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Saturday, February 09, 2008
Other people's words: on a more sobering note
Finally, Charlie Pierce via Avedon Carol (she really does an amazing job at finding the best quotes):
For the past couple of weeks, they've just gotten blatant about it. The administration of George W. Bush is bound by no law, bound by no precedent, bound not even by the forms of democratic self-government, let alone its actual substance, which is being used as a throw-rug in John Yoo's den these days. They will torture and the Congress can do nothing. Their powers to spy, to search, and to seize are unlimited and Congress is not remotely entitled to know even what those powers are. They can imprison without trial. They can force corporations -- and, indeed, individuals within the government -- to violate the law. They are not subject to treaties. They are not subject to oversight, nor even subpoenas. Read this swill from yesterday. Through his actions, and from the mouths of his minions, George Bush is now claiming fully the powers of a tyrant, by any reasonable definition of the term.
This is the only issue in the presidential campaign. It is the only truly existential threat to the country. Everything else -- health care, climate change, campaign finance, the deficit -- mean nothing if we fail on this fundamental issue. I don't know where the two Democratic contenders fall on this stuff -- their campaigns have been damnably vague about it -- but I know John McCain will be immeasurably worse. His anti-torture bill allowed torture. His "compromise" on judicial nominations allowed the Democrats to maintain the right to filibuster as long as they promised never to do so. This allowed Roberts and Alito to skunk through in order to deface the constitutional order, likely for the rest of my lifetime, and McCain has promised to let a theocratic loon like Sam Brownback to help him pick his own judges. He's always had a sweet tooth for executive power; his line-item veto was so nakedly unconstitutional that even William Rehnquist noticed. And, yesterday, he got up in front of the CPAC crowd that earlier had cheered every single one of the steps toward tyranny that the administration had undertaken. A while back, MoveOn.org said unkind things about a soldier in a newspaper ad, and the entire capital got the vapors. The Congress of the United States was moved to resolve to condemn the newspaper ad. Democratic politicians rushed to sign on. Now, a group of very obvious extremists -- Dick Cheney is an authoritarian bully and a personal coward. His approval rating is 19 percent in the country and 100 percent in that hall. Res ipse loquitur. --gathers in Washington, and not only do the party's most prominent political figures truckle and beg, your liberal media puts the worst of them on the air, as if they were serious people and not simple public vandals. Jesus Christ in Air Jordans, what in hell was David Bossie, a thug and a hoodlum, doing on Jim Lehrer's program last night? Tom DeLay is under indictment, for pity's sake. Why was he on MSNBC, grinning at Chris Matthews and lying about climate change? Mitt Romney's speech was a sprawling landfill of demagogic swill. It was treated as, well, statesmanlike by people who believe that John McCain is not conservative enough. This is plainly nuts, and any respectable conservative would work tirelessly to wring these crackpots out of the movement before the whole mess goes over the cliff again. Somebody should, you know, take out an ad or something.
In other people's words: Party Animals
A few more quotes from the week's web:
Lance Manion, via Avedon Carol: If the Goverment is a car setting out to give every one a ride to work, then for 40 years the Republicans have been puncturing the tires, pouring sand in the gas tank, stealing the distributer cap, and, whenever they can get their hands on the wheel, driving it straight into the nearest ditch and then, pointing to the wreckage as the tow truck backs up to it, saying, See, this proves that people were meant to walk. And they do this so that they don't have to chip in on gas.
P.J. O'Rourke via Eric: The difference between American parties is actually simple. Democrats are in favor of higher taxes to pay for greater spending, while Republicans are in favor of greater spending, for which the taxpayers will pay. In foreign policy, Republicans intend to pursue the war in Iraq but to do so with a minimal number of troops on the ground. This is not to be confused with the disastrous Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld policy of using a minimal number of troops on the ground to pursue the war in Iraq. Democrats intend to end the war, but they don't know when. Democrats are making the "high school sex promise": I'll pull out in time, honest!
Emphyrio via Avedon Carol: My feeling is that the next President may be a lot like FDR -- a middle-seeking corporate-acceptable choice who by necessity of economic emergency will be forced to adopt many ideas of the Progressive moevement. Unless, of course, he's a Republican. Then he can skip all that stuff and just go on to another World War.
In other people's words: Us and Dems
Lacking much time to blog, here are some of the cleverest insights I noticed in other blogs.
Perspective on the Past
Jane Smiley via Avedon Carol: The underlying question of this primary and this election and the next four years is this -- was it the Clintons themselves who aroused the ire of the rightwing to such an extent that the administration they formed was unmercifully harassed from before the inauguration of 1992 to after the 2000 election, or were the Clintons simply the Democrats who happened to be there when the rightwing decided to take over? Everything the rightwing (and the media) latched onto about the Clintons, from Travelgate to the runway haircut to Monica Lewinsky seemed to me at the time to be merely a gambit in a slow-moving coup d'etat that was crowned in 2000 with the Supreme Court selection of the unelected George W, Bush. The one virtue of the Bush administration has been that their policies are so bankrupt and their members so incompetent that all but a few Americans can now understand the emptiness of the Republicans and their avid desire to destroy the U.S. in the pursuit of corporate power. [...] It would actually be nice if the Fellow Wehner is telling the truth, that it is the Clintons personally that are the problem, because then the election of Obama would indeed signal a change. But if the goal of the corporatocracy is what it has seemed to be -- the permanent replacement of American democracy with a global imperialist empire and oligarchy of wealth, then Obama doesn't have a chance -- he will either be corrupted or destroyed.
Comparing the Candidates' Constituencies:
digby: Here's an interesting analysis from reader Joe: While the networks focus on demographic explanations (white-black, man-woman), I think there is a case to made now that the regional draw of these two candidates is more deeply rooted in the recent political culture and history of each state. Obama's post-partisan, one America appeal resonates best in the states that have been dominated by Republicans and republican lite candidates (Iowa, SC, GA, AL, DE, CN). Obama is really cutting across the red states. On the other hand, Hillary is doing best among the blue states or trending blue states from the most recent elections (NH, NV, NY, NJ, MA). There are some slippery states for such a formula (TN, OK), but it might knock back the old political talk about identity politics and redirect the discourse to savvy political behavior and choices by the voters. The post-partisan, bi-partisan argument favors the party out of power, so it is not really surprising that Obama resonates more with those states who see reconciliation as the path to local power. Clinton though seems more acceptable to partisans and state parties who control their local agendas.
Decisions without Divisions:
dday: This nugget from the CNN exit polls is an important point: There's no doubt Democrats are torn between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But the early exit polls show they are not bitterly divided: 72 percent of Democrats said they would be satisfied if Clinton won the party's nomination, while 71 percent say the same about Obama.
That's what I see when I talk to actual Democrats, particularly those who don't spend all their time on the Internet. Not only do Democrats like both candidates, not only do they think they are going to get to vote FOR someone instead of AGAINST the Republican this year, but the primary is improving that view.
Both Kevin Drum and MahaBarb quote conservative commentator Mark Steyn: The real story of the night, when you look at their rallies and their turn-out numbers, is that the Dems have two strong candidates either of whom could lead a united party to victory. Forget the gaseous platitudes: in Dem terms, their choice on Super Duper Tuesday was deciding which candidate was Super Duper and which was merely Super. Over on the GOP side, it was a choice between Weak & Divisive or Weaker & Unacceptable. Doesn't bode well for November.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Crunch
I actually left the office by 5:20 pm and managed to eat lunch today.*
I think both are firsts for the week.
I feel like such a slacker...
* Well, okay, I didn't get away from my desk until nearly 3pm, but I still ate an actual meal between breakfast and getting home...
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
The spirit is willing?
In The Rise of the Indian Rope Trick, author Peter Lamont discusses the appeal of spiritualism in 19th century England:
There, in the middle of the Victorian world of respectability and propriety, men and women were gathering together in rooms, holding hands, and turning the lights out. It was bound to attract an audience. [...] It is quite possible that many gentlemen attending a seance sought contact with the living rather than the dead. — page 61
The mirror of honour
NarniaWeb reveals the first official picture of Reepicheep from recent print ads for Prince Caspian.
Since I felt so let down at Reep's omission from the first trailers, I wanted to share this as well.
Whew
I think I put in an eleven-hour day today (~9am -- 8pm), not including commute. Wound up working thru lunch, as well.
And, after a hard day slogging on the keyboard, I'm going to relax by goofing off on the web.
Don't expect much more than fluff from me for the timebeing -- I'm reserving most of my brainpower for work...
Immortal, with a kiss
Another year, another anniversary of the date that tradition claims is Christopher Marlowe's birthday.
 [It's as likely as almost any other day in early February.]
The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC made it a good year for me and Marlowe, hosting a Marlowe Symposium, staging two productions of three Marlowe plays (Edward II and a merged Tamburlaine Parts 1 and 2), plus hosting other Marlowe-related programming which I was unable to attend.
Big excitement for the year ahead is this summer's release of Elizabeth Bear's next Promethean Age novels, in which Kit plays a prominent role:
Finally, since today's anniversary is pure speculation, I'd like to start spreading the notion that May 29th, the date of Marlowe's death, should be commemorated by treating an author to a meal -- with absolutely no haggling over the bill!
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
One of these things is not like the other
A quick glance at tonight's network TV coverage:
- ABC: Super Tuesday---Showdown: Coast to Coast
- CBS: News Coverage of "Super Tuesday" Primaries
- NBC: Biggest Loser
Took me a moment to realize that NBC's title doesn't refer to election results...
[I guess they only intend to cover the news on their cable channel.]
Shiny!
Via John Scalzi:
Steven Brust took a little time off from the world of Vlad Taltos to write a Firefly fanfic novel. It's here.
It's under a Creative Commons licence, so share and enjoy!
Pop quiz
How many of the 2004 Democratic primary candidates can you name without looking them up?
I can't even remember who I voted for this time four years ago...
Stat
Can you see what's wrong in this NPR story?
Young people who have a high school diploma and also score in the top 50 percent on the qualifying tests are known as "high-quality" recruits. But today, less than half of the Army's recruits fall into that category.
[If you listen to the audio, this passage is at the 2:45 - 3 minute mark.]
Half of test-takers score in the top 50 percent. That's pure tautology.
Restricting the group further by adding other criteria leaves you with "less than half"
So why is this being reported as if it's a sign of failure?
PS: I did send a similar message to NPR thru their contact form.
Phoning it in
We voted. No stickers. @ 8:20 we were #s 84 and 85 in our precinct.
Syooper-Tuesday
I never had time for the longer post on why I'm supporting the candidate I'm supporting, and then he suspended campaining.
But I've decided to cast my ballot for John Edwards anyway.
I want to send a message to the other candidates -- and to the corporate media which ignored him -- not to take Edwards' supporters for granted.
It may wind up a symbolic gesture, or he may get delegates out of it for use at the convention.
But either way, he earned my vote with his principles and policies, and I don't entirely care between the other two.
PS: See also Edwards supporters Susie Madrak and Shystee
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Bowled over
Well, that was certainly a dramatic three minutes...
Random acts of linkage
Work is still keeping me too busy for much blogging.
So here are some of the flotsam and jetsam that've crossed my screen in recent weeks:
Literature:
Science and History:
Videos:
Shop Talk:
Miscellany:
I actually have a few additional political items, but I think I want to quote more than this format would reasonably allow.
Hopefully later...
Got game?
A quick public service announcement from Some Ecards ("when you care enough to hit send,"):
Whoah. SomeEcards has a Yom Kippur line!
I am 10:02 a.m.
 You are breakfasty, like a pile of pancakes on a Sunday morning that have just the right amount of syrup, so every bite is sweet perfection and not a soppy mess. You are a glass of orange juice that's cool, refreshing, and not overly pulpy. You are the time of day that's just right for turning the pages of a newspaper, flipping through channels, or clicking around online to get a sense of how the world changed during the night. You don't want to stumble sleepily through life, so you make a real effort to wake your brain up and get it thinking. You feel inspired to accomplish things (whether it's checking something off your to-do list or changing the world), but there's plenty of time for making things happen later in the day. First, pancakes.
Ian's teaching Sunday school, so no home-cooked breakfast for me this morning, but that is actually pretty close to when I awoke today.
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