They were identical decaplets, split ten times from the same zygote, and hard to tell apart. Tonight, all ten GOP men who want to be president of the free world, lined up behind tiny podiums as though they were about to play Jeopardy. They vied just as hard as any time-limited contestant on a game show. They were eager to hit the questions running as soon as they were … [Read more...] about Authenticity Missing Factor: The GOP Presidential Candidates Debate
Iraqi Parliament Recess Funkadelic
On the Mess in Mesopotamia Outrage Scale, the news that the Iraqi Parliament will take a two-month summer recess during a crucial phase of the so-called surge seems to fall somewhere in the . . . well, I suppose that it falls somewhere. I myself am much more concerned at the moment about Condi Rice meeting with representatives of the terrorist-coddling Syrian regime in the … [Read more...] about Iraqi Parliament Recess Funkadelic
The Time’s ‘100’: Hillary, Obama In…But Bush Is Out!
India's Sonia Gandhi India's ruling Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi and steel icon Lakshmi Mittal, along with Osama bin Laden and Pope Benedict XVI, are among a packed and varied field chosen by Time Magazine for this year's list of the world's 100 most influential people, says DNA. "The fourth annual list, which is due to hit newsstands on Friday, omits US President … [Read more...] about The Time’s ‘100’: Hillary, Obama In…But Bush Is Out!
Pakistan & Nuclear Black Market: What’s The Real Story?
A.Q. Khan - "Dresed to Kill." Photo courtesy The Economist One of the big mysteries in the past decade or more revolves round Pakistan's Abdul Qadeer Khan, described as 'father of Islamic bomb'. The Economist raises more disturbing questions regarding nuclear black market. Why is there a conspiracy of silence on this important subject even in the West? "To borrow a phrase … [Read more...] about Pakistan & Nuclear Black Market: What’s The Real Story?
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: More from THE SIXTH YEAR ITCH
Additional Chapter Excerpts from the New Book on the 2006 Midterms Following up on last week's preview, the Crystal Ball is happy to share more content from The Sixth Year Itch, a new book containing original chapters by political scholar and commentator Larry J. Sabato, as well as contributed chapters by prominent journalists and scholars who are on the political … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: More from THE SIXTH YEAR ITCH
Republicans Debate
I've been out running errands and just got home. Not sure if the debate is still going on - here's some coverage. Washington Post's The Fix: GOP Debate Underway WP The Fix: Giuliani casts himself as candidate of change WP The Fix: Giuliani struggled with abortion issue WP The Fix: Romney on Religion WP The Fix: McCain vs Mitt on Osama WP The Fix: McCain on the … [Read more...] about Republicans Debate
D.C. Madam, Jeane Palfrey, and the Case of The Moonlighting Paralegal
If I were from Mars, I would wonder why human beings concentrate so hard on what I once heard a human being refer to as the “real estate†of the body... those 'parts' without armor that occur at the joining of their legs and torsos. Modern humans seem to focus on this one tiny area on their bodies to the exclusion of all the rest of the body. What about the ears? The … [Read more...] about D.C. Madam, Jeane Palfrey, and the Case of The Moonlighting Paralegal
Fighting Terrorism
The hate crimes bill is simply another name for anti-terrorism. Those who kill due to hate, and who hope that their violence will terrorize other members of the targeted class into submission, are terrorists. They are terrorists when their victims are Jews in Israel. They are terrorists when their targets are Christians in the West. And they are terrorists when their victims … [Read more...] about Fighting Terrorism
Le Débat
Get your Sarkozy-Royal debate coverage here. The assessment: "Despite [some] clashes, neither candidate appeared to score a decisive blow." Some key excerpts: Royal: "I want to get France out of the situation it's in today... I want to be the president of the republic who's going to make a France where aggression and violence are in retreat, who's going to make a France … [Read more...] about Le Débat
Open Letter to President George W. Bush from Sir Winston Churchill on the Anniversary of “Mission Accomplished.”
From the Headquarters of Sir Winston Churchill near Blenheim Palace May 3, 2007 Dear President Bush, Just this my dear man: "Let us learn our lessons... Never believe any war will be smooth and easy... or that anyone who embarks on that strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. "The statesman who yields to war-fever must … [Read more...] about Open Letter to President George W. Bush from Sir Winston Churchill on the Anniversary of “Mission Accomplished.”
To Criticize or Not To Criticize, That is the Question
A fascinating article at the NYT: As they gather Thursday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for their first debate, the Republican presidential candidates are thrilled at the chance to associate themselves with Reagan. But they may not be able to escape the challenge created for them by the current president. As much as Iraq or health care or any other issue, … [Read more...] about To Criticize or Not To Criticize, That is the Question
De La Hoya or Mayweather?
Those commercials are really starting to annoy me. Nonetheless, it's an intriguing question. So? If it's a boring fight, Mayweather. Boring means that Mayweather is too slick for De La Hoya. If it's a battle though, then De La Hoya has a much better shot. Ultimately, I'm going with Mayweather, UD12. Your picks? … [Read more...] about De La Hoya or Mayweather?
Exclusive TMV Interview: James Surowiecki
This interview was conducted on April 16 and has been published exclusively at TMV. Background on James Surowiecki and The Wisdom of Crowds -- as well as a review of the book's politically oriented twelfth chapter -- are available at Central Sanity. The book can be purchased from either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Surowiecki is also available as a guest speaker, via the Leigh … [Read more...] about Exclusive TMV Interview: James Surowiecki
UPDATED: Letter to My Congressman on LLEHCPA (H.R.1592) Hate Crimes Prevention Act
UPDATE: House Passes Hate Crimes Bill Despite Possible VetoEven before House members debated and passed a bill today to expand hate crimes law, the administration signaled that President Bush would veto it if it ever reaches his desk — delighting Republican lawmakers and social conservatives. ===================================================== The US House of … [Read more...] about UPDATED: Letter to My Congressman on LLEHCPA (H.R.1592) Hate Crimes Prevention Act
Center of Attention
A round up of recent reporting and commentary by a few centrist, moderate, and independent bloggers. Andrew Sullivan points to a debate and marc at Black Shards launches one on Islam, its moderates and extremists. Jeff Jarvis ponders the value of book reviews by local newspapers ... and by bloggers. Megan Donovan at GTL announces that she has been granted an interview … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
Iraq’s Oil-Revenue Law Hits a (Shiite) Wall
In Iraq, as in life, if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is. And so the much-vaunted draft of the national oil law has hit a wall with the news that Kurdish and Sunni officials now have deep reservations about it because of what appears to be Shiite chicanery: A provision quietly slipped into the bill by the Shiite-controlled Oil Ministry that would cede … [Read more...] about Iraq’s Oil-Revenue Law Hits a (Shiite) Wall
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi Killed?
Pajamas Media reports that Iraqi authorities said that “the leader of al-Qaeda’s political front organization the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, was killed in the Ghazaliya district in western Baghdad this morning.†The US army declined to comment thusfar, but U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Garver did say that ‘a news conference … [Read more...] about Abu Omar al-Baghdadi Killed?
Iraq: Onward Through the Fog
Okay, so President Bush has vetoed the war spending-withdrawal bill. The Democrats, lacking veto-proof majorities, are on the defensive. The president has pretty much cajoled Congress into going along with his latest executive dispensations -- giving Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki six more months to find his mojo and General Petraeus six more months to turn things around. At … [Read more...] about Iraq: Onward Through the Fog
Fred Thompson Tells it Like it Is
Well, Fred Thompson succeeded in pissing the left-wing of the Democratic Party off by saying that MoveOn and Harry Reid are "adhering, to the extent they can, to the most left-wing element of their base." Faiz and others can try to make themselves look like the mainstream all they can, but these people are even considered to be left-wing here, in the Netherlands. Even … [Read more...] about Fred Thompson Tells it Like it Is
‘War Against Terror’: Whose Ally Is Pakistan?
India's claims for over a decade about Pakistan's links with terrorism in Kashmir, and elsewhere, stand vindicated again by a recent US state department's report released in Washington on Monday. The USA never took India's repeated warnings seriously, and always shoved them under the carpet. The usual response is "Well, Pakistan is our front-line ally in … [Read more...] about ‘War Against Terror’: Whose Ally Is Pakistan?