Good People Better Rise Up!: August 2006 Archives

August 1, 2006

Set Tivo's to Stun!

This is going to be brilliant. Brilliant, I tell you. Brilliant! Geraldo is about to be destroyed......[More]

If This Is What the Green Party Stands For...

Apparently the Greens in PA don't mind being a wholly owned subsidiary of the Republican Party. Because, you know.... they have so much in common with one another. Take a...[More]

A Four Front War?

Sid Blumenthal has a big one in Salon. An excerpt: The National Security Agency is providing signal intelligence to Israel to monitor whether Syria and Iran are supplying new armaments...[More]

"It Is Getting Hotter"

Good lord.... I guess this means that now I agree with Pat Robertson on something. Hells freezing and we're melting... all at the same time!...[More]

I HAD A LONG POST ABOUT ISRAEL, IRAQ, AND THE WAR ON TRERROR PLANNED, BUT...

I think I'll give you the short version instead: You can kill people. You cannot kill ideas. Until we understand that we will never win the "war on terror."...[More]

Apparently I know nothing about American politics.... Over the past few weeks, I've noticed a surprising number of Republicans making the claim that liberals tend to be anti-Israel. Today's entry,...[More]

"I Have Never Painted a Rosy Picture"

Lies, lies, and more lies. Rumsfeld graced the US Senate with his presence today, and yes, Zakaria is right - Rumsfeld clearly is living in some sort of parallel universe....[More]

Significant Threats

From Laura Rozen: From a colleague covering the conflict in Israel: "Almost everyone I talk to here is now saying the Iraq war has presented one of the most significant...[More]

Who Is Afraid of the Big Bad Left???

For the past few months, I've had a post about the use - and misuse - of the term "the left" kicking around in the back of my head. I've...[More]

August 4, 2006

"Victory on the Cheap"

That's Charles Krauthammer take on why Israel is failing in its latest Lebanon offensive. Interesting to hear that phrase from an Iraq war supporter.......[More]

August 5, 2006

Anyone Surprised?

Anyone out there surprised by this revelation? In his new book, The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created A War Without End, [Peter] Galbraith, the son of the late...[More]

Civil War in Iraq

Military brass may not yet be ready to call it a civil war, but our troops sure as hell are. Take a look: Army troops in and around the capital...[More]

Cease Fire?

The Security Council has spoken. Will Israel and Hezbollah listen? France and the United States reached agreement Saturday on a Security Council resolution to halt the fighting in Lebanon, even...[More]

Freedom

The emergence of a "free press" in Iraq has been one of the administration's most consistent talking points since the fall of Saddam. But what if it was all bought...[More]

"Ending the Neoconservative Nightmare"

Daniel Levy, a member of the official Israeli negotiating team at the Oslo and Taba talks, is not happy: Disentangling Israeli interests from the rubble of neocon "creative destruction" in...[More]

Personal Responsibility

Remember when conservatives used to scream endlessly about "personal responsibility?" If so, you'll love this: Former White House adviser Claude Allen tearfully pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge Friday,...[More]

Now I have to Go See This...

Check out the conclusion to Peter Traver's review of OutKast's film Idlewild: It's also not a movie with a clear sense of direction, a strong spine to support its fancy...[More]

Heads Up!

Ezra and Neil are throwing down in a big John Edwards vs. John McCain debate over at Ezra's blog this weekend. Good stuff....[More]

August 6, 2006

A Hypothetical?

Earth to Condi: As chief diplomat for the United States, your job - and virtually your entire job - is to plan for hypotheticals....[More]

"A Disaster for the Democratic Party"

That's Cokie Roberts' take on what a Lamont victory on Tuesday would mean for the Democrats. Two thoughts... One: She's nuts. A solid majority of both the nation and the...[More]

Done in Your Name

Always remember that this was a war that need not have happened. It was a choice. And that, having made that choice, this nation is morally responsible for the consequences....[More]

August 7, 2006

I Believe the Children Are Our Future...

Another poll, another low... A Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll of Americans age 18 to 24 found Bush's approval rating was 20 percent, with 53 percent disapproving and 28 percent with...[More]

PA Greens: A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the GOP

Wow. So the story about the Green Party in Pennsylvania I highlighted last week is even worse than I thought. It appears Republican Senator Rick Santorum has actually provided staff...[More]

Stand With Bush And You Lose

Let's hope Atrios is right about this. If Lieberman loses tomorrow, it looks like Rahm Emmanuel and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee may, just may, nationalize the fall campaign. I've...[More]

One Down, 231 To Go

Ohio Congressman Bob Ney (R) has announced he will not seek reelection this fall. Ney was one of Abramoff's insiders, and by all accounts it is only a matter of...[More]

"It's 2006.... Let's Have a Three Way!"

That's Arianna Huffington's take on the power of the blog. I'm not kidding - have a listen!...[More]

Yet Another Resignation

I'm not kidding. These people cannot do anything right. The director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives resigned on Friday. Why? Because he was more concerned about...[More]

Civil War This, Civil War That...

Apparently our president isn't buying talk of a civil war in Iraq. Because, well... he thinks last year the Iraqi people voted against it. Or something. Take a look... And...[More]

August 8, 2006

Digging A Deeper Hole

Glenn Greenwald is guest posting over at Salon.com this week, and his effort today is absolutely spot on. Here's an excerpt: In his radio address last weekend, George W. Bush...[More]

Still Misunderstood

Today's WaPo leads with news of yet another poll, this time detailing the growing anti-incumbent sentiment around the nation. The details of the survey are interesting, but that's not what...[More]

"Movements Take Time"

It's been a long time since I've linked to Sirota. The eve of the Lieberman-Lamont race seems like the perfect time to correct that. No matter what the outcome tomorrow...[More]

Moving Left?

Via Kos, conservative host Joe Scarborough weighs in on the Lieberman-Lamont race. He's right - the conventional wisdom has entirely missed the point on this one. A Lamont win won't...[More]

Smackdown!

Via Andrew Sullivan... Tom Ricks, author of Fiasco (which I will be reading next week in full), takes on Hugh Hewitt. And damn if he didn't put him in his...[More]

Justice Anthony Kennedy Speaks

Driving around during work today, I heard a fascinating interview on NPR with Slate's Dalia Lithwick. SCOTUS Justice Anthony Kennedy just gave a barn burner of a speech at the...[More]

There's Nothing Worse Than a Quitter

Tom DeLay has quit not once, but twice. So much for loyalty to the cause......[More]

"This Is What Realism Is All About..."

Billmon is once again on fire. A snippet: This is what realism is all about -- seeking the least evil course in a world absolutely brimming with evil but perpetually...[More]

August 9, 2006

Lamont Wins. Lieberman Ignores the Result.

It wasn't the double digit win I had been hoping for, but it was a win. Thanks in no small part to the netroots, one of the most prominent Senators...[More]

Meanwhile, in the White House...

Laws? Those are for the common folk: The Bush administration has drafted amendments to a war crimes law that would eliminate the risk of prosecution for political appointees, CIA officers...[More]

Civil War This, Civil War That...

A few days back, President Bush made it clear, in his own way, that so long as Iraq had a unity government, talk of a civil war was out of...[More]

The Anti-War Party?

Over at NRO's Corner, the kids have spent the morning crowing endlessly about how, thanks to the win by Lamont last night, things are looking great for Republicans in the...[More]

August 10, 2006

Lamont's Victory Means the Terrorists Have Won

I knew it was only a matter of time until someone said it. But I didn't expect it to be the VP: Republicans began a concerted effort to use Mr....[More]

Terror Plots (Updated)

I'm with Josh on this.... It's one thing when the adminsitration was moving the color coded terrror alert system up and down willy nilly in the run up to the...[More]

Know Your History: Iraq Is Not Vietnam (Updated Twice)

Digby makes a point that I think is far, FAR too often overlooked: It's true the Democrats split back in the day. It's also true that there were many factors...[More]

Sanity

I was planning on providing some comment on Richard Holbrooke's piece in today's WaPo, but Greg Djerejian beat me to it. So instead, here's a clip from last night's Daily...[More]

The Intention was Clear

If you're not currently reading Pat Lang's take on the Middle East conflict, you should be. It's depressing to read, but the man knows his stuff....[More]

How To Hack A Diebold Machine

Anyone out there know if it really is this simple?...[More]

Unintentional Irony

Within minutes of one another, two comments from the kids at NRO's Corner... One: Peddling the Realist Kool-Aid [Michael Rubin] ...Substance should always mean more than process. Two... Let's See...[More]

"It's a New Era..."

And we're having fun... So says King Kos....[More]

Says Who?

Via ThinkProgress, we get this great commentary from Tom DeLay: They don’t want to fight this war on terrorism. If they did, Bill Clinton would have led us into the...[More]

Want Proof? I'll Give You Proof!

Want proof that 2006 is not 1972 all over again? That's today's left is not yesterday's? I'll now offer myself as exhibit A: A former student of mine sent me...[More]

An Important Reminder

Given today's events, now might be a good time to remind everyone of this report from just last month: The CIA has closed down a secret unit that for a...[More]

Defining Bipartisanship

Hilzoy on bipartisanship: Back when I was growing up, there was some genuine bipartisanship in politics. This didn't mean that people didn't fight hard for issues they cared about, or...[More]

August 11, 2006

Coming Unhinged (UPDATED)

This is all really getting a bit ridiculous. Following Lamont's victory on Tuesday, the primary Republican talking point was that, essentially, the Democrats had become the party of terrorist sympathizers....[More]

Into the Interior

Looks like the Abramoff scandal has hit the Department of Interior. Take a lookhere and here.. Republicans once breathed a sigh of relief that the Abramoff and Plame investigations wouldn't...[More]

August 12, 2006

Go Ahead, Matt, Say It!

Yglesias is up late tonight: Israel had every reason to desire the permament dismemberment of Hezbollah, by force if necessary, but no reason to think that there was any actual...[More]

A Third Sequel

Digby's hit on the perfect metaphor for the whole "Democrats are the party of al Qaeda" tactic: I don't think it's going to work again. It's like the third sequel...[More]

What the London Terror Arrests Tell Us About NSA Wiretapping

Glenn Greenwald is right to remind us.... a major terror plot was foiled through the combined efforts of US and UK law enforcement, and on both sides of the pond...[More]

Condi Covers For Israel. Surprise!

Great timeline from Billmon. Yes, I realize that this is all part of diplomacy, but nevertheless.... You think we'd at least try and appear neutral, wouldn't we?...[More]

The 2008ers

Gen. Wes Clark and Gov. Bill Richardson step up big for Lamont. Nice to see Lieberman-Lamont have an impact on the 2008 race so soon....[More]

It's All A Matter of Timing

Interesting story from NBC News: NBC News has learned that U.S. and British authorities had a significant disagreement over when to move in on the suspects in the alleged plot...[More]

"We Must Be Patient..."

Anonymous Liberal lays out one of the best answers I've yet seen to the charge that the Dems don't yet have a "master plan" for fighting terrorism. What if what's...[More]

This Is Very, VERY Cool

"I'm not a politician — I'm just a regular person with a heart." — Jay-Z Check out where his heart has led him. Who said hip hop can't change the...[More]

August 13, 2006

Forbearace?

Interesting piece in today's Boston Globe from Laura Rozen.... The title? Islamic radical groups are not all alike. Here's the part that caught my attention: While there's been ample discussion...[More]

NYTimes Withheld NSA Article in 2004 in Attempt to Avoid Influencing Election

Bill Keller's explanation is ludicrous. Fairness? Take a look: Holding a fresh draft of the story just days before the election also was an issue of fairness, Mr. Keller said....[More]

"Heartbreak, Not Fury..."

If you haven't set your TiVo for this one yet, you're nuts. And yes, for the record, I think this may be the moment for which Spike Lee was born....[More]

Out of Control

So let me see if I have this straight.... According to our own ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, Moqtada al-Sadr's militia is so out of control that not even al-Sadr...[More]

August 15, 2006

Blame America First? (Updated)

A few weeks back, I noticed that Bush had made the odd admission (for a Republican at least) that resentment over US foreign policy had in large part caused 9/11....[More]

And While I'm On The Subject

And while I'm on the subject of blame, I'd be remiss if I didn't pass along this fabulous post from Glenn Greenwald. For nearly 5 years, those on the right...[More]

Shorter George Will: John Kerry Was Right

Read for yourself: The London plot against civil aviation confirmed a theme of an illuminating new book, Lawrence Wright's "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11." The theme...[More]

"Let's Give A Welcome to Macaca..."

I'm not sure what's worse: that Senator George Allen likes making fun of citizens of Virginia who don't look like him, that he appears to have no problem doing it...[More]

Great Moments in Headline Writing

John McCain Breaks McCain-Feingold Law (Tip o the cap: DailyKos)...[More]

"The Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld Position"

That's Bill Clinton's take on Joe Lieberman....[More]

More Moments of Madness from PA's Green Party

First Pennsylvania's Green Party took Republican money.... Then, despite the fact that they are campaigning for the same Senate seat, they accepted help from their staff.... Now it looks like...[More]

Chuck Roberts Apologizes to Ned Lamont

A quick followup on this story from earlier in the week... Chuck Roberts has now officially apologized to Ned Lamont for suggesting that he is "the Al-Qaeda candidate." Take a...[More]

War Profiteering

When it comes to Middle East politics, its always a safe bet to expect the unexpected. But even with that said, this is still truly bizarre....[More]

The Gratuitous One-Armed Man

A reader remonstrates: What the hell does the race and gender of the employees of the TSA have to do with their ability/inability to keep the public secure? He's referring...[More]

"Why We All Went Nuts..."

It looks like Josh Marshall has started quite the conversation... Ezra Klein and Carpetbagger have both weighed in, and despite the fact that I borrowed Ezra's title, it is Kevin...[More]

August 16, 2006

If I Had Gotten Home Quicker...

I was planning on writing precisely this. Sadly, Andrew Sullivan beat me to it: I guess if Bush and Rumsfeld had really hoped to reconstruct Iraq (and I now find...[More]

"Beside the Point"

Josh seems to have had a revelation. I can't say the recent arrests in London hit me the same way, but nevertheless, I suspect he might not be alone on...[More]

Using the V Word

Wow. Rich Lowry, editor of the uber-conservative National Review, just used the V word - Vietnam: After three decades of being serially wrong, in the Iraq War liberals might be...[More]

Diggng Deeper Into the Macaca

Two interesting developments in Sen George Allen's "macaca" story. First up, here's the latest defense from Allen's own staff: According to two Republicans who heard the word used, "macaca" was...[More]

This Is Why We Fight?

Meanwhile, in our other war.... KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Opium cultivation in Afghanistan has hit record levels - up by more than 40 percent from 2005 - despite hundreds of...[More]

I Say "Civil War," You Say "Sectarian Violence Operations"

I know Tony Snow likes to twist the English language into knots, but wow.... NEW YORK Generals, pundits, and members of Congress may see shades of grey in the situation,...[More]

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