Wisconsin Public Television’s Here and Now ran a useful piece on the Patriot Act’s local politics (Republican candidates for the US Senate are pressing incumbant Russ Feingold on his solo vote against it). 5.7MB Quicktime.
I frankly don’t think this issue will make it for the Republicans. There are plenty of problems with the Patriot Act. More on the Senate Race here.
Category: Politics
Presidential Campaign Commercials: 1952-2004
Fascinating archive of presidential campaign commercials.
The Core and The Gap
Thomas P. M. Barnett, author of the Pentagon’s New Map makes sense of our Iraq strategy:
The only way America can truly achieve strategic security in the age of globalization is by destroying disconnectedness. We fight fire with fire. Al Qaeda, whose true grievances lie wholly within the Persian Gulf, tried to destroy the Core?s connectedness on 9/11 by triggering what I call a system perturbation that would throw our rules into flux. Its hope was to shock America and the West into abandoning the Gulf region first militarily, then politically, and finally economically. Al Qaeda hoped to detoxify the region?s societies through disconnectedness.
But the president decided correctly to fight back by trying to destroy disconnectedness in the Gulf region. We seek to do unto al Qaeda as it did unto us: trigger a system perturbation that will send all the region?s rule sets into flux. Saddam Hussein?s outlaw regime was dangerously disconnected from the globalizing world?from our rule sets, our norms, and all the ties that bind the Core together in mutually assured dependence.
William F. Buckley II on today’s Republican Party
Chris Lydon publishes a fascinating audio [MP3 file] interview with Bill Buckle
a writer and a player to be reckoned with in the Republican tong wars going back to Robert “Mr. Republican” Taft vs. Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. He stood with Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan in battle with the Rockefeller faction of the party through the 1970s.
Tim Michels, Brats & The Induce Act
I spoke briefly with Tim Michels, Republican candidate for US Senate at today’s bratfest. I asked Tim what his views were on the pending Induce act and similar hollywood backed anti-consumer legislation (the Induce Act would outlaw the iPod…).
Michels was not familiar with this legislation.
Rather than pushing the Patriot Act (not sure it’s working all that well, given this information), Michels would be better served to focus on issues that affect our economic future.
Homeland (in) Security….
Crashing the party was surprisingly easy, activists say
Convention floor passes snagged from friends of friends of friends
A must read as we consider the billions spent on security….
Interesting Tammy Baldwin Fund Raising Sponsorship
Tammy Baldwin’s campaign is running ads online, including this one on Taegan Goddard’s political wire site.
The ad links to a fund raising page (the link includes source and type information.
National Constitution Center: Photos Verboten!
Words fail me, today.
I took a number of photos during a visit to Philadelphia’s generally well done National Constitution Center. Four times, I was told that neither photos, nor videos are allowed. I asked how it was that the National Constitution Center would prohibit photos or videos. A manager was called and told me that:
Some of the materials are copywritten and that flash photography could be harmful to documents. I agreed that most people don’t know how to turn off their flash when shooting in AUTO mode, but I’ve visited many, many places where photography is permitted without a flash (including the Philadelphia Museum of Art).
My better half, Nancy whispered to me that today was not really the day to get “thrown out of the National Constitution Center”. Perhaps I should not be so surprised, when I read things like this.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
There’s also this: [pre-emptive interrogations – shades of Minority Report]
Election-Year Ties in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the U.S.
India, Afghanistan and the United States are just three of the nations holding general elections in 2004. Though far flung on the map, electoral decisions in one of these countries will reverberate in the others, argues Steve Coll. In a three-part series of essays for NPR, Coll reflects on the political links between America, Afghanistan and Pakistan — and the shadow that Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terror network cast over the approaching fall election season.
Coll is the author of Ghost Wars, a must read for anyone interested in US South Asia policies.
Wisconsin Senate Race Links, Campaign Finance & Web Information
I’ve posted a summary of the US Senate election candidates here. The primary election is September 14, 2004. VOTE!