Late Final
Late Final
Search for    
Mepham Coach Compares Sex Assault of Kids to 9/11

Several Mepham, Long Island football coaches who were fired in the aftermath of last summer's sexual assault by some of their players against others are suing, trying to get their jobs back.

One of them, insisting coaches shouldn't be blamed, invoked the circumstances surrounding 9/11 in remarks to Newsday:

"That's not a foreseeable action. Nine-eleven was not a foreseeable action. Columbine was not a foreseeable action."

In all fairness, he teaches gym, not history.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  31 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (1)
0

WMD: The News You Might Not Have Heard


While everyone was busy playing, "Will She Or Won't She Testify?" Charles Duelfer, who took over the Iraq Survey Group from David Kay, testified yesterday before Congress.

So you might have missed this:

"Much data related to Iraq’s WMD programs has been gathered," Duelfer said. "It is clear that Iraq was in violation of UN Resolutions, including UNSCR 1441."

You also may have missed Duelfer say:

Iraqi officials tell us hundreds of officers from multiple directorates were tasked to monitor the UN officials, employing a spectrum of capabilities from human to electronic surveillance. Elaborate plans were developed and rehearsed to enable sensitive sites to be able to hide sensitive documents and equipment on as little as 15 minutes notice. Iraqi intelligence engaged in a worldwide effort to collect intelligence on the UN, including efforts to recruit sources inside the UN, UNSCOM and UNMOVIC.

And this:

ISG has also determined that it was conducting research that would be important for a biological weapons program. For example, we are continuing to examine research on Bacillus thuringiensis that was conducted until March 2003. This material is a commercial biopesticide, but it also can be used as a surrogate for the anthrax bacterium for production and weapons development purposes.

And this:

With respect to chemical production, Iraq was working up to March 2003 to construct new facilities for the production of chemicals. There were plans under the direction of a leading nuclear scientist/WMD program manager to construct plants capable of making a variety of chemicals and producing a year’s supply of any chemical in a month. This was a crash program. Most of the chemicals specified in this program were conventional commercial chemicals, but a few are considered “dual use.” One we are examining, commonly called DCC (N,N-Dicyclohexyl carbodiimide), was used by Iraq before 1991 as a stabilizing agent for the nerve agent VX.

And this:

New information has been discovered relating to long-range ballistic missile development and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Missiles and UAVs were flight tested that easily exceeded the UN limit of 150 kilometers. More than that, the Iraqi regime was developing technology to extend one of their ballistic missile’s range beyond 150 kilometers with changes to airframes and fuels. Discussions were underway with North Korea regarding technology associated with a 1,300 km system—presumably the No Dong. Other foreign support was being used or solicited.

Iraq was developing a variety of UAVs using inertial navigation systems and navigation using GPS. New information on the L-29 based UAV has also been developed.

And, last but not least, this:

A variety of foreign companies with high-level political connections acted as middlemen to import technology into Iraq for missile and UAV development. These actions clearly violated UN sanctions.

These weren't just university professors testing out scientific theories. These programs were being developed by the very people who do this.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  31 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (1)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

The 53-minute Air America Rapid Review

This quick survey, via the New York Radio Message Board, on the debut hour of Air America and Al Franken's new radio program:

This guy sounds like he's been doing radio for years. Funny, relaxed, warm, friendly, good bits...and not over the top like Limbaugh and Hannity. This show is great!

Which was countered by this:

We can't be listening to the same show. This is the worst radio I've ever heard.

Did you expect anything other than 100 percent, modern-political-dialogue-approved divergence of opinion on this?

For what it's worth, Air America's web site was linking to a streaming webcast of the programming. However, as Jay Caruso pointed out, the stream wasn't exactly working all that well.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  31 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

A Million Bucks Worth of Harassment

New York State has just passed the $1 million mark in fines levied against telemarketers who have violated the state's "Do Not Call" Telemarketing law:

Settlements with telemarketers are negotiated after a telemarketer is informed by the CPB that complaints have been lodged against them. Christine Brohme and Carmin Turco, Manhattan residents whose complaints led to some of these settlements, attended today's news conference.

Ms. Brohme said, “I first heard about the 'Do Not Call Registry' in 2000. I immediately signed up. I was almost looking forward to the first call from a telemarketer so that I could finally have some control over the situation and do something about the calls. It has been very rewarding to file the complaints and to actually get rid of the annoying calls.”

So now we all wait for the "Do Not Spam" law to come down the pike.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  31 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

NY Times Correction du Jour

It's a small world - especially when it comes to food and the New York restaurant industry as the dreaded "Editor's Note" in today's Times' corrections column points out:

Editors' Note

A restaurant review in the Dining section last Wednesday about Spice Market, on West 13th Street in Manhattan, awarded it three stars. The writer was Amanda Hesser, The Times's interim restaurant critic.

Last May, before her assignment to that post, Ms. Hesser published a book, "Cooking for Mr. Latte," that was praised in a jacket blurb by the restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who later opened Spice Market.

He wrote: "Amanda Hesser's charming personality shines as the reader experiences the life and loves of a New York City gourmet. `Cooking for Mr. Latte' is perfectly seasoned with sensuality and superb recipes." The review should have disclosed that background. (Go to Article)

Actually, if her editors had known Vongerichten had written jacket copy for Hesser's book, would she even have drawn the assignment at all? And how was the assignment determined? There are an awful lot of restaurants in Manhattan.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  31 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

John Kerry: Self-Hating Oil Baron

Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, today launched a political line of attack against President Bush and Vice President Cheney, assailing what he suggests are their interests in Big Oil. In a note to supporters, his campaign says:

There's one thing you can say for President Bush: He sticks to what he knows.

Take his new Energy Plan, for example. The whole plan, the entire strategy for reversing our dependence on foreign fuel, for preserving our way of life, for saving our wilderness, and for promoting clean energy for the future of our planet can be sumed up in one word:

Oil.

And he didn't just say "oil." In his campaign's note, he says "oil" in big, blotchy scare letters.

One thing the note failed to say: the Kerry family has as much as a couple of extra million dollars in its portfolio today because of its wheeling and dealing - during the Bush Administration - in oil stock.

According to Kerry's financial disclosure forms on file at OpenSecrets.Org:

- Kerry's family pocketed as much as $1 million in dividends and capital gains from its holdings of ExxonMobil stock in 2002, according to disclosures filed last year;

- Kerry's family pocketed as much as $1 million in dividends and capital gains from its holdings in Imperial Oil in 2002, according to the same disclosures;

- Kerry's family pocketed as much as $50,000 in capital gains from its holdings in BP Amoco stock in 2002, according to those disclosures.

For a candidate who seeks to use big, blotchy scare letters to accuse his political rival of favoring Big Oil interests, he seems to have forgotten that his family has been part of those interests.

That's OK. It seems from studying his financial disclosures that his family - after making a cool couple of mil - no longer has such a strong interest in Big Oil. What better timing, then, to call for more conservation and regulation?

By Ed Moltzen  ·  30 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (2)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Condi Quiet = Mad Condi. Condi Talking = Happy Condi

The editorial decisions that CNN.com editors make are fascinating.

Here is a photo of National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice that CNN.com ran earlier this week, when the White House was invoking executive privilege and blocking her testimony before the 9/11 investigation commission.

Here is a photo that CNN.com is running this morning, now that she's agreed to Democratic demands to testify.

Just saying, is all.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  30 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (1)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Boiling Rice

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice will testify before the 9/11 commission.

Atrios: "The issue of whether or not Condi should testify was never the issue. The point is, if you're still awake, what she'll say and how it fits in with what she's said before, and with what Richard Clarke has said."

Michele Catalano: "Call me crazy, but I think this is the worst thing that could happen to the Democrats."

According to the polls, this issue is doing about as much damage to President Bush as the "National Guard Scandal."

By Ed Moltzen  ·  30 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Admit It: Everybody Hates Us Now

Paula Zahn to Victoria Clarke, last night on CNN:

ZAHN: Tory, you get the last word, and a brief one at that. Do you concede we are more hated today as a nation than ever before?

To her credit, Clarke didn't respond by shaking her head and letting out a belly laugh of disbelief. She answered:

CLARKE: No. (ed- Followed by a pregnant, five-second, incredulous pause.)I don't. I just don't concede that at all because, if you look at the facts and you look at where people put their actions and their deeds, not their words, you have some 90 nations that are working with us in the global war on terror. You have about five dozen countries that supported us and helped us in the invasion of Iraq. You have over 30 countries that have troops in there now. So I don't concede that.

Yes. You can double check the transcript. Paula Zahn really did ask, with a straight face: "Do you concede we are more hated today as a nation than ever before?"

By Ed Moltzen  ·  30 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Score One For The Brits!

Scotland Yard foils what could have been a massively bloody terror rampage through London:

Eight men have been arrested today on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Details of the arrests are as follows - two in Uxbridge one each in Ilford, Horley and Slough and three in Crawley. They will be interviewed by officers from the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch. This operation is not linked to either Irish Republican terrorism or to the recent attack in Madrid. The men who have been arrested are all British citizens. They are aged between 17 and 32.

While London cops don't specify the background of the suspects, they say this:

As we have said on many occasions in the past, we in the police service know that the overwhelming majority of the Muslim community are law abiding and completely reject all forms of violence. We have a responsibility to all communities to investigate suspected terrorist activity.

This story will likely develop throughout the day. Check The Command Post for more details.

MORE: BBC is reporting the suspects are thought to be of Pakistani descent.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  30 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Lighting A Fire Under The Party Faithful

Gallup finds that Mr. Electability may need some surrogates to help get out the vote, because the numbers show he's not exactly inspiring them yet:

Indeed, Gallup also finds that Democratic voters are less likely to score as "likely voters" than they were in February and March. And as a result, the presidential race among likely voters is now very similar to where it stands among registered voters. Among the 50% of Americans deemed most likely to vote this fall, Bush holds a four-point lead over (Sen. John) Kerry, 51% vs. 47%

After two years of nonstop attacks, criticism and conspiracy theories (National Guard, Richard Clarke, most recently), President Bush still maintains a 56 percent approval rating with the public and a lead over his Democratic rival.

Kerry's base is withering in its support after a week in which President Bush's opponents rolled out their most unrelenting, coordinated attack against the president to date. Maybe Americans really are sick of the negativity?

And while Kerry was taking a vacation over at The Alps Of The Heartland, this was happening:

One of the more striking findings in the new poll is the increased public perception that Kerry is "too liberal." Four in 10 Americans (41%) now take this view, up from 29% in late January. At the same time, the percentage saying Kerry's views are "about right" has dropped from 46% to 37%.

Perhaps a conservative Democrat as Kerry's VP choice on the ticket might counterbalance that perception. The only problem, though, is that he's already spoken for.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  30 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

NY Times Correction du Jour

The Times has enough lawyers on retainer to make one wonder how this could get through:

A news analysis article in Business Day yesterday about the jury deliberation in the Tyco trial misstated a comment by Ronald P. Fischetti and referred incorrectly to his background. Mr. Fischetti has been a defense lawyer in other white-collar cases; he is not a former prosecutor. He said it was the prosecution, not the defense, that had the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants were guilty of crimes.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  30 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Death of a Scandal

Bloomberg is reporting the latest Gallup numbers:

The survey, conducted after former counter-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke testified before a Sept. 11 investigative panel, found the percentage of people who approved of the way the president is handling the threat of terrorism fell to 58 percent from 65 percent in December. The president's overall job approval still rose four points to 53 percent, the highest in more than a year.

Now, Drudge has picked up on a Freeper posting about Clarke's refusal to testify before Congress in 1999, citing a Clinton Administration legal opinion and executive privilege claim.

The Clarke Affair has officially gone "National Guard" on us.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  29 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

One School At A Time

New York State has just completed what seems to be a top-to-bottom review of how to reform the state's education system.

It provides a number of recommendations - including up to $6 billion in extra spending that would model the spending habits of the state's most successful schools. But there's also an "accountability and authority" component to the plan:

The link between funding and performance is accountability. The recommendations in this report strengthen that link by advancing a framework of accountability with appropriate standards, sanctions and remedies to be applied if the desired performance and progress are not achieved. The Commission has reviewed past attempts at macro reform and concluded that the only effective approach is one school at a time.

Read: The state should giveth and the state should taketh away - especially from school districts and teachers that don't pass muster. And instead of lumping "the education system" into one, unwieldy sack, it would make an evaluation "one school at a time."

Uproar to commence any moment now.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  29 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

"I'd Say Look It, Trust Me"

The Bush-Cheney '04 Campaign is releasing a new radio ad, featuring a Boston cop talking about the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry. Here are a couple of excerpts:

John Kerry has been my Senator for 20 years. Now he�s running for President. You might want to know him the way some of us in Massachusetts do. Take his record on taxes. John Kerry likes to raise taxes. So much so he�s voted for higher taxes 350 times�I�m a working guy with six kids. The last thing I need is another Kerry tax increase...

I�d say look it, trust me, John Kerry likes to raise taxes.

(If it were a New York cop, instead of "look it," it'd be more like, "John Kerry likes to raise taxes. Yeah, huh?")

It'd be interesting to see if, in response, Kerry releases an ad with a Texas Ranger complaining about U.S.-France diplomacy.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  29 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)
0

When Voice Mail Goes Bad

A message was left on the Late Final voice mail - probably in error - with the following message (names will be left out to protect the innocent):

This message is for (XXXXXX XXXXX). This is (XXXXXXX) from (Company With A Lot Of Initials In The Name), calling regarding your message for Janet Jackson's party. I wanted to see, um, who you'd be shooting for. Please give me a call - 212-XXX-XXXX. Thank you. Bye.

Possible answer?

"I'll be shooting for Michael Powell and the FCC. Can I still get in?"

By Ed Moltzen  ·  29 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)
0

"Oh Barf"

newsweek2.jpg
Richard Clarke: American Hero, or bitter, middle-management flunky?

Newsweek's piece on the 9/11 commission investigation points this out:

A senior administration official who worked closely with former counterterror chief Richard Clarke and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice tells Newsweek that Clarke, "resented working for Condi." "As a result, he would not come to our staff meetings." The official showed Newsweek several internal White House e-mails from the winter and spring of 2001.

In one, a staffer pointedly informs Clarke, "Condi noted your absence this morning." In an e-mail to Rice, the staffer quotes Clarke's response: "Oh Barf. Shut up. I'll talk to Condi." Clarke tells Newsweek, the complaints were "trivial" and says he was sending junior staffers to her meetings to give them "face time" with her. His disputes with Rice were over policy, "never personal," he says.

That's what all this has been about? Petty office politics? Some day, all of these records and emails will be made public at the George W. Bush Presidential Library. And then history can judge.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  29 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (5)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Sopranos Rewind: Feech, We Hardly Knew Ye

sopranosrewind.jpg
Robert Loggia had a fun, four-episode run on The Sopranos this season.

Series producer, David Chase, must have thought the strong-willed, hard-headed, blathering "back-in-the-day" style of character Feech LaManna wasn't strong enough to last beyond that. But so what? Frankie Valli's here!

The falsetto is now on The Sopranos, after making his debut last night as a Florida-based mob captain aligned with "Little Carmine." Johnny Sack could be in for big trouble.

But the jury is still out on the main theme of last night's episode - the teen-age hijinks of A.J. Soprano, and his rebellion toward his mother over the breakup with Tony. It was dark at times, weird at others (like when A.J. is apparently happy to hear he's "learning disabled," since it would give him unlimited time to complete his S.A.T.s), and hilarious at others (i.e. his face Krazy Glued to a hotel room carpet.)

The A.J. thread to the show seemed almost a diversion from the apparent mob war that's just getting under way between the Johnny Sack faction of the New York mob family, and the Little Carmine faction.

Let's hope next week brings us more Frankie Valli, and less Robert Iler.

MORE: Jeffrey Goldberg provides his take on last night's episode, plus a look at one actor's walk-on during one of its funnier scenes.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  29 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

The Average Family

Gallup's report today looks at what Americans believe to be the ideal family size, and the "ideal" number of children per family:

Today, a slight majority (52%) says having one or two children is best, while 38% say three or more. An additional 1% say the ideal size is zero.

Left out of the equation is the well-known fact that two children can sound like eight. Also, Gallup fails to explain whether the 1 percent who think zero kids is the "ideal size" actually have kids, or not.

It also doesn't explain if, for those parents who were questioned, whether the polling was done before or after the kids were asleep for the night. Methodology, folks, methodology.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  29 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

European Political Success Strategy: Fight The U.S.

Oh wait. Maybe not:

There was jubilation at the French socialist party's headquarters and a hero's welcome for their leader Francois Hollande on Sunday night as the left gained 50% of the vote.

It was a humiliation for President Jacques Chirac's centre-right government, one which few on the left dared hope for after their massive defeat in presidential elections two years ago.

The BBC also reports, "...(T)he atmosphere at his party headquarters was subdued to say the least. The celebratory red wine was left almost untouched on the tables."

In Europe, Bush hatred could, over time, give way to hatred of inflation and unemployment - both of which are much worse than in the U.S.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  28 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (1)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Dead Even

Rasmussen Reports now sees the presidential race as even money between President Bush and Sen. Kerry: 45 percent to 45 percent with 3 percent favoring "another candidate."

Kerry was actually leading in the race for a few days, while he was on vacation. Since he's been back campaigning he's lost three points in the polls while President Bush gained back a point. The less Kerry speaks, the better he does - according to the polls, anyway.

Look for Kerry's campaign to pick up another point or two this week, as the senator and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee takes another four-day hiatus - this time for minor surgery to his shoulder.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  28 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Unilateralist Presidency Update

From Nick Childs, the BBC's Pentagon correspondent:

...(T)here is no doubt that both the US and Pakistan are continuing their efforts to squeeze the remnants of al-Qaeda and the Taleban in the key border area which separates Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Co-operation between the US and Pakistani militaries on this front has never been closer.

It's a shame the Bush Administration has squandered the good will of the entire world in the aftermath of 9/11.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  28 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Godzilla Attacks Japan

The Yankees beat the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo today, with Hideki Matsui hitting a home run in his first AB in Japan since signing with the Bronx Bombers.

The 2004 season starts in a couple of days.

Let's play ball.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  28 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)
0

NY Times Correction du Jour

He's not a WASP, he just plays one on TV!

An article last Sunday about similarities between George W. Bush and John Kerry referred incorrectly in some copies to their ethnic backgrounds. Mr. Kerry was raised as a Catholic; they are not both WASP's, or White Anglo-Saxon Protestants.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  28 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

A Day Late And 800,000 Lives Short

A decade after genocide in Rwanda took the lives of 800,000 men, women and children, U.N. Secretary General is finally stepping up to the plate and taking some of the blame:

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who headed the UN's peacekeeping department during the three months of massacres that claimed some 800,000 lives, said this blighted moment in history had deeply impacted him personally. At the time, he pressed dozens of countries to contribute troops. "I believed that I was doing my best, but I realized after the genocide that there was more that I could and should have done to sound the alarm and rally support," he said.

He could have gotten more troops, but it's unclear what good it would have done. Annan was reluctant to have peacekeepers keep the peace. In one incident, he personally ordered Belgian U.N. peacekeepers to stand down from the site of a Rwandan school house after some French nationals were evacuated. The remaining, 2,000 Rwandan men, women and children who had gone there believing the U.N. troops would protect them were left to watch those same troops simply walk away once the French were rescued. (Source: Independent Investigation Into U.N.'s Role In the Rwanda Genocide.)

After the Belgians left, Rwandan militants came in, slaughtered all 2,000 of the civilians, and threw their bodies down an embankment.

Opponents of President Bush believe the U.S. should obtain the approval of these same U.N. leaders before defending American lives.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  27 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Hey You Kids, Get A Room

Speaking of Iran, they're getting sort of touchy-feely with North Korea, according to Iranian President Khatami's web site:

Tehran, March 25, IRNA -- President Mohammad Khatami said here on Thursday that the Islamic Republic of Iran approves Pyongyang`s efforts for establishment of peace and unity between two Koreas. Receiving credentials of new North Korean ambassador to Tehran Kim Chong Ryong here on Thursday, President Khatami said the Islamic Republic of Iran and North Korea want to remain independent and free by reliance on their nations.

Anybody getting this down?

By Ed Moltzen  ·  27 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Secret Action Against Iran

No additional details have emerged to shed light on what Richard Clarke meant when he said the U.S. took "covert action" against Iran as a result of that government's involvement in the Khobar Towers bombing.

Did we kill a mullah?
Did we slit the throats of terrorist operatives?
Did we seize one of their bank accounts?
Did we send them a "we know what you did!" letter?

"Covert action" could be anything. Did we at least get an eye for an eye? The U.S. lost 19 brave servicemen in that attack in 1996. Iran hired the terrorists and paid their meals and expenses. President Clinton wouldn't even call up the Saudi government after the attack to get their help in letting the FBI interview witnesses. Instead, we hear from Dick Clarke, "covert action" took place.

As long as folks are asking for Clarke's previous congressional testimony to be declassified, why not declassify what covert action was taken against Iran?

Iran is the country that practically invented terrorist attacks against Americans. And they've never been covert about it, either.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  27 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Poll-a-palooza

Most Americans still think it was worth going to war in Iraq. Two-thirds of Americans think President Clinton didn't take terrorism as seriously as he should have, and almost as many think President Bush has taken it as seriously as he should have.

About half of Americans, when asked, say Richard Clarke has acted like a personal and political opportunist.

That's all according to the weekly Newsweek poll, we now hear.

So any Clarke Bounce that Sen. John Kerry may have gotten in his bid to unseat President Bush seems to have not lasted very long. In a three-way race, according to Newsweek, President Bush leads Kerry 45 percent to 43 percent, with Ralph Nader holding steady at 5 percent.

And the Rasmussen Report, which is ignoring Nader, has found that while Kerry did get a bit of a boost during the days before, during and after Clarke's testimony to the 9/11 investigation commission, that boost has gone bust.

What does it all mean? It looks like Clarke's allegations were enough to get a lot of attention. But, eventually, that attention brought into focus Clarke's motivations of greed (his book deal), retribution (he was demoted by the Bush Administration) and politics (one of his best friends is Kerry's top foreign policy advisor).

The big winners last week seems to have been the pollsters. The big losers? Well, take your pick.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  27 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)
0

A Long Hot Spring, Summer and Fall

Matt Margolis, a supporter of the president, was attacked, by anti-Bush protesters at a rally.

When members of the "pro-peace" faction start assaulting people - when they start applauding mass murder - it's time to stop and take stock.

Do these people really want peace, or do they just want to win an argument? And if they can't win an argument on the merits, you can see what happens. If they're playing a game of chess, and start losing, they'll knock all the pieces off the board and run away.

In 1968, the street violence didn't really start until the political conventions. This year, the "peaceniks" are getting in a little Spring Training.

Get ready for a long, hot, spring, summer and fall.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  27 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (1)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Here's The Deal, See

bush ad.jpg
Ross Perot, who backed then-Gov. George Bush for president in 2000, is, evidently, backing him again - according to campaign finance records.

Meanwhile, there's a new set of Bush-Cheney campaign commercials that will be hitting the airwaves, including one that raps Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, for his votes in the Senate to increase taxes on Social Security benefits, as well as for the 50-cent-per-gallon federal gas tax.

For voters to be reminded that an almost-billionaire like Kerry voted to increase one of the most regressive federal taxes on the books might actually go some distance toward erasing the memory of Richard A. Clarke in their minds.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  26 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (1)
0

Secret Action Against Iran

A little-covered portion of Richard A. Clarke's written statement to the 9/11 commission this week:

The Clinton Administration responded to Iraqi terrorism against the US in 1993 with a military retaliation and against Iranian terrorism against the US in 1996 at Khobar Towers with a covert action. Both US responses were accompanied by warning that further anti-US terrorism would result in greater retaliation. Neither Iraq nor Iran engaged in anti-US terrorism subsequently.

Covert action against Iran? Could it have been so covert, not even then-FBI Director Louis Freeh knew about it? Here is how Freeh described the Clinton Administration's actions in response to the Khobar Towers bombings, which killed 19 U.S. servicemen and wounded another 400:

In order to return an indictment and bring these terrorists to American justice, it became essential that FBI agents be permitted to interview several of the participating Hezbollah terrorists who were detained in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the interviews was to confirm--with usable, co-conspirator testimonial evidence--the Iranian complicity that Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan and the Mabaheth had already relayed to us. (For the record, the FBI's investigation only succeeded because of the real cooperation provided by Prince Bandar and our colleagues in the Mabaheth.) FBI agents had never before been permitted to interview firsthand Saudis detained in the kingdom.

Unfortunately, the White House was unable or unwilling to help the FBI gain access to these critical witnesses. The only direction from the Clinton administration regarding Iran was to order the FBI to stop photographing and fingerprinting official Iranian delegations entering the U.S. because it was adversely impacting our "relationship" with Tehran. We had argued that the MOIS was using these groups to infiltrate its agents into the U.S.

After months of inaction, I finally turned to the former President Bush, who immediately interceded with Crown Prince Abdullah on the FBI's behalf.

Covert action didn't take care of the terrorists who carried out the bombing; Freeh was still trying to hunt them down until his last day in office. And it certainly didn't scare off other terrorists who have continued to plan to attack U.S. citizens.

And if there was a covert action against those reponsible for the bombing, why keep Freeh out of the loop? Why let him twist in the Clinton Administration's diplomatic netherworld?

Not all chapters of the Khobar Towers bombing case have yet been written, eight years after the fact.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  26 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Why Mickey Kaus Is Required Reading

You won't find stuff like this anywhere else:

The Axis of Ex-es Strikes: It's a good sign when your ex-girlfriends like you, no? Well, if you go to Fundrace.org and punch in the name of the actress Morgan Fairchild, who once dated John Kerry, you'll discover she gave money to ... Dean! .. Gephardt! ... Edwards! ... everyone except Kerry! ... [Thanks to reader M.V.] 10:16 A.M.

How many votes would Kerry get if it became widely known he once dated Morgan Fairchild? (Or it might just remind people of that great, lying Jon Lovitz character from Saturday Night Live - Joey Finagin - who would frequently refer to his "wife, Morgan Fairchild...whom I've seen naked.")

Kerry, by the way, is expected today to reveal his strategy for creating 10 million new jobs. He'll be webcasting the speech from his web site.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  26 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

NY Times Correction Du Jour

You say "agog," I say "aghast..."

Because of an editing error, an article yesterday about New Yorkers' responses to the Washington hearings on the 9/11 terror attacks referred incorrectly to the reaction of Julie Talen, a writer and director. She said she was gratified at the testimony of Richard A. Clarke, the former counterterrorism official. The word intended by the writer was "agog," not "aghast."

By Ed Moltzen  ·  26 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Here Come The Reinforcements

More Marines are on their way to the theater of operations in Afghanistan:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will add nearly 2,000 Marines with special operations training to the 11,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan to boost security and intensify the hunt for al Qaeda and Taliban fugitives, defense officials said on Thursday.

It appears as if the troops are being sent in to prepare for both Afghanistan elections as well as for what could be another offensive against al Qaeda and Taliban. From today's Pentagon briefing, Gen. Richard Myers said:

A couple of events happening in Afghanistan that we want to ensure there's appropriate security for -- as you know, they're going to elections sometime this summer, perhaps late summer. The date I think is still being negotiated between the U.N. and the Afghan population, international community. And we want to make sure that that event goes well. There are still pockets of Taliban and al Qaeda that need to be dealt with. And that's what you're seeing. And I'll get you -- we'll get you the exact numbers.

Q But as far as the members of the 22nd MEU, this is not just a rotation. They are being added to the force for security in the hunt and whatever.

GEN. MYERS: Right. And I said -- as I said earlier, in the first part of that statement, that numbers -- the numbers do go up and down. If you check over time they have gone up and they have gone down, and they'll probably continue to do that as the situation on the ground dictates.

The special operations forces, and now the new contingent of Marines, would appear to be two tips on two separate spears. Two thousand new Marines might be a conservative number.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  25 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)
0

The Next Best Thing To Being There?

springbreak2.jpg
EarthCam has assembled a listing of Spring Break web cams from Florida and Mexico. All in all, it seems a lot less exciting than the news clippings.

Or maybe it just doesn't get interesting until the sun goes down.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  25 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Treo 600 At Six Months

Anyone interested in buying a Treo 600 should take a look at this review by Amy Langfield, who provides one of the most detailed looks at the device you could want. She's been using the Treo 600 for six months and is able to say - with authority and detail - what works well and what doesn't.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  25 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Going On Background: A Look At The Rules

Non-journalists and spin doctors seem to be playing hard-and-fast with the rules for what constitutes binding "off-the-record" or "background" relationships between reporters and sources, so this may be worth a look.

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey, a member of the 9/11 investigating commission, ripped into Fox News Channel yesterday for publishing a transcript of a "background briefing" former White House counterterroism chief Richard Clarke gave reporters in 2002. Kerrey said:

I mean, Fox should say "occasionally fair and balanced" after putting something like this out.

(LAUGHTER)

Because they violated a serious trust.

(APPLAUSE)

All of us that come into this kind of an environment and provide background briefings for the press I think will always have this as a reminder that sometimes it isn't going to happen, that it's background.

Sometimes, if it suits their interest, they're going to go back, pull the tape, convert it into transcript and send it out in the public arena and try to embarrass us or discredit us.

So I object to what they've done, and I think it's an unfortunate thing they did.

Josh Marshall, who has taken up amazing amounts of bandwidth with his voluminous writing about the Clarke affair, asks:

Can we un-background Bob Novak's Plame sources too?

Here are standard, time-tested rules for the reporter-source contract when it comes to confidentiality: The reporter provides confidentiality. The source provides the truth. If the source is caught lying or intentionally misleading, all bets are off.

In these cases - which, thankfully, are rare - it can be a judgment call as to whether to remove the cloak of confidentiality from a source. In this case, with enough stark contradictions between Clarke's August, 2002 "background" briefing and his book and testimony, Fox could make a fair - even balanced - argument that Clarke voided his part of the contract.

In the Plame affair, Novak evidently believes his source didn't lie to him or intentionally deceive him.

(It's also worth noting that Novak has removed confidentiality from a high-profile source within the past few years. On July 12, 2001, Novak wrote:

Three and half-years ago, I reported that a veteran FBI agent resigned and retired after refusing a demand by Attorney General Janet Reno to give the Justice Department the names of top secret sources in China. My primary source was FBI agent Robert Hanssen.

Hanssen, of course, was later convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and Russia across the span of decades. Novak explained that he very reluctantly revealed his source. "When my source was revealed as a spy, my first fear was that I had been the victim of disinformation by a truly evil man." The uniqueness of the China story, combined with Hanssen's own extraordinary and damaging actions, compelled Novak to pull back Hanssen's confidentiality.

So far, nothing as unique or sinister has popped up with Novak's Plame story - despite all the hype. Here is how Novak explained his source in the Plame story:

During a long conversation with a senior administration official, I asked why Wilson was assigned the mission to Niger. He said Wilson had been sent by the CIA's counterproliferation section at the suggestion of one of its employees, his wife. It was an offhand revelation from this official, who is no partisan gunslinger.

)

The bottom line is that when a reporter offers a source confidentiality, the source has to deliver honesty and the truth. Otherwise, it's a breach of contract. There are no blanket guarantees when it comes to "off the record" and "background" deals. Just like there are no blanket guarantees a source will tell the truth.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  25 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

But Do They Give Out Those Cool, 3D Glasses?

A production company is posting a casting notice for a new reality show for The Discovery Channel, that will feature 3D elements. Which, given the subject matter, could be somewhat frightening:

Category: Reality TV/Documentary

SEXY COUPLES, SCIENCE PROGRAM

Seeking: sexy couples to appear in the science program "Anatomy of Orgasm" for the Discovery Channel. Need couples to talk uninhibitedly about sex lives. 3-D visualizations will be incorporated. Lo/no pay. Visit www.anatomicaltravel.com... Tiger/Tigress Productions, LLC casting. (First posted 3/24)

"Lo/no pay?" But the ridicule and scornful stares from friends, family and the church choir could be priceless...

(Via Backstage.com, subscription required.)

By Ed Moltzen  ·  25 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

NY Times Correction Du Jour

It seems The Times had to respond to a little whining from the Kerry camp:

An article on Saturday about John Kerry's voting record in the Senate misspelled the surname of a Washington lawyer and former Kerry aide who described the senator's complexity as right for the times. He is Jonathan Winer, not Wiener.

An article on March 6 about Senator Kerry's positions on divisive campaign issues referred incorrectly to a comment cited by Mr. Winer. He said Mr. Kerry quoted the writer André Gide in saying, "Don't try to understand me too quickly" — not "Don't try to understand me too much." (Go to Article)

Evidently, they didn't on either count.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  25 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

School Supplies for Iraqi Kids

Actor Gary Sinise is spearheading an effort to deliver donated school supplies to Iraqi children.

He's teamed up with Laura Hillenbrand, author of "Seabiscuit," to roll out Operation Iraqi Children.

During an appearance on the Sean Hannity radio show this afternoon, Sinise (who will be starring in the soon-to-be-produced "CSI New York") said the effort will soon offer free shipping of donated supplies - so anyone who wants to donate just needs to cover the cost of the supplies.

(The Hannity interview was interesting, but interrupted every 20 seconds by the host to remind Sinise, "You have to be quick, we're coming up on a break" - one of the most annoying phrases in radio syndication.)

By Ed Moltzen  ·  24 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

When Life Imitates TV Commercials (Only Not As Intelligently)

You know those hysterical Citibank identity theft T.V. commercials?

Well, it actually does happen in real life. The Nassau County District Attorney said his office has filed identity theft/credit card fraud charges against two women for faux shopping sprees on Long Island. One woman, he said, is accused of

"using an address in Roosevelt to engage in the theft and use of several identities. She opened a mail order account for ‘Eastbay,’ a sports equipment company, using the identity of a Rockville Centre woman, then used that account on December 6, 2002, to purchase Puma sneakers and other clothing for $392.

She obtained a credit card in the name of the same Rockville Centre victim, using it on May 30, 2003 to purchase a vacuum and accessories for $528.23. (The woman) also opened a mail order account with "Shop NBC," using the name of an Oceanside woman, and used it to buy $1,123.23 in assorted jewelry between February 10 and February 27, 2003.

And she used the identity of a Jackson Heights woman to open an AT&T account, charging a $151.22 phone bill to that victim."

You think cops might have had some leads in their investigation once they got a look at the phone bill? As it turns out, the characters in those T.V. commercials may actually be a lot smarter than their real-life counterparts.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  24 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Democrats for Bush

Georgia U.S. Sen. Zell Miller has started what looks to be a vigorous "Democrats for Bush" campaign:

I have also known John Kerry for several years and I�ve considered him a friend. He served our country honorably in Vietnam, and he has served our party admirably through much of his tenure in the Senate.

But after listening to Senator Kerry over the last year or two � after hearing the agenda he�s laid out for our country � I cannot support him in his race for the presidency. There are too many issues about which John Kerry and I disagree. And there are too few similarities between John Kerry and the great Democratic leaders I�ve known.

To hardcore Democrats, Miller is loathsome. One commenter on the Democratic National Committee's blog writes:

...(P)lease tell Mr. McAuliffe that I want Zell Miller out of the Democratic Party.

NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is a traitor to our cause, and to all Democrats. Now he has started Democrats for Bush.

I want him out on his ear. I want to see the indication (R) next to his name. He is a disgrace to our party, and to my state of Georgia. He is so proud of being an ex-Marine, but he is endorsing a draft dodger like Bush over a decorated war hero like John Kerry.

With Democrats like this, who needs Republicans??

It's almost too easy, but here goes: "Certainly not Ralph Nader."

By Ed Moltzen  ·  24 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)
0

Mountain Storm Update

AP is reporting that U.S. troops are digging in in the Afghanistan mountains:

Using bulldozers to slice bunkers and a helicopter landing pad out of a mountainside, U.S. special operations forces dug in Tuesday on a peak overlooking Pakistan - fortifying the area for the intensifying battle against al-Qaida and Taliban forces.

To the casual observer, it looks like a major offensive is shaping up. Even though a "high value target" hasn't yet been captured on the Pakistani side of the border, it might be a safe bet that at least some of the 100 al Qaeda soldiers that were captured last week have provided some information that will be useful in the next stage of the campaign.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  24 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Political Dirty Trick Idea

Want to hurt your opponent in a political race? Send campaign advertising spam - on behalf of the other guy - to voters' cell phones.

Evidently, candidates are sending out cell phone spam on their own behalf in India, according to this item pointed out by Amy Langfield.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  24 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

Driving Them Nuts In Afghanistan

The bad guys really hate to hear about this stuff:

An estimated 5.5 million students are expected to return to the classroom this year, 1.5 million more than last year. And the percentage of girls attending school grew to 36 percent last year and that number is expected to further increase this year.

Since 2002 the United States has constructed and rehabilitated over 200 schools, reached 16,000 students through accelerated learning programs, trained 2,100 teachers, and distributed 10.3 million textbooks.

Today is the grand opening of the Afghan National Army Recruiting Station in Ghazni City.

Looks like Afghanistan is breeding fewer terrorists and more fifth-grade science students these days.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  24 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)
0

Can We Still Call It An "Idiot Tax?"

Can we still call the lottery "an idiot tax" if more people play the lottery than support either major candidate for president? Here's the latest from Gallup:

About half of Americans, 49%, say they have bought a lottery ticket in the past 12 months. Three in 10 Americans say they have visited a casino in the past 12 months, making it the second-most common form of gambling. Fourteen percent of Americans say they have played a video poker machine, 5% have played bingo for money, and 1% have gambled on the Internet.

That's all? Las Vegas, for example, has become very "family friendly" over the past few years. Upscale shopping in the malls at The Venetian. Roller coasters. Celine Dion. Restaurants by Wolfgang Puck. And slot machines and tables everywhere.

What's the first thing you see when you land at the airport in Vegas, and the last thing you see as you leave? Slot machines. Family recreation hasn't supplanted gambling in Las Vegas. It's become intertwined with it. It's become part of almost every local community with a Native American population.

Every major waterway has a riverboat with blackjack tables.

You can't buy a cup of coffee at 7-11 without seeing 80 million flavors of scratch-off tickets next to the cash register.

Half of all spam seems to be for Internet casinos. (Don't ask about the other half.)

If we had a federal lottery, we'd wipe out the deficit in six months. Tops. We could call it "The American Sweepstakes."

In any event, after seeing this item by Roger Simon last week, the book, The Last Honest Place In America, by Marc Cooper, was ordered. It came yesterday. So far, it looks great.

Looks like he's found a pretty strong market for his writing.

By Ed Moltzen  ·  24 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (1)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

NY Times Correction Du Jour

Hello, New York Times? This is 1993 calling...

Because of an editing error, a rock review on Saturday about Courtney Love's performance at the Bowery Ballroom used an outdated name for the television show on which she bared her breasts on Wednesday night. It is "Late Show With David Letterman" (no longer "Late Night.")

By Ed Moltzen  ·  24 March 2004
LINK  ·   Comments (0)   ·  TrackBack (0)
0

My Testimony to the 9/11 Commission

I wasn’t invited to testify before the 9/11 investigating committee, but perhaps my prepared statement can be entered into the record. Here it is:

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Commission,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address my role in the tragedy and outrage of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Much has been made about who will ultimately be blamed for America’s failure to stop al Qaeda’s attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on that crystal clear Tuesday. Today, with heavy heart, I step forward to accept blame.

As a voter, my lack of attention to the details and obvious signs began in 1993. Weeks after the first attack on the World Trade Center, when the towers reopened for business, I took it upon myself to re-prioritize. Like other voters during the 1990s, my attention was re-focused on other priorities.

Those new priorities included: Getting