The US Senate has voted on and passed the revised bailout package, adding a few billion (or few hundred billion) in add-ons and tax breaks because we have so much surplus money left we might as well spend some more. In theory this is still the original $700 billion bailout deal, but I would argue it's closer to $1,000 billion with the add-ons. Senator McCain votes Aye. … [Read more...] about Senate Votes On, Passes Bailout Package
[video] Couric Interview on Supreme Court Cases of Concern to Palin
Okay. Disclosure: I went to law school. Big whoop. I’ve got kids who are in or have been through middle school - and that is where you first learn about Brown v. Board of Education and Miranda and even in the supplements they get from Newsweek or TIME, Bush v. Gore. And yet Alaska Governor and GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin could not even mention summarily issues that SCOTUS … [Read more...] about [video] Couric Interview on Supreme Court Cases of Concern to Palin
Britain: Brave Gurkhas Win Another War
The Gurkhas, who originally hail from Nepal, enjoy a pride of place in the pantheon of the British and the Indian armed forces. They still serve with dedication and loyalty the army regiments in these two countries. So it was a well-deserved victory in a British court for these Gurkhas who earned the right to settle in Britain after their retirement. "For generations, they … [Read more...] about Britain: Brave Gurkhas Win Another War
In Defense of Gwen Ifill
The conservative blogosphere gave us a preview today of what tomorrow's post-debate talking points and spin will sound like. The short version: It's Gwen Ifill's fault. The problem, apparently, is a "pro-Obama" book she plans on releasing on Inauguration Day that led Matt Drudge and other bloggers to question her objectivity as the moderator of tomorrow's VP debate. I … [Read more...] about In Defense of Gwen Ifill
Site Maintenance Tonight
Hello TMV readers! Around 1am EST/10pm PDT tonight, we will be performing an upgrade to the newest incarnation of Wordpress. The site will be very slow to down for approximately 1 hour. If we run into problems, we'll just back out and use what we have now. We're not expecting a problem though. This is phase 1 of changes occurring to the site. You'll see little … [Read more...] about Site Maintenance Tonight
John McCain Catches a Brief Case of the Bidens
One of the most fun things about having Joe Biden in the campaign is that, once he gets on a roll, you never know what he'll say next. The examples are legion and many of them are highly amusing. This, in fact, is one of the entertainment factors that makes me look forward to tomorrow night's Vice Presidential debate so much. This morning, however, during an interview with … [Read more...] about John McCain Catches a Brief Case of the Bidens
John McCain, Sarah Palin and Gay Rights
People will laugh, but I'm beginning to think that the McCain-Palin GOP ticket is one of the most gay-friendly Republican tickets in history. No, they aren't where Obama and Biden are at. But in light of past GOP tickets, this one is much more inclusive of gay and lesbian Americans. Log Cabin Republicans reports that the Washington Blade, a local GLBT newspaper in the … [Read more...] about John McCain, Sarah Palin and Gay Rights
Confronting ‘Catastrophe’: Debating the Proper Role of Government – O Globo of Brazil
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…