Over the last four years, Paul Krugman has been a harsh critic of the Obama administration -- not because it has failed to cut the deficit -- but because it has not made job creation its prime objective. However, as Obama starts his second term, Krugman praises Obama for his accomplishments: He hasn’t delivered everything his supporters wanted, and at times the … [Read more...] about Giving Credit
(Breaking Updates) Panetta: Terrorists ‘Will Have No Place to Hide’
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, left, meets with British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street in London, Jan. 18, 2013. Panetta is on a six-day trip to Europe to visit with defense counterparts and troops. (Photo: DOD) UPDATE IX, Jan 21, 11:00 AM EST The New York Times: In his first official tally of the deadly scope of the Algerian hostage … [Read more...] about (Breaking Updates) Panetta: Terrorists ‘Will Have No Place to Hide’
Bill Clinton is Wrong
WASHINGTON - It hardly matters, but I seriously doubt Bill Clinton knows squat about guns. I understand the culture he's talking about, because I live amidst it too, especially considering to whom I'm married (a firearms expert, though not by profession). It also doesn't matter that Mr. Clinton likely doesn't own a gun or know how to shoot one either. What does matter, … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton is Wrong
Martin Luther King’s Old Age
If he were alive, the man whose birthday we celebrate today would be 84, heavy with the years denied him by a bullet at age 39. What is the moral worth of that lost time for generations of Americans who were deprived of Martin Luther King Jr. walking the earth and working for a just and nonviolent world? If he were here, what would he be thinking and saying about the … [Read more...] about Martin Luther King’s Old Age
The Liberation of Barack Obama
WASHINGTON -- Barack Hussein Obama can begin his second term liberated by the confidence that he is already a landmark figure in American history. His task is not to manufacture a legacy but to leave his successors a nation that is more tranquil because it finally resolved arguments that roiled it for decades. Whatever happens in the next four years, Obama will forever … [Read more...] about The Liberation of Barack Obama
Stop Funding Creationist School Vouchers (Guest Voice)
Stop Funding Creationist School Vouchers by Zack Kopplin School voucher programs in the United States have long sparked controversy over the question of whether public tax dollars should be used to enable students to attend private and parochial schools. They should not. School vouchers are corporate welfare for creationist schools. My research in Louisiana … [Read more...] about Stop Funding Creationist School Vouchers (Guest Voice)
Do We Need Elaborate 2nd Inaugurals ?
As I watched the official (and informal) swearing in ceremonies this morning I once again began to ponder whether we really need to have a full blown inaugural ceremony when when a President starts a 2nd term. Certainly when a new President is taking office we ought to have a more elaborate ceremony, especially when there is a change in party. It is also quite fitting to … [Read more...] about Do We Need Elaborate 2nd Inaugurals ?
One Congregation’s Prayers for President Obama’s Inauguration on Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend
Here. To the extent you may want to, I hope that you can join in this prayer. God bless our President. … [Read more...] about One Congregation’s Prayers for President Obama’s Inauguration on Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend
I Think It Started With The Water Fountains
It was a very different time. And even though I drive over the same streets, and see the same buildings, it’s hard to believe it was the same place. Jackson, Mississippi, in 1964 simply wasn’t a good place to be black. I was only 10, but there were things I didn’t understand. Not that I questioned them at that time, but it registered that something wasn’t quite right. The … [Read more...] about I Think It Started With The Water Fountains
Report: ‘Horrific’ New Mexico Shooting Leaves 5 dead; Investigators Arrest 15-year-old
Here come the "Guns don't kill people..." emails and comments. The latest news: a 15 year old boy has been charged with shooting two adults and three children with a knife with a rifle in what investigators call a "horrific" crime scene. CNN: Sheriff's investigators combed through what one called a "horrific" crime scene Sunday after the shooting deaths of five people, … [Read more...] about Report: ‘Horrific’ New Mexico Shooting Leaves 5 dead; Investigators Arrest 15-year-old
Democratic Nevada Assemblyman in Jail, Accused of Threatening Fellow Lawmaker
Why is it that for some strange reason the subject matter of this story does not surprise me one iota? A Democratic assemblyman is in jail, arrested for threatening Democratic Speaker-elect Marilyn Kirkpatrick, according to North Las Vegas Police and Democratic sources familiar with the situation. Assemblyman Steven Brooks, 40, of North Las Vegas made threats to harm a … [Read more...] about Democratic Nevada Assemblyman in Jail, Accused of Threatening Fellow Lawmaker
Email Formally Tries to Convert Obama’s Campaign to Organizing for Action
Within hours after he took the oath of office for the second time, President Barack Obama's nearly legendarily potent re-election organization formally re-launched itself as a legacy political action committee. Here's the email that we just received here at TMV: Friend -- I'm Jon Carson, the new executive director of Organizing for Action. I hope you're as excited as … [Read more...] about Email Formally Tries to Convert Obama’s Campaign to Organizing for Action
Inauguration Day: The Pomp and Circumstance
The United States Air Force Band marches along Pennsylvania Ave. during the inauguration practice in Washington D.C. (Department of Defense photo/E.J. Hersom) Tomorrow’s inauguration of President Barack Obama will be the 57th U.S. Presidential Inauguration, and for the 57th time in our nation’s history the U.S. military will provide important support -- as they have since … [Read more...] about Inauguration Day: The Pomp and Circumstance
Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial Dies
Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial dies (via AFP) Hall of Famer Stan Musial, one of baseball's greatest hitters and a St. Louis Cardinals icon, has died at the age of 92. "We have lost the most beloved member of the Cardinals family," Cardinals chairman William DeWitt jnr said in a statement. "Stan Musial was the greatest player in Cardinals history… … [Read more...] about Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial Dies
This Translates Well
This Translates Well by Doug Bursch Sarcasm does not translate well. You can say that again. Sarcasm does not translate well... What do you mean by sarcasm? A mean the stuff I say that you don't understand. Well why say something that causes confusion? Because it's an achievable goal. Satire is difficult to understand. You can say that again. Satire is … [Read more...] about This Translates Well
Inauguration 2013: How Obama is Different from Four Years Ago
Inauguration 2013: How Obama is different from four years ago (via The Christian Science Monitor) The shadow of President Obama is cast on a wall as he leaves a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington after the Senate Finance Committee voted to approve his health-care bill in this file photo. Obama will look ot expand his legacy in his … [Read more...] about Inauguration 2013: How Obama is Different from Four Years Ago
The Problem with Free Days
The Problem with Free Days by Doug Bursch Take the day to dream and be free! However, bring back something when you're done... So everyone can rejoice in your freedom. Loose yourself from the deadlines and expectations of the daily grind. But if you don't mind, come back with a word or two About the wisdom you found on your detour. Oh don't worry, no one is asking … [Read more...] about The Problem with Free Days
Obama Sworn in for Second Term
Obama sworn in for second term (via AFP) US President Barack Obama was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts for a second term in office Sunday in a brief, intimate private ceremony at the White House. "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve… … [Read more...] about Obama Sworn in for Second Term
Sickness: DC Elites Prosper Amid America’s Rising Income Inequality (Guest Voice)
Sickness: DC elites prosper amid America's rising income inequality (via GlobalPost) An unmistakable disparity in life expectancy and access to quality health care have become hallmarks of the Washington, DC area. Ben Schreckinger Comparing the Divide: Income dictates access to health care in the capital cities of Russia and the United States, where lawmakers … [Read more...] about Sickness: DC Elites Prosper Amid America’s Rising Income Inequality (Guest Voice)
A Sea Change in the Firearms Debate (Guest Voice)
A Sea Change in the Firearms Debate by Tina Dupuy In August 1925, The New York Times estimated 50,000 — 60,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan marched in a parade in our nation's capital. It was a huge public display of the once-secret group. H.L. Mencken called it "a full mile of Klansmen and their ladies." The man sitting in the White House, Calvin Coolidge, was a member of … [Read more...] about A Sea Change in the Firearms Debate (Guest Voice)