I had a couple of family members work for ACORN several years ago. They both went door-to-door, made signs, etc. But they quit after a year due to "shadiness". Both of them said there were many good people working for ACORN but there always seemed to be some secrets among the local leadership and special sub-organizations that did weird "things". I never really followed up … [Read more...] about ACORN Cracked And Roasted?
World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon Announces Run Against Dodd In Connecticut (UPDATED)
For those of you who thought American politics now looks like professional wrestling, your belief may soon get a bit of validation and closure: Linda McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. has quit her post to devote her time a campaign aimed at getting the Republican nomination and running against Democratic Senator Chris Dodd: Linda McMahon, the chief … [Read more...] about World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon Announces Run Against Dodd In Connecticut (UPDATED)
The Politics We Don’t Expect
I despise news reports that mention how a particular vote was "almost exclusively along party lines," but then fail to list the exceptions. Take, for instance, the over-reported "Joe Wilson slap-on-the-wrist" story. I had to dig through multiple reports like this one, before I finally found this one (and to be fair, this one and this one) listing the exceptions, i.e., the … [Read more...] about The Politics We Don’t Expect
Late Night Roundup
Here is some "simple arithmetic" about projected health care costs from the Kaiser Family Foundation: … [Read more...] about Late Night Roundup
Where Have Conservatives Been All These Years?
Judging from the reaction on the right to the preview of what's in former Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer's new book, they all have been terribly disappointed with Dubya for years now, and Latimer's book is just a sad and sorry confirmation of what they have all known for such a long time. … [Read more...] about Where Have Conservatives Been All These Years?
Internet Empowers Elites or Joe Public?
I'm surprised to read that Pew finds the Internet has actually shifted more power to the educated, well-to-do citizens already engaged in the political process: In a survey conducted in late August 2008, Pew found that only 8 percent of people with a household income of less than $20,000 had participated in two or more online political activities—emailing their … [Read more...] about Internet Empowers Elites or Joe Public?
When Should a Thousand Words Give Way to Silence (Guest Voice)
When Should “a Thousand Words” Give Way to Silence? by Michael Reagan On August 14 a young Marine Lance Corporal, Joshua Bernard, was struck by a Taliban-fired RPG during an ambush while on patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. This American hero suffered severe leg wounds and eventually succumbed to his injuries on a field hospital operating table. According to … [Read more...] about When Should a Thousand Words Give Way to Silence (Guest Voice)
I Want My America Back
John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about I Want My America Back
Your Tax Dollars at Work: Joe Wilson’s Censure
The House of Representatives may not be able to do much these days to draw praise from this corner of the room, currently having a joint approval rating somewhere in the range of fifteen points below Dick Cheney, but let the record show they can pass something. I mean, they're turning the health care debacle into a national tragedy right before our eyes, and can't seem to pass … [Read more...] about Your Tax Dollars at Work: Joe Wilson’s Censure
Obama Calls Kanye A ‘Jackass’
NOTE: "Kenya" in original title has been changed to "Kanye". - TS Last night, for his bad manners at the VMA. Terry Moran let it slip in a tweet... Now, an ABC spokesperson explains to POLITICO what happened: "In the process of reporting on remarks by President Obama that were made during a CNBC interview, ABC News employees prematurely tweeted a portion of those … [Read more...] about Obama Calls Kanye A ‘Jackass’
Where is the Right Right Now?
And can it be righted? Being perceived as only being against things is not a winning political formula; the Democrats have been taught that lesson many times since the 1970s. Conservatism seemed to break away from its philosophical moorings four years ago, anyway. [This has been crossposted at my personal blog.] … [Read more...] about Where is the Right Right Now?
The F-22 Cancellation Aftermath: Secretary Gates into the Lion’s Den
In April of this year, Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended several military budgetary cuts, including for the production of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet to stop at 187 aircraft, which means that only four more F-22s will be produced. It was a move that drew a firestorm of criticism from Congress, the military, the military aerospace industry and the military aerospace … [Read more...] about The F-22 Cancellation Aftermath: Secretary Gates into the Lion’s Den
The Goddess of Right-Wing Ideology
If you read nothing else online this week, read Jonathan Chait's book review (of two new biographies of Ayn Rand) cum extended essay on Rand's philosophy and continuing influence on the American right. It's a long article, but don't let that stop you -- I usually get restless reading lengthy pieces on the Internet, but this one had me riveted. … [Read more...] about The Goddess of Right-Wing Ideology
Kennedys Inspire Great Families in Other Nations: The People’s Daily, China
It's hard to know how to react to this article in China's state-controlled People's Daily. But it's certainly interesting. An ode to the ideals held by the Kennedy family and the recently deceased Senator Ted Kennedy, columnist Li Hong writes that ambitious families in so-called communist China and other countries like Brazil, could learn a lot from the Kennedy clan, and … [Read more...] about Kennedys Inspire Great Families in Other Nations: The People’s Daily, China
Czars are good! No, they’re bad! No, wait…
Our friend Ed Morrissey has today jumped on the bandwagon of Republicans who have decided that President Obama's penchant for appointing "czars" such as Van Jones, who recently moved into new digs under the Obama bus, is a bad thing. Describing them as a "proliferation of unaccountable commissars in government," Ed sees this as a dangerous trend. It’s well past time for the … [Read more...] about Czars are good! No, they’re bad! No, wait…
Uncovering the Race Card–Reluctantly
Joe Wilson's blurtout last week lit a fuse to set off a slow-motion exposure of race in the national anti-Obama rage. Today the House Black Caucus takes the lead in censuring the South Carolina Congressman with what are clearly mixed feelings about dealing publicly with an issue that seemed to have been settled by the inauguration of a "post-racial" president only a few … [Read more...] about Uncovering the Race Card–Reluctantly
Why the Military is Worried About Climate Change
Guest post by Jonathan Powers Jon Powers is the Chief Operating Officer of the Truman National Security Project. He is a veteran of the Gulf War 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 community to veterans and military families. This post, co-written with … [Read more...] about Why the Military is Worried About Climate Change
Talking to Americans a Most Distasteful Prospect: Kayhan, Islamic Republic of Iran
'THE TRIAL OF EMBASSY WORKERS' Who detests the other more: The United States government or the regime at the helm of the Islamic Republic of Iran? Based on this article from the tightly state-controlled Kayhan newspaper, one would have to think that the Iranian Mullahs come out on top on that question. For Kayhan, that newspaper's regular columnist on foreign affairs, … [Read more...] about Talking to Americans a Most Distasteful Prospect: Kayhan, Islamic Republic of Iran
Health Care Rocket Science: Better Human Delivery Systems & Checklists
Dr. Jim Yong Kim will become the 17th president of Dartmouth College next week. A guest on Bill Moyers' Journal last Week, Kim is an internationally recognized physician and humanitarian. His goal at Dartmouth is to tell young people that "a few committed souls can change the world." Yong says that in his 25 years working in global health what he's learned is that the … [Read more...] about Health Care Rocket Science: Better Human Delivery Systems & Checklists
Is a New Military Power Balance Emerging In the Gulf?
Has one largely publicized consequence of the saber and nuclear power rattling of the Iranian government been the emergence of a new counter-Iran conventional power balance in the Gulf? In an article on RealClearWorld, Michael Knights, a Boston-based Lafer fellow of The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, and the Persian Gulf … [Read more...] about Is a New Military Power Balance Emerging In the Gulf?