Month: June 2007

A Massachusetts legislator who once voted against marrige equality explains why she changed her mind.

A reader writes:

You stated that,

"We tried to construct a constitutional order [in Iraq] for a non-dictatorial, national political settlement."

We did what, exactly?  Here’s what we did.  We disbanded the army, throwing thousands out into the street with no pay, no pension, no way to support their families.  We shut down the state-owned industries that produced goods and services basic to the national infrastructure, throwing thousands out into the street with no pay, no pension, no way to support their families.  And then we expected investors to line up while we threw reconstruction dollars at Halliburton and KBR and other American firms under no-bid loopholes in U.S. Government Procurement Law. Worse still, we eviscerated the civil service by purging it of Baath party members (who wasn’t a member of the Baath Party?  The cleaning crew?) thus ripping out the bare bones that would have supported the construction of constitutional order.  Never mind throwing thousands out into the street with no pay, no pension, no way to support their families.  We sat back while all these constitutionally and economically disenfranchised people looted what remained, said "stuff happens" and then proudly we pointed to purple fingers and claimed victory.

We burned down the house, that’s what we did.

He suddenly regains his memory.

This is a pretty staggering figure, don’t you think:

Clinton made 352 speeches last year.

Basically one a day. I guess you just have to stick a microphone in front of him. Still, I don’t begrudge a man who grew up in poverty enriching himself by doing what he does best. Drudge highlights the 9/11 anniversary speech. But it wasn’t about 9/11 as such and I don’t think it counts as an unethical exploitation of the tragedy. Still it prompts the following thought: the press surely needs to ask Rudy Giuliani just how much money has has made off 9/11 in speaking fees and other gigs. If it’s fair to criticize Clinton for this minor coincidence, the vast forture that Rudy has explicitly made off 9/11 deserves full disclosure.

One of those science stories that sticks in the brain:

After plants are potted, roots branch out to suck up water and nutrients. But when several plants of the same species are potted together, things get a little nasty: Each plant flexes its muscles, so to speak, by extending its root growth to try and snatch up valuable resources.

Unless, that is, the plants are siblings—each having come from the same mother plant—in which case they become very accommodating, allowing each other ample root space.

Because the interactions between related and unrelated plants only happened when plants were in the same pot, where root space is limited, root interactions are likely what gives plants the cue that their neighbor is related.

(Photo: the European sea rocket, which was the object of the experiment.)

The good professor is labeled a "schmibertarian" by John Quiggan. The term applies to libertarians who have recently decided that they’re fine with detention without trial, the "anachronism" of habeas corpus, an imperial foreign policy and legalized torture. Not all of them, apparently, are law professors in Tennessee.

Bork’s Libby letter is "not something I would expect from a first-year in law school." Meow.

McCain finally unloads on Clinton Romney.

Hilzoy presents two papers on the rationality of pirates.

It’s an extraordinarily important development, a vindication of the marriage strategy which many of us pioneered despite severe resistance from the gay establishment (yep: HRC and the Clinton machine), and a clear sign that marriage for gay couples is now part of the fabric of America. HRC can still believe that this is a long-term goal, but it’s here long before their precious and entirely symbolic federal hate crimes boondoggle. For me, the most telling fact is that the legislators and people of Massachusetts have actually experienced the fact of marriage equality for several years now. The more people see it for real, instead of through the lurid, unhinged fantasies of Dobsonites, the more opposition wilts. Now, maybe, inclusive Republicans and leading Democrats can grow some balls on the issue. Quit the defensive crouch. That means you, Obama, Edwards and Clinton. And you too, HRC. Dale Carpenter comments here. Here in Ptown, the champagne is already flowing.

(Photo: Kevin Pilla, 43, and his partner of 23 years Thomas Mannix, 44, with dog Buddy, prepare for their civil union ceremony that took place at midnight February 22, 2007 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The couple was registered as a domestic partnership in 1993 in New York and 2004 in New Jersey. By Colin Archer/Getty Images.)