Wisdom From The Right, To The Right

Ken AshfordRight Wing Punditry/IdiocyLeave a Comment

Prominent right-wing blogger John Cole speaks the truth and gives sage advice: [Members of the media] may be offensive, in cases biased, and in cases all out jackasses (Linda Foley, Ted Rall, Eason Jordan, and others come immediately to mind), but, as a whole, they are not anti-military, and certainly not treasonous. If the media suffers from some Vietnam syndrome, … Read More

Nothing There

Ken AshfordElection 20041 Comment

For months, wingers have whined about Kerry’s military records, trying to foment grass roots pressure on forcing Kerry to release those records.  Examples here and here.  The right wing blogosphere has “questions” about Kerry’s discharge, although they have nothing to base these “questions” on (in short, it’s a fishing expedition). Well, Kerry finally signed the Form 180 allowing for the … Read More

Tony Award Winners

Ken AshfordPopular Culture1 Comment

BEST MUSICALDirty Rotten ScoundrelsThe Light in the Piazza*Monty Python’s SpamalotThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee BEST PLAYDemocracy*DoubtGem of the OceanThe Pillowman BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICALHank Azaria, Monty Python’s SpamalotGary Beach, La Cage aux Folles*Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten ScoundrelsTim Curry, Monty Python’s SpamalotJohn Lithgow, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN … Read More

Supremes Harsh Our Mellow

Ken AshfordConstitution, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

The case is Gonzales v. Raich (PDF format), better known as the medical marijuana case.  The Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that the federal government can (in effect) outlaw medical marijuana use despite the fact that some states (ten of them) have made it legal. What the case is about is federalism and the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.  For … Read More

Freedom On The March?

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Another Middle East Country, another election. BINT JBEIL, Lebanon – Hezbollah and its Shiite allies claimed victory in southern Lebanon in Sunday’s second stage of national elections, a vote the militant group hopes will prove its strength and send a message of defiance to the United States. Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters drove through the streets of Beirut waving the group’s … Read More

Another Gets Unplugged From The Matrix

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Iraq, RepublicansLeave a Comment

Read the whole thing: Two years ago I was a neocon. I supported Bush’s war on Iraq and I called everyone who didn’t a liberal Kool-aid drinker. I voted for Bush in 2000 and I listened to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and just about any right-winger on the radio that I could get a four-word talking point from to use … Read More

Get Ready For The Kristian Kook Backlash

Ken AshfordSex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

For those not in the know, ICANN is the organization which decides, among other things, Internet domain handles.  They’re the folks who literally gave us “dot-com”, and more recently “dot-org” and “dot-gov”, to name a few.  And now—as blogged about here—ICANN has approved the use of “.XXX” as a top-level domain.  Yup.  It’s for porn sites. The blogger at the … Read More

Finally!

Ken AshfordBush & Co., IraqLeave a Comment

"When I go back (to Washington) on Monday, I am going to raise the issue,” he said of the memo, which has not been disputed by either the British or American governments. “I think it’s a stunning, unbelievably simple and understandable statement of the truth and a profoundly important document that raises stunning issues here at home. And it’s amazing … Read More

Questions Answered

Ken AshfordHistoryLeave a Comment

How did Bob Woodward know Mark Felt?  How did they arrange their meetings?  Watergate buffs and/or students of history need to read this article by Bob Woodward in today’s Washington Post.  It sheds light on some of the mysteries surrounding “Deep Throat” (and leaves a few questions still unanswered).

Another Bad Bill

Ken AshfordCongress, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

Senate Bill 1113 hopes to do the following: “NO FEDERAL FUNDS FOR DRUGS PRESCRIBED FOR THE TREATMENT OF SEXUAL OR ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION”.  You can read the full text of the bill by going here, and doing a search. The bill, sponsored by Senators Santorum, Lott, Ensign and Grassley (no surprise), was obviously written in response to the recent discoveries that … Read More

Religious Degradation

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Deborah Pearlstein ties the ends together and gives the big picture: Newsweek’s missteps in reporting particular allegations of religious degradation initially obscured the broad truth that religious degradation was a tactic expressly approved by the Department of Defense. A memo signed by Rumsfeld in November 2002 listed “removal of clothing” as a permissible interrogation technique, along with “removal of facial … Read More

Re-evaluation of GWOT

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

An important WaPo piece discusses a possible shift in the administration’s terrorism policies.  Apparently, the Global War On Terrorism thing just isn’t working, as we find ourselves “drifting” and lacking a sense of what to do next. Digby takes his scissors to the possible policy change.  Here’s WaPo: Much of the discussion has focused on how to deal with the … Read More

Hiding The Truth

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Foreign AffairsLeave a Comment

Why is the White House refusing to hand over NSA documents regarding Bolton, so that the Senate can confirm/deny him as UN Ambassador?  Is it national security, or is someone’s ass being covered? In tomorrow’s New York Times, an article will appear suggesting that the White House is holding the documents tight to the chest because they contain the names … Read More