What's interesting is that Fausta (linked via Memeorandum) and Dr. Steven Taylor (of Poliblog) give us the exact wording of the ballot initiative, in Spanish -- which in turn is exactly the wording that Hilzoy quoted in her post at Obsidian Wings -- and all three provide an English translation that is almost exactly the same (Hilzoy translates "ballot box" as "urn" but says she … [Read more...] about About That Referendum in Honduras
The Demonization Continues
Isn't it time to start a 12 step program for partisan demonization and fear mongering? … [Read more...] about The Demonization Continues
Breaking Down the Franken Loss-to-Win Scenario
For political junkies, Chris Cillizza offers an excellent (and brief, making it all the more excellent) assessment of how Franken went from loser to winner in eight (short?) months. The fourth factor on Cillizza's list strikes me as the most interesting because it is perhaps the most counterintuitive for a political campaign to orchestrate and a candidate (especially one … [Read more...] about Breaking Down the Franken Loss-to-Win Scenario
Only in America
California is not the only state with a daunting budget crisis. There's also our neighbor, Illinois. From a St. Louis P-D blog report on yesterday's deadline-imminent negotiations, Kevin McDermott offered this slice of life: Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn will address a hastily assembled joint session of the Legislature at 3:30 p.m. today, Illinois House officials just announced … [Read more...] about Only in America
California Officially Broke
It's about an hour till midnight and July 1st but California is now pretty much officially broke. The legislature passed a pseudo budget but it didn't really fix any of the problems so the Governor vetoed it (something he'd said for some time that he would do) so we now have no budget and thus no money. Most state vendors could start getting IOU's as the budget crisis … [Read more...] about California Officially Broke
Michael Jackson: A Man Who Lived His Life in Reverse – Le Figaro, France
The remarkable global outpouring of emotion and opinion about Michael Jackson's death shows no sign of abating. Questions about his relationships with children, his decades-long attempt to whiten his skin, and his tendency to do everything most people do in reverse, are all touched upon by Le Figaro's Yann Moix, in this thought-provoking defense of Michael Jackson and the … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson: A Man Who Lived His Life in Reverse – Le Figaro, France
A Public Health Care Option Would Save Consumers Money
And that is why Olympia Snowe wants to keep it out of the Obama administration's health care reform bill. Chris Bowers quotes from an AP article published in the Baltimore Sun: … [Read more...] about A Public Health Care Option Would Save Consumers Money
As the Bush-Cheney Agreement Is Implemented in Iraq, more Criticism from Cheney’s Camp
An Op-Ed piece in yesterday's Los Angeles Times by John P. Hannah, who served as Vice President Dick Cheney's national security advisor from 2005-2009, got my attention and my dander up. On the eve of U.S. troops leaving Iraqi cities in accordance with a formal U.S.-Iraq agreement, Hannah seems to lament--almost as much as his ex-boss does--the implementation of the very … [Read more...] about As the Bush-Cheney Agreement Is Implemented in Iraq, more Criticism from Cheney’s Camp
Michael Jackson In Heaven
RJ Matson, The New York Observer This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson In Heaven
Another Circus Looming In California
In one of the quieter news stories of the week Congresswoman Tauscher (D-CA) was confirmed to serve as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Her departure sets up a special election which will occur later this year, probably in the early fall. One of the leading candidates in the race is Lt. Governor John Garamendi and if he wins that would … [Read more...] about Another Circus Looming In California
Greener Than Thou
You love your planet but do you love it enough? … [Read more...] about Greener Than Thou
Be Careful What You Wish For
So with the victory of Al Franken in Minnesota today we now have, at least in theory, absolute one party rule for the first time in more than thirty years. For those who are going to correct me I would point out that by one party rule I mean where one party had a filibuster proof majority in the Senate, a 50 plus seat majority in the House and control of the White House. The … [Read more...] about Be Careful What You Wish For
Thanks for Sharing, Governor. Now Shut Up.
Gov. Mark Sanford and Maria Belen Chapur slept with each other more times than he had previously said. Actually, if he's going to be honest, she is his soul mate. He does promise, though, that he will try to "fall back in love" with his wife. … [Read more...] about Thanks for Sharing, Governor. Now Shut Up.
The Sanfords’ Disparity in Marital Smarts
That new soap opera, "The Sanfords of South Carolina," revives interest in a subject that intrigued me over decades of editing women's magazines--the sexual politics of two-career marriages. Working with ambitious women in their twenties and thirties, I was struck by how different their lives were from the Father-knows-best ethos of earlier generations. They weren't holding … [Read more...] about The Sanfords’ Disparity in Marital Smarts
Franken vs. Coleman: Numbers Don’t Lie
(UPDATE: Republican Norm Coleman has now officially conceded in the hotly contested and litigious battle for Minnesota's Senate seat.) As an ex-mathematician, I like digits, numbers. While statistics can be made to lie, I don't believe pure numbers do, except when manipulated by Rush Limbaugh, as in the recent Supreme Court decision involving Sotomayor. Numbers haven't … [Read more...] about Franken vs. Coleman: Numbers Don’t Lie
Minnesota Supreme Court Rules for Franken
The Washington Post has just reported that the Minnesota Supreme Court has ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state's long-running Senate race, and rejected a legal challenge from Republican Norm Coleman, "whose options for regaining the Senate seat are dwindling." However, "Coleman hasn't ruled out seeking federal court intervention." … [Read more...] about Minnesota Supreme Court Rules for Franken
Breaking News: MN Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Al Franken
Minnesota Public Radio is reporting that the Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled unanimously in favor of Democrat Al Franken in the disputed 2008 Senate election case. Below is a summary of the court's findings: 1. Appellants (Norm Coleman) did not establish that, by requiring proof that statutory absentee voting standards were satisfied before counting a rejected absentee … [Read more...] about Breaking News: MN Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Al Franken
Update: U.S. Troop Pullback in Iraq—Cheney’s Dark Words and Thoughts
The day marking the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraqi cities and towns has been declared a national holiday, and Iraqis are celebrating. Of course everyone is hoping that the pullback and the eventual withdrawal of all 130,000 U.S. troops from Iraq will not lead to more violence, or worse. Sadly, The New York Times already reports: As if on cue, a car bomb … [Read more...] about Update: U.S. Troop Pullback in Iraq—Cheney’s Dark Words and Thoughts
Visions of Elections to Come
It seems that the GOP is setting its sights on some first and second term House Democrats who they see as being vulnerable. In particular, they're looking at the new members in traditionally red districts who voted for the energy bill. The National Republican Congressional Committee is planning to air TV and radio commercials and unleash robocalls against Democrats who hail … [Read more...] about Visions of Elections to Come
Wikipedians May Not Be Such Sourpusses After All
John Timmer at ArsTechnica raises good questions about the study I pointed to on Saturday. Says Timmer: The results need to be interpreted very cautiously, as they were based on only 69 contributors from a single nation [Israel], a tiny drop in the Wikipedian ocean. ... Wikipedia's own survey of its contributors racked up roughly 12,000 original contributors (and another … [Read more...] about Wikipedians May Not Be Such Sourpusses After All