David Letterman, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert spent most of the last eight years abusing the Bush administration with gusto. Given that the person in charge presents the largest target, this shouldn't come as any surprise. But when Barack Obama took office I fully expected that the gun-sights would swing around and take aim at the new boss, same as the old boss. Are the … [Read more...] about Late Night Comics in the Age of Obama
Revisionism
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Revisionism
Why Reforming Health Care Can Help Heal The Economy
By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE The two biggest lies being told by opponents of President Obama's health-care reform plan is that it will be financed entirely on the backs of the rich and that the depths of a protracted recession is no time to go forward with such a bold and expensive initiative. If you believe, as I and a majority of Americans do, that health care is a … [Read more...] about Why Reforming Health Care Can Help Heal The Economy
Vince Lombardi, Old Warrior Coach
I'm an admirer of coach Vince Lombardi. How can you resist a coach who has the psychological insights of, say, Shakespeare? It could have been Bassinio who said: "Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence." But, it was Lombardi. It could have been Ariel from The Tempest who mysteriously whispered, 'If thou art not fired with enthusiasm, thou'll be fired with … [Read more...] about Vince Lombardi, Old Warrior Coach
Obama’s Stress Test
In the absence of an outrage du jour by the Bush Administration, the American Commentariat is now caught up in a more complex, elusive project--analyzing the nation's fall into future shock and Barack Obama's fitness to deal with it. Is the President on a speeding-up treadmill struggling not to fall behind, as Paul Krugman suggests today? "The problem with the budget," … [Read more...] about Obama’s Stress Test
Now It’s Newt Gingrich Versus Rush Limbaugh Versus Newt Gingrich
Let's face it the Rush Limbaugh Versus (you fill in the blank) story isn't just a story with "legs" -- but a story with as many legs as a centipede. First it was Rush against President Barack Obama. Then Obama's associates against Rush. Then RNC Chair Michael Steele against Rush and Rush against Steele. The latest is that the conservative icon with the big radio ratings … [Read more...] about Now It’s Newt Gingrich Versus Rush Limbaugh Versus Newt Gingrich
Gay “Lifestyle” Will Not Be Counted in Census
The 2010 Census will not count same-sex marriages or ask respondents about their sexual orientation: Census takers will ask same-sex couples who live together to define themselves as "unmarried partners," as they did in 2000 before some states - currently only Connecticut and Massachusetts - allowed gay marriage. "This is all about the numbers. This not about lifestyle or … [Read more...] about Gay “Lifestyle” Will Not Be Counted in Census
Obama’s Error On Recovery
Like many others across the political spectrum, I've been increasingly frustrated with the refusal of the Obama Administration and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to bite the bullet and nationalize the large, troubled banks at the core of our economic crisis. While the many arguments for and against nationalization have been hammered out many times over, I don't think any … [Read more...] about Obama’s Error On Recovery
Did You Know THIS About Stem Cell Research?
It turns out that scientists, Nancy Reagan, Orrin Hatch, Arnold Schwarzenegger and others who strongly support stem cell research are apparently full of this or short-sighted and not as deep a thinker as this guy. Why? Because all of America is apparently missing its real significance. The REAL meaning of President Barack Obama lifting Bush-era restrictions on stem cell … [Read more...] about Did You Know THIS About Stem Cell Research?
In Search of an Honest Middle East Broker
A collection of Republicans are lining up in opposition to Chas Freeman this week. While some of their complaints are couched in concerns over Freeman's "brutal reality" stance on human rights in China and perfectly valid questions over financial concerns, they make it very clear that their primary issue is the NIC Chief's stated positions on Israel. You can click through the … [Read more...] about In Search of an Honest Middle East Broker
Russia and Obama: A Long Brawl Just Begun
The thaw between the US and Russia is superficial and don’t hold your breath for progress to substantive gains any time soon. At recent key meetings in Brussels and Geneva, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton offered an outstretched hand but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov only slightly unclenched his fist. Moscow is preparing to wage a kind of asymmetrical … [Read more...] about Russia and Obama: A Long Brawl Just Begun
Obama And The Teleprompter Issue
It's true: who could be so insecure and inarticulate that they'd have to rely on a teleprompter? … [Read more...] about Obama And The Teleprompter Issue
Stemcell
This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. UPDATE: Here's a video of Obama's signing and his comments: Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy … [Read more...] about Stemcell
Attention Rush And Sean
She must be a RINO: “I’m very grateful that President Obama has lifted the restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research,” [former first lady Nancy Reagan] wrote in a statement released shortly after Obama reversed the Bush administration limits. “These new rules will now make it possible for scientists to move forward. I urge researchers to make use of … [Read more...] about Attention Rush And Sean
Obama Creates Post, Appoints Ambassador-at-Large for International Women’s Issues
Major hat-tip to RHReality Check. From AFP: US President Barack Obama announced Friday the creation of a new foreign policy position designed to tackle global women's issues. Obama named Melanne Verveer, an aide in former president Bill Clinton's administration, as ambassador-at-large for international women's issues. She will serve at the State Department under … [Read more...] about Obama Creates Post, Appoints Ambassador-at-Large for International Women’s Issues
America’s Withdrawal and Iran’s Unquenched ‘Appetite for Expansion’: From Sotal Iraq
Unidentified members of Iran's 'Assembly of Experts' - the body that is designated to elect and 'oversee' the Supreme Leader. In some quarters of Iraq, there is growing alarm about the impending withdrawal of the United States and Iran's ongoing effort, as Aziz Al-Hajj of Iraq's Sotal Iraq newspaper writes, to "swallow up Iraq politically, economically and … [Read more...] about America’s Withdrawal and Iran’s Unquenched ‘Appetite for Expansion’: From Sotal Iraq
Top 10 Newspapers That Will Fold Or Go Digi By 1/10, Courtesy of TIME
Read it and shake your head - because, again, with this kind of thought (that advertisers will soon realize that no one clicks on Internet ads and will then come back to the newspapers and save them - no, really, that’s what’s being suggested) being proffered by the professional journalist atmosphere, they’re only tempting the fates as they scrunch the blinders … [Read more...] about Top 10 Newspapers That Will Fold Or Go Digi By 1/10, Courtesy of TIME
In Sacramento, The Homeless Shelters Are Full; Tent City “Houses” 1200 People
Longtime readers know that I have long thought a depression was inevitable for the US and the world in general because of the enormity of our debt. In the fall I wrote a guest post that took the unusual position that we embrace a deflationary deflation. The economic rationale is described succinctly in this post on Naked Capitalism that points out it is taking all the world's … [Read more...] about In Sacramento, The Homeless Shelters Are Full; Tent City “Houses” 1200 People
The Myth of Paid Content
I think that if I hear another newspaper person utter this phrase -- no more free content -- I will scream. It's either that or shoot the guy. (It's almost always a guy.) The latest missive to feature this demand comes from David Carr, writing in the Sunday New York Times (tip). Howard Kurtz alluded to it when writing about the demise of The Rocky Mountain News, asserting … [Read more...] about The Myth of Paid Content
Wired for War: Robots in the Battlefield
The video above is from the Army news channel "Live Fire" Benning Report on the Boston Dynamics "Big Dog" robot. Host Amy Gunn of the Fort Benning Public Affairs Office breathlessly tells us that the robotics revolution is here: Since 9/11 the army has effectively employed thousands of flying robots like the Raven [link] and the Predator [link] and ground-based robots like … [Read more...] about Wired for War: Robots in the Battlefield