Moving Out Of The Minor Leagues

Hey, there. I've moved my site somewhere else.

Come here to view my new site. It is the Office of the Independent Blogger @ www.OfficeOfTheIndependentBlogger.com. I've gone pro!

It'll be the same quality, just on my own site now.

Confusion Over Chalabi

Just what in the hell is Ahmad Chalabi doing out of jail? Shouldn't he be in prison for giving Iran secrets? Or, at the least, shouldn't he be out of favor with the White House for giving us such false information in the run-up to the invasion? You would think so, but, like everyone else on the Bush Administration's payroll, he's been promoted - to Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq. Typical Bushit.

Read that link. The man is a criminal in so many senses of the word. This is outrageous. This is the most outrageous appointment I have seen any Government make since Ronald Reagan tried to put Robert "I executed the Saturday Night Massacre" Bork on the Supreme Court.

Blowing Smoke

BusinessWeek has a piece up about the Bush Energy Plan, and it is worth a good, thorough read.

Excerpt: Want to take a real step to prevent gasoline shortages and keep a lid on energy prices? Easing regulations on refineries may sound good. But the Administration could make things truly easier for refineries by requiring that the nation use just one blend of fuel, instead of the current dozens that various states require. Of course, that wouldn't be a hit in many of the red states, which currently don't use the cleanest-burning fuels. It would be a bold step that would make a real difference, however.

Want to increase supplies of oil and gas? Instead of drilling in the ANWR or adding a few LNG ports, Bush could open up areas like the Gulf coast of Florida or the Rocky Mountains, which has a 60-year supply of natural gas, to exploration and drilling. But that wouldn't be popular in Florida, where his brother Jeb is governor, or in some of the Western states that are strong Bush country.

The President's failure to propose any meaningful solutions, while claiming to "do the right thing for America" makes it hard not to conclude that the Administration's main goal is not energy independence, but rather improving its standing the polls.

Thoughts On Bush Press Conference

The President spoke yesterday about energy and social security (transcript here).

I applaud the House for passing a good energy bill. Now the Senate needs to act on this urgent priority.

In the early 1990s, George H.W. Bush presented an energy bill to the Congress which failed for one reason: It included the opening-up of ANWR in it, and thus the Democrats rejected it. If W. tries to do the same his plan won't pass. Come on, Mr. President. You want to tear up the arctic wildlife refuge? Fine. Just present it to Congress on its own, not with something else to give it cover.

These changes have put Social Security on the path to bankruptcy. When the baby boomers start retiring in three years, Social Security will start heading toward the red. In 2017, the system will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. Every year after that the shortfall will get worse, and by 2041, Social Security will be bankrupt.

No, Mr. President, don't attempt to say that Social Security will be Pearl Harbored by its own shortfalls in 2041. By then, it will only be able to make around 3/4s of its payments. A problem? Sure. But that, Mr. Bush, does not equate to bankruptcy.

Secondly, I believe a reform system should protect those who depend on Social Security the most. So I propose a Social Security system in the future where benefits for low-income workers will grow faster than benefits for people who are better off.

I honestly applaud the sentiment behind this idea, but, and I'm just curious here: Where are the Republicans to call this class warfare? I mean, you know. That's what they do when anyone shows more sympathy to the poor than the rich, and what's more class warfare!-ey than "the poor get more out of my system?"

In a reformed Social Security system, voluntary personal retirement accounts would offer workers a number of investment options that are simple and easy to understand. I know some Americans have reservations about investing in the stock market, so I propose that one investment option consist entirely of Treasury bonds, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.

You know, if it weren't for the fact that I fear George W. Bush's fiscal policies (seems to me he's just trying to bankrupt the Treasury) I'd love this idea. As it stands, I like it. One of my top reservations with the President's Social Security plan was that you'd be gambling it away in the Stock Market, and, frankly, as great as it is to control your own money, the Government shouldn't allow people the oppurtunity to throw away their Social Security cash. But, with these Treasury Bonds as an option, I think his idea (or his advisors' idea) is sound.

Finally, because the question-and-answer session with the press didn't excite me toomuch, allow me to present to you my favorite Bushisms of the night.

Listen, the energy bill is certainly no quick fix. You can't wave a magic wand. I wish I could. It's like that soldier at Fort Hood that said, how come you're not lowering the price of gasoline? I was having lunch with the fellow, and he said, go lower the price of gasoline, President. I said, I wish I could. It just doesn't work that way.

See, I didn't want to send somebody up there who said, it's not -- it's not worth a darn; I don't think I need to go.

Secondly, I like the idea of giving someone ownership.

Let's see here. Richard. There is somebody with a bad throat back there.

Diverse Entry

There are so many things to talk about today, so let's hop straight to it. Former Governor of California, and multiple-time Presidential candidate Jerry Brown has started his own blog, with open comments. And, unlike Howard Dean, he actually does his own blogging. Very impressive, Jerry.

Ralph Reed, the head of the Christian Coalition who once bragged about how he fights with "stealth politics and you don't know it's over until it's election night and you're in a body bag," is now working as a consultant to Microsoft, where Microsoft and Reed have come under fire. Note to all my readers who just love their porn: Reed, given his penchant for "stealth politics," may be trying to get Microsoft to install software which makes it impossible to get any porn on your computer. Hey, you never know. You won't know it's over until your porn is gone, and, when Reed succeeds, don't say I didn't tell you so. On another note (I was going to say "Seriously, though" but I am totally serious about what I believe Reed is up to!) what in God's name does Ralph Reed know about computers?

Al Gore is back in the news, speaking out against the Rabid Right's attempt to dominate our Congress by eliminating the filibuster for judicial nominees. It's a great speech. Much more tempered than his last few for MoveOn. Looks to me as though someone is trying to get on the green side of the grassroots. Al Gore is the strongest possible candidate that we have. And, just think. He'll be the first President since FDR to be elected three times!

Last night, I watched Hannity and Colmes, for reasons still unknown to me. Hannity continued to promote the show by mentioned Al Gore's insanity, and they played the segment off as "Al Gore Goes Gaga II." It was so inane, because Gore's whole speech was very calm and tempered and balanced, to say the least. But, you know, Sean Hannity doesn't need facts. He's better than that. I couldn't help but notice how little air-time Colmes got last night. Oh. And H&C opened up by teasing the segment on Gore, then saying, "even later, more on the Michael Jackson saga." I love the sophistication in our political discourse.

Russian President Putin is taking a harder line on Iran's nuclear programs, but it doesn't hearten me to much. For one thing, he's still defending missile sales to Syria, and, for another, in the year 2000 he said into the cameras with Madeline Albright in Moscow, "The United States is trying to coerce mother Russia," or something like that, and putting unfair pressure on them, and not being a good country. When the cameras went off, he said to Albright, "that is so that your political opponents can believe you're being strong." That's probably what's going on with his criticism of Iran.

Why on Earth are they delaying the sentencing of this man? He clearly doesn't deserve to have his license anymore, at a bare minimum.

Finally, the British press is being dramatically unfair to Prime Minister Blair. They've got a controversy over there about a memo that warned Blair about starting the war, and urged him to hold back until the UN gave a specific authorization for force. Now, allow me to show you why politicians hate the press. Look here.

Excerpt: The memo confirmed speculation that Lord Goldsmith warned on March 7, 2003, that it would be safer to delay the war in Iraq until the United Nations Security Council passed a second resolution specifically authorizing military action.

The document also warned that British troops could be open to legal action. The memo was not shown to the cabinet. Ten days after writing the memo, Goldsmith provided a written statement to Parliament stating the war would be legal without a further resolution. That document was shown to the cabinet.

Blair's political opponents have questioned whether Goldsmith was pressured by the prime minister's office to change his mind in the days leading up to the March 20 invasion of Iraq.

Give that a careful read. The memo didn't tell Blair that invading Iraq would be illegal. It just urged him to be extra careful. Then it told him that British soldiers could be open to prosecution for their part in the war? Well, yeah. Everyone is potentially open to prosecution during a war. But the press is spinning it, through lazy journalism, as "Blair Told Iraq War Illegal; Leans On Teller To Force Him To Say It's Legal." That contention is divorced from reality.

Really Cheap Spin

Senator Zell Miller has a new book out, and his publisher has written an open letter to Chris Matthews. In it, I have found the cheapest piece of spin I've ever encountered.

Excerpt: In chapter 6 (Hardball Huff) of A Deficit of Decency, Zell explains that the reason he challenged you is that before he came on the set you claimed he was an “old time seggy.”

Will you renounce your baseless claim that Senator Miller is a segregationist?

Now, re-read the boldened and underlined parts. Notice the publisher's little slip of the hand?

Notes on the Times

Far-fetched ideas are often the best ones. Friedman of the New York Times has this Op-Ed up about either Bill Clinton or George H.W. Bush being ambassador to the United Nations instead of John Bolton. Wouldn't that be something? Of course, Clinton and Bush the Elder both believe in the United Nations, contrary to W.'s antipathy for the organization, so it probably won't happen.

Great News

The last Syrian troops have pulled out of Lebanon, ending an extra long occupation.

I loathe nearly everything about the lead-up to our invasion of Iraq (so dishonest and radical) and I loathe the way the war was handled after we got in (too squishy, too unrealistically) but I don't see how you can say it hasn't been worth it when things like this occur.

Our Fourth Estate Makes Its Billionth Mistake

Our Media just doesn't get its stories straight. Ever. It allows criminals to go on its airwaves and lie, and it also lets pill popping pundits lie under the guise of infotainment. It allows and facilitates rude punditry, and spreads falsehooods on the top-rated news channels. It makes me sicker than a Republican at a gay-rights rally.

Because I don't want to make another post just for this link, I'd also like to direct you all to this piece on Tony Blair, who I admire very much. I apologize for the lack of posts today, but I've been swamped with schoolwork.

Ill Tempered Men

John Bolton, the might-be Ambassador to the United Nations, has had his pants pulled down. A few email messages surrounding his mistreatment of co-workers have surfaced.

Excerpt: None of the dozens of messages reviewed by The New York Times were from Mr. Bolton. But the correspondence, spanning a period from February to September 2002, included e-mail sent to Mr. Bolton by his principal assistant, Frederick Fleitz, as well as extensive exchanges between Mr. Fleitz and Christian P. Westermann, the State Department's top expert on biological weapons who clashed sharply with Mr. Bolton over Cuba.

The messages included a Sept. 25, 2002 note in which Thomas Fingar, the No. 2 official in the State Department intelligence branch, deplored what he said had been the toll inflicted on Mr. Westermann by Mr. Bolton and Mr. Fleitz.

"I am dismayed and disgusted that unwarranted personal attacks are affecting you in this way," Mr. Fingar said in a message sent to Mr. Westermann. Two days earlier, in another message, Mr. Westermann wrote to Mr. Fingar to say that "personal attacks, harassment and impugning of my integrity" by Mr. Bolton and Mr. Fleitz were "now affecting my work, my health and dedication to public service."

In similar news, the White House has cancelled invitations to several people for being Kerry supporters to a trip to Guatemala on State business. Because, you know, in this country we're not supposed to get along well after an election is over. I'm glad that George W. Bush is setting the right tone in Washington. Yes he is.

Finally, I think this is something we should be getting angry about. What, exactly, is Russia doing selling weapons to third world terrorist states?