It's getting exciting. Kind of like when the Soviets shot down that Korean Airlines flight back in the dark ages of 1983. Ronald Reagan wanted to show that the Russian Bear was a dangerous animal, while the rest of the West was slouching towards detente. The Soviets handed him a grand propaganda victory. Of course, … Continue reading Wars and Rumors of Wars
George W. Bush
George Bush and Me: On the Same Team Again
I don't think I've agreed with George W. Bush, since, oh, somewhere around September 12, 2001. But, yesterday, it seemed that we were back on the same team again.He told Fox News that Columbia University's giving a podium and a microphone to Iranian President Ahmadinejad "speaks volumes about really the greatness of America. We’re confident … Continue reading George Bush and Me: On the Same Team Again
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The Tasering of Dissent
In George Lucas' Revenge of the Sith, Senator Amadala wryly observes, "So this is how democracy ends--to thunderous applause." Not quite, Senator, it was tasered.The tasering of free speech occurred at a John Kerry appearance at the University of Florida on Monday, when a student, Andrew Meyer asked a series of increasingly annoying questions, including … Continue reading The Tasering of Dissent
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This is not About Larry Craig
This is not about Senators Craig, Vitter or Stevens. It's not about (ex-)Congressman Mark Foley or soon-to-be indicted Congressman Rick Renzi. It's not about South Carolina's Thomas Ravenel or Ohio's Bob Allen. It's not even about Alberto Gonzales. It's about hubris: the pride which goeth before a fall.When George W. Bush ran against Bill Clinton's … Continue reading This is not About Larry Craig
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There was a human being named Jumah at Guantanamo
George Bush's newest "new strategy" on Iraq looks for all the world like the same old strategy that hasn't worked for the last four years. Nothing's changed, not even the soldiers, many of who are being deployed for the third time in a foolish attempt to rescue Bush's failed and reckless war.Before the beginning of … Continue reading There was a human being named Jumah at Guantanamo
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The New Bush Iraq Strategy: A Recipe For Protacting Failure
John, over at A Lie A Day, says that the George Bush's latest attempt to prolong the war in Iraq is "Nixonian." He's right, even though Nixon's tactic was a seven-year long series of troop reductions, rather than Bush's "troop surge." Though opposite in tactic, they are identical in strategy: stall, and try to think … Continue reading The New Bush Iraq Strategy: A Recipe For Protacting Failure
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Forget God, What if Governor Sanford Were One of Us?
Okay, just don't start. Your governor's probably not all that smart either. At least he's not named Jeb or Sonny. Besides, haven't you ever left your voter's registration card at home when you went to vote? Even though you knew you'd be on national tv? I have, and I can tell you--oh, never mind.It's painful … Continue reading Forget God, What if Governor Sanford Were One of Us?
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The Vanity of the Veto: This Dog Can Hunt
Of course he vetoed it.He doesn’t veto bloated budget bills (unlike Governor Mark Sanford, who, for all his faults, is at least a principled guy). He doesn’t veto bills that erode civil rights or dangerously expand Executive Powers. In his six years in the White House, the only bad bill to cross his desk apparently … Continue reading The Vanity of the Veto: This Dog Can Hunt
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Unconscious Orthodoxy
Let’s see if I understand this correctly: the United States Department of Justice cannot investigate the National Security Agency’s warrantless eavesdropping program because its lawyers don’t have a high enough security clearance. According to the AP:“The inquiry headed by the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, or OPR, sent a fax to Rep. Maurice Hinchey, … Continue reading Unconscious Orthodoxy
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