In the wake of Mitt Romney's eight vote win in Iowa, Maureen Dowd offers a column on the volatile relationship between fathers and sons: "American politics," she writes,"bristles with Oedipal drama:" Sons struggling to live up to fathers. Sons striving to outdo fathers. Sons scheming to avenge fathers. Sons burning to one-up fathers. Sons yearning to impress fathers … [Read more...] about Fathers and Sons
Romney’s ceiling is John McCain
In every presidential cycle, there has been a middle of the pack candidate that has emerged as the antithesis of the favorite of the party establishment. In December of 1991, Bill Clinton was not even mentioned as a leading candidate. In 2008, Barack Obama leapfrogged over John Edwards to begin the longest (and most interesting) nomination battle in the last forty … [Read more...] about Romney’s ceiling is John McCain
Gratitude Won’t Pay The Bill For Returning Iraq & Afghan War Veterans
Homecomings for returning combat veterans have never been easy no matter the war, but the flood of Iraq war veterans who will be mustered out in the coming months, as well as a fair number from the Afghan war, pose a huge challenge. This is because gratitude, and Americans certainly are grateful, will not pay the bill. That bill is formidable: * About 800,000 veterans are … [Read more...] about Gratitude Won’t Pay The Bill For Returning Iraq & Afghan War Veterans
The Iowa Caucuses
Heard before the Iowa Caucuses: … [Read more...] about The Iowa Caucuses
They’re Off! Who’s the Winner in Iowa (and Does It Really Matter)?
As I write this, the good people of Iowa are casting the first votes for the 2012 Republican presidential nominee. The candidates are in the starting gate, bucking nervously… the gun fires, the gate opens and the race begins in earnest. They’re off! A few will stumble out of the gate, and one or more could drop out. Nobody seems to be a clear favorite, which explains why I’m … [Read more...] about They’re Off! Who’s the Winner in Iowa (and Does It Really Matter)?
Iowa: Whatever
Yawn, talk to the hand, how about dem Bears? Almost any conversation would be more interesting than one state's caucuses after months, MONTHS of listening to mostly petty rhetoric that has NO specifics all in one place about how to govern, truly help a suffering country. And neither does the other side either. Tried to refinance lately? How about turning back a foreclosure? … [Read more...] about Iowa: Whatever
(UPDATE VII) What The Iowa Caucus Results Tell Us About The GOP’s Chances Of Unseating Obama
The three top finishers in the Iowa caucuses tell you all you need to know about the Republican Party in 2012: Mitt Romney, who disavows his greatest accomplishment; Rick Santorum, whose compassionate conservatism does not allow room for anyone not sharing his extreme right-wing views; and Ron Paul, whose sensible ideas keep getting trampled on by wacky ideas tinged with … [Read more...] about (UPDATE VII) What The Iowa Caucus Results Tell Us About The GOP’s Chances Of Unseating Obama
Live-Blogging the Iowa Caucuses: American Democracy at Its Finest
If you're interested, I'm live-blogging the results of the Iowa caucuses over at my place. Is it a great day for democracy? Well, that's the intention. Old-school democracy. Hardly the way it's done anymore. Caucuses (particularly in Iowa), unlike primaries, represent a sort of idyllic (if mostly obsolete) Jeffersonianism, the people actually coming out, talking politics, … [Read more...] about Live-Blogging the Iowa Caucuses: American Democracy at Its Finest
Iowa Nice
(Clean Version.) To pass some time while we wait... "A response to national media coverage of our beloved home state." You want NSFW? See Andrew. … [Read more...] about Iowa Nice
Election System Alert: ES&S Machines
If you are a voter in Indiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin (or know someone who is) listen up. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has found signifiant anomalies with an optical scanner produced by Election Systems and Software (ES&S) and shows jurisdictions in these states using the equipment. Because of the "anomalies", close races could be decided … [Read more...] about Election System Alert: ES&S Machines
Afghanistan: Sometimes I Wonder …
As readers who have followed my writings -- some call them rants -- for the past few years know, while I have always opposed and condemned our invasion and occupation of Iraq, I have supported our efforts in Afghanistan to catch and punish the perpetrators of 9/11 and, in some measure, to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban. However, so many of the reports coming out of that … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: Sometimes I Wonder …
Absurd Human Rights Report May Hasten End of Putin Era (Yezhednevniy Zhurnal, Russia)
America is far from being the only country currently obssessed with presidential politics and national elections. After a year of astounding despotic topplings and revolutions, is Vladimir Putin's reign over the vast territories of the Russian Federation finally coming to an end? For Russia's Yezhednevniy Zhurnal, journalist and opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza bravely … [Read more...] about Absurd Human Rights Report May Hasten End of Putin Era (Yezhednevniy Zhurnal, Russia)
Old Habits Die Hard, Especially in One’s Sleep
CODA: Doing some "Googling" on languages and dreams, I was amazed at how many entries there are on the subject, "What language do you dream in?" There's even a book at Amazon.com titled -- you guessed it -- "What language do you dream in?" So, given the interest and since it has been more than three years since I wrote about it here, let me try it again, with a different … [Read more...] about Old Habits Die Hard, Especially in One’s Sleep
Santorum in top 3 in Iowa
I haven't written on this page in a while. In the last year, I was elected as a county GOP chair in blue Maryland, then was forced out by my fellow members of the county Republican Central Committee, who felt I was not fit for the office of county chairman because either they thought I was not conservative enough or because I was the only African-American on an all-white … [Read more...] about Santorum in top 3 in Iowa
Slightly Delayed New Year’s Resolutions
I just finished making my New Year's resolutions. I'm a little late this year because the final games of the regular NFL season were being played over the weekend. I've finally completed this important task, however. So here's my 2012 must-do list: 1. Give up smoking. I make this my first choice every year because I don't smoke and therefore am sure to actually keep this … [Read more...] about Slightly Delayed New Year’s Resolutions
Remember The Bush Warrantless Wiretaps?
Legal challenges are still alive. A long time ago, December 2005, the New York Times broke a story about the Bush Administration monitoring domestic telephone communications without first obtaining a warrant.[1] The affair, which began no later than 2001, became known as warrantless wiretaps. Flash forward six years. As 2011 came to a close, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of … [Read more...] about Remember The Bush Warrantless Wiretaps?
Will Iowa End The GOP Contest And Crown Romney ?
So says Politico writer Roger Simon … [Read more...] about Will Iowa End The GOP Contest And Crown Romney ?
Will This Be The Year That Republicans Have To Capitulate On Tax Hikes For The Rich?
Despite having agreed -- cowardly so, in my view -- to continue Bush Era tax cuts that disproportionately favor the wealthy, it's likely that a component of President Obama's re-election platform will be a call to level the playing field through the so-called Buffet Rule, which would insure that no household making more than $1 million a year pays a lower tax rate than middle … [Read more...] about Will This Be The Year That Republicans Have To Capitulate On Tax Hikes For The Rich?
Iowa Caucuses Made Simple
For those who may be confused by the sophisticated ritual to take place tonight, explains the NY Times Caucus, “the process requires a commitment of several hours for a voter. And it encourages campaigns to have a level of organizational sophistication that often helps separate candidates who can go the distance from those who cannot... “Once voters show up at their caucus … [Read more...] about Iowa Caucuses Made Simple
The Party’s Over
WASHINGTON - There's a reason Obama reelect doesn't have a slogan. All they've got is a question: Are you in? Symbolic of this problem is what happened to Elizabeth Warren when her rise was met by Tim Geithner's foot, and why Ron Suskind's book Confidence Men made the Administration queasy. It's seen in Wall Street firms earning more in Pres. Obama's first years than in … [Read more...] about The Party’s Over