Immigration reform has burst upon the scene, sparking angry confrontations and name calling — and that’s just within the GOP itself…

CLICK HERE to see a 12-minute 1910 version of Frankenstein done for Edison. Complete with musical score. Wonderful.

Conservative blogger Ed Morrissey on Christian Science Monitor reporter Jill Carroll’s statement confirming that the propaganda statement she made was done under coercion. Carroll had come underfire and lambasted by some conservative bloggers for it, and some of their earlier posts questioned whether she was a victim or not. Morrissey was NOT one of them. In, fact, in his earlier posts, Morrissey had taken her at her word and noted that even POWs were expected to make these kinds of verbal...

The AP reports that once again the conventional wisdom has been proven wrong: in this case, some early predictions about Pope John Paul II’s successor Pope Benedict have proven to have been inaccurate: Pope John Paul II’s death a year ago — April 2, 2005 — left many Roman Catholics expecting that their church would take an even harder, more conservative line if the College of Cardinals picked early favorite Joseph Ratzinger as the next pontiff. They got Ratzinger —...

U.S. Rep and former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris wanted to explode on the national scene in her race for Florida’s Senate seat and she most certainly has. Well, the actual word being used is “implode”: The last of U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris’ key staffers appear ready to abandon her campaign for the U.S. Senate in a wave of resignations expected to start this weekend. Sources close to the campaign said Friday that the defections would touch virtually every level...

Since Jill Carroll has now issued a statement herself saying her propaganda statement was coerced we are moving this post to the top of this site. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN for newer posts. See UPDATE in BOLD FACE on bottom for part of her statement. Christian Science Monitor correspondent Jill Carroll’s release did have a price — a fee paid in the form of a propaganda statement she was ordered to videotape, her paper reports: The night before journalist Jill Carroll’s release, her captors...

…at this site (warning: it has an adult-oriented name and contains adult language). Once in a while a site comes along that you know people are surely going to talk about. This site is truly one of them. (PS: As soon as I figure out how it works, I’ll add this to Joe’s blogroll under Right Voices.) Take A Peek at this site and I know you’ll be taking a daily peek…

You’d think Howard Stern would be a happy camper: he made the switch to satellite radio, has gotten tons of press and lots of cable broadcast time — and much of it has been highly positive. Those who are blasting him are those who didn’t like him anyway, but it’s clear the news media likes him and many fellow broadcasters respect his talent. But he apparently isn’t, the AP reports: Howard Stern is angry more fans haven’t followed him to satellite radio. In an...

I’m Joe Gandelman’s cousin. He will be unable to continue on this site due to this development. We will try to keep the site going.

Watching America has a remarkable piece from China bluntly contrasting the Chinese and American educational systems. Here’s their intro: Are China’s educational methods inferior to those practiced in the United States? According to this amazingly critical op-ed article that appeared in China’s State-controlled Oriental Morning Post, China’s educational system, which relies on by-rote memorization and the coddling of children, needs a complete overhaul, and the authorities...

Longtime conservative icon William F. Buckley has declared the Iraq war a “failure” and said the blame should be placed on President George Bush: William F. Buckley Jr., the longtime conservative writer and leader, said George W. Bush’s presidency will be judged entirely by the outcome of a war in Iraq that is now a failure. “Mr. Bush is in the hands of a fortune that will be unremitting on the point of Iraq,” Buckley said in an interview that will air on Bloomberg...

…and there are times when it’s clearly not (but some will stand by you no matter what if you use all the right phrases…).

Another poetic gem from TMV’s favorite poet, Michael Silverstein, aka Wall Street Poet: A Tax-Free Nation Ollie Wendell Holmes once said About taxes in this nation, They are the price we gotta pay To have civilization. But recently I’m thinking That this rule we should relax, ‘Cause I’d rather not be civilized Than pay my income tax. The money sinks of public ed, The vet and welfare rolls, The subsidies for geezer health, Who needs these wasteful doles? Our streets would have...

Americans are adamant about wanting stricter enforcement about the border — and also adamant about favoring a guest worker program, a Time magazine poll has found:= Americans polled by TIME magazine show strong support for a guest-worker program and a process for undocumented workers to become citizens, but they take a tough stance on securing the borders. And most do not want illegal immigrants to have access to health care, public education or driver’s licenses. In the telephone survey...

Progressive talker Ed Schultz, who has one of the fastest growing radio talk shows in the country, will be on Larry King Live on CNN tonight at 9 p.m. (the other guest will be former President Bill Clinton). TMV listens to a lot of talk radio when he travels and Schultz is among his favorites due to his shows variety, ability to seize on breaking news, and Schultz’s own approach which is to take callers from many viewpoints (plus his endearing detours into his big love, sports reporting..)

First came the storm that wiped out the city. Then came lagging restoration efforts, despite determined-sounding promises from government officials. Now comes the news from the Bush administration that due to rising costs New Orleans may not be able to be totally protected again, despite earlier statements: The Bush administration said yesterday that the cost of rebuilding New Orleans’s levees to federal standards has nearly tripled to $10 billion and that there may not be enough money to fully...

Surprise. And a pleasant one. For once. Joy. Widespread. Worldwide. But especially at the homes of relatives of Jill Carroll and at One Norway Street, The Christian Science Monitor’s offices. The release of the Monitor’s correspondent Jill Carroll is a rarity these days: a hostage story that truly has a happy ending that everyone can enjoy. The details of precisely how and why she was released will likely be fleshed out later: the press will want to know more. The story has has been...

From Ramussen Reports: Forty percent (40%) of American adults approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role as President. That matches the lowest level ever recorded by Rasmussen Reports. The slight increase in Approval seen last weekend was clearly nothing more than statistical noise. While people are not happy with the President, 55% say they are better off today than they were four years ago. On the immigration issue, Americans are divided over whether something should be done so that...

The National Journal’s Murray Waas has an eye-opening piece that is one more story suggesting that President George Bush was specifically told that some of what he said to justify the war in Iraq might not be true — and that Karl Rove & Co. have worked mightily to protect that from coming out: Karl Rove, President Bush’s chief political adviser, cautioned other White House aides in the summer of 2003 that Bush’s 2004 re-election prospects would be severely damaged if it...

Even in a cruel world where terrorism automatically breeds grief stricken fatalism, there can be a happy ending: The Christian Science Monitor’s Iraq correspondent Jill Carroll has been released: American journalist Jill Carroll, abducted in early January by gunmen in Baghdad, was released to a Sunni Arab political party in the capital Thursday morning after 82 days in captivity. “I was treated very well. That’s important for people to know,” she said in an interview with...

Could it be this guy?

…in Iran.

Another pleased Viagra user.

Watch what happens when CNN newscasters learn they have a fire in their studio.

…but not usually to individual voters…