No! What I said was, we have no Maize... so I'd love to bring back some of that sweet corn!

Many of you will remember Iranian President Ahmadinejad's curious statement that there are no homosexuals in Iran. You can listen to it above, and remember it spawned a funny SNL video.

But now, a media adviser is "clarifying" his statement.

“What Ahmadinejad said was not a political answer. He said that, compared to American society, we don’t have many homosexuals,” Mohammad Kalhor said.

As silly as the statement and its cover-up are, this is no laughing matter. Consider Nazila Fathi's article in the New York Times.

(as quoted in a piece by blogger Mike Nizza)

Gays are punished by lashing or death if it is proved that they have had homosexual relations. Two gay teenagers were executed in 2005 in Mashad, a northeastern city.

Fear of persecution is so strong that some gay men and lesbians have sought and received asylum in Western countries.

The Iranian Student News Agency reported in 2005 that a lesbian had been killed in prison by other inmates whom, it was alleged, she had forced to have sex with her. Tehran’s chief prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, said in May in an interview on state-run television that the police were looking for men who dressed and looked like homosexuals.

Quote of the Day 10/11

"I'm heartbroken... HEARTBROKEN!"

- John McCain to reporters during his morning gaggle, pointing toward a television set. What was on screen? An MSNBC report that 24 star Keifer Sutherland is headed to jail on DUI charges.

"My hero, Jack Bauer," McCain said.

Log Cabin Ad: Romney's Real Record

The gay Republican group, Log Cabin Republicans, uses sarcasm in a new ad in New Hampshire, intent on bringing down Mitt Romney. It goes after him as a flip flopper, who has been disingenuous about abortion, guns (gasp!) Ronald Reagan.

There's an obvious question here:
Why are the Loggers (that's what I call them) going after Romney?
Maybe because he distanced himself so quickly from his old buddy Larry "Slide your palm along the bottom of the stall" Craig. Or maybe they didn't like his anti-gay rhetoric in the lead-up to gay marriage in Massachusetts. Or maybe it has more to do with the Republican part of their identity than the Log Cabin part.

Whichever, it's bad news for Mitt. As President Bush's inside man, Dan Bartlet, said during a speech yesterday, a narrative is building against Romney as a flip flopper, and once it starts it's very tough to overcome. (Ask Al Gore or John Kerry about that.)

Bartlet said he thought the bigger issue was the candidate's Mormonism, which people don't like in the South, and that flip flopping is kind of a red herring for why they won't support Romney. Bartlet pointed out that Romney's team made the miscalculation that the Republican field would be more conservative than it's proven to be, and he adjusted his positions accordingly.

Rudy Giuliani has moved slightly to the right, but in a more nuanced way. Whereas Rudy vowed to appoint "constructionist" judges (who tend to be conservative on social issues), he hasn't completely ceded his stances as mayor of New York. Rudy has kept the faith that people can put up with his liberal views because they also represent perhaps his greatest asset: electability. Meanwhile, Romney described his change of heart on abortion and stem cells as almost a religious conversion.

So even if Barlet is right, and right now flip-flopping is code for "Mormon," a few more ads like this, and rest assured they'll come, and the building narrative might turn deafening.

Quote of the Day 10/10

From a transcript of Notre Dame head football coach, Charlie Weis' press conference on his team's match-up with #4 Boston College this weekend.

Q: Can you talk also about the football aspect of [the BC- ND rivalry]? It seems like there's a history of one team ruining another season.

COACH WEIS: Well, they're not going to ruin our season. (laughter)

A Shady Politician... from Mexico?!?!

From SportsIllustrated.com:

Politician DQed from marathon
Berlin Marathon officials claim he took two shortcuts

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- After a humiliating defeat in Mexico's presidential election last year, Roberto Madrazo appeared to be back on top: He'd won the men's age-55 category in the Sept. 30 Berlin marathon with a surprising time of 2:41:12.

But Madrazo couldn't leave his reputation for shady dealings in the dust. Race officials said Monday they disqualified him for apparently taking a short cut -- an electronic tracking chip indicates he skipped two checkpoints in the race and would have needed superhuman speed to achieve his win.

According to the chip, Madrazo took only 21 minutes to cover nine miles -- faster than any human can run. "Not even the world record holder can go that fast," race director Mark Milde said.

In a photograph taken as he crossed the finish line, Madrazo wears an ear-to-ear grin and pumps his arms in the air. But he also wore a wind breaker, hat and long, skintight running pants -- too much clothing, some said, for a person who had just run 26.2 miles in 60-degree weather.

Madrazo's outfit caught the attention of the New York-based marathon photographer Victor Sailer, who alerted race organizers that they might have a cheater on their hands.

"It was so obvious to me, if you look at everyone else that's in the picture, everyone's wearing T-shirts and shorts, and the guy's got a jacket on and a hat or whatever," Sailer said. "I looked at it and was like, wait a second."

The world record for 15 kilometers -- the distance Madrazo covered in 21 minutes -- is 41 minutes 29 seconds, by Felix Limo of Kenya.

At a Mexico City taxi stand on Monday, drivers Octavio Elizalde Cerrillo and Roberto Valle Rivera poked fun at Madrazo's troubles. They, like other Mexicans their age, lived under decades of uninterrupted rule by Madrazo's Institutional Revolutionary Party, which often resorted to fraud to win elections, leaving many deeply distrustful of politicians.

"If he's a cheat at one thing, he'll cheat at anything," said Valle Rivera, 44.

"If you're going to steal, you'll steal here, in the United States, in Europe, everywhere in the world," Elizalde Cerrillo, 41, added with a smile.

Madrazo's reputation at home was already tarnished. In 1996, Mexico's attorney general confirmed reports that he had spent tens of millions of dollars more than the legal campaign spending limit in his winning 1994 bid for the Tabasco state governorship.

While under investigation on those charges, Madrazo told police he was kidnapped for seven hours, beaten and threatened with death by unidentified assailants. Police couldn't find evidence of any such abduction, and many saw it as a sympathy ploy.

During the 2006 presidential campaign, opponents plastered walls with posters reading, "Do you believe Madrazo? I don't either!"

In June, Madrazo completed the San Diego marathon with a time of 3:44:06 -- more than an hour slower than his time in Berlin, Mexican newspaper Reforma reported. Madrazo's office did not return phone calls from The Associated Press.

Race director Milde noted that Madrazo may have intended to drop out and taken a shortcut to reach the start-finish area.

"I don't know if it was his intention or accidental: I try to believe in the good of people," Milde said. But the fact that Madrazo appears to be celebrating in the photograph could go against this theory, he added.

Some 32,500 people finished the race and about 40 are disqualified every year, Milde said.

Quote of the Day 10/9

"Oh sh--, he's dumb as hell..."

- President Richard Nixon on minority counsel Fred D. Thompson, a young lawyer in the Senate during the Watergate trials.

The Nixon tapes reveal the following about old Fred (from ABC News):

HR Halderman, Chief of Staff: Baker has appointed Fred Thompson minority counsel."

Nixon: Oh, s-- that kid?

Nixon: Well [majority counsel] Dash is too smart for that kid.

John Dean, presidential aide: Sure, run circles around him.

///
Nixon: He's not very smart is he?

Fred Buzhardt, White House counsel: No, not very, but he's--

Nixon: But he's friendly.

Buzhardt: He's friendly.

Nixon: Good.

SAM Profile: Joe Biden

As the NY Times points out, the 2008 race for the Democratic Nomination has an unprecedentedly qualified field of "second tier" candidates. In my mind, Joe Biden leads that pack.

I can't stand that this guy doesn't get more attention.

He's the best debater and speaker of any presidential candidate (check out the YouTube clip below if you disagree), and the most experienced of any candidate in the field. His positions are nuanced and his mind is tack- sharp, it's unbelievable.

For instance, Biden questioned Barack Obama's foreign policy knowledge after Obama called for strikes against terrorist camps in Pakistan if the Pakistani government failed to act, because that is already current US policy.

Biden also gave a detailed plan on what to do in Iraq (imagine that!) over a year ago. The plan, which calls for increased autonomy for Iraq's 3 separate geographic/ religious/ political factions into a loose federation of states, has passed the Senate.

He chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has a reputation as an innovative problem solver, an independent thinker and policy wonk. Listening to him talk, and understanding his stance on issues, Biden is not unlike a more jagged President Jed Bartlet.

This is a man who has overcome unbelievable obstacles: Professionally, his hot start in the 1988 campaign for president ended in embarrassment (read the Times article). He was first elected to the Senate at age 29 (Biden was the 5th youngest Senator ever), and won a reputation as a dazzling public speaker by overcoming a severe childhood stutter.

Personally, he lost his young daughter and wife in a car accident soon after his election to the Senate. His two sons were hospitalized with serious injuries. Although Biden tried to give up his Senate seat, he was convinced by his peers to stay, and was sworn into office in his sons' hospital room. He went to Washington, but decided to commute daily from Delaware in order to raise his boys.

Later, he suffered two brain aneurysms, and was hospitalized for months in 1988.

Biden isn't a perfect candidate, not by a long shot. He's long-winded and speaks too fast, often throwing out his gut reaction in ineloquent ways. For example, his campaign got off to a terrible start when he said that Obama was "the first mainstream African-American [presidential candidate] who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." It was a stupid comment, not only because it was factually incorrect.

But he deserves better than to be polling in single digits without any cash on hand. I've followed him since his frequent appearances on Imus in the Morning, and the guy is flat out honest. And smart. Below is a compilation of some of Biden's answers in a debate on labor issues, sponsored by the country's largest union.

Let me know what you think.

John McCain campaign video

John McCain is running this ad in Michigan as he attempts to re-energize his campaign. It's a good ad, but what's most interesting is who is giving the the endorsement.

It's Utah governor Jim Huntsman, you know it because his name and title are left up for the duration of the spot. Choosing Huntsman to deliver the ad shows McCain is ready to take on Mitt Romney, who grew up in Michigan, but lived in and has close ties to Utah.

It'll be interesting to see how aggressively McCain goes after Romney in tomorrow night's debate.

And Now I'm Putting it Behind Me...

As pretty much everyone knows, last week the Mets collapsed in historic fashion and missed the playoffs, despite being in first place for almost the entire 162-game season. As not everyone knows, this weekend I went to Chicago and watched the Cubs season end on a losing note for 99th consecutive year. I am a huge Mets fan, and our loss crippled me and my fellow believers.

But now I'm ready to move on.

To that end, Time Magazine has an article entitled "Mental Help for Mets Fans." It's about how to cope with the biggest meltdown in the history of baseball. It's written by Sean Gregory, a lifelong Mets fan, and isn't patronizing. Dr. Richard Lustberg, a psychologist and also a big Mets fan, says "Baseball is being taken away from you. It's difficult to handle, especially when watching Mets games have become part of your routine. There's some reality to it. It's like you've suddenly had an aneurysm.

"I was driving to work today, and I go, 'Aw, s__, the Mets aren't on tonight," says Lustberg. "What am I going to do? I'm annoyed with the team. There has to be a period of withdrawal, and I know it's going to take a little while."

So, this is a good read for fans of the Mets, Cubs, or other choking teams. As this indicates, sometimes fans need a lesson in acceptance.

Also, this SNL skit is pretty good, and puts a fine point on the emotions that accompany that shocking loss.

However, I think most of Mets-nation found comfort in the ugly 3- game sweep suffered by the Phillies (who were the beneficiaries of the Mets' downfall)... and you have to look at the bright side-- at least my second favorite team, "Whoever plays the Yankees," is still going strong.

Go Tribe.

Immigration: A Notre Dame Forum

On Monday October 8th 2007, Notre Dame will again host a policy forum addressing one of the most important issues for the future of our country. Immigration has received a lot of attention as a complex issue to which there are many perspectives. I invite all the bloggers and readers to check out forum.nd.edu, the forum's website as it has a host of resources such as academic articles, faith based dialogue, and short online courses for all your immigration questions.

There has been some disucssion of immigration on this blog in the last few weeks and my hope is that this forum might invite some of you to consider the issues and engage the issue of immigration in a way you may not have before.

The forum will have some of the most prominent voices in this debate including Cardinal Michael Mahony, Archibishop of Los Angeles, Louis J. Barletta, Mayor of Hazleton Pennsylvania (to address the issue brought up in this blog last week about migrants' impact on small towns), Mel Martinez, R-Senator of Florida, and Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona.
I invite all of you who are interested in the immigration issue to go through the website this weekend and if you find it interesting join us on Monday Oct. 8 at 3pm est as the entire forum including all the speakers will webcast via the website. I appreciate SAM MAG allowing me to let you all know about the forum and look forward to hopefully sparking an inquisitive and lively deabte.

NY Times: Rudy on the Radio

The Times has a piece on the weekly radio show Rudy Giuliani had as mayor that is, at turns, enlightening, disturbing and hilarious.

This is a must read.

Here are some quotes from "Live from City Hall with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani."

One quote that could get him into trouble-

"When a National Rifle Association member opposed a ban on assault rifles in 1994, Mr. Giuliani really got annoyed. 'Now the reason why the N.R.A. has lost all credibility is statements like that,' he said. 'By definition these are attack weapons. They are used for offense. It really is absolutely astounding that the N.R.A. continues to have influence in areas in which they make no sense at all.'”

Uh-oh...

But the thrust of the piece is the fervor with which Rudy goes after his critics, the language and imagery he uses, and the monumental chip on his shoulder. From the article:

Then there was David from Oceanside, who was president of Ferrets’ Rights Advocacy. He was furious that the city health code had just been changed to bar ownership of ferrets.

The mayor was outraged that David was outraged. They went back and forth during the summer of 1999.

“David, your compulsion, your excessive concern for weasels is a sign of something wrong in your personality,” the mayor said. “I am giving you the benefit of 55 years of experience — having handled insanity defenses, you need help.”

... When Bob from Manhattan asked in 1999 about a report linking a mayoral friend to ethical wrongdoing, Mr. Giuliani butted in.

“Why don’t you seek counseling somewhere, Bob? I think you could use some help. I can see the direction we’re going in — there are people so upset and so disturbed that they use radios for these sick little attacks on people,” Mr. Giuliani said. “I hope you take this in the right spirit, Bob.“You should go to a hospital. You should see a psychiatrist.”

As mayor of New York, he was tough, brash and in-your-face. The radio show gives you an unflinching look into his psyche, and really makes you wonder what the guy is like behind closed doors. Running for president, the quotes might come back to haunt him, or they could reinforce the notion of Giuliani as a strong (if often ineloquent) leader.

Good news from President Bush

The Ragin' Cajun talks LSU football (and a little politics)

My man James Carville was on ESPN the other night talking about his alma mater, LSU, and their upcoming game against Florida. He also likens the respective coaches to a couple of recent presidents.

Quote of the Day 10/4

"I made my arguments and went down in flames. History will prove me right."

-- George W. Bush, then owner of the Texas Rangers after voting against realignment and a new wild-card system during a Major League Baseball owners meeting in September 1993. Bush was the lone dissenter in a 27-1 vote.

Since realignment and the wild-card came to baseball, MLB profits have increased from $1.2B to $5.8B and attendance records have been broken almost yearly.

A French Connection

USAToday.com is reporting that France has acknowledged Iranian nuclear efforts have brought the Shi'ite state to "run nearly 3,000 uranium centrifuges". This would give the Iranians the capability to build about a nuclear bomb per year. Diplomats based their revelation on an International Atomic Energy Agency's memorandum received in Paris. This all comes in a time, the report insists, when Paris is considering tougher measures against Tehran, quite possibly taking the issue up to the European Union.

At the United Nations opening of the General Assembly last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was adamant about not being weak with respect to Iran's defiance. Mr. Sarkozy said, "There will be no peace in the world if the international community falters in the face of nuclear arms proliferation," referring to the Security Council's attempts at curbing Iran's nuclear goals. His direct tone allowed President Bush to be less vigilant in his speech, instead giving the President some leeway to speak on global poverty and third-world development.

Although a war with Iran may seem imminent, it's obvious the European governments are much more willing to be involved in this measure than during the run-up to Iraq. Not only is there ample evidence of nuclear technological build-up, but Iranian rejection of the international community's demands begs for a committed diplomatic effort by leading powers to intervene. A nuclear Iran needs to be seen as a threat to the world's stability, not just U.S. interest and allies.

Warmongering always needs to be listened to carefully, yet taken with a grain of salt. If Iraq has taught us one thing, it's that vigilant rhetoric should never be substituted for the truth. However, Mr. Sarkozy has a point when he explains how the world can only live at peace when nefarious regimes, like that of Tehran, are pursuing peaceful ambitions, as opposed to trying to become a member of "the Club". A war with Iran would be costly, probably not quick, and require much more sacrifices than currently. Still, for the purpose of having a non-nuclear Iran, it would also be worth it.

A Funny Thing about Fred Thompson

Is that he often doesn't know what he's talking about.

So far on his campaign trail, Thompson pleaded ignorance to, or misspoke on the following issues:

- Terry Schiavo

- Oil Drilling in the Everglades

- Lethal injection being ruled unconstitutional in his home state of Tennessee

- Whether Democrats or Republicans controlled Congress during Chief Justice John Roberts' confirmation hearings.

And these are pretty bad mistakes. When you're doing an event in Florida, know about the debate over the Everglades, if you're from Tennessee, know about major court cases there.

The Roberts thing, which just happened, was also pretty disturbing. Thompson was bragging about how he guided Roberts to confirmation, at the request of the president.

“The president called me up and asked me to help shepherd Judge Roberts’ nomination through the Senate confirmation process. I was honored that I got that call. I was honored that he thought I had enough friends on the Democratic side that they wouldn't run me out of town!... Even though the other party controlled the Judiciary committee, we got some votes there."

Except, Republicans were in charge at that point. So either he's lying to beef up his bipartisan credentials, or he's confused about something pretty basic.

Sorry, Senator Thompson, but the American people would never elect a man with such a loose grasp of current events.

North Korea Disarms

The New York Times reports that it appears the 6- party talks have worked, and North Korea is ready to disclose and disable its nuclear weapons program, in exchange for 950,000 metric tons of fuel oil or its equivalent in economic aid. The announcement was made by China in Beijing today.

The United States has endorsed the agreement, but is waiting for approval from the other parties (South Korea, Japan and Russia).

"As part of the agreement, North Korea will make a full declaration of all its nuclear programs by the end of the year and will complete the disabling of its plutonium-producing reactor at Yongbyon.

Mr. Wu said that as part of the agreement, Washington would lead an expert group to the capital, Pyongyang, 'within the next two weeks to prepare for disablement' and would provide initial payment for the disablement activities."

The announcement comes as North Korea's Great Leader Kim Jong-il concludes an historic 3- day summit with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. It was only the second meeting between the two countries since a cease- fire ended the Korean Conflict in 1953.

Ya burnt!: Dodd goes after O

(For those scoring at home, that's two straight 30 Rock references)

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro:

The Dodd campaign sent out an e-mail that looked like it could have come straight from the RNC. The headline: “Happy (Belated) Anniversary, Senator Obama.”

The text: “Today, the Obama campaign is celebrating the 5th anniversary of the speech that then-State Senator Barack Obama gave opposing the invasion of Iraq. But unfortunately, they forgot to celebrate another anniversary. July 26th marked the 3rd anniversary of the New York Times story in which Obama admitted that he did not know how he would have voted on the Iraq resolution had he been serving in the United States Senate at the time of the vote.”

The campaign also oppo-dumps the actual quote from the Times interview.

Liz: Why are you wearing a tux?
Jack: It's after six. What am I, a farmer?

What's on my Mindgrapes

According to Radar Magazine (and when are they ever wrong?) two of my favorite things are coming together, because Al Gore (one of my favorite pols) has taped an episode of 30 Rock (one of my favorite shows). No word on the plot or when it will air, but it's a good bet Gore will square off with Jack Donaghy, the right-wing NBC exec played by Alec Baldwin. 30 Rock's second season starts Thursday at 8:30 on NBC, and it's hilarious. Currently, it's passing The Office as my favorite comedy on television. If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch the first season (for free) here. And, no, I don't have a life (but I do have a blog).

Dictatorship in 4 Easy Steps?

The past few months, a lot of speculation has surrounded Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin, Russia's second president, is a former KGB agent (and judo enthusiast and Sambo grandmaster) with an authoritarian streak. He has been cracking down on dissent and tightening a grip on the press, in addition to holding a hard line against Chechen separatists, and speaking out against the United States.

In the aftermath of Sept. 11, Putin had a strong relationship with the Bush White House. He was the first foreign head of state to call and offer condolences, and when he visited Bush's home in Crawford, the American President said Putin was a man he could trust.

"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country. And I appreciated so very much the frank dialogue."

However, something changed as Eastern European nations began electing Western-style governments in 2005. Putin resented that the US so publicly backed candidates whom he viewed as his political opponents. At the time, the new governments in the Ukraine and other countries were the potential crowning achievement of the Bush administration. Freedom was on the march, relations with Russia took a backseat.

According to insiders, the experience changed Putin, soured him (or maybe just gave him an excuse). He has talked wistfully of Russia's Cold War power, and about Russia re-emerging to challenge the United States.

In a speech in Germany, he focused on the US trying to establish a "unipolar" world: "...it means one single center of power, one single center of force and one single master... It has nothing in common with democracy because that is the opinion of the majority taking into account the minority opinion... People are always teaching us democracy but the people who teach us democracy don't want to learn it themselves."

So the tension is palpable.

But a funny thing happened on the way to dictatorship.

Russia's Constitution states that the president may only serve 2 four year terms, meaning Putin would be done after Russia's 2008 elections. So Putin had been accumulating all this power, but all the while he maintained he would respect the Constitution and step down after his term, leaving many, myself included, to wonder how this guy was going to hang on to power.

Well, we have our answer.

Here's how he did it:

Step One: Dissolve Government. A few weeks ago, Putin accepted the "resignation" of the Prime Minister, and the rest of his cabinet.

Step Two: Install Puppet. Putin surprised everyone paying attention by appointing Viktor Zubkov, a little-known but well-connected ally as prime minister. Zubkov is a former financial watchdog who worked with Putin during the 90s in St. Petersburg. Translation: He knows who signs his checks. I mean, reports around his appointment said he was "known for his loyalty."

Step Three: Step down from the presidency, right on schedule. We don't want to put the world ill at ease, assure everyone that the Russian democracy is fully functioning. Have your prime minister, your hand-picked successor, take over as president.

Step Four: Have puppet appoint you prime minister. Yesterday, Putin said it's "entirely realistic" that he would seek a post as Prime Minister. Former leaders often run for Parliament after retiring, mainly to attract votes for their party, and serve mostly as figureheads. This seems different, like a new center of power would be created with Putin at its head.

That wasn't so hard, was it?