Meet your new thread, same as the old thread.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
No Democrat in Washington -- or anywhere else -- had enough pressure, or a lever long enough, or a string tied in the right place, or enough favors, to get the John Ashcroft-led DOJ to investigate senior members of the White House staff, such as Dick Cheney's chief of staff.

You're conceptualizing what I'm talking about as a hammer. Think tentacles. I'm talking about administrative strategy moves that start a process rolling no one can stop without dire political circumstances. In organizations of this size, there are a million ways to get around the "CEO."

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
You're conceptualizing what I'm talking about as a hammer. Think tentacles. I'm talking about administrative strategy moves that start a process rolling no one can stop without dire political circumstances. In organizations of this size, there are a million ways to get around the "CEO."

For every tentacle of influence a Democrat had in 2003/2004, there were squads of Republican octupi countermanding that influence.

NO heads have rolled in this administration due to pressure from Democrats until after the election in 2006. And there have been innumerable fuckups that Democrats have whined about.

And don't bring up Heck uv a Job Brownie. His screw up was too obvious on every side of the aisle for him to stay around.

ETA: Why the hell is this the Democrats fault anyways? At best it's Joe Wilson's fault, which isn't the same thing. Certainly Democrats were happy to have ANY support that the administration acts inappropriately, but Wilson (and later Plame) were the ones that kept the thing going on for as long as they did.

I should have known better, given the whole "sexual relations with that woman" speech and moreso given our success in hunting down Osama bin Ladin, but I honestly thought that when Bush said he'd fire whoever leaked, he actually meant that he supported an investigation, wherever that may lead. That it led to his boss's chief of staff was something he should have known before announcing an investigation.

This whole thing was just poorly handled by every single person who touched it. But then, given every other aspect of the war, I shouldn't have been surprised.

Fuck it up, cover it up, then deny it's as bad people seem to think.

[SlaveNoMore]

Replaced_Texan
...but I honestly thought that when Bush said he'd fire whoever leaked, he actually meant that he supported an investigation, wherever that may lead.

I concur. He should have fired Dick Armitage immediately.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Ladin, but I honestly thought that when Bush said he'd fire whoever leaked, he actually meant that he supported an investigation, wherever that may lead.

No, he was true to his word. He said that he would "take care of" whoever leaked Plame's name. Take care, indeed.

[carrot bottom]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
or a good fiction writer. http://www.ecrivains.org/IMG/pdf/Gut..._Palahniuk.pdf

only those close to me realize how creepy this is.....

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
The White House is in Arkansas?

Might as well be.

S_A_M

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
100 mph, in a Prius? Impressive.

Hehe. I caught that part too.

S_A_M

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
As linked on Drudge:
[list]Pool Drain Pulls Small Intestine Out Of Young Girl

If ever there was a need for trial lawyers, it would be to address cases like this.

Exactly these kind of accidents have happened before.

I think John Edwards won a big verdict for one child victim, in his prior career.

S_A_M

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
Exactly these kind of accidents have happened before.

I think John Edwards won a big verdict for one child victim, in his prior career.

S_A_M

He did, and its been debated that his closing in the case was among the most grotesque things every scripted and allowed to pollute the air of a courthouse. That and the expert he relied on was full of shit.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
He did, and its been debated that his closing in the case was among the most grotesque things every scripted and allowed to pollute the air of a courthouse. That and the expert he relied on was full of shit.

I link to one of the neatest short stories in recent american letters, and the only response is SS's sicko sock? Fuck this. I can't educate this rabble on any level.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Interesting. What do they think Sadr's agenda is?

We didn't talk about it at length, but they were all describing him as having mainly local ambitions. None of them viewed him as the most dangerous option in Iraq; all thought our presence and strategy was pushing him toward the more dangerous alliances.

I try to just listen and ask an occassional question during these discussions. I find you get very different perspectives when it's military talking among themselves than when its a debate among a mix of military and civilians.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
He did, and its been debated that his closing in the case was among the most grotesque things every scripted and allowed to pollute the air of a courthouse. That and the expert he relied on was full of shit.

You can read about the case here: http://www.monkeytime.org/lakey.html (spree: a collection of excerpts on the case from the Raleigh News & Observer). Experts had little to do with the case. I think the jury was persuaded mainly by the fact that so many other people had been killed/maimed in similar accidents, which could have been prevented by simply putting some fucking screws in the fucking drain cover.

I linked this not because I wanted to discuss Edwards' merits as a trial lawyer (by all accounts, he was really, really good). I found it interested that Drudge posted this story with the linK "SHOCK: Little Girl Disembowled by Pool Drain" (or something like that). Trial lawyers are a favorite target of Drudge and his ilk, and yet they are SHOCKED when someone gets maimed by a defective product.

Who should they trust to put an end to this SHOCK? They want smaller government, so Congress/Adminstrative Agencies are out. Pool drain (and other consumer product) manufacturers have proven they can't be trusted. Who is left to make sure little children can play in a wading pool without having their intestines sucked out of their bodies and being fed from a tube in through their chests for the rest of their lives?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
You can read about the case here: http://www.monkeytime.org/lakey.html (spree: a collection of excerpts on the case from the Raleigh News & Observer). Experts had little to do with the case. I think the jury was persuaded mainly by the fact that so many other people had been killed/maimed in similar accidents, which could have been prevented by simply putting some fucking screws in the fucking drain cover.

I linked this not because I wanted to discuss Edwards' merits as a trial lawyer (by all accounts, he was really, really good). I found it interested that Drudge posted this story with the linK "SHOCK: Little Girl Disembowled by Pool Drain" (or something like that). Trial lawyers are a favorite target of Drudge and his ilk, and yet they are SHOCKED when someone gets maimed by a defective product.

Who should they trust to put an end to this SHOCK? They want smaller government, so Congress/Adminstrative Agencies are out. Pool drain (and other consumer product) manufacturers have proven they can't be trusted. Who is left to make sure little children can play in a wading pool without having their intestines sucked out of their bodies and being fed from a tube in through their chests for the rest of their lives?

It is pretty clear you have never worked anywhere near a PI lawyer, plus you are preternaturally gullible.

Every products case starts with the PI guy doing a patent search to show how many simple great solutions are out there and the bad manufacturer ignored them because of GREED!!! Of course the fact that there are massive practical problems with the available solutions gets pushed under the rug.

I worked at a firm that had a PI dept. They were asked to speak at a firm meeting. They had just hit on a massive judgement against a hot water tank manufacturer. A 2 year boy was left alone in his basement. The proud parents also stored gasoline in the basement. The little boy started pouring the gas on the floor. fumes came up and the pilot light on the hot water tank ignited the fumes. the boy was horribly burned.

Our white hat guys jumped in. They created the theory that if only the pilot light had a tube extending 10 inches higher, then the American family man could safely ignore his child and not worry about him having access to the gasoline storage areas. It was a bullshit theory, but there it was. Until, in a needle in the haystack document inspection they found a sketch by an engineer of a tube to raise the pilot light. It never went anywhere because you cannot restrict airflow to the pilot light, but so what!! We made zillions. Actually the money came in the month before I made partner

Somehow, I don't see how we helped society.

People want spas and hot tubs and swimming pools. All of those require water to circulate. Manufacturers try to make them safer, but they still have to be workable. Life is unsafe.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Here's an interesting Federalist Society debate about the Al-Marri case.

I particularly agree with the fellow who says this:

• This is going to sound awfully political, and I don't mean it to be, but when Congress passed the AUMF in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, it had no idea what its authority would be used to justify in 2007 six years later. But I fault Congress now, not then. Congress now needs to step back into the fray (campaign year--fat chance) and redefine precisely what powers it wants to give to the Commander in Chief in light of our experience since 9/11 and the present reality. Some may believe that the President has pushed the envelope too far, but Congress never sealed the envelope.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
We made zillions. Actually the money came in the month before I made partner

If you'd sued, maybe you could have found a document suggesting you might have made partner earlier.