MyDaddy'sBlog

2003-06-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

WMD Evidence

Via TBogg and the White House:

2003-05-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Justice, Texas-Style

YeeeeHawwww:

The Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct says Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Thurman Bartie told inmates he knew their home addresses and would have sex with their wives while they were locked up.

The report also says Bartie took off his belt and told parents to use it to beat their children and swore at those who appeared before him.

2003-05-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Why Paul Wolfowitz Deserves To Be Publicly Horsewhipped

Wolfowitz on the reason for war:

""For bureaucratic reasons we settled on one issue, weapons of mass destruction, because it was the one reason everyone could agree on."

2003-05-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Hunt For ~~Snipe~~ Weapons Of Mass ~~Distraction~~ Destruction

AP Reports

large new U.S. team heading into Iraq to search for weapons of mass destruction will shift its focus away from areas identified as suspicious sites before the war, the Army general heading the effort said Friday.

Instead, the searchers will focus on areas where documents, interviews with Iraqis and other new clues suggest biological or chemical weapons could be hidden, Maj. Gen. Keith Dayton said.

IOW, we're going to use the same intelligence that told us, before the invasion, Iraq was awash in WMD.

2003-05-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

Good For Robert Byrd

Questioning the motives of a "desk-bound president who assumes the garb of a warrior," Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd on Tuesday reproached President Bush for flying onto an aircraft carrier last week to declare an end of major fighting in Iraq.

"I am loath to think of an aircraft carrier being used as an advertising backdrop for a presidential political slogan, and yet that is what I saw," Byrd said on the Senate floor.

Byrd, 85, of West Virginia, is the Senate's most senior member and was one of the most outspoken critics of the Iraq war.

Dressed in a flight suit, Bush was flown onto the USS Abraham Lincoln on Thursday, his small S-3B Viking jet making a tailhook landing. The ship was near San Diego on its return from action in the Persian Gulf.

With the sea as his backdrop, Bush announced that the United States and its allies had prevailed against Saddam Hussein.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Byrd's criticisms are "a disservice to the men and women of our military who deserved to be thanked in person."

"Senator Byrd did not support the president at the beginning of this, and it is no surprise that he does not support the president at the end," Fleischer said. "Senator Byrd is a patriot, but on this we disagree."

Byrd contrasted the speech with the "simple dignity" of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address during the Civil War.

"I do not begrudge his salute to America's warriors aboard the carrier Lincoln, for they have performed bravely, ... but I do question the motives of a desk-bound president who assumes the garb of a warrior for the purposes of a speech," he said.

He said American blood has been shed defending Bush's policies. "This is not some made-for-TV backdrop for a campaign commercial," he said.

"To me, it is an affront to the Americans killed or injured in Iraq for the president to exploit the trappings of war for the momentary spectacle of a speech," he said.

Fleischer has rejected any suggestion that the landing was intended to provide campaign footage for Bush's re-election campaign.

Earlier Tuesday, he also said Bush decided to land on the carrier on a jet instead of his usual helicopter because the president wanted "to see an aircraft landing the same way that the pilots saw an aircraft landing. He wanted to see it as realistically as possible."

Via Associated Press

2003-05-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

Ted Nugent Is The NRA

Two Denver disc jockeys stopped a live radio interview with rocker Ted Nugent after he used derogatory racial terms for Asians and blacks.

Rick Lewis and Michael Floorwax, morning talk show hosts on KRFX-FM, said that during an interview Monday, Nugent said one of the members of a group called the Funk Brothers years ago complimented his guitar playing by using a racist term for blacks.

"We've known Ted a long time and he's been on the show many times. So when he went down that road, we stopped him and gave him a chance to bail himself out, but he didn't take it," Floorwax said.

Nugent also used derogatory racial terms for Asians on the air.

The DJs said they got calls after the show from angry listeners, mostly from people saying they were glad Nugent was off the air. The station didn't receive any calls about it on Tuesday.

Nugent is past president of the National Rifle Association and is known for his outspokenness.

"Ted likes to shock people. He'll come on the show occasionally and drop a bomb like that and then step back to see the reaction it gets," Lewis said. "He loves that reputation of a shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy."

The two DJs said Nugent is on the show about three times a year, but won't be back any time soon.

A call to a Nugent spokeswoman was not immediately returned.

2003-05-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Search For Weapons of Mass Distraction

It seeems our media might be awaking from its slumber to realize the primary rationale for invading Iraq was a lie.

Meanwhile, AWOL Dubya keeps repeating WMD will be found even as his handlers are now beginning a campaign of lowered expectations and deflection away from WMD as the primary reason.

We keep hearing that "Iraq is the size of California" as an excuse why WMD is proving so difficult to find.

This is more nonsense from Bush and his handlers. For a dozen years, following Opertion Desert Storm, Saddam Hussein had no control over nearly two-thirds of Iraq. So, that two-thirds of Iraq was pretty much under Allied control and, one would presume, off-limits for WMD storage.

But I guess saying the area in which Saddam might have secreted WMD away in is the size of Alabama isn't quite as dramatic.

2003-04-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

We Report, You Decide

Is Dean Esmay a liar?

Background: Esmay on "Christian-Bashing:"

I remember watching the political conventions in 2000. I always watch as much of both the Democratic and Republican conventions as I can. At the Republican convention that year, an openly gay congressman got up to address the delegates. A smallish group of Christian Evangelicals who were also delegates to the convention stood together and bowed their heads to pray for him, because they considered his homosexuality sinful.

Commentators in the media virtually had conniptions at the show of "intolerance." All I could do was roll my eyes. Man, can you think of anything more awful than praying for someone? Gosh, what Nazis. Next it's concentration camps for sure!

Conniptions, Dean? Really?

Here's an account from an honest-to-God reporter working that convention:

Story time: I had the opportunity to cover the 2000 GOP convention when I was the morning guy on Working Assets' RadioForChange.com. Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) was the first Out homosexual ever to address a GOP convention. He wasn't talking about gay rights or civil liberties, of course -- he was actually discussing Free Trade with China -- but right in front of him, just below the stage, were several GOP activists, including a nice chunk of the Texas delegation, visibly and demonstratively praying for his Eternal Soul to release its wickedness.

Somehow the networks didn't manage to include that in their coverage.

The next morning, I interviewed the guy in person, live on the air. And just before we started, one of the GOP's media handlers let me know that for the purposes of the following discussion, Jim was not gay.

Here's the self-censorship thing you don't see in the media, and it happens all the time: right then, I had a choice: either push the issue, watch the interview end abruptly, guarantee I wouldn't have another GOP guest for the duration, and face down an hour of empty air time to fill... or just go along.

I decided to play along, and then tell the audience about the entire handling process right after the interview was over, and why I made that choice, which I figured would probably tell the listener more than they'd ever hear otherwise. I'm still not sure it was the right call, but there it is.

Incidentally, Jim's a great guy. We completely disagreed about almost every issue, but we did so with humor and respect and had a terrific time. It was one of the best interviews I ever did. And every time I ever see Rep. Kolbe or read his name in the paper, I always feel really bad for the guy, since his sincere beliefs about economic issues compel him to work every day with people who clearly think he's some sort of depraved freak.

2003-04-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Another Reason Not To Be A Republican

Richard A. Delgaudio:

Legal Affairs Council Inc., President
United States Intelligence Council, Chairman and Director
National Security Center Inc., President
Talk show guest, Conservative commentator

......and child pornographer.

Wonder when he'll turn up on the state of Virginia's Sex Offender Registry?

2003-04-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

British Lawmakers Want Answers

Via The Guardian:

Tony Blair is facing the threat of a fresh rebellion from Labour backbenchers who are growing increasingly alarmed that the failure to uncover weapons of mass destruction in Iraq will confirm that the war was illegal.
As a 1,000-strong Anglo-American task force of inspectors prepares to search hundreds of suspicious sites, Labour MPs are demanding an inquiry to establish whether MI6 misled ministers about Iraq's weapons programme.

Backbench Labour MPs who feel they were duped into backing the war on the basis of questionable intelligence want the cross-party Commons intelligence and security committee to carry out an investigation. One well-placed former minister said: "The intelligence committee is raring to challenge the veracity of what the security services told them about Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons. They were told what he had and where it was. There may be a perfectly innocent explanation for all this, but they don't seem to be able to find the stuff."

Gee, why isn't the US Congress asking these questions? Answer: They won't like the answer. There are only two possible explanations: 1) the Bush regime lied, or 2) our intelligence agencies are ridiculously bad and unreliable.

2003-04-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

Why Does The NRA Hate Americans?

Via the NY Times:

But last week the House of Representatives, at the urging of the National Rifle Association, passed a bill granting the gun industry nationwide immunity from virtually all lawsuits. The Senate is expected to take up the bill after the Easter recess.
..............................

There are also many suits by individuals, including one by two New Jersey police officers, David Lemongello and Ken McGuire, who are suing a pawnshop in West Virginia that sold a semiautomatic pistol used to badly wound them while they staked out a gasoline station that had been repeatedly robbed.

An investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that the gun had been sold to a gun trafficker, James Gray, who was legally prohibited from buying the weapon because he was a felon.

Mr. Gray went into the store, Will's Jewelry and Loan, in Charleston, W.Va., and handed thousands of dollars in cash to an accomplice after pointing out 12 guns he wanted to buy. The accomplice, who had no criminal record, then bought the guns for him, in front of the store owner, in what is known as a straw purchase.

Federal firearms law prohibits straw purchases, but they are one of the most common ways that criminals get guns.

Mr. Gray, who lived in New Jersey, resold the guns on the black market, court records show, including one to Shuntez Everett, a career criminal who soon used it to shoot the two officers at the gasoline station, in Orange, N.J. Mr. Everett died in a shootout with the police after shooting Officers Lemongello and McGuire, hitting both in the chest and the stomach and one officer in an arm and the other in a leg.

2003-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Lott/Reynolds/Kopel Update

The more these gunloons attempt to explain things, the fishier it smells.

Glenn Reynolds is the best reason to send your children to any college or university than the University of Tennessee.

Kopel, of course, is no stranger to penning articles with fictional personas.

2003-04-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

Not Enough

It seems Dale Petroskey, the GOP hack and erstwhile head of the Baseball Hall of Fame, seems to be feeling the heat from his petty censorship of Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. He has issued a typical GOP apology; that is, not really an apology:

We have received thousands of letters, e-mails, and phone calls about the cancellation of the Bull Durham events scheduled for April 26-27. Thank you for sharing your feelings with us.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a very special place - a national treasure - and my responsibility is to protect it. Politics has no place in The Hall of Fame. There was a chance of politics being injected into The Hall during these sensitive times, and I made a decision to not take that chance. But I inadvertently did exactly what I was trying to avoid. With the advantage of hindsight, it is clear I should have handled the matter differently.

I am sorry I didn't pick up the phone to have a discussion with Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon rather than sending them a letter.

Obviously, this cheap fascist still doesn't get it. He needs to resign.

2003-04-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Fearless Prediction

The immediate threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) emanating from Iraq was the stated reason for the invasion of Iraq.

Thus spake Shrubby.

Problem is, to date, we've found no such weapons. Some pesticides, some MOPP suits...but no WMD.

Prediction: Once our media figures out that the primary rationale for this invasion might not exist and starts the drumbeat of stories to that effect----look for this administration to start claiming sewage treatment facilities are actually chemical warfare plants.

2003-04-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Things We Learn From The 'Net

Did you know CNN was responsible for the war in Iraq?

It's true. Ted Turner and his crew are responsible for Saddam Hussein and everything.

Or so says Kevin McGehee:

But whatever the reason for Saddam coming to his unfortunate opinion about the West, you have to figure that CNN's capitulation, inherent not only in its failure to report on specific known instances of his vileness but in CNN's whole anti-war tone -- this despite all it knew about Saddam -- only served to encourage him to believe he could get away with defying the world.

.................

...CNN has not only contributed to the perpetuation of Saddam's regime for years and years, but may also have contributed to the future deaths of thousands of innocent people at the hands of terrorists.

Well, isn't that special? Maybe Rummy was working for Ted Turner when he was Saddam's best buddy in the late 80's.

Meanwhile---back to reality---MaxSpeak references a UPI Story which tells how "in the past Saddam was seen by U.S. intelligence services as a bulwark of anti-communism and they used him as their instrument for more than 40 years, according to former U.S. intelligence diplomats and intelligence officials."

Of course, McGehee might find a CIA/CNN link.

2003-04-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

Roger Kahn Rebukes Baseball Hall Of Fame

Famed sportswriter Roger Kahn has decided to cancel an appearance at the Hall of Fame, writing:

"By canceling the Hall of Fame anniversary celebration of "Bull Durham" for political reasons, you are, far from supporting our troops, defying the noblest of the American spirit," wrote Kahn, who was to speak there in August about his new book.

"You are choking freedom of dissent. How ironic. In theory, at least, we have been fighting this war to give Iraqis freedom of dissent. But here you, through the great institution you head, have moved to rob Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and (writer-director) Ron Shelton of that very freedom."

Update: GOPer and Bull Durham star, Kevin Costner: "I think Tim and Susan's courage is the type of courage that makes our democracy work. Pulling back this invite is against the whole principle about what we fight for and profess to be about."

Update: ESPN checks in:

With Petroskey in charge, I guess Hall of Fame candidates will be judged not only on their batting average and ERA but also on their political affiliations. Pete Rose not only will have to apologize for betting on baseball, he'll have to apologize for voting for Al Gore.

I can just see future Hall of Fame plaques:

Lifetime .310 hitter who led AL in batting four times. Hit 476 career home runs, drove in 1,328 runs and stole 326 bases. Two-time MVP, eight-time gold glove winner and 13-time All-Star who strongly favored the elimination of taxes on stock dividends.

2003-04-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Repug Double Play

Not content with degrading the Constitutional protections of free speech, a Repug hack is now defiling the Baseball Hall of Fame:

The baseball Hall of Fame has canceled a 15th anniversary celebration of the film "Bull Durham," and the shrine's president said it was because of anti-war criticism by co-stars Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.

Hall president Dale Petroskey sent a letter to Robbins and Sarandon this week, telling them the festivities April 26-27 at Cooperstown, N.Y., had been called off.

Petroskey, a former White House assistant press secretary under Ronald Reagan, said recent comments by the actors "ultimately could put our troops in even more danger."

Bull Durham remains the number one movie about baseball and was responsible for an upsurge in attendance at minor league parks across America.

The shameful and politically-motivated acts of Dale Petroskey are an embarrassment to the office he holds.

2003-04-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

Repug Family Values

Oh, those silly Repugs......

In his dark suit, knotted tie and official congressional ID pin on his lapel, Republican House member Mike Ferguson looked out of place at the Rhino Bar and Pumphouse, a Georgetown saloon popular with college kids.

"He shouldn't have even been at the bar," 21-year-old Georgetown University junior Michelle Mezoe told us. "He and his group" – two unidentified staffers, also wearing suits – "stuck out like sore thumbs."

Yesterday Mezoe accused the congressman, a 32-year-old married father of three representing New Jersey's 7th District, of grabbing her in the wee hours Wednesday morning. She said Ferguson removed his ID pin and handed it to her, saying she could keep it if she would "come back and have a drink with me." Mezoe said she refused to return it unless Ferguson apologized for his "disrespectful" behavior. An apology was not forthcoming.

Ferguson initially refused to speak to us, leaving his chief of staff, Chris Jones, to counter: "What I can tell you is this is absolutely ridiculous and false. . . . The congressman emphatically denies this." Jones wasn't at the bar.

Late last night Ferguson changed his mind and dictated to us the following statement:

"I was having a couple of beers with my staff when she approached us and noticed my pin and began to ask about it. In a conversation that lasted fewer than five minutes, I had taken off my pin to show it to her. She then took the pin and walked away, and wouldn't give it back until the police were called. Any other sensational stories about this are outrageous and false."

Mezoe said the incident began around 1 a.m. as she strolled past Ferguson, who was leaning against the bar on the second floor. She said Ferguson, a Georgetown alum, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward him, introducing himself as a member of Congress. He pulled out his congressional ID card, she said, and pointed to his pin. "That's special," she said sarcastically. "Yes, it is special," he replied earnestly, she said.

"He came across as very arrogant, as though he was invincible," Mezoe said. "He appeared older, slightly balding, not someone I wanted to talk to. . . . It was very obvious I was a student and not someone to sit down and talk politics with over a late-night drink. I don't think he was interested in my political views."

Note the familiar Repug pattern: first, deny all. Then, claim you were misunderstood....

2003-04-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

What Happens When History's Hinge Slams Shut

WaPo reports Michael Kelly killed in HumVee accident in Iraq.

Update: Atrios' update mirrors my own feelings. Kelly was a hack but in his defense, he did place himself in harm's way. Which is significantly more than many others who beat the war drums.

2003-04-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

Forget Neal Pollack--This Is Where The Best Satire Is

Insomnomaniac:

Just a question, but can someone please tell me why members of the press need to attend televised press-conferences and briefings? What are they there for? Aside from the very few who represent media in countries that literally have no access to televison coverage, or who do not understand English (and whose television networks do not provide translations), I can't for the life of me figure out who needs to be there!

I'm watching, I can hear, and I have a brain. Even if I miss it, I can go read the transcript if I really want to catch up with what was said, either at the DOD website or at another .gov location, so why do I need the reporters?

It just gets better....

2003-04-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

Australian General to “Head-Up” Coalition Forces
Sydney Morning Times

Tuesday 1 April 2003, 10:05 PM

The Australian Chief Minister announced today that Command of Operation “Iraqi Freedom” will pass from USA to Australia from 31 April 2003. As a member of the “Coalition of the Willing” Australia has 2000 troops in Iraq and the rotation of Command of all Coalition Forces to Australia was part of the Strategy to ensure continued unity of the Coalition Forces. It is expected that the coalition will be in Iraq long after the end of the War and at this stage it is planned that Command of Coalition Forces will pass from Australia to Britain from 31 June 2003 before passing back to the USA later in the year.

The Chief Minister announced that Lieutenant General Russell Kidman, a Vietnam veteran who also has had extensive Peace Keeping Experience will assume command from 31 April 2003. When asked by the Media if the US Forces have any concerns with an Australian Commanding their Troops, he replied that they (the USA) acknowledge that Australia has moved on from fighting with Spears and Boomerangs, and that Russell (General Kidman) would bring a great deal of experience with him, particularly in dealing with the Media.

General Kidman will be accompanied by his own Command Staff and will join Australian Forces already in the Gulf region.

2003-03-30T13:36:00.000-08:00

Profound Ignorance

The Insomnomaniac shows us the critical thinking typlified by warbloggers is a mile wide when it comes to a lust for blood but microscopically thin when it comes to human life. Some choice pieces of offal:

Then I would authorize the colation soldiers to shoot first, ask questions later. If the world cries foul, ignore them. They should be crying foul at the methods Saddam is using, but they're not, so fuck 'em. Their opinion doesn't count.

...........

The Germans forgave us, how many of their civilians did we kill in Dresden (when there was NOTHING there of military value whatsoever)?

The Japanese forgave us, and we killed hundreds of thousands of them with a nuclear weapon!

The Serbs have even--to a large extent--forgiven us, and they weren't even looking to be liberated from Milosovic!

............

We can keep fighting the right war the wrong way, ensuring that even if we "win" technically, we will be loathed for years to come. Or we can fight it to win, quickly and decisively, ensuring that the Iraqis who are left in Iraq those are who actually want to be free in the first place.

It's almost Neal Pollack-like.......

2003-03-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Seen at the HackenBlog:

"Retired Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey said the Army and Marine forces converging on the Republican Guard south of Baghdad really will have no choice but to continue to attack those Iraqi defenders. 'We've got no option, we're committed,' he said. But, he added, 'I wouldn't go into Baghdad before I had another armored division come up into my rear.'

2003-03-27T17:02:00.000-08:00

2003-03-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

Silly Repugs

When they're not renaming french toast or french fries or proposing to dig up our WWII-buried dead, some Repugs really get down the people's business: "EXTRATERRESTRIAL CULTURE DAY"

2003-03-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

James Capozzola, United States Senator

The groundswell begins.

It could happen.

2003-03-26T14:26:00.000-08:00

MSNBC: Ritter Says US Will Lose Militarily In Iraq

This guy gets weirder and weirder...

2003-03-22T06:14:00.000-08:00

More On Coalition Fuzzy Math

Via Thinking It Through:

The administration asserts that 44 nations are part of the coalition, but officials reach that number by lumping nations providing military units or logistical assistance with an eclectic group of nations -- such as Afghanistan, the Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Honduras, Rwanda and the Solomon Islands -- that are voicing only political support. The administration further suggests another 10 or so nations support the campaign but do not wish to be publicly identified. The first Persian Gulf War was prosecuted by a 34-nation military force, with each nation listed in the coalition contributing troops on the ground, aircraft, ships or medics. (The list is sometimes reported as 31, because four Persian Gulf states provided a combined force.) Dozens of others nations voiced support for the war against Iraq in 1991, meaning that under the standards used by the current Bush administration, the size of the 1991 coalition likely topped 100 countries. Moreover, the list of 34 countries in 1991 did not include Japan, which pledged $4 billion to fund the multinational force and aid frontline states; the Soviet Union, which supported a United Nations resolution authorizing force; or tiny Luxembourg, which paid the fees of Dutch and Belgian ships passing through the Suez Canal. Twenty-one of the 34 countries that contributed forces or materiel to the first Persian Gulf War -- such as France, Syria, Pakistan, Canada, Germany and Norway -- have either refused to support the current conflict or have asked not to be identified because of public opposition to U.S. actions. In 1991, for instance, France provided 17,000 troops, 350 tanks, 38 aircraft and 14 ships. Syria provided 19,000 troops in Saudi Arabia and 270 tanks, and Germany provided five minesweepers, three other ships and eight aircraft. The administration's current list is further padded by including countries that did not exist in 1991. Six countries now listed as supporters were then part of the Soviet Union. Czechoslovakia, which in 1991 provided 200 troops and 150 medics, has now broken into two countries, both listed as supporters of the current war. The administration has struggled to demonstrate international support for the war since it failed to win passage of a U.N. resolution authorizing military force. The first Gulf war was backed by a U.N. resolution that was opposed by two members of the 15-member Security Council; the administration earlier this week withdrew a resolution when it became clear it could muster only four votes in support of it.

2003-03-22T05:55:00.000-08:00

John Lott Lies Again

In the WaPo, the fraud John Lott continues to flog the myth the recent controversy was a matter of whether he had a computer crash, losing a survey he claimed to have done, or not.

That is not the issue.

As Tim Lambert has chronicled, the issue goes to whether the survey was valid or significant and why Lott has repeatedly changed the story as to the scope and authorship of the survey.

The fraudulent John Lott also briefly addresses his "Mary Rosh" internet persona by saying he only did this after getting some nasty remarks. I guess that's why "Mary Rosh" provided such a glowing review to his now discredited book.....

2003-03-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

Operation Inigo Montoya

2003-03-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

Shock And Awe Begins

Meanwhile, Emperor Bonehead shuffles off to Camp David for some quality time with his Nintendo...

2003-03-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

The Coalition Of The Bribed, Paid-Off,Coerced, And Irrelevant

Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.

Already conservative pundits are trying to make it sound as if a real worldwide coalition has been achieved. What a joke.

This is the best Colin Powell can do?

2003-03-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

War Leaders, Leading From Behind

Via TBogg,
we get answers as to the experiences of those wonderful chickenhawks from worldgonewrong:

Columnist George Will recently raised the old question: "How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris?" Will answered, "None. It's never been tried."

That's an untruth, of course. The French defended Paris very successfully in World War I, even rushing soldiers in taxicabs from Paris to the Marne River to hold off a German onslaught. About 1.4 million Frenchmen died in that war.

But one question is worth another, and here are some that occur to writer Bill Earls:

Q: How many weeks did it take George Will to go through boot camp?

A: None. Even though 2 million men of about his age served in Vietnam, Will never went into the military.

Q: How many Dick Cheneys does it take to fire a rifle?

A: We don't know - it's never been tried. Although Cheney was born in 1941, and became draft eligible in 1959, he received five deferments and never served in the military. He himself claimed in his debate with Joseph Lieberman, "I had other priorities."

Q: When Dick Cheney was its chief executive, how much business did Halliburton do with Saddam Hussein?

A: About $37 million.

Q: How many days did Rush Limbaugh spend on kitchen patrol?

A: None. You have to be in the military to serve KP - and Limbaugh was never in the military.

Q: What does Halliburton do?

A: They develop oil fields.

Q: How many bombs did George W. Bush drop on enemy forces in Vietnam?

A: None. Although Mr. Bush graduated from college at the height of the Vietnam War, he served in the Texas National Guard where he defended our southern border from Mexicans. After a while he got bored and never showed up.

Q: What percentage of the world's oil reserves are in the United States?

A: About 2 percent or less.

Q: What two countries have the world's largest known oil reserves?

A: Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Q: How much oil is there in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve where President Bush says we should drill?

A: The most optimistic people say about 10 billion barrels; others think it may be as little as 2 billion.

Q: What years did Charles Krauthammer serve in the military?

A: Mr. Krauthammer's civilian career is unbroken.

Q: How much oil is there in Iraq?

A: Iraq has proven reserves of 112 billion barrels.

Q: What ports did Trent Lott visit when he served in the Navy?

A: None. Mr. Lott did not serve in the military.

Q: What rank did Tom Delay attain when he served in the Army?

A: Mr. Delay was unable to serve. He had other priorities.

It's really odd; there aren't any warbloggers or their supporters who could find the time to serve their country either..

2003-03-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

Awful Good

On clowns, left and right.

2003-03-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

SSN Theft In Texas

From today's WaPo:

Authorities had announced the cyber-theft last week. It sent shock waves through the campus of the nation's largest university, prompting students and staff to consider replacing credit cards and freezing bank accounts. There is no evidence that Phillips disseminated or used the information, officials said.

Phillips was released without bail and will have "limited access to computers," Johnny Sutton, U.S. attorney for western Texas, said at a news conference. "The main message today is that these cases will be taken seriously, these cases will be prosecuted, and this case will be prosecuted vigorously."

If convicted, Phillips faces as many as five years in prison and a $500,000 fine, Sutton said.

Well, well. Looks as if Mr. Phillips might have a new roomate..........

2003-03-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

Failing Upwards

TC Mits makes a very perceptive observation:

I just some how can't shake the feeling that if it wasn't for the privileges and influence of other people's money on his life, George W Bush would today be one of those guys out giving his 20 year old pickup truck an oil change in the unpaved driveway of his trailer home, sporting a 5 day beard, sipping on a longneck without removing the unfiltered Camel cigarette dangling from his lips with the rest of the pack rolled up into the sleeve of his grease stained t-shirt, who blames blacks and mexicans for his inability to find a decent job, is deeply suspicious of the real intentions of all those dark skinned people with funny accents who seem to own all the convenience stores, and when asked for his opinion on the situation in the Middle East (or anywhere else for that matter), would reply, "Hell, let's just nuke the fuckers and be done with it."

This recalls Christopher Caldwell's now famous summary of how Emperor Snippy made failure his rocket to the top:

And this, basically, is the story of the spectacular unfairness with which moneymaking opportunities are lavished on the politically connected. It is the story of a man who has been rewarded for repeated failures by having money shot at him through a fire hose. It is the story of a man who talks with a straight face about having "earned" a fortune of tens of millions of dollars, without having ever done an honest day’s work in his life.

2003-03-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

Dumb Repug Idea Of The Day

House Repugs vote to cap medical malpractice.

Ever notice how Repugs are absolutely convinced that juries are infallible in death penalty cases but apparently are low-IQ idiots when involved in civil cases?

2003-03-13T16:42:00.000-08:00

Promising New Blog

Bohemian Mama.

I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning - very very frightening me
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo Figaro - magnifico
...

Wait...that's Bohemian rhapsody.

2003-03-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

Dumb Repug Idea Of The Day

Via TBogg.

Not content with renaming French Fries and French Toast and other dishes which have nothing to do with France, an intrepid Repug is actually pushing this wacky idea:

BROOKSVILLE - Forget dumping champagne, boycotting brie or sailing the Statue of Liberty back to Paris.
Frustrated by France's refusal to support a war with Iraq, U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown- Waite proposes bringing the remains of American veterans buried in France back to the United States.

If the country that U.S. troops helped liberate during World War II won't support American military plans, then Brown-Waite proposes bringing the remains of those troops home for the families that request it.

``France has consistently turned its back on the United States,'' said Brown-Waite, R- Brooksville. ``They forget if it weren't for America, they would be speaking German today.''

More than 74,000 U.S. servicemen and women from World War I and World War II are buried in American cemeteries in France and Belgium, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Brown-Waite's proposed legislation makes all of those servicemen and women buried in France and Belgium eligible for ``repatriation'' at their families' requests.

Brown-Waite, elected in November, said she doesn't have cost estimates for returning remains to the United States, but she proposes the government pay for it.

Jeez, it's almost as if the Repugs are having a contest for stupidest jingoistic gesture.

2003-03-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

Worst-Case Scenario For Iraq

From NPR, retired-COL. Mike Turner, GEN Schwartzkopf's briefing officer during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, provides his worst-case scenario in a U.S. strike on Iraq -- hand-to-hand street battles in Baghdad, terrorist attacks at home and further nuclear development from North Korea.

COL Turner believes his worst-case scenario is likely.

2003-03-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

War Pimps Of The LaZBoy™ Brigade

Already the War Pimps of the LaZBoy™ Brigade are hyping the story that Iraqi troops are surrendering in anticipation of the US invasion.

Too bad it's a bogus story. Kind of like the War Pimps of LaZBoy™ Brigade's patriotism.

Mark Kleiman explains.

2003-03-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

The American Taliban On The American Taliban

The so-called 'American Taliban' John Lindh was assaulted in prison, where he is serving a 20-year sentence, this week by a white supremacist. Of course, this crime was celebrated by rightwing warbloggers.

One such warblogger often goes to great lengths to tell us what a fine Christian he is and that there's 'no hate' at his site.

But then he posts this:

Like rooting for some team against the Braves, the likelihood that I'd ever be on the side of any white supremacist isn't very good. Those odds almost improved when I read this story:

VICTORVILLE - The FBI is investigating a reported attack on American Taliban John Walker Lindh by one or more white supremacists at the Federal Correctional Institution here.

"I can confirm there was an incident regarding Lindh (on) Monday night,' said FBI spokeswoman Laura Bosley. "There was a report that Lindh was assaulted by another inmate but I cannot disclose any details beyond that.'

At the request of his attorneys, Walker Lindh was placed in the general population in February and was working as an orderly cleaning indoors where guards could keep him under close scrutiny for his safety, said a source who works at the 960-acre prison complex.

The source, who asked not to be identified, said Muslim inmates had been protecting Walker Lindh because they viewed him as a hero. But they pulled back their support because they decided he was not a radical dissident, the source said.

Call me cold hearted, but I can only hope that the idiotic supremacists finish their GEDs and educate themselves about the world and all that live within it.....and then learn how to finish the job.

Ricky attempts to explain by saying he's for the death penalty. But this is a red herring; Lindh wasn't sentenced to death. Nor was he sentenced to being assaulted periodically by white supremacists. You are free to disagree with Lindh's sentence but if you believe should be killed or beaten by his fellow inmates--you are advocating criminal behavior. And you are supporting the acts of white supremacists.

In the end, those who condemn the 'American Taliban' in such terms are not far removed from the Taliban they profess to abhor.

2003-03-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

Uncommon Wisdom

During the election 2000 aftermath, I was taken aback by how many callers I'd hear calling into C-SPAN, NPR, and the usual talking head shows that began with some variation of "I used to be a lifelong Democrat.. or I've always voted Democrat in every election...

This was usually followed by a near verbatim recitation of a GOP blast-faxed copy of the latest talking points.

IssuesGuy, commenting at Ted Barlow's blog explains all:

From the book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion," by Robert B. Ciadini, Charper 4, Social Proof.

The concept of social proof: "It states that one means we use to determine what is correct is to find out what other people think is correct." ... "We vies a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it."

When you see letters or hear talk-show callers star with "I used to be a Democrat, but..." or "I voted for Clinton, but ..." you are almost certainly hearing someone who is or has been coached or scripted by a professional.

IssuesGuy's blog, Seeing The Forest is really good.

2003-03-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

Jim Capozzola, United States Senator

This rolls off the tongue as if it's been the case for five terms or 30 years.

Capazolla's candidacy has our endorsement. The people of Pennsylvania and the hopes of the United States would be well-served by Senator Capazolla.

His platform may be found at The Rittenhouse Review.

2003-03-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

Pope Shrubby

Pope calls Iraq War, 'Defeat for Humanity'

"The pope has said a war would be a "defeat for humanity" and would be neither morally nor legally justified."

But Shrubby only listens to Karl Rove and major campaign contributors.

2003-03-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

Tyranny Of The Barbies

No, we're not talking about FoxNews.

Nobody Knows Anything tells us about the Hegemony of Barbie.

For extra fun, plus the added excitement of plucking long strands of synthetic hair from food, clothing, etc., one really must get the Rapunzel Barbie and the equally hirsute Botticelli the horse.

Of course, being informed at the Front Desk of the Barbie Hotel that your credit card has been accepted is priceless.

2003-03-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

Religious Tolerance, GOP-Style

CNN:

OLYMPIA, Washington (AP) -- Two lawmakers left the floor of the Washington House of Representatives during a prayer by a Muslim religious leader this week, citing patriotism and a lack of interest.

Republicans Lois McMahan of Gig Harbor and Cary Condotta of East Wenatchee walked to the back of the chamber during Monday's invocation by Mohamad Joban, imam of the Islamic Center of Olympia.

McMahan said she did not oppose having a Muslim deliver the prayer but left because "the religion is the focal point of the hate-America sentiment in the world."

"It's an issue of patriotism," she said. "Even though the mainstream Islamic religion doesn't profess to hate America, nonetheless it spawns the groups that hate America."

Condotta said he was talking to another lawmaker and "wasn't particularly interested" in the prayer. He would not elaborate.

In his prayer, Joban asked for God or Allah to bless the state of Washington and guide the House in making good decisions.

"At this time, we also pray that America may succeed in the war against terrorism," Joban said. "We pray to God that the war may end with world peace and tranquility."

Via Pandagon

2003-03-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

Junior Got It Right In 2000

During the 2000 election campaign, Junior was asked if it was possible to build a coalition among nations, as his dad did prior to the Gulf War, to deal with a rogue nation. This was his response:

"If we are an arrogant nation, they'll view us that way, but if we're a humble nation, they'll respect us."

And rightwingers wonder why Junior, Rummy, and Colin are having such difficulties...

2003-03-02T07:07:00.000-08:00

Suppose They Gave A War Rally And Nobody Came

WaPo: Freeper War Rally Fizzles:

About 150 backers of President Bush's policy toward Iraq gathered in the gray, slushy cold near the Washington Monument yesterday to express support for U.S. military forces gathering in the Persian Gulf and to urge the prompt ouster of Saddam Hussein.

Former U.S. representative Robert K. Dornan (R-Calif.) and other speakers pilloried both Hussein -- whom Dornan dubbed a "mini-me Hitler" -- and the millions of protesters who have thronged Washington and other world capitals in recent months to oppose war in Iraq.

.............

The rally was organized by the D.C. Chapter of Free Republic, a conservative group that also called for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998. It also led "Get Out of Cheney's House" protests, aimed at Al Gore, at the U.S. Naval Observatory during the contested 2000 presidential election. The residence of the vice president is at the observatory.

Organizers had once hoped for 1,000 or more activists but several at the rally said the bleak, frigid weather and weak publicity probably kept many supporters at home.

Actually the weather was far more pleasant yesterday than two weeks ago when anti-war demonstrations drew close to a million in NYC.

2003-03-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

Look At The Great Job Colin Powell and Shrub Have Done In Building A Coalition Against Iraq--Part Deux

WaPo: Turkish Speaker Nullifies U.S. Troop Vote

In a serious blow to U.S. plans for a possible war with Iraq, Turkey's parliament speaker nullified the legislature's vote Saturday to allow deployment of 62,000 U.S. combat troops to open a northern front against Iraq.

Speaker Bulent Arinc voided the vote on constitutional grounds, ruling that a majority of legislators present had not voted in favor. Arinc then closed parliament until Tuesday.

The vote was 264-250 with 19 abstentions, four short of a simple majority.

The bill's rejection is likely to seriously increase tensions with the United States which had been expecting a positive vote.

The motion would have empowered the government to authorize the basing of up to 62,000 troops, 255 warplanes and 65 helicopters.

Washington has been looking to use bases in Turkey to open a northern front against Iraq, which would have divided Saddam Hussein's army if there is a war. Turkish and U.S. generals said the strategy would lead to a quicker and less bloody war.

Washington had been offering Turkey some $15 billion in loans and grants if the troops were allowed in to cushion the Turkish economy from the impact of any war.

A signing of that agreement had been expected after the vote.

But there was strong resistance in the governing Justice and Development Party to any vote. An overwhelming majority of the Turkish public - polls show as high as 94 percent - oppose a war and deputies were under strong domestic pressure to reject any U.S. troop basing.

Hours before the vote, the party's leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met with his party legislators, trying to persuade them to back the U.S. troop deployment.

A mile from parliament, 50,000 Turks held a rally to protest the war.

"No to War," and "We don't want to be America's soldiers'," they shouted as some 4,000 police stood guard. Some carried banners that read: "The people will stop this war," and "Budget for education not war."

Party leaders had called for a Thursday vote, but that was put off until Saturday amid signs that some legislators would vote against the motion.

Colin Powell, the much bally-hooed foreign policy whiz, is rapidly becoming irrelevant.

2003-02-28T08:11:00.000-08:00

War College

67 Things You Should Know Before The Bombs Start Dropping

2003-02-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

Code Yellow

Don't you feel ... safer?

2003-02-27T13:58:00.000-08:00

Look At The Great Job Colin Powell and Shrub Have Done In Building A Coalition Against Iraq

Wow.

Via The Agonist

2003-02-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

Profits First, National Security Second

Via The Left Coast, a nice catch exposing this appointed administration's tendency to make a buck off the 'axis of evil:'

As you may have seen recently, photos
revealed that Donald Rumsfeld represented
the Reagan Administration in a 1983
Baghdad meeting with Saddam while that
administration was supplying Hussein with
some of his earliest weapons of mass
destruction.

Now it turns out that Rummy sat on the
board of directors of the company that sold
North Korea its two nuclear reactors in 2000
under the terms of the 1994 Agreed
Framework. Both Rummy and Cheney have
blasted the Clinton Administration for the
1994 deal, saying that their predecessors
were too soft on Pyongyang and that the
North should not have been rewarded for
their earlier behavior.

Yet it appears that Rummy, like his pal Dick
Cheney, never lets national security get in
the way of profits.

2003-02-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

She Knows

Everybody who knows anything reads Nobody Knows Anything.

2003-02-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

MEMRI

Recently, in an off-line debate with Deb from Insomniac, I was offered some material from MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) which provided 'evidence' to support Deb's contention that al Qaeda and Iraq were acting in concert. As Deb put it:

Just ask yourself Guy, why would Saddam be so picky? Why would he
openly associate with Hamas, the PFLP, Abu Nidal and the PLO, but not
Al Qaeda? Why? Islamic Jihad and Al Qaeda work together. Hizbollah and
Hamas have collaborated. These groups are not as "separate" as you
think. In fact, their "differences" would only really show up if they
were ever truly successful at their goal of getting rid of Israel. I
have no doubt that total chaos and civil war would set in as they would
fight to determine which of their groups gets to rule the roost. But
until that goal is achieved, (i.e., when pigs fly), they will happily
work together and use each other to further their aims.

You must remember that, as unseemly as it is to think of Islam as
anything other than a "religion," in the terrorist's world, it's a form
of government, it's political, as well as spiritual--there is no
separation of church and state. So as long as these people seek to turn
the world (or at a minimum, the Middle East, although if you read what
THEY write, you will see they have the "retaking of Rome" as their
ultimate goal, not just Jerusalem) into a giant Muslim empire, they
will work with whomever they think can help them get there. Saddam,
with his WMD and his megalomaniacal dreams of glory suits their needs
nicely!

There may not be gobs and gobs of empirical data to support the claim
of a linkage, but common sense and a cursory look at the region and its
history would tell you that it's not it's not only possible, it's
probable.

So, I went to the MEMRI site to see what it had to say. For an organization which purports to: explores the Middle East through the region's media. MEMRI bridges the language gap which exists between the West and the Middle East, providing timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew media, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends in the Middle East. I found MEMRI to be particularly harsh with respect to anything Arab or Muslim. Additionally, all of its 'analyses' and articles seemed to be generated for outlets such as WorldNetDaily and FoxNews. So, I tried to find out who was behind MEMRI.

Yet, the site doesn't name anyone as its head or provide a point-of-contact beyond an anonymous email address for correspondence and donations.

Of course, Google filled in some of the blanks:

The Guardian

Online Journalism Review:

Now, Deb, wouldn't you agree it might be in Israel's interests to spread a myth about an Iraq-al Qaeda link?

2003-02-21T11:22:00.000-08:00

Animal House

Remember the classic scene in Animal House where Bluto (John Belushi) tries to rally a demoralized Delta House?

D-Day: War's over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.

Bluto: What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Otter: Germans?

Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.

Bluto: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the going gets tough . . . the tough get going. Who's with me? Let's Go! Come on! AAAAEEEEEGGGHHHH!!

Seems the warbloggers are rolling quite a bit themselves. Note the comments.

2003-02-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

Kurds Getting Sold Down The River....Again

One of the few true arguments this appointed administration offered to justify a war with Iraq was Saddam's long persecution and oppression of Iraq's Kurds.

Yet, time after time, the US has essentially abandoned the Kurds to face more powerful enemies for cynically political reasons.

Here's a neat summary from Daniel Schorr in the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War.

In an attempt to bring Turkey into the coalition of the 'bought off'--it looks like the US is once again abandoning the Kurds:

Turks are also worried that war in Iraq will lead to the creation of an independent Kurdish state that would boost aspirations of Turkey's Kurds.

According to the daily newspaper Hurriyet, Turkey is insisting that Iraqi Kurdish groups controlling northern Iraq be disarmed after a war under Turkish supervision.

Toughening Turkey's stance, Erdogan insisted that any agreement had to be in writing and signed by the "highest authority," Anatolia said. The Western diplomat said Washington believed that once the substance of the agreement had been reached, the form would not be a problem.

2003-02-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

This Is What Happens When You Let GOPers Near The Economy

Record Trade Deficits and Soaring Producer Prices

Word is, Harvard wants that MBA back...

2003-02-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

Tom Ridge Explains Nuclear Bombs

Good thing we have Tom Ridge to explain that running toward a nuclear explosion isn't your wisest course of action.

Via Matthew Yglesias

2003-02-18T16:12:00.000-08:00

War For Dummies

Click here to find Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Via TBogg

2003-02-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

GOP Outsources Fundraising Telemarketers To India

It's not bad enough Shrubby is wrecking the economy and has lost millions of US jobs; he's now outsourcing fundraising telemarketer jobs to India.

Via BuzzFlash.

2003-02-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

Blair Getting Desperate

The credibility of Tony Blair took another hit amidships Tom Spencer reports.

Blair's decision to quote a pro-war letter from a 19-year-old Iraqi student at Cambridge, Rania Kashi, has also come in for criticism.
Sunday morning saw Kashi touring TV studios admitting she had never been to Iraq, was born in Kuwait of Iraqi refugee parents and had arrived in Britain at the age of three months.

Whoops. Sounds like Hill and Knowlton are recycling the baby incubator hoax for Blair.

2003-02-16T14:42:00.000-08:00

Lieberman Redux

Several days back, I took Joe Lieberman to task for playing footsie with those GOP bigots, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell.

Of course, Dave Neiwert at Orcinus had been on the story several weeks earlier:

The image is jarring: Sen. Joseph Lieberman, presidential candidate, appears on an infomercial asking Evangelical Christians to donate money to "rescue a Jew.""'On Wings of Eagles' is a modern-day fulfillment of Biblical prophesy," the voiceover in the infomercial says, over images of huddled Russian Jews at the airport, smiling as they presumably wait to leave Russia for Israel.

Yet another reason Dave needs an index.

2003-02-16T13:23:00.000-08:00

A Typical Warblogger Blog

Visit ScumBuster's Super Blog.

Pity most warblogger sites can't reach the intellectual level of ScumBuster.

2003-02-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

'Terror Alerts Are Frightening People'

Roger Ailes (not the one who hangs out with Peggy Noonan) reports Laura Bush has gone off-message.(Permalink hosed up)

"It's a little bit like crying wolf," she said in Manhattan. "You know, it hasn't happened yet."

The wheels are coming off the spin machine.

2003-02-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

An Oldie But A Goodie

I've always been curious about the whackjobs who will spend time railing against the French and Germans but are adverse to the notion they should join up if they're so keen on this war.

But then I remember who their leaders are.

The Chickenhawk Database

Or as I call them, soldiers in the LaZBoy™ Brigade.

2003-02-15T16:28:00.000-08:00

Vive La France

Great smackdown of the French-haters in the op/ed page of today's WaPo. Highlights:

I apologize for being so ungrateful. It's just that I learned in school that France and Britain declared war on Nazi Germany in September 1939, while the United States was enacting isolationist laws, and that America entered the war two years later, only after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. But now I see that was just Gallic propaganda. How could I have believed it?

................

Meanwhile, Lafayette and Rochambeau were a different story altogether: They apparently came here not to help Americans gain their independence but merely to execute the crass realpolitik maneuvers of Louis XVI.

..................

Another thing I had failed to appreciate was how isolated we French are. It's painful to admit, but only 73 percent of the French people oppose a war without a second U.N. resolution. We definitely cannot pretend we speak for the rest of the world, as war is opposed by 82 percent of the European Union (84 percent of Brits), and in other parts of the world, let's say South America, it's more in the range of 90 percent. So we should shut up. And we should also admit that our isolation makes us insignificant, though I still can't understand why publications such as the Weekly Standard keep talking about us so much. Maybe it has something to do with our food.

2003-02-15T06:13:00.000-08:00

Excuses From The LaZBoy Crowd

I see a lot of warbloggers salivating over the impending and inevitable war with Iraq. With the exception of one lone blogger, none of them are rushing out to join up and serve in our armed services. Usually the excuse is 'advanced age' or 'I've done my time' or 'I'm not quitting my job' or 'the military doesn't need [fill in occupation],' or, even 'the military has enough people.'

Such excuses ring hollow in light of the fervor such people express for going to war. After all, these are the same folks who accuse those who are opposed to this war as 'pro-Saddam' and/or 'anti-American.'

But one can serve without having to lead the charge into Baghdad. As a public service, I humbly offer the following options to the LaZBoy Brigade:

Disabled American Veteran (DAV) Volunteer Opportunities

American Red Cross Volunteer Services

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

Army Community Services

United Services Organization (USO)

AmeriCorps

These are just a very few of the volunteer opportunities available--let's see if the warbloggers match their words with service.

2003-02-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

Say It Ain't So, Joe

I've never been a big fan of Joe Lieberman's. Scratch that, I've never been a fan of his---period.

Even as Al Gore's running mate, I always felt Lieberman phoned in his part of the campaign. During his debate with Dick Cheney, he seemed more concerned with whether Cheney liked him rather than taking Cheney to task for his extremist views and frankly false statements. And during the recount debacle, Lieberman appeared willing, if not eager, to count votes that were plainly improper and/or submitted late.

It was bad enough that Lieberman lent his support to a McCarthy-like effort to silence dissent in academia. Clue to Joe: anything associated with Lynne Cheney is going to be extremist rightwing agitprop.

Well, well. Now it seems our boy has, in the past, consorted with those two well-known bigots, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. But, now, Lieberman wants to distance himself from that effort.

Too late, Joe. That burning smell is your toasted presidential aspirations.

Via CounterSpin

2003-02-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

NY Times Poll: Americans Want More Inspections, Oppose Unilateral Action On Iraq

NY Times Poll:

The poll found that while the economy still commands the greatest concern among Americans, the prospect of combat in Iraq, fear of terrorism and the North Korean nuclear standoff are stirring additional anxieties.

These worries may be taking a toll on Mr. Bush's support. His overall job approval rating is down to 54 percent from 64 percent just a month ago, the lowest level since the summer before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Three-quarters of Americans see war as inevitable, and two-thirds approve of war as an option. But many people continue to be deeply ambivalent about war if faced with the prospect of high casualties or a lengthy occupation of Iraq that further damages the American economy. Twenty-nine percent of respondents in the poll, which was conducted Monday through Wednesday, disapprove of taking military action against Iraq.

With major decisions of war and peace still pending, 59 percent of Americans said they believed the president should give the United Nations more time. Sixty-three percent said Washington should not act without the support of its allies, and 56 percent said Mr. Bush should wait for United Nations approval.

As concurrent crises converge on the White House, including a rancorous conflict within the NATO alliance over Iraq war planning, President Bush's job approval ratings have lost ground across the board. Fifty-three percent of Americans disapproved of the way he is handling the economy, and 44 percent disapproved of his overall management of foreign policy.

Though 53 percent of Americans said they approved of the way Mr. Bush is handling Iraq, only 47 percent approved of his foreign policy management over all.

Moreover, a year and a half after the Sept. 11 terrorist assault, only a third of Americans said they think the United States and its allies are winning the antiterror campaign, while 38 percent think that neither side is winning and 20 percent regard the terrorists as still having the upper hand. Only 49 percent of Americans think Mr. Bush has a coherent plan for dealing with terrorism.

2003-02-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

Bashing Christians Or Bashing The Truth?

Recently, I caused a stir at a rightwinger's blog by commenting on an allegation the media bashed Christians during the 2000 GOP Convention. An excerpt from the allegation:

I remember watching the political conventions in 2000. I always watch as much of both the Democratic and Republican conventions as I can. At the Republican convention that year, an openly gay congressman got up to address the delegates. A smallish group of Christian Evangelicals who were also delegates to the convention stood together and bowed their heads to pray for him, because they considered his homosexuality sinful.

Commentators in the media virtually had conniptions at the show of "intolerance." All I could do was roll my eyes. Man, can you think of anything more awful than praying for someone? Gosh, what Nazis. Next it's concentration camps for sure!

The circumstance to which the blogger, Dean Esmay, refers is when Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ)--the only openly gay GOP congressman-- addressed the 2000 GOP convention. Kolbe spoke about trade issues and made no reference to homosexuality or policies concerned with same. Kolbe, who had been invited by Bush Junior to speak at the convention, was met with a protest by a small contingent of Texas delegates--- who had planned a walkout to protest Kolbe's inclusion--but instead bowed their heads during Kolbe's remarks. In fact, Bush Junior campaign handlers surrounded the Texas delegation and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX)sat in the middle of the delegation to try and head off any disruption.

I, too, remember watching the 2000 GOP Convention. But I certainly didn't recall "commentators in the media" having "conniptions" about some praying in response to Kolbe's appearance. So, I did several extensive 'Google' searches. Instead of finding any media-types having "conniptions" about the Texas delegation, I found a fair number of rightwing sites that were upset about Kolbe's presence, including the self-professed 'Christian,' the Reverend Donald Wildmon calling for Kolbe's arrest. I then asked Mr. Esmay for greater detail or a cite to an example of a "commentator in the media" having "conniptions" about Christians praying.

Of course, the dishonest Mr. Esmay then claimed that he knows what he saw and that not all commentator's comments--particularly those on television--make it to the 'net. But this explanation also rang hollow, here's a Fox Network affiliate's story on the event (note requires RealPlayer). As one can see, the protesters were not exactly praying for Kolbe. In fact, as one of them admits, it was a protest to "tell our children and grandchildren that the Republican Party does not tolerate the gay lifestyle."

This gives lie to Mr. Esmay's contention that good 'Christians' were lovingly praying for Kolbe to see the error of his ways at the convention.

Further, the rightwing has a number of organizations whose sole existence is dedicated to sniffing out and exposing liberal bias and slights to the conservative message, no matter how trivial or inaccurate. Surely, they would have sounded the call to arms if Christians were being bashed by those liberal media types. Here's Brent Bozell of the conservative Media Research Council on the Kolbe appearance:

"Which is not to say that the GOP was not guilty of some pretty flagrant pandering, though. For example, they found time for a trade speech by openly gay Rep. Jim Kolbe, only because Jim Kolbe is gay. Their reward was to have Kolbe pressed by CNN to address if he's an "outcast" and when the Republicans are going to be "ready" to evolve into the inevitable and absolute acceptance of homosexuality. "

That's it; no mention of media bashing of Christians nor the protest by members of the Texas delegation. No "conniptions" mentioned. Heck, Bozell takes a swipe at the GOP for having Kolbe talk.

Mr. Esmay, your credibility is nil.

2003-02-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

It Keeps Getting Stranger And Stranger...

After months of proclaiming Osama bin Laden "irrelevant," the appointed administration has apparently decided OBL is, indeed, quite relevant and a pretext of going to war with Iraq.

This afternoon, Colin Powell, read from a transcript of a tape purportedly from the formerly irrelevant one. Powell: .. once again he speaks to the people of Iraq and talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership with Iraq.

Hmmmmm.

Yet, news accounts of the alleged OBL tape describe the speaker as characterizing Saddam and his government as "infidels" and/or urging Iraqis to "rise up" and oust Saddam from power.

What a tangled web we weave...

2003-02-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Shorter Stephen den Beste

Absolutely brilliant:

"The administration which couldn't produce a smoking gun in the case of Iraq is now going to produce one for France and Germany".

2003-02-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

John Lott Fraud Update

Not content with blaming his 13-year-old son in this debacle of his own making--Mrs. Lott weighs in with a few of her own inaccuracies.

Just when you think John Lott couldn't get any creepier...........

2003-02-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

It's All Bill Clinton's Fault

PLA has a delicious post on why everything is Bill Clinton's fault.

Or is it?

2003-02-11T06:15:00.000-08:00

What Were They Thinking?

If we needed further evidence as to the sheer foolishness of Libertarianism, this report out of NY:

The Manhattan Libertarian Party had hoped to dramatize its opposition to a City Council proposal to ban toy guns by distributing hundreds of free plastic water pistols yesterday at a public school in East Harlem.

The stunt turned out to be more of a dramatization of how to shoot yourself in the foot.

The intention, said Gary Snyder, the Libertarian Party chairman, was to make light of the proposal on the day it was introduced. "We thought silly legislation such as banning squirt guns warranted an equally silly response, such as toy guns for tots, all done in good fun," he said.

.........................

Inspector Steven Silks of the Police Department told the Council that since 1998 there had been 12 cases in which officers had fired at someone holding a toy gun that had been mistaken for a real weapon. Inspector Silks said it was unclear how many of the instances involved fatal shootings.

But council member after council member seemed to know the name of at least one child for whom playing with a toy gun had turned violent. Some worried aloud about the fate of the children at P.S. 72.

"Wouldn't it be horrible if one of these very guns they handed out to a youth ended up with that youth being killed?" asked Councilman James Sanders Jr. of Queens. "I'm sure they would come and they would say the youth had the right, it was a perfect freedom to go out there and get themselves killed."

Another question is why these nuts chose East Harlem as the place to endanger children?

2003-02-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

It's The Economy, Stupid

A cheery article. Highlights:

U.S. stocks have lost almost $5 trillion of value since Bush took office two years ago, a mind-blowing decline. The market has fallen more (in percentage terms) during Bush’s first two years than in the first two years of any modern president, including Herbert Hoover, who was in charge when the Great Depression began. And you can’t blame the Bush Market on the trauma of 9-11: stocks fell at a much faster rate from Bush’s Inauguration through Sept. 10, 2001, than they have since. Unemployment is up more than 40 percent (to 6 percent, from 4.2) since Bush took office; gigantic projected federal-budget surpluses have turned into deficits; the dollar has fallen sharply against the euro.

..................

When President Bush was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2001, U.S. stocks were valued at $14.7 trillion, according to Wilshire Associates. Last week’s value: $9.9 trillion. Total decline: $4.8 trillion. The only fair way to compare the Bush Market with other presidents’ markets is to use percentages rather than dollars. Here, too, he leads the pack. According to a study conducted for NEWSWEEK by Aronson+Johnson+Ortiz, a Philadelphia money-management firm, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index has fallen more in Bush’s first two years than under any president since the modern stock market emerged. (AJO’s data go back only as far as Hoover, enough for our purposes.) During Hoover’s first two years, which included the Black Thursday crash in October 1929, the S&P fell 29 percent. Not as bad as Bush’s 33 percent. (Through last week, the decline was 36 percent.)

2003-02-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

No Child Left Behind--Except The Kids Of Military Parents

Yet another cynical ploy to try and kill off public schools. The shame is all the greater because it impacts the children of parents who will likely be asked to fight in Iraq.

School officials nationwide are criticizing a proposal in President Bush's budget to stop compensating them for teaching children of military personnel who are not living on bases.

2003-02-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

Update On Plagiarized British Intelligence Dossier

NY Times reports the British Intelligence Dossier hailed by Colin Powell was "lifted from magazines and academic journals." More:

But much of the material actually came, sometimes verbatim, from several nonsecret published articles, according to critics of the government's policy who have studied the documents. These include an article published in the Middle East Review of International Affairs in September 2002, as well as three articles from Jane's Intelligence Review, two of them published in the summer of 1997 and one in November 2002.

In some cases, the critics said, parts of the articles — or of summaries posted on the Internet — were paraphrased in the report. In other cases, they were plagiarized — to the extent that even spelling and punctuation errors in the originals were reproduced.

Again, if you have a compelling case to go to war--you shouldn't have to lie, misrepresent or manipulate the truth.

2003-02-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

Our Brand New Allies

Much excitement from RightWing WarBloggers following the announcement that Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia would rubberstamp Shrubby's War on Iraq.

uggabugga is less than overwhelmed.

2003-02-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

D-Squared Digest

D-Squared Digest would be magnificent if all it did was "Shorter Stephen den Beste".

But there's much more. Check it out.

2003-02-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

Orcinus Suggestions

Dave at Orcinus really needs an index on his blog. There's so much good stuff there it needs to be indexed.

2003-02-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

Gee, That Tax Stimulus Worked Wonders, Huh?

Wow, supply-side economics really works:

The economy has fallen into its worst hiring slump in almost 20 years, and many business executives say they remain unsure when it will end.

The employment decline has become even worse than it was at a comparable point in the so-called jobless recovery of the early 1990's, according to recently revised statistics from the Labor Department. The economy has lost more than two million jobs, a drop of 1.5 percent, since the most recent recession began in March 2001, as layoffs have continued despite the resumption of economic growth more than a year ago. The decline was 1.3 percent at the same point in the business cycle a decade ago.

Thanks, Shrub.

2003-02-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

Maybe Dick Cheney Will Sit Junior On His Knee And Use His Ventriloquism Powers

Not only was Colin Powell waving around an empty vial at yesterday's lackluster UN performance--but he was also touting plagiarized documents as intelligence.

The lies of this appointed administration are getting sloppier and more reckless.

2003-02-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

What Passes For Thinking In GOP Circles

Barney at MWOWatchx4 offers a great example of Republican thought processes:

The Steps of Republican Environmental Reasoning
1. Nothing is happening.
2. Something may be happening, but there's no proof.
3. Something may be happening, but the proof isn't conclusive.
4. Something is happening, but nothing can be done.
5. Something is happening, something can be done, but it is too expensive.
6. Something is happening, something can be done, but it is too late.
7. Something is happening, something is being done. All we can afford. Go away.
8. Something is happening, something is being done. All we can afford. How can you prove it's not enough?
9. There's a political/military/financial crisis, can't talk now.
10-30...(edited for brevity)
31-60...(edited for brevity)
61-96...(edited for brevity)
97. It's too late.

2003-02-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

$3M For The 9/11 Commission??

PLA puts this ridiculously low figure in perspective:

Like Jane, we did not know how much investigations cost and therefore had no basis on which to judge whether $3 million was sufficient. We decided to find out the cost of other investigations in order to have a basis for comparison.

One place we looked for such information was in the costs of Independent Counsel Investigations. Because we did not wish to start a partisan brawl, we ignored the costs of Whitewater and Iran/Contra investigations. This is what we found:

It cost the government $1.5 million to investigate whether or not Michael Deaver had engaged in improper lobbying.

The investigation into HUD scandals under Samuel Pierce cost $28 million.

The investigation into whether or not Bush I officials improperly looked at Bill Clinton’s passport records cost $2.8 million.

The failed investigation into whether Mike Espy took illegal gifts cost $17 million.

The investigation into whether or not Henry Cisneros’s statement to the FBI in which he acknowledged paying money to a former mistress misstated the amount of money he paid cost $7.3 million.

We also looked into the investigation of other terrorist acts. With regard to the Oklahoma City bombing, the FBI spent in excess of $60 million in its investigation. The defense spent $2 million on investigators. The government funded the total defense in an amount in excess of $13 million up through sentencing.

The investigation of Eric Rudolph, the alleged Olympic and abortion clinic bomber has cost over $20 million.

Other investigative costs:

One source suggests that the cost of the investigation into the crash of TWA flight 800 was about $35 million.

The cost of recovery and investigation into the Challenger disaster was at least $43 million.

The budget for John Danforth’s investigation into the Waco matter was $11 million.

2003-02-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

Lots Of Good Stuff At MaxSpeak, Today

Go. Read.

First up, Max links to a pretty convincing evisceration of Colin Powell's less-than-overwhelming UN presentation. If we have such "irrefutable" (as the WaPo gushes) evidence--why does this appointed administration keep pushing the Iraq-Al Qaeda link which our own (as well as British) intelligence agencies don't believe?

The answer, of course, is that this administration is counting on the existing US public belief that Saddam was behind 9/11 in order to gather support for the invasion of Iraq.

Update via Atrios: It appears a British Intelligence dossier praised by Powell is not all that it appears to be.

It gets gloomier, folks: take a gander at another MaxSpeak post and witness the trainwreck coming in the next 10 years.

2003-02-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

From Looking At Our Galaxy From 10 Million Light Years Away...

...to examining a quark. Take this way cool guided tour.

Via PLA

2003-02-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

Former Gun Industry Official Comes Clean

From the NY Times:

A former senior firearms industry executive said in an affidavit filed in court in San Diego yesterday that gun manufacturers had long known that some of their dealers corruptly sold guns to criminals but pressured one another into remaining silent for fear of legal liability. It is the first time a senior official in the gun industry has broken ranks to challenge practices in the business.
...........................

But Mr. Ricker, who has been working for more than two decades in the gun industry, including a stint as a lawyer for the N.R.A., said the gun makers had long known that "the diversion of firearms from legal channels of commerce to the black market" takes place "principally at the distributor/dealer level."

"Corrupt dealers" make it easy for criminals and juveniles to buy guns, Mr. Ricker said, by allowing practices like "straw sales," in which an individual buys a gun on behalf of someone who is prohibited from purchasing a gun because of a criminal conviction or his age.

"Leaders in the industry have long known that greater industry action to prevent illegal transactions is possible," Mr. Ricker said, particularly through a network of manufacturers' representatives who stay in close touch with dealers. But industry officials have "resisted taking constructive voluntary action," he said, and have "sought to silence others within the industry."

This has resulted in a "see-no-evil, hear-no-evil approach," Mr. Ricker said, and encouraged "a culture of evasion of firearms laws and regulations."

The gun makers became sufficiently concerned about their potential liability, Mr. Ricker said, that they convened annual meetings from 1992 through 1997, which he attended. A major subject was whether it would be good to take voluntary action to better control the distribution of guns.

But, Mr. Ricker said, "the prevailing view was that if the industry took action voluntarily, it would be an admission of responsibility for the problem." Eventually, some of the lawyers decided that even holding the meetings was "dangerous" and they were stopped, Mr. Ricker said.

2003-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, Commercial Air Travel Is Not Routine

A pilot for a certain commercial air carrier requested permission and landed at FRA (Frankfurt, Germany) for an unscheduled refueling stop. The reason soon became apparent to the ground crew: The Number 3 engine had been shutdown previously because of excessive vibration, and because it didn't look too good. Photo 1shows the condition of the #3 engine when the airliner arrived in Frankfurt with a load of passengers. The engine had sometime previously encountered something hard, like rocks and instead of changing the engine the certain commercial air carrier decided to immobilize the engine with lapbelts and send it off with three engines.

Photo 2 is another view. The airliner maintenance crew took some sturdy straps and wrapped them around two of the fan blades and the stationary stator blades behind, thus stopping any unwanted windmilling (engine spinning by itself due to airflow passing thru the blades during flight) and associated uncomfortable vibration caused by the severely out of balance fan blades. Note that the straps are seatbelts.

As one can see this engine wasn't in good shape.

2003-02-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

On Using The Columbia Tragedy As An Excuse For Hatred

Norm Jenson at One Good Move examines how some warbloggers will use any pretext, no matter how inappropriate, to further their own biases and agendas.

Kieran Healy has more.

As does Tim Dunlop.

CalPundit wraps it all up neatly.

There seems to be a common thread to all this unseemly warmongering and xenophobia, a certain Professor from Tennessee.

2003-02-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

Military Stuff

Just a couple of quick takes on things of military interest. Ever wonder what became of the old USSR's reactors in subs and the associated fissionable material? Wonder no more--the Bellona Foundation has some sobering information for you.

Via Amygdala. The Navy is apparently experimenting with Wi-Fi Ships. Seems to me the long pole in this tent isn't the actual distribution of the data but the predictive maintenance systems that comprise the Total Ship Monitoring (TSM) aspect.

2003-02-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

Frightening, But Very, Very Cool

Via Tom Spencer

Gulf War 2 aka World War II.5

2003-02-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

Wish I'd Said That

Over at Roger Ailes, (not the fat, repulsive one), Mac Diva (see the comments) zings the fraud John Lott about his claim he permitted his 13-year-old son to submit an ethusiastic review for his book More Guns, Less Crime on Amazon under Lott's Mary Rosh pseudonym:

"Lott thinks he is enhancing his reputation by saying his whole family lies?"

That's gonna leave a mark.

Also, be sure to check out Tim Lambert's analysis of what is purported to be a Mary Rosh/13-year-old review and a Lott review.

2003-02-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

A Little Levity On A Day When We Could Use Some

Orcinus explores the clumsiness of the African-American Republican Leadership Council (AARLC). The AARLC is one of those typical GOP front groups which has a nice enough-sounding title but a heavily conservative agenda. Normally, such GOP front groups function quite well and are effective propaganda machines.

Not AARLC:

In other words, someone in the Republican camp, in devising the GOP's outreach for black Americans, became so desperate to place a black person -- any black person -- at the head of this operation, that they chose a former senator and just plugged in his name. Without asking his permission to do so. Or even making him aware of the existence of their work. Assuming that Brooke would be a good "boy" and play along if anyone asked. And assuming that the public would not be any the wiser.

It gets more hilarious; read the link.

2003-02-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

WaPo Discovers John Lott/Mary Rosh Story

The NY Times has the motto: All The News That's Fit To Print.

The WaPo motto should be Better Late Than Never as today they seem to have discovered the John Lott Fraud and Mary Rosh debacle.

2003-01-31T07:53:00.000-08:00

Spiro Ehrlich's Magical Sleaze Machine 'Moving Along'

From the WaPo:

A grand jury has indicted two employees of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s campaign for allegedly hiring poll workers on Election Day, and the Maryland state prosecutor said yesterday that his investigation is continuing.

Steven Martin and Rashida Hogg are charged with recruiting workers to hand out campaign literature at polling places in Prince George's County on behalf of Ehrlich and his running mate, Michael S. Steele, now lieutenant governor.

State election law bars payments to poll workers who advocate for a particular candidate, and the penalty for doling out the "walking-around money" can be as much as a year in jail and fines of up to $25,000.

Last month, the grand jury indicted Shirley R. Brookins, an employee of a D.C.-based temporary employment agency, for allegedly paying homeless people to work the polls for the Republican ticket.

State Prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli said he plans to present additional evidence to the Prince George's County grand jury, and he declined to specify when he expects to conclude his probe.

"We're moving along," he said.

Marylanders: let's beat the last minute rush and impeach Spiro Ehrlich and Mikey Steele now.

2003-01-31T07:45:00.000-08:00

The World's Worst Cable Company Practices Censorship

Comcast, the world's worst cable company, refused to run an anti-war ad before or after Snippy McGolfcart's State of the Union address. Click on the link and watch the ad; it's a montage of American citizens--not actors--voicing their opinions ( a first amendment right ) about the imminent war on Iraq. Nobody's shouting and nobody is being disrespectful or using objectionable language.

For Comcast, the world's worst cable company, this is a new nadir.

Via CounterSpin.

2003-01-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

The Moonie Times And 9/11

The permalinks are acting up at Orcinus but Dave Neiwert has a neat little piece entitled "Aid and Comfort to the Enemy."

It's account from Benjamin and Simon's The Age of Sacred Terror which tells how the Moonie Times likely tipped off Osama bin Laden during our last democratically-elected President's administration:

The months that followed, however, were a nightmare. The press picked apart the administration's case for striking al-Shifa, and controversy erupted over whether Clinton was trying to "wag the dog," that is, distract the public from the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The Washington Times -- the capital's unabashed right-wing newspaper, which consistently has the best sources in the intelligence world and the least compunction about leaking -- ran a story mentioning that bin Laden "keeps in touch with the world via computers and satellite phones." Bin Laden stopped using the satellite phone instantly. The al-Qaeda leader was not eager to court the fate of Djokar Dudayev, the Chechen insurgent leader who was killed by a Russian air defense suppression missile that homed in on its target using his satellite phone signal. When bin Laden stopped using the phone and let his aides to the calling, the United States lost its best chance to find him.

Go read the post at Orcinus for more context and supporting evidence.