Rex Kickass

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 26, 2006 -> 01:27 PM) This whole debate for me comes down to one point. In a situation as such, are you will to sacrifice your own or a loved ones life in order to protect this specific freedoms? Are you willing to have a piece of information which could potentially stop a situation like 9-11 from happening because the government could not get the appropriate warrants in time, not obtained, leading to a terrorist attack? To me that is the true question on how much you believe in these freedoms. I fail to see how delaying indefinitely bringing a terrorist to actual justice saves any lives whatsoever. I don't understand why following the laws, getting warrants, and making sure that the freedoms and system of justice that we fight for when we fight against terrorists aren't equally applied to everyone we fight against. That's my point.

The Washington Post

This little hype job is lovingly covering up the fact that the compromise that the Republicans against torture agreed to with the President allows US Citizens to have rights of habeas corpus suspended at his will.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Sep 26, 2006 -> 01:24 AM) On paper, starting next year assuming our second half effort is the real Sox, we are a fourth place team in our division. Hope we tinker and our pitching comes back to make us a contender. On paper we were repeat locks for the world series this year.

You mean being in the hunt for the division title until mid September? As long as most games in August and September feel important - and they did this year to fans at least - I'm not worried.

I dont see how building an olympic stadium to be stripped down after the olympics will bring tourist money after. I'd rather see Chicago spend the money on updating its transportation system and making the lives of people who actually live there better first.

Live worms still wiggle in your throat. Just so you know.

Chicago's transportation system is OK but could use some definite improvements. Like for example, why isn't Metra Electric integrated into the L system? A big chunk of the south side isn't serviced at all by CTA other than buses which they keep reducing service on. Despite the fact that New Jersey doesn't have any non-greater metro area population centers other than Atlantic City, it actually has a good system. Newark has a subway. Light rail on the Jersey side of the Delaware from Trenton to Camden. Newark and Jersey City served with PATH subway service and light rail and all sorts of rail in North Jersey.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Sep 25, 2006 -> 12:49 PM) Well, let me ask you an analogous situation (I think your idea of PC might be more anti-liberal than simply broad): Let's say a fringe extreme group that is against contraceptives (all contraceptives) boycotts Walgreens because they provide those products. If Walgreens gives in (about as likely as Six Flags giving in), is Walgreens being too PC? They too would be pandering to a vocal minority. That's clearly standing up for morals and family values and has nothing to do with grandstanding or pandering.

I do. It's refreshing to see any political figure in this day and age take responsiblity for policy failings on his part. And it's great to see that Clinton raised over seven billion for his initiatives. He's becoming a wonderful ex president. Here's the "legitimate, fair and balanced" Fox News website promo for the Clinton interview.

Why wouldn't they just use Soldier Field? It's already a landmark spot.

QUOTE(jasonxctf @ Sep 23, 2006 -> 11:00 PM) very true. i just wish he'd do more than go to Astros games. Dude is in his 80s.

Egypt is the only arab country that recognizes and has diplomatic relations with Israel. Islamist parties are by and large banned. Their constitution says that laws that Egypt passes must implicitly comply with Sharia is by no means adopting Sharia. That's like saying that laws we pass must implicitly comply with the Ten Commandments. There's a lot of latitude with words like implicit. Egypt is not a state run by islamic extremists.

Indonesia is an islamic country. It's the biggest in the world. It is a democracy not controlled by islamic extremists. Please name one muslim country that has an islamic extremist head of state that was Democratically elected besides Iran.

What's the problem with this sign? Steele is a Republican. These are official campaign signs.

So are you saying muslims don't deserve democracy? Because a lot of the political parties that are extremely religious conservative tend to win because of corruption within the existing system. Palestine didn't vote for terrorism with Hamas. They voted against corruption. Iran didn't vote for a crazy guy who wanted to wipe Israel off the map. They voted against an ineffectual moderate who had no luck improving the economy for the everyday Iranian. Muslims, like most voters in Democratic processes, tend to vote out of their pocketbooks and about issues that affect them locally.

That's our best alliance? The man who won't let US forces in Northern Pakistan to hunt down taliban bases and Al-Qaeda bases which are known to be there? The guy who's protecting AQ Khan? The only thing keeping Pakistan out of the Axis of Evil is that it's a nuclear state.

That's not what I'm referring to. Financial resources for Iran were pretty strapped throughout a big part of the 1980s. They had few friends and little werewithal to work on the technology. In the 1980s, there wasn't a lot of interest in helping Iran go nuclear.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 06:09 PM) Can't complain on Medicare...if nothing else, the drug benefit still should have been able to negotiate lower prices with drug companies. The Medicare drug benefit program was pretty much a payout to drug companies more than a serious benefit to the people who are going to use them. When I sold radio, one of my clients was a local pharmacist. His reaction: "This is a long-term disaster for most seniors." What Wal-Mart is doing here kicks much ass. And yeah, the local pharmacy is pretty much dead. Thanks to Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 12:47 PM) They started in the 60's and 70's and haven't quit since then. The one constant since the Revolution in '79 has been the clerics, and they sure haven't stopped the search for nuclear materials. There wasn't much resource or ability to really work on nuclear weaponry throughout the 1980s. They were kind of busy fighting our man in Baghdad at the time.

Nope, the right to vote.

Didn't we win nine in a row in May?

At the same time SS, you can't use history of a different regime (60s-70s) to justify your policy to a completely different regime with its own history, aims and policy. The truth is that the Iranians have offered to come to the table - and they've even offered a parallel suspension of enrichment activity apparently - during negotiations. This is 80-90% of what we want. Except we don't want the negotiations. Otherwise this would be happening already. Our offer was "end the program, then we'll talk about ending the program." Very few states dealing with a hostile actor is going to accept that offer - and there's a needless arrogance to expect a state not at imminent threat of invasion to accept that. We are posturing like a state headed to war with Iran, and that's not a good position to bargain for security. The truth is, if we were looking to be able to wage war with Tehran effectively and at minimal risk, we would give them a lot of what they ask for. Part of the stumbling block to this offer is that Iran will not give up its right to advance its nuclear technology, because it views giving up rights like that as a lessening of its sovereignty. If the US really wanted to avoid the collision course that it's on, or if it wanted to make sure that it had international help and support in a war on Tehran, it would affirm that "All states have the right to pursue "peaceful" nuclear technology to serve the needs of its people." It would also accept a parallel suspension of enrichment as a carrot to sitting down at the table.

You're probably right I could do that. This is what happens when you moderate fresh out of bed.

Hey, I just loves myself some political theater. And it was in response to a speech where the majority leader of the Senate proclaimed this a "do nothing Congress."