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The Moderate Voice

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An overriding need for reform now

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WASHINGTON -- There's no objective need for President Obama to visit the Texas-Mexico border and see the immigration crisis first-hand, but he shouldn't have claimed that "I'm not interested in photo ops." The line about photo ops was so absurd that it's a good thing he wasn't under oath. Every president since Abraham Lincoln has been interested in photo ops. Posing for … [Read more...] about An overriding need for reform now

Immigrants and the Cootie Offense

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Immigrants and the Cootie Offense By Tina Dupuy In September of 2011, a franchise of the Occupy Wall Street movement, set up camp on the steps of Los Angeles' iconic City Hall. The encampment was lauded by celebrities like Bill Maher and Tom Morello and embraced by politicians like Congresswoman Maxine Waters and then City Council President, Eric Garcetti. Garcetti, who'd … [Read more...] about Immigrants and the Cootie Offense

Republican Benghazi Conspiracy Theory Shot Down Again

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[icopyright one button toolbar] Repeated investigations of Benghazi have debunked the Republican conspiracy theories but that doesn't keep Darrell Issa from continuing to try to find someone who will give testimony which agrees with him. Newly released testimony confirms yet again that his witch hunts have been failures as nine military officers disputed the common … [Read more...] about Republican Benghazi Conspiracy Theory Shot Down Again

America’s Growing ‘Hostility’ Toward German Democracy (Frankfurter Rundschau, Germany)

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[icopyright one button toolbar] Germans are now having a conversation among themselves that, unless Washington tactically retreats on its policy of unrestrained mass surveillance, is sure to end badly for both countries. For the Frankfurter Rundschau, columnist Christian Schluter argues that Germans must begin putting relations with American into a completely different context … [Read more...] about America’s Growing ‘Hostility’ Toward German Democracy (Frankfurter Rundschau, Germany)

John Boehner to Sue President Obama Over Unilaterally Delaying Employer Mandate

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The GOP clown car just keeps on rolling....Just when you think Congressional Republicans couldn't sink any lower with their obstructionist tactics, House Speaker John Boehner just outdid himself. He now plans to sue President Obama for not imposing the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act fast enough. Yes, fast enough. But wait, didn't we have a government shutdown led … [Read more...] about John Boehner to Sue President Obama Over Unilaterally Delaying Employer Mandate

Republican Extremists Fighting Over Tactics, Not Beliefs

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[icopyright one button toolbar] There were times when Republicans were divided by real ideological differences, such as the Goldwater versus Rockefeller wings of the party. Since then nearly the entire Republican Party has moved so far to the extreme right that not only would Rockefeller be too liberal but so would Barry Goldwater with his strong opposition to the religious … [Read more...] about Republican Extremists Fighting Over Tactics, Not Beliefs

Is America’s Political Center Out to Lunch?

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[icopyright one button toolbar] DEAR COLUMNIST: I have written you before. I am now 10 years old. Some of my little friends say America's political center is on the verge of collapsing, is now meaningless, and that moderates and independents no longer really exist. P.S. I told my Dad I was writing to you. He too said there are no moderates or independents, just … [Read more...] about Is America’s Political Center Out to Lunch?

What You Need to Know About the T.S.A.’s Latest Regulation

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[icopyright one button toolbar] Just when you thought traveling by plane couldn't get any more difficult, the Transportation Security Agency has issued new regulations for carry-on baggage. Passengers are now prohibited from carrying phones, tablets or other devices that do not turn on. According to the Department of Homeland Security, terrorists have been using such devices … [Read more...] about What You Need to Know About the T.S.A.’s Latest Regulation

Predicting the Future is Hard Work

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The late Isaac Asimov was a brilliant man and a great author.  In 1964 he made some predictions about 2014 - none of which turned out to be true,  He made 12 predictions, if you want to see them all go to the link because I'm going to just cover and comment on a few of them, 2. Appliances would no longer have electric cords Instead, previously-plugged in gadgets would be … [Read more...] about Predicting the Future is Hard Work

We All Need a Good Rant

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Gail Collins recommends a good rant in response to the rants emanating from right-wing politicians in The New York Times. Congress is back! Thank heavens, because there’s a crisis at the border, and the Highway Trust Fund is about to expire. Plus, the Export-Import Bank is teetering on the brink of disaster. (Days ago, we had no idea there was an Export-Import Bank, let … [Read more...] about We All Need a Good Rant

Will immigration wind up winning the midterms for Dems?

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[icopyright one button toolbar] The possibility is certainly out there. The common wisdom has been that the immigration issue is one that could help Rebublicans. But battered children pouring over the border is changing the game. What can Obama do? If he wants to circumvent a do-nothing Congress, he faces a potential trap. Greg Sargent writes: While aggressive … [Read more...] about Will immigration wind up winning the midterms for Dems?

ISIL Fighters as ‘Mad as the Nazis or the Reds’ (Le Figaro, France)

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How are we to judge the plans and motivations of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, aka/the Islamic State led by 'Caliph' Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi? In this interview, Le Figaro's senior international reporter Renaud Girard puts the group into context and compares its movement with previous political manias like the Third Reich and Communism. For Le Figaro, in an interview … [Read more...] about ISIL Fighters as ‘Mad as the Nazis or the Reds’ (Le Figaro, France)

Reformicons?

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Andrew Sullivan reviews the dim prospects of a reform movement among conservative Republicans on The Daily Dish. His gloomy outlook was reinforced by the Palin impeachment blast. It’s certainly possible, although unlikely, that a Republican could win the presidency in 2016. But what I’d look for in the meantime in the reformicon future is what contribution they could make in … [Read more...] about Reformicons?

The reality of sudden poverty

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My boyfriend proposed, and we bought a house. Then, just three weeks after we closed, the market crashed. The house we’d paid $240,000 for was suddenly worth $150,000. It was okay, though — we were still making enough money to cover the exorbitant mortgage payments. Then we weren’t. This is the story of an educated, white, middle-class couple (both employed in journalism, … [Read more...] about The reality of sudden poverty

Idiocracy Think Obama Visited a Mosque on July 4

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Idiocracy Think Obama Visited a Mosque on July 4 By Dick Polman It's always fun to punk the trolls. Our saga begins on July 2, when a satirical website, National Report, posted this deadpan dispatch: "White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced today that President Obama will be visiting a Washington D.C. area Mosque on the morning of July 4 as a good will gesture … [Read more...] about Idiocracy Think Obama Visited a Mosque on July 4