Headlines For 6-23-08

Zimbabwe opposition party leader pulled out of runoff election Sunday. Morgan Tsvangirai said, "We will no longer participate in this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process." That means Robert Mugabe’s violence and intimidation have won again and he is still in power. Mail & Guardian The U.S. says it will bring up the issue at the U.N. Security Council this week. AFP/The Australian Here are the allegations of intimidation and violence. BBC

The Saudi King confirmed his country would increase oil output. His announcement comes as the price of gas in the U.S. reaches almost $4.10 per gallon. CNN

Iraq will turn into another Vietnam. It’s a “false comfort of appeasement” if we negotiate with Iran. Neither statement accurately reflects what happened with Germany or Vietnam. Newsweek

Comedian George Carlin dies at 71. Reuters

What’s your life worth? One guy in Australia put his up for auction. Guardian

What Happened

In the week since Barack Obama became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and the three days since Hillary Clinton conceded the nomination, there has been a lot of analysis about how she lost it. The New York Times has assembled these opinions which range from lack of money and her voting for the authorization to go into Iraq, to sexism and “a sense of entitlement and hubris.”

The Economist breaks down how Clinton lost the nomination focusing on the problems inside her campaign saying, “given the scale of her advantages a year ago there is no doubt that the Clinton campaign comprehensively blew it.”

For a look at who won in counties across the country, Time has these great maps.

Realizing this questions implies that the nomination was Clinton’s to lose..

Out Of His "Arse"

You’ve probably heard about Rudy Giuliani misinterpreted and misrepresenting prostate cancer survival rates in England compared to the U.S. Here’s a fact check showing how incompatible the comparisons are. And below is Mark Day saying how Giuliani is talking out of his “arse” when it comes to prostate stats.

What Would Clinton Do?

What is the next president going to do with all of the executive power Bush and Cheney have accumulated? Hillary Clinton spoke about that in her interview with Guardian America. What she would do if elected president, Sen. Clinton said, “I think that I'm gonna have to review everything they've done because I've been on the receiving end of that. There were a lot of actions which they took that were clearly beyond any power the Congress would have granted or that in my view that was inherent in the constitution.”

That sounds great, but let’s see what the next president actually does with all the presidential power accumulated during the Bush presidency.

Left The Party

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is no longer a Republican. New York Times The election is 17 months(!) away and he’s not even running yet, but everyone is asking if Bloomberg could win the White House. Time

Now that Hamas and everyone else living in Gaza is isolated, what is life like for Palestinians there? MSNBC (video)

“Toys made in China make up 70 to 80 percent of the toys sold,” in the United States. This is troubling since Chinese products are “responsible for about 60 percent of all product recalls” in the U.S. New York Times China has become the world’s #1 CO2 emitter. Guardian

Looking for terrorists and protecting oil interests in Africa. Economist

Iwo Jima has a new name -The name it was called before World War II. Guardian

Smoking bans in bars are definitely a good thing, but it caused a problem in Finland. (Melbourne) Age

Alvin and the Chipmunks were never this dramatic.

Two-State Dilemma

With Hamas in control of Gaza and Fatah in control of the West Bank, are there two Palestinian states for the West to deal with? New York Times The U.S. plans to restore aid to Palestinians once Fatah has a new government without Hamas. BBC Why should we care about what happens in Gaza? Newsweek

Finally, some progress in Darfur. BBC

Go out on that limb. Five issues on which the candidates for president need to be courageous. Time On what issues should the candidates be courageous?

Want to play video games all day and get paid for it? They’re doing it in China. (Yes, it’s too good to be true.) New York Times (video)

Morgan Freeman, who just turned 70, began hitting the links later in life. Here’s what it taught him: Newsweek

Will Kobe stay or will he go? AP/MSNBC Here’s the post from his blog. What do you think?

This fight was on Mother’s Day. Did they even try to take a picture for Father’s Day?

Six Men v. The Army?

The government’s case against the six men arrested in the (very stupid) alleged plot to attack Fort Dix. New York Times

Northern Ireland power sharing: It wasn’t tension-free at the first day. Guardian

Bye Bye Blair: Tony Blair will step down as prime minister on June 27. BBC Timeline of Blair’s 10 years in office. AFP/The Australian The worldwide farewell tour: (London) Times The Blair Doctrine Sky

Why there could be a “Third Force” candidate in ’08. Newsweek


As a kid, were you the playful and rough older brother or the unsuspecting little brother who ended up crying?

Released, But..

What happened behind the scenes that led to the release of the 15 British held in Iran? There’s a lot of speculation, but here’s some of what went down. Guardian The “invisible men” who made it happen. Telegraph What the release indicates about the Iranian leadership. New York Times Here’s a timeline of the standoff: Financial Times

Why don’t they say anything? Why aren’t all of Zimbabwe’s neighbors shouting about the oppression happening in that country? Washington Post

It’s Ronald Reagan v. Bobby Kennedy in next year’s election. Time

DaimlerChrysler announces for the first time it is talking to buyers about selling off Chrysler. Reuters

It took Googlers more than a day to find a python at their New York office. It was there because of Google’s bring your pet to work policy. Sydney Morning Herald

Attending that morning meeting in San Antonio with that not-so-fresh-feeling because you don’t have miniature mouthwash, toothpaste or hair gel to bring on the flight? Here are some products that could help you out. New York Times

More than 400 victories, 200 players sent to the NFL.. But more than that, the legacy of Grambling State football coach Eddie Robinson. ESPN


Impressive. He has more balls than most bowlers.

Further Isolation

Iran is in the news on two fronts. Britain is getting less diplomatic about insisting Iran return its 15 marines. Guardian Background on Iran’s seizure of the marines. Time And after U.N. sanctions were imposed this weekend, Iran said it would limit cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency on its nuclear program. Reuters

Here’s how one of those government databases that collects names and information works. The “bar for inclusion is low, and once someone is on the list, it is virtually impossible to get off it.” Washington Post

In other citizen surveillance news, the NYPD kept records on people who intended to protest at the 2004 Republican National Convention in NYC. They included people around U.S. and in other countries “who had no apparent intention of breaking the law.” New York Times

Could this be Zimbabwe’s Mugabe’s last stand? (London) Times Why is South Africa noticeably quiet on this? New York Times

Why political rights (you know the old favorites: free speech, due process, etc.) trump economic and social rights. Economist

This guy is trying to sell Moonshine as a premium spirit. Do you order that neat or on the rocks? Los Angeles Times

When Ctrl + Alt + Del = $38 Billion loss! AP/(Melbourne) Age

What Do You Think? John and Elizabeth Edwards announced her cancer has returned and he’s going to stay in the race for President. They were interviewed on 60 Minutes (video) and he told Katie Couric he’s in the race for the “duration.” Should he stay in it? If he’s elected president, will Elizabeth’s illness be too much of a distraction? Cynically speaking, will this boost his poll numbers? Who’s place is it to judge? Let us know at Joe.


Ever want to watch all six Rocky movies in a row, but didn’t have the time? We’re assuming the answer is no, but here’s the entire series in five seconds.

Four Years And Counting

A comprehensive poll about Iraqi opinion four years after the Coalition invasion of the country. ABC Violence by the numbers. BBC Iraqis are turning against al-Qaeda and turning them in. Channel 4/Guardian (video)

Voluntarily or by subpoena, Karl Rove may testify in front of a Senate committee about those U.S. Attorney firings. Reuters

As Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe’s oppressive regime begins to break, here’s a look at how he stayed in power for 27 years by oppressing, starving and kicking Zimbabweans out of their homes. Telegraph

The U.N. is watching, but doing nothing, about the atrocities in Darfur. Economist

She speaks: Valerie Plame, whose outing as a CIA officer lead to former Cheney chief-of- staff Scooter Libby’s conviction of lying to the FBI and a grand jury, told a House committee her side of that long complicated story. Washington Post

Here’s why some conservative Republicans don’t like presidential candidates who are more concerned with the Second Commandment than the Second Amendment. Time

Take a look at what Fido and Whiskers are eating. There is a major pet food recall linked to 10 pet deaths. USA Today Here are the 50 brands of dog food and 40 brands of cat food being recalled.

Evander Holyfield is on the comeback trail and doing well, but maybe “The Real Deal” should throw in the towel while he’s ahead. Sports Illustrated

We wonder what these guns would sound like with silencers.

9/11 Confession

In a transcript released by the Pentagon, alleged 9/11 plotter Khalid Shaikh Mohammed confessed on Saturday to being the mastermind behind the attacks on NYC, the Bali bombing and attempts at other terrorist attacks. He implied he had been tortured in captivity, but not to make this confession. New York Times

People get fired from their jobs everyday, but here’s why there’s this hub-bub over the Justice Department’s removal of those 8 federal prosecutors. San Francisco Chronicle

Conservative Republicans are looking for another Reagan to win the Oval Office in 2008. They may have found him several times over, but don’t realize it. Time

Dozens of Zimbabwean protesters were arrested horribly beaten by president Robert Mugabe’s unapologetic regime. Guardian Mugabe’s hold on power may be nearing an end. It won’t be soon enough. Telegraph

The charges against former Hewlett-Packard chair Patricia Dunn have been dropped due to her health. CNN Money

How likely is it that Viacom will win its $1 billion lawsuit against YouTube? CNET

We don’t normally like “scare the sh*t out of you” stories, but here’s one way to steal your identity you probably didn’t know about: AP/Wired Meanwhile, cyber-stalking your ex- will be more private as Google says it will add an extra layer of security to search queries. AP/Yahoo

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a Chardonnay? Pub life is changing. On Monday we told you darts in England are on the decline, now we hear Guinness sales are sinking in Ireland. Reuters

Will consistency make a difference to get Pete Rose admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame? “Charlie Hustle” said he bet on the Reds to win “every night” when he was their manager. ESPN

Before you head out to get blitzed in honor of St. Patrick, “the patron saint of bar fights,” Mark Day has some ideas on becoming a modern-day saint.

Can We Talk?

After resistance talking to Syria and Iran - a recommendation of the Iraq Study Group - the U.S. will talk to the two countries about Iraq. Washington Post This change of course, along with the change in policy over North Korea, isn’t a change that happened overnight. New York Times And now there are doubts about North Korea’s uranium enrichment program. Washington Post

Worldwide markets collectively freaked out on Tuesday when China’s stocks took a dip on Tuesday. Did the rest of the world overreact? Time Amidst its financial ascendance, China proclaimed socialism for another 100 years. Telegraph U.S. stocks to open today lower as Asian stocks have another tough day, but reports and deals could help keep U.S. number up. CNNMoney

McCain tells Letterman he’s officially in the race for president. Presumably, McCain didn’t announce on a news show because he’s already been running for months now. Late Show (video)

Do you have to practice what you preach? Especially if you’ve won an Oscar for your preachin’? Al Gore’s Tennessee home bill averages about $1200 a month. AP/Yahoo

One in four U.S. women age 14 - 59 have HPV, an STD that could lead to cervical cancer. Reuters

Japanese cars top the list of reliable rides according to a Consumer Reports survey. MSNBC Here are the picks: Consumer Reports

What Do You Think? Check this out: A man is suing his ex-fiancé because she won’t return the $48,000 engagement ring he bought her two years ago. No word about who broke it off, but does he have a right to ask for it back? Is an engagement ring given on the condition the couple walks down the aisle? Or once the rock is given, it’s hers even if they go splitsville. Let us know at Joe.


Feeling a little dirty? Being a little sinful? Look out for The Bible Thumpers! This God Squad is out to kick ass and save souls.



The Morning Joe will be taking a break on Monday, March 5. We’ll be posting again on Thursday, March 8. Have a good week!

Full Steam Ahead

Iran’s president says, its nuclear program is moving forward like a train with “no brake and no reverse gear.” Meanwhile, U.S. Secy. Rice offers to talk directly with Iran if they halt the program. BBC Here’s the article about the alleged U.S. plan to attack Iran. It also discusses the complex relationship between Sunni and Shia in the region. And how the U.S. has maneuvered through it. New Yorker The U.S. denies planning to go to war with Iran Reuters Is the U.S. backing insurgent groups in Iran to overthrow the country’s regime? Telegraph

You must’ve heard about the dust-up between Sens. Clinton and Obama. So, why do politicians care so much about Hollywood donors and approval? New York Times

Starbucks chief Howard Schultz says the company may have cheapened its own brand. Maybe it’ll cheapen its coffee, too. Reuters

Show ‘em what you got: A new x-ray scanner that debuted in a Phoenix airport is straight out of “Total Recall.” Not only do privacy advocates fear it’s too invasive, but pics of your backside could end up on YouTube. MSNBC (video)

If you couldn’t stay up past Midnight (on the East Coast), here’s the list of those who took home an Oscar: Los Angeles Times

Not sure if this is real, but do you work with this guy who thinks he’s too important for everyone else’s comedic enjoyment?

Do We Believe Them?

U.S. Intelligence says Iran is behind bombings that have killed U.S. troops in Iraq. Washington Post The hottest ticket in Damascus, Syria: Dinner at the Iranian Embassy. Time

It’s official: The BaRock Star threw his hat in. And he had an eventful first weekend. CNN It’s ridiculous that some actually question this, but yes, he is black. New York Times Stephen Colbert breaks it down. The Colbert Report (video)

Since the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, there’s been back and forth about supporting the troops or undermining the troops. What does that mean? Time

He pushed through campaign finance reform legislation. Now McCain is tapping that big cash for his own campaign. Washington Post

Everyone knows an 8-megapixel camera is better than a 4-megapixel camera, right? Blowing up the Megapixel Myth: New York Times

Are the Blue Devils done? Fox Sports

You go to Vegas for gambling, food, shows, and what ever else happens you think should stay there. But would you want to see a pro sports team there? New York Times

There was some sarcasm in the Cafferty file on Anna Nicole Smith when CNN’s Jack Cafferty talked to Wolf Blitzer.

180

After Senate Republicans stopped a floor debate on Iraq, a group of them turned around and support the debate. Washington Post Why are so many helicopters going down in Iraq? Time

Rudy is the GOP favorite. Time ..but does he need an attitude adjustment? Newsweek

One of the world’s top four greenhouse gas emitters, China says wealthier nations need to step up and do something about global warming before it does. New York Times Talk is cheap, and this writer says talking is all that will be done about the environment. Newsweek

In another 180, Apple’s Steve Jobs said he wants to remove copy protection from music sold on i-Tunes. Remember, it was Apple who made a ton of money because the i-Pod only plays music downloaded from i-Tunes. CNET Will the major labels risk removing copy-protection from their music? Guardian

Renters will end up paying more this year, even though paychecks won’t increase by the same amount. USA Today

Tour de France champion Floyd Landis will not defend his title. BBC

A-Rod can opt-out of his contract at the end of the 2007 season. He hasn’t said if he’ll do it, but let’s take a look at a few scenarios. ESPN

Think you might have beer-goggles? Researchers have looked into it and come up with a formula you can use to figure it out.. if you’re still sober enough. BBC

Being tied up with a sexy stranger might seem like a good idea, but you could lose an arm or two.