Friday, April 30, 2004

NightLine Do you feel safer today then you did a year ago? I don't after reading this post from Atrios 11:31:18 AM    comment []

Mission Accomplished? I just heard Bush say that the Mission Accomplished sign was referring the mission of getting rid of Sadam and his torture chambers and rape rooms. Bad timing or what. The press missed the chance to hammer him with a follow up question. Mail and Guardian.  This Iraqi prison story gets worse and worse (and the ramifications are going to be very, very bad).  Pics (mature content).  There is also a sub-story here about private mercenaries without legal controls (again).  See "Mercenaries Unbound" for background on this issue. Martin Van Creveld once pointed out that parties at war eventually converge on a common set of behaviors.  It looks like we are giving more ground than our opponents. [John Robb's Weblog] 11:23:46 AM    comment []

More Numbers Ruy Teixeira has another great post on the numbers as they become available. I enjoy his coverage of the election. I ask him this question: What poll questions should I track to understand how people think Bush makes decisions and how that effects their likely vote? The fact that he did not ask his three key advisors for their advise on going to war with Iraq is troubling to me. He did not ask Bush SR. He did not ask Collen Powell and now we learn he did not ask Don Rumsfield. Is this likely to show up in some of these questions? If so which ones? 9:16:47 AM    comment []

This shows a stunning detachment from reality. WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN? Glad to see Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz is paying close attention to his pet project: Asked how many American troops have died in Iraq , the Pentagon's No. 2 civilian estimated Thursday the total was about 500 -- more than 200 soldiers short. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was asked about the toll at a hearing of a House Appropriations subcommittee. "It's approximately 500, of which -- I can get the exact numbers -- approximately 350 are combat deaths," he responded. The correct number is 722 of which 521 are combat deaths. Wolfowitz might want to watch tonight's Nightline if he needs more details on this topic. --Matthew Yglesias 8:44:45 AM    comment []