Speak Easy

How controversial can a pizza party be?

2007-03-01T14:46:00.000-05:00

When John Ashcroft is involved, anything and everything becomes suspect.

The former Attorney General hosted a pizza party and invited his former employees. The only problem (besides the fact that he is hosting a lame pizza party as if this were his 11th birthday and he needed help from the hired clown to blow out the candles) is that Ashcroft is now a lobbyist. And lobbyists are just not supposed to host parties (even dumb ones) for government officials.

LINK

I wonder if the soaring eagle-lover will perform?

Convicted Felon (and former Republican Congressman) Bob Ney Goes to Prison

2007-03-01T14:23:00.000-05:00

Bob Ney (R-OH) is going to prison today and thus he felt required to email all 9 of his remaining supporters. Ney touchingly quoted Garth Brooks, left his mailing address at the prison and then asked himself all the rhetorical questions he could muster: “Would I change things if I could? Sure. Am I sorry for things that happened? Absolutely, and I will pay the price."

Ney is like the unpopular kid who moved to Pennsylvania when I was in the third grade. She and her mom printed up a series of Valentines (in June no less) with her new address and phone number and taped them to the inside of each classmate's yearbook. I think I put a sticker of The New Kids on the Block over it.

Just remember Bob, it's like Avon Barksdale said: "You only serve 2 days: the day you get in, and the day you get out."

LINK

Real Life "You Can't Handle the Truth" Guy Fired!

2007-03-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

I haven't written about the outrageous firing of US attorneys because I didn't really have anything new to say that wasn't covered by the New York Times, the Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times.

In case you need the back story, here goes: in the last year the Justice Department has starting firing a number of very effective, well-trained, successful federal attorneys despite their superb work evaluations and prosecution records. They include Carol Lam of San Diego, John McKay of Seattle, David Iglesias of New Mexico, Daniel Bogden of Nevada and Paul Charlton of Arizona. What do they all have in common? Each one prosecuted a Republican in office (e.g. Randy "Duke Cunningham") or a Republican fundraiser/ally.

Now here's where it gets hilarious. Duke Cunningham was supposedly the inspiration for the Tom Cruise character in "Top Gun." Now, in today's Washington Post, buried at the end of another very good article on the attorneys, there is this nugget: one of the aforementioned attorneys, David Iglesias, was the defense lawyer in a famous Navy hazing case that inspired the Tom Cruise character in "A few Good Men."

So what appears to be another shady Republican conspiracy, turns out to be just another reason to not inspire Tom Cruise.

Hillary=France

2007-02-27T13:22:00.000-05:00

Let's face it: the 2008 race is boring. And that's fine because we're a year away from the first caucus in Iowa and things should be pretty slow. We've had the empty flap stirred up by David Geffen and more discussions on Obama's blackness than I care to remember, but for the most part it's been absolute swill. Until now. Now, it's absolute bullshit.

The Boston Globe got its bean-loving mitts on Mitt's strategy memo. One of the cornerstone's of Utah Mitt's candidacy will be: Hillary = France. That's right, Hillary Clinton Equals France. The former First Lady of the United States is equivalent to a country known for it's sparkling white wines, stinky cheeses and efficient nuclear energy.

Now I know that we shouldn't expect much from the media, all of whom are intent on characterizing every political contest as a horse race with a door prize of Blockbuster gift certificates and mustard packets. But one would think that for a candidate who is admittedly hurt by accusations of "good hair," he'd see the incentive in keeping the intelligence level slightly above that of a Little Miss Fresno beauty contest.

LINK

We are the majority

2007-02-27T12:15:00.000-05:00

The story line goes like this: there is the radical, no compromise, Kucinich-loving, button-wearing, wacko left demanding a deadline for troop withdrawal, and then there is the moderate wing looking to gain a few concessions from the Bush Administration on Blue Dog issues like oversight.

But they aren't the moderates; we are. We are the majority. We are the people who could care less if Hillary apologizes for her war vote so long as she casts the right one for terminating it.

The media have to start getting it right when it comes to who the "normal people" are and what they want. There isn't a "congressional troop cap" camp or a "end the funding" camp. There's only the anti-war majority, and it is surprisingly unified.

The Washington Post has a fairly decent story today about the swing in public sentiment, a fact which needs constant repeating if we are ever going to end this catastrophe.

LINK

Jet Blue left passangers stranded for 11 hours. I bet it felt JUST like putting your life on the line for an intractable fuckmare war of choice

2007-02-26T16:38:00.000-05:00

So they say DC is like New York for the poorly dressed. I say it's like New York for the poorly dressed with crap senses of humor. The latest joke being mailed around Capital Hill, according to Politico:

Under increased pressure to announce an exit strategy from Iraq, President George W. Bush revealed plans today to bring U.S. troops home on the budget airlines JetBlue.
Mr. Bush received praise for his decision to withdraw American troops, but his choice of JetBlue to transport them raised more than a few eyebrows.

According to most official estimates, with its recent spate of scheduling problems and flight delays, JetBlue could take up to twelve years to bring U.S. troops home, and possibly 26+ years in the event of inclement weather.

But at a press conference at the White House today, the president argued that the selection of Jet Blue was "crucial" to the success of his latest exit strategy.

"Setting an exact timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq would be playing right into the enemy's hands," Mr. Bush said. "By going with JetBlue, our enemy will have no idea when we're leaving."

To emphasizes his point, Mr. Bush added, "And neither will we."

Across Iraq, U.S. GIs were hopeful that the news about JetBlue meant that they would be home by Christmas, or at least by Easter 2033.

LINK

Meet the 23rd Most "Captivating" Couple

2007-02-26T15:07:00.000-05:00

Rachel Maddow and Susan Mikula may only be the 23rd most captivating couple according to GO Magazine (which I "accidentally" picked up at a coffee shop today), but as this photograph proves, they are most certainly the most attractive.

The small blurb about them starts on this page.

I know Rachel and Susan and they are, in fact, interesting, dynamic people who have led unique lives both before and after becoming a couple, but you wouldn't know it from this magazine. GO is trying so hard to prove that gay people are normal that they make everyone boring. The editors don't even lay out the criteria for being captivating nor do they identify a single out of the ordinary fact about any of their subjects.

For another entertaining set of lists (more Jewish, less gay) go here. And read Rachel's blog; it, too, is quit captivating.

"I think my side is losing"

2007-02-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

If only that quote could be attributed to Grover Norquist or Bill O'Reilly or Peggy Noonan.

Unfortunately, it was said by Frances Kissling, a driven pro-choice activist who worked primarily within the Catholic community for the last 25 years. She has just announced her retirement from Catholics for a Free Choice.

How do you know Kissling was an effective progressive warrior? Bill Donohue, director of the Catholic League who most recently made headlines for demanding the firing of John Edwards's blog staffers and who once said gays should apologize for AIDS, described her thusly:

"The woman has been a menace to Catholics by fraudulently describing herself as a Catholic," Donohue said. "What she stood for is an absolute moral disgrace."

Things On The Web That You Will Like But Aren't Porn

2007-02-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Everyday the internet is impregnated with the loony rantings of 192 billion new blogs. Literally. Every day. That's more blogs than there are people, I know, but the numbers I make up don't lie.

Anyway, I've discovered a few sites that don't make every orafice on my body bleed and I would like to share them with you in the hope that they also don't make you bleed.

1. www.Feakanomics.com

I know those Freakanomics guys can be a bit "Ooooh, look at me, I use numbers to reinforce common knowledge," but their blog is a fairly insightful survey of new ideas and stories in economics.

2. www.AbsentCongress.org

Go to this site to track your favorite presidential hopefuls or just to see who will win the prize every junior high school student knows is a lifetime wedgy guarantee: perfect attendance.

3. www.techpresident.com

I like this site a lot because it's very straightforward and doesn't waste your time a potpourri of inanities. In short, this site covers politics on the web, everything from candidates' refurbished websites to which bloggers are on campaign payrolls to what pols say on blogger conference calls. I learn a lot at this site. For example, today I learned that John McCain had unleashed his new website. Can someone please tell me why on God's green earth McCain and his blotchy, malformed head chose black and white for the website despite his being branded as the Old Dude in the race?

4. www.thepolitico.com

At Bush's news conference last week a writer for Politico was called on by the President and when asked to explain the organization he worked for and thus boost its national profile by a factor of 10, this writer/pants pisser froze and moved on to his question. This exchange might make one assume that the Politico is a waste of server space, but it's actually a great online magazine, far superior to Time and Newsweek but without the drowsy Anna Quinlan column.

5. www.goodmagazine.com

My roommate, Suzy, just turned me on to Good Magazine; it was a huge disappointment-- I couldn't believe that someone had created the publication I dreamed about starting after graduation. (My magazine was going to be called Phil and have a dense front-of-book graphic page offering a pictorial exposition on the over use of the pie chart in "serious" journalism.)

The magazine is dedicated to "people who give a damn." It's an ambitious project but certainly worthwhile. Unfortunately, I think they spend a little too much time and money on quirky graphics that convey a sense of loftiness (meaning you have to own a loft in Tribeca/DUMBO to care). You can read the entire thing online, so give it a try.

6 Degrees of 70s Funk

2007-01-04T11:34:00.000-05:00

Burried in the CNN story on Tony Blair's plane landing past the runway in Miami, is this nugget:

Blair was traveling to Miami to stay with Robin Gibb of the Bee-Gees, according to Gibb's co-manager John Campbell.

Please explain.

LINK

Jeb Bush-- Pudgy Statesman and Multi-Tasker

2007-01-02T15:24:00.000-05:00

Jeb Bush recently posed for his official portrait in Tennessee. Previous politicians have posed with such oddities as falcons, walking sticks, horses and wigs.

Always the contrarian, Jeb opted to be memorialized with his Bible and his Blackberry

It's as though he's saying, "This is how I speak to God and this is how I speak to my friends."

LINK

What to Expect When You're Expecting the Grandchild of a Snarling Vice President

2006-12-06T13:36:00.000-05:00

Mary Cheney--yes, the gay one-- is pregnant.

Without getting into the technicalities of how such a pregnancy occurred, there are a few interesting political questions this insemination brings to the fore.

1. Will Cheney and her partner, former forest ranger Heather Poe, move from Virginia?

Virginia law explicitly bans gay couples and individuals from adopting. And just this year Virginia passed a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions. If Poe wants to be a legally recognized parent, then she and Cheney might consider moving to Maryland where this is possible.

2. Mary Cheney may have thrown her community under the bus in order to please her father, but will she do the same to her child's future?

They say you become conservative when you have something to conserve. Maybe Mary Cheney will become a liberal when she has a child she doesn't want gay-bashed on the streets, ostracized at school, and denied the rights of citizenship.

Probably not, but maybe she'll work a little harder to do good the next time she has a dad who is the Vice President of the most powerful country in the world.

3. Will the gay community finally realize that the most important and politically advantageous rights can be gained by changing gay adoption laws?

Gay marriage isn't the only way to legally codify gay relationships. Children of gay parents should be protected by the state in the case of divorce so that they are guaranteed the right to maintain relationships with both parents. States should recognize the parental rights of both parents so that during medical crises children have the benefit of dual support and decision making authority. The truth is, the only reasons I care about marriage are children and divorce. Isn't that what tying the knot is all about?!

So congratulations to the oddly coifed couple-- you'll make great parents. And so will millions of other gay people around the world for whom you've done absolutely nothing in the past 6 opportunity-filled years!

Meet the Do Something Congress

2006-12-06T13:09:00.000-05:00

When a politician or high-level exec says he or she is stepping down to spend more time with the family, or when such a person puts off announcing a run for office in order to talk with his or her family about the idea, you know it's bunk. Being a politician is never good for your family. Ever. There are the long work hours, the public scrutiny, the low wages, etc. The two responsibilities cannot be performed with equal gusto. (Just ask one of the Pelosi kids...)

Knowing this, one must laugh aloud when a lazy Congressman like Jack Kingston reacts in horror to the latest Democratic effort to turn the do-nothing Congress into a do-something Congress.

Steny Hoyer has extended the Congressional work day from a paltry 2 days to a hefty, burdonsome, unAmerican, Dickensian era 4 days.

Rep. Kingston, your reaction?

"Keeping us up here eats away at families," said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who typically flies home on Thursdays and returns to Washington on Tuesdays. "Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families -- that's what this says."

Making you do your job in the city where that job takes place is pretty damn reasonable, though maybe not to someone who twice voted against a minimum wage increase for Americans who actually have to work for a living.

LINK

Here's The First Gay Couple to Marry in South Africa

2006-12-04T15:13:00.000-05:00

And here is the sky not falling:

Bolton Bolts

2006-12-04T11:06:00.000-05:00

Just as New Yorkers awoke this morning to find their winter heat wave had abated, so too did their President. John Bolton, the twice unconfirmed UN ambassador, submitted a letter of resignation in the face of continued bipartisan opposition to his appointment.

LINK

It will be interesting to see if Bush appoints another retro-pol to the job just as he did by appointing James Baker to head the Iraq Study Group and Robert Gates to Secretary of Defense. If he reaches into his father's war chest for a better candidate Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del), the new Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is very likely to at least give that person a hearing. Bolton, he said, was a "non-starter."

Bolton's resignation is no harbinger of bipartisanship and compromise. It's an easy way out of an impossible situation. Short of a miracle, there was no way Bolton could have been confirmed and Bush's only option was a sleazy manipulation of the process-- demoting Bolton to a deputy position that does not require confirmation without filling the role of UN Ambassador, thus making Bolton the de facto head of American diplomacy there. Two years ago Bush may have taken this sleazy step, but today he is saving his "screw you Democrat party" points for things like women's health.

Conventional Wisdom

2006-11-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

The Denver Post is reporting that 3 Fortune 500 companies have pledged $11.5 million to bring the 2008 Democratic Convention to Denver. New York is also a finalist.

Denver would be a decidedly smart choice for the Democrats--symbolically at least. The party is making serious inroads in the western states and a convention there could potentially codify that interest economically.

LINK

The Fog of Civil War

2006-11-28T00:22:00.000-05:00

I refuse to even discuss the pros and cons of calling Iraq a civil war. Even NBC has changed its banners; others will follow. As it has so consistently done, the Bush Administration is ignoring the bad news and relying on a series of short term tactics--in this case rhetoric--to win the political war at home.

Did you read the NYT article claiming that insurgents were now self-financed? The response from almost every official and expert was that this was a rediculous ploy by the Administration to further conflate the war in Iraq with the war on terror. American forces and civilians have not infiltrated these groups, and their understanding of how they function is so poorly understood that there is no way such a claim could be substantiated.

The Washington Post has a story today that wonderfully elaborates on why the insurgency is poorly understood and why this is an unwinable war. Observe:

Since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Fartoosi has been a militiaman with the Shiite Muslim Mahdi Army of firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Last week, he also served as a relief worker, a policeman, a traffic controller and a guard.
So did thousands of his militia comrades who mobilized to assist victims of the deadliest attack on Iraqis since the invasion, highlighting the power associated with the Mahdi Army's less-publicized roles in Iraqi society.
"We do even more than what the government should do," said Fartoosi, 21, as he recalled the eight grueling hours after a barrage of car bombs, mortars and missiles killed more than 200 people in Baghdad's Shiite heartland.

LINK

Cutitude

2006-11-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

OK, so I feel bad about always being a buzz kill here on Speak Easy. Stare at this for a while, you'll feel much better. I know I will.

No Victory

2006-11-26T14:17:00.000-05:00

I know I have been writing a lot about Iraq lately, but when 3,709 civilians are killed in a single month and the press haggles over what to call the bloody catastrophe, it grabs a few headlines. However, this will be the last Iraq posting of the day because I have a paper to write.

Chuck Hagel wrote a beautifully written, thoughtful piece on Iraq proving again he may be one of the last Republicans in the Senate to actually take a stand.

Leaving Iraq, Honorably

By Chuck Hagel
Sunday, November 26, 2006; B07

There will be no victory or defeat for the United States in Iraq. These terms do not reflect the reality of what is going to happen there. The future of Iraq was always going to be determined by the Iraqis -- not the Americans.
Iraq is not a prize to be won or lost. It is part of the ongoing global struggle against instability, brutality, intolerance, extremism and terrorism. There will be no military victory or military solution for Iraq. Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger made this point last weekend.
The time for more U.S. troops in Iraq has passed. We do not have more troops to send and, even if we did, they would not bring a resolution to Iraq. Militaries are built to fight and win wars, not bind together failing nations. We are once again learning a very hard lesson in foreign affairs: America cannot impose a democracy on any nation -- regardless of our noble purpose.
We have misunderstood, misread, misplanned and mismanaged our honorable intentions in Iraq with an arrogant self-delusion reminiscent of Vietnam. Honorable intentions are not policies and plans. Iraq belongs to the 25 million Iraqis who live there. They will decide their fate and form of government.
It may take many years before there is a cohesive political center in Iraq. America's options on this point have always been limited. There will be a new center of gravity in the Middle East that will include Iraq. That process began over the past few days with the Syrians and Iraqis restoring diplomatic relations after 20 years of having no formal communication.
What does this tell us? It tells us that regional powers will fill regional vacuums, and they will move to work in their own self-interest -- without the United States. This is the most encouraging set of actions for the Middle East in years. The Middle East is more combustible today than ever before, and until we are able to lead a renewal of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, mindless destruction and slaughter will continue in Lebanon, Israel and across the Middle East.
We are a long way from a sustained peaceful resolution to the anarchy in Iraq. But this latest set of events is moving the Middle East in the only direction it can go with any hope of lasting progress and peace. The movement will be imperfect, stuttering and difficult.
America finds itself in a dangerous and isolated position in the world. We are perceived as a nation at war with Muslims. Unfortunately, that perception is gaining credibility in the Muslim world and for many years will complicate America's global credibility, purpose and leadership. This debilitating and dangerous perception must be reversed as the world seeks a new geopolitical, trade and economic center that will accommodate the interests of billions of people over the next 25 years. The world will continue to require realistic, clear-headed American leadership -- not an American divine mission.
The United States must begin planning for a phased troop withdrawal from Iraq. The cost of combat in Iraq in terms of American lives, dollars and world standing has been devastating. We've already spent more than $300 billion there to prosecute an almost four-year-old war and are still spending $8 billion per month. The United States has spent more than $500 billion on our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And our effort in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, partly because we took our focus off the real terrorist threat, which was there, and not in Iraq.
We are destroying our force structure, which took 30 years to build. We've been funding this war dishonestly, mainly through supplemental appropriations, which minimizes responsible congressional oversight and allows the administration to duck tough questions in defending its policies. Congress has abdicated its oversight responsibility in the past four years.
It is not too late. The United States can still extricate itself honorably from an impending disaster in Iraq. The Baker-Hamilton commission gives the president a new opportunity to form a bipartisan consensus to get out of Iraq. If the president fails to build a bipartisan foundation for an exit strategy, America will pay a high price for this blunder -- one that we will have difficulty recovering from in the years ahead.
To squander this moment would be to squander future possibilities for the Middle East and the world. That is what is at stake over the next few months.

LINK

And if you want to know more about Hagel, this is a cogent, comprehensive profile from back when the NYT Magazine was still worth reading, before the stupid Funny Pages debuted.

Thank You Connecticut!

2006-11-26T14:03:00.000-05:00

This morning, Joe Lieberman appeared on "Meet the Press" with John McCain and fell further down the crazy hole. He told Tim Russert exactly how, after 3 YEARS of defending Rumsfeld, and then conveniently calling for his resignation just before the Democratic primary, was not in any way a political tactic.

Lieberman went on to say that he will propose a bipartisan working group on Iraq. Hmm, maybe it will feature 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans under the watchful gaze of James Baker and Tim Keane... you know like the one we alread have.

Here's an excerpt:

LIEBERMAN: Incidentally, I’m intending, when the, when the new session convenes, to introduce a joint resolution to establish a bipartisan working group in Iraq composed of the chairs and, and senior Republicans, and the relevant security committees to, to monitor and work with the administration on a bipartisan basis to bring Iraq to a success. The voters spoke on Tuesday that they’re unhappy with the status quo. I don’t believe that they, they want us to pick up and leave Iraq, because they know that that would have disastrous consequences on Iraq, the Middle East, and on our security against terrorism.
MR. RUSSERT: But, senator, you evolved on the issue. In ‘04, about Rumsfeld, you said, “Donald Rumsfeld’s removal would delight foreign and domestic opponents of America’s presence in Iraq.” A few days before the primary, you said Rumsfeld should go. But less than a year ago, you said we were making progress in Iraq.
SEN. LIEBERMAN: We were.
MR. RUSSERT: But now, today, in ‘06, do you share Senator McCain’s view that we should send in more American troops and either win the war or, quote/unquote, “win the war” or withdraw?
SEN. LIEBERMAN: Let me go back real briefly on Rumsfeld. I said in October of 2003 that I thought the president should bring in a new secretary of defense because our policy in Iraq was collapsing then and somebody had to be held accountable. When I made that statement, it was a time around—I think it was around Abu Ghraib, and I said “This is the wrong time to pull out the secretary of defense.’”
MR. RUSSERT: But should we send more troops in?
SEN. LIEBERMAN: I think we have to be open to that, as, as a way to succeed, to achieve a free and independent Iraq, which would be an extraordinary accomplishment. But it’s got to be tied to a, to a new strategy, and it may be that it should be tied to commitments from the Iraqi government to, to disarm those militias and to bring more Sunnis into a national unity government. But, but I wouldn’t send more troops just for the sake of sending more troops. But I would if it’s tied to a success strategy.

LINK

Fourth Longest War in American History, Brought To You By George W. Bush

2006-11-26T13:18:00.000-05:00

The Iraq War is, as of today, officially longer than the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War (shhh, don't tell Lou Dobbs), World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Desert Storm. In fact, it is the fourth longest war in American history.

In other words, it took less time to defeat Germany, Japan and Italy than it's taken to win Bush's "slam dunk."

LINK

Reporting From Lebanon

2006-11-25T19:44:00.000-05:00

The "Middle East" is the only region of the world still known by its colonial moniker, yet the geographic identifier most salient these days is "the brink:" Iraq is on the brink of civil war, Iran is on the brink of nuclear capability, Palestine is on the brink of bankruptcy and now Lebanon may be on the brink of a coup.

John Bolton, our sharp-elbowed and soon be ex-UN ambassador, has put forth the theory that this assassination may be the first shot fired in a Syrian-led coup d'etat to take back Lebanon.

LINK

For more measured reporting, I highly suggest Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk at the Independent. His weekly diary is a must-read. Here's the link, and a taste of his surgical writing style:

Half a million? 250,000? Crowd figures are as reckless here as in London or Washington. There are few Shia. I can think of only six who are attending this massive service for the dead at St George's Cathedral, which stands next to the great Hariri mosque - and one of these is the Speaker of Parliament.

I had asked Rudi Polikavic to come with me, an old Christian militiaman opposed to the Falange in the civil war, with the scars of three bullets on his neck and arms. I receive a call from a friend, Amira Solh, who is with another Al Arabiya crew, asking where I am in the crowd. "I am on the mosque side of the church," I shout, and Polikavic collapses with laughter. " Fisky," he roars, "that really is the story of Lebanon. Aren't we are all now 'on the mosque side of the church'?"

LINK for rest of article

2008 Race Tracker

2006-11-24T17:45:00.000-05:00

So far the majority of the data is scant, but in time 2008 Race Tracker will grow and may prove to be an invaluable resource. This website is well-organized and the interface is intuitive and simple. It's also a wiki site so if you think there's something you could add, go ahead. Do it. Do it.

www.2008racetracker.com

Three Options for Iraq

2006-11-20T21:51:00.000-05:00

A Pentagon study on what to do with Iraq has proposed 3 choices, known as "Go Big," "Go long," and "Go home." Is there anything sports metaphors can't do?

"Go Home," the third option, calls for a swift withdrawal of U.S. troops. It was rejected by the Pentagon group as likely to push Iraq directly into a full-blown and bloody civil war.
The group has devised a hybrid plan that combines part of the first option with the second one -- "Go Long" -- and calls for cutting the U.S. combat presence in favor of a long-term expansion of the training and advisory efforts. Under this mixture of options, which is gaining favor inside the military, the U.S. presence in Iraq, currently about 140,000 troops, would be boosted by 20,000 to 30,000 for a short period, the officials said.
The purpose of the temporary but notable increase, they said, would be twofold: To do as much as possible to curtail sectarian violence, and also to signal to the Iraqi government and public that the shift to a "Go Long" option that aims to eventually cut the U.S. presence is not a disguised form of withdrawal.
Even so, there is concern that such a radical shift in the U.S. posture in Iraq could further damage the standing of its government, which U.S. officials worry is already shaky. Under the hybrid plan, the short increase in U.S. troop levels would be followed by a long-term plan to radically cut the presence, perhaps to 60,000 troops.
That combination plan, which one defense official called "Go Big but Short While Transitioning to Go Long," could backfire if Iraqis suspect it is really a way for the United States to moonwalk out of Iraq -- that is, to imitate singer Michael Jackson's trademark move of appearing to move forward while actually sliding backward. "If we commit to that concept, we have to accept upfront that it might result in the opposite of what we want," the official said.

LINK

"A Star in the Galaxy of Iraqi Arts"

2006-11-20T21:48:00.000-05:00

This is so very, very very sad:

For the last three years, Walid Hassan had an impossible task. He had to make war-weary Iraqis laugh. Week after week, the comedian and broadcaster found inspiration in the turmoil and bloodletting. On his weekend television show, "Caricature," he poked fun at the poor security, the long gas lines, the electricity blackouts and the ineffective politicians.
In Hassan's world, nothing was sacred. And many Iraqis adored him. In a nation bottled up with frustration, he was their release. They would recognize him on the streets and uncork their plights. He would listen, and turn them into satire.
On Monday, Hassan, 47, a father of five children, became a victim of the war and chaos from which he drew his inspiration. A Shiite Muslim, he was found in the majority-Sunni neighborhood of Yarmouk in west Baghdad with multiple bullet wounds to his back and head, according to police. He was last seen by witnesses in a black car with a driver and two other passengers.
"He was a star in the galaxy of Iraqi arts," said Ali Hanoon, the show's director. "Now, he's another sacrifice on the altar of this slaughtered country."

LINK

Obama Officially Joins the Anti-War Majority

2006-11-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

Sen. Barack Obama called Monday for U.S. troops to start leaving Iraq in 2007, arguing that the threat of an American pullout is the best leverage Washington has left in the conflict.
"The time for waiting in Iraq is over. It is time to change our policy," said Obama, a freshman Democrat from Illinois touted as a possible national candidate in 2008.
"It is time to give Iraqis their country back, and it is time to refocus America's efforts on the wider struggle yet to be won..."
Some of the troops now in Iraq should be sent to Afghanistan, where he said the Iraq war has had "disastrous consequences" for the battle against the al Qaeda terrorist network.
Furthermore, he said, the Iraq war has hurt American support for international engagement and damaged public trust in the government.
Obama called last year for a limited pullout of American troops from Iraq, but said it is now necessary for that withdrawal to begin in 2007.

LINK

Carville in Losersville

2006-11-20T21:11:00.000-05:00

James Carville tried to spin the midterm elections as a win for DLC-style Democrats despite all the evidence to the contrary--that this was a real win for economic progressives. I am neither pro- nor anti-Carville on principle, but the outrageous coup he launched against Dean as DNC Chair was, at best, naive. I am not convinced that Dean is the best man for the job, but Carville's suggestion of Harold Ford was a disgrace. Ford voted twice for the Defense of Marriage Act, one of the most discriminatory pieces of legislation to come down the pike in the last decade. Ford is the only Democrat to run a DLC campaign, and he lost. I would vote for Ford in a race against a Republican, but that's about it.

Anyway, to get back to my point, as soon as Carville began his tirade last week, not a single pol, adviser or public figure (as far as I could find) backed him up. Not even Hillary Clinton:

Insiders from the Clinton camp winced at Carville's untimely remarks last week calling for Dean's ouster in favor of unsuccessful Senate candidate Harold Ford of Tennessee.
"It was not coming from [Sen. Hillary Clinton] and they made a real effort to distance themselves from James' comments," said a source close to the Clintons.

LINK

Not Your Mama's Protest

2006-11-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

Bush faced some very well organized and angry protesters in Indonesia but nothing is as terrifying as the fact that one Indonesian put a freakin' CURSE on him:

Of President Bush, Indonesia And Curse Of Shaman Ki Gendeng

By Mohd nasir Yusoff

BOGOR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- If there is someone that can be said to have gained something from the planned visit by US President George W. Bush to this Rain Town on Monday, he has to be shaman Ki Gendeng Pamungkas.

The lone act by the witch doctor was the most outstanding among the thousands including the non-governmental organisations that staged hundreds of protests nationwide for the past two weeks against Bush's 10-hour visit.

Be it for the hardly right or extremely wrong reasons, Ki Gendeng has become the talk of the town after his performance of putting the evil curse (santau) on Bush at Kujang Square Thursday was prominently reported by the local press together with his photo in the act.

Claiming that he was putting the curse, using blood from a goat he slaughtered, a snake and a black crow following the requests from thousands of Indonesians who called him up and submitted to him their signatures, he said, he did that not because he did not like Americans but because he hated Bush.

Commenting on Ki Gendeng's act online, many Indonesians were of the opinion that it was nothing more than the most entertaining show for the day but others said it reflected badly on the country's image.

On the ongoing protests and demonstrations, some urged fellow citizens involved to give it at least two thoughts before burning the US flags and pictures of Bush, asking them how they would feel if citizens of other countries do the same thing to state symbols of Indonesia.

"Give some thoughts to the feelings of friendly Americans before they retaliated by urging their government to chase out the thousands of Indonesian workers and students now in the US, and boycott all Indonesian products," said another.

One other said in jest that if the curse worked on Bush and his entourage, said to be in trance upon entering the Bogor Palace for the meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, then Ki Gendeng could be laughing all the way to the bank.

"He would be in demand worldwide and would be employed even by the CIA and the Arabs to get rid of their enemies and if he fails, Indonesia will become the laughing stock of the world," the commentator added.

A social analyst, Salleh Dani told Bernama Friday that he was saddened to read about the widely reported demonstration against Bush not because he was pro Bush or the scheduled visit but because it was proven so easy for anyone to distract Indonesians from focusing on their effort on earning a living.

"Thousands left their workplaces for so unproductive reason just to show their unheeded anger towards a super power which could not be bothered at all while we Indonesians continue to lament on how hard it is to make ends meet," he said.

LINK

TV News Sir

2006-11-20T18:02:00.000-05:00

I don't normally like to toot another man's horn (for so many, many reasons) but a NY Times story today about the kid who writes TVNewser.com was both well-written and insightful. I feel like a nearly 24-year old loser...

It is read religiously by network presidents, media executives, producers and publicists, not for any stinging commentary from Mr. Stelter, whose style is usually described as earnest, but because it provides a quick snapshot of the industry on any given day. Habitués include Mr. Williams and Jonathan Klein, the president of CNN’s domestic operations, who long ago offered up his cellphone number to Mr. Stelter.
“The whole industry pays attention to his blog,” said Jeffrey W. Schneider, a senior vice president of ABC News. “It would not surprise me if I refreshed my browser 30 to 40 times a day.”

Link

More Presidential Politics

2006-11-20T17:52:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple follow up stories that fit in with points I made a few days ago about Presidential politics. To quote myself, "Could racism and bigotry actually prevent an Obama win? Would anti-Mormon sentiment block Mitt Romney from rising to the top of the list?? Apparently, yes they can and would:

Forty-three percent (43%) of American voters say they would never even consider voting for a Mormon Presidential candidate. Only 38% say they would consider casting such a vote while 19% are not sure. Half (53%) of all Evangelical Christians say that they would not consider voting for a Mormon candidate.

And second, "things change." Here is a nice look back at poll numbers from January 2003:

Joe Lieberman……29%
Dick Gephardt……15%
John Kerry………..13%
John Edwards…….8%
Al Sharpton……….5%
Howard Dean……..2%

How To Be A Pundit

2006-11-16T12:56:00.000-05:00

It's embarrassing that on this, a political blog, I haven't written a darn tootin' thing about the midterms. Assuming you forgive me, let's move on... to 2008. This was a year in which every poll and prediction was discussed as a euphemism for either Bush's failed presidency or the 2008 contest. Talking with an attractive, intelligent lady this morning, I was told that perhaps it would be helpful to write out some rubric for making sense of the contenders so we can rely on something more substantive than homespun aphorisms about politics and the electorate.

So, if you want to be the best talking head at your next lefty gathering, here are the questions you need to ask yourself about each candidate from Obama to yo mama:

A candidate must win the primary before triangulating, even Bill "I can please everyone in the room" Clinton knew that. So, who are his/her natural constituents within his/her party? Are they women? Union members? The anti-war majority? Veterans? Social conservatives?
Does that natural constituency have the resources, skills and infrastructure to mobilize voters in the early primaries--Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, etc?
Are the elites in the candidate's party united or divided? In other words, many have speculated that G.W. Bush and John McCain made a deal in 2004 that if McCain campaigned for him, Bush would support him in 2008. Thus, McCain will not have to fight as hard for the upper echelon Republicans from the socially conservative wing. And he already has the fiscal conservatives and disaffected Republicans lined up.
Does the candidate have not just natural allies, but natural enemies? For example, how effective will the Clinton-haters be in derailing Hillary? Or more likely, could Bill Clinton's superior charisma and command undermine his wife's authority? Could racism and bigotry actually prevent an Obama win? Would anti-Mormon sentiment block Mitt Romney from rising to the top of the list?
Money--who can raise it? And think creatively, don't just look at the numbers as they are now. Remember that there are very talented fundraisers such as Nancy Pelosi, Lou Wasserman, and a slew of rich people who bankrolled Kerry. Where will their loyalties lay?
Will the situation in Iraq continue to worsen? Will troop numbers increase or decrease? Will a war supporter be electable in 2008?
How exclusive is the candidate? Do you have to agree with him/her on all points or does he/she pitch a big tent, so to speak? (Insert lame sex joke here)
What coalitions will be formed around the candidate? And I don't be swift boat captains and "truth" lovers. No, I mean something more along the lines of anti-immigration voters and stem cell research activists or fiscal conservatives and anti-war soccer moms.
Who has already started campaigning? Look at how much money John Kerry has raised for Democrats in the past 2 years. Or the way Edwards has canvassed the country. Who are they talking to, directly and indirectly?
And finally, who would Hank Hill vote for?

This will be the first presidential election in 56 years in which no sitting president or vice president is in the race, so be ready for surprises. Don't buy into the water cooler crap about tall candidates winning or a strong narrative reigning supreme. One year ago no one imagined the Dems taking back both houses of Congress; things change. And no matter what the other pundits say, this isn't a horse race. That's just their dumbed down metaphor for all things political because they think it makes it all more exciting. It's not a linear race to the finish. Politics is a complex system of building various kinds of support across every demographic. It's about compromises, building alliances and neutralizing your competition.

Good luck, and happy speculating!

Quote of the Day

2006-08-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

“The insurgency has gotten worse by almost all measures, with insurgent attacks at historically high levels.”
- an anonymous senior Defense Department official

Bombs Aimed at G.I.'s in Iraq Are Increasing (NYT)

Follow The Money

2006-08-17T04:08:00.000-04:00

Need proof that the Dems will take back the House and maybe even the Senate? Just look at the only guys in Washington who don't care which side wins so long as they have a seat at the table: lobbyists. They are now all hiring well-connected Democrats so that come November they aren't shit out of luck.

Now, this is a rather simplistic reading because, as we all know, the majority of business interests and corporate influence peddlers do actually care which party wins. You'll see most corporate money flowing into the party that gives the most corporate tax breaks, sets the fewest restrictions on environmental and labor standards and fights the hardest to preserve the draconian federal minimum wage: Republicans. But it's kinda sweet to see them pretend to be bipartisan, almost an antique throw back to days of old, no?

Democrats' Stock Is Rising on K Street (Washington Post)

The Beguiling Dobbs Lexicon

2006-08-16T18:30:00.000-04:00

Lou Dobbs has coined his own loaded-language of words like "illegal alien" and ""broken boarders" and "wetback."

But today's show (which is on now, so quick, turn it on!) posed this question to viewers: Do you believe illegal immigrants who have anchor babies in the United States should be immune from deportation?

Forgive me, I haven't graduated from college yet so maybe I'm just dense, but what the hell is an anchor baby?

Are they the product of this man's loins?

If so, I say yes, immunity for all!

Right Now Alfie Is Shaking In His Tiny Loafers

2006-08-16T15:31:00.000-04:00

So, here's a headline you don't ever want to see:

Ties That Bind Atoms Weaker Than Thought

Bush is right, a little scientific knowledge can be very scary indeed.

Postcard From Berlin

2006-08-16T14:02:00.000-04:00

My friend Sean, who is in Berlin at the moment, couldn't post in the comments section, so I thought I would do it for him. This is what he wrote just today regarding my fascination with Bush's summer reading:

Hmm. I also find it curious that he chose Camus (which, by the way,
I would give my left arm to hear him pronounce (probably something
like 'cameras' without the penultimate syllable)) for beach
reading, but then I realized that the book is about a man who KILLS
A FUCKING ARAB FOR NO REASON. Also, someone should tell him that
the brunette still won't give you the time of day, no matter how
much French existentialism you've 'read'...

hmm. much different feeling 'posting' a comment in an email...
makes you feel... stupid.

The Big Leagues

2006-08-16T13:09:00.000-04:00

One of the worst things any team member can do is put himself or herself ahead of the shared goal. So I say this to the Lamont team with all do respect: Get over yourself. Yes, you fought a tough primary and you won. That's great. But now you are entering a very tough race with a lot of money and a seasoned candidate. When I read the paper and see shit like this from the campaign manager, I get very nervous:

“I don’t want to hire any of those big-fee consultant types from Washington who just want to come in and make money off of Ned,” Mr. Swan said. “We won the primary on Ned’s message; we can win the general in a similar way.”

Go ahead, hire the "big-fee consultant types." It is more important to beat Lieberman in a second-tier leadership role and be remembered as a David, than to go down as a Goliath. This smells like Dean in Iowa...

New Lieberman Retooling Race as Independent (NYT)

Patience Is An Insult

2006-08-16T13:02:00.000-04:00

For every American politician who tells the Iraqi people to be patient, or to stand up and take control of their destiny, or to have faith in the "new Middle East," remember this: More Iraqi civilians have died in the last 35 days than Lebanese and Israelis during the same period.

July was the bloodiest month of the Iraq War. Why? Because we sent more troops to Baghdad. Iraq is a disaster, and the American troop presence there creates the violence; it does not control it.

Number of Civilian Deaths Highest in July (NYT)

In Iraq, a Failure to Deliver the Spoils (NYT)

Dear God, Why Do So Many People Vote Because of Their Politics? It's Crazy!

2006-08-15T21:56:00.000-04:00

This is a few days late, but it really gets my goiter (considering a goiter is something that can be "got"). I've written/screamed about the Lamont race for some time now, but I am nowhere near as involved or vitriolic as some. The final numbers from the primary were exactly what I expected (I predicted a 4-7 point margin) and all the Dems have abandoned Lieberman like I thought they would. What I don't know yet, and what I want to see, is where all the Jewish money goes; over 70% of Joe's funds came from Jews, so what now? Where will the Jewish vote go?

One of my least favorite humans, Rabbi Mark Gellman has written an example of how not to make a political argument and write intelligently, and then coyly disguised it as a column for MSNBC.

His argument boils down to what sounds more like a Matisyahu lyric than a serious statement: "Where my Jews at?" I am not kidding, Gellman actually wrote:

[Lieberman] lost because Barbra Streisand's highly publicized contribution to Lamont and because of the number of Jews who hated Bush and the war more than they loved Joe. That's why he lost, and I don't get it.

Blaming Barbra? Are you trying to piss off the Jews and the gays? The worst part is that Gellman believes that Jews should vote for Lieberman because he is Jewish, and more importantly a famous Jew. He sees the world as one in which blacks vote for Obama because he is black, not because he will fight for them, and one in which Catholics voted for Kennedy because he was Catholic, not because he was a strong leader... and his dad stole the election for him.

My favorite part of Gellman's piece was this sparkling turd gem:

In truth I am also bewildered about why Jews do not support President Bush more than the pathetic 22-26 percent (depending on which exit poll you look at) he received in 2004. Bush would win a landslide in Israel, and never once invited Yasir Arafat to the White House, but that is a bewilderment best left for another day.

No, Mark, that's a bewilderment best left inside your twisted little mind, you know it's that place where you chastize voters for voting their politics instead of their demographics. But wait, I don't want to be unfair. I will let Mark make his argument in his own words. As best as I can tell these are his points, verbatim:

Joe Lieberman did not lose the Democratic primary because of his support for the war in Iraq. He lost because of his lack of support from Jews.
My disappointment is with my people. I simply do not understand why so many Jews bailed on Joe.
In truth I am also bewildered about why Jews do not support President Bush more than the pathetic 22-26 percent (depending on which exit poll you look at) he received in 2004
What has frozen me is the lack of support for Joe by Jews.
Joe is the most famous Jewish politician of all time
He is principled and intelligent ... and he is one of us! What more do you want of the guy?
So he supports the war. So what?
My best friend is a priest

OK, #8 aside, Gellman's entire article is a testament to the fact that he is flabbergasted. It's not an argument or a piece of journalism, but rather one giant, inarticulate shrug.

Rabbi Gellman: Why Joe Lieberman Lost (MSNBC)

How Do You Say "The Stranger" In Texan?

2006-08-15T21:41:00.000-04:00

This is of no consequence, but I am fascinated by the fact that Bush claims he read Camus' "The Stranger"while on vacation. It's like America is some hot brunette chick in his required Lit class and he's trying to pick us all up at once with his literary proficiency. Ew.

Three Major Crisis Face Bush on Return to Washington (ABC News)

The Cheese Stands Alone

2006-08-15T21:16:00.000-04:00

Lieberman has been abandoned by almost every ally he had prior to the primary; he fired his staff, Bill Clinton bashed him at the Global AIDS conference yesterday, and almost every prominent Democrat is now backing Lamont. Bob Geiger (whoever the hell that is) has put together a list of Democratic Senators and with who their loyalties lie. So go ahead and check to see if your Senator is there. If not, make a phone call.

Right now the single most important issue facing this nation is Iraq. If you don't think that's true, you haven't yet read Seymour Hersh's latest piece on the Administration's Iran's policy. The secret about Hersh is that ever since Vietnam he has been very well connected at the CIA, he was their man when no one else would listen. (That's not how he got the My Lai story, but that's for another day.) Hersh knows what he's talking about. And unless we elect Senators who will pull our 130,000 troops out of the middle east where they are held hostage, we are going to nuke Iran in the next five years.

I know it sounds Rovian to broaden a single Senate race to the question of nuclear war, but withdrawing from Iraq in order to stop the violence there will be an intricate, complicated process technically and politically, and it starts now.

Senate Dems Supporting Lamont (Bob Geiger)

Watching Lebanon (The New Yorker)

The Coincidence of Terror and Politics

2006-08-15T08:05:00.000-04:00

Crooks and Liars has posted the video of Olbermann's show I wrote about last night. He goes through the timeline of terror warnings and Bush's poll numbers. It's not too long, well-produced and spot on.

Link

The Dumbest Man In America

2006-08-15T07:54:00.000-04:00

You can get away with a lot of things these days, especially in Virginia. You can get away with blaming Katrina on a Middle East policy you find displeasing. You can warn folks about the slippery slope that leads to "man-on-dog" sex acts. Gosh darnit, you can even divorce your wife as she dies of cancer in order to marry her nurse and then lecture people about family values. But if you are George Allen, the man widely regarded as the dumbest in Washington, don't try any of the fancy stuff. Just stick to good old fashioned bad politics because you're just not wiley enough to get yourself out of a bad situation.

Sen. Allen (a 2008 Presidential contender in Fantasyland, USA) singled out a man of Indian dissent (pictured above) at a rally and called him a "macaca." According to the Washington Post:

Depending on how it is spelled, the word macaca could mean either a monkey that inhabits the Eastern Hemisphere or a town in South Africa. In some European cultures, macaca is also considered a racial slur against African immigrants, according to several Web sites that track ethnic slurs.

But don't take their word for it, watch the video! It's so much more fun in real life, don't ya think?

Allen Quip Provokes Outrage, Apology (Washington Post)

Like Pigs At A Trough

2006-08-14T22:28:00.000-04:00

Like pigs at a trough, potential 2008 Presidential candidates flock to the Iowa State Fair to meet "real" people, you know, ones who have to work for a living. Vilsack, Bayh, Kerry, Biden, Edwards, et al are expected to be in attendence. So keep your eyes peeled the next few weeks for stories about some stentorian Senator pretending to eat a fried Twinkie or judging a pie eating contest. After all, all politics are national in Iowa.

2008 Presidential Candidates Swarm Iowa Fair (Reuters)

Taking Back Congress

2006-08-14T22:15:00.000-04:00

Charlie Cook at the Cook Report is considered to be a rather reliable, non-partisan pollster/analyst. His numbers are widely cited and relied upon by almost all news organizations. Cook tracks races and has now compiled a list of Congressional races that are "competitive," which basically translates to "the districts that haven't been gerrymandered like topiary by Republicans."

Download and look at the list for yourself, it's rather interesting and bodes well for Democrats.

Cook Report

Mission Accomplished!

2006-08-14T21:53:00.000-04:00

Yesterday President Bush, fresh from vacation, looked around the world, took a gander at the Middle East--Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Israel, etc.-- and said to himself, "Self, we won that."

Seriously, the entire world has agreed upon one thing: that the last 3 weeks of bombing in Lebanon have been disasterous for Israel. Israel does not do well in long wars, and it did not do well in this one. Even with the cease fire Katyusha rockets continue to fall as I type this. Yet the Potemkin Administration managed to link Israel's agression to "the broader global struggle," which we also seem to be losing, by the way, as we have yet to screen 95% of the cargo that enters this country, we barely have enough Arabists working at the State Department to pay attention to the population in Deerborn, Michigan let alone those along the Litani River, and Afghanistan is no less a blighted pit than it was 5 years ago.

There is one thing to be thankful for, thought: This time, Bush didn't wear his nut-crushing jumpsuit to the presumptuous victory party.

Bush: Hezbollah Lost The War; It Was Part of Broader Global Struggle (AP)

Hurricane Katrina, One Year Later

2006-08-14T21:18:00.000-04:00

August 29th will mark the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and yet nothing has changed. In fact things have just gotten worse. Houston is blaming a surge in violence on Katrina refugees, FEMA announced that 118,000 trailer locks must be changed because a few keys will open all of them, 90% of New Orleans remains detroyed and not a single person has been held responsible for the deadly, not to mention costly, clusterfuck that occured last summer.

The only retribution will come this November when the midterm elections show just how little faith people have in this current government.

That said, I remain a pessimist. I think there is a very good chance that voters will balk and re-elect the same nimrods to office. With the latest terror alert and the ones that are sure to follow as the election nears, the poll numbers inch upwards for Republicans. (For more on the connection between terror alerts and Bush's poll numbers, watch Kieth Olbermann tonight; I will post the transcript as soon as it's available.)

If we get the House or even the Senate back in November, maybe we can finally get back to running a government and not a private machine for corporate interests turning out legislation to benefit the top 1% of wage earners.

FEMA Changing Locks On Trailers (AP)

Katrina Victims Blamed for Houston Crime (AP)

Those Who Fled Katrina On Own Did Better (AP)

World War III

2006-08-10T13:34:00.000-04:00

When war first erupted a month ago in Lebanon, Newt Gingrich, a man whose first name is surprisingly descriptive, was the first public figure to toss around the idea of World War III. In today's Washington Post, Richard Holbrooke, Clinton's UN Ambassador (who oddly dated Diane Sawyer in the 70s) echoes this prediction. He writes:

Two full-blown crises, in Lebanon and Iraq, are merging into a single emergency. A chain reaction could spread quickly almost anywhere between Cairo and Bombay. Turkey is talking openly of invading northern Iraq to deal with Kurdish terrorists based there. Syria could easily get pulled into the war in southern Lebanon. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are under pressure from jihadists to support Hezbollah... This combination of combustible elements poses the greatest threat to global stability since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, history's only nuclear superpower confrontation.

Puts you in the mood to finally dust off those rations and refurbish the bomb shelter, don't it?

The Guns of August (Washington Post)

Connecticut Debriefing

2006-08-09T08:18:00.000-04:00

As you probably know, Lieberman was defeated by Lamont in the Connecticut primary yesterday, 48 to 52. I didn't start paying attention to this race until May or June, but as soon as you see Lamont, or hear him speak, you know this guy is a winner, and more importantly, he is a leader.

The question now is who is going to step in and pull Lieberman out of his vanity-induced coma. He thinks he is going to run as an independent. He thinks he can win. He thinks he'll be something more than a pathetic spoiler.

Hillary Clinton, who's husband rallied for Lamont and who supported him in her own right, has already sent a check from her PAC to Lamont for 5 grand.

Rahm Emmanuel (who leads the DCCC and whose super-agent brother Ari is the inspiration for the Jeremy Piven character, Ari Gold, on Entourage) is the meanest son of a bitch in Congress, and he has already issued this beautiful statement:

“This shows what blind loyalty to George Bush and being his love child means,” said Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the leader of the Democratic House Congressional campaign. “This is not about the war. It’s blind loyalty to Bush.”

Evan Bayh and John Edwards, two potential presidential candidates for 2008, are supporting Lamont.

Chris Dodd and Bill Clinton need to be on the phone right now with Lieberman's guy, Carter Eskew, setting up a meeting. Then they all need to sit down, grab Joe by the scruff and say, Are you freakin' kidding me?! Dodd has the cajones and Clinton has the influence; it can be done.

I predict that Lieberman will drop out. As of this morning I cannot find a single Democrat supporting his run as an Independent. Republicans are trying to spin the race as a win for Conservatives, arguing that the Dems are in disarray and controlled by the wild left.

The longer Lieberman fans the flames of his selfishness and hubris, the longer the Republicans will try to make this election work to their advantage, scaring up voters.

Watch where the money goes over the next few days. Jews from across the country have literally provided 70% of Lieberman's money; I'd like to see where they send their checks now. It will be very telling. If Joe can't raise money, and if Dodd and Clinton step in, he'll step aside. But there is a very small window of opportunity.

Lieberman and Hillary: Connected At The Pollster

2006-08-05T10:41:00.000-04:00

I just had a thougth: Lieberman and Hillary have the same pollster, a guy named Mark Penn. The little conspiratorial elf in my brain says that Penn has numbers the Lieberman campaign is not making public, numbers so bad they were the impetus for Lieberman's announcement that he would not run as an independent if he lost the primary by more than 10 points-- as I've said, it's an easy way to get out of an absurd 3-way race. Also, Penn worked for Clinton first and will presumably work for her Senate and possible Presidential runs. I am guessing he sent her the numbers that prompted her Johnny Come Lately call for Rumsfeld's resignation.

Just a thought.

Lieber-Man Down

2006-08-05T09:39:00.000-04:00

The Connecticut primary, in which Lieberman is fighting for his political life and legacy, is Tuesday, and already the portents have turned ominous. Lieberman said yesterday that he would not run as an independent if he lost by more than 10 points. This means one of two things. Either he thinks he'll lose by less than ten points so he is creating cover for himself by setting the bar high, or he thinks he'll lose by more and he is getting himself out of an embarassing proposal he made weeks ago. I am inclined to believe it is the latter. Lieberman has seen the Quinnipiac poll (which, to be fair, is often unreliable), knows that he is 13 points behind, and feels the loneliness of being the last Iraq War-denier now that even Hillary Clinton has called for Rumsfeld to resign.

Lieberman has responded by pulling his very expensive get-out-the-vote effort in the state in order to purchase more TV and radio ad time. He has too much ground to make up by hiring a bunch of kids to knock on doors.

In the meantime, watch Ned Lamont on The Colbert Report; he gives a great performance.

Lieberman Reduces Effort to Get Out Vote (NYT)

Chuck Hagel Calls For Troop Withdrawal In Iraq

2006-08-04T16:20:00.000-04:00

Chuck Hagel (R-NE), a Vietnam Vet and leader on the Foreign Relations Committee, is now officially to the left of Hillary Clinton on Iraq.

Today he joined the majority of the Democrats in calling for a complete withdrawal of American troops within 6 months. That's right, Hillary, he has a timeline and he's not afraid to use it.

Here's an excerpt:

If Iraqis themselves do not assume control of their country’s fate, he said, the nation may dissolve into a civil war that splits it into three countries.

It’s also possible Iraq may evolve into some kind of Islamic republic, he said.

Asked what the United States could do, Hagel said: “Ask the president. Ask Secretary (of Defense Donald) Rumsfeld. They’re the ones who got us into this.”

Hagel: Begin Iraq Withdrawal in 6 Months (Journal Star)

Bush Meets Brush

2006-08-04T15:33:00.000-04:00

Bush left for his vacation today, although in this "post-Katrina world" (which replaced the "post-9/11 world," which I suppose replaced just the "world") not even Bush can take a month off. So this time he'll be in Crawford for a mere 10 days, presumably clearing brush.

Here are some things he might be thinking about while engaging in one of his many, very manly outdoor activities:

Lebanon- exploding; wishes America would explode
Israel- exploding; wishes surrounding 5 million square miles would explode
Somalia- it's the new Afghanistan
Afghanistan- just like the old Afghanistan, but with more opium; also wishes America would explode
Iraq- it's exploding; wishes America would explode it's own country
New Orleans- still 90% destroyed, but now 90% white
Global Warming- makes mountain biking more difficult, because my tires melt.
Cuba- new leader? New leader in that fake Castro beard I wore to a "pimps and hos" party 3 years ago? Wishes Miami would explode.
Venezuela- the President makes friends by making an ass out of me; definitely wishes America would explode
Mel Gibson- what's his deal?!
Joe Lieberman- note to self: find new head to kiss at State of the Union address, his is being served on a platter by a bunch of bloggers
Rumsfeld- claims he gave me a resignation letter once, but I didn't accept. Do I still have that handy? Maybe I made a Xerox...
North Korea- trying to be explode-America-capable
Iran- well on the way to being explode-America-capable

Wow, that'll really kill your runner's high.

Bush Starts 10-Day Texas Vacation (Washington Post)

What A Little Primary In Connecticut Can Do

2006-08-04T11:05:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned earlier, the latest poll numbers from Connecticut paint a grim picture for Lieberman's chances in the primary next week. It was no accident that on the very day those numbers were released, Hillary Clinton finally ecchoed Democratic calls for Rumsfeld's resignation.

I was watching CNN yesterday when Rummy reluctantly appeared alongside Gen. Peter Pace and Gen. John Abizaid before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He was offensively smug, defensive, obnoxious and dismissive. His repugnant flippancy in the face of tens of thousands of dead Iraqi civilians and over 2,500 dead American soldiers makes my stomach drop.

Lieberman must lose his seat in Connecticut if the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party is going to take this country back.

Hillary Clinton Calls For Rumsfeld's Resignation (CBC)

Pat Robertson Admits Sky Is Blue (And Other Obvious Revelations Not In The Book Of Revelations)

2006-08-03T21:56:00.000-04:00

I walked across Broadway at 112th St. yesterday on my way to the bank, and when I reached the sidewalk hot stones had literally melted into the soles of my shoes. Then, while waiting for the C train at 14th St., so much sweat poured down my legs I thought I was having an "accident" requiring a purchase of Depends. Finally, my apartment was so hot I actually put ice in my wine and got drunk in order to sleep through the night.

But there is an upside to the steamy weather, putrid smells and turgid air: Pat Robertson has converted. No, he hasn't forsaken his anti-Semitic, homophobic, paranoid politics boiled up in the looney bin that is his Elmer Fud mind. Rather, he is making a big public showing of his new belief in Global Warming.

Quick, someone baptize him with a bucket of crude!

(The only amazing thing here is that Robertson didn't blame global warming on the abortionists and homos... yet.)

Democrats must, must use the environment and global warming as key platform issues this fall and in 2008. The difference between Democrats and Republicans is huge on this issue, and emotions run high. The Republican Party is on the bad--and politically dangerous-- side of science in regards to not only this issue, but stem cell research as well. These topics split the Republicans and clearly define what kind of party the Democrats are: A party driven to better the public good, not legislate the private choices.

Heat Converted Bush Ally Robertson on Global Warming (Reuters)

New Poll Numbers From Connecticut

2006-08-03T18:25:00.000-04:00

Ned Lamont is leading Joe Lieberman 54 to 41 in a just-released Quinnipiac poll. I guess someone had to be the first human to not get "bumped" by Clinton (Was that double entendre? A triple? I can't tell). Dick Durbin and Joe Biden should start distancing themselves from their support for Lieberman; I don't think he's going to last much longer.

Lamont Has Momentum Over Lieberman, Poll Shows (Washington Post)

America: Drill Sergeant to the World

2006-08-03T17:58:00.000-04:00

This story falls into the "Good Idea/Bad Idea" category where you think, OK this might not be such a bad idea, but wait; Rumsfeld is advocating for it so there must be some insideousness lurking.

The State and Defense Departments have approved a plan to train the Lebanese army so it can control its southern region. The problem is that just like in Iraq, the army is infiltrated by the group it is obsensably fighting. And when anything is "just like in Iraq," it can't be good for peace.

Rumsfeld, Rice OK Plan to Train Lebanese Army (AP)

Stumping for a Chump

2006-08-03T17:50:00.000-04:00

Since Bill Clinton is so big into stumping for those who led the effort to impeach him (read: Lieberman), may I suggest he head down to Tennessee. The Republican primary for Dr. Bill Fristypants' seat includes Ed Bryant, a former Congressman and House "manager" during the 1998 impeachment trial.

3 Republicans Race for Frist's Seat (AP)

Texans for a DeLay-Free Majority

2006-08-03T17:31:00.000-04:00

Most of us will never forget this image-- the face of an exterminator of bugs turned exterminator of American values-- but the Republican Party is filled with DeLay-deniers who want his tainted, radioactive name off the ballot in Texas while he faces money laundering charges.

Remember, earlier this year DeLay fought hard to win the Republican primary in Sugarland, Texas just to prove he was still the virile "hammer," and then tried to hand the nomination over to a hand-picked successor. A judge stepped in and said, "no, sir" and DeLay's name stayed at the top of the ticket. Republicans unsurprisingly cried "activist!" and "partisan!" So the case went to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which today announced it was in agreement with the lower court and DeLay's name will again be offered up to voters this fall. I'm sure the disgraced Republican had no idea judgment day would be so cruel.

Court: DeLay Must Remain on the Ballot (CNN)

The Run Around

2006-08-03T13:01:00.001-04:00

The 9/11 panel, the one President Bush was shamed into appointing, is considered one of the few dignified, non-partisan commissions in Washington. The report it issued before disbanding was a best seller, and widely praised for its accuracy, attention to detail and literary acumen. The members have received praise from all political corners and have continued to press for security changes.

Today's Washington Post has a real scoop that should have been printed, oh say, 2 years ago. Untimely as it is, the story is an important one.

Commissioners of the 9/11 panel apparently believed that the Pentagon was knowingly deceiving Congress, the panel and the American people in order to cover up its own bumbling inactions and non-responses to the the hijacked planes. In fact, staff members almost refered the case to the Justice Department:

"We to this day don't know why NORAD [the North American Aerospace Command] told us what they told us," said Thomas H. Kean, the former New Jersey Republican governor who led the commission. "It was just so far from the truth. . . . It's one of those loose ends that never got tied."

Now, imagine what would happen with this information if we actually had a Congress that held the Administration accountable. We'd have a hearing chaired by Henry Waxman in less time than it takes to approve a Halliburton no-bid contract, that's what.

Last Man Lying

2006-07-21T21:23:00.000-04:00

Sen. James Inhofe (OK-R) sees himself as a beacon of clarity in a world of enviro-chicken littles; we, however, see him as a never ending geyser of crazy juice in a world of melting ice caps and drowning polar bears.

Sen. Inhofe appeared on Glenn Beck's CNN show and decalred Al Gore to "be full of crap" and global warming to be a "hoax."

Do I even need to say something snarky about this? Watching Inhofe is like watching a 45-year old who still believes in Santa: pathetic, creepy and mystifying.

Think Progress

Head Start Stopped

2006-07-21T10:19:00.000-04:00

The Republican-controled Senate Appropriations Committee froze funding for early child development programs like Head Start and a number of grants for kids with special needs in the latest draft of a speanding bill. When I first read this I thought, Oh boy Bush is going to use his second veto on this spending bill because other than switch grass-related energy programs and snowflake babies, Head Start was his most favoritest domestic program ever! Por ejemplo:

"We got to make sure our Head Start programs start children off early with the fundamentals of reading. We want to make sure our high school diplomas mean something. We need an intervention programs for children who cannot read in junior high. We got to be emphasizing math and science." -George W. Bush at a campaign event in Beaverton, Oregon, August 13, 2004
"During the President's first week in office, he submitted a plan to reform our Nation's elementary and secondary schools to ensure that all children are proficient in reading and math by the 2013-14 school year. More Needs to Be Done: President Bush knows that more needs to be done to prepare our students for the future. The President's new education proposals build on his first successful reforms by: …Ensuring high-quality education opportunities so every child begins school ready to succeed. President Bush will expand efforts to strengthen early childhood education, including Head Start." -White House Press Release, September 26, 2004
"I believe that -- I know there's curriculum available for pre-schoolers that provide them the basics for reading. And I think our Head Start programs ought to be encouraged to adopt very simple curricula, but based upon the science of reading. My friend, Reed Lyons, at the NIH, is a pro, an expert. He understands how kids learn to read. And, therefore, it seems to make sense, since we're spending federal dollars on Head Start, as part of the core curriculum of Head Start, be to lay the foundation for little kids reading. We need intensive reading programs." -President George W. Bush at "Ask President Bush" Event in Annandale, Virginia, August 9, 2004

What do all of these quotes have in common? First, they seem to be very pro-Head Start, Ted Kennedy-esque if you will. And second, they were all stated at election time. A simple Nexis search turned up dozens of Bush quotes in support if Head Start, narry a one after 2004. The amazing thing is, Bush is threatening a veto. He is doing so because the Senate is appropriating too much money on domestic programs and not enough for the Pentagon, which has a budget of $420 billion.

In other news, Bush also thinks Mt. Everest needs to be taller, the sky bluer and the ocean deeper.

Senate Panel Freezes Head Start, Grants (Washington Post)

New Rules

2006-07-20T16:35:00.000-04:00

Seems that the corrupt Ohio Senator Bob Ney is plagiarizing Bill Maher with his own version of "New Rules."

They are so new, actually, that they don't even exist yet.

In the Washington Post Ney is quoted telling confidants (and potential fundraisers and donors?) that the Justice Department cannot indict a pol within 90 days of election. Unfortunately that is just plain false, or as some call it, a lie.

In Ohio, Ney Claims Rule Will Help Him (Political Wire)

Lebanon-- A Nutshell-Sized Country in a Nutshell

2006-07-20T15:11:00.000-04:00

The BBC has put together a handy little backgrounder on Lebanon's history, population, politics and economy for those of us relatively new to the field. It's appropriate for all those who, like me, covet pie charts, demographic percentages and colorful maps.

Lebanon: Key Facts (BBC)

Dipping a Toe in the Photo Blogging Pool

2006-07-20T14:48:00.000-04:00

I don't often post pictures unless I have something to say about them, but some of the images from Isreal and Lebanon are incredible. Hats off to the photographers. If you click on the images, you will be connected to the stories from which they were taken.

From The "But How Will This Effect Me?" Edition

2006-07-20T14:26:00.000-04:00

The American media have engaged in a laughable race to the bottom in a winner-takes-all battle to see which outlet can best cover the human suffering resulting from the latest Israeli bombscapades. Oh, did I say human? Pardon, I meant American.

As Jon Stewart waxed on (and on, and on, and on) about the other night, Americans are taking WWIII hard... at the pump and in their wallets.

So I am happy to report that while this country continues to fund myriad Middle East conflicts by buying all its oil, journalists have found another angle to cover where the sources leak like a sieve: Themselves.

A few Israeli journalists have renounced membership in their press organization because the Secretary General denounced Israel's total annihilation of Lebanon. It's always scary when free speech is questioned and assaulted by those who employ it professionally.

Israeli Journalists Renounce Membership in Press Organization (Editor and Publisher)

Ringtone Worse Than That "Sex and the City" Theme

2006-07-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

Ringtones are to "music" what crusty maggot-filled cow pies are to "food." However, an anonymous Afrikaaner, a real go-getter type I'm sure, managed to make his cell phone music really mean something.

That something? Killing South Africa's black population!

According to the BBC, anyone can make ringtones and distribute them via the internet. Perhaps this was just a roundabout way of saying Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela who turned 88 this week.

Go get 'em big guy.

Outrage at Racist Rington in SA (BBC)

Japan Builds World's Longest Bar; Encourages World's Worst Pick-Up Lines

2006-07-19T20:29:00.000-04:00

So, what's a short girl like you doing in a place like this?

And so on...

The War Was Terrible, And The Portions Were So Small

2006-07-18T19:09:00.000-04:00

Just as social ills like racism and sexism are more covert in the United States today than they were a century ago, war is waged in smaller, less organized fits and spurts with dulled plateaus of violence. The world is unlikely to see anything on the scale of the first two World Wars again; technology has replaced some of the human cannon fodder and public support for all-out war has diminished. Thus, I am incluned to agree with (cough) Newt Gingrich (gag). What we are seeing in Israel, Iran, Lebabon, Syria and Iran by proxy is shit-your-pants terrifying and crawl-under-your-bed distressful. This is as close as we've come since 1982 to total regional warfare.

And, just in case you haven't yet shit your pants or scrawled under your bed, don't forget about Sudan! No, that wasn't solved either.

Sudan Faces Pressure to Accept U.N. Force (AP)

Can A Number Be Ironic?

2006-07-18T18:51:00.000-04:00

Well, no but this is a coincidence. The UN is reporting that 3000 Iraqi civilians were killed in the month of June.

I don't want to make too big a deal of the obvious metaphor to September 11th, so I'll shut my trap. But remember: Come the midterm advertising craze of September and October, when Republicans are unabashedly inundating you with images of September 11th and eagles and pigtailed children picking daisies as a nuclear bomb falls from the sky, we are stuck in Iraq creating a national tragedy, not avenging or preventing one.

Over 3000 Iraqi Civilians Killed in June, U.N. Reports (NY Times)

Cuppa Joe

2006-07-18T18:17:00.000-04:00

Joe Lieberman had better start performing some alliyahs before primary day if he wants to hold on to the Senate seat he so clearly does not deserve. A mere 6 years ago he was the Vice-Presidential nominee, thus catapulted into the upper echelon of Democratic politics. If he were a decent politician, Lieberman wouldn't be struggling to hold onto a seat-- let alone the Democratic primary!-- during a mid-term election most people understand to be a referendum on the President he-- Joe Lieberman-- ran against. The little pug-faced New Englander should slide right through with nary a scratch. So, and I quote my favorite fictitious child actor, Wha Happen?!

1.) Iraq. Yes, that. But if you're a Democratic Senator running for re-election and you're not Teddy Kennedy or Russ Feingold, you voted for this disaster, too. The only difference is, you recognize that Bush pissed on your leg. Lieberman, however, is still insisting it was just rain.

2.) The 2000 Election made Lieberman a truly national figure, subject to national scrutiny. Being a bit of a twat, he couldn't really afford the limelight; and he received tons of the blame. Then God told him to run again in 2004. Another bad idea. (Don't worry God, I don't blame you. Heck, I don't even believe in you!)

3.) Denial. Lieberman's biggest problem is that he refuses to take responsibility for a bad act- voting for the war- and refuses to hold anyone accountable for the barrage of lies America and the world was fed during the run-up to March 2003.

If you're interested in reading more about Lieberman, I recommend two recent articles.

Why The Left Is Furious at Lieberman (LA Times)

No Mojo (New Yorker)

Finally, I'll say this. I hope Joe loses in his primary fight against Ned Lamont. Lamont would make a fine Senator, yes. But mostly I just want Mr. MoJoe to fulfill his promise to run as an Independent from the Connecticut for Lieberman Party.

Pyrrhic Victories

2006-07-18T17:48:00.000-04:00

Let's say there was something you didn't believe in-- like kicking puppies. The majority of Americans believe it is OK to kick puppies. You, being a God-fearing woman, think to yourself in between baking apple pies and puttin' the kiddies to bed, how do I stop puppies from being kicked? Well, if you are a modern-day Republican, the answer is: dress up like a veterinarian, buy an animal hospital and throw those canine cuties out with the bath water!

Now supplement "puppies" with a cluster of cells in a uterus, and you have just solved the Rubik's cube that is "Operation Rescue."

Pregnancy Centers Found to Give False Information on Abortion (WP)

New Tactic in Abortion-Foe Fight: Evicting Clinics (ABC)

I'm Back!

2006-07-18T17:37:00.000-04:00

If I were famous, this 2 1/2 month absence would have been a sojourn into rehab. If I were a politician, I would have been "spending time with my family" (also rehab). If I were in the Bush Administration, I would be fighting an indictment (and in rehab). And if I were Conlon Nancarrow, I'd be in self-exile to Mexico City (and in need of rehab).

Sadly, I am a mere mortal and my excuse is far more pedestrian. I've been -wait for it- busy.

But now I'm back and promise to post often. Heck, I'll even have a blog-warming party. Send all gifts, i.e. decorative photographs of John Glenn, Gary Wilson, 3-legged dogs, Ann Coulter and Fergie, so I can fix Speak Easy up right nice.

See you on the interweb!

Kangaroo Meat and Kangaroo Courts

2006-05-08T04:00:00.000-04:00

This is, in theory (and once I am through with finals will be in practice) a blog about food, bars and politics. Rachel Maddow sent me an article this evening that I must post if only because it is the perfect Speak Easy story. So perfect in fact, I am not sure if I am horrified because one of the lawyers in charge of Saddam Hussein's laughable "trial" is double-billing as he simultaneously runs a restaurant in New York from Baghdad, or if I am outraged by Paul Bremer's early interest in New York lawyers rather than armor for our troops. Then again, I may be displeased that my mom likes the restaurant owned by the aforementioned Bremer loyalist who botched the Hussein trail so badly he must have confused his order for kangaroo meat with the kind of court we needed to set up.

Kangaroo courts like this one put the notion of international justice itself in jeopardy. Holding tyrants, rebels, dictators, authoritarians, kings and all state leaders responsible when they wantonly kill their own people is a relatively new phenomenon, and one built on a very precarious foundation made weaker by disingenuous Bush officials and appointees like this one.

LINK

Today's Blog Entry Is Brought To You By The Number 23, As In Congress's Approval Rating

2006-05-08T03:33:00.000-04:00

I don't trust polls, no one does, really. Especially not 6 months before an election. But everyone loves polls and statistics because they let our hunches develop scientific aspirations. That said, LA Times political writers Janet Hook and Ron Brownstein (who, interestingly, is married to one of John McCain's top aides) wrote a fantastic, easy to swallow breakdown of the latest numbers that will make you the smartest cookie in the office cookie jar. If you care to read their words or take a closer look at some key races, click here, or just look at the national numbers I have cut and pasted below.

*****

Presidential job approval rating

1994: 46%

2006: 34%

*

Congressional job approval rating

1994: 23%

2006: 23%

*

Does your member of Congress deserve reelection? Yes:

1994: 54%

2006: 59%

*

Do most members of Congress deserve reelection? Yes:

1994: 38%

2006: 38%

*

In the congressional election do you intend to vote*:

Democratic

1994: 44%

2006: 54%

Republican

1994: 51%

2006: 39%

*1994 asked "likely" voters; this year asked "registered" voters

--

The Senate races

Democrats need a six-seat gain to capture the Senate. The races below will be crucial to determining whether they can upend the GOP majority.

The Senate today

Republican: 55

Democrat: 44

Independent: 1

*

The House races

Republicans hold 18 districts that Democrat John F. Kerry carried in the 2004 presidential race. The Democrats need to take several of these seats to control the House.

The House today
Republican: 231
Democrat: 201
Independent: 1
Open seats: 2

Hillbilly Name

2006-05-07T22:44:00.000-04:00

In honor of my southern history final Tuesday, I went to my new favorite site that catalogues all generator websites.

I found a hillbilly name generator, and mine is Lil' Dolly Rambler. You can find yours here.

Beer Cocktails

2006-05-01T13:33:00.000-04:00

I found recipes for what are now known as beer "cocktails," drinks so foul they require beer goggles prior to imbibing. LINK

Michelada

Pour your beer into a glass filled with ice and add the juice of one small lemon. Add a dash of soy, Tabasco and Worcestershire. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. For some, a true Mexican Michelada is not complete without a shot of Tequila mixed in.

Beer Margarita

1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate

8 fluid ounces vodka

3 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles beer

Empty lemonade concentrate into pitcher (do not add water!). Pour in vodka and beer. Serve over ice.

Spicy Red Beer

(12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer

1 (5.5 ounce) can tomato-vegetable juice cocktail

1 dash Louisiana-style hot sauce

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch seasoning salt

In a frozen beer mug combine tomato-vegetable juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning salt. Pour in cold beer.

The Read-Headed Step Child

1 pint beer

1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger whiskey

1/2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger grenadine syrup

Pour one pint glass of beer. Measure a shot of whiskey, and pour in. Top with 1/2 shot of grenadine.

Zima Plus

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle of clear malt liquor

1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger of blackberry brandy

Pour the malt liquor over ice in a tall glass. Stir in a shot of blackberry brandy.

Audit Season

2006-04-29T15:07:00.000-04:00

For an Administration so easily influenced by patronage, blind faith in the private sector and the Texas buddy system, the audit has become an enemy.

No matter which organization-- the Governmental Accountability Office, the former Coalition Provisional Authority, the Pentagon, etc.-- conducts a comprehensive review of spending and achievement in Iraq, the result is always a damning testament to the cronyism and incompetence that pervades this Administration.

Today, California-based Parsons Corp. announced that it will fall far short of its reconstruction goals in Iraq due to "shoddy work and negligent government oversight." LINK

My Robot Knows Me Well

2006-04-29T14:35:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine tells a story of the time his TiVo made him realize what a shallow TV executive he had become. It was September 11th, 2001, planes had just crashed into the World Trade Center, no one knows what is going on or where the President is, and my friend is glued to his TV terrified. Aaron Brown is on CNN trying to calm the nation when a little TiVo reminder bubble pops up with the following text:

"Would you rather be watching Designing Women right now?"

He realized then and there that his TiVo was trying to tell him something. He really would rather be watching Designing Women and the predictive function, void of tact or judgment, did not see anything wrong with this.

I thought of this story when I purchased something on Amazon this morning and was startled by its recommendations for me; they were so accurate.

It's true, the only things I like are Edmund Wilson and sandwiches. Full list here.

Letters

2006-04-28T10:57:00.000-04:00

I received the following reader email today:

"...how come you don't blog about booze? not that I'm complaining, just curious."

Answer: I've been busy, OK? I haven't had a drink in weeks because I've had finals to study for, papers to write, and bosses to impress. So stuff it. Summer is almost here and I promise to fulfill my booze-y guarantee for this blog.

I will begin in a few weeks with a series on outdoor bars. Until then, you are going to have to stick to your own watering holes.

Favorite You Tube Video of the Day

2006-04-28T10:46:00.000-04:00

I loved Strangers With Candy on Comedy Central, I loved the book by SWC creators Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert, and I am sure to love the new SWC movie.

The trailer is now available on You Tube. Check it out. LINK.

The cast includes Allison Janney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Matthew Broderick, Dan Hedaya, Kristin Johnson and the entire original cast.

White House Correspondents Dinner: It's Like Your Prom, But The Dresses Are Uglier

2006-04-28T10:20:00.000-04:00

The White House Correspondents Dinner is tomorrow night, and if you yak every time you think of Laura's masturbation jokes from last year, you are not alone. I for one think this year will be ever so slightly better for two reasons:

Valerie Plame will be there. Question: What will be printed on her place card? Valerie Wilson? Valerie Plame? Undercover CIA Agent? My Husband Is A Bush Critic And All I Got Was This Lousy Unemployment Check?
Stephen Colbert is hosting. I bet 10 to 1 he uses his bon mot, "truthiness."

For more yucking it up, today's The Note recaps the Dinners of years past:

2001: Offered up a slide show, featuring a photo of a nude Jeb Bush (aged four). Quote: "Some people have asked me . . . if the vote recount left any hard feelings between my brother Jeb and me . . . Not a bit! In fact, here's a picture of the governor of Florida."

2002: Shared a mindmeld with comeback-king-of-MTV Ozzy Osbourne, thus shifting the focus to the then-hotter-than-hot musician/family man/reality TV star. Quote: "The thing about Ozzy is, he's made a lot of big hit recordings… 'Party With the Animals.' 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.' 'Facing Hell.' 'Black Skies' and 'Bloodbath in Paradise.' Ozzy, Mom loves your stuff." When Ozzy got on the furniture and made homo-erotic eye contact with "someone" on the dais, The Note lost its mind.

2003: [Bush was exempt from cracking wise in 2003, given the war in Iraq, and the deaths of journalists Michael Kelly and David Bloom. His speech was appropriately brief and somber.]

2004: Tossed out a short little speech (ceding the microphone to Jay Leno), albeit one with a widely repeated quip. Quote: "I thought about giving an economic speech tonight. It really gets me when the critics say I haven't done enough for the economy. I mean, look what I've done for the book publishing industry. You have heard some of the titles: "Big Lies"; "The Lies of George W. Bush."; "The Lies & the Lying Liars Who Tell Them." I'd like to tell you I've read each of these books, but that would be a lie."

2005: Allowed First Lady Laura Bush to usurp the stage; she looked luminous and showed off killer timing. Her racy remarks and demure delivery gave her husband a pass for another year. Quote: "Nine o'clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep and I'm watching `Desperate Housewives'. With Lynne Cheney. Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife."

Priorities

2006-04-28T09:50:00.000-04:00

This is what shame looks like:

The Friday before the Save Darfur march on Washington, and just days after a new report detailed the escalating hunger crisis in Sudan, the UN is forced to cut rations for that suffering region because the wealthiest countries donated a mere 32% of required funds. CNN and BBC

The UN is short $1.2 billion. In other words, for $300 million less than the total cost for Sen. Don Young's Bridges to Nowhere, we could feed the 2 million displaced refugees desperately in need of food. (The expected cost of those bridges is $1.5 billion, the press only reported on the down payments of $453 million. LINK)

If you cannot make the Washington rally and you live in New York, dine at one of the following restaurants this Sunday; they will be donating a percentage of their earnings to SaveDarfur.org.

'Cesca New York, N.Y. 212 787-6300
A Voce New York, NY 212-545-8555
Aix Brasserie New York, NY 212-874-7400
Alain Ducasse at the Essex House (Monday, May 1st) New York, NY 212.265.7300
Appellation Wine and Spirits New York, NY 212.741.9474
Aroma Kitchen & Winebar New York, NY 212-375-0100
Avenue X Restaurant Santa Paula, CA 805-933-3337
Bao 111 New York, NY 212-254-7773
barmarche new york, ny 212-219-2399
Blue Smoke New York, NY 212.447.7733
bright food shop new york, n.y. 212 243 4433
Cafe D'Alsace New York, NY 212-722-5133
Christos Steak House Astoria, NY 718-777-8400
Doraku Miami Beach, FL 305-695-8383
El Bocadito New York, NY 212-343-3331
Five Points NYC, NY 2122535700
French Roast New York, NY 212-799-1533
French Roast New York, NY 212-533-2233
Fujimamas Shibuya, Tokyo, NA 81-3-5485-2262
Fujimamas (Kona) Kailua, Kona, Hawaii 808-327-2125
Hakata NY, NY 212-245-1020
Jerry's Restaurant New York, N.Y. 212-966-9464
jimmy's ny, ny 212 982 3006
joe - the art of coffee nyc, ny 212 924 7400
Koi New York, NY 212-921-3330
Kuma Inn New York, NY 212.353.8866
L'Express New York, NY 212-254-5858
lanterna tuscan bistro nyack, ny 845353836 1
Lassi New York, NY 212-675-2688
Le Monde NEW YORK, NY 212-531-3939
Lenox Room New York, N.Y. 212-772-0404
Locanda Vini & Olii Brooklyn, ny 7186229202
Mainland new york, ny 212-888-6333
Maison New York, NY 212-879-4824
Marseille New York, NY 212-333-3410
Merchants NY New York, NY 212-832-1551
Naidre's Carroll Gardens Brooklyn, NY 748-596-3400
Naidre's Park Slope Brooklyn, NY 718-965-7585
Nice Matin New York, NY 212-873-6423
Nonna NY, NY 212-579-3194
Osteria del Circo New York, NY 212-265-3636
Pair of 8's New York, New Work 212-874-2742
park east grill new york, ny 212 717 8400
Pigalle New York, NY 212-489-2233
Public New York, NY 212-343-7011
Punch Restaurant New York, New York 212-673-6333
Sapa Restaurant New York, NY 212-929-1800
Suenos New York, NY 212-243-1333
Tabla New York, NY 212.889.0667
Talula Miami Beach, Florida 305 672 0778
The Harrison NEW YORK, NY 212-274-9310
The Mermaid Inn New York, NY 212-674-5870
The Red Cat NEW YORK, NY 212-242-1122
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International Lampoon's Baghdad Vacation

2006-04-28T09:37:00.000-04:00

Not too long ago Condi Rice admitted to the foreign press that the U.S. has made "thousands of errors" in Iraq, to which Rumsfeld howled, Wutch you talkin' about? (I paraphrase)

To the surprise of no one but your comatose uncle, the State and Defense Departments are not exactly los amigos mejores these days. Or ever, really.

So what happens when their dear leader sends them on a working vacation to try and work it all out? Hell-arity ensues.

Neither Condi nor Rumsfeld knew how to answer honest questions with honest answers, Rummy was so hostile to the press he wouldn't even aknowledge their presence and Condi was just plain embarassed by him. Oh, and there were lots and lots of awkward silences. Here is Glenn Kessler's piece from the Washington Post today:

BAGHDAD, April 27 -- A full 10 seconds of silence passed after a reporter asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld what the intense secrecy and security surrounding their visit to Iraq signified about the stability of the country three years after the U.S.-led invasion. Rice turned to Rumsfeld to provide the answer. Rumsfeld glared at the reporter.
"I guess I don't think it says anything about it," he snapped. He went on to say that President Bush had directed him and Rice to go to Iraq to "meet with the new leadership, and it happens that they are located here," a reference to the heavily fortified Green Zone where U.S. officials -- and many Iraqi leaders -- live and work.
Rice broke in, calming the tension. "The security situation will continue to take our attention and the attention of the Iraqis," she said, adding, "The terrorists are ultimately going to be defeated by a political process here."
For the second time in a month, Rice traveled to Baghdad to jawbone Iraqi leaders with a high-powered male counterpart. Last time, her partner was British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. The pairing with him was convivial, so filled with easygoing banter that it was quickly dubbed the "Condi and Jack Show."
This time around, Rice and Rumsfeld often seemed in separate orbits, and the visit had little of the warmth of the earlier one. One purpose of this joint trip was to get the sometimes conflicting military and political operations in sync for the transition to a permanent Iraqi government. But the contrast in the two secretaries' styles was sometimes jarring.
Even though her arrival here followed an exhausting sprint through Greece and Turkey, Rice appeared energized by the task at hand. Rumsfeld arrived directly from Washington -- after a recent Asian tour -- but he seemed disengaged and bored, both to reporters traveling with him and to some U.S. officials. Some said he seemed irritated by the whole exercise. He did not speak a word to reporters with him on the flight to Baghdad.
During a joint meeting with reporters traveling with the secretaries, Rumsfeld frequently doodled with a black felt-tip pen or stared absent-mindedly at the ceiling when Rice spoke. Rice would occasionally cast a nervous glance at Rumsfeld as he prepared to respond to a question. His answers were terse; hers were expansive.

AP Headline: "Katrina Report Rips the White House Anew"

2006-04-28T00:39:00.000-04:00

A new what?

I love awkward headlines.

LINK

Code of Law

2006-04-28T00:04:00.000-04:00

Dan Brown, author of the book The Da Vinci Code, was sued in Britain earlier this year on a plagiarism charge. The judge, a funny little man named Justice Peter Smith, ruled in his favor. But that's not all.

In his judgment he included some not-so-random italicized words that were just revealed to be a freakin' code. Either that powdered wig was on too tight or he is the only guy ever to go through law school and not emerge an insipid version of his former self.

LINK

Sometimes I think American justices write in code, but then I realize, no, Scalia literally thinks the Constitution permits states to murder its citizens with chemicals deamed too inhumane for horses and dogs.

Why can't we get the ones who like puzzles?

UDATE: It's already been cracked. LINK

Confusing Marriage and Rape

2006-04-27T23:50:00.000-04:00

You know, I have said some pretty terrible things about the institution of marriage, but never ever have I confused it with rape. A Kenyan MP, however, cannot claim the same.

Yesterday while the Kenyan parliament was debating a new sex crimes law, an MP argued that the bill would prevent men from proposing to women for fear of being falsely accused of assualt.

Clearly, no matter where you are in the world, conservatives are the same: when they can't beat legislation on its merits, they cry "fraud." 'Cause you know, that's the problem in East Africa, too many men are being committed of crimes against women. We must stop that... someone call Bono, er something.

The good news is the women in parliament walked out in protest and activists paid a visit to the offending MP's office. The other good news? They took the whole "castration" part out of the bill. LINK

Pot: "Hey There, Kettle, You Are Totally Black!"

2006-04-26T23:41:00.000-04:00

Ari Fleischer has written an editorial in today's Post welcoming Tony Snow to the job of White House Press Secretary, a job so similar to his previous one, it was like he was playing in the Bush-loving minor league, and was just promoted to the majors.

In this editorial, Mr. Spin McStonewallski himself has the cajones to write the following:

Before 24-hour cable news and the Internet, reporters at the briefings asked tough questions and generally received straight answers. Because the quantity of coverage was limited and the quality was driven by the next day's newspapers and the 6:30 evening news, with major figures such as Walter Cronkite delivering it, press secretaries didn't have to worry that their every word or thought would instantly be reported live on the North Lawn of the White House.

WHAAAAAA?! You, lamenting the decline of a full press court media? Who is to blame but the guy whose job description is wrapped up in a single word: SPIN.

Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth

2006-04-26T14:07:00.000-04:00

Last Fall, Republicans hit a number of stumbling blocks. And by stumbling blocks I mean the slimy truth oozed out causing much embarassment: CIA leaks, disaster unpreparedness, torture, etc. In addition to Libby's resignation, the near total destruction of an American city and a few Senate hearings, the result was a very difficult recruiting season. Thus, Democrats were handed the biggest gift horse of all: Katherine Harris.

Her new poll numbers make Bush's look positively enviable. It is official; a higher percentage of Americans like poop-flavored lollipops than Floridians like Madame Harris.

Day of Silence

2006-04-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

Today is The Day of Silence at schools across the country. Gay and lesbian students will remain silent to highlight the pressure placed upon them to hide, censor, and repress who they are. Conservative groups are objecting to the action because, as they say, schools are supporting the "gay agenda."

All students deserve the same protection from bullying, hazing, teasing and oppression. Students are bullied and teased because another student either thinks they are gay or because he or she holds prejudicial beliefs about homosexuality.

My point is that this issue-- violence and force in schools-- is not a Gay Issue. It's a bullying issue. It is about those perpetrating the action, not the victims of that action. And so, when someone says schools are supporting the "gay agenda," remember that this is not a gay issue, but a civil rights issue and that every kid deserves the same rights of citizenship.

To read more, visit 365gay.com

Gas Prices Go Up, GOP Approval Goes Down

2006-04-25T03:45:00.000-04:00

In Los Angeles, my hometown, nobody has anything to talk about. Every other city's residents have a standby conversation starter: the weather. But LA doesn't have weather.

So we talk about gas prices. did they go up? Did they go down? Have you seen the numbers in Bverly Hills? They are such suckers.

But after 5 years of Republican control and no resposible energy policy, all of America is talking like an Angeleno.

The Washington Post has a story today on the GOP response to soaring costs.

And there is an interactive map so you can see average prices in every U.S. county. Pretty neat.

Weird

2006-04-24T22:02:00.000-04:00

This is not really in the purview of Speak Easy-appropriate content, but this new gadget is straight from a James Bond movie. And since I don't work at Vanity Fair where it is apparently against the rules to use the word "weird," I am using it freely. Weird.

PENSACOLA, Florida (AP) -- In their quest to create the super warrior of the future, some military researchers aren't focusing on organs like muscles or hearts. They're looking at tongues.
By routing signals from helmet-mounted cameras, sonar and other equipment through the tongue to the brain, they hope to give elite soldiers superhuman senses similar to owls, snakes and fish.

Researchers at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition envision their work giving Army Rangers 360-degree unobstructed vision at night and allowing Navy SEALs to sense sonar in their heads while maintaining normal vision underwater -- turning sci-fi into reality.

The device, known as "Brain Port," was pioneered more than 30 years ago by Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita, a University of Wisconsin neuroscientist. Bach-y-Rita began routing images from a camera through electrodes taped to people's backs and later discovered the tongue was a superior transmitter.

A narrow strip of red plastic connects the Brain Port to the tongue where 144 microelectrodes transmit information through nerve fibers to the brain.

Instead of holding and looking at compasses and bluky-hand-held sonar devices, the divers can processes the information through their tongues, said Dr. Anil Raj, the project's lead scientist.

In testing, blind people found doorways, noticed people walking in front of them and caught balls. A version of the device, expected to be commercially marketed soon, has restored balance to those whose vestibular systems in the inner ear were destroyed by antibiotics...

Happy Birthday Barbra!

2006-04-24T21:44:00.000-04:00

April is so full of the high holy days: Passover, then Easter, then...

Barbra Streisand turned 64 today!

If you are like me and think her name badly needs another "a," fear not, she was born "Barbara."

Babs may have slimmed down the name, but as every Jew will tell you, not the shnoz. Happy Birthday, Barbra.
(On a personal note, one of my favorite high school teachers, Christine Madsen, who once told me she didn't care if we stayed in touch because she would one day see my name on the New York Times Op-Ed page, said if she could have any skill in the world it would be to sing like Barbra Streisand. Pretty impressive, I thought, coming from a brilliant woman who graduated from Brown and NYU law school.)

Did You Miss Duke's Alumni Weekend?

2006-04-24T21:36:00.000-04:00

I don't have much to say on the Duke story because the facts really aren't in, and the accusations are so appauling the story has serious witch hunt potential. However, I thought I'd let you know that Duke just held its Alumni Weekend. the University President had lunch with the Black Alumni Connection. Whether they brought their own stripper or one was provided for them remains unknown. Link.

Why am I glib? Because of comments like this:

"I think the lacrosse program did a great service to the university last year when it played for the national championship," said Michael Rose, a 1986 Duke graduate who traveled from Connecticut. "And that received one- 10,000th of the coverage that this has."

Why People Hate the World Bank, But You Shouldn't

2006-04-24T20:06:00.000-04:00

With a budget of over $20 billion, the World Bank is the largest aid organization. It's stated mission is to do good (unlike the IMF which is more geared toward government health instead of people health). So why, I always wondered, do protestors hate it so much? To me it was akin to the UN.

Yes, there are layers of bureaucratic red tape that infuriate even the most tolerant civil servants, and, yes, there are major reforms needed to provide for faster, more efficient deployment of peace keepers to stop genocide and human rights abuses, and, yes, it relies to much on American funding, but at its core it is a good force in the world.

So why hate the World Bank? Here were my thoughts:

It's presidential alumni list reads like a who's who of one-man destruction machines: John Jay McCloy, the Assistant Secretary of War during WWII who refused to bomb the railroads leading to Nazi concentration camps arguing they were outside the rang of U.S. bombers; Robert McNamara, (made infamous again in The Fog of War) who spent WWII advising General McArthur (one of the meanest, coldest sons of bitches since Emperor Nero) how to kill as many people as possible and whose coup de grace was the firebombing of Tokyo resulting in the deaths of 100,000 people; and newly minted President Paul Wolfowitz, incompetent Iraq War planner and winner of the one time only award, Grossest Use of Comb in a Michael Moore Documentary.
It's made up of 5 secretive "international financial intitutions" no one really understands or has ever heard of.
It advocates "the Washington Concensus," i.e. neo-liberal economic policies many blame for the gutting of Latin American economies in teh 1990s, the near destruciton of Russia in 1992, and the suppression of third world agricultural development.
It's prescriptions are too formulaic and does not take the particular personality of countries or the specific needs of its people into consideration.
It's truely terrible environmental record-- it pretty much ignored the issue until the mid-1990s.

All of those are honest and fair critisisms, but let me allow my SloganTron 2000 tell you why I think the World Bank is a problem: Throwing Bad Money After Bad.

As anyone working even peripherally on issues of global health will tell you that malaria is one of the tallest hurdles we face in the race to erradicate poverty. Infected adults cannot work or feed their children, and many die of dehydration. Infected children suffer the same symptoms-- vomiting, fever, diarrhea, headaches, kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion-- only worse. Many of them die, too.

And if you live on the planet Earth (and if you don't would you mind coming down here and lending a hand; we're really screwing things up), there is a 1 in 12 chance you will catch malaria. If you live outside the United States, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, or Russia, your chances just nearly doubled. And if you are a child under the age of 5, your chances just multiplied by 9. Where is the World Bank?

Go to its website. As of this writing a big banner is advertising its latest effort to reduce malaria.

Frustratingly, the Independent is reporting today that less than half the money promised in one of those big, love-in announcements made a year ago, is actually going to malaria research. Then there's more bad news: for the 500 million people suffering from malaria, there was a permanent staff of 7. The worse news: they have all been fired.

I don't hate the World Bank, and I don't hold it responsible for every terrible disease and affliction; I wish it was better. I

We live in a world where the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has an endowment $10 billion larger than the World Bank budget. Maybe that's where we need to put our faith now, because mine is fading fast. And so are the chances for the 40% of the world population that lives in too comfortably with the legacy of malaria.

"We Need More Champions"

2006-04-24T13:55:00.000-04:00

If you read one thing about a global health epidemic this week, this article should be it. AIDS stories do not generally end on an uplifting note (notable exceptions being And The Band Played On and Angels in America, but they were about homophobia, too, which does have a cure).

However, it is when success is least likely that the capacity for heroism is at its most expansive. Gideon Byamugisha is an HIV-positive Anglican minister living in Uganda, challenging both the stereotypes surrounding AIDS and my own definition of "champion."

Byamugisha, 47, was Africa's first openly HIV-positive cleric, going public in the mid-1990s. Now he is part of a small but growing network of infected religious leaders on the continent who are putting their lives, careers and sometimes their faith on the line by speaking out about their experience with the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS. In doing so, they hope to bust stereotypes about the disease and who can contract it...

AIDS patients who dare to disclose their status are routinely fired from jobs, abandoned by friends and family, driven out of villages and at times even killed.

In Kenya this month, a 15-year-old HIV-positive boy, whose parents and grandparents died of AIDS, was hacked to death by his only surviving relative, who had forced the boy to live in a chicken coop. In 1998, South African AIDS activist Gugu Dlamini was stoned to death by neighbors...

Religious institutions remain one of the biggest obstacles to encouraging safe-sex practices. Many churches in Africa, including the Roman Catholic Church, still condemn the use of condoms, even to prevent HIV infection. Only recently have Anglican leaders eased their stance on condoms.

Only a few public figures in Africa have publicly acknowledged having the disease. A Ugandan singer disclosed his illness shortly before his death in 1985. Nelson Mandela announced that his son had been HIV-positive — but only after the son died...

"We need more champions," said Warren Buckingham III, who runs the U.S. government's effort to fund AIDS programs in Kenya.

"That's why what [Byamugisha and others] are doing is so important," he said. "They speak a moral language. When a religious leader talks about being HIV-positive, myths about immunity get punctured."

Pygme Hippopotamus = Pyppopotamus!

2006-04-24T11:35:00.000-04:00

What in God's name is that slug-like creature? Certainly it cannot be a hyppopotamus, my favorite animal in the whole wide world! Oh dear god it is. Hey weirdo, I take back everything I said in my 4th grade report on your species. (Click on photo to be linked to the story, but there's really no point. Everything you need to know is apparent in this picture.)

Sino Evil, Speak No Evil

2006-04-24T11:04:00.000-04:00

Apparently I just can't stop writing about China. Or coming up with puns for titles about China (see above). Anyway, I haven't written much these past few days because I am not a freakin' superhero and I need to pass my classes before Columbia kicks me out for not dressing like a douchebag as is the MO around here. I just wanted to point you in the direction of a few stories that should help us all understand why China is against sanctioning Iran, against stopping genocide in Darfur and against interfering with human rights abuses across the Middle East and North Africa.

OIL.

Just a few years ago China produced more oil than it used, but today it must import petroleum to meet it's ever-growing energy needs. Finding the US and Europe too meddlesome in their affairs, many volatile countries have chosen to point their pipelines east and just sell to China instead. With oil at $75 a barrel and no responsible energy policy in sight, it is a seller's market, and when you look at where oil comes from, that is a really scary thought.

If you have Times Select or subscribe, be sure you ahve read Nicholas Kristof's column from yesterday. Unsurprisingly, he provides a very convincing account of the relationship between China and Sudan.

Sign John Kerry's Petition To Get Troops Out Of Iraq

2006-04-18T13:01:00.001-04:00

John Kerry was on Meet the Press 9 days ago and articulated a coherent, responsible plan for troop withdrawal on a very limited timeline. Click here to sign his petition.

Generally, I think online petitions and online protests are pretty worthless because they don't display and any committment, legitimacy or worthiness of the participants. The bar is set too low, and it's too easy to join.

However, this one matters because names on a petition organized by an elected official displays his or her ability to reach out to the online community and raise money. Signing John Kerry's petition makes him a more powerful force when he speaks to the Senate and demands troop withdrawal.

OK Poor People, Don't Start Celebratin' Just Yet

2006-04-18T03:09:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think, Hey Bloomberg's not really a Republican. Then he acts like a soulless creep with no sympathy for the poor and a CEO's perspective on what it takes to "survive" and I am reminded that, ah yes, he is still the guy who planted protestors during the RNC convention to instigate fights and get innocent Americans arrested.

So what is the shelf life of a program to help feed the working poor in a city run by a Republican?

Yesterday: 'Bloomberg Administration Seeks to Lower a Barrier for Food Stamps'
Today: 'Mayor Overrules 2 Aides Seeking Food Stamp Shift'

Less than 24 hours. Nice.