Do You Have the Right Not To Be Framed?
The Supreme Court hears oral argument today in Pottawattamie County v McGee, wherein they will have to decide if prosecutors have immunity from lawsuits even if they frame someone for murder. On one side of the case being argued are Iowa prosecutors who contend "there is no freestanding right not to be framed." They are backed by the Obama administration, 28 ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on November 4, 2009 12:59
Obama’s Europe Neglect Could Bring Bush Nostalgia
My first piece for ForeignPolicy.com, "Europe's Obama Fatigue," is online. Despite George W. Bush's defiant "you're with us or you're against us" public stance, he actively solicited advice and input from his NATO partners. Obama, by contrast, is saying all the right things in public about transatlantic relations and NATO but adopting a high-handed policy and paying little attention to Europe. [...] It would ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on October 30, 2009 06:10
Caption Contest
Time for the Thursday OTB Caption ContestTM REUTERS/Eliana Aponte (MEXICO SOCIETY) Winners will be announced Monday PMPosted in Outside The Beltway on October 15, 2009 06:12
Dept. of Silly Analogies
John Cole comments on Michelle Obama's pledge to "take no prisoners" as she helps her husband fight to get the Olympics for Chicago: You know who else hosted an Olympics? Hitler. Just saying… QED.Posted in Outside The Beltway on September 29, 2009 16:09
Caption Contest
Time for the Monday OTB Caption ContestTM (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Winners will be announced Thursday PM Last Thursday Contest winners will be announced Tuesday PMPosted in Outside The Beltway on September 7, 2009 09:03
Mary Jo Kopechne
In my early morning Teddy Kennedy Dead at 77 media roundup post, I observed, "That the Chappaquiddick scandal didn’t make the first several paragraphs — or even first page — of several of these obits is quite remarkable. It would be like writing an obit for Richard Nixon that didn’t mention Watergate or one for Michael Jackson that glossed over ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on August 26, 2009 14:31
Google Chrome Bleg
I gave Google's Chrome browser a go the first few days after its debut but found it rather annoying and went back to Firefox. The latter has gotten so balky of late, however, that I've followed Alex Knapp's suggestion and given Chrome another chance. For the most part, it's fine. I'm not having the crashing issues that I was with Firefox ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on August 21, 2009 09:17
You Know You Got it When You’re Going Insane
Norm Geras (who just celebrated his 6th blogging anniversary) points us to this hilariously annoying SPIEGEL interview with Wired editor Chris Anderson: SPIEGEL: Mr. Anderson, let's talk about the future of journalism. Anderson: This is going to be a very annoying interview. I don't use the word journalism. SPIEGEL: Okay, how about newspapers? They are in deep trouble both in the United States ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 28, 2009 12:07
Quote of the Day – Drinking Republicans
"There’s a lot of interesting data in the NBC/WSJ poll, although much of it is good news for the Dems and sobering news for the GOP (there’s been so much sobering news the last four years I feel like drinking). " - Glen Bolger Glen's a founding partner of Public Opinion Strategies, which employs my wife as its Chief Operating Officer ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on March 9, 2009 14:49
Obama Going Gray!
The Old Gray Lady has another of the epic scoops that made them the Newspaper of Record. Ace correspondent Helene Cooper breaks the news in a piece of journalism titled "For Young President, Flecks of Gray." Well, that didn’t take long. Just 44 days into the job, and President Obama is going gray. It happens to all of them, of course ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on March 5, 2009 08:18
Aztlán, Reconquista, and Anti-Immigration Racism
LiberalOasis reports that CNN's Lou Dobbs ran the graphic at right, which was "sourced to the Council of Conservative Citizens, a group deemed to have a 'white supremacy' ideology according to the Anti-Defamation League." Further, "During a piece about illegal immigrants in Utah, reporter Casey Wian said, 'Utah is also part of the territory some militant Latino activists ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on May 24, 2006 13:04
U.S. Endorses Israel Border Ultimatum
After initial skepticism, U.S. officials have endorsed an Israeli ultimatum that would unilaterally draw borders between it and the Palestinian Authority if a negotiated settlement is not reached by 2010. AP's Amy Teibel: Before Olmert arrived Sunday, the Bush administration had urged him to negotiate with the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and bypass the new Hamas leadership. Hamas, branded a ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on May 24, 2006 07:02
Hayden CIA Nomination Approved by Senate Intel Committee
The Senate Intelligence Committee easily approved Gen. Michael Hayden's nomination for CIA Director, despite controversy over his involvement in the NSA eavesdropping/datamining operations. CNN reports the vote at 12-3. Update: Reuters has details. Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden's nomination as CIA director won the endorsement of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday in a vote that sets the ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on May 23, 2006 15:38
Lloyd Bentsen Dies at 85
Longtime Texas Senator and Clinton Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen has died. Lloyd Bentsen, a courtly Texan who represented the state in Congress for 28 years and served as President Clinton's first treasury secretary, died Tuesday morning, his family said. He was 85. Bentsen, also the Democratic 1988 vice presidential nominee, died at his home in Houston. It was during that campaign ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on May 23, 2006 11:40
7-Year-Old Swims From Alcatraz to San Francisco
A 7-year-old kid swam the 1.4 miles from Alcatraz to San Franciso this morning. A 7-year-old Arizona boy completed an estimated 1.4-mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the city's Aquatic Park early Monday. Braxton Bilbrey's coach and two other adults joined him in the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay. He was greeted at the finish by reporters, photographers and ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on May 22, 2006 14:39
