In the July issue of Harper's, Kevin Baker compares Barack Obama to Herbert Hoover, a "very good man ... moving prudently, carefully, reasonably toward disaster." In other words, while top Republicans and their backers blast the President for being too radical, Baker blasts Obama for not being radical enough. Yesterday, Chris Bowers voiced a similar frustration. While he … [Read more...] about Brooks, Bowers, Baker Berate Obama’s Prudence
Poll: Americans Don’t Want To Intervene In Iran And Approve Of Obama Comments
A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll provides yet another example of how the talk radio political culture is outside the country's emerging political center: it basically finds strong support for the Obama administration's non-intervention stand in the Iranian election as well as President Barack Obama's comments that have been soundly blasted by conservatives and on … [Read more...] about Poll: Americans Don’t Want To Intervene In Iran And Approve Of Obama Comments
Billy Mays RIP
Brian Fairrington, Cagle Cartoons This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Billy Mays RIP
McCain’s Campaign Team Disses Sarah Palin In Vanity Fair Piece
Members of Arizona Senator John McCain's 2008 Presidential campaign team have dissed McCain's former running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in an upcoming issue of Vanity Fair, the New York Daily News reports -- and in a big way: In an expansive story in the August edition of Vanity Fair, a slew of senior members of McCain's campaign team told reporter Todd S. Purdum that … [Read more...] about McCain’s Campaign Team Disses Sarah Palin In Vanity Fair Piece
Obama’s IT Dashboard Unveiled By US CIO At PdF09 In NYC
I'm liveblogging the Personal Democracy Forum all day today and you can follow the current session below. Vivek Kundra is the administration's Chief Information Officer and has demonstrated the beta version of the IT Dashboard which lets us access government data in an unprecedented way (whether that's good or bad, you decide). If you'd like to follow all the live-blogs … [Read more...] about Obama’s IT Dashboard Unveiled By US CIO At PdF09 In NYC
TV News And The Fairness Doctrine
TV News and the Fairness Doctrine by Martha Randolph Carr Let’s bring back the Fairness Doctrine that required television journalists to at least attempt to be fair. That’s right, there was a magic time in America when the suits at the three main networks, ABC, NBC and CBS had to set aside a certain amount of air time devoted to controversial topics or current affairs and … [Read more...] about TV News And The Fairness Doctrine
Michael Jackson And The Pearly Gates
Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson And The Pearly Gates
Most Americans, Even Nancy Pelosi, Are Not Necessarily ‘Anti-China’: Global Geographic Times, China
Has the Chinese government, to its own detriment, carelessly labeled people, particularly Americans and specifically House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 'anti-China'? That is the somewhat starling conclusion of this article published in China's state-controlled Global Geographic Times. First published in Singapore's United Morning News, Xue Haipei writes in part: "The tendency to … [Read more...] about Most Americans, Even Nancy Pelosi, Are Not Necessarily ‘Anti-China’: Global Geographic Times, China
Christian Science Monitor Begins Marketing Weekly Print Edition
The Christian Science Monitor -- that longtime oasis of thoughtful, issue oriented, balanced journalism -- is now actively marketing its new weekly print edition as the next step as it implements a unique newspaper business model that will be watched to see if a longtime media institution can survive in the Internet age. Last fall it was announced that the Monitor would axe … [Read more...] about Christian Science Monitor Begins Marketing Weekly Print Edition
Those GOP Congressmen Are Traitors! Traitors!
Andrew Stuttaford remembers the good old days when liberals defended the president's critics from accusations of deficient patriotism, or even treason. Normally, I wouldn't call out Paul Krugman twice in one day, but this exception is worth it. Krugman writes, As I watched the deniers [who voted against the Waxman-Markey climate change bill] make their arguments, I couldn’t … [Read more...] about Those GOP Congressmen Are Traitors! Traitors!
Read My Lips, (Almost) No New Taxes
This post is addressed only to those readers who earn less than $250,000 per year. George Stephanopoulos was doing his best yesterday morning to figure out if President Obama really meant it when he promised not to raise taxes on you. Steph put the question to David Axelrod:STEPHANOPOULOS: I want to show our viewers something the president said during the campaign back in … [Read more...] about Read My Lips, (Almost) No New Taxes
God Wants Mark Sanford To Stay On As Governor
I can imagine the pounding I'm going to get for this, but I feel repelled beyond words by this man and his self-serving conflating of his political ambitions with God's will: … [Read more...] about God Wants Mark Sanford To Stay On As Governor
U.S. Troop Pullback in Iraq: Cheney’s Dark Words and Thoughts
If all goes according to plan and schedule, by this time tomorrow night, most of the 130,000 American troops in Iraq should have safely withdrawn from Iraqi towns and cities to military operating bases, where they will be on call to provide support if and when needed. The American pullback was agreed upon as part of a security accord---a Status of Forces … [Read more...] about U.S. Troop Pullback in Iraq: Cheney’s Dark Words and Thoughts
Mark Sanford
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Mark Sanford
Honduras: Can You Have A Democratic Coup?
I'd like to complicate the way that we're talking about what is democratic and what's a coup. So far, one side has been saying that if the Honduran military gets rid of the president, it's bad, it's undemocratic and it's a coup. The other says that if the military is doing the right thing, it isn't a coup. Instead of seeing this as either/or, I'd prefer to think in terms … [Read more...] about Honduras: Can You Have A Democratic Coup?
What May Matter Most About Honduras, Truly… The USA’s Long Involvement There
When I was barely 23 in 1969, I drove the entire Pan-American Highway from the Rockies to the tip of Panama, then floated Jeep around the Darian Jungle to South America. One of those inspired dead-dangerous things young people do. I barely made it home alive. Especially while driving my battered Jeep through the jungles and mountains and lakelands of Guatemala, Honduras and El … [Read more...] about What May Matter Most About Honduras, Truly… The USA’s Long Involvement There
What So Many Liberals Don’t Understand About Adultery
On ABC, Paul Krugman effectively summed up what many liberals are saying about Sanford-gate: If a liberal sees somebody who talks about moral values and does something like this, and they call it hypocrisy. A conservative looks at it and says, well, but at least he stands up for moral values.As Krugman's tone of voice made very clear, his comment about conservatives was meant … [Read more...] about What So Many Liberals Don’t Understand About Adultery
Honduras: Qualifying the Four-Letter Word
The four-letter word in this case would be "coup." Kathy argues that, in Honduras, that's exactly what we're witnessing. But at least one of the day's commentators argues that not all coups are created equal, and distinguishing between them is perhaps more than an exercise in semantics: ... what is happening in Honduras may be an example of a coup that is not only legal, … [Read more...] about Honduras: Qualifying the Four-Letter Word
Monica Conyers Resigns After Accepting Bribes
From the "Keep On Keeping The Bad Bad Leadership Forever And Ever And A Day And Then Some With Sugar On Top Extra Onions and Anchovies" department, Detroit Councilwoman Monica Conyers, wife of Representative John Conyers, will resign July 6th after accepting cash to vote in favor of a Houston, Texas company getting a lucrative sludge treatment contract: Detroit (WWJ) -- … [Read more...] about Monica Conyers Resigns After Accepting Bribes
Jackson: The Tragic ‘Genetically Modified’ Icon of Globalization: Le Figaro, France
As in North America, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and Oceania are united in at least one way: shock over the death of Michael Jackson. As part of our coverage of this cultural border-shattering event, we present this editorial by Sebastien Le Fol of France's Le Figaro newspaper, which investigates why Michael Jackson's demise has had the incredible impact … [Read more...] about Jackson: The Tragic ‘Genetically Modified’ Icon of Globalization: Le Figaro, France