Did you know that you could get to the NY Times with just the url http://times.com ? I have always used nytimes.com. Cool.
Archives for October 2003
Bush Doesn’t Care
Some context for the “Bush Doesn’t Care” crew:
Novak is the perfect receptacle for such a leak. An old-time Washington insider known for his gruff manner, black suits, conservative leanings and love of Washington intrigue, Novak has been jokingly called
(R)nold
According to the Calpundit:
We’re now up to 15 women who say Arnold “fondled, spanked or touched them” between 1979 and 2000. I guess before long it’s going to be easier just to list the women who aren’t on Arnold’s list.
According to my caclulations from the lessons learned during the Clinton years, Arnold is approximately one rape charge away from a NOW endorsement.
*** Update ***
In fact, even during their breathless condemnations of Arnold, they invoke the memory of Clinton, yet fail to see the irony:
For the charges to sway the recall at this late date, it will take more than the ad campaign being mounted by women’s groups. Politicians and the press would have to treat the story as a major scandal with potentially devastating consequences for California, the nation, morality and Western civilization. One wonders what would happen if even a fraction of the energy expended on Bill Clinton’s sex scandals was applied to Mr. Schwarzenegger.
I wonder what would happen, too. Would the author of this piece endorse him as she did Clinton? How about the author’s editor, Katrina van den Heuvel? What about Patty Ireland, former NOW President, who shilled for Clinton for 8 years?
BTW- there is one difference between Arnold and Clinton- people actually brought charges against Clinton, providing him all sorts of opportunities to perjure himself.
Chicago
I just saw Chicago, and, well- it was great. Well worth the two hours, and I was shocked by the performances of Renee Zellweger and John Reilly. And, of course, it has Queen Latifah, who I think is the female Snoop Dogg- anything she does is cool.
Also- the Press Conference/marionette (‘We Both Reached For the Gun’) scene is about the best ten minutes of movie ever made. I just loved that.
And Then There Were Only Nine
Bob Graham’ diary for 2 October 2003:
8 am: Breakfast
12 pm: Lunch
5 pm: Dinner
6 pm: Acknowledge that there is no chance in hell I will ever be President.
Democrat Bob Graham (search) will hold a news conference Friday to announce that he will be dropping out of the presidential race, Fox News has learned.
Graham’s campaign only has about $1 million cash on hand, causing a dire financial situation and the spokesman for Graham’s campaign resigned Thursday as his staff considered how to save his lagging candidacy.
Jamal Simmons told Graham and his wife, Adele, that he was leaving as the candidate prepared to meet with his advisers at his Miami Lakes, Fla., headquarters to discuss the campaign’s future.
As he left the meeting, Graham said his advisers presented alternatives for the campaign but no decision had been made.
“We’ll make a decision shortly,” said Graham, Florida’s senior senator.
After the meeting, an official close to Graham said he was letting go of several staff members, some of them senior aides — but did not say that Graham was withdrawing from the race.
I used to respect Graham before he entered this race.
*** Update ***
As noted in the comments section by Gary Farber, this Fox News announcement was premature. I stand by the accuracy that Graham will dorp out of the race and never be President- I was just a bit early.
Rush Limbaugh and Pills
John Hawkins has scooped the mainstream press (again) with a whole history of Rush, pain killers, and hearing loss.
A must read.
One More Time
I am going to say this one more time, so this time even the differently abled pundits on both sides of the blogosphere understand it. Stating that Bush does not care about the Plame affair is so farcically absurd that it pains me that reasonable people keep making the claim.
If, on no other level, Bush cares from a mere political standpoint, and that is assuming the most crass approach the President could take. Even the ‘dummy’ Bush understand the vast amount of political damage this scandal has caused.
However, I think it is also safe to say that the President is probably livid about someone intentionally or unintentionally outing a CIA agent, for whatever the reasons. Having said that, it is important to point out that Bush simply can’t just ‘hold a Cabinet meeting and end this.’ There is now a criminal investigation in place, run by the Counterespionage civil servants in the DOJ, and if Bush did anything, it would be widely seen (correctly, IMHO) as interference.
While Kevin Drum might like to continuously repeat the ‘Bush doesn’t care’ meme over and over again for partisan effect, there is really not much he can do at this point in time. Personally, I wish it were that simple, that President Bush simply ‘caring’ would fix this matter, but it is clear that this is something that has to be treated with a bunch of investigative and legal procedures directing the outcome.
It is fair to say that this should have been handled in July- on July 22nd I wrote the following:
If Wilson’s charges are accurate, this is ugly, very ugly….
And he is right- not that politicization of intelligence and this sort of retribution is anything new, as it has been going on for ages, even during the Golden Age of Clinton- but that is not the point. If some ‘senior officials’ compromised CIA agents, heads need to roll and someone needs to go to jail or have his/her career ruined.
Nothing has changed with my opinion, but with the DOJ referral, things are now out of the President’s hands. Period.