Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, announcing martial law
on November 3rd, today said he will end it on December 16th.
** QUICK HITS. The man on the move in the Republican presidential race, Mike Huckabee, campaigns for the next three days in New Hampshire. Now tied for the lead in Iowa, the former Arkansas governor goes next to the other early state that had been ceded to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Huckabee’s schedule is one of extensive retail campaigning. … Last night’s Republican debate on CNN was the most watched presidential primary debate ever on cable news. … Hillary Clinton, in California today, visited the Saddleback Christian church in Orange County for its annual AIDS summit, as Barack Obama did last year. She also picked up the endorsement of noted environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., son of the late New York senator. Which is interesting, given the rumor going around that Uncle Ted is going to endorse Obama. … California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who says he is now in charge of the campaign against the term limits revision initiative, told the San Diego Union Tribune editorial board today that he doesn’t know who the contributors are behind the $1.5 million from the DC-based US Term Limits outfit. The group refuses to divulge its contributors.
** ABC SAYS GIULIANI HAD NYPD PROVIDE TAXI SERVICE TO THEN GIRLFRIEND/FUTURE WIFE. This doesn’t look promising for the national Republican frontrunner. In addition to yesterday’s report that the cost of then New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s security services during his Hamptons visits to then girlfriend Judy Nathan were allocated to obscure city agencies such as the loft board, ABC reports that Giuliani had New York police officers ferry her around the city. I believe he was still married at the time.
It’s arguable to use public resources in this way for a spouse or other family member. This is much more problematic.
** MUSHARRAF SAYS HE’LL END PAKISTAN MARTIAL LAW, BUT MANY WILL BOYCOTT ELECTION. President Pervez Musharraf, no longer head of the army, has been sworn in as civilian president of Pakistan. He swiftly announced that he will end the effective state of martial law he imposed on November 3rd. On December 16th. Which is barely three weeks before the national election he reinstated for January 8th.
Not much time to campaign freely, assuming that could actually happen. So former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, returned from exile in a deal with Saudis, and an alliance of opposition parties say they will boycott the election. Sharif says he will meet with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, also returned from exile, whose short-lived alliance with Musharraf ended when he declared martial law and had her arrested. Bhutto and her party might participate in the election.
And a murky situation in America’s key frontline ally in the Terror War — which nonetheless allows the harboring of top Al Qaeda leaders — which stands also as the only Islamic nuclear power, has just gotten murkier.
** BIN LADEN WARNS EUROPE TO GET OUT OF AFGHANISTAN. In his latest tape, aired this morning on Al Jazeera, Osama bin Laden advises European countries to withdraw their forces on Afghanistan. Al Qaeda can probably make a lot of trouble for Western European countries. Too bad that, six years after 9/11, we still haven’t gotten Osama and other top Al Qaeda leaders.
** A POST-DEBATE TEMPEST. Well, since I wrote early this morning about the Republican presidential debate on CNN, CNN’s handling of things has become the latest cause celebre of the conservative blogosphere. Plug into Michelle Malkin’s site to feel the rage.
More Republicans noticed what I wrote about, that the videos selected by CNN producers reflected kind of a wacky party, and are complaining about it. But the big thing is about how a few more of the questioners, in addition to the minor Clinton campaign official I mentioned earlier, turn out to be Democrats. Another embarrassment for CNN after its embarrassing handling of the Democratic debate in Vegas.
The questions last night were mostly pretty generic. You’d think with 5000 YouTube video questions they could find people who wouldn’t be tracked down by avidly clicking blogospheric sleuths as Democrats to pose much the same question.
Mitt Romney talks in last night’s Republican debate about how he
used to be “pro-choice” on abortion and is now “pro-life.”
** REPUBLICANS DEBATE. In a race that has become less and less clearcut, one thing for sure emerged from last night’s Republican presidential debate in Florida. Anderson Cooper did a much better job as moderator than Wolf Blitzer did with the Democrats in Las Vegas.
Cooper, you see, for all his chronic twittiness as an anchor, actually allowed the candidates to debate (and to keep the flow going amidst the ensuing potential chaos). Which means to engage with one another, and not merely deliver bland, pre-programmed bitelets.
It was a night for Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney to continue what may be a fateful tango of hostility. And for Mike Huckabee to demonstrate exactly why he is the candidate of the political surge.
I think Romney and his handlers made a mistake. His biggest problem is Huckabee, who is in the process of hollowing out his candidacy. He’s doing that in two ways, by proving to have a powerful appeal as an authentic, not situational, social conservative. And by taking at least a share of the lead in Iowa, which had been ceded to Romney for months. If Romney loses Iowa, his entire strategic sequence is thoroughly disrupted. He doesn’t have the built-in national appeal of Giuliani, which may be the ex-New York mayor’s ultimate strength in the big state primaries down the line in the contest.
As many of you know, I love YouTube. But think the YouTube debates are pure gimmickry. From that standpoint, this one was less irritating than the first such, among the Democrats. But let’s face it. When you have 5000 YouTube video questions submitted by viewers — that’s more than the Democrats got — and there is no public vote on the questions to be asked, it’s entirely up to the producers what gets on the air.
So what got on the air managed to ignore mainstream issues like health care and the environment — not to mention any discussion of geostrategic issues beyond bumper sticker thought — while spending the first 35 minutes of the debate on illegal immigration.
Quite a few of the video questions selected positioned the Republican Party well to the right of mainstream America. Gun fetishists, Confederate flag enthusiasts, Biblical literalists, and so on. For the record, I’m a gun owner (unlike a couple of the Republicans on that stage), don’t have a Confederate flag (descended from pre-Civil War Virginians), and consider the Bible essentially allegorical.
Now, it may well be that that is a fair reflection of the party. Checking around the conservative blogosphere, I don’t see any complaints about the video selection subtly biasing a mainstream audience against their party. Instead, what complaints there were, and there weren’t many, centered on the latest CNN mistake of allowing a Clinton operative into its pool. In this case, a retired brigadier general from Santa Rosa, California — who identified himself as a Log Cabin Republican — complaining about the don’t ask/don’t tell policy on gays and lesbians in the military. Turns out he’s one of dozens of co-chairs of Veterans for Hillary.
** ONE POLL INDICATES HUCKABEE DEBATE VICTORY. This poll by Insider Advantage of Republican voters in Iowa and Florida shows a clearcut victory by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in last night’s Republican presidential debate in St. Petersburg, Florida.
** CALIFORNIA PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES AT THE END OF JANUARY. Although next month’s Democratic presidential debate on CBS has been cancelled due to the Writers Guild strike, there will be debates here prior to the early California presidential primary on February 5th. CNN is set to host Republican and Democratic debates on January 30th and January 31st.
** SCHWARZENEGGER SUB-PRIME MORTGAGE LIVE WEBCAST THIS MORNING. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who as widely reported in the press has worked with lenders to stabilize interest rates and prevent some future foreclosures, meets with business and local leaders in Riverside this morning and holds a press conference to discuss the crisis. The event will be webcast live at 9:40 AM.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel.
You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti.
While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND U.S. ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Crude oil prices have dropped again, now trading in a range of $91 to $93 per barrel. This is the third day of declines in the oil market. Saudi Arabia has increased its production to the highest level this year. Record oil prices have negatively impacted the US and global economies.
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Bill – National Review’s The Corner is probably the single most influential blog on the right, especially since it’s not a shill for one candidate in a crowded field. If it’s carried there, it will spread widely. And if it’s a truly big story broken by Powerline, Malkin, Hewitt, etc., it will make it onto The Corner.
BTW, a tree stump would be a much better debate moderator than Wolf Blitzer.
re: GCC Next week…Gulf Cooperation Coucil in Doha…has invited for the first time iran..Prez. Ahmadinejad is coming…on the agenda is violence in Iraq and Iran nuclear prgram…i said it before will say again…this is an important conference and so much for the right’s spin that Annapolis was an anti Iran stance by Arabs…
re: GCC Next week…Gulf Cooperation Coucil in Doha…has invited for the first time iran..Prez. Ahmadinejad is coming…on the agenda is violence in Iraq and Iran nuclear prgram…i said it before will say again…this is an important conference and so much for the right’s spin that Annapolis was an anti Iran stance by Arabs…
Well, let’s not forget that Iranian leaders were very angry that Syria and Saudia Arabia participated at Annapolis.
Thanks.
I thought Cooper did pretty well.
The only Fox personality who would do better moderating a debate is Brit Hume, who is quite good.
>NickM :
Bill – National Review’s The Corner is probably the single most influential blog on the right, especially since it’s not a shill for one candidate in a crowded field. If it’s carried there, it will spread widely. And if it’s a truly big story broken by Powerline, Malkin, Hewitt, etc., it will make it onto The Corner.
BTW, a tree stump would be a much better debate moderator than Wolf Blitzer.
Nov 29, 2007 01:03 PM
Huckabee did very well. His remarks not only worked as remarks, but scanned as prose. Which is not all that common, actually.
CNN really screwed up again!
>Brasky :
“POST-DEBATE TEMPEST”
I think the questions WERE goofy, but did any Republicans actually watch the Democratic Youtube debate? Youtube is a haven for nutjobs of all stripes.
I don’t think CNN had any active agenda in the production of the debate other than ratings. That said, the Clinton angle is going to be very hard for CNN to live down, especially after the Dem debate.
I read the Huckabee portions of the transcript on NYTIMES.com, which has it broken out by speaker (very slick). He came off VERY good. His interactions with Giuliani were good. He stood firm and didn’t waffle on the immigrant tuition questions. His Bible answer and WWJD answer were both good.
I can see why he polled so well after the debate.
It will be interesting to see how much Thompson support flows to Huckabee.
Nov 29, 2007 12:18 PM
Do the Saudis want to destabilize Musharraf?
>barbara :
I am looking at list of boycott leaders and parties…Bhutto is making a mistake if she does not join boycott.
Nov 29, 2007 12:09 PM
Putin….A gal pal riding partner in Russia sent me this video! I am glad you put it up! Gorbachev endorsed him and provides a interesting take on Putin’s popularity in todays London Times…
Putin….A gal pal riding partner in Russia sent me this video! I am glad you put it up! Gorbachev endorsed him and provides a interesting take on Putin’s popularity in todays London Times…
Putin….A gal pal riding partner in Russia sent me this video! I am glad you put it up! Gorbachev endorsed him and provides a interesting take on Putin’s popularity in todays London Times…
To avoid further confusion, Barbara is referring to a video that is not on today’s front page but will appear tomorrow in advance of the Russian elections Sunday.
I had to look at it on the front page — very briefly — because the site’s preview software isn’t working.
“Huckabee did very well. His remarks not only worked as remarks, but scanned as prose. Which is not all that common, actually.”
Ah, very true. Governor Davis comes to mind.
But Huckabee speaks like a Baptist minister – I figured if the words were right, the delivery would be too. Saw the WWJD clip on a Charleston political blog: A+.
“CNN really screwed up again!”
Seems like the end product was about as good as can be had with field as large as it is. I do think that the “Clinton issue”, while not affecting the outcome of the debate, will unnecessarily give something for the Right to focus on. If I was in the Huckabee campaign, I would be disappointed that this “B story” was deflating the “A story” of Huckabee doing so well. But maybe that’s why the “B story” is getting so much play…
Re: The yr question on Saudis. The answer is: no….but they are not going to sit back passively and let pakistan turn into present day Iraq….just as an fyi…negropnte met with Kiani more times on his visit than he did with musharraf..he did not say one word to Pakistan press about lawyers movement journalists students activists sitting in jails or under house arrest…US wants kiyani and bhutto to make a deal…kiyani may prove more independent than US is expecting…
Re: The yr question on Saudis. The answer is: no….but they are not going to sit back passively and let pakistan turn into present day Iraq….just as an fyi…negropnte met with Kiani more times on his visit than he did with musharraf..he did not say one word to Pakistan press about lawyers movement journalists students activists sitting in jails or under house arrest…US wants kiyani and bhutto to make a deal…kiyani may prove more independent than US is expecting…
On the Saudis ….that is my personal read … based on my own analysis and research including interaction with people who do have contacts and in depth knowledge of the region and its major players…
For any anglophiles out there who are bemoaning the demise of the Daily Show, you can listen to the weekly podcast of the Bugle (Times Online), featuring John Oliver. New episodes each Monday(ish).
http://tinyurl.com/3x54yc
I’m curious. So the folks at he corner think those “Nutjob” questions were from Dems to make the GOP look bad? So just what brilliant queries would Bill Buckley’s spawn like to have answered?
“So just what brilliant queries would Bill Buckley’s spawn like to have answered?”
How about, “Which do you like better, kittens or rainbows?”
“ABC SAYS GIULIANI HAD NYPD PROVIDE TAXI SERVICE TO THEN GIRLFRIEND/FUTURE WIFE.”
It’s clear that police protection was being given to his mistress (a BIG problem). Not clear if he had a hand in covering it up (an even BIGGER problem).
It’s like all the Republican frontrunners started leaking gas in the last laps. Meanwhile, Huckabee is running a lap behind, but looks strong.
This is fun!
“ABC SAYS GIULIANI HAD NYPD PROVIDE TAXI SERVICE TO THEN GIRLFRIEND/FUTURE WIFE.”
It’s clear that police protection was being given to his mistress (a BIG problem). Not clear if he had a hand in covering it up (an even BIGGER problem).
It’s like all the Republican frontrunners started leaking gas in the last laps. Meanwhile, Huckabee is running a lap behind, but looks strong.
This is fun!
Yep.
Incidentally, this term “mistress” gets bandied about a lot by people who may not know what it means.
A mistress is a girlfriend who receives financial support from a man to whom she is not married but with whom she is in a sexual relationship.
It’s really a term of art. I don’t know that Judy Nathan qualifies. Certainly not with yesterday’s revelation. But perhaps with today’s.
The questions from the hidden Democrats in the pool were mostly generic, I thought.
>richard locicero :
I’m curious. So the folks at he corner think those “Nutjob” questions were from Dems to make the GOP look bad? So just what brilliant queries would Bill Buckley’s spawn like to have answered?
Nov 29, 2007 03:44 PM
The new army chief of staff as the ex-intel chief and associate of civilian pols is a fascinating player in all this.
Musharraf’s credibility keeps declining.
>barbara :
Re: The yr question on Saudis. The answer is: no….but they are not going to sit back passively and let pakistan turn into present day Iraq….just as an fyi…negropnte met with Kiani more times on his visit than he did with musharraf..he did not say one word to Pakistan press about lawyers movement journalists students activists sitting in jails or under house arrest…US wants kiyani and bhutto to make a deal…kiyani may prove more independent than US is expecting…
Nov 29, 2007 02:16 PM
It seems Giuliani’s most recent problems are related to resources (hence “mistress”), not infidelity (“girlfriend”). Maybe taxpayer-subsidized affairs are a grey area?
BTW, this makes Giuliani’s attack on Romney on the hiring of illegals in the debate even more savory. Glass house, schmouse – throw those bricks Rudy!
kiyani has to hold army together . that’s an imperative. he is pro west and understands the threat of extemists but he understands what is doable and what is not doable …the US will have to respect and accept that…he inherited a set of generals from musharraf…lets see who stays and who goes…
kiyani has to hold army together . that’s an imperative. he is pro west and understands the threat of extemists but he understands what is doable and what is not doable …the US will have to respect and accept that…he inherited a set of generals from musharraf…lets see who stays and who goes…
Brasky :If Huckabee wins Iowa, I bet CADTS will buy an ad on Bill’s blog just to stick it to me…
Oh, and I don’t think Clinton would do very well against Huckabee in a 9 month election
Why Brasky…while Bradley is great, I can’t afford the ad so to speak. However, I believe that you owe me a burger….
Oh … and Huckabee would do a “Walter Mondale” on Hillary Clinton in a general election. Sorry, but she just couldn’t match up well.
Not just because she is Hillary but because this guy’s record as Governor in Arkansas (plus his folksy funny guy/musician routine) is pretty darn middle of the road. I was in Arkansas in 1996 when this guy left the Senate race to take over the Governor’s office — it was the smartest move he ever made.
The guy is unbelievably approachable to voters and a hell of alot smarter than the current village idiot occupying the White House. Thats why I felt the way I did several months ago … this guy’s persona is made for this stuff.
Ya know, its still a month out, anything can happen and I could still be very wrong. But, if he wins the primary sweepstakes, I honestly think that whether its HRC or anyone else, the Dems will have a hard time with him.
“However, I believe that you owe me a burger….”
I’m getting off cheap — I thought you’d ask for Celine Dion tickets at least.
CADTS – the thing I can’t believe is that Huckabee is moving up in the polls without any real campaign in places like SC. The guy has no ground operation there and no money. Yet he’s taking numbers from the front runners.
Iowa could domino Southern states for him.
Assuming he can get out of the primary (I’m still not convinved he can), Huckabee is the candidate I’d be most worried about most. Especially against Hillary.
I just finished watching Inherit The Wind.
Is America going to elect a president who doesn’t believe in evolution?
Spencer Tracy, btw, gets the kudos as the hero of the movie, but Frederic March delivers the best performance as the William Jennings Bryan character.
I just finished watching Inherit The Wind.
Is America going to elect a president who doesn’t believe in evolution?
Spencer Tracy, btw, gets the kudos as the hero of the movie, but Frederic March delivers the best performance as the William Jennings Bryan character.
“Spencer Tracy, btw, gets the kudos as the hero of the movie, but Frederic March delivers the best performance as the William Jennings Bryan character.”
I thought the same thing when I saw it again about a year ago. March played a sympathetic and tragic character. When I saw it as a kid, I didn’t appreciate that.
“Is America going to elect a president who doesn’t believe in evolution?”
Is that any more dangerous than not believing in global warming?
Ironically, of course, Huckabee does believe in the greenhouse effect.
But if you believe in creationism, you don’t believe in history.
March is a completely forgotten actor today, despite winning two Best Actor Oscars, but he was one of the greatest actors ever. On screen and stage.
He played the president in one of my all-time favorite movies, Seven Days In May.
Which, the first few times I saw it, I thought that Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas were the main characters.
March is a completely forgotten actor today, despite winning two Best Actor Oscars, but he was one of the greatest actors ever. On screen and stage.
He played the president in one of my all-time favorite movies, Seven Days In May.
Which, the first few times I saw it, I thought that Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas were the main characters.
he did not come off last night as anti science…he supported the space program …putting money into going to mars..in any event I have heard some Chritians say that there is not a conflict between creationists and evolutiontists…we probably have hadmore than one president who held that belief…we survived as a nation…
They are two antithetical belief systems.
We have certainly had presidents who believe in creationism. But not in the modern era.
Robert Kennedy Jr. is a very cool endorsement.
Brasky :
“Spencer Tracy, btw, gets the kudos as the hero of the movie, but Frederic March delivers the best performance as the William Jennings Bryan character.”
I thought the same thing when I saw it again about a year ago. March played a sympathetic and tragic character. When I saw it as a kid, I didn’t appreciate that.
——
Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle, I agree with both you and Senior Fellow Sir William about the flick.
I understand that is how you see it. again he did not come off as anti science. and I am looking at a site of mainstream Baptists which is promoting a book by Joan Roughgarden professor of biological sciences and geophysics at stanford univ who wrote a book advocating evolution and christian faith can be viewd as complementary….I think it is far more alarming that Rudy sought out the bigoted off balanced Pat Roberston as an endorser than a former minister believeing God created the world …of course I believe that too…Toodles!
I understand that is how you see it. again he did not come off as anti science. and I am looking at a site of mainstream Baptists which is promoting a book by Joan Roughgarden professor of biological sciences and geophysics at stanford univ who wrote a book advocating evolution and christian faith can be viewd as complementary….I think it is far more alarming that Rudy sought out the bigoted off balanced Pat Roberston as an endorser than a former minister believeing God created the world …of course I believe that too…Toodles!
It’s not how I “see it.”
Barbara, I am alarmed that Rudy has surrounded himself with neocons etc. as advisors thanks to his buddy Bill Simon. Bush redux, no thank you! And the Pat Roberston endorsement convinced me that he is the one Rep I am opposed to.
well I see them as complimentary. I am modern intelligent discerning well educated sophisticated well traveled individual who will have no problem voting for huckabee if hilbill is the dem candidate. I also happen to be adorable and it has to be true because that is what everyone tells me! Toodles!
And humanity sprang into being 6000 years ago.
I agree with you dana. can’t wait for the Golden Compass.!.love the books of philip pullman..oh it is the same nonsense that surrounded Harry Potter from some christians …however even aetheists are complaining about the film! I have heard Pullman lecture in England ..he is one of the most creative people on earth. the film looks stunning !
I agree with you dana. can’t wait for the Golden Compass.!.love the books of philip pullman..oh it is the same nonsense that surrounded Harry Potter from some christians …however even aetheists are complaining about the film! I have heard Pullman lecture in England ..he is one of the most creative people on earth. the film looks stunning !
mr bradley creationism runs thu both eastern and western religions and it covers a broad range of beliefs and interpretations…who knows what huckabee believes exactly …my sense is from last night he won’t hesitate to provide a lucid understanding of what he believes if asked to elaborate. this is a man who is very uncomfortable in his skin and in his head and in his heart. Toodles salaam shalom