Letters to the Editor
Jim White
Published Letters: 1094 Editor's Choice: 15
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Cheerleaders? No. I say "warpervs"
[Read the article: A nation of Rich Lowrys]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Glenn,
I understand your analogy to cheerleaders here, but I think it is a disservice to cheerleaders. Cheerleading today is a very athletic endeavor and, more importantly, cheerleaders are at actual risk of, and regularly sustain, injuries. These guys are only at risk of wrist injuries from typing and other hand-related activities. (Is this the real reason for Colbert's "wrist strong" initiative?)
Instead, I view the actions of the group you describe here as the manifestation of perversion. This war is simply nothing other than their pornography. They get their jollies from it, and they say we are "winning" because they are getting what they want: more war. That would even explain in part why the "reason" for this war has changed so many times. There is no need for a reason, there is simply a need for war to feed their addiction to this form of pornography. Getting to go "on the ground" in Iraq then becomes the equivalent of a backstage pass during the filming of a porn flick.
I suggest we coin the term "warpervs" to describe them as perverts addicted to war. By fusing the words, we also get the point of just how "warped" they are as well. If they are "cheerleaders" then there is a connotation that what they support is wholesome.
There is an antidote. We need to insist that for balance, the warpervs need to put in time, on an hour by hour match, at VA hospitals to counteract their time spent in Iraq. Putting real faces on the suffering borne by those doing the fighting is just the cold shower these jerks need.
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be-bop-o
[Read the article: What FISA capitulations are Democrats planning next?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Bop,
I would be happy to grab an extra "dragonfly" for you if I get the chance. In the meantime, enjoy the real bugs around your farm while you can. I used to grow ladybugs. They were a lot of fun to work with. The larvae look like little alligators. If you want to share this with your granddaughter, a company in California has continued some of the ladybug work after I shut my company down a few years ago. They are called Insect Lore and you can get a kit from them with some ladybug larvae that you can watch turn into adults after a week to ten days. Then you and your granddaughter can turn the adults loose on the farm. Good fun to you and yours.
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Jim M
[Read the article: A nation of Rich Lowrys]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You're in luck this time. kovie has put up a set of three Utube videos with the complete discussion. The links are at the end of the most recent ADL thread. Definitely worth a watch.
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Insist on evidence it's working
[Read the article: Joe Klein's defense of warrantless eavesdropping and telecom amnesty]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Another point that I don't think has been hammered on enough is that there is absolutely no evidence that this program has led to the arrest of a single, bonafide terrorist or disrupted a single, credible plot of an attack. If this program is so important, where is the evidence that it is succeeding? Every "success" we have seen since 9/11 came through ordinary police work or other ordinary channels.
Congress needs to hit on this one, and hard. They can provide closed hearings, if necessary, but you know that if even a partial success had come from this program, it would be in every warperv pundit's inbox within minutes.
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bamage
[Read the article: Joe Klein's defense of warrantless eavesdropping and telecom amnesty]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Yes, the RMN article presents many new questions. To sum up my take on the story, it appears they are saying that on February 27, 2001, Nacchio was at a meeting where he expected to achieve agreement on getting a $100 million government project. At the same time, he appeared to be in position to snag a $2 billion project similar to two his company had already built. However, he didn't get either contract because he refused to go along with another program the government wanted. It appears that refusal was based on his understanding that the program was illegal. He then sold $52 million in stock in April and May. When the company didn't meet its numbers at the end of the year (because of not getting the big contracts!) he was then indicted for insider trading, with the government coming after him aggressively and making sure he could not reference the illegal program and its influence on not getting the big contract. It appears that the program he wouldn't go along with is the warrantless wiretapping program.
Of course, the really blockbuster revelation here is that the illegal wiretapping program was put in place before 9/11. This is the first suggestion I have seen of that. The timing of the release of this information is especially interesting, with the FISA renewal in intense debate. Did the judge who blocked use of the info start feeling guilty and realize this is information the Congress desperately needs during the debate?
On the other hand, Naccio now joins Don Siegelman (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/opinion/10mon4.html) as a victim of the Justice Department going after someone who has offended them.
Note that Naccio was indicted on March 15, 2005, just days after Gonzales was confirmed on February 3, 2005. Fredo wasted no time on this one and I'll bet anything Ashcroft never would have brought charges because of the circumstances.
Fire up the Senate Judiciary Committee on this one. If it played out as I'm interpreting here, the Judiciary Committee could then refer the matter to the House for the beginning of impeachment proceedings against Bush. If he started this program before 9/11 and jailed the only guy to stand in his way, there's no way he should be allowed to finish his term.
Of course, this revelation strengthens my post earlier in the day. If this program was put in place in the spring of 2001, why did 9/11 still come off as planned? What other proof do we need that this program is a worthless sham?