A Blistering Dissent in ‘McCutcheon’: Conservatives Substituted Opinion for Fact (via Moyers & Company) Central to the Supreme Court’s campaign finance decisions in the John Roberts era is that the government’s only legitimate interest in this area is preventing direct, quid pro quo corruption — a donor demanding that a specific law be passed, or… … [Read more...] about A Blistering Dissent in ‘McCutcheon’: Conservatives Substituted Opinion for Fact
Lessig: Supreme Court McCutcheon ruling turning U.S. into “Sheldon City”
Last year Harvard University Law Professor Lawrence Lessig wrote the eBook "Lesterland: The Corruption of Congress and How to End It," which detailed how big money corrupts both parties in Congress, and how lobbyists even market gridlock as a political strategy. In light of the Supreme Court ruling in the McCutcheon case, he has sent out email for Rootstrikers, which defines … [Read more...] about Lessig: Supreme Court McCutcheon ruling turning U.S. into “Sheldon City”
A War Of Words Doesn’t Have To Involve Fighting
A Global Crossing of Wildly Popular World Leaders. The Rock Star Pope Greets The Superman President. The View From The Virgin Islands By John McCarthy TMV Columnist President Obama met with Pope Francis last week in Rome. That’s when I learned that the phrase “conscientious objection” no longer means what we thought it means. The President … [Read more...] about A War Of Words Doesn’t Have To Involve Fighting
MH370 (Cartoon)
https://politicalgraffiti.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/mh370/ Copyright 2014 David Donar. All rights reserved. Copyright Donar, Political Graffiti … [Read more...] about MH370 (Cartoon)
The Donald Rumsfeld I Got to Know
Fellow contributor Shaun Mullen discusses the recent and lengthy four-part New York Times op-ed series by Errol Morris, an op-ed that focuses on former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s “lack of ability to discriminate between truth and fantasy,” on his “gobbledygook philosophy that — seemingly paying lip service to empiricism — devalued evidence and made a mockery of … [Read more...] about The Donald Rumsfeld I Got to Know
Obamacare Enrollment Surpasses Seven Million
The number of people purchasing insurance under the Affordable Care Act has exceeded seven million. This slightly surpasses initial predictions. This also surpasses the reduced prediction of six million made by the Congressional Budget Office as a result of the initial IT problems, (with more expected to sign up in future years) and shows that conservative opponents of … [Read more...] about Obamacare Enrollment Surpasses Seven Million
Missing Airliner Brings Back Fear of Flying
Endless fascination with the Malaysian airliner goes on, rippling out to TV commercials unseen now for decades: courses for those afraid to fly. The condition has a scientific name, pteromerhanophobia, afflicting the famous from football commentator John Madden to comic Whoopi Goldberg, and bringing back memories of my own struggles with the condition. Briefly in World … [Read more...] about Missing Airliner Brings Back Fear of Flying
Can Rand Paul Really Get the 2016 GOP Nomination?
He's the GOP's emerging conservative "rock star" who sets the base on fire. But can he go the distance? Is it realistic to think that Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul can really get the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination and usher in a new GOP era in more ways than one? Or does he have too much political hubris -- some of it from his father? If you believe a series of polls of … [Read more...] about Can Rand Paul Really Get the 2016 GOP Nomination?
Citizens United Expanded (McCutcheon v. FEC)
For those who thought the U. S. Supreme Court might be chastened by the reaction to its Citizens United decision and be reluctant to expand that thinking further, I regret to inform you that your hopes have been officially dashed. In today’s decision, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, the Court has ruled, very much relying on Citizens United, that aggregate limits on … [Read more...] about Citizens United Expanded (McCutcheon v. FEC)
GOP candidates kiss up to billionaire
GOP candidates kiss up to billionaire by Dana Milbank Washington Post Writers Group Columnist WASHINGTON -- Who wants to marry a billionaire? John Kasich does. So do Scott Walker, Chris Christie and Jeb Bush. When Sheldon Adelson, the world's eighth-richest person, according to Forbes, let it be known that he was looking for a Republican candidate to … [Read more...] about GOP candidates kiss up to billionaire
The undervaluing of George H. W. Bush
Democrat Ned Lamont, the darling of liberals when he defeated Connecticut Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primary, has it right: George H. W. has been undervalued as President -- and I'm predicting he will get his historical due. Here's part of what he writes in RealClearPolitics: Presidential surveys put him in the middle of the pack, but he should be … [Read more...] about The undervaluing of George H. W. Bush
Oradour-sur-Glane, France, 70 Years Ago – Matay, Egypt, Today.
A few years ago we visited the charred ruins of what had once been a quiet, pleasant town in the French Limousine. As we walked through what is left of the village of Oradour-sur-Glane we tried to fathom the hell some 642 innocent French men, women and children experienced at the hands of the Nazis on a nice summer day seventy years ago. We tried to imagine how on June … [Read more...] about Oradour-sur-Glane, France, 70 Years Ago – Matay, Egypt, Today.
How the zebra earned its stripes
How the zebra earned its stripes (via AFP) Zebras have stripes to deter the tsetse and other blood-sucking flies, according to a fresh bid to settle a debate that has raged among biologists for over 140 years. Since the 1870s, in a dispute sparked by the founders of evolutionary theory Charles… … [Read more...] about How the zebra earned its stripes
Part GM wouldn’t replace that helped kill 13 cost $1
[two_third_last] Reuters has a truly shocking report that'll have General Motor's public relations department scrambling: it turns out that the faulty ignition switch that GM reportedly decided to quietly not replace would have cost the company $1 on each car. The switch is blamed for taking 13 lives: General Motors Co in 2005 decided not to change an ignition switch … [Read more...] about Part GM wouldn’t replace that helped kill 13 cost $1
Obamacare Haters Can’t Handle the Truth
Obamacare Haters Can't Handle the Truth By Dick Polman If there's one thing Republicans hate even more than health insurance for a growing number of Americans, it's empirical evidence that Obamacare is insuring a growing number of Americans. As we hit the first enrollment deadline, the raw stats demonstrated that the health reform law is very much alive and threading … [Read more...] about Obamacare Haters Can’t Handle the Truth
Conservatives Discover Benefits of ACA
Sahil Gapur reports on conservative pundits getting the political cost of GOP push to repeal Obamacare on Talking Points Memo. Central to their dilemma is the emerging discovery that many people will end up benefiting from Obamacare. Despite the health care law's problems, unanswered questions and unknown costs, it can hardly be denied that millions of American are slated to … [Read more...] about Conservatives Discover Benefits of ACA
B Is For Buddhism
This is my 2nd post in the A-Z challenge. In deciding to do the challenge I also decided to post on topics that I would not ordinarily discuss. That brings us to the topic of Buddhism, although I personally am a Christian but I like to say that I speak it with a bit of a Buddhist accent. What do I mean by that ? Well I am not an actively practicing Buddhist as I … [Read more...] about B Is For Buddhism
Earthquake
Here in the Pacific Northwest they tell us we are overdue for a 9.0 subduction zone earthquake. They had one in Japan and we know how that worked out and there was another in Chile today. A major earthquake of magnitude 8.2 struck off the coast of Chile on Tuesday, triggering a tsunami that hit the northern part of the country, but the government reported no deaths or … [Read more...] about Earthquake
Obama cheers seven million health care sign upsObama cheers seven million health care sign ups
Obama cheers seven million health care sign ups (via AFP) President Barack Obama Tuesday cheered seven million people who bought into his health care law and lashed out at political foes who were "mad" that more Americans could get insured. Obama savored a rare moment of triumph in his second term after the… … [Read more...] about Obama cheers seven million health care sign upsObama cheers seven million health care sign ups
A Culture of Dignity (Part 2)
This is the fifteenth 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 9: A CULTURE OF DIGNITY(Part 2) The Self: A Home for Identities Perhaps Shakespeare put it best: But man, proud man! Drest in a little brief … [Read more...] about A Culture of Dignity (Part 2)