The Clinton Hostage Drama

As I type I do not know how hostage situation will turn out; obviously I hope that it ends peaceably with no one hurt [Wish granted, see UPDATE] [E&P identifies the perpetrator as Leeland Eisenberg; a Leeland Eisenberg of Rochester, NH was cited for stalking and DUI in 2007.  See "IN THE NEWS" below.]

ROCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - A man claiming to have a bomb strapped to his chest seized several hostages at Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton's New Hampshire campaign office on Friday before releasing two in a tense standoff with police.

It was unclear whether there were any hostages remaining in the campaign office in Rochester, New Hampshire and police were still surrounding the building.

...

Local media described the hostage-taker as a mentally unstable man in his 40s who had apparently strapped highway flares to his body and had told his son earlier to "watch the news."

Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, was not in New Hampshire and canceled a speaking date in Virginia immediately after news of the incident broke.

"She's in Washington D.C.," said Secret Service spokesman Darrin Blackford, who had no further information on her whereabouts. "We're monitoring the situation in New Hampshire but its being treated as a local police matter," he said.

Setting aside the human toll, my instant guess is that the political impact of this will be bad for Hillary in a way that would not be true for another candidate.  This may all change when we get the perpetrator's story but right now Ms. Clinton carries the heavy baggage of a huge unfavorable rating and this incident will remind people that she is the candidate that enrages a sizable slice of the public.

UPDATE:  The Times:

A tense standoff at a presidential campaign office of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Rochester, N.H., ended shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, as an unidentified man who had held at least four people hostage was taken into police custody. There were no apparent injuries.

....[Officials] also would not comment on the suspect, but witnesses who spoke to a relative of the man they believe to be the suspect said he was despondent and had been drinking for several days.

At 5 p.m., there had been no reports of injuries.

...

While authorities said nothing about the identity of the hostage taker, several residents provided a description of the man they believe to be involved in the hostage taking.

Herman Ejarque, the co-owner and manager of the nearby Governor’s Inn, said in a telephone interview that a relative of the suspect had come into the inn at about 2 p.m. after being interviewed by police. The man’s relationship to the suspect was not clear — he is either the son, step-son or son-in-law. He talked with the inn’s front-desk receptionist, Chelsea Coul, telling her he was cold and looking for a cup of coffee but that the town had been evacuated and everything was shut down.

The man told Ms. Coul that the suspect’s wife had sought a divorce a few months ago and that he was unemployed and “hasn’t been in the right state of mind” for three months. Ms. Coul said the man told her that the suspect had been drinking for 72 hours and that he needed help and quoted the suspect as saying, “I don’t know what to do with my life.”

He also said he believed the suspect was “harmless.”

...It was unclear what political fallout, if any, the incident might have.

It's bad for Hillary.

MORE:  Apparently the hostage-taker called CNN:

NEW YORK Leeland Eisenberg, who held several campaign workers hostage all afternoon at a Hillary Clinton storefront in Rochester, N.H., surrendered to police at 6:15 this evening. Cable news caught the arrest as it happened, with Lee Eisenberg, in a white shirt and tie, emerging, going to his knees, getting handcuffed and taken to a police car.

No one was hurt in the entire affair.  Three or four hostages had been released over time.  Sen. Clinton was in Virginia.

Minutes later, Wolf Blitzer on CNN's Situation Room revealed that the man had called the CNN bureau in Washington during the crisis and talked to staffers -- not Blitzer. The CNN anchor also said that Eisenberg had called another CNN office, which he did not identify, as well.

He said the cable news network decided not to reveal this before so it would not interfere with any negotiations.

He was probably irate that his You-Tube question had been overlooked for the Republican debate.

As to his motivation:

Police and the media have suggested that the man who took the hostages has had "issues" with local law enforcement. E&P has found one specific case involving the local man, who reputedly has some mental problems.

Back on March 16 this year, local media reported on
Rochester police coming up with a novel idea for fighting auto theft. But some residents -- including Eisenberg -- were outraged at their plan.

The plan: checking car doors, and if unlocked, leaving behind a warning flyer.

"It's an outrage, it's an absolute outrage," said Eisenberg in one report. He claimed the intrusion into his Chevy violates the Fourth Amendment, and raised such a fuss that his picture appeared in a local newspaper.

"That's a crime. They violated my civil rights and the rights of many citizens in this city that are not even aware of it," said Eisenberg, who was now asking state and federal authorities to investigate the Rochester police.

Eisenberg said he thinks police searched his car illegally, because it was clean when he parked it for the night and dirty with ash from the ashtray the next morning, when he found the flier.

He said he complained to the state attorney general, the governor and the U.S. attorney. Police later said they were re-thinking the idea.

IN THE NEWS:  A Leeland Eisenberg of Rochester, NH made the local police blotter twice this year:

Published April 20:

7:51 p.m. --Leeland Eisenberg, 46, of Milton Road, 16, is charged with two counts of stalking.

Published June 2007:

With the help of a resident who called to report a suspected drunken driver on Washington Street, police charged Leeland Eisenberg, 46, of 182 Milton Road, Apartment 16, Rochester with driving while intoxicated.

AP COVERAGE: Glen Johnson of the AP fawns on the "calm", "orderly", "regal" Hillary performance.  Ann Althouse does not fawn on Glen Johnson; archives of his stories are here and here, and we see that the Romney people have it in for him.

KATHERINE SEELYE OF THE TIMES: "Mrs. Clinton struck just the right grace notes".

Comments

[True American Patriot]

It's our lucky day then, isn't it, Tom?

[PeterUK]

Highway flares? Obviously a member of Sendero Luminoso.

[Topsecretk9]

It's bad for Hillary.

I'm not sure I agree with this. I don't think it matters one bit. It looks as if this is just a poor soul and has no effect on Hillary. At least it doesn't change my view of Hillary either way.

I guess I just don't see it.

[True American Patriot]

You don't see because you don't want to see.

Hillary is bad and therefore everything that involves -- or doesn't involve -- Hillary is bad. Bad for Hillary.

Hillary drove that man to drink and caused his life to become meaningless.

Tom understands.

[clarice]

HEH,PUK.
Elizabeth Edwards "Bless her heart"(If you know the South, you know what that means) is already blaming it on the climate of hate.

I blame it on the fercocked notion that there's no such thing as "mental illness".It's just a "myth".(Thomas Szasz) and that the state should not be allowed to lock up for treatment people who are such an obvious danger to themselves and others except in the most extraordinary circumstances--a rare right and left kumbaya with the left buying Szasz and the civil liberties crock while the right saw a neat way to cut down on public expenditures).

[Porchlight]

I think the political fallout depends on her reaction. If she tries to make hay out of it with some b.s. about health care or the VRWC, that will backfire. People's patience for that kind of Clintonian spin is not inexhaustible. The more sensible approach would be to make compassionate, relieved noises, congratulate the community on their handling of the situation, and move on.

[Rick Ballard]

Nothing like a little Fe-y supplement, TM.

[Semanticleo]

"she is the candidate that enrages a sizable slice of the public."

Are you talking per capita or obesity?

It may just be your POV, but inquiring publicans want to know.

[centralcal]

I love it that the poor guy was calling CNN all afternoon (in the middle of his crisis, hostage taking, no less!!!!) - he probably wanted to have a You Tube moment.

I love it that the guy pulls this terrible stunt on a day when we are talking about Republican vs. Democrat mental health!

Too ironic.

[Porchlight]

"Bless her heart" - good one Clarice. Works perfectly for Mrs. Edwards.

[monroe]

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!

[PeterUK]

Now if it was Bill that was running,this could be an enraged husband ,father,brother or boyfriend.Then again...

[Cecil Turner]

What, Clinton attracts nuts? Ain't exactly news, is it?

[PeterUK]

"Are you talking per capita or obesity?"

You,fat head.

[PeterUK]

"What, Clinton attracts nuts? Ain't exactly news, is it?"

Not really,they both married one.

[hit and run]

There have been no denials that this guy was a bundler on the lam. Suspicious, that.

[PeterUK]

There has has been no denial that the man was sent in there to take one for the team.

[HG]

As I type I do not know

I hope that it ends peaceably with no one hurt

We know it was a commenter...........

Leeland? Leeward. Baytown?

[Porchlight]

The misidentification of the hostage taker was very strange. For hours the name of one guy was reported - with his son coming in to talk to police and the media. Now they've ID'd the guy as someone entirely different. The NH freak population must be pretty high...I imagine Mark Steyn (an NH resident) will be weighing in on this, if he hasn't already.

[Letalis Maximus, Esq.]

Like all good Senators and Congressional Reps, at the slighest hint of danger, Hillary appears to have...disappeared. Cancelled all appearances. Went into hiding. Once the coast was clear, came out and held a press conference. I am amazed she couldn't find some other Dems to join her in a spirited rendition of "God Bless America."

[Ignorance is Bliss]

He was probably irate that his You-Tube question had been overlooked for the Republican debate.

...and he probably figured that if he got a job with the Clinton campaign he'd have a better shot.

Is he crazy? Crazy like a fox.

[Sara]

She's in New Hampshire giving a press conference, with all the law enforcement people involved surrounding her.

[Jeff Fecke]

She's in New Hampshire giving a press conference, with all the law enforcement people involved surrounding her.

Hiding in plain sight. Damn you, Clinton!

[Topsecretk9]

Posted by: Jeff Fecke | December 01, 2007 at 02:54 AM

Hmm. It was shown that she went incognito when the hostage was announced. The press pre-hostage were complaining about her in- hiding-no access treatment and in this situation she went deep out of sight waiting for the My Pet Goat book Sandy Berger hid in the dead drop?

[MarsVsHollywood]

No surprise she disappeared. As former First Lady and Presidential candidate, she has Secret Service protection. They have little sense of humor about stuff like this.

It's not going to hurt her. The guy was apparently seeking her out to get her help, not because he was mad at her. She's already described him as someone crying for help in an "inappropriate" way.

[Curly]

How can we be sure that Eisenberg wasn't a CNN plant? I call it the "Eisenberg Uncertainty Principle"...

[centralcal]

It was an elaborate campaign ad for Hillarycare. Mr. Eisenberg complained (repeatedly in multiple calls to CNN) that he was unable to get the mental health care he needed because it would cost "thousands of dollars." He "needed" to speak to Hillary!

[John]

Actually, now it's all over and leaving aside the more nutty comments above, it's clear Clinton has emerged from this as a star. Several newspapers are already publishing stories about how well she handled herself and then got huge coverage at the two peaks of yesterday's news cycle 6.30 and 11.00. I don't live in NH but it has to be dominating the news there so she is probably going to get a bounce from it I'd say. That's the problem with the Hillary haters from extreme left and extreme right (that's what they have in common:extremism) they view everything through a distorted prism and that's just not how the real world views things.

[centralcal]

"it's clear Clinton has emerged from this as a star"

You seem to be quite serious about this. Ann Althouse does a fantastic job of critiquing Hillary's boffo performance.

I think a majority of observers would agree with her take on this (those both "extreme" and from the "real world").

[clarice]

Macsmind is hinting there's a backstory to this which will break this weekend.

[Eric J]

Look for the Truthers to turn this into a botched CIA mind-control assassination. (Similar techniques to Mark David Chapman and John Hinkley.) Any odds on whether they'll find a copy of Catcher in the Rye in his personal effects?

[centralcal]

I was eating dinner when Hillary "the star" gave her statements to the press about the days' events.

I was, uh, struck, uh, by her, uh, speech patterns. I wondered if anyone else was noticing?

Well, it seems that AJStrata heard what I heard: "But Hillary could not get three words strung together without an “uh” stuck in there."

[clarice]

She never can. You've uh never uh noticed this before?

[centralcal]

Truth be told, I try NOT to listen to her most of the time. I can't stand the sound of her voice. I felt the same way about John Kerry. Even if you discount their words (which I admit I disagree with), it is their gawd awful delivery of their words that send me to the remote to change channels.

That would be a wonderful polling subject. Wonder if anyone has thought of that before?

[kim]

Wow, I just found three words whose dictionary definitions differ from my understanding; persiflage, perseverate, and confabulate.

I was looking for the words to describe her 'uhs'. 'Uhs' are common in confabulatory speech, informal and folksy. 'Uhs' are also common in the speech of people with the need to constantly check what they are saying with what they have previously said. Perhaps she is deliberately using them to soften her persona, but I doubt it. Now whether the constant crosschecking of her speech is cautionary or deceitful, I'll let you be the judge.
==============

[Porchlight]

I can't stand That Voice, either. Kinda funny, if you Google:

hillary "that voice"

you get some interesting results. I think a lot of people are on the same wavelength.

[clarice]

I expect uh speech is also a sign of someone searching without a scriptwriter for a way to string together a couple of words in a somewhat coherent fashion.
In the way that some people interject "you know" repeatedly in whatever they say. (Her Highness does this, too.)
I expect it's this AND your suggestion that he's playing for time to monitor what she's saying to make sure it's "on message".

Of course, it could just be a flaw in the machinery.Robo-candidates are a fairly new concept and need work.

[clarice]

***that She's playing for time ***

Quite a slip.Oops

[centralcal]

Oh, Porchlight! Thanks for the google tip. I had some great laughs from the search results.

Here is one of my favorites from Glen Beck:

"BECK: It can`t be just me. I know it`s not. I mean, if there`s somebody in your life whose voice just sticks in your ear like an ice pick, somebody who makes every part of you just clench every time they speak. Yes, the senator and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has a voice like that. It makes me envy the deaf. It does."

Yeah, ice pick in the ear. Perfect description.

[glasater]

When I was going to Toastmasters years ago, our club did not tolerate "uh" in a speech. Someone listening would fire a clicker for every "uh" spoken. Plus the offender would have to pay a nickle for every "uh" counted.

[kim]

It's possible to pity her and her Democrats. Were she not Bill's wife her flaws as a politician would have been limiting, before. Now they've got another Gore, another Kerry. When will they learn?
===========================

[Neo]

Glen Johnson of the Associated Press has to be one of the most transparent Hiliary ass kissers claiming to be a journalist since Eleanor Clift of Newsweek.

[kim]

Lyin's and spiders and monkeys, oh my!
=========================

[kim]

C, have you seen James Hansen's latest idiocy, that coal trains supplying powerplants are the equivalent for endangered species as the death trains were for carrying people to the camps?
============================

[Porchlight]

Centralcal, I read in a novel once that you can tell a tone deaf person by a certain quality in their voice. I think Hillary's voice has that quality (isn't there video somewhere of her singing horribly?). It's going to be real hard on the ears for a long time if she wins.

[kim]

Ah, then I predict deer in the headlight moments to come.
===================================

[Porchlight]

by a certain quality in their voice

Oops, their speaking voice, that is....

[centralcal]

OT: Yesterday I mentioned a letter written by Quin Hillyer to CNN threatening lawsuit over elements of the Campbell Brown documentary. Here is CNN's response (from MediaBistro)

"Yesterday, FishbowlDC first reported the complaints lodged by Citizens United against CNN concerining the cable network's 'Broken Government' program.

We've obtained this statement from CNN's Campbell Brown:

I'm glad that this documentary is generating discussion among those that it portrayed - "the passionate partisans on the left and right" We presented a balanced and entertaining look at how various groups of all political persuasions try to influence the process. I am both thrilled with the documentary and the fact that more than million people tuned in."

I used to like Campbell Brown.

[clarice]

"More than a million people"? That's not terribly many actually, especially when one considers most of them are probably stuck in hospital beds and airports without any way to change the station.

[MayBee]

Couldn't Hillary just have met with him? He just wanted to ask her one question!! What does a guy have to do? Get a motorhome and camp outside her home for a few months?

[PeterUK]

The "uh" sound is more alarming than you think,this is the sound the Lizard People make when they have a rodent stuck in their craws.

[kim]

"Craws"? I thought you said 'hawsers'.
======================

[Topsecretk9]

No surprise she disappeared. As former First Lady and Presidential candidate, she has Secret Service protection. They have little sense of humor about stuff like this.

Hollywood...I didn't say it was a surprise she disappeared or wrong.

I was pointing out that it's pretty standard operating procedure and necessary -- much like the President detail insisted on after 9-11 that made the left pee their pants about.

It's prudent for Hillary - Wrong and Evil for Bush.

[clarice]

Just Like From a Can

[Jane]

I was sort of appalled by Hillary's press conference when she ended by talking about how being a mother reduced her to a quivering bowl of jelly. Hell imagine how she would react to a school shooting? All that weeping in the oval office would be a problem. She is just too compassionate for the job.

[MayBee]

Very very good clarice. And perfect comment Jane.

[clarice]

You, me and Althouse, Jane.

[clarice]

Thnx, MayBee

[maryrose]

I am convinced Hillary really doesn't hear how she sounds otherwise she would greatly modulate her voice and tone. To me it's like fingernails on a chalkboard, not really a soothing sound.
Also you notice how fast she high-tailed it out to Iowa today-
She knows she's in trouble out there. Obama is moving ahead and I see a sea change in the contests ahead. All candidates will be on the Michigan ballot-some people have been working behind the scenes to make that happen and other than Nevada it's anybody's game in the early states. Fox poll has her only ahead by 10 in New Hampshire.

[Hattie]

Ann Althouse is full o' shit.

[clarice]

Actually, Hattie, I think having viewed your blog and hers, you are projecting. Eisenberg by the way is a Democrat who viewed Clinton, not with hatred, but as someone who'd help him because of her health care stance. In any event as I noted in my blog, he was scheduled that afternoon to appear at a hearing charging him with spousal abuse, and knowing nutters I suspect he thought this was way more fun and self aggrandizing than another judicial punishment for banal, anti-social behavior.

[centralcal]

Hattie - what a stereotypical comment from a lefty!

[PeterUK]

"When the hostages had been released and their alleged captor arrested, a regal-looking Hillary Rodham Clinton strolled out of her Washington home, the picture of calm in the face of crisis."

Not there and after the event,what was she doing during the siege?
She isn't in the Sudan either,does that make her double cool?

[maryrose]

clarice;
Great article and the"Just like from a Can" analogy is priceless! most of what Hillary says sounds canned

[Topsecretk9]

Sorry this OT but interesting and Clarice might find it interesting

You might recall I left a bunch of links that indicated the fired US Attorney Carol Lam was the source of leaks that led to Brent Wilkes (CIA bud of Dusty Foggo) indictments that he was found guilty of bribery earlier this month (or last mont - Hey Clarice -- our birthday is tomorrow - Happy Birthday you wonderful lady!)

Anyways - early on Wilkes attorney Geragos filed papers about the leak and said he had been told about the indictment by reporters BEFORE the indictment and some other information leaked etc. etc.

The judge agreed that the leaks were pretty bad and ordered the DOJ to conduct an investigation into them but that is about it --- DOj just sort of did what they do with leaks...

So Geragos is going to file an appeal based on those leaks and a couple of interesting tidbits...

Here is one of the reporters website - AP reporter Seth Hettena...apparently the judge is pissed and now going to sign the reporter subpoenas because the US Attorney charged with investigating the leak filed this declaration...

After reviewing the foregoing materials, I concluded that an investigation in the circumstances of this case was unlikely to succeed in identifying the source of any improper disclosure. Leak investigations are among the most difficult investigations to conduct. The disclosures reported here both in press accounts and by defense counsel lacked any signature information. In addition, several dozen individuals were involved in the indictment review process, and months had passed prior to my appointment, making it exceedingly unlikely that I could determine when each person first learned of particular information and who else knew. Experience has taught me that leak investigations in such circumstances are rarely successful.

Which is pretty bad, since geragos's original filing indicated he had been told by reporters and she never followed up on it from that end.

Also, what I find very interesting is this reporter has a post up about all the CIA traffic he getting on his site...and he links an article..

...but since a lot of folks at the CIA have been perusing my site lately, I thought I would post the Copley News Service and the CIA Article I mentioned...

I think it is really interesting he is getting a lot of traffic from the CIA.

[Topsecretk9]

Oh ...and here is what Geragos says about Hetena

Seth Hettena is a journalist, who authored “Feasting on the Spoils: The Life and Times of Randy Cunningham, History’s Most Corrupt Congressman.” Mr. Hettena called defense counsel and inquired regarding the investigation into Mr. Wilkes and his alleged role in wrongdoing with former Congressman Cunningham. Mr. Hettena claimed to have a draft(s) indictment prior to its issuance and revealed portions of the proposed charges to defense counsel. Mr. Hettena had to have received the draft(s) of or any substance of a proposed indictment(s) from someone on the prosecution team.

Lisa Meyer's is also on the list

[clarice]

Thnx maryrose and TS (pinkie touch ,TS) that is interesting.
Actually, I think what the US Atty said is rather sensible--too bad, Fitz took a different view. As for Geragos, he's rather a show man and you have to take everything he says with a giant lump of salt.
That's not to say Lam or people in her office were not the leakers, it's just to evaluate the claims made by defense counsel.

[Topsecretk9]

As far as i can tell Hettena isn't disputing this...also I am looking at from a totally different perspective as the lefty Bush-Gonzales conspiracy because they were attempting to thwart the prosecution (why?) by firing her because if that were their intention it um - didn't work!! -because the other US attorney on the case took over, so that has always been dumb as is whatever other stupid theory they have ---

I know I left a link that indicated that Lam was in part fired for the leak - her record was weak and then there was evidence she leaked confidential information.

I'm thinking from the DOJ perspective this was pretty egregious and a huge embarrassment.

[clarice]

Could be, but I suppose it'd be easier to defend any firing of a US atty if the charge were simply failed to take adequate measures to prevent leaking..in which case she's be responsible (correctly) for loose material handling even if it couldn't be proven that she was the leaker.

[centralcal]

Whoa! I am speechless. Timothy Rutten - LA Times:

"In any event, CNN has failed in its responsibilities to the political process and it's time for the leaders of both the Republican and Democratic parties to take the network out of our electoral affairs."

Link in url.

[clarice]

Does this mean I won't have to watch CNN in airports anymore? Please..I'm begging.

[clarice]

That is a hell of a piece by Rutten.

[centralcal]

Yes, I thought so too! With everything that MSNBC gets away with, with nary a tsk tsk from anyone on the left, I find it curious that the left is more willing to call out CNN.

Could it be the Clinton connections? Not all Dems are in Hillary's camp. Whatever is the reason, I applaud Mr. Rutten for his article.

[MarsVsHollywood]

I was pointing out that it's pretty standard operating procedure and necessary -- much like the President detail insisted on after 9-11 that made the left pee their pants about.

It's prudent for Hillary - Wrong and Evil for Bush.

OK, Tsk9, I misunderstood. I too have tried many times to point this out to Pet Goat-obsessed lefties. It's like talking to a brick wall sometimes. :)

[Topsecretk9]

MarsVsHollywood

OK, Tsk9, I misunderstood. I too have tried many times to point this out to Pet Goat-obsessed lefties. It's like talking to a brick wall sometimes. :)

exactly.

[centralcal]

TNR publishes a "retraction?"

I made the mistake of sending the article to my printer. It is still going - 11 PAGES!

[centralcal]

oh yeah - linky thingy in url.

[Other Tom]

If I understand Cleo's point about obesity, she is concerned that, if elected, Hillary will have the most ponderous buttocks of any president since William Howard Taft. We're talking three axe-handles wide here.

[Larry]

Hillary on oil companies' "windfall" profits: "I'm going to take those profits..."

If her opponents run that quote and the Wicked Witch cackle on the Sunday AM shows a few weeks ago, she's done.

[Chris B]

"I'm going to take those profits..."

and your little dog, too!!!

[Cecil Turner]

Whoa! I am speechless.

That's funny. Rutten can't seem to find the weeds, and is disappointed CNN's version didn't make Republicans look worse. Talk about the long way 'round to come to the right conclusion.

And I'm particularly disappointed in CNN now that I know they had questions of this caliber submitted. Excerpt:

D. And Tancredo, I don't know if Ronald Reagan hated Mexicans, but I do know that he armed a lot of 'em.
J. What, did he arm Mexicans?
D. Whatever they were.

Oh how did I miss this one? That's the funniest thing I've seen in weeks. Best line:

Sit yer gay general ass down!

This one's almost as good.

[Elliott]

I don't have any ideas for JOM t-shirts at present, but I submit the following suggestion for TNR apparel:

The New Republic: Foerm over Substance.

Foerwarned, foersaken, etc., will probably produce suitable results as well.

[clarice]

Was the Foer tale lame or what?

[Elliott]

I haven't read it yet, but I'm not expecting it to be high in plausibility.

[clarice]

It'll meet your expectations.

[MayBee]

It's lameness was Foer told.

[centralcal]

Elliott: Foer's opus is "sad and awkward" -to quote another blog's commenter.

Clarice quoted a piece of the Persian poet on another thread, about another post ... "the moving finger writes ..."

I would have to finish the Beauchamp/Foer fabulism with the rest of:

...Nor all your piety, nor wit, shall lure it back to cancel half a line of it; nor all your tears wash out a word of it.

Basically, Foer tries really hard to re-write what cannot be rewritten.

[PeterUK]

"Hillary will have the most ponderous buttocks of any president since William Howard Taft."

These things are said to be highly prized in the Middle East.

[Ann]

Elliott,

Thanks for posting about my T-shirt idea. I didn't get a response, which surprises me. I thought the JOM ladies would of wanted a "MUD WRESTLING FOR REAL MEN" T for sure. You know one with pictures of Brit Hume, Hit, and Mark Steyn.

Speaking of real men, what does Mark Hemingway look like? He might qualify:

Hillary Has A Halo

[Ann]

"Hillary will have the most ponderous buttocks of any president since William Howard Taft."

Now that would make a great T-shirt!!!

[clarice]

Well, Ann, everyone does T shirts. I was hoping for something different--JOM mojito muddlers or, well, you know.........

[Porchlight]

I love the idea of coffee mugs, or anything having to do with beverages (alcoholic or not). Mojito muddler works for sure. I don't tend to go for t-shirts because unless they're cut for women, they usually look terrible on me. Other than that, you create it, I'll buy it!

[MayBee]

Oh, darling Ann. I couldn't do a t-shirt. I'm too new here and I have to get to know people. I live in Waxman's district, for heaven's sake. I would be shunned in any political sounding t-shirt that didn't say IMPEACH!

[Ann]

Clarice,

Happy, Happy Birthday! What are you doing to celebrate the great day?

By the way: Can you have a cute picture of Hit on a muddler?
They do kinda go together. :) :)

And as a birthday present, Several blogs are talking about this:
Hillary Booed

[clarice]

Thnx, Ann..Nothing all that special followed next week with a family get together at Caneel Bay, our favorite.

Hit is a surefire winner.

[MayBee]

Happy Birthday clarice!
In your honor, I got the pressure cooker you recommended.

[Ann]

MayBee,

I completely understand! It took great courage for anyone to put a BUSH/CHENEY sticker in their back window where I live.

But you could wear it to bed.

As Hit says:

{VIMH} Don't Go There!

:) :) :) or ::grin:: ::grin::

[MayBee]

My husband's a Democrat.
Also, I wouldn't want him to think I meant anything by "Just One Minute".

[Topsecretk9]

Um...this comment is at TNR, Beachamp thread

| Posted by Carol Herman 15 of 72 | warn tnr | respond Oddly enough, I'm not impressed with our army, using it's PR machinery to try and get TNR to "surrender." Journalists, under our US Constitution, actually have rights to persue stories. And, here? The army not only interferred. It had a goal. To destroy TNR over one soldier's imagined "personal" diary. Of course, no one is reporting much from Iraq. So, I'll guess part of the silence (just like the silence among the majority), is that people are disgusted. Bush? Even after 9/11, he persued an agenda that speaks volumes of Saudi involvement. No one's called him on this. No one! It's as if our press is totally stymied. While Maliki hates out guts. And, for years has been siding with the iranians; to push back on the sunni terror. If there was no surge? The sunnis, in Iraq, were kaput. And, that's ALL General Petraeus did! He explained to the sunnis, in Iraq, and in Riyadh, that if the Al-Qaeda terrorists weren't stopped; there'd be hell to pay. So, that's it for the "surge." And, probably, this attack by the right, coupled to the military's PR might, shows up on the radar screen. You bet. It's a flaw. On the order of John Adams (our 2nd president's) attempts at destroying his "enemies." With the Sedition Act. (Set to expire in 1801. Since he didn't want to bet he'd be voted in for a 2nd term.) Wasn't. Our 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson, got elected, instead. And, despite the Sedition Act being in play for most of the 4 years of John Adams' term. Ah. If they only taught history well. For others? Well, you could read THE GENIUS OF AMERICA, and begin to get a handle on the wonders of our US Constitution. The press has a FREE HAND when it comes to investigations. The PR machinery of the army, notwithstanding; there's still a lot to learn from what's been going on during Dubya's time in office.

Balloon Juice factory of deceit member?

[clarice]

Thanks,MayBee. I hope you like the pressure cooker. In the cookbook that comes with it, there's a good basic recipe to get the hang of it--try the risotto and the beef stews. I once even used it to make a chocolate bread pudding which was quite yummy and a good way to use up old bread.

This is going to be a busy week and I'll be gone the following week, but if you contact me after that and like risotto, I'll send you my adaptation of Villa D'Este's smoked salmon and scotch risotto made in the cooker.

You can use any risotto recipe you like, just adjust the rice/liquid amounts to conform to the master recipe in that cookbook and you're good to go.

[clarice]

ts I'm afraid I don't get the factory of deceit reference. It sounds like Carol.

[Ann]

"My husband's a Democrat.
Also, I wouldn't want him to think I meant anything by "Just One Minute"."

Maybee, you made my evening! Hilarious!!

I missed the whole pressure cooker thing, What should I buy and I can't wait for Clarice's recipe.

Doesn't she drive you crazy! Accomplished, Published, Smart, Can Cook, Would Beat Hillary in a nano second, and is vacationing at St. Johns.

(Smooches Clarice, I mean that in a very good way.)

[Elliott]

Happy birthday, Clarice!

Tops,

Hey Clarice -- our birthday is tomorrow

Happy birthday, Tops!

[hit and run]

I don't know about the rest of you . . . but I plan on climbing in bed and cuddling up next to the birthday girl tonight.

Oh, and of course, big honkin' Happy Birthday to Clarice as well!!!

And, IIRC, should there not also be a large Happy Birthday wish to topsecretk9 as well?

mrs hit and run, Clarice AND topsecretk9?

December 2: A Day That Will Live In Symphony!

[MayBee]

Happy Birthday, tops! xoxoxoxoxoxo

[clarice]

Thanks--No kidding, HIT..three gals ,one day.

Ann, I use a Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker--it's a very good one, but there are other very good less expensive ones around. They are safe, not like the early ones, and are really great for making stews and risottos fast.

[clarice]

I know I speak for us aall, Hit, when I send Mrs Hit my love and best wishes and a suggestion that she hide the chain saw.

(I did get my wish this year--a GPS--so I CAN now find you and the nearest emergency room .

[clarice]

TS--I thought I wished you Happy Birthday hours ago, but can't find it. So--HAPPY BIRTHDAY--As I get older, I feel safer with TS (who forgets nothing) around. If she can't remember or find something it surely doesn't exist!!!

[Walter]

Happy birthday to three of the wonderful people who make or make possible the most fun and interesting comments!

• Clarice
• Topsecretk9
• Mrs. Hit & Run

Many happy returns of the day.

[Topsecretk9]

Thanks everyone and xxoo to you Clarice.

The good news is I get to be 37 again as I thought I was the year before or something and then again all this year I thought I was 37 -- hopeless with math, sucks when you are born at the end of the year - makes the math problem harder. One June I moped because I it dawned on me I had turned 30 but didn't realize it - I was 29.

Clarice, I always thought Carol Herman was railing against liberals, in that post she's wailing against Bush and wingnuts.

[Ann]

Dittos Walter!

[clarice]

Thanks, Walter--I know that, but she's not a perfectly consistent person, is she?

37 again? Wow. I've got alibis older than that!

[Topsecretk9]

I keep snooping around and can't find any sign of this and one these hiding around...I'm crossing my fingers super tight though.

[Topsecretk9]

rats...my links didn't work

this link

these link

[Topsecretk9]

FYI

A federal judge has rejected an effort by a Louisiana congressman charged with taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to move his trial out of northern Virginia.

Congressman William Jefferson had argued that the government unfairly brought charges against him in Alexandria rather than the District of Columbia because it wanted a venue where fewer blacks are in the jury pool.

The Louisiana Democrat, who represents much of New Orleans, is black.

Prosecutors contend that northern Virginia is an appropriate venue because that's where Jefferson was caught on videotape accepting bribes, and because the alleged victim in the bribery scheme ran a business based in the area.

[vnjagvet]

Take it from one who has tried cases there, the "rocket docket" in Alexandria does not put up with BS from either the prosecution or the defense.

If I were guilty, I would do everything I could do to get the H*** out of there.

Prediction:

Jefferson's attempt will get no traction in the Fourth Circuit. The standard of review is "abuse of discretion", and reversal is virtually impossible on the facts described in the article.

Happy Birthday ladies of December 2.

[JM Hanes]

Clarice:

"Wow. I've got alibis older than that!"

ROTFLMAO! Me too.

Happy birthdays all around!

[Jane]

Happy birthday to all the Sagittariuses. (that's right, right?)

[PeterUK]

Happy Birthday Clarice and Tops and a special anxiety free one to Mrs H&R,keep Hit out of the tool shed.

[centralcal]

Happy Birthday Clarice, TSK9, and Mrs. H&R. Hope you all have a great day and wonderful year ahead.

[kim]

The WaPo editorial, bewailing the savagery of Wahabbi, fails to remember that Abdullah is more afraid of Persia than Israel.
=====================================

[kim]

Compleanos? The best thing about birthdays is the having of them.
=======================================

[hit and run]

Thanks all, on behalf of my better half.

All mrs hit and run wants today is a blog-free day.

[VIMH: Then what the %&#$ are you doing here?]
She's in the shower, she'll never know.

VIMH: What if she asked? You would lie to her?]
Oooh, look, a squirrel!

[hit and run]

[VIMH: Dude, you missed a bracket]
I'm in a hurry. Heard her voice. She's out. Gotta run.

[VIMH: You didn't apologize. I expect an apology]
I apologize for you all the time.

[kim]

While Hit & Run frightens cats with snowblowers, investigate Svalgard's Solar Theory at climateaudit.org. We're cooling, folks, or at least, Canada is THIS winter.
===========================

[kim]

Omigod, it's two 'a's. Svalgaard. He's quite confident that solar irradiance changes haven't caused climate changes; he's more agnostic about magnetic and other changes, and about climate sensitivity to whatever solar forcings are happening. Also discussed over there is a paper by a mainstream climatologist revealing how artificial and inadequate the GCM"s(General Circulation or Climate Models) are. Basically, they've been tuned to produce results. His example is with aerosols. Sunday phun while Bali looms.
===========================

[Porchlight]

Happy Birthday Clarice, Tops, and Mrs. Hit and Run! Best wishes for the year to come!

[PeterUK]

Is it a coincidence that the hostage taking took place at a time when a fund raising event for Hillary starring Bill Clinton was canceled because the host attorney Richard Scruggs is under a federal indictment for attempting to bribe a state court judge?

Seems like a "Wake up the gimp" moment.

[Hattie]

Well, at least she does not have one of them skinny little cracker asses.

[Me]

Hillary Clintion has been slipping in the poles and that has been obvious in many surveys. Therefore, I think it could be possible that the hostage stand is a fraud/ploy done by Hillary Clinton to get control of the race again. She offered to go to NH to talk to the guy but of course, everyone is going to say "no, don't go there". If he doesn't get a light setence now, I'd bet if she became president, she would pardon him. Even if she is not president, she will have political weight to lighten any sentence given. Again, I repeat; "this is a move done by the Clinton campaign to regain any lost votes." I have seen people stoop to a low, but this is the lowest. It's nothing more than "Polotics101" . Create a situation. Take control. Offer any and all help. Continue throughout the situation. Go above and beyond. (same rules that are applied in management - "1)stay calm, 2)be seen, 3)put people before business, 4)"tell the truth" -hah, she can't seem to do that at any point in time).
This is a pathetic way for someone to get into office. I hope she is caught for this fraud.

[Topsecretk9]

Me? John Cole wants you to come home now, he also said to bring Carol Herman too.

[Topsecretk9]

Thanks PUK, Cent and Porch --I got my cruiser bike! Now all I need is a basket, cuz I have already have the grundgy "go to hell" hat!

Oh, my poor, poor son. Makes me think of JMH in her garden hip boots at the parent/teacher conference.

[Topsecretk9]

Oop...Better birthday present -- Drew at Ace's place just put up

President Hugo Chavez suffered a stinging defeat in a vote on constitutional changes that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely, the chief of National Electoral Council said Monday.

Voters defeated the sweeping measures by a vote of 51 percent to 49 percent, Tibisay Lucena said.

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/248231.php

[Elliott]

Tops,

I hope you've had a great birthday.

I wonder how long it will take some Chavez sympathizer here to argue that his loss proves that he, unlike the thief Bush, has the utmost respect for the rule of law, the democratic process, transparency, equity, and all else that is good, right, and just.

[JM Hanes]

Great news! My theory is that Chavez was so convinced of his own invincibility he didn't think he needed to prep for stealing the election this time around. I read that he had to postpone his scheduled post-election press conference, which speaks volumes IMO.

[Topsecretk9]

JMH-and Clarice -- I have such wonderful idealistic images of you both...trudging in the garden while the soup stock simmers in the kitchen - I WILL NOT ruin that image like I did ACE---I had a dream I went to Aceapoolza and after I beat my way through the crowd to meet Ace, I looked upon a 14 year-old wonder boy with braces. I giggled in the morning why I dreamt it.

But more importantly...

---Klo gives a little more background on the checking of Smith's blog posts.. ---

---------

By the middle of the third week in November, I concluded Smith wasn’t skeptical enough, and that the posts in question were sloppy.

Smith had immediately offered Edsall his number in an exchange that sounded like Edsall was ready to roll. So my first instinct was see Edsall’s story and go from there (see if it raised anything we missed). I also had a sense of collegial respect for Edsall, i.e. to let him tell his story.

Thanksgiving week hit when I started thinking that this is taking ridiculously long, but [UNLIKE TNR- tops] I didn’t want to bury it in the holidays. The next week came, and looking back, I wish I had gone live on Monday, as people got back from vacations and before the YouTube debate. On Thursday evening Edsall contacted Smith with some of the same kind of criticisms, and so on Friday, after making sure there was nothing new raised in that exchange, we went ahead and presented the story as we knew it, and I e-mailed Edsall at a ***tnr.com*** e-mail address with what I knew.----------

http://tank.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ODQ2Y2JiYzU0NWUzZTU4NTZjMzJhOTRiYjA1ZGRlMTk=

So - a TNR affiliated journalist found some reporting problems at NRO - NRO played it straight and addressed them with TNR reporter and NRO gave TNR reporter AMPLE time to tell THEIR story but TNR held OFF until??? Roughly the same time as Foer's sleaze ball opus of dirt baggery?

and

Thomas B. Edsall's Amazon Blog and first line of his BIO

Thomas Byrne Edsall is a correspondent for The New Republic and The National Journal. He was a guest columnist on the New York Times Op-Ed page in November and December 2006.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/AAMRLZFW9K2AR

But here is the old Jason Leopold wantabe's Huff Po bio and EMAIL ADDRESS

Thomas B. Edsall is the political editor of the Huffington Post. He is also Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. From 1981 to 2006, he was a political reporter at the Washington Post. He is the author of Chain Reaction and Building Red America. Tom can be reached at edsall@huffingtonpost.com.

-------

This has NOW officially pissed me off.

ither Huffington Post is Leopold Central or TNR. They are both sleazy so it's tough one.

[Topsecretk9]

--http://www.tnr.com/columnists/index.html==

Edsall is not on the current TNR list...I bet dollars to doughnuts they used a Jason Leopold ploy.

Did TNR pay for the freelance? Coordinate the freelance?

[kim]

Connolley is quitting at RealClimate. He is the warmer responsible for corrupting Wikipedia on climate change. Personally, I think he's sensed that the whole fraud is about to blow up. It may well be history's grandest example of science not recognizing the post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy.
====================================

[kim]

Svalgaard really has an interesting idea about solar influence on cosmic rays. Read about 'corotating interaction regions' and 'diffusive barriers'. Basically, shells are formed in the outgoing solar wind(3D) by varying velocities of solar wind clumping up like waves, and these shells modulate the action of cosmic rays.

Pretty far out stuff, but these guys are literate.
===============================

[clarice]

TS, I don't understand your Edsell post. Are you suggesting it was really Leopold who sent the stuff to NRO or that Edsell was working with Leopold?

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