When your own people don't like you

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is such an idiot even Georgians don't like him.

Sure lets attack and kill Russian citizens. The US will defend us from Russia... not. Russia had every right to do exactly what it did. Georgia started the fighting but everyone gets mad at Russia for defending its own citizens.

Plus the break away areas of Georgia really have never been under their control which makes the whole "Georgia's territorial integrity" argument moot.

To his credit though Saakashvili has put up with the protesters which is something Russia would never do. I'm all for Georgia democracy but it looks like their a lot of Georgians that feel the same way I do about their president.

Russian Relations

Daniel Kimmage put out a fairly controversial piece out for Foreign Policy.

The problem with this piece is that its thesis and conclusions really have nothing to do with the body of the text. The article criticizes Russian and for the most part justly. Still the article goes through great lengths to criticize Russians domestic policy and fails to link or impact (to use debate terminology) to Russia and the US in international arena.

Just because the US and Russia have domestic differences doesn't mean that we can't get along at all (as his thesis says).

Finally, he writes this fairly illogical passage:

Back in those hallowed halls, much of the Washington expert community will respond with predictable howls of outrage: "We need Russia!" they will say. Really? What, exactly, has Russia done for the United States on Iran? Afghanistan? Counterterrorism? Energy security?

I'm sorry but if those things were going well you'd have a point. Unfortunately, when it comes to energy, counter-terrorism, Iran, and Afghanistan (also North Korea) things are going horribly wrong because the US and Russia are not co-operating. If we co-operated better maybe we can finally get these issues under control. The fact is Russia and the US don't co-operate enough because a Cold War mind set.

Wow Karl

Karl Rove just said "I’m not really certain how intellectually strong she would be, she has not been very strong on the second circuit."

That's big words for a guy without a college degree.

Sonia Sotomayor:

Cardinal Spellman High School, Valedictorian
BA, Princeton, Pyne Prize, Summa Cum Laude, 1976 (age 22)
JD, Yale University, Editor of Law School Journal, 1979 (age 25)

Karl Rove:

Olympus High School, Student Council President, 2 years
Entered University of Utah, 1969, age 19, dropped out 1971
University of Maryland, 1971, withdrew first semester
George Mason University, 1973, dropped out
University of Texas, Austin, 1977, dropped out

What are we still talking about Newt?

Seriously when did Newt Gingrich gain the national spotlight in the 21st century?

You know the former speaker of the house who was forced by his own party to resign because while publicly vilifying President Clinton for his sexual exploits with an intern he was carrying out his own affair with a staffer.

This kind of hypocrisy is legendary.

Now I really don't care about politicians sex lives (well in terms of politics but I do admit sex is always interesting). But you can't be a total hypocrite that's where I draw the line.

Beck v Brooks the victor is Pyrrhic

Will Wilkinson's column is so good that I can only take it down by analyzing it.

Ritter stands up

Gov. Ritter vetoed a bill that would have allowed for locked out workers get unemployment benefits.

Pretty dumb idea if you ask me. Considering that the articled in the Post (linked above) says the state paid $5 million in 1996 to locked out Safeway workers.

A lot of money the state can't pay right now. Not to mention those workers are somewhat willfully unemployeed.

Abortion Abortion Abortion

Five Thirty Eight has several good posts about the Gallup abortion poll that can be seen here and here and here.

I was also somewhat amused by Michael Steele statement on Meet the Press that said, (I am paraphrasing here) "The science shows we know a lot more about life than we did during the Roe v. Wade decision."

Sure your for science now but god forbid science has to been right once since it is wrong on the environment, birth control, or evolution.

I'm being sarcastic.

Anyway this post is a tad liberal. Still I am pro-choice for the simple reason that I am not a doctor or a women therefore its not my decision nor much of my business. Basically laws should not be passed unless there is a clear reason and abortion is too muddy and too emotional to be that clear cut.

I have other arguments and reasons but that best sums me up.

Now can we get onto important things like the economy, torture, spending, taxes, health care, and foreign policy?

Where I get my news

I often get asked where do I get all my information from on political matters. So this is a list of my favorite print sources a brief description of why:

1) BBC - BBC has great everything. Great features, great tv, they even have a magazine. A very slight left wing view but nevertheless accurate and covers a variety of subjects. I use them primarily for international news that gives some cultural understanding but they also give a fresh perspective on American news.

2) Wall Street Journal - Though slightly right leaning in reporting (massively to the right in editorials) nevertheless pretty accurate and mainstream view on the right. Does well with international and financial issues.

3) Vanity Fair - Probably my favorite magazine. Though they cover a lot of pop culture stuff the political and business reporting is quite good. Plus they got the best covers. Quite left wing but still accurate interesting reporting and detailed stories.

4) Weekly Standard - My favorite right wing source of information. Mostly editorials but most are very good. Gives a good perspective of the right without being crazy (like Fox News cough cough). Highly recommend you subscribe regardless of your political persuasion.

5) The Colorado Statesmen - Best source of Colorado political news bar none. You won't get this stuff anywhere else. If you need to learn about state issues read this paper.

6) The Economist - definitely my favorite pure news magazine. A little left leaning but accurate and editorials are quite good. Covers everything really well especially European news (great source for Irish, British, Russian and general EU news).

7) Washington Post - again covers everything really well. Got some great writers not my first source of info but they got reporters that know what they are doing. Definitely one of my second sources of info.

8) Grand Junction Sentinel - actually its a pretty damn good paper for Colorado political news though comes in a distant second to the Statesman. Still covers state and local politics better than an other large Colorado paper. Denver Post has the occasional good stuff but I read it more for sports.

9) MSNBC.com - I love Maddow and Olbermann but they are pretty far to the left (Maddow does great show though Olbermann I watch more for entertainment and a grew up watching him on Sports Center). As for the online addition not as far to the left as the tv this tends to follow a more neutral stance that you'll see on The Nightly News. Pretty good variety of stuff and great to skim through just to see whats going on.

10) Reason Magazine - great online videos. Looking for libertarian stuff outside Cato (Cato has pretty advanced stuff) then look here.

There are some more technical things I read mostly I spend every week or so reading journals at the local bookstore (most likely Tattered Cover). I also have a few economics and political things I read but that's really advanced stuff (not to talk anyone down I just doubt you are the C-Span type).

For those of you who love very technical stuff then let me recommend:
JSTOR
Council for Foreign Relations
CATO
Any college journal
There's a couple I am forgetting and its killing me right now

I also recommend C-Span, anything PBS and NPR for watching and listening.