Who Invented The Automobile? by Kathy Gill At the risk of sounding like President Clinton, it depends in large part on how you define “automobile” and “invention.” In his State of the Union speech last night, President Obama indirectly and incorrectly asserted that the automobile was invented in America: I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it....

That Racist New York Post Dead-Monkey Cartoon by Daryl Cagle All the pundits are talking about the recent cartoon by the New York Post’s Sean Delonas, showing a chimp shot by two policemen who say, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.” The prevailing view among the bloggers and talking-heads is that the cartoon is a racist depiction of Obama as a monkey....

LET’S GROW UP AND RAISE TAXES by Marc Pascal The first of several stimulus packages has just passed but it is just the beginning of our efforts to address our immediate and long-term economic problems. After 2010, the federal operating budget will face trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see. They have to be addressed for the long-term prosperity of our country and our future credit-worthiness...

On Capitol Hill, Money is the Root of All Hypocrisy by Michael Winship The great movie comic and professional curmudgeon W.C. Fields once said, “You can fool some of the people some of the time – and that’s enough to make a decent living.” Watching the news from Washington unfold this week, the truth of the late comedian’s words never seemed more right. The antics of the august...

By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE No action taken during the Age of Bush may have provoked more outrage than the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in holding alleged terrorists indefinitely and prosecuting them before military tribunals. But there is an historic precedent dating back to Abraham Lincoln, of all presidents, and the infringements of the Great Emancipator on civil liberties arguably were greater...

Where the Money Isn’t by Michael Reagan Willie Sutton is wrongly believed to have said he robbed banks because “that’s where the money is.” He never said that, and anybody who says it now would also be wrong. A bank’s principal function is twofold — to be a depository for their customers’ money and to make profits by lending money and charging interest on the loans. Thanks to a process known...

FOR GOD’S SAKE, THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY – LET’S GET RID OF “QWERTY”!! by Marc Pascal Why do computers still have keyboards? They represent a quaint vestige of their predecessor typewriters that were invented 130 years ago. The “qwerty” keyboard was patented by Christopher Latham Sholes under U.S. Patent #207,559 issued on August 27, 1878. The original patent did not even include separate...

By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE At the core of the tiresome argument over whether Americans are center-right or center-left that is currently raging following the passage of President Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus package is the belief of conservative pundits that the liberal-left is incapable of leading because Americans are deeply traditional and therefore only believe in Republican values. Beyond...

In case you haven’t heard, Congressional Republicans think tax cuts would be far better to dig the United States out of its financial mess than a stimulus package that spends big bucks. In this Guest Voice post, humorist Will Durst gives you his take on it. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Tax-Cut Zombies from the Planet No! Raging Moderate, by Will Durst It...

So the economic stimulus is going to be posted online. Is that innovative? Proof of a more transparent government? Not so fast, write author Martha Randolph Carr in this Guest Voice post. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Talk to Us by Martha Randolph Carr The idea that posting the entirety of the $789 billion dollar 2009 American Recover and Reinvestment Act or...

Is President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan which now seems destined to pass with little GOP support a solution or likely to be part of a future problem? Is it a symbol of democracy in action, or symptomatic of the demise of the concept of the Republic as it has long been understood? In this Guest Voice conservative talk show host Michael Reagan argues that it’s cause for mourning rather than celebration....

So what’s bipartisanship really all about and what has President Barack Obama really been trying to say about it? In this Guest Voice post, AverageJoe looks at these issues. Guest Voices posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its readers. The Stimulus, Right Wingers, Left Wingers, Obama And Bipartisanship by AverageJoe Principle was sited as the left and right wingers did battle on the...

Is President Barack Obama learning a painful lesson? Is he getting crushed by the Washington insider doors? In this Guest Voice post, Michael Winship, senior writer for PBS’s Bill Moyers’ Journal, looks at the issue — and pitfalls. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Get Away from Those Spinning Doors by Michael Winship Not even three weeks in office...

Wells Fargo canceled an expensive shindig for its executives, said shindig a PR no-no now that the bank is receiving TARP funds. In this Guest Voice post, cross-posted from his blog, James Hertsch of In the Alternative, argues that the “savings” are mostly just PR and that over-the-top criticism is unjustified. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Dudgeon...

So what should the government do now to try and boost employment? In this Guest Voice, TMV reader Marc Pascal, an independent business and management consultant in Phoenix, offers some specific ideas which include reinstituting the draft. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Public Service and Replacing Lost Jobs: Two For One Solution by Marc Pascal The Labor Department...

Is Turkey heading closer to an Islamist agenda? In this Guest Voice post, Barry Rubin. the director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. – who spent 35 years working on Turkish history and politics and says he was the first Israeli exchange professor to teach there — looks at the issue. Guest...

American political leaders are looking for a way for American to start digging its way out of the increasingly grimmer financial crisis. In this Guest Voice post, TMV reader Marc Pascal, an Arizona-based economic psychologist, offers an intriguing idea: move the decimal point. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Easy Economic Stimulus Package: Move The Decimal Point by...

President Barack Obama’s decision to pay cap on CEOs who participate in a government bailout has brought outrcries of dismay from some people in business and in particular from talk show radio hosts. Here’s humorist Will Durst’s take on it: Triggering a Silent Scream by Will Durst The president is not what you call dim. He’s obviously aware the only thing worse than a bleakening economy...

With a new President, it means cartoonists have to fine tune their skills at drawing the new Prez. In this Guest Voice, MSNBC blogger and cartoonist Daryl Cagle gives away a few of his secrets. How to Draw Obama by Daryl Cagle Obama seems like an easy guy to draw; he’s skinny, has a big chin, expressive eyebrows and lips. As it turns out, no matter how a cartoonist draws Obama, somebody gets mad. When Obama...

In his futile efforts to cling to power and his post-removal p.r. blitz, impeached and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has rewritten the book for arrogant politicians. This includes an appearance last night on CBS’s Late Show With David Letterman: In this Guest Voice, humorist Will Durst provides an updated top 10 list of the way haughty politicians under fire should act in the future. The School...

What is the Superbowl? In this Guest Voice post, Tom Purcell says the Superbowl is a celebration of the American spirit — and that it has special relevance in Febuary 2009. Going Deep on the Super Bowl by Tom Purcell There’s a reason the Super Bowl is such a big deal. There is no city in the country in which it is a bigger deal this year than in Pittsburgh. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh. As...

Is President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package really a stimulus package or is it a sign of how Democrats who now hold power are like kids unleashed in a candy shop with power to take what they want? In this Guest Voice post, conservative talk show host Michael Reagan argues that it’s the latter. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Unclogging the...

Is the news media in love with President Barack Obama and giving him a free pass? Did they give him a pass during the campaign? Former CBSer Bernie Goldberg thinks so and in this Guest Interview with columnist Bill Steigerwald explains why. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Liberals in Love — Interview With Bernie Goldberg by Bill Steigerwald Award-winning...

Is President Barack Obama’s avowed penchant for bipartisanship a double-edged sword? Could it sometimes mean that poor decisions or poor personnel choices are carried foward? And are there some transportation issues the U.S. has yet to seriously address? In this Guest Voice post blogger Average Joe looks at these issues. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. On...

The raging question continues to be: so what should the Republicans do next? What’s the best strategy to become the majority party once again? In this Guest Interview, columnist Bill Steigerwald interviews Republican stragetist Andrea Tantaros who has some specific ideas. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. What Republicans Must Do: Interview with Andrea Tantaros by...