Looks Like Today Will Be Black Tuesday as Futures look awfully like a 500 point drop.

Nader to Join Bloomberg as Spoiler Candidate? The ex-Green Leader is contemplating another run for the White House. This time he is hoping for minus one percent of the vote.

Sweet Dreams? Bill Clinton cannot stay awake when he is not the center of attention.

UN to Condemn Israel. In other news: sun rises, sky is blue.

Huckabee in Trouble. The Huckster is cutting budget and trimming staff. Why has God forsaken him?

His name is Kid: and his Israeli flag was at the cleaner's.Kid Rock, Zionist: "[Israelis] unload on anybody. ‘Fuck with us? We’ll fuck you up,’” he said. “That’s my motto in life. ‘Be nice to everybody, but if somebody fucks with you, fuck them up.’”

Mitt Romney: Whiter than the whitest shade of white. 

Worldwide Stock
Crash, yet since it is MLK Day, we have been spared. What’s not to love
about this holiday?

Hillary
Wants to Control the Economy. (Maybe she has read Liberal Fascism?)

Hugo Chavez
goes after the Jews. Now will Hollywood
stop supporting him?

Palestinians
Protest Gaza Shutdown, yet no protests to stop the daily rocket attacks that prompted it.

Obama, Huckabee and God: Blogger asks: is there a difference between the two candidates' religious proclamations?

The FBI Covering Up a Nuclear Spy Ring? What is it with the Feds? They are turning into the gang that could not shoot straight.

Human Rights Activist Murdered in Venezuela, after being branded a traitor on state TV. Will the Hollywood left drop Chavez?

Surprise – Sunni Allies of U.S. are being Targeted

 Update: Daniel Koffler adds:

The University of Sheffield in the UK commissioned a study on coulrophobia:

The study, reported in the Nursing Standard magazine, found all the 250 patients aged between 4 and 16 they quizzed disliked the use of clowns, with even the older ones finding them scary.

Two questions spring to mind: Have attitudes about clowns changed over the years? And especially if not, how is there still a clowning market? (Via Kerry Howley.)

 

Chris Matthews vs. Uppity Women: Hardball host Chris Matthews gets an earful from NOW, the Feminist Majority and Gloria Steinem over his anti-Hillary remarks. Although Matthews's statements were certainly insensitive, was his apology really "a victory for all women"?

I Heart Huckabee, Huckabee Heart Slavery: Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee told South Carolina voters that residents of other states have no business judging their retention of the confederate flag, which many American view as a symbol of racism. "[I]f somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we'd tell them what to do with the pole, that's what we'd do," Huckabee said.

$$$: The president is considering a tax rebate of $800 for every American in order to stimulate the economy. All we need to do is borrow $320 billion from China first.

Billion Dollar Bash
Merrill Lynch officially joins Morgan Stanley, Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers in reporting spectacular fourth-quarter losses. Their number: $9.8 billion. The optimistic reaction captured by Bloomberg is that this is the "kitchen sink" number, meaning, "we hope it's all written down and they've thrown in [everything including the] the kitchen sink." Oh, and the Dow’s down 300. Have a nice day.

So Insiders Like Change, Too?
A bit of a rough day for Senator Clinton’s camp: their lawsuit challenging voting in casinos was thrown out. Meanwhile, Politico reported that Senator Leahy endorsed Senator Obama and that there is division within the Congressional Black Caucus over whom to support. And over at The New Republic, Leon Wieseltier takes a moment to flaunt the conventional wisdom on the Hillary vs. Obama primary.

Yale and Yoo
Emily Bazelon, at Slate, says that the issues raised in the Padilla vs. Yoo lawsuit are ones that ought to be decided by the judiciary. Yoo, in his own defense, responds to his critics who are celebrating the lawsuit.

School Choice
If you thought season four of The Wire was pessimistic about the future of American education, just wait until you see how one of the last bastions of hope regarding educational reform is considering their cause. It's adrift because they realize that vouchers may drive the system to market based efficiencies, but it won't address specific pedagogical failures.

Keep Despair Alive
"Ay, in the very temple of Delight/Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine"

Muscular Dialogues
New York Magazine interviews David Mamet about his new play. During the Clinton years he contributed Wag the Dog to our political lexicon, and now he’s back to politics with November. Obviously, given his latest book (Bambi vs. Godzilla) and this play, he talks about art, commerce and politics. Ian McEwan discusses Saul Bellow, the adaptation of Atonement, that excruciating sex scene in On Chesil Beach and more.

Here’s Hoping Some People Do Burn In Hell
The New Yorker covers the story that even stunned Jezebel into bona fide moral outrage.

I'm Quietly Judging You
Defamer shows that the whole Tom subplot in Magnolia was just a dry run for these ten unbearable minutes of smug bullshit. It sure was a lot more poetic when P.T. Anderson was writing your lines, right Tom? And, don’t you dare laugh at this. They’ll sue you.

Do They Speak English in "What?!"
The L.A. Weekly expresses shock and anger at the decision by the Academy Awards to not choose 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days or Persepolis as candidates for Best Foreign Film. The Criterion Collection publishes a fun essay on the problem of creating cover art for the Weimar-era hell that is Berlin Alexanderplatz. And RUN FOR YOUR LIVES !!! Yes, Cloverfield is, indeed, a 9/11 allegory. I’m shocked.

More News from the Mouth of Howard Beale
Well, economic news continues to disappoint. Inflation has officially arrived and it hasn’t really been in the foreground since the late ‘70s, so no one’s really sure what to do with it. But opinions are being offered. Presidential candidates are proposing stimulus packages and it looks like Fed Chair Ben Bernanke will back up that option.. The Wall Street Journal explains that this consensus about a stimulus package signals the abandonment of the economic policy that shepherded the US through the ‘90s boom: Rubinomics. The New York Times also runs an analysis of Bernanke’s tenure at the Fed.

A Broken Right Wing
Adrian Wooldridge (author of The Right Nation) acknowledges the chaos in the GOP and asks who would really want to be their nominee right now? And then he proposes a right-wing third-way with McCain over at the New York Times. Well, maybe Larry Craig and Mark Foley can step into the leadership vacuum and save the Republicans, because anonymous sex at Union Station and flings with ex-pages look a lot better on your resume than being a Republican fundraiser for al Qaeda and the Taliban.

The Burden of Governing
Indonesia has one of the highest concentrations of Muslims in the world and The Economist summarizes the factors that make it an example of a moderate Islamic state.

They Have Laws Against Drunk Driving in Russia?!
Diplomatic relations between Russia and Britain are still deteriorating.

Violence Continues in Kenya
So if a tree falls in the woods (or let’s say intense ethnic rivalry results in the displacement of 200,000 people in Kenya) and American Idol is on TV right after the evening news covers Senator Clinton almost crying, did it really even happen? Good thing Ron Paul and John Edwards are running for President to remind us all that we need to ensure, absolutely, that our foreign policy is in line with our cultural myopia and ignorance.

Chasing the (Generic) Dragon
The International Herald Tribune reports that European antitrust regulators have raided the offices of some pharmaceutical giants as part of an ongoing investigation into whether those companies are stifling the development and distribution of more inexpensive generic knock-offs of their own branded, boutique pills.

Proving That There Will Be No Wall Between Church and State

 

Huckabee campaigns  by preaching at a church. This will do much to overcome many of the fears that Jewish republicans have of the Huckster…

 

Hillary’s Speed Demon

 

The troll-like and irksome Sidney Blumenthal arrested for aggravated DWI. Even he has to drink to be alone with himself…

 

Who’s the Racist?

 

In the Democrat battle for the nomination, all of the candidates are trying to out victim each other, drawing praise or ire from the race shock troops of the left. Who is the bigger racist – Hillary or Obama. The voters will decide.

 

 

 

President Bush reportedly told Condoleezza Rice that the U.S. should have blown up the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. (The civilian casualties might have defeated the point.)

The Hillary/Obama standoff has become a racial controversy -- and one Clinton aide dismisses Obama as voters' "imaginary hip black friend." (Holy shit!)

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals opposes feeding meat to a man convicted of cannibalism. (This was almost a post on our Pickled food blog, but we couldn't find a good recipe for Human Florentine.) 

 O.J. Simpson's bail is revoked. Just another slice of life for the retired football player.

 

A Peace of Bush
President Bush, visiting Ramallah, declared that “painful political concessions” are inevitable for both Israelis and Palestinians (including the question of Jerusalem and an end to “occupation”) in order to create a two-state solution. 

Kerry’s Call
He’s with Obama. No props for his former running-mate and no regard for the Clinton election machine.

Paglia
The lovely and wonderful Camille takes aim at Hillary, American foreign policy, and Robert Plant’s lyrics on “Stairway to Heaven.”

The Death of High Fidelity
Rolling Stone covers one of the fundamental (and unfortunately neglected) problems of modern music: it sounds shitty. And I’m not just talking about Fergie. On the topic of the music marketplace, Trent Reznor examines how vulgar and ethically bankrupt the consumers are (and they’re the good guys compared to the scumbags at the RIAA) when it comes to compensating artists. And in yet another broadside against post-colonialist excess, Marc Geelhoad says Edward Said’s music criticism sucks.

The Suicide of Reason
Ayaan Hirsi Ali reviews Lee Harris’ The Suicide of Reason. She endorses his diagnosis of Islamic culture, but balks at his pessimism and belief in social Darwinism (that the fierce East will destroy the complacent West). Along the way she tries to contrast the “American Individualism” with Europe’s “Hegelian Statism” and hopes that the Enlightenment will save us. History professor at the University of Glasgow, Colin Kidd, has an interesting, indirect response to some of Ali’s broader ideological goals in the form of an exploration of some of the consequences of the Enlightenment on the development of race relations in the West.

Public Intellectuals and Insularity
Russell Jacoby revisits his thesis on the death of the public intellectual because of the research university’s insistence on intra-disciplinary specialization. But these high-profile intellectuals are still at work outside the academy: Stanley Fish on why the humanities won’t save us (but that’s why they’re important); Slavoj Zizek’s latest political fever-dream praises Robespierre, incites a vicious rebuke from Simon Critchley, and may simply be playing around in front of the gaze of others; and Harvey C. Mansfield snipes at economists.

And Just So This Is Clear: I Drink Your Milkshake
Is it catchy or preposterous? And can this frantic line from P.T. Anderson’s There Will Be Blood (AKA Moby Dick In Marfa) get the herd to sit through this brilliant flick? 

I Drink Your Milkshake. I Drink It Up.
After Hillary's win in New Hampshire it's unclear which Democrat really has momentum. Well, actually, it is clear that Bill Richardson has zero heat. And now he's acknowledging that and dropping out of the race. But in the face-off between the front-runners: Obama grabs a union in Nevada and Politico speculates that Hillary, perhaps, stumbled into finally being perceived as "emotionally authentic." Meanwhile, the GOP heads to Michigan. Jonah Goldberg, reminds us, though, about the true meaning of the election season: self-validation.

Problems with the Ayatollah? Swarm the US.
Using the interpretive lens of self-interest, it seems that there is a very simple reason why some of the leadership of Iran would countenance semi-aggressive naval tactics against the US: President Ahmadinejad is feuding with the real sovereign of Iran, Ayatolla Ali Khamenei.

SCOTUS on Voter ID Challenge: Is This It?
According to the New York Times, most Supreme Court Justices were unimpressed during oral arguments by the appeal brought against an Indiana law that challenges that state's voter-ID law.

China Hates $100 Oil, Too
China's feeling the crunch of high petroleum prices. Inflation is at an 11-year high. In response, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will institute price controls on energy.

Guilty of War Crimes in Rwanda? Come to Congo.
As Kenya is experiencing a violent explosion of ethnic conflict, there are indications that Hutu/Tutsi relations are deteriorating in Congo. Two major factors: Hutus responsible for the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi fled to Congo in the ‘90s and the presence of an active Tutsi insurgency in Hutu dominated Congo. And, back to Kenya, Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai speaks to Spiegel the violence that still engulfs the country.

Election in Georgia
The Economist reports that even though President Mikheil Saakashvili prevailed in this week’s elections, the fact that he only gained 53% of the vote (instead of the “96%” he had in 2004) AND the fact that opposition parties garnered a relatively impressive numbers of votes, make this election to look less corrupt.

President Bush Visits Israel

George W. Bush has made his first visit to Israel since becoming U.S. President. He angered Palestinians by referring to Israel (the Jewish state) as a "Jewish state," and compared strife in the region to American politics. Shaping up to be another foreign policy success.

New Hampshire Lives Free for Hillar-ee

Voters in the New Hampshire primaries chose Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Although McCain's victory was expected, Clinton scored a major upset over Barack Obama, who had considerable momentum from the Iowa caucus. John Edwards came in third, but he's not out of the race -- there's still a chance, despite all the obstacles and adversities, that the Southern white man can win.

A Jew Has Money

A rich Israeli -- a Diamond merchant, believe it or not -- buys a giant house. He will also star on VH1's The Fabulous Life of Ethnic Stereotypes.

Iran Accuses U.S. of Fabrication

Mahmoud is angry -- and not only because someone informed him that bestselling author James Frey made everything up.

Clinton Faces Second Loss

 

Facing her second loss in a week to Obama, Hillary is bracing herself for what may be the end of the road for her ambition. Losing to a charismatic but untested Junior Senator must be galling to the former first lady. Even Colin Powell likes Obama.

 

Media Gets their Wish: McCain Story Comeback

 

Showing that the leftist media still loves McCain, they are trumpeting his lead in the polls like they have done for no other Gopnik in many years. Could their candidate really win the nomination?

 

Iran Harassing US Navy Ships

 

In the real world foreign troubles do not stop simply because there is an election season afoot. Iran has started a systematic form of harassment, much like they did against the British navy last year. Will we respond, or allow them to become embolden by ignoring them?

 

Barak: New Katyusha rocket fire in north is a 'grave' incident

 

Two rockets go deeper into Israel than ever before and these seemed to be supplied from Iranian stocks. This shows just how important it is to stop Iran from proliferating weapons…Three Irish soldiers injured by roadside bomb while investigating these rockets.

 

Iowa Win Equals More Security

 

With the win in Iowa, Obama now will get an increased security detail at the taxpayers charge. Fears in the Black community that Obama will be killed now that he is in the frontrunners seats, yet one sees his win as proof of the myth of racist America.

 

Leftist McGovern Calls for Impeachment

 

Showing that the lack of class has reached a new low, former Candidate and Presidential loser calls for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney, showing that the left now believes that impeachment should be used as a political tool in partisan fights. This bodes well for the Republic, don’tcha think?

 

 

Bush Refuses to Meet Bibi?

 

The post is reporting that Bibi will not be able to meet with GWB win he visits Israel. Kadima claims that Bush will not meet anyone opposed to the Annapolis conference and that does sound like Bush. Still, there are many good reasons to oppose Bush’s plan, many mouthed by Bush in 2000 when he was running for office…

 

Ron Paul: Israel on their Own

 

Showing that winning Foreign Policy platform of NOT SUPPORTING Israel and slurring AIPAC, Ron Paul oncw again proves his fitness for office (or lack there of)…

The Game is Real
Set your TiVos: The Wire, one of the finest works of American art ever created, returns to HBO for its final season. Mark Bowden calls the show's fountainhead, David Simon, the angriest man in television and attempts to dissect the The Wire's social fatalism (which he dismisses as too bleak and Dickensian) and Simon’s own personal grudges against institutions and individuals. The essay, and the many bloggers who have responded to it, want to resist the nihilistic logic of the show, but can’t deny its power or coherence. They can only claim that The Wire is too coherent and pessimistic to actually be “real.” Watch and see for yourself.

The Future of Populism
Now that Awwww-Shucks and Edwards made strong showings in Iowa, an issue that becomes important is whether their populism can be adapted and exported to more states and still whether they will still be viable candidates. Jonathan Chait explains Huck’s personal, yet contradictory, commitments to a message for “the folks.” John Nichols at The Nation juxtaposes Edwards’ “edgier populism” with the “soft promise” of Obama.

It May Be the Economy, Stupid
Stocks closed down again. This time the bad news is attributed to a rise in unemployment.

"I'm looking for something that says ‘Dad likes leather.’"
Dr. Tobias Fünke was only a few seasons away from his (latent) dream of becoming a “Leather Daddy.” Biker chic is in.

50 Worst People in America, 2007 Edition
The Beast makes it clear who should burn in hell and their guide is completed with suggestions for how they ought to get there.

Before Awards Can Ruin Them
Here’s what the Village Voice came up with as the best feature films of 2007 (including a very English-speaking top-10 list from J. Hoberman). Meanwhile, over at Slate, their movie club kicks around the Coen Brothers, spits on the grave of Ingmar Bergman, and talks about which abortion movies from 2007 must be seen (hint: Cristian Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days is the easy winner there.)

A History of Histories
Over at the Telegraph, John Adamson and Tom Holland review John Burrow’s recent addition to the field of historiography.

Iowa’s Final Day of Importance, Until 2011
Obama and Awwww-Shucks both won the Iowa caucuses by convincing margins. The New York Times has extensive coverage. The most telling number, though: Democrats had 239,000 participants to the meager GOP showing of 108,000. John Dickerson at Slate explains how Obama’s “hope” strategy worked. Michael Barone pontificates on the huge Obama win in the Wall Street Journal and shows off a shiny new meta-election theory. Politico follows-up on why the GOP is in shambles on top of the tepid turn-out (and may be heading towards a brokered convention). And if you don’t think the GOP is in crisis right now, check out Brooks and Noonan: both explain Awwww-Shucks’ win with, taken together, a paradoxical narrative (Brooks says Huckabee’s the first Evangelical candidate to have the religious right base and not be at war with American culture; Noonan says he’s popular with Evangelical voters because he embodies/articulates their steadfast conviction that American culture is the US’ true existential enemy).

New Vote in Kenya, Perhaps
Mwai Kibaki announced that if a Kenyan court ordered new elections to take place, he would not protest and would, in fact, run again for the office. There are concerns, however, about the honesty and amount of corruption within the Kenyan judicial system. This announcement follows the call of opposition leader Raila Odinga, of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), for another vote.

India’s Acquisition in the UK
Toyota, although plagued by diminished demand for its products in December, beat Ford in auto-sales last month (and was runner-up to GM). Ford’s troubles continue and it appears that the manufacturer may be wanting to sell off some of its high-end brands. India’s Tata Motors is in talks to buy Jaguar and Land Rover.

The Nuclear Option
It’s another episode of pragmatic public policy being decried because it doesn’t conform to every “ought” on an interest group’s dogma-checklist: Gordon Brown wants to use nuclear energy to slash emissions in the UK and some Greens are protesting. The environmental groups are upset that the Brown government is explaining this emissions-cutting strategy to the public with pitches like: “Time is pressing. We need to make a decision on whether we should continue to get some of our electricity from nuclear, which is a low carbon form of making energy.” Hmmm, isn’t politics a bitch?

Shooting Gallery
Roger Clemens denies that his trainer shot him up with banned substances. Instead, Clemens’ defense is that taking intramuscular injections in the ass is standard operating procedure for him. Happens all the time. Yep, he’s not cheating, he’s just a stud.

No Roids Here
The International Tennis Federation needed some press so they banned Martina Hingis from tennis for two years (she snorted some blow), even though she’s already retired. Quick, Major League Baseball: this could work with Jose Canseco!

What's Your Damage?
When you're watching Iowa coverage tonight remember it’s a lot more complicated than it seems (but please don’t confuse complicated with sophisticated). Michael Crowley, in The New Republic, gives an overview of the Iowa process, which is especially baroque if you want to vote for a Democrat. Complete with references to Heathers and the underappreciated James Madison (important writer, lackluster executive), Crowley even points the finger at the son of a bitch that got us into this mess: “Johnny” Apple. But, at the point Crowley explains the logistics of how one must stand in a corner before one has “officially committed” to a candidate, I started to think, Iowa voting mechanisms are just as ontologically arbitrary, capricious, and absurd as species of animals being wiped out by the gears of natural selection, so why the hell not get a President this way?

Ferguson’s Ominous Tidings for 2008
In The War of the World, Niall Ferguson posited that the 20^th century will be viewed as a period of geopolitical realignment. But his story of geopolitics doesn't end with American ascendancy and triumph. Instead, the two World Wars signal the death throes of the Peace of Westphalia-inspired powers (the US included: we are a delayed consequence of the model) in the West and the reemergence of the East. So, here he is, continuing his narrative of the "historical meaning" behind the Middle Eastern bailouts of banks melting down from the subprime fiasco and the Asian ownership of US debt.

Where Solitude Ends, There Begins the Marketplace
From confirming a thesis, to a more boots-on-the-ground-level analysis of what happened in 2007 and what may be in store for us in 2008. Additionally, Suzy Jagger, analyzes the minutes from a December 11 Fed Reserve meeting on interest rates. The prognosis? How does, “caught off guard” sound?

Further Destruction of the "Pristine Myth"
An extended update on research in anthropology that demonstrates that Hobbes, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Foucault kind of nailed that whole social theory of “struggle-and-domination” and how it’s actually the “original position” for Homo sapiens.

Remember: No Monologues
Well, before the WGA gets its ass handed to it by the suits, they’ll at least get to cripple the award shows this year and now they may even take shots at Jay and Conan. Sucks to be collateral damage. Though, I would think mega-checks from NBC help the recuperation process.

Twilight of the Forgotten Idols
A frustrating meditation on the geniuses lost in 2007. Bryan Appleyard is a bit too kind to Baudrillard and tends to create some questionable (I’d say spurious) connections, especially when it comes to his explanation of “oppressive” male chest-pounding in literature (a libidinal similarity between Mailer and Roth is obvi, but Mailer to Rushdie, too… seriously?). But it’s still refreshing to see the Romantic notion of cultural/artistic genius discussed as a worthy and vital role to be filled.

All In the Game
Iowa caucuses today. Maybe you've heard? The best bet is on anti-climax. A late developing story from the Politico, though: if Fred Thompson does not finish second or a "strong" third, he will drop out and endorse John McCain.

Turmoil Costs $100
Oil passed the $100 threshold. Though demand is high in the US, China, and India, there are also major psychological reasons for why crude has broken the triple-digit-barrier: uncertainty in Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan; the predictions of recession in the US economy; and reticence about Venezuela's attempt to dominate the OPEC cartel. The Economist proposes how Mexico could proceed to make themselves a more efficient and powerful player on the petroleum scene.

Snuffed
Attorney General Michael Mukasey has authorized an investigation into the CIA's destruction of recordings of waterboarding sessions. The purpose of this inquiry is to determine whether those actions qualify as obstruction of justice.

Kenyan Unrest
The “re-election” of Mwai Kibaki is termed a “civil coup” by the Economist. This article also explains which parts of Kenya backed Kibaki and how ethnic rivalry and class resentment have been intermingled with a dishonest election. The developing trend is that Kikuyu (an ethnic group that has consistently held post-colonial political power) are being targeted because of their support of Kibaki and this ethnic violence is escalating.

Pakistan’s Crisis
While we’re on the topic of colonial power, the UK, at the behest of President Musharraf, is sending investigators from Scotland Yard to Pakistan to help with the Bhutto assassination inquiry. Concurrently, Musharraf has postponed the Parliamentary elections, attributing to the post-murder havoc the destruction of polling stations and election materials. Accordingly, this makes the January 8 election date untenable. For further perspective on what’s going on, here’s Tariq Ali’s extended essay and analysis on the whole bloody mess in the London Review of Books.

More Problems with Ethnic-National Self-Determination
And for the civil chaos hat-trick: Kosovo. Dimitri K. Simes writes about the complexity of the current situation between Kosovo and Serbia. His explanation of the “facts on the ground” include, how Serbia cooperated with Montenegro’s move for independence, Serbia’s desire to maintain UN Security Council Resolution 1244, ongoing attacks on the minority Serb populations by Albanians in Kosovo, and Russia’s public stance of backing Serbia’s play.

Bloomberg Moves Closer to Running for President

Bloomberg believes that he sees an opening in the race for President and he wants to fill the void with his ego…After emphatically saying that he would not run as an independent. You have to wonder, what else will he change his mind about and does America really need another nanny.

Download Uproar: Record Industry Goes After Personal Use

Not content on suing every college student in the country, the RIAA is now going after mp3s made from legally purchased CDs. Their new argument is that you do not have the right to convert your cd into a mp3 for your computer or ipod. This argument will not win over any new support and might just be seen as the over-reach that it is.

Coal in Israel’s Stocking

An illuminating look at the past year’s coverage of Israel by the major news outlets, Again it seems that the Jews are to blame for all of the ills in the Islamic world and are the main reason for falling Christian tourism in ISLAMIC controlled areas. Another year, same story…

Long, Gone Neocons

With the departure of the Neocons from the Bush White House, the administration has done a 180 and is now as incompetent as the preceding administrations…

Obama and Race

Marty Perez looks at what awaits this country if Obama gets elected and it is not a pleasant thought. Mining a who’s who of past failures and racialists, it looks as if Obama is clearly the leftist that so many fear him to be, added to his lack of foreign policy sense it looks to be a dire time for the republic.

Huckabee’s Foreign Affairs Lapses…

Huck claims to be in contact with John Bolton, hero to the conservatives as a sign that he is of the right mind in these matters. Trouble is, Bolton denies ever talking to Huck…

Bhutto Update
Christopher Hitchens submits his obit for Benazir Bhutto. He does not spare criticism of the dark parts of her personal life (including the corruption charges and her “gilded exile in Dubai”) and openly criticizes her public record (namely, her support of the Taliban during her tenure as Prime Minister). Hitchens, however, charitably interprets her recent streak of liberal and pro-democratic rhetoric as sincere and calls her death “a disaster” for Pakistan.

Belgrade's Bluster
From today’s terror in Pakistan to a site of hellish violence in the ‘90s: the Balkans. Serbia’s Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica condemned the United States and the European Union for not opposing (and, in fact, expressing willingness to recognize) a move by Kosovo to declare its independence as a nation-state. Serbia’s Parliament passed a resolution (220 to 14) promising to halt their integration into the European Union and cut off diplomatic ties with Western countries if they recognize Kosovo's independence.

Economic Turmoil Continues
Housing prices continue to decline in the United States. According to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller year-over-year index, prices fell 1.4% in October when compared to September’s numbers and the October composite home index number is down 6.1% from a year ago. And internal estimates from Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, and JPMorgan/Chase regarding how much debt they will have to write-off in this current quarter rose to $33 billion. For a bit of unflinching analysis on this bloodbath check out these brief submissions from Richard Posner and Gary Becker.

Awwww-Shucks' Self-Help
Awwww-Shucks Huckabee’s still getting paid for his work on the lecture circuit. He's accepting gifts (that’s a shocker) of up to $25,000 (unless you’re a church and then he gives your money to his own church) for speeches that he gives on “health and fitness” topics. But, of course, when he gives speeches he is IN NO WAY advertising the fact that he’s running for President of the United States. After all, that would be unethical/illegal. So just insert your lame joke about Chuck Norris here and comment in a grave tone of voice about those coastal elites attempting to denigrate another good man of the cloth.

New Year’s Eve Plans
What are you doing for New Year’s Eve? Nino and Ruth are doing dinner, as always.

Interview with Robert Hass
Robert Hass interviewed in the Wall Street Journal. Hass won the 2007 National Book Award for his collection of poetry, Time and Materials.

American Taibbi-ism
An American arch-bishop of snark (face it: making Pope jokes at that point was ballsy… now, if only he could have written FUNNY Pope jokes) and all-around asshole, Matt Taibbi is interviewed in the LA Weekly about his new book Smells Like Dead Elephants. But Matt, Mr. Cynicism, exactly what the hell is this?

Take Two, Call Me In the Morning
Back to Hitchens: after a long day of assassination coverage, a worthy proposal for how to start the night and spite some jihadis (of course, it involves booze): “my… axiom about the relationship between martinis and female breasts. One is too few. Three is too many. Two seems somehow superbly right.”

Benazir Bhutto Assassinated
After a public speech in Rawalpindi (9 miles outside Islamabad), Benazir Bhutto was shot in the neck and chest. The attack was followed by a suicide bombing. It is unclear if she was shot before or after the explosion and if the shooter and bomber were the same individual. Including Ms. Bhutto, the preliminary estimates of the number of dead range from 14 to 20. Daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, prime minister of Pakistan from 1971-1977, Bhutto herself was PM of the country twice (1988-1990 and 1993-1996). Her family was known for being amenable to western liberalism and democracy and (along with another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif) she was outspoken in advocating immediate liberal and democratic reforms in Pakistan.

Couldn’t Wait for Iowa
Boris Nemtsov follows Garry Kasparov in declining to run against Putin’s pick for President of Russia, First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The Washington Post explains that, like Kasparov, Nemtsov did not have widespread support among the Russian populace. For an analysis of Russian political life after Yeltsin see Perry Anderson’s magnificent and clear essay from last January's London Review of Books. And for a look western wishful thinking on the Russia topic, check out a contribution to the most recent Foreign Affairs.

Taliban Diplomacy: Not Too Popular
President Hamid Karzai has thrown two westerners working for the European Union and the United Nations Assistance Mission out of the country for their official meetings with Taliban insurgents.

Cui Bono?
Not sure why Muammar el-Qaddafi was visiting Paris this month? Follow the money. Bloomberg correspondent Celestine Bohlen examines the condition of French energy companies and how important Libyan contracts would be for Gaz de France and Total.

Looming Climate Issues vs. Emerging Middle Class
The Washington Post discovers that an industrializing India may have trouble encouraging an entrepreneurial middle-class and developing a more sophisticated economy while at the same time keeping carbon emissions low enough for the environmental considerations of the post-industrial West.

Chavez the Commando
Hugo Chavez is going all John Rambo on FARC. The President of Venezuela has pledged to pull out a cluster of hostages being held by FARC in Colombia. Two of the hostages have each been held for almost six years by the terrorist organization.