Hanukkah In Santa Monica by the great satirist Tom Lehrer: This song comes from this CD: … [Read more...] about And Now A Zippy Hanukkah Song
The Rich Show Their Hand at Copenhagen: Estadao of Brazil
Continuing with our translated foreign press coverage of how the United States is being portrayed at the Climate Summit in Copenhagen, this editorial from Estadao of Brazil illustrates the rupture that a leaked document, which originated in Denmark and seems to favor wealthy nations, has created between the developed and developing worlds. The Estadao editorial says in … [Read more...] about The Rich Show Their Hand at Copenhagen: Estadao of Brazil
Fed Spending Falls On Deaf Ear(marks)
Sen. John McCain, who should know, once complained that Congress spends money on earmarks like a drunken sailor. This spending spree seen by penny-pinching Republican taxpayers was one of the central causes why the GOP lost both houses of Congress by the 2008 elections. Now that the Democrats are in control, earmarks continue to pad appropriation bills but at a slightly … [Read more...] about Fed Spending Falls On Deaf Ear(marks)
The Joke That Bombed
What kind of paranoid world are we living in? A University of California, Davis, police declaration supporting the arrest of James Marchbanks [a graduate student drama instructor in the theater and dance department] describes the fear three students reportedly felt when he presented an envelope holding end-of-course evaluations by saying, "I have a bomb." "There was no … [Read more...] about The Joke That Bombed
Taking the Mission to Secure America to Copenhagen
Guest post by Jonathan Powers and Robert Diamond Jon Powers is the Chief Operating Officer of the Truman National Security Project. He is a veteran of the Gulf War, serving as an officer in the United States Army, and the founder of War Kids Relief. He was previously Veterans Program Director at the Eleison Group, where he worked on outreach efforts by the progressive … [Read more...] about Taking the Mission to Secure America to Copenhagen
Obama’s Afghan Withdrawal Must Be ‘Some Sort of Joke’: Guangzhou Daily, People’s Republic of China
Is there any reason to believe that American troops will begin leaving Afghanistan in 18 months, as President Obama announced last week? Or, as this surprisingly forthright article from China's state-controlled Guangzhou Daily asserts, was this just an eloquent rhetorical fig leaf to hide the fact that America won't leave anytime soon? Implying shamelessness on Obama's part, … [Read more...] about Obama’s Afghan Withdrawal Must Be ‘Some Sort of Joke’: Guangzhou Daily, People’s Republic of China
Doesn’t This Undercut Senator Baucus’ Arguments for Frugality in Health Care Debate?
Senator Max Baucus, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, asserted himself as a major voice in the debate over health care reform almost immediately after last November's election. He has argued for cost containment and frugality throughout the intervening months and used his powerful position to make his arguments stick. Now, we learn that the Senator isn't nearly so … [Read more...] about Doesn’t This Undercut Senator Baucus’ Arguments for Frugality in Health Care Debate?
Spankers for McCain?
Correlation does not equal causation, and all that, but this is a pretty interesting graph. This comes from an in-the-works book about authoritarianism and polarization in American politics. Here's the explanation from one of the authors: In states with lower percentages of people that endorse spanking and washing kids' mouths out with soap, which is the case in New … [Read more...] about Spankers for McCain?
Book Review: Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer’s Life
As we watch the perhaps terminal death of the newspaper industry unfold (who ever thought we'd see the day when Editor & Publisher would fold? Read this and this) one of the many journalistic questions remains: Are newspaper columnists about to go the way of pay phones? Already newspapers have trimmed op-ed pages and laid off editorial cartoonists. Yes, there are still some … [Read more...] about Book Review: Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer’s Life
The Water Glass Stock Market
We now have a water glass stock market. A market in which every empty glass is deemed half full, and every half full glass is viewed as brimming. Today's market, up considerably at the time of this writing, illustrates the point. It's rise is linked to reports released in the last day or two. Retail sales, for example, rose a better than expected 1.4 percent in November — a … [Read more...] about The Water Glass Stock Market
Consequences Hit Mark Sanford: Wife Jenny Files for Divorce
It looks like he has escaped impeachment for a bunch of possible issued related to the scandal, but South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has just been clobbered with some major consquences for his admitted affair with a lover in Argentina: his wife Jenny is filing for divorce. "I am now filing for divorce," she said in a statement. "This came after many unsuccessful efforts at … [Read more...] about Consequences Hit Mark Sanford: Wife Jenny Files for Divorce
“Too Small to Fail”: President Obama and the Dilemma of Political Parties (Guest Voice)
"Too Small to Fail": President Obama and the Dilemma of Political Parties by Alex Hammer President Obama is up against it. While it is certainly possible that Barack has utilized change language to in fact mask a more traditional interest and/or partisan focus, I believe instead that the President genuinely wants to be "a different kind of politician" bringing "a … [Read more...] about “Too Small to Fail”: President Obama and the Dilemma of Political Parties (Guest Voice)
Harry Reid, Uncensored (Guest Voice)
Harry Reid, Uncensored Making Sense, by Michael Reagan On the Senate floor this week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid abused the dignity of his position with yet another desperate attack on Republicans and other Americans who understand the dangers of President Obama’s flawed health care proposal. Rather than debating the unremarkable “merits” of the Democratic plan, … [Read more...] about Harry Reid, Uncensored (Guest Voice)
Civil Discourse (Guest Cartoonist)
Cartoon by Steve Greenberg. To see more of his cartoons, visit his website HERE. … [Read more...] about Civil Discourse (Guest Cartoonist)
Priorities and Midterms (Guest Voice)
Priorities and Midterms by David Goodloe "For all the attention the White House and Congress have given to health care and Afghanistan this fall, no problem poses a greater political threat to the Democrats in 2010 than joblessness and slow economic growth." Dan Balz Washington Post Are Barack Obama and the Democrats beginning to realize that unemployment could … [Read more...] about Priorities and Midterms (Guest Voice)
Nate Silver Tells Us What He Really Thinks…
... about the public option: … [Read more...] about Nate Silver Tells Us What He Really Thinks…
Facts and Morality Beat Communications Tactics
Matthew Yglesias has a really good piece about morality and global warming: … [Read more...] about Facts and Morality Beat Communications Tactics
Inaccuracy in President’s Nobel Speech?
Was Great Britain a democracy during the War of 1812? Given that in 1812, neither US Senators or the President were elected by direct vote of the electorate, can it be argued that the United States was a democracy back then? And, given that the electorate was composed only of white males, the notion that the US was a democracy in 1812, isn't tenable, except in relative … [Read more...] about Inaccuracy in President’s Nobel Speech?
How Are Some People Able to Use Adversity as a Catalyst for a Proactive Life?
That's what Kevin Kuwik's story caused me to ask myself this morning. He was in Washington today lobbying for greater air travel safety, a positive response to an air crash that took the life of his fiance. And that's just one of several adverse experiences he's dealt with positively. Read his whole story. … [Read more...] about How Are Some People Able to Use Adversity as a Catalyst for a Proactive Life?
Criteria for ‘Just War’ According to Augustine and Aquinas
Earlier today, TMV co-blogger Tony Campbell took on President Obama for his reference to "just war theory" in his Nobel speech in Oslo. "Just war theory" is generally associated with Christian theology, specifically to Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. Here is a blog post by Ron Ballew from 2006, which delineates what, under the theory, constitutes a just war. Does Mr. … [Read more...] about Criteria for ‘Just War’ According to Augustine and Aquinas