President Barack Obama has faced stiff opposition and outright denunciations from opponents on his right -- and now he's hearing the beginnings of impatient and increasingly louder rumblings of impatience, discontent and concern on his left. At issue are a variety of things: a belief that on the stimulus bill Obama got half or even just a quarter loaf of progressives (the … [Read more...] about Obama Faces Impatient And Unhappy Rumblings On His Left Flank As He Straddles The Center
Five of My Fighter Jets For One of Your Helicopters, Mr. President…
One of the major items on the national news tonight was the announcement that the new estimate for the fleet of 28 new, VH-71, presidential helicopters is $11.2 billion, or about $400 million per helicopter. Last week, the Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab reportedly made an offer to the Dutch government to provide the Royal Dutch Air Force with 85 Gripen Next Generation … [Read more...] about Five of My Fighter Jets For One of Your Helicopters, Mr. President…
The ‘Porn’ of Corruption: Apologies to Larry Flynt – La Prensa of Nicaragua
The startling influence of the United States seems to know no end - and it emerges in the oddest ways and places. Say what you will about Larry Flynt, the man knows how to squeeze every drop of PR usefulness out of an issue. By calling for a federal bailout of the adult entertainment industry, he not only made headlines across the United States - he has had an impact around … [Read more...] about The ‘Porn’ of Corruption: Apologies to Larry Flynt – La Prensa of Nicaragua
Talk To Us (Guest Voice)
So the economic stimulus is going to be posted online. Is that innovative? Proof of a more transparent government? Not so fast, write author Martha Randolph Carr in this Guest Voice post. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Talk to Us by Martha Randolph Carr The idea that posting the entirety of the $789 billion dollar 2009 … [Read more...] about Talk To Us (Guest Voice)
Starbucks A Leading Indicator?
Jonathan Last thinks so: It's not a coincidence that Starbucks reached its peak at the precise height of the housing boom - the inflation-adjusted price of housing in the United States topped out in 2006, Starbucks' last year of living high on the bean. Plot Starbucks' stock price against the Dow Jones industrial average and you see that over the last four years, Starbucks … [Read more...] about Starbucks A Leading Indicator?
Guess What’s Up When The Economy Is Down?
Economic indicators and temperatures around the country might not be rising but something else is. … [Read more...] about Guess What’s Up When The Economy Is Down?
Obama Punching Bag Seems A Bit Premature
As President Barack Obama switches from campaign to governing mode he is doing a rope-a-dope absorbing blows from friends and foes alike. As for fulfilling his campaign promises, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. People with agendas and axes to grind fail to realize Obama is a governing pragmatist, not an ideologue. They refuse to accept he is president of … [Read more...] about Obama Punching Bag Seems A Bit Premature
Rivals Redux: Clinton and McCain
The Lincolnesque concept is meeting with iffy success on the 200th anniversary of his birth. Hillary Clinton goes to Asia reaching out for the Obama Administration, while John McCain is on talk shows lashing out against his former rival. On her first trip as Secretary of State, Clinton is visiting Japan, China, South Korea and Indonesia to discuss trade, prevention of … [Read more...] about Rivals Redux: Clinton and McCain
Where Is The ACLU ?
A college student in Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit over a speech he gave supporting Proposition 8 and opposing gay marriage. As indicated in the article, the student is opposed to gay marriage on religious grounds and said so in his speech. His professor interrupted the speech, called him 'a fascist bastard' and told students to 'leave if you are offended'. When none left, … [Read more...] about Where Is The ACLU ?
Ailing Global Economy: Foreigners Leave Dubai After Layoffs
How bad is the global economy? The illness is reaching into every nook and cranny, even into places where you'd never imagine it...such as Dubai: Sofia, a 34-year-old Frenchwoman, moved here a year ago to take an advertising job, so confident about Dubai’s burgeoning economy that she bought an apartment for $300,000 with a 15-year mortgage. Now, like many of the foreign … [Read more...] about Ailing Global Economy: Foreigners Leave Dubai After Layoffs
Weed & The Feigned Outrage Over Phelps
UPDATED 3:00P.M. AP: "...sheriff says there will be no charges filed against swimmer Michael Phelps following the marijuana pipe photo." ____________ Andrew Sullivan enjoyed himself immensely at Friday the 13th, "The critics were a little too harsh, methinks." He's on to something. Rotten Tomatoes' Top Critics give it a 23% while the RT community gives it a tasty 72%. (My … [Read more...] about Weed & The Feigned Outrage Over Phelps
Stimulus
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Stimulus
Bill Clinton: Public Will Give Obama A Year For Economic Progress Signs
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