Scribal Terror

Politician opposes Satan with comic book

Brent Rinehart, an Oklahoma county commissioner presently in trouble for (possibly felonious) campaign finance irregularities, has written a kind of Chick tract supporting his bid for reelection. According to The Oklahoman:

In one sequence, Satan says: "If I can get the kids to believe homosexuality is normal!”

The angel replies: "Hey Satan, not with Brent around you won't!”

Rinehart characterizes his comic as "light-hearted." Via Ace

Make way for newts

Ananova reports:

A couple have been barred from returning to their £1m home wrecked by last summer's floods - because newts have moved in.

John and Margie Histed have been forced to live in a caravan [i.e., trailer] since their 18th-century house flooded, reports the Daily Express.

Repairs were almost complete to their home at Dauntsey, Wiltshire, when a blocked drainage ditch caused it to flood again.

And now they have been told they cannot unblock the ditch because the Environment Agency suspects great-crested newts might be living there.

Officials have ordered a three-month survey to look for the protected species and it could take several more months to relocate them if they are found.

In the meantime the Histeds have had to put their renovations on hold in case the property floods again.

TR on the campaign trail

Why can't one of the recent crop of boring, inarticulate boobies plagiarize speeches like this? Via Maggie's Farm

"That's [political] logic"

I'm having a problem following Obama's line of reasoning on Iraq. It begins with an excellent syllogism:

We should be in Iraq only if Al-Qaeda is there.
Al-Qaeda is not in Iraq.
Therefore we should leave.

Flawless. If you accept the major (stipulative) and minor (factual) premises, the conclusion falls neatly into place. But then the logical structure begins to breaks down:

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is in Iraq.
But it is Bush's fault.
[Implied: Therefore it doesn't count]
Therefore we should reserve the right to return to Iraq if Al-Qaeda in Iraq is in Iraq after we leave Iraq.

This sounds like a proposal to dig holes in order to fill them up again. Am I missing something? Can anybody make this make sense?

PS, the post title (as well as the illustration) comes from Alice in Wonderland:

"Contrariwise,'' continued Tweedledee, "if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.''

I invite anyone to submit any candidate's statement for similar scrutiny. I'm happy to be Alice to either Dum or Dee. Who knows? This could become a continuing feature. As long as candidates persist in running for office over such a long period of time, we might as well find a way to enjoy ourselves at their expense.