My friend Shauna just sent this to me, and I thought y’all might like
it.
-nic

from salon.com
New rule
You can’t be a Washington outsider if you’re already president.

– – – – – – – – – – – –
By Bill Maher

March 13, 2004 | Hearing President Bush these days constantly complain
about “the politicians” and John Kerry being part of a “Washington
mind-set,” and saying things like “I got news for the Washington crowd” is
like hearing Courtney Love bitch about junkies.

“Washington insider” is by definition a function of one’s proximity to the
president. That’s you, Mr. Bush. You’re ground zero. Ever wonder, sir, why
everyone stands and they play music when you enter a room? When you’re given
check-writing privileges by the Federal Reserve, you just might be a
Washington insider.

Lemme try to explain it to you in a different way: You’re not “Mr. Smith
goes to Washington” — you’re the Washington part. We need a Mr. Smith to
mess with you. You’re not on a mission you reluctantly accepted, like the
old farts in “Space Cowboys.” You campaigned for this job, and now you’re
doing it again.

And having been the Grand Poobah for three years, it’s a little late to be
selling yourself as some fish-out-of-water cowboy visiting the big city on
assignment. You’re not McCloud, you’re the grandson of a senator and the son
of a president and CIA director. For 15 of the last 22 years you’ve had a
key to the White House. The last thing that happened in Washington without
the Bushes getting a piece of it was Marion Barry’s crack habit. “The
Exorcist” happened in Georgetown, but Satan had to run it by Jim Baker
first.

So knock off the regular-guy act — and by the way, that also goes for John
Forbes Kerry, the other white meat. Two Skull and Bones preppies, these guys
are, from Nantucket and Kennebunkport, who use the word “summer” as a verb
and probably had monogrammed beer bongs in college.

Please, John Kerry: Stop rolling up your sleeves at campaign rallies like
you’re about to man a register at Costco. You’re a Boston Brahmin who
married not one but two eccentric heiresses — you’re not Joe Sixpack,
you’re Claus von Bulow. I think your current wife is great, but hello, she
inherited the Heinz fortune! She’s the ketchup lady! — which explains why
sometimes he’s gotta smack her on the bottom to get her to come.

Look, fellas, we’ve got almost eight months till the election. That’s a long
time to hold in your gut. To pretend you’re something you’re not. Let’s just
be real and admit that finally, and unfortunately, true class warfare has
come to America.

Yale class of ’66 vs. Yale class of ’68.

Just a few things to think about today:

Chris Patten, the last British Governor of Hong Kong, and current European Union External Affairs Commissioner, recently appeared on Charlie Rose (March 4, 2004). Among his insightful comments:

We do fairly well when we wage wars against proper nouns – countries, alliances. Any war against a collective noun such as “terrorism” or “drugs” is a bit dodgy and unlikely to be won or lost in the classical sense.

A discussion board about his appearance on the show may be read here:
http://boards.charlierose.com/board/topic.asp?ti=6154

An interesting interview with Patten may be found here:
http://mathaba.net/news/print.shtml?cmd[40]=i-42-495ad5d77e996cc9824ae0363aab5bc3

He has a few things to say about the recent bloodletting at the BBC.

A similar point is made in the speech “TERRORISM AND THE RULE OF LAW” by Nicholas Cowdery AM QC (President, International Association of Prosecutors Director of Public Prosecutions, NSW, Australia) at the International Association of Prosecutors 8th Annual Conference
Washington, DC – 10-14 August 2003

Instead of following the criminal justice path, the war paradigm was invoked – the war on terrorism – and it has continued. It is, however, difficult to control and direct. As will be seen, it has enabled the rule of law to be bypassed in a number of respects. By definition, such a war may have no end and the measures introduced along the way may be with us forever.

Although war was declared on an abstract noun, real places and real people were attacked, including sovereign states. On the military front Afghanistan was overcome and a new government installed; Iraq was later invaded and occupied.

Where does the war against terrorism head next? What consequences is it having for the rule of law?

Oh that we had such critical thinkers presenting these this kind of analysis to American audiences.

Oh that we had American audiences that would listen if they did…

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On a slightly different topic, the NASA Spirit probe sent back a wonderful picture looking back towards Earth:
http://www.astrobio.net/news/article872.html

Just a bit humbling!

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Lastly, The Note, over at ABC News, brought an article from The Washington Post to my attention today:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58663-2004Mar14.html

In it, Dan Balz and Jim VandeiHei write:

Republicans express more optimism about their prospects in three other Midwestern states: Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, where they hope cultural issues will trump economic issues.

In Iowa, a year of Democratic campaigning has left Bush damaged. In Wisconsin, the Bush campaign is running ads from the southern reaches of Madison to the rural lakes and woods country of Rhinelander to undo the impact of job losses and the damage Bush
sustained during the Democratic primaries. But Republicans connected to the Bush campaign say all three could tilt to the president in the fall.

One can only guess what they mean by “cultural issues”… Does anyone still doubt that Bush endorsed the anti-marriage amendment as an election year ploy?

AJR 66, the Republican sponsored anti-marriage amendment to the
Wisconsin State Constitution is going to be put to a vote on Tuesday or
Wednesday in the State Senate.

Once again, I ask all of my friends to contact your state senator and
implore them to vote no on this important amendment!

Here are some links you can use to locate your senator’s phone number or
address, or send an email to them:

To make a phone call, look up his or her name and number here:
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/waml

Click here to send an automatic email (that you can personalize):
http://capwiz.com/federationlgbt/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=5302126

Thanks in advance for your help in this important matter!

Hey there – Nic writing! I realize that I seem to inundate my friends,
pretty much the same group of friends, with more or less politically
related messages from time to time.

Rather than continue to wade through my address book every time I send
one of these missives, I have taken it upon myself to create a mailing
list for the purpose. Hence this list, rant_at_postilion.org.

If you are receiving this message it means that you can blame me for
putting you on the list. You can remove yourself at any time by
following the instruction at the bottom of every message from the list
– as I fully expect half of you to by this time tomorrow (don’t worry I
won’t take it personally). If you have foolish friends who wish to be
added to the list, forward one of these messages to them, and they can
subscribe.

All replies to the list will go to me (which I guess I deserve).

So, now that that is out of the way, here are some interesting stories
you may have missed:

My friend Andy alerted me to these stories:

Kerry and the Electoral College…. looks pretty good at this point 🙂
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2004/03/projected_elect.html

Ivins: In Search of Adults
http://alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18037

Oh yes, and David Riemer, running to replace the republican troglodyte
currently running Milwaukee County, is having an art auction/fund
raiser Monday, March 8, at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design:
Frederick Layton Gallery
278 East Erie Street
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (auction 6:30)

Many fine artists and galleries have contributed works to this event.
Any contribution will be gleefully accepted. We will be there, we hope
that many of you can make it as well. Regime change begins at home,
and this year that means City and County as well as National.

Best regards,
-nic

Oh, and for those of you who haven’t read my Journal from Iowa (Dean
Campaign – Iowa Caucuses), or haven’t looked at it since it was
happening, I have fully edited and updated it with photos. You can
find it here:
http://politics.postilion.org/deanjournal.html

along with all of my other political rants at:
http://politics.postilion.org/