Freedom of the Press

From Don Surber:

Publishing 29 stories about a lie about a flushed Koran is bad enough. But when a newspaper then refuses to publish one story about a very real handbook on torture that is used by the enemy, that newspaper is no longer being objective.

It is taking sides.

And not the right side, at that.

Many good people made great sacrifices for freedom of the press. It is sad to see today's newspaper people piddle away that heritage.

That's the close to the column, but hardly the best of it. Read it all.

The Times hasn't been bludgeoned so badly in quite some time...

Kos rips Fred

I just wonder if Markos knows much of anything about things that happened before 2002. First, check out the post here. Then check out Fred's bio here or here or hell, even here.

You'll notice that Fred has a number of fine accomplishments on his resume, most occurring long before Mr. Moulitsas' rise to fame.

Stick that in your Coffee Pot and smoke it!

Yes, it's good for something other than that fake smile first thing in the AM:

People joke about their coffee tasting like battery acid. But some newly published research suggests drinking coffee can help reduce unhealthy levels of uric acid in the bloodstream.
Uric acid is a natural waste product from the breakdown of foods containing purines, and normally is regularly flushed out through the kidneys. But some people either produce excessive amounts of uric acid or don't eliminate it efficiently.

High uric acid levels can contribute to a variety of health problems, from the arthritic disease gout to increased insulin resistance and risk of dementia and heart disease.
Gout occurs after excessive levels of uric acid for months and years leaves deposits of crystals in the joints.

Dr. Hyon Choi of the University of British Columbia and Brigham and Women's Hospital and colleagues looked at two groups -- 14,000 adult men and women who were part of a national health and nutrition survey between 1988 and 1994, and a group of 45,000 men 40 and older who were studied over 12 years starting in 1986.

Results from both groups, published in the journals Arthritis and Rheumatism and Arthritis Care and Research, showed that levels of uric acid in the blood significantly decreased as coffee intake increased, but not so with tea consumption. And the effect was even seen among those who drank decaffeinated coffee, suggesting that some component of coffee besides caffeine impacts uric acid.

Something I will point to next time somebody harasses me about my pot-a-day habit...

Why the Floor may Drop Out

At the Corner, this post captures perfectly the frustration of the President's last remnant of supporters.


For years now there's been a minimum of 35% or so percent of the public that disapproves of the job he's doing--they hate the way he speaks, much less his policies. These have been effectively gone since immediately after 9/11.


On the other end, roughly another 1/3 of the public have supported most, if not all the President's efforts on foreign or domestic policy with some specific exceptions such as Harriet Miers and Dubai Ports World. And in the middle have sat independents and reasonable folk of both left and right.


They have fluctuated from issue to issue and time to time, though over the course of the last year and a half on Iraq, they have swung to decisive disagreements with the President at home and abroad.


So what of K-Lo's post? Well, that dwindling third that I mentioned above is now being told by the President and a strange collection of Pro-Immigration Reform activists to shut up and sit down. This is absurd.


How is the man willing to alienate this small and dwindling group when it is all that stands between he and flat-out, no holds barred, all-time historic lows in Presidential approval?

A Broken Record

I keep saying it and nobody cares. For a second time in a matter of months, Big Oil has said it:

“It is true that gasoline prices move with oil prices, but ... demand continues to go up. Even with gas prices over $3 per gallon, demand continues to go up. That's really quite surprising,” James Mulva, chairman and CEO of Houston-based ConocoPhillips, said during an exclusive interview on TODAY.

“The issue is providing supply. We are running our refineries at capacity ...

That of course is not all he said, though it is the salient point.

In an effort to quell the rumours before they start, all I can say about the real possibility raised by the near identical nature of our rhetoric, that I am in fact James Mulva is this...you won't see us together at parties!

Admission against Interest

Robert Rosenthal, now former Managing Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle comments on the state of the Newspaper industry on his way out the door. And it ain't good:

"I really want to be in a situation where I can build something rather than take it apart," Rosenthal said. "It might be a newspaper or it might be a new kind of news organization. I think it's time where the skills we have as journalists can be applied in a different way. The business model for newspapers is clearly broken."

I guess that Settles It!

Kevin Drum is now convinced that Valerie Plame was in fact covert at the time her name was made public in 2003. All because Patrick Fitzgerald says so:

In a court filing today, Patrick Fitzgerald provides a summary of Valerie Plame Wilson's status with the CIA's Counterproliferation Division at the time she was outed to the press by members of the Bush administration. Guess what? She was covert:

While assigned to CPD, Ms. Wilson engaged in temporary duty (TDY) travel overseas on official business. She traveled at least seven times to more than ten countries. When traveling overseas, Ms. Wilson always traveled under a cover identity — sometimes in true name and sometimes in alias — but always using cover — whether official or non-official cover (NOC) — with no ostensible relationship to the CIA.

At the time of the initial unauthorized disclosure in the media of Ms. Wilson's employment relationship with the CIA on 14 July 2003, Ms. Wilson was a covert employee for whom the CIA was taking affirmative measures to conceal her intelligence relationship to the United States.

So that settles that. I hope the wingosphere can finally stop bleating about how she wasn't "really" covert and there was no harm in what Libby et. al. did.

Right wingosphere Plameologist Tom Maguire begs to differ. He writes, actually in response to the typically snarky Glenn Greenwald, that:

1. As to "Plame's covert status is based upon the CIA's own internal documents which make clear she was covert", I have labored at length to point out that the CIA, in its own vernacular, uses "covert" and "classified" interchangeably without regard to the IIPA. This was emphasized in my discussion of the Waxman hearing (linked above under "noted at the time") and is not a new point. However, I did allude to it in the original post above by saying "Waxman quite clearly danced around the question of whether Ms. Plame was "covert" as defined by the IIPA rather than by the less exacting in-house CIA standard". This semantic point - "covert" is used interchangeably with "classifed" by the CIA but is not consistent with "covert" a sper the relavant [sic] statute - is simply not controversial, subtle, or new.

Perhaps irrelevant in the short-term. Val may very well have been covert as defined under the IIPA and I remain open to the possibility, but seems to me the source for that conclusion ought to be the CIA, not Fitz.

Don't ignore Maguire's point that the CIA still has, presumably, not done the leg-work necessary to clearly, concisely and once-and-for-all put the question to rest: So what was the opinion of CIA Counsel on Ms. Plame's status under the statute? That would not be fully dispositive either, but it would certainly carry some weight. Bob Novak followed up on this with various annoyed Republican Congressman, and wrote this on April 12:

On March 21, Hoekstra [Ranking Republican on the House Intel Committee] again requested the CIA to define Mrs. Wilson's status. A written reply April 5 from Christopher J. Walker, the CIA's director of congressional affairs, said only that "it is taking longer than expected" to reply because of "the considerable legal complexity required for this tasking."

So as of April 2007 the CIA had not yet done the homework to form an opinion.

This of course is all irrevelant in the bigger picture. Sim rightly pointed out in another venue that the narrative on this has already been written. We'll sooner see it fossilized than changed at this point.

What of course is only slightly humorous is that neither Kevin nor Glenn nor any of the usual suspects triumphant over today's revelations have anything to say about the Changing stories of Valerie Plame.

Like I'm surprised.

Downing Street-ish

Kevin Drum discussed Jonathan Schwartz's take on Peter Eiser's tome, The Italian Letter in this blog post yesterday. I understand the reason folks want to run with his highlighted quote but it all struck me as somewhat Downing Street Memo-ish.


The funny part was, apparently more than a few commenters were less-than-convinced as I was. Highly unusual for Drum's crew.

Bravery under Fire

Nothing like the courage of your convictions, is there!?

Hold on to your wallet, again!

This is really Sim's job but I'll give you the first heads-up. Hillary's talking about money again and seems we all ought to start getting nervous:

Hillary's talking "fairness."

Among her proposals in today's speech:

-"requiring big oil companies to either invest in alternative energy or pay into the Strategic Energy Fund to spur clean energy research and development."

-Without any specific legislative proposals, Hillary declares, "There needs to be greater public scrutiny of CEO pay, and more independence of Boards of Directors."

-reducing our dependence on foreign creditors (e.g. China); returning high-income tax rates to the 1990s levels; reforming the AMT; and ensuring that corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

Senator, "returning high-income tax rates to the 1990s levels" is raising taxes. Come on. You can say it. "I want to raise taxes."

A lot of people were, presumably, surprised to learn in the late 1990's that the other Clinton had an ongoing issue with truth-telling. I never understood this; it wasn't well hidden in the '92 campaign. Anybody paying attention at the time could have seen what was coming.

So I wonder with regard to the other Other Clinton, are we sitting here in the same boat? I mean, through some horrible set of misfortunes should she become President and taxes start going up, will we have any right to claim surprise?

When is a Dictator an Idiot?

When an idiot is Dictator. Or, when your name is Hugo Chavez:

Meanwhile, multiple sources around Caracas report that at a recent cabinet meeting, Chávez excoriated his ministers for disobeying his “orders” to stop inflation. Inflation has been spiraling as a result of Chávez’s reckless economic “policies” (if that is not too charitable a term). As a result, Chávez was moved to impose price controls in many categories of basic foodstuffs, which has predictably led to food shortages (despite huge oil windfalls) which has led to decrees obligating farmers and supermarkets to keep producing and selling, even if they incur losses.

Paints a picture of quite the econ whiz...

I thought he was smarter than this

Markos writes at the Daily Kos today:

It's actually quite amazing how poorly Rove is aging as his strategies and insights are not just a source of the GOP's current woes, but make little sense moving forward. Take for example his fantasy that eBay business people are natural GOP allies --

As a small business person myself, my biggest worries are 1) health care for my family (my rates nearly doubled this year, and they cover less and less), and 2) the influence of Big Business on my ability to operate effectively. In my case, it's the caustic influence of the big Telcos and their efforts to destroy Net Neutrality.

Health care is a universal concern for small business owners. And which small business retailer or manufacturer isn't worried about Wal-Mart destroying their livelihood?

It's that last line that gets me. Is it some sort of moral imperative for liberal Democrats that requires a good trashing of Walmart whenever possible? His other points aren't unreasonable nor unreasonably stated. In some instances, he's correct in terms of the market responses to Democratic and Republican policies.

But that case about Walmart isn't borne out. Anecdotal though it is, I can tell you there are plenty of small retailers who don't worry about that. Like us, for example.

Thank You

A Lesson in Utility

It is to laugh. Everybody say "Bye bye...":

However, when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode and the "left" started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used. I guess no one paid attention to me when I said that the issue of peace and people dying for no reason is not a matter of "right or left", but "right and wrong."

I think Glenn nails it on this one: ...when her utility as a Bush-bashing tool evaporated, the media weren't interested. Not even most of the alt-media.

Pluralism Sunday

Today was Pluralism Sunday:

TCPC Promotes "Pluralism Sunday" for Progressive Christian Communities
This coming Pentecost, May 27, 2007, TCPC is inviting all affiliate congregations and other churches around the country to celebrate what we are calling Pluralism Sunday. We are encouraging the progressive Christian community to take this opportunity to celebrate the harmony and understanding that is possible among followers of different religions and spiritual traditions.

Pluralism Sunday is a step toward breaking down the walls of pride and prejudice that fuel culture clashes and foster physical violence in our homes, in our communities, and in the world.

We are proposing Pluralism Sunday as…

*time to bring people of other faiths to preach or help lead worship
*time to teach young people about the validity and value of other faiths
*time to integrate other religious traditions in worship through songs and liturgy
*time to let your wider community know that your church embraces religious pluralism: it’s an evangelism opportunity for reaching the many people who reject Christianity because they think it claims the only path to God.

Have we so forgotten the core convictions of our Christian faith that this is OK?

Traveshamocracy

I wish I could take credit for it. Alas, I cannot. I was introduced to it here though I suppose it's entirely possible it's been around a while.

I don't get out much these days.

Still more Scenes from the Mini-Vacation

A stone's throw from the Hotel (literally, you could throw one into the grove) is a bird sanctuary, this area hosting Blue Herons.

As I walked down to the water to shoot the Rock, these guys caught my eye.

A quick turn of the head to the left and I was greeted with this shot, a multitude of nests high in the numerous trees.

While staring out at the Rock and taking it all in for several minutes, it was as though they all realized it was now dinner time and began an orderly departure in pairs to points North of the Hotel.

What wasn't splattered all over CNN and the NYT

Britain's Telegraph reports the latest on the 'reformulating, reconstituting' Taliban in Afghanistan:

The Taliban's much-vaunted spring offensive has stalled apparently due to lack of organisation after dozens of middle-ranking commanders were killed by British troops in the past year, according to military sources. The death last week of the key Taliban leader Mullah Dadullah at the hands of American special forces has harmed the Taliban's morale to the point that local commanders are having to tell their troops to "remain professional" despite the loss. After suffering more than 1,000 dead in battles with the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines in the last year, the Taliban retired to regroup and re-equip last winter. A spring offensive was ordered by the Taliban leadership based in Quetta, Pakistan, and was meant to be launched in late March. But a lack of mid-level commanders has meant that there has been little co-ordination to bring about the offensive. "They are getting strategic guidance from Quetta but this is not translating on the ground," a military source said. "It's a bit premature to discuss the Taliban as a spent force. I believe that they are struggling but still maintain a capability to carry out attacks on a daily basis. But I would suggest in the long term the Taliban may just peter out."

Now doesn't this jibe with the argument I advanced with two posts in the last year on the subject of increased violence resulting from an ISAF offensive rather than a resurgent Taliban? Why is no one reporting that the ISAF (read: British, American and Dutch) efforts have been successful in decapitating the Taliban and apparently degrading 10% of the fighters they claimed they were putting in the field? Wouldn't this be considered progress? Why haven't the major outlets reported the good news from Helmland?

A Tet too Far?

My initial reaction to Jules Crittenden at Pajamas Media was to ask myself that question. Then I re-read my own response to the Guardian story and wondered just how much of a difference there was.

From Jules:

The plan was revealed recently by a blabbermouth rep who promptly stuck her foot in it. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) a founding member of the House Out of Iraq Caucus, said she expects there will be even more pressure to withdraw troops in two months if events in Iraq continue on their current violent course. “In two months it might be really clear how bad it is,” Woolsey said.

As the Democrats now fall back, their assault utterly routed, it becomes clearer what their strategy will be. It will be a variation on a Russian scorched-earth strategy. The Democrats now desperately need George Bush’s surge and the efforts of American soldiers on the ground to fail in the long Iraqi summer. Only they don’t intend to personally torch anything. The Democrats expect others to do their dirty work for them.

Enter the Democrats’ strongest ally in the region: Iran. Next week, the U.S. and Iranian ambassadors to Iraq will be sitting down to discuss the stability and security of Iraq. We don’t know what they will say to each other, what subtle message will be conveyed under the diplomatic niceties. Intelligence leaks have signalled with incredibly poor timing that the United States does not intend to take forceful action against Iran. This comes with the news that Iran has plans of its own. Britain’s Guardian newspaper, which recently laid out evidence of Iranian meddling in Basra, weighs in this week with a report that U.S. officials believe Iran is coordinating with al-Qaeda in Iraq, other Sunni insurgent groups, and Shiite militias for a big summer offensive. Not terribly hard to believe, as it would only be an escalation of what Iran has been suspected of doing for some time. Playing both sides against the middle.

In short, Iran’s goal this summer is to shed enough blood and create enough chaos in Iraq to undermine any confidence in the surge and tip the balance in a wavering Congress.Iran wants a Tet. So do the Democrats.

Ouch. Too far I wondered...but then again, I was at least as un-charitable in my own assessment if less verbose: I for one have no trouble believing that the American Left--inside or outside of Congress--are tools enough to gladly give them what they want.

Un-charitable and un-kind. Yeah, but they've pretty much earned it with 3 years of incessant criticism, warranted or not (and there has been plenty of the former which makes me wonder why they've invested so much time and effort in the latter) that they find themselves too invested in failure.

Unfortunately, we'll all suffer for it if they get their way.

Not in my Job Description

How many sales guys does it take to prep 13 boxes on the shipping dock?