Author: Kevin

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Chuck Asay, Colorado Springs Gazette.

As an aside, Robert L. Bartley has a column up from Monday’s Opinion Journal concerning press objectivity. Here’s the money quote:

The opinion of the press corps tends toward consensus because of an astonishing uniformity of viewpoint. Certain types of people want to become journalists, and they carry certain political and cultural opinions. This self-selection is hardened by peer group pressure. No conspiracy is necessary; journalists quite spontaneously think alike. The problem comes because this group-think is by now divorced from the thoughts and attitudes of readers.

Truer words… (Link via Instapundit.)

Mike Ramirez, LA Times

Jim McCloskey, Staunton, VA News-Leader.

I’m not sure if Jim’s cartoon was supposed to be approving, but many haven’t yet figured out that to the majority of us in the red states, “Cowboy” isn’t an insult.

I read Steven Den Beste’s USS Clueless pretty religiously. He is, as James Lileks put it, the Spock of the Blogosphere, with a keen, logical mind. Quite often I will read something he has produced that resonates with me well apart from the topic on which it was written. That was true of today’s essay, Fan Mail from Flounderers. Today’s column was about the anti-Bushwar protester’s inability to make a case against the invasion of Iraq and their bewilderment at their failure to have any effect on either the American public at large, or the government in particular. It’s an excellent piece (as usual.) But in it I found a most concise explanation for the behavior of not only the leftist anti-Bushwar movement, but also the gun-bancontrol movement:

When someone tries to use a strategy which is dictated by their ideology, and that strategy doesn’t seem to work, then they are caught in something of a cognitive bind. If they acknowledge the failure of the strategy, then they would be forced to question their ideology. If questioning the ideology is unthinkable, then the only possible conclusion is that the strategy failed because it wasn’t executed sufficiently well. They respond by turning up the power, rather than by considering alternatives. (This is sometimes referred to as “escalation of failure”.)

Thank you, Steven, for putting it so succinctly.

Insanity has been described as “repeating the same behavior while expecting a different result.” Or, as I’ve described it, “That didn’t work, so we must try it again only harder!” This is otherwise known as cognitive dissonance, but Steven describes it perfectly in a paragraph.

You’d Think It Would Be Obvious…

VP nominee Rachel Lucas has this bit of advice for crime-beleaguered citizens of London.

I won’t spoil it – go read!

Payback is a Bitch, Isn’t It?

I mentioned this as an aside in a post on the status of another gun industry bankrupting lawsuit back at the end of June, but it’s starting to make more headlines now. Valor Corp., the distributor that orignially sold the Raven .25 caliber automatic pistol that 13 year-old Nathaniel Brazill stole from a neighbor and used to shoot teacher Barry Grunow is now suing Grunow’s wife for recovery of legal fees after the jury finding of 5% liability was thrown out on appeal.

Ms. Grunow sued the legal owner of the gun for the previous EIGHT YEARS, the pawnshop that sold the gun 13 YEARS BEFORE THE CRIME, Valor – the distributor that sold the gun originally, and the school system. (Edited to add: The gun was the same age as the shooter. Kinda makes you wonder which was the “defective product” doesn’t it?) She settled out of court with the gun’s legal owner for $300,000, with the pawn shop for $275,000, and with the school system for $245,000. Valor was originally slapped with a $1.2 million judgement. She refused an offer from Valor to settle for $200,000, so they decided to countersue after the judgement was thrown out and Ms. Grunow appealed.

Good for them.

The widow claims that the estate has no money, and that she’s afraid she’ll lose her house. So, what happened to the $820,000 in settlement money?

My guess is that Bob Montgomery (who prior to this headed the Florida lawsuit that resulted in a $13 billion settlement against the tobacco companies) took most if not all of it in expen$e$ and court co$t$. I would be quite curious as to how much money the widow actually ended up with, and how much now lines Mr. Montgomery’s pockets.

Not that he needs it.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the widow actually still owes money to the lawyers for costs and expenses. Those “contingency” based lawsuits often don’t include costs and expenses. If you win the lawyer gets a percentage plus those costs. If you lose, you still owe.

Fairly complete coverage of the story can be found here. (“Fairly” as it relates to “complete” – the coverage is hardly “fair.” But I loved it when one article refers to the VPC as the “Violence Poverty Center.” Would that it were true, but the VPC seems well-funded.)

The Strategy is Working

According to this report, anyway.

Shootout in Saudi Arabia Kills Eight

Six suspected militants were killed Monday in a firefight with Saudi police, who raided a farm where they were hiding out. Two police also were killed.

The shootout, which came amid an anti-terror crackdown in the kingdom, took place in al-Qassim, 220 miles north of the capital, Riyadh, state-run TV quoted a Ministry of Interior statement as saying.

The firefight came after the suspects, armed with guns and hand grenades, refused an order to surrender by police surrounding the farm, the statement said.

One militant and eight police were injured, and four people were arrested for harboring the suspects.

Saudi Arabia has launched a series of terror raids after May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh killed 25 people and nine attackers. More than 200 suspects have been reported arrested and more than a dozen killed in almost weekly raids on alleged terror cells throughout the kingdom.

And why did the terror raids occur in Riyadh? BECAUSE SAUDI ARABIA ASSISTED IN THE INVASION OF IRAQ.

The raids also followed repeated calls from the U.S. government for Saudi Arabia to do more to curb Islamic militancy after Sept. 11. Of the 19 hijackers in the attack, 15 were Saudi.

For some reason, a lot of people tend to ignore that fact.

One raid, announced last week, yielded the arrests of 16 suspects linked to al-Qaida _ the terror network blamed for the Riyadh bombings and the Sept. 11 attacks _ and the seizure of a buried arsenal that included 20 tons of bomb-making chemicals, (!) detonators, rocket-propelled grenades and rifles.

A U.S. Congress report on Sept. 11 released last week accused Saudi Arabia of not doing enough to counter terrorism.

Gee, ya THINK?

The unclassified version of the report also said that one suspected organizer still at large paid many of the expenses of two Sept. 11 hijackers and “had access to seemingly unlimited funding from Saudi Arabia.” It did not say if Saudi government funds were involved.

Saudi officials have rejected those conclusions.

I’m shocked, I tell you! SHOCKED!

“We are confident about ourselves and it is just a matter of mere talk,” Defense Minister Prince Sultan was quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency as saying Sunday night. “The American administration under the leadership of Bush has declared officially that the kingdom is not a party in these issues.”

Osama bin Laden, head of the al-Qaida terrorist network, was born in Saudi Arabia to a prominent family. He turned against the Saudi government after it allowed the United States to station troops and equipment here during the 1991 Gulf War. The Saudi government revoked his citizenship.

It IS working!

More on the Dime’s Worth of Difference

And why Glenn Reynolds and Rachel Lucas should be elected in 2008!

Kevin Tuma’s take:

A picture worth a trillion dollars…

THIS is the Funniest Thing I’ve Seen in a While

Link via Common Sense and Wonder – The Difference Between Italy and the EU, a short film.

My wife, who has worked with all manner of Europeans, says it’s bang-on accurate.

Glenn Reynolds for President!

NOTE: THIS POST IS UPDATED CONSTANTLY! (Nominees are now listed here.)

And Rachel Lucas for VP!

Jeff at Alphecca states the case plainly:

I mentioned that both the Democrats and the Republicans suck and we need something, someone in-between — a libertarian — to promote for president.

—

Anyway, in my previous post I speculated (fantasized) that in two or three election cycles (say, 2008 or 2012) we in the blogosphere could promote and get elected a true small “L” libertarian candidate for president. It would help if some in our sphere of friends got elected to Congress.

—

I was thinking about who I would like to see in the White House in 2008 or 2012. Who meets these requirements? And my thoughts keep coming back to my blogfather Glenn Reynolds for President and for Vice-President I could suggest (grooming her for eight years hence) Rachel Lucas. Folks, we have plenty of years of preparation for this and I really think we can do it. Of course, I also believe I will win the PowerBall lottery tomorrow…

I’ve said for a long time that the only way to get really good people into office anymore is to draft them.

“Greetings! For the next (2, 4, 6) years you will be serving as (Representative, President, Senator). Please report to the Public Office Registration Center by 12:00 on such-and-such date.”

And anybody who actually wants to run for office above City Mayor should be immediately disqualified for mental reasons – they’re either power-hungry or just plain nuts.

But that’ll never happen, so what we have to do is draft the candidates and run a grass-root blogosphere-based campaign.

And hack the vote counting machines.

Great idea, Jeff! I can see the cabinet now!

Eugene Volokh for Attorney General!

Kim du Toit for Secretary of Defense!

Bill Whittle for any damned position he wants!

Who can name the other cabinet candidates?

Poster art! We need poster art! Where’s Cox & Forkum when you need them?

Let’s get this thing rolling!

(You don’t think the puppy-in-a-blender thing will come up during the campaign, do you?)

Update: Triticale recommends

Jane Galt for Commerce

Joanne Jacobs for H.E.W. (I confess, I’m unfamiliar with Ms. Jacobs. Link?)

Emperor Misha I for Homeland Security.

Let’s hear some more!

UPDATED: 10:21PM

Here’s some more recommendations. I WANT FEEDBACK, DAMMIT!

Cabinet:

Agriculture ?

Interior ? Can’t we combine Interior and Homeland Security? Call it “Interior Security” or just plain “National Security”?

Commerce Jane Galt (Don’t know her well enough, myself, but she comes with a recommendation.)

Justice Eugene Volokh

Defense WAR! Donald Sensing – Brilliant, retired marine ARMY (mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!), and a man of the cloth too!

Labor ?

Education Mrs. du Toit – Connie knows education.

State Steven Den Beste – he’ll reason our enemies into insanity! And outthink them at the same time! And clear out the halls of the State Department in favor of people who THINK!

Homeland Security Toss up: Emperor Misha or Kim du Toit – nobody should be able to do it better than a naturalized citizen!

Energy Laurence Simon of Amish Tech Support has been recommended.

Transportation ?

Treasury Mindles H. Dreck from Asymmetrical Information has been nominated.

Health & Human Services Two nominations: Joanne Jacobs and James Lileks. I go for Lileks. If he can manage home and Gnat, its good enough for me!

Housing & Urban Development Can’t we scrap this one?

Veteran’s Affairs Roll this into WAR!

Environmental Protection Agency Scrap this one too.

Office of Management & Budget ? I think Den Beste and Sensing and two or three others ought to combine on this one.

Chief of Staff BILL WHITTLE! (Or maybe just make him head speechwriter?)

Office of Drug Control Policy Another one to scrap.

U.S. Trade Representative ?

Ambassador to the UN The ambassador to the what?

UPDATE! 7/26/03 10:00AM

Jeff at Alphecca recommends Bill Quick of DailyPundit for Press Secretary, and has come up with a campaign slogan already:

ELECT THE GREAT IN 2008!

Scott Ott of Scrappleface has been recommended for Press Secretary, but really, we want to tell the world the truth (only as much as they need to know.) Scott wouldn’t be that different from the various previous Press Secretaries, only more blatant. (But it would be fun!) And Bill Quick gets a nomination for the (useless) position of Ambassador to the UN. I think I’d leave him as Press Secretary.

I’m going to have to build a spreadsheet, aren’t I?

I’ve got one of my own to recommend (a new advisory position?): National Technology Advisor – Eric S. Raymond of Armed and Dangerous.

OK, NOW we’re getting Ambassadorial nominations! Such as Frank J. as Ambassador to France! (Bejus, I LOVE IT!)

Keep ’em coming! This is too good!

As an adjunct to this, one respondent informs me:

I’ve heard Glenn Reynolds has a place in Tahoe. Why not give him a warm up for the White House by electing him Governor of California this October 7?

I’m not sure I’d wish that job on ANYONE.

Fred Pruit of Rantburg has been nominated CIA/NSA director.

Keep ’em coming!

UPDATE: 11:00PM 7/26

I’ve got an IHMSA match to run tomorrow morning, early, but tomorrow afternoon I’ll try to get a comprehensive list of the nominees for each position. And I’ll even include the (immediately disqualified) volunteers. Such as Bill Hobbs who is vying for Press Secretary, too.

UPDATE! @2:15PM I finally got the table of candidates up. Some formatting problems I can’t figure out, but the data is right. WooHoo!