Our political Quote of the Day is actually an entire column by David Frum for CNN. I often retweet Frum's Tweets on my Twitter account. Frum is the former special assistant to President George W. Bush who has increasingly broken from his party as it has become more identified with conservative talk radio hosts and the Tea Party movement in the post-Bush years. Here's part of … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: David Frum Says “I Was Wrong About Same-Sex Marriage”
An Electric Car Update
Today on PRI's "The World," I heard a heartening story. Somebody was listening, somewhere. And that's a good thing. Here is my original post: 5 APRIL 2010 · 8:55 PM Lazy Pro-Animal Blogging – Oregon Edition Electric cars are coming to Oregon, and they’re trying to figure out where to site the charging stations. I had been waiting for the right time to make this … [Read more...] about An Electric Car Update
TSA Grope (Cartoon)
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A Government Of, By And For The Elite (Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett)
In 1998 the citizens of Arizona passed a referendum to reduce political corruption in the state, The Arizona Citizens Clean Election Act. The citizen’s initiative came about after AzScam, a scandal in which roughly 10% of state legislators were found to have taken bribes, including campaign contributions, in exchange for supporting legislation that gave tax breaks to … [Read more...] about A Government Of, By And For The Elite (Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett)
Today in Not The Onion
The Supreme Court rules that allowing poor candidates the ability to respond to rich ones violates the latter's First Amendment rights. Chief Justice Roberts: "All else being equal, an advertisement supporting the election of a candidate that goes without a response is often more effective than an advertisement that is directly controverted." Can't argue with that logic! … [Read more...] about Today in Not The Onion
Republican Political Survival Suit (Cartoon)
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UPDATE: BLAGO GUILTY ON 17 COUNTS (former: Jury Reaches Verdict On Former Governor Soprano)
UPDATE: JURY FINDS BLAGO GUILTY ON 17 COUNTS Experts are now commenting on possible sentence for Blago, looks like he'll be looking at about a decade behind bars. The jury has convicted former Governor Soprano on 17 of the 20 counts against him. He was found not guilty on one count and they hung on two counts. He was found guilty on all counts related to the alleged … [Read more...] about UPDATE: BLAGO GUILTY ON 17 COUNTS (former: Jury Reaches Verdict On Former Governor Soprano)
Tea Party Star Michele Bachmann Formally Announces Republican 2012 Presidential Nomination Candidacy
Rep. Michele Bachman, the Tea Party favorite who is quickly filling the space Sarah Palin once filled in media interest, Tea Party interest, and as the symbol of a powerful wing of the Republican party -- and who has upped her political game in terms of her own professional political performance -- is now officially "in." She has announced her bid for the 2012 Republican … [Read more...] about Tea Party Star Michele Bachmann Formally Announces Republican 2012 Presidential Nomination Candidacy
Chris Wallace Steps In It. Again.
Burning up the internets this morning, Chris Wallace asking Michele Bachmann, "Are you a flake?" Bachmann calls the question “insulting,” she's "a serious person." Wallace apologized but Bachmann's apparently not accepting. This following on the heels of the week-long aftermath of Wallace's Jon Stewart interview. In that interview Stewart said that Wallace stands out … [Read more...] about Chris Wallace Steps In It. Again.
Is College for Everyone? A Very Old Story
From the current debate over whether a college education is worth the price in money and time for every American child, a memory seven decades old arises as testimony to the life-changing difference those four years used to make for generations born to immigrant parents. The teacher's name, improbably, was Mr. Crabb. His grim face rose from a stiff rounded collar anchored … [Read more...] about Is College for Everyone? A Very Old Story
When Did America Become Rome?
There has been a fascinating discussion going on over at Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish concerning when America became Rome. That is, when did it forswear faith in its leaders and morality for greed and decadence. The comparison, of course, is somewhat precious as well as a time-worn cliche, but it works well enough for the purposes of trying to figure out why we are going … [Read more...] about When Did America Become Rome?
Lion Tries to Eat Baby Through Glass at Zoo (Video)
A lion tries to eat a baby through glass case at a Colorado zoo: I saw something similar about 10 years ago. I was doing an event and the stage next to mine had some tigers who did a show. The owners of this act would let people including kids into the cage to have their picture taken with baby tigers. I had mine taken. The first thing they did was to put a bottle in the … [Read more...] about Lion Tries to Eat Baby Through Glass at Zoo (Video)
Obama and the Agony of Prudence
WASHINGTON -- Among Dana Carvey's most brilliant sketches on "Saturday Night Live" were his dead-perfect impersonations of President George H.W. Bush, which made a permanent contribution to America's political language. "Not gonna do it!" Carvey-as-Bush would say. "Wouldn't be prudent!" What Carvey grasped is that Bush 41 was a conservative not so much by ideology as … [Read more...] about Obama and the Agony of Prudence
War and Peace (Cartoon)
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Classic Comedy: the Famous “Si..Sy” Routine of Jack Benny and Mel Blanc
Cartoon fans -- particularly younger TMV readers - -get ready for a treat. One of the funniest classic routines was done waaaaaaaay before my time by radio-TV comedy star Jack Benny (who was one of the comedians credited with inventing the situation comedy on radio) and Mel Blanc. It is as funny today as when it was first done. This should be of special interest to cartoon … [Read more...] about Classic Comedy: the Famous “Si..Sy” Routine of Jack Benny and Mel Blanc
They’ll Do It My Way
Eric Cantor, the Tea Party’s rep in Congress, laid it on the line to the President the other day. You want us to keep negotiating, taxes are off the table. period. Then he commenced crooning in the style of Frank Sinatra… They’ll Do It My Way And now, though defaults loom I hold one steadfast notion It’s that, tax hikes mean doom To this I swear, my full devotion For … [Read more...] about They’ll Do It My Way
Be Careful What You Wish For: the Balanced Budget Amendment
Everyone can appreciate that the intention of a proposed balanced budget amendment (BBA) would be to impose some discipline on government. Today, there is absolutely no operational constraint on government spending, and the debt ceiling is just a legislative choice. Most people also believe that there is at least some long-term constraint on government spending as we are … [Read more...] about Be Careful What You Wish For: the Balanced Budget Amendment
Does Andrew Cuomo’s Leadership Style Put Barack Obama’s to Shame?
Does New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's leadership style put President Barack Obama's to shame? The always-must-read-Nate Silver raises the issue HERE -- an issue I have been fascinated with before Friday's successful Cuomo-backed and Cuomo-pieced-together vote to pass New York's same sex marriage law. I'm now collecting my thoughts for a column on this issue. But back in my days … [Read more...] about Does Andrew Cuomo’s Leadership Style Put Barack Obama’s to Shame?
TSA Asks Elderly Woman To Remove Diaper
Someone at TSA made a truly crappy decision: A woman has filed a complaint with federal authorities over how her elderly mother was treated at Northwest Florida Regional Airport last weekend. Jean Weber of Destin filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security after her 95-year-old mother was detained and extensively searched last Saturday while trying to … [Read more...] about TSA Asks Elderly Woman To Remove Diaper
Jon Who? (Guest Voice)
Jon Who? by Michael Reagan All of a sudden the kept media is all agog over one Jon (not John) Huntsman, recently retired from his Obama administration post as U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, provoking the president to joke that he was "sure that him having worked so well for me will be a great asset in any Republican primary." A former governor of … [Read more...] about Jon Who? (Guest Voice)