Thursday, June 23, 2005

Your reactions to news in this morning's New York Times

In today's New York Times you learn a great deal. Tony feels you mainly learn "that Democrats know how to roll over and not much else."

Emily e-mails on Douglas Jehl's "Senator Asks Ultimatum Be Given Iraq on Charter" to say, "The condom broke long ago but Carl Levin just can't realize that it's time to pull out."

Brad e-mails on the same story to note: Carl Levin comes off both stupid and vile. In brief, his argument is if X isn't done, we need to tell Iraqis we will set a time table to pull out. But, and here's where it gets tricky, he says he would "oppose calls from other Democrats to set a specific withdrawal deadline now."* So in other words, the coward is saying, "I'll make a threat but if you look at my position it really means nothing." He's useless, he's a coward. But this is who gets written up in the paper. Not Barbara Lee, not anyone advocating a withdrawal. They remain facelss but a bower and scraper with no mind and no spine is highlighted.

[*Note: The quoted line is from Douglas Jehl's text. It is not a direct quote from Levin but a summary of what Jehl sees as Levin's position based upon remarks made to Jehl by Levin.]

On "U.N. Supply Officer Quits Under a Cloud" (byline Warren Hoge and Judith Miller), Kara e-mails to note: Judith Miller remains "under a cloud." Could she quit already? Does NYT really think the average reader puts any weight behind anything that woman writes anymore? She's a laughingstock and not even providing fresh laughs. This is how her career ends, bit by bit, with nothing to do but grudge f**k the UN while America, in embarrassment, averts its eyes and pretends she's not there.

Noting Patrick D. Healy's "Rove Criticizes Liberals on 9/11," Cedric writes: Thank you Dick Durbin. Your refusal to stand firm means Karl Rove makes you his whipping boy now. Amnesty didn't back down and Rove's moved on to other targets. Your original remarks were right on, your backing down was embarrassing. You've shamed us all and encouraged more attacks from the GOP echo chamber, you're as useless as Harry Reid and need to now slink off somewhere and let someone with bravery and guts take the stage."

Erika notes the same article and says: Reading Rove's lies/spin/distortions on 9/11 and the response of liberals and "liberals," it's even more obvious we need to be reading CODEPINK's
Stop The Next War Now. More excerpts.

(I'll try to do one tonight.)

James Dao's "In Ohio Vote, Woes, Yes, Fraud, No" resulted in several e-mails (including some blistering ones). (All were on the remarks quoted in the article, just FYI.) We'll note Liang:
Seems the strategy was we'll only make half a case and therefore we'll be seen as reasoned and respectable, worth listening to even. But Ken Mehlman emerges from beneath his rock, closet, or whatever to trash even a "moderate" stance. Howard Dean and the DNC should have shown bravery and courage. Instead they attempted moderation. They served no one.

The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com. And yes, I am caught up on reading all e-mails that came in this weekend, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday prior to going to sleep last night.