For those who missed it, the full text is here. I finally managed to find time to read it in full, and I think Matt... [More]
August 2, 2007
Quote of the Day
"The plural of anecdote is not data- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, discussing ways to measure success in Iraq.... [More]
The Tillman Investigation
Former SecDef Rumsfled decided to grace the House Oversight Committee with his presence yesterday, and as we've all come to expect, he had nothing important... [More]
Convergence
This may be the best example I've yet seen demonstrating the convergence between the blogosphere and the "main stream media." Writing in today's LA Times,... [More]
Assessing the Surge
Today's LA Times features an editorial assessing the surge, and along the way it makes two important points: So is the surge strategy working? Well,... [More]
Planting the Flag
I always thought the whole flag planting thing was a myth. Apparently not: MOSCOW (AP) -- Two small Russian submarines completed a risky voyage deep... [More]
Is This Really Necessary?
Via Boing Boing, the state of Oklahoma is now offering its citizens "Global War on Terrorism" license plates, complete with images of the Twin Towers.... [More]
Meanwhile, in Ohio...
Unbelievable: As written, the bill would ban women from seeking an abortion without written consent from the father of the fetus. In cases where the... [More]
Obama v. Clinton, Round 10
The spat between Obama and Clinton over foreign policy just got very, very weird. In yesterday's big foreign policy speech, Obama suggested that as president... [More]
Not In America? I Wish That Were So...
Rick Perlstein catches PowerLine's John Hinderaker in an amazing moment of candor: This is the kind of disaster that just doesn't happen in the United... [More]
Stop Eating Chiquita Bananas
Having just spent some time acquainting myself with the wretched history of the United Fruit Company - now Chiquita International - I suppose something like... [More]
Great Moments In Headline Writing
First, the story: A federal intelligence court judge earlier this year secretly declared a key element of the Bush administration's wiretapping efforts illegal, according to... [More]
August 3, 2007
Ill-Considered?
Apparently everyone has decided to pile on Obama. Yesterday it was right-wing bloggers complaining that his comments on using special forces in Pakistan to capture... [More]
Romney in Foreign Affairs
While I'm on the subject of Obama v. Romney, the latest issue of Foreign Affairs has essays penned by each of the candidates. Obama's essay... [More]
Call A Special Session
Chris over at Talk Left quotes Bush's demand that lawmakers stay in DC to finish putting together amendments to the FISA court system, and then... [More]
"Depth of Mistrust"
I heard this on NPR on the way home from work, but I had to read it for myself before I would believe it. SecDef... [More]
August 4, 2007
Falling Markets, Bursting Bubbles
As you consider stories like this one from today's NYT on the growing fears of the potential economic problems caused by a credit crunch, keep... [More]
The Moment of Truth
Anyone want to lay odds on the likelihood that this conference will take place after Gen. Petraeus' September progress report? BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A planned... [More]
California Decertifies E-Voting Machines
Well done left coast! California’s top election official on Friday decertified three voting systems widely used in the state but said she would let counties... [More]
Stupid Studies
I'm sure everyone is going to be talking about this, because if taken at face value, it would seem to have enormous importance. NEW YORK... [More]
Military Contractors
I'll be honest; I've long worried about the increasing use of military contractors, but this point by Hendrik Hertzberg never occurred to me before: The... [More]
WTF? (Multiple Updates)
Could someone please explain to me how, after everything we've been through over the past six years, the Senate - with the help of a... [More]
August 5, 2007
Meanwhile, In Iraq...
Boston Globe: BAGHDAD --Iraq's power grid is on the brink of collapse because of insurgent sabotage, rising demand, fuel shortages and provinces that are unplugging... [More]
Safe Predictions
Here's a prediction I think I can make fairly safely: Come November, SF will vote to fix Muni, not to increase the number of parking... [More]
This Is For My People, My California People
If you live in CA, you need to pay very, VERY careful attention to this. In general, I'm in favor of this sort of reform.... [More]
Is This Really Unintended Consequences? Really?
The NYT reports on what Steve Benen has labeled one of the "unintended consequences" of Democratic reforms in the earmarking process: Eight months after Democrats... [More]
August 6, 2007
About Those FISA "Reforms"
Kevin Drum has the best primer I've yet seen on the subject. Go. Read.... [More]
Noted Without Comment
Josh Marshall: You remember a little while back we brought you the story of Florida McCain campaign co-chair, Rep. Bob Allen (R). Right on the... [More]
Compare and Contrast
President Bush, January 20, 2004: From the beginning, America has sought international support for our operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and we have gained much... [More]
"A Profoundly Diseased Tree"
Dahlia Lithwick: ...the national torture story reveals not so much the bad apples as a profoundly diseased tree. The story she is referring to is... [More]
August 7, 2007
"Leave It To The Priests"
Via Tim Grieve, here's Rudy's take on his religious practice: "My religious affiliation, my religious practices and the degree to which I am a good... [More]
Internment Camps?
This is absolutely appalling. No doubt Michelle Malkin will run all about supporting it. I can't help but wonder... have any of these people ever... [More]
August 8, 2007
Lemieux v. KLo
I'll admit upfront that taking down NRO's KLo isn't particularly difficult, but still... this is pretty brilliant. The moral incoherence underpinning the "let's leave abortion... [More]
Bookkeeping Deficiencies?
You've got to be kidding me: Bookkeeping deficiencies allowed thousands of weapons issued to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005 to then go missing,... [More]
Serving Your Country
I always thought that "service" meant looking beyond one's own family to the larger community of which you are a part. As a mormon, you... [More]
Like a Broken Record
Atrios has been dutifully compiling and reporting on promises of a "turning point" or "one last try" from supporters of the war for what feels... [More]
Smearing Bill to Take Down Hillary?
The Swift Boaters are coming! In a rational world, this sort of thing wouldn't work. And I don't just mean that generally. Remember that one... [More]
McCain v. Obama (Updated)
From a Q&A with McCain: QUESTION: U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, one of the front runners for the Democratic nomination, said that if he’s president, he... [More]
August 9, 2007
Copyright Protection for Fashion
Bipartisanship in DC may have mostly gone the way of the dodo, but its good to know its still allive and well in at least... [More]
August 10, 2007
Steven Levitt Is My New Hero
The Freakonomics blog just moved from being independent to being part of the NY Times' online offering. And on his very first day as part... [More]
Steven Levitt Is My New Hero
The Freakonomics blog just moved from being independent to being part of the NY Times' online offering. And on his very first day as part... [More]
Steven Levitt Is My New Hero
The Freakonomics blog just moved from being independent to being part of the NY Times' online offering. And on his very first day as part... [More]
What Does It Take To Sink a Campaign?
I'm beginning to feel like the rules of presidential campaigning have changed. Two days ago, Romney proudly proclaimed that his many son's weren't serving in... [More]
The War Czar Just Used the D Word. Wow.
Normally I'd dismiss this as a bit of accidental truth telling. That he did it at the end of the day on a Friday, however,... [More]
August 11, 2007
Quote of the Day
Rudy Giuliani, March 1994: We look upon authority too often and focus over and over again, for 30 or 40 or 50 years, as if... [More]
August 13, 2007
Obama Does GQ
Look who's on the cover of GQ Magazine? A few thoughts based on a few excerpts.... As Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, told me, “There... [More]
Rove Resigns? On a Monday?
My reaction: he did this on a Monday? What's really going on here? This administration has treated everything as a political game because this man... [More]
Cultural Genetics
Andrew Sullivan, back from his break, calls it the story of the week. I'm underwhelmed. But rather than address the merits of the story itself,... [More]
Ezra on Journalism
This is exactly right: I can't tell you how many of my journalistic mentors have told me that the utility of reporting is that you... [More]
August 14, 2007
Ezra on Jounralism, Part II
Yesterday, Ezra Klein and Brad DeLong began a discussion about the sorry state of professional journalism in America today. I mentioned and responded to Ezra... [More]
August 15, 2007
Right Idea, Wrong Formulation
I've been waiting for Obama to say something like this: "I think it is fair to say that I believe I can bring the country... [More]
Lawrence Lessig, Lobbying, and the Clintons
I'm not sure when - if ever - was the last time I quooed something from Lawrence Lessig's blog, so let me make up for... [More]
"1934, not 1998, the hottest year on record, NASA confirms"
Global warming skeptics are up in arms over this story: The hottest year on record in the United States was 1934 -- not 1998 as... [More]
August 16, 2007
"The King Can Do No Wrong"
Two critically important civil liberties cases were heard in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday. WaPo has the details: SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15 --... [More]
A Few Must Read's
+ Scott Horton reports on an amazing turn of events in SF: The American Bar Associaton just delivered a stinging rebuke to the White House,... [More]
This Week in Foreign Affairs: Giuliani and Edwards
Foreign Affairs has an ongoing series this month featuring essays from each of the major candidates for the presidency. LAst time around we got Obama... [More]
What is Their Definition of "Review"?
This is amazing. FBI Director Robert Mueller has just turned over to congress his notes on the now infamous visit to John Ashcroft's hospital room... [More]
If Petraeus Is Or Savior, Why Do They Want Him To Testify Behind Closed Doors?
Remember when we were told that we should just shut up until September and wait to here what the good general has to say? Funny... [More]
Politics v. Economics
Andrew Sullivan, writing about the push towards universal health care: The market enforces these limits by its usual brutal mechanism - price. A socialized system... [More]
"The David Broder Special Acid"
When Atrios is funny, he's very, very funny.... [More]
Quote of the Day
My life is spent reading, talking, and writing about public affairs. Yet I cannot keep up. And, though I have more time than most people,... [More]
More Mortgage Market Madness
Countrywide Financial is the nation's largest mortgage. How large?, They made one out of every five loans in the first half of this year, and... [More]
More Mortgage Market Madness II
From Consumerist, the best explanation I've yet seen on why this whole mess is so damn scary: It's easier to understand the subprime mortgage meltdown... [More]
August 17, 2007
More Mortgage Market Madness III
ThinkProgress made quite the catch with this one. At the end of a long CNBC report detailing Countrywide's problems, the network went straight in to... [More]
August 27, 2007
Goodbye, Good Riddance
Looks like I picked a good day to start back up, eh? Gonzo is out. As John Edwards said, "better late than never." I'm getting... [More]
Another Family Values Hypocrite
I realize that Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig is now saying that he should never have pled guilty to all that lewd conduct nonsense in... [More]
August 28, 2007
"Brownie's Law"
This is brilliant: Former Sen. John Edwards said at a Hurricane Katrina conference he would propose what he called "Brownie's Law" requiring that qualified people,... [More]
What Did Sen. Craig Actually Do?
Over at TPM, David Kurtz asks the question that seems to be on everyone's mind today: What precisely did Sen. Craig do that was lewd?... [More]
Sen. Craig Makes a Public Statement- "I Might Have Pled Guilty, But I Didn't Do It!"
The video: I love the part where he claims he overreacted. Erm...OK. You've just been accused by an undercover police offer of soliciting sex in... [More]
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