Should turkey ignore Europe's advice on Democracy? Michael van der Galien, writing in the Turkish Daily News, raises the issue in an op-ed piece. Here's part of it: The moment Turkish secularists started raising their collective voice against the plans of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the European Union and individual European countries followed the suit. … [Read more...] about Should Turkey Ignore Europe’s Advice On Democracy?
Gas Prices: How Much is Too Much?
Over the weekend, in case you somehow missed it, the national average for gas prices spiked to over four dollars per gallon. Today, Ed Morrissey at Hot Air asks the question, "So when will Congress act?" (There is also a national, AOL online poll you can participate in at the link.) Contrary to my normal, "keep the government out of my darned business" attitude, this is one … [Read more...] about Gas Prices: How Much is Too Much?
Prepare Yourselves for a ‘Spectacular’ Political Campaign
In bringing his Brazilian readers up to date on the U.S. presidential campaign and giving them an idea of what they can expect from a McCain-Obama matchup, William Waack, O Globo's chief foreign affairs columnist, puts it this way: "On the day that Obama seized the Democratic nomination (Tuesday, June 3), O Globo began telling readers to prepare for a spectacular political … [Read more...] about Prepare Yourselves for a ‘Spectacular’ Political Campaign
New Campaign Pocketbook Issue? School Lunches Impacted By High Food Oil Costs
Talk about political timing. On a week when Democratic Senator Barack Obama will start a two week economic tour underscoring the role of the economy in his campaign for the White House, there's yet more bad news about a "pocketbook issue" -- and one that hasn't not come up before in such an economically grim context. It's an issue under the political radar -- but one that … [Read more...] about New Campaign Pocketbook Issue? School Lunches Impacted By High Food Oil Costs
William Kristol on a “Commander-in-Chief’s Moment”
Last week, Kristol raked Barack Obama over the coals for not having specifically included military service as part of ”public service” in a commencement speech the Senator gave at Wesleyan. In his much awaited, once-a-week column in the New York Times this morning (“A Campaign We Can Believe In?”), Kristol tries another tack. First, and rightly so, he deplores the fact … [Read more...] about William Kristol on a “Commander-in-Chief’s Moment”
Recession, Heck. It’s A Regression
Experts are having a hard time pinning a label on the present American economy. It still has a few too many positive elements to fall into the traditional recession category. But it's far too weak to be just a very mild expansion. And it doesn't have the requisite combination of recessionary and inflationary markers to be tagged stagflation. Perhaps we need a new name for … [Read more...] about Recession, Heck. It’s A Regression
Out for Awhile
Shortly after I started blogging in the fall of 2006, I was surprised by the anxiety I felt whenever I faced an extended absence from this voluntary practice. Eighteen months later, I'm still surprised by that emotion. Worse: I can't explain it. There's not a shred of logic behind it. I don't get paid to blog. The world will survive just fine without my voice. So why do … [Read more...] about Out for Awhile
Our digital fate is better represented by Google than by government
So says Jeff Jarvis in the NY Post today: The white spaces are the spectrum that will be freed up when TV broadcasters finish switching to wavelengths reserved for digital transmission in 2009. Google wants the spectrum liberated so any of us can freely use it, as we do now with wi-fi frequencies. Google cofounder Larry Page made a rare appearance in Washington recently to … [Read more...] about Our digital fate is better represented by Google than by government
Hillary Obama And Victory Victorillary
Frederick Deligne, Le Pelerin, France … [Read more...] about Hillary Obama And Victory Victorillary
Quote Of The Day: Al Hunt On Hillary Clinton’s Loss
The Quote of the Day from Bloomberg News' Al Hunt: So, knowing this will anger some woman readers, here goes: Hillary Clinton didn't lose the Democratic presidential nomination because she is a woman, and gender no longer is a big deal in American elections. There are two basic reasons the most formidable front-runner in contemporary presidential politics failed: … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Al Hunt On Hillary Clinton’s Loss
iPhone pre-launch: rumors & Steve’s brain
The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2008 keynote begins at 10am Pacific today, June 9th, 2008. It is universally believed that the new 3G iPhone with (most likely) GPS will be unveiled there. For a roundup of the best of the rest of the rumors, click here. In anticipation of the occasion Salon's Farhad Manjoo chatted with Leander Kahney, author of Inside Steve's Brain, … [Read more...] about iPhone pre-launch: rumors & Steve’s brain
The war on vegans is at hand!
To arms, citizens, to arms! I will confess that I do, on occasion, make jokes with some of my more Libertarian leaning friends about rounding up all the conservatives and liberals and sending them off to reeducation camps once President Barr is sworn into office. All humor aside, though, I'm opposed to internment for anyone. Stories like this, however, make it awfully … [Read more...] about The war on vegans is at hand!
Can Yet Another Old White Guy Win?
In the 20-year sweep of the last five presidential elections, two of the three Republican candidates have been old white guys and the third was the son of one of them. For reasons having everything to do with the ossification of a political brand that is toxic to many women (who make up half the population) and most minorities (who make up a quarter), the field of GOP … [Read more...] about Can Yet Another Old White Guy Win?
News From the Israeli and Palestinian Front: June 8th
A biweekly feature of news and opinion pieces from the Israeli and Palestinian press. 1.) A day after clinching the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama spoke at the annual AIPAC conference (an organization that the Jerusalem Post, in a recent editorial, oddly characterized as "quintessentially American.") Perhaps hoping to allay fears of not being sufficiently … [Read more...] about News From the Israeli and Palestinian Front: June 8th
Business Week: Consumer Credit Arbitration — you lose!
Consumer credit card agreements these days typically include clauses requiring binding arbitration and stipulating which arbitration firm is used. More often than not that firm is The National Arbitration Forum (NAF). They control the market to the tune of nearly 99% of consumer credit card contracts. "Millions of credit-card accounts mandate the use of arbitration by NAF."So … [Read more...] about Business Week: Consumer Credit Arbitration — you lose!
Barack Obama: A Historical Choice In More Ways Than One?
So now that Democratic Senator Barack Obama is the unquestioned "presumptive Democratic party presidential nominee" and could well wind up in the White House he has made history and could make even more history. Right? Correct -- except he could make history in more ways than one. Andrew Sullivan has written several pieces now that put Obama's candidacy into a special … [Read more...] about Barack Obama: A Historical Choice In More Ways Than One?
The Mastermind Speaks!
Mark Penn, the chief strategist who did more than anyone to kill Hillary Clinton's campaign, is copping a plea. In today's New York Times, he explains that "it wasn't the message--it was the money" (the lack of it, he means) that did her in. After the Bay of Pigs, JFK cited the old saying, "Victory has a hundred fathers, defeat is an orphan." But Penn's paternity of Clinton … [Read more...] about The Mastermind Speaks!
Hillary Harps At Obama To Be VP
Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com … [Read more...] about Hillary Harps At Obama To Be VP
The implications of Obama’s 50-state campaign in Georgia
Jonathan Singer at MyDD and Matt Yglesias offer up some terrific commentary on Adam Nagourney and Jeff Zeleny's look at Obama's plans for a nationwide push into GOP strongholds in the next few weeks. Georgia promises to be a particularly interesting case. Popular (in Georgia) former Republican Congressman Bob Barr is now the Libertarian presidential candidate, with early … [Read more...] about The implications of Obama’s 50-state campaign in Georgia
Father’s Day Early, 2008: When Fathers Row Into The Storm
Fathers, as well as brothers, grandfathers, uncles, best friends, neighbor guy down the road, strangers out of nowhere... all can count as good, sometimes nearly beatific fathers sometimes. Perhaps because no man, no woman, can fit the perfection of the archetypal father or mother, perhaps because there are sometimes too many errors and omissions in parenting without … [Read more...] about Father’s Day Early, 2008: When Fathers Row Into The Storm