Nosey Online

Turns out, Larry Dolan didn't get screwed when Dick Jacobs sold him the Indians for a premium. He'll be the one laughing all the way to the bank.

Owners of professional sports teams stand to gain tens of millions of dollars in the values of their franchises because of a single sentence buried deep in a sprawling piece of export-tax legislation now before Congress.

The benefit to sports franchises is contained in a small part of an enormous bill introduced originally to settle a trade dispute with the European Union. But the legislation has since become laden with add-ons for interests ranging from tobacco farmers to Oldsmobile dealers.

...The benefits would apply to newly acquired assets, so current owners would not actually pocket more money, but they could command higher prices when they sell.

Two directors at Lehman Brothers, the investment bank, who specialize in sports banking and tax policy said the change could add 5 percent to sports franchise values. If so, it would represent a $2 billion windfall to franchise values, which totaled $41 billion in 2002, according to Forbes magazine.

Personally, I don't think sports teams should get the tax benefits they already do. With the exception of a few big teams (think Yankees), not many sports franchises add anything back to the community. In the modern world, helping sports owners increase the value of their franchises ranks right at the bottom of important things to get accomplished through legislation. Yikes.

A lot of discussion going on today in the sphere over a Drudge newsflash. Predictably, most conservatives/libertarians jumped for joy while most liberals cried foul. First of all, this is a Drudge post everyone. Secondly, shouldn't we wait a little until more details or hard information comes out of the White House before burning it down?

For those of you who don't like to click on links, here's the gist of the Drudge exclusive.

A domestic centerpiece of the Bush/GOP agenda for a second Bush term is getting rid of the Internal Revenue Service, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

The Speaker of the House will push for replacing the nation's current tax system with a national sales tax or a value added tax, Hill sources tell DRUDGE.

"People ask me if I’m really calling for the elimination of the IRS, and I say I think that’s a great thing to do for future generations of Americans," Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert explains in his new book, to be released on Wednesday.

...

"By adopting a VAT, sales tax, or some other alternative, we could begin to change productivity. If you can do that, you can change gross national product and start growing the economy. You could double the economy over the next fifteen years. All of a sudden, the problem of what future generations owe in Social Security and Medicare won’t be so daunting anymore. The answer is to grow the economy, and the key to doing that is making sure we have a tax system that attracts capital and builds incentives to keep it here instead of forcing it out to other nations."

The IRS has been the conservative boogeyman for decades now. Hey, I'm no fan of it either. Jon Henke ponders on this idea while offering a roundup of opinions. If you have a few minutes, read Dale Franks' post over at QandO that details the National Sales Tax or Value Added Tax ideas. This comes down to two points that are inter-related. No more IRS and elimination of the income tax.

Matthew Yglesias makes what I think is the biggest point of this discussion here.

I'm actually a fan of consumption taxation, but it's simply not the case that you could abolish the IRS by moving to a national sales tax or a national VAT. Any tax system is bound to have rules (or if it's not going to have rules it would be a very strange system indeed) and that means people will need to enforce those rules. That's what the IRS does.

Yes, I am also a fan of consumption taxation. Matthew is very correct in thinking that a different kind of tax system would not be without enforceable rules. No matter what way you look at it, there will have to be some sort of governmental agency set up to make sure they can collect their money. So we can forget about jumping up and down about the possible demise of the IRS.

My reasoning behind support for a consumption tax is simple. There are millions of untaxed dollars being shifted around the underground economy everyday. For a good look into just how much money we're talking about, pick up a copy of Eric Schlosser's Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market. Basically, it would make it difficult for people to operate in secrecy anymore. The drug dealer doesn't pay income tax, but he does when purchasing that soon-to-be-confiscated Porsche.

While you won't see the end of the tax enforcement agency, talking about revamping the tax system is a worthy debate to have. My libertarian friends over at QandO would vote for Bush purely on this issue. Unfortunately for them and and conflicted conservative voters, I think a proposal like the elimination of the IRS ranks right up there with the road trip to Mars. Meaning, a lot of grandstanding and empty promises. It's a shame, really. Because a real overhaul to the tax system would be beneficial for everyone.

UPDATE: For more info on the Fair Tax idea, here is a link.

M. Night Shyamalan has been one of my favorite directors ever since that twist at the end of The Sixth Sense. A lot of people were disappointed with Unbreakable, but I thought it was a great story. Signs got better reception, and made more money, but some were still left feeling a little let down. So far, as far as I can tell, M. Night’s newest flick, The Village, is either enthralling people (like me) or inspiring a little Samurai seppuku upon leaving the theater. There was a group of teenagers outside of my local Cinemark who were pissed and talking like they’d just seen Gigli. I didn’t understand their rage. On the way into work this morning, the local shock jock was taking phone calls and about 90% of the listeners said they hated it. Again, I still didn’t get it.

Later in the day, I realized what would cause such a negative reaction. Chalk it up as marketing gone awry. I’ll go in depth after the jump.

(WARNING: SPOILERS)

Just found a nice little article that gives a good understanding of just why the government shouldn’t be in the business of helping sports team owners.

TiVo, the company that makes the digital-video-recorder boxes that inspire such strange idolatry among their users, is in a weird spot. It's asking the Federal Communications Commission for permission to add a new feature -- the option for a TiVo user to send recorded digital TV programs via the Internet to nine other people.

Which the NFL thinks is bad. Here’s why.

The NFL says that TiVo's Internet-sharing feature will allow people to send game broadcasts to blacked-out viewers in real time (a team's home game can be aired locally only if it sells out beforehand).

"It's a question of pure ability to sell tickets," said Frank Hawkins, the NFL's senior vice president for business affairs. "Buffalo typically sells out September and October, but they've got an open-air stadium. They'll never sell out those December games if they are unable to enforce the blackout rule."

So this has nothing to do with the actual pirating of NFL games (which is what the FCC is supposed to care about). It has everything to do with helping the NFL team owners make more money.

No, the NFL is asking for help with a stadium business, one that already benefits from massive government welfare. (A December 2002 Buffalo News story calculated that the taxpayers of Erie County, N.Y., had anted up about $148 million for the Bills and their stadium over the previous decade.)

So they’re really worried that a millions guys are going all of a sudden stop their Football Sunday rituals just to download copied games onto their Tivo? Consider this…

There's also the slight problem that the NFL's nightmare -- blacked-out viewers watching a game live on the Internet -- is all but impossible. With almost every broadband connection available today, it would take hours to upload a game. A recipient would be lucky to finish watching a Sunday afternoon game before Monday, and sending a high-definition copy would take most of the week.

That my friends, is the crux of the matter. Frank Hawkin’s scenario is just laughable. Game doesn’t sell out, they implement a blackout, Buffalo guy has friend in South Carolina tape the game, friend uploads it, and then Buffalo guy spends days downloading it, all just to escape paying $60 to attend the game? Wow, I’ve never heard of such convoluted theories. That guy from Buffalo is no more likely going to be prodded into buying a ticket to the game because of TiVo restrictions then he is into buying an airplane ticket down to South Carolina just to watch the game on free TV with his buddy.

The only thing worse than corporate welfare is sports industry corporate welfare. Because, you know, spending $148 million on a stadium for the Bills is so much more important than spending it on education, AIDS, and cancer research.

He's got an interesting piece up at Washington Monthly. Give it a read.

How is the American public supposed to pay attention to terror threats that are based on old information?

Most of the al Qaeda surveillance of five financial institutions that led to a new terrorism alert Sunday was conducted before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and authorities are not sure whether the casing of the buildings has continued since then, numerous intelligence and law enforcement officials said yesterday.

More than half a dozen government officials interviewed yesterday, who declined to be identified because classified information is involved, said that most, if not all, of the information about the buildings seized by authorities in a raid in Pakistan last week was about three years old, and possibly older.

"There is nothing right now that we're hearing that is new," said one senior law enforcement official who was briefed on the alert. "Why did we go to this level? . . . I still don't know that."

...

Numerous officials said yesterday, however, that most of the information was compiled prior to the Sept. 11 attacks and that there are serious doubts about the age of other, undated files. One senior counterterrorism official said many of the documents include dates prior to Sept. 11, 2001, but there are no dates after that.

This sounds a lot like the WMD problem. Assumptions made on faulty or old intelligence. Where were so sure Iraq had WMD, except for the fact they probably got rid of them a long time ago. I do not see how you can sow the seeds of fear based on our enemy's old intelligence.

At the end of the day, I find myself realizing just how stupid we are to be debating tax systems, Nader, Bush, Kerry, etc., because none of it really matters. You know what does? Living your life to the fullest. Not everyone gets that chance.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A young cancer patient who started a lemonade stand to raise money for cancer research, sparking a nationwide fund-raising campaign that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, has died at her home. She was 8.

Alexandra Scott, of Wynnewood, whose battle with pediatric cancer captured hearts nationwide, "passed on peacefully with us holding her hands," her parents, Jay and Liz Scott, said in an e-mail, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday.

"She just slipped away," Liz Scott told the paper Sunday. "You could see when she was ready. She let off a big sigh, and went off to sleep. She was very calm. For that, we're grateful. You're always fearful it's going to be scary."

Can the downfall of the Ohio Republican Party be far behind? I'm just interested to see how deep thins thing goes. While I will still be interested in Ohio politics when living in San Diego, I'm glad to not be experiencing the effects first hand.

Columbus - A federal grand jury has subpoenaed Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder's personal banking records, just months after it demanded records from some of his top campaign vendors.

Subpoenas have been issued to Citizen's National Bank and to People's National Bank, sources told The Plain Dealer.

Householder's annual financial disclosure statement lists a savings account with Citizen's National Bank and certificates of deposit and money market accounts with People's National Bank. Both financial institutions are in Perry County, where Householder lives.

...

The subpoenas are the latest developments in a wide-ranging investigation conducted by the FBI and IRS. Federal officials began the probe in March, after receipt of an anonymous memo.

The memo accused the House Republican Campaign Committee, which Householder oversees, of overpaying some campaign vendors, then having those vendors make secret payments to Householder, fund-raiser Kyle Sisk and former House Chief of Staff Brett Buerck.

Interesting.

Cause you know that the evangelicals get priority.

Thirty-five evangelical Christian leaders have signed a letter urging President Bush to provide massive humanitarian aid and consider sending U.S. troops to stop what they called the "genocide" taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The Aug. 1 letter marks a shift in focus for the evangelical movement, which previously was interested primarily in halting violence against Christians in southern Sudan. The victims in Darfur, a western province, are mostly Muslim.

"We view this as an opportunity to reach out to Muslims in the name of Jesus," the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said yesterday. "Christian people are appalled by this kind of genocide, and we don't want it taking place in our generation."

Evangelicals are part of Bush's political base, and because his reelection may depend on whether they turn out at the polls, the letter adds a domestic political element to an international humanitarian crisis.

With the Federal Marriage Amendment dead in the water, you've got to wonder if Bush will actually pay attention to this. My guess is that there won't be anything extra for the Sudan anytime soon.

This one's a bit funny. Seems that when the GOP chooses to ignore an uncontestable Conressional seat, the bigots slip another one into the spotlight.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Republican congressional candidate James L. Hart acknowledges that he is an "intellectual outlaw."

He is an unapologetic supporter of eugenics, the phony science that resulted in thousands of sterilizations in an attempt to purify the white race. He believes the country will look "like one big Detroit" if it doesn't eliminate welfare and immigration. He believes that if blacks were integrated centuries ago, the automobile never would have been invented.

He shows up at voters' homes wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a gun, and tells them that "white children deserve the same rights as everyone else."

Despite his radical views, Hart may end up winning the Republican nomination because he is the only GOP candidate on the ballot in Thursday's primary. His presence in the campaign has embarrassed Republican leaders, who were blind-sided by Hart after they didn't bother fielding a candidate. Democratic Rep. John Tanner has held the seat for 15 years and is considered safe in November.

..."Every person who opens the door - as long as they're white - I'll say, 'I'm James Hart. I'm running for Congress. My name will be on the ballot in the Aug. 5 Republican primary. I think white children deserve the same rights as everyone else.'"

At least when the DCCC chooses to ignore a seat, the sacrificial lamb usually isn't loony tunes.

Everyone in Ohio knows that the state GOP has been actively involved in a game of political musical chairs for awhile now. Unfortunately, the current slate of almost all-Republican statewide offices has more to do with a shitty, unorganized Ohio Democratic party and less to do with shenanigans. Nonetheless, that fact isn't stopping this lawsuit from going forward.

Ohio's top Republican officials, including the governor, auditor, treasurer and attorney general, have engaged in a scheme to keep political power by trading campaign contributions for unbid public contracts, a lawsuit charges.

"The participants have violated the competitive-bid laws of this state, the prevailing-wage laws of this state, the campaign-finance laws of this state and the various criminal statutes underpinning the state's racketeering laws," says the suit, which was filed Monday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

In all, 22 top Republican officials and organizations, including the Ohio and Hamilton County Republican parties, are named in the suit, which alleges that they are engaging in "pay to profit." Under this scheme, the suit says, part of the proceeds from inflated unbid contracts are "kicked back" as political contributions to the elected officials.

The suit was filed by Democratic former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan, who will return to the position in January. Hagan ran unsuccessfully against Gov. Bob Taft in the 2002 gubernatorial election. Gregory D. Coleridge, director of the Quaker-related Economic Justice & Empowerment Program of the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee, is also a plaintiff in the case.

This might sound like a lot of sour grapes coming from Hagan, but I'd be pissed at Taft too. The current governor chided Hagan’s fiscal plans and labeled the former Cuyahoga County Commissioner "Taxin' Tim" during the campaign. After winning reelection, without a note of irony, Taft promptly got Jesus, realized the state's finances were a tragic mess, and proposed to raise taxes. For this fact alone I wish we could recall Taft. You Californians think Davis was bad, huh-uh.

Our schools are a mess. Taxes are up. Businesses treat Ohio like the plague (see Timken and Hoover). Many of the arguments I’ve made lately that the economy isn’t going to help Bush have been made from my statewide perception. All economics are local. I could go on all day about the Ohio economy, but alas, I digress.

Fact of the matter is the Ohio Democratic Party has to get their shit together. We’re two years away from the next gubernatorial election and there still isn’t anyone stellar in the bullpen. I have little faith that the Dems can mount an impressive candidate for governor, let alone field quality candidates for all state-wide elections. I know I might sound a bit cynical right now, but if you lived here you’d know what I mean.

Not here dude. But if you want to see my rant on the Official Lynndie England fan site, you can find that here.

An exchange with the President's Chief of Staff Andy Card, from yesterday's press briefing...

Q: Why not? I'm sure this was considered -- why not give him this power, then he would have even more power to set the agenda, wouldn't he?

SECRETARY CARD: I think that this person will have tremendous influence over setting the agenda. The agenda will be set by the President, and the budget will be set by the President. And that's where it should rest appropriately. And we will send a budget to Congress for them to consider. It would be great if Congress took our budgets and always passed them as we submitted them, but we know that they have a process, as well, and that's why we'd like to see them reform as we make reforms.

Lest you forget, the infallible is in charge. And lately, the Congressional budgetary process consists of taking the Preident's recommendations, giving the necessary “Yessir!,” and promptly adding the fattest pork we’ve seen in years. Silly Andy, you really can’t be serious, can you? And you know when he talks about reforms, Card means “letting the President get away with whatever the hell he pleases.”

I'm busy this morning, but I wanted to touch on this topic.

In a cross-party display of animosity against [Pennsylvania Senator Arlen] Specter, volunteers for the Democratic candidate, U.S. Rep. Joseph M. Hoeffel, helped Constitution Party Chairman Jim Clymer collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

I don't like this. Spefically, what Jesse says.

I'd like to be among the first to thank Hoeffel for immediately shooting any credibility Democrats might have had in pointing out that Republicans are doing this with Nader right in the foot. Hoeffel may not be against what Republicans are doing, in which case he at least runs into no internal contradiction. But I don't support this. Helping run candidates for parties you don't support isn't quite the democratic ideal. Or, in my opinion, honest.

What the GOP is doing with Nader is wrong. What Hoeffel supporters did is wrong. I have a feeling that this type of effort to split voting bases just signifies the end of modern political parties. For more info on this idea, read Joe Trippi's piece at MSNBC.com.

Before owning a TiVo, I had a ReplayTV. That unit had a far less spacious hard drive but the functionality was cool. When it came time to replace that unit, I had to make a choice between TiVo and ReplayTV. So far, my decision to get the TiVo was been a good one. My only gripe is the lack of a built-in ethernet connection (which the ReplayTV has). And now that they decided to make the Home Media Option standard, instead of charging $100, I love it even more. As soon as I move to San Diego and set up a home network, you can bet I'll be taking advantage of this.

WASHINGTON - TiVo Inc., maker of popular digital television recording devices, Wednesday received approval for technology that would permit users to send copies of digital broadcast shows over the Internet to a few friends.

The Federal Communications Commission voted to certify digital protections on TiVoToGo, which is not yet available but would enable a user to record and send a digital broadcast television show to up to nine other registered people who have a key allowing them to see it.

Although current bandwith limitations might not make this a tantilizing option, you can bet fiber-to-the-premises will make it a killer ap.

Predictably.

Washington -- Two members of the Sept. 11 commission criticized President Bush's proposal to create a national intelligence director, telling Congress on Tuesday that the White House plan fails to give the new spy chief the executive powers needed to revamp the nation's intelligence agencies.

Without the power to set budgets and hire and fire senior managers, the new intelligence czar will lack the clout to make major changes at the nation's 15 spy agencies, the commissioners told lawmakers at the first House hearing prompted by the panel's 567-page report on the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

"The person that has the responsibility needs the authority," Democratic commissioner Bob Kerrey, a former Nebraska senator, told the House Government Reform Committee. "Absent that, they're not going to be able to get the job done."

And just so you don't think this is partisanship.

Republican commissioner John Lehman, a former Navy secretary who has been seen as a possible replacement for retiring CIA Director George Tenet, also urged the president to reconsider his proposal to base the director outside the White House. The commission recommended establishing the position within the White House to keep the director from being overshadowed by powerful Cabinet members, such as the defense secretary.

"Our recommendations are not a Chinese menu," Lehman said. "They are a whole system. If all of the important elements are not adopted, it makes it very difficult for the others to succeed."

The announcement from the President yesterday is tantamount to window dressing. They know it, we know it. Too bad most of the public (read Fox News Channel viewers) will no doubt be convinced Bush is following the 9/11 Panel recommendations verbatim.

I've been out of the loop today. I took a sabbatical from work and haven't felt the urge to write. Christine flew out to San Diego this morning to finalize our housing plans. It'll be a relief once that's settled.

It's taken me almost two hours just to work on one post. Hopefully I'll be able to put that up soon. Later I'm going to a concert and won't be in front of the computer until tomorrow. So in the meantime, hang loose. Help is on the way.

Three days ago, President Bush announced his intent to create a national intelligence czar. The new position would be instrumental in protecting America, because these are dangerous times and we’re at risk. So sayeth Mr. Bush.

One day later, during a campaign stop in Davenport, Iowa, the President conveyed somewhat of a conflicting signal.

Mr. Bush said his efforts in the war on terrorism, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, have "made America safer."

How can we both be safer and in dangerous times concurrently? The answer is we can’t. It’s worthy to note the difference in settings that surrounded both events. The far more real and serious stage was in the Rose Garden where Mr. Bush proclaimed, in his own way, that help is on the way. The President was flanked by almost all the key players on his national security team. This version of the truth is more close to reality. In front of the White House, in the context of a “press briefing,” and with suit coat buttoned up.

The second stage, if you will, featured the ranch version of the President, complete with rolled up sleeves, candid talk, and supporters who were required to sign a blood oath just to step into the quad-city area. This sets the tone for the many “America is safer” lines the President laid out on the people. How can it be that the same man can convey two very different messages?

The key here is methodology. Bush’s team has mastered the art of walking a fine line. It’s in their best interest to keep you just a bit scared. Otherwise, you might forget about all your other problems. It’s in this grey area that the mixed messaged originated. A few days ago I spoke about The Enemy Within and the obviously scared Annie Jacobsen.

This is exactly what bin Laden wanted to accomplish. He sought to attack our very sense of peace and freedom. By constantly suspecting that the nearest swarthy-looking man has a bomb under his jacket, we are scaring ourselves into a padded white room with no way out.

Jon from QandO questioned me about the wording of the post. He suggested that I might mean racism with the swarthy-looking man remark. While racism is fueled by fear, today’s climate is purely about emotion, not intent. The racists that still live in this county mean to do harm to people they are afraid of. And while I think Mrs. Jacobsen is misguided in her efforts, I am truly sad because of the emotion that she must have felt in her situation. So I am not too shocked to see that her story doesn’t play out exactly as described.

Fear is breeding a culture of ignorance. And out of this ignorance springs unrealistic views of life. The Syrian men, although sharing similar origins with those who attacked our country on 9/11, were not on that plane to do anything other than play a gig in Vegas. There is no doubt in my mind that Annie Jacobsen believed there was a reason to fear those men. But her reasoning comes from watching too much Fox News and listening to Rush Limbaugh.

Without the purveyors of fear in this country, we might just be able to protect ourselves from further attacks. Unfortunately, the spinsters aren’t helping the situation with their double-talk. A warped sense of reality does nothing to keep America safe. Our friends and families would be better off having their two feet planted firmly on the ground.

As if we didn't need anymore proof. But the Boston Globe put up an editorial today outlining another way Bush has kowtowed to his corporate base.

Ever since DDT was blamed for nearly wiping out the bald eagle population, the federal government has tried to protect plant and animal species from the unintended effects of powerful pesticides. One safeguard was to have the Environmental Protection Agency seek expert advice from the Fisheries and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service before approving new pesticides.

The Bush administration has just decided to wipe out that layer of protection. Under a rule that will take effect in the next few months, the EPA will conduct its own evaluation of a new pesticide's impact on threatened or endangered species. It will be required to consult with the other agencies only if its own research indicates that a new substance might prove harmful.

I'm happy to see Bush is finally getting back to his Republican roots with the "smaller government" idea. A diamond in the rough these days, wouldn’t you say?

Pesticide manufacturers, timber companies, and farm organizations favor the new rule, saying the old process was too cumbersome.

And it's such a good idea to have the EPA directly approve pesticides.

Critics such as the National Wildlife Federation point to EPA's approval of pesticides that threaten salmon in Northwestern rivers as an example of why such decisions cannot be entrusted to that agency alone. Earlier this year a federal judge in Seattle imposed a temporary ban on pesticides slated for use near thousands of miles of salmon streams in the Northwest. Environmentalists had argued that the EPA did not consult with Fisheries and Wildlife or National Marine Fisheries. Critics of pesticide use have made the same case in other suits challenging EPA approvals that did not included evaluations by the other agencies. Under the new rule, no such reviews would be required.

In the salmon case, environmentalists released a letter from National Marine Fisheries Service scientists in April saying that EPA had not used the best available science in approving the pesticides. Scientists have traced reproductive problems of some Pacific Coast salmon to genetic deformities that pesticides and other chemicals are suspected of causing.

Much in the way conservatives have demonized liberals, citizens concerned with the environment have been labeled "environmental wackos." Of course, the environmentalists have their own fringe weirdos (as many movements do; take the radical violent anti-abortion thugs), but it does not mean normal people put the environment low on their priority list. Just ask any family in a pollution filled city with four kids who have bad asthma.

The EPA is a shell of what it was designed for. Conservatives won't rest until it becomes a veritable clearing house for polluters and industry.

Any time a book or movie comes out that attacks the President or conservatives it manages to get a lot of attention. The attacked only have themselves to blame. Like with O'Reilly getting Fox to sue Al Franken over his book Lies, and the Lying Liars That Tell Them. Thanks to that attention, Franken's book shot up to the top of the best-seller list. Same goes for Michael Moore's latest flick. When will conservatives learn that drawing attention to something they dislike will only work against their cause?

Conservative action against advertising for Fahrenheit 9/11, which sought to ban marketing on the grounds that it would violate FEC rules, was beaten back yesterday.

LOS ANGELES - A U.S. regulatory agency has dismissed the petition of a conservative advocacy group to bar TV ads for Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” documentary as a breach of federal restrictions on “electioneering” activity.

In a unanimous decision made public Thursday, the Federal Election Commission found no evidence that the movie’s ads had broken the law or that distributors of the film intended any violations in the future.

As if it really matters now, considering F9/11 has made $142,003,294 worldwide, and still growing. Just a tip for the conservatives though. Next time something comes out that you don't like, try not giving it free attention in the media.

On the lackluster job creation numbers for July.

"Employers got cold feet," said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "Employers just don't have the confidence in the economy that we need to sustain the kind of economic growth that we've seen."

If employers don't have confidence in the economy, why would voters have faith in Bush when he says the economy is going full steam ahead?

Said with a straight face.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said Friday he opposes the use of a family history at colleges or universities as a factor in determining admission.

Bush stated his position to what's known as "legacy" in response to a question during a Washington forum for minority journalists called Unity 2004.

He was asked, "Colleges should get rid of legacy?"

Bush responded, "Well I think so, yes. I think it ought to be based upon merit."

Oh really.

Under legacy programs, applicants are given an advantage if their parents or grandparents attended the school. Bush, a third-generation graduate of Yale University, joked about his own legacy.

"Well, in my case, I had to knock on a lot of doors to follow the old man's footsteps," he said to laughter.

Har-dee Har-har.

While Bush clearly stated his opposition to quotas, he also suggested that he was not opposed to affirmative action.

But he didn't explain what the distinction was.

"I support college affirmatively taking action to get more minorities in their school," Bush said as the audience laughed.

No word yet on whether the audience was laughing with him or at him.

It is sad that the government is so desperate to justify terror warnings by killing live intelligence feeds.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- The effort by U.S. officials to justify raising the terror alert level last week may have shut down an important source of information that has already led to a series of al Qaeda arrests, Pakistani intelligence sources have said.

Until U.S. officials leaked the arrest of Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan to reporters, Pakistan had been using him in a sting operation to track down al Qaeda operatives around the world, the sources said.

I'm sure this news will be followed by screams from the right side of the sphere blaming us for what happened. What do you expect when the government can't catch a break from all you doubters? You see, smart people, the problems lies directly with the man in the White House. I, speaking for all of the doubters, do not trust the President. For me, it can be traced all the way back to that fateful night in Florida 2000. Boo hoo, you say, get over it. Well, what is happening now, with 50% of the American public not trusting Bush, is a direct result of that night.

With the loss of the popular vote, and barely squeaking out an electoral win, Bush preceded to rush into office as he was handed a mandate. From day one, George Bush treated his opponents with no respect, shoving his ideals down the throats of those Americans still smarting over the loss of a questionable election. That is no way to follow through on a campaign promise to "unite Washington."

So you want to blame us for the administration's "intelligence outing" behavior? You need to look at the source of the leaks first. They're desperate and know the voters are aware of that.

This one caught me a bit off guard.

WOODSIDE, California (AP) -- When Koko the gorilla used the American Sign Language gesture for pain and pointed to her mouth, 12 specialists, including three dentists, sprang into action.

The result? Her first full medical examination in about 20 years, an extracted tooth and a clean bill of health.

About a month ago, Koko, a 300-plus-pound ape who became famous for mastering more than 1,000 signs, began telling her handlers at the Gorilla Foundation in Woodside she was in pain. They quickly constructed a pain chart, offering Koko a scale from one to 10.

When Koko started pointing to nine or 10 too often, a dental appointment was made. And because anesthesia would be involved, her handlers used the opportunity to give Koko a head-to-toe exam.

It's reallt quite spectacular that we can communicate with primates this way. I don't think it gets enough mention in our society.

But Sunday, he said he changed his mind after reviewing the voting record of his opponent -- Barack Obama, a state senator and considered by some a rising star in the Democratic Party.

"I'll tell you by the time I got through the records, I was convinced that somebody had to run against Barack Obama," he said.

As a result, "I must leave the land of my forefathers in order to defend the land of my spirit, of my conscience and my heart -- and I believe that that land is Illinois."

No way he would win this, though. I'd put his chances of a victory at about 5%. Really, the balls of this guy to campaign in Illinois after criticizing Hillary for running in New York. Desperation seems to be the name of the game for Republicans lately.

What happens when science gets in the way of industry and politics? Someone gets the shaft.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 - The Interior Department confirmed Friday that Gary Frazer, its senior career official in the Endangered Species Office, which has produced several scientific findings angering his political superiors in the Fish and Wildlife Service, was reassigned last week to a newly created post as his division's liaison to the United States Geological Survey.

Tina Kreisher, the spokeswoman for the Interior Department, read a prepared statement saying that Mr. Frazer's new post was created as part of the commitment of the service's director, Steven A. Williams, "to strengthening the service's science capability."

The reassignment, which was made official in late July, was seen by environmental groups as a loss for the biologists and other scientists whose reviews of the status of endangered species and their habitat needs had been supported by Mr. Frazer, sometimes in the face of industry criticism.

If I had categories, I'd file this one under Worst Environmental President ever. Screw the animals, we've got a business to run.

This summer, I took a physical geography class. Of the many interesting things I learned about, one of the most fascinating was the ecosystem of this planet. It's the one thing pro-business conservatives will never understand. When you mess with the ecosystem, humans are eventually harmed by their own actions. It's science and it's fact.

But like I said, who cares when there's money to be made, right?

Even the neocons are scratching their heads. (Via ArchPundit, Via Charles)

ILLINOIS REPUBLICANS, at one time a canny and crafty lot, have made a stupid error in hiring Alan Keyes to slap together what's left of the party's U.S. Senate nomination and go howling off into battle against Democrat Barack Obama. The Democrat's wunder-candidate will give this race national attention and the local GOPer's thick-headed Grand Strategy--"hmmm, they've got a black candidate who can give one hell of a speech . . . we need a black candidate who can give a fiery speech"--is likely to set the already tattered Illinois Republican party back at least another five years.

Keyes will be the perfect foil for Obama to campaign against, and the selection of Keyes will seem exactly the shoddy and cynical move that it is. The Republicans should know better.

...

I'm certain Ambassador Keyes is now busily at work printing up some "Crazy Times Demand a Crazy Senator" yard signs and oiling his trusty chains for a repeat performance in Chicago this fall. Whatever element of the Illinois GOP that came up with this plan will regret the day they thought it up.

Charles, it they print up those yard signs, I want one too.

In the hours after terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center, someone was already giving Bush the ok to follow through on his pre-9/11 plans. (emphasis added)

GEORGE BUSH IS NOW THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD: People always say that about Presidents, of course, but usually it's only notionally true. Now, if he wants to nuke Baghdad, there is nobody to say him nay -- and damned few who would want to. That's a danger if he goes off half-cocked, but I don't think there's much risk of that. But I wonder: do the people behind this assault realize what this means?

Interesting. Heh.

Media Matters has a great rundown of the O'Reilly-Krugman debate from the August 7th edition of CNBC's Tim Russert. I'll give you my favorite exchange.

Lie #4: "We put more liberal voices on the air than conservatives"

When Russert raised the topic of Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, a recently released documentary that charges FOX News Channel with systematically distorting the news in a pro-Republican direction, O'Reilly reacted with a bevy of lies in defense of FOX. Krugman referred to internal FOX News daily memos (primarily written by FOX News senior vice president John Moody), commenting, "[I]f your fantasy was that there was a memo every morning [at FOX] that told you how we're gonna cover the news so as to slant it, your fantasy would be right. We've now got copies of the memo."

O'Reilly responded by denying the memos and lying about the ideological composition of FOX News commentators and guests: "We put more liberals on the air than conservatives. We put more liberal voices on the air than conservatives, and we can-- we have a tally every day of what we put on. There is no talking points. There is no marching order. It doesn't exist."

Does O'Reilly watch his own network? It's a sad fact that millions of people watch this bozo. He's a pathological liar. Read the whole MM piece. It's a real gut-buster.

There's this...

NEW YORK, New York (Reuters) -- El Nino, the dreaded weather anomaly which has killed hundreds and spawned disasters across the Asia-Pacific region over the years, could possibly develop by late 2004, the Climate Prediction Center of the U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said.

...

El Nino killed hundreds of people in 1997/98 and caused billions of dollars in damages. Before that, another El Nino in 1977/78 likewise killed hundreds and caused several hundred million dollars in damages.

Too bad Chris Farley isn't alive this time around. He'd be great for making, um, light of the situation. Sigh. We were laughing with you Chris, not at you.

Uhh...

A new portrait of Al Qaeda's inner workings is emerging from the cache of information seized last month in Pakistan, as investigators begin to identify a new generation of operatives who appear to be filling the vacuum created when leaders were killed or captured, senior intelligence officials said Monday.

Using computer records, e-mail addresses and documents seized after the arrest of Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan last month in Pakistan, intelligence analysts say they are finding that Al Qaeda's upper ranks are being filled by lower-ranking members and more recent recruits.

"They're a little bit of both,'' one official said, describing Al Qaeda's new midlevel structure. "Some who have been around and some who have stepped up. They're reaching for their bench.''

While the findings may result in a significant intelligence coup for the Bush administration and its allies in Britain, they also create a far more complex picture of Al Qaeda's status than Mr. Bush presents on the campaign trail. For the past several months, the president has claimed that much of Al Qaeda's leadership has been killed or captured; the new evidence suggests that the organization is regenerating and bringing in new blood.

Furthur proof that the War On Terra^TM isn't really progressing like Dear Leader tells us it is. And people actually think we'll be safer with this guy in charge? Where's their proof?

Don't worry Johnny, I'll get you through this...

Hmm...

Senator John McCain was serving as President Bush's wingman today as he joined the president for a swing through the Florida Panhandle. Mr. McCain likes campaigning in general, but as a former Navy flier, he especially likes campaigning in an area well populated by Navy pilots and other military constituencies.

The senator, an Arizona Republican, beamed as he walked off Air Force One at the Pensacola Naval Air Station and chatted with the brass who greeted the president, who himself flew in the military, as a stateside member of the Air National Guard during the Vietnam era.

As he later introduced the president to an enthusiastic crowd at the local civic center, Mr. McCain said some of his best days had been spent in Pensacola, though he allowed that "I'm glad the statute of limitations has expired."

Hey, McCain's a Republican after all, so I don't completely blame him for campaigning for Bush. But what about this, John?

Last week, Mr. McCain, who was shot down and held prisoner during the Vietnam War, condemned the ad and called on the Bush campaign to do the same. The campaign has distanced itself from the ad, which was made by an outside group, saying it had no involvement and had never questioned Mr. Kerry's wartime record, but it has not gone so far as to take the step urged by Mr. McCain.

As much as I like John McCain, it's becoming apparent that his ideals are taking a backseat to getting a little sunshine blown up his ass by Bush.

You'd think that the United States government would do everything in its power to get convictions for the only terrorists to stand trial for 9/11, right? You'd be wrong on that assumption.

A German court today began a retrial of Mounir el-Motassadeq, the only person convicted of involvement in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, with the disclosure that the United States will for the first time share evidence about the plot.

Mr. Motassadeq's conviction was thrown out in March by an appeals court, which said that critical evidence had been withheld by American authorities. After having been sentenced to 15 years in prison, Mr. Motassadeq was freed in April.

The decision by the United States to offer limited cooperation to the Germans introduces a combustible element to a trial that many here had expected would be a frustrating replay of the first trial, and other Sept. 11 prosecutions, which have foundered on a lack of evidence.

...

The United States insisted it was treating the German court the same as Federal prosecutors in Virginia who are trying to rebuild their case against another alleged Sept. 11 plotter, Zacarias Moussaoui.

The case against Mr. Moussaoui, a French citizen, has been hurt by the same lack of access to testimony from captured Qaeda prisoners as in the Motassadeq case. In Hamburg, a second suspected Sept. 11 plotter, Abdelghani Mzoudi, was acquitted last February on similar grounds.

"Lack of access to testimony from captured Qaeda prisoners..." This is just revolting. How is it possible that the government has created a level of secrecy so impenetrable that convictions for terrorists are hard to attain? Something is amiss here.

The Bush administration has decided to draw an Iron Curtain down upon itself. With little help from the inside, compounded with little help from our “friends,” the War On Terra^TM is going to be almost impossible to win. Oh, and let's not forget that the DCI-elect is a partisan hack.

I've been having a little tussle with a comment spammer the last 48 hours. I'm thinking of switching to the default method of trackback and comments, which is inline as opposed to pop-up window. This would be part of my scheme to fight the spammers until Jay Allen's MT-Blacklist is included with the MT3.1 release. So my question is this.

Do you guys like the pop-up window or can I change over to the inline method? (Meaning, clicking on comments would take you to the comment section of the individual post instead or going to the pop-up window)

Thanks for answering my question.

If anyone gets this reference, kudos to you.