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
How the NRA Won
EDITOR's NOTE: This post ran on TMV on April 9 and offered part of my column on The Week Online. It is timelier than ever and is being reposted. So much for real, substantive gun control. My latest take in The Week Online: There's no denying it: The National Rifle Association has won — again. Even though more than 3,000 Americans have died via gun violence since 20 … [Read more...] about How the NRA Won
Obama slams US Senate ‘minority’ for blocking gun reform
Obama slams US Senate 'minority' for blocking gun reform (via AFP) An defiant and angry President Barack Obama Wednesday said the defeat of gun reforms in the US Senate was "shameful," accused senators of caving to the gun lobby, and promised to fight on. A deeply emotional Obama -- in unusually direct language, and surrounded by relatives of gun victims including… … [Read more...] about Obama slams US Senate ‘minority’ for blocking gun reform
NRA Hails Death of Bipartisan Background Check Vote
They'll be popping the corks on the champagne at the NRA tonight. The NRA is hailing the death of a bipartisan proposal on background checks. In reality, this was not unexpected given the realities. … [Read more...] about NRA Hails Death of Bipartisan Background Check Vote
Senate Rejects Background Check Compromise
The Senate has just rejected the Manchin/Toomey amendment on background checks by a vote of 54-46 (60 needed to pass amendment per the rules) This proves that the NRA can convince the Senate to reject a reasonable proposal supported by 90% of the population On the cowards side are those who caved. A prior version of the post named Senator Reid but it appears he originally … [Read more...] about Senate Rejects Background Check Compromise
Law Enforcement and Media not always on same page
In the fog surrounding disasters [disaster fog: hundreds if not thousands of clear reports, but also conflicting reportages by citizens, the press, law enforcement, health and hospital, and more], there has to be time for the smoke to clear to see what is truly so, about whom, what, where, how, and why. It is easy in that fog that comes from literally thousands of souls on … [Read more...] about Law Enforcement and Media not always on same page
When We Were Young We Used to Play Together
When I was a child, slip-n-slides were fastened to lawns with large boulders. Consequently, the definition of summer fun was sliding headfirst between 10 pound rocks, at breakneck speeds, on a moistened strip of plastic runway. Currently, this activity is more commonly categorized as child endangerment. The use of boulders built a natural time limit into our wet and wild … [Read more...] about When We Were Young We Used to Play Together
NRCC Pulls the Plug on Mark Sanford After Ex-Wife’s Trespassing Accusation
The Republicans are ready to pull the plug on South Carolina congressional candidate Mark Sanford after his ex-wife accused him of trespassing, violating their divorce agreement. According to the AP, Jenny Sanford’s attorney filed a lawsuit on Feb. 4 alleging that she confronted Mark Sanford at her home the previous day, where he had been using his cellphone as a light. … [Read more...] about NRCC Pulls the Plug on Mark Sanford After Ex-Wife’s Trespassing Accusation
Quote of the Day: On Gun Control’s Failure
Our political Quote of the Day comes from Andrew Sullivan on gun control's failure (again): Never under-estimate the power of the major lobby groups in DC: from the NRA to AIPAC and the AARP and the Cuba lobby, they are all designed prevent change. Even if that change is trivial. It’s enough to make the average voter a little cynical, don’t you think? And I find myself … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: On Gun Control’s Failure