Don Surber points out that he would like to see Hillary and Hsu prosecuted in the same manner that Abramoff and Ney were. That would be fair, but for that tiny little letter after the name. It seems that one provides a cloak of invulnerability, while the other is kryptonite to the bearer.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which is which.
However, the Hsunami scandal isn't just about Hillary and the way that Hsu appears to have funneled money to her favored candidates around the country. It may also take down current New School President Bob Kerrey, who's a former US Senator and thinking of running for Senator from Nebraska to fill the seat being vacated by Chuck Hagel who is retiring at the end of his term.
Serious questions have to be asked about his judgment in that he repeatedly vouched for Hsu and didn't even bother running a rudimentary background check before bringing him in as a trustee of the University. Had he done so, the background check would have likely resulted in pulling up his criminal conviction for grand theft in California, along with the outstanding warrant for his arrest since he left the jurisdiction to avoid incarceration.
And wouldn't you know it, another figure in the whole scandal has gone missing. Have you seen Winkle Paw? Because he's nowhere to be found. Curious how that happens.
These guys do have a tendency to run for the hills as law enforcement comes calling. Where will he turn up is anyone's guess.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Myanmar Junta Continues Crackdown
In addition to cracking skulls on the streets in Yangon, Myanmar, the junta has attempted to shut down Internet access to the country, to limit how much information can be transmitted around the world about what is going on inside the country.
The junta blames the West for instigating the demonstrations.
UPDATE:
Here's a copy of the very disturbing video, in which you see Nagai falling after being struck and lying in the street seriously injured:
UPDATE:
Gaius makes a very important observation:
Meanwhile, CNN is headlining an AP report: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he believes the loss of life in Myanmar has been "far greater" than is being reported.
That wouldn't be surprising in the least. The brutality of this junta knows no bounds, and the last crackdown resulted in thousands killed and many times that number imprisoned.
UPDATE:
That paragon of human rights support, Vlad Putin of Russia doesn't think the time is right to begin imposing sanctions against Myanmar, though it did issue a condemnation of the ongoing troubles.
Soldiers clubbed activists in the streets and fired warning shots Friday, moving decisively to break up demonstrations in Myanmar before they could gain momentum. Troops occupied Buddhist monasteries and cut public Internet access, raising concerns that the crackdown on civilians that has killed at least 10 people was set to intensify.Michelle Malkin reports that the Japanese photojournalist Kenji Nagai, who was killed yesterday by the junta's forces, may have been shot by a sniper. Some of the Internet outages are being blamed on a damaged underwater cable, but Michelle questions the timing. I do as well. It's most curious how those outages affect dissident bloggers and others who are questioning the junta's actions.
Troops also fired tear gas to break up a demonstration of about 2,000 people in the largest city, Yangon, witnesses said. Five protesters were seen being dragged into a truck and driven away. The clash in an area near the Sule Pagoda was the most serious of the several sporadic — though smaller — protests that were reported.
By sealing monasteries, the government seemed intent on clearing the streets of monks, who have spearheaded the demonstrations and are revered by most of their Myanmar countrymen. This could embolden troops to crack down harder on remaining civilian protesters.
The junta blames the West for instigating the demonstrations.
UPDATE:
Here's a copy of the very disturbing video, in which you see Nagai falling after being struck and lying in the street seriously injured:
UPDATE:
Gaius makes a very important observation:
As noted yesterday, the dictatorships that have fallen to popular pressure have done so by failing to ruthlessly put down protests. I was afraid then that the junta would grasp that lesson. The news today makes me pretty sure they have.The junta is definitely acting in a most ruthless manner to put down this threat to its continued existence.
Meanwhile, CNN is headlining an AP report: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he believes the loss of life in Myanmar has been "far greater" than is being reported.
That wouldn't be surprising in the least. The brutality of this junta knows no bounds, and the last crackdown resulted in thousands killed and many times that number imprisoned.
UPDATE:
That paragon of human rights support, Vlad Putin of Russia doesn't think the time is right to begin imposing sanctions against Myanmar, though it did issue a condemnation of the ongoing troubles.
Russia considers it premature to discuss possible sanctions against Myanmar after the army's recent crackdown on protesters, President Vladimir Putin said Friday.Right. He needs a far higher body count before lifting a finger to consider a weak-worded resolution condemning the violence and imposing sanctions on the junta that has assaulted Buddhist monks and others in the country.
"As far as the possibility of sanctions is concerned, it is a subject for special consideration by the UN," Vladimir Putin said. "It is too soon to talk about this yet."
Reporter: Quote Thyself!
Yesterday, I noted the curious news dispatch Jammie discovered by Reuters reporter Noor Mohammad Sherzai
who quoted himself (herself?) extensively in the story.
Since the story was first reported, there have been no further news reports from any other wire services, and no further updates from Reuters. Curious.
Also curious is the paucity of other eyewitnesses to the events claimed. If this was a situation where a number of Afghans had gathered following an attack, surely there would be other eyewitnesses to the incident who could provide details. Instead, we got Sherzai giving details that were not reported anywhere else.
Why is that?
I have inquiries in to ISAF to see whether there is any further information on the incident. I'll post as soon as any relevant information becomes available.
UPDATE:
I've received an email from MSgt Petcoff at the ISAF Press Office informing me to contact Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Information at 0797 423275 to obtain further information on this incident.
I'm unable to make that call right now, but if you have the time and ability to do so, please go ahead and if you get a response, I'll post the response here.
who quoted himself (herself?) extensively in the story.
Since the story was first reported, there have been no further news reports from any other wire services, and no further updates from Reuters. Curious.
Also curious is the paucity of other eyewitnesses to the events claimed. If this was a situation where a number of Afghans had gathered following an attack, surely there would be other eyewitnesses to the incident who could provide details. Instead, we got Sherzai giving details that were not reported anywhere else.
Why is that?
I have inquiries in to ISAF to see whether there is any further information on the incident. I'll post as soon as any relevant information becomes available.
UPDATE:
I've received an email from MSgt Petcoff at the ISAF Press Office informing me to contact Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Information at 0797 423275 to obtain further information on this incident.
I'm unable to make that call right now, but if you have the time and ability to do so, please go ahead and if you get a response, I'll post the response here.
Phil In The Blank
Two weeks ago, the New York Mets were seven games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies and were seemingly cruising on their way to a second straight NL East Division Title.
Well, since then, the wheels have come off and the Mets are on the verge of a collapse of historic proportions. Forget about the 1969 Miracle Mets. These would forever be known as the Mets Mess of 2007.
As of this morning, the Phillies are tied with the Mets, and each team has three games remaining on their schedule.
New York Mets 87 72 .547
Philadelphia Phillies 87 72 .547
Mets host the Nationals for three games at Shea.
Phillies host the Marlins for three games in their ballpark.
If both teams end up tied at the end of the season on Sunday, a play-in game will be held Monday in Philadelphia. The Phillies have won eight straight against the Mets.
What a mess.
Well, since then, the wheels have come off and the Mets are on the verge of a collapse of historic proportions. Forget about the 1969 Miracle Mets. These would forever be known as the Mets Mess of 2007.
As of this morning, the Phillies are tied with the Mets, and each team has three games remaining on their schedule.
New York Mets 87 72 .547
Philadelphia Phillies 87 72 .547
Mets host the Nationals for three games at Shea.
Phillies host the Marlins for three games in their ballpark.
If both teams end up tied at the end of the season on Sunday, a play-in game will be held Monday in Philadelphia. The Phillies have won eight straight against the Mets.
What a mess.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
The Real Global Warming Swindle
It's always been about the redistribution of wealth. The science was almost besides the point. It was seen as yet another way to take money from wealthy countries and distribute it among the less wealthy on a macro level. On a national level, it is now being seen as a way to take more taxpayer dollars and transfer them to the government in the form of new taxes.
The science is far from settled on the matter, and yet the politicians are racing to find new ways to put the science to use - raising taxes in pursuit of the goal of saving the planet from ourselves.
Of course, Dingell and others who propose such taxes will claim that it's all for the public good and that the money will go somewhere, but that's not mentioned. As for his other suggested tax hikes, they are:
The government influencing public conduct through tax policy is a very poor method of securing an outcome, and not only distorts the marketplace, but adds to an already cumbersome tax code.
Also, there's absolutely no indiciation that any of these will actually reduce the level of so-called greenhouse gases emitted around the world one iota - not when you have places like China and India growing at prodigious rates and whose industries spew out more emissions than the US now does (see China in particular).
The science is far from settled on the matter, and yet the politicians are racing to find new ways to put the science to use - raising taxes in pursuit of the goal of saving the planet from ourselves.
Dealing with global warming will be painful, says one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress. To back up his claim he is proposing a recipe many people won't like _ a 50-cent gasoline tax, a carbon tax and scaling back tax breaks for some home owners.He wants to raise the gas tax by 50 cents per gallon. For all Democrats demogoguery over high gas prices, Dingell wants to inflict further pain in the form of an onerous hike of 50 cents per gallon. That would most certainly put a crimp in the economic growth of the country, force millions of people to reconsider how they get to work every day, and force many to consider how to pay for basic foodstuffs as the price to bring those items to the store is increased to cover the increased transportation costs.
"I'm trying to have everybody understand that this is going to cost and that it's going to have a measure of pain that you're not going to like," Rep. John Dingell, who is marking his 52nd year in Congress, said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press.
Dingell will offer a "discussion draft" outlining his tax proposals on Thursday, the same day that President Bush holds a two-day conference to discuss voluntary efforts to combat climate change.
But Dingell, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee that will craft climate legislation, is making it clear that he believes tackling global warming will require a lot more if it is to be taken seriously.
Of course, Dingell and others who propose such taxes will claim that it's all for the public good and that the money will go somewhere, but that's not mentioned. As for his other suggested tax hikes, they are:
_A 50-cent-a-gallon tax on gasoline and jet fuel, phased in over five years, on top of existing taxes.So, if Dingell gets all that he proposes (and one has to wonder where John Edwards or Al Gore stands on the McMansion rule given the size and prodigious use of power to run those homes), we'd have higher gas taxes, homeowners of McMansions would pay far more, and everyone would pay higher utility bills because the utilities will pass along the tax hike to the ultimate user - you.
_A tax on carbon, at $50 a ton, released from burning coal, petroleum or natural gas.
_Phaseout of the interest tax deduction on home mortgages for homes over 3,000 square feet. Owners would keep most of the deduction for homes at the lower end of the scale, but it would be eliminated entirely for homes of 4,200 feet or more.
The government influencing public conduct through tax policy is a very poor method of securing an outcome, and not only distorts the marketplace, but adds to an already cumbersome tax code.
Also, there's absolutely no indiciation that any of these will actually reduce the level of so-called greenhouse gases emitted around the world one iota - not when you have places like China and India growing at prodigious rates and whose industries spew out more emissions than the US now does (see China in particular).
Goose Creek Suspect Admits Making Bomb Training Videos
Far from being an innocent dupe, one of the two suspects being held in connection to terrorism related charges admits to mkaing a bombmaking video that was posted to YouTube.
I haven't seen this part reported before:
Goose Creek is home to a US Naval Weapons Station, including a military detention facility for enemy combatants. For prior coverage, see here and here.
In a 12-minute video posted on YouTube, an Egyptian man wearing a white shirt, khaki pants and rubber gloves explains in Arabic how to turn a toy boat into a bomb.Mohamed and Megahed, were University of South Florida students who were stopped for speeding August 4, 2007 on S.C. 176 in Goose Creek. Explosives and other assorted items were found in the course of searching the vehicle during the traffic stop.
His name is Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed, and last month he was arrested in Goose Creek after authorities found four PVC pipes containing a mixture of potassium nitrate, kitty litter and sugar in his car’s trunk.
Mohamed told FBI agents he made the video to teach “those persons in Arabic countries to defend themselves against the infidels invading their countries,” according to federal court documents released late Tuesday.
Specifically, he told the FBI “the technology which he demonstrated in the tape was to be used against those who fought for the United States.”
I haven't seen this part reported before:
In the back of the patrol car on the way to jail on charges of possession of an explosive device, the two whispered in their native Arabic while a hidden recorder taped their conversation, according to court documents:I'm sure the defense team will try and get the audiotape excluded from evidence, but it is highly suggestive that the two were definitely not being truthful to officers about their intentions. Oh, and it wasn't fireworks but actual pipe bombs that were in their possession.
“Did you tell them there is something in them?” Mohamed asked, an apparent reference to the PVC pipes.
“Water,” Megahed said.
“Water! Right? The black water is in the Pepsi.”
A few seconds pass in silence. Mohamed speaks again.
“Did you tell them about the benzene (gasoline)?”
“I have nothing to do with it. I do the fireworks and so... so... so... that is it.”
Goose Creek is home to a US Naval Weapons Station, including a military detention facility for enemy combatants. For prior coverage, see here and here.
Echo Chamber
Jammie reports on a most curious Reuters dispatch from Afghanistan. The report is written by Reuters reporter Noor Mohammad Sherzai. That's not unusual.
That he would repeatedly cite himself as an eyewitness to events is.
Well, the Malaysia Sun reports the incident but omits any details as provided by Sherzai.
If other journalists were shot at [ed: clarified - no mention that any journalists were actually shot in the incident], you'd think that they would report such events in their own dispatches. Instead, Sherzai is the only one to note this - though it is possible that other sources have yet to file their reports from the scene. Sherzai is the only wire service thus far to report the incident.
However, what is lost in all this is that the convoy did come under attack, and the forces then had to deal with an emergency vehicle that approached at a high rate of speed and crashed into their area. Given the rules of engagement and the unpredictability of the terrorists to use suicide bombers and/or individuals impersonating police, they opened fire to disperse the crowd.
UPDATE:
Is Sherzai inventing details on the incident? How did he know that the brakes on the firetruck gave out? How could the military know either? Is he claravoyant? It was a rapidly developing situation, and the possibility for further Taliban attacks were quite high given what had just transpired.
That he would repeatedly cite himself as an eyewitness to events is.
By Noor Mohammad SherzaiSherzai says that there were other reporters at the scene. Let's examine that for a moment. Is there any other wire service carrying reports of an incident that appears to be similar to this one?
BATI KOT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - U.S. troops opened fire on civilians near the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Thursday after a failed suicide car bomb attack on their convoy, a Reuters witness said.
There was no immediate comment on the reported incident either from U.S.-led coalition forces or from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
The witness said three suicide bombers in one vehicle attacked a convoy of U.S. troops in the village of Bati Kot, 15 km (9 miles) east of Jalalabad, but none of the soldiers was hurt.
Two of the bombers were immediately killed in the blast. The third, dressed in a police uniform, survived only to be shot dead by troops, the witness said.
A fire brigade vehicle arriving at speed at the scene then suffered brake failure and rammed into the U.S. vehicles. Troops inside then opened fire, wounding a number of bystanders.
"I saw everything," said Reuters correspondent Noor Mohammad Sherzai. "I saw the suicide bomb attack ...
"I saw the fire brigade vehicle rushing to the area at top speed, somehow its brakes failed and hit one police vehicle and coalition vehicles, then the Americans started firing at the people and everyone lay flat on the ground and then fled the area."
Sherzai said a number of people had been wounded in the attack, but he did not know how many. "I ran away to save my own life."
Sherzai and other reporters at the scene said many shots were fired and Afghan police were among those fleeing the scene.
"I was running away as fast as I could, but some of the police overtook me," Sherzai said. The police, he said, "were very angry because the Americans were shooting and wanted to shoot back but others stopped them".
Well, the Malaysia Sun reports the incident but omits any details as provided by Sherzai.
If other journalists were shot at [ed: clarified - no mention that any journalists were actually shot in the incident], you'd think that they would report such events in their own dispatches. Instead, Sherzai is the only one to note this - though it is possible that other sources have yet to file their reports from the scene. Sherzai is the only wire service thus far to report the incident.
However, what is lost in all this is that the convoy did come under attack, and the forces then had to deal with an emergency vehicle that approached at a high rate of speed and crashed into their area. Given the rules of engagement and the unpredictability of the terrorists to use suicide bombers and/or individuals impersonating police, they opened fire to disperse the crowd.
UPDATE:
Is Sherzai inventing details on the incident? How did he know that the brakes on the firetruck gave out? How could the military know either? Is he claravoyant? It was a rapidly developing situation, and the possibility for further Taliban attacks were quite high given what had just transpired.
Slouching Towards Oblivion
The Mets are looking like they don't want to make the playoffs, despite their lame interviews claiming that they really do want to win enough games to make the playoffs this year.
The team is in a funk in a big way. If their offense puts up crooked numbers, their pitchers give up even more runs. The relievers are anything but a relief. They've been beyond horrible, especially in the last month of the season.
You know what the worst thing would be at this point? Jimmy Rollins laughing his way into the playoffs if the Mets can't find a way to win a couple of games before the end of the season. Then again, the Phillies haven't exactly been lighting things up either.
Still, if you had asked baseball fans which team would be more in jeopardy of not making the playoffs on May 29 of this year, the Mets or the Yankees, you would have gotten a nearly universal declaration that the Yankees were done - being 21-29 and 14.5 games out of first place. Well, here we are and the Yankees popped the champagne corks for making the wildcard last night. The Mets might not even make the playoffs after being in first place in the NL East for much of the season.
Ouch.
The team is in a funk in a big way. If their offense puts up crooked numbers, their pitchers give up even more runs. The relievers are anything but a relief. They've been beyond horrible, especially in the last month of the season.
You know what the worst thing would be at this point? Jimmy Rollins laughing his way into the playoffs if the Mets can't find a way to win a couple of games before the end of the season. Then again, the Phillies haven't exactly been lighting things up either.
Still, if you had asked baseball fans which team would be more in jeopardy of not making the playoffs on May 29 of this year, the Mets or the Yankees, you would have gotten a nearly universal declaration that the Yankees were done - being 21-29 and 14.5 games out of first place. Well, here we are and the Yankees popped the champagne corks for making the wildcard last night. The Mets might not even make the playoffs after being in first place in the NL East for much of the season.
Ouch.
Myanmar Monks Under Siege
For the second straight day, Buddhist monks have come under fire from government forces, and still more casualties have been reported. A Japanese photojournalist was among those killed.
While the likelyhood of violence is increasing, so are the numbers of demonstrators coming to the side of the monks.
UPDATE:
Jon Swift points out that the bloggers on the other side of the aisle have not exactly distinguished themselves in blogging about Myanmar, but then notes that he might actually agree with the lack of coverage - who cares as he puts it.
Still, if folks remembered that the junta changed the name from Burma to Myanmar, that might straighten things out?
UPDATE:
The New York Post has more details, including photos of the Japanese journalist lying on the ground after being fatally injured though a caption claims he was still alive that the point the photo was taken.
Further casualties were reported today, following at least half a dozen deaths on Wednesday.The junta is doing what juntas the world over do when threatened - they attack those that seek to put an end to their dictatorships. This time, it is all the more poignant when you have Buddhist monks mostly practicing nonviolent demonstrations getting assaulted and murdered by the government forces. As the monks have been carted away by the government forces, other civilians have filled their places, but that actually increases the likelyhood that the junta's use of force will actually increase.
The Myanmar government told the Japanese Embassy in Yangon that a Japanese national was killed, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported. Reports indicated he was a photographer.The Associated Press reported that more shots were fired today at one of several monasteries raided early in the day. At the monastery, Ngwe Kyar Yan, one monk said a number of monks were beaten and at least 70 of its 150 monks were arrested. A female lay disciple said several monks were arrested at a second monastery, Moe Guang, which was being guarded, like a number of other monasteries, by a contingent of armed security personnel.
At least four other people “had been shot quite seriously” on Tarami Street, a British diplomat said, according to Reuters.
The government of Myanmar began a violent crackdown on Wednesday after tolerating more than a month of growing protests in cities around the country. Facing its most serious challenge since taking power in 1988, the ruling junta is attempting to contain the uprising by the tens of thousands of monks protesting economic hardships and the political repression of the military junta.
Security forces have clubbed and tear-gassed protesters, fired shots into the air, or according to an Associated Press report today, into a crowd, and arrested hundreds of the monks, who are at the heart of the demonstrations.
According to reports, crowds on the streets were larger than on Wednesday, despite the crackdown.
While the likelyhood of violence is increasing, so are the numbers of demonstrators coming to the side of the monks.
But more bloodshed seemed inevitable as monks on Burmese-language foreign radio stations urged the clergy not to yield.Gateway Pundit has been following the situation and has photos and tons of links.
"We would like to call on the student monks to keep on struggling peacefully," one said on the Burmese-language service of the BBC. "Five monks have sacrificed their lives for our religion."
Witnesses said as many as 100,000 people packed downtown Yangon, Myanmar's main city, yesterday and the streets echoed with a roar of anger at the use of violence against the maroon-robed monks.
Firing tear gas and waving batons, soldiers charged at the monks massed near the Shwedagon Pagoda - the holiest site in Yangon. Blood pouring from their shaved heads, some monks fought back with their fists while others curled up on the street and absorbed the blows.
UPDATE:
Jon Swift points out that the bloggers on the other side of the aisle have not exactly distinguished themselves in blogging about Myanmar, but then notes that he might actually agree with the lack of coverage - who cares as he puts it.
I suppose I should be interested, but I'm not. For the first time I can remember, I agree with the liberal bloggers. Who cares?Maybe because some folks actually agree that human rights are universal and that there are regimes out there that are evil - in word and deed.
I have to admit, some of the pictures you can find on Burmese blogs are interesting. I might download a few of them before the government shuts the blogs down and throws the bloggers in prison. They might make nice screensavers.
Still, if folks remembered that the junta changed the name from Burma to Myanmar, that might straighten things out?
UPDATE:
The New York Post has more details, including photos of the Japanese journalist lying on the ground after being fatally injured though a caption claims he was still alive that the point the photo was taken.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Branded
The ball Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th home run will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame, its owner said Wednesday.That's going to leave a mark.
Fashion designer Marc Ecko, who bought the ball in an online auction, set up a Web site for fans to vote on the ball's fate, and the decision to brand it won out over the other options, sending it to the museum unblemished or launching it into space.
"We're going to be working with the folks at the Hall of Fame," Ecko said on NBC's "Today" show.
Red Meat Time: Bloomberg Steps In It
Michael Bloomberg compares the US situation in Iraq to the British during the Revolutionary War. He's now firmly putting himself in the Michael Moore minutemen meme camp.
In his most detailed comments on the Iraq war, Mayor Bloomberg last night suggested the United States was in the same difficult position as the British in the Revolutionary War - facing a determined band of insurgents.Bloomberg couldn't be more hopelessly wrong. The US is working with the Iraqi government to pacify insurgents and terrorists operating in Iraq - insurgents who are remnants of the prior deposed Ba'athist regime that killed hundreds of thousands and who launched multiple wars that killed a million more (alas that reduces those facts to mere statistics). Bloomberg is wrong on a fundamental level. He simply doesn't get it - or worse- thinks that we're the bad guys in Iraq but can't say it outright.
Bloomberg said the comparison occurred to him when he visited his mother recently and was driving through Lexington, Mass., where a scrubby group of farmers rose up against a well-trained militia more than 200 years ago.
"We're the British," the mayor said during an interview with Tom Brokaw at Cooper Union, part of a series featuring potential presidential contenders hosted by former Gov. Mario Cuomo.
"I'm not suggesting the motives are the same. But I'm just pointing out that this was an insurgent kind of attack on trained, disciplined, uniformed soldiers who fought in a rigorously planned way. And we're trying to adjust to that."
Bloomberg called on the press to demand more detailed answers from the presidential candidates on a wide range of issues, including Iraq. But he readily admitted, "I don't know the solution more than anyone else."
Hsu Don't Say
Norman Hsu should be a bigger problem for Hillary than has been assumed til now. He was far more closely aligned with the campaign and was apparently directing money to candidates around the country that were supporting her campaign. For those that forget, Hsu is a convicted felon in California, who is now up on multiple charges in multiple states for running Ponzi schemes and other shady schemes to bundle money for Democratic party candidates.
Fundamental questions still remain over where all the money came from in the first instance, and with multiple investigations into Hsu across the country, some interesting evidence is bound to pop up. The evidence is not going to look good for Clinton, whose reputation going back to Arkansas isn't exactly squeaky clean.
Disgraced fund-raiser Norman Hsu did a lot more than just pump $850,000 into Hillary Clinton's campaign bank account: He also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local, state, and federal candidates who have endorsed Clinton or whose support she courted.There is nothing illegal about one candidate helping out another candidate. The problem for Hillary is that she has repeatedly claimed that Hsu isn't that closely tied to the campaign, and yet there is mounting evidence that he was a serious player on the money side of the campaign - especially to shore up support among Democrats who back Hillary's run for the White House.
A major fund-raiser for Democrats since 2003, Hsu became one of Clinton's biggest bundlers - gathering scores of individual checks and sending them to her campaign. But since revelations last month that Hsu was a fugitive in a 15-year-old California fraud case, Clinton has said she would return the $850,000 she has taken from him and his associates.
In at least some cases, Clinton or her aides directly channeled contributions from Hsu and his network to other politicians supportive of her presidential campaign, according to interviews and campaign finance records. There is nothing illegal about one politician steering wealthy contributors to another, but the New York senator's close ties to Hsu have become an embarrassment for her and her campaign.
Last fall, as the Nevada governor's race was heating up, Clinton agreed to help raise money for Democrat Dina Titus, a prominent party leader in a state that holds a key early presidential caucus. Clinton arranged for Hsu, at the time a little-known New York apparel executive with no apparent reason to take interest in Nevada politics, to give Titus $5,000 on Nov. 3, according to a person with knowledge of Clinton's fund-raising.
And in February, when former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack ended his own White House bid, he was about $450,000 in the red. A month after dropping out, Vilsack endorsed Clinton, and Clinton agreed to help him retire his debts. (Both insisted there was no quid pro quo.)
Fundamental questions still remain over where all the money came from in the first instance, and with multiple investigations into Hsu across the country, some interesting evidence is bound to pop up. The evidence is not going to look good for Clinton, whose reputation going back to Arkansas isn't exactly squeaky clean.
Recycled
Bob Herbert, who is out from behind the now-defunct TimesSelect pay to view wall, is back for all the world to see. His latest missive, however, seems to be stuck in a time warp.
Back to 2005. October 6, 2005 to be precise.
Actually, this is far more than simply a time warp. Indeed, it would appear that he simply cut and pasted entire sections of the 2005 op-ed into his current editorial.
Why would he do that? Laziness? Did he think that no one would realize that he was simply trotting out the same old lines?
Why would the New York Times stand for this? Do they not have anyone check to see whether their editorialists are providing new content?
HT: Liberty Pundit
Back to 2005. October 6, 2005 to be precise.
Actually, this is far more than simply a time warp. Indeed, it would appear that he simply cut and pasted entire sections of the 2005 op-ed into his current editorial.
Why would he do that? Laziness? Did he think that no one would realize that he was simply trotting out the same old lines?
Why would the New York Times stand for this? Do they not have anyone check to see whether their editorialists are providing new content?
HT: Liberty Pundit
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Separated At Birth?
Well, from their unending pursuit of the golden ring - the one true ring for Gollum, and nuclear weapons for Ahmadinejad, I think we're on to something here. Both have skin issues and could use help from the Queer Eye guys.
Fort Dix Six Terror Trial Delayed Until January 2008
The trial of six men accused of plotting to kill soldiers at Fort Dix, scheduled to begin in November, has been postponed until January 15.
U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler had been pushing to wrap up the case in 2007. He relented Tuesday, acknowledging that there are some complicated issues that cannot be worked out in time for a trial this year.
Translators are still plowing through hundreds of hours of tapes made by two paid government informants. The recordings are in English, Albanian and Arabic.
Let's See Jack Bauer Get Out Of This
According to news reports, Kiefer Sutherland was arrested for DUI overnight. Sutherland is the star of the hit show 24, where he plays beleaguered CTU agent Jack Bauer who tries to keep the US safe from all manner of threat - foreign, domestic and mole.
It looks like he's got himself a jail sentence to deal with, which will come well before the season premiere of 24 in January 2008.
Cross posted to Blogs.4bauer.com.
TMZ has learned that "24" star Kiefer Sutherland was busted on suspicion of DUI in West Hollywood last night, after allegedly blowing more than twice the legal limit of .08. This is the actor's second DUI in the past five years -- he was arrested in 2004. By California law, if he's convicted, he must serve a mandatory minimum of five days in jail.He was pulled over after being spotted making an illegal u-turn. He was able to post $25,000 bail and will go before a judge on October 16.
It looks like he's got himself a jail sentence to deal with, which will come well before the season premiere of 24 in January 2008.
Cross posted to Blogs.4bauer.com.
Recapping Ahmadinejad's Columbia Lecture
Let me recap Ahmadinejad's adventure at Columbia University yesterday. Bollinger's introduction was certainly not the kind of experience that Ahmadinejad was used to. Ahmadinejad isn't comfortable in a room unless he knows full well that his thugs can take anyone who looks at him crosseyes and deal with them accordingly - preferably never to be seen again.
This event was billed as dialog, but it was nothing of the sort. It was a lecture - a painful one at that. Ahmadinejad claims to be a professor and lecturer, and yet it was painful to listen to - notwithstanding the awful translator used. When pressed to answer direct questions, he refused to do so because the answer would expose Iran's true intentions, even though he's repeatedly made similar statements in the media.
Still, he was mixing religion and science to demonstrate Iran's inalienable right to do whatever it damn well pleases - including obtaining nuclear technology and to undermine the West's claim to the same because it isn't done in the name of Islam. He was making a theological argument to support his regime's actions, and I suspect that most of the observers failed to catch that point, instead focusing on his ramblings (heck - they were ramblings).
The media's fascination about the gay comment was appropriate, but it misses the bigger picture - namely the theological support of his regime's pursuit of nuclear technology.
The issue of Israel's existence is also one of note - if only because he refused to even utter Israel's name. Instead, he would refer only to the Palestinians, and his calls for referrendum to deal with the issue ignores decades of war and violence perpetrated by Israel's neighbors to wipe Israel out and those countries' cynical use of the Palestinians as a pawn to be used as a club against Israel. It also ignores the fact that the Arabs living in Israel are afforded greater religious and civil rights than anywhere else in the Middle East - greater freedoms and rights, and yet many seek Israel's destruction only to realize later that their Palestinian brethren are even worse - see Gaza under Hamas and West Bank under Fatah. Tying together Holocaust denial and Israel's right to exist is a way to deflect Arab responsibility for the situation - and to deflect attention from Ahmadinejad's own statements calling for Israel's destruction and to complete Hitler's job.
UPDATE:
John Wilson of the NY Post also takes apart Ahmadinejad's theological argument, and posits that Ahmadinejad was looking at science as relativist - suggesting that the facts can't be discerned on things like the Holocaust until the right people look at the event.
Arthur Herman slams Columbia for allowing the show to go on and allow Ahmadinejad a platform from which to lecture. Bret Stephens wonders what was gained from having Ahmadinejad lecture.
Did Ahmadinejad really squirm during his speech, or did he accomplish precisely what he set out to do? I think he accomplished what he needed to do, especially if you note how the incident was written up in the Iranian media.
UPDATE:
No Submission has a photo survey of yesterday's protests against Ahmadinejad from around New York City.
Meanwhile, Prof. Volokh suggests that Columbia was right to invite Ahmadinejad as part of the World Leaders Forum. Volokh notes that "A university should not honor the dishonorable." but carves out an exception because this was done as part of the World Leaders Forum. Sorry, but that's a distinction without a difference. By granting Ahmadinejad the honor of speaking - and it is indeed a honor to speak at Columbia, Bollinger dishonored the university - notwithstanding his introduction that slammed Iran's human rights violations and Ahmadinejad's holocaust denials and threats to Israel's existence.
UPDATE:
Cox and Forkum skewer Ahmadinejad's comments about gays and that they simply don't exist in Iran. Still, there are gays and lesbians on the left who think that the greater threat is President Bush, and not the likes of Ahmadinejad.
This event was billed as dialog, but it was nothing of the sort. It was a lecture - a painful one at that. Ahmadinejad claims to be a professor and lecturer, and yet it was painful to listen to - notwithstanding the awful translator used. When pressed to answer direct questions, he refused to do so because the answer would expose Iran's true intentions, even though he's repeatedly made similar statements in the media.
Still, he was mixing religion and science to demonstrate Iran's inalienable right to do whatever it damn well pleases - including obtaining nuclear technology and to undermine the West's claim to the same because it isn't done in the name of Islam. He was making a theological argument to support his regime's actions, and I suspect that most of the observers failed to catch that point, instead focusing on his ramblings (heck - they were ramblings).
The media's fascination about the gay comment was appropriate, but it misses the bigger picture - namely the theological support of his regime's pursuit of nuclear technology.
The issue of Israel's existence is also one of note - if only because he refused to even utter Israel's name. Instead, he would refer only to the Palestinians, and his calls for referrendum to deal with the issue ignores decades of war and violence perpetrated by Israel's neighbors to wipe Israel out and those countries' cynical use of the Palestinians as a pawn to be used as a club against Israel. It also ignores the fact that the Arabs living in Israel are afforded greater religious and civil rights than anywhere else in the Middle East - greater freedoms and rights, and yet many seek Israel's destruction only to realize later that their Palestinian brethren are even worse - see Gaza under Hamas and West Bank under Fatah. Tying together Holocaust denial and Israel's right to exist is a way to deflect Arab responsibility for the situation - and to deflect attention from Ahmadinejad's own statements calling for Israel's destruction and to complete Hitler's job.
UPDATE:
John Wilson of the NY Post also takes apart Ahmadinejad's theological argument, and posits that Ahmadinejad was looking at science as relativist - suggesting that the facts can't be discerned on things like the Holocaust until the right people look at the event.
Arthur Herman slams Columbia for allowing the show to go on and allow Ahmadinejad a platform from which to lecture. Bret Stephens wonders what was gained from having Ahmadinejad lecture.
Did Ahmadinejad really squirm during his speech, or did he accomplish precisely what he set out to do? I think he accomplished what he needed to do, especially if you note how the incident was written up in the Iranian media.
UPDATE:
No Submission has a photo survey of yesterday's protests against Ahmadinejad from around New York City.
Meanwhile, Prof. Volokh suggests that Columbia was right to invite Ahmadinejad as part of the World Leaders Forum. Volokh notes that "A university should not honor the dishonorable." but carves out an exception because this was done as part of the World Leaders Forum. Sorry, but that's a distinction without a difference. By granting Ahmadinejad the honor of speaking - and it is indeed a honor to speak at Columbia, Bollinger dishonored the university - notwithstanding his introduction that slammed Iran's human rights violations and Ahmadinejad's holocaust denials and threats to Israel's existence.
UPDATE:
Cox and Forkum skewer Ahmadinejad's comments about gays and that they simply don't exist in Iran. Still, there are gays and lesbians on the left who think that the greater threat is President Bush, and not the likes of Ahmadinejad.
Myanmar On the Edge
Myanmar is on the edge as the military is called out to deal with anti-junta monks who have called for an end to the junta's regime and democratic elections.
Let's hope that the junta doesn't repeat history.
Five truckloads of soldiers in Myanmar were seen Tuesday seen heading downtown in the country's largest city, soon after tens of thousands of people led by Buddhist monks ended what had been peaceful anti-government protests.The monks have also been demanding the release of a leading opposition figure - Aung San Suu Kyi. The Chinese government is calling for calm, even as the military rolls out to possibly crack down on the thus-far peaceful demonstrations, which drew more than 100,000. The last time that anti-junta forces put together demonstrations of this size (1988), the government cracked down in a bloody and violent manner - killing thousands.
Reports of the soldiers movements followed junta announcements earlier in the day warning monks not to take part in the anti-government demonstrations and the public to stay at home or risk arrest.
The anti-government protests that began over a month ago have turned into the biggest demonstrations since a failed 1988 pro-democracy uprising. Monks have taken over leadership of the movement, leading marches for the past eight days that are the largest anti-government protests since 1988.
Let's hope that the junta doesn't repeat history.
Al Qaeda's Child Warriors
We've seen the Palestinians do it. African thugs do it. So why not al Qaeda?
A new propaganda video from the al Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) features small children with AK-47 assault rifles. The narrator of the video refers to these young boys as the "new generation" of mujahedeen.The next step is that they'll start using women (even better if pregnant), mentally ill and the infirm to act as suicide bombers. One possible way to look at this development is that al Qaeda is scraping the bottom of the barrel because al Qaeda has run out of military aged men to use as cannon fodder.
In one scene, a small child who appears to be around seven- or eight-years-old is holding an AK-47 and reciting what he says are quotes from the prophet Mohammed. Then a group of small children are seen, each holding an AK-47.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Knock My Socks Off: Live Blogging Columbia U. Forum
This post is a work in progress as I liveblog the Ahmadinejad event at Columbia. Just keep scrolling for the latest information.
I'm genuinely surprised to see that Columbia's President Lee Bollinger is actually slamming Ahmadinejad and his country's record on human rights, Holocaust denial, and other related issues. Given the way that Bollinger has acted throughout this whole affair, it is surprising to see him take such a harsh tact.
Of course, he has to prevaricate and qualify matters
Bollinger continues talking about Iran's proxy forces attacking US forces in Iraq. Iran is supporting enemies of the US, and who are engaged in attacking US interests in the region. Iran is the enemy.
Ahmadinejad will simply claim that Bollinger's facts are wrong and that this is nothing but propaganda. Ahmadinejad will ignore all this and say whatever he wants to. Bollinger gets to claim that he did all he could to hold Ahmadinejad accountable, but the fact is that this opening statement is done for the benefit of the alumni who were righteously pissed at Columbia allowing Ahmadinejad to speak there at all.
So, Ahmadinejad starts off by blasting Bollinger for going after Iran and Ahmadinejad's position. He's already holding to form, attacking Bollinger and claiming that Bollinger's facts are wrong.
Ahmadinejad continues by lecturing on how the world works. He goes back to the story of God and Adam. He's going into a theological discussion of how he is on the side of the righteous - a Muslim.
UPDATE:
Hot Air and LGF are both live blogging this rambling and nearly incomprehensible speech. It is a religious discourse, and doesn't even address any of the substantive points raised by Bollinger.
That's the point, of course. Ahmadinejad wasn't there to address Bollinger - he is there to teach of the nature of Islam and the need to submit to Islam.
UPDATE:
Ahmadinejad is busy talking about how religion and science come together - but you have to be sufficiently spiritual for the science to be used for proper purposes. In other words, he's laying out the justification for Iran's nuclear program because he's using science for a desired goal - furthering the spiritual.
He's busy trying to spin wiretaps and US national security measures as though this is somehow an anathema to our way of life. Protecting our country from foreign terrorists is a bad thing.
UPDATE:
Ahmadinejad is now busy slamming US use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and use of depleted uranium in US weapons systems. He's now complaining of the monopoly of power - nuclear power in particular. Figures. He wants that very power for his own country, so this is an appeal to democratize nuclear weapons and nuclear power to those who have no intention to use them for peaceful purposes.
UPDATE:
Science is a divine gift, and Ahmadinejad is making a religious argument in favor of having access to nuclear technology.
UPDATE:
Ahmadinejad is now complaining about Israel and the Palestinians. For 60 years, Palestinians have been trying to kill Israelis. To Ahmadinejad, it's all violence one way.
This interpreter is completely kludging the Holocaust subject. It's incomprehensible. He's questioning the arrest of holocaust deniers and "researchers". Holocaust denial is a criminal act in some European countries, including in Germany, originators of the Holocaust in the first place. He's claiming that the Palestinians are paying for a European crime - that they're victims.
Let's just ignore jihad and the terrorism inflicted by those Palestinian terrorism.
More to the point, Ahmadinejad is laying the groundwork for supplying Palestinian terrorists and proxy forces to attack Israel.
UPDATE:
The crowd is mixing cheers and boos at the completion of Ahmadinejad's lecture.
First question: Do you or your government seek the destruction of Israel: "We're friends of all nations." Ahmadinejad is sidestepping the question - talking about those few Jews living in Iran, rather than address the question. He is pushing the Palestinian point of view, which itself calls for the destruction of Israel. He's calling for a "free referendum", even as the Palestinians have repeatedly voted for the destruction of Israel - they voted for Hamas, which seeks Israel's destruction.
Ahmadinejad talks about self-determination of Palestinians. Right. And the crowd cheers.
Bollinger wants a clearer answer. Yes or no.
He questions the question, ignoring the question. And the crowd cheers.
Question two: Aid to terrorists.
Again, he's questioning the question. He now claims that the Iranians are a victim of terrorism. He's claiming that the US is supporting terrorists that have attacked Iranian leaders. He's busy deflecting the question and now brings up root causes - the root cause being the US and Israel's very existence.
UPDATE:
Questioning need to do further research on Holocaust research? For what purpose. That was an awful question.
Ahmadinejad is questioning the Holocaust's existence, and supports holocaust deniers. This question only opened up the opportunity for Ahmadinejad to claim that he's demanding alternative approaches to studying the Holocaust as an academic pursuit - namely addressing Holocaust denial through the mirror of the Palestinians. He says what does the Holocaust have to do with the Palestinian people.
UPDATE:
The crowd takes exception to the assertion that homosexuality doesn't exist in Iran. Well, considering that the punishment is death, if you were gay in Iran you wouldn't want to go out of your way to go public with that knowledge. It would be a fatal decision.
Women are treated like crap in Iran, and yet Ahmadinejad says that they're fully respected.
UPDATE:
What a farce. Ahmadinejad was not engaged in debate, but instead lectured the audience over what his worldview is and what ours should be. He complained that we do not have free speech, but Iran does. He complains about the restrictions on his country to seek nuclear power, while the US and the West restricts such information.
It was nothing more than a way to push the Iranian agenda, and no one held Ahmadinejad to account for his government's actions - whether it was terrorism against the US directly, such as the 1979 invasion of the US embassy in Tehran and the hostage incident, or indirectly via proxy groups such as the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks and the ongoing issue with Iranian weapons used against US forces in Iraq.
UPDATE:
A full transcript of the event is now available.
UPDATE:
Instapundit has a good roundup of reactions from around the 'sphere, as does Pajamas Media, American Digest, and Michelle Malkin.
As for why Ahmadinejad can claim there are no gays in Iran, here's a photo expose to show the real reason.
I'm genuinely surprised to see that Columbia's President Lee Bollinger is actually slamming Ahmadinejad and his country's record on human rights, Holocaust denial, and other related issues. Given the way that Bollinger has acted throughout this whole affair, it is surprising to see him take such a harsh tact.
Of course, he has to prevaricate and qualify matters
"You exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator."No. He is a petty and cruel dictator. Killing political opponents, executing minorities and religious groups and persecution along religious and political grounds is a fact.
Bollinger continues talking about Iran's proxy forces attacking US forces in Iraq. Iran is supporting enemies of the US, and who are engaged in attacking US interests in the region. Iran is the enemy.
Ahmadinejad will simply claim that Bollinger's facts are wrong and that this is nothing but propaganda. Ahmadinejad will ignore all this and say whatever he wants to. Bollinger gets to claim that he did all he could to hold Ahmadinejad accountable, but the fact is that this opening statement is done for the benefit of the alumni who were righteously pissed at Columbia allowing Ahmadinejad to speak there at all.
So, Ahmadinejad starts off by blasting Bollinger for going after Iran and Ahmadinejad's position. He's already holding to form, attacking Bollinger and claiming that Bollinger's facts are wrong.
Ahmadinejad continues by lecturing on how the world works. He goes back to the story of God and Adam. He's going into a theological discussion of how he is on the side of the righteous - a Muslim.
UPDATE:
Hot Air and LGF are both live blogging this rambling and nearly incomprehensible speech. It is a religious discourse, and doesn't even address any of the substantive points raised by Bollinger.
That's the point, of course. Ahmadinejad wasn't there to address Bollinger - he is there to teach of the nature of Islam and the need to submit to Islam.
UPDATE:
Ahmadinejad is busy talking about how religion and science come together - but you have to be sufficiently spiritual for the science to be used for proper purposes. In other words, he's laying out the justification for Iran's nuclear program because he's using science for a desired goal - furthering the spiritual.
He's busy trying to spin wiretaps and US national security measures as though this is somehow an anathema to our way of life. Protecting our country from foreign terrorists is a bad thing.
UPDATE:
Ahmadinejad is now busy slamming US use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and use of depleted uranium in US weapons systems. He's now complaining of the monopoly of power - nuclear power in particular. Figures. He wants that very power for his own country, so this is an appeal to democratize nuclear weapons and nuclear power to those who have no intention to use them for peaceful purposes.
UPDATE:
Science is a divine gift, and Ahmadinejad is making a religious argument in favor of having access to nuclear technology.
UPDATE:
Ahmadinejad is now complaining about Israel and the Palestinians. For 60 years, Palestinians have been trying to kill Israelis. To Ahmadinejad, it's all violence one way.
This interpreter is completely kludging the Holocaust subject. It's incomprehensible. He's questioning the arrest of holocaust deniers and "researchers". Holocaust denial is a criminal act in some European countries, including in Germany, originators of the Holocaust in the first place. He's claiming that the Palestinians are paying for a European crime - that they're victims.
Let's just ignore jihad and the terrorism inflicted by those Palestinian terrorism.
More to the point, Ahmadinejad is laying the groundwork for supplying Palestinian terrorists and proxy forces to attack Israel.
UPDATE:
The crowd is mixing cheers and boos at the completion of Ahmadinejad's lecture.
First question: Do you or your government seek the destruction of Israel: "We're friends of all nations." Ahmadinejad is sidestepping the question - talking about those few Jews living in Iran, rather than address the question. He is pushing the Palestinian point of view, which itself calls for the destruction of Israel. He's calling for a "free referendum", even as the Palestinians have repeatedly voted for the destruction of Israel - they voted for Hamas, which seeks Israel's destruction.
Ahmadinejad talks about self-determination of Palestinians. Right. And the crowd cheers.
Bollinger wants a clearer answer. Yes or no.
He questions the question, ignoring the question. And the crowd cheers.
Question two: Aid to terrorists.
Again, he's questioning the question. He now claims that the Iranians are a victim of terrorism. He's claiming that the US is supporting terrorists that have attacked Iranian leaders. He's busy deflecting the question and now brings up root causes - the root cause being the US and Israel's very existence.
UPDATE:
Questioning need to do further research on Holocaust research? For what purpose. That was an awful question.
Ahmadinejad is questioning the Holocaust's existence, and supports holocaust deniers. This question only opened up the opportunity for Ahmadinejad to claim that he's demanding alternative approaches to studying the Holocaust as an academic pursuit - namely addressing Holocaust denial through the mirror of the Palestinians. He says what does the Holocaust have to do with the Palestinian people.
UPDATE:
The crowd takes exception to the assertion that homosexuality doesn't exist in Iran. Well, considering that the punishment is death, if you were gay in Iran you wouldn't want to go out of your way to go public with that knowledge. It would be a fatal decision.
Women are treated like crap in Iran, and yet Ahmadinejad says that they're fully respected.
UPDATE:
What a farce. Ahmadinejad was not engaged in debate, but instead lectured the audience over what his worldview is and what ours should be. He complained that we do not have free speech, but Iran does. He complains about the restrictions on his country to seek nuclear power, while the US and the West restricts such information.
It was nothing more than a way to push the Iranian agenda, and no one held Ahmadinejad to account for his government's actions - whether it was terrorism against the US directly, such as the 1979 invasion of the US embassy in Tehran and the hostage incident, or indirectly via proxy groups such as the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks and the ongoing issue with Iranian weapons used against US forces in Iraq.
UPDATE:
A full transcript of the event is now available.
UPDATE:
Instapundit has a good roundup of reactions from around the 'sphere, as does Pajamas Media, American Digest, and Michelle Malkin.
As for why Ahmadinejad can claim there are no gays in Iran, here's a photo expose to show the real reason.
Pieces in Our Time
Israel's Prime Minister is once again offering pieces of Israeli territory in exchange for peace with Palestinian terrorists who have never recognized Israel's right to exist. That such statements come at a time when Olmert is under investigation yet again for shady real estate dealings should tell you all you need to know about the situation in Israel.
Olmert is trying to cobble together a peace deal with Fatah as a way to salvage his political future. He's hitching his ride to the Palestinian terror train, even knowing that Fatah is incapable of enforcing its obligations.
There are signs that Olmert might even redivide Jerusalem as part of the deal. You can be assured that many Israelis will not tolerate such a gesture. As it stands right now, Jews cannot freely visit the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest spot on the planet for fears that it might incite Muslims praying at the Dome of the Rock or al Aqsa mosques, built atop where the Jewish Holy Temples once stood.
Palestinian terrorists continue firing mortars that land in Israel. Olmert says that Israeli operations in Gaza will not halt the rocket fire. Unless you go after the leadership that condones those attacks, they will continue. You have to make the Palestinian terrorists worry more about their safety than having the ability and time to plan, build kassams, and launch them. You have to deny them the space to operate. Olmert has been unwilling to do so.
Olmert is trying to cobble together a peace deal with Fatah as a way to salvage his political future. He's hitching his ride to the Palestinian terror train, even knowing that Fatah is incapable of enforcing its obligations.
There are signs that Olmert might even redivide Jerusalem as part of the deal. You can be assured that many Israelis will not tolerate such a gesture. As it stands right now, Jews cannot freely visit the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest spot on the planet for fears that it might incite Muslims praying at the Dome of the Rock or al Aqsa mosques, built atop where the Jewish Holy Temples once stood.
Palestinian terrorists continue firing mortars that land in Israel. Olmert says that Israeli operations in Gaza will not halt the rocket fire. Unless you go after the leadership that condones those attacks, they will continue. You have to make the Palestinian terrorists worry more about their safety than having the ability and time to plan, build kassams, and launch them. You have to deny them the space to operate. Olmert has been unwilling to do so.
Columbia's Selective Open Arms
Today, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to speak at a conference at Columbia University. The university has defended its decision to allow Ahmadinejad to speak on campus saying that it would have invited Hitler to speak.
It's an apt comparison considering that Ahmadinejad has repeatedly made statements that Hitler would find comforting - namely the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of Jews living there. Ahmadinejad takes that a step further, demanding that the West submit to Islam or face consequences.
He's going to speak of root causes, finding common cause with leftists here in the US who find fault with everything that the US does around the world, ignoring all the evil wrought by totalitarian dictatorships, theocracies, and thugocracies around the world, including in Iran.
These academics speak as though Ahmadinejad is here to engage in dialog. They couldn't be more hopelessly wrong. Ahmadinejad is here to proseletyze. Columbia decided in its infinite wisdom to allow Ahmadinejad to speak claiming that it would open dialog. Ahmadinejad isn't interested in dialog. He's interested solely in furthering his agenda. He wants people to submit to Islam - to convert to his way of life. That is the salvation that he seeks for us. If we choose not to submit and stand in opposition to his worldview, he will bring nothing but pain and misery.
These academics ignore this or worse, they have no problem with Ahmadinejad's statements since they mesh well with their own worldview on American hegemony.
Columbia students are mixed on whether this is a good idea or not, but that there are so many who think that Ahmadinejad speaking on campus is a good idea suggests that something is rotten to the core in academia - good and evil are no longer distinctions worthy of being taught and that extending the invite to Ahmadinejad allows evil to speak on campus.
That there are groups that are arranging to protest Ahmadinejad's visit is admirable, as are those alumni opposed to the visit, but the University has made its decision, and will have to live with the foul stench of knowing that the University played host to a Holocaust denier and a leader who seeks to destroy Israel and the West unless it heels to his version of Islam.
I can recall that more than a decade ago my alma mater sought to bring a Turkish leader to speak at commencement. Such a holy stink was raised about the fact that he denied the existence and/or extent of the Armenian genocide, that the university thought twice and changed its mind - avoiding a messy situation. Is not Holocaust denial in the same league? You can argue that my alma mater chose poorly and should have extended the invitation to speak, but by doing so, they would have provided a prominent platform to speak. The invitation to speak at a university is an honor that should not be doled out lightly or to someone whose worldview is an anathema to the facts and historical record.
UPDATE:
Rudy Giuliani has issued a statement condemning Ahmadinejad's visit and goes through a litany of reasons why we must stand opposed to his very presence. Don Surber has the details. Don notes that Ahmadinejad has a right to speak. I disagree. Ahmadinejad's regime has no problem cracking down on its opponents - shuttering newspapers and media outlets. It arrests people on political crimes and executes those that engage in unIslamic acts.
However, Ahmadinejad will be exposed to a very real demonstration of the right of free speech that many Americans take for granted. I expect a very vociferous crowd to engage in the kind of activities that Ahmadinejad would seek to squelch had this occurred in Tehran and not New York City. It will be a very real demonstration of the power of free speech in shouting down this Holocaust denier and genuine threat to national security and regional stability in the Middle East as a supplier to terrorists around the world.
UPDATE:
One of Ace's readers points out that Columbia University did extend an invitation to Hitler's ambassador to the US to speak in 1933. 1933 was also the year that the Dachau concentration camp opened for business.
UPDATE:
The so called exchange of ideas is going to be something less than spontaneous. It's going to be a closely monitored and tightly controlled affair.
Protestors are out in large numbers around the campus. Kudos to them to show Ahmadinejad that he's not welcome here. Welcome to free speech Mahmoud. Pam at Atlas Shrugs has more, including a list of rallies and ways to protest.
Lee Bollinger, Columbia's President still frames this as a matter of free speech and academic freedom. No word on whether he'll ask Ahmadinejad about all the political prisoners held in Iranian jails or executed for violating the tenets of Islam. No word on whether he'll ask about the curriculum taught in Iranian schools, or the rampant anti-Semitism broadcast on Iranian television that indoctrinates still another generation of Iranians to hate Israel, Jews, and the West.
It's an apt comparison considering that Ahmadinejad has repeatedly made statements that Hitler would find comforting - namely the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of Jews living there. Ahmadinejad takes that a step further, demanding that the West submit to Islam or face consequences.
He's going to speak of root causes, finding common cause with leftists here in the US who find fault with everything that the US does around the world, ignoring all the evil wrought by totalitarian dictatorships, theocracies, and thugocracies around the world, including in Iran.
These academics speak as though Ahmadinejad is here to engage in dialog. They couldn't be more hopelessly wrong. Ahmadinejad is here to proseletyze. Columbia decided in its infinite wisdom to allow Ahmadinejad to speak claiming that it would open dialog. Ahmadinejad isn't interested in dialog. He's interested solely in furthering his agenda. He wants people to submit to Islam - to convert to his way of life. That is the salvation that he seeks for us. If we choose not to submit and stand in opposition to his worldview, he will bring nothing but pain and misery.
These academics ignore this or worse, they have no problem with Ahmadinejad's statements since they mesh well with their own worldview on American hegemony.
Columbia students are mixed on whether this is a good idea or not, but that there are so many who think that Ahmadinejad speaking on campus is a good idea suggests that something is rotten to the core in academia - good and evil are no longer distinctions worthy of being taught and that extending the invite to Ahmadinejad allows evil to speak on campus.
That there are groups that are arranging to protest Ahmadinejad's visit is admirable, as are those alumni opposed to the visit, but the University has made its decision, and will have to live with the foul stench of knowing that the University played host to a Holocaust denier and a leader who seeks to destroy Israel and the West unless it heels to his version of Islam.
I can recall that more than a decade ago my alma mater sought to bring a Turkish leader to speak at commencement. Such a holy stink was raised about the fact that he denied the existence and/or extent of the Armenian genocide, that the university thought twice and changed its mind - avoiding a messy situation. Is not Holocaust denial in the same league? You can argue that my alma mater chose poorly and should have extended the invitation to speak, but by doing so, they would have provided a prominent platform to speak. The invitation to speak at a university is an honor that should not be doled out lightly or to someone whose worldview is an anathema to the facts and historical record.
UPDATE:
Rudy Giuliani has issued a statement condemning Ahmadinejad's visit and goes through a litany of reasons why we must stand opposed to his very presence. Don Surber has the details. Don notes that Ahmadinejad has a right to speak. I disagree. Ahmadinejad's regime has no problem cracking down on its opponents - shuttering newspapers and media outlets. It arrests people on political crimes and executes those that engage in unIslamic acts.
However, Ahmadinejad will be exposed to a very real demonstration of the right of free speech that many Americans take for granted. I expect a very vociferous crowd to engage in the kind of activities that Ahmadinejad would seek to squelch had this occurred in Tehran and not New York City. It will be a very real demonstration of the power of free speech in shouting down this Holocaust denier and genuine threat to national security and regional stability in the Middle East as a supplier to terrorists around the world.
UPDATE:
One of Ace's readers points out that Columbia University did extend an invitation to Hitler's ambassador to the US to speak in 1933. 1933 was also the year that the Dachau concentration camp opened for business.
UPDATE:
The so called exchange of ideas is going to be something less than spontaneous. It's going to be a closely monitored and tightly controlled affair.
Closed to the public, no protest signs allowed, questions to be asked via index card with no back-and-forth between the students and honored guest. A “free exchange of ideas” indeed. In a way I’m glad, though: this puts all the pressure on Bollinger to grill him. If he softballs him — which he probably won’t lest the few remaining scraps of his credibility end up in the toilet — he’ll never hear the end of it.Bollinger will simply move on to the next issue within a week, regardless of what happens. He will have the backing of much of the faculty, even though the dean of the law school came out in opposition of the visit. Kudos for him. Now, if only more had the courage of their convictions to speak out against this travesty.
Protestors are out in large numbers around the campus. Kudos to them to show Ahmadinejad that he's not welcome here. Welcome to free speech Mahmoud. Pam at Atlas Shrugs has more, including a list of rallies and ways to protest.
Lee Bollinger, Columbia's President still frames this as a matter of free speech and academic freedom. No word on whether he'll ask Ahmadinejad about all the political prisoners held in Iranian jails or executed for violating the tenets of Islam. No word on whether he'll ask about the curriculum taught in Iranian schools, or the rampant anti-Semitism broadcast on Iranian television that indoctrinates still another generation of Iranians to hate Israel, Jews, and the West.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Oh, Marcia
First came reports that a new tell all book by Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch, would contain details of a lesbian encounter with Eve Plumb, who played Jan Brady.
Now, the publisher is shooting down those claims.
I suspect someone decided to leak such a salacious rumor in order to hype the news surrounding McCormick's book. It would get people buzzing about it to see whether there was truth to the matter or any other dirt on the relationships between the various actors and actresses.
Urban legends have surrounded various relationships on that show for as long as I can remember. Some actually apparently were true.Barry Williams, who played oldest brother Greg Brady, revealed in his 1992 autobiography, "Growing Up Brady," that he had been romantically involved with both his TV mom Florence Henderson and with McCormick.
NYT Admits It Screwed Up In Running MoveOn.org Betray Us Ad
Officials at the New York Times have admitted a liberal activist group was permitted to pay half the rate it should have for a provocative ad condemning U.S. Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus.Apologies should be extended to Bob Owens and others who claimed that the Times incorrectly and impermissibly extended a discount rate to Moveon.org to run their heinous ads attacking General Petraeus right as he was giving testimony before Congress. The full page ad ran in the Times, and I was appalled that the organization would attack the General even before his report was heard. It was a preemptive attack on his reputation and integrity.
The MoveOn ad, which cast Petraeus as "General Betray Us" and attacked his truthfulness, ran on the same day the commander made a highly anticipated appearance before Congress.
But since the liberal group paid the standby rate of $64,575 for the full-page ad, it should not have been guaranteed to run on Sept. 10, the day Petraeus warned Congress against a rapid withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Times personnel said.
"We made a mistake," Catherine Mathis, vice president of corporate communications for The Times, told the newspaper's public editor.
Mathis said an advertising representative left the liberal group with the understanding that the ad would run that Monday even though they had been charged the standby rate.
The group should have paid $142,083 to ensure placement that day.
The General was quite forthright and blunt in his assessments of the situation in Iraq, and the success of the surge in Iraq is such that even the Times itself cannot ignore that the security situation has improved to the point where the political failures within the Iraqi government take precedence over the security situation.
The Foul Stench
Columbia University is now in a no-win situation - they've invited Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak - citing free speech and an attempt to engage in dialogue with a genocidal-inspired thug, so revoking that invitation isn't going to look good. It's going to take a hit because they extended the invite and/or accepted his invitation to speak.
Consider that before he is scheduled to arrive in NYC, he attended a military parade in Iran, where his country's latest missiles were displayed - complete with signs calling for death to Israel and death to US. He warned that the US must leave the Middle East (the or else death and destruction and mayhem were understood and implicit in his statements).
Columbia's President has said that if they had the chance, they would have invited Hitler to speak. Well, at least he's in the same ballpark. Ahmadinejad alternatively claims that the Holocaust never existed and that he wants to finish the job. In any event, he wants to see Israel destroyed, and it all fits with his religious visions for the region and the world.
I fully expect Ahmadinejad to call for the US to submit to Islam and that is the only kind of dialog that he's interested in. He will also call for the US to get out of Iraq and the Middle East along with a cessation of support for Israel. That's all red meat issues for academics who are largely anti-Israel to begin with and overwhelmingly were against the US actions in Iraq.
It didn't have to be like this. Columbia didn't have to extend an invitation or accept an invitation to speak, knowing exactly what Ahmadinejad is all about. These academics claim that it is seeking dialog. That would necessarily require a two way conversation. Ahmadinejad isn't interested in conversation. He's interested in conversion. You either accept what he says, or you suffer the consequences. There is no doubt about what he seeks to do. He's quite clear on the matter.
What the University fails to recognize is that by giving Ahmadinejad a platform from which to spew his venom, the university is undermining the anti-Ahmadinejad forces within Iran who do not want to see Ahmadinejad's apocalyptic visions come to fruition. Columbia either doesn't care about this, or doesn't think that their invitation to speak will have repercussions beyond the halls of the university.
This is going to be one crazy week in NYC, that's for sure. If you're wondering where the foul stench of saltpeter and sulfur is coming from, one only has to look towards the United Nations and Columbia University.
Consider that before he is scheduled to arrive in NYC, he attended a military parade in Iran, where his country's latest missiles were displayed - complete with signs calling for death to Israel and death to US. He warned that the US must leave the Middle East (the or else death and destruction and mayhem were understood and implicit in his statements).
Columbia's President has said that if they had the chance, they would have invited Hitler to speak. Well, at least he's in the same ballpark. Ahmadinejad alternatively claims that the Holocaust never existed and that he wants to finish the job. In any event, he wants to see Israel destroyed, and it all fits with his religious visions for the region and the world.
I fully expect Ahmadinejad to call for the US to submit to Islam and that is the only kind of dialog that he's interested in. He will also call for the US to get out of Iraq and the Middle East along with a cessation of support for Israel. That's all red meat issues for academics who are largely anti-Israel to begin with and overwhelmingly were against the US actions in Iraq.
It didn't have to be like this. Columbia didn't have to extend an invitation or accept an invitation to speak, knowing exactly what Ahmadinejad is all about. These academics claim that it is seeking dialog. That would necessarily require a two way conversation. Ahmadinejad isn't interested in conversation. He's interested in conversion. You either accept what he says, or you suffer the consequences. There is no doubt about what he seeks to do. He's quite clear on the matter.
What the University fails to recognize is that by giving Ahmadinejad a platform from which to spew his venom, the university is undermining the anti-Ahmadinejad forces within Iran who do not want to see Ahmadinejad's apocalyptic visions come to fruition. Columbia either doesn't care about this, or doesn't think that their invitation to speak will have repercussions beyond the halls of the university.
This is going to be one crazy week in NYC, that's for sure. If you're wondering where the foul stench of saltpeter and sulfur is coming from, one only has to look towards the United Nations and Columbia University.
Farfetched or Far Reaching Consequences?
There is a news report from the Times of London that suggests that the September 6 incident in Syria was far more complex and involved an Israeli force on the ground that secured nuclear materials in a raid.
I'm skeptical that this whole incident would provoke absolutely no reaction among any of the players - is operational security that tight that no one would talk? What kind of nuclear material was taken, and if a small force was involved, how much material was there in the first place? How much material would constitute such a threat that this kind of mission need be launched? A few kilos?
The report is quite specific that the nuclear materials came from North Korea. It suggests that the Israelis had access to intel that was not only quite specific, but highly accurate. Why would Israel want to let on that it has those kinds of capabilities, or that it has access to that kind of capabilities? It exposes those sources to being exposed and burned. One possible reason that the Israelis and/or the Americans might allow some details to be floated is to remind Iran that it has the capabilities to deal with the Iranian nuclear program.
Still, there is reason to suspect something serious and important happened in that raid. Syria isn't talking. Do they want to avoid the issue, even if it means that Israel got to deal a serious blow to Syrian nuclear intentions? That would run counter to how Iraq acted after Israel's Osirak raid - although a key distinction was that the nuclear program was recognized by the international community, even if they didn't know what to do about it. No one is quite sure what Syria is up to.
All I can say is that with the Syrians remaining clammed up on the matter, I suspect something important did happen, but the extent to which is a mystery. Unless additional sources come forward to corroborate the report of Israeli ground forces recovering nuclear materials, I don't know how much faith I can place in this particular report. There may be something to the report.
Israeli commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a daring raid on a secret military site in Syria before Israel bombed it this month, according to informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem. The attack was launched with American approval on September 6 after Washington was shown evidence the material was nuclear related, the well-placed sources say.This is the only outlet to run with the story, and the author had previously claimed that Israel was working on a bioweapon that would hit only Arabs.
I'm skeptical that this whole incident would provoke absolutely no reaction among any of the players - is operational security that tight that no one would talk? What kind of nuclear material was taken, and if a small force was involved, how much material was there in the first place? How much material would constitute such a threat that this kind of mission need be launched? A few kilos?
The report is quite specific that the nuclear materials came from North Korea. It suggests that the Israelis had access to intel that was not only quite specific, but highly accurate. Why would Israel want to let on that it has those kinds of capabilities, or that it has access to that kind of capabilities? It exposes those sources to being exposed and burned. One possible reason that the Israelis and/or the Americans might allow some details to be floated is to remind Iran that it has the capabilities to deal with the Iranian nuclear program.
Still, there is reason to suspect something serious and important happened in that raid. Syria isn't talking. Do they want to avoid the issue, even if it means that Israel got to deal a serious blow to Syrian nuclear intentions? That would run counter to how Iraq acted after Israel's Osirak raid - although a key distinction was that the nuclear program was recognized by the international community, even if they didn't know what to do about it. No one is quite sure what Syria is up to.
All I can say is that with the Syrians remaining clammed up on the matter, I suspect something important did happen, but the extent to which is a mystery. Unless additional sources come forward to corroborate the report of Israeli ground forces recovering nuclear materials, I don't know how much faith I can place in this particular report. There may be something to the report.
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