Why They Won't Follow Us Here

Fred Kaplan at Slate explains (again, i think) why Bush's argument is complete fear-mongering bullshit. Around 2004, Bush argued that we were fighting the terrorists over there so we don't have to fight them here. In 2006, he cranked-up the language and said that if we withdraw from Iraq, the enemy will "follow us home."

Now Kaplan blows that argument to smithereens. And questions Bush's odd history lessons, as I did yesterday:

war stories
Hyping al-Qaida
Bush bungles a press conference.
By Fred Kaplan
Posted Thursday, May 24, 2007, at 6:21 PM ET

If you tuned in at the end of George W. Bush's press conference Thursday morning, just in time to watch him defend the immigration bill, you caught a glimpse of the leader he might have been, the "compassionate conservative" of the 2000 Republican Convention—impassioned, inclusive, empathetic, yet practical.

If you sat through the rest of the conference, which dealt mainly with the war in Iraq, you saw the bedraggled president he has become—defensive, doctrinaire, scattershot, and either deceptive or delusional.

Iraq has dominated his agenda for four years now, yet he still sees the conflict through a prism rife with cliché.

The topper, which he has recited several times before, is that if we fail in Iraq, the terrorists will follow us home. He uttered a few variations of the line this morning: "If we were to fail, they'd come and get us. … If we let up, we'll be attacked. … It's better to fight them there than here."

Clearly, this is nonsense, on three levels.

First, the vast majority of the insurgents have nothing to do with al-Qaida or its ideology. They're combatants in a sectarian conflict for power in Iraq, and they have neither the means nor the desire to threaten North America.

Second, to the extent that the true global terrorists could attack us at home, they could do so whether or not U.S. troops stay or win in Iraq. The one issue has nothing to do with the other.

Third, what kind of thing is this to say in front of the allies? If our main goal in bombing, strafing, and stomping through Iraq is to make sure we don't have to do so on our own territory, will any needy nation ever again seek our aid and cover? Or will they seek out a less blatantly selfish protector?

At today's press conference, President Bush tagged on a sort of addendum to this cliché, one that I hadn't heard him utter before. Asked about reports that the U.S. presence in Iraq has in fact strengthened al-Qaida, he replied, "Al-Qaida is going to fight us wherever we are," adding, "The fundamental question is, 'Will we fight them?' "

The dissonances here are a bit subtler, but again three things stick out.

First, it isn't true. U.S. troops are deployed, to varying degrees, all over the world; al-Qaida is fighting us in only a couple of places and, even there, hardly as the dominant force.

Second, by making such remarks, the president is only hyping al-Qaida's power. What a great recruitment slogan: "Al-Qaida—fighting wherever the Americans are!"

Third, if the claim is true, why doesn't Bush play strategic jujitsu? He should amass a lot of troops someplace where we have a great advantage, lure al-Qaida to come fight us, then spring the trap and crush them. Clearly, Iraq isn't that place.

It's also time to reassess what has been the Bush administration's strongest argument for staying the course—that if we fail in Iraq, "al-Qaida will be emboldened." The argument may be true. Then again, if we keep fighting to no avail in Iraq, al-Qaida might be emboldened as well—and, the longer this futile fight goes on, and the longer they can portray us as infidel occupiers, the more resentful warriors they can rally to their cause.

By exaggerating both al-Qaida's significance and its omnipresence generally, President Bush is only helping fulfill his direst fears.

At the start of a fight, there's some strategic sense in hyping the consequences of defeat: It galvanizes the troops, builds popular support, and discourages political critics from even talking about withdrawal.

However, if it becomes clear that victory (especially victory as it was originally defined) might be impossible, and if there's little a commander or leader can do to reverse the trend, it's strategically shrewd to start lowering the stakes. In this case, the president, in his rhetoric, should start downplaying the role of al-Qaida. And he should start revving up the diplomatic machinery, so that when we do withdraw (or scale back), the move can be presented in the context of some regional security arrangement—in other words, to make it look as little as possible like a rout.

Some of President Bush's remarks this morning were not so much wrong or right as simply odd. For instance, in recounting America's view of the world before 9/11, he said:

The Middle East looked nice and cozy for a while. Everything looked fine on the surface, but beneath the surface, there was a lot of resentment, there was a lot of frustration, such that 19 kids got on airplanes and killed 3,000 Americans. It's in the long-term interest of this country to address the root causes of these extremists and radicals...

Where to begin?

First, complacent as many Americans may have been in those halcyon years between the Berlin Wall's crumbling and the Twin Towers' toppling, nobody—least of all Bush's predecessors in the White House—mistook the Middle East for a "nice and cozy" place.

Second, Bush is right about "the root causes" of extremism, but he has done virtually nothing to "address" them. This is one reason Lebanon is falling apart: Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas swiftly exploited the extremists' passions, while the United States (and the rest of the Western world) did absolutely nothing to co-opt or counter them and only slightly more to bolster the Lebanese government's power and appeal.

Bush still seems to think that democracy is the answer to all problems and that elections are the essence of democracy. Once more, he touted the 12 million Iraqis who turned out at the polls—ignoring how the pattern of their voting only hardened the country's sectarian divisions. "Democracy," he said, "has proven to help change parts of the world from cauldrons of frustration to areas of hope." True, but in places that lack democratic institutions, it has often had the reverse effect. Hezbollah became a major political party in Lebanon, Islamist militia leaders gained a foothold in the government in Iraq, Hamas came to power in the Palestinian territories—all through democratic elections that the Bush administration encouraged.

Again, does he believe all this, or does he just think he needs to keep up an encouraging face? Has he learned anything the past four years, and if he has, what will he do the next year and a half? Is he looking to solve the crises in Iraq, or is he just running out the clock so that his successor has to make the tough decisions?

Fred Kaplan writes the "War Stories" column for Slate. He can be reached at war_stories@hotmail.com.

Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2166974/
Copyright 2007 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC

Bush: bin Laden is Hiding! Breaking News!

Excuse me while I vent. But this statement from our president had me seething with furious anger.

Bush: Bin Laden isolated, not leading parades
Thu May 24, 2007 2:10PM EDT
By Tabassum Zakaria, REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who has eluded a U.S. manhunt, is plotting against the United States but has been isolated and driven into hiding, President George W. Bush said on Thursday.


This is a history lesson for those who are not caught-up, right?

"He's not out there traipsing around. He's not leading many parades," Bush told a news conference after being asked why bin Laden had not been caught. "He's not out feeding the hungry.


He's only had time to lead a couple of parades since 9/11. But he's not regularly playing in meadows with sheep and children (although he looks kind enough to do so, right? That is his evil charm.) He's not sunbathing and surfing at the beach. He's not waiting in line at Jamba Juice or WholeFoods. He's not engaging in online dating. OK. We get it!!

He's isolated, trying to kill people to achieve his objective."


But not personally. bin Laden is a financier of terrorist attacks. The plan for 9/11 wasn't even his idea. But he put up the $300K in cash. Moot point.

Bush, who declared after the September 11 2001 attacks that he wanted bin Laden captured dead or alive, pledged that the hunt would go on.


Just not under the direction of US Forces. We're letting our "allies" in Pakistan "search" for him. That's a euphemism meaning the Pakistani military dictatorship isn't doing jack shit.

Security officials believe that bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri are hiding in the mountainous region along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"He is in a remote region of the world. If I knew precisely where he is, we would take the appropriate action to bring him to justice," Bush said.


You and the CIA know god dammed well where he is. Not the exact location. But you know the general area. You damn well know. Northern Pakistan, along a 200-mile stretch of border with Afghanistan. If we had satellites that work and special forces on the ground, we could find him in a few months. But we choose not to.

"He is attempting to establish a base of operations in Iraq," he said. So far bin Laden had not succeeded in establishing a cell there and "that's why we've got to stay engaged," Bush said.


bin Laden is a nihilist. Building bases or nations is not his thing. And he wouldn't want to set-up terrorist camps in Iraq now - not with the largest US embassy ever built on the Tigris, and the country tearing itself into three states. However, bin Laden will encourage terrorism in Iraq so long as we are there. That might be a reason we should NOT stay engaged.

""Had he been able to establish an internal cell that had safe haven, we would be a lot more in danger today than we are," he said.


We wouldn't be more vulnerable than we already are today. bin Laden does not need a base in Iraq in order to arrange an attack on US soil, and Bush knows that too.

Bush has repeatedly warned that U.S. troops must stay in Iraq until it is secure and that al Qaeda must be defeated overseas or it will again launch attacks on U.S. soil.

Bin Laden and Zawahri have issued taped messages over the years showing they are still alive despite efforts by U.S. forces to find them.

Democrats, who have gained a more forceful voice since winning a majority in Congress in last year's elections, criticize Bush for the Iraq war, saying it diverted resources from pursuing the al Qaeda leaders.

In trying to make a case for sending more troops to Iraq despite the increasing unpopularity of the war among the American public, Bush insists that al Qaeda and insurgents must be defeated there or they will "follow us" to the United States.


Again, I ask: How? With what vehicles? With what passports? Does he mean customs would actually let them in if they arrived at JFK? I thought we fixed that little problem? We didn't? Our borders are wide-the-fuck open?

"I would hope our world hadn't become so cynical that they don't take the threats of al Qaeda seriously. Because they're real," Bush said.


They were real in 2001. Did the president suspend his Crawford vacation when he received word of the threat? Did he even read the August 6th PDB?

"He appeared to be referring in part to comments by Sen. John Edwards, a Democratic presidential hopeful, on Wednesday that Bush's declared "war on terror" was "a slogan designed only for politics."


And Edwards is correct. He grew balls. He's even leading Hillary in the Iowa polls.

"Trying to rally support for his Iraq policy, Bush used a speech at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday to detail continued efforts by bin Laden to attack on U.S. targets since September 11.


I refer you to my post from Tuesday. Whatever.

Monica Goodling Testifying Before the House Judiciary Committee


Monica Goodling is sitting before Conyers' committee right now. I hope to have a link to the transcript added to this post soon. She is young to be sure (seems younger than her age, which is also roughly mine), but is providing valuable information. She has essentially testified that the US Attorney termination list was the responsibility of AG Alberto Gonzales and DAG Paul J. McNulty. The much more interesting questions being asked now involve the intimate links between the Bush White House and the DOJ. Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island has uncovered that the Bush Administration has the most liaisons / direct contacts with the DOJ than any other administration since the DOJ's founding.

But I admire her honesty. In regards to her filtering-out of job applicants who seemed to be or were confirmed as Democrats, she said:

"I know I crossed the line...[of] Civil Service Laws."

Honesty is rare these days in the beltway.

UPDATES, Thursday May 24th, 08:00EDT

But the highlights of the day belong to Alabama Representative Artur Davis. It is he and California congressman Adam Schiff who introduced the House bill which authorizes a vote of No Confidence against AG Alberto Gonzales. Davis is Senate material and one damn good cross-examiner. He gets a cold beer for these two clips. He is the first lawmaker to get a witness to testify that Alberto Gonzales' testimony to Congress was not accurate (to put it lightly). Gonzales denied multiple times that he ever saw a draft of the USA termination list. But yesterday Goodling testified that he did. I think she was stunned by Davis' questioning. I suddenly love this guy. I never heard of him until this year, but he is in his third two-year term. He is currently the southernmost congressman to endorse Barak Obama for president.

I wonder if Goodling didn't immediately realize that she was testifying that her former boss lied to Congress.

When Davis said, "Let me help you a little bit with one other one," her reaction was an almost frightened whimper - "yeah." I wish this clip continued, because shortly after Davis got Goodling to confirm that Gonzales was present in the November 27th USA termination meeting (the meeting he repeatedly said he did not recall), Long Beach Republican congressman Dan Lungren threw a tantrum and tried to stop Davis' questioning. Goodling then asked to consult with her lawyer. After a brief recess, the committee voted 17-8 to allow Davis' questions to proceed. It was very entertaining stuff.

Here is a clip of Davis asking Goodling about her final conversation with Gonzales in March 2007. She was uncomfortable speaking to Gonzales because she knew she would be a factual witness in the investigation of the USA firings. I don't think her final conversation with Gozales broke any law.  However, I do think during that conversation, Goodling realized that Gonzales was hiding information from Congress, and that made her uncomfortable. She left her job ("took leave") four days after her conversation with Gonzales.

The laugh of the day goes to Iowa Republican congressman Steve King. Here he slaps critics of the evangelical Regent University (Goodling's alma mater), telling them that Harvard and Yale were also founded on Religious/Christian principles. So don't throw stones, heathens! I wonder how few Americans know who the Calvinists were. I appreciate him mentioning them. If his words inspire people to dig deeper, they will see that Harvard was not founded as an evangelical or religious institution, nor were the Calvinists anything like Pat Roberts.

Flashback time. Before I fled for vacation, Artur Davis grilled Alberto Gonzales for a good long time. Here's the full clip.

Adam Schiff was quite good in his first round of questioning. He had a single line of questions that successfully tied the termination reasons to the AG's own performance. Simply put, if the AG says that one or more USAs were fired for delegating too much and losing the confidence of his or her staff, shouldn't the AG be held to the same standard? Well done, Mr. Schiff.

Big thanks to NancyPelosi for uploading these C-SPAN videos.

Feeling Alright


Tuesday night. Red Sox 7, Yankees 3. Manny hit a 3-run homer to start things off in the top of the 1st. It was his 26th career home run at Yankee Stadium, which is extraordinary. And later, Julian Tavarez got the Sox out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 5th while only giving-up 1 run. And it was Julian's 34th birthday. It was a good night at the Crack House and the Red Sox briefly stretch their lead over the Yankees to 10 games in the loss column.

There's good feelings all-around in the Boston clubhouse. Manny has found a best friend in Julian. Josh Beckett might return to action next Tuesday. The Sox did not panic when they lost Monday night in the Bronx.

And Derek Jeter had nothing but compliments for Julian. He said, "He's never fun to face. Nothing he throws is straight. There's always so much movement on his ball." Jeter's the only classy Yankee. I'm surprised he spoke about Taverez the way he speaks about Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang.

The Yankees had a pitcher and slugger share hero duties on Monday night - Wang and Jason Giambi. But today, Giambi is back to being a villain. When this series is over, I'll post some NYC tabloid covers from my archives showing New York's love-hate relationship with Giambi.

And the most improved Red Sox player since last year, Kevin Youkilis, got two more hits last night. The guy is living proof that good things happen when you get into shape. I leave the details to the great Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe:


RED SOX 7, YANKEES 3

Buddy system for Sox

They pull it all together and push back Yankees

By Gordon Edes, Globe Staff | May 23, 2007

NEW YORK -- The other morning in the Red Sox clubhouse, Julian Tavarez was bouncing around in a "Manny Being Manny" T-shirt, the one that lists all of Ramírez's hitting feats. On his feet were a pair of new shower shoes featuring David Ortiz's smiling face on top.

"My best friend," Tavarez said, tugging at the T-shirt, then pointing at his shoes. "And my teammate."

Tavarez's buddy and his Big Papi both took care of the pitcher last night. Ramírez, who had gone the previous dozen games without a home run, sent a charge through the dugout when he connected for a three-run home run in the first inning. Ortiz, meanwhile, had three hits, scoring a run and knocking in another, as the Sox and Tavarez rolled over the Yankees, 7-3, before a crowd of 54,739 in a subdued Yankee Stadium.

"Good to see my man swinging the bat, so I won't have to be walking all the time," Ortiz said of Ramírez, whose seventh home run was the 26th of his career at Yankee Stadium, the most by any opposing player in the last 51 years. "Everybody's been swinging the bat pretty well, and having No. 24 doing it is a plus. I was going crazy, too. I said, 'At least I'm going to see some pitches tonight.' "

Kevin Youkilis had two more hits, scoring twice and driving in a run, to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, and Mike Lowell hit his ninth home run as the Sox had their way with Mike Mussina, who at 38 has been either hurt (hamstring) or horrid for most of the spring. The Sox, who restored their lead over the Yanks to 10 1/2 games in the American League East, scored seven runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings against Mussina, whose earned run average rocketed to 6.52 as his record fell to 2-3.

"This was a big win for us today, man," said closer Jonathan Papelbon, who walked the first two batters in the ninth before setting down Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon, and Derek Jeter, Cabrera and Jeter on strikes. "We had to go at them with everything we got to bring it back to 10 1/2 games.

"We've got the big dog, Schill, going for us tomorrow. Hopefully, he's on his game. He loves pitching in big situations, and tomorrow is a big situation for us. Hopefully, he's got his 'A' game."

Roger Clemens will be pitching tonight when the Sox and Yanks meet in the rubber game of this three-game set, but the Rocket will be pitching in Trenton against Boston's Double A affiliate, Portland, and the Sea Dogs' ace, Clay Buchholz. Clemens's pal, Andy Pettitte, will face the Sox and Curt Schilling.

"That's pretty cool," manager Terry Francona said of Buchholz's date with the future Hall of Famer. "I'm sure that will be a very exciting night for him. Knowing Clay the little that I do, he'll be excited but very respectful of the whole idea. I hope he pitches better, too."

Tavarez has been friends with Ramirez since Ramirez played winter ball in the Dominican Republic 16 years ago, and Ramirez has been particularly keen in reciprocating this spring. Tavarez has made eight starts for the Sox; Ramirez has hit home runs in three of them, and knocked in 10 runs.

His home run last night followed singles by Youkilis and Ortiz, and his joy was evident as he practically sprinted around the bases and into the waiting arms of Ortiz and Lowell, who later doubled in the first and homered to lead off the the fourth, making the score 4-0.

"Manny's three-run bomb, that cheered me up so much," Tavarez said. "That's my boy right there. Lead, 3-0, attack, attack, attack those hitters, and it worked out."

Ortiz said he wasn't surprised that Ramirez produces when Tavarez pitches. "They're like brothers, man," he said. But Tavarez, who celebrated his 34th birthday last night, laughed when Ortiz suggested the two are practically rooming together.

"That's a joke," Tavarez said. "Manny's got a suite. I don't even know his name in the hotel. Like I don't know a lot of guys. They all have nicknames."

Tavarez did not allow a hit until Hideki Matsui's one-out single in the fourth. Jorge Posada, the league's leading hitter, singled with two out, sending Matsui to third, and a wild pitch brought Matsui home with the Yankees' first run.
The Yankees scored again in the fifth on Robinson Cano's double, two walks, and a force play, but Tavarez broke Matsui's bat, shortstop Julio Lugo flipping the ball to second for an inning-ending force.

There was more prime pointing by Tavarez in the sixth, when he walked Alex Rodriguez but got a double-play ball out of Posada. His night was done, Francona turning to the lefties in his bullpen, Javier Lopez and Hideki Okajima, to maintain a lead that grew to 7-2 when the Sox scored three times in the seventh.

That new component in the Sox repertoire, speed, played its part in the rally. Coco Crisp, on board after forcing Jason Varitek, stole second with two outs, his ninth stolen base in 10 tries. He then scored on a single by Lugo, whose 18 RBIs this month lead the team. Youkilis followed with an RBI gap double into right-center, finishing Mussina, and Ortiz singled off reliever Mike Myers for the seventh run.

Lopez, who has been terrific since his recall from Pawtucket May 11 (six scoreless appearances out of seven), set down all four batters he faced, striking out Bobby Abreu and pinch hitter Josh Phelps, before turning the game over to Okajima.

The Japanese lefthander, unscored upon in his previous 20 outings, finally was touched for a run in a shaky eighth, ending his scoreless streak at 20 2/3 innings. He loaded the bases on a single by Jeter, a walk to Matsui, and a four-pitch walk to A-Rod. Posada brought home a run by just beating out a DP relay from Dustin Pedroia, who afterward expressed mild annoyance at an elbow he took from Rodriguez breaking up the play, and Okajima retired Abreu on another grounder to end the inning.

"He's been phenomenal," Francona said, "but he's not going to be perfect all year, and he kept the damage to a minimum.

"We talk about scoring first, and then try to add on, so you have enough of a lead that if someone is struggling a little bit or makes a mistake, it doesn't cost us a ballgame."

Papelbon, who has had just one save opportunity since May 6 and was appearing for only the fourth time since then, walked Jason Giambi and Cano before squelching any hopes of a Yankee comeback, Jeter looking at a fastball that caught the outside corner for the final out.

"For me, it's not getting a consistent amount of work and being put in certain situations I'm not necessarily used to," Papelbon said. "For me, my mind-set doesn't change. I go out there and try to fill the zone up. Tonight I got a little too giddy."

Giddy gave way to gravity, and now the big dog awaits.

© Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

Sox In New York: Lacking Fire This Season?

Is this a meaningless series, or could it be a turning point for the season? It is time for Red Sox fans to panic or can they put the champagne in the fridge? Is it time for Boston journalists to lament and speculate in their quest to analyze the best rivalry in the Majors? Yes to all the above, I guess.

I remember sportscasters lamenting about how the Sox and Yankees play 12 of their 19 scheduled games before the end of May. But if you are a Sox fan, aren't you glad the schedule is so unbalanced this season? Four of the six season series will be over and it isn't even summer yet.

Eric Wilbur, in Monday's Boston Globe, addresses the minority of fans who see gloom and doom in August and September:

The jugular is not in play.

Or, so I’ve been told by members of a Red Sox fan base that is increasingly panicky the more their team's AL East lead grows.

It’s not over. You sound foolish.

You’re gonna curse them.

Now I know who to blame.

It’s only May!!!!

It’s true. While the word, "over" never graced this space in reference to anything other than praying it would apply to the disaster that is Jack Bauer’s latest adventure, perhaps we were too bold about this whole AL East deal. After all, the Red Sox continue to just pad their divisional lead, which is now up to 10½ games, and the only thing many of their loyal fans can do is wonder when the roof will come caving in. The Yankees, meanwhile, have been reeling much of the season, but last night's win over the Mets must mean the start of a big-time run, right?

Remember what happened in 1978

Right. What does it say about the state of Red Sox fans that during this 30-13 start to kick off what’s turning out to be a most enjoyable 2007, 1978 is the year most referenced and not 2004? Not to ignore a keen appreciation of local baseball history, but, and I apologize if this is a news flash, history doesn't repeat itself. Unless, of course, you are either Josh or Dr. Sam Beckett.
Surely, there are plenty of Red Sox fans who are enjoying the moment, looking forward to the dog days of the season in lieu of dreading their arrival. Why shouldn't they? Their team is an MLB-best 30-13 with a three-game series against the Yankees on tap for this week in the Bronx. And despite the Chicken Little attitude that filters into the ol' Inbox on a daily basis, it’s nice to think these folks are the majority of a fan base drowning in positivity.

That’s not to encourage everyone to bury the competition. Teams can come back from deficits like the Yankees have put themselves in, for sure. But when one team looks this good, and the other so poor, the odds dwindle.

I like Eric Wilbur. He, Nick Cafardo, and Gordon Edes covered the 2004 team better than anyone in the Boston press. I saved dozens of their articles over the last few years. But I was a little disappointed to see him write an article that shed light on what has to be a minority of Red Sox fans (right?). But then he gets to his point, and it is a good one:

To put it succinctly, if the Yankees do indeed eventually take over Boston’s lead at some point this season, it will likely equal the greatest collapse by a team in Red Sox history, the aforementioned 1978 squad, which choked down the stretch and found themselves the butt of a Bucky Dent pop fly for years to come. For some, this expectation remains the norm, and not the exception, which is, frankly, ludicrous.

If the Yankees can magically fix their pitching ailments and turn the Red Sox into the 2006 injury-riddled version, then sure, they have as much of a chance as the Blue Jays at catching Boston. We are, after all, just past the quarter-mark of the season, and, as we’ve learned time and again, [insert length of baseball season cliché here].

Which is why this week’s series means much of nothing in the grand ol’ scheme of things. With a sweep, the Yankees can at least consider themselves within striking distance, and spark instant panic in the streets of the Back Bay. With a Boston sweep, the Yankees would be 13½ games off the lead, and would watch their AL East record seep to 3-14. [As of Tuesday May 22nd, it is 4-14 as the Yankees won on Monday.]

Those are as astounding numbers as any.. The Yankees have beaten the Red Sox [twice]. The Orioles, once. The Devil Rays, once. By contrast, the Red Sox are 14-5 against their divisional brethren, which is a big part of the reason they enjoy a double-digit lead.

When Roger Clemens announced he was rejoining the Yankees, Boston’s lead was 5½ games. The Red Sox have gone 10-3 since losing out on their former ace, but the tailspin has continued for the Bombers (5-8). Clemens wanted us to believe one stipulation for signing with New York -- as if $28 million prorated weren't enough -- was that Joe Torre would be in the dugout once he got there. Well, if Boston invades New York this week and continues its recent run, will that indeed be the case come Thursday?

But here comes Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald to repeat what the fools at YES and WCBS have been saying: that suddenly this fierce rivalry doesn't seem so fierce. In my opinion, that's a narrative used by the Yankees media. When they are in first, the Boston fans get upset and obsess about them, and the rivalry heats-up. Jason Varitek and Pedro Martinez start hunting for Yankees and start brawls. But when Boston is in first, the Yankees don't give two shits about the Red Sox. The rivalry doesn't matter when Boston is in first. I can't believe that. Tell that to the Bleacher Creatures at The Crack House this week.

Just not the same feeling: Sox-Yanks lacks pizzazz
By Steve Buckley
Boston Herald General Sports Columnist

Monday, May 21, 2007 - Update: 04:12 AM EST

...The Red Sox return to Yankee Stadium tonight to begin a three-game set against their historic and storied rivals, but, suddenly, it’s a series with all the magic of that pinch-me-I’m-dreaming Colorado Rockies-Kansas City Royals interleague showdown of this past weekend.

We’re grown accustomed to every Red Sox-Yankees game being riveting, stop-the-presses stuff. We assume the entire nation - the world, even - tunes in when these two go at it. It’s the Baseball Border War, with the whiz kids from ESPN and Fox being ever vigilant in their quest to make sure we see countless replays of Zimmer vs. Pedro, Fisk vs. Munson, A-Rod vs. Varitek, etc., as a setup to each game.

And then the voiceover guy says, “It’s the Red Sox. It’s the Yankees. When these two teams go at it . . . ”

Not this time. Not with the Red Sox, 6-3 winners over the Braves yesterday at Fenway Park [map], holding a double-digit lead over the rest of the pack in the American League East. Not with the Yankees so banged up that it’s just a matter of time before pitching coach Ron Guidry is asked if he can go an inning or two in middle relief.

But . . .

“We’ve got to focus on ourselves, and continue playing good baseball, no matter who we’re playing,” said captain Jason Varitek [stats]. “We’ve found ways to win, but we can’t control what happens outside of us. We just have to control ourselves.”

And . . .

“Distance doesn’t matter to me until we’re 10½ games ahead with 10 games left to play,” said Kevin Youkilis [stats], who went 3-for-3, including a home run, to raise his average to .340. “It’s still May. It’s a long season. We’ve got to play.”

OK. Fair enough, but is anybody, well, surprised that the Yankees are screaming, “Help! I’ve fallen! And I can’t get up!”

“Yeah, a little bit, to tell you the truth,” said infielder Alex Cora [stats]. “But I’m not surprised the way we’re playing baseball. I’ve been saying from the get-go, we’re a great baseball team. We’re a complete baseball team.”

Yes, the punditry business, too, is full of cautious hand-wringers who warn us that it’s early, that history has taught us that the Yankees have a way of getting hot right along with the summer weather. But that’s later on. This is now. And now - today, tomorrow, Wednesday - the Red Sox and Yankees are going to be engaging in a series that lacks its traditional testosterone.

To be sure, ESPN plans to televise two of the three games, but it won’t be the same.

This series needs some pop. Any chance the Yankees can void Jason Giambi’s contract while the Sox are in town? Can Roger Clemens make it back by Wednesday? Any new Joe Torre-gets-the-gate rumors?

It’s the Red Sox. It’s the Yankees.

And it’s missing the usual pizzazz.

Let's check the standings on Thursday morning.

Sox Going to the 161st Street Crack House

My buddy D'Sean calls Yankee Stadium the "161st Street Crack House." That's a jab at the Yankee spending habits, not an implication that it really is a drug den. They go through money like a coke fiend. They have spent hundreds of millions to maintain their domination of the AL East. But since 2001, they have spent big and have fallen down hard in the post-season.

This week presents a golden opportunity for the Red Sox to bring more pain to the Yankees in a season that is signalling their downfall. 2001 brought an end to the Yankee dynasty of 1996-2000. But the Yankees continued to rule the AL East through 2006. Now they are falling. It took a lot of used crack pipes to get them this low. The Red Sox need to show no mercy. Win two out of three, boys. Get it done. The Yankees are 10 games behind the Sox in the loss column. They could be 11 games back come Thursday morning.

Catching-up with TIVO

I'm Back from Vieques. Review of the island coming soon. It was awesome. I fried. It was 92 degrees every day. I got to see my girl in a bikini for 4 days straight. The people were friendly. The food was great. The beaches are diverse and among the best in the caribeaan. I got on a ferry at 3pm Friday afternoon, and arrived home in Manhattan at 01:40 Saturday morning. I'm still wired, so I caught-up with Bill Maher, and he rocked as his season nears its finale (which I think is May 25th).

Bill Maher, New Rules, May 11th 2007.

Bill Maher, New Rules, May 18th 2007.

Copyright 2007 Time Warner / HBO.

Going to Vieques - Returning May 19th


This tiny blog is just 2 months old, and I see the people in the US and Australia are actually visiting this space on a weekly basis, but I need to put it down for a while. I'm off to Vieques to walk white beaches, snorkel, swim in a bioluminescent bay, drive a jeep, hike in a wildlife reserve, sleep-in with my girl, and otherwise keep away from teh internets.

This blog was designed to be a place where me and my friends can share tidbits, rant, and write without having to send dozens of e-mails to each other. But I thank the other bloggers out there who have visited and have offered excellent advice and support. It's like a 21st Century version of a pirate radio station, this blog. It's tiny but occasionally entertaining.

This is my first time to Puerto Rico, and I'm glad I am heading off the beaten path and checking out one of the best kept secrets in the Caribbean. It doesn't have a nightlife like Nassau, or pubs like Antigua, but I still expect to enjoy it. I should be back posting Saturday May 19th. There will be baseball, Formula One racing, and politics to catch-up on. My lady will have TV season finales to watch. And I got this.

Hasta luego, amigos! Estaré detrás pronto.

Red Sox Sitting on Top of the World (This Month)

Superiority starting to add up in this division

By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff May 11, 2007

TORONTO -- Unless the Red Sox come home for a weekend nap, their next series, against Baltimore, should also be in their favor.

You have to wonder if it will be an entire season in their favor.

Too early to call the American League East race over? Too early to say this team could run away with it? After they won five of six against the Twins and Blue Jays, how far-fetched is it to say the Red Sox are well on their way to winning this in a landslide?

There is no competition. The Red Sox crushed Roy Halladay last night, 8-0, and he is one of the best pitchers in baseball.

The Blue Jays are hapless and hopeless, now 10 1/2 games out. And the Yankees were destroyed by the Rangers yesterday, 14-2. The Bombers are seven back, as are the Orioles.

The Red Sox are at the pinnacle of their game, and are at home against the Orioles, who have to take on the league's most dominant pitching staff. The odds are stacked in Boston's favor.

Boston's starting pitching is head and shoulders above every other team's in the division and better than any other rotation in the league right now. With Daisuke Matsuzaka getting straightened out Wednesday night (7 innings, 5 hits, 1 run) and Tim Wakefield pitching seven shutout innings last night, you know things are going the Red Sox' way.

"It's been fun to be a part of it, and fun to watch," pitching coach John Farrell said. "It beats taking a lot of walks to the mound. I'd rather be heard and not seen."

Some said the Red Sox don't need Roger Clemens, and they might be right. Maybe this team can win as constituted, partly because the division has so many flaws.
The Blue Jays have lost closer B.J. Ryan for the season and although they are a good hitting team, they need pitching. They were outscored, 26-5, in the three-game set against the Sox.

Clemens is returning to the Yankees in early June, likely against the Red Sox, but there's a killer instinct missing on that team. With a golden chance to sweep the Rangers with Chien-Ming Wang on the hill, they were blown out. Wang, who took a perfect game into the eighth inning against Seattle Saturday, allowed 11 hits and seven runs in 6 1/3 innings yesterday.

The Yankees' bullpen has yet to recover from its early-season problems, and closer Mariano Rivera has almost as many blown saves (two) as saves (three).

Injuries could knock the Sox' dreams from here to Mudville, but with five solid starters, Jon Lester in the wings, and Clay Buchholz not far off in Double A, it's a pretty good sign.

"Best team by far I've ever been on," said utilityman Eric Hinske. "Our pitching is fabulous. Every night out our starters keep us in games. It's a pleasure to be a part of it. I couldn't be happier. We're really on a roll right now and we've got to keep it up heading home."

What is the secret for a team that allowed 10 runs in 53 innings on a six-game road trip? A team that's allowed four or fewer runs in its last 15 road games and two or fewer in 12 of its 20 road games?

When you pitch and play that well on the road, and your forté is playing at Fenway Park, you are in the driver's seat.

"There's an inner competition that has developed among the starters here that's been fun to witness," Farrell said. "It's nothing that is spoken or that's even said in jest. It's just this feeling that the starter who's pitching the next game wants to be as good as the starter who pitched the last game. There's a responsibility each guy has every time he goes out there, that he wants to perform at a high level, do his part. It's very healthy."

Farrell believes the solidification of the bullpen, behind Jonathan Papelbon (10 saves) and Hideki Okajima, has fortified a unit that has been lights out. Farrell realizes Okajima has exceeded expectations and he credits bullpen coach Gary Tuck for having the relievers prepared. He credits Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli for knowing and sticking to the game plan. There seems to be a purpose for every pitch.
"We knew we had the potential to have one of the better starting rotations when we opened the season, but you have to go out there and execute and we have done that," Farrell said. "Our guys have been so confident when they take the mound, starting with Josh [Beckett] and Curt [Schilling], and you see Dice-K making all of his adjustments to get back to where he needed to be his last time out. Our guys work very hard for this."

Manager Terry Francona has been as relaxed as he has been in a long time.

"We really like our lineup, but it starts and ends with pitching," he said.
Francona also believes the team is playing well defensively. One thing he took from this road trip, which featured domed stadiums with artificial surfaces, is that the Red Sox no longer seem out of place.

"We have a little speed and we've been exposed defensively in the past. That didn't happen in Minnesota or Toronto and that helps," he said.
With the rotation, Francona said, "That gives you a chance to win every night. It takes the heat off the bullpen."

There is also the expectation that J.D. Drew (.257, 2 HRs) will hit and Julio Lugo (.227) will become more consistent on offense. The Dustin Pedroia-Alex Cora platoon at second is working well with both contributing at the plate. Mike Lowell (.303, 7 HRs) is off to an excellent start. David Ortiz (.310, 8 HRs) is hot. Manny Ramírez (2 for 4 last night, bumping his average to .250) is starting to get his swing back. Varitek (.272) has also found his stroke. Mirabelli made a game-changing play last night when, after Frank Thomas struck out with the bases loaded, he picked Troy Glaus off first base to end the first inning. That changed the complexion of Wakefield's outing.

This might be a team that can run away with it.

Talabani: Iraqi Military Will Stand-Up in 2 Years

That's what he said. He certainly means well. He's been an advocate of democracy in Iraq for 50 years. But since he is not a Sunni nor a Shia, I think he understands the probability that he and his fellow Kurds will not be able to stop the self-sustaining sectarian violence that has plagued Iraq since 2005. But his remarks support what we've heard from other Iraqi politicians over the years, that they do not want the US to leave anytime soon. Just today, the Iraqi parliament sent a lobbying delegation to Washington to ask Democrats not to pull the plug on the occupation.

But surely they and Talabani got the memo that the US is no longer trying to get the Iraqi forces to stand on their own? In fact the US long ago lowered its expectations of a united Iraqi republic in general. And the long-term US plan to have permanent bases in Iraq, in order to stay close to Iran and Syria is still on the books. In fact, the bases are still being built despite a recent law being passed which forbids them.

Pope Benedict XVI Tells Brazil's Youth to Abstain from Sex


Um....too late? Actually, it was never too late. Brazil and sex have gone together since the country was named. Soccer and auto racing soon followed.

I totally agree with his anti-violence message. Brazil's homicide rate and gang activity is quite high. That all traces back to its extreme inequality in wealth, not to mention corruption of all kinds.

Obviously what it means to be a catholic in the Americas has changed over the last 40 years, and the Vatican is having a hard time dealing with it. Hence, the defiance of Mexico City's local government in legalizing abortion, and the Pope's strong remarks that followed. It isn't the 16th Century anymore. The Vatican is not an empire to be obeyed.

I shudder to think what the HIV infection rate would be in Brazil if the government didn't hand out free condoms. It's too high as it is already.

Shorter Suzyn Waldman

____________________________________________________
‘Shorter’ concept created by Daniel Davies and perfected by Elton Beard.
____________________________________________________

We can count on Suzyn Waldman saying something ridiculous in every WCBS radio broadcast. She can mimic Michael Kay and say something like, "Only Derek Jeter could make that play," or she can say things are are pure Yankee wingnuttery.

Sunday May 6th brought us a classic Waldman moment:

"ROGER CLEMENS IS IN GEORGE'S BOX AND ROGER CLEMENS IS COMIN' BACK. OH MY GOOD--GOODNESS GRACIOUS! OF ALL THE DRAMATIC THINGS--OF ALL THE DRAMATIC THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN, ROGER CLEMENS STANDING RIGHT IN GEORGE STEINBRENNER'S BOX ANNOUNCING HE IS BACK! ROGER CLEMENS IS A NEW YORK YANKEE! AND THERE WE GO JOHN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHO'S GOING TO TAKE THAT SPOT IN THE ROTATION. YOU SHOULD SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE YANKEE DUGOUT! BIG GRIN ON JORGE POSADA'S FACE! ANDY PETITTE KNEW, BIG-SIZE ROGER CLEMENS IS NOW A YANKEE! ATTENTION FANS! HE IS HERE, AND NOW WE DON'T HAVE TO DISCUSS WHO TAKES THAT PLACE IN THE ROTATION."


Nope. No need to debate anything. Might as well put up the 2007 World Series championship banner now. Mission accomplished.

I will write more and more about this (and I hope others guest blog here as well on the topic - we need a mock transcript of John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman posted here for shits and giggles). But I will vent a little now.

Suzyn Waldman is part of the Yankee propaganda machine, which is the most shameless in all of North American sports (and if I have time to compile coverage of the India cricket team and maybe some South American football teams, it might prove to be the most shameless in the world). Waldman had the distinguished honor of being the on-field reporter for YES for several years, and she is currently the color commentator alongside John Sterling in the WCBS booth. The Sox have their own revenue-generating sports TV network, NESN. But as far as I know, it is not in-sync with their radio partner, WEEI. And while the Sox network is certainly friendly to the team, I have never heard a NESN commentator or anchor speak about the Red Sox as arrogant dominators of the league, or belittle or insult opponents or their fans. The New York Times Company, owners of the Times and the Boston Globe, do not participate in propaganda, even though the Globe does partner a bit with the Sox network.

The YES TV network (which Jim Caple calls Yank-Jazeera) and WCBS radio are totally in-sync. They share the same talking points, demonize opponents the same way, and spin Yankee bad news into good news. In some of their station IDs, both YES and WCBS repeat the Yankee mantra, "The New York Yankees...the most successful franchise in the history of sports." They painted Pedro Martinez as a hoodlum for hitting Derek Jeter on the hand in 2003, but recently suggested that a Yankee pitcher should hit David Ortiz (which would not make the Yankee a thug). They talk about how much classier the Yankee Fans are compared to Red Sox fans, but turned a blind eye to the night that storm troopers in riot gear had to be deployed along the foul lines in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, in the most fitting and yet unprecedented ending to a Yankee home playoff game ever.

They stay on-message and drive the Yankee narrative for the fans. People who have seen or heard Yankee broadcasts know the narrative: The Yankees are the greatest team ever. Their opponents are all inferior. The Red Sox, in particular, are a sorry team. Red Sox fans are depressed, and enjoy being depressed. Opponents should roll-over like the Washington Generals. Sometimes, the Yankee broadcasters throw a hissy fit if the reality on the field strays from the script. It's going to be interesting if the Yankees fall into a quiet era like they did between 1984 and 1994.

When it comes to wingnut moments, Waldman really took the cake in September 2004. The Devil Rays miscalculated their escape from hurricane-hit Florida, and the Yankees shamelessly demanded a forfeit in order to stay ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East. Waldman used a unique rationale for the Yankees' request: they had already showered and dressed for the game, only to later find out that Tampa was still in-flight. Oh, the humanity! Those showers must have hurt really bad, like there were needles or acid coming out of the shower heads or something.

And then there was this past Sunday. Waldman got really excited. Well, didn't we all? Colin Cowherd of ESPN radio reviews the moment and puts it into an interesting context. I think he nailed it:

The eighteen or so opponents left on the Yankee schedule should be warned: Forfeit all your games against the Yankees...or else. It would be the patriotic thing to do. Forfeit, or the terrorists win!

Medium Petting

Do the Yankees have this much fun? Besides Hideki Matsui and his duffel bag full of porn, is there another comedian on the Yankee squad? I don't think so. Just another example of why the Red Sox are going to win the AL East after a 12 year wait.

And don't let Dan Shaughnessy tell you that Manny doesn't love us. He DOES love us...and he loves Julian also.

Another Horriffic Day in Iraq

At least 8 US soldiers and at least 50 Iraqi civilians were killed Sunday as a result of multiple roadside and suicide car bombings in and outside of Baghdad.

Meanwhile Bush's approval rating has fallen to Jimmy Carter levels in the latest Newsweek approval rating poll - 28%. So officially one in three Americans is still hooked on the Flavor Aid.

And the hunt for the War Czar continues. Good luck with that. The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State should bear that responsibility, but won't. They'd rather hire a whore who they can fire in 2008.

UPDATE, Monday May 7, 13:00 EDT: Tony Snow said at today's WH press briefing that the American public should brace themselves for more weekends like this. If April's US military death toll is an indication of things to come, then our 4,000th soldier will die before the end of the year.

Not Reported: Real Bomb Found Outside Austin Womens Clinic

Paul Ross Evans. Single male prone to violence and under 30 years of age. Fits the terrorist profile very well.

The first report was Wednesday April 25th. And the TV station even had a disclaimer that they normally don't report a suspicious package. Fair enough.

It is not KXAN's general policy to cover this kind of threat, however, given the magnitude of last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision on late-term abortions and the fact that authorities continue to divert traffic, we wanted to update the situation.


Nice of them. And I agree, a suspicious package should not make it to CNN. But then authorities found that the bomb was real. It was not a benign package. It was a homemade, high-pressure pipe bomb inside of a duffel bag. The would-be bomber was foolish enough to buy the bomb making materials and the bag at the local Lowe's and Wal Mart with his debit card in his name. I'll try to forgive the second story linked here for calling NAF (the national Abortion Federation) the AAF (American Abortion Federation).

Another day passed and there were subsequent stories about this, and it finally hit the national news wires when Mr. Evans was arrested on Friday.

The device, found in a duffel bag Wednesday, "was configured in such a way to cause serious bodily injury or death," said David Carter, assistant chief of the Austin Police Department.

The bomb, which was found in the parking lot of the Austin Women's Health Center, comes after last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that banned a controversial type of abortion and was viewed as an anti-abortion victory.

...

The last reported abortion-related incident in Texas was a 2002 arson in Dallas.

Wednesday's incident is being investigated by the regional Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is led by the FBI and includes Austin police.


Okay, a confirmed bomb, an arrest, and an investigation by the Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force. Now can this make national news? Nope.

And when a senior official in the Southern Baptist Convention wrote a declaration, supporting the murderer of Dr. Slepian and advocating that others follow his example, did that make the news? Nope.

The Rove PowerPoint Presentation Scandal: More Blood in the Water

News from last week. Chairman Waxman has been asking the right questions. It seems that the White House has acknowledged that the GOP Strategy PowerPoint presentation shown at the GSA headquarters in January has been shown in other Federal agencies. Again, the presentation itself is not illegal. But showing it inside Federal buildings, during business hours, in an attempt to solicit assistance in electing Republicans to Congress is.