AP and the Swiftboats

The election of 2004 still stings for a lot of folks. In a Senate confirmation hearing for the new appointee for Ambassador to Belgium, Sen. John Kerry (deservedly) took the chance to confront nominee Sam Fox about Fox’s $5000 contribution to the Swiftboat Veterans campaign that questioned Kerry’s actions during and after the Vietnam war. The exchange was not especially notable, although Kerry was able to hang on Fox the dark accusation of having played the “politics of personal destruction”. More interesting is how the AP continues to portray the Swiftboat Vets as the sole antagonist for this old debate:

The group of Vietnam veterans made unsubstantiated allegations against Kerry — then the Democratic presidential nominee — and charged that Kerry did not deserve the medals he won in the Vietnam War.

I recognize that there was super-heated hubris thrown by both sides during 2004, and it’s important to separate this chaff from the history of the actual debate. But how exactly did the Swiftboat Vets engage in the “politics of personal destruction” with “unsubstantiated” allegations? They were guilty of:

• questioning John Kerry’s “unsubstantiated” account on the incident that led to his First Purple Heart
• pointing out his “unsubstantiated” trip into Cambodia
• countering John Kerry’s “unsubstantiated” and false war crimes charges that he made against Vietnam veterans

How any of these allegations are considered “unsubstantiated” escapes me.

Phony War, 2007

Nobody knows for certain what will happen in the buildup of confrontation with Iran in the coming year. SOMETHING is happening–Tehran balking at international pressure, fake Iranian missiles getting “launched”, anti-state insurgents blamed for domestic bombings, and an overreaction by Iranian sponsor Russia to proposed deployments of defensive missile shield technology in Europe by the United State–an overreaction that closely tracks the Kremlin’s renewed interest in countering America’s perceived hegemony in the region.

Do a Google news search for “US attack Iran” and you will get all kinds pantwetting, conspiratorial “news” releases regarding an imminent US plan to attack Tehran. There are even the occasional despondent “Cheney the Sith Lord” items, which I admittedly get a certain thrill when reading.

Several Congressmen have directly warned Bush against attacking Iran, especially without seeking Congressional approval first. Of course! But when it comes to launching transnational strikes elsewhere in the “War on Terror”, no such authorization is needed, nor complaints heard. Why not? Although Somalia may be a little disorganized as a state, don’t armed incursions onto Somali soil constitute the same sort of cross-border conflagration feared at the Iranian border with Iraq? Or at least “unchecked presidential action“? Why so touchy with Iran?

Man Sought in Foiled Florida Kidnapping

Is it un-PC to ask the visitation/immigration status of this man ?

I watch Gore’s “Truth” in preparation for the Oscars. . .

. . . and am not convinced that it was the Ebertian, complacency shattering tour-de-force I was anticipating it to be. Can somebody explain the allure of this film to me?

Those BAS*ARD comic members of the liberal media

are trying to sell you and your kids serious books, for pete’s sake.

What has the world come to? O’Reilly would never stand for this.

Who knew?

…that David Brooks even knew that such a thing as “Radiohead” even existed? Or that he had such contempt for “hipster parents”?

Let me be clear: I’m not against the indie/alternative lifestyle. There is nothing more reassuringly traditionalist than the counterculture. For 30 years, the music, the fashions, the poses and the urban weeklies have all been the same. Everything in this society changes except nonconformity.

What I object to is people who make their children ludicrous. Innocent infants should not be compelled to sport “My Mom’s Blog Is Better Than Your Mom’s Blog” infant wear. They should not be turned into deceptive edginess badges by parents who refuse to face that their days of chaotic, unscheduled moshing are over.

For God’s sake, let’s respect the dignity of youth.

It’s all fun and “games”….

A slice of life from this week at NYU…

College Republicans are surprisingly unaware that they have “My name is ignorant, racist jackass” written all over their foreheads.

Could Wikistan Be Next?

You decide!

Can we talk with the grownups now?

I know this news is a couple of days old, but according to the DNC’s main blog:

Today British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that Great Britain will begin to redeploy its troops out of Iraq - a major blow to the Bush White House as it faces mounting criticism to its plan to escalate the Iraq War.

The White House is trying to spin this as good news. Today Vice President Cheney called the decision an “affirmation that there are parts of Iraq where things are going pretty well.” But the American people disagree. According to a recent Newsweek poll, only 24 percent of Americans approve of how Bush is handling the war.

How can it be a major blow to the White House if Tony Blair himself quite clearly affirms that the drawdown is a result of some measurable level of local success, that plenty of troops remain in place to handle whatever happens next, and that this is just another of a series of British troop drawdowns that have been scheduled long before the Baghdad surge was even a twinkle in some general’s eye?

Non sequitur reference to habitually insouciant Newsweek aside, is this what passes for mature analysis on Democrats.org? Howard Dean’s suggestion that the Brits are taking an opposite (and welcome) view of the Iraq cribsheet than the Americans exhibits something a little more than base stupidity and reeks of knee-jerk contrarianism.

If you’re having continuing login problems. . .

please email me. I’m not certain I’ve got everybody’s account fixed.

Airport security for the pretty people

Although these x-ray scanners are 100% voluntary and are sure to raise some hackles, everyone has to pass through the “sniffer” portals located at many major airports. The sniffer portals, frankly, give me more of a nervous jolt because one just never knows when that startling puff of fresh air will pop out of the sensors. It’s the anticipation that gets you!

Bonus: FoxNews anxiety and obsessive etymology in one post!

Typical paranoia at Kos.

HRC and Obama - little love lost?

Are “they” going to blame FoxNews again for this foodfight?

Upgrade (supposedly) complete

I think things are all in place now–please let me know if you have any problems logging in or posting.

Site update

Ok, here goes.  Trying to update the site–you may experience some downtime.  If all goes well,  then enjoy.

The Beauty of “Independent” Expert Advice

Vanity Fair sheds a little light on “Washington’s $8 Billion Shadow.”

SAIC holds 9,000 contracts with the US government which generate most of its $8 billion of annual revenue; it employs or has employed in the past some of the biggest names in government, particularly in areas of national security. SoD Robert Gates, former weapons inspecter David Kay, and retired general Wayne Downing are all former directors at SAIC. Prior to the Iraq invasion, Kay and Downing would argue on numerous occassions for military action against Iraq. They did not disclose, and rarely was it noted, that they worked for and/or held stock in a company that stood to profit (perhaps more than any other) from those military actions.

As made evident in the VF article, the above is only the tip of the iceburg in terms of SAIC’s shady dealings. Greater oversight of the relationship between business and government is needed — especially in the realm of national security.

Wikistan officially supports Al Franken

Vinman’s on the road, so I thought I’d go ahead and post the wikistan official endorsement of Al Franken’s Minn. senate campaign. Wikistan = “All in for Al Franken’s Minn. senate campaign. “>Franken!”

When is Gary Coleman going to announce? Larry Flynt?

Another? This is becoming more and more like the 2003 California gubernatorial race.

Confrontational debate, crackroot-style.

What is it in the water in San Francisco? Elie Wiesel accosted.

A vial of this will go a long way

There are some things you just can’t sweat out of feminism.

WTF?

I pose it as a serious question.

I’m glad those petting-zoos are provided for in Indiana…

Um, who’s right?

A random glance at IraqSlogger finds this:

The GOP leadership has blocked debate on the bipartisan measure opposing the White House Iraq plan. Carl Hulse and Jeff Zeleny report in the Times that on the a procedural vote to push the bill, drafted by Sen. Warner, onto the floor, the Senate majority fell 11 votes short of the 60 needed. At issue was a GOP threat, reported yesterday, to block debate if the chamber does not consider two GOP-sponsored measures along with the bipartisan Warner measure.

The vote fell along party lines; only two Republicans voted to advance debate, and even Sen. Warner cast a nay vote. The future of Iraq debate in the Senate is unclear, although Majority Leader Reid said on the floor “You can run but you can’t hide . . . . We are going to debate Iraq.” If the impasse is not cleared, the president’s budget proposal may become the next locus of Iraq debate.

. . . which is disputed after the roundup at QandO:

Contrary to the implication of these “news” reports, the Democrats are attempting to end debate on a single resolution (and need 60 votes to do it) and force a vote on that single resolution without allowing others to be considered. By opposing cloture (which would stop debate), the Republicans are actually keeping debate open.

Or, said another way, Democrats want to prevent other resolutions from being considered. Republicans are attempting to keep debate open to force Democrats to consider and debate other resolutions and amendments.”

GOP blocked debate? Not really. Blocked a vote on cloture? More likely.

Another Week at Jesus Camp

Haggard is”completely heterosexual.”

I guess that depends on what your definition of “is” is.

I think these guys spent some time at a super low-budget “spin camp” as well:

”He is completely heterosexual,” Ralph said. ”That is something he discovered. It was the acting-out situations where things took place. It wasn’t a constant thing.”

An pariah pity party

A tragic vignette of the first “exit poll president”.

Who’s to Blame for Surge in Violence?

US General points finger at Iran, Iraqi official faults Syria, says IraqSlogger. Fifty percent of all foreign fighters in Iraq came via Syria?

Yowser. Maybe we should ring up the last American pariah to visit Damascus and get his take.

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