Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's image problems are about to get even harder. She is about to the pitchforked into the national headlines again due to an up and coming article in Vanity Fair that will contain an interview with Levi Johnston where he'll give his version of what it was like to see Palin behind the scenes at home. His version isn't pretty: he paints a … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin’s Image Management is About to Get Harder
Nancy and Charlie: A Love Story
Now we have the answer to yesterday's question. What does Nancy Pelosi plan to do about Charlie Rangel and his curiously poor memory when it comes to matters of finance? Not a whole lot. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will let Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) keep his chairmanship despite his failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets on federal disclosure … [Read more...] about Nancy and Charlie: A Love Story
Dick Cheney’s New Book
Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Dick Cheney’s New Book
The Latest Laughable Claims of the Radical Right
While I'll be among the first to acknowledge that members of the radical (and not-so-radical) left produce their fair share of questionable if not detestable rhetorical moments, it seems the members of the radical (and not-so-radical) right are, of late, churning out more than their fair share. Granted, that is not a unique observation, nor is it without bias. Regardless, … [Read more...] about The Latest Laughable Claims of the Radical Right
Limits of Sex Offender Alert Programs Exposed
I am a long-time critic of sex-offender registries (see, most recently, here). Part of the problem is we're too quick to use the sex-offender label -- an estimated 674,000 people appear on registries across the country -- diluting its efficacy. Another is that even with registries we are too often too trusting to recognize the wolf at the door. But the bottom line is … [Read more...] about Limits of Sex Offender Alert Programs Exposed
19 Kids And Counting (How High?)
So we now have the news that the Duggar family will be having yet another child, making it 19 kids in all. This one will have the unique experience of being younger than his or her niece because oldest Duggar child Josh and his wife will have their first child (a girl) in October while the newest child for the parents will be born next year. I'm not sure what to think of … [Read more...] about 19 Kids And Counting (How High?)
CNN Poll: Majority of Independent Voters Disapprove of Obama
President Barack Obama has now hit a major danger zone: a new CNN poll finds that more independent voters disapprove of Obama than approve of him -- and his biggest failing grades are on the economy, taxes, the budget and health care: A majority of independent voters disapprove of how Barack Obama's handling his job as president, according to a new national … [Read more...] about CNN Poll: Majority of Independent Voters Disapprove of Obama
Jonah Lehrer on Pot in LA
You might remember that last week I pointed to Jonah Lehrer on Mirror Neutrons and porn. This week he's guest posting for Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish. His debut post yesterday was instigated by this LA Times story on the normalization of pot. Jonah says pot may one day be the new Prozac: I recently moved to Los Angeles and I'm still adjusting to all the medical marijuana … [Read more...] about Jonah Lehrer on Pot in LA
GMail/Google Apps Down UPDATED: It’s Back
UPDATE: It's back Here's what happened. ------------ I didn't notice because Gmail is still accessible via IMAP and POP, so I'm getting it via Mail and Outlook. It's also apparently accessible via iGoogle. The official Google Twitter account, 18 minutes ago: We're aware that people are having trouble accessing Gmail. We're working on fixing it. Apologies for the … [Read more...] about GMail/Google Apps Down UPDATED: It’s Back
Some Media Now Paying For Info In Garrido Kidnapping Rape Case
Here's yet another sign of the cheapening and gradual decline of America's news media's values -- as checkbook journalism becomes the order of the day for some, and key players in a big news story now make it known that they be demanding bigger bucks if they open their mouths in the future. The LA Times has this: At week’s end, the Antioch street where Jaycee Lee Dugard … [Read more...] about Some Media Now Paying For Info In Garrido Kidnapping Rape Case
Sending Our Astronauts to a Farm Upstate
Did you ever have a beloved pet disappear as a child and your parents told you that it had been sent off to live on a farm where it could chase rabbits, roll in the grass and play with the rest of the pets? And what the heck does that have to do with NASA and our space program? The answer is found in a strange but yet intriguing editorial in the New York Times by Lawrence M. … [Read more...] about Sending Our Astronauts to a Farm Upstate
How Much Per Car Did “Cash For Clunkers” Really Cost?
And house much per house for the first time buyer tax credit? Calculated Risk suggests that instead of $4.2k and $8k per car and house, it really is more like $7.2k and $43k if you look at the cost for increasing sales. Even if that's true, I'm not sure it's the proper way to look at it because the people that would have bought anyway are still saving money and may spend it … [Read more...] about How Much Per Car Did “Cash For Clunkers” Really Cost?
Palin’s Year as a Publicity Saint
When John McCain chose her as his running mate, she was virtually unknown. Now, twelve months later, Sarah Palin is sifting through more than 1070 invitations for paid appearances and speeches as well as a thick folder of offers for "network and pundit gigs, documentaries and business opportunities." This makes her one of the 21st century's first publicity saints, a status I … [Read more...] about Palin’s Year as a Publicity Saint
The Truth About Republicans (and Health-Care Reform)
It's often edifying when Republicans show their true colors, even if they're not exactly "beautiful like a rainbow." On health-care reform specifically, Republicans on Capitol Hill have for the most part either been obstructionists or outright opponents, spinning about "socialism" and "death panels" with all the strength they could muster, much of it latching on with an … [Read more...] about The Truth About Republicans (and Health-Care Reform)
Climate Change is a Real National Security Threat, Even for a Realist
Guest post by Michael Lieberman Michael Lieberman, a Truman National Security Project fellow, is an associate at Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington D.C., where he works on international regulatory and compliance issues. He was previously a law consultant at The Asia Foundation. (The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.) In a … [Read more...] about Climate Change is a Real National Security Threat, Even for a Realist
Around The Sphere
Our linkfest taking you to sites with varying opinions. Is Jenna Bush Being Treated Like Royalty? There were some rumblings about how GWB daughter Jenna Bush is being treated like royalty after she got a non-political gig on ABC's Good Morning America. But as Jules Crittenden points out here such criticism often seems to downplay or ignore the role of the Kennedys as … [Read more...] about Around The Sphere
Daily Kos — Anatomy Of A Bad Poll
For the first time in my life, professional pollsters tracked me down and actually asked my opinion on what they considered vital questions on the state of the union. Naturally, I was flattered. But the conversation went downhill in a hurry. It was a legitimate poll conducted by Pew Research Center of Princeton, New Jersey, and I suspect the woman conducting the poll was a … [Read more...] about Daily Kos — Anatomy Of A Bad Poll
More Good Economic News That Isn’t
I've been an economics and financial writer for 30 years. I used to enjoy my work. I used to take pride in it. The markets were kinky, sure, but that made the writing more fun. And even though a slew of picaresque and flagrantly self-serving characters might for a time generate oddball quirks in markets and even the overall economy, even in the midst of the most extreme bouts … [Read more...] about More Good Economic News That Isn’t
Seventy Years Ago Today The European Phase Of World War II Started
In these days where the word Nazi is being used as a political tool to describe "offenses" that don't even come close to approaching the crimes committed, and when idiot Americans are offering the "Heil Hitler" salute to an elderly Jewish man who disagrees with their politics, we need to remember history. World War II didn't start with the invasion of Poland on September 1, … [Read more...] about Seventy Years Ago Today The European Phase Of World War II Started
The NASA Earth Observing System satellite looks at California wildfires
The view of the smoke from the Station Fire in California from a NASA satellite: Smoke from Station Fire Blankets Southern California --- Cross-posted between Random Fate and The Moderate Voice. … [Read more...] about The NASA Earth Observing System satellite looks at California wildfires