To me, this seems to be a rather fair assessment of some of the politics surrounding Iraq.
Archives for 2003
How?
As a former M1A1 crewman, I have no idea how anyone survived this. My guess is it was the tank commander (who was probably standing in the turret and blown free) and the driver.
Unfair Smear?
Here is an update to the ‘Hate Bush’ rally:
Internet gossip Matt Drudge gleefully seized upon the “Hate Bush” story yesterday, noting that the meeting will be chaired by Harold Ickes, Bill Clinton’s former White House deputy chief-of-staff and Clinton/Al Gore campaign manager, and Ellen Malcom, founder of Emily’s List, a group dedicated to electing pro-choice, Democratic women. Former AFL-CIO political director Steve Rosenthal will also chair, according to an invite obtained by PAGE SIX.
But Ariel “Ari” Emanuel, a founding partner of the powerful Endeavor talent agency, brother of Clinton White House staffer Rahm Emanuel and agent to Larry David and “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, bristled at the “Hate Bush” hullabaloo.
“People are assembling over a political issue – the 2004 election,” Emanuel told us. “I didn’t know that free assembly was a bad thing. The invite didn’t say ‘Hate Bush,’ and I don’t think the [Drudge story] was productive.” Emanuel declined to say who he’ll support, but assured us, “It won’t be Bush.”
If this is the case, both Drudge and I owe them an apology.
Solar Dreams
This is just too cool:
Record-breaking balloonist Brian Jones is planning to fly around the world in a solar-powered aircraft.
He will pilot the yet-to-be built plane with his ballooning partner Bertrand Piccard.The pair completed the first circumnavigation by balloon in March 1999 in Breitling Orbiter 3.
As well as being a world-first, Jones’s planned solar aviation feat is designed to raise awareness of green technology and renewable energy
The power of the sun has already put a plane in the air. Helios is an unmanned aircraft part designed by Nasa scientists which first flew in 1999.
But the technology to keep such an aircraft in the air for days rather than hours is still being developed.
Awesome.
Beautiful
Am I the only one who really enjoyed the fisking of wingnut blogger Hesiod in the mainstream media? Jon Podheretz administers the smackdown:
Then there are those who argue that Bush took the trip not because he wanted to spend time with the troops, but because he wanted – get this – to overshadow Hillary Clinton’s visit to Iraq.
“Bush probably planned on visiting the troops sometime around Thanksgiving, but hastily decided to give the ‘go’ command when Karl Rove realized that Bush’s ‘daring’ midnight run into Iraq would be laughed at by the entire country if Hillary Clinton already beat him to it,” according to the blogger Hesiod. “It turns out that Hillary’s people informed the White House of her trip to Iraq way back in September . . . Anyone still believe this was a ‘spur of the moment’ decision?”
Yeah, that’s why Air Force One flew in the dark over the Atlantic – to rob Hillary Clinton of a one-day news story.
Bwahaha. Again, wingnuts- check this Dana Milbank quote:
Nashville, Tenn.: Is there any indication that Hillary Clinton’s Thanksgiving trip to Iraq played any role in motivating the President’s decision to make the secret trip?
Dana Milbank: None whatsoever. But that doesn’t stop people from speculating. Fodder for conspiracy types: The Pentagon knew weeks in advance about plans for her trip. Cold water for conspiracy types: the Clinton trip was to have been the week before but was delayed because of Medicare votes.
(via Hanks)
Oil Hysteria
Scott Burgess does some meme-killing of his own.
Another Milestone
This is a great development:
Sylvester Croom became the first black head football coach in the Southeastern Conference yesterday when he accepted an offer to take over at Mississippi State.
Croom, 49, arrives in Starkville, Miss., with 28 years of coaching experience, including the last three as the Green Bay Packers’ running backs coach. He’ll be introduced at a news conference today as the successor to Jackie Sherrill, who is retiring.
The SEC was the only Bowl Championship Series conference never to have had a black head coach. There were four black head football coaches among 117 Division I-A football schools this season.
“We went after the best football coach and he just happened to be a minority,” Mississippi State Athletic Director Larry Templeton said last night.
I wonder how this will impact the recruiting of talent in the SEC.