All nations face challenges that, at times, defy easy solutions. What to do? Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, soon after his victory, invited in April this year 1,000 “brightest” among his countrymen for an “ideas summit” to look at the challenges and develop key goals for Australia. In May a comprehensive report was released. Cynics may view it as a routine popular … [Read more...] about Kevin Rudd & “Australian Ideas”: Lesson For Obama-McCain …
Dear Pentagon, Is This What You Call ‘Security’
The success of the 'Surge' and the drop in American casualties in Iraq is much in the news of late. But how significant is this to the life of the ordinary Iraqi? According to Fateh Abdulsalam of Iraq's Azzaman newspaper, Iraq has problems that go far beyond the capacity of force to resolve: "Today there are ongoing military operations in most of Iraq's provinces, and … [Read more...] about Dear Pentagon, Is This What You Call ‘Security’
Too-Easy Answer to the Anthrax Scare
The suicide of a suspect in the post-9/11 anthrax attacks in 2001 seems to have tied up that trauma into a neat package that can be filed away under national scare stories, case solved. But the subject is too important for such a quick and tidy solution. As shocking as the attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon were, it was numbing weeks of public anxiety over deadly … [Read more...] about Too-Easy Answer to the Anthrax Scare
Ahmadinejad’s Message To Europe And The U.S.
Rainer Hachfeld, Neues Deutschland, Germany … [Read more...] about Ahmadinejad’s Message To Europe And The U.S.
How to Pick a V.P Using “Theory #4”
In his Monday New York Times column, Bill Kristol gives the McCain campaign some advice on “How to Pick a V.P.” Kristol discusses four “competing theories” in the McCain camp on this weighty issue. They are: 1. We’re going to defeat Obama straight up. 2. We need to accentuate Obama’s key vulnerability — inexperience. 3. Don’t fight the public desire for change; … [Read more...] about How to Pick a V.P Using “Theory #4”
Novak Retires, Prognosis Grim
Robert Novak has announced his immediate retirement in light of what his web site calls the 'grim' prognosis for his recovery from a brain tumor. Novak has been a political figure in Washington for more than 40 years and his departure does mark the end of an era. Obviously not everyone agrees with what him all of the time and I myself have often been at odds with his … [Read more...] about Novak Retires, Prognosis Grim
Prison Labor
The 8th circuit just held that the practice of shackling pregnant women to their bedpost while they are in labor does not violate the constitution, because the state has an interest in protecting against them attempting to escape. The case is here, my commentary is here. … [Read more...] about Prison Labor
Letting The Air Out Of The Tire-Pressure Flap
The McCain Truth Squad was quick to strike back when Barack Obama supposedly suggested that one way for Americans to save on that $4-plus gas was to maintain proper tire pressure. So sure were the grouchy grandpa's handlers that they'd hit political paydirt that they arranged for Republican operatives to hand out tire-pressure gauges as being symbolic of Obama's energy … [Read more...] about Letting The Air Out Of The Tire-Pressure Flap
Obama Retakes 3 Point Lead In Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
The see-saw continues: Democratic Party presumptive Presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama has retaken a slim three percentage point lead over the GOP's expected Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain in the latest Gallup Daily Tracking Poll: Registered voters show a slight preference for Barack Obama (46%) over John McCain (43%) if the presidential election were held … [Read more...] about Obama Retakes 3 Point Lead In Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Dad And My Deficits (Reposted)
EDITOR's NOTE: This is being reposted and moved up. The wrong cartoon was mistakenly posted. TMV regrets the error. Mike Lane, Cagle Cartoons … [Read more...] about Dad And My Deficits (Reposted)
Obama Should be “Dr. No” on the Strategic Reserve
No sooner do I write a column defending Barack Obama from an unjust and, frankly, nonsensical attack, than I see him getting ready to slit his own parachute lines on energy again. Obama: Tap nation's oil reserve to help gas prices LANSING, Mich. - In a reversal, Barack Obama proposed Monday that the government sell 70 million barrels of oil from its strategic petroleum … [Read more...] about Obama Should be “Dr. No” on the Strategic Reserve
This Good Earth: August Edition
While it's a tad early for this neck of the woods, the first tomato in my small garden finally reached full redness and ripeness today. (All of its brothers and sisters are still quite green.) With that, today marked the date of an annual ritual, as I brought it inside, washed it and, after admiring it for a bit, sliced it up to eat with just a dash of salt. If you've never … [Read more...] about This Good Earth: August Edition
Subsuming the Black
The blog overlord, Joe Gandelman, links over to a Rasmussen poll which says that more "voters" found Barack Obama's "dollar bill" comment to be racist than they did John McCain's Britney Spears/Paris Hilton ad. The article is a bit unclear if they asked if voters thought the ad and comment were "racist" or "played the race card", which I think is generally meaningful, but not … [Read more...] about Subsuming the Black
Are Obama And The Democrats In Trouble Already?
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)