June 12, 2004

Your Moment of Mentum

Why do I get the feeling that Bush's feelings of a "momentum of freedom" in the MidEast have all the hallmarks of the late, lamentable "Joementum" (Jan. 25, 2004 - Feb. 3, 2004)

[link] posted @ 12:06 AM est [Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)]

June 11, 2004

Grow A Spine

I have purposefully avoided much comment on all the blog "publishing empires" mostly because outside of the New York media world (that is in love with itself at an incestous level), it isn't as big as they make it out to be. I do read Wonkette (it's for work, I swear!:) and a few others regularly, however.

But one of the things that has come out of this is that so-called blog mogul Jason Calacanis has a thin skin. Christ, blogging is all about snark!

Considering Jason is the guy with the mile a minute mouth who promotes himself relentlessly (anyone who went to Bloggercon II: Electric Boogaloo can testify to this), it seems pathetic that he can't take a bit of a jabbing.

Also, I just don't get a Nike blog that has nothing to do with sports.

[link] posted @ 11:46 PM est [Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)]

Sanctity of Marriage

In America, we need a constitutional amendment stopping gay people from getting married, but Rush Limbaugh is allowed to get married and fail three times.

Insane.

[link] posted @ 11:25 PM est [Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)]

Drudge Lies, Claims Clintons Sleeping

Matt Drudge yanks one frame out of several thousand to make the idiotic claim that the Clintons were... what, exactly? Sleeping? Resting their eyes? Or, heaven forbid, blinking! Expect to see this repeated on the usual websites, on the radio and on tv in the next week or so.

Why do we keep playing this game?

UPDATE: And there they go. I get accused, sometimes (on occasion) fairly, of being too partisan. But this kind of kneejerkery is just retarded and its a staple of the right.

[link] posted @ 11:18 PM est [Comments (15) | TrackBack (0)]

Justice Undone

When you kill as many people as Terry Nichols did, you shouldn't be rewarded with life.

[link] posted @ 11:13 PM est [Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)]

PollWatch

Survey: Bush Gets Little Credit on Jobs

"I don't think he's created anything," said Lonnie Steele, 57, an undecided voter from East Flat Rock, N.C. "I know a number of people who are educated people, and they are working two or three minimum-wage jobs just trying to put groceries on the table and keep their families alive."

Poll: Voters Say Iraq Didn't Merit War

Fifty-three percent of respondents said the situation in Iraq did not merit war, while 43 percent said war was justified. When the same question was asked for Times polls in March and November, the numbers were precisely reversed.

But less than 20 percent said America should withdraw its troops within weeks, and 25 percent said the U.S. should set a deadline for pulling out.

"I never thought we should go to war in Iraq," said Anne Wardwell, a retired museum curator in Cleveland. "But I think we have to see it through, because if we don't, it is going to be a disaster in the region."

[link] posted @ 11:09 PM est [Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)]

Good

It never made any sense to begin with. I don't plan to vote for any Republicans this November.

AP: McCain Rejects Kerry's VP Overture

Kerry has asked McCain as recently as late last month to consider becoming his running mate, but the Arizona senator said he's not interested, said a Democratic official who spoke on condition of anonymity because Kerry has insisted that his deliberations be kept private. A second official familiar with the conversations confirmed the account, and said the Arizona senator made it clear he won't change his mind.

[link] posted @ 04:11 PM est [Comments (15) | TrackBack (1)]

Friends Like These

Vladimir Putin is giving Bush campaign advice. The ability to look in people's souls notwithstanding, I don't think having an autocratic, anti-democratic, former KGB, soviet-style leader of Russia vouch for you is the best endorsement one could wish for.

[link] posted @ 12:35 AM est [Comments (34) | TrackBack (0)]

June 10, 2004

Doubts About Bush

You have to wonder if it's a military bubble.

Economy Provides No Boost for Bush

"It all goes back to Iraq," said Steven Valerga, 50, a Republican in Martinez, Calif., who voted for Bush in 2000 but plans to vote for Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) in November. "It's a drain on the economy, when there's so much needed elsewhere. My gosh, we didn't need to be there."

War has usually been good for the economy in the short run, and this one appears no different. In the first three months of this year, defense work accounted for nearly 16 percent of the nation's economic growth, according to the Commerce Department.

But amid the car bombings, assassinations and continuing casualties, voters are generally pessimistic about the direction the nation is taking. Bush's negative ratings are rising not just on the economy but also on energy policy, foreign affairs and his handling of the prescription drug issue. Voters fixated on Iraq so far are not willing to see the improving economy through a positive prism, according to pollsters and Bush campaign aides.

[link] posted @ 12:38 PM est [Comments (35) | TrackBack (0)]

G8 Casual

"Hey guys, if we just go tieless, we won't look like we control the entire planet"

[link] posted @ 08:28 AM est [Comments (51) | TrackBack (0)]

Popular Wartime President

Voters Shift in Favor of Kerry

More than one-third of those questioned in the nationwide poll said they didn't know enough about Kerry to decide whether he would be a better president than Bush. And when asked which candidate was more likely to flip-flop on issues, almost twice as many named Kerry than Bush.

Yet Kerry led Bush by 51% to 44% nationally in a two-way matchup, and by 48% to 42% in a three-way race, with independent Ralph Nader drawing 4%.

Lifting Kerry is a powerful tailwind of dissatisfaction with the nation's course and Bush's answers for challenges at home and abroad. Nearly three-fifths believe the nation is on the wrong track, the highest level a Times poll has recorded during Bush's presidency.

Also, 56% said America "needs to move in a new direction" because Bush's policies have not improved the country. Just 39% say America is better off because of his agenda.

[link] posted @ 07:58 AM est [Comments (24) | TrackBack (0)]

June 09, 2004

Down Is Up. Literally.

U.S. Will Revise Data on Terror

When the most recent "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report was issued April 29, senior Bush administration officials immediately hailed it as objective proof that they were winning the war on terrorism. The report is considered the authoritative yardstick of the prevalence of terrorist activity around the world.

"Indeed, you will find in these pages clear evidence that we are prevailing in the fight" against global terrorism, Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage said during a celebratory rollout of the report.

But on Tuesday, State Department officials said they underreported the number of terrorist attacks in the tally for 2003, and added that they expected to release an updated version soon.

Several U.S. officials and terrorism experts familiar with that revision effort said the new report will show that the number of significant terrorist incidents increased last year, perhaps to its highest level in 20 years.

"It will change the numbers," said one State Department official who declined to comment further or be identified by name. "The incidents will go up, but I don't know by how many."

FLASHBACK: "HEY, MAYBE IT'S WORKING!"

[link] posted @ 12:42 PM est [Comments (23) | TrackBack (1)]

Sadr Watch

I keep hearing that we "won" in Najaf, though I don't understand how pulling out and negotitating with a guy we said was a wanted criminal equates to winning. Now here comes a story that says Sadr is more popular than ever.

Any doubts about al-Sadr's success were erased Saturday, when he was invited to meet with al Sistani, who in the past had sought to distance himself from the young cleric. Many saw the meeting as a stamp of legitimacy for al-Sadr, who's long been on the fringes of the political process.

But that's impossible. We gave the country back to the Iraqis, I saw it on tv.

MORE: Despite Agreement, Insurgents Rule Fallujah

[link] posted @ 11:20 AM est [Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)]

The Show @ The UN

It amazes me that some people actually buy this Iraqi handover and "transition". After the handover, we still run Iraq from our embassy there. The new government has no real power. The UN resolution doesn't provide for any extra troops in the field.

Not to mention:

06/09/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
06/08/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty
06/07/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty
06/07/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualties
06/07/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualties
06/07/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty

[link] posted @ 07:45 AM est [Comments (15) | TrackBack (2)]