Should Barack Obama be permitted to speak at Berlin's famed Brandenburg Gate? It seems the latest obsession in Germany, with politicians and pundits of every stripe urging or decrying the notion of allowing the American political phenom to utter remarks at the landmark. Malte Lehming of the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel has a novel solution. Lehming writes in part: "What the … [Read more...] about From Germany’s Der Tagesspiegel: ‘For Obama, There’s a Better Place than the Brandenburg Gate!’
Bob Barr Conference Call Today
Several of us got the chance to talk to Bob Barr today on a conference call. I found the candidate to be highly engaging and ready to reach out to bloggers and the new media in any way that he can. Below are a few of the topics covered and the answers given. Q. What does it mean to you to run as a 3rd party candidate? Barr hopes to accomplish three things. He feels that … [Read more...] about Bob Barr Conference Call Today
The Conservative Reformation: ‘Stops’
“In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.” -- Bertrand Russell --------------------- After an extended delay followed by a brief detour, here are my promised albeit untested (and largely uncredentialed) suggestions for the conservative reformation. I’ll group these suggestions in two … [Read more...] about The Conservative Reformation: ‘Stops’
The Manchester Manual
To most observers, the sheer number of torture allegations, the diversity of the inmates who allege such abuse, and the overlapping techniques that are commonly described is, in sum, a pretty good indication that American intelligence isn’t always collected the way it used to be. James Taranto, writing at the Wall Street Journal, doesn't quite see it that way; in his online … [Read more...] about The Manchester Manual
There He (Al Gore) Goes Again
Al Gore's work to protect and preserve not only this country's but the world's natural environment has found a great many useful expressions. He is, in fact, the best-known spokesman in this realm. Yet, for reasons that seem incomprehensible to me, he still seems to be missing the key point that could advance this end far more effectively—the fact that environmentally sound … [Read more...] about There He (Al Gore) Goes Again
Senior Sex Makes News
Cohabiting among older people increased 50 percent from 2000 to 2006, the McClatchy Newspapers report today: "The total--1.8 million--counts only couples who live together full time and were willing to admit it to census interviewers. Part-time cohabiting--traveling together, sharing a summer house, spending weekends together--is up at least as sharply, according to seniors … [Read more...] about Senior Sex Makes News
Civil Rights Roundup: 07/17/08
Your daily dose of civil rights and related news. I'm going to New York this afternoon and won't be back until late tomorrow, so the roundup will be off until Monday What is the world coming to when hippies attack the homeless? An Arizona sheriff is being accused of racial profiling in his aggressive efforts to roundup undocumented immigrants. The University of Texas … [Read more...] about Civil Rights Roundup: 07/17/08
Obama and McCain: Both Raise Big Campaign Fund Bucks
Both presumptive party Presidential nominees are now poised to begin fatly-funded campaigns. Democratic Sen. Barack Obama has raised $52 million in June and if you've been weeping over an underfunded Republican Sen. John McCain, don't: the Arizona Senator used a funding mechanism to raise $62.5 million. More than ever, 2008 could be the battle of the partisan bank accounts … [Read more...] about Obama and McCain: Both Raise Big Campaign Fund Bucks
On Moral Relativism in America
The Pope is in the midst of a world tour, currently in Australia, and gave a speech this week where he criticized moral relativism. This took place at one of the world's largest youth gatherings. “Relativism, by indiscriminately giving value to practically everything, has made ‘experience’ all-important. Yet experiences, detached from any consideration of what is good or … [Read more...] about On Moral Relativism in America
Obama, Terrorism and Cubbyhold Foreign Policy
Kevin Sullivan in a must-read post looks at terrorism, terrorism policy, the way it's perceived on the right and left and Democratic presumptive nominee Sen. Barack Obama's position on the issue.. One observation: If Neoconservatives broaden the conflict to the point of absurdity, Leftists in turn do their very best to whittle it into irrelevance. Neither approach makes … [Read more...] about Obama, Terrorism and Cubbyhold Foreign Policy
Bob Barr goes for the privacy vote
CNet calls it a long-shot bid for the geek vote: Speaking [in Las Vegas] at a political conference on Friday, Barr focused almost exclusively on privacy and eavesdropping--and argued that both major parties are far too surveillance-happy. "Both of them will continue down the same track," Barr said, noting that both McCain and Obama supported last week's bill to immunize … [Read more...] about Bob Barr goes for the privacy vote
GM Ejection
Cam Cardow, The Ottawa Citizen … [Read more...] about GM Ejection
How To Get The Barney Gumble Vote
The terms nuance, satire, racist, subtlety and flip-flopping are taking a pretty good beating this political season with the feckless news media outdoing itself in the further dumbing down of what passes for political discourse. Barack Obama's position on Iraq is fundamentally unchanged, but every nuance of that position is attacked by supporters of John McCain as … [Read more...] about How To Get The Barney Gumble Vote
Dick Morris Strikes Again
He's fun to watch. Fun to read. His columns are highly readable and his books are almost addictive. We've linked to and discussed some of his lively columns here. But when it comes to laser-like accuracy and Dick Morris you might say buyer beware. … [Read more...] about Dick Morris Strikes Again
Stossel, Staddon, & Strahilevitz: eliminate stop signs, speed limits, & road rage
John Stossel reprises Friday's 20/20 report on TownHall today. He says it's time to get rid of stop signs: Rolling through a stop sign in Michigan puts two points on your driving record. That hikes your car insurance premium. Fighting the ticket could cost even more. So to avoid the points and legal fees, most people plead guilty to a lesser offense: impeding traffic. The … [Read more...] about Stossel, Staddon, & Strahilevitz: eliminate stop signs, speed limits, & road rage
All Tied Up?
Every conceivable metaphor - the prevailing winds, the political tide, the conventional wisdom - has been thrown at the presidential race for months now, explaining why this November would be the death knell of the GOP and how you should already begin practicing saying "President Obama." Still, for some reason, the most recent polls from Rasmussen seem to show the race … [Read more...] about All Tied Up?
Jon Stewart on Media Reaction to The New Yorker Cartoon
'Nowhere was the anger at the media greater than in the media.' Stewart eviscerates our reactive and sensation-loving media. He also has a good suggestion for how the Obama campaign should have responded. … [Read more...] about Jon Stewart on Media Reaction to The New Yorker Cartoon
From France: ‘The Obamas as Terrorists – Is Irony Compatible with News?’
It's creating almost as much controversy as the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad did last year: Does The New Yorker cover - with Barack and Michele Obama dressed like terrorists - go too far? Pascal Riche of France's Rue 89 suggests that the episode is a cautionary tale for French newspapers - and whatever the left-wing American weekly was trying to do - it has … [Read more...] about From France: ‘The Obamas as Terrorists – Is Irony Compatible with News?’
Candidate Issues Information Pages
The Bob Barr campaign has finally put up an issues page where you can read policy statements from Barr across most of the issues, with links to detailed explanations for each. Lots of things for Libertarians to love, no doubt, and not very far off from Ron Paul's positions. For John McCain, just go to the Senator's home page and scroll over the "Issues" button. You'll get a … [Read more...] about Candidate Issues Information Pages
From Iraq’s Azzaman newspaper – ‘Obama or McCain: Awaiting the Next American Southpaw’
Iraqis - like people in rest of the world and maybe even more - are watching the U.S. presidential race with great interest. According to this op-ed by Fateh Abdulsalam of Iraq's Azzaman newspaper, one interesting fact about the two remaining candidates, is that they are both left-handed. Referring to recent U.S. news articles about this, Abdulsalam writes: "There were … [Read more...] about From Iraq’s Azzaman newspaper – ‘Obama or McCain: Awaiting the Next American Southpaw’