I don't try to assume that I know everything when it comes to politics: I'm just some guy with a laptop likes to run at the mouth or keyboard. But in looking at the GOP in the weeks since Barack Obama became President and since the Democrats have taken power,I see three options for how Republicans can go forward in this new time. I will say straight up that I have a bias in … [Read more...] about How to be a Republican in the Age of Obama: Three Choices
Some Interesting Thoughts On The Obama Budget
I'm not ready to make comments on the details of the budget since the specifics don't come out until next month. But I did find an interesting examination of some potential problems with the assumptions behind the budget and how fast the economy will grow. Harvard professors are hardly right wing hacks, so this is worth a read. … [Read more...] about Some Interesting Thoughts On The Obama Budget
GOP Fiscal Plan
Monte Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. EDITOR'S UPDATE: Tom Watson says Limbaugh is a "gift" for Obama. Leading gullible Republicans into the hills of guerrilla ideological resistance during the nation's toughest economic crisis in 80 years constitutes a … [Read more...] about GOP Fiscal Plan
Black US Presidents Before Obama
BLACK PRESIDENTS BEFORE OBAMA: A brilliant study of fictional black presidents by Sean Higgins, courtesy of Doublethink Online. If Eric Holder read this article before giving his "cowardice" speech, he might have saved himself a lot of embarrassment. Cross-posted at Conventional Folly … [Read more...] about Black US Presidents Before Obama
“Right-Wing Rousseauists”
Rod Dreher on CPAC and modern conservatism: "But good grief, is this what constitutes popular conservatism in 2009? This ideologically-driven right-wing Rousseauism, with Leninist overtones about the Enemies of the People?" My biggest problem with the current dominant form of American Conservatism (at least amongst the political leaders) is that it is so internally … [Read more...] about “Right-Wing Rousseauists”
America: Fascist and Socialist!
Ron Paul at CPAC: "We now have moved a major step in the direction of socialism," Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) said Friday, adding: "We are close to a fascist system where the government has control of our lives and our economy."It sounds funny, but when you think about, the full name of the Nazi Party was the National Socialist German Workers Party. Who says fascists can't be … [Read more...] about America: Fascist and Socialist!
Obama and the Slumdog Millionaires
I just saw Slumdog for the first time last night. A truly deserving winner, IMHO. Also, a good moment to reflect on the flourishing relationship between the US and India. Asia is one part of the world where even Democrats say George Bush did a very good job. As Dan Twining observes, Dubya's most important achievement in Asia was the firm establishment of a strategic … [Read more...] about Obama and the Slumdog Millionaires
LittleSis: An Involuntary Facebook of Powerful Americans
Collaboratively edited and maintained by people like you. if:book calls it social networking in reverse: [A] project of the Public Accountability Initiative funded by the Sunlight Foundation. It's something like a networked telephone book of the rich and powerful: LittleSis aggregates publicly available information about America's officials, both public and private. If you … [Read more...] about LittleSis: An Involuntary Facebook of Powerful Americans
Obama’s Defining Week
This week Barack Obama became who he is going to be for the next four years. Amid a flurry of crucial decisions on the economy and foreign policy, his presidency is showing what may be its ultimate shape--out of necessity daring on domestic issues, more conventional and cautious on foreign policy. Liberals who criticized his response to the financial crisis as too careful, … [Read more...] about Obama’s Defining Week
The 21st Century Smoot-Hawley Act
Michael Pettis is the most intelligent commenter on the Chinese role in the global economy that I've run across, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because his prognosis is consistently grim and is based on communication with various Chinese and American businessmen and officials. One of the reasons I hate to enjoy his writing is because he focuses on how the current economic … [Read more...] about The 21st Century Smoot-Hawley Act
NY20: Local Op-Eds on Tedisco and Murphy
When campaigning in a largely rural district such as New York's 20th, candidates eventually have to deal with the reality of small-town newspapers and their coverage of the race. The Albany Times-Union has been providing quite a bit of coverage, though it's difficult not to notice the decided slant in favor of the Democrat thus far. Smaller publications are also weighing in, … [Read more...] about NY20: Local Op-Eds on Tedisco and Murphy
Our New Prime Source Of “News”—Think Tanks
Major newspapers are closing down these days almost as fast as insolvent banks. Many media people are not all that worried about this trend, however, because they believe Internet bloggers will pick up the slack when it comes to reporting stories and providing incisive editorial comments. Maybe so. But maybe, just maybe, a major new source of news and commentary won't be … [Read more...] about Our New Prime Source Of “News”—Think Tanks
Zombie Politicians and Zombie Pundits (Guest Voice)
Zombie Politicians and Zombie Pundits by Marc Pascal Banks that have essentially failed but are provided ongoing capital from public bailouts are referred to as “Zombie Banks.” They are dead but still walk the earth. While we have some of these staggering around in the U.S. right now, over the next year the Administration will eventually put them out of their misery … [Read more...] about Zombie Politicians and Zombie Pundits (Guest Voice)
Psychedelica
No, not that. This: A funky, psychedelic fish that bounces on the ocean floor like a rubber ball has been classified as a new species, a scientific journal reported.... The fish — which the University of Washington professor has named "psychedelica" — is a member of the antennariid genus, Histiophryne, and like other frogfish, has fins on both sides of its body that have … [Read more...] about Psychedelica
Clinton And Israel’s Netanyahu: A Week To Watch
This will be a big week to watch as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Israel. Here's how the Israeli paper Haaretz frames it: The visit of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Israel this week may give an early indication of any disagreements on the Palestinian issue between the United States and the next Israeli government. In an interview on Friday with … [Read more...] about Clinton And Israel’s Netanyahu: A Week To Watch
GOP Tries to Split Obama from the Democratic Herd
Much like a pack of wolves tries to isolate a weak caribou from the herd, are the Republicans trying to split President Obama away from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic House leadership? At the New York Times, Carl Hulse certainly seems to think so. But that will not stop Republicans from trying. On Friday, the leadership sent Mr. Obama a letter urging him to … [Read more...] about GOP Tries to Split Obama from the Democratic Herd
Obama and Reaganomics
A roundup here... … [Read more...] about Obama and Reaganomics
Paul Harvey
Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Paul Harvey
The Beeper Cacophony
by Walter Brasch Barack Obama was determined that the only way anyone was going to take away his BlackBerry was if they pried it from his cold dead hands. Or, something to that effect. The President justifiably relies upon his BlackBerry, but many rely upon electronic communications as a status symbol or as a crutch so they don’t … [Read more...] about The Beeper Cacophony
After-Midnight Blogger, Reflection on Night, Golf, Prayer
I just wanted to say that sometimes we co-bloggers at TMV talk amongst ourselves about why we write, how we write... and I believe some late nights that it’s because many of us are helplessly insane and have to write ourselves back into sanity every night... Or semi-sanity Or sanity defined only by us alone. and also, you, reader, come to mind, late at night … [Read more...] about After-Midnight Blogger, Reflection on Night, Golf, Prayer