WASHINGTON - The embargoed fact sheet from the White House is interesting. What's been reported in the Washington Post this morning and other venues gets it about right, though in some of the most vital areas concerning progressives Pres. Obama is, in his typical style, vague. The "on background" call with the Administration should be interesting. To update you... The … [Read more...] about Pres. Obama’s Empty Tax Talk in Today’s Reelection Speech **UPDATED**
The American People Were Hoodwinked Again
Both WaPo and the National Journal are reporting that the advertised $38.5 billion in spending cuts agreed to in the budget deal are not real. WaPo calls many of the cuts “accounting gimmicks.” The National Journal has this to say, "The specifics show that finding nearly $40 billion in cuts during the 2011 fiscal year required clever accounting and, for the White House, a … [Read more...] about The American People Were Hoodwinked Again
Hypocrite of the Day: Lindsey Graham
We'd add a "Hypocrite of the Day" feature but there would be too many candidates among the political parties for us to choose from. Even so, how can anyone resist not posting about South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who has sounded so resolute on tbe need for hard-nosed, unemotional budget cuts. But, wait: one cut involved his state. And now he's threatening to tie the … [Read more...] about Hypocrite of the Day: Lindsey Graham
Veterans of Foreign Wars: Meeting the Needs of a Changing Membership
Frank Buckles, the last surviving U.S. veteran of World War I -- of nearly 5 million Americans who served during that war -- died last month at age 110. Buckles, who served in England and France, was a member of a steadily aging and shrinking group of heroes from our "early" major wars -- where I am also including World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War -- the … [Read more...] about Veterans of Foreign Wars: Meeting the Needs of a Changing Membership
Obama’s Upcoming Speech On Debt: What Will He Say?
President Barack Obama is going to deliver a major speech on debt. Expected: he'll call on tax increases coupled with budget cuts. The GOP will resist tax increases which will set the narrative for the rest of his term and Obama versus the GOP which clearly the White House hopes will pick up independent support. Obama's problem: his liberal base doesn't want the cuts that took … [Read more...] about Obama’s Upcoming Speech On Debt: What Will He Say?
Cut the Budget (Cartoon)
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America and The Great Disappointment (Guest Voice)
America and The Great Disappointment by Michael Winship I was considering having myself dusted with ash and measured for sackcloth last week, so many are the current predictions of impending apocalypse. There’s the contingent that follows the ancient Mayan calendar and predicts the end of the world on December 21, 2012, some of whom have made bad movies about it. … [Read more...] about America and The Great Disappointment (Guest Voice)
Gallup Poll: Public Says OK to Budget Deal But No Winner and Hands Off Medicare
A new Gallup Poll in effect says neither political party "won" The Big Budget Showdown of 2011 -- but the American public backs the deal. And the poll finds there is little support in either political party for Rep. Paul Ryan's idea of substantially overhauling Medicare: - Six in 10 Americans approve of the 11th-hour federal budget agreement that congressional leaders … [Read more...] about Gallup Poll: Public Says OK to Budget Deal But No Winner and Hands Off Medicare
Up River Into The Republican Heart of Darkness
I felt an intolerable weight oppressing my breast, the smell of the damp earth, the unseen presence of victorious corruption, the darkness of an impenetrable night. ~ "Heart of Darkness," JOSEPH CONRAD It has been over two years since Republicans last "governed," and that term should be used advisedly since the leadership styles of George Bush and Dick Cheney would … [Read more...] about Up River Into The Republican Heart of Darkness
The President’s Human Shields
Like the smart kid beset by schoolyard bullies, Barack Obama is turning to wonkish jocks for protection. Leaks from The Speech reveal he will be relying on his Commission on Deficit Reduction and perhaps Congress' Gang of Six for bipartisan cover but also raise a question: If the President is taking a centrist stance against Republican extremism, who speaks for those who … [Read more...] about The President’s Human Shields
The Result of the Conservative War Against Planned Parenthood
The result of the conservative war against Planned Parenthood: it seems to have backfired. PERSONAL NOTE: To me, the war against Planned Parenthood has been as dismaying as when I arrived in Spain and as a young stringer heard the late Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in his last speech warn thousands of Spaniards in a huge crowd to beware of the Masonic … [Read more...] about The Result of the Conservative War Against Planned Parenthood
Donald Trump: Celebrity Apprentice (Cartoon)
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Bill O’Reilly Debunks Birther Claims and Other Myths About Barack Obama
Fox News' Bill O'Reilly is the highest rated talk show host on cable and arguably Fox News' talk show host flagship. In this segment he debunks the rumors and disinformation about Barack Obama -- including the birtheris' narrative now being spread by Donald Trump with an approving Sarah Palin not far behind. Note how Monica Crowley is still in demonization mode even after … [Read more...] about Bill O’Reilly Debunks Birther Claims and Other Myths About Barack Obama
Loud Bold and Wrong
Loud, Bold and Wrong by Tina Dupuy We must love boisterous blowhards. As Americans, we are fixated on people who make loud, definitive declarations so we can stand behind them waving our oversized number-one foam-fingers chanting: “Go team! Win!” If you take away all the nebbishy number-crunching and bureaucracy - which is most of government – politics is all posturing and … [Read more...] about Loud Bold and Wrong
Ransom Notes From The Republican Revolution (Cartoon)
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Death and Destruction Linger in Africa’s Ivory Coast
While the American new and old media focus on domestic politics and news, a tragedy has been unfolding in the Ivory Coast -- where death and destruction linger: Some more background: And a bit more: … [Read more...] about Death and Destruction Linger in Africa’s Ivory Coast
Rejecting U.S. Drug War is Essential for Mexico’s Survival (La Jornada, Mexico)
Is it time for all sane people to conclude that the "war on drugs" is a failed, self-destructive enterprise? With Mexico descending into drug-fueled anarchy, columnist Jorge Carrillo Olea of Mexico's La Jornada writes that it's time for the Mexican people to rise up and reject U.S. involvement, President Calderon, and the notion that drugs can be eradicated by military force. … [Read more...] about Rejecting U.S. Drug War is Essential for Mexico’s Survival (La Jornada, Mexico)
PPP Poll: House Republicans So Unpopular GOP Could Lose House in 2012
A new PPP Poll brings a double whammy of bad news for Republicans: House Republicans are so unpopular now that the GOP could lose the House in the 2012 elections -- and independents are removing their support from Republicans in droves: PPP's newest national poll finds that after a little more than 3 months in charge House Republicans have fallen so far out of favor with the … [Read more...] about PPP Poll: House Republicans So Unpopular GOP Could Lose House in 2012
Will the Real Barack Obama Please Stand Up?
Will the real Barack Obama please stand up? Last week’s budget melodrama that nearly led to a government shut down ended with this truth about Obama: neither his liberal base nor Republicans fear him. Both sides feel he is someone who eventually “caves.” The word “caves” is now as tiresome as the phrases “false equivalency,” “just don’t get it,” or “defining moment.” In … [Read more...] about Will the Real Barack Obama Please Stand Up?
UK Report Shines Bright Light On Mobile Phone Costs
Oxford mathematicians have developed a tool that allows British consumers to analyze their mobile phone bills and figure out the most affordable subscription plan. Their analysis suggests that shifting to the right plan (one more atune to actual usage) would save British consumers £4.899 billion annually. That's $8 billion. (If the comparison were one-to-one, that would be … [Read more...] about UK Report Shines Bright Light On Mobile Phone Costs