Arizona Tea Party darling Rep. Ben Quayle is the first Freshman Republican to lose his seat in what has been characterized as a bitterly contested primary between he and Rep. Dave Schweikert. Ben Quayle, the son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, becomes the 8th House member to lose to a fellow lawmaker as a result of redistricting. He's the 12th overall member to lose a … [Read more...] about Former VP Dan Quayle’s Son, Rep. Ben Quayle, Becomes First Freshman House Republican to Lose Seat in Primary Over Redistricting
The Best Headline Of The Campaign Season
Want to understand contemporary American politics? It's all summed up in a headline found on today's Bloomberg website — "Donors Invest Millions in Romney for Billions in Returns." Are these donors believers in the official Republican small government line? Please. Spare me. They don't care how big or small is the overall government. They only care about how government … [Read more...] about The Best Headline Of The Campaign Season
High Concept Branding: “Hitler” Clothing Sells in India (and Jewish Groups Seek Name Change)
Picking a memorable"high concept" name in business can cement a product's brand name in customers' minds. In India, a men's clothing store has chosen a name that people won't forget: "Hitler" clothing. And Jewish groups are not pleased: A men’s clothing store in India is being asked to change its name after the chosen 'Hitler' unsurprisingly upset the local … [Read more...] about High Concept Branding: “Hitler” Clothing Sells in India (and Jewish Groups Seek Name Change)
Candidates Temporarily Silent on Immigrants in the US: The Hall of Shame
Dear Brave Souls... This is a story about a time when politicians went silent about their fear or and hatred of immigrants but were plotting in private about what to do about the 'asian scum' that had come to America. Soon, they suddenly unleashed a barrage of punitive and inhumane measures against a huge group of innocents. It had been pre-planned but judiciously kept from the … [Read more...] about Candidates Temporarily Silent on Immigrants in the US: The Hall of Shame
Mitt Gets the Nomination (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 Mitt Gets the Nomination (Cartoon)
The Women Who Truly Rock The Future World To Life: Stand Up South Africans
she is poor beyond poor, uneducated, naive, she has children, she has had a blood transfusion, she has had an unfaithful mate... she has children... she is HIV AIDS positive. She did not realize her mate was HIV positive. She has children, and she lives for them. She is a woman of many names. She lives in many villages. She has children. She takes her medicine to stay alive … [Read more...] about The Women Who Truly Rock The Future World To Life: Stand Up South Africans
Let the Elders Die: Governments Talk Game, Hold Drills, But No Precise Plans for the Vulnerable Most Anywhere
In Japan, Fukushima plant went kaplooey and contaminated air and water in 2011. The USA and other 'civilized' countries of the world, make no mention of how tens of thousands of elderly in Japan were abandoned in hospitals and homes in the exclusion area. WHere are the stories by MSM, where are the stories of how the US and other countries went in to save the vulnerable and … [Read more...] about Let the Elders Die: Governments Talk Game, Hold Drills, But No Precise Plans for the Vulnerable Most Anywhere
Libya-Egypt: Families Drown. Death First, Gov’t Helps Only After Death…
from AFP Cairo: The Forgotten of the World ought be front page news daily... but I listen across the blogosphere hearing people crowing and toasting each other reminiscent of Berlin night life, the parties of celebration going on while the Dutch, thousands were deported to Poland and the death camps every week. So across the world, and particularly in the US at present with … [Read more...] about Libya-Egypt: Families Drown. Death First, Gov’t Helps Only After Death…
Ann Romney Rocks The GOP Convention
Yesterday was pretty exciting stuff at the GOP convention. First we had Ron Paul supporters creating all kinds of havoc during the roll call vote. Maine delegates lost a voice vote to seat more of their delegates. There were many upset about a rule change, but a compromise was reached. .................... I hope you didn't miss Mia Love, candidate for Congress in Utah, … [Read more...] about Ann Romney Rocks The GOP Convention
GOP and Its Hard Right Turn on Women’s Issues
Delegates to the 2012 GOP convention in Miami adopted a political platform on Tuesday endorsed by the National Rifle Association, "FreedomWorks, an advocacy group associated with the Tea Party movement," and Phyllis Schlafly, who described it as “[maybe] the best one ever adopted.” What did they say about abortion? [W]e assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that … [Read more...] about GOP and Its Hard Right Turn on Women’s Issues
News Media Faces Bigger Challenges This Election Year
PUEBLO, Colo. -- Welcome to election year, when each party's candidates will be pilloried by partisans, but the consistent target of the most tiresome cliches will be the news media. Yes, that mean, old news media that conservatives call the "liberal news media." Yes, that mean, old news media that some liberals insist isn't a "liberal news media," but rather a part of the … [Read more...] about News Media Faces Bigger Challenges This Election Year
Romney Cactus (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 Romney Cactus (Cartoon)
Video: Ann Romney’s Speech to the Republican Convention: A Game Changer or Not?
Republican hopes have been riding high that the speech by Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney's wife Ann Romney would help Romney make up for some problems he has with women voters, and display a more human side of the nominee. Partisan reaction will be predictable (on most websites you know what they'll say before they say it). Here's an interesting reaction from … [Read more...] about Video: Ann Romney’s Speech to the Republican Convention: A Game Changer or Not?
Party Conventions
My old conservative friend Ed Morrissey thinks it's time to get rid of political conventions. Now Ed and I rarely agree on any thing but in this case we do. Ed: The quadrennial national conventions hearken back to bygone days of American elections. Conventions have been romanticized in films like The Best Man, in which Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson slugged it out for the … [Read more...] about Party Conventions
Chris Christie Wows GOP Convention
I suspect there are a lot of liberals out there (and not a few people inside the Obama campaign) who are breathing a sigh of relief that this was a keynote speech rather than an acceptance speech. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie blew the delegates away with a well delivered speech that may well have been the opening salvo of the 2016 campaign. He reminds me in many ways … [Read more...] about Chris Christie Wows GOP Convention
Three Things Independents Can Do To Make a Difference in 2012
What are the three things that independents can do to make a critical difference that the future is calling for? Jackie Salit speaks about the independent movement and her new book Independents Rising (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012) at Lenora Fulani's 'Interviews With a Black Independent', a monthly series coming to you from the Harlem State Office Building. For more … [Read more...] about Three Things Independents Can Do To Make a Difference in 2012
Let Us All Dream
Forty nine years ago today, on August 28, 1963 one of the most stirring speeches of modern times rang out over the Lincoln Memorial. Let us all take time out of politics to reflect on the eloquence and beauty of the words and the dreams. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our … [Read more...] about Let Us All Dream
Support of Anti-Putin America for Pussy Riot ‘Disgusting and Ridiculous’ (Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russia)
Is American sympathy for a band of young women who chose a church to express disillusionment with Vladimir Putin just the latest reflection of bias against a resurgent Russia? For Komsomolskaya Pravda, columnist Alexei Pankin lashes out at America and the West for mismanaging the Soviet collapse, its long-held suspicion of Putin, and most of all, widespread U.S. and Western … [Read more...] about Support of Anti-Putin America for Pussy Riot ‘Disgusting and Ridiculous’ (Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russia)
House Speaker John Boehner: Mitt Romney’s Favorability Lagging Because He’s “Very Shy”
LOL: House Speaker John Boehner offered a new reason for Mitt Romney unfavorability -- he's shy. WTF? Boehner told CNN (with a straight face), “Listen, he’s a very shy guy and a humble guy. “He doesn’t like to talk about himself. It’s just who he is. But I’ve known Mitt Romney for a long time — decent, honest, hardworking guy," The Hill reports. This was cross posted … [Read more...] about House Speaker John Boehner: Mitt Romney’s Favorability Lagging Because He’s “Very Shy”
In This World I
Thank you, Ron, for the gorgeous photo of Mars. Inspired by your eerily beautiful photo, I thought I would post this one, just received, not to compete with yours but because I think it is both beautiful, too, and because somehow it evokes and represents the skills and dedication of those who serve us. This one is of a U.S. Air Force pilot performing a pre-flight check on … [Read more...] about In This World I