Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, 65, described as Burma's Mandela, is no longer under house arrest. The Burmese military junta set her free on Saturday and she was greeted by thousands of her supporters. "I'm very happy to see you all again," she told the crowd gathered near her lakeside home in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar. (See video here...) U.S. President Barack Obama said: "I … [Read more...] about Aung San Suu Kyi: Legendary Burmese Leader Is Free
The Roller In The White House
Some presidents rock. Some presidents roll. Our present chief executive is a world class roller. He's in the process of rolling today when it comes to extending lower tax rates for America's top 2 percent earners. It's just the latest of his seemingly endless rollovers. He's rolled for Natanyahu, for Karzai, for Patraeus and the gang at the Pentagon, for every senator with a … [Read more...] about The Roller In The White House
Rethinking The Federal Budget Mess: Part 1, Social Security
Part 1, Social Security : Part 2, Taxes : Part 3, Defense Spending In the wake of the deficit commission post-election bombshell about the nation's budget woes, partisans from all fronts are coming out of the woodwork with their talking points. But everyone is doing the nation a disservice by talking about "the budget" as though it were a single unit. It's not. It's … [Read more...] about Rethinking The Federal Budget Mess: Part 1, Social Security
Doing the Crazy
Reading through the news headlines these days is like picking cards out of a pack of jokers. … [Read more...] about Doing the Crazy
Something You Don’t See Too Often
A leader of the opposition (Eric Cantor) goes to visit a foreign country and in essence undermines a sitting administration and its Secretary of State. Another sign today all is fair in the name of partisanship. If you see an example as blatant as this -- not just someone criticizing US policy from abroad but actually going to a foreign government - give the info in comments. … [Read more...] about Something You Don’t See Too Often
Heroes
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Heroes
Diminishing Marginal Returns on Bashing Obama
We're approaching it, if we haven't already gone past it. And those who ignore this, do so at their own peril. There's little more amplification that can be done on the tactic of blamming the President for this, that and the other thing. It's not just piling on, it's making people turn away and tire. It's fill in the blank headline time - who even bothers to read the articles … [Read more...] about Diminishing Marginal Returns on Bashing Obama
Riding the Rails, Looking for Work (Guest Voice)
Riding the Rails, Looking for Work by Michael Winship Now that an entire week or so has passed, it’s possible to make a cool, complete and objective assessment of the meaning of the 2010 vote. Thus, ladies and gentlemen, it becomes clear what this election was all about: jobs. I mean, just look at Monday’s Washington Post: “The record-breaking campaign … [Read more...] about Riding the Rails, Looking for Work (Guest Voice)
Cindy McCain Takes Part in Anti-Bullying Video
The video is specifically targeted at bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered teenagers, and in addition to pointing out the suicide statistics for LGBT youth as a result of bullying and all the other forms of persecution and discrimination against people on the basis of sexuality, it takes on Don't Ask, Don't Tell. More specifically, one of the dozen or so … [Read more...] about Cindy McCain Takes Part in Anti-Bullying Video
Could Undisclosed Campaign Contributions Impact 2012 Republican Primaries?
One of the biggest political stories of 2010 is the role of mega-bucks undisclosed campaign contributions pouring into races to help defeat candidates that otherwise might have had a better fighting chance. In most cases those candidates were Democrats. But now Walter Shapiro writes in Politics Dailyy that GOPers might be pleased now in how this new political world operated … [Read more...] about Could Undisclosed Campaign Contributions Impact 2012 Republican Primaries?
Decision Points
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Decision Points
Election 2010: The Why Not Me Party Lands Historic Numbers of Freshman
I've been telling people to jump on this observation band wagon for a while now but here again, on the front page of the New York Times, "To Congress With Mantra, Why Not Me?" You can see the array of new stars at this interactive tool. (Editing in: notice how there are only three women out of the more than 30 there - and of those, saying that Kelly Ayotte is a newcomer because … [Read more...] about Election 2010: The Why Not Me Party Lands Historic Numbers of Freshman
Last Bush Binge
George W. Bush tells Oprah this week that alcohol was ruining his family life, so after getting "drunk as a skunk" on his 40th birthday, he just stopped for good the next day. The former president's media blitz won't exhilarate the political Right or Left but, for the psychologically inclined, there may be some closure--the final chapter in the tale of a middle-aged man who, … [Read more...] about Last Bush Binge
Aung San Suu Kyi: Will Burmese Military Junta Free Her Tomorrow?
Burmese leader Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, 65, who has spent 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest, could be released tomorrow (Saturday) by Myanmar's military junta. The Burmese junta says it is preparing for the release of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi after international condemnation (including president Barack Obama's recent strong remarks) of last weekend's election and fears that … [Read more...] about Aung San Suu Kyi: Will Burmese Military Junta Free Her Tomorrow?
Just To Say: There Have Ever Been Women Soldiers
Pilots, truck mechanics, provision officers, medics, translators, marksmen, nurses, photographers, many more. For many decades now. Not yet a town square with a woman mounted on a horse with a sword, unless it's Joan d'Arc. Maybe someday. Parity. Yes, I know. Marksmen instead of markswomen. It's ok. A real woman knows attention to the craft is more important than the … [Read more...] about Just To Say: There Have Ever Been Women Soldiers
Ok Go Does It Again and Again
Ok Go's latest has an autumnal theme and utilizes 2,430 pieces of toast. Mashable: “Last Leaf”... was made possible in part by Samsung, who spurred the creation of the video by asking, “What’s your next project?” The band told the electronics company that it wanted to work with Nadeem Mazen and Ali Mohammad, founders of Serious Business Design, on a sketchy concept — … [Read more...] about Ok Go Does It Again and Again
A Late Veteran’s Day Post
I am a Vietnam era veteran but my service consisted of two and a half years on the frontier of freedom in downtown Munich Germany so don't think about me. I have discussed my father before, a WWII veteran who served in Burma/India and won a bronze star. But today I would like to talk about my mothers cousin, Richard H. Nelson. We hear about what the atrocities of war do to … [Read more...] about A Late Veteran’s Day Post
If U.S. Won’t Prosecute Bush, at Least 145 Other Countries Should: Rue 89, France
Now that President Bush is back with an autobiographical book defending his tenure, so are those who want him arrested for torture. In this article from France's Rue 89, Jean-François Lisee informs that every country - all 146 of them - that are signatories to the U.N. Convention Against Torture, are obliged to arrest Mr. Bush, and Lisee points out that a few have already begun … [Read more...] about If U.S. Won’t Prosecute Bush, at Least 145 Other Countries Should: Rue 89, France
Report: Newsweek and The Daily Beast To Merge
There's finally a bit of good news for American journalism: the venerable newsmagazine Newsweek, which recently changed ownership, and the solid Internet reporting/analysis site The Daily Beast are going to merge -- a case of the new media and old media giving each other what they need to (potentially) thrive and grow. The report comes after weeks of speculation that the two … [Read more...] about Report: Newsweek and The Daily Beast To Merge
American Voters Demonstrate ‘Common Sense’: Rceczpospolita, Poland
Notable for their expressions of admiration for how the U.S. midterm elections demonstrate the healthy workings of democracy, these two articles from Eastern Europe, one from Poland and the other from Romania, disagree on the staying power and intelligence of the Tea Party platform. According to columnist Marek Magierowski of Poland's Rceczpospolita, the 2010 midterm … [Read more...] about American Voters Demonstrate ‘Common Sense’: Rceczpospolita, Poland