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--Erick Erickson
"Bush campaign should hire The American Mind for the oppo research team."
--Punchthebag
Sean Hackbarth's The American Mind is a good weblog." --Glenn Reynolds
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--Steve Silver
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URL: http://www.theamericanmind.com
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Browse by Category
If It's Good Enough for Iraq...
Reaction to Judge Green's Ruling
Weblog Birthdays
No Respect
Morris' Folly Better in Audio
Non-Combatants Can Go to Court
A CPAC Reminder
Thune: Weblog Evangelist
Iraq Voted
Faith and Freedom
Some Get It, Some Don't
Democracy Isn't the End Game
Iraq Votes
New New Order
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January 31, 2005
Dean's Going to Win
Howard Dean, M.D. is in a strong position to become the next DNC Chairman. It is much stronger than he ever was as a Presidential candidate when glowing media coverage and a powerful internet presence resulted in few wins in Democratic primaries and caucuses. Unlike last year, endorsements for Dean are also votes for the man. Today, the Association of State Democratic Chairs endorsed Dr. Dean. Harold Ickes, who considered running against Dean, M.D., and Wellington Webb both endorsed the ex-Vermont governor.
What these people are endorsing is a man who told a New York City audience, "I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for, but I admire their discipline and their organization." [via Galley Slaves] Such a leader is good for the GOP and bad for the Democrats and the country.
"State Democrats Back Dean for DNC Post" [via Charlie Sykes]
UPDATE: Doug Ireland also thinks Dean, M.D. has sown things up. Then he asks, "Will Dean make much of a difference as DNC chair?"
The way he squandered all that money he raised, only to win just his home state, isn't encouraging in management terms. Worse, the scuttlebutt in Washington among those who've talked to Dean and his people is that he intends to keep on the DNC staff assembled by Terry "the bagman" McAuliffe, the outgoing DNC chair. That's deplored by party technicians who don't consider the McAuliffe staff up to snuff.In any case, it will take more than a technical fix to right what's wrong with the national Democrats. A recent poll showed a 12-point drop in the party's favorability rating among Democrats since the election--reflecting the disillusionment of the party base with the party elites' centrist drift. In their weekly conference call, the mayvens who run the Democratic 527 extra-party groups are--our spies tell us--talking about planning for taking back state legislatures so they, and not the Republicans, will control the gerrymandering after the next census. There's little of "the vision thing' in such technocratic strategizing. Will Dean, who has ever proclaimed himself a "centrist" with a "healthy distrust' of the left as well as the right, be the man to steer the party to a new, moblizing course and message? I'm not holding my breath.
[via Hit & Run]
The title of this post probably means the death of Howard Dean, M.D.'s quest for the DNC Chairmanship.
If It's Good Enough for Iraq...
If purple ink is good enough to prevent some fraud in Iraq's election why not in Wisconsin elections. It's looks goofier than those "I Voted" stickers, wouldn't stop people trucked in from out-of-state or felons who can't vote, and wouldn't prevent incompetant poll workers from improperly registering voters, but it would stop multiple voting.
"Just an Observation"
"From the Mouths of Babes..."
Reaction to Judge Green's Ruling
Not much comment from any big name webloggers on Judge Green's ruling. That doesn't mean there isn't any interesting commentary. Here's Rand Holman's take:
And the very people she is seeking to protect are not Americans, they were not captured on American soil, and they are suspected terrorists, or have fired upon US Troops in an overseas military operation.And "their" rights are not what American troops have fought and died for, your Honor.
The State Of... writes, "I think Judge Green's ruling is rightly decided. It makes no sense to say somebody is not protected by International Law." There's one HUGE problem with this thinking: The U.S. is governed by its constitution not international law. Yes, the U.S. must hold to treaties that have passed the Senate, but the integrity of any nation-state requires its own laws to be paramount.
Lyle Denniston offers his analysis that points out the Geneva Convention aspect of the case:
Second, she decided that at least some of the detainees – those captured as fighters with Taliban forces in Afghanistan – have a right under the Geneva Convention to an independent tribunal’s decision as to whether they are entitled to the protections due a prisoner of war. She rejected the Bush Administration argument that President Bush alone has the power to decide when the Geneva Convention applies. She did accept Bush’s conclusion that the Convention does not apply to Al Qaeda members.
UPDATE: Steven Taylor has no problem with Judge Green's ruling. He writes, "I do adhere to the notion that there are fundamental hunan rights, many of which are, in fact, detailed in the US Constitution." As do I. I just don't think it's the duty of a nation state to uphold the rights of non-citizens.
Weblog Birthdays
James Joyner's Outside the Beltway is two years old, and Michele Catalano's A Small Victory is four years old. I toast you both and hope you don't stop anytime soon.
No Respect
WisOpinion.com's latest Political Stock Report is up. Kevin notes Wisconsin webloggers are missing. Could Milwaukee's voting problems have been as big a story if talk radio were only only ones harping on it? Maybe. But we do know the BBA helped take the story national. Should we be surprised that a website devoted to Wisconsin politics isn't mentioning their weblog competitors?
We do know more people have been reading the Journal Sentinel's collection of websites recently. Maybe the BBA should ask them for a cut of their advertising revenue?
"WI Blogosphere Gets the Shaft"
Morris' Folly Better in Audio
Todd Zywicki enjoyed the abridged audio version of Edmund Morris' dissapointing biography of Ronald Reagan.
First, it cuts out all of Edmund Morris's narcissistic ruminations on himself. Seriously, what was Morris thinking about? I supposed he was trying to make some sort of point about how any biography reflects the life experience and perspective of the profiler, not just the subject. Ok, ok we get it--mention it in the preface and move on. Anyway, the abridged book-on-tape version has a narrator who briefly describes these interludes and then moves on.Second, Dutch does something that has become one of my favorite things for books-on-tape--it contains actual clips from Reagan's speeches, including many things I had never heard before. I love this aspect of the technology of books-on-tape. Why block quote a speech when you can insert an actual audio excerpt? I suspect that this is the wave of the future, which I really like. Just as a movie is different from a play, a book-on-tape is a different media from a book.
Now, why can't they come out with an abridged paper version of the book with Morris' character cut out? Then Dutch might be worth recomending to others.
Non-Combatants Can Go to Court
If some federal judges have their way the U.S. won't be able to hold any terrorists.
A federal judge ruled Monday that foreign terror suspects held in Cuba can challenge their confinement in U.S. courts and she criticized the Bush administration for holding hundreds of people without legal rights.Judge Joyce Hens Green, handling claims filed by about 50 detainees at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, said the Supreme Court made clear last year that they have constitutional rights that lower courts should enforce.
"Although this nation unquestionably must take strong action under the leadership of the commander in chief to protect itself against enormous and unprecedented threats," she wrote, "that necessity cannot negate the existence of the most basic fundamental rights for which the people of this country have fought and died for well over 200 years."
I'm galled that Judge Green thinks non-citizens have the same constitutionally protected rights as American citizens. In a metaphysical sense all people have the same rights--thus they're called human rights. This has to be approached differently in a world of nation-states, borders, and anti-terrorist security. If it's the U.S. government must respect the rights of non-citizens then President Bush's call last week to spread freedom across the globe isn't just American policy. It could conceivably be a legal obligation.
Right now, the military holds hearings where prisoners can appeal their status as enemy combatants. Periodic review seems sound since intelligence and security concerns require easier standards than criminal trials. Judge Green ruled those unconstitutional today as well.
Earlier this month, I wrote about the conundrum the Supreme Court has placed us in:
The hard truth is there are people in custody who would love to see thousands of Americans dead. Those in custody are the same types of evil thugs beheading foreigners and bombing Iraqis who are working to bring freedom to their country. The Bush administration and the American public now have to face a significant consequence of the Supreme Court ruling that prisoners held by the military have a right to a hearing. Since letting the prisoners go would guarantee future American deaths we have two choices: either we hold the most dangerous terrorists until they die; or we shoot them. (The CIA will just moved them outside the U.S. with a "rendition" and off them.) Human rights activists who seem to care more about the rights of America's enemies than Americans don't like to admit that's the dilemma we face. They worry about government abuses. That's something I'll grant has taken place, is taking place now, and will in the future. However, if it's a terroist being abused instead of an American killed then that's a tragic tradeoff I'm willing to make. It's us or them, and I know what side I'm on.
"Judge Backs Guantanamo Detainee Challenges"
January 30, 2005
A CPAC Reminder
This is my occasional reminder that TAM will be covering CPAC 2005. TAM is a labor of love, a hobby, and not a money-making operation. Because of that I'm asking for your help in defraying some of my expenses.
Another option is to buy items from Amazon through TAM. There's ad down the left side of the weblog. A third option is to add TAM to your blogrolls and tell your friends about this weblog. Whatever you do I really appreciate it. Your comments, contributions, and support put a big, sappy grin on my face almost everyday.
Thune: Weblog Evangelist
Maybe Sen. John Thune was a little too plugged into weblogs. He had two on his campaign payroll.
"Senators Plugged into Blogs"
Iraq Voted
My expectation for Iraq's elections were that great numbers would vote, but hundreds would die in terrorist attacks. Based on how things turned out I'm pleasantly surprised. Many, especially Shites, took part. I'm saddened that there was low turnout in some Sunni-dominated areas. We're only near the end of the beginning, but I'm cautiously opptimistic.
For a whole heck of a lot of blogospheric reaction, Steven Taylor is Iraq Election Central.
Faith and Freedom
Power Line's Deacon writes about how various groups must "keep the faith" for there to be a free Iraq. His look at democracy as a process dovetails well with this earlier post.
"Keeping the Faith"
Some Get It, Some Don't
Greg Borowski, my favorite Journal Sentinel reporter right now, offers up an article letting us know where things stand in the Milwaukee voter scandal. He makes an important point about any criminal investigation:
Indeed, the same open system that makes it easy to vote on election day, long a point of pride for the state, makes it difficult to determine later if someone voted twice, voted as someone else or intentionally used a bad address.In other words, it is one thing to find a crime, another to identify who is responsible for it.
Borowski also notes how little Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann does about voter fraud:
Four years ago, after the Journal Sentinel reported that at least 361 felons had voted improperly in the city, McCann charged three people with illegal voting.One was an attorney from Shorewood, and two were Milwaukee men, both of whom were listed in a newspaper story.
In the end, the charges were dropped because prosecutors could not establish that the three felons knew they were forbidden from voting while they were still on probation or parole.
And nothing came of the other 300-plus cases found.
Eugene Kane makes a hasty generalization about Milwaukee's voting problems. The fallacy being that since he didn't see any voter fraud on Election Day (was he looking?) none happened. He then tosses out this bon mot:
The pleas for drastic election reform in Milwaukee - the end to same-day registration, voter ID cards and other measures - seem more centered on finding ways to discourage citizens from voting, particularly those who exist below society's radar.
In Kanespeak that means critics are racists. We're complaining about Milwaukee's voting problems because we hate blacks and don't want them to vote.
Jim Stingl brushes off the possiblility of anyone committing voter fraud because he "yet to meet one."
Only the best, deepest thinking local columnists grace the pages of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. (Excuse me while I yank my tongue out of my cheek.)
"Fraud or Bumbling, Voter Problems Still Unnerving to Public"
UPDATE: The JS editorial board ignores the biggest story in their city and declares campaign finance reform to the state's #1 issue. Let's hope they get an earful from their new Reader Advisory Committee.
January 29, 2005
Democracy Isn't the End Game
All the happiness and joy in these pictures reminds me to remind you that today's elections in Iraq are only a means to an end. I'm not one of those types who sees democracy as the end state. The end state is a free Iraq. A free Iraq is one where property rights and civil rights are respected. A free Iraq is one where people can dream big dreams, contemplate new ideas, and act on them without fear of death of restriction by government agent. A free Iraq is one where angry people employ the power of the pen instead of the power of the bomb. Democracy and liberty don't necessarily have to coexist. Hong Kong under British is an example. In the U.S. democracy is tempered by a constitution that limits (albeit imperfectly) government. And as we've seen in the U.S. democracy can hamper liberty. Iraq's elections continue the process where a limited yet effective government comes into existence.
Iraq Votes
History is being made as I write these words. Voting has begun in Iraq. That's great news for Iraqis and Americans. For Iraqis it's another step on the road to liberty. For Americans it's one step closer to getting our soldiers home and making the world safer from Islamist terrorism.
I just want to point out the voting procedures for the Iraqi elections. In Iraq the method being used to prevent vote fraud through multiple voting is indelible ink put on a voters hand after they turn in their ballot. For Iraqis voting in the United States there's more levels of security:
The seven showed election officials their passports and registration cards. Each then dipped part of an index finger in purple ink, a practice aimed at preventing a person from casting more than one vote.
Compare that with Wisconsin where you can waltz into a polling place without identification, have someone vouch for you, and get a ballot. At least in Wisconsin you don't risk getting killed by a bomb. Someone tell Gov. Doyle that what's good enough for Iraqi expatriates should be good enough for Wisconsinites.
New New Order
"Krafty" is the first single from the upcoming New Order album Waiting For the Siren's Call. This will have to do until the album comes out in April for us in North America.
"'Krafty' New Order Confirmed For Coachella 2005"
January 28, 2005
Remember the First Mate
Keep Captain Ed and his family in your prayers. Ed's wife just might be getting a new pancreas.
"Need Prayers"
Webloggers at Heritage
The Heritage Foundation hosted a discussion on weblogs and the media. Matthew Sheffield from RatherBiased.com, Paul Mirengoff A.K.A. Deacon of Power Line, and Kevin Aylward of Wizbang talked about Dan Rather and how the MSM is affected by weblogs. A great part of it was connecting a name to a face, especially in Kevin's case. He and I have known each other for a number of years only through the internet. It's nice to finally see what he looks like. It will be even better meeting him in person at CPAC.
"Heritage Panel Wrapup"
Weird but Yummy
Twinkie sushi. It has no rice, so it's not really sushi, and no raw fish. It looks like sushi, and it just might taste good.
This find gives me an excuse to tell you about my experience eating a deep fried twinkie. I had it at the county fair last summer. Mine was put on a plate and covered with chocolate syrup. I was disappointed. The coating wasn't very crispy. When I bit into it the inside became mushy. The creme filling spread into the cake becoming a creamy, edible sponge.
[via #!/usr/bin/girl]
A Big Question
Steven Taylor's post gets to the heart of Man as a political animal. Does a universal human nature exist? Taylor writes,
This debate is fundamental to the debate between those who believe that only in a context of freedom can human beings truly flourish and those who believe that a sufficiently well crafted application of the mind can design the “best” state.It was at the core of the East-West conflict in the Cold War, it was at the core of the war against Hitler (and today’s observance of the horror that was Auschwitz is a testament to the evil the human mind can create), and is the philosphical basis of Bush’s second inaugural address, as well as the hope behind the elections in Iraq this Sunday.
Perhaps the assumption that there is a universal human nature is flawed. However, the alternative is a view of human beings in which ascriptive characteristics or specific behaviors become the delineator of human nature–and that is a dangerous road to take. If some of us have different natures, Auschwitzes become far easier to construct.
Different sides of many political discussions on ideas big and small can come down to the participants' view of this question.
"On Human Nature"
Journal Sentinel Issues Another Yawn
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an editorial about the new local-federal investigation of voting problems. It's about as sharp as your breakfast oatmeal. It reads like the editors had to get something out to the masses. Maybe they feel they have to keep up with talk radio and the webloggers? Within a lot of babble about discrepencies in voting numbers they make this suggestion:
For their part, lawmakers should put off enacting new measures until after the criminal probe concludes. For instance, Republicans have been pushing the idea of requiring voters to show a photo ID card every time they cast a ballot. Well, the investigation should reveal whether identification fraud, which such a rule attempts to combat, took place, and to what extent.
The board is being disingenuous. They don't want a delay in considering a photo ID requirement. They don't want one period.
"Editorial: Election Probe Welcome"
1305 People Shouldn't Have Voted
We now know how easy it was to commit vote fraud on Election Day in Milwaukee. Greg Borowski strikes again.
Milwaukee officials said Thursday that 1,305 same-day voter registration cards from the Nov. 2 election could not be processed, including more than 500 cases where voters listed no address and dozens more where no name was written on the card.But the revelation of the actual number of cards that couldn't be processed, far lower than previous estimates of 8,300 or more, raised new concerns, because it leaves a clear gap of more than 7,000 people who voted on Nov. 2 and cannot be accounted for in city records.
Why were some of the registration cards invalid? Borowski continues:
The city's own breakdown of the 1,305 cards that could not be processed showed 548 people were given ballots without listing an address on the cards and another 48 did not provide a name.And among many other problems, 141 gave addresses later found to not be in the city. One of the cards provided to the newspaper shows a voter clearly listing "Wauwatosa" as her city of residence. Nevertheless, she received a ballot and voted in Milwaukee.
The woman from Wauwatosa couldn't be found. Her "phone is disconnected." That assumes she even exists.
Here's an example of one improper form. A Randal Jarosch didn't put an address on his form. Yet it was signed by a precinct worker. The number in the bottom right-hand corner of the form is the voter number. That means Jarosch was given a ballot.
It gets worse.
In addition to the cards that could not be processed, city officials have had nearly 2,800 verification cards - out of 73,079 sent out - returned as undeliverable. State law requires those be submitted to the district attorney's office.That number is higher than the 1,200 invalid addresses found by the Journal Sentinel, because the newspaper's review did not cover apartment buildings, due to problems in how the addresses appear in data bases.
1305 plus 2800 equals 4105. That's over one-third of the way to John Kerry's 11,384 vote win over President Bush in Wisconsin. This is just Milwaukee. We still have to deeply look into places like Racine and Madison.
Milwaukee elections chief Lisa Artison continues to blame human error and the huge numbers of people that voted. Artison just has to look in the mirror to find out who's responsible for such poor training of poll workers. Both she and Mayor Tom Barrett refuse to even consider the possibility that vote fraud occured.
There is a problem with Borowski's story. He writes (emphasis mine),
Barrett said the problems did not shake his belief that voters shouldn't face a requirement to show a photo identification card at the polls before getting a ballot. He said the requirement would be a burden on some voters, particularly the elderly.Stone and Sen. Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan) soon are expected to introduce a photo ID bill, something Gov. Jim Doyle opposes and likely would veto.
Such a requirement may not have prevented the problems surrounding Milwaukee's registration cards - all of which, if current law was followed, should have come from people who provided identification.
Borowski fails to tell readers that another voter can vouch for a new registrant if he doesn't have any identification. Identification isn't needed.
"City OK'd 1,305 Flawed Voter Cards"
January 27, 2005
Feeding from the Trough
Amy Ridenour points out that pundits and journalists aren't the only ones who have conflicts of interest when it comes to government contracts. She writes,
Journalists aren't special (sorry, journalists!). If you should disclose a possible conflict of interest when writing an opinion column, you sure as heck should if you are testifying before Congress.Or, better yet, decide to stop taking federal money.
"Federal Payola: Journalists Aren't Special"
Packers Thug Dies
Back in the 1980s, the Green Bay Packers were dreadful, full of has-beens and never-could-bes and lead by coaches who played under Vince Lombardi. An especially lousy time was the Forrest Greg era. His teams were happy to end up 8-8. But what really marked Greg's teams was all the thugs on them. Mossy Cade was convicted of rape while James Lofton was acquitted. On the field, who could forget Charles Martin bodyslamming Jim McMahon into the turf.
I bring these bad Packers memories up because Charles Martin died from kidney disease. He was 46.
"Former NFL Defensive Tackle Charles Martin Dies"
The CPAC 19
Here are the webloggers CPAC was dumb smart enough to give press credentials to.
- Ana Marie Cox, www.wonkette.com
- Kevin Aylward, www.wizbangblog.com
- Erick Erickson, www.redstate.org
- Kevin McCullough, kmc.crosswalk.com
- Robert Cox, www.thenationaldebate.com
- James Joyner, www.outsidethebeltway.com
- Chris Nolan, www.chrisnolan.com
- Steve McCutcheon, www.ace.mu.nu
- Bryan Preston, www.junkyardblog.com
- Pat Hynes, www.anklebitingpundits.com
- Robin Burk, www.windsofchange.net
- Karol Sheinen, www.alarmingnews.com
- LaShawn Barber, www.lashawnbarber.com
- Hugh Hewitt, www.hughhewitt.com
- Laura Thomas, www.terrorismunvelied.com
- Radley Balko, www.theagitator.com
- Ryan Sager, www.nypost.com
- Ryan Zempel, www.townhall.com
CPAC isn't afraid of any webloggers. They are allowing Wonkette to run around freely, and I expect Radley Balko to be no-holds-barred.
Maybe the best part of this for me will be meeting those webloggers I read and connect with on a daily basis. BloggerCon I showed me how great it is to put a face to a weblog.
This is also a good time for me to ask for donations to help defray some of the costs of the trip. You can donate to TAM by hitting the tip jars below:
Since I can't find a way to know who sends me a donation please send me an e-mail so I can thank you personally. If you don't then I thank you in advance.
Registering Vote with a Comic Book
State Senator Joe Leibham responded to Gov. Jim Doyle's statement that "I think we have a pretty good system… If you register at the polls, you have to show appropriate identification to show that you are who you claim to be and that you reside at the location." I knocked him down yesterday by pointing out the actual state rules. In a press release (PDF) Sen. Leibham said,
The Governor’s assessment of our system is inaccurate and understates the need for meaningful election reform. We have heard numerous stories from election day volunteers regarding voters using everything from comic books to magazines to register to vote. Not to mention, the horrific stories of abuse regarding WI’s relaxed vouching system that allows people to vouch for the identity of others prior to voting.
Leibham goes on to say that requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls is a "first step" in election reform. Hopefully the Joint Legislative Council’s
bipartisan Special Committee on Election Law Review will seriously examine Wisconsin's same-day registration.
Trials Set for Racine Voter Fraud
Thanks to Brainpost for reminding me the Racine District Attorney is prosecuting voter fraud.
Two Milwaukee men, including one who ran for the State Assembly, await trial on charges of election fraud in Racine County.Damien Donnelle Jones, 24, and Robert Marquis Blakely, 24, are accused of registering voters they never talked to. The two men were working for Project Vote, and were assigned to Racine to register people to vote in the Nov. 2 election. They are accused of multiple counts of election fraud and misconduct in office; Blakely is also charged with forgery.
Jones was a candidate for the Assembly's 10th District seat in Milwaukee on Nov. 2. He lost.
Both men have pleaded innocent to the charges. Jones' trial is scheduled for Feb. 8; Blakely's, for March 8.
If you only read the Journal Sentinel you'd know zilch about this. TAM was following Project Vote last fall [here and here]. In Milwaukee, two felons were found to be registering voters. That violates state law. Lisa Artison "revoked their status as deputy registrars," but there's no news if she asked E. Michael McCann to investigate.
"Two Milwaukee Men Await Trial on Fraud Charges Here"
The Library Model
Mayor Tom Barrett was just on Charlie Sykes Show. After talking about school choice he answered some questions from Charlie about Milwaukee's voting problems. Charlie asked Barrett why he opposed requiring photo IDs at the polls. Barrett's answer was concern for the creation of a "two-tier" system where Brookfield (i.e. white) students had an easier time getting drivers licenses than Milwaukee inner city (i.e. black) students. Barrett also mentioned that Milwaukee Public Libraries require photo ID to check out books. The mayor didn't have the imagination to see a solution to getting valid IDs to poor, inner city voters. If libraries can take a person's photo on the spot if they don't have an ID, then why can't the election commission do the same? The infrastructure is already there. That Barrett didn't come to that conclusion means he has other concerns or interests pushing him.
UPDATE: TAM commenter steveegg points out a glaring flaw in Mayor Barrett's argument:
Just another hole in Tom "Milk Carton" Barrett's argument that because there's no
driver's ed in Milwaukee, we can't expect young blacks to have drivers' licenses -
only 16- and 17-year-olds have to demonstrate formal driver's education before
attempting to get their license. The last time I checked, 16- and 17-year-olds
DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE!
But they probably could get away with it in Milwaukee. (Oh, do I love my readers!)
Charlie Sykes' talk with Mayor Barrett is up on the web. Can anyone turn the Real Audio into an MP3?
UPDATE II: Arizona has gone much farther than anyone in Wisconsin is suggesting by requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote and photo ID at the polls.
"The New 'Show Me State', Arizona"
"AZ Says: 'Prove it'"
TT Memories
Ann Althouse is getting an Audi TT Coupe. She's right, it is a beautiful car. My best memory of seeing an Audi TT was in London a few years ago. I was in one of those double-decker buses. It stopped at a red light. What pulled up next to me was a cobalt blue Audit TT convertible with two gorgeous women in it. One a blonde the other a brunette.
At last year's Milwaukee Auto Show, I sat in a TT Coupe. It looked great on the outside, but in the inside it felt like I was sitting in a cave. That was a let down. Even more so since I now know I can get on with an automatic transmission
"The Audi TT Coupe"
Lack of Disclosure
Maggie Gallagher and Howard Kurtz are in a little tussle over Kurtz's reporting of Gallagher's government contract. Gallagher denies being paid to promote President Bush's marriage initiative. Kurtz told Editor & Publisher she "has seen fit to blame the messenger."
In her defense, Gallagher claims she is being held to a new standard:
It is not uncommon for researchers, scholars, or experts to get paid by the government to do work relating to their field of expertise. Nor is it considered unethical or shady: if anything, government funded work is considered a mark of an expert's respectability. Until today, researchers and scholars have not generally been expected to disclose a government-funded research project in the past, when they later wrote about their field of expertise in the popular press or in scholarly journals.
I'm stunned by this admission. Gallagher is saying there are lots and lots of people writing articles in scholarly journals and widely-read publications who don't disclose their conflicts. This tradition has to stop. In an age where anyone can use Google to investigate possible conflicts of interest, writers' transparancy is the best defense. Plus, it's not that hard to add a line of disclosure to an article's bio.
"Gallagher Criticizes WP Article; Kurtz Rebuts"
Living Near Weirdness
Tom McMahon posts on the Bunyan Muffler Man of Clinton, Wisconsin. I grew up in Hilbert, less than 10 miles away. I never heard of such a statue until this moment.
A Pleasant Surprise
At the bookstore last night, I helped a couple find knitting books. After taking them to the section, the gentleman asked to see Sean Hackbarth. I told him that was I only to be informed that he was none other than triticale. That's the first time a TAM reader has found me at work. Both he and his wife are pleasant. I was glad to meet them.
Joint Investigation of Election
The U.S. Attorney's office, the Milwaukee District Attorney's office, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the FBI will join forces to investigate the Milwaukee election.
That's good news. However, I'll be shocked if they can find a specific instance of voter fraud with enough evidence to prosecute. That's the downside of the secret ballot. As soon as a voter turns in their completed ballot all connection to the voter is gone. Hopefully this investigation will scare off those who will consider vote fraud in the future.
Because it will be so hard to find a specific instance of voter fraud state law must be changed to close loopholes and make it more difficult to cheat at the polls. At the minimum voters should show photo identification at the polls. Rules for receiving an absentee ballot have to be tightened. Just because you're not in the mood to go to the polls on Election Day shouldn't be a good enough reason to get an absentee ballot. Allowing another voter to "vouch" for a new registrant absolutely has to go. The big change would be ending same-day registration. It would give clerks time to tidy voter rolls. No politician so far has had the guts to even breathe this suggestion. As we've seen, Milwaukee's (and Wisconsin's) voting problems are systemic. Effective change will happen in Madison not in Milwaukee.
A question I have is who is heading the investigation. Will it be the crusading U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic or the plodding, plea-bargaining E. Michael McCann? Also, will the investigation be limited to Milwaukee? Racine has problems of its own, and we now know of one alleged instance of vote fraud in Brown County.
"Police, FBI Join Investigation into Possible Election Fraud"
January 26, 2005
Charlie, You Made Me Blush
Thanks to Charlie Sykes for highlighting my deconstruction of today's Journal Sentinel editorial. I would have heard his mention of TAM on his show this morning but I was falling in and out of a sleepy daze all because I worked so hard late last night on that post.
"Clueless"
Social Security Weblog
The Club for Growth has a weblog devoted to Social Security reform. This should be good.
[via Redstate]
College Grad Voted Illegally
A St. Norbert College graduate has been charged with voter fraud for voting in De Pere while living in Illinois. Ignorance shouldn't be Marc Lacher's excuse because he has substantial record as a student:
Lacher, a May 2004 graduate, was president of the college’s student government association in 2003 and a student member of the college’s Board of Trustees in 2003-04.
Add alleged criminal to his resume.
Just as interesting as the story is Brown County District Attorney John Zakowski's statement that "This is the first of its kind that I’m aware of where we think someone voted illegally." Methinks Mr. Zakowski hasn't been looking very hard.
The Journal Sentinel editorial board may think TAM's picking on Milwaukee too much. Maybe pointing out this story will stop their clucking.
"St. Norbert College Grad’s Vote Results in Fraud Charges"
Problem? What Problem?
The Journal Sentinel editorial board finally speaks about Milwaukee's voting problems. They refuse to see a problem, want critics to stop picking on Milwaukee, and only want to tinker around the edges.
The editorial board calls their paper's findings that 8300 more votes were counted than voters, that 1242 people voted at addresses that don't exist, and that 10,000 registration cards can't be verified to be "discrepancies" and "errors." Maybe in some cases, but some they're also crimes. Anyone who put down a nonexistent address or vouched for someone they shouldn't have committed voter fraud.
No criticism is directed toward Milwaukee elections chief Lisa Artison. The newspaper doesn't demand an explanation from her about the 10,000 registration cards that can't be verified. There's no call for Artison to obey the law and ask District Attorney E. Michael McCann to investigate. The only criticism is leveled at Republicans who seek a voting process all Wisconsinites can trust.
Where the editorial board is factually wrong is when they write,
Reporter Greg J. Borowski noted that three-quarters of voters with wrong addresses registered on site on election day. Yet, to register, you must show poll workers proof of residence, such as a recent utility bill, a lease, a driver's license. So how is it that the residences cannot be found of some voters who produced such proof?
Someone should have them check out the state elections board website. Then they'd understand that ID, a utility bill, or a lease isn't needed if someone vouches for you. They shouldn't have to make the hard-working Greg Borowski do all the work for them.
The paper then thinks critics are picking on Milwaukee. Well, it is the biggest city in the state. Facts like the 10,000 unverifiable registration cards can't be ignored. If the paper was correct then why is there such scrutiny of Racine? TAM's been covering the "interesting" election happenings [and here] there for a while. Examining Milwaukee's poor election process is only the tip of the iceberg to Rep. Jeff Stone, the Wisconsin GOP, talk radio, and the Badger Blog Alliance.
Since the newspaper doesn't really see much of a problem they don't offer any solutions other than new technology. They continue to oppose the common sense idea of making voters show a photo ID before getting a ballot. The paper is correct in noting that requiring photo ID wouldn't stop a nefarious person from offering a bad address. IDs can be faked, and a person could use the address on the ID instead of the one they actually live at. The myopic paper can't grasp that the real problem is same-day registration. If voter registration ended a few weeks before Election Day election officials would have the chance to verify addresses.
"Editorial: Widen Election Day Focus"
Can't Say They Weren't Warned
Before Election Day, the Wisconsin Republican Party warned the City of Milwaukee about 5619 invalid addresses on voter rolls. The Journal Sentinel found that 186 people voted with one of those bad addresses.
This is proof the city failed to live up to its agreement with the Wisconsin GOP to make anyone using the invalid addresses register at the polls. Rick Graber, GOP chairman said, "We had an understanding. We had an agreement. For whatever reason, the city did not live up to its end of the bargain." Rep. Jeff Stone, who has been inquiring about Milwaukee's voter problems, said, "To have this information about the addresses out there before the election and have it ignored is another mind-boggling element of this whole thing."
Gov. Jim Doyle sticks his head in the sand by telling the newspaper, "I think we have a pretty good system. If you register at the polls, you have to show appropriate identification to show that you are who you claim to be and that you reside at that location."
Doyle perpetuates a lie. As I noted previously "it's possible to register to vote on Election Day WITHOUT showing a poll worker a photo ID." The most glaring loophole being another voter can vouch for you. We know someone claimed van loads of people in Racine registered on Election Day this very way [and here].
"City was Warned about Some Bad Voter Listings"
"Loopholes in Voting System a Symptom of its Openness"
Racine and Madison Voting Problems
Standed on Blue Islands has two hard-hitting posts on Wisconsin voting problems. In the first, Dirty Harry found out 22.5% of voters in Madison registered on Election Day. If only 10% of those voters can't be verified (as compared to 13% so far in Milwaukee) 2344 votes for John Kerry can be questioned. As Dirty Harry writes, "Add those to the probable 6500 ineligible Kerry votes in Milwaukee and suddenly Kerry's lead shrinks to 2,700, leaving Racine County and the rest of the state to look for."
Then we have Racine. A poll worker (name withheld unfortunately) tells the story of missing ballots at one polling place. Jib at BBA has some pictures [here, here, and here].
Another Columnist on the Dole
Maggie Gallagher is the second conservative columnist to be outed for not telling anyone she was on the federal government's payroll. In 2002, the strong marriage advocate wrote an essay defending the Bush administrations marriage promotion plan. At the same time she was writing pro-marriage materials for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Gallagher's excuse was that "it never occurred to me" to disclose it.
Is it really that hard to remember you were paid by the government on a subject you're writing a column on? Gallagher's flipant response shows she doesn't take her lack of disclosure seriously. I rarely read any of her work, but this bit of news will guarantee I will skip over anything with her byline on it. Tribune Media Services felt the same way. They dropped her syndicated column. (With Gallagher and Armstrong Williams
Armstrong Willams' and Gallagher's indiscretions bring up an interesting set of questions. How should intellectuals (in lieu of a better word) work with the government? We all agree full disclosure is good to keep oneself intellectually honest. However, is it all right for them to take government money on subjects they'll later write on? What is the statute of limitations if any? Should outside intellectuals get paid at all?
In line with the last question is an example: is it ethical for the government to pay a scholar like Bernard Lewis to come to Washington, D.C. to speak to the State Department? Is it ethical for Lewis to accept such an offer? Is Lewis' scholarship tainted by being paid? Lewis is not the best example because he's never been shy about mentioning his meetings with Bush administration officials.
Gallagher wonders [via Andrew Sullivan] about these same questions:
My first instinct is to say, no, Howard, I had no special obligation to disclose this information. I'm a marriage expert. I get paid to write, edit, research, and educate on marriage. If a scholar or expert gets paid to do some work for the government, should he or she disclose that if he writes a paper, essay, or op-ed on the same or similar subject? If this is the ethical standard, it is an entirely new standard. I was not paid to promote marriage. I was paid to produce particular research and writing products (articles, brochures, presentations) which I produced. My lifelong experience in marriage research, public education and advocacy is the reason HHS hired me.
Captain Ed sees Gallagher's error as less than that of Williams. He actually thinks her lame response was worse for her credibility.
Michelle Malkin is again disgusted and demands the Bush administration and any other paid pundits come clean.
Slant Point sees this as an "emerging proof of pattern" for the administration.
Jib comes clean with his past conflicts.
"Columnist Backing Bush Plan Had Federal Contract"