Center of Attention

A round up of recent reporting and commentary by a few centrist, moderate, and independent bloggers.

While I’m more of a football than baseball fan, even I have to admit baseball is America: the sport’s history parallels the larger history that has defined us as a nation. So what does it say about us when we see our cultural reflection in Barry Bonds? Rick Moran offers his take. Spoiler Alert: The last paragraph is pure money.

TMV contributor Shaun Mullen turned us on to Moran’s commentary re: Bonds. Shaun has also penned, at Kiko’s House, a touching tribute to a long-departed friend. Well worth a read.

Speaking of touching tributes, check out this one by Jim Martin, re: fatherhood. (After reading it, if you don’t choke up just a little, you probably need to lay two fingers across your wrist and make sure you still have a pulse.)

Stubborn Facts has passed the one-year mark. If you enjoy their posts, drop them a congrats line.

Michael vDG reminds us of a certain hero named Salman Rushdie.

Joel Hirschhorn wonders why we’re “unready to revolt, despite revolting conditions.” He writes:

… no rational person thinks that a large fraction of the population is ready to rise up in revolt against the evil status quo political-economic system that so clearly is not serving the interests of the overwhelming majority of Americans. Why not?

He then offers some answers which do not include this one: The “status quo political-economic system” is in fact “serving the interests of the overwhelming majority of Americans.” Are things perfect? No. Are more people enjoying more wealth in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world? Yes. [My apologies for lacing this particular entry with a personal comment. That was the Republican in me talking.]

Jon Henke has a gripe with Glenn Greenwald. [So, if we belittle someone for belittling someone who belittles others ... who's in the right?]

I think it’s always entertaining to watch conservatives discuss when they first realized GWB was not actually one of them. I find it amusing because I’m among these conservatives, and I’ve participated in more than one of these self-deprecating discussions.