March 17, 2004 by s.z.

Press Gaggle Fun!  From today's gathering: Q: Since many of the families who provide a lot of our armed services recruits are religious, what does the President, as Commander-in-Chief, believe would be the effect on recruiting of the Kerry plan for openly advertising and practicing sodomist sergeants and commissioned officers? MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry? I didn't understand what you're asking. Q: He's saying repeal the don't ask-don't tell. That means open and practicing homosexuals in the Armed Forces. What does the President believe would be the effect of recruiting -- MR. McCLELLAN: I don't expect that's going to happen because I don't expect he's going to win. But the President's policy is very clear on that issue. While the President's policy may be very clear on that issue (I suppose the policy is "don't ask, don't tell, and don't get married"), I have to point out that a Google search of the web comes up with no hits for "Sodomist Sergeants," so the phrase is apparently available for use as the title of a porno movie. Later, Scott gets asked if the White House agrees with Under Secretary Armitage that the Spanish Conservative Party's delay in letting the people know who was likely responsible for the bombing may have contibuted to their defeat in the election. MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think there's been analysis to that effect in the press -- Q:  But it was different coming from -- MR. McCLELLAN: -- Terry brought it up yesterday, and we discussed some of the different analysis that has been out there. I'm leaving the analysis to others. Q: You declined to make an analytical point on this. But Secretary Armitage has gone where you fear to tread, and I was wondering whether or not you share his view. MR. McCLELLAN: I don't get into political analysis, generally speaking, whether it's here or whether it's overseas. Hey, Scott just doesn't do political analysis, and he's not asking or telling about the White House's opinion on what caused the Spanish people to vote out the conservative party.  See, this way he doesn't have to deny the Fox News/pro-war bloggers view that the Spanish are big, fat appeasers (and therefore, a vote for Kerry would be a vote for Al Queda).  But he doesn't confirm it either, as that might cause the Spanish to denounce the White House as liars.  Nope, he just stays about the fray. Scott is then asked about John Kerry's statement that under President Bush, the military is overextended, and the troops haven't been getting the equipment they need, or adequate medical care.  MR. McCLELLAN:  I think Senator Kerry's record tends to contradict his own election-year rhetoric. And if you look at some of the facts -- I'd point you back to the wartime supplemental on Iraq.  Senator Kerry -- I guess he said he voted for it first, and then he voted against it.  Talk about having it both ways. I think that was a very telling comment about Senator Kerry, but he needs to look back at his own record on that issue. So, Scott DOES do political analysis, but only of Bush's political rivals.  Very interesting. 10:58:16 PM

Duh! For the Day I have to say that I have been culpably naive about this administration on this issue.  They led me to believe they weren't hostile to gay people, that they would not use anti-gay sentiment to gain votes, that they would not roll back very basic protections for gay federal employees. I was lied to. -- Andrew Sullivan 9:47:42 PM

It's Better To Visit One Site Like TBOGG Than To Curse the Darkness Sleep deprivation has left me ill-equipped to cope with stupidity and evil.  The stuff that would usually make me laugh (like the way the various Fox News programs keep asking their guests if the Spanish election results mean that terrorists will attack the U.S. in order to put Kerry into office) just makes me feel sad and tired today.  So, I'm going to hang out with nice people today, instead of the TownHall crowd. First on my list of nice people is Mike from Washing the Blog, who brings you all the TownHall you need: in a play!  Based on the column What would America be like if gay marriages were validated?, it lets you witness just what would happen to a traditional family if they were to suddenly wake up in a nightmare world where same-sex marriages were accepted by society.  As you might imagine, it's the children who never get any cheese. Next, we have the nice Tom Burka and one of my favorite Opinions You Should Have: the one about how Alan Greenspan could keep social security from going broke.  It's kind of like Logan's Run, but without Farrah Fawcett. And speaking of the olden days, nice person Ivan of Thrilling Days of Yesteryear presents the shocking story of how the Control Voice on "The Outer Limits" tried to kill Matt Dillon, possibly with the aid of a guy in a monster suit.  No, wait, since this was radio, he probably used foley. Oh, and I've added the nice Frederick's Beat Bush Blog, to the blogroll.  Ditto the nice August J. Pollak's Xoverboard.  (And to do so, I had to risk screwing up the code for this blog, which could have started a chain reaction which would have destroyed all our technology and sent us back to the Dark Ages -- but I added them to the blogroll anyway, because these guys are nice, and their blogs are fine and true.) Anyway, enjoy some niceness.  I'll be back after I get some sleep. 5:51:21 AM

What Would Jesus Sing? As you know, Mel Gibson's The Passion isn't just a movie anymore.  No, it's also souvenir nails, mugs, a film book (with a forward by Mel), and a soundtrack (which will reportedly "top next week's Billboard soundtrack and contemporary Christian sub-charts and rank No. 2 on the Internet chart"). And speaking of music to watch Christ be scourged by, David E. alerted us to the most interesting movie tie-in yet (except for that crown of thorns): a CD of songs "inspired by the film." Per Rolling Stone, Songs by BOB DYLAN, NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS, LEONARD COHEN, the CRANBERRIES' DOLORES O'RIORDAN and ELVIS PRESLEY will be included on Songs Inspired by the Passion of the Christ, due April 6th. Um, the film inspired a song by Elvis?  Okay. . . USA Today has more about the song collection: Universal South Records will release Songs Inspired by The Passion of the Christ on April 6. The 12 tracks feature vintage material from artists such as Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Ricky Skaggs, plus a new song by Jessi Colter, Waylon Jennings' widow, and their son, Shooter. Hmm, so it's mostly vintage material.  We were getting excited about the way the film inspired the dead to get back into the recording studio.  So, now the question is, what songs by these artists will be included?  I have "Songs In The Key Of X: Music From And Inspired By The X-Files," which seems to be pretty much the same idea, and it includes Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand"; maybe it was also the Nick Cave song chosen for this compilation.  With lyrics like "He's a ghost, he's a god, he's a man, he's a guru. / You're one microscopic cog in his catastrophic plan /Designed and directed by his red right hand," the song might be appropriate for this CD, but only if you have a rather dark, cynical view of Jesus's plan for your life. I don't know which one of Elvis's songs was inspired by Mel's movie: maybe "Don't Be Cruel"?  As for Bob Dylan's contribution, I'm guessing "Highway 61 Revisited" ("Oh God said to Abraham, 'Kill me a son.'/Abe said, 'Man you must be puttin' me on.'") I'll let you all speculate about what other songs inspired by the film might be included in this collection. Oh, and Scott C. thinks that a novelization of the movie is the next step -- because some people who liked this main character from the film might want to relive his adventures, and also find out some of the back story that the movie only hinted at.  We think the authors who did the novelizations of Conspiracy Theory or Lethal Weapon 3 might be available, and we look forward to seeing the results.  ("Thursday, April 27, 33 A.D.  Jesus had only one more day until retirement.  So, he got together with his buddies to have one last dinner.  But even as he ate, dark forces were conspiring against him, and somebody close to him was not whom he appeared to be . . . .") Anyway, just a few non-blasphemous (we hope) movie tie-in ideas to consider.   4:47:42 AM