Four times as many as death threats for Bush? More? For his most passionate supporters, it is only natural to think of this young, charismatic and inspirational leader as another potential JFK, RFK or MLK Jr. (Although I doubt we'll ever call him BHO.) Yet it was Kevin Drum of all people who noted that according to Secret Service chief Mark Sullivan that the number of … [Read more...] about Death threats for Obama
Full Text Of President Barack Obama’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
Editor's Note: Here's the text of President Barack Obama's Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Several websites including the Washington Times, The Huffington Post and MSNBC put the White House-provided full text online. The speech will most assuredly become a political football today with partisans on each side giving predictable reactions to it -- in fact, some of the … [Read more...] about Full Text Of President Barack Obama’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
Where was Obama on Sunday morning?
The White House sent Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton out on Sunday morning to do a set of joint interviews on Meet the Press, Face the Nation and This Week. (Fox had to settle for Gen. Petraeus. CNN got Jim Jones.) After his address to the nation on healthcare reform, Obama himself made the rounds on Sunday morning. I'm inclined to think that the President didn't want to … [Read more...] about Where was Obama on Sunday morning?
Crappy Anniversary! (Guest Voice)
Crappy Anniversary! By Steve Greenberg December 1 marked a milestone I never expected, but which I inwardly worried might come. One year ago, I joined the ranks of the laid-off, and began a journey of uneasy new directions. Two days after the election of Barack Obama, the E.W. Scripps Company mandated staff cuts for all its newspapers. My employer, the Ventura County … [Read more...] about Crappy Anniversary! (Guest Voice)
Spiral Light Show. What the heck was it? UPDATE: Solved
(See update below) Over the skies of Norway, something was happening besides the President's arrival to pick up his Nobel prize. A truly strange light show took place which absolutely does not look like any permutation of the Northern Lights that I've ever seen. It went on for at least ten minutes, twisting in outward moving spirals with some sort of strange blue-green beam … [Read more...] about Spiral Light Show. What the heck was it? UPDATE: Solved
The Sky’s the Limit on Debt Ceilings
Who says that Congress can't get anything done? Say what you like about partisan gridlock, filibusters, obstruction on health care reform or disputes over military strategy, there's one thing that the folks on the Hill are good at... spending your money. Dems to lift debt ceiling by $1.8 trillion, fear 2010 backlash In a bold but risky year-end strategy, Democrats are … [Read more...] about The Sky’s the Limit on Debt Ceilings
Can They Pass A Health Care Bill ?
The news of the last few days has been filled with the stories about a compromise that will allow a bill to pass out of the Senate. To listen to some of the commentators, especially on the left, this makes health care reform a done deal. I hate to rain on this victory parade but given the details that are coming out I don't see how the package can possibly make it through … [Read more...] about Can They Pass A Health Care Bill ?
More Little League Journalism From Fred Hiatt
The Washington Post is getting clobbered for publishing an op-ed on climate change and the upcoming conference in Copenhagen by Sarah Palin that is filled with inaccuracies, misinformation, and outright falsehoods. … [Read more...] about More Little League Journalism From Fred Hiatt
Palin Does CostCo
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Palin Does CostCo
Making Gun Safety (Politically) Safe (Guest Voice)
WASHINGTON -- When it comes to passing sensible gun laws, Congress typically offers Profiles in Cowardice. The National Rifle Association wields power that would make an Afghan warlord jealous because the organization is thought to command legions of one-issue voters ready to punish any deviationism from the never-pass-any-new-gun-laws imperative. Many legislators … [Read more...] about Making Gun Safety (Politically) Safe (Guest Voice)
An Exception to the GOP Disdain for “Symbolic” Resolutions
It's beginning to feel a lot like empty resolution time for House Republicans: … [Read more...] about An Exception to the GOP Disdain for “Symbolic” Resolutions
Cats & Dogs: Who Is Superior?
Pets, such as dogs and cats, evoke strong and diverse emotions even within the family members. Of course, there are individuals who love all animals/pets. What happens when "dog people" and "cat people" each passionately express their belief that their preferred pet is superior? With researchers now doing some serious work on the subject, could it be time for a showdown? The … [Read more...] about Cats & Dogs: Who Is Superior?
Dianne Feinstein on Defeat of Anti-Abortion Amendment
Sen. Feinstein is the senator who spoke about the real-life examples of women whose health was endangered by pregnancy, and what can and does happen when the law demands a 100 percent guarantee that a woman will die before she can obtain an abortion, or be covered under provisions as draconian as the one defeated yesterday, which would deny federal funding for any insurance … [Read more...] about Dianne Feinstein on Defeat of Anti-Abortion Amendment
Congress Lifts Rider Preventing D.C. From Implementing Medical Marijuana Law
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) celebrates, Finally, some great news from Congress: U.S. House and Senate negotiators agreed on Tuesday on the final details of the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which contains at least three BIG victories for reformers: * Washington, DC will finally be allowed to implement the medical marijuana initiative that voters … [Read more...] about Congress Lifts Rider Preventing D.C. From Implementing Medical Marijuana Law
Uganda Makes It Official: Homosexuality Is “Not Natural”
For those who have been patiently waiting for some scientific, authoritative vindication of their theories that homosexuality is immoral, a perversion or deviancy, not natural, etc., rejoice: Uganda's ethics minister, James Nsaba Buturo, has just pronounced that homosexuality is "not natural in Uganda." No doubt the rest of the civilized world will soon follow suit. To put … [Read more...] about Uganda Makes It Official: Homosexuality Is “Not Natural”
What was Obama doing for three months?
If you don't read Shadow Government, you should. It's a blog written by a lot of very smart people who held significant positions in the Bush administration. (No, that isn't a contradiction, wiseguy.) Shadow Gov's recent posts focus (naturally) on Afghanistan. One very interesting question comes from Peter Feaver -- Did Obama's speech give us any sense of why it took him … [Read more...] about What was Obama doing for three months?
Afghanistan: A GOP twofer?
AFGHANISTAN: A GOP TWOFER? David Obey, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee has introduced a war tax bill.“As presidential historian Robert Dallek reminds us, ‘war kills off great reform movements’,” Obey said, noting that World War I ended the Progressive Era, Korea ended Harry Truman’s Fair Deal and Vietnam ended Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society.Now, I know that's … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: A GOP twofer?
Patience, Patience, and more Patience needed
Even if we assume that God created planet earth and everything on it including human beings less than 20,000 years ago, that’s still a long time in dog or cat years, and even in human years. Assuming each generation is spaced from 15 to 25 years apart, or 20 years on average, that constitutes 1,000 generations. For most of the past 10,000 years, we practiced all sorts of … [Read more...] about Patience, Patience, and more Patience needed
Getting Tough With Pakistan
President Obama seems ready to deliver on a threat Candidate Obama made over two years ago--that, if Pakistan doesn't go after its terrorists, he will. The Surge in Afghanistan, according to White House leaks, comes with "a fairly bald warning that unless Pakistan moved quickly to act against two Taliban groups they have so far refused to attack, the United States was … [Read more...] about Getting Tough With Pakistan
Can the Senior Senator from Utah aka Orrin Hatch push aside Adam Sandler?
There's certainly a place in this world for more and more good Chanuka songs. But this one by U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch actually has potential. Be sure to read the accompanying article by The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg. (The holiday starts this Friday evening.) Eight Days of Hanukkah from Tablet Magazine on Vimeo. … [Read more...] about Can the Senior Senator from Utah aka Orrin Hatch push aside Adam Sandler?