Yeah, Right

Nope. No stunt here. Nothing to see. Move along. A husband and wife from Overland Park, Kansas are both running for the same seat in the Kansas legislature. She's running as a Democrat, he's running as a Republican.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The candidates say they offer legitimate political differences. Their conservative critics say it's a campaign dirty trick.

Jeff Ippel is a Republican, involved in a three-way primary race for a seat in the Kansas House. His wife, Pam, is unopposed in the August Democratic primary — for the same seat.

Pam Ippel, whose platform emphasizes health care and funding for education, said she was the first to enter the race for an open seat from this Kansas City suburb.

"The more Jeff thought about it, the more he thought he'd have a better chance," she said.

"Better ideas," said her husband, who is running on a platform of smaller government and fewer illegal immigrants.

Other Republicans accuse the Ippels of working as a team.

"Personally, I think it's a fraud. It's a deliberate strategy of confusion," conservative Republican Jeff Colyer said. He says their real goal is to siphon away votes from his campaign to ensure the nomination of a GOP moderate, Sherrelyn Smith.

"It's an absolute sham. They're trying to confuse voters and manipulate the process," agrees Republican state Rep. Eric Carter, who is giving up the seat to run for state insurance commissioner.

The Ippels deny collusion. Gee, why don't I believe that? Oh, because they're either not telling the truth or have an insane level of compartmentalization of their lives I sure wouldn't want. (yes, I do know about the consultants who do that. Not my cup of tea, sorry.)

The later charge by a college professor is rather odd:

If there were any truth to it, it would be a case of conservatives having one of their own tricks pulled on them, said Kansas State University political science professor Joe Aistrup.

"It's about time the moderates started pulling this stuff," Aistrup said. "Conservatives have been running stealth candidates for years."

I've never heard of this before. Have you?

Foul French?

Normally, I would be as likely to post something about soccer (or football as the less enlightened who don't understand real football call it) as I would be to post about watching paint dry. Since soccer is roughly equivalent in excitement. Or less. And I played it in high school, I know. But I could not pass this one up. After pretty well be either outplayed or at best keeping it a draw, Italy beat France for the world cup.

Because the French Captain fouled out.

Italy let France do nearly anything it wanted Sunday, except win the World Cup. That belongs to the Azzurri, 5-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.

Outplayed for an hour and into extra time, the Italians won it after French captain Zinedine Zidane was ejected in the 107th for a vicious butt to the chest of Marco Materazzi. It was the ugliest act of a tournament that set records for yellow and red cards, diving and, at times, outright brutality.

I've mentioned before that my forebears on my father's side had the uncommon good sense and taste to get thrown out of France. I thank my lucky stars every day. Today especially.

I've mentioned before that my forebears on my father's side had the uncommon good sense and taste to get thrown out of France. I thank my lucky stars every day. Today especially.

It Just Goes On And On

Bill at InDC Journal  reports yet another DDOS is hitting Protein Wisdom. I was able to pull it up just now, but no telling for how long. Bill has a few of the lovely comments some of the deranged have left at Jeff's site. This is not language I normally allow here, but it needs to be publicized. This is a sickness on our discourse in this country.

Get over it Jeff. Stop making a big deal over this petty issue. You're the one showing your hairy ass. Fuck you Jeff. The day I wave the U.S. flag with pride is when the Democrats win the White House and Congress. Until then, I raise it upside down in distress. I agree with everything Dr. Frisch said about you. I hope the next plane you fly on crashes.

And:

Like you facist hypocrites never send threats to liberals. Jeff, you got everything you deserved. At least Dr. Frisch didn't go around pushing the UC-Santa Cruz chancellor to suicide like your chipmunk-faced chink bitch friend Michelle Malkin. Only conservative fags like to play the victim. You have a small dick.

If you said things like this to someone's face, you would wake up with no teeth. This is really a problem. Does anyone really want adherents such as these?

UPDATE: Excellent commentary from A Blog For All.

101st Blog Of The Day

Today, my mission to visit one member of the fighting 101st each day led me over to Violet, yet another new blog to me. Violet has been following the Protein Wisdom cyber-stalker story pretty closely these past few days. I hope your daughter's leg heals well and quickly, Violet.

Abbas Sends Envoys To Hamas Leader

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has dispatched two envoys to Syria to talk with Khaled Meshal, the exiled leader of Hamas according to Ha'aretz.

The envoys were reportedly sent to discuss the crisis with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The Damascus-based Meshal has so far declined to tone down Hamas' militant stance over the crisis that began with the abduction of an Israel Defense Forces soldier, which led to the IDF current ground operation in Gaza to free Corporal Gilad Shalit and halt Qassam rocket fire against Israeli targets.

Neither Taysir Khaled, an official from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine who sits on the PLO Executive Committee, or Abdullah Khorani, an independent and former members of the executive committee, belong to Abbas' Fatah movement, nor are they considered directly linked to the PA chairman.

Relations between Abbas and Meshal have soured over the past few months, after the Hamas leader insinuated in a speech that Abbas acts on behalf of Israel and the United States. In the speech, Meshal also indirectly accused the PA chairman of attempting to topple the Hamas government.

On Sunday, Defense Minister Amir Peretz told the cabinet that in addition to Israel's military operation in Gaza, diplomatic efforts continue via Egypt and other channels to press Damascus into putting pressure on Hamas.

Hamas will pay a political price for this, and they will end up with a backlash from the Palestinian people themselves. Meshal is sitting in comfort in Damascus while his actions are drawing down suffering on his own people. Do you think they won't notice that?

Manly Men

Sister Toldjah is taking issue with Hollyweird actor Ethan Hawke and his appeal to change the image of manliness. She is soliciting links and/or pictures of manly men of the "old school" which she prefers.

This fits, I think.

(Photo by Sgt. Adaecus G. Brooks, U.S. Marine Corps)

Straining The Center

Joe Gandelman at The Moderate Voice has a long, thoughtful analysis on what's happening to Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut primary.

IS THERE A PURGE? Some suggest this is part of a purge, and there does seem to be some of that. Lieberman’s present status and political plight stems from the fact that many Democratic progressives want to send a message to Democrats in Congress, party bigwigs, and to disgruntled liberal Democrats that “me-tooism” won’t work when it comes to the Democratic party. (During the early 50s GOP conservatives blasted the “meetooism” of failed GOP Presidential candidate Thomas E. Dewey). They seek to accentuate differences between the two parties. If Lieberman goes (let’s use the old Domino Theory) is Joe Biden going to be in their target sights next? How about Hillary Clinton (she’s probably too nimble)?

Probably the only thing I disagree with Joe on in what he wrote is his assertion that much the same thing has happened within the Republican party. He may know of something I don't, but I have not heard of an organized attempt to oust someone from office within the Republicans. Certainly nothing of this magnitude. Take the time to read it all and judge for yourself.

Dirty Water

I'm gonna tell you a story
I'm gonna tell you about my town
I'm gonna tell you a big bad story, baby
Aww, it's all about my town

Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles (aw, that's what's happenin' baby)
That's where you'll find me
Along with lovers, fuggers, and thieves (aw, but they're cool people)
Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you're my home

The Standells, Dirty Water

You know what the worst thing is? This is city water delivered in a tank truck. We drink this stuff?

Discount Voters

What if you heard that someone in government was compiling a huge database containing personal information? What if you then heard that they were offering to sell that data to all comers? And sell it at a discount if you act now. Sort of a blue light special on datamining. Ok, now what I told you that a political party was doing just that?

Specifically, the Iowa Democratic party.

To most people, all the national Democrats beating a path to Iowa this month look an awful lot like presidential candidates. But to the state Democratic Party, they look like something else: revenue enhancers.

Showing its entrepreneurial spirit, the state party is offering potential candidates access to its detailed voter database — for a price. Specifically, they can mine the valuable data for $50,000 (act now, urges the party, and get a discount from the usual fee of $75,000). The details were reported by the political newsletter the Hotline and the Des Moines Register.

For an additional $50,000 next year, candidates can secure access to a database buttressed by information derived from the 2006 primary and general elections. Or campaigns can ignore the current offer and purchase the full database next year for $85,000.

Candidates have until Saturday to decide whether to take advantage of the discount.

How very high-minded of the Democrats.

UN Blame Game

Tammy Bruce has a post up about the latest from the UN. It's all Israel's fault. Yeesh.

The UN, after having said nothing as severe when Palestinian government terrorists dug a tunnel under the wall, attacked Israeli soldiers, killing some and kidnapping another.

In other words, Israel is at fault for defending itself against a nation of terrorists and "civilians" who knowingly voted those savages into office.

The three-page statement, listing charges separately from six UN-affiliated agencies, called for "urgent action" to halt the rapid deterioration. Israel rejected the charges.

The statement charged that Israel's military offensive has caused mass violations of human rights of civilians in Gaza. Some result from an Israeli attack that destroyed the main Gaza power station [to hinder terrorist communication], others from the closing of vital crossing points [yes, to keep terrorists from crossing into Israel. The UN apparently expects Israel to keep the doors unlocked and open], and the rest from military operations [Oh yeah, the rest from Israel's attempts to find its kidnapped soldier which it would not be engaging in if Palestinian terrorists hadn't kidnapped the soldier in the first place], it said.

The world body expressed alarm over events in Gaza "which have seen innocent civilians, including children, killed, brought increased misery to hundreds of thousands of people and which will wreak far-reaching harm on Palestinian society."

Among the specific issues listed, the statement said Gaza is "on the bring of a public health disaster," including a shortage of medicines. Also, children in Gaza "are living in an environment of extraordinary violence, insecurity and fear."

Unless and until the UN begins to call the Palestinian behavior into account, there can be no real solution to this problem. The blame here is not one sided. The Palestinians are calling this down on themselves by kidnapping, terror attacks and by launching rockets into civilian areas.

Love Among The Vegetables

In a heartwarming story out of Louisiana, we here the tale of love in a vegetable garden. Love between the plants, that is. The gardeners planted cucumbers in one row and cantaloupes in another. The two plants met, fell in love and produced offspring.

Cuculoupes.

HOUMA, La. – They're a yard long and a good few inches across. The skin is waxy, sort of like a cucumber, but yellow and ridged like a cantaloupe. A half dozen of them grew between the cucumbers and cantaloupes in a Houma home garden.

"We call it a cuculoupe," Karen Dusenbery said.

As good a name as any.

"Science is strange sometimes," LSU AgCenter agent Barton Joffrion said after examining the whatsits.

"You see crosses like that. What happens is they planted them close in proximity, and they are in the same family," said Joffrion. "But it's not that common."

Both are members of the Cucurbit family, which includes pumpkins and gourds as well as melons and cucumbers.

Cucumbers and cantaloupes are closely related enough to swap genes, Joffrion said. He'd never seen anything like the Dusenberys' whatever.

Where's the romance in your soul, Mr. Joffrion? It wasn't science, it was love! One hopes for the Dusenbery's sake that the new fruit does not attract the wrong kind of attention, though.

Protein Wisdom Back Online

Jeff Goldstein is back online. Welcome back, Jeff. Do I get pie, too?

Marvelous

I saw this item quite late last night and just didn't have the energy to post about it. The Washington Post reports that Andrés Manuel López Obrador is charging that the election was rigged and that he will try to overturn the results.

MEXICO CITY, July 8 — Downtown Mexico City swelled Saturday with the accumulated frustration and rage of the poor, who were stoked into a sign-waving, fist-pumping frenzy by new fraud allegations that failed populist candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador hopes will overturn the results of Mexico's presidential election.

López Obrador ignited the smoldering emotions of his followers Saturday morning, alleging for the first time that Mexico's electoral commission had rigged its computers before the July 2 election to ensure the half-percentage-point victory of Felipe Calderón, a champion of free trade. In a news conference before the rally, López Obrador called Calderón "an employee" of Mexico's powerful upper classes and said a victory by his conservative opponent would be "morally impossible."

….

López Obrador's approach pairs legal maneuvers with mass public pressure. On Saturday, he gave a mega-display of street power, drawing an estimated 280,000 people into the city center on a humid, drizzly afternoon, according to a Mexico City government estimate.

In other words he's following the advice of Mr. Klain and Mexico will be in turmoil for quite some time into the future. As Mark in Mexico pointed out the other day, though, don't misjudge what is really happening down there too soon. Mexico City is a stronghold for AMLO, the rest of Mexico is not all that supportive of him.

This Is Not Political Discourse

Or acceptable by any reasonable standard. The targeting of children to advance your particular political agenda is not free speech. It is not your first amendment right. It is terrorism and should be treated as such by the courts. Gateway Pundit has some examples of groups that think targeting children is acceptable.

The group, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, maintained its actions were protected under the First Amendment.

The government charged that SHAC waged a five-year campaign against Huntingdon Life Sciences, posting on its Web site information about the lab's employees and those who do business with Huntingdon, including their home phone numbers, addresses and where their children attended school.

Many of those people saw their homes vandalized, and they and their families received threatening e-mails, faxes and phone calls. Many were also besieged by protesters parading with photos of mutilated animals and screaming "Puppy killer!" through megaphones at all hours outside their homes.

One woman said she received an e-mail threatening to cut her 7-year-old son open and stuff him with poison.

A man said he was showered with glass as people smashed all the windows of his home and overturned his wife's car.

Read the rest.

Economic Incentive

A few more details are coming out about the nuclear deal Bush is going to pursue with Russia that I posted about yesterday. It sounds as if it is a quid pro quo for getting cooperation from Russia over Iran and other problem nations.

But any agreement would be conditioned on Russia helping to pressure Iran to give up its alleged desire to develop nuclear weapons, said Frederick Jones, spokesman for Bush's National Security Council.

"We have made clear to the Russians that for an agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation to go forward, we will need Russia's active cooperation in blocking Iran's attempt to obtain nuclear weapons," Jones said.

The two presidents will announce the start of negotiations on the agreement when they meet on the sidelines of the July 15-17 Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg, the White House confirmed.

Nuclear cooperation between the two countries has stalled for more than a decade because of Washington's objections to Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran, including construction of an atomic power plant in Bushehr.

The Bush administration's willingness to reverse course and pursue a nuclear cooperation agreement reflects the U.S. view that Moscow is now a partner in the effort to persuade Tehran to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions, rather than a hindrance to it.

"Now that Russia has been more cooperative in putting pressure on Iran to abandon its" alleged nuclear weapons program, the United States "won't allow the Iran relationship to get in the way of this particular activity," said Jon Wolfstahl, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace in Washington.

Again, if sufficient controls are built into the agreement, and if the Russians help check the Iranian ambitions, then this may be a good thing.