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March 31, 2006
The Fans Keep Shouting
The Huffington Post has a link to an article about Rove and Bush manipulating information regarding Iraq prior to the 2004 election. (HuffPost)
Karl Rove, President Bush's chief political adviser, cautioned other White House aides in the summer of 2003 that Bush's 2004 re-election prospects would be severely damaged if it was publicly disclosed that he had been personally warned that a key rationale for going to war had been challenged within the administration.
I am amazed that over 1200 people posted comments. Is this news a surprise? Is it not more of the same old thing? Why even waste the couple of minutes to post a comment? Preaching to the choir? Rallying the fans? I don't know.
Posted by Chip Spear at 5:26 PM | Comments (1)
Is Joe in for a Tough Game?
Joe Lieberman faces a potential primary run against upcoming challenger Ned Lamont. Will it happen? Is the dissatisfaction with Joe big enough to translate into problems at the Democratic State Convention? Can Ned raise enough cash? Check out the video for Political Sports' expert analysis.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:57 PM | Comments (2)
March 30, 2006
A Hot Recruit for the Republicans
Seems like there is another potential player for the Republican team. (NCh5)
Rep. Debra Maggart, R-Hendersonville, said she still believes homosexual couples should not be allowed to adopt children. In fact, in addition to e-mail correspondence with a master's student at Vanderbilt publicized recently, in which she said as much, she has also said homosexual couples may molest the children they adopt.
"We also have seen evidence that homosexual couples prey on young males and have, in some instances, adopted them in order to have unfretted access to subject them to a life of molestation and sexual abuse," she said.
Thanks and a tip of the hat to Ivan Katz for the link.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:00 PM | Comments (3)
Cavs Finally Make the Playoffs
As a long time Cleveland Cavaliers fan, actually Cleveland anything fan, I am pleased that LeBron James helped them to the playoffs for the first time since 1998. (CNNSI)
James helped end the NBA's third-longest playoff drought by scoring 46 points in a 107-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, clinching Cleveland's first postseason berth since 1998.
Cleveland sports fans are long suffering. We appreciate any ray of sunshine we can find.
Posted by Chip Spear at 12:50 PM | Comments (2)
Good Analysis of the Iran Sanctions Game
Carne Ross presents us with a good analysis of some of the issues surrounding Iran, nukes and sanctions in the Washington Post. (WaPo)
Posted by Chip Spear at 12:48 PM | Comments (1)
Immigration Game Update
We are still early in the first quarter of this game, but the play is hot, fun-filled and furious. Check out the video.
Posted by Chip Spear at 12:20 PM | Comments (1)
The Bible as a Text Book
ABC News reported this morning that the Georgia legislature passed a law stating that the Bible would be classified as a text book and used in the Georgia public schools. I wonder if they made the same accommodation for the Koran and Torah? Nothing like separation of church and state or imposing religion is there?
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:44 AM | Comments (3)
March 28, 2006
Player of the Week - 3/27 - Kim Jong Il
Kim Jong Il wins this week's Political Sports Player of the Week Award. President Kim, fearless leader of North Korea said that North Korea now has the ability to launch a preemptive strike against its enemies (AP)
North Korea suggested Tuesday it had the ability to launch a pre-emptive attack on the United States, according to the North's official news agency. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the North had built atomic weapons to counter the U.S. nuclear threat.
"As we declared, our strong revolutionary might put in place all measures to counter possible U.S. pre-emptive strike," the spokesman said, according to the Korean Central News Agency. "Pre-emptive strike is not the monopoly of the United States."
You have to hand it to the little man. He might be crazy, but no denying that he has guts.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2006
Fabulous Fumble of the Week - 3/27
This week's winner of our Fabulous Fumble of the Week Award goes to former First Lady Barbara Bush. Despite stiff competition from the Afghan government for "allowing" a man who converted from Islam to Christianity to be put on trial and face execution, and Michael Chertoff, who now, four and one-half years after 9/11, advocates a security program for the chemical industry but only provides minimal safeguards, we feel that Barbara's Katrina relief donation takes the cake. She specified that her donation end up with a software company run by her son that provides educational programming for schools. Barbara really dropped the ball there. Congratulations Barbara for winning this week's award.
Posted by Chip Spear at 6:33 PM | Comments (2)
March 26, 2006
Iran Continues to Bob and Weave
Iran continues to bob and weave around the nuclear issue, saying it supports the Russian and Chinese approach to resolving the conflict.(CNA)
Iran "supports and is happy with the position (of Russia and China) in favour of pursuing negotiations in a bid to find a solution acceptable to all parties and examination of the (nuclear) question under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency" (IAEA), Irna quoted Mottaki as saying.
The UN Security Council has attempted in vain to agree on a deadline for Tehran to comply with IAEA demands to abandon all activities linked to the enrichment of uranium.
Ducking, bobbing, sliding from side to side, evading punches from the west, seems like a prefectly fine defense to me. If I were the Iranians I would be doing the same thing. I would also work on getting anyone who was economically, or potentially economically dependent on me to play on my team, like for example Russia and China.
Russia, backed by China, insists on the Security Council playing a supporting role to the IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog, and rejects any deadline which appears like an ultimatum linked to possible sanctions.
Lavrov said Friday that Moscow could not accept any decision on Iran reached by Western powers without prior consultation with Russia.
Russia's economic links with Iran grew substantially over the past couple of years.(AxisGlobal)
volume of trade in the last year grew by 43 per cent compared to 2003, and exceeded $2 billion. As examples of a fruitful bilateral cooperation, the Russian diplomat mentioned the nuclear reactor in Busher the telecommunications satellite "Zohre (Venus,) and joint projects within the framework of the International Transport Corridor
China is in the same position. (ISN)
In mid-February 2006, amid controversy over Iran's nuclear research program, China and Iran announced an energy deal potentially worth US$100 billion. According to the agreement, state-owned China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, or Sinopec, will develop Iran's Yadavaran oil field, and China agreed to buy from Iran ten million tons of liquefied natural gas per year for 25 years beginning in 2009. Sinopec would assume a 51 percent stake in the field, expected to produce 300,000 barrels per day, with 29 percent going to India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (O.N.G.C.) and the remaining 20 percent to either Iranian firms or another foreign company such as Royal Dutch Shell.
This deal is the latest and most significant step in economic relations between the two states. Trade between China and Iran increased from US$1.2 billion in 1998 to US$7.5 billion in 2004, and jumped to US$9.5 billion in 2005. China currently imports about 13 percent of its oil from Iran alone and, as consumption continues to rise, will be increasingly reliant on foreign oil.
Given the economic links it should be no surprise that the Chinese and Russians are reluctant to agree to any sanctions. They each have too much at stake. I am curious how this will play out.
Posted by Chip Spear at 7:01 PM | Comments (1)
March 24, 2006
Chris Matthews Kicks Bush's Butt
Chris Matthews slammed President Bush, Cheney and the White House on Imus this morning, giving example after example of Bush lying about Iraq and the invasion. Unfortunately I do not have a link to any footage. Chris is usually so careful or errs on the side of the White House these days. I was frankly rather shocked. He said that they basically lied about everything. Not one thing they said about Saddam and the invasion has turned out to be true. He cited specific quotes by the President and Cheney from before the invasion and after which clearly detail lies and misleading statements. Wow, it was quite a performance.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:26 PM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2006
Deal Me In, Boys
Kim Jong Il....the guy cracks me up. Crazy,yes....Nuts, probably....Egomaniac, yes...dangerous, most definitely. That man is determined to be a major player on the world stage. I have mentioned this more than once. The AP reports today:
"As we declared, our strong revolutionary might put in place all measures to counter possible U.S. pre-emptive strike," the spokesman said, according to the Korean Central News Agency. "Pre-emptive strike is not the monopoly of the United States."
Given the fact that the U.S. called North Korea one of the three members of the "Axis of Evil", invaded one of them to supposedly destroy their WMD and is making noises about the other, it makes perfect sense that Kim would want nukes to protect himself from the U.S. In addition I am sure he figures that if the U.S. is breaking the Nuclear Non-Profliferation Treaty when it suits its purposes, well then, he should have the same right.
The man wants to be a major player. He wants to play poker with the big boys in the region. I sense the only way that will happen is if he has his weapons and occasionally threatens to use them.
Posted by Chip Spear at 5:43 PM | Comments (0)
You Don't Get Rich Off Your Enemies
Barbara Bush donated money for Katrina relief and designated that much of it go to her son's software company. (THC)
Former first lady Barbara Bush donated an undisclosed amount of money to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund with specific instructions that the money be spent with an educational software company owned by her son Neil.
Who would have thought that something like this could ever happen at this point?
Posted by Chip Spear at 5:05 PM | Comments (0)
Feingold Plays for Himself
Russ Feingold appeared on Jon Stewart last night and reiterated his desire to censure President Bush. From a strategic perspective it was probably a good move for him, but not particularly good for the Democrats. If he is seriously running for President in 2008, the move differentiates him from other Dems. He presents himself as more than willing to take on the White House, unlike other potential candidates who waffle about the war, wiretaps and torture. That is a good thing. However the Dems are more concerned with winning either the House or Senate this fall.
I don't think the problem is that other Dems in Congress don't want to support him, rather it is that they think a push to censure will galvanize the right, which is exactly what they don't want. The Republicans are in the process of self-destructing. The Dems don't want to do anything that might result in their working together to fight a Democratic attack on their President. This would be disastrous for the 2006 mid-term elections. Dems see a great opportunity. If they take one of the two houses they will open some serious investigations. If they don't then investigations will not happen. The Republicans working together against a Democratic attack on the President will make it much harder.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:01 PM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2006
Soriano Decides to Play Ball
The Nationals reported today that Alfonso Soriano agreed to move from second base and play in the outfield. Good for him. I realize that it is not his normal position, but it seems like the right thing to do in a team sport. (AP)
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:55 PM | Comments (2)
This is Great Story
A score for American Technology and western thought in our war against the folks from the 10th Century. NASA launched three microsatellites into space today to study the Earth's magnetic fields. (AP).
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:21 PM | Comments (1)
More Fumbles Than We Imagined
Reports surfaced that the U.S. ignored information provided by one of Saddam's inner circle stating that he did not have any nukes. (MSNBC)
Now NBC News has learned that for a short time the CIA had contact with a secret source at the highest levels within Saddam Hussein’s government, who gave them information far more accurate than what they believed. It is a spy story that has never been told before, and raises new questions about prewar intelligence.
At this point it should not be the least bit surprising that the information was ignored. It falls into a pattern that the Administration did not care about the veracity of their claims of WMD. They were going to war.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:53 PM | Comments (1)
Paranoia Hits the Church
The Catholic Church is obviously feeling a little more paranoid than usual recently. Dan Brown's novel, "The Da Vinci Code," is about to be released as a movie and the church is worried about its influence. The Church feels threatened by this piece of fiction, using history as a starting point for a fast-paced conspiracy theory thriller. Web sites, articles, books and spokesmen are all on the offensive to counteract the books claims. (CSM) The Church must be concerned that people will be influenced by the book's claims and come to believe it more than the Church. (Amazon) You might also find this 40 minute interview on NPR's Fresh Air extremely interesting.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:46 AM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2006
Sharia Keeps On The Offensive
We should never forget who and what we are dealing with. (ABC)
Despite the overthrow of the fundamentalist Taliban government and the presence of 22,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, a man who converted to Christianity is being prosecuted in Kabul, and a judge said Sunday that if convicted, he faces the death penalty.
Abdul Rahman, who is in his 40s, says he converted to Christianity 16 years ago while working as an aid worker helping Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Relatives denounced him as a convert during a custody battle over his children, and he was arrested last month. The prosecutor says Rahman was found with a Bible.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:23 PM | Comments (0)
Republicans Can't Decide What to Do Either
Republicans find themselves in much the same boat as Democrats in that they are having trouble defining a clear agenda for their constituents. As mentioned here, and in other publications and web sites, the Democrats have had this problem for quite some time. I would contend that when a political group lacks leadership, everyone struggles to agree on a message.
Republican efforts to craft a policy and political agenda to carry the party into the midterm elections have stumbled repeatedly as GOP leaders face widespread disaffection and disagreement within the ranks.
Anxiety over President Bush's Iraq policy, internal clashes over such divisive issues as immigration, and rising complaints that the party has abandoned conservative principles on spending restraint have all hobbled the effort to devise an election-year message, said several lawmakers involved in the effort.
While it is a Republican refrain that Democrats criticize Bush but have no positive vision, for now the governing party also has no national platform around which lawmakers are prepared to rally....
One Republican strategist, who asked not to be identified so he could speak openly about the party's problems, said divisions between moderates and conservatives have left the House and Senate Republican conferences in disarray. "Getting consensus on policy matters ..... is very difficult," he said. "That has caused stagnation and led to perceptions that Republican governance is going nowhere."
In this case Bush is losing control of his party. Fellow Republicans move away from his problems and start looking for alternatives. They won't align with him in November if seen as a liability.
If he and Karl aren't coaching the team and calling the plays, who is?
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:45 AM | Comments (0)
A Real Team Player
Nothing like a guy who makes $10 million in a team sport to put himself before the team. Alfonso Soriano has decided that he doesn't want to play in the outfield, he wants to play at his normal position, second base. It doesn't matter that second base is already occupied by an All-Star, Jose Vidro, and that Soriano is new to the team. His attitude...screw them. What a great sportsman. (AP)
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:54 AM | Comments (1)
March 20, 2006
Who Are We?
I get up everyday and read the NY Times. Occasionally I finish reading the front page, editorials and op-eds and feel sick. I think how horrible the country is or how disgusted I am with the government. I get discouraged by the thought that we have to endure almost three more years of this administration.
Congressional Republicans support a President who allows torture and misled the country into a war costing hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars. Thousands of American soldiers are killed and injured while VA funding, especially medical services, is cut. Rendition, torture, deception, wiretaps, secret prisons, prisoners dying from torture, wars based on lies, threatening the courts, interpreting laws to suit personal needs, appointing friends and supporters to high positions of power, acting outside the law, suspending habeas corpus, tax cuts for the wealthy and the largest budget deficits in history all occur and yet there are millions of supporters who think this is more than fine. I read today that Bush's Budget proposal cuts cancer prevention programs. The upper 2% in our country get richer while the lower 98% get comparatively poorer.
Internationally, our war inflames anti-American passions around the world. We systematically break international agreements. Global warming might as well be a Disney fantasy film. We accuse three countries of being the "Axis of Evil", invade one of them and then are outraged when the other two refuse to give up their nuclear ambitions. One wonders if they might want to protect themselves. For the most part we have completely ignored Darfur, where thousands die at the hand of government backed genocidal militias.
Last week on a TV show called Boston Legal James Spader's character ran down a litany of occurences, some of which I mentioned above, the lying about war, the torture, the threat to civil rights, etc. and asked, "Where was the outrage? Where were the protests?" Yes, there are a few small ones, and some of us care; we read blogs, post comments (many of which are rather inflammatory) and support organizations like MoveOn.org, which is a good start and certainly better than nothing. Some of us work for candidates or participate in our communities. But for the most part the country does little. Bush’s poll numbers drop, but folks generally go to work and spend their nights watching television or playing with the latest tech toys.
Too many of us blindly follow our teams; Republicans, Democrats, Green Party, Christians, Jews, Muslims, environmentalists, oil industry, whatever. We suspend our analytical thinking and refuse to question our own decisions. We see too much of the "my team, right or wrong" attitude. How else to explain the thinking of 50,000 people turning out to mourn someone like Slobodan Milosevic, a known torturer and political, murderous thug? The same thing happens here. We are not who we say we are. We do not respect other points of view. We act arrogantly. We do not respect civil or human rights. We are not honest with ourselves, let alone others.
We have allowed Bush to become a leader who does not embody long standing American values. And the fault is ours, as individuals. We must do more, even those who have always opposed the administration. To those who write here, or act in other ways, get more friends involved. Today, do a little more than yesterday. It is our job to continue to seek better means of communication in the hope that somehow we will find a way to get people to listen. We cannot stop trying to find the key, for as James Spader says at the end of Boston Legal , "We have become a very mean country."
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:23 PM | Comments (1)
Thousands of Fan Show Support for UnDead Milosevic
Tens of thousands of mourners demonstrated their support for the recently dead Slobodan Milosevic, former head of Serbia. He died of a heart attack while held in custody for war crimes at the Hague. Here is a man considered to be one of the most ruthless, evil leaders in recent memory, killing rivals and non-Serbians almost at will. Yet there are still thousands of people who view him as a great man. He had others killed and tortured because of their nationality and religion. How do supporters justify their support for such a leader? Unreflective acceptance is a dangerous trait. Rendition, torture, deception, wiretaps, secret prisons, prisoners dying from torture, wars based on lies, threatening the courts, interpreting laws to suit personal needs, appointing friends and supporters to high positions of power, acting outside the law, suspending habeas corpus, and yet there are millions of supporters who think this is more than fine. They are fans until when?
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:13 AM | Comments (2)
March 17, 2006
A Few More Swimsuits
I realize in the world of sports magazines that the end of January until mid-February is the season for swimsuit issues. SI has their issue two weeks after the Super Bowl. They publish their "right after the Super Bowl" issue then release their babe photos. Well, it got cold again here in the NE of the old U.S. and I started thinking about the beach again. Plus I received a link to this fun-filled and rather racy site from our fans down under, so I am providing a link for your late winter and just about spring pleasure.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:49 PM | Comments (0)
March 16, 2006
WOW - Words of Wisdom
Reach a little further today than you did yesterday.
~ Block of Granite
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:48 PM | Comments (0)
Muslims Keep Hammering at Western Civil Rights
The NY Times reported today that the Dutch developed a film meant to inform immigrants about what life is like in the Netherlands, a very liberal society, with nude beaches, gay rights and permissive drug laws. (NYT)
"People do not make a fuss about nudity," the narrator explains.
That lesson, about the Netherlands' nude beaches, is followed by another: homosexuals have the same rights here as heterosexuals do, including the chance to marry.
Just to make sure everyone gets the message, two men are shown kissing in a meadow.
The scenes are brief parts of a two-hour-long film that the Dutch government has compiled to help potential immigrants, many of them from Islamic countries, meet the demands of a new entrance examination that went into effect on Wednesday. In the exam, candidates must prove they can speak some Dutch and are at least aware of the Netherlands' liberal values, even if they do not agree with all of them.
Opponents of the tightening immigration policies have pointed to the film - a DVD contained in a package of study materials for the new exam - as an attempt by the government to discourage applicants from Islamic countries who may be offended by its content.
Critics are slugging away at the government, saying they are trying to stop Muslim immigration. This is clearly another attempt on the part of Muslims to look in the long term, immigrate into European countries, then get those countries to implement laws more in keeping with Sharia. The Netherlands has already had substantial problems with new immigrants in this regard.
Policy makers say they are concerned about an estimated 600,000 immigrants already here who do not speak proper Dutch. Poor housing and high unemployment among minority groups is contributing to ethnic tensions in some of the largest cities, where incidents of violence against Jews and homosexuals have raised new concerns.
We should all be aware that this is a major problem which will not soon disappear.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:11 PM | Comments (1)
U.S. On the Defensive
Are we really that afraid to stand up for our rights of free speech? The editor of the University of Illinois paper was fired for publishing the controversial Muslim cartoons. (CNN)
The Illini Media Co. board of directors, which comprises students and faculty, voted unanimously to fire the editor after a review "found that Gorton violated Daily Illini policies about thoughtful discussion of and preparation for the publication of inflammatory material," according to a statement.
Gorton has said he sought out advice from The Daily Illini's former editor-in-chief and others before deciding to run the cartoons. He has said that accusations he tried to hide his decision were wrong.
Controversial? Yes. Insulting? It depends on one's perspective. The newspaper should report news, even if it is controversial. In fact it is more important when it is controversial. And that means actually publishing the cartoons in question. This sort of act only gives power to those who want to control what others say, write or do.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:29 AM | Comments (1)
March 15, 2006
Bush as Art
It suddenly struck me that the Bush Administration is actually a piece of artwork created by Marcel Duchamp, Jean Arp and Max Ernst. I started doing some research and surprisingly came across some incriminating evidence from each of their estates detailing a long term plan to turn the U.S. government into art. We know that Duchamp gave up the creation of conventional work for chess while living in the U.S. However, I have found enough communication between the three men to indicate they collaborated with some early genetic engineering experiments with they then tried on Bush's family. It has finally reached its nadir today. How else to explain such a surreal state of affairs.
Now I realize that this is far removed from my usual Political Sports arena, but sometimes we must expand our consciousness a bit to make room for a better explanation of reality.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:17 PM | Comments (0)
Bush Makes Some Gains With His Base
OIL (Our Illustrious Leader) initially ran on a platform of compassionate conservatism. We now know, based on his actions, that the platform was a smokescreen. His actions have clearly been targeting the rich, helping them any way he can. His administration is currently rejecting hurricane disaster recovery loans at a higher rate than ever before. A report by congressional Democrats states (AP)
... business and home loan approval rates averaged about 60 percent after Hurricane Andrew devastated much of south Florida in 1992. The trend continued through the rest of President George H.W. Bush's administration and into the Clinton administration, according to Democratic members of the House Small Business Committee.
After Hurricane Wilma surged ashore in south Florida last year, the approval rate for low-interest, taxpayer-guaranteed loans by the Small Business Administration had dropped to barely 15 percent. Overall, Democrats said, approval rates for home and business disaster loans since 2004 have averaged about 35 percent.
I realize that many people in the Gulf Coast region are poor and may not qualify for loans under normal circumstances. But these are far from normal circumstances and deserve special attention. It also seems clear that the rebuilding effort has not been a high priority of OIL. He must realize tha many of these people don't vote and definitely don't provide him or his party with much in the way of financial support. Why bother?
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:26 PM | Comments (0)
Fabulous Fumble of the Week - 3/13 Claude Allen and Carla Martin
Both of these were too big to ignore and we here at Political Sports found it impossible to decide which was bigger. Carla Martin, a lawyer for the TSA, was found responsible for coaching witnesses in the 9/11 trial of Zacarias Moussaoui. As a result, the witnesses will not be allowed to testify, thus endangering the success of the government's case. The Washington Post reports:
The decision guts the case that prosecutors had been building in their attempt to have Moussaoui executed for the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Legal experts said it devastated the prosecution's main argument -- that if Moussaoui had not lied to the FBI about his knowledge of the Sept. 11, 2001, plot, the hijackings could have been prevented. The witnesses are airline security experts who would have testified about the measures the government would have taken had the truth been told.
Claude Allen the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and a nominee to 4th Circuit Court of Appeals before he resigned to "spend more time with his family" last month. He had also been the coordinator for the post-Katrina mess. It now turns out that he was accused of multiple instances of shoplifting, for items amounting to $5000. This is a young man who some on the right considered to be the next Clarence Thomas. Wow! (TimesDispatch)
Claude A. Allen, the former White House aide charged with two theft counts, admitted to a store investigator that he made fraudulent returns of merchandise he hadn't bought, according to police records.
The admission came after an incident Jan. 2 at a Target store in Gaithersburg, Md., when a store investigator had apprehended Allen, according to the police statement supporting criminal charges.
The police statement, contained in court files, also alleged that fraudulent refunds by Allen over time potentially added up to more than $5,000 and that he was captured on video in six incidents between Oct. 29 and Jan. 2.
For their fumbling efforts they are co-winners of this week's award.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:26 AM | Comments (0)
March 14, 2006
Once a Fan, Always a Fan
I saw a friend over the weekend who mentioned to me that he felt I was being too hard on his guy, G.W. I responded that I had no problem with Republicans or Democrats. I try to stay as non-partisan as I can, though admittedly I often fail. What I can't do is support someone who is incompetent. Andrew Sullivan linked to this memo from John Sawer, Tony Blair's special envoy to Iraq, which describes the Iraq situation immediately after the fall of Saddam almost three years ago. Very unfortunately it is still too relevant, chaos still exists and Our Illustrious Leader (OIL) still has the same guy, Donald Rumsfeld, coaching the team.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:53 PM | Comments (0)
Read the Muslim Game Plan
There are too many examples of the Muslims plan for violence against Western society. You can read another here.
..."The whole approach towards Muslim militants was based on appeasement. 7/7 proved that that approach does not work - yet it is still being followed. For example, there is a book, The Noble Koran: a New Rendering of its Meaning in English, which is openly available in Muslim bookshops.
"It calls for the killing of Jews and Christians, and it sets out a strategy for killing the infidels and for warfare against them. The Government has done nothing whatever to interfere with the sale of that book.
"Why not? Government ministers have promised to punish religious hatred, to criminalise the glorification of terrorism, yet they do nothing about this book, which blatantly does both."
Perhaps the explanation is just that they do not take it seriously. "I fear that is exactly the problem," says Dr Sookhdeo. "The trouble is that Tony Blair and other ministers see Islam through the prism of their own secular outlook.
They simply do not realise how seriously Muslims take their religion. Islamic clerics regard themselves as locked in mortal combat with secularism...
One of these days the governments in the West will begin to tell people the truth about the threat within their own communities. Let's hope it is soon, because the fundamentalists are on the march.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:08 PM | Comments (1)
March 13, 2006
Player of the Week - 3/13 - Sandra Day O'Connor
Last week, Sandra Day O'Connor, former Supreme Court Justice and the first woman to hold the post gave a strong warning to the country. NPR reporter Nina Totenberg provided a summary of her speech on NPR's Morning Edition. O'Connor responded to partisan politicians who attacked the judiciary's independence on issues such as abortion, prayer and issues like the Terri Schiavo case. She went on to stress the need to maintain a strong court system protected from politics. She also condemned statements by high profile politicians somehow justifying the increase of death threats against judges who make unpopular decisions. She warned that judicial reform based on partisan policies were signals of dictatorial tendencies. Though we are far from becoming a dictatorship, we need to be ever aware of early threats to our freedoms.
As a moderate Republican, her statements were surprising in their condemnation against Republican tactics. She clearly worries about the effect such a strategy could have on not only our courts, but our freedoms and civil rights. For her strong stand, we award her this week's Player of the Week Award.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:14 AM | Comments (2)
What Really Happened to United Flight 93?
Ted Rall attacks pervailing opinion that Flight 93 was brought down by a passenger revolt. He thinks a military jet shot down the airliner. After reading the account, it makes a certain amount of sense. Follow the link.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:58 AM | Comments (2)
March 10, 2006
Of Course Dems Are Disorganized
Many media pundits deride current state of the Democratic party as being disorganized and lacking a clear message for voters. And without that message they won't capitalize on Republican scandals and ineptitude. I suggest that they are creating a "problem" that does not exist. In the normal process of democracy parties go through periods of change. They try out new ideas, fight with each other and select new leaders. This naturally occurs during the period between elections - Duh! We are now in such a timeframe. It is perfectly natural that the Democrats don't have a single leader to state their message. The leaders, and potential leaders, are busy playing King of the Mountain, struggling for that top spot.
Without a chief, everyone plays chief. A clearly defined hierarchy does not exist; no President, no Speaker of the House, no Senate Majority Leader. And because of the nature of politics, no one contending for leadership of the top jobs, whatever their title, is willing to cede any authority to a potential rival. If I were thinking of running for President, for example, I would not abdicate the stage to Hillary Clinton to deliver my party's message. I would only be hurting myself by doing so. I want to be that person, delivering the message, not her, or anyone else. Right now we have a situation where many Democrats want that position and are unwilling to walk off the stage.
From a strategic standpoint it makes sense for the opposition to make fun of the Democrats lack of cohesion, painting it as incompetence. It is smart political strategy. The implication? If the Dems are disorganized as a party, how can they effectively run the country?
We are eight months from a mid-term election. Why do these people think that everything is supposed to be decided now? It seems to me like a normal part of the process. The perception of the election cycles has gotten so ridiculous that the MSM worries about who is running for the next Presidential election a couple of hours after the polls close from the last one. If no one is a clear favorite, they assume there must be something wrong. I find it simultaneously amusing and disgusting.
I think two issues are at work with the MSM. First, many political analysts on TV these days seem to lean right. I suppose I should confirm this by make a list of all the analysts and commentators on the three major networks, plus CNN, MSNBC and FoxNews. I would bet that there are many more right wingers than left, especially on cable. If all of them repeat that Democrats are disorganized and have no idea what they are doing or where we should go, they plant a seed. Say something enough times and people start to believe it. If commentator and analysts report the normal political pre-midterm free for all as extremely negative, then viewers buy it. This only helps Republicans.
The other issue is that the MSM fights to keep ratings and readers. They do this by reporting "Big, Important" stories. If they don't have an important story, they make one. To get viewers, or readers, they keep the excitement level high and create a crisis right then. In this case, they turn the normal pre-election process into a disaster. "The Democrats Crash and Burn", "They can't take advantage of the Republican scandals", "The Democrats have no message", "They can't lead themselves, how can they lead the country?", "The Rudderless Democrats", take your pick. This arouses interest, gets viewers and solidifies their jobs.
Anytime one starts a project a period exists when you pull together lots of thoughts, ideas, pictures, information, whatever. Stacks of papers cover desks and tables. You have a general idea where you are headed, but the final pieces are not yet in place. You are working on it, you have no fear. You will get it done. You have been through this before and you will again. The election is 8 months away. There is still time.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:49 AM | Comments (3)
Dubai Ports Deal
I was in my car yesterday when I heard that Dubai Ports World was to turn over its U.S. port deal to an "American Entity". The commentator said that one big problem was scarcity of American companies that could actually handle the deal. The first thought that came to mind was our favorite, Halliburton. Wouldn't that be something?
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:09 AM | Comments (1)
March 8, 2006
Molly Hits it Long and Straight
Molly Ivins hit the Democrats good and hard, as she loves to do, here She is not hesitant to call them spineless, money-grubbing snakes, little better than the Republicans.
I can't see a damn soul in D.C. except Russ Feingold who is even worth considering for President. The rest of them seem to me so poisonously in hock to this system of legalized bribery they can't even see straight.
Look at their reaction to this Abramoff scandal. They're talking about "a lobby reform package." We don't need a lobby reform package, you dimwits, we need full public financing of campaigns, and every single one of you who spends half your time whoring after special interest contributions knows it. The Abramoff scandal is a once in a lifetime gift - a perfect lesson on what's wrong with the system being laid out for people to see. Run with it, don't mess around with little patches, and fix the system.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:13 PM | Comments (0)
WMD Smokescreen
Forget about the WMD, it was a smokescreen. The President knew it, the VP knew it, the Republicans knew it, and the Democrats knew it. It was a sales tool to get the world to accept the invasion of Iraq. WMD was one of several reasons for the attack. The others were complicated, difficult to sell to the American public and 'unmentionable in public. Iraq was the second stage of a long range plan to transform the Middle East and destroy Al Qaeda in the process.
We often think of foreign affairs in a simplistic terms. Someone hits us, we hit back. I don't think we, as Americans, are well known for subtle diplomacy. However in this case it might help to take a longer view. It is not hard to think of the Middle East as a social and political sewer, where dictators and extremists control almost all aspects of society.
Yes, there are some exceptions, but not many. Most countries are breeding grounds for Muslim extremists. Iran is a growing problem. Saudi Arabia, was the home of most of the hijackers and is the center of Wahabi Islam, the most extreme of the extremists. Syria supports terrorists and, at the time of 9/11, completely dominated Lebanon. Egypt practices a dictatorial "democracy" with a growing militant populace. Libya was developing nuclear weapons and supporting supporting terrorism and Pakistan was a strong supporter of the Taliban. There is more, but you get the idea.
After deposing the Taliban, the U.S. faced a next-move problem, what to do? Bush and the neocons were not blind to history in Afghanistan. They had no intention of making the same mistake the British and Russians made. The U.S. wanted a friendlier government in Afghanistan, not necessarily a Western style democracy. Capturing bin Laden was less important than destroying the foundation of his support. Looking at the long term, the government, led by the White House, saw Iraq as the next logical step. They would eliminate Saddam, a truly bad guy, begin the transformation of the region by installing a democracy, assuming they were successful.
By invading Iraq, eliminating Saddam and setting up a democratic government, they would achieve a number of goals. One, a developing democracy and the military presence of the U.S. would force the Saudis to make some substantial internal changes. They would clamp down on extremist groups and stop the transfer of money to terrorist groups. There was also the hope that they would implement some more personal freedoms, especially for women. Two, Iran might throttle back its support of terrorism with the U.S. right on its border. Three, Syria, Libya and other problem states would change policies if they thought the U.S. might target them next. Fourth, countries in the region could institute political reform. This is a very broad brush stroke view, but it does provide a wider perspective of the invasion.
The result is obviously tainted by the disastrous implementation of the war. However, there have been some successes. Libya definitely changed its policies very quickly. Syria moved out of Lebanon, and has been cooperating with the U.S. in several ways. The Saudi's made a couple of gestures to political freedom and are cracking down more on extremists. Pakistan is now our ally, as is Afghanistan. Palestine had democratic elections. We certainly don’t like the result, but they were fair according to official observers. What happens in the long term might work out, who knows? The situation with Iran is a mess, but that seems more a case of our ineptitude than their genius. If we had managed the invasion properly, the situation with Iran could be vastly different.
I don't want to minimize the problems with this war, as Iraq totters on the brink of chaos. I think we all know the nature of the Bush Administration’s management skills by now. Say what you will about Our Illustrious Leader (OIL), I don’t like him, but if you think in the longer term, 20-30 years, and as something exceedingly complex, covering a whole region, with numerous players, and the U.S. having many shifting alliances with not so perfect partners, the invasion makes sense.
The American electorate would never have bought this involved reasoning for war. The policy didn't fit 5 word sound bite they can understand. One only has to read the various surveys indicating things like; 20% of America still think Saddam had direct involvement with bin Laden and 9/11, or that only 40% of Americans believe in evolution, 13% do not know what a molecule is, 1/5 of Americans still think the Sun circles the Earth, and only about half know that humans did not live during the time of dinosaurs (NYT) to understand why some of our leaders have little respect for the intelligence of the public. They have good reason.
Congress agreed to the smokescreen because they understood the issues. We face a truly dangerous foe, requiring new tactics. This war is one move in a high stakes chess game, destined to last many years. Bush told us this would be a long war, fought on many fronts, across more than his administration. He knows it, so does Congress. Many of us, including the media, forgot his words. The Democrats and Republicans are now using the WMD issue for their own political purposes later this year. They still cannot tell us why they voted to support the President after 9/11, but they can use the smokescreen against G.W. for his mismanagement, which is substantial.
We should keep this long term view in mind before we uncategorically demand a withdrawal of troops. We trying to do more than install one democracy in the Middle East. The longer goal is right, though our methods are faulty. That is what needs to change
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:38 PM | Comments (4)
March 6, 2006
Fabulous Fumble of the Week - 3/6 - OIL
At first I thought that former President Clinton might win this week's award when I learned that he advised Dubai Ports World on navigating the various agencies to ensure they would indeed get the ports deal, however he was pushed out of the way by Our Illustrious Leader by the sheer numbers of fumbles. We first have the Dubai Ports deal, which is rather amazing. We have a President who is warning us about every 5 minutes that terrorists are coming to get us. He knows that we have serious problems with port security. He has not provided enough money to take care of this, which is no secret, even to him. Mid-level bureaucrats make this decision, unbeknownst to him,which he supports without even seriously reviewing it, and threatens to veto any attempt by Congress to block the decision. I don't necessarily disagree with this, but if the company takes over the ports and there is an attack the country is going to appear so dumb somebody will have to invent a whole new category of stupidness.
The second fumble was the aftermath of the release of OIL (Our Illustrious Leader) assuring Brownie and his minions that he was going to do whatever necessary to help New Orleans. Now granted, this actually happened at the end of August, but we did not learn about it until last week, so we are considering it a "last week fumble". Nothing like getting caught in some serious fibbing. "No one expected,.....blah, blah, blah"
And number three, OIL signing an nuclear agreement with India. Some may disagree, but remember that India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Bush's technology transfer is considered illegal by many experts under the terms of the agreement. Here OIL has basically said F U to the Treaty. He sets a bad precedent by not complying when it suits his political purposes. How can he honestly condemn Iran for not abiding by nuclear agreements when he won't do it either? Maybe it is one of those cases of "do as I say, not as I do."
Congratulations to OIL for winning this week's award.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:54 PM | Comments (0)
Cheney at 18%
Recent analysis of Cheney's polling numbers by Richard Morin (WashPo). This is really funny.
The latest CBS News poll found that only 18 percent of the public has a favorable view of Cheney. How bad is a rating of 18 percent? According to a quick review of polling archives, it arguably makes Cheney:
- Less popular than singer Michael Jackson , bedmate of little boys and world-class screwball. One in four Americans -- 25 percent -- told Gallup polltakers last June they were still Jackson fans after the onetime King of Pop was found not guilty of child molesting.
- Less popular than former football star O.J. Simpson was after his arrest and trial for murdering his estranged wife and her companion. Three in 10 -- 29 percent -- of all Americans had a favorable view of Simpson in an October, 1995 Gallup poll.
- Less popular with Americans than Joseph Stalin is with Russians. In 2003, fully 20 percent said Stalin, blamed for millions of deaths in the former Soviet Union during the 1930s and 1940s, was a "wise and humane" leader. Thirty-one percent also said they wouldn't object if Uncle Joe came back to rule again, according to surveys conducted by Russian pollsters.
- Much less popular than former Vice President Spiro Agnew in his final days in office. Forty-five percent approved of the job that Agnew was doing as President Richard Nixon's veep in a Gallup Poll conducted in August 1973, little more than a month before Agnew resigned and pleaded no contest to a criminal tax evasion charge arising from a bribery investigation.
- Far less popular than former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey days after he announced in August 2004 that he had engaged in an extramarital affair with a man and would resign. His job approval rating bumped from 43 to 45 percent.
But take heart, Dick. About 35 percent of those interviewed by the CBS poll didn't offer an opinion of you. Perhaps some of your supporters were shy. And other polls released later in the week pegged your popularity considerably higher.
Besides, even at 18 percent you're not the least popular public figure in America. You're slightly better liked than that fabulously blond and brainless party girl Paris Hilton. She was viewed favorably last June by
15 percent of the public, according to Gallup.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:40 PM | Comments (1)
Oscar Makes Me Sick
I am sick of Oscar, and I don't mean the Grouch, coverage. Thank goodness this doesn't last more than a day or two after the event. I turned on the TV this morning to one of the trash shows, I usually try to listen to the "news" segments, all 45 seconds of them, to learn if anything really significant happened during the night. I was overwhelmed with dresses, makeup and smiling faces of people who surviver by pretending they are someone else most of the time. Let's see, Darfur, the Iraq War, Plamegate, wiretaps, conspiracies, DeLay, Abramoff, Islamists trying to kill cartoonists, more Katrina videos, torture, Congress stonewalling investigations, Katherine Harris on the run, the President breaking the Non-Proliferation Treaty, South Dakota banning abortions, just to name a few rather important issues and we have Oscar, all day, all the time.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:25 PM | Comments (1)
March 5, 2006
Articles of Interest
Free Speech on the Run in the West (RCP)
Dude, Where's My War? (NYP)
White House Trains Effort on Media Leaks. (WashPo)
The Bush administration, seeking to limit leaks of classified information, has launched initiatives targeting journalists and their possible government sources. The efforts include several FBI probes, a polygraph investigation inside the CIA and a warning from the Justice Department that reporters could be prosecuted under espionage laws.
Posted by Chip Spear at 6:11 PM | Comments (1)
Don't Cha Love These Guys
I love reading about Iran. They are a never-ending source of amusement. They continually come up with something that strains credibility, but somehow makes sense to them. Their President denies the holocaust, then he wants to wipe Israel off the map. And now, after lying about developing nuclear weapons and breaking agreements, they say, "Well, even though we lied, and we broke these agreements, and will continue to break our agreements, if you try to punish us, we are going to screw you any and every way we can. (CNN)
The only downside is that these people are nuts and a lot of folks could eventually die because of these idiots. However, they do make the news interesting.
Posted by Chip Spear at 5:57 PM | Comments (0)
March 3, 2006
Cartoonists are Still in Hiding
The Cartoonists in Denmark who participated in the Mohammed uproar are still afraid for their lives, five months after publication. Please refer to my post below, where I urge that the War on Terror be renamed. We are at war and this is serious stuff. These people clearly threaten our culture for the worse. You can read more here.
Four months after the cartoons were published, the Police Intelligence Service still doesn’t think it’s safe for the cartoonists to live in the open in Denmark.
They are therefore still under police protection at secret addresses. From sources near to the cartoonists, Dagbladet.no is informed that some of them are receiving help from a psychologist to them deal with the situation.
"None of them had thought that their cartoons would create such a worldwide ruckus," the source says.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:46 PM | Comments (0)
A Few Good Lessons for All of Us
Tom McMahon writes about some lessons he has learned in the 15 years since his 8 year old son suffered a severe brain injury which left him unable to walk, feed himself or talk. It is well worth the read here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:39 PM | Comments (1)
March 2, 2006
Terrorism and Islam
Why do we continue to insist we are engaged in a "War on Terror"? Terror is a psychological state, it is not a political entity, it is not group or a movement. Terrorism is a means, an offensive tool of war. It is a strategy designed to further political goals of a group or state. We are not waging a war on terror. That would be like saying that The New England Patriots are waging a war on the forward pass, or the Yankees are waging war on fast balls. What we are waging is a war against Islamic fundamentalists. So the better question might be why does the adminitration insist on calling it a War on Terror? Is it because the President does not want to alienate so-called "moderate Muslims"?
And perhaps we should change our definition of Islam from a religion to a political organization, or at least create a new category of political religion, since Islam does not respect individual rights, still advocates dhimma and is intent on conquering the world. In the West it uses the label of religion to protect itself from reactions to its political policies. Mosques, protected as religious sites, can easily be a center for what we in the West would consider political activity. Islam uses civil rights as a defense to further goals which would ultimately destroy our system of civil rights. It is a clever tactic, using the very thing defining who we are against us. It reminds me of Judo, defined by Wikipedia as "the principle of using one's opponent's strength against him and adapting well to changing circumstances". Muslims use whatever definition will help them further their intent, which is the expansion of Islam. The Koran does not differentiate religion and politics, that distinction exists in the West. There is no separation of church and state. It is more a case of c/s/h/t/u/a/r/t/c/e/h instead of church/state where the two are integrated and inseparable.
I don't want to oversimplify what is a complex issue, one could easily write a dissertation on Islam and politics or the distinctions between religion and politics. What I do suggest is that Islam does not define itself the way the West defines religious and political entities. Islam contends that they are part of the same thing. One would be blind not to see how religious leaders control governments, militias and armies throughout the Middle East. Osama's war is based on religion, not politics. The House of Saud is definitely not secular. The riots over the cartoons were religious in nature. Muslim rioters wanted the West to restrict free speech. Muslims wanted to ban any speech deemed anti-Islam by Muslims.
If the West is serious about winning this so-called War on Terror it should probably clarify its goals and define them for the players, meaning the people who believe in the foundation of Western Civilization, like civil rights, sexual equality, freedom of thought and especially freedom of religion without persecution or any sort.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:47 PM | Comments (1)
A Powerful Video From the Anti-Warriors
A video well worth watching.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11924.htm
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:36 PM | Comments (1)
March 1, 2006
The Islamic Threat
The Islamic threat is real, and moderates, wherever they are, do not appear to be up to the challenge of stopping the fundamentalists. I would highly recommend reading this article. The sooner we are aware of the real threat, the better off we will all be. The Koran does not believe in religious diversity or individual religious freedom without serious consequences. It is a religion of domination; religious, political, cultural and philisophical.
Posted by Chip Spear at 5:05 PM | Comments (0)
Bush Confident We Will Capture Osama
President Bush said that he was confident that we would eventually catch Osama bin Laden. He said that shortly after 9/11. (AP) Remember "Dead or Alive"? He will probably say the same thing on his death bed.
Afghanistan - In a surprise visit under extraordinary security, President Bush expressed unwavering confidence Wednesday that Osama bin Laden will be captured despite years of fruitless manhunts for the elusive terrorist leader who ran training camps in Afghanistan and plotted the deadly attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Why does the media think this is an important statement worthy of mention?
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:56 PM | Comments (3)
Can Tom Tomorrow See the Future?
Tom Tomorrow reprints an old cartoon for our enjoyment here
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:44 PM | Comments (1)
Bad Days in the White House
Bush's approval ratings have hit 34% according to a recent CBS News poll. Only 32% think he is adequately addressing the Katrina disaster. (CBS) I don't remember any President doing this badly. Maybe Nixon was this low in the polls before he resigned, I am not certain. The point here is that the President is losing on so many fronts it is embarrassing. If we play GM for a bit we can certainly offer up some changes to improve his gameplan.
I remember reading a quote that says something like, "If we don't change direction, then we're likely to end up where we're headed." So I get out of bed today and say to everyone around, "Well, folks, we are going to do exactly what we did yesterday and the day before. We are going to act the same, think the same, sell the same, market the same, manage the same, and politic the same. And you know what, everything will be much different by the time we are done." -- Not.-- In this case we can expect more of the same, more mismanagement, more problems resulting from bad management, more bad decisions, more cronyism with large corporations, more scandals, unless he "changes direction". To realize better results you always change personnel or strategy. One would think that he would act like the coach who is losing the game; the ground game isn't working, the passing game is ineffective, and the special teams keep making penalties. Bench a couple of players, try more plays up the middle; simple, straightforward, no nonsense actions designed to gain verifiable results benefitting the country, and not just major corporations. Do something that people can support, which does not include turning port management over to an UAE based company.
The opposition knows exactly what the White House will do. They've become more effective at counterattacks. However with their virtual monopoly of the media the Bushies still have a tactical advantage. A few bold moves would have significant traction with the electorate. Appointing a high ranking Democrat to replace Rumsfeld would be one such move. The other might be sending Bill Clinton to Iraq to broker a deal with the Sunnis and Shiites. There is no question that dumping Rove and replacing him with a true moderate would send a signal that George is serious about bipartisan government. Imagine how the country would react if he appointed a moderate Republican or Democrat to lead a new national energy initiative, a serious one, not something mentioned in a State of the Union address and quickly forgotten. If George wants to inspire America he needs to be more than a fear monger. Americans want to believe in the greatness of America, not its arrogance. They want to know that we stand for all the right things, not secret prisons, renditions, torture, and breaking international treaties. If George expects to turn his Presidency around he has to change how he plays, otherwise we face three more years of the same old thing.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:58 AM | Comments (1)