Month: November 2003

Because I know I’m going to want to refer to this later.

• The Weekly Standard story on the DoD memo about Al Qaeda/Iraq connections
• The DoD press release explaining that the “memo” was a list of reports, some of which hadn’t been vetted, and that the memo is meaningless
• Glenn Reynolds being an idiot

Let’s be clear on this. The reports discussed in the memo are simply the reports Doug Feith used to make the case for an imminent threat from Iraq. Doug Feith is guilty of politicizing intelligence in the worst way. He has been, in the past, cozened by Ahmed Chalabi. He was in charge of post-war planning — the same planning that has been faulty to the degree that Bush is adopting the French plan.

Feith spent his time picking and choosing the intelligence reports he wanted in order to prove his thesis, ignoring those reports which didn’t support him. Is it any surprise that a list of raw intelligence reports he compiled would “prove” him right?

Juan Cole has the scoop on the new plan for transferring power to an Iraqi government. I could meander on but I think he nails the implications, pros, and cons.

Others have made this point, but it’s a good excuse to link to a funny comic, so I’m gonna make it again. Tom Tomorrow isn’t saying you don’t have the right to comment on war unless you’re enlisted or a veteran. He’s saying — well, read the second panel. “I’m waging war on the Islamofascists — on my blog!” He’s saying that’s a really stupid thing to say.

Now, that might seem like hyperbole. Who says stuff like that? Perhaps the irate blogger is really meant to represent some other class of bloggers. Warbloggers in general, maybe. Maybe he’s saying all warbloggers are stupid.

But, no, not really. It’s not terribly hard to find quotes similar to Tom’s. Here’s the Imperial Kitten pretending his blog is a service to the country :

“Maybe I HAVE found a way of serving my country already and I didn’t even realize it, even though it was staring me right in the face.”

And don’t get me started on the Freepers.

When you think about it, this attitude is closely linked to the idea that anti-war activists are treasonous. If I’m hurting America by saying the war is a bad idea, then someone who defends the war must be helping America. Even waging the war himself, in his own way. Once you get there, you’ve got yourself a nice little positive feedback loop. “I’m doing good, and you’re doing bad.”

What more have we ever needed to validate ourselves than that?

Handy Democratic primary link of the day: Poll Roundup, from a Daily Kos denizen’s diary. There’s a clearer but less detailed version here.

The most interesting thing on television today is the 30 hour Senate debate on judicial nominees. It’s not going to change a thing either way, but both the Democrats and the Republicans are tossing their best speakers up there to chew up time and sling rhetoric. Good for those fascinated by process.