I got up this morning and checked some financial news websites. A report on the economy's leading economic indicators (LEIs) was due out at 10 o'clock. I then got off-line and went to breakfast with Kay, my life associate. Over bowls of cereal and side orders of kiwi fruit, I asked Kay what she thought the LEI report would show, how much it would change. "Beats me. Eat … [Read more...] about Kay And Mike Beat Analyst Expectations Predicting Change In Leading Economic Indicators
Officials Argue Benghazi was Idiotic Mistake Versus Malicious Cover Up
CBS News reports that Obama administrations are issuing a qualified mea culpa -- more like a mea idiota -- over the controversy surrounding Benghazi: Obama administration officials who were in key positions on Sept. 11, 2012 acknowledge that a range of mistakes were made the night of the attacks on the U.S. missions in Benghazi, and in messaging to Congress and the public … [Read more...] about Officials Argue Benghazi was Idiotic Mistake Versus Malicious Cover Up
Keeping on Top of Priorities When White House Deals With Drama
Keeping on Top of Priorities When White House Deals With Drama (via PBS News Hour) JEFFREY BROWN: And we return to our look at the Obama administration under pressure. We get takes now from both parties. Democrat Tom Perriello is president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. He served as a member of Congress in Virginia, before losing his seat in the tea party … [Read more...] about Keeping on Top of Priorities When White House Deals With Drama
Ex-Komen Official Karen Handel Announces Georgia Senate Bid
Karen Handel is in the news again. You will recall she was a gubernatorial candidate in 2010 and lost to Nathan Deal. She also resigned abruptly from the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure after an uproar involving Planned Parenthood. Yep, she almost wrecked the organization and her debut on the national stage was a joke. I have written about Karen Handel in the past, since I … [Read more...] about Ex-Komen Official Karen Handel Announces Georgia Senate Bid
CBS News: Republicans Changed Benghazi Emails
A turn in the controversy over Benghazi that will likely defuse it as a major issue for many voters due to the old maxim "consider the source," because it's clear the motivation of the source. CBS News' Major Garrett (formerly of Fox News) has reported that the ABC News "bombshell" emails about Benghazi, which turned out to be at variance with the actual emails, were changed by … [Read more...] about CBS News: Republicans Changed Benghazi Emails
Drones: Made in America, Sold to Militaries Everywhere
We’ve known for a while that drones are becoming ubiquitous, sadly, two years before the FAA will have any rules. Already, the military is using drones to terrorize Yemeni villagers and police officers to spy. But with the recent Silicon Valley interest and boom in drones comes worrying questions. The U.S. drone program has always been a bit shady. We know, for instance that … [Read more...] about Drones: Made in America, Sold to Militaries Everywhere
Angelina Jolie: Not Everybody’s Role Model
The newest name in the annals of breast cancer brings back one from four decades ago that helped change how women—-and doctors-—viewed and treated the affliction. Angelina Jolie, meet Babette Rosmund. Before 1970, mastectomy was the unquestioned answer for women diagnosed with the disease. Then a 50-year-old writer who had read a magazine article challenged the conventional … [Read more...] about Angelina Jolie: Not Everybody’s Role Model
Historical Tidbits
In addition to being a political junkie I am also a student of history and am particularly fascinated by the twists and turns of history. So I thought from time to time I would offer a little look back at what might have been. Today we are taking a trip back to January 1853 and a southbound train heading for Washington DC. In that era train wrecks were quite common and on … [Read more...] about Historical Tidbits
Boston suspect wrote note before capture: report
Boston suspect wrote note before capture: report (via AFP) Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wrote a note before his capture in which he called the victims "collateral damage" for US action in Afghanistan and Iraq, local media reported. "When you attack one Muslim, you attack all Muslims," Tsarnaev also scribbled on the inside wall of the boat where… … [Read more...] about Boston suspect wrote note before capture: report
Am I a Home for Identities?
[This is the second post in the series Why Everything You Know about Your “Self” Is Wrong. The series explores how our understanding of selfhood affects our sense of individuality, our interpersonal relationships, and our politics.] In the first post in this series, we disentangled the notion of selfhood from the body, the mind, and the witness. Another common mistake is to … [Read more...] about Am I a Home for Identities?
Hillary Alert! (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 Hillary Alert! (Cartoon)
President Obama to Name Daniel Werfel Acting IRS Commissioner
BREAKING NEWS: President Obama will reportedly name Daniel Werfel as acting IRS Commissioner. Daniel Werfel is currently the controller of the Office of Management and Budget. He has served in that role since 2009. He will replace Steve Miller was resigned at the request of President Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew. This was cross-posted from The Hinterland Gazette. … [Read more...] about President Obama to Name Daniel Werfel Acting IRS Commissioner
Is President Obama Having a ‘Katrina Moment’ as White House Battles Three ‘Scandals?’
Is President Obama having a "Katrina moment" with the trio of scandals rocking his administration -- Benghazi, IRS snooping and the Associated Press wiretaps? I knew it was a matter of time before someone invoked "Katrina moment" as a way of explaining away the drama that continues to dominate the news cycle. Personally, I believe Eric Holder should be put out to pasture, given … [Read more...] about Is President Obama Having a ‘Katrina Moment’ as White House Battles Three ‘Scandals?’
Breathing Bad Air
Tina Brown (Vanity Fair>Newsweek>Daily Beast) isn't someone I'd turn to for the last word on our political culture. She may be condemned by her position at the Beast to chase the latest scandal. Whatever. But when, in an interview this morning, she made it sound as though Obama will never climb out of this mess (you choose.. there are so many), I had to switch her off. … [Read more...] about Breathing Bad Air
Quote of the Day: National Review Warns Republicans Not to Overreach on Obama Scandals
There is a danger for Republicans' good fortune in the three scandals (which seem to be deflating in various degrees but by no means gone) that have set in place the "second term curse" for President Barack Obama -- and Democratic hopes for 2014: it's overreach. And our Quote of the Day comes from the conservative National Review in an editorial. Here's the most important … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: National Review Warns Republicans Not to Overreach on Obama Scandals
How Twitter has changed local politics (Guest Voice)
How Twitter has changed local politics (via The Christian Science Monitor) Newark Mayor Cory Booker has used his Twitter account to connect with his constituents on pertinent issues. Many of them have used social media to engage in political discourse or campaign for community action.(Twitter) Lynette Barnes, a southern New Jersey native, was initially hesitant about … [Read more...] about How Twitter has changed local politics (Guest Voice)
The false god of ‘narrative’
WASHINGTON -- "What if the government starts enforcing the espionage statute whenever there's a leak?" Steve Roberts, a former New York Times journalist who teaches at George Washington University, observed to the Baltimore Sun. "It's going to have a tremendously chilling effect on this interplay between sources and reporters." But Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) insisted … [Read more...] about The false god of ‘narrative’
Eric Holder’s abdication (Guest Voice)
Eric Holder's abdication by Dana Milbank Washington Post Writers Group WASHINGTON -- As the nation's top law enforcement official, Eric Holder is privy to all kinds of sensitive information. But he seems to be proud of how little he knows. Why didn't his Justice Department inform The Associated Press, as the law requires, before pawing through … [Read more...] about Eric Holder’s abdication (Guest Voice)
Let’s Take a Walk Down the Memory Hole
With the manufactured Benghazi scandal tying with the IRS for the story that the right is pretending is a story, it’s worth looking back at what a real scandal looks like. Most people think of Watergate when they think “scandal” but by Nixon standards, Watergate is just a little icing on the cake. The premise behind the Benghazi scandal is that the President failed to label … [Read more...] about Let’s Take a Walk Down the Memory Hole
GOP Needs A Robert Strauss
I was flipping channels today and came across a replay of a Book TV episode on C-Span. The topic was a biography of long time Democratic operative Robert Strauss. One of the points made by the author (his great niece) was that Strauss took over as chairman of the Democratic national committee in the aftermath of the McGovern fiasco of 1972. At the time there was talk that … [Read more...] about GOP Needs A Robert Strauss