This Guest Voice post is by Watching America translator Dorian de Wind, who is also a retired U.S. Air Force officer. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of TMV and its writers. Is the GOP Playing Nel-O? by Dorian de Wind The recent Travis Childers victory in the Mississippi special election runoff for Sen. Roger Wicker's (R) former House seat, … [Read more...] about Is the GOP Playing Nel-O?
Ted Kennedy’s seizure caused by malignant brain tumor (UPDATED)
CNN and The Washington Post are currently reporting that Sen. Ted Kennedy (D - Mass) has a malignant brain tumor. This was apparently the cause of his seizure over the weekend. A biopsy was done and doctors are still working out the best course of treatment. At this point apparently surgery, radiation and chemo-therapy may all still be on the table. Doctors for the … [Read more...] about Ted Kennedy’s seizure caused by malignant brain tumor (UPDATED)
The latest hypocritical repackaging of the GOP
RealClearPolitics reports that the conservative Republican Study Committee will offer a new platform today Last night, RSC chairman Jeb Hensarling sent a memo to committee members urging them to attend today's conference meeting in order to make their voices heard. "Collectively, the Republican Conference needs to unify behind a handful of policy proposals that are bold, … [Read more...] about The latest hypocritical repackaging of the GOP
Prison Rape: How a difficult challenge is being addressed
NPR's News & Notes recently had a segment addressing the harsh reality of rape in prison. In it host Farai Chideya spoke with a victim of prison rape, Keith Deblasio: [W]hat tends to occur a lot of times in the prison environment is individuals who use threats, coercion to continue an assault relationship. In other words, it's not quite what we see on "Oz," where there's a … [Read more...] about Prison Rape: How a difficult challenge is being addressed
Three Cheers for Triangulation
As a relatively practical business person I am a big fan. Almost every response to every problem is a balancing of choices. There is no standard definition, but it is widely accepted that the term came into use during the Clinton administration and was coined by adviser Dick Morris. Morris described triangulation in a PBS interview in 2000, saying: Morris: Take … [Read more...] about Three Cheers for Triangulation
Um …
[Note: This post was written before the conclusion of the Kentucky and Oregon primaries.] So Sen. Clinton is still arguing the "I won the popular vote if you count Florida and Michigan" meme. But did she? If we just count Florida, she did not. Per RCP, just counting Florida, Obama still has the advantage by some 300,000 votes. Counting Michigan is a much more … [Read more...] about Um …
Knock, Knock.
No, this isn’t a joke. Nor is it a story about a joke. Remember growing up, you had a tree house in the backyard where your secret club members or group of friends met. Perhaps it was a secluded area in the woods or someone’s basement. Somewhere that only you and they knew about. And when anyone would arrive, they wouldn’t just barge in. They would give the … [Read more...] about Knock, Knock.
Full Tankers: Rate the Candidates
Growing up, my father and his friends had a saying which I took for granted but later realized was local in nature and fairly unique. When they really approved of someone, they would often refer to him as a "full tanker." When asked, my Dad would explain that the person in question was the sort of fellow who, if he needed to borrow your lawn mower, would not only return it … [Read more...] about Full Tankers: Rate the Candidates
Pew Forum Senior Fellow on Clinton supporters’ strategies
The University of Akron's Bliss Institute of Applied Politics director, John C. Green, is a wonderfully affable, wise and intelligent person whom others seek out for analysis constantly. Not to mention a Senior Fellow in Religion and American Politics at the Pew Forum. I'm no exception. And so, as I struggle to find a way into the pragmatic side I hope all voters possess … [Read more...] about Pew Forum Senior Fellow on Clinton supporters’ strategies
Reconciling Democrats
In The first cut is the deepest... a Texas political insider imagines the first meeting to unify the Obama and Clinton Camps. Craig (Clinton campaign representative): I hate you. I hate your boss. You have stolen the election from us, and if you expect me to like it, you're out of your mind, you hamster chewing groin poker. … [Read more...] about Reconciling Democrats
Clinton Supporters’ Charge That Obama Is Sexist
Real or sour grapes? Here's one view. (NOTE: We ran other links on this issue this weekend..) … [Read more...] about Clinton Supporters’ Charge That Obama Is Sexist
Controversial Tennessee Republican Michelle Obama Video Features Former Strip Club Owner
When the Tennessee Republican party runs an ad featuring "regular Americans" in an ad going after Democratic likely Presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama's wife Michelle, they apparently don't fool around. But one of the "regular Americans" featured in the ad apparently once owned a place where some fooling around might conceivably have taken place: the Nashville Post's … [Read more...] about Controversial Tennessee Republican Michelle Obama Video Features Former Strip Club Owner
No Palpitations, Please
A friendly warning to those of you who bother to watch the largely meaningless primary returns tonight: Kentucky is a split-time-zone state. ... polls in the eastern part of the state close one hour before those in the west. Since the eastern part of the state is home to the areas in which Obama hopes to be competitive (Louisville, Lexington, the Cincinnati suburbs) and … [Read more...] about No Palpitations, Please
Ageism and John McCain
Just as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have fired up a new round of national debates on racism and sexism in America, Senator John McCain has inflamed the battle over ageism. He did, I think, a fairly good job of playing the subject off lightly during his recent appearance on Saturday Night Live, and has even inspired a new web site. (Check out Things Younger Than John McCain … [Read more...] about Ageism and John McCain
Confronting The Long Primary Season’s Twin ‘Isms’ & Why Barack Obama Has Won
Riding the first wave of the inevitable post-mortems about what went wrong for Hillary Clinton is an important question: To what extent did sexism play a role in her extraordinary crash and burn? That begs another question without which the first cannot be addressed: To what extent did racism impede Barack Obama's nevertheless triumphant march from obscurity to the verge of … [Read more...] about Confronting The Long Primary Season’s Twin ‘Isms’ & Why Barack Obama Has Won
Meanwhile, Mr. McMaverick Has Big Problems
This should be the best of times for John McCain. After all, the presumptive Republican nominee has pretty much gotten a free ride from the news media while Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have duked it out, but the septuagenarian's campaign is sprouting problems like zits on the face of a 15-year-old. To wit: * His biggest liability is Mister Twenty-Seven Percent, yet … [Read more...] about Meanwhile, Mr. McMaverick Has Big Problems
Rest Now For A While…
If we opened the windows from our hearts and looked out, maybe we'd see something like this... It's early morning, we've just pulled away from the pier. We've got the old Evinrude gassed up and practically drowning the stern of this old boat... But, right now, you're rowing by hand, at least til we get past the weedy shallows. Those old oak oars warmed in the sun sure do … [Read more...] about Rest Now For A While…
Clinton’s New Stated Reason To Stay In Race: Karl Rove
The enemy of my enemy is...? Senator Hillary Clinton -- just like any other Democrat -- has used comparing someone's campaign tactics to Karl Rove as the ultimate political insult. But -- in yet a new somersault in a campaign year when candidates are doing so many somersaults that they could win red ribbons in the Olympics -- Clinton is citing an analysis by you-know-who as … [Read more...] about Clinton’s New Stated Reason To Stay In Race: Karl Rove
Obama’s, “Appeasement,” and Diplomacy
Now that a few days has passed over the uproar of President Bush's remarks where he implicitly slammed Barak Obama on negotiating with some of America's less than savory neighbors, I think it's time for me to weigh in. Michael Tomansky of the Guardian has a good piece up on how Obama has been able to blunt criticism from the Republicans on foreign policy. The gist is that … [Read more...] about Obama’s, “Appeasement,” and Diplomacy
Tennessee Republican Senator Corker Agrees With Obama: Leave His Wife Alone
Democratic Presidential nomination wannabe Senator Barack Obama has just gotten an unlikely ally in his demand that the Tennessee GOP "leave my wife alone": Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker has made it known he agrees with Obama. Given the nature of campaign 2008, the reaction to Corker over fiery debate over the Republican web ad is likely to lead to another debate: … [Read more...] about Tennessee Republican Senator Corker Agrees With Obama: Leave His Wife Alone