Years ago, a drug-addicted employee used a passkey while I was away and stole stuff from my apartment, including a Purple Heart. That feeling of violation comes back as Michele Bachmann and her Tea Party comrades, after shutting down government, strike poses and remove barricades for veterans at Washington’s war memorials. “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel,” … [Read more...] about A Medal for Michele Bachmann
US Navy SEALs raid Somali militants
US Navy SEALs raid Somali militants: report (via AFP) US Navy SEALs staged a raid Saturday on a senior Shebab militant leader in southern Somalia though it was unclear whether he was killed, The New York Times reported Saturday. The Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab had earlier claimed it was British and Turkish… … [Read more...] about US Navy SEALs raid Somali militants
Why Women Can’t “Have It All”
At 50, a woman who is a college president, former powerhouse on Wall Street, wife and mother has written a new book, "Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection," to complain that members of her gender are “really shackled by expectations, rather than liberated.” Duh. As an editor of women’s magazines during the 1960s who employed both Gloria Steinem and Betty … [Read more...] about Why Women Can’t “Have It All”
Hillary Clinton decries “scorched earth” politics
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton truly nails it -- and her comments show why she will likely be an attractive candidate for centrists, moderates and independents if she runs for President: "Today, too many in our politics choose scorched earth over common ground. Many of our public debates are happening in what I like to call an evidence-free zone, where ideology … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton decries “scorched earth” politics
Republican ‘Clowns’ Turn America into a ‘Laughing Stock’ (Rzeczpospolita, Poland)
One might say that if the Republicans have lost Poland, they have lost the world. One of the few countries with officials who showed overt support for Mitt Romney during the 2012 campaign, this is the second op-ed this week written by Polish columnists lambasting House Republicans for closing down the federal government. For Rzeczpospolita, columnist Bartosz Weglarczyk writes … [Read more...] about Republican ‘Clowns’ Turn America into a ‘Laughing Stock’ (Rzeczpospolita, Poland)
Heartless: Arizona The Only State to Stop Welfare Checks for the Needy During Government Shutdown
I will continue to maintain that the Republican Party doesn't care about the poor and the least among us. How else can you explain Arizona Republican Gov. Jan Brewer's decision to stop welfare checks to the needy because of the government shutdown. Arizona is the only state to take such an action, knowing that the state would be reimbursed when the shutdown ends. Republican … [Read more...] about Heartless: Arizona The Only State to Stop Welfare Checks for the Needy During Government Shutdown
Poll: Republicans continue to lose women voters’ support
A new United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll has found that the Republican Party is continuing to lose women voters. As I've noted here (and many other non-conservatives have noted) forget any rebranding. It's over. What we are see is a branding reaffirmation -- a hardening of previous perceptions of the GOP. And that clearly is not helping … [Read more...] about Poll: Republicans continue to lose women voters’ support
Democrat Wendy Davis: The Battle for Texas Begins (Guest Voice)
Wendy Davis: The Battle for Texas Begins (via LA Progressive) As Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis (D) announced her historic campaign for governor, the list of arrogant and anachronistic Texas Republicans embarrassing the Lone Star State grew with the ludicrous scene of Texas Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer berating… … [Read more...] about Democrat Wendy Davis: The Battle for Texas Begins (Guest Voice)
Boehner’s door…And throwing away the key
John Boehner seems to have remarkably little understanding of why he finds himself "locked in an epic battle," as he framed it during a meeting with House Republicans yesterday a.m. ... The speaker offered no clue as to how he expected Congress to get out of the dead end it has found itself in, with the government shut for a fourth day and no clear path to raise the … [Read more...] about Boehner’s door…And throwing away the key
Video: Every time Jesse Pinkmans says “bitch” on Breaking Bad
And so Breaking Bad -- a TV show that became a cultural mania and, some say, the best TV show ever -- is over. It's last show got massive ratings. It's fans suffer withdrawal pains. It was used in a host of satires, including an edited scene showing Marie and Hank watch Miley Cyrus "twerking" on MTV in shock. Jimmy Kimmel did a great "Joking Bad" parody piece on it. But if … [Read more...] about Video: Every time Jesse Pinkmans says “bitch” on Breaking Bad
Quote of the Day
The Quote of the day comes from Ezra Klein: The shutdown is a Republican civil war We’re used to brinkmanship in Washington resulting from conflict between Democrats and Republicans. But this shutdown is different. It’s a fight between Republicans and Republicans -- or, more specifically, Republicans and the Tea Party. The bottom line is we have around 40 Tea Party … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day
Older and Wiser GOP Voices Speak Up
With Republicans and the nation still held hostage by a Tea Party brat pack, there is finally a stirring of sanity among party elders. Wiser heads are starting to push back about life beyond Boehner. The New York Times reports a GOP Senate lunch erupting into a “lynch mob” against Ted Cruz, with John Cain/Lindsay Graham’s third amigo, Kelly Ayotte, angrily waving a printout … [Read more...] about Older and Wiser GOP Voices Speak Up
It’s time for Democrats to act (Guest Voice)
It's time for Democrats to act by Josh Siegel John Boehner could end the Washington shutdown by calling an up-or-down vote on the so-called “clean” continuing resolution to fund the government for six weeks without touching the Affordable Care Act. The speaker’s unwillingness to do so illustrates a lack of pragmatic courage to overrule the more extreme elements of his … [Read more...] about It’s time for Democrats to act (Guest Voice)
Is The Debt Ceiling Constitutional?
Is the debt ceiling constitutional? This received some play in 2011 but over at the Atlantic Garret Epps takes a look at it again. If the debt limit is not raised the President (The Treasury Department) will in effect have to decide how to violate the law. The world has heard enough from me on this subject, but three nuanced analyses are worth looking at. The first, by Henry … [Read more...] about Is The Debt Ceiling Constitutional?
Government shutdown: Why Boehner doesn’t overrule tea party faction
Government shutdown: Why Boehner doesn't overrule tea party faction (via The Christian Science Monitor) House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walks to a Republican strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) To understand why House Speaker John Boehner has not just ended the government shutdown, now in its fourth day,… … [Read more...] about Government shutdown: Why Boehner doesn’t overrule tea party faction
A day of tears
In a historic move, Italy marked today as a national day of mourning and observed a minute of silence for the 100 dead and over 200 missing after a rickety boat carrying about 500 people capsized in rough waters. The migrants were fleeing their homelands for a toehold on the arid Lampedusa island off the Sicilian coast. Had they survived, they would have been enclosed in … [Read more...] about A day of tears
Internal GOP divisions exposed, might lead to compromise (Guest Voice)
Internal GOP divisions exposed, might lead to compromise (via PBS News Hour) By: Christina Bellantoni and Katelyn Polantz House Majority Leader Eric Cantor speaks at a GOP event Thursday. Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll CallThe stalemate over funding the government might appear at first glance to be a test of wills between two political… … [Read more...] about Internal GOP divisions exposed, might lead to compromise (Guest Voice)
Passions Rise in the No End In Sight House-Engineered Government Shutdown
The Republican House-engineered government shutdown has now unleashed passions and unwise political comments on both sides as it moves into a dangerous phase: coming close to the day when America could default on its debts. The lingering question, often unmentioned question is now becoming: could the U.S. be faced with a situation where the government has shut down AND defaults … [Read more...] about Passions Rise in the No End In Sight House-Engineered Government Shutdown
What The Government Shutdown Means For The Environment (Guest Voice)
What The Government Shutdown Means For The Environment (via Desmogblog) The U.S. government was officially shut down yesterday, and those responsible for the shutdown are already singing its praises. Among other things, they were finally able to achieve their years-long goal of shutting down the Environmental Protection… … [Read more...] about What The Government Shutdown Means For The Environment (Guest Voice)
General Giap: military genius, humbler of the West, dies at 102
General Giap: military genius, humbler of the West (via AFP) General Vo Nguyen Giap, who died Friday aged 102, was considered one of history's greatest military strategists and was the architect of Vietnam's stunning battlefield victories against France and the United States. Second only to late revolutionary… … [Read more...] about General Giap: military genius, humbler of the West, dies at 102