Hack

I'm glad the Democrats have realized that Greenspan is part of the problem.

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan generally gets accolades for his public pronouncements. Yesterday he got a brickbat from Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who blasted Greenspan as "one of the biggest political hacks we have here in Washington."

Reid ripped Greenspan during an interview on CNN's "Inside Politics." He said the Fed chairman has given President Bush a pass on deficits that have built up in the past four years and should be challenging Republicans on their fiscal policies, rather than promoting Bush's plan to introduce personal accounts into Social Security.

"I'm not a big Greenspan fan -- Alan Greenspan fan," Reid said when asked about the Fed chairman's testimony this week urging Congress to deal quickly with the financial problems facing Social Security and Medicare. "I voted against him the last two times. I think he's one of the biggest political hacks we have in Washington."

...

"Why doesn't he respond to the Republicans and tell them the big problem here is the debt that this administration is created?" he said. "We had a $7 trillion-dollar surplus when Bush took office. Now we have a $3 or $4 trillion-dollar deficit. That's, in fact, what Greenspan should be telling people."

Gibbons Speech Plagiarized

Elko Daily Free Press:

ELKO - The speech delivered by U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., during Friday night's Lincoln Day Dinner in Elko was largely plagiarized from a copyrighted speech by Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman.

Chapman told the Elko Daily Free Press this morning Gibbons had not requested permission to use her speech, which she said she delivered Feb. 2, 2003, at a Stand Up for America rally in Alabama.

She said Gibbons apologized today for using large portions of her speech.

"I spoke with him this morning and he has apologized," she said.

Chapman, a Republican, said Gibbons told her he did not realize the speech was copyrighted.

During his speech at Friday night's Lincoln Day Dinner, Gibbons did not mention that the speech had been written and previously delivered by Chapman.

"I don't remember where I got it," Gibbons said this morning. "I had no idea it was copyrighted."

Whether or not it's copyrighted is really not the point. Deliberately passing off the words of others as your own is plagiarism, whether it's Betty Chapman's copyrighted speech or Billy Shakespeare's no longer copyrighted plays.

Follow the Bouncing Lie

Novak misquotes Dean twice (since corrected by Judy Woodruff). The RNC puts it up on their site (since taken down). Rush Limbaugh discusses the incorrect quote, as does Cato Club for Growth.

Factcheck.org

A perpetually silly outfit.

Admin Costs

Max explains why claims of tiny admin. costs for privatized accounts are almost certainly bollocks. I'm happy for someone to argue the other side, but I don't see how his basic point could be wrong -- this would be an almost unbearable burden for genuine small businesses. I'd imagine there'd be numerous law suits too, by workers pissed off that their stock purchases were done a day late.

An Asshole AND a Plagiarist

By now you've heard this story:

ELKO - Patriotic spirits soared as Elko's Grand Old Party had a grand old party Friday night at its annual Lincoln Day Dinner.

The fervor was whipped up by a fiery speech by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., during which he passionately proclaimed his heartfelt support for troops waging the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan and voiced blistering contempt for certain celebrities for giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

Let's see some more of what he said:

"We are all here tonight because men and women of the United States military have given their lives for our freedom," Gibbons continued. "We are here tonight not because of Rosie O'Donnell, Martin Sheen, George Clooney, Jane Fonda or Phil Donahue - they never sacrificed their lives for us or for liberty."

Gibbons said it was not movie stars but soldiers and sailors that defended freedom in the deserts of Iraq, the jungles of Vietnam, the sands of Iwo Jima and the beaches of Normandy.

"I say we tell those liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals to go make their movies and their music and whine somewhere else," Gibbons said to another burst of applause.

He said if they lived in Iraq or Afghanistan, "Ironically they would be put to death at the hands of Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden."



Gibbons brought the crowd to near feverish pitch when he hit the hot button issue of abortion.

"I want to know how these very people who are against war because of loss of life can possibly be the same people who are for abortion?" Gibbons said. "They are the same people who are for animal rights, but they are not for the rights of the unborn."

He said that they are the same people who wanted to go to Iraq and become human shields for the enemy.

"I say it's just too damn bad we didn't buy them a ticket," Gibbons said.

Laughter rippled through the room, mingled with more applause.

"If they want to be human shields, I say let them serve the men and women of honest integrity that epitomize courage and embody the spirit of freedom by wearing the proud uniform of the United States military," Gibbons said.

"What greater love has man than he lays down his life for his friend - or in this case, his country," Gibbons said in conclusion.

Apparently our fine Congressman is a plagiarist. Here we have a 2003 speech by Alabama state auditor Beth Chapman:

I’m here tonight because men and women of the United States military have given their lives for my freedom. I am not here tonight because Sheryl Crowe, Rosie O’Donnell, Jane Fonda or Phil Donahue, sacrificed their lives for me.

...

Tonight, I say we should support the President of the United States and the U.S. military and tell the liberal, tree hugging, hippy, Birkenstock wearing, tie-dyed liberals to go make their movies and music and whine somewhere else.

After all, if they lived in Iraq, they wouldn’t be allowed the freedom of speech they’re being given here today - - ironically, they would be put to death at the hands of Sadam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden.

I want to know how the very people who are against war because of the loss of life, can possibly be the same people who are for abortion?

They are the same people who are for animal rights but against the rights of the unborn.

The movie stars say they want to go to Iraq and serve as human shields for the Iraqis, I say let them buy a one-way ticket and go.

...


If they want to be human shields, I say let them shield the men and women of honesty and integrity who epitomize courage and embody the spirit of freedom by wearing the proud uniforms of the United States Military. Those are the people who have earned and deserve shielding.

...

Throughout the course of history, this country has remained free, not because of movie stars and liberal activists but because of brave men and women who hated war too - - but lay down their lives so that we all may live in freedom. After all – What greater love hath no man, that he lay down his life for his friend,” but in this case a country.

(great tip from reader l)

For the Record

I do believe K. Lo is that stupid.

And while "subpoenaing all abortion records" and "subpoenaing DNA from medical sample of someone not accused of a crime" are not at all the same thing, that doesn't mean that the latter isn't rather problematic as well.

Falafels of Mass Destruction

Bill O'Reilly calls the ACLU a terrorist group.

That Liberal Media

I think the inside the blogs segment on CNN is silly, but its shocking lack of balance is SOP these days...

Cranky Brad

DeLong's a wee bit cranky about Mankiw's hackery.

Thune Bloggers

Greg Beato notices some inconsistencies in the whole Thune/blogger issue.

This whole situation pissed me off because it'll be used as an excuse to pass unreasonable regulations, when it actually points to rather simple guidelines. I wouldn't have any problem with certain types of disclosure requirements.

The End of the Internets

I do think there are ways that some campaign finance law provisions can be reasonably extended to the internet, but what they're talking about now would essentially put an end to all political speech on the internet, with the exception of "established" media organizations.

Bizarre Tech Issue

I just added a device which lets me plug a USB external hard drive into my router so I have a wireless accessible network drive. Works great except for a weird quirk -- when I plug in the iPod, iTunes gets confused and thinks the network drive is my iPod...

...thanks, remapping appears to have worked.

Morning Thread

Chat.

1500

r i p

Late Night

Have fun.

Open Thread

Chat away...

What's Next?

If this is true:

Treasury Secretary John W. Snow indicated Wednesday that the White House would accept a Social Security overhaul that does not divert the program’s payroll taxes into personal retirement accounts, a major shift in the administration’s position.

then it's pretty stunning. That's one fast retreat. And, a lovely gift to all the Republican Congressmen they just hung out to dry.

ha ha! [/muntz]


Let's hope that Democrats realize something they've forgotten...


winning is fun!

Denied -- Day 1 Day 2

FishbowlDC can't get a press briefing pass.


...and Day 2.

There is Plan and No Plan

Cute trick.

The AARP, which claims 35 million members age 50 and over, is "against a solution that hasn't been written yet," said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay after a closed-door meeting with the GOP rank and file.

...


Younger Americans would be allowed to invest a portion of their payroll taxes on their own. In exchange they would receive a lower government benefit than they are now guaranteed, on the assumption that the proceeds of their investments would make up the difference. In addition, though, even younger voters who choose not to establish personal accounts would receive a reduced government benefit under Bush's plan, according to GOP congressional officials who have been briefed on the plan.