It’s a beautiful day in New York’s scenic 22nd district, with clear skies, a gentle breeze and mild temperatures. In fact, were it not for my having helped to elect a socialist to our Congressional seat, I might have said it was darned near perfect. But… I digress. (Fear not. I’m in therapy twice a week now and my doctor says the prognosis is hopeful.) Returning to my narrative, I decided to take advantage of the clement weather and mow my lawn this morning while the temperatures...

Following the release of a safety report on the Large Hadron Collider, it appears that the world’s largest particle accelerator is on track to begin operations next summer. This comes in spite of fears on the part of some observers that it could create miniature black holes which could destroy the planet. Europe’s CERN particle-physics lab has issued its long-awaited report on safety issues surrounding the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest and most expensive atom-smasher....

Tune in quickly (at 1:00 pm Eastern, 10:00 am Pacific) to Mid Stream Radio and you can catch our Editor-in-Chief, Joe Gandelman, giving his views on the news of the day!

Whenver I hear either of our presidential candidates shouting about health care reform I get a prickling senstion in my palms and a pronounced tic in my left eye. It’s not that we don’t have a need for health care and insurance improvements in our country – clearly there is work to be done. But I’ve been watching and participating in elections since Nixon’s day and all too often I’ve gawked as our Federal government’s well intentioned but ham handed attempts...

You know, no matter how jaded some of us have become with the current two party system and American politics as usual, we may still find ourselves getting sucked in when the media continually paints a narrative. One of the current classics seems to be the idea that John McCain is following the usual GOP path, with shadowy 527s conducting smear campaigns on the Illinois Senator and his wife while Obama floats serenely along above the fray, preaching a somewhat vague but highly luminous message of...

Everyone likes to look smart. Particularly in the high tension world of political debate, you never want to look like a dim bulb, even if you must privately admit that you wouldn’t know a Shiite from a Sunni if you tripped over them both in your kitchen. But when it comes to the written word, many traps and pitfalls await the would be analyst. That’s why I would like to take a moment this morning for us to visit with some old friends – the bugaboos of English that torpedo so many...

Back in the 1992 election cycle, some bright bulb in the Bill Clinton camp taped up the now famous “It’s the Economy, Stupid” sign, and it became history – then legend. Less than a year ago, many Democratic supporters – salivating over a repeat of the 2006 GOP blowout – were saying, “It’s Iraq, Stupid.” Earlier this year we saw a return to 1992 as a sluggish, torpid economy turned voters against George W. Bush and the GOP brand. With the onset...

You have to love Al Sharpton. You really do. Well, unless of course, you’re the IRS. They seem to have a few questions about millions of dollars in back taxes.

I tend to wrinkle my nose when I hear our friends on the Right referring to Democrats as communists or socialists. It’s needless, caustic hyperbole in an already incindiary political climate. That’s why I found myself doing a double-take upon looking at this article from Outside the Beltway this morning. (Be sure to click through to watch this jaw dropping video of Congressman Maurice Hinchey talking about the oil industry.) HINCHEY: So if there’s any seriousness on the part of...

Newsweek’s Evan Thomas is a journalist and a beltway insider. He considers himself a cog – albeit a small one – in the machine that keeps Washington, D.C. running much the same as it has run for generations. In his column this week he recounts a meeting with a number of other such insiders where they pondered Barack Obama’s potential ability to really change the fundamental way that Washington works. The Illinois Senator speaks lovingly to his massive audiences about rejecting...

This morning at 11:00 AM eastern time, I’ll be taking part in a panel discussion on internet radio which is being hosted by Fausta Wertz of Fausta’s Blog. The subject will be (brace yourself…) hymen reconstruction surgery. We’ll be taking a second look at a previous New York Times article and accompanying analysis from National Review Online regarding the growing phenomenon of young women having reconstructive surgery done to “restore their virginity” prior to...

CBS News’ Maria Gavrilovic is reporting that Sen. Barack Obama participated in a phone call with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari today and indicated that he planned a trip to Iraq prior to the November elections. Barack Obama told Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on the telephone this morning that he would end the U.S. occupation in Iraq and promised to visit the country before the general election in November. “I told him that I look forward to seeing him in Baghdad,” Obama...

I ran across a new term for my political lexicon today when I read about black conservative castrati in the 2008 election cycle. The author was reflecting on a recent AP report on American black conservatives feeling conflicted over Barack Obama’s candidacy. This resulted in the following screed. (All emphasis is from the author.) With 90+ percent of black Americans voting Democrat regardless of who the candidate is, it will be bad enough as it is. But I, for one, expect you, black conservative...

Speaking as an amateur home brewer, I’m a big fan of yeast. They are marvelous little critters who have the incredible ability to eat sugar and excrete alcohol. What’s not to love? Other sorts of yeast make it possible for us to have bread to eat and medical products to improve and extend our lives. Well, now there may be one more, earth shaking reason to cheer for miniscule engines of biology. Some clever scientists appear to have genetically modified a relative of the noble yeast...

As we gather together to celebrate Fathers Day across the land, it seems an appropriate time to offer readers another glimpse into the personality and background of John McCain – particularly his relationship and remembrances of his father and grandfather as demonstrated in his 1999 book, Faith of my Fathers. This portion comes from Chapter One of the book, “In War and Victory” and I believe it speaks to the family history and relationships which inform the man’s values and...

At the Politico, Jonathan Martin notes an excellent example of the type of audience participation coming out of John McCain’s “unscripted” town hall meetings. The questioner noted that he had been educated at Princeton and Harvard and made more than $300,000 a year. “How can I be proud of my country?” he asked. Get it — he was mocking Michelle Obama and her statement earlier this year that her husband had for the first time in her life made her proud of her country....

With the presidential candidates having filed their required Senate Financial Disclosure Statements this week, the attention of some observers has turned to details of credit card debt currently carried by John and Cindy McCain. The bulk of the McCains’ obligations stemmed from a pair of American Express credit cards that are held in Cindy McCain’s name. According to the disclosure reports, which present information on debts in a range rather than providing a precise figure, Mrs. McCain owed...

While it is still too early for pollsters to say anything with certainty, a look at the current Rasmussen electoral college predictor shows yet another close election shaping up for this fall. Most, but not all, of the states traditionally considered to be fairly safe or at least “stronly leaning” for each party are lining up as they have in recent presidential races. The two notable exceptions (and they may prove critical to the outcome) are Iowa and New Mexico. Both of these states...

When John McCain initially proposed a series of ten “Town Hall” style meetings with Barack Obama, the Illinois Senator seemed open to the idea. Many observers also welcomed the concept of a format steering clear of the normal alphabet soup network debates we are treated to in the fall. But among Obama’s supporters, the whispers were already swelling to a strong breeze. Don’t do it! It’s a trap! They’re setting you up! You’ve made some rookie mistakes already....

Teddy Davis of ABC tells us that gun control advocates are preparing themsleves to lose the current round of Second Amendment arguments in front of the Supreme Court. The nation’s leading gun control group filed a “friend of the court” brief back in January defending the gun ban in Washington, D.C. But with the Supreme Court poised to hand down a potentially landmark decision in the case, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence fully expects to lose. “We’ve lost the...

It seems that Barack Obama may not be the only one having trouble consolidating his fellow party members behind his campaign. The Hill is reporting that there is a new “Gang of 14″ saddling up to ride in Washington, DC and this time they are all Republicans. The other thing they have in common is that they are either “not endorsing” or “not supporting” John McCain in his presidential run. CORRECTION: Hold on… one moment… Ok, yes… I’m being...

Issues aside, much of the ongoing narrative of the 2008 presidential election is the personal history and life story of the candidates. Both are compelling reads, but I am currently focusing on John McCain’s tale. Frequent reference is made to McCain’s well deserved status as a war hero, prisoner of war and extensive military record. Back in the day, though, such a record was rarely built without a few smudges showing up on the uniform. (Speaking as an old sailor myself, I can only say...

With all of the debate raging today over whether John McCain cares how long our troops stay in Iraq or if Barack Obama has a birth certificate, it’s easy to lose track of little things like anniversaries. That’s why I’m here to remind you that today is June 11. Back in 1963, it was a day of considerable tension which centered on Presidential Proclamation 3542. On this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy issues presidential proclamation 3542, forcing Alabama Governor George...

While we normally show up on Thursdays, our crack team of political analysts (or would that be “team on crack?”) will be on Mid Stream Radio today, June 10, at 1 pm Eastern, 10 am Pacific, to cover a few of the stories of the week, both whimsical and serious. We’ll be talking about my highly unpopular bit of snark on why vegans should be sent to internment camps, how G4TV is putting a push on the 18-25 voters for Obama, how to bring gas prices back down and, of course, my take on...

Here’s a really good question for you. Why is George W. Bush helping Saudi Arabia build nukes? Here’s a quick geopolitical quiz: What country is three times the size of Texas and has more than 300 days of blazing sun a year? What country has the world’s largest oil reserves resting below miles upon miles of sand? And what country is being given nuclear power, not solar, by President George W. Bush, even when the mere assumption of nuclear possession in its region has been known...