What is truly remarkable about the politics of the early 21st century is how the difference between a cost and an investment has been undermined. This week, the Institute on Research for Public Policy released a report which estimated that it would take $200 billion to repair Canada's crumbling infrastructure. And, in Newsweek, Michael Tomasky reports that -- in the United … [Read more...] about The Cost of Everything and the Value of Nothing
Sue Happy America (Guest Voice)
From the eLocalLawyer blog, here's a Guest Voice in the form of a graphic: (Click to enlarge) Source: eLocalLawyers.com … [Read more...] about Sue Happy America (Guest Voice)
Verbal Child Abuse
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Verbal Child Abuse
An Exclusive Look at Politicians’ and Media Types’ Voice Mail
The other day I got lost in my health plan’s voice mail. By the time the call was over my nails grew an inch and my kitten became a cat. But it isn’t only corporations that are mired in voice mail mania: so are politicians and media types. How do I know? I checked. I called the White House office of President Barack Obama and got this: “This is your moment! You have … [Read more...] about An Exclusive Look at Politicians’ and Media Types’ Voice Mail
Troy Anthony Davis: Probably Innocent; About To Be Executed
Troy Anthony Davis: Troy Davis is set to be executed by the state of Georgia on September 21st for a crime he may not have committed. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his final appeal earlier this year. But the story remains the same – Troy Davis could very well be innocent. Davis was convicted on the basis of witness testimony – seven of the nine original witnesses … [Read more...] about Troy Anthony Davis: Probably Innocent; About To Be Executed
Dakota Meyer’s Medal of Honor Award Ceremony (UPDATED)
I hope that many of our readers had the opportunity to watch the moving White House ceremony for the presentation of the Medal of Honor to Marine Sergeant Dakota Meyer. According to one reader, the view here at TMV was "[b]etter than TV by a ton." Above a White House photo of Dakota Meyer having a beer with the President yesterday at a White House patio. The Marine hero … [Read more...] about Dakota Meyer’s Medal of Honor Award Ceremony (UPDATED)
Obamacare: A Reason To Believe
Jonathan Cohn at TNR finds one: Need a reason to believe the Affordable Care Act is starting to work? The Census Bureau just gave you a half million of them. That’s how many young adults had health insurance in 2010, as compared to 2009, according to the official estimates. Or, to put it another way, the proportion of 18- to 24-year olds without health insurance fell, by … [Read more...] about Obamacare: A Reason To Believe
Obama Under Pressure on Entitlement Cuts
WASHINGTON - Yesterday, the Financial Times laid out what has been talked about for months and months, with Pres. Obama set to deliver a speech on deficit reduction on Monday. The FT begins with the argument of how the U.S. government measures inflation, which would deliver "a less generous chained-consumer price index," to quote FT. Today the White House pushed back, … [Read more...] about Obama Under Pressure on Entitlement Cuts
Oh Those Wild & Crazy Italians: Kind Of Like The French Without The Fries
If you need a break from the serial hijinks and buffoonery of the American political scene, look no further than Italy. What's going on there is hilarious if you overlook the fact that Prime Minister Silvio "Bunga Bunga" Berlusconi could well destroy what is left of the economic stability of Europe, which makes our own economic difficulties discreto (not so bad). A couple of … [Read more...] about Oh Those Wild & Crazy Italians: Kind Of Like The French Without The Fries
Stevie Wonder Applauds Steve Jobs
For making iOS accessible to all. At a nightclub appearance in LA last weekend, said Stevie: There is nothing that you can do on the iPhone or iPad that I can’t do. Watch: Via. … [Read more...] about Stevie Wonder Applauds Steve Jobs
Are We Still Capable Of Outrage? Are You?
WikiLeaks document dumps over the last year or so on the quagmires in Afghanistan and Iraq, Guantanamo Bay and State Department diplomatic cables, among others, begs an important question: Are we still capable of outrage? The past decade has been a carnival of disasters beginning with the 9/11 attacks and followed by the fool's mission in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, the … [Read more...] about Are We Still Capable Of Outrage? Are You?
Marine To Be Awarded Medal Of Honor
Today a former US Marine will join a rare group of living Medal of Honor winners. I don't think I could do a better job than the Marine Corps Times did in spelling out his heroism so I'll let it stand on its own. (note that the article was written before the award became official, which is why he is refered to as nominee) He may not think he deserves the award but as … [Read more...] about Marine To Be Awarded Medal Of Honor
Perry and the GOP’s Feckless Establishment
WASHINGTON -- The Republican establishment is said to have grave qualms about Gov. Rick Perry.Here's the problem: There is no Republican establishment. It squanderedits authority by building up the tea party's brigades and then fearingthem too much to do anything to check their power. Worse for thosewho think Perry would be a general election disaster is the growing … [Read more...] about Perry and the GOP’s Feckless Establishment
Inside the Death Cult of the GOP (part i.)
I want you to try a thought experiment here. Joseph Interpreting Pharaoh's Dream Peter von Cornelius (1817) (click pix for larger image) Think of something obvious and intimate that you use all the time: a cigarette lighter, a tube of lipstick, a shoehorn, whatever. Something convenient, even something that you're carrying right now (not a pair of glasses you're wearing, … [Read more...] about Inside the Death Cult of the GOP (part i.)
BP Culpable For Macondo Well Blowout
Like most of us said at the time, BP's flawed management led to last year's disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The loss of life at the Macondo site on April 20, 2010, and the subsequent pollution of the Gulf of Mexico through the summer of 2010 were the result of poor risk management, last-minute changes to plans, failure to observe and respond to critical indicators, … [Read more...] about BP Culpable For Macondo Well Blowout
Something Fishy About ‘Too Hot To Fish’
"A swirl of fame swept down a dirt road to find Bobby Kirk and his country wisdom," says the NYTimes in a Most Emailed article from late July. Stephen Colbert parses the piece in a deliciously sarcastic joke that appears at first to be a skewering of small town journalism. The action (or lack thereof) takes place a few miles up the road from me, in Athens, GA, so it got … [Read more...] about Something Fishy About ‘Too Hot To Fish’
Tea Party Congressman Endorses Destruction of Israel
It's Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), taking the Hamas line of a one state solution with a single sovereign governing from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. This, of course, would almost certainly result in the demise of Israel as a Jewish democratic homeland and, with it, the end of the Zionist dream. Since this eventuality is part of the reason why a two-state solution is the … [Read more...] about Tea Party Congressman Endorses Destruction of Israel
Jacqueline Kennedy’s Japanese Wife Act
A prime-time TV special introduces new generations to “the most mysterious, fascinating--and feline--woman in American political history” through 47-year-old audiotapes made soon after JFK’s assassination. For those possibly confused by abject adoration of her husband and bitchiness toward most other political figures of their time, some first-hand footnotes on the apparent … [Read more...] about Jacqueline Kennedy’s Japanese Wife Act
Tomorrow Is Dakota Meyer’s Day (UPDATES)
UPDATE II Hopefully this link will take readers to a live-streaming of the MOH award ceremony: JOIN THE LIVE CHATVISIT WHITEHOUSE.GOV ===== Sometimes the most difficult part of writing and publishing an article or essay is picking the title. When, about one month ago, I first heard that Marine Sergeant Dakota L. Meyer, a former Austin resident, would be … [Read more...] about Tomorrow Is Dakota Meyer’s Day (UPDATES)
Dr. Ron Paul Has A Heart Of Stone. And Plenty Of Company In Today’s Republican Party.
KENT SNYDER AND RON PAUL There was a special moment during the CNN/Tea Party presidential debate on Monday evening when moderator Wolf Blitzer threw out a red-meat hypothetical: What do the candidates think about the case of a young man who could afford health insurance but chose not to buy it and became gravely ill? Should the state pay his bills? "That's what … [Read more...] about Dr. Ron Paul Has A Heart Of Stone. And Plenty Of Company In Today’s Republican Party.