With a stop in Washington along the way. Some of you know my roots are in Iowa. I attending the University of Iowa. The Clintons were there today. Interesting bit of "live blogging" from a local blogger.
Tags: Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, University of Iowa
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It’s really interesting to watch the reaction to the news tonight..Especially when it comes from the Right..after they thought they’d won a big round.
The Democrats have gone completely insane – from NRO’s The Corner: The House Judiciary Committee has officially announced its plans for a hearing into President Bush’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison term. The hearing will take place next Wednesday morning; [...]
Tags: Judiciary Committee, Libby, Hearings
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Super concept. Ya’ gotta watch this commercial.
Normally, I would have a fair amount of skepticism about an ad “aimed at convincing young Norwegians that sciences are fun and exciting.” But this is not your normal ad. In fact, it just might be the coolest [...]
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Is that southern delicacy on your agenda for July 4th? You might be surprised to learn that it’s spreading North (gasp!)
True barbecue is a complex, slow method of cooking meat in an enclosed space with low, indirect heat and smoke. True barbecue emerges from the "pit" still moist and very tender after as many as 18 hours of cooking. Its flavor is a mix of the smoke, the sublimation of fat, the caramelization of meat juices, spices rubbed on it, soaked or injected into it and sauce basted ("mopped") over it while it cooks. Within all this, there are endless variations: [...]
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Olbermann was one PO’d guy tonight. With another well-written, if a bit over-the-top in delivery, Special Comment. Here’s the script and video direct from MSNBC…
“I didn’t vote for him,” an American once said, “But he’s my president, and I hope he does a good job.” That—on this eve of the 4th of July—is the essence of this democracy, in 17 words. And that is what President Bush threw away yesterday in commuting the sentence of Lewis “Scooter” Libby [...]
By the way, it’s a bit "inside", but it appears MSNBC is doing SOMETHING right..
"For the third consecutive quarter," MSNBC "pushed past the competition to achieve more growth than any other cable news network," [...]
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Is it possible? Can it be? The return of the Drive-In Theatre?
More Boomer Memories–The Drive-In
It was only a matter of time before we’d try to replicate a sacred teenage ritual–going to the drive-in. Of course in my day it meant one or two or three couples in a car—either planning to drink ourselves sick [...]
Tags: Drive-In, Drive-In theatres
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Wednesday is a holiday here in the U.S. Independence Day. Great timing to sit back and share some history. My history, as one who grew up in the 1960’s. This is a fascinating (and very well-done) article from Rolling Stone…
The Legacy of 1967: A Leading Historian Assesses the Year That Split America in Two
New year’s eve, San Francisco. Country Joe and the Fish play the final set at the Avalon Ballroom, ushering in 1967. That same night, Big Brother and the Holding Company, fronted by Janis Joplin, perform nearby in Golden Gate Park. Two weeks later, 20,000 people pack the park for the first Human Be-In – a foretaste of the Summer of Love in Haight-Ashbury. Timothy Leary, in a phrase of his own invention, tells the assembled tribe to "turn on, tune in, drop out."’ The Age of Aquarius is dawning in 1967 – but so is [...]
Tags: 1967, Rolling Stone, Age of Aquarius, Haight-Ashbury
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It’s really just the logical progression of things…
Snow Stonewalls On Possible Involvement Of Cheney In Libby Pardon
A recent Washington Post exposé on Dick Cheney revealed that the vice president often gives secret guidance to President Bush that frequently dictates the president’s final decision on key issues. This morning on CNN, Joe Wilson said the Post series was an affirmation of Cheney’s negative influence throughout the administration. “I see the fine hand of [...]
Tags: Libby Pardon, Tony Snow, Joe Wilson, cheney
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I’ve been trying NOT to make it so, but it seems there’s very little stirring things up in the blogosphere like the Scooter Libby story. The Bush Administration has created a gift that truly keeps on giving…
The White House’s breathtaking incoherence
Tony Snow told reporters this morning that the president, in consultation with top White House aides, mulled over what to do about Scooter Libby for “weeks and weeks.” With all those smart people considering a case for so long, you’d think they wouldn’t sound so spectacularly dumb in explaining what happened yesterday. The president, for example, deigned [...]
Tags: Tony Snow, Scooter Libby, Commutation
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It truly doesn’t get much more basic…
Intelligence problems persist in Iraq
Pat Lang, a former high-ranking official at the Defense Intelligence Agency and a very legitimate Middle East expert, has a fantastic blog post up about the failures of intelligence in Iraq. If you’re interested in why we’re having such a difficult time militarily in Iraq, and especially if you like the intel details, go read the whole thing. Lang is occasionally ornery, but the [...]
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Just a little something to consider…
Almost seven years ago to the date: “We are going to restore honor and dignity to the White House.” George W. Bush, 7/5/00. Bonus irony alert: “On the first hour of the first day, we will restore decency and integrity to the Oval Office. They will offer more lectures and legalisms and carefully worded denials. We offer another [...]
Tags: Honor, Dignity, White House, George W. Bush
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One more to add to the list of "things that aren’t as they’re supposed to be"…
FDA Officials Operated Under Veil of Secrecy
"For years, the public calendars of two top federal drug safety officials were largely blank – devoid of the required detail about their contacts with the industry they regulated. Open government experts and lawmakers said it is only the latest example of the lack of transparency at the Food and Drug Administration and a violation of the spirit of open government," reports [...]
Tags: FDA, Food and Drug Administration
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A few of the bloggers are spelling out what they think is the "real" reason behind the commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison sentence. And, they’re making sense. Read on..
For the first time in quite a while I watched some cable news last night. And I’ve read this morning’s editorials. And, other than a brief mention by Keith Olbermann, I haven’t seen anyone addressing the central point of Libby’s commutation. Take a look at this: …House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said the president "did the right thing today…. The prison sentence was overly harsh and the punishment did not fit the crime." Intentionally or not, Rep. Blunt is expressing something important here. If we just look at his [...]
And, Jill at Brilliant at Breakfast has an excellent roundup of Libby Posts…
Around the blogroll: Scooter Libby edition
But, Wait! There’s More! Think Progress points us to some newspapers that editorialized against the President’s decision:
Editorials On Pardon: Bush ‘Did Not Sound Like A Leader,’ ‘Sent Terrible Message,’ ‘Indefensible’
Yesterday, President Bush spared Scooter Libby from a 2½-year prison term, issuing an order that commutes his sentence. Libby will never have to go to jail, but his felony conviction will stand, and he will still serve two years probation and owe $250,000 in fines. In March, Americans opposed pardoning Libby by a 3 to [...]
Before we leave this topic, consider a Bonus Quote of the Day
And, for balance: Libby – Reactions From The Authoritarian Right
Tags: Olbermann, Libby, Commutation
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Granted, you don’t expect a CREW report to be unbiased. With that understood, this is most interesting.
CREW: Bush administration is ‘crossing the line.’
CREW released a report today called Crossing the Line: The Bush Administration’s Efforts to Expand Its Powerful Reach, “which details the Bush administration’s repeated constitutional overreaching and abuse of executive power and prerogative.” Some highlights: – Recently it was revealed that the vice president has unilaterally exempted himself and his office from the executive order [...]
Tags: CREW, Bush Administration, Executive Power
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Not impressive to some. In fact, they’re being called…
….There’s been ample discussion about the recent attempted attacks in Britain, the sophistication of the would-be terrorists, and the connection they may or may not have had to al Qaeda. Former Scotland Yard Detective John O’Connor’s comments on CNN [...]
Tags: Terrorists, Bombs, al Qaeda, Scotland Yard
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Things aren’t going well in the McCain campaign. Not well at all…
McCain Meltdown: Axes At Least 50 Campaign Staffers Hours Before Fundraising Announcement
WASHINGTON – John McCain’s campaign, trailing top Republican rivals in money and polls, is undergoing a significant reorganization with staff cuts in every department, officials with knowledge of the shake-up said Monday. Some 50 staffers or more are being let go, and senior aides will be subject to [...]
Tags: McCain, Presidentail Campaigns
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History. Important history.
Four years ago today, President Bush invited Iraqi insurgents to attack U.S. forces. He said, recklessly, "There are some who feel like — that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring’em on. We’ve got the force necessary to deal with the security situation." It’s bad enough that he callously dismissed the [...]
Tags: Bring It On, Iraq War, Insurgents
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We’ve all heard the reports about how the President pretty much ignored the pre-9/11 report. So, one can only surmise how day to day events are treated. We do have a bit of hard evidence about THAT..
It’s hardly the most important element of Peter Baker’s piece on Bush’s behind-the-scenes persona, but he does tackle the enduring question: Does Bush read newspapers? To an extent, Bush walls himself off from criticism. He does read newspapers, contrary to public impression, but watches little television news and does not linger in the media echo chamber. Now, [...]
Tags: George W. Bush, Peter Baker, Newspapers
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I oftentimes wonder how some of these so-called "reporters" can live with themselves…
The Iraq polls are increasingly grim for Bush, with 66 percent of people now saying get the hell out, with a full 40 percent of that total saying do it now. What’s a highly unpopular administration to do when the nation has lost all confidence in the war? Go back to the tried and true. Get NYT’s reliable Iran war drum beater and reporter Michael Gordon to pen yet another article beating the drum on Iran. Yup, he’s back, this time with some really extraordinary claims about [...]
Tags: Iraq, Iran, New York Times, Michael Gordon
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Twenty paces, turn and…
Leahy To Bush: You And Me At High Noon
Game on: The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said yesterday that he will attempt to cite the White House for criminal contempt of Congress if it does not turn over documents related to the firing of nine federal prosecutors. "If they don’t cooperate, yes, I’d go that far," Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said on NBC’s [...]
Tags: Leahy, Bush, Judiciary Committee, Contempt of Congress
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