Juan Williams says Sarah Palin is no intellectual match for Barack Obama. She’s no intellectual match for a match. That was a line I could not resist tweeting. Someone on Twitter got annoyed at my little joke: “So cheap and weak.” But I was actually emulating Palin’s style. Palin’s rhetoric is often cheap: she has a habit of calling reporters and even Republicans who diss … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin Is an Acquired Taste
Nissan Leaf Crowdsources Fuel Economy
With the purchase of a 2010 Prius I quickly morphed from a speed demon to a hypermiler, complaining anytime the car's gas mileage dips below 50 MPG. Toyota's simple energy monitor with instant fuel consumption metering and fuel consumption history has changed the way I drive, gently incentivizing greater fuel efficiency. But that Toyota Multi-Information Display has been … [Read more...] about Nissan Leaf Crowdsources Fuel Economy
Monitor Family Computer Use – Go To Jail
This out of Michigan. Leon Walker (pictured above) of Rochester Hills is charged under a law meant to prevent identity theft, and could face up to five years in prison, for reading his wife’s email. Using a laptop in the couple’s home, Walker logged on to his wife’s Gmail account and learned she was having an affair. Walker believed the affair involved a man with an … [Read more...] about Monitor Family Computer Use – Go To Jail
Quote of the Day: A Republican Strategist on Sarah Palin’s Comments About Michelle Obama’s Anti-Obesity Campaign
Our political Quote of the Day comes from a post on The Hill which details how many Republicans are blasting Republican political celebrity Sarah Palin for her comments criticizing Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign. It quotes a Republican strategist: Republican strategist John Feehery, a contributor to The Hill's Pundits blog, joined in the criticism on Monday. "It … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: A Republican Strategist on Sarah Palin’s Comments About Michelle Obama’s Anti-Obesity Campaign
Predictions of 2012 success for Obama
Predictions of 2012 success for Obama by Prairie Weather Don't be too optimistic, too complacent, says Nate Silver. Silver is probably the most reliable and certainly the most interesting numbers cruncher around. How about these predictions? The Washington Examiner’s Michael Barone, in a careful analysis, suggests that Mr. Obama won’t be easy to defeat. Karl Rove, … [Read more...] about Predictions of 2012 success for Obama
Obama Gets What He Wants
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Obama Gets What He Wants
Le Monde Names Julian Assange Man of the Year: Le Monde, France
Time Magazine has chosen its 2010 Man of the Year: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. France's Le Monde, a member of the five newspaper consortium publishing U.S. diplomatic cables disclosed by WikiLeaks, has made a different choice: Julian Assange. In this excerpt from the long version published in Le Monde's Sunday magazine, reporter Yves Eudes gives a sense of why the … [Read more...] about Le Monde Names Julian Assange Man of the Year: Le Monde, France
The Real Third Rail
There are many who say Social Security is the third rail of American politics. If you were talking about the average American voter they are probably right but if you are talking about the people who actually direct policy they are wrong. One of the groups that make policy is The Project for the New American Century. Their goal is an American Empire. History tells us that … [Read more...] about The Real Third Rail
Obama to Eagles Owner: Thanks for Hiring Michael Vick
When I first heard I didn't believe it. As politically savvy as Rendell's stunt, I thought: In his column on Sports Illustrated’s website Monday, Peter King reports that Mr. Obama called Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie to thank the team for giving Vick a chance. Obama was "passionate about it," Mr. Lurie told Mr. King, adding that the president said "it's never a level playing … [Read more...] about Obama to Eagles Owner: Thanks for Hiring Michael Vick
Latest Batch of Wikileaks Documents Show Massive ‘Mission Creep’ in Drug War
That's actually a massive understatement. According to a lengthy analysis in the New York Times, the latest batch of diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks reveal that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has become a "global intelligence organization with a reach that extends far beyond narcotics, and an eavesdropping operation so expansive it has to fend off foreign … [Read more...] about Latest Batch of Wikileaks Documents Show Massive ‘Mission Creep’ in Drug War
Quote of the Day
Ralph Hall, Republican member of Congress from Texas, and incoming chair of the House Science and Technology Committee, commenting on the BP oil rig explosion: … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day
Ever Wonder Why The System Doesn’t Seem To Work?
For those who think we spend too much, are improperly influenced or just wonder why our government can’t seem to function as intended for the benefit of the people, here are a couple of items picked up from Political Wire. The first, reported by the Boston Globe, shows that 80% of three and four star generals go to work as defense consultants or take jobs as executives with … [Read more...] about Ever Wonder Why The System Doesn’t Seem To Work?
More Class Warfare From Conservatives in Media and Government
Should people who don't make enough income to pay income taxes have to pay income taxes? … [Read more...] about More Class Warfare From Conservatives in Media and Government
The Tax Code is 10x Longer Than the Bible, Without the Good News
My headline is a Dave Camp quote. Camp is the 11 term Republican Congressman from Michigan who will chair the House Ways and Means Committee. George Will used the Camp quotable in a column last Thursday that included this gem: Many conservatives, including Camp, believe that although most Americans should be paying lower taxes, more Americans should be paying taxes. The fact … [Read more...] about The Tax Code is 10x Longer Than the Bible, Without the Good News
Journalistic Malpractice
Glenn Greenwald has a must-read piece today about a journalistic scandal at Wired involving multiple undisclosed conflicts of interest that appear to have led to blatantly misleading coverage of Army PFC Bradley Manning's alleged passing on of classified documents to Wikileaks: … [Read more...] about Journalistic Malpractice
Winners And Losers In The Economic Numbers Game
Sometimes a single paragraph in a single newspaper story tells you (if somewhat obliquely) the prime reason economic policies around the world are so wacky these days. That's the case with a story that appeared in the New York Times on December 24th. It was headed "Bavaria Booms, but Germans Feel Economic Malaise." Here's the oh, so poignant paragraph in that … [Read more...] about Winners And Losers In The Economic Numbers Game
Is Jon Stewart the Next Edward R. Murrow?
Is Comedy Central's Jon Stewart the new Edward R. Murrow? That question has been coming up in the wake of his increasing impact on the media and, some say, even helping whip up the momentum for the bill to help 911 get passed in Congress. Some will say it's the times: a lot of young people find news shows boring and get their info from a show such as Stewarts. Some will say … [Read more...] about Is Jon Stewart the Next Edward R. Murrow?
Gallup Poll: Obama and Hillary Clinton Most Admired for 2010
Here's a Gallup Poll tidbit that brings into sharper definition the term "echo chamber." Forget what you may hear on radio and cable talk shows and what you may read on some ideological content providers, a new Gallup poll finds President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are at the top of the 2010 Most Admired list: President Barack Obama is Americans' … [Read more...] about Gallup Poll: Obama and Hillary Clinton Most Admired for 2010
Let’s Not Spin the Civil War (Guest Voice)
WASHINGTON -- The Civil War is about to loom very large in the popular memory. We would do well to be candid about its causes and not allow the distortions of contemporary politics or long-standing myths to cloud our understanding of why the nation fell apart. The coming year will mark the 150th anniversary of the onset of the conflict, which is usually dated to April … [Read more...] about Let’s Not Spin the Civil War (Guest Voice)
Excuse the Technical Glitch
Some graphics posted on TMV may not appear on the front page. This includes cartoons. Due to a technical glitch you'll see a little box. Click on the "read more" button and you'll see the cartoon or the graphic on the post if it does not appear on TMV's front page. We hope to have this fixed soon. … [Read more...] about Excuse the Technical Glitch