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--Punchthebag
Sean Hackbarth's The American Mind is a good weblog." --Glenn Reynolds
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Browse by Category
Reynolds' Bad Politics
TPA Public Hearing Tomorrow
The MSM, the Olympics, and the War
More on Cheney Resignation
Waste of Time
Porn Star's Wine is Good...Really
Charlie's Show Prep #54
Lying about an Unprovable Crime
Michael Joyce: a Tribute
Still a Snob
Charlie's Show Prep #53
Late Night Munchies
Somebody Better Check Their Bot
So Wicked
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February 28, 2006
Weblog Post of the Year
If there was an award for best weblog post of the year Tom McMahon's would be on the short list. As a matter of fact, I'm declaring it already. It's touching, timeless, moving, and full of wisdom.
"What I Have Learned In 15 Years"
Reynolds' Bad Politics
It's important not to make the perfect the enemy of the good. Unfortunately on the school choice compromise that's what State Senator Tom Reynolds is doing. Tonight, on Jessica McBride's show on WTMJ he said he wouldn't support the compromise unless it included some indexing that would help Milwaukee property taxpayers. I wasn't sure what he meant, and even he admitted it was hard to explain.
It's good to be on the constant defense for taxpayers. Madison has too few representatives who do that, but the school choice bill isn't the time or the place. It's a toss-up on whether the State Senate will pass the bill. Governor Doyle has done nothing to get Democrats on board. The only Democrat who has said he'll vote for the bill is Jeff Plale.
Last night, McBride wrote,
He might be right on it in principle. But adding bells and whistles into the choice compromise could doom it. Other Republicans are telling me that this amendment is highly unlikely to pass the Senate (as indicated by the vote today in committee), and that it would likely doom the choice compromise in the Assembly, where rural Republicans feel they can't risk being seen as funneling more money to Milwaukee.
If this bill fails to pass and get signed by Doyle because of Reynolds he can kiss goodbye any chance of examining his school funding concerns. Politics involves compromise (especially when margins are this slim). Politics also involves payback. If Reynolds kills lifting the caps there will be a price he'll have to pay.
I'll echo McBride, "Get this compromise through first."
TPA Public Hearing Tomorrow
Tomorrow there is an important public meeting in Pewaukee on the Taxpayer Protection Amendment. Here are the details provided to me by Americans for Prosperity:
Who: Senate Select Committee on Taxpayer Protection Amendmentand Assembly Committee on Ways and Means
Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Country Springs Hotel, Woodfield Room, 2810 Golf Road, Pewaukee 53072
Topic: Senate Joint Resolution 63
Expect public employee unions, teacher unions, and those that refuse to believe local government can restrain its spending. Defenders of taxpayers' pocketbooks need to come out in force.
Owen Robinson will be there. I won't, but I'll be there in spirit.
The MSM, the Olympics, and the War
Robert Byers at Watchman's Words compares the Winter Olympics coverage to that of the Iraq War. Here's a portion:
The Olympics coverage didn't have the same knee-jerk opposition that the war does, but it did display the same lack of historical perspective and sense of balance that have marked the media's coverage of the War on Terror, and the war in Iraq in particular....
While the press is trying to figure out how many shotgun pellets can dance on the face of a lawyer, progress is happening around the world. The media seem unwilling or unable to place events in any context, and as a result, many Americans are pessimistic about the war and our future. But hopefully events--and the ability of the new media to convey the truth--will catch up with the heirs of Walter Cronkite, and the "disappointments" will continue until morale improves.
"Media Disconnect: The Winter Olympics and the War on Terror"
More on Cheney Resignation
James Joyner doubts the Cheney rumor because
if the rationale for dumping Cheney is that he is a political liability, then why wait until after the only remaining election that directly impacts this president? The GOP could certainly use a boost to help ensure that it retains a majority in both Houses of Congress. Whatever buzz a new vice president would generate--and even a historic double like Condi Rice would generate only limited buzz--would long have dissipated by November 2008.
"Cheney to Resign after Midterm Elections?"
Waste of Time
White House correspondents like David Gregory think they're being made foolish by right wing spinners and an administration that considers the media as another special interest:
David Gregory, the NBC correspondent who has been among the most ardent questioners in the briefing room, apologized for yelling at Mr. McClellan over the Cheney incident but said the situation had become particularly frustrating."There is a desire by some, particularly on the right, to morph these situations into a different kind of debate — it's the vice president against an angry, left-wing, cynical, hate-filled press corps that wants to expose him as a liar," he said. "This is a false debate, stoked by a president and vice president who have made no bones about the fact that they don't have much respect for the press corps as an institution."
One-time Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry wishes he never made the daily White House briefing a televised event, but current press secretary Scott McClellan has no desire to end the
"Another White House Briefing, Another Day of Mutual Mistrust" [via Betsy's Page]
Porn Star's Wine is Good...Really
Natalie Oliveros, AKA porn star Savanna Samson, made a wine so good it impressed wine critic Robert M. Parker.
"It's a very fine wine — awfully good," Mr. Parker said by telephone. "It was really opulent and luscious and it had a personality."
I don't think Savanna serviced Parker to get that review.
I'd make another joke, but I'll leave that to someone much more more qualified.
Savanna is also an author as well as a winemaker. If she wrote the book that is.
Charlie's Show Prep #54
- Dick Cheney leaving the White House after the mid-term elections? That's the rumor. All it is is a rumor, but it's fun to play "Cheney's Replacement."
- With a headline reading, "Paper: Coast Guard Has Port Co. Intel Gaps," I thought Dubai Ports World opponents might have a leg to stand on. John Hinderaker points out later on in the story the Coast Guard's concerns were placated by intelligence agencies.
- 1300 people died in last week's violence in Iraq. However, "Life is coming back to normal in Baghdad and marketplaces and offices are open again after being shut for 4 days."
- The Red Cross spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to brand the organization's CEO, to get mentions on tv shows, and to court celebrities. [via Captain's Quarters]
- Ricardo Pimentel and the gang didn't rip on the late Michael Joyce. But they did call Milwaukee's voucher program "so-called school choice." What makes it "so-called?" With it poor families can choose what school to send their children. It sounds like choice to me.
- Gee, I missed some fun at Martinifest. Rowdiness and puking. But with the low state of modern art it might be difficult to determine if you're looking at art or someone's vomit.
February 27, 2006
Lying about an Unprovable Crime
Here's more evidence Scooter Libby is being Martha Stewart'ed: he's being prosecuted for lying about a crime the prosecution can't prove. This from Byron York:
CIA leak prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald argued at a hearing Friday that, as far as the perjury charges against former Cheney chief of staff Lewis Libby are concerned, it does not matter whether or not Valerie Wilson was a covert CIA agent when she was mentioned in the famous Robert Novak column of July 14, 2003. "We're trying a perjury case," Fitzgerald told Judge Reggie Walton. Even if Plame had never worked for the CIA at all, Fitzgerald continued — even if she had been simply mistaken for a CIA agent — the charges against Libby would still stand. In addition, Fitzgerald said, he does not intend to offer "any proof of actual damage" caused by the disclosure of Wilson's identity....
"Does the government intend to introduce any evidence of damage or her status?" [Judge] Walton asked.
"We don't intend to offer any proof of actual damage," Fitzgerald responded, adding that he would have more to say on the subject this week in a sealed filing with the court.
"A CIA Leak Trial Without the CIA Leak" [via JustOneMinute]
Michael Joyce: a Tribute
When National Review's John Miller wrote A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America it gave him the opportunity to talk at length with Michael Joyce who ran the Olin Foundation before moving to the Bradley Foundation. Miller briefly collects a few of Joyce's accomplishments.
To have a glimpse into Joyce's influential mind I found this essay "On Self-Government" which attacks the progressive liberal project of the 20th Century. He concludes:
And so today, when progressivism says to us that there is no nature’s God, and so no divinely inscribed "self-evident truths" in the human soul, let us reply that without such truths, there is no sure foundation for human freedom and self-government. When progressivism insists that the human being is utterly free to create or express himself without limits, let us reply that "there can be no moral freedom without moral responsibility and accountability," and no political freedom without civic virtue. When progressivism insists that family, neighborhood, church, and voluntary association are parochial and repressive constraints on our self-expression, let us reply that only through such institutions can we as free people "exist, develop, and seek the higheer purposes of life in concert with others," and come to a proper understanding and practice of self-government.With our past as the foundation of our hope, let us embrace this new struggle over the meaning of self-government, as the means by which we may once again refresh our flagging spirits at the wellsprings of our national character. Not daring, at such a critical moment, to rely solely upon our own arguments and devices, let us join Pope John Paul II in his prayer that "our country will experience a new birth of freedom, freedom grounded in truth and ordered to goodness."
"Michael S. Joyce, R.I.P." [via Charlie Sykes]
Still a Snob
The JB Van Hollen campaign just "informed" me JB has a weblog. Obviously my e-mail address is on one of their media/weblogger lists and no one checked to see I already commented on the weblog. Nothing like an impersonal e-mail to make a weblogger feel special.
To be an equal-opportunity snob (since I have no horse in the state Attorney General race) Paul Bucher's weblog doesn't have permalinks to individual posts and no post authors listed. If I were interested in a post I'd like to directly link to it. And I'd like to know who wrote the post. If it was Paul, great. If it was a staffer, fine. I just want to put a name to the words. Another negative is many posts are squeezed together. The design reminds me of the first version of TAM when I hand coded it and uploaded it to Angelfire every night.
Bucher makes up for the weblog with CatchandReleaseKate.com. The concept is well thought out and it's substantial enough to be more than an online cheap shot.
Charlie's Show Prep #53
- Lefty weblogs love Sen. Russ Feingold. That's news only to those who don't read weblogs. (Yes, another example of me being a snob.)
- Michael Joyce is a legend. Maybe the most-important conservative figure of the last 25 years no one has heard of. I know there are many conservatives who don't know who Joyce is and what he accomplished while running the Bradley Foundation. Some on the Left know his impact.
- Iraq's curfews have been lifted. There's still bloodshed but Sunni and Shia leaders are calling for unity.
- Pessimism has captured Bill Buckley. He writes, "the American objective in Iraq has failed," and has no faith in Iraqis' ability to self-govern. [via QandO]
Late Night Munchies
My late night hunger pangs kicked in. It's time for a tuna fish sandwich. My standard recipe is tuna fish and Miracle Whip. I raided the pantry and fridge tonight. The sweet pickle relish has an unnatural green color (probably irradiated with gamma rays), but it's sweet and crunchy, the reason it's in there. The cayanne and Tobasco give it a nice kick. What this sandwich needs is white bread. The wheat bread I'm using doesn't have the unhealthy, soft comfort food goodness that would make it perfect. It can't be too bad. I've swallowed two sandwiches before I finished this post.
February 26, 2006
Somebody Better Check Their Bot
Adding this humble weblog to this list of "The Best Global Sites XXX" will help my traffic but not do a thing for those in need of a little carnal stimulation.
So Wicked
Wicked yet funny.
"Michael Jackson’s Favorite Comic?"
February 25, 2006
Weblog Snob
Call me a weblog snob. When someone like J.B. Van Hollen is running for statewide office and their weblog is on BlogSpot I think a few things: 1) they haven't thought much about weblogs and wanted to get something up to make it appear they "get it;" 2) they're too cheap to integrate the weblog with the rest of their website which means they either have money problems or care more about tv and radio ads than an online strategy.
There are a few big-time webloggers who have used BlogSpot for a long time. With my experience using it as a member of the Badger Blog Alliance I have to think Google has set it up so they don't have the same problems as ordinary, peon webloggers. Free places like BlogSpot are good ways to get your feet wet in the wild world of weblogging but serious people should move far away from it as fast as possible.
Getting Fit the Leonardo Way
Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code jumped the shark when so many people thought much of what's inside the book to be true that the Vatican had to assign an archbishop to rebut the book. In a few months the book finally comes out in paperback and the movie starring Tom Hanks will be in theaters.
In his desparate attempt at a marketing hook Joseph Mullen put out The Da Vinci Fitness Code. With it you will have "the exact fitness and exercise guidance to get into your best shape, and to achieve maximum fitness and health in minimum time." And it can be done by working out once every four days. Going through Mullen's life story of how a "skinny and self-conscious" boy became contest judge handing out titles like "New England's Strongest Man," "East Coast's Strongest Man," and "New England Arm Wrestling Champion" I felt I was missing something. Oh yeah, Leonardo da Vinci. He got left out of the story. No mention of the artist, Jesus, the Holy Grail, or a Catholic conspiracy to keep Americans flabby. Hell, I would have given Mullen a pass had he at least mentioned Dan Brown or Opus Dei. Such a let down.
The sole Amazon.com review of the book is a doozy:
Has no value whatsoever Tells you little to nothing, no charts, programs, a rambling collections of useless information. save your money, I would like mine back.
He gets to the point and without all that proper punctuation getting in the way.
February 24, 2006
BlackBerry Addicts Safe for Now
A judge hasn't forced RIM to shut down its BlackBerry service yet. Darn, I wanted to see what effects it would have on crackberry addicts. I'm envisioning shortness of breath, indigestion, headaches, nausea, and a wave of Treo and Sidekick thefts.
"Judge Declines to Shut Down BlackBerry"
Althouse at Rehnquist Conference
I was so tempted to take yesterday off and hear Justice Scalia, but I really need to be able to afford my trips to D.C. and Arizona (less than two weeks away!). Ann Althouse was there, took notes, and let us know that someday speeches from the program will shown on C-SPAN.
"At the Rehnquist Conference"
A Sense of Calm in Iraq
Curfews in Baghdad have kept people off the streets and have tapped down violence. Friday is often a day when Iraqis go to their mosques then protest after being rallied by imams. Not today. That doesn't mean the threat of religious violence (or "tribal anarchy" to use Lee Harris' chilling words) has passed. It is probably still simmering below the surface. Mohammed @ Iraq the Model is cautiously opptimistic. It's a "good thing is that the Sunni have not returned the attacks and I hope the Shia have satisfied their vengeance by now because I don't want to even think of what can happen if this situation lasts longer than this."
For now, we wait. We wait for the curfews to be lifted and for people to come out of their homes and publically gather. Now is the time to pray for Iraq and our troops in their midst.
"Iraqi Religious Leaders Call for Peace"
Charlie's Show Prep #52
- The public isn't fond of the UW system. No surprise.
- The State Senate gave Gov. Doyle a "Real ID" bill. Will he veto it and prevent Wisconsinites from using their driver's licenses to board planes, or will he cave to the illegal immigrant lobby?
- A Jackson monster used an electric dog collar on his stepdaughter so she would eat her breakfast faster.
- Wal-Mart's getting railroaded by labor unions and state governments. So CEO Lee Scott said his company will do more to get more workers health insurance. I worry about Scott's desire for a government-business partnership to fix the healthcare system. To me that screams socialized medicine.
- Alex Massie is right, curling "rocks." [via Tom McMahon]
- Some are complaining about the new James Bond. Me, I'll be staring at the new Bond girl.
February 23, 2006
A Pet Peeve
It's bugged me when I go to a weblog linked by Glenn Reynolds only to find "Welcome Instapundit readers." I thought, "Act like you've done it before." Kevin Aylward had the guts to say it. I'm just the tag-along.
"Our Baby Is Growing Up..."
When Wackos Strike
Some anti-war protesters didn't think Sen. Herb Kohl is pure enough:
The activists asked Kohl to endorse a timetable for troops to withdraw from Iraq as fellow Democratic Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold has done. They also called on Kohl to vote against a supplemental spending bill that includes about $72 billion more for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.The group surrounded Kohl following his introduction by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Libby Burmaster. Kohl was preparing to make brief remarks before debuting a 10-minute campaign video to a crowd of about 150 supporters in the theater's lobby.
Instead, Kohl stood and listened attentively to the activists as his supporters looked on in disbelief.
"The Extreme Left vs. The Left"
#1 Difference Between Walker & Green
Scott Walker correctly points out the biggest difference between Rep. Mark Green and himself is on ethanol:
The biggest philosophical difference between the two of us is on the ethanol mandate. While I support farmers (I grew up in a rural town and my mother was born and raised on a farm), I don't support mandates. Incentives are great, but don't mandate the type of gas that we must use in Wisconsin.
Especially in Southeast Wisconsin this issue will hurt Green. With his strange understanding of monopoly I worry if the Congressman will be able to effectively advocate sound, pro-growth, conservative economic policy. On ethanol Walker beats him hands down. Let's see if he can turn that into a real advantage.
Owen Robinson checked the State Senate calendar and saw "no Ethanol on it."
"WTMJ AM 620 Success"
Senators Bloviate on Ports Deal
Senators got their first chance to grill Bush administration officials about the Dubai Ports World deal. If Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) is any indication demogoguery was the name of the game:
Brushing aside Bush's assurances, Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the panel's ranking Democrat, said the UAE backed the Taliban and allowed financial support for al-Qaida. Levin also charged that the UAE has an "uneven history" as "one of only a handful of countries in the world to recognize the Taliban regime in Afghanistan." He added that millions of dollars in al-Qaida funds went through UAE financial institutions.Levin at one point noted that a special commission that investigated the terror attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2000 concluded that "there's a persistent counterterrorism problem represented by the United Arab Emirates."
"Just raise your hand if anybody (at the witness table) talked to the 9-11 commission," commanded Levin. There was no response among the handful of administration representatives.
Lots of work on the Sep. 11 attacks took place in Germany. Levin's not calling for ending economic relations with them. Terrorists learned how to fly airplanes in Florida and California. There's no call to boot those two states out of the union for being soft on terrorism.
If doing business with the United Arab Emirates is such a threat to national security then why didn't anyone make a stink when the administration began free trade talks with the nation? Do opponents actually think the UAE would go along with an agreement that would open their markets but bar their companies from operating in the U.S.?
Thomas Barnett thinks opponents of the deal should be embarassed:
After lecturing the Europeans over the cartoon flap, it's awfully weird to watch the paranoia, racism, and pure political nonsense at work on the proposed purchase of a British port-managing firm by a Dubai corporation.The message we send on this is clear: if you're Arab, you're immediately untrustworthy. Dubai seeks to become the Singapore of the Middle East, and watching that rather progressive model of capitalism + Islam reach out for this strand of connectivity in a venue it knows all too well (shipping) makes perfect sense, just like CNOOC reaching for UNOCAL last summer.
On the GOP's tough talk, Chris Nolan adds:
But what do you expect from a Republican party that welcomes a woman who calls Arabs "rag heads" and justifies her "joke" as retaliation for the World Trade Center bombings?
I'm cringing because she's right.
To get a good sense that the UAE is ok listen to the latest Glenn and Helen podcast featuring Austin Bay and Jim Dunnigan.
"Senators Say Ports Deal Raises Risks"
Iraqi Sectarian Violence
Pulling people out of cars and shooting them mark a low point in my hopes for a free Iraq.
Muqtada al-Sadr has raised his ugly head by blaming the government for his powerlessness. "If the government had real sovereignty, then nothing like this would have happened. Brothers in the Mahdi Army must protect all Shiite shrines and mosques, especially in Samara." His lack of support in backing the government has a lot to do with it. Mohammed at Iraq the Model reports, "In our neighborhood the Sadr militias seized the local mosque and broadcast Shia religious mourning songs from the mosques loudspeakers."
Omar at ItM thinks "foreign terror groups" were behind the attack on the Samarra mosque. UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw said, "al-Zarqawi and al-Qaida have been linked as it has the hallmarks of their nihilism."
"Dozens Slain in Iraq Sectarian Violence"
"Iraq Sunni Clerics Blame Shi'ite Clerics for Unrest"
Charlie's Show Prep #51
- A bill that would end paying Milwaukee police accused of crimes passed a State Assembly committee. The police union is already threatening to sue.
- The bombing of Askariya shrine doesn't bode well for stability in Iraq.
- The Washington Times gives a clearer picture of how valuable the United Arab Emirates has been post-Sep. 11. A big port, a big airfield, and an important location (across the Persian Gulf from Iran) make me understand why the Dubai Ports World deal was allowed to go through. Too bad the editorial page sees nothing good about the deal.
- The feds required a secret condition to the ports deal: on-demand access to operations records.
- Harvard is a divided campus with president Larry Summers' resignation. Now, watchers wonder what direction the university will take.
February 22, 2006
Conservatives in Favor of the Ports Deal
At On Tap Marshall Manson wants us to "stop being paranoid and start acting like Americans." There's plenty of good discussion there.
Little Miss Attila agrees with me (I always like that) that opponents of the deal haven't made their case yet. However, a commenter offers a pretty good hypothetical problem. It sure beats the "Arab=bad" meme that's infected too many webloggers.
I'm solidly in the "convince me" camp. Give me some instances of Dubai Ports World helping terrorists or having major security problems. I want evidence to demonstrate the deal is bad for the nation.
UPDATE: Add John Cross to the list. He was in the UAE at one time. What I'm finding is those with experience with that nation have a positive view. That's telling. The lesson might be some people need to get out more before going all knee-jerk.
McBride and Ports Issue
Jessica McBride refuses to look at the Dubai Ports World deal on its face. She imposes a politics template on it:
HUH? I just don't get it. Reminds me of the Harriet Miers' nomination. I didn't get that one either. How can Bush be so tone deaf on this. Worse, he's allowing the likes of Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton to move to the right of him on a terrorism issue. He's actually allowing the Dems to look tougher than he is on national security (something they've been unable to do in issue after issue), because the average person doesn't get this.
She offers nothing as to why DPW would be a security threat. Maybe if she offers some information the "average person" might "get" it and support it. Maybe if opponents offer something of substance I will join their opposition. All I'm seeing are people scared of an Arab [GASP!] company doing business in the U.S.
"Bush and Port Issue"
Walker vs. Green I
Charlie Sykes did very well by hosting the first on-air debate between Rep. Mark Green and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. Through much of the debate/discussion I couldn't see glaring differences between the two. Both are conservatives, generally, want to lower taxes and get government off our backs. For conservatives and Republicans trying to figure out who to support the ability to win is the most important criteria. Walker can tell us all he wants that he's been attacked by Doyle flunkies for years the ad put out by the Greater Wisconsin Committee means Green is the front-runner. Polls give him the lead and his support is more state-wide.
Still, there is one big difference between the two: ethanol. Walker won't mandate that gasoline contain 10% ethanol while Green would consider it as long as it didn't burden business. But that's exactly what mandates do. Green worries about our gasoline dollars funding terrorists. If consumers are so concerned about that then they'll consider that at the gas pump. A state mandate rips away that ability to choose. It takes away people's self-govenance. Ironically Green later said he opposed smoking bans in bars and resturants because people have free will. So he thinks they can make decisions about second-hand smoke but can't for what they put in their cars.
I harp on ethanol because Walker and Green are very similar. They both want to cut taxes, control spending, and improve Wisconsin's business climate. Either man will be a much, much better governor than Jim Doyle.
Gov. Doyle, being a wimp, didn't bother to accept Sykes' invitation. I guess he didn't want to be on the same stage as the man who will replace him.
Charlie's Show Prep #50
- 44% of voters don't want Hillary Clinton to run for President in 2008. 48% want Condi Rice to run. I'm going to have to reevaluate my mental preparation for a President Hillary.
- Republicans in Madison strike again in their quest to remove any sense of limited government from their party's mantra. The State Senate passed a bill required 10% of Wisconsin energy to come from renewable sources. It's like mandated ethanol: if it's such a good idea consumer will drive companies to do this. Sen. Tom Reynolds will end up being right that this will only lead to higher energy bills.
- Sen. Herb Kohl began his re-election campaign by showing off his new DVD. I wonder if there's any director's commentary?
- Larry Summers is resigning as president of Harvard.
- Gitmo prisoners "had contact with the terrorist cell responsible for carrying out last July's London bombings." Yes, let's close the place up and let the monsters out to kill some more.
- Owners of Vivi, the show dog that got loose at Kennedy Airport in New York are so desparate they're resorting to psychics' help.
UPDATE: Silly me. Charlie Sykes has been a little busy today.
February 21, 2006
Bush Standing Firm on Ports Deal
I "misunderestimated" my President. He won't cave on letting Dubai Ports World run six U.S. ports. He even threatened to veto Congress' attempt to stop it. That would be his first veto ever. He told reporters it isn't about politics, it's about policy. More telling is his concern about "mixed messages:"
And the message is, it's okay for a British company, but a Middle Eastern company -- maybe we ought not to deal the same way. It's a mixed message.
At the White House Bush said,
[Dubai Ports World] is a company that has played by the rules, has been cooperative with the United States, from a country that's an ally on the war on terror, and it would send a terrible signal to friends and allies not to let this transaction go through.
Bush pretty much called opponents anti-Arab. And since I've seen nothing substantial from opponents I think the President is right. The best New Jersey Governor John Corzine could offer was a "deep, deep feeling this is the wrong direction for our nation to take."
Let's step away from all the posturing. This is a payoff to the United Arab Emirates for being an ally in the Islamist War. In the Middle East we need as many friends as we can get. Plus, connecting the region into the Core is vital for U.S. security. Hopefully the administration will be watching Dubai Ports World closely just to assuage concerns. Opponents of the ports deal will have to find something of substance, a pattern of security lapses for example, to kill the deal.
"Bush Shrugs Off Objections to Port Deal"
UPDATE: I thought I'd be out in wilderness away from the screaming hordes who fail to understand there are good Arabs out there. Well, I'm not.
UPDATE II: Kevin @ Lakeshore Laments isn't troubled by the deal. He bases it on real-world experience, something most bloviators have little of. Both he and Bryan Preston @ JunkYardBlog are freaked Jimmy Carter came out for it.
Speak #2 Show Notes
Speak #2, 02.21.2006
This show is made up of interviews I took from the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Politics and books were the themes.
No iPod is needed to listen. Here's the link to the show for you to download. If you want to subscribe (please, please, please) here's the RSS feed.
- Rep. Mark Green on Gov. Doyle's scandal and ethanol mandate.
- Interview with Ed Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation and Doug Wilson, chairman of Townhall.com on their book Getting America Right: The True Conservative Values Our Nation Needs Today; Kate Campaigne reviews the book.
- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist meets webloggers.
- Interview with Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit and author of An Army of Davids.
Leave comments or e-mails on the sound/content quality. I'm impressed that all I used was an iRiver iFP-780 and a cheap PC mic. Like I said in the podcast I'm looking for easier software to make podcasts, but maybe I just have to get more comfortable using Audacity.
UPDATE: With the Instapundit link (thanks, Glenn) I'll have to get moving on the next show. Well, the teaser is it will be featuring a former Speaker of the House. Expect it sometime next week.
Charlie's Show Prep #49
- The local NAACP chapter tosses out the race card by declaring the vote to remove corrupt Lee Holloway as Milwaukee County Board Chairman as tantamount to a "lynching." Holloway then has the audacity to try and squeeze the ethics board investigating him by cutting off funding.
- Eugene Kane admits he only watches the Winter Olympics when black people are competing. I'll be cheering for Shani Davis, not because he's black, but because he's good. Just imagine if a white columnist, talk radio yapper, or weblogger wrote they only watched the NBA when white people were on the court. They'd be castigated with Kane yelling the loudest. It's shameful the Journal Sentinel continues to pay for his racist words.
- What does McDonald's get for admitting its French fries contain wheat and milk products? Lawsuits. Why bother? Companies get sued either way.
- Dubai Ports World's plans to run six U.S. ports is even more dead. Republican governors Pataki and Ehrlich oppose it. Stick a fork in it, it's done.
- Though a vile "historian" David Irving being sent to an Austrian jail as a holocaust denier places a black mark on free speech in Europe.
Carnival of the Capitalists
Lots of capitalist goodness at The Stalwart.
February 20, 2006
Eight is Enough
Because of legal struggles and the loud, consistent outcry that users don't have enough choice in their operating systems Microsoft will release eight different versions of Windows Vista.
Victor Agreda, Jr. at Download Squad writes,
It is true that Windows offers choice for the consumer. You aren't locked into a music player like iTunes, and you now have 8 flavors of Vista goodness to choose from. But perhaps there is a such a thing as too much choice?
I thought "choice" was inherently good. The more choice the better. That's why the ultra-configurable Linux is crushing all opponents in the OS market.
Oh, wait. It isn't.
That's because "choice" in and of itself isn't what many computer users want in an OS. What users want is software that lets them do what they want to do as easily as possible. When looking at the combination of interoperablilty and ease of use Windows wins for many people. It's not perfect, and for many uses it's quite inferior, but it gets the job done for millions.
What Microsoft did with Windows was put together a software package that offered a lot of compatibility and features. More importantly they built a platform for third-parties to write software.
All the talk about Microsoft being an evil monopolists was fluff anyway. No one, not Bill Gates or Steve Balmer put a gun to anyone's head and made them use Windows. It was mainly griping from fallen competitors and users who crave the Platonic ideal of operating systems.
With Apple revitalized and drawing excitement with their Intel-powered computers (I'm waiting for $1000 iBook) and Linux geeks continuing to make that OS more user friendly we have a thriving, innovative OS market.
"The 8 Faces of Windows Vista"
Iraq in Nato
Big strategic news from Iraq:
The senior advisor in the Iraqi defense ministry Mohammed al-Askari told the press today that the ministry is looking forward to seeing Iraq become a member of the NATO and that the minister Sa'doun al-Dulaimi, the chief of staff and the higher commanders are planning to propose this plan to the new government once it's seated.
I say the more the merrier.
How would anti-war Democrats react?
"Iraq Wants to Join the NATO!" [via Instapundit]
Charlie's Show Prep #48
- Dubai Ports World's bid to run six U.S. ports is doomed. Screaming politicians and webloggers were bad enough but a Miami company is suing.
- A British Islamic scholar sees a future where "parts of English cities which are controlled by Muslim clerics and which follow, not the common law, but aspects of Muslim sharia law."
- People are suspicious about Jimmy Johnson's Daytona 500 victory. It might have something to do with the fact his crew chief was kicked out off the race track earlier in the week for cheating. [This will proabably be the only mention of NASCAR on TAM all year. Soak it up.]
- Speaking of cheaters, Barry Bonds decided to retire before deciding against it.
Found Him
I knew that stalker sneaking around my house looked familiar.
February 19, 2006
Ann Coulter Syndrome
In response to a report that a Dubai company will help run a number of ports in New York a few webloggers went goofy about how there will be a huge hole in homeland security and how we shouldn't trust anything having to do with "those Arabs." It's sad when smart people get into knee-jerk mode. Then end up looking a little like Ann Coulter who treats Muslims as one big, monolithic, think-alike, act-alike group.
Captain Ed calls Dubai Ports World getting permission to help operate "the cruise-ship terminal on the West Side of Manhattan, one of the biggest cargo terminals in New York Harbor, and terminals in Philadelphia, Baltimore and other big ports" "surrender of port management to Arab-based firms." He then picks out some passages from the Sep. 11 Commission's report (the same report he has justly bashed for not including anything about Able Danger) that mentions the United Arab Emirates. Well, a few of the Sep. 11 terrorists used Frankfurt, Germany to organize their attacks, yet we still allow German firms to do business in the U.S. Could it be Captain Ed is afraid simply because Dubai Ports World is run by Arabs? I would hope that isn't the case. He needs to clarify what his concerns are.
Along with the "evil Arab" argument I reject Sen. Barbara Boxer's belief that "We have to have American companies running our own ports." I guess that means we should be dumping Canadian wood products, Sony televisions, Norwegian cell phones, Hong Kong textiles, British and German financial services, Indian tech support, and a host of foreign goods and services. Yes, economic nationalism will lead to national security. It sure worked in the span between the two World Wars.
My claim isn't that the Dubai World Ports deal is a good idea. It's that opponents' arguments have been flimsy.
Judith Apter Klinghoffer makes a far better case of the problem:
All companies should not be treated alike. State owned or controlled companies must be treated differently. Pretending that private companies located in tyrannies are independent, is bad enough. Treating a government controlled Chinese oil company or Port service company owned by Dubai as mere businesses is absurd. Profits motivate businesses. Geopolitical strategy motivates governments and, ultimately, the businesses they control.
UPDATE: For what it's worth I predict the deal will go down. Congress will investigate, and both Democrats and Republicans will have something to agree on for once. There will be plenty of bloviating and the administration will change its mind.
"Stop the Port Sellout"
"Despite Fears, a Dubai Company Will Help Run Ports in New York"
Poor Ed. I'm not the only one picking on him.
February 18, 2006
Sticker Shock
A $600-700 PlayStation 3 is dead on arrival. If that's Sony's starting price kiss their video game console kingdom goodbye. About the only way I'd consider forking over that much money for a game machine is if there was a way to shunt it directly into my brain. If you own Sony shares sell, sell, sell then sell short.
"PlayStation 3 Costs $800, Sez Merrill Lynch Mob" [via digg]
Pick Your Poison
I'll take -20 weather over massive mudslides anytime. My prayers are with the Philippino victims.
"Philippine Rescue Crews Hope for Miracle"
Smaller Local Government in Name Only
On shrinking local government Jessica McBride worries:
If we can't get government officials to adhere to the conservative principle of smaller government in the most conservative county [Waukesha] in this state, we are in big trouble.
It's not just her neck of the woods. Washington County, arguably as conservative as Waukesha, won't ditch a sales tax.
"The Bloated Waukesha County Board: It Takes a Lot to Support those 35 Supervisors"
February 17, 2006
Game Show Nightmare
Ken Jennings this guy ain't.
[via digg]
Myth Buster
Reading the incident report on Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident reinforces my belief that some nefarious plot took place last Saturday night.
The delay in Cheney talking to local police is due to Kenedy County Sheriff Ramon Salinas realizing the accident was just that and ordered a deputy to the Armstrong Ranch the next morning. If there was a cover-up why did the Secret Service call Sheriff Salinas again asking if a deputy would be coming out Saturday night?
In the incident report Vice President Cheney told a deputy he thought Harry Whittington was "approximately 30 yards" from him. After watching this video that probably wasn't the case. Call me a schill for the Bushies but a reasonable explanation is Cheney's bad at estimating distance. I'm bad at it. I know I could call 30 feet 30 yards.
Ultimately the biggest problem of any conspiracy and cover-up is too many people have to keep quiet. In this case the hunting party, the ranch owners, the Secret Service, the local sheriff, and hospitals where Whittington was treated all have to be on it.
"Debunking Cheneygate Myths"
Beware of the Red Marching Hordes
The Glorious Red Shock Army is marching upon Waukesha. They'll stand even less of a chance than Carroll College did against undeated Lawrence University.
Now, that's the way old Soviet propaganda should be used, mockingly. It's much better than Johnny Weir and his naive fondness for all things Russian.
Cheney's Fury
A hunting we will go...
A hunting we will go...
New Bond Girl
I approve (even though she is French).
"French Actress Eva Green Is New Bond Girl"
Charlie's Show Prep #47
- The White House has agreed that Congress should pass a law allowing the NSA's controversial spying program.
- Sen. Russ Feingold is being extreme again Despite the Senator claiming the renewal of the Patriot Act was being "rammed" through Congress 96 Senators voted to end debate. At least the Kosites will still love him.
- An attempt to get a pro-war question on the ballot failed in Whitefish Bay.
- A bill is working its way through the state capitol that would stop paying Milwaukee police officers who were suspended and charged with crimes.
- No charges will be filed in Vice President Cheney's hunting accident. And there's even worse news for the MSM: Harry Whittington could leave the hospital in a few days.
- Journalism professor Jay Rosen sees how Cheney's hunting accident displayed the administration's far different approach to the MSM. This administration (rightly) believes the MSM is another special interest that doesn't necessarily represent the public. Bush is the first President to understand the new information age. If they want to get their message out they don't need to rely on the liberal, east coast media. There's talk radio, Fox News, webloggers. They treat the MSM like packets treat obstructions on the internet: they route around them.
February 16, 2006
Kofi: Close Your Hole
I agree with Kofi Annan. We should close down Gitmo. Pack all the prisoners and personel, load them onto planes, and move them into the U.N building along the East River in New York. They can turn Annan's office into the main interrogation room. Then I'd like to see how Annan feels.
"Annan Says U.S. Should Close Gitmo Prison"
Got Your Mojo?
A Fort Meyers, FL newspaper employs "mobile journalists" or "mojos" to teach readers how to gather hyper-local news for the paper's website.
It's a great idea that is boosting online traffic. But what happens when the two mobile journalists are sick on the same day? How can the News-Press survive without its mojo?
[You may begin the groaning now.]
Someone call Austin Powers.
"The Multimedia Reporter"
Secret Earmark Meeting
American for Prosperity sources say a secret meeting of the Appropriations Committee Task Force on Earmark Reform may be happening even as we speak. Why are they hiding? What are they doing behind our backs to "reform" earmarks that bloat an already huge federal budget? The GOP better get its act together. Pissing off the base is the path to defeat in November.
Pretty Pictures
Ann Althouse's snow pictures make mine look like those made by a six-year old given his first Polaroid camera.
Cheney's Replacement
The idea that Vice President Cheney would resign or be booted from the administration over a hunting accident is crazy. I don't care if a smart person like Virginia Postrel thinks that way. So I'm going to pretty much ignore the talk even though I'm amazed at how the story moved from "Cheney accidentally shoots a man" to "Cheney must go."
Still there is something interesting. Jim Geraghty wonders who would replace Cheney if he were to resign. With that decision President Bush could immediately sort out who had the inside track to the GOP nomination in 2004. It would also give a strong hint of what he wants his legacy to be. If Bush picked Rudy Giuliani it would mean fighting the Islamists and terrorism. If Sen. Sam Brownback were picked it would mean social conservatism would be what he'd want to be remembered for.
Here are some interesting choices:
- John Bolton: Bush would stick it to Senate Democrats who refused to even call a vote on his nomination as U.N. ambassador. It would also signal the administration's strong desire for U.N. reform.
- John Snow: The invisible Treasury Secretary might (big MIGHT) use is new pulpit to push for permanent tax cuts and tax reform.
- Tommy Thompson: This choice would signal the administration's focus on health care. That includes Medicare and Medicaid reform, stem cell research, and another push for banning partial-birth abortion.
"Peggy Noonan's Fun Thought Exercise: Who Would Replace Cheney?"
Congress Gets Free Porn
Larry Flynt is a very weird man.
"How Representative Can They Be If They All Turn Down Free Porn?"
Blast from the Past
Dana Milbank's hunter gear is just part of a MSM tradition.
[via Instapundit]
Well Stocked
Don't worry about me being trapped in my home during the storm. I've got some food to keep me alive.
There'll be no version of Alive here.
Don't forget to laug read about Wendy's trek into the snow.
Imagine Chavez with the Bomb
Iran and Venezuela signed a document that read in part:
We condemn the making, development and accumulation of nuclear arms, (and) we ratify the right of all countries to make peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Of course we should believe them because they have such stable leaders running their free nations.
The only thing worse than Iranian president Ahmadinejad having a nuke is Hugo Chavez with one.
"Iran Open to Helping Venezuela Nuclear Program"
Now I Know How NYC Felt
What was I thinking?
Theoretically I was to work this morning. I went through my normal preparations, brushed off my car, and got on the highway. From my house it looked like traffic was moving fine. Only when I started zooming south did I notice visibility was less than one-quarter of a mile with snow blowing all around me. After pulling over at the first exit I called it to let the boss know I wouldn't be coming in. He told me everything was fine down there (30 miles away), just rain.
So I turned around and came back home, slip sliding all the way. A little shoveling was done when I heard of all things thunder. Thunder during a snow storm. I've lived in Wisconsin's winter wonderland almost my entire life, and I've never heard thunder during a snowstorm. Snow is now coming down at about one inch per minute. Our wimpy winter has gone the way of the dodo.
Mother Nature has giving me a free day. Hmm... what to do? My only real priority is to move some snow around. The rest is up to me. One thing I can do is get a good start into Glenn Reynolds' new book An Army of Davids.
UPDATE: It's 52 degrees in New York City! Get some of that over here.
There are more pictures below the fold.
Saddam Speaks
One of the most dramatic moments in the 12 hours of recordings comes when Saddam predicts — during a meeting in the mid 1990s — a terrorist attack on the United States. "Terrorism is coming. I told the Americans a long time before August 2 and told the British as well … that in the future there will be terrorism with weapons of mass destruction." Saddam goes on to say such attacks would be difficult to stop. "In the future, what would prevent a booby-trapped car causing a nuclear explosion in Washington or a germ or a chemical one?" But he adds that Iraq would never do such a thing. "This is coming, this story is coming but not from Iraq."Those chilling words came from a man who used chemical weapons on defenseless Kurds. The monster had a track record joking addition aside. Saddam with WMD in a post-Sep. 11 world was unacceptable. Whether he had them or not, he certainly acted like he did.
"EXCLUSIVE: The Secret Tapes -- Inside Saddam's Palace"
Featured on Insta-Podcast
The latest Glenn & Helen Show includes an interview with yours truly. I probably burned some bridges by not being pure enough on the immigration issue. Too bad. Other CPAC webloggers as well as some guy named Bill Frist is also on the show.
Charlie's Show Prep #46
- George Will delivers the toughest words from any conservative on the White House's NSA spying arguments. He calls it a "monarchical doctrine" but urges Congress to "make all necessary actions lawful by authorizing the president to take those actions, with suitable supervision."
- Vice President Dick Cheney took responsibility for last weekend's hunting accident. The Journal Sentinel's Tim Cuprisin writes, "It's no surprise that Cheney picked Fox News Channel and its Washington managing editor, Brit Hume, to break his silence." After the White House press corps went goofy Monday I'd avoid them too.
- Lawrence O'Donnell (of The West Wing fame) started the "Was Cheney drunk?" meme floating inside the heads of Bush bashers. Hugh Hewitt called him on it. O'Donnell mentioned Chappaquiddick six times. Poor Teddy.
- The Huffington Post wants to destory what little credibility it has by insinuating Cheney was on the hunting trip with his mistress who happens to be the ambassador to Switzerland.
- Drudge reminds us Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid hid his mini-stroke from the press for three days.
- Republicans are fighting to keep earmarks in the budget process. Some people just don't get it (and shouldn't be called conservatives).
- A Louisiana congressman might be indicted. Yes, shocking.
- American media shows new Abu Ghraib abuse photos but won't show the Muhammad cartoons.
- Some Canadians think it would be a good idea to erect a statue in honor of Vietnam War draft dodgers.
February 15, 2006
The "Raghead" Saga Continues
Talking about Ann "Raghead" Coulter is almost boring, but reaction is still coming in:
- Tom Bevan points out that Coulter's remarks pale to AlGore's overseas America-bashing. Ann only stained those that applauded at CPAC as well as those that continue to send me comments and e-mail defending her or write posts like this. AlGore insulted the very nation he wanted to lead. Talk about a sore loser. [via Michelle Malkin]
- Ace thinks "she needs an intervention." He can go right ahead. I'm not touching her. I don't know where those scrawny legs have been wrapped around.
- Glenn Reynolds scratched his head when he received e-mails demanding he mention Coulter when, in fact, he did.
- Ms. Coulter made a bad impression on one UK conservative. He called her the "unacceptable face of American conservatism."
- Kevin @ EckerNet.Com declares Coulter "The Right's Howard Dean." At least we're not dumb enough to put her in charge of the Republicans.
- Donald Sensing: "Ann Coulter is the only person I know of who can make Pat Buchanan sound moderate. I have no hope that she’ll just shut up, but I wish she would." To dream, to dream.
- The American Spectator's David Hogberg went so far as to write, "This year she ruined an otherwise great event." [via Right Wing News]
- Mark Kilmer writes, "If you seek a serious conservatism, stay far away from Coulter and other clowns who’ve adorned themselves with the label...." Yes, but I'll call her out when she tars the conservative movement I'm proud to be a part of.
- TMLutas praises TAM for "restraining your own nutters." I'll take it, but I call 'em like I see 'em. It wasn't me protecting the conservative movement as much as me railing on someone uses ethnic slurs just to get a rise out of people. Ann Coulter is treated like a rock star among many conservatives. She doesn't deserve such fame.
- Josh Cohen: "And really, you’re not that attractive, no matter what the mainstream conservatives say."
Offical Talks of Saddam's Terrorist Connections and WMD
Ali Ibrahim al-Tikriti was a regional commander in Saddam's Iraq in the late 1980s. In an interview he claims Saddam gave "logistical and some material support" to Palestinian terrorist groups, "provided Al-Qaeda with intelligence support and whatever money or munitions they could provide," and had a plan to hid his WMD in Syria to "embarrass the West."
We know Saddam supported Palestinian bombers. Stephen Hayes' work has made a good case Saddam's Iraq was knee-deep with lots of terrorists. I'm skeptical of the claim Saddam's WMD are in Syria. It's too pat. Plus, I don't buy Ibrahim al-Tikriti's claim that the plan was around since the 1980s. Saddam had no fear of invasion by the West until he invaded Kuwait in 1991. Simpler explanations are Saddam made himself appear tougher by acting like he had WMD, or he was fooled by his underlings into believing he possessed them.
"Another Former High-Ranking Iraqi Official Confirms WMD Went to Syria" [via Wiresfromthebunker]
Sherman Goes to Houston
Ex-Packers coach Mike Sherman didn't get another head coaching gig but will be an assistant to Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak.
The Packers still have to pay the rest of his two-year $6.4 million extension they have him last year minus anything anything the Texans pay him.
"Sherman Takes Job with Texans"
Charlie's Show Prep #45
- Washington County supervisors fail to protect taxpayers by keeping the half-cent sales tax for five more years.
- The Badger Herald reprinted one of the in