From the BBC: "Chile's former military ruler Augusto Pinochet has said he takes political responsibility for everything that happened during his 18 years in power." Here's some of what he said (or rather of what his wife read on his behalf): "Today, near the end of my days, I want to say that I harbour no rancour against anybody, that I love my fatherland above all... I take … [Read more...] about Pinochet’s BS

There has been an inordinate amount of flak in the blogosphere today, so let’s be charitable and call the president a slow learner. A slow learner is someone who, among other things, refuses to learn from his mistakes and blames others for them.In this instance his mistake is the Mess in Mesopotamia and the subject of his blame is Al Qaeda, which had zero presence there … [Read more...] about George Bush to American Public: Drop Dead

At last... Evidence: women talk too much. Something that cannot possibly surprise anyone with a girlfriend, wife, mother or sister (or all four):Women also speak more quickly, devote more brainpower to chit-chat - and actually get a buzz out of hearing their own voices, a new book suggests.And something about us men:But what the male brain may lack in converstation and … [Read more...] about Stop.Talking.Please.

Dealing with the devil is seldom best Iran's Ubermullah Khamenei told Iraqi President Talibani that the reason for the Sectarian violence in Iraq is the presence of U.S. troops and that before-mentioned violence would end at the moment the U.S. withdraws its troops."The first step to solve the security issue in Iraq is the exit of the occupiers from this country and leaving … [Read more...] about Iran and Iraq

With respect to the much-ballyhooed chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee, I haven't exactly kept my support for Jane Harman hidden. I still think she's the right person for the job, but, if it's not to be, Rush Holt would be a fine choice (Josh Marshall thinks so, too.) And if not him, perhaps Silvestre Reyes. Anyone but Alcee Hastings. My support for Harman puts … [Read more...] about The case against Jane Harman

Bored? and count to ten. Ann, stop obsessing. I am quite sure that you have more important things to do. I know we at TMV have... … [Read more...] about Take A Deep Breath…

Or is it all just a myth? … [Read more...] about Is NBC Calling The Iraq War A “Cronkite Moment”?

So... NBC has finally decided to call the sectarian violence in Iraq a civil war. Which is sort of like just now getting around to calling the violence in Kosovo genocide. Better late than never, I suppose, but the media's hesitation to call sectarian violence a civil war has essentially belittled the violence, prevented them from taking it as seriously as it ought to have been … [Read more...] about Look, kids, it’s a civil war!

According to former U.S. Army Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, "Rumsfeld authorized the mistreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib". The U.S. commander at the prison until 2004, when she was relieved of her duties, she says she "saw a memorandum signed by Rumsfeld detailing the use of harsh interrogation methods". Reuters has the story here. As Jack Balkin notes, "[t]hese are … [Read more...] about Rumsfeld and Abu Ghraib

Amidst the high-level talks regarding Iraq's Civil War, ordinary Iraqi citizens are issuing more urgent appeals on Iraqi message boards. On today's Washington Post Post Global edition, blogger Zeyad translates Arabic-language appeals from desperate Baghdadi Sunnis regarding the impending Shi'ite revenge for the Sadr City slaughter last week. These messages convey absolute … [Read more...] about Desperate Appeals in Iraq’s Civil War

Today three prominent articles on Centrism. Can the GOP Find Its Center? By E. J. Dionne Jr. "Pro-market libertarians and pro-family social conservatives are more aware than ever that their respective values and interests do not coincide." ">GOP must return to its centrist roots By Governor Christine Todd Whitman"President Bush has to lead the Republican Party back … [Read more...] about What is “Centrism” and how to get to it

Surprise, surprise: it seems that Hezbollah is helping shiite militias in Iraq to carry out attacks against non-Shiite targets. Hezbollah trained 1,000 to 2,000 members of the Mahdi Army. Assuming the story to be accurate that is. O and where, according to the 'senior American intelligence official' quoted by the Times, did Hezbollah train those militias? The safe haven … [Read more...] about Hezbollah Weighing In

Someone came up with this headline. You KNOW it'll be asked (and has already been jokingly asked by the reader who sent it to us): "So would 35 shots have been acceptable?" … [Read more...] about A Headline That Begs Some of The Question

How low are President George Bush's and Congress' poll numbers? Let's just say they're down so low that they may have to soon call a plumbing company because the numbers are going down there:President Bush's approval ratings, as tracked by Harris Interactive, fell to the second-lowest of his presidency, according to a new poll. According to the telephone poll, conducted … [Read more...] about Bush’s And Congress’ Polls Numbers Still Way Down

(Editor's Note: The following story is absolutely true.) Necessity is the mother of invention, and so when U.S. troops in Iraq found that Silly String was an effective way to spot nearly invisible trip wires they asked their commanders to order up cases of the child’s toy. No can do, they were told. Not content with that answer, Army Specialist Todd Shriver, who is … [Read more...] about Winning in Iraq One Can of Silly String at a Time

The Decider and his environmentally-unfriendly minions have been in denial about global warming from the jump. Now the most powerful presidential administration in modern times — the one that says it has the power to do whatever it wants, Congress and courts be damned — will argue in a Supreme Court showdown with 12 states that it does not have the power to slow … [Read more...] about Global Warming Goes to Court

The Justice Department is at it again, seeking to turn the case of foreign student arrested in the U.S. on terrorism-related charges into another test case of Congress' power to strip federal courts of the authority to hear habeas challenges. Mischief such as this will have a whole lot more bearing on the future conduct of the War on Terror — and the future of America … [Read more...] about Be Afraid America, Be Very Afraid

It is deeply offensive that The Decider wants to raise $500 million to build a president library and think tank at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Beyond the fact that George Bush is probably the least literate and most poorly read president since God knows when, his administration's penchant for secrecy extends to papers that routinely are made available to the … [Read more...] about ‘My Pet Goat’ & The Bush Presidential Library

Conservatives love to accuse liberals of being overly Politically Correct. And this is an era, indeed, in which certain kinds of ethnic and stereotypical humor are taboo. But there's one taboo that those on the side accused of being PC apparently don't feel is PC: Sexism. Apparently some folks think its just fine to call a woman a certain word that begins with the third word … [Read more...] about Do The PC Police Need PC Police?

On a website. An extensive interview with Captain Donald Macintosh - Royal Air Force bomber pilot of a lancaster bomber in 1944. Read it here. … [Read more...] about An Incredible Piece Of History