Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Tuesday's trackings

WAR ON TERROR UPDATE: this is encouraging...
"Hundreds of Pakistani villagers who have formed an anti-Taliban militia battled for the fourth day Tuesday to remove the Islamic militants from a region of northwest Pakistan."
They're outraged over a recent suicide bombing attack at a local mosque.
Here's a thought: maybe the war on terror--remember, something the, gasp, Bush administration spoke of?--isn't as unpopular as some think.

BIASED MEDIA COMMENTARY WATCH: a commentator from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School decries the fact that prominent Republicans are already beginning to make statements in preparation for the 2012 presidential campaign, and writes:
"President Obama must govern in a political environment where Republicans are already in full campaign mode. There are many reasons behind the polarization that defines Washington, but the endless campaign is one of the most important."
Ah, yes. The permanent campaign. And do you know who was a master practitioner of it, both before and--importantly--during his presidency? William Jefferson Clinton.
Yet guess who wasn't mentioned, not once, in the above linked article...

BASEBALL DIARY: the Tigers split a doubleheader with the White Sox, winning the first game, 5-4, but losing the second, 6-1. There were positives and negatives. On the positive side, I see Marcus Thames not only is back from the DL, but is hitting the ball hard and adding to the offense. And it was good to see Armando Galarraga battle hard and keep his team in the game in that afternoon tilt. But in the night game, it's apparent the Tigers had very few good at-bats, and Jeremy Bonderman, in his first start after a long rehab, didn't have it. Has he lost his old velocity for good? That's the question. Still, if the Tigers can somehow get a win out of Dontrelle Willis tonight, then they might just have Verlander and Jackson going in the last two games of this series, and that could bode well...
Meanwhile, the Cubs were off. And the Rangers unfortunately lost the opener of a long home stand to Toronto, 6-3...largely because dependable Scott Feldman didn't have his best stuff, and Elvis Andrus failed to get a squeeze bunt down in the 6th. Hopefully tonight will go better.

IS THE GOP AND CONSERVATISM DEAD? DEPT: again, nope--for example, yes, Obama is personally popular; but his stands on certain issues definitely aren't:
"While 67% of Americans view President Barack Obama favorably, his overall job approval rating and his ratings on specific areas are less positive. At the low end of the spectrum, only 45% of Americans approve of Obama's handling of federal spending, and 46% of his handling of the federal budget deficit."