Talk Back

Anonymous said...
The real scandal is Fox News Corp trying smear Ron Paul by
trying to link Congressman Paul to so-called groups.The truth, which is apparent
to anyone that has read any of Dr. Paul's OP-eds, speeches and/or Congressional
Record is that he has never made any reference any conspiracy theories. Paul's
positions and statements are pretty clear, look them up yourself.But, having
said all that, Ron Paul isn't going to demonize people that hold opinions that
aren't in the mainstream or widely accepted. He's going to shake their hand, a
hear what they have to say. It's called being polite and being a statesman.The
idea of freedom crosses many boundaries.

Well that is just how Fox operates and you are right that they are creating a strawman argument to defeat what he is saying. The thing is I don't even think that they need to do that. I think that his argument as I understand it is flawed, that if we never had taken action in the middle east, we would never have been attacked. It is far too simplistic to even suggest we could have avoided being involved in the region. We have made bad choices in the region, but I don't think that is the sole reason that the terrorists are attacking us.

Evorgleb said...
I was just over at Highbrid Nation and they have been doing some interesting
coverage of the Mumia case. Like them I also have mixed feeling on the case. I
don't to see any man executed but just because he should not be executed does
that mean that he wasn't wrong. I don't know.

I am torn about the Death Penalty (GIVE EM THE DP). Hey who let Nancy Grace in here?

What is the point of the DP? Is it a form of punishment? Is it a way of saying that you did this crime to someone and for that you deserve to die? Is it a deterrent? Is it population control for prisons? Is it anything more than just revenge, and is revenge ok? (GIVE EM THE DP) Thanks Nancy...

I have a hard time because this in an issue where logic tells you one thing. That it doesn't prevent crime and it doesn't solve the original crime. On the other hand emotionally I can see how if someone committed a crime like that against someone I care about I would want them dead. There are times when I don't know if a person deserves to live for crimes that they have done. That if they sit in jail, one day they might escape or be released, and that they will be taken care of by the tax payers that they violated.

Allie Is Wired - The Entertainment Blog: Mischa Barton Nip Slip

Allie Is Wired - The Entertainment Blog: Mischa Barton Nip Slip:

"Mischa saw all of her other friends get tons of attention for their wardrobe
malfunctions, so she figured she would give it a try too...."

I don't think she is all that hot, but here is a link to a picture of her nipple. Its a nipple you know, you see one, you see them all - ok that isn't true.

The Public Affair Is Over - TMZ.com

The Public Affair Is Over - TMZ.com:

"It appears that the epic romance of Jessica Simpson and John Mayer has run
its course. Please ... contain your surprise."

Maybe like two sticks that are no longer holding each other up, their careers will drop them out of the spotlight.

Ryan Phillippe Seeks Joint Custody of Kids - Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe : People.com

Ryan Phillippe Seeks Joint Custody of Kids - Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe : People.com:

"Ryan Phillippe has filed a legal response to soon-to-be ex-wife Reese
Witherspoon's divorce claim, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. "

It is good to see at least one couple isn't playing out their divorce through the media.

FOXNews.com - Scientists Discover a Benefit to Having Herpes - Science News | Current Articles

FOXNews.com - Scientists Discover a Benefit to Having Herpes - Science News Current Articles:

"The herpes family of viruses can have a surprising upside — it can
protect against the bubonic plague and other bacterial contagions, at least in
mice."

Here you thought it was all bad news.

O': Liberal Boulder High TellsStudents toHave Sex, Use Drugs

Democracy Now Headlines- Fri. May 18, 2007

John Stewart Interview on Bill Moyers Journal

Male Restroom Etiquette

All Spin Zone

All Spin Zone:

"Now, I realize that the GOP wants to run away from George Bush just as
fast as they can, but for the most part, they’re tied to him like an anchor.
Neither Bloomberg
(even with all his money, and who is to the left of Rudy) nor Hagel would stand any
chance of the GOP nomination on their own. But Bloomie’s sitting on a lot of disposable cash, and an
independent Bloomberg
- Hagel ticket would
certainly be interesting."

This has been floating out there for a couple days and it doesn't want to sink. It almost makes you think that there is something to it. Is there room for two NY City majors in this race?

If they run as independent I think they would have an advantage for my vote, this country needs an escape for the partisan warfare that has taken over Washington.

Ron Paul's Race Problem - Latest Politics Blog

Ron Paul's Race Problem - Latest Politics Blog:

"A 1992 political newsletter by former Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, included
portrayals of African-Americans as inclined toward crime and lacking sense about
political issues, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday. Paul, a former
Libertarian Party presidential candidate who defeated
Democratic-turned-Republican Rep. Greg Laughlin in the March primary, in
November will face Democratic attorney Charles (Lefty) Morris, whose campaign is
distributing Paul's writings. Under the headline 'Terrorist Update,' Paul
reported on gang crime in Los Angeles and wrote, 'If you have ever been robbed
by a black teenaged male, you know how unbelievably fleet-footed they can be.'
About blacks in Washington, D.C., Paul wrote, 'I think we can safely assume that
95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely
criminal.' Paul said Wednesday that his comments came in the context of 'current
events and statistical reports of the time,' and that he opposes racism."

Just some things you should know before you join the Ron Paul 08 campaign.

Media Matters - Klein wrote of Paul's "singular moment of weirdness" at debate, but 9-11 report supports his claim

Media Matters - Klein wrote of Paul's "singular moment of weirdness" at debate, but 9-11 report supports his claim:

"PAUL: Have you ever read the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because
we've been over there; we've been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We've been in the
Middle East -- I think Reagan was right."

I don't think they hate us because of our freedoms, but I also don't think that they hate us because of our actions in the region. We have made mistakes in the region, and some may think that we shouldn't support Israel. It is more complex than this, Hamas blames America and Israel for its own inability to govern, and I believe others in the region look for reasons to hate America. If those same people wanted to look for reasons to love America, the could look at Kosovo, or Somalia, or our defense of Afghanistan against the Russians. On the other hand, our attacks on Iraq, and our meddling in Iran in the 70's didn't make us any friends.

Book Excerpt: The Assault on Reason -- Printout -- TIME

Book Excerpt: The Assault on Reason -- Printout -- TIME:

"It is too easy—and too partisan—to simply place the blame on the policies of
President George W. Bush. We are all responsible for the decisions our country
makes. We have a Congress. We have an independent judiciary. We have checks and
balances. We are a nation of laws. We have free speech. We have a free press.
Have they all failed us? Why has America's public discourse become less focused
and clear, less reasoned? Faith in the power of reason—the belief that free
citizens can govern themselves wisely and fairly by resorting to logical debate
on the basis of the best evidence available, instead of raw power—remains the
central premise of American democracy. This premise is now under assault. "

I think Al Gore can do better things out of public office than in.

Exxon Still Funding Climate Change Deniers | Greenpeace USA

Exxon Still Funding Climate Change Deniers Greenpeace USA:

"So. The day of reckoning has come – when we get to find out just how much of
the climate change denial industry ExxonMobil is still paying for. "

Exxon will fail if it goes down this road, the same way the Ford has failed by not following the path of Toyota, towards higher fuel efficiency.

Attorney Scandal on Daily Show

The True Costs of War. Bill Moyers on PBS

Edwards' insensitive move | Salon.com

Edwards' insensitive move Salon.com:

"May 18, 2007 On Memorial Day, hundreds and perhaps thousands of Americans
will take a break from barbecuing, tanning and shopping to express their
opposition to the war in Iraq. At the urging of John Edwards, whose presidential
campaign has set up a special Web site dedicated to his new antiwar initiative,
they will say prayers, light candles, speak up at family picnics, send cookies
to soldiers and write letters to members of Congress and the White House, aiming
to prove that you can oppose the war and still support the troops. "

While I understand the thought that is being put forward here, the thought that the best way to honor the soldiers is to bring them home, I disagree with this tactic. The soldiers that I have seen interviewed about the war in Iraq believe in the war, and what they are doing. I think the best way to honor their lives, their deaths in some cases and what they do for our country is simple. I think that sending them cookies can be a good idea, but a simple thank you is the best way to honor them.

I think the best timing for a movement like this is the day after memorial day. Come out and say, "yesterday we thanked the troops for what they did for us, today we do something for them". In the last couple years Memorial day has gotten more and more political, and it is a shame.

Crooks and Liars » ‘Torture Betrays Us’

Crooks and Liars » ‘Torture Betrays Us’:

"Donald Rumsfeld once wondered aloud whether we were creating more terrorists
than we were killing. In counterinsurgency doctrine, that is precisely the right
question. Victory in this kind of war comes when the enemy loses legitimacy in
the society from which it seeks recruits and thus loses its “recuperative
power.”
The torture methods that Tenet defends have nurtured the
recuperative power of the enemy. This war will be won or lost not on the
battlefield but in the minds of potential supporters who have not yet thrown in
their lot with the enemy. If we forfeit our values by signaling that they are
negotiable in situations of grave or imminent danger, we drive those undecideds
into the arms of the enemy. This way lies defeat, and we are well down the road
to it."

I have nothing to add.

Majority Leader Reid smacks Iraq apologist McCain for missing Iraq votes - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Majority Leader Reid smacks Iraq apologist McCain for missing Iraq votes - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is the only presidential candidate in Congress to
have missed a major vote on the Iraq war this year, and his absences are not
sitting well with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Liz
Oxhorn, a spokeswoman for Reid, told The Hill, “Sen. McCain has spent
considerable time defending the president on Iraq and catering to the Republican
base on immigration, but has only managed to show up for four of the last 14
Iraq votes and parachute into [yesterday’s] immigration press conference at the
last minute. Who is the real John McCain?”"

I really take issue with Senators that can't run for the White House and maintain their responsibilities as Senators. McCain can go around the country and stump for the war, but where the action counts the most, he is absent. I like McCain, but he is still a Senator representing the state of Arizona, and the state of Arizona deserves to be represented. They didn't ask for him to run for the White House.

Dobson tells Rudy to go to hell - knocks his multiple marriages, adultery, and dressing in drag - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Dobson tells Rudy to go to hell - knocks his multiple marriages, adultery, and dressing in drag - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"There are other moral concerns about Giuliani's candidacy that conservatives
should find troubling. He has been married three times, and his second wife was
forced to go to court to keep his mistress out of the mayoral mansion while the
Giuliani family still lived there. Talk about tap dancing. Also during that
time, the mayor used public funds to provide security services for his
girlfriend. The second Mrs. Giuliani finally had enough of his philandering and,
as the story goes, forced him to move out. He lived with friends for a while and
then married his mistress. Unlike some other Republican presidential candidates,
Giuliani appears not to have remorse for cheating on his wife...."

I don't see how Giuliani can think he has a chance, how anyone can think he has a chance. If it were not for 9/11 the only people who knew his name would spit right after saying it. I don't trust him, I don't think moderates trust him, and it looks like the right doesn't trust him either. I know some sites have made issue with Dobson's criticism, but it is founded. I am not a conservative, but the fact that his second wife had to go to court to keep the girlfriend out of the house doesn't sit well with me. I also don't think the public should be paying the keep his mistress safe.

Bush's new "War Czar" backed Dem plan for Iraq two years ago - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Bush's new "War Czar" backed Dem plan for Iraq two years ago - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"Oops. Two years ago he announced that we were going to be pulling a significant
number of our troops out of Iraq by summer of 2006 in order to force the Iraqis
to stand up and defend themselves. That would be the Democrats' plan. The one
Bush vetoed. So not only does the new War Czar support the Democrats over Bush,
but apparently he's a liar, or woefully out of the loop, as well (since we never
withdrew)."

I have my doubts about the Democrats plan, and I don't think that his views can be said to be a direct support of the Democratic position. However I do think that it is a good thing that he is not another of the same crowd that started the war. What we need, and I have said this before, is someone who can move into this issue with new ideas. I hope for the sake of America and the sake of Iraq that this new leader can do that. The President and his supporters are too focused on victory in order to justify the war. The Democrats and their supporters are too focused on defeat, so they can win in 2008.

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: Michelle takes on Ron Paul and the Truthers on The Big Story

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: Michelle takes on Ron Paul and the Truthers on The Big Story:

"The boss appeared on John Gibson’s show this afternoon to dispatch Rep.
Ron Paul and the growing cancer called Trutherism, which not only affected one
batty Libertarian on that debate stage last night, but it also infects 1 in 3
Democrats. "

I don't understand how anyone can believe that a scandal of such magnitude could be pulled off. Look at the people the administration hires, I am not saying that they are clean, I am saying they do a bad job covering up their scandals. 9/11 is real, and to believe otherwise is in willful blindness.

DC buzzing with rumors that Gonzales is quitting tonight - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

DC buzzing with rumors that Gonzales is quitting tonight - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"And to think Bush considered putting this bozo on the Supreme Court. That's how
dangerous a president Bush is. And something to keep in mind the next election,
that's how important winning the presidency is. No more Harriets, no more
Albertos. And no more Brownies and Cheneys and Condis and Rummys and Wolfies..."

Bush sure has brought a bunch of losers to power. I don't care so much if the next president is Republican or Democrat, as long as the next president appoints better leaders.

When Iraq's parliament goes on a two-month vacation in June and July, let's give our troops two months off at the same time - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

When Iraq's parliament goes on a two-month vacation in June and July, let's give our troops two months off at the same time - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"Fair is fair. Let's have our side go on vacation too, while Iraq burns,
and much of the parliament gets either kidnapped or assassinated, and then see
how much they enjoy THEIR vacation.

I'm serious. Someone ought to start
a campaign demanding that our troops get as long a vacation as the Iraqi
parliament."

I think this sounds like a good idea. When your country is being torn apart by terrorists and civil war, is that the right time to take a vacation?

American Thinker: The Antithesis of Michael Moore: Real Courage in Cuba

American Thinker: The Antithesis of Michael Moore: Real Courage in Cuba:

"There’s been much made recently about the vaunted Cuban medical system
since propagandist Michael Moore traveled to Havana with 9/11 heroes in tow
searching for 'free' health care. It’s Mr. Moore’s idea of a clever way to
criticize America and the capitalist system he exploits so brilliantly. Of
course, it never actually occurred to him that while he was 'free' to film in
Cuba there were political prisons suffering in Castro’s gulags simply for doing
exactly what Moore thinks is his sole universal right; speaking out. A big mouth
coupled with a small mind is a dangerous combination. "

Moore is making a shaky point by taking 9/11 workers to Cuba. Like this points out Cuba is not a country that embraces free speech, the films he makes about the American Government would have gotten him put in jail if they had been made by a Cuban about the Cuban government.

Second, this is after there was such a stink among those on the left about Bush using 9/11 and the victims of the attack as tools for his own political ends. Is it the case that it is ok for Moore to do something that it wasn't ok for Bush to do. I think it was wrong when Bush did it and I think it is wrong that Moore is doing it.