The Fulcrum
Saturday, January 24, 2004
New Law Left Behind
Is there a GOP backlash against BushCo's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law? According to the Washington Post, it seems there may be. And Democrats are gleefully piling on.
While this is just one part of BushCo's overall plan, it must be a sharp rebuke to what has seemed an unstoppable thrust to change so many aspects of our society. That even some of their staunchest supporters are starting to fight back gives some hope for November. At least it seems that way from the end of January.
The Republican-controlled Virginia House of Delegates sharply criticized President Bush's signature education program Friday, calling the No Child Left Behind Act an unfunded mandate that threatens to undermine the state's own efforts to improve students' performance.
[snip]
No Republicans voted against the resolution, a fact that House Education Committee Chairman James H. Dillard II (R-Fairfax) said is proof that "the damn law is ludicrous."
[snip]
As a result of a Republican legislative initiative in Ohio, the state commissioned a study released this month that found the federal government had significantly underfunded No Child Left Behind.
In North Dakota, a resolution sponsored by Democrats that stated the "cost to states of implementing the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is as yet unclear" was passed by both the Republican-controlled House and Senate. And the Republican legislature in Utah is considering legislation to forgo the federal money and opt out of the program entirely.
While this is just one part of BushCo's overall plan, it must be a sharp rebuke to what has seemed an unstoppable thrust to change so many aspects of our society. That even some of their staunchest supporters are starting to fight back gives some hope for November. At least it seems that way from the end of January.
Friday, January 23, 2004
Charles Duelfer
I'm not sure what the hell this means...
This after sending home the team that would have been responsible for handling any truly dangerous materials. The only thing this says to me is that BushCo has no idea what it's doing. But just about everything they do says that to me.
Any thoughts?
The CIA named a new inspector to lead the search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction Friday, choosing a veteran investigator who has expressed recent skepticism that Saddam Hussein possessed banned weapons that posed an immediate threat.From the Boston Globe on-line.
This after sending home the team that would have been responsible for handling any truly dangerous materials. The only thing this says to me is that BushCo has no idea what it's doing. But just about everything they do says that to me.
Any thoughts?
So Sad...
Bob Keeshan died today.
If you don't know that name, maybe you know this one: Captain Kangaroo.
What an amazingly sad piece of news. I haven't seen Capt. Kangaroo in probably 30 years, and yet as soon as I heard the news a flood of memories came back. Mr. Greenjeans, Bunny Rabbit, Mr. Moose, Grandfather Clock, Tom Terrific... Names that hadn't passed through my mind since I was eight or nine years old; but they were all there, like old friends.
Keeshan's show was a calm in a growing sea of chaos and violence aimed at young people. It is also one of my first memories of TV. Three generations of children grew up knowing the upbeat sound of his theme song. And now, he's gone. It may have been years - decades - since I'd seen him, but I will miss him.
If you don't know that name, maybe you know this one: Captain Kangaroo.
What an amazingly sad piece of news. I haven't seen Capt. Kangaroo in probably 30 years, and yet as soon as I heard the news a flood of memories came back. Mr. Greenjeans, Bunny Rabbit, Mr. Moose, Grandfather Clock, Tom Terrific... Names that hadn't passed through my mind since I was eight or nine years old; but they were all there, like old friends.
Keeshan's show was a calm in a growing sea of chaos and violence aimed at young people. It is also one of my first memories of TV. Three generations of children grew up knowing the upbeat sound of his theme song. And now, he's gone. It may have been years - decades - since I'd seen him, but I will miss him.
This is Justice?
Remember Congressman Bill Janklow from South Dakota? Sure you do; he ran a stop sign going 71 mph in a 55 mph zone, then hit and killed a young motorcylclist. No, wait... he was doing 71 mph in a 0 mph zone - he blasted right through that stop sign as apparently he had been seen doing before. He had dozens of speeding tickets that he got right up until he was elected for his third term when they suddenly stopped.
Rep. Janklow was tried and sentenced on December 8. According to the Wall Street Journal:
We are all equal in the eyes of the law; it's just that some of us are more equal than others.
Rep. Janklow was tried and sentenced on December 8. According to the Wall Street Journal:
Bill Janklow, who dominated South Dakota politics for three decades as governor and then congressman, was sentenced to 100 days in jail Thursday for an auto accident that killed a motorcyclist and ended Mr. Janklow's career in disgrace.I wonder how long you or I would have spent behind bars for that crime? You can be certain it would be a lot longer than 100 days with community service. But then - most likely - you and - for sure - me aren't rich, white, Republican males who likely appointed or had something to do with the appointment of the judge who would sentence us.
After 30 days behind bars, Mr. Janklow will be allowed to leave jail during the day for up to 10 hours to perform community service. After he completes his jail term, he will be on probation for three years, during which he won't be allowed to drive.
We are all equal in the eyes of the law; it's just that some of us are more equal than others.
Surprised? You Shouldn't Be.
Two Halliburton employees took kickbacks totaling up to $6 million for ensuring that a Kuwait based company was awarded a lucrative contract supplying US troops in Iraq. The Wall Street Journal reports that Halliburton reported the crime, perhaps softening the severity of potential penalties, but it brings even more scrutiny to the company. The company which was once headed by now-Vice President Dick Cheney - and which still provides him with "delayed compensation" - is already under intense scrutiny for charges that it overcharged the military for fuel deliveries by some $61 million.
Here's Tricky Dick on the subject:
Oh... Dr. Dean has it all.
For very good reason, I'd say.
Here's Tricky Dick on the subject:
Vice President Dick Cheney, who was chairman of Halliburton until he left in 2000, defended the company Wednesday in a Fox Radio Network interview. "They get unfairly maligned simply because of their past association with me," he said.And perhaps because they have gotten such a huge portion of the contracts for work in Iraq while you are the sitting VP? Here's how the WSJ put it:
KBR [Note: a subsidiary of Halliburton] is now repairing Iraqi oil fields and supplying everything from food and laundry services to housing for U.S. troops and coalition officials in Iraq under two huge contracts valued at up to $16 billion. That work has so far cost nearly $6 billion, well over twice what has gone to all of the other 40 U.S. contractors in Iraq, according to government records.How is it that this goes so relatively unnoticed? Why hasn't the Pentagon frozen all contract work by this group of thieves? Where is the outrage?
Oh... Dr. Dean has it all.
For very good reason, I'd say.
Early Friday Dog Blogging
The snow here has been incredible. So far in January, I think we've gotten over 50 inches. No kidding there are drifts in my back yard that are up to my hips. And it's been cold - just like the rest of the northeast - bitter cold with wind chills well below zero. But there's one thing that's constant (even when the temperatures are not): Dogs gotta play!
So, regardless of how the wind feels as though it could flay the skin off of our faces, we get bundled up and get Baylea out to play. And below she shows off at her favorite game: catching the ball in mid-air while executing the perfect half-reverse-flip.
So, regardless of how the wind feels as though it could flay the skin off of our faces, we get bundled up and get Baylea out to play. And below she shows off at her favorite game: catching the ball in mid-air while executing the perfect half-reverse-flip.
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Spirit, Phone Home...
Click the picture to go to the Mars Mission Site
Just when everything was going so well with NASA's latest mission.
They've lost contact with Spirit. More accurately, Spirit has stopped sending intelligible data. The radio is working, but it's no longer sending real data. In typically dry NASA-speak there is "a very serious anomaly on the vehicle."
I hope they re-establish contact. I hope the mission - and it's twin, set to land on Saturday - is a resounding success after this. But past Mars missions don't leave much hope for that.
Plame Leak Revisited
I had thought that the investigation into the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame was going to die a slow, silent death. But an article in today's New York Times states that a group of former intelligence officers is pressing the Justice Department to ensure the investigation does not come to a premature close.
This new wrinkle in the story gives me hope that someone will take the big perp-walk out of the White House. Wouldn't that be a nice "reverse October Surprise?"
It is unusual for former intelligence officers to petition Congress on a matter like this. The unmasking of Ms. Plame is viewed within spy circles as an unforgivable breach of secrecy that must be exhaustively investigated and prosecuted, current and former intelligence officials say. Anger over the matter is especially acute because of the suspicion, under investigation by the Justice Department, that the disclosure may have been made by someone in the White House to punish Ms. Plames's husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, for opposing administration policy on Iraq.This investigation must get to the bottom of this leak. Putting American operatives into danger by revealing their identities to the press is treason, and must be punished accordingly. I believe that treason is currently a capital offense under federal laws. I'm not a fan of capital punishment, but I would like to see everyone involved in this put away for a long, long time.
This new wrinkle in the story gives me hope that someone will take the big perp-walk out of the White House. Wouldn't that be a nice "reverse October Surprise?"
Behind the State of the Union
Via Blah3, I found a great USA Today article. Like the editor at Blah3, I'm not at all a fan of this paper. I read it when I travel if it's the only thing available; and it's usually free at most hotels with lots of business travelers.
The article takes some key points from Shrubby's SOTU and then gives the reality, the context behind the points. There are no punches pulled, no candy coating.
Here's the opening salvo:
The article takes some key points from Shrubby's SOTU and then gives the reality, the context behind the points. There are no punches pulled, no candy coating.
Here's the opening salvo:
A reality check on what Bush said on key issues.I agree with Blah3's assessment: this is an example to place before your favorite SCLMW. Go check out both Blah3 and the article.
Weapons of mass destruction
What Bush said: Search teams have "identified dozens of weapons of mass destruction-related program activities" in Iraq. "Had we failed to act, the dictator's weapons of mass destruction programs would continue to this day."
Context: The Bush administration has struggled to explain why weapons hunters have found no chemical or biological weapons in Iraq in 10 months of searching. On the eve of the war, President Bush said there was "no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." He said terrorist groups could acquire weapons from Iraq and use them against the United States. A search effort led by CIA appointee David Kay has turned up no weapons and no evidence of any advanced weapons program, raising questions about the quality of U.S. intelligence and the Bush administration's justification for war in Iraq.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Blogabout
It's been a while - and it doesn't mean I haven't been reading the blogs. But here goes another Liberal Coalition Blogabout:
You just have to love a well written blog. All the wonderful content in the world won't make up for poor writing. But when there's content and writing, well that's something to get worked up about. Scout, over at And Then... has a great post about watching the SOTU with Wesley Clark. Go read about what Clark is like, how Scout feels about Clark. And for a little comic relief, read about his encounter with a couple of Larouche supporters.
Echidne of the Snakes takes a long hard look at anger. Anger in politics. Sure the Repugs are accusing Democrats of being angry, but who has practiced political hate speech for longer than those on the right. Sometimes anger is a good thing; it moves us to action - as long as it is well modulated and targeted. Go see what else Echidne has to say on anger.
At Collective Sigh, andante wonders how far Dr. Dean has to go to overcome his "angry" image, even with Democrats. Is it the media's fault? Deans? Or is something else at work here? Andante has some thoughts, but I won't ruin your trip over to read it yourself.
An annotated - with links, no less - State of the Union address awaits you at The Gotham City 13. It's only Part I, but Jesse has some interesting things to say (some snarky things, too!) and some interesting links in this dissection of aWol's SOTU. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll shake your head more times than Ted Kennedy! Go check it out - and stand by for Part II.
You can always count on Mustang Bobby for some biting, South Florida perspectives, and a post on Jebby borrowing from Shrubby's play book is right on form. Tax cuts for the wealthy and cuts in services or continued waits for underfunded services seem to have been embedded in the Bush DNA at some point. There are lots of other great posts over at Bark Bark Woof Woof, stop by and make sure to let MB know you were there.
Finally, go read Steve Gilliard's News Blog. He's got a short post up about aWol's SOTU speech, and he's right on the money about how surreal Bush's choice of subjects were. But most of all, go welcome "Gilly" back from the hospital. He had a couple of rough days being pretty sick and it's nice to have him back.
Okay, that's enough for tonight. If you don't find something interesting in the posts I pointed to above (which is really hard to believe), check out some of the other blogs in my blogroll on the Left.
So ends another Liberal Coalition "Blogabout."
You just have to love a well written blog. All the wonderful content in the world won't make up for poor writing. But when there's content and writing, well that's something to get worked up about. Scout, over at And Then... has a great post about watching the SOTU with Wesley Clark. Go read about what Clark is like, how Scout feels about Clark. And for a little comic relief, read about his encounter with a couple of Larouche supporters.
Echidne of the Snakes takes a long hard look at anger. Anger in politics. Sure the Repugs are accusing Democrats of being angry, but who has practiced political hate speech for longer than those on the right. Sometimes anger is a good thing; it moves us to action - as long as it is well modulated and targeted. Go see what else Echidne has to say on anger.
At Collective Sigh, andante wonders how far Dr. Dean has to go to overcome his "angry" image, even with Democrats. Is it the media's fault? Deans? Or is something else at work here? Andante has some thoughts, but I won't ruin your trip over to read it yourself.
An annotated - with links, no less - State of the Union address awaits you at The Gotham City 13. It's only Part I, but Jesse has some interesting things to say (some snarky things, too!) and some interesting links in this dissection of aWol's SOTU. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll shake your head more times than Ted Kennedy! Go check it out - and stand by for Part II.
You can always count on Mustang Bobby for some biting, South Florida perspectives, and a post on Jebby borrowing from Shrubby's play book is right on form. Tax cuts for the wealthy and cuts in services or continued waits for underfunded services seem to have been embedded in the Bush DNA at some point. There are lots of other great posts over at Bark Bark Woof Woof, stop by and make sure to let MB know you were there.
Finally, go read Steve Gilliard's News Blog. He's got a short post up about aWol's SOTU speech, and he's right on the money about how surreal Bush's choice of subjects were. But most of all, go welcome "Gilly" back from the hospital. He had a couple of rough days being pretty sick and it's nice to have him back.
Okay, that's enough for tonight. If you don't find something interesting in the posts I pointed to above (which is really hard to believe), check out some of the other blogs in my blogroll on the Left.
So ends another Liberal Coalition "Blogabout."
Iowa - And the Rest of the Campaign
I don't have much to say about the politics or results of the Iowa caucuses that hasn't already been said - and probably much better - by others. But something I did notice intrigued me. So I thought I'd wait a few days and see if I was just imagining it.
But no...
I noticed that all the talking heads on network and cable news, all the supposed pundits and reporters from the major papers, not one of them said anything more probing or insightful than I'd been reading in blogs for the months and weeks before the caucuses. If you tour most of the blogs in my blogroll of the Liberal Coalition or just about any of the "bigger" bloggers you'll find some incredibly cogent writing on the issues, on the candidates and on the outcomes. You'll also find just as many misses in calling the results. What you won't find in just about all of the blogs I read regularly and that I've grown to depend on as sounding boards and sources of analysis is the pack mentality of the SCLM. None of the blogs I truly like ever engaged in tearing down one Democratic candidate or another.
They were, in a word, more professional than the professionals.
That doesn't mean I'll be giving up the major news outlets, but it does say a lot about how far our media has fallen. And how far bloggers have risen.
But no...
I noticed that all the talking heads on network and cable news, all the supposed pundits and reporters from the major papers, not one of them said anything more probing or insightful than I'd been reading in blogs for the months and weeks before the caucuses. If you tour most of the blogs in my blogroll of the Liberal Coalition or just about any of the "bigger" bloggers you'll find some incredibly cogent writing on the issues, on the candidates and on the outcomes. You'll also find just as many misses in calling the results. What you won't find in just about all of the blogs I read regularly and that I've grown to depend on as sounding boards and sources of analysis is the pack mentality of the SCLM. None of the blogs I truly like ever engaged in tearing down one Democratic candidate or another.
They were, in a word, more professional than the professionals.
That doesn't mean I'll be giving up the major news outlets, but it does say a lot about how far our media has fallen. And how far bloggers have risen.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
State of the Union
I'm tired and I'm going to bed. But here's my quick, over-tired take on Shrubby's SOTU:
Over promise.I really hate that smirk.
Under fund.
Appeal to the base(r) desires.
Let the shit hit the fan long after he's gone.
Kerry, Edwards, Dean, Gephardt
Totally unexpected.
Lots of real work today, so I won't get to this 'till much later.
Hmmmmm...
Lots of real work today, so I won't get to this 'till much later.
Hmmmmm...
Monday, January 19, 2004
More High-Tech Offshoring
Today's Wall Street Journal has an article on Big Blue, IBM, and offshoring. While the article does give numbers; 3,000 jobs will be moved to China, Brazil and India, it also deals with some internal documents that give a glimpse into how the company is trying to position these moves.
So what could convince IBM that decreasing the number of people in this country with jobs or who have a good opinion of IBM is a good thing? The article lays out some very interesting numbers:
In a final bit of ignominy and vast understatement, IBM's managers are given a script for how to handle these firings.
The IBM documents show that the company is acutely aware of the sensitivities involved. One memo, which advises managers how to communicate the news to affected employees, says among other things: "Do not be transparent regarding the purpose/intent" and cautions that the "Terms 'On-shore' and 'Off-shore' should never be used." The memo also suggests that anything written to employees should first be "sanitized" by human-resources and communications staffers.Notice the phrases above I've bolded: if you clear away the business speak what it says is that employees being fired because their jobs are being moved offshore should suffer one additional indignity: they should be lied to. "Do not be transparent," don't, for heaven's sake tell them why they are really being fired. "Sanitized," don't give them any clue why we are screwing them over and especially don't give them any legal recourse.
So what could convince IBM that decreasing the number of people in this country with jobs or who have a good opinion of IBM is a good thing? The article lays out some very interesting numbers:
Besides the low-level programmers billing at $12.50 an hour, the chart shows that a Chinese senior analyst or application-development manager with more than five years experience would be billed at $18 an hour. The person familiar with IBM's operations said that person would be equivalent to a U.S. "Band 7" employee billed at about $66 an hour. And a Chinese project manager with seven years experience would be billed at $24 an hour, equivalent to a U.S. "Band 8" billed at about $81 hourly.Those are very interesting numbers and even if they somewhat overstate the actual savings most companies see by offshoring they are hard to ignore. And yet they understate what would be lost besides American jobs. They completely ignore the way that companies are continuing to "recover" from the recession at the expense of their employees. Employees - or ex-employees - who will no longer be able to buy IBM products. Ex-employees who will be forced into lower paying jobs, forced to shop at Wal-Mart. All of which forces the economy into a jobless spiral and continues to push average wages lower and lower.
In a final bit of ignominy and vast understatement, IBM's managers are given a script for how to handle these firings.
In the draft script prepared for managers, IBM suggests the workers be told: "This action is a statement about the rate and pace of change in this demanding industry. ... It is in no way a comment on the excellent work you have done over the years." The script also suggests saying: "For the people whose jobs are affected by this consolidation, I understand this is difficult news."
Patriots vs Carolina
It's time for an annual tradition of mine and this is the first year I'll do it in so public a manner. Every year around this time I have to explain just why it is I don't care a bit about the "Super Bowl."
It's not just the Super Bowl. I don't watch any sports on TV. I don't follow any team in any way. There are no stats from some long forgotten game clogging my memory, no player's record stuck to some neuron in the back of my head. It's not that I never played sports; I've played, at some point in my life: football, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, racquetball, tennis, handball, golf - and I'm sure I've forgotten some. I also run and downhill ski.
Here's how I look at it: If I have three or four hours to waste in front of the television, that's time I could be doing so many other things, including actually being active. I've always felt that way. I'd much rather be doing something rather than watching somebody else doing something.
So there'll be no Super Bowl parties at my house. If I get invited to one - and actually go - it'll be for the commercials and the half-time show (and maybe the beer). The only reason I know who's playing this year is that you can't get away from it; it's blared from every TV channel and radio station. Don't ask me who I'm rooting for; I don't know anything about the teams or the players.
I know. It makes me an odd sort of creature: an American male who doesn't watch sports. It really does take all kinds.
It's not just the Super Bowl. I don't watch any sports on TV. I don't follow any team in any way. There are no stats from some long forgotten game clogging my memory, no player's record stuck to some neuron in the back of my head. It's not that I never played sports; I've played, at some point in my life: football, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, racquetball, tennis, handball, golf - and I'm sure I've forgotten some. I also run and downhill ski.
Here's how I look at it: If I have three or four hours to waste in front of the television, that's time I could be doing so many other things, including actually being active. I've always felt that way. I'd much rather be doing something rather than watching somebody else doing something.
So there'll be no Super Bowl parties at my house. If I get invited to one - and actually go - it'll be for the commercials and the half-time show (and maybe the beer). The only reason I know who's playing this year is that you can't get away from it; it's blared from every TV channel and radio station. Don't ask me who I'm rooting for; I don't know anything about the teams or the players.
I know. It makes me an odd sort of creature: an American male who doesn't watch sports. It really does take all kinds.
