During a routine patrol in Baghdad June 2, Army Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a medic, was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper, hiding in a van just 75 yards away. The incident was filmed by the insurgents.
Tschiderer, with E Troop, 101st “Saber” Cavalry Division, attached to 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was knocked to the ground from the impact, but he popped right back up, took cover and located the enemy’s position.
After tracking down the now-wounded sniper with a team from B Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Iraqi Army Brigade, Tschiderer secured the terrorist with a pair of handcuffs and gave medical aid to the terrorist who’d tried to kill him just minutes before.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
The Rove-A-Dope
John Tierney of the NY Times on the Karl Rove/Valerie Plame "scandal":
For now, though, it looks as if this scandal is about a spy who was not endangered, a whistle-blower who did not blow the whistle and was not smeared, and a White House official who has not been fired for a felony that he did not commit. And so far the only victim is a reporter who did not write a story about it.
Has the hapless Left been Rove-a-Doped yet again by the President? It appears to be the case.
For now, though, it looks as if this scandal is about a spy who was not endangered, a whistle-blower who did not blow the whistle and was not smeared, and a White House official who has not been fired for a felony that he did not commit. And so far the only victim is a reporter who did not write a story about it.
Has the hapless Left been Rove-a-Doped yet again by the President? It appears to be the case.
Presidential Nomination for the Confederacy of Dunces
Judging by his public life, former Clinton aid Paul Begala is a fool. This just confirms the obvious:
Young liberals this week flocked to the nation's capital to hear, among other things, liberal television pundit and Democrat political strategist Paul Begala accuse Republicans of wanting to kill him and his children to preserve tax cuts for the rich.
Begala was featured at the first-ever Campus Progress National Student Conference, which was designed to provide campus liberals with the tools necessary to fight the conservative movement. The event also drew former President Bill Clinton, for whom Begala once worked as an advisor.
A panel discussion entitled "Winning the War of Ideas" centered on topics discussed in the book "What's the Matter with Kansas" by Thomas Frank and detailed the challenges that Democrats face in persuading voters in the American heartland and elsewhere to embrace their agenda and support their candidates. Begala's presence on the panel created a stir when he declared that Republicans had "done a p***-poor job of defending" the U.S. Republicans, he said, "want to kill us.
"I was driving past the Pentagon when that plane hit" on Sept. 11, 2001. "I had friends on that plane; this is deadly serious to me," Begala said.
"They want to kill me and my children if they can. But if they just kill me and not my children, they want my children to be comforted -- that while they didn't protect me because they cut my taxes, my children won't have to pay any money on the money they inherit," Begala said.
"That is bulls*** national defense, and we should say that."
The Clinton administration's national security efforts involved the right blend of "experience" and "strength," Begala said.
Surely he didn't utter that last line with a straight face.
Young liberals this week flocked to the nation's capital to hear, among other things, liberal television pundit and Democrat political strategist Paul Begala accuse Republicans of wanting to kill him and his children to preserve tax cuts for the rich.
Begala was featured at the first-ever Campus Progress National Student Conference, which was designed to provide campus liberals with the tools necessary to fight the conservative movement. The event also drew former President Bill Clinton, for whom Begala once worked as an advisor.
A panel discussion entitled "Winning the War of Ideas" centered on topics discussed in the book "What's the Matter with Kansas" by Thomas Frank and detailed the challenges that Democrats face in persuading voters in the American heartland and elsewhere to embrace their agenda and support their candidates. Begala's presence on the panel created a stir when he declared that Republicans had "done a p***-poor job of defending" the U.S. Republicans, he said, "want to kill us.
"I was driving past the Pentagon when that plane hit" on Sept. 11, 2001. "I had friends on that plane; this is deadly serious to me," Begala said.
"They want to kill me and my children if they can. But if they just kill me and not my children, they want my children to be comforted -- that while they didn't protect me because they cut my taxes, my children won't have to pay any money on the money they inherit," Begala said.
"That is bulls*** national defense, and we should say that."
The Clinton administration's national security efforts involved the right blend of "experience" and "strength," Begala said.
Surely he didn't utter that last line with a straight face.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Whose Side Are They On? Beats Me.
TEL AVIV - Close buddies? Top terrorist Zakaria Zubeidi made a “guest appearance” in a video prepared by the staff of Reuters news agency in Israel and the Palestinian Authority as a “going away” gift for a colleague, Ynetnews has learned.
Zubeidi, who heads Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Jenin, has been named by security officials as a key figure in organizing terror attacks on Israeli civilians.
Zubeidi’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades have claimed responsibility for more than 300 terror acts in the last five years.
A Reuters spokeswoman confirmed the video’s existence, but said the London-based news organization is “not associated with any group or faction in any conflict.”
The screening, which occurred in a Jerusalem restaurant last March, involved the showing of a video during a private party.
"The video's theme was what Israel would be like in 10 years," said an Israeli government official who attended the party and viewed the video.
"All of a sudden, at the end, there is Zakaria Zubeidi, playing the head of Reuters. Zubeidi was sitting in Reuters' Jenin office, saying he was Reuters’ chief,” the official said.
'They thought video was hilarious'
The party included guests from the BBC, ITN, the Independent newspaper, and French journalists.
"They all thought the video was hilarious," the official said. He added that only a few individuals did not seem amused during the screening.
"They were laughing; they thought it was very funny, he said.”
Reuters spokeswoman Susan Allsopp said in a statement to Ynetnews that the film “was a spoof video put together for a departing member of staff by a few of his colleagues in Israel and the Palestinian territories. It was shown at a private farewell party and was meant to be humorous.
“As soon as editorial management in Jerusalem became aware of the video they told the staff involved that Reuters found it to be inappropriate and in poor taste,” the statement said. “The member of staff for whom the party had been held has never met Mr. Zubeidi. Reuters would like to make it clear that it is not associated with any group or faction in any conflict.”
This line speaks volumes: "The party included guests from the BBC, ITN, the Independent newspaper, and French journalists." Of course.
Zubeidi, who heads Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Jenin, has been named by security officials as a key figure in organizing terror attacks on Israeli civilians.
Zubeidi’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades have claimed responsibility for more than 300 terror acts in the last five years.
A Reuters spokeswoman confirmed the video’s existence, but said the London-based news organization is “not associated with any group or faction in any conflict.”
The screening, which occurred in a Jerusalem restaurant last March, involved the showing of a video during a private party.
"The video's theme was what Israel would be like in 10 years," said an Israeli government official who attended the party and viewed the video.
"All of a sudden, at the end, there is Zakaria Zubeidi, playing the head of Reuters. Zubeidi was sitting in Reuters' Jenin office, saying he was Reuters’ chief,” the official said.
'They thought video was hilarious'
The party included guests from the BBC, ITN, the Independent newspaper, and French journalists.
"They all thought the video was hilarious," the official said. He added that only a few individuals did not seem amused during the screening.
"They were laughing; they thought it was very funny, he said.”
Reuters spokeswoman Susan Allsopp said in a statement to Ynetnews that the film “was a spoof video put together for a departing member of staff by a few of his colleagues in Israel and the Palestinian territories. It was shown at a private farewell party and was meant to be humorous.
“As soon as editorial management in Jerusalem became aware of the video they told the staff involved that Reuters found it to be inappropriate and in poor taste,” the statement said. “The member of staff for whom the party had been held has never met Mr. Zubeidi. Reuters would like to make it clear that it is not associated with any group or faction in any conflict.”
This line speaks volumes: "The party included guests from the BBC, ITN, the Independent newspaper, and French journalists." Of course.
I've Been Preaching This For Years
The More You Hear, the Less You Know
A new study casts doubt on all the old studies
It has been a long time since the words "scientific study" automatically inspired respect. We've been fooled too often since they told us saccharin causes cancer and closed the dioxin-rich Love Canal, only to bring both back later. Apples and Oreos have been on a hit list; butter was bad, but then it was better than margarine. Even the government's own Food Pyramid, the one that once glorified pasta, has now been adjusted to reflect thinking closer to what many mothers in the 1950s already knew about a healthy, balanced diet.
There are many reasons why health scares and medical treatments come and go. Now we have a scientific study of scientific studies that sheds some light on the subject. An article in the July 13 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examines how often research that gets a lot of attention--in the scientific community and in the wider world--is then challenged by later studies that reach opposite or less dramatic conclusions.
The article's title, "Contradicted and Initially Stronger Effects in Highly Cited Clinical Research," is simple compared with the complex methodology it describes. Suffice it to say that the article's author, Dr. John P.A. Ioannidis of the Tufts-New England Medical Center, ultimately determined that of 45 studies that revealed effective medical interventions, one-third were eventually contradicted either totally or in part by other studies.
Let's zero in on a few examples. Hormone therapy, initially said to reduce "coronary artery disease events" in women, is now believed to increase the risk of such events. Vitamin E therapy, touted as a heart protector for men and women, was later found to be ineffective. Several of Dr. Ioannidis's other comparisons--concerning, for example, a drug said to slow HIV disease progression or treatments to prevent strokes--show that positive results revealed in an initial study were later found to be much more modest, or to have only short-term effects.
In a number of cases, the explanation for the discrepancies may lie in precisely what you'd suspect: The shorter the study, and the smaller the group studied, the more likely it may be that subsequent, deeper, investigation will contradict or alter the original thesis. Dr. Ioannidis's article also suggests that research pointing to possible therapies tends to get more attention than research with "negative findings," e.g. that Vitamin A does not protect against recurrences of breast cancer.
Of course hopeful stories generate more excitement than ones that shoot down hopes. Even the reality of refuted research is not that shocking, since medicine has steadily advanced despite the fits and starts that mark every learning process. More alarming is the speed with which a single study can become fact--often with the assistance of a credulous or sensation-seeking media--or acquire a power it doesn't deserve in the hands of tort lawyers and activists whose central motive may be unrelated to improving public health.
The JAMA article doesn't address those phenomena. But Dr. Ioannidis's modest reminder about his own research--mine is not the final word--sets a great example for those who look to science for easy answers and quick fixes.
A new study casts doubt on all the old studies
It has been a long time since the words "scientific study" automatically inspired respect. We've been fooled too often since they told us saccharin causes cancer and closed the dioxin-rich Love Canal, only to bring both back later. Apples and Oreos have been on a hit list; butter was bad, but then it was better than margarine. Even the government's own Food Pyramid, the one that once glorified pasta, has now been adjusted to reflect thinking closer to what many mothers in the 1950s already knew about a healthy, balanced diet.
There are many reasons why health scares and medical treatments come and go. Now we have a scientific study of scientific studies that sheds some light on the subject. An article in the July 13 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examines how often research that gets a lot of attention--in the scientific community and in the wider world--is then challenged by later studies that reach opposite or less dramatic conclusions.
The article's title, "Contradicted and Initially Stronger Effects in Highly Cited Clinical Research," is simple compared with the complex methodology it describes. Suffice it to say that the article's author, Dr. John P.A. Ioannidis of the Tufts-New England Medical Center, ultimately determined that of 45 studies that revealed effective medical interventions, one-third were eventually contradicted either totally or in part by other studies.
Let's zero in on a few examples. Hormone therapy, initially said to reduce "coronary artery disease events" in women, is now believed to increase the risk of such events. Vitamin E therapy, touted as a heart protector for men and women, was later found to be ineffective. Several of Dr. Ioannidis's other comparisons--concerning, for example, a drug said to slow HIV disease progression or treatments to prevent strokes--show that positive results revealed in an initial study were later found to be much more modest, or to have only short-term effects.
In a number of cases, the explanation for the discrepancies may lie in precisely what you'd suspect: The shorter the study, and the smaller the group studied, the more likely it may be that subsequent, deeper, investigation will contradict or alter the original thesis. Dr. Ioannidis's article also suggests that research pointing to possible therapies tends to get more attention than research with "negative findings," e.g. that Vitamin A does not protect against recurrences of breast cancer.
Of course hopeful stories generate more excitement than ones that shoot down hopes. Even the reality of refuted research is not that shocking, since medicine has steadily advanced despite the fits and starts that mark every learning process. More alarming is the speed with which a single study can become fact--often with the assistance of a credulous or sensation-seeking media--or acquire a power it doesn't deserve in the hands of tort lawyers and activists whose central motive may be unrelated to improving public health.
The JAMA article doesn't address those phenomena. But Dr. Ioannidis's modest reminder about his own research--mine is not the final word--sets a great example for those who look to science for easy answers and quick fixes.
Uh Oh!
The hooligans are up to no good:
Plans by an alliance of rightwing extremists and football hooligans to exact "revenge" on Muslims after last week's bomb attacks are being monitored by police.
The Guardian has learned that extremists are keen to cause widespread fear and injury with attacks on mosques and high-profile "anti-Muslim" events in the capital.
Football hooligans communicating over the internet have spoken of the need to put aside partisan support for teams and unite against Muslims. Hooligans from West Ham, Millwall, Crystal Palace and Arsenal are among those seeking to establish common cause.
Plans by an alliance of rightwing extremists and football hooligans to exact "revenge" on Muslims after last week's bomb attacks are being monitored by police.
The Guardian has learned that extremists are keen to cause widespread fear and injury with attacks on mosques and high-profile "anti-Muslim" events in the capital.
Football hooligans communicating over the internet have spoken of the need to put aside partisan support for teams and unite against Muslims. Hooligans from West Ham, Millwall, Crystal Palace and Arsenal are among those seeking to establish common cause.
The W of Australia
My man John Howard slaps down this idiodic question:
MAXINE McKEW: Prime Minister, if as you say you can't rule out that possibility that we could have potential bombers right here in Australia, what if today's announcement, this redeployment to Afghanistan and our continued presence in Iraq is all the provocation they need?
JOHN HOWARD: Maxine, these people are opposed to what we believe in and what we stand for, far more than what we do. If you imagine that you can buy immunity from fanatics by curling yourself in a ball, apologising for the world - to the world - for who you are and what you stand for and what you believe in, not only is that morally bankrupt, but it's also ineffective. Because fanatics despise a lot of things and the things they despise most is weakness and timidity. There has been plenty of evidence through history that fanatics attack weakness and retreating people even more savagely than they do defiant people.
MAXINE McKEW: Prime Minister, if as you say you can't rule out that possibility that we could have potential bombers right here in Australia, what if today's announcement, this redeployment to Afghanistan and our continued presence in Iraq is all the provocation they need?
JOHN HOWARD: Maxine, these people are opposed to what we believe in and what we stand for, far more than what we do. If you imagine that you can buy immunity from fanatics by curling yourself in a ball, apologising for the world - to the world - for who you are and what you stand for and what you believe in, not only is that morally bankrupt, but it's also ineffective. Because fanatics despise a lot of things and the things they despise most is weakness and timidity. There has been plenty of evidence through history that fanatics attack weakness and retreating people even more savagely than they do defiant people.
Are The Lefties About to Eat Crow
Looks like The Brain has been telling the truth.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Presidential confidant Karl Rove testified to a grand jury that he learned the identity of a CIA operative originally from journalists, then informally discussed the information with a Time magazine reporter days before the story broke, according to a person briefed on the testimony.
The person, who works in the legal profession and spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of grand jury proceedings, told The Associated Press that Rove testified last year that he remembers specifically being told by columnist Robert Novak that Valerie Plame, the wife of a harsh Iraq war critic, worked for the CIA.
Rove testified that Novak originally called him the Tuesday before Plame's identity was revealed in July 2003 to discuss another story. The conversation eventually turned to former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who was strongly criticizing the Bush administration's Iraq war policy and the intelligence it used to justify the war, the source said.
The person said Rove testified that Novak told him he had learned and planned to report in a weekend column that Wilson's wife, Plame, had worked for the CIA, and the circumstances on how her husband traveled to Africa to check bogus claims of alleged nuclear material sales to Iraq.
Novak's column, citing two Bush administration officials, appeared six days later, touching off a political firestorm and leading to a federal criminal investigation into who leaked Plame's undercover identity. That probe has ensnared presidential aides and reporters in a two-year legal battle.
Rove told the grand jury that by the time Novak had called him, he believes he had similar information about Wilson's wife from another reporter but had no recollection of which reporter had told him about it first, the source said.
When Novak inquired about Wilson's wife working for the CIA, Rove indicated he had heard something like that, according to the source's recounting of the grand jury testimony.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Presidential confidant Karl Rove testified to a grand jury that he learned the identity of a CIA operative originally from journalists, then informally discussed the information with a Time magazine reporter days before the story broke, according to a person briefed on the testimony.
The person, who works in the legal profession and spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of grand jury proceedings, told The Associated Press that Rove testified last year that he remembers specifically being told by columnist Robert Novak that Valerie Plame, the wife of a harsh Iraq war critic, worked for the CIA.
Rove testified that Novak originally called him the Tuesday before Plame's identity was revealed in July 2003 to discuss another story. The conversation eventually turned to former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who was strongly criticizing the Bush administration's Iraq war policy and the intelligence it used to justify the war, the source said.
The person said Rove testified that Novak told him he had learned and planned to report in a weekend column that Wilson's wife, Plame, had worked for the CIA, and the circumstances on how her husband traveled to Africa to check bogus claims of alleged nuclear material sales to Iraq.
Novak's column, citing two Bush administration officials, appeared six days later, touching off a political firestorm and leading to a federal criminal investigation into who leaked Plame's undercover identity. That probe has ensnared presidential aides and reporters in a two-year legal battle.
Rove told the grand jury that by the time Novak had called him, he believes he had similar information about Wilson's wife from another reporter but had no recollection of which reporter had told him about it first, the source said.
When Novak inquired about Wilson's wife working for the CIA, Rove indicated he had heard something like that, according to the source's recounting of the grand jury testimony.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
This is Odd...
...for a number of reasons:
Hlaing Thar Yar, Myanmar - Chicken-seller Thin Sandarin had always dreamt of being a man. When she inexplicably grew a penis last month, the 21-year-old treated it as an awe-inspiring omen - as have the thousands of stunned villagers who have travelled to a pagoda to see him.
"On the morning of the full moon day of June 21, I noticed my thing (sex organ) was not the same as before," Thin Sandar, who now goes by the male name Than Sein, said on Wednesday.
"And my breasts disappeared," Than Sein added. "So I called out and showed it all to my mom and dad. It was very strange."
Experts have examined him, and he awaits test results from a women's hospital.
1. The second sentence begins by referring to this...well...person as "she", then switches to "him" after the whole penis affair.
2. "Thin Sandar" is a female name, and "Than Sein" is a male name. Huh?
3. The first sentence refers to Thin Sandarin, then mentions the female name of Thin Sandar. Are we to assume that the girl's full name was Thin Sandar Sandarin? Is that like Betty Lynn Lynndale.
3. He/she showed "it" to his mom and dad. Showed what? His Johnson? Who shows their mom - or dad - their Johnson?
4. "Experts" have examined him. What the hell are "experts"? Are we talking doctors here, or some other being that I'm not aware of.
Hlaing Thar Yar, Myanmar - Chicken-seller Thin Sandarin had always dreamt of being a man. When she inexplicably grew a penis last month, the 21-year-old treated it as an awe-inspiring omen - as have the thousands of stunned villagers who have travelled to a pagoda to see him.
"On the morning of the full moon day of June 21, I noticed my thing (sex organ) was not the same as before," Thin Sandar, who now goes by the male name Than Sein, said on Wednesday.
"And my breasts disappeared," Than Sein added. "So I called out and showed it all to my mom and dad. It was very strange."
Experts have examined him, and he awaits test results from a women's hospital.
1. The second sentence begins by referring to this...well...person as "she", then switches to "him" after the whole penis affair.
2. "Thin Sandar" is a female name, and "Than Sein" is a male name. Huh?
3. The first sentence refers to Thin Sandarin, then mentions the female name of Thin Sandar. Are we to assume that the girl's full name was Thin Sandar Sandarin? Is that like Betty Lynn Lynndale.
3. He/she showed "it" to his mom and dad. Showed what? His Johnson? Who shows their mom - or dad - their Johnson?
4. "Experts" have examined him. What the hell are "experts"? Are we talking doctors here, or some other being that I'm not aware of.
More Classic Reuters
Just came across this headline:
"Unborn babies carry pollutants, study finds"
How can they be "babies" if they are "unborn"? We all know that "babies" aren't "babies" until they are "born." Right?
"Unborn babies carry pollutants, study finds"
How can they be "babies" if they are "unborn"? We all know that "babies" aren't "babies" until they are "born." Right?
Torture?
The military reviewed interrogation tactics at Gitmo and claim there was no torture. Many - including Andrew Sullivan - disagree and site these facts as evidence:
* interrogators "brought a military working dog into the interrogation room and directed it to growl, bark and show teeth"
* some prisoners were restrained with "hand restraints connected directly to an eyebolt in the floor"
* one interrogator "tied a leash to hand chains, led [the detainee] around the room through a series of dog tricks."
* a prisoner was pinned down while a female interrogator straddled him
* a prisoner was told he was gay and forced to dance with another male
* one prisoner had his entire head duct-taped because he refused to stop "chanting passages from the Koran;" one had his Koran removed; another had an interrogator squat over his Koran on a table, while interrogating him.
If this is torture, then my Delta Kappa Epsilon brothers are torturers. What would these people think of 18-year-old freshman forced to participate in sheep dung duals at Shakertown?
* interrogators "brought a military working dog into the interrogation room and directed it to growl, bark and show teeth"
* some prisoners were restrained with "hand restraints connected directly to an eyebolt in the floor"
* one interrogator "tied a leash to hand chains, led [the detainee] around the room through a series of dog tricks."
* a prisoner was pinned down while a female interrogator straddled him
* a prisoner was told he was gay and forced to dance with another male
* one prisoner had his entire head duct-taped because he refused to stop "chanting passages from the Koran;" one had his Koran removed; another had an interrogator squat over his Koran on a table, while interrogating him.
If this is torture, then my Delta Kappa Epsilon brothers are torturers. What would these people think of 18-year-old freshman forced to participate in sheep dung duals at Shakertown?
This is Surprising
Wow, a guy who works 20 hour days, sleeps in his office, and worships football as his god is getting divorced. Who wouldn't want to be married to that guy.
Also, I love how the children are mentioned as an afterthought. They're a trivial matter.
In a statement to ESPN.com, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick confirmed Wednesday night that he and his wife, Debby, are separated.
"This is not a new development," Belichick said. "I ask that my personal privacy be respected."
Rumors of the separation first appeared earlier this week on internet message boards, including one devoted to Patriots fans, and the Boston-area media in recent days began to make inquiries about the status of the Belichicks' marriage.
The inference of some posts on one message board have been that the separation will be a distraction for Belichick and undermine New England's chances in 2005 of becoming the first team in NFL history to capture three straight Super Bowl championships.
But the separation occurred before the 2004 season, one in which Belichick appeared undeterred by personal issues, and in which the Patriots won a third Super Bowl title in four years.
Belichick, 53, won an ESPY on Wednesday night as the coach/manager of the year.
The Belichicks have long shared philanthropic interests and their charitable endeavors together have been considerable, including the Bill and Debby Belichick Scholarship, founded in 2001 and awarded annually to an Annapolis High School senior for academic and athletic achievement.
The couple has three children.
Also, I love how the children are mentioned as an afterthought. They're a trivial matter.
In a statement to ESPN.com, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick confirmed Wednesday night that he and his wife, Debby, are separated.
"This is not a new development," Belichick said. "I ask that my personal privacy be respected."
Rumors of the separation first appeared earlier this week on internet message boards, including one devoted to Patriots fans, and the Boston-area media in recent days began to make inquiries about the status of the Belichicks' marriage.
The inference of some posts on one message board have been that the separation will be a distraction for Belichick and undermine New England's chances in 2005 of becoming the first team in NFL history to capture three straight Super Bowl championships.
But the separation occurred before the 2004 season, one in which Belichick appeared undeterred by personal issues, and in which the Patriots won a third Super Bowl title in four years.
Belichick, 53, won an ESPY on Wednesday night as the coach/manager of the year.
The Belichicks have long shared philanthropic interests and their charitable endeavors together have been considerable, including the Bill and Debby Belichick Scholarship, founded in 2001 and awarded annually to an Annapolis High School senior for academic and athletic achievement.
The couple has three children.
Classic Media Duplicity
So the media's...yet again...carrying water for the Dems and in "Karl Rove committed a crime and should be fired" mode.
From what I've read, Rove committed no crime. But don't believe me. Believe the 36 "major news organizations and reporters' groups" that filed an amici curiae brief in the D.C. Circuit on the question of whether Matt Cooper and Judith Miller should be compelled to reveal the identities of confidential sources.
On page ii of the brief, the lawyers for the media groups assert: "In this case, there exists ample evidence in the public record to cast serious doubt as to whether a crime has even been committed under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act (the "Act") in the investigation underlying the attempts to secure testimony from Miller and Cooper. If in fact no crime under the Act has been committed, then any need to compel Miller and Cooper to reveal their confidential sources should evaporate." Among the amici --ABC, employer of one Terry Moran, outraged member of the White House press corps, CNN, CBS, FoxNews, and NBC Universal --employer of David Gregory, another of the "hang Rove" crowd. The Washington Post and White House Correspondents are also signatories to the brief that notes "Plame was not given 'deep cover' required of a covert agent...She worked at a desk job at CIA headquarters, where she could be seen traveling to and from, and active at, Langley. She had been residing in Washington -- not stationed abroad-- for a number of years. As discussed below, the CIA failed to take even its usual steps to prevent publication of her name."
The brief also notes that "an article in the Washington Times indicated that Plame's identity was compromised twice prior to Novak's publication. If this information is accurate --another fact a court should explore-- there is an absolute defense to prosecution."
From what I've read, Rove committed no crime. But don't believe me. Believe the 36 "major news organizations and reporters' groups" that filed an amici curiae brief in the D.C. Circuit on the question of whether Matt Cooper and Judith Miller should be compelled to reveal the identities of confidential sources.
On page ii of the brief, the lawyers for the media groups assert: "In this case, there exists ample evidence in the public record to cast serious doubt as to whether a crime has even been committed under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act (the "Act") in the investigation underlying the attempts to secure testimony from Miller and Cooper. If in fact no crime under the Act has been committed, then any need to compel Miller and Cooper to reveal their confidential sources should evaporate." Among the amici --ABC, employer of one Terry Moran, outraged member of the White House press corps, CNN, CBS, FoxNews, and NBC Universal --employer of David Gregory, another of the "hang Rove" crowd. The Washington Post and White House Correspondents are also signatories to the brief that notes "Plame was not given 'deep cover' required of a covert agent...She worked at a desk job at CIA headquarters, where she could be seen traveling to and from, and active at, Langley. She had been residing in Washington -- not stationed abroad-- for a number of years. As discussed below, the CIA failed to take even its usual steps to prevent publication of her name."
The brief also notes that "an article in the Washington Times indicated that Plame's identity was compromised twice prior to Novak's publication. If this information is accurate --another fact a court should explore-- there is an absolute defense to prosecution."
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
My Man Sheff...American
Gary Sheffield wants nothing to do with the World Baseball Classic.
Several major league players spoke of the honor they would feel to represent their countries in baseball's first World Cup-style tournament when the groups for the event were unveiled Monday.
Sheffield was not among them.
The Yankees right fielder told reporters at the All-Star festivities in Detroit on Monday there was no chance he would participate in the event scheduled for March.
"My season is when I get paid," Sheffield told the New York Daily News. "I'm not doing that. ... I'm not sacrificing my body or taking a chance on an injury for something that's made up."
Several major league players spoke of the honor they would feel to represent their countries in baseball's first World Cup-style tournament when the groups for the event were unveiled Monday.
Sheffield was not among them.
The Yankees right fielder told reporters at the All-Star festivities in Detroit on Monday there was no chance he would participate in the event scheduled for March.
"My season is when I get paid," Sheffield told the New York Daily News. "I'm not doing that. ... I'm not sacrificing my body or taking a chance on an injury for something that's made up."
Yes!!
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - An outbreak of sequelitis has hit Sony Pictures.
"Hollow Man 2," "Road House 2 -- Last Call" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer 3" are in various stages of development at the studio. It has not been determined whether the projects will be released theatrically or become direct-to-DVD releases.
..."Road House 2" centers on a graduate student who must run his uncle's bar and fight to maintain control as a local crime boss tries to take it over. Johnathon Schaech has an offer to star, and Scott Ziehl ("Cruel Intentions 3") is in negotiations to direct. An August shoot is being eyed.
"Hollow Man 2," "Road House 2 -- Last Call" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer 3" are in various stages of development at the studio. It has not been determined whether the projects will be released theatrically or become direct-to-DVD releases.
..."Road House 2" centers on a graduate student who must run his uncle's bar and fight to maintain control as a local crime boss tries to take it over. Johnathon Schaech has an offer to star, and Scott Ziehl ("Cruel Intentions 3") is in negotiations to direct. An August shoot is being eyed.
Bad News for The Left
Sen. McCain [R-AZ] Strong Words On Supreme Ct Nomination at Dallas Fundraiser:
"During the campaign, President Bush said he will appoint judges who will strictly interpret the constitution... thinking anything else is either amnesia or ignorance... elections have consequences... whomever he nominates deserves an up or down vote and no filibuster... and an up or down vote is what we will have..."
This seems to imply that if the Dems play the fillibuster game, the fillibuster is over.
"During the campaign, President Bush said he will appoint judges who will strictly interpret the constitution... thinking anything else is either amnesia or ignorance... elections have consequences... whomever he nominates deserves an up or down vote and no filibuster... and an up or down vote is what we will have..."
This seems to imply that if the Dems play the fillibuster game, the fillibuster is over.
Quote of the Day
Re: The Left:
They don’t believe in God; they don’t have a Church. Chances are there isn't much of a family, either, because they've destroyed their children or alienated them by neglect or enlightened child-rearing methods. But they still need something large and strong and good to secure their futures in this world—the only world in which they believe. So they believe in the State, and put their trust in it, willing to vote for any person or program that makes it as big as God and as kind as God ought to be, if there was a God. -- Touchstone Magazine editorial
They don’t believe in God; they don’t have a Church. Chances are there isn't much of a family, either, because they've destroyed their children or alienated them by neglect or enlightened child-rearing methods. But they still need something large and strong and good to secure their futures in this world—the only world in which they believe. So they believe in the State, and put their trust in it, willing to vote for any person or program that makes it as big as God and as kind as God ought to be, if there was a God. -- Touchstone Magazine editorial
How Insensitive
The Archbishop of Lagos isn't crazy about Bono and his debt relief idea.
CATHOLIC Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie has described the debt relief granted Nigeria by the Paris Club of creditors as unnecessary, adding that proceeds arising from the relief will enrich those at the helm of affairs in the country.
He took this position in an interview with Daily Champion weekend during his Canonical visit to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Isolo, Lagos, just as he warned Nigerian leaders to curtail their greed "otherwise, they will be heading towards destruction."
Reacting to the $18 billion or 60 per cent debt relief granted Nigeria by the Paris Club, Cardinal Okogie said "the government is not sincere with the populace because the clauses embedded in the debt relief were not disclosed.
CATHOLIC Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie has described the debt relief granted Nigeria by the Paris Club of creditors as unnecessary, adding that proceeds arising from the relief will enrich those at the helm of affairs in the country.
He took this position in an interview with Daily Champion weekend during his Canonical visit to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Isolo, Lagos, just as he warned Nigerian leaders to curtail their greed "otherwise, they will be heading towards destruction."
Reacting to the $18 billion or 60 per cent debt relief granted Nigeria by the Paris Club, Cardinal Okogie said "the government is not sincere with the populace because the clauses embedded in the debt relief were not disclosed.
The Jihadist Grievances
More sense from Christopher Hitchens:
We know very well what the "grievances" of the jihadists are.
The grievance of seeing unveiled women. The grievance of the existence, not of the State of Israel, but of the Jewish people. The grievance of the heresy of democracy, which impedes the imposition of sharia law. The grievance of a work of fiction written by an Indian living in London. The grievance of the existence of black African Muslim farmers, who won't abandon lands in Darfur. The grievance of the existence of homosexuals. The grievance of music, and of most representational art. The grievance of the existence of Hinduism. The grievance of East Timor's liberation from Indonesian rule. All of these have been proclaimed as a licence to kill infidels or apostates, or anyone who just gets in the way.
FOR a few moments yesterday, Londoners received a taste of what life is like for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, whose Muslim faith does not protect them from slaughter at the hands of those who think they are not Muslim enough, or are the wrong Muslim.
It is a big mistake to believe this is an assault on "our" values or "our" way of life. It is, rather, an assault on all civilisation.
We know very well what the "grievances" of the jihadists are.
The grievance of seeing unveiled women. The grievance of the existence, not of the State of Israel, but of the Jewish people. The grievance of the heresy of democracy, which impedes the imposition of sharia law. The grievance of a work of fiction written by an Indian living in London. The grievance of the existence of black African Muslim farmers, who won't abandon lands in Darfur. The grievance of the existence of homosexuals. The grievance of music, and of most representational art. The grievance of the existence of Hinduism. The grievance of East Timor's liberation from Indonesian rule. All of these have been proclaimed as a licence to kill infidels or apostates, or anyone who just gets in the way.
FOR a few moments yesterday, Londoners received a taste of what life is like for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, whose Muslim faith does not protect them from slaughter at the hands of those who think they are not Muslim enough, or are the wrong Muslim.
It is a big mistake to believe this is an assault on "our" values or "our" way of life. It is, rather, an assault on all civilisation.
Fly American Airlines
"American Airlines is celebrating our nation's Independence Day by teaming with its AAdvantage members to help members of the U.S. armed forces who have been injured or wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. American will guarantee donation of at least 17,760,000 AAdvantage® miles to Operation Hero Miles, which supports hospitalized service members and their loved ones who have sacrificed to ensure United States freedom and independence. American will match its AAdvantage member donations mile-for-mile until the goal is reached. The donation campaign will continue throughout the summer, concluding on Labor Day, September 5, 2005."
You Forgot A Couple, Tony
From Tony Blair:
It seems probable that the attack was carried out by Islamist extremist terrorists, of the kind who over recent years have been responsible for so many innocent deaths in Madrid, Bali, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, Yemen, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco, of course in New York on September 11th, but in many other countries too.
Am I being paranoid, or is his omission of Israel and Iraq somewhat odd.
It seems probable that the attack was carried out by Islamist extremist terrorists, of the kind who over recent years have been responsible for so many innocent deaths in Madrid, Bali, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, Yemen, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco, of course in New York on September 11th, but in many other countries too.
Am I being paranoid, or is his omission of Israel and Iraq somewhat odd.
More UN Love
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has urged the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights to condemn the "outrageous comments" and to request the resignation of Jean Ziegler, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food who recently called the Gaza Strip "an immense concentration camp" and compared Israelis to Nazi guards.
I Don't Know About This
Wayward big man Randolph Morris now wants to return to Kentucky's basketball team, Coach Tubby Smith said in a statement released yesterday.
Monday, July 11, 2005
The Crux of the Problem
EATONVILLE -- About 500 people rose to their feet in a standing ovation worthy of a rock star as U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., hit the stage Saturday at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church.
The charismatic black politician from Chicago, who at 43 has achieved almost icon status since his wildly popular speech at last year's Democratic convention, was in town to bolster the upcoming Senate campaign of his colleague U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
The occasion was Nelson's eighth and final town-hall meeting around the state during the past week.
"This is your meeting," Nelson told the racially mixed crowd from around the area. "Barack and I want to hear from you."
But the mood was more love fest than town meeting.Dozens of cell-phone cameras in the audience framed the lanky Obama as he described Nelson as an "honest, hardworking and insightful senator."
Nelson, 62, who faces a tough re-election campaign next year against U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Sarasota, returned the favor, calling Obama "a rock star who carries himself with dignity and humility and is so smart.
"They were preaching to the choir.Only seven people stood to address the senators during the hourlong meeting. But everyone listened closely as the two men responded to issues that ranged from worries over the out-of-power Democratic Party to the rising cost of health care and Florida's inadequately funded pre-kindergarten program.
The most provocative question was the first.
"I see a Democratic Party afraid to say they're Democrats, who voted for the war in Iraq and voted for tax cuts for the wealthy," said Glenn Anderson of Orlando. "Why should I remain a Democrat?"
It was a tough question. But Nelson and Obama tried to answer it.
"The Democrats at times have lost their way," conceded Obama. "We are trying to decide what our core values are."
The criterion for judging the party isn't whether it's to the left or right, "but are we true to our core values," he said. Nobody defined core values.
The charismatic black politician from Chicago, who at 43 has achieved almost icon status since his wildly popular speech at last year's Democratic convention, was in town to bolster the upcoming Senate campaign of his colleague U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
The occasion was Nelson's eighth and final town-hall meeting around the state during the past week.
"This is your meeting," Nelson told the racially mixed crowd from around the area. "Barack and I want to hear from you."
But the mood was more love fest than town meeting.Dozens of cell-phone cameras in the audience framed the lanky Obama as he described Nelson as an "honest, hardworking and insightful senator."
Nelson, 62, who faces a tough re-election campaign next year against U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Sarasota, returned the favor, calling Obama "a rock star who carries himself with dignity and humility and is so smart.
"They were preaching to the choir.Only seven people stood to address the senators during the hourlong meeting. But everyone listened closely as the two men responded to issues that ranged from worries over the out-of-power Democratic Party to the rising cost of health care and Florida's inadequately funded pre-kindergarten program.
The most provocative question was the first.
"I see a Democratic Party afraid to say they're Democrats, who voted for the war in Iraq and voted for tax cuts for the wealthy," said Glenn Anderson of Orlando. "Why should I remain a Democrat?"
It was a tough question. But Nelson and Obama tried to answer it.
"The Democrats at times have lost their way," conceded Obama. "We are trying to decide what our core values are."
The criterion for judging the party isn't whether it's to the left or right, "but are we true to our core values," he said. Nobody defined core values.
A Year Too Late
Maybe Morris should have gone pro last year:
Speaking of the NBA, plenty of folks at ABCD remain mystified that Andrew Bynum, who would have been lucky to average 12 minutes a game at UConn next year, was selected 10th overall at this year's draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Most people I talked to agreed that Randolph Morris was a much better player as a senior in high school than Bynum. Yet, based on one so-so year at Kentucky, Morris went completely undrafted, while Bynum goes in the lottery. Remember that next time you want to rip a player for jumping to the league at the first crack of daylight. Better to go too early than too late, I'd say.
Speaking of the NBA, plenty of folks at ABCD remain mystified that Andrew Bynum, who would have been lucky to average 12 minutes a game at UConn next year, was selected 10th overall at this year's draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Most people I talked to agreed that Randolph Morris was a much better player as a senior in high school than Bynum. Yet, based on one so-so year at Kentucky, Morris went completely undrafted, while Bynum goes in the lottery. Remember that next time you want to rip a player for jumping to the league at the first crack of daylight. Better to go too early than too late, I'd say.
This Is Ironic
A childhood home of Jimi Hendrix faces demolition unless Seattle activists win a legal battle to save it. Last week, city workers were prepared to destroy the house where the rock legend lived from age 10 to 13. However, a King County judge issued a two-week restraining order at the request of owner Pete Sikov .
Seattle officials say the issue is public safety. When a condominium complex was built on the home's original site in 2001, Sikov, treasurer of the nonprofit James Marshall Hendrix Foundation, relocated the house and got a six-month lease to store it on a city-owned lot in central Seattle. Since then, the building has reportedly become a haven for squatters and drug dealers. Sikov wants to move the structure to a permanent location near Hendrix's gravesite in Renton, Wash.
Seattle officials say the issue is public safety. When a condominium complex was built on the home's original site in 2001, Sikov, treasurer of the nonprofit James Marshall Hendrix Foundation, relocated the house and got a six-month lease to store it on a city-owned lot in central Seattle. Since then, the building has reportedly become a haven for squatters and drug dealers. Sikov wants to move the structure to a permanent location near Hendrix's gravesite in Renton, Wash.
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