Baby With The Bathwater

I don't like Michael Moore.

It's not that I disagree with his politics (although I mostly do). It's not because I think he's a bad film maker (actually I admire his skill with the craft). It all comes down to this. He fights like a creationist.

In the creation/evolution wars, the most frequent tactic of the young earth absolutists is to take the smallest nit, then throw it into a cloud of nits in an effort to obscure a greater truth. People like Kent Hovind and Duane Gish will find a very minor disagreement in the evidence then shout, "AHA! It must all be wrong which means we must be right!"

Moore is currently quite upset with CNN for a report by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on his new movie "Sicko". In the report Dr. Gupta states Moore "fudges the facts". As you can see in this Larry King segment last night, who has the "right facts" is a matter of source and perspective. It is also elucidating to note in Moore's point by point rebuttal of the CNN report on his website the fudging boils down to such shocking disagreements as $6000 vs $7400 and 77.5 vs 77.6. Nits.

Of course, all of this presents an opportunity for Moore to turn to another frequent creationist tactic. Persecution and paranoia. Instead of a reasoned response of exploring the differences and discussing the greater truth, Moore chooses to accuse CNN of being bribed by HMOs and the pharmaceuticals. Disagreement, no matter how mild, is sinister and heretical.

Moore does do a great service. Once again, he has sparked a national conversation. We should be talking about health care. It may be the most important and most complex issue facing our generation.

But no matter how important the conversation, Moore with his burn at the stake tactics will never win the conversion.

When Counting Counts

Looking at my stat counter for the day I see that at almost 3:00am I've reached my normal daily total of unique visitors.

Why?

Because there are that many people out there searching for the keywords "Genarlow Wilson Sex Tape".

The genie was let loose from the bottle a long time past, so why wouldn't people seek it on the internet?

Does this make you proud Sen. Johnson?

UPDATE: Now I'm receiving email requests to post the video. As if I wasn't completely feeling vomitous before.

Ripples Make Waves

The breakers are coming in with increasing frequency.

Sen. Emmanuel Jones (D-Decatur) has sent a letter to Attorney General Thurbert Baker requesting an investigation in the release of the Genarlow Wilson sex tape.

State Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) said it is "an absolute, utter disgrace" that a videotape of the raunchy party in a Douglasville hotel room that led to the conviction of Genarlow Wilson on aggravated child molestation charges has been shown to both reporters and legislators. He characterized the videotape as child pornography.

Strangely, Sen Eric Johnson, an early, ardent supporter of viewing the tape as the "truth", has grown silent on the whole matter.

NASCAR Politics

Sara has an excellent write up on the sometimes uncomfortable courtship between NASCAR fans and politicians. She also references an article which dives straight into the essence of being a NASCAR fan.

But Don Ward, 48, said there were only three questions Mr. Giuliani needed to know to converse with a fan like himself: “What kind of beer do you like? Who is your favorite manufacturer? And who is your favorite driver?

For the record: Bud, Ford for life, Greg Biffle.

I'm a lifelong Mark Martin fan but even though I am happy he is having fun driving for Ginn Racing, I just can't bring myself to root for him while he's driving a damned Chevy.

And do not get me started on Jeff Gordon.

Wilson Appeal Moved Up

The Georgia Supreme Court has expedited Genarlow Wilson's appeal. The hearing will be held on July 20th.

Well, I've already been to Federal District Court. Seems like a good time to visit the state's highest court. Look for a report on the 20th.

The Irony Is Rich

If you watch the Channel 46 report you will see reported D.A. McDade excusing his cavalier distribution of the Genarlow Wilson sex tape as just complying with Freedom of Information requests.

However, when the AJC used the same type of request to obtain an audio tape of a Douglas County investigator interviewing one of the girl's mother about her comments to a reporter, D.A McDade declined the request.

McDade later released the tape to the Fulton County Daily Report.

Listen and judge for yourself what is going on here. Slowly but surely, the onion is being peeled.

Questions On Wilson Tape Continue

Channel 46 steps up to the plate to ask why the tape is being distributed so cavalierly and since it shows minors engaged in sex acts were privacy and obscenity laws violated.

It's a question which is not going away. And it shouldn't.

John Edwards Blog Interview

Summertime means travelling, so let's head north to our neighbor North Carolina. My friend Coturnix who runs the science blog A Blog Around The Clock has an exclusive interview with Presidential candidate John Edwards.

I do believe that science is the key to innovation in the American economy, the key to improving our standard of living. We see the impact of science everyday--from biotechnology to smart bombs, from satellite Global Positioning Systems to the Internet.

Read the entire interview here.

Georgia Blog Carnival

I'm down in the land of humidity and gnats. So go check out some great Georgia voices at the Georgia Blog Carnival.

Usual rants will return Monday.

Matt Towery On Randy And Spiff

Matt Towery was on WGST's Randy and Spiff show this morning discussing the Genarlow Wilson case and the law he authored.

He (Douglas D.A. McDade) also took the role on as lobbyist and went down to the legislature and did in fact show this video. And it has really poisoned, I can just tell you. A lot of my colleagues who are usually very reasonable guys who I've known for a long, long time have seen this video and they say "oh Matt the guy is guilty". I say "guilty of what"? They say "rape". Well, he was found innocent of rape.

You can listen here.

h/t: Rogue at Peach Pundit

UPDATE: Tonight Channel 46 will air a Wilson piece. Only this time instead of just rehashing all the sordid details, it appears the focus will be on the question of why the tape is being distributed to legislators. Sometimes small ripples can build into big waves.

Mike Jacobs: Timing Of The Announcement

On Tuesday, June 19th, Rep. Mike Jacobs of north Dekalb County switched from Democrat to Republican. Some noted the strangeness of the timing. Rumors had floated for months that Jacobs would jump party lines and he would not face re-election for over a year. So why announce on the same day the Democratic Party Of Georgia faced a severe test in the 10th District Special Election?

I asked Representative Jacobs that very question and he responded:

I had resolved to make a final decision and announcement by the end of June. A press conference was scheduled for June 27, but someone leaked it to the media on June 18. Rather than fostering a “will he or won’t he” guessing game for a week and a half, I went ahead and announced my decision the next day, on June 19. That’s life in the information age.

Stay tuned for more on the continuing Mike Jacobs saga.

Glenn Vs Teh Blogs

Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson in Insider Advantage via Cracker Squire:

"Those dadgum blog sites. You know what I predict is going to happen? I predict somebody’s going to sue one of those site domains for slander, and somebody’s going to get hit with a big suit because there’s no accountability, and they say and do things about people that are blatantly false."

We've got a saying where I'm from Mr. Speaker. Don't sing it, bring it.

But before you consider that perilous course of action let me bring forward a few more of your own words.

"truth is a defense"

Usually a good one too.

Independence Day

Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall and George Walton. ~courtesy of EHT.

Have a fun and safe Fourth of July!

Politics return tomorrow with something real juicy.

Songs In My Head

Questions Being Asked

In his subscription only Insider Advantage newsletter, Matt Towery asks some of the same questions I've been asking about the Genarlow Wilson case and the distribution of the video tape evidence:

In 1988 when the infamous Rob Lowe sex tape with an underaged female surfaced in Atlanta, the Justice Department dispatched representatives to inform television news directors and producers that if they even viewed the tape, much less aired it, they would be guilty of serious crimes related to child pornography. Since we are so hell-bent to stick to the letter of the law in this state, even when a law such as mine had “Romeo and Juliet” language in the bill for consensual intercourse, then will someone tell me what the federal law is to possession, viewing and dissemination of a video showing underaged teens having sex and the viewing of that video by legislators? Perhaps there is an exception, but no one has shown it to me. And if there are exceptions, have they been properly utilized in the instance of every person who has been shown or has viewed this tape? Seems we are hard as hell on some folks, but the letter of the law is more forgiving for others.

Mr. Towery authored the law which snared Genarlow Wilson. He has stated on record it was never the intention for the law to be applied in cases such as Wilson's.

Unlike your humble blogger, Insider Advantage is read by the big boys and girls of state politics. If that is what it takes to turn the heat up on this issue, so be it.

Love That Dirty Water

The double edged sword of receiving much needed precipitation over the last two days is the usual rise of tiny, nasty critters in the 'Hooch.

We had planned another rafting trip today but we have fought against our redneck instincts to plow forward and postponed to another time.

You don't fight the river.

Geek Moment

I never thought I would live to see Neal Stephenson's Metaverse fully realized.

I may have been very wrong.

Georgia Politics Podcast Episode 13

You can download it here.

Things get a bit testy when Genarlow Wilson is discussed.

As the dear departed Ronnie Van Zandt once said, "Turn it up..."

My Mama Taught Me Better

Recording the Georgia Politics Podcast

Seated from left to right: Catherine of Blog For Democracy, JosephG of Dora-Blog, yours truly, Randy Lewis of Georgia Politcal & Policy Digest and the sandaled foot of Decaturguy of Atlanta Public Affairs. Back to the camera is Rusty.

I'm afraid my strange habit of always having my legs spread wide open when a camera is around may doom any dreams of moving beyond text only communication.

Toco Hills City Limits

Hey Decaturguy?

Remember when I joked about the City of Toco Hills?

Selah.