Odds and Ends

I've had a hectic day at work today and didn't have time to really do any blogging. But, a couple of things rattled around my brain as I plodded along at work.

First is an excellent and brief piece at The Nation called The Truth About Dubya and Dubai

So what are the real security issues we need to be talking about? As the Center For American Progress reports, how about the fact that in 2002 the Coast Guard estimated that it would cost $5.4 billion over 10 years to make the necessary improvements to the nation's ports, and last year only $175 million was appropriated to the program?

How about the fact that only 6 percent of the 9 million containers arriving in U.S. ports are physically inspected by customs agents?

When the President suddenly attempts to wax eloquent about prejudice against "a Middle Eastern company," let's not be fooled about his true motives or lose sight of the real issues. And let's make certain that we continue to issue a clarion call against destructive anti-Arab and anti-Arab American sentiment that threatens to take our nation even further backwards in our continuing struggle for civil and human rights.

The other is an interview I heard yesterday on NPR's Fresh Air where Terry Gross interviewed perhaps the premier conservative economist in the nation, Bruce Bartlett. The topic was his new book Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy. Bartlett has impeccable credentials as a card-carrying GOP conservative, and he's clearly very disgusted with George W Bush. So much so that he conceded in the interview that although he came out of the Clinton era believing that Bill was one of the worst presidents we've ever had, in the hindsight of 5 years under the Dubya presidency, Clinton not only doesn't look so bad to him but even looks downright good in a number of ways... very high praise indeed considering the source!

You can listen to the interview on the Fresh Air site, just follow the link above. Any political junky will find it fascinating.