[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?
[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
[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
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
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?
[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)
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)
Cartoon: CSI Chicago
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: CSI Chicago
Hobby Lobby Stores Get Some Pro-Choice Redecorating [PHOTO]
Hobby Lobby Stores Get Some Pro-Choice Redecorating [PHOTO] … [Read more...] about Hobby Lobby Stores Get Some Pro-Choice Redecorating [PHOTO]
Reformicons?
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
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
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
Death of Bachelorette contestant Eric Hill spurs reality to break out on reality TV show
Death of Bachelorette contestant Eric Hill spurs reality to break out on reality TV show … [Read more...] about Death of Bachelorette contestant Eric Hill spurs reality to break out on reality TV show
Sarah Palin Calls for Obama Impeachment — and for Impeachment Support to be Political Litmus Test
[icopyright one button toolbar] Bad news for the Republican Party: its already D.O.A. blueprint for "rebranding" that was summarily rejected by conservative talkers and Tea Partiers, and hopes that Republicans won't continue to spend their time going after other Republicans now seem more hopeless than ever. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a quintessentially political … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin Calls for Obama Impeachment — and for Impeachment Support to be Political Litmus Test
You Say Red, He Says Tight
[icopyright one button toolbar] Chris Mooney has a post on another way to look at the polarization between the states, Forget Red State, Blue State: Is Your State "Tight" or "Loose"? It is obvious to anyone who has traveled around the United States that cultural assumptions, behaviors, and norms vary widely. We all know, for instance, that the South is more politically … [Read more...] about You Say Red, He Says Tight
Democrats now take the lead
[icopyright one button toolbar] Maybe it was the Supreme Court's outrageous political decision, its religiosity, and its paternalism that finally did it, but the Democrats are now in the lead politically as we slide towards November. Political Wire reports on the latest Quinnipiac poll showing 41/39 lead in the "generic House ballot." Democrats like democracy and a … [Read more...] about Democrats now take the lead
Internet Cell Phone Abbreviation Overload
OMG I get a kick out of people who use all the internet and cell phone abbreviations LOL but it has been quite a day I was on the line 45 minutes waiting to talk to Social Security SOS and finally had to hang up BS and then had to order a CD on line but learned Pocket Songs went out of business CRAP and talked to an LA company and the guy I ordered it from had a real attitude … [Read more...] about Internet Cell Phone Abbreviation Overload
Racism in a California coffee shop
[icopyright one button toolbar] Racism in a California coffee shop By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California -- As I sat at my laptop in a neighborhood Starbucks, working (ironically) on a screenplay about Martin Luther King Jr. and his mysterious Jewish advocate Stanley Levison, the young man tapped on a hardback I had placed next to me. It was Bruce Watson’s painfully … [Read more...] about Racism in a California coffee shop
Who’s to blame for America’s almost chaotic crisis coping? Obama, Congress or the Media?
[icopyright one button toolbar] There seems to be a pattern in the United States' crisis-coping. NBC's First Read nails the multi-fronted problem. The question is which of the likely causes is t-h-e cause. Or as America moves further into a noisier, media and partisan saturated 21st century are we witnessing a series of factors converging that foster damaging constraints … [Read more...] about Who’s to blame for America’s almost chaotic crisis coping? Obama, Congress or the Media?
Good News for Veterans’ Survivors
Here is some good news from that much-maligned Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) -- good news for those who have just lost a veteran spouse at a time when good news is so sorely needed. According to a VA release: New burial regulations effective today will now allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to automatically pay the maximum amount allowable under law … [Read more...] about Good News for Veterans’ Survivors