The Moderate Voice

      The Moderate Voice

    A political independent and moderate's irreverent comments,
     analysis and links on important stories in the news.
      Written by veteran journalist - Joe Gandelman -
    who is now a fulltime ventriloquist.

"YOUR ONE STOP NEWS SOURCE"

Wednesday, March 31, 2004

OREGAN MAN GIVES COWS PEDICURES: So NOW I know where my next door neighbor at my condo goes to get her nails done.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:27 PM

WE HUMBLY SAY "THANK YEW": A reader accused The Moderate Voice of being the Modest Voice by not quoting the kind comments by Dean Esmay about this site, which Dean discovered himself. TMV admits it was gratifying to see these comments on Dean's World, since as of April 1 this blog is officially three months old. Here are the parts in his post that deal with us (other parts cut):
---"Joe Gandelman's 'Moderate Voice' is the best new weblog I've seen in quite some time. It's both fair and thoroughly, genuinely non-partisan, not to mention funny. Although I call myself non-partisan, I'm not entirely; I do admit who I vote for, and have been very outspoken with just how unhappy I've been with Democrats the last few years, and how foolishly self-destructive they've been. But Joe's got me beat: he is thoroughly non-partisan, and in a friendly likeable, and thoughtful way (as opposed to my grumpy, irritable, snarly way)....Anyway, to get back to it, go check out Gandelman's weblog. It's truly excellent. Plus he tells funny Jewish jokes, so you know it's good!"
---In California's official language we say: "GRACIAS!"
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:05 PM

GOOD THING HE DIDN'T HAVE CHILI FOR LUNCH: A 92-year-old motorist got help from another motorist and saved a man on a bridge from commiting suicide by sitting on him. He talked with him and sat on the man until police arrived to take the nauseated man to a hospital.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:15 PM

JOHN KERRY'S OWN PAST WORDS ON 911: The always fun conservative website Free Republic has a long research post that shows you what he said then. A MUST for conservatives and liberals (eveyone will find something). Read it and bookmark it.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:53 AM

Patrich Buchanan maintains: "Both the ferocity of the White House attacks and his lionization by the liberal press testify: Richard Clarke has drawn blood."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:42 AM

AL FRANKEN HAS COMPANY: Clear Channel Radio announced that Jesse Jackson is going to host a live one hour Sunday morning radio show. Can Dennis Kucinich be far behind?
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:58 AM

IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO LIBERAL RADIO TALK SHOW HOST AL FRANKEN AND SEE HIM FLOP OR DO WELL: This should give you Al Franken's "The O'Franken Factor," which airs 12-3 in most markets.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:50 AM

THEY WORKED HARD FOR IT, TOO: Michael Jackson and his little sister Janet have been named the Most Foolish Americans of 2004. This was the second year in a row Michael was named in this annual April Fool's Day opinion poll, done by New York-based PR consultant Jeff Barge. Michael came in first (77%) and his sister with the malfunctioning wardrobe came in second (70 percent). Third place was Martha Stewart. Fourth was Britney Spears. President George Bush got 50 percent, making him the 10th most foolish American of the year.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:11 AM

ANOTHER BAD NEWS BOOK FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION? Yep. But this time the administration won't be able to go after its author. According to New York Daily News gossip columnist Lloyd Grove the book will be by legendary Watergate reporter Bob Woodward, whose last book Bush At War was highly complimentary of President George Bush and his administation. It'd be hard to attack Woodward for being anti-Bush, given the fact his last book took lots of heat from some critics for being a near love-letter. Grove reports:

Fit of conniption: I hear that "Plan of Attack," supersleuth Bob Woodward's still-secret study of President Bush's war on terrorism, will be very bad for the Bush reelection campaign - which is still reeling from gun-toting former terrorism chief Richard A. Clarke's critique of Bush, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and other administration figures in "Against All Enemies."
Woodward's book, to be released next month, will receive not only a multipart series in The Washington Post, but also the Mike Wallace treatment on "60 Minutes" April 18 - when I am absolutely confident that the common corporate ownership of CBS and Woodward's publisher, Simon & Schuster, will be mentioned.

---If you add Woodward's upcoming book, plus the final 911 Commission report this summer, it appears as if the administration will have to play some defensive action again.......
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 1:31 AM

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

ANALYSIS: CHICKEN AND RICE: So the White House did a 180 degree turn and in the end agreed to basically what 911 Commission members of BOTH parties (nudged on by the hungry press and blood-smelling Democrats) were clamoring for: National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice's public sworn testimony.
---And the question raised by some (on the right and left) is: was this battle 100 percent what it seemed to be --or could it have possibly been it a classic game of chicken (and Rice)?
---Your opinion on the outcome, depends on where you sit. To President George Bush, making the announcement, it means standing on principle but yielding in the end to the fact that the attacks on September 11 were unprecedented -- so in this sole case precedent could be broken.
---Others saw it differently. For instance, the BBC reported: "President George W Bush has made a habit and a trademark out of standing on principle. He did so over the war in Iraq and over his tax cuts and he tried, ever so hard, to do the same over whether his National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, should testify in public before the commission investigating the 9/11 attacks. On Tuesday, he lost the battle."
---Some thoughts from the Moderate Voice and others on the Internet. TMV notes this:
--THE PRESIDENT DID PROTECT A PRINCIPLE: The argument was that if a close adviser was compelled to give details of private conversations under oath it would set a bad precedent and force future advisors to watch what they say in private. The White House will get formal assurances that this is a one time deal. There WERE other instances of National security advisors testifying. But in the end the White House came out looking bungling and evasive, as if they were "splitting thinner and thinner hairs" as the conservative National Review's Kate O'Beirne puts it.
--THE WHITE HOUSE (by normal appearances) BUNGLED IT: The President and Rice got lots of press suggesting they were trying to hide something. Yet, what's largely ignored in American coverage is this: the Rice controversy gave potent ammunition to those abroad who oppose the United States war with Iraq and U.S. policies in general. The picture of U.S. policymaking presented to foreign audiences has not been a pretty one. Both political parties and the White House contributed to this stumbling portrait.
---The Rice testimony flap didn't significantly hurt Bush in the polls. But if Rice had testified sooner, and it had been over and done with, they could have squelched the story driven by former White House terrorism Czar Richard Clarke's contentions much sooner.
---In the end, the White House simply helped spur Clarke's booming book sales. (Here in San Diego some bookstores are already sold out.)
--THE DEMOCRATS MAY GET MORE THAN WHAT THEY WISHED FOR WITH RICE: She is telegenic, highly intelligent, will be well briefed and primed. And it's highly unlikely that her testimony is going to contain some massive revelation that is going to destroy Clarke or convince critics and/or Democrats that Bush was totally on top of the pre-911 events. In the end, it may come down to nuance.
---Nuance alone will NEUTRALIZE the worst part of the issue: she will have testified, held her own, impressed many viewers with her presence, charisma and intellect...and the Democrats will have lost part of their 911 issue. (And Clarke's book will likely sell more and more copies). If a Democrat is excessively patronizing or rough on Rice, he/she/it may face a backlash. Rice is an up and coming star and the hearings will showcase her. She is no (pardon the expression) dummy.
--THERE COULD BE FIREWORKS: The commission members want to use the hearings to clear up "discrepancies" between Clarke's version of events and Rice's and will likely ask Rice some questions that could fall into touchy areas. So new controversies could be in the offing -- but these will likely be dwarfed by the mini-firestorm that has raged the past few weeks over Rice's testimony (which came down to the fundamental issues of credibility and candor).
---Meanwhile,reaction to the news about Rice's testimony on the ever-blunt Internet was mixed.
---Balloon Juice's John Cole wrote:"I think what happens next is that we all need to push to get Clinton to testify under oath. We all remember how much fun he is when he is under oath. Hell, he doesn't even have a law license to lose or an office from which he can be impeached.'
---Michele Catalano of the highly-popular A Small Victory web log said this:

Let's see - just yesterday they were screaming that Condi should testify, and screaming loud. Now that the White House has agreed to let her testify, this is what I've found on left blogs and Dem sites:
---It really doesn't matter if she testifies or not
---She's just going to lie, so why bother
---The White House is flip flopping
---This is all some kind of Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
---Who cares?
---It was a plan by Bush to begin with to have it turn out this way
---This means the CNN poll was a big lie.
(What is it with) you people? You want her to testify, then when she does you find something else to complain about. My head is going to explode. I need to read some comics....

---Donald Sensing ponders whether the White House wanted to maneuver it so they wound up having the last word in the end:"But I wonder - was the White House more clever in this flop than we give it credit?... I wonder why the White House didn't tell the committee, backchannel, that Rice would testify as requested, but only last, and that if the commission made a stink about it, the White House would simply claim executive privilege and withhold her until it wanted. Of course, maybe that's what they did."
---Pejman Yousefzadeh writes:"If the White House was going to let Condi Rice testify anyway, it should have done so from the beginning instead of sustaining political pain and torture from the entire affair. Now, it simply appears that the White House backed down from intense political pressure over the issue, and political opponents will feel that they can push this Administration around on other issues as well."
---Oliver Willis asks: "Why is it so hard to get the Bush people to admit they made a mistake? Not even a fierce partisan like me believes that they allowed 9.11 to happen, but they are so focused on creating a 'narrative' they can't just say 'mea culpa' and move on to the next battle."
---According to Seth Farber aka The Talking Dog "the deal, for those of you who need to be told it, is that she will get to see the questions ahead of time so she can rehearse her responses-- like the President was for the Russert interview; even having rehearsed, the President still wasn't up to it-- but I think Condi will put on a good show herself." And TTD asks his readers to look at this.
---Josh Marshall, who has enraged many on the right with his recent writings on the 911 commission, asks:"What if Condi Rice, when she testifies, makes statements in flat contradiction of earlier statements by Richard Clarke? Nothing, it would seem, since the Commission appears to have agreed not to "request additional public testimony from any White House official, including Dr. Rice."
---Suburban Guerilla adds: " Condi will testify in public in front of the 9/11 commission. They will have a signed agreement that this does not set a precedent. Even though it does, but it makes them look 'principled' in that way Karen and Karl seem to like."
---But no matter what happens, one thing is clear: the Bush administration's handling of the events BEFORE September 11 will remain under the Congressional, journalistic and opposition Democratic microscopes for a while. For every action there is a reaction; there will be domestic political and foreign consequences as an administration not quite wounded....but bruised... tries to steady itself for the next round.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:34 PM

TOO MUCH GORE ON TV: Al Gore is reportedly ready to close the deal on his very own cable television channel. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:13 PM

THEN THEY ALL MUST BE CLOSET DEMOCRATS AND IN ON THE CONSPIRACY (some will say): The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the government's refusal to publicly release four detailed photographs showing Vincent Foster, former deputy White House counsel, lying dead in a suburban Washington, D.C., park in July 1993. The Christian Science Monitor notes that in reversing an appeals court ruling "Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the privacy interests of Foster's family outweigh the public interest in disclosure of the photographs."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:43 PM

LIBERAL TALK RADIO DEBUTS TOMORROW: Tomorrow is the very limited debut of the highly touted liberal talk radio network. The key debut is of comedian/author/Bill O'Reilly nemesis Al Franken, who has titlted his show "The O'Franken Factor" after you-know-whose...
---If you're a liberal, you'll want to listen. If you're a nonpartisan or want to hear something a bit different, you'll want to see what all the advance hub-bub is about. If you're a conservative you might not want to hear it, but it might be interesting to see what the other side is saying, realizing that their whole reason for being is to counter what conservative talk show radio hosts are saying, and also provide an alternative.
---But the stations are limited so far. Franken can be heard 12 noon through 3 p.m. on these stations so far:
NYC (WLIB, 1190AM)
LA (KBLA, 1580AM)
Chicago (WNTD, 950AM)
Portland (KPOJ, 620AM)
Inland Empire, CA (KCAA, 1050AM)
XM Radio Channel 167.
---The new network Air America has promised that the shows will be streamed online by going to http://airamericaradio.com/ and that shows will be archived.
---FOOTNOTE: I live in San Diego and tried getting the L.A. station...and I can't. So obviously this new network is going to have very limited rollout. There are many predictions from radio pros both liberal and conservative that it'll never succeed, but the same thing was said about CNN and Fox. But it's definitely starting bare-bones. For it to grow it'll need (a)buzz from the press, (b)conservative radio talk show hosts mentioning it or blasting it (it'll create curiosity..and we bet the liberal talk show hosts will be trying to goad their ratings-fattened conservative counterparts to talk about them...and they'll bite the bait), (c)the bottom-line: even on these limited number of stations, does it seem like there is interest (ratings growth) or is no one listening?
---Forget ideological biases (liberal or conservative): remember that many experiments were written off as failures before they began. Predictions were often right...but sometimes wrong. In this case, it's going to be interesting to see if there's interest, if there's a market, if the hosts can function as BROADCASTERS/ENTERTAINERS and if management is professional and tough enough to make this tiny wannabe network a business filling a niche versus a short-lived political counterstatement.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:15 PM

JOE GANDELMAN ON THE ROAD: Joe Gandelman & Friends will be appearing at Imperial Valley College in Imperial, CA today. New posts on this site will resume later today.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:42 AM

SCORE ONE FOR THE GOOD GUYS: British anti-terrorism police arrested 8 terror suspects in England police arrested eight people suspected of preparing a terrorist attack. Police seized 1,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, the key ingredient in making explosives.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:32 AM

WILL THE DEMOCRATS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE? .House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi thinks they will. She believes that Reps. John Dingell of Dearborn and John Conyers of Detroit next year will once again chair the committees where they now are the ranking Democrats. Pelosi believes that come Nov. 2, Democrats will end the GOP’s decade-old House rule — the longest period of Republican control since 1918-30. (Check back here later today for our summary of Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball where he predicts some changes in the Congressional balance of power).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:27 AM

THE BUSH ADS ARE WORKING: USA Today takes a look at the latest poll that has put President George Bush ahead again in his re-election battle against John Kerry and finds that GOP political ads have done the trick. The Bush campaign has has a huge war chest; Kerry does not. Big problems in the longrun (and as we see short run) for Kerry.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:22 AM

Monday, March 29, 2004

BUSH'S POLL NUMBERS GO UP: Was Richard Clarke creating a controversy to secretly help George Bush in the polls? It almost seems so. The latest CNN USA/Today/Gallup Poll shows Bush's position against John Kerry getting stronger as the controversy over 911 dominates the news -- along with (not uncoindentally) attacks from the Bush camp suggesting Kerry is King of the Flip Flops and a serial taxer.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:19 PM

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO COMES OF (CORRUPTED) AGE: Well, it seems like government-funded National Public Radio, armed with a huge grant from the late McDonald's owner Joan Kroc, has decided to cast off its less-corporate vestiges and structure itself to be more like one of the mass-media for-profit networks: by being heartless, clueless and dumb.
---NPR, which does some good work but has been under fire from conservatives and needs ALL the friends it can get, decided to unceremoniously dump Bob Edwards, host of Morning Edition, the second most popular morning radio show.
---Edwards' Morning Edition is second only to a show hosted by a former DJ who says he has "talent on loan from God."
---NPR's bigwigs apparently have brains-on-loan from an ostrich.
---The reason: corporate honchos simply announced it was time to move on and set April 30 as the date when Edwards would be treated the way for-profit radio companies treat their out-of-favor talk show hosts -- with thinly-hidden contempt, by being abruptly dumped or transferred and giving few real details to loyal listeners. And listeners NEEDED a viable explanation, since ratings weren't a problem. And if ratings aren't the problem what was left? A personality clash (some reports suggest yes)?
---Officially, original news stories quoted a spokesperson as basically saying it was time to get someone younger. So at 56 NPR claims that Edwards is too over the hill to host a show (WARNING TO DICK CLARK: NPR THINKS YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF THE AIR 60 YEARS AGO).
---The NPR website has the usual filled-with-baloney public relations corporate gloss-over on what actually happened -- written exactly as a similarly evasive for-profit network would have done -- but listeners haven't accepted the party-line and NPR has been (rightly) flooded with furious emails, letters and angry phone calls. And there is even www.savebobedwards.com for those (including some readers of this modest blog?) who want to let NPR know what they think (I am sure Dick Clark will protest).
---Why is this dumb?
---It was done with little advance notice to NPR's loyal morning listeners. This is as if it was suddenly announced that Rush Limbaugh would be moving on to be staff announcer, or Dr. Laura Schlessinger would now host a food show (her food would probably give you heartburn).
---And it was especially dumb because it comes as NPR stations are launching their necessary but hideously obnoxious fund-raising drives. The Save Bob Edwards website is urging people not to withold funding since they don't want to hurt NPR...but people bond with radio hosts and NPR is now expecting people to contribute when management has done the equivalent of professionally assassinating their morning radio pal..then offering lame explanations as to why they did it.
---PERSONAL NOTE: Edwards has hosted the show since 1979. In 1979 I was in Washington looking for my first staff newspaper job after reporting from New Delhi and Madrid from 1973-1978. I had done some phone reports from Madrid for All Things Considered on Spain's first post-Franco democratic elections in 1978. While in D.C. I visited NPR and met Susan Stamberg, who introduced me to Edwards. So a young Joe Gandelman met a young Bob Edwards. It wasn't a very long visit but he seemed like a genuinely nice and thoroughly professional guy. And over the years I've often thought about that visit, and how the two of them seemed like serious, quality people.
---I still remember how nice Edwards was. Morning Edition's many multi-party listeners obviously got the same impression.
---So NPR yanking a popular host and giving listeners a lame explanation why he'd be off the show at the end of April means NPR may really need that Kroc grant.
---Because to many listeners, the firing of Edwards from Morning Edition is the biggest crock of all.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:58 PM

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR COMMENTARY SAYS RICE SHOULD "DO THE RIGHT THING": My former news outlet, the Christian Science Monitor (STILL one of my favorite papers) has an unusually blunt commentary on the Richard Clarke-Condoleeza Rice controversy. Diane Chinni's main point is this:

If you've forgotten what it looks like when the wheels come off an administration, you're seeing it happen before your eyes.

---And she makes a point that Republicans will consider the ultimate insult: can it be that the GOP and the White House are behaving the same way someone named C-l-i-n-t-o-n did?

Faced with a raft of damaging allegations from Clarke's book and testimony - covering everything from ill- preparedness on 9/11 to misguided choices in Iraq - the White House and its defenders have fallen back on this city's favorite game: blame the accuser. Clarke was angry he didn't get the promotion he wanted, they say...Back in the good old days - about six years ago - this was called the "nuts and sluts" strategy, and the Clinton administration used it to try to calm the numerous "bimbo eruptions" that hit it. The point then, as it is today, was to shift the discussion away from the allegations and focus on the credibility of the person who's come forward - change the topic among this town's chatterers from the substance of the allegations to their source.

The press and the public didn't appreciate the game then. The test before them today is to apply the same standards to this White House that they did to the Clinton era.

She recounts the Rice controversy and wonders why some kind of agreement can't be reached to let her testify (there are efforts to reportedly to just that -- and REPUBLICANS on the 911 Commission are the ones pressing particularly hard for it). She concludes:

But the biggest irony of all is the fact that the group that wanted to "restore honor and integrity" to the White House now finds itself looking awfully similar to the group it rousted from the place - falling back on character attacks and legalese to get out of a jam.

The administration still has time to correct this situation, but it needs to do something fast. Letting Rice testify is a start. It won't solve everything, and there may be some irreversible damage for the administration, but it's the right thing to do politically and the administration owes the nation that much.

---Indeed, Chinni hits the nail on the head. There truly seems to be a blurring of how the parties handle controversies, what they try to do to the sources of bad information that place them in controversies, and how each party gives their own leaders a pass on things they would never allow from a leader of the party they oppose.
---It's not unconstitutional.
---It's not even necessarily wrong.
---It's politics..
---But in this case the best defense is not a good offense -- it's a good defense.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 3:12 PM

RICHARD CLARKE CONTROVERSY REVISITED (and dissected): CNN's website has a superb Time article on Richard Clarke's path to making his charges, Republican and White House reaction, and an analysis of how his allegations hold up. Prediction: some CNN details should provide a LOT of material -- and debate -- for partisans on both sides. The article's chilling conclusion:

In the end, the drama produced by Clarke in Washington was not about the last terrorist attack against the U.S. but about the next one. Since it began its work in early 2003, the commission has uncovered huge failings in the national-security system, including how even a presidential order can be misunderstood down the chain of command. But these dangers got lost in a high-stakes political showdown. Unless Washington can focus on them, someone may risk having to ask forgiveness again.

---Indeed, you get the sense that with people and groups going after each other and controversies swirling round Clarke and National Security Advisor Condi Rice, terrorists could detect new weaknesses and quietly slip through (just like in Spain) as a divided and distracted American government and electorate conduct the equivilent of verbal civil war. Hope Time's prediction (and my feeling) is wrong.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:09 PM

DID PAKISTAN KILL A TOP Al-QAEDA OFFICIAL? That's what Pakistani officials are saying -- but (as a former journalist I must add this) given the track record of the breathless proclamations coming from Pakistani news sources (including the country's President) on huge developments on the anti-terrorism war, let's see what develops first. To coin a phrase I want to use before Jesse Jackson uses it: Confirmation before expectation and elation.
---Here's the crux of the AP report:"WANA, Pakistan - Pakistan's massive sweep through western tribal areas to root out suspected terrorists resulted in the deaths of an al-Qaida intelligence chief and 62 suspected militants and the arrests of 167, a military official said Monday."
---It goes on to say:"The army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, identified the al-Qaida operative only as Abdullah — an extremely common name in the Islamic world — and said he had no more information about him. The army confirmed Abdullah's death through 'independent intelligence sources,' but Sultan would not say whether it had his body."
---Hopefully these aren't the same sources that were announcing on several weekends that Osama bin Laden would be captured very soon, or that his second-in-command was cornered. Confirmation before expectation and elation....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:34 AM

IS THIS WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON WITH CONDI RICE? Now TWO people have put forward a theory that, if proven to be true, will represent stunning political strategy.
--- It's this: what if President George Bush's White House planned to let National Security advisor Condoleeza Rice testify ALL ALONG...and that the present political stink was intentionally provoked to heighten television viewership so the administration could use it's best weapon -- Rice -- in a way that decimates Democratic and other critics?
---Now I've heard this suggested from two sources:
---1)A hint of it from New Jersey's William Drury, who has suggested all along that Bush may be using his just-go-ahead-and-underestimate-me-as-a-dumb strategy, which he has used successfully before in his career.
---2)An elaborate scenario by Dean Esmay, who contends this raging controversy over her testimony could in the end prove to be elaborate political stagecraft. His FASCINATING scenario contains these highlights (we still urge you to read his full post):

However, I think Gandelman's missing a point, and it's something that most observers, particularly Democrats, usually miss about how Bush operates. My own prediction for Joe and others is that Bush will allow Rice to testify, and fairly soon. Because he planned to all along, you see. He's just waited for the clamor to make him do it to grow to a loud enough racket.

It's breathtaking to watch. There hasn't been a President this canny or able to outmaneuver his opponents since Lyndon Johnson. Bush waits for his opponents to work themselves into a fever pitch, an absolute froth, over something utterly trivial. Then he quietly gives them what they want, they crow in triumph that they "embarrassed him into" doing what they demanded--then they look stupid. Democrats always fall for this when it comes to Bush. Every. Single. Time.

---He believes Bush will probably lose in November, but is using his best strategy. And he flatly predicts:

You watch. Rice will testify, and do just great, and Democrats will suddenly look like obsessive jerks beating up on a woman. Mark my words. Dubya has driven them quite mad, you see.

---It sounds logical to me (but then politics is not always logical in the 21st Century). One hint that he may be right: The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is said to be one of Karl Rove's favorite books.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:46 AM

WHY DO WEB LOGS LINK? If you don't have a "blog" you may be wondering about the links on the side of the page. You may also notice you go to some websites and web logs and see lots of links. On others you may see very few. I've visited a few that don't have any other web logs linked at all. What you may not realize is that there is an actual philosophical debate about posting links, with sincere people on both sides convinced their view is the way to go.
----Why post on this subject at all? From all indications, "blogging" is rapidly becoming an important part of journalism, sometimes influencing the mainstream press (read this and this and especially this) as well as political campaigns. As of April 1 this blog is three months old and it's interesting to get emails from my friends who have just learned the word "blog" and find it exciting to find out about a new one to visit (and sometimes leave peppery comments).
----There are several components in the links debate: (1)how do you best serve the interest of site visitors (a lot of links or keep them limited), (2) how do you get your word out (do you advertise but that costs $$$, get noticed by the bigger blogs or use links?). (3) And what does all of this say about the way web logs have exploded to become a new arm of journalism and commentary -- so much so that blogs are now dissected and monitored at some universities and journalism schools?
----One of the best explanations of the debate over links is by Dean's World's Dean Esmay. Read it for yourself. Esmay not only explains the varying points of view, he offers a pin-point accurate explanation of why people of all ages and walks of life become "bloggers." PLUS, if you check out this archieved post make sure you read the comments -- from bloggers of all walks of life and political persuasions (you can discover some new sites just by clicking on their names).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:55 AM

Sunday, March 28, 2004

CONDOLEEZE RICE ON 60 MINUTES: After watching 60 Minutes I have to say this: The administration is clearly making a huge mistake in nixing attempts to get her to testify publicly under oath before the 911 commission. And there are now signs that the administration knows it.
---Even if some of Rice's points made under oath could be debated and challenged, the bottom line is she remains a credible and charismatic presence and could help defuse an issue that could wound President George Bush in his re-election campaign and abroad.
---According to the Washington Post:

Administration officials were searching for a compromise last night with the commission that would limit the political damage from her refusal to testify. But a defiant Rice gave no hint of that as she defended the Bush administration's counterterrorism performance on CBS's "60 Minutes" -- the same venue used a week earlier by former White House counterterrorism chief Richard A. Clarke to launch his criticism that the Bush administration did too little on terrorism before Sept. 11, 2001, and wound up strengthening al Qaeda by pursuing war in Iraq.

---If she does eventually testify, or they find a face-saving formula, it'll be interesting to see what hard-line-partisans who have insisted it is IMPOSSIBLE for her to testify say about that. Or what they say about key Republicans clamoring (see below) for her testimony (the only explanation, if you listen to talk radio, is that all of these Republicans are RINOS...Republican In Name Only).
---One of the Republican commissioners who think the White House is shooting itself in the foot is John Lehman, who hit Clarke with the most aggressive questioning during Clarke's public testimony last week. Lehman told ABC's This Week that Rice "has nothing to hide, and yet this is creating the impression for honest Americans all over the country and people all over the world that the White House has something to hide, that Condi Rice has something to hide. And if they do, we sure haven't found it. There are no smoking guns. That's what makes this so absurd. It's a political blunder of the first order."
---I thought Rice came across as someone to whom you'd want to give the benefit of the doubt (an 8 year old girl who was with me when I watched it said:"SHE should be President.") But others such as Atrios disagree:

First of all, this isn't even about testifying in front of congress. Second, to the extent that there is any long-standing principle, it's about being compelled to testify in front of congress by congress and its committees - not about being compelled to testify to an independent committee set up by an Act of Congress and signed into law by the preznit. Third, National Security Advisors have testified before congress. Fourth, and most importantly, we aren't talking about compelling you to testify at all. LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR

---The Moderate Voice humbly opines:
---1. She still comes across great on t.v. During her private Congressional hearings she reportedly wowed them.
---2. She had a few shaky moments on 60 minutes but her charisma and intelligence lend her instant believability.
---3. But in an important sense, you can say the 60 Minutes appearance was a flop since it did NOT LAY TO REST the clamor for her to testify -- and in fact some of the strongest requests for her to take an oath and give public testimony comes from Republicans. Nor did it seem the kind of refutation of the Clarke interview that blew him away.
---4. It's still dangling out there that somehow the administration has something to hide and won't her hold up her hand, take an oath, and testify to Congress. The 60 Minutes appearance -- with her explanations that she would actually love to testify but she can't do it due principle -- didn't undangle anything..
---5. There are foreign policy consequences: policy makers in other countries may feel this administration is on the ropes or too risky to be closely allied to since credibility questions on Iraq remain unanswered.
---6. A compromise measure would at least halt the political bleeding, even if it didn't obliterate Clarke's charges.
---OVERALL: She was good but it's unlikely to negate the power of the Clarke interview (or of his best-selling book).
---AND NOW IT GETS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE WHITE HOUSE: Amid Republican threats to go through his classified testimony and perhaps charge him with perjury, Clarke called for all of his testimony to be declassified and released. And, amid what he said was the selective leaking to the press of private emails he sent when he was the White House's terrorism chief, Clarke called for all of his emails to be released.
---SO WHAT IS THE IMAGE NOW? Of a White House battling full disclosure, versus a bipartisan committee (with members who have staunchly defended the president) and a whistleblower battling for extensive disclosure. How can the present situation be anything but a net minus for the White House -- and endanger American security due to the growing image of an administration under fire?
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:38 PM

ARE YOU AN AMERICAN IDOL FAN? If you are you've got to click on this link to Blogcritics which has a great page chock full of posts on the inspiring sado-masochistic top-rated music-talent search.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:01 PM

DUMBEST HATE MAIL ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH DEPARTMENT: The ever-lively and blunt conservative website Power Line got this hate mail:

""Your blog sux. And Bush knew, and is responsible for thousands of deaths. So are you."

---Well, now we have the answer (and I am sure you will agree with The Moderate Voice on this, no matter what your position is on the administration): hate mail is NOT written by rocket scientists. (This guy doesn't even KNOW HOW to spel "suks!").
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:44 PM

STRUGGLING WITH THE CLARK AFFAIR: The furor over former White House terrorism Czar Richard Clarke's sworn testimony before the 911 commission, his red-hot new book, and his previous statements continue to polarize the nation -- but they're all causing some folks to question the political magnetization's impact on the life-and-death terrorism issue.
---We've run posts showing such thoughtful conservatives such as Citizen Smash decrying the underlying partisan fight-to-the-death battle over Clarke, and now over at the web log Winds of Change we see Armed Liberal also looks at both sides and doesn't like what he sees:

I'm not overly interested in the tactical elements of this war; what I'm interested in is seeing if there are grownups at some level of the U.S. Government - my government that can somehow stop this crap.

Here's the problem. A Damn Bad Thing happened - a series of attacks against our people and places that culminated in an act of war on 9/11. In the decade or so leading up to this, we didn't do enough, which is, in part why it happened. In the next decades, while we try and reduce the number of people willing to engage in these kind of acts - by bribing, converting, or killing them - we ought to not make the same mistakes. We'll make different mistakes, and we will be attacked, make no mistake about that. But it would be nice to have a reasonably objective and levelheaded look at what happened.

---"Level-headed" in an election year? Does this mean Armed Liberal is just going after the GOP and is motivated by Bush hatred. NOPE:

It'd be even better to have a government in place ...and here I point at both sides of the aisle...that was capable of taking such a reasonable and levelheaded look.

---A.L. then quotes a Daniel Drezner posting that actually gives a rational personal motive for Clarke's varying views of different administrations at which he worked (read it for yourself on Sondheim's post: it makes sense; we point...YOU decide). And he says that some liberal bloggers "and the rest of the anti-Administration chorus are just singing a different part than those in the Administration.... And personally, I'm tired of it. The Democrats... are furious at Bush for not walking into a trap. "
---MOST DAMNING: He then quotes from leaked Democratic intelligence committee memos indicating how precise plans to use the issue for maximum political advantage and impact.
---OH! So he's believes its a case of the Democrats out to get Bush and the White House shares no blame. N-o-p-e:

Bush isn't faultless in this; and his team is playing thug-style hockey right alongside the Democrats when they should be winning the war. And I'm going to have to vote for one of them in November.

So you notice a segment on the left and on the right concerned about how BOTH sides are behaving. Now project this on to how all this is playing with the non-partisan swing voters. Intriguing. Except for the economy it's the issue to watch.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:49 AM

THE ANTIDOONESBURY? A lot of conservative websites and weblogs link to a cartoon by Chris Muir called Day By Day. And it is indeed very interesting. It reminds me of Doonesbury in its comedic style, wit and even in its drawing. You can check it out for yourself since it offers you, true to its name, a day by day strip. It has been mentioned on or linked by web logs such as InstaPundit, Balloon Juice and Right Wing News. Several websites such as Balloon Juice are urging their readers to write to their newspapers to get it carried. As The Moderate Voice has said before (see below) there should be unfettered left-wing and right-wing humor...in newspapers, talk radio and on TV. Day by Day uses humor as effectively as Doonesbury. PS: You don't get brain cancer if you laugh at humor on both sides.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:53 AM

RALPH NADER IS GETTING MONEY....FROM REPUBLICANS: DemWatch, one of our favorite, content-solid Democrat-oriented blogs, reports:

It turns out that 10% of Ralph Nader's $250+ contributors are actually Bush supporters. This isn't a surprise, really. There have been a number of cases in the past in which GOPers have given a ton of money to Green Party candidates to help 'spoil' races for Democrats....Nader seems to be in denial that he will help tip the scales towards Bush in November. With this high-powered GOP donations to his campaign, he can no longer deny the fundamental truth that the far right is using him as a weapon against John Kerry and the Democrats....Here's hoping this is Ralph's wake up call..

---Indeed, there was little attempt to hide the glee among Republicans when Ralph Nader again entered the fray. And poll numbers are ensuring that the Dirty Little Secret is no longer Dirty: Nader can help the GOP capture the White House again. It'll be quite interesting to watch Nader's funding sources as the race tightens up. Still, Democrats shouldn't gripe too much: Ross Perot helped elect Bill Clinton so Nader was The Political Gods' payback. The key is: the second time around will Nader-inclined voters, knowing he cannot be elected, still feel there isn't much difference between the Democrats and the Republicans and vote for Ralph?
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:49 AM

THIS JUST IN! Greg Piper reports: "President Bush is calling for broadband to every home by 2007. It's the first time he's spoken at length on the subject since fall 2002, and the main action happening in broadband policy has been the FCC's slow and fumbling attempts to make broadband rollout less regulated."
---George Bush wants broadband for every home by 2007. Bill Clinton wants a Broad Band in every bar by 2005.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:46 AM

Saturday, March 27, 2004

MORE RICE PLEASE...RICE AND THE UPCOMING 60 MINUTES INTERVIEW: Partisan storm clouds are in place for political lightning over National Security advisor Condoleezza Rice, in the ongoing clamor for her to testify publicly under oath in the Congressional 911 hearings, the White House refusal to allow her to do so, and her high-profile 60 Minutes interview Sunday night.
---Like everything else in Campaign 2004, this issue has become highly polarized. If you make the slightest criticism of Rice, you are pigeon-holed as anti-Bush. If you defend her in the slightest way, you're a Bush supporter.
---A few things:
---1. SHE HAS A SUPERB REPUTATION. Before George Bush was elected, two academics who don't know each other personally told me that they wanted Bush elected BECAUSE OF Rice: they knew Rice and described her to me as a person with impeccable credentials, a superb intellect, a delight to deal with personally, and someone with lots of integrity. They felt the U.S. would be in skilled hands if Bush won and she played a role in the administration. These are prominent academics in their field. This was before she became well-known; their zeal about having someone like her in the government was NOT due to political agreement but academic and intellectual admiration.
---2. EARTH TO THOSE IN DENIAL...THERE IS INDEED A MAJOR CONTROVERSY SWIRLING HERE: There is precedent for a White House refusing to let a National Security advisor testify publicly under oath. And the case can also be made that the White House argument is a flawed case and that other top officials have been allowed to testify publicly under oath under other administrations in the past.
--- While on the road this week. we received comments suggesting that somehow The Moderate Voice was part of a media/Democrat conspiracy, that there was no controversy about her testifying and that she already had. One suggested we get "our facts straight." A reporter for Insight Magazine even wrote a letter to the readers using that same phrase, blasting the media.
---So we did a quick internet news search and here are the facts: She testified privately before commission members, and got extremely high marks. Many of those who support the White House position especially want to have her talk in public under oath (like former terrorism Czar Richard Clarke did) .
---So, YES, this battle over sworn testimony definitely is a BIG, fat, authentic controversial issue.
---To those who still insist anyone who mentions a controversy is either making it up or a closet Bush hater, just check a few places on the internet like this and this and this and this and this and this. And there are lots more, like this. Even this and also this.
---Clearly, this very quick medley of links above -- from the editorial, to the news report, to the downright anti-Bush -- indicates there is indeed a definite controversy out there that the White House must defuse because it's giving critics ammunition. And although none of these analysts and reporters above epitomize TRUE PERFECTION, the bottom line is: the storm clouds have gathered for months and 60 Minutes will likely the the catalyst that will cause them to burst.
---Also: those who suggested this is a non-issue and only Democrats want her to talk should go this link and you'll see how Senate Majority Bill Frist wants Rice to testify as well (he MUST be a closet Democrat or Bush hater or on the media elite's payroll...). So does Former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean (another person who must be out to get Bush and is an agent of the New York Times and Katie Couric...)
---3. THE WHITE HOUSE IS SHOOTING ITSELF IN THE FOOT: There have been exceptions made by Presidents to allow top security officials to testify publicly under oath. At this point it's irrelevant what the reasons were...the fact is, there have been instances where other presidents ALLOWED IT.
---If she testifies the Republic will survive and the White House will remove a potential credibility stumbling block that Democrats could use to win swing voter support.
---4. SHE IS A CHARISMATIC INDIVIDUAL WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE: You'd think the White House would want Rice to be talking under oath, getting massive international media coverage, presenting not only its case for its 911 efforts -- and case against Clarke's testimony -- but also use the testimony to profile a true rising Republican star.
---5. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS HURT ITS OWN ARGUMENT BY RAISING HER PROFILE: She has been on CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX and now comes 60 Minutes. It seems the only network she has not appeared on is Cartoon Network.
--- A friend emailed me this NEW JOKE (not a good sign): "AT&T is marketing a new Condi Rice public telephone. You can get information by dialing ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX but you can't get information if you dial 911."
---If she's on every network and on 60 Minutes refuting former terrorism Czar Richard Clarke but won't appear before the commission in public and under oath what is the net difference? All of her public appearances are brief ones and not under oath. Who testified under oath? Clarke...and he's the one GOPers are now suggesting just might have committed perjury. No one can accuse Rice of that...since she hasn't testified publicly under oath.
--- To someone who doesn't belong to either party, it seems as if oaths and perjury are vital values to the GOP, but not always. The are exceptions, except of course in cases that involve executive privilege ...although there are cases that show there HAVE been exceptions made in executive privilege..(Oh. Now I see the consistency...????)
---6: OVERALL: The White House is suppressing one of its best voices, prominent policy intellects, and appealing future stars -- and by not letting her testify under oath makes it seem as if they're afraid to have her give sworn testimony in front of the country. She can testify on 60 Minutes...but Mike Wallace doesn't require an oath (if he did that would probably mean spiking 60 percent of their stories and 90 percent of the "sources say" reporters' statements).
---7. IMPACT ON THE CAMPAIGN: No matter what she says or how effective it is, no matter how many more hours of private testimony she gives the commission, it won't be the SAME as sworn public testimony under oath -- and the Democrats will have a potent issue.
---You can already see John Kerry leaping on this political gift to his sagging campaign in this statement: "If Condoleezza Rice can find time to do `60 Minutes' on television before the American people, she ought to find 60 minutes to speak to the commission under oath," Kerry told reporters. "We're talking about the security of our country.. Certainly we can find a way to respect executive privilege, not to have it be an opening to the door, but nevertheless to accomplish America's needs to protect the security of our country."
---All this political verbiage means is: "Thank You White House lawyers for this opening that will be featured in our ads and speeches in the future!"
---Bottom line: Condi Rice unrestricted is the best defense for Condi Rice and the administration. White House lawyering will only hurt Rice and a Bush re-election campaign relying on the issue of his anti-terrorism leadership qualities. 60 Minutes won't erase the sworn public testimony issue; sworn public testimony will. UPDATE: That this issue won't be erased away by a 60 Minutes interview was evident Sunday, when the chairman of the commission said the panel UNANIMOUSLY feels Rice should testify under oath in public when she meets with it again.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:07 PM

Thursday, March 25, 2004

GET A LIFE DEPARTMENT: The Moderate Voice is a tired voice after doing shows and driving from Ukiah, CA to Chico, CA where he is sending out this message and doing some limited posting. And he hates to yell but must say this: LIGHTEN UP!!
---The controversy over George Bush's satirical comments about weapons of mass destruction doesn't even deserve the Moderate Voice pushing his fingers (even his Simon Cowle finger) on this keyboard. So imagine his shock when he saw the Drudge Report item that the Kerry campaign is blasting Bush for his comments.
---I read this statement and realized that whoever wrote it is in the wrong business: he/she/it should be out posing in photos as the symbol of the Democratic Party, rather than issuing statements for a Democratic candidate.
---This sentence from the Kerry camp press release posted by Drudge sounds like a line from a bad Saturday Night Live sketch: "If George Bush thinks his deceptive rationale for going to war is a laughing matter, then he's even more out of touch than we thought. Unfortunately for the President, this is not a joke."
---Let's clarify the issue here: when any politician (Democrat or Republican) puts down their pompous persona long enough to take a poke at themselves, do a satirical comment echoing a serious criticism from the opposite side, they score some points with many voters.. Someone needs to take the Kerry camp (and Florida's Senator Bob Graham) and tell them: you ain't gonna win over swing voters or Republican voters by appearing petty. Examples:
-----Republicans looked downright silly over the stink they raised some months ago over a joke about India told by Hillary Clinton. Suddenly Republicans, who (rightfully) decry political correctness were dumping on The World's Smartest Woman over a joke because it was politically incorrect. The individuals and websites that seriously ranted on about the joke are honorary members of The Moderate Voice's Get A Life Club.
-----Al Gore's huffing and puffing while debating George Bush clearly turned off many voters who instinctively sensed that this guy not only took himself way too seriously but looked upon himself even more seriously than he TOOK himself.. and looked down on others. For blowing the election partly by turning off voters with a personality oozing self-importance, Gore has a SPECIAL CHAIR named for him in the Get a Life Club.
-----The recent World Class Stink over John Kerry (GASP!) swearing while skiing (as if the folks shocked at that had not read history books that detail how politicos speak or President Bush's famous statement to advisors upon launching the Iraq war) led to many reporters, websites and blogs being named nominees in the Get A Life Club. With a tiny bit of work, they can get in, too!
---So, Senator Kerry: have the staffer who wrote the petty statement on Bush's satirical comments transferred to something more befitting his/her/its intelligence -- like inserting politically correct words into all your speeches. Someone like me who is a swing voter thinks your "position" on this meaningless "issue" displays a sickening pettiness in attitude and a triviality in thinking that...makes you PERFECT to serve in Congress.
--- OH: I'm not a Republican. I am increasingly reviled by Republicans (who think I'm a Democrat) and by Democrats (who think I am a Republican). I care about the people who died in the war. I'm indeed troubled about the economy. But I love satire (aimed at ALL sides) and think political correctness is to humor what terrorism is to democracy. On that I will never, EVER yield.
--JOE GANDELPERSON
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:40 PM

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

CLARKE BEFORE THE 911 COMMISSION: DEMOCRATS WERE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WERE REPUBLICANS: (The Moderate Voice) UKIAH, CA -- I managed to watch a good part of Richard Clarke's testimony up here north of Santa Rosa and why bother trying to describe it when The Washington Post's Dana Milbank caught the abrupt shift perfectly?

The Sept. 11 commission shed its bipartisan spirit and turned a Senate hearing room into a courtroom yesterday for the testimony of Richard A. Clarke, the White House counterterrorism chief-turned-Bush administration whistle-blower.

---Milbank catches the mood perfectly: Democrats trying to defend Republican Clarke; Republicans trying to discredit him. If you want to read one account read that one. It's unlikely Clarke came out discredited or strengthened and few partisan positions are likely to have changed. The question is: how will all of this play in Peoria? Will swing voter Mrs. Smith in Peoria (if she watched) shift her view of how administrations handled terrorism?
---But even more important, how will all of this play in the tribal areas of Pakistan or Afghanistan, or wherever Osama bin Laden is lurking? Partisan finger-pointing aside, won't he assume that the United States is at its weakest unity point in an election year where each side is playing "GOTCHA!," seeking to discredit key players on EACH side?
---The latest twist on the war of words, accusations, documents, rebuttals and rebuttal-rebuttals came after yesterday's hearings when National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice forcefully rebutted some of Clarke's charges by releasing unclassified documents that, she said, prove false his "scurrilous allegation that somehow the president of the United States was not attentive to the terrorist threat." She also dismissed as "Arrogance at its extreme" a suggestion in Clarke's book that she had been unfamiliar with some aspects of the terrorist network until he told her.
---One of the most intelligent comments on this divisive verbal-ping-pong match comes from the blogosphere, from Citizen Smash, a young conservative who fought in the Iraq war:

SO WHO IS TO BLAME for 9/11? It isn't Bill Clinton, or Al Gore, or Madeleine Albright, or Bill Cohen, or Janet Reno, or Frederico Pena, or Norm Mineta, or Dick Clarke, or John Kerry. It isn't George W. Bush, or Colin Powell, or Donald Rumsfeld, or John Ashcroft, or Karl Rove, or Condoleeza Rice, or Louis Freeh, or Trent Lott. It is Usama bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri, and the al Qaeda terror organization. I realize it's an election year, and there are partisan points to be made-- but can we please stop pointing the fingers of blame at each other, and instead concentrate our combined efforts on capturing or killing these murderous bastards? Or is that too much to ask?

---Clarke is underfire for a variety of reasons: William F. Buckley feels Clarke wants to have it both ways. Fox News posted the transcript of an August 2002 press backgrounder that the White House and Republicans insist shows Clarke changed his political tune. But Clarke replied that he was acting as an official spokesman at the time -- and anyone who has done any reporting (or acted as spokesperson for a group) can indeed attest that an official source doesn't usually use a meeting with the press to blast his or her group.
---Meanwhile, Tony Blankley, writing in the Washington Times, also feels the fingerpointing is dangerous and stresses the changed political context:

Obviously both the Clinton administration and the Bush administration until September 11 failed to be seized of a sufficient sense of urgency in combating the danger. But it is unfair to blame them: they existed in a different political world. If Bill Clinton had tried to go to war in Afghanistan in 1998, both the Republicans and the major media would have run him out of town. So, also, would a Bush invasion of Afghanistan in July of 2001 been rebuffed by the entire body politic.

---Two of the most fascinating perspectives on Clarke come from these sources:
---1. Daniel Drezner: He makes these key points:
---a)Clarke is no Paul O'Neill (former treasury secretary) and is highly skilled in art of bureaucratic politics. By pushing out Clarke, the Bush team made an enemy out of him. "So, does Clarke have a personal incentive to stick it to this administration? Absolutely. Does he know what he's talking about? Absolutely. Can what he says can be ignored? Absolutely not."
---b)The administration's attempt to discredit Clark is hurting its own case. He points out that "every new administration needs about six months to work out the foreign policy kinks -- flash back to the Clinton team's first six months.." and to claim the Bush administration was slow on Al Qaeda misses that point.
---c)He sees a parallel between "current debates over how to wage the war on terror and previous debates over how to contain the Soviet Union.
---2. Fred Kaplan, reporting in Slate. He details the contradictions in the efforts to discredit Clarke (which The Moderate Voice feels are downright counterproductive, because they are "red political meat" for supporters but turn off swing voters or boomerang when inconsistencies in them emerge). And gives three prime reasons why he believes Clarke:
---a) "First, his basic accusations are consistent with tales told by other officials, including some who had no significant dealings with Clarke."
b)"Second, the White House's attempts at rebuttal have been extremely weak and contradictory. If Clarke were wrong, one would expect the comebacks -- especially from Bush's aides, who excel at the counterstrike -- to be stronger and more substantive."
---c)Third:

I went to graduate school with Clarke in the late 1970s, at MIT's political science department, and called him as an occasional source in the mid-'80s when he was in the State Department and I was a newspaper reporter. There were good things and dubious things about Clarke, traits that inspired both admiration and leeriness. The former: He was very smart, a highly skilled (and utterly nonpartisan) analyst, and he knew how to get things done in a calcified bureaucracy. The latter: He was arrogant, made no effort to disguise his contempt for those who disagreed with him, and blatantly maneuvered around all obstacles to make sure his views got through.

The key thing, though, is this: Both sets of traits tell me he's too shrewd to write or say anything in public that might be decisively refuted. As Daniel Benjamin, another terrorism specialist who worked alongside Clarke in the Clinton White House, put it in a phone conversation today, "Dick did not survive and flourish in the bureaucracy all those years by leaving himself open to attack."

---The hearings seemed to confirm that today...and also that the U.S. focus on anti-terrorism has been diverted...not by Iraq but by politics as usual on both sides during an election year.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:24 PM

STEAMED RICE: National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is very angry. She is accusing former counter-terrorism aide Richard Clarke of blatantly changing his position of backing President Bush's war on terrorism to now questioning it.
---Clarke's recent high visibility forums are known (unless you have been on Jupiter the past week): a high-profile 60 Minutes interview, a heavily promoted upcoming book, and assertive testimony today before the Congressional 911 commission. (The Moderate Voice is in Ukiah in Northern California's Mendocino County and will try to do a post on Clarke's appearance later tonight). While the media has focused almost exclusively on Clarke's allegations about what he claims was the Bush administration's fixation on Iraq, and about President George Bush's attitude, a less emphasized subtext of his allegations is riveted on Rice's performance in her job.
---So there does seem something personal here (on both sides) and, according to Reuters, when reporters met with her today Rice was steamed.
---For one thing, she said, despite his pronouncements, Clarke had never raised concerns with her that she felt the administration was unduly fixated on Iraq. Reuters reports this:

She said after his resignation 13 months ago, she invited him to lunch three weeks before the start of the U.S.-led war against Iraq to thank him for his years of service. Clarke had "not a word about concerns that Iraq was going to somehow take us off the path of the war on terrorism. It would've been easy to do, kick the others out, close the door, say 'I just want you to know I think you're making a mistake.' He didn't do it," she told reporters in her West Wing office. She also read from a letter from Clarke on Sept. 15, 2001, in which Clarke detailed meetings from the previous June and July about preparations being taken to prepare for the possibility of a "spectacular al Qaeda terrorist attack."

---The former White House terrorism czar's allegations have roiled the White House, which has tried to discredit him with a variety of accusations put out through a variety of friendly news sources. The biggest charge is that he is a disgruntled employee who is bitter over not being promoted and that he is in effect trying to help John Kerry because his best friend is a Kerry foreign policy advisor. These accusations included a half-joking comment that Clarke is trying to get a job in a new Kerry administration -- but Clarke pointedly noted that he was under oath today when he said he would not accept any post in a Kerry administration.
---Meanwhile, Rice also told reporters that Clarke's multi-fronted criticism directly contradict what he told reporters in an August 2002 briefing.

"There's two very different pictures here, and the fact of the matter is these stories can't be reconciled," Rice said. "Either we were ignoring the threat, or now it's changed that it was important but not urgent, or we were actually responding to the things that he actually suggested, which is what he said in the August 2002 interview."

---During today's hearings Clarke repeatedly contended that during that briefing he was doing his official job as a spokesman for the administration's point of view the way officials traditionally would deliver a press briefing in an official capacity.
---The White House has nixed requests by the commission to allow
Rice to give sworn public testimony before ithe 9/11 commission based on a White House principle that a presidential adviser who has not been confirmed by the U.S. Senate should not give public testimony. Commissioners are calling on her to testify and her testimony remains big sticking point for many of them (especially since they have said that she presents the administration's case extremely well).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:23 PM

MORE GREAT ROLE MODELLING FOR YOUTH DEPARTMENT: Now, according to the Drudge Report, American Idol "bad guy" judge Simon Cowell is in hot water for apparently giving the finger to judge Paula Abdul. Drudge has the item and (apparently from a reader) a still photo. At least he didn't reveal his breast...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 4:52 PM

CITIZEN SMASH GOES TO ANTI-WAR: Citizen Smash, a fellow San Diegan and one who gained true fame as he blogged from the front lines, has perhaps the most delicious post I've seen on a web log yet. It's so priceless it deserves wider dissemination (which is why I am also alerting my former co-workers at the San Diego Union-Tribune).
---What happens when a thoughtful supporter of the war -- someone who even fought for it -- decides to mark the start of the anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom...by attending an anti-war demonstration? Does he try to shout the demonstrators down, call them names and express his indignation? Or does he simply sit, watch, let them conclude he is on their side, take it in, even do an interview with one a leader...then record the words and images (via photos) in a profusely linked and documented post on his always-lively website?
Smash chose the latter:

SATURDAY was the first anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I decided to mark the occasion in a most unusual way: I attended an anti-war protest.

I didn't go as an active participant, mind you, but more out of a sense of perverse curiosity. I have no regrets about the war, or my participation in it. Although our work in Iraq is not yet complete, I feel that we have come a long way in just one year, with Saddam behind bars, a new Bill of Rights for Iraq, and the Iraqi people expressing optimism about their own future for the first time in decades. I'd do it all over again, no doubt about it.

No, I decided to go to the protest because I wanted to learn what this anti-war movement is all about. Why were these people so vehemently opposed to the overthrow of a brutal dictator, and the liberation of 25 million people from under the yoke of tyranny? So I messed up my hair, didn't bother to shave, threw on some dirty jeans and a wrinkled shirt, and headed down to Balboa Park.

---(HEY! He messed up his hair, didn't bother to shave, threw on some dirty jeans and a wrinkled shirt...now, if he added skipping a bath for a week that would describe The Moderate Voice perfectly!)
---What follows in Smash's post is a classic: the protesters' cliches, their attempt to inflate the crowd count, their further mistake in mixing issues (a pro-Palestinian presence which would automatically undermine potential support from Jewish and non-Jewish segments of San Diego's population who are not pouring into the streets clamoring for a Palestinianian homeland). And through it all, Smash is respectful -- sort of like Forest Gump or Peter Sellers in "Being There," letting the protesters fill-in-the-blanks and assume what they want about him, while he takes it in, takes notes, tape records comments, and snaps photos...and passes it it all onto us.
---A devastating post done without resorting to any name calling. Read it yourself (and special thanks to Greg Piper for the tip. The Moderate Voice is on the road and visits Citizen Smash daily but this time we saw it mentiioned on Piper's site first).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:11 AM

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

EXPECT FIREWORKS IN WASHINGTON ON WEDNESDAY: Former White House terrorism honcho Richard A Clarke will testify before the 911 commission. But Clarke's allegations, made on 60 Minutes and in a new book, are unlikely to be left unchallenged when he goes before the commission. He will be under oath and surely be peppered with questions about precisely what his role was in the Clinton administration's increasingly discredited terrorism policy. And it's actually a positive development: in the crucible of high-stakes Congressional hearings Clarke is likely to face some stiff (perhaps hostile) questioning and the resulting sound bites will eventually help shape public opinion. Can he convincingly stand up to the heat? Or will he wither and be seen as just another sensationalic rhetorical belch on the American political scene? Stay tuned.......
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:59 PM

WHAT WAS THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION MIND SET: I saw a small portion of the 911 hearings today and was struck by one truly sad figure -- Clinton administration Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who kept almost pleading with commission members to remember the pre-911 mindset. Apparently I wasn't the ONLY one who noticed it: so did Duke University Political Science Professor Peter D. Feaver. And in a column in the Washington Post he makes the case that this mindset was less one of calculated policy than of a highly flawed and dangerously hesistant worldview.
---The crux of his argument is this: the big change was not September 11 as much as George Bush's election because it meant there was no longer a commander in chief who had a "casualty" phobia but who was more concerned about the impact of America looking weak. He writes:

Albright is partly correct; there was a pre-9/11 mindset that shaped Clinton-era responses. The mind-set was "counterterrorism as law-enforcement." The role of the military was at best a supporting one. Moreover, because the uniformed military themselves opposed a military role, the law enforcement mind-set was reinforced by Clinton's pathological civil-military relations. Even if President Clinton wanted to conduct military operations against al Qaeda, he was simply too weak a commander in chief to prevail over a military that wanted nothing to do with a war in Afghanistan.

---He's right: Clinton did NOT have the clout to so totally veer the military into any kind of a major military operation that so totally went against the accepted philosophy at that time. Nor did his key administration players. He goes on:

The Clinton record on military operations was clear: frequent resort to low-risk cruise-missile strikes and high-level bombings, but shunning any form of decisive operations involving ground troops in areas of high risk. The Clinton White House was the most casualty phobic administration in modern times, and this fear of body bags was not lost on Osama bin Laden. Indeed, al Qaeda rhetoric regularly "proved" that the Americans were vulnerable to terrorism by invoking the hasty cut-and-run after 18 Army soldiers died in the 1993 "Black Hawk Down" events in Somalia -- a strategy developed and implemented, ironically enough, by the same Richard Clarke who torments the Bush team today.

---Feaver recounts those who insisted the war on Afghanistan would not succeed and notes that the Bush administration was willing to take risks. He then ties in Iraq...which is something of a mistake because the jury is indeed still out (and screaming amongst themselves) on key aspects of the validity of that war. But his final point is a vital one: "...determined commanders in chief have the mind-set and the resolve to act in spite of the political climate and military resistance." Still, as we are now seeing, that itself may lead to other consequences...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:13 PM

MICHIGAN TOWN WANTS TO BUST TOPLESS COFFEE SHOP: The formula sounds like a winning one and maybe they can get Janet Jackson to be on their commercials if they go national...But it's a big if.
---The formula: topless waitresses and bottomless cups of coffee. The man who came up with this idea to sell coffee with no bump but lots of grind: Java Coffee Shop owner Jason Pries.
---At first local businesses welcomed him with open arms, until they learned what would welcome customers at the coffee shop. So now city officials are going to discuss all aspects of the issue in a tit for tat debate. It's clear people want to go to the coffee shop for things that aren't in cups...
---Pries may have trouble with people coming in his store for change asking: "Can you give me a dime for two nipples --- I mean NICKELS!"
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:07 PM

ON THE RICHARD CLARKE CONTROVERSY: "Gee, you missed the biggest story -- Richard Clarke on 60 Minutes!" the Moderate Voice was told. The reason is that TMV embarked on a 600 mile car trip to Ukiah, CA (part of a week on the road).
---But we had run an item days before the appearance predicting that after the interview there would be political and international fallout coupled with a huge White House effort to discredit Clarke as a disgruntled employee come Monday morning.
---So in a sense we did this story..But here is our view as we take a deep breath, ignore the frenzied media hype, and forget about the proclamations of True Believer Partisans on both sides. The following is from someone (TMV) who supported the war in Iraq and has supported the Bush administration's anti-terrorism measures here and abroad. Stepping back, here are some observations:
---1. CLARKE WAS CREDIBLE ON 60 MINUTES: I watched it with two people who sympathize with Bush. One said "This explains why he (Bush) won't meet with the full 911 commission!" The other, a stronger supporter,seemed disappointed. As a former fulltime journalist, the White House's rep on the show lost me. When he denied Clarke had ever met with GWB and Leslie Stahl noted that CBS had two sources including "an eyewitness" I stopped believing the White House account. One source is one thing; two is another...three is confirmation. Are Clarke and the other two all disgruntled employees, secret Kerry supporters or nut cases?
---2. CLARKE WAS ANGRY: He was indignant. An axe to grind, or fury over what happened? Depends on your party, which supplies you with your world view (and an easy answer).
---3. DEMOCRATS IMMEDIATELY YELLED "AHA!!" AND REPUBLICANS IMMEDIATELY SET OUT TO DEMONIZE CLARK (who apparently wasn't such a bad person until he said what he did): Reaction was swift and predictable along party lines. underscoring how U.S. politics is becoming a virtual religion these days when the U.S. polity is nearly as sharply divided as during the Civil War. Democrats were salivating (while their candidate was too busy skiing to pounce on the issue). Republicans were steaming, and dismissing Clarke -- who served Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr, Bill Clinton, George Bush Jr -- as a Democratic tool or blatant Kerry supporter (he's teaching a college course with Kerry's national security advisor which of course proves he wants Kerry for President).
---Could there truly have been a middle ground, one that nonetheless didn't represent perfect policy making? Could the administration have genuinely believed that there was some kind of a connection or grave hidden threat posed by Sadaam using the old "then enemy of my enemy is my friend" theory? Is it possible the White House screwed up on this but that the error didn't mean it was negligent in pressing the rest of the anti-terror war? And is it possible that if this was the case and the administration had simply admitted it and moved on that it wouldn't be facing the present sustained political fire from various fronts?
---Those questions were less important than "GOTCHA!" and "NO YOU DIDN'T GET US BECAUSE CLARKE HAS A SECRET MOTIVE."
---4. RADIO TALK SHOW HOSTS HELPED WHITE HOUSE QUICKLY GET OUT THE PARTY LINE (which was quickly asborbed and accepted): Three Rush Limbaugh listerners told me Clarke clearly had a "grudge" against Bush and I only learned via the morning papers that Vice President Cheney used the same words in his interview with Limbaugh. Radio and cable talk shows provide a script for the party's troops.
---5. FORGET BOTH SETS OF PARTISANS: HOW WILL IT PLAY WITH SWING VOTERS? Even with White House officials calling Clarke a liar, releasing his pro-forma resignation letter saying how delightful it was to serve the President, saying the charges are only to sell books or reflecting sour grapes for not getting a bigger administration job, the overall impact is another drip-drip-drip erosion of credibility; and when those drops fall, it's hard to put them back. Now two ex-administration officials (both with books) have told the same tale.
---6. IT WILL HURT THE U.S. ABROAD: Clarke's contentions, no matter what their validity and accuracy, will provide powerful ammunition to countries and factions of governments in countries that want to distance themselves from U.S. policy. It won't help strengthen the Coalition of the Willing, which increasingly looks like the Coalition of the Wavering.
---7: IT CHANGES THE DYNAMIC OF THE 911 HEARINGS: It means the hearings now become a forum where each side tries to confirm or undermine Clarke's account..and when he testifies there could be fireworks. Get ready for the final report in July to become one sticky political football.
---8: IT TARNISHES BUT WON'T TOTALLY DISCREDIT BUSH'S POSITIVE 911 IMAGERY IN HIS POLITICAL ADS: When the ads are aired some eyebrows will be raised; if they're the eyebrows of swing voters, Bush will have problems.
---9.THERE IS NO SMOKING GUN: People who want to dismiss former administration officials who blast Bush as "disgruntled employees" (when I was a fulltime journalist if someone said that to me about a whistleblower it meant I needed to take the charges a lot MORE SERIOUSLY) or as nut cases will continue to do so. People who embrace them 100 percent because its something to use against Bush will do so. But Clarke's account is one more account that echoes other views in the press and in books. Still: there is no smoking gun.
---The situation now is akin to what existed at the height of Watergate when Republicans steadfastly defended Richard Nixon and Nixon-hating democrats staunchly lambasted him. Even John Dean's testimony wasn't enough to take it to a bipartisan level. It was only the existence of the tapes that did that.
---Once again, Oxblog's David Adesnik put it best:

I don't put much stock in the administration's efforts to discredit Clarke or cover its exposed posterior. But when it comes down to getting votes, I think there are only two questions that really matter: Did Bush ignore (and then withhold) compelling evidence that Al Qaeda was preparing a major attack? And did Bush knowingly lie about Iraq's possession of chemical and biological (not nuclear) weapons? Unless Clarke can answer one or both of those questions in the affirmative, his revelations won't amount to much more than a very loud footnote.

---Clarke's comments, book and the debate squarely put 911 and the Bush administration's policies and policy making under the microscope. But a bit more than allegations and predictable diatribes from pro and anti-Bush forces will be needed to make it a political watershed.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 4:45 PM

Sunday, March 21, 2004

ANALYSIS: WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT TERRORISM AND ITS IMPACT: The bombings in Spain, the ongoing dragnet for top Al Qaeda members in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and defections from the "Coalition of the Willing" in Iraq, have given the terrorism issue higher priority than ever before. So what can we learn from the past several tumultuous weeks? This:
---1. INTELLIGENCE ON TERRORIST GROUPS REMAINS SHOCKINGLY FAULTY: It's still astounding that with billions spent the anti-terrorism, anti-terrorist safety measures, countries' intelligence networks, links between countries' security services, and Spain's own highly sophisticated intelligence and security services, that the Madrid bombing was executed without a hitch. It was similar to 911 in a key way: it caught the country totally by surprise. Indeed, unless new details emerge, we now know that 911 was proceeded by "chatter" that then-rival U.S. intelligence services failed to analyze but Spain's bombing that murdered 201 innocents was like a sudden sucker punch to the gut for the Iberian nation. No one had the slightest inkling. NOT a good sign...
---2. VOTERS CAN TURN ON A GOVERNMENT IF THEY FEEL THEY'RE NOT HONEST ABOUT SUCH A CLEAR CUT LIFE AND DEATH ISSUE: The ruling Popular Party government clearly angered voters (as we noted in posts shortly after the elections) by insisting the Basque separatist ETA was behind the carnage. But information started to trickle out -- some in the form of news reports from Spanish security officials (who in retrospect were upset that the government was claiming it was ETA so they started to leak out the findings) that Muslim terrorists were to blame. By the time the government begrudgingly revealed that signs pointed to it NOT being ETA, voters felt they had been mislead. Couple that with 90 percent disapproval for Spain's being in Iraq in the first place and you have a classic backlash.
---3. VOTERS DON'T WANT TO KISS A SMALLPOX VICTIM: You can't discount it: a certain amount of voter cowardice did seem at play in Spain, but perhaps not as much as most analysts thought. There were indeed some voters who were furious that their government got them into Iraq where they were close to the United States which meant Spain was targeted. Hopefully Spanish encyclopedias have good translations of the bio of a late British politician named Neville Chamberlin. The desire to distance one's self from danger (U.S. policies) seems there, as well as philsophical differences over U.S. policy.
---4. PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH IS NOT BELOVED IN ALL CIRCLES: The vehemence with which the new Socialist leadership dropped Spain's previously solid alliance with the United States in the Iraq war, plus subsequent statements about its hopes that GWB would lose the election, underscore the fragility of the U.S. Coalition of the Willing in Iraq, which looks shakier every day. It's no secret that George Bush is perceived as a too-quick-to-use violence "cowboy" in parts of Europe. The previous Spanish government resisted that perception; the new government shares it.
---5. POLICEWORK (although we don't know what techniques were used) WORKS AFTER THE FACT: It's clear that once the Spanish police sprang into action they began to uncover details about precisely what happened. This further lends credence to the belief that the PP government wanted to delay release of the information until after the election due to their hard-line stance on ETA and alliance with Washington on the Iraq war. Spain's security forces are tough and thorough. Notice how quickly leads and arrests materialize...underscoring again the crucial need for better on-the ground intelligence on terrorist groups not only in Spain but in other free countries...and in unofficial terrorist home bases.
---6. IT'S GOOD FOR THE U.S. THAT HOWARD DEAN CANNOT GET THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION: Even if there was some truth in Dean's comment that Bush's war is what ultimately led to the 201 people being killed, it was incredibly irresponsible to say it. The Iraq war and the existence of weapons of mass destruction can be debated separately and people will differ. But Dean clearly blamed the Bush administration indirectly for the deaths and then tried to backtrack by saying he was only repeating what a letter from an alleged terrorist group had said.
---7: ANY REPUBLICAN OR MAINSTREAM DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION IS AGAINST TERRORISM AND WILL FIGHT IT: Read the comments via the internet made by members of both parties and you'll see bipartisan unanimity on the revulsion felt over terrorist acts and the determination to fight terrorism. This should be (and really is) an issue that cuts across party lines. Dean's comments were out there in Dennis Kucinichland -- as were Rush Limbaugh's comments that somehow the Democrats welcomed the Spain bombing.
---8. WASHINGTON WILL HAVE TO WORK HARDER ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT: There is a lot of fence mending to do since the Spanish elections have ripped a hole in what was an already fragile coalition.
---9: FRANCE IS STRONGER THAN EVER IN EUROPE NOW: Look for Spain to be allied more with France than the U.S. .
---10: AL QAEDA IS LIKE A MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION OF TERRORISTS: All signs in Spain point to a Moroccan terrorist group linked to Al Qaeda. So we have proof positive that the experts are correct: Al Qaeda, with most of its top leadership in jail or killed, has become an umbrella organization providing ideology (kill as many innocents as you can to build up a body count to impact policy) and expertise (1001 Ways You Can Murder Civilians). It signals a MORE DANGEROUS era for those of us who don't think it's admirable to butcher babies, grandmas, or any other human beings.
---11. PAKISTAN'S PRESIDENT IS NOT PLEASED WITH AL QAEDA: The fact that they've tried to assassinate General Pervez Musharraf several times may have something to do with it. But Pakistani forces apparently are now engaged in a fever-pitched effort to mop up bin Laden honchos living or operating on Pakistani soil.
---12. THE FRAGILITY OF IT ALL: What happens if something happens to Pakistan's President? What happens in Afghanistan if there are assasinations of key leaders (one was killed today)?) How will British voters -- already split on government policy regarding Iraq -- react if a major terrorist attack happens in their country? What impact will Spain's new government have on European policy towards the United States? If Iraq policy aggravates relationships between governments, will that impact cooperation between them in sharing intelligence on terrorists or make no difference at all?
---13. BEWARE OF THE COPYCAT FACTOR: Intelligence services all over the globe will have to be vigilant. Even if Spain was not an operation mandated by Al Qaeda but the product of an Al Qaeda-linked Moroccan group, small terrorist groups may want to match -- or surpass -- the operation in Spain on their home turf. Why? Because -- no matter what the actual reason for Spanish voters' verdict -- there was a tangible cause-and-effect relationship between the terrorist act and the political result.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 3:35 PM

AFGHAN MINISTER ASSASINATED...SPARKING A BATTLE: It would appear as if an attempt to destabilize Afghanistan is underway with the assassination of Afghanistan's civil aviation minister. And, indeed, the murder sparked a battle between local military forces in the western Afghanistan city of Herat in which 50 to 100 soldiers died, according to the Associated Press. AP further reports: "Afghan President Hamid Karzai convened an emergency Cabinet session and dispatched troops to the city after the killing of Mirwais Sadiq."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:43 PM

DOES THE BEST SPEAKER WIN AN ELECTION? Mitch Berg makes a highly convincing case that he/she does and he documents it. For instance, look at what Berg found:
--2000: Irritating, condescending, lispy, crushingly-declamatory (Gore) versus rough but personable and optimistic (Bush). Bush wins.
--1996: Optimistic, slick (Clinton) versus stilted-but-occasionally-wry (Dole). Clinton wins.
--1992: Optimistic and slick (Clinton) versus genial but uncomfortable (Bush Sr). Clinton wins.
--1988: Genial but uncomfortable (Bush Sr) versus dull and scolding (Dukakis). Bush wins.
--1984: Epic communicator (Reagan) versus collegial but dull (Mondale). Reagan wins.
-1980: Epic communicator (Reagan) versus earnest but irritating (Carter). Reagan wins.
He notes:

Sometimes the definition of "better" is squishy - (former Minnesota Governor Jesse) Ventura is a terrible speaker, but he knows how to entertain and he gets body language, which is as important as your writing style.)....However, for the most part, the better oratorical communicator wins the election. George W. Bush's speaking style is strained at times, but when he's on focus, he's blazingly effective. John Kerry is - words fail - dreadful. Worse than Dukakis. Nay - worse than the interminable bore, Gore....By this standard, Bush has an edge going into November, and - if taken to its illogical conclusion - John Kerry will be lucky to be elected to the Nantucket school board.

---It truly does seem to hold. Additional factors, historians say, is that the more optimistic candidate wins, but there are cases where that hasn't been the case. And supposedly the candidate with the most hair wins. But the candidate with the most MONEY is also favored to win...and John Kerry has some severe problems on that front.... so he better work on becoming a spellbinding public speaker FAST......
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:03 AM

DOES AL QAEDA HAVE SUITCASE NUKES? The AP reports:"Osama bin Laden's terror network claims to have bought ready-made nuclear weapons on the black market in central Asia, the biographer of al-Qaida's No. 2 leader was quoted as telling an Australian television station."
---Here's the solution to Al Qaeda having a suitcase nuke. If it's true, the U.S. government should find a way to get Al Qaeda to give the suitcase to United Airlines; it would lose it...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:44 AM

ARE DIFFERENT STANDARDS BEING APPLIED TO TWO JOURNALISTIC FABRICATORS? We ran an earlier item strongly recommending you read the USA Today expose of its own reporter Jack Kelly, a Pulitzer Prize nominee whose stories, it now turns out, only deserve the first two letters of the word "Pulitzer."
--- Kelly, it turns out, was a serial fabricator, even providing scripts to "sources" contacted by his investigating journalistic colleagues to cover up what actually happened (and the paper reprinted some of them) . Earlier, we ran several items about New York Times' former reporter Jayson Blair who, alas, did not write a bestselling book and make millions after all.
---But now there are charges that the two cases aren't being treated equally by pundits. Some charge those on the right aren't interested in Kelly, since he doesn't work for the (these days clearly) liberal New York Times. Other suggest its because Blair is African-American and Kelly is not. But Oxblog's David Adesnik puts it perfectly in perspective, cutting out all the ideological cheap shots and racial finger-pointing:

But ask yourself the following questions: How often do you read USA Today? Does anyone consider USA Today to be the United States' paper of record and its standard-bearer of journalistic integrity?
(You don't have to answer those questions. They were rhetorical. Oh, and one bonus question for all you bloggers out there: How many times have you linked to a USA Today story in the past six months?)

---USA Today is one of The Moderate Voice's all-time favorite newspapers and he remembers reading and being impressed by Kelly's work. But it still is in a different class from The New York Times which was indeed supposedly our "paper of record," a description that has fallen woefully by the wayside in recent years as it truly has become mired in as much an ideological mission on the left as the Washington Times on the right.
---Blair's story also has other layers Kelly's doesn't since he reportedly had several trusting mentors within the paper who repeatedly went to bat for him and he was the product of a management style and system virtually repudiated by the staff in a near-internal revolution later on.
---It's a sign of the overall polarization in 21st Century America that even the stories of two journalists who betrayed their profession, their management mentors, and their readers eventually becomes a political or racial football; but well-written, nice sounding political and social cliches don't obscure the ETHICAL PROBLEMS here, the Times' management problems, and the overall difference in status between these two good newspapers.
---And there's another point, too: the New York Times seemed to respond with shock and horror and finally look inward. USA Today didn't waste any time in clamping down, then immediately running a stunning, detailed report exposing its own reporter. There are key differences in these cases but the common thread is the betrayal of truth, co-workers, mentors and, most importantly, trusting readers...and neither of these "reporters" should never be paid one cent for their writings again.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:12 AM

Saturday, March 20, 2004

EX-WATERGATE WRITER TALKS ABOUT "IDIOT CULTURE": Hey...he's visited my site!!!!!
---The legendary Watergate "All the President's Men" reporter Carl Bernstein, who played Dustin Hoffman...WAIT! it was the other way around...was in Florida and talked about the "triumph of idiot culture."
---His target: news that crassly panders to the public and insults their intelligence, ignoring the context of real life...and The Moderate Voice will never EVER stoop to that low, crass, vile level (by the way, don't forget to check the headline linked below) or may lightning strike Jayson Blair.
---Bernstein said the modern press is motivated largely by profit margins (you see, the old newpaper barons were in it for charity). Trash on the airwaves? "Change the damn channel. Simple." He called President George Bush "the most radical president of my lifetime and perhaps in the century..is radical in every degree...He certainly seems more ideological than any of our presidents," Bernstein said.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:36 PM

WANT TO FIND OUT WHICH CANDIDATE YOUR NEIGHBOR IS SUPPORTING? Click here and go to Fundrace. Enter some info and it'll let you know what the people who live around you REALLY think.....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:22 PM

NOT A GOOD HEADLINE: No comment from me on this link....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:06 PM

PRESIDENT'S FORMER TERRORISM ADVISOR SAYS GEORGE BUSH DID A "TERRIBLE JOB" ON PRE-911 TERRORISM PREPS: Richard Clarke, the administration's top terrorism advisor on Sept. 11, 2001, is set to blast President George Bush in an interview on 60 Minutes tomorrow -- and unless there is some hideous smoking gun in Clarke's background it's going to have some impact and consequences.
--- Clarke's key quote in the interview -- the one that will be carried worldwide and likely be heard repeatedly in the already-underway Presidential campaign -- is this:

I find it outrageous that the President is running for re-election on the grounds that he's done such great things about terrorism. He ignored it. He ignored terrorism for months, when maybe we could have done something to stop 9/11. Maybe. We'll never know...I think he's done a terrible job on the war against terrorism.

--- His basic charges are that (1)before 911 the administration didn't take warnings about Osama bin Laden's threat seriously, (2)after and including the day of the attacks, administration officials insisted seeking a 911/Iraq link, even though he, the FBI and CIA officials told Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that previous investigations showed there was none. According to CBS, the administration maintains that it cannot find any evidence that the conversation about an Iraq-9/11 tie-in ever took place.
CBS's website adds this:

The No. 2 man on the president's National Security Council, Stephen Hadley, vehemently disagrees. He says Mr. Bush has taken the fight to the terrorists, and is making the U.S. homeland safer.
Clarke says that as early as the day after the attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was pushing for retaliatory strikes on Iraq, even though al Qaeda was based in Afghanistan. Clarke suggests the idea took him so aback, he initially thought Rumsfeld was joking.

---This blunt statement from an anti-terrorism official who served three administrations will most certainly be picked up in the campaign here and in newspapers abroad, adding to the President's credibility problems. It will also likely increase pressure for cooperation with the 911 commission. But, given the importance of this issue, and it being an election year, most likely as of Monday a multi-fronted effort will be underway to discredit Clarke as a disgruntled employee.
---With the President's campaign war chest, the massive dissemination machine called talk radio, cable news shows, it won't impact GWB's supporters' loyalty or their beliefs that he was totally on top of the issue but it may spawn more efforts by the press and the bipartisan commission to get answers before the election. That's all iffy at this point.
---But the real hitch most certainly will come abroad, since Clarke's comments represent one more negative factoid for countries that have leaders already under pressure from citizens to withdraw or distance themselves from Washington on the Iraq issue.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:25 PM

THE DENNIS MILLER DISASTER SHOW: Once he was the darling of young liberals, when he was on Saturday Night Live and HBO. Then he changed his political stripes and became the darling of conservatives. Now he's on CNBC and doesn't seem to be the darling of anyone. Why is Dennis Miller's show apparently tanking? Eric Alterman was on it this week and offers this inside glimpse from the time he goes out and sits down to talk to The Wise And Funny Man:

I’m talking to a stoned teenager, who can’t be bothered to say more than, “Whoh, man, you are so totally screwed up. Like, you really believe that stuff, dude?” I paraphrase, but really, Dennis did not say much more than that. Everyone on staff was extremely apologetic afterward and the word “unprofessional” was used over and over.

I try to avoid most of these guys, though I’ve been on O’Reilly, and Scarborough and Michael Medved’s silly radio program a couple of times but never have I encountered a guy who could not be bothered to make his own case on his own show. Really, what can CNBC be thinking with this guy? His ratings are not just in the toilet they have traveled all the way to the septic tank. And as we all know, they need to pay audience members to show up. It has got to cost more than the Phil Donahue show to produce, given the size of the audience and the set and that was yanked even though it was then the highest rated show on MSNBC.

---It's sort of sad what's happened to Miller, who you could say has become to the Right what Bill Maher is to the left. He seems to be stuck in a career that's an uneasy hybid -- a comedian who's also a talk show host but he's coming off as a struggling comedian and an ineffective talk show host. Maher, on the other hand, still gets big laughs (even if you disagree with him) and does a good interview. Still, give Miller TIME and he could develop a decent forumula...but CNBC hasn't been a spot notable for it's patience in letting talent find its niche.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:57 AM

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN: He'd just love a copy of this new book, the Yiddish translation of the Cat in the Hat.
--- The late Dr. Suess, aka San Diego's own Theodor Seuss Geisel, wrote the book in English. The new version reads back to front which makes sense in Yiddish (and actually you should read back to front too if you're reading both political parties' campaign propaganda...it'd make about as much sense).
The books are done by a Manhattan couple as part of their home-publishing business - with a Yiddish translation of Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat," and it falls on the 100th anniversary of Suess' birth.
Only 113,000 New Yorkers speak Yiddish but so far Celeste Sollod and her husband, Zackary Sholem Berger have done pretty well through their company, Twenty-Fourth Street Books. They say few customers know Yiddish words and buy this and other Yiddish books as novelties. Only about 20 percent actually speak the language.
And don't forget this: Dr. Seuss books must RYHME. To make it rhyme, Berger had to fudge some lines. But he still considers it a literal translation.
--- FOOTNOTE: The Moderate Voice grew up on Dr. Suess, which is why he is so literally perfecccccctht, emotionally stable (DON'T YOU ARGUE WITH ME ON THAT!) and humorous (Nellie Rose sat on a tack; Nellie rose.) So he has come up with these original revised Dr. Seuss titles for Jewish audiences (he can do that with a name like "Gandelman")
1. Green Eggs and Lox
2. Horton Hears Barbra Streisand
4. Yertle the Girdle and Boy Has She Put On Weight
4 Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are To Be Eating Chinese Food
5. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Gefilte Fish
6. And To Think I Saw That At Loehman's on Mulberry Street
7. The Aching Back Book
8. The Cat In The Hat Comes Back For A Refund
9. If I Ran the Shul
10. Oh, the Places You'll Go In Branson
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:04 AM

MAN FOUND WITH SEAL'S HEAD IN HIS LUGGAGE: The AP reports:"Airport security agents at Boston's Logan International Airport stopped a biologist after discovering the severed head of a harbor seal in his luggage. The man, whose name was not released, told investigators he is a biology professor and that he found a dead seal on Revere Beach and cut off its head so he could use it for educational purposes." So he was carrying a severed seal's head...what's the big deal? These days airlines have cut down on food and you have to carry your own snacks...And it could have been worse: he could have been found with LUseal's head in his luggage.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:57 AM

MAN MARRIES HIS OWN GRANDMOTHER: Reuters reports: "A 25-year-old Indian man has married his 80-year-old grandmother because he wanted to take care of her." Then it isn't incest -- and anyway incest is relative.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:36 AM

PAKISTAN AND AL QAEDA'S NUMBER TWO MAN: TRAPPED OR GONE? Ayman al-Zawahiri, right-hand man to Osama bin Laden, is still the target of swarms of Pakistani security forces amid conflicting reports about whether he escaped or is trapped.
---This military operation, amid worldwide publicity, is unusual for two reasons (1)it is largely -- and proudly -- a massive operation and (2)for one of the first times ever Pakistan entered its often remote and nearly hands-off tribal areas to go after terrorists.
---But after continuing speculation and press reports that Pakistani forces were closing in, one official told an Australian newspaper:"He may have slipped the net."
---This view was echoed by the New York Daily News which quotes an American official as saying:

"It seems to be reminiscent of what we saw in Afghanistan at Tora Bora," said the source, referring to the escape by Al-Zawahiri and Osama Bin Laden during a mountain battle with Afghan troops in late 2001. "Hesitation, negotiation, deadlines being given, exceeded, given again. It doesn't look all that hopeful," the source added. "It looks a lot softer right now. "

---But other Some Pakistan officials disagreed with that assessment and noted that some 100 Al Qaeda suspected members have been captured in the five-day operation so far. And the operation isn't over yet.
---Meanwhile, in a new twist, the Taliban is threatening to go after Pakistani and U.S. forces if they don't call off the battle against their fellow terrorists in the mountains of Pakistan's South Waziristan region.
---And an AFP report quotes a "Taliban spokesman" as insisting Al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Al Zawahiri are safe and in Afghanistan, not in Pakistan.
---That therefore means the two terrrorist leaders are indeed.....in the mountains of Pakistan....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:05 AM

THE BAN APPLIES TO EVERYTHING EXCEPT WHAT WE SELL: The official merchandise for President George Bush's re-election campaign www.georgewbushstore.com has sold clothing made in Burma, according to Newsday.
--- Burma's goods were banned by Bush from the U.S. last year to punish its military dictatorship. The jacket was sent to Newsday as part of an order from the Bush website -- that also included a shirt made in Mexico and a without a country-of-origin label.
---Not a smart move when Democrats and even some Republicans are clamouring about outsourcing.
---But there are no signs (yet) that Bush or Kerry have their campaign switchboards operated from Bangalore, India. Wait until 2008 for that.
--- The merchanise Newsday got included a $49.95 fleece pullover, embroidered with the Bush-Cheney '04 logo and bearing a label stating it was made in Burma, now Myanmar. Bush campaign officials did not return Newsday's calls for a comment.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:27 AM

Friday, March 19, 2004

KERRY HAS PROBLEMS OVER MEETING 32 YEARS AGO: A new rumbling that could mutate into a political thunderstorm is headed Democratic presumptive candidate John Kerry's way. The storm cloud: reports that during Kerry's anti-Vietnam war years he was at a meeting where a fellow anti-war veteran called for political assassination.
---It's one of those "GOTCHA!" stories that has little to do with policy, but the press and political operatives abolutely love. Knight-Ridder reports:

Confronted with 32-year-old FBI records, Sen. John Kerry's campaign all but conceded he attended a 1971 Kansas City meeting where a fellow anti-war veteran called for political assassinations. Those active in Vietnam Veterans Against the War at the time stress that the suggestion for such a violent approach was angrily rejected. They say their memories do not include Kerry taking part in the radical discussion. A statement Thursday by Kerry's camp said the Massachusetts Democrat did not recall the meeting, although FBI surveillance material and the group's archives clearly show that Kerry resigned from his national coordinator post at that November 1971 meeting.

In interviews last week, the senator's campaign insisted that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee clearly remembered bolting from the group months earlier. Responding to a request by The Kansas City Star that staffers question the candidate about the meeting, Kerry passed word March 12 that he "never, ever" attended a meeting of Vietnam Veterans Against the War after a heated and public argument with the group's executive secretary in St. Louis in June 1971.

In a prepared statement late Thursday night, however, campaign spokesman David Wade, traveling with the candidate in Idaho, said: "John Kerry had no personal recollection of this meeting 33 years ago. John Kerry does recall the disagreements with elements of VVAW leadership...that led to his resignation. "If there are valid FBI surveillance reports from credible sources that place some of those disagreements in Kansas City, we accept that historical footnote in the account of his work to end the difficult and divisive war."

---So (and this post is NOT being written by a Democrat) Kerry resigned from his post. A recent MSNBC report also noted how Kerry suddenly disappeared from his high-profile involvement with the anti-war veterans group. It sounds like this meeting is the reason. But, as usual, a candidate gets hung up on a dumb denial and loses time and political points -- and this may happen to Kerry.
---When this kind of issue emerges it trumps the major issues. And Republicans shouldn't salivate too much because there have been several mini-firestorms centered on Kerry (foreign dignitaries, the "liar" quote and the TSK-TSK! swearing while skiing) which means the press, in an effort to show even-handedness, will very soon pounce on Bush for something (our media has become predictable, and I say this as a former card-carrying member of it).
---Conservatives are already pouncing this meeting, indulging in exactly the same pastime liberals indulge in....which conservatives find bitterly outrageous when it's done to President George Bush: demonization. Knight-Ridder again:

Kerry's anti-war activities launched his political career but also have been used by opponents to portray him as a radical. One conservative tabloid has described the Kansas City meeting as a "dark plot." By all accounts, Kerry stood as a voice for moderation in Vietnam Veterans Against the War. In fact, several records from the group stored at the Wisconsin State Historical Society show that he quit over philosophical differences in the middle of the four-day gathering in Kansas City.

In the end, no violence has been attributed to the veterans' organization. Rather, historians view its so-called Dewey Canyon III demonstration - where veterans tossed their medals onto the Capitol steps - as a significant force in rejuvenating the anti-war movement.

---So the Kerry campaign's latest blunder-of-the-day is not to acknowledge he was there, explain that he quit, then move on. That mistake iallows the unsupported insinuation that somehow a meeting 32 years ago from a group Kerry later quit shows you where Kerry is now...precisely the quality of thinking that keeps some of us from joining political parties. Folks: it's gonna be a loooooooooooong 8 months until the election....And it looks like it ain't gonna be edifying......
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:06 PM

USA TODAY EXPOSES ITS OWN FORMER REPORTER: In a truly devastating report, USA Today has run the initial extensive, intricately documented results of an exhaustive investigation into their own ex-reporter Jack Kelley, a Pulitzer Prize nominee. I read every single word of it in the print edition today. To find out the specifics (and it is WORTH YOUR TIME) go to this link but here is the crux as the paper lays out the results of its massive investigation:

Seven weeks into an examination of former USA TODAY reporter Jack Kelley's work, a team of journalists has found strong evidence that Kelley fabricated substantial portions of at least eight major stories, lifted nearly two dozen quotes or other material from competing publications, lied in speeches he gave for the newspaper and conspired to mislead those investigating his work.

Perhaps Kelley's most egregious misdeed occurred in 2000, when he used a snapshot he took of a Cuban hotel worker to authenticate a story he made up about a woman who died fleeing Cuba by boat. The woman in the photo neither fled by boat nor died, and a USA TODAY reporter located her this month. If Cuban authorities had learned she was the woman in the picture, she says, she could have lost her job and her chance to emigrate.

Kelley, 43, resigned from the newspaper in January after he admitted conspiring with a translator to mislead editors overseeing an inquiry into his work. At the time, newspaper editors said they could not determine whether Kelley had embellished or fabricated stories.

---Coupled with the Jayson Blair scandal at the New York Times, the saga of Kelly (who still apparently partially maintains his innocence insisting he feels he is being "set up" despite a wealth of investigatory evidence that he did fake a slew of stories -- just click on the other links on the USA TODAY site and read them for yourself) is further evidence of an ethical sickness that has taken hold in some parts of the news media. It's a sickness caused by ambition, increased competition, plus the prospect of fame and greater compensation for those who break out of the traditional journalists' pack and get noticed. USA Today's massive detailed report goes a long way towards setting firm boundaries -- and sends the message that this kind of "journalism" is not condoned at the top (or elsewhere, if you read the names of the prominent journalists that came in to help the USA Today probe).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:50 PM

THIS JUST IN!!!!! Football practice was delayed for nearly two hours for the San Diego Chargers. One of the players, while on his way to the locker room happened to look down and notice a suspicious looking, unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. Coach Marty Schottenheimer immediately suspended practice while the FBI was called in to investigate.
---After a complete field analysis, the FBI determined that the white substance unknown to the Chargers players was the goal line.
---Practice was resumed when the FBI decided that the team would not be likely to encounter the substance again.
(Thanks for this goes to San Diego computer consultant Ed Koperda, who also has a great joke collection on his site....)
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:10 PM

Donald Trump wants to trade mark a phrase he uses on the smash NBC TV show "The Apprentice." He wants to own the rights to the phrase. "You're FIRED!" "You're NUTS!"
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 4:29 PM

PEE WEE HERMAN HAS TO STAY AWAY FROM KIDS:
Actor Paul Ruebens, aka Pee Wee Herman, whose first film "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" was a huge critical and money-grossing hit, and who had a popular CBS Saturday morning kids show "Pee Wee's Playhouse," has been ordered to stay away from kids.
---He pleaded guilty on Friday to a misdemeanor charge of possessing obscene material and was sentenced to three years of informal probation that requires him to stay away from children. The kid-ban was part of an agreement in which prosecutors agreed to drop a second charge of possessing child pornography and allow Ruebens to appeal his case. He contends the offending pictures are part of his art collection.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 4:27 PM

BUSH ADMINISTRATION WILL TAKE ANOTHER BIG HIT ON IRAQ VIA 60 MINUTES SUNDAY: Matt Drudge is reporting that former White House terrorism advisor Richard Clarke will tell 60 Minutes that on September 11 the administration was fixated on bombing Iraq in retaliation, even though it was it was clear Al Qaeda had carried out the terrorist attacks. Clark will reportedly tell how he, FBI officials and CIA officials all told administration officials such as Donald Rumsfeld that there was no confirmable connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq. This can't be good news for the administration: this interview will get HUGE PLAY not only here, but in Europe where skepticism over justification for the Iraq war continues to fester. And it'll fester more once Clarke's comments get out.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 3:06 PM

MEL GIBSON'S NEXT MOVIE: Fresh on the heels of his mega-popular, meg-bucks-earning "The Passion of the Christ," Mel Gibson is saying he wants to make another Bible-themed movie. The blog World O' Crap (no joke) says: "You know, if I had a few million dollars, I'd make 101 Damnations..."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:57 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COMMAND POST: The Moderate Voice was honored during last week's Spain bombing crisis to see some of its rantings on The Command Post, a virtual collective blog magazine with numerous sections crammed with content. It celebrates its birthday today and while we don't (and won't) wish "Happy Birthday" to the estimated one million blogs on the Internet, we will say it and "Feliz Cumplianos" (in Californian language) to a web log that offers a ton of thoughtful material on important issues.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:45 AM

MORE GOOD NEWS IN THE WAR FOR ETHICS (you're either with us, or against us): First there was the news that serial fabricator Jayson Blair's book has sold little over 1,000 copies and is ultimately destined for the remainder book heap (you'll see it there for many years). Now there's the news that Writers Guild of America West president Charles Holland, whose brief tenure was marked by doubts about his military and academic background, has quit.
---What's happening here? Are Americans actually insisting that there be some ethics, truth in writing, and truth in -- I can't believe it -- RESUME WRITING?
---Holland, whose credits include the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, resigned saying he wanted to spare the guild from distractions as it heads into crucial contract negotiations with the studios. But he had been under intense fire and widely questioned due to media reports challenging his claims that he served in the Army Special Forces and played football on a scholarship at the University of Illinois.
---Wait a minute...I must be dreaming...someone in HOLLYWOOD quit because of facts that were misstated, overblown or perhaps not facts at all? The person I saw on that street corner was right: The End Of The World Is Here.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:28 AM

THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SHAME: A Jersusalem Post article says terrorists are increasingly recruiting children ages 11 to 17 to do their dirtywork. So much for the innocence of childhood. But we shouldn't be surprised: innocence and childrens' lives are meaningless to terrorists who specialize in unblinkingly taking innocents' lives.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:36 AM

If you don't think anything is increasing in value, think again: the House of Representatives has voted unanimously to double the reward for Osama bin Laden's capture to $50 million. Attention bin Laden associate terrorists: that moo-lah could furnish a cave very nicely...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:30 AM

PAKISTAN TO CORNERED AL QAEDA MILITANTS: SURRENDER OR ELSE: Pakistani forces have given a group of militants a deadline to surrender.
---UPDATE: But it looks like that time has passed and at least one report says the prime target who was being pursued, Al Qaeda's Number Two man, may have gotten away, possibly into Afghanistan. But U.S. officials have stressed that even if Al Qaeda honchos are captured or killed it won't end the threat from that umbrella terrorist organization.
---The betting is that the top terrorists will fight to the death.
---Pakstani forces have surrounded the group of suspected Al Qaead militants...which they believe, contains a Big Fish: Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's right-hand man. The Egyptian doctor is considered Al Qaeda's chief ideologist, the brains of al Qaeda and a key figure behind the 911 attacks.
---"We've given them a deadline of 12 noon (about 2 am PCT) to surrender," the army officer told Reuters in the town of Wana, near the scene of the battle.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:24 AM

Thursday, March 18, 2004

A DEMOCRATIC ANALYST PUTS JOHN KERRY'S CAMPAIGN STRATEGY -- AND CHALLENGES -- UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: When you read Todd Kennedy's writings on The Pragmatic Progressive it's akin to having a private briefing by a top Democratic campaign strategist (he makes no bones about it; he has a John Kerry election banner on his site).
---In his latest detailed analysis, he discusses the latest CBS White House Poll, which puts Bush ahead of Kerry, 46% to 38% with 7 % for independent Ralph Nader. What's happening with Kerry? What can Kerry do? Kennedy offers some intriguing answers...
--- Here are some of Kennedy's themes and thoughts on Kerry's challenges (and it should be of interest to Republicans, too; Karl Rove get your notebook out NOW):
---Kerry's electoral strategy, he writes, is that he'll run for the White House "as a seasoned legislator, and not as a governor, which the American people aren't used to as of late." In fact, being a legislator can be hazardous to a presidential candidate's political health: Kennedy points to how Bill Clinton running against legislator Bob Dole spent the entire summer of 1996 defining Dole by using his Senate votes against him.
---Kerry has to "make the case that legislative experience will make him a better chief executive in less time then if he were a state governor" as Bush tires to use Kerry's background to arouse "knee-jerk animosity" to any congressional representative or senator that isn't their own. Meanwhile, he writes, "Kerry has the difficult task of reframing the debate "without the charisma of John F. Kennedy."
---On the CBS poll, he notes that Nader can hurt Kerry. Also, "41% of those polled are undecided about Kerry or don't know enough about Kerry with regard to the favorable/unfavorable question. It is at this point where Kerry must take the lead in the definition of his candidacy, while the Bush Administration goes all out in presenting reasonable doubts about Kerry's character, honesty, and leadership ability."
---Recent examples, he writes, are (a)the Bush administration attacking Kerry for voting against supplying US Troops body armor and (b), Kerry's comment that world's leaders support his effort to unseat Bush, but then refusing to name name's which "indicated that Kerry was full of hot air or is a liar."
---HIS KEY CONCLUSION:" If this latest poll is indication of a trend, Kerry is being hurt by the injection of doubt in to the validity of his character and forthrightness."
---Kennedy argues that the Bush administration "is manipulating the facts in both these instances" and he gives specifics that support his contention. On the The Great Foreign Leaders Debate, he writes that the "world's view of the Bush Administration is between scorn and fear, any international poll overwhelmingly indicates that Bush's non-internationalist foreign policy option selection is problematic........ The Bush White House also knows that Kerry can't 'out' the names of the leaders he has been in contact with, because it would breach their trust, and compromise their relationships with the Bush Administration, which they must tolerate for the time being."
--- Then Kennedy says:

Because John Kerry has been in the Senate for 22 years, he's going to get all kinds of spun grief for bills or portions of bills that he voted against, with no mention of later and better formed bills that later became law. This is why members of congress must make ridiculous and poor political votes, as nuance and the history of a legislative action don't fit well into thirty second TV Ads and re-election or election is always around the corner. You can ask Senator Max Cleeland about this. The same tactics used against Max in Georgia by Faircloth are being used by the Bush campaign on Kerry. In the Senate very little is "black or white". Most things are "better or worse" ways to reach ends.

The challenge for John Kerry is responding to these attacks at the rate that the Bush campaign can spew them out. 527s, unregulated campaign finance loopholes of which Kerry has no control, will spend their time attacking and attempting to frame Bush. Because the 527s cannot be coordinated by the Kerry campaign their utility is restrained. Further, in some cases they could harm Kerry, because they are out of Kerry's control. So Kerry can't use the majority of the anti-Bush money, the 527 money, to frame himself with any efficiency. Kerry must use his campaigns cash to respond to Bush and I think Bush's campaign will attempt to squeeze Kerry faster then he can raise money, thus giving Bush even more of an advantage in the late stages, where it really matters.

---Already you can see this happening, by the way...Kerry is responding but there's a sense that his early advantage is already slipping away and Bush ads are scoring points. Kennedy warns:

Kerry can lose this election in April as well as he can lose it in October, so he has to be judicious with his coordinatable campaign war chest. The smartest thing that Kerry could do is to begin educating voters on nuance and how it applies to legislative bodies.....Kerry needs to get ahead of this Bush tactic of legislative distortion and stay on the offensive. The newly attempted manufacture of "reasonable doubt" about John Kerry's integrity and leadership cannot take seed.

---Another good tactic is the art of political jujitsu, the counter attack by using your opponents forward aggression against them by pointing out hypocrisy along the same conduit traveled by the attacker....John Kennedy, John Edwards, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton were and are masters of the collegial and colloquial smile, (not smirk), wink, while bending the opponents wrist back into submission with seemingly light-hearted and witty humor with a factual base that makes the attacker look mean-spirited, hypocritical, and bumbling. Kerry isn't as charismatic as these individuals, but he's a seasoned politician.......

---To Kennedy this is a dangerous time for Kerry:.

Just as Mike Dukakis was framed in a detrimental way, Bush will attempt to do the same with Kerry....Kerry must offer a real choice not just on policy but on tone and intelligence level. Kerry has to fight back, of course, but he has to be more savvy then Bush. A balance between John Edwards' New American Optimist Campaign and Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election bid is good base for Kerry to build from.

---But the key, Kennedy argues, is that Kerry has to use his Senate credential to his advantage, packaging it so it has a good connotation (experience) rather than a bad one (Washington insider/hack). And he concludes:

Kerry needs to make the argument that in order to fix what's broken, it's a good idea to be an expert on how the machine works and get along very well with the principles in the machine. Kerry must make the argument that because he comes from a body that is built on principled compromise, not capitulation, that he can work better with the world community. Kerry needs to be clear that being a twenty plus year veteran of the Senate is a huge advantage. Kerry needs to sell this hard.

---Meanwhile, there are factors beyond Kerry's control. If an Al Qaeda bigwig is captured or killed (as seems possible now; Kennedy's post was written before today's dramatic events) it'll shift the focus in the U.S. media towards terrorism, an issue pitchforked back into the headlines last week with the mass-murder bombings in Madrid. Add that to Kerry being defined by the Bush camp via a barrage of ads, and Kerry's polls could dip lower...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:15 PM

HOWARD STERN MEANS BIG BUCKS (and we don't mean in generating advertising revenue): The FCC is continuing to crack down on indecency in the face of the Janet Jackson breast reveal scandal by issuing a double whammy ruling. It:
1)Proposed fining Infinity Broadcasting the maximum $27,500 for a Stern show broadcast on WKRK-FM in Detroit. Talk radio shows that veer into adult topics or language are increasingly under fire...and Stern's is the most prominent.
2)Overruled its staff and said that Bono's expletive during the 2003 Golden Globe Awards program was indecent and profane, but issued no fine. Here, too, the FCC is setting a boundary.
3)Has taken actions that will intensify debate over the content carried over airwaves and cable. The FCC's action will cheer those who feel things have gone too far and that standards must be set by the government, and anger and alarm those who feel existing standards are being tightened in a way that is cutting back on freedoms.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:28 PM

OH, NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! PEOPLE AREN'T BUYING SERIAL JOURNALISTIC FABRICATOR JAYSON BLAIR'S NEW BOOK!! According to the New York Daily News:

Readers aren't burning for "Burning Down My Masters' House," Jayson Blair's memoir of his ill-fated New York Times career. Nielsen Bookscan reports the book sold just 1,386 copies through last Sunday, according to yesterday's PW Newsline, an E-mail from Publishers Weekly. Bookscan tracks roughly 70% of the market, excluding Wal-Mart, so the total would be higher. But given Blair's wide exposure on NBC, a variety of local affiliates and the cable news networks, the results look low indeed.

---That's right. Katie Couric tried her best to publicize the book by Blair, whose invented and embellished stories led to the downfall of two New York Times editors who believed in him, mentored him, and trusted him. And CNN's Larry King and MSNBC's Chris Matthews tried their darndest to make the public like Blair, too. Matthews turned "Hardball" into "Softball" by suspending his usual bull-dog aggressiveness, and then turned it into "Goofball" by praising Blair. Well, it'll just take some more work to convince the American public to believe a book written by an admitted fabricator and to dish out $$$ to help further reward plummeting ethical standards in the media. Better luck next time!
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:08 PM

WILL POLAND PULL OUT OF IRAQ NEXT? Sounds like it will. President Aleksander Kwasniewski defended the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam, saying it "made sense" -- but said his country was "misled" about the threat of weapons of mass destruction. So, he said, he may withdraw Poland's troops early if Iraq stabilizes. A new domino theory in motion??
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:17 PM

Slate's William Slentan makes a convincing case that both George Bushes had a similar campaign theme: you were either for them or you were against America (versus someone who's running as a member of the "loyal opposition," simply offering differing in policies). Troubling, with lots of specifics on the uses of verbal imagery, code words and exaggeration.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 4:46 PM

PAKISTANI FORCES REPORTEDLY AL QAEDA'S NUMBER TWO SURROUNDED CNN reports that Pakistani forces have surrounded a "high-value" al Qaeda target in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan -- and CNN is now reporting that it is believed to be the terrorist group's number two man, the highly-sought-after Ayman al-Zawahri.
---UPDATE: A Pakistani Army spokesman wouldn't confirm or deny the reports, which he called "speculative." But other reports suggested something is indeed going on, and CNN security analyist Ken Robinson in Pakistan predicts Al Qaeda's second in command would fight to the death.
UPDATE 2: The website Northeast Intelligence Network suggests messages indicate the capture/killing of this Al Qaeda honcho could be linked to the launching of a fullscale "jihad" with other attacks in the not-to-distant-future.
---CNN broke the original story about the "high value" target in an interview with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf who said: We feel that there may be a high-value target. I can't say who."
---MSNBC later reported that Pakistani officials said they believed their troops had surrounded the No. 2 leader of the al-Qaida terrorist network, Ayman al-Zawahri...Al Qaeda's chief ideologist.
---The fierce resistance, CNN says, indicated al Qaeda fighters were protecting someone especially important. It has long been believed that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his top honchos were probably in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan. Just a few minutes ago CNN indicated the man surrounded is believed to be bin Laden's prime assistant.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:56 AM

WE SALUTE A GREAT ACTRESS AND VOICE OF THE DEMON EXORCIST: The talented actress Mercedes McCambridge, 85, who provided the voice for the devil-possessed little girl in The Exorcist, has died. She won a best supporting Academy Award in 1949 for her big screen debut in the film All the King's Men.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:07 AM

IT'LL SPICE UP THE MUSEUM WORLD: McIlhenny Co. maker of the 136-year-old Tabasco Sauce, is going to open a 3,700 square foot museum early next year.
---Its mission: to educate the public about the ever-popular fiery New Orleans spice and to put to rest urban legends the company helped perpetuate but will now admit via the museum were not correct:
---1. No one really knows how the sauce's inventor, Edmund McIlhenny, got his first peppers in the 1860s. There are versions but nothing was really recorded and even his relatives offered differing accounts. The company has admitted it had long used one version in its promo materials and news releases.
---2. Accounts of Tabasco hitting the market in 1868 in 350 recycled cologne bottles are wrong: it was 1869.
---3. Not true that E.A. McIlhenny, one of the company's early presidents, introduced cat-sized rodents called nutria, to Louisiana. E.A. McIlhenny even claimed to have done but but records indicate he wasn't the first.
---If you are thinking of making a special trip to New Orleans to see the museum, here's some of what it'll contain: old stoneware jars, a Rough Rider uniform with cowboy hat worn by J.A. McIlhenny, items from E.A. McIlhenny's Arctic expeditions. Also: an autographed bass guitar from the rock band Van Halen in the shape of a Tabasco bottle.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:52 AM

POLITICAL EXPERT LARRY SABATO: BUSH MAY AGAIN WIN THE ELECTORAL VOTE AND LOSE THE POPULAR VOTE: Brace yourself for another political roller coaster this year because there are signs it could well wind wind up a political Space Mountain (no Dennis Kucinich joke was meant there...).
--- It could be a cliffhanger...one in which President George Bush gets less than a mandate -- and even (GASP!) loses the popular vote. Again......
--- That's the conclusion of the University of Virginia's Larry Sabato in his latest edition of Sabato's Crystal Ball, a MUST for political junkies, newspaper editors (my former employer the San Diego Union-Tribune often reprints it in full in its Sunday Insight section), politicos, bloggers and anyone who simply enjoys a highly informative and usually accurate political read. You can see this week's whole Crystal Ball by clicking here but, even better yet, go to that link and subscribe since it is FREE.
---This time Sabato's most dramatic assertion comes at the end of the Crystal Ball:

We've had enough of the talk about how "Kerry has to run the table to win." In the Crystal Ball's view, it is George W. Bush who has to run the table to win a second term. And even if he runs the table, it is possible that, given likely Kerry landslides in California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and possibly all of New England, Bush could become the first President in American history to be elected twice without ever achieving a popular vote plurality.

--- He titles this entry KERRY'S NADER AND BUSH'S NADIR because:
-----JOHN KERRY WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE RAPH NADER but probably on a smaller scale than Al Gore did in 2000. Sabato believes "Nader will receive less than 1% of the national vote when the 2004 ballots are cast--a far cry from the 2.7% Nader achieved in 2000. Thus, Kerry's '04 problem is perhaps a third of Al Gore's '00 problem, now that Democrats and liberal Independents understand that Nader could produce Dubya II as he arguably helped to produce Dubya I. (Should Nader get the Green Party endorsement this summer, his likely November vote proportion will increase, and we'll revisit the topic then.) From the perspective of March, Nader is probably manageable for John Kerry, as electoral difficulties go."
--GEORGE BUSH IS BATTLING HIS NADIR, falling poll numbers (NOTE the latest polls out show some fluctuation but overall Bush tends to be undergoing a steady slide). According to Sabato:

The President is at the nadir of his administration, viewed from the perspective of public popularity. Bush-bashing by all the Democrats and the press has taken a toll, as has the dismal jobs picture....Like father, like son, and the painfully slow recovery from the 2001 recession, similar to the 1991 recession, now seriously threatens to create yet another One-Term Bush. History is so rich with irony! Here's another: The Bush/Cheney Administration is supposedly in bed with Big Oil, yet the dramatic rise in gasoline prices at just the wrong time is adding to Bush's woes.

--- He says Bush's weaknesses are: the economy (the public holds a president responsible), an inability to come up with "a passably acceptable answer" to job outsourcing, worldwide terrorism, a belief that another attack can happen here, and the poll-depressing Iraq war. And then there's this: "Bush is hated by Democrats with a passion they previously reserved solely for President Nixon, a fact that guarantees Kerry the united support of his party under almost every circumstance and may produce a higher-than-usual November turnout among Democrats.:
---He further says:
---1.NEWS MEDIA: "The national news media elite dislike Bush and disagree rather intensely with most of his economic, foreign policy, and social issue positions. Kerry is not personally liked by the media elites, but he has the 'right' positions on the issues and his upset of President Bush will provide the kind of 'big story' that makes careers and attracts readers and viewers in droves. Expect Kerry to get most of the media breaks throughout the year, while Bush-bashing will be a favorite media sport in 2004. "
---2. KERRY'S RECORD GIVES THE GOP AMMUNITION: Bush will try to put the spotlight on Kerry's main weakness: 19 years of Congressional votes, which are a treasure's chest for creating attack ads. " There's a good reason few members of Congress ever get elected President," he writes.
---3. KERRY'S IDEOLOGY WON'T HELP THE NEW JFK: "Kerry really does fit the classic stereotype of the 'Massachusetts liberal," he writes. Kerry is considered one of the Senate's 10 most liberal members and "is viewed even by supporters as aloof, wooden, and arrogant."
---4. GAY MARRIAGE: Kerry and his state's record in favor of gay marriage won't help. "This issue still helps Bush and hurts Kerry, even allowing for overwhelming news media support of gay rights."
---5. THE BUSH CAMPAIGN IS COUNTING ON A FEW THINGS: The economy picking up, Bush's 911 role and memories of the tragedy, a solid South GOP vote, and " the $100+ million they have to spend to define Kerry before the Democratic Convention in July."
---6. BUSH DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO GET HIS GROOVE BACK: And he has " little margin for error." Sabato sees "little evidence" that Bush has expanded his electoral base from 2000:

Just as in 2000, Bush isn't even in the ballgame in the giant states of California, New York, and Illinois. (Do people in the White House really believe what they are saying about the Golden State? Are they really going to waste $10-20 million again on a hopeless cause?) Kerry landslides are coming in all three states, and in New Jersey, too. Kerry is likely to carry Michigan and Pennsylvania as well, just as Gore did easily in 2000. Once again, only New Hampshire looks competitive in the entire Northeast--and Bush could lose it this time.
The two largest states which are currently highly competitive are both Bush's states from 2000: Florida and Ohio. Should Bush lose either one, our bet is that he loses reelection. Are there any Gore 2000 states within reach for Bush this time around? Just three: New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin, with an outside shot at Iowa and Minnesota. Realistically, Bush will be very lucky to win even two of these five states--and they don't make up for the potential loss of an Ohio or a Florida. Then there are Nevada and West Virginia, Bush states in 2000 that are far from secure for 2004.
And we haven't even mentioned possible Kerry vice-presidential choices that could take a Bush state such as Indiana, Louisiana, or Missouri and make it a toss-up or worse. Since Bush is stuck with Cheney, who gives the President nothing electorally, Kerry has a 'checkmate' move that Bush cannot even try to counter.

--- But, Sabato warns, it's still early "and the election is in November, not in March. And true enough, Bush may get lucky again and put the election beyond reach."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:43 AM

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

A BLOGGER'S MISSIONARY PARENTS ARE KILLED IN IRAQ: How tragedy can touch us all. Truly a sad tale that filled me with grief. I discovered this via John Cole of Balloon Juice who discovered it on another web log...which had discovered it on another web log. Greg Piper has an item on it, too. Which shows there are many people who care, even about a stranger's grief.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:23 PM

ALLEGED TERRORISTS ANNOUNCE REWARD FOR SPAIN: WE'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE (IF YOUR GOVERNMENT KEEPS ITS PROMISE): An Islamic group that claims to have been responsible for last week's Madrid bombings that killed 201 people have issued what is, in effect, a "thank you" to Spain's voters and is promising them a gift: a truce.
---But, the group says, it's conditional: the truce hinges on the new Socialist government keeping its promise to withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops from Iraq. In other words, if the new government keeps its promise, the Brigade of Abu Hafs al-Masri can say it's following an ultimatum in the form of a sugar-coated thank you.
---The news of this truce comes from the London-based Al Hayat daily newspaper, which said it got a statement from a group claiming to have set off the blasts. Still there is a hitch: U.S. officials don't totally believe this group was behind the attack or even closely tied to Al Qaeda. The group made bogus claims in the past, such as announcing it was behind blackouts last year in the United States, Canada and London.
---The AP quotes a U.S. counterterrorism official as saying: "They claim to be al-Qaida's voice, but they're not," the official said. Moroccan and Spanish officials also express skepticism.
---If it's not the real group behind the worst violence on Spanish soil since the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War, it nonetheless gets at least momentary notoriety, and if the true identity of the group behind the blasts isn't known by the time Spain pulls out of Iraq (HIGHLY unlikely given the professionalism and toughness of Spanish security forces) this group can claim Spain pulled out because it got a temporary truce and didn't want any more violence. "Spanish authorities increasingly suspect an al-Qaida-linked cell carried out the bombings," the AP says.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:49 PM

DELTA LOSES MORE THAN LUGGAGE: From the AP:"Delta Air Lines lost an 80-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease who was supposed to have been given an escort between flights in the Atlanta airport, his relatives said. (The man was found 24 hours later near a bus station downtown.) Maybe Delta forgot.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:25 PM

NO ONE CAN HOLD A CANDLE TO THIS HITLER: There's a new Adolph Hitler in Berlin and his theme song might be "I'll Never Heil Again."
---He's made out of wax - and we will NOT do the joke about him being a WICK-ed man.
---The life-sized wax Adolf Hitler figure (which could make a delightful gift for your kiddies at Christmas time) is displayed in the heart of Berlin in what museum officials say is post-war Germany's first public exhibition of the Nazi dictator. Hitler shares a room at the "Galerie Art'el" museum with World War II luminaries Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.
---Poor Joe, Frank and Winston: talk about a crazy roommate!
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:15 PM

A FUTURE PRESIDENT'S (SHE HOPES) HUSBAND'S BOYHOOD HOME IS FOR SALE ON EBAY: Do you wanna buy a nice house on a corner lot?
---It's 950 square feet. Occupied for three years by a little boy who grew up to love Elvis, love John Kennedy and love interns.
---In fact, some think he still dreams of this home (because Hillary was not there). Yes, if you hurry YOU can buy Bill Clinton's boyhood home but you better do it quickly because bids have soared from $45,000 to $105,000. The home's owner, now married, is looking for a bigger place. The auction will close April 7. Today the house at 321 E. 13th St is occupied by Gary Johnson and his mother, Elaine, who have lived in the "little bitty house" at 321 E. 13th St. for about 10 years.
---"It's long past his presidential days, and I just don't see anybody local being interested in it," Johnson said.
---Maybe someone can turn it into a new Clinton Library -- the only Presidential library with books with centerfolds (and a jaw-dropping section on oral history).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:52 PM

ANALYST SAYS TERRORISTS WON IN SPAIN: In an extensive analysis on The Winds of Change, Dan Darling argues (as we did here in our postings) that Sunday's Spain elections that dumped the ruling Popular Party in the wake of terrorist bombings in Madrid were not good news for anti-terrorism forces. "I will be quite frank," he writes, "this was a definitive victory for al-Qaeda." He doesn't, however, feel the same kind of attack and election results can be replicated here. "More to the point, as a result of the election results in Spain, al-Qaeda has sent a clear message: those European leaders who support America do so at their own national and political peril." Read it for yourself (and weep).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:06 PM

HUGE CAR BOMBING IN BAGHDAD: A huge car bomb destroyed a five-story hotel in central Baghdad. The toll: 27 killed and 41 injured. It struck three days before the first anniversary of the start of the U.S.-led war to topple Saddam Hussein. AP reports: "Many foreigners were staying at the hotel...The Bush administration offered prayers for the victims but said such attacks would not change U.S. policy." Coming on the heels of police intercepting a bomb in Pakistan several days ago, this is a further indication that terrorists are in a new stage of their deadly war against innocents. Last week's mass-murder bombings in Madrid signalled the opening salvo.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:51 AM

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
We're always green with envy over the bubbly nature of this fun holiday, loved by kids and adults alike.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:07 AM

TRYING TO CURRY FAVOR: Secretary of State Colin Powell is on a tricky trip to India, where there's an uproar over U.S. backlash over outsourcing. And he's caught in a political pincer on this issue. The Washington Post's Cyntha Webb gives a full acount here. Powell looks SO unhappy in his job these days. The Moderate Voice is sure than if GWB is re-elected Powell will outsource himself into a higher paying, less stressful job in the private sector.......
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:04 AM

NEWS FLASH: UNCONTROLLED MOUTH EPIDEMIC HITS DEMOCRATIC PARTY: As if multiple-flaps over several unwise John Kerry pronouncements weren't bad enough in recent weeks, now Howard Dean has entered the fray for one last gaffe, causing the Kerry camp to say the former Vermont Governor's words don't represent their views. Actually, now even Howard Dean says Howard Dean's words don't necessarily reflect his views.
---What promises to be the newest trivia word-use stinkfest was sparked while Howard Dean was trying to help defend Kerry from Bush ads suggesting Kerry had turned his back on U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
---So Dean opened his mouth, raised his leg, and stuck his foot right in, saying:"The president was the one who dragged our troops to Iraq, which apparently has been a factor in the death of 200 Spaniards over the weekend." When asked to clarify, Dean said the alleged Al Qaeda video tape taking claim for the deaths made that connection, not him.
---But he had to clarify that the terrorism was "despicable" and repeat that he was just repeating what terrorists had said. Kerry had to clarify that Dean's words didn't reflect his views. And conservative websites, radio talk shows, and cable shows are having a field day. Just remember, Dean was trying to HELP Kerry (what would he have done if he wanted to hurt him?).
---ATTENTION DNC: A grave case of foot-in-mouth-disease is spreading among your top rung candidates. Send a doctor or CostCo-sized cases of duct tape FAST....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:45 AM

Tuesday, March 16, 2004

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN REACHES FEVER PITCH (IN MARCH????) AS CREDIBILITY BECOMES ISSUE: It's hard to believe this year's political coronations otherwise known as "party conventions" have not even begun yet.
--- Democrat John Kerry and his group of Vietnam Vet buddies, plus other Democratic stars, are campaigning coast to coast. They blast President George Bush and his administration with a key underlying theme: CREDIBILITY.
---CREDIBILITY on issues such as the status, background and reasons behind war in Iraq, keeping promises to fund firefighters and the "real" state of the economy. They ask whether the U.S. under Bush is truly more respected and efficient, or instead becoming an isolated Lone Ranger now minus a Tonto (the Popular Party in Spain, defeated after last week's terrorist attacks believed to have been carried out by Muslim terrorists).
--- One troublesome by-product of this: John Kerry -- in either a moment of sublime candor or supreme stupidity -- let pass from his lips a claim that "foreign leaders" or "more leaders" (choose the press version that fits into your feelings about Kerry) just couldn't wait until he defeated George Bush.
--- Meanwhile, the Republicans are campaigning coast-to-coast -- and this includes virtually the entire Bush cabinet. The key theme lurking beneath their individual issues: CREDIBILITY.
--- That's why the issue of Kerry's flip-flops, votes against defense-related bills, and specifics on the foreign leaders who want to see the Bush administration disappear are making the GOP salivate.
---The GOP clearly thinks it has The Issue to undermine Kerry's credibility (and polls suggest they might be right)...and the foreign leaders comment is becoming the pole on which to hang it (and John Kerry). President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Secretary of State Colin Powell have all told Kerry to in effect put up or shut up and name the leaders. So far Kerry hasn't put up, and there are no signs he plans to shut up:'
---"I'm not making anything up at all," Kerry told The Associated Press, and he accused Republicans of "trying to change the subject" from other vital issues such as jobs. He added that "it's no secret" that some countries are "deeply divided about our foreign policy. We have lost respect and influence in the world."

---The latest twist came when the Boston Globe reporter who quoted Kerry said he quoted him wrong and it was "more" leaders, rather than "foreign leaders." That sparked some skepticism among some, like Glenn Reynolds, aka InstaPundit who believes "the backtracking on this illustrates how far the press is willing to go to save Kerry from himself." The Volokh Conspiracy's David Bernstein considers it much ado about nothing:"Even if the Globe reporter's correction is on the money, it's no wonder Kerry never denied the foreign leaders quote--it's exactly what he meant," Bernstein writes.
---"One wonders if John Kerry is in the pocket of foreign interests when he stupidly blurted out that many foreign leaders are hoping he winsl" writes blogger Niraj. "If I were the Bush campaign, I would flog this story till it can't be flogged no more."
---Asks the web log Secular Blasphamy :"Is John Kerry an Idiot?"

---All this leads to the question:
---Why should swing voters (those that don't already love or hate John Kerry) care and what are the factors to consider in this credibility issue being pressed so hard by the GOP? Some of the key parts to consider in this debate are:
---THE ADMINISTRATION'S IMAGE IN THE WORLD: Even two hours research on the internet could find stories from newspapers, magazines and websites suggesting this is not the most beloved administration in history due to its policy of pre-emptive strikes, unilateralism, and continued controversy over the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Other indicators: problems the U.S. has with the U.N., and the the new Spanish leadership wasting no time in blasting Bush.
---So there are indeed quite a few leaders who (rightfully or wrongfully) would love regime change at the White House. But that is NOT the central issue here.
---WHO ARE THE LEADERS THAT TOLD KERRY HE'D LIKE TO SEE BUSH GO? A Washington Times survey of countries against the war in Iraq (including France) found that since the beginning of 2003 no leaders met with Kerry; one diplomat even said Kerry is considered very hard to get ahold of by Ambassadors.
---IS JOHN KERRY TO BE BELIEVED ON OTHER THINGS? The bottom line: John Kerry IS close to entering that select EX-politicians' club, the gaffe-of-the-week-club. He committed a cardinal sin: even though there are world leaders who hate the Bush administration, his comments without backup make it seem like he's making the quote up. So the GOP can raise (and Dick Cheney has already raised) the issue: what foreign leader is whispering in his ear?
---This does three things (a)it makes him look like a liar, (b)puts him in constant confrontation with a press now running in "gotcha!" mode (c)obliterates his messages about Bush administration credibility on weapons of mass destruction, and the old Iraq regime's ties to Al Qaeda.
---"The chief lesson I take from this is, in a pressure situation, never to say anything that cannot be backed up with the written record," Rick Heller writes. "Anything off the record is useless. Anything conveyed orally can be denied by the other party in the conversation. Be able to back it up, or don't say it at all."

---But in The Great Credibility War of 2004 I make this prediction: John Kerry will suffer.
---Credibility stories regarding the Bush administration (minus any stemming from the upcoming 911 commission report) have been done to death. To the press, they're old, boring news. The Kerry-can't-or-won't-say-who-told-him-that story is new and offers all kinds of controversy-peppered follow-ups.
---It's bad enough that John Kerry's unwise use of his mouth has started to make some uneasy followers whisper a name next to the dictionary definition of "implosion" (PSSST! Howard Dean!!!), but the mini-flaps shove Kerry off-message, off his stride, and force him to answer machinegun questions from a pursing and hungry press that's out to get something...and then get some more.
---If it continues, the Bush camp won't even need their $100 million campaign fund advantage: the media's love of "conflict stories" and the game of POLITICIAN UP/POLITICIAN DOWN will do the job for them.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:16 PM

FRANCE GETS TERRORIST THREAT: France's Justice Ministry says officials are investigating threats issued by a radical Islamic group against France and its overseas interests. A letter addressed to French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin was signed by what claimed to be the ``Servants of Allah the Powerful and Wise.'' THIS JUST IN: FRANCE HAS SURRENDERED......
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:09 PM

If you thought our politics was polarized enough, you haven't considered our reading lists. Valdis Krebs, a social-network analyst in Cleveland, did a study of political and found a polarization on reading tastes that speaks volumes about where political debate is today.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:49 AM

AL QAEDA DOCUMENT ACCURATELY PREDICTED IMPACT OF BOMBS AND ITS SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY: There is now evidence that there apparently was a grand strategical plan behind last week's bombings in Spain that left 200 people dead and led to voters ousting the U.S.-allied ruling Popular Party.
--- And the strategy worked perfectly.
--- According to CNN, a document published months before Sunday's elections "reveals al Qaeda planned to separate Spain from its allies by carrying out terror attacks. A December posting on an Internet message board used by al Qaeda and its sympathizers and obtained by CNN, spells out a plan to topple the pro-U.S. government.
---"We think the Spanish government will not stand more than two blows, or three at the most, before it will be forced to withdraw because of the public pressure on it,' the al Qaeda document says. "If its forces remain after these blows, the victory of the Socialist Party will be almost guaranteed -- and the withdrawal of Spanish forces will be on its campaign manifesto.'"
---So this document shows the attack (a)was clearly aimed at toppling the PP and helping the Socialist Party get in power, (c)was specifically aimed at creating PUBLIC PRESSURE on the government, (c) was aimed at getting Spainto withdraw it's forces from Iraq.
---The question is now an obvious one -- one voiced a lot since Sunday but the document makes it clearer than ever: if such a specific political strategy was implemented and worked, won't it happen again? And often. And in many countries? (Spain's new Prime Minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has vowed to pull Spain's 1,300 Spanish troops out of Iraq by June 30 if the United Nations "doesn't take control of Iraq.")
--- Experts still disagree on precisely who did the attacks. Evidence increasingly points to Muslim terrorists with if not Al Qaeda membership strong Al Qaeda ties. CNN also reports that the U.S. intelligence community is considering the possibility the bombings may have been carried out by a number of people with various ties to terrorist groups.
---CNN, quoting a "senior administration official," said these are the scenarios. That the attack was pulled of by:
---1. Islamic fundamentalists with support from the Basque separatist ETA
---2. Islamic fundamentalists with close ties to al Qaeda, although not necessarily "card-carrying members of al Qaeda";
---3. Members of ETA or al Qaeda.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:18 AM

Monday, March 15, 2004

NEW POLL SHOWS RALPH NADER CAN SINK JOHN KERRY CANDIDACY: Keep an eye on Ralph Nader. That's the nugget you get from the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
---It shows unease over Bush's management of the economy, and doubts about Kerry's political convictions -- which is why you see the Democrats hammering Bush over the economy, and the Republicans hammering Kerry over his flip-flops..
---The Times adds: "The candidacy of Ralph Nader looms as a potentially lethal threat to Democratic hopes of regaining the White House: With Mr. Nader in the race, Mr. Bush leads Mr. Kerry by 46 percent to 38 percent, with Mr. Nader drawing 7 percent of the votes. In a sign of the polarized electorate Mr. Bush and Mr. Kerry are facing, three-quarters of supporters of each candidate asserted they would not change their mind before the election. "
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:31 PM

SPAIN'S FALLOUT CONTINES WITH FEAR OF AN ATTACK HERE: The unmentionable issue is mentioned openly now in Washington and at think tanks: last week's pre-election attack in Madrid that killed 200 people and helped cause the defeat of the ruling Popular Party means it's likely American could face the same kind of attack, timed during the U.S. Election year.
---Part of it, is common sense: any terrorists who can read a newspaper, listen to a radio, or watch television can see a clearcut cause-and-effect model in Spain for future actions. Another part is the pure psychology of the attack and the aftermath. And yet another part is non-compromising the ideology of Osama bin Laden himself.
'That's an amazing impact of a terrorist event, to change the party in power," said Jerrold Post, a former CIA profiler who directs the political psychology program at George Washington University told the AP..
---Experts believe if there's another attack there could be the traditional rallying-to-the-President impact that often happens in crises. But experts think this could diminish and be weakened by other variable election year factors such as the economy.
---In Spain, the Washington Post reports, there were a variety of factors that led voters to nix giving the ruling Popular Party another term but a key one seemed to be credibility: voters didn't believe the government was giving them all the facts about who did the bombing and felt it was trying to exploit it politically. Add those to lingering disagreement over Madrid working with Washington in the Iraq war, anger at Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar for backing the United States too fervently, some personal dislike of President Bush and you have a ruling party defeat, the terrorist's key goal.
---Donald Sensing has a extensive and thorough analysis of Al Qaeda and its thinking on his site, and he adds this: "If al Qaeda has decided to time terrorism not so much for shock effect itself, but to use destruction and shock to influence the outcome of Western electoral processes, then there may be a sophistication in al Qaeda's thinking that it has not displayed before.....
---"Al Qaeda may well leave Spain alone under its new government, but not America no matter who is elected this fall to the White House. For neither George Bush nor John Kerry can possibly yield to al Qaeda's goals. We will never simply withdraw from the Middle East, nor will the Arab masses accept a Talibanic government. Therefore, third-wave terrorism will be no more successful for al Qaeda than second wave, but it will likely prove more violent."
---Indeed, no matter how you look it, the aftermath of the Spanish elections has left a chilling feeling in diverse geographical and ideological circles that the bodycount of innocents -- here and abroad -- will almost certainly continue.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:20 PM

WARNING:COMPUTER GAMES CAN CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH: A computer game addict in western China collapsed and died at his screen after playing the popular online game Saga non-stop for 20 hours. They guy wasn't a spring chicken (31 years old) but he'd play the game regularly at an internet cafe in Chengdu, Sichuan province, according to the South China Morning Post. According to a cafe employee, he'd play for more than 10 hours and was found dead after a 20-hour-long session. There are other ways of dying at a computer. For instance, you could die of old age waiting for your AOL connection.....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:13 PM

EBAY HALTS AUCTION OF VIETNAMESE GIRLS: Vital news item in The Register:"eBay last week pulled the plug on an attempt to sell three Vietnamese women to the highest bidder. The Taiwanese user, who wanted at least TWD180,000 ($5392) for the trio, has had his eBay membership terminated, the company said. ..The auction gave no indication as to what 'goods' were on offer, stating only that they were made in Vietnam and would be "shipped to Taiwan only". The only indication as to what was being offered were a series of five pictures of three young women, two of whom may be minors. eBay said it had passed what information it has on the seller to the Taiwanese police." They wouldn't have filled Bill Clinton's order anyway, since he doesn't live in Taiwan..
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:44 PM

QUOTE OF THE DAY ON GAY MARRIAGE ISSUE: "Why would ANYONE want to get married?" -- San Diego Minuteman Press printer Matt Risi.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 1:20 PM

(UPDATED FROM EARLIER) NEW SPANISH PRIME MINISTER IMMEDIATELY BLASTS U.S. AND BRITISH LEADERS ON IRAQ WAR -- AND SAYS HIS COUNTRY WILL PULL TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ: Less than 24 hours after Spaniards fired the ruling Popular Party to lead their national government, it's now clear that there has been some regime change in the war against terrorism...but not what Washington had in mind.
---Spain's new Prime Minister-elect wasted no time in raking President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair over the coals on their decision to launch a war against Iraq -- and repeating that he's going to pull his country's troops out of Iraq.
---"Mr Bush and Mr Blair need to engage in some self-criticism," AFP quotes Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero as saying. "You can't just go ahead and do things. You can't bombard a people just in case [they pose a perceived threat]. You can't organize a war on the basis of lies."
---Is there a chance Zapatero will ease off his pledge to withdraw all Spain's troops out of Iraq? The chance of that happening seems as great as Osama bin Laden getting bar mitzvahed. In today's newest remarks, he made an equally determined -- but more diplomatic -- vow that his country will say "adios" to Iraq within a few months.
---"The military intervention was a political error for the international order, for the search for cooperation, for the defense of the United States," he said, adding that Spain would maintain "cordial" relations with Washington. "It divided more than it united, there were no reasons for it, time has shown that the arguments for it lacked credibility and the occupation has been managed badly."
---He wouldn't specify a date for a possible withdrawal of Spain's 1,300 troops in Iraq -- but said he would set one after he takes over as prime minister some weeks from now.
---"I have said clearly in recent months that, unless there is a change in that the United Nations take control and the occupiers give up political control, the Spanish troops will come back, and the limit for their presence there is June 30," he said.
---All post-World War II Spanish governments -- including the Socialists last time they were in power -- have traditionally had cordial relations with the United States. Spain's 1,300 Spanish ground troops represent less than 1 percent of the total foreign troops in Iraq.
---But it isn't the NUMBER of troops that is crucial, it's the fact that via the ballot box in Spain Washington has lost one of its staunchest unconditional and unquestioning allies in its multi-fronted war against terrorism.
---"Wars such as those which have occurred in Iraq only allow hatred, violence and terror to proliferate," he had said.
---Before the election, polls had shown 90 per cent of Spaniards opposed Spain's decision to stand with the U.S. on kicking out Saddam Hussein. That decision had sparked angry protests in the streets last year.
---Spain's elections yesterday came on the heels of last week's terrorist attack that killed 201 people, the worst act of violence in Spain since the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War. The PP blamed the Basque separatist ETA but signs increasingly point to Al Qaeda. Many believe voter backlash over the way the ruling party handled the investigation, plus a feeling that it's close alliance with the U.S. on terrorism drew Spain into the terrorists' crossfire, influenced the vote's outcome. Analysts -- and polls -- suggest that if there had been no terrorist attack, the Socialists wouldn't have won the election.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:43 AM

Sunday, March 14, 2004

HISTORY IS MADE IN THE FIRST ELECTION DETERMINED BY TERRORISTS (or Voters' Message To Terrorists: We're Fearful Not Vengeful): The terrorists -- whether it's proven they're homegrown Basque separatists or Al Qaeda (and there are growing indications it is the latter) -- got their heartfelt wish: The reign in Spain ended on the trains.
---Terrorism -- whether exit polls ultimately show it was a direct or indirect influence or not -- firmly veered Spain's election smack onto the political track merciless terrorists had sought, derailing the hard-line conservative Popular Party and putting the Socialist Party on a path to return to power.
---Few suggest that the Socialists -- who have been in power before -- are going to radically change Spain, although their election eliminates one of President George Bush's most loyal allies. But both ETA and Al Qaeda wanted the PP out...and now they'll be gone. And the Socialists had run on a pledge to withdraw all Spanish forces from Iraq by June, even though Spain's troops only represent about 1 percent of the ground forces there. (Advice to Colin Powell: your salesmanship is needed; pack your bags for Madrid NOW...). UPDATE: And Spain's new Prime Minister wasted no time in iindicating he intends to change Spain's foreign policy regarding troops in Iraq quickly.
---But the most obvious implication is that by using mass murder on the eve of an election and successfully changing an expected result (polls had predicted the ruling party would win) terrorists around the world now have a CONCRETE cause-and-effect-model they can point to...and try to emulate. In Great Britain. In Italy. In the United States. And they've learned that rail travel is a much "softer" target than those darn pesky airlines, with all those bothersome inspections, and where you have to waste a suicide bomber (who can be used for later operations).
---If you strip it down to the bare-bones -- even taking into account possible voter ire over whether the ruling government was honest with the public on Muslim terrorist's role in the mass murder -- it boils down to this: the vote will be widely interpreted as electoral appeasement of terrorism by Spain's critics and, most importantly, by terrorists.
---Not everyone in Spain is joyful today:
---The Spain-based web log Iberian Notes declared:"What happened? It's clear: the people of Spain are not willing to risk standing up to domestic or international terrorism and would prefer to appease the terrorists in hopes that they will be left alone in the future...The Madrid bombings changed everything. The people have decided that Islamic terrorists are responsible, though that is in no way determined yet, and they have decided that it is the fault of Jose Maria Aznar and the PP government.
---"Congratulations to the terrorists, whether ETA or Islamic: you've done your job. You disrupted the election. You beat Aznar and Rajoy and the PP, who were way ahead in all the polls before the bombings. And congratulations to the leftist parties, too. They won this election--well, not quite fair and square, more like pretty dirty, what with exploiting the bombing to accuse the government of lying with no evidence."
---Meanwhile, in one of his first statements, Spain's new Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told cheering supporters his goals were dialogue, debate, healing -- and to fight terrorism where he finds it. No matter what, he's going to need more support: ---The Socialists will need alliances with smaller nationalist parties to form an absolute majority in parliament's lower house since the PP remains the biggest party in the Senate.
---Many analysts believe the PP blew it and sparked angry voter backlash by immediately blaming the ETA and seemingly discounting evidence of Muslim terrorists involvement, revealing it almost begrudgingly. From that perspective, it wasn't an appeasement vote -- but that won't make any difference to terrorist groups that will see an equation: mass killings + closeness to election = influence election results.
---Certainly, the world did not seem safer tonight especially given TWO DEVELOPMENTS:
---1. OFFICIALS BELIEVE MASSACRE WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY THE WORK OF AL QAEDA: Still no OFFICIAL word yet, but a Washington Post report from Madrid says European and Arab intelligence officials believe the bombings that killed 200 people "were the work of a multinational cell of al Qaeda loyalists, some of whom entered Spain specifically to carry out the attacks." According to the report, this information was culled from interviews with the three Moroccan and two Indian suspects in Spanish custody, plus from other sources.
---This would make it the first full-fledged Al Qaeda attack in Europe. The Post further reports that European officials are now trying to assess the likelihood of more attacks -- and that the way the Madrid bombings were executed shows the group is increasingly more adaptable...and deadly.
---2. BOMBS FOUND IN GREECE AND PAKISTAN: The bomb in Greece was discovered and exploded by police outside a Citibank branch in an Athens suburb, after an anonymous tip. Police said the bomb was not sophisticated but was powerful enough to cause "death and damage". No one claimed responsibility.
---Meanwhile, in Karachi Pakistan, explosive experts defused what was described as a huge bomb in a small van parked next to the heavily guarded U.S. Consulate . "We saved this place from big destruction," a police official told AP.
---QUESTION: Were these unrelated coincidences? Or were they planned to punctuate an already turbulent week? Or were they the second and third planned salvos in a new multi-theater terrorism campaign?
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:41 PM

NOW EVEN THE MAFIA IS OUTSOURCING: According to the AP, "Ratted on by fellow wiseguys and hounded by police, struggling American Mafiosi are recruiting Sicilian mobsters, believing the island's hardheaded gangsters are more likely to keep their mouths shut, U.S. and Italian organized-crime officials say."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 3:54 PM

BULLETIN SOCIALISTS DECLARE VICTORY IN SPAIN: The Socialists are claiming victory in defeating Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's conservative Popular Party's bid for a third term in power. And the defeat -- the PP had been narrowly ahead in the polls -- is sure to be seen as a response to the March 11 terrorist bombings that killed 200 and injured 1400, the worst violence in Spain since the 1936-1939 Civil War.
---The numbers show, with 79 percent of the vote counted, the Socialists appeared to have 164 seats in the 350-member Parliament. The PP, which had 183 seats going into the election, apparently wound up with 147.
---But what the numbers don't show are two forces analysts believe were at work:
---1. Feelings the government wasn't honest about last week's terrorist attacks that it blamed on the Basque separatist ETA. It also hurt the government's case when three Moroccans and two Indians were arrested yesterday, a video claiming to be from Al Qaeda was found, and a letter (authenticity still debated) was found that claimed it was from Muslim terrorists taking credit. Angry cries of "coverup" were heard during demonstrations yesterday. The belief: the government didn't want the public to know who really was involved because it would create backlash over it's backing the United States in the unpopular war against Iraq.
---2. Anger at the government for making Spain a target of Muslim terrorists by getting involved in Iraq and sending Spanish troops, a decision overwhelmingly opposed by most Spaniards. The Socialists have vowed to pull all Spanish troops out of Iraq -- which means there was indeed a potential payoff, if election results could be swayed.
---What it means is this: no matter what the final verdict as to who was behind the carnage, terrorists have been sent a message that mass bloodshed during the heat of an election campaign can get results.
--- Even if terrorist groups inaccurately interpret the votes' real meaning (which will come out later in post-election voting analyses), they will most likely infer that: (a)a spectacular terrorist act during elections does NOT necessarily mean it will stir up angry counter-productive (for them) nationalism, (b)it sends other countries a message that not only no one is safe but that a democracy's most precious time-- election time -- could be PRIME TIME for mass murder to achieve political ends.
---On the other hand, a good part of the PP's defeat could be due to its own bungling of the investigation, insisting from the very first that it MUST be ETA, thus raising questions about the sincerity of its investigation and its overall credibility as the hours and days passed.
---Writes Oxblog's Patrick Belton:"the Spanish government has gone out of its way to play down the Al Qaeda implications (which would make it vulnerable) in favor of ETA (which would strengthen it). An attribution of the attack to Al Qaeda would have made Aznar's party vulnerable, having brought the country into Iraq and provoked the terrorists' ire; an attribution to ETA would have strengthened the party, having amassed a strong record in combating the separatist group.
---"Aznar's government is seen as having played politics with the investigation, which if true would have been unworthy both of the commitment to principle which brought his government into Iraq and of the continued trust of his nation. And at any rate any nation which had suffered the unprovoked tragedy which Spain did in the March 11th attacks may be given considerable leeway in forgiving actions it takes while grieving."
---SO NOW THE QUESTION IS: WHAT NEXT? Two things:
---1. More information is seeping out about the suspects...and it isn't pointing to ETA. A new report from AP says one of the Moroccans arrested "is linked to a man jailed in Spain for allegedly helping plan the Sept. 11 attack in the United States...It was the latest suggestion that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist group may have been involved in the bombings."
---2. Europe and the United States are targets now. Al Qaeda is likely to widen and accelerate it's terrorist war, contends the Israeli website Debka:"Bin Laden and the leadership group of his organization have been arguing over their next directions. Their debate is conceptual between those who advocate building up Islamic fundamentalist gains in Europe before turning to America and those who see Europe as a springboard to the United States. Bin Laden has issued a fatwa deciding the issue: the organization is instructed to strike simultaneously on both continents."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:33 PM

BULLETIN RULING PARTY MAY LOSE IN SPAIN: The Socialist Party may be on the way to a victory in the elections in Spain, unseating the ruling conservative Popular Party. Until last week's terrorist attacks the PP was favored to win. WHAT IT MEANS: The terrorist attacks had a political impact, a fact that won't be lost on whatever group did the attacks. The Socialists have vowed to pull all of Spain's troops out of Iraq if they win. SCROLL ABOVE FOR LATEST UPDATES.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:50 AM

AL SHARPTON GOES HOLLYWOOD: The Moderate Voice has always believed politicians give voters a song and dance...and a bad rap to any serious discussion of issues -- and now we have the proof.
---Al Sharpton has gone Hollywood, signing with the William Morris Agency, one of the biggest top-gun show biz agencies in the US of A.
---Writes Fox News' Eric Burns, who is not pleased: "His reward will be bright lights and starring roles and guest shots. BIG DEAL."
---Burns quotes the New York Times' Jim Rutenburg's report that Sharpton wants his own all-news cable television show and a syndicated radio program -- and talks are already underway. Rutenberg writes: “[Sharpton] has already had an informal discussion with Fox Television Studios about a possible reality television show... And he recently met with Sid Ganis, the Hollywood producer who included Mr. Sharpton in the 2002 remake of ‘Mr. Deeds,’ to discuss future [film] roles.”
---Burns believes the issue is "more about the William Morris Agency than it is about Al Sharpton. It is about the values of the agency, and what they tell us about the values of the culture that the agency serves.
---''That Sharpton is a salesman whose product line consists almost entirely of himself cannot be argued. Nor does this mean that consumers should ignore him; the United States, today as always, is full of self-promoters whose goods are sometimes worthy of purchase, and even respect. But Reverend Al is also a man with a dishonorable past, or at least with some dishonorable incidents in his past. He is a man who might well have chosen to be an entertainer because he could not make it as a demagogue. He is a man now trying to trump his substance with his style. The odds are in his favor.
---"For style matters much more than substance today to all too many Americans. It is the present bon mot that engages us, not the past indiscretions..."
(Thanks to Richard Gandelman for the tip!)
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:26 AM

MORE CURIOUS DEVELOPMENTS IN SPAIN'S BOMBINGS: New tidbits keep emerging on the March 11 bombings in Madrid that left 200 dead and more than 1400 wounded. And they seem to point to either radical Muslim involvement OR an Al Qaeda linked group working with the Basque separatist ETA (which stands for Basque Homeland and Liberty).
---But U.S. officials stress that an Al Qaeda link to the bombings is still unclear.
---Here are the latest developments as Spain goes to the polls in an election that could be impacted by what Spaniards have called "our 911":
-----ONE OF THE ARRESTED MOROCCANS WAS ALREADY BEING WATCHED: One of three Moroccans arrested in connection with the Madrid train bombings was already being closely watched by authorities in his homeland, the AP reports from Morocco. The reason: he was suspected of ties to an al-Qaida-linked group, a Moroccan official said Sunday. ---Spanish authorities have also hauled in to Indians.
---AP adds:"Spain's El Pais newspaper, citing the interior ministry, reported the Moroccans have links to Abu Dahdah, the jailed alleged leader of al-Qaida's Spanish cell. Authorities in Morocco said they could not comment on the report."
-----MOROCCAN INVESTIGATORS GO TO MADRID: Moroccan security experts are now in Spain working with officials in Madrid on the investigation, the AP reports. The Moroccan experts have spent nearly a year working with Spanish officials on the investigation into Casablanca's terror bombings. Spanish citizens were among 33 people killed by Casablanca' suicide bombings against Jewish targets and a Spanish restaurant close to the Spanish consulate.
-----SPANISH OFFICIALS DON'T RULE OUT ETA/AL QAEDA COLLABORATION:"Meanwhile, ETA has still not been ruled out of the investigation. According to Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio, the Basque separatist group is still a strong suspect and that Spanish police were not ruling out other possibilities, including a possible collaboration between ETA and al Qaeda. 'I would say that anything is possible in this dark, dark world of terrorists,' Palacio said in an interview on British television on Sunday." -- From the German newspaper Deutsche Welle.
-----EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL THINKS ETA MAY BE IN LEAGUE WITH AL QAEDA: Asia Times Online quotes a " senior intelligence official working for a special European Union anti-terrorist cell in Brussels" as saying the theory that radical Muslim are involved is being taken very serious. But not just working alone. The official tells ATO:" But we are also considering the possibility that Islamist factions with dormant cells in Europe may be linking with ETA (Basque) separatists in Spain, perhaps not directly, but targeting a splinter group."
-----EUROPOL (the European police agency) HAD WARNED ETA WANTED A MASS ATTACK: According to ATO, " On the latest Europol report on terrorism in the European Union...the agency warned of a possible ETA switch from its usual tactics to 'large scale operations' based in Madrid. The report also said that ETA was recruiting increasingly younger new members and expanding its network to Portugal, Italy, Holland, Belgium and Germany, as well as to Venezuela, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Belize."
-----HAVARD TERRORISM EXPERT NOTES INCREASING "PRAGMATISM" OF COOPERATING TERRORISTS GROUPS: Harvard terrorism expert Jessica Stern tells American Prospect that a possible connection between Basque separatists and Al Qaeda cannot be ruled out:"I think the pragmatism of terrorist groups is emerging as they mature, as is a willingness to cooperate with organizations that would seem to be promoting completely different agendas. Also, sometimes we see that as possible terrorist organizations get closer to achieving their ostensible objective, zealots remain and carry out unprecedented attacks (as happened with the IRA). It's not impossible to imagine that ETA could have done this even though it would be unprecedented for them."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:25 AM

GEORGE CARLIN PREDICTS EVERYONE WILL FORGET ABOUT JANET JACKSON'S YOU-KNOW-WHAT REVEAL (The Moderate Voice does not want to be fined) ON THE SUPERBOWL HALFTIME SHOW: The comedian, whose (in)famous "The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" is a comedy classic, blames the controversy and political furor over indecency on "religious moralism, media commercialism and election-year politics," according to the AP.
----And Carlin predicts that this too shall pass: "These bursts of interest and decency are just like when you're in the Air Force, Army and Marines, whatever — the discipline in your unit may get a little lax, people live with it, it's fine for months at a time then some colonel notices it and suddenly they crack down ... enforcing all the minor rules and regulations. Then what happens after these bursts of bothering people, that wears off and we get back to normal, relaxed discipline, but things still get done. Society can be counted on to let this fade."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:03 AM

MEXICANS TAKING JOBS IN THE U.S ARE DYING AT A RATE OF ONE A DAY An Associated Press survey finds that the "jobs jobs that lure Mexican workers to the United States are killing them in a worsening epidemic that is now claiming a victim a day. Though Mexicans often take the most hazardous jobs, they are more likely than others to be killed even when doing similarly risky work."
---Some key highlights in this info-packed survey:
-----Death rates highest in several Southern and Western states, where a Mexican worker is four times more likely to die than the average U.S.-born worker.
-----The accidental deaths "are almost always preventable and often gruesome: Workers are impaled, shredded in machinery, buried alive. Some are 15 years old."
-----Deaths among Mexicans in the United States increased faster than their population.
----- Even compared to other immigrants, what's happening to Mexicans is exceptional in scope and scale. Mexicans are nearly twice as likely as the rest of the immigrant population to die at work.
---According to the AP, extensive interviews are happening because "Mexicans are hired to work cheap, the fewer questions the better. They may be thrown into jobs without training or safety equipment. Their objections may be silent if they speak no English or are here illegally. And their work culture and Third World safety expectations don't discourage risk-taking."
---JOE'S PERSONAL NOTE: from 1980-1982, when I was a staff reporter on the Wichita Eagle-Beacon in Kansas, I was a Big Brother in the Big Brother program. My Little Brother, it turned out, was not here legally (his family later admitted this and was legalized under Ronald Reagan's amnesty program.). This kid's father came with his 7 kids from Durango, Mexico and worked in a meat packing plant -- where he lost a finger while working. When he told me about it he talked about it casually, as if it was just part of the price for being here.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:50 AM

DOES JOHN KERRY NEED HIS BEAUTY SLEEP? The Boston Herald catalogues a bunch of his recent potentially-costly errors ill-advised comments and says: "But a tired candidate makes mistakes, and we'll charitably chalk up some recent Kerry doozies to exhaustion."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:26 AM

ARNOLD'S STYLE RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS BUT IT'S WORKING SO FAR: Sacramento Bee columnist Daniel Weintraub (the best columnist on California politics) puts Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's populist governing style under the microscope and concludes that while it could ensnare him it has been effective so far.
--- He notes that "Arnold," as he is known in the state, infuriated Republican conservatives (who have been wary of him anyway) by saying he didn't mind if Californians change the law to allow gay marriage. Even though the Governor contends he follows the will of the people, Weintraub dissects how the-politician-formally-known-as-Conan has a style completely different than the man he replaced. The gone-and-unlamented Gray Davis basically stuck his finger to the wind and if the wind didn't move in any direction he'd almost be immbolized because "the only plausible moves were highly unpopular," Weintraub writes.
---Contrast that with how Schwarzenegger handled the problem of state finances:
---"Polling all of last year showed that voters hated the idea of borrowing, and suggested that they were more inclined to try to balance the budget with spending cuts and tax increases alone. But Schwarzenegger concluded that wasn't possible, and took a different path," Weintraub notes.
---""Still, the first surveys taken on his $15 billion bond measure showed it was supported by barely one-third of the voters. But with a focused campaign and a massive, bipartisan coalition, Schwarzenegger sold the voters on the idea, turned the numbers around and won in a landslide.
---"If he really saw his job as always implementing the public's will, rather than sometimes seeking to change it, he never would have tried."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:13 AM

SPAIN'S TWO RAGING QUESTIONS: IS THE TAPE CLAIMING CREDIT REALLY FROM AL QAEDA...AND WHO WILL WIN TODAY'S ELECTIONS? Spain faces a double-pronged cliffhanger today...but some of the suspense will be ending soon.
---PRONG ONE--THE TAPE: Right before the polls were set to open for general elections Spanish authorities got a phone call leading them to a videotaped message in which a man purporting to represent al-Qaida claimed it was behind the bombing massacre that killed 200 and wounded 1,500 in Madrid, the Spanish interior minister said early Sunday. The Spanish government said it couldn't guarantee the tape's authenticity, but the find did come on the heels of the arrest of three Moroccan and two Indian suspects.
---Spain has been a key ally in Washington's war against terror, and the Spanish government generally got support for that -- but the Spanish government's backing Washington in the war with Iraq was highly unpopular. So that leads to some possible conclusions:
---(1)If it is Al Qaeda, the goal is clearly to influence the outcome of the elections (see below).
---(2)If it is Al Qaeda it would indicate Europe has now become a formal new front in the terrorism war.
---(3)If it is Al Qaeda it would mean Europe's governments will have to take measures to clamp down to prevent possible future terrorist attacks. This could create some political problems within some countries, particuarly those with large Muslim populations.
---According to Interior Minister Angel Acebes, the speaker on the videotape said the bombings were "a response to your collaboration with the criminals Bush and his allies" -- and threatened more attacks.
---PRONG TWO --THE ELECTIONS: The attacks and precisely who is behind them have become mired in election-eve politics.
---Demonstrators opposed to the ruling conservative Popular Party and supporting the main opposition Socialist Party held rallies claiming the government was involved in a massive cover-up, to shift the blame for the attack on ETA rather than Muslim terrorists. The reason for that, they asserted, is that the government doesn't want backlash over its backing the U.S in the war with Iraq. Some who support the government line suggest the opposite: that the Socialists and others are trying to put the blame on Muslim radicals to impact the elections.
---Poll show a majority of Spaniards didn't support their government backing the U.S. in the Iraq war. The Socialists have pledged to remove all 1,300 Spanish troops from Iraq if they win a four-year term.
---If you read government statements, various opposition statements, and comment boxes on blogs originating from Spain you notice one thing: the subject of who is possibly behind the attacks has become highly politicized and wrapped up in ideology.
---So that leads to these tantalizing questions:
---(1)Could ETA have timed this to shift the blame on radical Muslims? Iberian Notes points out "that the people detained in Madrid are linked to having sold the mobile phone and fake phone card used as a timer in the backpack bomb that didn't go off, so this isn't precisely ironclad proof of an Al Qaeda job. The left is trying to take full advantage of the situation......"
---(2)The ruling conservative Popular Party only has a 4 percent lead going into the elections. If it is defeated, especially by a wide margin, it would indicate terrorism has triumphed as a political tool used to change votes.
---(3)If an attack right before an election adversely impacts the more conservative party, then it might portend trouble elsewhere. There have been alleged new threats against the United States. If a carefully timed pre-election mass murder does help shift votes in Spain's elections, will we see the same thing here aimed at influencing the outcome of the U.S. Presidential race?
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 1:19 AM

Saturday, March 13, 2004

TAKE A MUSIC BREAK NOW! Click on this and listen to the mysterious song Stairway to Gilligan,a rock version of theme song from the show you-know-who's you-know-what. It was never released due to a lawsuit from Led Zeppelin's publishing company (this link gives you the history of the song as well).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:47 PM

IN THE FUTURE YOU'LL HAVE REALLY CRAPPY LIGHTING IN YOUR HOME: Researchers at Pennsylvania State University last week revealed they have developed an electricity generator fuelled by sewage. One day there'll be a big movement for sewage powered electricity.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:29 PM

HYPOCRISY AT THE HUMORLESS NEW YORK TIMES: It's David and Goliath time, folks. And it looks like Goliath has (temporarily) won.
---Glenn Reynolds, aka InstaPundit, tells the strange nearly inexplicable tale of the blogger who satirized the New York Times' nonexistent Op-Ed corrections page and has been legally hassled and threatened by the once-but-no-longer-entirely-reputable "paper of record."
---The latest, according to Reynolds, is that Robert Cox's internet provider has given him notice that they're going to shut down his website unless he removes a slew of material the Times doesn't like. The paper's lawyers (who surely must have other things to do but maybe Jayson Blair's raking in mooh-lah on his book has stressed them to the breaking point) have been putting on the pressure, calling the satire copyright infringement. And as InstaPundit and Greg Piper note, other sites reproduced this and the Times is being cagey as to whether they'll go after them, too.
---BUT, WAIT! THIS CAN'T BE!?? Isn't the Times the SAME NEWSPAPER that GLEEFULLY reported Fox News' Bill O'Reilly's (silly) overreaction to comedian Al Franken's book, which led Fox lawyers (reportedly at BO'R's demand) to sue Franken for copyright infringement, generating enormous money-making publicity for Franken and the case being virtually laughed out of court? Franken even wound up with his own upcoming liberal radio talk show which he calls "The O'Franken Factor" (he has dared O'Reilly to sue; he needs the publicity).
---So, the Times thought Fox was dumb by going after satire in the O'Reilly case -- but if someone satirizes them they unleash their lawyers on them?
---In the end Robert Cox will find his career made and his site will become more popular than ever. He couldn't BUY this kind of advertising -- especially since the Times' covered the you-know-what over the Fox/Franken fuss with such utter glee.
---Writes Reynolds:"It's not clear what that means, but the Times' charges seem rather grabby and unfocused. As Cox notes: 'The print-out are 16 pages from my web site with no markings or specific indications of what The Times considers infringement. Am I supposed to guess?' The Times is being a bully here, and should be ashamed. It should also, of course, be ashamed on the underlying issue addressed by the parody -- that it has failed to correct egregious factual errors by its oped columnists -- and perhaps this bullying constitutes a tacit admission that it's in the wrong there."
---Oxblog's David Adesnik says it's "just pathetic. If the NYT cared so much about its integrity, perhaps it should've kept an eye on Jayson Blair. On the other hand, this sort of vindictive behavior is an implicit admission of just how vulnerable professional journalists are to the criticism of intelligent amateurs. Viva el blogosphere!"
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 1:39 PM

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE? Are you a Liberal? Conservative? Libertarian? Communist? Do you REALLY know what your belief system makes you? Why not test your views with Don Hagen's satirical Political Beliefs System Test, described as "A Humorous Political Party Quiz to Test If You're an Archconservative, Leftwing Wacko, Antigovernment Libertine or a Commie Sympathizer."
Take it yourself but here are two of my favorites:

"The proper response for jelly donut manufactures regarding the public's concerns over jelly donut's deleterious health effects is to...
CONS: hold a televised press conference, wherein the manufacturers eat jelly donuts, and feed them to their children.
LIBL: institute a nationwide jelly donut recall.
LBRT: let any consumers worried about eating jelly donuts simply stop eating them.
COMM: give total control of jelly donut manufacturing to the government.

What should people not be allowed to do in public?
CONS: Offend the sensibilities of others.
LIBL: Offend the sensitivities of others.
LBRT: Offend the sensibilities of yourself.
COMM: Offend the sensitivities of the authorities.

And I'll add my own about his test. It is:
CONS: A family-friendly scream.
LIBL: A Howard Dean scream.
LBRT: A scream if you want to.
COMM: A scream for EVERYONE...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:52 PM

SPAIN HONORS THE DEAD: If you want to see some of the outpouring of Spanish grief over and resistance to terrorrism to click on this link to Donald Sensing, who captured some of key moments from cable newscasts in quality still photos.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:50 AM

DISNEY QUACKS UP or NEVERNEVERSTORES AND THE LOST TOYS: Disney is trying to dump the money-losing Anaheim Mighty Ducks hockey team and its Disney Stores.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:56 AM

(REVISED FROM EARLIER)SPAIN ARRESTS FIVE IN SUSPECTS IN BOMBING -- AND IT DOESN'T FOUND LIKE THEY ARE BASQUES: The suspects now in custody include three Moroccans and two Spaniards of "Hindu" origin, Interior Minister Angel Acebes, said. The AP reports the five were arrested in connection with a cell phone inside an explosives-packed gym bag found on one of the bombed commuter trains.
---The suspects "could be related to Moroccan extremist groups," the minister said. "But we should not rule out anything. Police are still investigating all avenues. This opens an important avenue."
---This would FIT IN with an earlier report that government officials down played. Earlier today, a Spanish radio station with close ties to the Socialist Party, one of Spain's most powerful opposition parties, quotes an intelligence source saying:" The evidence has wiped out previous indications that led us to believe in ETA."
--- The Spain's intelligence service is "99 percent certain" that radical Muslims and not the Basque separatist group ETA are responsible for train bombings that killed 200 people, a Spanish radio station said on Saturday. The report on Private radio SER said the National Intelligence Center (CNN) believes the evidence points to an Islamic group, and that 10 to 15 people left bombs on the trains and fled.
--- But, before the just-announced arrests, the Interior Minister told a press conference: "If it's al Qaeda, no authorities from the state security forces have told me." A Defense Ministry spokesman declined comment on the radio report, Reuters reported.
--- If it is Al Qaeda, or many reports surface suggesting that sources within the government believe it is, it could influence Spain upcoming elections. Spain has been a staunch ally of the U.S. but its government's backing of the U.S. in the Iraq war has been highly unpopular. The ruling party tends to take a harder stance on ETA than the Socialists -- but neither party would agree to Basque separatism.
UPDATE: A reminder that so far there has been no official confirmation or even official suggestion that the Spanish government is about to announce Al Qaeda was behind the bombing. Even experts are split.
---Meanwhile, CNN carried live reports of demonstrations by opponents of the ruling government, charging officials with not revealing all they know about the bombings for political purposes.
---The Spain-based blog Iberian Notes distills this lists of the case on each side and gives its view this way:

"Pointing toward ETA:
1. They've been trying to pull off a big hit in Madrid for years.
2. They know the Henares area and the etarras arrested in Cuenca on Feb. 29 with 536 kilos of dynamite had a map of the area.
3. They tried to pull off a big hit with a bomb on a train last Christmas Eve.
4. They wanted to disrupt the first elections without their illegalized political arm, Batasuna, at all costs.
5. They often use the types of explosives used in Madrid.
6. They don't always warn before an (attack).
7. The internal debate within the organization may have radicalized them even more.
8. They left booby traps for the bomb squad, a habitual ETA tactic.

Pointing toward Al Qaeda:
1. The van used had a tape with Koranic verses in it.
2. The explosives (do they mean detonators?) found in that van are not habitual with ETA.
3. ETA has never committed such a large mass bombing before.
4. ETA has never used so many people on a hit.
5. This massacre will offend at least some of ETA's base support, who don't mind killing cops but draw the line at civilians.
6. There are parallelisms with 9-11 and this attack is 2 1/2 years later.
7. The police have been watching out for an ETA attack but not an Al Qaeda one.
8. The titadyne is better quality than typical ETA titadyne.
9. Islamic terrorist gangs do not always use suicide bombers.
10. Islamic terrorists already hit Spanish interests in Casablanca "because of our support for Bush".
---Iberian Notes concludes:"It seems to me that all these points are fairly reasonable, but I still say those indicating ETA are much stronger than those indicating Al Qaeda or some other Islamic group."
---FOOTNOTE: Several experts (and readers) note that this could also be a case of where a local group works with a radical Muslim group either by giving the other group it's local expertise, or even "franchising" an attack by under the umbrella Al Qaeda network. Alliances could be in place allowing local and international terrorist thugs to share expertise and operations. So even the arrests don't mean it's now established that the attack is the work of just one group. Spain's security forces are extremely thorough (and tough) and we shouldn't have to wait too long to get a definitive answer.........
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:54 AM

Friday, March 12, 2004

JUST WHAT RADIO NEEDS! Amid all the controversy over off-color, shock radio, Marie Osmond's new nationally syndicated and family friendly radio show, "Marie & Friends" is coming soon to a radio station near you.....
----"It's safe radio," said the 44-year-old Osmond, a member of the Utah-based Osmand family whose entertainment these days is never EVER confused with the Jackson family's. "That's one of the things we're going for is to be safe, and funny and clever and quick-witted without getting to the blue side."
----I wonder how many Howard Stern listeners she's going to get?
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 3:24 PM

THE BASQUES, SPAIN AND ETA: RETROSPECTIVE & PERSONAL VIEW: When the bombs went off in Madrid yesterday they pitchforked back into the headlines a group that was in international news a lot in the 1970s -- and even in the late 1990s: ETA (which stands for Basque Homeland and Freedom).
---ETA formally denied responsibility for the murders, but the Spanish government is skeptical, maybe because ETA attempted to assassinate Spain's Prime Minister a few years ago, wanted to assassinate King Juan Carlos and was believed to be the group behind a batch of explosives found for an apparently planned big attack in February.
---On the other hand, a news report quoted Spanish security forces saying the bombs were set off by mobile phone and contained copper detonators. ETA usually uses aluminum detonators. So Spanish investigators -- like terrorism experts elsewhere -- are so far divided over who staged the attack. Still others insist that while fingers within Spain continue to point to ETA, the carefully-timed murderous attack has all the makings of an Al Qaeda operation.
---I dealt with the ETA story a LOT during the mid to late 70s as the Madrid-based "Special Correspondent of the Christian Science Monitor"" (I also did some stories on it for the now defunct Chicago Daily News). I made several trips to the "Pais Vasco" over the years. And most folks there were decidely NOT clamoring for the Basque goal of a separate Marxist state carved from regions of two countries.
---Here are some notes that might help provide context, if ETA is indeed behind the massacre or even IF the ETA was working with Al Qaeda to pull it off.

---WHEN I ARRIVED IN SPAIN: I arrived after nearly two years in New Delhi writing for the Daily news. When I arrived the Basque story was raging due to periodic random terrorist acts. I helped Madrid's make-shift Newsweek bureau there with some incidental material on the big fall of 1975 story: Spain's decision to execute (by mechanical garrote) five convicted ETA members for terrorism, despite angry international protest.
---News about the executions, outcry, and the 82-year-old dictator's steadfast determination were carried by worldwide media. (I was WAY in back of a monster crowd when the wizened Franco gave his famous "last hurrah" speech in his high pitched wispy voice, defying international opinion and warning of the influence of the Masons...)

---WHY THE BASQUES? There is a long history that you can find on many different sites, but one thing is this: the Basque separatists formally burst on the scene in 1968, born as the Franco era slowly began showing signs of age. And if they never achieved their major goal (a separate Marxist state) they contributed to another: shifting the Franco's plans for Francoism without Franco.
---It came in ETA's first spectacular act: in 1973 ETA explosives blew Franco's friend Spanish Prime Minister Luis Carerro Blanco's car sky high.
---Spaniards often told me this joke: St Peter: Who are you? Carrero: Luis Carrero Blanco. St: Peter: We don't mind having you here, but did you have to bring your car?
---The Prime Minister's assassination unleashed a chain of events that probably sped up democracy: Franco had other government heads who increasingly loosened the government's controls. Juan Carlos was on the scene and his influence grew. And once Franco died, under King Juan Carlos, various governments used "evolution without revolution" to kill off parts the old system until the first democratic elections since the Civil War took place in 1978.
--- So Spain changed -- ETA DID NOT.

---SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE BASQUES AND SPAIN: This is not the definitive fact sheet (and some reports are contradictory) but:
-----Some reports say ETA was founded as early as 1958 by some radical youths who wanted to carve a Marxist Basque nation from four Spanish and three French Basque provinces.
-----Spain's regions are culturally diverse and there have periodically been separatist tendencies throughout Spanish history.
-----The Basques had a Swiss-style Democracy with their own parliament, army and money but backed the losing side in the 1800s Carlist wars. Madrid imposed central rule.
-----The then-autonomous Basques backed the losing Republic side in the 1936-1939 civil war. Victorious Franco banned autonomy, renamed streets and banned the Basque language.
-----During the Franco years ETA would gain limited sympathy with parts of the Basque public. They would shoot officials such as police inspectors and the government would angrily respond, usually in a way that made it more enemies. In April 1975 Spain imposed "state of exception" status on two Basque provinces, suspending freedoms and civil rights, and giving police and troops nearly limitless powers. There were widespread and highly specific allegations of torture which led to outcries in Spain and abroad.
-----Until Franco's regime died, the Basques would get back 30 percent of the tax money sent to Madrid versus 100 percent elsewhere in Spain. It was perceived as a form of punishment.
-----During the Franco era, ETA honchos often lived across the border, in France's Basque country. France usually looked the other way. France was also then home to Basque moderates which had set up the Basque-government-in-exile.
-----During the time I was in Madrid, the Basque region would occasionally hold general strikes to protest Madrid policies. They did more than 10 under Franco.
-----Sources at the time and reports indicated ETA raised much of its money by kidnapping and extortion.
-----The attitude in 1975, as expressed to me by a businessman: "Look, I'm a Basque and a businessman...But police have made us realize we are Basques so we look the other way when ETA runs by."
---WHAT I COVERED: I did many of the reports from Madrid but on various trips to the Basque Region I did several long reports from the field. But no matter where I did the report, it was clear that Basque moderates were going to be increasingly in control, as they were...once Franco died. ETA was like any terrorist group: small but brutal enough to kill its way into the headlines.
---Among other things, in June 1976 I visited an "Ikastola," a Basque language school that was allowed to operate following a late 1975 decree signed by King Juan Carlos allowing unofficial use of regional languages banned by Franco.
---But I wanted to do one more long piece that would contain quotes from ETA militants about its plans for the new democratic era. I had never talked directly with an ETA militant. Various sources told me to talk to a member of a Basque party,who then had a younger party member call me. This young Basque student told me he wanted to talk over lunch, and if things went well he'd tell me where to show up...where I would be secretly evaluated again (in those days they feared everyone was a CIA agent).
--- We talked over a huge Basque style lunch with pre-dinner drinks, wine, after dinner drinks, then he later called to tell me to show up for dinner at a village. The village had a dinner that was bigger than the lunch. I was told the answer would come "in time" but I ran out of time up there and had to go back to Madrid. I had planned another visit to the Basque Country but stories in Madrid kept me there and I decided to leave after the country's first democratic elections. I left in December 1978.

--- MY CONCLUSIONS:
---1. ETA is small. But you don't need big numbers to do damage as terrorists.
---2. ETA's longtime goal will never happen: Spain's Basque County won't unite with France's Basque Country and there are no signs the majority of Basques want to totally break away.
---3. There are Basque moderates and leftists. They're not in sympathy with ETA.
---4. ETA's one hope, then as now, is in provoking the government to overreact and do things that upset moderate or leftists. Think of it as a wedge issue, with higher stakes involved.
---5. If you look at the history of ETA in recent years, no matter what chronology you read, you see that ETA simply never adjusted to the times and was even battling Spain's first post-Franco Socialist government.
---6. If ETA's point is to provoke the government, then murdering 200 people and injuring 1200 would be a good test of the government's patience. If they DID do it and deny they did it and the government cracks down hard on them, they can call it a diversion -- that the government doesn't want the people to know it was really done by Muslim terrorists. (In this view, evidence the police found with Muslim links was to make the government look like it's lying about who did it)
---7. ETA has gone through various incarnations with varying styles of leadership and, in that context, and you can just hear some young ETA terrorist say: "Just kill THREE people? That's so 20th century!"
---So, in the end, what happened in Madrid may be an example of Al Qaeda as a bad role model for youth......
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 1:47 PM

THE ELECTION CONNECTION IN SPAIN? One person has asked and several emailed these questions: why did the worst terrorist attack in Spanish history occur right before an election? And could the date "March ELEVEN" have anything to do with it?
--- Firstly, unless it's proven that Al Qaeda was somehow involved, the "11" in March 11 having any meaning would be pure speculation. While U.S. officials are not ruling out Al Qaeda, they today discounted the authenticity of claims in a letter sent to Arabic language papers in London, claiming responsibility. That shifts the main spotlight -- back on ETA. But today experts remain split as to who they believe triggered the carnage.
---Secondly, if yesterday's Madrid bombing involving 10 explosions that killed 198 people and injured more than 1200 was indeed done by the Marxist Basque separatist ETA then, yes, it could be election related. Two things to consider:
---1. One of ETA's longstanding goals (even when I was in Spain writing as Special Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor from 1975-1978.) was to carry out strong terrorist operations that provoked government responses or overreaction, thus alienating "the masses" (especially in the Basque region) which would turn against the government. (In some cases, this partially worked under the dicator General Francisco Franco, who died in 1975.) ETA has never done anything on the scale of yesterday's action, but if it was ETA it would fit their strategy.
---2. You can ALREADY SEE some political fallout. The AP's Daniel Woolls, reporting from Madrid, notes that the Basque issue is now mired in politics:
---"Arnaldo Otegi, a top Basque politician, denied the ETA separatist group was involved and accused outgoing Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's government of "lying deliberately" about the bombing to seek political advantage in the elections.
---"If ETA is deemed responsible, that could boost support for Mariano Rajoy, Aznar's hand-picked successor in Sunday elections. Both have supported a crackdown on the violent separatist group. However, if the bombing is seen by voters as the work of al-Qaida, that could draw attention to Aznar's vastly unpopular decision to support the U.S. war in Iraq."
---(NOTE: Based on some emailed requests I will post a bit more on what I saw during the time I spent in Spain from 1975-1978. I arrived in Spain roughly six months before Franco died and left after the country held its first democratic elections in decades.)
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:43 AM

POOR MATH EDUCATION + POOR MATH EDUCATION=LOST JOBS: American students' math education doesn't add up. And it's likely to mean more jobs exported to Asia in coming years...not good news for the new generations, or for the American economy. That's the view of David Eisenbud, director of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (www.msri.org), a research organization in Berkeley, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle. He notes that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan notes that, over the next 15 years, at least 3.3 million jobs and $136 billion in wages will move to Asia and the American education system is doing nothing to stop it. The picture he paints isn't a pretty one, but he offers some guidelines.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:25 AM

Thursday, March 11, 2004

CONTINUED OPPORTUNITY FOR STEADY POLARIZATION: "The California Supreme Court ordered an immediate halt to same-sex weddings in San Francisco on Thursday as Massachusetts lawmakers gave preliminary approval to a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages in the only state where they have been ruled legal." This means no matter which way this issue goes, the other side is going to be pressing to have its view prevail. This represents a HUGE opportunity for a polarizing wedge issue since no matter what the court decides someone will be upset -- and will publicly show it via press conferences or angry demonstrations.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:43 PM

MORE DEVELOPMENTS AND THOUGHTS ON SPANISH BOMBING:
-----SPANISH NATIONALISM: If the terrorists (Basque separatist ETA, Al Qaeda, or both working together) expected somehow Spaniards would hide in their rooms due to a massive terrorist attack that killed some 200 people in 10 care-fully timed bomb-attacks, injuring 1200, they may be misreading the Spanish character. As someone who lived there for nearly four years, I can say this: this attack will likely bring Spaniards together more determined than ever to battle terrorism. If the terrorists (no matter who they are) wanted to send the Spanish government a message they're going to get a speedy reply. Spain's highly professional security forces are most assuredly working overtime. But others (including in Spain) don't necessarily hold my view about how Spaniards will react (see below). The upcoming elections will give the definitive answer. New developments:
-------OUTRAGE PART I: The Spanish newspaper El Pais calls the event "Our September 11" while the European Parliament's Irish president Pat Cox called it "a declaration of war on democracy."
-------OUTRAGE PART II: Thousands of people marched throughout Spain to protest the carnage. The ETA's military wing denied it was its handiwork (but these denials cannot be taken on face value). King Juan Carlos addressed the nation via TV for the first time in some 20 years offer condolences and call for national unity.
-------SPAIN STILL THINKS IT'S ETA:From Spain itself, the web log Inside Europe: Iberian Notes points out that despite the letters being released suggesting Al Qaeda was behind the mass murders: " Interior Minister Angel Acebes is still certain this is the work of ETA, but he stated that other hypotheses are being investigated."
-------DID THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS PLAY A ROLE? Iberian Notes thinks it DID: that ETA wanted to hit BEFORE the elections so that people would be outraged that Spain was a target due to its alliance with the United States and vote the existing conservative government out of power. "Enough people might have that very attitude, though, that there's a backlash at the polls on Sunday against the (ruling) PP and they lose the election. That's something ETA would very much like to see. I remain convinced that ETA carried out these bombings."
-------THE TECHNIQUE: Leaving bombs in a backpack then getting off a train. Various experts and writers (including Iberian Notes) point out that this is ETA's style. Massive coordination for multiple, timed blasts wasn't...but then one theory is that ETA has been inspired by and wants to emulate Al Qaeda (or is even working with it).
--HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT IT WAS AL QAEDA: One possibility is the Muslim-related clues (Quran, tapes) discovered by police were a diversionary tactic, if it was ETA. But the Washington Post reports: "U.S. officials cited circumstantial evidence yesterday that Islamist terrorists may have been behind the bombings in Madrid, but cautioned it is too early to tell whether al Qaeda or one of its affiliates was responsible."
---ALSO: remember the oft-stated theory: that Al Qaeda has been wounded and that what we'll see now are a bunch of mini-terroists groups working with it -- so if it does involve Al Qaeda, the terrorist mammoth could be like a home office advising and helping a bunch of franchise owners.....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:57 PM

BILL O'REILLY'S (FRANK) RICH FIGHT: As if getting ready to live in a world with upcoming (debut March 31) liberal talk show host Al Franken's wickedly titled new radio show "The O'Franken Factor" was not enough, radio and cable talk show mega-star Bill O'Reilly is involved in a fierce battle with New York Times columnist Frank Rich. Read all about it.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 4:31 PM

BUSH ADMINISTRATION WEIGHS CONDOM WARNING: "Warning: Smoking this product may cause lung cancer and be hazardous to your health."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 3:06 PM

ALLEGED AL QAEDA "LETTER" TAKING CREDIT FOR MADRID BOMBING SAYS THE U.S. IS NEXT? Signs increasingly point to Al Qaeda as the mastermind behind the greatest attack on Western Europe since World War II. A written threat to the U.S. is reportedly being studied by U.S. officials, but there's no sign Washington bigwigs plan to raise the color-code threat level yet. This headline on the Israeli website DEBKA says it all:
---"Al Qaeda claims Spain bombing in letter reaching London-based al Kuds al Araby. Letter also says US attack 90 percent ready. DEBKAfile adds: Same paper was also first out with al Qaeda’s claim of Istanbul attacks. Spanish official earlier reported Arabic tape with Koran verses found in van packed with detonators near Madrid. "
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:30 PM

NEW ROBOT: Unveiled by Toyota Motors, a new humanoid robot can walk, wave its arms bow and play a trumpet. If it can walk, wave, bow, and toot its own horn it can run for office...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:02 PM

IPODS CAN BE USED FOR ALL KINDS OF USEFUL THINGS! A Memphis woman was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after she bludgeoned her boyfriend to death with an iPod. But she apparently had a good defense: she told police she killed her boyfriend only after he accused her of illegally downloading music and erased about 2,000 of her MP3s.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:17 AM

CREATE YOUR OWN AUTHENTIC GEORGE BUSH POSTER: The President's re-election website has it all set up so you can customize your own poster (fun for Republicans and Demcrats!).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:11 AM

SPAIN'S 911 -- IS IT ETA OR OTHER TERRORISTS? When 10 terrorist bombs ripped through trains and stations at a commuter line during the peak of Madrid's hectic morning rush hour today it killed 190 people, wounded 1400 -- in the worst terrorist attack in Spanish history. It came right before the weekend's general elections...and was assumed to be yet one more bloody saga in Spain's long battle against the Basque separatist ETA (which means Basque Homeland and Freedom).
---But was it? A Basque politician with ties to ETA didn't think so, U.S. officials were expressing some doubts, there have been recent threats from Al Qaeda to strike at European anti-terrorism coalition members -- and as someone who used to cover Spain for newspapers I have to say: there does seem to be room for doubt.
--- UPDATE: A purported letter from Osama bin Laden's al Qaida network claimed responsibility for the train bombings in Spain on Thursday, calling them strikes against "crusaders," a London-based Arabic newspaper said. But at this writing it's authenticity has not been confirmed.
---BUT...tantilizing evidence emerged that raised more questions as to whether it was ETA: Spanish officials later conceeeded it could have been the work of Muslim extremists -- after they found a van with detonators and an Arabic-language tape containing verses from the Quran. ETA members are not known to be Muslims.
---The Israeli website DEBKA posted this headline: "Al Qaeda claims Spain bombing in letter reaching London-based al Kuds al Araby. Letter also says US attack 90 percent ready. DEBKAfile adds: Same paper was also first out with al Qaeda’s claim of Istanbul attacks. Spanish official earlier reported Arabic tape with Koran verses found in van packed with detonators near Madrid."
In addition, Al Qaeda has a history with Spain and many reasons to target the country.......
---Meanwhile, France has raised its terror alert and taken special measures to protect public transportation.
--- Following the carnage at key transportation spots such as Madrid's Atocha terminal (the terminal I used to use) Spain's Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar immediately promised to hunt down the killers. ""This is mass murder," he said.
--- I covered Spain as Special Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor from 1975-1978 and I often went up to "the Basque country." I interviewed government officials, Basques in their schools and stores, and was fascinated by that beautiful region nestled on the Spain-France border. I had arrived in Spain in June 1975, after freelancing in India. And then-dictator Francisco Franco was at the height of his last-hurrah battle with ETA, who had killed his Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco two years earlier. Blanco's car passed over ETA-planted explosives, sending it sky high.
---ETA has had a long history since then, taking some 850 lives. In this case, officials said, the explosives used were typical of the kind used by ETA. Officials also noted that ETA had planned a big bombing on Christmas eve and police intercepted a train with 1,100 of explosives in February.
--- But SOME DOUBTS are being expressed that ETA that carried out what's being called the worst attack in Western Europe since World War II...and there are rumblings that it could be Al Qaida or an Al Qaida-linked group. And here's why:
-----COMMENTS OF BASQUE POLITICO: A top Basque politician, Arnold Otegi, denied the separatists were behind the blasts and blamed "Arab resistance." Many al-Qaida-linked terrorists were captured in Spain or were believed to have operated from there. Otegi told Radio Popular in San Sebastian that ETA always phones in warnings before it attacks. Acebes said there was no warning before Thursday's attack.
-----SPAIN'S STATUS: Spain has been an unwavering friend of the U.S. in the war on terror, Afghanistan war and Iraq war.
-----BIN LADEN'S THREATS: Al Qaeda's spokesmen has frequently threatened to strike at Europe or U.S. linked nation -- and the last tape specifically mentioned Spain and other coalition countries.
-----CIA LINGERING DOUBTS: MSNBC reports: "A senior U.S. intelligence official told NBC's Andrea Mitchell that the CIA still does not know who is responsible and that it is "still subject to great debate and confusion" in the counter-terrorism community.
---In addition, MSNBC REPORTS:"Factors pointing toward some kind of al-Qaida link include: the scale of the attack; the lack of anyone taking credit; the simultaneity of the multiple attacks; and the fact that on his last tape, Ayman al-Zawahiri, a senior al-Qaida figure, said Spain and other Iraq coalition members would be targeted. The U.S. official said Spain has been contacted about any forensics they may have and to see if there are any post-attack communications, such as congratulatory calls or people backing away from the attacks."
---MY FEELING AS SOMEONE WHO COVERED SPAIN: Not immediately taking credit is NOT ETA's modus operandi. And they usually DID phone in advance...although not always. As far as the explosives, any other group could get them, too. And would ETA time it immediately before elections? Possibly...but then........
--- But Oxblog's Josh Chafetz says:"I'm skeptical of the skeptics. ETA hasn't always announced its attacks ahead of time, and Spanish authorities had been worried about an ETA attack ahead of this weekend's elections. Given ETA's history, it seems to me that the default assumption should be that it was them."
---UPDATE: And Chafetz could be right: although a purported letter from bin Laden's group claiming responsibility was obtained by a London newspaper, terrorism experts say it's possible that it was in fact ETA adopting the NEW STYLE OF TERRORISM in the 21st century....mass killings of civilians. Some aren't ready to rule out Al Qaida but others point to the 21st century modus aparendi:
---Manuel Coma, security expert at Spain's Royal Elcano Institute, told Reuters that Osama bin Laden's al Qaida network had caused a kind of global terror inflation.
---"Since September 11, there has been a qualitative leap. Small attacks are no longer adequate. They (ETA) have to aim higher to have influence."
---Others noted it'd be unusual for a European guerilla group to be influenced by Islamic terrorists. On the other hand, the experts told the news agency, "the bombings departed from traditional ETA tactics in the lack of prior warning and the very scale of the operation, which killed over eight times more people than the group's previous deadliest attack. Also striking was the use of multiple, simultaneous explosions, 10 in all, borrowing a favored tactic of al Qaida."
If ETA did cause the attacks, the experts suggest, it means the emergence of a newer, more ferocious generation of Basque terrorists -- in charge because many of the older senior terrorists have been arrested by the Spanish government. They would be doing a large scale attack to emulate Al Qaida and get worldwide media attention.
Yet another theory that has surfaced: it could be BOTH GROUPS working together.
SCROLL UP FOR LATEST UPDATES...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:23 AM

MSNBC - Public�s faith in economy plummets

MORE SEESAW POLLS DEPARTMENT: Latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll puts President George Bush ahead, John Kerry slightly behind, comes out in a statistical dead heat but shows confidence in the economy plummeting (nearly evenly divided results on economy question). Plus: (1)the poll didn't include Ralph Nader, (2)it doesn't quite jibe with other more-good-news-for Kerry polls (which could change due to the flap over him calling the Republicans liars), (3)it shows BAD NEWS for Vice President Cheney who only has a 39 percent favorable rating.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:50 AM

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

CAN LIBERAL TALK RADIO SUCCEED?---The news that Air America Radio will debut a lineup of liberal radio talk show hosts will mean the beginning of a new radio broadcast era -- even if it flops.
---Air America Radio is a startup venture promising to get liberal talk shows on the air by March 31st-- and the centerpiece will be the show of comedian-author-Bill-O'Reilly-nemesis Al Franken. In fact, Franken has titled his show in the 12 noon to 3 pm slot (against Sean Hannity in many markets) "The O'Franken Factor" after you-know-who's radio and TV show.
---Franken makes no bones about it: he wants to be the liberal Rush Limbaugh, and with a year's contract under his belt he has a chance to try at a high-interest time....election year.
---It will give a welcome choice to many of us who drive long distances. On a recent 450 mile drive I flipped from radio station to radio station but all I could get was Rush Limbaugh talking for the zillionth time about Hillary. I KNEW that rant already. And if anyone seriously disagreed with Rush, they were usually cut off. If I tuned in at other times during the day I got Michael Reagan (GOP independent), Michael Savage (GOP but very independent), Michael Medved (GOP conservative), Sean Hannity (GOP party line). Only Michael Savage kept my attention -- because he was not lock-step party line and was a (non-Howard Dean) scream. (OH: There IS Phil Hendrie who is all over the place politically and is a genius...and he'll get a SEPARATE post, since no one comes close).
---The prevailing conservative radio talk shows garner huge ratings and they're the verbal equivalent of professional wrestling (the liberal never has a chance if they call in). But these shows are a significant political force in 21st Century America since:
-----THEY RALLY THE GOP'S TROOPS. In 1980 there were 75 talk radio stations but now there are 1,000 and most carry conservative programs. Garrett Epps notes that "the political effect has been dramatic. Political scientist David C. Barker, author of 'Rushed to Judgment: Talk Radio, Persuasion and American Political Behavior,' has analyzed statistics that suggest the Republican 'landslide' of 1994 stemmed largely from the increased polarization of one demographic -- right-wing talk listeners." The Democrats not only didn't have anything to rally their troops, but they didn't have any outlets to even counter the full day schedule of programs geared to nothing but promoting one point of view and demonizing or ridiculing the other.
-----THEY SOLIDIFY A WAY OF THINKING: I know several people who PROUDLY tell me "I don't read the papers. I get all of my news from talk radio." Not only that, but they also usually get their arguments, their catch phrases, their whole belief system -- to the extent you know exactly how they're going to complete a sentence. You can even tell which host they listen to.
---This is NOT SAYING anyone who agrees with these hosts fits into that category -- not at ALL. There are many conservative and other listeners who read papers, surf the web, debate with friends and firmly believe what they say. They reached these conclusions on their own and love the hosts because they agree with THEM..
---But the talk shows solidify a party line, lay out expectations on proper partisan attitudes, and create a whole bunch of assumptions that foster a cohesive group-think.
-----THEY SPIN OFF INTO OTHER MEDIA: Into cable. Books. As talking heads on TV shows. Personal appearances. Corporate speaking gigs. And they get their point of view (stated in easy to understand terms) across.
---Talk radio actually has a long history in the US. But here are some key dates: 1930 (John J. Anthony's first radio call in show); 1945 (WMCA's Barry Gray forsakes deejaying for guests and is a hit); 1960s (various talk radio formats), 1987 (Reagan administration's FCC suspends "Fairness Doctorine" so both sides don't have to be aired..which leads to the rise of:); 1988 (Rush Limbaugh hits the airwaves and sparks a slew of imitators some great, others putrid).
-----THEY WIN OVER SOME SWING VOTERS WHO CAN'T FIND OTHER POINTS OF VIEW AND THEY BOND WITH THE HOST: If someone listens to a host long enough (especially if there are no other talk shows on with other ideas) they like them and believe what they say.
Now, on the heels of the U.S. 2004 Presidential election pitting President George Bush against (presumably) Senator John Kerry, with control of the Congress up for grabs in Congressional elections, Ralph Nader running as a third party candidate, and key governor's races, it will be at least slightly different this time.
---In 2004, at least in some cities, there will be an alternative view and an immediate answer to the established hosts. So what does Liberal Talk Radio need to survive?
---(1)IT NEEDS STATIONS IN KEY MARKETS. Air America says it's going to be on in stations in New York, California and Illinois -- a good start.
---(2)IT NEEDS ADVANCE PUBLICITY AND BUZZ: It already is getting some with today's annoucement and Franken is a pro at getting publicity. If O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, etc. start feuds with or threaten to sue the new hosts they'll be helping them out.
---(3)IT NEEDS DEEP POCKETS: Franken was signed for a year. Good sign.
---(4)IT NEEDS HIGHLY ENTERTAINING FUN HOSTS NOT just BORING OR ANGRY IDEOLOGUES: The problem with past liberal talk show hosts (such as Mario Cuomo who could have put coffee to sleep) was that they were pompous and/or wonkish and/or boring and/or unlikeable when you hear them, or combinations of all of these. Air America has put together mostly entertainers who are going to focus on comedy, except for Robert Kennedy Jr (whose show may be unintentionally funny). The hosts which will include Janeane Garofalo. If the country is indeed about evenly divided on party preference the hosts could coat anti-Bush anger (including their own) and get away with it.
---On the other hand, is there MARKET DEMAND for it except among anti-Bush wealthy bankrolling top Democrats? Can this new operation get ratings? Will angry Democrats tune to these shows as much as angry Republicans tune into theirs? Will swing voters be turned off or drawn in? Others point out the competition isn't just conservative radio, but middle-of-the-road programs.
---BUT it COULD get good ratings...and don't forget this:
-----They said CNN wouldn't succeed.
-----They said Fox News wouldn't succeed.
-----They said Rush Limbaugh wouldn't succeed.
-----They said Joe Gandelman wouldn't succeed.
---(Well, three out of four isn't bad...)
---If halfway-decent ratings come in, there's some buzz, Democrats and swing voters do a sampling and like it, there will at least be a countervailing voice in the United States. And even if Liberal Talk Radio bombs in the longrun, at least it'll be on during election year...and the quality of 2004's political decision...no matter which way the election goes...can only be enhanced.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:09 PM

BAD NEWS FOR MARLON BRANDO: The House of Representatives said "Fat Chance" to those who want to sue the food industry for their flab. On Wednesday the-often-fat-themselves-on-Capitol-Hill-dining-room-cooking House overwhelmingly approved legislation nicknamed the "cheeseburger bill" which blocks lawsuits blaming the food industry for making people fat. If you're fat, protest by calling your elected representive on your cellulite phone.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:02 PM

Telegraph | News | Scientists find a way to beat the menopause

Husband to wife: "Hey, honey, did you see the news that just broke on the Internet? Scientists have found a way to beat menopause!" Wife to husband:"MENOPAUSE? MEN-O-PAUSE??? WHAT DOES MENOPAUSE HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? ARE YOU SAYING YOU THINK I'M ACTING CRABBY DUE TO MENOPAUSE? WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME THAT WAY -- IS THERE A PROBLEM HERE? YOU JUST DON'T GET IT DO YOU? I'M SICK OF YOUR PATRONIZING REMARKS!!"
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:18 PM

THE REAL BUSH?: Todd Kennedy has posted an article by Yoshi Tsurumi (Professor of International Business, Baruch College, the City University of New York ) who had George Bush as a student. What Tsurumi remembers will hearten conservative Republicans and alarm liberal Democrats....and be food for thought for the rest of us who veer in either direction. The best way to read it is to scroll right down to his comments on Bush and leave the rest (which expresses an opinion) for after. Has President George Bush changed? Or is this the real agenda? Some will hope it is; some will fear it is.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:47 PM

KERRY CALLS REPUBLICAN FOES "CROOKED" LIARS: The gloves were off already...so now I guess the SKIN is off....
---Democratic White House candidate John Kerry blasted his Republican critics as "crooked..lying" bunch and met former rival Howard Dean to discuss working together to beat President Bush in the 2004 presidential election campaign.
---It was fitting that Kerry was meeting with Dean: his verbal cannonfire at what his spokesman later explained was "the Republican attack machine" and not at Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney resembled a kind of political primal scream. Not a humiliating one like Dean's; it's unlikely to bite Kerry on the you-know-what. But when the mikes picked him up saying " these guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group I've ever seen" Kerry was merely articulating what many Democrats from all parts of the party believe.
---So he even if it wasn't a planned comment, it's not going to hurt him with his core support. And the Democratic campaign is marked by such unity that it almost borders on boredom these days...unless, of course, Bush is under attack. It's hard to imagine Democrats who insist the real issue is "Beat Bush" will get their noses out of joint because Kerry used verbal slash and burn.
---So where will it matter?
-----SWING VOTERS: He could have a problem using this kind of language. Swing voters don't like name calling. The problem here, though, is that with problems in the economy voters who may vote on pocketbook issues are unlikely to vote against someone because they aren't as polite as Barney. Remember Harry Truman? Some swing voters may actually LIKE no-holds-barred talk and it could offset Bush's oft-mentioned quality of speaking his mind bluntly on some issues.
-----REPUBLICAN VOTERS: It's unlikely they'll vote for Kerry anyway. Polls show the electorate about evenly divided on party affiliation with swing voters the determining factor.
---If Kerry backtracks on his comment, he may confirm the Bush campaign's advertising blitz which paints him as Mr. Flip Flop. My bet (and I am not as perfect as Larry Sabato) is he'll stick with his guns. It fits in with his tough rhetoric that seemingly compensates for the days when Howard Dean skewered his opponents for not standing up to the GOP and the White House.
---In a few months, "crooked, lying group" may be one of the kinder adjectives one camp has said about the other...or the electorate will say about both camps...
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 4:25 PM

HERE COMES LIBERAL TALK RADIO: Air America Radio has announced it's lineup that'll be launched March 31, and its debut stations will include stations in the electoral-vote-rich states of California, New York and Illinois. The funniest title for a show is for Bill O'Reilly nemisis Al Franken's. The comedian who was taken to court by Fox to halt distribution of his book (at the urging of O'Reilly; Fox lost the case) has titled his show "The O'Franken Factor" and it'll air from 12 noon to 3 pm Monday through Friday....competing opposite conservative talk show host Sean Hannity.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 1:04 PM

IF BOTH CANDIDATES FLIP FLOP WILL IT WORK PAINTING THE OTHER AS A FLIP FLOPPER? Both Democrats and Republicans will hate to hear it but: both of your guys have embraced and shed positions as quickly as a reptile sheds skin. So when Dick Morris, the former Clinton bud and now Clinton foe, urges President George Bush to launch a massive advertising campaign to paint John Kerry as a flip flopper so "he can put this race away by the end of the spring" there is a danger in this.
--- If the Kerry folks respond equally hard with Bush's various changes in positions since he emerged to run for President in early 2000 it could prove a double edge sword. The question is whether the Democrats have the $$$$ to counter Republican flip-flop ads (and the brains). Remember the target audience is the coveted swing voter not the True Believers in either party. I love Dick Morris' writings but he doesn't have a perfect record and anyone looking for a candidate who has held firm on policy positions in this this election will have to keep looking (uh, oh...I see Ralph Nader running out the door..).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:05 AM

JOHN McCAIN WOULD ACCEPT A KERRY VICE PRESIDENTIAL OFFER: But the Arizona Republican Senator, a friend of Kerry's, said he doesn't think the call will come. ""It's impossible to imagine the Democratic Party seeking a pro-life, free-trading, non-protectionist, deficit hawk," he told ABC's "Good Morning America" while talking about illegal steroid use. "They'd have to be taking some steroids, I think, in order to let that happen."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:41 AM

The prestigious U.S Council on Foreign Relations has a message for Washington: no matter what's going on with American elections, stay the course in Iraq. It contends the U.S. must have the patience to get the country completely through its transition into democracy, because the alternative is worse.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:29 AM

M*A*S*H REVISITED: Oxblog's David Adesnik decided to revisit CBS' classic comedy by watching episodes on DVD and offers a detailed, fascinating new glimpse and analysis of the landmark series. After seeing the first six he concludes "it's not hard to figure out why everyone says that the series is simplistic, self-righteous and far more political than the film."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:20 AM

IS ALL YOUR TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH? Then you need to visit The Museum of Bad Art.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:28 AM

RENTING OUT THE LINCOLN BEDROOM AND CAMP DAVID: Remember all the rightful fuss Republicans made when it came out that President Bill Clinton had been giving donating "friends" overnights at the Lincoln Bedroom and other White House facilities?
---According to the Associated Press, 9 of President George Bush's biggest political donors were among the dozens of guests allowed overnights at the White House -- which included overnights at the Lincoln bedroom, and Camp David.
---Clinton lamely insisted there was nothing wrong about it and this issue became a monster issue on anti-Clinton talk radio shows, cable television, shows, and in newspaper columns. Selling the Lincoln Bedroom had become symbolic of political influence peddling, and for years the Lincoln bedroom affair was for years used by by Republicans in campaigns and on television as a code word Democratic corruption. As a result of this, the Bush White House has kept records on exactly who slept over (you can see them by going to the link).
---One argument now being made by several who stayed over is that they're friends of GWB and have known him for years and, yes, they raise lots of money for him but their friendship has been a long one. So there. Issue settled...
---But why the Lincoln bedroom? Why Camp David? Is this an incentive plan given to friends who just happen to be fundraisers and others who just happen to raise money for the White House? And will talk radio raise this issue, since the issue during the Clinton years -- talk radio hosts insisted -- was not that Democrats were doing it, but sacred American turf was being basically rented out to gain or solidify political support? (The chance of talk radio raising this issue now is as great as Janet Jackson being hired to perform at NFL games across the country).
---To the Democrats: don't squawk too loud; you did it, too and defended it. But there are questions involving hypocrisy. To the GOP: you might discreetly remove that line about the Lincoln bedroom under Clinton from your talking points because even if one guest who contributed stayed over in the Lincoln bedroom it now becomes the pot calling the pot a pot.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:56 AM

CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING: Why bother with conventions? This campaign is in full swing already:
1. FUNDING: President George Bush has a slight funding advantage over John Kerry: $100 million to zero. So, the Washington Post reports, Democratic Party interest groups coalition led by Democratic congressional and presidential campaign pros and "armed with millions of dollars in soft money, is rapidly constructing an unprecedented political operation designed to supplement the activities of Sen. John F. Kerry's campaign in the effort to defeat President Bush." This will involve a $5 million advertising campaign in 17 states and, behind the scenes, setting up the equivalent of a total presidential campaign without a formal candidate. The GOP is challenging use of this loophole through various channels and if it's upheld it'll set up similar Republican groups to counter the Democrats efforts (which are to counter the GOP's whopping funding advantage).
2. NEAR DEFECTION BY GAY LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS WHICH SUPPORTED BUSH: It's seen in the group's plans to air TV ads in 7 states attacking the administration for trying to ban gay marriage via a constitutional amendment. The ads will use video of Vice President Dick Cheney's 2000 campaign statement saying marriage should be left to the states and likens the controversy to the 1960s civil right movement. The White House remained diplomatic about these ads while religious conservatives slammed them -- suggesting the near defection could lead to a verbal war and total break later on.
---The Left Coaster notes:"In Karl Rove’s desire to continually appease the far-right base of the GOP, he occasionally ends up angering other parts of the pro-Bush coalition. In an election fought in the middle, where capturing not only your base but also moderates and swing voters is essential, any craven attempts at base-appeasement can backfire. Karl has managed to do this once again."
3. EVEN DIVISION AMONG PARTIES: According to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll the American public is evenly divided in its evaluations of its president. Forty-nine percent of Americans approve and 48% disapprove of the job George W. Bush. Significance: the nonpartisan swing voters (like me) are more important this year than ever. Whoever wins them, wins the election, unless Ralph Nader siphons away a lot of Democratic votes. Even if Nader doesn't get a lot, the divide is so even that he could have an impact even running in a few states.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:41 AM

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

AND THE WORLD IS SOMEHOW CLEANER AND HAPPIER TODAY: Abu Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian splinter group, who masterminded the 1985 hijacking of an Italian passenger ship Achille Lauro in which an elderly disabled American was murdered, died U.S. custody in Iraq.
---The cruise ship Achille Lauro was taken over by Abbas' small Palestine Liberation Front. And his militants were so amazingly courageous that they threw an American senior citizen in a wheelchair, Leon Klinghoffer, a Jewish American, overboard. Abbas was captured in Iraq and is believed to have been in military custody when he died of what American officials said was natural causes.
---I hope they bury him face down so he can see where he is going.....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:06 PM

"THE SOPRANOS'" PREMIERE WHACKS THE COMPETITION: HBO and Soprano's creator David Chase must be smiling: "The Sopranos" beat (up) the competition in its debut Sunday night, but not as totally as in the past. The Sopranos" is in only a third as many homes as the broadcast networks' shows but it easily beat them.
--- Even so, some viewers sent Tony & Company a warning that they might be rubbed out if they don't forgo what they consider to be too much touchy-feely stuff (did ithat include cutting Ralphie's head off?) in the last season and Sunday premiere and return to behaving like brutal gangsters. Many of these comments came via the New York Post website.
---Incidentally, if you're a Sopranos fan, did you spot several inside jokes and symbols?
---1. The bear wandering around in the beginning. Perfect symbol for Tony's life right now as his marriage ends.
---2. The reference to the Russian chased in the snow. That episode was directed by actor Steve Buscemi, who will play Tony Blunetto, Tony's cousin, in upcoming episodes.
---3. Christopher (Michael Imperioli) gravely hurts a back-talking waiter (who Paulie later mercy-kill shoots). Actor Michael Imperioli played a back-talking waiter who was shot by irate gangster customer Joe Pesci in "Goodfellas."
---Meanwhile, an online betting site, in true Soprano's spirit, is taking bets on who will get whacked this season. Number one: mobster Johnny Sack. Number two: mobster Little Carmine. Number three: Christopher's fiancee, Adriana, who's been singing to the feds. The last time around, the odds correctly predicted the demise of Ralphie. The longest odds are for Tony Soprano, 60-to-1. He's a survivor.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:17 PM

MEXICO'S POLITICIANS ARE "PUNKED OUT": It's almost like "Punked Out," Ashton Kutcher's hit celebrity Candid Camera-style hidden camera show on MTV.
---Except this time the celebrities are politicians. And it's shot in Mexico.
---Si, es verdad! Mexico's TV viewers have had their guilty pleasures sated several times in the past three weeks by watching delightful hidden camera footage of a politician negotiating a bribe, another shoving apparent bribe money in his pockets and another spending handfuls of cash at Las Vegas casinos.
---This shows Mexico is ahead of the United States: American politicians have to learn THIS by trial and error, not video role models.
---Two of the bigwigs video captured for posterity were were top aides to Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who cultivated a frugal and honest image to become the early front-runner in the 2006 presidential campaign.
---According to the Chicago Tribune's foreign correspondent, Mexicans find this far more entertaining than any TV reality show. Mexico City's mayor accused the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency of helping his enemies acquire the casino tape, which U.S. officials deny.
---One tape was aired on a popular morning public affairs TV show hosted by a green-haired clown named Brozo, who said he got the tape from a legislator from President Vicente Fox's National Action Party.
---FOOTNOTE: We have clowns on our newscasts here, too.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:58 PM

WOMAN TRIES TO PASS OFF A PHONEY $1 MILLION BILL AT WALMART: Alice Regina Pike tried to buy $1671.55 and pay with a fake $1 million bill. She tried to act casual and hoped no one would notice.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:36 PM

CIA DIRECTOR RAISES MORE QUESTIONS THAN HE ANSWERS ON IRAQ INTELLIGENCE: More disarray in the administration about what was said to whom -- and this post is being written (sadly) by someone who SUPPORTED rpt SUPPORTED the war in Iraq.
---The latest twist in this saga involves CIA Director George Tenet who in testimony to Congress shot down Vice President Dick Cheney's assertion that Iraq cooperated with the al-Qaida terrorist network and that the administration had proof of an illicit Iraqi biological warfare program.
---The comments were part of his Senate Armed Services bigwigs are at loggerheads over the failure to find the Weapons of Mass Destruction cited by President George Bush as a key reason for going to war against Iraq.
---In this testimony, were words put in Tenet's mouth? Maybe...but they still came out of it and will provide useful campaign fodder for the Democrats and Iraq war opponents.
---At first Tenet seemingly stayed on message, saying, no, he didn't believe the White House misrepresented intelligence provided by the CIA. He said the administration's statements were part of prewar intelligence about Saddam and his weapons. But when Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., asked questions Tenet seemingly reversed course, contending he warned administration officials that they were misstating the threat posed by Iraq.
---"I'm not going to sit here and tell you what my interaction was ... and what I did and didn't do, except that you have to have confidence to know that when I believed that somebody was misconstruing intelligence, I said something about it," Tenet said. "I don't stand up publicly and do it."
---He also told Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the committee's senior Democrat, that he had told Cheney that the vice president was wrong in saying that two truck trailers recovered in Iraq were "conclusive evidence" that Saddam had a biological weapons,
---Doesn't the CIA chief know that the first tenet of politics in Washington is to take responsibility and/or fall on your sword?
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:35 PM

HEY, KIDS ALCOHOL WEBSITES ARE LOTS OF FUN (they're well designed and LUSH): They didn't keep their promises. A new study says alcohol company Web sites offer a "cyber playground" for underage youths even though the companies promised to limit their access.
---According to The study by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University, some 700,000 underage people visited alcohol company Web sites from July through December. Many played video games and downloaded music, e-mail gadgets and icons. But the distilled Distilled Spirits Council in Washington can't understand what all the whining is about. A spokesman labeled criticism a publicity stunt aimed at raising funds -- and said the Federal Trade Commission had reviewed the ads, proclaimed the ads were aimed at adults and that website content was adult-directed with 99.9 percent of them requiring age verification. The two most popular sites with underage users: : were both affiliated with St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.: www.budlight.com and www.budweiser.com. Both received more than 90,000 estimated visits during the six-month study period.
---One idea: parents should keep their kids from spending too much time on alcohol websites; they should stagger the hours.....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 4:55 PM

HE'S NEVER SATISFIED DEPARTMENT: Commenting on the Janet Jackson Superbowl halftime show breast reveal incident, Viacom's Chairman Sumner Redsone told a magazine ..."to me a woman's breast is not such a big deal." "But show me her toes, her butt and the rest of her...and that makes me SMILE!!!"
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:12 AM

HOWARD STERN WATCH CONTINUES: The one-time enthusiastic Bush supporter today said the FCC is going to lay low until after the election to shut him down. Why the delay? Stern says it's because they don't want to lose votes by making him into a martyr. The result: Stern is going to actively work and talk on his show against President George Bush. A prime target area for Stern: Florida (he promises to target specific politicos down there). Presumably GWB's election team is really sure that their base is secure. Otherwise losing the gay voters who went along with them (on the gay marriage issue) and Stern (a high profile broadcaster who supported them who has a large youthful audience of fanatical loyal fans) wouldn't make sense. The bottom line is: Stern was supporting the White House, now he isn't and even if his case never comes up he'll be working against them on and off the airwaves.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:11 AM

SALAD CAN MAKE YOU FAT AT McDONALD'S:Reuters reports the fast food giant's "latest line in healthy looking salads may contain more fat than its hamburgers, according to the company's Web Site." Reuters says a check of the company's Interactive Nutrition Counter on the McDonald's Web site shows that on the new menu to be launched at the end of this month, a Caesar salad with Chicken Premiere contains 18.4 grams of fat compared with 11.5 grams of fat in a standard cheeseburger. Not all salads offered at McDonald's are bloat bombs, but maybe McDonald's revolutionary creation -- a salad fattier than a cheeseburger -- will catch on.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:41 AM

SNIPER JOHN ALLEN MUHAMMAD GETS DEATH: "A Virginia judge Tuesday sentenced John Allen Muhammad to death for killing Dean Harold Meyers -- one of 10 people shot to death during the October 2002 sniper shootings." There are some high profile cases where the verdict reflects a miscarriage of justice. This is NOT one of them. Muhammad and his accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo, 19, launched a merciless murder spree that raised fears that it was related to organized terrorism. But it turned out to be the work of a troubled middle-aged thug and a teen thug. Malvo was convicted in a separate trial of another sniper shooting. A jury sentenced Malvo to life without parole. His formal sentencing is set for Wednesday. "FIN."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:23 AM

US presidential race takes nasty tone
A MEDLEY OF JOHN KERRY/GEORGE BUSH CAMPAIGN INSULTS: As a campaign launched hideously early reaches a fever's pitch already, they're both insisting on dissing each other. (Fastern your seat belts for a loooooooong 8 months). For instance:
--BUSH:"My opponent clearly has strong beliefs -- they just don't last very long."
--BUSH: "Once again, Senator Kerry is trying to have it both ways. He's for good intelligence, yet he was willing to gut the intelligence services. And that is no way to lead a nation in a time of war."
--KERRY: (Responding to Veep Dick Cheney saying he's indecisive and that "indecision kills.") "Let me tell you something Mr. Cheney and let me tell you Mr. Bush: Bad rush decisions kill too..And not giving American citizens health care kills too. Going backwards on clean air and clean water kills too. And not doing anything about AIDS in Africa for three and a half years ... kills people too."
--KERRY: "I want to know why this president has the time to go to a rodeo but doesn't have more than one hour to spend before the (bipartisan) commission (investigating 911)."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:11 AM

Support for Bush Falls On Economy and Iraq (washingtonpost.com)

MORE BAD POLL NEWS FOR PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: Look at the details of this Washington Post-ABC News poll linked above and it isn't pretty. Bush's grades from the public on his performance on the economy (39 percent support him) and Iraq (46 percent support) are his worst yet. And the deficit issue is emerging (30 percent support). But the White House faces an even bigger challenge in this:"A majority of Americans -- 57 percent -- say they want their next president to steer the country away from the course set by Bush, according to the survey."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:18 AM

HOW NEWS TRAVELS ON THE INTERNET: Inspired by the Wired article Warning: Blogs Can Be Infectious (we had a short posting on that), Stephen VanDyke has come up with Visual Analysis of Website Interaction. The interlinked, mega-paced speed of news has also become a new political factor as Kos points out and he points to his post on the flip-flop issue, where a charge by one party can be instantly answered by a blog, picked up by literally hundreds of others, then picked up by the mainstream media because the news cycle is now for all intents and purposes non-ending. It throws a monkey wrench into how political parties traditionally campaign.
---Indeed, when I went to Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism it was a whole different journalistic world. Over the past 30 years we've seen:
---1. The rise of cable news via CNN countering the networks as the news source for broadcast news.
---2. The rise of Fox news to counter CNN, perceived as biased by conservatives, as a alternative news source.
---3. Closing and consolidation of many newspapers, especially afternoon newspapers that could not compete with changing habits and the dominance of television news which made newspapers outdated by the time readers got them in the afternoon. Budget cutbacks at some big newspaper chains, in some instances impacting journalistic product.
---4. The rise of the web blogs. Only a short time ago this would seem like an absolutely irrelevant factor and one only a self-important computer geek would dare to list. But no longer. There is now is a spillover by the daily media picking up some of the factors, issues, scandals (and alleged scandals) that rage over the internet due to their origin in blogs. A weblog can present original connect-the-dots research, verbalize an opinion which then mutates, or give prominence to or break a news story (even by like Drudge reporting on what a staff reporter is about to have published). Meanwhile, both parties try to cultivate strong links to web logs to assist them in keeping their points out there. The once-derided tabloids and blogs now influence mainstream media coverage.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:46 AM

ARE YOU A LIBERTARIAN AT HEART? To find out, take the Libertarian Purity Test.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:17 AM

NewsMax.com: Liners Archive

LATE NIGHT COMEDIANS' NIRVANA: Late night comedians had their dream come true last week due to the heating up of the Presidential race and the Marth Stewart guilty verdict. There are several sites that post collections of the jokes making the late nite rounds, such as News Max (linked above). Here are a few of our favorite ones recently used regaring Matha and the Presidential race:

--Martha was convicted today on four counts - conspiracy, two counts of making false statements and one count of making a lemon tart that wasn't zesty enough. (Leno)

--John Kerry has promised to take the country back from the wealthy. And who better than a guy worth $700 million to take the country back from the wealthy? (Leno)

--After all the voting on Tuesday President Bush called John Kerry to
congratulate him. I'm not sure what they talked about, but we can rule out them swapping war stories. (Leno)

--After failing to win a single state on Tuesday, John Edwards described his campaign as "the little engine that could." Afterward Bush called him and said, "You're not going to believe this, but I'm reading that book right now." (Leno)

--Do you realize the Bush administration has now produced more gay marriages than jobs? (Leno)

--The jury is deliberating in the Martha Stewart trial. Today they asked the judge for Martha's phone log and a recipe for spring squash. (Letterman)

--The campaign is now in full swing. Republicans are running round-the-clock commercials for President Bush. Isn't that called Fox News? (Kilborn)

Despite his big win yesterday, Kerry will not brag. You can understand that - the last thing Kerry wants is to be known as a guy with a big head. (Leno)
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:11 AM

Monday, March 08, 2004

THE ENIGMA OF FLORIDA: No, we're not referring to the fact that it's the only state in the Union where you're more likely to get run over by a walker. Or that there is more blue hair per capita than on all of the BBC/PBS comedy shows combined.
---We're referring to John Kerry's warning that he is fully prepared for any controversy over Florida this time. (And we'll forgo the required journalistic recap here; if you don't know what happened in 2000 by now then go back to listening to your Kathy Lee Gifford CD).
---This time, Kerry said, "Not only do we want a record level of turnout to vote, we want to guarantee that every vote is counted...We're going to pre-check it, we're going to have the legal team in place. ... We're going to take injunctions where necessary ahead of time. We'll pre-challenge if necessary."
---Kerry also used the occasion to link up bitter Democratic memories of the controversy over the Florida vote with the White House's alleged strategy of polarizing the electorate to chip off parts of the Democratic coalition and win.
---"Remember, George Bush ran as the great uniter, and he's become the great divider," Kerry declared."You'd think that somebody, remembering what happened here in this great state, who was finally put in office by the Supreme Court of the United States, would actually recognize the divisions in this country and try to reach out."
---That is an interesting tactic since it welds simmering Democratic resentments over 2000 with emerging Democratic anger over a belief that the GOP wants to run the race on emotional issues versus existing and future government policies. Florida may be an even more brutal battleground this year due to still-disputed history and still-festering emotions...on both sides.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:27 PM

THE MODERATE VOICE'S BLOG OF THE DAY: The last web log that we loved and told you about was A Little More To the Right. So, as The Moderate Voice promises (we keep our promises ad naseum) today we're looking at a blog on the left...in fact, you could call it a Super-Blog or Road Map to the blogosphere's left.
---The Lefty Directory is precisely that: a blog that's a resource for weblog opinion on the left...some 500 on their blog roll right now... and going up every day.
---"49 new blogs are added with today's update. That averages out to more than one new submission per day here at the LD," Brian Linse writes. "I never imagined the Directory would grow so large, and I still get new submissions almost every day. I've been passing on listing some that are not really blogs, and once in a while pass due to content, but it is nice to know that people are still using this as a resource for finding new blogs, and I'll continue to do my best to keep it up to date."
---Indeed, you'll even find tidbits such as Gary Hart's blog. Submissions are listed in chronological order. The monster list is truly breathtaking and postings stick to the issue of the blogroll plus some news about the weblogs.
---In short, the Lefty Directory is an incredible resource for anyone interested in information about thinking on the Left, exhaustively and painstaking organized, easy to navigate and a real service to the Internet...which is why The Moderate Voice is proud to name it our Blog of the Day.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:48 PM

THEY BOTH WEAR SANDALS: THE FLIP-FLOPPING OF BOTH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES 2004: Oh, hideous woeful day! When I talk to a partisan Democrat they talk about George Bush's flip flops. When I talk to a partisan Republican they talk about John Kerry's flip flops. And do you know something? It turns out BOTH are right....because both candidates have flip flopped and waffled so much they could run for CEO of the International House of Pancakes.
---How can The Moderate Voice dare say that. Well, if you click on these two links you can see for yourself. NOTE: Democrats, you have your ammunition about George Bush here. Republicans, you have your ammunition about John Kerry here. Just make sure you don't use any of the ammunition about your own candidate or find a way to explain it (you always do) or say the other guy is worse.
---JOHN KERRY FLIP FLOPS click on this.
---GEORGE BUSH FLIP FLOPS click on this.
---Enjoy(it's better than a plate of The Moderate Voice's homemade authentic Jewish chicken soup..)!!!!!!!
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:32 PM

The Atlantic | March 2003 | Caring for Your Introvert | Rauch

NOT FOR HILLARY CLINTON: The Atlantic Monthly has an article called "Caring for Your Introvert," written a real, self-proclaimed introvert. But I don't think the title will sell that many copies. So they need to change the slant and get a new writer so they can do one called "Caring for Your Pervert." (I will not do a joke about fill-in-the-blank-with-whoever-you-want here...)
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:25 PM

A DEMOCRAT 911 WIDOW DEFENDS BUSH 911 ADS: Debra Burlingame argues in the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal: "The attacks happened to us all" and lambasts the critics of President George Bush's campaign ads using images from 911 for being politically linked and politically motivated. This commentary carries a LOT more weight since she is a life-long Democrat, and sister of Charles F. "Chic" Burlingame, III, captain of American Airlines flight 77, which was crashed at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
---In part she writes:"It is one thing for individual family members to invoke the memory of all 3,000 victims as they take to the microphone or podium to show respect for our collective loss. It is another for them to attempt to stifle the debate over the future direction of our country by declaring that the images of 9/11 should be off-limits in the presidential race, and to do so under the rubric of "The Families of Sept. 11." They do not represent me. Nor do they represent those Americans who feel that Sept. 11 was a defining moment in the history of our country and who want to know how the current or future occupant of the Oval office."
---And further on:"Whatever these 9/11 families may think of the president's foreign policy or the war in Iraq, I ask them to reconsider the language and tone of their statements. We should not tolerate or condone remarks such as those of the 9/11 relative who, so offended by the campaign ads, said that he 'would vote for Saddam Hussein before I would vote for Bush.' The insult was picked up and posted on Al-Jazeera's Web site. In view of the sacrifice our troops have made on our behalf, this insensitivity to them and their families suggests a level of self-indulgence and ingratitude that shocks the conscience. "
---911's images, she writes "belong to us all--including this president. Let the candidates make their own choices. I trust the American people."
---She has a point: Bush has a RIGHT to point to his leadership on that day. And critics will have a RIGHT to protest if there's a suggestion that Democrats, or Green Party members, or any politicians weren't part of unprecedented unity that prevailed in our country for a brief moment...when politicos of all parties only thought of what was good for the nation. Similarly, questions from Republicans and Democrats about bungles before 911 -- so the bungles can be fixed -- don't represent attacks but a vital way to shore up our defenses. The press blew the story about 911 families attacking the ads by not establishing early on the on-the-record political stances of the politically-tainted sources quoted in the stories. But 911 did belong to ALL OF US...all parties...and no one fought the White House on getting bin Laden or most of the extraordinary measures passed immediately in the carnage's aftermath.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 4:39 PM

USATODAY.com - Kerry ahead of Bush in poll

NEW POLL SHOWS KERRY AHEAD EVEN WITH NADER ---RUNNING: A new USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll shows John Kerry with an point lead with likely voters and Ralph Nader only getting 2 percent (Attention Karl Rove: Time to send money to Ralph..). The newspaper noted that these new results come after Kerry "effectively clinched the Democratic nomination on Tuesday and Bush followed with three speeches criticizing Kerry's record in the Senate and charging that the country would be less safe under his leadership."
---It also notes:"Kerry beats or ties Bush when the poll asks who would better handle such domestic concerns as the economy, health care, education and Social Security. Bush leads on foreign affairs and national security. That's bad news for Bush: Two in three say economic conditions will be more influential than the war on terror when they vote."
---WHAT WILL LIKELY HAPPEN: Bush will probably wind up taking former Clinton advisor and now Clinton enemy Dick Morris' advice and "escalate" the awareness on terrorism, stress that we're still at war, and try to veer the race towards national security and terrorism concerns. I just talked to four people out here in California who are reeling from the economy plus someone in the midwest who learned about funding cuts for a major source of income. Some people will still vote their party line because value issues are the most important issues to them; but others could defect since you can't eat roast values.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 3:00 PM

FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Insisting He's President, Aristide Calls for 'Peaceful Resistance' to Rebels

ARISTIDE REFUSES TO GIVE UP (Reader's request for more Haiti news):He's not going quietly: Jean-Bertrand Aristide appeared in public for the first time in exile Monday and basically repudiated the account of his leaving office given by Washington and some members of the security force that guarded him. He defiantly called on supporters to wage a peaceful resistance against rebels he derided as "drug dealers" and "terrorists." He also went after the United States, repeating allegations denied by Washington bigwigs that America helped shove him out by force.
---""I am the democratically elected president and I remain so. I plead for the restoration of democracy," he told reporters. "We appeal for a peaceful resistance." State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said :"If Mr. Aristide really wants to serve his country, he really has to, we think, let his nation get on with the future and not try to stir up the past again."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:45 PM

MSNBC - Spalding Gray found dead

SAD NOTE: Actor-writer Spalding Gray's body has been pulled from the East River in New York. He had been missing for two months.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 1:15 PM

JANE GOODALL REACHES MORE YOUNG PEOPLE THAN EVER STARTING TONIGHT: Primatologist Jane Goodall will be on one of kids' and animal lovers' favorite cable channels tonight: Animal Planet. And her show is going to get her message, and the urgency and poignancy of her work, across to new generations.
---The show at 8 pm PST is Return to Gombe, which USA TODAY describes as "a look at her conservation efforts amid a visit to the chimps that made her famous."
---Goodall has signed a deal with the Discovery Channel, which runs Animal Planet. Animal Plant will run another special featuring her in June. Smart move...
---The London-born Goodall first visited Tanzania's Gombe National Park in 1960 with six months' funding to study chimps. Her groundbreaking chimpanzee study was revolutionary and changed a slew of assumptions. And although Return to Gombe focuses on the chimps, her history with Gombe, and what she (and viewers) see when she returns, Goodall has evolved into more than a top primatologist: she is now one of the world's most respected and dedicated environmentalists through her work at the Jane Goodall Institute.
---Indeed, her cable programs and the recent critically acclaimed IMAX film are not mere travelogues. "The Animal Planet show and another in June will introduce millions to the fascinating story of Jane Goodall and to the desperate plight of great apes today," the Institute's website says.
---Those millions will include many young people, who adore and trust Animal Planet. It's the perfect forum to get a worthy message across to people who will one day have the power to make the difference....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:17 PM

WHAT WOULD MICHAEL JACKSON LOOK LIKE IF HE DIDN'T HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY? Click here.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:19 AM

HOWARD STERN'S LATEST PREDICTION: According to Doc Sarl's Weblog, he's telling listeners that "he has sources inside the FCC ("about three of them"), and that the FCC is holding off fining his show (for "notices of apparent liability") until the opportune political moment for the Bush administration....(And also that) Chairman Powell is afraid he'll give the election to Kerry if he lays down fines on Howard (and others)."
---Certainly would make sense: Stern has a LOT of listeners, some of whom don't like his schtick but think he's creative in what he does. Plus, as we've seen by postings here, there are conservatives who also feel more is at issue than just Stern's show. Clear Channel basically fired Howard Stern but he's still broadcasting on other stations. The question now is, apart from allegedly impending FCC mega-fines, will other corporate radio giants airing his show also dump him to avoid any future problems?
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:06 AM

MSNBC - Iraqi politicians sign interim constitution

FIRST BIG STEP HAS BEEN TAKEN: Perhaps it isn't perfect. Perhaps it doesn't have 100 percent total support of all elements. But when the 25 members of Iraq's Governing Council unanimously approved and signed Iraq's interim constitution it inched the country further away from transition. Yes, Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali alHusseini al-Sistani, didn't like the wording and made it clear he wouldn't support it until Iraqis elect their leaders. The Grand Ayatollah expressed his view in a fatwa, or religious ruling. But as AP notes: " The interim constitution is a key part of U.S. plans to hand power to the Iraqis on June 30, and the charter will remain in force until a permanent constitution is approved in a referendum planned for late 2005." A definite, unquestionable step towards the Iraqis running their own show.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:31 AM

COULD THE 911 ADS BEEN BETTER HANDLED? Yes, GOP political insiders are saying, according to an item in Newsweek's upcoming magazine.
---The magazine says "privately, some GOP strategists were disturbed by the backlash (to the 911 ads) and suggested the ad team had misjudged how the imagery would play. 'It's quite shocking to a number of Republicans to watch them stumble out of the block like this,' said one veteran GOP consultant, who added that the big question in GOP circles is "Do they [the Bush-Cheney campaign] know how to spend" their huge budget?
---Another sticking point, Newsweek says, is the use of paid actors, including two playing firefighters.
---One certainty: there are ways to do things and prepare the groundwork. It truly doesn't seem as if the homework was done in advance for these ads and the GOP team was caught off guard by the reaction. Similarly, the White House's stance that Bush will only allot one hour to the independent 911 commission's lawyers has reportedly "miffed" some GOP members of that panel...but Newsweek says that stance may melt away:"In what appears to be an attempt to defuse some of the controversy, NEWSWEEK has learned, White House officials have privately signaled to the commission that Bush will not rigidly stick to the one-hour time limit. When time is up, Bush won't walk out if there are still more questions, an aide said."
---Todd Kennedy notes a big disconnect between what Bush's handlers are trying to convey in the ads and what they're doing via their conduct:"They want to remind the electorate of 9/11, but stall the commission and present the Democrats the opportunity to remind the voters that Bush hasn't funded Fire Fighters and Police Departments."
---QUESTION FROM THE MODERATE VOICE: If you're a political pro shouldn't you do your homework to prepare, anticipate or defuse negative reaction -- rather than waiting for it to happen? And rather than resist seeing the inquiry, getting bad press and wrecking your credibility, wouldn't it have been easier to simply give them more time in the first place? It truly seems like this legendary campaign operation has legendary bad aim....repeatedly shooting itself in the foot....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:50 AM

Sunday, March 07, 2004

JOHN KERRY IS A POET AND WE DON'T KNOW IT: Yesssssss! He recited poetry to Maureen Dowd, making her eyelids flutter. We weren't there but we guess this could be some of what he recited:
---Roses are red
---Violets are blue
---I voted for the war
---and against it too..
---------
---I give speeches at a bar mitzvah
---I give speeches at a church
---I think I look like Lincoln
---They think I look like Lurch...
---------
---Red red
---Wet your bed
---That's why we need better health care in this country...

(This post was inspired by mention of Senator Kerry's incredible poetic talents by Greg Piper and Sisphyus Shrugged. GRACIAS! In the interest of EQUAL TIME we will present BUSH POETRY at a later date...be forewarned!!!)
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:46 PM

Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball

POLITICAL EXPERT LARRY SABATO PREDICTS ONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE AND DIRTIEST CAMPAIGNS IN HISTORY: Hold onto your hats and hide the children because what's coming up will be more unseemly than Janet Jackson revealing her You-Know-What during the Superbowl Halftime show (I will avoid a joke about two boobs running for President here).
---That's basically the warning from University of Virigina Political Scientist Larry Sabato, who flatly predicts the 2004 Presidential election campaign will be "the dirtiest, filthiest presidential campaign in modern American history."
---The Moderate Voice loves getting Sabato's Crystal Ball newsletter F-R-E-E via email, and shares it with readers who haven't been wise enough to subscribe for themselves (you can do it at the link above). Sabato is among the most often-quoted political experts -- and for a good reason: because he knows his stuff and knows how to say it clearly. And in this latest edition of the Crystal Ball (The Moderate Voice is late in getting it on the site this time) he warns us to expect a highly polarized, unrelenting election campaign and notes some trends. In a nutshell (read the link or subscribe if you want it all)
---1. JOHN EDWARDS WAS SMART: "John Edwards has chosen the wise course of action: withdrawal of his bid as of March. Thus, Edwards has avoided a most unpleasant fate: campaigning himself out of any chance to be on the ticket and into the evening monologues of the late-night comics........."
---2. THE DEMOCRATS ARE DETERMINED: "Democrats have seemed amazingly and unprecedentedly eager in 2004 to wrap up the nomination phase quickly--with minimal wounds--so that they could get on with the main task of defeating the Republican President they hate more than any since Richard Nixon. "Give us a nominee, any respectable nominee," cried the Democratic activists--and their fervent prayer has been answered in this Lenten season."
---Meanwhile, Sabato spots THREE TRENDS:
--GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD: "This will be an unending, continuous, grinding battle all the way to November 2. The stakes could hardly be higher, the issues could hardly be bigger, and the two major parties could hardly be more polarized."
--FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES: Sabato feels it's "ridiculous" when the press and "good government groups" act as if candidates comparing voting records is wrong.This will be one of the filthiest campaigns ever, he believes, and warns:
---"Just wait until you see what both campaigns have in store for us. Kerry knows he'll be given a pass by the media and his party faithful for anything he says and does on the road to defeating Bush, who has become the news media's least popular chief executive since Nixon. Not only are most top reporters and editors ideologically at odds with Bush on just about everything, but they deeply resent what they regard as his administration's secrecy, his shockingly infrequent press conferences, and his (and the secrecy-obsessed Dick Cheney's) frustrating evasions. Meanwhile, Bush realizes that the big media (the non-cable commercial networks and the big papers such as The New York Times) will mainly be lapdogs for the Democrats this year, much like 1992, once Clinton finally became the Democratic nominee. So if he is to avoid his father's fate and get his message out, Bush must be tough and unrelenting despite the predictable media cluck-clucking about the 'harshness' of the Bush campaign. To our ears, Kerry has been pretty harsh, too, but somehow, few in the press have mentioned it."
--DELIVER US FROM EVIL: Sabato suggests he doesn't think Bush is going to bounce back all that much in the polls. "Dubya has been tracing the downward trajectory of his father, in large part because--once again--all the predictions of the in-house White House economists have been inaccurate (or two years late and counting). Unless matters turn around quickly, Bush may have little choice but to demonize Kerry--not with personal foibles but with the most legitimate weapon of all, Kerry's own U.S. Senate voting record." Sabato notes that Kerry was indeed ranked the MOST LIBERAL U.S. Senator...and voters will hear about it.
---But, he adds: that "if Americans want to toss out the incumbent President, they'll do so even if it means a sharp turn ideologically. Just ask Jimmy Carter, who couldn't imagine himself losing to a right-wing, 69-year-old, washed-up, actor-turned-governor in 1980."
--- According to Sabato, if you look at history it's unlikely 2004 will be another squeaker election, but there ARE historical precedents for two presidential squeakers in a row.
---And on the Veep Sweeps? Sabato gazes into his political crystal ball and says to keep an close eye on Indiana U.S. Senator and two-term Governor Evan Bayh. Why? Sabato gives a slew of reasons (go to link) but the most basic are (a)he has executive experience Kerry lacks, (b)Kerry-Edwards chemistry isn't terrific and there could be competition between the two on the stump, (c)Edwards doesn't bring any complimentary strength on the issues of national security and the economy and may be too liberal to help carry many Southern States, (d)Bayh is one of only two or three Democrats in the country who could "turn a Bush Red state into a Democratic Blue State" -- the state of Ohio, a "MUST carry" for Kerry. (e)Bayh is rated a MODERATE.
---Finally, Sabato looks into the crystal ball, takes a deep breath and makes a risky prediction (but his track record is good):
---"It's early, and with a shrewd choice such as Bayh, Kerry could define himself as more moderate than his voting record really deserves. A Bayh pick? And very early--during March or April? Daring! And necessary for a challenger who has to roll the dice to oust an incumbent, whatever the early polls say about his chances."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 5:36 PM

HAITI AGAIN (A reader's request for more posts on Haiti): The liberal site Buzzflash report says a non-government delegation from the United States that arrived in the Central African Republic to meet with overthrown Haitian President Jean Bertrand-Aristide wasn't allowed to get in to see him. The delegation included people with ties to Aristide's lawyer and former Attorney General Ramsey Clark. When they called the cell phone used by Aristide's wife, Mildred, she answered, they said hello and the phone went dead. (This is still open to interpretation, though. It could be spun or explained several ways).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 3:29 PM

MARY MARY QUITE CONTRARY: You wouldn't want to be Veep Dick Cheney's daughter Mary Cheney right now. She's a senior official in the Bush-Cheney campaign. And because she's gay she's coming under a heap of pressure -- and fire -- from gay activists outraged over President George Bush calling for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. She's under fire on websites, being begged to intervene on other websites, letters are being delivered to her, she's being beseeched and besmirched. White House spokesman Scott McClellan declares: "I call upon all sides in the debate to conduct themselves with dignity and honor and respect. But this is a debate that the nation must have."
---"MUST" have??? Even with the action of the judges, the mass marry-ins, the decision by the left to publicly push the envelope, the decision by the Religious Right to push the envelope back until its seams break, and general polarization on this issue the MAIN REASON it's on the nation's political burner right now is because it is election year...and both sides in this culture war know it. The issue has been pushed and polarized with leaving little room for the middle. Both sides could have handled it with a little less drama and confrontation.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 3:13 PM

VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY KILLS(the Gridiron audience with his jokes, that is): Vice President Dick Cheney got big yucks from his appearance at the traditional Gridiron roast in Washington. These days everyone's a standup comedian (if you don't believe me just read the White House's latest pronouncements on job creation). Here are some excerpts (for a larger portion go to the link above which also includes some of his serious remarks) that were especially funny:
---"Thank you, President [Al] Hunt, members of the Gridiron . . . at one point during your skits, I had a little scare. I felt a tightness in my chest. I started gasping for air and breathing irregularly. Then I realized it's called laughing. . . .Lots of familiar faces here tonight. I always feel a genuine bond whenever I see Senator Clinton. She's the only person who's the center of more conspiracy theories than I am.'
----
---"Here's an unsigned question. 'Mr. Vice President, don't you think it's time to step down and let someone else add new energy and vitality to the ticket?'
"No . . . I don't. And Rudy [Guiliani], you need to do a better job disguising your handwriting.
"Oh . . . and Rudy has a follow up. 'How can you be so sure you'll be on the ticket?'
"Because the CIA told me so!"
---
---"Susan Page of USA Today asks, 'What do you think of Senator John Edwards?'
I think he's cute as a button. . . "
--
---"Helen Thomas wants to know, 'How do you justify attacking innocent dictators?'
Helen, let me get back to you on that. I need to talk to Richard Perle..."
---
---"Dave Broder: How would you accurately describe
your role in this administration? Be honest." I would say that I am a dark, insidious force pushing Bush toward war and confrontation. ."
---
---"Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, it's getting late . . . and Nino [Scalia] and I have to get up early to go duck hunting . ."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:56 PM

AT&T Worldnet Service - Top News - McCain Says WMD Commission Needs Subpoena Power

SENATOR JOHN McCAIN RIDES AGAIN: Some felt the fix was in when President George Bush appointed his former rival for the Republican nomination to the commission created by GWB to investigate intelligence failures in the buildup to the Iraq war. But once again the Arizona Senator is showing himself to be the rarest of creatures -- a political independent, even though he belongs to a party.
---How is he showing it? By daring to suggest that the commission be given some legal teeth in the form of subpoena power which he feels would give it more "credibility." And when asked on ABC's "This Week" if he stay on the commission if the powers aren't given he (uncharacteristically) tactfully said: "I'd hate to throw down a gauntlet like that."
---He explained:"I think it needs subpoena power, and I think it needs to look at every aspect of the intelligence situation, including how intelligence was used....It's not because I don't trust the administration. There are other agencies outside government and other governments outside the United States that probably we need to have information from."
---But what it means is this: McCain has sent a signal that he'll serve if he gets answers and if there's a problem getting sufficient information the public is going to know it, campaign or no campaign.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:39 PM

SAN DIEGO'S NEW STADIUM FOR THE PADRES SHOWS A CITY CAN GET IT RIGHT: I just got back from visiting San Diego's new Petco Park, future home of the San Diego Padres. And it's heartening to see a city get it right. The previous stadium (which is still used by the Chargers) is located out in the Mission Valley area of San Diego, at one time the up and coming hotel spot. But Mission Valley lost its The Place For Tourists To Be status in recent years.
---San Diego's downtown has undergone a stark renovation since I moved to this city in 1982. Development turned a seedy downtown area into the Gaslamp District, now Party Central, filled with night life, trendy restaurants, shops and bars. Horton Plaza Mall (a Disneyland for shopping addicts) was built. Then came the luxury condos. And now the new stadium is getting ready to make its debut as the Padres' official ballpark next month (former President Jimmy Carter will reportedly throw out the first ball).
---Today I toured Petco Park with a family that INSISTED I go and get outside in the sunlight (away from my tax return prep, backlog of paperwork AND THIS BLOG) and see the stadium. And it is truly a revelation. If you get to San Diego, it's a new landmark, nestled downtown, glistening against a blue San Diego sky with its yellow-orange natural stone and stucco. Today it was open to the public to tour (you could even visit the suites which go for about $1900) for almost free (you had to contribute some cans of food to the San Diego Food Bank). It was brimming with families, marveling at the stadium's open look, beautiful landscaping, cool angles that enhance baseball viewing -- and the view from the stadium...of the city itself. One building, Western Metal Supply, is even used as a stadium wall, complete with restaurant, so the stadium blends the new with the old. Depending on where you stand, you can see the Coronado bridge, the Pacific Ocean, or San Diego's bold new skyline that includes the Convention Center (also built over the past 20 years). This view highlights the city and puts baseball squarely within the context of city life.
---The one drawback may actually be a plus. Official parking will be spotty so people are going to have to drive and park their cars downtown and walk, or take the trolley, or pedacars. Or, they can can go via San Diego Harbor Excursions taking water taxi service from Coronado and ferry service from Shelter Island.
---As a result they'll likely spend more time while they're downtown visiting local eateries and bars. Hotels should feel an increase since it's easier for visits to get a downtown hotel and walk to the game.
---The significance to those outside this city is this: San Diego has built a stadium that captured the flavor of its historic and emerging downtown, frames downtown as a view in the ballpark experience, and created a way to lure people downtown to explore the city's new core and spend some bucks. It's refreshing to personally see with your own eyes good news once in a while.....
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:00 PM

MEL GIBSON'S "THE PASSION" HAS LEGS: It's going past $200 million in 12 days, still on top in its second week...showing it is not a one-week wonder.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 1:40 PM

WAS IT A "CHRONIC" COUP IN HAITI? Amy Wilentz , a Columbia University associate journalism professor, writing in the liberal magazine The Nation says "in effect" it was:
--- "What happened in Haiti was a coup d'etat....The coup didn't come in one fell strike, which fact camouflaged it for a time; we're used to a coup being a coup--which means a cut or blow in French--something sudden. But the coup against Aristide, and by extension against the Haitian people, was prolonged, a chronic coup...."
---She recounts the history of turbulence, the Aristide's restoration to power under the Clinton administration, the obstacle Aristide faced against the Haitian elite, and the Marine presence to secure stability. But she contends " the Americans wanted to make sure there would be arms floating around that could be used against the Haitian government if need be.
--- "When push came to shove this time around, the Bush Administration, which paid lip service to the continuation in office of the democratically elected president, refused to send in the Marines until the president was bundled off and safely stowed away in the heart of Africa, under virtual house arrest. It's not surprising, after this long, sad history, that there are people who believe Aristide when he says he was "kidnapped." He was kidnapped, in effect. So was his presidency, and so was Haiti's attempt at democracy.
---This view is unlikely to satisfy those who feel the U.S. government supported Aristide but he left on his own due to the situation, or those who feel the U.S. government virtually held a gun to his head. And sometimes that's where the truth really lies...in a less clearcut, debateable area.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 8:11 AM

Saturday, March 06, 2004

THE MODERATE VOICE PRESENTS ITS BLOG OF THE DAY: I first found A Little More To The right (ALMTTR) by accident. I was surfing on the web. And when it broke, boy was that spider mad (one rotten joke per post IS allowed)...
---Once I hit the site I couldn't take my eyes off of it, because it was jam-packed with no-nonsense commentary from a conservative viewpoint, extensive and great use of photos and political cartoons, plus an open, airy type of layout. I left a shortcut of it on my desktop and hadn't gotten back to it until........
--- The other day I was talking to a friend on the phone and while talking punched up ALMTTR and I started laughing out loud. ALMTTR had a photo of the Adams Family's giant Lurch right next to John Kerry...and you could see the resemblance... and I couldn't help roaring.
---And that's the story of ALMTTR. It bills itself as a weblog with "News Items, Strong Opinions, Sophomoric Humor" and it totally lives up to its advance billing. It is NEVER dull or tedious, has a constantly crawling news headline ticker, the usual long list of blogs, but also links to humor sites, fun web games, book recommendations and a funny collection of captioned photos.
---A recent scroll down the blog shows topics such as martydom and Islam, conservative firebrand Ann Coulter's comments on gay marriage, a get-a-life person's claims that chess is a racist game, political consultant Dick Morris' (cynical) advice to President George Bush on how he can defeat John Kerry, flaws in John Kerry's military record -- and lots more.
--- Most posts are short, punchy, highly readable and ALMTTR is not afraid to take very blunt stands --such as in this quote from a post about three American Muslims in Virginia who were found guilty of conspiracy charges (they were apparently using paintball games to train for a planned terrorist attack):
---"The most important issue facing Americans, especially in this year of presidential election, is our freedom from being victimized by terrorism. It isn't 'gay marriage', economy ups & downs, war records of candidates, Mexican illegal-immigrant programs, the price of gasoline ... the most important issue this election year is our war on terrorists who are actively trying to destroy us. Don't you lose sight of that."
--- ALMTTR also uses photos much more skillfully than most blogs and photo use, color and quality definitely add to its classy look. Even a shocking photo of a Muslim who has cut his infant son's bloody head in a religious ritual enhances this site. Whether it's a story about John Kerry, the faked Kerry-Jane Fonda photo, Tiger Woods, etc. photos strengthen the postings and help make it an easier, more enjoyable read.
--- It's the perfect balance of fun and humor, punchy writing, strong opinions, excellent layout, skillful use of illustrations and photos, and regular updating, making it one of the best of its kind...which is why we're proud to name A Little More To The Right our Blog of the Day.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:21 PM

POSSIBLE HOWARD STERN RADIO DEMISE ISN'T A LEFT OR RIGHT ISSUE: Some might think Howard Stern's gloomy prediction that his radio show will soon be yanked off the air, and his career in broadcasting will soon be over, would be welcome news to everyone on the right and that all conservatives can't wait until he's off the air -- the dawn of a new broadcasting day.
---Wrong.
---Perhaps the strongest and most eloquent argument for Stern not being forced off the air by the FCC via mega-fines comes from John Hawkins of the lively web log Right Wing News. Here is just part of his meaty post:
---" I know many of you reading this very page probably think "Stern's a gross, obnoxious, pig who rips on Republicans and Christians. Why should I care if he loses his radio show?"," Hawkins writes. "If Stern went off the air because he couldn't compete in the marketplace or because of public pressure on the radio stations that put him on the air, I wouldn't care either. But when the government decides to step in and wipe people like Stern off the map despite the fact that they're popular, despite the fact that they've been on the air doing their shtick for more than a decade, conservatives should care.
---" I say that because next time the government might decide to step in and start leveling huge fines on WEBSITES that they decide are "indecent" or radio talk show hosts who they decide are only presenting one political point of view and therefore aren't being "fair". Enforcing minimum standards of decency is fine, but we should be very wary of how our First Amendment rights may be degraded if the government gets comfortable with fining popular broadcasters into oblivion..."
---Hawkins has hit the nail on the head.
---Even if Stern recently showed the discretion of an alcoholic on a wine tasting tour in the way he ran his show at a sensitive political moment (when bosses were hauled before angry Congressman running for re-election), you can't escape one fact:
---Once a government has taken a bit more power into its sweaty, greedy-little hands, and a bit more authority is taken away from individuals and corporations, it SELDOM gives it back. It wants MORE.
---And the folks who are cheering on the FCC for getting involved in clamping down on broadcasting using The Janet Jackson Breast That Shook Washington as an excuse forget one tiny thing: if Stern can be targeted so can conservatives under a future Democratic administration (or a Nader administration..yeah...right!). So can websites.
--- If the FCC gets and uses this power and Stern vanishes the world will survive...but the world will be a bit different, with newly established boundaries... and the foot will be in the door at some future date for some other government, using some shocking incident or great political clout, to use fines to clamp down on political views, too.
---If I had to predict it now I'd say: Stern will be off the air. Station owners will be running scared...and the door will indeed be ajar for some future majority or government to use fines to drive broadcasters off the air at some time in the future for political content. I've been wrong before; hopefully I'm wrong this time.
---PS: I am NOT rpt NOT a Howard Stern fan (Imus and Phil Hendrie are more my speed).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 9:17 PM

THE MODERATE VOICE AHEAD OF THE NEWS:
---Ten Things Martha Stewart Can Do In Jail
1. Make decorative cell drapes out of left over stock that wasn't sent back.
2. Revolutionize the prison kitchen, giving it a more“homey” look
---(by bringing in more gang members).
3. Give REAL insider’s tips -- from inside a prison.
4. Order “SELL!” on Martha Stewart stock.
5. Find Weapons of Mass Destruction (if she finds them in jail she gets time off,
---a book deal and an hour on "Dateline" with Katie Couric).
6. Start an in-prison TV show: Martha Stewart’s Living on Death Row.
7. Show how you can make a delightful vanilla-lemon-fiber sorbet out of
---left over baked beans.
8. Drop hints. Show the warden how to make a new dish: parole casserole.
9. Work on making cells comfy by demonstrating how an unwashed open toilet
---makes a stunning flower pot.
10. Start a new general magazine: Martha Stewart Serving.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 2:46 PM

JUST GET SOMETHING OUT, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT: Ahhhhhhhhh...now we're seeing a PATTERN here. First we saw the flawed 911 ads story, omitting the fact that the folks quoted already were on record as opposing the Bush administration -- an omission of sheer sloppiness (I don't buy the conspiracy theories). Now we see that two networks got the Martha Stewart verdict wrong:
---From the AP:"In the chaotic rush to report the Martha Stewart verdict live on television Friday, at least two networks initially called it wrong and had to quickly correct themselves. CNBC and MSNBC at first reported Stewart was not guilty on some of the four charges against her in the insider trading case. The jury convicted Stewart on all of the charges."
---Wouldn't it be a scream if the AP got this wrong?
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 12:10 PM

SEPT 11 FAMILIES RELEASE LETTER SUPPORTING BUSH: Some families who lost relatives in the Sept. 11 attacks released an "Open Letter to America" Saturday supporting President Bush and his use of 911 images in his campaign commercials.
---"There is no better testament to the leadership of President Bush than Sept. 11," the letter states. "In choosing our next leader we must not forget that day if we are to have a meaningful conversation...In the November election we will have a clear choice laid before the American people," the letter reads. "President Bush is rightly offering us that choice and the images of Sept. 11, although painful, are fundamental to that choice. The images in President Bush's campaign television ads are respectful of the memories of Sept. 11."
---And herein lies the problem with the news media's story about the furor over the 911 ads: they did reporting, yes, but didn't bother to look for someone on the other side who might disagree. Certainly, in an event with some 3,000 people murdered by terrorists one or two people can't represent the ONLY view...so a media controversy was generated due to LAZY REPORTING that now generates MORE stories. (My editors would not have let me get away with filing that kind of story with so few opinions represented when I first came to San Diego and covered City Council meetings in Oceanside, CA).
--- So what happens now? Families who SUPPORT President George Bush's re-election release a letter backing HIM. And if Democrats say it was stage managed, they might be reminded that it only came out later that the folks quoted in the original story were on the record as opposing the administration. The issue here is not who you support and oppose but what was left out in the original story that did not make it accurate and in fact qualified it for the adjective "slanted." And these comments are not coming someone who is anyone's political camp.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:18 AM

PAKISTAN OFFICIAL SAYS BIN LADEN TO BE CAPTURED WITHIN DAYS OR WEEKS? It sounds like they're getting CLOSER:
---According to a UPI report just over the wires, Pakistan's Interior Minister Faisal Hayat said today on an Arab television station that he expects Osama bin Laden to be apprehended within days or weeks. In the interview on the Dubai-based al-Arabiya news channel, he said bin Laden or some of his supporters might be arrested within a few weeks. According to the report: "Hayat denied reports bin Laden, who heads al-Qaida network, had already been arrested and his capture would be announced by the United States shortly before the presidential elections next fall."
---And here is what's especially significant: "The minister's comments came after 35,000 Pakistani soldiers were deployed along the border with Afghanistan in the hunt for bin Laden."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:04 AM

BUSH-KERRY RACE IS ALL HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: The conservative The Weekly Standard, Rupert Murdoch's small circulation but highly influential weekly, has an article titled "The Dukakis Trap" by Fred Barnes and William Kristol. Barnes is a provocative cable pundit well known as a talking head and Kristol just happens to be one of the most brilliant and influential political analysts of his generation.
---Barnes and Kristol argue the Bush team is being timid in getting a spokesman to aggressively push the gay marriage constitutional ban, wasn't forceful enough defending the controversial 911 ads and should put Bush's role on 911 and terrorism and what they see as Kerry's softness on those issues squarely on the table. In the case of the 911 ads, they say the White House should have made an issue of how the 911 widows trotted out to blast the ads all seemingly used talking points (perhaps they did but maybe the ones who spoke all had the same reaction?).
---Their key point:
---"Who could have imagined the situation Bush finds himself in? The Democrats are trying to take the finest hour of Bush's presidency--his magnificent response to 9/11--off the table. Republicans often liken Kerry to Michael Dukakis, the wimpy Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. But perhaps it's Bush who should worry about falling into the Dukakis trap. Bush and his team seem to assume opposition charges won't hurt because, of course, voters will know the charges are unfair and disingenuous. It's Kerry and his adviser Bob Shrum, with their relentless attacks, who are following the example of Bush's father and Lee Atwater. We know who prevailed then."
---This excellent piece shows it all depends on how you look at it.
--- I know many staunch Democrats who are convinced that the national unity that prevailed right after 911, coupled with Bush's comments that this would not be a partisan issue, is being broken because of ads they feel indirectly suggest they don't care about terrorism or terrorists. News that the GOP convention would be held in New York and some press reports even suggesting GWB would make his acceptance speech near ground zero or frequently visit there during the convention have rubbed salt in the wound.
---Meanwhile, Republicans are dismayed that Democrats want them to erase history. And they're right on this: the fact is GWB was President during 911, and even though questions remain about precisely what happened with the government before the terrorists struck, his response after 911 and control of the various tentacles on the Al Qaeda octopus were impressive. You can't erase his speech to Congress, his press conferences and eliminating the terrorist's official Afghanistan base.
---Republicans would be unwise to drag Lee Atwater out of his grave. During that 1988 campaign the Willy Horton ad was used and if you remember the clamor was to have a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning and suggestions were made that Democrats were somehow unpatriotic if they didn't support it. But what happened to this idea once George Bush, Sr. got into office? ABSOLUTAMENTE NADA: the wedge issue proved to be just that....a campaign issue that aroused emotions. This antipathy abated during the first Iraq war...but when things went sour Bush Sr's Democratic support evaporated. There was too much hubris and it came back to bite him in the you-know-what.
---So Barnes and Kristol are RIGHT: Republicans should set the record firmly straight on inaccuracies, Democratic political ploys and the right to remind voters of history. But the GOP should consider the consequences of massive further polarization. Suggesting Democrats don't care about terrorism and resurrecting Lee Atwater might help them win but, in the end, they'll lose later down the road. Ralph Nader can't run forever (or CAN he?).
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 7:11 AM

ARISTADE WAS NOT KIDNAPPED: So says Jim Refinger, a former Jacksonville Police sniper and retired Marine who was part of a private security team hired to protect Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide's inner circle.
The employee of the San Francisco-based Steel Foundation, which has clients all over the world and does industrial and security risk analysis, told the New York Daily News: "Everything was done with the full knowledge and cooperation of the president. There was no forcing the president to go anywhere. We protected our principal without a shot fired and he is safe."
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 6:35 AM

Friday, March 05, 2004

BLOG OF THE DAY: Most people love the Drudge Report, whether they agree with Matt Drudge's politics or not. And they often bemoan the fact that there are few alternatives to it, especially on the left.
---But there are some websites that are web logs comprised mostly of news links or news summaries with good links. And one of the very best is Cursor -- and the even better part is that the news summary is under "MEDIA PATROL" but there are other photos and illustrations you can click on to take you to original articles and websites.
---But the "bloggish" part of Cursor is Media Patrol. Consider it the Drudge Report but with a tad fewer links, but more significant stories with superb paragraph summaries of the links. Indeed, you can scroll down Cursor each morning and you have your own private news briefing, sort of like the President of the United States or the President of Sunday Morning (Tim Russert) gets.
---If you read just the summary you have a good idea of the crux of many developments, but there are links within the summaries so you can click on the link and read the whole story.
--- Don't expect opinions to be spewed here within Media Patrol. It's a well-done summary. Liberals will love it because the selection of stories tends to be from a bit more liberal perspective. Moderates will love it because it isn't filled with name-calling or partisanship but just presents some interesting stories exceedingly well summarized (if I'm busy I just read the summary). And open-minded Conservatives will love it for the summary and the stories and because there's little bias in the actual summaries of the stories.
--- If you want to see some liberal-oriented websites and stories just click on the images on the right, but it's kept separate from Media Patrol. Also, Cursor is a MUST for ANYONE of ANY party for another reason: click on the "Scottie and Me" icon showing White House spokesman Scott McClellan and you'll get the page so you can read the latest White House Press briefing...without the bias of CNN (for the conservatives to read) and without the bias of Fox News (for the liberals to read)..
---Cursor also has an extensive section of links to blogs, news sites, humor sites, research sites, watchdog sites, etc. and if you add that together with the required daily reading of Media Patrol you have a news junkie's dream come true...which is why we're proud to name Cursor our Blog of the Day.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 11:36 PM

DICK CHENEY'S BLOOPER: Columnist Molly Ivans caught this blooper by the Veep: "'If Democratic policies had been pursued over the last two-to-three years, the kind of tax increases both Kerry and Edwards are talking about, we would not have had the kind of job growth that we've had," he said.
---The Texas columnist writes: "Uh, in the first place, Kerry and Edwards are not talking about tax increases at all, but about repealing part of Bush's tax cuts -- so we would have had no tax cuts, not tax increases. And in the second place, if losing 2.3 million jobs is 'job growth,' Dick Cheney is a laugh riot. "
---Yep. The Moderate Voice's message to Dick Cheney: Use a script next time. This is the kind of sound byte that can be used quite effectively in Democratic commercials. Even though parts of the economy are improving, talking about "job growth" is going to turn off many voters at a time when unemployment is still a problem and bankruptcies and credit card delinquencies are high.
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Article Link - Joe Gandelman 10:56 PM