Hi all - I’ve been made aware of a problem with the comments that is preventing people from being able to comment right now. I’m working to get this problem fixed ASAP (emailed my webhost service). This is what I get for trying to install comment spam plugins myself!

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Update I: I think I figured out the problem - comments should be running again. If you have any problems trying to post one, please email me using the link on the upper right hand side of this page. Thanks

Update II: Please use this as today’s open thread.

Update III: If you should get any type of notification that your message was considered a ’spam’ message - don’t worry, I should be able to recover it. I’m trying to utilize a spam killer to cut down on the amount of spam I have to sift through and there may be a few bugs to work out yet …

Sgt. Peter Damon is taking Moore to court:

A double-amputee Iraq-war vet is suing Michael Moore for $85 million, claiming the portly peacenik recycled an old interview and used it out of context to make him appear anti-war in “Fahrenheit 9/11.”

Sgt. Peter Damon, 33, who strongly supports America’s invasion of Iraq, said he never agreed to be in the 2004 movie, which trashes President Bush.

In the 2003 interview, which he did at Walter Reed Army Hospital for NBC News, he discussed only a new painkiller the military was using on wounded vets.

“They took the clip because it was a gut-wrenching scene,” Damon said yesterday. “They sandwiched it in. [Moore] was using me as ammunition.”

Damon seems to “voice complaint about the war effort” in the movie, according to the lawsuit.

But what the father of two from Middleborough, Mass., was really talking about was the “excruciating” pain he felt after he lost his arms when a Black Hawk helicopter exploded in front of him.

Damon wasn’t expressing any opinion about the war, the suit charges, but rather extolling the drug.

“I just want everybody to know what kind of a guy Michael Moore is, and what kind of film this is,” said Damon. He has appeared in two films attacking “Fahrenheit” -”Michael Moore Hates America” and “Fahrenhype 9/11.”

More power to him!

Read more via AllahPundit at Hot Air.

(Hat tip: Stop The ACLU)

Related Flashback: Mother of KIA Marine Cpl. Brad McCormick: “Moore doesn’t speak for me”

Prior Toldjah So posts on Moore:

• Michael Moore to make film about himself?
• Oh, just lovely: Moore plans F9-11 sequel
• “Moore doesn’t speak for me”
• Underwear for votes?
• Moore won’t return to MSG
• Line of the night goes to McCain!
• Mainstreaming of Michael Moore
• My thoughts on Michael Moore

Said as only Hitchens could say it:

Galloway himself is not so averse to a rush to judgment. Asked by GQ if he would justify the suicide-murder of Tony Blair (with the tender GQ proviso that only the prime minister would be killed in this putative assassination) Galloway responded as follows:

“Yes it would be morally justified. I am not calling for it, but if it happened it would be of a wholly different moral order to the events of 7/7. It would be entirely logical and explicable. And morally equivalent to ordering the deaths of thousands of people in Iraq as Blair did.“

The allusion to “the events of 7/7″ is to the suicide-murderers who killed themselves and many others in an attack on the London transportation system on July 7, 2005. On that occasion, Galloway told the British House of Commons that Londoners had “paid the price” not of suicide-bombing but of British involvement in Iraq.

Much of the commentary that I read about this amazing statement seemed to conclude that Galloway had provided himself with enough “wiggle room” to avoid the charge of incitement or advocacy. And it is true that suicide-murderers do not require his warrant in advance to go about their work. (They tend to get his approval, or his defense, only after they have blown themselves up.) But if you examine his statement, and the statements that he has made subsequently, you will have an idea of the complete mental chaos that has overtaken a whole section of the “left” who regard Galloway as an anti-war champion.

If the killing of Blair would be “morally equivalent” to the deaths of thousands of Iraqis, then obviously it would be equivalent to something of which Galloway presumably strongly disapproves. In other words, it could not be “morally justified” at all, except by an utter moral cretin. And this is to say nothing of the unmentioned question: How right can it be to remove a thrice-elected head of government by any means other than an election? Galloway is a member of Parliament by the grace of an electorate in the East End of London but is widely regarded as a corrupt scumbag, an egomaniac, an apologist for tyranny, and a supporter of jihad. How would he phrase his complaint if someone were now to propose overruling his voters and offing him as the insult to humanity that he has become? I think I can hear the squeals of self-pity already.

Read the whole thing.

Also blogging about this: Eugene Volokh, Decision ‘08

Related Toldjah So posts:

• George Galloway justifies a hypothetical murder of Tony Blair
• Galloway may soon face fraud investigation
• George Galloway: devil in disguise
• George Galloway: Celebrity Big Brother
• George Galloway: What a joke
• “A pimp for fascism”
• Just in time for Halloween
• Fonda stands up Galloway
• Natural disaster to descend on L.A. - in the form of George Galloway
• Chris Hitchens is my hero
• Galloway vs. Hitchens: Coming this Wednesday
• Galloway vs. Hitchens
• George Galloway: An example of a traitor
• It’s the British gov’ts fault - part XVXXXVVVII
• It’s the West’s fault
• We must stand together

Where he can join the rest of the enraged moonbats:

Al Gore has made his sharpest attack yet on the George Bush presidency, describing the current US administration as “a renegade band of rightwing extremists”.
In an interview with the Guardian today, the former vice-president calls himself a “recovering politician”, but launches into the political fray more explicitly than he has previously done during his high-profile campaigning on the threat of global warming.

Denying that his politics have shifted to the left since he lost the court battle for the 2000 election, Mr Gore says: “If you have a renegade band of rightwing extremists who get hold of power, the whole thing goes to the right.”

Oh yeah - he sounds like a “recovering politician” alright.

Also blogging about this: Joe Gandelman, Dan Riehl, Michelle Malkin, Dave Price at Dean’s World, Seixon, Kesher Talk, Blogs For Bush

Related Toldjah So posts:

• Just how was Al Gore’s US slam in Saudi Arabia funded?
• Al Gore sells out the US on Saudi soil
• Will Al Gore run for prez in 2008?
• Al Gore: unmedicated
• Gore has no plans to run for president
• Gore - 2008 run?
• Al Gore Readying For Another Run?
• Gore: New TV channel won’t be partisan
• Al Gore tells Kerry how to debate Bush

I wonder how many hardcore anti-Iraq war/anti-Bush lefties will try to excuse the latest sliming of our troops by Rep. John Murtha? (emphasis added):

MURTHA: Well, what I worry about, Wolf, is that this happened six months ago.

And nothing — you heard nothing about it. As a matter of fact, the original story was that an IED killed these 15 people. It became very confusing to the public. “TIME” magazine came out with an article, and they still tried to cover it up.

Now, there were payments made to victims, which aren’t made unless we kill them, one way or the other. And, secondly, they knew about it the day afterwards. So, there’s no excuse for not having this be more open and know exactly what — and the longer it goes, the worse it is for us, because it looks like it’s the policy of our troops to do something like this.

Got that? It’s the “policy” of the US military to kill innnocent Iraqi civilians, pay off the surviving victims, and cover it up.

Hat tip: Flopping Aces, who posts info on how to support Rep. Murtha’s Republican challenger for PA’s 12th Congresional District: Diana Irey.

In the meantime, CNN reporter Arwa Damon writes about her ’shock’ over the allegations - because she travelled extensively with the Marines in question:

I know the Marines that were operating in western al Anbar, from Husayba all the way to Haditha. I went on countless operations in 2005 up and down the Euphrates River Valley. I was pinned on rooftops with them in Ubeydi for hours taking incoming fire, and I’ve seen them not fire a shot back because they did not have positive identification on a target. (Watch a Marine’s anguish over deaths — 2:12)

I saw their horror when they thought that they finally had identified their target, fired a tank round that went through a wall and into a house filled with civilians. They then rushed to help the wounded — remarkably no one was killed.

I was with them in Husayba as they went house to house in an area where insurgents would booby-trap doors, or lie in wait behind closed doors with an AK-47, basically on suicide missions, just waiting for the Marines to come through and open fire. There were civilians in the city as well, and the Marines were always keenly aware of that fact. How they didn’t fire at shadows, not knowing what was waiting in each house, I don’t know. But they didn’t.

Bruce Kesler reminds us that the incident is still under investigation.

(Hat tip: Lorie Byrd at Wizbang)

Mary Katherine Ham has a link roundup of news stories on this.

Read more via: Right Wing News, Blue Star Chronicles, Villainous Company, Blue Crab Boulevard, Amy Proctor, Expose the Left

Related Toldjah So posts:

• The Haditha incident
• Does Rep. John Murtha know something we don’t?
• Rep. John Murtha: a fountain of misinformation
• Rep. John Murtha: 9 lies in 90 seconds
• Message to Rep. Murtha: listen to this man
• Is Rep. Murtha really a “hawk” as the media has been claiming?
• Rep House calls Dem House’s bluff (MINI-LIVEBLOGGING)
• Dem House Representative calls for immediate troop withdrawal

Here’s your open thread for today.

I’ll start it off with my thoughts on Barry Bonds’ hitting his 715th HR this past weekend, passing Babe Ruth’s 714 to become #2 on the most career homeruns list. The only one left to catch now is Hank Aaron, who holds the record at 755 HRs.

Bonds is not ruling out a return to baseball next year, so assuming he’s healthy, he’ll be back because his ego is too big to miss out on the opportunity to pass Hank Aaron’s record.

I just cannot get excited about him passing Ruth’s record. Not just because of the steroids controversy (see more here) but because he’s just an all-around jerk. Of course we don’t get to pick and choose those who breaks records.

Are there many people out there, outside of Giants’ fans (and the person who catches HR #756), who are excited about Bonds’ inching closer to Aaron’s record?

—

On an unrelated sports note, don’t forget the Hurricanes play the Sabres tonight in Buffalo - game six game time is 7:30 PM ET. If the ‘Canes win tonight, they’ll go on to face Edmonton in the finals. If it goes to seven games, game seven will be played in Raleigh Thursday night.

WED AM UPDATE: The ‘Canes lost in a heartbreaker last night: 2-1 in OT.

I liked the title of Michelle Malkin’s post on the convention: “Viva Kos Vegas”

Via AllahPundit, check out the predictable ‘Bush is a racist, warmongering liar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ liberal promo of the event.

Hey, maybe they can invite Al “digital brownshirts” Gore as a guest speaker - that way he can get in a promo for his enviro-flick as well as take more Nazi-esque potshots at the President and the administration. He’d fit right in at the angry (wo)man convention, wouldn’t he?

Tony once again shows why he was a great choice for WH Press Sec.: his ability to handle hostile folks in the press with a smile:

Helen Thomas, doyenne of the White House press corps, tangles with Tony Snow at today’s briefing over President Bush’s appointment of Karl Zinmeister as domestic policy adviser:

QUESTION: Why did the president pick a man who is so contemptible of the public servants in Washington to be his domestic adviser, saying, People in Washington are morally repugnant, cheating, shifty human beings. Why did he…

SNOW: Apparently an opinion that’s…

QUESTION: Why would he pick such a man to be a domestic adviser?

SNOW: You meant contemptuous as opposed to contemptible I think.

QUESTION: Pure contempt.

SNOW: I’m not sure it’s pure contempt. I know Karl Zinsmeister pretty well and he is somebody who expresses himself with a certain amount of piquancy. You’re perhaps familiar with that, aren’t you, Helen?

(LAUGHTER)

And so, as a consequence from time to time, he’s going to say — he’ll have some sharp elbows.

QUESTION: His attitude toward public servants…

SNOW: I don’t think it is his attitude toward public servants. It may have been toward the press. Just kidding.

(LAUGHTER)

Gotta admire anyone who can battle with the nastiest of ‘em and come out of it grinning

Related Toldjah So posts:

• Tony Snow’s first day as WH press secretary
• Snow gears up for first official press gaggle, slams press
• DNC playing their favorite card: the race card - against Tony Snow
• Confirmed via FoxNews: Snow will be announced as WH press sec. tomorrow
• DC grapevine: Snow “likely” to accept WH press sec. job
• Tony Snow in negotiations to become WH press secretary
• WH press secretary Scott McClellan has resigned

The AP describes this as part of a “shake-up” to revive Bush’s “troubled presidency”:

WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary John Snow resigned Tuesday and President Bush nominated Goldman Sachs Chairman Henry M. Paulson Jr. as his replacement — another chapter in the shake-up to revive Bush’s troubled presidency.

“He has a lifetime of business experience. He has intimate knowledge of financial markets and an ability to explain economic issues in clear terms,” Bush said of Paulson in a Rose Garden announcement.

He praised Snow for showing “strong leadership” at Treasury.

Paulson called the U.S. economy “truly a marvel, but we cannot take it for granted. We must take steps to maintain our competitive edge in the world.”

Snow, the former head of railroad giant CSX Corp. who has a Ph.D. in economics, has been Treasury secretary since February 2003. His departure has been rumored for more than a year.

Paulson has been chairman of Goldman Sachs for about eight years. It is considered one of the premier financial firms on Wall Street and has sent a number of its top executives to high positions in Washington.

He’s expected to be easily confirmed by the Senate.

Via the Washington Post:

BAGHDAD, May 29 — A car bomb explosion in central Baghdad Monday killed two CBS News crew members, an Iraqi interpreter and a U.S. soldier, and severely wounded the news team’s correspondent, in one of a string of attacks that killed dozens of people in Iraq over the course of the day.

Paul Douglas, a cameraman, and James Brolan, a sound man, died in the blast, CBS News said in a statement. Both men were British citizens based in London. Kimberly Dozier, an American correspondent who has covered the war in Iraq for nearly three years, was taken to a Baghdad hospital for surgery. The network said she was listed in critical condition and that doctors were “cautiously optimistic” about her prognosis.

U.S. military authorities did not identify the soldier and the interpreter who were killed. Six other soldiers were wounded, the military said in a statement.

I echo Captain Ed’s sentiments:

Critics of the media often complain that they engage in “balcony journalism”, reporting from hotel rooms while posing on a balcony for better visuals. This shows that some American journalists put more on the line in Baghdad than just a room service tip. We should all offer our prayers and hopes for a complete recovery for Dozier and our gratitude for risking her life to report on a dangerous area of Iraq.