In my post yesterday ( "A Great Navy Tradition On Display at Bath Iron Works Tomorrow, August 1), I wrote that, today, at the Bath Iron Works, in Bath, Maine, the Navy planned to christen its newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, named after Medal of Honor recipient Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham. Scanning for news reports on the christening ceremony this morning, I searched the … [Read more...] about All Went Well At Bath Iron Works—We Now Have the USS Jason Dunham
BREAKING: Sarah and Todd Palin To Divorce? (TWO UPDATES)
Question mark because the reports are not 100 percent solid yet, but the news, which was broken by a local Alaska publication called Alaska Report News and a blog called the Immoral Minority, is starting to be picked up by other blogs and publications, including Mudflats -- an Alaskan blog that is highly regarded: … [Read more...] about BREAKING: Sarah and Todd Palin To Divorce? (TWO UPDATES)
Ben Nelson Threatens “Outside Special Interest Groups”
Considering how beholden Sen. Ben Nelson is to health insurance industry interests in his home state, he's awfully touchy about criticism from liberal advocacy groups: … [Read more...] about Ben Nelson Threatens “Outside Special Interest Groups”
The GOP was doomed!
Analogies are flying. What year is this for Republicans? 1964? 1976? 1992? I think 1937 deserves more attention. I noticed this in a review of a book about FDR: Roosevelt had won the 1936 election by a crushing landslide--a total of 61 percent of the popular vote that enabled him to carry all but two of the 48 states--and his Democratic coalition of labor, northern … [Read more...] about The GOP was doomed!
Gates Sends Flowers and a Note to Whalen
The three guys meeting over beers at the White House was surely a positive thing, but this is genuinely moving: … [Read more...] about Gates Sends Flowers and a Note to Whalen
David Brooks mixes politics and religion
This may make sense if you're Jewish:Gail, as you know, I begin and end my days by reciting Congressional Budget Office reports. I even put on tefillin, just to make it seem holy.FYI, Wikipedia has a pretty good description and photo of tefillin. Cross-posted at Conventional Folly … [Read more...] about David Brooks mixes politics and religion
Um, what’s our mission in Afghanistan?
Are we committed to nation-building, or are we just going to take out Al Qaeda? Here's Obama announcing his new strategy in March:I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future.Here's how the Pentagon described our … [Read more...] about Um, what’s our mission in Afghanistan?
Michael Savage: Crunchy hippie liberal
What leads someone to become a fire-breathing right-wing talk show host? Answer: A Ph.D. from Berkeley in nutritional ethnomedicine. Seriously. The current issue of The New Yorker has a very interesting profile of Michael Savage [registration required]. Although the magazine's profiles of conservatives often degenerate into caricature, this one is surprisingly … [Read more...] about Michael Savage: Crunchy hippie liberal
Trial by television: NBC pursues Rwandan genocidaire
This week's New Republic has a great feature on Leopold Munyakazi, a Rwandan exile and American college professor accused of initiating a mass murder during the genocide in 1994. NBC is going after Munyakazi as part of a new series focused on war criminals living in the United States. For NBC, it's a simple, compelling story about good vs. evil: After class, a swirling … [Read more...] about Trial by television: NBC pursues Rwandan genocidaire
Top Corporate NBC Fox Truce Called In O’Reilly Keith Olbermann War
The two networks' bigwigs huddled - -and in the end it seems as if Fox News O'Reilly "won" in his ongoing feud with MSBNC's Keith Olbermann. UPDATE: Read Glenn Greenwald's take on this and its significance (which most assuredly will spark some debate in comments...) … [Read more...] about Top Corporate NBC Fox Truce Called In O’Reilly Keith Olbermann War
Apple AT&T Google Voice Rejection Frustration Ratchets Up w/FCC Inquiry
TechCrunch's Jason Kincaid: My, how the tables have turned. Earlier this week, we learned that Apple had suddenly begun to pull third party iPhone applications for Google Voice, citing the unconvincing rationale that they “duplicated” some of the iPhone’s functionality. We then broke the news that Apple had also rejected Google’s own official Google … [Read more...] about Apple AT&T Google Voice Rejection Frustration Ratchets Up w/FCC Inquiry
“Ox” Barack Obama Offers A “New Deal”
In Chinese astrology 2009 is the "Year of the Ox". Only that person or a nation, it is said, would remain unscathed if it works its backside off this year. US president Barack Obama was born in the "Year of the Ox", and his nose is tied to the grindstone. But he might just work out some miracles...provided his countrymen share his burden instead of nitpicking. Among various … [Read more...] about “Ox” Barack Obama Offers A “New Deal”
Darling Cory, Corazon Aquino: First Woman President in Asia Passes Away
Her first name, Corazon, means Heart, her last name, Aquino, is often a name still bestowed in honor of the theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, a doctor of the church who was known for his down to earth rhetoric such as this one I recall from childhood Catholic school: God's thought is pure, but it has to be passed through mud: Us. They called her Cory affectionately and she … [Read more...] about Darling Cory, Corazon Aquino: First Woman President in Asia Passes Away
Money Talks, the Rest Walk
Henry Waxman has cut a deal with the conservative Blue Dog Democrats that moved the House version of the health care reform package out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (of which Rep. Waxman is chair) so it can be voted on in September. But the deal is unlikely to satisfy the 57 liberal Democrats who have put it on record that they will vote against any bill that does … [Read more...] about Money Talks, the Rest Walk
Some Heartfelt Advice To Aspiring Satirists Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza
Some heartfelt advice to Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza, two excellent journalists who now seem to be aspiring satirists: Don't quit your day jobs. Before you put up a You Tube that makes a comedian with flop sweat look like Chris Rock (and doesn't enhance your image as journalists) you might want to consider THIS, THIS, THIS, or go to this guy for some coaching (as I … [Read more...] about Some Heartfelt Advice To Aspiring Satirists Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza
Obama Acting Without the Facts — A Presidential Pattern Emerges (Guest Voice)
Obama Acting Without the Facts -- A Presidential Pattern Emerges by Michael Reagan Last week, President Obama was almost finished with his nationally broadcast press conference when he was asked to comment on the arrest, and subsequent release, of renowned Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. by the now-famous Cambridge, Mass. police Sgt., Jim Crowley. In his … [Read more...] about Obama Acting Without the Facts — A Presidential Pattern Emerges (Guest Voice)
The Next Beer Love Summit?
Cartoon by Cam Cardow, The Ottawa Citizen This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. . All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about The Next Beer Love Summit?
Russians Ask: Does Joe Biden Really Speak for Obama? – Moskovskii Komsomolets of Russia
Like people the world over, the Russians are puzzling over how much attention to pay to the utterances of our own vice president, Joe Biden. Days ago, Vice President Biden gave what was, from a Russian perspective, an insulting if not alarming interview with the Wall Street Journal, during which he said that Russia is so weak that it would 'bend' to America's will. This … [Read more...] about Russians Ask: Does Joe Biden Really Speak for Obama? – Moskovskii Komsomolets of Russia
A Great Navy Tradition On Display at Bath Iron Works Tomorrow, August 1
The U.S. military, by its very nature, is full of history and traditions. Recently, I learned about one of those great historical traditions. The U.S. Navy has the long and honorable tradition of naming war ships after its fallen heroes. This tradition dates back to well before World War I. One report has it that it goes back to 1819, even before the Civil War. The … [Read more...] about A Great Navy Tradition On Display at Bath Iron Works Tomorrow, August 1
Asia’s First Woman Leader, Former Philippine President Aquino, Dead At 76
Bob Drogin and John M. Glionna of the LATimes: Corazon C. Aquino, the unassuming housewife who toppled a dictator and restored democracy to the Philippines as its 11th president, has died. She was 76. The elegant democracy icon, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2008, was admitted to a hospital intensive care unit in late June after she stopped eating. Aquino served … [Read more...] about Asia’s First Woman Leader, Former Philippine President Aquino, Dead At 76