UPDATE: In surprising developments and reversing earlier Pentagon statements that there were no plans to withhold sale of the book in military exchanges, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service announced last Friday that “No Easy Day” will not be sold in exchanges on Army or Air Force bases. “Due to its unique mission and customer base, the Army & Air Force Exchange … [Read more...] about ‘No Easy Day’: To Sell or Not to Sell — An Easy Decision (UPDATE: Not So)
Quote of the Day: Is Mitt Romney Being Weighted Down by Public’s Memory of George W. Bush?
Our political Quote of the Day comes from the New York Time's Ross Douthat who suggests there is an "elephant in the room" that may be scaring voters away from Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney -- one Romney has not effectively addressed in a way to reassure voters: the memory of former President George W. Bush's last four years in office. He notes that … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Is Mitt Romney Being Weighted Down by Public’s Memory of George W. Bush?
Never Forget 9-11 (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 Never Forget 9-11 (Cartoon)
1 Dead as Islamists Storm US Missions in Libya, Egypt (Guest Voice)
1 dead as Islamists storm US missions in Libya, Egypt (via AFP) An armed mob protesting over a film deemed offensive to Islam attacked the US consulate in Benghazi killing an American, hours after angry Islamists stormed Washington's embassy in Cairo. Libya's deputy interior minister Wanis al-Sharif told AFP: "One American official was killed and another … [Read more...] about 1 Dead as Islamists Storm US Missions in Libya, Egypt (Guest Voice)
The Republican Party’s New Branding Problem
ST. GEORGE, Utah -- It stands on six acres, majestically 175 feet high, white against a bright blue Utah sky: the St. George Utah Temple, dedicated in 1877. It was a work of religious necessity and love by Mormon pioneers including Republican Party presidential nominee Mitt Romney's great-great grandfather, Miles Romney (July 13, 1806 — May 3, 1877), who was superintendent … [Read more...] about The Republican Party’s New Branding Problem
Mentioning God and other Things at the National Conventions (UPDATES)
UPDATE II: Still stinging from criticism on his failure to mention U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan during the Republican National Convention -- an omission that was even criticized by Conservatives such as Bill Kristol -- Romney attempted to make amends while speaking before National Guard members on Tuesday saying that “the return of our troops cannot and must not be … [Read more...] about Mentioning God and other Things at the National Conventions (UPDATES)
Netanyahu and Obama’s Tiff
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu was right when he said earlier today, "Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel." He wants Washington and Israel’s friends in Europe to say clearly when they will agree to an attack on Iran. He may also be influencing American voters in favor of Mitt … [Read more...] about Netanyahu and Obama’s Tiff
What Happens When The Tail Tries To Wag The Dog…..
....And The Dog Doesn't Wag? So Bibi had a temper tantrum. Israel has been the tail that wags the dog for decades but Obama is not going along. About a week ago The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, told reporters in London that attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities would not stop their program and would do more harm than good. This week … [Read more...] about What Happens When The Tail Tries To Wag The Dog…..
Remains of Cheney’s Day
During the solemn remembrance, a former VP steps up to unite us all by carping, "If President Obama were participating in his intelligence briefings on a regular basis then perhaps he would understand why people are so offended at his efforts to take sole credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden. "Those who deserve the credit are the men and women in our military and … [Read more...] about Remains of Cheney’s Day
Arctic Sea Ice Falls to Record Low. Global Warming? (Guest Voice)
Arctic sea ice falls to record low. Global warming? (via The Christian Science Monitor) Earth's icy skull cap, floating atop the Arctic Ocean, has reached its lowest summer extent since satellites first began keep in track in 1979, and by some estimates its lowest reach in nearly 1,500 years. As of Sept. 7, the Arctic Ocean's expanse of summer ice this month … [Read more...] about Arctic Sea Ice Falls to Record Low. Global Warming? (Guest Voice)
A post-9/11 accounting that you probably won’t read or hear in mainstream news
Eleven years after D-Day (June 1955), the Johnny Carson Show and the soon-to-be-scandal-ridden $64,000 Question debuted on CBS. The USSR and Yugoslavia signed the Belgrade declaration, "in which Moscow confirmed that each nation had the right to follow its own road to socialism." The Korean War was over (as was WWII, of course). The U.S. was involved in no war but had sent … [Read more...] about A post-9/11 accounting that you probably won’t read or hear in mainstream news
11 Years Later – the Deep Wound Is Still There
I have difficulty doing or saying anything on 9/11 for the past 11 years and today is not any different. I did not know any of the people who died as a result of those cruel, irrational and stunning attacks by a group of nihilistic sociopaths masquerading as devout Muslims. The 21st Century really began on that infamous day. Today on the same site, the taller freedom tower … [Read more...] about 11 Years Later – the Deep Wound Is Still There
FISA vote illustrates Congressional sausage-making process
I saw the alert on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACLU/status/245567439667089408 Really? This close to November, the House of Representatives is going to vote to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act (FAA) to 2017? For those not following this issue intimately, the 2008 law, which sunsets on December 31, retroactively legalized … [Read more...] about FISA vote illustrates Congressional sausage-making process
GOP and God (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 GOP and God (Cartoon)
9/11+11=?
When the planes hit the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, I told someone, "This is the worst day of my life." I didn't know then what I meant, but it felt as if the crust of the earth had suddenly cracked and we could never again feel safe going about our daily lives. Over time, that feeling has receded, but the world has not been the same. What we lost that day eleven years … [Read more...] about 9/11+11=?
Do We Really Like Bill Clinton All That Much?
There's something just a little uneasy-making about Bill Clinton's return. True, he may be pulling Obama's chestnuts out of the fire. But there remain, about Bill Clinton, some things that make some of us wish that the ex-president would (for once!) get the job done and then haul his fat-free vegan ego out of the spotlight. Twelve years after leaving the White … [Read more...] about Do We Really Like Bill Clinton All That Much?
Men’s Rights “Hate Speech”
The following poster is being placed prominently in multiple cities in Canada, starting in Vancouver but also elsewhere. Similar posters with similar messages are beginning to appear in Seattle and other parts of the United States, as well as Australia and the UK. In every place so far that they've gone up, they've faced ridicule, mocking, and, worst of all, received regular … [Read more...] about Men’s Rights “Hate Speech”
Redefining September 11th
Today marks the 11th anniversary of what surely has to be the most shocking events of my own life, a day where thousands of our fellow citizens died and a day where the world, quite literally, changed forever. Every year when this day comes around there is a pressure on those of us who write for blogs like these to mark the date with a commentary, with observations of some … [Read more...] about Redefining September 11th
Paul Ryan Crosses Party Lines to Back Rahm Emanuel on Teachers’ Strike, Didn’t Extend Same Courtesy to President Obama
Mitt Romney's running mate Paul Ryan crossed party lines this morning to voice his support, saying "we stand with Mayor Rahm Emanuel," in the fight against the striking teachers' union. Um, he chose the wrong time to cross party lines. How many opportunities has he had in Congress to show his willingness to reach across the aisle and work with President Obama? Well, like Rahm … [Read more...] about Paul Ryan Crosses Party Lines to Back Rahm Emanuel on Teachers’ Strike, Didn’t Extend Same Courtesy to President Obama
Mounting Evidence on 9/11 that Bush Administration Blew It
WASHINGTON - There's a reason Barack Obama bests Mitt Romney on foreign policy by double digits, and it begins with the presidency of George W. Bush. The evidence is easy to tick off, which Mitt Romney added to this summer in a foreign policy trip that allowed him to become John Kerry's punchline at the Democratic National Convention. The video above is old, condensed, too, … [Read more...] about Mounting Evidence on 9/11 that Bush Administration Blew It