A Follow Up: Cameron's interview with NY Times

As I was scouting major U.S. media Web sites today to find who's reporting on the Guardian's report on widespread phone tapping by the Murdoch-owned News of the World tabloid, I found this interesting gem from The New York Times: an interview with Tory leader David Cameron, set to be published in their Sunday magazine.

Cameron has defied calls from members of Parliament to sack PR director Andy Coulson, who left his post as editor of News of the World following the initial hacking incident. This excerpt from the Cameron profile piece, written by Christopher Caldwell, might provide insight as to Cameron's apparent determination to keep Coulson on board:

The party is run, for the most part, by the intimates of Cameron who occupy a single suite of offices in Norman Shaw South, a parliamentary office building on the Thames, a block away from the Palace of Westminster. Iain Martin of The Telegraph coined the term “the Quartet” to describe the four figures — Cameron; his shadow chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne; his policy adviser, Steve Hilton; and his director of communications, Andy Coulson — who are at the heart of all the shadow government’s decisions. . . . .Coulson is credited with translating Cameron’s agenda into terms that a nonmetropolitan public can understand: less about the environment and more about immigration. Less about social responsibility and more about social breakdown. To assume Cameron needs coaching from Coulson or anyone else about the popular media may be to give Cameron too little credit. He spent seven years, after all, working at a television company that did a lot of down-market programming. Cameron makes his immersion in popular culture a point of pride. When he met Barack Obama last summer, he gave him the gift of some favorite CDs — the Smiths, Radiohead, Gorillaz, Lily Allen.

If Cameron's trying to become the next Thomas Dewey, this might be a start.

Plumbers of the World, a division of News Corp.

UK Media are in a frenzy today following a report by the Guardian targeting the tabloid News of the World, part of Rupert Murdoch's News International conglomeration along with Fox News, The Sun and The Times. Guardian's reports alleges that their lower-brow rival was systematically involved in a process of wire-tapping the phones and voice mails of various celebrities and politicos, and paying nearly £1 million to keep them from pressing charges. This re-opens a case from 2006 where one of their reporters, Clive Goodwin, was sentenced to four months of prison after being convicted of hacking into the mobile accounts of three members of the Royal family. Under oath to a select Parliamentary committee, editors and executives with News Corp. stated that Goodwin acted alone.

If that's the case, then Goodwin must have "1337 h4x0r sk11z" because documents obtained by Guardian (again Labour-leaning whilst Murdoch's operations are typically right-leaning) show that London's Tory mayor Boris Johnson, former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, supermodel Elle McPherson, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and up to 3,000 others may have been spied upon by reporters and staff at News of the World and potentially other News Corp. papers.

There is a time when subterfuge is necessary in public interest. Given the wide-range and magnitude of these accusations, this describes more blatant invasion of privacy than public interest, by a private entity for monetary gain. Further, when subterfuge is necessary, the astute reporter & editor will seek a response from the targeted subject, be it before or after publication, and seek more public evidence to back up their findings, to mitigate the risk of defamation.

Several members of the House of Commons would definitely have liked to know that they were being spied upon, as they called for an investigation to determine what law enforcement knew and, if pertinent, why they didn't act on it. (Guess they now know what it feels like to be on the other end of Big Brother.) And certainly there is a political twist, as again: it's a Labour-leaning paper ratting out a right-wing operation. Andy Coulson, the former editor of News of the World, who resigned after the initial incident with Goodwin, is now the PR director for the Conservative Party.

Tory leader David Cameron says Coulson's current job is safe. And Coulson's old boss, Les Hinton, assumed command of The Wall Street Journal after News Corp. bought out Dow Jones.

I sense plenty of fodder for Keith Olbermann tonight.

Four interesting points on the Fourth

So the big question anyone back home who thought about me today, here in the land of the one-time masters of North America, likely is "does anyone in England celebrate the Fourth of July?"

Well, I don't think anyone shoots off fireworks on the beach in Sandgate just because it's the first Saturday of the first full month of summer. Unfortunately, my fiancée was a bit ill today and so my top priority was to take care of her and not find out for myself by way of gallivanting around Folkestone screaming God Bless America as I symbolically dunk tea in the harbour and hold a moment of silence in memory of the brief political career of Sarah Palin.

So in lieu of wearing my Missouri state flag T-shirt out on the town today, I'm instead posting four interesting facts about the Fourth of July on this, the Fourth of July.

1. The Fourth of July was not the actual date when America declared its independence.
Today marks the date in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress formally adopted the exact wording of the Declaration of Independence, famously penned by Thomas Jefferson. However, the Congress agreed to declare its independence from Great Britain on July 2, in closed session. In one of his many letters to his wife Abagail, John Adams predicted that fireworks, games, parades, and so on throughout the land in celebration of America's independence. Only he saw it happening on the second of July, not the fourth.

More interesting, while the wording of the declaration was adopted on the fourth, the majority of the Congress didn't even sign the Declaration until August 2. And the man whom Americans no longer wished to have as their ruler, King George III, received the formal text from the Colonies until the end of August 1776.

2. The American Colonies rebelled from a Christian nation.
Yes, you read right. The United States, a land where a sizeable majority of people polled say they practice Christianity or another religion, formed from the original Thirteen Colonies, rebelled from the leader of a Christian denomination. The full title of George III was:
“George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and so forth”
The title “Defender of the Faith” is conferred on the British Monarch by Parliament to indicate the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. As such, each monarch since Elizabeth I, plus the Cromwells during the interregnum of the 1650s, has been the church's figurehead. Thus, the Monarch must formally confirm the appointment of church leaders (as suggested by church officials to the Prime Minister, who then makes the appointments to the Monarch), including the highest appointment: Primate of All England and Archbishop of Canterbury.

Therefore, America, our “One Nation Under God”, rebelled from a nation lead by the leader of a significant Christian denomination, and didn't confer a religious title on the Presidency or Speaker of the House. But like the typical free-market advocates, Americans banded together regardless of religion: Anglicans, Baptists, Buddhists, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Secular Humanists, etc. etc. to set up a great nation where the executive branch doesn't need an associated institution of religion established by law.

3. Although the United States declared its independence from Great Britain, fourteen states were never under British control.
Every state east of the Mississippi River, with exception to Florida, was part of the original land of the United States. Florida, however, was under British control for 20 years, gaining it from Spain in 1763 but ceding it 20 years later. Spanish ceded control of Florida in 1812. The southern tips of Alabama and Mississippi, plus much of Louisiana, were ceded in 1819.

A treaty in 1818 established a simple border between the United States and Britain's North American holdings west of the Great Lakes at the 49th parallel. As a result, lands in North Dakota and South Dakota east of the Missouri River, plus another portion of Minnesota, were ceded to the States from Britain. The 49th parallel boundary was extended to the Juan de Fuca Strait in 1846, with Britain dropping its claims to the Columbia Territory (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Wyoming and Montana).

Alaska's southeast peninsula was leased by the Russians to the British for 30 years, with the lease not transferring over when Seward's purchase occurred in 1867. So who does that leave?

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.

The 14 states listed were, at one point or another, either under French or Spanish control prior to becoming ultimately part of the United States. (It's possible that northernmost areas of California, Nevada and Utah were under British control. Mexico claimed their northern border from 1821 to 1848 as the 42nd parallel.) Despite Hawaii having the only state flag including a Union Jack, the islands were never under British control. While James Cook commanded the first European fleet to arrive at the islands, Hawaii's tribal chiefs were united by one independent kingdom rather than by way of European conquest.

So is there really a valid reason to celebrate the Fourth of July in these states that were never under control of George III? Would more valid dates here instead be May 2 (date of the Louisiana Purchase, 1803), March 2 (Texas' declaration of independence from Mexico, 1836), December 29 (date of Texas' annexation into the U.S., 1845), March 10 (Mexican cessation per Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848), or July 7 (Hawaii's annexation, 1898)?

4. 43 additional nations have national holidays celebrating their independence from Great Britain.
Of those 43 nations, 34 are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, formally named the British Commonwealth. Despite 38 declaring their independence during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, eight still recognise her as their head of state.

None of these nations had their Declarations of Independence promulgated on July 4, or July 2, or August 2.

Isn't the Lieutenant Governor suppose to oversee the Senate?

In Missouri, and in most other states that have the post, the Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the state's Senate. This emulates the role the Vice President of the United States has as President of the U.S. Senate, the supposedly higher chamber in a bicameral legislature. In this role, the Lieutenant Governor breaks ties when needed and serves as a liaison between the executive and legislative branch.

It seems the bridge is with a different chamber of the legislature recently. Today, House Republicans did a 180 and blasted Governor Jay Nixon's proposal to issue capital improvement bonds totalling $700 million. During the recent General Assembly session, the GOP and House Speaker Ron Richard expressed support for it, citing it as not requiring a tax increase along with previous bonds issued by former governor Kit Bond nearing full repayment.

Today, the GOP issued a news release calling the bond issue another attempt to establish Big Government. And at the helm of the change in course appeared to be Speaker Richard. This change, however, comes as Lt. Governor Peter Kinder expressed his disapproval. Also interesting to note, as pointed out by Tony Messenger of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, is that a similar turnabout occurred already this year when Richard initially opposed federal economic recovery funds for St. Louis's Metro rail system, but signed onto it after Kinder began campaigning for it.

Missouri's Republicans have larger majorities in the House and Senate but only two elected officials statewide: Senator Bond and Lt. Gov. Kinder. I thought Kinder was suppose to oversee the Senate, not direct the House.

With this turnabout, a greater risk now exists that Nixon may call a special session of the General Assembly in September to tackle the issue. This after Nixon struck from the state's budget last week several line-items, including several capital improvement projects and $33,000 for MoDOT in response to their attempt to lobby Nixon to veto Senate Bill 202 concerning motorcycle helmets.

Then again, with Richard running for State Senate next year, he might be getting ready for a role as President Pro Tempore.

Must repost this:

Cartoon from this week's Missouri Record, as posted by KY3 Springfield's Dave Catanese. He's the reporter in that cartoon.

What should have been the lead story in the UK today

First of all, insert tributes to Farrah Fawcett and Jacko here. Here's what should have lead headlines in many of UK's papers (particularly pro-Labour) today:

After a month of strikes and demonstrations, unionised workers at a refinery in Lincolnshire (in Northern England) are slated to regain their jobs. Union members previously employed at the Lindsey Oil Refinery, owned by France's Total, will vote Monday on a package that will allow 51 staff members made redundant, as well as 641 workers who were sacked when they walked out (without a formal vote on the action) in support of the 51. The walkout occurred on account of Total hiring workers to build a new building at the facility despite canning 51. The unions expressed concern that they were being replaced by cheaper, foreign labour. Total asked the workers they sacked to re-apply for their jobs last week but many union members burned their applications in protest. The sacked workers received support from fellow workers at several power plants in the UK, as they also staged solidarity walkouts.

This is taking place in one of the two European Parliament districts where Labour's vote collapse earlier this month resulted in the election of an MEP from the ultra-right wing British National Party. At a time when the party named Labour is losing touch with, and thus its support from their core constituencies—blue-collar, working-class families—a victory of this nature should be built upon by the old guard if Labour if they seek to salvage the party's reputation and heritage, and further minimize the risk of voter disgust turning into support for parties with extreme platforms.

This is a subject I will likely produce a commentary on in the near future.

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In spite of my "below the fold" tendency, this needs brought up before it sneaks up and tarnishes Kay Barnes' legacy to Kansas City: (Again from the Guardian)

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour was slated to start in two weeks at London's O2 Arena. The tour was initially suppose to have just 10 dates, but the operators of the arena convinced Jackson to expand the schedule five-fold at a cost of £300 million (almost one-half billion US dollars), including expenses. They now will have to eat those costs, as tickets sold to the 50 concert dates will need to be refunded, starting Monday.

The O2 Arena is operated by a subsidiary of AEG Entertainment, the company that also manages Kansas City's Sprint Center as well as Kemper Arena and the American Royal building.

MoDOT's trying to lure me home…

…by opening an interchange that has people driving on the left side of the road!?

On Monday, the Missouri Department of Transportation completed construction on a new traffic scheme at the junction of Interstate 44 and Highway 13 in Springfield, best known as the exit leading you to QuikTrip and Fantastic Caverns. The intersection design, called a divergent diamond, has only been done three times before in France. (Were I still on the wrong side of 36°30', or at least in Southwest Missouri, I would likely have driven through this intersection at least once in the next month on account of desiring to visit the grandparents near the Fourth of July holiday and a greater desire to gork out on QuikTrip's fountain quarts whilst driving, but I digress.)

In short, the intersection is structured to where traffic signals only handle traffic across the bridge, while traffic exiting the freeway need only yield to oncoming traffic and entering the freeway simply exit when they need do. This results, however, in Missourians using that intersection now driving on the left side of the road. (Next thing you know, Heartland Chevrolet will add Vauxhalls to their lineup.) Traffic flow across the bridge only one direction at a time, hopefully preventing backups and negating the need for turn lanes. However, there runs the risk of confusing the crap out of drivers, especially at night if the glare guards don't do the trick.

For MoDOT, this is the first implementation of this design coming to fruition (and the first in the U.S.). MoDOT initially proposed it for the semi-truck heavy intersection between I-435 and Front Street in Kansas City's East Bottoms. Along with Front Street, they also plan to introduce it at I-270 and Dorsett Road in the St. Louis suburb of Richmond Heights. And several other state DoTs are looking into it.

If they really wanted to give Missouri a taste of Britain, they could have done a roundabout interchange instead! That's practically the standard along Britain's motorways!

One good thing about home being well to the west…

…you get up well before the morning shows back home that you otherwise would have slept through.

In fact, this is the first time I've watched anything from CNBC before the opening bell in a long, long time, if ever. Go figure, though: I looked it up because of the appearance of "Mizzur-uh" Senator Kit Bond on this morning's Squawk Box.

CNBC has just uploaded four segments of Bond's appearance from this morning. On protectionism, Bond expounded on his opposition to provisions that mandated "Buy America" and prohibited the entry of Mexican trucks into America. He also discusses concerns about consumer protection becoming politically driven. On healthcare, Bond stressed concern about government intervention into this field and the ballooning deficit. And on cap-and-trade emission standards, Bond simply called it "cap-and-tax".

Meanmwhile, his one-time Senate colleague and successor in the governor's mansion, John Ashcroft, today will endorse Roy Blunt's bid to succeed Bond in the Senate. And here in Folkestone, TVs will be switching between the first day of Wimbledon and the selection of a new Speaker of the House of Commons, which could either be a significant swing toward reform or a complete and utter farce before the night is done. Speeches will begin in 20 minutes, but given that there will be 10 candidates and a new exhaustive and secret ballot system in place, this could easily reach sunset. Which this month is after 9pm.