tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57428892011-04-21T14:30:24.047-04:00Questions and ObservationsJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comBlogger7921100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074616518817685872004-01-20T11:35:00.000-05:002004-01-20T11:36:54.140-05:00

QandO has moved. Please update your blogrolls and bookmarks accordingly. The new address is: www.QandO.net - click there to be taken to the new blog. The first post there has a bit of an explanation, but I'll mention it here, too. I've picked up a co-blogger - McQ - one of the most interesting, intelligent fellows I've had the good fortune to meet. I suspect you will enjoy his

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074518778276550462004-01-19T08:26:00.000-05:002004-01-19T08:27:43.153-05:00

Heh. Just go here. Says the Dean campaign: "D'oh!"

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074511105936816852004-01-19T06:18:00.000-05:002004-01-19T06:20:08.903-05:00

You know, with so little on which the left, right and libertarian sides of the blogosphere can agree, it's nice that we have one thing. One little thing on which we seem pretty bipartisan. Maureen Dowd sucks. Yep, from Calpundit to Instapundit - from Pejmanesque to Pandagon - from Atrios to Oxblog.....we all agree - Maureen Dowd sucks. Kumbaya.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074473779356014772004-01-18T19:56:00.000-05:002004-01-18T19:57:44.013-05:00

Is there anything lamer than the ongoing fascination with the fact that Howard Deans wife has continued her work while her husband is campaigning? What are we supposed to glean from these stories? Their marriage is in trouble? She doesn't care about politics? She doesn't think he can win? She's stage shy? Or - and bear with me here, it's a stretch - maybe she would no more trail

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074472827320859672004-01-18T19:40:00.000-05:002004-01-18T19:41:51.530-05:00

At the risk of mixing my metaphors, let's drive a stake into a dead horse..... Australia's Worley Group Ltd. (WOR.AU) said Monday that a joint venture in which it has a 35% stake has been awarded a contract worth up to US$800 million to restore Iraq oil infrastructure.This replaces the Halliburton contract.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074467835785118772004-01-18T18:17:00.000-05:002004-01-18T18:18:40.170-05:00

I am skeptical that this will turn into anything - it's just too unusual, too convenient - but this yellowcake story is interesting.....(thanks to Steverino for the heads-up) The U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed Friday that Iraq was the likely source of radioactive material known as yellowcake that was found in a shipment of scrap metal at Rotterdam harbor.The story is interesting, because one

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074456930690280392004-01-18T15:15:00.000-05:002004-01-18T15:34:50.716-05:00

Sorry about the light posting recently. I've been very busy, though, and some big changes are in order. In due time, QandO will be switching to its own domain and I'll be adding a co-blogger - one you will enjoy a great deal, I'd wager. In the meantime, I'm still trying to figure out how to import these blogspot files over to the new domain in the MovableType editor.....without bugging my

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074455350941056012004-01-18T14:49:00.000-05:002004-01-18T14:50:34.856-05:00

Stephen Blank writes that we're winning the War on Terror - and yes, the Iraq war is helping..... Even if there has never been any connection between Saddam's government and al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden placed a strong wager in terms of resources and men on Iraq, and he appears to be in great danger of losing his bet. The tape bin Laden released early this month indicates his sense of gloom and of

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074453541276518022004-01-18T14:19:00.000-05:002004-01-18T14:20:25.466-05:00

Robert Prather discusses the reasons Bush generates so much anger.... I don't understand the hatred that President Bush faces, but it's there and it's real. My own theory is that he has done a lot in his term and making big changes creates enemies.Imagine the backflips Republicans would have done, had Clinton actually done something, rather than simply engage in a series of compromises with the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074452592078132902004-01-18T14:03:00.000-05:002004-01-18T14:04:36.420-05:00

Couple of items I've been pondering lately, but they haven't congealed enough to justify their own posts. Well, John Cole said them for me, so I'll just pass along his "Things That Piss Me off"..... The fact that Al Gore gave a speech on Global Warming on a very cold day. The speech was demagogic and stupid- but what does that have to do with seasonal cold weather?Yep. Especially since the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074260409206838192004-01-16T08:40:00.000-05:002004-01-16T10:50:10.076-05:00

Shorter Paul Krugman: * We're going negative, and it's ok! * Bush plans to go positive, and that's wrong! * Appearance critiques are bad - "...what I dread most...is the return of reporting about the political significance of John Kerry's hair." * ...unless I can get a good line out of it - "Money-saving suggestion: let's cut directly to the scene where Mr. Bush dresses up as an

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074217429965469392004-01-15T20:43:00.000-05:002004-01-15T20:52:53.606-05:00

Great news for Howard Dean and Wesley Clark! Words no longer mean things! At least, that's what Josh Marshall says, as he dismisses the Howard Dean "unilateralism" gaffe by calling it "more silly word-game gotcha. Nothing more than that". Whew! Thank goodness....I thought Howard Dean was going to be subject to the same standard that Marshall applies to Bush. Fortunately, Marshall has

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074215520722919402004-01-15T20:12:00.000-05:002004-01-15T20:13:22.280-05:00

HobbsOnline has a good post on the economy.... The Labor Department says today that jobless claims fell last week to their lowest level since February 2001 in a better-than-expected report on the labor market. The decline in initial claims and the drop in the number of people collecting unemployment insurance are two solid indicators of a strengthening labor market and economy. Reuters says the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074198411475685492004-01-15T15:26:00.000-05:002004-01-15T15:36:21.436-05:00

Ted Kennedy, 2004 "The administration capitalized on the fear created by 9/11 and put a spin on the intelligence and a spin on the truth to justify a war that could well become one of the worst blunders in more than two centuries of American foreign policy."Ted Kennedy, 2002 "We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074186304504147092004-01-15T12:05:00.000-05:002004-01-15T19:44:57.030-05:00

Well, this should just about end the Wesley Clark campaign. In the London Times, Clark wrote.... "President Bush and Tony Blair should be proud of their resolve in the face of so much doubt," Clark wrote on April 10, 2003. "Can anything be more moving than the joyous throngs swarming the streets of Baghdad? Memories of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the defeat of Milosevic in Belgrade flood

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074182412496080212004-01-15T11:00:00.000-05:002004-01-15T11:01:33.793-05:00

After this, it may be hard for Gephardt to endorse any potential Dean ticket.... Democratic presidential candidate Dick Gephardt on Wednesday called chief rival Howard Dean a "fair-weather friend of the American worker" whose words can't be trusted and motives must be questioned.Ouch. Who needs Karl Rove? The Republicans are getting all the campaign material they need from the Democratic

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074180373130557662004-01-15T10:26:00.000-05:002004-01-15T10:28:09.936-05:00

...but I have to agree with Atrios.... "...for media types who are getting all touchy about Hitler comparisons, may I suggest clicking on this link. I could spend all day finding bloggers who are all "upset" about Move On, and who have been motivated to call ADL over it, and who regularly use the word 'Hitlery'. Rush Limbaugh regularly calls her 'Hitlery.' Neil Boortz regularly calls her '

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074177990045417202004-01-15T09:46:00.000-05:002004-01-15T09:47:50.640-05:00

As a nice counterpoint to the irrelevant Maureed Dowd, Thomas Friedman provides a concise and cogent view of the Iraqi democracy issue..... You don't want to miss this show. This is pay-per-view history. If, somehow, Iraqi Kurds, Sunnis, Turkmen, Christians, Assyrians and Shiites find a way to embrace pluralism, it will be a huge boost to moderates in the war of ideas all across the Muslim world.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074175915966068842004-01-15T09:11:00.000-05:002004-01-15T09:13:17.013-05:00

Further evidence of how irrelevant an editorialist she is, even when I sort of agree with Maureen Dowd, I find her unconvincing. Today, she writes on marriages.... Not satisfied with colonizing the Moon, scouting for Martians and civilizing Iraq, President Bush is lavishing more gazillions on another audaciously quixotic plan. He wants to become the national yenta. As Robert Pear and David

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074174437440915982004-01-15T08:47:00.000-05:002004-01-15T08:48:37.983-05:00

NPR had a fascinating interview with Paul O'Neill and Ron Suskind yesterday. Wish I had a link for you, but I can find none. A few things struck me, though.... * O'Neill was a very thoughtful, considered speaker. He didn't make rash comments, and didn't take the bait repeatedly offered him. Odd, because his tenure as Treasury Secretary was marked by exactly that - "verbal gaffes and

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074170853976847412004-01-15T07:47:00.000-05:002004-01-15T07:48:54.576-05:00

Not that she was really in the race, but she's officially not in the race now... Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun is ending her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Fox News has confirmed. Campaign officials for Howard Dean told Fox News she intends to endorse the former Vermont governor.So, which gig do you think she's angling for in a Dean Administration?

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074170231235163862004-01-15T07:37:00.000-05:002004-01-15T07:38:31.873-05:00

Well, if there's ever been a non-scandal, this is it...... In his presidential campaign, and as governor of Vermont before that, Howard Dean has taken a tough, zero-tolerance stand on domestic violence, accusing the Bush administration of not being committed to the issue. Yet Dean said he had no idea that one of the men closest to him was repeatedly abusing his wife. ... On May 23, 1997, Dean

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074168978494578972004-01-15T07:16:00.000-05:002004-01-15T07:17:39.403-05:00

I remain unsure of Bush's proposed Lunar base and mission to Mars, as I just don't believe the government has a role in doing "neat stuff" when it could be done by the market...if the market (you, me, all of us) even wants it done. Having said that, though, I do have to mention the one justification for this project that I could support. You been paying attention to the Chinese space

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074100410202322702004-01-14T12:13:00.000-05:002004-01-14T12:28:18.653-05:00

Otto Von Bismarck once said "Those who love sausage and the law should never watch either being made." Now, we get both.... Former President Jimmy Carter will offer support for Democratic White House hopeful Howard Dean in a joint appearance in Georgia on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, campaign aides said on Tuesday.Jimmy and Dean. Jimmy Dean. "Elections never sounded so good".

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074092941504353162004-01-14T11:26:00.000-05:002004-01-14T11:26:33.216-05:00

Bad. Nationwide. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Econopundit cites powerful econometric evidence that the tax cut actually created 1 million more "unemployed" people....by encouraging 1 million more people to join the labor force. It's hard to dislike a tax cut that makes Americans want to work harder. -------------------

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074087971454623422004-01-14T08:46:00.000-05:002004-01-14T08:48:56.670-05:00

Bet this won't get the play O'Neill's first comment got..... Retired Army Gen. Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he saw nothing to indicate the United States was close to attacking Iraq early in Bush's term. Shelton, who retired shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, said the brass reviewed "on the shelf" plans to respond to crises with the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074087020430427952004-01-14T08:30:00.000-05:002004-01-14T08:32:12.123-05:00

In retrospect, Howard Dean probably shouldn't have been so wordy in the 1990s. In a 1995 letter to President Clinton..... Since it is clearly no longer possible to take action in conjunction with NATO and the United Nations, I have reluctantly concluded that we must take unilateral action. While I completely agree with you that no ground troops should be committed for other than humanitarian

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074084589230558222004-01-14T07:49:00.000-05:002004-01-14T07:52:13.983-05:00

Applying the hindsight to Josh Marshall...... Oh, they can do better than that, can't they? CNN's headline story on the O'Neill story reads: "Cabinet members defend Bush from O'Neill" And then, when you click through, it turns out the cabinet members are Don Evans (the president's Texas crony and political fixer) and John Snow (O'Neill's tepidly respected successor at Treasury). None of the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074080077866667632004-01-14T06:34:00.000-05:002004-01-14T06:35:57.653-05:00

Darren Kaplan does an admirable job dealing with the myth that the US created Saddam Hussein. Apparently, people seem to confuse "deal with" and "create". Reminds me - I still need to do a big post debunking the myth that we gave Saddam permission to invade Kuwait. That's been around far too long.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074044924508955142004-01-13T20:48:00.000-05:002004-01-13T20:50:03.763-05:00

Anybody else notice that O'Neill was called a "straight-shooter", an honest person, somebody who would not be forced to lie as soon as he came out with his allegations? Anybody notice that ever since he's begun defending the President, the word has been "somebody must have gotten to him"? He's still the same guy....what happened?

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074042558152453502004-01-13T20:09:00.000-05:002004-01-13T20:54:31.593-05:00

I picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue..... The ACLU asked permission of the Fourth District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach to file a "friend-of-the-court" brief in Limbaugh's appeal of a judge's order giving prosecutors permission to review the medical records.Oh, my head....it hurts. Must. Not. Die. From. The. Irony. Wait. Step back. Clear head. Ahhh...that's better. Life is normal

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074040876581466092004-01-13T19:41:00.000-05:002004-01-13T19:42:35.873-05:00

A bit back, I'd noted that National Review's The Corner had become "like standing around the water cooler at the AMWAY office. If they're not boring you, they're trying to sell you something." Well, that seemed to change shortly after. They got back to news and issue discussion, and The Corner became more interesting. (Perhaps it had something to do with the holiday season passing by?

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074012445812335832004-01-13T11:47:00.000-05:002004-01-13T11:48:44.530-05:00

Since we don't have votes, yet, we may as well take a look at polling data. A poll from Marist College's Institute for Public Opinion indicates this breakdown for New York..... * Howard Dean - 26% --- up from 18% * Sen. Joe Lieberman - 12% ---down from 16% * Gen. Wesley Clark - 10% --- down from 14% * "None of the other contenders cracked double digits in the new poll. Twenty-six percent of

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074008627261585402004-01-13T10:43:00.000-05:002004-01-13T10:45:05.983-05:00

After their day-long joygasm over O'Neill's criticisms of the Bush administration, these O'Neill comments may come as a blow..... "People are trying to say that I said the president was planning war in Iraq early in the administration. Actually there was a continuation of work that had been going on in the Clinton administration with the notion that there needed to be a regime change in Iraq."I

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-107400610952506732004-01-13T10:01:00.000-05:002004-01-13T10:03:08.796-05:00

Well, I guess I'm not suprised. A brief check around the left side of the blogosphere and I can't find much demand for any investigation of the O'Neill leak. * Not from Atrios, who shows a picture of Cheney holding a secret document! I guess disclosing that a red folder exists is now the same as turning them over to journalists. * Josh Marshall calls it a "punitive investigation". You

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1074004390892128802004-01-13T09:33:00.000-05:002004-01-13T09:34:29.716-05:00

Steven Metz makes an interesting argument in the Washington Post yesterday.... From childhood, Americans are taught the importance of compromise and consensus, of "playing by the rules" and of individual initiative. These are traits that form the foundation of our political and economic system. Iraqis at this time do not have these basic traits and ideals. To survive in a repressive,

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073961321034513652004-01-12T21:35:00.000-05:002004-01-12T21:38:21.233-05:00

The Mises Institute is not kind to the recent Schumer/Roberts article "Second Thoughts on Free Trade". Not kind at all. Their conclusion.... The case for free trade remains solid. The citizens of the US are not made richer by raising taxes or other barriers to foreign consumption goods, and this is true whether factors of production are immobile (as Ricardo assumed) or mobile. We should not

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073958614444708082004-01-12T20:50:00.000-05:002004-01-12T20:53:31.030-05:00

Econopundit draws my attention to this bit from Wesley Clark.... "Certainly there's a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda," he said in 2002. "It doesn't surprise me at all that they would be talking to Al Qaeda, that there would be some Al Qaeda there or that Saddam Hussein might even be, you know, discussing gee, I wonder since I don't have any scuds and since the Americans are coming at me, I

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073947329852082992004-01-12T17:42:00.000-05:002004-01-12T21:52:58.686-05:00

Topic du jour in the blogosphere and I have a few more items. * Note that I first posted this two days ago.... O'Neill says those memo's were labeled "Secret". Yet, he discusses them. Can we expect outrage similar to that expressed by the Democrats when a Republican staffer leaked Democratic memos which were not labeled "Secret"?Well, the Treasury Department is on it..... The U.S. Treasury has

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073926890771271782004-01-12T12:01:00.000-05:002004-01-12T12:02:49.140-05:00

Outside of my emotional geek-response, (not a good basis for policy decisions) I've little sympathy for Bush's latest immigration proposal - to Mars. It's expensive, and it doesn't seem to have much point. Once we're there...then what? We'll learn a great deal, sure, but is that really the most cost-efficient way to learn new things? I'm reminded of the Lewis and Clark expedition -

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073923289612209182004-01-12T11:01:00.000-05:002004-01-12T11:02:47.950-05:00

Galen, who has been participating in my ongoing discussion of the problems in Health Care, puts up a follow-up post that is very worthwhile. He discusses the steps that would have to be taken, in order for a real free market to emerge in the field of health care. One suggestion, in particular, points out our current problem..... Abolish full coverage of health benefits. Why? Let's say

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073922243809967662004-01-12T10:44:00.000-05:002004-01-12T10:48:17.700-05:00

I notice that QandO has been blogrolled by Hoystory - the blog of San Diego journalist Matthew Hoy. Perhaps it was an accident - perhaps it's just evidence of low standards among journalists - whatever the case, it's certainly flattering. He's a blogger whose insight I respect. Hoystory has been a link on my favorites for quite a long time and I've linked him more than once. He should have

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073918964569966962004-01-12T09:49:00.000-05:002004-01-12T09:50:42.200-05:00

Ten years later, a look at the benefits of NAFTA. There has been no "giant sucking sound" of jobs and investment heading south. In the past decade, the U.S. economy has added a net 18 million new jobs. America's unemployment rate is actually lower today than it was in the year before NAFTA went into effect. Since NAFTA, about 400,000 Americans have qualified for trade adjustment assistance

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073916730211131912004-01-12T09:12:00.000-05:002004-01-12T10:36:56.326-05:00

A doozy from Dick Gephardt at last nights debate, when he was asked about his "target unemployment rate".... GEPHARDT: Well, my target would be zero. That's what we need to work toward, and I would remind you that at the end of the Clinton administration we had unemployment in the country down to 3 percent. ARRARAS: Is zero possible? GEPHARDT: It is possible. I think we surprised everybody

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073915001116801422004-01-12T08:43:00.000-05:002004-01-12T08:44:38.780-05:00

Remember all the Democratic claims that Bush was "questioning their patriotism"? Well, look how the "screw you" has turned... "I think there are some similarities between George Bush's Administration and Richard Nixon's Administration: a tremendous cynicism about the future of the country; a lack of ability to instill hope in the American people; a war which doesn't have clear principles behind

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073912817756034422004-01-12T08:06:00.000-05:002004-01-12T08:08:15.890-05:00

In recent months, much has been made of Howard Deans mis-steps. Understandable, as he is the Democratic front-runner, but I think not all of the criticism has been completely fair. As is usual in politics, his opponents often him to a different standard than that to which they hold their own candidate. I hold no great sympathy for Dr Dean on this matter, because it is precisely this

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073871719900500622004-01-11T20:41:00.000-05:002004-01-11T20:43:17.076-05:00

Brownian Motion - Does it count as excercise?

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073871340136679642004-01-11T20:35:00.000-05:002004-01-12T12:34:19.356-05:00

More thoughts on the Paul O'Neill topic, from both here and abroad.... * O'Neill says... "From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go".Is this really a suprise to anybody? Seriously....what if it was NOT true? What if, instead, "there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was not a bad person and needed to stay in power."

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-10737941047360282004-01-10T23:08:00.000-05:002004-01-10T23:11:57.293-05:00

Radley Balko asks the questions that would make the Democratic debates worth watching.... * Every campaign season, candidates promise us new government agencies and programs to deal with whatever problems they believe are on the voters' minds. Many of these agencies and programs later become law. But we never hear a candidate say that a particular agency has lost its usefulness, is no longer

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073790883585705212004-01-10T22:14:00.000-05:002004-01-10T23:18:32.983-05:00

After my recent post on the probable inevitability of socialised medicine, two bloggers weighed in with better posts than I. Both deserve attention. * Dale Franks points out that both our medical system and that of socialized countries have their costs. Our prices may be higher than theirs, but their costs come in different forms. Yet, he points out..... Something is deeply wrong with the US

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073788531435346362004-01-10T21:35:00.000-05:002004-01-10T21:36:47.903-05:00

The usual rule applies: wait 48 hours, then check again. It's probably nothing, but this could be interesting..... Coalition experts are examining dozens of mortar shells found in southern Iraq which could contain chemical weapons. Danish troops who found them said they showed traces of blister gases - compounds which include mustard gas.It's worth noting, though, that the shells would

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073788098185127192004-01-10T21:28:00.000-05:002004-01-10T21:29:34.700-05:00

A few thoughts on General Clark.... * Apparently, Clark is wearing sweaters to soften up his image. I don't really have a problem with that. My first thought is "does he think people are really that pliable"....but I know better. People are that pliable. A number of years ago, a friend who'd been in radio in Washington DC back in the late 70s told me that his radio station had their jocks

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073785592481032652004-01-10T20:46:00.000-05:002004-01-10T20:47:48.780-05:00

I saw enough "exposes" after Clinton left office to learn to take this stuff with a grain of salt..... The Bush Administration began making plans for an invasion of Iraq, including the use of American troops, within days of President Bush's inauguration in January of 2001 -- not eight months later after the 9/11 attacks, as has been previously reported. That's what former Treasury Secretary

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073671109584672232004-01-09T12:58:00.000-05:002004-01-09T13:00:08.310-05:00

Some time ago, I spoke to an Oral Surgeon from Virginia who was very active - even testifying to Congressional committees - in his opposition to a federal takeover of health care. Yet, he lamented, there's no way around it....it's coming. As Dan Patrick would say, "You can't stop it, you can only hope to contain it". Needless to say, I don't like the idea. Not one little bit. Now,

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073660438976919742004-01-09T12:10:00.000-05:002004-01-09T12:10:29.873-05:00

In an article entitled "Rebranding Bush as a Man of Peace", the Guardian engages in a little rebranding of their own.... The White House has retreated from its doctrine of regime change and pre-emptive military action and is returning to traditional diplomacy in an effort to repackage George Bush as a president for peace.That's a bit of an odd statement, considering the fact that we've engaged in

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073663529196869362004-01-09T10:52:00.000-05:002004-01-09T10:53:59.686-05:00

Thomas Friedman puts his finger on an important point.... What you are witnessing is why Sept. 11 amounts to World War III — the third great totalitarian challenge to open societies in the last 100 years. As the longtime Middle East analyst Abdullah Schleiffer once put it to me: World War II was the Nazis, using the engine of Germany to try to impose the reign of the perfect race, the Aryan race.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073655440317610962004-01-09T08:37:00.000-05:002004-01-09T08:38:35.090-05:00

So, tell me about how "Bush lied"..... Former US president Bill Clinton said in October during a visit to Portugal that he was convinced Iraq had weapons of mass destruction up until the fall of Saddam Hussein, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso said. "When Clinton was here recently he told me he was absolutely convinced, given his years in the White House and the access to

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073654686972817912004-01-09T08:24:00.000-05:002004-01-09T08:26:01.903-05:00

Paul Krugman manages a neat trick in todays column, pointing to progress on the Enron case, and then just glossing right the heck over it. He discusses the problem of options and leaves aside the issue of the punishment of Enron executives, writing "...it would be a big mistake to conclude that the system is working. It isn't." Well, he's got a point. There are structural problems with the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073651617476053612004-01-09T07:33:00.000-05:002004-01-09T07:34:52.263-05:00

It's been a big immigration week for Bush. First, he proposed a big change to US immigration policy. Now, he's planning to test interplanetary immigration policy...... President Bush will make a speech next week outlining a major space initiative, the White House said last night. Administration officials said they expected that Mr. Bush would propose a research and development program with

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073587857486964322004-01-08T13:50:00.000-05:002004-01-09T06:42:05.046-05:00

A few salient (or otherwise interesting) points raised around the blogosphere regarding the immigration issue.... * Among other interesting observations, Joe Kelley writes.... The illegal immigrants will also now have pay payroll and income taxes. Even though they’re not likely to earn enough money to pay much (or any) income tax in our progressive system, they’ll still be paying. Can we allow

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073586134006211162004-01-08T13:22:00.000-05:002004-01-08T13:23:28.576-05:00

It doesn't have any larger meaning. It's not indicative of anything...it could just as easily happen to Bush. But it's funny, anyway. Check out this picture right away. I'm guessing he he won a bet with that.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073581064590658282004-01-08T11:57:00.000-05:002004-01-08T12:01:43.343-05:00

Check out this plan for an "educational" activity - one which has actually been used in public schools. We comment... OVERVIEW The distribution of wealth and power within society usually affects a person's opportunities to achieve full human rights and live a life with dignity. This activity involves the distribution of wealth. It challenges participants to examine the concepts of "fairness"

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073574081574536332004-01-08T10:01:00.000-05:002004-01-08T10:03:25.263-05:00

I'm glad this is being said..... With its rising budget deficit and ballooning trade imbalance, the United States is running up a foreign debt of such record-breaking proportions that it threatens the financial stability of the global economy, according to a report released Wednesday by the International Monetary Fund. Prepared by a team of I.M.F. economists, the report sounded a loud alarm

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073565304447583972004-01-08T07:35:00.000-05:002004-01-08T07:36:18.200-05:00

I have to confess, I don't really have any well-formed opinion on immigration. Sure, I'm against illegal aliens, and think the laws should be enforced, instead of the current "wink and nod". But I'm also aware that it is pretty impactical to expect those laws to be enforced with a significant degree of effectiveness. When people are willing to DIE to get to the US, you can't expect them to

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073562980900865172004-01-08T06:56:00.000-05:002004-01-08T06:57:34.326-05:00

Allahpundit has outdone himself. This is far too funny to describe, so you'll have to see it for yourself. Apparently, the Democratic race is much more interesting than I knew. (link via Cap'n Ed)

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073493184021415532004-01-07T11:33:00.000-05:002004-01-07T11:34:16.983-05:00

In response to my citation of a Washington Post story on the question of whether our Spec-ops should be engaging in counter-insurgency or the more direct "kicking down doors", there were some interesting comments. Thought they deserved their own post. McQ writes.... The key to winning a "War on Terror" in this arena is to be able to do both "kicking down the door" and counterinsurgency

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073487824804663722004-01-07T11:21:00.000-05:002004-01-07T11:22:22.686-05:00

The recent David Brooks column, which asserts that "NeoCon" is often used as shorthand for "Jew", has given rise to a great deal of somewhat misguided criticism. Josh Marshall, Kevin Drum, Robert Tagorda all weighed in, with Kevin Drum writing.... It's pretty obvious that conservatives are nervous about any discussion of the neocon agenda and want to take it off the table by ridiculing it and

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073483975281488352004-01-07T08:59:00.000-05:002004-01-07T09:00:48.576-05:00

Fascinating report at MSNBC on the state of the search for WMDs in Iraq..... The nine-month record of arms investigators since the fall of Baghdad includes discoveries of other concealed arms research, most of it less advanced. Iraq's former government engaged in abundant deception about its ambitions and, in some cases, early steps to prepare for development or production. Interviews here --

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073480590038758262004-01-07T08:03:00.000-05:002004-01-07T08:04:23.250-05:00

Cap'n Ed has an interesting post on poll standings among the Democrats.... The numbers seem to show that Dean's support isn't wavering as much as Clark has drawn support from other Democratic candidates. Clark's status as the Clintonista's man in the race as well as his perceived unique ability to carry foreign-policy and national-security gravitas into the general election will probably continue

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073476829022909052004-01-07T07:00:00.000-05:002004-01-07T09:35:06.436-05:00

John Perry Barlow broke back into the blogosphere with a fairly hyperbolic post that contained this.... We can't afford to lose this one, folks. If we do, we'll have to set our watches back 60 years. If they even let us have watches in the camps, that is.Bloggers are not forgiving of such nonsense, and to his credit Barlow responded to their criticism with something we all need to remember.....

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073438049736960682004-01-06T20:14:00.000-05:002004-01-06T20:15:22.360-05:00

Bush stays the course...... America and Britain rebuffed President Bashar Assad of Syria yesterday, telling him bluntly that Damascus must give up its weapons of mass destruction or face ostracism - even if neighbouring Israel keeps its nuclear arms.This is why I keep saying that Bush is not a foreign policy NeoCon. We're not invading Syria, North Korea or Iran. We're applying firm, consistent

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073436159439232832004-01-06T19:42:00.000-05:002004-01-06T19:43:51.763-05:00

Hillary sticks her foot in her mouth.....(hang on, I'm getting to a point) Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton apologized for joking that Mahatma Gandhi used to run a gas station in St. Louis, saying it was "a lame attempt at humor." The New York Democrat made the remark at a fund-raiser Saturday. During an event here for Senate candidate Nancy Farmer, Clinton introduced a quote from Gandhi by saying,

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073411562533799692004-01-06T12:52:00.000-05:002004-01-06T12:53:54.263-05:00

I've just registered www.QandO.net and plan to set this blog up there in the (relatively) near future. It's a minor task for somebody who understands this stuff, but I'm not that guy. Don't go changing your bookmarks just yet, or anything. I still have to arrange for hosting (inexpensive, preferably) and figure out whether I want to use Blogger or MovableType. I hear good things about MT

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073409856082377792004-01-06T12:24:00.000-05:002004-01-06T12:27:34.810-05:00

Tis a better thing that they write today, than they have ever written before..... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * A defense of unilateralism....... Despite the whines of critics, a unilateral security policy is not a bad thing in and of itself. Indeed, even the Europeans recognize this. The French dabble

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073398255208480742004-01-06T09:10:00.000-05:002004-01-06T09:12:07.356-05:00

E.J. Dionne writes an interesting column on the various benefits and costs of running for President from various starting points..... Legislators are sausage makers working in an unruly factory. The very elements that are fundamental to serving in Congress -- the arts of compromise and cajoling, the finality of the yes or no vote -- leave members vulnerable as presidential candidates. As a rule,

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073396093264067862004-01-06T08:34:00.000-05:002004-01-06T08:36:05.060-05:00

Frank J details why "Bush Is Probably Not Hitler". Highlights.... * While it is very hard if not impossible to prove a negative, i.e. Bush not being Hitler, I will do my best because I believe that he is in fact not Hitler. After doing some research, I found out that Hitler was born in Austria in 1889 and died in Germany in 1945 (coincidentally, the same year WWII ended). George W. Bush, on the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073394990996491162004-01-06T08:16:00.000-05:002004-01-06T08:19:55.060-05:00

David Brooks writes another slapdown to the bi-partisan tinfoil crowd...... Do you ever get the sense the whole world is becoming unhinged from reality? I started feeling that way awhile ago, when I was still working for The Weekly Standard and all these articles began appearing about how Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Doug Feith, Bill Kristol and a bunch of "neoconservatives" at the magazine had

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073393453740535042004-01-06T07:50:00.000-05:002004-01-06T07:52:05.293-05:00

HL Mencken has quite a few good, and insightful quotes, but this one has bothered me in recent years....... The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace in a continual state of alarm (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing them with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.Over the past two years, that quote has been employed time and time again (mainly,

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073391104143314012004-01-06T07:11:00.000-05:002004-01-06T07:12:56.200-05:00

We'll see if this gets the same sort of front page play the original charges got..... Halliburton Co. has been cleared of any wrongdoing in a Kuwait fuel-delivery contract that Pentagon auditors alleged overcharged the U.S. government by more than $100 million, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday. The head of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Robert Flowers, said Halliburton's

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073355126634085152004-01-05T21:12:00.000-05:002004-01-05T21:13:18.310-05:00

The War on Terror seems uniquely designed for Spec-Ops, and according to this Washington Post story, we're aware of that. Rumsfeld has long been enamored of the idea of expanding the role of Special Operations forces in fighting terrorists. He has dramatically boosted the budget of the forces and last year ordered the Special Operations Command to draft a strategy to send hunter-killer teams

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073352234197628352004-01-05T20:23:00.000-05:002004-01-07T09:48:30.530-05:00

Since just about the entire right-of-center blogosphere (including QandO) jumped on the despicable Moveon.org Bush=Hitler ad, I think it's encumbent on us (including QandO) to condemn this Ralph Peters column as well..... Dean wants to muzzle his Democratic competitors, too. He believes the Democratic National Committee should shut them up. His followers try to intimidate other presidential

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073330605243188032004-01-05T14:23:00.000-05:002004-01-05T14:24:36.530-05:00

Cap'n Ed comments on Bill Bradley's expected endorsement of Howard Dean, and I tend to agree with this...... In the contest for the swing voters in the center for the general election, this will have little to no impact. However, for the primaries, Bradley's endorsement will further energize the base for Dean and will probably demoralize the other Dems' campaigns.Whatever effect his campaign is

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073326550348797052004-01-05T13:15:00.000-05:002004-01-05T13:17:01.670-05:00

We take a break from political blogging for this Towing related story. Really. Imagine getting your car towed from a 7-11 which has a "customers only" parking lot policy....while you were actually a customer. Frustrating, right? Imagine having to pay the towing charge anyway. I read a similar story in an Orlando weekly circular last year, so this can't be a unique experience.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073325298266424462004-01-05T12:54:00.000-05:002004-01-08T22:05:27.090-05:00

Look, normally I regard as ridiculous claims that the Bush administration is "crushing dissent". If you think dissent is being "crushed", you haven't been reading newspapers, watching the news or reading blogs. I've been hearing quite a bit of dissent, and I have yet to hear of somebody going missing as a result. Most of these claims seems to fit more in the Tom Daschle "Criticizing those

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073323338038428402004-01-05T12:22:00.000-05:002004-01-05T12:30:18.140-05:00

Well, it's about time..... After 14 years of denials, Pete Rose has finally come clean and admitted he bet on baseball while manager of the Cincinnati Reds.This reminds me of George Michael coming out of the closet a number of years back - to the suprise of absolutely nobody. I suspect the reaction to this will be similar: "You mean you hadn't already admitted it? Huh. I just sort of assumed..

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073318879972016232004-01-05T11:07:00.000-05:002004-01-05T11:09:11.263-05:00

This comment to a post below deserved its own post. Background: I'd written that the weaknesses (centralized government) in the Afghan Constitution were unfortunate, and may lead to long term instability, but a baby step in the right direction....and baby steps is the best we can do right now. In response, Pouncer wrote.... So, consider this their "Articles of Confederation". Our first

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073317372771644612004-01-05T10:42:00.000-05:002004-01-05T10:44:49.840-05:00

James Picerno issues a word of warning.... Take that, gloomsters. The Institute for Supply Management today reported that its manufacturing index rose in November to its highest level in 20 years. This won’t be the last piece of positive economic news in 2004. One can only wonder how the pessimists will react in the year ahead. The path of least resistance will be simply ignoring the data and

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073313560210059082004-01-05T09:39:00.000-05:002004-01-05T09:40:31.123-05:00

Good stuff at The Review..... * Dale Franks gets even with DemocraticUnderground hijackers. Heh. * Addressing the problem of racism and equality activist groups..... The trouble with activist groups is that the problems about which they complain can never be solved. I don't mean that the problems are insoluble, I mean that activist groups cannot admit that the problem has been solved. It is,

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073307517633556482004-01-05T07:58:00.000-05:002004-01-05T07:59:48.076-05:00

Howard Dean makes, uh, interesting promises...... I am going to balance the budget, and I'm going to do it in the sixth or seventh year of my administration.I've got no problem with his assertion that he'll not only be elected, but will be re-elected. None at all. Good for him for having the confidence. But what about that claim that he can balance the budget in the 6th or 7th year of his

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073305547864516242004-01-05T07:25:00.000-05:002004-01-05T07:28:43.123-05:00

Joe Kelley writes on the electoral quandary of conservatives and libertarians..... I have routinely criticized people who are so disconnected from the political scene that they waffle back and forth between voting for a Republican or a Democrat. Yet, I am troubled as I find myself in that precise situation right now. I proudly voted for Bush in 2000, but am troubled by much of his

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073301405403854782004-01-05T06:16:00.000-05:002004-01-05T06:18:59.043-05:00

HappyFunPundit reports..... The response to New Jersey's new cloning law has been swift and exuberant as mad scientists flock to the Garden State to take advantage of new laws that favour meddling in matters that man was not meant to meddle in. The state's zoning board reports that underground excavation for secret laboratories has risen 500% in the first few days of 2004. Fish and Game

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073271731377188512004-01-04T22:02:00.000-05:002004-01-04T22:03:22.186-05:00

A few statements from the Democratic Debate stood out to me. Senator Kerry, on the execution of the War on Terror.... SENATOR KERRY: Look, this administration, Paul, misled the American people, abused the power that they were given, and has run an ineffective war on terror.We'll agree to disagree on the first two points he made, but what about that last "ineffective war on terror" part? How

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073266270855526402004-01-04T20:31:00.000-05:002004-01-05T06:33:46.403-05:00

Pat Robertson, fresh off his "pray the hurricane away" failure, goes to the well again.... "I think George Bush is going to win in a walk," Robertson said on his "700 Club" program on the Virginia Beach-based Christian Broadcasting Network, which he founded. "I really believe I'm hearing from the Lord it's going to be like a blowout election in 2004. It's shaping up that way."If this prediction

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073263633377399192004-01-04T19:47:00.000-05:002004-01-04T19:48:23.466-05:00

Even if you believe this sort of thing, can you seriously believe it's a good idea to broadcast it? Hasn't everybody heard of Godwins law by now? MOVEON.ORG SCRIPT GRAPHIC: Pictures Of Hitler HITLER: (Speaking In German) CHYRON: We have taken new measures to protect our homeland, GRAPHIC: Pictures Of Hitler HITLER: (Speaking In German) CHYRON: I believe I am acting in accordance with the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073245217423311352004-01-04T14:40:00.000-05:002004-01-04T14:41:27.403-05:00

This is good news... After nearly three weeks of wrangling, Afghanistan's historic constitutional convention Sunday agreed on a new charter for the country, according to a journalist in Kabul. Both sides of the loya jirga, or grand council, made compromises on many controversial issues, journalist Victoria Burnett said. The 160-article document gives the president sweeping powers, but awards

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073243814323455002004-01-04T14:16:00.000-05:002004-01-04T14:18:04.606-05:00

Sometimes I respond on other blogs at some length and then realize "hey, wait a minute! I have a blog! Why waste all this content on somebody elses blog!" So, I write it here, too. Picking up on something I'd written at Pandagon.... Consistency? How's this? * I find Ann Coulter difficult to stomach. * I can't watch FoxNews very much, without a great deal of annoyance * I find the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073188492642436322004-01-03T22:54:00.000-05:002004-01-04T19:26:09.390-05:00

There's not much point at this point in speculating about who the Democrats will run inn '08. If they win in '04 (more possible that many believe, I think) their Presidential candidate will be set. If they lose in '04, everybody seems agreed that Hillary will run. (I suspect Dean would try again, too) But what about the GOP? I don't see a lot of nationally known names in the Republican

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073185194416106602004-01-03T21:59:00.000-05:002004-01-03T22:01:03.450-05:00

Good stuff from Bill Hobbs today. I've been trying to think of a good way to describe the phenomenon of blogging, as it relates to the media, but I can stop now, as Hobbs writes...... "Readers are becoming writers. The audience that once sat passively and accepted the news the media pushed to them is pushing back"My take: Reporters have suddenly gotten a LOT more editors. Here's a good point:

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073184292394992322004-01-03T21:44:00.000-05:002004-01-04T13:59:38.670-05:00

Ok, Jesse and I can agree on this. This quote by Bush is astoundingly stupid..... "In the end, there is no capitalism without conscience, no wealth without character."As Jesse points out, capitalism is amoral. It is a system, not an "intent". And there have certainly been enough wealthy people without character. In fact, some of the most immoral people in the world (Saddam Hussein, Kim

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742889.post-1073158047746840562004-01-03T14:27:00.000-05:002004-01-03T21:19:54.996-05:00

I see that Jesse Taylor at Pandagon has commented on my earlier post re: Krugman. His comments are interesting and deserve a response, in part to clarify my post and in part to object. Jesse writes that I seem.... "to take "no, he didn't" as the highest form of logical argumentation"I'm a bit confused by this criticism. Re-reading my post, I see no instance in which I simply asserted "no, he

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05928222182833709319noreply@blogger.com