It's too early for this to include any impact from the convention, but it's fair to say that Joe Biden hasn't electrified the country.

How did Michelle Obama's speech play? I don't know; I can't separate my partisan side from my objective side to be able to tell. I also can't put myself in the mind of someone who doesn't know much about politics and who is open to the notion of "hope and change" transforming the country into Jesus' thousand-year kingdom on an accelerated schedule; i.e., I can't will myself to be a fucking moron.

Dick Morris can, though, and says the speech was a hit:

MAGIC WORDS: 'I LOVE THIS COUNTRY'

By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Published in The New York Post on August 26, 2008.

DENVER

'I love this country": Those are the magic words that Michelle Obama said at the Democratic National Convention last night.

They're the words we've wanted to hear from her ever since we saw her say that she was proud of her country "for the first time in my adult life" now that her husband was winning primaries en route to the White House.

Did she buy into the American dream? Was she part of our national aspiration - or part of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's twisted view of us? Those were the questions we wanted answered. Last night, she answered - loud and clear.

We've watched the scripted familial intimacies Hillary Clinton always shares from the podium and wondered if they had been focus grouped. We've watched Theresa Heinz Kerry's vaulting ambition at the 2004 Democratic convention and wondered if she was really human.

But this year we saw an eloquent, sincere woman speaking of her dreams and aspirations. She gave a speech that sounded real with anecdotes that seemed genuine.

Michelle Obama last night became a political plus, not a problem.

We worried that Barack was an elitist. But her speech made it clear that she wasn't born as part of the elite and that he wasn't either. Her genuine working-class stories transcended race and rang true with Americans.

He (and his wife) then go on, though, to express doubts about how much to buy into these claims.

So I don't know. To me she seemed stagey and very much acting; her fake chuckles and feigned humility were a bit transparent. All I learned was that the Obamas:

1) Got married

2) Had kids

3) Possessed a truck at one point (which I'm guessing is a "racial codeword" for a Volvo SUV)

And of course 4) Did a lot of left-wing agitation they call community activism, but we're supposed to consider that a middle-class, Heartland sort of activity. Like the 4H Club or, I guess, mixed Cornhole leagues.

So let me tap into the wisdom of the masses. If you can channel your inner idiot, or if you've spoken to friends or family members who subscribe to the Moron Faith, what do you honestly think? Pretend you don't know she's a confirmed lefty hoodwinking us; did it play or not?

A Bit on Ayers: From John Fund.

McCain aides say they are perplexed by the Obama ad. "It is misleading," McCain campaign strategist Steve Schmidt told National Review. "It states the McCain campaign is running an ad on the issue and it's not. Obama described Ayers as just a guy who lives in his neighborhood. We know that's not accurate."

And today, supposedly, the U of I will release those withheld Ayers/Obama documents, at least the ones they haven't "lost" or "inadvertently destroyed."

It's this kind of thing that really makes me wonder. If the American public has some knowledge of this, and some memory of the Wright fiasco, is it really just enough for Michelle Obama to say "I love this country," which every analyst predicted she'd do, because she needed to do so for political reasons?

And Saul Alinksy Too: Obama went to work for an Alinksy protoge; Michelle Obama quoted Alinsky's Rules for Radicals in last night's speech.

How dumb is the American public? Hopefully not quite dumb enough for the Obamas' purposes.

Posted by: Ace at 10:10 AM | Comments (66)
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Yup:

TBILISI, GEORGIA – Virtually everyone believes Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili foolishly provoked a Russian invasion on August 7, 2008, when he sent troops into the breakaway district of South Ossetia. “The warfare began Aug. 7 when Georgia launched a barrage targeting South Ossetia,” the Associated Press reported over the weekend in typical fashion.

Virtually everyone is wrong. Georgia didn't start it on August 7, nor on any other date. The South Ossetian militia started it on August 6 when its fighters fired on Georgian peacekeepers and Georgian villages with weapons banned by the agreement hammered out between the two sides in 1994. At the same time, the Russian military sent its invasion force bearing down on Georgia from the north side of the Caucasus Mountains on the Russian side of the border through the Roki tunnel and into Georgia. This happened before Saakashvili sent additional troops to South Ossetia and allegedly started the war.

Worth reading in full, though Captain Ed provides a digest if you only have that.

Despite the fact that the Russians started it, and have behaved monstrously for their own cynical agenda of empire-rebuilding, I can't say the situation is quite clear-cut as regards the "renegade provinces." Yet again we have territory which contains a mix of ethnicities. The Georgians, of course, want to protect the Georgians living in the provinces (who themselves want to be governed by a Georgian government); but others in the provinces don't want to be under Georgian rule, and are perfectly willing to kill to express this preference. The country had a nasty civil war in the early nineties, so there's plenty of bloodlust to go 'round. Seems to me that there are two questions here which shouldn't be confused: 1, was Russia right to invade and bomb cities in Georgia, and 2, is the Georgians' "right" to rule the disputed provinces so great we should support that, or, indeed, if they should seek such rule themselves.

A great short briefing on the situation and history.

Totten under Cyberattack... Most likely from Russian hackers. Correction: I meant to say Russian hackers, and specifically note they weren't necessarily government hackers (invading other countries is wildly popular in Russia). But the word "government" was stuck in my head and I brain-farted.

Guess it's a good time to note Totten's work is reader-supported.

Posted by: Ace at 09:49 AM | Comments (26)
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Just a reminder if anyone still wants to participate in the AoSHQII pick-em pool (AoSHQI is full). There's 25 slots left; like last year I'll merge the top five pickers from each group every week.

Go here, select Join a Group. Group id is 23291, password is the only important one up on that stage, firstnamelastname lowercase no spaces (email me at gooberintexas -at- gmail -dot- com if you don't know who that is).

Picks are against the spread. First game is a week from Thursday, Sept. 4.

Remember (assuming it works like last year) if you don't get your picks in before the cutoff of the first game (five minutes before kickoff), you'll have what we in the NFL game picking business call "a shitty week".

UPDATE: ok, that one filled up. I asked Stashiu 3 to set up another one, so I don't wind up wasting a slot. As soon as he sends me the info I'll post it. Group id 42612, same password.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 08:05 AM | Comments (20)
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...in the Top Headlines Sidebar as usual.

Also, if you missed it Ace was on a roll last night and there are many new posts below, so keep scrolling. I especially enjoy the people plotting the overthrow of the federal government.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 07:04 AM | Comments (22)
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Morning everyone!

A list of questions from Gabriel was sitting in my inbox this morning. It was a very helpful way to organize my thoughts. I'm not fully caffeinated while answering these, so if I'm incoherent, blame that.

Update [Gabe]: Thanks for the report, Alice.

Alice is twittering her adventures. Her YouTube channel including waterboarding demonstrations from yesterday. Her latest set of photos has ninjas, police, and amateurish graffiti.

Her report continues below the fold: more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 05:25 AM | Comments (19)
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Yep. Now that weÂ’re already burnt-out on political convention coverage, might as well get back to more important topics.

This sordid story was on FNC earlier today.

”A Connecticut youth baseball team with a phenomenal 9-year-old pitcher has been disqualified because its team is too good.”

“The team, Will Power Fitness, has an 8-0 record thanks in large part to pitcher Jericho Scott.”

”His pitching is so fast and accurate, the Liga Juvenil De Baseball De New Haven asked the team's coach, Wilfred Vidro, to replace him so he wouldn't frighten other players.”

““The spirit of the league was community, family, well-being, nurturing," Peter Noble, the league's attorney, told the Register. "It’s an extended family and it’s been disrupted.””

”On Saturday, Jericho and his team showed up to the ballfield despite the fact the league canceled the game because they feared an "unhealthy environment" due to parental bickering, Noble told the paper. Jericho's parents, Nicole and Leroy, planned to meet with attorney Gabriel Malor, Esq. on Monday.”

But the story may have a good ending after all. Rumors on various sports blogs tonight indicate that young Mr. Scott has already acquired an agent and is in talks with the Seattle Mariners regarding a $35 million per year contract along with undisclosed signing bonuses.

Posted by: Open Blog at 12:41 AM | Comments (49)
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Wait, I'm sorry, what was Scooter Libby's crime again? "Outing" an already-out desk-jockey Double-0 Soccer Mom?

I guess when it comes to real agents -- and the NYT -- the rules are different.

The CIA recruited a family of Swiss engineers to help it thwart the Libyan and Iranian nuclear programs as well as an underground network of Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, The New York Times reported Monday.

...

The Swiss case against them has been hampered by the destruction of relevant documents, which Swiss officials have said was to prevent their falling into terrorist hands.

But the Times said the real reason for the destruction was pressure from the US Central Intelligence Agency, which feared that its ties with the Tinners would be exposed.

Over four years, the CIA paid the Tinners 10 million dollars, some of which was delivered to them in a suitcase stuffed with cash, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed officials.

In return the engineers delivered a flow of secret information that helped end Libya's nuclear weapons program, expose Iran's atomic efforts and undo Khan's nuclear supply network.

...

Friedrich Tinner began working with Khan in the mid-1970s, using his expertise in vacuum technology to help Khan develop atomic centrifuges, the Times said.

But in 2000, the CIA recruited his son, Urs Tinner, who eventually persuaded his father and younger brother to join him as moles.

As part of their services, the Swiss engineers helped the CIA sabotage atomic gear bound for Libya and Iran, the report said.

Thanks, NYT! Glad to know you always have our back!

Thanks to Arthur.

PS: Yes, I know, the NYT hasn't signed any papers declaring that they would reveal no secrets. And yet... they sure seem to reveal the nation's biggest secrets without any qualms whatsoever, don't they?

Newspapers got stuff like this all the time in the past... but a call from the President or the Director of the CIA would convince the paper not to run it. If a program's obviously in the national interest and seems perfectly legal, what is the national interest in exposing it?

There is no national interest served here. Only the New York Times' ego and business interests. And, of course, the liberal interests: The NYT has let it be known in no uncertain terms that there will be no secrets in the War on Terror so long as a Republican is president.

A bit of blackmail for the nation: Elect liberal Democrats as President or we will continue doing our level best to cripple American security.

Often times several papers have these stories. I'd love to read the WSJ or WaPo stating tomorrow -- "You know what? We had this, six months ago. Unlike the New York Times, however, we put the nation's security over some trivial journalistic egotism and didn't run it." And thus steal the NYT's dubious glory, and show them for the suckers of cock they are.

Posted by: Ace at 09:31 PM | Comments (40)
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Involving Olbermann, of course. John Gibson narrates.

Olbermann's claiming that a McCain lost seven points among likelies in one poll? Really? Assuming he's right about that -- provisionally -- aren't there about ten polls showing the opposite trend?

Is Olbermann angry that not everyone wants to join him in the cocoon?

"I'm beginning to sound borderline sycophantic about this."

1) "Beginning"?

2) "Sound"?

3) "Borderline"?

A Shockingly Good Review:

One of the best, most moving, intimate, rousing, humble, and beautiful speeches I've heard from a convention platform. Maybe she should be running for president. You don't need any commentary from me. This was a home-run. And sincere. Thank God that in the end, the truth struggles out there. Just look at her mother's face.

I'm going to give Sullivan an Yglesias Award for that bit of truth-telling. After all, that was hard for him to say. He's a conservative, you know.

Thanks to Cuffy Meigs.

Let's see... Olbermann, Matthews, and Sullivan were all blown away.

I guess she really hit it out of the park, then. That's like winning the Triple Crown. A once in a generation achievement.

Posted by: Ace at 07:46 PM | Comments (59)
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Why isn't this on any network?

CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass reported one of the suspects told authorities they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle Â… sighted at 750 yards."

Law enforcement sources tell Maass that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative."

More from Hot Air. Sure seems legit.

I really don't know why I'm not seeing this on TV.

Posted by: Ace at 07:06 PM | Comments (130)
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I can almost smell the righteousness and unwashed taint.

AoS regular and open-blogger Alice H is "in the shit," unfortunately, stuck down on the street with those meatheads. She's updating her ordeal on her Twitter account.

Update on Alice [Gabe]: She made it out and is on her way home. She's going to give us a full report tomorrow. more...

Posted by: Ace at 06:24 PM | Comments (16)
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