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Sep. 12th, 2003
decisions, decisions
Sep. 12th, 2003 09:05 amMcClintock is polling in the double-digits, not enough to win but enough to act as the potential spoiler for Republicans by denying actor Arnold Schwarzenegger the votes he needs to defeat the most prominent Democrat in the race, Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante.
This does not bother McClintock, who reiterated his vow this week to stay in the recall race "until the finish line." He is only too happy to deconstruct Schwarzenegger, whom he describes as a mushy Republican who has surrounded himself with Democrats such as billionaire investor Warren E. Buffett and environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "That's not good company to keep," McClintock said.
"I keep reading about how the pressure on me is growing, so I must be gaining," McClintock said in an interview at his Senate offices in the Capitol. "I'm not going anywhere."
This is torturing many Republicans here.
Many of the party's conservative wing know and admire McClintock. He is one of them. He thinks illegal immigrants are overrunning the state and should be denied driver's licenses; he is against gun control and abortion and gay marriage. He was the author of the state's lethal-injection death penalty statute. And on the fiscal front, McClintock is relentless in his attacks against taxes and bureaucrats.
"But no one thinks he is going to get above 18 percent," a senior Republican lawmaker here said. "It's just killing us."
The nonpartisan California Field Poll showed Bustamante with 30 percent, Schwarzenegger with 25 percent and McClintock with 13 percent. With McClintock out, the poll had Schwarzenegger narrowly leading Bustamante, 33 percent to 31 percent, a statistical dead heat.
"It's the great conservative dilemma," said Shawn Steel, a former chairman of the state GOP. "Do we go with our hearts or our heads?"
Well, which one can you find?
I think I have a pretty good lead on your head...
This does not bother McClintock, who reiterated his vow this week to stay in the recall race "until the finish line." He is only too happy to deconstruct Schwarzenegger, whom he describes as a mushy Republican who has surrounded himself with Democrats such as billionaire investor Warren E. Buffett and environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "That's not good company to keep," McClintock said.
"I keep reading about how the pressure on me is growing, so I must be gaining," McClintock said in an interview at his Senate offices in the Capitol. "I'm not going anywhere."
This is torturing many Republicans here.
Many of the party's conservative wing know and admire McClintock. He is one of them. He thinks illegal immigrants are overrunning the state and should be denied driver's licenses; he is against gun control and abortion and gay marriage. He was the author of the state's lethal-injection death penalty statute. And on the fiscal front, McClintock is relentless in his attacks against taxes and bureaucrats.
"But no one thinks he is going to get above 18 percent," a senior Republican lawmaker here said. "It's just killing us."
The nonpartisan California Field Poll showed Bustamante with 30 percent, Schwarzenegger with 25 percent and McClintock with 13 percent. With McClintock out, the poll had Schwarzenegger narrowly leading Bustamante, 33 percent to 31 percent, a statistical dead heat.
"It's the great conservative dilemma," said Shawn Steel, a former chairman of the state GOP. "Do we go with our hearts or our heads?"
Well, which one can you find?
I think I have a pretty good lead on your head...
THE second anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks passed yesterday and President Bush pressed for greater expansion of law enforcement powers, a new advertising campaign by the American Civil Liberties Union has been rolling out to oppose the tactics and proposals of the White House.
The ads, which indirectly accuse the administration of trampling on the Bill of Rights, without actually mentioning the president, have already hit a nerve.
"It is absolutely outrageous," said Mark Corallo, a spokesman for the Justice Department. "You have men and women who are sworn to uphold the Constitution who are literally putting their lives on the line to keep us safe and our lives intact, and the A.C.L.U. is making them out to be some sort of Gestapo-like organization."
Feelings are bitter on both sides of the debate. Mr. Corallo accused the civil liberties union of trying to create an atmosphere of fear...
Oh, dear.
Now the Justice Department has boundary issues.
Creating an atmosphere of fear is apparently one of those things they're not planning to privatize.
The ads, which indirectly accuse the administration of trampling on the Bill of Rights, without actually mentioning the president, have already hit a nerve.
"It is absolutely outrageous," said Mark Corallo, a spokesman for the Justice Department. "You have men and women who are sworn to uphold the Constitution who are literally putting their lives on the line to keep us safe and our lives intact, and the A.C.L.U. is making them out to be some sort of Gestapo-like organization."
Feelings are bitter on both sides of the debate. Mr. Corallo accused the civil liberties union of trying to create an atmosphere of fear...
Oh, dear.
Now the Justice Department has boundary issues.
Creating an atmosphere of fear is apparently one of those things they're not planning to privatize.
If someone hadn't been bravely watching TV, who knows what might have happened?
In a potential clash between the federal government against a major U.S. news organization, the Justice Department may file a criminal complaint against ABC News over a story designed to reveal flaws in homeland security measures.
The story, which aired on last night's edition of "World News Tonight" and was reported by ABC News chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross and producer Rhonda Schwartz, detailed how ABC smuggled fifteen pounds of depleted uranium from Djakarta, Indonesia through the Port of Los Angeles.
The shipment, which arrived Aug. 23, was never screened and while the material was harmless, ABC News reported that bomb-grade uranium could also be shipped in a container with a "slightly" thicker lead casing.
...
Officials for the Justice Department or the Department of Homeland Defense couldn't be reached yesterday. However, Dennis Murphy, a spokesman for Homeland Security told The Associated Press, "We believe ABC News may have broken the law, and we are pursuing the appropriate course of action. It is a question whether or not journalists should be breaking the law in the pursuit of a news story. It's not right for a reporter to rob a bank to prove the bank has lax security."
Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, said, "If Homeland Security wants to prosecute, all that will do in the end is help make ABC's point - that there's a weakness in the port security system."
In a potential clash between the federal government against a major U.S. news organization, the Justice Department may file a criminal complaint against ABC News over a story designed to reveal flaws in homeland security measures.
The story, which aired on last night's edition of "World News Tonight" and was reported by ABC News chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross and producer Rhonda Schwartz, detailed how ABC smuggled fifteen pounds of depleted uranium from Djakarta, Indonesia through the Port of Los Angeles.
The shipment, which arrived Aug. 23, was never screened and while the material was harmless, ABC News reported that bomb-grade uranium could also be shipped in a container with a "slightly" thicker lead casing.
...
Officials for the Justice Department or the Department of Homeland Defense couldn't be reached yesterday. However, Dennis Murphy, a spokesman for Homeland Security told The Associated Press, "We believe ABC News may have broken the law, and we are pursuing the appropriate course of action. It is a question whether or not journalists should be breaking the law in the pursuit of a news story. It's not right for a reporter to rob a bank to prove the bank has lax security."
Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, said, "If Homeland Security wants to prosecute, all that will do in the end is help make ABC's point - that there's a weakness in the port security system."
hearts and minds
Sep. 12th, 2003 10:36 amU.S. soldiers mistakenly opened fire on a group of Iraqi policemen chasing bandits Friday, killing eight Iraqis and wounding seven others, witnesses said. It was the deadliest friendly fire incident since the end of major fighting.
Two U.S. soldiers were killed in a firefight during a raid earlier Friday in the town of Ramadi, 30 miles west of Fallujah, the military said.
The Fallujah region has been one of the most dangerous for U.S. soldiers, with support for Saddam Hussein running strong in the area.
In the Fallujah shooting, 25 policemen in two pickup trucks and a sedan were chasing a white BMW known to have been used by highway bandits, said Asem Mohammed, a 23-year-old police sergeant who was among the injured.
As the chase neared a checkpoint near the Jordanian Hospital on the west side of Fallujah, 30 miles west of Baghdad, the police turned around and an American Humvee opened fire, Mohammed said. It was not immediately clear if any shots were fired at the Americans.
"We were chasing a white BMW with bandits. We turned around in front of Jordanian Hospital and some American forces started shooting at us," Mohammed said.
Dr. Dial Jumaili, who came to treat the wounded, said there were eight dead policemen. He said two of the injured were in serious condition. Five other people were injured in the shooting, including a guard at the Jordanian Hospital.
The U.S. military provided no information on the incident.
Hard to blame the soldiers. We didn't train them for this.
Two U.S. soldiers were killed in a firefight during a raid earlier Friday in the town of Ramadi, 30 miles west of Fallujah, the military said.
The Fallujah region has been one of the most dangerous for U.S. soldiers, with support for Saddam Hussein running strong in the area.
In the Fallujah shooting, 25 policemen in two pickup trucks and a sedan were chasing a white BMW known to have been used by highway bandits, said Asem Mohammed, a 23-year-old police sergeant who was among the injured.
As the chase neared a checkpoint near the Jordanian Hospital on the west side of Fallujah, 30 miles west of Baghdad, the police turned around and an American Humvee opened fire, Mohammed said. It was not immediately clear if any shots were fired at the Americans.
"We were chasing a white BMW with bandits. We turned around in front of Jordanian Hospital and some American forces started shooting at us," Mohammed said.
Dr. Dial Jumaili, who came to treat the wounded, said there were eight dead policemen. He said two of the injured were in serious condition. Five other people were injured in the shooting, including a guard at the Jordanian Hospital.
The U.S. military provided no information on the incident.
Hard to blame the soldiers. We didn't train them for this.
Seems like the Kabalarians think a few things are decided before you get your name.
( a few examples )
( a few examples )