Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about We Are The Children
Benjamin is No Gupta (and That’s a Very Good Thing)
President Obama today introduced Dr. Regina Benjamin as the new U.S. surgeon general (pending confirmation, of course). I don't know anything about her -- in fact, I'd never heard of her until today. Looking over her career accomplishments, though -- notably: family physician, founder of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic (which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina), … [Read more...] about Benjamin is No Gupta (and That’s a Very Good Thing)
Journalism And TV: An Oxymoron?
In my How To Save The Newspaper post I promised I'd get to TV. I'm still working on it. But where I'm going is hinted at in a Jeff Jarvis Buzz Machine post today: Journalism and TV: an oxymoron? Well, not always. But often. Local TV news has sucked for years – that horse is out of the barn, over the horizon, and in the glue factory already. Fluff and fires, that’s most of … [Read more...] about Journalism And TV: An Oxymoron?
The Geithner, Ensign & Sanford Effect on Local Politics
This morning's Plain Dealer editorial page features a column by senior political reporter, Mark Naymik, titled, "Small tax issues still matter in a heated campaign, even among two Democrats." (And hey, I read it in the printed version, not online first). In it, Mark writes: Taxes seem to matter to U.S. senators when people come before them seeking confirmation to … [Read more...] about The Geithner, Ensign & Sanford Effect on Local Politics
The New Strain Of H1N1 Flu May Have Century-Old Roots
This is unsettling: Swine flu resembles feared 1918 flu, study finds New H1N1 strain more likely to cause pneumonia than regular flu viruses The 1918 flu pandemic killed between 3% to 6% of the entire world population, and possibly may have killed more people than the Black Death. Yet, where are we putting most of our efforts? --- Cross-posted to Random Fate and The Moderate … [Read more...] about The New Strain Of H1N1 Flu May Have Century-Old Roots
Questions About Cheney CIA Story
Okay, I have a few non-political, that is non-partisan, questions about an alleged Bush Administration cover-up of a CIA program that, if implemented, would have authorized killing foreign leaders. My questions go beyond the legality of such a program or about whether it was right for the former administration to conceal it from the Congress. I hope that those more … [Read more...] about Questions About Cheney CIA Story
Endless Rain, Global Warming, What The Hawks Say
Flooding, lake rising every day... my heart shakes, water breaks over its banks... My lifetime of books, my art, my everything is stored on ground lower than the lake. It has slash-rained here in the Rockies every day for last thirty... another 11 we'll outdo Noah... Rains in the mountains afternoons- usual. But not like this, thunder, sheet lightning, fork … [Read more...] about Endless Rain, Global Warming, What The Hawks Say
Maybe Not
It's become an accepted piece of conventional wisdom. The United States, it's said, is at risk of falling behind the rest of the world because of continuing shortage of scientists and engineers. Maybe not. [This has also been posted on my personal blog.] … [Read more...] about Maybe Not
Poll: Obama Support Falls To 57 Percent Due To Economy, Loss Of Democratic and Independent Support
President Barack Obama's poll numbers have begun to slide due to increasing pessimism about the economy and his polices' efficacy, and a subsequent loss of Democratic and independent voter support, a new CBS News poll finds: President Obama's approval rating has fallen six points in the past month, a new CBS News poll finds, amid growing skepticism about his handling of … [Read more...] about Poll: Obama Support Falls To 57 Percent Due To Economy, Loss Of Democratic and Independent Support
Republican Opening Statements on Sotomayor—Notice a Trend?
One of my co-bloggers, Patrick Edaburn, wrote a piece today titled, "Sotomayor Day One: No Surprises." In it he says: "The first day of hearings are complete and we didn’t really have any surprises." That's almost an understatement---especially on the Republican side of the aisle. As expected, they talked about Sotomayor's "Latino woman comment;" about empathy (Blame … [Read more...] about Republican Opening Statements on Sotomayor—Notice a Trend?
Federal Deficit Tops $1 Trillion For The First Time Ever
Ouch: WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The fiscal year-to-date U.S. budget deficit broke past $1 trillion in June, a grim testament to the recession and financial crisis. The federal government spent $94.32 billion more than it made in the ninth month of fiscal 2009, the Treasury Department said Monday in its monthly budget statement. Aid to spur the slumping economy and a … [Read more...] about Federal Deficit Tops $1 Trillion For The First Time Ever
John Avlon’s “Wingnut of the Week”: Henry Waxman (D) and Audra Shay (R)
Centrist writer John Avlon has given two more deserving partisans his highly coveted "Wingnut of the Week" award on CNN. This time the honors go to Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman (who said Republicans opposing President Barack Obama's policies are "rooting against the country") and to Republican Audra Shay (who says if you think Obama is anything but anti-American you're … [Read more...] about John Avlon’s “Wingnut of the Week”: Henry Waxman (D) and Audra Shay (R)
Cut Rate Caricatures
RJ Matson, Roll Call This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Cut Rate Caricatures
Obama’s Surgeon General Pick: Alabama Doctor With Record of Service to Rural Poor
With all the news focused on Sonya, you will be forgiven for missing that Obama announced his Surgeon General nominee today. Sue Sturgis at Facing South calls her: ...a trailblazing African-American physician with a long record of service to the rural poor in Alabama. Dr. Regina Benjamin's perspective as someone who has provided care in an under-served community -- and … [Read more...] about Obama’s Surgeon General Pick: Alabama Doctor With Record of Service to Rural Poor
Sotomayor Vote Count
Obviously at this point I don't have much to post in this thread but I thought it would be useful to have one in which we at TMV tracked the announced vote on the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor. I will update it as votes are announced, so if you're wondering where things stand please keep an eye here. … [Read more...] about Sotomayor Vote Count
Sotomayor Day One: No Surprises
The first day of hearings are complete and we didn't really have any surprises. Members of both parties said what they were expected to say and for the most part they remained reasonably civil. Republicans were careful to strike a balance between satisfying the desire of their base for a thorough review of the nominee and avoiding going too far in their rhetoric. Democrats … [Read more...] about Sotomayor Day One: No Surprises
Judge Sotomayor Will Be Confirmed: Counting Coup Deteriorates to Usual Song and Dance
Inquirers taking pot shots at Judge Sotomayor in hearings today, are doing a flabby and anemic imitation of the old traditionalists of our tribes who count coup. To 'ride up to the enemy' and touch them with your weapon but not to engage, and then to ride away to safety. To be able, at the end of the day, to say to those gathered to hear the stories, "I was brave, I touched the … [Read more...] about Judge Sotomayor Will Be Confirmed: Counting Coup Deteriorates to Usual Song and Dance
Where Bush and Obama Both Go Wrong
I was searching for some way to add to this analysis by Robert J. Samuelson at the Washington Post, but frankly I'm just not that smart. If you want to step back from the partisan walls and see why the Republicans have been doing a bad job at planning for the country's economic future and the Democrats' current plans are making it worse, follow the link and read the entire … [Read more...] about Where Bush and Obama Both Go Wrong
Sen. Feingold: Cheney Violated National Security Act
Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) has put out a statement calling for an official probe into the report, broken by Scott Shane of the New York Times, that a still-unidentified presidential surveillance program was kept hidden from Congress for eight years, on the direct orders of former vice-president Dick Cheney. Here is Sen. Feingold's statement, via Brad Friedman: … [Read more...] about Sen. Feingold: Cheney Violated National Security Act
Will Holder Investigate Bush’s Torture Regime?
By now, I suspect, many of you have read, or at least read about, Newsweek's article on Attorney General Eric Holder and the possible appointment of "a prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's brutal interrogation practices" (i.e., torture). Like Glenn Greenwald, I was, initially, optimistic. Finally, I thought. It's about time. And, like Creature, I was also firmly … [Read more...] about Will Holder Investigate Bush’s Torture Regime?