Are hard-line Republican conservatives about to implement their own version of political entitlement reform? Are we now witnessing the beginning of the fall of the House of Bush? If Edgar Allen Poe were alive and writing political analysis, it might make a nice story. Only a few weeks ago reports said influential Republicans were trying to draft former Florida Gov. Jeb … [Read more...] about Fall of the House of Bush?
Religion in a Dignitarian World
This is the seventeenth part of the serialization of All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (Berrett-Koehler, 2006). The ideas in this book are further developed in my recent novel The Rowan Tree. CHAPTER 11: RELIGION IN A DIGNITARIAN WORLD If there is no God, Not everything is permitted to Man. He is still his brother's keeper And he is not permitted … [Read more...] about Religion in a Dignitarian World
Coverage Of The Success of Obamacare And Debunking Republican Lies
Reading liberal versus conservative columnists give entirely different views of the Affordable Care Act. Liberals have been writing about its success while conservatives continue to spread misinformation. Here's a few examples of liberal views on the topic (which are the fact-based articles): Tim Dickenson of Rolling Stone (source for the above graphic) writes that Obamacare … [Read more...] about Coverage Of The Success of Obamacare And Debunking Republican Lies
Hubris is reason for U.S. foreign policy failures (Guest Voice)
Hubris is reason for U.S. foreign policy failures By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — It is tempting to simply list all the ways the Obama administration — particularly Secretaries Kerry and Hagel — has been wrong on foreign and defense policy. After all, Russia/Ukraine, Syria, Iran, China, and Israel/Palestinians are nothing to sneeze at. But finding a common thread among … [Read more...] about Hubris is reason for U.S. foreign policy failures (Guest Voice)
Illinois Gray A Flamboyant Character With Many Historic Ties, Including JFK
Historic Quote: “He would threaten me during intimate moments telling me to do this or that or "I'll kick your teeth in. But you know, I'd much rather be having fun in the bedroom instead of doing all this talking in the living room." Elizabeth Ray to a People Magazine reporter referring to her sexual relationship with Wayne Hays. When I'm not putting my political … [Read more...] about Illinois Gray A Flamboyant Character With Many Historic Ties, Including JFK
Your Papers Please
When I was growing up in the 50s "Your'e Papers Please" was a phrase used to warn us about tyrannical governments. We have decided in the United States that we now need a "Your Papers Please" society, aka photo ID. You can't open a bank account, fly or take a train without a photo ID. Many states are now requiring photo ID to vote. Now I'm not going to question that we … [Read more...] about Your Papers Please
New CBO Report Projects The Affordable Care Act Will Cover More People And Cost Less Than Previously Projected
A new report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projects that the Affordable Care Act increase the number of people covered, help reduce the deficit, and will cost $104 billion less than previous forecasts:: Relative to their previous projections made in February 2014, CBO and JCT now estimate that the ACA’s coverage provisions will result in lower net costs to … [Read more...] about New CBO Report Projects The Affordable Care Act Will Cover More People And Cost Less Than Previously Projected
Tea Party Challenger Says Boehner Suffers ‘Electile Dysfunction’ (VIDEO)
Behind the Ad: Did someone say "boner"? by Richard K. Barry Who: The J.D. Winteregg campaign. Where: Ohio's 8th Congressional District - web ad. What's going on: Mr. Winteregg is a Tea Party-backed candidate running agains House Speaker John Boehner (R). Just because someone had to, Winteregg produced an ad positioning himself as the answer to "electile dysfunction." … [Read more...] about Tea Party Challenger Says Boehner Suffers ‘Electile Dysfunction’ (VIDEO)
Show Me the Money
What are the conservative justices on the Supreme Court thinking? First Citizens United and now the McCutcheon ruling. Do they honestly believe that wealthy people’s ability to spend money should be equated with free speech? Don’t they realize the unfair advantage this provides to affluent individuals who have more money to spend on political issues, whether it’s through Super … [Read more...] about Show Me the Money
A victory lap for Obamacare
[one_half_last] WASHINGTON -- It's all over but the shouting: Obamacare is working. All the naysaying in the world can't drown out mounting evidence that the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's signature domestic achievement, is a real success. Republican candidates running this fall on an anti-Obamacare platform will have to divert voters' attention from … [Read more...] about A victory lap for Obamacare
M Is For Modest
Modesty is not something that we usually associate with politicians, and especially not with Presidents. But that is a term which applies to some, including two of my favorites: Harry Truman and Gerald Ford. In looking at their lives and their Presidencies it is interesting to consider the many similarities. As suggested by the title of this post, neither man wanted to be … [Read more...] about M Is For Modest
We Knew It Was Going To Happen
After the United States and for that matter the World real estate collapsed the Chinese kept building to keep their economy growing. The result was entire new cities where no body lived and empty apartments and retail space. Many, including me, knew this was not sustainable. Well now it's happening: China Property Collapse Has Begun Nothing is going right for Hangzhou at … [Read more...] about We Knew It Was Going To Happen
Wash Post, Guardian share Pulitzer for NSA coverage
Wash Post, Guardian share Pulitzer for NSA coverage (via AFP) The Guardian and the Washington Post shared a Pulitzer Prize Monday for reporting on leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden that revealed a global surveillance network monitoring millions of Americans and foreigners. The… … [Read more...] about Wash Post, Guardian share Pulitzer for NSA coverage
Science Skeptics (Cartoon)
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 Science Skeptics (Cartoon)
Wisconsin state Republicans to vote on secession from Union
The Republican Party's biggest obstacle to winning big is the Republican Party. In terms of optics, most Americans eyes will open wide when they read that a state Republican Party is going to vote on whether to secede from the union. Presumably that means the right to leave the union when a different party is in control. Why leave when you have things your way? But here's a … [Read more...] about Wisconsin state Republicans to vote on secession from Union
Alleged “Heartland Killer” Frazier Glenn Miller’s Long Resume of Hate
Sometimes during a seemingly senseless shooting, when the shooter's identity becomes known people come out of the woodwork saying, "How could this happen? He seemed like a quiet type." Not so with accused "Heatland Killer" Frazier Glenn Miller, who The Daily Beast's John Avlon and Caitlen Dickson note has a long -- truly huge -- record in the hate biz. As the subheadline on … [Read more...] about Alleged “Heartland Killer” Frazier Glenn Miller’s Long Resume of Hate
A program conservatives should love
WASHINGTON -- We are at a point where we will soon have vicious ideological debates over motherhood and apple pie. Don't laugh. If we can agree on anything across our philosophical divides, surely we can support efforts to promote voluntary service by our fellow citizens and to strengthen our nation's extraordinary network of civic and religious charities. … [Read more...] about A program conservatives should love
Were Russian jets trying to provoke U.S. Navy destroyer?
If a Russian jet flies in provocative way over a U.S. Navy destroyer that might be an accident. But if two Russian jets fly over a U.S. Navy destroyer several times, that is a pattern -- and a seemingly provocative event. That's what just occurred in the Western Black Sea and it raises the question: are we back to the old brinkmanship days? Two Russian fighter jets made … [Read more...] about Were Russian jets trying to provoke U.S. Navy destroyer?
Rise of the right: Cross-Atlantic extremism (Guest Voice)
Rise of the right: Cross-Atlantic extremism (via The Economist) I HAVE long had a sneaking suspicion that Tea Party voters and eurosceptics are more or less the same sorts of people, born on different sides of the Atlantic. Both are traditionalist movements driven by economic anxiety and mistrust of centralised… … [Read more...] about Rise of the right: Cross-Atlantic extremism (Guest Voice)
Dmitry Kiselyov: Russia Has Taken West’s Place as Beacon of Free Expression (Izvestia, Russsia)
Have the United States and Europe shown that they have a diminishing commitment to free expression, whereas Russia has an increasingly greater such commitment? In this interview with Izvestia, Dmitry Kiselyov, one of the titans of Russia's state media and man with Vladimir Putin's ear, reacts to critics that call him anti-gay, attacks sanctions against him as an attack on all … [Read more...] about Dmitry Kiselyov: Russia Has Taken West’s Place as Beacon of Free Expression (Izvestia, Russsia)