Archives by Subject: Politics
"You should be sitting beside us at the table."
From President George Bush to New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller:
The president said quite forcefully that this program was something he regarded as part of the crown jewels of our national security, and that if we exposed it, we would be at least in part responsible, or [should] feel ourselves responsible, if there was another attack on the U.S. I think what he said was, "When we were called up to explain to Congress why there was another attack, you should be sitting beside us at the table."
(The emphasis is mine.)
From the excellent PBS Frontline documentary series Newswar.
Posted in on February 25, 2007, 06:28 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Barack Obama's Facebook Gifts
So, lots of people are excited about the new Facebook virtual gifts.
Has anyone noticed how many gifts Barack Obama has received? Bars of soap, teddy bears, thongs, cupcakes, and more!
Posted in on February 14, 2007, 12:04 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
"I hope NBC goes broke"
I'm always interested in how the major news outlets are using blogs, and as so many call it, "joining the conversation." Sometimes, though, I wonder why they bother. Take this "blog" entry from ABC News.
The story interviewed a current air marshal and drew attention to alleged operational and management failures making, according to the marshal, the program significantly less effective.
Many of the comments praised the story. Many of the posters said they were air marshals or flight attendants.
Then, there was this:
I have been flying almost every week since May 1998. I was on a flight on 911 and held at DEN for days.
I, as well as most honest citizens see this segment for what it is. A slap at President Bush and his administration as all the liberal press has been doing since President Bush was elected.
I worked for a major airline for 34 years and after retirement worked for a air line contractor. I am extremely familiar with air marshals and procedures as well as aircraft boarding procedures. While traveling by air I never noticed marshals and I never witnessed any other passengers identifying or even mentioning air marshals.
Air travelers want the security that the air marshal program brings but that was shot all to hell by your lousy report exposing details of that program.
I am incensed by your stupidity in trying to descredit the President and his administration.
I intend to never watch you stupid network again. You have jepordized the safety of air travel in the United States by your selfserving interests at getting back at the President.
Shame on you.............I hope NBC goes broke........there are many viewers that do not appreciate you lack of interest in keeping air travel safe to further your petty attempt to "Get Bush".Posted by: James Blue | May 19, 2006 10:36:31 PM
Well, okay, I support free speech. But the fact the poster confused ABC and NBC -- I guess they are all "liberal media" -- is, to me, representative of the quality of his comment. Not to mention the numerous spelling mistakes.
Posted in on May 20, 2006, 06:21 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink
Persuasion vs. Intimidation
As some explained to me recently:
If someone has something you really want, intimidation will not work. If they were intimidated, they probably wouldn't have that thing. Instead, you need to persuade them: how can you make it work for both of you?
Posted in on January 10, 2006, 11:49 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
The American Green Card Lottery?
There are lots of poorly designed banner ads out there. In my experience, a poorly designed banner ad is usually for an undesirable product. Hopefully, that isn't the case here.
While surfing the internet today, I saw this (poorly-designed!) banner ad. Apparently, my tax dollars are going to pay for banner advertising to promote the U.S. Green Card Lottery Program, where you can win a green card to the USA.
Those who want to become a US citizen have to do a whole bunch of things:
- a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States;
- an ability to read, write, and speak English;
- a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government;
- good moral character;
- attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution;
- favorable disposition toward the United States.
Apparently, all you need to win the Green Card Lottery is an education. And if you are lucky enough to be selected, "Winners will get FREE Airline ticket to the USA"!
Posted in on September 20, 2005, 06:07 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Helen Thomas Lays the Smack Down
I worked out earlier than usual today, so had the pleasure of watching long-time White House reporter Helen Thomas lay the smack down on Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan:
Q: What is his problem? Two years, and he can't call Rove in and find out what the hell is going on? I mean, why is it so difficult to find out the facts? It costs thousands, millions of dollars, two years, it tied up how many lawyers? All he's got to do is call him in.
MR. McCLELLAN: You just heard from the President. He said he doesn't know all the facts. I don't know all the facts.
Q: Why?
MR. McCLELLAN: We want to know what the facts are. Because --
Q: Why doesn't he ask him?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'll tell you why, because there's an investigation that is continuing at this point, and the appropriate people to handle these issues are the ones who are overseeing that investigation. There is a special prosecutor that has been appointed. And it's important that we let all the facts come out. And then at that point, we'll be glad to talk about it, but we shouldn't be getting into --
Q: You talked about it to reporters.
MR. McCLELLAN: We shouldn't be getting into prejudging the outcome.
A fair question.
· 7/18 Press Briefing Transcript [WhiteHouse.gov]
· Poll: Many Doubt White House Cooperation in CIA Leak Probe [ABC News]
· Biography of Helen Thomas
Posted in on July 18, 2005, 05:39 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Pentagon Categorizing Students in Government Database
According to this morning's Washington Post, the Pentagon has begun working with a "private marketing firm" to create a database of all high school and college students in the United States. This new database has personal information including birth dates, GPAs, social security numbers, and the subjects a student is taking:
Privacy advocates said the plan appeared to be an effort to circumvent laws that restrict the government's right to collect or hold citizen information by turning to private firms to do the work.
I registered for the selective service (as required by law) a few years ago, and males are required to register in order to receive financial aid. But is this database really necessary?
· Pentagon Creating Student Database [Washington Post]
Posted in on June 23, 2005, 09:30 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Newsweek: What If Deep Throat Happened Today?
Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter had a great column in this week's issue asking what would happen to Watergate today? He writes a hypothetical column under the premise that Nixon just completed his successful second term. While sad to read, I'm not sure it is that far from the truth. And to think, I'm a registered Republican... more on that later.
An excerpt:
"Some argue the Watergate story died right there, but Nixon's attorney general wasn't taking any chances. Just as in the Valerie Plame case, the Justice Department subpoenaed Woodward and Bernstein to testify before the grand jury about their sources. When they declined, they were jailed for 18 months on contempt charges. Talkingpointsmemo.com and a few other liberal bloggers complained that it was hypocritical—top White House aides were suspected of shredding documents, suborning perjury and paying hush money to burglars—but to no avail. Public support for the media had hit rock bottom."
· If Watergate Happened Now [Newsweek]
Posted in on June 09, 2005, 09:15 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
A Sad State of Affairs
A 17-year-old high school journalist was encouraged by a Denver-area military recruiter to sidestep military requirements -- including a high school diploma and a drug test.
· How Far Will The Army Go? [CBS4 Denver]
· We'll Take Anyone Now [Dvorak Uncensored]
Posted in on May 02, 2005, 01:03 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
TSA and Government Waste
An article in last week's New York Times told the sad, sad story of the bureaucratic Transportation Security Administration:
"The Transportation Security Administration wasted money on an operations office lavishly equipped with artwork, tens of thousands of dollars of silk flowers, expensive kitchen equipment and a state-of-the-art fitness center with towel service, according to a report by the inspector general of the Homeland Security Department that was released on Tuesday."
Among the items that the department's own inspector general found the agency wasted money on:
- $253,292 of artwork
- $29,032 for an art consultant
- $30,085 on silk plants
- $13,861 on lamps and other items
- Seven kitchens, nine microwave ovens, and 10 refrigerators (incluidng two expensive Sub-Zero models!)
The spending occurred in 2003 "while the agency was setting up a $19 million transportation security center...for 79 full-time employees."
What a mess.
Yet the most disturbing part of all this is a report published the same day "concluding that the TSA's airport screeners had made no progress since 2003 in detecting weapons or explosives."
Is it fair to say that the entire TSA is a huge waste of money? I'm not sure. It's about time for the TSA to stop worrying about things like banning lighters and fix itself.
· Transportation Security Agency Criticized [New York Times]
Posted in on April 25, 2005, 07:45 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
CNN's Inside the Blogs - Why So Poorly Produced?
There's been lots of talk about CNN's "Inside the Blog" segment on Inside Politics. Basically, two CNN staffers get in a studio with two Macs hooked up to large plasmas and attempt to tell the world what the "bloggers" are talking about that day.
Does anyone else think the segment looks awful? Two cameramen (that are frequently visible on-screen) shakily zoom into the plasmas as the CNN staffers highlight and scroll what they're reading. I rarely can even read what's on the screen.
Why not get a direct hookup to the video out like they used to use on TechTV? It can't be that hard... and it's pretty safe to say CNN won't stop covering blogs.
Perhaps there's something I'm missing, but come on CNN, get your act together.
Posted in on April 12, 2005, 05:17 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Congress Oversteps Bounds in Schiavo Case
As I was at SXSW for the past week, I've regrettably been out of the news cycle -- something that doesn't happen very often. But if what I've read concerning the Schiavo case is correct, I'm (once again) pissed off at our government.
Here's how I see things: once again, politicians are sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. I actually found it amusing when I learned Congress subpoenaed Terri Schiavo, a woman that hasn't communicated in over a decade. As the New York Times said:
Subpoenas are designed to obtain testimony and evidence for a court case or a Congressional hearing. But the subpoenas issued by a committee of the House of Representatives required Ms. Schiavo's doctors to maintain what they said was a key piece of evidence - the medical equipment keeping her alive - "in its current and continuing state of operations."
It is true that subpoenas occasionally call for recipients to preserve relevant evidence. But that evidence is not usually a human life.
Similar subpoenas were issued to Ms. Schiavo's husband and to a hospice administrator. Another subpoena, to Ms. Schiavo, sought only her testimony.
Also yesterday, a Senate committee invited Ms. Schiavo and her husband to appear before it, noting pointedly that it is a federal crime to harm a person called to testify before Congress.
Talk about a gross abuse of Congressional power. But what's more absurd is the fact that they've convened Congress for an emergency session (these things usuaulyl only happen when a war breaks out) to interfere with something that, frankly, is none of their business. As the New York Times said in their editorial:
"Congress's rash assumption of judicial power and trampling on established state and federal constitutional precedents in 'right to die' cases is nothing short of breathtaking."
In case you haven't been following the case, here are some posts that will prove much more informative than this rant:
· Latest Headlines on Schiavo Case [Google News]
· Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo [TalkingPointsMemo.com]
· Congress Steps In on Schiavo Case [Washington Post]
· Despite Congress, Woman's Feeding Tube Is Removed [New York Times]
· News Analysis: The Medical Becomes Political for Congress [New York Times]
· Special Coverage: Terri Schiavo Case - good legal background [FindLaw]
Posted in on March 20, 2005, 05:21 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
