President Barack Obama has proven to be a "uniter not a divider" on Syria — but not in the way he would like. The president has united isolationist libertarian Republicans and anti-war Democratic liberals around opposing a military strike against Syria's Bashar al-Assad, who is accused of using chemical weapons on his own people. And some on the far left and far right now … [Read more...] about How Obama became a ‘uniter’ on Syria
Huffington Post Reports Majority Of House Opposed To Syria
Certainly they are a left leaning site and anti war but they are listing members by name so I presume any inaccurate report would be corrected. The current tracking has 223 in the No or Leaning No camp with just 39 in the Yes/Leaning Yes camp and the rest undecided/unknown. Of course things can change but this does not bode well for the proposed Syria vote and raises … [Read more...] about Huffington Post Reports Majority Of House Opposed To Syria
Peggy Noonan suggests Obama too incompetent to be a wartime President
Peggy Noonan doesn't think he "looks" like a war President.[/caption] This independent voter who has been in both parties and on both ends of the political spectrum is always amazed to see how today's Republicans simply can't argue a case without making it personal and making it all boil down to hatred of Barack Obama. And we now have a quintessential example of it -- and … [Read more...] about Peggy Noonan suggests Obama too incompetent to be a wartime President
White House Releases Joint Statement Signed by 10 Allies in Syria Response
The White House has issued a joint statement signed by 10 allies in the Syria chemical weapons attack situation: Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Missing from the list are Jordan, Israel and Qatar, to name a few. I wonder what's the real story behind Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz refusal to name the … [Read more...] about White House Releases Joint Statement Signed by 10 Allies in Syria Response
Biggest volcano on Earth found: It’s been hiding under the ocean
Biggest volcano on Earth found: It's been hiding under the ocean (via The Christian Science Monitor) Researchers created this image of Tamu Massif. Colors indicate altitude (red and yellow are high, blue is low). The grey area (lower right) shows the footprint of Olympus Mons at the same scale. Tamu Massif might be the biggest single volcano on Earth… … [Read more...] about Biggest volcano on Earth found: It’s been hiding under the ocean
Obama meets Putin (Guest Voice Cartoonist)
Obama meets Putin by Mike Peters OF RELATED INTEREST: --Obama, Vladimir Putin Meet Privately To Discuss Syria --Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin at odds over Syria, gays and more (with another artist's great cartoon..) --G20 summit: Obama, Putin hold surprise ‘constructive’ meeting on Syria; few signs of progress --Obama takes his sweet time in arriving for Putin's … [Read more...] about Obama meets Putin (Guest Voice Cartoonist)
Singing The Mission Creep Rag
Many in the political class are pontificating on the virtues and pitfalls of a tactical, surgical missile strike on Syria to punish the Assad regime for violating international “norms”, whatever that’s supposed to mean or exclude from meaning*, by using chemical weapons. The problem with many of the pontificators is that they don’t know or haven’t recognized what Paul Harvey … [Read more...] about Singing The Mission Creep Rag
G20 Chairs ‘Linguistically Rearranged’ to Keep Putin and Obama Apart (Izvestia, Russia)
Given the growing rift between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Russian protocol officials have found a way to put a good distance between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit, now proceeding in St. Petersburg. According to this news item from Russia's Izvestia, rather than using Russian, the language of the host country, for the seating … [Read more...] about G20 Chairs ‘Linguistically Rearranged’ to Keep Putin and Obama Apart (Izvestia, Russia)
Bush Neo-Cons Return to Set Obama Straight
Advertising genius Jerry Della Femina once wrote a gag slogan for a Japanese electronics client, “From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor.” Now in grim deliberations over Syria, the folks who gave us Iraq are back. Whatever venom the poison gas issue has sprayed over American politics, it has revivified some of George W. Bush’s cocky crusaders from that … [Read more...] about Bush Neo-Cons Return to Set Obama Straight
Here’s the Best Way to Tell Congress Your Opinion on Syria
Here's the Best Way to Tell Congress Your Opinion on Syria (via PBS News Hour) By: Jordan Vesey House Speaker John Boehner on Tuesday said he will support President Barack Obama's call for the U.S. to take action against Syria for alleged chemical weapons use. Do you agree with him? Tell your congressperson what you think.On Saturday… … [Read more...] about Here’s the Best Way to Tell Congress Your Opinion on Syria
On Syria, the wrong questions
WASHINGTON -- Congress is asking the wrong questions about Syria. The issue can't be who wins the civil war. It has to be whether the regime of Bashar al-Assad should be punished for using chemical weapons -- and, if the answer is yes, whether there is any effective means of punishment other than a U.S. military strike. Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of … [Read more...] about On Syria, the wrong questions
Yes: America Does Have Talent (Watch This Girl)
YES America DOES have talent. Watch a young girl with pizazz do "I Enjoy Being a Girl" from Flower Drum Song: The definitive version of this was done by Pat Suzuki in the original cast: And then Nancy Kwan did a great version of it in the 1961 box-office flop version of the musical: REPOSTED (publish date changed) by popular request from April 8, 2011 … [Read more...] about Yes: America Does Have Talent (Watch This Girl)
GOP Lawmaker Brings Fried Chicken to Poverty Hearing in ‘Silent Protest’
You have to increasingly ask yourself: do Republicans truly want to keep doing things, enabling, or refuse to repudiate actions and comments by their party members that will continue to work to brand them as a party with zero concern over the sensibilities of groups not in their coalition? And you have to ask yourself, do Republican Party establishment types realize how … [Read more...] about GOP Lawmaker Brings Fried Chicken to Poverty Hearing in ‘Silent Protest’
Reagan Revisionism. Does it have limits?
In yet another example of virtual worship of Ronald Reagan at the expense of the facts a Republican Reprentative claims that President Reagan would never have stood for Syria's use of nerve gas. In reality during the Reagan administration Iraq used various gas weapons against the Iranians during their long war without a peep being heard from the U.S. … [Read more...] about Reagan Revisionism. Does it have limits?
Alec Baldwin set to host weekly MSNBC show
MSNBC is continuing its branding as the anti-Fox: a network that offers to liberals (who have shunned the word and now call themselves progressives) what Fox News offers to conservatives (who repeat the word "conservative" as if that instantly means its good and wise, and whose efforts to discredit the word "liberal" apparently worked). Baldwin clearly has pizazz, an opinion … [Read more...] about Alec Baldwin set to host weekly MSNBC show
A few green shoots of reality
It appears that the U.S. Congress may not approve Syrian military actions as proposed by the Obama Administration. The Senate might ratify some type of limited authorization but many sources strongly indicate there are insufficient votes at this time in the House to approve limited air strikes against targets of the Assad Government. Last week in TMV, I wrote about my … [Read more...] about A few green shoots of reality
Mankind’s global warming plays role in extreme weather
Mankind's global warming plays role in extreme weather (via AFP) Climate change caused by human use of fossil fuels played a role in about a half dozen extreme weather events last year, international scientists said Thursday. A team of experts examined 12 wild weather episodes in 2012, from droughts in the United… … [Read more...] about Mankind’s global warming plays role in extreme weather
Report: War authorization likely to fail at this point
Is President Barack Obama's attempt to get Congress to authorize a limited missle strike on Syria doomed to defeat? According to a report in The Huffington Post, it is most assuredly heading that way: This sucker could go down. And unlike the Wall Street bailout, there is unlikely to be a do-over. A resolution authorizing military force against Syria barely made it out … [Read more...] about Report: War authorization likely to fail at this point
Is it John Bohener “to go”?
"Everybody around him thinks this is his last term."...HuffPo John Boehner, say some Congress watchers who usually know more than you and me, will leave next year. Not leave Washington, just move to the big money side -- according to commentators at HuffPo. Despite the effort by Boehner to tamp down speculation that he will depart the House after the 2014 … [Read more...] about Is it John Bohener “to go”?
Congress Comes Alive in Debating Mass Death
After six years of aimless dysfunction and deadlock about the lives of Americans, members of both parties are alert and attentive (even as McCain plays iPhone poker) while debating death, past and future, in a nation of 20-some million people half a world away. Suddenly gone from discussion are previously overriding issues of government power and spending in favor of such … [Read more...] about Congress Comes Alive in Debating Mass Death