“The religious community has to decide whether they want to be tax exempt or involved in politics.” - DNC Chairman Howard Dean

Alan Stewart Carl asks several, compelling open-ended questions about the war, etc. Do you have the answers?

The NY Time reporters who broke the warrantless wiretapping story have won the Pulitzer Prize. And yet, some on the right are still calling for them to be imprisoned. So, in this new post 9/11 world, what does it mean to be courageous and what does it mean to be treasonous? I share my thoughts here.

No surprise here, but new poll numbers show even more dislike and distrust for the President and his policies. This time, however, the focus is less on the man himself, and more on those who support him in the halls of government. Yes, the ABB syndrome has mutated into something much more politically deadly…ABTWSB or Anybody But Those Who Support Bush. More here.

If so, then stop reading and go get yourself some ice cream. Life is good. But if not, read about some solutions here.

There are actually quite a few, and that’s why the co-founder of Greenpeace has recently come out in favor on pursuing a broader, more aggressive nuclear energy policy. More here.

In 1999, the government began secretly reclassifying documents that were previously made public by the Clinton administration. One such document is the 1958 Department of Defense Emergency Plans Book. Washington Wire describes it as “an early Cold War description of response planning for a nuclear attack on the U.Sâ€?. However, you want to know the truly ironic part? You can buy it on Amazon under the title The Doomsday Scenario. Well, Bob Aman has decided to read this “classified”...

Michael Reynolds has a modest proposal… The population of Iran is about 68 million. (Only a third of which are certifiably insane.) Their per capita GDP is listed as $7,700. Their oil minister recently boasted that this figure would rise to 10 g’s a head. Let’s pretend he’s an honest politician, and that’s the truth. 68 million people, 10 grand a head, that comes to about 680 billion bucks per year in nice round numbers. The gross municipal product of New York City...

Personally, I think he may be. Supported the war vigorously, is open to school vouchers, but still believes in many liberal ideals. These are the new independents, Dems and Repubs who are tired of the toeing the party line just for the sake of toeing the party line. amba shares her thoughts.

Given our dangerous dance with Iran, we could be in for a serious jolt at the gas pump soon. So who will be ready and who will be left in the lurch? More here.

Some religious folk want to say whatever they please regarding people’s sexuality. I agree they can say their piece, but is that speech without consequences? I don’t think so. More here.

Well, no…it’s not. But if you want to lead a healthier life, an active sex life apparently brings you more good than harm. More here.

I’ve been in the advertising and marketing world for a while now, and with that comes a fair amount of exposure to the production side of the business. What that means, for the purposes of this post, is that I’ve written and produced a fair amount of radio and television commercials. Now, when I’m editing a radio or television spot, I really get into it and make sure every moment is just the way I want it. This can border on the obsessive, but that’s just how it goes. And...

Alan Stewart Carl has this observation: And I think average Americans will respond positively to crowds waving the American flag. Hopefully the demonstrators will continue to show their desire to be here with such patriotic fervor. If the reaction of average Americans is positive enough, our leaders will feel much more obliged to keep our compassion intact as they craft new immigration laws. More here.

Now, I’ve enjoyed what Klein has had to say over the years, but if the following from Eric Alterman is true, he may have just joined the three ring circus of partisan hackery in a BIG way. From MSNBC, emphasis mine: I went to a breakfast this morning sponsored by HBO and the Council on Foreign Relations where Tina Brown interviewed Julia Sweig, author of Friendly Fire: Losing Friends and Making Enemies in the Anti-American Century, here, before a small gathering of media and foreign policy...

Do we want them to have nukes? No. But do we want the same leadership that grossly underplanned the Iraq situation to tackle this Iran problem? And what are the consequences of success in Iran? Michael Reynolds offers a thoughtful essay that answers those questions and many more.

Some say yes and some say no. Me, I’m in the “no” category. Here’s an additional perspective… Assimilation into the American culture has never been a one-way street. Some native traditions are discarded when immigrant groups become Americans, but some traditions are adopted into the cultural fabric of America and define the cultures of our many regions. Whether it’s the Scandinavian influences in our northern plains, the Jewish influences on the East Coast, the...

Well, as most of you know, that’s not really the media’s job. But it is the media’s job to provide a comprehensive look at what’s going on, whether it be good or bad. More here.

Wonder why Bush is most likely going to lose even more credibility after this latest Plame revelation? Alan Stewart Carl has the reason why.

Some define it in ways you may not expect. More here.