Some people can never see the name "Walter Cronkite" in any context without thinking, "He and the rest of the liberal media made us lose in Vietnam." Yes, even now, 35 years and huge uncountable numbers of books, articles, films, declassified primary sources, original research, conferences, scholarly papers, eyewitness accounts, et al., later, there still exist media pundits, … [Read more...] about Walter Cronkite: A Voice That Defined an Era
America Deserves to Be ‘More Appreciated’: Cotidianul, Romania
When looking for articles about the United States in the foreign press, one often finds columnists quoting the founding fathers and preaching to their readers about the glories of America and its legacy. This article from Romania's Cotidianul newspaper gives us both a peak into Romania and a sense of the esteem many people abroad hold our nation. Citing the election of … [Read more...] about America Deserves to Be ‘More Appreciated’: Cotidianul, Romania
What Walter Cronkite Means to Me
Walter Cronkite: 1916-2009 Walter Cronkite, who died today at age 92, left a tremendous imprint on the lives of millions of Americans and generations of journalists, including myself. He stood for being the people's tribune, he stood for a dispassionate accounting of the facts, he stood for all of the ideals that today's journalists consider articles of faith, chief of … [Read more...] about What Walter Cronkite Means to Me
End of An Era: The Venerable Newsman, Walter Cronkite Passes from This World at Age 92
Walter Cronkite who covered the landing at the beaches of Normandy, who covered the Nazis' final crumbling at the Nuremburg Trials, who announced the assassination of President John Kennedy... Mr. Cronkite lived in the midst of the most compelling, horrible, and expansive times of the last hundred years. You've left the world with ever so many stories to tell-- for, as you … [Read more...] about End of An Era: The Venerable Newsman, Walter Cronkite Passes from This World at Age 92
Walter Cronkite Has Died
Breaking News Alert The New York Times Friday, July 17, 2009 -- 8:14 PM ET ----- Walter Cronkite, Iconic Anchorman, Dead at 92 Walter Cronkite, an iconic CBS News journalist who defined the role of anchorman for a generation of television viewers, died Friday at the age of 92, his family said. … [Read more...] about Walter Cronkite Has Died
On The Day Lt. Bradshaw Died For His Country…
I have, on several occasions, quoted or referred to Letters to the Editor. Letters written daily by thousands of regular Americans, containing unbelievably good common sense and wisdom---sometimes, sadness and frustration. Letters that, in my opinion, are an accurate barometer of how regular Americans feel about the problems and issues that face our nation. One such … [Read more...] about On The Day Lt. Bradshaw Died For His Country…
Gay Rights And The American Elite
The cover story in the current issue of the Yale Alumni Magazine recounts the remarkable progress toward equality and acceptance that gay students have made at Yale over the past thirty years. The same is true at every prominent college or university I'm familiar with. In the homes and workplaces of the American elite -- roughly defined by a certain mix of education, wealth … [Read more...] about Gay Rights And The American Elite
Health Reform: Urgency and Patience
Here's a candidate for understatement of the year: Many people are anxious for Congress to finalize a health care reform bill that both chambers can live with and send to the President for signature. Despite my past-month handwringing over the costs of such legislation, I entirely understand and empathize with the anxiety of those "many people." Take the case of a family … [Read more...] about Health Reform: Urgency and Patience
The Unvarnished Racism of Pat Buchanan
Firedoglake's Scarecrow blasts Pat Buchanan for his racist diatribes on MSNBC, and asks why that network continues to hire him as an on-air contributor: … [Read more...] about The Unvarnished Racism of Pat Buchanan
With All That’s On His Table, A Shot Of Booze Is OK
As President Obama's personal popularity sinks to the 50-yard line, his landmark climate change and healthcare bills in deep doo doo, the stimulus bill tied up in bureaucratic knots and his continual flummoxing over Bush Administration torture and secret CIA operations, one thing remains certain. The public has an insatiable thirst for the guy. It ranges from the fanatical … [Read more...] about With All That’s On His Table, A Shot Of Booze Is OK
Amazon E-Deletes Bought And Paid For Orwell Titles From Kindles
LATER UPDATE -- Amazon says it won't happen again: These books were added to our catalog using our self-service platform by a third-party who did not have the rights to the books. When we were notified of this by the rights holder, we removed the illegal copies from our systems and from customers’ devices, and refunded customers. We are changing our systems so that in the … [Read more...] about Amazon E-Deletes Bought And Paid For Orwell Titles From Kindles
Moon Landing and Chappaquiddick
Forty years ago this weekend, two events marked the end of the Kennedy era--Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, as JFK had promised, and his brother Ted drove off a bridge at Chappaquiddick to signify the end of Camelot. "I believe," President John F. Kennedy had told Congress the year Barack Obama was born, "that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, … [Read more...] about Moon Landing and Chappaquiddick
The Whining Rich
If you believe conservative commentators, liberals are a bunch of whining, carping, envious wimps, always complaining about some puffed up abuse of indigents or some other lefty lament. But believe me when I say that no group whines, moans, beats its heads against the wall in torment about a perceived injustice more than the very rich or their champions. Take the 5.4 percent … [Read more...] about The Whining Rich
Wither Hillary Clinton?
Is Hillary Clinton being shoved to the side? Has President Barack Obama put her in the administration to keep her out of competition in the future? Is she being overshadowed by Obama on foreign affairs and is merely a figurehead? Is all of this normal or a symptom of continuing political rivalry? And: is all of this emerging speculation based on anything or is it typical of … [Read more...] about Wither Hillary Clinton?
Malcolm X as One Republican’s Inspiration
No, it's not a trend. No, we should not try to paint every Republican with the same brush. Yes, every party (every movement) has its crackpots. Regardless, this made me giggle. Granted, it was an uncomfortable giggle, and maybe not a giggle at all. More like a snarky ... snicker/smirk, or something like that. … [Read more...] about Malcolm X as One Republican’s Inspiration
We’re All Lemmings Now
Patrick Edaburn pointed out last night that the Washington Post (not exactly a bastion of Right wing conservatism) reported on recent CBO findings which indicate that the proposed House health reform plan will actually drive costs up, rather than producing the savings we've been promised. The numbers don't seem to be the issue here, since they appear to be clear to everyone … [Read more...] about We’re All Lemmings Now
Earth to Newspapers: You CAN Control Your Content With Robots.txt
Newspapers act like they don't have a clue. So Google directed this message at them: The truth is that news publishers, like all other content owners, are in complete control when it comes not only to what content they make available on the web, but also who can access it and at what price. This is the very backbone of the web -- there are many confidential company web sites, … [Read more...] about Earth to Newspapers: You CAN Control Your Content With Robots.txt
The Episcopal Church’s Step Forward (Guest Voice)
The Episcopal Church’s Step Forward by Britney Wilkins On Monday, the bishops of the Episcopal Church voted to open the ministry position to gay men and lesbians which seems to almost undermine a previous moratorium which was passed three years earlier. While this resolution does not mandate that all dioceses have to consider gay candidates, it simply allows some diocese … [Read more...] about The Episcopal Church’s Step Forward (Guest Voice)
Obama’s Trip To Russia: Success, Failure Or In Between?
Was President Barack Obama's recent trip to Russia a success, failure or in between? Did he waste a perfect opportunity to stand up in front of the microphones and cameras and declare U.S. victory in the cold war -- or would that have been an unwise and/or inaccurate move? Cathy Young, a contributing editor at Reason, a weekly columnist at RealClearPolitics, and the author … [Read more...] about Obama’s Trip To Russia: Success, Failure Or In Between?
Sotomayor and Palin
John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Sotomayor and Palin