Is Pakistan now headed into a period of accentuated instability coupled with a danger that elements sympathetic to Al Qaeda and the Taliban can gain a foothold in the wake of the assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer , one of the country's leading advocates of tolerance? It would appear so given the governments general instability and mixed reaction to the … [Read more...] about Pakistan Instability Could Follow Assassination of Tolerance Advocate Salman Taseer
Signing Statement
Signing statement by Prairie Weather The New York Times reports that Obama may use presidential signing statement to get around Republican restrictions on the transfer of Guantanamo prisoners. McClatchy makes it sound more like a done deal. Obama administration officials say they plan to reject Congressional efforts to limit the president's options on Guantanamo, … [Read more...] about Signing Statement
Politics
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Politics
Sarah Palin and the “Do You Think She’s Qualified?” Debacle
Answering the question "Do you think Sarah Palin is qualified to be president?" with the "Well she was born in the US and is over 35!" trope is a lame excuse for not answering the real question people know is being asked. Rick Santorum is the latest trying this duck: "What does it mean to be qualified to be president? She is born in this country and she's the right age. … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin and the “Do You Think She’s Qualified?” Debacle
Congress’ Ayn Rand Caucus
As government-hating lawmakers begin work, their guiding philosophy will come from a deceased Hollywood scriptwriter whose credo of Selfishness Uber Alles was considered loony half a century ago. In the House, Ayn Rand acolyte Paul Ryan takes over as chairman of the Budget Committee and Ron Paul will head the Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy as he … [Read more...] about Congress’ Ayn Rand Caucus
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t ‘Surf and Turf’
Having written “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Smoke,” my eye quickly caught a Letter to the Editor in today’s Stars and Stripes, titled “‘'Don’t ask,’ surf and turf.” While hopefully my piece was a little more serious and a little less irreverent, this letter in all its “cheeky," sardonic glory certainly gets its message across---after a while. Enjoy, or endure, according … [Read more...] about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t ‘Surf and Turf’
‘Real’ 2011 Psychic Predictions and What to Watch
Is 2011 already a baby saddled with a burden from old-fogey-2010 heavier then its diaper’s contents? Does the world already have multiple swords of Damocles hanging over its head? Will the sea of change caused by economic upheaval and new technologies continue to accelerate in 2011? The humorists have weighed in already with their witty predictions of what will happen. And, … [Read more...] about ‘Real’ 2011 Psychic Predictions and What to Watch
Glenn Beck Loses a Big New York Radio Station Due to Poor Ratings
Whoever said New Yorkers don't have good taste? Glenn Beck may be one of the hottest talk show hosts in the country, but he apparently left New York's WOR cold. WOR (710 AM), one of the city's two biggest talk radio stations, said this morning it is dropping Beck's syndicated show as of Jan. 17 and replacing him with a familiar New York name: Mike Gallagher. "The … [Read more...] about Glenn Beck Loses a Big New York Radio Station Due to Poor Ratings
“We’ve got to stop Top-2 from coming, but how?”
CARTOON BY RANDY MILLER (Utah League of Independent Voters) California will hold its first open "top two" primary on Feb. 15. Voters, including decline-to-state independents, will choose among all candidates in two races being held to fill vacancies for 2 Los Angeles-area state Senate seats. California voters approved Proposition 14 (brought forth through the efforts of … [Read more...] about “We’ve got to stop Top-2 from coming, but how?”
Scalia Says Constitution Allows Discrimination Against Women, Gays
As HuffPo's Amanda Terkel is reporting, right-wing Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia gave an interview recently during which he said that the Constitution does not prohibit discrimination against women and gays: In 1868, when the 39th Congress was debating and ultimately proposing the 14th Amendment, I don't think anybody would have thought that equal protection applied to … [Read more...] about Scalia Says Constitution Allows Discrimination Against Women, Gays
Tom Sawyer Censorship (Yeah Again)
Mark Twain once defined a classic as a book people praise but don't read. It seems that his truism is still quite accurate. In another of the sadly ironic PC events of the day there will be a new version of Tom Sawyer which will remove 'offensive words'. The word nigger (my sincere apologies to those who are offended by the use of this word but it would be sort of … [Read more...] about Tom Sawyer Censorship (Yeah Again)
How’s This Recovery Working For Ya?
The economy is back. It's rolling, baby. I know this because the experts on Wall Street and in Washington have all detected signals that a recovery is now well and truly underway. The stock market, a harbinger of economic news so infallible that it's one of the 10 leading indicators used by the Fed to determine the direction of the economy, is also at record levels after that … [Read more...] about How’s This Recovery Working For Ya?
Scalia: The Constitution Does Not Prohibit Gender Discrimination
Here is the question as asked and the answer as given by U. S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia in an interview for California Lawyer. "In 1868, when the 39th Congress was debating and ultimately proposing the 14th Amendment, I don't think anybody would have thought that equal protection applied to sex discrimination, or certainly not to sexual orientation. So … [Read more...] about Scalia: The Constitution Does Not Prohibit Gender Discrimination
Four Hundred Years Later, Not Much Has Changed
I just live for connections like this; they fill me with delight! … [Read more...] about Four Hundred Years Later, Not Much Has Changed
WikiLeaks and Facebook: What Came Before Will Soon be Rubble (Sol, Portugal)
How transformational are WikiLeaks and Facebook? According to columnist Antonio Pedro Vansconcelos of Portugal's Sol newspaper, Julian Assange and Mark Zuckerberg have just heralded a brave new world, and those hoping for a smooth transition from the old civilization to the new are going to be 'sorely disappointed.' For Portugal's Sol, Antonio Pedro Vansconcelos writes in … [Read more...] about WikiLeaks and Facebook: What Came Before Will Soon be Rubble (Sol, Portugal)
Listening and Cutting
The new crop of congressional critters say they want to listen to the people and cut the deficit. Perhaps this would be a good place to start listening and cutting. Sixty-three percent of people questioned in the poll say they oppose the war, with 35 percent saying they support the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. "The war has not always been unpopular – back in March, … [Read more...] about Listening and Cutting
Gov. Barbour and the Scott Sisters: The Fallout Continues
Last week, I wrote on the suspension of the consecutive life sentences of Jamie Scott and Gladys Scott by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. Part of the post was on how and why the Scott sisters received such severe sentences for “their alleged role in a robbery in 1993 in which no one was hurt and $11 supposedly was taken.” The remainder of the post focused on a New … [Read more...] about Gov. Barbour and the Scott Sisters: The Fallout Continues
Navy Investigates USS Enterprise Captain’s ‘Clearly Inappropriate’ Videos
The Navy said yesterday that it is investigating the "clearly inappropriate" videos made by USS Enterprise Capt. Owen Honors in 2006 and 2007 while he was the ship's executive officer. Today they say it is unclear whether he will deploy with his ship when it leaves to support combat missions in Afghanistan this month. Broadcast to the crew of the nuclear-powered aircraft … [Read more...] about Navy Investigates USS Enterprise Captain’s ‘Clearly Inappropriate’ Videos
The State Budget Problem You Never Hear About
What do Ireland and Texas have in common? We know that California and New York have serious budget problems - no surprise they are after all liberal blue states. What we don't hear about is that Texas has just as many problems and perhaps even more since they spent very little money to begin with they have even less to cut. This month the state's part-time legislature goes … [Read more...] about The State Budget Problem You Never Hear About
FOOTBALL FANTASIES
Now that the NFL's 2010 season has been completed and we await the playoffs to decide the 46th Annual Super-bowl participants, it might be a good time to discuss bigger issues with respect to America’s favorite game. This exercise is far less stressful and depressing than discussing the barely-alive U.S. economy and its dysfunctional political system. I bring a dispassionate … [Read more...] about FOOTBALL FANTASIES