Are foes of Bush's plan taking a political risk?

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Mohammed of Iraq the Model thinks the surge has a chance, and he lives there. But some of his suggestions** might not please the Iraqi chapter of the National Rifle Association. ...

**--"Yes, having a weapon for defensive use is a justified need at this time but registering those weapons is of great importance to security." 4:16 P.M.

Doesn't Bill Kristol know that at this point he's a negative brand? That is, if he endorses something that makes other people less likely to endorse it. The headline of his latest co-bylined editorial--"All We Are Saying ... Is Give Petraeus a Chance"--roughly reflects what I think. But I'll be damned if I'm going to agree with someone who's been so wrong** and caused so much damage! And not just on the war. ... It would help Kristol's causes if he just stopped writing for a couple of years. Maybe a world cruise? The next subscriber-fleecing Weekly Standard voyage, just leave him on board and pick him up in 2008. ... P.S.: If the goal is to remove Kristol from the public eye, and if he can't quit completely, signing him to write a column for Time seems like a plausible Plan B. ...

**--See, e.g., this 2003 NPR interview at the 9:18 mark. ... 2:15 P.M.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Time to cash out of the Bush administration?  Jenna's doing it. The owner of Impeachbush.com is doing it. One more and it's a trend. In a few months, after all, people might not care. ... 10:54 P.M.

Too Good to Check: Rent-a-demonstrator. ... Update: Alert reader T. claims this is nothing new. ... But now it's online! ... And these European demonstrators are "good looking," identifying themselves by

skin color and "appearance type," which can be for example "European," "African," "South American," or "Asian."

according to Spiegel Online. ... They're not cheap, though, by U.S. protest-rental standards. ... 9:39 P.M.

" Oklahoma Professor Calls for Immigrant Voting Rights," which apparently includes both documented and "undocumented" immigrants. This from the  Aztlan News Network, which promises to be a reliable provider of backlash-inducing pro-immigrant immoderation in the months ahead. If you are Tom Tancredo, you want to bookmark this site. ... 3:10 P.M.