Tuesday’s Mini-Report

December 19, 2006

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The news continues on Sen. Tim Johnson’s (D-S.D.) condition continues to be encouraging. Doctors noted today that the senator has regained consciousness and has met key recovery benchmarks. Brendan Johnson, one of the senator’s sons, told his hometown paper, “From my conversations with the doctors and based on the progress he has been making, I feel very confident that he is going to be getting back to work sooner rather than later.”

* The electrical system in Baghdad, which Republican officials have inexplicably bragged about, is managing about six hours of power a day for residents of Baghdad. As the NYT reported, “What amounts to an electrical siege of Baghdad is reflected in constant power failures and disastrously poor service in the capital, with severe consequences for security, governance, health care and the mood of an already weary and angry populace.”

* I find it oddly reassuring when conservatives realize that Newt Gingrich is … how do we put this gently … way out there.

* Marijuana is the leading cash crop in 12 states, and one of the top five crops in 39 states. The war on drugs is quite an achievement, isn’t it?

* I desperately hope a Democratic presidential candidate picks up this line: “I’ve heard people say a conservative is just a liberal who’s been mugged. Then maybe a liberal is just a conservative who suddenly saw his monthly health care premiums go up 81% in a year.”

* If you haven’t seen the latest web video on Net Neutrality, be sure to check it out. I’m glad to see it doing so well — it’s ranked #1 on YouTube today.

* I’m not accustomed to defending the Bush White House, but I’m inclined to believe the First Lady’s personal health is an entirely private matter. A reasonable argument can be made about the president and vice president giving up some of their medical privacy by virtue of their offices, but whether Laura Bush has skin cancer removed from her leg is entirely her business.

* Kudos to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) and state lawmakers for passing a minimum-wage increase. (thanks to D.H. for the heads-up)

* Atrios has mentioned the elite pundit culture before, but today’s item on the subject was particularly good.

* Opposition to troop withdrawal in Iraq does not make one “tough.”

* If you haven’t seen the satirical cover of “Scientific Republican” magazine, it’s definitely worth checking out. It gave me a good chuckle. (thanks to R.C. for the tip)

* I’ve been surprised at just how many people are buzzing about Matt Damon’s appearance on Hardball this week. I’ve talked to a few people who suggest a run for public office is in the cards for the actor.

* You no doubt heard about Bush signing the U.S.-India nuclear deal yesterday. But did you hear about the accompanying signing statement?

* MoJo has a great article about why “you could soon be paying Wall Street investors, Australian bankers, and Spanish builders for the privilege of driving on American roads.”

* And, finally, just a month after a sex scandal forced Ted Haggard to resign from his New Life Church in Colorado, the exact same church lost a second pastor due to “sexual impropriety.” Christopher Beard, 35, who led the young-adult leadership program twentyfourseven, resigned yesterday after acknowledging “a one-time sexual encounter he had several years ago, before he was married.” One assumes that the 14,000-member New Life Church will be able to find at least one pastor who meets the congregation’s sexual standards.

If none of these particular items are of interest, consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.

The version I’ve heard is “A liberal is a conservative who got sick.”

  • Given the latest release of crime statistics, the likelihood is that the conservative may also get mugged by the “successes” of the War on Drugs on his way to the liberal light.

  • “The smell of weed wafts down unmistakably several [No. Ca] towns.” Hes not exaggerating, its like going back to the 60’s.

  • Hey, how come nobody is talking about the recent release of, “Tough Choices or Tough Times” from the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce? Some state Department’s of Ed, released reactions, but I have heard nothing from anyone else.

  • “I’ve heard people say a conservative is just a liberal who’s been mugged. Then maybe a liberal is just a conservative who suddenly saw his monthly health care premiums go up 81% in a year.”

    People talk about what it means to be a liberal, and for one thing, it’s conservative code for “not a racist.” They think that we (we being white liberals) all secretly acknowledge on some level they’re right about blacks and if we just had an experience for once that would make them see the world as they see it, we’d abandon our beliefs. I for one have been robbed, called names and such in the street, and I’m a liberal- everything that black people have done to me, white people have done to me, too, except it’s been more from whites.

  • Given that the new Congress, in order to pay for things like the Iraq War, the refitting of the military, the enormous debt run up by President Bush and the GOP Congress, the redevelopment of agencies like the USDA, the EPA, the FDA, etc., so they can do their jobs, it is inevitable that taxes must be raised and new tax sources found. One obvious one: legalize the sale of marijuana and apply a Federal tax. Given the volume of the crop, that could bring in a nice chunk of money.

  • Recommend the I Chong (pronounced Eee Chong) by Tommy Chong. Chong tells aout his arrest and time in the slammer for owning a bong factory. It’s got some goofy parts, but it’s interesting reading and reminds us why we hated Ashcroft so much.

    Oh and Dr. Kervorkian is getting out of jail in June if he survives.

    Both of them swore to not do that again.

  • Digger, Sherman Dorn has addressed the report on his blog (here and here). The second of those posts is rather good. It provides some historical background, as well as, analysis. The primary reason that others may not have discussed the report is that it is not available online for free.

  • ThinkProgress has Harry Reid’s clarification on his position of sending more troops to Iraq.

    “Frankly, I don’t believe that more troops is the answer for Iraq. It’s a civil war and America should not be policing a Sunni-Shia conflict,” incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) writes. “I do not support an escalation of the conflict. I support finding a way to bring our troops home and would look at any plan that gave a roadmap to this goal.”

    That’s good enough for me.

  • I support finding a way to bring our troops home and would look at any plan that gave a roadmap to this goal.” — Reid

    Even if it means a “surge” of 50K soldiers we do not have and even if everyone with half a brain-cell knows that, once we send them, they’re not coming back unless and until we have a Dem president in place (’09, God willin’ and the creek don’t rise)? Because it’s either that, or else Reid’s changed his course on a dime — that’as not how he sounded on Sunday.

  • Here is the Reid exchange from Sunday.

    Stephanopoulos: I know what the Iraq Study Group called for. If the president calls for adding more troops to Baghdad, for adding more troops to Iraq, will you oppose it?

    Reid: >If it’s for a surge, that is for two or three months, and it’s part of a program to get us out of there as indicated by this time next year, then sure I’ll go along with it. But, if it’s to put 40,000 more troops in there, we’ve lost in Nevada about 30 troops killed, scores have been wounded. We’re now approaching 3,000 dead Americans, costing the Americans 2 ½ to 3 billion dollars a week. This is a war that we have to change course. The president has to do that.

    His clarification does not sound like he has turned on a dime. Compare today’s,”I support finding a way to bring our troops home and would look at any plan that gave a roadmap to this goal,” to Sunday’s “…part of a program to get us out of there”. My read on what he has said is that if putting more troops in is part of a short term plan to get us out then he would support it. One then could conclude that in the absence of such a plan he wouldn’t support the addition of troops. Reid also said this on Sunday.

    All I can do is shake my head. I have no military experience. But, I have political experience. The American people will not allow this war to go on as it has. It simply is a war that will not be won militarily, it can only be won politically. The Iraqi people must be the people that determine their fate.

    This is a man groping, in good faith, to find a way out.

    There is a real problem that we as Democrats must face. Kevin Drum had a post on it today. How do we withdraw from Iraq and avoid the same damage that our withdrawal from Vietnam created? A Democratic party which over compensated on its national security stance for the next twenty years in order to rid itself “hippie/peacenik” label. This may explain why Reid is struggling.

  • I find it oddly reassuring when conservatives realize that Newt Gingrich is … how do we put this gently … way out there.

    I wouldn’t call Gene Healy a conservative. That said, I’m reassured when anyone realizes that’s Newt’s out there.

  • …Matt Damon’s appearance on Hardball this week.

    I just watched it and frankly, although I know I’m biased because I agree with him, he was really good. I don’t know if he should run for office or not, but he should definately keep making public appearances and speaking out like that. good stuff and more americans need to hear it.

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