Pimp's Up, Ho's Down.

And the AP buries, in the fifteenth paragraph, a dramatic shift of 14 points in favor of enhanced interrogation techniques since 2005. (Whoops! The poll asks about torture. Okay -- so obviously EITs and "torture" which is not torture has an even higher approval rating.)

Some 52 percent of people say torture can be at least sometimes justified to obtain information about terrorist activities from suspects, an increase from 38 percent in 2005 when the AP last asked the question.

Note that AP hasn't asked this question since 2005. It's my guess that support goes up whenever Republicans make a case for it, then falls away as people revert to dumb default-liberal "let's be nice" thinking. So support probably spiked when Bush made a strong case for it in 2006, then fell away, and has increased recently due to Cheney's relentless advocacy.

Remember that anonymous sources in the RNC, as well as anonymous Republican Congressmen, were calling for Cheney to hush-up. They figured he was hurting the party.

I'm all for caution and strategic moderation of message. When I have disputes with my readers, it's often because I'm on the more cautious side of things. (See the week-plus running argument with readers over Limbaugh's "I hope he fails" line.)

But caution and moderation have limits.

Furthermore, it seems that many Republicans have become blood simple. A phrase, I'm told, which refers to the stupid robotic state that people sometimes fall into when they've seen blood shed or have shed blood themselves.

Some Republicans are so shell-shocked the jump at any moderately-loud noise. They're spooked. Their nerves are shot. They are no longer capable of distinguishing between outgoing fire and incoming fire. They hear fire of any kind, and they jump to the ground and extend their hands over their heads in prone surrender.

These people need to realize their nerves are shot and that they are no longer suitable for political combat and shut the hell up.

Other people retain the ability to distinguish between good fire and bad fire. Anyone with a chip still functioning on their circuit-boards could tell that Cheney was making a strong case -- even if one didn't think he'd actually prevail, it was a strong case, an honorable case, and at worst a case that did us no harm. Didn't persuade, but didn't scare off either.

And yet the shell-shocked zombies in the party began caterwauling and gibbering in fear the moment they heard the fire.

It's time for these guys to shuffle off to somewhere quiet to rehabilitate. If they can't do that, then they need to do the rest of us a solid and recognize they are no longer fit for command, and at the very least defer to the guys who are still able to think straight.

Posted by: Ace at 09:52 AM | Add Comment
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Last month, Geoff's chart of the actual March and April unemployment stats overlaid on the Obama team's chart went viral on the intertubes.

At this point it is entirely possible that he can make it happen again. This link goes to the May update.

The news is terrible. The unemployment trend appears to still be spiking higher, faster, not flattening out yet.

But here, let me make you feel better: my goodness, imagine what this would look like if Obama hadn't "created or saved" 150 gajillion jobs. There, there.

Wheeeeeee. Isn't this fun.

UPDATE FROM THE COMMENTS:

Geoff's graph should be everywhere. We should also dig up the body of John Maynard Keynes and shoot it a couple of times. Zombie Keynes comes back to try to eat our brains every generation.

Posted by: AmishDude at June 05, 2009 09:15 AM (T0NGe)

Nice action imagery, there's a zombie, good dismount, stuck the landing: 9.5.

Some numbers may be right-wing, racist, extremist numbers. We're looking closely at Three, Five, Eight and Nine. If any of those numbers appear in statistics, don't believe them.

Posted by: Janet Napolitano at June 05, 2009 09:30 AM (7dXKM)

You guys are killing me.

Posted by: LauraW at 09:23 AM | Add Comment
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David Carradine wasn't suicidal. He just had a mishap with X-treme masturbation.

Could happen to anyone, really.

Police Lt. Gen. Worapong Chewprecha told reporters that Carradine was found with a rope "tied around his penis and another rope around his neck."

"The two ropes were tied together," he said. "It is unclear whether he committed suicide or not or he died of suffocation or heart failure due to an orgasm."

Kids, don't do this. Sure, it sounds fun at first -- all the popular people are doing it! -- put pretty soon you're garroting your hog like it's Luca Brasi at one of Barzini's dive bars.

The more you know.

Posted by: Ace at 09:13 AM | Add Comment
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37% approval for Cheney (Evil Be Upon Him) and 34% for the Queen of Botox. More importantly, Cheney's numbers are rising while Pelosi's are tanking.

It might have to do with Cheney speaking truth to power or something.

Yes Nancy, my approval ratings are represented by the higher hand.

About all those new Republican leaders who wanted to save the party by throwing Cheney under the bus...FYNQ.

Oh, House Republican Leader John Boehner would just like to remind everyone that Nancy is still a lying sack of crap when it comes to the "CIA lied to me"thing.

"She's made this outrageous claim," he said, asserting that it has undermined the ability of intelligence officials to keep America safe. Pelosi, he said, "believes that it's just all going to go away. Well, just trust me: It's not going to go away."

Boehner and fellow Republicans have vowed to keep the pressure on Pelosi to explain herself ever since she lobbed the accusation last month, insisting that she needs to either back it up with evidence or apologize.

"It's been three weeks since I asked Speaker Pelosi to back up her allegations that the CIA lied to her or purposely misled her," Boehner said at a news conference. "Allowing this to hang out there is unconscionable, and I just think the silence from Speaker Pelosi is deafening."

David Frum emails to say, "How can Republicans expect to win if they keep attacking fine Americans like Nancy Pelosi? This course is madness!"

Posted by: DrewM at 09:13 AM | Comments (1)
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I guess it depends on how you define the terms.

A few vignettes from Team Obama's brand of diplomacy.

First, Krauthammer on the US, Israel and everyone else.

President Obama repeatedly insists that American foreign policy be conducted with modesty and humility. Above all, there will be no more "dictating" to other countries. We should "forge partnerships as opposed to simply dictating solutions," he told the G-20 summit. In Middle East negotiations, he told al-Arabiya, America will henceforth "start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating."

An admirable sentiment. It applies to everyone -- Iran, Russia, Cuba, Syria, even Venezuela. Except Israel. Israel is ordered to freeze all settlement activity. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton imperiously explained the diktat: "a stop to settlements -- not some settlements, not outposts, not natural-growth exceptions."

Next, Germany.

A rift has quietly opened up between Germany and the United States, marked by official statements of harmony and private grumbling. It is not an outright crisis in relations, but there are underlying tensions and disagreements on matters ranging from the global economic crisis to the future of inmates held at Guantánamo Bay.

On a more basic level, there is a sense that the Obama administration is ignoring the needs and counsel of longtime allies.

...But signs of discord were evident even last summer, when Mrs. Merkel rejected Mr. ObamaÂ’s request during the presidential campaign to speak in front of the Brandenburg Gate, saying it was not an appropriate location for a candidateÂ’s address. Mr. Obama drew more than 200,000 people to hear his speech at a nearby monument.

...There is a sense in Germany, that the smooth Mr. Obama and the flashy President Nicolas Sarkozy of France have a better connection with each other than either does with the serious-minded Mrs. Merkel.

Ah yes, the Obama/Sarkozy connection. Not so great as it turns out.

The Obamas turn up in Paris this evening, but have declined a dinner invitation from the couple next door: the Sarkozys.

President Obama’s reluctance to spend more than minimum time with the French leader on his visit for the D-Day anniversary has come as an embarrassment to the Elysée Palace.

...Mr Obama’s irritation with his French counterpart began when Mr Sarkozy tried to grab the limelight at the G20 summit in London in April and talked condescendingly of the US President in private. Mr Sarkozy told colleagues that he found Mr Obama to be inexperienced and unbriefed, especially on climate change. Mr Obama hit back last month, telling a visiting French minister: “Please tell Nicolas that I shall do my homework, and in two months I’ll know all about climate change.”

Brave Carla Bruni has decided she's willing to risk being seen found wanting for beauty in comparison to Michelle. Obviously the Obama's decision not to dine with the Sarkozys is just out of concern for Carla and her ego.

Remember when smooth relations with our 'friends' in Europe was supposedly so important? The fact that Bush couldn't pull that off was a sign of what an oaf he was. Ah yes, good times, good times.

If Obama's problems with Merkel and Sarkozy really are personal, what's that say about his reputation for getting along with such difficult people? If he holds grudges against allies because of personal snubs, that doesn't sound like a 'world class temperament' does it?

Besides, he doesn't seem to hold a grudge against Chavez for the book stunt or the Iranians for mocking his out reach efforts.

Of course, it could be political differences. As America has lurched left, Europe is sliding to the right (yes, Merkel and Sarkozy pass for conservatives in Eurpoe, well sort of).

Funny how that excuse was never offered to Bush. Besides, how does that explain his apparent lack of anger to the likes of Castro and Chavez? Oh yeah, those differences aren't as big as one might hope.

Somewhere, Don Rumsfeld is laughing his evil ass off.

Posted by: DrewM at 07:23 AM | Add Comment
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Remember when she misspoke or that it was a one time thing? Let's just say those lines of defense are no longer operative.

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor delivered multiple speeches between 1994 and 2003 in which she suggested "a wise Latina woman" or "wise woman" judge might "reach a better conclusion" than a male judge.

...Her repeated use of the phrases "wise Latina woman" and "wise woman" would appear to undermine the Obama administration's assertions that the statement was simply a poor choice of words. After details of the 1994 speech circulated before the questionnaire's release, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, emerged from his private meeting with Sotomayor and expressed new concerns about the nominee's "identity politics."

Also, turns out she was pretty excited about Obama winning last November. In a speech to the Black, Latino, Asian Pacific American Law Alumni Association this April she made a number of references to the November elections.

“The power of working together was, this past November, resoundingly proven.” (p. 6)

“The wide coalition of groups that joined forces to elect America’s first Afro-American President was awe inspiring in both the passion the members of the coalition exhibited in their efforts and the discipline they showed in the execution of their goals.” (p. 7)

“It is the message of service that President Obama is trying to trumpet and it is a clarion call we are obligated to heed.” (p. 13)

That's just a few of the quotes Ed Whalen found, there's more at the link. Whalen also wonders how Sotomayor's cheerleading fits with judicial cannons on impartiality.

Naturally, this leads to a round of, "What if a Republican Nominee Had Said This?"

But don't worry, she's all about the law and not instituting policy. Slightly related...anyone want to buy a bridge I have for sale?

Posted by: DrewM at 06:38 AM | Add Comment
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Last week Ace blogged about a story of San Diego County officials who issued a zoning violation citation against a pastor who held a weekly prayer meeting at his home. The county originally claimed that the pastor and his wife would need to have a permit to hold the meetings.

Well, turns out, not so much.

On Wednesday, San Diego County officials sent pastor David Jones' attorney a formal letter rescinding an April 14 cease and desist order.

The county initially told Jones he had to obtain a permit to hold the meetings at his Bonita home because a neighbor had complained about parking and traffic congestion.

Last Friday, the county announced it had withdrawn the citation given to Jones, but as of Tuesday Jones said he still had not seen anything in writing.

Additionally, the county's chief administrative officer Walter Ekard also sent Jones a letter apologizing for the mistake.

The letter of apology was finally sent and is here (pdf).

Thanks to pajama momma for the heads up.

Posted by: DrewM at 06:16 AM | Add Comment
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Ugh. Just finish it already.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 04:16 AM | Add Comment
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(content pendingÂ…unless the lack of content itself is the content)

Tonight's overnight thread is sponsored by Star Trek's 10 Cheesiest Classic Creatures. It's old. Oh well.
more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 06:50 PM | Add Comment
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Much attention will be focused on the D-Day celebrations over the next few days and that is as it should be. Still, I think we'd do well to take a moment to observe the 67th anniversary of the battle that turned the tide of war in the Pacific...Midway.

Eagle1 has put together a brief list of what it took for the US to triumph...How to Win a Sea Battle.

As Admiral Nimitz said following the battle:

Through the skill and devotion to duty of their armed forces of all branches in the Midway area our citizens can now rejoice that a momentous victory is in the making.

It was on a Sunday just six months ago that the Japanese made their peace‑time attack on our fleet and army activities on Oahu. At that time they created heavy damage, it is true, but their act aroused the grim deter­mination of our citizenry to avenge such treachery, and it raised, not lowered, the morale of our fighting men.

Pearl Harbor has now been partially avenged. Vengeance will not be complete until Japanese sea power has been reduced to impotence. We have made substantial progress in that direction. Perhaps we will be forgiven if we claim we are about midway to our objective!

More on the battle here and here (scroll around).

Over 3 long years of hard fighting and losses followed Midway but the Japanese advance had been stopped and they were dealt losses in men, ships and planes they would never recover from.

Posted by: DrewM at 02:05 PM | Comments (5)
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