Who's the latest politico who seems to be battered by voter anger towards the establishment and Wall Street insiders? Surprisingly, it's Meg Whitman, the billionaire who wants to be California Governor to replace millionaire actor Arnold Schwarzenegger -- a governor who will leave office with poll ratings so low you can almost see the polar bears. The Los Angeles Times … [Read more...] about Meg Whitman’s Lead Evaporating in California Amid Foes’ Attacks and Anti-Establishment Sentiment
A Failure of Conventional Wisdom
Did yesterday's elections bear out the "anti-incumbency" narrative that's been building for many months now, in the media, in the halls of Congress, and among political observers inside and outside Washington? New York Times reporters Jeff Zeleny and Carl Hulse seem to think so: … [Read more...] about A Failure of Conventional Wisdom
The Web Rocks; And Google TV Debuts Tomorrow
On the heels of Monday's YouTube fifth birthday announcement of two billion video views a day -- (nearly double the three broadcast networks combined in primetime -- we have today's Google I/O conference keynote. Google I/O ("Innovation in the Open") is a 2-day web developer-focused conference to discuss web applications using Google and open web technologies. A headline … [Read more...] about The Web Rocks; And Google TV Debuts Tomorrow
District TMV: Number Of URLs/Links Per Post
Hello TMV readers and commenters. I have seen a sizable amount of moderation of comments due to the maximum number of 2 URLs/link per post reached. I have adjusted that number to 5 URLs/links per post. Our forum system is very vigilant in going after spam since spam is usually characterized by more than 2 URLs/links. But due to our quite learned commenter base, which does … [Read more...] about District TMV: Number Of URLs/Links Per Post
Gulf Oil Spill Thrills
Who's going to pay for this mess? Take a guess. … [Read more...] about Gulf Oil Spill Thrills
Outbidding in Waziristan
Guest post by Peter Henne Peter S. Henne is a Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project and a doctoral candidate at Georgetown University. As the investigation into the failed car bomb in Times Square continues, one of the key points of uncertainty involves the suspect's -- Faisal Shahzad -- international connections. Specifically, was he supported by … [Read more...] about Outbidding in Waziristan
Inmates Seize The Asylum
Commentators have for years lamented the growing polarization of American politics. Both parties have increasingly turned away from compromise and unreliable centrists and towards "base" elements that personify ideological purism. The ideological purging of heretics began in earnest in 2006 when Democratic activists targeted Sen. Joe Lieberman in the primary as retaliation … [Read more...] about Inmates Seize The Asylum
Tuesday May Primaries: Voter Ire at Party Establishments and Washington (News and Blog Roundup)
The voters from coast-to-coast most assuredly spoke loud and clear in what some have termed a (mini) Super Tuesday Primaries vote -- delivering a couple of unmistakeable messages suggesting that while the rhetoric may be politics as usual, the voter mood is not politics as usual. If you distill it all down you come down to these strands: 1. Screw the party establishments. … [Read more...] about Tuesday May Primaries: Voter Ire at Party Establishments and Washington (News and Blog Roundup)
Are there any real lessons for November?
Once upon a time in American politics there were no such things as "public opinion polls." Back in the heyday of Jacksonian Democracy politicos had to rely on off-term elections to give an indication of national and statewide political trends. If you were a Whig editor in New York drumming up support for Henry Clay in the coming 1844 election, you would look to August elections … [Read more...] about Are there any real lessons for November?
With Iran, Turkey and Brazil Create a New Diplomatic Reality: Hurriyet, Turkey
Has the ground just shifted under the planet's diplomats? According to this article by columnist Semih Idiz of Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, the nuclear deal Turkey and Brazil have brokered with Iran may be a model for resolving problems the major powers have long failed to correct. Giving just a hint of Turkish displeasure with Brazil and lauding Ankara's diplomatic … [Read more...] about With Iran, Turkey and Brazil Create a New Diplomatic Reality: Hurriyet, Turkey
Selig Cartwright, Goldman Sachs Washroom Attendant, Salutes Senator Chris Dodd
Mr B. I'm surprised to see you. I thought you and the gang were monitoring doings in the Senate. And here you are in the washroom, carrying a bottle of champagne. Actually, Selig, its Asti Spumanti. We ran out of the Dom Perignon upstairs. But this stuff does have bubbles, and it's for you. Gee, thanks. A white wine with bubbles. What's the occasion, sir? What are we … [Read more...] about Selig Cartwright, Goldman Sachs Washroom Attendant, Salutes Senator Chris Dodd
Political Theater of the Absurd
There is a Marxist explanation for all this. Groucho, of course, not Karl. In Indiana, a Republican Congressman resigns after promoting but not practicing abstinence with a woman on his staff. In Connecticut, a Democratic Senate aspirant is revealed as a Vietnam draft evader after years of "misspeaking" himself into the role of a war veteran. In Pennsylvania, a … [Read more...] about Political Theater of the Absurd
This Reads Like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Except They Say It’s True
History as seen through the eyes of social conservatives is being rewritten by the Texas Board of Education for school textbooks. Among the changes: Although one of the country's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson's contributions are short-changed because he advocated separation of church and state. George Wallace marched along side Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as sort … [Read more...] about This Reads Like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Except They Say It’s True
Superpower America Proves ‘Powerless’ in the Face of Oil: Die Welt, Germany
Are Americans now observing a dramatic government breakdown in the Gulf of Mexico? Continuing our global coverage of the unfolding oil crisis, columnist Uwe Schmitt of Germany's Die Welt writes in part: "Americans have now been forced to look on as the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster exposes the impotence of their government. Policy and environmental agencies have failed, thanks … [Read more...] about Superpower America Proves ‘Powerless’ in the Face of Oil: Die Welt, Germany
Reading The Tea Leaves
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Reading The Tea Leaves
Liberal Anti-Incumbency (Hunting DINO’s)
Liberals actually did what conservatives have done for the past decade or so - they ousted an incumbent because he or she wasn't liberal enough. Arlen Specter lost yesterday because he did not meet the litmus test of liberal Democratic voters of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Republicans are used to inter-party squabbles over whether a particular candidate (or elected … [Read more...] about Liberal Anti-Incumbency (Hunting DINO’s)
The Death of the Non-Bombastic
Another one bites the dust, raising anew questions about whether or not measured voices can ever be turned into ratings winners. … [Read more...] about The Death of the Non-Bombastic
UPDATED Arkansas: Does Yesterday Matter?
Following up on my fascination with the Arkansas primary -- perhaps the reddest blue state in America -- I was pleased that Sen. Lincoln survived to fight another day. Her estimated 45 percent of the vote was not enough to win outright. But considering that the spoiler candidate in the race -- D.C. Morrison -- "ran to the ideological right of both [Lincoln] and Halter," she … [Read more...] about UPDATED Arkansas: Does Yesterday Matter?
Captains vs. Ships
"The Sky is Falling. The Sky is Falling." - I can imagine a bunch of Chicken Little's running around K Street and Capitol Hill last night after the dust settled from yesterday's primaries. There is one problem with the doom and gloom pundits who are announcing the death of the Democratic Party in May, it doesn't add up. What is going on? Are these election results a … [Read more...] about Captains vs. Ships
Those Quirky But Non-Trendy Primaries
Allow me to buck my pundit friends and say of all the major election races Tuesday, the one that caught my attention as most significant was the late John Murtha's seat in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District won by the old warrior's former chief of staff. He is Democrat Mark Critz who campaigned on local issues, reminding voters of all the goodies in earmarks his … [Read more...] about Those Quirky But Non-Trendy Primaries