Had enough?

We have.

posted by Quiddity at 10/30/2004 10:32:00 PM

Astronomy lesson:

Time it takes the Boston Red Sox to win a World Series: 86 years

Time it takes Uranus to orbit the sun: 84.07 years


posted by Quiddity at 10/28/2004 01:59:00 PM

To Lebanon!

From the Washington Times article about the missing high explosives at Al QaQaa: (excerpts, emp add)

John A. Shaw, the deputy undersecretary of defense for international technology security, said in an interview that he believes the Russian troops, working with Iraqi intelligence, "almost certainly" removed the high-explosive material that went missing from the Al-Qaqaa facility, south of Baghdad.

The Russian weapons were then sent out of the country to Syria, and possibly Lebanon in Russian trucks, Mr. Shaw said.

"believes" "almost" "possibly"

That's nothing more than speculation (or ass-covering).

posted by Quiddity at 10/28/2004 07:09:00 AM

Niger in the news: (only this time, nothing to do with yellowcake)

President Bush at a rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania: (emp add)

The Senator is denigrating the action of our troops and commanders in the field without knowing the facts.

From hyperdictionary.com:

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

\Den"i*grate\, v. t. [L. denigrare; de- + nigrare to blacken, niger black.]

1. To blacken thoroughly; to make very black. --Boyle.

2. Fig.: To blacken or sully; to defame. [R.]

        To denigrate the memory of Voltaire. --Morley.

posted by Quiddity at 10/28/2004 06:52:00 AM

What the Bible says:

We don't know how widely known this is, or how meaningful it is, but it's new to us. Regarding the status of the fetus, the Hebrew Bible treats its death as a property crime. From Exodus 21:22 (NRSV)

When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman's husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine.

Now that's only one line and there is no ruling for the deliberate killing of a fetus, but when one reviews other rules found in Exodus, there is a clear distinction between acts that merit capital punishment and those which do not. For what it's worth, the fetus does not have the same status as that of an adult or child.

We disagree with much of the rules found in Exodus (e.g. Whoever strikes father or mother shall be put to death.), but for those claim the Bible is their guide to policy positions, they have to admit that the scripture takes a position different from that proclaimed by various church spokesmen today.

posted by Quiddity at 10/27/2004 06:53:00 PM

380 tons =

From the story, Tons of Explosives Missing in Iraq : (emp add)

"On Oct. 10, the IAEA received a declaration from the Iraqi Ministry of Science and Technology informing us that approximately 350 (metric) tons of high explosive material had gone missing," [UN spokeswoman] Fleming said.

Nearly 380 tons of powerful explosives that could be used to build large conventional bombs are missing from the former Al Qaqaa military installation, The New York Times reported Monday. The 380 tons is the U.S. equivalent of the figure of 350 metric tons mentioned by the Iraqis, the IAEA said.

The explosives included HMX and RDX, which can be used to demolish buildings, down jetliners, produce warheads for missiles and detonate nuclear weapons. HMX and RDX are key ingredients in plastic explosives such as C-4 and Semtex — substances so powerful that Libyan terrorists needed just 1 pound to blow up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing 170 people.

380 tons * 2000 pounds/ton = 760,000 pounds

posted by Quiddity at 10/25/2004 09:42:00 AM

Teresa LaPore approved:

 

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLKS AT BusyBusyBusy FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE.

posted by Quiddity at 10/24/2004 05:55:00 PM

Did you know?

From a Washington Times article on Teresa Kerry, Polite society anticipates Teresa's pizazz: (emp add)

Criticized as "bonkers" by her opponents, the unconventional Mrs. Kerry — who describes her detractors as "scumbags" — would be the first foreign-born first lady since John Quincy Adams' wife, Louisa, a native of London. And at the age of 66, she would be the oldest incoming first lady.

posted by Quiddity at 10/22/2004 06:59:00 AM

Slogans:

A number of bloggers have embraced the charge that Bush is not part of the reality based community (Yglesias, TPM, Atrios, TAPPED). We agree that much of what Bush does is not reality based, but saying so does not give the listener an idea of what Bush is for. A better charge, in our view, is calling the president 19th Century Bush. It's a snappy phrase (matches the well known "20th Century Fox") and it discribes where Bush is heading this country. Bush is trying to dismantle many of the developments that made the last hundred years The American Century.

We make our case below:

Nineteenth Century Bush - President Bush and his party wants to take America back to the nineteenth century by undoing the following achievements of the Twentieth Century:

• Anti-trust action: Applied with vigor by Teddy Roosevelt during his administration (1901-1909)

Roosevelt emerged spectacularly as a "trust buster" by forcing the dissolution of a great railroad combination in the Northwest. Other antitrust suits under the Sherman Act followed.

Opposed by

Bush supporter and Club for Growth president Stephen Moore

2004: Now is the time for the Bush administration to lighten the enforcement burden of antitrust law and for Congress to do what it should have done long ago: repeal the Sherman antitrust laws.

• Progressive income tax: Following the ratification of the 16th amendment (in 1913), the income tax was progressive from the beginning.

In 1913 the tax rate was 1 percent on taxable net income above $3,000 ($4,000 for married couples), less deductions and exemptions. It rose to a rate of 7 percent on incomes above $500,000.

Opposed by

President Bush

2004: President Bush reasserted his call Sunday for a simpler tax system, and aides said he is considering pushing for a flat tax, which would set the same income-tax rate for most taxpayers, as a major priority if he were to win a second term.

• Direct election of senators: 17th amendment - ratified in 1913

Opposed by

Supreme Court Justice, and George Bush fave Anton Scalia	2004: While Scalia’s prepared speech—which lasted less than half an hour—was narrowly focused, his remarks in the 20-minute question-and-answer question spanned a broad range of topics. In one of the more bizarre moments of the evening, Scalia mentioned—in passing—that he thought the 17th Amendment was “a bad idea.”
GOP-approved senate candidate Alan Keyes	2004: "The balance is utterly destroyed when the senators are directly elected, because the state government as such no longer plays any role in the deliberations at the federal level," Keyes said at a taping of WBBM Newsradio's "At Issue" program.
GOP-approved convention speaker Zell Miller	Senator Miller ... introduced his own amendment to repeal the Seventeenth, contends that the direct election of senators “was the death of the careful balance between state and federal governments.”

• Estate tax: Established in 1916 with the enthusiastic support of Teddy Roosevelt and William Taft

Roosevelt said in 1907 that an inheritance tax on "such enormous fortunes as have been accumulated in America would be one of the methods by which we should try to preserve a measurable equality of opportunity..."

Also: The Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives explained that a new type of tax was needed, because the "consumption taxes" in effect at that time bore most heavily upon those least able to pay them.

Opposed by

President Bush

2002: "One of the worst taxes that we have on the books that we're trying to get rid of, and won't get rid of unless we have a senator and senators who vote to make it permanent, is the death tax. "

• Regulation of energy: Began in 1920 as the Federal Power Commission (FPC), expanded to current scope in 1935 and 1938, reorganized in 1977 as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Not used to enforce its mandate to "ensure just and reasonable rates" by

President Bush	2001: California's electricity shortages should be solved "in California by Californians"
Vice-president Cheney	2001: "They've got a whole complex of problems that are caused by relying only on conservation ..."

• Regulation of the public airwaves: Began with the creation in 1934 of the Federal Communications Commission

Not used to enforce its mandate to make sure the "public interest" is served by broadcasters by

Republican stalwart and current FCC chair Michael Powell

When asked in 2001 what he thought the term public interest meant in the FCC's mission, the current FCC chairman responded, "I have no idea...

• Regulation of securities market: Federal role established with the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1934.

Not used to crack down on Wall Street by

Bush appointmed SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt

2001: ... he pledged to make the SEC “a kinder, gentler place for everyone”.

• Social Security: Legislation signed in 1935.

Current program opposed by

President Bush

2003/4: Wants to "overhaul" the program, privatize it

• Bipartisan foreign policy: Firmly established by Truman and Vandenberg in 1947, leading to the success of the Cold War

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs (1947–49), Vandenberg was the leading proponent of bipartisan support for President Truman's foreign policy. He was instrumental in securing Senate approval of the Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Dismissed by

President Bush

2002: "... the [Democratic controlled] Senate is more interested in special interests in Washington and not interested in the security of the American people."

• Separation of Church and State: One significant ruling in this matter was the Supreme Court's decision on school prayer in 1962.

Opposed by

President Bush	2001: Established White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
House Minority Leader Tom DeLay	2004: ... Tom DeLay has announced plans to remove the federal courts' jurisdiction to rule on the constitutionality of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

• Right to privacy: Significant development in this area established in Griswold vs Connecticut (1965)

Opposed by

President Bush's nominee to the court: Bill Pryor

2003: Pryor believes no right to privacy exists in the Constitution

• Abortion rights: From the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision of 1973.

Opposed by

President Bush

1994: "I will do everything in my power to restrict abortions."

• Operate within multi-national framework: Promoted by Woodrow Wilson, fully adopted by Franklin Roosevelt (1945) and subsequent administrations.

Opposed by

President Bush: Withdrew from the ABM Treaty (established in 1972)	2001: "America is withdrawing from this almost 30-year-old treaty ..."
President Bush: Opposed the Kyoto Protocol (established in 1997)	2001: "I oppose the Kyoto Protocol"
President Bush: Refuses to participate in the Internation Criminal Court (established in 1998)	2004: "I made a decision not to join the International Criminal Court in The Hague"

posted by Quiddity at 10/20/2004 01:31:00 AM

A state to watch:

On November 2, we will be watching the state of Virginia to get a sense of how each candidate is doing. Although Bush is ahead there, the poll numbers have been fairly close for a red state. Obviously, if it goes for Kerry, it's all over for Bush. But a close result - say withing two percentage points - will probably indicate a Kerry win nationwide. (Bush is 3% ahead as of today, according to electoral-vote.com) Also, Virginia numbers should be released early, what with it being on the east coast, so it's an early signal of the trends.

Here's our plan for election night: If the Virginia numbers look good for Kerry, we immediately order a huge everything-on-it pizza, pig out, and sleep easy that night.

posted by Quiddity at 10/19/2004 11:48:00 AM

Juxtaposition:

Bush Hits Kerry on Flu Vaccine Crisis, Draft (emp add)

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) told senior citizens in Florida on Tuesday he was doing all he could to ensure they get flu shots and accused Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry of using fear politics on issues like the vaccine shortage and a draft.

Switching to domestic themes after launching an all-out assault on Kerry on Monday over the war on terror, Bush told voters in the battleground state of Florida they should reject the "politics of fear" he said were offered by his challenger.

"Instead of articulating a vision or a positive agenda for the future, the senator is relying on a litany of complaints and old style scare tactics," Bush told a rally in New Port Richey.

Cheney: Terrorists May Bomb U.S. Cities (emp add)

CARROLL, Ohio - Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday evoked the possibility of terrorists bombing U.S. cities with nuclear weapons and questioned whether Sen. John Kerry could combat such a threat, which the vice president called a concept "you've got to get your mind around."

"The biggest threat we face now as a nation is the possibility of terrorists ending up in the middle of one of our cities with deadlier weapons than have ever before been used against us — biological agents or a nuclear weapon or a chemical weapon of some kind to be able to threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans," Cheney said.

posted by Quiddity at 10/19/2004 11:33:00 AM

Just like another failed revolution:

Everybody's been quoting this exchange from Ron Suskind's New York Times Magazine article on Bush: (emp add)

The aide said that guys like me were ''in what we call the reality-based community,'' which he defined as people who ''believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.'' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. ''That's not the way the world really works anymore,'' he continued. ''We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality.

Consider this:

From Paul Johnson's Modern Times (p 267of the 1983 paperback edition), in the section on the economic situation in the late 1920's in the Soviet Union. (emp add)

As one of [Stalin's] economists, S.G.Shumilin, put it: "Our task is not to study economics but to change it. We are bound by no laws."

posted by Quiddity at 10/17/2004 05:49:00 PM

The brother that proves it's a "Bush crime family"

From Report: Jeb Bush Ignored Felon List Advice: (excerpts, emp add, + comments)

• Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ignored advice to throw out a flawed felon voter list before it went out to county election offices despite warnings from state officials ...
• ... Florida Department of Law Enforcement computer expert Jeff Long told his boss that a Department of State computer expert had told him "that yesterday they recommended to the Gov that they 'pull the plug'" on the voter database.
• ... state election officials "weren't comfortable with the felon matching program they've got," ...
• Bush's spokeswoman, Jill Bratina, denied allegations that the governor ignored warnings about the list. "It's also irrelevant because the list isn't being used," Bratina said Saturday. [A failed attempt at corruption does not mean no corruption.]
• "Once it became clear after talking to the secretary of state that there were problems with the list (in July), that's when we decided to end it," Bush said. [Not true. It was when the list was made public.]

posted by Quiddity at 10/17/2004 06:23:00 AM

Florida rules:

From a news story about Florida voting procedures:

State law requires a manual recount if the election is decided by less than one-quarter of 1 percent of the vote, as it was in the 2000 contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore.

Secretary of State Glenda Hood had issued a rule barring manual recounts for touch-screen votes, but a judge in August ruled the manual-recount law applies no matter what voting technology is used.

Hood's office released the new recount rules late Friday, 18 days before the Nov. 2 presidential election.

What are the rules? Read on: (emp add)

Under the new rules, if a recount is needed, election officials must review a printout from each voting machine to count the so-called undervotes, or ballots on which no candidate was chosen. The equipment will be checked for problems if the number doesn't match the undervote totals given by the machine.

If the discrepancy remains, officials will rely on the original machine count.

So what's the point? If the paper record agrees with the machine, the machine count is used. If the paper record disagrees with the machine, the machine count is used.

Also, what's with using the undervotes as the test? Why not look at all votes reported by the machine and compare that to the paper record?

NOTE: It's not clear what the paper record is anyway. Is it a print-out from the machine when the voting is over, or is it (what it should be) a running print of voter activity that occurs when each voter uses the machine.

posted by Quiddity at 10/16/2004 02:03:00 PM

Flu vaccine update:

Here is the situation:

Last week, British regulators suspended Chiron's license for the vaccine plant, throwing half the expected U.S. influenza vaccine supply into doubt. Chiron found and reported contamination with a bacteria called Serratia, but had hoped to correct the problem in time to save most of the vaccine production.

But [acting U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner] Crawford said whatever went wrong apparently affected everything Chiron made at the plant, which the California-based company acquired when it bought a British company called PowderJect.

"The system was such that a small number of the lots were in fact contaminated. As we tried to assure ourselves that this was isolated to those few lots, we were not able to do so," Crawford said.

What is Serratia? Here's the poop:

Members of the Serratia genus were once known as harmless organisms that produced a characteristic red pigment. Today, Serratia marcescens is considered a harmful human pathogen which has been known to cause urinary tract infections, wound infections, and pneumonia. Serratia bacteria also have many antibiotic resistance properties which may become important if the incidence of Serratia infections dramatically increases.

Yikes!

posted by Quiddity at 10/16/2004 01:40:00 PM

First time in over three years:

In a story, Bush Brushes Off Mixed Reviews of Debate, we read the following: (excerpts, emp add)

Bush walked the length of his jumbo jet and popped into the press cabin at the rear to talk about the last days of the campaign after his final face-off with Democratic challenger John Kerry. It was Bush's first appearance in the press cabin since the harrowing day of Sept. 11, 2001. After avoiding cameras on his plane so long, Bush left some people wondering whether his visit signaled concern about the race following the debates.

"Were you anticipating my arrival?" he joked to reporters, who had been alerted a minute earlier.

Unlike Bush, other presidents — such as President Clinton and Bush's father — were regular visitors to the press cabin on Air Force One. "I'm not sure it's the ideal setting to try to communicate with the American people through the press corps from an audio and visual standpoint," McClellan said.

posted by Quiddity at 10/14/2004 03:48:00 PM

She's still on the job:

From E-Voting Machine Crash Deepens Concerns: (emp add)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A computer crash that forced a pre-election test of electronic voting machines to be postponed was trumpeted by critics as proof of the balloting technology's unreliability.

... critics of the ATM-like machines said it proved how fickle any computer-based voting system can be and highlighted the need for touch-screens to produce paper records.

Tuesday's public dry run had to be postponed until Friday because excessive heat caused a computer server that tabulates data from the touch-screen machines to crash, said county elections supervisor Theresa LePore. Such "logic and accuracy" tests are required by law.

She said she suspected Hurricane Jeanne, which struck in September, may have zapped electricity and air conditioning to the room where the server was stored, causing temperatures to soar to 90 degrees or more. The storm wiped out power to nearly 1.3 million homes and businesses throughout Florida.

LePore, who lost a re-election bid and will be replaced as supervisor in January, said the incident did not result in deleted or altered data and she predicted a smooth election on Nov. 2.

Whatever you say.

posted by Quiddity at 10/13/2004 10:11:00 PM

The whole enchilada:

The Supreme Court has decided to hear a case involving the posting of the Ten Commandments in government facilities. It's claimed that the commandments are the basis of our system of law. But it's not. Our system of justice is based on holding the individual to account. There is no collective guilt. But look at the full text for one of the commandments: New Revised Standard Version Exodus ch 20 (emp add)

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

NOTE: This is also the way it's worded in the other description of the Ten Commandments found in Deuteronomy ch 5.

posted by Quiddity at 10/12/2004 09:10:00 AM

Not pussies:

We took another look at the message board on Yahoo for Sinclair Broadcasting and found this gem:

Get out of this stock, fast

You've undoubtedly heard that they are forcing all their stations to air an anti-Kerry documentary just before the election. Well, I monitor the liberal blogs and sites and I gotta tell you there is a bloody fury brewing. Don't assume that liberals are pussies. At this point they are so freaking mad and energized that they'll do whatever it takes to bring this company down. Stay away. You don't want to see your capital incinerated because this family business wants to use the business to push a political agenda. Put your money somewhere else until the storm blows over. Hey, maybe this stock will be an excellent buy at $2 in a couple weeks.

posted by Quiddity at 10/10/2004 03:56:00 PM

Two times:

Remarks by the President at Victory 2004 Rally - Riverfront Stadium - Waterloo, Iowa

With a straight face, [Kerry] said, "I have only had one position on Iraq." I could barely contain myself. He must think we've been on another planet.

Remarks by the President at Victory 2004 Rally - Center City Park - Chanhassen, Minnesota

With a straight face, [Kerry] said, "I've only had one position on Iraq." I could barely contain myself. He must have -- he must think we're on a different planet.

posted by Quiddity at 10/09/2004 05:31:00 PM

Tough talk:

The President's radio address today hit Kerry pretty hard. Excerpts:

• Senator Kerry takes a very different approach to our economy. He was named the most liberal member of the United States Senate, and that's a title he has earned.
• Over the past 20 years, Senator Kerry has voted to raise taxes 98 times. He opposed all our tax relief, and voted instead to squeeze an extra $2,000 in taxes from the average middle class family.
• In the middle of a war, Senator Kerry is proposing policies and doctrines that would weaken America and make the world more dangerous.
• He's proposed the Kerry doctrine, which would paralyze America by subjecting our national security decisions to a global test.
• He supports the International Criminal Court, where unaccountable foreign prosecutors could put American troops on trial in front of foreign judges.
• If my opponent had his way, Saddam Hussein would be sitting in a palace today, not a prison, and Iraq would still be a danger to America.

posted by Quiddity at 10/09/2004 05:21:00 PM

Money talks:

You've no doubt heard about Sinclair Broadcast Group's decision to air an anti-Kerry movie in prime time shortly before the election (if not, see TPM). We took a look at the Yahoo message board for their stock (symbol SBGI). Now this is very early in the process and message boards contain all manner of posts, but we thought the following were representative of reasonably sober financial opinion:

boycott	http://www.latimes.com/business/la-na-sinclair9oct09,1,4817545.story?coll=la-home-headlines Here an article from the LA times. This stock is an excellent short candidate due mainly to the insanity of the management. The new boycott e-mail I received recommends selling this stock if you own it and shorting this stock if you don't.
Re: boycott	I received the same email and saw a brief spot regarding the boycott on MSNBC late last night. This is a horrible business decision by SBGI yet again. Putting politics before investors is ridiculous. This stock is about to take another cliff dive. Management needs to wake up while they still have a stock worth ANYthing.
Dump this TURD	They do not know how to run a credible business but instead undermine any opportunities with political agendas. This thing stinks.
Boycott	If Sinclair goes through with their plans to broadcast the Kerry "documentary" shortly before the election, expect boycotts against Sinclair's affiliates and advertising sponsors. This could adversely affect the stock price in the short-term. Long-term, if Kerry should win the election, he could try to punish Sinclair for its actions.
Re: Boycott	Sinclair's decision to require it's stations to show a right wing political film right before the election is unethical and a horrible business decision. In a divided country, we need to be able to trust an objective press. Clearly Sinclair is putting their right wing political agenda way ahead of the Company's goals and their employee's needs. If this is an example of the judgement that Sinclair Management uses on a day to day basis, the long term outlook for the Company is horrible.

posted by Quiddity at 10/09/2004 11:04:00 AM

Channeling Clinton:

In the second debate Kerry said "I have a plan" twelve times. He has a plan for Iraq, for health care, for the economy, etc. While it may sound repetitive, it's similar to what Bill Clinton did in 1992 - have a plan for lots of different policy areas. Maybe that will sound good to the electorate.

posted by Quiddity at 10/08/2004 09:26:00 PM

What is he talking about?

In his remarks about possible appointments to the Supreme Court, Bush had this to say (from the transcript):

Another example would be the Dred Scott case, which is where judges, years ago, said that the Constitution allowed slavery because of personal property rights.

That's a personal opinion. That's not what the Constitution says. The Constitution of the United States says we're all -- you know, it doesn't say that. It doesn't speak to the equality of America.

And so, I would pick people that would be strict constructionists.

Dredd Scott said that slavery could be extended into other states - the Constitution already allowed slavery.

Then Bush says the Constitution doesn't speak to the equality of America. He would pick strict constructionists - people who would, presumably, not see any rationale for equality in the Constitution (pace the 14th amendment).

Huh?


posted by Quiddity at 10/08/2004 09:16:00 PM

The question nobody will ask:

The New York Times informs us that:

The White House said today that a weapons inspector's finding that Iraq possessed no deadly unconventional weapons at the time of the American-led invasion last year in no way undermined President Bush's decision to go to war.

Question: What finding would have undermined the decision to go to war?

posted by Quiddity at 10/08/2004 11:38:00 AM

For sale:



posted by Quiddity at 10/08/2004 10:06:00 AM

Beyond the fringe:

You've probably heard the statistic: 62% of all Republicans said they thought Saddam was involved with the 9/11 attacks. But if you look at the story, there is this astonishing fact:

[Of all surveyed*] 32% said they thought Saddam had personally planned [the 9/11 attack].

* Republicans, Democrats, and Independents

Wow. That's something that even the Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes wouldn't touch.

That must be why Bush's approval numbers never get very low. But a question remains. Of that 32% that think Saddam personally planned the attack, what are their opinions of Osama bin Laden? Is he innocent in their minds?

posted by Quiddity at 10/08/2004 08:51:00 AM

Major Policy Address on Terrorism?

In what was billed by the White House as a "Major Policy Address" on Terrorism by the president, we heard the following: (partial list)

• With your help, there's no doubt in my mind we'll carry Pennsylvania.
• I didn't pick my Vice President for his hairdo. I picked him for his judgment, his experience
• In less than a month you'll have a chance to vote for Dick Cheney and me.
• To stimulate the economy, I called on Congress to pass historic tax relief, which it did, without my opponent's "yes" vote.
• [Kerry] voted in the United States Senate to increase taxes 98 times.
• My opponent was against all of our middle class tax relief.
• We need a President who will stand up to the trial lawyers in Washington, not put one on the ticket.
• It wasn't easy for my opponent to become the single most liberal member of the Senate. You might even say, it was hard work.
• My opponent is a tax-and-spend liberal; I'm a compassionate conservative.
• My opponent offers an agenda that is stuck in the thinking and the policies of the past.

posted by Quiddity at 10/07/2004 03:59:00 PM

What will it take?

In the span of four days, the following has taken place:

• SUNDAY: The New York Times publishes an article about how the administration hid from the public the expert assessment that the aluminum tubes were not suitable for uranium enrichment.
• MONDAY: Rumsfeld's admission that there was no hard evidence linking Iraq to al Qaeda.
• TUESDAY: Bremer's admission that there were two few troops allocated to Iraq - which is one of the big reasons why things aren't going well (and probably why casualties are higher than they otherwise would be).
• WEDNESDAY: The final report of the Iraq Survey Group declaring there were no stockpiles and no programs of WMD in Iraq.

The Times report excepted, the rest are working or worked for the administration in top positions. That should be political dynamite. If it doesn't directly sink the president politically, it should at least trigger an agressive inquiry into what the hell these guys are doing. Yet that doesn't seem to be happening.

What will it take?

posted by Quiddity at 10/07/2004 02:33:00 PM

Global test:

There has been much discussion about how Republicans are mischaracterizing Kerry's foreign policy stance. They focus on when he mentioned a "global test" and then claim it would make the United States subservient to other nations. That's incorrect, but it may not be all bad.

By mentioning it they are at least admitting that Kerry is addressing foreign policy issues and they are paying attention to what he is saying. Also, whatever the policy is - even with a "global test" - it's not what Bush is doing.

Consider a voter with very little information. All he or she knows is that it's bad in Iraq and that Kerry has a foreign policy plan that is different from the one currently being pursued. Therefore, the voter might pull the lever for Kerry.

posted by Quiddity at 10/07/2004 11:06:00 AM

CYA:

You've all heard about the New York Times report on the aluminum tubes - which experts considered unsuitable for nuclear weapons development. With that in mind, read what Colin Powell said at the UN in February of 2003: (emp add)

Saddam Hussein is determined to get his hands on a nuclear bomb. He is so determined that he has made repeated covert attempts to acquire high-specification aluminum tubes from 11 different countries, even after inspections resumed.

These tubes are controlled by the Nuclear Suppliers Group precisely because they can be used as centrifuges for enriching uranium. By now, just about everyone has heard of these tubes, and we all know that there are differences of opinion. There is controversy about what these tubes are for.

Most U.S. experts think they are intended to serve as rotors in centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Other experts, and the Iraqis themselves, argue that they are really to produce the rocket bodies for a conventional weapon, a multiple rocket launcher.

Let me tell you what is not controversial about these tubes. First, all the experts who have analyzed the tubes in our possession agree that they can be adapted for centrifuge use. Second, Iraq had no business buying them for any purpose. They are banned for Iraq.

I am no expert on centrifuge tubes, but just as an old Army trooper, I can tell you a couple of things: First, it strikes me as quite odd that these tubes are manufactured to a tolerance that far exceeds U.S. requirements for comparable rockets.

Maybe Iraqis just manufacture their conventional weapons to a higher standard than we do, but I don't think so.

posted by Quiddity at 10/06/2004 09:54:00 AM

Bush says he's better than Reagan:

From the White House webpage on Bush's Record of Achievement:

The United States military is receiving the strongest support from a commander-in-chief in two decades.

Tell Nancy!

posted by Quiddity at 10/06/2004 09:50:00 AM

Vice-presidential debate summary:

Edwards was better than Lieberman four years ago.

Overall, it wasn't particularly interesting. Cheney seemed a little unsteady at the very beginning. Edwards got a bit confused towards the end. At times they seemed to be talking at each other, and not engaging in what their opponent was saying.

FYI: On PBS there were no split-screen shots. The other networks showed them, no doubt hoping to get reaction shots that would make news (as Bush's did in the first debate).

This debate probably will be completely forgotten in two days when the second presidentail face-off takes place, so it's probably not worth worring about one way or the other.

posted by Quiddity at 10/06/2004 07:36:00 AM

Not a good idea:

In the news: Lawmakers weigh foreign-born for president

It's not about Arnold, lawmakers indicated. But the California governor was certainly one of the rising stars on many minds Tuesday as a Senate panel talked about amending the Constitution to let immigrants occupy the White House.

Measures discussed by the senators would remove the prohibition against foreign-born presidents, opening the job to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, along with millions of others.

"This restriction has become an anachronism that is decidedly un-American," said Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Count us as a skeptic on this one. Why? Look at some famous non-native leaders in history:

• Napoleon - Corsica
• Stalin - Georgia
• Hitler - Austria

In the three instances above, the leader came from an outlying region (Georgia), a historically disconnected territory (Corsica), or a border state (Austria). It's interesting that all three ended up being dictators, and powerful ones at that. There is something about a foreigner becoming the leader of another state. We don't know what it is, but there must be an aspect to a person's character that makes him unsatisfied with being a leader in his native land - and looking to advance somewhere else - typically a stronger state (militarily or economic).

Why take the chance?

posted by Quiddity at 10/05/2004 09:10:00 PM

Rare:

In a story about Bremmer's recent statements saying more troops were needed in Iraq, White House on Defensive After Bremer Talk , we read: (emp add)

At a campaign stop in Tipton, Iowa, Kerry said the question for voters was whether Bush was "constitutionally incapable of acknowledging the truth" or was "just so stubborn."

In a rare day spent in Washington, Bush had no public appearances. Speechwriters polished an address that White House aides said would be a sweeping indictment of Kerry's Iraq policies, while Bush prepared for his second debate with Kerry on Friday.

A rare day spent in Washington. Yeah, who would ever expect the president to be in the nation's capital?

posted by Quiddity at 10/05/2004 03:20:00 PM

Excuses, excuses:

Inspired by today's Howler:



posted by Quiddity at 10/04/2004 01:19:00 PM

Pathetic:

Remember last week's Presidential Radio Address? The one where Bush said the transfer of sovereignty happened "not only on time, but ahead of schedule".

It was done secretely to avert possible insurgent attacks. I was not a sign of strength.

On Sunday's This Week (ABC), Condoleezza Rice had the following to say about Iraq: (emp add)

Those elections, of course, are going to be enormously important to the future of Iraq. The president laid out a five-point plan back in the spring, starting with the transfer of sovereignty, which has been accomplished and was accomplished two days ahead of time, moving toward the creation of better Iraqi security forces.

posted by Quiddity at 10/04/2004 02:49:00 AM

Three letters:

We visited HughHewitt.com this morning (don't ask why) and found him making several references to MSM (e.g. "The MSM can chant "strong debate performance" all day long, but ...").

We didn't know what that meant, but a little Googling informed us that is stands for:

Main Stream Media

Is this an improvement over the traditional "Liberal Media" charge? Probably.

posted by Quiddity at 10/03/2004 07:36:00 AM

Numbers:

[AlterNet]

Bush has held only twelve solo press conferences in his presidency, fewer than any other modern president ...

[Yahoo/AP]

COLUMBUS, Ohio - ... the stated theme of Bush's 27th visit to this battleground state was his economic record and plan to encourage an "ownership society."

posted by Quiddity at 10/03/2004 05:50:00 AM

Composite:



For background on this item see:

New York Times - Howler (1,2)
Fox News - Talking Points Memo (1,2,3,4,5)

ANGRY UPDATE: Think it can't get any worse? In today's Fox News story, Some Voters Still Flip-Flop After Debate, we read:

Of course, there were some Kerry supporters in attendance who had no doubts whatever about their candidate.

"We're trying to get Comrade Kerry elected and get that capitalist enabler George Bush out of office," said 17-year-old Komoselutes Rob of Communists for Kerry.

"Even though he, too, is a capitalist, he supports my socialist values more than President Bush," Rob said, before assuring FOXNews.com that his organization was not a parody group. When asked his thoughts on Washington's policy toward Communist holdout North Korea, Rob said: "The North Koreans are my comrades to a point, and I'm sure they support Comrade Kerry, too."

It is unclear whether the Kerry campaign has welcomed the Communists' endorsement.

(Source: karen in Political Animal's comments)

Who are Communists for Kerry? From their parody website (the ABOUT US page):

"Communists for Kerry" is a campaign of the Hellgate Republican Club, a tax exempt non-partisan public advocacy "527" organization that exists for the purpose of;

"Informing voters with satire and irony, how political candidates make decisions based on the failed social economic principles of socialism that punish the individual by preventing them from becoming their dream through proven ideas of entrepreneurship and freedom."

(Source: Again, karen in Political Animal's comments)

(Actually, we kind of like the Communists for Kerry website. It's well done.)

posted by Quiddity at 10/02/2004 01:56:00 PM

This was not a press conference:

In commenting on yesterday's debate, several people have pointed out that Bush acted like he does in a press conference: Tossing out platitudes, weak on specifics, hesitant at times, etc.

But he has been forgiven for that weakness for a variety of reasons. One being, in our opinion, that the press conferences have been so rare that even a bad one is something people are grateful for. Another is that he's the president, and therefore cannot be compared to lesser mortals (e.g. a well informed Joe Biden).

But in the debate we saw something interesting. A "press conference Bush" but with a difference. There was somebody else up there on stage. Somebody looking much better. Better informed, more poised, and so on.

Bush can get away with his unimpressive solo press conferences. He can't do that when, at the same time, there is somebody of equal status making a vivid contrast.

That's why the post-debate spin is continuing to precess towards Kerry.

posted by Quiddity at 10/01/2004 04:02:00 PM

Excuses and distractions:

Courtesy of the New York Post:

ANDREA PEYSER: ... Bush spent a perfect day being photographed hugging hurricane survivors. Kerry, meanwhile, was holed up in his hotel room — at one point enjoying an in-room manicure.

DEBORAH ORIN: Perhaps Bush was tired from racing around to comfort hurricane victims the morning of the debate, or too confident, or maybe he got over-briefed as Ronald Reagan did in his disastrous first debate with Democrat Walter Mondale in 1984.

JOHN PODHORETZ: Bush wanted to make clear that he intends to win the war in Iraq and that people think of him as a strong leader. He did so by contrasting his own consistency with John Kerry's vacillations — and he did it over and over again, until even his eyes seemed to glaze over from the repetitiveness.

DAVID WINSTON: ON the day of the most im portant debate in their political lives, President Bush was in shirt sleeves consoling Florida hurricane victims, patting some on the back, hugging others and shaking hands with the tired relief workers. John Kerry had a manicure.

If ever there was a metaphor for the difference between these two candidates and their respective relationships with the American people, it was this.

We are very happy to see that the "over-briefed" excuse has made a comeback (thanks, Deborah!) because that's one of the most absurd things to say. If you are over-briefed, that usually means you are churning out tons of facts, but most likely in a disorganized manner while failing to make the essential point. Bush, by contrast, had moments when he had nothing to say beyond the campaign trail slogans.


posted by Quiddity at 10/01/2004 08:43:00 AM

Size matters:

Not only did Bush's hunching behind the podium make him look small, but take a look at who has the biggest (metaphorical) wang:




posted by Quiddity at 10/01/2004 08:13:00 AM

Verdict:

Bill Bennett on the debate (as heard on his show "Morning in America"):

"I don't think this will hurt Bush in the long run."

(Bennett - and his callers - were mostly focusing on Bush's failure to attack Kerry, rather than Kerry's good performance.)

posted by Quiddity at 10/01/2004 06:03:00 AM