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Sunday Night Open Thread

This weekend went by so fast. Maybe due to the great spring-like weather here.

I'm sure there's news besides what's happening in Japan, I just haven't checked yet. If you'd like to discuss something, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    in case this wasn't mentioned (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by desmoinesdem on Sun Mar 13, 2011 at 09:09:32 PM EST
    on one of the other threads:

    P.J. Crowley abruptly resigned Sunday as State Department spokesman over controversial comments he made about the Bradley Manning case.

    Sources close to the matter said the resignation, first reported by CNN, came under pressure from the White House, where officials were furious about his suggestion that the Obama administration is mistreating Manning,[...]

    Speaking to a small group at MIT last week, Crowley was asked about allegations that Manning is being tortured and kicked up a firestorm by answering that what is being done to Manning by Defense Department officials "is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid."

    Crowley did add that "nonetheless, Bradley Manning is in the right place" because of his alleged crimes, according to a blog post by BBC reporter Philippa Thomas, who was present at Crowley's talk. [...]

    Crowley has told friends that he is deeply concerned that mistreatment of Manning could undermine the legitimate prosecution of the young private. Crowley has also made clear he has the Obama administration's best interests at heart because he thinks any mistreatment of Manning could be damaging around the world to President Obama, who has tried to end the perception that the United States tortures prisoners.

    Nevertheless, Crowley's political fate was sealed Friday when Obama was asked at a White House news conference about his comments regarding Manning.

    Shameful.

    Thanks for mentioning this (5.00 / 0) (#5)
    by hilts on Sun Mar 13, 2011 at 10:43:32 PM EST
    Obama should be ashamed of himself. Crowley spoke the truth and should not have been forced out of the administration.

    Parent
    Just saw it in the paper (5.00 / 0) (#9)
    by ruffian on Mon Mar 14, 2011 at 07:07:55 AM EST
    That was a nice try burying it in Japan news cycle.

    I think it's a shame to lose an honest man in government. Are there any left?

    Parent

    Glenn Greenwald (5.00 / 3) (#14)
    by MO Blue on Mon Mar 14, 2011 at 09:25:43 AM EST
    So, in Barack Obama's administration, it's perfectly acceptable to abuse an American citizen in detention who has been convicted of nothing by consigning him to 23-hour-a-day solitary confinement, barring him from exercising in his cell, punitively imposing "suicide watch" restrictions on him against the recommendations of brig psychiatrists, and subjecting him to prolonged, forced nudity designed to humiliate and degrade. But speaking out against that abuse is a firing offense. Good to know. As Matt Yglesias just put it: "Sad statement about America that P.J. Crowley is the one being forced to resign over Bradley Manning." And as David Frum added: "Crowley firing: one more demonstration of my rule: Republican pols fear their base, Dem pols despise it."

    Of course, it's also the case in Barack Obama's world that those who instituted a worldwide torture and illegal eavesdropping regime are entitled to full-scale presidential immunity, while powerless individuals who blow the whistle on high-level wrongdoing and illegality are subjected to the most aggressive campaign of prosecution and persecution the country has ever seen. So protecting those who are abusing Manning, while firing Crowley for condemning the abuse, is perfectly consistent with the President's sense of justice. link



    Parent
    and now for something completely different (none / 0) (#2)
    by desmoinesdem on Sun Mar 13, 2011 at 09:11:48 PM EST
    Iowa House Republican leadership team forgets the rule that every mic is a live mic. In the process, House Speaker pro tem refers to one of the NRA's legislative priorities in Iowa as "The crazy, give-a-handgun-to-a-schizophrenic bill."

    ::grin:: (none / 0) (#3)
    by sj on Sun Mar 13, 2011 at 09:31:42 PM EST
    The Carpenters won their first Grammy (none / 0) (#4)
    by Harry Saxon on Sun Mar 13, 2011 at 10:30:40 PM EST
    with this song back 40 years ago, when I was but a stripling lad.


    Click or YouTube Me


    Very nice (none / 0) (#10)
    by ruffian on Mon Mar 14, 2011 at 07:15:11 AM EST
    I was a big fan in those days - my jr high years. Still love her voice.

    Parent
    I was a grad student then... (none / 0) (#11)
    by weltec2 on Mon Mar 14, 2011 at 07:39:11 AM EST
    in a Counseling Psychology program that I eventually bailed out of. My wife loved her voice. I sincerely hated it, but I found her psychological problems fascinating and the fact that no one could do anything to help her infuriating. Helplessness... helpless observers of horrors... It's interesting, you know, because usually we just deny that we ever saw it or that it ever happened... and we move on.

    Parent
    Around 1974 or so they did a concert (none / 0) (#13)
    by ruffian on Mon Mar 14, 2011 at 09:25:40 AM EST
    in Rockford where I grew up. (I really wanted to go, but it was 5 whole dollars!) They stayed at the Sweden House hotel where my mom was the night clerk/auditor. After the show Karen was wound pretty tight and was looking for something to eat at the hotel. Well, this was not exactly a 24 hr food and drink kind of town in those days. From what Mom said she was nearly hysterical. My mom, as a mother of 7, managed to talk her down and maybe found her something. As I recall it was a combination of helping her and letting her know she was not to talk to my mom like that! It was quite a shock to me to hear about how different the real person was from the facade.

    Later when we found out about the eating disorders we remembered that incident. It was all so sad, and such a waste.

    Parent

    RE: W. H. Auden (none / 0) (#17)
    by Harry Saxon on Mon Mar 14, 2011 at 10:48:09 AM EST

    Private faces in public places
    / Are wiser and nicer
    / Than public faces in private places.



    Parent
    President Obama's op ed re gun control: (none / 0) (#6)
    by oculus on Sun Mar 13, 2011 at 11:09:35 PM EST
    A good op-ed (none / 0) (#12)
    by MO Blue on Mon Mar 14, 2011 at 08:23:13 AM EST
    He definitely has this part right.

    Others will predictably cast any discussion as the opening salvo in a wild-eyed scheme to take away everybody's guns. And such hyperbole will become the fodder for overheated fundraising letters.


    Parent
    KUSC FM streaming: R. Strauss's (none / 0) (#7)
    by oculus on Sun Mar 13, 2011 at 11:10:47 PM EST
    "Capriccio," with Elizabeth Swartzkopf and Nicolai Geddai.  Beautiful.