However, as Brian Beutler reports, it's almost certain to be a pyrrhic victory: … [Read more...] about House Democrats Pass Permanent Extension of Middle-Class Tax Cuts
US & World Economy: Threat Posed By Private Global Bankers
After writing my earlier post, I came across an article in Bloomberg offering more clarity on this complex issue of US Federal Reserve disclosures that affects the security and economy not only of the USA but the global community. "The Federal Reserve withheld details on individual securities pledged as collateral by recipients of $885 billion in central bank loans, denying … [Read more...] about US & World Economy: Threat Posed By Private Global Bankers
WE’RE WASTING OUR TIME
Most of the blogs, articles, comments and posts around the entire News/Opinion Internet (including TMV) have returned to completely frivolous and useless discussions between the right and left, conservatives and liberals, and Republicans and Democrats, with a few libertarian and fringe positions thrown in for diversity. Nothing the 90% of Americans say, write, believe, … [Read more...] about WE’RE WASTING OUR TIME
House Censures Rangel
The US House of Representatives has voted 339-79 to censure Congressman Charles Rangel for ethics violations. This is a rarely used punishment but one that by all accounts Mr. Rangel deserved (though to watch him at his press conference you'd think he never did a thing wrong in his life) … [Read more...] about House Censures Rangel
Putting The Shoe On The Other Foot
With all the debate on both sides regarding the lame duck session and what the Democrats are wanting to pass and the Republicans saying that they want to focus on a couple priorities, a thought occurred to me. While obviously we disagree from time to time on issues I hold out the hope that the more liberal members of this site (both bloggers and readers) still hold some … [Read more...] about Putting The Shoe On The Other Foot
Accept Our Compromise, Now, Or Die
Metaphorically speaking, of course: … [Read more...] about Accept Our Compromise, Now, Or Die
GOP No-Fly Zone for Lame Ducks
Republican leaders go to the White House for a cozy chat about cooperation, and the next day Mitch McConnell's thank-you note, cosigned by 41 Senate cohorts, promises to obstruct everything but extension of the Bush tax cuts to avoid a "job-killing tax increase" and a return of the "death tax." All this lethal campaign rhetoric is, of course, cover for GOP extortion of a … [Read more...] about GOP No-Fly Zone for Lame Ducks
Where Is Obama Going?
WASHINGTON -- As I was passing through security at Boston's Logan Airport on Tuesday night, a TSA worker discovered a penny in one of the bins that had just gone through the screener. He picked up the coin, turned to a colleague and said with a grim smile: "This is your Obama bonus." Which made me wonder: Is President Obama's strategy of offering pre-emptive … [Read more...] about Where Is Obama Going?
US Democracy: Private Global Bankers A Threat?
The real security threat, internal or external, to the USA may not come from Osama bin Laden or WikiLeaks. The Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz says banks are undermining the rule of law in America and bad mortgages still fester. In 2009 Stiglitz had advocated nationalization of US banks. Yesterday, under the compromise contained in the Dodd-Frank Act, the US … [Read more...] about US Democracy: Private Global Bankers A Threat?
Apple and the Future of Television
The problem with streaming video to your television is not the technology. Apple TV is today's case-in-point. Walt Mossberg: I've been testing the new Apple TV, including trying out AirPlay using various devices, and found that it performs as advertised. It has a clean, easy interface, does a great job of streaming content from your own computers, and it allows you to rent TV … [Read more...] about Apple and the Future of Television
Repeal Dont Ask Don’t Tell
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Repeal Dont Ask Don’t Tell
Palin Urges No Vote On Child Nutrition Act
In a rare bipartisan moment, the Senate in August unanimously passed the Healthy Hungry-free Kids Act. Supported by major corporations, and with broad support across the political spectrum, the Act is the pet project of Michelle Obama. In concert with the President’s “Let’s Move” initiative, the child nutrition legislation is designed to be part of a campaign to fight … [Read more...] about Palin Urges No Vote On Child Nutrition Act
Wall Street’s Control Of Economic Policy Making
Is the notion that the our government's economic, tax and regulatory policies have largely been created by Wall Street and its proxies in recent decades a liberal fantasy? Here's some things to consider in this regard. Robert Rubin, Treasury Secretary for most of the Clinton years, came from a quarter century career at Goldman Sachs, and after leaving government became an … [Read more...] about Wall Street’s Control Of Economic Policy Making
Separation of Church and State, Chanuka-Style
A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Hanukkah cards. She says to the clerk, "May I have 50 Hanukkah Stamps?" The clerk says, "What denomination?" "Oh my God", the woman says, "has it come to this?" "Give me 16 Orthodox, 22 Conservative and 30 Reform." Chappy Chanuka to those who are celebrating. Hattip for the joke to David Cunix. And no, the woman … [Read more...] about Separation of Church and State, Chanuka-Style
Quick Takes
Republicans have not been at all bipartisan on tax cuts (or anything else, for that matter), but, writes Ezra Klein, Democrats come in for their share of blame, too: … [Read more...] about Quick Takes
Quality Adjusted Life Year
While our profit driven medical industrial complex results in many not getting enough health care do even more get too much care? My uncle died a few months ago. He had cancer and since he was on medicare he received all of the treatment money could buy. It included chemo-therapy and radiation and the last two years of his life were hell on earth. He lost half of his … [Read more...] about Quality Adjusted Life Year
A Reasonable Compromise On Tax Cuts ?
While there are lots of rumors circulating it sounds like we may be getting a reasonable compromise to extend all of the tax cuts but only for 2-3 years. The theory presumably being that in a few years that the economy might have recovered to the point that we could look at ending the higher income cuts. Personally I've always thought something along those lines made the … [Read more...] about A Reasonable Compromise On Tax Cuts ?
Wikileaks, Amazon and Joe Lieberman
TPM explains how Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, asked and Amazon complied: Lieberman said in a statement that Amazon's "decision to cut off Wikileaks now is the right decision and should set the standard for other companies Wikileaks is using to distribute its illegally seized material." Committee staff had seen news … [Read more...] about Wikileaks, Amazon and Joe Lieberman
Target – Bank of America?
As I reported here Julian Assange told Forbes that his next target would be a large US Bank. Raw Story reports that in October of 09 Assange said: "At the moment, for example, we are sitting on 5GB from Bank of America, one of the executive's hard drives," Assange told the technology site Computer World in an article published on October 9, 2009. The Wikileaks chief … [Read more...] about Target – Bank of America?
Increase in Republican Women in House Gets Boehner to OK New Girls’ Powder Room
Just sit tight and seriously - ask yourself, how would you react if Nancy Pelosi had sought to do this? From The Hill: Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-Ohio) intends to commandeer a swanky office space adjacent to the House floor and build a women's restroom for female lawmakers. For years, men have had the luxury of using facilities located adjacent to the House floor, … [Read more...] about Increase in Republican Women in House Gets Boehner to OK New Girls’ Powder Room