With so many issues breaking and politics now also swirling around the Gulf oil spill, it’s time again for TMV’s Around the Sphere linkfest — taking you to website with a variety of opinions. Links do not necessarily represent the opinion of TMV or its many writers.
THE VOICE OF POLITICAL TRUTH often seems to be Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Ed Rendel, one of my favorites to watch on cable shows. And now he has said what many have (clearly) thought: if Bill Clinton had been President he would have been down in Louisiana in a wetsuit by now. (Is Barack Obama’s often compliment cool style now in danger of becoming fatal hubris?)
AND THE POLLING CONSENSUS ON BARACK OBAMA is not good as Scared Monkeys points out…
SHOULD ELENA KAGAN’S LACK OF JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE DISQUALIFY HER FROM THE SUPREME COURT? Justice Antonin Scalia doesn’t think so.
IS THE GULF OIL SPILL OBAMA’S KATRINA? Karl Rove (SURPRISE..SURPRISE) says yes. Here’s another surprise: Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh say so, too. But wait: during Katrina didn’t these folks either insist it wasn’t handled as badly as the press said or that it was all the (evil, liberal) mainstream media coupled with the (even more evil) Democrats who put that line out? Let’s not think about that.. Glenn Reynolds has some good links on this point HERE.
SARAH PALIN IS UPSET THAT HER NEW NEIGHBOR IS A GUY WHO’S ALSO WRITING A BOOK ABOUT HER: Details here. Most of Palin’s comments seem to center things about…Sarah Palin. It’s less the case of a politico talking about issues, then about being in the political arena with all the (bad non-Fox) journalists and (bad) Democrats. Now she’s raising a Facebrook eyebrow about an author who hasn’t even published his book yet (suggesting he’s creepy). On the other hand, there is precedent to this: Frank Sinatra was not enamored with Kitty Kelly. But except for Richard Nixon whose narrative seemed to be Richard Nixon versus the World we have not seen a politician whose focus seems to be so much herself in a long time (that is, OVERTLY the focus…) The other part of the link that’s significant is how conservative bloggers are turning against a Washington Post conservative.
THE WASHINGTON POST CONSERVATIVE BLOGGER UNDER FIRE (you can tell by the headline that has it as “‘Conservative blogger'” is David Weigel. Here’s the case against him. But the bottom line really is: if he backed Palin he probably would not be coming under fire. Partisan and ideological solidarity is now a considered a must or someone is a RINO or DINO (I had an uncle who was a WINO).
SPEAKING OF TALENTED WRITERS AND AUTHORS Shaun Mullen is a former TMV coblogger who has a beautifully written blog. Now he has written a beautifully written book (which I am reading) The Bottom of the Fox: A True Story of Love, Devotion & Cold-Blooded Murder.
The former Philadelphia star newspaperman has now interviewed himself (HERE). (Wait! Isn’t that what Sarah Palin effectively does whenever Sean Hannity or anyone interviews her on Fox News?)
INDEPENDENT GOVERNOR CANDIDATE IN MAINE CONTENDS HE’S BEING KEPT OFF THE BALLOT: Alex Hammer, an independent candidate for Governor in Maine who has contributed to TMV, is accusing Maine’s Secretary of State of in effect trying to keep him off the ballot. Here’s his account on his blog. This is a reminder that besides the two parties in most states you do have independents who run for office (and once in a while they do win despite big obstacles).
ARNOLD SCHWARZNEGGER ISN’T THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN USE THE TAGLINE “I’LL BE BAACK.” Polls show former Gov. Jerry Brown’s political stock is rising in California. It’s hard to find people (particularly young people) who are vehemently anti-Jerry Brown here. Just as Richard Nixon finally won the Presidency, perhaps Brown is destined for a second chapter as California’s governor, following one of the most unpopular Governors in California history. Brown has some baggage but perhaps not as weighty in the end as whoever it is who’ll run against him.
WILL GOPERS MOVE TO IMPEACH BARACK OBAMA IF THEY TAKE OVER THE HOUSE? Some think they will And here’s yet another take on this not-yet-an-issue-but-I-predict-it-will-be issue.
QUESTION: GUESS WITH PORTION OF AMERICANS DIDN’T PAY INCOME TAXES? The answer is HERE.
A DEMOCRAT IN TROUBLE? Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold.
WAS DICK CHENEY RIGHT OR WRONG? Was it ridiculous when he said it was ridiculous to govern by polls? Or was he right?
BRITAIN’S UPCOMING AUSTERITY MEASURES: Will it impact military operations?
IS THE STIMULUS SPENDING COSTING JOBS? Some think so…
ALL PROGRESSIVE EYES CONTINUE TO BE ON ARKANSAS where Bill Halter leads…
WHO BEARS THE BURDEN OF THE YOUNG CENTURY? The question seems to be a can of worms..
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.