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Monday, December 31, 2007
It's the Mel Brooks line
By VictorM:Michael Bloomberg is seriously considering a run at the White House as an independent. Of course, he would end partisanship, corruption, and the common cold. Sure. Just like the current "uniter" united us and gave us compassionate conservatism.
So what's behind Bloomberg's contemplation and groups trying to recruit him to run a "government of national unity" (boy, these guys are good with slogans)? Well, of course, ending gridlock in Washington. And what gridlock are we talking about? Open Left has a pretty good opinion about that:
This is because, over the last five years, Democrats in Congress have only blocked the following pieces of legislation:
Given that these are the only conservative pieces of legislation that Democrats in Congress have blocked in the past five years, one must assume that a "government of national unity" means a government that will confirmation 100% of all conservative judges, the destruction of social security, retroactive immunity of telecom companies, and the mass deportation of twelve million people. If this third-party did not favor these things, then there would be absolutely no need to form "a government of national unity." Those four things are the sum total of what Democrats in Congress have prevented Republicans from passing, and thus are the entirety of what Democrats have contributed to "gridlock in Washington." Every other reform has been blocked by Republicans.
- Three conservative judges (out of several dozen)
- Privatization of Social Security
- Retroactive immunity for telecom companies in the warrantless spying program.
- Legislation to deport millions of illegal aliens
If Open Left is right, why not just back a current Republican since each of them would support those four things? Ah yes... because they are all idiots. And why would Bloomberg run? Mel Brooks said it best: "It's good to be the king."
Reminder for 2008
By VictorM:Back in March, Steve Benen posted this:
We must not allow bygones to be bygone.I have a hard time forgiving and forgetting. But every time I hear conservative argue that we should “get over it,” I’m reminded of why I continue to harbor grudges.
Republicans threw the political world into turmoil in 1998 by launching an impeachment crusade against Bill Clinton. It was an absurd and painful exercise. Those of us who are still annoyed by the fight are supposed to “get over it.”
In 2000, Republicans orchestrated a massive fraud in Florida, and, with the help of the Supreme Court, delivered the presidency to the candidate who came in second. Those of us who harbor resentment are told we should “get over it.”
Bush failed to take the terrorist threat seriously before 9/11? “Get over it.” Bush launched a disastrous war? “Get over it.” Bush is rewarding those who helped smear a war hero with a vicious lie? “Get over it.”
It’s not enough for the GOP and its allies to engage in offensive conduct; they also insist, after a short while, that we stop being bothered by it...
... Let’s not bicker and argue about who unnecessarily impeached whom, or who stole which election, or who was responsible for which foreign policy catastrophe, or who viciously smeared whom to win an election. The important thing is that we all “get over it” and look forward. After all, it’s wrong to hold a grudge, right?
Maybe it’s just me, but I find it practically impossible to just let bygones be bygones.
Bill Kristol? Get Real!
By VictorM:Back in the days when I used to watch political TV shows, I always thought that Bill Kristol was a complete waste as a pundit. It's not that I need to agree with anyone's views, but he sounded bumbling with his words, didn't express coherent thoughts, and lacked any sense of humor or wit. Really, I never understood what he had to offer.
Now, the New York Times is making him an opinion columnist. Get freaking real! Why on Earth? Is the pool of conservatives so weak that they couldn't find anyone better? OK, dumb question. The truth is that to be a "good" conservative columnist today you need to be either dumb or a liar. With Kristol, the New York Times gets both!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Another little sign of soccer's progress
By VictorM:I wouldn't call King Kaufman, the sports columnists for Salon.com, a soccer basher but his dislike for the sport has been very evident over the years. Just like most columnist of his ilk, he can't write a paragraph about the sport without putting in a dig of some sort.
In a recent column he reviews the year in sports over 4 web pages. The next to last paragraph says:
"A minor league in international terms?" I don't know how he arrived at that, unless he considers any league other than the big four (England, Spain, Italy, and Germany) minor as well. MLS has a higher attendance average than Brazil and is very close to Argentina's top league. Sure, MLS's caliber of play is still nowhere near these top leagues, but what criteria did he use to arrive at the "minor" in international terms and why choose to characterize the league that way instead of using terms like "expanding", "improving", "growing"? After all, a league where the entry fee for a new franchise goes from 20 million to 40 million over a few years is doing something right, something above "minor".David Beckham, the 32-year-old metrosexual icon soccer player, left Real Madrid after it won the 2006-07 La Liga championship and joined the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, a minor league in international terms. The American soccer league hoped the aging English star would raise its profile both internationally and among American sports fans, but while Beckham was a merchandising smash, he didn't amount to much on the pitch, missing significant playing time with injuries.
He also has this other line:
In more significant soccer news -- except on these shores -- AC Milan beat Liverpool 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League Final.Why add "except on these shores"? This has the same flavor as Chevy Chase's line from SNL news skit: "This breaking news just in, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead!"
If he was serious about reporting soccer events on these shores, why not mention the USA winning the Gold Cup by defeating Mexico, with a come from behind stunning goal late in the game in front of over 60,000 at Soldier Field in Chicago? Or LA Galaxy, with David Beckham, visiting the New York Red Bulls and playing an instant classic 5-4 thriller in front of over 66,000? Or that David Beckham "boasts the best-selling jersey in America, topping sales of jerseys belonging to Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning"?
Oh never mind. The question is: why am I writing about what really are two very innocuous comments by a sports writer? It appear that I am nitpicking, doesn't it? But that's part of my whole point here: even when they still can't resist inserting their digs in, soccer "critics" (being polite here) are starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find something negative to say about the world's sport. Based on his previous work, that King Kaufman even mentioned soccer twice, with no negative comments of significance, and used the word "pitch," that's progress.
Be careful King, like the rest of the country, you're even starting to speak proper football lingo.
No yellow card for you.
Conservatism and projection
By VictorM:A few days ago I quoted a post from a right-winger claiming liberals hate George Bush. And on his blog, Kevin Drum quotes a letter from a conservative claiming that "today's Democratic Party cannot bring itself to transcend its anger. That is why Hillary will survive the Obama insurgency." Clearly, these folks continue to look beyond the true reasons for liberals pushing for change.
As Kevin Drum quite rightly points out, this is another example of projection by conservatives:
Conservatives tend to be so blinded by their hatred for Hillary that they're convinced that her liberal supporters are also motivated by hatred. But they aren't. Among activist liberals, Hillary is mostly viewed as as smart and hardworking, but also triangulating and mainstream. She's the candidate of caution and moderation, not the candidate of the haters. The anti-Clinton fever swamp protests too much.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Brooms and stones
By VictorM:I don't know about you, but when I first read this story, my first thought was a Monty Python skit:
Brooms and stones? Vicious feuds? So much for Peace on Earth and Good Will fantasy.BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- Robed Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests went at each other with brooms and stones inside the Church of the Nativity on Thursday as long-standing rivalries erupted in violence during holiday cleaning.
The basilica, built over the grotto in Bethlehem where Christians believe Jesus was born, is administered jointly by Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic authorities. Any perceived encroachment on one group's turf can set off vicious feuds.
This is one case where I think right wingers' preferred solution to every social problem would work -- give all the priests guns! Sure, it may get messy the first couple times around in a Robert Rodriguez sorta way, but the last group standing would not have to get involved in vicious feuds using brooms and stones again. And the losers? Well, they'd be in paradise, so really, you can't call them losers. It's a win-win situation.
PS. The above comment meant in a Monty Python sorta way.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Idiot of the day: PoliPundit
By VictorM:It is one thing to have completely difference opinions on issues, including global warming, but it's another to be a complete idiot. And that's what we have here, an idiot with a popular blog (I guess some folks like their hyperbole really stupid):
On Christmas Day, Denver gets hit with a RECORD SNOWFALL, breaking a 113 year record...But enough smart people read this idiot's blog and shot obvious holes in this logic:If the enviro-wacko’s just stayed with the impending doom of Global Cooling in the 70’s, they would be right on track. But of course they reversed themselves and ran with the Global Warming scare just like they did in 1935, when they reversed themselves again from a Global Cooling scare in 1924!!
Anyone remember the burning a hole in the Ozone Layer from the 80’s because of the big hair spray cans ? How’d that work out ?
Actually, record snowfall could, indeed, be a sign of global warming.
You see, very cold air has very little moisture in it, so it’s rare to have huge snowfall amounts when the temperature is very cold. Huge snowfalls tend to occur at relatively warmer temperatures...
“Global Warming”Notice that first word? What this means is that the average temperature of the entire planet is rising. This fact is not in dispute by anyone with half a brain, as you can look at the data for yourself. Record snowfall in Timbuktu doesn’t make one whit of difference to the whole planet.
There is a hole in the ozone layer. You can read about it at:
Its growth has been significantly slowed due to – get this – an international treaty to phase out the chemicals that damage the ozone. You can read about the Montreal Protocol here: http://ozone.unep.org/.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Benazir Bhutto and American politicians
By VictorM:The assassination of Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan has brought out some shameful statements from several presidential candidates from both parties. Please people, get real! You're sinking way lower than you need to.
Paul Krugman summarizes my thoughts on this very succinctly:
To all the presidential campaigns trying to claim that the atrocity in Pakistan somehow proves that they have the right candidate — please stop.
This isn’t about you; in fact, as far as I can tell, it isn’t about America. It’s about the fact that Pakistan is a very messed-up place. This has very bad consequences for us, but it’s hard to see what, if anything, it says about US policy.
Movie Review: Charlie Wilson's War
By VictorM:Over the years I have seen both the Carter and Reagan's administrations take credit for helping the Mujahidin in Afghanistan defeat the Soviet Union invasion of that country. In all these years I never heard of Charlie Wilson and his contributions to that cause.
Based on a true story -- how loosely based I don't know -- this movie tells the story of how it was Charlie Wilson a Congressman from Texas, not Carter or Reagan, who had anything to do with the fall of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. In fact, the movie leads us to believe that neither of the administrations did much, other than talk, about defeating the Soviets.
In the absence of enough intrigue to make this a suspenseful, serious movie, the script by Aaron Sorkin (of West Wing fame) turned the story into political satire that works wonderfully well, considering where we are today in Afghanistan and its offshoot, Iraq.
The movie moves along very smoothly, powered by a script that makes the most of the story, a cast that is top notch and fun to watch, a direction that moves along at a fine pace, some very nice comedic touches, a glimpse at how Congress works (or doesn't, depending on your point of view), and a linkage to events of the last several years that is hard to miss.
Tags: Charlie Wilson's War, movie, movie review
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Idiot of the day: Dr. Sanity
By VictorM:Boy, talk about an inappropriately named blog... anyway, Dr. Sanity and his blog covering a make-believe world of hate and stupidity, has this idiotic post:
The Democrats--and in particular, their leftist base--are more concerned with their hatred of George Bush and they will never, ever admit that any policy promoted by him and his administration could possibly be working. Instead, they have all hitched their political wagon to a precipitously falling star and remain, even now, heavily emotionally invested in failure in Iraq.Dr. Sanity, you would hate George Bush's policies too if only you loved America instead of being enamored with an abusive, authoritarian, and narrow-minded regime. If anyone has hitched themselves to failure it has been you by defending a president whose first success is still "around the corner" and will "work in the next six months", as has been promised for years. And the heavily emotional investment I feel about Iraq is because I hate to see our great nation become a bully involved in a criminal and bloody occupation of choice where success is not a possibility; we can leave or we can stay, but we can't win!
Myths about Iraq
By VictorM:Professor Juan Cole has an outstanding post on his blog listing 10 myths about Iraq. I've selected two myths to post here but do yourself a favor and go read all 10:
6. Myth: The US overthrow of the Baath regime and military occupation of Iraq has helped liberate Iraqi women. Fact: Iraqi women have suffered significant reversals of status, ability to circulate freely, and economic situation under the Bush administration.
2. Myth: Iraq has been "calm" in fall of 2007 and the Iraqi public, despite some grumbling, is not eager for the US to depart. Fact: in the past 6 weeks, there have been an average of 600 attacks a month, or 20 a day, which has held steady since the beginning of November. About 600 civilians are being killed in direct political violence per month, but that number excludes deaths of soldiers and police. Across the board, Iraqis believe that their conflicts are mainly caused by the US military presence and they are eager for it to end.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Please tell me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus?
By Cecil Adams:to believe in Santa Claus is to believe in magic. The belief in magic in many respects is a pernicious thing. Because of it you've got countless multitudes thinking that aliens abduct people, that Elvis is alive, that you can earn big money stuffing envelopes in your home, and that the TV preacher can cure you if you send him 50 bucks. A certain class of persons, of whom your columnist is one, will go through their lives attempting to extinguish these foolish hopes. No doubt in the main it is good that we do so. But even the sternest among us remembers the wonder we felt as children to think there was a force having a kindly interest in us that wasn't bound by the rules of this drab world. Wherefore if there's someone who's going to say flat out that Santa Claus doesn't exist, it's not going to be me.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas
By VictorM:I hope I'm not being a gullible man, but I'm convinced one of sanantonerose's favorite SNL skits is exactly how Australians celebrate Christmas.
Whether or not you believe in the Christmas Kangaroo, Santa Claus, or Bill O'Reilly, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
Two too many
By VictorM:During the Republican debate when that question was asked, Ron Paul didn't raise his hand as someone who didn't believe in evolution, but this answer to that question means he should have:
I think it’s a theory, theory of evolution, and I don’t accept it, you know, as a theory…. I just don’t think we’re at a point where anybody has absolute proof, on either side.I echo this sentiment:
Yes, in 2007, 10 Republicans were running for president, and four of them reject modern biology... At this point, only two of the remaining seven Republican presidential candidates (Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul) refuse to accept the cornerstone of modern biology, but that’s two too many.
State of the unions
By VictorM:Paul Krugman on labor unions:
Once upon a time, back when America had a strong middle class, it also had a strong union movement.
These two facts were connected. Unions negotiated good wages and benefits for their workers, gains that often ended up being matched even by nonunion employers. They also provided an important counterbalance to the political influence of corporations and the economic elite...
It’s often assumed that the U.S. labor movement died a natural death, that it was made obsolete by globalization and technological change. But what really happened is that beginning in the 1970s, corporate America, which had previously had a largely cooperative relationship with unions, in effect declared war on organized labor.
I have no doubt there is a lot of truth to what Mr. Krugman says, but from my point of view, as someone who worked in places with labor unions and lived thought their high point of influence, there are other reasons for the current state of labor unions in America, among them: the close connection between many labor unions and organized crime, and the strict enforcement of rules at the work place that made working at these places a heaven for lazy people.
Don't get me wrong: I think labor unions have, and should continue, to play a major role in American life, but we need to learn from what they did wrong and make adjustments before we expect them to return to prominence.
Santa's House
By VictorM:I know you want nothing more than politics and Christmas to mix on this day. So here's your wish:
At a campaign stop in New Hampshire Thursday night, a guy in a Santa hat asked Barack Obama about global warming. The candidate's is-that-idle-talk-or-a-hint-about-an-endorsement response: "I talk to Al Gore about every three weeks, and we're going to make sure that your home at the North Pole is still available to you."Maybe when Barack says social security is in crisis, he means it the same way he meant this Santa's house!
Friday, December 21, 2007
A symbol of mockery and contempt
By VictorM:A few days ago I had a post about Baris Kaska, a Turkish lawyer who was offended by the jerseys that the Inter Milan soccer team used. He claimed that the jerseys were reminiscent of the crusades and offensive to Muslims.
Here's another take on that incident:
If you type Baris Kaska into a search engine, you will quickly stumble across a litany of unpleasant, far-right websites where the story is used as another stick with which to beat Islam. And there, time and again, you will find contributors to the 'discussion' asking where they can get their hands on the shirt, to display their God-fearing, homespun Christianity. And so the shirt becomes a symbol of mockery and contempt after all.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Ron Paul has balls
By VictorM:I'm not a fan of Ron Paul but I wish other candidates had the balls and common sense exhibited by his campaign about dealing with donations from undesirables:
This should be standard procedure for handling money from people such as this creep: keep the money and tell them to go take a hike.A white supremacist named Don Black, who runs the prominent hate Web site Stormfront, donated $500 to Paul's campaign recently. Jesse Benton, Paul's spokesman, says that despite Black's views, the campaign won't give the donation back, as other campaigns in this situation might have. "If someone with small ideologies happens to contribute money to Ron, thinking he can influence Ron in any way, he's wasted his money," the Associated Press quotes Benton as saying. "And that's $500 less that this guy has to do whatever it is that he does."
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Literalist style of biblical interpretation
By VictorM:Mike Huckabee scares me. One good explanation to worry about him is this answer by John Haught from an interview with Salon.com:
It is the possibility of having a "literalist style of biblical interpretation" president that I find disturbing. I believe other candidates such as McCain, Giuliani, and even Romney, as bad they are, can be persuaded more so than a man like Huckabee who deals in absolutes. To men like Huckabee, those who disagree with him on certain issues are not just people entitled to their own opinions or ways of life. A president's bully pulpit is a powerful tool to preach against the ways of Muslims, homosexuals, atheists, scientists, and any other group that the bible isn't too keen on, or so perceived by a man like Huckabee. I believe he would make use of such a tool. As a "Christian leader" he would be remiss not to.The debate over evolution has entered the presidential campaign. Mike Huckabee, the former evangelical pastor, calls himself a "Christian leader" and says intelligent design should be one of the theories taught in public schools. But he says his personal views about evolution don't matter because education is a matter for states to decide. Should we be alarmed by his comments?
I think so. To admit that he "personally" rejects evolution may sound harmless enough at first sight. But when any Christians reject evolution these days, one may presume that they usually, though not always, do so on the basis of a literalist style of biblical interpretation. It's this that concerns me. Combined with the principle of private interpretation of Scripture, biblical literalism can end up short-circuiting the process of public debate, justifying almost any domestic and international policies one finds convenient. I don't know for sure that this is the case with Huckabee, but I'm still worried.
PS. If you like atheist vs faith kind of discussions, this is a really good interview to read.
Huckabee: Number One
By VictorM:What's with the Number 1 to the left? That's my declaration that Mike Huckabee is the USA's Public Enemy Number One.
This article in Mother Jones gives us a good glimpse into this man, including many quotes from his 1998 book, Kids Who Kill:
Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, was hit with questions regarding his past remarks and positions on religion (in 1998 he said, "I hope we...take this nation back for Christ"), on AIDS (in 1992 he proposed that people with the disease be quarantined), and on the role of women in society (in 1998 he endorsed an ad affirming the Baptist teaching that a "wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband"). And Huckabee was obviously trying to come across as a friendly and reasonable fundamentalist who eschewed the politics of division.Remember the "compassionate conservatism" of George Bush? That was a ruse just as Huckabee's "friendly and reasonable fundamentalism" is now. But while I always felt Bush used religion to move his agenda, Huckabee's religion moves his agenda. And that's a far scarier proposition to me.
Kids Who Kill presented a black-and-white perspective: environmentalists, homosexuals, civil libertarians, supporters of social programs, advocates of workplace equality, and nonbelievers are on the dark side and allied with the forces of decline; people who believe in the Bible are the decent Americans.Jesus! Gotta keep this religious fanatic from the White House.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Brazilian magic pill
By VictorM:The winners of FIFA's 2007 World Player of the Year Awards for the best footballers in the world were announced. To no one's surprise, the winners were Kaka (male) and Marta (female). Both are Brazilian.
So what magic pill to Brazilians swallow that makes so many of them so dominant in the world's most popular sport? Well, I'm sure this dominance includes a lot factors, but in my little mind it comes down to one thing: Brazilian coaches and youth programs are not afraid to let the kids develop a little thing called "skill"! Give me players who have stamina, tactical vision, and SKILL, and you have world beaters.
So next time your little league coach focuses too much on his team winning, nutmeg him a little too high, if you know what I mean. Let the kids play with their heel, the outside of the foot, and learn to be on a first name with the ball. If they don't, our kids might grow-up to like the *gulp* English (save a few)!
Another step away from barbarism
By VictorM:The good people in New Jersey are helping the USA take another step away from the barbaric nation that some want us to become. There will be a day when the whole country abolishes the death penalty, but for now, I rejoice in New Jersey's decision:
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine plans to sign a historic bill on Monday, outlawing the death penalty. The New Jersey state legislature this week became the nation's first legislative body to vote to outlaw executions since the Supreme Court re-opened the door to capital punishment in this country in 1976...The article goes on to give some details about the reasons why NJ is doing this. But for me, there's no point to enumerate the reasons. "It's vengeance, it's not justice" is all I need to know.
Eddie Hicks doesn't believe in the death penalty. Not even for his daughter's killer.
"For one thing, it won't bring my daughter back," Hicks says.
Jamila was shot dead seven years ago by a man in a fight with her brother. For Hicks, a life sentence would be true justice...
"It's vengeance, it's not justice," Eddie Hicks says.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Republicans sway with the leader
By VictorM:For the last decade or so we have seen the Republican party and its followers do anything to win. It seems that they first find out what their candidates are for and that's what they're for.
Take the current candidacy of Rudy Giuliani. This Washington Post article praises the former mayors political survival:
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani has defied political gravity. At odds with the majority of his party on abortion, guns and gays, he has nonetheless led in national polls all year.Some may want to give credit to the Giuliani for being high on the polls, but his post 9/11 popularity, name recognition, and more 9/11 recognition, made him seem a formidable force against the Democrats in 2008, and voila, as such his positions on the issues that have been the bread and better of Republican politics seemed to no longer matter.
Rudy is already in decline from those earlier days but it wasn't his position on the issues that have produced that result. In fact, despite switching many positions on the issues to accommodate the loonier side of the party, his numbers are still declining. Why? Because in head-to-head matches Rudy gets beaten by any of the three major Democrats. So, the nutty base is looking for another possible winner and they will change their beliefs to agree with whomever they think that person his (Huckabee this week).
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Submimanilal
By VictorM:A decrease in violence in Iraq has some on the right all giddy about the possible outcome of US involvement in that country. As they have done all along, since before the invasion even begun, they are wrong, over-simplifying, and ignoring facts.
There are many takes about the reasons for the decrease in deaths, and this view is as plausible as any:
The Sunni Arabs of Iraq turned against al Qa'ida partly because it tried to monopolise power but primarily because it brought their community close to catastrophe. The Sunni war against US occupation had gone surprisingly well for them since it began in 2003. It was a second war, the one against the Shia majority led by al-Qa'ida, which the Sunni were losing, with disastrous results for themselves. "The Sunni people now think they cannot fight two wars - against the occupation and the government - at the same time," a Sunni friend in Baghdad told me last week. "We must be more realistic and accept the occupation for the moment."The key words are "for the moment". That implies the Sunnis will wait and see what the political outcome is and what their role in the government will be. An additional easy-to-understand explanation for the respite is that they will wait out the decrease in the level of troops because they know that no matter who the US president is, the US cannot maintain the level of troops currently in Iraq. Better to hunker down and wait till the situation is more favorable.
The likelihood of the Sunnis and Shia both being satisfied with a political outcome as long as George Bush is involved is as good as he ever pronouncing the word "subliminal" correctly.
Friday, December 14, 2007
David Beckham: more tantrums than talent?
By Laurie:Ladies and gentlemen, meet David Beckham. The new
The most humorous part of this photo is that it has caused quite a stir in England, with one Daily Mail columnist saying it epitomizes the fact that "Greedy, vulgar, tacky Beckham is narcissism made flesh… an icon for an age in which fame and fortune is all.... As a sportsman, Beckham was always narcissistic, as famous for his hairstyles as his goals; more tantrums than talent."...
it’s frustrating for me to see him summed up this way. After a year of studying him, I’ve gotten the feeling he is, at heart, a decent person. That if he’d been pulled toward social awareness instead of materialism, he would have embraced it just as wholeheartedly. And there’s still a chance he may. He’s only 32.
But it is pretty humorous to seen him ripped apart by a British tabloid. Kind of like listening to Dr. Frankenstein carry on about what a horrible creature that monster is. Because what might Beckham be like if it not for the tabloids that created “Posh and Becks”?
But perhaps that’s a bit too deep for the Daily Mail.
You hurt my feelings
By VictorM:Get out of bed any morning and you're bound to be insulting someone (in their minds). The latest comes from a Turkish lawyer who claims that the jerseys worn by Inter Milan's football (soccer) team reminded him of the Crusades and as a result he "felt profound grief in my soul.”
Inter Milan says that they purposely did not wear that jersey when they played in Turkey, but felt that they had the right to wear it at home in Milan.
And the explanation for Inter Milan's jersey design?
Inter officials also pointed out that a red cross on a white background is the symbol of the city of Milan. Many Italian football clubs incorporated the cross on their shirts, including Inter, founded in Milan in 1908.... Inter officials said Uefa [European Federation] had approved the new Inter strip at the start of the season, and the Turkish club had also accepted it before last month’s game.By the way, Inter beat the Turkish team 3-0. So, and in addition to punitive damages, the lawyer also wants the game annulled.
Somehow, I smell a sore loser more than someone suffering from the feeling of “Western racist superiority over Islam.”
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Lawyer of the Year
By VictorM:A magazine published by the American Bar Association named Alberto "Abu" Gonzales, the pathetic former US Attorney General, as its "Lawyer of the Year". Needless to say, I thought these people had lost their minds, but then I read this quote justifying his selection:
The monthly magazine gave the awards to lawyers who made the most news, said editor and publisher Edward A. Adams.So... let me see: Hitler, Stalin, Gonzales... OK. If that's the logic, no complaint from me.
"Think about Time magazine's Person of the Year," Adams said in an interview. "In years past they've named people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin. So we're not suggesting by these awards that these are the best lawyers in any sense of the word. We are saying they are the most newsworthy — and perhaps also the best."
A nation of complete blithering morons
By TPM visitor gcs, commenting on the duels between Republican presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, as they bicker over their religious, and other, beliefs:I cannot believe that in this country, in the year 2007 we are allowing this absolute utter bullshit to infect a presidential campaign.
I mean come on. That anyone at all can possibly take seriously candidates who believe in magic underwear, think Native Americans are a lost tribe of Israel, believe in magic gold books no one could see, polygamy, trace their family roots back to Adam and Eve, believe the earth is 6,000 years old, question evolution, and on and on.
Seriously. Is this what we've become? A nation of complete blithering morons who'd rather believe in fairy tales and lies because it's easier than fixing the problems we have?
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Pope: the wrong messanger
By Oliver Willis:Conservatives are trumpeting this attack on climate science from Pope Benedict saying we should slow down on dealing with the problem. The Pope is free to say what he wishes, but people like myself are also free to note that the Pope also thought the Catholic church should slow down on rooting out child rapists. So, there's that.
It is times like this that I'm glad that I'm not tied in to any of these official churches and their inevitably flawed human leadership.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Top Ten Bushisms
By VictorM:10. "And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it." --interview on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007
7. "Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit." --addressing Australian Prime Minister John Howard at the APEC Summit. Later, in the same speech: "As John Howard accurately noted when he went to thank the Austrian troops there last year..." --referring to Australian troops as "Austrian troops," Sept. 7, 2007
Messy business of politics
By Tim Grieve:What congressional Democrats are telling George W. Bush: If you'll just agree to $11 billion or so in extra domestic spending we'd like, we'll give you a bill that should fund the war in Iraq through April with no strings attached.
What MoveOn is telling the Democratic presidential candidates: If you're serious about bringing the troops home from Iraq, how about actually filibustering any defense appropriations bill that includes money for the war without a timeline for ending it?
What John Edwards might be telling himself: It's a good day to be a former U.S. senator running against a handful of current ones.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
The Romney speech, shorter version
By Faithful Progressive:"I may be a Mormon but I like Jesus and I am a proud member of the Religious Right. This means that I hold a revisionist view of American history that waters down the importance of the wall between church and state to both freedom of conscience and to religious liberty. I do not respect people who do not have a rigid faith. Tear down that wall, Mr. Secularist. I have learned nothing from the debacle in Iraq, and like the neo-cons, project the American experience of religious liberty to other cultures where religion and politics do not mix without violence. Secularism is always bad; religion is always a force for good--everywhere and all times. A vote for me is a vote for the religious right even if a lot of them would condemn me to hell. God Bless America."
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Huckabee's cover up attempt
By Steve Benen:It's as if politicians never learn. The old Watergate adage, "It's not the crime; it's the cover-up" became a cliche precisely because of its political salience. And yet, even now, leading Republican presidential candidates seem oblivious to the lesson...
In Mike Huckabee's case, the Wayne Dumond controversy is part of the same phenomenon. Huckabee, for apparently political reasons, pushed for the release of a convicted rapist, who had become a right-wing cause celebre. Free, Dumond went on to rape and kill again...
First, Huckabee insisted that he had no way of knowing that Dumond was still dangerous when he pushed for his freedom. That wasn't true. Second, Huckabee insisted that he did not pressure Arkansas' parole board to release Dumond. As it turns out, that's demonstrably false, too.
Huckabee had a chance to tell the truth and get this painful ordeal behind him. Unfortunately for him, he made the wrong call. The cover-up may not be worse than the crime, but the political impact is likely to be far more damaging.
Tags: mike huckabee, wayne dumond, cover-up, rapistTorture Video Tapes Trifecta
By Kevin Drum:[I]n 2005, despite earlier warnings from Congress, the White House, and the Justice Department, the CIA destroyed two videotaped interrogations of al-Qaeda operatives who had been captured shortly after 9/11. Why? CIA director Michael Hayden says the tapes were destroyed because of fears that they might leak and give away the identity of CIA interrogators, but that's an excuse so thin that I hesitate to even call it laughable. In fact, the decision was made just as questions were starting to be raised about the torture of CIA prisoners, and the tapes were almost certainly destroyed for fear that they'd be subpoenaed and it would become clear just how harsh our "harsh interrogation" measures really were...
So here's what the tapes would have shown: not just that we had brutally tortured an al-Qaeda operative, but that we had brutally tortured an al-Qaeda operative who was (a) unimportant and low-ranking, (b) mentally unstable, (c) had no useful information, and (d) eventually spewed out an endless series of worthless, fantastical "confessions" under duress. This was all prompted by the president of the United States, implemented by the director of the CIA, and the end result was thousands of wasted man hours by intelligence and and law enforcement personnel.
Nice trifecta there. And just think: there's an entire political party in this country that still thinks this is OK.
Friday, December 07, 2007
One sucker at a time
By VictorM:I have not made up my mind which Democratic nominee I'll support during the primaries, but it seems Hillary Clinton might get a rather unexpected endorsement:
The one-time other woman in Hillary Rodham Clinton's life says she's considering casting her vote for the former first lady. "I can't help but want to support my own gender, and she's as experienced as any of the others -- except maybe Joe Biden."One sucker down, 50 million to go!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Republicans: War is the only option
By Howard Dean, via e-mail:For the past few months, the Bush Administration exploited the fears of Americans to make their case against Iran. Just a few weeks ago, the President said "I believe they want to have the capacity, the knowledge, in order to make a nuclear weapon."
This week, 16 U.S. intelligence agencies published a report that "in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program." Turns out the White House was aware of this shocking assessment for a few months, but reportedly worked to delay its public release.
Distortions and manipulation to promote a narrow ideological agenda is nothing new to the Bush Administration -- it's how they misled us into Iraq. This is the worst kind of leadership: a dishonest appeal our base emotions.
Iran may pose a threat, but misleading the American people is not the way to deal with it. All of the Democratic candidates have said that we need to have all options on the table when dealing with Iran -- Republicans seem to only consider war.
Illegal from the start
By Walter Cronkite and David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation:The invasion of Iraq was illegal from the start. Not only was Congress lied to in order to secure its support for the invasion of Iraq, but the war lacked the support of the United Nations Security Council and thus was an aggressive war initiated on the false pretenses of weapons of mass destruc