As Egypt approaches its first post revolution elections on November 28th, violent riots set Tahrir Square on fire again. Violent clashes erupted as protesters demand the Military Council step down and hand over authority to a civilian body. Feeling the revolution has gone sour protestors want to see some change. Arab Spring revolutions have already granted power to Islamists across the Middle East. It made the...

When markets force Congress to finally get serious about reducing deficits, you’ll start hearing a lot about a Value Added Tax. Long popular in Europe, VATs raise huge amounts of money for a government while falling most heavily on the poor. And what Republican congressman could object to that? The VAT Song Oh, give me a home, Like in Stuttgart or Rome, Where you’re taxed on the basics you buy; Though it...

WASHINGTON – The Obama supporter in this video is “not disappointed by Pres. Obama.” I’m not either. The difference is that I’m not as exhausted as this particular Obama supporter seems to be, because I don’t feel the need to defend him or attempt a pitch on his presidency that comes with no enthusiasm and gives lesser of two evils as the foundation. Watching the video is...

ZELIENOPLE, Pa. –The virtual epidemic of bullying that has led to a host of tightening of state regulations, special programs in schools and numerous suicides by bullied students has now come front and center in the ongoing Penn State child sexual abuse story: Victim #1 has resigned from high school after being bullied by classmates and fired football coach Joe Paterno has issued a statement, ABC News...

A new Gallup Poll now confirms other polls that have been trickling out this week: the race for the Republican nomination now has two front runners, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — with former Texas Gov. Rick Perry still looking liked a super-hyped candidate who fizzed and former Godfather’s Pizza CEO losing appeal like a cooled down, hours old pizza....

It was one hundred years ago that the United States Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil company was too big and had to be broken up into smaller elements. The decision was based on the idea that Standard Oil controlled too much of the market and that it was not healthy for them to have such a monoply, especially in such a critical industry. Almost thirty years ago a settlement of a similar legal proceeding...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy WASHINGTON – This story puts the 1% in perspective, but also how dangerous the national Occupy movement is seen to be to insiders and establishment players. The plans by a connected lobbying firm to undermine the power building in Occupy is the latest example of how uncomfortable the protesters are making corporate players. From...

WASHINGTON – Thanks Quincy! Great shot, yes? Quite a discerning Pug. I’ve always loved these pups and now I know why. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to get my book if you don’t have a NOOK. Since The Hillary Effect is exclusive to Barnes & Noble until December 15th, I thought I’d provide the info. So, for those of you who don’t have a NOOK, not to worry. You...

Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant During a town hall meeting in Ottumwa, Iowa Friday afternoon, Rick Santorum argued that Americans receive too many government benefits and ought to “suffer” in the Christian tradition. If “you’re lower income, you can qualify for Medicaid, you can qualify for food stamps, you can qualify for housing assistance,” Santorum complained, before adding, “suffering...

The blame in Spain falls mainly on the Socialists.. And now a tangible consequence Europe’s ailing economy: as Spaniards head to the polls today the country’s conservatives are expected to win big amid the country that was long pointed to as the epitome of economic health is reeling amid high unemployment and other ills: Bowed by a 21.5-per cent jobless rate, economic stagnation and deep spending...

Yesterday, four Republicans in the New Hampshire State House supported a hearing requested by a group of birthers who want President Obama officially removed from the state’s primary ballot. Of course, Birther attorney Orly Taitz is in the midst of it and had filed a complaint about Obama’s candidacy that, according to WND, was joined by several state lawmakers. Ortiz had submitted “evidence”...

Pressure is now mounting on Syria — and if trending continues, look for it to increasingly be a world hotspot. And a major problem. The Periscope Post reports: Syria is looking increasingly isolated on the world stage, as the Arab League turns on one of its own and gives the al-Assad regime until November 19 to end its bloody repression of opposition protesters. Protests demanding the resignation of President...

A new twist in the Penn State scandal: Joe Paterno has “treatable” lung cancer. CNN reports: Some of CNN’s latest report:‘ Joe Paterno, the Penn State football coach who lost his job amid allegations of child sex abuse against his former defensive coordinator, has a treatable form of lung cancer, his son said Friday. The family learned of the diagnosis after Paterno’s follow-up...

Amid America’s preoccupation with domestic politics, President Barack Obama is sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a mission to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The Christian Science Monitor reports: President Obama’s decision to send Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the southeast Asian country of Burma (Myanmar) next month reflects the US desire to encourage recent steps toward...

Oh euro, my euro, ’twas said your time had come, You’d withstood all the early flack, your doubters seemed undone; With francs a ghost, with liras toast, and deutschmarks just a mem’ry, Around the globe, your worth was sold, in circles monetary. But now, alas, that time has past, A new day has arrived, With traders asking could it be The euro won’t survive? Oh euro, once mighty, the money...

Bill Keane, the creator of Family Circus has died at the age of 89. Keane died of heart failure on November 8th. Those little one panel cartoons may have been seen by some as outdated or old fashioned but I always found they brought a little smile to my face. For some dotted line walks down memory line check out the official site.

David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star How often do Republicans running in New Hampshire seemingly go out of their way to offend the state’s big, famous Republican-editorial-position newspaper? And do it in way that is so transparently an attempt at image control that it hits the journalistic hot-buttons of the paper’s bigwigs? The Huffington Post reports that Herman Cain seems to be doing just that: UPDATE:...

The California Supreme Court has just issued a ruling saying that the supporters of Proposition 8 who stepped in to defend the lawsuit against it did have standing to do so. So what does this mean ? Well assuming the 9th Circuit Court Of Appeals agrees with the ruling then the case would continue to proceed through the federal courts for a determination of the validity of the law itself. This would mean a review...

Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, a read so turgid it makes Das Kapital seem like a John Grisham novel, is the acknowledged inspiration of some leaders in the House of Representatives such as Paul Ryan. Even House Speaker Boehner the other day made a reference to this Rand ideological pot boiler, suggesting that America’s present economic malaise is related to the rich going on a kind of strike (the theme...

WASHINGTON – The CBS report says it all, no hedging: part of a day of mass gatherings in response to efforts to break up Occupy Wall Street camps nationwide. At two months, that’s where Occupy stands, with political and corporate establishment forces utilizing law enforcement at all levels to stop the movement. Occupy Wall Street people understand that not only are more difficult times possibly...

Israel is moving — inexorably — towards a confrontation with Iran. As Tom Walkom points out in today’s Toronto Star, the Israelis do not necessarily believe that Iran will unleash a nuclear attack on their country. The result would surely be mutually asssured destruction. But the bomb is Israel’s trump card. The Israelis are: terrified that the loss of Israel’s nuclear monopoly...

Here’s an interview CNN did with alleged victim #1 in the Penn State child sexual abuse scandal involving allegations that Jerry Sandusky raped children did with Anderson Cooper:

Read this story and just think about the assumptions behind the statement made by a Texas college Republican leader: Hours after Pennsylvania State Police arrested a 21-year-old Idaho man for allegedly firing a semi-automatic rifle at the White House, the top student official for the College Republicans at the University of Texas tweeted that the idea of assassinating President Obama was “tempting.” At 2:29...

Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant With the news that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was (no surprise here) collecting nearly $2 million to essentially be a lobbyist for Freddie Mae and him starting to respond to it in a way that will likely attract more media coverage and more questions, if you had to place bets in Vegas on him getting the nomination, the odds would not be as great as they were two days...

When the Tea Party was at its heyday during the 2010 elections, when the Palins and the Bachmanns ruled the day, we were treated to some soaring oratory by real, “take-our-country-back” Americans: You know, those real Americans, real patriots, real believers who belong to the party of core values, of family values — the good party, the party of God. Feeling quite dejected, feeling like a...