What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Some days you really have to wonder if either of these guys deserves to be the next President (not that the the current dude is setting a real high benchmark)...

Exhibit #1 - Last week, McCain launched an ad comparing Democratic rival Barack Obama to Hilton and Britney Spears, suggesting Obama was no more than a celebrity candidate unready to lead the nation. Hilton initially shied away from the debate over the ad and its effectiveness. But then she responded with a spoof on the comedy Web site Funny or Die. "Hey America, I'm Paris Hilton and I'm a celebrity, too. Only I'm not from the olden days and I'm not promising change like that other guy. I'm just hot," Hilton said, speaking as she reclined in a pool chair in a revealing bathing suit and a pair of pumps. "But then that wrinkly, white-haired guy used me in his campaign ad, which I guess means I'm running for president. So thanks for the endorsement white-haired dude." Hilton's mother, who with her husband donated $4,600 to McCain's campaign earlier in the year, has said McCain's ad is "a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs." Uh Senator, far be it from me to offer you advance, but I'm going to anyway. I'm not so sure it's the wisest course of action for you to mock family members of those who contribute to your campaign. I'm just saying.

Exhibit #2 - Barack Obama taunted Republican presidential rival John McCain for first ridiculing him for advising voters to keep tires inflated and then later acknowledging that the practice saves gasoline. In mocking Obama, McCain told a motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, "My opponent doesn't want to drill, he doesn't want nuclear power, he wants you to inflate your tires." The Republican National Committee widely distributed tire pressure gauges labeled "Obama energy plan" and suggested that was Obama's only idea for reducing oil imports. Obama retorted by saying, "It will be interesting to watch this debate between John McCain and John McCain." Okay, first of all, Barack, it isn't exactly as if you have never switched positions on an issue. And secondly, you guys are arguing over tire gauges? Grow up, why don't you. I think American voters deserve serious discussions about seriously issues.

Military Tribunals - A military jury convicted Osama bin Laden's driver of supporting terrorism but acquitted him on more serious charges of conspiring with al Qaeda to wage murderous attacks, in the first U.S. war crimes trial since World War Two. The trial of Yemeni captive Salim Hamdan at the remote U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba was the first full test of the controversial military tribunal authorized by the Bush administration to try foreign captives on terrorism charges outside the regular U.S. court system. Human rights and civil liberties groups, and military defense lawyers, condemned the process. It was the Bush administration's third attempt to try Hamdan, who won a Supreme Court victory that scrapped the first version of the Guantanamo court system in 2006. The charges were twice dropped and refiled. The charges Hamdan was cleared of -- two counts of conspiring with al Qaeda to attack civilians, destroy property, and commit murder in violation of the laws of war -- were the only charges against him in the first prosecution attempt. Well, you know what they say...if at first you cannot convict, pass a law to circumvent due process and the Constitution. The irony is, even if this dude had been acquitted of all charges, he still could be held indefinitely as an enemy combatant. Of course, now that we have our first convicted war criminal, the military brass at Camp Justice has to figure our where to house this dude. Turns out convicts cannot cohabitate with alleged enemy combatants. What a pity.

Federal Budget - If you thought your budget woes were bad, take a look at this next item. Falling government revenues amid a slowing economy, coupled with increased federal spending, will result in a U.S. budget deficit this year of around $400 billion. The $400 billion cited by Congress' budget analysis office for the 2008 fiscal year ending September 30 is slightly higher than the White House's deficit estimate of $389 billion. Either way, this year's budget shortfall likely will approach the record-breaking deficit suffered in fiscal 2004 of $412.7 billion. Way to push the envelope, guys. Here I was thinking you hadn't accomplished anything in the past year. Boy, was I wrong. The White House predicted that next year's budget deficit could hit $482 billion, not counting the full cost of the Iraq war and other possible government expenditures. I hate to sound like a broken record, but can someone please explain to me why the budget does not include expenditures related to the Iraq war? And what exactly are 'other possible government expenditures' and why wouldn't they be included in the budget. Last I checked, I didn't have the option of tell my credit card company that I didn't include my outstanding Visa balance in my budget, so I wouldn't be paying them.

Rwanda - Here's a follow up on yesterday's posting. France said accusations by Rwanda that French politicians and military officials helped prepare and carry out the 1994 Rwandan genocide are "unacceptable." Gee whiz, you don't say. I was expecting the French to cop to all the allegations. The report implicates 33 top French officials, including former French President Francois Mitterrand, and said French soldiers committed some of the killings. The report was compiled by an independent national commission in Rwanda. But France questioned the objectivity of the commission, which was formed to "shed light on the role of France in the genocide of Tutsis in 1994." With a mission statement like that you do sort get the impressing that France was going to get thrown under the bus. French forces deployed to Rwanda in June 1994 for a humanitarian mission dubbed Operation Turquoise. France says the operation established safe humanitarian zones to shelter the population and that troops allowed thousands of others to escape the fighting. The Rwandan report says it was during Operation Turquoise that the French soldiers took part in assassinations and rapes -- acts based solely, the report says, on account of the victims' ethnicity. Anyway you look at it, this is going to take a long time to sort out, and I seriously doubt anyone will come out smelling like roses.