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Archives for November 2011
Leading Uruk-Hai Publication Endorses Newt
(John Deering via GoComics.com)
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Per Brett Smiley at NYMag‘s Daily Intel:
The editorial board of the Union Leader, New Hampshire’s most influential paper, has stamped Newt Gingrich with its endorsement. The seal of approval is a big boost for Gingrich and a blow for GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, who had been courting Union Leader officials with hopes of winning the paper’s backing, according to Politico.
“We are in critical need of the innovative, forward-looking strategy and positive leadership that Gingrich has shown he is capable of providing,” Union Leader publisher Joseph McQuaid wrote. “… Readers of the Union Leader and Sunday News know that we don’t back candidates based on popularity polls or big-shot backers. We look for conservatives of courage and conviction who are independent- minded, grounded in their core beliefs about this nation and its people, and best equipped for the job.”…
Takes a long genealogy of evil and years of advanced training to pack that much conserva-blather into a single sentence, Mr. McQuaid. Well played.
The good news for us here in the Reality-Based Community is that (a) this will sadden Millard ‘Witt’ Romney, which is always entertaining, and possibly damage the Romneybot’s standing in the Live-Free-or-Die-Trying State; and (b) when Newt fails to win the NH primary, it will damage the Union-Leader‘s “kingmaker” status, in which they’ve taken way too much noisy credit since kneecapping Ed Muskie with the help of Tricky Dick’s ratfvcking squad.
Even were Gingrich to succeed in stealing the NH primary from Willard — and there is a nascent movement to encourage NH Dems (such as there are) to cross party lines and vote for The Swollen Amphibian, not to mention the proud Free State Project proponents of Dr. Ron — he’ll never manage to keep his temper restrained and his mouth shut long enough to be more than a nuisance by the time of the Tampa convention. But anything that further damages the Republican “brand” is Good News for President Obama, and Newt is never more than a missed nap away from a spectacular on-camera meltdown.
ETA: Thanks to commentor MikeJ, via Rumproast, for Gawker‘s report on how much the endorsement confused Twitters.
Leading Uruk-Hai Publication Endorses NewtPost + Comments (95)
Naomi Wolf’s ‘Shocking Truths’ on #OWS Crackdowns are False
I called bullshit and Bullshit finally responded: “It’s bullshit.”
Naomi Wolf’s feverish article charging that the crackdowns of occupy locations were being coordinated by federal law enforcement agencies has captured the #OWS collective consciousness.
And, as it turns out, the sole basis for her article — Rick Ellis’s article in Examiner.com — was debunked by Ellis himself nine days before Wolf decided to feed her feverish fact-free article to the frenzied masses.
But let’s back up.
Naomi Wolf: Hunting for a scandal
As you may recall, Michael Moore tweeted on November 15 that the occupy crackdowns were being coordinated by DHS and greenlit by President Obama. When challenged, he pointed to journalist Rick Ellis’s article in Examiner.com. Moore then appeared on Current TV and ran with the crackdown rumor.
Naomi Wolf’s ‘Shocking Truths’ on #OWS Crackdowns are FalsePost + Comments (253)
This is Just Horrible
James Joyner’s wife died unexpectedly in her sleep last night, leaving behind an obviously distraught James and two young daughters. She was only 41.
It’s just devastating news for anyone, and I feel horrible for him.
James, you are in our thoughts.
Football Open Thread, by request
Manning Update
According to his lawyer’s blog, PFC Bradley Manning’s case will finally get an Article 32 hearing. It is scheduled to start on the 16th of December and run for five days at Fort Meade, MD.
The Article 32 hearing for PFC Bradley Manning will begin on December 16, 2011 at Fort Meade, Maryland. The hearing is expected to last approximately five days. With the exception of those limited times where classified information is being discussed, the hearing will be open to the public.
Additionally, Mr. Coombs gives a pretty good description of what an Article 32 hearing is:
The primary purpose of the Article 32 hearing is to evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of the government’s case as well as to provide the defense with an opportunity to obtain pretrial discovery. The defense is entitled to call witnesses during the hearing and to also cross examine the government’s witnesses. Each witness who testifies is placed under oath; their testimony can therefore be used during the trial for impeachment purposes or as prior testimony should the witness become unavailable.
This will not happen in front of a judge, and unlike a civilian Grand Jury, which the Article 32 process replaces, the prosecutor, called the Trial Counsel in military parlance, will not run the hearing. It will be presided over by an Investigating Officer. The IO will be a commissioned officer who is not JAG corps, but will have a legal advisor. The IO will prepare a report to the Convening Authority, the general officer under whose authority this case proceeds. The report will advise the CA as to which proffered charges should proceed to Court Martial, which ones should be dropped, and what level of Court Martial should be convened. The advisory capacity of the IO cannot be overstated. It is at the Convening Authority’s sole discretion as to whether or not to charge a Soldier under UCMJ. The CA can choose to not charge vice his IO’s report, but this is rare. Conversely, the CA can choose to charge even when the IO recommends against it. This happens frequently in sexual assault/rape charges and drug charges.
I am not a lawyer. I do know lawyers who are members of the military bar, however, and they tolerate my questions and try to answer in such a way that I can understand them. There are other sources of information about the process and events out there, and I encourage you all to go out and seek out knowledgeable sources.
NOTE–edited to change the title of the Article 32 IO from “Investing Officer” to “Investigating Officer”. Hat tip to commenter sherparick.
The authoritaritards
Remember that guy in Georgia who swore not to hire anyone as long as Obama stays in office? Some helpful context:
(1) Bill Looman is hardly some regular joe SBO (small business owner) who snapped. The guy has organized fringe militia gangs for quite some time. He had a recent chat with the Feds that might have to do with his links to more than one well-publicized domestic terrorism story, or it might concern his promise to join an armed rebellion if Obama wins another term. Could be both!
(2) His firm provides cranes and chain hoists that are useful, for example, in large factory operations. Anyone in Looman’s line of work would be less than thrilled about the NLRB and liberal gummint for trying to shutter a new Boeing plant after South Carolina spent $270 million on top of Boeing’s almost $1 billion to build it. Tack on Toyota’s recent recall issues and the region’s latent racial prejudice which, to put it generously, may have some indirect influence on Mr. Looman, and the main surprise is that he has not already gone redneck rambo on some local IRS office.