Monthly Archives: June 2008

Andrew Card – A dangerous Boy Scout

Posted on June 30, 2008 by Michael Chevalier

Remember this man?  He was White House Chief of Staff.  He was an Eagle Scout.  He was head of the White House "Iraq Group," the collection of courtiers, party hacks, and sycophants who were put in charge of selling the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 45 Comments

The Republican “Brand” as metaphor.

Posted on June 29, 2008 by Michael Chevalier

"Complaints about vacuous official rhetoric and the "dumbing-down" of presidential speeches, news conferences and interviews are standard fare. Lim found strong evidence to support those complaints, not just in his interviews with retired speechwriters but in the presidential texts themselves. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs | 42 Comments

10 pounds in a 1 pound bag

Posted on June 27, 2008 by Michael Chevalier

I was in New York City for a few days on business and took the opportunity to talk to a friend who knows his way around the financial world.  Inevitably the talk turned to the current crude price crisis.  This … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil | 41 Comments

The Addington/Yoo Show Yesterday

Posted on June 27, 2008 by Michael Chevalier

"Think of Addington as the id of the Bush White House. Though his hidden hand is often merely suspected — in signing statements, torture policy and other brazen assertions of executive power — Addington’s unbridled hostility was live and unfiltered … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 27 Comments

FISA and All Those Numbers

Posted on June 24, 2008 by Andrei Martyanov

(I’d like to thank Col Lang for inviting me to be a guest author. One thing I’ve learned the last year or so coming here is that wisdom may be nothing more than recognizing how wrong we all can be … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 71 Comments

The Oil Meeting at Jeddah – 2

Posted on June 22, 2008 by Michael Chevalier

"Producers and consumers should “wrest control” of trading in the oil by agreeing to restrict prices, Chidambaram told energy ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to speech notes e-mailed from his ministry. Crude oil touched a record $139.89 a barrel … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 47 Comments

The Oil Meeting at Jeddah

Posted on June 21, 2008 by Michael Chevalier

"Saudi Arabia will press consumer nations at an oil meeting in Jeddah this week to take action to curtail the speculation it sees as a major factor behind high oil prices, a newspaper reported on Saturday. "Governments have a role … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs | 28 Comments

Overflight Clearance for an Israeli strike at Natanz

Posted on June 20, 2008 by Michael Chevalier

"The exercise involved Israeli helicopters that could be used to rescue downed pilots, the newspaper reported. The helicopters and refuelling tankers flew more than 1,400km (870 miles), roughly the distance between Israel and Iran’s main uranium enrichment plant at Natanz. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Politics, The Military Art | 4 Comments

Who are the Target Audience?

Posted on June 19, 2008 by Michael Chevalier

"US military officials on Wednesday accused a Shiite militant group of carrying out a truck bombing in northwestern Baghdad on Tuesday evening that killed at least 65 people, the deadliest attack in the capital since March. The accusation was startling … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs | 15 Comments

“Speculators accused of dictating oil prices”

Posted on June 18, 2008 by Michael Chevalier

"Just how much oil prices are being driven by speculation became clearer yesterday as regulators revealed that Wall Street dealers, hedge funds, pension funds and other speculators hold 70 percent of the leading oil futures contracts traded in New York. … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil | 21 Comments