“In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.” President
George W. Bush on May 1st, 2003. The invasion began on March 20th.
** LIMBAUGH GOES OFF ON SCHWARZENEGGER. “THE BIG TENT DOES NOT INCLUDE DEMOCRATS.” The right-wing radio talk show host went off further on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on his web site and during the call-in portion of his show today. He’s become a sellout. He calls himself a Republican, but look at what he proposes, look at what he suggests. You can’t say that any of it is Republican, much less conservative. Are we supposed to sit around and let anybody who wants to call themselves a Republican say they are, when there’s very little of what they believe that is actually Republican or conservative?
** BUSH SAYS GONZALES HAS HIS “FULL SUPPORT.” Uh-oh. That’s what he said about Donald Rumsfeld, too. The difference is he already had Rumsfeld’s replacement as defense secretary when he said it last November. That, according to Republican sources, is not yet true with regard to the embattled attorney general, who has swiftly become a political liability. Bush also says the White House will resist congressional subpoenas around the U.S. attorneys controversy. Alberto Gonzales is one of the few old Texas hands Bush has left around him, so cutting him loose can’t be easy, especially since he once wanted to elevate his then White House counsel to the U.S. Supreme Court.
** NEVADA VOTERS OPPOSE IRAQ WAR. A new poll of likely voters in Nevada, an early presidential caucus state next year and a swing state in national elections, shows strong opposition to the Iraq War. Only 31% now say that regime change in Iraq was worth it. 63% say it was not. A plurality of Nevada voters want to cut off funding for the surge. Nevada has a Republican governor and a Republican senator, as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
** LIMBAUGH CALLS SCHWARZENEGGER A “SELL-OUT.” Reacting to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comments this morning on The Today Show, right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh said that Schwarzenegger ran for governor as a conservative but “sold out.”
Actually, Schwarzenegger ran as a centrist, not as a conservative. And when you read through Limbaugh’s statement, if you are so inclined to do, you see that it doesn’t really hang together too well, being inherently contradictory. You see, he says he warned listeners that Schwarzenegger wasn’t a conservative. More on this in the morning column.
** GIULIANI LEADS AMONG CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS. An interesting component in Rudy Giuliani’s lead in the Republican presidential race. According to the Gallup Poll, he leads among conservatives, 38% to 20% over John McCain. Newt Gingrich has 14% and Mitt Romney only 8%. Will this lead hold up as the coming attacks rain down? There is your $64,000 question.
** ARNOLD SAID SOMETHING MILDLY CONTROVERSIAL TODAY … RUSH LIMBAUGH IS IRRELEVANT! Here’s a link to the NBC footage from The Today Show. When interviewer Campbell Brown told the governor that Rush Limbaugh is saying he’s “a Democrat pretending to be a Republican,” the former action superstar said this: “All irrelevant. Rush Limbaugh is irrelevant. I am not his servant. I am the people’s servant of California. What they call me — if it’s a Democrat or it’s a Republican or an assenter or changer or dissenter — that’s not my bottom line. This is for them to talk about.”
** FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY, AMERICA INVADES IRAQ. It hasn’t really gone as advertised. Rather than be financed by Iraq oil revenues (the oil infrastructure there has remained very challenged, like most of the infrastructure after the war), it’s been one of the most costly wars in American history. The situation in-country proved to be far more complex and problematical than the glib exiles and eager enthusiasts who professed knowledge said it was. Popular support for the war has plunged 40% in four years, and has not improved a bit since the latest change in strategy announced earlier this year by President George W. Bush, seen in the video above declaring victory in Iraq on May 1st, 2003. While there are some signs of success for the “surge” strategy, it is a longstanding pattern in unconventional warfare for insurgents to disperse when massed forces arrive in their neighborhoods.
** WILL THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS PARTNER WITH FOX NEWS? Here we go again. The Congressional Black Caucus is looking to partner with Fox News on a Democratic presidential debate. The netroots folks are opposed and vow the usual jihad. Perhaps Roger Ailes won’t give a speech joking only about Democratic candidates in the midst of this particular controversy. Or feature an unchallenged Ann Coulter on his air.
** SLOW TIMES IN CALIFORNIA POLITICS. In case you hadn’t noticed here and elsewhere. Meanwhile, 30 members of the state Assembly, Democrats and Republican, Speaker Fabian Nunez and Minority Leader Mike Villines, are in Washington for meetings. Mostly with other Californians, actually, who presumably are on California’s side in federal appropriations battles already. And with Senator Ted Kennedy, who assures that the comprehensive immigration bill will at last be tried again, sometime.
** Track global and national energy prices in near real time via Bloomberg. Crude oil prices are in the $56 to $57 per barrel range.
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1. Jonas Blane:Mission accomplished, yeah!
Mar 20, 2007 - 7:47 am 2. Ann:Didn’t the Black Caucus get the memo, Bill? lol
Mar 20, 2007 - 8:09 am 3. Capitol Boy:Bush would love to destroy all record of ever saying this, wouldn’t he? Where is the Mission Accomplished banner?
Mar 20, 2007 - 8:27 am 4. Bill Bradley:The famous banner is not in that segment of the president’s statement on the carrier flight deck.
Mar 20, 2007 - 8:38 am 5. Chris M:Even in this moment of apparent triumph and vindication, the President comes across as a man with little presence, sounding more like a nervous frat president announcing a C average for the house.
Mar 20, 2007 - 9:25 am 6. kandaharkid:I hope we at least save Afghanistan.
Mar 20, 2007 - 9:40 am 7. Paul Burton:Bush’s mission was accomplished: installing a compliant puppet regime to make deals with to privatize Iraq’s oil, reaping obscene profits for Haliburton, solidifying the imperial presidency, and using the phony war on terrorism to shred the US Constitution.
The occupation will be ended by civil disobedience, hundreds of active duty troops signing the Call for Redress, Iraq Veterans Against the War gaining numbers daily and Congress being pressured to stop funding the occupation and holding hearings to impeach the treasonous Bush-Cheney cabal.
Chevron action:
Mar 20, 2007 - 9:41 am 8. richard locicero:http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/03/19/18379375.php
CBC may have a debate on FOX but they’ll have a hell of a time finding anyone to particiapate (other than Kuchinich I mean). Obama sure as hell won’t. And I think that kills it since Edwards won’t and why should Hillary debate Dennis?
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:11 am 9. Bill Bradley:Don’t be so sure about that, Richard. Edwards still plans to appear on Fox News himself. Obama won’t?
He would diss the Congressional Black Caucus?
Not a chance, he has enough problems with the African American political scene.
And so on.
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:16 am 10. Barbara:Well California politics may have slowed down but it is far from dull in the ME!…
In the Saudi daily “Al-Jazirah,” Syrian President Assad asserts that Syria and Israel have been having secret back-channel peace negotiations “for years”!… Assad also said he does not see peaceful co-existence coming into reality during the next 2 years as Bush is not a man of ” vision”
Further, while we do not recognise the new Palestinian Gov …U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem did have a meeting with the Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, who is an “independent” today in Ramallah …which is good…as we need to find ways to support this government…while at the same time, today, Israel refused to attend a previously scheduled high-level meeting with Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister because he met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas yesterday…Norway has chosen to recognize the new gov which includes members of Hamas.
And the Arab League Sec-General today has requested that Israel submit a “serious offer on a peace plan” to an Arab Summit which takes place at the end of this month in in Riyadh…
Mr. Bradley I wish you could go to that Arab Summit and live blog!
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:17 am 11. Wilbur:We had only suffered something like 53 American KIAs when the Shrub declared victory with that stupid banner.
I’ve gotta buy myself one of those keyfobs that counts down the days till this guy leaves office, to help remind me when to start chilling the bubbly.
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:18 am 12. Dana:While California politics are currently a snooze, things are heating up in the Congress. Get a load of this quote by Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, that appeared yesterday in the L.A. Times regarding the agressive oversight the new Democratic Congress is engaged in: “In just the last three weeks, more people were forced out of their jobs than the entire prior six years under this administration…”
I think Paul Burton is right about everything except the impeachment. To me the only way that would happen is if Bush tried to launch a further war, perhaps with Iran as a few neocons have hinted we should do. That would create a massive political blowback again Bush. His credibility at this point is about zero.
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:24 am 13. Bill Bradley:Yes, Barbara, I, too, wish I could beam around the globe at a moment’s notice and have voice activated publishing software with a continual satellite uplink.
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:29 am 14. Barbara:Can’t PJ Media arrange that?!…Geesh!
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:45 am 15. Barbara:Especially, since you are the only credible voice they have….
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:46 am 16. Dana:Further oversight fireworks in the L.A. Times today. Remember Darrell Issa, the millionaire Republican Congressman who funded putting the recall on the ballot only to abruptly step aside to make way for Arnold (I wonder who made the phone call to pressure him to not run…)
Anyway, at a hearing of the oversight committee chaired by Henry Waxman, Issa hinted a governemnt scientist was biased and had ulterior motivces in claiming the administration was trying to prevent government scientists from making reports that supported concerns about global warming.
Waxman is reported to have “turned to Issa, who sat beside him. ‘I think the gentleman’s smearing Dr. Hansen,’ Waxman said. Issa stared, started to speak, but Waxman cut him off, repeating himself. ‘Are you recognizing yourself?’ Issa asked, using the formal phrase to see if Waxman was allotting himself time to speak. ‘Well, I recognize you,’ Waxman shot back as the crowd laughed. ‘I think you’re smearing him. Do you want to comment on that?’ Issa offered his rebuttal, noting that Hansen ‘clearly disliked’ the Bush administration and the lawmakers moved on.”
This could get interesting…
Mar 20, 2007 - 11:00 am 17. Barbara:Well here we go…France will be meeting soon with Abbas and his Finance Minister, and they are taking the lead in requesting that Europe resume aid to the territories…
Mar 20, 2007 - 11:37 am 18. Ann:Way to go, Arnold! Limbaugh is a bloated buffoon.
Mar 20, 2007 - 11:47 am 19. Vladimir Bierko:I hope the Arnold-Rush tit-for-tat turns into a Rosie-Donald sytle tit-for-tat. That would be fun.
Maybe that’s what Donald and Arnold talked about last week on The Apprentice.
Mar 20, 2007 - 12:03 pm 20. Sullihan:That is an insult to bloated buffoons!
Mar 20, 2007 - 12:11 pm 21. Barbara:Mr. Bradley,
Guess what Putin did ! Well, I am sure he did a lot of things but this is what we know about …The bankrupt private oil co. Yukos will be auctioned on Mar 27 the starting bid is $7.46 billion…Rosneft which is Russia’s state owned oil co. will offer a total package of $22 billion for refining, production assets and a percentage stake in the company ….I wonder if Putin will decide to head Russia’s energy industry after he leaves office?…I think that is a very good job for him…He seems very interested in energy…but he is not going to like it one bit that the EU Energy Commissioner announced today that he does not want a Gas Opec ! Here Putin is traveling around to Algeria, Iran, Qatar and Venezuela to get everyone on board with it and to put it on the agenda for the April 9 meeting in Doha… and the EU puts a damper on it!…
I can’t wait to do my Masters on Putin!…when I send him my resume I am going too say see: NWN!!! Of course, I may not need to …because I am sure he is reading you Mr. Bradley…you are his favorite journalist …for sure!
I think Arnold should invite Putin to California!
Mar 20, 2007 - 12:23 pm 22. Brasky:I think that the Arnold’s statement is really not intended to be inflammatory. I think he meant to say “I am the people’s governor, not the pundits’ governor…and things of this nature.” That said, this tit-for-tat might be the start of something really fun…
The republican polling is interesting – it shows A LOT of SOFT support for McCain and Giuliani. It also shows that when most republicans are asked about Romney, they say “who?” I thought he would do better among the conservatives – he probably thought so too.
McCain had the highest negatives among the main three candidates with conservative voters. While I’m surprised it’s not bigger, I would expect it to grow. Giuliani’s negatives will grow too (across the board), but to what extent, who knows. Unless one of the two front runners stumbles, this looks like a two-horse race.
If it’s going to happen, it’s about time for a smear campaign against Giuliani by supporters of McCain or Romney. I would expect Romney folks to be the ones to do it, but the grassroots of both sides have their own agendas and timetables (witness the Clinton 1984 ad). But as long as Giuliani is a viable alternative for the conservative block, Romney has NO chance at winning the nomination.
Mar 20, 2007 - 12:28 pm 23. Brasky:End of an era – the inventor of Fortran, John Backus, just died. Fortran is the great granddaddy of all computer programming languages, including JAVA and HTML.
In the years leading up to Y2K, Fortran programmers were highly sought-after to fix and update computer systems at least partially built in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Vio con Dios. Or should I say “ENDFILE”
Mar 20, 2007 - 12:38 pm 24. Barbara:Look at Romney’s high numbers for NO OPINION in the last set…under the Favorable numbers …that must be seen by his campaign as good ..right? I mean I assume they have no opinion because they do not know enough about him…so he could potentially move up significantly …depending on how his campaign resonates? or am I not understanding this? …
Mar 20, 2007 - 12:42 pm 25. Brasky:Having a high “no opinion” in a three-horse race sucks, if you’re in third. It means no one knows you are running.
The only time a high “no opinion” is good, is if the front runner(s) fall down. Then voters look around for an alternative. That’s why I would look for negative hits on Rudy (and to a lesser extent, McCain) to start dropping soon. Romney doesn’t have the bankroll or name id to just “hang around” for very long. He’s got to move to within striking distance of second place and soon.
Mar 20, 2007 - 12:51 pm 26. Barbara:Thanks Brasky!…
Mar 20, 2007 - 12:57 pm 27. Jonathan Hemlock:Mr. Romney is the most contradiction-laden of all candidates.
Some might say he is a fraud.
Mar 20, 2007 - 1:12 pm 28. Brasky:I would expect something a little different in the dem race. Edwards has name ID, some money and a following among the netroots/nutroots. He also seems to be in striking distance in polling in some of the early states. Richardson seems to playing his hand to stay in the running for VP and he’s mounting a campaign in Nevada that could prove fruitful (as reported on NWN!).
That means neither is under the same pressure Romney faces. Romney won’t be a VP pick. Reeps will pick a Southerner to balance the ticket. If Hillary is the nominee and is within striking distance, they MIGHT pick woman VP candidate. Libby Dole?!
Mar 20, 2007 - 1:14 pm 29. Brasky:“Mr. Romney is the most contradiction-laden of all candidates.”
I’d say ‘one of’ the most’. Certainly among front runners…
“Some might say he is a fraud.”
OK — He’s a fraud. I never understood his candidacy in the first place, but I thought I must be missing something. If I think like a republican for too long, I suffer from headaches and blackout, so I keep it to a minimum.
Mar 20, 2007 - 1:19 pm 30. Capitol Boy:Schwarzengger on Limbaugh, classic.
Mar 20, 2007 - 1:46 pm 31. Barbara:You know I want to revisit this South Africa request for a time-out regarding UN Resolution /sanctions on Iran!…it just so happens that the US and India signed this past Dec, a Civil Nuclear Agreement….which in turn, requires the agreement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), now the NSG regulates trading in nuclear fuels around the world. The NSG was founded in 1975, and is now some 45 member countries of nuclear suppliers. Well, our little signed agreement with India is a DEPARTURE from NSG’s “founding principles” !!!!! It was in 1974 that the world became aware that India had diverted its nuclear program for peaceful means to build weapons, hence the founding of NSG…..The next NSG meeting just also happens to be in South Africa in April, and problems with the India government on issues centering around “testing of nuclear weapons” and questions from NSG member countries may delay approval …….I wonder if as South Africa began putting together an agenda for this April meeting and it occurred to them that that the US does not look very consistent in its nuclear policies!
Mar 20, 2007 - 1:52 pm 32. Wilbur:Arnold burnishes his image with the great wide middle when he calls an irrelevant (in CA at least) nut irrelevant. Those who pray to a graven image of Rush already despise AS as the UberRINO anyway.
Mar 20, 2007 - 1:54 pm 33. Barbara:I understand why Romney is a candidate …I like his energy, brains, what he did for healthcare…the fact that he is not ideological …his response to the FED inaction to Katrina…I would even consider voting for him but he is not for CIRA…and even worse…I read he hired this Don Sipple for his campaign and this was the man that made those Wilson anti-immigrant ads …so I am really concerned that if Romney is as desperate as you guys make it out that these horrible ads will run again! If they do I will go into orbit!
Mar 20, 2007 - 2:00 pm 34. Bill Bradley:No, there’s a deeper dynamic, as you’ll see in my column tomorrow morning on Arnold and Rush.
>Brasky :
Mar 20, 2007 - 2:29 pm 35. Bill Bradley:I think that the Arnold’s statement is really not intended to be inflammatory. I think he meant to say “I am the people’s governor, not the pundits’ governor…and things of this nature.” That said, this tit-for-tat might be the start of something really fun…
Edwards also has substantial labor support and is a skilled and experienced candidate.
… And for some reason, Elizabeth Dole calls herself Liddy.
>Brasky :
Mar 20, 2007 - 2:31 pm 36. Bill Bradley:I would expect something a little different in the dem race. Edwards has name ID, some money and a following among the netroots/nutroots. He also seems to be in striking distance in polling in some of the early states. Richardson seems to playing his hand to stay in the running for VP and he’s mounting a campaign in Nevada that could prove fruitful (as reported on NWN!).
That means neither is under the same pressure Romney faces. Romney won’t be a VP pick. Reeps will pick a Southerner to balance the ticket. If Hillary is the nominee and is within striking distance, they MIGHT pick woman VP candidate. Libby Dole?!
The US has been quite inconsistent with regard to nuclear proliferation. Especially since India was aligned more with the Soviets when it got the bomb. Then we were all against Pakistan getting the bomb, even though it was inherently anti-Soviet. Then we were for it when it suited our purposes during the first Afghan against the Soviets. Then we had to secure their nuclear sites when Al Qaeda was out to get the bomb from Pakistani experts.
It’s a complicated world, it seems.
>Barbara :
Mar 20, 2007 - 2:34 pm 37. Barbara:You know I want to revisit this South Africa request for a time-out regarding UN Resolution /sanctions on Iran!…it just so happens that the US and India signed this past Dec, a Civil Nuclear Agreement….which in turn, requires the agreement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), now the NSG regulates trading in nuclear fuels around the world. The NSG was founded in 1975, and is now some 45 member countries of nuclear suppliers. Well, our little signed agreement with India is a DEPARTURE from NSG’s “founding principles” !!!!! It was in 1974 that the world became aware that India had diverted its nuclear program for peaceful means to build weapons, hence the founding of NSG…..The next NSG meeting just also happens to be in South Africa in April, and problems with the India government on issues centering around “testing of nuclear weapons” and questions from NSG member countries may delay approval …….I wonder if as South Africa began putting together an agenda for this April meeting and it occurred to them that that the US does not look very consistent in its nuclear policies!
Mar 20, 2007 01:52 PM
Mr. Bradley: It’s a complicated world, it seems
Yes so it seems …and just think how “complicated” or substitute “unfair” some of our policies look to the the developing world …
BTW…reuters has a report out that the vote is delayed until next week
Mar 20, 2007 - 2:39 pm 38. carole w:Speaking of Arnold, how is his leg healing?
Mar 20, 2007 - 2:52 pm 39. Bill Bradley:The Schwarzenegger leg is at last close to healed.
Sorry for the lack of medical updates, there are a lot of minor distractions these days …
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:02 pm 40. Bill Bradley:Incidentally, Gospodin Bierko, what say you about the nefarious doings of your Russian comrades on 24?
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:02 pm 41. Barbara:Well I hope this report is right
but it is out there that IRAN will join trilateral talks on the nuclear enrichment debate.. Iran, 5 perm members of UN security Council and non-perm SOUTH AFRICA!!!!
GO SOUTH AFRICA!!!!
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:10 pm 42. Barbara:I am not happy one bit that “Audrey” is dead! Just shows you! Women should never go out searching for their lost love of their life …something bad could happen!
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:13 pm 43. Bill Bradley:MAJOR “24″ SPOILER ALERT …
Despite what Jack Bauer was told last night, Audrey is not dead.
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:16 pm 44. carole w:NBC is back on my good list for the new pilot “Raines”…Loved it:)
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:24 pm 45. Bill Bradley:What is it?
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:29 pm 46. Dana:Bill: SPOLIER ALERT– Despite what Jack Bauer was told last night, Audrey is not dead.
Whereas X-File’s motto was “The Truth is Out There”, 24’s seems to be “Nothing is as it Seems”, so that isn’t surprising…
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:35 pm 47. Jack Aubrey:His sister in law is too beautiful and useless.
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:36 pm 48. Jack Aubrey:Make that, too useless and beautiful.
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:37 pm 49. Wilbur:Raines is Jeff Goldblum as a quirky detective, judging from the trailers. Lord knows we don’t have enough “quirky detective” shows. I missed the pilot but I see it’s available online at http://www.nbc.com/Raines/
Mar 20, 2007 - 3:48 pm 50. Bill Bradley:Oh, I like Jeff Goldblum. He was great in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers remake. The one with Mr. Spock as the creepy shrink in San Francisco.
And of course he was great as the scientist who saves the world with an Apple laptop in Independence Day. Which was pretty realistic, though not nearly as realist as Starship Troopers.
Mar 20, 2007 - 4:05 pm 51. Barbara:Mr. Bradley:Despite what Jack Bauer was told last night, Audrey is not dead.
That concept sorta rings a bell…maybe he I mean she is hiding out with Putin!
Mar 20, 2007 - 4:15 pm 52. Barbara:Jack’s sister in law is beautiful and not useless…for one thing …she gave him a son…
Mar 20, 2007 - 4:18 pm 53. Brasky:“No, there’s a deeper dynamic, as you’ll see in my column tomorrow morning on Arnold and Rush.”
Delicious!
Mar 20, 2007 - 4:34 pm 54. carole w:Goldblum’s character(Det. Raines)gets ghostly help with solving crimes. Next episode is on KNBC,March 22 @ 10pm.
…and yes Goldblum is funny, handsome and charming:)
Mar 20, 2007 - 4:43 pm 55. Ann:I read Limbaugh’s “statement.” Can he say anything straight, can he think straight?
Mar 20, 2007 - 4:58 pm 56. Brasky:Thanks for the reminder of “Mission Accomplished.”
Since this administration is fond of comparing Iraq to WWII — the Marshall Plan took almost exactly 4 years from the date General Marshal gave his speech at Harvard to its completion in 1951.
Of course, ditch diggers in Versailles weren’t being executed by a Vichy insurgency…
Mar 20, 2007 - 4:58 pm 57. Vladimir Bierko:Goldblum used a PowerBook 5300ce (aka FlameBook) in “Independence Day.” Just think of what he could do if he had a MacBook Pro.
Goldblum wasn’t in Starship Troopers, and it takes place in an unknown future, like the one that might exist if Vice President Noah Daniels remains in power.
BTW, everytime I see Jack with his newly widowed sister-in-law I think of Rod Tidwell saying “a real man wouldn’t shoplift the pootie from a single mom.”
Barbara, 24 is pretty serious about killing people, even off camera. If you think about it, the nuke went off in Valencia, the same place Chase and Kim were said to be living in Day 4. Sure, there were divorced in Day 5, but who got the house?
The Rick Schoder character should have been Chase. Also, I would laugh my ass off if Alfonso Ribeiro ends up with a role this season.
Mar 20, 2007 - 4:58 pm 58. Ann:Let’s go hating on Starship Troopers, Bill worked on it. lol
“Goldblum wasn’t in Starship Troopers, and it takes place in an unknown future, like the one that might exist if Vice President Noah Daniels remains in power.”
Mar 20, 2007 - 5:05 pm 59. Vladimir Bierko:I’m a big fan of Starship Troopers, not so much of a Stanger in a Strange Land. But, that’s beside the point.
The one thing going for Starship Troopers, as opposed to the world we live in, and to bring this thread back to the topic of Iraq, is the Sky Marshal (their President) had to serve in not one, but two branches of the Federal Service (Mobile Infrantry and Navy) to be eligible to serve as leader.
Mar 20, 2007 - 5:15 pm 60. Barbara:Bierko:”Barbara, 24 is pretty serious about killing people, even off camera”
I know…I think she is dead…you see off camera she was supposed to testify before Congress about the the Pres..or was it the Vp…or both? …it just shows you a car can be as dangerous as a Cessna…and because she did not tesify, the Pres gets … only house arrest…it’s a drag …but it’s like real life or I mean reel life…or both…
BUT NOW IT APPEARS… IT IS POETIC JUSTICE TIME… for the dead…that brings a sorta peace…which is good.
Bierko, did you know your first name means “man of peace”! Just like Putin! Toodles!!! I am going riding in the rain!
Mar 20, 2007 - 5:25 pm 61. Bill Bradley:Er, actually, when I gave you the MAJOR “24″ SPOILER that Audrey is actually still alive, I wasn’t expressing an opinion.
Mar 20, 2007 - 5:30 pm 62. Bill Bradley:Gospodin Bierko, with regard to Starship Troopers, a very interesting topic I can’t do justice to right now, a couple of points.
You are right that a Sky Marshal had to serve in not just one but two branches of the armed forces of the future Terran Federation. But it’s more than that, he or she had to have commanded a brigade of troops and a starship.
But the Sky Marshal was not the head of government, notwithstanding the implication in the movie. The novel, of course, is much clearer about these things. The movie makes it sound like only military veterans could have the franchise, i.e., be citizens and vote. Actually, the Robert Heinlein novel is different. Anyone who performed national service — most of which was civilian service — would become a citizen.
The director of the movie, Paul Verhoeven, decided that he wanted to hype the pro-militarist slant of the novel into full-fledged, spectacular, hyper-realist fascism. Which, incidentally, he was obviously against, but many journalists and reviewers didn’t grasp the irony. Which was actually kind of astounding.
But what the novel said about the nature of citizenship and the citizen’s responsibility was actually very similar to what JFK said in his Inaugural Address, and when he established the Peace Corps. And what Gary Hart and Bill Clinton said when they each proposed national service requirements, building on the Peace Corps and VISTA. Which got watered down into Americorps when Clinton became president.
Mar 20, 2007 - 5:38 pm 63. Brasky:You’re right Rush, Arnold isn’t a Republican. You should boycott him. You should harangue Giuliani, McCain and Romney until they agree that they won’t allow Arnold to fundraise or campaign for them. Rush, the voice in your head is right — you must purify the Grand Olde Party.
Mar 20, 2007 - 6:09 pm 64. Vladimir Bierko:Mister Bradley, I greatly oversimplified Heinlein’s work, but since you rasied the point, does Bush have the same view of public service as Clinton, Kennedy or Hart?
As you know, many conservatives love Heinlein and his use of morality. In fact, the blogger Jubal stole his pen name from the work I mentioned earlier.
I find it ironic President Clinton may be more in tune with Heinlein than President Bush.
Mar 20, 2007 - 6:46 pm 65. richard locicero:Remember right after the election when Limbaugh said he was tired of carrying water for the GOP? Well I guess they threatened to cut off his Oxycontin supply. Really Arnold should pay him money!
Bill Obama doesn’t need the CBC; they need him. Do you really think an organization that has embraced William Jefferson matters?
Sorry FOX is not a news organization. It is a propaganda arm of the Republican Party and it’s audience is shrinking and, in any case, is HALF of that of MEET THE PRESS on its highest rated show. Edwards already turned them down once and Obama is boycotting them. I’m sure a “Debate” between Chris Dodd, Dennis Kuchinich and Joe Biden will be riveting but so what?
And Bill the word is getting out. See Ron Brownstein’s op-ed in the LAT. He’s no dirty Hippie Blogger but a bonafide member in good standing of the mainstream media.
No one is fooled by Roger Ailes “Fair and Balanced” crap anymore. Except the deadenders who still think Bush is doing a heckova job!
Mar 20, 2007 - 6:51 pm 66. Juan Cortina:Good for Limbuagh… he found a way to make news that doesn’t involve his drug addiction. Kudos to you Rush!
Mar 20, 2007 - 7:34 pm 67. Wilbur:So Shrub says he will refuse to honor Congressional subpoenae, which when push comes to shove means he will invoke Executive Privilege. Which potentially tosses the question to Roberts and Alito et al to save his bacon - if they will. And in terms of public consumption the invocation of privilege absolutely screams “something to hide.”
How about the hatchet men and others involved who have recently left the government, and those, perhaps including Gonzalez himself, about to flee? Can an invocation of Executive Privilege quash a congressional subpoena served upon someone no longer employed by the White House? I don’t recall that ever having been tested.
Constitutional crisis looming, details at 11 - unless bumped by a story about a Cessna going down. ;-}
Mar 20, 2007 - 7:43 pm 68. richard locicero:Wilber somewhere there must be a blond who’s gone missing over Spring Break!
Mar 20, 2007 - 7:56 pm 69. Bill Bradley:I’m having dinner with a big-t time Republican now so can’t answer all this stuff at the moment.
Mar 20, 2007 - 8:00 pm 70. Wilbur:Works on me every time. Always was easily distracted by blondes gone astray….
Actually, Dan Schorr was saying tonite on NPR that’s why we’re suddenly hearing about two rather stale terrorist confessions. Pulled them out of the Wag The Dog reserve distractions fund.
Mar 20, 2007 - 8:01 pm 71. Liam Gallagher:Drudge Flash: Arnold to appear on Limbaugh Weds.
Mar 20, 2007 - 8:55 pm 72. larry:Wild and crazy way off the wall prediction:
Cheney will leave the Bush administration before Gonzales does.
Mar 20, 2007 - 9:41 pm 73. Jonas Blane:Great action!!
Mar 20, 2007 - 9:41 pm 74. Bill Bradley:Richard, Ron Brownstein is a total Democratic liberal from way back. The LAT is choosing up sides with the partisans on the left, as usual. I knew all those guys, and they are all guys.
Obama, as you’ve noticed, i admire greatly. He has serious problems in the community. As for the Jefferson question and the CBC, remember how horrified our friend Marc Cooper was by some things in the UFW.
That stuff doesn’t even make me blanch in ethnic Democratic politics.
And so on …
Mar 20, 2007 - 9:58 pm 75. Bill Bradley:Liam Gallagher, nice handle, yes, back from dinner meeting, Schwarzenegger will probably be on Limbaugh, time is stil a little uncertain, supposedly a little after 10 AM pacific.
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:00 pm 76. Bill Bradley:Actually, under Bush, we see the rise of the latter-day janissaries rather than the citizen army.
Of course, I’m oversimplifying, too.
Mar 20, 2007 - 10:01 pm 77. Jonathan Hemlock:>Vladimir Bierko :
Mister Bradley, I greatly oversimplified Heinlein’s work, but since you rasied the point, does Bush have the same view of public service as Clinton, Kennedy or Hart?
As you know, many conservatives love Heinlein and his use of morality. In fact, the blogger Jubal stole his pen name from the work I mentioned earlier.
I find it ironic President Clinton may be more in tune with Heinlein than President Bush.
Mar 20, 2007 06:46 PM
“Bugs, Mr. Rico. Millions of ‘em!”
Mar 21, 2007 - 12:38 pm 78. Jonathan Hemlock:“Bugs, Mr. Rico. Millions of ‘em!”
Mar 21, 2007 - 12:38 pm