NY Gay Marriage: An End Run Around the Legislature?
— Gabriel Malor

More fallout from Spitzer: N.Y. Governor Patterson has directed state agencies to recognize gay marriages from other jurisdictions. New York won't be solemnizing any gay marriages, but Patterson's memo requires all state agencies to recognize marriages which are legal in other jurisdictions. As a result, state agency regulations will be scrubbed of the gendered terms "husband and wife" (to be replaced by "spouse") and adjustments will be made to allow married gays the usual state benefits of marriage, like joint tax filing.

Opposition is stirring. I was struck by the no-way, no-how tenor of this complaint:

"The definition of marriage predates recorded history," said New York State Catholic Conference Executive Director Richard E. Barnes. "No single politician or court or legislature should attempt to redefine the very building block of our society in a way that alters its entire meaning and purpose."

In this case, the legislature has passed a law requiring that legal out-of-state marriages, for example from Massachusetts or Canada, must be recognized in New York. But state agencies have been slow to follow that law. Following a series of lower court cases which ruled that they must be recognized, Patterson circulated a memo instructing agencies to make the necessary adjustments to comply with his (and those lower courts') interpretation the law. The highest state court has not ruled on the question.

So what happens now? Opponents have few options. The legislature is not likely to pass a DOMA law and Patterson is unlikely to change his mind. There's no reason to believe that the courts will overturn it. So, to undo this, New York gay marriage opponents have little recourse except the ballot box. I think that's appropriate. It was the legislature, after all, who started this and has so far refused to consider DOMA legislation.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 08:01 AM | Comments (31)
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CIA Director: US Making Significant Gains In Fight Against Al Qaeda
— DrewM

What a difference a year can make.

While cautioning that al-Qaeda remains a serious threat, (CIA Director Michael) Hayden said Osama bin Laden is losing the battle for hearts and minds in the Islamic world and has largely forfeited his ability to exploit the Iraq war to recruit adherents. Two years ago, a CIA study concluded that the U.S.-led war had become a propaganda and marketing bonanza for al-Qaeda, generating cash donations and legions of volunteers.

All that has changed, Hayden said in an interview with The Washington Post this week that coincided with the start of his third year at the helm of the CIA.

"On balance, we are doing pretty well," he said, ticking down a list of accomplishments: "Near strategic defeat of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Near strategic defeat for al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia. Significant setbacks for al-Qaeda globally -- and here I'm going to use the word 'ideologically' -- as a lot of the Islamic world pushes back on their form of Islam," he said.

Senator Barack Obama's often repeated talking point that al Qaeda "is stronger than ever" could not be reached for comment. In a related development, the meme that we create more terrorists by fighting and killing terrorists is in critical condition, suffering from acute exposure to reality.

Hayden does point out that recent victories are not guaranteed to be permanent and are reversible. The inconvenient truth is that not every one (and I think we all know who is talking about) is focused on the mission.

"The fact that we have kept [Americans] safe for pushing seven years now has got them back into the state of mind where 'safe' is normal," he said. "Our view is: Safe is hard-won, every 24 hours."

Hayden, who has previously highlighted a gulf between Washington and its European allies on how to battle terrorism, said he is troubled that Congress and many in the media are "focused less on the threat and more on the tactics the nation has chosen to deal with the threat" -- a reference to controversial CIA interrogation techniques approved by Hayden's predecessors.

I am sure Nancy Pelosi would like to take a moment to thank al Qaeda for their generosity and help in making this all possible.

Posted by: DrewM at 06:55 AM | Comments (34)
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Court order forces Climate Assessment from Bush Administration. (Aurvant)
— Open Blog

For quite a while I would say that the current Administrations reluctance to jump on the whole Global Warming Bandwagon has been a good thing in staving off the Environmentalist weirdos. However, now that the all powerful courts have intervened it seems that they have forced the Administration to break down.

In case you were wondering it seems ole' W. & Co. has decided to err on the side of the Gaia church.

The Bush administration released a climate change assessment on
Thursday -- four years late and pushed forward by a court order -- that
said human-induced global warming will likely lead to problems like
droughts in the U.S. West and stronger hurricanes.

President George W. Bush's stance on the issue has evolved from
denying climate science to acknowledging that global warming is
happening. In March, watchdog groups said Bush's decision to intervene
in setting air pollution standards was part of a pattern of meddling in
environmental science.

Well, crap. At least he stepped in and stopped them from setting "standards" on air pollution. Probably kept the impending cash gouging we're going to be experiencing from environmental taxes in the future from hitting us sooner.

However, with Green McCain running in behind him (We all know that Obama is going to pander to the enviro's so his involvement is a given) this snowball is just going to keep on rolling.

Here's the, im my opinion, "moneyshot" of the piece:

It is intended to give U.S. government agencies and lawmakers in
Congress a single document to refer to when forming climate policy.

Yeah, policy that keeps us from seeking out and using our own energy resources in the United States. If the Administration has released an assessment now that says that they think that Global Warming is happening then you can bet your ass that anything to do with the exploration and retrieval of crude oil is going to be targeted by the Dems in charge.

That's not all though. The assessment, as meaningless as it seems right now, actually acts as a doorstop to keep all those talks about using federal funds and resources to "save the planet" open. Don't believe me?

Sharon Hays, the White House associate science director, said
Thursday's document offered "a greater focus on what scientists know
about climate change impacts in the United States" than the 2007
reports by the U.N. panel.

Siegel, echoing the sentiment of many environmental groups, said now
that the government had an assessment, it should launch a cap-and-trade
program on greenhouse gases and federal limits on emissions to slow
climate change.

Ugh.

I think my wallet just committed Seppuku.

Posted by: Open Blog at 05:40 AM | Comments (47)
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Prime Directive: Violated (genghis)
— Open Blog

Have we learned nothing from our disastrous first contacts with the Romulans and Minbari?

From CNN:

”Dramatic photographs have emerged, showing one of the few remaining peoples on earth thought to have had no contact with the outside world.”

“Taken from a small airplane, the photos show men outside thatched communal huts, necks craned upward, pointing bows toward the air in a remote corner of the Amazonian rainforest”

No mention of arrows and/or whether or not theyÂ’re nuclear-tipped.

”More than 100 uncontacted tribes remain worldwide. About half live in the remote reaches of the Amazonian rainforest in Peru or Brazil near the recently photographed tribe, according to Survival International, a nonprofit group that advocates for the rights of indigenous people.
"All are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed or decimated by new diseases," the organization said Thursday.”

Or opening a casino/online smoke shop.

(there is absolutely no truth to the rumors that Jeff Bezos intends to sue Brazil for trademark infringements.)

UPDATE [Dave in Texas]: They have at least one anti-aircraft battery.

more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 01:27 AM | Comments (62)
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Damn
— Dave in Texas

Harvey Korman, dead at 81.

These people who entertained me almost my whole life, passing on.

I looked for the skit where Tim and Harvey were US Soldiers on a Pacific Island but couldn't find it.

This one is probably more remembered. The Dentist.

The gag was always "when will Harvey lose it"? This one shows it as did so many, and it brings a smile to my face.

It was a good gag.

RIP Harvey. You made a lot of people laugh, and that was a wonderful gift.

UPDATE [DinT]:Add your best Harv quotes. I'll post em.

UPDATE2 [DinT]: Morons remember.

Tim: "I want rustlers, cutthroats, murders, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con-men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglars, horse thieves, bull-dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, sh**-kickers, and Methodists!"

Reb'M Al: "Lily Lily Lily Lily Legs Lily Lily Lily Legs Lily Lily..."

Dr. Remulak: "Land: see Snatch..... Ah, Hailie vs. United States. Hailie: 7, United States: nothing. You see, it can be done!"

Rev. Dr. E Buzz Miller: "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."

Drive me off this picture.
more...

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 05:15 PM | Comments (101)
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World Leaders, Including UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon, Praise Progress in Iraq, Crediting the Goodwill of Iranians
— Ace

No not really on that last bit. I thought the Democrats generally believed the UN was always right, eh?

World leaders, including UN chief Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on Thursday hailed Baghdad's progress in combatting violence and stabilising Iraq.

A declaration adopted by 100 delegations at a Stockholm conference said the participants "recognised the important efforts made by the (Iraqi) government to improve security and public order and combat terrorism and sectarian violence across Iraq."

It also acknowledged political and economic progress made, and said that "given the difficult context, these successes are all the more remarkable."

In a speech earlier to the conference, Ban said Iraq was "stepping back from the abyss that we feared most," adding that with international help the war-torn country could fulfill its "vision of becoming a free, secure, stable and prosperous nation."

He cautioned however that "the situation remains fragile."

The one-day conference in Stockholm, hosted by Ban and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, was attended by Rice, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband among others.

Rice said that while Iraq was "making good progress there remain challenges. Not everything that needs to be accomplished has been accomplished."

Miliband was also optimistic and noted that at the conference, "instead of talking about the last five years every speaker has talked about the next five years, and that is a really profound change of perspective."

Thanks to anonymous.

Posted by: Ace at 05:12 PM | Comments (38)
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Kitty Hawk to be Decommissioned. (genghis)
— Open Blog

A lot of old salts read this here smart military blog so itÂ’s time to bid a fond farewell the the USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63, the US NavyÂ’s oldest active ship, and the sole remaining conventionally powered carrier.

The Kitty Hawk, the last conventionally powered aircraft carrier in the Navy, is to be replaced later this summer by the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered carrier.
The decommissioning date for the ship is set for Jan. 31.

Yet controversy ensues:

However, the replacement of the Kitty Hawk by a nuclear-powered ship is controversial among some here because of fears of an accident. Navy officials have stressed that the ship is safe, and pointed out that nuclear-powered submarines have long transited Yokosuka with no problems.

Nope. Not even gonnaÂ’ go there on the nuke issue. Seems that there was some sortaÂ’ dust-up back in the Roaring 40Â’s involving that.

After leaving Japan, the Kitty Hawk will make a stop at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, then to former homeport San Diego for a welcome-home party, and then the ship will travel on to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, where it will become a day-care center, according to naval historian P.J. OÂ’Rourke

(OK, I made that last part up. Mr. OÂ’Rourke is actually a noted etiquette columnist.)

Condolences and rememberances are welcome in the guestbook below. GÂ’bye old girlÂ…weÂ’ll miss you.

More on the history of the Hawk here and here.

Correction: JimT notes that the USS Constitution is the oldest active ship in the Navy, and the oldest active ship afloat in the world.

The "Consty," (as is well known) has a glorious history which includes sinking the battleship "Yamato" at the epic naval battle of Jutland during the Spanish-American War of 1812, and is now currently forward-deployed in the Persian Gulf.

Yamato: A worthy opponent

Posted by: Open Blog at 04:55 PM | Comments (41)
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Network Coverage of Iraq War Falls 92% Since Surge Success
— Ace

Moved from the sidebar.

I guess we need some of our troops to rise to the occasion and stick a Koran up someone's squeakhole to get the MSM interested in the war again, huh?

Posted by: Ace at 02:53 PM | Comments (63)
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Claim: Clay Aiken Impregnantes a Woman
— Ace

Now, before you get the wrong idea, note the claim goes that he did so 1) through artificial insemination with 2) a good friend rather than a romantic conquest and 3) will be active in the child's upbringing, but presumably not an actual involved-with-the-mom full-time father.

So, ladies -- he's still available.

Thanks to dri.

Posted by: Ace at 01:49 PM | Comments (56)
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More on Pelosi
— Ace

Nuance:

Just two months ago, Pelosi said, "I hope we don't hear any glorification of what happened in Basra." It seems she was only talking about glorifying the role of the U.S. military and our Iraqi allies, who were in fact victorious. Apparently glorification of the enemy is still allowed.

Of course it is.

Al Qaeda hasn't attacked America since 9/11 -- I suppose we owe a debt of gratitude to the goodwill of Ayman al-Zawahiri and the mouldering corpse of Osama bin Ladin.

Posted by: Ace at 12:35 PM | Comments (98)
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