Links…

April 23, 2007 in Links

Services for Private 1st Class Kyle Bohrnsen, killed in Iraq, held in Phillipsburg.

Ed Kemmick – back from his luxury cruise – mulls over the possibility that Montana Meth program financier, Tom Siebel, has his eye on the governor’s seat. I would like to think that Montana would shun a wealthy out-of-stater buying his way into the state’s top seat with a drug program of dubious value…(more on that later…)

So…the budget is caught in the middle of a Mexican standoff…

…so House Republican leaders take a couple of days off…

Bill that would have targeted businesses that hired illegal aliens shot down in the legislature.

Moorcat mulls the snowpack and the possibility for drought in Beaverhead county.

A pair of MIT scientists have discovered a way to reduce vehicle fuel consumption and emissions with existing technology.

The real problem: underpriced parking.

From a Boing Boing interview with security expert Bruce Schneir: “I dislike security measures that require us to guess the plot correctly because if you guess wrong, it’s a waste of money. And it’s not even a fair game. It’s not like we pick our security, they pick their plot, we see who wins. The game is we pick our security, they look at our security, and then they pick their plot. The way to spend money on security – airport security, and security in general — is intelligence investigation and emergency response.”

Nicole makes a convincing argument that abortion should not be the state’s decision.

Newt Gingrich blames liberalism for the VaTech shootings, although the shooter was raised in a devout Christian household. Can we stop the blame game now?

Dig this: one of the heroes of the VaTech shooting was a Muslim student. Paranoid righties’ heads implode.

And here’s some insight on why folks try to find explanations for random acts…

David Broder attacks Harry Reid for saying the war is over. Wow! That was a close brush with reality, wasn’t it Mr. Broder?

Some goodies we can expect from Bill Moyers’ special on how the media handled the Iraq War: “Buying the War.” Airs Wednesday.

Apparently the multimedia page of the NRSCC’s website is sponsored by Fox.

Border Patrol union release a no-confidence vote in their chief, David V. Aguilar, over the punishment of two agents who shot a drug-smuggler.

The FDA knew about the recent food contamination before it killed people. I smell a huge lawsuit. Another federal agency ruined by Bush’s brand of conservative politics.

Abramoff investigations chug on. This time former aide to Republican Rep. Don Young (AK) is set to plead guilty to corruption charges.

Why the prosecution of two AIPAC lobbyists represents a potential and permanent blow against the First Amendment by Alberto Gonzalez and Paul McNulty.

And remember, the prosecutor purge was all about suppressing voter turnout.

Meanwhile the President is going to stand by his man. Apparently Gonzo’s inept testimony has only “increased” Bush’s confidence in the Attorney General.

House Minority Leader John Boehner promised to assess the surge after 90 days. Well…it’s been 90 days!

Decorated vet presents the President with one of his Purple Hearts. “[Bush] said he didn’t feel like he had earned it.” No kidding.

Krugman claims that the scuffle over troop funding is more accurately akin to hostage situation “…in which a beleaguered President Bush, barricaded in the White House, is threatening dire consequences for innocent bystanders — the troops — if his demands aren’t met.”

Who supports the troops?

Iraq veteran John Bruhns speaks out against the war.

An Army sergeant wonders why the President honors the slain VaTech students, but not our fallen soldiers.

Another thinks, like Reid, the war can’t be won militarily.

Republican quotes of the week.

Torboto: the robot that tortures people.

A group of Christian teens disrupt live theater – Mike Daisey’s “Invincible Summer” — standing up en masse and pouring water on Daisey’s notes. Harmless in the end…but perhaps a disturbing foreshadowing of religion’s efforts to silence art? (With video.)