Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is making news today with his splash of an arrival at the Venice Film Festival for the premier of Oliver Stone's movie about his life called South of the Border. Italian news agency Adnkronos gave this somewhat detailed account of Chavez' arrival in Venice and his comments in praise of Oliver Stone, President Obama and the Italian actresses … [Read more...] about Chavez Arrives in Italy; Lauds Oliver Stone; Wants to ‘Help’ Obama: Adnkronos, Italy
Afghanistan: So Few Options, So Many Risks
As the fighting in Afghanistan intensifies; as that war claims more and more casualties; and as critical decisions loom on national objectives, strategy and corresponding troop levels and deployments there, the debate also intensifies. I have stated my views on the Afghanistan war here and here, and so have other TMV contributors. I am probably oversimplifying things, but … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: So Few Options, So Many Risks
The Long-Term Balanced Budget (Guest Voice)
The Long-Term Balanced Budget by Hunter Hatfield With regard to budgets, we in the U.S. are typically offered two choices: 1) no balanced budget rules or 2) an annual balanced budget. Currently, 32 states have a balanced budget amendment in their constitution while 11 more have statutory rules. That's 43 of 50 states. Meanwhile, the federal government has none. As is … [Read more...] about The Long-Term Balanced Budget (Guest Voice)
Van Jones
Eric Allie, Caglecartoons.com This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Van Jones
Progressives are Killing Obama’s Presidency
The last two elections (2006 and 2008) were a rebuke to a Republican party that was running amok, and utterly without coherence, vision, or leadership. They deserved to be ousted, and their overheated rhetoric and deliberate misstatements about the new administration demonstrate that they are nowhere near ready to return to power; they need far more time in the political … [Read more...] about Progressives are Killing Obama’s Presidency
Laura Bush Criticizes Excessive Partisanship, Praises Obama
Former first lady Laura Bush has lamented excessive partisanship and defended President Barack Obama in an interview with CNN that will probably cause her to be labeled a RINO who just doesn't get in some parts of the talk radio political culture. In fact, in the interview she shows that she not only does get it but is quite astute politically about the trending in … [Read more...] about Laura Bush Criticizes Excessive Partisanship, Praises Obama
British Muslims Convicted Of Plotting Britain’s 9/11
Three British Muslims were convicted yesterday of plotting to commit "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" by blowing up transatlantic airliners in an attempt to kill thousands of people in the air and on the ground, reports The Independent. "Last night, senior Scotland Yard detectives told The Independent that, if the plot had been successful, the death toll could easily … [Read more...] about British Muslims Convicted Of Plotting Britain’s 9/11
Politics: What’s Old is New Again
A timely reminder about how both sides of the aisle politicize even the most routine matters. … [Read more...] about Politics: What’s Old is New Again
How Do Dumb Things Happen?
I am the first to admit that I am the king of dumb mistakes. Whether it's in my personal life or my professional one, I am quite capable (indeed sometimes it seems eager) to make dumb blunders. Normally they are pretty minor but once in a while I do make a whopper of a blunder. I accept this as simply part of being a human being But I have some friends who work in the … [Read more...] about How Do Dumb Things Happen?
Afghanistan: NATO In A Quagmire Too?
NATO's first Secretary General, Lord Ismay, famously stated the organization's goal was "to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down". The world is a different place now. Some have even begin to question the need for keeping NATO alive in the post-Cold War era. Mary Dejevsky says in The Independent: "Nato's dissolution is long overdue... Where more than … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: NATO In A Quagmire Too?
Newt Gingrich Must Be a Socialist, A Rino, a Liberal Democrat or a Maoist
THIS JUST IN!!! Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich must really be a socialist, a RINO, a liberal Democrat, or a Maoist. the reason: he has praised Barack Obama's upcoming speech to schoolkids, in one of his Twitters: http://bit.ly/HQNSW RT @newtgingrich: Just read President Obamas speech to students. It is a good speech & will be good for students to hear. Another person … [Read more...] about Newt Gingrich Must Be a Socialist, A Rino, a Liberal Democrat or a Maoist
Is Low Medicare Overhead A Myth ?
One thing that has been mentioned in the debate over health care reform is the idea that Medicare has a much lower overhead than private insurance companies so to switch over to a government system would save money. But one of the problems is that this assumes the current overhead would remain the same if millions more joined the system. As has been pointed out by some of … [Read more...] about Is Low Medicare Overhead A Myth ?
To Catch A Kindle Thief. Or Not.
The upside of the Kindle's tether could be that when lost or stolen, Amazon would use its technology to help you get it back. Don't count on it. The NYTimes: Samuel Borgese, for instance, is still irate about the response from Amazon when he recently lost his Kindle. After leaving it on a plane, he canceled his account so that nobody could charge books to his credit card. Then … [Read more...] about To Catch A Kindle Thief. Or Not.
A Community Shows It Cares
Recently our local news covered the story of a police standoff in the city of Manteca, California. It was a pretty standard story, a couple of would be bank robbers were running from the police and ran inside a duplex, displacing the residents and leading to an hours long standoff. Happily that part of the story ended without anyone being hurt. But the story had a followup, … [Read more...] about A Community Shows It Cares
Labor’s Love Lost
Previous generations marked the holiday with parades, speeches and editorials honoring the dignity of work. Today's theme is despair over failure to find jobs. "Labor Day 2009 is a terrible time to be an American worker," writes Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson. "Official unemployment hovers just under 10 percent, its highest level since the early 1980s. Add in … [Read more...] about Labor’s Love Lost
‘Rivers of Blood:’ The West Could Care Less for Deaths of Afghans – The Frontier Post, Pakistan
When one wants to get a sense of how people on the Afghan-Pakistan border feel about something, Pakistan's Frontier Post, based in Quetta, Pakistan, is a good place to look. In this indignant editorial reaction to yesterday's ill-fated NATO attack in Afghanistan's Kunduz Province, the Frontier Post equates NATO forces with Taliban fighters, attacks the sincerity of the … [Read more...] about ‘Rivers of Blood:’ The West Could Care Less for Deaths of Afghans – The Frontier Post, Pakistan
Fighting Fire With Fire: Olbermann vs. Beck
Ostensibly because of this.... Keith Olbermann is going after Glenn Beck. Via James Joyner, "Somehow, this reminds me of Mad’s long-running Spy vs. Spy series." [Link mine] KatRose calls it A Truly Worthy Cause. She goes on to use her academic access to quote local media accounts of Beck's career as a morning zoo schlock jock. She finds "no smoking guns." I … [Read more...] about Fighting Fire With Fire: Olbermann vs. Beck
But What Will You Tell the Children?
So. The White House has released the prepared text for Obama's speech to the nation's students tomorrow. It's packed full of what I consider to be classic values that are held very dearly by pretty much every parent I know. It talks about taking responsibility, and working hard, and having goals that take effort, and that there's no excuse for not trying. It says, … [Read more...] about But What Will You Tell the Children?
Is Half a Loaf Better Than None?
That is essentially the question Josh Marshall asks about health care reform. And the answer is, when it comes to health care reform, half a loaf may well be worse than none: … [Read more...] about Is Half a Loaf Better Than None?
Yet another good reason…
... not to go back to the moon. Moon Cat has already rendered the effort meaningless. … [Read more...] about Yet another good reason…