Archive for June, 2006

Does Daily Kos Control The Dems?

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Blogging, Elections, General Politics

From a blogosphere perspective, yes. Just like Instapundit, Michelle Malkin and Little Green Footballs controls the Repubs.
But will Kos ultimately overthrow the powers that be in the Democratic party?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH*cough*ahem…heh…
From Newsweek:
The best balm for his new headaches, of course, is victory. Moulitsas is aggressively talking up the party’s challengers in Senate races in Virginia, Montana, Ohio [...]

June 25th, 2006 | Permalink| 10 Comments »

From telephone calls to bank records

By Sean Aqui | Related entries in Breaking News, Law, News, The War On Terrorism

The big revelation in today’s papers are that the government has been monitoring a huge international database of financial transactions, looking for evidence of terrorist funding so they can trace it and shut it down.
The program is limited, government officials say, to tracing transactions of people suspected of having ties to Al Qaeda by reviewing [...]

June 23rd, 2006 | Permalink| 8 Comments »

Global Warming, Hurricane Katrina and the National Science Foundation

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Environment, Hurricane Katrina

The National Science Foundation commissioned a study on Hurricane Katrina. The question being asked? Did global warming have any effect on the strength of the storm?
Here’s an excerpt of the release from the group that conducted the study, the National Center for Atmospheric Research:
Global warming does not guarantee that each year will set records for [...]

June 23rd, 2006 | Permalink| 38 Comments »

7 Arrested In Terror Probe

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in The War On Terrorism

First the arrests in Canada and now more suspected terrorists are nabbed in Miami. The plan this time? To strike the Sears Tower.
If these 7 are guilty, and one would think that they probably are given that 7 separate people have been arrested, it speaks highly of our government’s ability to keep us safe. And [...]

June 22nd, 2006 | Permalink| 4 Comments »

The Makings Of An October Surprise?

By Daniel DiRito | Related entries in Foreign Policy, General Politics, Military, The War On Terrorism, War

Today’s remarks by General Casey, that seem to indicate some troop reduction in Iraq by years end, coupled with yesterdays Associated Press article outlining a significant reduction in military equipment in the troubled country may be the makings of an October surprise. What I find particularly curious is that while we are seeing signs of [...]

June 22nd, 2006 | Permalink| 4 Comments »

The 500 Weapons In Iraq

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in The War On Terrorism, War

My opinion? Old news repackaged as new…uh…news.
I’d give you all of my thoughts, but The Glittering Eye has already written a good post asking the appropriate question…“Who cares?”
UPDATE: Alan Colmes makes a good point:
…the Duelfer Report-says Iraq did not have the weapons our intelligence believed were there. And Jim Angle who reported this for Fox [...]

June 22nd, 2006 | Permalink| 15 Comments »

Random Fact About MLK Jr.

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in History

I ran across this today…
A decade before James Earl Ray leveled a rifle at Martin Luther King Jr., a deranged New York City woman tried to murder the civil rights leader by plunging a letter opener into his chest. This past Saturday (September 20) marked the 39th anniversary of the afternoon Izola Ware Curry assaulted [...]

June 21st, 2006 | Permalink| 3 Comments »

Beyond Belief, But Not Beyond Good and Evil.

By amba | Related entries in Discuss, Ideas, Religion

Robert Anton Wilson, quoted by Commenter “Nick” at Church of the Churchless:
DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING
This remark was made, in these very words, by John Gribbin, physics editor of New Scientist magazine, in a BBC-TV debate with Malcolm Muggeridge, and it provoked incredulity on the part of most viewers. It seems to be a hangover of [...]

June 21st, 2006 | Permalink| 26 Comments »

The Capitol Hill Corruption Dance

By Sean Aqui | Related entries in General Politics, Law, News, Partisan Hacks

Refocusing attention on Republican corruption, a former Bush official has been found guilty in the Jack Abramoff probe.
David H. Safavian, a former Bush administration official with close ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was found guilty today in federal court of four of five felony charges against him in connection with the Abramoff corruption and [...]

June 20th, 2006 | Permalink| 1 Comment »

Where’s the “truth” in Iraq?

By Sean Aqui | Related entries in Foreign Policy, Military, News, The War On Terrorism, War

One of the ongoing themes in the Iraq debate is the argument that the “true” picture of life in Iraq is not reaching Americans. Either it’s better than portrayed (the prowar argument) or worse (the antiwar argument). Any report one way or another is dismissed either as biased in its own right, or simply “missing [...]

June 20th, 2006 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Flagging Foible?

By Denise Best | Related entries in In The News, Sports, The World

World Cup fans …
What opinions do you have of this image?

Here’s the Eqyptian crowd’s take on the moment.

June 20th, 2006 | Permalink| 7 Comments »

Episcopal Bishop Takes A Stand On Homosexuality

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Religion, Sexuality

I’ve got some heartening news in the world of organized religion. The next leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, has come out (so to speak) and offered that she doesn’t think homosexuality is a sin at all.
Note to those who are trying to ban homosexual marriage and would relegate homosexuals to [...]

June 20th, 2006 | Permalink| 54 Comments »

Meanwhile, In North Korea…

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in The World

The only country in the “Axis of Evil” that supposedly has nuclear weapons is about to test a long range missile that could reach the US.
Good times.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — North Korea is believed to have completed fueling a missile capable of reaching Alaska, raising the probability of an imminent test launch, U.S. officials said on [...]

June 19th, 2006 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

We Was Used!

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Media, The Plame Game

That’s the conclusion of Truthout.org in their non-apology/explanation to their readers.
A taste:
Yes, it does appear that Truthout was used, but not lied to or misled. The facts appear to have been accurate. We reported them, and in so doing, apparently became an instrument. From all indications, our reports, first on May 13 that Rove had [...]

June 19th, 2006 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Desperate Dems Rushing Obama?

By amba | Related entries in Elections, General Politics

Sure sounds like it. This talk of running him in 2008, when he’ll be 46, is a little scary. Ever tried to make guacamole with an unripe avocado? You have to throw the whole thing out.
As an independent centrist, I’m as intrigued and encouraged by Obama as anybody. I just hope [...]

June 18th, 2006 | Permalink| 9 Comments »

Biden Makes It Offcial

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Elections

He’s running in 2008.
Joe, one piece of advice…hire a better speech writer this time around.

June 18th, 2006 | Permalink| 6 Comments »

Joe Liberman’s Bear Cub Ad Fiasco

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Elections, Media

Wowwe wow!
I thought Ned Lamont’s “Hangin’ with the Daily Kos Kidz” commercial was bad. But Joe Lieberman just sprinted past him to become the clear front runner in the “worst commercial ever in the history of Connecticut politics” race.
Click here, watch Joe’s new “ad” and come back here and discuss.

June 16th, 2006 | Permalink| 4 Comments »

The Castle Doctrine v. SCOTUS

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Law, Supreme Court

So I posted yesterday about the SCOTUS’ decision to gut “knock and announce”, and reasoned that it was a bad idea because it’ll end up getting more cops shot.
While this is still a grave prediction, it seems that NRA-backed bills (based on the Castle Doctrine) have been passing in some states and they basically allow [...]

June 16th, 2006 | Permalink| 3 Comments »

Compassionate Conservatism’s Last True Believer

By Dennis Sanders | Related entries in General Politics

Former Clinton aide Bruce Reed writes in his regular Has-Been column for Slate about the resignation of Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson and the true end of a strain of conservatism that had higher ends than lower taxes and fretting about Adam and Steve holding hands. Reed notes Gerson was interested in using government and [...]

June 16th, 2006 | Permalink| 1 Comment »

Exclusionary Rule Wounded By SCOTUS

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Supreme Court

Yes people, the cops don’t have to knock and announce anymore when they have a warrant. And to the best of my knowledge, the exclusionary rule has been part of the fourth amendment for about 100 years now. Knock and announce has been part of that for about as long.
I’m sorry, what does the right-wing [...]

June 15th, 2006 | Permalink| 16 Comments »