Germany, amid big crowds and some special appearances by world leaders, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall. And the wall falls again – this time a symbolic wall of giant dominoes, many of them created by children who live in countries where there are, in effect, political walls. The BBC has the details in this report: UPDATE: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton represented the United States at the celebration but President Barack Obama made a surprise visit…via...

In what is bound to be seen as another step in Iran’s increasingly deteriorating relations with the United States, Iran has charged 3 American hikers with espionage: Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, reports three detained U.S. citizens have been charged with espionage. Tehran’s general prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi said Monday that investigations are continuing. The three Americans were detained on July 31 for entering Iran illegally, after they apparently strayed across...

ABC News reports that U.S. military officials were aware that the shooter in the Fort Hood masscre had was trying to get in touch with people associated with Al Qaeda — a report that, if true, has a host of implications on the military, homeland security and political fronts: U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC...

Saturday Night Live last night spoofed Fox News’ 2009 Election Night coverage, offering comedic caricatures of some of the networks’ political coverage faces — and Glenn Beck. Here it is:

To those who’ve finally wanted to see it happen — it has happened: America’s political controversy culture which permeates the way politics is packaged in much broadcast and old and new media, and influences the country’s tone of discussion has finally gotten spanked…by none other than former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. They two former President were reportedly unhappy about the way their up-till-now-upcoming joint appearances were being built up —...

Watch the debate in the House and the vote live below: Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

President Barack Obama met with House Democrats to make a final appeal today — a day when the epic health care reform battle is expected to come to a House vote. It’s a vote that promises to be historic in terms of social programs — and how it defines both parties. One one side, the Democrats, whose votes could determine how members do when they’re up for re-election in 2010. On the other, the Republicans, whose votes are expected to unanimously oppose the plan —...

Get ready for another apology. GOP House bigwig Rep. Cantor has criticized conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh and says the party needs more inclusive rhetoric. (”He must be a RINO!!”). Quick: calll your bookie and make your bets on when Cantor will apologize now: Eric Cantor, the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, said his party needs to be inclusive and criticized some comments by talk-show host Rush Limbaugh as inappropriate. “The Republican Party in its roots is...

A spoof bound to be considered a satirical classic (but not by Rush, Sean, Glenn or those who love Rush, Sean and Glenn): The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

Is there something in the water, is this a coincidence…or what? Yet another mass shooting…this time in Florida: One person was killed and at least seven others were wounded in a shooting incident inside a downtown Orlando high-rise building Friday morning, authorities said. Quoting emergency dispatchers, NBC station WESH-TV of Orlando reported that the incident began about 11:30 a.m. ET on the fourth floor of the Gateway Center at 1000 Legion Place near Lake Ivanhoe. All patients were...

There is seemingly no rest. No tragedy where people can put politics aside, even for a minute. I mean, REALLY…

Photo Credit: Ben Sklar/Getty Images Investigators and journalists are now slowly fleshing out some details about yesterday’s Fort Hood military-base massacre that left 13 people dead and dozens wounded — and about accused shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The big question is “why” — a question increasingly asked as more tidbits slowly emerge. The detail that is and will get the most attention: witnesses say he yelled “Allahu akbar!” before opening fire in...

Have most of the “old” media and the new media (including some here at The Moderate Voice) gotten it wrong? Did Tuesday’s elections, in fact. show that the GOP is now on a more moderate path than many would believe if they listen to Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, or watch cable political shows or read many conservative blogs on the Internet? Time Magazine’s Ramesh Ponnuru makes a good case for the fact that the real story here may be how the two candidates who grabbed Governor’s...

This says it all, doesn’t it?

Some teens got in cited for “disorderly conduct” for “rapping” their order at a McDonald’s. Details: So you can get in trouble rapping your order at McDonalds (because the person to whom you’re rapping may feel their life is at risk — but if it’s rap, isn’t it that their EARS are at risk?)..and you can order a wrap at Subway. It sounds like the teens got a bum…rap.

Some news stories are now reporting that exit polls in various states suggest that President Barack Obama has not been a major factor in the voting (but don’t expect the Democrats not to use that point if they win some and the GOP to use it as a key point if they win some). But — to be sure – -the economy is. Here are some links to the original source material: Exit Polls: Obama as (non) factor? Exit poll: In Virginia, it’s all about the economy Exit polls: In New Jersey,...

Recent events in Afghanistan raise the question: So now what? The always thoughtful Dave Schuler looks at this issue with both a roundup and some always-welcome thoughts of his own. This is how he begins it: President Karzai narrowly won a clearly fraudulent election. His main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, has withdrawn from consideration as a candidate, ruling out a run-off election. That leaves us with an Afghan government of little or no legitimacy, unworthy of our confidence or that of the Afghan...

Our political quote of the day comes from conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh on moderates and the Republican party: “Moderates by definition have no principles,”….He predicted that “RINOs” – a putdown acronym of “Republicans In Name Only” – “may become extinct.”

Just how DID he get those free tickets?

Lots of documentaries aspire to be authentic fly-on-the-wall enterprises, offering viewers a chance to see what they didn’t see on the news, didn’t learn from official statements, and get a feel of what “really” went on behind-the-scenes and what the key political players are “really like.” HBO’s By The People: The Election of Barack Obama which airs at 9 p.m. tonight offers viewers the perspective of a revealing fly, indeed. Years from now the film —...

According to Fox News’ fair and balanced journalist, Chris Wallace. Oh.

The news that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been declare the winner of Afghanistan’s hotly contested and controversial Presidential election now ensures that the Afghanistan issue be an ongoing controversial one on several fronts in several countries. Clearly, the fact that his prime foe former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah has pulled out rather than participate in a runoff that Abdullah insisted was likely to be suspect, removes a key leg from what has been needed for the Afghanistan...

It’s clear the White House perceives news from New York about a Republican moderate in effect being forced out of a Congressional race by conservatives who felt she was not conservative enough as a sign that the Republican party is officially shifting further to the right — and comments made by a White House official on ABC this morning indicate this theme that will emerge again as more inevitable challenges to moderate GOPers continue. ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos has this...

The issue in the United States of how bystanders react — or do not react — to a crime that has unfolded before them has now emerged in Italy, on a somewhat smaller scale in an incident that seems right out of The Godfather, The Sopranos or GoodFellas. Italian police have released this video of an authentic mafia hit. And it’s double deja vu: its a scene seemingly copied from Hollywood (when it’s the opposite) — and the issue of bystanders’ behavior. The issue...

It sure sounds that way. More HERE.