And Now Daily Kos?

First Jerome booted Tim Russo for criticism of Dean-mania, now Daily Kos trusted users have shut down access to SorenSorenson... because he asked a question? Ouch. Friends of A9 don't fare so well at these sites. I wonder why?

Uncle Ted

Looks like ol' Uncle Ted took off his skirt, jocked up and decided to play with the big dogs. From today's White House Bulletin [quoting Teddy, sorry no link]:

There may be violence as we disengage from Iraq and Iraq disengages politically from us, but there will be much more violence if we continue our present dangerous and destabilizing course. It will not be easy to extricate ourselves from Iraq, but we must begin.

I'm assuming he read my post and liked it. Well, in the interest of full disclosure, he probably did not read my post... kinda like that shoestore on Rector in between Trinity and Greenwich... You know, the one that sells "probably the lowest priced shoes in the city"?

Anyway, he's the first Senator to have sack enough to say what's obvious to just about anyone who's ever truly bleed for this country: we need to go ahead and start preparing to get our boys home. Let's not let Rummy and boys screw up the exit as much as they've screwed up the occupation. Of course, Kennedy has little to lose, so let's see if any other Dems grow some... I know one who might. Oh yeah, if you want a great pic of the senior Senator from Mass., click here and scroll down a little. Ahoy there, Ahab!

American Idol

I heard somewhere that the initial audition pools at American Idol, you know, where most everyone stinks, they apparently poll heavily for Bush.... that sounds right to me.

In other news, since none of us have anything to write about, please take a moment to visit the Koufax Awards (blog beauty paegent) and vote. We endorse the following blogs in the following categories:

Best Overall Blog (non-professional)
Matt Yglesias

Best Writing
Josh Marshall

Best Group Blog
Agonist

Most Deserving of Wider Recognition
Your's Truly (Amendment Nine)

Most Humorous
Mad Kane's Notables

Best New Blog
Kentucky Democrat

$321/month

Used to get you a seat on the train, anytime you wanted, between CT and NYC. Now it gets you a place to stand on the train anytime it snows. We could have had new trains, but I guess Gov. Rowland needed the extra cash for his new plumbing system up in Litchfield. I'm bitter.

In other news, talk about bad timing... this "warning" about a possible, cataclysmic scenario whereby global temperatures rise on average 2 degrees, wiping out crops, spreading famine, and reducing England to a bar of sand, came when the Northeast digs out from one of the worst blizzards in recent memory. Personally, I'd kill for that 2 degrees right now. Global warming experts ought to release their reports when, oh, you know, its hot! And for all of those smarty pant readers who are ready to jump and say: "it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere" ... guess what? It doesn't matter cause all the CO2 emissions are produced in then Northern! Naaahhhh.

Herodotus

Amendment Nine reader Big Sully adds some valuable commentary on my post concerning Xerxes.

While the sentiments expressed by our blogger are valuable in their own right, the chances that X[erxes] allowed debate of any sort in this case are slim indeed. H[erodotus] is, rather generously, attributing the institution of a familiar Greek process to the Persian despot.

It sounds right to me that Herodotus was likely attributing Greek custom to Persia. But the point still stands that even in ancient times, the decision to go to war was considered and debated far more vigorously than it is today... In fact, that he gets it wrong here makes the point all the more interesting in my view. Almost as if Herodotus is saying: "no one really goes to war without throwing open the debate." Of course, it turns out that today, we do just that.

Big Sully continues:

More plausible is the so-called Constitutional Debate at 3.79-83. Here H[erodotus] answers potential criticism by his Greek readers/auditors, stating that, while it will seem difficult to believe, the debate actually did happen much as he presents it. The debate takes place in 522 B.C., after the Magian pretender to the Persian throne has been deposed. The seven Persian noblemen who formed the junta that had gotten rid of the Magian usurper now debate the merits of the various forms of (Greek) constitutions, and which one ought to be adopted by their new regime. Monarchy, of course, wins the day, but the speech is important because the noble who argues for democracy, Otanes, presents an early formulation of 'isonomia', that is, equality before the laws, one of the cornerstones of Greek democratic political theory.

Obviously this is ancillary to the discussion on how we go to war, however, I'd like to point out this story intrigues me in light of the Bush inaugural speech. One reason, perhaps, that Herodotus feels compelled to apologize for the veracity of this story is that Greek readers would no doubt find it unbelievable. That a group of leaders could decide, after reasoned debate, to reject democracy in favor of monarchy would seem as foreign to them as the rule of law seemed to Xerxes when he hears, in that famous passage, that Spartans will never give in, regardless of the odds, because they fear the law more than any man. It seems to me that Bush is playing on the foreigness of other approaches to self-government when he obligates us to spread democracy across the globe. Isn't that a contradiction anyway? Can you really impose democracy on everyone? More on that later.

Xerxes

This post, and the several which will follow, segway nicely with what Sharpshanks has recently posted. I encourage readers to reflect on his thoughts as well.

[B]ut, so that I shall not appear to consult only my own whim, I will throw the whole matter into open debate, and ask any of you who may wish to do so, to express his views.

This was Xerxes, King of Persia, Son of Darius, speaking to a conference of the leading men in his country. He had proposed, ahead of this quote, to invade Greece and punish Athens for their previous slights and injuries to Persia (slights and injuries which, Herodotus believed, were factually inaccurate, or at a minimum, overblown).

At the time, Persia was THE superpower of the day. When Xerxes finally did invade Greece, it is said he brought with him an army of over 1.7M. The story goes, when the Persian force finally crossed the Hellespont, making their way from Asia to Europe, a Thracian looked to Xerxes and said: "O God, why did you take the form and dress of a Persian, and change your name to Xerxes, only to gather every man on Earth to invade and smash Greece. You needn't have gone to all that trouble to destroy her." Talk about your shock and awe, eh?

One aspect of this I find fascinating is that despite the overwhelming superiority of Persian power to Athenian, the King threw open the debate. Even Xerxes, a young, hot-blooded monarch eager to claim his place in history, even this young man felt the need to call a council of leading men and have an open debate on the merits of going to war against a heavily outmanned opponent.

There is wisdom here, wisdom which demands new ears.

Backing Social Security

Whoa there! Josh Marshall has a nice post on way Ways and Means Chair Big Bill Thomas probably won't have a great time at the inaugural ball. Here's hoping he's right. Too early for champagne? Looks like the Dems have learned how to fight afterall.

Condi, Condi

Give 'em hell Dr. Rice! I haven't watched any of this, so I can only imagine I would be infuriated rather than amused by these quotes, but man are these quotes funny... Here is a sampling from the NY Times:

1) ``The goal is to get the mission accomplished,'' she said.

Uh... uh... did you really want to use "mission accomplished"? I mean, the banner... the flight suit... the aircraft carrier. Come on, are you for real?

2) ``No one has objections in principle'' to such an envoy, she said, but Rice added that ``it is a question over whether that is appropriate'' at this time.

Hmm... so pragmatic concerns are not principled concerns. So if I said I objected to the war in Iraq because it was being run like a grade-school recess period, I could still agree with the principle of removing Saddam Hussein from power. Sen. Kerry must find such parsing humorous.

3) The best for last... "The time for diplomacy is now."

Or, "Our State Department shoots first and asks questions later."

Come on Joe, fire back please.

UPDATE: from the FT,

The US, she said, “stands with oppressed people on every continent” and she listed six “outposts of tyranny”: Cuba, Burma, North Korea, Iran, Belarus and Zimbabwe. “And we cannot rest until every person living in a fear society has finally won their freedom.”

Burma? Zimbabwe? Belarus? Cuba? Now, wait just a cotton-picking second here Condi! When W got up there and told us about the Axis of Evil, it was three countries, I member clear as day. Iraq, Iran and one more. We can scratch Iraq off, so by my countin' that leaves us with two... now just exactly what in tarnation are these here "outposts" and how come nobody told me bout them till after my boy gone an signed-up? How come nobody stopped them? What was ya'll doing for the last four years? Spreading Evil?

RFK, Jr.

It seems fitting that the day after the MLK, Jr. holiday, we would hear something about Bobby's junior. KYDem has the details. It seems to me that this would be a very good way to keep the base happy and restore the rhetoric of populism to the mainstream Democratic Party. However, I think there is some seriously weird stuff going on with RFK Jr and Andy Cuomo and I can't figure it out... too much family heat... could be an ugly primary (which isn't always a bad thing).

Credit

Where credit is due. Coble shows he's got sack and sense. Immediately, my skeptic's cap is on and I realize this is probably staged. The fact that its one of the most senior, most safe Republican members in a military state, but representing a district with a distinct absence of any military presence, makes one think this is no mere accident nor act of political courage.

However, I did post this just before Christmas. I did spend New Years down in NC (as I often do with my wife and kids, but this time we unusually spent it in the heart of the 6th dist!). So, I'm just saying... a lot of people down there read this... and you know... perhaps... nah, couldn't be... could it?

In all seriousness, I'm sure its a trial balloon to see how it plays with the base. However, I think its far past time for the Dems to seize the high-ground here. The high-ground is there. If you didn't read my post, go read it. You'll see how a Dem can take this issue and make it a win-win. More importantly though, if the Reps are floating trial balloons, in NC no less, you gotta see the Bush playbook (cut and run post-election) starting to materialize. The question for all the liberals and other Democrats is this: you gonna lead the retreat or let someone else take credit for it? The time is now, call your Representative, let them know you support withdrawing the troops because you believe in winning.

A Few Words

We send our best wishes to fellow contributor Schenker who is currently in Sri Lanka. It is unlikely we'll hear from Schenker until Schenker returns home. Tim Russo was kind enough to share his thoughts on the upcoming Palestinian election. His posts are below or can be read directly here and here. Hopefully Tim will post again soon from the West Bank, we appreciate his insight, and his candor. Other regular contributors, Sharpshanks and Mitya K are on vacation until mid-January.

I'd also like to note for any Democrats out there considering a possible run in '06. This Kerik issue, which seems to have dropped off the radar screen, is a real winner down in Dixie. Good phone-banking, muckracking, dirty elbows, teeth-pulling kinda stuff. Remember, he isn't just Kerik, "he's a New Yorker with ties to the mob, and the big-city Republicans tried to put him and his type in charge of defending the homeland! W says he's one of us, but were it not for a phone call from the papers, he'd have us all turned out! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

I know, how dare I right? Well, they did it to Lieberman, so I'm just returning the favor. Free advice is sometimes the best kind.

The really sad part is

I don't think anyone can come up with a definition of failure which we haven't already surpassed. Let's bring the boys and girls home now.

Communication Breakdown

About 30 minutes ago I received an email from John Kerry (so did 3 million other people).

The subject line was: "Counting on You to Make Sure Votes Get Counted"

Now, isn't that sweet. I, of course, had the audacity to count on Sen. Kerry for precisely the same.

Nice to see some of the lightweights are still employed.

Ever Heard the Expression

No duh? I remember when I first learned it. I think I was about 8 or 9. And I'm pretty sure that any self-respecting 8 or 9 year-old could have told you, a couple of days before the election, what Chris Bowers, analyzing the latest compilation of exit polls, has come up with.

I believe Kerry's poor showing among undecideds was connected to his unfavorables, which by the end of the campaign had actually surpassed Bush's according to many organizations.

Is anyone besides me just a little unimpressed with such "revelation"? If liberal bloggers are just now figuring out that the attacks on Kerry and his lack of a coordinated, strong response, helped to lose the election for him, one wonders just how "with it" these guys really are?

What seems more interesting is how these gods of polling on the hard left so easily missed the true damage done by the Swift Boats, and how they failed to mount anything other than a brush fire response. If we can get that fixed for next time, we'd have done some work. Unfortunately though, I think more of them are interested in blaming Kerry than improving themselves.