Letters to the Editor
Reilly
Published Letters: 379
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-- Frankly, my dear, ...
[Read the article: The baseless, and failed, "move to the center" cliche]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Well put. I'll leave aside speculation about whether Shooter was expressing a double standard or has, since the old UT days, experienced some personal growth. But I appreciate your having brought the Max Cleland episode to my attention as a matter of context.
My comment about John McCain was reflective of the man he is now, not of who he was during his Vietnam experience or of his service. Mocking McCain's service was never my intention. Unfortunately, by using the acronym P.O.W. gratuitously, I muddied my own message and insinuated a slight where I didn't intend one - to the actual meaning of P.O.W. both as it applies to McCain personally and to P.O.W.'s in general. And I'm glad you brought it to my attention in the way you did so I could correct myself.
I'll stop short of thanking Shooter for his part in that process of re-evaluation, and if that's proof of my own double standard, it's one I'm willing to live with.
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Little Brother @ 10:31 AM
[Read the article: The political establishment and telecom immunity -- why it matters]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Perhaps it was just a popular oenological practice of the time...
As compared to the popular onerous-illogical practice of ours.
BTW, would it be correct to summarize you as warning that Obama risks becoming a smelly old sack that hangs to the right?
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OT -- more FISA to angry up your blood
[Read the article: Beltway myth: "The left-wing base" vs. "the American people" on Iraq]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Today Amy Goodman interviewed Mark Klein, the AT&T whistleblower. Here are a few snips from Klein:
--Congress never invited me to testify, although I did go to Washington to lobby, but no committee has ever invited me to testify, which says something about Congress.
-- Well, the Democratic Party and the Congress, in general, has been unfriendly to me for the last two years of my efforts.
-- Even after the Congress went Democratic, they turned their back on me, except for a couple of individuals, like Senator Dodd was friendly and a couple of congressmen.
--And so, now they have a bill that claims to get some kind of concessions. In fact, they got no concessions.
--And so, Congress is intervening against the judicial process to kill the lawsuits and essentially protect the President.
-- Yeah, Senator Feingold and Senator Dodd have been waging a valiant last-ditch effort to stop this thing. The problem they face is that their own party leadership is against them.
--So the Democratic leadership is overriding the fights that Feingold and Dodd are trying to wage, and they’re basically carrying out a secret agreement with the White House. http://www.democracynow.org/2008/7/7/att_t_whistleblower_urges_against_immunity
And Bob Novak, just in passing, gives a little perspective - if any more were needed - on the concession/compromise talking point today.
His column is about how unhappy some wealthy Republican activists are with the Republican leadership of both houses.
But here's how he begins his piece: "When House Republican leaders left Washington for the Fourth of July break, they felt good about having outwitted the Democratic majority."
And later he specifies, "House GOP leaders were triumphant June 27 as Congress recessed for a week. They had passed war funding and telephone surveillance bills with solid Republican backing and minority Democratic support."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/06/AR2008070601766.html
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-- Little Brother
[Read the article: Beltway myth: "The left-wing base" vs. "the American people" on Iraq]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Yeah, I heard the Stones are going to open for him. And the Pope is lending him the Popemobile for a dramatic entrance and some victory laps.
And since it's the anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, the speech itself will be handed out to all attendees and after a moment of silence all 75,000 people are going to read it at the same time!