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The Moderate Voice

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Quote of the Day: Has the Tea Party Movement Now Been “Hijacked” by Palin and the GOP

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Our political Quote of the Day comes from a must-read-in-full column by Nashville Post Politics' Kleinheider on the Tea Party movement, Sarah Palin and the GOP. Here's the first part of his piece: The tea party movement is dead. The one I was familiar with anyway. Judson Phillips held it down and Sarah Palin drove a stake right through its heart live last night on C-Span … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Has the Tea Party Movement Now Been “Hijacked” by Palin and the GOP

Stop This Super Bowl Dithering

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Hey, football fans. Huddle up. Here it is, eight hours before kickoff at this writing, and I can't decide who to root for in the Super Bowl. I've been back and forth as an out-of-control yo-yo for two weeks. I have no dog in this show. My place kicker, who went the entire season without missing one from 40 yards out, missed two against the Jets and you know the rest. Really, … [Read more...] about Stop This Super Bowl Dithering

I’m Mad As Hell And _____ (Fill In Blank)

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I'm mad as hell and can't stand it any longer. I've heard conservative and moderate Democrats, Republicans and Independents complain too much taxes, too many regulations and a trend of socialism taking over our lives. President Barack Obama said he's been accused of being a Bolshevik. I'm mad as hell because these complainers have failed to offer workable alternatives. And … [Read more...] about I’m Mad As Hell And _____ (Fill In Blank)

NATO shares battle plans with Taliban

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In an old-fashioned war, you don't tell the enemy where and when you're going to attack. Counterinsurgency is different. The WaPo reports:For the upcoming Battle of Marja, the element of surprise has already gone by the wayside. NATO ministers and commanders, gathering Thursday and Friday in Istanbul, could barely contain themselves about a major military offensive set to … [Read more...] about NATO shares battle plans with Taliban

How Did Sarah Palin Do Among Independent Voters In Her Tea Party Convention Speech?

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How Did Sarah Palin Do Among Independent Voters In Her Tea Party Convention Speech? Here's a CNN discussion (I was on this one with independent voter analyist Nicole Kurokawa) that aired after her speech last night: GO HERE to view her whole speech and decide for yourself. … [Read more...] about How Did Sarah Palin Do Among Independent Voters In Her Tea Party Convention Speech?

Details on John McCain’s 2008 (Nonexistent) Plan for the Sinking Economy

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One of the most dramatic moments of campaign 2008 was when Republican candidate Senator John McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign and immediately flying to Washington due to the seemingly collapsing economy, in a take charge imagery moment. But in Henry Paulson's new book, On the Brink, now excerpted in the Wall Street Journal, the ex-Treasury Secretary gives … [Read more...] about Details on John McCain’s 2008 (Nonexistent) Plan for the Sinking Economy

Analysis: Iranian Quickstep: 1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back (Guest Voice)

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Analysis: Iranian Quickstep: 1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back By Jonathan Spyer Latest Ahmadinejad statement suggests that Teheran still believes it can find a few partners for the dance it has been performing since 2003. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week told Iranian state television that "we have no problem sending our enriched uranium abroad." In so … [Read more...] about Analysis: Iranian Quickstep: 1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back (Guest Voice)

Sarah Palin’s Keynote Speech at National Tea Party Convention

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Palin's entire 41 minute long speech (which was covered in its entirety by C-SPAN) has just been put up on YouTube. I haven't listened to it yet but will offer my thoughts and analysis after I have. Enjoy! UPDATE: THE FOLLOWING IS A PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF PALIN'S KEYNOTE SPEECH: (0:00-5:00) I’m so proud to be an American. Thank you so much for being here … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin’s Keynote Speech at National Tea Party Convention

What the Tea Party Movement doesn’t get

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I live in Tennessee so I suppose I should comment on my home state hosting the infamous Tea Party Nation "convention" at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. The intra-tea party kerfuffle is quite entertaining - a tea party activist from Dandridge, about 40 miles away from me, called the Nashville conclave a "bunch of snakes." But the real problem is the very name. TEA Party … [Read more...] about What the Tea Party Movement doesn’t get

Tea Party To Palin: ‘Run, Sarah, Run’

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After telling members of the inaugural national Tea Party convention what they wanted to hear in a speech Saturday night, the Nashville dining hall roared with chants of "Run, Sarah, Run" when a moderator during a question period asked Sarah Palin if she planned to run for President in 2012. Palin, the former governor of Alaska, avoided an answer. She did say her first … [Read more...] about Tea Party To Palin: ‘Run, Sarah, Run’

U.S. Prayer Breakfast: Zapatero in the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’: El Confidential, Spain

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There are those in Spain today, laughing at Prime Minister Zapetero's appearance at America's annual National Prayer Breakfast. The implication is that as an 'avowed enemy of Christianism,' he's a hypocrite. And by the looks of it, according to right-wing columnist Federico Quevedo of Spain's El Confidencial the once-coveted visit to Obama's side isn't likely to do him any … [Read more...] about U.S. Prayer Breakfast: Zapatero in the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’: El Confidential, Spain

White House Makes Full Copyright Claim on Photos

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Let me preface this post by reminding folks that IANAL (I am not a lawyer). The U.S. government policy on photographs and copyright is pretty straightfoward: photos produced by federal employees as part of their job responsibilities are "not subject to copyright in the United States and there are no U.S. copyright restrictions on reproduction, derivative works, … [Read more...] about White House Makes Full Copyright Claim on Photos

What good are the Democrats?

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That's the question in big, bold letters on the cover the new New Republic. What TNR's editors mean by that is what a lot of liberal writers have been saying since the morning after Scott Brown became the 41st Republican in the Senate. Does Barack Obama have the guts to get health care passed, or is he just another Democrat who gets scared and runs to the center when the GOP … [Read more...] about What good are the Democrats?

Politicians Are All the Same. They Give Us Exactly What We Ask For. (Postscript Below)

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I just read an article in Slate by Jacob Weisberg that speaks directly to one of my biggest frustrations in political discussions: the fatalistic shoulder-shrugging platitude, "What do you expect? They're all politicians and politicians are all the same." … [Read more...] about Politicians Are All the Same. They Give Us Exactly What We Ask For. (Postscript Below)

In Praise of Likes. And Blogging.

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Fred likes liking. I do, too. "Liking" is a feature of the Disqus comment software we use on this blog. Clicking the “Like” button next to a comment earns the commenter a positive reputation point on Disqus and helps other readers discover popular comments. Fred says: I often reply to a comment that I like without adding anything to the discussion just to signal that I liked … [Read more...] about In Praise of Likes. And Blogging.