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Tuesday Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 12:56:19 PM EST
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< Glass Houses | Report: Brennan Out of Consideration For Intelligence Post >

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    Tuesday Open Thread | 25 comments (25 topical)

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    Koppel leave Discovery (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by andgarden on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 12:59:49 PM EST
    early.

    My prediction: he's getting MTP.

    Oh please make it so (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by ruffian on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:59:22 PM EST
    That would be so great.

    I know I'm about to read a bunch of comments about atrocities he has committed that I have forgotten, but I stand by my happiness.

    Parent

    Spencer Ackerman (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by lilburro on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:07:28 PM EST
    writes a very lackluster article on Brennan here.  

    Good news:  200 psychologists/psychiatrists wrote an open letter to Obama.

    The bad news:  They are getting little support in the blogosphere.  

    I think their letter could've been better but come on now.  If Ackerman did more than flip through his index of Jane Mayer's book - if he had read her article black sites - he could've seen where these characterizations are coming from.

    Reading The Dark Side gives you a sense of the problems in the CIA and how widespread they were.  

    I mean c'mon people!  Why aren't we going after this guy?  His associations are pretty terrible.  I went into that a bit here.  

    I've done my bit (none / 0) (#3)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:17:31 PM EST
    At this point, I think it is better I stay out of the field of fire.

    Let the non-"morons" carry the load now.

    Parent

    No one can say you haven't done your part (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by lilburro on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:27:48 PM EST
    I just wish there were more noise.

    Kos: Tag "John Brennan"
    Kos: Tag "Joe Lieberman"

    Not to say that people haven't been talking about it.  And Joe Lieberman wasn't my battle, so what can I say, can't fault people for agitating for what they want.  

    Parent

    The follow up: (none / 0) (#18)
    by lilburro on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 03:40:10 PM EST
    So much for John Brennan, the former CIA official who wasn't actually an advocate of torture but who was pilloried for being so in the blogosphere. The Associated Press reports he's taken himself out of the running to be Obama's CIA director or director of national intelligence in a letter to the president-elect:

    "The fact that I was not involved in the decisionmaking process for any of these controversial policies and actions has been ignored," he wrote, in a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

    Not sure why Brennan has Ackerman on his side here...

    Parent

    John Brennan Withdraws! (5.00 / 3) (#5)
    by inclusiveheart on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:34:47 PM EST
    MSNBC is reporting right now that Brennan has taken his name out of the running for the CIA position!

    They are crediting "liberal bloggers".

    You're welcome (5.00 / 6) (#6)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:36:13 PM EST
    Kidding . . .

    Parent
    I knew I shouldn't have mentioned (none / 0) (#9)
    by inclusiveheart on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:42:53 PM EST
    the credit :) lol

    Parent
    Heh (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:45:05 PM EST
    Never give a moron an inch, he'll take a mile.

    Parent
    Fricken Big Mouths :) (5.00 / 3) (#7)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:36:55 PM EST


    Parent
    Story (5.00 / 3) (#8)
    by andgarden on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:41:03 PM EST
    here.

    "The fact that I was not involved in the decisionmaking process for any of these controversial policies and actions has been ignored," he wrote, in a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

    Can I call him a schmuck at TL?

    Parent
    He was just involved in the approving it (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:44:37 PM EST
    process.

    Parent
    "Okay, Boss!" (none / 0) (#16)
    by Fabian on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 02:51:51 PM EST
    "Where do I sign?"

    Parent
    Great News (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 02:06:10 PM EST
    Nice to hear that we matter, for a change.

    Parent
    High Speed Rail Legislation (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Politalkix on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 07:02:24 PM EST
    on its way. Fasten your seatbelts for the Kerry-Specter bill. Yoohoo! [link]and [link]and [link]and [link]

    Add HSR to Amtrak setting ... (none / 0) (#24)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 09:27:11 PM EST
    ...a new ridership record;

    Nationwide, 28.7 million people rode the trains, the sixth straight year of record ridership, the railroad said.

    plus talk of Iowa working to expand rail service on a state funded level;

    An Amtrak report in April said a twice-daily train running between Chicago and Iowa City could start in 2011.

    A study of extending Amtrak service from Iowa City to Des Moines is due next year. Amtrak is also considering service between Chicago and Dubuque.

    Magliari, the Amtrak spokesman, said the railroad is in talks with state officials from Illinois and Iowa about expanding passenger service in both states.

    Some state taxpayer subsidies would almost certainly be required for additional trains. State government now pays no subsidies to Amtrak.

    Gov. Chet Culver is reviewing budget proposals and has yet to make a final decision about providing start-up funding for more Amtrak service, said Troy Price, a Culver aide.

    http://tinyurl.com/5p94rl

    hopefully equals healthy future for rail in this country.  This seems to be a promising start to rebuilding and updating America's rail system.  

    /choo-choo!

    Parent

    Airlines will do their best to torpedo the plan... (none / 0) (#25)
    by easilydistracted on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 09:48:10 PM EST
    Historically they've always been opposed to high speed rail service because it will hurt their business. Unlike Europe, the airlines in the US have considerable short routes. Dallas to Houston is a good example. Check out the number of flights that Southwest offers daily between the two cities.  Every 30 minutes during the peak morning and evening hours. A decade or so ago, high speed rail service was seriously explored in the Dallas to Houston corridor. The plan was to construct the rail in the existing right of way of I-45. Southwest Airlines had a fit and the plan just faded away. They have a much stronger lobby than Amtrak

    Parent
    Yo BTD (none / 0) (#12)
    by Ben Masel on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 01:52:55 PM EST
    Can you give me a call, or drop an email?

    608- four four two-8830, or bmasel at tds dahhht net

    Can it wait till later? (none / 0) (#15)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 02:28:40 PM EST
    I am doing some nasty evil corporate work right now?

    I can e-mail you substantively  in a couple of hours.

    I assume it is about the fellow in jail in Alachua County?

    Parent

    yes. (none / 0) (#17)
    by Ben Masel on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 03:36:04 PM EST
    I'm heading out for a few hours in 20 minutes.

    No need for us to talk if you're not interested, and I don't know anything that's not in the dkos diary or comments. (tho it would be good to have your email on file for future reference.)

    Parent

    Gates (none / 0) (#19)
    by zvs888 on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 04:14:24 PM EST
    Seems to be staying on for an extra year.

    Comic Prosecution (none / 0) (#20)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 04:45:15 PM EST
    Collector Christopher Handly has been arrested on obscenity charges because he collects Manga comic books. Seems like a big stretch to me, and if he loses his case the Metropolitan Museum of Art et al, will be under scrutiny.

    "They found his manga, and found some objectionable panels," Gaiman said. "He's been arrested for having some drawings of rude things in manga. I'm sorry, but if you went through my comic collection, you could arrest me if you're going to start doing that. It's just wrong."

    "There is explicit sex in yaoi comics," Handley's lawyer Eric Chase told MTV. "And the men are drawn in a very androgynous style, which has the effect of making them look really young. There's a real taboo in Japan about showing pubic hair, so they're all drawn without it, which also makes them look young. So what concerned the authorities were the depictions of children in explicit sexual situations that they believed to be obscene. But there are no actual children. It was all very crude images from a comic book."

    via Metafilter

    weird (none / 0) (#21)
    by lilburro on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 05:04:49 PM EST
    What are they going to do, raid anime conventions now?  There'll be a stampede of thousands of oddly dressed anime fans from the convention center in Baltimore :P

    Parent
    Wizzenator (none / 0) (#23)
    by squeaky on Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 08:10:22 PM EST
    I guess it is illegal, like radar detectors are in some states. But I do not really understand why the company should be liable.

    The device was sold with a heating element and fake urine to help people test negative for illegal substances.
    They could face up to eight years in prison and a $500,000 (£334,000) fine.

    [snip]

    "The prosthetic pen!s is very realistic and concealing is simple, while our quality production and materials assures you that the Whizzinator will let it flow again and again, anytime, anywhere you need it!"

    link

    Tuesday Open Thread | 25 comments (25 topical)

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