Archive for 2014
September 24, 2014
JAMES TARANTO: Beating About the Bush: Obama’s war embarrasses some journalists.
Sometimes history seems to have a sense of humor. In September 2013 BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski unearthed an old video and reported: “During the presidential election last year Vice President Joe Biden attacked Mitt Romney for being ‘ready to go to war’ in Syria.” . . .
A greater irony than the comparison between the Obama administration and Biden’s notional Romney administration is that between Obama and his predecessor. The current administration still seems at great pains to distinguish itself from George W. Bush. The Journal quotes an unnamed U.S. official as saying of the strikes in Syria: “It is shock, without the awe”–meaning it’s less awesome than the airstrikes that preceded the 2003 ground invasion of Iraq.
In a statement this morning, the president himself said: “We were joined in this action by our friends and partners–Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar.” He continued: “The strength of this coalition makes it clear to the world that this is not America’s fight alone. Above all, the people and governments in the Middle East are rejecting ISIL and standing up for the peace and security that the people of the region and the world deserve.”
WHEN PROSECUTORIAL DISCRETION IS ABUSED: Mass. D.A. drops charges against protesters engaged in illegal blockade — because he agrees with their political opinions.
IMPERIAL GOVERNANCE: A single trip for Obama to play pool, drink beer and raise money cost taxpayers about $700,000.
Taxpayers had to cough up $1,159,823 in just one month to fly President Obama to New York and Denver to raise money for Democrats and attend an LGBT event, according to documents obtained by a taxpayer watchdog group.
Judicial Watch told Secrets that the Air Force just provided expense reports detailing the flight costs of Air Force One to the cities in July.
The documents show that president’s July 8-9 fundraising trip to Denver cost the taxpayers $695,894.10.
His July 17-18 fundraising trip to New York City cost taxpayers $463,929.40.
Travel costs are typically a small portion of presidential trips. Judicial Watch said that the U.S. Secret Service has not complied with a request to detail security expenses and the costs of housing and moving the president and his staff are also unknown.
Obama has been extremely active and popular on the fundraising trail, helping his party collect millions to be used to fight and defeat Republicans in the November midterm elections. He has spent more time fundraising than appearing for Democratic candidates, many of which are shunning him in their campaigns.
I wonder why?
FLIGHT FROM ACCOUNTABILITY: Congress in No Rush to Return for ISIS War Authorization. “Shortly after airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria started, some lawmakers started pushing again for an authorization vote. But so far, leaders aren’t gearing up to bring their members back to town.”
IT’S A MINI-ME TO BUSH’S COALITION: Obama praises Arab coalition against ISIS. Given that many of these countries’ nationals have been backing ISIS, I wonder why we aren’t killing people elsewhere.
JOEL KOTKIN: Why Suburbia Irks Some Conservatives. “There may be more than a bit of class prejudice at work here. British Tories long have disliked suburbs and their denizens. In a 1905 book, ‘The Suburbans,’ the poet T.W.H. Crossland launched a vitriolic attack on the ‘low and inferior species,’ the ‘soulless’ class of ‘clerks’ who were spreading into the new, comfortable houses in the suburbs, mucking up the aesthetics of the British countryside.”
Robert Bruegmann’s book, Sprawl: A Compact History talks about this very phenomenon. I wrote a column on the subject here.
SECURITY THEATER: TSA Now Using ‘Hypothetical Threats’ to Assign Passengers to Watchlists.
CDC: Ebola could infect 1.4 million in West Africa by end of January if trends continue. These worst-case scenarios seem to keep getting worse, and at an increasing rate.
AND THEY’LL UNDER-DELIVER: U.S. and China Both Pledge Nothing at U.N. Climate Summit.
ASHE SCHOW: What If We Applied Feminist Logic To Other Crimes? “We should be teaching people not to steal, not telling people to lock their doors and windows.”
TOM BEVAN: The End Of Civil Rhetoric. “It’s also true that Democrats are under pressure to rev up what appears to be a lethargic electorate or face defeat at the polls in November. It’s unfortunate that we’ve come to accept the idea that voters can only be motivated by fear and anger toward their political opponents. But here’s another thought: Maybe Democratic leaders aren’t finding success in expanding their liberal base because fair-minded Americans don’t easily gravitate to a political party led by people whose default election tactic is to demonize its opponents.”
September 23, 2014
RUTH BADER GINSBURG: “I’m Not Going Anywhere!”
ASTROTURF: Conspiracy To Destroy Rush Limbaugh Is Small, Organized, Deceptive. Also ineffective. But it’s Potemkin villages all the way down.
#GAMERGATE NOT AN ABERRATION? Video shows Mexican drug lord paying journalists for ‘good press.’
CONGRATULATIONS: India Puts Spacecraft Into Martian Orbit.
PHOTOS: Climate Movement Drops Mask, Admits Communist Agenda. Guess I need to buy more ammo.
AT AMAZON, Hot Music at Hot Prices.
BILL CLINTON ON INVERSIONS: “This is their money.” “As many Democrats attack companies that take advantage of corporate tax inversions, former President Bill Clinton expressed sympathy for them.” Okay, this is really just a message to Wall Street that if it donates to Hillary, she’ll take care of them. But while Bill can promise that, can he deliver?
MORE ON GAMERGATE AND THE SORRY STATE OF GAME-JOURNALISM. How Sloppy, Biased Video Games Reporting Almost Destroyed a CEO. And by “sorry state,” I mean, “strongly resembling political journalism.”
HAPPY BLOGGIVERSARY TO The Victory Girls.
21ST CENTURY RELATIONSHIPS: ‘My Sister Is Pregnant and We Don’t Know Which of My Brothers is the Father.’
TEACH WOMEN NOT TO RAPE (CONT’D): Monroe County Teacher Facing Four Felony Charges.