This copyrighted cartoon by Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com, is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Facebook Privacy
The Power of Incumbency … No More (Guest Voice)
The Power of Incumbency ... No More by Michael Reagan In politics, incumbency usually provides a significant advantage to a candidate. Usually special interests and large-dollar donors flow to those who are currently in power and have control over government purse strings. Incumbents also carry the distinct advantage of staying in the public eye simply in the course of … [Read more...] about The Power of Incumbency … No More (Guest Voice)
The Recurring Politics of Immigration (REPOSTED)
The Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, founded as a secret society in 1849 to support political candidates opposed to the "infestation" of America with Irish Catholics (and, to a lesser extent, German Catholics), spread like wildfire. In the aftermath of the Mexican War and the impending debate over the extension of slavery into the Mexican Cession, disaffected Whigs changed … [Read more...] about The Recurring Politics of Immigration (REPOSTED)
Hulu Launches A New Video Player
Guided Tour. Hulu just got a lot better. The new video player has a 25 percent larger viewing area, controls are hidden by default during video viewing, and some have been moved. They've also announced that, for the time being, Hulu is sticking with Flash. VP of product, Eugene Wei, says HTML5 video isn’t ready to serve the needs of all its customers. On the backend, … [Read more...] about Hulu Launches A New Video Player
Brooks on the New British Government
David Brooks deems the new coalition government in Britian -- and its prospects for resolving the nation's fiscal issues -- the result of "sheer good luck." Is it that, or the unflappable wisdom of crowds ... or perhaps a bit of both? … [Read more...] about Brooks on the New British Government
Immigration Reform
During the Civil War, Union Gen. U.S. Grant employed an old and proven military strategy by surrounding the enemy as he did at Vicksburg and Richmond until the inhabitants were starving and eating rats and drinking fouled water before they were advanced upon and defeated. The Soviet army used the same strategy to defeat the German army at Stalingrad in World War … [Read more...] about Immigration Reform
There Is No Religion Called “Radical Islam”
But try telling that to Lamar Smith (R-TX). He spent about two minutes trying as hard as he could to force AG Eric Holder to say that "radical Islam" is what motivated the last three terrorist attacks in the United States (presumably he was including the Fort Hood shootings, because he said "one of which was successful"). Holder clearly was unwilling to demonize an entire … [Read more...] about There Is No Religion Called “Radical Islam”
Fred Newman: Open Primaries Not So Radical
First up: Fred Newman, US radical independent political strategist and consultant to Mike Bloomberg's three (3) successful NYC Independence Party campaigns, as quoted by Michael Barbaro at the New York Times reports tonight about the recent NYC Charter Revision Commission mandate for nonpartisan elections. And now, here's what's been shaking over the past couple of weeks for … [Read more...] about Fred Newman: Open Primaries Not So Radical
A Major, Sad TV Milestone
NBC cancels "Law & Order" -- reportedly nixing a 21st season and making producer Dick Wolf, who felt he had a deal, very angry. … [Read more...] about A Major, Sad TV Milestone
Public Still Favors Offshore Drilling
It's looking like the volume of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig may be at least 10 times higher than previously estimated. We don't really know. Neither does BP. [And now we oppose offshore drilling. But we caused the problem. We were for it until this disaster caused us to turn against it.] Yowza! I read that wrong. We still favor … [Read more...] about Public Still Favors Offshore Drilling
Oil Spill Hearings Just A Tad Premature
Sometimes it goes lonely in my isolated world but I can't help but wonder what good it does for a gusher of congressional oversight hearings with oil executives before the damned leak in the Gulf of Mexico is even capped. Other than putting the execs under oath and casting blame on each other while still guessing what caused the eruption, the only other value I see in these … [Read more...] about Oil Spill Hearings Just A Tad Premature
The Recurring Politics of Immigration
The Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, founded as a secret society in 1849 to support political candidates opposed to the "infestation" of America with Irish Catholics (and, to a lesser extent, German Catholics), spread like wildfire. In the aftermath of the Mexican War and the impending debate over the extension of slavery into the Mexican Cession, disaffected Whigs changed … [Read more...] about The Recurring Politics of Immigration
Women Aboard Submarines: Some Legitimate Warning Flags
Those who read my ramblings know that I am a total supporter---perhaps an ad nauseam one---of equal opportunity for gays and for women in our military. I am pleased that we are finally seriously considering the repeal of “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” legislation and that Congress has implicitly blessed the Navy’s decision to allow women to serve aboard our nuclear submarines, … [Read more...] about Women Aboard Submarines: Some Legitimate Warning Flags
Google A One Trick Pony?
More from Henry Blodget, this time noting that Google's U.S. search share is flat: From a financial perspective, Google is still a one-product company (search). The amount of profit -- profit, not revenue -- contributed by Google's non-search products like AdSense, Apps, YouTube, et al, is basically a rounding error. The assumption for a good long while had been that Google … [Read more...] about Google A One Trick Pony?
Oil Company Hides Behind 1851 Law To Limit Damage Liability
I am not at all ashamed to admit my inability as a non-lawyer to verify an Associated Press report that owners of the sunken Deepwater Horizons rig will invoke a 1851 maritime law that would limit its liability in the Gulf of Mexico oil leak to $27 million. Transocean Ltd. is filing a petition with the federal court in Houston based on the March 3, 1851, law which the best … [Read more...] about Oil Company Hides Behind 1851 Law To Limit Damage Liability
Liu, Kagan, and Ideological Diversity In The Courts
On a party-line vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the nomination of Goodwin Liu for the Ninth Circuit. Because of the timing, many are looking at the impending Liu floor fight as a harbinger of the political fight over Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court. Indeed, Committee Republicans used the Liu nomination to test-drive what appears to be an emerging meme for … [Read more...] about Liu, Kagan, and Ideological Diversity In The Courts
Arizona Update – Brewer, Boycotts And Republicans
Part One: Brewer Does It Again. In my article of May 1, it was reported that the Arizona legislature had passed HB 2281 banning ethnic studies in Arizona public schools. Governor Jan Brewer, already trying to explain why the state’s anti-immigrant law, SB 1070, shouldn’t be considered racist and why it wouldn’t lead to racial profiling, had until May 11 to sign the ethnic … [Read more...] about Arizona Update – Brewer, Boycotts And Republicans
Oily Birds
This copyrighted cartoon by Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com, is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Oily Birds
Astonishing Economic Stupidity
Here's some numbers worth contemplating. After the federal government gives 700 billion dollars as a direct bailout to big banks, and lends (and is still lending) upwards of two trillion dollars more at zero or near-zero interest to these same banks, these institutions' own lending to small businesses, which account for two-thirds of this country's employment, dropped more than … [Read more...] about Astonishing Economic Stupidity
Why military bloggers are taking a nuanced approach to the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell debate
In February I interviewed several LGBT bloggers who had banded together to create a "blog swarm" to pressure human rights groups into taking a more firm position on repealing the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. The idea, I gathered, was that by speaking as a unified voice the group could exert more influence than any individual blogger. From initial press reports, … [Read more...] about Why military bloggers are taking a nuanced approach to the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell debate