Another Day, Another Shot Across the Bow
ArchPundit
Da Speaker challenges G-Rod’s school proposal. Even if G-Rod wins the battle, does he really think he’ll win the war?
May 2004
Bring Back Vallas
So Blagojevich put a guy on the Gaming Board who had a mob boss in the family tree. But his office says pish-posh to questions about Fanning and Andriacchi.
“We deal with reality, not endless hypotheticals about whose sister’s ex-husband’s uncle might have unscrupulous ties,” said Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff.
Abby deserves better than duty as the Democratic Scott McClellan.
G-Rod Letter
In all of its passive agressive glory, at the Capitol Fax
Northside Vs. Southside
Everyone in the office thinks my allergies are bad because I’m crying. But the reality is I’m crying from laughter at this:
Just a College Prank
Herr Limbaugh has declared the torture a little college prank
I went through hazing in college (and no I can’t defend it) and let me tell you what those prisoners went through isn’t just a little hazing. Having a sore butt from a paddle and not getting much sleep is not being sodomized with a broom handle. Can we stick a fork in this clown yet?
I Told You So
That private contractors are interrogators in U.S. prison camps in Iraq should be stunning enough. This is incredibly sensitive work and takes our experiment with the boundaries of military outsourcing to levels never anticipated. But even more outrageous is the fact that gaps in the law may have given them a free pass so that it could be impossible to prosecute them for alleged criminal behavior.
Some soldiers make horrible decisions, but they are accountable. Private employees doing military work are not. Contracting for combat or combat related positions must stop.
In turn, because the acts were committed abroad, and also reportedly involve some contractors who are not U.S. citizens, the application of U.S. domestic law in an extraterritorial setting is unclear and has never been tested. This appears to leave an incredible vacuum. Indeed, as Phillip Carter, a former Army officer now at UCLA Law School, says, “Legally speaking, (military contractors in Iraq) actually fall into the same gray area as the unlawful combatants detained at Guant?namo Bay.”
This is the worst case scenario and it should have been predicted.
And the Daily:
“Donate to Barack Obama!”
It makes a GREAT Mother’s Day Gift!*
Remember Bean and Renner as well.
*stolen shamelessly from Austin Mayor in comments.
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Really! Right now there are three open slots and all are cheap
$20/month
$15/two weeks
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Top spot is reserved for the Obama ad as long as it is renewed, but other ads will be rotated daily to keep them fresh.
Click throughs to loads is about 1/100. That is pretty decent. I don’t have data on contributions. Site traffic on weekdays is average 300+ and does better when I’m more regular–allergies interfere from time to time. And much of that traffic is narrowly targeted to political junkies.
Alma Mater Antics
It would appear the College Republicans at Cornell College (yes Zorn, both Mike Conklin and I went there and actually belonged to the same local version of a fraternity)–many years apart of course–have honored the time-honored tradition of being paranoid and whining. While I was there, the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes were offended by an art exhibit including painted nudes and turned around most of the painting to not be offended. So much for that liberal arts education they payed for.
In other snits, a couple of the turds used to yell at the lady who ran the food service. Well, until I inserted my nose about an inch from his face and I was about twice his size. Libby only liked me–something about saying thank you and asking how she was doing from time to time. And not putting up with spoiled bullies.
And, Lane, I can send a pic if little Leland wants to add me to any of his watches. I’m still trying to get reviewed for David Horowitz’s little site.
Chicago Report On Trib’s Coverage
Michael Van Winkle takes the Trib to task for their treatment of Jack Ryan’s position on the Davis-Bacon Act. Michael arges that the Trib is being unfair by not giving Obama the same treatment on Iraq.
The problem is Michael is creating a rather strained argument in relation to Obama’s take on Iraq. Just because one was against the Iraqi War does not automatically mean that they should be calling for an automatic pullout. It isn’t inconsistent to have been against the war, observe that regardless of what you felt about the war we are there, and then deal with that fact as the next stage in setting policy.
The Trib piece on Ryan and the Davis-Bacon Act is here.
The companion Obama piece is here.
To me, if there is a problem with the coverage it is that Obama’s covers more issues, but that makes sense given his longer record. I think the point about concealed carry for retired police officers is analogous to the argument made in the Ryan piece, but just not as indepth.
As a note–Chicago Report is a great magazine/blog-the reason it was moved to the expanded blog roll was the level of Illinois content to other content. Moving it isn’t a statement on the overall content as much as guiding readers to the most often updated blogs on Illinois. I highly recommend it. That goes for many blogs on the expanded list.