“Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said Thursday he meant to use the word ‘sacrificed’ instead of ‘wasted’ when discussing U.S. fatalities in the Iraq war during a Wednesday appearance on the ‘Late Show With David Letterman.’”
Laura Bush off by 229.
In January, insurgents launched 230 attacks on Iraqi civilians and U.S. and Iraqi soldiers every day.
Limbaugh Declares Victory: I’m Responsible For Obama ‘Getting Blacker’
On Feb. 13, Rush Limbaugh derided Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) — who is biracial — for saying, “If you look African-American in this society, you’re treated as an African-American.” Limbaugh claimed that this statement meant Obama didn’t want to be black and should “renounce it”: “If it’s not something you want to be, if you didn’t decide it, renounce it, become white!”
Yesterday on his radio show, Limbaugh claimed that Obama has become more popular among African-Americans in recent polls because “he’s getting blacker.” He added, “Well, I might have helped because I pointed out he was black, since he hasn’t renounced it. He’s obviously being perceived here as becoming more black or blacker, black enough for African-Americans to get on board. Something has happened here, and, look it, when you have the Drive-By Media saying he’s not black enough and you have me saying, ‘But he is black,’ who do you think might be influencing the shift to Obama away from Hillary?”
As Too Sense notes, “That’s right Rush, the only reason black people ever vote for candidates is because they’re black. White people, like Rush, never consider race a factor in politics or public life.
Head of Walter Reed hospital fired.
“The Army said Thursday that the two-star general in charge of Walter Reed Army Medical Center has been relieved of command following disclosures about inadequate treatment of wounded soldiers.”
The Ad’s The Thing
Tyler Cowen with a disturbing projection: “By the way, the net effect of TiVo will be more shows with ads; if they add commercials to The Sopranos, the people who hate ads can take them out themselves.” I think I’m not really an ad hater as one can tell from oft-inefficient ad-skipping when I use the DVR. This, however, largely misses the virtue of advertising-free television, which is less that the ads are so bad than that the need to fit the ads changes the narrative flow.
On non-commercial television, the scenes just unfold the way the writers want them to unfold. On advertiser-supported television, by contrast, you need to have certain predetermined breaks in the show which constrains how you can pace your episode. That’s the problem. Sports broadcasts, which are mostly able to fit the ads into fairly natural stoppages in play, are in some ways enhanced by the advertising breaks which give you a chance to chat with your friends, urinate, grab another beer, etc.
McCain desperate to woo the right wing.
“Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has reportedly tried to circumvent the organizers of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference by reserving his own conference room to hold a separate reception at the Omni Shoreham Hotel where the conference is taking place. McCain is the only major competitor for the Republican 2008 nomination to decline an invitation to speak at the event.” The Washington Times adds, “Conservative activists have speculated that Mr. McCain did not want to be seen on television ‘pandering’ to…’right-wingers’ but wanted to court those same activists at a reception in the same hotel.”
Malkin On McCain Statement: ‘A Patronizing, Infantilizing, and Insulting View Of All American Troops’
Last month, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said, “We ended up launching a war that should have never been authorized, and should never been waged, and on which we have now spent $400 billion, and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted.” Obama immediately apologized for any offense his use of the word “wasted” may have caused. “I would absolutely apologize if any (military families) felt that in some ways it had diminished the enormous courage and sacrifice that they’d shown,” he said.
The quick apology did not stop conservative blogger Michelle Malkin from attacking Obama repeatedly over his comments. Malkin claimed Obama had a “patronizing, infantilizing, and insulting view of all American troops as dupes/victims who have squandered their lives.”
Last night on the Late Show with David Letterman, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) made a remark very similar to Obama’s. “Americans are very frustrated, and they have every right to be,” McCain said about Bush’s failed policies in Iraq. “We’ve wasted a lot of our most precious treasure, which is American lives, over there.”
Watch it:
[flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2007/03/mccain_wasted.320.240.flv]
We’ll be waiting for Malkin’s response.
Transcript: Read more
Despite Knowledge Of Deplorable Conditions, Rep. Young Praised Army’s Top Medical Official
In today’s Washington Post, Rep. Bill Young (R-FL) admits that he has known of the neglect and deplorable conditions at Walter Reed for years, but didn’t do anything because when he approached hospital officials, they made him “feel very uncomfortable.”
Young’s excuse is pathetic. From 1999-2005, he served as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, which controls all federal discretionary spending. Young could have easily subpoenaed the Army and conducted a thorough public investigation.
The real problem may be that Young was too close to Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, a key figure in this scandal, to take action. On Jan. 19, 2007 — years after Young had learned of the neglect but one month before the Washington Post revealed it to the public — Kiley testified before a House subcommittee. Young reminisced about how he had known Kiley “very, very well over the years,” and praised him as “committed to providing our war heroes with the very, very best medical care that is possible.”
YOUNG: Well, Mr. Chairman, I want to join you in welcoming our guests and our witnesses today, having known especially Don Arthur and General Kiley very, very well over the years. I thought they’d get tired of seeing us in their hospitals. And we haven’t had as much opportunity to visit with the Air Force, General. But I know that these gentlemen are committed to providing our war heroes with the very, very best medical care that is possible.
But as today’s Post shows, Rep. Young’s wife Beverly (and presumably Young himself) knew that Kiley was a key figure responsible for the neglect:
Beverly Young said she complained to Kiley several times. She once visited a soldier who was lying in urine on his mattress pad in the hospital. When a nurse ignored her, Young said, “I went flying down to Kevin Kiley’s office again, and got nowhere. He has skirted this stuff for five years and blamed everyone else.”
Young said that even after Kiley left Walter Reed to become the Army’s surgeon general, “if anything could have been done to correct problems, he could have done it.”
Slowing Down the Coal Train
Thanks in part to mounting attacks from a variety of sources (including Climate Progress), we can be more optimistic about the future of restrictions on coal plants.
TXU Corporation, a major Texan energy provider, once had 11 new coal-fired plants slated for construction. Drawing environmental criticism, TXU stock prices fell, leading to interest in the company from two large equity firms to purchase it. With a $45 billion price tag, the companies have succeeded and, to an extent, so have the envirionmental groups.
Now only three of the original plants will be built and TXU has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase investment in its customers energy efficiency efforts. The pressure on this issue has been huge: it has come from politicians, grassroots work, and experts alike.
It’s a small victory with larger implications, according to one NY Times editorial. The main implication is for federal legislation – and with business, political and civil interests involved, the timing is ripe.
Walter Reed’s inequality.
The vermin-infested Building 18, which houses military outpatients.
VERSUS
The “stately homes” of Walter Reed Commander George W. Weightman and top Army medical officer Kevin C. Kiley, who knew for years about outpatient neglect at the military hospital. Their homes are right across the street from Building 18.
(via Washington Post)
