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Old 01-19-2005, 06:07 PM   #1681
Tyrone Slothrop
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Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
he's lost his shot at being a national player
That's an awfully passive tense to use when describing plagiarism.

And didn't people think he had a shot at being Kerry's Secretary of State? Not that the Sec'y of State is a "national player" anymore.
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Old 01-19-2005, 06:15 PM   #1682
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Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
That's an awfully passive tense to use when describing plagiarism.
Lord knows people have overcome worse obstacles, yes, but that's the reason people proffer when asked why Biden doesn't run (including this last time). Do you anticipate a "listening tour" rehabilitation program or something?

Quote:
And didn't people think he had a shot at being Kerry's Secretary of State? Not that the Sec'y of State is a "national player" anymore.
Heh.

As a related matter, NPR ran a story about SecState yesterday with some expert opining that the strongest SecStates over the last few decades, in terms of strengthening the institution of the foreign service and State Dept generally (instead of just measurement by the degree of influence on foreign policy emanating from the WH) was George Schultz and Colin Powell. Apparently Powell had much to do wth improving the funding of the department and the caliber and training of people in the field.

That's entirely possible, though I found this declaration somewhat surprising, given the number of hi-profile resignations from State in the months leading up to the Iraq invasion. Sure, those were just State pussies who deserved to leave anyway, but I got the impression that this constitutes some kind of brain-drain within State. Has anyone heard more about this?
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Old 01-19-2005, 06:22 PM   #1683
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Quote:
Originally posted by Gattigap
Do you anticipate a "listening tour" rehabilitation program or something?
I think Biden likes talking too much to stop to listen to people. That's the great thing about being a senator. Lots of people listen to you.

Quote:
As a related matter, NPR ran a story about SecState yesterday with some expert opining that the strongest SecStates over the last few decades, in terms of strengthening the institution of the foreign service and State Dept generally (instead of just measurement by the degree of influence on foreign policy emanating from the WH) was George Schultz and Colin Powell. Apparently Powell had much to do wth improving the funding of the department and the caliber and training of people in the field.

That's entirely possible, though I found this declaration somewhat surprising, given the number of hi-profile resignations from State in the months leading up to the Iraq invasion. Sure, those were just State pussies who deserved to leave anyway, but I got the impression that this constitutes some kind of brain-drain within State. Has anyone heard more about this?
WaPo writer Dana Priest has a book called The Mission which apparently goes into all of the ways that the military is now doing things the State Department used to do:
  • Since the end of the Cold War, writes Dana Priest in The Mission, "U.S. leaders have been turning more and more to the military to solve problems that are often, at their root, political and economic." Priest contends that "long before September 11, the U.S. government had grown increasingly dependent on its military to carry out its foreign affairs. The shift was incremental, little noticed, de facto.... The military simply filled a vacuum left by an indecisive White House, an atrophied State Department, and a distracted Congress." In this important book, Priest describes how and why the military has recently been called upon to combat drug trafficking, deal with terrorism, oversee humanitarian disaster relief, and even carry out disarmament programs--a major increase in responsibility that has not always been welcomed by military leaders. Indeed, in what seems like role reversal, civilian political appointees, particularly in the Bush administration, have repeatedly called upon the military to deal with nation building, while most military leaders have pushed for overwhelming use of political and economic force instead. As Priest points out, this shift in responsibility comes at a time when both the American public and decision-makers "understand less and less about their military." Part of this ignorance stems from the fact that U.S. special forces (from all branches of the military) often carry out critical policy missions in secret and without clear objectives from Congress or the president.
    Priest spent considerable time in the field with top military brass and foot soldiers alike in such hot spots as Colombia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and the Balkans, where she got the inside scoop on how operations are carried out and what those in the military think of their expanded roles. Priest's description of the culture of the various special forces units and their leaders is particularly fascinating. The Mission is a revealing look at the consequences of substituting warriors for diplomats on the frontline of U.S. foreign policy.


I say "apparently" because I've been meaning to read this book forever, but haven't yet. That's from Amazon's review. Someone buy it (through the Lawtalkers link) and tell me whether it's all that.
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Old 01-20-2005, 10:23 AM   #1684
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Mainstream Media is aMedia of Providing All Sides

Okay- you guys don't contest NYT and WP are biased, you really can't argue CBS is fair anymore- and now?

ABC proves itself.....

http://expressnewswatch.blogspot.com...sgraceful.html

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/...iles/story.htm

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ABC News is looking for soldier funerals, yes funerals, to report on during the Inauguration of President Bush. Who thought they could stoop so low? From ABC News:
  • For a possible Inauguration Day story on ABC News, we are trying to find out if there any military funerals for Iraq war casualties scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 20.
    If you know of a funeral and whether the family might be willing to talk to ABC News, please fill out the form below:
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Old 01-20-2005, 11:49 AM   #1685
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This is Sweet

  • NEW YORK — Filmmaker Michael Moore's (search) bodyguard was arrested for carrying an unlicensed weapon in New York's JFK airport Wednesday night.

    Police took Patrick Burke, who says Moore employs him, into custody after he declared he was carrying a firearm at a ticket counter. Burke is licensed to carry a firearm in Florida and California, but not in New York. Burke was taken to Queens central booking and could potentially be charged with a felony for the incident.

    Moore's 2003 Oscar-winning film "Bowling for Columbine" criticizes what Moore calls America's "culture of fear" and its obsession with guns.
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Old 01-20-2005, 11:57 AM   #1686
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Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
From yesterday's hearings:
  • BIDEN: Now, how many [Iraqi forces] do you really think are trained that Allawi can look to and say, I can rely on those forces? What do you think that number is?

    ....RICE: We think the number right now is somewhere over 120,000.

    ....BIDEN: Well, I thank you for your answer. I think you'll find, if you speak to the folks on the ground, they don't think there's more than 4,000 actually trained Iraqi forces. I strongly urge you to pick up the phone or go see these folks.

Rice has obviously been getting her rosy view of the world from bilmore. Not that it matters, since she's not going to be near the reins of power.
I personally like Biden, but the DEMs embarassed themselves in those hearings, and delaying the vote was just tacky. Can you not see that?
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Old 01-20-2005, 12:05 PM   #1687
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Quote:
Originally posted by sgtclub
I personally like Biden, but the DEMs embarassed themselves in those hearings, and delaying the vote was just tacky. Can you not see that?
I don't agree on embarassing themselves in the hearings. I thought Condi and Bush had more reason to be embarassed, as with the quote you were responding to. Condi's testimony is just chock full of neo-con wish-think, and it is useful to make the point that this really limits her credibility.

But I agree on the delay in the vote. It comes across as petty. My suspicion is that they're just marking a bit of turf in DC and sending Bush the message that even with control of both houses he has to play ball, but from a PR stance, it is not good.
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Old 01-20-2005, 12:17 PM   #1688
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Quote:
Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
I don't agree on embarassing themselves in the hearings. I thought Condi and Bush had more reason to be embarassed, as with the quote you were responding to. Condi's testimony is just chock full of neo-con wish-think, and it is useful to make the point that this really limits her credibility.

But I agree on the delay in the vote. It comes across as petty. My suspicion is that they're just marking a bit of turf in DC and sending Bush the message that even with control of both houses he has to play ball, but from a PR stance, it is not good.
Boxer was atrocious. Biden was arrogant and patronizing.
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Old 01-20-2005, 12:20 PM   #1689
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Quote:
Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
My suspicion is that they're just marking a bit of turf in DC and sending Bush the message that even with control of both houses he has to play ball, but from a PR stance, it is not good.
Was it all free?
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Old 01-20-2005, 12:37 PM   #1690
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Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
That's an awfully passive tense to use when describing plagiarism.
off topic question: Is it true that once you go Timmy, you can never go back?
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Old 01-20-2005, 01:11 PM   #1691
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Quote:
Originally posted by sgtclub
Boxer was atrocious. Biden was arrogant and patronizing.
Compared to ... Condi? Bush?

The woman was just completely misstating key facts. He called her on it. Unfortunately, this needs to be done a lot with this administration.

(Yeh, Boxer wasn't so hot).
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Old 01-20-2005, 01:16 PM   #1692
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Quote:
Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Was it all free?
Are you dim?
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Old 01-20-2005, 01:21 PM   #1693
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Quote:
Originally posted by sgtclub
I personally like Biden, but the DEMs embarassed themselves in those hearings, and delaying the vote was just tacky. Can you not see that?
I didn't see anything embarrassing, but then I saw very little of the hearings. Meanwhile, Rice should be embarrassed by the answer that she gave Biden there. 120,000 trained Iraqi troops that Allawi can rely on? Was she on crack?

And I thought they delayed the vote on Gonzalez, not Rice, which makes sense since he was ducking questions.
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Old 01-20-2005, 01:38 PM   #1694
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Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop

And I thought they delayed the vote on Gonzalez, not Rice, which makes sense since he was ducking questions.
They delayed on Condi too, so she wouldn't be confirmed as of the inauguration.
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Old 01-20-2005, 03:12 PM   #1695
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Quote:
Originally posted by sgtclub
They delayed on Condi too, so she wouldn't be confirmed as of the inauguration.
Your priorities baffle me.
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