Month: June 2007

Slidell, Louisiana, 6.15 pm.

For a newly updated, global gallery of Dish readers’ window views, click here.

Someone on Wikipedia posted the fact of pro-wrestler Chris Benoit’s wife’s death more than fourteen hours before the police found the body. Money quote:

Wikinews said the IP address of the individual is identical to that of the user who edited Benoit’s profile early Monday to include that Benoit’s wife was dead.

The poster did not identify himself or herself.

The individual acknowledged being from Stamford, Conn. – the home of World Wrestling Entertainment. In the message, the individual claimed no connection to WWE.

Hmmm. Weirder and weirder.

(Photo of Benoit: Peter Kramer/Getty.)

Not what you’d call a flying start:

"It was short," said Richard Heitmiller of Nashua. "He’s got a nice voice. But there was nothing there. He’s for apple pie and motherhood. He’s going to have to say what he’s for."

Heitmiller said he hadn’t made up his mind about whom to support — way too early — and had come to learn more about this man he’d heard about but never seen.

"People want to get to know him. He hasn’t been here, and he gives a nine-minute speech," he said dismissively. As Thompson exited, people started making their way to the doors midway through a reception.

"I told my wife we’d get home by 8. We’ll get home a lot earlier than that," Heitmiller said.

I can’t see anything beyond the hype myself.

The congressman from Texas was one of only two Republicans voting for Rahm Emmanuel’s bid to defund the veep’s office. I think Paul will vote to defund anything, which is partly why I love him, of course. But it’s an added advantage that it will tick Cheney off.

Vive la resistance. (Hat Tip: TPM.)

Andy Bacevich asks the question and answers: nothing. Money quote:

The war’s opponents must align their moral concerns, which are complex, with their seemingly straightforward policy prescription. That alignment becomes possible if we recognize that America’s obligation is not to Iraq but to Iraqis. As a nation-state, Iraq – awash with sectarian violence and lacking legitimate institutions – can hardly be said to exist. We owe Iraq nothing.

In contrast, we owe the Iraqis whose lives we have blighted quite a lot. We should repay that debt much as we (partially at least) repaid our debt to the people of South Vietnam after 1975: by offering them sanctuary.

(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty.)

Another online test! (Hat tip: Doc Bushwell.)

A look at the historical record since Ike. Clinton does best.

A C-Span video of Irshad Manji’s Monday speech to the American Library Association. Don’t miss the reading poem from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the end.