Memo to Clint Eastwood: This admirer of your mature work is going to pass on the new Hoover movie. Even public monsters have inner lives, but some are beyond my capacity to care about, such as those of a man who built a self-glorifying empire by blackmail in Washington, ruining reputations, holding Presidents hostage in a personal police state and relentlessly hounding the … [Read more...] about From “Dirty Harry” to “J. Edgar”
With Paterno Axed & Spanier Out, The Demons Of Happy Valley Are Exorcised
In a few short hours last night, the board of trustees of Pennsylvania State University exorcised demons that had haunted a campus fondly known as Happy Valley for 13 long years. Legendary football coach Joe Paterno was fired outright despite his pleas to retire on his own terms after an extraordinary 62 seasons and more victories than any major college coach. University … [Read more...] about With Paterno Axed & Spanier Out, The Demons Of Happy Valley Are Exorcised
(UPDATED) Why The Sandusky Investigation Died Aborning
People on the fence about whether the Penn State University board of trustees overreacted in firing legendary head football coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier might pause long enough to familiarize themselves with the background of the case. It is not a pretty picture. In 1998, campus police and Centre County law enforcement authorities … [Read more...] about (UPDATED) Why The Sandusky Investigation Died Aborning
Quote of the Day: On Rick Perry’s Debate “Oops!” Moment
Our political Quote of the Day comes from Mark McKinnon' writing in The Daily Beast about Texas Gov. Rick Perry's forgetting his own talking points at last nights GOP Presidential debate: Rick Perry is now the official Charlie Brown of presidential candidates. He reminds me of the kid who got held back in high school. Even though he’s been there longer than the rest of the … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: On Rick Perry’s Debate “Oops!” Moment
The Right Wing’s 2011 Shellacking
WASHINGTON -- This week's elections around the country were brought to you by the word "overreach," specifically conservative overreach. Given an opportunity in 2010 to build a long-term majority, Republicans instead pursued extreme and partisan measures. On Tuesday, they reaped angry voter rebellions. The most important was in Ohio, where voters overwhelmingly defeated … [Read more...] about The Right Wing’s 2011 Shellacking
Paterno Leaves
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Paterno Leaves
Grand Juries in Pennsylvania Active over Sexual Abuse of Children in Far More Than Penn State
Penn State and their sexual abuse intrusion cases are not alone is being peered at by a Grand Jury in Pennsylvania. See excerpt from EWTN news Feb 15 of this year 2011 below detailing Grand Jury findings on abject neglect of credible complaints of sexual intrusion of children in Catholic Diocese... one wonders what the h.e. double hockeysticks is in the water in … [Read more...] about Grand Juries in Pennsylvania Active over Sexual Abuse of Children in Far More Than Penn State
Letter From The Eastern Cape: ‘God Drives Us To Life Street In A Big Taxi’
OLANA, A FIVE-YEAR-OLD DROWNING VICTIM, IS LAID TO REST By SUSAN WINTERS COOK I'm facing about 200 people I don't know and wondering how I will be able to deliver my message without choking up. I am the only white person at this funeral. That is the norm for my husband and me because only a minority of whites will venture into rural African communities. Thus we are … [Read more...] about Letter From The Eastern Cape: ‘God Drives Us To Life Street In A Big Taxi’
A Tale of Shame: Paterno’s Football Machine Covers Up Rape, Protects Perp
Although I'm not an alum of Penn State, during my 10 years in Pennsylvania I spent a lot of time at State College ("Happy Valley"), given that I worked in the dairy industry (and it's the land grant institution). Maybe that's why this story turns my stomach inside out. Or maybe it's the inhuman nature of the tale. In case you're tuning in late, on Saturday a grand jury … [Read more...] about A Tale of Shame: Paterno’s Football Machine Covers Up Rape, Protects Perp
Happy Birthday United States Marine Corps
Let us all take a few moments to remember that today, November 10th, is the 236th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. For more than two centuries they have been fighting to defend our freedom in the air, on the land and on the sea. For all the sacrifices they have made in our defense, we all should say a huge thank you. So remember... hug a Marine today. OOOH … [Read more...] about Happy Birthday United States Marine Corps
Penn State fires coach Joe Paterno, president Graham Spanier
AP: Penn State fires coach Joe Paterno, president Graham Spanier Penn State trustees fired football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier amid the growing furor over how the school handled sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. The massive shakeup Wednesday night came hours after Paterno announced that he planned to retire at the end of his … [Read more...] about Penn State fires coach Joe Paterno, president Graham Spanier
Koch Brothers Front Group Smearer Used to Front for Tea Party Express
One thing most Kochian front groups have in common is that they get nasty when you call them out. Case in point, ThinkProgress' Lee Fang: Koch Brother Front Group Americans For Prosperity Pushes Smear Campaign Against Me By Lee Fang on Nov 9, 2011 at 5:30 pm ThinkProgress Levi Russell, Americans for Prosperity Director of Public Affairs, contributed to a blog post … [Read more...] about Koch Brothers Front Group Smearer Used to Front for Tea Party Express
Live Blogging of CNBC Republican Presidential Debate (POST COMPLETED) Cain and Romney Shine While Perry Stumbles Badly
Here is live blogging of tonight’s economy-driven CNBC Republican Presidential Debate at Oakland University in suburban Detroit. Although news attention remains on Herman Cain and the sexual harassment allegations against him (which sparked new partisan-motivated lows such as talk show host Rush Limbaugh going after an accuser's 13 year old son) the bigger questions are a) will … [Read more...] about Live Blogging of CNBC Republican Presidential Debate (POST COMPLETED) Cain and Romney Shine While Perry Stumbles Badly
TMV Will Live Blog GOP Debate Tonight
We will be offering live blogging of tonight's debate -- live blogging from the viewpoint of an independent voter. TECHNICAL NOTE: The Internet at my hotel near Atlanta is a bit of a problem so the live blogging could be slower than unusual. Here is the final LIVE BLOGGING POST. … [Read more...] about TMV Will Live Blog GOP Debate Tonight
A Call For Political Transparency
If you run a political site -- such as a PAC or a campaign for a person or issue -- then you should not be able to hide who you are in the WhoIs database. In other words, any political action site -- a PAC or a site advocating for or against a person or an issue -- should contain information about the organization or person who is running the website in a Whois lookup. If … [Read more...] about A Call For Political Transparency
(BREAKING) Joe Paterno Determined To Retire On Own Terms, University President May Be Out
Graham Spanier and Joe Paterno Legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno announced today that he plans to retire at the end of the football season, but that could be derailed when the university's board of trustees, including Governor Tom Corbitt, meets on Friday in the wake of a sex abuse scandal that has implicated top school officials. Meanwhile, a newspaper … [Read more...] about (BREAKING) Joe Paterno Determined To Retire On Own Terms, University President May Be Out
(UPDATED) Huge Ballot Wins For The Democrats Auger Well For 2012 But Do Not Guarantee Victory
Analysts trying to gauge the mood of voters heading into 2012 based on the results of contentious ballot issues in yesterday's low turnout off-year elections should be forgiven if they awoke this morning with hangovers because from all appearances the Democrats defied expectations in beating back a Republican agenda that only one year ago had helped return control of the House … [Read more...] about (UPDATED) Huge Ballot Wins For The Democrats Auger Well For 2012 But Do Not Guarantee Victory
Is There A Middle Ground In Dealing With The Threat Of A Nuclear Iran?
President Ahmadinejad inspects an Irani nuclear facility With United Nations weapons inspectors expected to say that they have substantial new evidence that Iran is developing a nuclear device in a much-leaked forthcoming report, is there a middle ground for the U.S. and its allies between going to war and trying to keep diplomatic channels open? The war option is favored … [Read more...] about Is There A Middle Ground In Dealing With The Threat Of A Nuclear Iran?
Voters Reject Extremism
You’d think the political class would learn. American voters generally do not take kindly to partisan overreach. Yes, there are exceptions, but yesterday was a reminder that Americans tend to be more centrist than either hard core liberal or hard core conservative. For those who think yesterday was a reinvigoration of the Democratic Party and rejection of the Republican … [Read more...] about Voters Reject Extremism
Cain’s Assembly Line Lechery
From evidence so far, the Pizza Man’s skirt-chasing seems as random as his economic studies, making casual passes at objectives but cheerfully taking nein-nein-nein as a final answer and moving on to keep selling. After lurid testimony by Woman #4, which led the PBS NewsHour, #5 comes as a letdown, with Cain, after a speech in Egypt, asking to be set up with a woman in the … [Read more...] about Cain’s Assembly Line Lechery