Saturday, January 10, 2004 Former Bush Treasury Secretary unleashes The Drudge headline screams:"O'NEILL SAYS INVASION OF IRAQ PLANNED IN FIRST DAYS OF ADMIN -- LONG BEFORE 9/11..."
The headline of CBS story drudge links to says "Saddam's Ouster Planned In 2001?" The evidence is documents about planning for a post-Saddam Iraq. (Ok. All of us here thought lots of people in the Bush administration wanted to go after Iraq for reasons predating the 'war on terrorism' as the rhetoric said. If I remember right, it was (buried) news last year that Cheney's energy commission planned use of oil resources in post-Saddam Iraq, long before 9-11.)
The best part is an unnamed Bush administration official's response: "In fact, a senior administration official tells CBS News it would have been irresponsible not to plan for Saddam's eventual removal." Irresponsible not to plan? If only they had actually done some compentant planning before the war for how to manage the situtation post-Saddam. Instead, when Bagdhad fell, it was clear the administration did not know what it was going to do.
Posted by Timothy,
1:27 PM
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Clark's Belushi Look Instapundit links to this photo of Clark flipping pancakes at Sig Ep. Wonder who got him to wear the 'college' shirt?
Posted by Timothy,
1:21 PM
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Friday, January 09, 2004 Nevermind Bradley or Gore...
Madge is the endorser I want to listen to when I cast my vote. From her website:
I've never done this before. But life is about taking risks is it not?
I know that people seem to pay attention to everything I do. Big or Small. Ridiculous or Sublime. So I am hoping they pay attention to this:
I am supporting General Wesley Clark for President.
Not only as a "celebrity" but as an American citizen and as a mother. I want my children to grow up with the same opportunities that I had - to know and understand what's going on in the world and to travel that world safely and with pride.
Now I'm asking you to join me.
I am writing to you because the future I wish for my children is at risk.
Our greatest risk is not terrorism and it's not Iraq or the "Axis of Evil." Our greatest risk is a lack of leadership, a lack of honesty and a complete lack of consciousness. Unfortunately our current government cannot see the big picture. They think too small. They suffer from the "what's in it for me?" syndrome. The simple truth is that the current administration has squandered incredible opportunities to bring the world together, to promote peace in regions that have only known war, to encourage health in places that are ravaged with disease, to make us more secure by living up to our principles at home and abroad. The simple truth is that the policies of our current administration do not reflect what is great about America. (more at madonna.com...)
Also, the Club For Growth, a campaign organization designed to "help conservatives take action against the crazy liberalism put forward by the Left" has put out a new ad with a couple attacking Howard Dean in which they say he "should take his tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, body-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show back to Vermont - where it belongs." Ahhh, the right wing. (A side note:"Body piercing"? Do they know something that I don't?) Watch it here.
Posted by Kate,
5:13 PM
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Vermont may be faced with a civil war
CNN reports that Killington wants to scede and join New Hampshire instead. My favorite line:
New Hampshire Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan said he would be flattered if Vermont wanted to join New Hampshire -- but he's not making any promises.
Posted by Nikhil,
12:30 PM
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Slugfest 2004 I've got a feeling things are about to get real, real ugly. Two points from today's ARG tracking poll.
1) In less than a week, Clark has climbed 8 points, and its coming out of both Kerry and Dean's asses. Kerry is toast and Clark's way closer to Dean than Kerry's been for more than a month now.
2) And according to this addendum to the poll:
Over the past 2 days of calling, a number of older respondents registered as undeclared voters have reported that they have received telephone calls from a campaign informing them that they will not be allowed to vote in the Democratic primary because they missed the deadline to switch parties.
As ARG notes, "Clark's strength is among older (age 45 and older) voters, while Dean continues to do well among younger voters." So who would benefit from depressing turnout of older voters? ARG continues:
A respondent discovered, however, that when she told the caller that she was thinking about voting for Howard Dean, the caller told her that she would be eligible to vote.
And 3) Outside a campaign event yesterday, a NH Dean staffer handed out fliers knocking Clark, the first time the Dean campaign has circulated attack media. Supposedly the staffer did it without permission from the national office.
The ponential voter manipulation is explosive. The flyering just indicates a tone. And the tone is about to get a lot more ugly.
Posted by Clint,
12:18 PM
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Wednesday, January 07, 2004 Comps questions cont.
2. is democracy valuable instrinsically or is its value fundamentally instrumental?
What do you guys think? This is the more interesting question to me, as I have a draft answer for the first.
Posted by Timothy,
11:21 PM
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Comprehensive Exams Question At risk of silliness and abuse of this site, I am curious what people thought about these two practice comps question for political theory:
1. Is distributive justice compatible with inequalities that result from voluntary choices of individuals?
Posted by Timothy,
11:20 PM
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Tuesday, January 06, 2004 What to wear to a debate that no one will ever see? From today's NPR debate. Kucinich is looking very comfortable in his sport coat/cardigan combo--sort of geeky. Kerry is noticibly less formal; a very wrinkled shirt with a hatch pattern, no tie--like a man who's got nothing to lose. Braun looks fit to go to a PTA meeting, or perhaps drop in on neigbors in her knee length caftan--a very homey feeling. All the others are in their usual uniform.
Posted by Clint,
10:55 AM
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Sunday, January 04, 2004 Dean's campaign trucks on The question period of the democratic debate is by far the most interesting part. Dean asked the first question and it was to all the candidates. How many of you will promise to vigorously support the democrat nominee no matter who that person is? Dean raised his hand. The camera panned back and it looked like everyone was raising their hand.
Lieberman had a piece of paper from the Secretary of State in vermont which would, with a stroke of Dean's pen, open up his records as governor. You have the power, as you like to say, Governor Dean. Dean came back with privacy issues and how a judge is going over the records now. Lieberman says you should not have a judge force you to do what you should have done in the first place. Dean said bluntly: when a gay person wrote a letter during the civil unions crisis, i don't think that letter should be made public.
The US military says a special energy unit has taking over supervising oil imports to Iraq, ending a controversial Pentagon deal with Halliburton.
The move comes after an official report saying a Halliburton subsidiary, which has close links to the White House, may have overcharged for fuel deliveries.
The Pentagon said the change was not linked to doubts over the KBR deal.
