Year: 2008

Russia Rules Out Punitive Actions Against Kosovo

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The Russians believe that a declaration of independence is a bad thing, but they have ruled out sanctions against Kosovo.

This is a very positive development. One of the political imperatives in Russia is that it sees itself as a “Protector of the Slavs”, particularly those who subscribe to Orthodox Christianity, such as the Serbs.

They are behaving moderately because they recognize reality, and because, despite what the “very sensible people” in Washington say, Russia is not looking at reestablishing the USSR or the Warsaw Pact.

Their hostility toward the current path in US policy is because they feel that US policy is hostile towards them.

Negative Ads May Be Hitting Dem Primary Soon

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The WSJ has a report that some of Clinton’s big donors may run their own ads.

Theoretically, the law can make this very difficult, but since the FEC currently lacks quorum, there is no enforcement mechanism.

When people start running their own ads like this, they tend to go negative, so I’m predicting that this is going to get nasty in the next few weeks.

Hopefully, I’m wrong, which I almost always am, but I fear that I’m not.

Economics Update

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The Michigan Higher Education Student Loan Authority will stop making loans under the Michigan Alternative Student Loan, because it cannot raise money in the capital markets to lend out. You can see their notice here

Student loans are about as safe as it gets. You cannot discharge them through bankruptcy, and they are very safe, but no one is willing to buy the paper, both because the bond insurers are basically belly up, and because no one trusts anything.

In a similar vein, though more directly related to the bursting housing bubble, Freddie Mac cut nearly in half the size of its REMIC (Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits) issue, because it cannot find buyers.

And in the useful congressional hearings area, i.e. not Roger Clemens and steroids, we have hearings on the collapse of the bond insurers.

In another sign of a slowing economy, media company Belo corporation is showing a loss.

Part of this may be the fact that, and I speak from experience having experienced their flagship Dallas Morning News, that Belo is to journalism what Osama bin Laden is to wet t-shirt contests. When you have a crappy product, you get hammered.

A Victory for Civil Rights in the UK

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5 Muslim students had their convictions for perusing Jihadi websites overturned.

The appeals court declared that, “Difficult questions of interpretation have been raised in this case by the attempt by the prosecution to use [anti-terrorism law] for a purpose for which it was not intended, …. We do not consider that it was made plain to the jury [in the original trial] … that they possessed the extremist material for use in the future to incite the commission of terrorist acts. We doubt whether the evidence supported such a case.”

It’s not in the US, but I’ll take it.

Bush and His Evil Minions™: Fraud In Iraq and Afghanistan is Just Fine

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The Bush administration, after much prodding, will be tightening up the standards for fraud, waste, and abuse in government contracting, but only in the US.

If you are contracting outside of the US, say like Halliburton in Iraq, you do not have to report, “internal fraud or overpayment on government-funded projects” in excess of $5 million.

My guess is that it would sweep up too many of their campaign contributors and Dick Cheney’s Golfing Buddies.

Newspapers Reprint Mohammed Cartoon In Response to Terror Threats

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Kurt Westergaard, the Danish artist who painted the picture of Mohammad having a bomb for a turban, was the target of an assassination conspiracy which was uncovered yesterday.

In response, newspapers across Europe have reprinted his cartoon.

Good for them. This is an issue of free speech, and the right to free speech includes the right to be an asshole without fear of violence or death.

For what it’s worth, I do find this cartoon offensive and bigoted:

But the idea that it merits death threats, or for that matter actual conspiracies to assassinate, is repugnant to any civilized people.

The freedom of speech includes the freedom to blaspheme.

By way of example:

I would expect that this would get me called a bigoted asshole, but anyone who thinks that it rates death, and has the inclination to act on it, needs to be removed from free society.

Hezbollah Leader Killed in Explosion

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Imad Mughniyeh was killed in a Damascus explosion.

Hezbollah, which translates to GOP in Arabic*, has claimed that the Israelis were responsible, though the Olmert government has denied responsibility.

Considering this guy’s rap sheet, the barracks bombing in ’83, plane hijackings, etc., I’m not heartbroken.

*This is not really true. It’s kind of the reverse almost true. There are any number of people in the Republican party who have either directly, or indirectly claimed that it is the “party of God”, which is what Hezbollah means in Arabic.

Thais Sign With Swedes For Fighters, AEW&C

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The Thai government has basically signed with the Swedes for the backbone of their air force moving forward.

They have purchased, “six JAS 39C/D gripen swing-role fighters, a Saab 340 Erieye airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft, a Saab 340 transport aircraft, and an air defense command & control system from Sweden.”

Sweden is actually doing a good job staking out the bottom of the current aerospace market, giving capabilities close to those of the big guys for less.

Overheard in the Office — Political Funny

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A not by me, but by my “friend I’ve never met in person”, JR:

‘Do we really need a black drag queen running as the conservative candidate?’

‘Um, are you talking about Ron Paul?’

‘Yeah, him.’

‘He’s white and racist.’

‘Then who am I thinking of?’

‘Ru Paul.’

‘I take it they’re both about as qualified?’

‘I think the GOP leadership would take either one over McCain.’

Emphasis mine, and JR owes me a screen wipe.

Wynn, Gilcrest Lose Primaries

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Donna Edwards trounced corporate whore Al Wynn in MD-4, getting something over 50% in PG county, and over 60% in Montgomery county, which is about 1/3 of the district.

Gilchrist appears to have lost in a 3-way race by about 6% in MD-1, with state senator Andy Harris getting the nod in the largely Eastern Shore district.

Al Wynn is a bad, bad, man, both personally (won’t go into it) and politically (voted for the Terry Schiavo intervention), in addition to be horrifically bad at constituent service. There is no reason for a Bush Dog in one of the most reliably Democratic districts in the country.

As to MD-1, I think that Harris is a much better chance of a pickup than Gilchrist.

With one exception, paper ballots, Harris is positively Neanderthal (We really are talking Fred Flintstone here), and the Eastern shore has always been a bastion of relatively moderate Republicanism, so Harris is more vulnerable than a multi-term incumbent known for his relative liberalism.

On the Dem side, it will be Frank Kratovil, about whom I know nothing.

In MD-6, which is Western, and very conservative, Maryland, Jennifer Dogherty will Run against Roscoe Bartlett, she’s a former Mayor of Frederick, so hopefully she will be competitive. Bartlett is old, and this is not a Republican year.

The fact that she beat Andy Duck in the primary, and he has ran in, and had built on his organization from the previous election, indicates that she will run a good campaign, but it still a long shot.