Poland Heading Off The Reservation

From the Wall St. Journal, via Brand DeLong:
Opinion polls show a big majority of Poles want their troops out of Iraq and also want Europe to have a common defense policy, something Washington views as a possible threat to the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization...

"America failed its exam as a superpower," says Lech Walesa, the former Solidarity trade-union leader who became Poland's first post-Communist president. "They are a military and economic superpower but not morally or politically anymore. This is a tragedy for us."...

"We shed our blood for them but they don't treat us well," says Mr. Walesa, who visited the U.S. this fall to meet officials and politicians.

President Bush may have ignored the desires of our Polish allies, but at least he didn't forget about them during the first presidential debate. Not getting a special televised shout-out from the Commander-In-Chief would have really upset them.

Catching On?

Four months after George W. Bush made destroying "reforming" social security a top priority for his second term in office during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, the media is finally noticing a rather important bit of information that has long been overlooked: "Bush Short on Social Security Details". It would have been nice if they could have done that during the campaign, but they never bothered. Even now, as we draw ever closer to actually implementing (or derailing) social security privitization, I am worried that the fact there is no actual plan for privitization and other important facts (the absence of a social security crisis for example), will get overshadowed by the War On Chistmas and other matters not worth the attention of any thinking person. The media's track record is far from reassuring when it comes to things like this.

Shorter Donald Rumsfeld

Great men have been criticized in the past. I am being criticized now and therefore I must be great.

Message: Rumsfeld Cares

The President's defense of his Secretary of Defense (and by association, his own policies) has grown even more pathetic:
Accused of being insensitive to U.S. soldiers in Iraq and their families, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld received a fresh endorsement Monday from President Bush, who called him "a caring fellow."

"I have heard the anguish in his voice and seen his eyes when we talk about the danger in Iraq and the fact that youngsters are over there in harm's way," Bush said at a White House news conference....

"I know Secretary Rumsfeld's heart," Bush said. "I know how much he cares for the troops," adding that Rumsfeld and his wife visit hospitalized soldiers "all the time to provide comfort and solace."

He said beneath Rumsfeld's "rough and gruff, no-nonsense demeanor is a good human being who cares deeply about the military and deeply about the grief that war causes."

First we were told that Donald Rumsfeld was "the best secretary of defense the United States ever had", now he is just "caring fellow". This is a particularly unoriginal move by President Bush, who played the compassion card to defend himself when his own job was in trouble. If Rumsfeld is as caring as Bush says he is, perhaps he should leave the Defense Department and spend the rest of his days as a counselor to thousands left in grief by his war.


Note: My closing suggestion was shamelessly lifted from here.

Gambling on immigration

The reputable and always objective mooninite mouthpiece, the Washington Times, reports:
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is staking out a position on illegal immigration that is more conservative than President Bush, a strategy that supporters and detractors alike see as a way for the New York Democrat to shake the "liberal" label and appeal to traditionally Republican states...
In an interview last month on Fox News, Mrs. Clinton said she does not "think that we have protected our borders or our ports or provided our first responders with the resources they need, so we can do more and we can do better."
    In an interview on WABC radio, she said: "I am, you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants."
    "Clearly, we have to make some tough decisions as a country, and one of them ought to be coming up with a much better entry-and-exit system so that if we're going to let people in for the work that otherwise would not be done, let's have a system that keeps track of them," she said.
    Unlike many pro-business Republicans, Mrs. Clinton also has castigated Americans for hiring illegal aliens.

Even though controlling illegal immigration might be a good policy if it is done in a way that is both humane and effective, it is probably not an issue the Democrats ride back into power on. Pushing to hard and too gracelessly on this front could helpthe Republicans consolidate their gains among hispanic voters. It also seems unlikely that Democrats with anti-immigrant views are actually going to win the votes of red state voters. The Republicans have built in advantage in this area and it is unlikely that the Democrats, especially a Democrat like Hillary Clinton, can take it away from them. Putting aside the some what disadvantages that Hillary suffers from, a North Easterner probably won't have the cultural credibility with red state voters to successfully use immigration reform as a wedge issue.

Unilateral Disarmament

San Francisco Supervisors Propose Gun Ban
City residents will vote next year on a proposed weapons ban that would deny handguns to everyone except law enforcement officers, members of the military and security guards.

If passed next November, residents would have 90 days to give up firearms they keep in their homes or businesses. The proposal was immediately dismissed as illegal by a gun owners group.

If this ban passes it will only be a matter of time before the King of England walks into San Fransico and starts shoving its citizen around.

More Bollocks

Bernard Kerik's nomination for head of Homeland Security was withdrawn, at least officially, because Kerik hired an illegal immigrant to be a nanny. However, it could be that the nanny never existed in the first place and the real reaon the former NYPD commissioner's nomination was cancelled was because he was terrible, terrible choice thanks to an impressive combination of ethical lapses and incompetence. If that is the case, than the killing of Kerik's nomination is a real surprise, I thought immorality and incompetence were job requirements for officials in this Administration.

Noblesse Oblige

Jenna Bush plans to teach at school for low-income kids
President Bush's daughter Jenna will live in Washington and teach at a public school serving low-income children. Jenna Bush, 22, graduated last spring from the University of Texas with a degree in English.

I am sure Ms. Bush will make an excellent role model for underprivelleged youth.

Just "A Few Bad Apples"

Or systematic torture:

Newly released U.S. Navy documents portray a series of abuse cases stretching beyond Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison where photos surfaced this year of U.S. troops forcing prisoners - often naked - to pose in humiliating positions.

The files released Tuesday document a crush of abuse allegations, most from the early months of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, including U.S. Marines forcing Iraqi juveniles to kneel while troops discharge a weapon in a mock execution and the use of an electric shock on a prisoner.

Not only are these practices barbaric, but (as has been noted before) they are ineffective, too:

Early in the Bush administration's detention of foreign terrorism suspects, FBI agents told Pentagon officials that the military's harsh interrogation tactics in Cuba would produce "unreliable results," according to documents released Tuesday.

Never Mind The Bollocks

Bernard Kerik, who I discussed in a recent post, has withdrawn his nomination for the Department of Homeland Security. In addition to being very illiberal and not terribly qualified Kerik also hired an illegal immigrant and so like Linda Chavez before him is out of the running. If a man with as many problems as Kerik was the Administration's first choice I wonder what kind of character they will dredge up for that posistion now. I hear Zell Miller, who judging by his speech at the Republican Covention believes that running against George W. Bush is close to treason, is looking for work...

As an aside, I find it odd how worked up certain conservatives can get worked up over those Evil Illegal Immigrants, but don't really have anything to say about the inviduals and businesses that have a vested interest in illegal immigration since it provides them with cheap exploitable labor. You would think that tolerating massive lawbreaking so that you can take advantage of people with no legal rights and use the money you save to buy yourself something nice would be slightly worse than exposing yourself to tremendous risk in order to escape grinding poverty and build a new life in a new country. Yet for some reason that is not that is not the case. I am not talking about Kerik (or Chavez) here specifically, I have no idea how either of treated their illegal employees or what their intentions were. It is just strikes as very wrong that NewsMax would described Bernard Kerik as a "victim", while they probably view his nanny and people like her as some of the greatest villans of our age, on par with gay couples willing to give a home to orphans or Iraqi torture victims.

Edited for greater bitterness.

Item: Evil Jews out to destroy Christianity

Blogstar Josh Micah Marshal has noted that William Donahue, President of the Catholic League For Religious And Civil Rights is gunning for the Jews:
Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. It's not a secret, OK? And I'm not afraid to say it. That's why they hate this movie. It's about Jesus Christ, and it's about truth. It's about the messiah. Hollywood likes anal sex. They like to see the public square without nativity scenes. I like families. I like children. They like abortions. I believe in traditional values and restraint. They believe in libertinism. We have nothing in common.

I wonder if Donahue believes are the same Jews (or perhaps The Eternal Jew) responsible for the death of Christ. I am also curious as to whether or not self-made anti-semitism watch dog David Brooks will condemn William Donahue for his remarks. Since Donahue's organization has purchased ads on the op-ed page of the NY Times it seems that Brooks might have a special obligation to this. Or maybe he'll just direct us to someone who holds the same bigoted views as William Donahue, but expresses them in a more sublte, high brow fashion. It wouldn't be the first time he has done something like that.

Real Ultimate Authoritarianism

You learn a lot of things reading the paper. Today I learned about Bernard B. Kerik, the man George W. Bush wants to lead the Department of Homeland of Security. Mr. Kerik believes (or at least has said) that "Political criticism is our enemy's best friend", "Loyalty to his patrons" is one of his calling cards and keeps a picture of Oliver North (a man who defended his role in the Iran-Contra scandal on the grounds that there is a higher law that the constitution) in his office. Kerik also came up the hard way. It seems Mr. Kerik has a lot in common with Bush appointee for Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez, who also had humble beginnings and in his previous job as White House counsel wrote memos justifying torture. On the basis of this information, I'd like to say that I am glad that the government's main domestic security agencies are in the hands of such upright, unquestionably competent>men and that their selection is another brillian move by the our infinitely wise President.

Consumers Are Stupid

Consumers Cheer Up, Wholesale Prices Rise
The University of Michigan's December consumer survey rose to 95.7, its highest since August. Wall Street had forecast the index, a closely-watched measure of consumer sentiment, at 93.5 against 92.8 in November..."

Earlier the government reported that wholesale prices for November climbed unexpectedly in the wake of mounting energy costs, buttressing the Federal Reserve (news - web sites)'s case for higher interest rates to keep inflation at bay.

Our oil producing friends are not coming to the rescue either:

"OPEC agreed Friday to reduce output by one million barrels a day in hopes of staving off further price declines without triggering a new buying frenzy, delegates said."

Best of all the dollar is decline so oil (and other imports) will cost more and new cases of unemployment are surprisingly high! We truly are living in the best of all possible worlds.

Happy Happy Happy

Apparently the soldier that asked Rumsfeld why there was a shortage of up-armored humvees in Iraq had the question suggested to him by a reporter. As we know, reporters are all partisan Democrats that are hell bent of destroying the president. Also, for some reason combat hardened soldiers are easily bullied into saying things they don't mean by notebook wielding English majors. It follows then that the question was not meant to address an actual problem facing American forces in Iraq, but rather to embolden our enemies. We can safely conclude then that everything is going according to plan, the Pentagon has not made any serious mistakes and there is absolutely nothing wrong in the beautiful land of Iraq, a country that has a future so bright that its citizens must wear shades and which is so prosperous that these sunglasses were made by the hottest new designer and were imported directly from Milan.

T: For Time To Leave

This post by Spencer Ackerman suggests that the insurgency is wearing out its welcome thanks to its intimidation of local populations and holds out that the possibility that a bid to restore order by an elected government in Iraq could have popular support. If that is true we probably ought to leave Iraq soon, since the presence of American forces hasn't been able to stop the insurgency and maybe preventing effective counter-insurgency from taking place.

Party off

25 Bowling Green Students Seek Legal Action
Twenty-five college students cited under the city's new nuisance party law say it's unconstitutional.

The ordinance allows police to shut down a party and cite the hosts if illegal activity such as underage alcohol consumption or disorderly conduct is taking place.

But the lawyer for Student Legal Services at Bowling Green State University, who is representing the students, says the law is vague and arbitrary and violates students' rights of free assembly and due process.

As a self-hating student, I fully endorse anything that infringes on the rights of college students, particulary if these said college students are irritating decent, productive memebrs of society. As Deputy police Chief Gary Spencer said in the article:

"if people would obey the law, if they would pee indoors, if they would leave their neighbors alone, it wouldn't be an issue."

Amen.

Furthermore, all spring break hot spots should be razed. I know it will cause some damage to the local economy, so I think it is only fair that those that formerly worked in these hot spots be given copies of dorm keys so that might engage in some "instant socialism" at the expense of their former clients.

For Serious?

The Bush administration, saying that religion ``has played a defining role'' in the nation's history, urged the U.S. Supreme Court to permit Ten Commandments displays in courthouses.

The Justice Department today filed a brief supporting two Kentucky counties accused of violating the constitutional ban on government establishment of religion by posting framed copies of the Ten Commandments.

``Official acknowledgement and recognition of the Ten Commandments' influence on American legal history comport with the Establishment Clause,'' the administration argued in a brief filed with the court in Washington.
-Bloomberg

This whole "historical importance" of the Commandments is complete nonsense. The only influence the Commandments have had on the American legal system is a negative one, our system was consciously made to not be the theocratic model set by the commandments.

Honestly, I have trouble understanding people who feel the need to have the government recognize their faith. Not enforce it, those people I can understand, even though I think that they are barking loons and their aims are terrible. If you for some reason think that God has declared eating pork, worshipping another false God or certain sexual practices are verbotten, then it makes sense to want to prohibit them. But how can people be so pathetic that they find validation in the government acknowleding their faith? After careful consideration I have no choice but to pronounce these people to be losers of the most losing sort and I know something about losing and being a loser, I am a liberal and blogger, after all.

ITEM!

TAPPED catches David Brooks promoting the work of a white supremacist. Perhaps next week Mr. Brooks will take a sober, serious look at the world situation and gravely conclude: "Civilization’s going to pieces...I’ve gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things. Have you read The Rise of the Colored Empires by this man Goddard?"

What does Donald Rumsfeld do?

Since Donald Rumsfeld is going to stay on for a second term as Secretary of Defense I think the media needs to start asking exactly what the public is paying Rumsfeld to do. Apparently Donald Rumsfeld doesn't believe that planning and running a war is not part of his job description:

[Rumsfeld] remained defiant in the face of critics who say the United States failed to send enough troops to Iraq initially to handle postwar security and, now, to combat the insurgents.

He contended that the decision on troop levels was largely "out of my control," since he was following the advice and requests of his regional commanders, first Gen. Tommy R. Franks and now Gen. John P. Abizaid and Gen. George W. Casey Jr.

And yet he has found that other tasks are not worth his attention either:

And now, apparently, Rumsfeld’s obsession with machines and their efficiency has translated into his using one to replace his own John Hancock on KIA (killed in action) letters to parents and spouses. Two Pentagon-based colonels, who’ve both insisted on anonymity to protect their careers, have indignantly reported that the SecDef has relinquished this sacred duty to a signature device rather than signing the sad documents himself.

Perhaps Donald Rumsfeld believes that his time is better spent playing computer solitaire or devising more one-liners to charm his personal fan club the press corps with.

Comments

When other bloggers complain about their comments section overflowing with spam, I am filled with feelings of jealousy. My blog has never been spammed, except for the one time that a certain Big Tom E flooded my comments with slanderous accussations. It is like almost like weblog isn't even worth advertising get-rich-quick schemes, e-z credit plans, dangerous medications and deviant pornography on.

Views In Brief

Shorter Michael Ruff:
I find it outrageous that in a "politically correct" America the government couldn't promote one set of religious beliefs over another.

A Diversion

US Senator John McCain warned that Congress may consider imposing drug tests on major league baseball players, as Washington tries to stem the damage from a raging doping scandal that has discredited professional sport.

"I will introduce legislation in January that requires some kind of regimen for testing of Major League baseball players. And I believe that we can pass it through the Congress of the United States," Senator John McCain told the "Fox News Sunday" television program.-AFP

Normally I'd be inclined to criticize Senator McCain for his desire to waste congress' time with something so unimportant, but no longer. With the growth of the GOP's majority in congress and Bush's re-election it is clear that there is no chance of anything good (in terms of legislation) happening in the near future. I would much rather congress waste its time regulating America's past time than say, privatizing social security or trying to invade people's privacy.

Heal Thyself

UN Reform Sought to Tackle Global Threats
A panel created by Kofi Annan has come back with a report on reforming the United Nations. The panel's recommendations include authorizing the use of military force to prevent genocide and other atrocities, expanding the security council and recognizing the danger posed by nuclear proliferation and international terrorism, which sounds like a good start to me. I am not sure how likely it is that these reforms will be implemented. There are certain countries that have an interest in blocking any sort of reform that my infringe on the rights of sovereign nations in the name of human rights and they are likely to resist these changes. The United States for its part is unlikely to press for reform since this government does not have any interest in building working international institutions and because of its policies, we are moving towards the posistion of the Red Chinese when it comes to rights of national governments.

Think Nationally, Act Locally

Democrats Want DNC to Focus on Local Races
Congressional leaders and state party officials "are insisting that the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee... radically redirect the committee's resources toward congressional races and other local contests and away from the presidential enchilada," The Hill reports.

"In behind-the-scenes positioning, key congressional lawmakers are seeking to prevent the national party from lapsing into another four-year presidential gestation cycle."

Now there is an idea. Presidential elections, while very important, have been overvalued. Winning local races are critical to building up the strenght of our Party. It is after all the state legislatures that draw congressional districts. Seeing as how Delay has basically gotten away with his redistricting scheme in Texas without having to suffer any real consquences we probably ought to rip off this tactic so that Democratic states send larger Democratic delegations to Congress.

GWOT Update

When Bush said he was "truly not that concerned" with finding Osama Bin Laden (who is still alive and well, plotting terrorist attacks and cracking jokes at our expense) apparently he really meant it. It looks like for now the man who leads Al Qeada and is an inspiration to jihadists are aroudn the world will hae very little to worry about:

The Pakistani army announced Saturday that it would withdraw hundreds of troops from a tense tribal region near Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden and his top deputy were believed to be hiding.

Since the Bush Administration may have been pressuring Pakistan to capture Bin Laden and other High Value Targets before the Presidential election, I guess it isn't that much a surprise that they don't really care now that they can no longer be held accountable.