Look! A Muslim Daycare Center!

REUTERS/Jason Reed

Glenn Greenwald points us to a fascinating neocon disconnect from reality. Scroll down to update IV. On his site, Dave Gaubatz provides a long explanation of why all Muslims want to kill all Americans.

So the same people who vehemently argue against a national gun registry believe it essential to create a database of Muslim daycares. Never underestimate the stupidity of the neocons.

Dave Gaubatz is also evidently a white supremacist. Jim Henley provides information about Gaubatz's organization devoted to celebrating the unique "White Christians" -- "a distinct people and privileged as such" -- who founded the country.

"He's our No. 1 crimefighter"

--White House spokesperson Dana Perino on Alberto Gonzales Friday.

Whatever Happened to Fact-Checking?

Roy Blunt (R-MO) is House Minority Whip. Matt Blunt is governor of Missouri. Roy Blunt has been in Congress since 1997. Matt Blunt has been governor since 2005. With those facts in mind, read this from the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle (free subscription req.):

"The federal government is not going to tackle a number of the big issues, whether it's litigation, the environment across the country, expanding access to affordable health care," said Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, whose brother, Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is in Congress. "I think there's a sense that the federal government is paralyzed and a lot of these solutions are going to be enacted on the state level."

Sharp-eyed readers should find the major factual error right away.

The Augusta Chronicle is one of the oldest newspapers in the United States, publishing since 1785. It is owned by the Morris Publishing Group, which also owns, among others, the Hannibal (Mo.) Courier-Post and The Examiner of Independence, Mo., both daily newspapers. So the company has a presence in Missouri. The Augusta Chronicle has a 74,567 circulation weekdays and 100,592 circulation Sundays.

One would think such a venerable publication would practice professional journalism. You know, like checking facts. If a reporter plans to explain the connection between a source for a story with the House Minority Whip she or he probably ought to check that connection before publication. It's quite simple to do. Use the Google.

One of my favorite journalism professors, a former managing editor of the Washington (D.C.) Star, taught me the three most important things in reporting: accuracy, accuracy, and accuracy. It's a pity so many news people have forgotten that lesson. But why let facts get in the way of a story, right? Some news people even believe it's OK to lie in print while scolding others.

Journamalism, indeed.

The Comedy Stylings of Al Gonzales, Part III

Senate Testimony Edition:


"I recall making the decision, I [just] don’t recall when the decision was made."


"As someone who grew up in a poor neighborhood, I'm sensitive to the plight of minorities and the poor with respect to the right to vote. I don't want prosecutions to have a 'chilling effect' or that would discourage minorities from voting. Except when a Republican might lose an election."



"I'm not really aware of what input, advice and views went into compiling the list of fired US Attorneys. But I fired the US Attorneys based on that list. I'm certain no improper motives went into the compilation of the list. Even though I'm not aware of how the list was assembled. Or why different people's names were put on it."

Everybody Hurts

This song has been playing in my head today.




From: Automatic For The People

When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone,
when you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on.
Don't let yourself go, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes.

Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along.
When your day is night alone, (hold on, hold on)
if you feel like letting go, (hold on)
when you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on.

Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends.
Everybody hurts. Don't throw your hand. Oh, no. Don't throw your hand.
If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,
when you think you've had too much of this life to hang on.

Well, everybody hurts sometimes,
everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes.
And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on.
Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. (repeat & fade)
(Everybody hurts. You are not alone.)

Applicable copyright is implicit (Copyright © R.E.M./Athens Ltd. for all R.E.M. originals).

Second-Guessing

I've heard a number of people question why officials at Virginia Tech didn't close down the campus immediately following the first shooting. We keep getting more of the story and now know that police followed a bad lead, thinking the first shooting was "domestic" in nature. And with the release of information the shooter mailed to NBC News more pieces of the puzzle are being revealed. But I'd like to explore the failure to close the campus.

I am not attempting to defend what Virginia Tech authorities did or did not do. I am, perhaps, sympathetic to their dilemma having spent time as a student or teacher on six university campuses in my life. Three were small, private, liberal arts institutions. The other three were big state universities. One in particular covered more acres than Virginia Tech. All six have been surrounded by a metropolitan area.

If the Virginia Tech had closed the campus, and nothing else happened, would that have been a wasted class day? Should all the employees be paid for the day even though they had been sent home? What would you do with the 9,000 students living on campus? Many of them likely weren't even awake for the first shooting, some even for the second. College students like to sleep late.

So how long do you remove the residents from campus? Where do they go? You can't really lock them in the dorms because that's where the first shooting took place.

But let's say the university did shut down the campus. Perhaps by noon they would have reopened the campus for classes, thus bringing students, faculty and staff back to campus and to the scene of the second shooting. Who knows if the shooter might not have simply waited until such time and committed the same atrocities? Or, perhaps even worse, the shooter may have gone to another public venue to kill multiple victims. Like a mall. Or a public school.

Virginia Tech is a small city. It doesn't have a fence surrounding it. There are unlimited entry points for someone on foot. When people have guns and don't care if they're going to get caught or killed, if they wish to kill a bunch of people they're going to succeed. I don't believe any security arrangement is going to stop them. There aren't any general security measures a free and open society would want applied which could prevent this kind of thing. You can't prevent it. At most you can divert it.

The shooter was determined to end many lives, including his own. The weapons happened to be handguns and the location happened to be a college campus. It could have been a pipe bomb in a crowded restaurant, or an automobile crashing through a playground during recess. At some point he could not be stopped except by ending his life. And I don't know of anyone who could correctly predict or see when that point happened.

Hypocrite

Yes, that could apply to so many this week. But I'm specifically calling out the managing editor of the Community Free Press, Mert Seaton. In the latest edition (April 11-24) the lead article is by Ryan Cooper, the MSU student trouble-maker who asked two (2) Greenwood parents about sex offenders on the MSU campus. You know that story.

(Side note--I wish those who are up in arms about registered sex offenders on campus would explain which of the possible six (6) they're upset about. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol's database, three registered sex offenders list MSU as their school address and three list it as their work address. Cooper focused on one professor, as did the university, and pretty much all the critics. Odds are you're working with or very near a registered sex offender and probably have been for some time.)

Back to the Community Free Press. In an "Editor's Note" next to Cooper's story on the front page, Seaton claims the CFP had no intention of running Cooper's story until after an MSU news release identified Cooper as writing the story for the CFP. Seaton goes on to state:

We have not published the names of any registered sex offenders on campus. As journalists, we seek to inform the public while minimizing harm. We wish that other media outlets would follow our example.

On page 8 "Guest Columnist" Pat Nolan begins his column "MSU Follows Wrong Approach to Sex Offenders" with this:

Dr. Michael Hendrix has ample reason to ask when castigation will end.

Hendrix committed a sex offense more than 20 years ago, served his time, and registered as an offender. Hendrix has not re-offended and takes proactive measures to treat his addiction.

So managing editor Mert Seaton lied in print. The Community Free Press HAS published the name of a registered sex offender on campus, a mere seven pages after Seaton claims it has not.

As a journalist, I'm offended by Seaton's sanctimonious tone and hypocrisy. The Community Free Press lost credibility with this edition. Of course, failing to label the column by that rabble-rousing radio jerk or letters to the editor as "Viewpoints" means there wasn't much credibility to begin with.

Beeeeeeep!

We interrupt this blog for to note a couple administrative changes:

• a new "seal of approval" in the upper right hand column. I've taken the pledge not to take the pledge.
• The Out Of Iraq Bloggers Caucus Blogroll; a group of bloggers who work to get the message out as widely as possible that the Iraq Debacle must be ended as soon as possible. I'm a proud member now.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled blogging, already in progress.




. . .and the cow fell off the stool. Hahahahahahahahaha!

Branson's New Christmas Show?

Having lost the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Show in 2004, perhaps these soldiers of Russia's elite Dzerzhinsky division may provide high-kicking entertainment?

REUTERS/Alexander Natruskin

Curious George

There'r no winders. Howsa pilot see where's he going?

REUTERS/Jason Reed

The Bush Clan Agree. . .

. . .on their prediction of how low Dubya's approval ratings will go.

REUTERS/Jason Reed

Rights? What Rights?

Evidently, if you've ever protested for peace, or made public speeches criticizing the Bush administration your name may well appear on the Terrorist Watch List. Doesn't matter if you've served in the military, are critical of Roe v. Wade, and supported the Alito nomination. You still may be classified as an enemy of the people. Read what happened to Professor Walter F. Murphy, emeritus of Princeton University:

"On 1 March 07, I was scheduled to fly on American Airlines to Newark, NJ, to attend an academic conference at Princeton University, designed to focus on my latest scholarly book, Constitutional Democracy, published by Johns Hopkins University Press this past Thanksgiving."

"When I tried to use the curb-side check in at the Sunport, I was denied a boarding pass because I was on the Terrorist Watch list. I was instructed to go inside and talk to a clerk. At this point, I should note that I am not only the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence (emeritus) but also a retired Marine colonel. I fought in the Korean War as a young lieutenant, was wounded, and decorated for heroism. I remained a professional soldier for more than five years and then accepted a commission as a reserve office, serving for an additional 19 years."

"I presented my credentials from the Marine Corps to a very polite clerk for American Airlines. One of the two people to whom I talked asked a question and offered a frightening comment: "Have you been in any peace marches? We ban a lot of people from flying because of that." I explained that I had not so marched but had, in September, 2006, given a lecture at Princeton, televised and put on the Web, highly critical of George Bush for his many violations of the Constitution. "That'll do it," the man said. "

"After carefully examining my credentials, the clerk asked if he could take them to TSA officials. I agreed. He returned about ten minutes later and said I could have a boarding pass, but added: "I must warn you, they're going to ransack your luggage." On my return flight, I had no problem with obtaining a boarding pass, but my luggage was "lost." Airlines do lose a lot of luggage and this "loss" could have been a mere coincidence. In light of previous events, however, I'm a tad skeptical."

"I confess to having been furious that any American citizen would be singled out for governmental harassment because he or she criticized any elected official, Democrat or Republican. That harassment is, in and of itself, a flagrant violation not only of the First Amendment but also of our entire scheme of constitutional government. This effort to punish a critic states my lecture's argument far more eloquently and forcefully than I ever could. Further, that an administration headed by two men who had "had other priorities" than to risk their own lives when their turn to fight for their country came up, should brand as a threat to the United States a person who did not run away but stood up and fought for his country and was wounded in battle, goes beyond the outrageous. Although less lethal, it is of the same evil ilk as punishing Ambassador Joseph Wilson for criticizing Bush's false claims by "outing" his wife, Valerie Plaime, thereby putting at risk her life as well as the lives of many people with whom she had had contact as an agent of the CIA. ..."

"I have a personal stake here, but so do all Americans who take their political system seriously. Thus I hope you and your colleagues will take some positive action to bring the Administration's conduct to the attention of a far larger, and more influential, audience than I could hope to reach. "

I wonder if tossing a snowball at the vice-president's car 20 years ago has my name on the Terrorist Watch List?