From Powerline, who posts more of the transcript, and AJ Strata, who concludes that It was not actually the fact that NSA bypassed FISA—it was actually that Bush was opening the NSA leads to FBI investigation which were making their way to the FIS Court—where these leads were being rejected by the head judges as ‘illegal’ leads! The so called ‘tainting’ of FISA some of the FIS Court judges complained
March 30, 2006
Because sometimes, the prospect of coalition soldiers storming your safehouse with heavy armor and automatic weapons is enough to tweak your conscience that LITTLE extra bit… (UPDATED and UPDATED AGAIN)
American journalist Jill Carroll has been released. This is a good thing. The Jawa Report and Stop the ACLU have more. **** update: Apparently Ms Carroll was treated like a princess by her noble and gentlemenly kidnappers, who snatched her up three months ago simply to protest the occupation of their country by the forces who liberated 25 million Iraqis from under the boot heel of Saddam Hussein. Such a
March 30, 2006
John Bolton’s straight-talking mustache, “Regis,” visits an Asian “massage therapist”
“Regis”: “—And this time, honey, I want the ‘happy ending’ in carnauba wax, which is easily brushed out—not the hot ginger oil. Last time when you, y’know, finished me off…it took a week of soaping the duster with Lever 2000 twice a day before I could enjoy a nice single malt Scotch. In the meantime, the Macallan would just bead up on me like little brown single malt boils.”
March 29, 2006
NSA / FISA follow-up: when narratives compete (UPDATED)
Both Powerline and AJ Strata are looking into an important NSA/FISA-related story that is (shockingly!) being interpreted differently by the NYT and the Washington Times. First, here’s John Hinderaker: Yesterday, five former judges of the FISA court testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the National Security Agency’s international terrorist surveillance program. Some observers have alleged that the NSA program is illegal to the extent that it includes surveillance conducted
March 29, 2006
My sixth brief conversation with the 2mg regimen of Klonopin (clonazepam) prescribed me by my GP
me: “For some reason, I have a Bellamy Brothers song playing in a continuous loop in my head. ‘Let Your Love Flow.’ You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” Klonopin: “You mean, like, a clinical, pharmaceudically-related answer? No, not really. But from a psychological perspective, I’ve noticed that you’re prone to nostalgia. And of course, that you’re crazy as a syphillitic bat.” Klonopin: “If that helps.”
March 29, 2006
Men’s Reproductive Rights, redux
Cathy Young answers Jane Galt’s argument that “the current law [on reproductive rights] strikes me as a reasonable compromise between the needs of the women and the needs of the child”: It’s interesting that the woman and the child are the only two parties Jane seems to consider. As for the argument that other biological disparities in reproduction favor men, it is something that I have considered myself. But here’s
March 29, 2006
“Democrats Offer National Security Platform” (UPDATED)
From the AP: Eyeing House and Senate elections this fall, Democrats are stepping up their effort to cut into the public perception that Republicans are stronger on national security. Congressional Democrats vow to provide U.S. agents with the resources to hunt down Osama bin Laden and ensure a “responsible redeployment of U.S. forces” from Iraq in 2006 in a national security policy statement House and Senate Democratic leaders were announcing
March 29, 2006
“Saudis, with Pakistani help, working on nuclear programme”
From AFP: Saudi Arabia is working secretly on a nuclear programme, with help from Pakistani experts, a German magazine reports in its latest edition, citing Western security sources. The German magazine Cicero says that during the Hajj pilgrimages to Mecca in 2003 through 2005, Pakistani scientists posed as pilgrims to come to Saudi Arabia in aircraft laid on by the oil-rich kingdom. Between October 2004 and January 2005, some of
March 28, 2006
Hoist the Black Flag, neocon!
Today I will be joining Ace as co-host of his “Hoist the Black Flag” radio show on Rightalk. Tune in at 4:05 pm EST, 1:05 pacific. Today’s guest is Clint W. Taylor, who runs the Nail Yale blog at Townhall.com. Sadly, I don’t yet have the broadcast equipment, so I’ll be doing the show from a telephone. Havoc is certain to break loose, naturally. Please do call in with any
March 28, 2006
“Eminent Domain Hits the Links”
Take one Kelo decision. Add a local politician. Mix with a dash of arrogance and strained interpretation. Yield: the goverment essentially owns all private property. It just allows you to lease it. From the WSJ, here’s NY attorney Ed Herlihy: There’s been a lot of controversy lately about eminent domain–the government’s power to confiscate private property and put it to public use. The furor erupted last year when the Supreme