lgf: Ellison Backpedals Furiously

lgf: Ellison Backpedals Furiously:

"WASHINGTON - The nation’s first Muslim congressman said Tuesday that he erred
in comparing the Bush administration’s response to Sept. 11 to an event that led
to Adolf Hitler’s consolidation of power in Nazi Germany.

At an appearance before a group of atheists in Minnesota on July 8, Rep. Keith
Ellison, D-Minn., called Sept. 11 “the juggernaut” that led to war, tolerating
torture and increased discrimination against religious minorities.
“It’s almost like the Reichstag fire, kind of reminds me of that,” he said. “After the
Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it and it put the leader of
that country in a position where he could basically have authority to do
whatever he wanted.”"

This comment was unfounded and should not have been made. Rhetoric like this does nothing to progress discussion forward. It does everything to cause division and create hate and fear.

lgf: Hamas Builds Army While Palestinians Starve

lgf: Hamas Builds Army While Palestinians Starve:

"GAZA (Reuters) - Children raced to help parents collect food from U.N. aid
distribution centers in the Gaza Strip as women sat in the shade near trucks,
waiting for their names to be called to receive their food rations.

The enclave’s isolation has deepened since the Islamist Hamas group routed their
Western-backed rivals to seize control last month. Israel, effectively at war
with Hamas, has sealed off key border crossings, stifling trade and forcing
thousands of Palestinians to seek handouts from U.N. aid bodies."

What these people need is peace. Hamas needs to start to talk to Israel and find a path to peace, it needs to talk to Fatah and find a path to coming back together. The violence in the region is bad for Israelis and it is bad for Palestinians. It just so happens that since citizens of the Gaza Strip are poorer, they face the greatest loses. If Hamas cared about its people it would put aside its ideas of pushing Israel out of the Middle East, and accept a two state solution.

Ron Paul Will Place Second at Ames

Hugh Hewitt: Ron Paul Will Place Second at Ames

"He leads the second tier in cash-on-hand. He was able to get 1,200 people out
to the Hy-Vee (has any candidate done something that big on their own, not at an
RPI event?). His home base in Texas isn’t that far of a drive, and his people
are motivated enough to come in from out of state for him. And he’s making a big
push on his Web site, which for all intents and purposes, is his campaign.
Romney, given his dominant position organizationally in Iowa, should still
win. Even with the rest of the top tier not participating, he won’t be able to
let his guard down, lest he be ambushed by one of the second tier. Should Romney
underperform against someone not even playing at Ames, or against someone not
taken seriously, that’s a blow to his Iowa inevitability."

I got a number of comments from people that said that when the numbers came in it would be a surprise how well Ron Paul was doing. I have been dismissive of his bid for the White House, and while I still feel it is a long shot, I wanted to post this. This shows that he is getting serious cash and leads the lower tier, with the chance of becoming a first tier candidate.

Michelle on Zina Linnik 7/18/07

Gates of Vienna: The Mullahs’ Federal Flophouse

Gates of Vienna: The Mullahs’ Federal Flophouse:

"NIAC Books A Room: The House Republican Conference has one week to block the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), from holding a July 26, 2007 two and a half
hour disinformation conference in room B 369, Rayburn House Office Building:
“Human Rights in Iran and US Foreign Policy Options.”

NIAC presents itself as an educational non-partisan group, taking both sides of any issue, a slightly more sophisticated version of CAIR. But a closer look shows that they fit somewhere between open apologists for Ahmadinejad and a regime defense team running
interference to prevent any U.S. actions against Iran. NIAC simply takes the
Baker-Hamilton “realist” position to the logical conclusion of U.S. surrender:
that the U.S. should appease Iran whenever possible, negotiate on Iranian terms
all issues of interest to the Mullahs, and never support Iranian democracy
advocates or any internal critics of the Mullahs’ regime"

The idea of Freedom of Speech is that an idea should fail or thrive on its own merit, and not because one group or another group in power wanted or did not want the message to be heard. If they are so wrong, and they are so hateful, then Americans are smart enough that they will not buy that message. Sometimes attempting to suppress a message, in that act, gives the message some strength. There are those that will ask, why are you so afraid of what we are saying, are you afraid of the truth.

ArchPundit » Blog Archive » Romney’s Playing from the Keyes Playbook

ArchPundit » Blog Archive » Romney’s Playing from the Keyes Playbook:

"So, at this point at least, what Obama is referring to is teaching five year
olds about inappropriate touching. The Obama campaign also tells The Brody File
that parents would be able to opt out. As for further details, the touching
aspect seems to be the main idea here. Obama doesn’t want to hand out condoms to
five year olds. He doesn’t want cucumber demonstrations as part of show and
tell. The legitimate reasonable discussion here is whether the federal
government and/or local school boards should get involved in providing these
five year olds information about inappropriate touching or should it be left up
to families only."

Though Romney has attempted to twist this into something other than what it is, it sounds perfectly logical that you should explain to children that there are way that adults should not be touching you and how to respond if this happens. I don't think that teaching sex to kindergartners would be healthy, and I don't know how much that they would gain from it. I know this is a touchy subject, and one that parents would rather deal with themselves, but I would say that adding the voice of a teacher to that of a parent only makes the message stronger. On the other hand there are families that do not teach that message to their children, sometimes because it is the parent(s) who are touching the children in ways that they shouldn't.

Up All Night with Sen. Tom Harkin

Crooks and Liars » Harriet Miers Snubs Congressional Subpoena For A Second Time

Crooks and Liars » Harriet Miers Snubs Congressional Subpoena For A Second Time:

"Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers has again rejected calls from
the House Judiciary Committee to comply with a subpoena for her testimony on the
firing of 9 US Attorneys in 2006 and 2007. The Committee had set a deadline of 5
PM for Miers to explain how she would comply with the subpoena."

I think that first of all this behavior is rude, and second of all it does nothing to work towards what Washington needs more than anything else right now and that it conversation. I know her defenders might claim that she was under executive privilege and could not answer the questions that were going to be asked. The problem with that is that she did not know, and we do not know what would be asked of her. There may have been questions that she could have answered.

There may have been a concern about the nature of the questions, and the fear that some of them may have been hostile. While it is understandable that some might be hostile against the White House, not appearing looks worse than having her appear and block the difficult questions. When you don't show up, the message you are sending is that Congress doesn't matter, or that you are too afraid to face hard questions.

America Speaks Out On Iraq

Senator Conrad Accuses Republicans

The Daily Left

McCain's Not Quitting

Captain's Quarters: McCain's Not Quitting

"It's become fashionable to write obituaries for John McCain's presidential
campaign, and the recent housecleaning at the Straight Talk Express has
convinced many that McCain will end his bid sooner rather than later. Chris
Cillizza at The Fix reports that John McCain is not among those so convinced.
The Senator has met with staffers to draw comparisons between the status of his
campaign and that of another Republican, who went on to some degree of success.
Chris reviews two memos making the rounds:"

The thing for me with McCain is that when I hear him speak, I think to myself that I like the way this guys thinks. However when it comes to the way he votes, I have a hard time thinking to myself that I like the way he votes. While I think he is a good and strong leader, I doubt the path that he wants to lead America down is the right path.

Dennis Miller reads DailyKos, defends free speech

Countdown: Worst Person July 18, 2007

Pentagon says anyone who asks about withdrawal from Iraq is emboldening the enemy - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Pentagon says anyone who asks about withdrawal from Iraq is emboldening the enemy - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"And the Pentagon brass know a thing or two about emboldening the enemy
since they singlehandedly invited and trained Al Qaeda in Iraq for the past six
years. And speaking about emboldening the enemy, how's that hunt for Osama
going?"

This is a stupid argument. I think every voice that stands up against the war in Iraq weakens the terrorists. This is why. What do we have that we are offering the world. I say this over and over again, that we offer the world freedom and democracy. What the terrorists offer the world is control and fear. The voices that speak up against the war are and example to the world, and to Muslims of what the strengths of democracy are, that we can doubt our leaders. If the choice that the world has is submission to the control of America or the submission to the control of Islam, it is going to be a toss up of who is going to win. If the choice is freedom, emboldened and idealised by America, or submitting to the control of Islam, freedom will win. We can't be a model of freedom, if we do not allow all sides to speak freely.

Sunnis End Boycott | Air America Radio

Sunnis End Boycott Air America Radio:

"According to officials in Iraq, the main Sunni bloc has ended its boycott of
the Shi'ite-dominated parliament. Saleem al-Jubouri, a spokesman and lawmaker
for the bloc said, 'Mashhadani is back, we are back.” Asked why they decided to
come back, he responded, “We also felt we have some very important legislation
that needs to be dealt with.”"

if you want to point out every failure in Iraq, then you might want to point out the progress in Iraq. This is a point of progress that could be a beginning to other points of progress.

New Poll: Majority Wants A Timetable | Air America Radio

New Poll: Majority Wants A Timetable Air America Radio:

"A new CBS polls asks: “What should congress do about Iraq war
funding?” 61 percent of respondents believe that congress should only fund the
war with a timetable. According to the poll “There's a sharp political divide on
the funding issue. Most Democrats (77 percent) and Independents (60 percent)
think funding should be tied to a pullout timetable, while more than half of
Republicans (53 percent) think funding for war should continue
unfettered.”"

I think there is an important point to be made here, that is that the majority isn't always right. I was listening to John McCain talk about leadership the other day and he stressed the importance of doing what is right even when it might not be popular. I am not saying this because I am against the pull out of troops from Iraq, my point is that what ever choice that is made needs to be made based on knowledge of what is happening on the ground, and the effects it will have on the region. The polls can ask Americans their opinions, but at the end of the day this is knowledge most of them do not have.

Hilary Duff Covers ‘Maxim’ Magazine--Bumpshack.com

Hilary Duff Covers ‘Maxim’ Magazine--Bumpshack.com

Conversation on Iraq

Inside the Beckhams shower....

Let’s Talk Some More About “Frances Bean” – Evil Beet Gossip

Let’s Talk Some More About “Frances Bean” – Evil Beet Gossip

Is this really Frances Bean....

EMMY LINKS

.
2007 Emmy Nominations: Liveblog - TV Squad
Emmy nominations released - TV Crunch
The 2007 Primetime Emmy Nominations Announced! - Pop Sugar
Vanessa Better Bring It Home - D Listed
Second-tier Awards Shows: The Emmy Nominations: Let's Just Hand Over The Statues to 'The Sopranos' And Call It A Day - Defamer
Hours After the Emmy Nominees Are Announced, We Pick the Winners and Ruin Dreams - Best Week Ever

DemocracyNow Headlines- Thurs July 19, 2007

That is exactly what I was hoping someone would do...

You Choose '08 Spotlight: Rudy On His 12 Commitments

For Harry Potter, Good Old-Fashioned Closure - New York Times

For Harry Potter, Good Old-Fashioned Closure - New York Times:

"Harry’s journey will propel him forwards to a final showdown with his
archenemy, and also send him backwards into the past, back to the house in
Godric’s Hollow where his parents died, to learn about his own family history
and the equally mysterious history of Dumbledore’s family. At the same time, he
will be forced to ponder the equation between fraternity and independence, free
will and fate, and to come to terms with his own frailties and those of others.
Indeed, ambiguities proliferate throughout “The Deathly Hallows”: we are made to
see that kindly Dumbledore, sinister Severus Snape and perhaps even awful Muggle
cousin Dudley Dursley may be more complicated than they initially seem, that all
of them, like Harry himself, have hidden aspects to their personalities, and
that choice — more than talent or predisposition — matters most of all."

While some some have been critical of the New York Times for getting their hands on an early edition of the book and writing a review for it. The review that they do write is very good, and it doesn't give away the ending. Click the link for the full review.

Biggest Spoiler Ever: We Have The New 'Harry Potter' And This Is How It Ends - Gawker

Biggest Spoiler Ever: We Have The New 'Harry Potter' And This Is How It Ends - Gawker:
WARNING - WHAT IS BELOW IS THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THE NEWEST HARRY POTTER BOOK! IT WAS UNCOVERED BY THE PEOPLE AT GAWKER.















"This book was art directed by David Saylor. The art for both the jacket and the interior was created using pastels on toned printmaking paper. The text was set in 12-point Adobe Garamond, a typeface based on the sixteenth-century type designs of Claude Garamond, redrawn by Robert Slimbach in 1989. The book was typeset by Brad Walrod and was printed and bound by Quebecor World Fairfield in Fairfield, Pennsylvania. The Managing Editor was Karyn Browne; the Continuity Editor was Cheryl Klein; and the Manufacturing Director was Angela Biola."

Celeb Warship - Taking aim at everyone. Lindsay Lohan is Modest at

Celeb Warship - Taking aim at everyone. Lindsay Lohan is Modest at:

"Lohan admits her mother Dina was horrified when she realised the 21-year-old
would be simulating intercourse in the murder thriller I Know Who Killed Me. She
says, “Did I go naked for it? No, I had a bra on. “I told my mom about it and
she screamed. “I was actually so nervous but then I was fine. It’s weird.”"

I know some of you were hoping you might see a shot of Lohan naked in her new movie, but it isn't going to happen. For those of you who really want to see her naked, just look around the internet there is enough there to put together your own naked picture of Lindsay Lohan.

Do your kids know enough about whales...

In The Know: Are Our Children Learning Enough About Whales?

Paris Hilton cartoon : Top Socialite

Paris Hilton cartoon : Top Socialite:

"As if another album wasn’t enough, a cartoon series is in the works. Stan
Lee a comic book guru is working with Hilton’s enterprise to get the cartoon up
and running. The show would air on the popular MTV channel."

You thought you had enough of Paris Hilton now. Singer, model, actress, reality star, and now a cartoon.

Britney Bares All! - Now With XCLUSIVE Video! (X17 Online)

Britney Bares All! - Now With XCLUSIVE Video! (X17 Online)

For more photos and video click the link....

All Night on CSPAN

Jon on dog Fighting

Britney's Shooting A New Video

A Socialite's Life: Britney's Shooting A New Video

"Today on her blog, the dancer wrote an entry entitled 'BRITNEY SPEARS
MUSIC VIDEO' which stated 'SO...YES...TODAYS THE DAY!!! WERE SHOOTN MISS BRITS 1ST VIDEO OFF HER NEW ALBUM....ITS GOING TO BE HOTTTT!' "

New video, maybe that is why she stripped down to her underwear and went swimming in the ocean.If that is the case, neither the ocean water or the sight of Britney in her underwear are hot.

Tegan and Sara - The Con

Tara Reid Goes Back to the Drawing Board

A Socialite's Life:Tara Reid Goes Back to the Drawing Board

"'I originally did it because I had one breast bigger than the other,'
'But I also gained and lost weight so they were getting saggy and in
Hollywood you have to look great.'
But now she after having the procedures corrected, she said: 'I feel like a girl again...I walk out of the shower now and it's like wow I'm back.' "

She only thinks this because her big boobs are blocking her view of her own abs. They aren't wash board abs, more like wash cloth abs.

Gossip Does a Body Good

A Socialite's Life: Gossip Does a Body Good

"'It's a social skill, not a character flaw,' says Frank McAndrew a professor of
psychology at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. 'It's only when you don't do it
well that you get into trouble.'"

Wow this is great news, gossip is good for you. Damn, if this is true, then I am going to live forever.

The Word

The Marathon Session

Spectorwatch: Defense Maintains Lana Clarkson Used Phil Spector For His Great Suicide Connections - Defamer

Spectorwatch: Defense Maintains Lana Clarkson Used Phil Spector For His Great Suicide Connections - Defamer:

"The parade of Hollywood characters and crackpots willing to testify as to Lana
Clarkson's suicidal state of mind at the time of her shooting death continues
with Punkin Laughlin, aka Punkin Pie, a club promoter who considered the
Barbarian Queen star her 'best friend.' Laughlin testified that Clarkson had
told her 'I don't want to live anymore, I don't want to live in this town, I
want to end it,' less than a week before her death. Today, the cross-examination
accused Laughlin of having changed her tune considerably"

So what is the truth here, was Lana a depressed womyn who wanted to die, and took her own life. Or is Phil Spector a crazy man with a love of guns and violence that may have taken her life by accident. When it comes down to questions like these, it takes time to shift through each person was/is. Spector has a well known love of guns and a reputation as being a lose canon. That does not make him a killer though. In my opinion, probably what happened is that he was doing some of his gun play that others have talked about, and it went wrong. Leonard Cohen says that Spector once put a gun to Cohen's head and said he loved him. Could Spector have done a similar stunt with Clarkson, but this time the gun went off?

LINKS - GOSSIP

Kirsten is always hot.... Kirsten Dunst in Super Skinny Jeans
Looks like Tom's new movie is going to get made... Tom Cruise Gets the German Green Light
Welcome to LA, meet the local nuts... Tom & Katie To Throw Party for the Beckhams
Madonna is having some check on her adoption of David... Madonna's adoption to be judged
Anne won a crucial battle in her divorce.... Anne Heche Wins Furniture Skirmish in Divorce Case
I guess they do get it on still... Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie Caught Getting It On
Heather Mills wants more money.... What A Twat
What is good for the Posh, is good for the David... Becks' Turn
Ashlee and Pete moving in together.... Ashlee Simpson Moving In With Pete Wentz?
Amy Winehouse likes to spit... Amy Winehouse Makes Like a Camel

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Blogging the Qur’an: Sura 2, “The Cow,” verses 222-286

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Blogging the Qur’an: Sura 2, “The Cow,” verses 222-286

Immediately following is the famous statement that “there is no compulsion in
religion” (v. 256). Islamic spokesmen in the West frequently quote it to
disprove the contention that Islam spread by the sword, or even to claim that
Islam is a religion of peace. According to an early Muslim, Mujahid ibn Jabr,
this verse was abrogated by Qur’an 9:29, in which the Muslims are commanded to
fight against the People of the Book. Others, however, according to the Islamic
historian Tabari, say that 2:256 was never abrogated, but was revealed precisely
in reference to the People of the Book. They are not to be forced to accept
Islam, but may practice their religions as long as they pay the jizya (poll-tax)
and “feel themselves subdued” (9:29).
Many see v. 256 as contradicting the Islamic imperative to wage jihad against unbelievers, but actually there is no contradiction because the aim of jihad is not the forced conversion of
non-Muslims, but their subjugation within the Islamic social order. Says Asad: “All Islamic jurists (fuqahd’), without any exception, hold that forcible conversion is under all circumstances null and void, and that any attempt at coercing a non-believer to accept the faith of Islam is a grievous sin: a verdict which disposes of the widespread fallacy that Islam places before the unbelievers the alternative of ‘conversion or the sword.’” Quite so: the choice, as laid out by Muhammad himself, is conversion, subjugation as dhimmis, or the
sword. Qutb accordingly denies that v. 256 contradicts the imperative to fight
until “religion is for Allah” (v. 193), saying that “Islam has not used force to
impose its beliefs.” Rather, jihad’s “main objective has been the establishment
of a stable society in which all citizens, including followers of other
religious creeds, may live in peace and security” – although not with equality
of rights before the law, as 9:29 emphasizes. For Qutb, that “stable society” is
the “Islamic social order,” the establishment of which is a chief objective of
jihad.

I think this is the key to the debate about the nature of Islam. When it calls itself a religion of peace, is it the peace of equal coexistence as we see it in the west. Or is it the peace of all groups being in submission and under the rule of law of Islam. When we talk about a choice or religion, is it a choice like we think of in the west of equal choices. Or is it the choice of Islam, death or submission. In the west, we think of all people being equal and having equal rights to practice their faiths and to speak their mind. I don't know that Islam has the same ideas when it is talking about peace, justice and choice.

Olby loses it once again, on cue

7-19-07

Bagdikian's Observation

from Quotes of the Day

"Trying to be a first-rate reporter on the average American newspaper is like trying to play Bach's 'St. Matthew's Passion' on a ukulele."

Henry David Thoreau

from Quotes of the Day

"Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes."

Mahatma Gandhi

from Quotes of the Day

"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."

Gore Vidal

from Quotes of the Day

"It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail."

Charles de Montesquieu

from Quotes of the Day

"An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations."

Lee Simonson

from Quotes of the Day

"Any event, once it has occurred, can be made to appear inevitable by a competent historian."

George Bernard Shaw

from Quotes of the Day

"I can forgive Alfred Nobel for having invented dynamite, but only a fiend in human form could have invented the Nobel Prize."

Mark Twain

from Quotes of the Day

"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example."

Dianne Feinstein

from Quotes of the Day

"Winning may not be everything, but losing has little to recommend it."

Orson Welles

from Quotes of the Day

"I hate television. I hate it as much as I hate peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts."

Redd Foxx

from Quotes of the Day

"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing."

HARRY POTTER PREDICTIONS

The web is going a little crazy right now with rumors and chat about how the final book in the Harry Potter story will end. I asked my sister how she thinks the tale will end for Harry and his friends. I want to make it clear, this is based on previous readings of the books, and not knowledge of the final book.

---
Harry Potter- Forget the spoilers, this is what I think will happen!

Firstly, Harry doesn’t die. I’ve read the New York Times review and it does not in any way indicate that he dies. It actually leads the reader to believe that Harry does indeed live. Aside from that, Harry dying would not be an appropriate way to end the series. It just wouldn’t fit with all else that has happened.

I’ve read spoilers that say that practically everyone dies… It is hard to say who I think will actually die. I don’t want Ron or Hermoine to die, but it is possible. It is more probable that one of them is injured or endures horrible torture but ultimately triumphs. I believe that Snape dies, and I think it will be in a way that once and for all proves his allegience to the good side. I see him as sacrificing himself for Harry in the end. Snape’s greatest fear is being seen as a coward, and isn’t giving your life for another an ultimate form of bravery? Peter Pettigrew is also likely to die helping Harry as Pettigrew owes him a life debt. I think that Neville Longbottom finishes off Bellatrix Lestrange to avenge his parents, and Neville lives and goes on to be a teacher at Hogsworts in his favorite subject, Herbology. I would love to see Lucius Malfoy die, although I think there is still hope for Draco. Also, other people Harry holds dear may die in the end. These are likely to be people such as Lupin, members of The Order of the Phoneix who are actively involved in fighting Voldemort.

Although I think Voldemort is killed, I truly hope Harry does not murder him with the killing curse. After Harry destroys all the horcruxes, there may be a way to kill Voldemort without Harry losing his innocence in that way. One theory says the door to the love room in the Department of Mysteries will open and the force of love will burst out and destroy Voldemort. I really like that idea.

I think Harry lives, marries Ginny, who obviously lives as well, and they have several children. Harry wants to be an Auror, but fighting Voldemort and his henchmen may satisfy that desire so that he goes on to pursue another, less dangerous profession. My hope is that he eventually leads England’s Quiddich team to victory in the next World Cup!

Sarah Hoff

---

RUMOR: Britney Spears is pregnant - and she doesn’t know who the father is

RUMOR: Britney Spears is pregnant - and she doesn’t know who the father is:

"Britney Spears has stunned pals with news she is expecting again. However, even
more shocking is the speculation flying around among her friends that the pop
singer doesn’t know which one of her recent lovers is the father."

Please don't let this be true, her life seems to be on the edge of a total break down. If she were to have a child right now she would probably lose all her kids and be forced back into rehab. In other news the pictures of her swimming in the ocean in her bra and panties show no sign of a pregnancy bump. It could be early enough that it wouldn't show though.