For those not in California (or perhaps for some in California) who may not be aware, the long serving Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Ronald George, announced his retirement after 19 years on the court (14 of them as Chief Justice). His reason for retirement, at least in part, was to keep probable Governor to be Brown from naming his successor. Today reports … [Read more...] about California Supreme Court To Have Female Majority
The Media Is Its Own Worst Enemy
I was so angry at myself and the craft I serve yesterday that I did what Keith Olbermann does, take the rest of the day off. My sin was rushing to judgment in the firing of Shirley Sherrod, the black USDA official in Georgia based on a video from a website I don’t trust and this conspiratorial account on another website about the now defunct Journolist blog, a group of … [Read more...] about The Media Is Its Own Worst Enemy
UPDATED (AND AGAIN): Tom Vilsack Now Says He Might Rescind Sherrod’s Forced Resignation
I guess he's looking for a face-saving way out of the muck he got himself into. That's the only explanation I can think of for why, the day after it came out that a video Andrew Breitbart released had been edited (according to Breitbart, before it was given to him) to make it look like Shirley Sherrod was admitting to racist treatment of white farmers, Vilsack is still only … [Read more...] about UPDATED (AND AGAIN): Tom Vilsack Now Says He Might Rescind Sherrod’s Forced Resignation
Why The Media Needs More, Not Less, Bias
Everyone reading this knows that there are presently some raging media hullabaloos that in a month no one will talk about or remember. It's just the latest round in a fight that should have been called long ago. I'm conflicted about these things because on one hand the specifics of the outrage du jour are almost always pointless and arbitrary, but on the other hand they are … [Read more...] about Why The Media Needs More, Not Less, Bias
Jennie Finch Announces Retirement
For those who want depressing news and hard edged political debate, read something else. This is a feel-good story about what’s right and good in America. Jennie Finch has announced that she will retire next month. For those who don’t quite remember the name, Jennie Finch is uber-talented softball pitcher who led the 2004 USA Women’s Softball team to Olympic Gold in … [Read more...] about Jennie Finch Announces Retirement
Hayworth Versus McCain: Pick the Carny
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Hayworth Versus McCain: Pick the Carny
Irony Abounds In Shirley Sherrod Case
I was listening to my morning talk show today and they were discussing the Shirley Sherrod case and the fact that everyone was jumping to conclusions, etc. A couple of wonderful bits of irony came out that I just found wonderfully bemusing. The first was the fact that in reporting the story the media talked about how the farmer in the case was deceased but his wife was still … [Read more...] about Irony Abounds In Shirley Sherrod Case
Tribal Drums
We humans are hard wired to be tribal creatures - it is how we survived. This internal programing has historically been used by those seeking power by making us fear "the other" tribe. The tribe can be defined by religion, ideology, race, etc. Joseph McCarthy used fear of the communists in the 50s to increase his own power and ruined the lives of many people in the process. … [Read more...] about Tribal Drums
The Redemption Scenario
The scandal of the day was the story of a USDA employee named Shirley Sherrod who appeared to indicate that she gave less than full help to a White farmer in an incident over 20 years ago, on account of his race. She told the story at an NAACP dinner, hence the contemporary hook -- conservatives (or at least segments of it) are still on their kick that the NAACP is the true … [Read more...] about The Redemption Scenario
Of Junk Food and Junk News (Guest Voice)
Of Junk Food and Junk News by Tina Dupuy Once on a flight I ate a cheeseburger-in-a-bag. It was a wonderfully microwaved beefy dough ball of cheesy-type goo. It tasted amazing! Of course, it’s designed to taste amazing. Mission so accomplished. The sandwich had the right amount of fat and salt to appeal to my ancient binge-to-survive-winter DNA. It was laced with … [Read more...] about Of Junk Food and Junk News (Guest Voice)
The Rolling Stones Are Back!
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Not Such A Bargain
We constantly hear that the export of US manufacturing is a good thing because we get bargains. The cost of course is the loss of good paying manufacturing jobs which has contributed to the destruction of the middle class. But are we consumers really getting a bargain? I have purchased shirts from the same manufacturer for years. They used to be made in … [Read more...] about Not Such A Bargain
‘Unpredictable American Leaders’ May Never Send Aid to Pakistan: The Frontier Post, Pakistan
Try as she might to persuade suspicious Pakistanis of America's good intentions and determination, it appears that Hillary Clinton's charm campaign and promises of billions of dollars in aid have fallen short. According to this editorial from Pakistan's Frontier Post, American promises have historically not been kept, so why should anyone believe them now? The Frontier Post … [Read more...] about ‘Unpredictable American Leaders’ May Never Send Aid to Pakistan: The Frontier Post, Pakistan
The Rick Moran Show with Jazz Shaw on the Journolist Story
You won't want to miss tonight's Rick Moran Show, one of the most popular conservative talk shows on Blog Talk Radio. Tonight, Moran welcomes Monica Showalter, Fausta Wertz, and Jazz Shaw to talk about the Journolist scandal and other hot topics making news today. The show will air from 7:00 - 8:00 PM Central time. You can access the live stream here. A podcast will be … [Read more...] about The Rick Moran Show with Jazz Shaw on the Journolist Story
Lax Federal Oversight Detailed At BP Blowout Hearing
The BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico is going to be a poster child for lax federal oversight -- oversight that began during the Bush years but was perpetuated during the Obama Administration. NOLA reports today (from a hearing by the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, aka MMS): The Deepwater Horizon appeared to be out of … [Read more...] about Lax Federal Oversight Detailed At BP Blowout Hearing
Senate Judiciary Committee Confirms Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan 13-6
The Senate Judiciary Committee has connfirmed Obama administration Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan 13 to 6 -- with Sen. Lindsay Graham being the only Republican to vote to send the nomination to the full Senate. The Los Angeles Times reports: Elena Kagan, President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, won approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee on a nearly party-line … [Read more...] about Senate Judiciary Committee Confirms Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan 13-6
Lindsay Graham to Vote to Confirm Elena Kagan
One of the remaining loose ends on Elena Kagan's battle to be confirmed to be on the Supreme Court is whether it would evolve into (one more) party-line only vote or whether some GOPers would cast a vote for her. Now -- in the Judiciary Committee phase, at least -- part of the mystery has been solve with news from The Hill that Sen. Lindsey Graham will cast a yes … [Read more...] about Lindsay Graham to Vote to Confirm Elena Kagan
Glenn Beck Saves Jesus
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Screw You, Kiss Me (Guest Voice)
Screw You, Kiss Me Raging Moderate, by Will Durst What is wrong with the GOP? Are they blind, reckless or just plain mean? They must see that reinforcing their stereotype as the Party Of The Rich is not a good idea. They have unanimously said “No. Hell, no” to every budget proposal floated their way, yet are willing to make an exception to give money to the rich. Rich. … [Read more...] about Screw You, Kiss Me (Guest Voice)
Drowning in News
A century ago, Americans spent only a few minutes a day learning about the world beyond their own senses--"the unseen environment," as Walter Lippmann put it in his 1922 study, "Public Opinion." Back then, he despaired of "the original dogma of democracy; that the knowledge needed for the management of human affairs comes up spontaneously from the human heart. Where we act … [Read more...] about Drowning in News