Arnold's Pumping Out the Vote Bill Bradley’s @ New West Notes sees that the force is with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Secret Weapon: “As he steams smartly toward hoped for re-election four weeks from today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has a secret weapon, the largest and most technologically sophisticated voter mobilization operation California Republicans have ever seen.” Read all about it HERE and see the video.

The Rise and Fall of Airbus: Joe Katzman recalls following Airbus at his other job at Defense Industry Daily and concludes that more than the A380 superjumbo fiasco was behind its weakness, but that huge cash drain showed up all the underlying strains.

Best Campaign Ad..... Ever.

Naturally, “….the advertisement was deemed “too hot” by GOP strategists all across Washington, DC who have refused to use it!…. One GOP strategist said “jaws dropped” when the ad was first viewed. “Nobody could believe Zucker thought any political organization could use this ad. It makes a point, but it’s way over the top.” (Drudge Report)

Killer Freed, Murders Spouse: A Bulgarian woman who killed her son was released from prison because of terminal cancer - only to go home and kill her husband, police said. Last month, authorities judged her to be in the final stages of cancer and let her go home, where she stabbed her husband in the throat with a knife. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Massive explosions in Baghdad: “Over the past 90 minutes or so, massive explosions could be heard in Baghdad and actually I’m hearing more of them while I’m typing. … I went up to the roof to see if anything could be seen from there and I was able to see several flashes coming from the south, south-west side of the city. Using the simple method of measuring the lag between seeing the flash and hearing the sound I figured out the explosions are taking place somewhere in the area between Karrada and Dora, yet the explosions are very loud that they can be heard in the northern parts of Baghdad! … Reuters says the explosions were caused by a fire that broke out at “an ammunition dump at a U.S. base in southern Baghdad” apparently in the Dora district of Baghdad.” (Iraq the Model) 14:37 PDT

From ongoing Fox News Broadcasts: Fox News says its from an ammo depot at forward operating base Falcon, a US base. The base is being evacuated. They confirm an earlier Pajamas report (see above) that it is in Dora district.

Omar reports explosions every 5 to 10 seconds (14:52 PDT)

Omar reports explosions declining in intensity and frequency. (15:12 PDT)

“It’s almost over now…explosions are much less frequent now that the last one was about 10 minutes ago” (16:24 PDT)

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea: Neo-neocon notices that while the world wasn’t looking, Russia slowly became a worry again as underscored by the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. The historical choice in Russia has long been between anarchy and dictatorship. And little by little Putin is drawn to make the fatal choice.

Mindless Blather: Blogging is “un-Christian” because it “makes the blogger feel good or makes him feel as if his opinion counts - when it is mostly mindless blather!” opines Kevin D. Denee in the UK publication Ambassador Youth, a vehicle of the “Reformed Church of God” and even cites scripture for it. (The Register)

When Legends Attack: At her NYC appearance—the third of a 20-stop tour—singer Barbra Streisand exhorts a heckler to “shut the f**k up.” The heckler objected loudly and repeatedly to a Streisand/Bush-impersonator skit which AP Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody deemed “slightly humorous.” (AP/Breitbart)

Goodbye, Tower Records:

Tower Records in Hollywood

The sixty-year-old record company will close all 89 of its stores nationwide—a casualty of the technology and business practices of the twenty-first century. “[I]ts business has been hurt by online music and competition from stores such as Wal-mart. About 3,000 employees will lose their jobs in the liquidation.” (10 News and WABC)

HUNTING HUMANS--Plight Of Tibetans Not Covered By MSM:

Wade Allsopp

Mountaineers from several countries have borne witness to the deaths of Tibetans, routinely slaughtered, they say, at the hands of the Chinese militia. The Tibetans came into the militia’s sites as they tried to cross the Nepalese border to visit the Dalai Lama in India. One example: “They were men, women and children, barely wearing decent winter clothes. After an actual human hunt, 8 of them won’t live to see their dream fulfilled. They have been killed in cold blood by the Chinese militia after a snitch between them. This happened in front of many expedition teams. The dead were simply buried in the glacier and left there without any memorial symbol.”

The slaughter is allegedly far from the first one, but the climbers say that the “big expedition outfitters like HiMex, Jagged Globe, Adventure Consultants or Alpine Ascents will never speak about [the shootings]. Otherwise they will be banned from the Tibetan side of the Himalayas.”

More background here, here and here. (Mount Everest.net)

Conference On School Safety Opens: Spurred by the three fatal school-killings in the last month, a conference discussing the prevention of violence in schools starts today in Chevy Chase, MD with President and Mrs. Bush in attendence. One of the conference panelists is Craig Scott, brother of Columbine High School shooting victim Rachel Scott. (Rocky Mountain News)

It Could be Worse: They could have reproduced. Run-away Bride Jennifer Wilbanks will sue ex-fiance John C. Mason for $500,000. “Jennifer Wilbanks is seeking $250,000 as her share of a home she says John C. Mason purchased through the partnership with proceeds from $500,000 received for selling their story to Regan Media in New York.

She also wants $250,000 in punitive damages for alleged abuse of the power of attorney she granted for Mason to handle their financial affairs.

In addition, she is seeking the return of personal property she claims he has kept, including the ladder that belonged to her father, a gold sofa and wedding shower gifts.” (USA Today)

Death of a Journalist: European leaders and thousands of others mourn the death of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, whose murder at her Moscow apartment “was linked to her work.” (Reuters/Breitbart)

An Offer They Refused: “It seems that some people in Alaskan villages don’t want Hugo Chavez’s oil, not even if it’s free.” — Norman Geras

A Little Break From Hard News: Ten cool things about squirrels. (Tammy Bruce)

"A Sick Film:" Stephen Pollard watched Death of a President, which was shown on British TV last night.

Fear Us! Frank J. just got the latest e-mail campaign “ad” from the DNC. (IMAO)

See How Many of Hitch's Famed Cameo Appearances in his own films can you remember. (Hitchcock.tv; HT Clive Davis)

"Hard To Argue" Against Edmund Phelps' Nobel Prize in economics, says Tyler Cowen, who has extensive background. (Marginal Revolution)

ADDENDUM: Phelps has a piece in today’s WSJ.

Second Time As Farce: The Congressional Page Scandal 12 (October 10, 2006) The New “News”

Byron York retraces the “List”: of closeted gay republicans as far as it can be backtracked and adds that wherever it is ultimately from, no one on the conservative side is eager to start a witch hunt over it any time soon. (NRO)

Questioning Day: Jordan Edmund will be questioned by the FBI today at an undisclosed location in Oklahoma. (Enid News)

Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone: allegations of inappropriate e-mails involve Pinellas County Democrat: “According to published reports, [Kevin] King sent e-mails or instant messages to two female students, aged 14 and 15, trying to get them to skip school and drink alcohol with him. In addition, the reports say that King also asked the 14-year-old to perform a sexual act on him.” (WTSP-TV)

From the “Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut” department: “Foley had two excellent job offers in the private sector this year when Rep. Tom Reynolds, National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, talked him into seeking a seventh term.” (Robert Novak @ Chicago Sun-Times)

Yet More Opinion For/Against “Foley the Disgusting Pedophile” and His Heirs and Assigns

A few thoughts by Michael Barone.

Readers to media: Enough with Foley! (Don Surber)

Great moments in blogospheric investigations: Sean Gleeson “exposes” another of Foley’s victims.

[Previous coverage here]

Wasn't The First Fatwa Enough? “Author Salman Rushdie has risked angering Muslims once again after saying face veils for women ‘suck’. The writer - once the subject of a fatwa by Ayatollah Khomeni over his novel The Satanic Verses - said he regarded the veil as a way of taking power away from women. He backed Leader of the Commons Jack Straw, who provoked a furious response last week when he urged Muslim women to abandon the veil.” (Sky News)

From the blogosphere to the country's cabinet: the phrase is a bit of a stretch since after all he’s a former Primer Minister, but it’s worth noting that Carl Bildt -whose blog we have linked to in several occasions- will be in Sweden’s new government, serving as Foreign Minister.

Environmental Debt Nonsense: “Man, all these guilt.org groups who try to tell you that you’re bad and you need to change your life and give them money, are really getting old.” — James Hudnall

Having Trouble Remembering Iran President's Name? Follow Martin Peretz’s advice and you won’t.

The Battle of November, 23 (October 10, 2006)
New Media

Remembering Bill Clinton: Claire McCaskill, the Democratic party’s nominee in the 2006 US Senate race delivers her historical verdict of Bill Clinton. (Hat tip:Gateway Pundit)

“I think he’s been a great leader but I don’t want my daughter near him.”

“Menendez smears Kean” and “Kean blames Bush”— Fausta

Rusty Shackleford is the first conservative to “welcome our new Democrat Overlords.” (The Jawa Report)

Teflon Rudy: in spite of all the pseudo-scandals and issues that put him at odds with traditional Republican voters, Giuliani remains popular, and it’s because of 9/11. (Captain’s Quarters, commenting on a NY Times profile of the former NY mayor)

Whose preview is Lieberman? McCain’s, says Peter Brown @ RCP. Giuliani’s, says Astute Blogger. Roger Simon hopes he’s right.

Married Moms Divorcing the GOP: “After winning over moms in back-to-back elections, Republicans have lost their advantage among married women with children this year.” (Breitbart / AP)

Mainstream Media

Ohio, Tennessee and Missouri are the three Senate races targeted by the Republicans “in what officials describe as a firewall strategy designed to limit Democratic gains in the Nov. 7 elections and maintain the GOP majority.” (Breitbart / AP)

A tossup in Colorado Springs: Jay Fawcett (D) is tied with Doug Lamborn (R) in Colorado 5th Congressional district, which has been won by the GOP since it was created in 1972. (Denver Post)

Strong shift of support to Democrats, an WaPo/ABC poll shows: Dems lead 54-41 pct in the House race. It means, according to the newspaperl that GOP officials brace for loss of 7 to 30 House seats.

Dems gain big lead according to an USA Today/Gallup Poll: “Democrats had a 23-point lead over Republicans in every group of people questioned — likely voters, registered voters and adults — on which party’s House candidate would get their vote. That’s double the lead Republicans had a month before they seized control of Congress in 1994 and the Democrats’ largest advantage among registered voters since 1978.”

[Previous coverage here]

Saving The Poor (From Trans Fats): Amy @ Advice Goddess points to a piece by Mark Kurkansky on NYC’s proposal to ban artificial trans fats: “But what is odd about New York City banning artificial trans fats is that nobody I know eats them. They are not eaten in Manhattan and the better parts of Brooklyn. They are used in cheap restaurants for things like French fries. In my Upper West Side neighborhood, we don’t eat French fries. In the unlikely event that we do not find ourselves on a low-carb diet, we eat frites. Frites are not cooked in trans fat but in the better oils, some of which, by the way, may also prove fatal.”

A (Giggling) Message From Chad and Steve: It’s the face of two of the happiest guys on Earth, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, who talk about the sale of the company they founded, YouTube, to Google. Where? At YouTube, of course. That’s what $1.65 billion does to one’s mood:

They aren’t the only ones celebrating: venture capital firms are also sharing the jackpot. (NY Times)

Ramadan Riots in Gothenburg, Sweden: Not as serious as first reported, but still a warning sign, says Martin Lindeskog (Egoist)

Revenge Of The Killer Elephants:

Image: Unique View @ Flickr

“Elephants “out to avenge” the death of one of their herd are forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. Villagers in eastern India buried the animal after it fell into a ditch and drowned three days ago. But 14 marauding elephants have been raiding the area ever since.” (Sky News)

Elephants don’t forget, and it seems they don’t forgive either.

The Mideast, 177 (October 10, 2006): Lebanese Army confiscates Hezbollah arms

Study finds 655 K Iraqis died due to war. A controversial study by the Johns Hopkins based on interviews and not a body count has been criticized by some as being “way too high”. (AP/Brietbart)

Lebanese Army confiscates Hezbollah arms: south of the Litani river, according to Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr. “Murr refused to elaborate on the types and amounts of weapons confiscated, saying only, “we are fulfulling our obligations and the task given to us.” (Haaretz)

Blame it on the New York Times: “[The above] photo was miscaptioned by the New York Times and became a part of the recent fauxtography scandal.” Read the original caption here: “After an Israeli airstrike destroyed a building in Tyre, Lebanon, yesterday, one man helped another who had fallen and was hurt. Cars packed with refugees snaked away from the town. (Tyler Hicks/The New York Times)”

The problem came later when this photograph appeared among a slide show of my photographs on The New York Times website.” (Solomonia and PDN Online)

Frank Warner notes the fluctuation American opinion regarding the US efforts in Iraq, but also observes that most of the MSM have always referred to the Iraq War as “the increasingly unpopular war” whether it was so or not. (Free Frank Warner)

Perfect Evil (Part Two): Many Afghans turn to the Taliban now simply because they are the only group that delivers on both threats and promises. They may be the devil, but they are a devil who can get the job done. (Michael Yon) [Ed note: some viewers may find one of the images objectionable]

Mess hall boss arrested for sickening Iraqi troops after eating their evening meal on Sunday. Initial lab test results of the food and water suggest it was negligence by the contractor, not an attack. (CNN)

Time to pack and go home, if it was for German magazine Der Spiegel, who declares in their cover that the Iraq war is lost. (Davids Medienkritik)

Ophtalmologist accuses US of lack of vision: “Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the United States does not have ‘the will or vision’ to pursue peace in the Middle East.” (BBC)

Israel says no talks with Syria yet: “Israel said on Tuesday it would not negotiate with Syria as long as the country continued to back militant groups, rebuffing remarks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he was ready for peace talks.” (Reuters)

60 mutilated, bullet-ridden bodies have been found in Baghdad by Iraqi authorities. (Fox News)

Saddam ejected from trial after getting into a heated argument with chief judge Mohammad Orabi Majeed Al-Khalefa. (CNN)

Qatar mediation fails: “Mediation efforts by Qatar’s foreign minister failed to resolve a stalemate between rival Palestinian leaders that has prevented the formation of a unity government, a senior Palestinian official said on Tuesday.” (Ynet)

Armed Palestinian killed by IDF near border in South Gaza. (Haaretz)

[Previous coverage here]

North Korean Crisis, 4 (October 10, 2006) Second nuke test reported, doubted

Courtesy of Op-For

[This constantly updated post is bumped up; scroll down for more stories — ed.]

News
Second nuke test reported, doubted:: North Korea may have conducted a second nuclear test today, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, but South Korean officials quickly denied the report. Also, US does not confirm.

North Korea will attack if West refuses to talk: “Rogue state North Korea last night threatened a nuclear missile attack if trade and financial sanctions are not dropped, but also offered to return to negotiations about disbanding its atomic weapons program.” (Australian)

Recalling Nokor’s statements before the test: The unofficial spokesman for North Korea published an article in the Asia Times on October 6, announcing the impending test and saying: “Unlike all the previous wars Korea fought, a next war will be better called the American War or the DPRK-US War because the main theater will be the continental US, with major cities transformed into towering infernos. The DPRK is now the fourth-most powerful nuclear weapons state just after the US, Russia, and China.” (Asia Times)

A recipebook does not equal a chef: The low yield could indicate the North Korean nuclear design is flawed or the the test fizzled. A French expert said “The devil is in the details. It’s like cooking. The fact that you have the recipe does not make you a chef.” (AP/Breitbart)

Can’t Keep His Hands Out Of His Pockets: On Fox News Channel’s The Big Story with John Gibson, Clinton Administration National Security Adviser Sandy Berger blames both Bush Admnistrations for the present North Korean situation. (no link yet)

China: North Korea deserves tough response from international community. (Reuters/Breitbart)

Anger in Beijing: “China responded with rare fury to neighbouring North Korea’s nuclear test, resorting to language generally reserved for imperialist opponents rather than communist friends.” (The Times - UK)

Low yield of blast surprises analysts and complicates “U.S. intelligence efforts to determine whether the country’s first such test was successful or signaled that Pyongyang’s capabilities are less advanced than expected, several senior U.S. and foreign government officials and analysts said.” (Washington Post)

Only a partial success: “The North Korean test appears to have been a nuclear detonation but was fairly small by traditional standards, and possibly a failure or a partial success, federal and private analysts said yesterday.” (NY Times)

Scientists probe North Korea nuke test: “North Korea sets off an earthshaking explosion _ and claims it was nuclear. Was it? For scientists, that was not a quick and easy question to answer.” (AP)

U.S. intelligence doubts Korean test was nuclear: ” U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that seismic readings show that the conventional high explosives used to create a chain reaction in a plutonium-based device went off, but that the blast’s readings were shy of a typical nuclear detonation.” (Bill Gertz @ Washington Times)

Opinion

John McCain guestblogs at Captain’s Quarters: The Senator says “Time for Decisive Action on North Korea”. (Captain’s Quarters)

Administration failed to fully engage Beijing on North Korea: Thomas Barnett says “Beijing isn’t ready, in large part, because we haven’t prepared them well to emerge as a trusted great power ally. This administration keeps hedging its bets, sort of treating China like a military enemy, sort of treating it like a diplomatic ally, sometimes demonizing it and sometimes indulging it.” (Thomas Barnett)

Over the grapevine: Not nuclear. Michael Yon retells things he has heard from his sources, the most important of which is there have been no radiation signatures detected from the test site. (NRO Corner)

Now what? Four potential scenarios — all bad. (Fred Kaplan @ Slate)

When North Korea falls: “The furor over Kim Jong Il’s missile tests and nuclear brinksmanship obscures the real threat: the prospect of North Korea’s catastrophic collapse. How the regime ends could determine the balance of power in Asia for decades. The likely winner? China.” (Robert Kaplan @ The Atlantic)

The bomb bombed: “Outside of a drop in South Korean stocks, North Korea’s bomb test has had virtually no impact on the U.S. or world stock markets.. The best risk barometers—namely gold and oil—have barely moved. U.S. stocks are actually higher as of this writing.” (Larry Kudlow)

Fireworks: “Now we see an apparently failed North Korean nuclear test. But like the dud missiles, NoKo scientists will learn from the nuke failure (if that’s what it was). They’ll use the data from this test to improve the next batch. That’s how science works. We now know that we have a window of time in which to deal with a North Korea that has played its cards before the world.” (Bryan Preston @ HotAir)

Call or bluff? (Confederate Yankee)

Fake, big dud, suitcase bomb or sales demonstration by the Iranians? (Astute Bloggers)

How big of a bang: “You would think that especially for someone with as many insecurity problems as Kim Jong Il, he would want as big a bang as his scientists could make. It isn’t like they were hiding their intentions to detonate a bomb.” (Clayton Cramer)

If it wasn’t a hoax we should perhaps act as if it’s one anyway: “If nothing else, this will annoy the North Koreans. And if the test was real, this mockery will encourage them to set off another nuke to prove us wrong, causing a waste of valuable nuclear material.” (Glenn @ Instapundit)

What if it was a hoax? Josh Manchester explores. (The Adventures of Chester)

[Previous coverage here]