Dowd scores again. Op-Ed Columnist: No Stars, Just Cuffs shows that the Bushies have no class and no decency.
While I don't oppose a draft in all circumstances, I do not want my sons drafted if they are going to be sent to fight Bush's wars of choice rather than fights of real necessity. And there are credible rumors that Syria or Iran are next.
If the left-leaning blogs were as on-message as the right-leaning blogs, in the next few days you would be hearing a vast echo-chamber effect from this Gadflyer post, about GW Bush, Girlie Man.
By next weekend, you would hear questions based on it on your TV pundit shows.
A few days after this, the obvious wimpish implications of draft-dodging, cheerleading at Yale, and question-dodging would be standard watercooler stuff.
But in fact, Democrats are not organized (pace Will Rodgers), they fail to understand that if you repeat something often enough it becomes taken as true, and they don't own TV networks.
So it probably won't happen.
Even though, oddly enough (and the implications drawn from male cheerleading excepted), I'm in broad agreement with the Gadflyer article's basic thesis: Bush is frit. That's why, for example, he won't face questions from a representative public. That's why he's running away from the second debate, where he might have to face real, unscripted, people rather than the milquetoasts we have for journalists.
More tellingly, that's why we have this idiotic color-coding system for terror warnings that never goes down. Bush & Co. are terrified that they'll get blamed for being asleep at the switch again for the next terror attack, having been asleep at the switches for 9/11. As a result, rather than take the stiff upper lip approach used by the British government in light of IRA terror — an attitude in which the whole country more or less shrugged off the constant bombs, our government here in the US encourages public panic. The fact that 'security theater' and other silly and expensive actions which don't do much good are constant victories for the terrorists is less important than the paramount need felt by a certain type of moral cowards: the need to avoid blame at all costs.
John Kerry got near the edge of this with his speech recently about the pass-the-buck administration, the excuse presidency: never wrong, never responsible, never to blame, but it's really deeper than that.
OK. Now I probably deserve my induction into the Ancient and Hermetic Order of the Shrill.
Boy, the Telegraph sure screwed up its report on this one:
Reuters.com: The U.S. Navy has rejected a legal watchdog group's request to open an investigation into military awards given to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry during the Vietnam War, saying his medals were properly approved.
“Our examination found that existing documentation regarding the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart medals indicates the awards approval process was properly followed,” the Navy's inspector general, Vice Admiral Ronald Route, said in a memo written to Navy Secretary Gordon England.
“In particular, the senior officers who awarded the medals were properly delegated authority to do so. In addition we found that they correctly followed the procedures in place at the time for approving these awards.”
In rejecting the request for an investigation made by Judicial Watch last month, Route said that “conducting any additional review regarding events that took place over thirty years ago would not be productive.”
That's for sure.
Update: More of the same from AP.
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that Nader should be on the ballot. Its decision basically ignores the factual findings by the trial court — findings that I thought were dispositive — on the theory that the statute at issue is vague as to what constitutes a “national party” and in particular failed to give potential candidates the guidance they were entitled to as to their ballot entitlement.
In light of this vagueness, and Florida's strong policy in favor of ballot access, the court said it was unwilling to conclude that the legislative intent was to have candidates like him thrown him off the ballot. This is a plausible argument, but I don't think it imposes the excessive legislative clear statement requirement that the court found. Even if it's not exactly clear where the line is, there are some things that clearly don't qualify as a “national party” and today's Reform Party is I think one them. But what I think doesn't matter, and that's that.
Snippet from Official Email in my inbox:
As a security measure, the University has decided that from Monday, September 27 through Thursday, September 30, all faculty, administration, staff, and students must wear their University ID while on campus.
This is the announcement the University has made, on [URL]:
“All University of Miami faculty members, staff, and students will be required to wear their UM identification ('Cane Card) at all times while on the Coral Gables campus from Monday, September 27, through Thursday, September 30. Faculty, staff, and students without proper identification may be stopped by security personnel and asked to leave campus. Faculty, staff, and students who do not have a 'Cane Card are strongly urged to obtain one now in Allen Hall, Room 111.
“There is no charge for an initial 'Cane Card. If you have lost your 'Cane Card, a replacement costs $15. Lanyards will be distributed at various locations on campus, including University of Miami parking garages, parking lots, the food court, and events attended by UM faculty, staff, and students. In addition, individual University departments and divisions also will distribute lanyards with plastic holders to employees. “
You should also check [another URL] for additional information.
From which I conclude two things. First, the media/blog hoo-ha about how GW hasn't agreed to any debates yet is a waste of time. He's coming. Second, this will be a good week to work at home.
Take a look at this picture in which it looks as though Tropical Storm Jeanne, which was going to miss Florida may instead take a sharp left and attack the state from the one direction we haven't been hit yet.
It does seem consistent with the idea that Someone is either warning or punishing Florida, doesn't it?
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