So was Democratic Senator Barack Obama's week of playing defensive merely a little glitch because he's running in a year when the mounting ills traced to the Bush administration seemingly multiply by the day? The Philadelphia Inquirer's Dick Polman, in the political quote of the day, warns that Obama and the Democrats may be in greater trouble than they think: The big … [Read more...] about Are Obama And The Democrats In Trouble Already?
The Wrong Birthday Present for Obama
In one of the sillier and least productive political stunts in this season of props, hi-jinks and distractions, ABC’s Rick Klein notes that the GOP will be handing out tire gauges to members of the press during Barack Obama’s visit to Michigan. For serious proponents of energy solutions, the humor of this may rightly escape you. Look for a tire gauge at a political event (or … [Read more...] about The Wrong Birthday Present for Obama
Civil Rights Roundup: 08/04/08
Your daily dose of civil rights and related news The part of this story about video-taping errant traffic cops is not civil rights related. But the part about private citizen videos serving as a check against abusive cops is. Nothing says sensible immigration policy more than deporting a 31 year old legal immigrant for a theft charge she got probation for ... as a … [Read more...] about Civil Rights Roundup: 08/04/08
TCR: The Series
If you missed all or some of the installments in my series on reforming the American conservative movement, the full set of links are listed below. This series borrows and builds on lessons from various thinkers and writers. It is not an easy read, nor was it an easy write, as you might surmise from the time it took me to research and publish the five installments, starting … [Read more...] about TCR: The Series
Citius, Altius, Fortius, Xenophobius
1936 Opening Ceremony (top), smog envelopes Beijing Olympic Village I don't know the point at which the Olympic Games began morphing from being a spirited quadrennial contest for the world's best amateur athletes into an orgy of bribery, propagandizing, chemically-enhanced derring-do and crass professionalism. But I suppose the 1936 Berlin Games is a good enough place as … [Read more...] about Citius, Altius, Fortius, Xenophobius
Election 2008: Scoreboard
We are now through 35 states with 15 more to go. If you haven’t taken a look at the state-by-state summaries, please check the blog for each one. President: So far Senator Obama retains his lead over Senator McCain. The numbers from the first 35 states give him 237 Electoral Votes to 156 for Senator McCain. This is a net Democratic Gain of 41 over the 2004 … [Read more...] about Election 2008: Scoreboard
Mining Racism and Murder in a Northeastern Pennsylvania Town (Guest Voice)
This is a Guest Voice original-report post is by journalism professor and author Walter Brasch who is also an award-winning syndicated newspaper columnist and radio commentator, and president of the Pennsylvania Press Club. Mining Racism and Murder in a Northeastern Pennsylvania Town by Walter Brasch On a street in Shenandoah, Pa., deep in the heart of the … [Read more...] about Mining Racism and Murder in a Northeastern Pennsylvania Town (Guest Voice)
Uppity Obama
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune UPDATE: Apparently Washington political big gun David Gergen, who has served Presidents of both parties agrees. Via The Huffington Post's Sam Stein: "There has been a very intentional effort to paint him as somebody outside the mainstream, other, 'he's not one of us,'" said Gergen, who has worked with White Houses, both Republican and … [Read more...] about Uppity Obama
Brandon McInerney: 19 days too old for justice
Michael Mehas says it's too bad for Brandon McInerney that he wasn't born 19 days later. "If he were 19 days younger, he would be legally unfit to be tried as an adult." You will recall that Brandon is the Oxnard, CA, youth charged with first-degree murder and a hate crime in connection with the Feb. 12 killing of his classmate Larry King, 15, who sometimes wore makeup and … [Read more...] about Brandon McInerney: 19 days too old for justice
‘Obama’s Victory Would Revive America’s Image in the Eyes of Ordinary People’: From Cotidianul of Romania
In this first Romanian translation from WORLDMEETS.US about Barack Obama, Adrian Deoanca of Romania's Cotidianul newspaper gives his reckoning of why Europeans are so taken by the young senator. Deoanca writes in part: "Barack Obama was greeted like a superstar in Berlin. He wasn't acclaimed for his indisputable talent at oratory, but because he's the antithesis of the … [Read more...] about ‘Obama’s Victory Would Revive America’s Image in the Eyes of Ordinary People’: From Cotidianul of Romania
From Knoxville: Rededicating TVUUC and Answering Hate with Love
This has been a hectic week in the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC) community. Since the horrendous shooting that marred our church last week, we have been blessed with the support of so many people from around the world. Prayers and statements of support have come from congregations across East Tennessee, with some other churches holding services in … [Read more...] about From Knoxville: Rededicating TVUUC and Answering Hate with Love
Bill Clinton’s African Rehab
The comeback this time is low-key and far away as the former president surfaces from his Democratic primary flameout for a Washington Post interview, sounding subdued and philosophical. Sidelined by the Obama campaign, he is on "a grueling journey across Africa to visit some of the places where his charitable foundation has been active--and in the process re-establish his … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton’s African Rehab
For Obama Campaign, Female Leaders Are An Afterthought?
Anne Kornblut of the Washington Post Writers Group has an interesting article today that begins as follows: The bustling Obama headquarters on North Michigan Avenue invites comparisons to a start-up, teeming with young people in jeans clutching BlackBerrys as they walk through the halls. Yet in Democratic circles, another, potentially less welcome, parallel is being made: to … [Read more...] about For Obama Campaign, Female Leaders Are An Afterthought?
Rasmussen Poll: More Voters Think Obama Played Race Card Than McCain In Recent Political Mini-Firestorms
A new poll says that when voters are asked about who has played the race card in the recently, highly-publicized flaps involving charges by the camps of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain, more voters think the Democratic presumptive party nominee pulled the card out of the deck. Rasmussen Reports has the poll: Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the … [Read more...] about Rasmussen Poll: More Voters Think Obama Played Race Card Than McCain In Recent Political Mini-Firestorms
Russian Author Alexander Solzhenitsyn Dies
BBC: Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who exposed Stalin's prison system in his novels and spent 20 years in exile, has died at 89, Russian media say. The author of the Gulag Archipelago and One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich, who returned to Russia in 1994, died of either a stroke or heart failure. … [Read more...] about Russian Author Alexander Solzhenitsyn Dies
It’s Kerry Versus Clark Versus McCain
...and questions about when is a surrogate an effective (or good) surrogate or not. And whether Republican Sen. John McCain is keeping a key promise or not. Details HERE. … [Read more...] about It’s Kerry Versus Clark Versus McCain
China Olympic Prison
Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant … [Read more...] about China Olympic Prison
Election 2008: Ohio
Ohio was one of the highlights of the 2006 Democratic sweep, seeing a Senate seat, the Governor's Mansion and a myriad of other offices swinging into the Democratic column after years of GOP control. Despite this fact, the state will be very, very close this year. President: No Republican has ever won the White House without winning the state of Ohio. Of course that … [Read more...] about Election 2008: Ohio
John McCain’s Vice Presidential Pick
Is this guy from Virginia a serious possibility? … [Read more...] about John McCain’s Vice Presidential Pick
Election 2008: North Dakota
Like some other prairie states, North Dakota is nominally Republican but has a populist streak that can be tapped in hard times. This could lead to some entertaining races in the future but probably not this year. President: North Dakota has not voted Democratic for President since 1964 and, despite the hopes of the Obama campaign, it probably will not do so this … [Read more...] about Election 2008: North Dakota