Art, War, and The Coalition

Whether it's high medieval drama and the thrill of a good ol' challenge, or a gentle tweaking of our Form SF-180 obsession through the art of the poet, the Coalition never fails to inspire feverish creativity in friend and foe alike...I fear not those challenges, my fellow Coalitioners, as I know our day has dawned! Now on to glory!...as soon as I take a nap...

What Was That All About?

That's what I'm still saying to myself, after all this time, regarding Kerry's SF-180. Some folks think we're making too big a deal out of this - not so. The man obviously wants to be considered seriously for 2008, but if (a big if) he's so vain and pompous that he would withhold his military records just because his grades were terrible, God knows he didn't need to be in the Oval Office. RCP and PoliPundit think there must be more to it than that, and PoliPundit points to the admittedly mysterious recent comments that 'he had to clarify', 'get together', what have you...what's to clarify? Is PoliPundit right? Are we still missing info, specifically a hundred pages of material?

Then there's John O'Neill of Swift Boat Fame, who comments at Blogs for Bush:

We called for Kerry to execute a form which would permit anyone to examine his full and unexpulgated military records at the Navy Department and the National Personnel Records Center. Instead he executed a form permitting his hometown paper to obtain the records currently at the Navy Department. The Navy Department previously indicated its records did not include various materials. This is hardly what we called for.

Reading the above, one can certainly be forgiven for thinking 'Mr. Nuance' has struck again.

Then there are those who think he really is so arrogant that he held out for the grades, so to speak, including Mickey Kaus (who has e-mailed the Boston Globe about those missing 100 pages PoliPundit speaks of) and James Taranto. This is typical Kerry: he can't even sign a form without causing confusion. As many have noted today, it's not necessarily a sign of intelligence to be unintelligible.

And Then There Were Two...

The Senate today ended the two-year filibuster on Janice Rogers Brown. She now joins Priscilla Owen as the second judge to face an up - down vote since the controversial deal that spawned our beloved Coalition. The interesting part, of course, will be what happens after Pryor is confirmed, since the three make up the only nominees guaranteed a vote under the deal's terms. To be continued...

Senator Clinton Takes Off the Mask

Hillary has convinced a lot of people that she is a moderate, including, I confess, myself at times. Shame on me for falling for the hype...when push comes to shove, her true face shows. Consider the following from a 'Women for Hillary' fundraiser:

The senator said that left unchallenged, Republican leaders could ram through extremist judges, wreck Social Security, and make unacceptable concessions to China, Saudi Arabia and other nations that finance the United States budget deficit.

"There has never been an administration, I don't believe in our history, more intent upon consolidating and abusing power to further their own agenda," Mrs. Clinton told the gathering.

"I know it's frustrating for many of you, it's frustrating for me. Why can't the Democrats do more to stop them?" she continued to growing applause. "I can tell you this: It's very hard to stop people who have no shame about what they're doing. It is very hard to tell people that they are making decisions that will undermine our checks and balances and constitutional system of government who don't care. It is very hard to stop people who have never been acquainted with the truth."

The New York senator went on to say, speaking of the Republican leadership:

"Some honestly believe they are motivated by the truth, they are motivated by a higher calling, they are motivated by, I guess, a direct line to the heavens."

This is not the language of a moderate; it is not the language of a Democrat who wants to reach out to conservatives, religious or otherwise; instead, it's the same ol', same ol'...the more things change...well, you know the rest.

The WSJ on Amnesty International and the War On Terror

Good editorial in the WSJ today regarding Amnesty International, their recent 'gulag' comment, and the treatment of terrorists. Two quick points: it's not just that the gulag comparison is wrong factually; the use of the world gulag carries moral baggage. North Korea has a gulag, Stalinist Russia had one - but the very concept is antithetical to America as an entity. Instead, we have some regrettable, disgusting, isolated instances, not a nationwide policy as in the two communist regimes.

Second, the WSJ makes the point well that Amnesty and similar organizations have not changed their mindset properly to focus on terrorism; the prisoners held at Gitmo, Afghanistan, and Iraq are not political prisoners (at least the vast majority are not); they are terrorists. Good arguments can be made that we need to provide more legal options for these men; calling the prison system a 'gulag' does nothing to move the debate forward.

Quick Shots: Godspeed to the Troops

An offensive has been launched near the Syrian border. Send your best wishes and prayers the troops' way, today and everyday...

Add KeithB8 to the list of those who think Scalia got it right (pot as an interstate crop, federal law takes precedence)...

The Instapundit joins in the Kerry-mocking, and points out that Ann Althouse was on the case long ago...

Is John Kerry the Stupidest Politician Alive?

All signs point to yes. The Boston Globe is reporting that Kerry has released his full military records to them, and that there is no new information to speak of. Quote:

The lack of any substantive new material about Kerry's military career in the documents raises the question of why Kerry refused for so long to waive privacy restrictions. An earlier release of the full record might have helped his campaign because it contains a number of reports lauding his service. Indeed, one of the first actions of the group that came to be known as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was to call on Kerry to sign a privacy waiver and release all of his military and medical records.

But Kerry refused, even though it turned out that the records included commendations from some of the same veterans who were criticizing him.

This raises the excellent question of why Kerry would be so stubborn and obstinate regarding the signing of Form SF-180. Why didn't he release the records during Campaign 2004, when it might have made a difference? I'll followup with other reactions later (hat tip to Ryan James - and it looks like the clock may have to go!)...

UPDATE 8:14 a.m. central: Thanks to the lovely and talented Michelle Malkin for the link, as well as the lovely and talented Lorie Byrd, and the - well, let's just say the talented Jon Henke and Erick Erickson. A lot of people are playing up the academic angle, and just take a look at the photos here!...

UPDATE 2 10:04 a.m. central: During the campaign, you may remember, there was a fuss about Bush having a higher IQ than JFK II; now we find out he had higher grades, too. If this is REALLY the reason Kerry didn't release the records, then he is even stupider than his grades would indicate. To lessen his chance of winning the presidency because he didn't want his bad grades to come out - what, was he afraid Tee-RAY-za wouldn't fund the Spring Break fling if she found out? Come on...

UPDATE 3 11:38 a.m. central: PoliPundit has taken down his clock, and I'm following suit. It's been a grand and glorious ride, but don't despair; with Kerry, the next fiasco is always a mere headline away...

UPDATE 4 12:38 p.m. central: Most typical MSM headline of the day: Bush, Kerry Had Similar Grades...guess it's too difficult to say Bush's grades were better for some folks...amazing!...

UPDATE 5 7:59 p.m. central: And thanks to Wizbang for the link, too...true story: last time I had a big hit day, my Blogger template screwed up and ate my Sitemeter, and I missed counting a ton of traffic. Today, my Blogger template screwed up and ate my Sitemeter, and I missed counting a ton of traffic. Number of non-high-traffic days my Blogger template has ate my Sitemeter: 0. Nonbloggers will shrug their shoulders; fellow bloggers will either say, wow, that sucks, or cry me a river, at least you have some high traffic days!...

Credit Where Credit Is Due: The Times Is Doing Something Right

No one loves to ride the New York Times more than I. It's editorial slant is increasingly transparent, and the contempt of its op-ed writers for Red State America is palpable. That said, the Times remains the most potent symbol of the MSM for a reason; often, its coverage sets the agenda that the rest of the press follows, for better or worse.

I have a case for you that's looking like for better. The Times has been running some very thorough coverage of the impending Saddam Hussein trials, including a look at the charges and the possible evidence. As evidence of the man's atrocities is shown in court for all the world to see, I'm hopeful that the criticism of our invasion of Iraq will become more muted. I'm not naive, I know some folks will never come around. The mass graves that Saddam left in his wake, though, cry for justice. Kudos to the Times for giving this story the play it deserves.

Miscellanea: Pot Blogging Edition

Lots of reactions to today's Supreme Court Decision...

Jeff at Protein Wisdom says so much for states' rights, and says today's decision is a prime example of federal overreach...

Ann Althouse says not so fast and defends Scalia on the grounds that pot is an interstate crop...

Suzanne Wood is blogging under a new name, and she likes the decision...

Still not satisfied? SCOTUSblog has enough on the subject to tide you over through the summer...

The funniest post of the day, proving that brevity in the defense of comedy is no vice...

Coalition member State of Flux is wondering what happened to the Barry Goldwater brand of fiscal conservatism, and don't go peddlin' the War on Terror, 'cause he's not buying...

Punditish has been getting e-mail from a certain 'incensed conservative' that's well-known around these parts...

Miriam answers the Movie Star Challenge...

Here's another PMGT 218 blog for ya: Kathie's PoliTech...

Awww, Man...!!!

I missed it - Punditish has informed me that Decision '08 was just featured on CNN's Inside the Blogs...anyone know if anyone posted that video / has a copy / or knows if they're gonna repeat it?...Info much appreciated!...

UPDATE 6:38 p.m.: The invaluable Ryan James, keeper of the sacred blogroll, has come through again!...Ryan has the details here...and join me, please, in welcoming a new Coalition member, Hector Vex...it's never too late to get on this bandwagon!...

Today's Must-Read: Jay Rosen on Deep Throat and What He Means to Journalism

When Jay Rosen covers a story, you can bet your bottom dollar the story will get covered...his latest is no exception, as he takes us on a linkalicious, detailed, and wildly entertaining journey down Watergate way...highly recommended (hat tip to the Instapundit)....

Quick Shots: Debating Summers

In the comments, too many steves brought to my attention this debate between Steven Pinker and Elizabeth Spelke on the issues surrounding l'affaire Summers...

We've had a couple of visitors from the PMGT 218 class; join me in welcoming SEPARight, Big Block of Cheese, and Hegemon...

Smoke 'em if you got 'em...the High Court has allowed the federal prosecution of medical marijuana users (regardless of your stance on the issue, in terms of the law, it seems to me it was an easy call)...

Harvard Faculty Wants Summers to Stay On

Harvard faculty members, by a 62-38 margin, do not want embattled President Larry Summers to resign. The Faculty of the Arts and Sciences immediately passed a resolution stating that the poll had caused a 'hostile work environment', and suggested that Summers resign and submit to a public caning.

In a related story, MIT biologist Nancy Hopkins reportedly vomited repeatedly before blacking out upon hearing the results of the poll.

UPDATE 11:04 p.m.: Uhhh...d'oh! That's the Harvard alumni, not faculty...big difference. Yikes (thanks to Elephants In Academia for the catch)...

The Commissar's History Lesson

Begging the pardon of the great Comrade Commissar, my duties monitoring the foul perfidies of the bourgeosies kept me from noticing this essential history course when originally submitted to the party organ. Truly, judicial debates have altered the course of life as we know it...

Coalition Cartography

The Commissar, besides ruling the Politburo with an iron hand, is also a supreme mapmaker. He has taken on the extremely difficult task of mapping the locations of the member states of the Coalition of the Chillin', a feat many said could not be done. I beseech thee, brethren, to visit his environs immediately...

The New Rules of Criticism

First you make the accusation, then you (maybe) try to find out if it's true: a pair of stories illustrates the trend.

First, Mickey Kaus has a short bit following up on a Wall Street Journal claim that Newsweek's Arabic edition - that's right, the Arabic edition - did not contain the editor's note apologize for the Koran desecretion story. Well, it's not as if the issue had anything to do with the Arab world, right?

Equally troubling, if not more so, is this quote from the head of Amnesty International USA. Amazing...

Blogging to Make the Grade

Like almost all bloggers, I border on the obsessed (okay, I'm full-blown flat-out crazily obsessed) with my site statistics (we're a vain bunch - most of us don't mind spending hours and hours for no pay, but by golly, we love the hits!). Maybe that fades with time...I'm not as stressed about it as I once was, having seen big traffic come and go and come and go, over and over again (and I've only been blogging since November!). I love looking in to see who is linking, though, and I've noticed some traffic coming from an intriguing source.

Press Control Shift is the home blog of PMGT 218: Politics and the New Media at the GWU Graduate School of Political Management. The reason it came to my attention is that I got some links from the registration page of the class. Seems Decision '08 is one of the 20 blogs offered to students of the class from the right-hand side of the blogosphere. I'm actually quite pleased with that; it also makes me wonder if any of my commenters have come from the class.

It's an interesting idea, and what makes it even more interesting is that the class is developing their own blogs as part of the assignment. Why not do your part for higher education and pay one or two a visit (you can find their blogroll at the Press Control Shift site mentioned above)? Here's a couple of links to get you started (but remember, be nice...and tell 'em Decision '08 sent ya!):

From the Left: The Femocrat
From the Center: Centrifugal Force
From the Right: A Schwartzenegger Republican

I'll check in with some others from time to time, hopefully. What will really be interesting will be seeing if any of the blogs keep alive after the class ends...let's hope so, bloggers love company! Have a great week, everyone...

Quick Shots: Happy Blogiversary, Nettie!

I want to take the opportunity to wish a very happy Blogiversary to one of the first real supporters of this blog, and a great gal, to boot! Way to go, Nettie - many happy returns...

Ryan James catches a CBS radio station stretching the truth (well, okay, lying). Click here for the details...

What better way to celebrate two very momentous anniversaries than to read Ronald Reagan's D-Day speech from 1984? More Reagan remembrances (with good video, of course!) at Trey Jackson's place...

Andrew Sullivan and Hillary, Sitting In A Tree

Andrew Sullivan pens a positive mash note to Hillary, and I find myself in agreement with his conclusion, but precious little of his reasoning. Sullivan looks over the world's easiest-to-read set of tea leaves and finds the following:

You can tell it [that Hillary is running] from what she's saying: supporting the Iraq war and touring military installations, reaching out to anti-abortion advocates, keeping a low profile on the filibuster kerfuffle, arguing that religious people should be able to "live out their faith in the public square".

And you can tell it from what she's not saying. Last week her advisers let The Washington Post know that if she is re-elected to the Senate next year, she will not pledge to serve a full term without running for president.

Well, yeah, we all know she's running. Here's Sullivan on why he thinks the lay of the land is beginning to favor her:

The second piece of good fortune [his first was that she has proven to be a capable senator] has been the behaviour of the Republican Congress. Its obsession with ideological issues - such as the Terri Schiavo case, stem cell research, or civil marriage for gay couples - has helped her own pragmatism to stand out.

Well, that's typical Sullivan - take your own pet issues, find someone in agreement, and pretend that's the conventional wisdom. Schiavo and stem cells, he may be right on, but poll after poll has found the majority of the country in broad agreement with the Republican stance on gay marriage.

Sullivan also assures us that she appeals to Republicans and Democrats. Oh, really? Is that so? Can you name a Republican, any Republican, ever, that has said, 'You know, that Hillary Clinton really appeals to me?' I can't...but plenty of Republican observers such as myself have noted that Hillary has been surprisingly effective in the Senate, that she has said the right things regarding religion and the military, and that she is a real threat in 2008. That's a far cry from saying she has Republican appeal, though...

I continue to find myself in the somewhat odd position of saying both that Hilllary is the front-runner, and that she faces almost insurmountable obstacles in gaining the nomination. Notice I said 'almost'...

Miscellanea - Weekend Coalition Edition

Let's throw the spotlight on some work done by a few Coalition members, shall we?

Bill at INDC Journal shares my skepticism regarding the John Kerry impeachment story, and also has the useful information that Aljazeera.com has no affiliation with Aljazeera.net, the English website of the notorious Arabic 'news' source...

The Strata-Shere has a category devoted to the 2006 elections for you political junkies...

The Bernoulli Effect bemoans the legacy of John Dewey...

Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy is, shall we say, unconcerned with the latest Koran desecration allegations and has a helpful suggestion for the detainees...

Best post title of the day: The Reclusive Joe Biden Speaks...

Chief Justice McConnell?, asks rumored short-lister Prof. Bainbridge...

If you have no plans this July, and you're an idiot, Brainster has a suggestion for you...

Punditish takes a closer look at that recent poll showing a majority of Americans at least somewhat likely to vote for Hillary...

An EU report is very critical of Jimmy Carter's role in 'undermining' the electoral process in Ethiopia...aah, sweet irony, the lodestone of the blogger!...