John Cole, The Scranton Times-Tribune This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Tom Ridge Bombshell
NY Gov. David Paterson: The Racists Want Me Out
Here in the Empire State, Governor David Paterson is in trouble and there's no two ways about it. Though his approval numbers have actually rebounded a bit lately, the upward trend still leaves him hovering in the neighborhood of 30 after hitting a low of 18 earlier this year. (Maybe he should run for Congress instead? Those sorts of approval numbers are par for the course … [Read more...] about NY Gov. David Paterson: The Racists Want Me Out
Health Care and Insurance: A Lost (and Crucial) Distinction
Here on TMV, we've discussed health care reform (often with a fair amount of heat) up and down, in and out, and every which way. Usually, the threads end up circular, with everybody back at their respective starting places; we're getting nowhere. So I'd like to ask a different question (and perhaps go somewhere new): Why are we stuck on the "insurance" model for health … [Read more...] about Health Care and Insurance: A Lost (and Crucial) Distinction
Look Back: I Wanna Be Sedated
Just this morning I received a jarring reminder of just how fast time flies and the years slip away from us. It was 33 years ago this month that The Ramones' self titled debut album scratched and clawed its way up near the top of the charts and shook the fledgling era of evolving rock and roll to its roots. I spent the majority of my time listening to what's now considered … [Read more...] about Look Back: I Wanna Be Sedated
Return of the Franking Sign Monster
Last month, in a column at Pajamas Media, we talked about the Franking Sign Monster. At that time we discovered that the Franking Commission - usually little more than a glorified group of hall monitors charged with making sure none of the members are stealing stamps - had been censoring the mailings of certain Republican Congressmen because they didn't care for the … [Read more...] about Return of the Franking Sign Monster
Those Forked Tongue Democrats: Long Term Costs
Back when I was young, Kris Kristofferson warned us all of the dangers of the silver tongued devil... the person who would come off as a charming fellow and say things you want to hear, then turn around and do you wrong. If you've been paying any attention at all to the running series of comments from both President Obama and Congressional Democrats on matters of spending, the … [Read more...] about Those Forked Tongue Democrats: Long Term Costs
Mixed Messages Being Sent On Public Option (Guest Voice)
Mixed Messages Sent On Public Option by Jon Wells One day after HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and President Obama both said a public option wasn't essential to health care reform, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a public option needs to be a part of the health care overhaul. She said there was strong support in the House for the public option, joining Rep. Maxine Waters … [Read more...] about Mixed Messages Being Sent On Public Option (Guest Voice)
A Sweet Video
Nothing more to say. A soldier home from Afghanistan is greeted by one of the loves of his life. … [Read more...] about A Sweet Video
BREAKING: Lutherans Vote To Allow Gay Clergy
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune: Gay ministers will be allowed to lead parishes, representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted today in Minneapolis. The 559-451 vote marks a historic change for the 4.8 million ELCA members, including 830,000 in Minnesota. The vote repeals the ELCA's ban on gay clergy unless they agreed to remain celibate. … [Read more...] about BREAKING: Lutherans Vote To Allow Gay Clergy
The Fine Art Of Corrections
One of the great things working for newspapers for so many years is the corrections we needed to print. Some editors were more sensitive to the process than others. A few were impervious to the point of neglecting their responsibility until the filing of a lawsuit. Some may recall the recent plight of The New York Times when its ombudsman corrected a story written by the … [Read more...] about The Fine Art Of Corrections
Quote of the Day: Is Healthcare Reform Becoming A Lose-Lose For Obama?
Our political Quote of the Day comes from The Atlantic's Ronald Brownstein (who did superb work when he was on the Los Angeles Times). He analyzes polls showing that Barack Obama and the Democrats are being steadily weakened by the healthcare reform battle, then writes: As the prospects for bipartisan agreement in the Senate fade, the need for Obama to unify Democrats will … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Is Healthcare Reform Becoming A Lose-Lose For Obama?
NASA Image Of The Day: Cat’s Eye Nebula
Another beautiful image of the day from NASA, combining data from two different space-based telescopes. -- Cross-posted between Random Fate and The Moderate Voice. --- … [Read more...] about NASA Image Of The Day: Cat’s Eye Nebula
Those “Coulds and Woulds” in the Health Care Debate
I have frequently written about, quoted from, or published letters to the editors of our newspapers. I have often said that one can find unbelievably good common sense and wisdom in such letters from ordinary Americans. Once in a while, a politician's letter to the editor finds its way onto the editorial pages. Alarm bells should ring when this occurs. I am not … [Read more...] about Those “Coulds and Woulds” in the Health Care Debate
Cheney Tell-All Book
John Cole, The Scranton Times-Tribune This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Cheney Tell-All Book
The Real Republican Health Care Proposal
While in many cases it has fallen on deaf ears, we've made efforts in the past to clear up some of the misinformation being handed out by proponents of Democratic health insurance reform proposals around the web, including here at TMV. I was mentally adding a few check points to that list today while reading Rick Moran's latest column at Pajamas Media, "Take Health Insurance, … [Read more...] about The Real Republican Health Care Proposal
Soothe My Worries About a “Public Option” Boondoggle. Please.
An interesting thread developed last night here on TMV, in which several people who are not ideologically sitting behind a firewall ("Public plan or nothing!" or "If the government touches it, it's Socialism!") tried to find areas of common ground on health care reform. We found several areas of agreement. However, we also heard from folks who think there are irreconcilable … [Read more...] about Soothe My Worries About a “Public Option” Boondoggle. Please.
Afghanistan’s Disputed Election
A roundup HERE. … [Read more...] about Afghanistan’s Disputed Election
They Have Served Our Country, Twice
A question asked by a member of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) got my attention. The question was: "I think most members of Congress don't understand what it's like to serve in the armed services. How many members of Congress have served in the military?" The MOAA's answer was: The numbers of veterans in Congress has significantly … [Read more...] about They Have Served Our Country, Twice
Context, Reality, Debate
I recently took note of a young conservative who spoke at an event hosted by Sen. McCaskill’s staff. I wrote that, while I didn't entirely agree with this young man's arguments, his clarity of thought and stage presence were impressive for someone his age, perhaps signaling a future for him in Republican politics. In addition to his public-speaking acumen, I also give … [Read more...] about Context, Reality, Debate
Are Democrats Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory (Again)?
A quickly emerging question on the political scene is now this: are the Democrats going to do it again? Are they really going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? It certainly seems like it's headed in that direction. Although events -- and political takes -- in our increasingly hyperactive political culture can suddenly change the calculations, it seems several … [Read more...] about Are Democrats Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory (Again)?