He may not have a wide stance now, but give it time, baby.

Posted by: Ace at 02:11 PM | Comments (30)
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The war could be won, which is a disaster for the pro-defeat Democrats (and Chuck Hagel, of course).

No one forced them to take a position which would benefit them politically only to the extent America lost, and would cost them politically to the exact extent America won. They chose that, and they can live with that.

It seems they're now asking for "bipartisan" solutions on ending the war, but ending it (as usual) without their fingerprints on it and now without even strict timetables. "Willingness to consider bipartisan compromises" = "Looking for some political cover for their defeatist asses."

With a mixed picture emerging about progress in Iraq, Senate Democratic leaders are showing a new openness to compromise as they try to attract Republican support for forcing at least modest troop withdrawals in the coming months.

After short-circuiting consideration of votes on some bipartisan proposals on Iraq before the August break, senior Democrats now say they are willing to rethink their push to establish a withdrawal deadline of next spring if doing so will attract the 60 Senate votes needed to prevail.

Senator Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan, said, “If we have to make the spring part a goal, rather than something that is binding, and if that is able to produce some additional votes to get us over the filibuster, my own inclination would be to consider that.”

Democrats would need to lure the 60 senators in order to cut off a likely Republican filibuster.

The emerging proposal by Mr. Levin and Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island, would still order the administration to begin pulling at least some combat troops out of Iraq, probably by the end of the year. It is not clear what other provisions the measure may include.

But Mr. Levin, who is chairman of the Armed Services Committee and who met Wednesday with Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, said a compromise may be worth making. It would allow Congress to assert its own voice on Iraq policy, after falling short of that goal in most such votes throughout the year, he said.

"Please bail us out of this disastrous turn of events by making calls for defeat bipartisan and thus providing us poliitcal cover!"

Huh... interesting suggestion. Here's s better one: Suffer alone, bastards. I've never in my life seen a more craven, venal crew.

Meanwhile Kos rages that Hillary and Obama are too slow in endorsing the platform of Osama bin Ladin.

Don't worry, Pal. I'm sure they'll get around to it. They just have to focus-group the best possible way to say to the American people, "Osama bin Ladin has ordered us to surrender in Iraq, and he knows what's best for the American interest."

Via Instapundit.

Posted by: Ace at 01:43 PM | Comments (64)
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Dr. Helen notes a false connection drawn between male socialization and violence:

If the authors' theory is correct--that traditional masculine socialization leads to violence--then why was it that in years past, when we had more traditional masculine socialization, fewer guys were shooting up schools?

I suspect that many of the school shooters were looking for some way to prove themselves as men because they did not grow up with any type of "male socialization," not because they did.

Basically she pegs such types, properly, as almost always losers acting violently due to their (quite accurate) feelings of inadequacy and impotence.

This is true, but I do think there is an innate male thing going on which urges them towards such behaviors. Most serial killers are of course male, are more specifically frustrated members of "anxious class," from middle class families which expected them to do better than their fathers but fell well short of that goal. Why don't women feel to impose their frustrated wills on the world through serial killing as often?

And in high-pressure cultures like Japan, isn't it almost exclusively men who resort to suicide in response to career path disappointment? Isn't Japan's high suicide rate due to additional men committing suicide, not additional people of both sexes?

There may well be an element of "male socialization" that leads to various bad outcomes, but this element seems largely one of competition and score-keeping (comparison of one's achievements with respect to others in one's cadre, etc.) not about a culture of violence per se.

Do we want males less competitive? True, it might resort in less Columbines, but it also might result in less vaccines. Males respond to frustration and lack of achievement very poorly on occasion -- with sometimes deadly consequences -- but that doesn't seem like a good enough reason in itself to devalue achievement.

Posted by: Ace at 01:19 PM | Comments (53)
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Arrive in style. None of that wimpy limo, SUV, or trendy Prius drivel. Roll up on that event in a freaking tank.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 01:09 PM | Comments (12)
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It's only Republican scandals that get front page treatment, though. Those scandals prove that Republicans are corrupt and thus are relevant. Scandals like this -- Murtha "steering" millions to a local buddy and, I'm sure we'll soon find out, a major contributor, for a high tech water pump that never actually existed -- only prove that Democrats are, at times, a bit too generous and sometimes love a little too much.

Posted by: Ace at 11:52 AM | Comments (15)
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A few weeks ago we (that would be you and me, not just me and the voices in my head) took a look at declarations of war (here and here and here). The question of how and when wars are legally started continues to come up, as it did at WednesdayÂ’s debate when Ron Paul again falsely claimed that the Iraq war has not been declared and is illegal under international law.

A similar issue may be even more difficult to resolve: when do wars end? This is a difficult question because wars donÂ’t typically end with an armistice or even a voluntary cessation of hostilities. In either case, international law provides that the parties are not legally bound to end hostilities until a peace treaty is signed. more...

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 11:37 AM | Comments (9)
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If you're coming in from out of town, you'll want places near the Prudential Center, or which have decent T-access to that area.

LauraW is going to email the location to all those who have responded to her at her laurawtips gmail address. We're not announcing it openly because we're not sure about doing that yet.

The place is decent enough, sort of centrally located so those who want to keep the party going should be able to find other places nearby, or just stay at the place. It's not ideal; parking is going to be a slight hassle, but I'll put up some secret parking information later. There should be free lots within a 10 minute walk. Plus there are nearby paid lots for those who don't mind dropping 25 bucks for parking.

I think the place is within 15 minutes walking-time of Cambridge, so those hotels will also be okay, with a bit of a walk or a fairly short $10 or $15 cab ride.

Sorry it took so long. I've spent four nights the past week and a lot of time on the phone trying to find a place; at some point I had to pull the trigger. It's been like apartment-hunting. A lot of it was bananas: the Marriott Long Wharf wouldn't reserve any space whatsoever without a $3500 catering contract for example. Not every place was that bad, but in most cases bars and hotels demanded a big upfront fee in exchange for the privilege of taking in $600-$1000 worth of business they wouldn't otherwise have.

I also want to apologize for the tiny amount of blogging I've done. I've been sick as a dog since Monday, and it's only now starting to go away. I'm not whining so much as offering excuses.

No Quick Route From Airport... I know some people asked for that, and I did look around for places that would be somewhat easy from the airport. But it didn't pan out. Sorry. The airport is on the T, though, and this place is on the T; it will involve changing trains, though, so it might take 40 minutes or so all told.

For those who don't know, the Boston subway/train system (the "T") shuts down at midnight. Yes, midnight, even on Saturday nights. It's their way of encouraging people to drink and drive. So those who plan on getting sloshed should bear in mind there won't be any public transportation back, and may want to plan for cab costs.

It's at the Hynes Convention Center stop, and also is within walking distance of Copley and the Copley stop. They're on the green line.

Posted by: Ace at 11:21 AM | Comments (63)
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Well, it would be blue collar, if he had been wearing a shirt.

Percy Honnibal aquitted of misdemeanor public indecency charge, so charged for working at a job site while, you know, nekkid.

He's a carpenter. That seems, dangerous or something. At least to me.

He's had a couple of run-ins before (shocking!).

"I wanted to go to trial to prove that the charge could not stick, that it was an over-reaction," said the 51-year-old building contractor. "You don't expect to all of a sudden see somebody in the nude, but there was never a threat, never anyone in danger."

Except for Percy himself, whenever the nail gun was around.

I'm reminded of the words of Dirty Harry Callahan, to the SF Police Chief and DA. "When I see a naked man with a kitchen knife chasing a woman down an alley, I figure he's not out collecting for the Red Cross".

But if you see a naked man in Oakland with a circular saw, he might be building some bookcases.

It's Oakland. You don't know.

Posted by: Dave In Texas at 11:04 AM | Comments (18)
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While everyone is headlining this as proof of life, the actual facts seem a bit fuzzier.

Intelligence sources tell ABC News they believe the video message from Osama bin Laden is authentic, recently produced and evidence the al Qaeda leader is still alive.

According to government sources, an initial analysis of the tape indicates "a lot of chest thumping" and of course historical references "alluding" to the successful attack on New York.

And a CIA spokesman told ABC News, "It's quite possible this is a new video."

U.S. authorities earlier this morning said the tape's transcript is aimed at potential suicide bombers who he urges to carry out missions against the West.

The jihadist Web site announced the tape with a banner, showing a still picture of bin Laden, now 50 years old, looking fit with a full beard of dark black hair, no gray at all.

"It does look oddly like he is wearing a false beard," Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterrorism official and now ABC News consultant, said. "If we go back to the tape three years, he had a very white beard. This looks like a phony beard that has been passed on."

The "phony beard" may be an important clue as to where bin Laden is hiding, according to Clarke.

"One place where a beard would stand out would be southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia," Clarke told ABC News. "No one's thought he was there, but that is an environment where most men, Muslim men don't have beards."

I realize it's a CIA spokesman saying it's only "quite possible" the tape is new, and he may be a bit more cautious about announcing an official judgment than the various leaking intelligence sources ABCNews has. Still, despite the description of the tape the sources are leaking, there is no mention of Osama dating the tape by specifically referring to a recent event. It's quite possible he made such a reference, which of course proves he's alive; but as of yet no one is hinting at what he said that might have prompted the "it's new" conclusion.

Well There You Go: ABCNews now has update and says it has a transcript. The reference to the November 2006 elections suggests he was alive then and is most likely alive now.

Watch him criticize Democrats, Kos-like, for not being forceful enough in trying to end the War in Iraq, and even praise Noam Chomsky and the Kyoto Accord. I'll give him this: he knows his target audience.

Sources tell ABC News the tape is approximately 30 minutes long, and does not contain overt threats to the United States.

...

Bin Laden also spoke to the ongoing situation in Iraq throughout the tape, heavily criticizing the Bush administration.

He says to the American people, "you made one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither brought to account nor punished those who waged this war, not even the most violent of its murderers, [former Defense Secretary Donald] RumsfeldÂ…"

"You permitted Bush to complete his first term, and stranger still, chose him for a second term, which gave him a clear mandate from you -- with your full knowledge and consent -- to continue to murder our people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then you claim to be innocent! The innocence of yours is like my innocence of the blood of your sons on the 11th -- were I to claim such a thing."

Bin Laden says President Bush's words echo "neoconservatives like Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Richard Perle."

"People of America: the world is following your news in regards to your invasion of Iraq, for people have recently come to know that, after several years of tragedies of this war, the vast majority of you want it stopped. Thus, you elected the Democratic Party for this purpose, but the Democrats haven't made a move worth mentioning. On the contrary, they continue to agree to the spending of tens of billions to continue the killing and war there."

...

According to the transcript, bin Laden says there are two ways to end the war:

"The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you."

The second is to do away with the American democratic system of government. "It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interests of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations."

The rambling transcript also mentions French President Sarkozy, which suggests the tape was made after Sarkozy's election in May.

Bin Laden comes close to offering a date for the tape with this by saying, "... just a few days ago, the Japanese observed the 62nd anniversary of the annihilation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by your nuclear weapons." The anniversary was on August 6.

He goes on to call Noam Chomsky "among one of the most capable of those from your own side," and mentions global warming and "the Kyoto accord."

He also speaks to recent issues grabbing headlines in the United States, referring to "the reeling of many of you under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages; global warming and its woes..."

Dude, this is coming straight from Kos and the DNC. Extraordinary.

Posted by: Ace at 10:55 AM | Comments (52)
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Yesterday the story about ambassadors from Muslim nations to Sweden demanding that that country change their laws in light of another bout of Islamo-Cartoonophopia made the rounds of the interwebs.

Well, the meeting has apparently taken place and there seems to be a slight difference of opinion about the take away:

The envoys are not reported to have called for Sweden to change its laws to protect against the desecration of the Muslim prophet. After a meeting with his Muslim colleagues on Thursday, the Egyptian ambassador had indicated that the group wanted to see "action, not just nice words."

But Reinfeldt said that the ambassadors did not present a list of demands at government offices in Rosenbad.

"There were no demands in that sense. We had a very positive dialogue," said Reinfeldt.

Now maybe thereÂ’s some diplomatic parsing of language here but it seems whether or not they demanded laws be changed or presented a written list of what they want done, the Muslim ambassadors expect something to be done. As we all recall, last yearÂ’s Cartoons of Blasphemy episode demonstrated what could happen if their demands arenÂ’t met.

But even the most careful diplomatic language allows for the occasional truth to be told.

Algeria's ambassador to Sweden, Merzak Bedjaoui, said the meeting "was an excellent initiative taken in a spirit of appeasement."

Since it’s apparently okay for accredited ambassadors to make demands about the internal workings of their host country, I eagerly await stories about the non-Muslim world's demands for reciprocity. I am sure any day now the US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia will insist that churches be allowed to open in that country, or travelers not have to worry about packing bibles or crosses in their luggage when visiting or that women be allowed to drive throughout the kingdom. Perhaps EU countries which maintain relations with Iran could demand that that country stop hanging gays. And maybe, just maybe all civilized countries will be informing Pakistan that no, it’s not okay to stone women to death for ‘adultery’ (AKA…being raped).

Yeah, I am sure that would go over real big in the Muslim world.

Posted by: DrewM. at 10:54 AM | Comments (7)
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