Links…

November 24, 2006 in Links

Pete Talbot mulls the 2008 election landscape; in the post, blogswarm finds an opportunity to slam Max Baucus’ staff.

Memo to Max: you’re even more popular when you play ball with economic populists like the Good Guv and JT.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post got its hands on an email to Big Pharm executives saying Jon Tester “is expected to be a problem.” That’s exactly why we put him there!

The Billings Gazette writes a puff piece on Dennis Rehberg that explains what he’s going to do with all his new-found free time, now that he’s a member of a bitterly divided minority party.

The Missoulian editorial staff calls Montana GOP outcry about redistricting “hyperbole,” and makes the outrageous claim that the elections were all about issues and candidates.

An Idaho editor was fired for endorsing a Democrat in the recent election. “Liberal” media?

Western Democratic state party chairmen meet, and praise Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy.

Bill Schneider on hunting wolves.

Krugman and Dionne weigh in on Florida’s 13th District voting mess: “It may be asking the impossible, but Democrats and Republicans should not make this a fight about which party picks up one more seat. Instead, they should conduct a joint inquest into this contest to provide a basis for bipartisan legislation creating national standards for improving our voting systems.”.

Why Glenn Greenwald hates the Bush administration: “Everything they accuse others of doing — exploiting national security for domestic political gain, being ‘unserious’ about war matters, playing games with the mission of the troops — is what they do as transparently as possible.”

Remember the anti-reproduction-rights hack the Bush administration appointed to the “population affairs” in the Office of Family Planning? Dr. Eric Keroack. Well, the dude has a nutty powerpoint presentation aimed at children to show that women who have a lot of sex can’t fall in love.

Craig points out that today is “Evacuation Day,” the anniversary of when the British New York City in 1783, and thus effectively ending the American colonies’ war of independence. There’s a lesson in here about Iraq, isn’t there?

Barbara Tuchman’s March of Folly is getting quite a few reads lately. Richard Clarke: “In The March of Folly, Barbara Tuchman documented repeated instances when leaders persisted in disastrous policies well after they knew that success was no longer an available outcome. They did so because the personal consequences of admitting failure would be very high.” It’s interesting that a lot of Bush supporters too still cling to obviously wrong assumptions about Iraq, especially the hysterical bloggers on the right. Do they recognize their own culpability for the war? Certainly to continue banging the drum in the face of reality only will make them look worse when the dam breaks.

Speaking of Iraq, why did an Austrialian wheat company find out about the Iraqi invasion 13 months before it happened? Surely this requires some Congressional inquiry…

Good thing that the Senate Judiciary Committee, soon to be led by Vermont’s Patrick Leahy, is to demand documents from the Bush administration on its detention policies.

Pelosi expects to start legislating immediately after the Congressional swearing-in ceremony, a break with tradition. Kevin Drum likes the aggression, and so do I.

Rumsfeld’s feelings hurt by sacking. Boo frickin’ hoo.

Why does the Bush administration hate libraries?

Colorado’s Tom Tancredo goes over the edge on immigration — again. And you wonder there was a 30-point swing among Hispanic voters in favor of the Democratic Party?

Colby pores over the world’s best functioning democracies and sees the U.S. down on the list. An explanation ensues.

Jonathan Singer looks at the 2008 Senate field — and likes what he sees!

The Pentagon’s top weapons research comes up with a whacky plan that would solve global warming — and you wouldn’t have to stop using your SUV!