Theodore Draper, a Teacher for our Times
Via Laura Rozen, I see that Theodore Draper, author of A Very Thin Line, has passed away. I quoted from Draper just the other day (in a post currently on ice in the Typepad fridge) and again just a few weeks ago, so it goes without saying that I believe Draper offers us some very important insight for our times.
The Incredible Story of Mahdi Obeidi, Conclusion
Summary: In this series of posts, I examine somefunkiness regarding the story of Mahdi Obeidi, the Iraqi nuclearscientist who claimed to have buried a nuclear centrifuge under hisrose plant. In part one, I lay out a timeline for his story. Parts two and three examine some problems with the materials he turned over.
The Non-Witness Witness Statements
With civil war breaking out in Iraq and Bush selling our ports to the highest bidder, I realize that dwelling on Cheney shooting an old man in the face might be indiscreet. But I wanted to make some observations about the witness reports The Smoking Gun has posted on its site.
Likkered Up
Several people have commented on the non-denial denials of how drunk the party was that afternoon.
Francis Fukuyama, You Got Duped by an Ignoble Lie
Francis Fukuyama wants you to know that he's no longer associated with Neo-Conservatism. Nope, he's done with it.
Neoconservatism, as both a political symbol and a body of thought, has evolved into something I can no longer support.
I appreciate the public disavowal of the movement. But Fukuyama still doesn't get it. He imagines the intentions of the Neo-Conservatives were good, and that it was just dumb luck and inaccurate intelligence that doomed
Neo-Feudalists
There's been a lively discussion about labels recently--particularly as more true conservatives attempt to create a position from which to oppose Bush without ceding their identity as conservatives. It's a discussion I've been thinking a lot about, not least because I'm dabbling with an argument that we need to think of the "Conservative Movement" as a more cohesive, intentional whole.
What Was Dick Really Hiding?
I've been promising for a few days now that I was going to do a post on Anne Armstrong, whom I've dubbed the grande dame of Republican scandal. I'll get there, I'll get there. But first let me talk about why I think it's important.
By now, I think all reasonable people agree there are a number of curious discrepancies in the Deadeye Dick shooting story.
Adjunct Vice Presidential Press Secretary Gets Testy
I'm working on a much more comprehensive post about the grande dame of Republican scandal, Anne Armstrong. But in the meantime, I see that most of the people who do play by play on this kind of thing are fighting the cruel Blogger gods. And I didn't want the testiness of said grande dame and her daughter, grande-dame-in-training Katharine Armstrong, to escape notice.
You see, it appears the Adjunct Vice Presidential Press
Evidence Dick Didn't Declassify the NIE
As part of Dick Cheney's attempt to regain the love of his adoring Fox viewer supporters the other day, he threw in a tidbit completely unrelated to the accidental shooting of his friend.
Q Let me ask you another question. Is it your view that a VicePresident has the authority to declassify information?
THE VICE PRESIDENT:
Dick Cheney, Hunting the Truth
One of the most fascinating things about Dick's little hunting accident is that it exposes Dick violating the rules--rules that few are going to argue are partisan. When Dick and Libby broke the law to out Valerie Plame, wingnuts proclaimed they were just exposing an unfair partisan attack. When Dick and Bush broke the law to eavesdrop on American citizens, most Republicans excused it by saying Democratic complaints about the law-breaking
One Scandal per Administration? No.
I wrote a long comment in Kagro X's latest impeachment post arguing that we need to demonstrate the systematic, ongoing corruption of the Republican party. Until we can show how often the Republicans have brought back discredited flunkies to pick up their corrupt plans where they left off, it will be difficult to show the importance of impeachment--the one recourse citizens have to ensure that these flunkies never return again.