The Syracuse Post-Standard talks to Dede Scozzafava: … [Read more...] about “How About Honesty? How About Telling the Truth?”
UPDATE: A Tiny Ripple Does Not Make A Tsunami
Tell your friends you read it here first. Don't bother watching the wall-to-wall cable television coverage of today's handful of odd-year elections. Robert McDonnell, the Republican candidate, will be elected governor of Virginia. Barring a minor miracle, incumbent New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine will lose to Republican Chris Christie. Douglas Hoffman, the Conservative Party … [Read more...] about UPDATE: A Tiny Ripple Does Not Make A Tsunami
Veteran Suicide: Witness To The Isle of the Dead
The subject of veteran suicides rises every so often, like a dark island that floats off shore, but lays submerged under the water most all the time. Only small boats with intrepid rowers that are strong enough to go out past the riptides can see the sleeping dead under the water. But every so often the ocean heaves and there it is again: the landmass rises and you see that … [Read more...] about Veteran Suicide: Witness To The Isle of the Dead
Read It and Weep
This point has been made before, but not usually as bluntly as here (emphasis in original): … [Read more...] about Read It and Weep
Goldberg Interviews ATFP’s Ibish
This is an excellent interview by Jeffrey Goldberg of the American Task Force for Palestine's Hussein Ibish. I've spoken positively about the ATFP before, and interviews like this help demonstrate why. Mr. Ibish is a clear and steadfast supporter of a peaceful, two-state solution, and it really comes through in this interview that he gets the conflict and he, from the position … [Read more...] about Goldberg Interviews ATFP’s Ibish
So What’s Next In Afghanistan?
Recent events in Afghanistan raise the question: So now what? The always thoughtful Dave Schuler looks at this issue with both a roundup and some always-welcome thoughts of his own. This is how he begins it: President Karzai narrowly won a clearly fraudulent election. His main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, has withdrawn from consideration as a candidate, ruling out a … [Read more...] about So What’s Next In Afghanistan?
“Horse Soldiers”—Book Review, War Review
I just finished reading a fantastic and timely book. Fantastic because of how the writer, Doug Stanton, brilliantly and in gritty, sometimes grisly detail describes the unprecedented actions of a band of American Special Forces heroes who rode into Afghanistan after 9/11 during the opening days of what is now the Afghanistan War. Timely, not necessarily because of … [Read more...] about “Horse Soldiers”—Book Review, War Review
Let’s Privatize The U.S. Treasury
Should the U.S. Treasury Department be privatized? Should Goldman Sachs get the contract to operate it? Some people might ask why we should bother to formalize what has actually been the case informally for years. After all, the last Secretary of the Treasury, Hank Paulson, headed GS before deigning to serve in Washington. And the present occupant of Paulson's job, Tim … [Read more...] about Let’s Privatize The U.S. Treasury
What’s Lieberman’s Problem?
Attention deficit disorder: … [Read more...] about What’s Lieberman’s Problem?
The Ultimate Sacrifice
It's not what you might think. It's not dying in battle. It's not losing your life. It's losing your mind, your heart, your soul, and the life force inside you that makes you want to survive. … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Sacrifice
Obama Then and Now
Joe already touched on tonight's HBO documentary. Two other Obama-related items today add some context. The first is Jeff Zeleny's report for the NYT re: Iowa voter attitudes a year after the election. The second is a Daily Beast exclusive excerpt from David Plouffe's memoir. The NYT article cites, among others, John Sager a "retired electrical engineer who became a … [Read more...] about Obama Then and Now
Endangered Species Moderate Republicans
Bill Schorr, Cagle Cartoons This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Endangered Species Moderate Republicans
Biden, Absolutists, Irony, and NY-23 (Guest Voice)
Biden, Absolutists, Irony and NY-23 by Jon Wells Vice President Joe Biden was in upstate New York today stumping for Bill Owens in the heated NY-23 Congressional special election. You know, the one that doesn't matter and has no national portent whatsoever, except if Owens wins, of course. In any event, Biden had a few words to say about Scozzafava's departure and the … [Read more...] about Biden, Absolutists, Irony, and NY-23 (Guest Voice)
What Physicians Know (Guest Voice)
What Physicians Know by Joel S. Hirschhorn I had a long conversation with my favorite physician, who has operated on me twice successfully. He is an incredibly kind person without an ounce of greed or pretense. Like other physicians I have spoken to, he spoke eloquently about the terrible times he consistently has with private health insurance companies. While he … [Read more...] about What Physicians Know (Guest Voice)
Quote of the Day: On Moderates and the GOP
Our political quote of the day comes from conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh on moderates and the Republican party: "Moderates by definition have no principles,"....He predicted that "RINOs" - a putdown acronym of "Republicans In Name Only" - "may become extinct." … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: On Moderates and the GOP
NY Gov. Paterson’s World Series Tickets Raise Eyebrows
Just how DID he get those free tickets? … [Read more...] about NY Gov. Paterson’s World Series Tickets Raise Eyebrows
T.V. Review: HBO’s By The People: The Election of Barack Obama
Lots of documentaries aspire to be authentic fly-on-the-wall enterprises, offering viewers a chance to see what they didn't see on the news, didn't learn from official statements, and get a feel of what "really" went on behind-the-scenes and what the key political players are "really like." HBO's By The People: The Election of Barack Obama which airs at 9 p.m. tonight offers … [Read more...] about T.V. Review: HBO’s By The People: The Election of Barack Obama
Honor Killings On The Rise, Media Response Seems Limited
Imagine for a moment that a segment of the Southern Baptist Church was supporting the idea of parents killing their teenage daughters for going out on dates. The public reaction would be swift and severe (and properly so). Media figures like Bill Maher would go ballistic, labeling the entire Christian Church with such behavior. And yet when this exact thing is happening … [Read more...] about Honor Killings On The Rise, Media Response Seems Limited
Ideological Purity and the GOP
The always worth-reading Rick Moran -- even when I couldn't disagree with him more (and this is not one of those times) -- has a piece on how to make the GOP a majority party again -- and it isn't by reading the ideologically impure out of the party: … [Read more...] about Ideological Purity and the GOP
For Russia, the China Model Fits the Best: Izvestia, Russia
Can Russia break the strongman habit? Is Russia ready for Western-Style democracy - which includes true pluralism and checks on the executive? It's a debate that's been going on since the fall of the Berlin Wall. This article from Izvestia - once the official mouthpiece of the Soviet government - openly, unapologetically and arrestingly admits that the answer is no. Nor does … [Read more...] about For Russia, the China Model Fits the Best: Izvestia, Russia