This could become a big story

A former adviser to the United Arab Emirates says he has video of a member of the royal family torturing people.  The AP was shown 11 still photos from the tape, here is a description,

The tapes have not been made public but The Associated Press viewed 11 still frames from one of the videos. They showed a man who appeared to be Sheik Issa beating another man with lumber, firing an automatic weapon into the sand around him and forcing an apparent cattle prod into his anus. The victim also appeared to have been partly run over by a SUV and had salt poured on his wounds.

Supposedly, there are three torture videos in this adviser's possession.  He's had a lawsuit against the UAE royals languishing in the courts for two years, so one has to consider that a factor too when looking at this story. 

Even if this guy's lawsuit falls through, he could just as easily cause major embarrassment to the UAE's royal family by making it public or selling the videos to the media. 

What will be interesting to see is what the UAE does in reaction to this, they're invested heavily in the US and have major holdings here, and are considered a more 'friendly' Arab nation than most.  Beyond that, the UAE has a lot of oil, which it uses to fund their business ventures. 

I have to imagine if these videos are the real deal the UAE is going to want it to disappear, but the adviser and the tapes are here in the US.  I also have to think we're going to have a situation where the UAE wants this thing suppressed and is gonna be making some noise and threats behind the scenes, the US will want this all to go away, but is ultimately powerless to stop the tapes from getting leaked, shown or sold to the media.  What'll be interesting will be the reaction from the public in the US, and if the UAE starts leaving or investing elsewhere or uses their oil supply as a threat.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 09:32 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Find your veto pen, Bobby

As much as I respect Newt Gingrich, I have to break with him when he says that Gov. Bobby Jindal is McCain's best bet for vice president.  I think, as the Club for Growth has noted, that we should use caution before crowning Jindal the next Reagan.  Now we find out that like President Bush, Gov. Jindal is hesitant to veto negligent spending in the face of political pressure:

The public outcry remains intense over a bill that Louisiana legislators introduced for a possible self-imposed pay raise doubling their salaries, but questions are left unanswered on the political fallout if the bill passes and Gov. Bobby Jindal doesn’t veto the pay raise.

On Friday, the La. House amended the bill, reducing the proposed salary from $50,000 to $37,500, as lawmakers continued to feel the heat over the airwaves of talk radio and on the Internet.

[...]

All eyes, then, would be on Gov. Bobby Jindal, who could veto the pay raise.

Gov. Jindal said that he disagrees with the pay raise, but said that he will not oppose it.

For those of us who have been upset about exploding spending under President Bush and a GOP-controlled Congress, this isn't exactly welcome news.  Gov. Jindal has released a statement on the bill (emphasis mine):

"I still disapprove of this pay raise.  While I'm glad they reduced it, it's still more than a doubling of their pay, which I believe is excessive.  The legislature is a separate branch of government and must manage their own affairs. There is still time for them to turn back. They will have to answer directly to the people. "One thing is for sure, I will not bail them out on this and do their job for them. 

I will not veto this as it is very clear to everyone that the result would be a grinding halt to the tremendous reforms and progress our state is making.  I will give them no excuse to stop doing the people's business, and I will not allow the momentum of our state to stop over this or anything else."

Given that this is the Louisiana legislature we're talking about, it wouldn't surprise me if they reacted that way to a veto.  I think that is a believable response, but still unfortunate. 

My concern with Jindalmania! is that the GOP will paint itself intself into the same corner that the Democrats have this election cycle.  This man, who I agree has a great political future with the Republican Party, needs to be vetted thoroughly before people proclaim him as the standard-bearer for conservatism. 

***Thanks for the link, Club for Growth!  Everyone make sure to take a look around the blog.  It's full of plenty of other good stuff from doubleplusundead, bmac, Moron Pundit, Sean M., and yours truly. 

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 07:41 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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No disguise for that double standard

Yes, I've already punched myself for making a Foreigner reference in the title so you don't have to.  I'm helpful like that. 

Anyway, you might have heard about the AP crackdown on a site called the Drudge Retort, which is a liberal goof on, obviously, the Drudge Report. 

In response, sites everywhere threw a shitfit, culminating in Techcrunch declaring they'd be boycotting AP, and even the New York Times declaring that the AP was being excessive.  The AP now seems to be backtracking a bit.  All well and good, and the response from Techcrunch, the NYT and other places are what one would expect.  Just one thing though, where was Techcrunch and NYT when the AP decided to go after our friend Brian at Snapped Shot?

They were silent, of course, seems the problem isn't so much AP's aggression as it is who it is aggressive with.  Brian has been watching this unfold, and has a post up and an article at Pajamas Media looking at the situation.  Do check them out.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 02:02 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Tax revolts in Pennsylvania and Maine

In western Pennsylvania, a second Whiskey Rebellion is er, brewing*, as Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato is facing a very angry constituency after the county imposed a 10% hike on drinks and six packs sold in bars and restaurants.  Credit where it's due, the reporter noted Onorato is a Democrat in the sentence after mentioning him by name. 

Bar and restaurant owners were obviously pissed, as were their patrons, there are now signs that say "Dan Onorato not welcome here", the tax is being referred to as the Onorato Tax, there are jokes and even a song goofing on him.  Onorato says that the hike was to pay for public transportation, and it was the tax on drinks or a property tax hike. 

The tax is facing a petition for it's repeal.  Onorato says the tax is getting collected, whether it's a property tax or this drink tax, and is planning a referendum to make voters choose.  Maybe they should choose to unseat Onorato when he's up for election and put someone in who will cut costs...

Slublog notes there is now a petition to repeal the tax hike on alcohol, bottled water and soda that Democrats in Maine passed to pay for Democrat Governor Jim Baldacci's Dirigo health care program.  The Democrats in the Maine legislature literally passed the hikes in the middle of the night in order to try and avoid an uproar...looks like it didn't work.  Maine voters are pissed, and are signing the petition in numbers.  Like Onorato, Democrats and their allies are throwing out excuses for their tax hikes, and are demagoguing the issue to try and dissuade voters to not support the repeal effort.

*Yes, I know whiskey is distilled, but I had to make the obvious joke

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 12:24 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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European Elitism Summed Up In One Phrase

You won't find it more plainly put than this:

The will of the people is a problem to which they must find a solution. Amazing.

Posted by: Moron Pundit at 08:59 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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What Would Obama Ban?

WE'LL DO IT LIVE!

Takedown.

Sad to see this happen.

A look at Allen West. 

Tread lightly, conservatives.

Uh-oh.

No, I'd say fascist vermin.

Probably too soon, but still obligatory for this site.

Hypocrisy.

Awesome.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 08:51 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Moron of the Day: Priorities

As is often the case, he's just living the Ace of Spades Lifestyle.  Hard:

The 43-year-old man dragged the woman out of a pub in the port city of Genoa, shoved her into a car and took her to his home where he made her iron and wash dishes after threatening her, they said.

He later told police, "I'd rather go to prison for 20 years than do my own laundry," while showering himself in Val-U-Rite box wine.

Posted by: Moron Pundit at 08:49 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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It's too bad she won't live!

But then again, who does?

Romantic human-robot relationships are no longer the stuff of science fiction -- researchers expect them to become reality within four decades.

And they do not mean simply, mechanical sex.

"I am talking about loving relationships about 40 years from now," David Levy, author of the book "Love + sex with robots", told AFP at an international conference held last week at the University of Maastricht in the south-east of the country.

"... when there are robots that have also emotions, personality, consciousness. They can talk to you, they can make you laugh. They can ... say they love you just like a human would say 'I love you', and say it as though they mean it ..."

Robots as sex toys should already be on the market within five years, predicted Levy, "a sort of an upgrade of the sex dolls on sale now".

These would have electronic speech and sensors that make them utter "nice sounds" when a human caresses their "erogenous zones".

But to build robots as real partners would take a bit longer, with conversation skills being the main obstacle for developers.

Scientists were working on artificial personality, emotion and consciousness, said Levy, and some robots already appear lifelike.

"But for loving relationships -- that is something completely different. In loving relationships there are many more things that are important. And the most difficult of all is conversation.

"You want your robot to be able to talk to you about what is interesting to you. You want a partner who has some similar interest to you, who talks to you in a manner that pleases you, who has a similar sense of humour to you."

Uh, no. No I don't.

Look, if I wanted something like that, I might get into better shape, try to earn a little more money, and buy some more flattering clothes and a sports car. Then, I could try to find myself, you know, a real, honest to goodness, human-type woman instead of a sexbot.

Having my sexy android friend tell me what a fantastic lover I am will probably suffice, thank you very much. That, and the occasional "Ooh, it's so big!"

Yeah, that'll do nicely.

(Via Moron Central.)

Posted by: Sean M. at 01:29 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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Saudis getting nervous about US tapping own oil supply, will increase production

How else is one to read this?  The Saudis aren't complete retards, they know if they push their luck that the combination of people finally getting being able to see through the bullshit and Congress starting to feel public pressure could cause them serious financial hurt. 

The GOP in Congress would be wise to ignore the Saudi production increase and the price drop that follows, and continue to push to open up ANWR, the coasts and the rest of the US to drilling and create refineries.  The Congressional GOP should consider doing everything they can to free up the market to reduce fuel prices their first priority. 

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 09:56 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Happy Father's Day

Hope you enjoyed your Sunday, and know that you're appreciated and loved.  I stalled posting my Father's Day post because I've been wracking my brain trying come up with some smartass thing to post, like the Mommie Dearest post I did for Mother's Day, and I got nothing. 

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 06:18 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Gore Vidal: McCain's Torture Truther

When you've run out of things to say, it is important to throw out rhetorical bombs and slanders in order to stay in the limelight. That's the lesson Gore Vidal has learned:

And what about Mr. McCain? Disaster. Who started this rumor that he was a war hero? Where does that come from, aside from himself? About his suffering in the prison war camp?

Everyone knows he was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. That’s what he tells us.

You stay classy, douchebag. 

In Allah's post on the subject, he issues an exit question:

Exit question: Help Vidal fill in the blanks. Where was Maverick and what he was up to during the “lost years”?

Why, planning 9/11 with his then-underground neocon buddies, of course. That shit takes time, man.

This leads to a question I've always wondered about.  If you were in your later years, wouldn't you want to spend that time, I dunno, enjoying the sunset of your life*?  If I had Vidal's money, I'd be oceanside 24/7/365.  But I suppose some people need attention more than I do.

One more Vidal-related side note on this haphazard, poorly written post and then I'm done.  I had breakfast with Attorney Gen. John Ashcroft and a few other grad students in the fall of 2005 and I thought I would give him a break and ask him a non-political question.  Well, he looked at me like I was a complete idiot for asking something off topic and said Lincoln by Gore Vidal.  Who'd've guessed?

*Yes, I understand the irony of anyone who (even reluctantly) supports McCain saying this. 

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 03:40 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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McCain: Man, if only I could screw conservatives more

McCain really, really wants to lose in November:

SOURCES close to Sen. John McCain say the Republican presidential candidate likes the idea of Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman, re-elected from Connecticut as an independent in 2006, or former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge for vice president - if he could get away with it. The political consensus is that McCain couldn't get away with either, and he knows it.

Lieberman, one of McCain's closest Senate friends, vigorously supports him for president and sometimes joins him on the campaign trail. However, Lieberman opposes Republican policy on nearly everything except Iraq, where he has backed the war effort.

Ridge, who served as President Bush's secretary of homeland security, is a generally conservative Republican except for being pro-choice on abortion. He was considered for vice president in 1996 and 2000, but was ruled out both times because of the abortion issue.

Even if he chooses a conservative veep, at least we can take comfort in knowing his heart is still in the right Mavericky place.

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 11:03 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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LA Times puts on the beret: NRA is losing, we are pushing the Americans back!

Good grief, these people are shameless.  Via See-Dub at Malkin's place, we get this LA Times propaganda piece about the NRA. 

But this time, the issue that GOP strategists once relied on to provide crucial votes in close elections has lost much of its political punch.

The NRA may have become a victim of its own success.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 10:22 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I linked Old Iron's story about the organization that helps Iraqis who have helped the coalition come to the US a few days ago, a few of the Iraqis who have been helped by this organization have since responded in comments.

The first link was Old Iron, this is Hot Iron.  Eep.

Newsweek vs. Barone Doctrines.

Fast Eddie Rendell continues to be a dirtbag and embarrassment to PA.

Pretty much.

Silly nutroots.

Heh.

Neat.

Explanation.

Last man standing.

Clintonites for McCain.

A tribute.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 08:09 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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An Open Letter to Mark Wahlberg

Dear Mark,

I just found out that you are the lead male actor in a film I have been anxiously awaiting for about half a decade now. It is a serious, dramatic film.

Listen, I want you to know you have been acting for so long that most of the time I don't even remember that you were once known as Marky Mark. You've proved you can act in the past, but lately...hmmm...you've been somewhat disappointing.

That leads me to my point. Please take a few acting lessons before production of this film starts. I don't want to enter the theater on October 9, 2009 and be forced to stare at someone who thinks that the lifting of an eyebrow is a substitute for a good performance.

Please don't let me down.

Thank you,

It's Vintange, Duh

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 01:49 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Saturday night stupid

I don't know what's scarier--the cannibalism or the hippies.



How many Oscars did that win?

Posted by: Sean M. at 10:50 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Can we go ahead and mark off JC Watts as a potential VP now?

Some conservatives (especially the radio show call-in type) have been really excited about the possibility of Sen. McCain choosing former Rep. JC Watts as his running mate. One of the many obstacles to that, in my opinion, horrible choice* for vice president has been that he has consistently said that he doesn't want it. Now we know why:

J.C. Watts, a former Oklahoma congressman who once was part of the GOP House leadership, said he’s thinking of voting for Obama. Watts said he’s still a Republican, but he criticizes his party for neglecting the black community. Black Republicans, he said, have to concede that while they might not agree with Democrats on issues, at least that party reaches out to them.

“And Obama highlights that even more,” Watts said, adding that he expects Obama to take on issues such as poverty and urban policy. “Republicans often seem indifferent to those things.”

It would be nice for McCain to have a vice president who is planning on voting for his own ticket.  I think that's a minimal requirement. 

*We already tried the "Hey, the GOP has black people, too!!1!!eleventy!!" strategy against Obama once.  How'd that turn out?

Update:  Karol at Alarming News interviewed Watts in 2004.  Let's just say his views on the GOP's outreach to minority groups is a bit more nuanced now that Barack Obama is at the top of the Democratic ticket. 

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 07:56 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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House GOP way behind their fundraising goals

Anyone surprised by this?  No?  Okay, good, we'll move on.  How short is the House GOP on their fundraising goals?  Try less than halfway to their goal,

Most recent figures show that GOP lawmakers have brought $27 million into the coffers of the National Republican Congressional Committee in the past 17 months, far short of the target of about $58 million. Compounding the challenge, they will soon be asked to raise another $20 million or more to help candidates in selected battleground districts.

The article notes that many House GOPers are way behind in their contributions to the NRCC as well.  We all know this is precisely what happens when you have no base, no foundation, the money situation quickly becomes dire.  The House GOP and the Senate GOP would be wise to at least put forth a solid effort to open up ANWR, the coasts and inland for drilling and petroleum extraction, and to allow new refineries to be produced, and use that to recover a bit.  They're in a brutal election year if they think they're gonna ride McCain's coattails to safety successfully.  They're much better off taking their own path, even at the risk of embarrassing or doing political damage to McCain.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 07:53 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Live From Estes Park, Colorado

As you might expect, blogging will be light for the next week or so. Here's what I'm looking at:



Beats the hell out of flooded Wisconsin (which is experiencing even more rain now.)

Iowa was ridiculous.  We had to detour. 

I had written more stuff about how Allahpundit was wrong about the South Carolina license plate issue but it is lost to me and I have to go do fun things so fuck it.

Posted by: Moron Pundit at 06:03 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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Flag Day and the anniversary of the establishment of the US Army

In 1916, Woodrow Wilson declared June 14th the first Flag Day, it became National Flag Day in 1949 after Congressional approval,

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 03:32 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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