Though I still suggest that appropriate charges be brought against the sponsors of the amendment and those who voted for it.

A proposal to cut off money for military operations in Iraq fell far short in the Senate this afternoon, a day after Democrats lost their best chance of changing the course of the war.

Legislation sponsored by Senators Russell D. Feingold, the Wisconsin Democrat who has been one of the fiercest critics of the Bush administration’s war policy, and Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader, received only 28 “yes” votes, 32 fewer than needed to cut off a Republican filibuster.

“A majority of the House and a majority of the Senate want to change the direction of the war in Iraq,” Mr. Reid said in a meeting with reporters beforehand. “We have voted accordingly on more than one occasion, in fact on many occasions. But the House having done their job, they come to the Senate and the Senate Republicans, the vast majority of them will not allow us to change the direction of the war in Iraq.”

The vote on the Feingold-Reid measure was entirely expected; in May, the Senate rejected a similar proposal by the two lawmakers by a similar margin.

However Reid's attempt to abandon American troops in the field of battle can only be deemed to b giving aid and comfort to the enemy in time of war, not "chang[ing] the direction of the war in Iraq."

I reiterate yesterday's observation.

I think that sponsoring of such legislation could legitimately be considered a violation of Article III, Section 3 of the US Constitution, and the provisions of Article I, Section 6, Clause 1 would seem to allow charges to be brought against Reid and Feingold for that violation, as that particular offense is specifically exempted from the immunity of legislators under the "Speech or Debate" clause.

Reid, Feingold, and those who voted in favor of the amendment ought to be charged and tried immediately.

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Columbia welcomes Mahmoud the Mad, but bans the founder of the Minutemen.

Because after all, it wouldnÂ’t do for a university to welcome a hostage-taking, Holocaust-denying, international law-violating, genocide-advocating anti-Semite.

Oh – they ARE welcoming that one.

President Ahmadinejad of Iran has accepted an invitation to speak at Columbia University on Monday afternoon at a forum sponsored by the university's School of International and Public Affairs, a spokesman for the university said last night.

The Iranian Mission to the United Nations requested the invitation through a professor in the Middle East department, Richard Bulliet, who is a specialist on Iran.

"Opportunities to hear, challenge, and learn from controversial speakers of different views are central to the education and training of students for citizenship in a shrinking and dangerous world," the dean of SIPA, John Coatsworth, said in a statement. Mr. Coastworth invited Mr. Ahmadinejad to kick off a series of lectures and events about Iran, he said in a statement. The president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, is scheduled to introduce Mr. Ahmadinejad on Monday to an audience that will be made up exclusively of Columbia students, faculty, and a few invited guests.

Mr. Ahmadinejad was invited by SIPA to speak at Columbia last fall, but Mr. Bollinger revoked the invitation on the grounds that he could not ensure that the program would reflect the academic values of the university. In his talk on Monday, Mr. Ahmadinejad will field questions from the audience and from Mr. Bollinger on his government, as well as his views on Israel and the Holocaust. Mr. Ahmadinejad has stated in the past that Israel should be "wiped off the map" and that the Holocaust did not happen.

But on the other hand, it is not in keeping with the values of Columbia to allow an American who loves America to speak after he was driven from the stage by criminals for advocating the defense of American borders and the enforcement of American law.

Jim Gilchrist, founder of the anti-illegal immigration Minuteman Project who was forced off a Columbia University stage last year, will not be coming back for a return engagement at the school.

The Columbia Political Union, a nonpartisan student group that had been planning the forum, said in a statement on its Web site Tuesday that "it has become clear that this event cannot take the form we had originally hoped it would and could not effectively accomplish the goals we had hoped it might."

Last Oct. 4, Gilchrist had to cut short his talk at the school after students from the Chicano Caucus and other groups climbed on stage with banners denouncing the Minutemen Project, which is based in Laguna Hills, Calif., and advocates action to prevent illegal immigration from Mexico.

If Columbia were truly committed to freedom and the free presentation of ideas, Bollinger would be introducing Gilchrist at an officially hosted university forum, and Mahmoud the Mad would be driven from campus by outraged students.

But then again, this is a school which (contrary to the claim of a commenter on an earlier thread), does not permit ROTC to operate on its campus.

As Columbia welcomes Ahmadinejad to campus, Columbia students who want to serve their country cannot enroll in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at Columbia. Columbia students who want to enroll in ROTC must travel to other universities to fulfill their obligations. ROTC has been banned from the Columbia campus since 1969. In 2003, a majority of polled Columbia students supported reinstating ROTC on campus. But in 2005, when the Columbia faculty senate debated the issue, President Bollinger joined the opponents in defeating the effort to invite ROTC back on campus.

So got that -- there is no place at Columbia for patriots -- but terrorists and other enemies of America are more than welcome.

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After all, she is married to Jabba the Hutt.

"Vice President Cheney came up to see the Republicans yesterday. You can always tell when the Republicans are getting restless, because the Vice PresidentÂ’s motorcade pulls into the Capitol, and Darth Vader emerges," Hillary Clinton said just now at a $100-a-head fundraiser at Town Hall near New York's Times Square, referring to Cheney's efforts shore up Republican congressional support for the Iraq war.

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Proof that anyone can sue over anything.

Dan Rather, whose career at CBS News ground to an inglorious end 15 months ago over his role in an unsubstantiated report questioning President BushÂ’s Vietnam-era National Guard service, filed a lawsuit this afternoon against the network, its corporate parent and three of his former superiors.

Mr. Rather, 75, asserts that the network violated his contract by giving him insufficient airtime on “60 Minutes” after forcing him to step down as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” in March 2005. He also contends that the network committed fraud by commissioning a “biased” and incomplete investigation of the flawed Guard broadcast and, in the process, “seriously damaged his reputation.”

That is sure a hoot -- a charge of biased and incomplete reporting from a journalistic hack like Dan Rather, who ran a hit piece on the President and continued to defend it after the documents involved were conclusively proven to be fraudulent! Dan Rather damaged his own reputation -- CBS simply engaged in damage control -- unsuccessfully, I might add.

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That old Kluxer Robert Byrd tols us some time back that the filibuster was a sacred thing -- positively a sacrament when Democrats used it to obstruct qualified conservative judges and civil rights legislation protecting uppity black folks from the likes of him. His Democrat colleagues and their fellow-travelers all agreed. That's why I find Kevin Drum's whining to be so amusingly hypocritical.

.I see that Republicans have successfully filibustered two more bills today: one to give a House seat to the District of Columbia (57-42) and one to restore habeas corpus rights to terrorism suspects (56-43).

That seems like a good excuse to rerun this chart that McClatchy put together a couple of months ago. As you can see, Republicans aren't just obstructing legislation at normal rates. They're obstructing legislation at three times the usual rate. They're absolutely desperate to keep this stuff off the president's desk, where the only choice is to either sign it or else take the blame for a high-profile veto.

The GOP blocked two bad bills -- one of them clearly unconstitutional. But even if these bills were pure as the driven snow, Drum and his ilk insisted in the last couple of years that the filibuster was an important tool in the American political system when used against the GOP. How can they complain now when Republicans use it to frustrate the least popular Congress ever?

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And is the accusation an example of racism from a so-called "civil rights leader".

Jesse Jackson reportedly ripped presidential candidate Barack Obama for "acting like he's white," according to The State newspaper in South Carolina, but the civil rights leader says he doesn't recall making any such comment.

Jackson, who endorsed Obama for president in March, reportedly blasted the Illinois senator for failing to bring attention to the case of six black kids arrested on attempted murder charges in Jena, La.

He later told the newspaper that he did not remember making the remark, but State reporter Roddie Burris told FOX News that Jackson's "acting like he's white" comment came during a 45-minute, one-on-one interview Tuesday after an hour-long speech at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C. Burris said he stands by his report.

The original article can be found here.

I suppose I would give Jesse a pass, except for teh fact that he has a long history of racist comments and has engaged in a pattern of self-dealing "economic justice campaigns" that have lined his own pockets and those of his family and close associates while doing nothing to help the black community as a whole. Not to mention stealing from his tax-exempt to cover up his fathering of a bastard by a close aide. Somehow, the Democrats don't find this nearly as troubling as shoe-tapping by Larry Craig.

But let's be clear -- the old corrupt race-hustler still supports Obama.

"I reaffirm my commitment to vote for Sen. Barack Obama," Jackson says in the statement. "He has remarkably transcended race, however the impact of Katrina and Jena makes America's unresolved moral dilemma of race unavoidable. I think Jena is another defining moment of the issue of race and the criminal justice system. This issue requires direct and bold leadership. I commend Sen. Obama for speaking out and demanding fairness on this defining issue. Any attempt to dilute my support for Sen. Obama will not succeed."

Personally, I think Obama needs to repudiate Jackson and his politics of racial division -- but we all know that ain't gonna happen.

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Are you looking for a great deal on a cellular phone in the UK? Are you trying to find the best mobile phone contracts? Did you know that there are 12 months free line rental offers out there, often including a free phone, that will allow you to get your cellular phone service for nothing or mighty close to it!

Where can you find 12 months free line rental contracts? Well, you have to look closely at online mobile phone shops like FreeLineRentalMobiles.co.uk, which has all variety of deals that include free phones, free service, or heavy discounts. I’ll be honest – I wish that we Americans had the deals that you Brits have! You certainly have the cheapest mobile phone deals I have seen. I wish they were available internationally.

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If they cannot force a pell-mell retreat from Iraq because there is actually a victory in sight, the Democrats seem intent upon simply abandoning the troops in the field by cutting off their funding.

The Senate also planned to vote on legislation by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Reid, D-Nev., that would cut off funding for combat next year.

Got that -- the Senate Majority Leader is sponsoring a bill to eliminate funding for soldiers on the field of battle during time of war.

I think that sponsoring of such legislation could legitimately be considered a violation of Article III, Section 3 of the US Constitution, and the provisions of Article I, Section 6, Clause 1 would seem to allow charges to be brought against Reid and Feingold for that violation, as that particular offense is specifically exempted from the immunity of legislators under the "Speech or Debate" clause.

Anyone want to tell me again how the Democrats "support the troops"?

NOTE TO ANDREW SULLIVAN: Now you see why the President cannot gather opponents into his cabinet, any more than Lincoln could invite Copperheads into his his inner circle during the Civil War.

H/T Don Surber

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There are a lot of blogs out there about making money online. As with most blogs, some are good, while others leave a lot to be desired. One I've noticed that seems to have some potential is AndrewTalk.com, which seems to focus on affiliate programs, increasing page rank, and SecondLife. AndrewTalk.com is clearly written and offers a review of a number of reviews on these topics that clearly and succinctly evaluate what is going on with various affiliate programs. Still, my favorite is about a simple method of ensuring that your blog pings all the major services when you update. – a sure way to generate more traffic and increase your page rank. So while AndrewTalk.com is new, I’d have to say that I have already found it a worthwhile read. Drop by and look for yourself!

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Because i cannot imagine any other circumstances under which someone would do something this incredibly stupid.

Snake collector Matt Wilkinson of Portland grabbed a 20-inch rattler from the highway near Maupin, and three weeks later, to impress his ex-girlfriend, he stuck the serpent in his mouth.

He was soon near death with a swollen tongue that blocked his throat. Trauma doctors at the Oregon Health and Science University saved his life.

"You can assume alcohol was involved," he said. Actually, not just beer. It was something he called a "mixture of stupid stuff."

Calls from cable network television stations poured in Tuesday, when he still had sore muscles and nerves from the venom.

It happened at a barbecue with friends.

Wilkinson, 23, had downed a six-pack and his ex-girlfriend asked him for a beer. He handed her one, not realizing the snake was also in his hand.

"She said, 'Get that thing out of my face,'" Wilkinson said. "I told her it was a nice snake. 'Nothing can happen. Watch.'"

So he stuck the snake in his mouth.

"It got a hold of my tongue," he said.

This should have been a case of Darwin in action.

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As much as I personally despise Joe Trippi (dating back to the Howard Dean campaign and the shabby way he and other campaign officials treated my wife), I have to agree with his statements on behalf of the Edwards Campaign about this Hillary Clinton fundraiser.

The campaigns of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards traded pointed criticisms yesterday over Mrs. ClintonÂ’s use of a Washington luncheon for fund-raising.

The confrontation started with Mr. Edwards’s campaign attacking Mrs. Clinton’s $1,000-a-person luncheon and continued as her camp dismissed the broadside as signs of a “flagging campaign.”

At the luncheon, Mrs. Clinton and congressmen met donors to discuss domestic security.

Joe Trippi, a senior adviser to Mr. Edwards, made his criticism in a fund-raising e-mail message that said the luncheon highlighted how Mrs. Clinton was a “corporate Democratic insider” and that the event was a “poster child” for “what is wrong in Washington.”

“There isn’t an American outside of Washington who would not be sickened” by the event, Mr. Trippi said. It was held at the Washington office of Jones Day, the large international law firm.

Simply put, if this were a Republican holding this luncheon for lobbyists at a law firm known for its lobbying activities, would any of the Democrats, Hillary Clinton included, view it as acceptable? We know the answer.

And given Hillary's other ethical lapses in raising money, this simply raises another red flag.

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Here's one that is -- literally -- out of this world.

NASA posted a hiring notice for new astronauts Tuesday, seeking for the first time in almost 30 years men and women to fly aboard spacecraft other than the shuttle.

The pilots, scientists, engineers and educators that NASA recruits will train primarily for three- to six-month missions aboard the international space station. However, some could be among those who stroll on the surface of the moon as part of NASA's plan to return human explorers to the lunar surface by 2020 aboard the shuttle fleet's successor spacecraft.

"Yes, I think it's quite likely," said Ellen Ochoa, who supervises NASA's astronaut corps as the director of flight crew operations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

There are 10 to 15 openings.

here are the requirements.

ASTRONAUT JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Must be a U.S. citizen between 5-foot-2 and 6-foot-3 in height (to squeeze into Russia's three-passenger Soyuz capsule).

• At least a bachelor's degree in engineering, a biological or physical science, or mathematics; and three years of relevant professional experience.

• Vision correctable to

20/20. For the first time, the space agency will consider applicants who have undergone successful refractive eye surgery.

Being too old, too fat, and too far outside the educational requirements, I don't think I'll make the effort to apply. However, I wish those who apply good luck -- and hope that a few of the younger folks from church who work at NASA put their applications in.

And I can't wait to see those selected lead teh next generation of space exploration.

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Here is a story that leaves me troubled, while at the same time also strikes me to be a natural part of the progression of things.

When every known speaker of the language Amurdag gets together, there's still no one to talk to. Native Australian Charlie Mungulda is the only person alive known to speak that language, one of thousands around the world on the brink of extinction. From rural Australia to Siberia to Oklahoma, languages that embody the history and traditions of people are dying, researchers said Tuesday.

While there are an estimated 7,000 languages spoken around the world today, one of them dies out about every two weeks, according to linguistic experts struggling to save at least some of them.

Five hotspots where languages are most endangered were listed Tuesday in a briefing by the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages and the National Geographic Society.

In addition to northern Australia, eastern Siberia and Oklahoma and the U.S. Southwest, many native languages are endangered in South America — Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia — as well as the area including British Columbia, and the states of Washington and Oregon.

Losing languages means losing knowledge, says K. David Harrison, an assistant professor of linguistics at Swarthmore College.

"When we lose a language, we lose centuries of human thinking about time, seasons, sea creatures, reindeer, edible flowers, mathematics, landscapes, myths, music, the unknown and the everyday."

All that is true, but is it necessarily an unnatural occurrence? Throughout history, languages have become extinct as others, used by larger and more powerful neighbors, have overwhelmed them. Yes, it is a sort of cultural imperialism, but it is also the price of peoples being able to communicate with each other. This is especially true of languages like Amurdag. Other than from a scholarly interest, do we really benefit from making an effort to save them, when in contemporary society there are only a handful of speakers left?

Why the loss of such languages?

Some endangered languages vanish in an instant, at the death of the sole surviving speaker. Others are lost gradually in bilingual cultures, as indigenous tongues are overwhelmed by the dominant language at school, in the marketplace and on television.

Modern communication and education. We live in an age of instantaneous electronic communication. A handful of languages have become the standards. Will we find, two centuries from now, that most folks communicate in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic? Won't the internet and other forms of mass media necessarily bring that about -- especially as educational systems prepare children for a future in which a global community needs knowledge of global languages?

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Yesterday I noted a possible bargain between Musharraf and Bhutto to get the general out of the Army and the political leader out of exile. Will it happen now?

Pakistan's Election Commission yesterday changed the country's voting rules to open the way for President Pervez Musharraf to seek a new five-year term without giving up his powerful position of army chief.

Opposition parties decried the move as a violation of the constitution and accused the U.S.-allied leader of trying to bulldoze legal obstacles to his hold on power amid increasing demands for an end to military rule. They predicted a surge in democracy protests, which have already shaken the president's hold on power.

The ruling was likely to end up before the Supreme Court, which has proved an impediment to Gen. Musharraf this year.

Captain Ed sounds optimistic at this point, based upon the arguments made before Pakistan's Supreme Court.

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf will give up his post of army chief if he is re-elected president and will be sworn in for a new term as a civilian, his lawyer told the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

I'm less hopeful, given his flouting of the decision of the Pakistani Supreme Court just last week by sending Nawaz Sharif into exile after that body had ruled he could return to Pakistan.

Time will tell -- and Washington needs to apply pressure.

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What they can't get legitimately, they are seeking to acquire by holding Judge Michael Mukasey hostage before the Judiciary Committee.

Two Senate Democrats warned Monday that the Judiciary Committee would delay confirmation of President BushÂ’s choice for attorney general unless the White House turned over documents that the panel was seeking for several investigations.

* * *

But two Democrats who will have a powerful say over whether Mr. Mukasey gets confirmed — Senators Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont and Charles E. Schumer of New York — vowed on Monday to use the nomination to extract information from a reluctant White House.

“All I want is the material we need to ask some questions about the former attorney general’s conduct, on torture and warrantless wiretapping, so we can legitimately ask, ‘Here’s what was done in the past, what will you do?”’ Mr. Leahy, the Judiciary Committee chairman, said.

Already, the New York Times is making noise about the appointment. This despite the fact that until last week Mukasey was the darling of the Democrats. Now that he has been appointed, the NYT finds aspects of his record that are "troubling".

In particular, they are complaining about the shift of leadership at the Justice Department from Solicitor General Paul Clement to Peter Keisler

Mr. Bush also announced yesterday that he was replacing Acting Attorney General Paul Clement, who was to serve until the Senate confirmed Mr. GonzalesÂ’s successor, with Peter Keisler, a hard-line movement conservative. Mr. BushÂ’s sleight of hand in installing Mr. Keisler is an unfortunate indication that he intends to keep the department politicized for as long as he can.

However, as Hugh Hewitt noted on his show yesterday, there is a reason for the change -- as Solicitor General, Clement is in charge of arguing cases before the US Supreme Court when the federal government is a party. The new term opens October 1, and the Solicitor General has several cases to present early in the term. Dividing his attention between those cases and the running of the Justice Department would be a bad move, hence the shift in responsibility. It signals nothing about a newly confrontational move by the President.

However, if the Democrats are out to play hardball, the President needs to do the same. If there is an unreasonable delay in confirming Mukasey, a recess appointment is in order -- making Ted Olson the Attorney General, as he so richly deserves.

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They've got the incident on tape.

A profanity-filled audio recording, apparently of O. J. Simpson and others during the incident last week that led to his arrest, surfaced online today.

In the 38-second recording, the voice of a man identified as Mr. Simpson by TMZ.com, the Web site where it is posted, is heard repeatedly telling others not to let anyone out of the room and accusing those present of stealing his property and trying to sell it.

Mr. Simpson is being held without bail on six felony charges stemming from the incident; a bail hearing is now scheduled for early Wednesday morning in Clark County Justice Court before Judge Ann Zimmerman. The judge may conduct the hearing in person or by videoconference.

Two sports memorabilia collectors and dealers have told the police that Mr. Simpson and five other men stormed into their hotel room at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino, about a mile from the Las Vegas Strip, on Thursday evening and robbed them at gunpoint.

I don't know about you, but I've always understood that holding someone against their will -- especially if at gunpoint -- a felony?

Here's where you can find the recording -- in both censored and uncensored versions.

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After two years of marginalizing its top writers, the New York Times is ending TimeSelect, its pay for access service. Many of us projected that it would ultimately fail due to the amount of free content available on the Web.

But what is amusing to me is that the NYT claims it was a success!

The New York Times will stop charging for access to parts of its Web site, effective at midnight Tuesday night.

The move comes two years to the day after The Times began the subscription program, TimesSelect, which has charged $49.95 a year, or $7.95 a month, for online access to the work of its columnists and to the newspaperÂ’s archives. TimesSelect has been free to print subscribers to The Times and to some students and educators.

In addition to opening the entire site to all readers, The Times will also make available its archives from 1987 to the present without charge, as well as those from 1851 to 1922, which are in the public domain. There will be charges for some material from the period 1923 to 1986, and some will be free.

The Times said the project had met expectations, drawing 227,000 paying subscribers — out of 787,000 over all — and generating about $10 million a year in revenue.

“But our projections for growth on that paid subscriber base were low, compared to the growth of online advertising,” said Vivian L. Schiller, senior vice president and general manager of the site, NYTimes.com.

Yeah -- we simply weren't ging to pay for acces. It is why I haven't bothered commenting on Rich, Brooks, Krugman or Dowd for the last couple of years -- I don't consider them worth paying for, and I can't imagine finding them worth paying for.

The paper recognized that folks like me dominate the internet, because it found it necessary to end TimeSelect so that it could move to a more future-oriented business model in which it maximizes advertising revenue -- an important goal, given the fall in its print-subscriber base.

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There is just something about cedar. It is beautiful, and has that wonderful smell that is so intoxicating. And it is durable, too. That is why so many folks have cedar outdoor furniture.

CedarStore.com produces and sells a full line of outdoor furniture to suit any taste.

Personally, I like this Red Cedar Southern English Garden Glider. Made of durable red cedar, it blends both the class of an English garden with the comfort of a down-home southern porch. We have a swing out in the yard, but when the sun starts to beat down, it would be nice to have a glider in the shade to sit and rock in comfort. And not only is the price of this item quite reasonable, there is free shipping on it (and all furniture) as well!

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Can an individual commit a hate crime against a member of a group of people of which he himself is a part? That interesting question has now arisen in a New York case in which the state is already arguing that one need not be motivated by hatred to commit a hate crime.

One of the defendants accused of killing a gay man in Brooklyn last year because of his sexual orientation offered a startling courtroom revelation yesterday: He, too, is gay.

So said the lawyer for Anthony Fortunato, 21, one of four men accused of chasing a gay man to his death on the Belt Parkway during a robbery on Oct. 8, 2006.

All along, homosexuality has defined the case. Prosecutors have used it as a sword, seeking heavier sentences for a hate crime.

As the trial began in Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday, Mr. FortunatoÂ’s lawyer, Gerald J. Di Chiara, sought to use sexual orientation as a shield. Without much explanation of how he planned to introduce this fact or turn it to his advantage, Mr. Di Chiara offered it to the jury in his opening argument. Not only was Mr. Fortunato gay, Mr. Di Chiara said, but so was the main prosecution witness, Gary Timmins, 17, who has pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in exchange for his testimony.

In fact, Mr. Di Chiara continued, Mr. Fortunato had planned to tell his friends of his sexual orientation on the night in question. Luring a gay man out to a secluded lot in Sheepshead Bay was part of that plan, Mr. Di Chiara said.

Again, we find ourselves facing the question of whether the status of the criminal or the victim should be used to enhance a penalty for a crime. As I've argued all along, the answer should almost always be no -- and in this case, the muddling of group identity makes the lines even more interesting. Why don't we simply stick with the principle of equal justice for all individuals under the law -- and stick a needle in the arm of all these mooks for the death of Michael J. Sandy during the commission of a felony?

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And I won't put the blame on John Kerry, though I believe he should have been much more forceful than his statement that he would answer the question. Indeed, I believe he should have insisted that the young man not be arrested.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry's speech at the University of Florida came to a dramatic close Monday, shortly after a vocal audience member was hauled off by police and shot with a Taser gun.

The audience member was preliminarily identified by UF officials as Andrew Meyer, a UF student in the College of Journalism and Communications.

Toward the conclusion of Kerry's UF forum, Meyer approached an open microphone at the University Auditorium and demanded Kerry answer his questions. The student claimed that University Police Department officers had already threatened to arrest him, and then proceeded to question Kerry about why he didn't contest the 2004 presidential election and why there had been no moves to impeach President Bush.

A minute or so into what became a combative diatribe, Meyer's microphone was turned off and officers began trying to physically remove him from the auditorium. Meyer flailed his arms, yelling as police tried to restrain him.

He was then pushed to the ground by six officers, at which point Meyer yelled, "What have I done? What I have I done? Get away from me. Get off of me! What did I do? ... Help me! Help."

Police threatened to user a Taser on Meyer if he did not "comply," but he continued to resist being handcuffed. He was then Tased, which prompted him to scream and writhe in pain on the floor of the auditorium.

Here's the video, so you can make your own judgement.

The incident is rather disturbing to me, because I don't see why the cops moved in (or why the organizers might have sought to have Meyer removed. Granted, he is nutty enough to be a part of the Truther Brigade or the Ron Paul Campaign, but did anything he did rise to the level of an offense meriting this level of action. Indeed, as I watch the video I can't find an answer to his pleading question -- "What did I do?"

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I asked a question yesterday, following the arrest of OJailed Simpson.

An interesting question arises, though. To what degree can the 1994 murders be taken into account at sentencing -- OJ was found not guilty in the criminal trial, but legally culpable in the civil trial. Can the latter be used as evidence of a history of criminal activity (especially when paired with is abuse of Nicole) to move his sentence to the higher end of the range?

Well, I got an answer today over at the Volokh Conspiracy, courtesy of Eugene Volokh himself.

The gist of the answer? Yes -- and so can the criminal case itself, despite the acquittal.

Simpson has been found guilty by a civil jury of killing his ex-wife and Ron Goldman. (If I'm not mistaken, the jury's award of punitive damages involved a finding of guilt by clear and convincing evidence, though I don't think this is necessary to my analysis.) It's possible -- I'm not sure -- that a judge could simply rely on this past finding; but a judge could certainly enter such a finding himself based on his own review of the evidence.

And given this finding about Simpson's past conduct and therefore his moral character, the judge would be legally allowed to impose a higher sentence than he would on a typical robber, burglar, or what have you. I'm not sure whether a judge would indeed act this way; but the federal Constitution would let him act this way if he so chose.

In other words, we may be seeing OJailed getting the entire 30 years if he is convicted on all counts. And since he is 60 now, that would pretty well constitute a life sentence. Ron and Nicole may get some justice after all.

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Upholding the rule of law is not high on the liberal agenda if it gets in the way of passing laws to benefit their special interest groups.

If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger goes through with his expected veto of San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno's measure to allow same-sex marriage in California, it's almost guaranteed the governor will say he's following "the will of the people."

That's the argument the Republican governor made two years ago when he rejected a similar measure. Although Schwarzenegger hasn't taken an official position on the new bill, he made clear in February that he did not intend to sign it.

"I don't want, as the governor, to go against the will of the people," Schwarzenegger said at an event put on by the YMCA, but added: "If it goes back on the ballot, the people can make the decision."

The Legislature approved the bill Sept. 7, and the governor has until Oct. 14 to sign or veto the measure.

Foes of same-sex marriage argue, along with Schwarzenegger, that California voters made their decision in March 2000, when Proposition 22, the protection of marriage initiative, was approved by a landslide 61 to 39 percent. The 14-word measure, which conservative and religious groups placed on the ballot, said simply, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

But times have changed in seven years, say supporters of Leno's bill, and voters now have elected a solid majority of legislators who want to make same-sex marriage legal in California.

"The people are speaking through their elected representatives," said Seth Kilbourn, political director for Equality California, a group backing the measure. "We want the governor to keep up with the will of the people and show the type of bipartisan leadership that he has shown on so many other issues."

Now the supporters of gay marriage insist that the will of the people has changed, at least according to the polls and the will of the legislators they have elected. But in making that claim, the insist upon the right to directly overturn a vote of the people -- and violate the California Constitution.

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 2 VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL SEC. 10.

(c) The Legislature may amend or repeal referendum statutes. It may amend or repeal an initiative statute by another statute that becomes effective only when approved by the electors unless the initiative statute permits amendment or repeal without their approval.

In other words, a vote of the people in favor of permitting gay marriage is necessary before the bill passed by the legislature can go into effect. If it were not, any vote of the people could be overturned after the next legislative election cycle was completed. In effect, the initiative and referendum process would be a farce because every proposition would require re-passage every election cycle to remain valid.

And as I pointed out two years ago, there is also an inherent problem with the argument that "time has passed and the electorate has changed" argument. Taken to its logical extreme, even Constitutional provisions themselves could be disregarded with impunity, making no pretense of upholding the constitutional processes for instituting such changes.

Supporters of the legislation, of course, don't want a little thing like constitutional law to get in the way of getting what they want. Take this argument.

The legislature didn't "derail" any vote. Proposition 22 was not voted on by the current California populace. Many of those who voted on Prop 22 are now dead, massive amounts of new voters have entered the pool and in the 5 years since that legislation passed many voters have changed their mind (according to polling data). It is the new California voting population who decided (AFTER Prop 22) that these current politicians (the ones who passed the equality bill) were fit to represent them. Now these politicians have done what they were elected to do and if anybody is "derailing" the will of the CURRENT voting population of California it is Schwarzenegger.

Unfortunately for the owner of that blog, it makes as much sense to argue that as it does to argue that Congress could reinstitute slavery without repealing the Thirteenth Amendment, since they represent the will of the people today and the Thirteenth Amendment represents the will of the people 140 years ago. Any rational person recognizes the flaw in both the posters original argument and the hypothetical I put forth -- both situations would ignore the process mandated by the respective constitutions to take the course of action in question.

I think the danger of such a scheme is obvious. Any pol with a poll could render any law or constitutional provision null and void without a real showing of popular support for the change.

The sad part is that Mark Leno and his colleagues did (and still do) have a mechanism available to repeal Proposition 22. All thy have to do is pass their legislation with a section authorizing the required popular vote on the repeal of Proposition 22. If, as they claim, the will of the people has changed in the last seven years, the repeal of Proposition 22 would be a snap. On the other hand, their refusal to include such a repeal vote in their bill is evidence that their dedication to the will of the people NOW is seriously lacking.

Indeed, Leno acknowledges that he does not particularly care what the people of the state of California want in regards to gay marriage.

"Civil rights for any group should never be put to a vote of the people. This is how we prevent the tyranny of the majority over the minority."

Ah, but is gay marriage a civil right. Most folks would argue that it is not, and the idea that it is one is a new and novel formulation. And under Leno's rubric, any group can claim any practice to be a civil right outside the purview of legislation or popular vote. Polygamy? Incest? Pre-pubescent marriage? Incestuous pre-pubescent polygamous gay marriage (yes, I'm being intentionally absurd there)? On what legitimate basis could one make a distinction between a valid civil rights claim and a spurious one upon which the people or the legislature could make law? Leno's argument fails because there is no clear or principled basis upon which to make legitimate distinctions as to teh power of the people or the legislature to act.

Which brings us back to the initial point of the article. Arnold Schwarzenegger is likely to veto the legislation in question. The California legislature can, and I would argue should, act to fix the bill by adding a repeal referendum to it and sending the revised legislation for the the governor's signature. At that point, the will of the people of California today could truly be known.

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Whose service do you find more credible?

Frankly, it takes a willing suspension of disbelief to put any faith in the junior Senator from New York.

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The Iranian president has clearly and repeatedly violated the Genocide Convention with his statements about Israel and Jews. This grows out of a call issued last year that he should be indicted and tried for inciting genocide. Romney's letter is as follows.

To His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,

With the disturbing news that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmandinejad is planning to address the United Nations General Assembly next week, I call on the United Nations to revoke any invitation to President Ahmadinejad to address the General Assembly. The only way he should be greeted in the United States is with an indictment under the Genocide Convention.

The Iranian regime under President Ahmadinejad has spoken openly about wiping Israel off the map, has fueled Hezbollah’s terror campaign in the region and around the world, and defied the world community in its pursuit of nuclear weapons – capabilities that make these threats even more ominous. As General Petraeus testified last week, Iran is also supporting Shia militia extremists and violence that is taking the lives of American soldiers and undermining the Iraqi government.

A failure by the United Nations to take a strong stand against IranÂ’s President Ahmadinejad would be especially disturbing given the United NationsÂ’ record of failure to prevent genocide in other circumstances and the failure of the United Nations Human Rights Council to confront the Iranian regime and others among the worldÂ’s worst human rights abusers. Failure to act would mean that the United States must reconsider its level of support and funding for the United Nations as we look to rebuild and revitalize effective international partnerships to meet 21st century threats.

If President Ahmadinejad sets foot in the United States, he should be handed an indictment under the Genocide Convention. This approach has been called for by experts as diverse as Nobel Prize Winner Elie Wiesel, human rights advocate and former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton and law professor Alan Dershowitz.

The United States and the world must take a strong stand against the terrorist Iranian regime and the time for action is now.

Sincerely,

Mitt Romney

Will other candidates, both Republican and Democrat, join Mitt Romney in taking a stand? And will all of them, including Romney, commit to the principle that the Host Country Agreement between the UN and the US does not require that the US recognize the sovereign immunity of heads of states who have committed crimes against humanity?

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I'm sure Judge Mukasey is well-qualified, and he is an adviser to Rudy Giuliani's campaign, but I still believe the President should have fought for Ted Olson.

President Bush plans to choose Michael B. Mukasey, a former federal judge who was nominated to the bench by Ronald Reagan, to replace Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Republicans close to the process told The Politico.

"It came down to confirmability," said a former Justice Department official involved in the conversations.

Conservatives had been rooting for former Solicitor General Theodore B. (Ted) Olson, but Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) vowed Wednesday to block his confirmation.

"The White House seems like they don't want a confirmation fight," said a Republican close to the selection process. "They think this guy is bulletproof from the left."

Frankly, I'm troubled on two levels. First, Bush should not have given in to the Democrats. Second, he should not have picked someone suggested by Democrat leaders. The Chuck Schumer seal of approval does not inspire confidence on my part.

Still, I won't rebel against the nomination -- but just don't expect me to show much enthusiasm for it.

MORE AT Blogs for Bush, Captain's Quarters, Don Surber

UPDATE: Captain Ed is reporting that Schumer is backing away from his support of Mukasey. In light of that, why not push for Olson?

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Looks like Musharraf is out as head of the army.

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf plans to stand down as army chief by 15 November, an official from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) says.

Gen Musharraf will resign from the powerful post after the presidential elections, said Mushahid Hussain Sayed, the PML's secretary general.

He is seeking re-election by parliament before its term expires in mid-October.

Pakistan's Supreme Court meanwhile is debating his right to remain army chief if he stands for president again.

There has been no confirmation from Gen Musharraf himself about his intentions.

It is unclear if this is part of a power-sharing deal with Benazir Bhutto. And unfortunately, this situation does nothing about the arrest and exile of former PM Nawaz Sharif in defiance of the Pakistani Supreme Court.

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You know, it will be nice to get into something with the look and feel of a boot again.

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Some scattered bits of information since yesterday's post.

First, the charges.

Police charged Simpson with two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count each of conspiracy to commit burglary and burglary with a firearm. He was booked last night in the Clark County Detention Center; a judge ordered him held without bail.

At a news conference last night, police said there were no indications that Simpson was carrying a weapon during the alleged robbery, nor was there evidence of physical harm to anyone in the episode.

It is those conspiracy charges that will get Simpson, because they make him responsible for any of the actions that went on among any of his co-conspirators. That means that he is responsible for the drawn gun, whether he was armed or not.

Second, there is some question about the ownership of the items taken.

Police said they were not sure who owned the memorabilia. But they say the manner in which the goods were taken was under investigation.

"Whether or not the property belonged to Mr. Simpson or not is still in debate," Lt. Clint Nichols said Sunday. "Having said that, the manner in which this property was taken, we have a responsibility to look into that, irregardless of who the property belonged to."

I'm willing to bet that those dealers all have some sort of records indicating that they purchased these items, making it relatively more difficult for Simpson to prove that the items are his -- and given how they were taken by Simpson and his crew, the ownership issue is irrelevant. You can't go in with guns drawn to recover your property.

And the specific items taken are not just OJ items.

“It included a lot of sports memorabilia and most of it and had been signed by Mr. Simpson himself along with some other property,” Lieutenant Nichols said. “I believe there were some Joe Montana cleats, some signed baseballs and some other stuff.”

Makes it somewhat harder to argue that he was just taking back his own items. Joe Montana cleats? Baseballs? Do tell how these were acquired -- especially with that judgment still hanging over Simpson's head.

This case should be fun to watch, as the Las Vegas cops have gone out of their way to dot every i and cross every t.

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And I do condemn it.

Police and the FBI are investigating after someone shot through the door of a mosque during Ramadan, a monthlong religious celebration involving dawn-to-dusk fasting, prayer and charity.

The bullet pierced the top aluminum frame of a glass entry door at The Islamic Center of South Texas on Friday afternoon.

Witnesses said they heard two gunshots, but investigators have found evidence of only one shot hitting the mosque, Corpus Christi police Cmdr. Jesse Garcia said.

"We're sure it's a high-caliber weapon, based on the damage," Garcia said.

Pieces of the bullet have been recovered for testing, but police have yet to name any suspects and haven't determined whether the incident is a hate crime.

Osama Bahloul, the spiritual leader of the mosque, is among about 600 members of the center who are celebrating Ramadan.

"We hope this is the end of it," he said. "But we are genuinely concerned about our people. We have a large number of children here this month, and if he or she did this again someone could be killed."

Bahloul said the center will install video cameras and members have been reminded to be aware of their surroundings.

Police have searched flower beds at an apartment complex across the street from the mosque and FBI agents went door to door to interview possible witnesses.

The FBI is adding $5,000 to the Crime Stoppers reward to bring it to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case, FBI spokeswoman Patricia Villafranca said.

Most Muslims are decent people, and are entitled to freely exercise their human right to worship. Such acts of violence are not merely immoral, but are also an assault on our Constitutional values. I urge others to speak out against this incident as well.

Does this contradict my condemnation of those who wage jihad against the United States and other non-Muslim peoples? Hardly, but I am certain that emulating their crimes against the innocent is precisely the wrong way to stop them.

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Couldn't happen to a "nicer" guy.

O.J. Simpson was arrested Sunday on charges related to the armed robbery of Simpson sports memorabilia from a Las Vegas hotel room, Las Vegas police said Sunday.

Lead investigator Lt. Clint Nichols said Sunday that Simpson, 60, had played a "substantial role" in the incident and that in earlier interviews with the police, Simpson had provided information that "changed the course of the investigation."

Nichols said Simpson was taken into custody at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas hotel where he was staying without incident. Several police officers were seen entering the hotel; a security guard said police took Simpson out a side door shortly after.

Bail is expected to be set during an arraignment by video Monday morning.

Earlier Sunday, Las Vegas police seized two firearms and arrested another man allegedly involved in the robbery, authorities said Sunday.

An interesting question arises, though. To what degree can the 1994 murders be taken into account at sentencing -- OJ was found not guilty in the criminal trial, but legally culpable in the civil trial. Can the latter be used as evidence of a history of criminal activity (especially when paired with is abuse of Nicole) to move his sentence to the higher end of the range?

H/T Stop the ACLU, Pirate's Cove, Don Surber, Speed of Thought, Patterico, SoCalPundit

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And no, not based upon your personal faith or lack thereof. Based upon the nature of Western Culture, and America in particular, built upon the foundation of the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ.

I don't know what went through her mind and why she would think that was cutting edge or even funny. But first, I want to actually show you that, in fact, Kathy Griffin is wrong. Jesus had everything to do with her winning that award. And here's the reasoning.

Jesus died on a cross 2,000 years ago. His dying words were, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do." He died and they buried him in a rock cut tomb. Three days later, as the Bible says, he rose from the dead. That day is what Christians celebrate as Easter.

After the resurrection, Christianity began to take off like wildfire, spreading from the Middle East northward to Europe and westward into Ethiopia. In 300 A.D. Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity and it beccame the religion of Europe. Rome soon became the seat of the faith. After several years of human failings, the church went through conflicts and quite a few unbiblical years — the crusades and the inquisition to name just two. Out of that came the Reformation — the reforming of the Church, sort of a back-to-basics Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Out of the Reformation emerged a vision of law by Samuel Rutherford, called Lex is Rex, Law is King. From that, others devised a secular version that is used to help lay the foundation of government for a new land called America. Ninety-four percent of America's founding era documents mention the Bible; 34 percent quote the Bible directly. The idea of bringing unity to the universal is a particularly Biblical concept.

The freedoms we enjoy in this country to speak freely and to live freely are directly related to that man who died on a cross 2,000 years ago.

So, you see, Kathy Griffin, Jesus has everything to do with you winning that award. You live in a free country where your abilities can be recognized if you're willing to work hard enough. That's at least the dream of America. If you'd been born in many other parts of the world, your daily activity might involve seeking out a way to survive, or even trying to avoid persecution and death. Luxuries like pursuing a career in the entertainment industry would never have been realized; luxuries like being able to insult the founder of a religion of forgiveness and acceptance would not have been possible.

Kathy Griffin, just because you "can" say something, doesn't mean you "should." When you say "suck it, Jesus," you didn't just insult Christianity Â… you insulted the very reason you've prospered

Bravo to FoxNews religion reporter Lauren Green for that analysis.

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The CBS preview of this week's game.

While they may be picking the Panthers, i believe the Texans may just squeak out a win -- especially if they get to face David Carr under center for the Panthers for any length of time.

My pick -- Houston 24, Carolina 21

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Seems that the flow of supporters from Syria has slowed to a trickle. maybe it has to do with the fact that we are winning, no matter what the Demcorats say.

The number of foreign fighters entering Iraq from Syria has decreased noticeably in recent months, corresponding to a similar decrease in suicide bombings and other attacks by the group al-Qaeda in Iraq, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials.

"There is an early indication of a trend," said Gen. David H. Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, in an interview. Border crossings from Syria that averaged 80 to 90 a month have fallen to "half or two-thirds of that over the last two or three months," Petraeus said.

Not only that, but the Syrians are blocking them from coming back into the country.

Makes you wonder what they know that the Democrats don't.

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And as the son of a convert from Islam, he ought to know what ex-Muslims face at the hands of the members of their former religion.

One of the Church of England's most senior bishops is warning that people will die unless Muslim leaders in Britain speak out in defence of the right to change faith.

Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, whose father converted from Islam to Christianity in Pakistan, says he is looking to Muslim leaders in Britain to 'uphold basic civil liberties, including the right for people to believe what they wish to believe and to even change their beliefs if they wish to do so'.

Some Islamic texts brand Muslims who convert to other faiths as 'apostates' and call for them to be punished. Seven of the world's 57 Islamic states - including Iran - impose the death penalty for conversion.

Now Ali, who some see as a potential Archbishop of Canterbury, has told Channel 4's Dispatches programme of his fears about the safety of the estimated 3,000 Muslims who have converted to other faiths in Britain.

'It is very common in the world today, including in this country, for people who have changed their faith, particularly from being Muslim to being Christian, to be ostracised, to lose their job, for their marriages to be dissolved, for children to be taken away,' Ali said. 'And this is why some leadership is necessary from Muslim leaders themselves to say that this is not what Islam teaches.'

The problem is that this is what Islam teaches -- and while only 7 islamic countries impose that penalty under their laws, in many others they prohibit conversion and impose OTHER penalties upon those who leave Islam. Indeed, they tend not to punish the murders of such converts, either.

And when you consider this statistic from a recent poll, it strikes me that there is a much bigger problem at hand. A sizable group of British Muslims want to see the death penalty imposed upon those who convert away from Islam.

A poll of more than 1,000 British Muslims, conducted by the Policy Exchange think-tank this year, found that 36 per cent of Muslims aged between 16 and 24 believe those who convert to another faith should be punished by death.

Wouldn't you love to know the numbers here in the United States? Like any polling company would have the 'nads to ask that question.

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I mean, that's what the Democrats are saying. How could these Iraqi Shiite leaders possibly want to work with the US?

American commanders in southern Iraq say Shiite sheiks are showing interest in joining forces with the U.S. military against extremists, in much the same way that Sunni clansmen in the western part of the country have worked with American forces against al-Qaida.

Sheik Majid Tahir al-Magsousi, the leader of the Migasees tribe here in Wasit province, acknowledged tribal leaders have discussed creating a brigade of young men trained by the Americans to bolster local security as well as help patrol the border with Iran.

He also said last week's assassination of Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, who spearheaded the Sunni uprising against al-Qaida in Anbar province, only made the Shiite tribal leaders more resolute.

"The death of Sheik Abu Risha will not thwart us," he said. "What matters to us is Iraq and its safety."

The movement by Shiite clan leaders offers the potential to give U.S. and Iraqi forces another tactical advantage in curbing lawlessness in Shiite areas. It also would give the Americans another resource as they beef up their presence on the border with Iran, which the military accuses of arming and training Shiite extremists.

Could it possibly be that these Iraqi leaders know better than the Democrats and the MoveOn.org puppet-masters what is going on in Iraq -- and that they like the odds of a US/Iraqi victory over the jihadi terrorists?

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