Pages

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

Monday, January 30, 2012

The Short List - January 30, 2012

International
Domestic

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Correction -- Bani Walid Fighting Not A Pro-Qaddafi Uprising

In Wednesday's WKODHIB, DCExile linked to a report indicating that the fighting in Bani Walid was sparked by pro-Qaddafi forces revolting against the NTC. That report was inaccurate

Friday, January 27, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

On Marginalia

This Editor loves formatted, printed text; he loves marginalia; and he loves marking, dog-earing, and thumbnailing his way through books and articles. His Kindle receives a fair amount of attention but the inaccessibility of the text itself, the lack of pagination, and the repositioning of the text on the screen when one leaps to and fro footnotes are constant sources of aggravation. This comment, in the New Yorker hit home, particularly:
The Kindle allows for electronic marginalia via the “notes” function, but it feels all wrong: something about having to call up a menu and type a note on the keypad, with its little stud-like plastic buttons, makes the whole process seem forced and contrived. Marginalia are supposed to be spontaneous and fluent. “Noting” something on a Kindle feels like e-mailing yourself a throwaway remark. There’s also something attractive about the contrast between the impersonal authority of the printed page and the idiosyncrasies of the reader’s handwriting. A book someone has written in is an oddly intimate object; like an item of clothing once worn by a person now passed away, it retains something of its former owner’s presence.


The Short List - January 27, 2012

International

Domestic

Thursday, January 26, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

The Short List - January 25, 2012

International
Domestic

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

DCExile's 2012 State of the Union Drinking Game

It’s that time again--the President’s Annual State of the Union Address. And, with it, time for DCExile’s Annual State of the Union Drinking Game. His is mandated by Article 2, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution. Ours is derived from an even hoarier source of law: custom. And, as the Sergeant at Arms announces the President’s entry into the House of Representatives, allow us to convene our tradition: Ladies and Gentleman, the DCExile State of the Union Drinking Game:


  • During the pre-game--err, we mean pre-speech--show, drink one sip of beer each time the Republican Primary is mentioned
  • During the pre-game show, drink one sip of beer each time a candidate in the Republican Primary is compared with the President
  • During the pre-game every time “wife” is preceded by a numerical qualifier, take a sip.  When it applies to Gingrigh, drink a boilermaker.  (Newt Gingrich, doing Pennsylvania proud since he decided to claim residency in a different state)
  • During the pre-game show, drink half your beer anytime a former Republican candidate is mentioned
  • Anytime “Fair Shake” is compared to “the New Deal,” “the Fair Deal,” “the Square Deal,” or any other deal, have a shot of beer
  • If the State of the Union is likened to your high school prom, drink from a plastic handle of vodka that cost no more than $12 (DCExile recommends Rubinoff)
  • One shot of Old Grand-Dad if the Sergeant at Arms appears to have not aged since the last State of the Union
  • As the President and Leadership walk down the aisle, drink one sip of beer each time Speaker Boehner winks at someone; one Shirley Temple each time a tear comes to Boehner’s eye -- in fact, apply this rule throughout the State of the Union Address
  • When Al Green is in the camera shot (and he will be), sing Here I am Baby into the mouth of your beer can like a microphone.
  • One shot of schnapps every time the First Lady and Invitees are shown
  • Shotgun a beer for “The State of our Union is Strong” or any variation thereon
  • Anytime the Republican members of Congress do something disrespectful that would have been considered treason under the George W. Bush administration, one shot of whiskey; throw the shot glass at the wall.
  • Half a beer for each standing ovation
  • Guzzle for Democrat-only standing ovation
  • Pinky out sip for Republican-only standing ovation (Look mom, Log Cabin Republicans do exist!)
  • Celebratory shot of tequila anytime there is bipartisan clapping
  • Every time the President says “challenge” or “challenged” spin around three times and drink half a beer.
  • “Fair Shake” = Shotgun a Beer
  • Every time the President says “Wall Street” fire off two desk pops and finish your beer.
  • Every time the President says “Main Street” exclaim, “I’m not licked!” and finish your beer.
  • Every time the payroll tax cut extension is mentioned, sip of beer (hey, we’re not trying to kill you)
  • If health care reform is mentioned, drink whiskey twice: once in celebration because it’s the water of life; once in disgust because you know the remaining Blue Dogs are going to run away from it
  • He says Iran, you drink Shiraz
  • He says Arab Spring (or Egypt or Libya or Syria or Yemen), you drink tea, smoke a hookah, and sneak a sip of beer
  • We hear Euro Crisis and you taste schnapps again
  • If Biden falls asleep in the background, email in sick to work the next day and declare a case day.

The Short List - January 24, 2012

International

Domestic

Monday, January 23, 2012

What Kind of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

The Short List - January 23, 2012

International
Domestic

Friday, January 13, 2012

The Short List - January 13, 2012

International
Domestic
**Programming Note:  Your editor will be on travel the early part of next week, so the Short List may or may not be published.**

Thursday, January 12, 2012

re: Executive Authority & War Making

Over at Lawfare, Ben Wittes has been reposting Peter Marguiles' dispatches from the AALS conference. This one summarizes the discussion there had on the different views of the President's authority to engage in hostilities absent Congressional authorization. Back in March, DCExile echoed Jack Goldsmith (also of Lawfare) here. Now, Marty Lederman has outlined an eminently sensible approach:
Marty suggested that the Clinton and Obama Administrations have been seeking an alternative to these problematic approaches that accounts for all post-WW II executive practice with the (dramatic) exception of the Korean War.  Marty cited Walter Dellinger’s OLC memos from the Clinton administration and Caroline Krass’s memo on initiation of the Libyan intervention, which calibrated the degree of presidential unilateralism permitted to the duration, intensity, and scope of the military intervention.  In essence, those memos suggest (without articulating and hard and fast rules) that the President alone can authorize brief and relatively costless (in blood and treasure) interventions, while bigger, more protracted conflicts require congressional authorization.  

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

The Short List - January 11, 2012

International

Domestic

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic
    The notion that Barack Obama is a socialist ranks among the greatest fairy tales in American society -- right up there with the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the idea that if you work hard enough your children will live a better life than you," Socialist Party spokeswoman Lynn Lomibao said in an email. "Socialists know what Obama is: another corporate funded politician placed in the White House to protect the wealth and status of the 1 percent.
    Satisfied, Republicans?

The Short List - January 10, 2012

International
Domestic

Monday, January 9, 2012

The Short List - January 9, 2012

International
Domestic

Thursday, January 5, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

The Short List - January 5, 2012

International

Domestic

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic

The Short List - January 4, 2012

International

Domestic

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

Domestic Iowa

The Short List - January 3, 2012

After a holiday break, we're back.

International
Domestic