Ohio GOP Congresswoman Jean Schmidt became an unending video sound-bite loop when she read a message she said was from someone in the military calling Rep. John Murtha a “coward” for calling for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Anyone but someone who fell off a turnip truck could see that Schmidt had absolutely no problem delivering this message, which was couched in enough “plausible deniability”...

Yesterday was the 42nd anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s murder. Most baby boomers can remember where they were (yours truly had just finished a speech in an unsuccessful run as Treasurer for the Amity Jr. High School student council, when a teacher got up and made an announcement — and everyone gasped, filing out of the auditorium quietly). People often wonder what JFK would have done with some of...

You KNEW it HAD to happen: a site has been started to formally start a deathwatch for Pajamas Media. Read the introductory post HERE (some highlights below). Why did you KNOW it had to happen? Because the way it was set up has apparently irked so many writers of weblogs that an idea that was touted as something that could revolutionize the Internet has gotten out of the starting gate with hideous image problems,...

Some have it, some don’t…

TMV is now in Florida and learned that his laptop has been recovered. If any “tips” were sent to help out, we’ll be contacting those involved and get your money back to you. (On this trip, TMV will be using a desktop from The Moderate Parents’ condo overlooking the Gulf Coast)

A couple months back, Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder launched the Fair Tax Book. More than six hundred thousand taxpayers have already signed on in support of the plan. Unfortunately, little was made of it in the mainstream media. Sure, Fox picked up the story and Hannity did quite a bit of promo with Boortz, but why are people not talking about it? Below is a sampling of questions people have about...

Over at The Reaction, I’ve been doing an ongoing series on “The unbearable arrogance of Bob Woodward” — tracking the celebrity-reporter’s fall-from-grace and looking at reaction from around the blogosphere. The lengthy first installment is here. Part 2 is here — including 15 questions for Bobby W. from Arianna Huffington and one big one of my own. Part 3 is here — including...

Over at The Washington Note, Steve Clemons asks the all-important question: “Who is Patrick Fitzgerald’s ‘Deep Throat’ source?” Stephen Hadley? John Bellinger? Richard Armitage? Someone else entirely? (I’ve previously written about Hadley and Armitage.) The mystery continues…

So America’s moral responsibility may not matter much anymore. The Iraqis are looking for a timetable for U.S. withdrawal: For the first time, Iraq’s political factions on Monday collectively called for a timetable for withdrawal of foreign forces, in a moment of consensus that comes as the Bush administration battles pressure at home to commit itself to a pullout schedule. The announcement, made...

A deft bit of satire starts out with this gem… 1. Some sources suggest the earth is approximately 4.55 billion years old. Others estimate the earth is 6,012 years old. Without favoring one estimate over the other, calculate the likely age of God. Show your work. Read the rest. So funny!

Danny Bubp was the guy Ohio Rep. Jean Schmidt talked about when she said, “A few minutes ago I received a call from Colonel Danny Bubp, Ohio Representative from the 88th district in the House of Representatives. [...] He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message, that cowards cut and run, Marines never do.” Now Bubp is saying the comment was incorrect. He’s also saying that “the...

Since we have posted on the OSM/Pajamas Media story here at The Moderate Voice before, we now note that the name is being changed back from OSM to Pajamas Media, with the two principles involved admitting they were “caught with our pajamas down”. (NOTE: Open Source Media was claimed to never be the name of the venture but instead merely a slogan in one vanished post at the OSM site during the imbroglio,...

(Which is better than listening to bloggers DEAD…) This just in from one of our all-time favorite talk shows: SUBJECT2DISCUSSION now on Tuesdays at 7pm PT to 9pm PT LIVE on www.LVROCKS.com This Tuesday November 22, the program completes its evolution into a magazine type program. Featuring a semi regular bench of guests. This week Dan Riehl of the RiehlWorldView blog will be on in the first hour. Followed...

The un-representative Representative, Jean Schmidt, may have put her foot in her mouth in more ways than one! Where is that graphic Joe uses? Hey Jean! Is that foot tasty?

For one night, congressmen frequently at each other’s throats slapped each other’s butts instead for a charity game of flag football, in the rain and mud, against the Capitol Police to raise money for the cop’s Memorial Fund. And they fought their bigger, younger, more athletic underlings to a tie! I’d rather hear this banter than the mindless paeans to “my friend” followed...

Much has been written about the ills of torture over at Donklephant, so I figure my first REAL post here should take it up. Personally, I don’t think those who condone torture as a means to an end, actually realize what that “end” really is. They think it’s actionable intelligence that will keep us safe. However, I think many are now beginning to understand that it could actually put...

A new complicating factor has been thrown into TMV’s posts beween now and the second week in December. This is written as he gets ready to go to the airport. It turns out that someone has stolen TMV’s laptop. He’ll still be doing his posts but he will be limited on certain days and for a three day stretch at the end of next week. This is NOT a good financial time for this to happen at all....

On November 9 and 17 of this year, I addressed the use of white phosphorus, an incendiary weapon, by U.S. forces in Iraq. Reaction from readers was, well, intense. You can find those posts here and here. No one thinks that WP is a humane weapon, and no one denies that it was used in Iraq, specifically in Fallujah, but one of the central questions of the discussion, both here and elsewhere, has revolved around...

Here’s an overlooked but rather serious story from recent days: A French diplomat has admitted to accepting “oil allocations” from Saddam — that is, for participating in the oil-for-food scandal — that is, for feeding Saddam’s tyranny. Wonderful, eh?

I wrote mostly about U.S. politics and culture, as many of you know, but here are a couple of stories from The Canada Desk: 1) Shania Twain has been awarded the Order of Canada, this country’s highest civilian honour — see here. In all, 43 Canadians received the honour… Governor General Michaelle Jean, Queen Elizabeth’s representative and our de facto head of state, described the recipients...

Two articles leave me significantly less inclined to support either of these two Democratic frontrunners in 2008. Sure it’s early to be Presi-blogging. But it sure is fun.

Since the White House went on its big offensive, suggesting those who oppose the war in Iraq or have serious questions about how the administration has handled it are undercutting the troops and fellow travelers of terrorists, the operative questions have been: What will HILLARY say? Will she come out for immediate withdrawal? Will she insist that will have bad consequences? Was former President Bill Clinton’s...

Watch it yourself HERE and decide if it was insidious or not. What’s the big deal? During his presidency, a TRIPLE X appeared over Bill Clinton’s face…

The Moderate Voice is heading to the East Coast today to visit his parents, The Moderate Parents. His posts will continue…but today is a 100 percent travel day. However, our always independent co-bloggers will have some things to say, so stay tuned. TMV will be posting himself over the next few days. But the only posts you’ll see by him today appear by way of the magical Powerblogs post timer. Stay...

As nearly everyone knows, blogging is basically voluntary. People put in a LOT of spare time doing it and it doesn’t pay the bills (except in a few cases). And there may be family crises, critical education requirements, new jobs that can interfere with doing it on a regular basis. Some of our always independent guest bloggers now have some of other things going on that (rightfully) will take top priority...