* No, theres no evidence she had an extramarital affair, and theyve denied it pretty strongly (OldSpookMcCain is threatening a libel lawsuit).
* No, she wasnt named as a co-respondent in a divorce; theres no evidence she had an affair with her husbands business partner.
* No, the former business partner did not succeed in sealing his divorce records. He attempted to have them sealed because he and his 11 year old son are being harrassed by "journalists" who used them to get his phone number and address.
* No it was not to hide any involvement by Sarah Palin; the Palins are not metioned at all in the documents.
* Yes, Sarah Palins acceptance speech was written by a speechwriter. Duh. No, none of Obamas, McCains, nor Bidens speeches were impromptu off the cuff things either.
On to most of the recent ones:
* yes, she was vetted extensively, not just in three days Ive got links to press reports about people coming to Wassila on 29 May, and we had her on our Veepstakes at PJM from the first day we ran it.
* no, they didnt talk to a lot of the Rs power structure during the vetting; that probably has to do with the fact that she beat them in elections and sent a bunch of them to jail.
* yes, her 17 year old daughter is pregnant; no, the babys father is not an eighth grader; no, having sex at 16 is not statutory rape in Alaska
* Yes, barring immaculate conception, Bristol appears to have had sex with her fiancee. No, Bristol didnt receive only abstinence-only sex ed.
* yes, she did try, clearly unsuccessfully, to get Bristol married off to her fiancee before the story came out
* no, it wasnt a shotgun wedding; Bristol and Levi been engaged for a good while according to *his* mother. It was either an accident or just an unconventional order.
* No she wasnt a member of the (wild-eyed libertarian) Alaska independence Party, although her husband once was
* No, neither the (Canadian) National Post, nor Marc Armbinder at the Atlantic have troubled themselves to issue a correction. Yes, the New York Times did finally correct their story of September 1 on September 5. This was after Elizabeth Bumiller was quoted by Howard Kurtz as saying she was completely confident about the story. Yes, that was after the New York Timess source retracted the story. Yes, this should embarrass the Times, Bumiller, and Howard Kurtz. No, there have been no signs of embarrassment.
* No, she was never a Pat Buchanan supporter; even when Buchanan claims she was, she was on the board of Steve Forbesa campaign in Alaska.
* No, Buchanan doesnt support her now; in fact hes supporting Obama. (Buchanan did think her speech was amazing, but then so do 80 percent of the people who saw it.)
* No, shes not anti-semitic. In fact, she has an Israeli flag in her office. (Contrary to popular belief, the usual Evangelical thinks Israel has a right to exist, granted by God.)
* No, shes doesnt believe that the Iraq War was directed by God. Yes, she did pray that proceeding with the war was Gods will. (Ever hear the phrase Not my will, but Thine, be done?)
* yes, she did fire the public safety guy but he said in the Anchorage paper that, for the record, she never, and no one else in her administration ever, tried to make him fire her ex-brother-in-law
* and yes, the state trooper (her sisters ex-husband) she was worried about did: tase her 10 year old nephew; drive his state patrol car while drinking or drunk; did threaten to bring her down; and did threaten to murder her father and sister if they dared to get an attorney to help with the divorce.
* yes, she did fire the Wasilla Chief of Police as Mayor; yes, it was because he was lying to the City Council.
* Yes, she did try to cut her own salary as Mayor by $4000 a year; yes, she had voted against the $4000 a year raise while on the City Council.
* No, she didnt cut funding for unwed mothers; yes, she did increase it by only 354 percent instead of 454 percent, as part of a multi-year capital expenditures program. No, the Washington Post doesnt appear to have corrected their story. Even after this was pointed out in the comments on the story.
* No, she didnt cut special needs student funding; yes, she did raise it by only 175 percent.
* yes, she did ask the librarian if some books could be withdrawn because of being offensive; no, they couldnt; yes she did threaten to fire the librarian a month later; no, that wasnt over the books thing but instead over administrative issues; no, the librarian wasnt fired either; yes, the librarian was a big supporter of one of her political opponents; yes, the librarian was also the girlfriend of the Chief of police mentioned above; no, this is not the first time in the history of civilization that someone has been threatened with being fired over a political dispute
* No the list of books she wanted to ban thats being passed around isnt real; among other things, it includes a number of books published after her time in office there.
* No, that hasnt actually deterred people from claiming it really is true even if the list isnt correct.
* yes, she apparently believes in some variant of Intelligent Design
* no, she didnt try to force the schools to teach it; she said if someone brought it up, it was an appropriate subject for debate.
* yes, she sometimes wears her hair up; no thats not a beehive
* yes, she was a beauty contest contestant
* yes, she was once a sportscaster
* yes, she want to a bunch of colleges before getting a degree. No, thats not illegal. Yes, she seems to have made something of herself anyway.
* yes, she has a college degree in Journalism, but I wont hold that against her, as she seems to have found honest work in spite of it.
* yes, she kills animals and eats them, and wears their skins
A Lot more in the extensive list at the link, with references to back up the "debunk". Did you have any idea there were that many (uncorrected) smears in the media?
#2
Back over time we were all
Trying for free
Try to take her out you see
No right no wrong, selling a song-
A name, whisper game.
And since the real thing can't do the trick
We gotta make up something quick
She's gonna burn, burn, burn, burn Obama to the wick
Oooooh--Sarahcuda!
Posted by: Mike ||
09/06/2008 2:43 Comments ||
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#3
Where the hell are all the eeeevillle Rovian fascist 527 organizations that are supposed to be putting out a horrendous blizzard of "non-candidate approved" ads to flay the skin off the Quislingcrats and their media sockpuppets? I need to write a check to somebody, dammit!
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
09/06/2008 2:53 Comments ||
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#4
Write that check to the McCain/Palin compliance fund Ricky. The compliance fund will pay for lawyers and observers to uncover and challenge voter fraud. And boy can we expect some this year. The Dems have ACORN out in hordes signing up dead bodies, dogs and others to vote in swing states.
#8
The upside to the scurrilous attacks she and her family have suffered is that the abuse has been so absurd as to inoculate her from any additional revelations.
If you fail initially to destroy someone, then everything new you introduce is viewed through the prism of your first effort. The initial accusations were so juvenile and desperate that any further attacks only reflect back on those first accusations.
One suspects that the Dems thought that the initial attacks, amplified through a compliant media, would be sufficient to spook McCain into panic. Unfortunately, for Obama, McCain stayed the course and Palin herself stood up.
This has created a real headache for the Obama campaign, as anything they throw at her now is seen as more garbage.
So they send Hillary to Florida on Monday. A really brilliant maneuver, considering that with Ike bearing down, Floridians won't be paying much attention to any politicians. It just demonstrates how panicked Dems are now.
#9
One suspects that the Dems thought that the initial attacks, amplified through a compliant media, would be sufficient to spook McCain into panic. Unfortunately, for Obama, McCain stayed the course and Palin herself stood up.
As we knew he would. He must be reveling in the donk panic. Excellent assessment Skunky.
#10
Elvis was here two days ago. Bill Clinton had sex with Martians. We have been visited by aliens in the 1950s. 911 was a Jewish conspiracy. Wait a minute the one about Bill Clinton might be true.
TORONTO - Canada on Friday joined the U.S. and European Union in imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe's authoritarian regime headed by President Robert Mugabe.
Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson charged that since the African country's discredited presidential election in March and runoff in June, Mugabe's government has made no effort to promote democratic rule. "Despite efforts by international mediators, and despite calls by the international community to return democracy to Zimbabwe, the government has shown itself unwilling to negotiate in good faith, and uninterested in meaningful reform," Emerson said in a statement Friday.
Emerson said the measures announced Friday "go further toward isolating and maintaining pressure on key members of the Zimbabwe regime."
Canada is banning arms exports, freezing the assets of top Zimbabwean officials and banning Zimbabwean aircraft from flying over or landing in Canada.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/06/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
This is certain to ratchet up tensions on the border!
Angola's first nationwide poll in 16 years to elect a new parliament has been troubled by confusion and delays.
An EU observer told the BBC that in parts of the capital, Luanda, voting was poorly organised and many stations opened late. But the electoral commission says the polls will stay open until all those queuing have voted.
The oil-rich nation has been rebuilding since 2002, when 27 years of civil war came to an end. Although 14 parties are taking part, the contest is primarily between long-term rivals, the ruling MPLA party and opposition Unita party.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/06/2008 00:00 ||
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#4
Brazil is pretty smart. As Iran has influence withing OPEC, Iran would then gain some amount of influence over Brazil's oil production if Brazil joined. Maybe Brazil could form a new organization ... NOPEC ... that includes the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, maybe Indonesia and China. That would be a hoot.
#5
We need a petroleum buyers organization. It could be used to counter OPEC and stockpile vast amounts of reserves to be used when OPEC was out of line.
#8
I think an oil price of $40-50 is desired. CTL should be cost $40-50/barrel to make, but the (already refined, clean) products will sell for more than crude oil.
Posted by: ed ||
09/06/2008 11:15 Comments ||
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Two Cubans are being held by Mexican police for their alleged involvement in the beheadings of a dozen men in the Yucatan peninsula.
A Public Safety Department statement says the man and woman were arrested in beach in Cancun. Police also raided a house, seizing an AK-47, a grenade and ammunition.
Police acted after questioning three Mexicans detained in the case last week. Public Safety officials declined to provide further details Thursday, citing the ongoing investigation.
The 12 decapitated bodies were found August 28 outside Merida, the capital of Yucatan state.
The three Mexicans were arrested after a highway chase the next day. Investigators say they belong to the "Zetas," a group of hitmen for the Gulf drug cartel.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/06/2008 00:00 ||
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Nicaragua on Friday became the first country other than Russia to formally recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, giving Moscow a victory in its battle with Georgia over the two breakaway provinces.
President Daniel Ortega expressed support for Russia's position in a speech Tuesday, but took no formal action until a decree was read at Nicaragua's Foreign Ministry on Friday. "Nicaragua recognizes the sister republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as the newest members of the world's community of independent nations and we welcome them," the decree said.
Russia has been looking for allies in its war in Georgia.
And found them in the usual places ...
Last week, Ortega's ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Russia made the right move by recognizing the independence of the two breakaway regions. But Chavez hasn't formally done the same. Chavez said he fully supports Russia's position and that Venezuela "would do the same if someone dared to attack us."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/06/2008 00:00 ||
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Now is not right time for the U.S. to move forward on a once-celebrated deal for civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.
Her comment increased speculation that President Bush is planning to punish Moscow for invading Georgia, a former Soviet republic, by canceling the agreement. Such a move is being planned, according to senior Bush administration officials, but is not yet final. "The time isn't right for the Russia agreement," Rice told reporters while flying from Tunisia to Algeria during a visit to North Africa. "We'll be making an announcement about that later." How about starting with a dozen large reactors for Ukraine to get them off Russian gas?
U.S.-Russian relations have cooled considerably since last month's military standoff between Russia and Georgia. On Saturday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the war has shown the world that "Russia is a nation to be reckoned with."
The nuclear deal was signed in May by U.S. and Russian officials and is now before Congress. It would give the U.S. access to modern Russian nuclear technology??? and clear the way for Russia to establish itself as a lucrative center for the import and storage of spent nuclear fuel from American-supplied reactors around the world. Such a deal was seen as crucial to boosting relations with Russia, and to fulfilling Bush's vision of increasing civilian nuclear energy use worldwide as a way to combat rising energy demands and climate change.
Withdrawing the agreement from Capitol Hill would have little effect. The deal probably would not have been approved before Bush's term ends in January. But pulling it would send a message to Russia that its actions in Georgia are not acceptable and will not go unanswered.
Posted by: ed ||
09/06/2008 12:05 ||
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After further falls on Friday, the Russian stock market has plunged more than 30% since the country's invasion of Georgia last month. Investor confidence has been hit hard by the conflict.
Some international banks estimating that between up to $20bn (£11bn)in foreign capital has been pulled out of Russia in the last month alone.
Since the invasion the value of the rouble has slumped, reportedly leading to the central bank stepping in.
So whereas Russia may have got away with a slap on the wrist from Europe for its invasion, Moscow is being punished much more directly by international investors. Analysts in Moscow say Russia is now seen as a risky place to invest and it will be a long time before confidence returns.
But Russia is not in any danger of imminent economic crisis. More than $1bn a day flows in from oil and gas exports and Russia is sitting on foreign exchange reserves of more than half a trillion dollars, the third largest in the world.
But the financial fall out from Russia's Georgian adventure may now be giving the Kremlin reason to pause for thought.
#2
Up to a point, Prokopius2k. Twenty billion dollars is a lot of money, and in Russia it's concentrated in the hands of President Putin's friends and family. Not to mention that this is likely a trend, not a momentary twitch.
A US Navy flagship carrying humanitarian aid yesterday steamed into a Georgian port where Russian troops are still stationed, stoking tensions once again in the tinderbox Caucasus region. A previous trip by US warships was cancelled at the last minute a week ago amid fears that an armed stand-off could intensify in the Black Sea port of Poti.
The arrival of the USS Mount Whitney, flagship of the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, came as Moscow accused Dick Cheney, the hawkish US Vice-President, of stoking tensions during a visit to Tbilisi this week. After meeting President Saakashvili, Mr Cheney vowed to bring Georgia into the Nato alliance. Russia sees such moves as Western encroachment on its traditional sphere of influence.
Russias leaders have accused previous US warships that docked at the port of Batumi, to the south, of delivering weapons to re-arm the smashed Georgian military charges that Washington denied.
While Russia again questioned the deployment of what it described as the number one ship of its type in the US Navy in the Black Sea, it said that it planned no military action in response. The Russian Army has kept a small component of soldiers in Poti, where Georgian officials accuse them of looting port authority buildings.
Naval ships of that class can hardly deliver a large amount of aid, said Andrei Nesterenko, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman. Such ships have a hold for keeping provisions for the crew and items needed for sailing. How many tonnes of aid can a ship of that type deliver?
He said that the presence of US warships could contravene international conventions governing shipping in the Black Sea, and in particular restrictions on the entry of naval ships from countries that do not share a Black Sea coastline. The small Russian garrison in Poti would pose no military threat to a vessel like the Mount Whitney, but the proximity of two hostile forces in such a fraught environment set the political temperature rising again in the Caucasus a month after Russias five-day war with Georgia.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/06/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
"Naval ships of that class can hardly deliver a large amount of aid"
Dumbass - flat decks and helos, and huge cargo capacity, as well as the C4ISR capabilities are quite good.
We ought to being in an MAU to help "secure" the port. On an LHD. With a couple of Aegis cruisers.
#9
Hey mom -- I'm sure OldSpook has a better answer to that MAU -- I'm thinking he meant MEU (and the only reason I know what I know is neighbor Marine is in a MEU. When his Dad told me that, I had to do some "research.")
Here's the Wikipedia "short" description: A Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU, pronounced M-YOO), formerly called Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU), is the smallest Marine Air-Ground Task Force in the United States Marine Corps. Each MEU is an expeditionary quick reaction force, deployed and ready for immediate response to any crisis.
The Marine Expeditionary Unit is normally built around the building blocks of a MAGTF: a reinforced Marine infantry battalion is the ground combat element, the aviation combat element is a composite helicopter squadron, a battalion-sized logistics combat element, and a command element. Troop strength is about 2,200, commanded by a colonel, and is deployed from an amphibious assault ship
And -- LHD, their boat..... LHD 8 will be a multi-purpose amphibious assault ship designed to transport and land a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), a force of almost 2,000 Marines, ashore by helicopter, landing craft and amphibious assault vehicle. LHD 8 will also have secondary missions of sea control and power projection by helicopter and fixed-wing vertical short take-off and landing (VSTOL) aircraft; command and control, and mission support, including a hospital with six operating rooms.
As Seafarious said, ""Do you feel lucky, punk? Well do ya?"
Command Control (C2) Communications (C3) Computers (C4) Intelligence (I) Surveillance (S) Recon (R)
MAU - Marine Amphibious Unit (More precise term is MEU, Marine Expeditionary Unit, which includes its own air support)
LHD US Navy Ship, Landing ship, Helicopter Dock, see below (picture)
And not it doesn't really qualify as an "Aircraft carrier", mainly helos, and a few Harriers possibly depending on mission. It carries landing craft (usually LCAC - amphib landing hovercraft) in the "well", which allows them to sail into the ship, and launch amphib assaults from the ship, it can also hold up to 61 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (21 in the deck above, 40 in the well).
Biggest weapons are the nearly 2000 Marines it hauls around.
#11
Goodness I wonder what the Russian forces reaction was as they saw this vessel haul into view. They must have been tracking it, but still, to have been near the port when this pulled in must have tightened a few screws.
#15
The ol' joke, never confirmed (paraphrased):
The big tsunami:
"Why is President Bush sending a carrier task
for? Whats he want to do, attack to tsunami?"
Engineer stands and says, "A nuclear carrier has x amount of auxillerary power, can desanilize x gallons of water, etc."
I'm here to tell ya, all help is appreciated. Our governor didn't know where Greensburg was until 2 days later
#16
"Russia sees such moves as Western encroachment on its traditional sphere of influence."
Russian use of that phrase reminds me of a 'sphere of influence' I created some years ago around a tent when, suffering from a busy nightime case of gastroenteritis, little enthusiasm to walk further than absolutely necessary, and no torch.
#25
What are we confronting? A map on the government of Georgia's website, shows that there are 40 Russian check posts in the entire country. The Russians claim that only 500 activ e troops remain in the country. (Technically true if you don't count between shift troops)
Search "Georgia" "protests" on Youtube and you will find that Georgians are free to protest at the checkpoints. What if Georgians were polled on the issue of close ties with Russia?
#27
So, how's the weather in Russia this time of year, #25 Chuting? Are y'all wearing coats in the daytime yet? How much is Pooty paying you for your trolldom?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/06/2008 19:44 Comments ||
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Russia's stock market loses more than 30% of its value as foreign investors pull out after the country's intervention in Georgia.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/06/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
The ruble is taking a beating as well - nobody wants to hold that currency given how irrational an actor the Putin gangster state has become, so Russia's central back has had to step in multiple times to bolster the Ruble against people that are going back to dollars and Euros.
#6
Russia will make $200 billion from oil and gas exports this year. That's with a GDP of $1200 billion. Other raw materials exports are also doing very well. There's plenty of money for the KGB princes and oligarchs to steal and still provide a few crumbs for the peasants.
Posted by: ed ||
09/06/2008 9:29 Comments ||
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#7
So they're following the California model of a bunch of dialectic entrenched oligarchs crashing the economy and driving investments out of the borders while they pursue their own power interests?
The biggest surprise element for India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) deliberations was the role played by China which at the last minute spoke out against granting a waiver to India.
After the NSG waiver, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan told reporters that India would take up the issue with China. For India the opportunity to express displeasure with Beijings spoiler role in the NSG presents itself as early as Sunday when Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi touches down in India for an official visit.
China, which refused to give India any commitment on supporting the waiver, quietly opposed the waiver on the first day of the meeting. With the group of six countries managing to put up an impressive opposition to the waiver, China was quick to jump on to the naysayers bandwagon which included Austria, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway and Austria.
By day two of the NSG deliberations, the Chinese representatives were openly making attempts to delay the waiver. The Chinese side asked why countries were being pressured to agree to the waiver, which would allow Indias entry into the nuclear club.
It is understood that US and Indian officials held meetings with the Chinese in a bid to keep them from derailing the waiver and adding weight to the non proliferation enthusiasts. The intense US pressure and last minute contact at the highest political level is said to have stopped Beijing from blocking the waiver.
Even after the waiver, China is understood to have raised questions on a number of issues. In the first reaction to Chinas role in the NSG, Mr Narayanan expressed surprise with Chinas position and said that the opposition was not ideological like the group of six countries that have a long non proliferation roots.
The strong Chinese position at the NSG meeting took both India and the US by surprise. Indian officials had also dismissed China as a potential spoiler at these proceedings even though Beijing had remained noncommittal on supporting the waiver at all high level interactions.
Though the US and India were both surprised by Chinas positioning, an editorial in the Peoples Daily newspaper criticising the nuclear deal, was a clear indication of Chinas real thoughts on the matter. The editorial in the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party said the deal posed a major blow to international nonproliferation.
Whatever the future of the US-India nuclear agreement, the multiple standard that the US has on the issue of nonproliferation has caused doubts in the world, the editorial said.
This was followed up by a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry urging caution in supporting the waiver and seeking a balance between the peaceful use of nuclear energy and nonproliferation concerns on weapons development.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/06/2008 15:03 ||
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#1
NEW DELHI: China almost spoilt India's party. That will remain the lasting memory of Beijing's strategic miscalculation in opposing India's waiver at the NSG meeting.
In Delhi, National Security Adviser MK Narayanan expressed disappointment. "The Chinese foreign minister will come here and we will, of course, express disappointment. We will say that we did not expect this," Narayanan told Times Now . He added that India was surprised at China's behaviour because President Hu Jintao and PM Wen Jiabao had assured Manmohan Singh Beijing would play a constructive role.
But Narayanan remained philosophical. "We can't choose our neighbours. We have China and Pakistan and we desire the best of relations with both".
But it was a sign the Chinese whispers in Vienna could have implications for bilateral ties because a government long accused of winking at Beijing's transgressions decided to go public with its disappointment.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/06/2008 15:59 Comments ||
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Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama said Saturday they will put aside partisan politics for a joint appearance at Ground Zero to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, in a statement, said they will appear together at the World Trade Center site on Thursday "to honor the memory of each and every American who died" in the 2001 attacks.
The campaigns already had agreed to suspend television advertising critical of each other on Sept. 11. The McCain campaign has said it will air no ads that day. Both campaigns have been running negative television ads and, at the just-concluded political conventions, pulled no punches in exploiting partisan differences.
Obama and McCain said Thursday will be different.
"All of us came together on 9/11 -- not as Democrats or Republicans -- but as Americans," they said. "We were united as one American family. On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity."
A group backing community service, MyGoodDeed.org, wants Sept. 11 to become a national day of voluntary service and had asked that Obama and McCain perform acts of community service instead of campaigning.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed after hijackers rammed passenger airplanes into the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon. The death total includes 40 passengers and crew members aboard the fourth hijacked plane, United 93. It crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa., as passengers rushed the cockpit, investigators believe.
#1
Follows are a few quotes from The Lord of the Hoops pastor of 20 years. Maybe he'll want to use selected portions during his visit:
We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye.
Kids playing in the playground. Mothers picking up children after school. Civilians, not soldiers, people just trying to make it day by day.
We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff that we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. Americas chickens are coming home to roost.
#4
He's younger and taller than McCain, which is why the no-joint-appearences thing is baffling. Aside from having to speak, I'd think he'd want to been seen side-by-side.
Also, since he's quit smoking, even his voice has raised a few notches - no more of the smoke-aided baritone.
I haven't checked figures, but Gov. Palin may have an unfair advantage over Joe, in that she could jack up her heels and look him eye to eye. Joe doesn't strike me as tall, but again it's worth checking.
#5
IIRC, John is 5'9"ish. Short and stocky like all good fighter jocks. The heart to brain distance with a good muscle build helps keep fighter jocks from blacking out.
When I watched Palin give her speech and McCain came out after, she was about his height in heels. It didn't seem awkward or strange and didn't really think of it until now, so I think they are OK for the height thing.
#6
At the start of the first debate, Johnny Mac should light up a cig and leave it smoldering where it wafts over to O's podium.....sweeeeeet
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/06/2008 22:05 Comments ||
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#7
I haven't checked figures, but Gov. Palin may have an unfair advantage over Joe . . . .
Ya think? She could probably reduce him to a quivering heap with a sidewise glance. Sarah Palin doesn't just open up a can of whoop-ass--she grows it and cans it in her own kitchen.
Posted by: Mike ||
09/06/2008 23:39 Comments ||
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under the bus! A good writeup of the legal and ethical problems that will force him out of the chairmanship of the Ways and Means (taxes!) Committee. Even San Fran Nan is turning on him to save the Donks
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/06/2008 12:29 ||
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#1
Is it just me or has no one noticed the under-reporting by the MSM.
He is THE CHAIRMAN of the House Ways and Means Committee. In other words he chairs the committe that writes all the frickin' tax laws, and he claims he didn't understand the reporting requirements?
Jesus Mary and Joseph, how big must the lie be before Democrats stop getting a pass from the MSM.
There should be a lynch mob (figuratively only) of outraged CPA's with pitchforks to meet this asshat when he walks out the door in the morning.....
Amazing
Posted by: Abu do you love ||
09/06/2008 14:44 Comments ||
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#3
I dunno. I always kinda liked Mr. Rangel. He's the last of the old-school Democrats. He's a crook, but in the old, local- backslap-sweetheart-deal kind of way.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/06/2008 16:11 Comments ||
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#5
How in Gods name can the President leave our brave young men and women in harms way for a losing cause? Rangel says.
The President throws away lives in Iraq as he runs out the clock on his presidency, Rangel says. When hes back home in Crawford, our soldiers will be stuck in Baghdad.
Appears he's following the war about as close as he follows his tax reporting.
#6
Yeah, I haven't forgotten his calls for a draft, or forgot what his motivations for doing it are. He's been one of the most notorious partisans for the Democrats.
But I look at the rest of his record: enlisted in the Army. Served with distinction in Korea; got the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Secured American materiel support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Verbally bitch-slapped Hugo Chavez. Been a backer of free-trade agreements. He hasn't aspired to any higher office than Congressional Rep.
Overall, I'd say he's pretty much an old-school Democrat and not one of the current 'hothouse' ones. Doesn't mean I forgot he's a crook. Also doesn't mean that I'd vote for him. He just reminds me of the old-style Democrats I knew growing up back in the Northeast.
Words fail me...but my surprise meter isn't even twitching.
"...Democrats brought out tens of thousands of American flags to Invesco Field, saluting Barack Obama as he spoke from the Styrofoam columns of the Barackopolis at the conclusion of the Democratic convention. Perhaps some of them took the flags home as souvenirs, but where did the rest go? According to David Harsanyi, they went into the trash and would have gone to a landfill, except for a worker at Invesco who rescued them from the dumpsters..."
RTWT, for it is good.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
09/06/2008 12:11 ||
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#1
...so that's what the donks think of the symbols of our country?
Posted by: Abu do you love ||
09/06/2008 14:39 Comments ||
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#7
Another link on the story had the donks saying the GOP "kidnapped" the flags for political purposes before the donks could honorably retire them......
I'm seriously thinking of supporting a monarchy. If this is the level of debate in a democratic society. I think the experiment may just have failed....
The astounding (even to me, after all these years!) smugness and mean-spiritedness of so many in the media engendered not just interest in but sympathy for Palin. It allowed Palin to speak not just to conservatives but to the many Americans who are repulsed by the media's prurient interest in and adolescent snickering about her family. It allowed the McCain-Palin ticket to become the populist standard-bearer against an Obama-Media ticket that has disdain for Middle America.
By the end of the week, after Palin's tour de force in St. Paul, the liberal media were so befuddled that they were reduced to complaining that conservatives aren't being narrow-minded enough. Thus, Hanna Rosin--who has covered religion and politics for the Washington Post, and has also written for the New Yorker, the New Republic, and the New York Times--lamented in a piece for Slate: "So cavalier are conservatives about Sarah Palin's wreck of a home life that they make the rest of us look stuffy and slow-witted by comparison."
I suppose it was ungenerous of conservatives, in our broad-mindedness and tolerance of human frailty, to have let Ms. Rosin down, just when she was counting on us to bring out the tar and feathers. But she gives us too much credit when she suggests we make the liberal media look stuffy and slow-witted. They do that all by themselves.
Posted by: Jefferson ||
09/06/2008 12:04 Comments ||
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#2
Good article. I humbly suggest that Johnny Mac's message crew start referring to the "Obama-Media Ticket" in some upcoming ads.
I guess this is as good a time as any to say I was wrong to panic when the initial media assault on Sarah appeared to yield an Obama lead that was slowly widening beyond the usual margins of error. Here's the latest polling data from the good folks at RealClearPolitics...the combined impact of Sarah's RNC speech and public revulsion at the media's conduct has totally wiped out the Obama bounce and turned it back into a neck-and-neck race. I compared the media attacks to the tactics of a WW2 Soviet shock army, when it's starting to look more and more like a desperate banzai charge.
The Obamedia's stepped in it bigtime on this one, folks. If you haven't already done so (it's posted on its own thread today), go forth and read this most excellent article by the great Bill Whittle...make no mistake about it, the troops have heard the bugle and are pulling their muskets from the wall and heading into the encampments. I read somewhere that Big Mac now has $200 million at his disposal...the Messiah probably has more at this point, but the fact that McCain's coffers are rapidly filling has to have David Plouffe feeling a little like this guy.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
09/06/2008 13:09 Comments ||
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#3
I compared the media attacks to the tactics of a WW2 Soviet shock army, when it's starting to look more and more like a desperate banzai charge
As a practical matter Soviet shock armies were known for their high concentrations of artillery and engineer units, as well as their original compositions of independant rifle brigades and in one case naval infantry brigades.
Soviet shock armies were used to grind down an enemy holding a static line and to create a break to be exploited by mobile forces.
#4
Exacly, Badanov. I'd originally wondered what the "distributed Obama campaign" (the actual BO organization, the leftist bloggers and MSM, per Chicagoboyz.net) was going to come up with as a breakthrough element. Here we are, three days later, and it's looking more & more like they ain't got nothin'. Obama's reduced to whining about Republican "attacks" and "bullying".
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
09/06/2008 14:27 Comments ||
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#5
But sometimes, those Soviet shock armies would be annihilated in the process. History repeating?
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
09/06/2008 16:09 Comments ||
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#6
Soviet SOP would be to burn up forward units regardless of type until they were in such terrible shape, command had to withdraw them for refit and retraining before being sent back into battle.
They did things this way becuase their primitive logistical system demanded it. It isn't practical or economical for them to replace men and materiel lost on a one to one basis; much better to replace whole units with newly trained newly outfitted fresh troops as a unit.
#7
Well...we might have some proof that the leftist blogosphere is something of a "primitive logistical system" for the MSM. Michelle Malkin's readers have already picked up on the subject of the leftards' next suicide assault: they're going to claim she's a racist. Anti-black, oh, and by the way, anti-Eskimo, too...never mind Todd's Yup'ik heritage. Combined with the Obamessiah's (I s**t you not, folks) latest latest outreach to the Clintons, and you have a perfect recipe for cooked goose basted in a lovely desperation sauce.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
09/06/2008 17:25 Comments ||
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#8
I can stand it no longer. For months I have listened to commenters here trash and disrespect one of the great icons of America.
#9
Ricky bin Ricardo, the Obama/Media ticket is brilliant. Going a step further bloggers should refrain from twisting the names of pundits and such and simply put the (D) after there name. You know. Chris Mathews (D) said this and Oprah Winfried (D) said that.
#4
I have an aunt that lived in Anchorage before Alaska was a state. I was always impressed with her descriptions and photos of the State. Her husband was a Navy pilot stationed up there at the time. Juneau is beautiful-- looks like East Tennessee in the winter when it snows except it seldom snows except up high in the mountains.
#6
Been through Juneau about 5 times during the last year. It is beautiful and green. It is green because it is rainy and misty, and you better like it if you live there. Takeoffs and landings can be quite exciting, never boring. You do not realize how confined it is at Gastineu Channel until you come in on a clear day. Heh.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
09/06/2008 19:27 Comments ||
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#1
Thought this was a Scrappleface at first. The left has become unhinged over John McCain and Sarah Palin. It would be scary if it were not so funny-- the frothy, seething, and foaming at the mouth.
#1
The extent of the convention bounce will not be apparent until tracking polls released Monday morning. Sustainability will be apparent by midweek.
Posted by: regular joe ||
09/06/2008 10:19 Comments ||
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#2
Yes, that is the actual Times Online headline. I can't believe the level of sexism that this campaign has been reduced to. Sarah Palin: bimbo, sex craving, naughty librarian, hypocritical sex starved Christianist, affair having, marriage wrecking, child popping, sex toy of McCain with no experience, zero brains but lots of "bounce". Oh, and her daughter is a slut and she is a bad mother.
I would not have thought we would be tolerating this in 2008. Amazing.
#4
The massive movement of the conservatives, who are always under polled in elections, won't be reflected as shifting from unmotivated/fence sitters to committed.
#5
At least "titz up" wasn't worked into this story.
Posted by: ed ||
09/06/2008 12:27 Comments ||
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#6
Bulldog - true. But I have no doubt the pun was not lost on the editors. There are things you don't put into a headline just cause you don't. Like, "Obama campaign in the black". "Obama all ears at town hall meeting". "Biden plugs experience gap." I could go on if you'd like....
Anyone who has read my writings would know that I clearly lack the talent for such a position. Maybe if I work reeeal hard I could least aspire to the NYT or other failing rags.
#9
My high school newspaper adviser would have kicked most of the current set of political commentators out of her class, for conduct unbecoming of ladies and gentlemen.
#10
Comments at the link are funny/infuriating. I never realized Brits thought they knew so much about American politics. And it's purely conceit, they obviously know NOTHING about our political process or way of life.
I'm convinced than an entire generation of foreigners form their opinions of our nation from Hollywood TV/Movies/DVDs, and actually BELIEVE WHAT THEY SEE ON THE SCREEN IS WHAT OUR COUNTRY IS REALLY LIKE. (And honestly, who can blame them?)
#11
Scooter, remember how our Gr**k friend always lectured us on America? "Y'all"?
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/06/2008 14:41 Comments ||
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#12
Scooter, I lies to them. Tell them that it's so. I'm off to look for 'gangsta cowboy picture..... John Wayne in Chicago suit with a Thompson mashin gun, charging 'Lo-the-Poor-Indian in the Monument Valley.
#13
The extent of the convention bounce will not be apparent until tracking polls released Monday morning.
Some Republican pollsters believe that weekend polling poorly reflects actual voters. If they're correct it won't be until Thursday when the Mon/Tue/Wed tracking polls are released that we'll have our first real look at the race post-Palin.
#17
At least he can't e-mail me anymore (I think), Sheth. I tried designating his first e-mail as "unsafe" since I thought that was just a different way of designating senders as junk, but that didn't work, so the next time I just checked junk directly - which AFAIK is supposed to keep that particular sender from landing in my inbox. Hopefully the e-mail filters are catching and deleting him now, if he's still trying to bother me.
Sad. He needs to get a life.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/06/2008 20:28 Comments ||
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Indeed. I guess we'll see not much change anyway. The red states will stay red, the blue states blue... mostly.
Obama is about as empty as Kerry was. I've seen him in Berlin.
Btw it's a shame nobody took the media to the woodshed.
Yes there were a lot of curious Germans, but most of the spectators doing the clapping and the "Yes we can" were Americans from the Obama campaign flown in.
Btw will ANYONE tell me just WHAT they can? Bind their shoe laces?
Posted by: European Conservative ||
09/06/2008 22:07 Comments ||
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It's a start. Hopefully, this revolt will grow until the networks and press get hit hard in the pocketbook.
Hundreds of angry people in this small town outside Milwaukee taunted reporters and TV crews traveling with Sen. John McCain on Friday, chanting "Be fair!" and pointing fingers at a pack of journalists as they booed loudly.
On the first leg of the "McCain Street USA" tour 30 or so reporters and crew were walking back to their buses to join the McCain motorcade when hundreds of townspeople started yelling. "Stop lying! You are all liars! Tell the truth!" one woman yelled from the front of the pack. The crowd was not menacing or threatening, but was clearly angry.
"You're telling lies! Stop the lies!" one man yelled. Asked why the crowd was so angry, Linda J. Green of Mequon, Wisc., said: "I'm thinking the press is very biased."
"I think the press is very liberal and very slanted against the McCain-Palin ticket. Would you ask a man if his kids were being taken care of while he's out campaigning?"
She said the coverage of Mrs. Palin is flat-out sexist. "The media has called her a sexy librarian look. Would you say that Obama is a sexy Will Smith look? They called her Tina Fey's sister, only sexier. I think you're being very sexist."
Another woman questioned local television coverage, which differed for the Republican and Democratic party conventions, she said. "Why did the networks not carry the Republican convention, when they carried the Democratic convention?" she asked. "They do it because they're liberal," a man chimed in.
The scene was reminiscent of one that occurred spontaneously at the RNC, when Mrs. Palin accused political pundits and columnists of misinformation. With thousands of red-meat Republicans in the huge Xcel Center in Minneapolis, the crowd turned ugly. Hundreds began pointing at a group of reporters and booing -- some chanted "CNN!" while others yelled "MSNBC!"
#2
oooooh, the crowd "turned ugly". Didn't the delegates know they should stay classy like Andy Sullivan at the Atlantic and maintain an evenhanded objectivity like Andrea Mitchell?
#5
The irony, along with all the other finger traps, is the more the networks cover it the more coverage this topic gets.
I saw jon stewart had an extra squirt of silver in his hair and pat of blush for his joke lines this morning. Gotta remember it was Craig Kilborn who made jon stewart's job.
#6
Sure, Jon Stewart and Maureen Dowd, and quite frankly Fred and everyone else will probably see a rise in traffic over this issue. But in the end, Fred will keep doing what he is doing and his audience will just get bigger as he picks up some new folks who discover and like his site. When the hoopla dies down, the number of regulars will just be the same or slightly larger.
As for the cable media and people like Jon Steward or Oprah, they will have made a percentage of their regular viewers annoyed and angry and they will go away. So like the true whores that they are - they have to get even more outrageous next time to keep the eyes on them. As they get more outrageous, they offend more of their regulars, so they have to get even MORE outrageous to get the numbers back up. Eventually, they are just another Jerry Springer episode. There are plenty of freaks and people willing to stop by the freak show tent from time to time, but as for regular people, like you and me, who enjoy watching news, we will long since have found another source that provides the kind of information we came for in the first place.
#7
"Eventually, they are just another Jerry Springer episode."
Fixed that for ya', Betty.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/06/2008 13:04 Comments ||
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#8
The MSM and its far left agenda have been mentioned many times at Rantburg. However, the MSM lefties have exposed their agenda big time with their trying to get BO elected with their demonizing of Sarah Palin. The election gets interesting.
Saw where New Jersey rocker Bon Jovi had a small gathering of people the other night at his home to support BO ~ about 100 people who had to pay $31,000 for their blue plate special. I guess it's legal but it shouldn't be.
#2
Sally's just pissed that she's irrelevant (again). She wuz riding high in the Clinton years as a social maven in DC (married to Ben Bradlee of WaPo "fame") and, once again, the little people out in flyover hickland are ignoring the candidate with her imprimatur. Bitch
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/06/2008 8:25 Comments ||
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#3
It will take more than one interview on Fox for me to believe Quinn has shifted views. Ditto for Peggy Noonan. THIS is the reaction to a strong, independent and extraordinarily ordinary woman? Pfeh.
#6
I'm still wondering how Sally could spend so much time with her journalism career and not neglect her family. Really, did she and Ben need to throw all those parties? Shouldn't they have been home with the kids making cookies instead?
/sarcasm off
Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields ||
09/06/2008 9:50 Comments ||
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Posted by: ed ||
09/06/2008 10:19 Comments ||
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#8
Sorry. that was comment #2 by edh. PIMF.
Posted by: ed ||
09/06/2008 10:21 Comments ||
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#9
She said she was wrong in underestimating a woman who did not sleep w/Ben Bradlee to get ahead. She did not recant nor apologize for questioning Gov. Palin's ability to be a good mother. What a horrible human being.
Posted by: regular joe ||
09/06/2008 10:47 Comments ||
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#10
Instapundit has a link to video excerpts. She's running away from her comments as fast as she can. She even confessed to having eaten a cheeseburger. I'd love to hear Peggy off mike now.
#11
My wife has pegged, I think, the reason that so many woment are mad at Palin.
They resent her success. They have now lost much of thier victim status. She has set the bar way too high.
Men have had to put up with this since they were little. I had to recognise early on that I wasn't going to be the sports star or the rock star or the genius scientist or or or or.
So I had to get over any resentment that I might have had for those that were and concentrate solely on being "all that I can be" (gee, where have I heard that before) and not worry about what others have accomplished.
Sarah just blasted a huge hole through that "poor little me" victimhood. She wasn't handed a thing and she didn't ride anyone's coat-tails. She did it all herself.
So, it's not jealousy or envy. It's fear that the spot light is shining on their own inadequacies.
I'd be willing to bet that the hardest working women are the least likely to resent her.
#13
When Quinn repeats that "You can't do it all" she's showing what really hurts her about Palin. Quinn like many liberal women devoted her life to selfishness. She sought career success -- in Quinn's case, not only through work but also through her bed, becoming the mistress to the elderly Ben Bradlee and ultimately persuading him to marry her -- and considered childlessness a necessary part of the path to wealth and power.
Now as Sarah Palin proves you can have love, family, children, and career success and political power, the poverty of her own choices is exposed. Sarah exposes Quinn as a selfish conniver and all her labor and manipulation as so much chaff. It's an unbearable thought. She can't face spiritual reality.
#18
Quinn and her ilk miss a critical component which IIUC Palin says makes "doing it all" possible. She has a large, close and supportive network of family members who help. Not only her husband but also her parents, siblings etc.
Which is how it used to be for most families. But which is totally alien to the Quinns of the world, so alien she cannot even recognize it when it's right in front of her face.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Congress to approve a nuclear deal with India after the agreement was endorsed Saturday by nations that supply nuclear material and technology. "I certainly hope we can get it through," the top U.S. diplomat told reporters as she traveled from Tunisia to Algeria during a trip to North Africa. "It'd be a huge step for the U.S.-India relationship."
Rice said she would speak in coming days with the leaders of the appropriate congressional committees to see if the deal can be approved by Congress before it breaks for the rest of the year to campaign for November elections. "We understand that time is very short," she said.
Supporters of the civilian nuclear deal say atomic cooperation with India would provide crucial energy to a democratic, economically vibrant country. Critics say it would ruin global efforts to stop the spread of atomic weapons and boost India's nuclear arsenal
Also on Saturday, Rice said now is not the right time for the U.S. to move forward on a once-celebrated deal for civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia. Her comment increased speculation that President Bush is planning to punish Moscow for invading Georgia, a former Soviet republic, by canceling the agreement. Such a move is being planned, according to senior Bush administration officials, but is not yet final.
"The time isn't right for the Russia agreement," Rice told reporters while flying from Tunisia to Algeria during a visit to North Africa. "We'll be making an announcement about that later."
U.S.-Russian relations have cooled considerably since last month's military standoff between Russia and Georgia. On Saturday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the war has shown the world that "Russia is a nation to be reckoned with."
Traveling in Italy, Vice President Dick Cheney pushed back against Moscow, saying: "Russia's actions are an affront to civilized standards and are completely unacceptable."
The nuclear deal was signed in May by U.S. and Russian officials and is now before Congress. It would give the U.S. access to modern Russian nuclear technology and clear the way for Russia to establish itself as a lucrative center for the import and storage of spent nuclear fuel from American-supplied reactors around the world. Such a deal was seen as crucial to boosting relations with Russia, and to fulfilling Bush's vision of increasing civilian nuclear energy use worldwide as a way to combat rising energy demands and climate change.
Withdrawing the agreement from Capitol Hill would have little effect. The deal probably would not have been approved before Bush's term ends in January. But pulling it would send a message to Russia that its actions in Georgia are not acceptable and will not go unanswered.
The Nuclear Suppliers Group, which governs the legal world trade in nuclear components and know-how, approved the U.S.-India deal after contentious talks and concessions to countries that feared the pact could set a dangerous precedent. Some opposing countries, including Austria, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland, had expressed fears that a reversal of more than three decades of U.S. policy toward India could set a dangerous precedent in the struggle to discourage other nations from pursuing weapons of mass destruction.
Rep Edward J. Markey, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and co-chairman of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation, said the Bush administration managed to "strong-arm" the Nuclear Suppliers Group into skirting normal rules governing international nuclear trade. Markey, D-Mass., said there needs to be clear consequences if India breaks its commitments or resumes nuclear testing. "This agreement effectively blows a hole in the global nonproliferation regime, setting a dangerous precedent. What kind of lesson does it send to countries like Pakistan, Iran and North Korea, when we skirt the rules for our friends, but insist on strict compliance for them?" Markey asked. "The nuclear supplier nations cannot preach nuclear temperance from a barstool, and the India nuclear deal is going to undermine the credibility of international efforts to prevent the further spread of the bomb."
The agreement would reverse three decades of U.S. policy by shipping atomic fuel to India in return for international inspections of India's civilian reactors. "It's no secret that India has been outside the nonproliferation regime for the entire history of its program," Rice said.
Rice said she had made "a lot of calls" to foreign officials to help win approval. She spoke with China's foreign minister on Saturday, which a senior State Department official said was important in reaching the compromise. "It's been a good week for those negotiations, but we'll just have to see whether it's still possible in Congress," Rice said.
This past week, a leading Democratic lawmaker made public an administration document that says the U.S. had the right to immediately stop nuclear trade with India if India conducted an atomic test. The U.S. position appeared at odds with Indian officials' insistence that the accord would not ban Indian nuclear tests.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/06/2008 15:43 ||
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Beijing (PTI): China, seen as one of the sceptics that had reservations in granting a waiver to India, on Saturday hoped that the NSG would "equally address the aspirations of all parties," an apparent reference to its ally Pakistan, for the peaceful use of atomic energy.
Addressing the third day of excruciating negotiations of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in Vienna today, Cheng Jingye, head of the Chinese delegation, pointed out that Beijing hoped that the decision made by the grouping would "stand the test of time and contribute to the goals of nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear power."
"It is also China's hope that the NSG would equally address the aspirations of all parties for the peaceful use of nuclear power while adhering to the nuclear non-proliferation mechanism," he said, apparently alluding to Pakistan's repeated attempts to get a civil nuclear deal with the United States, similar to the Indo-US agreement.
"China would cooperate with all parties on the peaceful use of nuclear power in accordance with its international obligations and on the basis of equality and mutual benefit," Cheng was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
"The 45-nation NSG Saturday approved a U.S. proposal to lift its 34-year-old nuclear trade embargo on India," the Xinhua report noted.
Describing the Indo-US civil nuclear deal as "contentious," it pointed out that the agreement, which came after two days of talks in Vienna, cleared the way for the U.S. administration to submit its nuclear trade deal with India to the Congress for approval.
The NSG, which controls the export and sale of nuclear technology worldwide, had been divided on the agreement, passed already by India's parliament in July, the report noted.
The official news agency also quoted some unidentified experts as saying that the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, if implemented, would set a dangerous precedent, which would jeopardise the long-time efforts of the international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism and also trigger a regional nuclear arms race.
The People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China, had published an opinion piece on September 1, describing the India-US nuclear deal "a major blow to the international non-proliferation regime."
Posted by: john frum ||
09/06/2008 14:11 ||
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#1
Chinese diplomats walked out of the NSG meeting.
Bush called up Hu Jintao and read the riot act.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/06/2008 14:15 Comments ||
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#2
NSG should address nuclear "aspirations" of Pakistan too: China
Vienna (PTI): In a major success for India's nuclear ambitions, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on Saturday granted it a crucial waiver that will enable it to carry out nuclear commerce, ending 34 years of isolation enforced in the wake of the 1974 Pokharan nuclear tests. The unprecedented decision of the 45-nation nuclear cartel giving exemption to a country which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a landmark step in the implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal that will now go to the US Congress for approval.
"After protracted negotiations, the NSG on Saturday adopted an exemption for nuclear exports to India," the Austrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "There is a sense of relief. I am particularly happy that the waiver (for India) meets with international nuclear non-proliferation architecture," Peter Launsky, Austrian foreign ministry spokesman said after an unscheduled meeting of the NSG here. Austria, along with Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland had expressed strong reservations over the waiver being given to India that forced the grouping to have an unscheduled meeting on Saturday after two days of deliberations failed to produce a consensus.
China, which had on Friday joined these countries, on Saturday did not oppose the waiver but raised some questions regarding specific issues. After the consensus was adopted, Beijing expressed its stated position.
Some changes have been made to the revised draft of the waiver to assuage concerns of the sceptic countries but details of the exact changes were still not available. Hectic behind the scene negotiations marked the diplomatic triumph for India in which the US played a major part by talking to the naysayers in extended late night discussions.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement yesterday reaffirming India's commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament goals and the reference to its voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing appears to have played a major role in placating the countries that had strong views on proliferation. The four countries were initially not fully satisfied with the statement and wanted this commitment to be incorporated in the US-steered draft waiver. They also wanted inclusion of the consequences that would follow a nuclear test.
But India had been opposed to inclusion of any conditionalities which it felt would undermine its sovereign right to undertake a nuclear test. New Delhi is not a member of the NSG which takes decisions on the principle of consensus.
US acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control John Rood, who steered Washington's campaign in the NSG, described on Saturday's decision as "landmark". He said it was an "important moment" for strengthening non-proliferation regime.
Asked what was the main factor that led to the breakthrough, Launsky said on Friday's statement of Mukherjee assuaged the concerns of Austria and like-minded members making a contribution in achieving the objective. The relief is also there for Austria particularly in the Indian Government's plan for separation of 14 power plants that will come under the inspection of the UN atomic watchdog IAEA. Austria also issued a statement saying it withdrew its objections after Mukherjee's statement which, it said, was decisive. The US officials also contended that transferring nuclear technology to India will bring its atomic programme under closer scrutiny and boost international non-proliferation efforts.
"This is a historical moment for the NSG, for India and for India's relations with the rest of the world," Rood said, adding the "very important" statement issued by Mukherjee yesterday played a major role in discussions at the meeting.
He underscored that it was "a critically important moment" for meeting the energy needs of India and dealing with global challenge of clean energy. Rood appreciated NSG members for their willingness to approach the dialogue constructively and in a manner in which "even with regard to most serious concerns, there was willingness to find a way, to reach a kind of compromise that is necessary in multilateral negotiations.
"Countries had particular concerns, particular historical experience" but they approached the issue with the required "constructive and cooperative" attitude, he added. Britain said it was happy that a compromise had been reached. "We're very pleased that we were able to reach a compromise that everyone could live with," British envoy Simon Smith said.
The NSG was founded after India's 1974 atomic tests.
Officials said US President George W Bush personally lobbied with allies for the waiver.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/06/2008 09:30 ||
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Current and former Indian and US officials who spoke to The Times of India on background described dozens of phone calls "at the highest levels" on Thursday and Friday night to various principals across the world to get the deal through. Among them were calls to Chinese president Hu Jintao and leaders of Ireland, Austria, and New Zealand.
"At the highest levels," is a euphemism for President Bush, whose single-minded pursuit of this deal was largely instrumental in getting it through in the waning days of his second term. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice too pulled her weight, making calls from her Trans-Atlantic that took her to Portugal on Thursday and a historic, path-breaking visit to Libya on Friday. "There wasn't a moment when anyone in Washington took its eyes of the ball," one official said, rebutting earlier questions about the lack of a sense of urgency or purpose in Washington.
Not that Uncle Sam was delicate in the pursuit of its objective. In fact, the word out of Vienna is that US strong-arm tactics left plenty of bruised feelings. "For the first time in my experience of international diplomatic negotiations, a consensus decision was followed by complete silence in the room. No clapping, nothing," one European diplomat complained to Reuters. "It showed a lot of us felt pressured to some extent into a decision by the Americans and few were totally satisfied."
Posted by: john frum ||
09/06/2008 14:57 Comments ||
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#2
brow-beaten diplomats! Oh...the horror
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/06/2008 15:06 Comments ||
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STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Iran has reportedly sentenced four female activists to six months in prison for writings demanding equality for women, a move denounced Friday by Sweden, which awarded a human rights prize to one of the activists earlier this year. The reported sentencing is apparently the latest move in a crackdown by Iranian authorities on women activists who have stepped up a campaign over the past year demanding changes in divorce, inheritance and other laws that discriminate against women.
Parvin Ardalan, the most well-known of the four, had been due to travel to Stockholm in March to collect the Olof Palme award but was barred by Iranian authorities from leaving the country.
She and the other three women were sentenced on Tuesday for writings on several Iranian women's rights Web sites, the independent Iranian daily Kargozaran and a women's web site Kanun-e-Zenan Irani reported. The reports said the women were appealing, and it was not known whether the four had been taken into custody. Iranian judiciary officials could not be reached for comment.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt on Friday condemned the sentences, calling it yet another expression of the deteriorating respect for human rights in Iran." I have previously called attention to Sweden's appreciation of Ardalan and her colleagues' engagement to promote human rights in Iran. Their work is especially important for women's situation in Iran," he said.
The other three activists were identified as Jaleh Javahiri, Mariam Hosseinkhah and Naheed Kashavarz.
Ardalan was among dozens of women arrested during a 2006 demonstration in Tehran demanding equal rights and she was given a three-year suspended prison sentence on charges of jeopardizing national security. Ardalan, a columnist in women's publications, is the co-founder of a campaign aimed at gathering 1 million signatures in favor of equal rights for women.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/06/2008 00:00 ||
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This has been a controversial case, a study of an overreaching government trying to try cases in the press versus a balance of human rights, human wrongs and moral obligations by a religious sect.
There are 13 pending cases. In addition, the grand jury is still meeting and there reportedly have been more indictments issued or are being considered.
Comment by DRJ 9/5/2008 @ 3:11 pm
I haven't followed this that much, but the interviews with the "mothers" were freaky and disturbing. Only a gut-feeling, no proof, but I got the feeling that some things were going on that were weird. The lockstep Stepford look and talking points, the unclear parentage and marriage ages of girls? Perhaps the Texas CPS overplayed, but this group begs observation. We don't allow "group mores" to override state and civil mores. The big mistake, apparently, was in the "unified, global" hearing... done for reasons of cost and efficiency, but ultimately unworkable. Keep an eye on these people, but don't over-react...and don't accept out-of-state anonymous payphone accusations
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/06/2008 19:57 Comments ||
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#2
Polygamy is illegal in this country. Cults led by a Dear Leader, sadly, are not. The only reason this group has not imploded is because they have been allowed to dump their excess young men on the outside world.
We've been tolerating these old-style "Mormons" for entirely too long.
Check out the comments thread at the "Oprah.com Community"--here's some samples:
Well, I am not surprised. As someone who HAD enjoyed everything Oprah for years I had become very disappointed in some of her decisions on the political front and this one is not exception.
You have Obama on not once but TWICE during this current race, openly campaigned for him on your show and we now have another "historical" candidate in this race and for this one you REFUSE to have HER on!
How very disappointing, how sexist, how very partisan and political on your part!
I sure hope you and your staff change your mind but I won't hold my breath.
All this decision does is reinforce my decision from a year or so ago to..
1) stop watching your show
2) stop "drinking the Oprah kool-aid" on all things in the world
3) stopped reading my Oprah magazine and when it was time to renew a year ago I did not. Each and every time I get a renewal form for it in the mail I not only not renew, I write a letter and give the exact reasons why I will NEVER renew the magazine!!!
How dissapointing you would choose YOUR personal political views on this race and YOUR candidate and not on this race as a whole....
Oprah, thank you so much for responding. I have watched your show, listened to your advice and benefitted from your giving Spirit over the years and I am heart sick that you are not going to have Sarah Palin on your show prior to the election. Everyone knows you are an Obama supporter and that is terrific for you (and for him), however, hasn't your message over the years been to raise women up to be the fullest, best person they can be? Was it all a lie? This is so hypocritical of you and I'm shocked at your position. In Marianne Williamson's book....she describes a President that is strong, honest, patriotic and true...and then she reveals that this President is a woman!! We ~we may very well be getting closer to that day and you are turning your back on it.
Please don't be afraid Oprah. Honor the present moment and be fair. It is not disloyal to have the other side on your show- it is Fair and with journalistic integrity to present all sides of an issue.
When you close your eyes...take a deep breath and ponder this situation, I pray your heart will lead you to do the right thing and practice what you have preached all these years.
"I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates." Is this a correct statement? I took it from your above statement. So if this is the case, why did you have Barack and Michelle on your show? Please don't say it was before he announced that he would run for President because I am sure that he had already made that decision. Just because he did not announce it to the public does not mean that he wasn't on that road. I am just disgusted at your statement. You most certainly used your show to platform the Obama's. Who do you think you are fooling? Nice Oprah. Way to be honest with your viewers.
While this is only my second posting, I've watched Oprah since the original book club began. I understand that she supports Senator Obama and that's been all right with me until now. Oprah has alway sought to inform women. Apparently she is afraid that informing us about Gov. Sarah Palin would be ill-advised. She doesn't trust us to make our own decisions. Now I'll have to find something else to tune the TV to when I'm cleaning house in between getting home from work myself and my family getting home.
To paraphrase a certain "spiritual mentor," Barack Obama's chickenssssssss are comin' home to roost.
#4
I never listened to Oprah to begin with. Of cource, I never listened to Davis Duke either.
Posted by: Minister of funny walks ||
09/06/2008 16:57 Comments ||
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#5
First of all the name was "David Duke"
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/06/2008 17:07 Comments ||
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#6
I'm not surprised that Oprah refuses to host Sarah. Her entire show is based on victimhood. Oh lookie, today for our guest we have another object of pity. Don't we all feel better about ourselves now?
Sarah just doesn't fit that mold. Oprah wouldn't know what to do with her.
#1
Wow...Hot now...volcanic then. Let's see...smart, sexy, driven, faithful to God and her husband, great mom, patriotic, fearless...I could go on but just WOW
BHO will remember her speach as the day his candidacy died....
Oil prices sank below $106 a barrel Friday as a jump in the U.S. unemployment rate signaled to traders that Americans might keep paring back their energy use to save money. The Labor Department said the economy lost jobs in August for the eighth consecutive month--and at a faster-than-expected pace. The unemployment rate spiked to 6.1 percent from 5.7 percent in July, above the 5.8 percent rate that analysts forecast. "There's been a terrific amount of growing concern about the outlook for demand globally," said John Kilduff, senior vice president of risk management at MF Global LLC. "Today's employment report emboldened that concern."
Light, sweet crude for October delivery fell $1.93 to $105.96 a barrel in afternoon trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after falling to $105.13, its lowest trading level since early April. Since surging to a record $147.27 a barrel on July 11, crude has dropped by over $40, or more than 27 percent.
What could possibly stanch the drop is a cutback in production. Investors are waiting to see if OPEC decides to restrict oil output at its meeting next week in Vienna in response to the two-month plunge in prices. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has indicated it may take action to defend the $100-a-barrel level for crude. But with the dollar on the rebound, many analysts say even a production cutback could prove ineffectual in boosting oil prices.
The dollar weakened modestly against the euro and pound on Friday after the employment report, but rose against the yen. The dollar's recent comeback has helped accelerate oil's price decline. Commodities were bought by many funds to hedge against inflation and weakness in the U.S. currency, so when the dollar rebounded, funds unwound those hedges, thereby driving commodities prices lower.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/06/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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#1
Weird.
Strangely enough, bucking what the left and some republicans are saying, I am covered up with work at the moment.
#2
Americas enemies aren't going to like $60 a brl oil. Typical Republicans. Always antagonizing our enemies. Any smart person knows that the way to avoid war would be to weaken the dollar.
/sarc
In all seriousness though. I'm a little concerned about how Iran, Russia, Saudi et all will react when they come down off their high. Like, major bummerage, dudes. Bush is harshing on our realm.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
09/06/2008 1:28 Comments ||
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#3
The dollar's recent comeback has helped accelerate oil's price decline.
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.
Newest:
After further falls on Friday, the Russian stock market has plunged more than 30% since the country's invasion of Georgia last month. Investor confidence has been hit hard by the conflict.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Iran has reportedly sentenced four female activists to six months in prison for writings demanding equality for women, a move denounced Friday by Sweden, which awarded a human rights prize to one of the activists earlier this year. The reported sentencing is apparently the latest move in a crackdown by Iranian authorities on women activists who have stepped up a campaign over the past year demanding changes in divorce, inheritance and other laws that discriminate against women.
Oil prices sank below $106 a barrel Friday as a jump in the U.S. unemployment rate signaled to traders that Americans might keep paring back their energy use to save money. The Labor Department said the economy lost jobs in August for the eighth consecutive month--and at a faster-than-expected pace. The unemployment rate spiked to 6.1 percent from 5.7 percent in July, above the 5.8 percent rate that analysts forecast. "There's been a terrific amount of growing concern about the outlook for demand globally," said John Kilduff, senior vice president of risk management at MF Global LLC. "Today's employment report emboldened that concern." 
