WASHINGTON -- Bill Raspberry wore his eminence well. In a city full of preening, self-centered journalistic royalty, he was a warm and generous prince who never deluded himself into thinking he knew all the answers. He is desperately missed. William James Raspberry, who died Tuesday at 76, will be remembered by history as a brave and intrepid pioneer. In 1966, when he … [Read more...] about A Brave and Intrepid Pioneer
The Evolution of Moral Models
[This is the 13th in the series Religion and Science: A Beautiful Friendship.] When religion has committed itself to a particular science model, it has often been left behind as the public embraced a new model. That's the position in which the Catholic Church found itself in defending Ptolemy's geocentric model of the solar system against the simpler heliocentric model of … [Read more...] about The Evolution of Moral Models
Defense Update: Next Mission for Some of Our Military: ‘Win the Olympics’ (Updated)
UPDATE: All the members of the Military USA Olympic Team have now been named. The Team will consist of 20 athletes and coaches. The seven Army WCAP members are named in the original article below and so are the four coaches and assistant coaches. Four-time Olympian Basheer Abdullah, a retired staff sergeant, is in addition to the four coaches and will serve as Team … [Read more...] about Defense Update: Next Mission for Some of Our Military: ‘Win the Olympics’ (Updated)
New Dad Is Also New First-time Fortune 500 CEO-Can He Handle It?
When will we see that headline? Because I saw the one I describe at the end of this sentence over an AP story in the Plain Dealer today and countless variations are all over the place regarding Marissa Mayer's ascension at Yahoo. This is what we call pure unadultered linkbait: "All eyes on Yahoo's mom-to-be chief exec." Really? Really? As if we will ever see, "All eyes on … [Read more...] about New Dad Is Also New First-time Fortune 500 CEO-Can He Handle It?
Citizens United – The Minimal Impact Argument
Matt Bai of New York Times Magazine gives a spirited defense of the Citizens United decision. He begins by telling readers what he thinks the decision says and why, in his opinion, the decision has had only the most minimal impact on political fund raising and spending in 2012. Personally I disagree with Bai's take, both as to his interpretation of what the holding of the … [Read more...] about Citizens United – The Minimal Impact Argument
A Man, A Movie and A Perfect Storm
The Daily Show with Jon StewartGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook WASHINGTON - ROMNEY'S FLAT-FOOTED CAMPAIGN response to the barrage coming at him looms as one of those election year moments that could become historic. That it's coming at a time when there seems to be a convergence of energy targeted at Mitt Romney's … [Read more...] about A Man, A Movie and A Perfect Storm
Obama Campaign Mocks Mitt Romney’s Retention of Ownership at Bain Though Retroactively Retired
OBAMA CAMPAIGN RIDICULES MITT ROMNEY: The Obama campaign keeps hitting Mitt Romney with the gift that keeps on giving -- Bain Capital and his retroactive retirement -- in a new web video. The video incorporates vox populi, with individuals on the street asked to read Romney’s explanation for his retention of ownership of Bain between 1999 and 2002 while incredulously playing … [Read more...] about Obama Campaign Mocks Mitt Romney’s Retention of Ownership at Bain Though Retroactively Retired
Quote of the Day: Romney’s Taxes and the Still Uglier Campaign to Come
Our political Quote of the Day comes from two MSNBC First Read items that deal with the fact that now bipartisan calls for presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney to release more tax returns won't go away -- and that if you thought this campaign is ugly now, to paraphrase Al Jolson and Ronald Reagan "you ain't seen nothin' yet." *** Romney’s tax-return dilemma: For Mitt … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Romney’s Taxes and the Still Uglier Campaign to Come
Bomb Attack Kills Syrian Defense Minister
If the blood-drenched regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been under international diplomatic fire, it has also been under real fire -- a fact struck home by the news that Syrian's Defense Minister and also Assad's brother in law have been killed in a bomb blast. The news underscores the regime's fragile status and portends an even shakier future: Syria's … [Read more...] about Bomb Attack Kills Syrian Defense Minister
Mitt Romney on Bain
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 Romney on Bain
For Helping America Return to Asia, Vietnam will ‘Feel China’s Pain’ (Huanqui, People’s Republic of China)
Is Washington turning Vietnam against China by fanning the flames of their territorial dispute in the South China Sea? In unusually blunt language, this editorial from China’s state-run Huanqiu threatens Hanoi over helping America reinforce it influence in Asia, warning that Hanoi 'must understand in no uncertain terms that the pressure Washington puts on China will fall on … [Read more...] about For Helping America Return to Asia, Vietnam will ‘Feel China’s Pain’ (Huanqui, People’s Republic of China)
Learning To Be An American
John Sununu's comment that he wishes our president would "learn how to be an American” -- and the subsequent "sorry" for it -- have become an all too familiar refrain on the right. I'm reminded of Ed Kilgore's 4th of July observations on America-Hating Patriots: I’m as “American” in background, outlook, and life-experiences as anyone you’d meet. I belong to a distinctly … [Read more...] about Learning To Be An American
The Tempestuous 2012 Presidential Election
Dear Columnist: I am 8 years old. Some of my friends say if you hear it on a talk show, or from a big political pundit on TV, it must be so. They say their parents are certain who'll win the election because the other side is so awful it will destroy America if they win. Can this election be predicted and is the survival of the America my parents and I know at … [Read more...] about The Tempestuous 2012 Presidential Election
Smoked and Mirrored
false equivalency Politico quotes the Omaha World-Herald's coverage today, as the Republican establishment of Nebraska -- who had earlier hired extra security guards for their Grand Island convention, then, when caught, dropped the "extra security" -- avoided "embarrassment." [emphasis added]: GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Over-hyped. That was the consensus Saturday at the Nebraska … [Read more...] about Smoked and Mirrored
Rush Limbaugh, Democratic Fundraiser-in-Chief
For some unknown reason I have a visceral dislike -- I am using a polite word -- for Conservative spokesman Rush Limbaugh. However, I have to admit that he is a blessing in disguise for Democratic fund-raising organizations as hardly a week goes by that I don’t get an e-mail from one Democratic organization or another pointing out Limbaugh's latest disgraceful, vile comments … [Read more...] about Rush Limbaugh, Democratic Fundraiser-in-Chief
Romney Hunts for Vice President
LEGAL NOTICE ON CARTOON: The copyrighted cartoon above 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 Hunts for Vice President
The Speech That Will Take Mitt Romney To The White House
As Michelle Malkin tweeted: If Romney keeps delivering the energetic, passionate, pro-freedom speech he just gave in PA to the rest of the USA, he will win. Amen sister. This speech truly boils it down to the difference in Romney and Obama. No matter what the problems we conservatives have with Romney, he understands fundamentally what makes America great. Obama does not … [Read more...] about The Speech That Will Take Mitt Romney To The White House
Romney Surrogate John Sununu Channels Rush Limbaugh (UPDATED)
Once again whatever Rush wants, Rush gets. On his show yesterday, conservative talk show titan Rush Limbaugh angrily said Camp Romney needs to go after Obama on the college-age drug use Obama admitted to in a passage in his biography. So today Romney's high profile surrogate John Sununu -- yew guessed it! -- raised the drug issue and also told reporters Obama needs to learn how … [Read more...] about Romney Surrogate John Sununu Channels Rush Limbaugh (UPDATED)
A Might Cry Went Up As Willard Mitt Romney Approached The Podium: ‘438! 438! 438!’
People who are resentful that Mitt Romney is filthy rich are missing the point. Like many an American before him, he saw an opportunity to cash in and has done so on a grand scale. Nothing wrong with that, but how grand we don't know because of Romney's refusal to come clean about his wealth while sending out a top surrogate today to go off on President Obama about smoking … [Read more...] about A Might Cry Went Up As Willard Mitt Romney Approached The Podium: ‘438! 438! 438!’
Political Ads Turn Nasty. Whoopee!
I'd only planned to review the political TV ads offered up by Super-PACs, thinking they would be where the real fun stuff would appear. No reviewer worth his Bushmills, however, could possibly ignore ads currently coming from the parties' own campaigns. My reviewing cup already runneth over, and it's only July! A new Obama campaign attack ad, for example, focusing on … [Read more...] about Political Ads Turn Nasty. Whoopee!