Thursday, February 23, 2006
Yesterday, I read at Instapundit this little blurb regarding the bombing of the Shi'ite mosque in Iraq:
That could have been meant to be taken as a hope, but it sounded more like an accusation to me, and after all of a few hours of waiting for those protests to materialize.
Less than 24 hours later, same blog:
I'd give Instapundit the benefit of the doubt on the first post, except in the ssecond post he had a choice: is marching in the streets of India, Pakistan, and Lebanon "Shia riots", or is it "protests". Since the linked to story didn't mention any deaths or looting (there were burning tires, but no burning buildings), I'd have gone with "protests" myself. Does Anne Coulter have a sympathetic soul in Glenn Reynolds?
If Danish cartoons could create riots worldwide against the defamers of Islam, you'd think that bombing of mosques would create anti-terrorist marches all over.
That could have been meant to be taken as a hope, but it sounded more like an accusation to me, and after all of a few hours of waiting for those protests to materialize.
Less than 24 hours later, same blog:
Shia riots spread beyond Iraq. The Zarqawi strategy seems to be backfiring.
I'd give Instapundit the benefit of the doubt on the first post, except in the ssecond post he had a choice: is marching in the streets of India, Pakistan, and Lebanon "Shia riots", or is it "protests". Since the linked to story didn't mention any deaths or looting (there were burning tires, but no burning buildings), I'd have gone with "protests" myself. Does Anne Coulter have a sympathetic soul in Glenn Reynolds?
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Yesterday was the State of the Union Address. Here are some random thoughts in Larry King style:
- I could swear this was the same speech as last year. Iraq, Iran, Social Security, tax cuts, stem cells/cloning. Some of those issues, especially ones he failed to move legislation on last year, could have been cut, leaving more focus for his successes and new issues.
- When Bush brought up the failure of Congress to pass his social security reform last year, the Democrats jumped to their feet and applauded. That's good theater (childish and partisan, but good theater). How could Bush not have been ready with a reply? The Democrats did the same thing last year, when he brought up some other legislative defeat. This would have been a good opportunity to challenge the Democrats to bring their own proposals to the table.
- The Democrat, Tim Kaine, who delivered the follow-up just plain had the wrong look. With his one arched eyebrow and permanent lip-less smirk, he resembled a Saturday Night Live characature of a politician. He had a good stump speech, but once again, the Democrats fail to propose solutions, other than to state "There is a better way". Newt Gingrich thought it was a great speech. Either Gingrich is a politician through-and-through, without an ounce of statesman in him, or he is trying to encourage the Democrats to continue to follow their current path to oblivion of complaining but offering nothing.
- Speaking of "a better way": Doesn't that sound a bit derivative of "the Third way", the phrase that brought Clinton to the presidency in 1992?
- Cindy Sheehan was ejected from the gallery before the speech began for wearing a T-shirt that read "2245 dead. How many more?". A republican representative's wife was ejected for wearing a T-shirt that said "Support the Troops". This brings to mind two questions: First, who thinks the first amendment should end at the house chamber doors? Second, who thinks it is approriate to break out a T-shirt for the State of the Union address? The republican's wife said regarding her T-shirt, "If you consider that a protest, you're an idiot". Says me: If you wear a T-shirt to the State of the Union address, you’re an idiot. I didn't believe her at the time, but my mom was right: when folks started wearing jeans to church, we were starting down a sartorial slippery slope.
