Talk about the apple not falling far from the tree. Senator John McCain had been noted in the past as being a "straight talker." I think that this aspect about him was sadly muted during his run for President. That said, it seems that the penchant for straight talk can also be found in his daughter, Meghan. Meghan McCain spoke Saturday at the national convention for the … [Read more...] about Meghan McCain: The New Face of the GOP?
Tea Party Timing
Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Tea Party Timing
A Pirated Criminal Justice System
Yesterday a Greek-flagged tanker was almost hijacked by Somali pirates. With the help of a Dutch naval frigate, however, the attack was beaten off. The frigate than followed the pirates to their mother ship, a previously hijacked fishing vessel with a crew of twenty. These twenty captives were freed. Then the Dutch let the pirates go. Today pirates tried to hijack a Norwegian … [Read more...] about A Pirated Criminal Justice System
Why Obama Is Right To Draw A Line Under The Bush Torture Era (Guest Voice)
Why Obama is right to draw a line under the Bush torture era by Dalitso Njolinjo As a follower of American politics I found this week to be a very strange one. The liberal news network MSNBC seemed to have morphed into what they mock almost on a daily basis, Fox News. I saw them revert to childish jokes to undermine what even I could see was a legitimate political … [Read more...] about Why Obama Is Right To Draw A Line Under The Bush Torture Era (Guest Voice)
Bush Administration Torture Details: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Waterboarded 183 Times
Even though some Bush administration officials and lawyers are trying to finesse it, the bottom line is that waterboarding is now widely perceived to not just be torture now but to have been torture when it occurred. The issue now has been whether it's permissible and actually "useful" in getting solid information or not. But now another issue has emerged: I've put … [Read more...] about Bush Administration Torture Details: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Waterboarded 183 Times
President Obama And The “You Think We’re Cool” Handshake
When I saw the above photo, I laughed. I laughed because President Obama gave President Hugo Chavez the "You think we"re cool" handshake. Basically it disarms your opponent/adversary/enemy and makes him or her feel like everything's fine and dandy (cool) when it's really not. President Obama then made a point of saying that we (USA) "won't be prisoners of past … [Read more...] about President Obama And The “You Think We’re Cool” Handshake
The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage. Or How Rick Moran is Destroying America
In a move sure to swell his already legendary popularity among the GOP's Christian Conservative base, Rick Moran of Right Wing Nuthouse takes up his pen this weekend to make the case for why conservatives need to reject their opposition to gay marriage. A number of specific points are raised, which make the entire essay worth a read, but an interesting baseline is set with the … [Read more...] about The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage. Or How Rick Moran is Destroying America
Obama’s Handshake–A Tale of Two Reporters
Reporting on the summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders in Trinidad, Little Green Footballs starts with the headline "Obama Laughs It Up With Hugo Chavez," shows a photo of Obama shaking hands with Hugo Chavez, and concludes, "But this ... is absolutely sickening." On the other hand, UK Reuters' Patrick Markey's headline says "Obama, Venezuela's Chavez shake hands … [Read more...] about Obama’s Handshake–A Tale of Two Reporters
Iran 8 Year Prison Sentence For American Journalist Could Undercut Obama U.S. – Iran Thaw Efforts
The news that Iranian-American journalist, Roxana Saberi was sentenced for eight years by an Iranian court on spying charges is likely to ice up President Barack Obama's stated goal of slowly thawing relations between the two countries. Under Obama, the U.S. has been talking about trying to open a dialogue with Iran after nearly 30 years as arch enemies while, at the same … [Read more...] about Iran 8 Year Prison Sentence For American Journalist Could Undercut Obama U.S. – Iran Thaw Efforts
CIA Health Care
The lawyers wrote the torture memos, but the medical profession was there to implement them. According to the Washington Post, "documents show a steady stream of psychologists, physicians and other health officials who both kept detainees alive and actively participated in designing the interrogation program and monitoring its implementation... "Most of the psychologists … [Read more...] about CIA Health Care
Politico’s Mike Allen Grants Anonymity to Senior Bush Official to Attack Obama on Release of Torture Memos
On the day that the OLC torture memos were released, Politico’s Mike Allen quoted an unnamed Bush official castigating that decision and questioning Obama’s motives. … [Read more...] about Politico’s Mike Allen Grants Anonymity to Senior Bush Official to Attack Obama on Release of Torture Memos
Why Is Obama Prevailing In His Job And The Polls So Far?
Two blog posts attempt to answer this question: 1. Why Obama is Exceptionally Good at His Job on Time Magazine's blog. 2. Obama's Boffo Bully Pulpit Use on the Los Angeles Times' Top of the Ticket blog. … [Read more...] about Why Is Obama Prevailing In His Job And The Polls So Far?
Resurrection of Intolerance (Guest Voice)
Resurrection of Intolerance by Walter Brasch The fanatic right-wing, after taking a few days off to catch their breath, is back again with vengeance. Name anything that President Obama is doing, and this broken wing will try to slap it down, unmindful that more than two-thirds of Americans support the President, with his popularity rising each … [Read more...] about Resurrection of Intolerance (Guest Voice)
Tea Party Protest: No Matter How Big A Net Plus For GOP
The debate is on. Were the "tea parties" held across the United States by conservative Republicans and some other political allies to protest the Obama administration's "big government" policies big? Or are reported figures showing 250,000 or more highly inflated? The bottom line: that argument will likely continue with partisans pushing their respective numbers-lines to … [Read more...] about Tea Party Protest: No Matter How Big A Net Plus For GOP
Obama Haters As Viewed By The Economist
I enjoy reading The Economist because most of the time it offers a dispassionate view of American politics. This article on the Obama haters speaks for itself. … [Read more...] about Obama Haters As Viewed By The Economist
Diplomatic Dance with Cuba
Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Diplomatic Dance with Cuba
You Mean, Heterosexuals Do That Too?
Scott Johnson holds forth on teabagging and "public homosexuality": The star hosts of CNN and MSNBC news shows have notoriously derided the tea party demonstrations around the country with reference to the practice of teabagging (which I had never heard of before they brought it up). As John noted, both networks' "journalists" used the rallies as an occasion for childish … [Read more...] about You Mean, Heterosexuals Do That Too?
Tribute to Marla Ruzicka and the Nameless Aidworkers Around the World
When Marla Ruzicka got killed in Bagdad on April 16, 2005, many US newspapers had long and impressive obituaries about the founder of the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC), who convinced Congress to create an Iraqi War Victims Fund. Rolling Stone Magazine described her as a "youthful representative of a certain kind of not-yet-lost American idealism" in a … [Read more...] about Tribute to Marla Ruzicka and the Nameless Aidworkers Around the World
You Want Justice? Look No Further
Justice is in the eye of the beholder. Most Americans are repulsed at the brutal interrogation techniques sometimes used by our Central Intelligence Agency on prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. You want to be really repulsed? In Pakistan, al-Qaida and Taliban thugs shoot you by a firing squad for spying. No trial. Just a forced confession. By their convoluted reasoning, it's … [Read more...] about You Want Justice? Look No Further
Pirates: The Shipping News (Guest Voice)
Pirates: The Shipping News by Michael Winship If you're looking for signs of the Apocalypse - and who isn't? - here's a good one. There's an uptick in ark building. You heard me. According to The Wall Street Journal, that Bible of the Financially Bilious, Hong Kong's billionaire Kwok brothers are in the final stages of constructing the world's first full-size replica … [Read more...] about Pirates: The Shipping News (Guest Voice)