| |
|
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
|
|
What a list. I've read books by only three of these writers, but if the rest are as good as Stanley Elkin, Michel Houellebecq, and Geof Ryman, then there's a lot of good stuff here.
11:09:48 PM 
|
|
After taking nearly two weeks off from his regular briefing schedule, it’s good to see Scott McClellan hasn’t lost his touch.
Here’s McClellan on December 13, responding to a poll that found almost 60 percent of Americans do not think Bush has a plan for Iraq:
QUESTION: So what does that say about the hill that you have to climb?
MCCLELLAN: A couple things. Let me first correct you in terms of saying that we don’t ever look at polls. We don’t govern based on polls. The president does not govern based on polls. The president governs based on a clear set of principles and a clear set of beliefs. [WH Press Briefing, 12/13/05]
Today, responding to why Bush is justified in continuing to conduct an illegal wiretapping program:
MCCLELLAN: I think that clearly the American people strongly support the efforts that we are undertaking to save their lives. I think there actually was a poll last week that said 60 percent — more than 60 percent of the American people support the actions the president is taking to prevent attacks from happening in the first place. That is what this president is committed to doing. This is about saving lives.
By the way, that poll that McClellan is referring to didn’t even describe the president’s policy.
(Via Think Progress.)
10:38:20 PM
|
|
I know your name. I know your address. I know the names of everyone living with you.
I know where you work. I know what you really think about your employer. I know when you called in sick but really weren’t. I know your medical condition. I know what your doctor thinks of you.
I know your income. I know what income you failed to report. I know who your friends are. I know which ones you pretend to be friends of. I know which of your friends is having an affair, and who they’re sleeping with. I know which family member you quietly despise. I know which Christmas presents you plan to give away.
I know who’s coming to dinner at your place. I know who’s doing well in school. I know what your kid is secretly planning to do next weekend with friends. I know whether your kid is a virgin.
I know what critical things your mate has said about you to a best friend. I know who’s having their period at your house right now. I know who you’re sleeping with.
I know what you read. I know which sites you surf to online. I know what you told your best friend about a certain sexual encounter. I know your political party. I know what you think of the president. I know what groups you meet with. I know who you donate money to.
I know where you shop and what you buy. I know what you fantasize about. I know what recently disappointed you and what life frustrations you’re having. I know what criticism you received from a close family member. I know who you said you wish was dead.
I know your favorite intoxicant. I know whether you’ve ever tried illegal drugs. I know what you said about the officer who gave you your most recent traffic ticket. I know all your thoughts about your government. I know every secret you’ve confided to anyone.
But don’t worry about what I know. Don’t worry about what I think will merit further investigation. Don’t worry that I could mess with your family life, your employment or your reputation.
Trust me. I’m your government. I don’t think you’re a terrorist. But I’m going to keep my eyes and ears on you for another year or two to be sure. I won’t use your criticisms of me against you. I won’t seek revenge for the bad things you’ve said about me.
Trust me. I’m tapping your phone, reading your library records, discussing you with your doctor and employer and the IRS just because I want you to be safe. I’m doing the same to all your neighbors and all your family members.
This is necessary for national security. I don’t need to have anyone oversee what information I’ve gathered or review what I plan to do with that information. You just have to trust me. I’m your secret friend. Would I lie to you?
(Via The American Street.)
10:21:28 PM
|
|
Article I, Sec. 8:
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; […]
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings;-And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
I’m just sayin’.
(Via The Poor Man Institute.)
10:15:33 PM
|
|
Whatever It Is, I'm Against It dissects the latest episode in the self-anointed imperial Presidency, tracing it back to the previous member of the lineage. Bush is now signing bills he doesn't agree with, but, in signing them, announcing his own interpretation of them, as if that announcement supercedes the actual law. The result is an attempt to substitute the "intent of the President," who didn't write or pass the law, for the traditional legal standard of the "intent of Congress," which did (with a little help from the lobbyists and the administration, of course).
(Via Left I on the News.)
10:11:10 PM
|
|
In an attempt to defend his illegal spying, Bush claims the program is limited in nature:SAN ANTONIO -- President Bush on Sunday strongly defended his domestic spying program, saying it's a limited initiative that tracks only incoming calls to the United States. "It's seems logical to me that if we know there's a phone number associated with al-Qaida or an al-Qaida affiliate and they're making phone calls, it makes sense to find out why," Bush said. "They attacked us before, they'll attack us again." Let's suspend our disbelief for a moment and accept his claim that the program tracked "only incoming calls." 'Thank you, Mr. President, for giving Osama the heads up that if he wants to avoid being tracked, he shouldn't call collect. 'Sleeper cells across the whole fucking nation just learned how to avoid the program you call "vital" to our national security. ' The President, who decried the leak of generic information about the spying as "shameless" and causing "great harm to the nation," now singlehandedly undermined the effectiveness of his own program. Shameless indeed.
Update [2006-1-1 19:37:0 by georgia10]:: And, naturally, the White House now tries to extricate Bush's foot from his mouth: The White House, clarifying the president's remarks after his appearance, said later that either end of the communication can in fact be outside the United States. 
(Via Daily Kos.)
8:47:43 AM
|
|
That using air power to crush an insurgency is an idea that backfires and creates more insurgents than it eliminates.
How fortunate then are we, that our government is blessed with exceptional morons?
A U.S. air strike killed 14 members of one family in the town of Baiji in northern Iraq, an Iraqi security force spokesman said on Tuesday.
The air raid destroyed one house, killing the 14 people inside, said the spokesman for the Joint Coordination Center, which handles information and liaises between U.S. and Iraqi forces.
Another four houses were hit and three people were injured in the raid on Monday night, he said.
"We have this information from the Iraqi police and army in Baiji," the spokesman said.
The U.S. military had no immediate comment.
Ugh.
(Via Rising Hegemon.)
8:28:42 AM
|
|
|
© Copyright 2006 Steve Michel.
Last update: 2/1/2006; 8:43:44 PM.
|
|
|
