52 Comments

1. alcibiades:

Yeah, but did you check out the next saga in Arafat’s prolonged enjoyment of unlife: apparently, at least according to Debka, friend Chirac is now backing Suha in her desire that the extremists take over the PLO, in order, in part, to embarrass the US.

Such a lovely woman. Yet another billionaire revolutionary.

Nov 8, 2004 - 2:58 pm 2. Nukevet:

My wife and I went to Israel for the first (and last) time right before the outbreak of the current “uprising”. We had a wonderful time. I remember being shocked and saddened that 2 suicide bombers had killed people at Ben Yehuda mall – right outside a little cafe where we had stopped for lunch during our visit.

One can only hope that Israel gets some semblance of peace soon.

Nov 8, 2004 - 2:58 pm 3. yadid:

Roger and Rogerites,

You are welcome…I’ll be here in Tel Aviv till Dec. 20, if anybody cares to pop up, Israeli style, for a coffee or a red wine…

Nov 8, 2004 - 2:59 pm 4. alcibiades:

Yeah, but did you check out the next saga in Arafat’s prolonged enjoyment of unlife: apparently, at least according to Debka, friend Chirac is now backing Suha in her desire that the extremists take over the PLO, in order, in part, to embarrass the US.

Such a lovely woman. Yet another billionaire revolutionary.

Nov 8, 2004 - 3:00 pm 5. ex-democrat:

personally, i was sold by the Love Parade: http://www.pbase.com/verti/image/20452820

Nov 8, 2004 - 3:40 pm 6. ForNow:

Debka tends to be the less dependable the farther the reported events are from Israel geographically. On the other hand, the world is going crazy. The NY Times Week In Review published an article November 7th seeking to mainstream feelings like those of a Presidential assassin. Iím not kidding or exaggerating. And itís even as the anniversary of JFKís assassination November 22nd nears.

By Dean E. Murphy, ìCan History Save the Democrats?î under ìBolts from the Political Blueî at http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/weekinreview/07murp.html

discusses the assassinations of Republican Presidents Lincoln & McKinley & how such ìacts of God,î as it dementedly calls them, can affect history. It talks about other kinds of historical interventions but comes back to assassinations & concludes:

66__________________

Professor Wilentz of Princeton said that even if the 2004 victory was an incremental one, that should not comfort the Democrats. He said Mr. Rove and Mr. Bush now have a chance to do what Hanna and McKinley never did: Lay the foundation for lasting Republican dominance.

“The Republicans are basically unchecked,” Professor Wilentz said. “There is no check in the federal government and no check in the world. They have an unfettered playing field.”

Until the next act of God, that is.

ØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØ99

It even has a cute little illustration of a red elephant standing with foot on butt of a blue donkey on the ground, blue donkey smiling up at meteor (= act of God) heading for elephant. The article was inspired, I guess, by Charlie T. Brookerís recent piece in the Guardian (UK) asking where are the Lee Harvey Oswalds, John Hinckleys, etc., now ìwhen we need them.î

Would it be too much to call Pinch Sulzberger, Gail Collins, Bill Keller, & Dean E. Murphy broadsheet brownshirts? Would the Secret Service be going too far if it investigated & interrogated them? Would the American people be going too far by denouncing the NYT gang from coast to coast? I donít think any of that would be over the top. Whatís over the top is the NY Times & whatís sad is the lack of infamy as yet of this wistful but insistent allusion to the possibility of current Presidential assassination in Americaís flagship liberal Dem newspaper.

Yep, the world has mutated from that which it was even a mere few decades ago.

As for Chiracóto Allawiís disgust & consternation, Chirac also wants the insurgent terrorists to be at the table in the meeting of Iraqi civil groups which will occur during the Egypt conference on the Iraq election.

Nov 8, 2004 - 4:12 pm 7. Lola:

You know, it really makes me want to b*h slap her to heck and back. She doesn’t care diddly squat for her own people except by how much blood she can squeeze out from the stone.

Nov 8, 2004 - 4:20 pm 8. Kevin P:

Roger:

Way off topic but I an currently watching Matthews on slimeball and I have to vent. After a straight forward report from a NBC reporter in the field Matthews went on the attack. First he asked her if Fallujah might resemble another Stalingrad!. Then after the reporter had mentioned the foreign troops on the “rebel” side he asked her whether the new Iraqi military were being misled into fighting foreigners when they would be actually fighting their own brothers. Then while interviewing Barry McAffrey he tried to compare our attempt to train The new Iraqi army to our failed attempt to train the South Vietnamese Army.When McAffrey told Matthews that the SV Marines he worked with were some of the best soldiers he ever worked with and further informed CM that the reason they failed was because we turned off the spigot as far as arms, air and economic support. This shut Matthews up for a second and he followed up with a obligatory “I support the troops” tag after he had just spent the last ten minutes presenting the most gloomy scenario as humanly possible. The only old ’70’s clich that he didn’t drag out was how we are using our own colored troops to kill their minority bretheren. I am all for honest an assesement of the struggles that we will have putting the terrorists down and McAffrey was very realistic when presenting the problems. But Matthews is trying to make this Vietnam no matter the fact that they are in no way comparble. Sorry to hijack the thread but I just had to vent or I was going to explode. Feel free to ignore this and carry on with Arafat.

Nov 8, 2004 - 4:20 pm 9. Oyster:

To: ForNow

Just in case anyone’s not sure how the Iraqis feel about Chirac, they should read this petition put together by Iraqi civil society organizations as a plea to the UN:

http://www.petitiononline.com/ocsi/petition.html

(you’ll have to scroll down for a translation)

An exerpt:

“After the liberation of Iraq under United States leadership and supported by many countries in the world, the French government called for the participation of the Baath party in the transitional government in spite of that party’s totalitarian thought, nationalistic fanaticism and sanguinary past. These efforts were repeated in different forms including the persistent call for the withdrawal of multinational forces from Iraq, forces which Iraq needs in order to ensure security. The last such effort was the French government’s demand to convene an international conference in Egypt to include governments and representatives of what it calls factions of the “Iraqi resistance”. We wish to confirm to you that this “resistance” is none other than an alliance of remnants of the ousted regime in Baghdad and non-Iraqi Islamist and extremist terrorist groups affiliated to the Al Qaida organization led by Osama Ben Laden whose Iraq branch is headed by the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, as well as organized crime gangs previously released by Saddam Hussein before his fall.”

Nov 8, 2004 - 4:41 pm 10. Fausta:

how Le Monde, etc. are covering the inreasingly bizarre events in Paris.

This evening’s France2 news was mostly taken up by the quagmire in Ivory Coast and upcoming funeral of the 30 French soldiers who died last week.

The update on the Arafat situation was rather brief, with the French General/MD saying “the situation remains unchanged” (yeah?), and a rather flattering report on Suha, “who arrived at the West Bank by limousine and accomplished the impossible” — got him out of there to Paris — but who “only wanted to be Arafat’s wife”.

Amazingly, also in the evening news, there’s been the 1st conviction in 8 yrs for anti-semitic crime (defacing tombstones).

Will post more on LeMonde & others early tomorrow AM.

Nov 8, 2004 - 4:43 pm 11. Oyster:

Oh, and my brother is quite well traveled. He says that Tel Aviv is beautiful and is his favorite city in the world.

Nov 8, 2004 - 4:45 pm 12. ForNow:

Thank you, Oyster. Chirac, like Annan & El-Baradei, has his power-&-profit zone in tension, conflict, chaos, destruction in foreign places. They will point out the dangers but resist helping to eliminate them. Iíd like to see the bunch of them on trial along with Saddam for their lives before a jury of Iraqi Marsh Arabs.

Nov 8, 2004 - 4:46 pm 13. Fausta:

Forgot to mention, in the France2 newscast, Jacques’s appearances were limited to assuring the French public (& I assume the Ivorian people, after destroying what little there was of an Ivorian air force) that France has sent their soldiers only for peacekeeping purposes, and touring with Villepin on a new law & order initiative.

However, earlier today LeMonde (I think it was LeMonde) had said that the 4 Palestinian delegates were to meet with Jacques once they arrive in Paris, before seeing Yasser.

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:01 pm 14. Fausta:

last post of the evening,

Roger & Spanish speakers, don’t miss Oscar’s poem Anclao en ParÌ≥äRȱµiem Preventivo a un M·≤¥ir Fiero

Mientras tanto su mujer

En Paris gran vida hace

El martirio no le place

Eso es pa’ los pobres infelices

Sean grandes o gurises

Que en Khan-Yunes nacen

Brilliant!

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:12 pm 15. Bruce_W:

I’m being optimistic here, but I find it hard to believe Chirac really has a long term interest in supporting anything other than the most moderate faction possible. But after having seen up close the way Suha the Bruja has lived her life in “Gay Paree” and after having heard her Al Jazeera lunatic ravings last night, I think he must have finally realized what a mistake it was to take the ailing Arafat into Percy to begin with and this is now what he believes the most expeditious way to dispose of the problem. If he backs Suha and generally makes things a bit more difficult for the visiting “moderates”, the more likely and the sooner that they will sign a French document that will guarantee her multi-millions (which is her real goal here). But as I’ve said elsewhere, the dying Don’s wife is pissing off some very powerful connected people…she will be joining her hubby relatively soon. Chirac better be careful or he could end up on their list next.

That last sentence is a nice segue to ForNow’s contribution above about Dean Murphy’s piece in the NYT. I was sunconsciously bothered by the piece while reading it, but when I got to that last sentence, my jaw literally dropped open. For me this may well be the last nail in the coffin of my hope for the NYT to rehabilitate itself. Just when you think they have sunk as low as they can…

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:20 pm 16. Patrick S Lasswell:

Michel Barnier, French Foriegn Minister, wrote “A Letter to America” in today’s WSJ. In it he protests that France has been a close ally to the United States. On the surface it is quite reasonable. If Oil for Food or fresh weapons in the hands of Saddam’s army had never been discovered, it might even be acceptable.

In light of George W. Bush’s re-election, it appears that France would like to have us forget those discoveries, ignore what the intentions behind them mean, and pretend that perfidy had not been proven. Minister Barnier, mangez la merde.

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:30 pm 17. tipper:

What really got me about Barnier’s “letter” in the WSJ was his last paragraph:

“America needs a capable, responsible Europe. And Europe needs a strong America, engaged in world affairs.”

Correct. I believe we have the latter. But certainly not the former, certainly not “capable, responsible.” And even with respect the latter, although it is what Europe needs, it seems to me Europe wants is a “strong American, engaged in world affairs on EU terms.”

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:42 pm 18. Rick Ballard:

Here is the second call for the assassination of George Bush by the NYT that ForNow referenced.

As we relect on Chirac’s brazen perfidy, matched only by Don Kofi’s cupidity, and watch the PA descend into a very special hell of its own making, we should pause for a moment and consider the part of the NYT in all of this. Staunch champion of the murderous bastard who rots in Chirac’s hospital while his jackals circle. Defender of that most wondrously corrupt UN with its uncrowned liar king still fully in command (and with bank accounts still filling rapidly from his own rather peculiar conception of fiduciary responsibility) and lover of cher Jacques (currently acting as designated EU hyena bent on keeping the PA jackals at bay until he has fully fed).

The editors of the NYT have put themselves beyond civilized society in allowing this second thinly veiled call for assassination to be published. They do not deserve societies protection and the responsibility for whatever befalls them or their families is on their heads. There is a very effective defense against even ‘digital’ brownshirts. They live in real houses on real streets in real towns and they don’t have the Secret Service protecting them.

Of course, I’m just writing for sensational effect. Just to make a minor point. Surely, you understand that, Mr. Keller?

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:42 pm 19. ForNow:

Well, now, thereís the trick of it, thatís how the NY Times wants us to talk, so they can trumpet it while the provocation gets buried in dispute & ambiguation.

The answer is straightforward loud & sustained denunciation, not counterthreat in kindred terms.

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:48 pm 20. lindenen:

I would kill for someone to go on CNN or Fox and say to Wolf Blitzer or Christiane Amanpour that rumors on the internet claim Arafat already died from AIDS and he is a well-known pedophile.

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:51 pm 21. Rick Ballard:

ForNow,

Generally I might agree. If it were the first time I certainly would agree. But not now, not one week from the election and not after their publishing the fawning review of the book describing various ways of assassinating the President. They believe themselves to be beyond reach while they call on demons.

Aside from that, why is my comment any different than their piece? I said it was written for sensational effect, did I not? In what way is it different than theirs? They would say that they meant only to stimulate thought, well, so did I.

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:56 pm 22. Terrye:

Whatever mischief Chirac is up to I think he will find that Arafat and he and a lot of other people including NYT have seen their best days and the future belongs to someone else.

Chirac’s legacy for France will be an America that will never trust her again and their head of state pandering to the likes of Suha.

pathetic.

Nov 8, 2004 - 5:58 pm 23. ForNow:

Thatís the problem, such a response not different enough from what the NYT has been doing. They arenít stupid, theyíve been at this on various levels for a long time, & the trap is built in as a matter of course.

I didnít know that they had published a fawning review of that book. What was the bookís name? Iíd sure like to find a copy of that review somewhere on the Internet.

Anyway, TheAnchoress.blogspot.com (another converted Dem like Roger) had this to say regarding Dean E. Murphyís sick NYT article:

66________________________

There is always a tipping point – there is always a moment when something is carried too far. In terms of the liberalís spiteful hate of W and their insane response to a democratic electionÖI am afraid that THIS NY Times article is the tipping point.

It makes me afraid for many reasons. It makes me afraid that someone from the right – having had ENOUGH – chooses the violent way (after all thatís what most of this democrat goading is – theyíre TRYING to get someone on the right to lose it and go postal, so they can say, see??? SEE??? These wingnuts are dangerous!)

This article may be a tipping pointÖbut I hope all my fellow conservatives will be cool in the face of provocation. Just keep praying, let God take care of it!

ØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØØ99

Nov 8, 2004 - 6:05 pm 24. ForNow:

However, I donít think that we should wait for God to take care of it, we need to stand up, publicize it, denounce it, & denounce the NYT for advocating the assassination of the Presidentódenounce Pinch Sulzberger & the NY Times for, in essence, issuing a death threat against President Bush/

Nov 8, 2004 - 6:09 pm 25. BeckyJ:

I agree with ForNow. This needs to be publicized and denounced. I agree also, that this article may be the tipping point, but I think it’s the tipping point against the NYT; the American people in general are not stupid (not that the Dems know that) and many moderate liberals that I know are sick of the NYT and its rantings and plagiarisms (even many of my fellow academics!) A once great paper has lost credibility beyond repair.

Nov 8, 2004 - 6:18 pm 26. Tom O'Bedlam:

Why is Arafat in Paris in the first place? Why did he not go to one of those paragons of medical care such as the hospitals of Damascus, or Cairo, or Riyadh?

Surely a physician rigorously trained at a madrassah, in nothing but the transcendent truths of the Koran, would be infinitely superior to one of those Satan-spawn indoctrinated in the decadent propaganda of western science, promulgated by empiricist infidels, many of them no doubt Jewish? If Paris is allowable now, can Cedars-Sinai be far behind?

Nov 8, 2004 - 6:20 pm 27. Rick Ballard:

Here is a fawning review (not NYT) and here is a piece theat Leon Wieseltier did for the Times – I don’t believe this is the only Times piece but I don’t find the one that I remember.

I disagree with your point about trying to get someone on the right to go postal. The fellow that flew his own head off down at the WTC site wasn’t on the right. If you don a HAZMAT suit and visit DU or any of the other whacko cesspools it will take you about 30 seconds to find worse than this piece in the Times. The Tmes is legitimizing violence in the same manner that they legitimized that puss pocket rotting in a French hospital.

Denounce the Times as loud and as often as you wish. I certainly do and plan to continue doing so. I still maintain that they have chosen to put themselves outside of civilized society.

Nov 8, 2004 - 6:34 pm 28. Robert Schwartz:

I had previously hypothesized that Mrs. Araft was in fact a French agent. I think, that this almost certainly confirms that analysis.

As for Chirac. His policy, long proclaimed publicly is to act as a counter to American power. In other words he is our oponent, Our Enemy. And the sooner we learn to deal with that reality, the longer we will live.

Nov 8, 2004 - 6:37 pm 29. richard mcenroe:

Gotta share This…

Nov 8, 2004 - 7:06 pm 30. Bruce_W:

As between Rick Ballard and ForNow, I find myself pulled in both ways. On the one hand, I want to scream at the top of my (our) lungs and release the building pressure of disillusionment with media houses that I used to respect. On the other hand, this son of European Jews can appreciate ForNow’s call for taking the higher road. After all, the “establishment” already hates you…so don’t give them any ammunition to back up their stereotypical claims, right? It is not unlike the double/higher standard by which Israel is judged by the European world.

So let’s all hail the Anti-Ridiculous Blogosphere: the New Jews. But fear not, you can’t gas a virtual Jew.

As I’m writing this I am realizing that the analogy is more apt than I originally thought.

But I’m still torn between Rick and ForNow. I think that must mean my father’s oft repeated admonition will make an appearance: “Moderation is everything.” So either Roger should weigh in and do the “moderating” or let’s combine philosophies, stay on top of things, scream out truths (but only to be heard, not out of anger) and, most of all, don’t let them bait us.

Nov 8, 2004 - 7:47 pm 31. Bruce_W:

Richard McEnroe: Thanks for the persuasive essay link.

A devoted Dem friend of mine sent me an e-mail last Thursday purporting to show the average IQ of each State and for which candidate each State voted. As I’m sure you can imagine, the Blue states were the “creme de la creme” (pronounced with French accent of contempt). Leaving aside that this info cannot be verified, I sent my self-satisfied “thinker” the following response, which, for me, goes a long way in explaining the elections results:

“You can make fun of the dumb kids in High School and still become Class President, but you won’t get invited to the really fun parties. Guess what? As adults, the presidency IS the fun party, and the door has just been slammed hard in your face. Even average minds understand a sneer when they’re getting one. Time for you to MoveOn.” [ed. note: And your surprised he hasn't written back yet?]

Nov 8, 2004 - 7:58 pm 32. ForNow:

I, too, feel myself torn between Rick Ballard and ForNow, & I am ForNow. During the first few hours after I read Dean E. Murphyís sick article, I couldnít bear the thought of NOT turning the tables on Sulzberger, Collins, Keller, & Murphy. They so deserve it! But then I remember that the trap is that the NYT & the rest of MSM still have the big megaphones, we have a bunch of funny-sounding little trumpets like on the old Bullwinkle cartoon show. Together we can make a noise but we can also be drowned out. And thatís just the kind of thing that those bastards are counting on.

There was some excitement at Little Green Footballs about this, but generally I have the sinking feeling that not much is going to happen. Soon enough the article itself will be shifted into the fee-pay archives.

Nov 8, 2004 - 8:19 pm 33. Dishman:

I have a bad feeling about this.

I’ve been listening to the rising crescendo of fascist rhetoric coming out of The Left…

Too many examples, espousing violence…

Nov 8, 2004 - 8:41 pm 34. John Van Laer:

Roger:

The DEBKA story about Chirac snubbing the “moderates” and backing Hamas-Jihad types appears to be one more of their canards. Yahoo France has 4 Pal bigwigs in Paris, having landed at Le Bourget on a flight from Amman, Jordan.

The four are Ahmed Qorei, the PM, Mahmoud Abbas, the PLO #2, Nabil Chaath, the Foreign Minister, and Rawhi Fattuh, president of the parliament.

[Please don't hold me responsible for transliterating the names from the French version. I couldn't care less how the NYT spells their names.] The delegation is entirely welcome, regardless of any outbursts from Suha. They meet with M. Barnier, the French foreign minister at 11 AM Paris time (1000 Zulu) and with Chirac at 3:30 PM Tuesday. At some point, they will view the wreckage at Percy and then hold a press conference at 6 PM to explain their mission.

It looks like Bruce_W’s optimism about Chirac acting sensibly was well-founded. Actually, Fausta has the essential story: the 4 are in Paris and will meet with Chi-Chi. End of non-story.

Nov 8, 2004 - 8:43 pm 35. Dante:

Just a quick suggestion to RS: if you really want to get the low down on the opera buffa playing out in Paris with our Jacques, Suha, and the not so dearly departed playing the staring roles, pick up a copy of the latest Canard EnchainÈ while you’re in New York. They always get the real scoop.

As for Jacques’ change of heart, and his new alliance with the semifredo widow, Suha,…..I think he just played a successful round of Let’s Make a Deal and has further padded his Swiss bank accounts. I’ve watched his manoeuvres for 35 years and can attest that the golden thread stringing them together is that Jacques has always, in all circumstances, had his hand out waiting only for the highest bidder to cross it with silver before declaring his alligence to this or that. He and his whole government are so riddled with corruption that nothing, nothing at all, should surprise us.

Nov 8, 2004 - 10:03 pm 36. Lola:

I find it really curious that now that PA authorities are in Paris and at the hospital trying to get into his hospital room, Arafat’s condition has been “upgraded” to worsening overnight and a deepening coma (how can a coma deepen???), and now I’m seeing this headline “Arafat May Have Hours to Live – Palestinian Source” on Yahoo News. Yuuuuuuccckk. At the rate this is going, there will be no martyrdom and France will be left holding the bag, thus causing the Palestinians to turn their ire on them. I guess that’s why none of the Arab countries would even consider letting him be treated on their land (that is, if they’d been approached by PA authorities).

Nov 9, 2004 - 5:47 am 37. Dante:

My guess is that Suha probably insisted that Arafat be treated in France mostly for legal reasons having to do with the French laws of inheritance. Perhaps someone will remember better than my cloudy memory allows just what are the legal rights of inheritance of a wife in France?

Nov 9, 2004 - 6:01 am 38. Dante:

A quick update about French laws of inheritance and the Arafat situation. Some reports have said that Arafat has not made a will. If that is the case, Suha, as his wife, would under French law get half of his entire estate! Here’s a bit from the Britannica that may pertain:

“The French Civil Code was enacted in 1804, and its provisions of intestate succession have been changed many times. With respect to the surviving spouse, one must take into account the one-half share in the marital acquests that belongs to the surviving spouse unless some other arrangement was agreed upon at the time of the marriage.”

Mme Arafat is said to have top notch French lawyers on the case…..

Nov 9, 2004 - 6:16 am 39. Fausta:

This morning’s update, with links,

Arafat’s dead, according to at least one unnamed senior Palestinian source, while Gen. Christian Estripeau from the Percy Military Hospital in Clamart, France said Arafat “is in a coma and his condition worsened overnight”.

Mahmoud Abbas, #2 of the PLO, which today visited Yasser Arafat at the hospital, described Arafat’s condition as “very serious”. Abbas and three others are meeting with Chirac today.

Meanwhile, there are reports that France began a preliminary investigation into the large money orders within Suha’s accounts in Paris. Arafat’s finances are under the scrutiny of the International Monetary Fund and Office europÈen de lutte antifraude (OLAF) — European office for the fight against fraud — at least for now.

Nov 9, 2004 - 6:46 am 40. Percy Dovetonsils:

Surely a physician rigorously trained at a madrassah, in nothing but the transcendent truths of the Koran, would be infinitely superior to one of those Satan-spawn indoctrinated in the decadent propaganda of western science, promulgated by empiricist infidels, many of them no doubt Jewish?

IIRC, didn’t Louis Farrakhan go to a Jewish doctor for his prostate cancer surgery/treatment? Also, I am positive that Marge Schott (former owner of the Cincinnati Reds and notorious anti-Semite) had heart surgery at Cincinnati Jewish Hospital.

Funny how they come crawling when the crap hits the fan, non?

Regarding Chirac’s footsie-playing with Arafat, if the CIA and NSA are not bugging the phones of each and every involved party, why the bleep do we even have spies? Can you imagine the treasure trove of dirt being hashed out??

Nov 9, 2004 - 7:47 am 41. TedN:

What are the French laws on visitation? Does the family get to control non-doctors who see a patient? Can medical details be released without family permission?

Nov 9, 2004 - 8:19 am 42. Mark Poling:

Side topic:

This link takes you to a page that takes a NYTimes link and turns it into a non-expiring version:

http://nytimes.blogspace.com/genlink?q=about:blank

And here’s the non-expiring link to the NYTimes Hit piece:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/weekinreview/07murp.html?ex=1257570000&en=0fcb76ba00b648b7&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

If you’ve got a blog, blog it. Roger, you might want to send an email to Glenn Reynolds and ask him to post something about it.

Nov 9, 2004 - 8:36 am 43. Sandy P:

According to Brit Hume(?) or someone yesterday, Barnier also wrote an article for the Europeans.

It wasn’t the same article.

I really wish the WSJ would print them side-by-side.

Nov 9, 2004 - 8:39 am 44. Fausta:

TedN, according to this article,

“The need to restrict the number and length of visits shouldn’t be interpreted as prohibiting visits from the Palestinian leaders to the Intensive Care Unit. The hospital spokesman stated that “the law does not limit to only the patient’s spouse the right to decide who has visitation rights, it allows also the extended family. It should also be recalled that they are the persons in charge for Palestinian Autority who asked us to hospitalize president Arafat”.

(La nÈcessitÈ de restreindre dÈsormais le nombre et la frÈquence des visites au chevet du “raÔs” ne doit nullement Ítre comprise comme une interdiction qui serait faite aux dirigeants palestiniens de se rendre dans le service de rÈanimation de l’hÙpital Percy. “La loi ne limite pas au seul conjoint d’un patient de dÈcider qui a ou non droit de visite. C’est la famille au sens large qui est ici concernÈe, prÈcise-t-on de source mÈdicale militaire. Il faut d’autre part rappeler que ce sont les responsables de l’AutoritÈ palestinienne qui nous ont demandÈ l’hospitalisation du prÈsident Arafat.”

Nov 9, 2004 - 8:48 am 45. TmjUtah:

I see the relationship between media and the respective parties this way:

The Democrats have unconsciously employed media as a house organ for their agendas as long as I have been alive. Kindred spirits act toward common goals.

The Republicans tried to fight media on its own turf for literally decades until the first G.W. Bush administration. Bush declined to ‘war room’ the media; instead of fighting a day-by-day refutation game he instead published clear objectives in keynote addresses (Bush Doctrine, tax cuts, NCLB, etc) that are all measurable by results independent of political propaganda or spin.

No domestic mass casualty attacks since 9/11. Elections in Afghanistan. Looming elections in Iraq. Multi-quarter GDP growth, with unemployment at or near historic lows and improving employment numbers. And last but not least, the election results returning Bush with a solid PV majority as well as ECV surplus and increased seats in Congress.

The media can whine at will. Political power isn’t measured by compliments from Maureen Dowd or number of Tina Brown dinner parties a senator gets invited to. It’s measured by the electoral support of the voters (and how they feel they will be impacted) of the respective agendas and in this November of 2004 that support is behind the concepts of responsible government, American exceptionalism, and aggressive confrontation and defeat of foreign threats to American lives and interests.

Until the Democrats…who these days are become a confederacy of convenience of disparate liberal/progressive/socialist/opportunist hacks…can send a message beyond praying for failure on the part of the Republicans they and their media shills will continue to retract from relevance in public debate.

We face real problems in a real world. Bush has enacted policies that address those problems and as time has goes by enough people appear to have judged them worthy of support despite the almost monolithic assault of media and the political opposition to belittle or sabotage them. He has demanded to be judged on results, and has thus far won that bet.

Way back when I first started to participate on Roger’s forum I opined that I thought the media would need at least a year to adjust to the Bush administration. I believed that the media culture would sensibly adjust to the end of the spin dance and buckle down to report the news as it unfolded. I was wrong – and here we are four years out and the majors of the major players, most notably CBS and the NYTimes, have crashed through tipping points like a sports car heading off a curvy road in a crime drama…and then rewound the tape the next morning to do it again.

Bush publishes a policy and the result is a weeks or months long condemnation on style and philosophy tropes…with the eventual objective results of the policies mentioned in passing or outright ignored (more jobs, but the WRONG jobs…quagmire…election majority but based on unteachable Jesusland voters) again and again and again.

The market result has been the rise of the Pajamahadeen – individuals that invest their own time and money in the quest to identify and disseminate facts stripped of MSM spin. Bloggers were an oddity as late as a year ago. Since then they’ve covered both political conventions and now regularly appear or are quoted on MSM pundit shows. Good ideas will not fail in unrestricted markets, and there’s never been a bazaar as wide open as the internet is right now. People vote with their clicks here, and the trend is solidly against MSM.

Nov 9, 2004 - 9:36 am 46. Charlie (Colorado):

He’s failing fast: now has intracranial hemorrhage.

Nov 9, 2004 - 10:29 am 47. Rick Ballard:

Charlie (C),

Does that mean he’ll be deader soon?

Nov 9, 2004 - 11:03 am 48. Lefty:

It is said that in Israel they accomplish the possible and the impossible takes just a little longer.

Nov 9, 2004 - 11:19 am 49. Charlie (Colorado):

Rick — It means the coverup is starting to stink.

More.

Nov 9, 2004 - 11:40 am 50. Kyda Sylvester:

What a waste of skin Chirac is (and how about the piece of work that is Suha). I’m so glad I made it to Paris back in the days when the French merely looked down their noses at us (I might add, I found Parisians almost across the board to be charming, gracious hosts – of course, I’m a charming, gracious tourist). It has long been a dream to visit Israel and the entire Holy Land. I’m seriously considering hooking up with Michael Medved’s tour in December.

Fallujah as Stalingrad – LOLOLOL. What a shame I don’t get MSNBC – Hardball must be the funniest show on cable tv.

Nov 9, 2004 - 11:47 am 51. Rick Ballard:

Charlie (C),

I thought they blew the coverup when one of the “attending physicians” was identified as a local mortician. Trying to pass off a walkin reefer as an ICU wasn’t a very good idea either.

Nov 9, 2004 - 12:19 pm 52. Bob:

I don’t know about Arafat’s condition, but take a look at the interesting email I got today:

DEAR SIR:

URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL.

MY NAME IS HEINRICH ZUECHER. I AM THE CHIEF OF INTERNAL OPERATIONS OF THE ZENTRALKOMMERZBANK (ìZKBî) IN BASEL, SWITZERLAND. THE ZKBíS SOLICITORS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAVE PROVIDED ME YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS, AND RECOMMENDED THAT I CONTACT YOU IMMEDIATELY REGARDING AN URGENT MATTER OF FINANCIAL IMPORTANCE.

A CLIENT OF THE ZKB, WHOSE IDENTITY I AM NOT AT LIBERTY TO REVEAL BUT WHO IS, YOU MAY BE ASSURED, A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE MIDDLE EAST, HOLDS A CONFIDENTIAL ACCOUNT THAT IS CAPABLE OF BEING ACCESSED ONLY BY MEANS OF A NUMBER KNOWN TO THE ACCOUNT HOLDER. THIS IS THE TYPE OF ACCOUNT SOMETIMES DESCRIBED IN THE PRESS AS A ìSECRET NUMBERED SWISS BANK ACCOUNT.î OVER THE LAST TWELVE YEARS THE CLIENT HAS MADE A SERIES OF DEPOSITS INTO THIS ACCOUNT TOTALING RATHER IN EXCESS OF US$ 24 MILLIARD ($24,000,000,000), MUCH OF WHICH IS IN UNITED STATES AND BRITISH CURRENCIES AND ALSO IN BEARER DEBENTURES ISSUED BY AGENCIES OF THE UNITED NATIONS.

NOW WE UNDERSTAND THE CLIENT IS VERY ILL, INDEED, THAT HE LIES IN A KOMA IN FRANCE AND MAY NOT REGAIN CONSCIOUSNESS. WE FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT NO ONE OF HIS ACQUAINTANCES, INCLUDING HIS COLLEAGUES OR EVEN HIS WIFE, KNOWS THE SECRET NUMBER WHICH PROVIDES ACCESS TO THE ACCOUNT IN QUESTION. NOR IS THAT NUMBER KNOWN TO ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ZKB. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS LEADS TO MUCH DISTRESS, AS ABSENT THE ACCOUNT NUMBER NO-ONE WILL BE ABLE TO RECOVER THE FUNDS THEREIN. THUS NOT EVEN THE PERSON WHO SUCCEEDS TO THE HIGH POSITION THE CLIENT HOLDS IN HIS ORGANISATION WILL BE ABLE TO LAY HANDS ON THE VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF FUNDS IN THE ACCOUNT, FUNDS WHICH, IF ACCESSIBLE, WILL BE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO PERSONS AND ORGANISATIONS IN MANY AREAS ALONG THE WESTERN SHORES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.

NEVERTHELESS, CERTAIN ENQUIRIES BY OUR SOLICITORS HAVE REVEALED THAT THE ACCOUNT NUMBER, P.I.N. NUMBER, OR OTHER IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTIC OF AN ACCOUNT HELD BY YOU, OR CERTAIN OF THE DIGITS OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, PRECISELY MATCH THE ACCESS NUMBER OF OUR CLIENTíS ACCOUNT. THE ZKB, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CLIENTíS WIFE AND CERTAIN OF HIS TRUSTED COLLEAGUES, THEREFORE REQUESTS YOUR ASSISTANCE IN GAINING ACCESS TO THE ACCOUNT; WE PROPOSE THAT AS CONSIDERATION FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER, YOU WILL RECEIVE A NET 10% (TEN PERCENT) OF THE CONTENTS OF THE ACCOUNT, IN THE TOTAL SUM OF JUST OVER US$ 2.4 MILLIARD ($2,400,000,000). YOUR COMMISSION WILL, AT YOUR REQUEST, BE DEPOSITED BY WIRE TRANSFER INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BANK ACCOUNT OF YOUR DESIGNATION.

THE ZKB WILL, OF COURSE, BE PLEASED TO ASSIST YOU IN THIS MATTER, BUT IN ORDER TO COMMENCE THE PROCESS WE WILL NEED TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACCOUNT INTO WHICH YOU WISH YOUR COMMISSION TO BE TRANSFERRED. PLEASE E-MAIL THE ACCOUNT NUMBER TO ME, AT THIS ADDRESS, IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE; I WILL THEN CONTACT YOU BY RETURN E-MAIL TO OBTAIN THE FURTHER INFORMATION THAT THE ZKB WILL NEED TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO THE FUNDS IN THE CLIENTíS ACCOUNT. PLEASE BE ASSURED THAT TIME IS OF THE STRICTEST ESSENCE, AS UNDER SWISS BANKING LAW (AS WELL AS THE CUSTOM AND PRACTICE OF THE CLIENTíS COUNTRYMEN) IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE GAIN ACCESS TO THE ACCOUNT WHILE THE CLIENT REMAINS ALIVE.

THANKING YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER, I REMAIN

YOURS VERY TRULY,

HEINRICH L. ZUECHER

Nov 9, 2004 - 2:54 pm

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