Lou Dobbs’ departure from CNN has had many new and old pundits speculating that there is a job for him at Fox News or Fox Business news in his future, even though it’s denied by Fox bigwigs. But could that denial be correct? Salon’s Joe Conason believes Dobbs may have his eye on a different future course: on running for President as an independent candidate in 2012, a Ross Perot type candidacy...

Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd batted spiritedly during his recent India visit and delivered a googly to bypass ticklish issues and move on to substantive bilateral economic and strategic issues that would help strengthen ties between India and Australia. Rudd squarely faced the contentious issues of racial violence against Indian students in Australia, as also the continuing ban on the supply of uranium...

The U.S. is facing massive structural unemployment – possibly for years to come. We can use a few but not all the ideas from the past because the world, and our nation’s private sector and Federal government, are significantly different from the 1930’s. THE DISMAL NUMBERS The past decade was remarkable for its miserable job growth and generally stagnant wages, even though the total U.S. population...

Via Talking Points Memo:

Steve Benen:

As the Venezuela article we posted yesterday headlined If War Breaks Out, Venezuela’s ‘Fifth Column’ Will Have to Be Confronted ably demonstrates, tensions – and paranoia – are increasing along the Venezuela-Colombia border. A few days ago during his weekly radio show Hello President, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez told his country to ‘prepare for war’ against Colombia...

One of the few fundamental rights in America which should never have really generated any controversy is the freedom of religion. On the surface, it seems pretty simple. In layman’s terms, this is a country where you can follow any religion or none at all, as you see fit, and the government shall make no law, etc. etc. etc. And yet, I begin to wonder about the wisdom of the founders when I read stories...

As is part of a great American tradition, a lot was said and written in honor of our veterans this past Veterans Day. And, as it has become customary during the past few years, a lot has also been said and written about our newest veterans, the troops who have served so honorably and bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, as in past years, much has been said and written about “supporting the troops.” ...

Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean lost her cool on CNN over a question, labels it “inappropriate” and takes off her microphone. A note to politicians, celebrities et. al: When you do an interview or broadcast and there is an elephant-in-the-room question the way to handle it isn’t to walk off or turn off your microphone. As a longtime former reporter, I can attest that when a news...

And now for some amusing inside-the-Beltway gossip: A debate between Time’s Joe Klein and New Republic’s Jamie Kirchick spilled off the dais Tuesday into a hallway confrontation where Klein called the younger pundit a “dishonest [expletive]” and “[expletiving] propagandist.” Leaning left, Klein was raised on the old media but is adjusting to the new. Leaning right, Kirchick...

David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This cartoon is licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved.

There has been considerable speculation that Delaware AG Beau Biden is having second thougths about running for the seat formerly held by his father VP Joe Biden. The speculation grew when Biden attended a major Democratic event but did not, as many expected, announce his candidacy. I think Biden would be wise to pass on the race in 2010. To begin with he would have a tough race against popular Congressman Mike...

Taylor Jones, Politicalcartoons.com This cartoon is copyrighted and authorized to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved.

WASHINGTON — For some years, Democrats have denounced parodies casting their party as utterly closed to the views of those who oppose abortion. Last weekend, Democrats proved conclusively that they are, indeed, a big tent — and many in the ranks are furious. From the outraged comments of the abortion rights movement, you’d think that Rep. Bart Stupak’s amendment to the House version...

Digby is fed up with paying for Viagra:

In all the stories about former GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava and why she pulled out the race, there has developed a certain meme as to why she did not win in a three way race: she was a bad candidate. In more than a few blog posts not only from her detractors, but from those who say they want a more expanded GOP, this meme has stuck and it even has an image, one of Scozzafava going to campaign in front of conservative...

Hold on to your hats! As if there wasn’t enough conflict occurring at the present time, the war of words between Colombia and Venezuela seems to be escalating – along with the paranoia. And just as Washington has won permission to open seven military bases in Colombia. This somewhat hair-raising article from Venezuela’s El Universal shows just how thorny such a war would be – and warns...

In a recent broadcast MNSBC reporter/commentator Keith Olbermann attacked the New York Post for reportedly having an agenda to ‘get Obama’. According to the broadcast there has been a semi-official policy at the Rupert Murdoch owned newspaper to do all they can to attack the Obama administration. Now to make it clear I’d would like to say that while I’ve not seen proof of this allegation...

I’m facing a moral crises over some fundamental issues regarding health reform legislation. First, I believe a woman has the right to choose an abortion, not the government nor any religious organization. At the same time, I would not encourage my wife to abort our child unless it would save her life. Second, as a policy issue, I have no moral grounds to oppose the Hyde Amendment which essentially prohibits...

The latest tale of woe regarding administration claims of jobs “saved or created” by the porkulous bill comes to us from Massachusetts. The lede to this story pretty much says it all. While Massachusetts recipients of federal stimulus money collectively report 12,374 jobs saved or created, a Globe review shows that number is wildly exaggerated. Organizations that received stimulus money miscounted...

‘HOPE FOR THE OTHER WALLS’ Despite the mind-boggling number of issues he must attend to – was it a mistake for President Obama to refrain from traveling to Germany for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall? According to Le Figaro’s chief editorialist, Pierre Rousselin, President Obama not only missed a chance to demonstrate the strength of democracy, he showed how low Europe...

This GUEST VOICE piece is by Rafael Jesús González from California, on Veterans’ Day 2009. It is a perspective on ’supporting the troops’ …or not. I brought it here to give a small x-ray into how one family’s three generations of soldiers is evolving nearly ninety years after what was supposed to have been ‘the war to end all wars, World War One’ …GUEST VOICE...

That’s precisely what I did in my latest guest commentary for St. Louis Public Radio, aired yesterday. This missive was originally prompted by my disgust with the recent, seemingly endless flood of anti-stem-cell initiatives in Missouri. Granted, those initiatives — manifestations of direct-democracy that I oppose — are only attempting to overturn an earlier direct-democracy initiative that...

Don’t Believe Everything the Oracle Tells You by Michael Winship ATHENS, GREECE – Last Sunday, we visited the ruins of ancient Delphi, two hours or so from here in the Greek capital, an extraordinary site at the base of Mount Parnassus overlooking the Pleistos Valley, almost half a mile below. You could see the acres of olive trees there. The Ionian Sea shimmered on the horizon. Legend has it that...

Scozzafava, Conservatives and Moderate Republicans by Jon Wells Dede Scozzafava, the GOP nominee for the NY-23 Congressional district, has a sympathetic piece in the Washington Post about those mean ol’ Republicans and those rascally conservatives who “forced” her out of the race. Dede even has a warning for those who weren’t jazzed about her nomination: “There is a lot of us who...