Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe saw his hold on power weaken Saturday as his party failed to make any inroads in a recount of parliamentary balloting and some loyalists expressed pessimism about his chances in a presidential runoff.
The Zimbabwe Election Commission announced the results of 18 of 23 parliamentary seats whose vote tallies are being recounted, nearly a month after bitterly disputed elections appeared to give the opposition the edge over the 84-year-old president. The ruling ZANU-PF party needed to take back nine seats to regain control of parliament, but none of the 18 results were overturned. "It's really a heavy blow," said a senior ZANU-PF official and key Mugabe ally who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Now that there is no change in the recount, I believe that this now gives people second thoughts."
Although some in Mugabe's inner circle appeared determined to cling to power at all costs, the senior official said many in the party saw no hope of victory if a second round of voting was held in the presidential election and had given up hope of retaining power. Most saw as their best chance a government of national unity.
Official results in the presidential vote might be released Monday. Ruling party officials have already conceded publicly that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai garnered more votes than Mugabe in the election. The opposition maintains that Tsvangirai won outright with no need for a runoff, a position not supported by independent electoral monitors.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/27/2008 00:00 ||
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Maybe Bob could give the Washington State Sec State a call about recounts: after 3 the Party of Choice (D) won the governorship by a whopping 122 vote margin. Of course all the fraudulent ballots later discovered in Blue King Co, weren't discovered till 'later.'
RIYADH - A Saudi blogger detained without charge for more than four months after expressing pro-reform opinions has been released, a colleague said on Saturday. Fouad Farhan was detained in early December after running an online campaign over 10 men arrested since February 2007 on suspicion of financing militant groups, but whose supporters say they are being punished for pro-democracy activity.
"I received a mobile phone message from his wife at 5.30 this morning saying he was released," said Ahmed al-Omran, who published the news on his website. "It was surprising. After blocking his website, I thought his detention would go on longer. It's good news."
I looked at his website. It's surprisingly .. un-Saoodi like.
Saudi authorities blocked Farhan's website earlier this month.
Farhan's website is mostly YouTube clips about various news reports concerning Farhan's imprisonment.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said he would not confirm Farhan's release. The ministry had declined to say on what charges he was arrested, but said it was not security related.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/27/2008 00:00 ||
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Filed under China, since that's what Nepal will be a part of in a few years ...
KATHMANDU - China will extend its railway link from Tibet to Nepal's border in five years, Nepali officials said on Saturday, bringing the traditionally friendly nations closer and boosting trade and tourism.
The tourists from Beijing have been demanding access to Nepal for decades now ...
The rail link with China could help Nepal reduce its heavy dependence on its giant southern neighbour India for everything from oil to motor parts and medicines.
Ai Ping, director general of China's international department, met Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Friday and told him that the rail link would be done regardless of what Nepal thinks bolster their diplomatic and trade ties, officials said. "They discussed the benefits of the project," Basanta Gautam, special secretary in Koirala's office, told Reuters. "The railway link should be complete in five years."
China and Nepal share a more than 1,400 km (870 miles) border. The planned railway project would link Tibetan capital Lhasa with Khasa, a border town near China-Nepal border. "It will be an extension of the famous railway link between China and Tibet," Gautam said.
Which coincidentially makes it easier for the Chinese to subjugate Tibet ...
The 1,142-km (710-mile) rail link between China and Tibet opened in July 2006. The world's highest, it passes through spectacular icy peaks on the Tibetan highlands, touching altitudes of 5,000 metres (16,400 feet).
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/27/2008 00:00 ||
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bringing the traditionally friendly nations closer and boosting trade and tourism.
Also making it much easier to rush in tanks, troops and artillery.
(OOps, wasn't supposed to notice that)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/27/2008 13:56 Comments ||
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North Korean defectors vowed to disrupt Sunday's South Korean leg of the Olympic torch relay in the latest controversy to hit the flame's protest-marred world tour on its way to Beijing. The defectors said they are protesting China's repatriation of refugees back to North Korea, where they could face execution.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/27/2008 00:00 ||
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part 27 of the NYT's weakass attempt to tear down McCain. How's that stock doing, Pinch? Keller still employed?
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2008 12:35 ||
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Aw, Frank! I wanted to read a few paragraphs, but I gotta register!
Register with The New York Times? I don't think so.
I'm already registered with The Washington Post.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/27/2008 13:00 Comments ||
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OK, here it is, in all its' lameness:
Given Senator John McCains signature stance on campaign finance reform, it was not surprising that he backed legislation last year requiring presidential candidates to pay the actual cost of flying on corporate jets. The law, which requires campaigns to pay charter rates when using such jets rather than cheaper first-class fares, was intended to reduce the influence of lobbyists and create a level financial playing field.
But over a seven-month period beginning last summer, Mr. McCains cash-short campaign gave itself an advantage by using a corporate jet owned by a company headed by his wife, Cindy McCain, according to public records. For five of those months, the plane was used almost exclusively for campaign-related purposes, those records show.
Mr. McCains campaign paid a total of $241,149 for the use of that plane from last August through February, records show. That amount is approximately the cost of chartering a similar jet for a month or two, according to industry estimates.
The senator was able to fly so inexpensively because the law specifically exempts aircraft owned by a candidate or his family or by a privately held company they control. The Federal Election Commission adopted rules in December to close the loophole rules that would have required substantial payments by candidates using family-owned planes but the agency soon lost the requisite number of commissioners needed to complete the rule making.
Because that exemption remains, Mr. McCains campaign was able to use his wifes corporate plane like a charter jet while paying first-class rates, several campaign finance experts said. Several of those experts, however, added that his campaigns actions, while keeping with the letter of law, did not reflect its spirit.
This amounts to a subsidy for his campaign, which is notable given how badly they were struggling last year, said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that collects and analyzes campaign data.
Mr. McCain was not available to be interviewed, a campaign spokeswoman said. In response to written questions, the spokeswoman, Jill Hazelbaker, said his campaign had acted legally and ethically in paying first-class airfares for Mrs. McCains corporate aircraft.
The campaign carefully followed all the relevant laws and F.E.C. regulations on air travel at all times, and paid for travel exactly as required by those rules, Ms. Hazelbaker said.
Last summer, just before starting to use his wifes plane, Mr. McCain was quoted in a newspaper report as saying that he did not plan to tap her substantial wealth to keep his bid for the Republican presidential nomination going.
I have never thought about it, Mr. McCain was quoted by The Arizona Republic as saying at a July appearance. I would never do such a thing, so I wouldnt know what the legalities are.
The McCain campaign turned to using the jet last August, a time when it faced mounting debts and the possibility of financial collapse. It stopped doing so in March, those records indicate.
During the first half of 2007, a time when Mr. McCains campaign did not use his wifes jet, it paid out over $1.04 million for travel on noncommercial planes, F.E.C. records indicate. Over the second half of the year, when that jet was used almost constantly for campaign-related purposes, his campaigns total spending for noncommercial flying was about one-half that much, or $542,160, those records suggest.
To determine how often the use of the jet was campaign-related, The New York Times reviewed commercially available flight records for the plane and compared them with campaign appearances made by Mr. McCain, his wife and others on his behalf.
The plane is a Cessna Citation Excel, a midsize corporate jet that typically seats eight and can fly four hours at a time. It is owned by Hensley & Company, through a holding company, King Aviation. Mrs. McCain is the chairwoman of Hensley, which is one of the countrys biggest distributors of Anheuser-Busch products. Hensley was founded by Mrs. McCains father, James Hensley, and her uncle.
It was her late fathers fortune, which also includes real estate, that helped start Mr. McCains political career. King Aviation is listed on Mr. McCains Senate disclosure forms as one of his wifes assets.
The F.E.C. rules that were never finalized would have required candidates using family-owned planes to pay the aircrafts operational costs. A Citation Excel costs about $2,000 per flight hour to operate, taking into account expenses for fuel, its crew, maintenance and other costs, according to industry experts.
For the same plane, a commercial charter company would charge about $3,000 per flight hour with a two-hour daily minimum.
The McCain campaign declined to release a detailed accounting of which trips had been made on the plane, the identities of the campaign officials who took those flights and how much the campaign had paid for each one. But it is unlikely that the campaign reimbursed King Aviation for the planes operating costs.
Over the seven-month period, the King Aviation jet took more than 100 flights to places on days when campaign rallies, fund-raisers or presidential debates involving Mr. McCain occurred in or near those locations, that analysis found.
That tally included repeated flights during critical primary months to states including Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. On some days, the plane made three or four campaign-related flights, the records indicate.
Separately, the plane took an additional 20 flights back and forth from Phoenix to points along the campaign trail, the analysis indicates. Based on the planes $2,000 hourly operating cost, the estimated cost of just those 20 flights, which took over 70 flight hours, exceeded $140,000.
The McCain campaign, however, did not pay Mrs. McCains company anything for those flights on which Mr. McCain or other campaign travelers were not aboard the plane, such as any empty flights to or from Phoenix.
Ms. Hazelbaker, the campaign spokeswoman, said that F.E.C. rules did not require campaigns to pay for so-called deadhead flights and that the campaign did not make such payments to King Aviation.
She said Mr. McCains use of his wifes plane did not represent a shift in his position on campaign finance-related issues.
Senator McCains paid use of Mrs. McCains family plane is explicitly permitted under the new law and does not represent any change of position on corporate jets and lobbyists, she said.
Jan Baran, a Republican lawyer in Washington who specializes in election law, said Mrs. McCain or her company would be likely to face substantial tax consequences for the planes campaign-related use because such campaign-related business costs were not tax deductible.
Ms. Hazelbaker referred all questions about Mrs. McCain to officials of Hensley, who did not return repeated calls.
Last summer, Ms. Hazelbaker said that Mr. McCain appeared to be the only Republican candidate who was complying with the intent of the new admonitions against discounted rates for flights on corporate planes.
To perform its analysis, The Times obtained Federal Aviation Administration flight data for the King Aviation plane through a commercial vendor and then matched up its flights during the five months of its most intensive use with reports of campaign appearances of Mr. McCain or others on his behalf.
Ms. Hazelbaker turned down repeated requests to meet with a Times reporter to discuss the newspapers analysis and declined to release a detailed accounting of how much the McCain campaign paid for its use of the corporate jet.
In September, for example, the Times analysis indicated that Mr. McCains campaign used the King Aviation plane on at least 15 days to travel to campaign-related locations.
Over the last three months of 2007, the plane was used on at least 39 days to fly to locations throughout the country when such events were taking place. In January, the plane was flown on 17 days for such purposes.
The Times analysis may be inexact for a variety of reasons. For one, flight records do not show how many, if any, campaign travelers were aboard a plane on a given flight. Also, the companies that collect flight information may not capture all flights.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2008 13:12 Comments ||
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note that even the NYT admits it's legal, but sez it doesn't measure up to "the spirit" of the law. Kinda like all the in-kind contributions via their print that the Times gives the Donks
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2008 13:14 Comments ||
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"The senator was able to fly so inexpensively because the law specifically exempts aircraft owned by a candidate or his family or by a privately held company they control."
That's all we need to know. Of course, most people don't make it to paragraph four and the NYT knows that.
What should McCain do with the time he has been given to strengthen his candidacy for the general election? We put that question to a number of strategists and operatives in both parties. Their top ten ideas -- coupled with a few of The Fix's own thoughts -- are below. A caveat: Not all of these suggestions -- or perhaps none of them -- will come to pass. We asked our sources to think outside the box.
10. Resign From the Senate: Running for president from the Senate is a bad idea. First, there's the history of it -- no sitting senator has been elected president since 1960. Second, the Democrats who control the chamber will do everything they can to complicate McCain's life, forcing him to vote on controversial measures. (Third, how great would another competitive Senate race be for political junkies? Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) versus Rep. John Shadegg (R), anyone?) Of course, resigning from the Senate to focus on the presidential race full time isn't full proof. See Dole, Bob.
Nor is it fool-proof ...
9. Stop Criticizing Outside Groups: McCain may not like all of the outside money coursing through the system but in an election where he is likely to be badly outspent by the Democratic nominee and his (or her) allied groups, McCain needs some third party spending on his side as a counterweight. McCain has made his disdain for 527s and 501(c)(4)s clear over the past few years, and the donors who fund these groups know it. Republican strategists worry that if McCain is too tough on these conservative aligned groups the donors may take their money and walk away, a situation that many GOP operatives would equate to fighting the general election with one hand tied behind their backs.
8. Court Blue Collars: Even Obama's staunchest supporters privately acknowledge that he will have some work to do to win over blue collar white voters if he winds up as the Democratic nominee. McCain should make Obama's task more difficult by spending the next weeks (or months) making it clear to blue collar voters that he understands their concerns and will stand up for them if elected. McCain is already doing some of this with his "forgotten places" tour -- a trip that has taken him to Kentucky, Ohio and Arkansas.
7. Tell the Story: McCain's greatest strength in this contest is his long resume of service to the country. Of course, that same long resume means that McCain has been around a long time and, at 72, would be the oldest president ever inaugurated to a first term. With Obama and Clinton otherwise occupied, the Arizona senator's campaign should make sure that voters in swing states focus on McCain the war hero not McCain the septuagenarian. One suggestion from a GOP consultant: cut an extended biographical video (10-15 minutes long), put it on You Tube and try to drive young independents to it.
6. Pick the Playing Field: There's a huge amount of debate in the Democratic party about how different the electoral map would look depending on who they nominate. Exacerbate those concerns by starting to advertise on television in selected swing states. (McCain has already done some of that by running TV ads in New Mexico, Pennsylvania and southern Ohio.) Complement the ad campaign with appearances by the candidate in the state -- stops sure to draw scads of coverage on local television and in smaller newspapers. (Game out your own general election scenarios on our interactive electoral college map.)
John McCain starts by inheriting Dubya's 2004 election map. The only state that Dubya won that he has to work at to win in 2008 is Ohio. The rest are pretty much assured of going Red unless the bottom falls out of the economy. Obama (and he's the nominee, folks) has to start by playing defense just to hold what Kerry won in 04.
5. Research Thyself: Since Clinton and Obama seem perfectly content to air one another's dirty laundry, McCain should turn the full efforts of his research department on himself. Figure out every negative nook and cranny that Democrats will seek to exploit and decide how the candidate (and the campaign) will respond. Moreover, have television ads ready to go to respond to the four or five most likely attacks from either the Democratic nominee or other Democratic-affiliated groups. The 2000 and 2004 presidential campaign brought the phrase "rapid response" into the political lexicon; the 2008 general election will take the concept to new heights.
The amazing thing about Kerry is that he knew that the Swift-Boat vets were going to come after him; he'd had confrontations with some of them for thirty years. And yet he still wasn't ready when they ran their ads.
4. Control the Convention: The next time the average voter will pay close attention to McCain is at the Republican National Convention in Minnesota in early September. The Democrats' best case convention scenario is some low-level grumbling from the supporters of the candidate not picked; worst case is an all-out floor fight between backers of Clinton and Obama. McCain should make the GOP convention the model of unity and cohesion; not let any free agents steal the story with inflammatory speeches that will distract from the message the Arizona senator's campaign wants to convey to voters. Scrutinize every element of the convention -- from speech-givers to staging. Then go over it again.
3. Bash Bush: It's no secret that Democrats will paint McCain as the heir to the presidency of George W. Bush -- particularly when it comes to the war in Iraq. (Liberal groups are already hard at work tying Bush's unpopularity around McCain's ankles.) McCain needs badly to convince voters that while he may support the President on some issues, he is not a Bush Republican. While remaking the Republican brand before November may be too high a bar even for McCain, he must convince voters that the outgoing president doesn't define the party. McCain may have already gotten the message: His outspoken criticism of the President's handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina drew massive press coverage on Thursday.
2. Pick Early: The vice presidential pick is usually not made (or at least made public) until days before the party convention. By picking his ticket mate early this summer, McCain would draw a stark contrast with Democrats; while Clinton and Obama continue to fight it out for the Democratic nomination, McCain and his vice presidential pick would present a united front to the American people. It could also have a number of positive practical implications. McCain and his running mate could double the amount of ground covered in a day of campaigning and having a vice presidential pick in place could also help McCain to raise money as the candidate chosen could tap his (or her) own dedicated donors.
Counter-argument: pick your VP once you know who the other side is going to run. I think Obama has it won; McCain may disagree.
1. Collect Cash: Even though McCain is apparently accepting public financing for the general election, that doesn't remove the onus of collecting cash. McCain has never relished raising money and his underfunded run to the Republican presidential nomination may have solidified the idea in his mind that he doesn't need to do it. But, he does. Badly. McCain needs to make sure that the Republican National Committee is as well funded as possible so that the voter identification, contact and turnout operations traditionally run by the party are taken care of. More RNC money can put more states in play -- the kind of flexibility McCain needs for an electoral map in flux.
The only part of the map in flux are the blue states. I don't see Obama winning a single Bush state other than Ohio.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/27/2008 06:56 ||
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It's WAPO - I'm impressed they didn't recommend he switch parties.
#4
"full proof"? Nice writing and editing layered pros!
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2008 12:13 Comments ||
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Point 10 is ludicrous. Any Senate shenanigans involving close votes would also involve Clinton and/or Obama, and thus would be a net wash campaign-wise. The writer appears to be ignorant of the fact that ALL of the candidates are Senators. Wotta maroon.
Keep your goddamn mouth shut. You have already pissed off independent, small town republicans by bashing the NC ad (which is not racist, dumbfart). I am already holding my nose to vote for you. Another couple of stupid, elitist remarks from your fat piehole and you can forget getting my vote.
#7
These are great points, if you want to shoot yourself in the foot. I have ONE point: find out what the people of this nation really think are major problems, and run on the platform of addressing those issues. That includes guns, the War against Terror (the War against Islamic Fanatics), the military in general, the cost of gasoline and food, education, the economy, over-regulation, illegal immigration, social security and medicare, budgetary pork, and crime, not necessarily in that order. If McCain would take this time to start hammering away at these issues, all Obama or Clinton can possibly do is play catch-up. As the old saying goes, a stern chase is a long chase.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/27/2008 18:47 Comments ||
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With seemingly no end to the Democratic campaign in sight, Sen. Barack Obama's traveling press aide went to the Chicago apartment she has seen a dozen times since December, put her belongings into storage and let her lease lapse. She is now officially homeless.
"This race gives new meaning to that phrase 'marathon, not a sprint,' but these last few months have been more like sprinting through a marathon," said Psaki, who saw no reason to keep paying rent after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's win in Pennsylvania. "Nobody expected it to go this long."
If the American people are growing weary of the protracted Democratic nomination fight, they've got nothing on the candidates, their staffs or their staffs' families. A campaign that has stretched more than a year has now reached virtually every state, has seen babies born and staffers married, and has now begun to heat up again.
Between the two, the campaigns have logged more than 2,000 meal stops, from Yum Yum Donuts in Baldwin Park, Calif., to the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach -- with pit stops at 15 7-Elevens from North Las Vegas to Raymond, N.H. The Clinton campaign has sent out 1,572 news releases since the beginning of the campaign in 2007, the Obama campaign 454. "Sometimes, yes, of course," Obama acknowledged Tuesday, when asked whether he was exhausted.
It's starting to show. "Why can't I just eat my waffle?" Obama snapped at a reporter who sought to interrupt his breakfast with a policy question last week in Pennsylvania. Pressed during the Philadelphia debate on her claim to have faced sniper fire in Bosnia, Clinton shrugged off a question from voter Tom Rooney. "I will either try to get more sleep, Tom, or, you know, have somebody that, you know, is there, as a reminder to me," she said.
Clinton and Obama aides insist that the candidates are holding up remarkably well. Clinton gulps down hot peppers to keep illness at bay. Obama took a day off last week to see his daughters off to school.
But there is no way to completely hide how punishing the campaign has been. Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has pared back his schedule, taken the time to grill ribs for reporters at his Sedona, Ariz., ranch and carefully picked the venues for his public appearances. His would-be Democratic opponents have no such luxuries.
Usually, long before spring, primary campaign staffs are rejuvenated with new blood from other campaigns that have gone under. Jobs and roles change to keep people from languishing. The Clinton team has gotten some fresh legs. Under duress, the candidate brought in a new campaign manager, Maggie Williams, in February, then a new pollster, Geoff Garin, who became a strategist this month.
But the tight-knit Obama camp has remained small, stable and overworked. Last year, Democratic campaign veteran Steve Hildebrand turned down a top job with the campaign, not wanting to leave his home and business in South Dakota. He finally joined, with the understanding that he would handle the first four states and that was all.
Instead, he has become the deputy campaign manager. Those four states turned to 44, and he is now in the Chicago headquarters he had hoped to avoid.
Adding to the strain is the race's shifting momentum, along with the false hope raised at several intervals that an end would be just around the corner. Obama's losses in Texas and Ohio dealt a serious psychological blow to his staff. They had counted on a better outcome -- if not nudging Clinton out of the race, then at least easing the pressure until the Pennsylvania primary six weeks later. Many had already made vacation plans. But their traditional sojourns to spring training became a three-day Easter weekend, overlapping with Obama's family trip to the Virgin Islands.
The candidate tries to swing through Chicago about once a week, sometimes for just a few hours. The night of the Pennsylvania primary, Obama flew from Philadelphia to Evansville, Ind., held a 10 p.m. rally, then headed back to the airport to fly to Chicago. He got home after 1 a.m. and was back at Midway Airport by 8 a.m. to return to southern Indiana for another event. Obama was notably flat at the New Albany town hall, but he did get to have breakfast with his daughters. But not attend the Rev. Wright's sermon? More personal fluff at link.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/27/2008 06:44 ||
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Regardless of your thoughts on the Democratic candidates, this is historic. I wish HST had forgone blowing his brains out for a couple of years.
Posted by: George Smiley ||
04/27/2008 9:21 Comments ||
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"Regardless of your thoughts on the Democratic candidates, this is historic entertaining."
There - fixed that for ya', George. ;-p
"Nobody expected it to go this long."
Yeah - Billary and Obamalamadingdong both expected to be anointed.
Welcome to the real world, schmucks.
May it drag on and on and on and on until Denver!
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/27/2008 10:30 Comments ||
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HST = Harry S Truman?
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/27/2008 10:37 Comments ||
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Hunter S. Thompson, I suspect -'the' 'gonzojournalist'
#6
I think both Democrat candidates should create and follow a timetable for their sensible withdrawl from the campaign. It is obviously a Civil War, and is a breeding ground for misogynist racists.
They are just running for President for the oil, as well.
President Bush poked fun at his potential successors Saturday night, expressing surprise that none of them were in the audience at the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner.
"Senator McCain's not here," Bush said of GOP nominee-in-waiting John McCain. "He probably wanted to distance himself from me a little bit. You know, he's not alone. Jenna's moving out too."
Bush then referred to scandals that have dogged the campaigns of the two remaining Democratic candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, in explaining their absence: "Hillary Clinton couldn't get in because of sniper fire and Senator Obama's at church."
During the ongoing campaign, Clinton mistakenly claimed to have landed under sniper fire in Bosnia as first lady. Obama's longtime Chicago pastor has been criticized for his negative comments about America.
The president admitted to being "a little wistful" in his final appearance at the dinner, showing video clips of his routines from previous years. He finished by conducting the U.S. Marine Band in a medley of patriotic marches.
Bush was followed by Craig Ferguson, the host of CBS' "Late Late Show."
The Scottish-born Ferguson found middle ground between the tepid impersonations of last year's entertainer, Rich Little, and the merciless satire that Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert delivered in 2006.
Ferguson, who became a U.S. citizen in February, asked Bush what he was going to do after leaving office, then suggested, "You could look for a job with more vacation time." The president has drawn criticism for the amount of time he has spent away from the White House during his presidency.
Vice President Dick Cheney, Ferguson said, "is already moving out of his residence. It takes longer than you think to pack up an entire dungeon."
The guest list for the dinner included plenty of VIPs from outside the Beltway: Actors Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, John Cusack, Pamela Anderson and Claire Danes, singers Ashlee Simpson and the Jonas Brothers and author Salman Rushdie were among the invitees. Washington's power elite was still well represented, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in attendance.
During the event, the White House Correspondents' Association presented its annual awards, announced earlier this month, to:
Deb Riechmann of The Associated Press and Ed Henry of CNN, the Merriman Smith Award, the top journalism award for White House reporting under deadline pressure. Riechmann, the winner in the print category, won for her coverage of President Bush's trip to Iraq's Anbar province last September. Henry won for reporting on the Bush administration's contradicting assertions that top Iranian officials had authorized sending improvised explosive devices to Iraq.
Alexis Simendinger of the National Journal, the Aldo Beckman Award for sustained excellence in White House coverage. The judges recognized her for breaking the story about the use of Republican National Committee e-mail accounts by some White House officials.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporters Paul Shukovsky, Tracy Johnson and Daniel Lathrop, the Edgar A. Poe Award for excellence in coverage of news of national or regional significance. In a series of articles, "The Terrorism Trade-Off," they revealed a major shift by the FBI away from white-collar crimes as it ramped up its pursuit of suspected terrorists.
The White House Correspondents Association was formed in 1914 as a liaison between the press and the president. Every president since Calvin Coolidge has attended the dinner.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton took the debate dispute to a new level Saturday, challenging her opponent Barack Obama to a debate without a moderator.
"Yeah! I'll debate ya with my tongue tied behind my back!"
Clinton said, while campaigning in South Bend, Indiana, that the 90-minute debate would allow two candidates to ask each other questions. Her campaign formally made the offer in a letter to the Obama campaign.
Update: Obama says no debates until after the next primaries. After 21 debates with the Hildebeast, I guess he's just tired of being around her. I can sympthesize. But it makes him look weak, and after the Pennsylvania drubbing it makes him look scared.
I think he should debate her and spend the entire time telling jokes. Every time she cackles she loses two points.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/27/2008 00:00 ||
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"But it makes him look weak, and after the Pennsylvania drubbing it makes him look scared."
Look, hell. He is weak and scared.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/27/2008 0:12 Comments ||
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How Bout a reel Tag Team Death Match, between Hildabeast and Barrack Obama
[his ring name is, BO plenty. ]
With James snake-head Carville with Billy Blue-Dress Clinton, pile-driving Barrack on his head while Sharpton and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright gouge Hildabeast's eyes!!
Posted by: Vincent McMahon ||
04/27/2008 0:45 Comments ||
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Sorry Barbara, no reverse psychology needed here; NO DEBATES; Obama has finally 'gotten the message' and is moving on!!! Support him if you wish, don't if you won't...but have a nice day anyway!
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2008 6:21 Comments ||
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For the empy suit vocal-part, her folks could play a selection of BO quotes.
"Bring up response #98 again, James!"
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/27/2008 6:32 Comments ||
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I am soo sorry Frank G...I feel your Obama pain! NO DEBATES!! He has received my direct recommendations and 'feel' based on the constant 'ebb and flow' out here in the swamp! It's important he has a shake on the 'Limbaughites' and Quasi-Rightists who's sole purpose is to spew venom and misrepresent his good nature.
Posted by: Keith Olbermann ||
04/27/2008 9:04 Comments ||
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He has received my direct recommendations and 'feel' based on the constant 'ebb and flow' out here in the swamp! It's important he has a shake on the 'Limbaughites' and Quasi-Rightists who's sole purpose is to spew venom and misrepresent his good nature
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Do you find yourself stragely drawn to the CAP-LOCK? Call me. I can help. BR-549, ask for Henry.
Posted by: George Smiley ||
04/27/2008 9:25 Comments ||
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#11
This won't work because it involves Democrats, who don't know how to have an honest debate. However, if you could get two Republicans willing to do a series of debates around the country, along the lines of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, you might be on to something.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/27/2008 10:17 Comments ||
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#13
smn's "losing" it :-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2008 12:25 Comments ||
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#14
Now, I know The Super-Delegates would agree with me when I say that this great country of the US of A cannot afford four more years of Hillary McBush! Four more years of cronyism! Nepotism! Rascalism! Of service to the interests!
Now, the choice, she's a clear 'un. Hillary McBush, slave of the special interests...Barak Obama, servant of the little man.
Ladies and gentlemen, the little man has admonished me to grasp the broom of change reform and sweep this country clean!
It's gonna be, "Back to the oil fields, Hillary McBush "!
The lobbyists interests can handle themselves! Come november, we're gonna get us some of that hope sweep the rascals out!
#16
Barbara, Obama if anything would be flavored closer to being a Nationalist than a Socialist. Understand the prism I observe this spectrum through, I support Obama; he's not my lover. I respect his vision, and quest for diametrical and perhaps fundamental 'change' in American governance. I am intelligent, I have a high IQ; I've even written a novel! Yet, my place in this universe is ever malleable. Should Obama by some strange quirk of happenstance be removed from the electoral equation, as an Independent I could be persuaded to McCain or Queen Hillary, even aforemuch the chagrin of Frank G's non appreciation! What difference does it make whether the Jack Daniels eases down straight or mixed...I prefer mixed, and I won't be swayed from the aura of recognizing an Alexander no matter how short the challenge of the conquest shall bear!
#17
pssst: "diametrical" means "contrary". Can you name basic contrary "change" he's actually proposed? I don't mean less regulation (but no evidence of what that means in his scheme) vs restrictions on "free trade" (and whether his advisor tells the Canucks to disregard his rhetoric - 'it's all politics'). Or is it all "just words", smn?
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/27/2008 18:03 Comments ||
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#18
I encourage Obama, and Hillary to keep their 'magic pouch of glitter powder' close to their vest at this point. In politics, all ammo in the pursuit of denigrating an opponents view or goal must first be reactant to a release of that view! Once he has the 'power' than the 'Change' can be sought.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/27/2008 21:27 Comments ||
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#28
WELL DONE NS! I've never seen anyone yet come so close to having Godwin's Law invoked but managing to avoid it on a circumlocutional technicality. Way to tightrope that sideline, bro!
#29
I feel your Obama pain! NO DEBATES!! He has received my direct recommendations and 'feel' based on the constant 'ebb and flow' out here in the swamp! It's important he has a shake on the 'Limbaughites' and Quasi-Rightists who's sole purpose is to spew venom and misrepresent his good nature.
Barbara, Obama if anything would be flavored closer to being a Nationalist than a Socialist. Understand the prism \\///I observe this spectrum through, I support Obama; he's not my lover. I respect his vision, and quest for diametrical and perhaps fundamental 'change' in American governance. I am intelligent, I have a high IQ; I've even written a novel! Yet, my place in this universe is ever malleable. Should Obama by some strange quirk of happenstance be removed from the electoral equation, as an Independent I could be persuaded to McCain or Queen Hillary, even aforemuch the chagrin of Frank G's non appreciation! What difference does it make whether the Jack Daniels eases down straight or mixed...I prefer mixed, and I won't be swayed from the aura of recognizing an Alexander no matter how short the challenge of the conquest shall bear!
snm
you wanta PPV, Mixed-Metaphor 'Restlin Match with Brutal-Fucking-Prose?
I can arrange it.
Posted by: Vincent McMahon ||
04/27/2008 21:42 Comments ||
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ST. LOUIS: The Boeing Company on Thursday delivered a detailed 7,000-page proposal offering its advanced F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to the Indian Air Force as part of Indias Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition.
Our proposal team worked diligently to fully understand and meet the requirements set out by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD). We are offering India the best-value, most advanced and proven multi-role combat fighter in production today, said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS).
India issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for 126 new multi-role combat fighters in August 2007. Boeing completed its proposal before the initial March 3 deadline, which the MoD rescheduled for April 28.
The Super Hornet variant being offered to India, the F/A-18IN, is based on the F/A-18E/F model flown by the US Navy and currently being built for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Advanced technology - such as Raytheons APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar - and proven reliability are drawing U.S. and international customers' increasing interest in the aircraft as a cost-effective and lethal air defense.
Boeing has delivered more than 340 Super Hornets to the US Navy. Australia has ordered 24 Super Hornets to bolster its fleet of F/A-18 Hornets, and Boeing is in discussions with several other international customers about their interest in procuring the Super Hornet.
One of the concerns here in India is the cost of owning and maintaining combat fighters over their lifetime, said Vivek Lall, Boeing IDS vice president and India country head. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet offers a very attractive life-cycle-cost dynamic, since the fighter wont need a scheduled visit to a maintenance depot until it has clocked a minimum of 6,000 hours of flying time, and even well beyond that.
Over the past 36 months, Boeing IDS has reached out to the Indian aerospace and technology sectors to identify potential public and private industrial partners. To date, it has signed long-term partnership agreements with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Tata Industries, and Larsen and Toubro. If the F/A-18IN Super Hornet is selected, these companies and others are expected to play a significant role as Boeing transfers some production and assembly to India.
Boeing's strategic goal has been to seek a long-term partnership with India to help strengthen the country's aerospace capabilities and enhance its national security, said Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Precision Engagement & Mobility Systems. Choosing the F/A-18E/F would give Indians a direct hand in building an advanced fighter aircraft that will robustly defend their shores and airspace, infuse new strength into the Indian Air Force, and serve as a catalyst for Indias growing defense aerospace industry.
The US Embassy in New Delhi will formally turn over the Boeing-US Navy submission to the Indian Ministry of Defense. Delivery of the first F/A-18IN Super Hornets can begin approximately 36 months after contract award.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.1 billion business with 71,000 employees worldwide.
Posted by: john frum ||
04/27/2008 19:04 ||
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Link ||
[13 views]
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#1
6000 flight hours is a stretch. the highest hour aircraft i had was +12000 and that was a 1960's vintage S2 ( in late 78). thehornet's composite airframe helps with the corrosion issues at sea, but that looks like a prety sharp saleman's pitch. even if you amassed 1 k / yr that is still 20+ /week; week in and week out. there are still scheduled maintenance events and the ever-present unscheduled maintenance / wx delays. i call bs on a 6000 hr depot visit on any airframe.(original hornets has a 6000 lifetime expectation)
KARACHI: The Federal government has planned to increase software exports up to $5 billion by the end of 2010. Sources told Business Recorder on Saturday that the current level of software export was about $50 million per annum, sector needs more support from government to increase its exports.
Jinn software is especially valued as an export ...
For this purpose, the federal government is facilitating Information Technology (IT) sector through its industry friendly policies, which would help sector to enhance its software exports, they said. They said, "government is very keen to promote IT and has taken various concrete steps in this regard like formulation of IT policy, waiver of taxes for software houses, major scholarships in IT education and training, cheaper bandwidth rates, etc".
To a question, they said government realised that it seemed to be difficult to enhance software export up to that extent in a competitive international market with insufficient IT professionals.
In view to increasing the number of IT professionals, government is considering the commencement of IT Development Programme (ITDP) aimed to facilitate students by providing quality education and training in a affordable fee packages, they said and hoping that it would play a key role in producing sufficient IT professionals across the country. They apprised that government has planned to increase the production of trained, diversified and well skilled IT professionals up to 53,000 per annum in next two years through ITDP.
Software development primarily depends upon the qualified professional, however, the estimated growth rate of 20 percent per annum in the domestic software market will require over thousand software engineers every year, they added.
However, the reputable institutes produce not more than 150 software engineers annually, where 80 percent of them, are being trained during jobs at software houses and user organisations, they said. "Immense livelihood opportunities are present in IT field and it is wide open for professionals to enter in it and earn lucrative salaries besides playing vital role in the growth of country's economy," they maintained.
To a question, they replied that about 400 to 500 software engineers were produced in substandard institutions with lack of proper and qualified arrangements causing to produce low quality IT professionals across country.
Due to poor education, they have failed to meet the market requirement and earn low salaries as compared to qualified professionals across globe, they said. "Our software industry is not investing enough in the IT sector and the market is characterised by old technologies leading to low charge rates. Therefore, products are competing in lower value-added segments of the global services market," they lamented.
Keeping the view, the government has evolved a policy to provide incentives on software exports and manufacturing of computer hardware, besides establishing software technology parks, data networks, they said.
Posted by: john frum ||
04/27/2008 18:58 ||
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[12 views]
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#1
Didn't realize Viruses and Trojans were so valuable...
Posted by: john frum ||
04/27/2008 19:10 Comments ||
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#2
If they offer their services cheaply enough they'll have US CEO's lining up to outsource their work to Pakistan. Quality doesn't matter. Security doesn't matter. All that matters these days is cost.
Oh yeah - it would help if they announced that all the outsourcing companies in Pakistan were at CMM Level 5 (top-rated quality). CMM is self-assessed, self-reported, so it should be easy for them to achieve this quality 'distinction'.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif reprimanded four federal ministers from his party who attended a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani in which President Pervez Musharraf was also present. Addressing a meeting with his partys legislators in Islamabad on Saturday, he asked them not to attend any event where President Musharraf was present and warned them of disciplinary action if a member violated the directive, PML-N sources told Daily Times. He told Senior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Petroleum Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Youth Affairs Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Education Minsiter Ahsan Iqbal that their participation in the dinner was embarrassing for him. Chaudhry Nisar and Ahsan Iqbal said they had been invited by the prime minister and did not know the president would attend the dinner. Nawaz said he had also been invited but that he had excused himself.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/27/2008 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[10 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
As if Paleos weren't enough
Last week a military court ordered an IDF major to pay NIS 1,500 to a Ghanaian illegal whom he had slapped. The officer's pending promotion was put on ice.
The officer's unit had spotted several Africans stealing into Israel across the Egyptian border. He apprehended John Good Yaboa and tried to elicit information about how many more were in the group. It was mid-chase and time was of the essence. When Yaboa didn't cooperate, the officer underscored his demand with slaps.
The prosecution charged him with "having tarnished the IDF's image in the plaintiff's eyes." It requested time behind bars as well as a demotion. The major has been in uniform for almost two decades, was seriously wounded in Gaza and decorated for "exemplary service."
Yaboa was given a temporary visa and is now jailed awaiting deportation. He is protesting his detention, says he was "punished twice" and complains that his "rights were abused."
Irans judiciary chief has become the latest figure to criticise President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his attacks on opponents, accusing him of exaggeration and sloganeering, reports said on Saturday.
The comments by Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi come just over week after Ahmadinejad launched his most bitter attack yet on his rivals, accusing them of forming mafias of political and economic corruption. The presidents accusations, made in a speech in the clerical city of Qom, unleashed new controversy and the heads of two judiciary bodies have already denounced his comments as lacking any factual basis.
Fighting economic corruption is a fundamental factor in making society healthy, said Shahroudi, in comments reported by much of the Iranian press including the Tehran daily Hamshahri. But if instead of using legitimate procedures one falls into exaggeration, unrealistic campaigning and sloganeering, then this fundamental factor will be forgotten, he said, in a reference to Ahmadinejads speech.
And therefore it becomes an instrument to be used to sideline rivals. Shahroudi, who is appointed by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and is renowned for his knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), seldom speaks out on political issues. His last such intervention was in August 2007, when he vehemently criticised Ahmadinejads mass changing of mid-ranking managers.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/27/2008 00:00 ||
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[10 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
Struggling to confront a worsening homicide rate, the mayor asked pastors and citizens Friday to don burlap sacks and ashes Friday in an Old Testament-style sign of biblical repentance.
Mayor Larry Langford said his "sackcloth and ashes" rally at Boutwell Auditorium was inspired by the Book of Jonah, where residents of the ancient city of Ninevah wore rough fabric and ashes as a sign of turning away from sin. . . ."This city needs to humble itself," said Langford, a professing Christian.
Instead, his party isn't mentioned. You have to go to Wikipedia to find out that he's a Democrat.
At any rate, this is the worst sort of politico-religious pap. The problem isn't that Birmingham isn't humble enough. The problem is that it's got thugs on the streets that it's not controlling. That doesn't call for self-abasement by the community, though the Mayor and the Chief of Police might consider dropping to their knees and begging forgiveness -- from the community, not God -- for failing to do their jobs.
UPDATE: Reader Jeff Schultz emails:
I am a pretty conservative, evangelical Christian (and a pastor). Thanks for your words on the "sackcloth and ashes" stunt by Birmingham's mayor.
Repentance might be appropriate for a community-wide spiritual response to the community's injustice and oppression, but not for a crime wave. The people who repent are supposed to abase themselves. Are the burlap sacks for the thugs? And who in our culture even understands the imagery of sackcloth and ashes? And even if there was wholesale revival in Birmingham, why is it the Mayor and not the religious leaders calling for this? . . . The problem isn't that Birmingham isn't humble enough. The problem is that it's got thugs on the streets that it's not controlling."
As I said, I'm an evangelical Christian, and I find this embarrassing, stupid, and pointless.
Two private charities controlled by Larry Langford collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from businessmen and companies he approved for government work as Fairfield mayor and Jefferson County Commission president, records show. . . . Langford's financial arrangements with bankers, lobbyists and others who received government business with his help have come under scrutiny from federal investigators. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawyers began digging in 2004 into bond deals, many championed by Langford, that since have led the county to the brink of bankruptcy.
SEC investigators asked Langford last year about charitable contributions he solicited from county vendors, including those involved in the bond deals.
It's like all this God stuff is just a smokescreen to cover up his own sins. Do you think it's possible?
Posted by: Mike ||
04/27/2008 11:25 ||
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[4 views]
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#1
What is so stupid is todays super-literal use of "sackcloth" to the point where head and arm holes are cut in a burlap sack and it is worn. In the old days it was regular clothing made out of "sack cloth" which was black. It was to show mourning or sadness or repentance. People would be more in the spirit of they wore black since that was the point to the wearing of the sackcloth. Not to wear a literal sack. Sheesh.
#2
Ashes are easily enough found, but where would one get sack cloth in a city like Birmingham? It's not like many things are sold in large burlap bags anymore. And who, pray tell, is going to shoulder the expense once a source has been located?
Let's take a ride on the double-decker clue bus . . .
Despite the fact there are more than 200 million guns in circulation, there is a certain tranquility and civility about American life. . . .
. . . A British man I met in Colorado recently told me he used to live in Kent but he moved to the American state of New Jersey and will not go home because it is, as he put it, "a gentler environment for bringing the kids up."
This is New Jersey. Home of the Sopranos.
Brits arriving in New York, hoping to avoid being slaughtered on day one of their shopping mission to Manhattan are, by day two, beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about. By day three they have had had the scales lifted from their eyes.
I have met incredulous British tourists who have been shocked to the core by the peacefulness of the place, the lack of the violent undercurrent so ubiquitous in British cities, even British market towns.
"It seems so nice here," they quaver.
Well, it is! . . . And this is Manhattan.
Wait till you get to London Texas, or Glasgow Montana, or Oxford Mississippi or Virgin Utah, for that matter, where every household is required by local ordinance to possess a gun.
Folks will have guns in all of these places and if you break into their homes they will probably kill you. They will occasionally kill each other in anger or by mistake, but you never feel as unsafe as you can feel in south London.
It is a paradox. Along with the guns there is a tranquillity and civility about American life of which most British people can only dream. What surprises the British tourists is that, in areas of the US that look and feel like suburban Britain, there is simply less crime and much less violent crime. Doors are left unlocked, public telephones unbroken.
Posted by: Mike ||
04/27/2008 07:16 ||
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#1
An armed society is a polite society - John Adams
#2
Number of Americans murders around 18,000 per year.
Number of Americans who died because of mistakes at the hospital around 200,000 per year.
The piece is a fine conviction of MSM of engaging in scare mongering and bias and its lack of real value to the consumer*. Hate guns, hide malpractice. *Is free speech really the issue, or piss poor commercial practices that deserve some government oversight for fraud and willful misconduct that any other business is subject to?
#4
Hopefully, the light is starting to dawn in England that the "years of shame" for being English should end, that nonsense like having a nanny government or a foreign government are a terrible mistake, and that the "Rights of Free-Born Englishmen" trump any promise or threat against them.
#5
I would not get your hopes up that the Brits are lurching toward enlightenment about the USA thanks to the Beeb dweebs. Read the whole article:
Typical Americans are nuts -- check: Last month Mr Long decided to install a satellite television system in his Deepwater home. His efforts to make a hole in the outside wall came to nothing because Mr Long did not possess a drill.
It's not about constitutional rights, it's about capricious efforts to overturn a ban -- Check: At the moment, there is an effort being made to overturn a ban on some types of weapon in Washington DC.
Cue the typically American story: Korean emigrates to US, raises deranged kid who goes on a shoot spree Check: On the anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting, all this will feel to some like a rather depressing, if predictable, American story. A story of an inability to get to grips with violence
The typical man in the street is a bullet riddled guy who hangs out in the alley and looks like a basketball player (hmmm what do you think that means?) Check -- ...is a lanky black man (he looks like a basketball player) called Anwan Glover.
Anwan peeled off articles of clothing for our cameras and revealed that he had been shot nine times.
One bullet is still lodged in an elbow.
His younger brother was shot and killed a few months ago.
Anwan was speaking to us in a back alley in north-east Washington. If you heard a gun shot in this neighbourhood you would not feel surprised.
Suppose our only hope is that incredulous Brit tourists return to tell their remarkable tale of "tranquility and civility in American life."
Posted by: regular joe ||
04/27/2008 9:33 Comments ||
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#6
From the article: "One reason - perhaps the overriding reason - is that there is no public drunkenness in polite America, simply none.
I have never seen a group of drunk young people in the entire six years I have lived here. I travel a lot and not always to the better parts of town. "
#7
One of the article's key points is this: "you never feel as unsafe [in most of the USA] as you can feel in south London."
I get the impression from reading UK media that there is a huge crime problem in the UK, that it is under-reported and ignored by the MSM & the chattering classes of the UK, and that the average UK citizen is deeply and increasingly concerned.
#8
"One reason - perhaps the overriding reason - is that there is no public drunkenness in polite America, simply none.
Spot on, I mean look at Japan -- there's no public drunkenness there and it's got a very low crime rate. Oh wait ... there IS public drunkenness. Must be something else. Perhaps it's the fact that the UK govt. has given up on enforcing laws except those related to political correctness.
#10
It is a paradox. Along with the guns there is a tranquility
Christallfridays everything has to be a paradox for these dimwitted story tellers. Lights Camera CONFLICT! Cmon now you dont need to be a high-brow British journalist to figure out that thuggary is the practice of fools and cowards. Its really not paradoxical at all. Criminals prey on the most vulnerable. They are reluctant to rob the old man down the street even if they only suspect he might have a gun. The author should acquaint himself with the old American idiom called The equalizer.
#11
DespiteThanks towidespread gun ownership, America is a peaceful place
There. Fixed it.
Unless everyone has everyone else by the balls, the system drifts away from reality and fairness. People's natural tendency is to do what they want unless there is some kind of penalty. It's a sort of "child" psychology thing. Of course, child psychology seems to apply more and more these days . . . .
#13
An armed society is a polite society - John Adams
Ummm, no, Robert A. Heinlein
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/27/2008 14:01 Comments ||
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#14
It's also that Americans are simply nicer people than people in certain Other Countries™. We learn from childhood that all men are created equal, and so we assume everyone is worthy of consideration who doesn't forfeit that right by misbehavior. In places where politeness was only expected by the powerful, you get violent undercurrents and currents.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
04/27/2008 17:15 Comments ||
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#15
"Twas talking to a patron at Mickey D's this AM > over bfast coffee, etc, he strongly favors a DEMOCRAT to win in November agz Mccain, either OBAMA or HILLARY. Also opined that CHINA is getting ready to take over from America as world Numero Uno. INTERESTING - BESIDES KNOWING THAT AMER IS EVERYWHERE OR ENTRENCHING IN ASIA, STILL BELIEVED THAT NO ONE NATION OR BLOC CAN, NOR SHOULD, DOMINATE OVER ANY OTHER,AND THAT "WE/
WORLD ALL HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER".
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
RIYADH - A Saudi blogger detained without charge for more than four months after expressing pro-reform opinions has been released, a colleague said on Saturday. Fouad Farhan was detained in early December after running an online campaign over 10 men arrested since February 2007 on suspicion of financing militant groups, but whose supporters say they are being punished for pro-democracy activity.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton took the debate dispute to a new level Saturday, challenging her opponent Barack Obama to a debate without a moderator. 
