Remembering Robert Novak -- Interview by Bill Steigerwald Conservative columnist and CNN “crossfire” host Robert Novak died Tuesday at age 78 after a year-long battle with brain cancer. Known as the “Prince of Darkness” – by his friends – because of his pessimistic persona, Novak was a tough political reporter from the old school who caused more than his share of … [Read more...] about Remembering Robert Novak — Interview (Guest Voice)
‘Russian Obama’ Emerges in Volgograd: Vremya Novostei, Russia
Transplanted from Guinea-Bissau twenty years ago, a 37-year-old Afro-Russian watermelon salesman is making waves by running for a local parliamentary seat in Russia's Volgograd Oblast (formerly Stalingrad). This news item by Natalia Rozhkova of Russia's Vremya Novostei newspaper examines his candidacy and chances of winning, and compares how minority candidates in Russia … [Read more...] about ‘Russian Obama’ Emerges in Volgograd: Vremya Novostei, Russia
So What’s the Endgame in Iraq?
So what's the endgame in Iraq? Skillful foreign policy decision makers will think through the various scenarios and be ready for them. George Friedman, in a Stratfor Intelligence Report article on RealClearWorld looks at some of them. And his key conclusion: whatever happens, Iran must be factored into it. Here's just a small part of the piece, the ending: The American … [Read more...] about So What’s the Endgame in Iraq?
Social Media Is Not A Fad
It's a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. John Battelle: True, to a point. What it really is, is the release of how we already communicate, but now at scale. It's not a shift in *how* we communicate, it's a step function in our *ability* to communicate. There's an important difference there. One could argue that means a fundamental shift, but such a statement … [Read more...] about Social Media Is Not A Fad
How Polling Really Works
Just another lesson for us Yanks from the wise Sir Humphrey … [Read more...] about How Polling Really Works
Australia’s Big Gas Deals With China & India
Kevin Rudd's government is in a celebration mode following Australia's twin victory in finalizing 20-year-long liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deals with India and China. A sales and purchase AUD 25 billion agreement between ExxonMobil and Petronet LNG of India signed last week is the "dawning of a new trading partnership." Under the agreement, Exxon Mobil will supply … [Read more...] about Australia’s Big Gas Deals With China & India
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Who’s On First?
Larry J. Sabato: WHO'S ON FIRST? Does the Ballot Order of Candidates Make a Difference? (Ten Principles That Answer the Question) Every year, about this time, I hear from people who have watched their state set the order of candidate appearance on the fall ballot. Some states put candidates in chronological order of their official filing with the elections board, while … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Who’s On First?
Officials Knew Where ‘Missing Ship’ Was
According to news reports the 'missing ship' wasn't really missing as officials had good evidence of where it was the whole time. The secrecy was intended to protect the crew from a hijacking and the danger of being killed by those in control of the ship. I'm still not sure what is really going on here. I'm not saying the story doesn't pass the smell test, it is possible … [Read more...] about Officials Knew Where ‘Missing Ship’ Was
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: A Note on the Sotomayor Confirmation Vote
Alan I. Abramowitz: A Note on the Sotomayor Confirmation Vote - Explaining the Votes of Republican Senators. Like almost everything else in Congress, Senate votes on Supreme Court nominations have become much more polarized along party lines in recent years. That was certainly true of the recent vote on President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. While all 59 Democrats … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: A Note on the Sotomayor Confirmation Vote
Another Presentation on the Basics of Health Care Reform Proposals
A few days ago, I published links to primers on health care reform from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Here is a fun visual overview of current health care reform proposals. (WARNING: The biases of the presenters are apparent. But if you know that going in, I think that you can sift the policy preferences out and keep the information in.) Thanks to Meredith … [Read more...] about Another Presentation on the Basics of Health Care Reform Proposals
No Bipartisan Consensus? Time To Use The Majority!
The last 48 hours have served as a clarifying moment in the health care debate. First, the White House sent out trial balloons this weekend on abandoning the public option. Progressives were not amused and organized intensely for the first time this summer. Finally the left is matching the intensity of the right - and it took a perceived betrayal by the White House to do … [Read more...] about No Bipartisan Consensus? Time To Use The Majority!
Readers Digest Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
In the morass of new and old media, a big media story has been breaking -- or, rather, a story that would have once been a big media story. It's not as big as it once would have been -- and isn't being played up the way it would have been even 5 years ago -- because the subject of this story has gone from being a powerful media giant to more of a weakening relic from bygone big … [Read more...] about Readers Digest Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
DNA Can Be Faked; Tampering Can Be Found
News that scientists have demonstrated the possibility of fabricating DNA is bound to be fodder for the conspiracy theorists among us. “You can just engineer a crime scene,” said the lead author of the new study. Oh, swell! Ars Technica has previously reported that there's not a lot of science to the rest of forensic science. Thankfully, their read of this study suggests … [Read more...] about DNA Can Be Faked; Tampering Can Be Found
NBC News Poll: Health Care Reform Fear Mongering Seems to Be Working
A new NBC News poll reflects that Americans remain skeptical about the Democrats' health care reform plans. For example, "a plurality" believes that the Democrats' health plan would worsen the quality of health care; a result that, according to MSNBC.com, "is virtually unchanged from last month’s NBC/Wall Street Journal poll." Fair enough. The president and the Democrats … [Read more...] about NBC News Poll: Health Care Reform Fear Mongering Seems to Be Working
Finding Humor In Serious Work
Studying how zombies might take over the world sounds like something for The Journal of Irreproducible Results, but it's really serious science: Science ponders zombie attack --- Cross-posted between Random Fate and The Moderate Voice. --- Technorati : humor, research, science, zombies Del.icio.us : humor, research, science, zombies Zooomr : humor, research, science, … [Read more...] about Finding Humor In Serious Work
Jon Kyl Comes Right Out and Says It
Republicans in Congress will not support health care reform, even if the public option is dropped. According to Kyl, there is no conceivable set of circumstances under which the GOP will vote for any health care reform package the Democrats come up with: … [Read more...] about Jon Kyl Comes Right Out and Says It
Sometimes Satire Is More True Than What’s Reported In The “News”
From The Onion: Congress Deadlocked Over How To Not Provide Health Care WASHINGTON—After months of committee meetings and hundreds of hours of heated debate, the United States Congress remained deadlocked this week over the best possible way to deny Americans health care. "Both parties understand that the current system is broken," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told … [Read more...] about Sometimes Satire Is More True Than What’s Reported In The “News”
The Incomprehensibility Of Donald Rumsfeld
Last week, Christopher Caldwell reviewed Bradley Graham's new book about Donald Rumsfeld. As soon as I have time to digest 800 pages of Graham's prose, I'll let you know what I think of the book. For now, I'll just say that Caldwell picks up on one of the central challenges of studying Rumsfeld. Washington now dismisses Rumsfeld as a tragically stubborn ideologue. Yet when … [Read more...] about The Incomprehensibility Of Donald Rumsfeld
Twitter Will Vanquish Every Tyrant
Jon Last sharply questions the Twitter-euphoria generated by recent events in Tehran. In spite of rose-tinted predictions that historians would celebrate Twitter's liberation of Iran and the beginning of a new era of global politics, the streets are now quiet in Tehran, the result of traditional head-bashing. Jon argues that this overestimation of Twitter's political … [Read more...] about Twitter Will Vanquish Every Tyrant
Suderman On Health Care And Our ‘Messy’ Politics
Regarding the current, highly charged and confusing health care debate (e.g., is a public option off the table or not?), Peter Suderman -- serving as one of several interim bloggers at The Daily Dish while Andrew is on sabbatical -- writes: Democratic politics is a messy business. It's disorganized and frantic and unpredictable and frustrating. Politics is a matter of … [Read more...] about Suderman On Health Care And Our ‘Messy’ Politics