Our political Quote of the Day comes from The Atlantic's Ronald Brownstein, who has always been a great political analyist, including back in the days when he wrote some of the best stuff ever for the Los Angeles Times. He looks at what he says is former DNC Chairman Howard Dean's "blind spot" on health care reform -- and sheds light on why Dean and some other progressives are … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Howard Dean and His Supporters “Blind Spot” on Health Care Reform?
Congress Has Really Dropped The Ball On Its Most Pressing Concern (P.S. Not Healthcare)
There are currently over 4.5 million people on Emergency Unemployment Compensation, the program that was formed (and repeatedly extended) because of our historical downturn and joblessness. That act is set to expire on January 1, 2010. Unemployment insurance is complex at this point. The first 26 weeks goes under the traditional state unemployment, after that there are … [Read more...] about Congress Has Really Dropped The Ball On Its Most Pressing Concern (P.S. Not Healthcare)
Dealing with Political Reality
Andy Stern, head of the Service Employees International Union, seems to be doing just that ... Our message is that it’s time for the Senate to finish its job. We probably have the best we are going to do, and trying to improve the Senate bill doesn’t seem realistic right now. The real final chapter in this story is going to be written in the conference committee. … [Read more...] about Dealing with Political Reality
Debt Ceiling Raised as Two Spending Bills Advance (Guest Voice)
Debt Ceiling Raised as Two Spending Bills Advance by Jon Wells In one of its last acts before adjourning for a winter break, the House of Representatives passed legislation that raises the amount of debt the US government is legally allowed to owe by an amount of $290 billion to a record $12.4 trillion in allowable government debt. The 218-214 vote saw unanimous … [Read more...] about Debt Ceiling Raised as Two Spending Bills Advance (Guest Voice)
The Fundamental Problem In Publishing: ‘You Don’t Own The Audience’
From Mike Shatzkin's sobering reality check about the business model of book publishing: Until the digital age, content was scarce. It wasn’t scarce because people didn’t create it; it was scarce because it required an investment to distribute it. That’s no longer true. Anybody with an Internet connection can make anything they write (or snap or video or … [Read more...] about The Fundamental Problem In Publishing: ‘You Don’t Own The Audience’
Glenn Greenwald Hits The Healthcare Debate Nail On The Head
Many of the commenters I admire most have been saying that the Left/Right dichotomy is inadequate to explain current dynamics and that Insider/Outsider along with Incrementalist/Radical are better descriptors. Glenn Greenwald notes this pitch perfect: One finds [corporatism] in far more than just economic policy, and it's about more than just letting corporations do what … [Read more...] about Glenn Greenwald Hits The Healthcare Debate Nail On The Head
The Far Left Scream
Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about The Far Left Scream
Will Progressives Listen to Krugman or Dean?
Weighing in on the side of progressives who believe the Senate health care bill should pass, Paul Krugman admonishes his political cousins to "take a deep breath, and consider just how much good this bill would do, if passed — and how much better it would be than anything that seemed possible just a few years ago." I rarely read Krugman. He too often breathlessly demands … [Read more...] about Will Progressives Listen to Krugman or Dean?
The Era of Least-Worse Solutions
As the century's first decade winds down, what stands out to someone who has lived through many of them is how America's problems today are being "solved" by angry confrontations, sour and inconsistent compromises, hopeless shrugs and variations thereof. Health care reform, the Afpak war, the crippled economy, the imperiled climate--all are being confronted, despite a … [Read more...] about The Era of Least-Worse Solutions
And a Merry Christmas to all
For the last few weeks of the year, regardless of the heated debates going on in Washington and the various crisis situations plaguing the nation, I will be writing a bit less than usual. (You may have noticed a slowing of output already.) This is nothing unusual for me, as this is a season for some of us to focus on things closer to home, friends and family. But before those … [Read more...] about And a Merry Christmas to all
Update on Offutt Military Base-Ben Nelson Story
Here is the update: It's not true. … [Read more...] about Update on Offutt Military Base-Ben Nelson Story
The Climate Summit and the Challenge of Governing a Planet: Le Figaro, France
'CLIMATE FAIR' How should one judge the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen? While the event has another day to run, few believe a major overhaul of how humans conduct their affairs on this planet is in the offing, and almost no one is satisfied. Reflecting Europe's general consensus that more and better global governance is inevitable, Le Figaro's Pierre Rousselin … [Read more...] about The Climate Summit and the Challenge of Governing a Planet: Le Figaro, France
Tiger Woods: Fallen Star for a Public Age – de Volkskrant, The Netherlands
Taking a break from earth-shaking issues like climate change, war and the never-ending difficulties in the Middle East, columnist Nazmiye Oral of de Volkskrant of The Netherlands writes that the troubles of Tiger Woods are a metaphor for life in the modern world - a period in history in which everyone seems to want to live life in public - as long as no blemishes appear on the … [Read more...] about Tiger Woods: Fallen Star for a Public Age – de Volkskrant, The Netherlands
Making Omelettes For Joe Lieberman
RJ Matson, Roll Call This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Making Omelettes For Joe Lieberman
Credit Where Credit is Due: YouTube Leads to Hollywood Contract; Million Selling Album
Lots of Techmeme discussion around news that Uruguayan producer Fede Alvarez's $300 short film uploaded to YouTube in November 2009 (above) got him a $30m contract to make a Hollywood film: "I uploaded (Panic Attack!) on a Thursday and on Monday my inbox was totally full of e-mails from Hollywood studios," he told the BBC's Latin American service BBC Mundo. "It was amazing, … [Read more...] about Credit Where Credit is Due: YouTube Leads to Hollywood Contract; Million Selling Album
Just a National Mandate to purchase Private Health Insurance
That’s what healthcare reform has come down to: Every person who is not a government employee, and who is too poor or too old, would have to purchase private health insurance directly or through an employer. Those that make less than the Federal Poverty Level (about $21,200 per year for a family of 4 living in the lower 48 states) and those over 65 who have Government … [Read more...] about Just a National Mandate to purchase Private Health Insurance
Innocent Man Freed After 35 Years
It's another of the sad yet joyful stories of DNA evidence helping prove a man innocent. In 1974 James Bain, then 19, was sentenced to prison for the kidnapping and rape of a 9 year old boy. Bain protesting his innocence and said he was home watching TV with his sister at the time of the crime. The conviction was based largely on the testimony of the victim who said his … [Read more...] about Innocent Man Freed After 35 Years
Al Qaeda and the Taliban Still Tied in a Knot
Guest post by Michael Lieberman Michael Lieberman, a Truman National Security Project fellow, is an associate at Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington D.C., where he works on international regulatory and compliance issues. (The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.) This post was originally published at Partnership for a Secure … [Read more...] about Al Qaeda and the Taliban Still Tied in a Knot
The All-American Barack Obama Traveling Disaster Show
We're a month short of a year since Barack Obama took office with sky-high approval ratings and the people prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt on a range of issues from the economy, to health care reform, to the environment. I think in order to be fair, we should acknowledge that unlike George Bush, Barack Obama has tackled head on some very difficult, and divisive … [Read more...] about The All-American Barack Obama Traveling Disaster Show
Have U.S. Drones Really Been ‘Hacked’ With $26 Off-The-Shelf Software?
The WSJ says yes. And everyone else has picked it up and run with it. But what, precisely, does hack mean? John Biggs does some intelligent guessing: The story says, essentially, that insurgents in Iraq are “taking control” of our pilotless drones with a $25 piece of software called SkyGrabber. By “take control” the WSJ means “download video feeds … [Read more...] about Have U.S. Drones Really Been ‘Hacked’ With $26 Off-The-Shelf Software?