Category: The Dish

It’s not just Gordon Brown. China just signed the biggest nuclear power contract ever. And it’s just a start:

In 2007, China has an installed nuclear capacity of 9 GWe with 11 nuclear power plants in operation, generating 2% of China’s electricity production. Nuclear power stations are located in the south and south-east of the country where there is most economic growth and no coal or dams. China has selected a range of different technologies for its nuclear program, some of which have been developed by Chinese companies, while others are being imported from France, Canada, and Russia.

In May 2007, the government and the National Development and Reform Commission planned to increase nuclear capacity to 40 GWe by 2020, and to 120-160 GWe by 2030.

Deal Hudson airs the story that the MSM is so leery of: Rudy Giuliani’s close association with, employment of and loyalty to a priest credibly accused of child molestation. Money quote:

Since 2002, Msgr. Alan Placa has worked for Rudy Giuliani as a consultant at Giuliani Partners. In 2003 a grand jury report of Suffolk County, NY, accused Placa of sexually abusing multiple victims.

A spokeswoman for Giuliani Partners told Salon Magazine that the former New York City mayor believes Placa was "unjustly accused." The grand jury report contains accusations from three alleged victims, including two children (Placa is named as "Priest F" in the report.) According to testimony before the grand jury, "Everyone in the school knew to stay away from Priest F."

Placa has been suspended from his priestly duties for the past five years…

The grand jury report includes excerpts from a letter in which Placa brags about his ability to settle multi-million dollar clergy abuse claims for "$20,000 to $100,000."…

The suspension of Placa’s priestly duties has now reached the five-year point, far beyond the norm in such cases. Will Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre remove Placa’s priestly faculties during the presidential campaign? That would be both an embarrassment for Giuliani and an implicit admission by the diocese that the case against the monsignor was serious. Of course, given Giuliani’s legendary influence in the New York metropolitan area, Placa’s faculties are not likely to be removed before the election.

One simple question: why has the press not pursued this story more aggressively? Nothing quite highlights Giuliani’s blindness toward friends and cronies like this story. That Giuliani is still paying the guy a salary long after these serious accusations became public boggles the mind. It speaks to an arrogance, flawed judgment and personal contempt for the law that should disqualify Giuliani from any serious aspiration to the presidency. (Update here.)

(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty.)
 

Michael Totten reports from Anbar:

Nobody was shot last night in Fallujah. No American has been shot anywhere in Fallujah since the 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment rotated into the city two months ago. There have been no rocket, or mortar attacks since the summer. Not a single of the 3/5 Marines has even been wounded.

"The only shots we’ve fired since we got here are warning shots," said Lieutenant J.C. Davis. Another officer didn’t agree. "We haven’t even fired warning shots," he said. "It’s too dangerous."

It’s dangerous because anti-American sentiment still exists in the city, even though it is mostly passive right now. It isn’t entirely passive, however. Someone has been taking pot shots at Americans. A few days ago somebody threw a hand grenade at Marines. Two weeks ago an insurgent was caught by Iraqi Police officers while planting an IED near the main station. He freaked out, accidentally connected the wires, and blew himself up. "That’s what he gets," Private Gauniel said.

Hit his tip-jar.

Maybe that was motivating the Lott blogger.

When the regular size won’t fit. This doesn’t strike me as an aphrodisiac, however:

The system works a bit like a car wash. The man put his penis in a chamber and presses a button to start the jets of liquid latex, sucked from a detachable cartridge. The rubber dries in seconds and is later rolled off and discarded like a conventional condom.

The aim is for the process to take just 10 seconds but at present the latex drying time is around 20 to 25 seconds. "We’re working to shorten that time," said Krause.

This has got to hurt:

The electability question continued to trouble even some committed Clinton supporters. Among them here on Sunday was Colleen Clopton, the Clinton chairwoman for Greene County, who said she worries about what Republicans will do to Clinton if she is the nominee.

As a result, Clopton said she is still debating whether to vote for Biden, who as a white male without the Clinton baggage might be a safer choice, she said.

"I’m so afraid of the Republicans against her," Clopton said.

Could they be as brutal as Edwards?

A policy on which fiscal conservatives and greens can come together.

I mentioned them here in the context of the kindle. Brian Anderson informs me there’s a book dedicated to celebrating them. Just one of my pet passions.

"A headline last Sunday about a Muslim man and an Orthodox Jewish woman who are partners in two Dunkin’ Donuts stores described their religions incorrectly. The two faiths worship the same God — not different ones," – The New York Times, November 25.

(Hat tip: Powerline.)

Ruffini is right: this is a sleeper issue. Even the Christianists acknowledge the science of climate change – and only one Republican is vowing to tackle it.