Yahoo! News – Kerry appeals for end to election advertising war
“I’m calling them ‘misleadisments,'” Kerry said of the adverts. “It’s all scare tactics … because (Bush) has no record to run on.”
I think Kerry has been looking in the wrong mirror.
September 27, 2004
20 years in the Senate…
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Good News in Iraq
Arthur Chrenkoff gives all of us Homespun Bloggers an early heads-up, but the guys at PowerLine have already beat me to it.
The good news is at Opinion Journal.
Wow! That’s a lot of links! Check them all. I dare you!
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Reason and Ideology
As I read Intellectual Morons, I am consistently amazed at what passes for education in our Centers for Higher Education. Dan Rather’s use of fake documents pales in comparison to some of the textbooks and reading resources required at universities.
What is troubling to me is the attitude of many educators who use these. For example, one book required at many of our top colleges is I, Rigoberta Mench
Staff Problems
As Glenn points out, Kerry is surrounded by people who are totally incompetent. Secret Service men knock him down on the ski slopes, and speech writers always take his ideas and twist them into something incomprehensible. The NY Times has Kerry’s explanation for his reported ownership of a Chinese assault rifle:
Senator John Kerry’s campaign said yesterday that Mr. Kerry did not own a Chinese assault rifle, as he was quoted as saying in Outdoor Life magazine, but a single-bolt-action military rifle, blaming aides who filled out the magazine’s questionnaire on his behalf for the error.
Some will point to Kerry’s response as blaming others for his failings. I see it as incompetence in creating a staff that functions.
Progress
Americans are often confused about what is actually happening in Iraq. The news from military personnel in country is often in direct conflict with reports on the national news. Car bombs and beheadings vie with more optimistic reports from people like Allawi. John Kerry has now decided to focus his campaign on Iraq perhaps sensing an opportunity to dig into Dubya’s lead.
What are we to think about all this?
I see another indicator that many people may not be reading correctly, or are simply ignoring. In the last two weeks there have been two significant announcements from Assad’s government in Damascas. They received little coverage, but might just be the most telling indicator of success or failure in Iraq.
First, Syria announced they would be pulling troops from Lebanon, and would cooperate with US forces to patrol their border with Iraq. Last week, they were shopping around for a country to take the Baathist scientists who fled to Syria as the war began.
Assad knows he is on the hit list. And he has been playing the game as best he can to stay in power. Syria has been supportive, in an Arab sort of way, of our efforts to cut funding links to al Queda and other organizations while openly supporting groups like Hamas. They have done this quietly so as not to draw attention to themselves. Now they are becoming much more open, and it isn’t because they’ve have a change of heart about the use of terrorism.
Things in Iraq must be better than we hear. The “insurgents” must be on their last leg. Assad sees the potential for another US offensive sometime soon. Syria and Iran are prime targets. They both know that. Which one do you think Assad wants to see hit?
September 26, 2004
Pete Rose
ESPN is spending a lot of time on the Pete Rose issue this weekend, more for publicizing their made-for-tv movie. Of course, the discussion turns to the HoF in every segment.
Pete Rose was my favorite ball player. The Reds were my team. I liked the way they played the game, and they put everything into it.
I can’t stand Rose now. As great a player as he was, he has shown himself to be a little man. The whole issue of whether he should be in the Hall of Fame or not can be resolved quite easily, although it wouldn’t be a solution he could deal with.
I think the best hitter in Major League history should be honored in the HoF. I think he should be eligible on April 14, 2041. That is his 100th birthday. That way, the problem is resolved, and he doesn’t benefit from his induction–if he receives enough votes at that time. Of course, Pete would be really mad. He couldn’t market himself as a Hall-of-Famer during his lifetime.
Tough.
Kerry vs. Althouse
Ann Althouse talks about how she has followed this campaign since beginning her blog in January.
I’ve said many times that I’m not going to pick my candidate until October. Yet I find myself expressing an increasing amount of hostility to Kerry, so I thought I’d go back and trace the arc of my antagonism through my various posts.
I’ve had the same feeling. At first, Kerry was a non-entity. All the press coverage focussed on Dean. Of course, we’ve all seen Gephardt, Leiberman, and Sharpton during the last few years.
Then out comes Kerry. Sorry, he doesn’t look at all distinguished or even personable. And the more I learn, the more I’m certain my first impression was accurate.
Ann talks about the ups and downs of her opinion as she has learned more about Kerry as well. Perhaps you’ll see your own sense of the man over the last six months in her descriptions.