Althouse: I'm afraid Lindsey Graham hates me.

May 6, 2015

I'm afraid Lindsey Graham hates me.

Dear Lindsey:

I am concerned about your statement "Everything that starts with 'Al' in the Middle East is bad news."

Your friend,

Althouse

36 comments:

pst314 said...: Yeah, but you're an 'Al' in the Middle West.; 5/6/15, 6:49 AM
MadisonMan said...: Althouse-JaZeera?; 5/6/15, 6:58 AM
Ron said...: Al-thouse practices She-jad; 5/6/15, 6:58 AM
J. Farmer said...: Of course this nonsensical non-issue is getting the attention, when the real scandal is a US Senator going before the PR firm for a foreign power and promising to be a good little toady.; 5/6/15, 7:01 AM
sinz52 said...: Lindsey Graham obviously needs an Arabic-English dictionary or phrase book.

"al" is Arabic for "the"

"al-Qaeda" literally means "the base" [of operations].

"al-Jazeera" means "the peninsula" [the Arabian Peninsula, on which the original founders of the news network lived]

Oh, well, politicians say really dumb things all the time.; 5/6/15, 7:12 AM
Anonymous said...: pandering is pandering; 5/6/15, 7:20 AM
bwebster said...: Heh.; 5/6/15, 7:30 AM
MadisonMan said...: So al-thouse means 'The thouse'?; 5/6/15, 7:31 AM
Brando said...: Glad he didn't include Italy, or a lot of Alfredos, Alfonsos and Albertos would be highly miffed.; 5/6/15, 7:33 AM
Jon Burack said...: I seriously do not get what this is about. It is clear to me, in any case, Graham was joking. Perhaps a bit mindlessly. So what?

As to his appearing before AIPAC and signaling his friendship and solidarity with Israel, is that an issue? Amazing. I don't really expect Graham to be a contender and would not vote for him if he were. However, I am more sick about Obama's (and the left's in general) obvious distaste if not outright hatred for Israel than just about any other thing he's done or expressed. Israel is the beacon of hope for the entire Middle East, and some day far in the future the rest of that region will in the end acknowledge that. For now, I find it fantastic and appalling that the BDS movement singles out this one country for opprobrium out of all the vastly more despicable places there are on earth.

So I guess having spouted off, I have to return and say I really do not get this entry at all. What's its point?; 5/6/15, 7:37 AM
mezzrow said...: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA; 5/6/15, 7:46 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "So al-thouse means 'The thouse'?"

The T House.

The Tea House!; 5/6/15, 7:49 AM
paminwi said...: Are you in the Middle East?

Reading comprehension should be a big thing for a constitutional law professor.; 5/6/15, 7:57 AM
Scott said...: Al Franken.; 5/6/15, 8:15 AM
Scott said...: Graham is a cracker.; 5/6/15, 8:16 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: I've known since 8th grade that algebra was evil.; 5/6/15, 8:18 AM
Big Mike said...: You're not in the Middle East. Wisconsin is in the Middle West.

@MadMad, the Professor's name is German for "old house." A silent 'e' was added at the end by somebody in her ancestry to Anglicize the spelling.; 5/6/15, 8:19 AM
Big Mike said...: @MadMan, I take that back. The entire German "haus" was Anglicized to "house."

I need another cup of coffee.; 5/6/15, 8:21 AM
Gahrie said...: Of course this nonsensical non-issue is getting the attention, when the real scandal is a US Senator going before the PR firm for a foreign power and promising to be a good little toady.

Why? The President did the same thing with the Russians.; 5/6/15, 8:26 AM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/6/15, 8:28 AM
Peter said...: Well, if just about everything Arabic in the Middle East is bad news then I guess the statement is true.

It's somewhat like saying "Every word this person says is a lie, including 'a' and 'the': hyperbole, perhaps, not not necessarily ignorant.; 5/6/15, 9:17 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Everything Muzzie is bad news. Unless you've been in a coma this should be obvious.; 5/6/15, 9:48 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Jon Burack:

"As to his appearing before AIPAC and signaling his friendship and solidarity with Israel, is that an issue? Amazing."

Actually, it is not an issue at all. That is what is truly amazing. Appearing before AIPAC and slobbering absurdly over-the-top praise on Israel is par for the course in American political theater. Ted Cruz dared us to "imagine a president who stood with Israel." Unquestioning, unwavering, unconditional support for Israel is one of the job requirements for Republican presidential nominee. Our relationship with Israel is certainly the most shockingly one-sided one we have ever maintained in our 200-year diplomatic history. Israel benefits tremendously while America receives nothing substantial in return while incurring significant costs.; 5/6/15, 10:27 AM
Hagar said...: A politician with a sense of humor and wordplay is always just one tiny step away from disaster.; 5/6/15, 10:27 AM
Bad Lieutenant said...: Farmer, you're full of shit. No point in specifying as you will not listen; I just wanted it on the record.; 5/6/15, 11:59 AM
mikee said...: Unk, I second your action re Farmer.; 5/6/15, 12:20 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Unknown, @Mikee:

Ah, the classic you're-so-wrong-I-won't-even-bother-refuting-you line.

Well, if you two cannot be bothered, perhaps some other pro-Israel commenter would like to explain what we receive from "one of our closest allies" and why precisely there must be "no daylight" between the US and Israel when such a statement would widely be considered ridiculous if made in regard to another major ally (e.g. Japan)?; 5/6/15, 12:36 PM
Unknown said...: We just conducted a tour for a group of mid east students. The class roster had each students name beginning with Al. Odd, we thought.; 5/6/15, 12:46 PM
Sam L. said...: How long have you been in the middle east?; 5/6/15, 3:35 PM
Bad Lieutenant said...: Nope Farm, we all agree you're worthless. To prove you're not, how about you play devil's advocate and try to answer your own question?; 5/6/15, 3:52 PM
ken in tx said...: Al was imported into Spanish as El. As in El Toro. Again, it means The.; 5/6/15, 9:45 PM
ken in tx said...: There were several Arabic influences on Spanish culture. For example, Medieval Spanish ladies wearing veils, and requiring chaperones whenever they left the house. Plus the hyper masculinity and violent prickliness of Spanish men.; 5/6/15, 9:58 PM
mikee said...: Compare the Spanish machismo to that of Montenegrans, who spent 1000 years fighting against Muslims, and see who is historically more violently prickly, hyper masculine and protective of their women.

Common denominator?; 5/7/15, 11:47 AM
J. Farmer said...: @unknown:

"Nope Farm, we all agree you're worthless. To prove you're not, how about you play devil's advocate and try to answer your own question?"

Nope. I am quite confident in my convictions and willing to defend them anytime, anyplace, and against anyone. But if being in the safe majority is all you require to feel confident in your convictions, then more power to you.; 5/7/15, 3:06 PM
J. Farmer said...: @mikew:

"Compare the Spanish machismo to that of Montenegrans, who spent 1000 years fighting against Muslims, and see who is historically more violently prickly, hyper masculine and protective of their women."

Who gives a Frenchman's fuck about Muslims? Do you actually believe that "muslims" pose any significant threat to US national security? Do you think maybe if we gave up this moronic desire for hegemony in the middle east and did away with this child assumption that we are an "exceptional nation" that perhaps we might be a little safer from psycho third worlders wanting to do us harm? Does the US really need to be such a fucking international busy body that it lectures the rest of the world about how things will go?; 5/7/15, 3:09 PM
Bad Lieutenant said...: Not surprisingly you misunderstood me. Wilfully or no makes little difference. My point is that if you are so well informed then you should know some arguments I or another would make. I can't be bothered to teach you the alphabet. Show me some quality.; 5/7/15, 5:40 PM