The fallouts of the alleged Iranian attempt to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington will heighten Middle East tensions, even as pressure grows on Israelis and Palestinians to sit again at the peace table. If the allegations turn out to be true, the Saudi’s will put intense pressure on the Obama administration for exemplary and swift action. The risk is that the White … [Read more...] about The Alleged Iranian Plot Could Drag the US Into Hate-filled Quicksand
Senate Republicans Block Obama’s Jobs Bill
With their vote on a motion to proceed, the Senate avoids even a real debate on the jobs bill. The BBC: Forty-six Republican senators joined with two Democrats to filibuster the $447bn (£287bn) bill. Democratic support for the bill wavered this week, as several Democrats said they would vote for moving the bill forward, but against the bill itself. Republicans opposed … [Read more...] about Senate Republicans Block Obama’s Jobs Bill
Will 2012 Be the Republican Party’s ‘Oh No You Don’t’ Year?
HOLDERNESS, N.H — Reports suggest New Hampshire voters haven’t focused on the national politics invading their state yet, and it’s hard to understand why. Republican Presidential nomination hopefuls are visiting here as dutifully, hungrily and reverentially as Republican politicos at a private Koch Brothers seminar. Rep. Michele Bachmann, ex-conservative-flavor-of-the-week … [Read more...] about Will 2012 Be the Republican Party’s ‘Oh No You Don’t’ Year?
Chris Christie Endorses Mitt Romney
UPDATE... Fox News: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, just one week after definitively announcing he will not run for president in 2012, endorsed Mitt Romney for the job Tuesday afternoon. Christie, at a news conference in Hanover, N.H., described the endorsement as an "easy decision." He cited Romney's experience in the private and public sectors, saying he "brings the best … [Read more...] about Chris Christie Endorses Mitt Romney
Live Longer: Come Out of The Closet
Happy Coming Out Day. Come Out. It's good for you... "The more you’re in the closet, the worse for you," says Robert Trivers, a Professor of Anthropology and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University. "There is an immunological dimension to self-deception." In his new book (out in the UK, Deceit and Self-Deception: Fooling Yourself the Better to Fool Others, and coming … [Read more...] about Live Longer: Come Out of The Closet
Will Jon Huntsman’s Sanity Sell?
The clearest voice for sanity in the GOP race has gone all in for tonight’s New Hampshire debate with a foreign-policy speech that actually makes sense. But will sanity sell? “We still have remnants of a top-heavy, post-cold war infrastructure,” Jon Huntsman says. “It needs to be transformed to reflect the 21st Century world and the growing asymmetric threats we … [Read more...] about Will Jon Huntsman’s Sanity Sell?
Mitt Romney and the “Mormon Question”
The latest dust-up on the already tedious 2012 presidential campaign trail was triggered several days ago when a pastor and Rick Perry supporter told interviewers that Christians should refrain from voting for Mormon candidates like Mitt Romney (and presumably, Jon Huntsman too) for president because, he asserted, Mormonism is a cult. As a Christian pastor myself … [Read more...] about Mitt Romney and the “Mormon Question”
Al-Awlaki and John Yoo: An Endorsement We Can Do Without
As has been apparent from previous posts (here and here), I support the Obama administration’s decision to take out American-born, terrorist-turned, traitor Anwar al-Awlaki before he could do any more harm to America and Americans. My opinion was reinforced when I read that al-Qaeda---the same gang of terrorists that massacred more than 3,000 innocent American men, women … [Read more...] about Al-Awlaki and John Yoo: An Endorsement We Can Do Without
UN Report: Torture Common in Afghanistan
Are local forces ready to take control in Afghanistan? Troubling questions are raised by a UN report, The Christian Science Monitor reports: Half of all detainees in Afghan intelligence service custody have been tortured, according to a new United Nations report that raises grave concerns about the Afghan security force personnel that the United States and its NATO … [Read more...] about UN Report: Torture Common in Afghanistan
Guitar Hero
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Guitar Hero
The American Autumn: Children of the Lost Decade Revolt (Guest Voice)
The American Autumn: Children of the Lost Decade Revolt by Tina Dupuy The movement known as the tea party started in the mainstream media, on a national show. CNBC's Rick Santelli, fired what cable news would later dub "the shot heard around the world" in 2009, when he lamented paying for the mortgages of the "losers" who couldn't pay their bills. "President Obama, are you … [Read more...] about The American Autumn: Children of the Lost Decade Revolt (Guest Voice)
Fame as Disease; Celebrity as Illness (part ii)
We return to the story of Anna Held, Florenz Ziegfeld's meal ticket from 1895 ... The 1896 Broadway revival of A Parlor Match had two musical highlights – the hit song "Daisy Bell" (also known as "A Bicycle Built for Two"), and Anna Held's performance of the playful "Won't You Come and Play With Me?" To guarantee ongoing publicity, Ziegfeld let out word that Held took daily … [Read more...] about Fame as Disease; Celebrity as Illness (part ii)
(UPDATED) Why The Republicans’ Class Warfare Tactics Will Come Back To Haunt Them
There is something comical, even farcical, to the reaction of the oligarchs and their congressional and news media helpmates to the growing Occupy Wall Street protests, which have laid bare the reality that our so-called democratic system is rigged to benefit the wealthiest 1 percent at the sacrifice of the other 99 percent. The protests will be a failure as a means of … [Read more...] about (UPDATED) Why The Republicans’ Class Warfare Tactics Will Come Back To Haunt Them
From an unlikely source!
Reason Magazine, the Koch Brothers funded libertarian publication had a surprisingly fair and balanced look at the Occupy Wall Street movement. Occupy Wall Street: Beyond the Caricatures Outsiders are criticizing a heterodox movement that they choose not to understand. It's very easy to decree from afar that the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators flooding Lower Manhattan … [Read more...] about From an unlikely source!
Al-Qaeda ‘Concerned’ about Americans Losing Constitutional Rights
The killing of American-born, al-Qaeda-affiliated, terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki has sparked anger among civil liberties groups and has set-off a lively and legitimate debate in our country. In response to an article decrying the killing of American born al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist Al-Awlaki, I disputed the contention that the killing of the terrorist was Unconstitutional, … [Read more...] about Al-Qaeda ‘Concerned’ about Americans Losing Constitutional Rights
Elizabeth Warren’s $3.15m Dwarfs Scott Brown
WASHINGTON - From The Hill: Elizabeth Warren raised more than $3 million in a little more than six weeks to fund her Senate bid in Massachusetts — more than twice the figure pulled in by incumbent Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.). ... Warren pulled in $3.15 million in total for the third quarter, with more than 11,000 people in Massachusetts pitching in, her campaign announced … [Read more...] about Elizabeth Warren’s $3.15m Dwarfs Scott Brown
A President Who Leads From Behind
During most of his presidency, Barack Obama has adopted a respectful attitude toward Republicans, seemingly hoping, against all reason and experience, that this would lead to bipartisan agreements about important issues. Toward one other group, however, Mr. Obama has been consistently and overtly disrespectful, disdainful, patronizing, and occasionally outright hostile — the … [Read more...] about A President Who Leads From Behind
Quote of the Day: Is Occupy Wall Street Really the Left’s Tea Party Movement?
Our political Quote of the Day comes from The Daily Beast's John Avlon who addresses the prevailing question about whether Occupy Wall Street is the left's version of the Tea Party movement. His answer, based on original reporting as well as analysis is: it is not a mirror image of the Tea Party movement at all. Here are some key quotes from his piece, which needs to be read … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Is Occupy Wall Street Really the Left’s Tea Party Movement?
Party Over Country? That’s SO 19th Century!
I have an article in the New York Times Disunion series today on the transformation of American political parties and the nature of partisanship during the Civil War era. In short, extreme partisanship is nothing new, and is a key part of American political identity. But taken to excess, it can have disastrous consequences. Is there a lesson in there for today? Maybe. … [Read more...] about Party Over Country? That’s SO 19th Century!
That Was Qwikster: Nexflix Scuttles Plan to Spin Off DVD Rentals To Qwikster Site
It's hard to find a company that seems in as muchlf-inflicted chaos as Netflix -- one of my own personal favorite companies. In recent months it seemingly has not just shot itself in the foot but bit itself in the lower proximities. Is that an exaggeration? No. Just look at this story about a massive corporate about face: Netflix Inc. is abandoning its widely panned … [Read more...] about That Was Qwikster: Nexflix Scuttles Plan to Spin Off DVD Rentals To Qwikster Site