Former President Bill Clinton, in an interview with CNN, predicted the GOP may eventually feel it has to deal with President Barack Obama if economic progress kicks in -- and that the public will give Obama about a year for signs of improvement: Embedded video from CNN Video Within a year campaign 2010 -- where all the House seats will be up for re-election -- will be … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton: Public Will Give Obama A Year For Economic Progress Signs
Around The Sphere
Our linkfest taking you to sites of varying viewpoints. Links do not necessarily reflect the views of TMV or its writers. Is It Sour Grapes? Is that what's bugging Vice President Dick Cheney? Stimulus Schmimulus? Some say there are signs team Obama is backpedaling on the effectiveness of the just-passed economic stimulus plan already.. HBO Not Fair And Balanced? A … [Read more...] about Around The Sphere
Harper’s Index Online and Searchable
ReadWriteWeb: Harper's Index, the most thought provoking fun you'll find on one printed page, is turning 25 years old. Harper's Magazine, launched in 1850, is the 2nd longest continuously published magazine in the United States (behind Scientific American) but the Index is the first page that many readers skip to in each issue. To celebrate the Index's anniversary, Harper's … [Read more...] about Harper’s Index Online and Searchable
Bring Sean Home!
By now, there are probably not too many Americans who have not been following the unbelievably tragic---and exasperating---story of an American father's brave fight to bring his son home, an 8-year old boy who is being held in Brazil in violation of all international norms, and human decency. The father is David Goldman. According to the blog BringSeanHome.org,: On … [Read more...] about Bring Sean Home!
Action v. Inaction
Thursday night last week, as the stimulus bill was winding its way to final form, my wife and I drove to Union Station, in the heart of St. Louis City, to pick up our son. He was headed into town via bus for a get-together with our extended family. We arrived at Union Station two hours prior to our son's scheduled arrival, having decided to enjoy an early Valentine's Day … [Read more...] about Action v. Inaction
We Were Lucky This Time
Apparently there was a 'minor' nuclear accident in the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month. AP via Washington Post: Nuclear-armed submarines from Britain and France collided deep under the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month, causing damage to both vessels but releasing no radioactivity, a British official said Monday. The New York Times: The two submarines are at the … [Read more...] about We Were Lucky This Time
Warren Buffett: On Surviving Global Financial Crisis
Many people are curious to know how the world's richest man has managed to beat the global financial blues. For this answer one can now turn to a thousand-page official biography of Warren Buffett, The Snowball by Alice Schroeder. "It is surely the book of the moment, because a history of Warren Buffett is a history of high finance from the 1930s to the present day," … [Read more...] about Warren Buffett: On Surviving Global Financial Crisis
Earth 2.0 Coming Soon
Next month NASA will launch the new Kepler Telescope and the goal is an ambitious one. We're finally going to start the process of identifying stars with potentially Earth-like planets orbiting them. According to projections at a recent conference, they might not be as rare as once thought. There could be one hundred billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy, a US conference … [Read more...] about Earth 2.0 Coming Soon
The Coming Collapse Of 2009?
While I am hardly a financial expert, I do like to try and look ahead to see what is coming with the economy in the future. I often am reminded of the scene in 'Trading Places' where Eddie Murphy's character uses his knowledge of how average people work to predict things more effectively than the so-called experts. As a bankruptcy attorney I saw the banking collapse coming … [Read more...] about The Coming Collapse Of 2009?
Ranking American Presidents
C-Span has released the second edition of its Historians Survey of Presidential Leadership. A cross section of 65 presidential historians ranked the 42 former Presidents on ten attributes of leadership. Go to THIS LINK for complete details, including the Washington Journal segment about the survey and a list of the historians. Here are the high and low scorers: TOP … [Read more...] about Ranking American Presidents
New Simpsons Opening
After 20 years the Simpsons are heading into the new HDTV era with a new opening sequence. Of course the transition didn't happen but it seems somehow fitting that the Simpsons do it early. … [Read more...] about New Simpsons Opening
Barack’s Not So Secret Weapon — Michelle
I'm no one to espouse the endurance of marriage since mine lasted only five years. However, I know a good one when I see one. Ones as endured by my parents, my brother Larry, my son Matt and, yes, Barack and Michelle Obama. The thing is, you never know what lurks behind closed doors in these marriages. Outsiders, including close family members, judge the marriages on the … [Read more...] about Barack’s Not So Secret Weapon — Michelle
Next Up: Auto Bailout Talks 2.0
The stimulus battle is done and in the books. The next mega-issue is the banks. Increasingly, the chorus for nationalization of some form is picking up pace. A prominent Republican, Lindsay Graham just added his voice to the call for, at least, considering nationalization. And of course, the housing issue looms in the background; Obama will offer some plans (or plans for … [Read more...] about Next Up: Auto Bailout Talks 2.0
Global Pols Eye Obama
Along with the economic crisis, a political preoccupation around the world is trying to figure out what to make of the new American president. Hamid Karzai joins the list today. Asked by CNN's Fareed Zakaria about Obama's statement that the Afghan leader has a "bunker mentality" and "seems detached" from what is happening in his country, Karzai attempts condescension: "I … [Read more...] about Global Pols Eye Obama
The Spend Or Save Conundrum
Two years ago the economic elite were warning about this country's nearly non-existent saving rate. The great fear then was that the nation was living beyond its means and excess spending had to stop. These days the government is betting the nation's future and its our own solvency on extraordinary efforts to boost spending by the private sector with its own huge infusions … [Read more...] about The Spend Or Save Conundrum
End the Filibuster? Careful What You Wish For!
A short note on Steve Benen's righteous indignation over at The Washington Monthly: TIME TO REFORM THE FILIBUSTER.... One of the striking aspects of the political process on the Hill is how quickly everyone has adapted to a once-rare tactic becoming routine. Senate filibusters used to be exceedingly rare -- a dramatic challenge only to be used under extraordinary … [Read more...] about End the Filibuster? Careful What You Wish For!
Tedisco’s Car Trouble?
While the Republicans are busy pointing out questions over whether or not Scott Murphy paid his taxes, Democrats are countering by looking into what NY 20th Congressional District candidate Jim Tedisco did with some of the taxpayer dollars he received. At the center of the questions is a matter of more than $20,000 the Assemblyman received for gas and oil change expenses for … [Read more...] about Tedisco’s Car Trouble?
Around The Sphere
Our linkfest taking you to sites of varying viewpoints. Links do not necessarily reflect the views of TMV or its writers. So What Did The Israeli Elections Mean? Here's one take on it. What Should Barack Obama Conclude From Judd Gregg's Pullout As Commerce Secretary Nom? Dick Polman offers these thoughts.. Contrasting Obama With Reagan: A conservative's … [Read more...] about Around The Sphere
Will Democrats’ Tax Troubles Dog Scott Murphy?
Well, that certainly didn't take long. NY 20th congressional Democratic candidate Scott Murphy probably hasn't had time to stock up pens and paper clips in his new campaign office yet and his opponents are raising questions about his history of paying taxes. Apparently, one of Murphy's early business start-ups ran afoul of the IRS around the time he was selling it off. In … [Read more...] about Will Democrats’ Tax Troubles Dog Scott Murphy?
Mr. Obama: Please Honor Our Returning Heroes
Volumes have been written about past administrations' decisions not to let the American people see images of the flag-draped coffins, our fallen heroes, arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware---the first contact with U.S. soil since leaving foreign battlefields, including the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. I will neither condemn nor condone the reported reasons … [Read more...] about Mr. Obama: Please Honor Our Returning Heroes