The American Constitution Society and the Liberty Coalition host a speech by Fmr. Vice Pres. Al Gore at the DAR Hall in Washington. Gore speaks about the limits of executive power, the issue of monitoring domestic communications and the authorization of the use of torture in the war against terrorism.

Transcript here.

This is the best speech Gore has given lately. It may be the best speech he has ever given. Its rare you get to see Al invoke some true passion. In many of his speeches, he takes sly swipes at the opposite political party in ways I've often thought were inappropriate. In this case, the entire speech was a swipe, but an entirely deserved and accurate one. Not just against the Bush Administration, but the entire Congress.

One comment that has been abound lately, is that the Democratic party is lacking a single clear and concise voice. Is Al prepared to be that voice, again, for real this time?

[ Hear hear. A rousing speech that should, at minimum, rouse the Congress to action. The fact that I find that outcome unlikely shows just how far we've fallen. -k]

C-SPAN: Fmr. Vice Pres. Gore Speech on Executive Powers

There is a vigorous debate about the war in Iraq today, and we should not fear the debate. It's one of the great strengths of our democracy that we can discuss our differences openly and honestly -- even in times of war. Yet we must remember there is a difference between responsible and irresponsible debate -- and it's even more important to conduct this debate responsibly when American troops are risking their lives overseas.

The American people know the difference between responsible and irresponsible debate when they see it. They know the difference between honest critics who question the way the war is being prosecuted and partisan critics who claim that we acted in Iraq because of oil, or because of Israel, or because we misled the American people. And they know the difference between a loyal opposition that points out what is wrong, and defeatists who refuse to see that anything is right.

... So I ask all Americans to hold their elected leaders to account, and demand a debate that brings credit to our democracy -- not comfort to our adversaries.

In this comment Bush essentially accusses his war critics of Treason. I expect this from partisan commentators, but coming from the President its over the top. The Republican party has an army of partisan talk show hosts, television personalities, and editorial writers who spew reams of disingenuous bullshit on a daily basis. If Bush was really serious about cleaning up the nature of political rhetoric he would start in his own backyard. Furthermore, serious, constructive, and, in retrospect, correct criticisms of his Iraq policy coming from inside his administration have resulting in firings. The American people know that if you live in a glass house you shouldn't throw rocks.

Remarks by President Bush on the Global War on Terror

For four generations, our family has worked hard to serve this country we love. I enlisted as a young man of seventeen into the United States Navy, so I could serve my nation in WWII. My brother did the same, and we both served in South Pacific. My son dedicated his life to patriotic and religious causes, which have made this nation great. He gave unsparingly of his time and resources to help those in need.

An open reply to Frank Abramoff:

Mr. Abramoff, I am sorry to say I did not watch the event of which you speak, and I would doubt that the intention of Mr. Clooney was to insult your father, or to insult the service you gave this country. The comment was the sort of sophomoric humor found in high schools across the country, and certainly not in the best of taste.

That being said, your son has pled guilty to working to destroy those very same things that you fought for 65 years ago. He has turned the good name of your father into a curse for all that wrong about politics, and specifically the Republican Party, in America.

Abraham Lincoln said at Gettysburg, "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Your son has worked vigorously to eliminate the "of the people, by the people, for the people" part from that statement, and that statement IS America. It is what separates us from the rest of the world, and makes this a country worthy of the service you gave it.

I am sorry that your family and family name is being dragged down by the actions of your son, but he did it, he admitted doing it, and those actions are against everything that this coutry stands for. Mr. Clooney's insults pale in comparison to the damage done to all of us by Jack's actions.

USATODAY.com - Abramoff's dad bashes Clooney's 'ridiculous attack'

In 2005, just 10 foreign-language films had ticket sales of more than $1 million in the United States.

"I feel as if there's almost no auteur draw anymore." The honest truth is that the filmmaker matters increasingly little today."

I recommend many of the films mentioned in this article. (Have you seen The Aristocrats?)

[ The Aristocrats has been on my list for a while... I'll have to see some of these others too.

I have trouble pinning the blame on pseudo-indies, as the article sort of hints at. If the movies are good, I don't care if they're made in America or Paraguay. Lets face it, the problem isn't with the still smallish quantity of artistically motivated films coming out of hollywood, but with the far vaster quantity of over-hyped, heavily marketed tripe. And it's not the industry's fault either, they want to make money, and do what they need to.

I'd also argue that there are political (American ego) and pragmatic (people seeing less movies in the theater, particularly documentaries or dialogue driven movies that don't benefit as driectly from the big screen as do action flicks). As NYT hints at the end, the video market will be savior of foreign and other marginal films.

I see the division continuing, personally, until theater's are even more reserved for blockbusters, and everything else just ends up as DVD

Is Foreign Film the New Endangered Species?

I find this highly amusing. The folks at StopTheACLU think that they're actually going to be able to intervene in the ACLU's lawsuit against the NSA. Intervention is a term of art in the law. It means that you actually get added as a party to the proceedings. An attorney named Debbie Schlussel, who appears to be more of a spokesmodel than a scholar (her bio notes proudly that her online fan club is the second largest, behind only Ann Coulter), is apparently going to file motions to intervene on behalf of citizens who disagree with the ACLU and our pals at StopTheACLU jumped at the chance to be the first ones in line.

[ Oi. I've run into this Schlussel character before in my research. She's basically Coulter Lite... All the Retarded Hate-filled Rhetoric, Now with fewer "people who give a shit". Which is still to many, of course. Anyway, this is pretty fringe stuff, but they're shooting for mainstream media coverage with this... I expect that's the one and only reason they're attempting to do something which appears to be patently impossible. -k]

Intervention in NSA Lawsuit - Dispatches from the Culture Wars

That's the basis for bin Laden's truce offer. He is talking to America's far left and saying, "You know what. We're on the same side. So why don't you work on that hardhead George W. Bush?"
Bin Laden told us Thursday that our far left has been working for him. It's their poll results he quotes.
Bin Laden told us that our secret wiretapping program is something we should keep up. He's got people here already and he's got more coming and they are planning to blow us up.
In the War on Terror, a bin Laden tape is the far left's worst nightmare because it reminds Americans the war is real."

Awesome. Thanks John. You know, you've hit it just right... I *want* the terrorists to win. I *know* that George Bush is the only thing standing between us and total domination, and I speak out against his policies to get the terrorists in here even quicker.

This shit makes me fucking sick. We live in a country where demagogues like this can stand up in front of the nation and call me a traitor, compare me to Osama Bin Laden and not merely get away with it, but have half the country *applaud him*. Are people really so fucking stupid? Do they really still not understand that fearmongering and internal hatred is *exactly* the result terrorists are after? The word is terrorist for fucks sake. How much clearer can it be spelled out.

If you feel terrorized, then YOU'VE BEEN DEFEATED. If your fear leads you to hate and distrust your neighbor for disagreeing with you, YOU'RE DOING THEIR WORK FOR THEM.

I know this is just the internet and I'm just screaming into the wind here, but it truly hurts me that there are people who actually fucking believe that my political opposition to the president puts me in league with these vile murderers. It's absolutely disgusting, and the real danger this country faces. The individual attacks could be weathered. The fear and anger they breed are, apparently too difficult a challenge.

It's TOO HARD for half of America to stand by their neighbors, to embrace diversity, to withstand unchecked government power, to love their country enough to resist fear. And that's truly sad. It's destroying us.

Daily Kos: The Language Of Treason, Part II

This has to be the weirdest marketing ploy from Burger King yet. The pictures have already been circulating the net, but this is the first time I've seen actual video.

Yes! THE KING fucking rules, with that creepy plastic face and that totally awesome robe. BK's got some advertising geniuses on their hands.

Also, Brooke Burke is hot to the 10th power.

Brooke Burke and the Burger King dude - The Superficial - www.thesuperficial.com

The Vatican newspaper has published an article saying "intelligent design" is not science and that teaching it alongside evolutionary theory in school classrooms only creates confusion.

Vatican paper article says 'intelligent design' not science

Holy shit. Watch this Whose Line... clip with sound. So damn funny.

Greg Proops damn near passes out he's cracking up so much.

HOT PANTS!

sweet.

Small Company Aims to Soar Above Lockheed to Win Blimp Contract - Los Angeles Times