Somewhere, Paris Hilton Is Kicking Herself

And saying “Why the hell didn’t I think of that”:

An IDF soldier fled an interrogation room by exposing her breasts to a stunned officer.

The soldier was interrogated at the Biranit army base on the northern border after she refused to undergo a drugs test. A short while after her questioning began the soldier was seen walking out of the interrogation room and heading toward the main gate.

An officer at the base told her she was under arrest and demanded that she return to the interrogation room, at which point the soldier took her shirt off and told the officer: “Let’s see if you can arrest me.”

The soldier took advantage of the officer’s momentary lack of concentration and quickly left the base. She was caught a short while later.

Consider this your nightly open (and wide) thread.

*** Update ***

I can not stop watching this video. I bet I have watched it 40 times and laughed just as hard each time. Does anyone know how I can make it my screen saver?

Happy Halloween- Now For Something Scary

I have only been a Democrat for just a few hours, and already I feel the need to defend Hillary. Brace yourselves.

Hillary is getting a bum rap for this:

On the blogs and elsewhere, it is being played out as if this is more evidence of Hillary engaging in doublespeak, or flip-flopping, or whatever, and, quite frankly, it is bullshit. Kevin Drum goes so far as to call it “unusually spineless.” Hillary’s position is quite clear- we have a mess, what Spitzer is doing makes sense, and I may not like it and it may not be the best solution and it is certainly not without flaws, but in the void created by the lack of action by Congress and this administration, I understand why he is doing it. Read the transcript, and get out of ‘Gotcha’ mode:

Clinton: Well, what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is fill the vacuum left by the failure of this administration to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. We know in New York we have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally. They are undocumented workers. They are driving on our roads. The possibility of them having an accident that harms themselves or others is just a matter of the odds. It’s probability.

So what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is to fill the vacuum. I believe we need to get back to comprehensive immigration reform because no state, no matter how well intentioned, can fill this gap. There needs to be federal action on immigration reform.

***

Clinton: Well, I just want to add, I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do…

(Unknown): Wait a minute…

Clinton: And we have failed. We have failed.

Dodd: No, no, no. You said—you said yes…

Clinton: No.

Dodd: ... you thought it made sense to do it.

Clinton: No, I didn’t, Chris. But the point is, what are we going to do with all these illegal immigrants who are driving…

Dodd: That’s a legitimate issue. But driver’s license goes too far, in my view.

Clinton: Well, you may say that, but what is the identification?

If somebody runs into you today who is an undocumented worker…

Dodd: There’s ways of dealing with that.

Clinton: Well…

Dodd: This is a privilege, not a right.

Clinton: Well, what Governor Spitzer has agreed to do is to have three different licenses, one that provides identification for actually going onto airplanes and other kinds of security issues, another which is another ordinary driver’s license, and then a special card that identifies the people who would be on the road, so…

That isn’t doublespeak. That isn’t trying to have your cake and eat it, too. That isn’t the classic Clinton triangulation that infuriates us all so much. It is someone recognizing that there are realities on the ground that supercede simple responses that may make one or another political faction happy, or make a good soundbite, but won’t deal with the problem at all. You would think you all had had enough of rigid and reflexive stupidity the past seven years and ‘solutions’ that work great in fantasyland (“The war will pay for itself!”and “We will be greeted as liberators!”), and would appreciate someone being, well, sensible. Sometimes you don’t have a magic answer that makes you 100% happy.

I understand the need for the candidates to put pressure on Clinton, and believe me, I am one of the foremost believers that Hillary will say or do anything to get elected. But in this case, the pressure Dodd and Obama are putting on Clinton is not only unfair, it is simplistic and stupid and plays right into the narrative the idiots in the media love to tell (and I can guarantee they will). Hell, poor Bob Somerby will probably have to spend a week documenting the idiotic Hardball reactions to this one segment.

This kind of crap is self-defeating, and as much as I like Dodd and dislike Hillary, I think he was wrong on this. I recognize the real value he is bringing to the current Democratic field and the national debate, and were it not for him, none of the other candidates probably would have come out against Mukasey (in what we all know is Kabuki dance that will end predictably- only the candidates running and a few safe seats will oppose his nomination, the rest will fold after the “reasonable” Republicans back down. Already Graham and Specter are doing the predictable walkback, so predictable that Tim even has a category here called Spectering).

However, in this case, the Democrats were too overzealous in their attacks on Hillary. The simple fact of the matter is there is no good answer to the mess of illegal immigration, Spitzer is trying to do something, anything, to gain some order, and Hillary may not like it (I certainly don’t), but recognizes the value in what he is attempting to do.

That isn’t double-talk or flip-flopping. It is called dealing with reality. And if you have a better idea to deal with Spitzer’s problem, by all means, spit it up.

*** Update ***

Christ. Jane at FDL says basically the same damned thing at roughly the same time. I guess I am one of the Jane Hamsher’s of the left now and the assimilation was quicker and less painful than I thought it would be. I need a drink.

Not a Movie

But a good plot:

Sailors from the Norfolk-based destroyer James E. Williams boarded a North Korean merchant ship that had been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, while two other Navy vessels tailed a pirated Japanese ship in the same region.

The Williams, which left Norfolk in July , was about 50 nautical miles from the ship Dai Hong Dan in the Arabian Sea when it received word of the pirate attack, said Lt. John Gay , a spokesman for the Navy’s Central Command in Manama, Bahrain.

The Williams dispatched a helicopter and ordered the pirates to give up their weapons via a bridge-to-bridge radio. The North Korean crew, which had retained control of the steering and engineering spaces, then confronted the pirates and gained back control of the bridge, according to a Navy news release.

WTF!?, over.

Five bucks says Giuliani ties this to 9/11.

So Much For The Weblog Awards

What day does the Weblog Awards committee announce their finalists? You know, the list that our overwhelming dominance of the nomination thread suggested that we might make for a change? That’s right, tomorrow. We could still debate the fine points of conservatism versus authoritarianism but let’s be honest, John salutes Nancy Pelosi now.

Oh well. I hope that next year they have a category for Best Newly Democratic Cindy Sheehan Addict With A Godawful Sense Of Timing.

Say Hello to the Newest Member of the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy

I had meant to re-register independent (or as it is known here in West Virginia, “No Party Affiliation”) for the past two weeks after I had finally had enough of the bullshit during the Graeme Frost escapade, but never got around to it (and it really was not that big of a deal, I had made the mental commitment, which is what matters). I had to pick up a registered letter for an unrelated issue, so I went to the Court House to the Voter Registration Office.

I had intended to register independent, but when I got there to do it, I had a moment of clarity- there seemed to be no point leaving the Republican party in protest and joining the unwashed masses. If I really was going to protest, it made no sense to not commit to the opposition party. Besides, as a Republican all these years, I never had any problem voting for libertarians, Democrats, etc., I don’t see why being a Democrat will change anything. And, the 2008 election really is the most important election of my lifetime- the basic foundation of our country has been under assault for a while, now, and I want to vote in the Democratic primary as a Democrat, not as someone with no party affiliation. I want to send a message, and as small as this gesture (which should appropriately be interpreted as a middle finger to the GOP and not as a sloppy wet kiss to Nancy Pelosi) is, I want it to mean as much as possible. There is now one less Republican in WV, and one more Democrat.

Long story short, I got up there to register as an independent, said “Fuck it,” and now I am a Democrat. I certainly don’t agree with all their positions, but they are not bat-shit crazy like the GOP. That has to count for something. Additionally, I no longer have to read posts by the 24% crowd calling me a “true conservative” with quotes o’sarcasm (you know who they are). Not any more, bitches. I repudiate you, your party, and whatever the fuck it is you are currently pretending is “conservatism.” It isn’t.

Now send me my check from Soros and the 40 virgins.

*** Update ***

And you have no idea how mad at me Tim is right now. I will let him explain.

Freedom Is On the, Umm, March?

Via the Intel-Dump (we were alerted through the comments of this post), this video of the our soldiers training the Iraqi Army:

Stop laughing. In fairness, jumping jacks (aka the side straddle hop) are an unnatural calisthenic. We just think it is as normal as can be because we don’t remember how stupid we looked in kindergarten when we learned how to do them.

Ok. Start laughing again.

*** Update ***

I can not stop watching this video. Every ten minutes I stop working, and watch it and laugh hysterically. The last time this happened was with this piece of excellence:

Still the greatest mash-up of all time.

The Star Wars mashup is pretty good, too.

Emailgate: America Held Hostage, Day 4

The latest developments can be found here.

The whole thing is just weird. The only rational explanations I can think of are that Boylan wrote the email, and now wishes he hadn’t, or has allowed subordinates to write emails for him, one got a little overzealous, and now Boylan is dealing with the shit-storm.

There is, I guess, always the possibility that it was just a spoof to begin with, but you would think the military would want to get to the bottom of that. At the same time, let’s also remember the one thing that the idiots rabidly chasing Beauchamp never did- these guys do have a lot of shit on their plate at the moment.

The Values Party

Another rising star plummets back to earth:

Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona was once seen as a rising star in state Republican politics and had been mentioned as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor.

But the head of the nation’s fifth largest sheriff’s department has been indicted on federal corruption charges and is now fighting to save his career and stay out of prison.

Carona was expected to turn himself over to authorities Wednesday at the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana ahead of an afternoon arraignment, U.S. attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek said. The three-term sheriff faces seven counts, including conspiracy, mail fraud and witness tampering, according to a sweeping indictment unsealed a day earlier.

Also charged were Carona’s wife of 27 years, Deborah, and attorney Debra Victoria Hoffman, identified in court papers as his “longtime mistress.”

***

Two former assistant sheriffs, Donald Haidl and George Jaramillo, previously pleaded guilty to related charges as part of a deal with prosecutors. Jaramillo, who is currently serving a 12-month term on state charges, cooperated with federal investigators to bring the case against Carona, his attorney said.

If convicted on all counts, Carona could face a maximum sentence of 105 years in prison, plus thousands of dollars in fines.

105 years? I might be ready to vote for Republicans again by then. The rot runs deep and wide in the current GOP, and I am, quite frankly, astonished that Carona has not been tapped for a Bush administration Justice Department position. This is the kind of talent they seem to really appreciate.

Outreach? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Outreach!

More Republican scheduling conflicts:

In recent weeks, Republican presidential candidates have found time in their busy schedules to speak or debate before the Republican Jewish Coalition, “Value Voters,” conservative Floridians, even Wyoming Republicans, who hold virtually no sway in the primary race. They’ve also agreed to appear at the CNN/YouTube debate they at one point shunned.

But it appears that some GOP frontrunners are once again letting an opportunity to appear before African-American voters lapse, just as they decided to sit out a black voter forum hosted last month by Tavis Smiley.

2007-10-30-debate.jpgThe Congressional Black Caucus Institute announced in September that it had scheduled a debate for November 4 on Fox News for Republican presidential candidates. But a spokeswoman for the group confirmed to the Huffington Post that it has now been postponed, with no new date set.

“The debate will not take place on November 4, and we’re still considering the debate schedule,” said CBC Institute spokesperson Georgella Muirhead.

Republican candidates have cited scheduling conflicts in resisting new proposed dates, Muirhead said.

In all fairness, the GOP may not need the African-American vote now that we are learning the truly massive size and scope of the closeted not-gay Republican wetsuit lobby.

Via the Carpetbagger by way of the Washington Monthly.

Another Terrorist Captured

Fox news, during the California wildfires last week:

Questionable 4-year-old FBI memo presented as new to stoke terror fears

Did al Qaeda start the California wildfires?

As more than a million people escaped the flames, Fox News anchors couldn’t help speculating about a terrorism link to the blazes ravaging southern California.

“I’ve heard some people talk about this a little bit to me, but have you heard anybody suggest that this could be some form of terrorism,” Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy asked Wednesday morning.

Correspondent Adam Housley said he’s received “hundreds of comments” from readers of his Fox News blog speculating about a link to terrorism.

Rest easy, Fox news viewers, and come out of your bunkers. One of the terrorists has been apprehended:

Officials blamed a wildfire that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week on a boy playing with matches, and said they would ask a prosecutor to consider the case.

The boy, whose name and age were not released, admitted to sparking the fire on Oct. 21, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Diane Hecht said Tuesday. Ferocious winds helped it quickly spread.

“He admitted to playing with matches and accidentally starting the fire,” Hecht said in a statement.

The boy was released to his parents, and the case will be presented to the district attorney’s office, Hecht said. It was not clear if he had been arrested or cited by detectives.

It really is hard to imagine something more irresponsible than the terrorism/wildfire link Fox News was trying to spread last week.

Ron Paul

I see that Andrew already has the Youtube of Ron Paul’s visit to Leno last night, which I saw live. Andrew quips: “Freedom: I wonder if today’s GOP leaders have heard of the idea?”

There really is one thing I do not understand about Ron Paul- why do some unseemly types seem to be attracted to him? Every day we read about some nutter or another who has contributed to him (which the GOP party apparatchiks, terrified of a Paul candidacy, quickly promote), but I have gone through his position on the issues, and the only thing I can see that would even remotely be attractive to the less seemly crowd is his position on immigration:

No amnesty. Estimates suggest that 10 to 20 million people are in our country illegally. That’s a lot of people to reward for breaking our laws.

No welfare for illegal aliens. Americans have welcomed immigrants who seek opportunity, work hard, and play by the rules. But taxpayers should not pay for illegal immigrants who use hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, and social services.

End birthright citizenship. As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be citizens, the incentive to enter the U.S. illegally will remain strong.

Surely Paul can not be the only Republican candidate who has that position on immigration, so why does it seem like the Stormfront crowds like Paul, and that a small minority of his supporters (the most vocal ones, if you are to believe Red State) are from less savory parts of the political sphere? Am I missing some dog whistles?

I do know one thing, though, about Paul. Of all the candidates on both sides of the aisle, Ron Paul is the one that my largely apolitical friends keep talking about. I was talking to a co-worker yesterday on the walk to a workshop, and he had seen Paul on C-Span. Now granted, this co-worker is to the left politically of the Democratic party, and is truly one of the folks out there who thinks the Democrats are just as corporatist (and here is Jay Rockefeller shilling for Telecom amnesty, if you needed more evidence) as the GOP, and as such, is largely disillusioned with the entire political process. However, he had glowing things to say about Paul. He doesn’t agree with him on everything, but stated that many of his proposals and positions made sense and resonated.

Like I said, he is not the only one.

Rats, Ship, Etc.

Karen Hughes edition:

Karen Hughes, who led efforts to improve the U.S. image abroad and was one of President Bush’s last remaining advisers from the close circle of Texas aides, will leave the government at the end of the year.

Hughes told The Associated Press that she plans to quit her job as undersecretary of state and return to Texas, although improving the world’s view of the United States is a “long-term challenge” that will outlast her.

“This will take a number of years,” Hughes said in an interview Tuesday.

Announcing Hughes’ decision to leave the department in mid-December, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she had accepted the resignation “with a great deal of sadness but also a great deal of happiness for what she has achieved” and with the understanding that she would continue to work on several projects.

Can anyone tell me exactly what she has achieved? And that is only partially sarcastic. What exactly did she do? Isn’t our image abroad WORSE than when she started (not that it can be blamed on her, as it might have been far worse without her)?

Chris Dodd on Dope

Chris Dodd, in the debate last night discussing marijuana, medical or otherwise:

“We’re locking up too many people in our system here today. We’ve got mandatory minimum sentences, they are filling our jails with people that don’t belong there. My idea is to decriminalize this, reduce that problem here. We’ve gone from 800,000 to 2 million people in our penal institutions in this country. We’ve got to get a lot smarter about this issue than we are. And as president, I’d try and achieve that.”

I really don’t understand how this is not the default position of everyone running for President. This is such a tremendous waste of resources. Watching Dodd during the debates last night, it became clear that there are bunch of people running for President as Democrats, whereas Dodd is running to lead this country.

Obligatory troll protection:

No. I don’t smoke marijuana.

*** Update ***

In what is surely a sign of the coming apocalypse, I provide you with this link to Atrios’s Actblue donation to Chris Dodd.

Things You Have to See to Believe

1.) There is a Klan rally in Alabama, to protest the Klan:

Apparently not all Klans are created equal.

Days after the Cullman City Council approved a permit request by the National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan to assemble in front of the courthouse, members of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan announced their group’s intent to be there as well.

The Times received an email from Ken Mier, who identified himself as an investigator for the Alabama Klan and the national office of the Ku Klux Klan LLC. Mier said his group is different from the Church of the National Knights and is against that organization’s protest tactics.

“There are many differences between our organizations that can obviously be noticed,” he said in his correspondence. “We are the real Klan and descendants of the original non-violent Klans-people.”

The Klan is just so misunderstood.

2.) Another “not-gay” Republican with an anti-gay voting record caught in, surprise, a gay-sex scandal:

State Rep. Richard Curtis, R-La Center, admitted to having sex with a man he met at an adult video store in Spokane last week, according to a police report released Tuesday afternoon.

The police report offers a damning and far different version of events from the brief account Curtis gave to The Columbian Monday, one that seems likely to threaten Curtis’ political future.

The report is filled with graphic details of an encounter that began at a porn store on a Spokane Valley strip and concluded miles away in Curtis’ room at the city’s poshest hotel.

The police report contains an account of how Curtis allegedly donned women’s clothing, red stockings and a black sequined lingerie top before engaging in a sex act at the store. He continued to wear them throughout the night under his clothing.

Take it away, Tbogg:

As someone noted before, the Conservative Kink bar has been set so high, that if you aren’t found dangling from a ceiling beam wearing a minimum of two wetsuits with a dildo shoved up your butt, you’re considered kind of vanilla.

3.) You are going to just love the name of the Republican running to fill DeLay’s seat:

Pasadena Mayor John Manlove resigned his post of six years Monday to join a crowded field seeking the Republican nomination for the congressional seat once held by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Manlove, 54, who owns his own marketing and advertising firm, said he had been encouraged for months by supporters to seek the seat now held by U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson.

Apparently, the GOP was unsuccessful convincing Tom Iraqwarfailures and Jim Fiscalmess to run, so they had to settle for Manlove.

From the comments, a possible slogan which may play well with the values party: “Hi! My name is John Manlove, and I am interested in Nick Lampson’s seat.”

Consider this a “wide” and open thread.

The Democrats Are Worse- Late Night Captain Ed Edition

Thought I would check memorandum one last time before going to bed, and I found this gem. Captain Ed, in a long post about the investigation into the alleged corruption of Ted Stevens, comes to the conclusion that the Feds probably will be able to make a case against the Alaskan Senator, and then closes his post with this thing of beauty:

Regardless of whether the FBI can prove corruption, these cases demonstrate clearly that pork corrodes the process of government. When our elected representatives place themselves in positions to have themselves or their families directly benefit from their legislative activities, it becomes a gross conflict of interest. That’s true whether the Senator is Ted Stevens or Harry Reid. The porkers put their own pecuniary interests ahead of the fiscal responsibilities of the nation, and the only productivity we get is in the industry of rationalization.

In case you are wondering, the number of times Harry Reid’s name appeared in the article Ed used as his source is approximately ZERO. The sad thing is he probably doesn’t even realize he is being hacktacular.