What....A....Tournament!!!

The upsets just keep on coming, and one of them may have just helped out Texas Tech...instead of facing the #2 seed Wake Forest, #7 seed West Virginia will be our opponent, after they upset heavily favored Wake 111-105 in double overtime!...Wow...you gotta believe, baby!...On to the Sweet Sixteen!...

Miscellanea Bonus: Nobody Does It Better Edition

Nobody does it better than Chrenkoff, that is. In his latest post (do I smell a meme developing here?), Chrenkoff takes on the Hitler/Stalin comparisons that have been so prevalent of late. Here's the money quote, referring to Tina Brown's comparison of bloggers to the East German Stasi:

At this moment, tens of thousands of the real victims of the real Stasi - you know, the people who were tortured, imprisoned, or turned into outcasts in a closed society - compassionately nod their head and say, "Yes, Tina, we feel your pain."

One man's shame is another man's pride: I hope Prof Bainbridge won't hold it against me that I graduated from Texas Tech (go Raiders!)...

Russ Feingold (I probably should have included him in my poll above) is making some 2008 moves...

Kevin Drum joins in the Condi '08 debate, and agrees with Eleanor Clift. Reason #44 to support Condi: prove to our rivals our tent is bigger than they think...

Question Number One: If Paul Krugman fell in the woods, would anyone hear him? Question #2: Joe Lieberman vs. Paul Krugman in a bare-fisted brawl...your pick? My money's on Lieberman...

Miscellanea - Sweet Sixteen Edition

More signs of political correctness gone mad at Harvard...

The great Ruffini has more on that Eleanor Clift article, and he says (and I agree) that Rudy G. or Condi could in fact be the Republican nominees, pro-choice or not...

Tina Brown joins the brigade of those who cheapen the memories of the victims of communism, but who's really surprised by that? More reaction here...

Great news...there is peace at last between the Arabs and Israelis...oh, wait...same old story, same old song and dance...

Captain Ed is talking about a New York Times piece that quotes the top Marine in Iraq as saying the insurgency is at its lowest level in months...now that is a piece of most welcome news indeed...

Mention abstinence, out yourself as a Republican...

In news of a more urgent nature, I'm thinking of forming a coalition to pressure Russia to preserve the right to watch Poochie...

Finally, in yet another sign that I will shamelessly pilfer from anyone, right or left, I'm borrowing Fargus's poll idea, as you've no doubt missed it from its subtle, non-obtrusive placement...

Quick Shots: Just for Fun Edition

This is very amusing and well worth a visit (hat tip to Dr. Sanity)...

In a rare charitable moment towards the Radical Left, probably inspired by the euphoria over my Red Raiders making it to the Sweet Sixteen, I will pay the Democratic Underground a compliment - their website is pretty nifty looking these days (particularly if you know what it looked like before)....

Sweet Sixteen, Baby!!!

Wow, wow, wow, oh wow - my Red Raiders mounted an amazing second-half comeback, and after being down by thirteen, the final: #6 seed Texas Tech 71, #3 seed Gonzaga 69...Woo hooooooo!...
I'm in heaven, baby!....

Today's Must-Read: Using Monsters for Rhetorical Effect

Victor Davis Hanson has a piece up on the Progressives' nauseating habit of equating political opponents with the twin devils of the 20th century, Hitler and Stalin. Having read extensively on these beasts (apparently those who throw their names around so flippantly have not), I can assure you that the lesson their wretched lives has left us is not 'conservatives are evil'. If there is a lesson, it is this: When the interests of any collective group such as the race, the nation, or the party, are elevated above the interests of the individual, then life becomes expendable. This doesn't mean that a law that, in your view, is retrogressive re: civil liberties is an indication that your opponents are monsters. There are avenues to protest the Patriot Act, if you wish to do so, as a pertinent example.

It remains a truism that any society that allows dissenters to label it as 'fascist' is by definition cleared of the charge. Had the Internet existed during the reigns of Stalin and Hitler, you may be sure that the citizens of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia would not have had the freedom to dissent, or even to read the blogs of those who did. Don't tell that to the columnists of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, however, who continue their inexplicable attack on Power Line and add Little Green Footballs into the mix, for good measure. Thank God we have the responsible MSM to show us the way...

Reconsidering Condi

Eleanor Clift in Newsweek opines that Condi's 'mildly pro-choice' stance has already doomed her '08 candidacy, while also affirming that we should take Condi's 'no, I won't run' with thousands of grains of salt. I'm downgrading Condi's odds, but only a little. While it is true that any 'pro-choice' leanings at all will cost Condi hundreds of thousands of votes, that loss will be mitigated by more favorable press coverage, some converts among 'on-the-fence' moderates and libertarians, and the prospect of facing the far worse, in all likelihood, Democratic alternative.

Of couse, there's also the 'superstar' factor. Condi's socially moderate positions will be excused by many on the grounds of the undeniable excitement she generates, much as Arnold's are (just look at the press she's getting since being named Secretary of State). Yet good press and adolation from the masses can be fleeting (just ask Colin Powell, who's getting a downgrade as well).

CURRENT ODDS (Condi): 14-1

CURRENT ODDS (Powell): 33-1

It's Upset City, Baby!!!

Wow - #4 seed Syracuse falls to #13 seed Vermont, then #14 Bucknell knocks off #3 Kansas...that can only mean one thing...March Madness is in full swing, baby!...I love this game!!!...It's awesome, baby!!! (with all apologies to Dick Vitale, a prince among men)...

Go Red Raiders! Beat Gonzaga...

'Arab Spring' in Trouble in Lebanon?

A car bomb has exploded in Lebanon, in what we can only pray is not a sign of impending violence (and who, do you suppose, was behind the bombing - Hizbullah and its supporters, or the anti-Syrian opposition?). Also somewhat troubling are these comments by opposition leader Walid Jumblatt:

"U.S. President George W. Bush does not have the right to give us lessons on whether the resistance is a terrorist group or not. It is a national resistance and a national Lebanese liberation movement that achieved the noble goal of liberating South Lebanon from the Israeli enemy and Israeli terrorism."

Of course, there is a huge gulf between Resolution 1559 and the Taif Accord:

Jumblatt also commented on Syria's ongoing withdrawal from Lebanon, noting the distinction between U.N. Resolution 1559 and the Taif Accord. The MP expressed full support for the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanese territories as mentioned by the Taif Accord, but objected to the disarmament of Hizbullah stipulated in the U.S.-French brokered resolution.

We must be careful in our exuberance over recent events: anti-Syria doesn't mean pro-Israel, or even an end to Israel's vilification. Things are better, yes, but there's a long way to go yet before that troubled region knows peace.

The Radical Left Valiantly Tries (Again!) to Stop the Dangerous Spread of Freedom

There's a lot of protests going on this weekend to mark the anniversary of George Bush beginning the process of bringing freedom to the larger Middle East (that's right, protests) involving all the usual suspects, including these homegrown morons. For a saner perspective (and it mentions, of course, the spreading of the 'Hey, Maybe Bush is Right' meme), read this and then ask yourself if the 'progressive' brigades even know what they're for or against anymore (hat tip to RealClearPolitics)...

Bono: The Power Behind the Wolfowitz Throne?

Having failed to secure the position he was destined for, Bono finds a way to flex his political muscles...no word on the summit between Condi and the Edge...

How To Annoy A 'Revolutionary', Part One

From CNN:

Cuban President Fidel Castro has criticized Forbes magazine for the "infamy" of listing him among the world's richest people, with a net worth of $550 million.

Vive La Revolucion! (And pass the caviar)...

UPDATE 11:30 a.m.: Thanks to the Right Honorable Instapundit, and welcome to any newcomers...have a great weekend!

Shearer In Town, Forces Marshall Out of Stupor

Harry Shearer of Spinal Tap and Simpsons fame is in town for SXSW, and he's also guest blogging for Josh 'Partisan Hack' Marshall. This is cool for two reasons: first, Harry Shearer is in town, and second, this means that Talking Points Memo actually contains some non-Social-Security-reform content for the first time this millenium. Thanks, Harry, and have fun at the Saxon Pub tonight...

Friday Must-Read: Praising Claudia

Hugh Hewitt has penned a mash note to Claudia Rosett, but I gotta tell you, Hugh, I had a crush on her first. Happy official-kickoff-to-the-weekend day to you all...

Texas Tech Marches On!

The final: Texas Tech 78, UCLA 66...on to the second round, where my #6 seed Red Raiders face #3 seed Gonzaga. My guess: a toss-up...Tech's capable of winning, but Gonzaga has a great tournament history. Should be a scorcher...

The Texas Longhorns, a #8 seed, lost to #9 seed Nevada, but (don't tell my fellow Austinites) I picked Nevada on my bracket...

Congrats to Bobby Knight and the boys from Lubbock...

Miscellanea: The Madness Begins Edition

As I prepare to root on my Red Raiders in their tournament opener, let's see what's going on elsewhere...

Here's an evening must-read on the world's changing perception of Bush (has the 'Hey, Maybe Bush is Right' meme reached the point of no return?) (hat tip to RealClearPolitics)...

What about the Iraqis themselves? How's a 62-23 right-track/wrong track ratio? Curse that warmonger Bush...

Oh, by the way, my favorite Coen brothers movie? Miller's Crossing...

I agree with Clint...Major League Baseball is in seriously deep...well, stuff...

A non-profit, tax-exempt organization that praises Iraqi terrorists and wants to convict Bush of war crimes? Maybe we've found a new home for Ward Churchill...

A quick salute to JP at Americans for a Free Lebanon for his excellent blogroll...

Satire or news? I'm not sure anymore...

God bless Seattle: cranking out 'progressives' at an early age (I'd expect this from college kids, but in high school???!!!)...

And one last time: Go Red Raiders!!!...

Quick Shots: Talk About Timing! Edition

Hot on the heels of yesterday's Weekly Jackass crowning, Oliver Willis (or as Charles says, the Left's dumbest blogger) is hyperventilating over Joe Lieberman...

With a tip of the hat to the Instapundit, don't miss this really cool panoramic view of the Lebanese protests...

Happy St. Pat's

And top of the morning to ye...SXSW is in full swing here, and the truly remarkable local radio station KGSR has been broadcasting live from the Four Seasons with a great lineup daily (Lyle Lovett has been a guest DJ all week). This morning has been truly great, with Robert Earl Keen, Shannon McNally, and the Greencards making an appearance, the latter in particular worth your time and effort if you aren't aware of their music (well, they all are worth the time and effort, but the Greencards are probably the least well known - for now). Opening night of the festival always kicks off with the Austin Music Awards, and here are this year's winners. Enjoy, wear green, and take a cab if you drink too much!...

Dowd Disappoints

So what else is new, right? The new column is out, and there are three 'W.'s and one 'Wolfie', but no 'Rummy's. This is the best you could do, MoDo? You're slipping. Still in classic Dowd fashion, she inserts this nugget:

W. feels as if he's won a lot of hands and has a big pile of chips. He's confident enough to send two unilateralist hawks who specialize in blowing off the globe - John Bolton and Paul Wolfowitz - to run global institutions that epitomize multilateralism. (Wolfie's biggest qualification to run the World Bank? His prediction that Iraqi reconstruction would pay for itself with Iraqi oil revenues.)

Got it? Wolfowitz's specialty is blowing off the globe - notice how it's always the U.S.'s fault with the lefties - the lesson: be totally antagonistic, in the mode of France, and get praised by Maureen Dowd! What a prize...

Then there are the hysterical comparisons to the Soviet Union under communism:

Now the White House has its own gulag: C.I.A. agents snatch suspects and fly them to places like Egypt and Syria to be strung up in chains and tortured. And The Times reported yesterday that at least 26 deaths of prisoners in American custody in Iraq and Afghanistan may be criminal homicides. So it also has its own Soviet-style propaganda campaign.

You remember, of course, the many times that the Soviets put their lives and fortune on the line for the cause of freedom, right? You don't?...that's funny, neither do I. Of all the tiresome 'progressive' ticks, none is more so than this habit of equating political enemies with brutal tyrants (let's see: 26 possible deaths in custody versus 50 million killed by Stalin; sounds about right - good job, Maureen!). Cheapening the horrors of Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany to score meaningless political points is morally repugnant, but that's our MoDo, never willing to allow scruples to interfere with her agenda of relentless mockery. What a talentless hack...

UPDATE 01/17/2005 1:09 pm central: 50 million may be putting it a bit strong for Stalin's death toll (then again...), but even the lowest estimates put 20 million on his head. In any event, the magnitude truly is incomprehensible...

Miscellanea: Whither Wolfowitz? Edition

Joe Biden and Patrick Leahy - guess their reaction to Wolfowitz at the World Bank, anyone? Surprise - they like the idea (hat tip to RealClearPolitics)...

The reaction of paid Dean shill The Daily Kos? You guessed right this time (oh, and classy use of the f-word, Markos)...

Does 'fair and balanced' mean giving air time to a Holocaust denier? If so, count me out (tip of the hat to Pejmanesque)...

I would be failing my duty as your host if I didn't point out this great slam of Maureen Dowd (hat tip to Captain Ed)...

Juan Cole, meanwhile, is making a strong case for his Weekly Jackass worthiness...

Carpe Bonum has a new URL and a bold new look (same great content)...

JustOneMinute, in typically brilliant fashion, sums up Nicholas Kristof's advice to the Democrats:

(1) Be obviously and sincerely religious;
(2) Be pro-choice, but anti-abortion;
(3) Be a man.

Our guess is that on a different day, he would add (4) Don't be Joe Lieberman.

Here's a shameless tip from Dean's World on increasing blog traffic: mention "Mario Vasquez". As I stated in a previous post, however, I am above such cheap stunts as speculating on why Mario Vasquez quit American Idol. In fact, I am even above mentioning Mario Vasquez walking out on Letterman's Top Ten List. If the only way to get people to come to your blog is to mention Mario Vasquez repeatedly, then I'm afraid I'll just get left behind (due to my policy of not mentioning Mario Vasquez).

Weekly Jackass Number Fifteen: Oliver Willis

"Like Magnets to Stupid" - no, wait - "Like Stupid to Kryptonite" - oh, whatever; the point is that Oliver Willis has to be one of the more annoying of the admittedly annoying species called 'bloggers'. Willis has all the subtlety of a Daily Kossack coming down off a speed binge, as witnessed in this recent 'narrative':

The pieces are all there, folks, and like Chris says - it's time to pull them together.

1 The Republican party is the party of Washington fatcats and DC insiders.

2. Republican leaders like Tom Delay will break the law in order to prolong their political careers, no matter the consequences.

3. Republicans are trying to privatize social security and cut benefits in order to curry favor with their billion dollar friends, while Democrats remain focused on preserving social security's promise to generation after generation.

4. Democrats have worked with Republicans to approve more judges than Republicans did with President Clinton, yet they're dead set on ramming judges significantly out of America's mainstream down our throats. The judiciary is too important to cede all control to one party.

5. The only solution to this, and other messes now being created and made worse by the Republicans, is to elect Democrats.

Wow, what a coherent, thoughtful argument - I'm convinced, how about you?

Unfortunately, this is the kind of slapdash, off-the-cuff, contentless garbage you find more often than not with Willis.

Willis is obsessed with Brit Humes (for not being deferential enough to FDR, apparently) and Tom Delay, and blogs on little else these days (not that I'm complaining!), showing the typical intellectual breadth of a Kossack in disguise (oh, but of course, there's also the Social Security hysteria). I would show some examples of his analysis, but unfortunately, it appears to be non-existent; Oliver's world is one of quick and dirty insults, innuendo, accusations..but no facts, please, it's getting a little crowded in here.

Willis's biggest claim to fame, not surprisingly, is for being a grade-A jerk. He is obsessed with the race of Michelle Malkin, he is famously inconsistent in applying his own standards to himself (but of course!), he has the truly disgusting liberal habit of tossing out the word 'nazi' at those he disagrees with (in this case, Little Green Footballs, an excellent and famously pro-Israel blog - ouch!), and he puts the 'knee' in knee-jerk apologism for any and all things Left.

Willis gets bonus points for being some sort of editorial or advisory presence to Media Matters for America, the publishers of such 'exposes' as this recent love poem to Hizbullah:

Following a March 8 pro-Syrian demonstration in Beirut, Lebanon, organized by the Islamic militant group Hezbollah, media figures downplayed the rally's significance in order to suggest that the Lebanese people uniformly oppose Syrian influence in Lebanon and favor Western-style democracy. In fact, the pro-Syrian demonstration was far larger than recent anti-Syrian rallies, and far from demonstrating unity, the rally offered clear evidence that "Lebanon's political and sectarian fault lines have re-emerged," as The New York Times wrote.

So, surely, they issued a correction when the opposition held a far larger rally, right? (You haven't been paying much attention, have you? - By the way, for a true glance at stupidity in action, read the comments to this 'story'). But wait, here's the best part - Media Matters is funded by billionaire lunatic George Soros! Ahh, now it's starting to make sense...

Still, no one is all bad, and we all owe Willis a big show of gratitude for inspiring a whole slew of terribly funny posts at Protein Wisdom...enjoy your day in the sun, Oliver (just don't block it out for the rest of us)...

The Horror, The Horror

You may ask, gentle reader, but I dare not say what drove me into that seller of antiquarian texts upon my journey home for a respite...yet, I'll have occasion to regret it for the length of my days. Would that I had never ventured into that dark receptacle of things better left unsaid, the horribly vast and terrifying blogosphere; but greater woe befell me still when I allowed one Stephen Bainbridge to persuade me to purchase the unbecoming, black-clad volume of Lovecraftian nightmares upon the shelf...how I will curse him to the end of all things! For, upon presenting the small, well-crafted tome to the mild clerk, I discovered...it cost thirty-five American dollars...as my screams echoed throughout the deserted stacks, I descended into the darkness in which you find me now, and I present my tale of woe as a firm word of caution to those who seek what they must never find...black was the volume and black is my soul...oh, to feel the warmth of innocence again...curse you, Bainbridge, and your unquenchable curiousity!...

Paging Nancy Hopkins...

Haven't these guys learned anything from the Lawrence Summers affair?...

Scientists have cracked the genetic code of the female X chromosome which is linked to more than 300 human diseases and may help to explain why women are so different from men.

(Upon hearing the news, the faculty of Harvard held a mass 'sympathy fainting')...

Wolfowitz to Head World Bank: Panic Grips Nation as Next Dowd Column is Anticipated

In a stunning defeat for U2 fans everywhere, President Bush is set to name Paul Wolfowitz as the new head of the World Bank. If Maureen Dowd doesn't cover this in her own inimitably lame fashion in her next column, with plenty of annoying references to 'Wolfie', 'Rummy', and 'W', I'll send each of you five (5) U.S. dollars (minus $5.00 shipping and handling)...

UPDATE 1:48 pm central: According to this article, the Europeans will have a veto; hard to imagine they won't use it...

Wictory Wednesday: The Minnesota Edition

Today's Wictory Wednesday focuses on Mark Kennedy, the Republican senatorial candidate from Minnesota. Read all about it here, and (you know the routine by now) please check out a couple of blogs from the blogroll at bottom right. It's all about spreading the love, folks...

Today's Must Read: Say It Ain't So, Joe

John Hughes, editor of the Deseret Morning News, writes in the Christian Science Monitor on Social Security reform and the vilification of Joe Lieberman, two subjects I have blogged on at length. The money quote:

Social Security reform should not be a political football, a cleverly orchestrated "defeat" for Bush if the Democrats manage to thwart it, or a "victory" for Bush if he can corral enough Republicans and Democrats to get it done...this is a national problem that demands bipartisan concentration.

Miscellanea: My Cup Runneth Over Edition

Wow, it's just been one of those days with so much going on that I can't possibly get to it all...but here goes...

Lubos Motl continues his great coverage of a not-so-great event...in case you haven't heard by now, the no-confidence vote on Lawrence Summers passed by a healthy margin...

The great Christopher Hitchens has a followup on a very disturbing story...to begin with, how can WMD production facilities be openly discussed at the same time that Bush was 'lying' about the Iraq facilities? And second, how the hell did we not secure these sites? Quite vexing...

Clint at Right Question is seeing signs of a possible rightward lurch in the tendency of some conservatives to lampoon libertarians (under the apparent assumption that 'hedonist' is a proper synonym)...

The invaluable Tim Blair has apparently made an extremely weird enemy...

Americans For a Free Lebanon has news of the further march of democracy in Bahrain and Egypt...

Paul Campos exposes Ward Churchill as nothing more than a grifter working the long con...

Speaking of Churchill, Australia has its own version of the brouhaha...

Amir Taheri ponders the all-too-familiar silence of the Left when democracy is at stake...

And finally, I know you are literally on the edge of your seats waiting to hear my tournament picks...for the record, I've got Illinois, Duke, UConn, and Wake in the Final Four...Illinois beats Duke 87-79 to win the national title...you heard it here first!...

No Crisis? Don't Tell Greenspan...

'Partisan hack' Alan Greenspan (note to Kossacks: you're all too young to remember this, judging by the maturity level of your posts, but Greenspan was a huge hero to the right AND left during the Clinton boom) says we've got a few years at most to do something about Social Security, or benefits will definitely have to be cut.

Timothy Fargus, who has a very nice looking blog with some really good content that I look forward to perusing at a more leisured pace soon, has been arguing in the comments that the 'strengthen and save' line is a bunch of hooey...and I don't pretend to know who's right. I suspect many on the left find something a little phoney about Republicans using the camouflage of boosting a program we really don't like that much to mask our ideological preference for private accounts. I'll admit it; there's quite a bit of truth to that...for me, and most of my commenters, it is about ideology.

I find it equally suspect, though, for Democrats to engage in their hyperbolic attacks on the Bush plan, and the more moderate recent Republican offers on the table, in the manner of Josh 'The Very Definition of a Partisan Hack' Marshall. From my side of the aisle, it looks like the age-old Democratic tactic of divide-and-conquer, special- interest-group politics that I hate so much.

My preference, since it's pretty clear the straight-up Bush plan is in deep trouble, is a compromise. Let's raise the payroll tax on the highest wage earners (loathsome as that is to me - and no, I'm not a 'higher wage earner') in exchange for, let's say, a 3% PSA provision. Looking beyond the politics, I really don't see how the system can absorb the baby boomers and increasing life expectancies...it just doesn't pass the smell test. To be continued, no doubt...

Is Social Security Reform Dead?

David Brooks thinks so (he puts the chances at no better than 1 in 4 of a reform bill passing this Congress). He takes the Republican leadership to task for a poor game plan, but then says, of the Democrats:

Democratic blunders: The Democrats are still traumatized by their own losses. They are focused on past defeats, not future opportunities, and interested in revenge, not governing and accomplishment.

When Social Security reform was broached, the party leaders went to the F.D.R. Memorial, as if the glory days of the 1930's were the guideposts for the 21st century. Meanwhile, the party base has grown militant with rage. The Howard Dean hotheads declare that they hate the evil Republicans, making compromise seem like collaborating with Satan. The militants, bloggers and polemicists have waged a relentless pressure campaign on any moderates who might even be thinking of offering constructive ideas.

The party's greatest failures have come in the past few weeks. Sensing the inadequacy of the first Bush approach, many Republicans have floated brave concessions. Several leading Republicans proposed a big payroll tax increase for the upper class and upper-middle class. Senator Robert Bennett suggested progressively indexing benefits to protect the poor and working class from cost-saving steps.

These offers are more progressive than any Republicans have made before or are likely to make again. But the Democrats played the Yasir Arafat role at Camp David. They made no counteroffers. They offered no plan. They just said no.

Instead, many made demagogic speeches about Republican benefit cuts, as if it is possible to fix the system without benefit cuts. Many ginned up the familiar scare tactics designed to frighten the elderly.

If Social Security reform fails - and obviously I hope this obit becomes obsolete - it will be many years before any sort of big entitlement reform will come up again. The parties will keep playing chicken, and we will soon find ourselves catastrophically buried under our own debt.

Wow...that's quite an indictment...Josh Marshall, are your ears burning yet? (And by the way, why don't you just change the name of your blog to I-Hate-Social-Security-Reform.com? Just a friendly suggestion)...

The Amazing Arthur

Arthur Chrenkoff is such a great blogger that it's sometimes embarassing for the rest of us. His most recent posts are uniformally excellent, and I recommend you just throw a dart and start reading at random; you can't go wrong. I do want to single out one post, however, as it is on the subject that I find most interesting at the moment, and that's the remarkable events in Lebanon. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if you're not stopping by Arthur's place on a regular basis, you should rectify that, today...

Today's Must Read: Condi Still In?

Judging from the comments to yesterday's must read, I'm not the only one that isn't convinced by Condi's Meet the Press denial that she's an '08 candidate. Wesley Pruden, editor in chief of the Washington Times, agrees with my esteemed colleagues and me that Condi is, in effect, playing a great political game by taking herself out of the political game for now. As they say at the library, check it out...

Miscellanea: A Great Day for Democracy Edition

I'm feeling very elated about this whole Lebanon business...

Size matters, says Debate '08...

You set 'em up, we'll knock 'em down...

Carpe Bonum has big changes in the works...

Don Squirreleone makes an offer you can't refuse...

The wise, mighty, and oh-so-handsome Instapundit has this roundup at his secret hideaway on MSNBC.com...

Simply Devastating

Think the bloggers were hard on CBS and CNN? We were pushovers next to Thomas Lipscomb, who has written an article that hits with the force of a bunker-busting bomb in Editor and Publisher (hat tip to the Instapundit). Remember how everyone said that the tape of Davos was simply unavailable? Well...

Not only was there a tape, but CNN admits it never asked for it, as CNN spokeswoman Megan Mahoney has revealed to me. There was no problem with getting a copy of the notorious �off the record� tape from the World Economic Forum. When I asked WEF�s Klaus Schwab whether he would have made a tape available, cut to just Eason Jordan�s remarks, and give [sic] it to Jordan and CNN, he replied: �Of course. And they could make any distribution of it they wished.�

It's well worth the time to read the article in its entirety...

The Lebanese Situation in One Sentence

From Time magazine:

[Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan] Nasrallah is concerned that Lebanon will move into the U.S. orbit and face pressure to sign a peace treaty with Israel.

Precisely so...Hizbullah and its supporters are terrified of...peace.

UPDATE 1:39 pm: Have I mentioned how wise and judicious the Instapundit is?...Hope you'll stay awhile and take a look around...

Massive Opposition Turnout in Lebanon

An estimated 800,000 people, dwarfing the Hizbullah rally of last week, gathered today in Lebanon. Get all the details at Publius Pundit...

Today's Must Read: Condi Rules Out Run?

On Meet the Press, Condi appears to rule out a run for President - so why am I not convinced? Read the transcript for yourself, and you decide (hat tip to Kill Righty)...

Mindnumbingly Funny

One of the great surprises of blogging is how many genuinely funny satirists there are. Iowahawk is one of the best, and I don't highlight David Burge's work nearly enough. So please, without delay, go read this post, because it's an absolute scream. Really...why are you still here?...go on, you rascal, you...

Miscellanea - Wow, That Was One Quick Weekend Edition

Lubos Motl - who, by the way, seems to be an extremely intelligent physicist, has the Lawrence Summers link collection to end all Lawrence Summers link collections, as well as a timely reminder that the witchhunt continues this Tuesday - highly recommended...

Speaking of Lubos Motl, I also greatly enjoyed his tribute to Richard Feynman...

Captain Ed has the scoop on the Online Coalition, a group of signatories opposed to any abridgement of the right to free political speech on the Internet, and he reminds us that you don't have to have a blog to sign up. I have, and I hope you will, too...

Great news on the Ward Churchill front...the despicable 'buyout' talks have ended in the wake of the latest plagiarism accusations. What does it mean? It means they're thinking of just canning his sorry butt...

The latest to catch the 'Hey, Maybe Bush Was Right' meme? Howard Stern...

I quite enjoyed this post from our old friend Carpe Bonum...

The Sheep's Crib has even more evidence that Hillary is gearing up for a 2008 bid...

I would have posted more this weekend, but my Internet connection has been all screwy - very frustrating when you're trying to run a blog. Have a great week...

So Close...

...and yet so far. Congrats to my Red Raiders on a valiant performance that come up just short. #11 Oklahoma State won the Big 12 Championship by four, 72-68, but we made a good showing...on to the tournament! And congrats to the Lady Raiders, who got a #4 seed and play UT-Arlington in the first round...

UPDATE 5:45 pm central: The brackets are out, and Texas Tech is a #6 seed, taking on #11 seed UCLA on Thursday. Also of interest, since I'm an Austin guy, the Texas Longhorns got a #8 seed, and will have their hands full with #9 Nevada. If you haven't noticed, I'm insane about college basketball...in the words of Dick Vitale, it's March Madness, baby!!!! It's the greatest time of the year!!!...Now, to fill out that pesky bracket...

Candidate Profile Thirteen: Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton has been running for President for close to a decade. If you had to choose one moment that solidified her determination, it must have been that cold winter day when Drudge leaked the Newsweek Lewinsky story. You can never say with certainty what goes on in another's head, but it seemed that from then on, the dynamic changed between her and her philandering husband - 'alright,' you can imagine her thinking, 'you've humiliated me in public for the last time...now I get my payback'. It doesn't take a genius to see that theirs is now a marriage of convenience, but it has definite advantages, as we'll discuss shortly.

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton - official Senate bio

Unofficial 2008 pages here and here

Resume - graduate of Yale Law School with honors; former member of the Impeachment Inquiry staff of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee; faculty, University of Arkansas law school; former First Lady of Arkansas for 12 years; Arkansas Woman of the Year, 1983; Arkansas Mother of the Year, 1984; chair of the Task Force on National Health Care Reform, 1993; best-selling author; Grammy Award Winner (no joke - see here); former First Lady of the United States, 1993 - 2000; currently junior Senator from New York, 2000 - present

It's difficult to maintain objectivity about a Hillary candidacy; she's a hero to millions, and millions detest her. In the words of Kris Kristofferson, she's '...a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction.' Her accomplishments are undeniable; so is her ambition, but it takes more than desire to win the White House (see Kerry, John Forbes). Let's get to the meat of the matter:

The Pros:

• Hillary would walk away hands down with the vast majority of the feminist vote;
• Ditto the pro-choice vote;
• She's got access to huge amounts of fundraising sources due to her ties to her husband and Hollywood;
• Her name recognition is through the roof;

The Cons:

• See The Pros, above.
  

Of course, I'm being a bit facetious. Hillary has impressed me with two things: she's proven to be a quite capable Senator (and that's a big rebound from her disastrous Health Care Reform leadership), and she's been much more moderate than her reputation would suggest, declining, in most cases, to kowtow to the Radical Left. The lady's no Howard Dean, and that's to her credit.

It's indisputable that Hillary plans to run; it's also undeniable that it will be ugly. All the old rumours and innuendo (Is she a lesbian? Was she having an affair with Vince Foster? What about that incredible options market performance? And there's a little thing called Whitewater...) would surface and the attack dogs would have a field day. Of course, there's a real possibility that going too negative would backfire (ask Newt Gingrinch).

Because of the nice, big target she presents, there is a sizable crowd on the Left that would prefer that she stay out of the race. In the absence of a dramatic change, though, she will run; and as of now, given her fundraising and establishment contacts, her ambition, her genuine accomplishments, and the almost palpable feeling that 2008 is 'her year', she's the one to beat.

CURRENT ODDS: 7-1

UPDATE 04/25/05 6:58 p.m. central: See here...

CURRENT ODDS: 8-1

UPDATE 06/12/06 5:37 p.m. central: The conventional wisdom still has Hillary as the favorite; in deference, I'm improving her odds.

CURRENT ODDS: 6-1

UPDATE 07/04/05 10:54 p.m. central: Hillary may win this nomination by default is some other heavy hitters don't start making a move soon...

CURRENT ODDS: 4-1