Several people disagreed with my earlier readings of the Hamdan ruling, suggesting that I was making too much of the decisions’ having bestowed upon illegal combatants Common Article 3 protections that, given a governmental and elite culture that often proceeds from overtly ridiculous (and historically dubious) PC sensibilities, I felt would almost certainly be exploited by civil liberties absolutists and anti-war propagandists who, let’s face it, are always willing to

United Airlines counter attendant: “Any baggage today, Mr Rather?” Rather: “”Yes, I have baggage.  I have the baggage of being a graduate of the journalism school of South Vietnam.” * United Airlines counter attendant: United Airlines counter attendant: “Uh, okay.” United Airlines counter attendant: “Well, I’m fairly certain self-importance and unintended self-parody are considered carry-on items.  So you should be good to go, sir.” **** (h/t Martin; see also, Hot

Constant updates at Pajamas Media and Hot Air, where Allah uses wire reports to confirm Debka’s earlier report that “Iran’s national security adviser Ali Larijani flies to Damascus aboad special military plane Wednesday night as war tension builds…. Iranian air force, missile units and navy are also on high alert…. Israel began calling up an armored division, air crews and technicians from the reserves Wednesday night.” The Iran-Syria defense pact. 

Originally posted in the comments to this QandO post: Ah, Greenwald. You and Mona may have duped [QandO’s Jon] Henke, but I see through you, buddy. You’re the blogosphere equivalent of The Monkees — only without Nesmith’s talent or Davey Jones’ boyish good looks. You write: And the purpose of linking to the Sadly, No post was to demonstrate that the Grand Victim of the Weekend himself, Jeff Goldstein, routinely

From the August/September Reason (print edition): Doctors at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University report success in regrowing healthy cells for diseased rabbit penises.  Researchers say the process could pave the way for treating impotence in human beings. —Which, while swell news for impotent males, is nevertheless a bummer for the French, who have long considered diseased rabbit penises something of a delicacy. Or am I’m thinking

So I’m out for a walk with my kid a few minutes ago when swear I see Kofi Annan at the playground near my house, arbitrating a dispute between two teenagers over an ounce of Boléia (or maybe Acapulco red—I was too far away to tell).  Which, yes, I realize that seems highly improbable—until, that is, you factor in that the dispute escalated into a gun fight, and that the

From Red State: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has a new fundraising pitch going out. It uses September 11th and our troops to raise money. But, instead of using those images to show Democrats would be tougher on terrorists and make America more secure, it uses pictures of dead soldiers in their flag draped coffins and the subtle threat of harm from September 11th to make a threat to the

Via Bloomberg News: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert blamed Lebanon for a Hezbollah attack on Israel he said was “war-like’’ and called for a “painful and far-reaching’’ response. Israeli troops entered Lebanon, the daily Haaretz reported, as an army spokeswoman said a call-up of reservists was on the agenda. The military action came after the armed Hezbollah group said on its Web site it captured two Israeli soldiers. The army said

me: “Love your flag lapel pin.  Tell me, does that come with a Toby Keith CD?” my patriotism: “Dude.” my patriotism: “You’re confusing me with Sean Hannity again.” my patriotism: “Which, common mistake—but I’m the one without all the hairspray, remember?”

1) Novak reveals his Plame source.  And I must admit, I actually giggled when I read it.  (h/t STACLU; see also, Wizbang). 2) From the AP, “U.S. Extends Geneva Rights to Detainees”: The Bush administration, bowing to court edict and political pressure, guaranteed the basic protections of the Geneva Conventions to captives in the war on terrorism and asked lawmakers Tuesday to restore the military tribunals now in limbo. As