Sometimes The Truth Really Is Inconvenient

I thought this http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-08-09-gore-green_x.htm was an interesting piece given our discussion on McCain's use of the same campaign finances he has been advocating against for years. It seems Al Gore is not the poster child for green energy he has painted himself to be with his outspoken position on global warming. I had imagined his residence to be littered with rain collectors, solar panels, and bio fuel heaters, especially in light of his recent Oscar for his documentary on global warming and related acceptance speech professing, "We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it." Way to lead by example, Mr. Gore.

Why I believe the White House had Anna Nicole Smith killed (just kidding you government snoops)

I am baffled to the point of being dumbfounded about the amount of media coverage this Smith burial is receiving. This is tabloid news at best, certainly not important enough to occupy every waking minute of news coverage. Sure, deaths are still occurring daily in Iraq, Iran refuses to meet yet another deadline to stop enrichment, Russia is steaming mad over our proposed missile batteries to be located at their neighboring countries; but you know what, the train wreck that was Anna Nicole Smith deserves our full and undivided attention. I know I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist anyway (recreational paranoia and what not), but it seems awfully convenient that all, and I mean ALL (including Fox News which rarely spends much energy on these sorts of stories) news services have been reporting on this story ad nauseam. I'm sorry about taking up BLOG space with this complaint, but I had to vent before I go postal from lack of stimulating news.

File Under: "How Much Marinara?"

Yesterday, New Zealand fishermen caught the largest colossal squid ever, in the icy waters of the Antarctic north of Japan. It's 39 feet long and almost a thousand pounds. To wit:

If calamari rings were made from the squid they would be the size of tractor tires...

Somewhere, Pete is weeping for joy. Fire up the deep fryer, boys!

"Brave, Brave Sir Robin; Sir Robin Ran Away"

There go the Brits. According to the WashPost, PM Blair will announce a plan for British troop withdrawal ("close to half its troops by the end of the year") from southern Iraq today. US reps say that the situation in the south is different and that this will not significantly affect the security outlook for the rest of the country. In fact, they see the withdrawal/reduction as a "sign of success." Here's the official statement from the US National Security Council: "While the United Kingdom is maintaining a robust force in southern Iraq, we're pleased that conditions in Basra have improved sufficiently that they are able to transition more control to the Iraqis."

I'm wondering if this will start a flurry of withdrawals from other US allies, who all seem to be itching to get out of Iraq. In any event, it would seem that the Brits are getting a pass from the Bush administration for their withdrawal, i.e. no expressed disappointment, no blustering about staying the course, etc.

So, the question becomes: if the British can bring troops home and turn control over to Iraqi forces, why can't we? Admittedly, the situation in Baghdad is so fucked up right now that there's no way we can take guys out of there. But, what about other areas of the country (like the British AO in southern Iraq) where the security situation is better? Maybe we wouldn't have to bring over more guys if we could take them from areas that are ready to be turned over to the Iraqis. I'm just saying...

Crying "Nuke"

This is an interesting take on the Bush Administration's possible run-up to military action (war?) in and with Iran.

Can the US get its Mojo back?

Are we really the most hated nation in the world? If so, how did this happen and can we reverse the trend? Is the pendulum really beginning to swing back, as the author suggests, or are we heading further and further away from our ideals?

Stunning...

Wow, I never expected Southern Black leaders to make comments like these in public. Absolutely stunning. Obama cannot be happy. I'm not too happy with them myself.

Do as I say, Not as I do

John McCain has been abducted by aliens and secretly replaced with an imposter. That's the only explanation with which I can come up to account for his behavior. I once greatly respected this man--I thought he had character, stood for his beliefs, and wouldn't compromise himself to play politics. In other words, he was a beacon of honor and integrity in a landscape otherwise devoid of such qualities. But, over the past several months, I have come to see that I was wrong to have such a high opinion of him. He's a politician, just like the rest. No better and no worse. But, not the guiding light hovering above the fray. Maybe it was an unfair characterization; perhaps the standard was too high. It pains me, though, to see him go back on his word and reverse his stance on issues that he had formerly championed. Here is his most recent example: "McCain Taps Cash He Sought to Limit." Campaign finance reform was his issue--he gave us McCain-Feingold and we applauded him for trying to counteract the big money influence in political campaign spending. Now, we read this:

"In his early efforts to secure the support of the Republican establishment he has frequently bucked, McCain has embraced some of the same political-money figures, forces and tactics he pilloried during a 15-year crusade to reduce the influence of big donors, fundraisers and lobbyists in elections."

McCain's reasoning for the reversal--I don't want to be at a disadvantage if everyone else in the race is doing it. So much for standing up for what you believe. It would appear that he can walk the walk so long as as it's easy and won't cost him anything. But, when things get hard or there is risk involved, watch out for sudden changes in direction. Just ask McCain's new bff, Jerry Falwell.

A new round on the cross debate

I think it was Monday that we were all laughing that CNN was breaking old news about the chapel -- it looks like the were just building the buzz for this weeks BOV meeting. I went to the petition drive to look for debate footage (Holmes was one of the most interesting professors at W&M), found this link and wanted to pass it along. Almost 3/4 of the faculty have signed a petition for Nicols which does seem shockingly high, even on a college campus but I doubt the story.
I read the Save Nichol's Job petition and recognized a few names but who is this Anonymous fellow.

Yes, We Can Find the Exit

[I apologize for the lengthy post but the NY Times now makes you pay for Op-Ed pieces and, therefore, I couldn't link to the Web page. I thought Friedman's ideas were worth reading, though. Thanks, CP, for forwarding me the original article.]

February 7, 2007
Op-Ed Columnist
Yes, We Can Find the Exit
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
MOSCOW

Listening, from Moscow, to the debate in Congress about Iraq is troubling: it sounds as if the American people are being offered two routes to a dead end: either follow President Bush and have troops surging into a roiling civil war, or go with one of the Congressional resolutions and denounce the surge, but without any alternative strategy for securing U.S. interests.

I believe there is an alternative strategy, but it will take two concrete numbers to implement: a date — Dec. 1 — and a price — $3.50 cents a gallon. Let me explain.

What is the U.S. interest in Iraq right now? It's to quell the civil war enough so the parties may eventually reach a negotiated settlement, and if that proves impossible, to get America out of Iraq with the least damage to our interests.

We will not quell this civil war with a surge of troops alone. The only thing that will do that is a power-sharing, oil-revenue-sharing deal between the parties. The only way we will get serious negotiations going is with leverage that America does not now have: leverage on the parties inside and outside Iraq. Negotiating in the Middle East without leverage is futile. These folks know how to calculate the balance of power down to the last ounce.

So how do we get leverage? The first way to do that is by setting a firm date to leave — Dec. 1. All U.S. military forces are either going to be home for Christmas 2007 or redeployed along the borders of Iraq, away from the civil war.

Right now everyone in Iraq is having their cake and eating it — at our expense. We have to change that.

The Sunnis, who started this whole murderous cycle, participate in the government, negotiate with us and also indulge the suicide bombers and the insurgents. The Shiites collaborate with us, run their own retaliatory death squads and dabble with Iran. The Saudis tell us we can't leave, but their mosques and charities funnel Sunni suicide bombers to Iraq and dollars to insurgents. Iran pushes its Iraqi Shiite allies to grab more power, while helping others kill U.S. troops. Ditto Syria.

O.K., boys, party's over: we're leaving by Dec. 1. From now on, everyone pays retail for their politics. We will no longer play host to a war where we're everyone's protector and target. If you Sunnis want to go on resisting, we'll leave you to the tender mercies of the Shiites, who vastly outnumber you. You Shiites, if you want to run Iraq without compromising with Sunnis, fine, but you'll have to fight them alone and then risk having to live under the thumb of Iran.

You Saudis and other Arabs, if you don't use your influence to delegitimize Sunni suicide bombers and press Iraq's Sunnis to cut a deal, we won't protect you from the consequences. And Iran, you win — yes, if we leave, you win the right to try to manage Iraq's Shiites. Have a nice day.

But at the same time, we have to impose a tax that creates a floor price of $3.50 a gallon for gasoline — forever. This is also about leverage. It says to all the parties: we are going to conserve enough gasoline and spur enough clean alternatives to fossil fuels that no matter what you all do in the Middle East, we will not depend on you for energy.
Today in Iraq, none of the key parties have to make any choices, and we don't have any choices. That is the definition of "stuck." Right now we can win only if all the parties in and around Iraq act in the most farsighted and flexible manner. Otherwise we lose in our attempt to democratize Iraq, and we're left holding the bag. We need to be in a win-win situation that we control.

"I don't think at this stage that the promise of 20,000 more troops will change any minds in Iraq," said Michael Mandelbaum, author of "The Case for Goliath." "But the threat of a lot fewer U.S. troops might conceivably get everyone focused. Right now, the U.S. is the passenger in a car that other countries are driving — and it's not going in the right direction. We have to change that dynamic."

Indeed we do. Once we've set a date to leave by and a gas price to live by, we, for the first time, will have choices in Iraq. We can stay to broker a deal if the parties want to be guided by their better angels or, if they want tribal instincts to reign, we can leave by Dec. 1 and insulate ourselves from Islam's civil war with a new energy policy.

To put it another way, if setting a date to leave miraculously brings them to their senses, our aspirations for the Iraqis will have been achieved, and we'll be stronger. And if it doesn't, but we have set an exit date and a gas price, we'll be out of Iraq and more energy-secure — and we'll also be stronger.

Back in Black (but no collar, please)!

Apparently an oversight board of evangelical ministers that has investigated/counseled the Rev. Ted Haggard, ex-President of the National Association of Evangelicals, during his recent scandal, have come to the conclusion that he is a heterosexual.

I'm not sure why this conclusion is important, since the board also determined that he should 1) leave town (and by town, they mean state), and 2) find secular work. But I guess its an important determination to them nonetheless.

When discussing the conclusion he reached, the evangelical minister who announced the conclusion to the Denver Post stated:

"He is completely heterosexual," Ralph said. "That is something he discovered. It was the acting-out situations where things took place. It wasn't a constant thing."

I guess, according to Rev. Ralph and the evangelical oversight board, one can only truly find out they are heterosexual by repeatedly paying a male prostitute for drug-fueled gay sex.

I think I'd rather live with uncertainty.

Flying Spaghetti Monster, but I love these people...

National Scandal in the 'Burg!!

OK, just used the Enquirer-like title to bring attention and excitement to the fact that CNN picked up the Wren Chapel cross story. Nothing really new here (except that, according to the story, I appear to be siding with Newt Gingrich on something - although perhaps for different reasons).

What's it like to be Iraqi in Baghdad

Hi. Okay, long time no post. And, don't worry, Randy, I'm just visiting ;-) But, I saw this quote in the Times today from an Iraqi who witnessed the bombing in a Baghdad marketplace over the weekend, and I just wanted to share it with somebody.

“I wish they would attack us with a nuclear bomb and kill us all so we will rest and anybody who wants the oil — which is the core of the problem — can come and get it. We can not live this way anymore. We are dying slowly every day.”

I have my opinions about the war; how we got there and what we should be doing now. But, that's not why I'm posting this. I just felt this was a powerful reminder of the human tragedy unfolding in that country. Its heartbreaking.

Sic Semper Tyrannis!

Don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out!

Another Democrat’s racially insensitive remark met with ‘kid gloves’ once again

Democrat Joe Biden, in an interview announcing his presidential candidacy, referred to Barack Obama as follows:

“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy”

Where is the outrage? The hand-wringing? Imagine, if you will, this had been said by a Republican, say Trent Lott, George Allen, or Frank Hargorve.

Sure, he called Obama to apologize, and Obama shrugged it off with a form of “He didn’t mean it,” but Biden went even further to say that presumably inarticulate, dirty African-American presidential candidates Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Carol Mosley Braun and perhaps Alan Keys, should know what he meant too.

Once again, a Dem gets a pass for behavior that, if committed by an R, would have caused their crucifixion. Lest we forget former Klansman Sen. Byrd dropping of the n-bomb …

NY Times puff piece can be found here.

Sheesh! I hate Demorcat hypocrisy! It makes their supposed outrage seem that much more insincere!