As President Barack Obama prepares to deliver a major speech on the budget and vows to pursue bipartisanship to reduce an ever-exploding deficit, two polls bring him and Democrats encouraging news -- and suggest more than ever that the Republican party could be digging itself into a deeper political hole as it continues to try and shore up its conservative base and eschews a … [Read more...] about Polls: Obama Clout Strong As Bipartisanship Wanes Amid Low GOP Numbers
NY 20th: Scott Murphy’s Anti-Military Past?
As the days tick on toward the special congressional election in New York's 20th district, opposition research on both sides continues to unearth background material on the candidates. This week the Albany Times Union finds some material published by Democrat Scott Murphy during his days as a Senior Editor at the Harvard Perspective. The editorial in question, signed by Murphy … [Read more...] about NY 20th: Scott Murphy’s Anti-Military Past?
From Gitmo to Suicide Bomber
Kuwaiti citizen Abdallah Saleh al-Ajmi was released from Guantanamo in the fall of 2005. After his acquittal by a Kuwaiti judge, al-Ajmi began associating again with radical Islamists. In early 2008, he travelled to Iraq, where he killed 13 Iraqi soldiers by driving a truck full of explosives into their compound. This is an important story and I'm glad it made the … [Read more...] about From Gitmo to Suicide Bomber
The Rise of Michael Ignatieff
If you're interested, my latest piece at The Guardian -- on celebrated public intellectual, former Harvard professor, and current Canadian Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff -- is here. In brief, I don't much care for him. (I supported former Ontario Premier Bob Rae for the leadership, but Rae pulled out of the race late last year.) Here's a taste: To me, though, he … [Read more...] about The Rise of Michael Ignatieff
The Racist New York Post Dead-Monkey Cartoon (Guest Voice)
That Racist New York Post Dead-Monkey Cartoon by Daryl Cagle All the pundits are talking about the recent cartoon by the New York Post's Sean Delonas, showing a chimp shot by two policemen who say, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." The prevailing view among the bloggers and talking-heads is that the cartoon is a racist depiction of Obama … [Read more...] about The Racist New York Post Dead-Monkey Cartoon (Guest Voice)
It’s McCain Versus Obama
Again. But as the HP notes, if Obama wants he can tap this determination and use it for some of his goals. … [Read more...] about It’s McCain Versus Obama
The Old Bagging Lady
I used to live in a large apartment complex. I wasn't friendly with a lot of the other tenants but easily recognized most of them by sight. The other day I saw one them again. An old woman, almost certainly well past seventy, in the supermarket. She was bagging my groceries. The recognition gave me an uncomfortable feeling, but it was clear that it made her feel much, much … [Read more...] about The Old Bagging Lady
Bad Behavior Bailout
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Bad Behavior Bailout
Pomegranates for Poppies
Wil Robinson has an interesting report on a new effort to convince Afghan farmers to switch from growing opium poppies to pomegranates to export to world markets. The man spearheading the effort thinks that, not only does Afghanistan produce "best pomegranates in the world," but sales of pomegranates on the global market could outstrip the value to Afghanistan of the opium … [Read more...] about Pomegranates for Poppies
Jindal for GOP Response: More Image is Everything, But Tenets? Not So Much
Am I the only one who is amazed at how, only six months ago, John McCain and Sarah Palin were the image of the Republican Party and wanted to be and were supported by their party to be the image of the White House and now, Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal are the image? Frankly, the choice of Steele as chair and Jindal as … [Read more...] about Jindal for GOP Response: More Image is Everything, But Tenets? Not So Much
Palin: Hey, You Know Who Really Stinks? The Media!
During the 2008 election, one of the major complaints regarding John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin was the lack of vetting which went into the decision. Once the choice was set in stone, though, criticism in some circles shifted to the abysmal handling of the VP candidate and her "not ready for prime time" persona. Apparently things haven't improved since the election … [Read more...] about Palin: Hey, You Know Who Really Stinks? The Media!
Fo Shizzle! The New Era of Hip-Hop Republicans
Newly minted RNC Chair Michael Steele has set the tone, calling for the application of the party’s traditional message to “urban — suburban hip-hop settings.” But what exactly does that mean? And how do you take a sometimes moldy construct of American conservatism and translate it to the urban, hip-hop culture? A daunting task to be sure, but I take a swing at it today in my … [Read more...] about Fo Shizzle! The New Era of Hip-Hop Republicans
A Lost Story About Protection of Children and Creatures
Earlier tonight, Jill Miller Zimon, our coblogger at The Moderate Voice, replied in comments to an article I'd written about how some persons intimidate and force young children to hysteria... children who have done nothing to provoke such, in order to instill fear into the child... and how others sometimes dont see such as intimidation and abuse... as long as the child is not … [Read more...] about A Lost Story About Protection of Children and Creatures
Settlements and the One-State Solution
I'm already pretty firmly on the record that the continued expansion of the settlements poses a massive threat to the viability of the two-state solution of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The longer the settlements stay up, many argue, the more entrenched they will become -- eventually, they will be so dug in that evacuating them will become impossible, and suddenly there is … [Read more...] about Settlements and the One-State Solution
Grand Bargain; Grand Opportunity
In a British Radio Show called “The News Quiz” a few months ago, one of the panelists elicited loud laughter from the audience by saying of capitalism, “Recent events show that, while capitalism is a great idea in theory, it just can’t work in practice”. The joke, of course, was that this is the exact comment that has been often made about communism ever since its collapse. … [Read more...] about Grand Bargain; Grand Opportunity
Personal Letters, To and From Our President
In "A Note Personally Penned, Then Signed 'Barack.' Priceless," we saw how President Obama personally handwrites letters to kin of our fallen troops and, after they are typed, adds his signature, "Barack." In an interesting piece by Jake Tapper, ABC News' Senior White House Correspondent, we learn that President Obama reads 10 letters a day from regular citizens like you and … [Read more...] about Personal Letters, To and From Our President
Thought Exercise: If You Were In Charge…
OK, folks. We all have bailout fatigue. Some of us are bothered more by irresponsible borrowers and others are angry at the banks. We're sick and tired of being asked to bail out those who have failed. So let's do a thought experiment here. What happens if the US government literally does nothing more to stem the losses. AIG's recent request for money? … [Read more...] about Thought Exercise: If You Were In Charge…
[Poll] Republican Rejectionism Is, Itself, Rejected
I've had the idea for a post about this subject in my head since yesterday morning, but the New York Times release of this NYT/CBS poll about support for President Obama and disdain for Republican rejectionism has made push come to shove and I really need to write it now. First, from the poll (the full pdf is here): Americans are under no illusions that the country’s … [Read more...] about [Poll] Republican Rejectionism Is, Itself, Rejected
The Upcoming F-22 Raptor Decision Is Serious Business
I have written several posts on the upcoming decision by the Obama administration on how many additional F-22 Raptor fighters to purchase after the last one of the current 183 aircraft order has been delivered. There are reports that Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz will ask for 60 more F-22's. As the decision nears, the media and especially the blogosphere are … [Read more...] about The Upcoming F-22 Raptor Decision Is Serious Business
From the Party of “No” to the Party of “Go”
All efforts by President Obama to get Republicans on board for the economic stimulus package fell to pieces, but will one of his next efforts garner more support? It seems that he's planning to grab hold of the third rail of politics and attempt to reform Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Depending how it's handled, he might have the GOP in his corner on this one, unless … [Read more...] about From the Party of “No” to the Party of “Go”