Loud Minority

2006-09-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Top Ten Reasons That Osama Bin Laden Wants to Kill Bill O'Rielly:

10. Contrary to the title's implication “Who’s Looking out For You ?” had no advice relevant to a wanted, cave-dwelling fugitive.

9. When his "Factor" coffee mug finally arrived...the handle was cracked.

8. He walked away from a Saudi construction fortune to wage global jihad from a hidden cave in the deserted mountains of Pakhistan, and O'Rielly is selling himself as "The Culture Warrior".

7. Even though O’Rielly always talks about him, he refuses to plug “Osamabinladen.com.”

6. O’Rielly had 30 pizzas delivered to his cave c.o.d.

5. O’Rielly stole and copyrighted his Idea for a "War on Christmas."

4. O’Rielly put the kybosh on a Fox project called "Late Night with Osama."

3. O’Rielly has a rigid point of view and mercilessly attacks people that don’t share his values.

2. Those damn "No Spin" Beach Totes.

1. He just wants to be like every one else.

thoughts

2006-09-20T03:27:00.000-07:00

It's so Karl Rove to float the idea that there may be compromise on the new terror legislation that is basically designed to provide the legal authority to ignore the Geneva Convention and allow the US to engage in torture. Frankly, I don't see that there is room for compromise: either you follow the Geneva convention or you don't. Shame on McCain and Graham if this is true.

On a lighter note, the LM-approved candidate for governor of MA, Deval Patrick trounced his opponents in the Democratic Primary. Stay tuned for the "he'll raise your taxes" mantra from his Republican opponent, Kerry Healey. Yup, even in MA we have to deal with these things. We haven't had a Democratic Governor for 16 years.

Are all elections the same these days or what?

What if...G.W.B Was the Notre Dame Head Coach

2006-09-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Q: What did you say to your team about the 20 point defecit at half time?

A: First, I don't agree that we were down twenty points, the scoreboard only reflected the touchdowns, extra-points and field goals, they had made significant progress in other parts of the game that the scoreboard did not report, for example, Michigan was getting tired from running down the field for all those first downs, I call that progress.

Q: You didn't tell your team to change their strategy for the second half?

A: You don't win games by changing strategies. If the team adjusted the offense it would embolden the Michigan players. They would think that we lacked the resolve to continue giving up unanswered touch downs. If we don't let the Wolverines sack Brady Quinn on the field today, they'll be sacking you in your kitchen tomorrow. Think about it.

Q: Rate you own performance. Did you prepare your team for the game?

A: If I could go back and do this game again, I would not change anything. The game was perfect. We lost because the referee lacked the resolve to keep the game going past sixty minutes. You don't win football games by stopping the game when you're behind.

Here's an example of real leadership, George, put down the Camus and give it a read.

Wah, waaaah!

2006-09-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

What happened to TD Jesus yesterday?

Oh, and in case you didn't notice: BC 30 BYU 23

WE ARE...N.D.

2006-09-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish face the University of Michigan Wolverines tomorrow.

Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame, wake up the echoes cheering her name.
Send a volley cheer on high, Shake down the thunder from the sky.
What though the odds be great or small, Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching Onward to victory.

GO IRISH!

Standing up For What's Really Important!

2006-09-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

Florida State University To Phase Out Academic
Operations By 2010

September 14, 2006

SARASOTA, FL—Bowing to pressure
from alumni, students, and a majority of teaching professors of Florida State
University, athletic director Dave Hart Jr. announced yesterday that FSU would
completely phase out all academic operations by the end of the 2010 school year
in order to make athletics the school's No. 1 priority. "It's been clear for a
while that Florida State's mission is to provide the young men and women
enrolled here with a world-class football program, and this is the best way to
cut the fat and really focus on making us No. 1 every year," Hart said. "While
it's certainly possible for an academic subsidiary to bring a certain amount of
prestige to an athletic program, the national polls have made it that our
non-athletic operations have become a major distraction." FSU's
restructuring program will begin with the elimination of the College of Arts and
Sciences, effective October 15.
More From the Sports Wire
Courtesy of The Onion News

Lou Dobbs is RIGHT...sort of.

2006-09-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

Lou Dobbs says t hat p atience with the progress in Iraq favors the enemy. This is true, since an insurgency need only avoid defeat to declare victory. That is why the "Stay the Course" policy is doomed to failure. However, Dobbs also faults Democrats for not being able to solve the Iraq mess, and suggests that they do not deserve votes until they offer a solution. This is pure distraction from the Republican's failures and it will be a key talking point for conservative surrogates for the next two months.

WE WON"T GET FOOLED AGAIN!

Notre Dame?

2006-09-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Jeeze!, I fall asleep and next thing you know this turns into a Notre Dame blog.

So how about those BC Eagles? It's too bad they don't still have the home and home with ND.

Rumsfeld Cooks the Books

2006-09-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

It turns out that last month's improved death toll in Iraq was the product of creative accounting rather than improved stability or security.

Conservatives For a Democratic Majority

2006-09-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Washington Monthly has a great series of essays by noted Conservatives who think that a politically divided government will benefit the United States. The authors are: Christopher Buckley, Bruce Bartlett, Joe Scarborough, William Niskanen, Bruce Fein, Jeffrey Hart, and Richard Vigueire. The Hart piece is particularly good, he's a senior editor at the National Review and was a speech writer for Reagan and Nixon. It's encouraging to see that traditional conservatives still exist and can articualte the shortcomings of the Republican congress and the Bush administration.

Cheer, Cheer For Old Notre Dame!

2006-09-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

The Irish's big win against Georgia Tech keeps my hopes for a National Championship alive, but the schedule will get tougher throughout the month. I love that Charlie Weiss let his offense seal the victory in the last minutes of the game with the 4th and 1 conversion. Next week, Penn State will be in South Bend for the the opening home game. Sausage bread and black bean soup will be on the menu.

Have a great long weekend, GO IRISH!

2006-09-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had a great Labor Day weekend, and be sure to tune in to the Notre Dame v. Georgia Tech game Saturday at 8:00 p.m.

It's Time to Clear the Decks for Battle

2006-09-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Republicans have fired their first broadside in the Mid-term elections, likening its critics to the appeasers of Nazi Germany, and describing them as morally and intelectually confused. This is not surprising. So far, the tell-a-bigger-lie strategy as worked at the ballot box, and it may be the only way to defend the Congressional majority's ongoing failure in Iraq.

Democrats must keep their eye on the ball and stay smart. Candidates should focus on their districts and states rather than rallying to a national position, and they must be allowed to split from the party line in order to get elected. After we have a majority in the senate and the house we can push for Democratic orthodoxy, but until then it is strictly about numbers.

I agree with James Carville, if the Democrats cannot win back the house in this election, we must seriously rethink the party's philosophy.

Wake up DeCosta

2006-08-31T13:05:00.001-07:00

The Loud-Minority has been awfully quiet lately, the calm before the storm no doubt. It's time to dust off the keyboard and start rousing some rabble. By this time next week I want to seem some posts that will make the NSA sit up and take notice. Goodnight, Goodluck and Peace Out!

2006-03-02T02:10:00.000-08:00

The new Democratic party Senate Op. Research team. I know the Republicans have one, but isn't there a better use of societal resources?

Massh-le

2006-03-01T03:57:00.000-08:00

In another unsurprising bit of news, Mitt Romney has flip-flopped on Catholic gay adoptions. He is now receptive to the Church's position that its free exercise rights are being violated by being required under MA law to allow gay couples to adopt.

The Catholic church has called gay adoptions "gravely immoral." Not being a Catholic, I don't really understand this one. I understand the "immoral" but I don't understand the "gravely." Plus, what about the children who aren't able to find a loving home because they won't allow a gay couple to adopt? Aren't we really talking about the lesser of two "evils" here? I really don't understand how the church can make strident political stands on this issue, but they don't on many other issues which seem to be more pressing and important.

Mer!

Karl Rove is gonna love this guy come primary time.

Dubai Deal

2006-02-28T02:59:00.000-08:00

I personally don't think it's such a blow to national security.

However, the Bush-Cheny reelection team has been holding itself out as the the National Security Duo for so long, i'm not feeling to bad about them taking their own medicine.

Could you imagine if Bill Clinton let this deal go through? How about if John Kerry voted for it before he voted against it?

That's the whole point. Although there are certainly good policy reasons for this deal to go forward, for a moment, let's assume the worst-that it's turning over the security of our ports to a terrorist-friendly government.

This is exactly the sort of thing would prompt Rove & Co. to get the right wing mobilized, the radio talk show hosts flapping their gums about, and the BC campaign surrogates deployed to the various cable news shows such as Hardball to spin the story as another example of the Democrat's pre-911 mentality.

But it's Bush that's doing it.

Hee Hee.

You see. You can't parade around as the presumptive Protector in Chief, telling us that profiling is ok because after 911, you can never be to careful, and then turn the ports over to the same Arabs you've been offering to the American people as the bogeyman/justification to claim via special emergency "wartime" powers that you can ignore such niceties as "international law" and "federal statutes."

2006-02-26T05:30:00.000-08:00

Check out Bostonist, which is a pretty good site about Boston. . .now if they could just follow up to see when Oriental De Cuba is finally opening. This is the only decent Cuban place in Boston that I know of.

2006-02-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

Like how I act as if anyone besides myself reads this blog

2006-02-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

It's amazing. You post one thing at DKos comparing Chappaquiddick with Quailgate, and you get responses from every yahoo who has read every supersleuthing book on Chappaquiddick. And this is from a Democratic blog site.

Ok, I give up. Kennedy had her killed, then pushed her into the water.

What's the difference between Chappaquiddick and Bird-Shot Gate?

2006-02-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

Not to beat a dead horse but . . .not to defend Kennedy's behavior but since he has been the boogie-man to many conservatives, as well as ordinary folks who believe the worst about Kennedy based on the 1969 event.

The only difference I see is that Whittington didn't die. (which, admittedly, is a huge difference) Kennedy and Cheney both engaged in negligent conduct which should impact the way people evaluate their character.

In both incidences, there were some indications that alcohol was involved. However, both deny this and no substantial corroborating proof has been produced.

In both incidences, there were actions taken by Kennedy and Cheney which interfered with the ability of law enforcement to ascertain the facts. Kennedy waited 8 hours to call the police. Cheney would not be interviewed by law enforcement until the following morning.

You can argue that Mary Jo Kopechne could have survived if not for Kennedy failing to call police. (this is highly doubtful) However, he claims he dove in and tried to save her (obviously uncorroborated). The bottom line is, no one knows the true facts surrounding Chappaquiddick. Concluding anything else is to rely on rumor and supposition, not evidence. Obviously, Cheney does have witnesses the corroborate his story--all Bush-Cheney campaign hacks. However, one element the Chappaquiddick incident does not possess which is present in Bird-Shot Gate is clear and uncontroverted evidence of negligent conduct exposing the victim to life threatening conditions. No one debates that he shot a man in the face, while trying to shoot a bird. No one is saying that Whittington jumped in front of Cheney right before the gun went off. Cheney just didn't look before he fired. This is per se negligence.

At any rate, I see no real conceptual difference between the two episodes. And no reason why one should distinguish between the two in making character judgments.

2006-02-05T05:32:00.000-08:00

Elliot preparing for a bath in style, with his fabulous new froggy towel, courtesy of Jamie, Lauren & Erica.

2006-02-04T06:06:00.000-08:00

Is it me? or is Daily Kos getting old with his constant hawking of his book, and his apparent status as Democratic Party big-wig. Although I still log on, I very rarely read his posts. It's all Democratic Party cheerleading now. Eschaton is getting into the act, too. Merr! Where have you been Wolcott?

Elliot is doing fine. He will be visiting his grandparents house for the first time today. Gotta to go pick up some cannolis from Mike's for dinner. mmmm!

Rocket man or international male model?

2006-02-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

You be the judge. Show me whimsical!

Elliot's space-inspired attire is courtesy of the London web team, with special recognition to Maggie for serving as personal shopper. We owe them a belated thank you for helping get Elliot on the path to geekdom. You can never start too early.

We currently have him on a heavy diet of science documentaries. OK, that's a lie. We're actually destroying his brain cells with soap operas and E. They work well with his short attention span.

The meatball

2006-02-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

I wonder if the European Space Agency has a line of bibs, too.

Incidentally, Elliot really does have five fingers.

Mommy's little star

2006-02-01T15:49:00.001-08:00

That's what it says on the sleeper. He wouldn't stay still long enough for us to catch that on film, or in this case, in pixels. That's a yawn, not a squawk. And please ignore the stain on the front. It doesn't take long to go through laundry with this one.

Tub toys

2006-02-01T15:45:00.001-08:00

These will come in handy once Elliot's parents buy a new bath tub (see previous post) and once Elliot decides he likes bathing. Right now, baths are an opportunity for him to test the limits of his vocal cords.

Clean up

2006-02-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

This shuttle washcloth came in handy when Elliot's baby tub leaked all over the dining room table. Design flaw, not operator error.

Elliot's still too small to fit into his astronaut flight suit. Pics will have to wait nine months.

G'Mornin'

2006-01-30T03:35:00.000-08:00

Good article in the Boston Globe today about the legal justification for warrantless wiretapping

More baby!

2006-01-22T12:20:00.000-08:00

ELLIOT

ONE DAY OLD

Baby Hysteria!

2006-01-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm gainfully employed and have a beautiful new baby boy, I have neither the will nor the time to rant about politics. Therefore, I am rededicating my blog to me and Kelly's son Elliot Francis DeCosta, born January 21, 2006 at 8:20 a.m.

Yes, I'm back on

2005-07-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this post on Salon.com regarding the supposed liberal contradiction of applauding Judith Miller's imprisonment which perfectly encapsulates my position in this matter:

Today's article by Andrew O'Hehir caught my interest because I have been caught in the same quandary as many Salon readers. On one hand, Judith Miller is contemptible; on the other, the truest test of our commitment to civil liberties is our willingness to extend them to those whom we abhor. As a card-carrying member of the ACLU, I too have considered the similarities of the Miller situation and the Skokie case. However, O'Hehir is off the mark when he describes the two as "not approximately the same, but exactly the same." Here's why:
In the Skokie case, the issue at hand was the "right of the people peaceably to assemble," a right clearly stated in the First Amendment. The ACLU's case boiled down to an equal application of rights to all.
The Miller case is, then, completely different. What we have with Miller is not an abridgement of equal application of the law. Simply put, this is because journalists do not enjoy legal protections of confidentiality, as do doctors, lawyers and priests. (Even in those select cases, there is a delineation of what counts as protected confidentiality. Not everything you tell every lawyer is confidential.) If there were a law protecting journalists' promises of confidentiality, I would heartily support applying it to the Judith Millers as well as to the Amy Goodmans of the world.
Perhaps there should be such a law. However, journalists who currently wish to extend a pledge of confidentiality to informants clearly do so at their own risk. What admiration I have for Miller is in regard to her willingness to honor her word to her source. I do not, in this particular case, admire her choice to pledge confidentiality in a political hit on a whistle-blowing victim, but it is her choice to make. She can renege on her pledge, or suffer the consequences of honoring it.
Individuals who argue for protecting Miller out of a regard for what O'Hehir calls "a matter of fundamental principle" are in fact arguing for rights they wish they had (but do not). The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom ... of the press." The courts have widely interpreted this to prevent prior restraint on publication, and often to protect the press after publication, but have never extended the First Amendment to provide a "freedom of the press to keep sources confidential." Such an interpretation is the only real argument on Miller's behalf, and is one that O'Hehir does not convincingly make.
In the meantime, I (and, apparently, the judge in this case) will continue to hold Miller in contempt for keeping a secret that benefits a political hit-man.
-- Kelan Steel-Lowney

Tom Delay Is An Irresponsible Maniac!

2005-04-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

I can't think of single witty remark to make about this lunatic's comments concerning the judicial branch of government. Fortunately, his gross stupidity and vulgarity prevent him from being a genuine threat to our Democracy. He is an appropriate mouthpiece for the Republican Party's base. (See Oxford English Definition:

base, dishonorable, dishonourable, immoral, unethical

not adhering to ethical or moral principles; "base and unpatriotic motives"; "a base, degrading way of life"; "cheating is dishonorable"; "they considered colonialism immoral"; "unethical practices in handling public funds" )

I know, I said was devoid of an appropriate witticism. Consider it a mere bon mot.

Also in the news: apparently there was no room at the inn...or on the grilled cheese sandwich or the potato chip, so the Virgin Mary had to settle for a cozy spot in a highway underpass. I can't decide whether this a story about the declining quality of miracles or the stupidity of American public.

Ann Coulter

2005-04-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

Even though I feel like I'm doing exactly what Time Magazine wants be to do but . . .What the $%#@ is Ann Coulter doing on the cover of a "reputable" news magazine? Have they run out of Jesus covers? I haven't read the story, and I'm not inclined to run out and buy the magazine. How can anyone take that wack job seriously?

Bolton watch: Well it's good to see more dissension in the ranks on Bolton's nomination. I still think absent having pictures of Bolton personally clubbing baby seals, he will be approved. All that they seem to have on him is that he's a jerk and hates the body that he's supposed to be an ambassador to. How'd Rumsfield get through the Senate?

Judith Miller in the pokey? I'm usually a First Amendment hawk, but the thought of Iraq war enthusiast Judith Miller going to jail has pried me from my principles. Her appeal was affirmed today leaving only the Supreme Court between her and a jail cell. I think she should have gone to jail just for her pre-war coverage.

Check this article out

2005-04-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this one from the Village Voice entitled: "Wanted: Complete Asshole for U.N. Ambassador." No comment necessary

Patriot's Day Blog

2005-04-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's Patriot's day in Boston. Today is the day for 11am Red Sox and the Boston Marathon! Woo! I am going to see the marathon at mile 22, Cleveland Circle.

Jonathan Turley has good column in the LA Times about the Democratic filibuster of judicial nominees, but I disagree with one of his key premises, which is that Democrats should not oppose a nominee purely on ideology. While I would agree that in a perfect world, judges should be chosen on their judicial acumen, since these judges have been clearly chosen by Bush for their ideology, why should should they stand by while Bush packs the courts with ideologues? The nominees in question are part of a concerted effort to pack the court to advance a conservative social agenda.

I love Barney Frank: The NY Times has an article today on the fight over the newly constricted House Ethics Committee. It contained a great quote from Barney Frank on Meet the Press:

"Hey, look, let me be very straightforward here. I, 15 years ago, had a problem because I behaved inappropriately. The ethics committee stepped in. Newt Gingrich had a problem. He was reprimanded; the ethics committee stepped in. The difference between us and Mr. DeLay is, I think, we changed our behavior. Mr. DeLay changed the ethics committee."

Discuss amongst yourselves - Linda Richmond

Welcome back

2005-04-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Kat is back after technical difficulties and a long first week at work.

Joltin' Boltin The NY Times has a good article on the Bolton nomination. Apparently, Bolton angered a number of his colleagues when he attempted to remove intelligence officer Fulton Armstrong. Bolton's tenure at the Justice Department was also controversial as he was involved in a dispute with a senior attorney over the length of her maternity leave.

Oh, by the way . . .Remember that investigation that DCF was going launch after taking custody of Terri Schiavo (which thanks to Judge Greer never happened)? It turns out that DCF investigated 89 complaints regarding Schiavo between 2001 and 2004 and concluded that none of them had merit. When will Jeb Bush apologize for misusing government resources and perpetrating a fraud upon the public and the courts by insisting that DCF needed to investigate credible abuse claims?

Why is everyone getting a pass on the Schiavo case?

Delay Watch: Apparently, moderate turncoat Republicans aren't the only ones willing to make public statements urging TD to step down from his leadership position. Ultra-right winger Tom Tancredo (R-Co) also called for Delay to step aside temporarily. However, Tancredo did repeat the oft-heard Republican line about the ethics attacks being meritless and politically motivated. I think they are going to have to catch Delay with a hooker or something.

2005-04-12T03:41:00.000-07:00

Cookie Monster going on a diet: Apparently the Cookie Monster is being told to cut down on the cookies. Check out this funny LA Times editorial.

Bolton watch: I'm already tired of Lincoln Chafee's fence sitting on this one. If you don't know the obvious about Bolton already, the hearings aren't going to change anything. Well technically he's not sitting on the fence, he's 3-quarters of the way hanging off to one side. Apparently, after hearing a 3 minute recorded rant against the UN, Chafee still says that he's "inclined"to vote for him. What does that mean? Does the UN-hating SOB need to take a dump on the Senate floor?

Wacko alert: It looks like a few Republicans are starting to jump ship on Delay. Both Christopher Shays and Rick Santorum made public comments about the need for Delay to address his ethical issues. We'll see if anyone out of the Northeast breaks ranks.

Mass debates morning after pill: As silly as it seems, Massachusetts is debating a bill to allow pharmacists to dispense an emergency contraceptive without a prescription. I'm waiting for Randall Terry's armed encampment on the State House lawn. Of course, here in Massachusetts, we don't care what those nuts think.

This guy Bolton

2005-04-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

I don't get it. Why does this guy Bolton even want to be hanging out with the UN? He hates them. Why would Bush want him there? You have to hate the UN to believe that Bolton is the choice for UN ambassador. Good thing ambassadors don't formulate policy. Although that's what we thought about the vice-president, too . . .

Good night

2005-04-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

I have to give some rare Republican kudos. Here's a warm shout-out to Repubican Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami who is going against the vast majority of her party and supporting an effort to repeal the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy and allow gays to serve in the military without conditions. Unlike her fellow Republican culture-of-lifers, Ros-Lehtinen has been very supportive of other gay rights initiatives, including a bill to address sexual orientation-based discrimination.

Good Morning

2005-04-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

Barney Frank has a good editorial in the Boston Globe this morning about the issues raised in the Schiavo case. Among the enlightening tidbits offered:

"First, the distinction between the judicial and legislative functions must be maintained. On March 27, Congress did not legislate. We constituted ourselves as an ad hoc super court, cancelled the lengthy, careful judicial deliberations of the entire court system of Florida, and sent the case to a federal District Court with very specific instructions about how to proceed in deciding it. Members of Congress brought to that decision our ideologies, our concern for reelection, our interests in advancing our parties' political positions, and our need to maintain good relationships with our political leaderships and colleagues -- elements that should have had no place in this decision. Future legislative efforts must remember that if we do not wish decisions to be made on a political basis, we should not ask 536 politicians to make them."

Frank concludes that any attempt by Congress to enact legislation in this are must take a balanced approach, recognizing the potential dangers in allowing economic concerns to invade end-of-life decisions and the risks of forcing persons in a incurable medical condition who have given explicit directions to doctors to live a tortured life against their wishes.

Delay Report: There have been many recent articles suggesting Delay is vulnerable in his home district. I'm not buying it. Same with the polls suggesting Bush's approval ratings are at an all time low. I don't think any of this is going to matter when the next election roles around, and the Republican machine is in full gear. Remember the election: Bush's approval ratings were said to be to low to be reelected. Ha.

Gotta run . . .more will follow later

Slow news day

2005-04-09T05:22:00.000-07:00

In Virginia, a man was sentenced to 9 years for spamming. I hate spam. But is should this really be a criminal offense? It is annoying but jeeze! 9 years?

I'm presently watching the Royal Wedding. It's Faabulous! I wish I was there. I did not realize that well-bred British high-society women wore such fantastic hats.

All Poped Out

2005-04-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

Two weeks later and I still do not have anything interesting or useful to say about the Pope. I'm only hoping that the media frenzy will soon pass and the MSM will move on to something else so that I may ventilate angrily once again.

Those of you concerned with the recent merger between journalism and political advocacy should check out today's Boston Globe. Apparently, Governor Romney has hired a Boston Herald columnist to pimp the Governor's environmental intiatives. No, as funny as it would be, that columnist is not famous prevaricator Mike Barnicle.

"Culture of Life" loony bin watch: Delay continues his weird attack on the judicial system in the media. Today the NY Times reports that Delay made incendiary remarks in a videotaped speech entitled "Confronting the Judicial War on Faith." Delay apparently feels that the Schiavo case is an example of a judiciary "run amok." One staffer to Republican Tom Coburn commented that "mass impeachment" may be needed. HAVE THESE PEOPLE LOST THEIR MINDS!? How is it these people can get elected to Congress far less be the MAJORITY!? When will the insanity stop?

Ahh, I feel better now . . .

Wait a minute. Delay attempted to sound a conciliatory tone by stating "People on all sides of the debate need to approach the issue for what it is: a legitimate debate by people of good will trying to clarify the constitutional rule of the courts." Waauh? TD, the biggest grandstanding pro-lifer without a criminal record? The guy who made veiled (or not so veiled) threats against the Federal judges in the Schiavo case? This guy must take the same liquid gall pills as Sean Hannity.

Oh and . . .SINCE WHEN DID TOM DELAY BECOME A CONSTITUTIONAL SCHOLAR? [Insert supreme deity here] help us all!

Note to the culture-of-lifers: There's no need to clarify the constitutional rule of the courts, it's been settled since the EARLY 1800s! Thank you.

Gratuitous Pope comment: I love how these right wingers have stolen John Paul II's "culture of life" concept, and conveniently left out his opposition to the death penalty, vehement opposition to the Iraq War, and concern for poor developing countries. This further underscores the fallacy of this Republican catch phrase as applied by the politicians.

2005-04-07T05:07:00.000-07:00

The NY Times has an article on the nomination of John Bolton this morning. Several former intelligence officials have accused him of quashing dissenting views and formulating views on intelligence based on a predetermined result. Another words: he's a protypical Bush administration official.

Delay report: I called it As predicted in L-minority yesterday, Delay fired back at the NY Times, calling its article detailing the $500,000 payments received by his wife and son from his campaign as "just another seedy attempt by the liberal media to embarass me" adding that the funds were for legitimate work done for the campaign. Florida Congressman Dave Weldon chimed in his support for Delay, stating "There are certain liberal newspapers . . .that are out to get Delay." Man!, I am so glad I don't live in that freaky-deaky state any more. Check out Maureen Dowd's column on the matter.

Republican Schiavo Political Memo: To the dismay of conspiracy-minded Republican bloggers, the Republican author of the now-famous political memo has been outed. Brian Darling, counsel to Florida Senator Mel Martinez admits to having authored the memo. The memo was apparently passed to Iowa Senator Tom Harkin by mistake. Good. Now all the people who were painting this as a Democratic forgery a la 60 Minutes can shut up. On the other hand, is this memo a shocking departure from the usual mainstream Republican ethos?

Schiavo case continues: The St Pete Times has an article today on new legislation introduced in Congress spurred by the Schiavo case. Republican congressmen want to move all cases that are presently in state court regarding the removal of a feeding tube and give the federal court what appears to be original trial jurisdiction over those cases. Oh, I get it. Since 82% of the American public was against interfering in a dispute between private parties in a state court, we should now do it en masse. Brilliant. But why stop there? Since the theocrats in Congress won't like the result they get from the Federal judges, let's give Tom Delay original jurisdiction.

Big Pussy: wife beater

2005-04-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Vincent Pastore turned himself in to police after being charged with assault for slapping around his fiancee'. He flew into a rage and threw her out of his SUV because his pot pie was not ready when he got home. (just kidding) No word on whether he will be required to read A Goombas Book of Love as part of his probation.

Did Cornyn Testify?

2005-04-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

White supremacist Matthew Hale has been sentenced to forty years in prison for soliciting the murder of a federal judge. Did Senator John Cornyn (Rep-Tex.) give evidence in mitigation at his sentencing?

Another Stereotype Broken

2005-04-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

In a bold act of law enforcement, Sheriff Kevin Beary of Orange County, Florida has shattered the trite image of the jolly fat-man. In a letter to the editor of the Orlando Sentinel, Alice Gawronski commented that Sheriff Beary's liberal Taser Gun use was probably compensation for his lack of physical fitness. Demonstrating the difference between subcutaneous fat and a "thick skin", the 5' 10'', 290 pound Sheriff used law enforcement resources and confidential driver's license records to track down Ms. Gawronski, and then sent her a letter accusing her of slander. Using driver's license records for anything but approved law enforcement functions is a Federal crime under the Drivers Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. 2721. Sheriff Beary is undaunted by the restrictions of Federal law. Sheriff's office spokesman, Jim Solomons, stated that Ms. Gawronski should be grateful that Beary took time out of his busy schedule to personally stalk and threaten her. A lesser man would have merely assigned the case to a deputy in the Intimidation Bureau.

In a related story, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez urged the Senate to renew the U.S.A. Patriot Act, downplaying potential civil rights infringements.

Interesting reading

2005-04-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

The Washington Post has an interesting story about a trip Tom Delay took to Moscow in 1997 that was financed by Russian business interests with funds funneled through a mysterious Bahamian company to a conservative non-profit. During the trip, Delay golfed, met with Russian oil executives, and dined with two Washington lobbyists, one of which is the subject of a current criminal investigation tangentially related to Delay.

In other Delay-related news, the NY Times reports today that Delay's wife and daughter received more than $500,000 from his PAC and campaign committee for "valuable services' to the committees. It's strains credibility to see this as anything other than self-enrichment. Stay tuned for the "this is another example of the liberals out to get me" speech. For those interested, Public Citizen has a nice summary of events posted on its web site.

In other important news: You gotta love an article that starts with:

"Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary has a vast array of computers designed to track down terrorists and criminals -- or a Winter Park mother of four"

The Orlando Sentinel has the story of Orange County Florida Sheriff Kevin Beary's dispute with a woman who wrote a letter published in the Sentinel, in which she described him as "overweight and out of shape." Beary responded by using the state database for driving records to find her address and writing her a letter accusing her of slander. Unfortunately for Beary, in using a restricted access driver database, he may have committed a crime under Federal and Florida law.

2005-04-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

I usually agree with Joe Klein but his column in the new Time magazine is the exception. An excerpt from the article:

The Schiavo case has provoked a passionate American conversation, which is taking place on a more profound level than the simple yes and no answers of the polls. Yes, the vast majority disdain the politicians who chose to exploit the case. And yes, a solid majority would not want their own lives prolonged in a similar situation. But the questions that cut closest to home are the family issues. What would you do if Terri Schiavo were your daughter? Why couldn't Michael Schiavo just give custody over to the parents? What do we do about custody in a society where the parent-child bond is more durable than many marriages? The President's solution, to "err on the side of life," seems the only humane answer—if there is a dispute between parents and spouse, and the disabled person has left no clear instruction.

The Democrats' relative silence on all this has been prudent, but telling. Their implicit position has been to err toward law. "The notion that Florida failed to do its job in the Schiavo case is wrong," said Congressman Barney Frank, one of the few Democrats willing to speak about the case. "Procedurally, there was a great deal of due process." Frank was right, but it was a curiously sterile pronouncement, bereft of the Congressman's usual raucous humanity. It exemplified the Democratic Party's recent overdependence on legal process, a culture of law that has supplanted legislative consideration of vexing social issues. This is democracy once removed.

The problem with this article is that in subscribing to the President's "err on the side of life" credo, Klein ignores facts pertinent to the case. Klein makes no mention of the fact that a court held a trial and heard evidence after which the court determined that there was clear and convincing evidence that Terri Schiavo's wishes were that she not be kept alive under the circumstances. The court did much more than "err on the side of life" they held the evidence to a higher standard as required by the Florida Legislature. By accepting the abstraction, Klein is miscasting the controversy as sort of a 50-50 proposition.

Klein fails to grasp the important ideas behind liberal critique of the case. We liberals are armed not with mere "sterile" notions of procedural correctness, but with the belief that the philosophy underlying the opposition to the judiciary in the Schiavo case evinces a sinister motive by those who seek to undermine the legal system for theological purposes. Respect for the legal system and the rule of law is not trivial to the success of a democracy. Even in the struggle for civil rights, liberals have never advocated that the courts should base their decisions on public outcry. The lawyers that made the case for racial justice made reasoned arguments based on the Constitution. A system predicated on anything short of these constitutional principles would cease to be democratic. Mr. Klein, there no "vexing" issues more urgent than this conflict.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

2005-04-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

I think I may be too happy today to blog since I have finally joined the ranks of the employed. Hopefully, I will be more angry later. I do recommend an article by Phillip Carter in Slate. In it, Carter discusses the Bush theory of lawfare, as a rationalization for limiting constitutional principles as applied to the so-called War on Terror.

2005-04-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Americablog, we learn that Senator John Cornyn has one-upped Delay in the rhetorical attack on the courts. Apparently Cornyn stated on the floor of the Senate the following:

"I don't know if there is a cause-and-effect connection but we have seen some recent episodes of courthouse violence in this country. Certainly nothing new, but we seem to have run through a spate of courthouse violence recently that's been on the news and I wonder whether there may be some connection between the perception in some quarters on some occasions where judges are making political decisions yet are unaccountable to the public, that is builds up and builds up and builds up to the point where some people engage in-engage in violence."

Have we gotten so used to this fervent populist grandstanding that we're not even fazed when a United States Senator implies that a few religious-right-disapproved court decisions (Read: Schiavo and the Massachusetts gay marriage decision) could somehow justify mass murders against judges and court personnel? Where are the sensible Republicans? Why isn't the MSM exposing the fallacy of the so-called activist judiciary. Since at last count 55% of the federal judges were appointed by Republicans, from where are we to pull from to appoint this new breed of theocracy-friendly judges? Do we need to pass a Federal statute creating a National Right to Life Law School that graduates only bible thumping, law ignoring, morality pushing lawyers?

The problem with the whole premise supporting the recent criticism of the judiciary is that there's no viable judicial philosophy to support it. The underlying theory is authoritarian at its core. It goes against the principles of federalism, republicanism, stare decisis, and any rational notion of the role of the courts in a democratic system.

Good Morning

2005-04-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

Disability nuts Cathy Young has a good column in the Boston Globe this morning about the disability extremists that surfaced in the Schiavo case. I still don't see the relevance of the Schiavo matter to disability rights. Schiavo was essentially a vessel devoid of a brain or conciousness, this wasn't a 'quality of life' issue as disability advocates like to put it.

Tactical Nukes I've just seen the first "save the filibuster" ads. Although, I support the underlying theory behind them, I am skeptical that the average American is going to bother to call their Congressman over something as esoteric as the filibuster. The LA Times has a good article this morning about the fight over the Nuclear Option. My fear overriding this issue is not with the change in procedure itself, but its intended effect. This is an attempt by conservatives to further erode the independence of the judiciary. This is especially evident given recent statements concerning the Schiavo case by Tom Delay and other right wing nut jobs. It is not quite hyperbole to say, as Ted Kennedy has, that this government is heading towards tyranny of the majority.

Chicken Hawks leading: 64-62 in the 3rd Quarter As you may recall, last week 62 diplomats signed a letter opposing John Bolton's nomination for UN ambassador. This week, the opposition struck back, enlisting 64 luminaries including former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger to sign a letter supporting the nomination.

Happy Daylight Savings Time

2005-04-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

There's a good column by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times today. In the article, Dowd calls the Silberman-Robb report a waste of $10 million. I was interested to learn that one Defense Department official expressed concern about Curve Ball's apparent hangover during a meeting. It's funny but when I showed up to a meeting hung over I almost got fired,- and that was for a job delivering printing supplies.

Also in the NY Times,there's a good article on the mixed feelings many in the Boston Archdiocese have about the late Pope John Paul II in the wake of the sex scandal and the listless manner in which it was handled by the Vatican.

In celebration of opening day of baseball season, Redsox-Yankees, the LA Times has an article on a bar for Red Sox fans in the basement of a Manhattan Italian restaurant.

Chicken Hawk soup The Boston Globe has an interesting story on John R. Bolton, the Bush administration's nominee for American Ambassador to the UN. Apparently 62 former diplomats have signed a petition opposing his appointment to a body that he has a lifelong enmity toward. Not surprisingly, he has a resume similar to Cheney, Rumsfeld and the rest of the administration chicken hawks. While in college in the 1960s, he vehemently supported the war in Southeast Asia, but didn't have the courage to fight for his convictions, leaving it up to unamerican hippie peaceniks like John Kerry to do it. (he was in fact a classmate of JK at Yale)
I guess like Cheney, he had other priorities. It's unclear where he fits into one of Senator Frank Lautenberg's diagrams.

Video review: We watched L'Atalante on video last night. Even for those who have a hard time with subtitles (like me), it is surprisingly good. Dita Parlo is cute as a a farm girl who marries a river boat captain but is seduced by Paris.

A break from the pope-a-thon

2005-04-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

I haven't read all 600+ pages of the Silberman-Robb report, but I don't understand how they explain that the President is not responsible for the fact that the administration relied solely on the assertions of a mentally unbalanced, alchoholic, Iraqi refugee code-named "Curve Ball" to justify invading another sovereign nation.

According to the LA Times, the former CIA operations chief, and several of his lieutenants hotly dispute the assertions by George Tenet that he was never informed by U.S. intelligence that there were doubts as to Curve Ball's credibility. James Pavitt, the former deputy director of operations says "my people were saying, we think he's a stinker." Tyler Drumheller, former chief of European operations went further, claiming that the whole CIA chain of command was notified of the concerns, adding that he met with Deputy Director McLaughlin personally.

In this context, it's hard to see the new report as anything but a whitewash. Maybe we have to appoint a new commission to investigate why as the head of the so-called globally inept U.S. intelligence community, George Tenet received the nation's highest civillian honor, The Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Wacko brigade marches on The Washington Post reports today that Tom Delay is requesting the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate the Florida and Federal judiciary in the Schiavo case. No word on whether he will recommend abolishing the judicial branch in favor of a Morality Czar or perhaps mullahs. There's a good article in the San Francisco Chronicle on the lengths that Republicans have pursued in their crusade against the judiciary, including passing a bill in the House that divests the federal courts jurisdiction to hear cases involving "establishment of religion" cases. One congressman even suggested that the President can ignore the rulings of those justices he determines to be "activists." HELLO AMERICA, WAKE UP! THESE PEOPLE ARE SERIOUS!

Legions of Doom In what can only be described as the plot for bad Rambo redux minus the cool, steadying influence of Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna), a group of alleged ex special-ops types will be patrolling the border, guns a-blazing looking for illegal aliens. This endeavor, encouraged by frequent cable-news agitator Bay Buchanan, is known as the "Minute Man Project." Some have apparently come to Southern Arizona bearing Revolutionary War symbols and packing handguns. No word yet from the Bush administration as to whether the group qualifies as a faith-based initiative eligible for government assistance, especially given Bush's failure to field the additional 2000 border agents that Congress authorized in 2004.

For entertainment Check out the Salon article by Bill Maher on abstinence education, entitled "Abstinence pledges suck-literally."

A Voice of Reason

2005-04-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

The Rev. John J. Paris of Boston College has elevated the discussion of end-of-life issues with his dispassionate, wise insight. I guess there are still people worth listening to in the world, they just aren't booked as guests on Scarborough Country.

Well done, Jeeves.

Friday Movie Blog

2005-04-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Sin City by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez is opening in theaters tonight. Miller is best known for his comic book work with such Marvel mainstays as Dare Devil and Spider-Man. Robert Rodriguez broke into Hollywood with the low-budget, cult hit el Mariachi, and used his success to mercilessly bombard audiences with Spy Kids movies. The movie has a cool, nouveau film-noir look and stars Bruce Willis with Benicio Del Torro and Jessica Alba. The reviews are mixed, Roger Ebert gave it a big thumbs up. I like B.D.T, so I'll hope for the best.

Maybe you should stay home and rent a DVD. Try Anatomy of a Murder starring Jimmy Stewart and directed by Otto Preminger. This is the best courtroom drama ever made. Based on a novel by Robert Traver, the movie tells the story of a northern Michigan defense attorney defending a soldier accused of murder. The movie also stars Lee Remick, Ben Gazarra and George C. Scott. The music is by Duke Ellington, who also makes an uncredited cameo appearance.

intelligence report

2005-04-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post has a good comprehensive article on how the Bush administration failed to acknowledge dissenting opinions regarding WMD evidence. The article details how, when presented with the aluminum tube evidence, the CIA bypassed the Energy Department's experts and created their own panel of experts, who predictably took a position opposed by most centrifuge experts, concluding that the aluminum tubes were evidence that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. I hate to sound defeatist about this issue, but the American public knew this when they went to the polls in November, and apparently the administration's foibles did not stack up to the impressive image of a "wartime president" that the right has cultivated.

I love the story about dousing Pat Buchanan with salad. I don't know why.

Reasons to Smile

2005-04-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

Pat Buchanan cut his speech at Western Michigan University short after a Kalamazoo Valley Community College Student tried to elevate the conservative commentator's normal level of discourse. Buchanan explained his premature departure by stating, "Look, I'm a Crossfire guy. Nobody brings that Ivory Tower, PBS crap into my house."

Pop quiz: What's the opposite of baseball players using performance enhancing drugs to gain an unfair advantage over the competition? Here's the answer. Apparently the competition has been corrupted by fame and huge endorsement contracts. It used to be about the immobility. Thanks for the heads up, Jeeves.

Good Morning

2005-04-01T05:05:00.000-08:00

Kudos to the LA Times today for two good editorials.

The first one concerns the the recently released Silberman-Robb report on intelligence failures prior to the Iraq war. The LAT notes that the report ignored accounts of intelligence agents being pressured by adminstration officials to color their analysis to support the administration's drive to war. The report oddly failed to assign any responsibility to the administration.

The second one provides a lengthy commentary of the sad spectacle of the Schiavo case including how the Schindlers allowed their cause to be poisoned by the various religious right grifters. The St Pete Times also had a good editorial on the issue.

Cablewatch: I just saw a most curious interview with Father(Reverend?) Pavone on CNN. He was asked to comment on lawyer George Felos' remarks taking issue with Pavone's public statements during the controversy. Pavone responded by gallingly (is that a word?) accusing Felos of "demonizing the other side." When confronted with a videotape which clearly showed Pavone publicly calling Michael Schiavo a murderer, Pavone unsuccessfully attempted to parse words. Kudos to CNN for showing this "spiritual advisor" for what he is, a morally questionable political opportunist.

I found it interesting that nothing has been made yet of Delay's disturbing public statements made yesterday, in which he decried an "out of control judiciary" and implied that he would be looking into impeachment proceedings against those judges that ruled against the Schindlers. I'm wondering how much rope the consuming public will allow Delay.

another story on media overreach

2005-03-31T17:51:00.000-08:00

There's a good article in Salon today underscoring what I've been talking about the last few days. It details how the cable news media, perhaps out of fear of offending the Right, presented the Schiavo matter as a "furious national debate," when in fact it was not. The writer offers the theory that it may be that the so-called MSM needed to present a fierce controversy to justify the amount of resources spent on the story. My theory is that it was just about ratings. Even though a high majority of Americans did not subscribe to the Delay/R. Terry position, almost everyone was interested in the high drama.

Also, according to Salon, Mel Gibson was called on to offer his expert opinion on the Schiavo case on Hannity and Colmes. Predictably, he called the Schiavo case "state-sanctioned murder." He also offered a curious conspiracy theory on why the government allows such things. He links it to the government's desire to save money on Social Security payouts. Based on this, I've chosen to theorize further and blame Bush. It's just another Bush plan to destroy social security, man!

Another Reason to Love Belgium

2005-03-31T12:58:00.000-08:00

They love french fries, consume more beer per capita than any other country in the world, and now they've found a constructive, yet creative use for George W. Bush. Big Ups to Belgium

Good post Z

2005-03-31T12:20:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how the conservatives keep expanding the definition of "activist judges." The Schiavo case has accelerated the process. It used to be that the term "activist" was used only for those judges who promulgated potentially society-changing legal precedent with regard to the so-called social issues. Now apparently all judges are activists. Jeeze! Even controversial Bush appointee William Pryor ruled against the pro-lifers, and he's to the right of Scalia. What's next? Are we to overrule Marbury v. Madison? Are we going to abolish the judiciary altogether?

For my good friend deadline_d

2005-03-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

This was interesting article on the departure of columnist Liz Smith from Newsday. Apparently, there is a disagreement on whether she is leaving because she failed to exercise the option on her contract or whether Newsday is trying to cut costs in the wake of the circulation scandal.

Does anyone listen to Airamerica radio? I'm listening to the Al Franken show, which is very entertaining [and funny]. But the Randi Rhodes show is kind of lame.

The Annals of Improbable Research web-site is awesome! My favorite item for today is the study on dandruff's effect on world climate as reported by New Scientist [full disclosure: my wife's] Magazine. Another interesting study mentioned is a 30 year old study called "Marijuana and Hostility in a Small-Group setting." In this study, they gathered a bunch of people in a room, had them smoke pot, and then tried to instigate hostility. The study produced a startling phenomenon: According to the report, "marijuana produced a small but statistically significant increase in sarcastic communications."

On the Franken show today, they played hilarious segment from the O'Reilly radio show where O'Reilly represents to the radio show audience that he has been in combat. One caller, "Roger" from Portland, calls O'Reilly on it and forces him to admit that he hasn't even been in the military. The call concludes with O'Reilly angrily telling the caller to basically take his snippy "fair and balanced remarks and shove it" just prior to cutting the caller off. I so wish Franken and O'Reilly had a show together where their antagonism could be played out regularly.

The Road to Autocracy

2005-03-31T10:36:00.000-08:00

The bowelless Neo-Cons are preparing for war against Democrats, the judicial branch of government and the U.S. Constitution:

"Mrs. Schiavo's death is a moral poverty and a legal tragedy. This loss happened because our legal system did not protect the people who need protection most, and that will change. The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior, but not today..."U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas

This threat is consistent with the overall Republican strategy to eliminate the checks and balances of our Democracy. The People For The American Way is initiating an ad campaign attacking Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's plan to eliminate the filibuster of judicial nominees. If Frist's proposal is carried out, judicial nominations could be forced through the senate with a simple majority (fifty-one votes). The current Senate rules allow forty-one senators to force a continued debate unless there is a vote of sixty senators to close the debate. This is a rule that encourages discussion and compromise, critical components of a representative Democracy.

Democrats and moderate Republicans must unite to protect the stability of our government.

Jay Z in the hizzy!

2005-03-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

Jay Z debuts in style! Please help me find another topic besides the Schiavo case, I think I'm getting writer's block. Thank you

The management

Time To Move On

2005-03-31T08:09:00.000-08:00

After fifteen years of personal, political and legal rancor, Terri Schiavo has died. Hopefully her death will be treated with more privacy and dignity than the struggle that surrounded her life. Let's wait and see.

Please

2005-03-31T07:26:00.000-08:00

CNN just broke from a segment to broadcast 3 bible thumpers who were outside of the Schiavo hospice, one with a trumpet, playing some godawful tune for the cameras. How pathetic.

Juggling for Jesus/Homo-land security

2005-03-31T04:59:00.000-08:00

No, we haven't hit every angle of the Schiavo story. Check out this article on a guy who answered God's calling to juggle for Terri Schiavo.

The LA times has a L-minority approved editorial on the respect that many Republicans have for our judiciary. There's also a good article on the subject by Glenn Harlan Reynolds in Salon today.

Courtesy of blogger DCMedia Girl, this is a funny story about an appearance by Ann Coulter in Lawrence KS, in which she was heckled by a small loud group of liberal protesters.

With terrorism, and the growing divide between the Arab world and the West, and with Israel, it seems that we have reached a level of religious acrimony not seen since the Crusades. That is until one common threat pulled the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities together in solidarity:

Gays.

Apparently, according to this NY times article, leaders of the three religions are banding together to prevent "Jerusalem World Pride," a gay pride festival scheduled for August in Jerusalem. One American rabbi offered tortured theological analysis on the subject, stating: " This is not the homo-land, it's the Holy Land."

Who is this guy?

2005-03-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

William Donahue. Who is this pistiferous windbag, and why would the Catholic church want him to be its public face?

Yep, I'm back riding the cable news pony. I just caught Hardball with the bombastic president of the Catholic League commenting on the Schiavo case. I just don't get it. I've never seen the guy without a sneer on his face.

It's funny, the Catholic League touts itself as being the "nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization" But I've never seen anybody so against everything. I quick look on the CL web-site yields the following articles:

1. Schiavo and Weise: Emblems of a Culture of Death this one is pretty self-explanatory
2. Leftists resort to bigotry to tar Scott Bloch ditto
3. Declaring Terri Schiavo dead this one is particularly instructive because in it Donahue raises the spectre of Nazism in reference to those in the reality based community who accept the opinion of the vast majority of the nonecumenical medical community that Ms. Schiavo does not have brain function or consciousness.

After reviewing the materials on its web site, it is apparent that the CL is not a civil rights organization, but a right wing propaganda S.W.A.T. team. Every time someone dares to take a position in contrast the CL party line, Donahue is airlifted in and paraded before the major cable news shows. Among the disfavored groups: Gays, and people who disagree with Donahue. (this is not an exhaustive list) They even publish a "study" that appears to be an attempt to minimize the priest sex abuse scandal Donahue himself pens an article that attacks state legislatures for allegedly meddling in church affairs by passing laws designed to weaken the priest/pentinent privilege in order to more easily prosecute sex offenders. The whole tenor of the web-site is decidedly negative.

That's not to say that there are not some meritorious arguments contained therein. However, given its pernicious tone, it's hard to understand why the Church wouldn't call Mr. Donahue and tell him to stop representing that he represents the Catholics. Why would Catholics want someone so publicly mean and nasty to be publicly identified with them?

Some thoughts before I head out the door . . .

2005-03-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

Although I don't see myself as a secular humanist, James Wolcott has an interesting blog on why in his opinion, morality is not the exclusive province of the religious texts.

Those of you who are fans of "Body World" might find this article interesting. Apparently two women are sought in the theft of a preserved 13 week old fetus from the California Science Center.

What is with CNN and the rest of the Cable News pimping the fact that the 11th Circuit Court is allowing the Schindlers to file a belated additional motion before the court as some sort of significant victory for the Schindlers. As usual, once you get beyond the headlines, a different image emerges. Last I checked, they didn't grant a stay or render any consideration of the merits of their motion. This, in my humble opinion, is essentially a successive appeal which would normally be dismissed by most appellate courts. In layperson's terms, with respect to appellate practice, it is the "use it or lose it" doctrine. The fact that the 11th Circuit chose not to strike Schindlers motion is hardly a significant news item, it probably reflects the court's reluctance to create any impression that it is approaching the case in a cavalier fashion.

The blogger Billmon has an entertaining post on the National Press Club's panel discussion on blogs. Apparently, the conservative pseudojournalist, Jeff Gannon/Guckert will be headlining. No, seriously . . .

Oh well, off to my interview wish me luck.

Cute, cuddly baby seals

2005-03-29T18:39:00.000-08:00

To counter the widespread perception that I'm an angry and disgruntled sort, I give you this G-rated story about a baby seal swimming 25 miles upstream from the ocean and waddled into someone's back yard in Middleborough, Massachusetts.

R.I.P. Johnny Cochrane

More Schiavo angst

2005-03-29T12:29:00.000-08:00

As Reverend Jackson insinuates himself into the Schiavo drama, preening for the cameras, and opining:

"I feel so passionate about this injustice being done, how unnecessary it is to deny her a feeding tube, water, not even ice to be used for her parched lips," Jackson said. "This is a moral issue and it transcends politics and family disputes."

On camera, Jackson went further, suggesting that if she were taken off a respirator, this might change his position.

Not that I expected more from Jackson, but taking the Delay position on this is absurd. I don't understand the conceptual difference between removal of a feeding tube and a respirator. In both cases, you are depriving the human body of a required resource. If you pull the feeding tube, they starve to death. If you pull the respirator, you deprive the body of oxygen, resulting in death. Is there really any difference? Perhaps, many are worried about that such treatment is tantamount to torture. However, the medical research says otherwise.

If we decide that we believe in science, and that we accept the opinions of those who dedicate their lives to advancing knowledge of the human body, we must accept the opinion of the mainstream medical science community, which is that patients to whom food and hydration is withheld do not experience hunger and starvation the same way a healthy conscious human being would.

So either we take the position that pulling all treatment is bad, and condemn Delay for pulling the plug on his own father, or we take the position that withholding food and hydration from a persistently vegetative patient is merciful, moral and just as long as it's consistent with the patient's wishes. I don't believe that we can split hairs on this issue.

You can argue that the facts in this case do not show clearly and convincingly that removal of the feeding tube is consistent with Terri Schiavo's wishes. However, chances are, you don't have the knowledge and expertise that the trial court had before it when it made its decision. At any rate, contrary to RJ Jackson's assertions, the overarching moral position that Jackson embraces cannot be cleft or parsed according to the situation without losing its rhetorical power.

Jesse weighs in

2005-03-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

I understand that the Schindlers have engaged headline-hugging minister Jesse Jackson to lend his name to their plight. Apparently, they believe that the association with the religious right has been injurious to their cause. Jackson is now contacting members of the Florida legislature to exert pressure on them to change their vote on the misguided Terri's bill.

Will someone tell them that the left doesn't care about what Jackson says either. That guy hasn't met a tv camera he doesn't like.

Another day in the "culture wars"

2005-03-29T05:03:00.000-08:00

CNN this morning had a piece on this pharmacist who refuses to fill contraceptive prescriptions. At first, I was kind of annoyed with CNN for wasting electrons on what I thought was a non-story. But I had to give kudos to Carol Costello for asking the pertinent questions. The interview ended with Costello insisting the law on dispensing prescriptions was one thing, and the woman insisting that she was wrong.

On the one hand, what would you expect to happen in an interview with a religious fanatic . . .

On the other hand,

I hadn't realized how apparently widespread this problem is. Google search yields numerous new stories of pharmacists-of-conscience refusing to issue birth control pills. Apparently, reports of such refusals have increased in the last 10 years.

The Boston Globe today had one of those a-day-in-the-life of a Christian Right family articles. Part of the article deals with the family's struggle against the secular convention of teaching such controversial subjects as "evolution." in their children's schools. These are the people that some Democrats think they should be fawning over in order to win future elections. It seems to be, that if the Democrats capture a few more "normal people" votes, they will be in good shape.

In other culture war news, the Mass legislature is set to pass a law promoting embryonic stem cell research. Governor and soon-to-be Republic primary candidate Romney is opposing the bill.

Bedtime Blog

2005-03-28T18:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought I'd rant before I went to bed. . .

What is with this journalistic penchant for reporting an event as if it is continuing when it is already concluded, or confusing an event that is happening to someone with an event in which the person is an active participant. e.g.

"Death Toll continues to rise in Sumatra" [no, they were already dead, we're just finding this out now]

perhaps that wasn't such a good example, how about this one:

"With Florida already in the Bush column, Kerry needs to finish strongly in Ohio and Pennsylvania to win the presidency" [no, everyone has voted, we're just counting the votes now, ergo there's nothing that Kerry can do]

Perhaps I'm getting too Seinfeld-ish . . .

Congress to the rescue . . again?

2005-03-28T15:52:00.002-08:00

Apparently, the Congress feels that it still needs to get involved in what has been traditionally a state government role--guardianship in end-of-life decisions. According to the NY Times, there's a new push to pass a bill that would create a right to federal review of state court decisions in this sphere, similar to the one that passed the House earlier this month.

I would feel a lot better about this effort if someone could actually point to empirical evidence that shows that the states are unable to properly administer such cases. It seems that in the Schiavo case, the courts did a pretty darn good job adjudicating the case on its merits-- even the relatively conservative 11th Circuit agrees. Can Congress say the same about themselves?

Check out the Amusing Christian Right web-site of the week.

Good Morning Massachusetts

2005-03-28T05:55:00.000-08:00

It's positively dreary here. 38 Degrees and rainy.

I've watched less and less of the cable news over the last few days. There's not much to rant about. I did watch CNN for a little bit yesterday. Apparently, the Quality Control Department at CNN took the day off. In a matter of 2 minutes of viewing, they misspelled "Religion" and "Hypocrisy." I have no comment on any relationship this occurence may have to current events.

On the Schiavo front, there's an article in the Miami Herald about George Felos, Michael Schiavo's lawyer, who claims he "soul-spoke" to a woman in a persistent vegetative state. I wonder why he hasn't used his impressive cognitive powers to communicate with Terri Schiavo. I guess you can't pump up the billables if you make litigation a nullity by mind-melding with the unconscious.

Speaking of fees, there's a good article in the St Pete Times about the myriad of funds sources for the parties in the Schiavo case. Not surprisingly, the pro-lifers have approached the Schiavo matter as a gravy train for funding, even going as far as to include a 3.5 minute tape of Terri Schiavo moaning accompanied by a request for an "emergency donation." The article also detailed how the Schiavo trust is depleted from the legal battles, and that the ACLU has been primarily responsible for the appeals on behalf of the husband.

Happy Easter

2005-03-27T05:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm trying to stay positive today, but I couldn't let this one go. The LA Times had a good article on Culture of Lifer-in-Chief, Tom Delay. Apparently, back in '88, Delay's father was injured in an accident, and was laid up for 27 days before the family, including TD, made a determination that his father would not want to live further. After his father's death, TD was a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit that ensued. Apparently, even though he was a plaintiff, Delay aides say he really "didn't follow the suit and was not aware of its final outcome." (read: I am not one of those parasites that sue insurance companies and drive up everyone's insurance bills, really)

Is it just me, or does the "dispute" over whether Terri Schiavo has "chapped lips" and "dry skin" seem ridiculous? SHE'S BEEN UNCONSCIOUS FOR 15 YEARS AND SHE'S DYING!

ahhh, I feel better now.

In case you were worried that there was a facet of the Schiavo case that has been left unexplored , the Orlando Sentinel has an entertaining article of the crap that neighbors of the hospice have to deal with because of the protesters. I especially enjoyed the story about the right-to-lifer who cursed at a man who asked him to move his car, and then walked off with a bible in his hand.

Hey, I heard that the Army is having problems meeting their recruitment goals. I even heard that they've upped the maximum age for enty into the reserves to 39. Maybe there's hope for me after all.

The Schindlers List

2005-03-26T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ahh, back from a day away from the tv and computer. I was feeling refreshed until I turned on CNN. With great fanfare, they announced that yes, the Schindlers had commenced yet another battle in the culture (of life) war. They announced . . .(can you hear the trumpets?) . . .that they are requesting that Terri get Communion . . .I guess after considering the long list of all their legal and political defeats, that 's the only request they can make and still appear indignant with a scintilla (yep, that's a word) of credibility.

Of course, CNN identified Randall Terry as the Schindler family spokesman. Where do you have to be in the continuum between hope and desperation to annoint RT as your spokesman?
At minimum, it might have been prudent to review some Randall Terry history before you invite RT to manage your mob, including his history of inciting violence and generally kooky behavior. I especially enjoyed the incident where he announced that anyone who had voted for Bill Clinton had "sinned against God," or when he used funds solicited to pay for antiabortion activities to buy a house. Another interesting tidbit from the article:

According to the February 12, 2000, Washington Post report, Terry was censured by his church, the Landmark Church of Binghamton, New York, for a "pattern of repeated and sinful relationships and conversations with both single and married women."

It may take a while, but eventually we will find out the extent to which the pro-life syndicate hijacked what started as a misguided yet sympathetic Schindler crusade.

On the lighter side, Me and the wife (Kelly) ate lunch at Garden of Eden on Tremont Street, South End. The omelets were pretty good and it's in a nice location. We saw "Off the map" starring Joan Allen & Sam Elliot at the Landmark Theater in Kendall Square. I would give it B to B+ uninformed movie review rating.

I think I may need therapy

2005-03-26T07:06:00.000-08:00

Me and the missus are going to the South End for lunch today. My wife says I need to get away from the tv and the computer. She says I need to read more books. I agree.

2005-03-26T06:12:00.000-08:00

Not that this is surprising but I just saw Heidi Law, another former Schiavo "nurse" on Fox, where she repeated the implication that Michael Schiavo is keeping Terri from medical care because he is trying to cover up his murder attempt. Of course, she went on to imply that the courts didn't hear the medical evidence, blah, blah, blah . . .Not surprisingly, Fox News is all ears . . .Check out her affidavit

Reviewing the affidavit, the only thing that appears to be relevant is that she (and apparently 2 other "nurses") think that Terri is communicative and that at some point during 1997, Michael Schiavo decided to stop all treatments including antibiotics. One assertion is rebutted by every credible expert on the planet, the other has never been disputed.

I'm not sure about the third nurse, but it seems that Carla Iyer and Heidi Law weren't around for the first 7 years during which by all accounts, Michael did all he could for her.

Hell of a scoop, Fox . . .

My God

2005-03-26T04:33:00.000-08:00

If I continue to watch CNN, I'm going to pop a ventricle. I just heard Betty Nguyen dismiss Michael Schiavo's "claims" that he is just honoring his wife's wishes. They're parading a Schindler representative on the air every 5 minutes. The capacity of CNN to facilitate the Schindler's wholesale defamation and propaganda campaign is apparently limitless.

About the alleged incident where Terri told Schindler lawyer Barbara Weller that "she wants to live" or alternatively "aaaah. . .waaaah" that the Schindlers used to get yet another hearing. Why won't anyone state the obvious?, at minimum, IT'S A HALLUCINATION, possibly an ABSOLUTE LIE!

I suspect it is more akin to Lassie episode, where one is able to divine from Lassie's expressive barking that there is an injured boy stuck in an abandoned mine shaft who needs help.

For an enlightened perspective, check out Cathy Young's piece in the Boston Globe, especially where she quotes Dr. Elizabeth Whelan of the American Council on Science and Public Health referring to Schindler neurovangelist Dr. Cheshire's report as "politically generated junk science." Click here to check out Dr. Whelan's article on the subject.

Andrew Sullivan's blog had a good posting on the split in the Republican party.

An additional rant

2005-03-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

I'm getting tired of this ostentatious form of religiosity that is all over the airwaves these days. I can't turn on the tv without seeing some report on "faith," some reporter cooing about faith &____(insert some underexplored facet of society). It seems there's a lot of talking about "faith" and little action. "faith"( as has "values") has become a euphemism for a reactionary and pious attitude that encompasses political positions on two controversial issues, while ignoring the rest of humanity. It's easy to act pious while announcing your objection to something abstract or remote, it's hard (and rare) to apply this supposedly godly disposition to the rest of life's issues.

What would Jesus say about the economy, the environment, and the criminal justice system? What? It isn't sexy enough for Jesus to have a position on it?

The answers to these rhetorical questions underline the fact that there are very few real persons of "faith" and "values." Hell, I know I'm not one, but at least I'm not holding myself out to my fellow human beings as having some sort of special relationship with God.

The Engines are only running on impulse power captain, she can't take it any longer!

2005-03-25T11:28:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm sitting here in front of my laptop, unemployed, and pondering the non-Schiavo future. I now realize that I have a headache. I'm not sure it's from watching 18 hours of cable news/day. I NEED ANOTHER TOPIC!

The 2004 Election Sour Grapes Thought of the Week is:

Turns out John Kerry was right about Bin Laden escaping from Tora Bora, in case you missed Salon.com today. John Kerry was right about a lot of things. But alas! You can't be too right about things, lest you be pigeonholed (as Kerry was) as one of those smug people that are right once in a while.

Insert liberal self-loathing here

Some Additional Thoughts about Schiavo . . .In case my vast viewing audience is wont for more

2005-03-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh at the James Wolcott blog's discussion of CNN's coverage of the case. Among his entertaining tidbits:

"Today I happened to hear Bob Franken "reporting" on the scene of the solemn procession in front of the hospice where demonstrators were attempting to bring Schiavo a cup of water, intending to be arrested. Franken, as hush-voiced as a golf commentator on the 18th hole awaiting a crucial putt, described one of the scenes of demonstrators stepping forward and being led away by sun-glassed police as 'poignant.'"

Wolcott goes on to say:

Franken's sentimentalizing of this pious photo-op is more proof that the so-called MSM is so cautious about being respectful of religion that it refuses to recognize the raw face of fanaticism even when it's filling the camera lens. Practically nothing is said about the backgrounds of the nutjob organizers of these sickly pseudo-events, leaving the impression that is simply People of Conscience converging on Florida to bear witness and catch some rays.

Classic. My good friend JZ has brought up a good point about the Schiavo case. Given the proselytizing by the extremely ill-informed, he thinks it's not really about secular v. religious, but informed v. uninformed, normal range of intelligence v. below normal, or perhaps smart v. stupid. Possibly, the so-called mainstream media will pick up on this. Maybe we'll be hearing more about the "intelligence gap" or perhaps, the "stupidity gap."

2005-03-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

Randall Terry's Guide to the U.S. Judicial System
I know, I'm an amateur with this stuff. What's an unemployed lawyer to do?

Huh?

2005-03-25T05:19:00.000-08:00

I'd like to give credit for Jeb Bush for not kowtowing to the fanatics [read: Randall Terry & friends]. Apparently, they claim that their "legal experts" tell them that he is empowered under Florida law to take custody of Terri Schiavo. [read: rule Florida by executive fiat/theocracy]. Jeeze! Perhaps if we were in Solomon's time, we could cut Ms. Schiavo in half.

What is it with these otherwise normal, well adjusted folks thinking we can run things by petitioning the king for all our grievances?

Unfortunately, I can't in good conscience give Jeb too many points for merely having a less authoritarian [perhaps more normative] view of our republican form of government than the wackos. If not for his overreaching [has anyone read the original Terri's Law?], and grandstanding on the issue over the last few years, we wouldn't be here.

I must say, it's good to see some more sensible republicans jumping ship
I love Congressman Christopher Shays' (R-CT) line about the Republican party becoming the "party of theocracy."

Is it just me?

2005-03-24T13:42:00.000-08:00

I'm watching "Crossfire" right now I'm embarassed to say. I think I have just shortened my life expectancy several years by watching these pundit shows. . .

Pro-lifer pablum for $1000, Alex . . .

The Republican guest, Jim Gilmore, is actually invoking the "rights of the disabled" in reference to Schiavo.

Err . .
The answer is . . .what is unmitigated gall?

Counterrevelation

2005-03-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

I've noticed there has been no outrage amongst pundits and media alike about the attacks on Michael Schiavo's character. The discourse regarding Mr. Schiavo has ranged from avoidance of the topic and focus on the legal horse race among the refuseniks to utter character assassination by the culture of lifers. The words "murderer," and the like are being bandied about with little regard for truthlfulness or perspective. Carol Williams of the LA Times wrote a particularly sensitive and enlightened article on the subject in which she fills in some of the blanks in the Michael Schiavo story, and presents a more neutral perspective. Contrary to popular belief, until recently, Mr. Schiavo was believed to love his wife, and by most accounts, fought to keep her alive for several years until it became apparent that her condition was hopeless. For advanced readers, check out the Guardian Ad Litem report, which gives a concise, blow-by-blow, narration of the case.

By the way, will Randall Terry get the f%$# off my tube??!!

More Bile

2005-03-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

MSNBC is on the scene with his emminence, Randall Terry, who tells the viewing audience how, in his expert legal opinion, Judge Greer is a fascist dictator who ignores the law. He's also calling out Jeb Bush for hiding out from the pro-lifers. For a reality based assessment of Judge Greer check out this St Pete Times article.

It's amazing to me how many "spiritual advisors" the Schindlers have.

For further amusement, check out the burgeoning "Impeach Judge Gree r" movement.

Terry Schiavo

2005-03-24T05:31:00.000-08:00

I hate to beat a dead horse, but this thing has become surreal. As if the misguided congressional intervention, the shameless exploitation of the situation by the telechristians, the character assassination the Schindlers now lay claim to some sort of "miraculous occurrence" in their brief to the Supreme Court. I even thought I saw Pat Buchanan advocate that the President should send in the U.S. Marshals to rescue Schiavo. Even normally sensible people appear to be losing their sanity.

Any notion that one may had about Jeb Bush being the more sensible Bush sibling, has been washed away by yesterday's news conference, in which John Ellis Bush recites the same, tired old, adage that suggests that T. Schiavo is not getting the same due process as death row criminal defendants.

Happily, the "world reknowned neurologist" has been unmasked as a neurovangelist by the fringe publication, the New York Times. Hopefully, someone will investigate the kook nurse that claims that Terri Schiavo talks, and that Michael Schiavo was trying to kill Terri with hypodermic needles. Also, check out the LA Times article on Mr. Cheshire.

In case anyone was waiting for Pat Boone to weigh on the issue, his apparent contribution is to imply that Michael Schiavo was trying to kill Terri back in 1990, and that the reason he (Schiavo) wants to pull the feeding tube is to silence her. Ditto, for Purpose Driven Life author, Rick Warren .

So apparently Michael Schiavo is now a murderer in the traditional sense, as well as the rhetorical. Hmm, welcome to the second term of the W.

Oh and by the way, anyone who wants a taste of what the situation was before all the mayhem, check out this article from the St. Pete Times circa 1990.