If energy analysts are correct, American motorists should see a drop in gasoline prices beginning in April. That is if market demands truly drive the market price. If not, Big Oil is putting the screws to us once again. … [Read more...] about Will Oil Price Plunge Reflect At The Gas Pump?
Obama Team Floats Controversial Procedural Move
It's the opposite of bi-partisanship, a key element in the rhetorical formula of the Obama presidential campaign. "It" is using the budget reconciliation process to "pass" controversial legislation by slipping it into the filibuster-proof process. And President Obama's OMB Director, Peter Orswag, suggested Sunday that getting controversial legislation passed "this year" is so … [Read more...] about Obama Team Floats Controversial Procedural Move
“Conscience” Rule Rolling Away. Just Do Your Job!
The LA Times reports that President Obama is looking into rolling back the annoying and politically motivated "Conscience Rule" signed by President Bush at the end of his last term. The rule didn't only apply to doctors performing abortions, but to a wide range of health care workers, allowing them to refuse to provide counseling regarding abortion as an option, the dispensing … [Read more...] about “Conscience” Rule Rolling Away. Just Do Your Job!
Quote Of The Day: Obama’s Calculated Risk
Our political quote of the day comes from The Atlantic's Ronald Brownstein notes that President Barack Obama has been essentially repudiating the Bush administration since day one and is opting to do a big push for major changes -- with the idea of a possibly political realignment in mind...something that is possible but also filled with pitfalls: So is 2009 the beginning … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Obama’s Calculated Risk
AIG: The Black Hole Sucketh
This morning, American International Group (AIG) announced the largest quarterly loss in corporate history at $61.7 billion. Much of that loss was based on write-downs of credit default swaps after the government acquired an 80% stake in the insurance firm last September. As a result of this massive loss, the government is now pumping $30 billion more into AIG, with even fewer … [Read more...] about AIG: The Black Hole Sucketh
Is Rush Limbaugh the New Michael Moore?
That was a question which popped up during this morning's edition of Morning Joe on MSNBC, during a Q&A between the crew and Chuck Todd. On the surface it sounds like a fairly unlikely premise, as the two men are about as far apart as they could be. But are they really? I decided to do some digging and you may be surprised to find out that these two might actually have been … [Read more...] about Is Rush Limbaugh the New Michael Moore?
Obama: Making Things Hard on Moderate Bloggers
There are some who believe that the very concept of “moderate blogger” is some sort of oxymoron, or that anyone who would categorize themselves in that manner must just be morons. Bloggers are supposed to be hard core ideologues. How can a fence walking moderate blog survive? What do we stand for? Well we find the correct answers amidst the rhetoric and we take a “good for the … [Read more...] about Obama: Making Things Hard on Moderate Bloggers
The GOP Hard At Work
Alienating voters. … [Read more...] about The GOP Hard At Work
Why Amazon Caving to Authors Guild on Kindle is Bad News
Larry Lessig says that when Amazon agreed last week to demands from the Authors Guild that it disable the ability of the new Kindle to read a book aloud it was caving into bullies. And that's very bad news: The Authors Guild has objected because Amazon's Kindle 2 has a function built in that enables the book to be read aloud. So when, for example, you're commuting, you can … [Read more...] about Why Amazon Caving to Authors Guild on Kindle is Bad News
President Obama At Camp Lejeune: The Beginning Of The End Of The Iraq War
By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE It was a wonderful sight: Barack Obama, widely flogged during the presidential campaign for being a foreign policy lightweight and cut-and-run coward, announcing to an auditorium full of cheering Marines that most U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by August 2010 and all of the rest a year later. The choice of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was … [Read more...] about President Obama At Camp Lejeune: The Beginning Of The End Of The Iraq War
Yet Another Introduction!
As Joe noted on my "guest voice" post bio last week, I am a former state and federal lobbyist who currently teaches at the University of Washington in the Master’s in Digital Media program, where I research the impact blogging and other forms of social media (e.g., wikis, YouTube) are having on political institutions and discourse. I was a political commentator for Northwest … [Read more...] about Yet Another Introduction!
Security Breach On Marine One?
Surprisingly this story has not gotten a great deal of attention but there has been a reported security breach involving the Presidential helicopter Marine One. This could cast some questions on plans to consider foreign builders for the new Air Force One. … [Read more...] about Security Breach On Marine One?
How to be a Republican in the Age of Obama: Three Choices
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