Straight up from me to you: I don’t know if this is true or a hoax or political gamesmanship, but it’s starting to get a lot of play. An article at GQ reports that as a college student at Baylor, Rand Paul was a member of a secret society known as the NoZe, a group officially banned by the university. The article goes on to report from an anonymous source (saying she doesn’t … [Read more...] about UPDATE: Rand Paul The Pot Smoking Kidnapper? Woman Denies Kidnap
Defiant Rangel Dares Critics to Expel Him: Swipes at Obama
Go ahead. I just dare you to expel me. And you said you wanted me to go with "dignity?" Well, I may view "dignity differently than you do." That's the gist of embattled New York Rep. Charlie Rangel's comments to critics including President Barack Obama who are either not supporting him in his ethics violations battle or suggesting with varying degrees of delicacy and/or … [Read more...] about Defiant Rangel Dares Critics to Expel Him: Swipes at Obama
Thoughts On The Ted Stevens Story (updated)
Update: 11.53 am Pacific: CBS: Spokesman confirms Stevens has died in crash In a world saturated with instant news, the fact that 16 hours after an airplane crash we still didn't know whether or not former Sen. Ted Stevens had died is remarkable. When I noted this on Twitter, the responses were immediate and predictable: the area is remote, the weather is bad. True and … [Read more...] about Thoughts On The Ted Stevens Story (updated)
Taliban Murders Christians
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Taliban Murders Christians
Former Senator Stevens In Plane Crash (UPDATED)
UPDATE: News media in Alaska is reporting Stevens was killed in the crash A plane carrying former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens has crashed with at least 5 reported dead. Also on board was former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe. At this point it is unclear if Stevens or O'Keefe were one of the fatalities though the two survivors are reported to have 'serious injuries'. … [Read more...] about Former Senator Stevens In Plane Crash (UPDATED)
Chalk One Up For Liberty
Do you know who Nicholas Merrill is? You should. He’s an American hero. Not the kind who died on a battlefield for his country. The kind who, as an average citizen, fought for his rights, and yours, against the full weight of the United States government, and won. Nicholas Merrill is an Internet entrepreneur who, in 2004 ran a startup company called Calyx. He is also the … [Read more...] about Chalk One Up For Liberty
The Curious Case For And Against Maxine Waters
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, may or may not be innocent of House ethics violations but she certainly did not enrich herself or her husband. The minority-owned bank she ran interference for is still in financial trouble but at least now has a pulse. The primary ethics charge is Waters influenced Treasury to secure $12 million in TARP funds to One United Bank where … [Read more...] about The Curious Case For And Against Maxine Waters
The Equality Ideology
Ross Douthat has an amazingly dumb piece in his New York Times column space today about why all the usual arguments against same-sex marriage are wrong but it shouldn't be allowed anyway. TBogg has the shorter version. Andrew Sullivan and Glenn Greenwald have the best substantive responses (Andrew's is more personal and reflective; Glenn's is the legal analysis of Douthat's … [Read more...] about The Equality Ideology
Lessons from the Oil Spill (Guest Voice)
Lessons from the Oil Spill by Eugene Robinson Washington Post Writers Group Columnist WASHINGTON -- Flying back to Washington from Pensacola, Fla., on June 15, President Obama and the man he put in charge of handling the Gulf oil spill, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, had a come-to-Jesus talk. The administration was getting hammered for a slow and disorganized … [Read more...] about Lessons from the Oil Spill (Guest Voice)
A Bad Day At Work
And you thought your flight attendant was a bit moody.... To be clear, I know many flight attendants and to a person they are very hard working. … [Read more...] about A Bad Day At Work
Independent Report on Nonpartisan Elections from New York City: The Media, the Mayor and the Message
Local Time Warner Cable tv station NY1 ran an "exclusive" (that's media talk for high market value spin) today saying that sources say that Mayor Bloomberg's people say that the Mayor won't push the Charter Revision Commission to put nonpartisan elections on the ballot. Some sources told the NY Daily News something similar (they got the same spin but got it an hour … [Read more...] about Independent Report on Nonpartisan Elections from New York City: The Media, the Mayor and the Message
‘Michelle Effect’ Brings Spain $25 Million Media Windfall: Publico, Spain
Under fire from Republicans at home for vacationing in Spain, according to this article from that nation's Publico newspaper, first lady Michelle Obama's visit to the country has done wonders for Spain's media and tourism industries. From Publico, this news item says in part: According to media company Kantar Media, foreign media coverage brought about by the visit of the … [Read more...] about ‘Michelle Effect’ Brings Spain $25 Million Media Windfall: Publico, Spain
Wall Street Reform is a Victory for Global Civil Society (Le Monde, France)
According to this article from France's Le Monde praising U.S. lawmakers, the Wall Street reform package recently passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Obama includes elements likely to help people in countries that have great oil and mineral wealth - but equally great corruption - finally reap some of the benefits of mining and oil drilling. For Le Monde, the … [Read more...] about Wall Street Reform is a Victory for Global Civil Society (Le Monde, France)
The Meaninglessness of the terms “Liberal” and “Conservative”
The following article was inspired by an earlier article posted by Rick Moran, titled Who Owns the 'Conservative Conscience?' and is copied verbatim from the comment that I left in response to that article. I know that I'm going to sound like a broken record with this comment, but I'll point out for the umpteenth time that "liberalism" and "conservative" are largely … [Read more...] about The Meaninglessness of the terms “Liberal” and “Conservative”
A Case For Religious History Classes
Raise your hand if you knew that the linkage of "marriage" and religious norms is an artifact of the Catholic Church's fight for its life in the 16th century? I'm guessing that many Americans would shudder if they realized that their current religious beliefs were so wedded to the Church's fight with Protestants. The supremacy of The Church in all things marriage was … [Read more...] about A Case For Religious History Classes
Talking To The Rabbits (A True Story)
My wife and daughter think I talk to myself when I sit on the patio and they see my lips move from the kitchen table inside. It’s not true of course. I’m talking to the rabbits. In North Scottsdale, housing is constructed to preserve natural habitat for the wild things that preceded human encroachment. The vast washes that run between houses are home to all manner of … [Read more...] about Talking To The Rabbits (A True Story)
Questions For BP And The Feds The Fish Want Answered
The BP oil blowout disaster killed 11 crew on April 20 and now that it is out of the public mind the questions remain before the final solution of sealing off its base sometime this month is, is the well dead? Bob Cavnar on his blog The Daily Hurricane says these questions must be answered by BP and the federal government: * What is the pressure on the well? … [Read more...] about Questions For BP And The Feds The Fish Want Answered
Even Summer Vacations Bring Out Hypocrisy
With President Obama off on his summer/birthday holiday I've been bemused by how even something as simple as summer vacation can show the hypocrisy that will show up in politics. When President Bush took summer vacations we always heard voices from the left railing about how terrible it was for him to 'goof off' when there was important work to be done. These voices were … [Read more...] about Even Summer Vacations Bring Out Hypocrisy
Who Owns the ‘Conservative Conscience?’
Who owns the "conservative conscience?" Is it necessary to have one? After all, there is no identifiable "liberal conscience" - at least no one who comes readily to mind. There's plenty of criticism of Obama from the left but weirdly, the president is being taken to task for not being "liberal enough." This presents a delicious dichotomy; conservatives taking other … [Read more...] about Who Owns the ‘Conservative Conscience?’
Gallup: Democrats Better Brace Selves For Big Congress Losses
A new Gallup analysis in effect says the Democrats better brace themselves for big losses in the November elections. The reason: President Barack Obama's approval rating at less than 50% -- and the average seat loss for a party's whose President is that down in the numbers is 36 seats: Presidents who retain majority job approval from Americans at the time of midterm … [Read more...] about Gallup: Democrats Better Brace Selves For Big Congress Losses