Tonight presidential hopefuls Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain will debate in Mississippi. Or will they? The Los Angeles Times' Top-of-the-Ticket blog has set the scene by looking at past debate highlights and asking some bloggers for their take on it: In preparation for the maybe debate, The Ticket did two things. One, we got a video showing … [Read more...] about The Debate About Tonight’s Obama McCain Debate (Or Nondebate?)
Twitter Launches Election Site
At midnight last night, Twitter launched a new sub-site called Election2008. VentureBeat: [The new site] will feature an interface that regular Twitter users will instantly recognize. There will be one major difference however. Gone is the famously outdated question “What are you doing?” (Twitter was initially just about people saying what they were doing), it has been … [Read more...] about Twitter Launches Election Site
Maverick Misfires
John Cole, The Scranton Times-Tribune … [Read more...] about Maverick Misfires
Parker and Palin: This Week in Bus & Driver
As conservative columnists go, you won't find one much more reliable than Kathleen Parker. During a successful career in punditry, Ms. Parker has never met a Democrat who didn't have her immediately reaching for a stiff switch and glancing toward the woodshed. This background makes it all the more interesting that the recent interview between Sarah Palin and Katie Couric seems … [Read more...] about Parker and Palin: This Week in Bus & Driver
China Moves Forward In Space
While our attention is focused on the economic bailout and the November elections, China is moving forward with an active space program that could thrust them into leadership in that field. The Shenzhou 7 spacecraft carries three men into space, one of whom will become the first Chinese space-walker on either Friday or Saturday. This is a major step as so far only the US and … [Read more...] about China Moves Forward In Space
The Politics of Crisis
I'm a historian of 19th century America and I specialize in the Civil War era. The political crisis that led to war did not begin with the election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860, but had its roots decades earlier. Nevertheless, a series of horrible miscalculations by political leaders in all parties, particularly after the Compromise of 1850, led the nation on a path … [Read more...] about The Politics of Crisis
Obama & McCain: Now Global Electoral College
The US presidential elections have this time evoked great public interest worldwide. The Economist has invited the public to vote online for their favourite candidate. The voting has already begun. It is interesting to see the voting trend from Bangladesh to Australia...More here... … [Read more...] about Obama & McCain: Now Global Electoral College
Sending Grace to Wall Street
At the risk of saying something blasphemous... During this whole financial crisis, which seems to be getting worse by the day, the Parable of the Prodigal Son. I've always been fascinated by the two sons; the younger one, who demands his inheritance and goes off and spends it wildly and the older son who stays and is the "good son." There is always a lot of sympathy for … [Read more...] about Sending Grace to Wall Street
On CNN’s Appalling Coverage of Obama, McCain, and the Bailout Negotiations
The coverage of McCain's desperate stunt earlier tonight on Anderson Cooper was just atrocious. Although the word "stunt" was used, the overall tone was positive. McCain is risking everything, it seems, to suspend his campaign, a huge "gamble" that is well worth taking. There was no mention of what he actually contributed to the proceedings, if anything, and much of the segment … [Read more...] about On CNN’s Appalling Coverage of Obama, McCain, and the Bailout Negotiations
When US & Pakistan Went To War…
In the midst of the fear psychosis and frenzy created by the US/global economic meltdown, a grave and dramatic encounter between the US and the Pakistani troops went almost unnoticed. The Economist reports that although both the US and Pakistan deny it; "but it appears that on September 15th they fought a short war. "America started it. Local reports suggest that, under … [Read more...] about When US & Pakistan Went To War…
Contradictory Views On State Of White House Congress Wall Street Financial Bailout Proposal Talks
Deal or no deal? Though using that TV show name has now become trite when referring to emergency bailout talks in Washington between the White House, Congressional leaders, and presidential candidates Republican Sen. John McCain and Barack Obama, it's the best description of news reports about the day of high political drama. Or would the real TV title of the day be … [Read more...] about Contradictory Views On State Of White House Congress Wall Street Financial Bailout Proposal Talks
JP Morgan Buys Washington Mutual
UPDATE: It now appears that Washington Mutual was actually closed by the government because regulators felt it was unsound and it was then sold to Morgan. According to news reports customers withdrew $ 20 billion in deposits over the past week. One of the other shoes has dropped as JP Morgan buys out Washington Mutual for a reported price of $ 1.9 billion. It looks to be a … [Read more...] about JP Morgan Buys Washington Mutual
Bailout Stalled: Cynicism Understandable, But Conservative Anger is Real
The skepticism of fellow The Moderate Voice blogger Polimom is understandable. All the pieces are in place for John McCain to, sometime tomorrow, be portrayed as the hero who brokered a resolution to the financial crisis acceptable to The White House, Congressional Democrats, and recalcitrant conservative Congressional Republicans. It seems so pat, so obvious, and it just might … [Read more...] about Bailout Stalled: Cynicism Understandable, But Conservative Anger is Real
McCain: Please Don’t Watch the Palin-Couric Interview (Updated)
Some liberal bloggers have been floating the idea that McCain's "suspend the campaign" stunt was really basically an elaborate attempt to distract people from Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric that began running last night. Now, I initially dismissed this as paranoia and still don't think it is even close to the primary reason for McCain's actions. But the more I … [Read more...] about McCain: Please Don’t Watch the Palin-Couric Interview (Updated)
Economic Fallout: Hugh Hefner Urged To Axe Mansion Playboy Bunnies
Playboy publishing giant Hugh Hefner is being urged to lay off the Playboy bunnies. In an employer sense, that is. His experts are saying that even the Playboy empire feels the crunch and that he needs to get rid of some of the bunnies on his staff. And since this is related to Hefner's image, the question is whether laying off the bunnies will make Hefner a big … [Read more...] about Economic Fallout: Hugh Hefner Urged To Axe Mansion Playboy Bunnies
No such thing as coincidence…
As Jazz noted earlier, there's a truly jaw-dropping amount of political game-playing going on right now around this bail-out. And I agree with him; Mr. Straight Talk Express is setting a whole new standard for the genre. But the bail-out shenanigans are starting to look like an elaborately staged play to my cynical eyes. Is it coincidence that the Republicans are balking … [Read more...] about No such thing as coincidence…
Israeli Peace Activist Lightly Wounded in Bombing
An Israeli peace activist was lightly wounded in an apparent assassination attempt that police believe was carried out by far-right Jewish terrorists. Police are raising protection for members of the group Peace Now after flyers at the scene offered a 1.1 million shekel bounty for anyone who killed a member of the organization. More background and information can be found here. … [Read more...] about Israeli Peace Activist Lightly Wounded in Bombing
Liberal Is A Conservative Mugged By Wall Street
RJ Matson, Roll Call … [Read more...] about Liberal Is A Conservative Mugged By Wall Street
Debates and Debacles: Obama vs. McCain
We are now getting word that there will be something happening in Mississippi tomorrow night, even if it's only a town hall hosted by Barack Obama rather than the long-awaited first debate. Allow me to take a step back from the ongoing battles and crisis scenarios to simply say the following: both of these campaigns are (sadly) taking the current economic panic and trying their … [Read more...] about Debates and Debacles: Obama vs. McCain
John McCain, Cliff Jumper
The thing about a political stunt, I told my son last night, is that if you get away with it, it's no longer a stunt. It's bold leadership...keeping in mind that the first mark of a leader is that she or he has followers. John McCain suspended his campaign yesterday, attempting to at least project an image of leadership, if not enacting its substance. Is anybody … [Read more...] about John McCain, Cliff Jumper