Politics: J'accuse!

[Gattigap]

Strictly hewing to the Republican Talking Points of the Day*, Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.) was "breifly" detained by TSA personnel while attempting to board a US Air flight with a handgun in his briefcase. Way to take a bullet for the team, John!

Rep. Hostettler was en route to Washington, though rumors that he was planning a little "visit" to Commissioner Gorelick have been denied. He is scheduled to relate his experience on tonight's Hannity & Colmes, and next Tuesday at the NRA's monthly regional meeting in Terre Haute.

Gattigap


* Includes in Part:
...
34. Counter previous press reports about people carrying howitzers onto planes by demonstrating that our TSA can actually catch someone packing heat
35. Communicate a "positive" experience while being detained by TSA (even when caught carrying a deadly weapon onto an airplane), to show that Our Government Is Working For You!

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Gattigap
Strictly hewing to the Republican Talking Points of the Day*, . . .

By the rabidity, I can only assume that the changing poll numbers are turning you all into caricatures today.

Amusing caricatures, of course, but still . . .

[Not Me]

Originally posted by viet_mom
This is a link to an interesting case that shows the importance of making sure you are disconnected by picking up the phone again and hearing the comforting dial tone.

Or the importance of not conspiring to commit a fraud/crime. One of the two.

[The Larry Davis Experience]

Originally posted by bilmore
By the rabidity, I can only assume that the changing poll numbers are turning you all into caricatures today.

Amusing caricatures, of course, but still . . .

We've all been caricatures for quite some time. However, the last thing I would call Gatti is "rabid", even if he did use a lot of capital letters in that post.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by bilmore
By the rabidity, I can only assume that the changing poll numbers are turning you all into caricatures today.

Amusing caricatures, of course, but still . . .

As Panda would say, funny. I don't feel rabid.

Look, you should know that my posts these days are largely attempts to hone that snarky, partisan style so prevalent on this board, because:

(a) I'm compiling a portfolio to apply for a writer position on staff at The Daily Show.

and

(b) Saw Ty at the bar the other night, he offered to buy me a drink, and -- well, let's say I owe him about 20 homage posts, and leave it at that.

Gattigap

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by bilmore
By the rabidity, I can only assume that the changing poll numbers are turning you all into caricatures today.

There are going to be a lot of polls between now and November. It's really not worth getting excited one way or the other about them.

.


Gatti, you could have just told me you were straight.

[Not Me]

http://news.bostonherald.com/interna...articleid=1709

• BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi leaders have set up a tribunal of judges and prosecutors to try ousted dictator Saddam Hussein and other members of his Baathist regime, a spokesman announced on Tuesday.
  
  Salem Chalabi, a U.S.-educated lawyer and nephew of the head of the Iraqi National Congress, was named as general director of the tribunal, and he has named a panel of seven judges and four prosecutors, INC spokesman Entefadh Qanbar said.
  
  The tribunal, with a 2004-2005 budget of $75 million, will also prosecute any members of Saddam's regime who are charged, Qanbar said.

[Diane_Keaton]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
No word yet on which, if any, aspect of brain function is employed by Penske's socks.

POTY.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Or did I miss y'all talkin about it,

They arrested a serial killer in flyover land. 14 murders over a long period of time, but they just realized the murders were related in the past few years, and the DNA test that proved key only became available in 2000.

Again, it only became available in 2000 for an unsolved murder. Excuse me, but where the fuck do I send money to try and make sure they start processing old murder and rape evidence a bit quicker? I heard Philly or one of the other aging cities was taking private donations to move the testing along. 3 years to finger a serial killer because the murder evidence wasn't being tested (not that the media was really making an issue of it).


Oh, and what the hell is going on in Jordan? These guys (from a Palestinian neighborhood in Amman) had a bomb powerful enough to blow up a good chunk of the government sector in the city? I hope somebody can try and describe exactly what kind of bomb they had, because that sounds like a big bomb. And, if these guys are Palestinians, then wtf? Jordan is already making noise that the offenders had crossed illegally from Syria.

Speaking of Syria, did anyone else notice when the Hamas leader publicly declared war on America from Syria last weekend? Something tells me that the speech was not welcome to young Bashir. Or, at least, he'll learn not to welcome such insanity when our people contact his people.

And then there is Manchester United and Saudi Arabia. Has anyone else been paying attention to the sheer number of advanced bomb plots that have been broken up in the last few weeks? They've broken up plots and seized explosives in something like half-a-dozen countries now. Probably not the best time to be travelling.

Hello

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Oh, and what the hell is going on in Jordan? These guys (from a Palestinian neighborhood in Amman) had a bomb powerful enough to blow up a good chunk of the government sector in the city? I hope somebody can try and describe exactly what kind of bomb they had, because that sounds like a big bomb. And, if these guys are Palestinians, then wtf? Jordan is already making noise that the offenders had crossed illegally from Syria.

Reuters said it is a chemical bomb. Doesn't surprise me at all that terrorists from Syria had a chemical bomb, since Syria is where SH sent his WMDs.

[Bad_Rich_Chic]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Speaking of Syria, did anyone else notice when the Hamas leader publicly declared war on America from Syria last weekend? Something tells me that the speech was not welcome to young Bashir.

Or maybe not. The attack on the Marines at Husaybah on the 17th & 18th stinks bigtime of Syrian involvement, frankly.

Or, at least, he'll learn not to welcome such insanity when our people contact his people.

Yeah, right after Bush gets done "scolding" Spain. Wanna estimate the chances that, in a little quid pro quo, Bush will ask Israel to deliver that message to Syria for us?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Bad_Rich_Chic
Or maybe not. The attack on the Marines at Husaybah on the 17th & 18th stinks bigtime of Syrian involvement, frankly.

Here's what Juan Cole says about this:

• 5 US troops were killed Sunday in fighting near the Syrian border at Husayba, but various other incidents on Saturday brought the weeked total to 12 killed. About 30 Iraqis were killed in clashes. The Husaybah fight appears to be an extension of Fallujah, with some fighters from that city having moved over to Husaybah and having ambushed the Marines. This narrative contradicts the impression given by Gen. Myers that the problem is infiltration of foreign fighters from Syria. Rather, looks like infiltration of Iraqi fighters from Fallujah.
  
  Despite the constant drumbeat about alleged Syrian complicity in infiltration of foreign fighers into Iraq, there is not any good proof of it. The fighters that have been captured are mostly Iraqi (some 10,000, I think), with only a few foreigners among them. And, Syria is lambasted for having massacred the Sunni Arab radical fundamentalists, so it is a little unlikely to be supplying them deliberately to Fallujah, which has lots of its own. Rather, if there is infiltration, it is mostly because Syria has a long desert border that can't be controlled (the US should talk--look at its border with Mexico, which is like a sieve). I think this ritual invocation of Syria in connection with infiltration is just a way of attempting to intimidate and bully Syria, which some in the Bush administration would like to topple. If they think Iraqi instability is bad, wait until they see Syria without a proper government in Damascus. It won't be pretty; and remember, as Colin says, if you break it, you own it.

I'm OK with bullying Syria some, if that keeps them in line.

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
I heard Philly or one of the other aging cities was taking private donations to move the testing along. 3 years to finger a serial killer because the murder evidence wasn't being tested (not that the media was really making an issue of it).

The only group that I could find that is taking donations is this group:

http://www.rapeevidence.org/

But the group was founded by the parent corporation of a DNA testing company. Don't know if that makes a difference or not.

[sgtclub]

Wondering what some of my friends on the left think of AS' performance to date. For those of you not keeping up, here are the highlights of his first few months:

1. Roll-back of the car tax
2. Passage of the new bond measure and corresponding balance budget amendment.
3. Passage of the bill reforming workers compensation
4. NO TAXE INCREASE

From my vantage point, the sky is not falling, contrary to what we were told prior to and immediately falling the election.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

The SF Chronicle writes about polyandry, the new polygamy.



The article suggests that they're on the same course as the gays, but running about 30 years behind. Presumably polygamy is in the middle, but they don't say where.