Is the deadly rioting in China's western-most provinces driving a public relations policy change in Beijing? According to this article from the state-run China Daily, just as in America, Chinese society is due for an open discussion on prejudice. Using the recent American controversy between Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and a White police officer as a jumping off … [Read more...] about Like America, China, Too, Must Confront Racism and Prejudice: The China Daily, China
Can Republicans Escape Their Extremists?
WASHINGTON -- Things are looking up for the Republicans, relatively speaking. President Obama's poll numbers have dipped, GOP recruitment for the 2010 elections is going better than expected, and the heath care battle has been rough on the Democrats. On top of that, the surveys show Republicans now leading in this year's two major governor's races, in Virginia and New … [Read more...] about Can Republicans Escape Their Extremists?
Iran Top Reformists To Be Put On Trial As Ahmadinejad Prepares Inauguration
Get ready for Iran to be in pitchforked into the headlines this week as the regime there prepares to get -- and to receive -- a double whammy. And there could be a triple whammy, too. First whammy: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be inaugurated as President, even though the legitimacy of his vote is now seen in almost the same light as the rigged elections that kept Iraq's Sadaam … [Read more...] about Iran Top Reformists To Be Put On Trial As Ahmadinejad Prepares Inauguration
Obama, Burma and Indonesia
Via the always thoughtful Dan Twining:Last Friday, Indonesia's electoral commission certified the winner of the country's recent presidential election, a free and fair contest that demonstrated the strength of democratic norms in a country ruled for decades by strongmen supported by Washington. Meanwhile, next door in Burma, a political show trial is preparing to convict that … [Read more...] about Obama, Burma and Indonesia
What Obama secretly believes
James Kirchick has a very interesting article in the Sunday Post. Since declaring himself as a candidate for President, Barack Obama has consistently stated that he opposes gay marriage. Yet it is practically an article of faith among liberals that Obama secretly supports gay marriage, but says the opposite for political reasons. James writes,I've lost track of the number of … [Read more...] about What Obama secretly believes
No Such Thing as Bad Publicity?
Wow. Sarah Palin and her attorney seem determined to keep this story alive. … [Read more...] about No Such Thing as Bad Publicity?
Consensus, Not Oversight
Earlier this week, CIA director Leon Panetta advised us that we all need to stop worrying about war crimes of the past (our past), put CIA black sites and " 'enhanced' interrogation techniques" behind us, and move on. (After all, the CIA was just following orders only "implements presidential decisions"; it "does not make them.") … [Read more...] about Consensus, Not Oversight
Dem Spenders
Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Dem Spenders
The Medal of Honor: A Medal Too Far?
Almost five years into the Afghanistan war and three years into the Iraq war, something started to nag at me, something just didn’t seem right. In spite of the high number of casualties (killed in action and seriously maimed and wounded); in spite of the heroic deeds we knew our brave troops were accomplishing; and in spite of the importance of those wars to the security of … [Read more...] about The Medal of Honor: A Medal Too Far?
How It Goes Down
Anyone with an active interest in economics, or with the kind of bank account and job that causes them to read the Wall Street Journal should by now have a very good sense of what is coming down the pipe in the USA. Most of the rest of the world – especially the Chinese – seem to have a very good sense of it. While it is true that the USA is full of ingenious and … [Read more...] about How It Goes Down
Fixing Health Care in a Week
Yesterday, I wrote about the hypocrisy of Republicans and conservative Democrats who have been telling us that it's "too expensive" to extend to all Americans the generous single-payer health insurance coverage that they and their families, as federal employees, enjoy at Americans' expense. Today, Los Angeles Times reporters Mark Z. Barabak and Faye Fiore have a lengthy, … [Read more...] about Fixing Health Care in a Week
The Art Of Stealing The Other Guy’s Property
I would suggest must reading of Ian Shapira's story in today's Washington Post for those of us who use the Internet to write articles and opinion pieces plundered from reliable properties such as WaPo, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist and others of that ilk. Shapira said his ego was stoked when the snarky cultural website Gawker cherry picked the best … [Read more...] about The Art Of Stealing The Other Guy’s Property
Texting
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Texting
Reconciliation and Health Care Reform
Carl Hulse has a piece in today's New York Times about House Democrats' tentative plans -- which Hulse (rather bizarrely) says are being kept very close to the vest -- to pass health care reform legislation via reconciliation. The major obstacle to doing so, however, is something called the "Byrd Rule," which limits the use of reconciliation to bills intended to fund existing … [Read more...] about Reconciliation and Health Care Reform
Update on Bloodbath in Tel Aviv
I want to see all rabbis, priests, ministers, imams, and other spiritual leaders publicly denounce this murderous attack on a group of gay teenagers and their friends. No matter what you think of homosexuality, we can all agree that shooting children is a grossly inappropriate way of expressing one's opinion. If the shooter is a Jew (not yet determined), he did not get the … [Read more...] about Update on Bloodbath in Tel Aviv
Silly Season Thrillers
August arrives with a dandy metaphor about the difference between the old journalism and the new--the New York Times' record-setting number of errors in reporting Walter Cronkite's death juxtaposed against a blog frenzy over the news of a Sarah-Todd Palin divorce. Even for this traditional month of fake and flaky news, it's an impressive start. The Times Public Editor tells … [Read more...] about Silly Season Thrillers
Gay Killings Shock Tel Aviv
The killing of two gay teenagers in Tel Aviv has come as a shock to many as other gay clubs are now being warned to be vigilant. Here's a good Reuters report via You Tube: … [Read more...] about Gay Killings Shock Tel Aviv
Pay-to-Play Is Washington’s Sport of Kings (Guest Voice)
Pay-to-Play Is Washington's Sport of Kings by Michael Winship As we marvel over the depths of hypocrisy and greed currently plumbed in the health care reform debate, it may help to remember that even Honest Abe Lincoln had his share of tainted colleagues, one of the most notorious of whom was his first Secretary of War, Simon Cameron. According to Doris Kearns Goodwin's … [Read more...] about Pay-to-Play Is Washington’s Sport of Kings (Guest Voice)
Speaking of non-controversial people …
As noted below, the WaPo described President Obama's candidates for the Presidential Medal of Freedom as not "particularly controversial". Aside from the points MK raised about Ted Kennedy, it's worth noting that Desmond Tutu isn't exactly a stranger to controversy either. Wikipedia reports that Tutu has persistently compared Israel to apartheid South Africa, called on Jews … [Read more...] about Speaking of non-controversial people …
Can a scandal last for forty years? Should it?
On Thursday, President Obama announced that he would award the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, to sixteen individuals, including Sen. Ted Kennedy. Mary Katherine is not amused. She asks how many individuals considered complicit in vehicular manslaughter could be given such an honor. Would a conservative (or any non-Kennedy) rise to the … [Read more...] about Can a scandal last for forty years? Should it?