the talking dog

 

November 2001 Postings

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The Left-Leaning Dog Says:

The Rabid Dog Says:

Brooklyn, November 30, 2001.  Well, fortunately for us, the Northern Alliance continues its move, with the tacit support of Don "Sore Hand" Rumsfeld, and the derision of Secretary of State Powell, and, in general defiance of the Bush Administration's standing policy not to give the guys who have successfully completed most of our mission for us-- squat at peace time (because our "friend"-- the tacit client of China, and sponsor of the Taliban -- Pakistan-- won't like it too much).

Perhaps New York should take a lesson from the Northern Alliance -- and realize that we have no friends in the Bush Administration.  Alas, our own governor, who squelched his own national ambitions in late 1999 with a bizarre announcement that he was supporting Dubya, should be acknowledged as having painted himself, and this State, into a hopeless corner with that very support.  Since (as our unseen editor correctly points out) 99% approval rating or not, Dubya would probably lose this state to Mark Green in a general election, he ain't spending any political capital -- or money -- on this place.  We should realize that and not purport to rely on the feds for much of anything.  Cause it ain't coming.  And I suggest taking that "realpolitik" fact of life on every other Republican office holder available, until this bullshit of the state that, on net, gets among the worst return on its federal tax dollars of any, gets something back from the country to whom it futilely pays protection money.

 

Brooklyn, November 29, 2001.  We, of course, hear that the bounty on Osama's head may be increased from $25,000,000 to $30,000,000.  Your LLD has quipped that if the bounty were high enough, perhaps Osama (himself reported with a personal fortune estimated at $300,000,000) might turn himself in.

More accurately, however, the Bush Administration, which seems hell-bent on reneging (as fast as it can) on the promised $20,000,000,000   (we love to throw zeros around) in aid to New York City.  So, since it won't keep that promise, why should anyone assume it will keep the promise to pay on the bounty?  Correct!  NO ONE believes that promise, just as no one believes (seriously) that the United States will stick around in Afghanistan very long once Osama is dead.

So, we ALREADY have a credibility problem!  Just as Papa Bush foolishly "promised" "no new taxes", which cost him dearly against Slick Willy.  So, Son of George Herbert Walker, don't make that mistake!  Keep your damned promise to this City and stop with the damned giveaways to your undeserving rich friends (such as the still rich and successful principals of the formerly rich and successful Enron corporation).

Don't waste that high approval rating.

 

Brooklyn, November 27, 2001.  Well, kudos to the Defense Department -- first, for succumbing to the inevitable, and holding fast even though the United States has, unfortunately though inevitably, finally suffered combat casualties.  And second, for having the temerity to assume that the Saudis would cooperate with us in ANYTHING -- notably this time in providing Osama bin Laden's DNA samples (so that when one of his doubles turns up in the form of a bullet-ridden corpse, we can make sure its actually THE Evildoer and not just An Evildoer).

Naturally, the first "casualty" of the ill-conceived, unnecessary, and blatantly unconstitutional "secret military tribunal" apparatus is, surprise, surprise -- our "coalition".  NO, not the bogus coalition consisting of the enemies of this nation who are sworn to, and have acted towards, its destruction (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan, and the rest of our “friends”) -- but  the coalition called NATO.  I'm referring to places like Spain, which have 8 suspected terrorists in their custody, but who decline to extradite them to the United States (where they might be subject to arbitrary justice, or execution, as envisioned in the extra-legal executive order).  So its not just a bad idea legally or theoretically, its a bad idea practically.  As always, we call on the Bush Administration to have the flexibility to recognize its mistakes, and correct the situation.  [Editor's Note:  Are you referring to firing Ashcroft?]

 

Brooklyn, November 25, 2001.  Well, our unseen editor has forwarded your LLD a report from the often reliable Matt Drudge, stating that in the locking-barn-door-after-cow-has-escaped-
and-blown-up-World-Trade-Center federal law enforcement reaction after September 11th, the Bush Administration has taken its personal animosity towards Israel and its citizens to new heights and, without ANY BASIS WHATSOEVER, used the occasion to incarcerate several dozen ISRAELI NATIONALS.

Well, what can we say?  It was hard, of course, but John Ashcroft has proven himself an even greater enemy of our constitution than his immediate predecessor, former AG and future Florida governor Reno (as if there was any doubt that he would!  His latest shtick is that he's "too busy" to appear before Congressional hearings over his recent actions!).  And Colin Powell is doubtless delighted: perhaps he can trade the Israelis as hostages for some new unilateral Israeli concession in the "peace process".  Naturally, since the incarcerations are, by definition of the Bush-era, SECRET, the public thinks that only Arab males with some link to the terror are in lock-up.  WRONG!  What this ALSO does is make us question whether there is any rational connection with many of the ARABS being held with the 9-11 crimes!  Who knows?  Just as I was beginning to feel better about the civil liberty-security trade-off, there seems to be no reason to!  Indeed, the Bush Administration DOES want semi-dictatorial powers NOT to protect the nation (a record on which it joins the Clinton Administration as the first administrations to warrant, thus far, an absolute "F" grade), but, simply to HAVE semi-dictatorial power for the purpose of using it arbitrarily.

Well, all we can say, is that hopefully, in the light of sunshine, perhaps the Bush Administration (which, to its credit, has so far been flexible in recognizing when its policy tactics are failing and changing them) will realize the outrageousness of this action and rectify it IMMEDIATELY.  Otherwise, at least we here at The Talking Dog, will not let this bone go!

 

Brooklyn, November 23, 2001.  Well, we would be remiss if we did not recall that fateful day just about two years ago when Elian Gonzalez washed up onto our shores (actually, the whole point was that he DID NOT wash up onto our shores, but was picked up as the sole survivor of a capsized refugee boat by the Coast Guard).

As you will recall, Elian, after being with his "relatives" (at best, they were several generations removed from him; his actual relatives consisted of his mother, who drowned on the aforementioned refugee boat, and his father, an employee of Castro's government, along with his extended family, all in Cuba), was, in the SOLE appropriate execution of policy by former U.S. Attorney General and future Florida Governor Janet Reno, forcibly removed from those "Miami relatives", consistent with U.S. law and court holdings.  Recall that the Elian case was a precursor of bizarre, conflicting trips to several courts around the Florida court system that would be repeated after the '00 election (when we - or at least our Supreme Court-  elected an '00 candidate!).

The rest is history.  In a never ending attempt to pander to the voters of Florida (actually, only 4% of those voters, the Cuban-Americans, the other 96% of Florida's population probably hoping that SOMETHING would take attention away from their state -- which SINCE that time has hosted an election debacle, terrorist flight school, an anthrax laboratory, and, well, you know), failed candidate Al Gore started a series of bold anti-Clinton Administration initiatives, which showed him to be little better than the characterless principle-less libertine he sought to replace (an image he only managed to shake in ultimate defeat).

We bring up Cuba at this stage, because, well, the maniacal president of (OPEC member) Venezuela is an ardent fan of Castro, and, of course, because under the law of conservation of Spanish American War acquisitions, something will probably happen involving Cuba pretty soon!  Well, we have plenty of time: we can wait and see what happens in Kunduz or Kandahar, or wherever nasty things are going to be perpetrated on those sadists masquerading as religious nuts, the Taliban.  Somehow, war crimes in this context are just a little less bothersome to your LLD.

Hope you're all enjoying your Thanksgiving weekend.

Your LLD, who is now paid by the hour -- decided to work a few extra hours today -- only to be delayed endlessly on his ride home because some maniac in the Bronx threw a brick at the train, hitting the Metro-North train engineer.  Ah, the Bronx.  What was it we said about Freddy Ferrer's New York again?  Never mind...

 

Brooklyn, November 21, 2001.  Well, Happy Thanksgiving to all.  We here at The Talking Dog are delighted (and, hackneyed as it is, THANKFUL) that, apparently by providence if not by design, the United States appears to be close to its objective of rooting out the Taliban from power in Afghanistan -- even if the purported perps of 9-11 (why wasn't Operation "Infinite Justice" and now "Enduring Freedom" simply 911, the ultimate emergency call?  I guess you can teach Bush to throw a perfect strike for a World Series pitch, but you can't seem to teach him anything else -- like English; but I digress) -- that is to say, even if the Al Qaeda perps won't really have to worry much about our new extra-constitutional military courts -- because they will either be summarily executed by our nasty proxy allies, or they will simply escape into Pakistan, appearing to be ordinary Afghan refugees, thus invoking that most storied of all legal principles:  MOOTNESS.  There seems to be no need for "American" military summary trials:  that would require the actual presence of Americans in the theatre of operations!  So I'm not even sure why your LLD is worried about the constitutional implications in the first place?

Anyway, onto....the Philippines.  Apparently, in an amazing turnabout, by law of the "conservation of Spanish American War acquisitions" -- President Bush has decided that we will no longer train at Puerto Rican isle of Vieques, but instead, we will turn the war on terrorism upon Islamic rebels in the Philippines (the Philippines?).  Yes, the Philippines.  I guess we won't have TOO many logistical problems; the Philippines are officially our ally, and indeed, until recently, we had some rather large naval bases there.  Of course, the Philippines is a really long way from Saddam Hussein, which is, I suppose, the point.

Well, with Puerto Rico spared, and the Philippines in play, can Guam be far behind?

 

Brooklyn, November 19, 2001.  Well, the reports keep comin' in:  with the Taliban on the run, there are plenty of atrocities in Afghanistan to go around!  As always,  the United States, in the interest of expedience, has aligned itself with parties that were so nasty, at one time, the Taliban was a welcome alternative.  Well, they're back.  Of course, bin Laden and company will now likely retreat to more defensible positions in caves in the Afghan hinterlands, until we can capture them and subject them to summary trials.  Or until Secretary Powell and company can offer them a general amnesty, or some other treat to "keep the alliance together".

Ironically, your LLD understands that extraordinary times require a tortuous stretching of things, including legal principles of our "trial rules".  He would be more receptive, of course, if our "leadership" acknowledged these to BE extraordinary times, and didn't tell us to "go about our business" and "resume our normal lives" and "drive larger SUVs" and "spend that bigger tax refund".  This seems to be the parenthetical war -- certainly by our degree of commitment to it.  That said, while if we were in a national state of gas rationing and radical development of energy independence, I probably would accept the idea of "summary military courts", I don't think a government as unserious as ours gets to be so arbitrary.  At least not yet.

Even though our nation has had its wake up call, as our "leadership" urges us to go back to sleep, I would say the price of liberty REMAINS eternal vigilance.  In all directions.

 

Brooklyn, November 15, 2001.  Well, we forgot to give kudos to the President for his executive order on the secret detention, trial and execution in unconstitutional secret military courts of foreigners caught abroad who we have decided committed acts of terrorism!  Let's show 'em that the United States means business (how we round up such "terrorists" with our "Army of One" remains to be worked out; perhaps the bad guys will surrender to us).

As we here at The Talking Dog have been saying since Ari Fleischer uttered the now famous "everyone had better watch what they say", we think the LAST thing the United States needs to do in a time of crisis, when our constitution and freedom are under attack, is to honor their principles!  So go ahead, round up whoever you want, shoot 'em all, and let Allah sort 'em out.  Forget the fact that that's pretty much how the Taliban do things!  Because we are SO afraid that Osama might actually insist on being tried in a "fair" court -- where he might actually use the occasion to SPEAK.  Unbelievable, the nerve of that bastard to think HE gets a trial.  As a New York radio show pointed out (comparing the fact that bin Laden, like O.J. Simpson, demanded questions in advance of an "interview") who does this bin Laden think he is, O.J. Simpson?

Obviously, the Bush Administration NEEDS to scrap our constitution, if for no other reason, as a reward because it has been SO successful at combating terrorism under our current system (by our count, Evildoers 3 [9-11, anthrax, and Flight 587, don't bullshit the LLD with crap about "turbulence" or "birds”], and good guys nothing (the approximate value of all of the real estate in Afghanistan, noting that Psycho Mullah Omar and Osama himself are still at large after a month of bombing at roughly ten percent of Kosovo levels).

Of course, ominously, the “secret” trials come at the same time that the Bush Administration, in defiance of law, insists that presidential papers -- of Reagan, no less (who has said he has no objection to their publication) -- be kept a secret 'cause they might make Daddy look bad.

Sense a pattern?  As always, draw your own conclusions.

 

Brooklyn, November 14, 2001.  Well, we have a Republican president, governor, mayor and mayor-elect (in our 85% registered Democrat city – New York).  It was only a matter of time before the arrival of that most Republican of institutions:  the Bechtel Corporation!  A mainstay of the Reagan administration, it’s good to see that the California carpetbaggers have managed to secure a "construction management" (more a deconstruction management) contract for "overseeing Ground Zero" -- with the right to award up to 1 BILLION in subcontracts WITHOUT BIDDING!  Your tax dollars at work again.

In all fairness, why should airlines, and private security firms, and rich taxpayers get ALL of the government perks -- surely, we needed something for the Bechtel Corporation!  And now we have it!

Its too bad, of course, that Bechtel is privately held, otherwise your LLD would suggest investing in America's future.

Oh, and kudos to Dick Cheney for his frantic lobbying on Capitol Hill to accelerate the tax-wealth transfer to the rich, and AWAY from us here in New York City (yes, he wants to reduce, drastically, money Congress already appropriated to clean up efforts here in New York).  Hell, we would probably waste it anyway (let's face it, by the veep's logic, we clearly deserve to be fucked:  we didn't vote for Bush!).  Let's think about recent events:  planes hijacked from DC, Mass, and NJ, bound for California, crashing into New York, Pennsylvania and DC; anthrax in DC and NJ; planes going down in NY, oh, none of those places voted for Bush/Cheney.  Coincidence?  As always, draw your own conclusions.

 

Brooklyn, November 13, 2001.  Colin Powell must be shitting in his pants: the Northern Alliance has apparently marched into Kabul, without his dream of a pre-packaged post-war "moderate Taliban" government in place.  Pakistan, the financial and moral and military supporter of the Taliban (and, the United States, of course), is doubtless upset that it can't get an ethnic Pashtun group in charge of "Afghanistan", as the place (can we really even call it a country) located to Pakistan's east is called.  What to do!

Well, it appears that the Taliban have simply moved South, toward Kandahar (and Pakistan), where their support is stronger – and, of course, where they can be closer to their military ally (al Qaeda and bin Laden).  So there will be plenty of time for Secretary Powell and our "coalition partners" to snatch defeat for the United States (and especially for New York, which is beginning to take on the feel of Tokyo in a Godzilla movie).

Meanwhile, the endless BLATANT LIES seem like the logical way to communicate to the public by the Bush family -- GHW Bush's favorite job was clearly that of CIA director.  The inability of any public official (at least at the federal level) to tell the truth on ANY issue of public health or safety, if it weren't probably going to result in the deaths of thousands more Americans, would be hilarious.  Birds flying into the engine caused the American Airlines flight to Santo Domingo to crash?  Pretty powerful birds -- capable of blowing the plane apart.  Frigate birds, no doubt.  How about:  we cannot rule out the possibility that security at airline maintenance facilities has been compromised, and we are investigating and shoring up all areas of airport security (which, by executive order, are now entirely under federal control -- and all other bills will be vetoed until the House of Representatives passes the funding to make that happen),  and, although all citizens are asked to maintain their vigilance, we still believe that America's airlines are safe (though we are taking all precautions).  Nope.  Birds.

Probably the same birds that crapped in the stream where that guy in Florida caught his anthrax.

 

Brooklyn, November 8, 2001.  Just a few words after listening to the President's speech at the Georgia National Congress, or wherever the hell he was in Atlanta.  The president closed with "Let's roll" -- a reference to the brave passengers on the doomed flight that crashed in Pennsylvania, whose actions saved hundreds,  if not thousands, of innocent people (and the Congress).

Unfortunately, I heard references to 4-year-old girls writing letters, and high school kids, and I thought --  has the presidency been permanently Clintonized?  It may be wrong to expect a "We Will Fight Them on the Beaches" speech from this nimrod,  but aren't we entitled to DEMAND that -- in a situation far more analogous to the English people at the Battle of Britain than we care to imagine.

My reading between the lines is that, not surprisingly, the "war" we are half-heartedly "fighting" in Afghanistan (we may be killing more people by dropping food rations on them) is not going well.  The "surprisingly resilient" Taliban -- which, thanks to Secretary Powell and his "coalition" efforts and other self-imposed restraints -- a rag tag, backward group of medieval maniacs -- is holding off the allegedly most powerful country and its fighting force.  Instead of Taliban defections -- they are picking up recruits.  to their credit, I think the Bush Administration has realized that strategy 1 is not working (hence, we don't hear much from Secretary Powell these days).  I still don't know:  I do hope this government is sincerely on our side.  Time will tell.

In the meantime, keep washing up after you open the mail.

 

Brooklyn, November 7, 2001.  Well, now that New York has safely selected rich Ivy League-educated liberal Jew Michael Bloomberg over rich Ivy League-educated rich liberal Jew Mark Green, we can go on about our business knowing that we have some hope of preserving our property values and jobs (those of us that still have property, or jobs, that is).

We can now turn to the bizarre hesitancy on the part of the Bush Administration to EMBRACE the requests of NATO allies Germany, Italy and France to lend troops to assist in our ground action in Afghanistan.  Instead of seizing on this act of (albeit self-interested European, but still legitimate) generosity -- we are concerned that the damned Europeans actually may want a say in how the war is conducted!  Can you believe the nerve of those bastards?  They might actually want to commit ground troops and actually WIN the fucking war!  Those damned Europeans might actually BE CONCERNED with STOPPING terrorism -- what with their harboring a whole lot more Arab males than even the United States -- who will doubtless direct acts of terrorism at ALL Westerners (as they have done for decades).  Those European bastards!  Who do they think they are -- the Israelis (whose help we can also do without -- what do THEY know about terrorists after all)?

And worse yet, they might offend our REAL allies, those helpful coalition members like Sudan (whose intelligence has been incredibly useful -- not) or Saudi Arabia (who refuses over-flights, airbases, or hell, everything else we've asked them -- but we can’t offend those useful "partners"), or Syria, or Egypt (just read any leading Egyptian newspaper and find anything nice about the United States; this website will give the first person who pulls it off a $10 reward if you can do it!!!)

Which brings us back to the basic question:  how can an administration SO rooted in the oil business (Bush AND Cheney for God's sake) be the least bit objective when dealing with what should be by all intelligent accounts a war against Saudi Arabia (fatherland of 15 of 19 hijackers, as well as bin Laden, who to this day, DENIES that any of ITS nationals were involved) and Iraq (anthrax, anyone?)?  We didn't think the Bush administration COULD deal with that conflict of interest either:  to it, and to its predecessor Daddy administration, Saudi oil is thicker than American blood (or at least, apparently, pays better).  Your LLD predicted (he's not HAPPY about being right, of course) that the Bush administration would, rather than engage in anything like the necessary military action to crush the forces of terrorism (which pretty much means the Middle East in its entirety, except for Israel, Jordan, and probably but not necessarily Kuwait, and a couple of other small Gulf emirates), instead engage in a half-hearted exercise more for domestic consumption to show that "something" is being done, rather than for a necessary military victory to ensure the security if this country.  Hence the halfhearted bombings of empty caves, and the deliberate missing of Mullah Omar.  What can I say?  With luck, we'll all make it the 2 years 364 days until we can vote out the Gulf War gang by a Supreme Court-proof majority.

 

Brooklyn, November 5, 2001.  Well, 5 out of 6 pennants- and STILL 4 out of the last  6 world championships--  I guess the forces of the universe decided enough was enough-- the plaything of another crazed billionaire named Colangelo beat out that of our beloved Yankees (the plaything of a REALLY crazed billionaire named Steinbrenner).  So it goes.

And so we get bogged down in non-diverting activities.  Such as the circus that is our next mayoral election.  Your LLD is seriously considering changing his "hold your nose" vote.  Mark Green was already despicable -- I've said so myself, in this column.  The New York Times endorsed him for the same lame reason I did previously: he has years of experience in our Byzantine city government, that Bloomberg does not, and will have to catch up for at a time when we can't afford to have a neophyte at the wheel.

On the other hand, Green got your LLD's nod over Freddy Ferrer because, aside from Freddy's stupidity, we despised his affiliation (and endorsement by) Al Sharpton.  ‘Nuff said, as we said.

Well, while Mike Bloomberg was picking up the bipartisan support of Republican Giuliani and Democrats Koch and Hugh Carey, Green cost himself our nod in the general when he accepted the endorsement of the second-most vile Democrat alive (after Al Sharpton, and just ahead of his wife, New York's junior senator).  There, you know who I'm talking about.  You see, Mark, we can forgive the fact that you're an asshole -- actually, one of the world's biggest assholes.  In fact, Mark, you're the embodiment of every asshole in school we never liked -- in one guy.  We can forgive the fact that you're a despicable opportunist.  But to pose with Bill Clinton -- that's it.  You have convinced me, and moved me off the "undecided" fence.  I'm voting for Bloomberg, and urge the rest of you to do the same.

Meanwhile, we can't tell you how pleased we are that our homeland security czar has seen to it that airport security safely in the hands of private security firms based in Europe is as safe as ever.  Of course, we'd actually like it to be SAFE as defined by the English language, so we all owe a debt to our House of Representatives and its GOP leadership for valuing the lobbying efforts of foreign security contractors over the safety of the American people.  Good for you!  Maybe next time, you won't get so lucky, and Todd Beamer and company won’t be there to save your sorry, corrupt asses (asses that I ALSO urge the American people to vote out of office at the first opportunity).

 

November 4, 2001, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Manhattan.  Your LLD indulged his fantasy of being an athlete today, and joined 30,000 people who our mayor gave his highest compliment to: "YOU ARE NOT AFRAID" (of terrorists, bunions, and PAIN)  at the base of the Verrazano Bridge, for what would turn out to be a 5 hour 45 minute Odyssey.  The City came out in force:  the goodwill was palpable; your LLD must have given 500 high fives:  the City had a love fest with itself -- and even mid- to back-of-packers like your LLD could do nothing but feel the goodwill.

At the start of the race, before the national anthem, God Bless America, and the New York City anthem (the Sinatra version of New York, New York, sung along en masse), the mayor of this City gave a speech to the runners so short, and so moving, that your LLD calls upon Dick Cheney to do his patriotic duty and resign -- so that Mayor Rudy can replace him as vice president, and run this country in its time of greatest need (Dub won't mind; honestly, I think Cheney is a lot of the problem -- what with his being on the verge of death most of the time as it is.  The irony of replacing a heart patient with a cancer patient is not lost -- but Rudy has never looked better).  The speech -- noting that the race was being dedicated to real heroes -- fallen police and firemen, our servicemen abroad, the other WTC victims -- commended the runners for NOT BEING AFRAID.  He then noted that we were in the greatest city in the world, in probably the greatest marathon in the world, because we were free to do whatever we put our minds to, including running a marathon.  He noted that our enemies were WRONG, and WE ARE RIGHT -- period.  No kum-bay-a; no coalition -- just a straight statement of fact, from the skills he employed in turning around this "ungovernable" city:  I don't care why people are engaging in acts of disorder: if they ARE, I'll lock 'em up.  Sure, nobody's perfect, and overzealous mistakes were made -- but on balance, how can you argue?

And he made a day trip between Yankee games (in Phoenix!) to do it -- because that's how important the appearance of leadership is (you could learn a lot from him, Dubya).  In honor of the mayor, and in honor of the City, let's see if God just intervene one more time and let the Yankees win tonight.  We could all use it.

 

Brooklyn, November 1, 2001.  Well, let's hear it from the Red Cross, for participating in that most American of all pursuits: profiting from disaster!  Having successfully raised hundreds of millions of dollars from people all over America (including your LLD), according to last Saturday's New York Daily News, the American Red Cross has yet to distribute money to victims of the WTC disaster in any meaningful amounts.  In fact, the Red Cross has made a decision that NOW is the time to upgrade its computer systems, and headquarters office furniture, and other "organizational" tasks using its newfound booty.  Frankly, I've long wondered why I ever give blood - considering that the Red Cross SELLS IT FOR PROFIT (to "fund its worthwhile operations").

Well, how about it guys?  By my revised count, with 4,000 or so dead - that's probably 2 or 3 thousand widows and widowers, and 6 or 7,000 orphans.  And let's not forget 100,000 newly minted unemployed.  Having merrily been the recipient of hundreds of millions of dollars intended for their specific benefit, you think you could see clear to send a few bucks their way?

Frankly, given the progress of the "war on terrorism", I suppose the old American Red Cross can count on a few more disasters like September 11th for future fundraising -- but then, given how much money the ARC just raised, perhaps it doesn't have to worry about those sorts of things any more!

November 25, 2001.  Our unseen editor has sent us a whiny blurb from muckraker Matt Drudge complaining that suspicious Israeli nationals -- who are entitled to no special treatment for their immigration violations than anyone else -- have been swept up in the necessary national security induced post-9/11 action.  I ask the LLD, does he seriously believe that foreign nationals are entitled to superior constitutional rights than the security of our nation?  Just because they are Israelis?

And did you see what a god job Bloomberg is doing in his transition?

 

Noon, November 6, 2001 -- Election Day.  The papers are describing the Mayoral race as a dead heat, a nail biter that won't be resolved until way past midnight.  Don't believe them.  The race will be called at 9:01 with a decisive 4 or 5 point lead for Bloomberg.  Sharpton is doing his best to destroy Green by depressing the black vote, and Rudy has delivered all of the undecided votes to Bloomberg with a surprising enthusiastic endorsement.  

The race reminds of the 1998 Schumer/D'Amato race.   Up until the day before the election, the pollsters were calling it for D'Amato with an eight point margin.   But Schumer had a tremendous momentum on his side, fueled in part by disgust with the Republican party's ongoing attacks against Clinton (on the Lewinsky matter) and in part by D'Amato's lame and offensive attacks on Schumer's attendance record.  Green is engaging in similarly irrelevant invective against Bloomberg (on a sexual harassment theme) and will be punished by a backlash for his sustained, eight year campaign against Giuliani.

 

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