1115.org

(1) Ye Olde Preamble
I’m traveling again. In a backward country this time. And having internet connectivity problems that even I — who have seen everything, believe me — can hardly credit.

So I have a slightly disconnected relationship with the news right now. And although heaven and earth are being moved, it may be a while before all is well again in my world.

For the moment, I‘m only offering brief comments on whatever stories managed to penetrate my involuntary bubble.

(2) Depends on the Definition of A Very Small Margin
Here’s Newsweek, reporting on the results of their latest poll, conducted after last week’s Democratic presidential debate:

Almost exactly a year before election day, Clinton is also the favorite to win the White House—if only by a very small margin.

The New York senator gets 44 percent of the overall Democratic vote, compared to 24 percent for Obama (down a point since Newsweek’s August poll) and 12 percent for Edwards (down two points). She is the first choice of 45 percent of self-identified Democrats (compared with 39 percent of Democratic “leaners”). She also trounces Obama among Democratic female voters (48 to 19 percent) and enjoys a marginal lead among male Democratic voters (38 to 32 percent). Obama runs better among younger Democratic voters and minorities.

Riddle me this, Newsweek: If Clinton’s 44% to Obama’s 24% is a very small margin, does Obama’s 24% to Edwards’ 12% mean that Edwards is beating Obama?

(I’m only traveling in a backward country. I haven’t regressed into a backward state myself. So I know perfectly well what Newsweek meant.* But if Newsweek readers don’t pick up the faintest hint of a clue even after reading all of the next two paragraphs, what does that say about the quality of Newsweek’s news/information dissemination skills?)

(3) From Musharraf’s Mouth to Bush’s Ear?
CNN:

(Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf) issued a provisional constitutional order proclaiming the emergency and suspending the nation’s constitution, according to a statement read on state television.

The Supreme Court declared the state of emergency illegal, claiming Musharraf had no power to suspend the constitution, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry told CNN.

Shortly afterward, Chaudhry was expelled as chief justice, his office told CNN. Troops who came to Chaudhry’s office said arrangements were being made for his replacement.
[…]
In Islamabad, troops entered the Supreme Court and were surrounding the judges’ homes, according to CNN’s Syed Mohsin Naqvi.

I don’t know about you, but I just love the smell of democracy in the morning.

The Supreme Court, of course, was about to pronounce upon the legality or otherwise of Musharraf’s recent, practically unanimous “re-election” as President. (Regardless of the meaning of the word President in these here United States, in the friendly, sovereign nation of Pakistan, it seems to mean Usurper-in-Chief. And, over time, Musharraf has certainly exhibited a wide range of effective usurpation techniques.)

Let’s just hope this bit of news doesn’t manage to penetrate into Bush’s consciousness (he doesn’t have a brain these days, right?). Wouldn’t want him to get the idea that a President is allowed to get away with doing sh*t that even the Supreme Court regards as illegal and unconstitutional.

(Of course, I’m just being alarmist for the sheer perverse pleasure of it. What has just happened in Pakistan would never happen here in the U.S. Bush would never have to send troops to surround the homes of Supreme Court Justices.)

The declared rationale for Musharraf’s state of emergency is rising Islamic terrorism. He hasn’t yet got around to explaining to his adoring subjects how said Islamic terrorism is tamped down by dismissing the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or placing 500 people in “preventive detention”, mostly leading political figures and other troublemongers (such as Asma Jehangir, “a respected lawyer who chairs the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan”).

In case you were worrying about the U.S. response to Musharraf’s continuing efforts to single-handedly extend the definition of the word democracy, don’t you worry no more. Led by Madame Secretary, Ph.D., the U.S. government is swiftly moving to do the right thing. “The U.S. will review its aid to Pakistan.” That’ll show ‘em!

* Namely, that Clinton has a small lead over various presumptive Republican rivals. Or, let’s hope that’s what they meant, because nothing else makes any sense whatsoever.