This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Politics

  • Google and MoveOn.org collusion to squelch Betray-us debate

    Robert Cox of the Washington Examiner raises new questions about the relationship between Google and MoveOn.org;

    Internal documents obtained by The Examiner shine new light on MoveOn.org’s “General Betray Us” ad and raise fresh questions about the far-left advocacy group’s misleading statements on the issue and its relationship with Google, a major donor to its political action committee.

    The documents show how MoveOn.org used dubious claims of trademark infringement and threats of litigation to silence critics of its recent controversial full-page ad in The New York Times attacking Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. general in Iraq, which appeared the day he was testifying before Congress on the war effort. Among those critics was Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is seeking a third term.

    The controversial full-page ad in The New York Times attacking Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. general in Iraq.

    After The Examiner exclusively reported Oct. 11 that Google had banned four anti-MoveOn.org ads placed by the Collins campaign, Google and MoveOn.org each sought to portray the ban as unrelated to the Petraeus ad controversy. The documents obtained by The Examiner, however, show a direct link between the two events.

    The Examiner also provides a timeline of events which makes the whole story a little easier to understand.

    Michelle Malkin wrote extensively about this a few weeks ago.  I’m strictly a “Yahoo” guy – always have been and always will be. And this demonstrates why.

  • Beauchamp and The New Republic hung by their own petard

    What a shocker. Now, maybe the fabulist/diarist will fade into long-overdue obscurity.   

    SHOCK DOCS: THE NEW REPUBLIC ‘SHOCK TROOPS’ STORY COLLAPSES
    WED Oct 24 2007 12:29:44 ET

    The DRUDGE REPORT has obtained internal documents from the investigation of THE NEW REPUBLIC’S “Baghdad Diarist”, Scott Thomas Beauchamp, an Army private turned war correspondent who reported tales of military malfeasance from the Iraq War front.

    The documents appear to expose that once the veracity of Beauchamp’s diaries were called into question, and an Army investigation ensued, THE NEW REPUBLIC has failed to publicly account for publishing slanderous falsehoods about the U.S. military in a time of war.

    …..THE NEW REPUBLIC has been standing behind the stories from their Baghdad Diarist, Scott Thomas Beauchamp, since questions were first raised about their accuracy over the summer. On August 10, the editors at TNR accused the Army of “stonewalling” their investigation into the stories by preventing them from speaking with Beauchamp. The DRUDGE REPORT has since obtained the transcript of a September 7 call between TNR editor Frank Foer, TNR executive editor Peter Scoblic, and Private Beauchamp. During the call, Beauchamp declines to stand by his stories, telling his editors that “I just want it to end. I’m not going to talk to anyone about anything really.” The editors respond that “we just can’t, in good conscience, continue to defend the piece” without an explanation, but Beauchamp responds only that he “doesn’t care what the public thinks.” The editors then ask Beauchamp to cancel scheduled interviews with the WASHINGTON POST and NEWSWEEK.

    ……The DRUDGE REPORT has also obtained a signed “Memorandum for Record” in which Beauchamp recants his stories and concedes the facts of the Army’s investigation — that his stories contained “gross exaggerations and inaccurate allegations of misconduct” by his fellow soldiers.

    ……The third document obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT is the Army’s official report on the investigation into the allegations made by Private Beauchamp. The Army concluded that Beauchamp had “completely fabricated” the story of mocking a disfigured woman, that his description of a “Saddam-era dumping ground” was false, and that claims that he and his men had deliberately targeted dogs with their armored vehicles was “completely unfounded.” Further the report stated “that Private Beauchamp desired to use his experiences to enhance his writing and provide legitimacy to his work possibly becoming the next Hemingway.”

    The report concludes that “Private Beauchamp takes small bits of truth and twists and exaggerates them into fictional accounts that he puts forth as the whole truth for public consumption.”

    Link: http://www.drudgereport.com/flash8.htm

    For some reason, the documents containing TNR’s interview with Beauchamp were pulled from Drudge but HotAir.com was able to save them:

    doc1

    doc2

    doc3

    doc4

    doc5

    doc6

    doc7

    The entire story and additional information here.

    TNR is still trying to cover their ass.  Admitting they fucked up beyond belief might have saved at least a shred of credibility.  Just reading the interview and Beauchamp’s blithe responses makes me want to vomit.  So far, there’s been a deafening silence on the TNR website. I can hardly wait to read their final sorry-assed excuse.

    Jonn added: Michele Malkin has the whole story on the Beauchamp leaked documents in detail and timeline.

  • Hillary Not the Only Dem Candidate with Funny Money

    A two year old donated $2300 to Barack Obama’s campaign. So did her 9 and 13 year old siblings. Was it Obama’s pro-Barney stance that enamored him to the tyke? Was his command of L33t enough to garner the contributions of her sister, brother and 13 year old cousins? Or could it be that good ol’ fashioned “Culture of Corruption©”? Not that her uncle is a wealthy Chicago financier or anything…
    The Washington Post has the story

  • Boxer’s BDS

    I heard last night on John Gibson’s show that California Senator Barbara Boxer blamed California’s wildfires burning out of control on the fact that President Bush had deployed California’s National Guard to Iraq. Well, I scoured the internet for nearly an hour looking for the quote and since I couldn’t find it, I scrapped the post. Well, Gateway Pundit (characteristically) has a link to it this morning;

    California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer complained on Capitol Hill Tuesday that the ability of the state’s National Guard to respond to disasters like the fires has been compromised because too much of its equipment and personnel are committed in Iraq.

    Even the excerpted transcript on her Senate website taken from the particular time the comment was supposed to have been made has the comment scrubbed. So I guess her staff was fairly embarrassed that the Senator’s stretch exceeded her grasp. Nevertheless,  Paul McHale, the Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security probably anticipated BDS infecting the Californians;

    Asked if the commitment of more than 170,000 U.S. troops in Iraq will affect what the military can send to the domestic emergency, McHale said:

    “I can tell you unequivocally that the ongoing war-fighting activities … have had no negative effect at all (on) our ability to provide sufficient forces to assist civilian authorities in fighting the wildfires…. There is no manpower shortage.”

    The article continues to list the assets the federal government is providing the efforts in California. It’s pretty staggering. So anyway, Boxer’s rant reminded me of the cartoon I saw at Flopping Aces this morning;

    toon102307.gif

    Hey, Don Carl – did you notice how many times I refered to California in this post? Why do you guys keep sending Boxer back to the Senate?

  • Burmese live in climate of fear (Updated)

    The Bush Administration today published laws restricting assets of some members of the Myanmar government;

    In response to the Government of Burma’s continued repression
    of the democratic opposition in Burma, and consistent with Executive
    Order 13310 of July 28, 2003 and Executive Order 13448 of October 18,
    2007, this final rule amends the Export Administration Regulations
    (EAR) to move Burma into more restrictive country groupings and impose
    a license requirement for exports, reexports or transfers of most items
    subject to the EAR to persons listed in or designated pursuant to
    Executive Orders 13310 and 13448.

    And the Australian government is “fleshing out” it’s own program of restrictions according to the Australian press;

    Last month, Prime Minister John Howard announced the moves in an effort to convince the military rulers to tone down their hard line against pro-democracy demonstrations.

    Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the measures would be directed against 418 individuals, made up of members of the Burmese regime, their associates and supporters.

    Those on the list include members of the State Peace and Development Council, their spouses and children, as well as regional commanders and their immediate family.

    Also on the list are deputy regional commanders, government ministers, deputy ministers and their immediate families.Â

    But the Washington Post reports that it’ll probably do little in the short term, since Burmese people live in fear of the Myanmar government;

    But they talk about it only in whispers, looking over their shoulders to see who might be listening. The government has blocked access to several Internet chat and e-mail sites, and people assume their phone conversations are not private, given that the government controls all the country’s telecommunications.

    “The people, we all feel so cramped up inside,” said a 66-year-old man in Rangoon. “We cannot talk. We cannot do anything. This government, they are killers. They have guns, but the people have nothing.” He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have anyone to talk to about these things.”

    Sounds like a commercial for the Second Amendment.

    Global protests are being planned, specifically targeting Chinese Embassies;

    Demonstrations will take place in 12 cities around the world against Burma’s continuing detention of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.

    Protests are being planned at Chinese embassies, as campaigners say Beijing holds the key to Suu Kyi’s release.

    UPDATE: AP writes that China and Russia have blocked UN sanctions against the Myanmar government;

    China and Russia urged Myanmar’s military rulers to talk with the country’s opposition but said Wednesday that they opposed any U.N. sanctions against the junta.
    Â
    The two veto-wielding countries on the U.N. Security Council say Myanmar’s crushing of pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks was an internal issue, a position that has prevented discussions of sanctions.

    Foreign Ministers Yang Jiechi of China and Sergey Lavrov of Russia said at a meeting with India’s Pranab Mukherjee that, instead of punishment, they support efforts by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to open talks between the opposition and the ruling generals.

  • Maryland’s O’Malley; spending cuts as a threat

    Isn’t it funny? When Republican Robert Erlich was voted out of Maryland’s governorship nearly a year ago, he turned over a year-over-year surplused budget to incoming Democrat Martin O’Malley – now O’Malley is threatening to cut spending in Maryland if the Legislature doesn’t raise taxes on Marylanders according to the Washington Examiner;

    Big cuts in aid to counties, libraries, schools, universities, health care, state police and dozens of other programs will be needed if the legislature doesn’t pass tax increases next month, Gov. Martin O’Malley said Tuesday as he unveiled his own version of a “doomsday” budget.

    “There is a price to doing nothing,” said O’Malley, flanked by his Cabinet. “When we understand what the price of doing nothing is, we will find a way to move forward.”

    In a move clearly designed to put pressure on lawmakers, the governor listed $1.7 billion in cuts he would propose if the General Assembly he has called into session next Monday does not pass most of the eight revenue measures he has proposed.

    Well, that’s what O’Malley should be doing any-damn-way. Cut the damn spending, idiot. It’s not Maryland’s fault that you spent the year-over-year surplus. Tax hikes aren’t the answer – cut those damn government flunkies’ jobs, cut teachers’ pensions, cut grants to college students. Ya know what’ll happen if ya do? The cost of government willl drop, the cost of education will drop, the tuition at colleges will drop – stop being a tool of the unions, Marty.

    You can’t keep promising more and more government services (like O’Malley did in the election) and then tax the livin’ shit out of working Marylanders. Try cutting spending just once Marty m’boy. You never know – you might like it after awhile.

    The Washington Times’ Tom Lobianco reports that O’Malley’s poll standings are falling as he reaches for hie “doomsday” prophecies;

    Public support for Gov. Martin O’Malley has dropped sharply since he took office in January, according to a statewide poll released yesterday.

    Mr. O’Malley’s approval rating dropped six points, to 46 percent, and his disapproval rating increased 10 points, to 31 percent, since the last statewide poll conducted in March by Gonzales Research and Marketing.

    The poll results were released on the same day Mr. O’Malley outlined his “doomsday budget” proposal, which includes $1.7 billion in cuts to education, health care and other state programs.

    Of couorse he’s in a freefall – he’s pissed off everyone by threatening either tax hikes of program cuts. If he’d just threaten program cuts, he’d only piss off half as many people.

  • Third world Montgomery County, MD

    Life among the bluest blue staters is is difficult sometimes…this is one of those times. reading the Washington Examiner on my commute this morning, I could feel my blood pressure rise. On page 2 was an article that Montgomery County government flunkies (which borders the District of Columbia on the north and northwest and Virginia across the Potomac River) had heard reports that illegal immigrants are streaming into relatively safe Montgomery County to escape the law enforcement entities in Prince William County ;

    Montgomery County officials have received reports that illegal immigrants from Virginia are moving into the county after several Virginia counties began cracking down on them, officials in the county say.

    Juan, a Peruvian immigrant who declined to give his name because he does not have immigration papers, said that two weeks ago he left a “great job” driving a construction truck in Prince William County because of concerns about deportation. He previously made $16 an hour, had community college tuition partially covered and received health insurance from his Virginia employer. Now, he looks for day labor jobs on a street corner in Wheaton, but he hasn’t found one yet.

    “The police were going to stop me and ask for documents,” said Juan, who lives in Prince George’s County. “I decided not to go [to Virginia] anymore because if they deport me, then I’m not saving any money. … So I stay here, like many people do, because I can’t stay there anymore. My job is there waiting for me, but I can’t go there anymore.”

    Poor Juan. First of all, he’s wrong – the police in Prince William County, VA are only checking the immigration status of people they arrest – so unless Juan is planning on breaking any other laws (besides being here illegally), he probably won’t be checked by Virginia police. And second of all, if he went back to Peru and filed the paperwork he needed to file and proves he has a job here already, he’d probably be able to return quickly. But, I guess it’s just much easier for Juan to move somewhere else and continue being a criminal and complain unanomously to a reporter about it.

    But, see that’s not why I call Montgomery County a 3rd World country – it’s the legal residents of Montgomery County, the natives of Montgomery County that make it like a 3rd World country. Like Ike Leggett, probably the biggest idiot to ever occupy the office of Montgomery County Executive who said;

    “When one jurisdiction tries to force people to move around, they don’t leave,” Leggett said. “They either shift the burden from one community to another, or they go underground. That’s why this is not a solution.”

    First of all, who taught this imbecile to talk-an ape? Secondly, if all of the local governments applied the law equally, there wouldn’t be anyone to shift around – it’s bumbling illiterate morons like Leggett that have created this problem by making it attractive for people to break the law – knowing weak-kneed politicians wouldn’t have the guts to enforce our laws. Idiot Leggett blaming Prince William County for Montgomery County’s illegal immigrant problem is the very definition of ignorant imbecile.

  • Clashes in Venezuela (Updated Oct 24)

     

    Photo from AP via Yahoo News

    Scroll for Updates

    I just got an email from Kate about new riots in Venezuela and sure enough…from CNN;

    Thousands of university students scuffled with police and government supporters during a protest Tuesday against constitutional reforms that would let President Hugo Chavez run for re-election indefinitely.

    Police tossed tear gas canisters into the crowd of opposition students after bottle-throwing clashes broke out with a smaller group of pro-Chavez demonstrators near the National Assembly. Journalists estimated there were about 20,000 protesters, but pro-Chavez lawmakers said there were far fewer.

    The students said they fear civil liberties would be severely weakened under the constitutional changes.

    The story from Kate sounds much more dramatic in Spanish, though. It’s not very surprising – Chavez has been acting a fool. Julia and Daniel have been writing about Chavez’ proposed constutional reforms for months now.

    Just last week end, Chavez jacked up the price of alcohol and tobacco to affect consumption (CNN);

    The price of sin rose Monday in Venezuela where President Hugo Chavez is on a campaign to make Venezuelans cut back on drinking and smoking.

    “Everyone’s shocked,” said Leonora Marino, owner of Bodegon Marino in Valencia, Venezuela, west of Caracas.

    On Monday evening, she was still changing the prices in her store as her customers looked on and complained, she told a reporter.

    Alcohol is now 10 percent more expensive; cigarettes are 20 percent pricier.

    It’s all part of Chavez’ attempt to recreate Che Guevara’s “New Socialist Man” ideal;

    Oh, Hugo. The latest news from Venezuela borders on comical, if it didn’t sound like it was dredged up from the playbook of a failed team from last century. President Chavez is pushing a moral crusade to instill the principles of Che Guevara’s “New Socialist Man” on the Venezuelan population. Chavez wants to heavily limit whiskey imports, raise taxes on tobacco products, and encourage people to not “douse foods with too much hot sauce, exercise regularly, eat low-cholesterol foods, respect speed limits,” or have too much cosmetic surgery.

    Despite Chavez’ dietary restrictions on the Venezuelans, The Devil’s Excrement reports drastic food shortages in Caracas;

    —Datanalisis polls supermarkets and markets and find that many products are not even available in half of them. The most absent? Milk, present in only 25% of them.

    —The Government holds a Megamercal, a huge market where you can get controlled products and people show up at six in the morning to see if they can get some milk. According to pro-Government newspaper Ultimas Noticias (by subscription) people were complaining that they show up at 6 AM and have to stand in line until noon, because there are lines both outside and inside the market. At the end, when you finally get to the head of the line you can buy a limited amount of stuff: one kilo of milk, 2 kilos of sugar and two chickens.

    Daniel from Venezuela News and Views says Chavez blames it on the media.

    So, what is the government explanation? Both Chavez and his minister for Mercal, Rafael Oropeza, yet another military who has no idea on how to milk a cow, say that it is a paid for gigantic media conspiracy, to create panic in the population and make people buy more milk than what they need (you can hoard fresh milk?). What is wrong in this picture? Here are the arguments advanced by the government and the OBVIOUS reply that any journalist should confront the nincompoop uttering them:

    Among the reasons the government gives are global warming affecting milk production and the fact that the poor are drinking more milk thanks to Chavez’ social programs. It must be riot to live there.

    The governmental electoral commission “requested” media outlets to suspend broadcasting propaganda against Constitutional reforms;

    The National Electoral Council (CNE, under its Spanish acronym) issued a formal request for private and public TV stations and for the Ministry of Information and Communication (MINCI, under its Spanish acronym) to stop broadcasting messages that seemed to be intended to campaign for a “yes” or a “no” vote over the constitutional reform proposed by President Hugo Chávez and currently being discussed at the National Assembly.

    While government agencies are busy stroking the poor;

    Venezuela’s Minister of Finance Rodrigo Cabezas, presenting the national fiscal budget for 2008 to the Venezuelan National Assembly, announced increased government spending for 2008 including more money for social programs and increased income from non-oil sectors. Also, according to Cabezas, 2008 will be the fifth consecutive year of economic growth for the country.

    UPDATED: Kate wrote more, posted a YouTube video and Daniel from Venezuela News and Views has more photos and videos and details from yesterday’s clash. The Devil’s Excrement describes moments that no one else but Chavez could call “democratic;

    To make matters even worse, the pro-Chavez groups blocking the way included a couple of Deputies of the National Assembly, demonstrating that democracy is not alive and well in Venezuela. As the representatives of the students went into the Capitol building, only the pro-Chavez media was allowed in and even more remarkably a group of pro-Chavez “students” who had nothing to do with the march were also allowed in. Deputy Calixto Ortega won the day in terms of shame, when he said he did not understand why these students required “special” treatment, since the reform has been discussed extensively (!!!) and the students were getting “too much coverage” from the press. I guess the right to express yourself has now become a “special right” in Venezuela.

    The Catholic News Agency reports that Chavez announced more reforms for next year;

    The Venezuelan president said he was also preparing what he called a “2008 Revolution Plan,” which he said would be “a revolution within the revolution.”

    The revolution would begin with the approval of the constitutional reforms,” Chavez said, “but I am not going to give any preview of the 2008 Revolution, which will be a deepening of the revolution,” he reiterated.

    One might wonder how deep he plans to bury Venezuela.