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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
AC76
Published Letters: 3 Editor's Choice: 1
I also disagree with Joe. While we need some accountability in this administration, I think the public tires easily of long, dragged out special prosecutions -- especially in cases like this, where the line between obfuscation (which is not unique to members of the Bush administration) and perjury is blurry. This is not like the special prosecution into the Plame matter, where the prosecutor was named to investigate potential violations of substantive law, and only when he could charge none did he resort to a prosecution for tampering with the prosecutorial mechanism; here, you want an investigation strictly into the lies told during a congressional investigation. Here, I don't know of any suggestion that officials have done anything illegal (other than perjury), though there is substantial evidence that they have acted improperly. A special prosecutor seems to me to be overkill in this situation.
You think the administration isn't being held accountable for this scandal? You think voters won't take account of it in the 2008 elections? Ultimately, I think the congressional hearings are, in this instance, all the procedure we need to inform the American people that something smells -- even if we never know all of the details around the firings. And I think we need to strive to be consistent in our views on special prosecutors, because it's always easy to flip-flop about whether they are either critically necessary or wasteful and dangerous invasions upon executive privilege, based on who's occupying the Oval Office at the time. For self-interested reasons as well, Democrats should be cautious about making too much political hay of the misconduct of this frightful and frightening administration, because if Americans were looking for "a uniter, not a divider" seven years ago, they surely must be seeking one now.
I don't understand the comment from the Texan about not being able to use canvas bags for larger purchases. I carry about six Whole Foods canvas bags in my car, and I just load them up. Each one holds about the same amount as three plastic bags (which are invariably double-bagged). I love marching into Dominick's or Jewel with my Whole Foods bags, because screw them for failing to have their own canvas bags for sale at the checkout.
Though I have to say, while I feel a private sense of victory from making the checkout people bag my groceries in a competitor's bags, my little environmental statement always goes wholly unnoticed. That's why I'm glad to see sustained coverage of this topic in the media this year -- thank you. Little by little, maybe we can clue some people in.
You can buy some reusable bags (and get freaked out by the plastic bag-ometer) here: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/
I recently saw the premiere of Trashed, a pretty effective documentary about our failure to deal with our trash epidemic. Check it out: www.trashedmovie.com
This is effective as an initial statistic ("Giuliani spent more hours at Yankees games than at Ground Zero"). But I think its length and the detailed tabulations make the point seem petty. If the Yankees are this guy's principal hobby, who cares? You want these people not to be human?
In any event, while I'm sure he's both a longstanding Yankees fan AND a huge blowhard regarding his 9/11 heroics, there are plenty of great moments in sports where games take on added significance because of the historical context around them -- the first one that comes to mind is the New Orleans Saints' home opener in the Superdome on Monday Night Football last year. That kind of moment can be a real morale boost for a city that has undergone some trauma. Was the Yankees' 2001 playoff run an example of that? I couldn't tell you -- I'm not a New Yorker. But I wouldn't blame a mayor for wanting to be there for that -- both for his own reasons and as the primary cheerleader for the city.
I'd rather see a more substantive review of his post-9/11 performance (e.g. "Giuliani spent more time talking about his time at Ground Zero than actually formulating or implementing anti-terrorism strategies"). I'm sure there's plenty of fodder there. I don't care what a public official does in his leisure time as long as he works long hours fixing the problems of the community he governs. This article doesn't tell us much about Rudy's work ethic or leadership.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
