Odds and Ends

Heat, humidity, chances of thunderstorms? Must be summer in NYC. Here's the news...

Rolling Stone interviewed Al Gore for a recent article. They have posted audio excerpts on their website blog. The comment section is filled with amusing rants too.

Meanwhile, the European Union is backing Mahmoud Abbas' new emergency government in Palestine, but the article notes that "The rift has left the Palestinians with two rival governments — a Fatah-allied government in the West Bank and the Hamas leadership in Gaza. Abbas seeks peace with Israel, whereas Hamas is sworn to the Jewish state's destruction."

So, ummm, this crisis is going to require more than just giving one side a thumbs-up. Regional summit? Proposing more half-assed peace plans? What's the solution here?

Seymour Hersh, in the New Yorker, tells the story of Army Major General Antonio M. Tagub, who investigated the Abu Ghraib abuses and paid the price for his moral courage. He basically confirms what we've kind of known along... Secretary Rumsfeld and other higher-ups were aware of what was going on; they just didn't give a shit.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, Attorney General Gonzales has found a great way to downplay the charges that he and the White House have politicized the Justice Department to death... his solution is to install "a more vigorous process for annually evaluating prosecutors," including "hauling in every U.S. attorney for a meeting to hear, among other things, politicians’ beefs against the prosecutor." Heckuva job!

Finally, Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi says that liberals have become a bunch of pussies. Wanna fight about it, Matt? The Atlantic's Ross Douthat says that Taibbi's the one being a pussy and he should realize that-- if the Democrats play their cards right-- everything could be coming up Milhouse. I concur.