Lloyd: Don't know if you saw this but Ron [Why Are We Back In Iraq?] finally did get some credit elsewhere for all the work he has been doing on the Talon news story:
Progressive blogger Ron Brynaert first raised concer about the 'reporter's['] 'reporting' Feb. 6 on his blog, "Why Are We Back in Iraq?", though his findings have received scant attention.
Stacy: Passing this on from Information Clearing House:
The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, warned less than two weeks before the invasion of Iraq that military action could be ruled illegal.
The government was so concerned that it might be prosecuted it set up a team of lawyers to prepare for legal action in an international court.
And a parliamentary answer issued days before the war in the name of Lord Goldsmith - but presented by ministers as his official opinion before the crucial Commons vote - was drawn up in Downing Street, not in the attorney general's chambers.
The full picture of how the government manipulated the legal justification for war, and political pressure placed on its most senior law officer, is revealed in the Guardian today.
It appears that Lord Goldsmith never wrote an unequivocal formal legal opinion that the invasion was lawful, as demanded by Lord Boyce, chief of defence staff at the time.
The Guardian can also disclose that in her letter of resignation in protest against the war, Elizabeth Wilmshurst, deputy legal adviser at the Foreign Office, described the planned invasion of Iraq as a "crime of aggression".
She said she could not agree to military action in circumstances she described as "so detrimental to the international order and the rule of law".
[The article is from The Guardian -- it's by Richard Norton-Taylor.]
Susan: I have a suggestion with the entry where the community gets the big kiss off and here it is:
I'm only waiting for the proper time to tell you
That it's impossible to get along with you
It's hard to look you in the face when we are talking
So it helps to have a mirror in the room
There's no room for you here, girl
Go way
There's no room for you here.
There's no room for you here, girl
Go way
There's no room for you here.
["There's No Home For You Here" words & music by Jack White, can be found on The White Stripes' Elephant.]
or:
Oh don't ya know
Don't wanna see ya curse and pout
Pack it and move it
Ya spell, ya read O U T out
You got a big mouth and I'm happy to see
Your foot is firmly entrenched where a molar should be
Don't be mad or lose your medicaid cool
Of course cool rhymes with fool
Don't go pre-fab
Cause you been had
Don't go be sad
Don't go away mad
Just go away (go away)
Go away and stay away
["Just Go Away" lyrics & music by Debbie Harry; can be found on Blondie's Parallel Lines]
Carl: As usual, there's a gulf between what Frank in Orlando says happened and what actually happened. To focus on only one detail, FiO claims that Elisabeth Bumiller [of the New York Times] deserves credit for interviewing Bully Boy's tailor. I believe this story's been twice linked here already but FAIR's "The Emperor's New Hump" dealt with that:
The only subsequent reference to the bulge was a light post-election piece by Times Washington reporter Elizabeth Bumiller (11/8/04), who cited the anonymously sourced Hill story saying the bulge was body armor (an odd decision by the Times, which officially frowns on unidentified sources even for its own pieces). She reported that the White House tailor was miffed at having earlier been blamed for the bulge by the White House.
[Carl con't:] Bumiller deserves no credit for speaking to a tailor and dismissing a serious issue in her usual fluffy manner. As usual, there's what happened and what FiO thinks happened.
Lynda: After the tantrum of a now former member, I want to be on the record about being interested in foreign news and about enjoying the Black History Month Highlights. I've known some of the people and learned about others. Most important to me is that most of the highlights have been written by members and I've enjoyed hearing why someone means something to them and hearing their voices.
Julie: I think Andy's entry yesterday on Richie Havens for Black History Month said a lot about a need right now for a sense of perspective. I've enjoyed his music for years and I agree that in these topsy-turvy times, Havens provides us with sanity and inspiration. More important, each entry for Black History Month has had something to say about who we are and what we look for.
If Orlando's Frank wants to have a hissy fit because there's an effort to acknowledge accomplishments maybe he should work on accomplishing something himself?
Keesha: You hear people say what Frank [in Orlando] said. Usually, they see the shocked look on your face and offer some sort of justification for their racist remarks. I'm not sure Frank would have done that even if he'd been sitting across from me and saw my jaw drop. It's too bad for him that one entry a day for 28 days drives him crazy but it has nothing to do with members' comments or with the people being highlighted. It has to do with the skin color involved. Frank needs to get over himself.
Gina: Loved the way Franklando was sent packing. For 3 months now we've all had to bite our tongues while everything screeched to a halt as Franklando distorted something and you attempted to patiently walk him through or clarify a point that was already clear or apologize that he had misread something you wrote. It's gotten old and he's wasted everyone's time. But reading your responses to his kiss off made me laugh and almost makes all the Oprah responses from you prior worth it! Franklando will not be missed.
Ben: Frank in Orlando's meltdown has happened before our eyes but I still was surprised to see him go out by insulting other countries, African-Americans, women, and pretty much anyone in the world not named Frank and from Orlando. If this were Survivor, he would have been voted off the island long ago.
Dominick: Goodbye Frank, you won't be missed.
Liang: Was he for real? All this time I've thought, "This guy has to be a put on." And put me down as someone with eyes glazing over when social security talk turns to X billions of dollars.
I do not support framing but I do find interesting that while half the Dems rush to "simplify" (sell out?), the other wants to go policy wonky and start droning on. Do they get the inconsistency? Ellen Goodman's comments were to the point and of greater interest to me than the majority of remarks on social security.
Marcia: Frank's mash notes to Elisabeth Bumiller were annoying and wasted time. That he thinks he can shore up support for her by trashing Amy Goodman and Ellen Goodman demonstrates he's living in a non-reality based world.
Brad: He [Frank in Orlando] cast himself in the role of president of the fan club for Elite Fluff Patrol's Bumiller. After his latest outburst, I doubt even the loony Bumiller would proudly claim him as a fan.
Francisco: The comments he [Frank in Orlando] made about nuns were distasteful and disgusting.
Maria: I've read Bob Somerby's The Daily Howler entries on Lawrence Summers. I disagree with him. I'm not going to apologize for that. Educators (at every level) have different responsibilities than the average speaker.
Billie: There are so many offensive remarks and points made by Frank that I'm confused as to where to start responding. As an African-American woman, I'm insulted by his dismissal and insulting of Black History Month. As someone who values the insight and news provided by Amy Goodman, I'm bothered by his insults at her. Ellen Goodman's column is published in the Dallas Morning News. If you asked the average person in the DFW area who reads a paper if they knew Ellen Goodman, they probably would. (Her photo is published with the column so it may be reinforce her name that way.) But if you asked them if they knew Elisabeth Bumiller, they'd most likely say no or ask if she was that Saved by the Bell actress in Showgirls. If I go to the main Dallas library, I can find multiple books by Ellen Goodman. If I go to one of the many branches of the Dallas library, I'm bound to find at least one book by Goodman in each. Amy Goodman's book [The Exception to the Rulers, co-written with her brother David Goodman]
is also carried at all the branches of the library. And I can find books and books on countries all over the world. But like a lot of people, Frank in Orlando defines his perspective and what's important to him only by his own limited frame of reference. As for Lawrence Summers' defenders, they'd do well to realize that his insulting remarks about women are predated with the very public war with/on Cornel West. Summers disgraces the university and apologists might want to try to looking at it from a larger perspective because this is an ongoing problem and the controversy began long before his ill informed speech.
KeShawn: Lawrence Summers has been a continued embarrassment for Harvard. The argument that he was ill informed at an academic conference and trying to wing it is an apt one.
Regardless of the topic, that should embarrass Harvard. Considering the topic and Harvard's lousy record of hiring and promoting minorites, a strong defense for Summers is difficult to mount. Frank in Orlando offers no defense, he only trashes people. He won't be missed by the community.
