Reason Morning Links: Salad Days of the Condor

- Dawn Johnson withdraws her bid to run the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.

- A plane crash kills Poland's president and other national leaders.

- Mitt Romney edges out Ron Paul by one vote at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll.

- New evidence emerges concerning Henry Kissinger's connection to the Operation Condor killings.

- The most pathetic attempt you'll see today to tie the Tea Parties to racism.

Comments

[ed]

The most pathetic attempt you'll see today to tie the Tea Parties to racism.

It's still early.

[Kolohe]

It's still early
Maybe, but tea party survey was the worst use of statistical correlation I've seen in quite some time.

Indeed, strong support for the tea party movement results in a 45 percent decline in support for health care reform compared with those who oppose the tea party.

I mean really, wow, a group's signature issue is indicative of the their beliefs? No wai!

The futurity is not very bright.

[Rich]

FTFL: "News from Leading Research Universities"

Sorry -- their banner provides a good reason to stop reading at that point.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I went to the University of Washington website in an attempt to find the study. Unfortunately, all they have is basically the same synopsis saying the exact same thing with the same selective reasoning. Looking forward to the actual results of the poll instead of several selective data that tell us nothing but the conclusions the author wants us to draw.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

This poll was conducted in an incredibly shoddy manner.

"the survey reached 494 whites, 380 blacks, 77 Latinos and 64 members of other races"

That is no where close to the proportional racial breakdown of the actual population. (75% white, 12% black). Whites made up 49% of the respondents and blacks 37%. African-Americans make up over 3 x their proportion in society for this survey's results. Then they try to make meaningful comparisons between the racial views of those who support the admittedly predominantly white Tea Party and to the remainder of the sample that is far disproportionate demographically to society with people who would understandably be biased in the opposite direction. If you remove the white (and probably those of other races) Tea Party supporters, African-Americans would likely make up a majority of the remaining respondents. Is the argument is that whites are more likely to be racist against African-Americans than African Americans are? Seems likely, unfortunately. The converse is probably true as well.

Again, I'm only extrapolating from the very limited data provided but this looks like it was set up specifically to make Tea Partiers look more racist than they really are. I want some results, but until then I call B.S. on this.

[TP]

Mitt Romney edges out Ron Paul by one vote at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll.

This is just scandalous. C4L sold tickets at discounted prices to get RP supporters there. Evangelicals gave tickets away if they promised to vote for Romney in the straw poll. How can people like Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich compete with that?

[James Ard]

I knew there had to be some funny business going on for the signer of Romneycare winning that straw poll. I thank god the guy's ego is too big to disown the disaster.

[TrickyVic]

""I knew there had to be some funny business going on for the signer of Romneycare winning that straw poll.""

Why? A lot of republicans support mandated health insurance.

[John]

These straw polls mean about as much to the actual election as NCAA football recruiting rankings mean to on the field performance. All of these events are just filled with party activist types. And they are a pretty small and unrepresentative portion of the electorate.

[TP]

A lot can happen in 2 years, also.

[Fighting Irish]

Shit.

[John C. Randolph]

C4L negotiated a deal with the conference to offer their members discounted tickets. That was the conference making a bulk-sale deal, not the C4L paying for the difference. Romney was actually paying for the tickets he was giving away.

-jcr

[Rich]

Let me be the first to ask: "I wonder who's Kissinger now?"

[Steve Nash Equilibrium]

Pittsburgh Steelers now know what it's like to be a college co-ed alone in a bathroom with Ben Roethlisberger, trade Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes to the Jets for a 5th round pick and some pocket lint.

Link

[John]

LOL. He is a knucklehead and in the last year of his contract. The Steelers have decided not to give him long term money. The rest of the league also knows what a risk he is and how much he will cost. For that reason, they won't give anything for him in trade. Pittsburgh basically cut him.

[Solanum]

Your Monday morning eye candy (SFW)

[John]

The tall one in the middle is not bad looking. And neither is the one on the far left. And the others are not bad looking for guys.

[ed]

Fat women should not squeeze themselves into green sausage casings.

[John]

the one in the green looks like something hanging from the ceiling in a kosher deli. It is a bit of an assault on your senses.

[John]

The one on the far right is cute to. And of course there is always the factor of all of them being completely insane.

[CoyoteBlue]

Yeah a suprising lack of butch in that group. But don't be fooled guys. I was tricked by my college's womyns center. Well, not completely. The single mothers/divorcees - returning to school group was worth my attention.

[SugarFree]

The short one to the right of the tall girl (the one with her skirt hiked up over her xiphoid process), considers herself genderqueer. She's also a "radical doula."

[John]

Which is another way of saying "lesbian sexual predator". something tells me she doesn't take no for an answer.

[JW]

My eyes! Goggles, etc.

[Ska]

Yeah, I thought the tall one was attractive, which made me wonder if I needed to go to the bathroom and punch myself in the balls a few times.

[.]

Naw, just slap the monkey around a bit.

[Prolefeed]

The tall one is the best looking in this group, which isn't a very tall bar to clear. And I'll bet they all get much less attractive when they start speaking their batshit insane ideology.

[SugarFree]

Fashion note: The sausage casing dress is never, ever in.

[Zeb]

Particularly worn over pants. God I hate skirt over pants.

[SugarFree]

Look closely at how the tights are cutting off the circulation to her big elephant feet.

[Groovus Maximus]

Jeepers! Snooki certainly has put on the weight lately.

[Olav SFW]

Thanks you! I will soon be pleasuring them in ways American men can not!!

[Art-P.O.G.]

What woman could say no to that?

[Sudden]

I thought Olav was gonna talk about the average size of the Ukrainian johnson for a second there.

[Warty]

Talk about fun cakes, my girl's got 'em...

[SugarFree]

Baby got back. On her front.

[Ska]

Or she has tits on her back, your choice.

[Chris]

Big bottom drive me outta my mind
How could I leave this behind?

[Douglas Fletcher]

Ron Paul -- love him or hate him, do we really need another 90-year old white guy Republican candidate?

[Hank Johnson]

Uh ... No?

[hmm]

You ever notice how racial studies always focus on white opinions. I wonder what the 300+ black opinions turned out to be and how racial their voting habits are.

[Dian Fossey]

Tribalism (or collectivism, if you prefer) is as racist as it gets, regardless of color. A depressing majority of blacks vote as a block. They are Dependable Democrats. Yet they see a crowd of white people and assume the worst. Who are the racists?

[Rich]

A depressing majority of blacks vote as a block.

*Very* well said, Dian.

[MNG]

Maybe they are being rational and see the Democratic Party as promoting policies that would advance their interests, as individuals?

[James Ard]

That would be racist.

[John]

Absolutely. Things like stopping school choice and unlimited immigration are so in black people's interests.

[MNG]

So blacks are just confused and misled, eh John?

No patronizing there!

[Live Raw Sewage]

Yes. They. Are.

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

Many of them are confused and misled. That would put them in the same boat with everybody else who supports the so-called "two-party system". James Bovard's phrase (and book) "Attention Deficit Democracy" is apropos.

[Tulpa]

Sort of like economic libertarians and pro-lifers get nothing from the GOP despite being a loyal voting bloc.

[R C Dean]

Oddly, MNG, when polled on issues, blacks tend to be pretty social-conservative, and surprisingly economic-conservative.

[James Ard]

Yeah, generations of dependency is in their best interests.

[Thom]

The Democrats need a captive dependent group to justify creating the huge bureaucracy that "serves" that group.

[Rich]

Thanks, Jack! That video is chock full of "great" utterances by people who are here to protect and serve us.

How about "freeing up" a whole bunch of LEO jobs by requiring pop-quizzes on the supreme law of the land?

[creech]

Philly cops used to be far more subtle.Grin and smile at you while making soto voce threats to kick your balls upside your head.

[BakedPenguin]

I wonder how they rank against Chicago and NY cops. It would be funny to see "brutality" rankings of cops in the US's major cities.

[grrizzly]

Blacks want to preserve the affirmative action since it benefits them at the expense of people of other races. So, if voting for the Democratic Party assures this result then it's rational for blacks to continue to vote for Democrats.

[The Libertarian Guy]

That's a good one, MNG... Democrats love individualism. Quite the knee-slapper. Oh, me sides are achin' from all the levity.

[Dian Fossey]

their interests, as individuals

My point being: many blacks don't see themselves as individuals. They talk about "community," "identity," "black culture"...it's tribalism, one variant of racism. "We," not "I."

[Thread Jack]

Here's a video of several of Philly's Finest threatening and attempting to provoke some people handing out jury information pamphlets in front of the courthouse last Thursday. One thug in blue is on video threatening to shove a camera down someone's throat. Isn't it against the law to make terroristic threats? Apparently not, if you're a cop.

[SIV]

So they don't automatically arrest them all on obstruction of justice (and other charges)? Philly seems quite tolerant of jury nullification proponents.

[.]

That one cop making the threats about the camera seems to be doing his best to provoke the guy into saying or doing something that would justify a disorderly conduct arrest. Wonder what would happen if someone were to threaten to shove a fist down the cop's throat?

[Speak Minnesotan]

"You know, a lotta guys might shove a fist down your throat."

[Cop]

I'd shove my nightstick so far up your ass you'd be coughing feces.

[Barney Frank]

(Perk!)

[SugarFree]

Yay! Socialized medicine!

A total of 722 objects were left inside patients following operations in 2008 alone - including pliers, scalpels, coils and swabs.

And 11 people were "seriously harmed" during NHS ops every day. Other mistakes included failing to sterilise equipment, which hastens the spread of superbugs MRSA and C.diff.

Nurses and doctors also wrongly administered drugs on a regular basis and gave patients the wrong blood type.

The figures were released for hospital incidents during 2008 because last year's are still being collected by NHS Trusts.

In the past five years, almost 12,200 patients had organs punctured during ops.

[James Ard]

I heard the other day that their organ donation system was a mess as well. Doctors removing the wrong organs and other screw ups.

[James Ard]

Not that we don't mess things up. Dennis Quaid is on cspan right now discussing an overdose given to his wife.

[James Ard]

Not his wife, his twins.

[BakedPenguin]

Not that we don't mess things up.

Google "Drew/King LA hospital". If you are ever in an ambulance in central LA, make sure to ask what hospital you are going to. If they say "Drew / King", jump out of the ambulance, even if you are having a heart attack.

[MNG]

Doesn't this type of thing happen regularly under our system?

I mean, this is like "Truths About Socialized Medecine: Many Patients Seen in Socialized Systems Eventually Die! Vote for Liberty Instead!"

[John]

Mistakes happen in every system. The UK and Canadian systems seem to have much more than their share. Proof of that is in medical tourism. If the systems were not such a nightmare, their citizens wouldn't be going elsewhere for treatment. Indeed, people would be traveling there for treatment. When is the last time you heard of someone from outside the UK going to the NHS for treatment? It doesn't happen.

[SugarFree]

When is the last time you heard of someone from outside the UK going to the NHS for treatment?

Happened to Episiarch, just not voluntarily. NHS's bungling left him with chronic pain for the rest of his life.

[John]

No shit? That is terrible. I am surprised he hasn't hunted MNG down and killed him. If I were living in pain thanks to NHS incompetence, few things would enrage me more than having some hipster doofus like MNG lecture me on the virtues of socialized medicine.

[MNG]

Let the anecdotal evidence fly!

[Steff]

Anecdotal evidence has a place. Generally, I take people on good faith, even though I know that human nature does allow for lying. Therefore, I have no reason to disbelieve that this happened, unless two doesn't add up to two.

But if two DOES add up to two, I'm not going to sit there and accuse him of giving me a five in answer.

[Tulpa]

Did they leave a zombie gerbil in his rectum or something?

[Michael]

You're absolutely correct. It is also much easier to redress grievances against the government than any private entity.

You're just, like, "Hey! Your doctors left a scalpel inside of me!"

And Obama's all, "Oh, shit! Sorry! Let's settle out of court for a fair amount because we can't really afford a good lawyer!"

[J sub D]

And Obama's all, "Oh, shit! Sorry! Let's settle out of court for a fair amount because we can't really afford a good lawyer!"

No, Obama would invoke state secrets privilege to get the suit thrown out of court. Something along the lines of "If we disclose our scalpel retrieval policies, the terrorists will win".

[John]

It is called sovereign immunity. The King is never wrong.

[WTF]

I have not read any of the new health care law, but I'd be quite willing to wager it addresses such litigation. And as far as that goes, it typically works pretty much like Las Vegas - the house always wins.

[Richard M. Nixon]

It's not illegal if the president does it.

[Groovus Maximus]

No MNG. It doesn't. Like any system, surgical intervention is not perfect, but is not a widespread occurrence.

I have yet to leave a sponge or instrument in any of my patients.

[Geotpf]

Um, "Obamacare" is, if anything, socialized insurance, not UK-like socialized medicine.

Although a fair number of hospitals thoughtout America are currently owned by local, state, or Federal governments, and have been for decades.

[Geotpf]

Actually, come to think of it, since there was no public option in the law, there isn't even socialized insurance.

[MNG]

Hey, you have to say it's interesting when a Southern Conservative Republican Group picks a Mormon from Massachussetts over an evolution-denying, immigrant hatin' Texan.

[Colin]

He's not immigrant hatin'. Jew hatin' maybe -- but not immigrant hatin'.

[Warty]

You're trying really hard this morning. That's admirable, I guess.

[MNG]

Calm down Warty, I like Paul. But he's not every pro-immigrant. I was just making a comment on the strangeness of the affinity to Romney.

[Warty]

He likes blowing up brown people. That's enough for Team R, which you would know if you would stop sodomizing your mother's flyblown corpse long enough to think about it.

[Live Raw Sewage]

May I recommend the fly strips?

[Pope Jimbo]

Kind of a "Get the flies off your mama's corpse and give her a brazilian wax job at the same time"?

[Lawn Gnome]

I recommend citronella Tiki Torches. It sets the mood so much better.

[Geotpf]

Frankly, that is probably it.

But Paul can't win and almost certainly isn't going to run in 2012 anyways. Romney probably can't win either, and he certainly won't win the general. (Obama gets a ++ from the black vote, while a mormon gets a -- from the Southern Baptist vote, flipping several red states Obama's way if Romney is the nominee.)

Gingrich is too "extreme" to win in the general, and so is Palin. The also-rans like Pawlenty are also-rans. I guess that leaves Huckabee-yeah right.

[Prolefeed]

Yes, a straw poll of a small self-selected sample of people who are trying to pack the room for their candidate is SO representative of how all southern conservatives will in the aggregate vote.

/sarcasm

[P Brooks]

In the past five years, almost 12,200 patients had organs punctured during ops.

This is incontrovertible proof the NHS isn't paying doctors enough.

[Fluffy]

The funniest thing about the Romney straw poll win is that the AP and Reuters stories talked about how his victory showed that he was a frontrunner for 2012.

But when Paul won the last straw poll, it was just a meaningless event.

In fact, I remember that when we talked about Paul's victory at the time, we all wondered if it would have been portrayed as a meaningless event if Romney won. Well, now we know.

[Prolefeed]

Well, if one believes the straw poll, then one would have to conclude that the libertarian and the Romneycare candidates are running neck and neck for the nomination.

Which isn't particularly reality-based, if you ask me.

[P Brooks]

? The most pathetic attempt you'll see today to tie the Tea Parties to racism.

Speaking of truthseekers, has everybody seen the MSNBC ads for Rachel Maddow's special report on McVeigh?

"This is where hatin' on the government inevitably leads! Those teaparty racists are gonna blow up your DMV, if they're not rounded up and put in re-education camps!"

[R C Dean]

Those teaparty racists are gonna blow up your DMV,

Bug, or feature?

[Joel]

Cool! Can I send them money?

[ed]

Oh yeah. Rachel will be going full retard on this one. The scary voice-over on the TV ad is a nice touch.

From the MSNBC site: Nine years after his execution, McVeigh's voice from the grave resonates today as once again anti-government extremism is on the rise.

Look out, Rachel. Nancy Grace is gaining on you.

[T]

We're coming up on 15 years since Tim blew up OKC. If right-wing radicals were really all as violent as all that, surely something else would have gone kablooie by now. I mean, it ain't that difficult to mix up an assload of ANFO in the back of a truck and make it go boom. The decided lack of such events tells me the danger is overstated in an attempt to a) demonize opponents and b) sell air time.

[JW]

For me to have seen this assumes that I would watch MSNBC. Ain't. Gonna. Happen.

Thanks P Brooks! You watch and suffer, so I don't have to.

[Steff]

I'll be sobbing my soul out for the loss of one of the most annoying places to visit in the known universe, I assure you. No, really. I promise, I'll cry. I heart the DMV with its long lines, apathetic staff and tax philosophy.

[SugarFree]

Hey, you have to say it's interesting when a utilitarian who has no respect for individual rights comes and trolls a comment board in order to get his jollies off at the expense of the collective unhappiness of dozens of others. Why, it's almost like he's been lying to them all along about his beliefs to gain rhetorical traction.

But, I will say, that as an individualist, I am proud that you are putting your happiness before the happiness of so many others. Fuck everyone else as long as you get to do what you want, right?

You are on your way to becoming a model Objectivist.

[John]

The problem is of course that when you forget about individuals or start saying that it is okay to sacrifice this or that individual for the "general good", where does it end?

[Mr. Natural]

In the grave, my boy. In the grave.

[R C Dean]

Not even then. See, also, "estate tax".

[Washington (no, not George)]

When we say you can't take it with you, we mean it.

[TrickyVic]

""The problem is of course that when you forget about individuals or start saying that it is okay to sacrifice this or that individual for the "general good", where does it end?""

Somewhere in time, I think that term was the "General's good".

[SIV]

The Gobbler is more succinct.

[Death Panelist]

Dawn Johnson withdraws her bid to run the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.

That opens the door for Philippa Michelle Thomas to finally grab the spotlight.

[Warty]

This place needs more Mustaine.

[SugarFree]

You are welcome, America!

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm still putting it between two slices of some sort of actual bread or breadlike product.

[Nick]

Not a fan of KFC. Actually haven't eaten there in probably 15 years, but that looks really good. What is with the whiny little bitches at geekologie?

[Warty]

All the self-identified "geek" blogs are infested with whiny pussies. It's disgraceful.

[cmace]

Saturated fat is groovy.

http://www.health-report.co.uk.....nefits.htm

[Warty]

Everyone who's not an idiot knows that butter is excellent for you. All you have to do is stop eating sugar, you fat fucks.

[Slut Bunwalla]

Holy crap. I know where I'm going for lunch today!

[JW]

Atkins approves!

[TrickyVic]

One day our federal health overlords will pass a calorie tax.

[J sub D]

... virtually everything that Dawn Johnsen said about executive power, secrecy, the rule of law and accountability for past crimes made her an excellent fit for what Candidate Obama said he would do, but an awful fit for what President Obama has done.

QFT.

[robc]

Speaking of Tea Parties and the Pauls, I made a giant triangle in KY on saturday. In Owensboro, I drove right by a tea party that was going on. Good crowd, it looked like. In Metcalfe Co (a rural county) the Paul:Grayson yard sign ratio was infinity. There were yard signs all over the place and every one I saw for the senate primary (coming in May) was for Rand Paul. Literally, every single one.

Now, Metcalfe Co isnt that far from Bowling Green, but as Paul has never held elective office, Im not sure he has an "area" that is core too him. But if he does, this would be part of it, and he does own it.

[Scotticus Finch]

Paul was at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot on Saturday. Well, in the parking lot, at least.

Seeing a serious US Senate candidate shaking hands with long-haired dudes in full camo with combat shotguns slung across their backs was odd.

Compare that to the media pants-wetting about a couple socialites sneaking into dinner.

[wayne]

I was born in KY, and graduated from WKU. Not that any of this matters, but I am feeling nostalgic.

[SugarFree]

Also a WKU graduate.

[robc]

That explains what is wrong with you. Too much walking up and down hills.

[SugarFree]

It's really quite hellish.

[robc]

My parents are technically WKU alum.

[wayne]

What a coincidence. What year? I graduated in 82, BS in Computer Science and Math.

[SugarFree]

Graduated in '99. I took the bulk of my undergrad at UK, but finished up at WKU when my wife got a job at the Bowling Green Public Library.

[wayne]

BG is a nice town. I would not mind living there.

[Warty]

I had figured you were way more than five years older than me. How did you become so evil at such a young age?

[SugarFree]

I took a long time graduating. I had three large blocks of time off. I graduated high school in '88. I'll be 40 in July.

[Warty]

That makes much more sense.

[Lawn Gnome]

Worry not Warty. You are still the precocious child prodigy of all that is foul.

[Mike M.]

A plane crash kills Poland's president and other national leaders.

Yep, the Cold War is definitely back on again in force.

[P Brooks]

What about this?

Schumer, a New York Democrat, said he would press the Treasury Department to issue an administrative rule that would define carry-on bags as a "reasonable necessity" to prevent airlines from imposing such charges, calling them a "slap in the face to travelers."

Schumer said if the Treasury Department cannot close what he dubbed a loophole in the law, he will introduce legislation that would mandate carry-on bags as reasonably necessary for air travel.

[Warty]

You know, air travel's almost perfect. One or two more regulations ought to fix it.

[Live Raw Sewage]

+1

[Igor]

Soitenly. You take the blonde, I'll take the one in the turban.

[robc]

Of, you know, you could let the market handle it. I guess Schumer hasnt seen the SWA "bags fly free" commercials. Or maybe he is too important to fly Southwest.

[TrickyVic]

The market should handle it. But the new government approach screws that up. Before, if Spirit wanted to do something and drive themselves out of business, fine. But now, Schumer might be thinking along the lines of if we let the market handle it, Spirit will tank and the government will have to bail them out, therefore government must prevent a bailout by preventing them from doing something stupid.

[Ragin Cajun]

Schumer is just ticked that a ticket agent once tried to charge him a carry-on fee for those moobs.

[T]

Carry-on fee? He needs an extra seat for them.

[TrickyVic]

Seats are extra.

[Tulpa]

He'd be even more pissed if they instituted fees for calling the flight attendant "bitch".

[R C Dean]

the SWA "bags fly free" commercials

Best airline commercials since they stopped having babetacular stewardesses.

[Slut Bunwalla]

A Polish airliner is about to land. The Polish captain says "Whoa, look how short that runway is!"

The Polish co-pilot checks and says "Holy shit! Do you think we can actually land on that?"

The captain says, "Well, we don't have any choice, we're almost out of fuel." So he gets on the intercome and tells the passengers to put their heads between their knees and prepare for a rough landing.

The plane descends and lands, just barely stopping at the edge of the runway.

"I can't believe we made it," the captain says. "That's the shortest runway I've ever seen!"

The co-pilot says, "Yeah, and it's really wide, too!"

[wayne]

+1

[R C Dean]

Too. Soon.

[kinnath]

From Patrick Smith over at Salon

While it's possible that some sort of on-board systems failure may have contributed to the accident, the evidence thus far points to crew error. There was heavy fog at the Smolensk airport, and reportedly the flight had been instructed not to land, as visibility had fallen below the minimum required for landing. The pilots elected to try anyway, making four attempts, descending too low and striking trees.

It would take very little editing to turn this into a classic joke.

[Tulpa]

Are you saying they were simple Poles in the complex plane? No wonder they couldn't differentiate.

[Tulpa]

Absolutely. Think how upset you would be if the leader of your country was killed in a plane crash.

[smartass sob]

Yeah, I'm trying to think about it.....

Hm. I'm not getting anything, dude.