Duke political scientist David Rohde had an interesting piece at The New Republic yesterday on why the Democrats are much better off today because of Kerry's loss to Bush in '04. Basically, Rohde's argument goes, "had Bush lost in 2004, the Democrats simply wouldn't be anywhere near as powerful as they are now." Kerry and Edwards would have faced "a hostile GOP Congress" … [Read more...] about Why John Kerry’s Loss in 2004 Was “The Luckiest Thing to Happen to Democrats in 40 Years”
Sarah Palin’s Big Fat Book Deal
If you see a parade over the next month, it may not be the Thanksgiving Day parade. It could be likely to be book publishers lining up to put in a bid to publish defeated GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's reported book deal...which could fetch $7 million. A roundup is HERE. … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin’s Big Fat Book Deal
Shrill Partisanship Not Embraced By Some New Lawmakers
Is the style of shrill partisanship now falling out of style in Congress? According to The Christian Science Monitor, among some members, yes: The freshman Class of 2008 converged on Capitol Hill for orientation this week not just to learn the ways of Washington but also to try to change them. Their ranks include lawyers, governors, mayors, and former congressional staff, … [Read more...] about Shrill Partisanship Not Embraced By Some New Lawmakers
And The (Corruption) Beat Goes On In Iraq
Shaun Mullen's powerful post, "Iraq Status Of Forces Agreement: No Time To Break Out The Party Hats," brought back the flood of memories, the emotions, the pent-up anger and frustration Americans have experienced over the past six years as a result of, as Mullen puts it, "the evil that [Dick Cheney's, Donald Rumsfeld's and Richard Perle's] little adventure in Iraq unleashed." … [Read more...] about And The (Corruption) Beat Goes On In Iraq
Kissing Hillary
An editor who didn't get an expected promotion once cabled Henry Luce of Time Inc, "If you didn't intend to kiss me, why did you keep me standing on my tippy toes?" The image comes back as days stretch out over the possible appointment of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, creating the first tiny crisis of the Obama Administration in the making. As in all matters … [Read more...] about Kissing Hillary
Barack Obama’s Presidential Role Model
Should it be Lincoln -- or FDR? … [Read more...] about Barack Obama’s Presidential Role Model
Allies and Rivals: Will Hillary Be Secretary of State?
There has been much speculation -- it has been reported, through anonymous sources, that Obama discussed the job with Hillary at their meeting in Chicago last week, and Bill is apparently being vetted with respect to his many international dealings and connections -- and now one newspaper (and one newspaper alone), Britain's Guardian, is reporting that Hillary will accept … [Read more...] about Allies and Rivals: Will Hillary Be Secretary of State?
Left Wing Seething over Lieberman’s Possibly Escaping the Noose
Let's take a quick poll here and have a show of hands if you didn't see this one coming. CNN is reporting that Joe Lieberman looks to be a "shoe-in" to keep his chairman's seat on Homeland Security and stay in the Democratic Caucus, while being "punished" by losing some less prestigious position. Predictably, his opponents in the Democratic base who are still boiling mad over … [Read more...] about Left Wing Seething over Lieberman’s Possibly Escaping the Noose
A Utah Cartoonist Looks At Prop 8 And The Mormon Church
Two cartoons from the Salt Lake City Tribune's Pat Bagley: Proposition 8 Gay Mormon … [Read more...] about A Utah Cartoonist Looks At Prop 8 And The Mormon Church
Put This In Your “He Should Know Better” File
Politicians forget that news outlets have their official and unofficial agents everywhere these days. Their attention-getting content appears in news stories, weblogs, You Tubes, supermarket tabloids and newspaper gossip columns. So the smart politician knows to keep his/her guard up to avoid words that will provoke a story he/she didn't want from appearing in the … [Read more...] about Put This In Your “He Should Know Better” File
Prop 8 & Race & Obama & The South
So much is being written about Prop. 8 and black homophobia (see for example here, here, and here) that I cannot keep up. Yesterday we learned that Prince Is Anti-Gay (but Ta-Nehisi Coates thinks Andrew Sullivan is "drawing a bizarre line between Prince's homophobia and Prop 8 and black people" via Joe.My.God). Me, I'm fascinated by a tidbit in amongst the barrage of data … [Read more...] about Prop 8 & Race & Obama & The South
Iraq Status Of Forces Agreement: No Time To Break Out The Party Hats
Shock and Awe . . . Toppled statue . . . Mission Accomplished . . . Coalition of the Willing . . . Not enough troops . . . I sometimes wonder what Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Richard Perle feel when they see a photograph like this one. Silly of me, I guess, but it's my own way of trying to imagine whether they have the faintest understanding of the evil that their … [Read more...] about Iraq Status Of Forces Agreement: No Time To Break Out The Party Hats
Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse
I realize that TMV is normally more politically oriented but today we have to take a little time to mark a very special birthday. Eighty years ago today, on November 18, 1928 audiences were treated to the first performance of the film Steamboat Willie starring a young mouse named Mickey. In the nine decades since he has grown to be one of the most iconic figures in … [Read more...] about Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse
Oil Tanker Hijacked… Could It Be Our Future ?
I must admit from the start that I am somewhat surprised that this story is not getting more play in the media. An Saudi oil tanker has been hijacked by Somali terrorists and is seemingly being held for ransom of its $ 100 million cargo. … [Read more...] about Oil Tanker Hijacked… Could It Be Our Future ?
The Case Against Cuban Smells Fishy
It's all over the business news today that the SEC has charged the billionaire Internet entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, with insider trading. GigaOm's Kevin Kelleher explains why it smells fishy: The SEC’s complaint against Cuban outlines some pretty compelling evidence: Cuban bought 6.3 percent of Mamma.com in March 2004. Three months later, the … [Read more...] about The Case Against Cuban Smells Fishy
An Immigrant’s Son, Obama Promises ‘Significant Progress’ in Latin America: Estadao, Brazil
People in every region of the world are now asking themselves, 'What will the election of President-elect Barack Obama mean to us?' Continuing with our Brazilian work this evening, below is an article written in Brazil's Estadao newspaper by one of that nation's former foreign ministers, Luiz Felipe Lampreia. Lampreia looks around the region and issues his views on what is … [Read more...] about An Immigrant’s Son, Obama Promises ‘Significant Progress’ in Latin America: Estadao, Brazil
Report: Hillary Clinton Will Accept Obama Secretary Of State Job
Will New York Senator Hillary Clinton accept a reported job offer of Secretary of State from her onetime Democratic nomination rival President Elect Barack Obama? The British newspaper The Guardian says she is going to accept it -- and a longtime Democratic strategist says Obama's offer to Clinton and his victory speech signal Obama's intention to make his presidency a "big" … [Read more...] about Report: Hillary Clinton Will Accept Obama Secretary Of State Job
Yahoo Chief Jerry Yang to Step Down
Kara Swisher had it about an hour before it was announced: While did-he-walk-or-was-he-pushed speculation will no doubt be rampant, sources said Yang has and will play an important role in the search for his replacement. Sources close to the board expect the choice will end up being an outsider and likely not current Yahoo President Sue Decker, although she is being … [Read more...] about Yahoo Chief Jerry Yang to Step Down
Elephant Through a Mirror, Darkly
[Note: Originally I was going to post this but then re-read it and, while I was satisfied with the concepts, I thought it came across too much as Freshman-in-College sounding...then I realized that was a perfect tone for the internet. No, actually I came across this post by Jonah Goldberg through this rebuttal, that is a continuance of something I wrote about here. And since … [Read more...] about Elephant Through a Mirror, Darkly
‘What We Owe George W. Bush’: Le Figaro, France
As President Bush prepares to leave the stage, one of his staunchest political friends and allies, former Spanish Prime Minister Jose-Maria Aznar - who was kicked out of office for supporting the Iraq invasion after an al-Qaeda terrorist attack in Madrid - has issued this defense of George W. Bush in the pages of France's Le Figaro. The former Spanish leader says in … [Read more...] about ‘What We Owe George W. Bush’: Le Figaro, France