Some see it as the normal gears of capitalism at work, and others call it U.S. style union-busting invasion and a race to the bottom. Whatever you call it, columnist Thomas Fromm of Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung writes that in GM’s world, ‘it is every man for himself.’ For the Sueddeutsche Zeitung Thomas Fromm starts off this way: All Opel’s management could do was announce the decision. Starting in 2015, the Astra, the car manufacturer’s bread-and-butter, will be...

I’ve always defended Fox News (including in a recent post and in comments) as a network that has many solid news and technical pros working for it who cannot and should not be lumped in with the overall corporate “niche” and its talk radio style, predictable on the air talent. And this doesn’t make my argument (which I still will make) any easier: “Fox and Friends” aired a remarkable four-minute video on its Wednesday show. The video, which the hosts of the show...

A few days ago I did a post on Romney’s foreign policy.  If it looks familiar it should – his foreign policy advisors are mostly retreads from the Bush/Cheney administration.   Today there are a couple of new posts from people to the right of me on Romney’s militaristic foreign policy. From Daniel Larison we have: Romney’s Campaign Dislikes the Neoconservative Label, But Keeps Embracing Neoconservative Policies The campaign is right to bristle at the neoconservative...

By happy coincidence, I am in the country of my birth, England, during the Diamond Jubilee weekend of Queen Elizabeth II. I will enjoy a little tinge of British pride when I see the flags a-flying and the Queen a-waving — a feeling not entirely dissimilar from that American pride I get when I pick up my Constitution or watch our nation’s best and greatest speak with passion about the United States’ founding ideals. I’ve had to interrogate myself quite closely about that....

It appears that a Maryland state judge may be signing on to the effort to use “peace orders” to prohibit political expression that some people on the far left don’t like. And it is certainly true that those on the left won’t be safe either, as the far right has given no more indication of tolerance for dissent than the far left does. This is a very disappointing event. As someone who has been personally targeted in the past, I’m saddened to see the continuing disrespect...

Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson was born on March 23, 1923 in the hills of North Carolina. Stony Fork and Deep Gap to be more specific, if you know where those places are. Blinded by an infection before he was one year old, Watson earned the money for his first guitar by chopping wood with his brother and selling it to a tannery. It wasn’t his first musical instrument. That had been a hand made string instrument that his father gave him. It featured an animal skin sounding board. Discovering...

Former Alabama Congressman and unsuccessful 2010 candidate for Governor Artur Davis has announced that he is switching parties and may run for Congress from Virginia, where he now resides. Davis was a rising star in the Democratic party and a leader in the Blue Dog coalition. He lost the 2010 primary after being attacked as too conservative. Although I generally find a wide range of views on the site, it seems the “tolerant of dissenting views” gang at the Huffington Post isn’t...

Fox News maven Roger Aisles recently said that Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart had told him in a bar that he was a Socialist. Jon Stewart returned from vacation with this answer for Aisles: The Daily ShowGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Politico reports that Republican Super PACs plan to spend $1 billion during campaign 2012 to take back the White House and the Congress, an effort which will include a specially focused operation by the Koch brothers, and if the GOPers reach their goals they’ll outspend the Democrats two to one: Republican super PACs and other outside groups shaped by a loose network of prominent conservatives – including Karl Rove, the Koch brothers and Tom Donohue of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce –...

Why is it that people in the United States, the land where ‘all men are created equal,’ the land where ‘constitutional patriotism’ was born, have been pulling their hair out over an issue that appears nowhere in the Constitution or the Federalist Papers? For Spain’s Diario Exterior, columnist Carlos Alberto Montaner examines one of the most vexing issues in the U.S. today, and why America’s ‘ethnic neurosis’ is destined to dissipate if people simply...

Ever thought of turning a seemingly crazy idea in to a successful business venture? Here’s one example. It might have seemed improbable that a skin-tight all-coverage spandex suit in lurid colors would be a choice of dress for some people. But a recent trend is conquering Europe and proving the opposite. What are we talking about? The Morphsuit. No, it isn’t about people just hankering after being a real-life Spiderman. There’s a whole concept behind it. Created by Gregor Lawson...

Mitt Romney has a 14-point Gallup lead among veterans in an otherwise close contest for the presidency, a demographic aberration more understandable to one of them after Monday’s experience in a Memorial Day parade. I was in one of those custom-made 1970s Pontiac convertibles, outfitted for Elvis and other rock stars with bull’s horns on the front bumper, rifles and handguns pasted everywhere inside and out, encrusted with silver dollars and bullets—-a NRA fever dream of a bygone America that...

Contrary to the narrative in the West, in Beijing’s alternate reality, Russia and China are the real heroes of the Syria story. According to this editorial from China’s state-controlled Global Times, only Russia and China stand in the way of an even more horrific conflict brought on by selfish Western determination to remake the Middle East in its own image. The Global Times editorial says in part: China and Russia have called for a resolution by peaceful means, as this is obviously the...

The 2012 campaign season is shaping up as a possible “transformational” election, but not the kind that Barack Obama and many Democrats had in mind. It’s a year when, if Democrats don’t get their act together ASAP, they could suffer a trifecta of losses that will trigger further erosion of threatened New Deal and Great Society legacies and fulfill many conservatives’ longtime dreams. Many Democrats still seem smugly assured that, in the end, voters would never, EVER...

Today, John F. Kennedy would have been 95 years old. Speaking at the University of Wyoming fieldhouse I heard him speak at the University of Wyoming when I was in second grade. Here is that speech, from 1963. He was assassinated fifty-eight days later in Dallas, Texas. I had met Senator Gale McGee on a few occasions, by that time. Here is what I heard:

In his speech to the 1988 Democratic convention, Rev. Jesse Jackson declared “keep hope alive.” On CNN today, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s best political bud Donald Trump in essence argued keep birtherism alive. In what will likely be shown for years as a classic interview on CNN, Trump refused to acknowledge facts as facts, inaccurately stated some things as facts, and went on the offensive against CNN’s Wolf Blitzer who did a non-Sean Hannity...

In the least surprising news of the week, Mitt Romney has officially clinched the Republican Nomination for President. CNN, Fox and MSNBC have all made their projections. This of course will not have much impact on the views of hard core Ron Paul supporters, who continue to cling to the theory that Paul will somehow overcome the realities of math (something Mike Huckabee had a problem with in 2008). To those who insisted that there was no way the GOP could avoid a brokered convention… well...

John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Recently I came across a study conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University about which media informs its audience best (and worst) when it comes to domestic news. Fox News did not fare well in this study — to put it mildly. Here’s a snippet to ponder: “The study concludes that media sources have a significant impact on the number of questions that people were able to answer correctly. The largest effect is that of Fox News: all else being equal, someone who watched only Fox News would...

The prevailing (in the constantly shifting) conventional wisdom is that President Barack Obama is not in the best of shape in his re-election bid and that it’ll be a close race. So what should he do to win? Andrew Sullivan has these suggestions HERE.

WASHINGTON — There are those who tell the truth. There are those who distort the truth. And then there’s Mitt Romney. Every political campaign exaggerates and dissembles. This practice may not be admirable — it’s surely one reason so many Americans are disenchanted with politics — but it’s something we’ve all come to expect. Candidates claim the right to make any boast or accusation as long as there’s a kernel of veracity in there somewhere. ...

I have not said anything about the brouhaha sparked by MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Sunday when he said that he felt “uncomfortable” describing those members of our armed forces killed in action as “heroes.” I have not said anything because I have been too busy remembering, honoring and writing about those heroes. (Mr. Hayes has apologized since.) But now that Memorial Day is over and we can feel “comfortable” again — at least until the next Veterans Day or Memorial Day...

For decades conservatives have been assailing the courts for judicial activism, claiming the bench has been shaping or creating laws that override or ignore the intent of state legislatures, Congress and the Constitution. With judicial activism, the courts thwart the power of elected bodies to legislate, by ruling laws unconstitutional. This is the antithesis of judicial restraint, where the Courts accede to the elected branches of the government and uphold the laws they have enacted, giving them...

The Democrats have put up a new ad focusing on presumptive nominee Mitt Romney’s embracing the support of the country’s most famous birther, Donald Trump. The Team Obama ad contrasts Romney’s response with the response of Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2008: MSNBC’s First Read poses these questions: *** Playing the Trump card: Here’s a little thought exercise: What if a chief Obama surrogate/fundraiser happened to be the nation’s foremost critic of the Mormon faith,...

Since the economic downturn hit in the fall of 2008, many states have found that the “war on crime” is too expensive. They have enacted programs to reduce the use of incarceration. In addition, more effective policing and the aging of the “baby boomer” generation has resulted in a general decline in crime rates.  As a result, states like New York are closing some of the same prisons that they were struggling to find space in just a few years ago. The problem is that there...

Emad Hajjaj, Jordan So much for the Syrian government’s cover story in the Houla killings that took 108 lives and shocked the world with images of scores of dead children lying side by side: the UN says most victims were summarily executed…period: Most of the 108 victims of the Houla killings in Syria were executed, the United Nations said Tuesday – an announcement that triggered a coordinated worldwide expulsion of Syrian diplomats. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights says...

When “The Hillary Effect” came out in December you could have bet that it would have been just one more of these quickie political books that seem to be a collection of uninspired recycled reporting notes, or reworded blog posts, except this time it would focus on the ill-fated Presidential nomination campaign of Hillary Clinton, American history’s first Presidential primary winning female candidate. In fact, “The Hillary Effect” proved to be a breath of 21st century...

This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano is a former New York mafiosi and restaurant owner who after testifying against his mob boss joins the witness protection program. Intrigued by Lillehammer after watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, he is relocated by the FBI to the picturesque town in northern Norway under the assumed name of Giovanni “Johnny” Henriksen. That is the outlandish premise of Lillyhammer, Netflix first original series. And while the series abounds with cliches, it is...

by "Texts From Hillary" on Tumblr “I think that there will be an election that will elect a woman.” – Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton WASHINGTON – George Washington didn’t exactly jump at the chance to lead our nation after being asked either. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that women like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as people like myself, aren’t taking Hillary’s no for an answer. I’m not comparing America’s first president to...

Chris Hayes poked the monkey this Memorial Day weekend when he suggested that the valor and heroism of US troops was being used to justify war. Doug Mataconis objected to the timing but really never condemded the message.  Doug’s post generated a really great comments thread which is worth checking out. I am a veteran and was not at all offended  by Hayes’ comments.  Here is my reality based comment: I am a veteran – a Vietnam veteran and for most of that war there was a draft....

One more reminder of the meaning of Memorial Day and, I promise, I’ll say no more today. In honor of our fallen troops, CNN.com has created an amazing interactive “Home & Away map” which includes information about all of the men and women who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars since 2001. It is a stunning, interactive map where you can learn where our heroes lived and how and where they died on the battlefields, in the deserts, in the mountains and in the streets of towns...

At long last, the Syrian tragedy may make a credible start to moving away from the precipice. In an unexpected move Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Holland decided today to work closely with Russia to end the bloody suppression of the Syrian people. This is significant because Syrian President Bashar Assad is a Russian protégé in the tussle for influence in the region between Washington and Saudi Arabia on one side and the new Vladimir Putin regime on...

President Obama Commemorates Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery In an unusual “op-ed” published today in Military.com, Military Times and Stars and Stripes, President Barack Obama paid tribute to all “our men and women in uniform who gave their lives so that we could live free” in all our wars, but singled out the Vietnam War (This Memorial Day marks the beginning of the 50th anniversary of that War), those who died in that war and its veterans. Indicating that he would join Vietnam...

Our political Question of the Day comes from CBS’ Bob Schieffer, who, as I’ve said before, should have been the successor to Walter Cronkite. But it’s a question that has an answer I’m sure Mr. Schieffer knows and journalists know — and Democrats and Republicans know. Once again on Sunday, he hit Ed Gillespie mid-talking point (as Robert Gibbs chuckled). “You think we’re ever going to see [Mitt Romney] on one of these Sunday morning interview shows?...

This year marks the 50th anniversary of our official involvement in Vietnam. Those who served in that conflict often questioned the wisdom and merits of our involvement but they still served with distinction and honor. While they might not have supported the war they did support their brothers and sisters in arms. Many came home with grevious wounds, both physical and mental. Many of those wounds endure to this day. At the time, the men and women who served in that conflict were at best ignored,...

In pondering what words I might post to offer thanks to those who have sacrificed for our freedom it seemed to me that President Lincoln had already provided the language. So in memory and honor of all who have fallen in defense of our nation. Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation,...

There are photo galleries and photogalleries — and then there’s the moving photo gallery on remembering the fallen here via CNN. Also, we often run Hartford Courant cartoonist Bob Englehart’s work here on TMV via Cagle Cartoons. Here is the short, touching post he has on The Cagle Post which we’ll run here in full since it is Memorial Day: My father served in the Office of Strategic Services in World War II. The OSS was the forerunner to the CIA. When I was a kid, I’d ask...

If polls are correct, the recall election that opponents hoped would rid the State Of Wisconsin from its present governor, Scott Walker, will end leaving Walker in office. Many analysts attribute Walker’s apparent success in overcoming this recall effort to the Big M — money. Millions of dollars have poured into Wisconsin from right-wing billionaires, money Walker has used to gain an advantage. He outspent recall advocates more than 10-1 before his recall opponent was even nominated and legally...

Memorial Day 2012: A Lesson Not Yet Learned byWALTER BRASCH Today is Memorial Day, the last day of the three-day weekend. Veterans and community groups will remember those who died in battle and, as they have done for more than a century, will place small flags on graves. But, for most of America, Memorial Day is a three-day picnic-filled weekend that heralds the start of Summer, just as Labor Day has become a three-day picnic-filled weekend that laments the end of Summer. There will be memorial...

In early 1945, I arrived at the 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division, part of General George S. Patton’s Third Army. “Welcome,” said a corporal, invoking the nickname of our commander, “to the world of ‘Old Blood and Guts.’ Our blood, his guts.” A lieutenant looked at my papers. “This guy can type,” he said to a sergeant. “Put him on the SIWs.” So began a weird two weeks. There was only one typewriter, which the sergeant used all...

It’s that time of year again: The U.S. State Department has issued its annual report on human rights around the world. And, as has become the custom, states like North Korea and China, which disapprove of America’s rendering, issue denunciations of the report. We have posted three articles, two from China and one from North Korea, that encompass the latest counter-criticisms of the United States by the two one-party states. First, in an article headlined America ‘Disqualified’ as Global...

WASHINGTON — Progressives have yearned for President Obama to follow Harry Truman’s strategy from the 1948 campaign by giving his Republican opponents hell. Now that Obama is doing just that, his critics say he’s not looking presidential. As a longtime advocate of the Truman approach (and a fan of Give ‘Em Hell Harry and his way of doing politics), I think Obama is doing the right thing. Critics of the battling style miss what Obama needs to get done in this campaign...

Never forget that they gave up all of their tomorrows so you could enjoy your today

Rick McKee, The Augusta Chronicle It’s Memorial Day: Never forget. Always remember. They have been — and are — part of the blessings of America. (This post will remain on the top of TMV all day.)

UPDATE: The Huffington Post has published a piece on the Associated Press report that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are filing for disability benefits at a historic rate. As of this writing, there are already 618 comments (with 34 more pending). I realize that many of our readers would not “be caught dead” visiting the HuffPost. However, I would recommend that you take a chance this Memorial Day and venture to that site and browse through those comments. Skip the ones that blame Bush for the...

I know that a lot of people these days talk about wanting more “face time” with others, but this is ridiculous: It was a scene as creepy as a Hannibal Lecter movie. One man was shot to death by Miami police, and another man is fighting for his life after he was attacked, and his face allegedly half eaten, by a naked man on the MacArthur Causeway off ramp Saturday, police said. The horror began about 2 p.m. when a series of gunshots were heard on the ramp, which is along NE 13th Street,...

A Portland, Oregon man wanted to really go all out when he proposed to his girlfriend. This is the result, an amazing performance that raises the bar for future grooms to hopeless levels. But wow…

Just one quick shot of the Iowa heading out under the Golden Gate Bridge, with a more detailed posting to follow

Our political Quote of the Day comes from conservative columnist George Will who has this to say about presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney continuing to link himself up with the country’s most famous birther, PT Barnum spiritual descendent, Donald Trump: “I do not understand the cost benefit here,” Will said on the “This Week” roundtable. “The costs are clear. The benefit — what voter is gonna vote for him (Romney) because he is seen with Donald Trump? The cost of appearing...

His video was supposed to be just for his friends, shot shortly after receiving devastating news. But, instead, it went viral. By the time he died yesterday, his final days would also serve as a role models for how to appreciate the the present and how to leave it for eternity. And due to You Tube which carried his words, emotions and wise perspective to millions, Australia teenager Shaun Wilson-Miller passed away having won millions of friends all over the world due to what they saw when they...

Campaign watchers get a double-header of metaphors with reports that Barack Obama is eschewing a Rose Garden strategy and going head to head with Mitt Romney by name, along with a reminder of the President’s fondness for a three-year-old photo showing an African-American boy touching his hair in the Oval Office to compare it to his own. As they were no doubt intended to be by White House aides, symbolism lovers may be wrenched by the distance between that early image of the breakthrough significance...

Frank Bruni writes in this morning’s New York Times, that race is still at the center of the American presidential contest: Although race represents a less central dynamic for Obama now than it did in 2008, it’s a factor in his political fortunes nonetheless. It poisons some of his opponents, pumping them full of a toxic zeal beyond the partisan norm. How else to explain their obsession with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright or the lunatic persistence of the “birthers,” including the Arizona...

It’s Time for a National World War I Memorial by Julian Saltman History News Service On Monday Americans will gather to celebrate Memorial Day, a holiday on which we honor those who have served, and fallen, in our country’s armed forces. Veterans and their descendants will participate in ceremonies and parades across the country, and many will be in Washington, D.C., to visit the national memorials dedicated to the wars in which they fought. But there is one glaring exception: the...

Trust Me: You Believe in Gun Control by Tina Dupuy If you ask the typical hyper-political gun owner (and I have … at Thanksgiving dinner), why it’s important to own a gun, they’ll bark about the Constitution. Yes, the Second Amendment: “The Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms Shall Not Be Infringed!” This of course is the slogan the National Rifle Association adopted in the 1970′s. It was then that owning a gun became an absolute right endowed by God and...