Gone fishin'

EDITOR'S NOTE: There is ONE new post from me below that I added after the original Gone Fishin' notice.

The man:



The mission:

I will be away from my duties here until Monday as I am off after the mighty chinook salmon, the tasty coho and the elusive brown trout (and a weekend of debauchery!)

Back on Monday with fish stories.

Media shilling for Bush

I have often pointed out the foibles and foolishness of Mark Silva, a shameless apologist for the Bush administration. Silva, a a "reporter" for the Chicago Tribune, gushes like a breathless correspondent for Tiger Beat over his hero's dramatic "overture" to Iran:

The Bush administration, signaling a willingness Wednesday to open direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program, is embracing a sharp change of course that reflects a more pragmatic approach to one of the world's most intractable conflicts and may ease upward pressure on international oil prices.

Wow, a "sharp change," pragmatism and lower gas prices? Hurray for George!

But let's all wait a minute. First of all, this situation is only "one of the world's most intractable conflicts " because of the ineptitude, stupidity and arrogance of the current administration. And how about "pragmatism?" How pragmatic is it when you offer to negotiate if IN ADVANCE the other side AGREES TO ALL YOUR DEMANDS? That is some negotiating tactic.

My favorite point in the piece is Silva's reference to the letter from the Iranian president as "rambling." Apparently he missed this bit of brilliant elocution from his hero:

Tribal sovereignty means that, it's sovereign. You're a -- you're a -- you have been given sovereignty and you're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore, the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities. Now, the federal government has got a responsibility on matters like education and security to help. And health care. And it's a solemn duty. From this perspective, we must continue to uphold that duty. I think that one of the most promising areas of all is to help with economic development, and that means helping people understand what it means to start a business. That's why the Small Business Administration has increased loans. It means, obviously, encouraging capital flows, but none of that will happen unless the education systems flourish and are strong. That's why I told you, we spent $1.1 billion in reconstruction of Native American schools.

THAT was inspiring, concise and to the point, not one ramble there!

Rarely do I agree with the president of Iran, but this "overture" was merely shallow propaganda, and Mark Silva is the perfect shallow propagandist for the job.

Chuckles the Clown

Charles Krauthammer is a miserable little man who should be ranting on a street corner rather than wasting ink and newsprint in the Washington Post. Recently, he gave us this gem:

Pushing Washington to abandon the multilateral process and enter negotiations alone is more than rank hypocrisy. It is a pernicious folly. It would short-circuit the process that, after years of dithering, is about to yield its first fruits: sanctions that Tehran fears. It would undo the allied consensus, produce endless new delays and give Iran more time to reach the point of no return, after which its nuclear status would be a fait accompli.

Chuck has always been of the "bomb anyone who thinks bad thoughts about Israel first, ask questions later" school, and making logical connections between his scattershot observations has never been his strong suit. This one, though, is priceless. What "process" is Chucky referring to? The "process" of having international inspectors and Security Council consideration and then having us say, "**** it, we're invading anyway?" The process of sending someone with a deep and abiding respect for diplomacy to represent us at the U.N., like John Bolton?

There is a country in this equation that has marginalized, triviliazed and shown nothing but contempt for international diplomacy, and it is NOT Iran. Why should Iran waste its time negotiating with our proxies if the United States holds the final and absolute veto, Chuck? Why indeed?

Happy Memorial Day!

I have heard many people object to GWB laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, given his disgraceful military record. However, I think it is perfectly logical for him to do, because when he was a soldier--no one knew him!

Happy Memorial Day to all (and a happy 24th wedding anniversary to me!)