As most of you know over the last week many celebrities, including Ashton Kutcher have declared themselves devoted to public service and wanting to help America and serve President Obama. I know that some on the right have mocked the videos as being over the top (and I will admit that some of the sentiment is a bit much) but I prefer to take a different attitude toward these … [Read more...] about Memo To Ashton: Patriotism Is Not A Comfy Jacket
The Obama Pledge Video
Many called the 2008 Presidential election the first "You Tube election". The below video may demonstrate that in 2009, You Tube is expanding its reach far beyond just elections: Not surprisingly, the video has come in for some criticism from right of center bloggers for being weird and creepy and generally worth of mockery. There is a muted tone to the mocking from … [Read more...] about The Obama Pledge Video
TED Talks: An Appreciation & How-To
Virginia Heffernan's Confessions of a TED Addict: A TED talk begins as an auditorium speech given at the multidisciplinary, invitation-only annual TED conference. (This year’s 25th-anniversary conference takes place next week in Long Beach, Calif.) TED then creates videos of the speeches and puts them online so they can find a broader audience — and usurp my life. There are … [Read more...] about TED Talks: An Appreciation & How-To
Another Innuendo Over a CBO Report: TRICARE For Life—Update
In my "Another Innuendo Over a CBO Report: TRICARE For Life," I pointed to a message from a "BG Bob Clements, USAF Ret (P38 Bob)" that is making the rounds through the internet, claiming: Seems as though our President Elect has placed a priority on cutting [TRICARE For Life] out of the budget as a means to provide funding for those things he promised during the … [Read more...] about Another Innuendo Over a CBO Report: TRICARE For Life—Update
Obama To Scrap Bush’s State Emission Standards Restrictions
President Barack Obama is moving swiftly to scuttle yet another Bush administration policy -- one that had upset environmentalists, who frequently contended that President George W. Bush had one of the worst environmental records of any modern U.S. President: President Obama on Monday will direct federal regulators to move swiftly to grant California and 13 other states … [Read more...] about Obama To Scrap Bush’s State Emission Standards Restrictions
Joe Biden On The Economic “Mess” Obama Is Inheriting
One of our favorite journalists -- print or newspapers -- is CBS's Bob Schieffer. Vice President Joe Biden gave Schieffer (the epitome of the centrist journalist who tries to play it straight down the middle) his first interview as Vice President. This is already a shift: Vice President Dick Cheney seemed to most enjoy being interviewed by Fox News and by Sean Hannity (who is … [Read more...] about Joe Biden On The Economic “Mess” Obama Is Inheriting
Obama and the Economy
Jianping Fan, Guangzhou, China This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed for use on this site. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Obama and the Economy
A Case To Revisit Buying Toxic Assets
If you ask a thousand economists how to solve the banking crisis, you'll probably receive 999 different solutions. One of the earliest endeavors announced by former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson was buying up all the bank system's toxic assets. After several weeks of pushing his $750 billion financial sector bailout he nixed the idea, deeming it a can of worms. Unraveling … [Read more...] about A Case To Revisit Buying Toxic Assets
A Very Belated Ethics Question
The New York Times (Sunday) Magazine has as one of its regular columns “The Ethicist,” where readers can pose questions as to whether something they, or others, have done or said is ethical---or not. I have had a question nagging me for about 50 years now, but the issue is too nuanced, too long and too dated (the statute of limitations has hopefully expired on this one) for … [Read more...] about A Very Belated Ethics Question
We’re In Trying Times…
...but at least we don't have goats robbing people at gunpoint. … [Read more...] about We’re In Trying Times…
Obama’s Words of Hope and Disappointment: El Mundo of Colombia
However much better than George W. Bush Barack Obama may be, there are many on the Latin American left that have yet to be sold on the idea that President Obama is anything more than a palatable new face for the same old bad 'Empire'. They don't exactly reject Obama - but their views are expressed with the tinge of a sinking feeling. One recent example of this narrative is … [Read more...] about Obama’s Words of Hope and Disappointment: El Mundo of Colombia
Why The Stimulus Plan Isn’t
I have such conflicting thoughts on the stimulus plan I have no idea how to characterize them. The Republicans are so right, and completely wrong. The Democrats are feckless as usual. President Obama comes out by far the best, but is being disingenuous in his marketing and is thus open to very valid criticisms. I really hope he changes his pitch or otherwise a very good program … [Read more...] about Why The Stimulus Plan Isn’t
On Alexandra Pelosi’s Film & Ted Haggard’s Closet
A new documentary -- and new revelations triggered by it -- have Ted Haggard in the news again. The HBO film by Alexandra Pelosi, The Trials of Ted Haggard, premieres Thursday. The revelation it unintentionally triggered is that Haggard had a previously undisclosed "consensual sexual relationship" with a twenty-something male volunteer that "went on for a long period of time … [Read more...] about On Alexandra Pelosi’s Film & Ted Haggard’s Closet
Oh Boy, Here We Go Again
Every so often it seems that temperate blogs come down with an acute case of hand wringing over what "partisanship" is, whether it's good or bad, and which people are guilty of doing it more, or if it's equal. This is often a flareup of the chronic What is a Centrist/Moderate Syndrome and the dreaded Civility vs. Decency Debate. It drives me up the wall. This post is a bit … [Read more...] about Oh Boy, Here We Go Again
Is Bipartisanship Evaporating On Obama’s Economy Stimulus Plan?
Is bipartisanship evaporating on President Barack Obama's stimulus plan -- where each side, after talking about the lofty and elusive goal of national unity, reverting to the dominant position of the past two decades: where each party digs in its heels? What is unfolding now could ultimately be part of the process where party leaders forcefully air their preferences and, in … [Read more...] about Is Bipartisanship Evaporating On Obama’s Economy Stimulus Plan?
The Right Job for Caroline Kennedy
Writing about her withdrawal from seeking Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, I committed a journalistic sin--burying the lead. The last sentence was: "The Obama Administration should ask her to serve as ambassador to Great Britain (as her grandfather did) or France or Ireland, where her intelligence and instincts, along with her Kennedy and Bouvier background, could be an … [Read more...] about The Right Job for Caroline Kennedy
Banking Crisis
Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on this site. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Banking Crisis
Getting all Squirrely
My friend and old partner in blogging crime, Ron Beasley, has been on hiatus from Newshoggers for while, dealing with some medical issues and the forces of mother nature. Today, though, he rejoins the fold. In addition to years of incisive political and social commentary, Ron is also a skilled photographer and digital artist. This weekend he shares a photograph of a squirrel … [Read more...] about Getting all Squirrely
Lincoln’s Metamorphosis From Frontiersman To Great Emancipator
By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE When I used to go into the homes of African-Americans as a newspaper reporter there were two constants: I was there because something bad had happened and the images of three famous Americans would be on the living room walls. They were John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. I was reminded of this as I read several pieces … [Read more...] about Lincoln’s Metamorphosis From Frontiersman To Great Emancipator
“Billions” Of Frogs Eaten By People Every Year
Get ready for some news that is shocking: each year billions of people have frogs in their throats. Literally: Up to one billion frogs are taken from the wild for human consumption each year, according to a new study. Researchers arrived at this conclusion by analysing UN trade data, although they acknowledge there is a lot of uncertainty in the figure. France and … [Read more...] about “Billions” Of Frogs Eaten By People Every Year