Does the United States government bare some responsibility for the pain being felt in Boston and around the country today? Amid the commentary coming in from around the world, from some quarters there is a certain sense of schadenfreude - which means in German to take pleasure in the pain of others. In these two articles posted today, one from Iraq's Al-Iraq News and the other … [Read more...] about ‘Having Sown the Wind … America Reaps the Whirlwind’ – Iraqi and Jordanian Reactions to Boston
Scarborough Warns: GOP “Headed for Extinction” on Gun Control Bill
Conservative talker Mark Levin may consider MSNBC's Joe Scarborough "The Morning Shmo," but to many independents, centrists and moderates on many issues he seemingly voices what's on their mind. Scarborough, more often than not, reflects the more traditional conservatives who often look aghast at the current incarnation of Republican conservatism which seems to be most focused … [Read more...] about Scarborough Warns: GOP “Headed for Extinction” on Gun Control Bill
Dick Van Dyke Sidelined By Illness
News out of LA today that legendary actor Dick Van Dyke has been sidelined by a mysterious illness, possibly a neurological disorder. Best wishes for a quick recovery to one of my favorite people. … [Read more...] about Dick Van Dyke Sidelined By Illness
You Tell Them, Gabby!
In the wake of the shameful surrender to the N.R.A. by cowardly members of what should be the most powerful, courageous and decent legislative institution in the free world, a person who has seen gun violence up-close-and-personal, a person who narrowly survived gun violence and who will probably suffer the consequences for the rest of her life, has spoken up against those … [Read more...] about You Tell Them, Gabby!
Boston’s Haunting Retro Violence
Thousands who sweated and strained so long to train young bodies for excellence are overwhelmed in the national mind (who actually won the Marathon?) by the evil of one soul (certainly no more than a handful) exploding pressure cookers stuffed with nails and ball bearings. The lopsided imbalance of life and death in Boston can never be redressed, despite the President’s … [Read more...] about Boston’s Haunting Retro Violence
Monster Congress
Someone was quoted in an NPR report as saying that "it would take at least another Newtown" to make Congress do the right thing. Which brought to mind this Goya image of our Congress. Museuo del Prado Maybe a useful response would be to attach this image to every report of "filibuster" and each mention of a senator who voted against expanded background checks. … [Read more...] about Monster Congress
Murdered Children Less Important than Inconvenienced Gun Purchasers (Guest Voice)
Murdered Children Less Important than Inconvenienced Gun Purchasers By Carl Golden Twelve people gunned down as they sat in a darkened movie theater in Colorado; 26 people ---including 20 first graders --- murdered in a schoolhouse in Connecticut, and the best the United States Senate could do was muster 54 votes to expand the existing system of background checks to cover … [Read more...] about Murdered Children Less Important than Inconvenienced Gun Purchasers (Guest Voice)
The Great Reinhart/Rogoff Error
With talk of immigration, guns, and bombs, an important wonk-story has slipped under the radar: the Reinhart/Rogoff debacle. (Warning: this gets wonky). Paul Ryan's austerity budget proclaims that there is “conclusive empirical evidence” that high levels of federal debt cuts off growth. He is citing the work of Reinhart and Rogoff, who published a paper in 2010 called, … [Read more...] about The Great Reinhart/Rogoff Error
Courage in Short Supply
Courage in short supply by Dana Milbank Washington Post Writers Group WASHINGTON -- The gun bill was going down, but Sen. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat who reached a compromise to try to save it, went to the Senate floor Wednesday morning to give it one more try. In an unorthodox tactic, he appealed directly to the woman taking her turn in the presiding … [Read more...] about Courage in Short Supply
The “Triumphalism” of Mitch McConnell on Gun Control Defeat
I've often noted that American politics is increasingly noted by the high five hyper-partisan political culture -- when partisans savor not so much a victory but as being able to inflict a political defeat on a hated foe (hated because they have an opposing D or R in front of their party affiliation). The actual issue in contention almost becomes secondary; the big … [Read more...] about The “Triumphalism” of Mitch McConnell on Gun Control Defeat
Fertilizer plant explosion rocks town near Waco, Texas ( With Raw Video)
The raw video: The news story: Fertilizer plant explosion rocks town near Waco, Texas (via NJ.com) Andy Bartee via Instagram WACO — A large explosion ripped through a fertilizer plant 20 miles north of Waco, Texas, setting dozens of nearby buildings on fire and injuring possibly as many as 100 people tonight, according to television news reports and authorities. Many … [Read more...] about Fertilizer plant explosion rocks town near Waco, Texas ( With Raw Video)
To Boston, with Love
WASHINGTON -- Boston is tough and sentimental, traditional and forward-looking, working class and wealthy, parochial and global, warm and reserved, reform-minded and un-reformable, restrained and boisterous, superstitious and free-thinking, very new and very old. Boston is the plain, practical three-decker houses of Southie, Dorchester and Jamaica Plain and the elegant … [Read more...] about To Boston, with Love
Workers Not Seen as Assets: The Consequences
by Jim Satterfield Renee Dudley at Bloomberg writes about customers leaving Walmart for other retailers. Why? It would appear that in their attempt to cut the fat Walmart management lost track of where fat ended and muscle began. I have to feel that this is the inevitable consequence of the view of employees as a cost of business, not an absolutely necessary contributor to … [Read more...] about Workers Not Seen as Assets: The Consequences
Which “No Background Check” Senators will be voted from office?
Persons who are convicted criminals of many kinds, persons who are adjudicatedly mentally ill can have guns without careful and thorough background checks first. That's only one of the accommodations made by voting down this particular gun bill. Many across the blogosphere are commenting on: re the 46 Senators who voted against today's bill in the Senate for far more … [Read more...] about Which “No Background Check” Senators will be voted from office?
Fineman on Gun Control: The U.S. Senate “Where Changes Goes To Die”
It wasn't really a surprise that the Senate beat down background checks in gun control because it fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage. The surprise was how blatant and in the end disdainful politicos brushed aside a clear popular will. The Huffington Post's Howard Fineman has a must-read-in-full in which he calls the Senate a place where change goes to die. Some … [Read more...] about Fineman on Gun Control: The U.S. Senate “Where Changes Goes To Die”
Explosion At Fertilizer Plant Near Waco, Texas
A massive series of explosions have rocked a fertilizer plant near Waco, Texas may have injured 100 people. Coverage is understandably sketchy at this point but video on CNN and Fox show a large fire. For some reason MSNBC has pretty much ignored the story in favor of replaying their regular schedule. Live coverage here from the Dallas newspaper … [Read more...] about Explosion At Fertilizer Plant Near Waco, Texas
Shot Down (Cartoon)
LEGAL NOTICE ON CARTOON: This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Reproduction elsewhere without licensing is strictly prohibited. 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 Shot Down (Cartoon)
Statement from the U.S. Conference of Mayors on the Defeat of Background Checks Gun Control in U.S. Senate
The nonpartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors has issued this statement on the defeat in the U.S. Senate of a bipartisan measure on background checks: STATEMENT BY U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS PRESIDENT PHILADELPHIA MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER ON THE SENATE’S REJECTION OF FEINSTEIN ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN, TOOMEY-MANCHIN BACKGROUND CHECK, AND OTHER AMENDMENTS TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE … [Read more...] about Statement from the U.S. Conference of Mayors on the Defeat of Background Checks Gun Control in U.S. Senate
After Boston, Washington’s Next Moves will be Telling (La Jornada, Mexico)
Given the U.S. response to the September 11 attacks, which was considered destructive and self-defeating by large numbers of people around the world, there is a good deal of concern that something similar could happen in the wake of the Boston bombings. This editorial from Mexico's La Jornada recalls what it perceives as the misplaced aggression of the Bush Administration, and … [Read more...] about After Boston, Washington’s Next Moves will be Telling (La Jornada, Mexico)
For Success, GOP Must Be Smylie and Love
A tale of note. A few years before John Love became Governor of Colorado, one of his colleagues was named Loveless. His first name was Herschel and he was Iowa's Chief Executive from 1955-'61. He was a Democrat and rural unrest over Ike's agriculture policies swept him in and he maintained high ratings among Iowans. So we have Love and Loveless. But they were both public … [Read more...] about For Success, GOP Must Be Smylie and Love