Oreos addictive? Rats treat Oreos like cocaine, study suggests. (via The Christian Science Monitor) Researchers at Connecticut College have found that rats' behavior toward Oreo cookies is not unlike their behavior toward cocaine and morphine.(Mark Thomson / The Christian Science Monitor) If you happen to be a Nabisco executive who is currently considering… … [Read more...] about Oreos addictive? Rats treat Oreos like cocaine, study suggests.
Republicans go back to war against… who? this time? (Ted Cruz)
Republicans go back to war against... who? this time? ...Ted Cruz. One of their own. Greg Sargent reports that Peter King, the Republican rep from New York, "predicts the Texas Senator will try do this all again in a few months, and crucially, he points out that it’s on the non-crazy Republicans to prevent this from happening": “He’s going to be coming back, … [Read more...] about Republicans go back to war against… who? this time? (Ted Cruz)
Please, can we govern now?
WASHINGTON -- We should never govern ourselves like this again. We cannot create absolutely pointless crises that make our great democracy look foolish around the globe. We cannot give Chinese government propagandists fodder as they call for "a de-Americanized world." We must not allow the extremist politics of a tea-party minority to turn our republic upside down. Our … [Read more...] about Please, can we govern now?
George Clooney wants you to drink this coffee
George Clooney wants you to drink this coffee (via GlobalPost) Enlarge NAIROBI, Kenya — George Clooney wants you to drink South Sudan’s coffee. And this isn't about charity — it's all business. The Hollywood star has a long relationship with South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011 after a peace deal… … [Read more...] about George Clooney wants you to drink this coffee
Cartoons on the government shutdown and debt limit crisis (Cartoon roundup)
Cartoonists all over the world have been having a field day with the House Republican-generated government shut down and debt limit default crisis. Here's a cross-section of cartoons: See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license cartoons like the above cartoons that are licensed to run on The Moderate … [Read more...] about Cartoons on the government shutdown and debt limit crisis (Cartoon roundup)
The Republican Party: Weaker by the Week (Guest Voice)
Weaker by the Week by Michael Reagan A lot of people are asking what the heck is wrong with the Republican Party. What isn't? That's no joke. Not for the GOP, not for the country. The party of Ronald Reagan is getting weaker by the week. Republican failure, Republican infighting, Republicans caving on their principles -- it's a grim soap opera, and it's … [Read more...] about The Republican Party: Weaker by the Week (Guest Voice)
Centrist Republican Ripon Society statement on agreement to open government and avert a debt default
The Ripon Society, a centrist Republican think tank, has issued this statement on the agreement to open the government and avert a shut down: Statement of Jim Conzelman President & CEO of The Ripon Society On tonight’s agreement to reopen the government & raise the debt limit “Winston Churchill once said that you can always count on the American people to do the … [Read more...] about Centrist Republican Ripon Society statement on agreement to open government and avert a debt default
CRISIS (for now) AVERTED: House approves Senate’s bill to reopen government and avert debt default
And so a major crisis has been averted -- for a few months, at least. The House of Representatives by a 285-144 vote with 87 Republicans voting yes has approved the Senate's bipartisan bill passed earlier reopen the government and avert a potentially catastrophic debt limit default. It's a temporary fix, which raises the question of whether Washington's political class will be … [Read more...] about CRISIS (for now) AVERTED: House approves Senate’s bill to reopen government and avert debt default
Booker Wins NJ Senate Race
In one of the least surprising stories of the year Cory Booker has won the US Senate race in New Jersey. The only partial surprise is that the margin is not as wide as was originally expected. … [Read more...] about Booker Wins NJ Senate Race
ONE DOWN: Senate Passes Bill to Open Government and Avoid Debt Default
One down, the House of Representatives to (theoretically) go. The Senate has passed a bill re-opening the government and avoiding a debt limit default: An agreement to end the partial government shutdown and avoid a possible U.S. default easily passed the U.S. Senate and headed to the House for a vote expected later Wednesday. If approved by the Republican-led House, … [Read more...] about ONE DOWN: Senate Passes Bill to Open Government and Avoid Debt Default
Iran’s web to tangle Obama
Iran is quietly weaving a web to entangle President Barack Obama in negotiations that will improve its position without delivering much in terms of changes within Teheran’s nuclear program. The talks with Iran in Geneva ended on a positive note as far as a new session is scheduled on November 7-8, 2013. This is very quick and shows that the detailed issues that Teheran is … [Read more...] about Iran’s web to tangle Obama
Pew Poll: Tea Party Image Gets Even Worse
If you thought it was bad before, the image of the Tea Party -- a key imagine now defining the entire Republican Party -- has gotten much worse. That's the latest in a new Pew Research Center poll: The Tea Party is less popular than ever, with even many Republicans now viewing the movement negatively. Overall, nearly half of the public (49%) has an unfavorable opinion … [Read more...] about Pew Poll: Tea Party Image Gets Even Worse
Wiley Boehner (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 Wiley Boehner (Cartoon)
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case Challenging EPA Regulation
As most of us are as aware, the Environmental Protection Agency has rather stringent standards for the greenhouse gas emissions from cars. These standards, however, do not exist without controversy. While the most eco-friendly among us believe EPA regulation is necessary — and if anything, the standards should be tougher — others believe the EPA infringes on their personal … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case Challenging EPA Regulation
The Joe Torre Rule
So (since that’s what everyone starts with nowadays), we’re well into football season, our government is behaving like a spoiled anorexic teenager crying for attention, and it’s starting to get a little cooler out – yup, sounds like autumn. And of course, that also means its playoff time for baseball. Anyone remember baseball? It’s been awhile now, but it used to be a … [Read more...] about The Joe Torre Rule
SENATE DEAL REACHED: Reid, McConnell reach deal to end shutdown and avoid default
It sounds like America's political and potentially fiscal nightmare is (for a few months, at least) over: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have made a deal to open the government and avoid default -- and reports say House Speaker John Boehner will allow it to go to a vote in the House: There's a deal to reopen the government and … [Read more...] about SENATE DEAL REACHED: Reid, McConnell reach deal to end shutdown and avoid default
Matt Drudge: Get ready for Speaker Pelosi
How bad has the Tea Party hurt the Republican Party brand? Conservative news aggregator Matt Drudge suggests Democrats will win back control of the House of Representatives next year. Talking Points Memo: Conservative news aggregator Matt Drudge seemed to suggest Wednesday that Democrats will win back control of the House of Representatives next year. In a message … [Read more...] about Matt Drudge: Get ready for Speaker Pelosi
Houston Chronicle Slams Ted Cruz: “Does Anyone Miss Kay Bailey Hutchison?”
The Houston Chronicle has yanked its endorsement of Sen. Ted Cruz, the Teahadist architect of the government shutdown aimed at defunding Obamacare, which led to nearly one million Americans losing their jobs. An op-ed in the Houston Chronicle asks, "does anyone miss Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison? It goes on to say, "One reason we particularly believe that Hutchison would make a … [Read more...] about Houston Chronicle Slams Ted Cruz: “Does Anyone Miss Kay Bailey Hutchison?”
In Poland and America, Religion Propels the Radical Right (Newsweek Polska, Poland)
One of the difficulties of putting the American right in global context, is that the U.S. right has so few analogues around the world. Conservatives in Britain, for example, look closer to communists than conservatives, compared to America's right. One exception might be Poland, which as I have said before, is one of the few countries where leaders and politicians publicly … [Read more...] about In Poland and America, Religion Propels the Radical Right (Newsweek Polska, Poland)
Showdown for Boehner and House-Breaker Cruz
Is he legislator or conspirator? During ten months in Washington, Ted Cruz has spent more time with House members than in his own chamber, culminating Monday night in being caught secretly huddling with a score of them at a DC night spot just before yesterday’s Tea Party refusal to reopen the government. In the face of five more such years, there are fringe petitions … [Read more...] about Showdown for Boehner and House-Breaker Cruz