Qatari diplomat who tried to smoke a cig in airplane bathroom, then joked about lighting his shoe on fire, was en route to visit Al Qaeda inmate

All one big coincidence, I'm sure, but Qatar had better fix this now. (And I'm sorry, but you try to smoke on a plane, you deserve to be shot by the air marshal, as far as I'm concerned). Read More......

GOP leaders meet in New Orleans, no mention of Katrina

From Ben Smith at Politico:

Five years after President Bush's failed response to a natural disaster in New Orleans deeply damaged his party's credibility and helped sweep them from power, top Republicans speaking to supporters in New Orleans tonight made no mention of Hurricane Katrina.

The series of speakers to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference at a Hilton conference center on the Mississippi River paid passing tribute to New Orleans' food, its culture, and its championship football team, but made no reference to the disaster still shadowing what Mary Matalin called a "vibrant city."

Matalin, Louisiana Party Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere, Liz Cheney, Former Rep. J.C. Watts, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich all spoke, and their speeches suggested that the Obama Administration is in the process of vindicating conservative ideals and his predecessor.

"Nothing makes people more convinced of the rightness of conservative causes than seeing the alternative in action," said Cheney.

Number of American cities lost by George Bush: 1
Number of American cities lost by Barack Obama: 0

Any questions? Read More......

SEIU starting third party in North Carolina

While it's good that a local SEIU is holding Dems accountable, they're doing it to protest Dems who voted against health care reform. That's fine, if they mean Dems who voted against the bill because it wasn't conservative enough (i.e., GOPers in disguise). If it also included Dems who wanted the President to keep his promise, I'd probably have some concerns about that. And while it's only in one state, it's still interesting. Read More......

Blogger Jonathan Singer wants to kill 500,000 Cossacks in the name of liberalism

I often wonder if modern conservatives believe America. Our system of government, two-party system, three branches, independent judiciary. Freedom of speech. Of religion. Of the press.

I remember back in college in the 80s, conservatives used to like to call Democrats "leftists" and suggest that Dems wanted to turn America into the Soviet Union. It was a tad deranged back then, but during the red scare, it was perhaps understandable.

Now with the Soviet Union twenty years into its grave, conservatives have returned to their craziest, anti-Soviet best - suggesting via their official propaganda organ, FOX "News", that the White House is full of Maoists. (What is a Maoist anyway? Seriously, ask ten conservatives what a Maoist is and I'll bet you get gibberish as an answer.) And today, one labeled a prominent liberal blogger, Jonathan Singer, a "Stalinist." Um, other than Jonathan wanting to killing 40m Russians in a famine, or take on Nazi German for a little winter diversion, what does that even mean?

I grew up Republican, but I didn't grow up labeling people Stalinists. That was crazy talk back then, and still is now. Of course, crazy is now in fashion in the GOP, from the racist and homophobic Teabaggers, to the contest between Palin and Bachmann for prettiest dingbat. Read More......

It's time for the ANC to stop singing violent songs

Thanks to the leadership of Nelson Mandela, South Africa managed to peacefully move from the apartheid regime to the democratic government. It's not hard to understand that hatreds can take a long time to overcome when you think about the history there. Compared to many other governments across the continent, South Africa has fared very well and has prospered. Attempts to diversify the economic benefits throughout the population have been slow which has led to considerable frustration. That said, it's probably a good time for the ANC to stop singing songs about killing white people or grabbing your machine gun.

The outside world already talks about the violence in South Africa and with the World Cup arriving quickly, having political leaders singing songs of violence is not going to improve the image. Then again, maybe the leadership doesn't care about the image. As I've said before, I spent a lot of time traveling throughout South Africa and never once had any issue with violence.

Tension between every group - black, white and Asian - was always obvious though. South Africa needs to start behaving like the fantastic country that it is and move forward. Besides, the "kill the white person" song is especially ridiculous coming from an ANC leader who was practically a baby when Mandela came to power. Maybe he feels like a tough guy singing it but for the rest of the world he looks silly. Think like Mandela and be bigger than the hatred.

South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) has told its members to refrain from singing the anti-apartheid struggle song "Shoot the Boer".

It comes amid rising racial tensions following the weekend murder of white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche.

His supporters have blamed ANC youth leader Julius Malema for inflaming the situation by singing the song.

The ANC's Gwede Mantashe said the death had no political motive but the song had contributed to racial polarisation.

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More on VA governor's racist snafu

From an opinion column in the Wash Post:

"There was a right side and a wrong side in the late war, which no sentiment ought to cause us to forget." -- Frederick Douglass, 1878. Although he acted only under severe pressure, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell was obviously right Wednesday afternoon to admit a major mistake, issue an apology and add a vital new paragraph clarifying his original proclamation of Confederate History Month. But the episode raises concerns about what McDonnell really believes and what Virginia's Republican Party stands for when it comes to the state's African Americans and other minorities. McDonnell (R) is still stuck with having made the astonishing blunder of issuing a formal statement Friday that effectively endorsed the South's cause in the Civil War. He didn't quite say it explicitly. But there was no other way to interpret it. The first paragraph said "the people of Virginia" joined the Confederacy in a war "for independence,” writes Robert McCartney.

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Best photo caption ever

From the Union Leader:

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Supreme Court allows 'excessive' retirement account fees

It's not much of a surprise, but it's also an opportunity for Obama and the Democrats to score a win. With Americans still angry about Wall Street profiting from their self-created failures, this could be a great way to reward the US public. Retirement account fees are all over the place but more often than not, excessive. Congress really needs to step in and do something that is fair for the public. (Go to www.brightscope.com for research into your own 401K plan.)

Last week, the Court reinforced an industry standard regarding "excessive" mutual fund fees from the 1980s. Some shareholder advocates say this ruling spark a new legal battle, including more litigation from investors who claim fund fees are too high.

Indeed, mutual fund and 401(k) fees can make a huge difference in your long term returns. A recent Charles Schwab study on 401(k) plans found 35 percent of employers are opting their employees into company retirement plans. But are they a good deal? Fee differences of just 1 percent can cut returns by 17 percent over a 20-year period, according to one government study.

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Qatar unrepentant about diplomat who tried to light up cig on US flight, then made crack about his shoe

Wash Post:

In a statement posted on the Embassy of Qatar's Web site, Ambassador Ali bin Fahad al-Hajri defended Madadi and said the incident resulted from a misunderstanding.

"This diplomat was traveling to Denver on official embassy business on my instructions, and he was certainly not engaged in any threatening activity," the statement said. "The facts will reveal that this was a mistake, and we urge all concerned parties to avoid reckless judgments or speculation."

The incident came three months after a Nigerian man trained by al-Qaeda attempted to blow up a flight to Detroit on Christmas Day using explosives hidden in his underwear. U.S. authorities have since ratcheted up security measures, including beefing up the air marshal ranks.

Reckless judgments? The ass tried to light up a cigarette on an airplane. Something that has been illegal since the early 90s, going on twenty years. Has he been living under a rock? And he lit it up in an aircraft bathroom, which is a fire hazard - airplane bathrooms are full of paper in a confined area.

What's reckless is for Qatar to be taking a holier than thou added about a government official who clearly screwed up on multiple levels. Regardless of what he said about his shoe - and it's still unclear what he did say about it - what the hell was this idiot doing smoking in an airplane bathroom? This is a diplomat? This is the best of the best of Qatar?

Considering the fact that the government of Qatar, rather than apologizing, is now defending this moron, perhaps he really is the best that country has to offer.

Here's what the Qatar ambassador to the US posted on his country's Web site - in all caps too, perhaps they really are stuck in the middle ages:

FROM THE AMBASSADOR OF THE STATE OF QATAR TO THE UNITED STATES, H.E. ALI BIN FAHAD AL-HAJRI

PRESS REPORTS TODAY REGARDING AN INCIDENT ABOARD A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT FROM WASHINGTON, DC TO DENVER, CO INDICATE THAT A QATARI DIPLOMAT WAS DETAINED FOR SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR. WE RESPECT THE NECESSITY OF SPECIAL SECURITY PRECAUTIONS INVOLVING AIR TRAVEL, BUT THIS DIPLOMAT WAS TRAVELING TO DENVER ON OFFICIAL EMBASSY BUSINESS ON MY INSTRUCTIONS, AND HE WAS CERTAINLY NOT ENGAGED IN ANY THREATENING ACTIVITY. THE FACTS WILL REVEAL THAT THIS WAS A MISTAKE, AND WE URGE ALL CONCERNED PARTIES TO AVOID RECKLESS JUDGMENTS OR SPECULATION.

No threatening activity? An Arab lighting a fire on an airplane. I'm not saying it SHOULD mater that he's Arab, I'm saying it DOES matter in terms of only making things worse. Absolutely tone deaf. Read More......

The Onion: Pope Vows To Get Church Pedophilia Down To Acceptable Levels

The Onion:

Calling the behavior shameful, sinful, and much more frequent than the Vatican was comfortable with, Pope Benedict XVI vowed this week to bring the widespread pedophilia within the Roman Catholic Church down to a more manageable level.

Addressing thousands gathered at St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, the pontiff offered his "most humble apologies" to abuse victims, and pledged to reduce the total number of molestations by 60 percent over the next five years.

"This is absolutely unacceptable," Pope Benedict said. "It seems a weakening of faith in God has prevented our priests from exercising moderation when sexually abusing helpless minors."

These senior officials will also have the authority to enforce harsh punishments for any clergy member violating his allotment of pedophilia.

"If a priest goes even one child over the limit, there will be hell to pay," said Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Bishops Giovanni Battista Re, explaining the Vatican's new "Three Strikes, You're Out Rule." "After the third offense, the offending priest will immediately be moved to another parish. This will give officials time to investigate the case, and will act as an effective deterrent since it usually takes months for priests to gain the trust of the new children."

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After intense criticism, VA's McDonnell now admits slavery was an issue in civil war

That rising star in the GOP, Virginia's Governor Bob McDonnell, continues to make national news over the fallout from his proclamation that April is "Confederate History Month." Apparently, the Governor finally talked to someone outside of his pro-Confederacy bubble because he's back-pedaling:

After a barrage of nationwide criticism for excluding slavery from his Confederate History Month proclamation, Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) on Wednesday conceded that it was "a major omission" and amended the document to acknowledge the state's complicated past.

A day earlier, McDonnell said he left out any reference to slavery in the original seven-paragraph proclamation because he wanted to include issues he thought were most "significant" to Virginia. He also said the document was designed to promote tourism in the state, which next year marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

However, Wednesday afternoon the governor issued a mea culpa for the document's exclusion of slavery. "The proclamation issued by this Office designating April as Confederate History Month contained a major omission," McDonnell said in a statement. "The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed."

McDonnell has cemented his legacy as the guy who brought back the celebration of the confederacy. Maybe that will help him in GOP politics. But, it's basically been a disaster. Read More......

Thursday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

In Prague today, President Obama signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) Treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. From Obama's statement:

It includes significant reductions in the nuclear weapons that we will deploy. It cuts our delivery vehicles by roughly half. It includes a comprehensive verification regime, which allows us to further build trust. It enables both sides the flexibility to protect our security, as well as America’s unwavering commitment to the security of our European allies. And I look forward to working with the United States Senate to achieve ratification of this important Treaty later this year.

Both the Russian Parliament and U.S. Senate have to ratify the treaty. In the Senate, that requires 67 votes. I just heard NPR's Mara Liaisson say that will be tough because there are "only" 59 Democrats in the Senate. "Only" 59.

Next week, there's going to be a gathering of world leaders from 47 countries here in DC to discuss a strategy to keep nuclear weapons and materials out of the hands of terrorists.

Also next week, Congress returns from its two week recess. It's going to be interesting to see how fired up -- or not -- the Democrats, particularly in the Senate, are going to be to take on more big issues. Health insurance reform sucked up most of the calendar. There's going to be a lot of jockeying to see what gets attention next. And, all of this will play out against the backdrop of the midterm elections. It should make for some wild times on Capitol Hill... Read More......

Kyrgyzstan in chaos as president flees capital

The opposition is claiming to have control after a day of violence that left many dead. The president - who has fled - previously came to power after a previous revolt though the issues appear to be similar to what brought him to power. Complaints of nepotism, corruption and authoritarianism have been driving the events. From a US perspective this may present challenges as the US uses bases in Kyrgyzstan to supply the effort in Afghanistan.

For now, it's an interim government.

The opposition in Kyrgyzstan says it is setting up a "people's government" after deadly clashes left some 65 dead.

Ex-Foreign Minister Roza Otunbayeva told the BBC that new defence and interior ministers had been appointed.

The opposition says President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has left the capital, Bishkek, to rally support in his home region of Jalalabad. This has not been confirmed.

There has been no word from Mr Bakiyev since violent clashes spread to the capital on Wednesday.

The scene in Bishkek on Thursday morning was calm, with the opposition apparently in control of the government headquarters.

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Founder of Tory gay group will vote Labour

Did anyone really think the recent talk by the Tories was for real? There are plenty of bigots left in that party and plenty of issues where they are trying to act like modern human beings, though the knuckle-draggers within are emerging. The Independent:

The founder of the Conservative Party's biggest group campaigning for gay rights has said she will now vote Labour at the general election after David Cameron failed to reprimand a Shadow Cabinet member for questioning gay rights.

Anastasia Beaumont-Bott, the first chairman of the LGBTory group, said she felt guilty for having told gay voters to back the Tories in the past after Chris Grayling, the shadow Home Secretary, said he believed bed and breakfast owners should have the right to ban gay couples from staying in their property. She called on the Tory leader to dismiss Mr Grayling. So far, Mr Cameron has refused to take any action against him.

"I feel guilty because as a gay woman affected by LGBT rights I am on record saying you should vote Conservative, and I want to reverse that," she said. "I want to go on record to say don't vote Conservative. I'd go as far to say that I'll vote Labour at this general election." The endorsement for Labour from Ms Beaumont-Bott, 20, will be an embarrassment for the Tories. She had been picked out as one of the faces of Mr Cameron's young, modern Conservatives for her work in promoting gay rights within the party.

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