Nice Day, For Some

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Boise. After the snow, the skys cleared up and the sun came out.



This poor guy probably wasn't admiring the weather. I guess he hit a slick spot. I don't think he was hurt, but his bicycle is pretty well toast.



The day ended beautifully as well, with the sun shining on Squaw Butte north of Emmett.

Civil War In Iraq

NBC decided to start calling it civil war in Iraq, and other media seems to be following along. The Statesman used that term on today's front page. I guess now that Bush's administration has been weakened by the election, the MSM might not be such lickspittles anymore. Anyway, the point to the story was that we can't really do anything to stop the civil war.

I'm not so sure. The real question is whether we have the national will to do something about it. If we're willing to spend the money, lives and time, I believe we can stop the civil war. First, send more troops. Ask other countries to help out but allow them to get some of the contracts for reconstruction. (You might recall that was a big reason France and Germany refused to chip in some troops.) Appoint a military governor to run the country, and have the Gov appoint Iraqi leaders and hold them accountable for results.

Round up and imprison the militia leaders, including Al Sadr, and you'll go a long way to tamping down the violence. Yes, we'll squelch their attempt at democracy, but who cares? They can't creat a democracy without security, and they can't gain security with the current government. The ministries have been divvied out to the factions and are run as such, and thus don't function.

We rushed Iraq into trying to set up a democracy way before it was ready, because that fit the meme used to make the war palatable to the US public. That is, it would be easy because they'll be up an running before we know it. When you teach a child to ride a bike, you provide training wheels. We should have done something like that in Iraq.

In World War I, the various countries involved poured obscene amounts of money and human lives into the battle, but with very little military result. It was the way the nations tested each other's will to sustain the fight. As long as they were willing to spend their money and kill their sons they could stay on the battle field. In the US, after Vietnam we had a number of military actions (Grenada, Panama, 1st Gulf War, etc.) that didn't involve such a test of national will. This made it easy for the President to committ the military without widespread public support. Now we're in the position of being stuck in a war that is requiring a national commitment, but we don't have the national consensus.

Our choices are: 1) Keep doing what we're doing, and keep getting what we're getting. 2) Pull out and let Iraq work it out. To me that is almost immoral, since the US is the reason Iraq is so messed up right now. 3) Commit the resources to go back and do it right. I think we're talking the better part of a trillion dollars, not counting what's been spent, over the next ten years. Given the needs of US citizens, spending that kind of money in Iraq is also almost immoral.

What a mess. This will be the legacy of President Bush and the Republican Congress. I dunno, maybe they don't care about this. After all, the war sure has been good for business.

Gas Prices

The AP says it has evidence of supply manipulation by oil companies to restrict supply, in order to prop up prices.

Whatever the truth in Bakersfield, an Associated Press analysis suggests that big oil companies have been crimping supplies in subtler ways across the country for years. And tighter supplies tend to drive up prices.

The analysis, based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, indicates that the industry slacked off supplying oil and gasoline during the prolonged price boom between early 1999 and last summer, when prices began to fall.

NPR reported earlier this week that crude prices are down, but that nationwide gasoline prices have risen an average of 5 cents since the election, as they have in Boise.

Pre-emptive Strike

Dems were elected to Congress in large part because of dissatisfaction with the Iraq war. They can’t do much about it, other than de-fund it, but if they do that they’ll be accused of not supporting the troops.

I think Dems can avoid at least that charge if they get serious about taking care of the troops. Pass a bill aimed at buying every service member in Iraq full body armor, including the Small Arm Protective Inserts (aka SAPIs or ceramic plates that fit in the flak vest) and the best helmets and liners. Accelerating the up-armored vehicles, Hummers and Rhinos, would help, as would buying a bunch more Warlocks, ICEs and the like. (Those are devices to detect explosive devices and either jam signals or cause them to explode out of range.) Double the number of Special Forces.

Up-funding the VA wouldn’t hurt, either. I returned from Iraq in November 05, went to the VA medical center in January 06, and set up my first appointment, the earliest I could get it, for September 06. I’ll be going in for diagnostics in late December. If I need any procedures, no doubt they’ll be sometime in 07. So yes, the VA is underfunded to help our returning troops.

Having then shown that they support actual troops instead of corporations on no-bid contracts, the Dems would have more freedom to modify our course of action in Iraq.

And BTW, I’m still in favor of Go Big, I’d just Go Way Big Then Go Home. 20,000 more troops are not enough. 200,000 are more like it. Seal the borders. Stop doing presence patrols that just make us targets; stick to quick reaction forces and raids. Capture the militia leaders, including Muqtada al Sadr, and get them out of business. Hold the Iraqi political, military and police leaders accountable for action, even if it means installing someone new. Who cares if we’re accused of subverting their democratic process; they don’t have one to subvert.

President of His Class

Per the Statesman, Bill Sali has been elected as President of the GOP freshman class. Before our Sali supporters get too excited, bear in mind that there are only twelve GOP freshmen this year. Per the NYT article, such a low number means this class won't have much influence on GOP House leadership.

Dems Need Rebranding

I've been thinking about the election results which again saw Rs in Idaho voting for candidates simply because they have an R by their names. It's tempting to ascribe this to stupidity or apathy, and of the two apathy is probably closer to the mark. Although I think it was stupid to put a non-high school graduate in the Controller's office over an experienced woman with an MBA, it doesn't mean the voters are stupid. I think that many voters just don't take the time to really find out what a given candidate stands for, so when they get in the booth they go with what they're used to.

For some reason, Rs seem to unreasonably fear and even hate Dems. Unreasonable because Idaho Dems are so far out of power, and have been, that they have no power or ability to to accomplish their odious agenda. There is nothing to fear from them.

Somewhere in the past few years Idahoans put Idaho Dems in some mental box and never reconsidered. It might have been after the Reagan revolution, it perhaps was in reaction to Clinton, it might have been the spotted owl, I dunno. The real issue is, how do Dems bust out of the box?

I suggest rebranding. The Idaho Dem Party should hire a rebranding expert and use the next two years redefining the Idaho Dem Party. Some ads talking about Dem values and showing how they are in sync with Idaho values would help. Show Cecil Andrus hunting, that kind of thing. Create some room in voters' minds to allow them to think about how Idaho Dems are not Massachusetts liberals and about how it might not be the end of the world to vote for a qualified Dem over an unqualified R.

This article by Scott Stouder, a field coordinator for Trout Unlimited in Idaho, reveals great opportunity for Dems if they can get people to reassess. TU's interests are not aligned with R interests. I guess that a majority of hunters and fishers in Idaho vote R. However, that R vote goes against their recreational interests. Likewise, Butch "Sagebrush Rebellion, sell off public lands to private parties" Otter also does not support public land and its associated recreational interests.

I'd like to see Dems run some ads showing Dem support for hunting and fishing, public lands, clean running streams, protecting Elk herds from domestic elk genetics and disease, that kind of thing. All positive; don't mention Rs. Define Idaho Dem values. Don't let R's define Idaho Dems as "San Francisco Liberals."

This can't be done during an election. Time is too short, and the message will be overwhelmed by all the R money available to R candidates. This needs to be done between elections.

God's Will?

A fiend of mine, Geoff, called last night and was chuckling about the results of the vote on moving the 10 Commandments monument. His point was that Brandi Swindell and Bryan Fischer should be working hard to ensure that the momument never gets moved back to the park. After all, it's God's will that the vote came out the way it did, isn't it? And if so, they certainly want to work to effectuate God's will.

How Do I Feel About the Election?

Could have used another
Night or so to be recovered
Believe the lies I told myself
But just as long as you know

That's okay
It's alright
No, really everything is cool
This is just
The way I look
When I'm feeling like a fool


Dwight Yoakam, "That's Okay"

Idaho Election Results

If you look at the controller race, it tells you pretty much all you need to know about Idaho politics. The gal with the GED was elected to be controller over the gal with the MBA in finance and banking experience, by a 60-40 margin. All you need to get elected in Idaho is an R by your name.

A.K. is really pissed off.

I am taking real exception to you moronic pieces of excrement passing as human beings who went to the polls today with no clear idea of the candidates' qualifications or positions on anything other than you were going to vote Republican no matter what.

And

Stupid bigots dragged their knuckles to the polls long enough to pass the marriage amendment

And

Are you out of your minds? Just stupid? Come on. Admit it. You didn't bother to read or pay attention to ANYTHING about the candidates before you voted. Proves my point: huge numbers of Idahoans are so brainwashed, they'd vote against Jesus if you put a D after his name on the ballot. Satan would scrape out a win if he had the R after his name. It's an Idaho thing. Shame on you people. I hope the half-educated kids end up taking care of you when you're in the nursing home.

As Jeremy wrote in a comment "a fine bit of in the moment inspired vitriol."

Religious Bias in our Elections

As you can see, KTVB showed voters in Boise lined up at the ballot boxes. You can also see the crucifix above the ballot boxes, which to me is outrageous, especially since the anti-gay amendment is on the ballot, and even worse, the 10 Commandments initiative. Can we put the ballot box in a more biased place? This is ridiculous, obviously biased, and ought to be grounds for tossing out all the votes in this polling place, at least on the two religious issues.

Ya know, there are laws against proselytising, yet there it is. Who approved this polling place?

Election Day

First off, let's watch gas prices. Now that it's election day, the price can go back up. The three questions are when will the prices start to raise, how high will they go, and what will be the excuses offered? I expect the prices to start going up by the end of the week, certainly by the end of the month. I figure they'll go back to around $3.00 a gallon. After all, we're already used to that. The first excuse will probably be market instability caused by widespread Sunni reaction to Saddam's death sentence. Next excuse, recent lower gas prices caused increased consumption, thereby reducing inventories, and with winter here the need for home heating oil has blah blah blah.

Next, some good work by our fellow bloggers. A.K. at The Sniff Test has a blistering post along the lines of Luna-cy and Luna-tic.

Julie finished her enlightening six-part series discussing why Sali is a poor choice for Congress. She also has a nice piece on Sali's weaseling on the Proposition 2 issue. First he's agin it, now he won't say, in order to serve his Blub For Growth master. Check Grant's website for a thorough discussion.

Pastor Ted

I looked around the official Pastor Ted (Haggard) website just out of curiosity. I’d bet it’s not up much longer, given his fall from grace. If a person had a mind to, you could find lots of material to make snarky comments. I’ll post some of the material, but leave off most of the snark. It almost writes itself, anyway.

Picture at right of a warrior angel statue in Haggard's church's prayer center.

I’m not really sure what to make of the guy. He’s now out of a job, and judging by his website all he’s ever done has been religion oriented. In 1978 he graduated from … you guessed it, Oral Roberts University. His entire life has been his charismatic evangelical religion. And now he’s lost that. He's suffered a personal tragedy, and I have some empathy for that, but given certain of his (supposed) beliefs, I don't have much sympathy for him.

The following quotes are from articles posted on Haggard’s “News” page.

Ted Haggard sees things other people don't. He's seen angels and demons and blood on his hands. Sometimes, he sees things before they happen.

I'd bet he didn’t see getting outed by a gay prostitute.

While fasting and praying 18 years ago on the side of Pikes Peak, Haggard envisioned the church that would become the largest in Colorado, where believers speak in tongues and do cartwheels because they love the Lord so much -- a place Haggard says he'll never leave.

He has wrong about never leaving.

Haggard prayed for the gift of tongues. He said he received his "prayer language" sitting in a parked car listening to a Bible tape with a friend.

***

Haggard came to inhabit a spiritual world where prophets and apostles still exist, where demons are real and can be dispatched with holy oil, where visions and messages are a part of everyday life, if only you listen hard enough.

Is that messages or massages?

Haggard had experienced a vision in high school after he was born again. He said he saw demons hovering over newborn babies at a hospital, waiting to instill in them negative character traits such as hatred, greed, drug use and masturbation. These were the kind of spirits Haggard knew he had to fight.

***

He teaches that Christians, as responsible citizens, should get involved in political issues. He's spoken out against homosexuality and abortion. He does not endorse candidates but has given a strong indication of his political leanings by saying from the pulpit he "votes a straight ticket."

***

One day, Haggard rented a hotel room to pray and fast. Worship music was playing. He felt as if his hands were dirty. He wrung them, but they wouldn't come clean.

Haggard is a loyal member of the Religious Right who dials in for a White House conference call every Monday. Yet he embraces ecological concerns and says the Supreme Court made a good decision in the Lawrence v. Texas case, ordering the government out of the private lives of homosexuals.

(Emphasis mine.)

Every Monday, he and other evangelical leaders join in a regular conference call to the White House. And not only this White House. "Bill Clinton's White House was the most responsive in recent history," he said. "He really wanted to please evangelical Christians. He's a Bible-believing Christian himself; his problem was, he was a sex addict."

There's lots of material in the same vein on Haggard's website.

As I've said, I feel bad for the guy's family. Their life trajectory just completely changed.

Evangelical Leader Has Problems

Ted Haggard, head of the National Association of Evangelicals, admitted some allegations about homosexual sex drug use . He is admitting to buying meth from a homosexual prostitute, Mike Jones, but says he threw it away and never used it. Apparently a recorded voice message from Haggard has him asking Jones to get more meth. Haggard also admits to getting a massage from Jones. Haggard denies the allegations about homosexual sex with Jones, and Jones failed a lile detector test.

Well, it looks like Haggard's toast. Plenty of others have opined about hypocrisy, and the effect on evangelicals and their motivation to vote, etc. What struck me was the picture of Haggard sitting in his truck, talking to the camera through the passenger window. His wife was in the passenger seat and two kids, looks like sons, in the back seat. His unfortunate wife just looks stunned in the picture, and of course his kids sit there and listen to their dad talk about the allegations. Haggard also admitted to getting a massage from Jones.

Haggard said he was referred to Jones for a massage by a hotel in Denver. The minister said he travels to Denver to write books. Haggard drew a
silent stare from his wife when he told the gathered reporters that he received a massage from Jones.

I feel bad for Haggard's family. Not only do they have to go through the wringer on the allegations, but they're going to lose their friends, suffer a drastic reduction in status, and probably have money problems as well. I'd be surprised if the marriage survives. When you set yourself up as a moral leader, you'd better live the life. His family will never recover, it's not their fault, and that's tragic.

Sali's Lawsuit, cont.

Sali details his income in this answer to an interrogatory. It appears that he didn't make much money from his law practice. His stipend as a legislator and his pay as a drummer constituted much of his income in that period, plus some income from his law practice. I'm guessing around $15k or so a year from his law practice.





Sali eventually gave up on trying to establish economic damages in his lawsuit, on the grounds that he didn't want to "face such an invasions of his privacy."



Sali admits to two collection action being filed against him, one of which was for unpaid medical bills. I wonder if he refused to pay the doc who ejected him as a patient. I'll update this with the names and court file numbers tomorrow.