Archive for December, 2004
Best of Best of
Fellow travelers Rob’s Blog, Information Leafblower, and Matt Tobey have their best of 2004 lists up. Go check them out. Bookmark on DeliciousDigg this postShare on Facebookshare via RedditShare with StumblersTweet about itBookmark in BrowserTell a friend
The Foreign Vote
Aside from the manufactured state of fear the Bush administration has used since 9-11, the most impressive collective hallucination has been the “America first, with us or against us” mentality that has soiled just about every corner of our existence. Gone are the days of the internet making the world smaller and more cooperative, replaced [...]
The Price of Success at the Washington Post
What is the reward for being your news organization’s most relentless questioner of the President and other White House officials? If your name is Dana Milbank and you work for the Washington Post, your reward is reassignment: The Bush White House finally got what it has wanted for years: Dana Milbank is off the White [...]
Defining Superlatives Down…Again
“I support the FDA. They do a spectacular job.” White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, December 2004 “You are courageously leading our nation in the war against terror. You’re doing a superb job. You are a strong Secretary of Defense, and our nation owes you a debt of gratitude.” “…I’m never disappointed in my [...]
Sad But True
In case you didn’t see this already, the Cornell University recently completed a nationwide poll in which nearly half of the respondents feel that Muslim Americans should have restrictions on their civil liberties. And there’s more: The survey conducted by Cornell University also found that Republicans and people who described themselves as highly religious were [...]
A Tale of Two Bridges
Recently the French inaugurated the world’s highest bridge, a 1.5 mile structure that has been gaining praise for its striking architecture and sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. While it is a remarkable structure from both an engineering and aesthetic standpoint, this story didn’t really interest me until I read the fine print: the bridge [...]
The Republican Left Wing
During last summer’s Republican convention, a lot of people (including us) were wondering about the disconnect between the rabid party faithful and moderate prime-time speakers such as Rudy Guiliani and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Neither of these men fit the party profile, at least as far as the all-important “moral values” were concerned. And now Schwarzenegger has [...]
Rumsfeld Down the Memory Hole
Last week, a soldier stood up during a question-and-answer session in Kuwait to ask Donald Rumsfeld why many vehicles in the war lacked sufficient armor. Rumsfeld famously answered “you go to war with the army you have…not the army you might want” and claimed that the whole problem was a lack of production capability, a [...]
Maybe It Was a Translation Problem
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi speaking at a White House press conference 12/15/04 And in particular, I agree on the way in which we keep on and carry on our relationship. It’s a very frank, direct, straightforward and spontaneous way, full of truth. And I think this was the deepest reason why President Bush succeeded [...]
Hot Man on Dog Action
Just don’t tell Rick Santorum. If it’s the holiday season, then it’s time for Barney Cam, and unlike past years, outsiders can really catch a glimpse of the Oval Office decision-making process. We now know that the Cabinet has been irrelevant for some time. No wonder there were so many defections from the ranks of [...]