Andrew Sullivan points to Ron Brownstein on the Census Bureau report on income, poverty and health insurance coverage in 2008 to find that on every major measurement... ...the country lost ground during Bush's two terms. While Bush was in office, the median household income declined, poverty increased, childhood poverty increased even more, and the number of Americans without … [Read more...] about Poverty Up; Health & Social Problem Worse
R.I.P. Larry Gelbart (A Special Appreciation)
This Guest Voice special appreciation is by skippy the bush kangaroo, a popular blogger who writes in lowercase -- and who offers this piece on the late comedy-writer great Larry Gelbart. He offers this caption for the above photo: skippy and dick benjamin laugh it up, while (left to right) leonard stern, stanley rubin, larry gelbart and carl reiner yawn. rip larry … [Read more...] about R.I.P. Larry Gelbart (A Special Appreciation)
The Great Tea Party Protest: The Aftermath
I am quite pleased at the Tea Party Protest March On Washington turnout yesterday (September 12, 2009). I've always been a fan and a lover of the protest and demonstration. I've been involved in many throughout my three and a half decades of life, the largest being the Million Man March (MMM) on October 16, 1995. There's a certain beauty about a protest. Everyone with a … [Read more...] about The Great Tea Party Protest: The Aftermath
Kevin Drum on Wilson-mania
Kevin asks:Did the Washington Post fulfill its duty to inform the public last night by running a mere eight separate pieces about Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's healthcare speech on Wednesday? Or is anything less than a dozen a sign that they aren't really trying anymore? After all, Politico had at least 15 Wilson-related pieces, including a big front pager by … [Read more...] about Kevin Drum on Wilson-mania
Serena Williams, the Joe Wilson of tennis?
I didn't see the outburst that cost Serena her semi-final match, but I saw (as in, television saw) her smash her racket after losing the first set. Even that was pretty jarring. Strange. A sport where the crowd watches in respectful silence, while a champion smashes expensive equipment that most fans would be grateful to own. Cross-posted at Conventional Folly … [Read more...] about Serena Williams, the Joe Wilson of tennis?
Will Pelosi flip on Afghanistan?
WILL PELOSI FLIP ON AFGHANISTAN? The editors of the Wall Street Journal remind Madame Speaker that she was a singing a different tune on Afghanistan not long ago:It is well known that Mr. Obama has called Afghanistan a "war of necessity." Less publicized is that in 2007 Speaker Pelosi was also saying that our real interests were in Afghanistan. "The war on terror is in … [Read more...] about Will Pelosi flip on Afghanistan?
Neglected Clean Water Laws = Higher Human Suffering
Just back from kayaking on the Oconee River, sitting on the launch-ramp waiting for my ride, I perused the NYTimes on my iphone. There I found this massive investigation of water pollution: Almost four decades ago, Congress passed the Clean Water Act to force polluters to disclose the toxins they dump into waterways and to give regulators the power to fine or jail offenders. … [Read more...] about Neglected Clean Water Laws = Higher Human Suffering
The ‘Weight’ of Obama’s ‘Word’: El Pais, Spain
ON GLASSES: 'CARE PLAN'TITLE: 'FRAGILE' Gravitas and the power of "the word." Gravitas is that ancient Roman measure of a leader's influence and credibility - and "the word" is a key tool that leaders must use to exercise that ancient virtue. Continuing with our sampling of global reaction to the issue of health care in America, according to columnist Lluis Bassets of … [Read more...] about The ‘Weight’ of Obama’s ‘Word’: El Pais, Spain
ABC Denies It Ever Said Yesterday’s Protest Rally Had 1 Million People
A slight discrepancy has broken out between a conservative activist, the new media and a member of the old media quoted as a source for some in the new media: it's only a matter of the whether the size of yesterday's protest in Washington is being touted as having 940,000 more people then were actually there. So ABC News has issued a strong statement trying to set the … [Read more...] about ABC Denies It Ever Said Yesterday’s Protest Rally Had 1 Million People
Anti-Abortion Group Gets Organized in Florida
[ Editor's Note: The title and URL for this post has been changed from the original. -- PMA ] They probably will not succeed in what they are trying to do (at least not this time), but it's frightening to some of us to know that there are organized groups with this agenda: A nationwide anti-abortion group launched an effort in Florida Friday to outlaw all abortions and … [Read more...] about Anti-Abortion Group Gets Organized in Florida
Freedom and Security on the Mall
I thought I'd do a quote roundup from various commentaries on today's Tea Party gathering in D.C. … [Read more...] about Freedom and Security on the Mall
More Signs of GOP’s Increasingly Ugly Political Tone
A slew of websites (old and new media) are now running photos of a sign that has appeared at today's conservative anti-tax, anti-government spending, anti-health care reform rally in Washington -- and it once again raises the question: Is the Republican party now morphing into a political organization that only wants to reaffirm it's existing members' political grudges, … [Read more...] about More Signs of GOP’s Increasingly Ugly Political Tone
The latest bobble-head demagogue named Joe
Hard to say if Joe Wilson is another Joe McCarthy. He did call the President of the United States a lair as Obama spoke to an official joint session of Congress, which is certainly a McCarthy thing to do. Don't debate the issue, attack the individual. McCarthy, a Republican senator from Wisconsin in the early 1950s, did it by claiming the target individual, whoever it happened … [Read more...] about The latest bobble-head demagogue named Joe
What Afghan Civilians Are Doing Near Fuel Tankers
The link to the Guardian article does not work in my post, although the link on Memeorandum worked, and I double-checked that I had pasted it in right. I guess you'll have to take my word that the article exists -- or you can click on the link from Memeorandum. A few days ago, I wrote a post about the NATO-U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan that was ordered on the basis of one … [Read more...] about What Afghan Civilians Are Doing Near Fuel Tankers
Too Many Channels: What A Google-Killer Must Address
How I use RSS. RSS is too slow. RSS is dead. No it's not. Rest in peace. RSS is alive and well. We're seeing the rise of the real-time web. I'm reminded that back in the day I had a small spat with Fred Wilson when he said Email is dead. And I said no it's not. I felt vindicated this week when Wilson implored, Don't forget about email. Indeed, everything old is new again … [Read more...] about Too Many Channels: What A Google-Killer Must Address
Democrats and their childish ways
It’s fair to say that Democrats have been disappointed with Obama. The fairy tail campaign gave progressives hope that he was the second coming, the best thing since sliced bread. I mean, who knew Superman was actually black? I don’t blame Liberals for this assumption. After all, Obama was (*thumbing through 2008’s Republican talking points*) "the most liberal senator." … [Read more...] about Democrats and their childish ways
Obama’s Health Care ‘Coup’: Financial Times Deutschland, Germany
As we have been seeing for months, when it comes to provisioning the population with health care, the behavior of U.S. Republicans is far more incomprehensible to Europeans than even for most U.S. Democrats. According to columnist David Francis of Germany's Financial Times Deutschland, President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress on health care came close to … [Read more...] about Obama’s Health Care ‘Coup’: Financial Times Deutschland, Germany
Letter to Joe Wilson
Mike Keefe, The Denver Post This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Letter to Joe Wilson
Republicans’ false dawn
“You’re either with us or against us,” I may be paraphrasing the former President of the United States, but these very words might as well be the mantra of the Republican Party right now. I now watch the American political discourse with a sense of sadness and dismay as in a few short months the political discussion in the US could be fairly compared to an argument between … [Read more...] about Republicans’ false dawn
The Problem with Being Right All the Time
I think God created teenage rebellion to keep humanity from ever being too certain about anything. Most humans believe they have a balanced or appropriate view of existence. In other words, we think we’re mostly right. Perpetually thinking you’re mostly wrong is a difficult way to exist. Consequently, we develop a certitude about our social, political, cultural, and … [Read more...] about The Problem with Being Right All the Time