Where’s the Outrage?

About 2 years ago, there was a scare at the University of Texas at Austin. Ricin was thought to be in a dorm room. If I’m not mistaken the initial tests were positive for ricin but the final tests were not positive. Now, almost exactly 2 years later, ricin turns up in Las Vegas. Vitals of ricin were found in a man’s motel room. The man is in critical condition at a local hospital.

There are tons of questions. I have searched the web. Authorities have not released the man’s name. This is thought not to be a terrorist attack. I would question how authorities came to that conclusion. The man had vitals of the stuff in his room. This is not cocaine. Ricin has no other uses that I know of. So, what’s up?

There is a famous case in which an infamous 1978 incident, Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian writer and journalist who was living in London, was killed when a man attacked him with an umbrella that injected a ricin pellet under his skin.

Ricin is a very deadly poison. The CDC has the facts.

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From the Las Vegas Sun:

Vials found in the motel room of a man hospitalized in critical condition tested positive for the deadly toxin ricin, authorities said Friday. There was no indication of any link to terrorist activity, Las Vegas police Deputy Chief Kathy Suey said at a press conference.

The man was admitted to Spring Valley Hospital in Las Vegas in critical condition on Feb. 14, hospital spokeswoman Naomi Jones said. Suey said he had made an emergency call for help because of breathing problems. His name was not made public. (more…)

Tags: Terrorism, WMD by ecthompson
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What kind of people keep exotic pets?

Screwballs–That’s who keeps exotic pets.

Lions, giraffes, piranhas–Can you imagine this stuff is allowed?

Read this story on the website of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game about people who keep exotic pets.

People in Alaska are keeping emus, tigers, monkeys and bears.

I’m not making this up.

Here is a USA Today article about the prospect of pythons, aided by global warming, colonizing the lower third of the United States by the year 2100.

[Read more →]

Tags: General by Texas Liberal
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Update below

I think that this dovetails into what Bill (Liberal Oasis) wrote previously about McCain. He is going to have trouble slinging mud at Obama. He is going to have a lot of trouble. I’ll try and explain what happened yesterday and I’ll try not to mix my metaphors.

In tennis if you have a strong serve you have the advantage. You can ace your opponent. You can smack the ball wide so even if your opponent gets their racket on the ball they are way out of position to make the next shot. Of course, if your serve is weak, you are in trouble.

Yesterday, McCain’s zinger was weak. First, he admits that he didn’t watch the debate. Okay, if you didn’t watch the debate then you need to shut up until have watched it but not McCain. He has to venture out into this fray. He says, “I have some news. Al-Qaeda is in Iraq. Al-Qaeda is called al-Qaeda in Iraq. My friends, if we left, they wouldn’t be establishing a base…they would be taking a country. I will not allow that to happen my friends. I will not surrender. I will not surrender to al-Qaeda.”

Come on. Is that it? That is what McCain is serving up? Barack Obama masterfully, returned the serve for a winner.

From WaPo:

Speaking to 7,000 voters at Ohio State University, Obama answered McCain’s mocking tone with his own. “McCain thought that he could make a clever point by saying , “Well let me give you some news Barack, al-Qaeda IS in Iraq.’ Like I wasn’t reading the papers, like I didn’t know what was going on. I said, ‘well first of all I DO know that al-Qaeda is in Iraq , that’s why I’ve said we should continue to strike al-Qaeda targets.”

“I have some news for John McCain, and that is that there was no such thing as al-Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq,” Obama said, as the crowd roared. “I’ve got some news for John McCain! He took us into a war along with George Bush that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged. They took their eye off the people who were responsible for 9/11, and that would be al-Qaeda in Afghanistan that is stronger now than at any time since 2001.”

“I’ve been paying attention, John McCain,” Obama continued, the cheers growing so loud that the audience could hardly make out the words. “That’s the news. So John McCain may like to say he wants to follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, but so far all he’s done is follow George Bush into a misguided war in Iraq that’s cost us thousands of lives and billions of dollars…I respect John McCain but he’s tied to the politics of the past — we are about the policies of the future! Hes the party of yesterday — we want to be the party of tomorrow.”

So, now, what does John McCain do? He goes and gets his the President to fight his fight for him. George Bush jumps into this fight. I find this interesting. Very Interesting. Why did President Bush jump into this fight? Did he think that McCain needed the help? So, the President gets the following question:

Q Mr. President, do you believe if we have the kind of rapid pull-out from Iraq that Democrats are talking about, that we would be at greater risk of a terrorist attack here at home? And when Senator Obama was asked a similar question, he said, “If al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad.” So I’m wondering if –

THE PRESIDENT: That’s an interesting comment. If al Qaeda is securing a al Qaeda base — yes, well, that’s exactly what they’ve been trying to do for the past four years. That’s their stated intention, was to create enough chaos and disorder to establish a base from which to either launch attacks or spread a caliphate. And the intent of the surge was to send more Marines into the area that — where they had proclaimed their desire to set up a base. That was Anbar province. And so, yes, that’s one of the challenges we face, is denying al Qaeda a safe haven anywhere. And their intentions — that’s what they said, that they would like to have a base or safe haven in Anbar province.

Oh, that answer wasn’t too predictable, was it? The President is a broken record (LP). He hasn’t said anything new or innovative about Iraq since 2003. I do find it interesting that the President thought that it was necessary to “help” John McCain. I guess if you see a zinger come back that fast, all Republicans had to jump to McCain’s side. I think that it is going to be a long 8 months for McCain if his “zingers” don’t get any better.

Update:  Eric Boehlert of Media Matters, an insightful writer in my opinion, suggests that the honeymoon for Barack Obama is about over.  Eric’s talking about the honeymoon between the press and Obama.  I suspect the Eric is right.  It would be foolish to think that a Democrat can ride the waves of positive press coverage forever.  Look for a change in the coming months.

 

 Barack Obama has been studying [2:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Election 2008, Iraq by ecthompson
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In spite of William F. Buckley being wrong on tons of issues, I respected Mr. Buckley. He didn’t hurl insults like Sean Hannity or just make up stuff like Bill O’Reilly.

Update: I guess that Buckley did hurl some insults. (h/t - Connie)

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From NYT:

Mr. Buckley suffered from diabetes and emphysema, his son, Christopher, said, although the exact cause of death was not immediately known. He was found at his desk in the study of his home, his son said. “He might have been working on a column,” Christopher Buckley said.

William Buckley, with his winningly capricious personality, his use of ten-dollar words and a darting tongue writers loved to compare to an anteater’s, was the popular host of one of television’s longest-running programs, “Firing Line,” and founded and shepherded the influential conservative magazine National Review. (more…)

Tags: Books, General by ecthompson
4 Comments »

Barack Obama continues to roll. He has gotten one million Americans to donate to his campaign. One million. This is true extraordinary. A million people.

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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I read Lee Iacocca’s book Where Have all of the Leaders Gone?  I read it last year.  It was a very good read.  He was thoughtful and funny.  He dished up some of the wisdom that you would think that a man of his experience would have.

Well, like everyone else, Lee has started a blog.  (I got an e-mail from his secretary about his blog.  I think that she is probably still laughing from reading my invitation to have him on my radio show.)  I don’t think that he has gotten the hang of blogs yet but in  he asks some insightful questions that he would like for our candidates to answer -

1. Leaders are not born; they’re made in times of crisis. Name a crisis that you have faced, and talk about how you demonstrated leadership.

2. Name your two primary models for leadership from the past 50 years. These are the individuals you call to mind when you’re faced with a tough decision.

3. The ability to collaborate with those who have different ideas and approaches is a key factor in leadership. Give an example of a time (professionally or politically) when you have successfully collaborated with people who have different views.

4. As a businessman I learned that the best way to fully understand what it means to be responsible is to meet a payroll every week. In your life, when have you had tangible responsibility for the livelihoods of others – and what did the experience teach you about leadership?

5. Being President is not a one person job. The team is just as important. Are you prepared to tell voters who will be on your team so they can make an educated choice? In particular, who are your candidates for Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and Attorney General? (If you’re not prepared to name them, can you name individuals from recent history who have excelled in those positions?)

6. The United State has one of the lowest voter turnout rates among democratic nations – especially for young single adults. What will you do to encourage young people to vote and participate in government?

7. A leader inspires others to participate fully in the life of democracy. The words of JFK – “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” – still resonate. Give a specific example of what you will ask citizens to do, and what sacrifices you will ask them to make.

Tags: Books, Election 2008 by ecthompson
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I’m sorry. I couldn’t even blog on Ralph Nader. He’s a good man with good ideas but he has no chance of being elected. None. I think that Mike Gravel has more of a chance than Ralph Nader.

For Progressives that have feared an independent getting into the race, stop whining. Focus on the task at hand. Focus on nominating someone who will unify the country. Focus on someone who shares our values. Focus.

In other news, Michael Bloomberg with his Billion dollar portfolio, has decided not to run for president. Bloomberg is an interesting guy. He was a democrat then he became a republican. Now, he is an independent. What is he looking for? He says solutions. Well, I think that you can look for solutions without joining every club in town. I think that Bloomberg is an opportunist. This is what has made him a successful business man. This is what has made him mayor of New York.

Mr. Bloomberg writes in an op-ed in the NYT today (see below) that he is NOT running for president. Does that mean that he thinks that the candidates are too strong for him to beat? Yes, yes, I know. He says that the candidates aren’t covering the “real” issues. We have heard that before. I can tell you that we have had serious candidates talking about serious issues but you can not present a 30 minute policy speech to the American public and expect that they are going to pay attention. Get real.  Bloomberg is an opportunist who saw no opportunity to win no matter how much money he threw at this goal.
—————

From NYT:

I believe that an independent approach to these issues is essential to governing our nation — and that an independent can win the presidency. I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president. I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership. The most productive role that I can serve is to push them forward, by using the means at my disposal to promote a real and honest debate.

In the weeks and months ahead, I will continue to work to steer the national conversation away from partisanship and toward unity; away from ideology and toward common sense; away from sound bites and toward substance. And while I have always said I am not running for president, the race is too important to sit on the sidelines, and so I have changed my mind in one area. If a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach — and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy — I’ll join others in helping that candidate win the White House. (more…)

Tags: Domestic Issues, Election 2008 by ecthompson
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This is Portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley from 1768.

Paul Revere lived 1734-1818.

Here is how this painting is described in the book American Art and Architecture by Michael J. Lewis—

“Here was a new kind of painting. Instead of aristocratic subjects in settings of leisure, Copley portrayed merchants and artisans who were not ashamed of their status or their manual labor—Aristocrats of commerce. Revere holds one of his silver teapots in one hand as he prepares to incise it with decoration while the other holds his head, as if to suggest that he earns his livelihood by both his hands and his head.”

Here is information on Paul Revere.

Despite this painting, Copley was no friend of the American Revolution. He left America in 1774 and settled in London.

Click here for some information on Copley. Take a look at his self-portrait—Just seeing it will clue you in on his feelings about the revolution.

Tags: General by Texas Liberal
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I thought that President Bush as going to fix the electrical grid?  What happened to that plan?  I’m guessing that someone got rich and we got the shaf$.

Please note in the story below that the writers of this story go out of their way not to blame the nuclear plant for any of these problems.  I find that kind of interesting.

Video to follow.

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From Miami Herald:

At its peak, the main power failure left as many as four million people without electricity in South Florida, along the Gulf Coast, in the Orlando area and elsewhere around the state, according to state officials.

The outage was caused by a switch failure at Florida Power & Light’s Flagami substation — not in the utility’s nuclear plant at Turkey Point, as reported earlier by some media outlets, FPL President Armando Olivera said during an evening news conference.  (more…)

Tags: Domestic Issues, Energy by ecthompson
2 Comments »

Ever since mid-January, Hillary Clinton has been running as the candidate with experience. She has been trying to paint Barack Obama as the candidate with speeches and no ability to get anything done.

As an aside, I think that the political atmosphere that has developed has made it impossible for these two candidates to work together as President and Vice-President. I just don’t think that is possible any more.

Barack Obama again does a nice job with this question. He has done somethings. He has worked with the legislative process. He has brought bills to the floor of Congress and gotten things done.

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had their 100th debate. I’m not sure what could be said that hadn’t been said last week or 3 weeks ago but the candidates were there and they appeared interested.

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was served up as a topic for discussion. Fireworks have been flying over a mailer that Obama’s camp sent out. That prompted the “Shame on you, Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public. That’s not what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio — let’s have a debate about your tactics.” quote from Hillary Clinton.

Here’s the deal. I don’t think that the Barack Obama’s flier was exactly accurate (TCR has the blow by blow of this fight). I’m not sure why Obama’s people didn’t just print the facts. Some jobs have left because of NAFTA. This is a fact. On the other hand, some middle and upper management have profited because of NAFTA. It is now becoming clear that we need to restore our upper lower and lower middle classes. These are the folks that have been hurt because manufacturing jobs have left. I continue to be puzzled that there isn’t a shoe company that makes shoes here in the US. Not one. That’s not right.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Election 2008 by ecthompson
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Now, this is a sweet show.  My guest - Melissa Harris-Lacewell, associate professor of Political Science and African American studies at Princeton University.  We have a great discussion about this 2008 presidential race.  She leaves us with a nugget of wisdom.  You shouldn’t miss this one!

 

 The Errington Thompson Show 02-23-08 [46:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008, Podcasts by ecthompson
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I think that 60 minutes did a good job telling this part of the Don Siegelman’s story.

Here’s my question for you, if they can do this to an ex-governor what chance do you and I have?

 

 60 Minutes - Don Siegelman [13:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Civil Liberty, Legal, Party Politics by ecthompson
4 Comments »

We all saw it coming.  It is like Penelope Pitstop.  She is tied to the tracks.  She can see the train coming but can’t get out of the way.  2 Polls show Barack Obama leading in Texas.  Most of his gain has come from women.

Interestingly, in Ohio, Clinton still leads Obama.

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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Keith Olbermann talks with Rachel Maddow about Barack Obama’s patriotism. The AP asked the question if Barack Obama is patriotic enough? Reporter Nedra Pickler uses Roger Stone of the Swift Boat Morons as a reference for comment. Just to complete the smear they use a picture of Barack in which he is lost in the darkness of night. (see below)

CNN puts out a poll in which they underscore Right Wing this stupidity. They ask a variation of the above question - Does Barack Obama should the proper patriotism to be president? What kind of crap is that? Now, you have to take a patriotism quiz before running for president? (Did you see this great picture of convicted Congressman Randy Cunningham with his flag lapel pin?)

The best thing that I can say is Barack Obama is up for the challenge. He is not hiding in the corner. It isn’t running to put on 5 lapel pins. Instead, he is standing tall and taking on the knuckleheads.

Tags: Countdown, Election 2008 by ecthompson
4 Comments »

• We Love the Troops - Admiral Mullen stated that the troops should have 18 - 24 months off for every year to 15 months they spend in a combat zone. Unfortunately, he admitted that he didn’t see that happening any time soon.
• John Ashcroft - maybe “forced” (whatever that means in a world where Harriett Meirs can give the House the Bronx salute) to testify about his golden parachute.
• Remember on Friday that the Bush Administration wrote Congress saying that we were”losing” intelligence (pun intended) because the House was not giving the Telecoms blanket immunity? Well, as it turns out, all the Telecoms are cooperating with the Justice department. Surprise!

Tags: Bush Administration, Countdown by ecthompson
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This is a form letter that was generated at FireDogLake.

Hey,

On Sunday Nedra Pickler of the AP wrote a hit piece trying to call Senator Barack Obama’s patriotism into question. It’s up to us to push back against this right wing smear.

Knowing you, I thought you would want to help. You can go here to take action by writing to the editors of local and national newspapers:
http://action.firedoglake.com/page/speakout/pickler

Thanks!

Tags: Party Politics by ecthompson
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I was a movie guy. I did the film criticism classes. Hell, I even watched Attack of the Killer Tomatoes - twice but that was before residency and now an 80 hour per job on the slow weeks. I’ll rent movies because I’m really not liking the movie theaters. The 15 yo’s walking around running around continuously, talking to either other or on their cell phones and talking to the screen is annoying. I would rather stay at home and watch the DVD.  Yep, I know. I sound like a grumpy old man - McCain.

Here are the -

Best Motion Picture: “No Country for Old Men.”

Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood.”

Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, “La Vie en Rose.”

Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, “No Country for Old Men.”

Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, “Michael Clayton.”

Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men.”

Foreign Language Film: “The Counterfeiters,” Austria.

Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men.”

Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, “Juno.”

Animated Feature Film: “Ratatouille.”

Tags: Movies by ecthompson
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Imagination and hope are at the core of liberal politics.

To work for a better future you need first to imagine that better future.

This is why I find the message and the campaign of Barack Obama to be of substance.

While I believe that Senator Obama is discussing specific issues, the bottom line is that policy experts can always be hired.

In politics, the specialist should work for the generalist.

Politics is about policy. But it also about representation, choosing sides, and a vision of the future.

Senator Obama represents a future I want to be part of.

Don’t shy away from voting your hopes.

Don’t let people tell you that imagination lacks substance.

Hope and imagination are things we should never allow anybody to denigrate. They are among the best aspects of our humanity.

Here is the link to the Obama campaign.

Tags: Other Political Thoughts by Texas Liberal
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I have heard just whiffs of this story. Tom Hartman had talked about the story a couple of months ago. I had seen a little something the Huffington Post.

Tonight, 60 minutes took up this case. They really didn’t deal with the election but instead they focused on the prosecution of Don Siegelman. But Siegelman’s story really starts before he gets jailed. It starts with Siegelman’s re-election. Julie Sigwart of Take Back the Media gets an exclusive interview with Siegelman before all hell breaks loose. Currently, Siegelman is not allowed to talk speak with the press which is why 60 minutes couldn’t interview him. This is the order of the court.

Update: Read more about Siegelman’s case on No Comment. It has also been reported that parts of tonight’s 60 minutes broadcast were blacked out in Alabama. (BTW, I’m just wondering if Cindy McCain is still very proud of living in America now? I’m just askin’ because there are times when this country, my country depresses me, like now.)

 

 Don Siegelman speaks [9:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Don Siegelman - part 2 [9:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Elections, Legal by ecthompson
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