ON THE KNIVES IN BUSH'S BACK: REPUBLICAN ON BUSH'S CHEST: EMERGENCY PLAN - NO CAPTION: REACTION OF SUPPORTERS Perhaps more than at any other time in recent years the current financial crisis brings to the fore a question at the root of the great American - and transatlantic - political divide: What is the proper role of government? According to William Waack, chief … [Read more...] about Confronting ‘Catastrophe’: Debating the Proper Role of Government – O Globo of Brazil
Gallup: McCain Narrowing The Gap With Obama
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has just gotten some good polling news amid a slew of downer polls for his Presidential campaign: the latest Gallup Daily tracking poll now shows him narrowing the gap with Democratic Sen. Barack Obama: The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update of registered voters finds Barack Obama at 48%, and John McCain at 44%, … [Read more...] about Gallup: McCain Narrowing The Gap With Obama
Mocking Biden
(Am I spending too much time on Palin? Maybe. But it's important for voters to keep in mind not just what a joke she is but what it says about McCain that he picked such as joke as his running mate. Plus, you know, there's the debate tomorrow.) My "Painful Palin" series -- for the first two installments, see here and here -- looks at the Palin-Couric interview, parts of … [Read more...] about Mocking Biden
Fixing What Congress Broke
Dear Congress. Don't go rushing around and get stampeded off a cliff that leaves us with an $11.3 Trillion debt ceiling. Step back, take a deep breath, and go read this. … [Read more...] about Fixing What Congress Broke
Sarah Palin In The News And In Poetry
With tomorrow's highly-anticipated Vice-Presidential debate between Democratic Sen. Joe Biden and Republican Gov. Sarah Palin generating all kinds of news stories, here are two must reads -- breaking tidbits about Palin: 1. Palin did a GOTCHA! with on Biden -- and Andrew Sullivan does a GOTCHA on the veracity of Palin's GOTCHA! 2. For poetry lovers, Slate offers The … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin In The News And In Poetry
We Are Ungoverned
Over at my own blog this morning, I griped about what I saw as some off-topic distractions in the Senate's version of the bail-out bill. At the time, the full breadth of the Senate's madness hadn't been revealed. But it has now. From Hot Air: New Tax earmarks in Bailout bill - Film and Television Productions (Sec. 502) - Wooden Arrows designed for use by children … [Read more...] about We Are Ungoverned
Pew Poll: Obama Widens Lead Over McCain And Gains Leadership Image
A bad polling news hailstorm has now hit Republican candidate Sen. John McCain's campaign, as typified by a new Pew poll that finds Democratic Sen. Barack Obama widening his lead and getting higher marks than before for his leadership. It comes within a context of Obama taking the lead in some key states, signs that GOP Vice Presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin is turning … [Read more...] about Pew Poll: Obama Widens Lead Over McCain And Gains Leadership Image
As the World Continues to Turn
As we wait for the bailout bill, sorry the rescue package, to be passed by our “country first” Congress, and as we wait for the low expectations debate tomorrow evening, one may wonder what is happening around the rest of our “interconnected” world. Well, here is my quick perusal of headlines this morning: First to Iraq and Afghanistan. The Los Angeles Times discusses … [Read more...] about As the World Continues to Turn
Civil Rights Roundup: 10/01/08
Your daily dose of civil rights and related news The former police chief of Gary, Indiana has been found guilty of civil rights violations after kicking a suspect during a raid. A Michigan commission has thrown out disciplinary charges against a member of the state's board of canvassers who had opposed certifying a initiative that successfully banned affirmative … [Read more...] about Civil Rights Roundup: 10/01/08
A Star-Spangled Story
On Monday morning, when the future of the American Dream was teetering under the Capitol dome, George W. Bush was in the East Room of the White House presenting the National Medal of Science and Technology and Innovation to men and women "whose discoveries have changed America and the world." Their names ranged from Willson to Lefkowitz to El-Sayed to O'Malley, a mosaic of … [Read more...] about A Star-Spangled Story
Republicans Urging McCain To Use Reverend Wright Issue ASAP
The Politico reports that top GOPers around the country are upset over polls showing Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama gaining strength over Republican Sen. John McCain in key battleground states. The reason for sagging polls: the economy, McCain's own stumbles and the "distraction" of Republican Veep candidate Gov. Sarah Palin. Their recommendation: … [Read more...] about Republicans Urging McCain To Use Reverend Wright Issue ASAP
Republicans Confuse Talk Radio With Reality
Props to New York Times columnist David Brooks for the divine turn of phrase in the headline above. Props to House Republicans for not only confusing talk radio with reality, but being so maliciously partisan that they preferred to set up Democrats for being blamed for a Wall Street bailout gone awry than to reach across the aisle to help hammer out a deal, no matter how … [Read more...] about Republicans Confuse Talk Radio With Reality
We interrupt this financial crisis…
...to tell the story of three preachers on a bamboo bike. … [Read more...] about We interrupt this financial crisis…
Pelosi Brings Down The House
John Cole, The Scranton Times-Tribune … [Read more...] about Pelosi Brings Down The House
Campaign 2008: The Swing State Blues
Several of the more experienced talking heads remarked earlier this week that state polls tend to lag a fair bit behind the national polling. This makes sense, as the major polling outfits are hitting the national numbers on daily and weekly roundups, but state specific polls take longer and are not done as frequently. Over the last week we've seen the Palin Bounce apparently … [Read more...] about Campaign 2008: The Swing State Blues
Thinking Cap can unlock your inner genius
It's done by transcranial magnetic stimulation and a side effect is that it's apparently helpful in treating depression. Maybe we should order a few hundred for Congress! Or one for Sarah Palin... CNet News: Mirroring the way savants are both brilliant and mentally not quite there (remind you of any techies you know?), the Thinking Cap's scientific milliners use tiny … [Read more...] about Thinking Cap can unlock your inner genius
More Than Fat Cats Responsible for Financial Crisis
[This is a portion of the first part of a series I'm doing over on my own blog regarding the current US financial crisis and our grappling with it.] Only those willing to be seduced are seduced. Nobody persuaded into doing the wrong thing can credibly argue, "He tricked me," or, "She jumbled my thinking," or "The devil made me do it." The evil all around may pull at us, … [Read more...] about More Than Fat Cats Responsible for Financial Crisis
Pre-VP Debate: Let’s Throw In “the Fix” Talk
When my wife found out that Gwen Ifill will be the moderator for tomorrow's vice presidential debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin, she exclaimed: The lady that wrote that Essence piece? That's going to cause a problem with the Right since she's an Obama girl like me! My wife was referring to a recent article in Essence magazine in which Gwen Ifill … [Read more...] about Pre-VP Debate: Let’s Throw In “the Fix” Talk
Quote Of The Day: Kathleen Parker On Angry Partisanship
There's apparently a new traitor in America. Her name is Kathleen Parker, a conservative writer who dared write a column in the National Review giving thumbs down to Republican Vice Presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin. The result: a mailbox filled with angry emails -- mostly from Republicans -- accusing her of all kinds of things such as being a traitor, and even wishing … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Kathleen Parker On Angry Partisanship
Sarah Palin on Hot Button Issues
CBS has made another Sarah Palin Interview with Katie Couric available. It's an interesting look at Palin's views on some of the hot-button issues like abortion and homosexuality. Here is the link to the interview: For those who aren't patient, here are the highlights: … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin on Hot Button Issues