My opinion of the Tea Partiers resembles my opinion of Sarah Palin. I'm not naturally attracted to either, but their critics seem so closed-minded that I've become deeply skeptical of any of the charges leveled against them. Case in point is the standard liberal assertion that the Tea Partiers are conspiracy theorists and crypto-racists. John Judis makes the case for that … [Read more...] about Those damned Tea Party patriots
George W. Bush = James Madison
What? Who dares mention W. in the same breath as the author of the Federalist Papers and framer of the Constitution? Well, as I mentioned before, I've been listening to Empire of Liberty, a history of the United States from 1789-1816. Although there are no references to W. in the book, the description of Madison's conduct of the War of 1812 bears a striking resemblance to … [Read more...] about George W. Bush = James Madison
Mt. St. Helens – 30 years later
On this 30th anniversary of the catastrophic eruption of Mt. St. Helens I'm going to share some of my memories and some of the photographs that I took at the time. You may have seen better pictures but these are pictures you have not seen before. One of the memories I have is of my friend Bob Kaseweter who had a cabin at Spirit Lake. He went up to the lake on May 18, 1980 to … [Read more...] about Mt. St. Helens – 30 years later
Washington Politicians Big On Commissions, Little On Results
Well, excuse me, if I don't feel warm and fuzzy that President Obama plans to name an independent commission to investigate the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. I've lived long enough to know these special commissions are more feel good exercises by politicians than vehicles from which we learn and legislate. Some of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations were abandoned and … [Read more...] about Washington Politicians Big On Commissions, Little On Results
Is Talk Radio the REAL Power in the Republican Party?
The New York Times' Paul Krugman raises an issue that's old hat to readers of The Moderate Voice but his mentioning it shows how the issue is coming to the forefront: is it turning out that conservative talk radio -- radio with hosts who have never seen anything they can't turn into a partisan rant and ragefest -- is the real power in today's Republican Party? Power -- … [Read more...] about Is Talk Radio the REAL Power in the Republican Party?
Brit Hume Has Sold Out
As a news anchor for Fox News, I had some respect for Brit Hume. As a senior analyst for Fox News, I take issue with Hume on two fronts -- the Gulf oil spill and Tiger Woods' religion. It befuddles me that a man of Hume's intelligence can ask "Where is the oil?" That was Sunday. In January, Hume said scandal-plagued golfer Tiger Woods should drop Buddhism and "turn to … [Read more...] about Brit Hume Has Sold Out
Uh-oh: NYT claims CT Sen candidate misrepresented Vietnam service
The New York Times delivers a shocking revelation about Democratic Senate candidate from Connecticut Richard Blumenthal - the candidate apparently has misrepresented his service in Vietnam and made no attempt to correct the media record about his time in the Marine Reserve: At a ceremony honoring veterans and senior citizens who sent presents to soldiers overseas, Attorney … [Read more...] about Uh-oh: NYT claims CT Sen candidate misrepresented Vietnam service
YouTube At 5: Beats Networks PrimeTime
YouTube chose to celebrate its fifth birthday today by announcing it has passed two billion video views a day; that's nearly double the three broadcast networks combined during their “primetime” evening slot. YouTube said it reached the one billion mark in October. The celebration was marked by the launch of the YouTube Five Year channel. There you can upload your story of … [Read more...] about YouTube At 5: Beats Networks PrimeTime
Richard Blumenthal’s Vietnam Service
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