The 2012 Presidential election campaign is now shaping up as a political life and death battle over independent voters, where the losing candidate will be the one who turns them off the most. Comedian-columnist Will Durst likened the 2012 Presidential primary race to the mania surrounding the video game Angry Birds: “The object of ‘Angry Birds’ is to use a slingshot to fling various flightless birds at flimsy houses built by egg-thieving green pigs. The object of the 2012 Republican...

I mean...really…

Another great video animation commentary by Taiwan’s Next Media Animation – this time on the Secret Service scandal:

Our Political Quote of the Day comes from the Washington Post’s David Ignatius who reports that a deal could be in the works with Iran: The nuclear talks with Iran have just begun, but already the smart money in Tehran is betting on a deal. That piece of intelligence comes from the Tehran stock index, which on the day after the talks opened posted its largest daily rise in months and closed at a record high. Tehran investors may be guilty of wishful thinking in their eagerness for an agreement...

Mitt Romney commenting on Ted Nugent controversy There have been several developments now in the mini-flap over presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney endorser Ted Nugent’s violent anti-Obama comments — which some analysts (including TMV readers in comments and via emails) feel sound like a reference to assassination: 1. Apparently the Secret Service is intrigued, since they reportedly will look into the comments. 2. Nugent compared himself to the Jews (hey, he was bar...

On my Twitter feed I often praise MSNBC’s Luke Russert, who has evolved into a superb reporter and an excellent anchor. He isn’t just coasting on his name. He has gotten opportunities due to it and he was ready for it. His late, great father must be smiling. That isn’t always the case…

UPDATE: fr D. de Wind: The Secret Service Says They Are Investigating Ted Nugent’s Threatening Remarks Toward Obama | Ted Nugent’s threatening remarks about President Obama at the annual National Rifle Association convention in St. Louis have earned him a follow-up conversation with the Secret Service. … The Secret Service, which investigates all threats against the President, confirmed to New York Magazine’s Daily Intel blog that they have in fact flagged Nugent’s comment. “We are aware...

Once again Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart is on the dime when it comes to media criticism and political observation: The Daily Show with Jon StewartGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

NEWS FLASH: Newt Gingrich has been bitten by a penguin. Did the penguin survive? h/T: Andrew Sullivan UPDATE: But beware: Gingrich (or one of his aides) might bite YOU if you ask him about Fox News’ chief Roger Ailes.

Historical polling trends suggest that President Barack Obama is in trouble. No wonder Mitt Romney is already offering donors access to an an “inaugural retreat” — and predictions increase that this will be one nasty, negative campaign.

Not for general reporting comments made by presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney and his wife Ann Romney were overheard and reported on. Did the comments show refreshing candor or outright cynicism and a penchant for hiding positions from the public? Here is a roundup.

Unlike a lot of others I do NOT agree that this week’s mini-firestorm over respecting mothers who stay at home was “manufactured” at all (and yes, I am in disagreement with MSNBC, some less partisan Republicans and almost all Democrats). I’ve known too many mothers (including my own) who raised children as not just a fulltime job but a fulltime job where they put in overtime that never ended. They never got even a one cent “raise” and many cases a sufficient thank...

Former Bush Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had some surprisingly harsh words to say when asked about whether Florida Sen. Marco Rubio might be a name Republican presumptive Presidential nominee former Gov. Mitt Romney might seriously consider. In a nutshell: it’s be a poor choice and Rubio wouldn’t help the GOP much with Latino voters: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio would not be a wise pick for number two on the GOP ticket this year, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told CNN...

The 2012 Three Stooges UPDATE: I’m a lifelong Stooges fan so I MUST trumpet the news: the new Three Stooges movie is out. Not only am I a stooges fan, but when I was a reporter on the San Diego Union I covered the Three Stooges getting a belated star on Hollywood Boulevard. I met the late Joe Besser, who was the only Stooge able to show up (the others passed away and Joe DeRita was too ill). I also interviewed Moe’s and Larry’s daughters. So this is being reposted with a slight...

Sorry to have to be so blunt and I have never used the words in a review before, but may I say “Rip off?” Yes, I know that the publishers of the Our Name In History disclose that these are short books, have some statistics and deal with immigration and old immgration records. But I — like I’m sure others have and will — bought this because the titled suggested it was a book ABOUT the Gandelman name in history. Nope. WRONG. There was far less about the Gandelman name...

UPDATE 3: How nice: Hilary Rosen has apologized for her comments about Ann Romney and some conservatives now attack her for raising children as a lesbian. This is a classic case where a Democrat put her foot in her mouth, gave an issue to GOPers and some on the GOP side overreached and undermined an issue handed to them on a silver platter. It’s another example of how partisans and ideologues escalate verbiage — and how the side that escalates it the worst is going to lose swing voters...

Consider it now officially on. President Barack Obama has sent the following fundraising email which shows how the Dems will frames the election; Friend – We now know who our opponent is. But what we’re really fighting against is what our opponent has pledged to do if elected. He would shower billionaires with more huge tax breaks, oppose setting a timeline to bring our troops home from Afghanistan, starve investments in clean energy research, and make it harder for students to afford...

Are newspapers making the shift? In my 9 month cross country car trip, I’m looking at local newspapers and see some exhilarating and genuinely grief-inducing reaction to the realities print newspapers now face due to the new realities of the economy, the challenges of web news and web opinion and social media, and the decline in newspaper readership among young people. Only a few years ago I’d buy every newspaper I could find in a news box or at a convenience store and read piles of...

Disney will help China develop its animation industry, which from China’s perspective helps it develop its culture. China is one of the world’s fastest growing film markets. Details from Newsy.com:

Is there a king-sized political summer for independents at the end of Maine’s long season of Snowe? Those who believe our two political parties are increasingly predictable, non-and-counter productive and rhetorically toxic may have reason to hope. The eyes of independents are on Maine and the Senate bid of former independent Governor Angus King, who’s running to replace disgusted-with-the-partisanship, retiring moderate Republican Senator Olympia Snowe. Why? Two reasons. 1. King seems...