As you may have heard earlier today Senator Specter (R-PA) announced he would not support the Employee Free Choice Act, and many feel that this decision could doom any hopes of passage. As I've reviewed the debate over the subject I sometimes found myself a bit confused at the attitudes of some of the more fervent supporters, who do not seem to understand how anyone can oppose … [Read more...] about Thoughts On The Left And EFCA
As Blood Flows, U.S. Gets Serious About the Battle for Mexico: Excelsior of Mexico
Will the United States government have to take on the NRA along with the Mexican drug cartels in order to lessen the chances of Mexico becoming a failed state? For Mexico's Excelsior newspaper, León Krauze writes in part: "I said in this space a couple of weeks ago that the attitude of the United States government in regard to the violence in its border with Mexico … [Read more...] about As Blood Flows, U.S. Gets Serious About the Battle for Mexico: Excelsior of Mexico
Mississippi Bans Red-Light Cameras
UPDATE: Georgia towns taking down their red light cameras because they don't bring in enough money: a new law required them to increase the length of time that a light is yellow by one second -- and that's decreased red light violations so significantly, that red light cameras have become "too expensive" (thanks to Scott Cauthen for sending that story in). This is what critics … [Read more...] about Mississippi Bans Red-Light Cameras
Quote Of The Day: Contrasting Obama and Andrew Cuomo
The political Quote of the Day comes from Tina Brown, noting how President Barack Obama's reputation and image is taking a hit by how he is being perceived by some, while New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's image is better than ever: Obama is the only person walking around with a big smile on his face. That onset of wild laughter on 60 Minutes about how humorous it is … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Contrasting Obama and Andrew Cuomo
Obama Overexposure Revisited
I wrote about it here four days ago. (And here.) Now, others are weighing in with the same view. … [Read more...] about Obama Overexposure Revisited
Ubiquitous Obama
If we were paying the President by the hour, the economic crisis would be worse. After the Tonight Show, 60 Minutes and town halls everywhere, we get a prime-time news conference this evening. If that sounds like a complaint, it isn't. In this time of multiple anxieties, Barack Obama, despite the inevitability of falling approval ratings, has succeeded brilliantly as … [Read more...] about Ubiquitous Obama
Preparing Our Fallen Heroes For Their Final Journey Home
On February 26, I wrote about Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' decision to reverse the 18-year old ban on news coverage of our returning fallen heroes at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. It was---and still is---a controversial decision, albeit it will be up to the families of the heroes to decide whether to admit the press to ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base. More … [Read more...] about Preparing Our Fallen Heroes For Their Final Journey Home
Hindus In Britain Demand Traditional Cremation
Followers of Islam, Christianity and Judaism may have lots of differences, but when it comes to the disposal of the dead body, they share a common, and a strong, belief that it must be buried. On the other hand, Hindus, and followers of other Eastern religions, opt for cremation of their dead. Down the centuries India has remained highly tolerant towards diverse religious … [Read more...] about Hindus In Britain Demand Traditional Cremation
Geithner Buckles Up As New Sheriff In Town
Embattled Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in an effort to restore his credibility outlined an unprecedented plan before a Congressional panel Tuesday that would give his department powers to seize non-banking financial companies. The new powers would regulate large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds. The government through the Federal Deposit Insurance … [Read more...] about Geithner Buckles Up As New Sheriff In Town
Bernie Madoff
Yaakov Kirschen, The Jerusalem Post, Dry Bones This cartoon is licensed and copyrighted to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Bernie Madoff
Will Next Week’s G20 Meeting Create Major Plan For World Jobs And Growth?
Next week is the big G20 world summit where leaders will huddle to talk about the gobal economic crisis. And, in the end, will it prove to be merely perfunctory or will something of actually substantive come out of it? British Prime Minister Gordon Brown predicts there will be consensus and commitment: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Tuesday he was confident … [Read more...] about Will Next Week’s G20 Meeting Create Major Plan For World Jobs And Growth?
Tis the Season for Judicial Appointments
Last week President Obama made his first nomination to the appellate court. This came on the heels of news that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery for cancer and is now undergoing chemotherapy. Selections for the courts are definitely one area where presidents will never be able to please all the people all of the time, but are we even doing as well as we … [Read more...] about Tis the Season for Judicial Appointments
Geithner’s (Five-Year) Plan
I read the Washington Post's article regarding the plan to increase the power of the government, through the Department of the Treasury, to regulate or control larger segments of the financial market including hedge funds and similar instruments. Here is the quote from the article: "Besides seizing a company outright, the document states, the Treasury Secretary could use a … [Read more...] about Geithner’s (Five-Year) Plan
Zogby: New Poll Will Show Obama’s Approval Now Down To 50 Percent (UPDATED)
Pollster John Zogby is making it known that new poll will show that frustration over the economy will show that President Barack Obama's popularity has fallen to 50 percent. This pol was taken before the stock market went up yesterday after the announcement of the new Treasury Department plan to buy up "toxic" bank assets -- and in the wake of the bipartisan furor over the … [Read more...] about Zogby: New Poll Will Show Obama’s Approval Now Down To 50 Percent (UPDATED)
Democracy Corps Poll: GOP Becoming “Irrelevant” To Young People
A new Democracy Corps poll finds the Republican party becoming "irrelevant" to America's young people while President Barack Obama's popularity continues to grow: Democracy Corps and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner’s first post-election survey of youth shows the Republican Party growing more and more irrelevant to America’s young people. In marked contrast, young people’s support … [Read more...] about Democracy Corps Poll: GOP Becoming “Irrelevant” To Young People
Congressional Republicans To Dick Cheney: Please Go Away
What do these words have in common? Zmlknout (Czech)...Cállate (Spanish)...Cale a boca (Portuguese)...Se taire (French)...Inchide (Romanian)...Zašuti (Croatioin)...Stai zitto (Italian)...Hold kjeft (Norwegian)...and halt den Mund (German)? The answer: they all are ways of saying "Shut up" in different languages. And according to The Hill, that's the message Congressional … [Read more...] about Congressional Republicans To Dick Cheney: Please Go Away
Cartoonists Lampoon Obama And The Tonight Show
Comedian in Chief Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner … [Read more...] about Cartoonists Lampoon Obama And The Tonight Show
LET’S GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON
People still approach Justice Scalia about the Supreme Court’s 2000 decision in Bush v. Gore. His prompt and discussion-ending reply has been “Get over it.” Perhaps that’s the attitude we need to take with respect to the banking/financial crisis and the bailout plans. We have to collectively “get over it” and move on as President Obama has been suggesting by limiting his … [Read more...] about LET’S GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON
‘Overloaded’ With U.S. English as the Language of Diplomacy: Izvestia, Russia
On March 6, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton handed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a button labeled 'reset' in English, and 'peregruzka' in Russian. Unfortunately, peregruzka means 'overloaded' rather than 'reset', embarrassing the U.S. Secretary of State and the agency she leads on live TV. According to Maxim Sokolov of Russia's Izvestia newspaper, the error … [Read more...] about ‘Overloaded’ With U.S. English as the Language of Diplomacy: Izvestia, Russia
CBS Poll: Obama Takes Hit For His Handling Of AIG Bonuses
A new CBS News poll finds that when it comes to President Barack Obama's handling of the AIG bonuses controversy if the bloom is not off the rose then one of the blooms has started to seriously wilt: a large number of Americans give him poor marks on his handling of the issue: For the first time since he became president, a significant number of Americans are expressing … [Read more...] about CBS Poll: Obama Takes Hit For His Handling Of AIG Bonuses