The real, authentic betting odds are HERE. … [Read more...] about What Are The Odds Joe The Plumber Will Run For Office?
Quote Of The Day: Obama As Ideological Rorschach
Our political Quote of the Day is actually a post of the day -- a must read in full post. But we'll give you the beginning of this thoughtful post by the ever-thoughtful Dick Meyer of NPR (who used to be with CBS): It's great, Sean Penn said in accepting his Oscar this week, to have an "elegant man" back in the White House. The Best Actor is but the latest and … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Obama As Ideological Rorschach
Arizona: It’s Time To Grow Up And Get Our Act Together (Guest Voice)
Arizona: It’s Time to grow up and get our act together by Marc Pascal Arizona’s state and local governments are rapidly disappearing into the desert’s financial quicksand. The state budget for 2010-11 is being drafted by Republicans who for years repeated their empty mantras of “more cut taxes” and “reduce government spending” in response to every situation. Faced … [Read more...] about Arizona: It’s Time To Grow Up And Get Our Act Together (Guest Voice)
The Never-Ending Bailout
Patrick Chappatte, The International Herald Tribune The above cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about The Never-Ending Bailout
Memo To Rush And Keith: Like It Or Not They Are Good People
My attitudes towards Rush Limbaugh have gone through a lot of changes over the past couple of decades. While many of you were first introduced to him when he came onto the national scene in 1988 I was aware of him several years earlier during his broadcasts in Sacramento. During those early years I had several occasions to meet him in those early years and he was always quite … [Read more...] about Memo To Rush And Keith: Like It Or Not They Are Good People
Gandhi Memorabilia: US Collector Says “No” to India
When the news leaked out that Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings were going under the hammer on March 5, there was a public outcry in India and the Indian officials tried to persuade the Californian collector to sell these to them. But so far the collector has refused do so. Why? Because the Indian government was giving him low payment for such a precious collector's … [Read more...] about Gandhi Memorabilia: US Collector Says “No” to India
Recession Chaos? Hey, Use Your Brains!
Aren't we all worrying endlessly and banging our heads against a wall, knowing well that the frightening recession would not disappear in the foreseeable future? We are repeatedly told: "Jobs are scarce. Housing is a mess. And the difficulty of making money threatens our comfort and leaves us feeling anxious and stressed." What is the way out? Pray that Barack Obama and Co, … [Read more...] about Recession Chaos? Hey, Use Your Brains!
In Search of the Leader of the GOP
I grew up in Michigan, about sixty miles from the Canadian border. Our local cable system offered (and still does) the closest Canadian television station: Channel 9, a CBC affiliate in Windsor, Ontario. Beginning in high school and through college and even today, whenever I am home in Michigan, I turned on the CBC to catch their two nightly news programs: The National … [Read more...] about In Search of the Leader of the GOP
McCain And Dorgan Push For Select Committee On Meltdown
Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) are calling for a select (IE special) Senate committee to investigate just what happened with the financial meltdown over the past months. Although there are, of course, Finance and Banking committees already in place, McCain and Dorgan feel that they are already busy working to find solutions to the problem and thus a … [Read more...] about McCain And Dorgan Push For Select Committee On Meltdown
Rush Limbaugh, Michael Steele and Newsweek’s “Dignity Index”
Newsweek has a weekly feature called "The Dignity Index," a graphical depiction which in Newsweek's own words is "a weekly mathematical survey of dubious behavior that measures, on a scale of 1 to 100, just how low a person can go." Usually, three personalities qualify for the weekly honors. I have made a suggestion to Newsweek for next week's "Dignity Index." But, … [Read more...] about Rush Limbaugh, Michael Steele and Newsweek’s “Dignity Index”
Here’s The (In)Famous “Rush Is The Leader” TV Ad (UPDATED)
Here's the (in)famous (choose the one that fits your political persuasion) "Rush Is The Leader" TV ad put out by the Democratic activist group Americans United for Change. This ad was reportedly being prepared before the big battle between the powerhouse conservative talk show host and RNC Chair Michael Steele. That battle will probably get the ad even more notice when it … [Read more...] about Here’s The (In)Famous “Rush Is The Leader” TV Ad (UPDATED)
How Much Worse Is Obama’s Budget Than A Hypothetical President McCain’s?
Let me be the first to state that I have long considered the national debt to be one of the nation's most pressing issues. There is very strong evidence that long term growth rates are affected more by national debt levels than just about any other variable. Also I think that massive deficit spending leads to bad governance because it creates an incentive mismatch: in sum the … [Read more...] about How Much Worse Is Obama’s Budget Than A Hypothetical President McCain’s?
The Perils of Field Reporting
As part of our continuing efforts to bring you up to the minute coverage of breaking political news, I was dispatched today to Saratoga Springs, New York to report on the first debate between Republican Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy. Had a mystery novelist been writing about our journey, somber bassoon music would have been playing during that … [Read more...] about The Perils of Field Reporting
Mr ‘Total Conservative’ — Interview With Mike Huckabee (Guest Interview)
Mr 'Total Conservative' -- Interview With Mike Huckabee by Bill Steigerwald Since Mike Huckabee finished third in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries, the former governor of Arkansas, author and ordained Southern Baptist minister seems to have found a new career in television and radio. “Huckabee,” his hour-long show on Fox News Channel on Saturdays at 8 p.m. … [Read more...] about Mr ‘Total Conservative’ — Interview With Mike Huckabee (Guest Interview)
Russia’s ‘White Envy’ Over Obama’s Plans: Novaya Gazeta of Russia
Those of us who thought Russian press freedom was dead may have to reconsider after this article from Novaya Gazeta that not only praises President Obama's ambitious agenda and "prays" for his success, it strongly criticizes President Putin's piece-meal approach to addressing the crisis in Russia. After explaining to Russian readers that the markets haven't responded well to … [Read more...] about Russia’s ‘White Envy’ Over Obama’s Plans: Novaya Gazeta of Russia
Poll: Americans Trust Democrats 48-20% Over Republicans On Economy (UPDATED)
First Read reports that a soon to be released poll will show that Americans trust the Democrats to get the U.S. out of a recession more than two to one over the Republicans. And it also notes a huge shift in this belief: Here's one set of numbers we're releasing before the entire NBC/WSJ poll comes out at 6:30 pm ET: By a 48-20 percent margin, Americans believe the … [Read more...] about Poll: Americans Trust Democrats 48-20% Over Republicans On Economy (UPDATED)
Book Review: The Mapmaker’s Wife
Perhaps what attracted me to read this book was its subtitle: "A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon"--- especially the last part, that bit about the Amazon. Not that I am adverse to reading about love and murder, but because of the fact that as a young boy I spent several of my summer vacations at the edge of the Amazon rainforest. But the book's … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Mapmaker’s Wife
Rush Limbaugh Opens New Verbal War Front Against ABC’s Stephanopoulos
Conservative talk show host and GOP powerhouse Rush Limbaugh has opened a second front in his national verbal war -- this time against ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. He insists that Republican leader Rep. Eric Cantor really DOES want President Barack Obama to fail despite what Cantor suggested in public. He also charged that Stephanopoulos is part of a White House … [Read more...] about Rush Limbaugh Opens New Verbal War Front Against ABC’s Stephanopoulos
The Gospel According To St. Newt
Lost in the roaring rhubarb between conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh and Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele was Newt Gingrich's speech last Friday before the Conservative Political Action Conference. … [Read more...] about The Gospel According To St. Newt
Unknown and Unknowable
News about a "diplomatic" exchange between the US and Russia over an anti-missile system in Europe and Iran's pursuit of WMDs underscores how little we really know about the threat of nuclear war. The "we" includes not only those who have watched a half century of posturing on the subject from the outside but, in large measure, the generations of leaders who have been acting … [Read more...] about Unknown and Unknowable