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Sean Hackbarth's The American Mind is a good weblog." --Glenn Reynolds
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Browse by Category
State Elections Board Raps Green over PAC Money
Couric Photoshopped
Charlie's Show Prep #162
Free from Blogger
Charlie's Show Prep #161
At Least Al Gore Accepted Defeat
A Scary Lineup of Potential House Chairman
Van Hollen Crime Lab Ad
Let's Play Some Fantasy Football
Charlie's Show Prep #160
Released Fox News Journalists Were Forced to Convert to Islam at Gunpoint
Christopher Hitchens Flips Off Bill Maher's Audience
Our Dark Secrets
Just Add Two Letters
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August 31, 2006
Charlie's Show Prep #163
- Anti-Bushies in Pittsville, WI got a referendum asking voters if President Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached.
- Commutes got a tad bit shorter last year. [via digg]
- Ooo! I want Canadian socialized health care so I can wait over four months between a doctor's referral to treatment. A significant proportion of Canadians are dissatisfied with medical waiting times.
- Gutless RadioShack laid off 400 people by e-mail.
State Elections Board Raps Green over PAC Money
Rep. Mark Green got rapped by a partisan vote on the state elections board and ordered to give up $468,000 in political action committee donations he transfered from his federal campaign account to that for his race for governor.
The Doyle campaign is using the board's decision to tar Green, making him look as sleazy as Gov. Doyle. State Democratic Party chairman Joe Wineke called the contested money "dirty." The fact is Green's PAC money was legal when initially raised and legal when moved into gubernatorial account. It only broke the rules when five Democratic board members along with one libertarian decided to stick it to Rep. Green.
Republican State Senator Mike Ellis, fervent critic of campaign finances and no fan to conservatives, said the board's decision was "partisan mischief." Ellis also said, "Every action that Mark Green took from raising the money to spending it, he took according to the laws that were in effect at the time. For the Elections Board to step in at the 11th hour and in a clearly partisan act say that the rules have suddenly changed – and in effect that they should be applied retroactively – is patently unfair."
If Rep. Green's money is illegal then when will Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett be asked to return the money he transfered from his federal campaign account to his 2002 gubernatorial campaign account? At least uber-partisan Bill Christofferson is consistent.
In a memo [PDF], George Dunst, legal counsel to the State Elections Board opined that since the legislature blocked enaction of the board's attempt to prevent Green from moving federal campaign funds into his gubernatorial account, "The effect of the suspension is that Congressman Green’s campaign had the right, in the absence of a countervailing rule, to spend all of its converted money until such time that the rule went into effect."
The Wisconsin State Journal editorial board decided the GOP-controlled State Assembly was to blame for Green's predicament:
The GOP-run state Senate overwhelmingly approved SB 1 last year. Authored by Sen. Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, the bill would have created a Government Ac countability Board with members who could not be political hacks. Law school deans or judges -- rather than politicians -- would have nominate fair-minded people to the board.Mark Green expressed support for Ellis' bill. So did incumbent Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.
The only people who didn't want to improve the Elections Board were the ever-so-partisan leaders of the state Assembly -- Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, who is now running for Congress, and his sidekick Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem.
Spouting lame excuses, these guys killed SB 1 despite broad, bipartisan support. And that left the Elections Board as partisan as ever.
That's pushing a pet issue instead of dealing with the news at hand. Democrats on the Elections Board decided a little over two months before the election to stick it to one of the governor candidates. That's a vicious political power play that would happen in a place like Louisiana not Wisconsin.
Chris at the Badger Blog Alliance is absolutely right that the governor's race is a "bar fight." Doyle could have told his cronies on the Elections Board to give Green a pass. He didn't which shows he's willing to use anything at his disposal to win re-election. Democrats on the board say they weren't told how to vote by Doyle. They didn't need to. They didn't get on the board to help Republicans. They're there to advance Democratic Party interests. Owen Robinson writes, "This ruling stinks like a corrupt political move by Doyle’s henchmen on the Elections Board to smear Green during the election."
We're almost at Labor Day when the summer unofficially ends and voters really start looking at the races and candidates. The Green campaign may fight the Election Board's ruling in court. If they do or don't Green will need money to fight all the cash Gov. Doyle and his interests will use to attack Green as "too extreme" for Wisconsin. Now's a great time to dig in your pockets and donate to Mark Green's campaign. Tell Gov. Doyle and his flacks on the Elections Board they can't stop Mark Green from getting his message out.
"Return Cash, Green Told"
August 30, 2006
Couric Photoshopped
I didn't figure the petite Katie Couric needed any photoshopping done. But her CBS people did a fantastic job. She looks pretty slim in this AP photo. They took off a bunch off the waste and the neck.
"CBS Magazine Slims Down Couric in Photo"
August 29, 2006
Charlie's Show Prep #162
- Former State Department official Richard Armitage admits to being Robert Novak's source that Valerie Plame was a CIA officer. Can we please leave Scooter Libby alone and shut down Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation?
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board is tired of Andrés Manuel López Obrador's egotistical temper tantrum.
- Some of Air America's highest ratings this spring were in Madison. But that only means about 13,000 people are listening.
- Some Wisconsin farmers are experimenting by growing cigarette tobacco. Ironic since Jim Doyle as Attorney General who helped suck billions from the industry.
- The "evil" Wal-Mart wants to push 100 million florescent light bulbs onto the American public. This will really mess with the heads of anti-Wal-Mart Lefties. [via digg]
Free from Blogger
Chris at Spotting Horse 2 has thrown off the shackles (and occasional outages) of Blogger and moved to WordPress.
I hope to be joining him in the near future.
Charlie's Show Prep #161
- The NY Times publishes a fear-mongering economic story that workers are more worse off than in decades. It just happens the Times failed to look at other data. Russ Roberts takes them to task. Stephen Bainbridge calls is "lazy journalism."
- There was a Katrina video Congress didn't want you to see. A good case is made that government incompetance caused New Orleans to be flooded not the hurricane.
August 28, 2006
At Least Al Gore Accepted Defeat
South of the border the Leftist Mexican presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has organized protests that disrupt Mexico City. All because he didn't get the most votes in July's election. He thinks he was robbed and everyone's in on the conspiracy, even the electoral tribunal that today rejects most of his charges of voter fraud. Obrador has called for another massive rally where he could be named the leader of a civil resistence movement that would "continue to block streets and cripple traffic in Mexico City for years."
Thankfully, AlGore was more serious in 2000. He may have gone completely nutty since then, but he cared enough about the country not to set up a permanent protest camp on the Washington Mall.
"Leftist Destabilization Of Mexico"
A Scary Lineup of Potential House Chairman
In politics you have a better chance of winning when you're for a candidate rather than again the opponent. (That may be Rep. Mark Green's downfall against Gov. Jim Doyle.) However, the idea of Reps. Barney Frank, Charles B. Rangel, and the ancient John D. Dingell as chairmen of House committees gives me the chills. If the Democrats capture the House there will be lots of pressure from the far Left for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to let new Judiciary Chairman John Conyers impeach President Bush. If you want to see that vote for the Democrats in November. If you don't start doling out some cash to the GOP. The Rightroots candidates are a good place to start.
"Prospective New House Chairman"
Van Hollen Crime Lab Ad
J.B. Van Hollen uses his lead in campaign funds to put out a new television ad that goes right after Peg Lautenschlager's state crime lab mess.
Let's Play Some Fantasy Football
I have three spots open in my fantasy football league. We have a corps of regulars, most are veteran webloggers. Most of us at least pretend to know what we are doing, and the league winner gets bragging rights in the blogosphere. [Audience ooos and ahhhhs.] Although few have ever bragged about their championship. (That's because I've never won.) I run the league through NFL.com. It's free and has live scoring so you can get a steady stream of heroin stats while watching the games on Sunday. The live draft is 7:45 pm EDT Tuesday night. Being there isn't required. You can simply rank your players and hope for the best. If you're interested send me an e-mail (sean--at--theamericanmind--dot--com) or leave a comment so I can send you an invite.
Charlie's Show Prep #160
- A plane crash skit during the Emmys when that morning a plane crashed in Kentucky. Oops!
- Can any Democratic candidate beat Rep. Paul Ryan? No.
- A car ferry war is being waged on Wikipedia. The open-source encyclopedia is like any source. Reader beware.
- Jack Bauer gets his Emmy.
August 27, 2006
Released Fox News Journalists Were Forced to Convert to Islam at Gunpoint
The Holy Jihad Brigades that held Fox News correspondent Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig don't have much faith in the power of their own religion. The forced the two journalists to convert at gunpoint:
"We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint," Centanni told FOX News. "Don't get me wrong here. I have the highest respect for Islam, and I learned a lot of good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on."
"Captors Release Two FOX News Journalists Kidnapped in Gaza Aug. 14"
August 26, 2006
Christopher Hitchens Flips Off Bill Maher's Audience
Christopher Hitchens doesn't give a damn who he ticks off. He says what he thinks and mocks those who deserve it. On Bill Maher's boring HBO version of Politically Incorrect, Real Time, Hitchens made the case that Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the one who wants World War III. Maher's audience preferred ripping on President Bush. Hitchens pointed out their lack of seriousness and gave them the finger.
"Hitchens Gives the Finger to Maher's Audience for 'Frivolous' Jeering of Bush" [via Dean's World]
Our Dark Secrets
Ladies and gentlemen, let me remind you that all of us have something in our past that, if known, would have others seriously questioning our integrity. Greg Mitchell has, Mary Katherine Ham has, Mary Katerine's father has, even I have. The only difference is Mitchell told the whole world.
Sorry, you get no hints or any inkling of what I regret. Zip. Zero. Nada.
August 25, 2006
Just Add Two Letters
A pet peeve of mine with Republicans is calling their opponents members of the "Democrat" Party instead of the "Democratic" Party. The latter is correct and more polite since it is the name of the party. Every time I hear it used by Republicans and their supporters I shake my head knowing how petty and childish it sounds. It's a form of disrespect.
What set me off was a statement from J.B. Van Hollen:
Statement from JB Van Hollen, regarding remarks made at the Democrat AG Debate in Milwaukee Thursday:"The attorney general should enforce the law and should work with local and federal authorities to see to it that illegal aliens who come in contact with law enforcement are deported, after they serve any sentence imposed upon them," said Van Hollen. "It is an insult to justice that Falk and Lautenschlager attend illegal immigration rallies that celebrate lawlessness. In Kathy Falk's Dane County, she won't even let county employees, including law enforcement officers, inquire about the legal residency status of people they encounter. That's not liberal, that's ludicrous.
"My Democrat opponents are pandering to illegal alien advocates and are purposely blurring the line between legal and illegal immigrants. My Primary opponent favors sending illegal immigrant criminals back home before they've served their sentences. Neither approach provides justice to crime victims or is fair to those legal immigrants who obey the law.
"For Falk and Lautenschlager to criticize my stance on illegal immigrant criminals as race-based is an insult to law abiding Hispanics and legal immigrants of all races. I don't have anything against immigrants. I do, however, oppose those who break the law."
-30-
"Democrat" was used as an adjective twice. Once in the headline and once in the statement itself.
A Republican consultant tells me "it's a base thing, and we're in a primary." It's not been my experience that that GOP base routinely uses the term "Democrat" Party. The average conservative GOP voters I've been with will call their opponents, "Lefties," "liberals," and "left-wing wackos" but not members of the "Democrat" Party. Who uses that are the politicos: campaign workers and political staff who eat, drink, and sleep politics.
The New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg calls "Democrat" Party a "slur" and notes its long history. It's not a slur. It's just some pointless needling that adds no value in political debate. It's just silly.
Van Hollen's campaign didn't do anything by nixing the ic's except to irritate Falk, Lautenschlager, and Wisconsin Democrats. The Republican operatives might have laughed a little, but all they did was egg on their opponents. Some people will be turned off at those such a petty game.
Let me steal some words from uber conservative William F. Buckley. One the use of "Democrat" Party he wrote, "It has the effect of injecting politics into language, and that should be avoided." Words are used for politics, but that doesn't mean our words should be political. The personal isn't the political, and we'll be a little more sane if we remember that.
I yearn more greater political civility and seriousness. A small step to improvement is using proper names. Two letters can mean a lot.
Do you use the term "Democrat" Party? Why?
Charlie's Show Prep #159
- Moderate Republican Rep. Christopher Shays wants a timetable for pulling out of Iraq.
- Chicago Mayor Richard Daley suggests a fifth year of high school to replaced the freshman year of college. He thinks that would lower college educations costs. Someone should tell the mayor all that would do is push the education cost from the college to the high school.
- Kohl's department stores snag celebrity designer Vera Wang for a clothing, accessory, and bedding line.
Social Networking Via Napster? I Laugh
Eliot Van Buskirk at Wired's music weblog Listening Post wrote something so out-of-wack, so bizarro that I immediately yelled, "BS!" to my computer monitor. What did he write? This,
With all of the RIAA's bellyaching about the volume of files shared over these networks, it's easy to forget that one of the reasons people were so excited about Napster back in the day was the social networking aspect. I'm sure I'm not the only one who used to search for a few key, obscure band names and then add anyone who was sharing them into my Buddy List. To find new stuff to listen to, all I had to do was browse these buddies' collections.
People didn't give a damn about the "social networking aspect" about Napster 1.0. Napster was popular because you could download lots of music for free. The buddy list was to easily find sources of free music. Napster users could have cared less about making friends with those on their buddy lists. If they never talked to them but got access to lots of cool music they were happy.
Napster wasn't like weblogs, social news sites like digg, and MySpace are where people with common interests do more than let each other know they could download the new CD they just ripped to their computer.
To claim Napster 1.0 was ahead of its time is just a way for Eliot to justify Napster 1.0's existence and ignoring the massive copyright-infringing used with the technology.
"RIAA-Proof Music Sharing" [via Scripting News]
August 24, 2006
France Shamed into Sending 1,600 Troops to Lebanon
Italy sending 2,000 to 3,000 troops to Lebanon as well as public shame at France surrendering before they even deployed got Jacques Chirac to agree to send 1,600 troops to support the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The question still remains whether the 15,000 troops under a U.N. mandate along with 15,000 troops of the Lebanese army will disarm Hezbollah, the terrorist state-within-a-state or will let them quietly rearm and prepare for their next clash with Israel.
"France Pledges 1,600 More Troops for Lebanon"
Poor Pluto Gets Demoted
Pluto had a good run. When it was discovered it was thought to be much bigger than it really is. It has a funky orbit that crosses with Neptune and it named after the god of the underworld--how cool is that? But little Pluto is too small and threw off astronomers' ideas about planets. So Pluto as planet had to go:
After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930. The new definition of what is -- and isn't -- a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one.
Pluto now joins Sleepy, Bashful, Dopey, and the others as--not "plutons" but as "dwarf planets."
"Pluto Gets the Boot"
"Pluto In The Dog House"
"And the Universe Weeps …"
"Planet no More"
Ford Might Go Private
Ford is thinking of going private and ditching the constant pressure to report to Wall Street while it restructures. The company's stock is in the tank with its market capitalization down to $14.5 billion. That would make Ford a tempting target for outside buyers if the Ford family didn't control 40% of the voting stock.
"Ford Motor Considers Going Private"
Charlie's Show Prep #158
- So far, most the advertising in the governor's race has been by outside groups. That means Doyle and Green have far less control of their total campaign message.
- There may be an ethical way to get embryonic stem cells.
- Maryland GOP Senate candidate Michael Steele has a real shot at the black vote with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmon's endorsement.
- Next season's Survivor will have teams segregated by race.
August 23, 2006
McCain Loading Up for Presidential Run
Sen. John McCain is building a formidable collection of political consultants for one, last run for the Presidency. A host of Bush-Cheney people has jumped on the "Straight Talk Express" (assuming McCain revives the name for his bus) plus a very interesting name: Nicco Mele, the webmaster for the failed 2004 Howard Dean, M.D. campaign.
Organizationally McCain is far ahead of any other GOP Presidential contender. Sure, no one has officially entered the race, and things will really take shape after November's elections, but conservatives should really start thinking about who they should back and begin organizing talent or else the default GOP nominee will be McCain.
"Exclusive: McCain's Web Team. And Nicco Mele."
79-Year-Old Earns Economics Ph.D.
For my econ geek readers here's a story to let you know it's never too late to get that Ph.D.:
After a long and fruitful career, 79-year-old master’s degree graduate Herbert Baum has returned to the University of Chicago to earn his Ph.D. The oldest person ever to be awarded a doctorate by the University, Baum will receive the degree in economics Friday, Aug. 25.When he left the University in 1951 to become a government agricultural economist in Washington, D.C., Baum had a master’s degree and was just short of writing his dissertation to earn a doctorate.
His dissertation contributes to agricultural economics by examining how to measure the impact of fees charged producers for commodity promotion and research. The thesis, based on a case study of the strawberry industry in California in which he was a leader, developed a model for researchers to understand the long-term value of the fees assessed growers. The model shows how the policies of the state strawberry commission, which supported research into improved varieties, improved production per acre and grower profitability.
Baum's dissertation committee included three Nobel Prize winners.
"University of Chicago Awards Ph.D. to Oldest Person Ever to Receive the Degree" [via A Constrained Vision]
GOP Focuses on Kos
Markos Moulitsas must have been very happy today. The Republican National Committee dedicated a whole fact sheet to "WHO IS MARKOS MOULITSAS ZUNIGA?" Tee Bee pulls it off in fewer words:
Take Free Republic squared and mix it with acid-laden grape Koolaid....
Plus, he's a pretty big jerk.
Tee Bee forgot "smart." Kos is a pretty big smart jerk.
You know you're doing something well to deserve such attention from one of the two major parties.
"The Kos Rhetorical"
Dave Mustaine is No Fan of the U.N.
Let me preface this by stating the political opinions of famous musicians and celebrities have as much weight with me as President Bush's opinion of the greatest hard rock band ever*--and there is a correct answer. Still, I laughed when I read Dave Mustaine will title the next Megadeth album United Abominations:
"I was watching TV and saw the trucks that said 'UN' on them and said, 'Man, you are so uncool, ineffective, anything," the singer/guitarist said in a recent Billboard interview."I thought, 'Wow, I've got to run with this. I got it -- United Abominations, 'cause it's an abomination what they're doing!"
Let's see: Oil for Food; the Congo sex scandal; the unpaid parking tickets; the food and wine looting in 2003; the bloated price for renovating its headquarters; its inability to get anyone to disarm Hezbollah. The U.N. is a sad joke as well as an abomination.
"Megadeth Targets United Nations on New Album"
The greatest hard rock band ever would be the mightly Led Zeppelin. IV or the first disk of Physical Graffiti is my evidence.
Dixie Chicks Documentary to Come Out this Fall
Here's another documentary I don't want to watch:
The politically charged documentary "Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing" has been picked up for worldwide distribution by the Weinstein Co.A release is tentatively scheduled for the fall, possibly right before the November elections.
The film revolves around the aftermath of singer Natalie Maines' statement at a 2003 London concert, where she said, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."
It chronicles death threats, political attacks and radio boycotts against the country trio, and that could make the film a political hot potato as well as potential ammo should longtime Democratic party supporter Harvey Weinstein become involved in the fall political campaigns.
Individuals who escape from the world's problems through music show their displeasure at musical artists who use their platforms to bloviate. Yet what the movie will do is show all the Chicks in their Jesus Christ pose.
"Dixie Chicks Documentary Could be Election Issue"
UPDATE: DJ asks why were the Dixie Chicks picked on when people like Neal Young have harshly criticized the administration. I think the Chicks received such a strong reaction because it came out of no where. Previous to Natalie Maines' remark the Chicks were looked at as non-political. Natalie said her thing fans got ticked, and she continued. Her fellow Chicks backed her so much that they posed for that Entertainment Weekly cover. They didn't have to back down from their feelings. They could have refrained from shoving their views in their fan's faces and things might have turned out better.
Charlie's Show Prep #157
- Bill Clinton's coming to save Gov. Doyle. Brian Fraley and Kevin Binversie comment.
- U.S. ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalizad lays out the plan to secure Baghdad.
- Rep. Mark Green says photo ID at the polls will be the first bill he signs as governor.
- Milwaukee moved up in Policom's economic rankings. But Wisconsin's high taxes stop companies from moving here.
- Businesses are accusing competitors of hiring illegal aliens and using them for unfair competition.
August 22, 2006
August 22 Came and Only the Romanians Noticed
Earlier this month Islam scholar Bernard Lewis wondered if Iran would do something earth-shaking on 08.22:
In Islam, as in Judaism and Christianity, there are certain beliefs concerning the cosmic struggle at the end of time--Gog and Magog, anti-Christ, Armageddon, and for Shiite Muslims, the long awaited return of the Hidden Imam, ending in the final victory of the forces of good over evil, however these may be defined. Mr. Ahmadinejad and his followers clearly believe that this time is now, and that the terminal struggle has already begun and is indeed well advanced. It may even have a date, indicated by several references by the Iranian president to giving his final answer to the U.S. about nuclear development by Aug. 22. This was at first reported as "by the end of August," but Mr. Ahmadinejad's statement was more precise.What is the significance of Aug. 22? This year, Aug. 22 corresponds, in the Islamic calendar, to the 27th day of the month of Rajab of the year 1427. This, by tradition, is the night when many Muslims commemorate the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq, first to "the farthest mosque," usually identified with Jerusalem, and then to heaven and back (cf Koran XVII.1). This might well be deemed an appropriate date for the apocalyptic ending of Israel and if necessary of the world. It is far from certain that Mr. Ahmadinejad plans any such cataclysmic events precisely for Aug. 22. But it would be wise to bear the possibility in mind.
Being a historian means you're a better examiner of the past than predictor of the future. The big news is Iranian troops captured a Romanian oil rig in the Persian Gulf:
Romania's Foreign Ministry called on Iranian authorities to immediately free Romanian crew members being held by the troops who took over the rig. The rig operator said seven Indian crew members had been released but 20 Romanians were still detained."We are dealing with a commercial dispute that is being treated in an extreme way by the Iranian authorities," Medar told Realitatea TV. He added that Iranian authorities had not confirmed the incident. Iranian officials and state media offered no immediate statements.
Bloomberg has details on what happened:
An Iranian naval vessel fired on the rig owned by Romania's Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP) in the Salman field and took control of its radio room at about 7:00 a.m. local time, Lulu Tabanesku, Grup's representative in the United Arab Emirates said in a phone interview from Dubai today."The Iranians fired at the rig's crane with machine guns,'' Tabanesku said. "They are in control now and we can't contact the rig.'' The Romanian company has 26 workers on the platform, he said.
Who knew the Iranians had it in for the Romanians? They do want to be a part of the prosporous West therefore they're the infidel. To the Iranian mullahs nothing good will happen to the infidel.
Dan Riehl sees this as Iran flexing its muscle in the Strait of Hormuz.
Since Romania is a member of NATO this could be construed as an act of war against the whole alliance. But any alliance that includes France is worth as much as Jacques Chirac's word when it comes to Lebanon. It's time to think about turning some of Ford's excess production capacity into war-time use just in case Iran doesn't want to be contained. The Marines could use some new equipment.
Carnival of the Capitalists
Forty Media hosts this week's Carnival of the Capitalists.
Geologists Ticked at "Pluton"
Later this week astronomers will vote on a scientific definition of a planet. Not only are some astronomers bothered, but geologists aren't too happy either:
Geologists have also entered the fray, complaining at the use of plutons as a new category -- a term they already use to describe a body of igneous rock that solidified below the Earth's surface."Well, if we are changing the dictionary definition of a planet, why stop there. I guess they could change other terms such as plutons as well," quipped one delegate.
"Scientists Create Big Bang with Planet Definition"
Sep. 11, 2001: A Photographic Rememberance
Vanity Fair has a photo essay of rare shots taken around New York City five years ago.
"Rare Scenes from 9/11"
Critics of Spike Lee's Katrina Documentary
Other webloggers with stronger stomachs watch all two hours of the first part of Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke.
Brendon Loy, who is in the documentary, comments on how Katrina could have been worse, Mayor Ray Nagin being let off the hook, and Spike Lee's racism.
Steven Spruiell calls it "Lee's angry, vindictive vignettes."
Web Ads Help Lobbyists Find Activists
Internet technology is changing the political game. The Washington Post's Jeffrey Birnbaum reports on how the cost of finding activists has diminished because of fine-tuned web advertising:
The first thing you need to know is that the Internet can be watched very closely. OnPoint/DDC's offices in Old Town are filled with cubicles of computer experts who are in near-constant contact with thousands of display advertisements on Web sites. These experts can see when commercials are clicked on -- and when they're not.That means they can identify which Web sites lure the types of public-policy folks that lobby groups crave and which ones don't. They can also see which ads make the largest number of "sales" -- compel people to sign up as advocates -- and which ones fail to produce.
It turns out that ugly is better than pretty when it comes to lobbying commercials. Elaborate and beautifully colored ads tend to fall flat, said B.R. McConnon III, chief executive of DDC. Straightforward, text-heavy displays work much better.
In addition, the types of sites you might think would draw a lobbying crowd often don't. For instance, when the American Medical Association, the doctors' lobby, went looking for patients who would push for its policies, health Web sites didn't bring the best results. Game and puzzle sites were far superior.
Campaign finance reform/First Amendment restriction maven Micah L. Sifry mocks the advocates found on game and puzzle sites:
In other words, people who tend to be informed about health care are less likely to want to give up their right to sue a bad doctor than others.
Or maybe those that go to health sites care a little more about finding some answers to their current ailment; while game and puzzle fans are more likely to be abstract thinkers who care more about large systems like health care delivery.
Such sophistication by moneyed interests may depress those who see internet political advocacy through utopian glasses. But using Daily Kos as an example we see how nobodies grabbed the new technology and became a political force. Computers and the internet are levelling technologies. With plenty of creativity, passion, and a lot of luck unknowns can shake the political tree for both good and ill.
"Targeting Likely Advocates With Web Ads"
Charlie's Show Prep #156
- Economists see the merging of Milwaukee and Chicago ("Milago") as years pass. This region will look and have to work in a similar manner to New York City's tri-state (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut) area.
- I watched a small portion of Spike Lee's Hurricane Katrina documentary When the Levees Broke. Depsite Troy Patterson's positive review. It got turned off when "experts" like Sean Penn and Harry Belafonte showed their mugs. I have better ways to waste my time, thank you.
- From yesterday's Presidential news conference:
I don't think you've ever heard me say, gosh, I'd better change positions because the polls say this or that. I've been here long enough to understand you cannot make good decisions if you're trying to chase a poll. And so the second part of your question is, look, I'm going to do what I think is right, and if people don't like me for it, that's just the way it is.
This is why I love President Bush despite his many flaws. Burke would be proud.
[via Mario Loyola] - President Bush approves Plan B to be made available to those over 18 without a prescription. Some right to life groups aren't pleased.
- Ted Thompson gave B.J. Sander the boot.
August 21, 2006
King Leopold and Government Constraint
Belgian King Leopold II's rule is a case of instututional and cultural contraints limiting a government. It's a case of two Leopolds. As king of Belgium he implemented free trade, and the nation prospered. It prospered so much Leopold undertook public building projects that gave him the name "King-Builder."
But there was another Leopold. In Africa he personally owned the Congo Free State. There he had fewer constraints. He could more easily do what he wanted for personal enrichment. Millions perished.
Brian Micklethwait summarizes well Leopold's lessons to political economists:
Leopold II, pursuer of ultimate and permanent power whenever and wherever he could find it, was able to let rip in Africa, but not in Belgium. Her was a civilised Belgian ruler not because he liked his fellow Belgians and welcomed their massed and massive influence over him. He hated it. He just did, in Belgium, what he had to do. The environment made the difference.Countries are governed the way they are, not because the politicians in some countries are intrinsically more greedy and corrupt than they are in other countries, or for that matter because people in different countries differ in their willingness to accept tyranny, but because different countries differ in the constraints they place upon rulers.
"Bruce Bueno de Mesquita on the Logic of Political Survival and the Two Faces of King Leopold II of Belgium"
"The Political Economy of Power"
Hitler-Themed Restaurant Opens in India
In India we have an example of marketing run amok:
A new restaurant in India's financial hub, named after Adolf Hitler and promoted with posters showing the German leader and Nazi swastikas, has infuriated the country's small Jewish community.'Hitler's Cross', which opened last week, serves up a wide range of continental fare and a big helping of controversy, thanks to a name the owners say they chose to stand out among hundreds of Mumbai eateries.
"We wanted to be different. This is one name that will stay in people's minds," owner Punit Shablok told Reuters.
"We are not promoting Hitler. But we want to tell people we are different in the way he was different."
What's worse is the owners want to turn into a chain across Mumbai.
There's the temptation to really go downhill by guessing the name of some of the dishes. Must. Not. Do. It.
"It's Like if 'The Producers' Opened an Eatery"
UPDATE: Laurence Simon has a "blast" with this story. [via The Jawa Report]
UK Terrorists Charged
Eleven people have been charged in the U.S.-U.K. bomb plot:
They said eight people had been charged with conspiracy to murder and preparing acts of terrorism.Three other suspects are charged with other offences under the Terrorism Act. One of these is a 17-year-old.
One woman has been released without charge and eleven others are still in custody.
Police have been given until August 23 to question another suspect.
Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Peter Clarke said the investigation was "immense" and would go on for many months.
He said video and audio recordings, bomb-making equipment, electrical components, hydrogen peroxide and martyrdom videos had been found.
"Charges Over Terror Plot"
Charlie's Show Prep #155
- J.B. Van Hollen takes to the television airwaves.
- Liberal Juan Williams is on the money when he writes, "If systemic racism remains a reality, there is also a far more sinister obstacle facing African American young people today: a culture steeped in bitterness and nihilism, a culture that is a virtual blueprint for failure." And that's not just Black America.
- Some in Milwaukee want to follow Chicago's embarassing trend and ban foie gras. We are blessed to live in such a country where we're rich enough to spend so much time dealing with the ethics of what we eat.
August 20, 2006
Dohnal Not Backing Down on Sullivan Double Voting Charge
Bob Dohnal, long-time conservative activist and publisher of the Wisconsin Conservative Digest, is not backing down from his charge that State Senate candidate Jim Sullivan double voted in a previous election. In a letter to the editor to a local newspaper that Dohnal e-mailed TAM he writes,
To the Editor,Since my name was included in the story about the double voting of Jim
Sullivan, candidate for the state senate, I feel it is necessary for me to
explain my involvement.When the allegations about Donovan Riley and his double voting came out
I called Stan Zurawski and Mike Goggins to refresh my memory about the
allegations concerning the double voting of Jim Sullivan several years back.I still was extremely unhappy about the method used by Mr. Sullivan and
his agent to serve me a letter me about the double voting. I had never met
Mr. Sullivan and barely knew of the double voting controversy. I had only
met Mr. Goggins once.One night in March my wife answered the door and mistakenly let this
person into the house. People, never do that. He asked my wife her name,
then spotted me sitting about 50 feet in my family room. He pushed past my
wife and then handed me this letter in a very threatening manner. He did
not leave until I stood up and ordered him out of my house.The next day I tried to call Mr. Sullivan and his attorney. Neither
would take or return my call. Several days later I finally got through and
told both of them what I thought of their tactics and what would happen if
that ever happened again. The attorney uttered an expletive and Sullivan
hung up. Later I heard that the DA had dropped the case. No surprise there
as Mike McCann never prosecutes democrats.Everyone also knew that Sullivan was just about to get his law license
and a felony conviction would void that. Behind the scenes I am sure that
the members of Progressive Milwaukee lobbied McCann to drop it. Why both
Sullivan and his father weren't required to swear about when or if they
voted is beyond me.In reviewing the records it became plain that Sullivan double voted in
Tosa and Whitefish Bay in 9/98. The records are very clear. Now I
understand that he is claiming that Tosa records are wrong. He is claiming
that the Whitefish Bay records are wrong in 11/96. Two wrong records, doubt
it. Three people would have to make the same mistake at both polls in two
different years and he admits that his parents were out of the country
during the 9/98 time and that he was housesitting.As an election official in West Allis and Wauwatosa for over a decade
I had never heard of anyone getting the check marks in the wrong place.
Those elderly people that everyone is insulting do a very good job. They
are not stupid as that