Hearts & Minds, & Failure in Colonial Iraq: "Iraq, the Real Story," a film by Sean Smith (Guardian)

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Saturday October 28, 2006 · 6:19 AM PDT

2006/10/28 · 06:19

As the US rebuilding efforts wind down, and as the White House shifts its storyline to emphasize new timetables, checklists, tick-boxes (or whatever they are calling them this week) setting out Iraqi steps towards self-governance, Iraq has remained stateless, a horrific wild west fueled by the embarrassment and attendant dishonor of overbearing imperial rule amid the widespread cronyism and fiscal idiocy that inevitably accompanies colonialism:

PIPELINE

In 2004, the Army found that Halliburton Co. subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root had spent all US$76 million allocated for running a pipeline beneath the Tigris River, but completed only 28 per cent of the drilling. It had gone ahead despite expert warnings the drilling would fail. A new contractor switched to a more feasible route.

genespleen

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Friday October 27, 2006 · 4:32 AM PDT

2006/10/27 · 04:32

The good people at the Center for Rural Strategies have released a new poll that suggests a longtime stronghold for the Republicans has shifted dramatically in favor of the Democrats:

The rural vote has shifted in favor of Democratic congressional candidates in the last month, indicating Republicans are losing ground with a key constituency, according to the Center for Rural Strategies Poll.

genespleen

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Wednesday October 25, 2006 · 4:48 AM PDT

2006/10/25 · 04:48

Ken Blackwell's campaign has been desperately trying to get some mileage out of an old story that Ted Strickland hired a staffer who had in the past been involved in sexual misconduct.

Surprise, surprise (those who live by the sword...) -- Now it has come back on Blackwell:

Candidate who blasted opponent for questionable employee turns out to have one in his past.
The Columbus Dispatch reports: In May 2002, about three months after leaving the treasurer's [Blackwell's] office, Toomer was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a girl, beginning in September 1994 when she was 7 and continuing until 2001.

In other words, Toomer's predation occurred whilst on Blackwell's staff. It would be nice if Blackwell's campaign learned some humility from this, but I imagine that is about as likely as Ed McMahon showing up on my doorstep tomorrow with that long-deserved pile of cash from Publisher's Clearing House.

In the meantime: Got some lunch money sitting around? Help Jennifer Brunner's Secretary of State campaign.

Or help Ted Strickland.

genespleen

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Sunday October 22, 2006 · 7:23 PM PDT

2006/10/22 · 19:23

James Hider at The Times is reporting that despite the White House's "no change" position after the weekend's high-level policy "discussion," that there is indeed a change in the works. Hider writes:

"AMERICAN forces are negotiating an amnesty with Sunni insurgents in Iraq to try to defuse the nascent civil war and pave the way for disarmament of Shia militias...."

If Hider's report is correct, then I imagine BushCo will be working on how to square negotiating with the insurgents with their prior swagger talk about not negotiating with terrorists ("We do not negotiate with terrorists. We put them out of business."). I suppose we will see a careful redefinition of the pesky term "terrorist," up to now so useful to this administration. Read More

Muddying the Waters: O'Reilly and Foley...("D-FL")

genespleen

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Friday October 06, 2006 · 5:00 AM PDT

2006/10/06 · 05:00

Pardon me if this has been "diaried" already--I did look but didn't see it. But it seems as though Fox News, O'Reilly, is seeking to muddy the waters regarding Foley's party affliliation: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/....

What could possibly be the motive behind this? Does a staffer at Fox really think that there are viewers out there who could somehow miss the media storm over this: the Republican Party alternately crumbling and wagon-circling, by the hour? Hastert's desperate late attempts to project forcefullness?
Perhaps it was a mere slip, ahem, but this is slimey-looking stuff. Surprise.

In other news, the University of Cinnicinnati's Institute for Policy Research recently issued a press release summarizing their latest Ohio Poll on voter issues (http://www.ipr.uc.edu/...): "Voters Pessimistic About Ohio Economy; Democrats Seen As Better Able to Handle Economic Issues"

So keep hammering at Foley/Hastert/Boehner , but we've got other issues that ought not to be neglected.

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Hearts & Minds, & Failure in Colonial Iraq: "Iraq, the Real Story," a film by Sean Smith (Guardian)

Rural battleground shifts toward Democrats

OH Governor's Race--Blackwell's chickens come home to roost

Times: A new policy in the works

Muddying the Waters: O'Reilly and Foley...("D-FL")