BBC: An explosion hits a major hotel in the Jordanian capital Amman, reportedly killing at least five people and injuring several others. For more details: http://www.bbcnews.com CNN via wire services: : Explosions hit two Western hotels in Amman, Jordan, reported to be a Radisson and a Grand Hyatt, killing at least five. According to NPR, a THIRD bombing has occurred at Amman’s Days Inn. Now “several” are dead in what is undoubtedly a series of terrorist bombings. Haaretz: At...

We’ve often noted here that weblogs are an incredibly new infotechnology where anyone can publish their own newspaper/magazine/multi-media package at very little cost. But do bloggers including yours truly take advantage of this? We routinely run posts featuring bloggers who do original reporting or interviews. We’ve done some of that here, but not nearly enough (the latest being our extensive interview with progressive talker Ed Schultz). Today’s Democracy‘s Dean Reece has...

The media verdict is coming in…a verdict that will mutate over the next few days into the conventional wisdom…a verdict that those running for election in 2006 and 2008 will have to analyze so they can possibly adjust their political behavior accordingly: It has not been a great day for the GOP. The Washington Post has a roundup of the latest election results HERE. Although some Republican-backed measures triumphed in some areas, the overall gist of this election seemed to be an angry...

…has taken place in Tennessee and an assistant principal is dead.

Saddam Hussein’s trial in Baghdad had two monkey wrenches thrown in it today: the murder of yet another lawyer associated with the case and his lawyer’s suspension of contact with the tribunal trying him until they get better security — and they’re even asking for the trial to be moved abroad to protect all involved. The latest murder makes it clear it’s very perilous to be a lawyer in Baghdad if you’re working on the Saddam side: Gunmen on Tuesday opened fire...

Yes, he says it here. (Define “We”.) But then, what was going on at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib? What may still be going on there and/or in other U.S.-run detention facilities around the world? THE ONES WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT? Bush: “We’re working with Congress to make sure that as we go forward, we make it possible, more possible, to do our job. There’s an enemy that lurks and plots and plans and wants to hurt America again. And so, you bet we will aggressively pursue them....

This should hardly come as a surprise, but Weekly Standard editor and Fox News-frequenting neocon-Straussian Bill Kristol does not think that President Bush should fire Karl Rove (or, presumably, that Rove should resign). He does, however, think that Bush must remain “a polarizing president”. First it was his culture of conservative victimhood, now it’s his essentially un-conservative conservatism. Kristol, whom I’ve had the opportunity to meet a couple of times (my dissertation...

Greg Prince at Uncorrelated has written a thoughtful and thought-provoking post on whether or not the Constitution ‘as is’ includes a right to privacy, a response in part to Dan Savage’s suggestion at The Stranger that Democrats propose a so-called “Right to Privacy” amendment. It’s an interesting idea, and Democrats might do well to go ahead with it (would Republicans or conservatives more specifically come out against privacy?), but, like Greg (and liberals generally)...

It’s election day today and, even though it isn’t the mid-term elections, a lot is at stake. For instance, today could be the day when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s clout is terminated by California voters if the bulk of or all of his ballot measures go down the tubes. If you look at polls and talk to Californians at random you realize: you don’t need actor Warren Beatty to tell you Arnold may be in trouble. And, elsewhere, there are some highly significant races,...

I have a bit more news on the spreading of violence in France (not much), along with a response to some who have commented, a note on what moderation truly is, and some additional information regarding the backgrounds of those involved in the riots at my weblog, Random Fate. (NOTE: the second link is to a different post) Depending upon the events of this evening, I hope to have a more comprehensive round-up along with my personal view of the situation from one actually on the spot, as it were, posted...

It’s a given that President George W. Bush enjoys the support of many social conservatives, Evangelicals and church leaders (such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson to name just a few) who OFTEN speak out on his behalf and lambaste his opponents. So can this really be happening? Perhaps this is just a glitch and it won’t be pursued to the end. If not, then the rule needs to be enforced EQUALLY no matter what party or ideology is involved. TMV thanks Ted in Detroit for sending us the...

A Washington Post story containing critical quotes from administration sources paints a picture of Vice President Dick Cheney as adamant on defending controversial U.S. practices regarding detainees — and it suggests his standing within the administration is shakier than ever. If this had been a news story published in the time when Francisco Franco was dictator of Spain or Stalin were dictator of the Soviet Union, it’d raise eyebrows because people trying to learn the nuances of closed-administration...

Marshall Wittman of the Bull Moose (one of my favourite blogs and certainly one of the highlights of the centrist blogosphere) has an excellent post on “high crimes and misdemeanors” — that is, on impeachment. His argument is that “Congressional Democrats are settling on a ‘narrative’ and a ‘frame’ for the Iraq War” that leads to an inexorable conclusion: “[A] vast conspiracy concocted a war based on lies.” Because of this, it follows,...

Sen. Joseph Biden predicts Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito will get an up and down vote: A key Democrat said on Sunday that he expects the full Republican-led Senate to vote on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito without the threat of a Democratic filibuster. But Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware said a decision would not be made about such a possible procedural roadblock until more lawmakers meet with President George W. Bush’s conservative nominee to the nation’s highest court. “My...

France’s urban unrest spilled has spilled over into the Paris area — underscoring the country’s large Muslim population, economic disparities, the tendency for Muslims to live in specific areas, a culture of hopelessness and — some say — behind the scenes instigation of the violence by Islamic militants. The news reports all paint a picture of a country marked by civil disorder and official dismay over how to defuse the violence and short-circuit the unrest’s origins....

You can now say with great accuracy that California politics is notable for its star-crossed actors: Actors Warren Beatty and wife Annette Bening tried to crash a campaign appearance Saturday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as the governor sought to drum up last-minute support for a group of statewide ballot measures. The Hollywood couple strode side-by-side to the entrance of an airport hangar where several hundred of the governor’s supporters had gathered. A Schwarzenegger aide told the “Bulworth”...

HONESTLY, folks, why can’t we all admit it and say at the outset that this news item should be filed in the CYA And Get-Something-On-Paper-To-Improve-Our-Image Department? President Bush has ordered White House staff to attend mandatory briefings beginning next week on ethical behavior and the handling of classified material after the indictment last week of a senior administration official in the CIA leak probe. According to a memo sent to aides yesterday, Bush expects all White House staff...

Donald Sensing (one of TMV’s favorite Internet writers) is a pastor and former military man who also worked in the Pentagon. The Sensing’s son is in the Marines (Donald is one person who cannot be accused of being a “chickenhawk” when he writes on Iraq). So the Sensings went to see the new flick “Jarhead.” Here’s a very small part of his review — which MUST be read in full (it’s more interesting than what you’ll find in other publications): I...

According to one commentator, the answer may very well be “yes.“

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi caused a bit of a ruckus today with this Privileged Resolution on Iraq. Text and commentary by the incomparable Karen Zipdrive of Pulp Friction

Is it underrated? Is it hopelessly sabotaged by fears of “acting white?” How does family structure play in? I respond to some prominent conservative myths about the subject.

“Hey! I know how: let’s cut school kids’ lunch programs! By the way, Tom, let’s go for some of that great Senate Bean Soup in the Senate dining room today.” “Yeah! Let’s do lunch there before we sit down in committee and write up the bill to make that cut in that program that’s an unneeded, excessive burden on taxpayers. By the way, the dining room’s banana split makes a great dessert, especially if you have the soup with the Freedom Fries!”

If there’s too much baggage on an airplane and it’s starting to go down, what do you do with the baggage? You have to toss one out. Even if it’s a durable designer model called Karl Rove: Top White House aides are privately discussing the future of Karl Rove, with some expressing doubt that President Bush can move beyond the damaging CIA leak case as long as his closest political strategist remains in the administration. If Rove stays, which colleagues say remains his intention,...

Yesterday, I introduced my new Scalitovision 2005 series at The Reaction. Part 1 is here. And here — for your continued pleasure — is Part 2. Please feel free to add your comments. I’m always impressed with the readership here at TMV and I’d like to know what you all think. Highlights: Conservatives are happy again, reuniting behind the nomination; Some liberals have resorted to name-calling, but there are also some serious and justifiable reservations about Alito; Moderates...

When a near-apoplectic Majority Leader Bill Frist denounced Minority Leader Harry Reid for not giving him notice that he intended to demand the Senate go into closed session, it turns out there was a bit of interesting history there — history that it took a newspaper to uncover. To hear Frist tell it, Reid’s move was shocking and had violated a gentlemen’s agreement. In other words, if Reid had only TOLD HIM he wanted it, they could have gotten together and worked it out. But,...