Read His Lips by David Goodloe "My opponent won't rule out raising taxes. But I will. And the Congress will push me to raise taxes and I'll say no. And they'll push, and I'll say no, and they'll push again, and I'll say, to them, 'Read my lips: no new taxes.' " Vice President George H.W. Bush Aug. 18, 1988 __________________________________________ George … [Read more...] about Read His Lips (Guest Voice)
The Politico’s White House Reporter Joe Williams to Leave in Wake of Remarks About Mitt Romney
Last week I did this post about Joe Williams, The Politico's White House reporter who was suspended after remarks on MSNBC saying presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney seemed most comfortable around white people -- and after some ill-advised Tweets. A later report contained what seemed to be a swipe at his employer. Now The Politico has issued a statement with the fig leaf … [Read more...] about The Politico’s White House Reporter Joe Williams to Leave in Wake of Remarks About Mitt Romney
Defense Update: The Colorado Fires (Continued and Updated)
Fires continued to burn in the Mount Saint Francis area of Colorado Springs, Colo., while firefighters battle several fires in Waldo Canyon, June 28, 2012. UPDATE: All eight Department of Defense C-130 aircraft equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems are now assisting in multi-agency efforts to control wildfires in Colorado and other … [Read more...] about Defense Update: The Colorado Fires (Continued and Updated)
Mexican Poll & Drug War
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Happy Canada Day !
For our good neighbors to the north and in particular my own Canadian friends (and our good Canadian TMV readers).. Happy Canada Day ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOY0-MBOh_o&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL1DA869E661D04A10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crlrq63rh_M … [Read more...] about Happy Canada Day !
What Roberts Achieved
What Roberts achieved ...The most important function of the federal courts is to legitimate state building by the political branches. That is the best way to understand what happened in the Health Care Case. It also helps explain why Chief Justice John Roberts' opinion is written the way it is. ...The Atlantic Legal scholar Jack Balkin parses the chief … [Read more...] about What Roberts Achieved
Scientology: ‘A State within All States’ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany)
How dangerous is the Church of Scientology? How influential is it and how much about it do we really know? According to this review of a recent documentary from Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Scientology - a cult with a 'Nazi-like' Office of Special Affairs with an annual budget of $1 billion, has infiltrated and undermined nations around the world - particularly the … [Read more...] about Scientology: ‘A State within All States’ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany)
Battered Fire Bear
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Giant Ocean Skyscraper To Ride Ocean Tides For Research
Rumored for years, they say the Sea Orbiter will finally begin construction this year. Given the heat, and rising sea levels (or "recurrent flooding" if you insist), the timing is fortuitous: Designed by French architect Jacques Rougerie, the 170 feet (51m) tall SeaOrbiter will be the first vertical skyscraper ship of its kind. Two-thirds of the spectacular vessel is … [Read more...] about Giant Ocean Skyscraper To Ride Ocean Tides For Research
My Ancestors Came Here… Legally?
James Fallows, commenting recently on the House of Representatives unanimously passing a resolution apologizing for the discriminatory nature of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, quotes immigration scholar Benjamin Railton on the implications for today's immigration debates: [T]he CEA wasn't just the first restriction on immigration; it was the first immigration law period … [Read more...] about My Ancestors Came Here… Legally?
Quote of the Day: Why the Supreme Court Ruling on Health Care Reform Was “The Day America Actually Worked”
Our political Quote of the Day comes from columnist Will Bunch on why the Supreme Court ruling upholding the health care reform law represented "The Day America Actually Worked." Here's a chunk of his column: When America woke up Thursday morning knowing that the Supreme Court would deliver its long-awaited ruling on President Obama’s health care plan, it’s fair to say it … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Why the Supreme Court Ruling on Health Care Reform Was “The Day America Actually Worked”
Twice Burned
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Another Health Care ‘Sob Story’? Not Really.
She is uninsured not because she is a lazy, freeloading deadbeat but because she and her husband are self-employed. They had been purchasing health insurance on the individual market along with 6% of the rest of the population. But after exhausting all of their resources trying to keep up with premiums of $1,500 a month, they had no choice but to cancel it. She was also … [Read more...] about Another Health Care ‘Sob Story’? Not Really.
Health Care Result: The Solidarity of Americans May be Strengthened (Trouw, The Netherlands)
It is an emerging theme among European commentators: the Supreme Court's upholding of the Affordable Care Act has, in a rare move, chosen social solidarity over individualism as a guiding principle. This editorial from Trouw of The Netherlands expresses some optimism that in America, 'it has now been established that in some cases, it is necessary and constitutionally permitted … [Read more...] about Health Care Result: The Solidarity of Americans May be Strengthened (Trouw, The Netherlands)
It’s Alive! Obamacare: the Frankenstein Monster with a Heart
Chief Justice John Roberts, the genial archconservative who flubbed President Obama's Oath of Office and declared that corporations are "people," surprised nearly everyone yesterday by tipping the scales in favor of Obamacare. His deciding vote saved the Affordable Care Act from a premature burial by the Supreme Court. In the long run, his decision could save millions of … [Read more...] about It’s Alive! Obamacare: the Frankenstein Monster with a Heart
John Roberts – Too Clever by Half (conclusion)
If you haven't read the much shorter part i. John Roberts – Too Clever by Half, I suggest you do so now. I'll wait. Roberts at "Red Mass" - a rite to bless judges and jurists that's held right before SCOTUS' term each year , and has its roots in the Middle Ages. ii. The Commerce Clause today and the Supreme Court yesterday morning … And here is what I … [Read more...] about John Roberts – Too Clever by Half (conclusion)
Lament for Lonesome George, but Hope for his ‘Lineage’
With all the breaking news in the last few days, many may not have noticed that George passed away on June 24 -- Lonesome George, that is. Some think that George was around 100 years old, not so old when one considers that some of his ancestors have lived to the ripe old age of 200. I visited George about 15 years ago in my native Ecuador. He must have been around 85 … [Read more...] about Lament for Lonesome George, but Hope for his ‘Lineage’
John Roberts And The Onion Opinion (Part One)
One of the more bemusing aspects of the ruling on the Affordable Care Act was the fact that many in the media were caught in a major faux pas when they first reported the mandate had been struck down only to backtrack after it became clear that the mandate had been upheld. While certainly they deserve to be chastised for not reviewing things more carefully before reporting, … [Read more...] about John Roberts And The Onion Opinion (Part One)
Why the Kremlin Opposes Assad’s Immediate Ouster (Izvestia, Russia)
Do the Russians have a more pragmatic grasp of the Syria situation? For Izvestia, columnist and researcher Andranik Migranyan explains to his readers that Americans and the West are oblivious to the fact that it is Washington's strategy and actions - not those of Moscow or Beijing, that threaten to plunge not only Syria, but the entire region, into a major war. For Izvestia, … [Read more...] about Why the Kremlin Opposes Assad’s Immediate Ouster (Izvestia, Russia)
Obama Administration Finally Starts The Real Fight for the ACA
Supporters of so-called "Obamacare" have spent much of the last two years frustrated as it became apparent that the President was not going to spend much energy responding to critics of the bill, allowing them to run wild with only minimal response. In discussing it with a friend last night, we came to the conclusion that quite possibly the administration was waiting to see if … [Read more...] about Obama Administration Finally Starts The Real Fight for the ACA