Taste your Own Medicine

Looks like one of our friendly Supreme court justices has received a taste of his own medicine:

On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter's home.

How? Through the magic of eminent domain, used to demolish so many rural neighborhoods for a fat freeway near you.

Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans.

"This is not a prank" said Clements, "The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development."

Touche.

At least somebody's fact-checking

Reuters political news wire- Democrats fault Bush over Iraq link to Sept. 11

Democrats on Wednesday challenged President Bush's claim that America must stay the course in Iraq because of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but his backers said the link was justified.

"I feel compelled ... to set the record straight about why we got into this war," said Sen. John Rockefeller of West Virginia, top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee.

"It had nothing to do with Osama bin Laden. It had nothing to do with al Qaeda. It had nothing to do with September 11th," Rockefeller told a news conference.

Rockefeller and other Democrats pointedly noted that the stated reason for U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was the claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, which have never been found.

It's actually pretty complicated.

September 11th attacks --> Public insecurity, fear --> Bold action by declaring war on 'terrorism' --> focusing on catching Bin Laden and al Qaeda --> "oh, btw, Saddam Hussein has WMD" --> attack Iraq as well

The stated justification for going into Iraq specifically WAS that weapons of mass destruction threatened global and national security. But that reason in itself exploited the public unrest and insecurity caused by the September 11th attacks.

Wa Post editorial on Bush Iraq speech

"Mr. Bush will need to preserve and nourish that fragile mandate -- which will mean speaking more honestly to Americans than he did last night. "