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Breaking: House Passes Health Care Bill
Politics | Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 8:10:19 pm PST
Yes, the health care bill has passed the House. The Senate is the final hurdle.
Friedersdorf's Letter to Goldberg
Opinion | Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 7:44:33 pm PST
A very interesting open letter from Conor Friedersdorf to Jonah Goldberg.
I’m writing this letter as a fan – I’ve tremendous respect for the pioneering work you did at National Review Online, your attempts to inject humor into political writing, and the enjoyable debates you’ve done with Peter Beinart. But I’m also a friendly critic, here to challenge your take on the current state of the GOP, the conservative movement, and the country. Perhaps I can persuade you that certain of your positions are wrongly held, though I’d be as satisfied were I moved by counterarguments.
It is actually surprising that the gulf separating our attitudes is so deep. As a native of Orange County, California, the people I most respect in this world – my parents and two sets of grandparents – are all self-described conservative Republicans. My involvement in politics began in response to what I regarded as grave flaws in leftist campus politics at Pomona College, and the dubious actions of Democrats during the Gray Davis era in California, when I witnessed giveaways to public employee unions that were arguably the most fiscally irresponsible measures in state history. The political writers I’ve read whose work most resonates are Burke, Hayek, and Milton Friedman. The bulk of President Obama’s domestic agenda strikes me as ill conceived at best—I worry about the unabated growth of the federal government, America’s perilous fiscal situation, and an approach to governance that relies on the enduring wisdom of elected and appointed officials.
But try as I might, I cannot muster any enthusiasm for the Republican Party, I am profoundly disillusioned by the state of the conservative movement, and though my background and political beliefs ought to make me a lock for GOP presidential candidates – were they running, I’d certainly prefer Ford, Reagan, George Bush Sr. or Bob Dole to a second Obama term – I am a solidly undecided voter as 2012 approaches.
Slideshow: Weapons Bound for Hezbollah
Middle East | Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 6:46:22 pm PST
The IDF has uploaded a video presentation showing the huge shipment of weaponry from Iran, intended for Hezbollah, that was intercepted this week by an Israel Navy commando force aboard the civilian ship Francop.
Saturday Night Video: 'I Say Fever'
Music | Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 4:40:08 pm PST
Here’s an open thread, with music video accompaniment by Ramona Falls, directed by Stefan Nadelman.
Saturday Afternoon Music: Porcupine Tree, 'Time Flies'
Music | Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 12:55:44 pm PST
An excellent video for “Time Flies,” from Porcupine Tree’s highly recommended new album, The Incident.
Video: Republicans Gone Wild
Politics | Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 10:41:46 am PST
I watched this earlier and was going to export from EyeTV and upload it to YouTube, but Think Progress beat me to it so I’ll use their video.
It’s not one of the GOP’s finest moments (to put it mildly), as House Republicans shout, scream, and make repetitive objections over the members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus. But this is probably going to be a big hit with the TPers.
Again we’re seeing the influence of the social conservative wing on the GOP, because the big issue today is the Stupak abortion amendment, and the Democratic Women’s Caucus is pro-choice. So we get treated to the lovely spectacle of Republicans openly opposed to letting women have a voice in an important debate, and acting like boorish sexist pigs.
Elie Wiesel on Tea Partier Signs: 'Indecent and Disgusting'
Politics | Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 9:47:24 am PST
Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel condemned signs containing Holocaust imagery and antisemitic conspiracy theories, at Michele Bachmann’s “tea party” event last Thursday.
One sign at the rally contained images of dead Holocaust victims at the Dachau concentration camp under the banner “National Socialist Health Care.” Another sign said that President Barack Obama “takes his orders” from the Rothschilds, a family of Jewish bankers.
Wiesel commented through his eponymous foundation’s Twitter account:
Elie Wiesel on the GOP Tea Party’s anti-Semitism and Holocaust comparisons: “This kind of political hatred is indecent and disgusting.”
The National Jewish Democratic Council also issued a statement:
“The time has come for [John] Boehner, [Eric] Cantor, [Mike] Pence and other GOP leaders — especially those who were present today — to condemn these disgusting comparisons and anti-Semitism,” said NJDC President David Harris in a statement. “They must tell their base once and for all to cut out this despicable pattern of Holocaust imagery and rhetoric.”
This is the sign, which was reportedly directly in front of the podium and visible to every politician or pundit who spoke at Michele Bachmann’s event.
Jon Stewart is Glenn Beck
Humor | Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 6:01:09 pm PST
Jon Stewart totally devours the scenery in a dead-on parody of the Glenn Beck Comedy Hour.
NPR: Maj. Hasan 'Freaked Out' Other Doctors at Walter Reed
US News | Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 12:28:02 pm PST
This NPR segment from Morning Edition reveals that alleged Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan gave a lecture to other doctors at Walter Reed Medical Center that “really freaked them out:” Officials Begin Putting Shooting Pieces Together. The guy was apparently giving off all kinds of warning signs.
Fort Hood Updates
US News | Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 10:48:36 am PST
There are unconfirmed reports that Major Malik Nadal Hasan was shouting “Allah Akbar” during his alleged shooting rampage at Fort Hood Army base.
President Obama made a statement today, urging people not to jump to conclusions.
We don’t know all the answers yet. And I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts. What we do know is that there are families, friends and an entire nation grieving right now for the valiant men and women who came under attack yesterday.
The hero of this incident is Sgt. Kimberly Munley, who brought the gunman’s rampage to an end by shooting him four times.
Sgt. Munley, 34 years old, was credited by Army officials with firing the bullets that brought down Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who allegedly opened fire in the base’s Soldier Readiness Processing Center on Thursday afternoon.
Survivors described the scene as chaotic: the lone gunman spraying bullets in all directions, unarmed soldiers falling, screaming, scrambling to respond. Many soldiers ripped off their uniforms to use as tourniquets; others ignored their own injuries to help those more gravely wounded.
Lt. Gen. Bob Cone, the top commander at Fort Hood, said Friday that Sgt. Munley and her partner responded within three minutes of reported gunfire. Gen. Cone said Sgt. Munley shot the gunman four times despite being shot herself. “It was an amazing and an aggressive performance by this police officer,” he said.
Sgt. Munley is in stable condition.
Mass Shooting in Florida
US News | Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 9:50:28 am PST
At least 8 people have been shot in the Gateway Center office building in Orlando, Florida. Not many details available yet…
Hubble: Birthplace of Stars
Images | Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 7:54:27 pm PST
A spectacular image from the Hubble Space Telescope’s newly-installed Wide Field Camera 3, showing a birthplace of stars in the nearby galaxy M83: Hubble Image Showcases Star Birth in M83, the Southern Pinwheel.
(Hat tip: Phil Plait, who has interesting commentary on how this image was generated, and what you’re seeing.)
Tech Review: Apple's Magic Mouse
Technology | Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 5:23:37 pm PST
The curvaceous top of the mouse is a multi-touch surface.
I own a Wireless Mighty Mouse — the previous generation of Apple Bluetooth mouse — and was never happy with the tracking feel. It had a kind of sloppy quality and tended to lag behind hand movements. Some people don’t even notice it, but it was very annoying to me; so much that I always use a wired Mighty Mouse on my desktop machine.
But the connectivity and response of the Magic Mouse is a vast improvement. It feels exactly like a wired mouse, no perceptible lag at all. And the fact that there’s no scroll wheel that needs cleaning when it gets clogged up with gross finger oil makes this a really maintenance-free mechanism.
You can also use two-finger “swiping” gestures to move forward and back through web pages, photos, or other programs with a paged display. It’s a bit clumsy to hold the sides of the mouse while swiping with the second and third fingers, but maybe I’ll get used to it.
I also notice an improvement in the way the Magic Mouse handles its “one big button” to allow both right and left clicks. The Mighty Mouse would sometimes treat a right click like a left click, often enough to be annoying, but with the Magic Mouse right-clicking works flawlessly.
The Magic Mouse requires two AA batteries, for which I use two Eneloop rechargeables.
This probably won’t be the ultimate mouse for everyone — it has no side buttons or middle button. But the multi-touch surface and momentum scrolling are great features, and I highly recommend this rodent.
(Note: If you’re not buying a new Mac system that includes a Magic Mouse, you’ll also need to download and install Apple’s Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0, available for both Leopard and Snow Leopard.)
Fort Hood Shooter Identified As a Major
US News | Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 2:36:49 pm PST
ABC News reports an identity for the Fort Hood shooter.
The suspected gunman was identified by ABC News as Major Malik Nadal Hasan.
UPDATE at 11/5/09 3:08:42 pm:
More information from CBS News:
CBS News investigative producer Len Tepper reports that Hasan, 39, is a licensed psychiatrist from Silver Spring, Md.
A Fort Hood press release confirmed that “more than one shooter fired shots into the Soldiers Readiness Processing Center and Howze Theater on Fort Hood.”
According to Cone, the shooting began at 1:30 p.m. in the Soldier Readiness Center, a facility where soldiers receive medical treatment and fill out paperwork in preparation for deployment.
Breaking: Shooting at Fort Hood Army Post
US News | Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 12:35:46 pm PST
There’s been a shooting incident at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas, with up to 7 people dead and at least 12 wounded (this CBS 4 article says 20 wounded): Reports: Multiple Soldiers Shot At Ft. Hood In Texas.
FORT HOOD, Texas (CBS) ― Multiple soldiers were shot at Fort Hood in central Texas Thursday afternoon, CBS station KTVT-TV reports.
Army officials have confirmed a “violent incident” at the post, but have not released any other details.
CNN reported that at least seven soldiers had been shot dead, and 20 more were wounded.
UPDATE at 11/5/09 2:09:07 pm:
Latest word is that there were three suspects, all soldiers — the shooter was killed, but the other two are in custody.
UPDATE at 11/5/09 2:14:21 pm:
Latest news: 12 dead including the shooter, and 31 wounded, some of them seriously. The suspects were confirmed by Fort Hood media relations to be soldiers.
Video: Pastor Broden's Benediction
Video | Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 11:36:00 am PST
Pastor Stephen Broden from Dallas Texas gives the benediction at Michele Bachmann’s
“house call” protest against the health care reform bill, and immediately launches a political diatribe about “death panels!” and “death care!” and tyranny and socialism and anti-Christ abortion and violation of all the laws of God and nature. Really. It’s one hell of a benediction.
Party with Bachmann in DC
Politics | Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 9:34:22 am PST
C-SPAN 3 is covering the Michele Bachmann anti-health care tea party swarm right now; as I write, Jon Voight is speaking on the steps of the Capitol.
I’d estimate the crowd at between 7.3 and 8.2 million people. At least.
UPDATE at 11/5/09 10:03:39 am:
The word of the day on the house callers’ signs is … “Mao.”
UPDATE at 11/5/09 10:32:49 am:
Slogans suggested so far today:
“Kill the bill!”
“No, you can’t!”
“NO NO NO NO NO, etc.”
'When the Captain's Crazy, It's Time for a New Ship'
Politics | Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 4:33:50 pm PST
Michele Bachmann’s (R-Mars) chief of staff is bailing out, and declines to say why.
The aide who helped turn Rep. Michele Bachmann into a controversial mainstay of cable news has informed colleagues that she’s quitting — just as the firebrand Republican congresswoman prepares for her biggest media moment yet.
Multiple sources have confirmed that Michelle Marston, a veteran Hill aide, is leaving Bachmann’s office.
In an e-mail exchange with POLITICO, Marston declined to say why she’s going.
“I’m just not talking about it, and frankly I don’t think there’s a story here,” Marston wrote. “Now, the thousands of people calling our office to tell us [they’re] coming to Capitol Hill tomorrow — that’s a story.”
Marston was referring to the prolific Bachmann’s latest political brainstorm, a “house call” on the Capitol Thursday to which she’s invited Fox News viewers and other conservatives to march with her through House office buildings, “find members of Congress, look at the whites of their eyes and say, ‘Don’t take away my health care.’”
Oh, for Pete’s sake. Meanwhile, anonymous sources muttered:
A conservative Republican House member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, suggested that Bachmann’s views — and her willingness to state them — make it hard for her to keep staff. “When your captain’s crazy, it’s time to find a new ship,” the lawmaker said.
UPDATE at 11/4/09 5:11:20 pm:
Judge Andrew Napolitano warns Michele to watch out for Nancy Pelosi and her schemes, because she controls the capital and might do anything at all to stop the populist glory of Michele’s “house call.”
UPDATE at 11/4/09 5:16:26 pm:
Yay! It’s the “Super Bowl of freedom!”
Wednesday Afternoon Video: 'The Astronomer's Dream'
Video | Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 3:11:17 pm PST
A highly unusual animated short film by Malcolm Sutherland, who helpfully explains the plot:
When a hungry astronomer falls asleep while working on a problem, he discovers a solution not in outer space, but in the surreal food-chain of his subconscious mind.
Video: Steele on NY-23
Politics | Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 11:25:34 am PST
Here’s video of RNC chairman Michael Steele’s statement this morning, with some pointed comments aimed at Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, and RedState blogger Erick Erickson’s claim that the NY-23 loss was a “victory:” Steele Throws Elbow to Palin, Pawlenty on NY-23.
Hoffman Vows to Continue Storming the Castle
Politics | Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 10:34:15 am PST
Meet the next hero of the tea party movement: In NY-23, Hoffman Vows to ‘Continue This Fight’.
“I can guarantee you the political world hasn’t seen the last of me,” the Conservative Party candidate told Washington Wire today, after losing the closely watched special House election in upstate New York to Democrat Bill Owens.
“I’m going to make sure that going forward, either I will decide to run again for something or I will help other people to get involved and run to make sure that we continue this fight,” Hoffman said by telephone from his campaign headquarters in Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Conservatives Furiously Spinning
Politics | Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 9:29:10 am PST
Over at RedState, the all-spin zone, CEO Erick Erickson is trying his best to take the NY-23 loss, dress it up in a cheap suit, and call it a “victory:” In NY-23, Conservatives Win.
Erickson’s “point,” if it can be called that, is that the far right “sent a message,” scared the hell out of the GOP, and “crushed” the official GOP NY-23 candidate Dede Scozzafava. Therefore it’s a victory, even though their candidate, uh, lost.
Meanwhile, Michael Steele enthusiastically declares a ‘Republican renaissance’.
Hoffman Defeated in NY-23
Politics | Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 8:52:10 pm PST
Unless some of the late precincts are packing a big surprise, it looks like Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman has been defeated by Democrat Bill Owens in New York’s 23rd congressional district election…
UPDATE at 11/3/09 9:18:47 pm:
Yep — Hoffman has conceded to Owens. So there’s the first Democrat victory in NY-23 in more than 100 years. Nice work, Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck!
Stuck in the Middle of the Political Goo
Politics | Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 7:10:11 pm PST
Hot Air may have put me in their “Left Channels,” but Think Progress still categorizes me as a “conservative” blogger: Think Progress » Doug Hoffman Praises Glenn Beck As His ‘Mentor’.
Conservative blogger Charles Johnson of the site Little Green Footballs reported yesterday that Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 special election, signed a pledge to uphold Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project principles in Congress. The signed pledge is available online, and Hoffman touts his endorsement from the 9/12 organization on his website. Like the lobbyist-planned tea parties, the 9/12 Project is a creation of Beck, used to go after Beck’s liberal enemies and to organize hateful anti-Obama rallies.
Although there is a groundswell of far right tea party and Beck-inspired candidates running for office in 2010, very few Republicans running for Congress or Governor have signed the 9/12 pledge. Noting that he signed a document pledging his “sacred honor” to uphold Beck’s list of values and principles, Johnson aptly deems Hoffman “The Glenn Beck candidate.”
Right-wing bloggers have been apoplectic at Johnson for daring to observe the fact that Hoffman has been bowing to an extremist like Beck. They have written that Johnson must “hate America” and is “infused with Derangement Syndrome.”
Tuesday Night Open
Open | Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 5:50:34 pm PST
The wonkiest of all elections are now under way, off-season special elections and the like, but if you’re wonky enough to be following them, here’s an open thread for that purpose or any other…
