Photo credit REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi
SEE UPDATE HERE
Internet muse.
Daring, bold, never sold.
My daily weblog of politics, humor, philosophy...and a constant and nagging reminder of the existence of universal love....
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Quote of the Day: Jimmy Breslin
Quote of the Day: Jimmy Breslin
When he came into office, Bush regarded China as Enemy No. 1. It is good that he found Iraq before taking on China. [LINK]
Dean Speech Primetime Tuesday in Boston
Dean Speech Primetime Tuesday in Boston
On Tuesday night next week, former Vermont governor Howard Dean, ("The man who made it good for John Kerry"), will speak during primetime to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Dean says, while he won't tell his delegates what to do, he clearly doesn't want any draft Dean movements from the Convention floor.
On Tuesday night next week, former Vermont governor Howard Dean, ("The man who made it good for John Kerry"), will speak during primetime to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Dean says, while he won't tell his delegates what to do, he clearly doesn't want any draft Dean movements from the Convention floor.
Joseph Wilson writes-L.A. Times
Joseph Wilson writes-L.A. Times
The right-wing campaign against me and Valerie does not alter the reality that someone in the Bush administration exposed her identity and compromised national security. I believe it was a malicious act meant to keep others from crossing a vindictive administration.
Most important, when it comes to the Niger claim — and so many other claims underlying the decision to go to war in Iraq — it is the Bush administration, not Joe Wilson, who spoke the words that have cost us more than 900 lives and billions of dollars and have left our international reputation in tatters.
[LINK (subsc or reg req)]
Devin McKinney on Pete Townshend
Devin McKinney on Pete Townshend
Having written my opinion on Pete Townshend last week, I was particularly interested in music writer Devin McKinney's article about the social politics of pop in the American Prospect. I consider it an excellent piece of writing where McKinney shows us precisely how "certain idols of a previous generation have made a small but unique contribution to our current culture of cheapened feelings and meatball ethics." Where Townshend is concerned, McKinney asks, "Why should you or I have ever guessed he would oppose the Iraq War? Or that Dylan would not one day shill for a lingerie catalog?" He asks what I consider to be an ironically delicious question: "Does anyone still look to pop stars for help in defining personal politics? Should we even expect them to define their own politics coherently, given that your typical pop star will be at once a soft liberal, a rapacious capitalist, and a dictatorial control freak?"
Some of McKinney's last lines are his best:
Having written my opinion on Pete Townshend last week, I was particularly interested in music writer Devin McKinney's article about the social politics of pop in the American Prospect. I consider it an excellent piece of writing where McKinney shows us precisely how "certain idols of a previous generation have made a small but unique contribution to our current culture of cheapened feelings and meatball ethics." Where Townshend is concerned, McKinney asks, "Why should you or I have ever guessed he would oppose the Iraq War? Or that Dylan would not one day shill for a lingerie catalog?" He asks what I consider to be an ironically delicious question: "Does anyone still look to pop stars for help in defining personal politics? Should we even expect them to define their own politics coherently, given that your typical pop star will be at once a soft liberal, a rapacious capitalist, and a dictatorial control freak?"
Some of McKinney's last lines are his best:
"If a song can bear the weight of politics, it will; if not, it will crumple like tin. The solution is simple: Trust the song, not the singer. Most of us have made the mistake of trusting the singer, believing the singer believed what we believed, what the singer seemed to believe. But that day is past; the idols are dead, and we need to grow up."Thanks, Devin.
Michael Moore, Linda Ronstadt & the rising anti-Bush tide
Michael Moore, Linda Ronstadt & the rising anti-Bush tide
Are you aware that people on the conservative side of politics have been aware (and probably upset) with Linda Ronstadt's anti-Bush statements for some time now? Ms. Ronstadt's Aladdin Hotel dedication to Michael Moore wasn't a bolt out of the blue.
PR Damage Control: Planet Hollywood wants Ronstadt back at Aladdin hotel.
Why does this man make the GOP so nervous? Click on photo to find out.
What happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas...and that's become a real PR problem for the Aladdin Hotel.
The Las Vegas Sun's editorial should be read. It includes the simple statement:
NYT Editorial:
Moore controversy
Aladdin prez Bill Timmins has left Las Vegas, but not to escape the firestorm of controversy surrounding his decision to have security escort Linda Ronstadt from the hotel after her remarks onstage Saturday night in support of Michael Moore.
Timmins left town Tuesday afternoon after turning down requests to appear on "The Today Show," "The O'Reilly Factor" and "Nightline."
Hotel spokeswoman Tyri Squyres confirmed that Timmins had left town, but said it was because he had a surgical procedure scheduled at an out-of-state hospital.
Timmins also reportedly received a long message on his voice mail from Moore himself Monday.
[LINK]
Are you aware that people on the conservative side of politics have been aware (and probably upset) with Linda Ronstadt's anti-Bush statements for some time now? Ms. Ronstadt's Aladdin Hotel dedication to Michael Moore wasn't a bolt out of the blue.
PR Damage Control: Planet Hollywood wants Ronstadt back at Aladdin hotel.
Why does this man make the GOP so nervous? Click on photo to find out.
What happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas...and that's become a real PR problem for the Aladdin Hotel.
The Las Vegas Sun's editorial should be read. It includes the simple statement:
Ronstadt has been touring the country since May and has been praising Moore at each stop. Las Vegas should be embarrassed at her treatment here.Who do you suppose might be the biggest fan in Las Vegas of shock-jock Howard Stern? I think you may be surprised.
NYT Editorial:
"They have a right to voice their disapproval - to express their opinion as Ms. Ronstadt expressed hers and to ask for a refund. But if their intemperate behavior began to worry the management, then they were the ones who should have been thrown out and told never to return, not Ms. Ronstadt, who threatened, after all, only to sing."Check out this blurb from the Las Vegas Sun:
Moore controversy
Aladdin prez Bill Timmins has left Las Vegas, but not to escape the firestorm of controversy surrounding his decision to have security escort Linda Ronstadt from the hotel after her remarks onstage Saturday night in support of Michael Moore.
Timmins left town Tuesday afternoon after turning down requests to appear on "The Today Show," "The O'Reilly Factor" and "Nightline."
Hotel spokeswoman Tyri Squyres confirmed that Timmins had left town, but said it was because he had a surgical procedure scheduled at an out-of-state hospital.
Timmins also reportedly received a long message on his voice mail from Moore himself Monday.
[LINK]
9/11 Press Conference: Failure of Imagination
9/11 Press Conference: Failure of Imagination
See the 9/11 Commission Report HERE.
An Institutional Lack of Imagination
There was a press conference held in Washington with the 9/11 commission. The panel agreed that 9/11 occurred due to an intitutionalized lack of imagination; there was no outright negligence on any particular person or agency's part. They refused to play politics by placing blame on presidents Clinton or Bush, but did comment that there was no "stimulating discussion on terror" before 9/11. It seems that no one envisioned terror as the problem it really was. The Commission concurred that neither president Bush nor Clinton was served well by Intelligence agencies prior to 9/11.
The name Tom Clancy kept popping up. It's obvious that Mr. Clancy's imagination is enviable, admirable and important to the members of this panel. The future of counter-terrorism is dependent upon creative-thinking people who can be respected for thinking "outside of the box".
Reform of Congressional Oversight Necessary
Broad recommendations have been made to reform Congressional oversight on Intelligence. This will entail the shut-down of a lot of long-standing Congressional committees and will require a lot of overinflated authority-snatching Washington DC egos to be checked at the new "door of reform". Commissioner Bob Kerry stated that he was hopeful, but not optimistic that some of these now-standing Committee leaders will gracefully step down and allow new and necessary Committees to be formed without partisan bickering.
Commissioner James Thompson publically laid it on the line to members of Congress, stating they need to unite; they'd best act quickly; doing any less will mean losing their political seats when the American people see that they're failing to act.
Presidential Candidate Comments
John Kerry said today that the is is not a time for bickering or politics. We are all Americans. We must move on this immediately, as a united people. If he is elected President and there's no sufficient progress in the next few months, he will lead by pressing Congress to rapidly enact reforms as suggested by the 9/11 Commission. President Bush said that he looks forward to reading the recommendations and hopes Congress will do the same and begin to act. If Bush makes a strong push for reform before November, it'll be tough for Kerry to distinguish himself on intelligence issues.
Other Observations:
I thought the Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes used his opportunity for questioning the panel as a disgraceful and obvious way of attempting to redeem his own reputation after writing a book about the Iraq-al Qaeda connections for which he had no solid proof. The answer he received failed to save his sad reputation and credibility.
Commissioner Kean stated he had not yet seen Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11", but suggested that Saudi Arabia is just as much at risk as America for terror attacks and they need to join closely with us in the struggle to overcome it. He admitted the basis of our respective governments' relationship needs to be more than just about oil. Commissioner Hamilton said he'd like to see more "depth and texture" to the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabian governments. (I'd like to see more transparency myself).
Iran has denied links to 9/11, and at this morning's conference, that was confirmed (given the limited scope of the Commission's oversight). When asked about Iran, one of the Commissioners stated frankly that there was no evidence of the Iran government's pre-knowlege of 9/11 whatsoever. There was only the indication that somehow, al Qaeda members had been able to cross the Iranian borders without having their passports stamped. To what degree the Iran government sanctioned this was not conclusive in the 9/11 report.
The John Lennon song "Imagine" kept running through my head. Imagination ruled the day and is our only hope to overcome terror.
*Find out how to get a copy of the 9/11 Commission Report here.
Jason Kottke created an HTML version of the executive summary of the 9/11 report, with permalinks for each paragraph.
See the 9/11 Commission Report HERE.
An Institutional Lack of Imagination
There was a press conference held in Washington with the 9/11 commission. The panel agreed that 9/11 occurred due to an intitutionalized lack of imagination; there was no outright negligence on any particular person or agency's part. They refused to play politics by placing blame on presidents Clinton or Bush, but did comment that there was no "stimulating discussion on terror" before 9/11. It seems that no one envisioned terror as the problem it really was. The Commission concurred that neither president Bush nor Clinton was served well by Intelligence agencies prior to 9/11.
The name Tom Clancy kept popping up. It's obvious that Mr. Clancy's imagination is enviable, admirable and important to the members of this panel. The future of counter-terrorism is dependent upon creative-thinking people who can be respected for thinking "outside of the box".
Reform of Congressional Oversight Necessary
Broad recommendations have been made to reform Congressional oversight on Intelligence. This will entail the shut-down of a lot of long-standing Congressional committees and will require a lot of overinflated authority-snatching Washington DC egos to be checked at the new "door of reform". Commissioner Bob Kerry stated that he was hopeful, but not optimistic that some of these now-standing Committee leaders will gracefully step down and allow new and necessary Committees to be formed without partisan bickering.
Commissioner James Thompson publically laid it on the line to members of Congress, stating they need to unite; they'd best act quickly; doing any less will mean losing their political seats when the American people see that they're failing to act.
Presidential Candidate Comments
John Kerry said today that the is is not a time for bickering or politics. We are all Americans. We must move on this immediately, as a united people. If he is elected President and there's no sufficient progress in the next few months, he will lead by pressing Congress to rapidly enact reforms as suggested by the 9/11 Commission. President Bush said that he looks forward to reading the recommendations and hopes Congress will do the same and begin to act. If Bush makes a strong push for reform before November, it'll be tough for Kerry to distinguish himself on intelligence issues.
Other Observations:
I thought the Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes used his opportunity for questioning the panel as a disgraceful and obvious way of attempting to redeem his own reputation after writing a book about the Iraq-al Qaeda connections for which he had no solid proof. The answer he received failed to save his sad reputation and credibility.
Commissioner Kean stated he had not yet seen Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11", but suggested that Saudi Arabia is just as much at risk as America for terror attacks and they need to join closely with us in the struggle to overcome it. He admitted the basis of our respective governments' relationship needs to be more than just about oil. Commissioner Hamilton said he'd like to see more "depth and texture" to the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabian governments. (I'd like to see more transparency myself).
Iran has denied links to 9/11, and at this morning's conference, that was confirmed (given the limited scope of the Commission's oversight). When asked about Iran, one of the Commissioners stated frankly that there was no evidence of the Iran government's pre-knowlege of 9/11 whatsoever. There was only the indication that somehow, al Qaeda members had been able to cross the Iranian borders without having their passports stamped. To what degree the Iran government sanctioned this was not conclusive in the 9/11 report.
The John Lennon song "Imagine" kept running through my head. Imagination ruled the day and is our only hope to overcome terror.
*Find out how to get a copy of the 9/11 Commission Report here.
Jason Kottke created an HTML version of the executive summary of the 9/11 report, with permalinks for each paragraph.
Flight 93 details emerge with 9/11 report
Flight 93 details emerge with 9/11 report
Apparently, the passengers who wished to reach the cockpit never actually had time to breach it before the Flight 93 crashed down to that Shanksville, Pennsylvania field.
Apparently, the passengers who wished to reach the cockpit never actually had time to breach it before the Flight 93 crashed down to that Shanksville, Pennsylvania field.
Right-wing Group Seeks Donations for Boston Ads
Right-wing Group Seeks Donations for Boston Ads
A partisan group, RightMarch.com, is hoping to take out five-full-page ads in the greater Boston metro area, demanding that Sens. Kerry and Edwards resign from the Senate in order to run for President and Vice President, because they're there so rarely that there is no realistic way for them to actually represent their constituents. The group is looking for donations to enable them to run the ads. At their site, they rage against what they call the "loony left" and "America's elite liberal media". They also casually mention that, 'as an extra "perk," if Kerry resigns, under current law, his temporary replacement would be named by the governor of Massachusetts... who just happens to be a Republican! North Carolina has a Democrat governor--but 1 out of 2 ain't bad!'
A partisan group, RightMarch.com, is hoping to take out five-full-page ads in the greater Boston metro area, demanding that Sens. Kerry and Edwards resign from the Senate in order to run for President and Vice President, because they're there so rarely that there is no realistic way for them to actually represent their constituents. The group is looking for donations to enable them to run the ads. At their site, they rage against what they call the "loony left" and "America's elite liberal media". They also casually mention that, 'as an extra "perk," if Kerry resigns, under current law, his temporary replacement would be named by the governor of Massachusetts... who just happens to be a Republican! North Carolina has a Democrat governor--but 1 out of 2 ain't bad!'
From the Revealer: How soon we forget
From the Revealer: How soon we forget
At the Revealer, Jeff Sharlet has written about our hunger for stories and our boredom when, after most of the "good stuff" has been exhausted, every horrific photo begins to look the same. We've slipped into the heat of another presidential campaign season. There's a lot of traditional hype but not much difference between the candidates when it comes to a war which they both promote yet still cannot give us reason for the fight. Old stories, based on remembered cultural tradition, are made new again as we eventually let the reality of those bodies slip from our collective consciousness. Wait---should we remember? I suggest you pay the site a visit and see if any of the images strike a familiar chord. [LINK]
At the Revealer, Jeff Sharlet has written about our hunger for stories and our boredom when, after most of the "good stuff" has been exhausted, every horrific photo begins to look the same. We've slipped into the heat of another presidential campaign season. There's a lot of traditional hype but not much difference between the candidates when it comes to a war which they both promote yet still cannot give us reason for the fight. Old stories, based on remembered cultural tradition, are made new again as we eventually let the reality of those bodies slip from our collective consciousness. Wait---should we remember? I suggest you pay the site a visit and see if any of the images strike a familiar chord. [LINK]
Trivia Quiz
Trivia Quiz
Who is the white-haired lady seated in the center of this photo?
Answer will be in the comments section at 5pm today if no one guesses it first.
Who is the white-haired lady seated in the center of this photo?
Answer will be in the comments section at 5pm today if no one guesses it first.
9/11 Report Out Today
9/11 Report Out Today
I laughed at Maureen Dowd's summing-up of current events as the "bizarre investigation of Sandy Burglar" and the "bomb Ira- Ali G skit" and "Right axis/ Wrong evil".
Actually, I don't believe we ever should have thought of hastily making pre-emptive attack on EITHER "Ira-". What the hell was our Congress so afraid of when they gave Bush carte blanche on his rush to attack Iraq? I hate to say this, I think their biggest fear was the possibility of not being re-elected the following month (Nov 2002).
The 9/11 Report is ripping away at Congress for being watchdog-flunkies when it came to Intelligence oversight. Allegedly, one passage of the report found that Al Qaeda and the 19 hijackers exploited "deep institutional failings within our government" over a long period. Officials have said the report did not directly blame the Bush or Clinton administration for the failures. It does harshly criticize the C.I.A. and F.B.I.
You can bet the GOP is scrambling to get a PR-list of changes they've enacted since 9/11 ready for the media to parrot for them. They make it far too obvious that they need to watch their political backs. It seems more important to them than dealing with and facing the hardest truths. Their pressing of the Sandy Berger-pants fiasco this week proved it.
While the commission may not conclude that Bush (or Clinton) could have prevented 9/11, at least ten missed operational opportunities will be spelled out in the report, showing there were several opportunities to intercept some of the activities of terrorists which led to 9/11.
I will be most curious to see the remarks of 9/11 victims' family members. especially Kristen Breitweiser who lost her husband Ronald in the attack and has been one of the most vocal proponents of the Independent Commission on behalf of victims' families.
I laughed at Maureen Dowd's summing-up of current events as the "bizarre investigation of Sandy Burglar" and the "bomb Ira- Ali G skit" and "Right axis/ Wrong evil".
Actually, I don't believe we ever should have thought of hastily making pre-emptive attack on EITHER "Ira-". What the hell was our Congress so afraid of when they gave Bush carte blanche on his rush to attack Iraq? I hate to say this, I think their biggest fear was the possibility of not being re-elected the following month (Nov 2002).
The 9/11 Report is ripping away at Congress for being watchdog-flunkies when it came to Intelligence oversight. Allegedly, one passage of the report found that Al Qaeda and the 19 hijackers exploited "deep institutional failings within our government" over a long period. Officials have said the report did not directly blame the Bush or Clinton administration for the failures. It does harshly criticize the C.I.A. and F.B.I.
You can bet the GOP is scrambling to get a PR-list of changes they've enacted since 9/11 ready for the media to parrot for them. They make it far too obvious that they need to watch their political backs. It seems more important to them than dealing with and facing the hardest truths. Their pressing of the Sandy Berger-pants fiasco this week proved it.
While the commission may not conclude that Bush (or Clinton) could have prevented 9/11, at least ten missed operational opportunities will be spelled out in the report, showing there were several opportunities to intercept some of the activities of terrorists which led to 9/11.
I will be most curious to see the remarks of 9/11 victims' family members. especially Kristen Breitweiser who lost her husband Ronald in the attack and has been one of the most vocal proponents of the Independent Commission on behalf of victims' families.
Helen Thomas: No More Pre-emptive Wars
Helen Thomas: No More Pre-emptive Wars
If Bush Has Plans For Another Preemptive War, He Should Forget It
Bush's dwindling coalition in Iraq brings the old saying to Ms. Thomas' mind:
"Some day they will give a war and nobody will come."
The allies fade away as the White House and the Pentagon struggle with credibility problems created by their sorry record in truth telling about the war.
Ms. Thomas is sore at Kerry and Edwards for passing up a chance to offer voters a real choice as both "incredibly continue to defend their pro-war votes in the Senate, instead of saying that they, like the American public, were misled by the Bush administration."
If Bush Has Plans For Another Preemptive War, He Should Forget It
Bush's dwindling coalition in Iraq brings the old saying to Ms. Thomas' mind:
"Some day they will give a war and nobody will come."
The allies fade away as the White House and the Pentagon struggle with credibility problems created by their sorry record in truth telling about the war.
Ms. Thomas is sore at Kerry and Edwards for passing up a chance to offer voters a real choice as both "incredibly continue to defend their pro-war votes in the Senate, instead of saying that they, like the American public, were misled by the Bush administration."
Iraq mess stretches US Army thin
Iraq mess stretches US Army thin
The Army's pool of future recruits has dwindled to its lowest level in three years, worrying Pentagon officials as the service is being stretched by the unexpectedly difficult occupation of Iraq.
Another sign of increasing stress on the military is the Army forcing more new recruits immediately into the ranks to meet recruiting goals for 2004, instead of allowing them to defer entry until the next accounting year, which starts in October.
Recruiting's been made tough for the Army with the lies, exaggerations, and misleadings of the Bush administration; the unnecessary war; and the way it's been conducted.
Improvising to keep the levels up isn't going to work much longer.
Wait until the draft comes back.
American parents are going to become no less than furious with this self-proclaimed "war president" and his chickenhawk administration. There will be protesting in the streets.
The Army's pool of future recruits has dwindled to its lowest level in three years, worrying Pentagon officials as the service is being stretched by the unexpectedly difficult occupation of Iraq.
Another sign of increasing stress on the military is the Army forcing more new recruits immediately into the ranks to meet recruiting goals for 2004, instead of allowing them to defer entry until the next accounting year, which starts in October.
Recruiting's been made tough for the Army with the lies, exaggerations, and misleadings of the Bush administration; the unnecessary war; and the way it's been conducted.
Improvising to keep the levels up isn't going to work much longer.
Wait until the draft comes back.
American parents are going to become no less than furious with this self-proclaimed "war president" and his chickenhawk administration. There will be protesting in the streets.
GASP! Kofi Annan says world no safer!
GASP! Kofi Annan says world no safer!
"I cannot say the world is safer today than it was two, three years ago."
---U.N. leader Kofi Annan
What??? How dare he say that? Anti-American! Bush-hater! Burn him at the stake!
Better yet---marginalize him! Accuse his son of theft and corruption!
"I cannot say the world is safer today than it was two, three years ago."
---U.N. leader Kofi Annan
What??? How dare he say that? Anti-American! Bush-hater! Burn him at the stake!
Better yet---marginalize him! Accuse his son of theft and corruption!
GASP! Bonnie Raitt Hopes Bush Will Lose!
GASP! Bonnie Raitt Hopes Bush Will Lose!
Not only does Bonnie Raitt hope Bush loses in November, she actually dared to say so! Anti-American! Traitor! Kick her off every stage! What did she really mean by "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)"? Burn her at the stake!
Not only does Bonnie Raitt hope Bush loses in November, she actually dared to say so! Anti-American! Traitor! Kick her off every stage! What did she really mean by "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)"? Burn her at the stake!
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