“It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong. As president I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq.” In his final speech on Iraq before tomorrow’s elections, (text) Dubya admits the case for war was FUBAR, while insisting it was a good idea anyway. (“The United States did not choose war — the choice was Saddam Hussein’s.“) Of course, Bush neglected to mention that it was he, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al who cherry-picked through the available intelligence and continued to recite claims they knew to be false. Still, for someone who’s seems pathologically incapable of accepting reality at times, this has to be considered a step forward.
Month: December 2005
Downside Up.
Capsizing today is the new trailer for Wolfgang Petersen’s remake of The Poseidon Adventure, with Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Emily Rossum, Richard Dreyfuss, Freddy Rodriguez, Kevin Dillon, and Andre Braugher. Can another Towering Inferno be far behind?
Breaking all the Rules (of Law).
An ugly day for American values around the world: In Iraq, an investigation inaugurated after the recent discovery of secret prisons in Baghdad uncovers at least 120 victims of torture and/or abuse in prisons run by the new Iraq Interior Ministry. “Prisoners had their bones broken and their fingernails pulled out, were subjected to electric shocks and had burning cigarettes crushed into their necks and backs, said the Iraqi official.” And, elsewhere, a European investigation suggests that the CIA were in fact holding prisoners illegally in Europe, until they were surreptitiously moved to North Africa after the story broke. Charming. So is this what Dubya meant when he said “we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty” to the world? If so, I’d remind him of the Lincoln quote he used in the same inaugural address: “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.“
The Last Radio is Playing.
Johnny’s in the basement mixing up the medicine, and Bob’s in…the DJ booth? Apparently Dylan will host his own show on XM Radio beginning in March. “Dylan will offer regular commentary on music and other topics, host and interview special guests including other artists and will take emails from XM subscribers.”
Mountain of Gold.
The 2005 Golden Globe nominees are announced, with Brokeback Mountain (7 nods) and Good Night, and Good Luck (4 nods) the big winners and Syriana (2: Clooney for Supporting Actor & Best Score), King Kong (2: PJ for Best Director & Best Score), and Munich (2: Spielberg for Director and Best Screenplay) for the most part overlooked. (Despite what the official website says, All the King’s Men has been kicked to 2006.) Brokeback seems to have the early lead, but I’d say the field is pretty open in most categories (although Philip Seymour Hoffman as Best Actor for Capote seems likely.)
Vice Squad.
Michael Mann returns to the well with this new trailer for Miami Vice, with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett & Tubbs, and Gong Li, Ciaran Hinds, and Justin Theroux as back-up. I don’t know why this needed to be made — it looks a lot like Michael Bay’s Bad Boys 2, which I didn’t see. But if it’s Michael Mann, I’ll likely take a gander. (Note: You’ll have to click through to the Bacardi site.)
(Chief) Justice De-Layed?
Ten days after the Post unearthed a Justice Department memo deeming the recent Texas redistricting a violation of civil liberties, the Supreme Court says it will review the DeLay plan. “The panel stressed that it was deciding ‘only the legality’ of the redistricting plan, ‘not its wisdom.'”
Cooled Off.
The current number of Van Gundy’s in the NBA has dropped to one, as Stan Van Gundy abruptly leaves the Miami Heat “for family reasons.” That’s really too bad…I’ve always rooted for the Van Gundy boys since Jeff’s Knicks stint (which ended almost four years ago to the day.) At any rate, Pat Riley will take the helm once again in Miami.
The Money Pit.
The Washington Post offers some handy graphs on the comings-and-goings of Casino Jack Abramoff’s donation operation. Looks like, while the GOP has a 2-1 advantage in obtaining Abramoff and the tribes’ money, some prominent Dems — particularly Patrick Kennedy — have seen their share of the loot as well. Update: Another Dem — Byron Dorgan — returns his Abramoff-tainted money.
Mission: Clear.
The new trailer for J.J. Abrams’ Mission Impossible: III is now online, showcasing Philip Seymour Hoffman as Tom Cruise’s new nemesis (And they were getting along so well in Magnolia.) Ving Rhames, Keri Russell, and Laurence Fishburne also star…all I know is that it doesn’t have to be very good to be much better than John Woo’s MI:2.