Flight of the Huckabees (via The Economist) IS MIKE HUCKABEE'S contract with Fox up for renewal? Does he want a new deal with Cumulus, the company that broadcast Mr Huckabee's radio show, which he just quit? Is he feeling lonely, forlorn, out of the loop, too far from the madding crowd? Because… … [Read more...] about Flight of the Huckabees (Guest Voice)
The Top 10 Comedic News Stories of 2013
The Top 10 Comedic News Stories of 2013 Raging Moderate, by Will Durst Be still, your beating hearts. As we exultantly find ourselves in this festive place once again. The most wonderful time of the year. When squealing children race home from school to check and recheck their favorite news websites. Husbands and wives fight for possession of the living room tablet. … [Read more...] about The Top 10 Comedic News Stories of 2013
If the Tea Party’s Over, What’s Next?
The House passes a two-year budget deal to release Congress as a hostage from sequester insanity by a vote of 332-94. Half the naysayers are GOP diehards, half liberal Democrats. This sudden lurch toward two-party give-and-take should come as no surprise, according to a new Gallup poll that finds the Tea Party dropping past a tipping point, with a slim majority viewing them … [Read more...] about If the Tea Party’s Over, What’s Next?
Boehner vs. Tea Party
Sahil Kapur reports on Speaker John Boehner finally standing up to his Tea Party caucus on Talking Points Memo. This week, John Boehner took on the tea party and steamrolled it. It was a cathartic experience for the Republican House Speaker, who finally stood up to the movement that has been pushing him around for three years, recently coercing him into shutting down the … [Read more...] about Boehner vs. Tea Party
Mandela and the Hard Core Republican Base
A few days ago I wrote a post about the how photographer who took some pictures of President Obama in South Africa corrected those who tried to attack him based on some notion of how the president's behavior wasn't appropriate for the situation. When reading comments on other articles about Mandela I read quite a few vicious attacks on Mandela from people who were rather … [Read more...] about Mandela and the Hard Core Republican Base
Texas Left Me Out
Dylan Scott reports on the organizing effort in red states to protest their refusing ACA Medicaid expansion in Talking Points Memo. Obamacare advocates are actively recruiting those left out of the Medicaid expansion in Republican-controlled states to lobby state officials to change their minds and participate in that key provision of the health care reform law. So far, the … [Read more...] about Texas Left Me Out
The U.S. Air Force Band May Be Coming to Town
About a week ago, I posted a video of the four-minute performance by the United States Air Force Band featuring an original arrangement of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring/Joy to the World.” It was done in the form of a “flash mob” at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The video has had 1.6 million views so far and is still going strong. It is reposted below. … [Read more...] about The U.S. Air Force Band May Be Coming to Town
Belonging: A Memoir – The Oberlin Years
I recently published Belonging: A Memoir, which can be downloaded for free at Smashwords. This memoir is a companion piece to my novel The Rowan Tree, which is also now available for free through Christmas as a Kindle ebook. The memoir covers the experiences that inspired The Rowan Tree, while the novel imagines those experiences playing out in different ways. Both the memoir … [Read more...] about Belonging: A Memoir – The Oberlin Years
Interview with Professor John Hickman
Interview with Professor John Hickman John Hickman is Associate Professor of Government and International Studies at Berry College in Mt. Berry, Georgia. He is the author of Selling Guantanamo: Exploding the Propaganda Surrounding America's Most Notorious Prison, in which he offers a detailed critique of the "official narrative" the public has been provided surrounding … [Read more...] about Interview with Professor John Hickman
Two injured, suspected gunman dead at Colorado school
Two injured, suspected gunman dead at Colorado school (via AFP) Two students were injured in a shooting incident at a school in the US state of Colorado on Friday, before the suspected gunman apparently killed himself, the local sheriff said. The suspect was a student at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, outside… … [Read more...] about Two injured, suspected gunman dead at Colorado school
North Korea execution: The nation is sliding into chaos. Or it’s more stable than ever (Guest Voice)
North Korea execution: The nation is sliding into chaos. Or it's more stable than ever (via GlobalPost) Enlarge A South Korean activist stabs a pocket knife on a picture of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an anti-North Korea rally near the national assembly in Seoul on March 22, 2013. Kim-watchers debate whether the country is on the verge of collapse… … [Read more...] about North Korea execution: The nation is sliding into chaos. Or it’s more stable than ever (Guest Voice)
The tagged selfie (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 The tagged selfie (cartoon)
North Korea 401k (Cartoon)
https://politicalgraffiti.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/north-korea-401k/ Copyright 2013 David Donar. All rights reserved. Copyright Donar, Political Graffiti … [Read more...] about North Korea 401k (Cartoon)
Drone Strike Takes Out Wedding Party
Multiple sources are reporting that an armed U. S. drone hit a wedding convoy in Yemen, killing between 11 and 17 wedding goers, depending on which news source you subscribe to. An unknown number of the dead are reportedly civilians. Not to worry though. It's just collateral damage! Here are some sources for those who want additional information. Yahoo . NYT . … [Read more...] about Drone Strike Takes Out Wedding Party
ACLU’s “The NSA Is Coming To Town”
My friends at the ACLU have created a Christmas video, emailed it to me, and invited me to share it with my friends. Here you are, my friends. Have a good laugh, be sure to get the point...and have a Merry Christmas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8pcWlyUu8U4 … [Read more...] about ACLU’s “The NSA Is Coming To Town”
The Debate Over a Higher Minimum Wage Continues
are, you've probably heard about some of the low-wage workers who are demanding an increase in pay. Across the country, workers in fast food restaurants, retail stores and other establishments have been appealing to the federal government to raise the minimum wage. To most of us, raising the minimum wage makes sense — if you've worked at a low-paying job for even a short period … [Read more...] about The Debate Over a Higher Minimum Wage Continues
Will Paul Ryan Replace Boehner as Speaker?
The Deal is even bigger than it appears on the surface. As the first break in two years of wall-to-wall Tea Party obstruction in the House of Representatives, it forebodes a new alignment there. Paul Ryan, who ran for VP last year as a policy wonk and ended up exposed as an habitual liar, is now in line to pull the House GOP together as the next Speaker. Lying can be a … [Read more...] about Will Paul Ryan Replace Boehner as Speaker?
History Geek Moment
How is this story for amazing.... President John Tyler was born while George Washington was President, he served from 1841-1845 and died during the Lincoln years. Yet two of his *grandchildren* are alive today.... (the story is a bit old but I believe both still are alive) Both he and his son had children quite late in life and the grandkids are pretty long lived … [Read more...] about History Geek Moment
The Republican mainstream strikes back
WASHINGTON -- The unusual display of reasonable behavior by House Republicans this week should be seen as a retreat -- a change in tactics -- but not a surrender. Democrats had better note the distinction. Sooner or later, it had to dawn on the GOP that repeatedly re-enacting Pickett's Charge was not advancing the party's agenda or enhancing its electoral prospects. In … [Read more...] about The Republican mainstream strikes back
House approves bipartisan budget deal
US bipartisan budget bill approved by House (via AFP) House lawmakers on Thursday resoundingly approved a two-year budget deal that repeals billions of dollars in painful automatic cuts and crucially avoids the prospect of a US government shutdown next year. The agreement hammered out between top Democratic… … [Read more...] about House approves bipartisan budget deal