Yes, Virginia, the Democrats are going to fight
It doesn't seem to have sunk into Republican brains yet, but they're about to get hit -- hard. Credible Democratic challengers are popping up all over in states and districts which were formerly considered "safe."
Swing State Project has the latest: James Webb has announced that he'll be running as a Democrat against incumbent US Senator George Allen. This race will be a tough nut to crack. I don't know if it's doable. But I do know one thing: Allen just went from dark horse for the GOP's 2008 presidential nomination to embattled incumbent who's going to have to bust ass to keep his seat. For those of you who aren't familiar with Webb, he's an Annapolis graduate, a Marine veteran of combat in Vietnam, a popular novelist ... and he served as Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Navy. He is, in other words, the ideal candidate to reach out to Republican voters who are bewildered by their party's departure from reality, but not so disgruntled that they'd support a Ted Kennedy or a Barbara Boxer.
I keep hearing people ask how the Democrats are going to deflect Republican accusations that they're "weak on national security." Well, Webb is part of the answer to that question. Here are 56 (as of today) more answers.
Pow, right in the X chromosomes
Wonkette obviously hasn't been following the polls. Yes, it's early ... but if you click on over to The Next Prez, you'll find that elusive libertarian female you've been looking for. With 75 votes cast in the February straw poll, the front-runner for the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential nomination -- excluding Republican congresscritter Ron Paul, who's about likely to run as I am to give birth to septuplets -- is Dr. Mary Ruwart.
Ruwart is already one up come convention time, as the New Hampshire LP has already committed a delegate to her. Supporters have a "draft" petition up (she hasn't said no), and attendees at the party's recent state chair conference allegedly received fliers from pro-Ruwart activists.
I'm not sure where the hell this "no libertarian women" meme comes from. I see more women at libertarian events than at comparable events held by other parties. Better-looking women, too. Matter of fact, a few years ago, I said to myself "gotta get me one of those." So I did.
Don't cry for me, Costa Rica
Interesting stuff on the fate of Movimento Libertario at Sunni and the Conspirators and Liberty For Sale. I'd kind've hoped the results would shake the Tim out of his "it's the purists who are holding us back" trance, but from the initial tone that seems unlikely.
[Late addendum: I meant to read, and link to, Jacqueline Passey's post on the elections as well ... but my blogging fingers got ahead of my brain. At first blush, the only comment I really have is "yeah -- what she said" - TLK]
Second time around
Don't forget about Steve Kubby. Scott Bieser hasn't, although I missed his kickass post when it went up more than a week ago. (Note to self: Update Time Sink link in blogrolls.) Kubby makes an appearance in the print edition of A Drug War Carol, one of the finest graphic novels I've ever had the pleasure to pick up and an absolute must-read for your friends who just don't get it. Scott illustrated it, Susan Wells wrote it ... and by the way, does anyone happen to know where Susan has gone off to?
Money, guns and lawyers
A prestigious law firm is wading in on the Corey Maye case, pro bono. Kudos to Radley Balko for carrying this ball way down the field. This kind of blogosphere activism outclasses Rathergates and orange Kerrys by a damn sight.
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Technorati Tags: News, Current Affairs, Current Events, Politics
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Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Tuesday Roundup
It's liberty or long pig
We will be free or we will be food. I opt for the former. Apparently Mara Liasson doesn't see the difference.
Have I mentioned how much I hate being in agreement with Malkin? It's sort of like doing something that needs doing but that you need to take a shower after, too. But, she continues to be right on the cartoon savagery.
Not the cartoon "row" (she already caught that one, btw). Not the cartoon "kerfuffle" (geez, I hate that word). Not the cartoon "foofooraw." It's just plain old mindless barbarism, and there's no getting around it. For anyone on any side of the political polygon to deny this is so far beyond stupid that I don't have a word to describe it.
"Respect for Islam?" Maybe we can talk about that after the savages stop burning down buildings, murdering priests and kidnapping people, and after the perps are punished and their "moderate" brethren apologize for not reining in the nutjobs sooner. Maybe. Until then, no dice.
Karl's snarl
Yes, I've pooh-pooed the possibility of impeachment ... but apparently the White House is taking it more seriously than I have been. Joe Gandleman mulls the latest: Apparently Karl Rove is pulling all stops to shy Republican Senators away from asking any tough questions about the Bush/NSA spy plot.
My retrospective impression of Watergate (at the time it actually went down, my commentary was limited to decrying pre-emption of "Captain Kangaroo" for special bulletins) is that the Nixon White House at least threw off something of an ... august ... aura: Pemberton at Vicksburg or, if you want something more luciferian, Hitler in the bunker, awaiting the Russian onslaught. Bush, on the other hand, reminds me of a crackhead trying to shoot his way out of the liquor store he just robbed.
In other spy plot news, Jason Hallmark disposes of the idea that it's all Jimmy Carter's fault.
Readin', ritin' and race
The jury is still out (from where I sit) on cognitive differences between races. Yeah, I've read The Bell Curve, but as John will tell you, data can be manipulated to "prove" anything (and often is, through carelessness, dishonesty or a combination of the two). I found Herrnstein and Murray's work interesting, but not conclusive.
Cognitive differences or not, La Shawn Barber has one thing right: Government schools are failing the kids. "School choice" that brings the private sector under the failed public sector's thumb (i.e. vouchers and such) is a non-starter, too, if we're talking about actually educating the rugrats. It's gotta be separation of school and state. Which, of course, gives me a short hook on which to hang this post from Tim the movementarian about accreditation, just because I want to.
The Kubby corner
Yes, I'm still watching the story and pulling for Steve. Hope you are too. Good non-blog pieces from Brian M. Doherty and Fred E. Foldvary to check out. So do.
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Technorati Tags: News, Current Affairs, Current Events, Politics
IceRocket Tags: News, Current Affairs, Current Events, Politics
We will be free or we will be food. I opt for the former. Apparently Mara Liasson doesn't see the difference.
Have I mentioned how much I hate being in agreement with Malkin? It's sort of like doing something that needs doing but that you need to take a shower after, too. But, she continues to be right on the cartoon savagery.
Not the cartoon "row" (she already caught that one, btw). Not the cartoon "kerfuffle" (geez, I hate that word). Not the cartoon "foofooraw." It's just plain old mindless barbarism, and there's no getting around it. For anyone on any side of the political polygon to deny this is so far beyond stupid that I don't have a word to describe it.
"Respect for Islam?" Maybe we can talk about that after the savages stop burning down buildings, murdering priests and kidnapping people, and after the perps are punished and their "moderate" brethren apologize for not reining in the nutjobs sooner. Maybe. Until then, no dice.
Karl's snarl
Yes, I've pooh-pooed the possibility of impeachment ... but apparently the White House is taking it more seriously than I have been. Joe Gandleman mulls the latest: Apparently Karl Rove is pulling all stops to shy Republican Senators away from asking any tough questions about the Bush/NSA spy plot.
My retrospective impression of Watergate (at the time it actually went down, my commentary was limited to decrying pre-emption of "Captain Kangaroo" for special bulletins) is that the Nixon White House at least threw off something of an ... august ... aura: Pemberton at Vicksburg or, if you want something more luciferian, Hitler in the bunker, awaiting the Russian onslaught. Bush, on the other hand, reminds me of a crackhead trying to shoot his way out of the liquor store he just robbed.
In other spy plot news, Jason Hallmark disposes of the idea that it's all Jimmy Carter's fault.
Readin', ritin' and race
The jury is still out (from where I sit) on cognitive differences between races. Yeah, I've read The Bell Curve, but as John will tell you, data can be manipulated to "prove" anything (and often is, through carelessness, dishonesty or a combination of the two). I found Herrnstein and Murray's work interesting, but not conclusive.
Cognitive differences or not, La Shawn Barber has one thing right: Government schools are failing the kids. "School choice" that brings the private sector under the failed public sector's thumb (i.e. vouchers and such) is a non-starter, too, if we're talking about actually educating the rugrats. It's gotta be separation of school and state. Which, of course, gives me a short hook on which to hang this post from Tim the movementarian about accreditation, just because I want to.
The Kubby corner
Yes, I'm still watching the story and pulling for Steve. Hope you are too. Good non-blog pieces from Brian M. Doherty and Fred E. Foldvary to check out. So do.
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Technorati Tags: News, Current Affairs, Current Events, Politics
IceRocket Tags: News, Current Affairs, Current Events, Politics
Trackback, mountin'
Those Bastards! have an "Open Trackback Tuesday" post running. Hell, who am I to turn down free link love? I'm looking into the whole Open Trackback Alliance thing, and if it isn't too much of a pain in the ass to get Haloscan to display trackbacks inline, I may do it myself and share out some of the infamy. After all, I've only got like, what, 2,000 links in my blogrolls?
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