couldn't, he still took the time to evacuate Lot and his family. So knocking down the World Trade Center and the Pentagon sounds like a pretty ham-handed strategy. Perhaps Keyes thinks that 4,000 pro-choice WTC employees were warned to stay home on September 11.

Posted by Eric at 02:18 AM | Comments (26)

On Keyes: The Hand of God?

Stentor Danielson in Open Source Politics:

There's been some buzz recently about remarks made by now-Senate candidate Alan Keyes back in May about September 11. Keyes' theory is that the terrorist attacks were a wake-up call from a God angry about abortion. It's nice that he managed to narrow it down so well, since the last time we heard this theory, Pat Robertson was attributing the attacks to the whole suite of conservative bogeymen, from pagans to feminists.

Keyes isn't painting a terribly flattering picture of God. Being omnipotent, God is usually able to target his punishments a bit more effectively. He promised Abraham he'd let the whole city of Sodom off the hook if he could find 10 righteous people in it. And when he couldn't, he still took the time to evacuate Lot and his family. So knocking down the World Trade Center and the Pentagon sounds like a pretty ham-handed strategy. Perhaps Keyes thinks that 4,000 pro-choice WTC employees were warned to stay home on September 11.

Posted by Eric at 02:18 AM | Comments (2)

Swift Boat Vets? One Word: Rove

The stench of politics, ugh ... anyway, The New York Times has a lengthy and probably the most thorough look at the Swift Boat Vets and their campaign against Kerry; The NY Times:

Records show that the group received the bulk of its initial financing from two men with ties to the president and his family - one a longtime political associate of Mr. Rove's, the other a trustee of the foundation for Mr. Bush's father's presidential library. A Texas publicist who once helped prepare Mr. Bush's father for his debate when he was running for vice president provided them with strategic advice. And the group's television commercial was produced by the same team that made the devastating ad mocking Michael S. Dukakis in an oversized tank helmet when he and Mr. Bush's father faced off in the 1988 presidential election.

The strategy the veterans devised would ultimately paint John Kerry the war hero as John Kerry the "baby killer" and the fabricator of the events that resulted in his war medals. But on close examination, the accounts of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth' prove to be riddled with inconsistencies. In many cases, material offered as proof by these veterans is undercut by official Navy records and the men's own statements.

Several of those now declaring Mr. Kerry "unfit" had lavished praise on him, some as recently as last year.

In an unpublished interview in March 2003 with Mr. Kerry's authorized biographer, Douglas Brinkley, provided by Mr. Brinkley to The New York Times, Roy F. Hoffmann, a retired rear admiral and a leader of the group, allowed that he had disagreed with Mr. Kerry's antiwar positions but said, "I am not going to say anything negative about him." He added, "He's a good man."

In a profile of the candidate that ran in The Boston Globe in June 2003, Mr. Hoffmann approvingly recalled the actions that led to Mr. Kerry's Silver Star: "It took guts, and I admire that."

George Elliott, one of the Vietnam veterans in the group, flew from his home in Delaware to Boston in 1996 to stand up for Mr. Kerry during a tough re-election fight, declaring at a news conference that the action that won Mr. Kerry a Silver Star was "an act of courage."

Posted by Eric at 02:06 AM | Comments (76)

Swift Boat Vets? One Word: Rove

The stench of politics, ugh ... anyway, The New York Times has a lengthy and probably the most thorough look at the Swift Boat Vets and their campaign against Kerry; The NY Times:

Records show that the group received the bulk of its initial financing from two men with ties to the president and his family - one a longtime political associate of Mr. Rove's, the other a trustee of the foundation for Mr. Bush's father's presidential library. A Texas publicist who once helped prepare Mr. Bush's father for his debate when he was running for vice president provided them with strategic advice. And the group's television commercial was produced by the same team that made the devastating ad mocking Michael S. Dukakis in an oversized tank helmet when he and Mr. Bush's father faced off in the 1988 presidential election.

The strategy the veterans devised would ultimately paint John Kerry the war hero as John Kerry the "baby killer" and the fabricator of the events that resulted in his war medals. But on close examination, the accounts of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth' prove to be riddled with inconsistencies. In many cases, material offered as proof by these veterans is undercut by official Navy records and the men's own statements.

Several of those now declaring Mr. Kerry "unfit" had lavished praise on him, some as recently as last year.

In an unpublished interview in March 2003 with Mr. Kerry's authorized biographer, Douglas Brinkley, provided by Mr. Brinkley to The New York Times, Roy F. Hoffmann, a retired rear admiral and a leader of the group, allowed that he had disagreed with Mr. Kerry's antiwar positions but said, "I am not going to say anything negative about him." He added, "He's a good man."

In a profile of the candidate that ran in The Boston Globe in June 2003, Mr. Hoffmann approvingly recalled the actions that led to Mr. Kerry's Silver Star: "It took guts, and I admire that."

George Elliott, one of the Vietnam veterans in the group, flew from his home in Delaware to Boston in 1996 to stand up for Mr. Kerry during a tough re-election fight, declaring at a news conference that the action that won Mr. Kerry a Silver Star was "an act of courage."

Posted by Eric at 02:06 AM | Comments (7)

Iraqi Players to Bush: Stop Using Us As Election Tool

From Sports Illustrated:

Afterward, Sadir had a message for U.S. president George W. Bush, who is using the Iraqi Olympic team in his latest re-election campaign advertisements.

In those spots, the flags of Iraq and Afghanistan appear as a narrator says, "At this Olympics there will be two more free nations -- and two fewer terrorist regimes."

"Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign," Sadir told SI.com through a translator, speaking calmly and directly. "He can find another way to advertise himself."

Ahmed Manajid, who played as a midfielder on Wednesday, had an even stronger response when asked about Bush's TV advertisement. "How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?" Manajid told me. "He has committed so many crimes."

There was a similar article in ESPN magazine a couple weeks back about how the Iraqi team is not too pleased with Bush and the United States. You need to be an ESPN insider to read the article, but the theme is the same: Iraqis (in this case the soccer team) are happy Saddam is gone, but not pleased with the Bush reconstruction effort.

Posted by Eric at 12:37 AM | Comments (30)

Iraqi Players to Bush: Stop Using Us As Election Tool

From Sports Illustrated:

Afterward, Sadir had a message for U.S. president George W. Bush, who is using the Iraqi Olympic team in his latest re-election campaign advertisements.

In those spots, the flags of Iraq and Afghanistan appear as a narrator says, "At this Olympics there will be two more free nations -- and two fewer terrorist regimes."

"Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign," Sadir told SI.com through a translator, speaking calmly and directly. "He can find another way to advertise himself."

Ahmed Manajid, who played as a midfielder on Wednesday, had an even stronger response when asked about Bush's TV advertisement. "How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?" Manajid told me. "He has committed so many crimes."

There was a similar article in ESPN magazine a couple weeks back about how the Iraqi team is not too pleased with Bush and the United States. You need to be an ESPN insider to read the article, but the theme is the same: Iraqis (in this case the soccer team) are happy Saddam is gone, but not pleased with the Bush reconstruction effort.

Posted by Eric at 12:37 AM | Comments (3)

August 19, 2004

Thursday Stories