The World Around You

Head on over to Outside the Beltway for James’s latest caption contest.

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Following the lead of Right Wing News, brought up again this morning by Kevin at Wizbang, here is my list of the top 20 movies of all time:

20. Rear Window
19. North by Northwest

My Hitchcock entries. Both excellent thrillers with killer casting.

18. Casablanca

Classic. Bogart. Bergmanl. Enough said.

17. Clerks

Kevin Smith is a genius and this is the movie that brought him to the public.

16. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Matthew Broderick in the ultimate playing hooky story.

15. Some Like it Hot

Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. I’ve watched this one over a dozen times and I still laugh out loud.

14. Field of Dreams

The quintisential baseball movie.

13. Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino has lost some of his luster, but this is still an unbelievable film.

12. Schindler’s List

Spielberg’s opus. Tough one to watch over and over again, but there is no need. The images stick with you.

11. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Wonderful music. Gene Wilder is fabulous. A great story for kids about perseverance in the face of adversity.

10. Saving Private Ryan

Spielberg’s best. A powerful film that has been the standard for all other war films since it was released.

9. Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope
8. Star Wars Episode V - Empire Strikes Back

Close calls, but both excellent films. The other three would fall in my top 50. This is a classic series that I also can’t wait to experience from beginning to end on DVD.

7. The Princess Bride

Often underestimated, classic comedy and a wonderful story. One of the films I quote and hear quoted most often. “Wuv, true wuv.”

6. Goodfellas

The film I have seen the most times. The masterful work will always put him at the top of my list of favorite directors. Another quotable film.

5. The Godfather

The one that began the story. Coppola, Pacino, Woods, Duvall. Another that lives up to repeated viewings and my first choice to begin a long weekend of movie viewing.

4. The Wizard of Oz

Dorothy, Toto, the Tin Man, the Lion, the Scarecrow. No child should be without their own copy.

3. Citizen Kane

Orson Welles, fabulous.

2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The apex of comedy. These guys will have my respect forever. I still enjoy seeing them in anything they do. Another great treasure trove of quotes.

1. The Godfather Part II

The greatest, most magnificent film of all. DeNiro and Pacino are mesmerizing and the intricate, intertwined plot is amazing to watch.

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The economy may finally be making a move upward (to the dismay of many a Democrat and the joy of all Republicans), AP Reports,

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy, lifted by consumer and business spending, broke out of the doldrums and grew at an annual rate of 2.4 percent in the second quarter of 2003, the strongest showing in nearly a year.

The improvement in the gross domestic product in the April to June quarter, reported by the Commerce Department Thursday, came after two straight quarters of lousy economic growth. GDP increased at just a 1.4 percent pace in both the final quarter of 2002 and the first three months of this year.

The report reinforced the hope that the nation’s economy, shedding war and other uncertainties that had bogged it down earlier, would gain more traction in the second half of this year.

For the good of our country and the millions of people who have lost their jobs, I hope these numbers portend good things in the coming months.

NOTE: The beauty of economic numbers is that the really important thing is the expectation was a 1.5% growth rate, so the fact that the number beat expectations is the real news.

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Get in on Kevin Drum’s pool for the final number of candidates on the ballot for the California recall. Many numbers have already been claimed. I said 21.

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There’s quite a bit of chatter going on regarding word-of-mouth.org. This is a site that allows people to post information on individuals. Kevin at Wizbang thinks he smells trolling and James Joyner thinks it sounds like the proposed TIPS program. I would be inclined to agree. I’m not linking to the site and I have not visited the site. I would advise others to stay away as well.

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Harvey H. Jackson, a professor of history at Jacksonville State University, offers yet another modest proposal for Alabama in this morning’s Anniston Star,

What if the governor’s “Plan A” for solving our financial crisis is rejected? Will there be a “Plan B”? And what will “Plan B” be?

Well, let me advance a modest proposal, based on an idea floated by my buddy Gene Owens of the Mobile Register. Gene suggests that if Judge Moore would rule “that church and state are one and the same in Alabama,” the state would be “entitled to collect tithes” and with 10 percent from everyone every year, our money worries would be over.

It sounds like exactly the scenario that could win a lot of support from people in Alabama. We seem to have this burning need to have the church solve all of our problems. Let’s give them the chance! The real beauty is that it doesn’t even violate the First Ammendment, because as we have all been told by our good friends who pay attention to such things there is no separation of church and state. There is only the requirement that Congress not establish a religion. This wouldn’t be Congress, it would be the State of Alabama making the church the same as the state.

He continues,

And the church, which is also the state, would make sure roads were built and maintained, criminals were caught, convicted and put away (so they could be visited), health facilities were maintained, schools were up and running so all God’s children got an equal and sufficient education, old folks and little babies were cared for, and so on and so on and so on.

And there would be plenty of money to do this.

You see, according to my calculations (which are just as good as anybody else’s), the state would actually collect more revenue under my plan because rich folks and corporations would not have all those loopholes and exemptions so they would actually pay a larger percentage of their income by tithing than they do now. Meanwhile the poor, freed from all those regressive taxes, might actually pay less.

And since this money is given to the church, you can write it off on your federal tax return — a charitable contribution!

Now how about that, a system that is financially sound, that provides the services Alabamians need and deserve, that does not exploit the poor, and gives you a federal tax break in the bargain.

Whoa! Could this be what the Christian Coalition means when it says that good stewardship will solve our problems? That sneaky bunch.

One step ahead of me.

I think Professor Jackson is onto something.

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As a long time subscriber to Entertainment Weekly let me express my gratitude to EW for their inspired choice to take over the back page, Stephen King. According to this morning’s NY Post,

ENTERTAINMENT Weekly Managing Editor Rick Tetzeli is turning to a celebrity writer - chiller author Stephen King - to pen a monthly opinion column on American pop culture.

He takes over the back page, where the snarky humorist Joel Stein reigned for six short months before being fired.

Why did King, one of the best-selling name-brand authors in America, decide to do the column for the magazine?

“They asked me,” said King, who at the moment is also working on a new ABC TV series about a haunted hospital, “Kingdom Hospital.”

“That’s where a lot of my energy has gone lately,” said King of the TV gig.

“Eventually I hope to do another book,” he said, but added that he’s currently not working on one.

The first EW column from King hits at the end of this week.

Sources say he is believed to be getting about $5,000 a column - or $60,000 a year.

I can’t wait for this week’s issue.

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The following comes from AP:

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. - An inmate accused of violating his work release program by having alcohol on his breath says it was all in the burritos.

The judge wants to see the recipe.

Attorney Russ Jones said Monday that his client, William Dolge, 45, had burrito meat soaked in beer, which resulted in his testing positive for a low amount of alcohol about two weeks ago when he returned to jail from his job.

Lincoln County Attorney Jeff Meyer said he suspected Dolge washed the burritos down with something more than water.

District Judge John Murphy told Jones to bring the recipe — and a sample if he can — to the next hearing in the case on Aug. 6.

Dolge was granted work release while serving 364 days in jail for driving with a suspended license.

When I saw this article, I thought it would head more in the direction of the beans. Remember kids, don’t eat burritos made with beer soaked meat and drive. What’s the name of this joint? Drunk Burritos To Go?

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I just realized that I have been listed on the blog list of Alabama’s news source, AL.com. Check out the page and the other weblogs listed.

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Hit & Run has a great note on the NY Times coverage of Bob Hope’s death. The obit was written by a man who died three years ago!

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As James posts, the futures market for terrorism is defintely the story of the year. What in the world is our government thinking? Sounds like a crackpot scheme right out of the head of Don Rumsfeld, where everyone around said, “Sure, Mr. Secretary. That’s a wonderful idea. We’ll get right on it.”

Here’s the site for this market, that Wolfowitz has said in front of the Senate this morning will be disbanded, Policy Analysis Market.

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We’re starting to hear the rumblings about Dick Armey coming to Alabama. As I said way back when, I can’t wait. Bring him on. I’ll be happy to give him a piece of my mind. According to this morning’s Mobile Register,

Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey will be arriving in Alabama in early September to campaign against Gov. Bob Riley’s $1.2 billion tax plan, according to a member of a national conservative lobbying group.

The state chapter of Citizens for a Sound Economy, which advocates lower taxes and less government, held a meeting Monday night at the Marriott Hotel on Airport Boulevard, near Colonial Mall Bel Air.

The director of campaign operations for the national organization, Stephen Flaherty, discussed plans for defeating the tax plan and organizing a Mobile chapter with about 14 people.

Armey, who served 18 years as a GOP Texas congressman, is co-chairman of the lobbying group. Flaherty said Armey will probably spend a day or two in the state the week of Sept. 1, but he wasn’t sure if the co-chairman would make it to Mobile.

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The Huntsville Times editorial page raises this important question in this afternoon’s editorial,

Mark Twain, wise in so many ways, once noted that there were three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics. The efforts of opponents of Gov. Bob Riley’s tax-and-accountability package fit in there somewhere.

I know where I would put them!

The anti-Riley calculator site is loaded with hot-button phrases designed to appeal to voters’ fears and prejudices rather than their hopes and dreams. But it all boils down to trying to get Alabamians once again to say no to progress.

So do the calculations and see the extra cost - if, indeed, your taxes do go up. But realize the statistics tell only part of the story. You can’t calculate what optimism will do for Alabama, and you can’t put a price on turning your back on the future.

This last sentence is the crux of this whole debate. A no vote on September 9th does not mean it’s back to the drawing board. It dooms us to a future of more of the same failure we have experienced for decades. Does anyone really want that?

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Daily Kos notes Larry Sabato’s early look at the 2004 electoral map as he sees it. On the one hand, it’s good news for Democrats that things really are going to be as competitive as they think. On the other hand, it’s a map that could have been put together any time since the last election. Also, giving candidates their home states is dangerous business. Remember what happened to Gore in Tennessee!

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Pete Barth of the Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin) has coined a new definition for “Pulling an Alabama”,

The NFL should go case-by-case and act when true injustice occurs. The next time an NFL team pulls an “Alabama” (which hired Mike Shula over superior candidate Sylvester Croom), a stiff fine and public scolding should be swift. But the NFL is making a mistake by applying this broad policy that bit the Lions.

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Paul Bedard reports in today’s Washington Whispers,

As White House officials try to control the latest fallout over President Bush’s flawed suggestion in the State of the Union address that Iraq was buying nuclear bomb materials, there’s growing talk by insiders that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice may take the blame and resign. For most insiders, it’s inconceivable that Rice, touted as a future secretary of state, California governor, and even vice president, would go, but the latest revelations that her shop and deputy Stephen Hadley mishandled CIA warnings have put the NSC in the bull’s eye of controversy.

While it’s unclear how serious the talk is inside the administration about the future of Rice or Hadley with the NSC, a few top aides are already suggesting replacements for Rice. They include former Bush administration National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft, NASA chief and former Navy Secretary Sean O’Keefe, and Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq.

UPDATE: James notes this news and thinks Condi will stay.

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NBC News is reporting that Bob Hope has died, at the age of 100. Here is a comprehensive career profile at the Internet Movie Database.

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Pat Cotter and Jim Stovall have a good analysis in today’s Birmingham News,based on poll data, of why Governor Riley is facing such an uphill battle. Their findings are:

First, it is clear that Alabama’s citizens are not happy with the quality of public services found here. They are tired of almost always finding the state at the top of lists of bad things, and at the bottom of lists of good things.

Second, Alabama citizens are, in principle, willing to pay for better government services. Time and again our surveys have found substantial majorities of respondents say that they were willing pay higher taxes for such things better schools, better roads or better health care. For example, in a 1998 survey, we found that about 58 percent of adult Alabama citizens said they would vote for higher taxes if “your local public schools said they needed more money.”

So what intrudes on voters decisions when the scenario we are currently facing is put before them?

But, we have also found citizens wonder whether the state government can solve the problems facing Alabama. This skepticism occurs not because citizens have questions about the power or capacity of the state government. Rather, they doubt that the people running the state government are really interested in solving the state’s problems.

Specifically, surveys conducted during the last decades consistently show that Alabamians do not trust the state government to do the right thing. In surveys conducted since the 1980s, a majority of Alabama citizens said they trusted the state government only “some” or “none” of the time. They see state government as wasteful and ineffective. A 1999 survey found that about 60 percent believed that the state government wasted “a lot” of money.

This infuriates me because it goes back to one of my core beliefs that actually was crystallized when I heard a rant by George Carlin. Where do we think our state leaders come from, outer space? Our state leaders are us. They are those citizens who have chosen to step up and be leaders. If you don’t think they do a good job vote them out! The problems is citizens in general don’t bother to find out what their legislator is doing or how he/she votes on issues the citizen cares about. Even better, run yourself! Choose to do something rather than just complain about how bad things are.

Adding to the governor’s difficulty in convincing voters to support his plan will be the eagerness of his opponents to remind voters of why they distrust the state government. In particular, those working against Riley’s plan will raise questions about both the size of the tax increase and the plan’s fairness and likely beneficiaries.

The governor and his supporters have, of course, anticipated these criticisms by including several “accountability” components in the proposal. These reforms certainly won’t hurt. But as reforms go, they also seem modest. In particular, they don’t address questions about the openness of state government, the level of political participation or the unfair advantage given some interests. In sum, it is not clear if they address the reasons for citizens’ distrust which seems to more involve questions of performance and responsiveness rather than details of budgeting or personnel procedures.

Guess what? Nobody is getting everything they want in this package. That’s why it’s a good package, on the whole. It gives and takes from almost everyone. No government is perfect, and no government ever will be. Citizens have to continually ask themselves if they are in fact insane. Because the definition of insanity (as many are well aware) is to keep doing what you’ve always done expecting different results. We are never going to see real change unless we stop doing what we’ve always done. This Governor has given Alabama the opportunity to take that first step. We’re at a crossroads and I fear Alabamians will not choose to take the path toward the “New Day” that this Governor promised in his campaign.

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Steven has a good post about his six year old’s analysis on Al Sharpton.

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James discusses the magnitude of Glenn’s influence over the rest of the blogosphere, based on sitemeter stats.

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If this headline from the AP today is true, Governor says fate of plan hinges on media informing voters, than Ammendment 1 is in deep, deep trouble. It turns out that the Governor was speaking to the state’s newspaper editors at a conference on the coast. Knowing this, I feel a little bit better. I think the Governor should be telling every single audience he speaks to that they have a responsibility to educate those they come in contact with about this plan. Not just the newspaper editors, but teachers, businessmen and others have a responsibility to educate.

Speaking against the package was John Rice, a real estate developer in Lee County who is a former legislator now active with the Tax Accountability Coalition, which opposes the plan. Rice said it was too large and did not adequately cut out waste and restore trust in government.

He said once the plan is defeated, the Legislature could come back into session, pass a “short-term sales tax” increase to cover needs for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, then cut out nonessential spending and pursue “meaningful tax reform.”

With the current projected deficit at $675 million, Rice said the $1.2 billion in new tax revenue is excessive.

“The more money you raise in taxes, the more government you get,” he said.

But Riley, who took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves in speaking to the newspaper group, said the plan would lower income taxes for most, provide fairness in the system and leave tax obligations in Alabama below or even with regional averages. At the same time, it would provide the means to better educate students at all levels and end the threat of mass releases of inmates from overcrowded prisons.

He said he was tired of Alabama being “first in things that are bad, and last in things that are good.”

“This is not about politics. This is about transforming this state,” Riley said.

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Another bizarre death, as reported on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website,

Oilman Colin McMillan, who was awaiting Senate confirmation as Navy secretary, died at his ranch from an apparent gunshot wound, and investigators said Friday it might have been self-inflicted.

Mr. McMillan was obviously very close to not just President Bush, but Papa Bush, Vice President Cheney, Bob Dole and others.

McMillian had run Permian Exploration Corp. in Roswell, chaired President Bush’s New Mexico presidential campaign in 2000 and served as an assistant defense secretary under Bush’s father. The son nominated McMillan in May for the Navy post, which had been vacant since Gordon England left in January to become deputy secretary of the new Homeland Security Department.

President Bush said he and his wife were “saddened by the death of our good friend.”

“Colin was a public servant and patriot,” Bush said.

McMillan was a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from 1971 to 1982 and ran for U.S. Senate in 1994, losing to incumbent Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman in a bitter and costly campaign.

“His death is a loss to us in New Mexico. It is a loss to the country,” Bingaman said on the Senate floor. “He was well-respected for his straight dealing and his integrity.”

McMillan served in the Marine Corps from 1957 to 1972 and was assistant defense secretary in the early 1990s, when Vice President Dick Cheney was defense secretary. He was also state chairman for Bob Dole’s presidential campaign in 1996.

If it was suicide, we have to ask what could possibly push a 67 year old man about to assume a very high government post to kill himself? If there is a question about the cause of death than we have to ask, what would cause someone to take him out?

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There is quite a bit of discussion going on at the DMN.com (Dallas Morning-News) Blog about poll data released by the Pew Research Center on Religion and Politics. There is a lot of interesting, and frankly frightening, data here, especially with regards to the Islamic faith.

In the current poll, 44% of Americans say that Islam is more likely to encourage violence than other religions, up from 25% in the March 2002 poll. This opinion is as prevalent among better educated individuals and those who are more knowledgeable about Islam as among the less educated and less knowledgeable. And where white evangelicals once stood out for their belief that Islam is more likely to encourage violence, there are fewer religious differences now.

In 2002, more highly committed white evangelical Protestants than people of other religious traditions held this opinion ­ 41% compared with 25% of white mainline Protestants, 24% of white Catholics, and 24% of black Protestants. Seculars were least likely to hold this view; only 18% agreed in 2002. Today, evangelicals and mainline Protestants have the same opinion: 51% of evangelicals and 50% of mainline Protestants agree that the Islamic religion is more likely than others to encourage violence, while this opinion also has grown among white Catholics (39%), black Protestants (37%), and seculars (38%).

What has caused this increase? What influence do the ongoing attacks in Iraq have to do with these numbers?

The numbers on gay marriage are also interesting,

While a majority of the public continues to oppose gay marriage, support has been gradually building over the past few years and the intensity of the opposition has been declining. Overall, 53% say they oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, while 38% favor the idea. But support is up from 27% in 1996, and strong opposition now stands at 30%, down from 41% in 1996.

There is a growing gap of opinion on this issue along racial and religious lines. Opposition to gay marriage is widespread among white evangelical Protestants and blacks, and opinion within these groups has changed little over the past seven years. White evangelicals remain the most firmly opposed on this issue: 84% opposed it in 1996, 83% do so now. And opposition among African-Americans is also unchanged (65% opposed gay marriage in 1996, 64% today).

By comparison, seculars, white Catholics, white mainline Protestants, and Hispanics have become increasingly open to the idea of legalized gay and lesbian marriage. Opposition to gay marriage among white mainline Protestants dropped from 63% seven years ago to 44% today. White Catholic opposition also dropped 19 points (from 60% to 41%) over this same time period. Even among seculars, who were more supportive of gay marriage than most other groups in 1996, there is less opposition today: 46% opposed gay marriage in 1996, compared with only 30% who do so now. And while most Hispanics (54%) oppose gay marriage, this is somewhat lower than in 1996 (64%).

Again, these changes raise more questions than answers. What’s causing this shift? Have the recent Supreme Court cases had an impact? Has the image of homsexuality changed significantly in just one year?

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Paul Krugman has a few choice words for Alan Greenspan in this morning’s NY Times,

n his July testimony to Congress on monetary policy, Alan Greenspan was cautious but _ adjusting for his usual funereal demeanor _ quite upbeat. “Although the uncertainties of earlier this year are as yet not fully resolved,'’ he declared, “the U.S. economy appears to have withstood a set of blows. Not surprisingly the depressing effects of recent events linger. Nevertheless, the fundamentals are in place for a return to sustained healthy growth.'’

O.K., I cheated: those quotations come from his testimony in July 2002, not July 2003. Needless to say, “healthy growth'’ failed to materialize. Undaunted, he said pretty much the same thing last week _ and the result was to reinforce a huge sell-off in the bond market, which may undermine the very recovery he predicted.

I used to be a great admirer of Mr. Greenspan. But something has gone very wrong with the maestro.

It’s about time that people start holding people responsible for theactions they take and the words they speak. How many times is Mr. Greenspan going to get away with stating that we’re on the “verge”? When does it become the boy who cried wolf?

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James points to a couple of interesting points about the constitutionality of the California recall election.

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Well, you knew Alfa would not remain quiet for long, Alfa says its taxes will rise $9 million under Riley’s plan ,

Officials at Alfa Insurance Cos. estimate Gov. Bob Riley’s tax plan will raise their taxes $9 million and result in policyholders paying more.

More than half of the increase will come from a proposed new tax on repair and installation services, company officials said.

“These costs will trigger increased premium costs for our customers as repair costs increase,” said Al Scott, senior vice president.

Alfa insurance and its sister organization, the Alabama Farmers Federation, are opposing Riley’s plan in the statewide referendum Sept. 9.

“We are working to educate our policyholders and the public about the effects of this plan,” Scott said.

A spokeswoman for an organization supporting Riley’s plan said neighboring states have a service tax without skyrocketing premiums.

“It sounds like they’re threatening their customers,” said Marty Sullivan of the Alabama Partnership for Progress.

There is no reason legitimate reason for premiums to increase, but you can bet they will now if the plan passes. Alfa has just given itself a built in excuse to increase their profits by increasing premiums.

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This morning’s Mobile Register has the following story (Board members ask that 2-year college meeting be canceled),

Two members of the state Board of Education asked that a gathering of two-year college employees set for today in Hanceville be canceled, saying it’s an improper rally for Gov. Bob Riley’s $1.2 billion tax and education reform plan.

But the meeting will go on as scheduled.

The members of the State Board of Education have every right to object, but this meeting has been publicized for some time. It reeks of grandstanding to object to it the day before when nothing can be done.

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The full report on 9-11 from the Joint Select Committee on Intelligence is available from CSPAN here.

More to come…

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The Center for Science in the Public Interest has exposed another of the contributers to this country’s weight problem,

“Everyone knows that ice cream isn’t a health food,” the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent, nonprofit group, said in a study released on Wednesday.

“But the staggering calorie and saturated fat content of most of the treats served up at chains like Baskin-Robbins, Ben and Jerry’s, Cold Stone Creamery, Friendly’s, Haagen-Dazs and TCBY is bound to surprise most consumers.”

The CSPI said an empty Ben & Jerry’s chocolate-dipped waffle cone, designed to hold at least two scoops of ice cream, itself packs 320 calories and 10 grams or half a day’s worth of saturated fat.

“If you put a regular scoop of Chunky Monkey ice cream in that cone, it is going to be worse for you than (a) one-pound rack of baby back ribs, with 820 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat,” CSPI nutritionist Jayne Hurley told a news conference to publicize the study.

“This is something eaten by people strolling around a mall,” she added. “They have no idea they have just eaten 820 calories and one and a half days worth of saturated fat.”

Haagen-Dazs’s Mint Chip Dazzler, a sundae in a cup, has three scoops of ice cream, fudge, cookies, sprinkles and cream — and 1,270 calories, the group said.

Its 38 grams of fat is more than the day’s allowance as calculated by the U.S. government, which says the average American should eat between 2,000 and 2,500 calories a day.

The CSPI called on restaurants and ice cream parlors to list the fat and calorie content of food on menus.

What’s going to be reported is that the food police say ice cream is bad for you. If you read the article and, more importantly, CSPI’s press release (Ice Cream Shops Serving Coronaries in Cones) you’ll see that this is really about a matter of degree. No one is saying ice cream is inherently evil, what CSPI is saying is that the way we consume ice cream and the means through which it is presented to consumers is outrageously calorie and fat-laden and people are not told how bad it really is.

I guarantee you that if every consumer had to look at the calorie and fat content for these ice cream treats every time they ordered one, they would think twice about doing so. We’re talking about allowing consumers to be educated about what they’re really eating. Every consumer has a right to make a choice, but presented with an informed choice more people would make the right one for their health.

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Steve at Daily Kos comments on a story from UPI discussing the fact that the report from the 9/11 commission will state that there is no evidence of a link between Al Qaeda and Iraq,

Former Democratic Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, who was a member of the joint congressional committee that produced the report, confirmed the official’s statement.

Asked whether he believed the report will reveal that there was no connection between al-Qaida and Iraq, Cleland replied: “I do … There’s no connection, and that’s been confirmed by some of (al-Qaida leader Osama) bin Laden’s terrorist followers.”

The revelation is likely to embarrass the Bush administration, which made links between Saddam’s support for bin Laden — and the attendant possibility that Iraq might supply al-Qaida with weapons of mass destruction — a major plank of its case for war.

Embarrass? Bullshit. It’s clear evidence of another administration LIE — claimed in Bush’s SOTU address no less — that ties existed between Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and Al Qaeda.

Just to make clear — Bush directly contradicted clear evidence offered by our intelligence agencies. As Cleland says,

“The reason this report was delayed for so long — deliberately opposed at first, then slow-walked after it was created — is that the administration wanted to get the war in Iraq in and over … before (it) came out,” he said.

“Had this report come out in January like it should have done, we would have known these things before the war in Iraq, which would not have suited the administration.”

This report is going to confirm many of the suspicions of those who did not support going to war. This story is picking up steam and things are only going to get worse for this administration as the lies continue to be exposed.

Let me state this again, we’re not talking about bad intelligence, we’re talking about ignoring the intelligence that was available if it didn’t assist a case for war. That is inexcusable and the lies need to be fully exposed to allow the American people to make their own assessments as to whether or not they were duped.
Click to read more …

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James decides to stir the pot with this week’s Caption Contest.

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Talk Left posts on some of the bloggers who have been having an influence on the political discourse. One additional example I have noted is John Leo’s columns in US News & World Report. this week he cites two bloggers in his column. Bob Somerby here,

The media’s handling Of the uraniun-from-Africa story was too much for Bob Somerby, one of the better-known Internet commentators of the left. Somerby usually spends a lot of time and energy criticizing George W. Bush. But last week at his Daily Howler Web site, a headline said: “There they go again! The press corps has made up its mind on Iraq. Result? Basic facts will be mangled.”

And Eugene Volokh here,

Another example of an easy-to-tell but misleading story is criticism of Vice President Dick Cheney for saying on Meet the Press back on March 16: “We believe [Saddam] has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons.” Several commentators savaged Cheney. But as University of California-Los Angeles law Prof. Eugene Volokh argues persuasively, if you look at the entire transcript, it’s clear that Cheney was saying that Saddam would try to reconstitute his nuclear program.

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Kevin at Wizbang uses the statements from Bill Clinton last night to help clue in the Democratic candidates that repeating the Clinton mantra from 1992 might not be a bad idea. I agree, “It’s still the economy stupid.” is the only chance any Democratic candidate has. Whoever the candidate turns out to be needs to hammer that point continuously.

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Laurence Simon at Amish Tech Support posts an open invitation to Saddam. I would make the same offer, but my wife doesn’t like ruthless dictators on the furniture.

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The NY Times weighs in once again on the Bill Pryor nomination that may come for a vote in the Judiciary Committee today.

Mr. Pryor, who has been nominated for a seat on the Federal Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, has views that fall far outside the political and legal mainstream. He has called Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion-rights ruling, “the worst abomination” of constitutional law in our history. He recently urged the Supreme Court to uphold laws criminalizing gay sex, a position the court soundly rejected last month. He has defended the installation of a massive Ten Commandments monument in Alabama’s main judicial building, which a federal appeals court recently held violated the First Amendment. And he has urged Congress to repeal an important part of the Voting Rights Act.

All true, but all of these stands are very different from ruling in a particular case. I’m more concerned that Mr. Pryor has never been a judge and therefore has no judicial record. It’s very possible that he would have a different judicial temperment than what he exhibited as the state Attorney General. Is the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals the appropriate place to test this theory?

(NOTE: I think Mr. Pryor has been a very good attorney general, and I hope we can keep him in Alabama for awhile longer. Despite his support of Roy Moore in the Ten Commandments case.)
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Kevin Drum has a good history and explanation of the “sexed up” controversy.

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Thank you to the newest members of the Alabama Partnership for Progress:
- Children’s Trust Foundation
- Region 2020
- Alabama Heart Association
- Alabama Soft Drink Association
- Alabama Residential Childcare Association
- YWCA of Central Alabama
- One Montgomery
- Alabama Historic Ironworks Association
- Alabama Poverty Project
- Citizens for Responsible Government

The ranks of those who support Ammendment 1 just continues to grow.

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