William Gray, the "eminent" meteorologist weighed in on Al Gore and global warming:

"He's one of these guys that preaches the end of the world type of things. I think he's doing a great disservice and he doesn't know what he's talking about,"

For those of you who dont know Dr Gray, he is a hurricane "expert" from Colorado.  For a quarter of a century, he has been issuing seasonal hurricane forecasts.  As Sciguy rightly notes on his blog, these premonitions are often as questionable and accurate as the Amazing Criswell's were.

A long time ago, I commented on MyDD that current US military policy in Iraq had one coherent goal:  to limit casualties.  I think, in retrospect, I will expand that mission.  

1. to maintain an occupation force in order to display US strength in Iraq and the Persian Gulf.

2. to guard specific areas, such as the airport and the green zone, all military bases, and roads between.

3. to limit US casualties.

The main reason that civil war has raged unchecked in Iraq is because the US is not positioned to police the nation.  The "commanders on the ground" have been very clear about advancing our "limit casualties" policy.  The current problems of Iraq will require an Iraqi domestic political cure or a full-scale civil war to resolve.  The US military cannot assist in either.  

I know there are a lot of community members who follow Riverbend's blog.  For the uninitiated, Riverbend is the psuedonymn of a young woman who lives in Baghdad, and posts a blog.  In the early years, she published regularly, but as the situation has deteriorated in Iraq, her posts have become more infrequent.  Also, her regular readers  have noted that the tone of the blog has changed, becoming darker, with an increasing notes of despair and outrage apparent in her clear prose.

I have been looking for updates daily, to find assurance that she is safe and able to keep blogging.  I wish that Americans had been able to hear more Iraqi voices, both before the war, and since.  Much of the US has forgotten that Iraq is a living nation, with real people, not a strategic challenge for foreign policy.  Reading Riverbend's blog may let some humanity creep into to American policy.  

I dont have any commentary on her latest post.  The angry sarcasm and clear insight demonstrate very clearly the crimes my country have inflicted on hers, and even as an aggressive anti-war, Dean letter-writing citizen, I am overwhelmed with guilt.  Here's the link.

Rasmussen has released a new poll of the newly changed-up senate race in Connecticut (available to subscribers.)  

The results:  a disaster for Lieberman.  

Current breakdown of support :

Joe Lieberman (CT for Lieberman) 46%
Ned Lamont (D) 41%
Alan Schlesinger (R) 6%

How does Joe think he can pull this one out?

Exposing the largest conspiracy of voter fraud in American electoral history, Joe Lieberman, former member of the Democratic party, announced that he will seek an investigation into the senate primary election of August 8, 2006.  

First, let me say I have never been more proud to be from the great state of Connecticut.  Growing up in the Constitution State, I always felt kinda left out of it.  Squashed between the shining metropolises of Boston and New York City, we tend to feel ignored.  Most like it like that, living quiet lives of east coast blue state sophistication.  But, I liked to hear references to CT in popular media.  I remember when Who's the Boss premiered.  What a priveledge it was to have a real live Hollywood sit-com set in Connecticut.  Now I really know what its like to be from a big place.  Connecticut is now the LA of the blogworld, and it kinda feels good.  

I am very happy this morning to see the results of the latest Quinnipiac poll on the Democratic Senate primary race.  Greenwich millionaire businessman Ned Lamont has decisively pulled ahead of veteran Sen. Joe Lieberman.  As is my usual habit on hearing this kind of news, I wallowed in the glow of the wire reports.  

But something struck me as not quite right.  There seemed to be a strange anti-Lamont feel to the articles.

(crosspost from MyDD)