| She's not me, by a longshot | Michael Tomasky After declaring myself uninterested in Christine O'Donnell, I must confess that she does keep delivering surprises. Here is the second ad in her already-famous "I'm You" series, in which she avows that she didn't go to Yale or inherit a million bucks like her opponent.In the first one, which I didn't discuss on this blog but which you probably saw, she started out by affirming that she was not, in fact, a witch. She speaks in front of a plain black background in both messages, and says "I'm You" at least twice in each.Dave Weigel thinks these are terrible ads, and I suppose that by conventional measures they are. But they're terrible only if you think she's running for Senate. I think she's running for The View (note to Brits: our most popular daytime women's talk show, featuring Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg and Elisabeth Hasselbeck).It's long been the case in America that people move from other realms into politics: Ronald Reagan and George Murphy from acting, Jim Bunning and many others from sports, et cetera. It's lately also been the case more lately that some who try for public office, or even serve in it briefly but are retired by the voters, move into other public forums, mostly media. This has been accelerated by Rupert, who gives every right-wing reject who develops a following a Fox welfare check.But O'Donnell may be the first person who (to my eye) really is not deep down interested in winning office but in losing in just the right way - establishing a public profile that is endearing and enraging, that traduces bien-pensant liberalism but does so without all those Palinesque hard edges - that will permit her to launch a media career. So I have come around to the view that she is sort of a postmodern genius and an emblem of a future America in which technology finally erases all distinctions between politics and entertainment and enables all of us to become cross-platform performers, if we have the cunning.She is very much Not Me, by a long shot. But a part of me appreciates her savvy. Whereas someone like Sharron Angle is just a batty loon, who either gets to the Senate or goes off to the desert to suck on cacti. Politico has a big story today about how Harry Reid's people are nervous. It's a story that is Drudge-ified in that way that Politico political stories often are, based mostly around a Rasmussen poll and a Fox poll. But it does make a fair point: Reid had months, and millions, to define her, and she's still close or sometimes ahead, and that's with a third tea-party candidate in the race stealing 5-7% of the vote, surely all from her. There are lots of wacos running for Senate, but I think I find her the wackiest.Christine O'DonnellUS midterm elections 2010Michael Tomaskyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
No fine for Transformers accident US officials say there will be no fine for Paramount Pictures over an accident that left a woman brain damaged during filming of Transformers 3. bbc.co.uk |
Talks on Shalit Swap Deal Resume Israel's prime minister confirmed that negotiations with the Palestinians about a much-anticipated swap for a captured Israeli soldier have resumed. online.wsj.com |
Israeli army officers investigated over Gaza air strike that killed 21 Military police question commander and colonel over air strike that killed members of the Samouni family during Gaza warSenior Israeli army officers are under investigation by military police over the authorisation of an air strike that killed at least 21 members of one family during the three-week Gaza war in 2008-9.The officers are reported to include the commander of the Givati Brigade, Colonel Ilan Malka. No decision has been made on whether they will be charged.The air strike took place on 5 January 2009, nine days after the war began. The extended Samouni family were ordered to gather in one house after a three-storey property belonging to them was taken over as a military position.Up to 100 members of the family crowded into the house amid fierce fighting in the Zeitoun district around them, only venturing out to collect firewood.At about 7am, three or four missiles struck the house, killing men, women and children.According to the Ynet news website, Malka was questioned under caution yesterday after a military police investigation was launched several weeks ago. He was reported to have told investigators he was unaware of the presence of civilians in the building when he ordered the air strike.A UN-commissioned report led by Richard Goldstone concluded that Israel had repeatedly violated international law and had possibly committed war crimes during the conflict. It also accused Hamas, the Islamic organisation that controls Gaza, of possible war crimes.The report examined in detail the Samouni family deaths, saying they were a result of "Israeli fire intentionally directed at them" in breach of the Geneva conventions.A spokesman for the Israeli military refused to comment beyond saying: "The case is currently under military police investigation."Two soldiers in the Givati Brigade were earlier this month convicted of using a nine-year-old boy as a human shield, ordering him to open bags suspected of containing explosives, during the Gaza war.IsraelMiddle EastPalestinian territoriesGazaHarriet Sherwoodguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
U.K. Names New Defense Chief Gen. David Richards will succeed Air Chief Marshall Jock Stirrup as the head of Britain's armed forces on Friday. online.wsj.com |