Daily Archives: Aug. 11, 2007

Open thread 8/11

Aug. 11, 20071:05 a.m.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Open thread | Comments (103)

Admit mistakes in Iraq, face current reality

Aug. 11, 20071:04 a.m.

At least someone is admitting that he made a mistake with Iraq — only he isn’t part of the administration, and isn’t even an American. Michael Ignatieff, a former Harvard University professor and current member of Canada’s Parliament, was a commentator who backed the Iraq invasion. But looking back, he concluded that he was too swayed by his emotions in wanting to help Iraqis and believing that they would unite in embracing democracy.
“I’ve learned that good judgment in politics looks different from good judgment in intellectual life,” he wrote in the New York Times Magazine. “Among intellectuals, judgment is about generalizing and interpreting particular facts as instances of some big idea. In politics, everything is what it is and not another thing. Specifics matter more than generalities. Theory gets in the way.”
Why does this matter now? “In the case of Iraq, deciding what course of action to pursue next requires first admitting that all courses of action thus far have failed,” he wrote. And it means basing decisions on reality, not on wishes.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Iraq | Comments (185)

Not easy being a rich white guy

Aug. 11, 20071:03 a.m.

“We can’t make John black, we can’t make him a woman. Those things get you a lot of press, worth a certain amount of fundraising dollars.” — Elizabeth Edwards, on how this fundraising disadvantage is one reason her husband’s presidential campaign has used the Internet more to reach voters.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Presidential race | Comments (43)

A casino is a sure bet for Sumner

Aug. 11, 20071:02 a.m.

Now that Sedgwick County has rejected expanded gaming, some are asking whether a casino will really happen down the road in Sumner County.
Almost certainly. There’s nothing stopping it, since the county’s voters already approved it in 2005. The failure of the Sedgwick County slots option sealed the deal — an expanded and competitive greyhound track “racino” was the only plausible reason why casino interests might choose not build a destination casino in Sumner.
As it is, the casino market here is wide open.
The only other obstacle is a planned constitutional challenge of the Kansas gaming law, but those are long odds.
Posted by Randy Scholfield

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under gambling | Comments (78)

Community thread

Aug. 11, 20071:00 a.m.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Open thread | Comments (17)