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LANGUAGE News:
20080530
-
 John
McCain -  Randy
Scheunemann -  Political
-  Semantics
-  People
-  Accounting
-  US
-  Iraq
-  Military
-  Terrorism
- 2008
Election - "McCain,
the Surge, and 'verb tenses'." ... "[2008 Election
Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain got ahead of events this
week in claiming that the United States military has gone down to "pre-surge
levels" in Iraq. That will not happen until later this year, even by the
most optimistic scenario. He is also wrong about the city of Mosul [Iraq]
being "quiet", unless you exclude car bombs and other mayhem. His advisers
attempted to spin his remarks as a simple matter of "verb tense." But there
is a big difference between "Mission Accomplished" and "We expect the mission
to be accomplished soon."" ... "The Facts:"
... "The McCain campaign organized a rapid-response conference call with
reporters in an attempt to limit the fallout from the senator's erroneous
claim that "we have drawn down to pre-surge levels" in Iraq. The Obama
folks pointed out that there are at present around 155,000 troops in Iraq,
compared to a January
2007 force level of 128,569. The Pentagon is planning
to get down to 140,000 by the end of July." ... "In a conference call
with reporters, McCain foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann said the
issue was a "question of semantics," and that McCain would have been right
if he had said that the Pentagon had "taken a decision" to draw down the
troops or was in the process of drawing them down." ... "But verb tenses
matter, particularly in the case of Iraq, where it is very difficult to
predict what is going to happen next week, let alone next month. By the
Scheunemann standard of linguistic analysis, there was absolutely nothing
wrong with the Bush administration's claim of "Mission Accomplished" back
in May 2003. As we now know, a few things happened after that date to make
the claim somewhat premature." ... "Taking a decision to do something and
actually implementing it are two very different matters. To claim the contrary
reminds me of the motto from the Ministry of Information in George Orwell's
1984: "He who controls the past controls the future; and he who controls
the present controls the past."" ... "Similarly Orwellian is McCain's claim
that all is "quiet" in the northern Iraqi town of Mosul, despite two car
bomb attacks yesterday in the Mosul area that killed at least 20 people.
News reports depict the town as the "last
urban bastion of al-Qaeda" in Iraq. In the conference call, Scheunemann
acknowledged that al Qaeda was still active in the area." [The Washington
Post gives McCain's accounting numbers three Pinochio's out of a possible
four, calling the statements by Candidate McCain "Significant factual error[s]
and/or obvious contradictions."] -By Michael
Dobbs with contributions by Alice Crites
-WashingtonPost
 WATCH
"John McCain Misrepresents The Facts On The Ground," where he made the
false assertion: "I can tell you that it [the Surge] is succeeding. I can
look you in the eye and tell you it's succeeding. We have drawn down to
pre-surge levels. Basra, Mosul and now Sadr City are quiet." --John McCain,
Town Hall meeting, May 28, 2008.
20080501
-
John
McCain - Politics
-
 Book
- 2008
Election -  Woman
- "McCain
fields audience question on whether he called wife an expletive."
... "A member of the audience, identified as Marty Parrish of Clive [Iowa],
asked [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain during
the event at the [Iowa] Polk County Convention Complex about a rumor that
McCain had once used a profane word referencing female genitalia to describe
his wife." ... "A book, “The Real McCain” by Cliff Schecter, accuses McCain
of using the word in an exchange with his wife, Cindy, in 1992." ... "Audience
member: This question goes to mental health and mental health care.
Previously, I've been married to a woman that was verbally abusive to me.
Is it true that you called your wife a (expletive)?" ... "[2008 Election
Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain: Now, now. You don't
want to... Um, you know that's the great thing about town hall meetings,
sir, but we really don't, there's people here who don't respect that kind
of language. So I'll move on to the next questioner in the back." ... "Parrish,
a 45-year-old Baptist minister and technology business owner, said he attended
the event specifically to confront McCain about the rumor." ... "“This
is about character,” Parrish said, when reached by telephone afterward.
“And in a moment of intemperance, he called his wife the most despicable
name a person can call a woman." -DesMoinesRegister
20080424
-
Military
- Terrorism
- Language
- US
-
 International
- Politics
- Religious
- Vocabulary
- "'Jihadist'
booted from government lexicon." ... "Don't call
them jihadists any more." ... "And don't call al-Qaida a movement." ...
"Federal agencies, including the State Department, the Department of Homeland
Security and the National Counter Terrorism Center, are telling their people
not to describe Islamic extremists as "jihadists" or "mujahedeen," according
to documents obtained by The Associated Press. Lingo like "Islamo-fascism"
is out, too." ... "The reason: Such words may actually boost support for
radicals among Arab and Muslim audiences by giving them a veneer of religious
credibility or by causing offense to moderates." ... "For example, while
Americans may understand "jihad" to mean "holy war," it is in fact a broader
Islamic concept of the struggle to do good, says the guidance prepared
for diplomats and other officials tasked with explaining the war on terror
to the public. Similarly, "mujahedeen," which means those engaged in jihad,
must be seen in its broader context." ... "U.S. [United States] officials
may be "unintentionally portraying terrorists, who lack moral and religious
legitimacy, as brave fighters, legitimate soldiers or spokesmen for ordinary
Muslims," says a Homeland Security report. It's entitled "Terminology to
Define the Terrorists: Recommendations from American Muslims."" ... ""Regarding
'jihad,' even if it is accurate to reference the term, it may not be strategic
because it glamorizes terrorism, imbues terrorists with religious authority
they do not have and damages relations with Muslims around the world,"
the report says." ... "Language is critical in the war on terror, says
another document, an internal "official use only" memorandum circulating
through Washington entitled "Words that Work and Words that Don't: A Guide
for Counterterrorism Communication."" ... "The memo, originally prepared
in March by the Extremist Messaging Branch at the National Counter Terrorism
Center, was approved for diplomatic use this week by the State Department,
which plans to distribute a version to all U.S. embassies, officials said."
... ""It's not what you say but what they hear," the memo says in bold
italic lettering, listing 14 points about how to better present the war
on terrorism." -By Matthew Lee
-AP via -SeattleTimes
-
Terrorism
- Language
-
 Radio
- Politics
- 2008
Election - Denver
-  Colorado
- "Rush
Limbaugh Calling For Riots In Denver." ... "Talk
show host Rush Limbaugh is sparking controversy again after he made comments
calling for riots in Denver [Colorado] during the [2008 Election] Democratic
National Convention this summer." ... "He said the riots would ensure a
Democrat is not elected as president, and his listeners have a responsibility
to make sure it happens." ... ""Riots in Denver, the Democrat Convention
would see to it that we don't elect Democrats," Limbaugh said during Wednesday's
radio broadcast. He then went on to say that's the best thing that could
happen to the country." -TheDenverChannel.com
20080423
-
 Mary
Peters - Covert
- Language
-  Law
- Politics
-  Greenhouse
Gases - Clean
Air Act -  Environmental
- Transportation
-  Auto
- Makers
-  Fuel
-  Economy
- San
Francisco -  California
-  Massachusetts
-  US
- Global
-  Climate
- "Bush
fuel economy rules swipe at California." ... "When
the [Republican President] Bush administration announced proposed regulations
Tuesday to raise fuel economy standards for cars and trucks to 31.6 miles
per gallon by 2015, even some environmentalists applauded. But then they
read the fine print." ... "Tucked deep into a 417-page "Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking" was language by the Transportation Department stating that
more stringent limits on tailpipe emissions embraced by California and
17 other states are "an obstacle to the accomplishment" of the new federal
standards and are "expressly and impliedly preempted" by federal law."
... "California Attorney General Jerry Brown called it a covert assault
on California's rules. Environmentalists said the language will be used
by automakers in their legal challenges to two recent federal court rulings
that sided with the states." ... "The language showed that beneath the
bipartisan veneer of support for new fuel economy standards - approved
by [the Democratic controlled] Congress and signed by [Republican] President
Bush in December - the conflict is still raging between the White House
and the states over who will set the nation's first limits on greenhouse
gases." ... "Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who announced the proposed
rules Tuesday, acknowledged that the preemption language was included in
the document." ... "The Supreme Court ruled in the Massachusetts vs. EPA
case last year that the Transportation Department's authority to set fuel
economy standards should not impede other efforts under the Clean Air Act
to reduce greenhouse gases." ... "[California Democratic Representative
and] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D[Democratic]-San Francisco [California],
responded: "The administration is continuing to block climate change progress
by asserting that California doesn't have the right to move forward with
its own global warming regulations. That is completely unjustified."" -By
Zachary Coile -SFGate.com
20080414
-
 Barack
Obama - 2008
Election - Politics
-  Kentucky
- Racist
- "G.O.P.
Rep. Refers to Obama as ‘That Boy’." ... "[Kentucky
Republican Represenative Geoff Davis on 2008 Election Democratic Presidential
Candidate Barack Obama:] “I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger
does not need to be on the button,” Mr. Davis said." ... "Once the “boy”
remarks began to circulate on the Internet, the Obama campaign moved swiftly
to criticize them. “It’s hard to tell what is more outrageous - Representative
Davis’s condescending and personal attack, or his absurd and offensive
claim that Barack Obama is not prepared to defend America. Geoff Davis
may hide behind offensive tough talk, but he has marched in lock-step with
Bush-McCain policies that have devastated our national security, while
Barack Obama has stood up against a misguided war in Iraq and worked with
respected Republicans like Dick Lugar and Chuck Hagel to secure loose weapons
and nuclear materials from terrorists,” Bill Burton, the campaign spokesman
said." -By Kate Phillips
-NYTimes
20080406
-
 John
C Yoo - Torture- War
Crimes -  Criminal
- Military
-  Intelligence
- Law
- Language
- Politics
- Terrorism
-  Government
- Prisoners
- Human
Rights - California
-  Indiana
- "Permissible
Assaults Cited in Graphic Detail." ... "Thirty pages
into a memorandum discussing the legal boundaries of military interrogations
in 2003, senior [Republican President Bush's deputy Office of Legal Counsel]
Justice Department lawyer John C. Yoo tackled a question not often asked
by American policymakers: Could the president, if he desired, have a prisoner's
eyes poked out?" ... "Or, for that matter, could he have "scalding water,
corrosive acid or caustic substance" thrown on a prisoner? How about slitting
an ear, nose or lip, or disabling a tongue or limb? What about biting?"
... "These assaults are all mentioned in a U.S. [United States] law prohibiting
maiming, which Yoo parsed as he clarified the legal outer limits of what
could be done to terrorism suspects as detained by U.S. authorities. The
specific prohibitions, he said, depended on the circumstances or which
"body part the statute specifies."" ... "But none of that matters in a
time of war, Yoo also said, because federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming
and other crimes by military interrogators are trumped by the president's
ultimate authority as commander in chief." ... "It [Yoo's memorandum] repeats
an assertion in another controversial Yoo memo that an interrogation tactic
cannot be considered torture unless it would result in "death, organ failure
or serious impairment of bodily functions."" ... "Yoo, who is now a law
professor at the University of California at Berkeley [California], also
uses footnotes to effectively dismiss the Fourth and Fifth amendments to
the Constitution, arguing that protections against unreasonable search
and seizure and guarantees of due process either do not apply or are irrelevant
in a time of war." ... "Written opinions by the Office of Legal Counsel
have the force of law within the government because its staff is assigned
to interpret the meaning of statutory or constitutional language. Yoo's
2003 memo has evoked strong criticism from legal academics, human rights
advocates and military-law experts, who say that he was wrong on basic
matters of constitutional law and went too far in authorizing harsh and
coercive interrogation tactics by the Defense Department." ... ""Having
81 pages of legal analysis with its footnotes and respectable-sounding
language makes the reader lose sight of what this is all about," said Dawn
Johnsen, an OLC chief during the [Democratic President Bill] Clinton administration
who is now a law professor at Indiana University [Indiana]. "He is saying
that poking people's eyes out and pouring acid on them is beyond Congress's
ability to limit a president. It is an unconscionable document."" -By
Dan Eggen -WashingtonPost
20080312
-
John
McCain
-
 Rod
Parsley - Terrorism
- Language
- Military
- Religious
- Politician
-  Arizona
-  Ohio
-  Arkansas
-  Huckabee
- 2008
Election - "McCain's
Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam." ... "[2008 Election
Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona] Senator John McCain hailed
as a spiritual adviser an Ohio megachurch pastor who has called upon Christians
to wage a "war" against the "false religion" of Islam with the aim of destroying
it." ... "On February 26, McCain appeared at a campaign rally in Cincinnati
[Ohio] with the Reverend Rod Parsley of the World Harvest Church of Columbus
[Ohio], a supersize Pentecostal institution that features a 5,200-seat
sanctuary, a television studio (where Parsley tapes a weekly show), and
a 122,000-square-foot Ministry Activity Center. That day, a week before
the Ohio primary, Parsley praised the Republican presidential front-runner
as a "strong, true, consistent conservative." The endorsement was important
for McCain, who at the time was trying to put an end to the lingering challenge
from [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] former Arkansas
governor Mike Huckabee, a favorite among Christian evangelicals. A politically
influential figure in Ohio, Parsley could also play a key role in McCain's
effort to win this bellwether state in the general election. McCain, with
Parsley by his side at the Cincinnati rally, called the evangelical minister
a "spiritual guide."" ... "In a chapter titled "Islam: The Deception of
Allah," Parsley warns there is a "war between Islam and Christian civilization."
He continues:"
"I cannot tell you how important it is that we understand the true nature
of Islam, that we see it for what it really is. In fact, I will tell you
this: I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose
until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this
statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The
fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing
this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a
generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore."
"Parsley
claims that Islam is an "anti-Christ religion" predicated on "deception."
The Muslim prophet Muhammad, he writes, "received revelations from demons
and not from the true God." And he emphasizes this point: "Allah was a
demon spirit." Parsley does not differentiate between violent Islamic extremists
and other followers of the religion:"
"There are some, of course, who will say that the violence I cite is the
exception and not the rule. I beg to differ. I will counter, respectfully,
that what some call "extremists" are instead mainstream believers who are
drawing from the well at the very heart of Islam."
"The
spirit of Islam, he maintains, is one of hostility. He asserts that the
religion "inspired" the 9/11 attacks. He bemoans the fact that in the years
after 9/11, 34,000 Americans "have become Muslim" and that there are "some
1,209 mosques" in America. Islam, he declares, is a "faith that fully intends
to conquer the world" through violence. The United States, he insists,
"has historically understood herself as a bastion against Islam," but "history
is crashing in upon us."" ... "At the end of his chapter on Islam, Parsley
asks, "Are we a Christian nation? I say yes." Without specifying what actions
should be taken to eradicate the religion, he essentially calls for a new
crusade." ... "Parsley, who refers to himself as a "Christocrat," is no
stranger to controversy. In 2007, the grassroots organization he founded,
the Center for Moral Clarity, called for prosecuting people who commit
adultery. In January, he compared Planned Parenthood to Nazis. In the past
Parsley's church has been accused of engaging in pro-Republican partisan
activities in violation of its tax-exempt status." -By
David Corn -MotherJones.com
20080220
-
Terrorism
- Radio
- Language
- Race
- Politics
- 2008
Election - Obama
- "O'Reilly:
"I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's
evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels"."
... "Summary: In a discussion of recent comments made by Michelle Obama
[wife of 2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate Barack Obama],
Bill O'Reilly took a call from a listener who stated that, according to
"a friend who had knowledge of her," Obama " 'is a very angry,' her word
was 'militant woman.' " O'Reilly later stated: "I don't want to go on a
lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts,
that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels
-- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's
legit."" -Bill
O'Reilly via -MediaMatters.org
20080216
-
John
McCain - Politics
- 2008
Election
-
 Texas
-  Iowa
-  New
Mexico -  New
Hampshire -  Domenici
- Obama
-  Clinton
-  History
- "McCain's
temper may prove to be a liability in presidential campaign."
... "Temper, temper." ... "Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate]
John McCain is known for his." ... "The presumptive Republican presidential
nominee has been dubbed "Senator Hothead" by more than one publication."
... ""F--- you," he shouted at Texas [Republican Senator] Sen. John Cornyn
last year." ... ""Only an a------ would put together a budget like this,"
he told the former Budget Committee chairman, [New Mexico Republican Senator]
Sen. Pete Domenici, in 1999." ... ""I'm calling you a f------ jerk!" he
once retorted to Iowa [Republican Senator] Sen. Chuck Grassley." ... "McCain
has even blown up at volunteers and, on occasion, the average guy." ...
"He often pokes fun at his reputation: "Thanks for the question, you little
jerk," he said last year to a New Hampshire high school student wondering
if McCain, at 71, was too old to be president." ... "Other times, his ire
is all too real. This has prompted questions about whether his temperament
is suited to the office of commander-in-chief or whether it might handicap
him in a presidential campaign against either [2008 Election Democratic
Presidential Candidates] Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton, who are
not known for such outbursts." ... ""I decided I didn't want this guy anywhere
near a trigger," Domenici told Newsweek in 2000 when McCain unsuccessfully
sought the Republican presidential nomination against [Republican President]
George W. Bush." (1, 2)
-By Libby Quaid -AP
via -IHT.com
20080201
-
Terrorism
- Politics
- Rhetoric
- Psychology
- US
- Iraq
-
 Afghanistan
- Military
- Law
- Foreign
- Intelligence
-  Surveillance
- Noteworthy
- Civil
Liberties - "Bush
legacy: Setting a standard in fear-mongering." ...
"When I [Richard A. Clarke, former leader of the National Security Council's
counterterrorism efforts,] left the [Republican President] Bush administration
in 2003, it was clear to me that its strategy for defeating terrorism was
leaving our nation more vulnerable and our people in a perilous place.
Not only did its policies misappropriate resources, weaken the moral standing
of America, and threaten long-standing legal and constitutional provisions,
but the president also employed misleading and reckless rhetoric to perpetuate
his agenda." ... "This week's State of the Union proved nothing has changed."
... "Besides overstating successes in Afghanistan, painting a rosy future
for Iraq, and touting unfinished domestic objectives, he again used his
favorite tactic - fear - as a tool to scare Congress and the American people.
On one issue in particular - FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act)
- the president misconstrued the truth and manipulated the facts." ...
"Let me be clear: Our ability to track and monitor terrorists overseas
would not cease should the Protect America Act expire. If this were true,
the president would not threaten to terminate any temporary extension with
his veto pen. All surveillance currently occurring would continue even
after legislative provisions lapsed because authorizations issued under
the act are in effect up to a full year." ... "Simply put, it was wrong
for the president to suggest that warrants issued in compliance with FISA
would suddenly evaporate with congressional inaction. Instead - even though
Congress extended the Protect America Act by two weeks - he is using the
existence of the sunset provision to cast his political opponents in a
negative light." ... "For this president, fear is an easier political tactic
than compromise. With FISA, he is attempting to rattle Congress into hastily
expanding his own executive powers at the expense of civil liberties and
constitutional protections." -By Richard A. Clarke
"former head of counterterrorism at the National Security Council"
-Philly.com
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