You mean, Bush didn’t lie? That’s unpossible!

It was Saddam Hussein’s information minister, Mohammed Saeed Sahhaf, often referred to in the Western press as “Baghdad Bob,” who approached an official of the African nation of Niger in 1999 to discuss trade — an overture the official saw as a possible effort to buy uranium.

That’s according to a new book Joseph C. Wilson IV, a former ambassador who was sent to Niger by the CIA in 2002 to investigate reports that Iraq had been trying to buy enriched “yellowcake” uranium. Wilson wrote that he did not learn the identity of the Iraqi official until this January, when he talked again with his Niger source.

(link via Q and O.)

I like it. I like it a lot.

I’m starting to believe the unthinkable–we’re actually going to have a good Batman movie…

UPDATE: Here’s still more pics!

I’m all for calling out politicans, regardless of who they are, on lies and misstatements of facts. So I thought that this website, which purports to “expose the lies” of prominent conservatives would be pretty good.

Well, it’s not. It’s got some stuff in it, don’t get me wrong. But a cursory examination of the site (I haven’t gone through the whole thing) informs me that some of the people running the cite can’t distinguish opinion from fact. For example, here’s a John Ashcroft claim:

Speaker: Ashcroft, John - Attorney General

Date: 6/10/2002

Quote/Claim:
“In determining that [Jose Padilla] is an enemy combatant who legally can be detained by the United States military, we have acted with legal authority both under the laws of war and clear Supreme Court precedent.”

Fact:
“Based on the text of the Constitution and the cases interpreting it, we reject the that the President has inherent constitutional power to detain Padilla under the circumstances presented here.” - U.S. Second Circuit Court, 12/18/03

John Ashcroft is making a legal argument here. The Second Circuit may have rejected it, but now the case is in front of the Supreme Court. Ashcroft’s view may prevail in that court. But even if it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean that Ashcroft lied–it means that the courts rejected his argument. That’s all.

There are other examples, too. But I thought that was pretty illustrative. I don’t mind the existence of this kind of database, but it would be nice if it kept itself to actual illustrations of politicans lying, rather than being a centerpiece for partisan sniping.

(link via Oliver Willis)

Greg at Begging to Differ is passing along this list of classic books to see what people have read. Click below to see the list. I’ve bolded the books I’ve read, and also added an asterix to the ones I actually liked. Feel free to comment. What have you read? What haven’t you read? What can’t you believe I haven’t read or liked?
(more…)

This is disgusting. It is not what America’s about. The soldiers involved in torturing Iraqi prisoners should be punished. It’s stupid, wrong, and not to mention counterproductive in helping to rebuild Iraq. I know it was an easy call, but Bush deserves kudos anyway for instantly condemning these actions.

“The blackest billingsgate, the most ungentlemanly insolence, the most yahooist brutality, is patently endured, countenanced, propagated, and applauded. But touch a solemn truth in collision with the dogma of a sect, though capable of the clearest proof, and you will soon find you have disturbed a nest, and the hornets will swarm about your eyes and hand, and fly into your face and eyes.”
– John Adams

There’s lots of good stuff in Christopher Hitchens’ latest, and you should check out the whole thing. However, the concluding paragraph is worth noting:

In any case, the Saddam regime was not as “secular” as all that. The campaign of extermination waged in northern Iraq by Saddam’s army was titled “Anfal” after a verse in the Quran that supposedly licenses total war. The words “Allahu Akbar” were placed on the Iraqi flag after the defeat in Kuwait. The Baath Party became the open patron of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine. The rhetoric of the Saddamist leadership was exclusively jihadist for the last decade, with special mosques built all over the country in honor of the regime. Now comes a document from the files of the Iraqi secret police, or Mukhabarat, dated March 28, 1992, and headed routinely, “In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate.” It is a straightforward listing of contacts and “assets,” quite unsensational until it comes to the “Saudi front,” where we find the name “Osama bin Ladin/he is well-known Saudi businessman, founder of Saudi opposition in Afghanistan, had connection with Syrian division.” Of course, this is not a smoking gun.

This repeats a lot of what I’ve said before, but it’s still worth noting.

This bit of news is rather encouraging.

Now, however, a shadowy resistance movement within might be about to succeed where the 2,500 US marines outside the city have failed.

In a deadly expression of feelings that until now were kept quiet, a group representing local residents is said to have killed at least five militiamen in the last four days.

The murders are the first sign of organised Iraqi opposition to Sadr’s presence and come amid simmering discontent at the havoc their lawless presence has wreaked.

The group calls itself the Thulfiqar Army, after a twin-bladed sword said to be used by the Shiite martyr Imam Ali, to whom Najaf’s vast central mosque is dedicated.

Residents say leaflets bearing that name have been circulated in the city in the last week, urging Sadr’s al-Mahdi army to leave immediately or face imminent death.

If this is true, then it’s great news. It’s better for the Iraqis to deal with the remants of Ba’athism and the Iranian coups themselves than for them to rely on us to do it.

(link via Instapundit)

“Who wants politics in music? I find politics the single most uninspiring, unemotional, insensitive activity on this planet.”
– Adam Ant (sworn enemy of XTC)

Frank J has some important suggestions for John Kerry to improve his Presidential campaign.

* No More Mentioning That You Served Vietnam: Okay, dude, we all know you served in Vietnam and are getting tired of you bringing it up, but there’s a better way to mention it. Instead of saying, “By the way, I served in Vietnam”, phrase instead as “I’ve killed people before.” Said in a low, menacing voice, it’s also a good dodge to questions. . .

. . . * Use Reverse Psychology: Usually political ads say why you should vote for one guy or why you shouldn’t vote for another guy. That’s old and tired. If you want to be cool, have an ad where you say, “I’m John Kerry and… know what? F**k this. I don’t even want your stupid vote. I’m outta here.” Then just walk off camera. And people will be like, “That guy is cool! He doesn’t even care if we vote for him! I’m going to vote for him!” It will totally work.

* Wrestle a Bear: Only a badass could wrestle a bear. And then you’ll have something to talk about other than being in Vietnam. No matter what policy question someone asks you, you can be like, “Hey! I wrestled a bear! I can handle that podunk crap!”

John, you need to get your people on this. Good suggestions all!