I heard bin Laden say that Benazir Bhutto is dead.

Posted at May 17, 2008 12:23 AM in response to Bin Laden, murdered in 2002, releases new audio tape

Have you actually read his book? I don't know if Sheldon Whitehouse will turn out to be as bad as advertised, and it's too bad Chafee didn't consider at least putting an I after his name instead of an R, but not all Democrats are saints by any means.

I voted Green in 2004 rather than vote for Kerry -- the official Green Party candidate, by the way, not Ralph Nader, as most Dems don't even get, or make, the distinction -- and I keep that as an option this year.

Posted at May 17, 2008 12:19 AM in response to The GOP Abuses the Environment at Its Own Peril

Very interesting indeed, especially the fraying of the "mutual relationship" on page 2.

Saudis either can't or won't supply the cheap oil any more (I vote a Peak Oil "can't"), and we're tied down so much elsewhere that even if we had a more respected president, our presence militarily would still be thin.

And, re Riyadh/Tehran, it sounds like Lebanon will be a "proxy" for both for quite some time.

Posted at May 17, 2008 12:15 AM in response to The GOP Abuses the Environment at Its Own Peril

My main concern is that any current ideas in a housing bailout don't distinguish between good actors and bad actors on the buyers side.

Some people bought houses as investments, to flip them. We wouldn't bail out their stock portfolio, would we? Ditto to a lesser extent on people who bought second, third or fourth homes as rentals.

Also, some buyers deliberately gamed the system on some types of loans. In my suburban area of Dallas, I overheard a gentleman about 2-3 years ago, who obviously had a 2/28 ARM. He said that as soon as he had to start paying principal and interest, and at the reset rate, he was going to walk away.

Posted at May 15, 2008 9:20 PM in response to Progressives and the Housing Bailout

Actually, I don't think this calls for an end to the embargo. It calls for an end to Helms-Burton, and a loosening of other strands of the embargo.

But, there's plenty of stuff, all the way back to Ike and JFK, that would still be on the books, unless Steve isn't disclosing everything in the CFR report.

I don't hear Steve referencing the 1992 Cuban Democracy Act, for example.

Wiki Cuban embargo for more details about what all the “Cuban embargo” involves.

Posted at May 15, 2008 12:31 PM in response to Council on Foreign Relations Group Calls For END to Cuba Embargo

Yes, just like the Democratic Speaker of the House who still keeps impeachment "off the table."

Posted at May 14, 2008 1:59 AM in response to Ohio Dems Impeach The Dannimal

"Steno" Hoyer will probably roll over easily enough.

Posted at May 13, 2008 6:34 PM in response to Senate GOPer Hatching Secret White House Wiretapping Compromise

Since the Green Party hasn't had its convention yet, I can't answer this question in more detail.

Posted at May 12, 2008 2:07 AM in response to How did you choose your favoured candidate?

Excellent analysis, Nathan.

In other words, labor as well as capital should be fngible and "free traders" don't want it to be.

And, this article doesn't even address the environmental issue of us exporting our pollution, which "free traders" don't want to discuss, either.

Posted at May 8, 2008 5:00 PM in response to Bashing China (and the US) from the Left - and Below

"American exceptionalism" is a metaphysical pile of crap, and yes, wayyyy too many liberals, or "liberals," as well as conservatives, indulge themselves in its nonsense.

Read Santayana's dictum again, then remember this:

>b>Every country makes mistakes. And every country has learning difficulties.

Posted at April 28, 2008 8:17 PM in response to Neocons are just cons?