Target Centermass

Category: Politics

  • Monday Post-MNF Link Dump

    Man, I could go for some football right now. Instead, I’ve been checking out these stories.

    Media Zinger o’ the Day

    Landing like a solid right cross hidden behind a good left jab [emphasis added].

    Witnessing former Vice President Gore’s speech today in which he basically accused President Bush of criminality for warrant-less eavesdropping on Americans was fascinating in part because it demonstrated just how spicy a Washington speech can be when the person giving it has nothing left to lose.

    Where Have I Heard This Tune Before?

    Filed under Iran-Playing-the-World-Like-a-Fiddle.

    A POTENTIAL breakthrough in the nuclear stand-off with Iran came last night when the Iranian ambassador in Moscow praised a proposal to move Tehran’s uranium enrichment programme to Russia.

    As Britain, the United States, Russia, France and China met in London yesterday to discuss how to handle Iran’s illegal nuclear development, the country was facing the growing certainty that it would be referred to the UN Security Council.

    While China remained resolutely silent on the possibility of sanctions – a move which it has the power to veto – Russia made significant moves towards the western stance on Iran’s nuclear programme.

    Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said last night that his position is “very close” to that of the United States and Britain. And it appeared that he could hold the key to a resolution when Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Gholamreza Ansari, welcomed an offer to move the Iranian uranium enrichment programme to Russia.

    Such a move would mean Iran, which is developing a missile which could reach Israel, could not acquire enough material for a bomb.

    “As far as Russia’s proposal is concerned, we consider it constructive and are carefully studying it. This is a good initiative to resolve the situation. We believe that Iran and Russia should find a way out of this jointly,” said Mr Ansari.

    Banned in Iran: CNN

    Allowed in Saddam’s Iraq for a willingness to filter news for the tyrant, banned from Iran for a mistranslation. From a journalistic standpoint, which is more degrading?

    Iran banned CNN from working in the country due to its mistranslation of comments made by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a recent news conference.

    The indefinite ban, announced Monday on state-run television, highlighted the continuing tension between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.

    In remarks Saturday, Ahmadinejad had defended Iran’s right to continue nuclear research. State media have complained since the news conference that CNN translated his words as “nuclear weapons” instead of “nuclear technology” or “nuclear energy.”

    “Due to mistranslation of the words of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his press conference, activities of the American CNN in Tehran are banned until further notice,” said a Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry statement read on state-run television.

    CNN acknowledged the mistake in its U.S. broadcast.

    Yet Another Reason to Despise the Media

    A long-time military deserter has been identified and taken into custody.

    A US Marine who absconded from his base more than 36 years ago as a protest against the Vietnam war has been arrested and may face a court martial.

    Ernest Johnson Jr, 55, fled his camp in North Carolina in 1969 after becoming disenchanted with the war in Vietnam.

    […]

    Mr Johnson said he began to doubt the wisdom of joining the Marines after news emerged in 1969 of a now-infamous massacre of Vietnamese civilians at the village of My Lai.

    […]

    “I just decided I didn’t want to be a part of killing anybody. That’s about as plain as I can say it,” Mr Johnson said.

    A spokesman for the US Marines said Mr Johnson could face a maximum jail term of three years and a dishonourable discharge if found guilty.

    A decision has not yet been taken on whether to transport him back to Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina.

    However, the US military has previously dropped charges against similar deserters, instead giving them a less-than-honourable discharge.

    Why do I see this as a reason to despise the media? Well, there is this little tidbit at the end of the story.

    Captain Jay Delarosa denied the arrest was part of a campaign to send messages to modern-day Marines.

    “The purpose in apprehending such individuals is… simply an end result of a decision he made long ago.”

    That means that, during a wartime period with retention rates well above military expectations, some idiot in the press asked the question about an ulterior motive for capturing a deserter. If they cannot find a morale problem, they are quite willing to insinuate one. The approach of today’s practitioners of journalism, a craft I grew up loving, absolutely disgusts me

  • Army Pledges to Equip GIs with Better Armor

    The body armor story. Yet again.

    The Army announced Wednesday that it plans to distribute 230,000 side-protecting armor inserts to troops in Iraq over the next year amid growing criticism that the Pentagon has delayed life-saving upgrades to body armor.

    Last year, the armed forces medical examiner found that 80 percent of the Marines who died of torso wounds from March 2003 to June 2005 in Iraq might have lived if their vests had contained additional protection for the sides, arms and neck.

    That report, leaked to news outlets last week, prompted Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-Va.) to summon Pentagon brass to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to explain delays and materials shortages that have plagued the armor programs of the Army and Marines.

    “We will complete the delivery of this particular equipment this year … 230,000 that will be done throughout this year,” Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson said of the side plates.

    Sorenson refused to provide details on production and distribution, which annoyed some Democrats who attended the closed-door meeting. “We wanted to know why the Army has had all these delays and he didn’t have a good answer,” said one Senate staffer.

    Marine commanders requested improvements to side armor last June, but few of the inserts have made it to those fighting. That has prompted criticism from Senate Democrats, including Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who said hundreds of soldiers may have died as a result of inadequate armor.

    The Army blamed delays on material shortages and pointed out that it has altered its armored vest design seven times to date.

    As Confederate Yankee shows us, the Army is constantly testing and evaluating armor concepts, including even one that may just satisfy Sen. Clinton and bring about the threat of entire units becoming heat casualties.

  • Court Nominee Faces Tough Questions

    The senate committee hearings for Judge Alito are now in full swing.

    Judge Samuel Alito calmly deflected senators’ questions about abortion rights and presidential power Tuesday as he pledged to keep an open mind if confirmed for the Supreme Court and insisted that no person is above the law, including the president of the United States.

    During a marathon question-and-answer session spanning more than eight hours, Alito told Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) that he believes in the right to privacy, as well as the principle of stare decisis, in which legal precedents should be overturned only rarely, for the sake of consistency in the law.

    “People have a right to privacy in their homes and in their papers and in their persons,” Alito said.

    The right to privacy, and the subsequent right to an abortion, is one of the issues that hangs in the balance with Alito’s nomination to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, prompting repeated questions on the subject. Alito’s prominent mentions of the right to privacy and the power of precedent appeared to be an attempt to placate abortion rights supporters who fear he would vote to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade abortion case.

    I’m not going to pretend that I’ve watched more than a few moments and, as I’ve said before that I think it’s already a done deal. What I have seen is about what I expected: Sens. Kennedy, Biden and Schumer essentially looking like caricatures of themselves while an atmosphere of oppressive tedium covers all.

    Tough questions? Ha! Let Llama Butcher Robert put forth the really challenging questions.

    On the other hand, as a concerned citizen, I feel it is my responsibility to participate in this process in at least some capacity. In that spirit, therefore, I offer

    ROBBO’S TOP TEN USELESS ALITO CONFIRMATION QUESTIONS:

    10. Yes or no – have you stopped beating your wife?
    9. If you had a hammer, would you hammer in the morning or the evening and why?
    […]

    Go read the rest. Personally, I think #5 just begs to be asked of this nominee.

  • Homeland Security Tweaks Local Grants

    It seems that Department of Homeland Security has finally decided to narrow the field in its financial gifts to local governments, cutting down the list of recipients to larger urban areas and key targets vital to actual security.

    In Washington, D.C., Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff outlined revisions to distributing $765 million this year under the Urban Area Security initiative, which funneled $855 million to 50 communities nationwide in 2005.

    […]

    Some congressional critics have complained that in the past, the program has given too much money to communities that seem to face smaller risks of attacks. Chertoff acknowledged that history.

    “The fact of the matter is, our security is much too important to be determined with funding decisions that are driven by arbitrary formulas or political formulas or a desire to give everybody a little bit of something,” he said.

    The program, he said, is “not a popularity contest, not party favors to be distributed as widely as possible, but a funding program that is dedicated to a risk-based set of priorities, where we’re going to focus on your ability to show highest risk and your ability to show you can put the money to good use.”

    […]

    Chertoff’s announcement reflected his efforts to give his department an all-hazards mission, even though it was created as a direct result of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The revisions, outlined in documents sent to state and local officials, would address the kind of destruction and lack of preparedness seen with Hurricane Katrina.

    I expect a degree of localized hey-what-about-us opposition to this long-overdue narrowing of focus, but a single paragraph in the pending State of the Union address by President Bush could effectively nullify opposition to the policy change — not that I expect such a maneuver to occur. I’m just saying that it should, as the federal homeland security payouts to date have been awash with tales of silliness.

    While I honestly feel that the Islamist bastards will someday bring the war to our suburban malls (and I’ve repeatedly stated that I’m surprised they haven’t already), we must sincerely look at the fact that they still seem to still be focused on making the Big Headlines and prepare accordingly … though not exclusively.

  • Alito Supreme Court Confirmation a Done Deal

    How do I know? The New York Times has decided that opposition to his nomination stems from “liberal” groups.

    Liberal Groups to Release Ads Attacking Court Pick

    The battle over the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. turned personal Wednesday with the announcement of new commercials that sharply escalated liberal attacks on him, moving beyond his legal views to attack his character and credibility instead.

    The commercials come less than a week before confirmation hearings begin Monday. Steve Schmidt, a White House spokesman handling the nomination, called the commercials “dishonest” and “a desperation tactic.”

    Separately, the American Bar Association on Wednesday rated Judge Alito “well qualified” for the court, its highest rating, as expected. His supporters hailed the rating. Liberal groups said their complaint was his judicial philosophy, not his professional qualifications.

    A commercial by one of the liberal groups, MoveOn.org Political Action, depicts Judge Alito as an actor receiving makeup and coaching.

    Okay, per the NYT, MoveOn.org is now officially a liberal group. It should serve as a relief to all that the Old Gray Lady can still, on occasion, accidentally stumble into an obvious political truth … and even publish it.

    No more casting of MoveOn’s stances as mainstream or populist, right? Well, don’t hold your freakin’ breath.

  • French Econ Policy: More Jacked than I Knew

    Okay, so I knew about the stupid French governmental regulations capping work hours, bloating vacation and keeping an unsustainably low retirement age. I did not, however, have a clue at how anti-business and anti-employment France’s tax policy was.

    Jacques Chirac, France’s president, has announced plans for tax reforms in an attempt to discourage companies from dismissing French workers or moving production overseas.

    In his televised New Year’s Eve address, Mr Chirac called on his government to meet the challenge of globalisation by changing the way it raises funds for social welfare – including unemployment benefits, family assistance, pensions and healthcare.

    The tax plan was the most significant new idea in Mr Chirac’s address, as he adopted a more friendly tone towards global capitalism than in previous speeches, calling on French people to “make globalisation an asset for our growth and our jobs”.

    Instead of taxing companies based on the number of employees, which experts say encourages them to dismiss workers and discourages them from hiring staff, the government is expected to examine alternative ways to raise funds for social welfare.

    “Today the more jobs a company cuts, the more production it moves overseas, the less social charges it pays. Our system of corporate charges must favour companies that employ people in France,” said Mr Chirac.

    Please remember that the U.S. unemployment figure, even at the time well under six per cent, was considered an issue in the 2004 presidential campaign. Here we have a state, already wrestling with double-digit unemployment figures, that essentially punishes its economic contributors based upon how many people they employ. That is beyond sad, and it is far more screwed up than I would have given the French credit for managing.

    Ace points us towards an article [another version here, as Yahoo!News expires their stories] stating that Chirac is struggling to remain relevant in today’s Franco politics. Should he manage a restructuring of such an abortion of common sense tax policy in his twilight days, I might just have to give him a hearty bravo. Unfortunately, I don’t think the weasel will manage anything of any significance that I would consider progress. After all, for years his legacy has looked to be cemented — Jacques Chirac, a worthless man who whiled away his country, opportunistically trading opposition to America for short-term French gain but at the expense of true principle.

  • Tonight’s Reading: Steyn on Demographics

    Okay, so I’m running behind. I’m muddling through the lengthy latest from Mark Steyn, in which he pegs the key weapons the radical Islamist movement hopes will bring about the downfall of the West — our own obsession with multiculturalism, misplaced tolerance and diminishing birthrates — while watching Florida State and Penn State slug it out in the Orange Bowl and doing laundry.

    So far, I’d have to say the piece is certainly a must-read and I’d like to discuss it further, though that probably won’t happen tonight. For now, I’ll recommend Protein Wisdom‘s Jeff Goldstein’s commentary on Steyn’s effort.

  • Carnival of Liberty XXVII

    This week’s installment of the Life, Liberty, Property community’s Carnival of Liberty is up over at Louisiana Libertarian. Go read another fine collection of posts from a libertarian slant.

  • Strayhorn Files as Independent for Texas Governor

    Well, the mystery is finally over and the GOP path to the 2006 gubernatorial nomination for incumbent Rick Perry has been cleared as Carole Keeton Strayhorn, current state Comptroller and the only threatened in-party challenger, has filed to run as an independent.

    Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn ended speculation today by announcing she will run for governor against Gov. Rick Perry as an independent.

    “It’s time to shake Austin up,” Strayhorn, who is now serving as a Republican officeholder, told reporters today, the filing deadline for the 2006 elections.

    “Governor Perry may be doing the best he can, but after five years, we have learned he is not the strong leader we need to put Texas above politics,” she added.

    Satirist Kinky Friedman already has announced as an independent candidate for governor.

    The major candidates in the Democratic primary are Chris Bell of Houston, a former congressman, and Bob Gammage, a former Houston congressman and Texas Supreme Court justice who now lives in Llano.

    Strayhorn, who was first elected comptroller in 1998 as a Republican, had announced in June that she would challenge Perry for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. But last week she refused to dismiss speculation that she would run as an independent to avoid Perry’s strong popularity in the GOP primary.

    […]

    To get on the ballot as an independent, Strayhorn will need to collect the signatures of 45,450 registered voters who cast ballots in neither party primary or runoff. The signatures will have to be collected between March 8 and May 11.

    Anticipating Strayhorn’s independent candidacy, Perry spokesman Robert Black last week said it would demonstrate “the latest desperate act of a politician who has no core convictions or guiding principles.”

    The lady had little chance in the GOP race and chose probably the worst option of the many before her.

    This post is actually more of a eulogy for a political career, at least on a Texas state-wide basis. After the revelation of a strange Strayhorn campaign contact with Democrat candidate Bell’s wife, Strayhorn has decided to jump the Republican ship. Having already switched from Democrat to Republican, Strayhorn can now be cast as a turncoat by both parties.

    Assuming both Strayhorn and Friedman meet the ballot requirements for an independent candidacy, it should be an interesting race for third place between the two and the Libertarian party candidate.

  • U.S. to Investigate Leak on Spying Program

    As anticipated, the media has wasted nary a moment clamoring for the identities of those responsible for the leak of the Bush administration’s policy of monitoring domestic communications with suspected international terrorists without warrants. No, it seems their concerns about leaks go only so far as to hurt the Bush administration and not to defend national security.

    Luckily, there’ll be an investigation anyway.

    The Justice Department said Friday that it had opened a criminal investigation into the disclosure of classified information about a secret National Security Agency program under which President George W. Bush authorized eavesdropping on people in the United States without a court warrant.

    The investigation apparently began in recent days following a formal referral from the spy agency regarding the leak, officials said on condition of anonymity.

    The program, whose existence was revealed in an article in The New York Times on Dec. 16, has provoked sharp criticism from civil liberties groups, some members of Congress and some former intelligence officials who believe it circumvents the law governing national security eavesdropping.

    Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have vigorously defended the program as a legal, critical defense against terrorism that has helped prevent attacks in the United States. They say the president’s executive order authorizing the program is constitutional as part of his powers as commander in chief and under the resolution passed by Congress days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks authorizing the use of force against terrorists.

    Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman, told reporters in Crawford, Texas, where the president is on vacation, that Bush did not request the investigation.

    “The leaking of classified information is a serious issue,” Duffy said. “The fact is that Al Qaeda’s playbook is not printed on Page 1, and when America’s is, it has serious ramifications.”

    To be quite honest, we’re fighting this war with one hand tied behind our backs. It is no understatement to say I find it disgusting that we must struggle so mightily to keep our other hand free, as the media, war critics and political partisans seek to constrain all of our efforts.

    Michelle Malkin has links, updates and thoughts on the matter.

    Look for the Plamegate apologists to argue that the NSA leaks were “good” leaks, justified in the name of safeguarding civil liberties and the national interest, and should therefore be exempt from criminal prosecution.

    By contrast, they argue that disclosures about Valerie Plame were “bad” leaks worthy of pulling out all prosecutorial stops–though no one has been charged with leaking classified info, and even if they did, the adverse effects on national security are infinitesimal compared to the damage done by the NYT/NSA leaks.

    Actually, I expect a relative silence compared to the Plame leak cacophony. I would think rather that the apologists Malkin refers to will work instead to keep the focus on the Bush administration’s policy and ignore the leaking as much as possible.