Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Nation Faces Danger of Media Attention to Kerry

Posted on July 8, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Yet another piece of scaremongering about terrorism from the Administration, based on “non-specific intelligence”: CNN.com – Ridge says al Qaeda planning attack. Have you noticed that these announcements happen whenever the Republicans feel they need a bounce in the polls, or when they want a distraction from something? (Today it's the Kerry-Edwards media honeymoon.)

It sure sounds scary…

Al Qaeda plans a large-scale attack on the United States “in an effort to disrupt the democratic process” before November's elections, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Thursday.

…but is it based on anything other than the usual background 'chatter'?…

Ridge cited “recent interdictions” for the new warning. He said U.S. officials have no precise knowledge of the time, place or method of attack, but said they are “actively working to gain that knowledge.”

…it wouldn't be a reastatement of the obvious by any chance?…

“We know they have the capability to succeed and they also hold the mistaken belief that their attacks will have an impact on America's resolve,” Ridge said.

…and of course if this were serious information, we'd raise the national 'threat level' above 'yellow' where it seems stuck…

Ridge did not raise the national color-coded threat level beyond its current yellow, or elevated, level.

…but of course going to 'orange' would cost large sums of money since it requires first responders to go into high gear. No, better save that for the Republican convention…

Posted in National Security | 5 Comments

Florida: Where Lightning Strikes More Than Twice

Posted on July 8, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Via FlaBlog, Pig bears brunt of lightning strike, apparently saving doctor:

“If I did not have rubber boots on and I wasn't holding onto that pig, I wouldn't be standing here. I'd be dead,” he added. Oh, if I had a dime for every time I've heard somebody say that.

California is, I hear, a dream. Florida (lightning strike leader in the US) is something else entirely.

Posted in Florida | 1 Comment

Corruption, Bloody Corruption

Posted on July 8, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

The story has been bouncing around the web for months, but the New Republic has now brought it out into the mainstream. It seems that after two plus years of passivity in the hunt for Bin Laden, and chasing after mirages in the Iraqi sands, the Bush administration has been telling the government of Pakistan repeatedly and in strong terms that it would like a July Surprise—a capture of one or more major Al Qaeda figures, ideally timed to take all the air out of the Democratic convention.

Yes, it's nice that the administration is finally getting serious about catching the real villains, although it's rather late. And yes, it is rage-inducing that nothing, simply nothing, is too significant, or a matter of national honor, to be twisted and sullied by Rovian manipulation.

If the US has indeed pressured a foreign government in the hopes that their capture of a major national enemy should be delayed, or timed, so that this administration could milk it for domestic political gain, I am prepared to discuss whether we should amend the Constitution to reinstate the punishment of corruption of blood so we can apply it to the Bush clan.

Posted in Politics: International, Politics: US: GW Bush Scandals | 4 Comments

It’s a Start: DoD to Hold Status Hearings for Detainees

Posted on July 8, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

At last. The US will hold Status Hearings for all the detainees in Guantanamo. Article 5 of the Third Geneva Convention requires such hearings, stating, “Should any doubt arise as to whether persons, having committed a belligerent act and having fallen into the hands of the enemy,” then “such persons shall enjoy the protection of the present Convention until such time as their status has been determined by a competent tribunal.”

In other words, enemy fighters should be treated as POWs — not civilian law-breakers, much less “enemy combatants” — until they have had an initial hearing which can be and usually is before a military tribunal.

We were supposed to do that two years ago, but at last Pentagon Sets Hearings for 595 Detainees.

Note that these hearings are completely separate from the habeas hearings the Supreme Court has said must be held. But to the extent that some detainees are released, or classified as POWs, the number of habeas hearings may shrink.

Unlike some right-wing doomsayers I think it unlikely that POWs have a claim to habeas relief during the duration of the conflict. But to the extent that they can claim the war is over now that we've handed over sovereignty, they too might have a claim that could be heard. (But it would lose.)

Posted in Guantanamo | 7 Comments

The Wiki Comes of Age

Posted on July 7, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

The WikiPedia hit 300,000 articles this week.

Meanwhile, my tiny Copyright Experiences Wiki got hit by… wiki spam. It's a classic: a bot run out of a server located in Israel was used to replace many of the pages in my wiki with many lines of near-nonsense interspersed with links to an online casino run by a company located in Curaçao. Presumably the object is to increase page rank in search engines. (I have blocked the IP number and am taking various steps to make the spammer's life harder.)

But which is the sign that wikis have come of age? Is it the growth of the wiki into a useful tool produced by the collaboration of large numbers of (sometimes contentious) strangers, or is it that Wikis are now worth spamming?

Posted in Internet | Comments Off on The Wiki Comes of Age

Talking Points Can Go Stale Very Quickly

Posted on July 7, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

For a good laugh, compare today's effort by William Safire, Body Politic Will Reject 'Charisma Transplant', in which he attacks Kerry's choice of Edwards as safe, instead of making the courageous choice of picking that nice, boring Mr. Gephardt (whom of course the Republicans had been salivating about attacking). Apparently Cheney was a “pick of confidence” because he balanced Bush's incapacities on foreign policy. Kerry not having policy incapacities, he foolishly selects someone exciting, who helps him win an election. What a boring loser.

Now look at E.J. Dionne's column on why Edwards is The Right Choice and the Gep would have been a mistake:

Republicans were in a foul mood because Kerry's choice of Edwards as his running mate muddied up all the story lines they were itching to trot out. To understand why Edwards was the best choice for Kerry, consider what the Republicans (and, yes, the media) would have said if the nod had gone instead to Rep. Richard Gephardt, the clear runner-up in the vice presidential stakes.

Kerry would have been described as “insecure” at the prospect of standing next to the “charismatic” and “populist” Edwards. Fearing being “upstaged” by the equally ambitious Edwards, Kerry would have been accused of making the “obvious,” “uninspired” and “comfortable” choice. Gephardt's experience would have been trotted out to turn him into the “tired” face of the “old” Democratic Party. It would also have been said that Kerry, the “elitist Massachusetts liberal,” had “written off” the South and rural America.

Could it be that Safire had the Gep column all written, and then just reused as much as he could?

The Dionne column is full of good stuff, including this jem:

When you hear Republicans disparage Sen. John Edwards's lack of experience, remember the words of Sen. Orrin Hatch, spoken to George W. Bush at a debate on Dec. 6, 1999.

“You've been a great governor,” Hatch declared of his rival for the Republican presidential nomination. “My only problem with you, governor, is that you've only had four and going into your fifth year of governorship… . Frankly, I really believe that you need more experience before you become president of the United States. That's why I'm thinking of you as a vice presidential candidate.”

Which is exactly what Edwards was chosen for yesterday.

Posted in Politics: US: 2004 Election | 6 Comments