Senator Oldenburg: Judge Roberts, why am I here? Why are you here?
Roberts: Senator, I don't understand your question.
Oldenburg: Well, franking Judge Roberts, I don't understand your answers, or should I say non-answers. Why are we wasting our time here if you feel free to take the 5th and only answer questions that are politically safe?
Roberts: If you feel that this is a waste of time Senator, we should just have the vote now.
[chuckles in the room]
Oldenburg: You wrote the book on giving evasive answers and non-answers, yet your scant record contains lots of troubling issues. You dismiss them by pretending they aren't your opinions but then feel free to pretend your politically beneficial work does reflect your views, which is it? Why don't you feel compelled to explain if and how your views have changed in the last 20 years?
Roberts: Senator, I don't feel it is appropriate to comment on cases that might come before the court.
Oldenburg: And you are the arbitor of what might or might not come before the court? it seems like every "live" issue you fail to discuss with us happens to be one which are politically sensitive to say the least.
Roberts: My job here is to...
Oldenburg: and my job here is to advise the president on whether his nominee is proper for a lifetime appointment to the chief justice of the Supreme Court. And you are being supremely unhelpful to put it kindly. Our job as Senators is not to rubber stamp this president's nominee, but to thoughfully consider you and give the president our advice on what to do with you. That's what President Washington did. That's what President Clinton did. Why is it so difficult for you answer our questions?
Roberts: I feel compelled to prevent what I say here from prejudicing the outcome of future cases.
Oldenburg: Assuming we confirm you. Look, I am tired of the this Kabuki theater. We all know what is going on here, you have the votes to be confirmed, but maybe not to get out of committee if Senator Spector here grows a conscience. I will tell you right now Judge Roberts, I intend not to vote for you. I don't need to pretend to ask you tough questions and you don't need to pretend to answer them any more. I give up.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
NYC dems are a joke
How can you out number the other party somehwere approaching 75-25 and still repeatedly lose the mayoral race and the governorship? New York City Democratic Party will show you how. It is a mix of race-baiting by folks like Al Sharpton, late and divisive primaries, terrible candidates, and moderate to liberal NY Republicans.
The Congressmen from the city and environs are more concerned with lining their campaign coffers and their district than helping get a majority in the House. The local office holders are happy to be corrupt or to make a GOPer look good as long as it makes their primary rivals look bad.
Yesterday, the NYC dems had their primary for November's mayoral election (that's right, the second week of September) and the guy who was the losing nominee for past two or three times barely got 40% if at all. The local congressman who was running has been pressured to concede, even if he can't by law. So their might be a fake run off. Meanwhile billioniare Mike Bloomberg is willing to spend or do whatever it takes to win (after all, he used to be Democrat, but didn't want to go through the primary and kiss the rings of folks like Al Sharpton) re-election.
It looks like Democrats will finally recapture the Governor's office, seemingly the first time since Rockafeller. Of course, it takes a TIME magazine Man of the Year. If only the Utah Republican Party was so inept, Democrats would have the governor and maybe two congressional seats.
The Congressmen from the city and environs are more concerned with lining their campaign coffers and their district than helping get a majority in the House. The local office holders are happy to be corrupt or to make a GOPer look good as long as it makes their primary rivals look bad.
Yesterday, the NYC dems had their primary for November's mayoral election (that's right, the second week of September) and the guy who was the losing nominee for past two or three times barely got 40% if at all. The local congressman who was running has been pressured to concede, even if he can't by law. So their might be a fake run off. Meanwhile billioniare Mike Bloomberg is willing to spend or do whatever it takes to win (after all, he used to be Democrat, but didn't want to go through the primary and kiss the rings of folks like Al Sharpton) re-election.
It looks like Democrats will finally recapture the Governor's office, seemingly the first time since Rockafeller. Of course, it takes a TIME magazine Man of the Year. If only the Utah Republican Party was so inept, Democrats would have the governor and maybe two congressional seats.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Questioning Roberts
I had the idea that the law school might be interested in watching the confrimation hearings of Judge Roberts, so I asked to reserve a room and broadcast CSPAN off the internet. Yesterday, I had 10-15 people. Now today, when there are actual questions by voting members of the committe, I only have 7. I think it is because of all the techical difficulties I had yesterday.
But still how can only 7 students care about the next potential chief justice of the sumpreme court, who will in all likelihood sit as chief for the next 30-40 years.
As sad as that is, even sadder is the softball questions of every republican save the chairman of the committee. I wish partisanship would not trump senators pursuit of their rights as members of the senate. Demanding that the burden be on the 8 democrats and not on Roberts, demanding that his resume and the appointment alone is enough to confirm him.
Roberts seems to be giving a Constitutional Law lecture for several hours now. He sounds like a conversative con law professor. He is wailing against Kennedy's use of foreign law in such cases like Rooper. He is obviously extremely smart, but I don't know if he is in the mainstream. But I am tired of the "questions" that really are compliments.
But still how can only 7 students care about the next potential chief justice of the sumpreme court, who will in all likelihood sit as chief for the next 30-40 years.
As sad as that is, even sadder is the softball questions of every republican save the chairman of the committee. I wish partisanship would not trump senators pursuit of their rights as members of the senate. Demanding that the burden be on the 8 democrats and not on Roberts, demanding that his resume and the appointment alone is enough to confirm him.
Roberts seems to be giving a Constitutional Law lecture for several hours now. He sounds like a conversative con law professor. He is wailing against Kennedy's use of foreign law in such cases like Rooper. He is obviously extremely smart, but I don't know if he is in the mainstream. But I am tired of the "questions" that really are compliments.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Utah, Katrina, and Racism
I am happy to report that my summer clerk friend and Tulane Law student Ethan will be in two classes with me as a visiting student at the law school here. It is good to hear that he is alright and will only be 3 weeks behind the rest of us.
Other evacuees in Utah are not stationed in as nice a place as their parents' house in Sugarhouse. A few hundred or dozen folks have been placed at Camp Williams, a desolate camp near point of the mountain. That's right, near the Utah state prison. Another fun fact is that as far as I can tell, they are all African-Americans. Is it a coincidence, I doubt it. If something like this hit Orange County, I fee the response would be totally different
For many, it was the first time seeing mountains and it will be the first time seeing snow if they are stuck here that long. Some will stay here, either because they are LDS and see it as a sign, or because they have nothing left and no where to go. I am sure they are greatful to be out of the flood waters and not stranded on a freeway overpass, or trapped in the Superdome or Astrodome or Convention Center. However, if I read one more feel good piece about how they all love it here in Utah, I am going to tear up the newspaper. Many don't know where their family members are. It seems officials have done a good job of late of finding hospitals and other places to take care of all these overwhelmingly poor, overwhelming Black survivors of Katrina, but they have done a piss-poor job of writing down WHERE they are sending WHOM.
People's family's will be separated for far too long because of incompetance. In this day and age of the Internet, how can it be that people can't find out where their grandmother is?
Of course, the media coverage has taken a turn for the worse, because now they just paste in whatever a "unnamed senior white house official" told them, regardless of facts and they can't even get into the city under Presidential order. This is pure damage control, shifting the blame onto state and local officials who were overwhelmed by the disaster from Federal officials who shouldn't have been.
The Bush White House is good at one thing and one thing only: campaigning. Everything else they do is squeezed into their campaign mindset. Every piece of legislation is a campaign platform, promise or spin. Every time the president speaks, every where he goes, it is a staged photo-op. Who cares that the national guardsmen are needed to save lives, the firemen to put out burning homes and businesses, the president has to look like he is in charge.
There is no accountibilty for these people except for elections, and in case you forgot, they won in 2004 and can't run again. So there is no incentive to do anything but cover their own butts with sham investigations and blame shifting. This is the second time in 4 years that people died because of their campaigning instead of governing. And this one had much, much more warning.
Other evacuees in Utah are not stationed in as nice a place as their parents' house in Sugarhouse. A few hundred or dozen folks have been placed at Camp Williams, a desolate camp near point of the mountain. That's right, near the Utah state prison. Another fun fact is that as far as I can tell, they are all African-Americans. Is it a coincidence, I doubt it. If something like this hit Orange County, I fee the response would be totally different
For many, it was the first time seeing mountains and it will be the first time seeing snow if they are stuck here that long. Some will stay here, either because they are LDS and see it as a sign, or because they have nothing left and no where to go. I am sure they are greatful to be out of the flood waters and not stranded on a freeway overpass, or trapped in the Superdome or Astrodome or Convention Center. However, if I read one more feel good piece about how they all love it here in Utah, I am going to tear up the newspaper. Many don't know where their family members are. It seems officials have done a good job of late of finding hospitals and other places to take care of all these overwhelmingly poor, overwhelming Black survivors of Katrina, but they have done a piss-poor job of writing down WHERE they are sending WHOM.
People's family's will be separated for far too long because of incompetance. In this day and age of the Internet, how can it be that people can't find out where their grandmother is?
Of course, the media coverage has taken a turn for the worse, because now they just paste in whatever a "unnamed senior white house official" told them, regardless of facts and they can't even get into the city under Presidential order. This is pure damage control, shifting the blame onto state and local officials who were overwhelmed by the disaster from Federal officials who shouldn't have been.
The Bush White House is good at one thing and one thing only: campaigning. Everything else they do is squeezed into their campaign mindset. Every piece of legislation is a campaign platform, promise or spin. Every time the president speaks, every where he goes, it is a staged photo-op. Who cares that the national guardsmen are needed to save lives, the firemen to put out burning homes and businesses, the president has to look like he is in charge.
There is no accountibilty for these people except for elections, and in case you forgot, they won in 2004 and can't run again. So there is no incentive to do anything but cover their own butts with sham investigations and blame shifting. This is the second time in 4 years that people died because of their campaigning instead of governing. And this one had much, much more warning.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Thursday, September 01, 2005
A loss for words
I don't feel I have any place to write about the Hurricane that has destroyed New Orleans. I could go on about the Bush Administration's incompetence and lack of leadership. Or about how it is a bigger dent in the economy than 9/11 was. Or about the racial and class issues about how the city was evacuated.
I would rather talk about my wife's old AP US History teacher and Church Choir Organist George (and our church organist), who is trapped in the Sheraton down there because he was at a College Board conference. Or about my friend Ethan whom I met this summer clerking who went back to Tulane Law 3 weeks ago. Or my dad's ex-law partner who taught at Tulane and his house was 8 blocks away from one of the leavies that broke. I have seen online that many schools have graciously let law students visit their schools for the semester. I just hope Ethan and his French wife are ok, and from the email I have read, my dad's old partner is ok, but financially devistated. Or that George is coming through ok.
They are the lucky ones. Their body isn't floating in the flood waters. They weren't trapped in the Superdome. While the Tulane professor has lost his house and won't have a job at least a semester, he has shelter and has been in contact with friends and family.
We may see more deaths from the water-born diseases that come from unsanitary water and massive flooding. This really is the definion of disaster. It is a glimpse of what the people of South East Asia experienced last winter with the Tsumami. God bless all those souls in New Orleans and in the South East Asia.
I would rather talk about my wife's old AP US History teacher and Church Choir Organist George (and our church organist), who is trapped in the Sheraton down there because he was at a College Board conference. Or about my friend Ethan whom I met this summer clerking who went back to Tulane Law 3 weeks ago. Or my dad's ex-law partner who taught at Tulane and his house was 8 blocks away from one of the leavies that broke. I have seen online that many schools have graciously let law students visit their schools for the semester. I just hope Ethan and his French wife are ok, and from the email I have read, my dad's old partner is ok, but financially devistated. Or that George is coming through ok.
They are the lucky ones. Their body isn't floating in the flood waters. They weren't trapped in the Superdome. While the Tulane professor has lost his house and won't have a job at least a semester, he has shelter and has been in contact with friends and family.
We may see more deaths from the water-born diseases that come from unsanitary water and massive flooding. This really is the definion of disaster. It is a glimpse of what the people of South East Asia experienced last winter with the Tsumami. God bless all those souls in New Orleans and in the South East Asia.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Clark is back
Over the course of a week, Gen. Wesley Clark has emerged as the only possible 2008 voice out there besides Sen. Russ Feingold. Not surprisingly, both are talking about Iraq. Feingold is demanding troop withdrawal by 2006, which despite sounding tough and making certain folks in the blogosphere happy, is really a non-position. Why? Because Bush Co. is going to get out of there by this time next year anyway, even if the country dissolves into civil war (a realistic prospect these days). After all, they don't want to risk GOP control of congress. Not for a little thing like the stability of the Middle East.
Clark has spoken out on Darfur on NPR, wrote a blistering Op-Ed on Iraq in the Washington Post, and appeared on Meet the Press in the ex-Generals panel all in the course of a few days. This week, he is the guest of honor at TPMCafe, he is traveling to Feingold's home state of Wisconsin, and spending several days in the state that doomed his presidential bid last time, Iowa. Make no mistake, this man is running for President again. And he is going to run on Iraq. He is playing to his strengths by being able to talk about ethnic conflict and getting allies together and foreign policy. If 2008 ends up being about immigration, or energy policy, or health care, it will be hard for Clark to make headway. But if Iraq continues to be issue #1 on the minds of Americans, his success in Kosovo could be an asset that would be hard for primary voters to pass up.
The most interesting thing for me watching Meet the Press yesterday was not to hear what Clark had to say, because I knew what he would talk about. The behind the scenes part of the panel was watching how his fellow retired Generals took to Clark and his thoughts. You could see some resentment that he had such a spotlight; you could also see doubts in their eyes, believing that Clark was saying what he said to appease Democratic primary voters. Some were still fresh from the spin zone of the Bush administration, so they still believed the poop that is the Iraq planning smells like Roses. Others were aghast that Clark said that the Generals in the E-Ring were complicit disaster that is the Iraq war plan. It seems that the harder Wes would criticize Bush's Iraq, the more his colleagues would concede that things were going badly.
I support Clark because every time I think about Foreign Policy, and come up with where I stand, I discover that Clark is on the same wavelength. Only he says it much better. Clark is back, with a vengeance.
Clark has spoken out on Darfur on NPR, wrote a blistering Op-Ed on Iraq in the Washington Post, and appeared on Meet the Press in the ex-Generals panel all in the course of a few days. This week, he is the guest of honor at TPMCafe, he is traveling to Feingold's home state of Wisconsin, and spending several days in the state that doomed his presidential bid last time, Iowa. Make no mistake, this man is running for President again. And he is going to run on Iraq. He is playing to his strengths by being able to talk about ethnic conflict and getting allies together and foreign policy. If 2008 ends up being about immigration, or energy policy, or health care, it will be hard for Clark to make headway. But if Iraq continues to be issue #1 on the minds of Americans, his success in Kosovo could be an asset that would be hard for primary voters to pass up.
The most interesting thing for me watching Meet the Press yesterday was not to hear what Clark had to say, because I knew what he would talk about. The behind the scenes part of the panel was watching how his fellow retired Generals took to Clark and his thoughts. You could see some resentment that he had such a spotlight; you could also see doubts in their eyes, believing that Clark was saying what he said to appease Democratic primary voters. Some were still fresh from the spin zone of the Bush administration, so they still believed the poop that is the Iraq planning smells like Roses. Others were aghast that Clark said that the Generals in the E-Ring were complicit disaster that is the Iraq war plan. It seems that the harder Wes would criticize Bush's Iraq, the more his colleagues would concede that things were going badly.
I support Clark because every time I think about Foreign Policy, and come up with where I stand, I discover that Clark is on the same wavelength. Only he says it much better. Clark is back, with a vengeance.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
This takes me back
The Deseret News has a story about how SLC Mayor Rocky Anderson got tons of email for his anti-war stunt. Its seems like only yesterday my MA State Rep. boss was getting spammed from all over the nation and all over the world. Of course, most of the negative stuff were from Red States and most of email overall was not in her district. And at the end of the day, all she really cared about were the out of state supportive ones and the in district ones.
Anyway here is fun graphic, which has the same trends as gay marriage.
Anyway here is fun graphic, which has the same trends as gay marriage.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
The media's tunnel vision
Funny I didn't see this picture in the Salt Lake Tribune
Similiarly, I was sitting at the TRAX station across the street from the KUTV station (CBS affiliate) when a camera man and reporter came up to me. "Are you a student at the U?" The KUTV reporter asked. I told him I was. He asked why I took TRAX, was it high gas prices, parking, or the HIGH COST OF GAS? I knew that if I said it was the high cost of gas, I would be filmed and might get two seconds on local TV. But instead I chose to tell the truth, that we have one car and my wife needs it for work and choir practice. As a result, not filmed. The reporter wants to do a story on how much the high gas prices are effecting students and others, but screening this way gives you preordained quotes and story line. As a result, people will think it is a bigger problem than it really is.
Similiarly, I was sitting at the TRAX station across the street from the KUTV station (CBS affiliate) when a camera man and reporter came up to me. "Are you a student at the U?" The KUTV reporter asked. I told him I was. He asked why I took TRAX, was it high gas prices, parking, or the HIGH COST OF GAS? I knew that if I said it was the high cost of gas, I would be filmed and might get two seconds on local TV. But instead I chose to tell the truth, that we have one car and my wife needs it for work and choir practice. As a result, not filmed. The reporter wants to do a story on how much the high gas prices are effecting students and others, but screening this way gives you preordained quotes and story line. As a result, people will think it is a bigger problem than it really is.
Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed
The Third Avenue's book of the day:
No, this isn't a joke. It is a scary children's book that conservatives are supposed to read to their children so that they will forever be in fear of government regulation of business, business taxation, separation of church and state, etc. First they go for Enron and Bob Jones, next thing you know, they after Timmy's lemonade stand.
I wonder when "Help! Mom! James Dobson Is Under My Bed" will come out. Here is my plot summary: Two consenting adults are about to engage in pre-marital sex, and Dobson pops up to stop them. When the couple is gay, Dobson gets out his gun. When the couple's brain dead daughter is on life support, he blocks the daughter's husband from pulling the plug, even though the daughter asked him to do so.
I guess living in Utah has made me a libertarian that occasionally sees the value of government to prevent our fellow citizens from screwing us over: (insurance companies, big oil, big pharma, televangelists/megachurches, the hyper-rich, etc.). The government's regulation should stop at my bedroom, however, unless I am raping, robbing, murdering, or molesting someone.
hat tip to Political Wire
No, this isn't a joke. It is a scary children's book that conservatives are supposed to read to their children so that they will forever be in fear of government regulation of business, business taxation, separation of church and state, etc. First they go for Enron and Bob Jones, next thing you know, they after Timmy's lemonade stand.
I wonder when "Help! Mom! James Dobson Is Under My Bed" will come out. Here is my plot summary: Two consenting adults are about to engage in pre-marital sex, and Dobson pops up to stop them. When the couple is gay, Dobson gets out his gun. When the couple's brain dead daughter is on life support, he blocks the daughter's husband from pulling the plug, even though the daughter asked him to do so.
I guess living in Utah has made me a libertarian that occasionally sees the value of government to prevent our fellow citizens from screwing us over: (insurance companies, big oil, big pharma, televangelists/megachurches, the hyper-rich, etc.). The government's regulation should stop at my bedroom, however, unless I am raping, robbing, murdering, or molesting someone.
hat tip to Political Wire
Monday, August 22, 2005
VFW attendees want the troops to come home soon
"I'd like to see him get it over with and get our veterans back home," Korean War Air Force veteran Cartatl Parrott said. "I don't want to see it drag out like Vietnam or Korea." "They ought to not leave there until the new government is in place," Parrott said. "But it seems like it's dragging on a little slow."
Desert Storm veteran James Stewart, of Ohio, said he supports the troops serving in Iraq now, but "I don't necessarily support the war."
Other Veterans parroted Dubya's talking points. "If George Bush had done nothing after 9/11 we'd be fighting the war here right now," Vietnam veteran and Utah VFW member Michael Parks said. Lyn Dimery, a Vietnam War Air Force veteran from Murrells Inlet, S.C., said he supports the president and feels the world is a safer place now that Saddam Hussein has been removed from power.
"It's better for us being there and getting one," he said referring to the ongoing hunt for Osama Bin Laden. It's the classic trait of many war supporters, getting Ossama bin Ladin and Saddam Hussein confused and conflated. Gee, I wonder why so many do that. It's not like the Bush Administration tried to mix the two.
"Update" Bush spews the same old lines on Iraq for the 10 billionth time. When does he get his free groceries?
UPDATE-- Channel 4, the ABC affilate (and not the NBC affilate that is owned by the LDS Church that finds Saturday Night Live offensive enough to not broadcast it) is refusing to air an ad by Cindy Sheehan's group. Paul Dayton has the story.
Desert Storm veteran James Stewart, of Ohio, said he supports the troops serving in Iraq now, but "I don't necessarily support the war."
Other Veterans parroted Dubya's talking points. "If George Bush had done nothing after 9/11 we'd be fighting the war here right now," Vietnam veteran and Utah VFW member Michael Parks said. Lyn Dimery, a Vietnam War Air Force veteran from Murrells Inlet, S.C., said he supports the president and feels the world is a safer place now that Saddam Hussein has been removed from power.
"It's better for us being there and getting one," he said referring to the ongoing hunt for Osama Bin Laden. It's the classic trait of many war supporters, getting Ossama bin Ladin and Saddam Hussein confused and conflated. Gee, I wonder why so many do that. It's not like the Bush Administration tried to mix the two.
"Update" Bush spews the same old lines on Iraq for the 10 billionth time. When does he get his free groceries?
UPDATE-- Channel 4, the ABC affilate (and not the NBC affilate that is owned by the LDS Church that finds Saturday Night Live offensive enough to not broadcast it) is refusing to air an ad by Cindy Sheehan's group. Paul Dayton has the story.
Bush photo caption contest
Rove carries Bush's baggage, this time to SLC.
The only non-veteran in the room begins his lecture on war.
Your turn.
Kos et al v. DLC
I for one am so tired of the same old left wing vs. DLC fight that happens about every summer. In the old days, it would be a "The Nation" Op-Ed or a DLC "Memo" that started the food fight. Now a days, it is a post or article online by Kos or MyDD or the DLC.
Each side spins the other's arguments into completely unpopular views that would be political losers. I don't think the party should oppose Bush just because it is a position that Bush took, and I know running to the Chomsky left will not win us national elections. However, I think the stunning display or timidity displayed by folks like Biden and Kerry is frustrating. The pro-war Democrats, particularly the Senators, are having a hard time doing anything besides critiquing the administering of the war, which is too wonkish for Americans to really get.
We shouldn't be discussing the lack of post-war planning, the inadequate number of troops, the looting and disappearance of small arms and munitions that are now being used to kill and maim our soldiers. Those issues where important in 2003. But two years later, Iraq is a disaster. The Iraqis in charge right now don't want us to leave, because they won't be in power in the real Iraq that immerges. Talibani (the Kurdish leader who is PM/President of Iraq, not the Afghan Muslim extremists) has been sabotaging efforts to train and equip the Iraqi army, because Bush and others have said once the Iraqi army can do it alone, the US will get the hell out of Dodge (or Baghdad). The rest of Iraqis can't wait to see us go. The Iranians have been loving every minute of this war, now that a weakened US military won't bother to challenge their virtual takeover of Iraq whom they bitterly fought in the 1980s. This is the Shah’s Revenge.
Democrats need to talk about change, and incompetence in the sense that the GOP has made us less safe by going to and bungling Iraq. We can't just pull out completely immediately, but we can't hang around until January 20, 2009, when a more reality attached president takes charge.
Specific Dates aren't a good idea, but specific events are good times to reduce troops. Like after the constitution is ratified and after elections take place. I don't think we will want to be the Islamic Republic of Iran...I mean Iraq anytime after that anyway.
The DLC and its leadership are obsessed with not repeating the debacle of Vietnam, when Democrats were right, but lost horrifically for years to come. Vietnam was a mistake or many reasons, one of which was that we didn't understand that we were involving ourselves in a battle for independence from Colonialism, and we got on the wrong side. Iraq is war more like Yugoslavia, and one which we created by destroying Saddam's pitiful military and administration. There are three major ethnic groups that were thrown together for the sake of an oil pipeline, and had no history of getting along prior, unlike Yugoslavia. Because it is the desert, these ethnic groups were not as exposed to each other and not used to living and governing together prior to the British drawing all the lines in the sand and appointing despots left and right.
In college I studied the Kurds, and I thought at the time that the best hope for Iraq would be like creating a confederation of 3 semi-autonomous states with relations to the national government like Candada to Quebec, except with insted of upset French Candians obsessed with their culture dissipearing, you have murderously power-hungry religious and ethnic factions who believe they have they exclusive view on the proper way to practice Islam (oh and don't forget the 3rd largest proven oil reserves). So, Iraq of the early 21st century is more like Europe during or before the 30 Year's War...except worse.
In sum, I think both sides are wrong to some extent. But there is no easy way out or solution to any of this. Nevertheless, declaring war on your fellow party members is silly and really won't do much besides elevate the level of attacks. Nobody's mind will change.
Each side spins the other's arguments into completely unpopular views that would be political losers. I don't think the party should oppose Bush just because it is a position that Bush took, and I know running to the Chomsky left will not win us national elections. However, I think the stunning display or timidity displayed by folks like Biden and Kerry is frustrating. The pro-war Democrats, particularly the Senators, are having a hard time doing anything besides critiquing the administering of the war, which is too wonkish for Americans to really get.
We shouldn't be discussing the lack of post-war planning, the inadequate number of troops, the looting and disappearance of small arms and munitions that are now being used to kill and maim our soldiers. Those issues where important in 2003. But two years later, Iraq is a disaster. The Iraqis in charge right now don't want us to leave, because they won't be in power in the real Iraq that immerges. Talibani (the Kurdish leader who is PM/President of Iraq, not the Afghan Muslim extremists) has been sabotaging efforts to train and equip the Iraqi army, because Bush and others have said once the Iraqi army can do it alone, the US will get the hell out of Dodge (or Baghdad). The rest of Iraqis can't wait to see us go. The Iranians have been loving every minute of this war, now that a weakened US military won't bother to challenge their virtual takeover of Iraq whom they bitterly fought in the 1980s. This is the Shah’s Revenge.
Democrats need to talk about change, and incompetence in the sense that the GOP has made us less safe by going to and bungling Iraq. We can't just pull out completely immediately, but we can't hang around until January 20, 2009, when a more reality attached president takes charge.
Specific Dates aren't a good idea, but specific events are good times to reduce troops. Like after the constitution is ratified and after elections take place. I don't think we will want to be the Islamic Republic of Iran...I mean Iraq anytime after that anyway.
The DLC and its leadership are obsessed with not repeating the debacle of Vietnam, when Democrats were right, but lost horrifically for years to come. Vietnam was a mistake or many reasons, one of which was that we didn't understand that we were involving ourselves in a battle for independence from Colonialism, and we got on the wrong side. Iraq is war more like Yugoslavia, and one which we created by destroying Saddam's pitiful military and administration. There are three major ethnic groups that were thrown together for the sake of an oil pipeline, and had no history of getting along prior, unlike Yugoslavia. Because it is the desert, these ethnic groups were not as exposed to each other and not used to living and governing together prior to the British drawing all the lines in the sand and appointing despots left and right.
In college I studied the Kurds, and I thought at the time that the best hope for Iraq would be like creating a confederation of 3 semi-autonomous states with relations to the national government like Candada to Quebec, except with insted of upset French Candians obsessed with their culture dissipearing, you have murderously power-hungry religious and ethnic factions who believe they have they exclusive view on the proper way to practice Islam (oh and don't forget the 3rd largest proven oil reserves). So, Iraq of the early 21st century is more like Europe during or before the 30 Year's War...except worse.
In sum, I think both sides are wrong to some extent. But there is no easy way out or solution to any of this. Nevertheless, declaring war on your fellow party members is silly and really won't do much besides elevate the level of attacks. Nobody's mind will change.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Political careerism shows no party lines
A bipartisan group of congressmen in California, led by Reps. Howard L. Berman (D-Valley Village) and John T. Doolittle (R-Roseville), worried that they might actually stand for election. The FEC has allowed them to raise unlimited soft money to combat Gov. Schwartzengger's redistricting ballot initiative.
California's congressional and state legislative districts are perfect example of what is wrong with the current system. There are ZERO competitive races in California except those that are state-wide races. Every single district that was carved out by the state legislature-- either for themselves or their congressional delegation-- are hopelessly partisan such that the only campaigns occur when the incumbent dies/retires/resigns in scandal and there is a pitched primary fight. Otherwise, voters can and do mostly stay home. This is why our democracy is in danger, because of greedy folks like Congressmen Berman and Doolittle (aptly named if you ask me).
I don't know if I support the specifics of Prop. 77, or the way in which signatures were gathered, but I do approve of removing redistricting duties from state legislators or other partisan and/or elected officials.
The only good thing I can say about Gerrymandering is that one Rep. way back felt the need to come up with the Bill of Rights to win in his Federalist district. But back then, redistricting was a brute alchemy. Today, with decades of computerized voting totals and computer projections based on race, income, marital status, church attendance, etc. these hacks can virtually guarantee a 10 year term for a 2 year office in the House of "Representatives"
California's congressional and state legislative districts are perfect example of what is wrong with the current system. There are ZERO competitive races in California except those that are state-wide races. Every single district that was carved out by the state legislature-- either for themselves or their congressional delegation-- are hopelessly partisan such that the only campaigns occur when the incumbent dies/retires/resigns in scandal and there is a pitched primary fight. Otherwise, voters can and do mostly stay home. This is why our democracy is in danger, because of greedy folks like Congressmen Berman and Doolittle (aptly named if you ask me).
I don't know if I support the specifics of Prop. 77, or the way in which signatures were gathered, but I do approve of removing redistricting duties from state legislators or other partisan and/or elected officials.
The only good thing I can say about Gerrymandering is that one Rep. way back felt the need to come up with the Bill of Rights to win in his Federalist district. But back then, redistricting was a brute alchemy. Today, with decades of computerized voting totals and computer projections based on race, income, marital status, church attendance, etc. these hacks can virtually guarantee a 10 year term for a 2 year office in the House of "Representatives"
Thursday, August 18, 2005
The nutjob that never was
With the release of the pre-screened John Roberts files of the Reagan Administration, the Salt Lake Tribune noticed a familiar name was in the running for what became O'Connor's seat: Dallin Oaks, a then-Utah Supreme Court Justice and soon thereafter a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which, like the U.S. Supreme Court, is a lifetime appointment).
"Bruce Fein, then an associate deputy attorney general, said people like Oaks and future nominee Robert Bork were researched, but they were second-tier prospects because of their gender." And remember how the GOP got all over Clinton for seeking out only women for certain appointments-- like AG, Supreme Court, etc.? Sound like another case of "you're OK if you're a Republican" or otherwise known as hypocrisy. "There weren't anybody but women considered virtually from the start," said Fein, "It wasn't any discredit to Dallin. Bork and [now-Justice Antonin] Scalia weren't in the running either because they weren't women." Bork, Scalia and Oaks in the same breath, you get the idea.
"All this prognostication that this would make Reagan a hero in the female community was absurd, and we ended up with a moderate, then a liberal" in O'Connor, whines Fein. "All those kind of wobbly, non-constitutional or extra-constitutional standards never would have seen the light of day, because she was a vital vote in those cases." I guess he is still bitter they let O'Connor get the nod over those "Constitution in Exile" folks who want to turn the clock back to 1937. O'Connor was a smart pick, there was no real way for Democrats to oppose her and she became the Defacto Chief Justice because of her political savviness. Any liberal progress in the O'Connor court has been lurching yet gradual. I have a hard time crediting or blaming her for launching a new era of Warren Court like liberalism. However, without her, Roe might have been overturned in 1992 with Casey and although she didn't author Lawrence v. Texas or Atkins v. Virginia, they wouldn't have happened without her. Padilla v. Bush also might not have happened.
I am doing a Lexis Nexis search (thanks law school) on his opinions pre-1984 and really focusing on the pre-1981 period, when he was under consideration. Then we can see why folks like Fein liked him.
"Bruce Fein, then an associate deputy attorney general, said people like Oaks and future nominee Robert Bork were researched, but they were second-tier prospects because of their gender." And remember how the GOP got all over Clinton for seeking out only women for certain appointments-- like AG, Supreme Court, etc.? Sound like another case of "you're OK if you're a Republican" or otherwise known as hypocrisy. "There weren't anybody but women considered virtually from the start," said Fein, "It wasn't any discredit to Dallin. Bork and [now-Justice Antonin] Scalia weren't in the running either because they weren't women." Bork, Scalia and Oaks in the same breath, you get the idea.
"All this prognostication that this would make Reagan a hero in the female community was absurd, and we ended up with a moderate, then a liberal" in O'Connor, whines Fein. "All those kind of wobbly, non-constitutional or extra-constitutional standards never would have seen the light of day, because she was a vital vote in those cases." I guess he is still bitter they let O'Connor get the nod over those "Constitution in Exile" folks who want to turn the clock back to 1937. O'Connor was a smart pick, there was no real way for Democrats to oppose her and she became the Defacto Chief Justice because of her political savviness. Any liberal progress in the O'Connor court has been lurching yet gradual. I have a hard time crediting or blaming her for launching a new era of Warren Court like liberalism. However, without her, Roe might have been overturned in 1992 with Casey and although she didn't author Lawrence v. Texas or Atkins v. Virginia, they wouldn't have happened without her. Padilla v. Bush also might not have happened.
I am doing a Lexis Nexis search (thanks law school) on his opinions pre-1984 and really focusing on the pre-1981 period, when he was under consideration. Then we can see why folks like Fein liked him.
Monday, August 15, 2005
another dissipointing weekend
So on Friday, we put in an offer above list price, and STILL lost the house by Saturday. I wonder how much more the other buyer offered, but I am sure they are overpaying. Still, in a way I am happy because I want to be able to get a place on my own without so much financial dependance on our parents to make up the difference between what the bank will finance us for and what we have to offer to get the place.
Even worse was the places we looked at on Saturday, a tiny condo facing a busy highway that leads to I-80/215, a small house on 1st Ave that looks like it was 1950 since anyone stepped inside it. I guess I need to come face to face with my poverty and general craziness of the housing market, but still. Every day that goes by without sucess makes me sadder and sadder since that means I will have to live at my parents for that much longer.
Not that they are terrible, but once you hit a certain age, living with your parents becomes an incredibly annoying and stressful experience, particularly when you have experienced living without them and then have to move back home.
Even worse was the places we looked at on Saturday, a tiny condo facing a busy highway that leads to I-80/215, a small house on 1st Ave that looks like it was 1950 since anyone stepped inside it. I guess I need to come face to face with my poverty and general craziness of the housing market, but still. Every day that goes by without sucess makes me sadder and sadder since that means I will have to live at my parents for that much longer.
Not that they are terrible, but once you hit a certain age, living with your parents becomes an incredibly annoying and stressful experience, particularly when you have experienced living without them and then have to move back home.
Friday, August 12, 2005
I Raq N Roll
Our T-shirt of the month (hattip to Atrios):
Clint will be the featured singer for the DoD's jinoistic May Day Parade...I mean "America Supports Freedom Walk" on the 4th Anniversary of 9.11.01. Freedom, according to the Neo-Con chicken hawks, means giving your full name and telephone number to the government to do a background check to walk with others from the Pentagon to the National Mall to hear right-wing country music star Clint Black.
You can count me out. I walked for Freedom when I strolled into my polling location on November 2, 2004. I guess not enough of us did because now we have four more years of these jokers in charge.
Clint will be the featured singer for the DoD's jinoistic May Day Parade...I mean "America Supports Freedom Walk" on the 4th Anniversary of 9.11.01. Freedom, according to the Neo-Con chicken hawks, means giving your full name and telephone number to the government to do a background check to walk with others from the Pentagon to the National Mall to hear right-wing country music star Clint Black.
You can count me out. I walked for Freedom when I strolled into my polling location on November 2, 2004. I guess not enough of us did because now we have four more years of these jokers in charge.
Deja-Vu all over again
It's the dead of August. The DC press is bored because there is nothing to do in the District, and the President's "ranch" is in the middle of nowhere in a dry town. He is taking the longest vacation in over 30-some-odd years.
Bush's poll numbers are well below 50%, people are wonder why they voted for the guy. They don't believe the guy more and more. Democrats are talking about regaining Congress in the mid-term elections next year.
Really it could be the year 2001 or the year 2005. The only difference is this year, we have a woman camped outside his compound whose lost her son in Bush's war that has gone increasingly South. With no end in sight and nothing to do, the press talk to Cindy Sheehan. The right wing noise machine attempted their tried and true Swift Boating. But it seems cheep and biter on your average citizen, and not a public servant or a candidate for office.
Maybe I really can buy into all the talk of the implosion of the Bush-Cheney machine. They have indictments on one of their biggest assests on K Street, whose linked to several powerful members of Congress, including the House Majority Leader. You have the likely indictments of Bush's "brain" and Cheney's "right hand man" in the fall, and it all circling back to the increasingly unpopular War in Iraq. Their are hints that the Plame investigation links back the temporary U.N. Ambassador and the manufactured causus belli for the War.
I can only dream of a Cheney '08 campaign. Almost any Democratic Nominee (maybe even the hapless Kerry) would stomp him into a Dukakis-like drubbing, by running against the Bush-Cheney record the VP's amazing ability to be on the wrong side of a policy decision almost every time throughout Bush's presidency. A close second dream GOP nominee for me would be Bill Frist, the Senate Majority leader tied to indicted vote suppressor in New Hampshire. Frist is also famous for flip-flopping on which GOP interest group he panders to most, the business lobby or the religious extremists. Dr. Bill has also been a terrible Majority Leader in terms of actually getting the president's agenda through the Senate and making his GOP collegues look good. Tied for third place would be Sen. Brownback and Rep. Tancredo, who represent the extreme Right-to-Life and anti-Immigrant wings of the GOP, respectively.
Bush's poll numbers are well below 50%, people are wonder why they voted for the guy. They don't believe the guy more and more. Democrats are talking about regaining Congress in the mid-term elections next year.
Really it could be the year 2001 or the year 2005. The only difference is this year, we have a woman camped outside his compound whose lost her son in Bush's war that has gone increasingly South. With no end in sight and nothing to do, the press talk to Cindy Sheehan. The right wing noise machine attempted their tried and true Swift Boating. But it seems cheep and biter on your average citizen, and not a public servant or a candidate for office.
Maybe I really can buy into all the talk of the implosion of the Bush-Cheney machine. They have indictments on one of their biggest assests on K Street, whose linked to several powerful members of Congress, including the House Majority Leader. You have the likely indictments of Bush's "brain" and Cheney's "right hand man" in the fall, and it all circling back to the increasingly unpopular War in Iraq. Their are hints that the Plame investigation links back the temporary U.N. Ambassador and the manufactured causus belli for the War.
I can only dream of a Cheney '08 campaign. Almost any Democratic Nominee (maybe even the hapless Kerry) would stomp him into a Dukakis-like drubbing, by running against the Bush-Cheney record the VP's amazing ability to be on the wrong side of a policy decision almost every time throughout Bush's presidency. A close second dream GOP nominee for me would be Bill Frist, the Senate Majority leader tied to indicted vote suppressor in New Hampshire. Frist is also famous for flip-flopping on which GOP interest group he panders to most, the business lobby or the religious extremists. Dr. Bill has also been a terrible Majority Leader in terms of actually getting the president's agenda through the Senate and making his GOP collegues look good. Tied for third place would be Sen. Brownback and Rep. Tancredo, who represent the extreme Right-to-Life and anti-Immigrant wings of the GOP, respectively.
Monday, August 08, 2005
NARAL is NA-wrong
There is something about Roberts that spooks me. Maybe it is deep blue eyes, his smile, his youth, and his hidden ideology. In his 2.5 years on the DC circuit bench, he has done a great job of keeping his head down and following in Reinquist's footsteps as GOP political hack to Supreme Court Justice.
Even though I am basically pro-choice (because I believe in the right to privacy), there are many things I disagree with NARAL. This TV ad is one of them. First of all, on style: it features a lady who was bombed at an abortion clinic talking about how her life has changed etc. but her quotes say nothing about John Roberts. The whole thing is super tenuous.
Why is NARAL making such a ridiculous ad? They figure if the religious right is so excited about Roberts, he must be radically pro-life. And him preparing an Amicus Brief for Operation Rescue makes one rightfully think there is something to NARAL's guess.
We would all be better served if the White House would just release these papers and we could get a better picture of what Roberts really stands for, rather than just guessing based on associations (Federalist Society, Operation Rescue) and side legal work (LAMBA Defense League). Because right now, it looks like he is pro-Corporation, wildly pro-life, and yet pro-gay rights.
Even though I am basically pro-choice (because I believe in the right to privacy), there are many things I disagree with NARAL. This TV ad is one of them. First of all, on style: it features a lady who was bombed at an abortion clinic talking about how her life has changed etc. but her quotes say nothing about John Roberts. The whole thing is super tenuous.
Why is NARAL making such a ridiculous ad? They figure if the religious right is so excited about Roberts, he must be radically pro-life. And him preparing an Amicus Brief for Operation Rescue makes one rightfully think there is something to NARAL's guess.
We would all be better served if the White House would just release these papers and we could get a better picture of what Roberts really stands for, rather than just guessing based on associations (Federalist Society, Operation Rescue) and side legal work (LAMBA Defense League). Because right now, it looks like he is pro-Corporation, wildly pro-life, and yet pro-gay rights.
On J. Golden Pond
Well reality drove home Saturday afternoon when my parents arrived home from their weeklong vacation. Now it is clear that we have 4 people living in the house with 3 cars and 3 jobs.
We took my mom with us on Sunday to look at a place. I have to say that we are good detectives. First some one told us the previous owner died of brain cancer. But on our second tour of the condo, I noticed a Rx bottle on the floor. On it was the person's name and what used to be in the bottle. When we got home, we learned that the medication was for depression and that the previous owner died of non-Hodgkins Lyphoma about a year ago (we found the obituary). We also now know she had two cats, which to the renovator's credit, you can't smell. She sounds like a great lady.
Overall we like the actual unit, with a nice location, good size (1530 sq. ft.), 2 beds , 2 baths, and over all nice appliances etc. The major downsides are that the HOA fees are high for seemingly no purpose (nearly $200 with no pool etc.) and that the exterior of the building needs lots of work. My bet is that the two are related. So it is still in the running, but we have some serious doubts.
Why the title? Utahns and LDS church members will know that J. Golden Kimball was the "swearing elder" who lived in Utah from the day the Mormon Pioneers came into the Salt Lake Valley until 1938. On Sunday night, my wife and I volunteered at KUED for those telethons. I was one of those schucks answering the phones. It was actually quite fun because we were placed with irreverant Barnes and Noble employees and friends and we got a free dinner and tour of the studio. But the show "On the Road with J. Golden Kimball" was the last one to play and it brought the money pouring into KUED. People love the folk stories of "Uncle Golden" as told by his grandnephew Jim Kimball, who died last May of brain cancer (see how it ties together with the condo?). If even half the stories are true, Uncle Golden was quite a funny man and good figure for the church that has a reputation for taking itself too seriously.
I hereby gladly accept any and all J. Golden Kimball stories in this comment thread.
We took my mom with us on Sunday to look at a place. I have to say that we are good detectives. First some one told us the previous owner died of brain cancer. But on our second tour of the condo, I noticed a Rx bottle on the floor. On it was the person's name and what used to be in the bottle. When we got home, we learned that the medication was for depression and that the previous owner died of non-Hodgkins Lyphoma about a year ago (we found the obituary). We also now know she had two cats, which to the renovator's credit, you can't smell. She sounds like a great lady.
Overall we like the actual unit, with a nice location, good size (1530 sq. ft.), 2 beds , 2 baths, and over all nice appliances etc. The major downsides are that the HOA fees are high for seemingly no purpose (nearly $200 with no pool etc.) and that the exterior of the building needs lots of work. My bet is that the two are related. So it is still in the running, but we have some serious doubts.
Why the title? Utahns and LDS church members will know that J. Golden Kimball was the "swearing elder" who lived in Utah from the day the Mormon Pioneers came into the Salt Lake Valley until 1938. On Sunday night, my wife and I volunteered at KUED for those telethons. I was one of those schucks answering the phones. It was actually quite fun because we were placed with irreverant Barnes and Noble employees and friends and we got a free dinner and tour of the studio. But the show "On the Road with J. Golden Kimball" was the last one to play and it brought the money pouring into KUED. People love the folk stories of "Uncle Golden" as told by his grandnephew Jim Kimball, who died last May of brain cancer (see how it ties together with the condo?). If even half the stories are true, Uncle Golden was quite a funny man and good figure for the church that has a reputation for taking itself too seriously.
I hereby gladly accept any and all J. Golden Kimball stories in this comment thread.
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