Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Mickey Maus
Hey! Would you like to know when a blogger has become OFFICIALLY not worth reading? When he refers to John Podhoretz of the NY POST as....J-Pod.
See it here.
Hey! Would you like to know when a blogger has become OFFICIALLY not worth reading? When he refers to John Podhoretz of the NY POST as....J-Pod.
See it here.
Monday, April 26, 2004
NEUTRALIZING ATTACKS ON KERRY'S VIETNAM RECORD
How's this for an easy one. The Kerry campaign needs to say this loudly and clearly: Nixon tried to smear Kerry in the same way.
Voila! Associate the Bush campaign with Nixon. This serves two purposes. 1) Portray this administration with Nixon's (certainly not an unfair description. 2) Drive up Kerry's hard support amonh those who truly detested Nixon's presidency. Hey, G.W. wasn't being noticed and fretted over by the most crooked admin. ever. Kerry was. That should be a position he can be proud of.
How's this for an easy one. The Kerry campaign needs to say this loudly and clearly: Nixon tried to smear Kerry in the same way.
Voila! Associate the Bush campaign with Nixon. This serves two purposes. 1) Portray this administration with Nixon's (certainly not an unfair description. 2) Drive up Kerry's hard support amonh those who truly detested Nixon's presidency. Hey, G.W. wasn't being noticed and fretted over by the most crooked admin. ever. Kerry was. That should be a position he can be proud of.
Friday, April 23, 2004
WHAT HAGEL IS DOING
As you are, I'm sure, well aware by this point, Sen. Chuck Hagel revived the issue of a military draft this week and it has sent the blogosphere buzzing. It has also made the Pentagon and White House answer gaggle questions that they would rather avoid.
What is the real reason as to why Hagel would bring such a momentous idea up? I think the answer to that is fairly easy, but I have not seen it explained....as of yet.
Chuck Hagel wants to tank the election for Bush. So does McCain and so does Dick Lugar. These three men have been burnishing their (I) credentials in a more pronounced way as of late and I view them as a secret weapon for Kerry.
It is they who have been raising issues that the Administration would rather not confront and they give these criticisms the patina of authority that comes with being (R).
I suspect the three of them understand that another four years of Bush would really be disastrous for the United States and not only because of his policies. These men are process and systems men, not ideologues and with Bush, they see the international systems and processes they care about being eroded.
Further, I think they take seriously the constitutional obligations of being a senator very seriously. They feel marginalized and unable to affect the nation they care about.
If John Kerry wants a sure winner, it will be to run as a uniter, not a divider. There are many in Congress, both (D) and (R) who would welcome such a change. Some sort of National Unity platform would create an inspiring vision (if not policy details) that people can latch on to.
It would be a bold step for this country, and for Kerry, to announce that, in the interests of unity, he would appoint a bipartisan cabinet and (maybe, hopefully) a moderate Republican vice president.
As the past four years have shown, we could do a lot worse.
As you are, I'm sure, well aware by this point, Sen. Chuck Hagel revived the issue of a military draft this week and it has sent the blogosphere buzzing. It has also made the Pentagon and White House answer gaggle questions that they would rather avoid.
What is the real reason as to why Hagel would bring such a momentous idea up? I think the answer to that is fairly easy, but I have not seen it explained....as of yet.
Chuck Hagel wants to tank the election for Bush. So does McCain and so does Dick Lugar. These three men have been burnishing their (I) credentials in a more pronounced way as of late and I view them as a secret weapon for Kerry.
It is they who have been raising issues that the Administration would rather not confront and they give these criticisms the patina of authority that comes with being (R).
I suspect the three of them understand that another four years of Bush would really be disastrous for the United States and not only because of his policies. These men are process and systems men, not ideologues and with Bush, they see the international systems and processes they care about being eroded.
Further, I think they take seriously the constitutional obligations of being a senator very seriously. They feel marginalized and unable to affect the nation they care about.
If John Kerry wants a sure winner, it will be to run as a uniter, not a divider. There are many in Congress, both (D) and (R) who would welcome such a change. Some sort of National Unity platform would create an inspiring vision (if not policy details) that people can latch on to.
It would be a bold step for this country, and for Kerry, to announce that, in the interests of unity, he would appoint a bipartisan cabinet and (maybe, hopefully) a moderate Republican vice president.
As the past four years have shown, we could do a lot worse.
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Carlos Watson
I enjoy Carlos Watson's political analysis report thursdays on cnn.com and this week is no different.
He makes the same point I do in discussing the release of Kerry's military records, namely that it helps him. Somehow, I think the Kerry campaign saw this opportunity coming and decided to shrewdly let the "scandal" simmer.
I enjoy Carlos Watson's political analysis report thursdays on cnn.com and this week is no different.
He makes the same point I do in discussing the release of Kerry's military records, namely that it helps him. Somehow, I think the Kerry campaign saw this opportunity coming and decided to shrewdly let the "scandal" simmer.
I SAID SO!
Yesterday, after scanning Kerry's military records, I asked why this is the nit that Ed Gillespie so wanted to pick?
If Mr. Gillespie wanted the next news cycle's stories to read like this or this, then he's done well.
Yesterday, after scanning Kerry's military records, I asked why this is the nit that Ed Gillespie so wanted to pick?
If Mr. Gillespie wanted the next news cycle's stories to read like this or this, then he's done well.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
John Kerry's Military Records
After perusing the records on Kerry's website, the only thing I can hope for are more silly "scandals" to be brewed by the cauldron-tenders at the RNC.
Go read Kerry's request for swiftboat duty.
Make sure to read itemized paragraph number four.
This is the can of worms Ed Gillespie wanted to open? Really?!
After perusing the records on Kerry's website, the only thing I can hope for are more silly "scandals" to be brewed by the cauldron-tenders at the RNC.
Go read Kerry's request for swiftboat duty.
Make sure to read itemized paragraph number four.
This is the can of worms Ed Gillespie wanted to open? Really?!
Friday, March 19, 2004
PINKERTON
There has been an understandable cacophony of voices dismantling the view of Spaniards as appeasers in electing Zapatero in and Aznar out, but I do think one of the most effective pieces thus far comes from James Pinkerton, writing in Salon.
Delight in his evisceration of Andrew Sullivan, Chris Hitchens, Tony Blankley, Tom Friedman (becoming exponentially untenable), and David Brooks (so easily evisceratable!)
There has been an understandable cacophony of voices dismantling the view of Spaniards as appeasers in electing Zapatero in and Aznar out, but I do think one of the most effective pieces thus far comes from James Pinkerton, writing in Salon.
Delight in his evisceration of Andrew Sullivan, Chris Hitchens, Tony Blankley, Tom Friedman (becoming exponentially untenable), and David Brooks (so easily evisceratable!)
Thursday, March 18, 2004
FASCINATING
Found this on Slate and I think it is completely fascinating. It has to be one of the most interesting pieces I've read on post-war Iraq. There are too few (I think) pieces written about Iraqis themselves. I do not think they have been very humanized in the American press.
Great stuff.
Found this on Slate and I think it is completely fascinating. It has to be one of the most interesting pieces I've read on post-war Iraq. There are too few (I think) pieces written about Iraqis themselves. I do not think they have been very humanized in the American press.
Great stuff.
