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Last updated on: August 9, 2006 at 12:31 pm by Fred Clark

24 Comments

Stuff 2006-08-09T12:31:47-04:00 Fred Clark

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In a better world, today would not need to be remembered as the 61st anniversary of the dishonorable, indiscriminate slaughter of Nagasaki.

It would instead be remembered primarily as the 70th anniversary of the day that James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens won his fourth gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin running the first leg of the United States' world-record-setting 400-meter relay.

* * * * *

I missed another important anniversary on Sunday. August 6 was the fifth anniversary of the day that President Bush received an intelligence briefing entitled "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US."

After receiving this briefing, the president, who was on vacation, went out to clear brush on his ranch in Crawford, Texas. The following day, President Bush again cleared brush on his ranch. And five years ago today, two days after receiving that briefing, Bush again continued his vacation and cleared brush on his ranch.

We ought not to speculate whether the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, might have been prevented had President Bush done … something — anything … after that briefing. It's impossible to know whether or not the attacks might have been prevented had he tried to prevent them.

But what we know is this: He didn't try.

(In fairness to President Bush, back in August of 2001 the brush on his Crawford ranch was really getting out of hand.)

* * * * *

Weldon staffer calls police for protection from Eagle Scout.

SPRINGFIELD — A campaign staffer for U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon, R-7, of Thornbury, called police Friday to report protesters outside of the Republican congressman's campaign office.

When the responding officer arrived, he found 18-year-old Ross Doppelt standing there. Alone.

Doppelt, a lifelong Haverford resident and campaign volunteer for Weldon's opponent, Democrat Joseph Sestak, said he had shown up for what was publicized as an endorsement announcement.

"I just wanted to hear what they had to say," said the Eagle Scout and National Merit Commended Scholar, who received a Distinguished Scholarship for academic merit to attend Tulane University in New Orleans last fall.

* * * * *

"You would have a dickens of a time trying to find instances where I have been overly optimistic," Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said last week about his mishandling of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Julia has a Dickens of a time doing exactly that.

* * * * *

Overheard down the shore:

"The thing is Delco has gotten more urban. Maybe not out west in Havertown, where you are, but where I live it's Nairobi."

It was over 100 degrees for much of last week in Delaware County, Pa., but I don't think the speaker was referring to Kenya's climate.

The kicker: The speaker is a judge.

* * * * *

Hall of Shame:

"We've established what kind of people you are, now we're just haggling over price."

* * * * *

I'm hearing rumors that if Joe Lieberman loses the vote in November he intends to continue serving as Senator "as an independent."

What part of "the people have spoken" doesn't this guy understand?

* * * * *

Hawkier-than-thou columnist Max Boot believes that the solution to the civil war sectarian violence in Iraq is a U.S.-led invasion and occupation.

Boot doesn't say where he would find the troops for this future invasion and occupation, what with most of America's armed forces currently bogged down following the current invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Barring a massive increase in troops, Boot advocates:

Reducing U.S. forces from today's level of 130,000 to under 50,000 and changing their focus from conducting combat operations to assisting Iraqi forces. … This is the option favored within the U.S. Special Forces community, in which the dominant view is that most American soldiers in Iraq, with their scant knowledge of the local language and customs, are more of a hindrance than a help to the counterinsurgency effort.

For a more detailed discussion of such a plan, see Rep. John Murtha's Web site.

Of course, when Murtha proposed this very thing, Boot and others like him mocked it as "cut and run."

* * * * *

Love makes you do the wacky.

New friend, a month or so ago, on first seeing the "entertainment center" on which my TV sits:

"Wow, you've got a lot of Buffy DVDs. Is that show any good?"

So far we've gotten through Episode 2 of Season 2.

* * * * *

The Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania is only just now learning to harness the power of the Internets. How? Not for fundraising, or organizing, or mobilizing grassroots supporters, but by freeping online polls:

KQV is running a poll on their website. Today's question asks if the U.S. Senate race were held right now, who would get your vote? Of coure we are all going to vote for Senator Santorum. So please visit www.kqv.com/opinion.php or call 412-333-9190 to vote for Senator Santorum.

I don't think they've quite grasped the whole "netroots" concept.

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