It took the front and back of a military “Charge Sheet,” DD Form 458, and three additional sheets to list the 17 specifications of Charge I, “Violation of the UCMJ, Article 118– each one specifying the murder of an Afghan man, woman or child — and the following two additional charges: Charge II: “Violation of the UCMJ, Article 80,” I.E. the attempt to murder one Afghan man, one woman...

Will the most raucous Republican presidential primary race in living memory result in better policies on the Republican side? Given the shocking political bloodletting, this editorial from Japan’s San-in Chuo Shimpo Shimbun expresses the hope that it won’t all be for naught. The San-in Chuo Shimpo Shimbun editorial says in part: Previous victorious U.S. presidential candidates have been those who...

Bill Schorr, Cagle Cartoons Although the Trayvon Martin killing has sparked some partisan reactions, the killing of a 17 year African-American old teenage boy armed with an iced tea and some Skittles is becoming an issue that transcends party lines or ideology. The latest development: Florida’s Governor has appointed a new prosecutor in the case — suggesting that no matter what the final outcome...

More fallout from the killing of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old African-American teen armed with an iced tea and Skiittles who was killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, 28, who had a gun with bullets. The Chief Police under fire for mishandling or covering up (choose your characterization among the two now making the rounds in a case that is taking on social and political implications) has temporarily...

UPDATE II: Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales will be charged on Friday with 17 counts of murder and various other charges, including attempted murder, in connection with the March 11 shooting deaths of Afghan civilians, a senior United States official said on Thursday. Sergeant Bales, who is 38 years old and had been serving his fourth combat tour overseas, is expected to be charged at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,...

Milt Priggee, www.miltpriggee.com This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

WASHINGTON — For every black man in America, from the millionaire in the corner office to the mechanic in the local garage, the Trayvon Martin tragedy is personal. It could have been me or one of my sons. It could have been any of us. How many George Zimmermans are out there cruising the streets? How many guys with chips on their shoulders and itchy fingers on the triggers of loaded handguns?...

This is just a spur-of-the-moment, silly, half-baked post. I am sure I will hear about it. I have considered disabling comments. You may probably want to skip it, ignore it, trash it … You ask: Why even write it then? Well, if you must know and have gotten this far, I guess I will have to indulge you. In a very recent post — it doesn’t matter which — the statement was made, “For the last decade,...

How right-wing is today’s Republican Party when compared to other right-wing parties around the world? In an effort to explain the matter to French voters who are also in the midst of a presidential campaign pitting “right” and against “left,” Le Figaro columnist Pierre-Yves Dugua admonishes his readers not to even put the French and American right in the same category –...

Our political Quote of the Day comes from Joe Scarbourough on the Sanford, Florida’s handling of the killing of 17 year old Trayvon Martin, armed with Skittles and iced tea, who was shot dead by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, armed with a gun: “They have acted shamefully,” Scarborough agreed, adding that they have proven themselves “unworthy of representing the people of Florida.” It...

… After taking an airplane ride two years ago, Trayvon decided he wanted to learn to fly, his uncle Ronald Fulton said. The teen attended a Miami aviation school part time and was studying to be an engineer, a path to realizing his ambition, Fulton said. Math was Trayvon’s favorite subject. He liked to tinker, and he was good with his hands. He once took apart and repaired a broken scooter,...

Purpose Driven Lies and Gender Equality by Tina Dupuy What does a government bureaucrat being between you and your doctor look like? That was the go-to canard to scare Americans away from the health care reform bill (or single payer for that matter). So, imagine your doctor deciding he or she doesn’t want you to get a procedure. They don’t agree with it for whatever reason. Your doctor happily lies...

Since it became known that the soldier who allegedly killed 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children, in the March 11 rampage in Afghanistan, was based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord the question that has been asked most frequently is: “Is there something wrong with Joint Base Lewis-McChord?” One of our contributors noted: “There will be trials within trials going on. In addition to Sgt. Bales Joint...

I’m thrilled to be a part of the Civic Commons, a social media organization based in Cleveland that works for the civic good. [My project is the EfficientGovNetwork. Charting the Future of Fracking, is one reason why. Take a look at how much has been discussed just since it opened at 8:30am this morning. If you want to get the feel for how extensive the issues and emotions are on this topic, there’s...

Once in a while there is a story that so upsets me that I find it hard to write about it but it’s a breaking story. So I take the easy way out. I post an embed. And here is CNN’s Don Lemon’s report on a sad, tragic story of an African-American Florida teen who went out to buy candy for his brother — and was shot dead by a neighborhood watch volunteer. GO HERE to read news stories on...

On Day 1, Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute.” “She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception,” he said. On Day 2, Limbaugh doubled down and demanded that women post sex videos on line if they use insurance-covered birth control. “So Miss Fluke, and the rest of you Feminazis, here’s the deal. If we are going to pay for your contraceptives,...

Get ready to hear the talking heads (rightfully) say it again. There does not seem to be a learning curve with former Republican Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum who squandered a lead due to getting off message in the past. Pundits in both parties agree that he has an incredible narrative out his blue-collar background and he gains support when he talks movingly about it and weaves in comments about ailing...

Vice President Joe Biden recently traveled to Mexico, which is another country in the midst of a heated presidential campaign. In an effort not to show favoritism toward the ruling party candidate, Mr. Biden met briefly with each of the candidates. In the event, political analyst Víctor Beltri, in this article from Mexico’s Excelsior, which amounts to a direct appeal to the vice president, pleads with...

A little less than a year ago, I explained why I did not shed a tear, why I did not feel any pity and why I experienced some closure when I heard that Ukraine-born John Demjanjuk, a guard at Sobibor, was found guilty by a German court of taking part in the murder of more than 28,000 Jews, including my relatives, at a death camp in World War II and was sentenced to five years in prison. Many felt that a five-year...

A poll shows that sentiment is strong in Pennsylvania for naming Penn State’s stadium after Joe Paterno. Newsy.com has the details: