Why does Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist, call Sen. Obama a centrist because of his changing positions on various issues? Being a centrist is one thing, not taking / keeping a position on the issues is another.  More News and Commentary for Moderates ”’Moderate’ is not a 4-letter word.” 

No, this isn’t a joke. Nor is it a story about a joke. Remember growing up, you had a tree house in the backyard where your secret club members or group of friends met. Perhaps it was a secluded area in the woods or someone’s basement. Somewhere that only you and they knew about. And when anyone would arrive, they wouldn’t just barge in. They would give the pre-arranged “secret code”. A knock. Another knock. A sign to those already there that someone they recognized wanted...

The Iowa caucus votes are in. The entrance polls have been analyzed. The candidates and pundits have moved on to New Hampshire. And after all is said and done, the general consensus is that Iowa has opted for “change”. But change of what? Change of our taxing system? Haven’t heard much of that. Maybe change how Social Security is funded or paid? Sadly, haven’t heard much of that either. Out of Iraq . . tomorrow, next month, next year, next decade. No, not even much discussion about...

I have often wondered if there wasn’t a physiological difference between those on the Left and those on the Right. Apparently there is, according to the Los Angeles Times: Exploring the neurobiology of politics, scientists have found that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work. In a simple experiment reported today in the journal Nature Neuroscience, scientists at New York University and UCLA show that political orientation...

Ever hear the expression “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander”? Generally, it means we should apply the same standard to ourselves as we apply to others. Take for example judicial sentencing. There are “people in our country” that believe our current judges are too lenient. They aren’t to be trusted and should be replaced with tough, bullet-biting arbiters that will throw the proverbial “book” at all who come before them. Enter Reggie...

As I have said many times in this space and others, Iraq’s civil strife will be resolved by diplomatic measures not warfare. Here are some tips from Dennis Ross, one of the best negotiators in the business: When one looks at U.S. foreign policy and our standing in the world today, it is hard to escape the conclusion that the Bush administration has not exactly excelled in the exercise of statecraft. Good statecraft matches objectives and means. Poor statecraft does not. Look at the administration’s...

I’ve never understood what the big deal was about gays serving in the military. The GLBT community brings as much talent and patriotism to the table as any other. The idea that gays serving in the military would somehow disrupt military operations just didn’t seem logical to me. Apparently, others agree. Since the British military began allowing homosexuals to serve in the armed forces in 2000, none of its fears — about harassment, discord, blackmail, bullying or an erosion...

I’ve always had a lot of respect for James A. Baker III and Lee Hamilton. Their insightful observations and conclusions contained within the Iraq Study Group only heightened that respect. I was profoundly disappointed after the Bush administration had rejected their advice and had done so, sadly, rather summarily. But wait! Maybe there is hope! Today’s Washington Post: After an initially tepid reception from policymakers, the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group are getting...

It’s difficult to find anyone these days that doesn’t think a civil war exists in Iraq. Sure, there’s some Al-Qaeda elements in the Sunni community, but from the accounts I’ve read, it accounts for less than 10% (and probably closer to 5%) of the current violence. From Army General David H. Petraeus, U.S. Commander in Iraq (March 9, 2007): Ultimately, he said, the solution in Iraq would have to be a political one. “Any student of history recognizes that...

I’ve never been a big fan of term limits. After all, isn’t that what elections are all about. Now this article in the Washington Post today:  Jo Ann Davidson remembers feeling optimistic that term limits would land more women in Ohio’s legislature, where 32 of the 132 seats were held by women in the mid-1990s. Yet in the seven years since the law took effect, the figure has fallen to 23. And now women elected after voters imposed eight-year term limits are surrendering...

How many times has the current administration stated that if we leave Iraq too soon, the “enemyâ€?, the “jihadistsâ€?, will follow us here? To these United States. Our communities. Our shopping malls. Our movie theatres? Better to fight them there than to fight them here, goes the logic. McClatchy Newspapers addresses the issue here: It’s become President Bush’s mantra, his main explanation for why he won’t withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq anytime soon. In...

If you are interested in politics and psychology, as I am, this is for you. While it has long been known that voters often select candidates that compensate for the perceived weaknesses of the current officeholder, it is now postulated that the top 2 candidates in a race benefit from the presence of a third place candidate. Here is a piece of the article in the Washington Post: If Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ever took a break from fundraising to bone up on psychology, they...

We all know by now that U.S. Attorneys serve at the “pleasure of the presidentâ€?. In essence, that means the president can fire any of them “at his pleasureâ€? or “at his willâ€?. As this former Bush administration official states: Eight federal prosecutors were fired last year because they did not sufficiently support President Bush’s priorities, a standard that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ former chief of staff says is legitimate. Kyle Sampson,...

Yesterday, I wrote about my hopes of a third way to extricate ourselves from Iraq. Rather than a “surgeâ€? or withdrawal by a certain date, we, instead, would focus on negotiations between the Shias and the Sunnis. Today, I see this in Time: Democrats on Capitol Hill hang on his every word, and Jim Webb doesn’t disappoint. His son was extended in Iraq for the surge, and his resolve to end a war that he opposed from the start is undisputed. He came from 33 points behind to...

While today’s House vote on setting a deadline for removing our troops from Iraq is still up in the air, it seems to me the wrong questions, the wrong issues, are being debated at this time. By virtually all assessments, Iraq is in the midst of a civil war. Civil wars require civil settlements – negotiations – to end them. On the one hand, while a “surge� may tamp down some strife today, it isn’t a long-term solution. On the other hand, pulling out on a...

This report from the New York Times: Insurgents detonated a bomb in a car with two children in it after using the children as decoys to get through a military checkpoint in Baghdad, an American general said Tuesday. Speaking at a news briefing at the Pentagon, Maj. Gen. Michael Barbaro, deputy director for regional operations at the Joint Staff, said American soldiers had stopped the car at the checkpoint but had allowed it to pass after seeing the two children in the back seat. â€œChildren...

To Joe Gandelman, thanks for giving me the opportunity to participate in your fine blog. To my fellow moderates, I would like to introduce myself: I was born in 1952 and am an attorney / consultant residing in Irvine, CA. My Bachelor of Arts degree is from U.C.L.A. in Political Science (achieved in 2 years) and my Juris Doctorate degree is from Pepperdine University School of Law. Major clients over the years have included Seal Beach Leisure World and Crystal Cathedral Ministries / Hour of Power...