I’ve been pretty outspoken here and on my site about the Schiavo case, which is nominally over. Allow me one last post that I’m sure will get attacked by Joe’s new coalition of states-rights libs and cons. If we’re judging social policy by polls, can we please get some out-of-the-box pollster to test public knowledge of the key facts in the Schiavo case? Most people will know she was judged to be in PVS and the courts tended to side with her husband. But did they know her...

You see, ANYONE can have a bad day: SAN DIEGO (AP) — The hunt is on for a poop burglar. Police in San Diego are searching for a gunman who swiped a bag of poop from a woman out walking her dog. The woman told police that she was out walking her dog, Misty, on Monday night when a man in his 20s ran up behind her and grabbed the bag she was holding. When the gunman discovered what was in it, he threw it down in disgust, pointed his gun at the 32-year-old woman and demanded money, San Diego...

I have a longer post that will be up at my personal weblog later, but to quickly comment on Joe’s post below on the death of Terry Schiavo, I make this prediction: We may have thought things were bad before she died. Now, the gloves are going to come off. We may destroy our republic over the fate of one woman, after sacrificing tens of thousands over more than two centuries. The Republican Party will certainly be torn apart. The Democratic Party is too busy trying to herd cats to actually...

Independent filmmaker Jeremiah Lewis – linked on Joe’s blogroll – is submitting his most polished work to date, “Zero Sum,” for the Inspiration Film Festival in LA. Here’s the publicity page with screenshots and trailer. I met Jeremiah through blogging and we’ve gotten together a few times when he’s visiting DC from southwestern Virginia (sadly a distance to increase when Jeremiah moves to LA later this year). Smart guy, with a certain Lileksian...

Terri Schiavo has died at the age of 41 — some two weeks after a court ordered the removal of her feeding tube, sparking frantic and fruitless court appeals, political controversy and a debate over constitutional issues. The PHYSICAL part of this controversy has ended but it’s likely a new POLITICAL phase — entailing more comments from Congressional leaders, politicians, intraparty tensions and recriminations — has just begun. Details via MSNBC: PINELLAS PARK, Fla. –...

Amid politicos posturing (and failing) to appear heroic in the Terri Schiavo case mess, you can read this tale of TRUE HEROISM via Citizen Smash. Just read the excerpt from this guy’s letter home and it’ll haunt you for days. Whether you suppport the war or not, SFC Paul R. Smith is a role model for true self-less (versus politically theatrical) valor. FOOTNOTE: Also read in the comments what Smash (who is in the reserves and has served in the field) writes about what people go through...

Tucker Carlson is now history at PBS. Carlson’s career isn’t on fire. His career is fired (but MSNBC has accepted him, bowtie and all). TMV thanks Crooks and Liars (which contrary to what you may think is not the official website of Congress) for the tip.

Court appeals now seem to be truly over in the Terri Schiavo case after news that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected yet another appeal to reconnect her feeding tube — and a scathing comment from an Atlanta appeals court over President George Bush’s and Congress’ intervention in the case. The Supreme Court’s decision was bluntly straightforward:”"The application for a stay of enforcement of judgment pending the filing and disposition of a petition … presented to Justice...

FYI as of tonight we’ve cancelled our old Typepad account. Our old blog was left up after we moved to Powerblogs as a referring blog. But since Powerblogs’ Chris Lansdown was so efficient in completely transferring our Typepad archives over we decided it was best if we just deleted the account…which means as of tonight the Typepad version of this blog has vanished forever. We’re sure we got some readers still referred from the old site so we may feel a hit for a while. So...

GOP bigwigs should be reading and thinking about a blunt — and heartfelt — warning to the GOP written by libertarian Glenn Reynolds in Salon. A few highlights: The Terri Schiavo story is a tragedy in the truest sense. It is a case in which there are no happy endings and in which the mighty fall. One thing that has fallen is the notion of the Republican Party as a bastion of federalism and limited government. Some might argue that this notion was already in doubt, in light of the Bush...

Did the Soviets attempt to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981? New documents suggest the Soviet KGB did, immediately raising these points: If the KGB was indeed involved are there any members or former members of that KGB group involved in the plot that are still in positions of power in Russia? If so, who are they. Their names need to be published and they need to be given the boot no matter what positions they hold. The new report fits in with rumors that have swirled around the attempt to...

..at Press Think. This is a gem of a blog by Jay Rosen, Associate Professor, and former chairman, of New York University’s Department of Journalism. Rosen keeps a constant watch on press issues, particularly the development of blogging as a new form of journalism and its impact on newspapers and broadcasting. It’s a serious blog with a specific mission — and written in a highly readable newspaper style. Rosen’s site is a MUST for those who study or are merely interested...

This is so sickening. How can these guys look at themselves in the mirror? When these “humans” die one day they should make sure to take their asbestos suits with them for their final destination…

A group of well-known wealthy liberals, led by Arianna Huffington, are starting a Web ‘zine along the lines of Salon or Slate. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! They have the money, the fame and the opinions to make it take off. Take a look at the confirmed contributors to the site’s group blog: Sen. Jon Corzine, Larry David, Barry Diller, Tom Freston, David Geffen, Vernon Jordan, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Harry Evans and his wife, Tina Brown. That’s just to name a...

Usually conservative pundit Bill Kristol is left with EGG on his face, but this time…: RICHMOND, Ind. — A pie in the face didn’t silence conservative pundit William Kristol during a speech at Earlham College. A man who later was identified as a student at the private Quaker college jumped onto the stage and splattered Kristol with the pie Tuesday night about 30 minutes into a speech about U.S. foreign policy. Members of the audience jeered the student as he walked off the stage,...

Behold the iPose modeling contest featuring hot University of Arizona co-eds posing with their iPods to raise money for tsunami victims. Is there anything the Jobsian gizmos can’t do? (Via Gizmodo.) This, on the other hand, makes me pine for the days of Luddite bliss.

Does Tom DeLay have no shame? DON’T ANSWER THAT. The Hill reports: Conservative leaders are crafting plans to launch a public campaign to defend House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). The move follows a meeting last week among DeLay, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the chief deputy majority whip, and nearly two dozen conservative leaders, including David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union; Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; Morton Blackwell, president of...

Glenn Reynolds got it right this time.

Terri Schiavo’s parents got a rare legal victory, albeit small, when a federal appeals court agreed to consider an emergency motion for a new hearing for their daughter. She’s gone 12 days without nutrition, so it may be too late. More interesting from a political perspective is Jesse Jackson’s new involvement on behalf of the Schindler family and protestors. On the one hand, he could have done this a long time ago, and I suspect he wants his publicity back as much as he wants...

Someone up there my grandfather Abraham Ravinsky, who fled Russia around the time of the last Russian Revolution for the freedom of the United States, is looking down with a huge smile…as Russia’s Vladmir Putin frowns. The NEW Russian Revolution is spreading so fast Putin may have to call the CDC — the Center for Dictatorship Control. Reports the Christian Science Monitor (TMV’s alma mater and still one of the country’s best and underrated newspapers): BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN...