Nice commentary on a little-recognized topic. Six year of field work studying pesticide hazards for the California Department and Food and Agriculture (years before that function transitioned over to Cal-EPA) led me to the conclusion long ago that most people don't have the foggiest idea about where their food comes from (other than it's just there, on the shelves of Safeway, Albertsons, Kroger or Wal-Mart, etc.) or what's involved in getting it from the field/greenhouse/feedlot to them.
Posted by JLowe at October 16, 2005 09:37 AMI watched Louis Louis on Fete the Press. He seems to be following the Talking Points one by one. Don't blame Bush...It's ALL cLINTON'S fault.
What gives me the creeps though is when he is talking about himself, he often refers to himself as "the FBI Director"...he doesn't use the "I" word often.
The title of his book is MY FBI.
Me thinks he might need some "couch" time somewhere.
Posted by jillian at October 16, 2005 10:05 AMOne thing he got right-Clinton should have fired his sorry ass.
And Pumpkinhead didn't seem to buy it.
Pumpkinhead is still a tool.
Posted by SnarkyShark at October 16, 2005 10:08 AMby it- I mean Freeh's whole little song and dance.
Posted by SnarkyShark at October 16, 2005 10:10 AMObviously, that wasn't Louis Freeh, that was archdemon Karl Rove wearing a Louis Freeh mask.
Posted by at October 16, 2005 10:21 AMOne of the raps against the Democrats is that they're weak in foreign policy. Clinton was no exception, as Saddam went unchecked and Clinton didn't mount any opposition to terrorism. Other than expressing outrage and giving an emotional speech after terrorist events, he didn't do anything.
He spoke loudly, and carried a small stick.
I don't blame Clinton for terrorism, though. I think there are a bunch of folks over there who would love nothing more than to kill everyone who is not a radical Islamist. They see the rest of us as Infidels, and we must be killed.
Posted by muckdog at October 16, 2005 10:24 AMSaddam went unchecked ... there are a bunch of folks over there who would love nothing more than to kill everyone who is not a radical Islamist.
see, fundamentalist = secularist. saddam = osama. iraq = 9/11. all arabs are the same. this song got boring a long time ago.
muck, you left out how benevolent and helpful the head-cutting sauds are.
Well, Ben, I said none of what you've concluded, but thanks for the laugh.
Posted by muckdog at October 16, 2005 11:10 AMPerhaps instead of waiting until after Wilma potentially hits the Gulf Coast and pointing out why we deserve it, those guys with a direct line to God could intercede on our behalf and say WE GET IT -- GIVE US A BREAK.
But then what would their motivation be? If they dialed God direct and it still hit, then maybe that would prove they don't have the ear of God. Or more accurately, that God doesn't really care at all.
It's so easy to sit back and define God's purpose after the fact.
My hope is that Wilma will fizzle and hurt no one.
Posted by dorita at October 16, 2005 11:12 AMWell, Doritos, God would probably answer "I created you all with brains, so why do you keep building homes in hurricane alley, on land that is 12 feet below sea level and surrounded by water?"
Posted by muckdog at October 16, 2005 12:01 PMAndy Rooney: Mr. Freeh, you state in your new book "My FBI" that Bill Clinton was responsible for the death of your dog last week. How is that possible?
Freeh: The driver of the vehicle obtained his licence while Bill Clinton was in office. It was during his watch, and therefore he is ultimately responsible.
Rooney: Ok... It has been suggested that under your directorship, the FBI became politically motivated. Is this true?
Freeh: Absolutely not. My FBI was faith-based, not political.
Rooney: Faith-based?
Freeh: Certain crimes are simply out-of-character for evangelicals. Therefore, they must have been committed by criminals belonging to other sects or religions. I advocated this approach which greatly simplified and expidited the resolution of cases. The results speak for themselves.
Rooney: Are you insane? You..[the remainder of this taped interview has been erased, and Mr. Rooney has not been seen since.]
Posted by tempus at October 16, 2005 12:05 PMThe bombers of the World Trade Centre in 1993, in jail. Timothy McVeigh, the home-grown Oklahoma City terrorist, tracked down, convicted and executed. Osama chased from pillar to post around the Middle East, Saddam kept under wraps by the international community so tightly he lost all his WMD materials and facilities and was unable to rebuild them. This all under Clinton's term as President.
Bush -- well, he's still got two years to redeem himself and it might happen but I doubt it somehow. He'll leave it to others to clean up his mess as he has always done but he'll always be known as the 9/11 President.
Posted by Robert Sneddon at October 16, 2005 12:06 PMClinton was no exception, as Saddam went unchecked and Clinton didn't mount any opposition to terrorism.
Mr. Sneddon covers the falsity of your claim that Clinton didn't "mount any opposition to terrorism," so I'll focus on "Saddam went unchecked."
First, of course, Saddam didn't try very much during Clinton's administration. I know, I know--a real president wouldn't hesitate to launch an unprovoked war.
But even by that standard, Clinton doesn't look bad. He did bomb Iraq a couple times during his administration, and Republicans naturally responded in the basest fashion, by accusing him of "wagging the dog."
I personally wish Clinton hadn't done so. But it's patently false to claim he did nothing to check Saddam's regional ambitions. If anything, Clinton overreacted to Saddam's (in)action during the 90s.
Posted by dj moonbat at October 16, 2005 01:20 PMI found it interesting this morning how Freeh was repeatedly making the case against Iran!
It's clear he is turdblossom's lapdog.
John Podesta has a great op-ed in response to Freeh's crap at: Fredh's Whitewash
Freeh's Self-Whitewash
By John Podesta
Sunday, October 16, 2005; Page B07
During his tenure as director of the FBI, Louis Freeh presided over a series of blunders and failures that brought the bureau to a low point in its history. From the embarrassment of the Russian mole Robert Hanssen to the bungling of the Wen Ho Lee investigation to the wasting of hundreds of millions of dollars in a failed attempt to build a modern, computerized case management system, the bureau under Freeh's leadership stumbled from one blunder to the next, with little or no accountability. The nadir, as the nation knows too well, was reached in the astonishing string of failures that helped leave America vulnerable to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001....
Since others have answered Muckhog's ignorant comments about Bill Clinton and terrorism, I can only add that among his other actions stopped the Millennium plot, and warned the incoming Bush administration that bin Laden and terrorism would be their major concern as it was his. Naturally, Bush paid no attention despite the fact that people were running around their "hair on fire" trying to be Bush involved and despite his daily briefing titled "Bin Laden determined to strike in the U.S." Bush did nothing, nada, zip, zilch, until 9-11 and then he ran and hid like the cowardly scared rabbit he is. Saddam of course was not involved in the 9-11 attack, so Bush's attack on Iraq is not only futile, it is also counter-productive, and has lead to more terrorism accross the world, not less. That is consistent with Bush's record of failure.
Posted by Mike at October 16, 2005 06:07 PMmuckie-poo, while you seem to fixate on NOLA, hurricanes do hit all along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Some are more destructive than others. I'm sure you are not suggesting that the oil industry, shipping and the military are brainless in situating themselves on either coast. That makes about as much sense as accusing people living in cities built on known fault lines of being oblivious or speculating on why anyone lives in Japan.
You don't seem to have much of a handle on the facts concerning terrorism and either of the last two administrations -- more evidence of your subborn ignorance.
Perhaps better judgment dictates sticking with what you know.
Posted by dorita at October 16, 2005 06:32 PMI remember when Hurricane Agnes (?) came through and flooded the crap out of all these towns and cities in Pennsylvania, like Allentown (my Mom had a best friend that lived there). PA. In '69 or something.
Why o why do people live there???
And now, google bombing Jerry Kilgore
Posted by Duckman GR at October 16, 2005 09:10 PMMike, you seem like a crackerjack when it comes to predicting the past. Who do you think will win that Dolphins-Broncos opening NFL day matchup from September? Do you think the Raiders have a shot at opening the season with a 6-0 run? And do you have any thoughts on whether or not Phil Jackson will return to coach the Lakers in the 2005-6 NBA season?
Doritos said muckie-poo, while you seem to fixate on NOLA, hurricanes do hit all along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
But... New Orleans... is built.... on land... surrounded by levees.... and is.... BELOW SEA LEVEL.
The wetlands down there are gone. So the hurricanes will hit harder than ever. They come about every 3 years, with a direct hit every 10 years.
It'll take 10 years to restore just the wetlands. We don't know if we have the technology to build levees to withstand direct hits from category 3-4-5 hurricanes.
And NOLA is BELOW SEA LEVEL.
Heck, how about rebuilding New Orleans on the side of Mt. St. Helens instead? It'd be far less risky.
muckie-poo, gees sorry about your angels. The thought remains the same, I hope that you and yours never have to live through this. I think you wouldn't shelter so well.
btw -- where is your pal west?
Posted by dorita at October 17, 2005 09:45 PM