From a review of Bob Woodward's "Bush at War":
The relationship between Powell and Rumsfeld (and to a lesser degree Powell and Cheney) is often strained, exposing their differences regarding how to deal with Iraq and whether coalition building or unilateralism is most appropriate.
From a news story about Woodward's newest book, "Obama's Wars":
President Obama said something at his town hall meeting that I think is very revealing, both about his own political essence and about the ideological jungle we're all hacking our way through:
This week's chutzpah award goes to Calumet County (Wis.) District Attorney Ken Kratz. He not only disgraced his office and abused his power by harassing a woman with his sexting; he preyed on her when she was at her most vulnerable -- during the prosecution of her boyfriend (by Kratz!) for abusing her. Yet he plans to fight plans by the governor to remove him:
Wonder how long before our government proposes something like this?
The UK's tax collection agency is putting forth a proposal that all employers send employee paychecks to the government, after which the government would deduct what it deems as the appropriate tax and pay the employees by bank transfer.
Hard-working Americans who need a little more time off:
House leaders are considering adjourning as early as the end of this week, which would give lawmakers five and a half weeks to campaign before the Nov. 2 election but could also leave them exposed to allegations that they didn't finish their work in Washington.
If two counties are reported having trouble with medical bills for prisoners, there are likely others we haven't heard from yet, so consider this a possible trend. Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries is requesting $229,000 extra because, among other expenses, six inmates with serious problems have received more than $99,000 in care since March. St.
WSBT-TV in South Bend did a story on this billboard with an embarrassing typo that was up for four days. The sign has been taken down and is "under repair," but thanks to Lee MacMillan's Facebook page, it will live on in cyberspace.
From here on, I will feel less guilty about the possibility of overestimating myself:
Jimmy Cartesure knows how to make himself unpopular among his peers.
Mr. Carter is a member of a most exclusive group: living ex-presidents of the United States, of whom the country currently has only four. But in an interview with Brian Williams of NBC, Mr. Carter said that he feels “superior” to the others.
The Colts team that showed up for the game against Houston looked like it couldn't beat anybody. The team that showed up last night against the Giants looked like nobody could beat it. How long into the season will it be before we figure out which team is the real one? Going to be interesting.
I agree with this post that the ballyhooed "meeting of the Mannings" was really compelling TV, and also that:
I think there have probably been times when, numbed with fatigue, I have said something like, "Man, I'd kill for a cup of good coffee right now." But I really didn't mean it -- honest:
A Kentucky man accused of strangling his wife is poised to claim excessive caffeine from sodas, energy drinks and diet pills left him so mentally unstable he couldn't have knowingly killed her, his lawyer has notified a court.
My sterling record of political predictions continues. It was barely more than a month ago when I speculated that Gov. Mitch Daniels would look at the two men and one woman who were finalists for the Indiana Supreme Court vacancy and choose the woman. If all three were equally qualified, I said, there "would be no particular reason not to" and it would remove Indiana from the very short list (along with Idaho) of states with no woman on its highest court.
Best idea of the week month year:
Clearly, this story is too good to pass up, but I'm not quite sure whether to be serious or take the frivolous route:
A girl accused of exposing her breasts on an Indianapolis street cannot argue that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution gives her the freedom to do it, the state's appeals court ruled today.
Today's lesson in interpersonal relationships. Good hoax:
Casey Affleck wants to come clean.
I think I've said here once or twice, regarding the possibility of gridlock in Congress, that doing nothing is far preferable to doing the wrong thing. South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint is being told the same thing and seems to agree:
Justice Emily Litella Sthephen Breyer clarifies his remarks on the First Amendment:
CNN's Larry King: There's no doubt that Pastor Jones, little church in Florida, had the right, he has the right to burn the Quran, doesn't he?
About a dozen people in Indianapolis whipped out knives and started stabbing at each other, and five of them were injured:
The incident was apparently spurred by a parking dispute, police said.
"There's been a disturbance here on this street, by this house, for the last two nights prior to tonight, apparently over a parking dispute," said Indianapolis police Sgt. Paul Thompson. "We believe that is also the motive for tonight's disturbance."
Happy Constitution Day! Our national blueprint is 223 years old today. Here are some interesting facts about the document, including:
John Adams referred to the Constitution as “the greatest single effort of national deliberation that the world has ever seen” and George Washington wrote to the Marquis de Lafayette that “It (the Constitution) appears to me, then, little short of a miracle.”
Amen.
So Fort Wayne may soon have an 1,883-acre "park and boulevard" district added to the National Register of Historic places. Fine. It might get us recognition and some funding. Dandy. But this is the part I was looking for:
Most of the affected property is publicly owned but, unlike local historic districts, the designation would not affect private owners' ability to use their property as they choose.
Yesterday, I posted about the Marion County Public Library in Indianapolis cutting back its hours at all branches so it could keep them open. That's the kind of move most big cities have had to make during the recession. In Los Angeles, they decided to be a little more drastic:
