As stated by President George W. Bush in his remarkably rare (for his presidency, anyway) news conference in Chicago yesterday: "It didn't say we couldn't have done — couldn't have made that decision, see?" Mr. Bush said at a news conference in Chicago. "They were silent on whether or not Guantánamo — whether or not we should have used Guantánamo. In other words, they … [Read more...] about But they didn’t tell me not to!

Didn't you know that? … [Read more...] about The Only Polls That Matter Are Good Polls

Robert Novak reports that Rudy is almost ready:Well-connected public figures report that they have been told recently by Rudolph Giuliani that, as of now, he intends to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. The former mayor of New York was on top of last month's national Gallup poll measuring presidential preferences by registered Republicans, with 29 … [Read more...] about Rudy Giuliani Reportedly Readies Presidential Run

We are now flooded with the imagery of violence on a daily basis. From reports coming in from Iraq or Afghanistan...to our daily speech/thought/writing/blogging. So how does one survive in such a world in a healthy manner? Here is a report from The Washington Post providing an option. There is also an interesting documentary "The Laughing Club of India" by … [Read more...] about Laughter in the Violence-prone World

Joe Lieberman has a new strategy and you can read about it here. … [Read more...] about This Just In!

He's either supremely confident of his party's recuperative capabilities, supremely confident of the Democrats' ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, or he knows something we don't know — or any combination of these three: President George W. Bush, trying to boost his standing with Americans, confidently predicted on Friday that Republicans will retain … [Read more...] about GWB Is Confident GOP Will Retain Congressional Control

Here's the latest from TMV's favorite poet, Michael Silverstein, aka Wall Street Poet: A Bummer Summer Baghdad keeps bleeding Iran is a puzzle Young Kim of Korea We can't seem to muzzle Each crisis that pops up We plug with a finger But plug it don't dam it They leak on and linger I don't mean to dwell on All things getting glummer But boy this new summer Could turn out a … [Read more...] about Guest Poet: A Bummer Summer

Everyone wants to be on reality TV these days... … [Read more...] about Osama bin Laden’s Audition Tape For Big Brother

So, now that Tom DeLay is back on the ballot, the folks at Balloon Juice invite you to suggest some campaign slogans. My favorite so far: Tom Delay--A Man of Convictions It's good to have you back, Tom. At least until you're beaten in November. … [Read more...] about The DeLay Campaign Kicks Off (Sort Of. Again.)

Earlier today, Joe addressed a recent poll that found some rather shocking anti-Americanism alive and well in the U.K. — you can find his post here. I responded to that poll over at The Reaction earlier this week. Here's that post: There is still friendship at the highest level — that is, between the White House and 10 Downing Street, Bush and Blair and all who … [Read more...] about So much for the “Special Relationship”

New Jersey, my former home state, has government again. Hoo-wah! It was without government, sort of, after Governor Corzine shut it down last weekend, but now: An agreement to break the state budget deadlock and raise the sales tax to 7 percent, from 6 percent, was reached [yesterday], Gov. Jon S. Corzine announced late [yesterday] afternoon in a news conference with the … [Read more...] about Order in New Jersey

And institutions can have different purposes. It doesn't "weaken" or "degrade" marriage to recognize it in different forms--multi-faceted purposes should rightly be seen as a feature, not a bug. … [Read more...] about Words Mean Different Things

There is an excellent piece from The Times correspondent in Afghanistan trying to understand the unexpected retaliation by the Afghans. "British commanders seem genuinely surprised by the level of resistance they are facing in Helmand. The Ministry of Defence described the Taliban attacks as 'unexpected'. "Unexpected? This is a country that has been battling foreign forces and … [Read more...] about Why British Soldiers Feel Baffled In Afghanistan

Pakistan explains why its diplomats were reticent in paying parking tickets: "In the pre-9/11 era, there was a different understanding of diplomatic privileges." I bet the terrorists didn't park their cars legally either. … [Read more...] about 9/11 Really Did Change Everything

The Economist of London in its latest issue presents a virtual three-dimensional view of Pakistan. It is the strongest indictment of General Pervez Musharraf's seven-year rule on almost all fronts. First, a hard-hitting editorial. "The West has invested a huge amount in Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in October 1999. This newspaper was prepared to give … [Read more...] about General Musharraf and War On Terror : An Assessment

It's over. A debate that would have been mostly a blip on the national news except for the fact that the incumbent running for re-election has stirred up a hornet's nest of enemies who are working feverishly to boot him out of office. But enough about anti-war Democrats and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman.... Actually, WAS it enough? Early news reports indicate that the … [Read more...] about Lieberman Lamont Debate: Less Lincoln-Douglas And More Reagan-Carter?

A good wrap up is here. … [Read more...] about Calderon Now Leads In Mexico

File this in your "hmmmm" department:People in Britain view the United States as a vulgar, crime-ridden society obsessed with money and led by an incompetent president whose Iraq policy is failing, according to a newspaper poll. The United States is no longer a symbol of hope to Britain and the British no longer have confidence in their transatlantic cousins to lead global … [Read more...] about At Least We’re Beloved Abroad

Do the words "Pearl Harbor" suddenly come to mind?North Korea targeted waters near Hawaii when it test fired a long-range missile this week, according to a Japanese newspaper. Japanese and US defence officials, after analysing the missile's path from intelligence data, have concluded that the Taepodong-2, had been targeted near the Pacific island, the conservative daily Sankei … [Read more...] about North Korea’s Missiles Targeted Hawaiian Waters

From MSNBC: President Bush said Thursday that the United States is seeking a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff with North Korea, but cautioned that diplomacy will take time. The seven missiles tested yesterday apparently landed harmlessly in the sea. Nonetheless, the situation remains tense. So tense — and so worrisome — that, as usual, there seems to be … [Read more...] about On the crisis in North Korea