AND HE SCORES!!!! 3 POINTS, NOTING BUT NET!
Check out his review and then go rate it at Amazon.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
A LITTLE MORE PUSH BACK
Although NPR is non-partisan, it does try to get the facts right, unlike Fats or Shammity. The good news is that NPR is getting closer to the number of listeners those two shills have.
(From the Wall Street Journal, Via HuffPost)
Progressive publications have also made a lot of gains, according to the Village Voice:
Four More Years?
Bile for Bush fuels a boom in readers,
advertising for lefty magazines
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
August 24th, 2004 12:00 PM
It's an opportunity that publications like Mother Jones have eagerly capitalized on. In 1998, the Left Coast glossy had a paid circulation of 132,000. As of June 2004, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, that number had ballooned to 236,000. Mother Jones's success has been mirrored by that of its kindred publications. Under Bush, The Nation's paid circulation jumped from 94,000 in December 2000 to 165,000 in June 2004.
The American Prospect cites a circulation jump of 112 percent during the Bush presidency, from 27,000 in 2000 to 58,000 in 2004.
(From the Wall Street Journal, Via HuffPost)
Progressive publications have also made a lot of gains, according to the Village Voice:
Four More Years?
Bile for Bush fuels a boom in readers,
advertising for lefty magazines
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
August 24th, 2004 12:00 PM
It's an opportunity that publications like Mother Jones have eagerly capitalized on. In 1998, the Left Coast glossy had a paid circulation of 132,000. As of June 2004, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, that number had ballooned to 236,000. Mother Jones's success has been mirrored by that of its kindred publications. Under Bush, The Nation's paid circulation jumped from 94,000 in December 2000 to 165,000 in June 2004.
The American Prospect cites a circulation jump of 112 percent during the Bush presidency, from 27,000 in 2000 to 58,000 in 2004.
Friday, January 20, 2006
TRY HARDER, KARL
The Fear card isn't working like it used to. (Yeah, I know it's another unscientific AOL poll but still, only 20% are bed-wetters.)
What's your reaction to the warning
that al-Qaida is preparing
new attacks in the U.S.?
Not at all worried
35%
Somewhat worried
25%
Slightly worried
20%
Very worried
20%
Total Votes: 417,201
What's your reaction to the warning
that al-Qaida is preparing
new attacks in the U.S.?
Not at all worried
35%
Somewhat worried
25%
Slightly worried
20%
Very worried
20%
Total Votes: 417,201
THE TOP 14 "RADICALS" AT UCLA
Of the 14, 4 are condemned because they aren't members of AIPAC or the Likud Party.
1. Peter McLaren (5/5 Power Fists) This Canadian native teaches the next generation of teachers and professors how to properly indoctrinate students – Paolo Freire-style. Thanks to his hard-charging efforts, McLaren debuts at the top of the charts. Long live the king!
2. Kent Wong (5/5 Power Fists) In any other group, Kent Wong, the dyed-red laborista radical, would be hold an undisputed title for heavyweight extremism. If Wong keeps up his public attack on everything to the right of Chairman Mao, he may still do it. Stay tuned!
3. Douglas Kellner (5/5 Power Fists) Got a conspiracy theory involving President Bush, or any other member of his family? Douglas Kellner, the clown prince of the Education Department and king of Austin, Texas public access television, is your go-to guy. While it’s difficult to see his views becoming any more hysterical in tone and content, Kellner remains a dark-horse threat for the top ranking
4. Gabriel Piterberg (5/5 Power Fists) Born in Argentina but raised in a Jewish Israeli household, Piterberg takes the term “self-hating Jew” to a new level. Piterberg has left behind all ethnic and religious affiliations for a new identity along the lines of the “new Soviet man.” Due to his tireless anti-Israel activism, Piterberg will always be within striking distance of a top-3 rank.
5. Robert Watson (5/5 Power Fists) While his father Goodwin was pursued by HCUA for good reason, Robert Watson was fortunate to become an outspoken radical in a far more tolerant time. Watson is best known for his Daily Bruin fecundity, typically cramming half a dozen wild-eyed anti-Bush accusations in a single sentence. If Watson can come out of his shell as he did during the remarkable 2000-2002 stretch, his stock could jump.
6. Sondra Hale (5/5 Power Fists) The female equivalent of Gabriel Piterberg, Hale’s ardent anti-Israel and anti-Zionism stands out in a crowded female field. Hale first came to infamy in 1982 as department chair of the militantly pro- (and personally-)lesbian Women’s Studies department at Cal State Long Beach – and hasn’t let up since. If you believe the old canard of women earning 76 cents on the dollar to men, then you know Hale’s going to have to work extra hard just to keep her #6 rank.
7. Saree Makdisi (5/5 Power Fists) He boasts the same anti-Israel and anti-Zionist credentials as Piterberg and Hale, but Makdisi’s resume simply isn’t as long. Provided Makdisi stays as irrepressible as ever, and grows into the big shoes of his uncle Edward Said, you can expect to see him continue his meteoric rise.
8. Vinay Lal (5/5 Power Fists) Beaten up as a child for his slight stature, Lal’s Napoleonic complex has taken the form of snobbish hatred of President George W. Bush. With two years left in the President’s term, Lal still has plenty of time for several more venomous hit pieces.
9. James Gelvin – (5/5 Power Fists) Slammed early and often for his biased Palestinian classroom proselytizing, Gelvin remains a threat for the top five based on sheer fervor alone. As they say on SportsCenter, you can't stop James Gelvin, you can only hope to contain him.
10. Adolfo Bermeo (5/5 Power Fists) Owing to his recent “resignation” (read, forced retirement), Bermeo has begun a steep free-fall. In due time, the fresher, more outrageous exploits of current Bruin professors will likely relegate Bermeo to obscurity. But for those who attended UCLA before October 2005, we’ll always remember the times we had...
11. Juan Gomez-Quinones (5/5 Power Fists) The prototypical Hispanic irredentist, Gomez played a leading role with MEChA as the imaginary “Age of Aquarius” bled painfully into the Age of The Weathermen. Gomez played defender and enabler to a new generation of radical Hispanic students, culminating in an epic 1993 hunger strike battle with gutless Chancellor Charles E. Young. With his salad days behind him, Gomez is unlikely to move anywhere but down this list.
12. Karen Brodkin (5/5 Power Fists) This militant lesbian feminist has hitched her star to the whiteness studies movement, and displays no patience for those who see women’s issues in a broader context than her own. Unless Brodkin can develop a theme for her radicalism, the all-over-the-place character of her current activism dooms her chances for moving up the list.
13. Ellen DuBois (5/5 Power Fists) Like Karen Brodkin, DuBois has been a reliable participant and supporter of any number of radical causes. DuBois, however, distinguished herself by co-authoring a widely-signed Historians Against the War petition with the help of usual suspect Joyce Appleby. With a few more inspired choices like this, DuBois’ stock could really rise.
14. Gary Blasi (5/5 Power Fists) While discouraged by budget cuts at the UCLA Labor Center, Gary Blasi has been productive in times of crisis. Thanks to the labor of students in his clinical law class, Blasi presented research that lead to the ACLU case Williams v. California. If his old friends keep calling, lightning could strike twice.
1. Peter McLaren (5/5 Power Fists) This Canadian native teaches the next generation of teachers and professors how to properly indoctrinate students – Paolo Freire-style. Thanks to his hard-charging efforts, McLaren debuts at the top of the charts. Long live the king!
2. Kent Wong (5/5 Power Fists) In any other group, Kent Wong, the dyed-red laborista radical, would be hold an undisputed title for heavyweight extremism. If Wong keeps up his public attack on everything to the right of Chairman Mao, he may still do it. Stay tuned!
3. Douglas Kellner (5/5 Power Fists) Got a conspiracy theory involving President Bush, or any other member of his family? Douglas Kellner, the clown prince of the Education Department and king of Austin, Texas public access television, is your go-to guy. While it’s difficult to see his views becoming any more hysterical in tone and content, Kellner remains a dark-horse threat for the top ranking
4. Gabriel Piterberg (5/5 Power Fists) Born in Argentina but raised in a Jewish Israeli household, Piterberg takes the term “self-hating Jew” to a new level. Piterberg has left behind all ethnic and religious affiliations for a new identity along the lines of the “new Soviet man.” Due to his tireless anti-Israel activism, Piterberg will always be within striking distance of a top-3 rank.
5. Robert Watson (5/5 Power Fists) While his father Goodwin was pursued by HCUA for good reason, Robert Watson was fortunate to become an outspoken radical in a far more tolerant time. Watson is best known for his Daily Bruin fecundity, typically cramming half a dozen wild-eyed anti-Bush accusations in a single sentence. If Watson can come out of his shell as he did during the remarkable 2000-2002 stretch, his stock could jump.
6. Sondra Hale (5/5 Power Fists) The female equivalent of Gabriel Piterberg, Hale’s ardent anti-Israel and anti-Zionism stands out in a crowded female field. Hale first came to infamy in 1982 as department chair of the militantly pro- (and personally-)lesbian Women’s Studies department at Cal State Long Beach – and hasn’t let up since. If you believe the old canard of women earning 76 cents on the dollar to men, then you know Hale’s going to have to work extra hard just to keep her #6 rank.
7. Saree Makdisi (5/5 Power Fists) He boasts the same anti-Israel and anti-Zionist credentials as Piterberg and Hale, but Makdisi’s resume simply isn’t as long. Provided Makdisi stays as irrepressible as ever, and grows into the big shoes of his uncle Edward Said, you can expect to see him continue his meteoric rise.
8. Vinay Lal (5/5 Power Fists) Beaten up as a child for his slight stature, Lal’s Napoleonic complex has taken the form of snobbish hatred of President George W. Bush. With two years left in the President’s term, Lal still has plenty of time for several more venomous hit pieces.
9. James Gelvin – (5/5 Power Fists) Slammed early and often for his biased Palestinian classroom proselytizing, Gelvin remains a threat for the top five based on sheer fervor alone. As they say on SportsCenter, you can't stop James Gelvin, you can only hope to contain him.
10. Adolfo Bermeo (5/5 Power Fists) Owing to his recent “resignation” (read, forced retirement), Bermeo has begun a steep free-fall. In due time, the fresher, more outrageous exploits of current Bruin professors will likely relegate Bermeo to obscurity. But for those who attended UCLA before October 2005, we’ll always remember the times we had...
11. Juan Gomez-Quinones (5/5 Power Fists) The prototypical Hispanic irredentist, Gomez played a leading role with MEChA as the imaginary “Age of Aquarius” bled painfully into the Age of The Weathermen. Gomez played defender and enabler to a new generation of radical Hispanic students, culminating in an epic 1993 hunger strike battle with gutless Chancellor Charles E. Young. With his salad days behind him, Gomez is unlikely to move anywhere but down this list.
12. Karen Brodkin (5/5 Power Fists) This militant lesbian feminist has hitched her star to the whiteness studies movement, and displays no patience for those who see women’s issues in a broader context than her own. Unless Brodkin can develop a theme for her radicalism, the all-over-the-place character of her current activism dooms her chances for moving up the list.
13. Ellen DuBois (5/5 Power Fists) Like Karen Brodkin, DuBois has been a reliable participant and supporter of any number of radical causes. DuBois, however, distinguished herself by co-authoring a widely-signed Historians Against the War petition with the help of usual suspect Joyce Appleby. With a few more inspired choices like this, DuBois’ stock could really rise.
14. Gary Blasi (5/5 Power Fists) While discouraged by budget cuts at the UCLA Labor Center, Gary Blasi has been productive in times of crisis. Thanks to the labor of students in his clinical law class, Blasi presented research that lead to the ACLU case Williams v. California. If his old friends keep calling, lightning could strike twice.
THE CRAZY DAVY VIRUS HITS UCLA
Some alumnis of UCLA are funding a witch hunt for "radical professors":
http://www.uclaprofs.com/profs/profsindex.html
Read the reviews - it's hard to tell David Horowitz didn't write them.
http://www.uclaprofs.com/profs/profsindex.html
Read the reviews - it's hard to tell David Horowitz didn't write them.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
DEVASTATING CRITIQUE OF THE GOP HOUSE
If You Give a Congressman a Cookie
By NORMAN ORNSTEIN and THOMAS E. MANN
Published: January 19, 2006
Norman Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Thomas E. Mann is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. They are co-authors of the forthcoming "The Broken Branch."
The two of us have been immersed in Washington politics for more than 36 years. We have never seen the culture so sick or the legislative process so dysfunctional.
Over the past five years, the rules and norms that govern Congressional deliberation, debate and voting - what legislative aficionados call "the regular order" - have routinely been violated, especially in the House of Representatives, and in ways that mark a dramatic break from custom.
Roll call votes on the House floor, which are supposed to take 15 minutes, are frequently stretched to one, two or three hours. Rules forbidding any amendments to bills on the floor have proliferated, stifling dissent and quashing legitimate debate. Omnibus bills, sometimes thousands of pages long, are brought to the floor with no notice, let alone the 72 hours the rules require. Conference committees exclude minority members and cut deals in private, sometimes even adding major provisions after the conference has closed. Majority leaders still pressure members who object to the chicanery to vote yea in the legislation's one up-or-down vote.
What has all this got to do with corruption? If you can play fast and loose with the rules of the game in lawmaking, it becomes easier to consider playing fast and loose with everything else, including relations with lobbyists, acceptance of favors, the use of official resources and the discharge of governmental power.
Mr. Hastert showed open contempt for the House ethics process last year when he fired the Republican chairman of the ethics committee and ousted two Republican members after they did their duty and reprimanded Tom DeLay for three violations of standards. Mr. Hastert then appointed two members to the committee who had given large sums to the DeLay legal defense fund - when the main matter pending before the committee involved Representative DeLay.
The same attitude produced the K Street Project, in which the new Republican majority, led by Mr. DeLay, used its governmental power to demand that trade associations and lobbying groups fire Democratic lobbyists and hire designated Republicans, who could then be expected to show their gratitude by contributing generously to party candidates and committees. Jack Abramoff was one of the progenitors of that initiative.
By NORMAN ORNSTEIN and THOMAS E. MANN
Published: January 19, 2006
Norman Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Thomas E. Mann is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. They are co-authors of the forthcoming "The Broken Branch."
The two of us have been immersed in Washington politics for more than 36 years. We have never seen the culture so sick or the legislative process so dysfunctional.
Over the past five years, the rules and norms that govern Congressional deliberation, debate and voting - what legislative aficionados call "the regular order" - have routinely been violated, especially in the House of Representatives, and in ways that mark a dramatic break from custom.
Roll call votes on the House floor, which are supposed to take 15 minutes, are frequently stretched to one, two or three hours. Rules forbidding any amendments to bills on the floor have proliferated, stifling dissent and quashing legitimate debate. Omnibus bills, sometimes thousands of pages long, are brought to the floor with no notice, let alone the 72 hours the rules require. Conference committees exclude minority members and cut deals in private, sometimes even adding major provisions after the conference has closed. Majority leaders still pressure members who object to the chicanery to vote yea in the legislation's one up-or-down vote.
What has all this got to do with corruption? If you can play fast and loose with the rules of the game in lawmaking, it becomes easier to consider playing fast and loose with everything else, including relations with lobbyists, acceptance of favors, the use of official resources and the discharge of governmental power.
Mr. Hastert showed open contempt for the House ethics process last year when he fired the Republican chairman of the ethics committee and ousted two Republican members after they did their duty and reprimanded Tom DeLay for three violations of standards. Mr. Hastert then appointed two members to the committee who had given large sums to the DeLay legal defense fund - when the main matter pending before the committee involved Representative DeLay.
The same attitude produced the K Street Project, in which the new Republican majority, led by Mr. DeLay, used its governmental power to demand that trade associations and lobbying groups fire Democratic lobbyists and hire designated Republicans, who could then be expected to show their gratitude by contributing generously to party candidates and committees. Jack Abramoff was one of the progenitors of that initiative.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREDO JOB GROWTH
From PGL at ANGRY BEAR:
"Our chart, however, looks at overall national income, which is roughly divided between labor income and capital income. It does show that profits have been growing faster than national income, which is the flip side of the declining labor share. "
PGL also quotes from this Bloomberg article:
Bush's Expansion Leaves Workers Behind, Sparking Fed Friction
Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- American workers have rarely taken home a smaller share of the nation's prosperity, a condition that is undermining bipartisan support for free trade and creating friction between President George W. Bush's administration and the Federal Reserve.
After 16 consecutive quarters of economic growth, pay is rising at a slower rate than in any similar expansion since the end of World War II. Companies are paying less of their cash gains in the form of wages and salaries than at any time since the Great Depression, according to government figures.
Wages and salaries as a share of the cash corporations are generating from the expansion stood at 51 percent in the second and third quarters, the lowest in government records going back to 1929. Including benefits, labor's share was the lowest since 1997.
Here's a little factoid from the article that shows even Wal-Mart isn't entirely rapacious and delusional:
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chief Executive Officer H. Lee Scott last October urged Congress to raise the minimum wage, which has remained at $5.15 an hour since 1997, saying the company's customers ``are struggling to get by.''
"Our chart, however, looks at overall national income, which is roughly divided between labor income and capital income. It does show that profits have been growing faster than national income, which is the flip side of the declining labor share. "
PGL also quotes from this Bloomberg article:
Bush's Expansion Leaves Workers Behind, Sparking Fed Friction
Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- American workers have rarely taken home a smaller share of the nation's prosperity, a condition that is undermining bipartisan support for free trade and creating friction between President George W. Bush's administration and the Federal Reserve.
After 16 consecutive quarters of economic growth, pay is rising at a slower rate than in any similar expansion since the end of World War II. Companies are paying less of their cash gains in the form of wages and salaries than at any time since the Great Depression, according to government figures.
Wages and salaries as a share of the cash corporations are generating from the expansion stood at 51 percent in the second and third quarters, the lowest in government records going back to 1929. Including benefits, labor's share was the lowest since 1997.
Here's a little factoid from the article that shows even Wal-Mart isn't entirely rapacious and delusional:
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chief Executive Officer H. Lee Scott last October urged Congress to raise the minimum wage, which has remained at $5.15 an hour since 1997, saying the company's customers ``are struggling to get by.''
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
MORE ON AOL DELETIONS
As I wrote below, AOL began deleting many posts and threads from the message board about the Al Gore speech. At it's peak, there were over 19,500 posts on the board and now there are fewer than 12,000.
I realize that as a private company, AOL is under no obligation to keep all the posts up but I am concerned that there is no reason given for the deletions. I am sure a few did violate AOL's Terms of Service (TOS) but I know first-hand that many didn't.
I realize that as a private company, AOL is under no obligation to keep all the posts up but I am concerned that there is no reason given for the deletions. I am sure a few did violate AOL's Terms of Service (TOS) but I know first-hand that many didn't.
THE LIZARDOIDS PIPE UP ABOUT THE NSA
Background
Two Groups Plan Lawsuits Over Federal Eavesdropping
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
NY Times
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 - Two leading civil rights groups plan to file lawsuits Tuesday against the Bush administration over its domestic spying program to determine whether the operation was used to monitor 10 defense lawyers, journalists, scholars, political activists and other Americans with ties to the Middle East.
The two lawsuits, which are being filed separately by the American Civil Liberties Union in Federal District Court in Detroit and the Center for Constitutional Rights in Federal District Court in Manhattan, are the first major court challenges to the eavesdropping program.
One of the A.C.L.U. plaintiffs, Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute, said that a Stanford student studying in Egypt conducted research for him on political opposition groups, and that he worried that communications between them on sensitive political topics could be monitored. "How can we communicate effectively if you risk being intercepted by the National Security Agency?" Mr. Diamond said.
The lawsuits seek to answer one of the major questions surrounding the eavesdropping program: has it been used solely to single out the international phone calls and e-mail messages of people with known links to Al Qaeda, as President Bush and his most senior advisers have maintained, or has it been abused in ways that civil rights advocates say could hark back to the political spying abuses of the 1960's and 70's?
As you can easily imagine, the bed-wetters at LGF oppose these suits.
First, Charles provides a misleading frame:
The American Civil Liberties Union joins forces with radical Islamic front group CAIR, to protect the rights of terror suspects to make calls to their superiors overseas:
Two Groups Plan Lawsuits Over Federal Eavesdropping
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
NY Times
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 - Two leading civil rights groups plan to file lawsuits Tuesday against the Bush administration over its domestic spying program to determine whether the operation was used to monitor 10 defense lawyers, journalists, scholars, political activists and other Americans with ties to the Middle East.
The two lawsuits, which are being filed separately by the American Civil Liberties Union in Federal District Court in Detroit and the Center for Constitutional Rights in Federal District Court in Manhattan, are the first major court challenges to the eavesdropping program.
One of the A.C.L.U. plaintiffs, Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute, said that a Stanford student studying in Egypt conducted research for him on political opposition groups, and that he worried that communications between them on sensitive political topics could be monitored. "How can we communicate effectively if you risk being intercepted by the National Security Agency?" Mr. Diamond said.
The lawsuits seek to answer one of the major questions surrounding the eavesdropping program: has it been used solely to single out the international phone calls and e-mail messages of people with known links to Al Qaeda, as President Bush and his most senior advisers have maintained, or has it been abused in ways that civil rights advocates say could hark back to the political spying abuses of the 1960's and 70's?
As you can easily imagine, the bed-wetters at LGF oppose these suits.
First, Charles provides a misleading frame:
The American Civil Liberties Union joins forces with radical Islamic front group CAIR, to protect the rights of terror suspects to make calls to their superiors overseas:
And his minions dutifully follow that lead:
#9
RaiderDan 1/17/2006 09:29AM PST
Democrats, the ``terrorists rights'' party.
#16
Skywarner 1/17/2006 09:33AM PST
CAIR and the ACLU can both pucker up and KMA!
While they a**clowns think they know what's best for all of us, the Jack Bauers* and the rest of the grown ups in the administration are actually doing something about it.
*I didn't know who this was so I looked up the name. Here's part of the Wikipedia entry:
One recurring theme however, is Jack's belief in the mantra, "the ends justify the means": that is, he believes obtaining a desired result is more important than how he obtains it, and he frequently performs controversial actions if he thinks they will achieve an important goal. His philosophy was perhaps best expressed after he shot and killed a restrained criminal in front
of George Mason, then-CTU Director. George expressed dismay at Jack's extreme action, and Jack replied: "That's the problem with people like you, George. You want results, but you never want to get your hands dirty."
Yup, the lizardoids LOVE fictional psychopaths.
They also love
FEAR:
#19
Greg 1/17/2006 09:33AM PST
ACLU in the coming world war will have to be closed down at bayonet point.
Our survival is at stake because of these red assclowns
#34
Skywarner 1/17/2006 09:39AM PST
Folks, this is Summer 1939 all over again, and the left is too looney to even see it.
FREDO'S IN BIG TROUBLE
(Via DKos)
Leading Conservatives Call for Extensive Hearings
on NSA Surveillance;
Checks on Invasive Federal Powers Essential
1/17/2006 6:36:00 PM
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances (PRCB) today called upon Congress to hold open, substantive oversight hearings examining the President's authorization of the National Security Agency (NSA) to violate domestic surveillance requirements outlined in the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, chairman of PRCB, was joined by fellow conservatives Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR); David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union; Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation and Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, in urging lawmakers to use NSA hearings to establish a solid foundation for restoring much needed constitutional checks and balances to intelligence law.
Leading Conservatives Call for Extensive Hearings
on NSA Surveillance;
Checks on Invasive Federal Powers Essential
1/17/2006 6:36:00 PM
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances (PRCB) today called upon Congress to hold open, substantive oversight hearings examining the President's authorization of the National Security Agency (NSA) to violate domestic surveillance requirements outlined in the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, chairman of PRCB, was joined by fellow conservatives Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR); David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union; Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation and Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, in urging lawmakers to use NSA hearings to establish a solid foundation for restoring much needed constitutional checks and balances to intelligence law.
BLOG PLUG
Today in Iraq does a great job of rounding up the news about Iraq. It's mostly stuff you won't see on FAUX News.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
THE GENERAL ON O'BEIRNE'S BOOK
This is his Amazon review:
4850 of 5024 people found the following review helpful:
Mrs. O'Beirne avoids the most dangerous feminist myth of all, January 10, 2006
Reviewer:
Gen. JC Christian, patriot (Tremonton, UT United States) - See all my reviews
I found many truths in Mrs. O'Beirne's book, truths so self-evident that I have to wonder why no one has stated them until now. For instance, how could anyone argue with her assertion that feminists exploit female war casualties to "advance the feminist agenda of androgyny and abortion." Even I have to admit that every time I hear that another woman has been sacrificed in our glorious Iraq adventure, I'm tempted to tell my wife, Ofjoshua, to throw on a pair of jeans, head for the nearest women's health clinic, and help them slaughter a whole passel of blastocyst-Americans.
But I think it's her frequent attacks against the television show, "Sex in the City," that I value most about this book. By promoting the myth that women should enjoy sex, that show has done more to destroy the institution of marriage than even homosexual unions. I think most men will agree with me when I say that there isn't a woman alive who isn't thoroughly repulsed by sex. Telling them that it should be a pleasant experience rather than a vomit-inducing one only serves to cause them to resent their husbands when the impossible isn't delivered. Hopefully, this book will help destroy that myth.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I can't give it more than a single star because it has a fatal flaw. It promotes the most destructive myth of all, the existence of lesbianism. Mrs. O'Beirne discusses it throughout the book as if it is something that is real. She doesn't seem to be able to understand that women can't have sex with each other. They don't have little soldiers.
4850 of 5024 people found the following review helpful:
Mrs. O'Beirne avoids the most dangerous feminist myth of all, January 10, 2006
Reviewer:
Gen. JC Christian, patriot (Tremonton, UT United States) - See all my reviews
I found many truths in Mrs. O'Beirne's book, truths so self-evident that I have to wonder why no one has stated them until now. For instance, how could anyone argue with her assertion that feminists exploit female war casualties to "advance the feminist agenda of androgyny and abortion." Even I have to admit that every time I hear that another woman has been sacrificed in our glorious Iraq adventure, I'm tempted to tell my wife, Ofjoshua, to throw on a pair of jeans, head for the nearest women's health clinic, and help them slaughter a whole passel of blastocyst-Americans.
But I think it's her frequent attacks against the television show, "Sex in the City," that I value most about this book. By promoting the myth that women should enjoy sex, that show has done more to destroy the institution of marriage than even homosexual unions. I think most men will agree with me when I say that there isn't a woman alive who isn't thoroughly repulsed by sex. Telling them that it should be a pleasant experience rather than a vomit-inducing one only serves to cause them to resent their husbands when the impossible isn't delivered. Hopefully, this book will help destroy that myth.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I can't give it more than a single star because it has a fatal flaw. It promotes the most destructive myth of all, the existence of lesbianism. Mrs. O'Beirne discusses it throughout the book as if it is something that is real. She doesn't seem to be able to understand that women can't have sex with each other. They don't have little soldiers.
AL GORE'S SPEECH
This is the part the bed-wetters don't seem to get (Via RawStory and slightly edited) :
Is our Congress today in more danger than were their predecessors when the British army was marching on the Capitol? Is the world more dangerous than when we faced an ideological enemy with tens of thousands of missiles poised to be launched against us and annihilate our country at a moment's notice? Is America in more danger now than when we faced worldwide fascism on the march-when our fathers fought and won on two fronts?
It is simply an insult to those who came before us and sacrificed so much on our behalf to imply that we have more to be fearful of than they. Yet they faithfully protected our freedoms and now it is up to us to do the same.
We have a duty as Americans to defend our citizens' right not only to life but also to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is therefore vital in our current circumstances that immediate steps be taken to safeguard our Constitution against the present danger posed by the intrusive overreaching on the part of the Executive Branch and the President's apparent belief that he need not live under the rule of law.
Is our Congress today in more danger than were their predecessors when the British army was marching on the Capitol? Is the world more dangerous than when we faced an ideological enemy with tens of thousands of missiles poised to be launched against us and annihilate our country at a moment's notice? Is America in more danger now than when we faced worldwide fascism on the march-when our fathers fought and won on two fronts?
It is simply an insult to those who came before us and sacrificed so much on our behalf to imply that we have more to be fearful of than they. Yet they faithfully protected our freedoms and now it is up to us to do the same.
We have a duty as Americans to defend our citizens' right not only to life but also to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is therefore vital in our current circumstances that immediate steps be taken to safeguard our Constitution against the present danger posed by the intrusive overreaching on the part of the Executive Branch and the President's apparent belief that he need not live under the rule of law.
ON ROGER BALDWIN
Baldwin was the founder of the ACLU and in the early part of his life, he was a socialist. This fact is sometimes used by the wingnuts to attack the ACLU as a subversive, anti-American group. To correct that misconception, here are some snippets from a biographical sketch of Baldwin:
The FBI's chief, J. Edgar Hoover, despite an apparently amicable relationship with Baldwin, ordered that an already existing file be maintained on the ACLU director. This occurred despite the fact that Baldwin's ideological stance underwent an alteration starting in the mid-thirties, the byproduct of personal and political developments.
This was the same period when Baldwin became increasingly disturbed by events in the Soviet Union, where purge trials were being undertaken, and by politically troublesome accusations leveled at the ACLU by the House Committee on un-American Activities.
Baldwin became less happy with the Popular Front approach and concerned about the very existence of the ACLU after the announcement of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact in August 1939. The following spring, in an effort to stave off criticisms of the organization and the cause he had devoted much of his adulthood to, Baldwin orchestrated a campaign to revise the ACLU charter. Henceforth, those affiliated with totalitarian organizations would not be allowed to serve on the ACLU board.
The immediate target was the former-Wobbly and present Communist Party member, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. An organizational "trial" of Flynn ensued, resulting in her ouster and establishing a pattern for anti-communist policies and programs that flourished during the Cold War.
In 1947 General Douglas MacArthur arranged for Baldwin to serve as a civil liberties consultant in Japan; he also visited Korea during his Asian stay.
For the next several years, Baldwin sought to work for international human rights, producing a volume, A New Slavery, which condemned "the inhuman communist police state tyranny, forced labor."
The FBI's chief, J. Edgar Hoover, despite an apparently amicable relationship with Baldwin, ordered that an already existing file be maintained on the ACLU director. This occurred despite the fact that Baldwin's ideological stance underwent an alteration starting in the mid-thirties, the byproduct of personal and political developments.
This was the same period when Baldwin became increasingly disturbed by events in the Soviet Union, where purge trials were being undertaken, and by politically troublesome accusations leveled at the ACLU by the House Committee on un-American Activities.
Baldwin became less happy with the Popular Front approach and concerned about the very existence of the ACLU after the announcement of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact in August 1939. The following spring, in an effort to stave off criticisms of the organization and the cause he had devoted much of his adulthood to, Baldwin orchestrated a campaign to revise the ACLU charter. Henceforth, those affiliated with totalitarian organizations would not be allowed to serve on the ACLU board.
The immediate target was the former-Wobbly and present Communist Party member, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. An organizational "trial" of Flynn ensued, resulting in her ouster and establishing a pattern for anti-communist policies and programs that flourished during the Cold War.
In 1947 General Douglas MacArthur arranged for Baldwin to serve as a civil liberties consultant in Japan; he also visited Korea during his Asian stay.
For the next several years, Baldwin sought to work for international human rights, producing a volume, A New Slavery, which condemned "the inhuman communist police state tyranny, forced labor."
A TALE OF TWO ATTAS & ONE ABU
I'm posting this here because on that AOL board I mentioned below, these lies have resurfaced.
From SNOPES.COM:
Claim: A convicted terrorist released by Israel at the insistence of the United States participated in the September 11 terrorist attacks on America.
Status: False.
[snip]
The Boston Globe, at least, caught onto the error and realized that the bus bomber and the hijacker were two different people with the same name:
The same Snopes article provides the lead in for the second debunking:
In mid-2002 the "We freed Atta" claim was twinned in e-mail with another popular Internet canard, the "Oliver North warned us about Osama" falsity. North did speak up about a terrorist during the Iran-Contra hearings, but it was Abu Nidal he mentioned, not Osama bin Laden.
Here's the truth about this lie:
Is it true that . . . Oliver North said during the 1987 Iran-Contra hearings that Osama bin Laden had threatened his life?
The answer is no. This Internet hoax says that under questioning from an unidentified senator, Col. Oliver North said he had a home security system installed because a terrorist had threatened him and his family. When asked who this terrorist was, Col. North said it was Osama bin Laden.The facts: Oliver North testified about a home security system during a July 7, 1987 joint Senate-House hearing on the Iran-Contra investigation. The questioner was not a senator, but committee counsel John Nields. Col. North testified the security system was installed because threats were made on his life by terrorist Abu Nidal.
http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/Oliver_North.shtml
From SNOPES.COM:
Claim: A convicted terrorist released by Israel at the insistence of the United States participated in the September 11 terrorist attacks on America.
Status: False.
[snip]
The Boston Globe, at least, caught onto the error and realized that the bus bomber and the hijacker were two different people with the same name:
Last week, many news organizations, including The Boston Globe, reported that US authorities believed Atta had attacked a commercial bus in Israel in 1986. But Second Circuit US Court of Appeals records show that was a case of mistaken identity. Another man, a naturalized US citizen who used the alias of Mahmoud Atta, was arrested in that attack.
The same Snopes article provides the lead in for the second debunking:
In mid-2002 the "We freed Atta" claim was twinned in e-mail with another popular Internet canard, the "Oliver North warned us about Osama" falsity. North did speak up about a terrorist during the Iran-Contra hearings, but it was Abu Nidal he mentioned, not Osama bin Laden.
Here's the truth about this lie:
Is it true that . . . Oliver North said during the 1987 Iran-Contra hearings that Osama bin Laden had threatened his life?
The answer is no. This Internet hoax says that under questioning from an unidentified senator, Col. Oliver North said he had a home security system installed because a terrorist had threatened him and his family. When asked who this terrorist was, Col. North said it was Osama bin Laden.The facts: Oliver North testified about a home security system during a July 7, 1987 joint Senate-House hearing on the Iran-Contra investigation. The questioner was not a senator, but committee counsel John Nields. Col. North testified the security system was installed because threats were made on his life by terrorist Abu Nidal.
http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/Oliver_North.shtml
GORE'S SPEECH & AOL BUSHBOTS
There was a LOT of sheeple activity today. As I write, there are over 19,000 posts on the "Gore Assails Domestic Wiretapping Program" board. AOL has been deleting many but it's not clear if there is a pattern to the deletions.
Here's some more pristine wingnut thinking from this board:
1 - 1/16/06 08:06 PM (Msg Id: 557926:45735)
RITT1
Rating: 62 % of 42 people liked this post Do you find it useful? Yes or No
Al Gore and the other radical Democrats keep aiding the enemy. The last five presidents have used the same power to wiretap and protect our nation. Why is it that Pres. Bush cannot do the same things the past presidents have done.
#1 - 1/17/06 02:42 AM (Msg Id: 557926:54867)
Dealproject
Rating: 0 % of 1 people liked this post Do you find it useful? Yes or No
We all know Aldolf thinks he invented the Internet....Maybe he needs a butterfly net draped over his head.......
#3 - 1/17/06 02:46 AM (Msg Id: 557926:54892)
Re:#1
Pnchtlc
Rating: 0 % of 1 people liked this post Do you find it useful? Yes or No
What a dumb ass. Bush will never be impeached with control of both the house and senate. To the victor goes the spoils.
Here's some more pristine wingnut thinking from this board:
1 - 1/16/06 08:06 PM (Msg Id: 557926:45735)
RITT1
Rating: 62 % of 42 people liked this post Do you find it useful? Yes or No
Al Gore and the other radical Democrats keep aiding the enemy. The last five presidents have used the same power to wiretap and protect our nation. Why is it that Pres. Bush cannot do the same things the past presidents have done.
#1 - 1/17/06 02:42 AM (Msg Id: 557926:54867)
Dealproject
Rating: 0 % of 1 people liked this post Do you find it useful? Yes or No
We all know Aldolf thinks he invented the Internet....Maybe he needs a butterfly net draped over his head.......
#3 - 1/17/06 02:46 AM (Msg Id: 557926:54892)
Re:#1
Pnchtlc
Rating: 0 % of 1 people liked this post Do you find it useful? Yes or No
What a dumb ass. Bush will never be impeached with control of both the house and senate. To the victor goes the spoils.
Monday, January 16, 2006
WALTER UPDATE
It didn't take very long for some bloggers to go on the attack.
LGF: Uncle Walter joins the moonbats
WizBang: His comments on Iraq this weekend show him to be the tottering old fool that he is; and there's no one lining up to heap praise on a bitter old lefty...
Here are some lizardoid comments:
#7
pegcity 1/15/2006 08:17PM PST
time for mother nature to take walter cronkite.
Why doesnt that old windbag die already.
#18
visitorstay 1/15/2006 08:26PM PST
Cronkite is a LLL lackey. We must stay the course, victory is at hand. If we leave now, all of Iraq would erupt in a Civil War. Mllions of Sunni & Shia would be killed! President Bush and American patriots have made it clear we don't want that to happen.
#26
freedomplow 1/15/2006 08:39PM PST
Cronkite, Murtha. Murtha, Cronkite. Same damn thing.
Defeatists.
#50
psaturn 1/15/2006 09:18PM PST
So he said that Vietnam was unwinnable....
The Viet Congs admitted if it wasn't for the treasonous acts of the American leftists, they would have surrendered to the Americans.
#78
Robert Schwartz 1/16/2006 12:48AM PST
This one is in the category of what else is new. dudes been trying to undermine the USA since the late 60's.
#79
stuiec 1/16/2006 01:06AM PST
It occurred to me the other day just why it was that an old World War II correspondent like Walter Cronkite could have been so "patriotic" about that war and so anti-patriotic about Vietnam and the War on Terror. Then it dawned on me: World War II was the Great Patriotic War defending the Motherland of Soviet Russia.
LGF: Uncle Walter joins the moonbats
WizBang: His comments on Iraq this weekend show him to be the tottering old fool that he is; and there's no one lining up to heap praise on a bitter old lefty...
Here are some lizardoid comments:
#7
pegcity 1/15/2006 08:17PM PST
time for mother nature to take walter cronkite.
Why doesnt that old windbag die already.
#18
visitorstay 1/15/2006 08:26PM PST
Cronkite is a LLL lackey. We must stay the course, victory is at hand. If we leave now, all of Iraq would erupt in a Civil War. Mllions of Sunni & Shia would be killed! President Bush and American patriots have made it clear we don't want that to happen.
#26
freedomplow 1/15/2006 08:39PM PST
Cronkite, Murtha. Murtha, Cronkite. Same damn thing.
Defeatists.
#50
psaturn 1/15/2006 09:18PM PST
So he said that Vietnam was unwinnable....
The Viet Congs admitted if it wasn't for the treasonous acts of the American leftists, they would have surrendered to the Americans.
#78
Robert Schwartz 1/16/2006 12:48AM PST
This one is in the category of what else is new. dudes been trying to undermine the USA since the late 60's.
#79
stuiec 1/16/2006 01:06AM PST
It occurred to me the other day just why it was that an old World War II correspondent like Walter Cronkite could have been so "patriotic" about that war and so anti-patriotic about Vietnam and the War on Terror. Then it dawned on me: World War II was the Great Patriotic War defending the Motherland of Soviet Russia.
CRONKITE, THE NEXT SWIFTBOAT TARGET
Let's see how long it takes the Noise Machine to smear Walter.
Cronkite: United States Should Leave Iraq Now
By DAVID BAUDER, AP
PASADENA, Calif. (Jan. 15) - Former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, whose 1968 conclusion that the Vietnam War was unwinnable keenly influenced public opinion then, said Sunday he'd say the same thing today about Iraq.
"It's my belief that we should get out now," Cronkite said in a meeting with reporters.
Cronkite: United States Should Leave Iraq Now
By DAVID BAUDER, AP
PASADENA, Calif. (Jan. 15) - Former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, whose 1968 conclusion that the Vietnam War was unwinnable keenly influenced public opinion then, said Sunday he'd say the same thing today about Iraq.
"It's my belief that we should get out now," Cronkite said in a meeting with reporters.
RALPH REED HAS A PROBLEM
The WaPo, via Kevin Drum, highlights it:
Random interviews on Main Street in heavily Republican Alpharetta -- a rapidly growing town of 37,850 on the far northern suburbs of Atlanta -- suggested that even many people who follow politics casually are aware of the linkage between Reed and Abramoff.
"Ralph Reed? He's a politician," said David Loudenflager, a Republican who retired after working 32 years for the Arrow Shirt Company. "He was involved with Jack Abramoff and the Indians and all those."
Loudenflager does not like the Democratic Party -- "they give away everything" -- but he puts no stock in the Christian Coalition: "All these people running around telling you how good they are, and how right they are. You better be careful and hold on to your wallet."
Todd Guy, owner of Trader Golf, said succinctly in response to an inquiry: "Ralph Reed of the Christian Coalition? My God! Abramoff."
Random interviews on Main Street in heavily Republican Alpharetta -- a rapidly growing town of 37,850 on the far northern suburbs of Atlanta -- suggested that even many people who follow politics casually are aware of the linkage between Reed and Abramoff.
"Ralph Reed? He's a politician," said David Loudenflager, a Republican who retired after working 32 years for the Arrow Shirt Company. "He was involved with Jack Abramoff and the Indians and all those."
Loudenflager does not like the Democratic Party -- "they give away everything" -- but he puts no stock in the Christian Coalition: "All these people running around telling you how good they are, and how right they are. You better be careful and hold on to your wallet."
Todd Guy, owner of Trader Golf, said succinctly in response to an inquiry: "Ralph Reed of the Christian Coalition? My God! Abramoff."
Sunday, January 15, 2006
WaPo PUSH BACK
Deborah Howell, the ombudsman for the WaPo, has been regurgitating a major GOP talking point about the Abramoff scandal: The Democrats did it too! Jane Hamsher at FiredogLake has a good takedown of Howell that starts with:
Many other liberal blogs have joined in, among them are Atrios, MediaMatters, DailyKos, Crooks & Liars, and AmericaBlog.
This gets better: many of the readers of these blogs have gone to a WaPo blog and made their thoughts known about Ms. Howell.
It's nice to see a little push back against the GOP Noise Machine!
That is just an out-and-out, boldfaced lie.
Many other liberal blogs have joined in, among them are Atrios, MediaMatters, DailyKos, Crooks & Liars, and AmericaBlog.
This gets better: many of the readers of these blogs have gone to a WaPo blog and made their thoughts known about Ms. Howell.
It's nice to see a little push back against the GOP Noise Machine!
END OF A TRADITION
Marines Leave Behind Naval Academy Watch
Combat Troop Shortage Ends Tradition
By Elizabeth Williamson and Ray Rivera
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, January 14, 2006; Page B04
In a ceremony that began with a prayer and ended with tears, the U.S. Naval Academy sent its Marine sentries off to war yesterday, ending a 155-year tradition at the school because of the demand for combat troops.
Since before the Civil War, Marine sentries have provided security for dignitaries' visits and special events on the Annapolis campus. They also performed largely ceremonial duties, including standing guard outside John Paul Jones's crypt and the academy's museum.
The sentries were most visible, however, at the academy's gates, where "they maintained day-to-day vigilance . . . but they've done much more, in their ability to look tough but remain pleasant," said Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, the Naval Academy superintendent.
Dozens of military installations across the nation have turned to civilian security officers in recent years, and the Navy is leaving that option open for the academy. The Army's U.S. Military Academy at West Point and post at Fort Meade brought on private security firms in 2004.
The sentries' departure reflects the strain on U.S. forces stretched thin by deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Obviously, we can use those Marines in more significant roles," said Gary Solis, a West Point professor and former official historian for the Marine Corps who frequently lectures at the Naval Academy. "But it's too bad a tradition like that has to end."
Marines have been providing security for the Naval Academy since 1851, six years after its founding. Back then, they were quartered aboard ships in the Severn River, which borders the 338-acre campus.
Combat Troop Shortage Ends Tradition
By Elizabeth Williamson and Ray Rivera
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, January 14, 2006; Page B04
In a ceremony that began with a prayer and ended with tears, the U.S. Naval Academy sent its Marine sentries off to war yesterday, ending a 155-year tradition at the school because of the demand for combat troops.
Since before the Civil War, Marine sentries have provided security for dignitaries' visits and special events on the Annapolis campus. They also performed largely ceremonial duties, including standing guard outside John Paul Jones's crypt and the academy's museum.
The sentries were most visible, however, at the academy's gates, where "they maintained day-to-day vigilance . . . but they've done much more, in their ability to look tough but remain pleasant," said Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, the Naval Academy superintendent.
Dozens of military installations across the nation have turned to civilian security officers in recent years, and the Navy is leaving that option open for the academy. The Army's U.S. Military Academy at West Point and post at Fort Meade brought on private security firms in 2004.
The sentries' departure reflects the strain on U.S. forces stretched thin by deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Obviously, we can use those Marines in more significant roles," said Gary Solis, a West Point professor and former official historian for the Marine Corps who frequently lectures at the Naval Academy. "But it's too bad a tradition like that has to end."
Marines have been providing security for the Naval Academy since 1851, six years after its founding. Back then, they were quartered aboard ships in the Severn River, which borders the 338-acre campus.
BUSH SPEECH DETERIORATION
(Via Scoutprime)
I recall having a link to a site that had two video clips of Bush speaking. One was from 1992 or so when he was debating Ann Richards and the other was one of the debates with Kerry. Bush's 1992 speech pattern was fluent and coherent and was much better than it is currently. I have misplaced the links but here is one clip that shows earlier and current Bush speech.
In addition to the deterioration of fluency, you will also hear a distinct Texas accent in the earlier speech sample.
UPDATE:
I found another clip from a Daily Ko's diary. The debates with Richardson took place in 1994, not 1992 or so. In this clip, there isn't a Texas accent.
I recall having a link to a site that had two video clips of Bush speaking. One was from 1992 or so when he was debating Ann Richards and the other was one of the debates with Kerry. Bush's 1992 speech pattern was fluent and coherent and was much better than it is currently. I have misplaced the links but here is one clip that shows earlier and current Bush speech.
In addition to the deterioration of fluency, you will also hear a distinct Texas accent in the earlier speech sample.
UPDATE:
I found another clip from a Daily Ko's diary. The debates with Richardson took place in 1994, not 1992 or so. In this clip, there isn't a Texas accent.
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