Centrist writer John Avlon, who wrote the must-read book Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics -- a book that documents how centrists and moderates can indeed be passionate and do indeed take political stands -- has awarded his latest Wingut Of The Week awards on CNN to two worthy candidates, on the left and right: Ted Rall and Tom Tancredo. The former chief … [Read more...] about John Avlon’s Wingnut Of The Week: Ted Rall and Tom Tancredo
The Triumph of the Limbaugh-Gingrich Axis: E.J. Dionne on Rush, Newt, the Media, and How Conservative Spin Skews the News
In case you missed it, make sure to check out this brilliant column from E.J. Dionne, published yesterday at the WaPo. While it says what many of us have been saying for a long time -- namely, that the establishment media are effectively being manipulated by, and have for a long time been dominated by, conservative narratives that shape and frame how the media inform their … [Read more...] about The Triumph of the Limbaugh-Gingrich Axis: E.J. Dionne on Rush, Newt, the Media, and How Conservative Spin Skews the News
Obama’s Knowing Naivete
The Cairo speech has come and gone, an American president preaching the Golden Rule to the Muslim world, trying to walk a fine line between faith and reason through murderous beliefs and irrational hatreds. Parsing what Barack Obama said will keep "experts" busy for some time, but the words were less exceptional than the act, an American leader presenting himself as both the … [Read more...] about Obama’s Knowing Naivete
The Economy: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Today's unemployment report contained some of the first unequivocally good news that I've read in an economic report in a long time. The huge decrease in layoffs ("only" 350k jobs lost) was much better than expected, and while one month doesn't make a trend, it does provide some hope things won't disintegrate again like I think they will. The stock market may not go up much … [Read more...] about The Economy: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
The Big Unit Wins #300
Yesterday was Obama's big day in Cairo, obviously, but, in the sports world, or at least in the North American sports world, the big news yesterday, bigger (in my view) than Game 1 of the NBA Finals and Game 4 of the NHL Finals, bigger historically, was made in Washington, ironically enough, where one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, The Big Unit, 45-year-old Randy … [Read more...] about The Big Unit Wins #300
Traditional Marriage Gets Stranger
From Fox, "a matrimonial reality series," I Married a Stranger: The premise of the show is that a woman frustrated by the dating scene agrees to wed a man she's never met. While she prepares for her blind wedding, friends and family select a spouse from a pool of six eligible suitors offered by the show's producers. The men are eliminated one by one until only two candidates … [Read more...] about Traditional Marriage Gets Stranger
Late to the Cairo Speech Reaction Party
Tzipi Livni, current leader of the opposition party (Kadima) in Israel * * * I published a post last night with the same title as this one. Something about the prior version troubled me. So I revisited it and finally decided (i) it was not balanced enough, and (ii) I didn't have enough expertise on Israel/Middle East matters to be making the suggestions I had made. … [Read more...] about Late to the Cairo Speech Reaction Party
Today in History: Operation Shingle
Back on Memorial Day we talked about one of the more famous allied operations during World War 2 which took place during the relief of Bastogne in France. Today marks the anniversary of the end of another major engagement, this one in Italy. Known as Operation Shingle, later combined with Operation Diadem, it was first envisioned by Winston Churchill and somewhat reluctantly … [Read more...] about Today in History: Operation Shingle
Venezuela: Revolutionary Role Model Or Sad And Surreal?
Pablo Kleinman, Editor-in-Chief of Diario de América, a Spanish-language political journal, and President of the Californiana Foundation, a Los Angeles-based think tank, paints a picture of Hugo Chavez's Venezuela in a way that Chavez would not like to have the world see it in this post on RealClearWorld: The Caracas Metro is modern and attractive. The trains are … [Read more...] about Venezuela: Revolutionary Role Model Or Sad And Surreal?
Obama In Cairo: Speaking Flattery to Power (Guest Voice)
Speaking Flattery to Power By Barry Rubin Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo is one of the most bizarre orations ever made by a U.S. president, not a foreign policy statement but rather something invented by Obama, an international campaign speech, as if his main goal was to obtain votes in the next Egyptian primary. That approach defined Obama’s basic themes: Islam’s … [Read more...] about Obama In Cairo: Speaking Flattery to Power (Guest Voice)
Common Ground on Abortion (Guest Voice)
Common Ground on Abortion By Malcolm Potts MD, PhD The abortion debate, as President Obama stated at Notre Dame in May, will not go away and should not go away. The way towards common ground is through asking the right questions. As long as one side asserts women’s rights and the other the embryos' rights, then the war on abortion will go on consuming our energies and … [Read more...] about Common Ground on Abortion (Guest Voice)
An Emphatic Reading (Cartoon)
Eric Allie, Caglecartoons.com This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. TMV runs a variety of cartoons, columns and posts throughout the day. Refresh TMV often to see the latest. … [Read more...] about An Emphatic Reading (Cartoon)
Obama’s Nomination of Sotomayor a Chance for Nicaraguans to Take Stock: La Prensa of Nicaragua
Once again reflecting the enduring influence of the United States in this Hemisphere - even in Daniel Ortega country - Eduardo Enríquez of Nicaragua's La Prensa newspaper compares the Supreme Court nomination process in his country to that in the U.S. - and finds the process in Nicaragua to be badly wanting. For La Prensa, Eduardo Enríquez writes in part: "Fate has … [Read more...] about Obama’s Nomination of Sotomayor a Chance for Nicaraguans to Take Stock: La Prensa of Nicaragua
Study Supports View Sexuality Is Hard Wired
A recent study seems to support the idea that sexuality is, to a large degree, hardwired into people at birth. The study showed that the brains of gay men are similar in structure to those of straight women while the brains of gay women are similar in structure to those of straight men. The study will no doubt prompt debate from those who feel sexuality is entirely learned. … [Read more...] about Study Supports View Sexuality Is Hard Wired
Steven Berlin Johnson In Time On Twitter
Twitter haters beware. Steven Berlin Johnson's Time cover story, How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live, says Twitter's key elements — the follower structure, link-sharing, real-time searching -- are here to stay. And every major channel of information will be "Twitterfied" in one way or another in the coming years. Then there's this: When we talk about innovation and global … [Read more...] about Steven Berlin Johnson In Time On Twitter
Goldfarbism of the Day
UPDATE BELOW: I'm going to write more about this in a post to come about right-wing response to Obama's Cairo speech, but for now I give you this sentence, written by Michael Goldfarb, as an illustration of how far we have come (and not in a good sense): The president seems to genuinely believe that dialogue, and not threats, coercion, and violence, are the best way to … [Read more...] about Goldfarbism of the Day
A Matter of Degrees
Atlantic Magazine coorespondent, Conor Clarke has a bit of fun at the expense of conservatives who are crying "socialism." He points to a pie chart that shows what industries have been nationalized and what still remains in private hands. Bloggers Justin Gardner and Pete Abel have chimed in accounting about the silliness of such conservatives. Now, I do think that … [Read more...] about A Matter of Degrees
Cheney Has Given America A Song And Dance So Here’s A Song “The Sound Of Cheney”
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has pitchforked himself into the headlines with his recent controversial pronouncements, considered pearls of wisdom by conservatives and a song and dance by liberals (and polls show by many moderates, centrists and many independents as well). So, to exchange the favor, here's a song about Cheney, "The Sound Of Cheney," along with some … [Read more...] about Cheney Has Given America A Song And Dance So Here’s A Song “The Sound Of Cheney”
On David Carradine’s Death
It's pretty clear how he died: ACTOR David Carradine, star of the Kill Bill movies and and Kung Fu TV series, has been found dead naked after reports claiming an apparent sex act went wrong - similar to how INXS singer Michael Hutchence died. Dan Savage: When the news first broke, no one hesitated to label Carradine a suicide. Now that more info has emerged and it seems … [Read more...] about On David Carradine’s Death
Obama Must Make Real His Belief in Koranic Principles: The Nation, Pakistan
Obama's long-awaited speech to the Islamic world now delivered, it hasn't taken long for his words to be thrown back in his face. This editorial from Pakistan's The Nation focused in on one particular Koranic quote President Obama made today: 'Whoever kills an innocent, it's as if he has killed all mankind.' The Nation editorial says in part: "With his choice of … [Read more...] about Obama Must Make Real His Belief in Koranic Principles: The Nation, Pakistan