The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

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Saturday, December 22, 2007

22 Dec 2007 08:16 pm

Le Poseur De 2007: Votez!

Will it be Bernard Henri Levy? Or Lewis Lapham? Stanley Crouch or Michael Ledeen? Software operators are standing by.

22 Dec 2007 07:07 pm

Hoover's Plan

Pretty staggering:

Hoover’s plan called for “the permanent detention” of the roughly 12,000 suspects at military bases as well as in federal prisons. The F.B.I., he said, had found that the arrests it proposed in New York and California would cause the prisons there to overflow.

So the bureau had arranged for “detention in military facilities of the individuals apprehended” in those states, he wrote.

The prisoners eventually would have had a right to a hearing under the Hoover plan. The hearing board would have been a panel made up of one judge and two citizens. But the hearings “will not be bound by the rules of evidence,” his letter noted.

It probably made Michelle Malkin's Christmas. Powerline:

Hoover was too quick to judge people disloyal--it would be interesting to get a look at the list of 12,000-- but some may feel nostalgic for a time when disloyalty was at least acknowledged to be a bad thing.

22 Dec 2007 05:58 pm

The Mirror Has Two Noses

A reader writes:

With respect to your post on noses and penises,

In mainstream Japanese animation marketed to adolescents, the nosebleed is comic shorthand for male sexual arousal. Typically, a man (teen to bent and aged) will unexpectedly encounter a nearly nude female beauty, and blood will begin shooting out from his nostrils like gore from a sliced villain in a Quentin Tarentino film. With the rising popularity of anime and manga in the past ten years, American teens are probably familiar with this trope (lust-provoked nosebleeds happen with some frequency in the Cartoon Network's hugely popular DragonBall Z and Naruto cartoons, for example).

The things Dish readers know...

22 Dec 2007 05:46 pm

Who's Afraid Of The Gold Standard?

A reader writes:

In your post about Megan McCardle's criticisms of Paul, you quoted the following:
"[Ron Paul] also has a number of beliefs that are, not to put too fine a point on it, utterly insane. The gold standard is one..."
For the record, I have no idea about McCardle's views on the Iraq War and no reason to think she is being disingenuous in her criticisms of Paul's economic policies (unlike, for example, the truly odious David Frum). But this statement, unfortunately, perpetuates one of the most common myths floating around about Ron Paul in the blogosphere, namely that he supports the immediate restoration of a strict gold standard for U. S. currency. While Paul would ultimately like to see the dollar pegged to gold again, he does not advocate doing this precipitously. What he does support doing right now is legalizing private currencies backed by gold and silver.

Legalizing private commodity-backed currencies would give individuals the right to guard themselves against the inflationary tendencies of the greenback, without the various legal obstacles imposed by the current system. Paul's hope is that over time enough people will voluntarily to switch to gold-backed currencies as to make the final transition back to a real gold standard for the dollar relatively painless. His views on this subject are succinctly outlined in his essay "The Political and Economic Agenda for a Real Gold Standard" in the 1985 book "The Gold Standard: An Austrian Perspective," edited by Lew Rockwell. Furthermore, as Peter Boettke explains in recent posts on his blog, these views are not merely the eccentric ramblings of a deluded old man, but similar to the opinions on monetary policy held by a number of distinguished economists, such as the Nobel Laureate Friedrich von Hayek.

22 Dec 2007 05:40 pm

Clinton, Obama, New Hampshire

In a graph:

More minutiae analysis here.

22 Dec 2007 04:34 pm

The DOJ vs Kiriakou

The man who exposed the torture of Abu Zubaydah is getting Justice Department scrutiny:

Why are they targeting Kiriakou? That part’s simple. His remarks are having some predictable repercussions in Congress, where inquiries into the use of waterboarding and similar torture devices are now being discussed. Kiriakou revealed a number of Justice Department brush-off answers to be lies, and his comments provide reason to suspect that a number of senior Bush Administration officials made false statements to Congressional inquiries. In other words, they view Kiriakou as a snitch. And they’ve decided to retaliate against him.

But the action is clearly intended as a signal to others who have direct knowledge of the torture regime. If you talk publicly about this, we’ll come after you.

22 Dec 2007 03:52 pm

On Michelle Malkin's Hotness

A reader writes:

More than just a few years ago a buddy and I sat on the porch of our rented house in a famous New England woman's college town sipping beers on a sunny Saturday watching the beautiful coeds walk on by when he turned to me and said, "You know they always look a lot better when you don't know em".

I'm staying out of this.

22 Dec 2007 03:30 pm

Issues With Women?

A reader writes:

You can see the blatant sexism and misogyny in so much of the Hillary hating out there, can't you? Since you never distance yourself from the anti-Hillary extremists, I often find myself unkindly reading your anti-Hillary posts and saying to myself, "Jesus! This guy has issues with women."

I can't prove a negative. But I can say that I think I've treated Clinton as toughly as I did her husband, and no one accused me of being androphobic. There are many, many women I admire in public life, among them Condi Rice, Angela Merkel, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jane Harman, and Oprah Winfrey. I became fascinated by politics because of one woman, Margaret Thatcher, whom I eagerly supported in every election she ran in. I have no problem with women in power. It's this woman I have problems with: she is, I believe, a cynical, calculating, untrustworthy shell. And when I've written similar things about Romney, I don't get accused of being anti-Mormon. I'm sure there's some sexism and misogyny out there around Clinton. I don't like it; and I reject the notion that I've promoted it.

22 Dec 2007 02:39 pm

The Antidote To The Swift-Boat?

A reader writes:

It’s just possible, if Obama were the nominee, the Rovian machine that would come after him would meet the same fate the Clinton campaign has experienced during the primaries. There’s something about Obama that makes sliming him spatter back on the slimer. After eight years of Bush-Cheney-Rove, the country might be in the mood for something different. Unless they find something real to hang on Obama (not elementary school or adolescence), the swift-boating could backfire in 2008.

(Photo: Hiro Komosuike/Getty.)

22 Dec 2007 01:57 pm

Poseur Of The Year

The Dish's 2007 Poseur Of the Year contest has begun with a neck-and-neck struggle between Michael Ledeen and Bernard-Henri Levy. Check out the entries and vote for your favorite here.

22 Dec 2007 01:45 pm

Blair's Conversion

He was brought into the Catholic church last night.

(Photo: Stephen Hird/AFP/Getty.)

22 Dec 2007 01:34 pm

Romney's Home-Town Papers

The ones who know Romney in Massachusetts are endorsing McCain.

22 Dec 2007 01:11 pm

Ruffini On Rudy

Pretty brutal:

I hate to say this, but I don't think Rudy wants it badly enough. He has a bit of a Fred Thompson problem about him. He hasn't said anything particularly distinctive or memorable the entire campaign. His lows haven't been very low, and his highs haven't been very high. There is no one big thing his campaign is about - first, there were twelve, then there was a laundry list of his accomplishments as a Mayor; then, there were a series of issue spots that failed to move the needle in New Hampshire.

Nothing memorable? "Sanctuary mansion"? The most humanizing thing Rudy has done this whole campaign is catch the flu.

22 Dec 2007 01:01 pm

Oh, You Mean Those Tapes

Why didn't you say so? We're sorry but we didn't understand. And, er, we destroyed them later. The latest in the inevitable torture cover-up in the Bush administration.

22 Dec 2007 12:46 pm

Why The Nose Is Like The Penis

Just try some Viagra and you'll find out soon enough.

22 Dec 2007 12:42 pm

Ron Paul Quote Of The Day

A reader writes:

Well, I'd say the best sentence in the Tucker Carlson article is Ron Paul's:
"I've never gotten around to killing anything."
Truly, the anti-Cheney!

22 Dec 2007 12:08 pm

Quote For The Day

"They were more than happy for us to come to the rallies and stand in lines for hours to cheer on the candidates, appreciated us putting up the yard signs, going out and putting out the cards on peoples doors and making phone calls to the phone banks and - really appreciated all of our votes. But when they got elected, behind closed doors, they would laugh at us and speak with scorn and derision that we were, as one article I think once said "the easily led." So there's been almost this sort of, it's okay if you guys get a seat on the bus, but don't ever think about telling us where the bus is going to go," - Mike Huckabee, CBN.

22 Dec 2007 11:25 am

Faces Of The Year I

The first of my favorite seven "Face Of The Day" photographs from the Dish in 2007. I'll be posting one each day in Christmas week. Some readers ask my criteria for these shots. I guess I'm looking for faces of human beings not always on the front-pages, new ways to illustrate stories around the world that would not be covered on the blog usually, and images that are simply striking, beautiful, rare or revelatory. I scan the Getty photo service each day for them. It's one of my favorite Daily Dish-tasks - and made possible by the Atlantic's subscription.

Rocky Elsom of the Waratahs lies on the pitch after being knocked out during the round six Super 14 match between the Waratahs and the Bulls at Aussie Stadium March 10, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. By Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

22 Dec 2007 10:46 am

The View From Your Window

Edinburgh, Scotland, 3.15 pm.

22 Dec 2007 10:26 am

Iowa: Where We Are

Mark Blumenthal parses the polls. Given the holiday season, I'd say we're essentially flying blind from now on, but a heavier turnout will favor Obama. I don't make predictions but I'm also getting the impression that New Hampshire will come home for McCain which, given the front-running alternatives, would make me very happy.

22 Dec 2007 09:51 am

Campaign Quote Of The Day

“The strong pitch made to me and others not that long ago was that we had to be for Hillary, because Hillary was going to be the inevitable winner. They have come a long way if they now think Iowa is just survivable," - Gordon Fischer, the former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party who is now backing Obama.

22 Dec 2007 08:59 am

Ron Obamacain 2008!

Pete Abel finds the perfect candidate:

He has the eagle eyes of Ron Paul: a crystal-clear vision of pervasive liberty. He has the wide-open heart of Barack Obama: the requisite character to diffuse the boiling rage that now infects our public dialogue, domestically and internationally. And backing up all of this, he has the unflinching spine of John McCain: the strength and chutzpah to stand up and fight when necessary.

22 Dec 2007 08:56 am

Today Is World Orgasm Day

You know what to do.

22 Dec 2007 08:00 am

Email Of The Day

A reader writes:

Is it wrong for me to think Michelle Malkin in a cheerleader outfit is incredibly hot? As one of the leaders of the morality bunch, does she not realize what damage she is doing?

Without temptation, there is no virtue.

Friday, December 21, 2007

21 Dec 2007 07:17 pm

Your Chance To Give An Award To Michelle Malkin!

Will Michelle Malkin win the Dish's Yglesias Award for 2007? Or would that open up a tear in the time-space continuum? Your favorite foaming at the mouth wingnut and Sully-lover, Ace, is among the finalists as well. As are Huffpuffers Tish Durkin and Paul Jenkins from the left. It's a veritable reasonableness-fest. But only you decide who wins.

Malkin Award Finalists - including Glenn Reynolds and Rush Limbaugh - here.

Moore Awards - featuring Eric Alterman and Keith Olbermann (in the lead right now) - here.

Poseurs of the Year - it's a toss-up between Michael Ledeen and Bernard Henri Levy (with Lewis Lapham in the running) - here.

The criteria are here. What are you waiting for?

21 Dec 2007 07:16 pm

"Mitticisms"

That's the mot juste a reader just proposed - for all those Romney statements that are just a little too good to be, you know, true. Remember Gore and the Internet. That kind of thing.

Mitticism: a noun. A slight exaggeration that embellishes the truth in order to impress voters. Pass it along.

(Actually, Chris Kelly may be the one to credit with this neologism).

Again this is not a big deal. Take the MLK issue. There's no question that George Romney was on the right side of the civil rights movement of his day (just as his son, sadly, is now on the wrong side of the civil rights movement of his day - after having been on the right side). Romney has every reason to be proud, and I have no doubt that he remembers his father's legacy vividly. It's also true, it now appears, that George Romney may have once actually marched alongside MLK, although that is still disputed and Romney himself is no longer insisting on its veracity. But Mitt didn't see it, as he now says. And the context of his prepared - not off-the-cuff - remarks clearly say that he did - not figuratively, but actually:

I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. I saw my father march with Martin Luther King. I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby, and in just as consequential ways in leading national volunteer movements.

The sentiment is clear and admirable, but slightly off. A Mitticism is not a lie as such, and I was too harsh in describing it as such originally. It's that extra-special edge to a salesman's pitch that is as unnecessary as it is counter-productive.

21 Dec 2007 07:04 pm

The Little Fibs Of Mitt Romney

Put together, it's not a pretty picture. I didn't realize he's been full of it about his record on tackling crystal meth as well. Most of this is not a big deal. But so many little lies and little exaggerations tell you something as well. He seems to be a man who sees the truth as instrumental to the sell. And he's all about the sell.

21 Dec 2007 06:52 pm

The Left vs Obama

They're whining about his nod to Schwarzenegger. Needlenose harrumphs here. But he's a green conservative!

21 Dec 2007 05:49 pm

Face Of The Day

A customer at St. George Spirits tastes the new St. George Absinthe Verte December 21, 2007 in Alameda, California. St. George Spirits became the first distillery to sell Absinthe in the United States since its ban in 1912 after they sold a token bottle on December 3rd. They released their first production run of 3600 bottles today with a price tag of $75 per bottle. By Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

Hippies like absinthe?

21 Dec 2007 05:38 pm

Bye, Tom

This Jesse Walker farewell is priceless:

Tom Tancredo has dropped out of the presidential race. He will be replaced by Montezuma Aztlán Calderón, an undocumented worker from Oaxaca who will denounce the Brown Peril for just $3 an hour plus room and board.

Did he kill off Thompson's campaign? We'll all miss one-liners like this:

"I took accordion lessons. It was horrible. I never practiced. I hated it. It's child abuse."

But not torture.

21 Dec 2007 05:22 pm

The Electability Issue In Iowa

Iowans, who have had much more time to examine and judge the candidates, lean toward Obama against the leading Republican candidates. He beats all of them by much wider margins than Clinton. One obvious example: in a Clinton-Romney match-up, Clinton wins by 48 to 45. Obama beats Romney 51 to 39. Obama is over 50 in every match-up; Clinton below 50 in all of them.

21 Dec 2007 04:43 pm

Hewitt vs Hewitt

In 2004, he was hyping a beyond-trivial story about Kerry's tan. Now he's dismissing the flap over Romney's MLK Clintonism as "silly." I don't think either is that big a deal - but both illustrated a serious concern with each candidate: phoniness and say-anythingness. I guess no one mistakes Hewitt for anything but a partisan propgandist, but still ...

21 Dec 2007 04:33 pm

Rudy's Shag-Gate

Less there than once met the eye. Not nothing - but much less than advertized.

21 Dec 2007 04:13 pm

The 2007 Malkin Award: Vote!

The contest for the Malkin Award (Award glossary here) includes strong entries from Rush Limbaugh, David Horowitz, Don Wildmon, Michael Savage and Glenn Reynolds. Then there's this from Amy Proctor:

"You know, liberalism is a greater threat to freedom, democracy and human rights than these detainees. Maybe we should consider a swap."

Pick the winner here. Savage is off to a good start.

21 Dec 2007 04:04 pm

The Power Of Ambinder

An unnamed source in an Atlantic blog gets Limbaugh to bring out the taser. Congrats, Marc. If you're not reading his campaign blog, you really should.

21 Dec 2007 03:52 pm

McCarthy On The Torture Tapes II

A small note about this description of what happened at Abu Ghraib:

the mindless cruelty of a miscreant handful of soldiers.

But what we saw at Abu Ghraib, we now know, were exactly the techniques that McCarthy supports: stress positions, abuse short of torture, sexual humiliation, religious abuse, and all the other techniques the Pentagon approved to break down resistance to giving up information. It was cruel, but it sure wasn't mindless. It was designed to soften inmates up before interrogation - to prevent and stymie an insurgency whose victims numerically overwhelm those of 9/11. The new regime at Abu Ghraib in which such "mindless cruelty" took place was installed by General Geoffrey Miller who had been personally dispatched by Donald Rumsfeld to "Gitmoize" the place.

And this is what I don't understand: doesn't McCarthy support many of the techniques revealed at Abu Ghraib? I don't mean the rapes and murder. I mean the abuse short of torture. What, in McCarthy's eyes, is wrong with shackling prisoners hands and feet to the floor, or stripping them naked, or sexually humiliating them, or walking them around on a leash? It's not torture, right? It was prepping interrogation targets by breaking down their psyches in advance. And it was part of the system of interrogation set up by Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld. Isn't that actually milder than the policies McCarthy actually favors, like waterboarding?

To put it more bluntly: It seems to me that those who are making a fine distinction between "torture" and even waterboarding - and allowing waterboarding - have no logical basis for objecting to what we saw in many of the photographs at Abu Ghraib. Or rather their only objection must surely be that the techniques were not adequately professionalized and were allowed to leak, or were somehow inflicted by the wrong people. But the techniques were fine, right? We are at war, right? And yet McCarthy cannot quite say he endorses them. Why not? He's not becoming part of the "revisionist Left" is he?

21 Dec 2007 03:46 pm

Derb and Sully

A reader writes:

Together at last? Ha!

Hadn't you noticed, except for not liking each other, you've agreed on everything for years? Okay, except maybe immigration. But with that exception, whenever there's been actual policy on the table ...

S: "I believe Y because of Q! Unlike bigoted assholes like that Derb."
D: "I strongly endorse Y, for reasons of Q! Unlike Sullivan, that pc-addled pooftah!"

It was adorable.

You've always been a great couple. Just a little Beatrice & Benedict, is all.

I guess that makes me Beatrice. She does have the better lines.

21 Dec 2007 03:41 pm

The View From Your Window

Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, 1.55 pm.

21 Dec 2007 03:32 pm

Dissent Of The Day

A reader writes:

You wrote:
"The classic Clinton smears and lies are fine with the base, it seems. Like Paul Krugman, they seem to want more of the polarization of the past, more politics as revenge."
Maybe it isn’t that the base wants more polarization, smears and lies. Maybe it is that they accept the reality of what the Republicans will throw at any democratic candidate. After watching the right wing noise machine in the past two elections, maybe it is just reality to accept that the smears are coming and to want a candidate that will stand up to it. That is just reality at this time. I personally would love to do away with the polarization and the smearing. However I have no confidence that Republicans are going to stop playing as dirty as they always have and that the main stream media will follow along meekly with their attempts to smear democrats.

As far as Krugman goes, his points about how you have to fight the Republicans are valid.

Continue reading "Dissent Of The Day" »

21 Dec 2007 03:27 pm

McCarthy On The Torture Tapes I

One gets a sense of shrill hysteria from sentences like this:

Al-Qaeda’s air raid on 9/11 eclipsed Pearl Harbor in devastation and shock value. It exceeded anything ever accomplished by Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.

Andy McCarthy means against the homeland, I presume. But his need for existential hysteria to defend the indefensible is hurt by such qualifications. Then there's this:

Regardless of what the revisionist Left is now saying, the only bright-line limit on the treatment of alien enemy combatants held outside the United States in 2002 was the federal law against torture.

And so the Geneva Conventions evaporate, including Article 3 which requires baseline protection from abuse and torture of any military prisoners, regardless of their uniform, status or provenance. No one's talking full POW status; we're talking minimal decency status. And I fail to see how John McCain and a vast swathe of American servicemembers and veterans count as the "revisionist Left."

Continue reading "McCarthy On The Torture Tapes I" »

21 Dec 2007 02:54 pm

An Email From Iceland

A reader writes:

As an Icelander I can testify how much this story has hurt the image of America in Iceland. This was all over the news last week and Eva has been on the biggest talk shows in Iceland telling her story. The effects of a thing like this is to enforce an increasingly negative image that Icelanders have of America. This negative imaged is a direct result of the actions taken by the current administration on issues such as the torture of prisoners and refusal to do anything about global warming. This is very sad development because Iceland used to be very pro American and the relationship between the countries has been very friendly. Still not everything is lost and the apology that the Department of Homeland security offered to Eva was well received. I can however say for sure that 95% of the population is hoping that America does a lot better when it picks its next president.

On the other hand, here is a voice from the Republican base:

As someone who is increasingly and unapologetically isolationist in my attitude towards trade, immigration and global policing, I feel no sympathy for her. Let's translate her pity party in every language so future potential visitors understand one thing loud & clear: Follow our laws, or go home in disgrace.

One thing people like me have to understand: the core of today's GOP is not merely indifferent to this kind of abuse, it actively supports it. Just as it actively supports and endorses torture. It's one reason I feel so alienated by the Republican party I once felt some loyalty and affinity for.

21 Dec 2007 02:38 pm

Quote For The Day

"This election will be my first chance to vote, and I want to be confident in my choice. Everyone thinks it’s so controversial for Hillary to be in the running, but where are the openly gay presidential candidates? Don’t get me wrong, fag hags are great, but why have the hag when you can have the fag?" - Chris Crocker, Time's viral video of the year winner.

21 Dec 2007 02:25 pm

The Best Ron Paul Article Yet

Tucker Carlson, barely restraining his affection, writes an hysterical and perceptive essay on Dr Paul, and his band of merry men and women. One anecdote will suffice:

Though Paul argues passionately for liberalizing marijuana laws and is beloved by potheads (Timothy Leary once held a fund-raiser for him), he has never smoked pot himself. He sounded shocked when I asked him. "I have never seen anyone smoke marijuana," he said. "I don't think I'd be open to using it." For some people, libertarianism is the philosophical justification for a zany personal life. Paul, by contrast, describes his hobbies as gardening (roses and organic tomatoes) and "riding my bicycle." He has never had a cigarette. He doesn't swear. He limits his drinking to an occasional glass of wine and goes to church regularly. He has been married to the same woman for 50 years. Three of their five children are physicians.

Ron Paul is deeply square, and every bit as deeply committed to your right not to be.

And one sentence:

Paul is pro-choice on pasteurization entirely for reasons of principle.

I wish Tucker would get off TV and write more. I'd forgotten how good he is.

21 Dec 2007 01:28 pm

Introducing The 2007 Daily Dish Awards!

It's that time of the year again, but this year, something a little different. In the past, a secret blue-ribbon panel has selected the finalists and winners of the various awards the Dish gives out each year. This year, I'm handing it over to you. Over the past twelve months, there have been dozens of nominations from readers for the Malkin, Moore, and Yglesias awards, and many for the Poseur of the Year. The blue-ribbon panel worked feverishly to select finalists in each category, and we're giving readers a week to pick the winners. There are many big names and many not-so-big names to choose from. So have fun this Christmas week and be generous with the Christmas cheer.

You can read the definitions of the Awards here; and you can see the nominee finalists for the Malkin Award here, the Moore Award here, the Yglesias Award here and the Poseur of the Year here. Voting starts now and will conclude at 5 pm next Friday.

21 Dec 2007 01:15 pm

Electability

Against the GOP, Obama is the best bet in the Zogby poll:

His margins of advantage range from a 4 percent edge over Arizona Sen. John McCain and a 5 percent edge over Arkansas’ Mike Huckabee to an 18 percentage point lead over Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, the survey shows. Against New York’s Rudy Giuliani he leads by 9%, and against Fred Thompson of Tennessee he holds a 16 point edge.

Clinton loses to Huckabee, Giuliani and McCain. Perhaps just as interesting: Huckabee and McCain are the most viable general election candidates.

21 Dec 2007 12:59 pm

Republican Orthodoxy

Ramesh Ponnuru admits that the theocon position on gay couples is not about marriage as such:

Giuliani opposes a federal marriage amendment, as do McCain and Thompson. He also, like those two, says he opposes same-sex marriage. Giuliani's campaign has also backtracked from his previous support for civil unions. He no longer supports civil unions that are too close to marriage—and in his view all existing civil-union laws are too close.

He seems to be well within party orthodoxy on marriage law, in other words.

I can understand - even though I don't agree - why some people want to keep the m-word for heterosexual couples. I don't understand why it's also important to deny gay couples the responsibilities even of "civil unions." What does "too close to marriage" possibly mean? "Too close" to being publicly acknowledged and accepted? Or too supportive of the relationship itself? I wonder if Ramesh understands how insulting it is to gay couples when we read this kind of sentence. It is as if we have the civic cooties.

21 Dec 2007 12:38 pm