I served in the military during the Vietnam War, but I did not serve in Vietnam. Whenever I speak or write about my service during the Vietnam War era, I generally try to make it clear that I did not serve in combat there. Apparently not so with Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut who is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Christopher … [Read more...] about Richard Blumenthal’s Vietnam Service
Tuesday’s Vote Signals Voter Anger Across Political Divides
Newsweek magazine and perhaps its on-line machine may be going down in flames, but give them credit for going out with spunk. Andrew Romano, one of its political writers, warns us not to take Tuesday's Super Duper primaries too seriously. He includes himself among the bloviating pundits and subscribes to the school of thinking that we are in a national mood of … [Read more...] about Tuesday’s Vote Signals Voter Anger Across Political Divides
Drop Dead Gorgeous Miss USA Doesn’t Cut It for Many on the Right
The hour is late. Jack Bauer will be on in less than an hour. I haven't eaten dinner. The cats need feeding too, and their litterbox needs cleaning. But in this, a break from my usual practice of not using profanity, I am wondering what the **** is wrong with so many on the right who have exploded in anger and cries of "dhimmitude" because a Muslim woman was named Miss … [Read more...] about Drop Dead Gorgeous Miss USA Doesn’t Cut It for Many on the Right
Was an Arab-American Named Miss USA Due to Affirmative Action?
Or could it possibly, just possibly, be for another reason? … [Read more...] about Was an Arab-American Named Miss USA Due to Affirmative Action?
Government is the Problem
This copyrighted cartoon by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Government is the Problem
Tehran Moves Shrewdly with Turkey-Brazil Nuclear Deal: Le Figaro, France
Once again, Iranian diplomacy has proven itself a formidable opponent. To international surprise, Iran has signed a deal with Turkey and Brazil that is likely to weaken America's drive to have harsher sanctions imposed on Tehran. According to Le Figaro columnist Pierre Rousselin, President Obama has the credibility to mount a counter-move - and now would be the time. For Le … [Read more...] about Tehran Moves Shrewdly with Turkey-Brazil Nuclear Deal: Le Figaro, France
BP’s other problem – not enough oil!
While BP has a problem with too much oil at the Deepwater Horizon site it has the opposite problem elsewhere in the Gulf. At another platform in the Gulf — this one owned and operated by BP, unlike the Horizon — the problem is the opposite: Not enough oil is coming out. Thunder Horse is the massive 60,000-ton, $1 billion production platform that BP, after some … [Read more...] about BP’s other problem – not enough oil!
A Fighting Faith, Redux
Peter Beinart has an extremely important, extremely provocative, and extremely necessary piece out in the New York Review of Books, entitled The Failure of the American Jewish Establishment. It argues, more or less, that most American Jewish organizations have been unsuccessful either in cultivating any sense of connection between young, (relatively) secular American Jews and … [Read more...] about A Fighting Faith, Redux
Voter Revolt, Obama Overreach
If anti-incumbent fervor peaks in tomorrow's primaries, the President will have to face squarely his own part in creating it with a Pyrrhic victory on health care. In yet another instant-history book on the Obama White House, Jonathan Alter reveals that Rahm Emanuel "begged" the President last summer to scale back the mess that Congressional Democrats were creating but was … [Read more...] about Voter Revolt, Obama Overreach
THIS Is What “Radical Islam” Means to the Right
It means Islam. It means Muslims. It means that an Arab-American woman from Dearborn, Michigan, who wins the Miss USA beauty pageant contest gets called "Miss Hezbollah" for the sole reason that her family comes from Lebanon: … [Read more...] about THIS Is What “Radical Islam” Means to the Right
Graham v. Florida – Supreme Court Expands Eighth Amendment
By a 5-4 vote, the United States Supreme Court ruled today that a state may not sentence a juvenile to life in prison without parole for non-homicide crimes. The opinion was written by Justice Kennedy and joined by Justices Stevens, Ginsberg, Breyer and Sotomayor. Chief Justice John Roberts agreed that Graham should not have received life without parole, but did not join the … [Read more...] about Graham v. Florida – Supreme Court Expands Eighth Amendment
Lawrence Lessig says White House did not recruit him to defend Kagan from blogger critics
The Harvard law professor told me he misspoke when he said in a Bloggingheads video that "the White House is encouraging me to talk about the Kagan nomination." A few weeks ago I interviewed Salon's Glenn Greenwald after HuffPo reported that the White House had dispatched allies to respond to Greenwald's criticisms of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. Though there were … [Read more...] about Lawrence Lessig says White House did not recruit him to defend Kagan from blogger critics
SCOTUS Rules Minors Can’t Get Life Without Parole…
...if they are convicted of non-murder crimes. CNN & AFP say the decision was 6-3. AP & ABC say 5-4. [My count says 6-3.] All agree the court said locking up teenagers for life without parole if they haven't killed anyone is cruel and unusual punishment. AFP: "The clause does not permit a juvenile offender to be sentenced to life in prison without parole for a nonhomicide … [Read more...] about SCOTUS Rules Minors Can’t Get Life Without Parole…
Quote of the Day: On Some Conservatives Upset Over Arab-American Winning Miss USA Pagent
Our political Quote of the Day comes from law professor Jonathan Turley who has a great post (with quotes from bloggers and a blog commenter) on how some conservatives are in an uproar over Miss Michigan Rima Fakih, 24, becoming the first Arab-American to win the Miss USA Pageant. His post must be read in full but here's our Quote of the Day: ... The extreme right has gone … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: On Some Conservatives Upset Over Arab-American Winning Miss USA Pagent
General Motors Posts First Quarterly Profit in Three Years
Here's a bit of good economic news: General Motors has posted its first quarterly profit in three years -- news that will likely be touted by the White House ad nauseum and either ignored or denegrated by many Republicans in an election year coming within the context of megapartisanship: General Motors said Monday it earned $865 million in the first quarter, its first … [Read more...] about General Motors Posts First Quarterly Profit in Three Years
Pennsylvania’s Specter – It isn’t over yet
I have a funny feeling about tomorrow's primary in Pennsylvania. My gut is telling me that incumbent U.S. Senator Arlen Specter will lose to Rep. Joe Sestak but it won't matter. Why? It won't matter because Arlen thinks he is smarter than the electorate and he will simply not give up the seat just because of a pesky primary defeat. We can blame Joe Lieberman for this … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania’s Specter – It isn’t over yet
It’s the Modernity, Stupid!
As readers here have probably figured out by now, I take a special pleasure in identifying cultural and political arguments that have, almost miraculously, been recycled from the past. Nothing annoys me more than another rant about how we really are going to Hell in a handbasket. Or that the immigrants pose an existential threat to our sovereignty or national identity. Or, from … [Read more...] about It’s the Modernity, Stupid!
Rooting for Lincoln
The Specter-Sestak primary in Pennsylvania will probably grab most of the headlines over the next 48 hours. But the race I'm watching on Tuesday is the Lincoln-Halter primary in Arkansas. I have nothing against Mr. Halter, the state's lieutenant governor. In fact, I don't know enough about him to offer either praise or criticism. But I am a big fan of Sen. Lincoln's, and … [Read more...] about Rooting for Lincoln
The Libertarian Mob (Guest Voice)
The Libertarian Mob by Owen Grey In a recent article in The New York Review of Books, Mark Lilla puts the Tea Party Movement in historical context. It is, he writes, the natural outgrowth of both the Counter Cultural Revolution of the 1960's and the Reagan Revolution of the 1980's. On the surface, the latter seems to be a reaction to the former. But, in reality, both … [Read more...] about The Libertarian Mob (Guest Voice)
Thai Massage
This copyrighted cartoon by Paresh Nath, The Khaleej Times, UAE, is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Thai Massage