In a meeting with constituents, still another GOP office holder fails to stand up and just say "We have no real basis for impeaching President Obama." or at least a wimpy equivalent when confronted with a raging partisan. This time it's Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), who occasionally seems pretty rational. “What you have to do is you have to establish the criteria that would … [Read more...] about Stand Up, Republicans
Explaining John Kerry’s Shellacking in Brazil (Estadao, Brazil)
Why, given the apparently close relationship between the U.S. and Brazil, and even an upcoming state visit to the United States by President Dilma Rousseff, was Secretary of State Kerry so publicly and undiplomatically rebuked when he visited the country last week? This editorial from Brazil's Estadao explains. The Estadao editorial reads in part: What led Chancellor … [Read more...] about Explaining John Kerry’s Shellacking in Brazil (Estadao, Brazil)
Georgia school shooting averted by a brave bookkeeper – and prayer
Georgia school shooting averted by a brave bookkeeper – and prayer (+video) (via The Christian Science Monitor) A sign welcomes Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy students in Decatur, Ga., as they return to classes at McNair High School on Wednesday after a man with an assault rifle and other weapons entered the academy Tuesday and shot at police from… … [Read more...] about Georgia school shooting averted by a brave bookkeeper – and prayer
Will elephants be extinct by 2025?
Is it time to say goodbye to the majestic elephant? The species has been hurt by habitat destruction and species fragmentation, but its biggest enemy has undoubtedly been mankind: An elephant is killed every 15 minutes. And now, one expert predicts that within 12 years, elephants will be extinct, the victims largely of poachers who sell their ivory, and the mostly wealthy … [Read more...] about Will elephants be extinct by 2025?
Israel: Chemical weapons were used in Damascus attack
Israel: Chemical weapons were used in Damascus attack (via GlobalPost) Enlarge JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded today to reports of a deadly nerve gas attack that killed scores outside the Syrian capital yesterday with words of warning to the West. "These events prove yet again that we… … [Read more...] about Israel: Chemical weapons were used in Damascus attack
Aaron Sorkin Has Won a Major Award
I've created The Fairly Spiritual Award to honor individuals who create content that has a soul. It is my pleasure to announce that the first recipient of this gotta-be-prestigious-to-someone award is screenwriter, producer and playwright Aaron Sorkin. Although such an honor is worthy of an in-depth essay, I will satisfy digital age attention spans with a short enumerated list … [Read more...] about Aaron Sorkin Has Won a Major Award
BREAKING: San Diego Mayor Bob Filner will resign tomorrow
NOTE: Due to a glitch this post that was on a timer for 12:01 a.m. went up immeidately. You'll note the report reproduced here says the resignation will come FRIDAY. We regret the glitch. BREAKING NEWS: As many expected, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner will resign, reports San Diego's ABC News station, KGTV: Team 10 has confirmed Mayor Bob Filner is prepared to resign … [Read more...] about BREAKING: San Diego Mayor Bob Filner will resign tomorrow
Bradley Manning: I want to live as “Chelsea Manning” a woman
In a new twist on a case that has been pitchforked into the headlines, Bradley Manning, the Army private sentenced to military prison yesterday for leaking classified documents to Wikileaks has told The Today Show that he wants to live his life as a woman, Chelsea Manning. Here's the full statement read for him on Today: Subject: The Next Stage of My Life I want to … [Read more...] about Bradley Manning: I want to live as “Chelsea Manning” a woman
CO GOP Sen. Vicki Marble: Black and Hispanics in Poverty Partly Because of ‘Fried Chicken’
Jesus take the wheel: Sen. Vicki Marble (R-CO) delivered a "long soliloquy explaining that more blacks and Hispanics live in poverty, in part, because of fried chicken," during a meeting of the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force Wednesday. This racial slight occurred as lawmakers on the committee were "presented with a number of statistics highlighting racial … [Read more...] about CO GOP Sen. Vicki Marble: Black and Hispanics in Poverty Partly Because of ‘Fried Chicken’
The Founding Fathers Would Weep
Chris Hedges writes that, with the sentencing of Bradley Manning, the United States is now a penal colony: There are strict rules now in our American penal colony. If we remain supine, if we permit ourselves to be passively stripped of all political power and voice, if we refuse to resist as we are incrementally reduced to poverty and the natural world is … [Read more...] about The Founding Fathers Would Weep
Antonin Scalia Doesn’t Understand What is Meant by Rights
Antonin Scalia gave a talk at a luncheon in Bozeman Montana sponsored by the Federalist Society Monday. In it he decried the creation of new rights by the courts. His overall theme was that items that have been decided on by the court should have been left to legislatures. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told a Montana audience Monday that American courts too often … [Read more...] about Antonin Scalia Doesn’t Understand What is Meant by Rights
Report: San Diego Mayor Bob Filner reaches deal in mediation: resignation soon?
On a day when the 18th woman came forward to accuse him of sexual harrassment, San Diego's beleaguered Mayor Bob Filner reportedly reached a deal in mediation -- and if you had to place money based on reports, you'd say he's likely to resign. The website of KPBS, the public broadcasting station that has been ahead of much of the local media on this story, gives these … [Read more...] about Report: San Diego Mayor Bob Filner reaches deal in mediation: resignation soon?
Noah’s Creationist Ark (Guest Voice Cartoonist)
Noah's Creationist Ark by Mike Peters OF RELATED INTEREST: --Dinosaurs Were On Noah’s Ark, Creationist Ken Ham Claims [Video] --Creation Museum employee struck by lightning --More creationist dishonesty --Creationist Darek Isaacs Calls Dragons Real, Says They Lived In Biblical Times (VIDEO) --Scientists criticize creationism, Louisiana Science Education Act at … [Read more...] about Noah’s Creationist Ark (Guest Voice Cartoonist)
The Furor Over the Rodeo Clown and the Obama Mask
Old joke: two cannibals are eating a clown and one says, "Does this taste funny to you?" In a case of life imitating joke, political partisans squared off in the case of the Obama-mask wearing rodeo clown over whether his act was funny, or in dangerously bad taste. But partisans and most of the media are missing the point of what happened. The issue was a professional rodeo … [Read more...] about The Furor Over the Rodeo Clown and the Obama Mask
San Diego Zoo (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 San Diego Zoo (Cartoon)
Not too harsh (Guest Voice)
Not too harsh (via The Economist) WHEN a judge last month convicted Bradley Manning of violating the Espionage Act, she seemed to be siding with those who view the army private as a duplicitous traitor, rather than a patriotic whistle-blower. Sure, she cleared him of the gravest charge… … [Read more...] about Not too harsh (Guest Voice)
Inside the ‘ALEC Universe’ (Guest Voice)
Inside the ‘ALEC Universe’ (via Moyers & Company) Representative Chris Taylor is a Democrat elected to the Wisconsin legislature in 2011. Last week, she attended the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) annual conference in Chicago. Writing about her experience at The Progressive magazine’… … [Read more...] about Inside the ‘ALEC Universe’ (Guest Voice)
Kirchick blasts Russia’s anti-gay laws, on Russian-funded network (Video)
It was a scene right out of a movie. But, no, if it was in a movie you'd think it was too dramatic. Real life could never unfold that way, but it did. American reporter, columnist and activist James Kirchick was on government-funded Russia Today from Sweden, brought on as talking head to discuss the then-upcoming verdict on Bradley Manning for leaking documents to Wikileaks. … [Read more...] about Kirchick blasts Russia’s anti-gay laws, on Russian-funded network (Video)
Iowa County GOP Official Quits Because the Party is too Conservative
Chad Brown resigned from his position as co-chairman of the Polk County Republican Party in Iowa, telling the Des Moines Register "the GOP has become too conservative and is condoning “hateful” rhetoric". He believes the Christian Right and the NRA have undue influence in the party and is disappointed that too few Republicans are expressing public disapproval of Steve King's … [Read more...] about Iowa County GOP Official Quits Because the Party is too Conservative
Dentist attempting to clone John Lennon with a tooth
Could murdered onetime Beatle John Lennon rise again -- due to an old, decaying tooth? Yes, if Canadian dentist Michael Zuk has something about it. This deals with the dentist looking at cloning (you know the drill): A rotten tooth from the mouth of former Beatles member John Lennon has made its way into the hands of Canadian dentist Michael Zuk, who, in what sounds like … [Read more...] about Dentist attempting to clone John Lennon with a tooth