South California, a conservative's utopia: Accusing Sacramento of pillaging local governments to feed its runaway spending and left-wing policies, a Riverside County politician is proposing a solution: He wants 13 mostly inland, conservative counties to break away to form a separate state of "South California.'' Supervisor Jeff Stone, a Republican pharmacist from Temecula, … [Read more...] about A 51st State?
Quote of the Day: Our Pathetic Debt Ceiling Debate
Our political Quote of the Day is actually a series of long quotes from a piece by independent analyst John Avlon of The Daily Beast. Avlon who is also a commentor on CNN is flabbergasted by the debt ceiling debate and Congressional White House negotiations which he correctly notes is a sad commentary on our polarized, ideogically packed political culture. Here are some key … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Our Pathetic Debt Ceiling Debate
The Sane Budget Fix You Probably Didn’t Hear About
The other day Senate Democrats did something they had failed to do for far too long. They presented their own blueprint to meet the country's budget crisis. It was permeated not only by decency, but fiscal and economic sanity. As described in the Washington Post, under this plan the top 1 percent of American earners, individuals making more than $500,000 and families more … [Read more...] about The Sane Budget Fix You Probably Didn’t Hear About
Why Aren’t Tax Cuts Discredited?
In a piece asking, Did the stimulus bill fail?, Dave Weigel finds a comparison in the Bush tax cuts: Did the stimulus do less than President Obama said it would? Absolutely... At his most optimistic, he said the stimulus would be a success if it "created or saved" 4 million jobs. It fell far short of that. But ambitious, expensive bills have fallen short before, and it hasn't … [Read more...] about Why Aren’t Tax Cuts Discredited?
RIP Betty Ford: Views on Her Life & Contributions and Funeral Plan Details
No shortage of coverage, thank goodness, of the life and death of Betty Ford, former First Lady to Gerald Ford's president, 1974-1977. Spiro Agnew's resignation and Richard Nixon's resignation were seminal political events in my life, very much as Gerald Ford, the pardon of Nixon and Chevy Chases' Ford-inspired pratfalls were too. I'm devouring everything that's being … [Read more...] about RIP Betty Ford: Views on Her Life & Contributions and Funeral Plan Details
Congressman Tom Lantos was No Hungarian Patriot! (Barikad, Hungary)
Recently in Hungary, an organization named after Hungarian-American and former Congressman Tom Lantos was inaugurated. So far so good. But according to this angry editorial from Hungary's Barikad newspaper, there are many Hungarians who were offended by the praise heaped on the former U.S. lawmaker, a man they regarded as something of a Hungarian turncoat who was more loyal to … [Read more...] about Congressman Tom Lantos was No Hungarian Patriot! (Barikad, Hungary)
NY Times: Fred Newman, 76, Writer And Postmodern Marxist (Prominent Independent Party Figure)
A key architect of today's independent movement has died. Fred Newman will be deeply missed. Sunday's print edition of the New York Times carried the headline above, and here is the online version from Saturday: Fred Newman, Writer and Political Figure, Dies at 76 By DOUGLAS MARTIN Published: July 9, 2011 Fred Newman’s influential role in New York life and … [Read more...] about NY Times: Fred Newman, 76, Writer And Postmodern Marxist (Prominent Independent Party Figure)
Random Musings During A Summer Heat Wave
I keep asking myself why congressional Republicans are so adamantly opposed to raising taxes and closing tax loopholes for the richest one percent of Americans, the folks who have a greater collective net worth than the entire bottom 90 percent. The oft-cited reason that the John Boehners and Mitch McConnells offer is that raising taxes on the super rich would somehow hurt … [Read more...] about Random Musings During A Summer Heat Wave
Rupert Murdochs Crumbling World
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Rupert Murdochs Crumbling World
We Couldn’t Afford to Spend a Lot on an Elvis Impersonator SO
Here at TMV we strive to give you more than just political posts. We also to expand your cultural horizons and give you some posts on the arts, film, and books. Some (older) readers asked if we could find an Elvis impersonator. Due to the economy we couldn't afford to spend much so we found this performer doing his version of Elvis: … [Read more...] about We Couldn’t Afford to Spend a Lot on an Elvis Impersonator SO
The Death Penalty and the Costs of an Obsession
WASHINGTON -- The unseemly love affair of some American politicians with the death penalty is bad for justice and bad for our country's standing in the world. It inflicts a wholly unnecessary moral stain on a nation that rightly preaches the rule of law to everyone else. Even more remarkable is the indifference that five justices of the Supreme Court have shown to such … [Read more...] about The Death Penalty and the Costs of an Obsession
Farm Program Article Misses Mark By A Mile
Updated (underlined)/Corrected (strikeout): It's been years since I worked in agricultural policy, but as I read "In battle over deficit, farm aid on the block" by Hal Bernton of the Seattle Times, I shook my head. Over and over. I read repeated quotes data and assertions from an advocacy group, the Environmental Working Group, characterized as "a nonprofit advocacy … [Read more...] about Farm Program Article Misses Mark By A Mile
Bachmann Flunks Canadian History, Too (Guest Voice)
Bachmann Flunks Canadian History, Too by Michael Winship Travel, they say, improves the mind, a notion once rightly castigated in song by the late, great Noel Coward. It's "an irritating platitude," he wrote, "which frankly, entre nous, is far from ever true." And yet there is some truth to it, although sailing on a celebratory birthday cruise up the Canadian Maritimes … [Read more...] about Bachmann Flunks Canadian History, Too (Guest Voice)
The Angry Taxpayer at the National Park
A tale for summer travelers and debt limit fulminators. Sometimes, things are not necessarily as they appear, and anger is often misdirected by misconception. Monument Valley Monument Valley National Park Once upon a time, my wife and I ventured in our Western travels to see Monument Valley, that place made legendary by a gazillion John Ford/John Wayne westerns as "THE … [Read more...] about The Angry Taxpayer at the National Park
My Pledge Is Bigger Than Your Pledge
There's a pledge war going on among Republican presidential candidates. The winner, with Tea Party backing, may well end up that party's standard bearer in 2012. This war doesn't involve verbal pledges, but the written and signed variety. No Republican, it seems, will any longer accept one of those "read my lips" pledges as binding enough. So then. What are Republican … [Read more...] about My Pledge Is Bigger Than Your Pledge
Boehner on a Bucking Bronco
As the “Grand Bargain” unravels, both the President and the Speaker are taking heat from their true believers, but there is both irony and justice in John Boehner’s plight. A year and a half ago, he chose to wild-ride the Tea Party bronco all the way to November 2012 without getting the creature under control. Now, after stirring up all that dust about the debt limit, … [Read more...] about Boehner on a Bucking Bronco
Is This the End of Rico — I Mean Rupert Murdoch? (UPDATED)
Is Australian-born international media and political baron Rupert Murdoch's power now on the wane or at least stemmed? Does the growing fallout from the News of the World phone hacking scandal that caused Murdoch to close the paper and rush to London a sign that those who've been uneasy about his huge influence and growing ownership of media properties throughout the world are … [Read more...] about Is This the End of Rico — I Mean Rupert Murdoch? (UPDATED)
Debt Ceiling Negotiations Breakdown: Will There Be An Agreement and If So Will It Matter Much? (UPDATED)
Once again American politics has shown that it is (seemingly) hopelessly broken -- mired in the demand of ideologically-firm partisans and prone to stalemate since the filthiest word in the English language to some is now "compromise." And so the "Grand Bargain" dies. Will an agreement now emerge? Or will the U.S. slip into default? And if an agreement emerges will it simply … [Read more...] about Debt Ceiling Negotiations Breakdown: Will There Be An Agreement and If So Will It Matter Much? (UPDATED)
World’s First Film, First Film With Sound and First Comedy film
If you love film history, this is a FEAST. Be sure you watch it to the very end, because one piece of film is also shown beautifully remastered. … [Read more...] about World’s First Film, First Film With Sound and First Comedy film
Pakistan Gets Consequences: U.S. Deferring Millions in Aid
Just as many (including yours truly) have predicted, Pakistan is now facing consequences for a host of events that have seriously called into question whether it is truly the kind of ally deserving the big bucks that it has traditionally received: The Obama administration is suspending and, in some cases, canceling hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to the Pakistani … [Read more...] about Pakistan Gets Consequences: U.S. Deferring Millions in Aid