Saturday, July 29, 2006

Joe Lieberman’s “Political Abyss” (9:08 am)

David Espo for AP reports on voter demographics in Connecticut, in a piece headlined “Struggling Lieberman faces political abyss.”

Now, with the war increasingly unpopular, the most recent public poll shows the primary race very close, with Lamont at 51 percent and Lieberman at 47 percent — reflecting a narrow edge for Lamont and a dramatic decline from the senator’s 14-point lead in June.

Equally startling is the composition of the senator’s support. Doug Schwartz, survey director at Quinnipiac University, said Lieberman polled ahead of Lamont only among voters 65 and older, those with incomes of less than $30,000 a year, and those without a college degree.

Lamont, 52, ran ahead in the survey among voters in all other age and income groups, as well as among those with college degrees, Schwartz said. Lamont outpolled Lieberman among men, 56-44 percent. Fifty-one percent of the women surveyed backed Lieberman, to 47 percent for Lamont, a statistically insignificant difference.

One Democratic strategist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said internal polls showed similar results.

posted by Brian Zick | start the discussion

“Sometimes a show of strength by one side can really clarify things.” (8:32 am)

Having in mind its “special resonance given current events” in the Mid East, TPM Reader DK (who has been guest-posting on weekends) highlights a passage from Ron Suskind’s The Price of Loyalty. The story details Bush’s first meeting with his National Security Council, 10 days after taking the oath of office.

He’d met Sharon briefly, Bush said, when they had flown over Israel in a helicopter on a visit in December 1998. “Just saw him that one time. We flew over the Palestinian camps,” Bush said sourly. “Looked real bad down there. I don’t see much we can do over there at this point. I think it’s time to pull out of that situation.”

And that was it, according to [Paul] O’Neill and several other people in the room. The Arab-Israeli conflict was a mess, and the United States would disengage. The combatants would have to work it out on their own.

[Colin] Powell said such a move might be hasty. He remarked on the violence on the West Bank and Gaza and on its roots. He stressed that a pullback by the United States would unleash Sharon and Israeli army. “The consequences of that could be dire,” he said, “especially for the Palestinians.”

Bush shrugged. “Maybe that’s the best way to get some things back in balance.”

Powell seemed startled.

“Sometimes a show of strength by one side can really clarify things,” Bush said.

“And that was it” indeed.
Apparently being President is just a little too much hard work to bother doing sometimes.

posted by Brian Zick | start the discussion

Friday, July 28, 2006

Bush Claims Mid East Violence Is Proof of His Superior Foreign Policy (11:53 am)

Think Progress reports that at today’s press conference, in response to a question by NBC’s David Gregory, “Bush said that the violence in the Middle East was evidence of a more effective foreign policy that addresses ‘root causes.’”

Transcript and video of the exchange at the link.

Josh Marshall and John Amato at Crooks and Liars have also called attention to this little display of ambulatory brain death. Bush asserts that war is peace, and demonstrates not only that his ignorance provides him strength, but Republican stupidity is invincible.

posted by Brian Zick | start the discussion

Lieberman and Hannity, Both Terrified of Dissent, Eject Legit Ticket Holders from Public Events (9:25 am)

On Tuesday, Jane Hamsher from firedoglake and Spazeboy were booted out of Joe Lieberman’s campaign event with Bill Clinton. (Jane reports here and Spazeboy here.) They had legit tickets, but were recognized as Lamont supporters, from previous events, and so they got the boot. Spazeboy was confronted by a Lieberman staffer who brought a cop and said, “Officer, he’s a known protester.”

And last week, Mike Stark of Callingallwingnuts attended Sean Hannity’s so-called “Freedom Concert” at the Six Flags park in New Jersey, with Evan Derkacz from AlterNet. And they too were given the heave-ho, in their case solely because they were recognized as “liberals.”

via Tracy Van Slyke

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Thursday, July 27, 2006

Warning: Reading This May Cause Spontaneous Cranial Detonation (10:14 pm)

In a piece headlined “On Prosecuting Detainees,” R. Jeffrey Smith in WaPo writes about “a draft bill detailing procedures the administration is considering for bringing to trial those it captures in the war on terrorism, including some stark diversions from regular trial procedures.” (This might generously be described as an “understatement.”)

The draft states that using the federal courts or existing military court-martial procedures to try suspects in the war on terrorism — described formally as “alien enemy combatants” — is “impracticable” because they are committed to destroying the country and abusing its legal processes.

Or in other words, the Bush administration wants to dispose of “regular trial procedures” expressly because that’s exactly what the alleged bad guys are committed to doing.

The doctrine of “Preemptive Tyranny.”

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Tasini Speaks Out About Mid East Violence, Harshly Criticizes Clinton for Lack of Leadership (9:18 am)

New York Democratic senate candidate Jonathan Tasini speaks passionately and with clarity about the problems of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. He forthrightly recognizes the wrongs perpetrated by both sides in the equation.

The problem is not the debate in Israel. The problem is the debate—or lack thereof—in the United States.

Senator Clinton’s spokesperson has called my comments about Israel’s conduct “beyond the pale.” With all due respect, it is Senator Clinton’s behavior, lack of leadership and failure to call for a respect for international law that should be questioned by the press, the Jewish community and the voters of New York. At a time when the violence against people on both sides of the border has killed hundreds of innocent people (mostly Lebanese), Hillary Clinton has fanned the flames of the conflict by recognizing and condemning the violence only against Israelis and effectively encouraging military action. I, too, have stated clearly, from the outset, that Hezbollah’s actions violate international law. But, to ignore Israel’s actions is abhorrent, weak and cowardly.

Read his whole commentary.

via Joel Bleifuss

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Wednesday, July 26, 2006

So Many Blithering Moron TV “News” Reporters, So Little Time (2:27 pm)

via Atrios

posted by Brian Zick | 3 comments

“Mystery Republican” Interviewee Michael Steele Busted For Lying Through His Teeth (2:16 pm)

Paul Kiel a TPM Muckraker has the details.