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We Are On a Break
Things are sort of on hold here for a little bit. The summer of weddings has me all off schedule.
Smackdown
Via, Oliver Willis, Chris Matthews tools the crazy nut job Michelle Malkin -- the FOX News commentator who thought she might come on his show to ponder, just ponder, whether Kerry's Vietnam wounds may have be self-inflicted. Matthews tell her gently, uh-uh, not appropriate, you crazy nut job. (Make sure you have Quicktime installed. That tripped me up a bit.)
Tell Me Who You Walk With and I'll Tell You Who You Are
Sorry for the long excerpt and lack of commentary but I'm really getting so sick of this crap. This New York Times article on the recent spate of Kerry-bashing needs to be read and a copy sent to, oh, every single person in this country. (The bolded parts are what these veterans now so very opposed to Kerry had to say about him in the recent past.):
"The strategy the veterans devised would ultimately paint John Kerry the war hero as John Kerry the "baby killer" and the fabricator of the events that resulted in his war medals. But on close examination, the accounts of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth' prove to be riddled with inconsistencies. In many cases, material offered as proof by these veterans is undercut by official Navy records and the men's own statements."
Several of those now declaring Mr. Kerry "unfit" had lavished praise on him, some as recently as last year.
In an unpublished interview in March 2003 with Mr. Kerry's authorized biographer, Douglas Brinkley, provided by Mr. Brinkley to The New York Times, Roy F. Hoffmann, a retired rear admiral and a leader of the group, allowed that he had disagreed with Mr. Kerry's antiwar positions but said, "I am not going to say anything negative about him." He added, "He's a good man."
In a profile of the candidate that ran in The Boston Globe in June 2003, Mr. Hoffmann approvingly recalled the actions that led to Mr. Kerry's Silver Star: "It took guts, and I admire that."
George Elliott, one of the Vietnam veterans in the group, flew from his home in Delaware to Boston in 1996 to stand up for Mr. Kerry during a tough re-election fight, declaring at a news conference that the action that won Mr. Kerry a Silver Star was "an act of courage." At that same event, Adrian L. Lonsdale, another Vietnam veteran now speaking out against Mr. Kerry, supported him with a statement about the "bravado and courage of the young officers that ran the Swift boats."
"Senator Kerry was no exception," Mr. Lonsdale told the reporters and cameras assembled at the Charlestown Navy Yard. "He was among the finest of those Swift boat drivers."
Those comments echoed the official record. In an evaluation of Mr. Kerry in 1969, Mr. Elliott, who was one of his commanders, ranked him as "not exceeded" in 11 categories, including moral courage, judgment and decisiveness, and "one of the top few" - the second-highest distinction - in the remaining five. In written comments, he called Mr. Kerry "unsurpassed," "beyond reproach" and "the acknowledged leader in his peer group."
So we have a bunch of misguided liars running around. Not such a big story there. Here's the part I'm too angry to talk about yet, here's what should make us get out of our seats and say that this just has to end:
A series of interviews and a review of documents show a web of connections (neat chart there) to the Bush family, high-profile Texas political figures and President Bush's chief political aide, Karl Rove.
Records show that the group received the bulk of its initial financing from two men with ties to the president and his family - one a longtime political associate of Mr. Rove's, the other a trustee of the foundation for Mr. Bush's father's presidential library. A Texas publicist who once helped prepare Mr. Bush's father for his debate when he was running for vice president provided them with strategic advice. And the group's television commercial was produced by the same team that made the devastating ad mocking Michael S. Dukakis in an oversized tank helmet when he and Mr. Bush's father faced off in the 1988 presidential election.
You did it to McCain. You did it to Cleland. But it's looking more and more like you picked the wrong guy to screw with this time.
CivicSpace is Here
The folks at CivicSpace have just unleashed their 0.5 release. If you're unfamiliar, CivicSpace is an "open source civic engagement and organizing platform" and I'm pretty sure it's going to save the world. (I'm gonna install it on newjerseyfifth.com real soon.)
Taking It to the Streets
Looks like Virginia is now considered by some to be a battleground state. Meaning if you live in DC, you know, get to work.
Venezuela and Electronic Voting
International Herald Tribune: "Two days after the referendum...evidence is growing that the software of the touch-screen voting machines had been tampered with. " (Also, just came across this article that I missed: Wrong Time for an E-Vote Glitch.) (If you're interested in this issue, you can read more about it here.)
By Boat I Guess
Just watching equestrian events and wondering how they get the horses over to Athens.
NJ5
I've just started putting more time into New Jersey Fifth, because it just burns me up that this man represents my home district.
Tell Me Your Weakness
Jane asked me to go into a little more detail on the question of details I mentioned here. The question first came up in the context of the exact details of what a President Kerry would do to fix the Iraq situation, and I expressed some degree of consternation that folks would actually be asking for those sort of specifications -- you know, six months before he'd actually be able to do anything about them. But timing isn't where my problem with this sort of approach lies. Think of a presidential campaign as a long job interview. Sure, you ask questions about hypothetical or likely situations, but what you're really judging in a potential employee, I think, is his or her judgment. You pick somebody you have assessed to think well, make good decisions, that sort of thing -- hire good people and let them do their jobs. It's on that basis that I think you pick a president -- pick somebody good and then to some extent you have to sit back and see what kind of a job they do. Especially when the field of potential employees/presidents is limited to two -- then it's really the only way at all to do it.
Please Stand Up
On the off chance that this was the real Joe Trippi -- Joe, let me start by saying that I think you're just fabulous, I really do. But I'm just not feeling you on this one. Here's a bit from the article I mentioned in the first place.
For if neither of the two major parties wake up to the fact that people are sick of politics as usual, it will be the parties and not just the conventions that will be headed for the ash heap of history.
And here's where I think that's just not quite it. I think that what's happening -- with all the 527, blog, George Soros trending in at least Democratic politics, is that the parties are actually returning to core competencies. As long as the House is majority controlled and the Senate majority dominated (and controlled after 60), the party as an organizing principle will live strong in DC at least -- in a more Anthony Williams than Marion Barry sort of way, though. Meaning that the party as rock star is, I do think, a dying concept, but long live the party as accountant. To put it another, I'm sure equally confusing way, the Democratic party at least will be deflated back down to its actual functional size -- there's really not a whole lot of other options. We are a sort of girl or guy system of politics -- it matters more or less in different times which one you are, but you're one or the other. And that's not gonna change.
On NJ
When I was up in Boston at the convention I found myself without a whole heck of a lot to do during the day, so I made my way to the New Jersey delegation's breakfast on Wednesday and then again on Thursday. I'm getting myself more and more interested in the details and personalities of New Jersey politics -- both because it's an interesting state in which to follow such things, because I'm from there, and in case I, you know, ever decide to move back. Not knowing a whole heck of a lot, I was having a little trouble understanding exactly what was going on when Senator Corzine held up a copy of the Star Ledger with the headline that was something like "Corzine Puts End to Rumor Mill," something like that. He made a big point of calling Jim McGreevey "our governor" and they held hands up on stage, all Rocky-like. Corzine and others thanked McGreevey's wife for keeping him on the straight and narrow, though that exact wording might be wishful hindsight. Seemed like a big happy Jersey family.
Not much of a point here, really. Just turned out to be an interesting time for me to start following New Jersey politics.
Oh, and on McGreevey's speech. In short, I give the guy a whole lot of credit for getting up there and saying "I am a gay American" and for putting his struggle in the context of thinking who you are is somehow at odds with being a good son, good father, good governor. But, and I don't want to make too big a deal of this, I just somehow really didn't believe him.
Venezuela
One of the interesting bits about what's going on with the Chavez referendum victory is the part being played by electronic voting machines. The anti-Chavez folks are suggesting that some sort of fraud has taken place and are calling for a manual recount of the results -- I'd be somewhat suprised if that's actually possible on the machines that I think they're using down there. That's all I'm going to say about that.
Back
Back from Cape Cod. I just love that place -- walking around in flops, eating ice cream, all that. Here are the things I'm going to write about soon: what a month to get interested in New Jersey politics, could this be the real Joe Trippi, this comment I made about details.
Alas
Just as I was gearing up to post regularly here, I'm off to the beach for a week.
263 Pages of Plan
I'm going to write more later on the idea that support for John and John should be any way contingent upon knowing the specific details of what John and John might do (from my tone you might infer that I don't think we do and you'd be right about that), but for know those who are interested might start here.
The Best Marylander for Illinois
Please, please let this
happen. Barack Obama DEMOCRAT vs. Alan Keyes REPUBLICAN. I want that on a sign,
t-shirt, and key chain.
SpringsDean and Mr. Terry Holt
Bruce makes
us Jerseyans so proud when he says things like this: "I don't think John
Kerry and John Edwards have all the answers. I do believe they are sincerely
interested in asking the right questions and working their way toward honest
solutions." Give me a minute -- I'm marinating in right questions
and honest solutions. Okay, there's more. Bruce: "They understand
that we need an administration that places a priority on fairness, curiosity,
openness, humility, concern for all America's citizens, courage and faith."
Sweet Bruce, instead we have ourselves an Administration that is not so big on
the fairness, curiosity, openness, humility, concern for all America's citizens,
courage and faith and instead prefers to use its time writing out paychecks
for a jackass by the name of Mr. Terry Holt. Who is Mr. Terry Holt?, you might
ask. CNN.com
gives us this:
"Responding to Dean's latest assertion (that there might be the tinyest
bit of political motivation in the Administration's up and down and up and down
with the threat levels oh and by the by, CNN, nice word choice in "latest
assertion" -- ed. ), Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt dismissed him
as a "bizarre conspiracy theorist." Holt went on to say that "This
shameful display of angry partisanship from Howard Dean is more of the angry
face of the Democratic Party, and it's not helping us win the war on terror."
I know it's wrong and I won't do it, but I just want to hit Mr. Terry Holt. Hard.
End This
McCain
condemns anti-Kerry ads, calls on White House to follow suit
"It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me,"
McCain said in an interview with The Associated Press, referring
to his bitter Republican primary fight with President Bush.
(emphasis added -- ed.)
In 2000, Bush's supporters sponsored a rumor campaign against McCain
in the South Carolina primary, helping Bush win the primary and
the nomination. McCain's supporters have never forgiven the Bush
team.
McCain said that's all in the past to him, but he's speaking out
against the anti-Kerry ad because "it reopens all the old wounds
of the Vietnam War, which I spent the last 35 years trying to heal."
"I deplore this kind of politics," McCain said. "I
think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is, none of these
individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crew
have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served
honorably in Vietnam. I think George Bush served honorably in the
Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War." |
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UPDATE | Veteran retracts criticism of Kerry: "Yesterday, a key figure in the anti-Kerry campaign, Kerry's former commanding officer, backed off one of the key contentions. Lieutenant Commander George Elliott said in an interview that he had made a ''terrible mistake" in signing an affidavit that suggests Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star -- one of the main allegations in the book. "
One More Won't Kill Us
I know it's too late this go round, but we should seriously consider making
election day a national holiday. (Look, here's a bill
that does just that.) I've got no numbers on this, but there are
people who don't vote because they've decided that they don't have the time
to do so. Make it a holiday, and get people thinking that they should not only
vote but work the polls, watch the polls for their party, drag people out their
houses who haven't shown up yet, or just meet up in bars to watch the extended
coverage that would go along with it. It'd be like a big national gift that
we give ourselves. (We can start work on this Nov. 4.)
We the Media
I've compiled Dan Gillmor's new book We the Media into one big (though only .99MB) pdf for easy use. I can do that, cause it's been released under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Creative Commons License.
This Song is My Song
Looks like there's some fair use questions over the use of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" in that brilliant JibJab piece. One interesting bit is that supposedly Guthrie once used this as his copyright notice:
| This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085,
for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin it without our
permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don't give
a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote
it, that's all we wanted to do. |
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With Enemies Like These
Oh goody. A thoughtful new book
on John Kerry from John O'Neill. Love this guy -- I dug this up from my archives
from the last time he was in the news:
| John O'Neill is a Vietnam veteran and, as a recent
CNN article tells us, "a man who served in the same Navy
unit as Sen. John Kerry." O'Neill has been spending his time
of late going around saying thoughtful things like: "[Kerry]
couldn't tie the shoes of some of the people in Coastal Division 11."
Keep on reading that same article, and you get to the description
of O'Neill as "a Houston lawyer who joined the Navy's Coastal
Division 11 two months after the future senator left Vietnam."
Quick reread and, yes, two months after Kerry had left Vietnam.
As a fellow veteran, O'Neill might be in a position to comment on
Kerry's actions as something of a war protester after he was back
in the States. But having not actually witness the man do one single
thing for one single second in theater -- you know, saving lives,
taking lives, during the actual, you know, war -- seems like it might
make it difficult to come to the conclusion that "I saw some
war heroes ... John Kerry is not a war hero." (From what I saw
of the television coverage of this, I had thought the two served together.
Either my bad or Matt Lauer's.) (April 22, 2004) |
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Starting in 1971
under the loving guidance of Nixon aid/former inmate Chuck Colson -- a man who
has describes himself at that time as "incapable
of humanitarian thought" -- this guy has been on a more than 30 year
mission to bring down John Kerry. I'm not sure whose word I should
take here -- that of O'Neill and this
reputable Vets Against Kerry group or that of Max
Cleland, John McCain, and
the, oh, dozen or so men from Kerry's swift boat crew who stood with him on that
stage in Boston. (Kos has more on who this
O'Neill guy's friends are.)
They've Gotten Matt Lauer
In introducing the Dave Matthews Band and the Dixie Chicks on their upcoming Vote for Change tour, Matt Lauer chided the effort's "very liberal agenda" -- the sole bullet point of which appeared to be encouraging folks to consider voting for Kerry. He berated Emily and Martie and Dave and Boyd for a few minutes for daring to express their dirty little political opinions before sliding right into an interview on man problems with Dr. Laura Schlesinger. Aaah.
Everything I Got
A lot went on today that was worth considering and because I have
a couple of other things to do before bed I'm going to just combine a bunch
of the thoughts I had today into a sort of stream of thinking super-post:
I was angered reports
this morning that the 'current' terrorist threat information is
really pretty old and got even angrier when I tried driving into work and got
stuck on 2nd Street for half an hour and realized that the additional security
implemented as a response to these imminent threats consisted of looking through
my car window into the back seat and asking for my congressional ID which I
wasn't required to show because you don't yet need to work in Congress
to drive down that street. Congresswoman Norton and Mayor Williams and therefore
the residents of the District get screwed because we can object
to our roads being closed but nobody has to listen and that is un-what-this-country-is-supposed-to-be.
Listening to Howard Dean in Boston made me love that man again. He makes me
believe that politics is worth doing, but only if you think about what it means
and how to do it. Dean supports Samara
Barend and now I do too. The FleetCenter was a mess; at one point
a worker told me that since folks were complaining about the lack of passes
they just handed out a thousand more. Personal integrity and public integrity
are not one and the same. Jon Stewart may be a jackass at home (not saying he
is, just that he could be) but he is a great man because he holds those who
should know better accountable
for what they say and do. We're at the point now that anybody can
say just about anything, like how freakin liberal John Kerry and John Edwards
are supposed to be, and we'll believe it without us asking that it be
supported at least as well as was required by the teachers grading three-five
essays back at Immaculate Heart Academy circa 1994. I'm still surprised
by the cynicism of the mainstream press and what a really what a very bad job
they often do and how can we get other people to see that? Dean told a story
about how he flew to Oregon with Kerry to give a powerful speech before a great
crowd and what got reported was that they played hearts on the plane. Judy
Woodruff can kiss my ass. I too worship at the altar of Joe Trippi (thank
you Rick
Klau) but I think he's wrong about the future
of the political parties -- at their best they're only meant
to serve a limited purpose and we the people are supposed to do the rest. Homeland
security and partial birth abortion and death tax and weapons of mass destruction
are examples of the principle that you get to decide how people think about
something when you decide how to name it. Complaining that political conventions
are scripted is like doing the same about Broadway. David Brock and
Media Matters are doing good work -- witness Oliver Willis's piece
on how FOX News said the crowd didn't cheer during the military parts
of Kerry's speech when, wait for it, that
wasn't actually true. Why can't we accept that just maybe somebody
like John Kerry is a good man that just might do a good job -- why isn't
that possible anymore?
Back, Baby
There's been a couple of things keeping the site from being all that I want it to be, which is really not all that much but more than it is now. That said, these things are thus. First and primarily, I can't and won't ever post from work, which leaves me to post things here on nights, weekends, days off, that sort of thing, when I tend to be somewhat worn out and not really wanting to settle down with my laptop. Next, there are some things that I can't and won't write about because of the work that I do. And lastly, I have what some might call, well, a bit of a perfectionist streak that can drive me crazy when I'm trying to put together on-the-fly off-the-cuff posts for this site.
Well tonight I say to you no more. Tired and worn out be damned and to borrow from Salavador Dali, I mustn't have a fear of perfection for I'll never reach it. There are still some things I won't write about -- namely things directly related to my job. But all else is fair game and I'm going to write about them the best that I can in the time and with the energy that I have for it.
And yes, what I'm doing here is trying to convince myself. Thanks for listening.
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