So near and yet so far, for so long. Fifteen hostages were rescued from FARC, the left wing guerilla organization in Columbia that has used abduction and holding of hostages to finance and further their bloody guerilla war. Three American hostages, Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell were amongst those rescued. The men who had been held hostage for five … [Read more...] about They’re Home: Three American Hostages Rescued by Colombian Military
Top Military Official Cautions Against Opening a New Front in Iran; EU & Others Try Diplomacy
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen has stated that a strike against Iran would be 'extremely stressful' for the US. I'll say it would --- though of course, he's talking about a different sort of stress. There have been a number of reports lately (and significant evidence) suggesting that Israel is gearing up for a strike against Iran. Just to take … [Read more...] about Top Military Official Cautions Against Opening a New Front in Iran; EU & Others Try Diplomacy
Joe Lieberman Polling Support Meltdown
His political support is plumetting in Connecticut. … [Read more...] about Joe Lieberman Polling Support Meltdown
McCain Shakes Up Campaign Staff: Greater Karl Rove Influence
The big political news yesterday was that for the second time presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has revamped his campaign staff -- this time after he was warned that he was in danger of losing the election to Democratic Senator Barack Obama. The upshot: former White House political maven Karl Rove's influence on the McCain campaign will be greater … [Read more...] about McCain Shakes Up Campaign Staff: Greater Karl Rove Influence
Corruption Under U.S. Occupation ‘Far Worse Than Under Saddam’
How corrupt is it in today's Iraq - even in what is thought to be the more well-run Kurdish north? According Rauf Naqishbendi who writes for the Kurdish Media in Iraq's Kurdish Autonomous region: "We have created a system of corruption far more corrupt than anything that existed during Saddam Hussein’s regime, and which is unprecedented in Iraqi history." And who does … [Read more...] about Corruption Under U.S. Occupation ‘Far Worse Than Under Saddam’
Christian Conservatives Unite Behind McCain
Yet another point in Obama's favor: the Christian Conservatives and evangelicals have decided that McCain is, after all, God's candidate. That is to say, while many of them feel that McCain was most definitely not God's first choice, God most definitely prefers him to Barack Obama. So even though they -- meaning the lead mouthpieces of the Christian Right -- said they … [Read more...] about Christian Conservatives Unite Behind McCain
Philadelphia Doesn’t Quite Get It
As we approach the Independence Day weekend our thoughts naturally turn to the Founding Fathers who fought to free this nation and present it with two of the greatest documents ever written, The Declaration of Independence and The Consitution. The cradle of liberty is of course the city of Philadelphia and millions of tourists visit there every year to soak up some history. … [Read more...] about Philadelphia Doesn’t Quite Get It
Study: there aren’t many blog readers in the ideological center
I guess that makes us a niche read here at TMV! Henry Farrell comments on a new paper he, Eric Lawrence, and John Sides just finished (available at SSRN -- they'd like you to download from there if you're signed up, pdf here if not): First – blog readers seem to exhibit strong homophily. That is to say, they overwhelmingly choose blogs that are written by people who are … [Read more...] about Study: there aren’t many blog readers in the ideological center
Interview with Wells Dixon
News on the Guantanamo (GTMO) front is coming fast and furiously; even today it is reported that torture methods used by the Communist Chinese to extract false confessions from American military personnel in the 1950's were recycled for use upon our prisoners at GTMO (though as I noted on my own blog, the substance of the fact that Communist torture methods were imported to … [Read more...] about Interview with Wells Dixon
Top Defector Warns of Kim Jong-il’s ‘Obsolete Nuclear Junk’
How significant is it that Kim Jong-il has agreed to destroy his nuclear facilities in a place called Yongbyon? According to a man that knew him well - not very. According to Hwang Jang-yop, the highest-ranking defector in North Korean history - a man who was once Kim Jong-il's teacher and the former Chairman of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, the cooling tower and … [Read more...] about Top Defector Warns of Kim Jong-il’s ‘Obsolete Nuclear Junk’
Were ‘Brainwashing’ Techniques Used on US Servicemen in Korea Part of the Training at Guantanamo?
It seems that under the Bush Administration, Chinese interrogation methods designed to elicit false confessions during the Korean War became the basis for the training of interrogators at Guantanamo (NYT). It seems there was a certain chart used in training the interrogators came to light during June 17 hearings by the Senate Armed Services committee. The military … [Read more...] about Were ‘Brainwashing’ Techniques Used on US Servicemen in Korea Part of the Training at Guantanamo?
What the “Other Hispanics” Say About Our Elections
In his “ Gallup: Hispanic Voters Overwhelmingly Support Obama,” Joe Gandelman points to a new Gallup Poll that shows very strong support among Hispanic voters for Barack Obama. The poll itself: Hispanic registered voters’ support for Barack Obama for president remained consistent and strong in June, with Obama leading John McCain by 59% to 29% among this … [Read more...] about What the “Other Hispanics” Say About Our Elections
Hitchens: If Waterboarding Isn’t Torture, There’s No Such Thing as Torture
Christopher Hitchens --- whom I have always perversely gone on liking, even though I often find him grievously mistaken and frequently cruel when defending his wrong views --- decided to experience waterboarding first-hand to find out whether it is torture and if so, how long he could endure it. (Vanity Fair). His conclusion? It is. As Justin Gardner … [Read more...] about Hitchens: If Waterboarding Isn’t Torture, There’s No Such Thing as Torture
Gallup: Hispanic Voters Overwhelmingly Support Obama
During the primaries a strong argument used against Democratic Senator Barack Obama was that he received tepid support from Hispanic voters and therefore could not be counted on to get that crucial part of the party's constituency come November. But that argument is no more: a new Gallup Poll shows Hispanic voters strongly support the Democratic party's presumptive … [Read more...] about Gallup: Hispanic Voters Overwhelmingly Support Obama
Obama & Giving Something Back To The U.S.
The concept of national service is for me a no-brainer because it is a great way to give something back to the U.S. and even our erstwhile friends overseas while receiving valuable training and experience in return. I suppose the very fact that it makes such sense is why we haven't heard much about it during a presidency that has made as its centerpiece a war that has … [Read more...] about Obama & Giving Something Back To The U.S.
Clay Felker
The man was a sponge. Creating and editing New York Magazine, he soaked up the zeitgeist of the late 1960s and 1970s and gave it back to readers as a heady brew of New Journalism and cultural chic. Clay Felker, who died today at 82, was one of a kind. Between jobs as a magazine editor, I wrote for him and witnessed the workings of his restless mind and insatiable curiosity. … [Read more...] about Clay Felker
It’s A New Game
Stump the Yoo. … [Read more...] about It’s A New Game
Rush Limbaugh Signs Record Big Bucks Renewal Contract To 2016
Attention Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama and conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh's (many) critics. Brace yourself: Limbaugh isn't going anywhere. Indeed, given the whopping big bucks he'll now be getting for renewing his contract until 2016, if he does go somewhere he'll be going in that new private jet he is reportedly buying. PR Newswire has the story, … [Read more...] about Rush Limbaugh Signs Record Big Bucks Renewal Contract To 2016
The Unwashed Masses
Tom Bevan may be oversimplifying a bit, not to mention insulting everyone who's not a political junkie -- but I still laughed at this post and generally agreed with his conclusion. … [Read more...] about The Unwashed Masses
Be There Or Be Square
Rick Moran is again liveblogging from the Continental Congress. … [Read more...] about Be There Or Be Square