I've been sort of struggling with whether to write this post, but after Daniel Larison and Matt Stoller both toed around the point while offering their takes on Webb, I guess it's worth doing. Let me start by saying that this isn't really about James Webb. He is who he is, and this post has nothing to do with his positions on the issues. But then, nor does most of the excitement around his candidacy. Rather, Webb represents something of almost transcendent importance to some post-Bush liberals: The opportunity to out-tough the GOP. A candidate who's not only a liberal, but in no way a sissy. He is the daywalker, combining a progressive's positions with a southern militarist's affectations.

But this is not a sustainable approach to politics. Democrats can't out-tough the GOP. It's possible that James Webb can do it. But he's sui generis; a Democrat who can win at politics when played under Republican rules. Democrats love those candidates, because they think of presidential elections as an away game, and they're endlessly hunting for the candidate who plays best under those conditions.

But Democrats can't win at politics when played under Republican rules. Progressivism can't prosper when politics is played under Republican rules. It needs to make its own rules.

.....................

Now, studies show that women do not, in fact, perform worse in primaries than men. In fact, in Democratic primaries, the evidence since 1990 is that they do better (see my article in the forthcoming American Prospect for more on this). But they run less often -- for a host of reasons, but one of which is that they think they're more likely to lose. And that idea is inextricably intertwined with a political culture in which progressives and conservatives alike get very excited over hypermasculine candidates. That's not a fight women can win, and nor, according to the election results, is it one they need to win. But perception matters when women are deciding whether to run for office, and the perception that the dudelier you are, the more likely you are to win, is a dangerous one.

h/t The sideshow

keep to the Fen Causeway

And then, without any sense of irony, he later said, "We understand that free societies are peaceful societies." One might think that means that free societies don't start wars just for shits and giggles, but the Rude Pundit isn't even sure what the fuck Bush means by "freedom," let alone "peaceful."

He's pretty sure, though, that Bush doesn't understand what those things mean, too, because if "freedom" is a weapon in an arsenal, the biggest goddamn arrow in the quiver, then doesn't that imply that "peace" ain't exactly the main thing on the mind of those who would wield the rocket launcher of freedom?
.......................

In other words, the entire faux basis for Bush's foreign policy, the notion that "freedom" in and of itself will make glittery rainbows appear over Basra and unicorn ponies run through the Khyber Pass, is a house of lies on a pile of shit. Our shit. Made in the USA.

h/t The Sideshow

keep to the Fen Causeway

There are plenty of culprits, but one candidate for lead perp is former Sen. Phil Gramm. Eight years ago, as part of a decades-long anti-regulatory crusade, Gramm pulled a sly legislative maneuver that greased the way to the multibillion-dollar subprime meltdown.

.................................

Now a well-paid executive at a Swiss bank, Gramm co-chairs Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign and advises the Republican candidate on economic matters. He's been mentioned as a possible Treasury secretary should McCain win. That's right: A guy who helped screw up the global financial system could end up in charge of US economic policy. Talk about a market failure."

h/t The sideshow

keep to the Fen Causeway

A new United Nations report says the Balkans, once known as a hotbed for crime and violence amid Yugoslav wars and the collapse of Communism, have become safer than western Europe.

The Balkans have made huge strides in cutting conventional crimes such as homicide, robbery, rape, burglary and assault but challenges still remain in the form of organized crime and its links to politicians and business, a new UN report concludes.

"Some of you will be surprised," said Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which compiled the report, at a news conference in Brussels. "In general, if you look at conventional crime, the levels of these crimes across the region are by far lower than they used to be, particularly at the beginning of the 1990s."

The UN report says that the levels of conventional crime are now lower in the Balkans than in Western Europe.

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Plans are being developed to launch a social networking site for MEPs and MPs to boost contacts between politicians across Europe and promote a trans-European democracy.

Myparl.eu - officially to be launched in October - is a website currently under construction that aims to work along the same lines as the popular MySpace or Facebook social networking services, but in addition to linking social contacts is supposed to foster debate about legislative proposals coming both out of Brussels and from national parliaments.

The first official talks on the project, which is sponsored by the European Commission and will receive EU funds, took place in Brussels on Thursday (28 May) involving MEPs and the 27 national co-ordinators for each member state.

Daniela Vincenti Mitchener, editor of the site, told EUobserver the project is about "creating a transnational community of ideas" and that it will alert MPs to MPs in other countries "who are thinking alike."

I've spent, oh, the whole day trying to plan to see SATC this weekend.  Going to the movies should not be this complicated.  Jesus, seeing a Russian art film was easier than this!

Obama has another, and worse, IMO Preacher Fiasco on his hands.  Jesus, this is psychopathic.  It PAINS me to say it, because Father Pfleger has been a pillar in the social justice community in Chicago, fighter for tougher gun laws and more fair immigration policies.  But damn, this was stupid.  I don't even know what priests are doing endorsing candidates, but this is over the top.  Makes me wish I'd voted for Hillary twice!  grrrr.  

Some dude is on a hunger strike over the Czech missile shield.

Brilliant article in the eXile, if you've not already read it.  Sometimes I think the whole world has gone mad, and then I read Sean, and am relieved to find one sane person left...

The Balkans are safer than Sweden.  Makes me wonder what's happened to Sweden...

No one wants to go to the book fair with me.  Everyone wants to see SATC with me.  Everyone wants to have dinner with me.  Everyone wants to do political events with me.  No one wants to go to the book fair with me.  How did my life come to this?  Have I strayed off the path, or did everyone quit reading?!

Erm, have a nice weekend, y'all!

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

Key information from the article:

Farmers will receive payments of between $5,000 and $9,000 per year for allowing turbines to be sited on their land.

Jewel Gretencord said three wind turbines are being constructed on her family's corn and soybean farm, offering a steady income as crop prices gyrate up and down.

"It's guaranteed money," Gretencord said.

Benton County government already is reaping benefits from the wind farm, with BP and Dominion paying the county $680,000 for building permits for the first 222 turbines, County Council President Bruce Buchanan said.

In exchange for a granting a sliding 10-year tax abatement on the turbines, the county will receive annual $1 million payments for four years. It estimates those payments and later tax payments will add up to $55 million within 20 years.

I wish to know if the lease payments to the farmers for the land use are comparable to other wind farm lease payments. I'm also wondering about the costs of producing per megawatt versus the market price per megawatt, generally speaking; and, are the tax abatements for the wind farm reasonable?

When businessman David Barnish treated his family to a holiday at a luxury resort, he was soon dismayed to find their hotel dominated by Germans.

But it wasn't an abundance of beach towels on the sunbeds by breakfast time which was to spoil the family's fun - rather that the sports activities and entertainment were only offered in German.

Today Mr Barnish told of his delight after a judge awarded him £750 compensation from tour operator Thomson after agreeing that the firm's brochure had mislead him by failing to make clear that the hotel on the Greek island of Kos catered for a mainly German clientele.

The self-employed finance broker had paid almost £4,000 to take wife Karen, 36, and daughters Molly, aged 12, Gemma, 19, and 21-year-old Kim, on a week-long holiday to the Grecotel Park Royal in Marmari last August.

The government is preparing to offer Labour MPs a major concession to avoid losing a vote on terror detentions, the BBC has learned.

Ministers want to extend the limit suspects can be held without charge to 42 days, which many Labour MPs oppose.

To avoid losing a Commons vote, the government is to suggest halving the period during which police can use these extra powers.

The BBC's James Landale said this was a "significant concession".

Emergency powers

This could see Prime Minister Gordon Brown lose a Commons vote.

If Brown loses this vote, how far off can a confidence vote be?

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

keep to the Fen Causeway

While European producers of sign language programming met in Helsinki this week to discuss how to make their shows more appealing to mainstream viewers, European broadcasters struggle with requirements to subtitle all programmes they transmit....

...The EU Parliament wants a law that would require European public broadcasters to subtitle all of their programs. The Parliament aims to ensure that all viewers, including those who are hard of hearing, are able to watch public television.

Partial or complete loss of hearing affects some 83 million people in the EU, and given the ageing population, this figure is set to grow. Subtitling also aids in foreign-language learning, says the European Parliament.

AP via Google: Japanese woman caught living in man's closet

A homeless woman who sneaked into a man's house and lived undetected in his closet for a year was arrested in Japan after he became suspicious when food mysteriously began disappearing.

Police found the 58-year-old woman Thursday hiding in the top compartment of the man's closet and arrested her for trespassing, police spokesman Hiroki Itakura from southern Kasuya town said Friday.

The resident of the home installed security cameras that transmitted images to his mobile phone after becoming puzzled by food disappearing from his kitchen over the past several months.