Balta1701

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Dec 14, 2006 -> 09:23 AM) Post of the year, right there. But of course, wa wa waaaaaaahh we have to "protect" these jerks to "rise above it all". Look, indefinite imprisonment is too good for these guys, they'll get treated better in our prisons then they will outside of it. I do NOT condone torture or any of that garbage, but otherwise, let them sit. But what about the ones who weren't actually guilty of anything, and were picked up due to the scale of the sweep-ups/size of the rewards being offered without confirmation of anything? What about the people who weren't actually top-level AQ folks?

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 08:15 PM) Gil Meche still has huge upside even if he hasn't accomplished anything in the bigs, Redman on the other hand is a very bad pitcher and will never be anymore than that. But he's already been an all-star!

QUOTE(Damen @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 07:11 PM) But the reporter who pushed this story, leaving out key elements exonerating Reid, got promoted in a gig at the Washington Post. He's about a year away from a Presidential medal of Freedom.

QUOTE(maggliopipe @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 06:19 PM) Thanks dude, that clears that up. If they hadn't come to an agreement in the 30 day window, could he have been posted again next year? Or would he have to wait until free agency? (Sorry if this has already been answered previously in the thread). Yes, he could have posted next year as well if there had been no deal this year. He would have been a free agent in 2008 if it fell through both years.

Des Moines Register.

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QUOTE(mr_genius @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 04:43 PM) Free Saddam!!! http://www.petitiononline.com/freeiraq/petition.html you know you want to. Considering the other options in Iraq....

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 03:46 PM) who signed with the Red Sox. If terms aren't disclosed, how can people say he's overpaid?

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 03:57 PM) Couple of key points mentioned in the article Amazing I don't find it amazing, they've been insisting for 5 years that they need to be able to hold people indefinately without charges or access to their lawyers or the red cross or without being tortured on the word of only the executive branch or we'll all wind up dead. And they finally got their last Congress of no resistance to insert wording preventing the legislative branch from ruling on it, unless the Supreme Court decides to overturn that language.

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QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 03:41 PM) Their catchers are overpaid, Mirabelli was arguably as bad as Widger last year, but at least the Sox didn't give up Bard and a reliever with an ERA around 1. Mirabelli is a Free Agent.

Horrible ruling. Hopefully the Supreme Court Hamdan group winds up overturning it.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 03:09 PM) So the Governor picks someone from the same party as the person being replaced. I am certain there are great Dems and Reps in every state. Then the odds are better the replacement would have closer views than someone from the other party. And the will of the people should trump. South Dakota statute: Link.

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The Mets non-tendered Victor Zambrano? Man, that Scott Kazmir deal looks even worse. Couple of decent names on there if people have minor league/backup roles to fill. Jorge Sosa put together a few decent games when he was with the Braves, Joel Pinero put together good seasons back around 02-03, Jerome Williams seemed to have a little talent, etc.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 11:56 AM) So remember the claims that the Foley emails were manipulated for political gain? Where there is smoke... http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20...23555-4731r.htm So, the Democrats who had them started sending them around to the press in late 2005 (something we already knew by the way). Clearly, they timed this because they knew that it would take 1 year for the Press to start believing in them, and then finally run with them, thus producing the perfect October surprise. But you are missing the one interesting note in that article...Rahm Emmanuel is clearly a liar. Not exactly a surprise, but that one is a claim you could make and no one could possibly oppose you. It'd be nice if he were to get whatever punishment was meted out on the bunch of other Republicans who had a hint of it earlier. (which of course turned out to be no punishment at all).

So, a couple other interesting notes on these raids...first, the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UCFW) seems pretty unhappy about them, because the raids may have also scooped up some actually legal workers who were members of that union. The Salt Lake Tribune also has an interesting story on a couple of the families involved in the raid, with the interesting allegation that the DHS basically organized the raid and which people it targeted based on the appearance of the people...if you had a lighter skin tone, you went back to work.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 11:52 AM) Since it's clear the commish will allow it, now every team will bid huge amounts and lowball the player. I wonder how many players will still be willing to be posted before fa. The player doesn't have to sign if the player doesn't feel the contract is fair. Matz had to weight this contract offer versus the fact that he could have come to the U.S. in 2 years as a free agent, with the signing team not having to pay any posting fee at all.

So, in something of an upset, the Democrats took 1 more seat in Congress last night, TX-23, where Ciro Rodriguez beat incumbent Republican Henry Bonilla in a run-off election. Lots of cool notes on this one. First, it's the 2nd "Take-back" in Texas just this year, which means that all of Tom Delay's Shenanigoats, the redistricting, the flight of the Democrats, the DHS involvement, Delay's multiple indictments, all of it, has given the Republicans a net 2 seats. Secondly, this district sits right on the border with Mexico. The Republicans (who scheduled the runoff) decided to run the election on a Mexican holiday, hoping that it would drive down the turnout. Rep. Bonilla also voted for the bill to build a fence along that stretch of the border, and was a supporter of the "Make illegal immigration a felony" bill. In an actual county on the border, Bonilla lost 86-14. This seat will probably remain a Democratic held seat until Rodriguez retires or the district is redrawn, btw, given that he is the one now holding the advantage of incumbency, and the hispanic population of that district. And, pending the outcome of litigation in FL-13, the Democrats currently hold 233 seats in the House, potentially 234 if there is a re-vote. During the entire time the Republicans held the House, they were never once able to get that large of a majority in that chamber.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 11:16 AM) I agree...even when you factor in the amount they paid to post this is a pretty darn good signing, imo. Assuming he winds up succeeding, or at least being a decent MLB pitcher, for the duration of his contract. If he starts having arm problems or loses velocity in a year or two, then this becomes one pretty bad deal for the BoSox. SI calls it official.

Benson is a wonderful switch-up from Jones, and there's no reason not to make use of both of them every game unless one of them matches up particularly poorly (usually, that would be Jones against a speed team). Especially if it puts the ball on the ground more.

That would be, I think, an excellent move for the Braves, a decent move for the Bucs and maybe a poor move for the Yankees.

Sadly, that's still probably a lot less than he'll get on the open market next offseason.

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Robert Byrd, a man so full of pork that Israel considers him an enemy...has joined in with the rest of the Dems in Giving up Pork for the year until lobbying reform actually happens. This is like Henry VIII settling down with one wife or George W. telling the truth.