Must be nice
Lawless:WASHINGTON -- President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution.
Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ''whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research.
All here. Too bad the GOP Congress will simply ignore its responsibility to hold him accountable. Props to Charlie Savage of The Boston Globe for taking the lead on this story.
Still doesn't get it
Poor Colin Powell:LONDON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday he had made the case to President George W. Bush for the United States to send more troops to Iraq to deal with the aftermath of the war.
Nice try at rehabilitating his ruined reputation. Sure, things might have gone better with 500,000 troops, but that doesn't change the fact that the whole invasion, conquest and occupation was unnecessary.
Catch-22
NYT:A long-running effort by the Bush administration to send home many of the terror suspects held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has been stymied in part because of concern among United States officials that the prisoners may not be treated humanely by their own governments, officials said.
So they're stuck there indefinitely. But it's for their own good.
Memories
Watching Livan Hernandez pitch in the Cards/Nats game reminded us of when the Giants traded him to the former Expos a few years back. The San Francisco Chronicle headline:Livan on a jet plane
Oh, and that Albert Pujols is a pretty good ballplayer.
Suit challenges smoking ban
Four bar owners want enforcement suspended, damages and the law clarified. Here's what we'd like to know: Can we buy a sandwich and fries at, say, Bourbon Boys' and take it into Alligator Ray's right next door to eat? Ray's wouldn't be serving the food.
Glad we passed on this sted passing it on
Cough. Do they still make those papers that look like a filter on one end?
He's outta here -- probably
Brewer will enter NBA draft, will not hire agent yet, preserving eligibility.
Reuters sees the trend too
Lions, crocs, hippos:MKHUZE GAME RESERVE, South Africa (Reuters) - Humans and big beasts have lived side by side in Africa since the dawn of our species but rapid population growth is now stoking friction with dangerous animals, experts say.
"In general terms, I think with increasing human populations we will inevitably see an increase in conflict between humans and wildlife," said Jeff McNeely, chief scientist with the Swiss-based World Conservation Union.
All here. Funny how in science-related stories people become "humans."
Brewer presser at 5
KNWA:Arkansas junior guard Ronnie Brewer will announce his future plans in a news conference at 5 p.m. Thursday (4-27). KNWA/KARK will carry the announcement live. Brewer plans to announce whether he'll be entering his name in the NBA draft.
These early departures, if that's what happens, always remind us what Tom Izzo said about them a few years back (paraphrasing): If I could have gotten away with it, I'd still be in college.
Dumb PR
Arkansas Times:It's official. Gov. Mike Huckabee is refusing to provide routine media services to the Arkansas Times. The newspaper has been stricken from the e-mail lists for routine news releases, public scheduling and other items widely disseminated to members of the public and the media.
Don't miss the comments. This will backfire on Huck. Romenesko picked it up.
Unintended irony watch
With a straight face, no doubt:SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday that the credibility of the U.N. Security Council was as stake as it decides how to deal with Iran's likely rejection of a deadline to bring its nuclear program in line with international demands.
"In order to be credible, the Security Council, of course, has to act," Rice told reporters at a NATO foreign ministers' meeting.
The problem here is that she and the White House she serves have no credibility.Flashback to September 2003 in re Iraq:"The French plan which would somehow try to transfer sovereignty to an unelected people just isn't workable," U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice told reporters.
Heh, indeed.
As predicted
Here we go:BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- A diver hired by the city to retrieve golf balls from a lake was attacked by a 9-foot alligator that bit the man's arm, authorities said.
Told you so.
Ronnie Brewer
KNWA says news conference mañana. Stan Heath looked pretty happy leaving the meeting with the Boothead clan.
'A Song for You'
Sure, Elliott Yamin isn't old enough to remember it -- he probably thought it was by Donnie Hathaway -- but you'd think someone on "American Idol" could have mentioned that it was a Leon Russell song.
Lyons, Conason
Gene's alarmed about the White House's posturing re: Iran.Joe examines the GOP's hypocrisy re: leaks.
Save the estate tax
Exposed:WASHINGTON, D.C. – The multimillion-dollar lobbying effort to repeal the federal estate tax has been aggressively led by 18 super-wealthy families, according to a report released today by Public Citizen and United for a Fair Economy at a press conference in Washington, D.C. The report details for the first time the vast money, influence and deceptive marketing techniques behind the rhetoric in the campaign to repeal the tax.
They're running one of their lying ads here a lot. Learn the truth the Waltons don't want you to know. The full press release is here. The full report(pdf) is enlightening, too.via Warwick.
Predictable
W's solution to high gas prices:WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush on Tuesday ordered a temporary suspension of environmental rules for gasoline, making it easier for refiners to meet demand and possibly dampen prices at the pump. He also halted for the summer the purchase of crude oil for the government's emergency reserve.
Relax pollution controls. This is kind of like his solution a few years ago when there were lots of wildfires out west: Open up more federal lands to logging.
Bush is right
That wasn't easy to write. But, credit where credit is due:IRVINE, Calif. (AP) -- President Bush, rebutting lawmakers advocating a law-and-order approach to immigration, said Monday that those who are calling for massive deportation of the estimated 11 million foreigners living illegally in the United States are not being realistic.
"Massive deportation of the people here is not going to work," Bush said as a Congress divided over immigration returned from a two-week recess. "It's just not going to work."
This issue splits the GOP base. W was speaking to businesspeople, who want cheap labor. The xenophobic Minutemen were left to protest outside the event.
It's a global trend
Beware of chimps:FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) -- Police hunted Monday for chimpanzees that escaped from a Sierra Leone preserve and mauled a group of American and local sightseers, killing one man and injuring four people.
Meanwhile, AP follows up on the Washington bear attack. It turns out the "victim" was chasing the bear -- and caught it.
Liars
Everyone sentient knew, or has since decided, they were lying. For those who weren't sentient, or were giving them the benefit of the doubt, this proves that they knew they were lying when they lied. Josh explains why.
Trouble
From Telephone:Congress is going to hand the operation of the Internet over to AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. Democrats are helping. It's a shame.
Don’t look now, but the House Commerce Committee next Wednesday is likely to vote to turn control of the Internet over to AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner and what’s left of the telecommunications industry. It will be one of those stories the MSM writes about as “little noticed” because they haven’t covered it.
Harold Greene's spinning in his grave.
White punks on dope
Pinnacle Hills, gated community:Benton County deputies discovered a rare find Thursday when they went to a Rogers home to arrest a man wanted on drug charges.
... Investigators found 32 grams of opium valued at $180 to $200 per quarter gram, [Sheriff Keith] Ferguson said at a news conference Friday.
Creepy
Would you trust this guy?MIAMI (Reuters) - A 76-year-old man claiming to be a doctor went door-to-door in a Florida neighborhood offering free breast exams, and was charged with sexually assaulting two women who accepted the offer, police said on Thursday.
Gallows humor
Reuters finds it way up north:"Last year someone saw a mosquito," said a bemused Paul Attagootak, a hunter living in the hamlet of Resolute Bay some 2,100 miles northwest of Ottawa and 555 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
KPBI to broadcast 'Prison Break,' '24'
Wednesday at 9, 10 p.m., respectively. Thanks to Tom Shannon, GM, for that info -- technical problem, he said. In the past 15 minutes they have restored FOX programming, so it looks like "American Idol" is a go tonight.
Nationalization of local stories
See Atrios here. Remember 2001? Remember all the hand-wringing about "why do they hate us?" after 9/11? Well, one reason they hated us was because so many of us didn't even know they hated us. And remember what CNN devoted so much time to covering in the summer of 2001? Chandra Levy. This is a fifth-consecutive-day story.
Great things about marriage
No 'Prison Break,' '24' for us
Equity Broadcasting's KPBI, what passes for a FOX affiliate in this neck of the woods, for some reason ran UPN programming tonight, depriving Northwest Arkansas viewers of "Prison Break" and "24." We hadn't missed an episode of "PB" or of (this season's) "24." We asked the station GM why via e-mail; we don't expect a reply. Is that OK with FOX? Ditto asking FOX.
Speaking of sick freaks
Michelle Malkin and her idiotic acolytes are plumbing uncharted depths. There should be consequences for such cowardly behavior. Of course, because they are cowards, their death threats are as empty as their souls and minds, but if someone threatens your life, you are quite justified in taking their threat seriously and defending yourself.
93
This is ridiculous. It's April.
Sick freaks
In The American Prospect, Robert Dreyfuss overturns the rock where Dick Cheney's staff hides. There was speculation earlier that W would jettison the unpopular veep. Don't bet on it. Why would Cheney leave? He gets to make all the decisions and has no accountability. Who'd give that up?
Liars
Ron Brownstein tells the truth about Frist and Hastert re: their lies about the Democrats and the immigration bill.
We're rich
In just three days, we have won €1 million and $2.5 million in separate Dutch lotteries, according to our e-mail. Oddly enough, the e-mail messages originated in Slovakia and Italy, respectively.
'The party of ideas'
That's what Republicans like to call the GOP. Here they are:WASHINGTON (AP) -- Protection of marriage amendment? Check. Anti-flag burning legislation? Check. New abortion limits? Check.
Between now and the November elections, Republicans are penciling in plans to take action on social issues important to religious conservatives, the foundation of the GOP base, as they defend their congressional majority.
Will people ever wise up?
Media trend-spotting
This may look like the end of this storyline ...NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The black bear believed to have attacked a family at a popular mountaintop campground, killing a 6-year-old girl, was caught on Sunday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
... but then there's this:BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- A 7-year-old boy hiking with his family was attacked Saturday by a mountain lion. The cat was later killed by a wildlife officer.
Bear, lion -- our money's on a wolf attack next, maybe a gator.
Yep, they're insane
The Union of Concerned Scientists describes the effects of what our Dr. Strangeloves are considering doing to Iran -- and Afghanistan, Pakistan, India etc.via MyDD.
Dumbass
Mike Irwin, KFSM sports director:"The largest crowd in decades turned out for Razorfest ..."
Fourth edition.
Go
It looks like the Italians are going to have to give Berlusconi, who should be in jail anyway, the Mussolini treatment to get rid of him.
Wednesday?
Dead air:Due to technical problems with the KHOG transmitter, Channel 29 is off the air. Cable and satellite viewers will see no loss of service, but we apologize to our over-the-air viewers. KHOG should be up and operational by Wednesday. KHBS, Channel 40 is unaffected. We’re very sorry for any inconvenience, and we thank you for your patience.
Sorry, indeed. No "Desperate Housewives" for us. Starting May 1, this crap won't be a problem, because they'll be available online. At least they'll be back for "Lost," if we can believe their "important notice."
We'll pretend we're Max
With this item that has an Arkansas angle:LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- The Arkansas Teacher Retirement System doesn't encourage its members to call phone sex lines. But that changed this week, thanks to a typo.
The retirement system sent out letters to retirees and active teachers explaining how to name beneficiaries in the event of their death, said David Malone, the association's executive director.
Some of the pages in the letter listed the correct toll-free number associated with the program, he said. But one page listed a toll-free number that brought callers to a recording of a seductive woman's voice.
"Hi, baby! Do you want to massage my feet or suck my toes?" the woman asks.
This is what's known in the trade as a back-in lede, and not a very good one at that.
Supporting the troops
Or at least their civilian leaders. Craig Cannon:
"Out of hundreds of retired generals out there ..."
We didn't think Craig was smart enough to think up this spin on his own. We were right. What about that, Dana Priest?
Certainly there are not hundreds of retired generals who were involved with Iraq planning or execution the way generals Eaton, Neubold and Batiste were. Also, despite the recent attention, it is unusual for military officers to speak up like this, particularly at that rank. It's fundamentally against the culture, as it should be really. Military officers have to accept subordination to civilian control and authority or we're in big, big trouble. That makes these statements all the more interesting.
'Several years'
Translation -- forever:BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The fortress-like compound rising beside the Tigris River here will be the largest of its kind in the world, the size of Vatican City, with the population of a small town, its own defense force, self-contained power and water, and a precarious perch at the heart of Iraq's turbulent future.
... State Department spokesman Justin Higgins defended the size of the embassy, old and new, saying it's indicative of the work facing the United States here.
"It's somewhat self-evident that there's going to be a fairly sizable commitment to Iraq by the U.S. government in all forms for several years," he said in Washington.
We can't expect our bureaucrats to live on our permanent bases. They're in the middle of the desert.
