Hat-tip to Plunderbund for posting. I've not yet watched it but about three minutes into watching, the video cut out and was replaced by a screen that said "not available...try later." I refreshed the page and it came back, but at the beginning. So just a warning. … [Read more...] about 2006 Alaska Gubernatorial Debate w/Palin, Halcro and Knowles
42 Years Ago Today Captain James Kirk . . .
. . . FIRST STEERED THE USS ENTERPRISE INTO WARP DRIVE. … [Read more...] about 42 Years Ago Today Captain James Kirk . . .
Obama McCain: The Electoral Vote Tightens
From MSNBC's First Read: After the conventions and the candidates’ VP picks, Obama still maintains a slight electoral lead, according to NBC’s map. Obama has 228 electoral votes to McCain’s 200, with 110 electoral votes in the toss-up column. The changes from last month, when Obama held a 217-189 advantage: Missouri moves from toss-up to Lean McCain, Pennsylvania moves … [Read more...] about Obama McCain: The Electoral Vote Tightens
Quote of the Day: On NBC Axing NBC Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews As MSNBC Anchors
The political quote of the day comes from Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat (who I had the pleasure of meeting a few years ago at a blogging conference where he and some top conservative bloggers respectfully discussing politics invited me to join them for a drink) on NBC's decision to as NBC dumped Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as MSNBC anchors: Fox News is not a … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: On NBC Axing NBC Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews As MSNBC Anchors
Here comes the RAIN: “My Muslim Faith…”
Senator Obama slips up and says "my Muslim faith" in an interview with George Stephanopoulus: http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/13078.htm While Israel Insider has issues with Senator Obama, the video doesn't lie: And here's the transcript: STEPHANOPOULOS: You mention your Christian faith. Yesterday you took off after the Republicans for suggesting … [Read more...] about Here comes the RAIN: “My Muslim Faith…”
Wal-Mart Mom Takes “Heartbeat Away” Argument off the Table
Bill Kristol generally and typically has a lot of ludicrous, self-serving and, at times, incredibly silly stuff in his weekly New York Times column. However, this morning’s column, “A Heartbeat Away,” takes the cake. Not only does he ignore and contradict everything he has ever said about Barack Obama---in order to make McCain’s choice of Palin a little less aPalin’ … [Read more...] about Wal-Mart Mom Takes “Heartbeat Away” Argument off the Table
Benjamin Barber: happiness doesn’t come from a shopping mall
Benjamin Barber argues in his latest book, Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole, that the market has consumerism has begun to replace citizenship. From an interviewed in the Free Lance Star Ledger: Capitalism has been an immensely productive and efficient form of social and economic organization, and it was predicated at its … [Read more...] about Benjamin Barber: happiness doesn’t come from a shopping mall
McCain’s Big Convention Bounce: 10 Points Higher Than Obama Among Likely Voters
A new Gallup Poll finds that Republican Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain more than matched Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's campaign bounce -- and that McCain now has a solid lead among likely voters while his running-mate pick of Gov. Sarah Palin has virtually erased the important "enthusiasm" gap between the two parties. If this holds over the … [Read more...] about McCain’s Big Convention Bounce: 10 Points Higher Than Obama Among Likely Voters
Obama Palin and the Press
Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com … [Read more...] about Obama Palin and the Press
Palin’s Swipe at Obama Hits People Who Do Important Work
It was one of the most memorable lines in Governor Sarah Palin's acceptance speech at last week's Republican National Convention. Responding to accusations that her service as mayor of an Anchorage suburb doesn't commend her for vice president, Palin referred to Senator Barack Obama's work as a community organizer, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community … [Read more...] about Palin’s Swipe at Obama Hits People Who Do Important Work
The Freddie-Fannie Gamble
Some views on what it means HERE. … [Read more...] about The Freddie-Fannie Gamble
Olbermann’s Exit Raises Questions of Journalistic Boundaries
As the New York Times reports, MSNBC is showing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews the door in terms of election news coverage. Reactions to the announcement were as swift and varied as the responses the pair elicited from their fans and detractors on a daily basis. John Aravosis expressed disgust, saying that the network “fell for the Republican’s crap about ‘bias’ [and] caved … [Read more...] about Olbermann’s Exit Raises Questions of Journalistic Boundaries
Why John McCain Really Wasn’t Tortured & Other News On The Bush Torture Regime
Don't expect the Bush administration's embrace of Nazi-like torture techniques to be a talking point as the presidential campaign heads into the home stretch. As despicable as the practice has been -- and made worse by the cover-ups, obfuscations and junk-law opinions justifying its use -- torture simply isn't on the radar screen of most voters. That so noted, and … [Read more...] about Why John McCain Really Wasn’t Tortured & Other News On The Bush Torture Regime
India: Nuclear Suppliers Group’s Green Signal
After three days of acrimonious debate, the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting at Vienna lifted the 34-year-old embargo on nuclear trade with India. "An India-specific exemption from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was won only after a flurry of phone calls from President George W. Bush and secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to leaders of a handful of countries … [Read more...] about India: Nuclear Suppliers Group’s Green Signal
Zardari: Pakistan’s New President
Asif Ali Zardari's decisive victory in the Pakistan's presidential election, despite media allegations about corruption and the state of his mental health, proves that the political leadership in Pakistan has clearly opted to hand over the reigns of power to the late Benazir Bhutto's husband. Zardari won by a convincing 481 out of a possible 702 votes in the electoral … [Read more...] about Zardari: Pakistan’s New President
On the growth of “ambient intimacy”
Clive Thompson has a fascinating piece in the NYTimes Magazine today, Brave New World of Digital Intimacy, delving into the effects of news feeds, Twitter and other forms of online contact: Social scientists have a name for this sort of incessant online contact. They call it “ambient awareness.” It is, they say, very much like being physically near someone and picking up on … [Read more...] about On the growth of “ambient intimacy”
Sarah Palin ‘Shines’…
Cartoon by Bill Leak in The Australian … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin ‘Shines’…
Rare Film: 25 minutes of The Dove: Sarah Palin CSpan Interview
Even if Charlie Gibson gives a whole 'hour' to Gov. Palin, the interview will be scripted, edited, parts left out, spliced, and in toto, with commercial breaks be perhaps 16 minutes of Palin speaking. But, in February of this year, C-SPAN interviewed Sarah Palin whose delivery is quite different than seen at the recent GOP convention, the C-SPAN interview more … [Read more...] about Rare Film: 25 minutes of The Dove: Sarah Palin CSpan Interview
What Will Decide Obama’s National Political Fate?
Could it be THIS? NOTE: The earlier link was the wrong one. It has been fixed now. … [Read more...] about What Will Decide Obama’s National Political Fate?
‘Daredevil’ McCain’s All-Too-Clear ‘Hubris and Irresponsibility’: Financial Times Deutschland
Continuing with our effort to present how the rest of the world is sizing up John McCain's vice presidential pick, Sarah Palin, this is the latest prognostication by one of Germany's leading columnists, Thomas Klau. Klau writes of McCain: "We knew from his biography that John McCain was a daredevil: since his childhood days, his mother Roberta assures us, rebellion and … [Read more...] about ‘Daredevil’ McCain’s All-Too-Clear ‘Hubris and Irresponsibility’: Financial Times Deutschland