You knew it was coming, I'm sure. Every Tom, Dick and Harriet with a pencil or a keyboard is probably assembling their own list of the political news stories which shaped the news in 2009. Never being one to shy away from running with the herd, I've assembled my own and you can find it this morning at Pajamas Media. But when you're finished with that, I thought it might be fun … [Read more...] about The inevitable 2009 top ten stories column
Rush Limbaugh Hospitalized in Hawaii
UPDATE: Jan 1, 2010: Mr. Limbaugh says he did not have a heart attack and does not have heart disease: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100101/ap_on_re_us/us_limbaugh_hospital UPDATE: Rush Limbaugh will “take a lot of tests” according to Walter Williams, guest host on Mr. Limbaugh's radio show while Mr. L is vacationing in Hawaii. "While pains [in chest] can be an indicator of … [Read more...] about Rush Limbaugh Hospitalized in Hawaii
True Believers: Abdulmullatab and Cheney
"Passionate hatred," Eric Hoffer wrote half a century ago, "can give meaning and purpose to an empty life. Thus people haunted by the purposelessness of their lives try to find a new content not only by dedicating themselves to a holy cause but also by nursing a fanatical grievance." Days after a 23-year-old Nigerian demonstrates the enduring truth of this observation by … [Read more...] about True Believers: Abdulmullatab and Cheney
Poll: Obama Most Admired Man, Palin Clinton Most Admired Women
A new USA Today/Gallup Poll finds that President Barack Obama is the country's most admired man -- and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin are tied as the country's most admired women. President Obama is the man Americans admired most in 2009, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, while Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Alaska … [Read more...] about Poll: Obama Most Admired Man, Palin Clinton Most Admired Women
Could Dogs Detect Underwear Bombs?
Uh, oh: there are suggestions now that one solution to detect passengers with underwear bombs might be bomb sniffing dogs. Will the crotch sniffing dog become a (dreaded) fixture at airports? And can dogs be trained to go gentle when they eagerly plow their noses into crotch content evaluation chores? (And if that's not how it'll be done, how can they prevent a dog from ad … [Read more...] about Could Dogs Detect Underwear Bombs?
Al-Qaeda: Obama Must Walk in the Footsteps of Bush
Could we be seeing a bit of a revival of the legacy of George W. Bush? That's the underlying implication of this article by Yves Thréard of France's Le Figaro newspaper. For Le Figaro, Yves Threard writes in part: Humility prohibits untimely and definitive comments on al-Qaeda, that army of criminals that is regularly described as being held at bay. Does it function … [Read more...] about Al-Qaeda: Obama Must Walk in the Footsteps of Bush
Twitter Reactions Disabled
Hello TMV readers and commenters. Twitter reactions to articles/posts have been disabled due to the always evolving pornographic industry's "twitter tactics". This doesn't take away from comment functionality at all. Twitter reactions will be enabled as soon as we find a effective way of blocking pornographic twitters. Thanks to TMV reader and commenter Father Time for … [Read more...] about Twitter Reactions Disabled
Fox Could Be Blacked Out In Dispute
Two of the nation's greediest media giants are at loggerheads over fee transmissions and no matter who wins the public will pay dearly. Unless a deal is struck with News Corp.by midnight New Year's Eve, Time Warner Cable could drop all Fox programming. At the moment, the dispute affects only Time Warner subscribers. Waiting in the wings how this plays out is NBC, ABC and … [Read more...] about Fox Could Be Blacked Out In Dispute
Terrorism: Win-Win for Republicans
This trenchant observation from Steve Benen is worth quoting without comment: … [Read more...] about Terrorism: Win-Win for Republicans
On Iran, Revolution and the Words of Presidents
Charles Krauthammer thinks that the President should be issuing stronger statements about the situation in Iran, as he seems to believe that the words of the President can affect change in this situation (from his WaPo column, 2009: The year of living fecklessly): [R]evolutions succeed at that singular moment, that imperceptible historical inflection, when the people, … [Read more...] about On Iran, Revolution and the Words of Presidents
What Took You So Long, Dick?
I cannot believe that Dick Cheney waited six whole days to criticize Barack Obama for waiting three days to make a non-hysterical public statement about the attempted airline bombing on Christmas Day. How could he let Pete Hoekstra get ahead of him on such an obvious opportunity to turn a national security event into a carnival of political grandstanding? … [Read more...] about What Took You So Long, Dick?
MATH EDUCATION MADNESS
I’m glad TMV co-blogger and editor Jerry Remmers recently posted and wrote about America’s overall stupidity with respect to Mathematics. The reader comments were excellent as well and got me thinking (and now ranting). I would like to mention a few more items in this vein before turning to other posts and subjects. Since I am an authorized TMV blogger with over 2 regular … [Read more...] about MATH EDUCATION MADNESS
The Study of Religion and Politics
Earlier this month -- around the time Sen. Ben Nelson's United Methodist Church was chiming in on health care reform -- Washington University announced the formation of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics, named for the former Senator who offered a (very good) book on the same topic in 2006. This confluence of events was the subject of my latest guest … [Read more...] about The Study of Religion and Politics
Report Discredits Obama Afghan Mission
I must admit I was not shocked to hear a secret report for Pentagon brass that efforts to train the Afghan National Army (ANA) are beset with deep-rooted problems which could take years to overcome. NBC-TV foreign correspondent Richard Engel said the privately-commissioned report: 1) -- Contends nepotism, corruption and absenteeism among ANA officers makes success … [Read more...] about Report Discredits Obama Afghan Mission
Is the Middle Ground Lost, Ctd.
The editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers its take on a "decade of hyper-partisanship." One paragraph from that editorial summarizes its premise perhaps better than any other ... The money is in partisanship. A member of Congress can’t afford to be a moderate, not if he wants to keep his job. Politicians who stray too far from party purity will face a … [Read more...] about Is the Middle Ground Lost, Ctd.
Sullivan v. Allen: Misdirected Ire
Mike Allen bylines an article for Politico re: Dick Cheney's tirade about Obama "trying to pretend we are not at war." Andrew Sullivan accuses Allen of being a "stenographer" for Cheney, relaying the former VP's accusations verbatim, sans critical analysis. I don't know much about Allen and I suppose there could be a history here that triggered Sullivan's reaction; a … [Read more...] about Sullivan v. Allen: Misdirected Ire
Polarized Politics
Mike Keefe, The Denver Post This cartoon is unauthorized and licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Polarized Politics
Fighting Over the Squandered Decade (Guest Voice)
WASHINGTON -- Certain decades shape the country's political life for generations by leaving behind an era to embrace or, at least as often, to scorn. The 1960s were definitely such a decade. The 1930s qualify, and so do the 1980s. But as important as all these periods have been, their significance may be dwarfed by the reckless and squandered decade that is, mercifully, … [Read more...] about Fighting Over the Squandered Decade (Guest Voice)
Dutch Home Affairs Minister Presents Preliminary Results of Amsterdam Airport Investigation
The Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad is commenting on a just-released, preliminary Dutch government report on “what happened at the Dutch airport where the would-be bomber transferred.” Parts of what the Handelsblad is reporting: "It would not be exaggerating to say the world has escaped a disaster," Dutch home affairs minister Guusje ter Horst said at a press conference … [Read more...] about Dutch Home Affairs Minister Presents Preliminary Results of Amsterdam Airport Investigation
U.S. Virtual Economy Set To Make Billions
We moved from an economy that makes things to an economy that buys things. Bad enough, really, but the BBC says we're moving on to buying imaginary, er, virtual things: [Venture capitalist Jeremy] Liew, whose firm Lightspeed Venture Partners has invested $10m in virtual goods companies, said the rapid growth of the sector was unprecedented. "We have seen companies go from … [Read more...] about U.S. Virtual Economy Set To Make Billions