Peter Broelman, Australia This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Lockerbie Bomber’s Welcome Home In Libya
Those Forked Tongue Democrats: Keeping Your Plan
How many times have we heard President Obama deliver one version or another of this standard stump speech item? "If you like your health insurance plan, you keep your health insurance plan. If you like your doctor, you keep your doctor." And whether you're reading the actual wording of H.R. 3200 or the various takes of analysts in the field, that seems to be true... at least … [Read more...] about Those Forked Tongue Democrats: Keeping Your Plan
Example of Cowboy ‘Civility’ During A Time When People Screeching At One Another Is Too Often the Norm
In ancient mythos, the rainmaker symbolizes a part of the psyche which detaches and leaves the mad world and goes into the forest and down under the roots of the trees and sees the world from there... through a unique, set-apart zeitgeist, a spirit of our times that is not dedicated to apoplexy over cultural contretemps, but just calm observations, a remembering of honor... and … [Read more...] about Example of Cowboy ‘Civility’ During A Time When People Screeching At One Another Is Too Often the Norm
It’s Arlen Specter Live At The Improv
"Hi, my name is Arlen Specter and I'll be here all week. Tell your friends!" Well not quite...but he DID do a real, laugh getting set at the Improv. Don't believe it? JUST WATCH THIS: Of course politicians of both parties do comedy all the time. It's called "campaign promises." FOOTNOTE: It's great to see a politico have fun (particularly someone his age) and be so … [Read more...] about It’s Arlen Specter Live At The Improv
Does anybody really understand the health care debate?
Early this summer as the health care debate began to heat up I recall reading a very smart critique from one of TMV's sharpest regular commentators - CStanley. She argued that each of the individual goals set out by Obama and advanced in the then-progressing HR3200 attack serious problems with the health care system. But the problem was in reconciling a whole bunch of mutually … [Read more...] about Does anybody really understand the health care debate?
The poor need more protection from the H1N1 pandemic
Governments and international agencies are taking a big risk by playing down the potentially lethal effects of the H1N1 flu pandemic, earlier called “swine flu”, because most information during the last 11 months has come from the world’s rich countries. People affected are expected to double every three to four days for several months but in rich countries they are … [Read more...] about The poor need more protection from the H1N1 pandemic
Ale To The Chief: Obama Brew Debut Today
Obama Foodorama: Presidenti-Ale will be served for the first time this afternoon at the award-winning Offshore Ale Co., an Oak Bluffs restaurant and microbrewery, and perhaps it'll become the beer of choice at the Summer White House. The amber pale "Ale To The Chief" is made of all American ingredients, and was created by Neil Atkins, who's been the head brewer at Offshore … [Read more...] about Ale To The Chief: Obama Brew Debut Today
Lockerbie ‘Suspect’s’ Release Reflects Strength of Civilization: Trouw, The Netherlands
As it has in the United States, Scotland's release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi on the grounds of 'compassion' is sparking controversy in Europe. Much of the debate revolves around the issue of which is more valid: European 'compassion' vs. American 'revenge'. This editorial from Trouw of The Netherlands frames the issue this way: "The American … [Read more...] about Lockerbie ‘Suspect’s’ Release Reflects Strength of Civilization: Trouw, The Netherlands
San Francisco: A Public Option That Works
Polimom wrote an excellent post just a few hours ago titled "Health Care and Insurance: A Lost (and Crucial) Distinction." It is generating some great, instructive, civil discussion on a subject that I had not given much thought to. I highly recommend you go there and partake in the discussion. I have been there and learned a lot. But I also learned something new … [Read more...] about San Francisco: A Public Option That Works
Get A Life, America
Believe me when I tell you how hard I gritted my teeth and refrained from commenting on the clucking chatter of First Lady Michelle Obama stepping off Air Force One wearing short shorts in 108-degree temperature on a visit to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. "Smart, lady," I say to myself. "Very practical." But, nooo. Her critics among the fashion police piously complained … [Read more...] about Get A Life, America
If You Don’t Spend Money, It Doesn’t Affect the Economy
Two conservative Republican attorneys who worked in the Justice Department during the Reagan and Bush 41 administrations argue in the Washington Post that universal health insurance coverage is unconstitutional. Their reasoning? Lacking health insurance does not have any effect on the economy: … [Read more...] about If You Don’t Spend Money, It Doesn’t Affect the Economy
Leaked Details of IG Report Include Use of Mock Executions
This is sickening: … [Read more...] about Leaked Details of IG Report Include Use of Mock Executions
Michael Moore’s ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’
Moore -- "the most feared filmmaker in America" -- is up to his same old schtick. This time capitalism is in the bull's eye. I don't always agree with him, but I am always entertained by him. This target is ripe; the film looks to be particularly engaging: "It's a crime story. But it's also a war story about class warfare. And a vampire movie, with the upper 1 percent … [Read more...] about Michael Moore’s ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’
Taliban Reportedly Cut Fingers Off Two Voters In Afghanistan
By most accounts, Afghanistan's Thursday election was a model of democracy. But now the Taliban has made good on a threat and cut the fingers off two voters: An Afghan election monitoring group says Taliban insurgents have made good on their threat to chop off ink-stained fingers of voters. Meanwhile, international observers are rendering a tentative verdict on the … [Read more...] about Taliban Reportedly Cut Fingers Off Two Voters In Afghanistan
Tom Ridge Bombshell
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