Monthly Archives: February 2008

A Fan Writes (and I Reply)

A fan, presumably cross about this, writes:

Aren't you a little embarrassed to be connected to an organization that is defending CAIR?

You've got to be. You're a smart man.

If you are afraid to speak up about the Islamic influence on our society, then you have submitted and are already a Muslim. Do you really, in your heart, want this country to become Islamic? (Even 1% Islamic?) Would that be a good thing for your children? How on earth do you rationalize defending such a people!!

Michael Savage is a great man, and loved by millions! He is dead on about the Muslims.

Don't think that you can remain an advocate of EFF, and emerge unscathed when the tide finally turns against CAIR. Doesn't your reputation among people who know you, concern you at all?

Please consider withdrawing your support for EFF.

Remember:

In 2007 Islam and Judaism's holiest holidays overlapped for 10 days. Muslims racked up 397 dead bodies in 94 terror attacks across 10 countries during this time… while Jews worked on their 159th Nobel Prize.

Many who love you are dying inside from sadness, because of what you are doing.

signed, a friend

I replied:

You are defending racist and bigot Michael Savage?

The man trying to trash the First Amendment while relying on it (justly) to protect him from charges of hate speech?

And you expect me to be embarrassed?

The first amendment protects everyone. Including you.

And yes, my children are better off in a multi-cultural society — it will help prepare them to deal with the world as it is.

I am on EFF's Advisory Board, and, yes, I'm rather proud of it.

Incidentally, estimates of the number of Muslims in the USA appear to vary enormously, from 1.1 million practicing Muslims on the low end (about 1/3 of 1%), to 2.2 on the more serious of the high end, to estimated numbers as high as 7 or 8 million (well over 2%) that appear to have been calculated with less precision and seek to include the non-practicing as well as those attending Mosque. (CAIR's high number is among those I'm dubious of.)

And finally, for the avoidance of doubt, I know fairly little about CAIR and thus don't have a view of it as an organization. I do think I know something about fair use in copyright law, and I certainly do have strong views about bullies who try to abuse copyright law to silence their critics.

Posted in Law: Free Speech | 8 Comments

Say Hello to SFLA Daily Blog

From the ashes of Stuck on the Palmetto rises South Florida Daily Blog run by Rick, who was half of the team on that much-missed local blog casualty.

The mission statement:

My primary focus with SFDB will be to do a daily review of most of South Florida's independent blogs and comment on some of the more interesting, unique, controversial or informative posts that are written during the course of any day. There is so much going on in the SoFla blogoshere, but at times it seems like everyone is scattered and doing their own things. With SFDB, I'd like to create a place where bloggers and blog readers can visit and get linked up to posts that are especially significant or noteworthy. At the same time, I'm hoping that people will find SFDB an enjoyable place to hang out, discuss the important issues of the day and interact with others who are just as interested as they are with what's going on in South Florida.

Posted in Blogs | 1 Comment

Try It

(From here)

Posted in Completely Different | 5 Comments

The New Camelot Will Have a Sound Track

This video is a phenomenon. I say that as an outsider to its charm. Not as a criticism, but in a spirit of bemusement. Hard-edged political — and non-political — types all over the blogosphere are emoting about it. Watch it.

Yes, it tugs faintly at my heart – it's lovely on the ear, and nicely produced with lots of beautiful people. But I want wonky policy from my Presidential candidates, not an invitation to a Rorschach test. So it leaves me if not cold, than at most lightly warmed.

But that's just me. Like I said, it seems to be on target to be a very big hit. If you feel the power, get the ringtone.

Posted in Kultcha | 6 Comments

Performance Art

Via Crooked Timber: Frozen Grand Central Station, this video of a brilliantly silly piece of performance art.

Posted in Kultcha | 2 Comments

FISA Senate Order of Battle

Here’s what the Senate Leadership has cooked up for FISA. Sen. Reid’s office spins this as “the GOP blinked” as they backed down from their insane demand that no amendments be considered, or at least that they all require 60 votes.

From here, it looks somewhat different: the GOP is graciously allowing a majority vote to prevail on small things, or on things where there isn’t a Democratic majority. Big things that the Democrats could win still take 60 votes — a concession that is achieved by the empty threat of a real GOP filibuster…the political equivalent of suicide.

Meanwhile, Sen. Reid’s office also says that Sen. Dodd was involved in these negotiations and implies that he signed off on it. I’d like to hear that from him. I find the details of this agreement a bit opaque, but if I understand it, there is no opportunity for Sen. Dodd to mount his filibuster if his amendment to remove telecom immunity fails.

Note that the Democrats start from a bad position — one imposed on them unnecessarily by Sen. Reid — since the base bill is the Intelligence committee one not the much preferable Judiciary Committee version, and the rules favor inertia.

Has Senator Dodd caved in here? Or does he think he can find 50 votes? Senator Nelson (FL) now says he will vote for Dodd’s amendment, but I don’t think many others of the dozen DINOs who voted to table the Judiciary version of the bill have announced they are switching.

This would be a good time to call your Senator and ask nicely but firmly that Dodd’s amendment to remove the retroactive immunity for illegal wiretaps be removed fromadded to the FISA bill.

(Some people have asked why I focus on this rather than some other, possibly worse, features of the bill that make Richard Nixon seem unambitious. It’s because the others can be undone later. There’s real doubt that this can be.)

Update Thanks to James Tyre for a link to the final version as agreed by the Senate (Current status)

Posted in Civil Liberties | 4 Comments