Pawlenty And The Presidency

by Stuart Shapiro

As Alan posted earlier today, Tim Pawlenty became the first significant candidate (Herman Cain and Buddy Roemer — you have my apologies) for the GOP nomination for president to take a concrete step toward the nomination by forming an exploratory committee.  What has received remarkably little attention is how late it is for candidates to take this step.  By this time in 2008, all of the major candidates except for Fred Thompson had declared their intentions to run, not just formed an exploratory committees.  In 2004, all except for Wesley Clark had formed committees.

Now, I despise …

U.S. Army Apologizes For “Repugnant” Photos Of Soldiers Posing Over Civilian Corpses

The U.S. Army is apologizing for “trophy photos” of grinning soldiers posing over dead corpses of Afghan civilians. The army described the photographs as “repugnant.”

The pictures were published by German news organisation Der Spiegel and were among 4,000 they have obtained.

Meanwhile, commanders in Afghanistan are bracing themselves for a public backlash and possible riots over the ‘trophy’ photographs, especially since it has been alleged that the Afghan civilians were unarmed and innocent…

Der Spiegel magazine says it has identified one of the soldiers in the photographs as Cpl Jeremy Morlock of Alaska.

He is one of five …

Farrakhan To Obama: “Who The Hell Do You Think You Are?”

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan spoke to Cliff Kelley on WVON radio in Chicago and accused the CIA of stimulating a revolt in countries like Libya where we want regime change.  We have agents in Iran, he claims, “to work among the dissatisfied.” The rebels, he says, are dissatisfied, “but what are they dissatisfied about?” They have jobs and homes that Qaddafi has helped them achieve, says Farrakhan, but imperial powers are trying to destabilize otherwise content citizens. The Libyan leader, says Farrakhan,  has been investing in African development and has friends all over the world, even if he …

On Monday’s Radio Show…

• Act of War? Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) joins Alan to explain why he believes U.S. actions in Libya violate the Constitution.

• America’s Third Front: Alan questions the U.S. role in Libya as coalition forces continue to launch attacks against Moammar Qadhafi.

• Debating the role of the President: Alan weighs in on the recent wave of attacks launched against President Obama.

 …

Headline Schmooze For March 21, 2011

by Barry Weintraub

Obama favors Gadhafi stepping down from power
So he bombed his steps into a ramp of rubble to make it easier

Obama lauds Chile’s transition to democracy
And stands idly by as U.S. transitions away from it

Tim Pawlenty to announce 2012 exploratory committee
Nobody more excited by this news than …Tim Pawlenty

World mourns loveable polar bear Knut
Knut – the German zoo animal, NOT Newt – the former GOP Speaker

“Red” rocker Sammy Hagar says abducted by aliens
That, of course, in the chapter AFTER: sex, drugs and rock and roll…

Obama Explains Libyan Mission To Congress

In keeping with the War Powers Resolution of 1973, President Obama has sent a letter to Congress within 48 hours of commencing military action, explaining its objective. While the right wants regime change, that is not the purpose of our action against Libya.

These strikes will be limited in their nature, duration, and scope. Their purpose is to support an international coalition as it takes all necessary measures to enforce the terms of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973. These limited U.S. actions will set the stage for further action by other coalition partners…

United States forces are conducting a limited …

Riot Police At Bradley Manning Rally; Daniel Ellsberg At Quantico: “This Is Our Tahrir Square”

By Dennis Trainor, Jr

Tense moments at the Rally For Bradley Manning Sunday, as Daniel Ellsberg and Retired Col. Ann Wright were among an estimated 35 arrested. I spoke with Daniel Ellsberg in this video, with riot police surrounding us, and to hear him say that non-violent actions like this are contagious makes me hope that this video gets seen far and wide.

…

If Sarah Palin Wants To Be In With The Jews, Learn How To Pronounce “Purim”

Testing her popularity, Sarah Palin is in Israel where she remarked on how “overwhelmed” she is at witnessing “the cornerstone of our faith.” However, it didn’t help that she wished all a happy “Pure-em.”  For any potential Shabbos goys, or presidential candidates, it would be helpful to know that the holiday that celebrates the deliverance of Jews from a plot to destroy them is “poor-em,” or even poor-eem, not “Pure-em.”

…

How Dumb Are Americans?

NEWSWEEK asked 1000 Americans to take the official citizenship test, and the results aren’t pretty. (h/t Political Wire)

…29 percent couldn’t name the vice president. Seventy-three percent couldn’t correctly say why we fought the Cold War. Forty-four percent were unable to define the Bill of Rights. And 6 percent couldn’t even circle Independence Day on a calendar.

We seem like a third world country compared to how other countries perform on these tests.

In March 2009, the European Journal of Communication asked citizens of Britain, Denmark, Finland, and the U.S. to answer questions on international affairs. The Europeans …

Is Donald Trump Serious About The Presidency?

By William K. Wolfrum

Showing his true colors as a publicity hound, Donald Trump has lately been making noises about running for president. The bankruptcy expert has been tooling about, talking himself up, while even throwing a bone to the Birthers by questioning Obama’s citizenship.

It’s all a ruse, of course. That Trump would have no chance of winning makes no difference to him, because Trump has no plans whatsoever to actually run. His recent comments have been made for two reasons: 1) to inflate his ego, and 2) to PR his TV show Celebrity Apprentice.

Now, this is not …

Gingrich Goes From Attacking Obama For “Fixation” With Basketball To Golfing And Hiding

Last week presidential candidate-wannabe Newt Gingrich went after President Obama for having a “fixation with the Final Four.” Now the former House Speaker is attacking the president for caring too much about golf.

“It strikes me that the more difficult it gets, the more the president golfs and the more the president hides.

That’s why, quite frankly, I was critical last week of his coming up with his Final Four for basketball.

… the idea that the president of the United States — in this scale of crisis — spending his time on looking at the slots in basketball, …