If you though that -- after the Obama administration met its target of seven million new private insurance signups under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and after disproving pretty much every Obamacare “horror story,” and after even some conservatives are “telling their brethren to stop fooling themselves into thinking the ACA will inevitably implode” -- the nation could start … [Read more...] about The Next Batch of Obamacare Horror Stories – ‘They’re Acoming’
‘Annexing’ Crimea and ‘Uniting’ Jerusalem (Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland)
Why is it that one of America's strongest allies and usual supporter of all things Western has refused to stand by sanctions against Russia for annexing Crimea? For Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza, columnist Mariusz Zawadzki writes that the answer is simple: Israel, too, has annexed nearby territory, and been widely condemned for it - in East Jerusalem. For the Gazeta Wyborcza, … [Read more...] about ‘Annexing’ Crimea and ‘Uniting’ Jerusalem (Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland)
[Brendan] Eich Carumba: The difficult marriage of politics and business (Guest Voice)
[Brendan] Eich Carumba: The difficult marriage of politics and business (via The Inquirer) THE LAST TWO WEEKS have highlighted the difficult balancing act that we must make in these modern enlightened times. Brendan Eich, Mozilla's very short-term CEO, was appointed to a position at a technology firm, and was expected to do well in that role… … [Read more...] about [Brendan] Eich Carumba: The difficult marriage of politics and business (Guest Voice)
The Clarence Thomas Court?
He may be considered as silent on the court as "Silent Cal" Calvin Coolidge was by legend (not so much in reality) as President, but is what we're really seeing now The Clarence Thomas Supreme Court? The Hill asks that question -- and makes a good case that we are indeed seeing just that: Justice Clarence Thomas’s influence was on full display in the Supreme Court’s … [Read more...] about The Clarence Thomas Court?
Golf Digest: Disrespecting Women Golfers?
Confession: I love golf. I play the game. I watch tournaments on television. But, I also have a hard time with the game’s sometimes racist and often sexist past. It was only a few years ago that Augusta National Golf Club, home to the Masters, admitted its first women members, and not much before that its first members of color. So when sexism raises it head again with … [Read more...] about Golf Digest: Disrespecting Women Golfers?
This is how the US Navy tortures whales to death (Guest Voice)
This is how the US Navy tortures whales to death (via GlobalPost) Sound literally tears through a whale. Imagine: First, a deafening sound penetrates your whole body. It's so loud you can hardly see straight. You have no idea where you are. Then, air bubbles start to form in your blood and tissue. The bubbles grow… … [Read more...] about This is how the US Navy tortures whales to death (Guest Voice)
Many Of Those Not Paying Obamacare Premiums Obtain Alternate Health Care Coverage And Remain Insured
Now that we have data on the number of people who have signed up through the exchanges there remains a question as to how many will actually pay their premiums and obtain coverage. It is not possible to have an exact number on this as coverage for those who signed up in the late April surge doesn’t start until May 1 and the premiums aren’t due until mid April National … [Read more...] about Many Of Those Not Paying Obamacare Premiums Obtain Alternate Health Care Coverage And Remain Insured
As the 70th Anniversary of D-Day Approaches, a Grateful Ally Remembers
While, politically, Franco-American relations have seen their ups and downs, the historical and cultural ties that bind the French and the American people are deep, solid and lasting -- Congressional "Freedom Fries" and other silliness notwithstanding. Recently, relations between France -- our oldest ally -- and the United States have been "especially robust" and France has … [Read more...] about As the 70th Anniversary of D-Day Approaches, a Grateful Ally Remembers
Josh Marshall on The Brittle Grip
Josh Marshall offers his third in the series on the brittle grip the ultra-wealthy believe they have on power on Talking Points Memo. Extremely wealthy people - enabled by a series of key Supreme Court decisions as recently as yesterday - want to be able to spend gargantuan amounts of money in the political process and remain essentially private persons who don't get knocked … [Read more...] about Josh Marshall on The Brittle Grip
D Is For Dog
In pondering what to do for my "D" post many ideas came to mind. Disney was an obvious choice for anyone who knows me but I decided that too obvious. I also considered Democracy, Daydreams and a myriad of other topics. But for various reasons I settled on dog. Although I do not currently have a dog in my life (I prefer that term to "own a dog") there have been canine … [Read more...] about D Is For Dog
Torture Doesn’t Work
I was an interrogator and analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency in the late 60s and early 70s. When I was in training the first thing they taught us was that torture was both illegal and ineffective. When you torture people they tell you what they think you want to hear not the truth. As a former DIA operative I must admit I don't have a lot of use for the CIA. Many … [Read more...] about Torture Doesn’t Work
David Letterman saying good night to ‘Late Night’
David Letterman saying good night to 'Late Night' (via AFP) David Letterman, a pillar of American late-night TV talk shows, announced that he will be stepping down as host of "Late Night" on CBS next year after a 22-year run. "We don't have the timetable for this precisely down," said Letterman, 66, during a… … [Read more...] about David Letterman saying good night to ‘Late Night’
Russians Bid Farewell to the West (Gazeta, Russia)
This is another example of the newly-emerging Russian nationalism, which embraces a break from the West as a liberation for the Russian people. Does the crisis over Crimea mark the end of a Western-oriented period of history for Russia? For Russia's Gazeta, columnist Pyotr Vlasov writes that the new paradigm will marginalize Russia's pro-Western liberals, and will wean Russians … [Read more...] about Russians Bid Farewell to the West (Gazeta, Russia)
Freedom of Speech (Cartoon)
https://politicalgraffiti.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/freedom-of-speech/ Copyright 2014 David Donar. All rights reserved. Copyright Donar, Political Graffiti … [Read more...] about Freedom of Speech (Cartoon)
Hearing an echo on Benghazi
Hearing an echo on Benghazi by Dana Milbank Washington Post Writers Group Columnist WASHINGTON -- House Republicans on Wednesday held Benghazi hearing number 1,372,569, give or take, and this time they were determined to find the proof that had eluded them in the previous 1,372,568: that Obama administration officials had put politics before national … [Read more...] about Hearing an echo on Benghazi
‘Fissures’ in Europe: Putin, Propaganda, and Patriotism (Handelsblatt, Germany)
In the United States, the pitched battle in Europe over Putin's annexation of Crimea remains almost an untold story. Far from closing ranks against Russia's activities, a large segment of the continent is sympathetic to Moscow's position. For Germany's Handelsblatt, columnist Wolfram Weimer lays out the economic, historic and political reasons that this fissure on the continent … [Read more...] about ‘Fissures’ in Europe: Putin, Propaganda, and Patriotism (Handelsblatt, Germany)
More Rare Historical Photos in Color (Photo video and colorized comedies videos)
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I like colorization. It's a scientific advance that can enhance some black and white movies and when used on historic photos it makes the person -- and their time -- much more...like...now. Here's another collection of rare historic photos in color: Here's the first collection of photos and colorized film that ran on … [Read more...] about More Rare Historical Photos in Color (Photo video and colorized comedies videos)
Affordable Care Act Meets its Registration Goal
Last October, the Affordable Care Act's insurance-registration website was moved to live at healthcare.gov. At the time, the site's unveiling was nothing short of a disaster. Few people were even able to access the site at all, and those who could were not able to register for health insurance. Critics of the Affordable Care Act experienced a sort of schadenfreude and took the … [Read more...] about Affordable Care Act Meets its Registration Goal
Texas Gubernatorial Candidate Getting Education Policy From a White Supremacist?
Texas Gubernatorial Candidate Getting Education Policy From a White Supremacist? By Jason Stanford After unsuccessfully mansplaining equal pay for three weeks, Greg Abbott, the Republican frontrunner for Texas governor, finally changed the subject by citing the work of conservative libertarian scholar Charles Murray, a "white nationalist" who opposes universal pre-K. … [Read more...] about Texas Gubernatorial Candidate Getting Education Policy From a White Supremacist?
What the Supreme Court is up to
Jeffrey Toobin has been keeping track. "McCutcheon" is nothing compared to what's coming next. If you think that the Supreme Court’s decision today in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission was bad, just wait: worse may be on the way. The issue before the Court was fairly narrow, even a little obscure. Congress bars individuals from contributing more than … [Read more...] about What the Supreme Court is up to