Substitute:

Not content to be on Hannity & Colmes every Friday to offer commentary, Dennis Miller will be substituting for Sean on his radio show today (Friday, 29 August 2003)



ADDENDUM: Did you know Hannity supports Judge Moore on the Ten Commandments issue? From Hannity's website:

On August 7, 2003...

CHIEF JUSTICE ROY MOORE'S BATTLE...

On Thursday, August 7, 2003, Sean exclusively interviews Chief Justice Moore, who is in a battle to keep his Statue of the Ten Commandments from being removed from his court room. There will be a rally to support this effort down at the court house in Alabama on August 16, 2003. You can help support his efforts by visiting these supporting sites below for more information....

[CLICK HERE TO VISIT MORALLAW.ORG]
[CLICK HERE TO VISIT RESTORETHECOMMANDMENTS.COM]

posted by Quiddity at 8/29/2003 09:53:00 AM

Now he tells us:

Perle Cites Errors in Iraq, Urges Power Transfer

Richard Perle, a leading Pentagon adviser and architect of the U.S. war to topple Saddam Hussein, said the United States had made mistakes in Iraq and that power should be handed over to the Iraqis as fast as possible.

[...]

He also renewed criticism of President Jacques Chirac's refusal to back the war. Chirac wanted more time for U.N. inspectors to search for any banned weapons.

The United States and Britain said Saddam had deliberately foiled the inspections and failed to provide evidence that it had scrapped its chemical, biological and nuclear programs.

"You have to understand that since September 11, the United States cannot allow the most terrible weapons in the world to be in the hands of the worst regimes in the world," Perle told Le Figaro, referring to the 2001 hijacked airliner attacks on U.S. landmarks that killed some 3,000 people.

What terrible weapons? Where are they?

posted by Quiddity at 8/28/2003 07:26:00 AM

Attention must be paid:

From the Washington Post: Halliburton's Deals Greater Than Thought (excerpt, emphasis added)

Halliburton, the company formerly headed by Vice President Cheney, has won contracts worth more than $1.7 billion under Operation Iraqi Freedom and stands to make hundreds of millions more dollars under a no-bid contract awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to newly available documents.

The size and scope of the government contracts awarded to Halliburton in connection with the war in Iraq are significantly greater than was previously disclosed and demonstrate the U.S. military's increasing reliance on for-profit corporations to run its logistical operations. Independent experts estimate that as much as one-third of the monthly $3.9 billion cost of keeping U.S. troops in Iraq is going to independent contractors.

posted by Quiddity at 8/28/2003 07:20:00 AM

Conspicuous consumption compensation:

In the news: NYSE Pays $139.5 Mln to Keep Grasso (excerpts, emphasis added)

The New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday said it paid out almost $140 million to Chairman and Chief Executive Richard Grasso in accrued savings, benefits and incentives, and extended his contract until 2007.

The new employment agreement means Grasso, who was appointed chairman in 1995, will remain in his post for two years beyond the term of his current contract, the exchange said in a statement. It provides for the same base salary of $1.4 million and the same annual bonus of at least $1 million.

"I am a big believer that social stratification is not a good thing, and that no one needs that much money to motivate them to do a good job," said George Washington University law professor Theresa Gabaldon of Grasso's compensation package. "The idea that anyone needs that much money for motivation is ludicrous."

She said the exchange may have feared losing Grasso.

It is ludicrous.

Remember, Bush wanted a tax cut for people like Grasso - and he got it.

posted by Quiddity at 8/28/2003 07:08:00 AM

"We wish we had better data"

From the New York Times' Administration Adopts Rule on Antipollution Exemption

In one of its most far-reaching environmental actions, the Bush administration signed a rule that will allow thousands of power plants, refineries, pulp and paper mills, chemical plants and other industrial facilities to make extensive upgrades that increase pollutants without having to install new antipollution devices.

Jeffrey Holmstead, the E.P.A. administrator for air programs, said today, "We wish we had better data, but we're confident this rule will not have an emissions impact."

The rule allows industrial plants to avoid installing pollution-control devices when they replace equipment, even if the upgrade increases pollution, as long as the cost of the replacement is less than 20 percent of the cost of essential production equipment.

posted by Quiddity at 8/28/2003 04:38:00 AM

Heard on the radio:



posted by Quiddity at 8/27/2003 02:22:00 PM

Confuzzled:



posted by Quiddity at 8/27/2003 10:35:00 AM

A table for you:

The New York Times has an article that reviews various Compassionate Conservative projects that have failed to get full funing or support after Bush made a big deal out of them. Tapped has a few words about the story. Just to clarify the issue, we present a table version of the article.

Compassion Agenda item	Detractors point out	Money promised	Money budgeted	Bush defenders say
The so-called faith-based bill to help religious charities	Mr. Bush, after two years of objections from Democrats, retreated this spring and agreed to strip the bill of provisions specifically related to religious groups.
A proposal this summer to extend a $400-a-child tax credit to low-income families	Mr. Bush at first demanded that Congress appropriate the money, then backed off in the face of opposition from his conservative allies in the House, most notably the majority leader, Representative Tom DeLay of Texas.	$3 bil	0
The national volunteer program called AmeriCorps	Although Mr. Bush forcefully called for expanding that Clinton-era program in his 2002 State of the Union address, he was largely silent last month amid objections to a $100 million emergency infusion that it needed to maintain its current level of operations. The House rejected that spending, leaving AmeriCorps with an uncertain future.	$100 mil	0	"Even the president is not omnipotent," Mr. Bolten said of the House opposition to the AmeriCorps money. "Would that he were. He often says that life would be a lot easier if it were a dictatorship. But it's not, and he's glad it's a democracy."
Education reform	In January 2002, with great fanfare, Mr. Bush signed his No Child Left Behind Act, a landmark bill that mandated annual testing of children in Grades 3 through 8 and greatly enlarged the federal role in public education. Democrats like Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Representative George Miller of California were crucial to its passage, and say they went along with the president on his assurances that the government would give states enough money to comply with it.	$18 bil	$12 bil	The White House has now asked for $12 billion to continue that financing next year, $6 billion less than the legislation authorizes. Mr. Bolten, the White House budget director, responded by saying that the president had asked for "some very substantial increases" in education spending — in fact, such spending has risen during his administration — and that the government's budget deficit "would be really way out of control" if the White House asked that all bills be financed to the limits allowed by law.
Mr. Bush's AIDS legislation	[Critics say Bush] has delivered less than promised. Last month, they note, the president toured Africa and heavily promoted his recently enacted bill to fight global AIDS, a measure that authorizes spending of $3 billion a year for five years. "I'm here to say you will not be alone in your fight," Mr. Bush said on July 12 in Nigeria, to applause. "In May, I signed a bill that authorizes $15 billion for the global fight on AIDS." That very week in Washington, the White House asked for only $2 billion, $1 billion less than authorized, for the first of the five years.	$3 bil	$2 bil
mentors to children of prisoners	[Bush called for] $50 million a year for three years Congress provided only $10 million in 2003	$50 mil	$10 mil
Access to Recovery drug treatment plan	Calls for $200 million a year for three years The House has agreed to provide $100 million for the program next year, but a Senate committee has voted it nothing.	$200 mil	$100 mil
Programs in general				White House officials say that given difficult political terrain, Mr. Bush has done well. James Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said the president "takes every occasion to publicly announce how important these compassion agenda programs are to him." On some issues, Mr. Towey added, "Congress will go a lot farther on funding what he asks for than others." The president, his aide Mr. Towey said, has pioneered a new Republican approach to social programs, "and like any pioneer, it's tough going."
New proposals
Add a drug benefit to Medicare				Mr. Bush, Republicans say, is eager for a bipartisan piece of legislation in time for 2004 that he can cite as a part of his compassion agenda.

posted by Quiddity at 8/26/2003 03:46:00 PM

The president speaks!

From Remarks by the President To the 85th Annual American Legion National Convention

Al Qaeda and the other global terror networks recognize that the defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime is a defeat for them.

Does anybody seriously believe that?


posted by Quiddity at 8/26/2003 03:14:00 PM

10 Commandments update:

About.com has some good links and background information (in their athiesm section!). Also, there is a story about the sculptor of Roy's Rock. Excerpt: (emphasis added)

The man whose handiwork is now the center of national attention went unrecognized among the crowd of protesters outside the Alabama Supreme Court on Thursday, but Richard Hahnemann was happy in his anonymity.

Hahnemann, a Web designer for Adtran Inc., said he had been sculpting only about five years when a friend of Moore's contacted him around Thanksgiving of 2000, soon after Moore was elected chief justice.

With Moore's approval, Hahnemann ordered an 8,000-pound chunk of granite from the Rock of Ages Corp. of Barre, Vt., which claims to operate the world's largest granite quarry.

Hahnemann's first initial and last name are engraved on the base of the monument, below similar engravings for Moore and his lawyer, Steve Melchoir. The monument also bears a copyright stamp.

"The purpose of (the copyright) is to protect our commercial integrity," Hahnemann said.

posted by Quiddity at 8/26/2003 11:30:00 AM

Empire time:

In the news:

BBC launches public attack on Murdoch 'imperialism'

[The BBC spokeswoman's] comments come in the wake of a speech to the country's senior broadcasting executives by Tony Ball, chief executive of British Sky Broadcasting, in which Mr Murdoch's News Corporation is the major shareholder.

Mr Ball told the Edinburgh International Television Festival last week that the BBC ought to be forced to sell its most successful programmes, such as EastEnders, Casualty and Have I Got News For You to its commercial rivals, who would screen all future episodes instead. The money raised by such sales should then be ploughed into experimental programming, he said.

Executives at the BBC and elsewhere see the plan as a Murdoch-inspired attempt to cripple the corporation by depriving it of its most popular shows - and the large audiences that go with them.

Mr Ball told a questioner at the festival that it "would not be such a disaster" if the BBC were eventually to become a marginal broadcaster.

and

BBC chief warns over Murdoch dominance

The BBC will be left to fight a lone battle against Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB if the government does not intervene to prevent the collapse of ITV as a public service broadcaster, the corporation's director general Greg Dyke warned yesterday.

Really, what can you say when a corporation admits in public that it wants to take profitable entities from the government, simply to fatten their bottom line and shut down an alternative voice?


posted by Quiddity at 8/25/2003 02:04:00 PM

Faulty reasoning:



posted by Quiddity at 8/25/2003 11:15:00 AM

This is absurd:

From Ha'aretz: (excerpts, emphasis added)

U.S. checking possibility of pumping oil from northern Iraq to Haifa, via Jordan
By Amiram Cohen

The United States has asked Israel to check the possibility of pumping oil from Iraq to the oil refineries in Haifa. The request came in a telegram last week from a senior Pentagon official to a top Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem.

Who is that "senior Pentagon official"? Who ever it is, he (or she) has an incredibly tin ear. That's really going to stoke the conspiracy theory machine - to the detriment of the U.S. effort on the ground in Iraq.


posted by Quiddity at 8/25/2003 10:22:00 AM

Timeline:

From press gaggle with Ari Fleischer on 26 March 2003:

Aboard Air Force One -   - En Route Tampa, Florida

MR. FLIESCHER: Anything else?
Q Yes, why was the French toast named Freedom toast? (Laughter.)
Q Is that a White House decision?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not a Hobbit, so I didn't have a second breakfast. I had my breakfast before I came in. Is that what it said?
Q Yes.
MR. FLEISCHER: It said Freedom toast?
Q Yes.
Q Was that at the administration request, or was that --
MR. FLEISCHER: I just -- we're always proud of the men and women of our Air Force. (Laughter.)

From the New York Times U.S. Presses U.N. Members to Bear More of Iraq Burden (22 Aug 2003)

Using the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad as a rallying cry, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell sought today to build support for a new Security Council resolution that would persuade other major nations to contribute more troops and aid to secure and rebuild Iraq under the aegis of the American-led occupation.
His appeal was not rejected out of hand by any Council members, but it met with a wary response from Germany and Russia and an icy rebuke from France.

From Reuters: France Dismisses U.S. Call for More Troops in Iraq (22 Aug 2003)

Please, please, please change the menu on Air Force One so that it reads French toast!

posted by Quiddity at 8/22/2003 11:42:00 AM

Voluntary or not?

Bush wants efforts to combat global warming to be voluntary. From the White House's Global Climate Change Policy Book

• Substantially Improve the Emission Reduction Registry. The President directed the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to propose improvements to the current voluntary emission reduction registration program under section 1605(b) of the 1992 Energy Policy Act within 120 days.
• Review Progress Toward Goal and Take Additional Action if Necessary. If, in 2012, we find that we are not on track toward meeting our goal, and sound science justifies further policy action, the United States will respond with additional measures that may include a broad, market-based program as well as additional incentives and voluntary measures designed to accelerate technology development and deployment.
• Enhanced National Registry for Voluntary Emissions Reductions The Administration will improve the current federal GHG Reduction and Sequestration Registry that recognizes greenhouse gas reductions by non-governmental organizations, businesses, farmers, and the federal, state and local governments. Registry participants and the public will have a high level of confidence in the reductions recognized by this Registry, through capture and sequestration projects, mitigation projects that increase energy efficiency and/or switch fuels, and process changes to reduce emissions of potent greenhouse gases, such as methane.
• Improve the Quality of the Current Program. A registry is a tool for companies to publicly record their progress in reducing emissions, providing public recognition of a company's accomplishments, and a record of mitigation efforts for future policy design. This tool goes hand-in-hand with voluntary business challenges, described below, by providing a standardized, credible vehicle for reporting and recognizing progress
• The President directed the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Agriculture, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to propose improvements to the current voluntary emissions reduction registration program within 120 days.
• Background on Current Registry Program. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 directed the Department of Energy (with EIA as the implementing agency) to develop a program to document voluntary actions that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases or remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
• Progress Check in 2012 The domestic programs proposed by the President allow consumers and businesses to make flexible decisions about emission reductions rather than mandating particular control options or rigid targets. If, however, by 2012, our progress is not sufficient, and sound science justifies further action, the United States will respond with additional measures that may include a broad, market-based program, as well as additional incentives and voluntary measures designed to accelerate technology development and deployment.
• EPA's "Climate Leaders" Initiative: EPA will launch a new, voluntary Climate Leaders program with a group of major companies including: Florida Power and Light, GM, Lockheed Martin, Miller Brewing Company, Bethlehem Steel, Interface Inc., SC Johnson and Holcimus Inc. These companies have agreed to test new greenhouse gas reporting guidelines as the basis for agreeing to targets in the future. Each participant will establish an individual goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and will voluntarily report those emissions. The Climate Leaders program provides a significant opportunity to achieve the greenhouse gas intensity reductions set forth in this policy through a voluntary approach. In the coming months, the Administration will aggressively pursue additional corporate partners representing a wider spectrum of the U.S. economy.
• Semiconductors: On March 13, 2001, EPA and the Semiconductor Industry Association signed a new voluntary agreement, the PFC Reduction Climate Partnership. Under this partnership, the industry agreed to reduce emissions of perfluorocarbons (PFCs) by 10 percent from 1995 levels by the end of 2010.
• Aluminum: Twelve of the thirteen U.S. primary aluminum producers, representing 96 percent of the U.S. primary aluminum production capacity, have joined EPA's Voluntary Aluminum Industrial Partnership. Companies participating in this program have committed to make reductions in two potent PFCs, tetrafluoromethane (CF4) and hexafluoroethane (C2F6).

But Bush said this yesterday in Oregon:

" ... for many years the reliability of electricity in America depended on companies observing voluntary standards to prevent blackouts. I don't think those standards ought to be voluntary, I think they ought to be mandatory."

posted by Quiddity at 8/22/2003 06:10:00 AM

Are things getting better? And should Detroit get the credit? (or blame)

In the news: Cadillac Escalade is chosen car of celebrities and thieves which cites a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. On their website, you can read more about the statistics gathered, and it includes this provocative graph:


The institute says:

Since 1980 overall theft claim frequencies have declined while average insurance payments per claim have increased, although these trends have leveled off in recent years. Some of the decline in claim frequencies and overall losses reflects the increased installation of immobilizing antitheft devices in many new vehicles.

It has been our impression over the years that automakers could have made changes years ago to hinder auto theft, but that it helped their bottom line to have cars stolen (it generated business in parts, repair, and new car sales). For some reason (most likely competition from Japan) they had to implement theft deterrent measures, and now we see the results.

posted by Quiddity at 8/21/2003 03:49:00 PM

Ten Commandments monument update:

Judge Moore refuses to move the monument, defying an order to do so.

But the monument has more than the Ten Commandments. It also has quotations on all four sides. They are a mixed bag (excerpts from documents or statements made in the 18th century by well known individuals), although we're not sure how to interpret this entry:

"So help me God" --Judiciary Act of 1789

For those interested, A Minority of One has photographs of all four sides.

posted by Quiddity at 8/21/2003 09:13:00 AM

Ignorant Texans:

Via Tbogg we learn that students in Texas will now have to recite their own state pledge:

"Honor the Texas flag, I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible."

Indivisible? Not according to this Texas Facts webpage:

As part of the negotiations to enter the "Union", Texas was given the right to divide itself into an additional four states at some point in the future, for a total of 5 "Texian" states, though no one has ever considered it worthwhile - it still has that right!

We suggest the following pledge instead:

"Honor the Texas flag, I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one - yet potentially divisible into five states of 'convenient size' and 'sufficient population'."

For more details on the legislation surrounding Texas' admission to the Union, go here.

posted by Quiddity at 8/21/2003 06:01:00 AM

Another F&B sighting:

From the Washington Post: (emphasis added)

Dem Start Group to Try to 'Recall' Bush

WASHINGTON - The latest Democratic drive to make sure President Bush serves just one term takes a page from the effort to oust a Democratic governor in California, calling its web site "bushrecall" and garnering support through petitions.

A new committee called the Fair and Balanced PAC plans to launch its www.bushrecall.org Web site Thursday. The PAC's founders include Joe Lockhart, a press secretary to former President Clinton, and Mike Lux, a Democratic political consultant.

From their website: (emphasis added)

BushRecall.Org is a special project of the Fair and Balanced PAC, established so that like-minded, concerned citizens can influence the outcome of the national election, and in turn, the balance of power in Washington, D.C. BushRecall.Org's intention is to provide individuals, who normally have little political power, to aggregate their contributions with others to gain a greater voice in the political process.

Under the laws of the Federal Election Commission rules, the Fair and Balanced PAC may accept contributions from individuals up to $5,000 in one calendar year to support its on-going efforts.

And from the contribution form (pdf):

This form can be mailed with your check to the Fair and Balanced PAC, 1224 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20005.

So, when will the Fox News lawyers go after these guys?

NOTE: We went to the Federal Election Commission website, but their records are not completely up to date, and we couldn't find any information about the (presumably) just-formed Fair and Balanced PAC.

posted by Quiddity at 8/21/2003 05:18:00 AM

Killing civilians is good - if they work for the U.N.

Right-wing blogger and operator of "The Anti-Idotarian Rottweiler" blog was delighted to learn of the bombing of the U.N. facility in Baghdad. Says, "It's a start."



And for those who question his attitude, has a simple response: "I don't give a shit."

Normally we don't care about morons who make stupid remarks, but this blogger is getting a fair amount of traffic (ranked 27^th with 2300 daily visits according to The Truth Laid Bare). So it's not something you can easily dismiss. There are some real unpleasant bloggers out there and - more disturbingly - lots of visitors that imbibe the vitriol.

posted by Quiddity at 8/20/2003 03:40:00 AM

Puzzle:

Larry the Liberal lives in California (naturally). He wants to meet his leftist friends who live in a commune in Maine. But he wants to avoid as much as possible traveling through any state that voted for George Bush in 2000 (AKA "red state"). Can you find the best route for Larry?

Challenge #2: How can Larry travel from California to Maine while entering every (continental) blue state so that he can collect generous welfare benefits yet as few red states as possible (where everybody has a copy of Ann Coulter's Treason).



posted by Quiddity at 8/18/2003 06:39:00 AM

Ha Ha Ha!

In the news:

PARIS - Gravediggers were called back to work on a national holiday Friday to deal with the grim aftermath of a heat wave that left up to 3,000 dead in France.

With morgues full, authorities took over the vast storeroom of a Paris farmers market or kept bodies in refrigerated tents -- as temperatures subsided throughout Europe, ending one of the most severe periods of intense heat on record across the continent.

Morgues and cemeteries have been overwhelmed in the heat wave, which the health minister called "a true epidemic." A Paris regional funeral official said families would likely have to wait 10-15 days to have relatives buried.

In a reaction to the news, the Washington Post has this editorial:

TO LISTEN TO THE FUSS Europeans are making about their weather, anyone would think that it was actually hot over there. In Paris, shops have experienced a run on electric fans.   ...   Okay, so maybe it's a bit warmer than usual.   ...   But is this really hot -- hot enough to close businesses, hot enough to cancel trains (the tracks might buckle), hot enough to wax nostalgic for the summer rain to which some Europeans, notably residents of the British Isles, are more accustomed?

... maybe [Europeans] will now at least stop turning up their noses at those American summer inventions they've long loved to mock: The office window that doesn't open, the air conditioner that produces sub-arctic temperatures and the tall glass of water, served in a restaurant, filled to the brim with ice.

posted by Quiddity at 8/16/2003 12:39:00 AM

Percentages:

From Buffett Suggests Calif Property Tax Too Low (excerpts)

Billionaire financier Warren Buffett, an adviser to Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign for California governor, suggested in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Friday that the state's property taxes should be higher.

But he used his own properties to illustrate an example.

Buffett's home in Omaha, Nebraska is valued at about $500,000, and recent yearly property tax on the home totaled $14,401, he said in the report.

He paid $2,264 in annual property taxes on his $4 million home in Laguna Beach, California -- about 16 percent of the tax he paid Nebraska for a much cheaper property.

Buffett said in the interview that taxes on his Nebraska home grew by $1,920 this year, while those on the California home rose by only $23, thanks to limitations on increases in property tax established by Proposition 13.

Property tax in Nebraska: 2.88 %
Property tax in California: 0.05 % (that's one twentieth of one percent)

From another wire story:

"Warren's right," said Bruce Cain, director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley. "It's an unequal system. But all the polling indicators I've seen show the appetite for changing the system is very low."

posted by Quiddity at 8/16/2003 12:05:00 AM

Factoid:

Nicholas Kristof writes today about religion in the United States, and cites some poll results (83% belive in the Virgin Birth of Jesus, 28% in evolution, 58 that it is necessary to believe in God to be moral). In the article, readers are informed that details about the polls cited may be found on a Kristof Responds page. We took a look, and found this interesting nugget:

... the Pew survey finds that the American emphasis on the need to believe in God to be moral, while rare in the industrialized world, is common in developing countries like Nigeria and Pakistan.

posted by Quiddity at 8/15/2003 08:46:00 AM

Cartoon:

posted by Quiddity at 8/15/2003 08:22:00 AM

The president takes a stand:

From the White House's President Bush Thanks Military

We will not trust the restraint or good intentions of evil people.

Thanks!

And apparently Bush has a new doctrine: (emphasis added)

TO THE TROOPS:

You enforced the doctrine which said, if you harbor a terrorist, if you hide a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorists ...

posted by Quiddity at 8/15/2003 12:22:00 AM

What happened last August?

From the White House's President Meets with Economic Team, Q&A session: (emphasis added)

THE PRESIDENT: ... And as the economy was beginning to recover, the enemy hit us on September the 11th, and that affected our economy in a big way. And then we had corporate scandals which we've dealt with. And then, of course, you remember the "march to war." I've reminded people -- I think this isn't the first time I've said this -- that some would put on their TV screens that we were "marching to war." As a matter of fact, it was a year ago that we began the "march to war." During the August vacation, as I recall, there was the march to war. It's hard to have an upbeat view of the world when you're "marching to war." War is not exactly a positive thought, particularly when it comes to people willing to take risks, and consumer confidence.

What happened in August 2002? That was when Cheney launched the "Get Iraq" campaign.

From the White House website: Vice President Speaks at VFW 103rd National Convention [26 Aug 2002] (excerpts, emphasis added)

... a person would be right to question any suggestion that we should just get inspectors back into Iraq, and then our worries will be over.

A return of inspectors would provide no assurance whatsoever of his compliance with U.N. resolutions.

Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.

posted by Quiddity at 8/14/2003 07:01:00 AM

Tough guy:

From the White House's President Meets with Economic Team, Q&A session: (emphasis added)

Q: ... if a Democrat were President ... and were running a $455 billion deficit, as are you, all other things being equal, wouldn't you be upset about it?

THE PRESIDENT: Let me tell you something, the deficit was caused by a recession which we inherited and did something about. The deficit was caused because we spent more money on fighting a war, and the American people expect a President to do what is necessary to win a war. So I look forward to taking this debate on. I really do. We did the right thing when it came to tax relief. We inherited a tough situation.

But most importantly, the American know that I'm not afraid to lead and to make a tough decision. And I made a tough decision, a series of tough decisions. One, to make America more secure, a tough decision to make the world more peaceful, and I made tough decisions when it comes to making sure our economy grows.

posted by Quiddity at 8/14/2003 06:50:00 AM

One year old:

Today is the first anniversary of our initial weblog post. We've learned a lot during the last year. Blogging tends to do that, 'cause you have to read more news and think carefully about it in order to present a sensible post for readers. We adhere to the Blogger's Code: Significant changes marked with an "UPDATE". Make it clear what a link is about.   No "Go read this" posts. Quoted material clearly identified by a change in font.   In our case, the color. When emphasis is added to quoted material, provide notification. All sources are, as much as possible, respectable news outlets. No flaming of other bloggers (Mickey Kaus and Andrew Sullivan excepted). If we first learn something from a blog, we cite that in our post. Image file sizes are as small as is reasonable - so that low bandwidth readers aren't stuck with long waits. We try to bring original material to readers, even if it is a re-presentation of information in a table or as a diagram. Of course, we love diagrams. They're not always appropriate, but sometimes with complicated relationships between players, a diagram helps sort out the issue better than lots of text. We must admit to almost catching "lefty blogger disease" at times, especially after reading about one more lie from the administration or a right-wing commentator, but we've been lucky so far and have kept up our spirits.  And as far as being a "lefty", we're really, as Tom Tomorrow said in a recent Salon interview,"... the radical center expressing its voice." Thanks to all our visitors for stopping by; we appreciate you taking time to visit uggabugga. We're only 2nd or 3rd tier in the ecosystem, but still proud of our over 1/4 million visitors in the last twelve months. Finally, a big Thank You to Ted Barlow, who encouraged us to start blogging. Ted's a great writer and a blog pioneer.

posted by Quiddity at 8/14/2003 12:00:00 AM

Getting his just desserts?

Nader Hit With Pie During Calif. Event

posted by Quiddity at 8/13/2003 06:39:00 AM

Hidden words:

posted by Quiddity at 8/12/2003 07:02:00 PM

Imbalanced:



posted by Quiddity at 8/12/2003 08:11:00 AM

Gedankenexperiment:

	- Special Election -
	Tuesday, October 7, 1862
	MEASURE ONE
	Shall Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, be recalled from office?
	Yes	è	¡
	No	è	¡
	MEASURE TWO
	If Measure One carries the people shall select a replacement from a list of candidates. The candidate receiving a plurality of the votes, shall become president.
	Vote for only one candidate:
	Gen. George Brinton McClellan Dilatory commander	è	¡
	Sen. Stephen Arnold Douglas Lost in the last election; wants a 2nd bite of the apple	è	¡
	Rev. Henry Ward Beecher Moralist (who got caught with his pants down)	è	¡
	Gen. Joseph Hooker Fun loving soldier	è	¡
	Rep. Benjamin F. Butler Uncompromising ideologue	è	¡
	Harriet Beecher Stowe Polemicist	è	¡
	Brig. Gen. Ambrose Everett Burnside Fashion statement	è	¡
	Ralph Nader Green Party	è	¡
	Jefferson Davis Council of Conservative Citizens	è	¡
	John Wilkes Booth Popular actor	è	¡

NOTES:

• October 7 is a Tuesday in 2003 and 1862.
• Benjamin Butler did not become a Representative until 1867.
• In the summer of 1862 the public mood was sour; there were few Union victories up to that point in the Civil War; Lincoln was extremely unpopular.

posted by Quiddity at 8/12/2003 03:44:00 AM

Only two:

From the White House today: President Bush Names Gov. Leavitt to Head EPA

Mike Leavitt will come to the EPA with a strong environmental record and a strong desire to improve on what has taken place during the last three decades. He served for over a decade as governor of an important state.

Any others? According to Google, only one: Remarks by the President in Bob Riley for Governor and Alabama Republican Party Victory 2002 Luncheon

I'm confident in telling you that the vision of Bob Riley as governor of the state of Alabama, the education vision is the right vision for the future of this important state.

posted by Quiddity at 8/11/2003 10:07:00 PM

Schwarzenegger's income taxes:

From the New York Post:

The muscle-bound mogul raked in more than $31 million in 2000, then pumped up his earnings with another $26 million the next year, according to the just-released records.

But not all of that dough filled the former body-builder's personal coffers.

Schwarzenegger paid more than $15.4 million in federal taxes for both years. He also paid $4.6 million in California state taxes.

15.4 / 57 = 27   % (federal income taxes)
  4.6 / 57 =   8.2% (state income taxes)

These are rates very similar to those that middle/upper-middle class pay. Looks like we already have a flat tax.


posted by Quiddity at 8/11/2003 06:45:00 AM

An interesting look at the record:

From a list of California governors since 1900:

Since 1900, Democrats have held the governorship for only 24 years - a mere 8 if you don't count the father-and-son Browns. Even though the state senate and assembly have tended to be Democratic in the last 50 years, the Republicans seem to expect to win the governor's office as a compensation. No wonder they were so hot to oust Davis via the recall.

NOTE: Early Republican governors were progressive (e.g. Hiram Johnson), but have gotten more conservative over time.

posted by Quiddity at 8/11/2003 06:31:00 AM

What does Karl know?

From the August 10 interview on Ian Masters' Background Briefing* of Sen. Art Torres (Ret.), California Democratic Party Chairman:

Interviewer:

Art, let's just go back to the roots of this. Do you think that Tom DeLay and Karl Rove were behind this recall and getting Issa to go and put his money up there and then of course played him for a sucker?

Art Torres:

I think it was mutual. I think they found in Darrell a willing participant. Whether they had specific conversations, I'm not certain. But it's clear that once Issa agreed to put in the 1.7 - he's spent $1.9 million, poor guy - in an effort to create a recall, I think that's when Karl Rove came in and did his number.

And quite frankly I think the White House called Darrell right before he made his announcement. Because all the information I had was that he was planning to announce his race for governor. The only thing I can figure is, somebody had more information than Darrell wanted to be released, and I think Karl Rove is a very swift operator and presented that information.

As Willie Brown told me yesterday, "I think Darrell found the head of a horse on his bed."

Interviewer:

Yeah, to go and spend two million of his own money and then to be told he can't run is pretty tough politics.

Art Torres:

I'm sure he was told "You can't run, and here's why." Because if you think that Torres is talking about handguns and car theft and insurance fraud, this is what we really have.

* - heard on Pacifica radio stations.

NOTE: Temporary .wav file of the exchange is here (575k, 8-bit, mono, 8KHz sample rate). Will be deleted after August.

posted by Quiddity at 8/11/2003 05:42:00 AM

Politics 500+ years ago:

We have read about the cruelty of Saddam and his sons, but this is nothing new in human history. If one goes back and studies the events surrounding the War of the Roses, one finds multiple instances of royals being smothered to death (3), beheadings (at least 3), drowning (1), killings (many), and heads being impaled (3). Plus, there were battles galore (over a dozen). For those interested in the details, we have created a full-sized diagram that shows key events and personalities involved in the struggle for power among Edward III's descendants.



The order of events is fairly complicated. We have as background the intrigues between Thomas, Richard II, and John of Gaunt. Then Henry IV takes the crown (from Richard II) for the Lancaster side. With the advent of Henry VI we get seven battles between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Then there are four battles between the House of York and another branch of the family tree (initially allies of York, but then they switched sides). Next, a battle that vanquishes the Lancaster group for good. This is followed by a bunch of royals getting murdered. Finally, the future Henry VII comes ashore to take the crown from Richard III of York in the battle at Bosworth. It was a violent era.

posted by Quiddity at 8/09/2003 02:46:00 PM

Bush vs. Gore:

From remarks to the press at Bush's ranch:

Q: Mr. President, what's your response to the Democrats, including Al Gore yesterday, and some of the Democratic presidential candidates, who say that the American people were misled in advance of the war about the reasons for going to war -- that you said, disarming Iraq was the main purpose, but since then, no weapons of mass destruction have been found?

THE PRESIDENT: I say it's pure politics.

Listen, thank you all. Have a beautiful day.

Q Do you want to say more than that?

THE PRESIDENT: No, it's just pure politics. We've got a lot of people running for President and it's pure politics. The American people know that we laid out the facts, we based the decision on sound intelligence and they also know we've only been there for a hundred days. And we're making progress. A free Iraq is necessary for a -- is an integral part of the war on terror. And as far as all this political noise, it's going to get worse as time goes on, and I fully understand that. And that's just the nature of democracy. Sometimes pure politics enters into the rhetoric.

Thank you, all.

posted by Quiddity at 8/08/2003 02:23:00 PM

Typical Rumsfeld:

From remarks to the press at Bush's ranch:

Q: Mr. President, for you and for Secretary Rumsfeld, please. Secretary Rumsfeld, did you authorize Pentagon officials to hold some secret talks with Iran-Contra figure Manucher Ghoreanifar, in order to push for a regime change in Iran? And Mr. President, do you think that's a good idea, and is the new policy official policy, regime change in Iran?

SECRETARY RUMSFELD: I had not had a chance to see these articles -- or an article, that I guess exists. I did get briefed by Condi and Larry DiRita here a minute ago. ...

Didn't have a chance to see the article(s). What the hell is he talking about?

Oh, now we get it. Rumsfeld was doing his usual distancing act. Virtually everything he knows - apparently - comes from the press and not from his Pentagon staff. (And didn't he also claim not to know about the Niger/uranium issue until it was reported in the New York Times?)

posted by Quiddity at 8/08/2003 02:17:00 PM

Fred Barnes ... hopeless (or worse):

The Daily Howler reports the following exchange on Fox's Special Report:

On last night’s Special Report, Brit Hume started the panel in orderly fashion; he read off six “false impressions” about Iraq which Al Gore had blamed on the Bush Admin. “Well, some of it was true,” Juan Williams said, agreeing with the things Gore said. And that’s when Barnes began his faking. No, we really aren’t making this up. Yes, the corrupted man said it:

WILLIAMS: Well, some of it was true.

BARNES: I didn’t notice any.

WILLIAMS: Well, I think it’s true when [Gore] says that President Bush led us to believe that somehow Saddam Hussein might have had connections to Al Qaeda—

At this point, Fred cut Williams off. Try to believe that this fake, phony man has reached the point where he’ll actually say this on television:

BARNES (continuing directly): I think Bush said exactly the opposite, consistently! Exactly the opposite!

Howler then goes on to cite a New Republic article which report a number of instances when Bush and others in the administration asserted that there were ties between Hussein and al Qaeda.

But there's more. As it turns out, we did our own little survey ten months ago, restricted to statements by Bush himself in his 2002 campaign effort. Between October 10 and November 4, Bush made the following claims about Hussein in speeches (i.e. not off-the-cuff remarks):

• "This is a person who has had contacts with al Qaeda."
• "He's got connections with al Qaeda."
• "This is a guy who has had connections with these shadowy terrorist networks."
• "We know he's got ties with al Qaeda."
• "We know that he's had connections with al Qaeda."
• "He's had connections with shadowy terrorist networks like al Qaeda."
• "We know that he has had contacts with terrorist networks like al Qaeda."
• "This is a man who has had contacts with al Qaeda."
• "This is a man who has had al Qaeda connections."
• "He's had contacts with al Qaeda."
• "This is a man who has got connections with al Qaeda."

(Go to our earlier post for dates, locations, and whitehouse.gov links for all these quotes)

We only looked at a restricted time period: 25 days - in which Bush said 11 times that there was a tie between Hussein and al Qaeda - or about once every couple of days. On the political oscilloscope, that's a very high frequency.

Bob Somerby of the Howler sums it up: ... what Barnes had said was utterly, one hundred percent false.

posted by Quiddity at 8/08/2003 07:41:00 AM

The California Republic's grizzly ruminates on the political situation:

posted by Quiddity at 8/07/2003 11:57:00 PM

Give us a break, David:

In David Broder's Aug 6 essay about the similarities (!) between Bush and FDR, W's New Deal? , we read: (emphasis added)

But there is one big difference ...   We know how the New Deal turned out. It was a smashing political success ...

We can't yet know how Bush's experiments, bold as they may be, will work out either substantively or politically.

That's bad enough, claiming ignorance about the likely outcome of Bush's "experiments". But Broder wrote the following, just two weeks earlier: (emphasis added)

• ... almost everyone who is not directly engaged in defending [Bush's deficits] found the long-term implications of the massive borrowing scary as hell.
  
  
• The Concord Coalition, a bipartisan budgetary watchdog group, gave Congress and the administration an "F" on fiscal policy, saying it was characterized by "deficits, deception and denial."
  
  
• Carol Cox Wait, the Republican president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget since it was founded in 1981 to battle "the specter of historically large, seemingly endless, structural budget deficits," chose last week to announce her resignation, explaining, "I have been there and done that."
  
  
• ... the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) said that even if the economy recovers in the next year, as the administration assumes, annual budget deficits will not come down below $300 billion -- and then balloon after 2008 when the baby-boom retirees begin draining Medicare and Social Security. With lots of data, all these groups argue, as CBPP puts it, "The current fiscal policy path is neither manageable nor sustainable."

And then goes on to remark that perhaps we need somebody like Ross Perot to inform the nation of the problem.

Yet Broder still insists that "We can't yet know how Bush's experiments ... will work out"

Try reading your own columns, David.

posted by Quiddity at 8/07/2003 09:05:00 PM

California state seal to be modified:



posted by Quiddity at 8/07/2003 12:02:00 PM

George Bush vs. the average American:

George Bush: (a partial list)

From CommonDreams.org (Aug 2001):

IN DEFENDING his massive time away from the White House, President Bush said, ''I love to go walking out there, seeing the cows - occasionally they talk to me, being the good listener that I am. It's important for all of us in Washington to stay in touch with the values of the heartland.''

The Washington Post recently calculated that Bush has spent 42 percent of his first eight months as president at vacation spots. By the end of this week, only eight months into his presidency, he will have logged about 50 days alone at his range in Crawford, Texas.

From the Chicago Tribune (Aug 2002):

Say what you will about our president, he knows the value of a good vacation. Right now, he's probably easing back in an overstuffed armchair at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and wondering if he can fit in a nap before tee time.

Some would criticize Mr. Bush's 25-day break, but he is, in fact, a good role model for the rest of us.

From USA Today (Feb 2003):

The "soujourner in chief" heads back to the White House next week, nearly a month after departing for what his spinmeisters are quick to emphasize has been a "working vacation."

From the Washington Post (Aug 2003):

[The press conference] was called on 90 minutes' notice as Bush prepared to leave Saturday for a month-long vacation at his ranch in Crawford, Tex., and half a dozen fundraisers for his reelection effort.

The average American:

From the Washington Post (Jul 2003)

• ... Americans manage to live with the stingiest vacation allotment in the industrialized world -- 8.1 days after a year on the job, 10.2 days after three years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  
  
• A survey by the Internet travel company Expedia.com has found that Americans will be taking 10 percent less vacation time this year than last -- too much work to get away, said respondents. This continues a trend that has seen the average American vacation trip buzzsawed down to a long weekend, according to the travel industry. Some 13 percent of American companies now provide no paid leave, up from 5 percent five years ago, according to the Alexandria-based Society for Human Resource Management. In Washington state, a whopping 17 percent of workers get no paid leave.
  
  We're now logging more hours on the job than we have since the 1920s. Almost 40 percent of us work more than 50 hours a week. And just a couple of weeks ago, before members of the House of Representatives took off on their month-plus vacations, they opted to pile more work onto American employees by approving the White House's rewrite of wage and hour regulations, which would turn anyone who holds a "position of responsibility" into a salaried employee who can be required to work unlimited overtime for no extra pay.
  
  
• In 1932, both the Democratic and Republican platforms called for shorter working hours, which averaged 49 a week in the 1920s. The Department of Labor issued a report in 1936 that found the lack of a national law on vacations shameful when 30 other nations had one, and recommended legislation. But it never happened. This was the fork in the road where the United States and Europe, which then had a similar amount of vacation time, parted ways. Europe chose the route of legal, protected vacations, while we went the other -- no statutory protection and voluntary paid leave. Now we are the only industrialized nation with no minimum paid-leave law. Europeans get four or five weeks by law and can get another couple of weeks by agreement with employers. The Japanese have two legally mandated weeks, and even the Chinese get three.

posted by Quiddity at 8/07/2003 12:07:00 AM

Bob at his best:

From The Sideshow we learn:

On behalf of GLAAD, Bob Hope addresses the camera in a tuxedo, and says, "I'm proud to live in this great, free country and I'm proud of our commitment to free speech. And I'm proud of our country's commitment to protecting the rights of its citizens to work and live free from bigotry and violence.

"That's why I was amazed to discover that many people die each year in anti-gay attacks and thousands more are left scarred, emotionally and physically.

"Bigotry has no place in this great nation, and violence has no place in this world, but it happens. Prejudice hurts, kills. Please don't be a part of it."

This ad came about after Hope was on "The Tonight Show" in 1988 and used the word "fag" in reference to someone's colorful tie on the show that night, motivating GLAAD to request an apology. Hope took it a step further by creating this spot at his own expense.

Because this was a public service announcement in an era when GLAAD couldn't afford to pay for the media time, this ad aired only on paid-access programs such as Gay Cable Network in New York City and The 10% Show in Chicago.

Go to the Commercial Closet website, and you can watch Bob. He's quite good.

posted by Quiddity at 8/06/2003 02:52:00 PM

Wall Street Journal - worse than the New York Post:

In the WSJ's Best of the Web by James Taranto: (emphasis added)

... Lieberman's erstwhile running mate, Al Gore, seems to have gone off the rails. The New York Post reports Gore will be speaking to a gathering of MoveOn.org--the far-left, pro-Saddam group whose online "primary" gave Howard Dean a victory over second-place Dennis Kucinich ...

In the New York Post story the WSJ linked to: (emphasis added)

Amid talk he's being urged to jump back into the presidential race, Al Gore has arranged to speak out on Iraq to a large anti-war group at New York University on Thursday.

...

MoveOn, a national anti-war group that boasts 120,000 members in the New York City area, recently gave Democratic anti-war candidate Howard Dean a big boost by conducting an online poll that Dean won.

Thanks to Atrios for pointing out the WSJ entry.

posted by Quiddity at 8/06/2003 08:09:00 AM

Village People + 1:



NOTE: Anglican Bishop pictured is actually The Right Reverend Donald F Harvey, Bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador

posted by Quiddity at 8/06/2003 07:52:00 AM

Parody site:

Extremely well done:

GWBush04.com

posted by Quiddity at 8/05/2003 10:32:00 PM

A different perspective?

Yesterday we heard an interesting interview of Stephen Schwartz on a (liberal) Pacifica radio station. He sure talked like a Marxist ("material interests have inevitable consequences"), yet he's been a frequent contributor to the National Review and The Weekly Standard. (Q&A at NRO here) He is a vociferous critic of Wahhabism and the author of The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa'ud from Tradition to Terror. His perspective is that Saudi Arabia is a rotten structure that will eventually be overturned, that Washington has accommodated the reactionary Saudi leadership, and that accommodation is preventing Americans from learning of the close Saudi-Sept11 connections. Except for the Marxist/progressive remarks by Schwartz about Big Oil running the show, his outlook is similar in some ways to that of the neocons ("we must reform the region"). We don't have a transcript or link to the interview, but we present the key points he mentioned in the diagram below:



UPDATE: In a related vein, Calpundit has some thoughts about Greg Palast's theories (which claim a tight relationship between Bush himself, and Saudi financial benefactors).

UPDATE #2: If it's not on this page, we diagrammed the money trail between senior Saudi officials and al Qaeda here.

posted by Quiddity at 8/05/2003 04:24:00 PM

Twist:

Over at the Weekly Standard:

The Gay Bishop's Links
Episcopalian bishop-elect Gene Robinson has some curious affiliations.
by Fred Barnes
08/04/2003 2:48:00 PM

THE CONTROVERSIAL gay Episcopal bishop-elect of New Hampshire is a founder of a group called Outright that supports gay, lesbian, or "questioning" young people 22-years-old or younger and gets them together with older gay and lesbian role models. On its website, Outright had a link to a pornographic website--until the link became an issue in the fight at the Episcopal Church's national convention in Minneapolis over ratifying the election of the bishop-elect, Gene Robinson, by New Hampshire Episcopalians. The link, indeed all links, were removed from the website today.

Robinson was reported to have denied any knowledge of the link. But he has made no secret of his connection with Outright.

Here at uggabugga:

Fred Barnes' Links
Conservative reporter has some curious affiliations.
by Quiddity
08/04/2003 6:48:00 PM

THE CONTROVERSIAL reporter at the Weekly Standard is a senior editor for that publication. On its website, the Weekly Standard had links that when clicked, lead you to the following sites:

• Adult thumbsuckers. [link order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  
  
• Golden showers enthusiasts. [link order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  
  
• White separatists [link order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  
  
• Spiders as pets. [link order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Barnes was reported to have denied any knowledge of the links. But he has made no secret of his connection with the Weekly Standard.

UPDATE: Our sequences aren't as short at the 3-links reported at Eschaton, but ours are a little more solid since they are along the path of existing busi8ness relationships (Atrios' sequence goes first to a Weekly Standard links page).

posted by Quiddity at 8/04/2003 06:41:00 PM

Best wishes:



Inspired by Santorum's interview on Fox News Sunday (below, or at this link).

posted by Quiddity at 8/04/2003 01:12:00 AM

Resource:

Your one-stop blogger resource for the Valerie Plame Wilson affair is Mark A. R. Kleiman.

posted by Quiddity at 8/04/2003 12:20:00 AM

Neologism:



posted by Quiddity at 8/04/2003 12:08:00 AM

This man must be stopped:

If you missed Rick Santorum's interview on Fox News Sunday, you missed an opportunity to watch one of the most bizarre performances in recent political history. Excerpts from the transcript: (emphasis added)

ON GAY MARRIAGE ISSUE

HUME: Now, you just heard Elizabeth Birch set forth a lot reasons why she thinks the current legal situation, as it deals with gays, is unfair; that, you know, hospital visitation rights and these other things are denied. Do you think that's fair?

SANTORUM: Well, that's a separate issue. I mean, the issue here is marriage. And to me, the building block -- and I think, to most people in America, number one, it's common sense that a marriage is between a man and a woman. I mean, every civilization in the history of man has recognized a unique bond.

Why? Because -- principally because of children. I mean, it's -- it is the reason for marriage. It's not to affirm the love of two people. I mean, that's not what marriage is about. I mean, if that were the case, then lots of different people and lots of different combinations could be, quote, "married."

Marriage is not about affirming somebody's love for somebody else. It's about uniting together to be open to children, to further civilization in our society.

And that's unique. And that's why civilizations forever have recognized that unique role that needs to be licensed, needs held up as different than anything else because of its unique nurturing effect on children.

And there isn't a statistic out there that doesn't show that married couples, in a healthy marriage, is the best environment in which to raise stable children and is the best thing, long term, for our society.

So it's not about not recognizing somebody's love for somebody else. That's not what it's about. It's not being discriminatory against anybody. It's talking about the good that marriage is for our culture.

CIVIL UNIONS

SANTORUM: I guess, my feeling is, I would step back and say that if there are laws that the states want to pass having to do with certain benefits or things like that, that's one thing. But civil union sounds too much to me like marriage and confuses the issues.

And part of the other issue here is, what kind of message are we sending to our children and to society about the importance of the marriage relationship?

And I think when you get into things like civil union, you tend to muddle the picture.

MARRIAGE vs. CIVIL UNION

SANTORUM: We already have the family under assault in America. I mean, there's articles written saying, you know, "Why are people so against gay marriage? I mean, you've got divorce rates that are high, you've got, you know, all these other things that are, sort of, tearing the family apart. You know, what's wrong with just, you know, further tearing it apart?"

And I would argue that anything that detracts from the uniqueness and sanctity of that relationship is not going to be a positive thing for our society.

ENSHRINE: To preserve and cherish as sacred [Merriam-Webster Dictionary]

SANTORUM: ... I think that marriage is such an important thing, and families are such an important thing for a society, that it needs to be enshrined in a very, very unique way.

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

HUME: Let me ask you a question based upon something Senator John Kerry said the other day. The Vatican spoke this week on this issue, quite emphatically. Senator Kerry, himself, I believe a Catholic, said, "I believe in the Church, and I care about it enormously, but I think that it's important not to have the Church instructing politicians. That," he says, "is an inappropriate crossing of the line in America."

Agree, disagree?

SANTORUM: I disagree dramatically.

INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE VATICAN

HUME: ... it was said, "We don't want to have leaders who are being directed from the Vatican." These were directions [about opposing gay marriage] from the Vatican, in the eyes of many. What do you say?

SANTORUM: It's not a direction from the Vatican. I mean, it's a ...

HUME: Well, they were warned ...

SANTORUM: ... it's the Vatican speaking about what the faith of the Catholic Church is. And, I mean, as every church has a ruling council of some sort that defines what the faith is. And, you know, my feeling is that I have a right as a Catholic politician to uphold the values that I believe are important to me, and important, that I believe, for this country. And I think in this case they're consistent.

But I think it's important to have moral leaders speak out. I mean, that's their right, to speak out and to let politicians, as well as every other American, know what they believe the moral imperatives are for our society.

And that doesn't mean, obviously, everybody has to agree with them, but I think that they should be considered, and certainly people who subscribe to that faith -- and in this case this is a core teaching of the Church -- I think they have an obligation to take that into great consideration, and I think it has -- should have an impact on you.

PRYOR NOMINATION / DEEPLY HELD BELIEFS

SANTORUM: Yes. What's outrageous is the line of questioning that's been conducted in the Senate Judiciary Committee about people's, quote, "deeply held beliefs." There are questions and comments made that if you have deeply held beliefs, particularly about moral issues, that you can't be impartial. Which leads me to the conclusion that you have shallowly held beliefs, if you really don't believe in anything, that's OK, but if you have deeply held beliefs, that somehow or another because of those deeply held beliefs you can't be impartial.

What does that mean? That means someone who is a deeply faithful Catholic, and believes as the Catholic Church, in Bill Pryor's case, and that's where he gets his feeling on abortion...

HUME: Yes, but that doesn't apply to all Catholics?

SANTORUM: But it does apply to Catholics who subscribe to what the teachings of the Church are. And so, if you have a Catholic who subscribes to the Catholic teaching, you're saying that some faithful Catholic cannot apply and cannot be a member of the court because of his deep held religious beliefs, that he projects, because that's his belief structure, into his job.

posted by Quiddity at 8/03/2003 12:10:00 PM

Complexity theory:

In a detailed report in the Asia Times, Why the US needs the Taliban, we read about a tug-of-war over the future of Afghanistan. Don't worry, nothing is likely to break out soon; the report covers the deep trends in the region. Still, it's something to pay attention to. The bottom line is this:

• Pakistan wants control of Afghanistan
• Iran, India, and Russia like the current (non-Pakistan friendly) government in Kabul
• The U.S. needs a friendly Pakistan, so it might allow an Islamabad-backed Pashtun group in power in Kabul
• That might mean a return (in some form) of the Taliban

Here is a rough diagram of the situation as described in the article:



UPDATE: On the heels of the Asia Times story, comes this from the Washington Post:

Afghan Political Violence on the Rise
Instability in South Grows as Pro-Taliban Fighters Attack Allies of U.S.-Led Forces

posted by Quiddity at 8/03/2003 09:43:00 AM

Road trip: (you pay half)

News item:

Bush to Stay at Texas Ranch a Month

It's billed as a working vacation, but fund-raisers — at the rate of one every five days — will fill President Bush's schedule during his monthlong stay in August at his Texas ranch.

Continuing his drive to raise at least $170 million, seeking a Republican nomination for which he faces no opponent, Bush is mixing public policy events, mostly on the West Coast, with six fund-raisers in Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington and Minnesota. The practice allows the administration, in certain cases, to bill taxpayers for half the travel costs of the political activity.

"The president looks forward to traveling throughout the heartland to highlight his initiatives to preserve our natural resources and protect American jobs," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Tuesday in announcing the president's August schedule.

posted by Quiddity at 8/02/2003 04:36:00 PM

Saudi Connection (updated):

We've diagrammed this situation earlier, but there are a few new items in the lastest New York Times story (Muslim cleric close connection with hijackers, a "facilitator" meeting with the Crown Prince's entourage after September 11) which we include below:



UPDATE: The Los Angeles Times also has an article on the 27* classified pages, and we added those new facts as well: Interior Minister activities, Al Bayoumi an employee of Saudi civil aviation (!) authority. Excerpt:

"If this comes out, it will blow the top off the relations with [the Saudi] government because the American people will just be outraged," said one source familiar with the report.

"People don't know how much is in there and how specific it is," the source said. "The public hasn't gotten anywhere near the meat of it."

*- 27 pages according to the Los Angeles Times, 28 pages according to the New York Times.

FURTHER COMMENT: Much of this information is not new. If you go to our original post of November 2002, you will see that almost all of the details were made public in two Newsweek articles and a Los Angeles Times article (only one Newsweek/MSNBC link is still good). So why the recent fuss? Maybe because there is more to the story, or maybe just because it's in an official report.

posted by Quiddity at 8/01/2003 11:17:00 PM

Not ready for prime time:

Prior to this week's press conference, the Washington Post wrote in an editorial: (emphasis added)

During his more than two years in office, Mr. Bush has held just eight solo news conferences. The last one before his March appearance took place four months earlier. By contrast, President Clinton had held 33 such events at this point in his term, and the first President Bush had held 61.

We went to the White House website and found the following information about Bush's press conferences:

	Press conference (as titled on the White House website)	DATE	TIME	PRIME TIME?
1	Press Conference by the President The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room	February 22, 2001	2:40 P.M. EST	NO
2	Press Conference by the President The James S. Brady Briefing Room	March 29, 2001	10:32 A.M. EST	NO
3	Press Conference of the President The James S. Brady Briefing Room	May 11, 2001	2:04 P.M. EDT	NO
4	President Holds Prime Time News Conference The East Room	October 11, 2001	8:00 P.M. EDT	YES
5	President Bush Holds Press Conference Press Conference by the President The James S. Brady Briefing Room	March 13, 2002	4:00 P.M. EST	NO
6	President Urges Congress to Support Nation's Priorities Press Conference by the President James S. Brady Briefing Room	July 8, 2002	5:00 P.M. EDT	NO
7	President Outlines Priorities Presidential Hall Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building	November 7, 2002	2:00 P.M. EST	NO
8	President George Bush Discusses Iraq in National Press Conference The East Room	March 6, 2003	8:02 P.M. EST	YES
9	President Bush Discusses Top Priorities for the U.S. Press Conference of the President	July 30, 2003	10:33 A.M. EDT	NO

Considering the fact that Bush rarely gives solo press conferences, it's remarkable that when he does give one it's unlikely to be seen live by the American people - because it's usually held in the middle of the day. That way, most people will learn about the event through short clips on the evening news. They won't have an opportunity to watch Bush "think on his feet", which a live unedited broadcast would show.

posted by Quiddity at 8/01/2003 08:18:00 AM