Friday Download
Paul, "my libertarian friend" as I always introduce him, emailed me an interesting story yesterday. Seems a German filmmaker has a new documentary suggesting that Cuba was behind the assasination of President John F. Kennedy. A former FBI agent says an investigation into the link was aborted "because proof of a Cuban link would put him [Lyndon Johnson] under irresistible pressure to invade the island, a year after the Cuban missile crisis had brought the United States and Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war." Get Oliver Stone on the phone. I've got a plot for JFK2.
Slate's Sports Nut, Robert Weintraub joins the din of analysts correctly pinpointing the reasons for USC blowing their chances at a 3rd straight national championship, losing to Texas 41-38. Blown opportunities, mistakes and bad decisions throughout, aided by an All World performance by Texas QB Vince Young, who Weintraub says "combines the best attributes of Michael Vick, John Elway, and long-striding former University of Arkansas QB Matt Jones." I was thinking during the game how much more scary Jones would've been had he had the throwing arm that Young has.
Do you know Jack? Media Notes talks of Republicans suddenly shy to mention ties to the convicted lobbyist who reportedly could implicate several members of congressmen for wrongdoing. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence that, according to Nexis at least, Fox's Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly uttered not a word about Abramoff this week. And if this was a convicted lobbyist who funneled big bucks to Hillary Clinton, they'd be just as bored by the story," Howard Kurtz writes. Not much on Drudge either.
Drudge does point out the latest wacky statements by Pat Robertson and the Iranian president, this time concerning the severe stroke suffered by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Evangelist Robertson says the stroke is God's punishment. The Iranian guy - who recently made statements denying the Holocaust and saying Israel should be wiped from the map - is hoping Sharon dies.
And on this date in 1994, the brutality that is women's figure skating burst into the national consciousness with the attack on Nancy Kerrigan on orders from rival Tonya Harding. Just remember the 2006 Winter Olympics are around the corner.
Slate's Sports Nut, Robert Weintraub joins the din of analysts correctly pinpointing the reasons for USC blowing their chances at a 3rd straight national championship, losing to Texas 41-38. Blown opportunities, mistakes and bad decisions throughout, aided by an All World performance by Texas QB Vince Young, who Weintraub says "combines the best attributes of Michael Vick, John Elway, and long-striding former University of Arkansas QB Matt Jones." I was thinking during the game how much more scary Jones would've been had he had the throwing arm that Young has.
Do you know Jack? Media Notes talks of Republicans suddenly shy to mention ties to the convicted lobbyist who reportedly could implicate several members of congressmen for wrongdoing. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence that, according to Nexis at least, Fox's Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly uttered not a word about Abramoff this week. And if this was a convicted lobbyist who funneled big bucks to Hillary Clinton, they'd be just as bored by the story," Howard Kurtz writes. Not much on Drudge either.
Drudge does point out the latest wacky statements by Pat Robertson and the Iranian president, this time concerning the severe stroke suffered by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Evangelist Robertson says the stroke is God's punishment. The Iranian guy - who recently made statements denying the Holocaust and saying Israel should be wiped from the map - is hoping Sharon dies.
And on this date in 1994, the brutality that is women's figure skating burst into the national consciousness with the attack on Nancy Kerrigan on orders from rival Tonya Harding. Just remember the 2006 Winter Olympics are around the corner.
posted by JP at 8:19 AM
7 Comments:
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(Had an error in my previous attempt, had to delete it. Sorry!) I happened to catch Hannity's radio show on KARN last night -- please don't ask why. At any rate, I kept it on the dial just long enough to A) keep from getting "Hannitized" and B) hear him go on and on about how the liberal mainstream media has ignored the crooked lobbyists ties to Democratic lawmakers. I didn't listen long to see whether Hannity would name names. Oh, and then he complained that Democrats were working secretly to impeach Bush and how awful that was. What a difference 10 years can make, eh?
I guess there are worse things to be called, but in certain circles "Libertarian" is a 4-letter word.
I'll be honest with you, I still don't think this Abramhoff thing is going to be the Vesuvius-like eruption that many are expecting, nay counting on. First, there is NO shock value here. The average guy on the street already believes that lobbyists and special interest groups already have too much power and are involved in all sorts of kickbacks, double dealing and back door stuff.
So, at the end of all this we'll have names and dollar amounts? Maybe I'm too cynical, doesn't everyone just assume that all of our Federal elected officials would eat their own young to get 2 more years in office? Or that they'd inject Nuns with heroine if that meant they got AARP support for their highway bill? Are we going to be stunned if Tom Delay or Bill Frist took European vacations on a drug companies tab in exchange for favorable legislation?
Such is the nature of power, for the last 60 years we've poured more and more power into their hands and now we're surprised when they abuse it.
See, this sort of thing wouldn't happen in a Libertarian government. There would be corruption, no doubt...there always will be, but every transaction would be voluntary if you didn't like the fact that this or that CEO was crooked, you can just stop using their stuff. We can't hardly just stop using our government. :)
Just because there isn't any shock value to the man on the street doesn't mean it isn't illegal. Just because it's not as sexy as sex with an intern in the Oval Office doesn't mean its less worthy of media and public scrutiny.
How long did Newt, Rush, et al, hypervetalate over improper influence peddling by Clinton for hosting his "coffee klatches" at the White House? So I'm cynical to the hypocrisy of some commentators who lynched Clinton over that but are keeping quiet now.
Then, there are rules and laws for contributions and for lobbying. Looks like they were broken...and that they were broken by members of Congress. Politics aside, it should be properly and thouroughly investigated.
I'm not surprised that power is being abused. But it shouldn't be tolerated.
Ahhh, altruism. This is a power play orchestrated by the Democrats to try and regain control in the Senate, make gains in the House and seal in concrete a Democratic President in '08.
Just like the "Hunting of the President" was an attempt to regain control for the Republicans.
But, thats how its done, I applaud them for a terrific end game strategy. If they play their cards right, the conclusion of these investigates will come out about September so it maxes out the '06 retaliation in the House elections.
I think its ok to be happy its happening, if its your side that winning, but I think it foolish to believe that the folks asking the questions are any more pure and honest than the folks being sworn in.
Its not justice, its just politics.
C'mon, Paul, it was Tom DeLay - not the Democrats - who decided that the best way to ensure a self-supporting and enduring Republican congressional majority was to closely and incestuously align with the so-called K Street lobbying groups...to in essence blackmail those groups by saying the only way you're going to get stuff done in Congress is to hire Republicans (usually former Congressional staffers or the like) as lobbyists. So then it's a million here and a million there and soon you're talking about real money. I'm not naive enough to pretend the Democrats haven't had their own corruptions and shady dealings and I certainly don't want prosecution pursued for the political gain but (wait for it) for the "rule of law" that we supposedly set forth for ourselves. How can we export democracy abroad when we don't practice it at home?
As for the timing of the investigations...don't pretend it's any more convenient than the planned "draw down" of troops in Iraq that will no doubt be a happy accident around election time to remind us that "Mission Accomplished."
I think you're missing my point. I'm not asserting that those involved aren't corrupt, or that there isn't plenty of misdealings and criminal activities to be found or that its somehow the Democrats fault.
What I am saying is that this is a leveraged play orchestrated and timed to do the maximum amount of damage to the Republican parties before the '06 elections.
If you believe that this is being handled like an episode of "Judging Amy" where the implications be damned and justice be done...then I think you're dillusional.
Don't take it so hard though, your party is winning. They are about 3 moves from a check mate.
Should be an interesting mid-term election and for '08.
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