About
Captain Ed is a father and grandfather living in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, a native Californian who moved to the North Star State because of the weather. He lives with his wife Marcia, also known as the First Mate, their two dogs, and frequently watch their granddaughter Kayla, whom Captain Ed calls The Little Admiral.
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The Crows Nest
Would Early Primaries Allow More Donations?
Jim Geraghty at The Campaign Spot believes that candidates will benefit if primaries and caucuses get pushed into 2007. A loophole in campaign finance regulation appears to allow an extra $2,300 per donor for candidates if those elections are held this year. Be sure to check out Jim's analysis, and the surprising candidate that may benefit the most.
When Tom Met Jeralyn
One of the interesting aspects of politics is finding out that opponents are people, too. Jeralyn Merritt of TalkLeft met Rep. Tom Tancredo backstage at NBC's studios, and found him more likable than she had anticipated. Perhaps it was their mutual interest in Dog, The Bounty Hunter ...
Joe Lieberman A Right-Wing Nut?
That's what CAIR says, according to Joe Kaufman. He has a link to a CAIR official's blog post that calls Lieberman, along with John Bolton, former CIA director James Woolsey, and the Heritage Foundation's Peter Brookes as "extremists". Affad Shaikh also calls Dick Cheney a "fat bastard of a liar," apparently not meant as a pop-culture reference to the Austin Powers movies. (via Let Freedom Ring)
Broadband Homelessness
The Japanese have made homelessness more efficient, and more Net-friendly, too. Their Internet cafés have become homeless shelters for the struggling manual-labor sector. The problem has grown into such a problem that government intervention will shortly become a political priority.
Found My Law Firm
Power Line links twice to this story regarding an attorney at Faegre & Benson who refused to become a victim and helped capture a very dangerous man. Keith Radtke is a partner in the firm as is Power Line's John Hinderaker. Radtke is listed in satisfactory condition after getting shot in the back, but that didn't keep him from locking up his attacker in a wrestling grip until police could arrive. I don't know about you, but that's the kind of man I'd want as my counsel ....
Don't Click That YouTube E-mail
The latest in spam seems to be redirections from YouTube links in e-mail to IP addresses without domain names. They attempt to entice people by making it seem that they have been inadvertently YouTubed. I'm sure most people can see through this scam, but just in case, you've been warned ....
Rick Moran Escapes The Floods
Rick Moran has kept us up to date on his travails along the Algonquin River. Yesterday, the police showed up to get him evacuated before the river flooded his home -- but today, Rick finds that a minor miracle has taken place, and that his house survives ... at least for now. Keep Rick in your prayers, and keep checking in at Right Wing Nut House for updates.
Rule 1: Drag The Corpse On Over First
If I've learned anything in four years of blogging, don't try to be out in front of the death rumors, especially with the villains of the world. Saddam died a hundred deaths before we caught him alive in his spider hole, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi almost as many before his demise last year. Osama may or may not be alive, but everyone's avoided speculating on his fate for a while now. Maybe Val at Babalu Blog will get luckier with his "Castro Is Dead" story. We all hope so. I'll wait for the announcement ....
Hobbs Choice
Volunteer Voters is holding its annual "Best of Nashville" on-line polls, and one of the categories is for the best political writer. Our friend Bill Hobbs, now posting at Newsbusters, and he'd like his on-line fans to cast their votes. Drop by and put one in for Bill if you get a chance!
Murtha Getting Backlogged On Apologies
Gary Gross of Let Freedom Ring sees another case collapsing on the Haditha charges. He's called for Murtha to apologize earlier, and adds another reason to the tally.
No Such Thing As 'Moderate' Islam?
Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan told a television interviewer that he finds the label "moderate Islam" offensive. Shrink Wrapped has a lot more on this, but at least in the same interview Erdogan acknowledged that "radical Islam" exists, and that it's been a catastrophe. Be sure to read the whole post.
MS-NBC Gets Punk'd
Power Line has a great post on a lack of journalistic effort on the part of MS-NBC. In covering the Michael Vick story, they reported on what they thought was Al Sharpton's website proclaiming Vick's innocence. I guess Alex Johnson and two other MS-NBC reporters couldn't bother to read the title bar of the site, which proudly proclaims it as a "parody site".
New Instapundit Podcast On Pharmaceuticals
I just caught this e-mail from Glenn Reynolds about his new podcast with Richard Epstein, the author of Overdose: How Excessive Government Regulation Stifles Pharmaceutical Innovation. Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but the topic is important enough to make sure I carve out time for it tomorrow. Get their first and tell me what I'm missing ....
Fed Trying A 'Stealth Easing'?
The Federal Reserve seems to have conducted a quiet campaign to steady markets that started spinning out of control, according to King Banaian at SCSU Scholars. He thinks that the Fed has conducted a "stealth easing". Be sure to read his explanation and follow his lnks.
A Shameless Bit Of Sel-Promotion
Gateway Pundit and Val at Babalu Blog note a crass PR move by Hugo Chavez. Venezuela has responded to Peru's eathquake disaster with food shipments -- and with Hugo's smiling picture on the cans. He also uses the tuna-can label to undermine President Garcia of Peru, who narrowly defeated Chavez' pal Ollanto Humalla, whom the labels extol for his "solidarity" with Chavez.
Tacky beyond belief.
Comments (16)
Posted by ScottM | July 11, 2007 10:41 AM
Remind me why I volunteered for Bush in 2004? Hell, remind me why I voted for Bush in 2004?
Well, I suppose Kerry would have been marginally worse.
Posted by Tom Shipley | July 11, 2007 11:03 AM
In one, Gonzales takes a page from Hillary Clinton's defense of her vote to authorize war against Iraq
I have to disagree wtih this. Hilary didn't use the fact that she didn't read the NIE as a defense for her vote. She did defend not reading the entire thing by saying she really didn't miss anything by not reading the entire point because she read summarys and was well-briefed on it. But she didn't use not reading it as a defense.
I know it's easier to write about trangressions of your own party by talking about transgressions of the oppposing party, but in this instance, it doesn't fit.
The comparison to Bill Clinton does seem to fit though.
Posted by Lew | July 11, 2007 11:05 AM
ScottM, I would differ with you in degree only.
Kerry would have been way worse, but as time goes bye that's beginning to look like its not saying much!
Posted by Monkei | July 11, 2007 11:16 AM
The more you think these two parties are different, the more they remain and are in fact the same. Thanks for the comparison again Captain.
When will GWB ever learn to cut his losses?
Posted by Tom Shipley | July 11, 2007 11:16 AM
Oh, and Gonzales needs to go.
Posted by mrlynn | July 11, 2007 11:18 AM
Captain, I don't agree. The claim was in the context of violations of the Patriot Act, and interpreting "civil liberties abuse" as deliberate violations now allowed by that Act is perfectly defensible, not Clintonian at all.
The Washington Post and the Dems have been after Gonzales for months now. No need for you to pile on, especially on such silly grounds.
/Mr Lynn
Posted by Ron | July 11, 2007 12:10 PM
It seems to me that I remember all the calls for Janet Reno to go, from Waco to the handling of the campaign fund-raising scandal linked to the 1996 election, to the Elian fiasco. She never did go. So neither should Gonzales. More power to Bush for sticking with him and sticking it to the dems.
Posted by Carol Herman | July 11, 2007 12:22 PM
I'm beginning to suspect Dubya's use for his friend, Alberto, is what comrades do for each other, when they're under fire, in battle. And, Gozo goes out there attracting fire.
SO WHAT?
One more story about the FBI, huh?
Not only "doesn't Gonzo know," you're just being informed, too, that the FBI sucks. That the only thing on their agenda is to embarass this president. And, the "secret stuff" spills to the New Yuk TImes. Where there's maggots jumping down from the roof. Nicely built, huh?
Keeps the rabble busy.
Doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
And, we can thank our lucky stars, that as bad as our guys are; from the looks of things that happened in Glasgow and London, their doctors are worse than our lawyers; who've been hired to "halp" by given badges. At the FBI.
So, if you want me to be "impressed?" WHY? Our idiots are less worse than their religious nutters.
Posted by brooklyn | July 11, 2007 12:30 PM
Embattled ???
So he is going to be forced from Office or something?
Captain, you remain outstanding, however, once someone gets on your 'bad' card, you seem to play it overtly.
Long ago, some of the biggest Conservative Pundits embraced a negative cynicism with the Bush Administration, often without sincere basis.
Some even provided the baseless charges of Chuck Schumer with a tiny wind.
Even you Captain, rushed to entertain a bizarre fake conspiracy about the Bush Administration hiding the discovery of a massive WMD discovery in Iraq, because of some nutty claim they lost those same WMD's.
Dubai, Meirs, Immigration has all been handled with such overt hyperbole and reckless debasing.
And some actually still perceive the worst.
Sadly, we see this now with the fine Captain in regards to the AG.
ABUSE is not the same as a VIOLATION.
Or is it?
Abuse usually contains malicious intent, while violations could be a failure to dot an 'i', without any victimization involved.
Ironically, it has been revealed, the current AG has a number of positives, supporting some sound policy, especially in regards to the War on Terror.
Specifically, the AG should be thanked for rejecting calls to close GITMO, the strong response in regards to investigating Rep. William Jefferson, etc...
Again, I am beginning to wonder if some of the best Conservative Pundits I have been reading for many years, have lost sight of objective insight.
Often, many these days use the same condemnation for some honest imperfections amongst decent Americans, as they do for the actions of unethical Liberal Democrats.
First, as a reminder, Conservatives believe human beings are imperfect, and this is one aspect for Our belief in limited Government.
As power corrupts, people make many mistakes, and bureaucracies remain difficult to manage.
Meanwhile, the cynical nature of many critics, who have never held positions comparable to those governing, managing, sacrificing, has become far too exacting.
And they are unwittingly undermining those trying their best to serve their interest.
It is still shocking, to see many Conservatives without any empathy for the burden this President carries, leading so many Americans in harms way.
Hillary must be thrilled with the Conservatives failure to maintain focus, healthy context, constructive insight, and a resolved determination.
The pessimists are winning, and everything is a negative.
Posted by Tom Shipley | July 11, 2007 12:42 PM
Embattled ???
Gonzalez' picture is in Webster's at this point. It replaced Rumsfeld's.
Posted by Arthur Franke | July 11, 2007 1:30 PM
I have to completely disagree with you. I was ticketed for doing 88 mph hour a few months ago when I was only doing about 75.
The speeding laws weren't abused. The cop just made a mistake and pulled over the wrong silver SUV.
The FBI's getting three months of phone records when the only requested two months of phone records isn't an abuse of the Patriot Act. It is a stretch to even call it a mistake.
Posted by Red Wolverine | July 11, 2007 2:09 PM
Why was John Ashcroft forced out?
Posted by eaglewings | July 11, 2007 2:42 PM
WashCompost 'abuse' =anytime a republican DOJ official does anything to enforce criminal or anti terrorist laws.
Violation thus does not equal abuse. Does Charles have an ACLU card that he's been hiding from us? I think the Captain is a little over the top on this one.
Posted by Bill Faith | July 11, 2007 5:17 PM
OK, so Gonzo's a loser. No argument there, but I hope you aren't recommending firing him at this point. Bad as he is, he's better than anyone Bush could get confirmed by the current Senate. Bush had his chance to appoint someone qualified for the job when Ashcroft left and he opted for someone he could count on not to get any crazy notions about enforcing any immigration laws. I excerpted and linked.
Posted by ScottM | July 11, 2007 10:12 PM
"Embattled " is the opposite of "embiggened."
Posted by owl2 | July 12, 2007 1:39 PM
Just.....WHY?
To all of it.
Again, I am beginning to wonder if some of the best Conservative Pundits I have been reading for many years, have lost sight of objective insight.
Often, many these days use the same condemnation for some honest imperfections amongst decent Americans, as they do for the actions of unethical Liberal Democrats.
Exactly, brooklyn. Since the Nov elections, I have had to go on several no blog/politic vacations because of it. Republicans had a major problem with 1)Spineless Pug Congressmen who could only stand together on one issue over and over......they agreed to POINT at the White House and SUPERVISE. 2)MSM's distortions that finally just degenerated into flat out lying........as long as they could POINT at the White House.
I can no longer even tolerate some of our best Pundits. No, I am not talking about the Captain although I detest these hair shirts.
I swear to God the Democrats do not need ANY more help. They have 99% of all American and International MSM. When you unite 99% with the political wimps that were in power before Nov......and all the above POINT at Bush for all trangressions.........
And people wonder why we lost? And then we move to the furious people (of which I now reside). All of you that are so eat up with immigration that you feel you must POINT at only George W Bush's administration.........you need to get in that long line of POINTERS.
He is one man. Only a single man doing his best to protect us with the resources that he had available. And a damn fine job he has done when you consider the 'world' against him. For myself..........I wish he would prosecute the NYTs, WaPo. I wish he would say that Armitage and Collin Powell are backstabbing sluts. I wish he would have called names of those slimey, wimpy but arrogant Pug Senators that have stood in his way on every issue. I wish he had called their names when they sat on their Glorious Rumps and allowed all his nominees to be trashed. I wish he had called many people......many.
I do not understand the pure fracturing of a party over Miers/Dubai/Brownie/immigration. The Dem's MSM have beat the 'cronyism' and 'corruption' drum from the beginning. So has one particular Pug Pundit and one particular Pundit group site that started the first hulabaloo.
Write me down in the 2% that still supports President George W Bush. He seems to be the only man with a spine........and Lord has that man took a beating from all. He is the only one that has my 100% support........certainly not what is called the Party, these days.