I can have some real compassion for Huckabee's gaffe. I appreciate a politician willing to speak off the cuff. I was impressed, for example, when Huckabee was able to call on his southern roots, to remember growing up "in a very segregated South," in order to speak against the tide in support of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, "Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and … [Read more...] about Guns, gay marriage & a motivated electorate: Democrats are mad as hell. Are they going to take it anymore?
Why America Sent a Black Man to Do a White Man’s Job …
As the despotic regime of Robert Mugabe slowly unravels, the content in its rigidly-controlled state media quite accurately reflects the mania of that unfortunate nation's chief executive. In one of the most outrageous op-eds this news editor has ever read from any country, Nathaniel Manheru writes for The Herald of Zimbabwe about Americas' new ambassador to that nation. … [Read more...] about Why America Sent a Black Man to Do a White Man’s Job …
Obama Draws Huge Crowd In Oregon
According to MSNBC, 75,000: Some 75,000 people flocked to Portland’s waterfront Sunday to watch Barack Obama speak, making it the biggest rally the campaign has held to date. Thousands stood on the lawn, dozens watched from boats and from the bridge stretching across the Willamette River. A few kayakers held their paddles and tried to keep their kayaks straight as they … [Read more...] about Obama Draws Huge Crowd In Oregon
Why Candidates Refuse to Discuss Real Issues
This from Richard Kimball the founder of Project Vote Smart which gathers the voting records and opinions of candidates for almost all levels of government. The reasons that candidates give for their reluctance seems to justify a move towards public financing of campaigns along with a requirement to declare positions on issues relevant to the voters and perhaps some mandated … [Read more...] about Why Candidates Refuse to Discuss Real Issues
And The Democratic Primary Campaign Battle Goes On (UPDATED)
Clinton goes after Obama...Obama goes after McCain...and some Clinton supporters point to a video showing the "Ugly Sexist Vilification Of Hillary Clinton." On balance, it sounds as if Obama is the one keeping his eye of the Democratic party's main task: starting to focus some of the fire on McCain versus on other Democrats. Hillary supporter Tom Watson believes Obama must … [Read more...] about And The Democratic Primary Campaign Battle Goes On (UPDATED)
The Rise of Small Donors
I stumbled across this nugget from Opensecrets So far for the 2008 election cycle the largest single donor is Actblue, an online bundler of small donors for Democratic Candidates and Organizations: 1 ActBlue $9,959,543 2 Goldman Sachs $3,644,396 3 Citigroup Inc $2,926,918 4 AT&T Inc $2,465,904 5 JPMorgan Chase & Co $2,417,051 6 … [Read more...] about The Rise of Small Donors
Obama in exclusive video interview
Congrats to BlogHer's persistance and class in pursuing the presidential candidates for in-person interviews. And thank you to Senator Obama for taking and making the time to grant the interview. You can read more here about the interview and reactions to it at BlogHer. … [Read more...] about Obama in exclusive video interview
Myanmar Lifeguard
Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons … [Read more...] about Myanmar Lifeguard
Quotes Of The Day: On Edwards And Clinton
San Diego Union Tribune columnist Ruben Nvarrette Jr writing on race and the primaries: Well, at least Barack Obama got the support of one white Southerner last week. John Edwards' endorsement came one day after Obama got pounded in West Virginia. Maybe Edwards, a North Carolinian, saw something in this contest that made him queasy? Columnist George Will on Hillary … [Read more...] about Quotes Of The Day: On Edwards And Clinton
Bush’s Middle East Record: ‘Pure Calamity’
Continuing with WORLDMEETS.US' coverage of the global reaction to President Bush's Middle East trip, Gilles Delafon of France's Le Journal du Dimanche au Quotidien writes in part: "In this region, George Bush has failed as few American presidents before him. His diplomatic balance sheet is pure calamity - and his last tour of the Middle East this week was a reminder of it. … [Read more...] about Bush’s Middle East Record: ‘Pure Calamity’
President Bush’s Week-Long Middle-East Adventure (Guest Voice)
This Guest Voice post is by journalism professor and author Walter Brasch who is also a syndicated newspaper columnist and radio commentator, and president of the Pennsylvania Press Club. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Moderate Voice or its writers. President Bush's Week-Long Middle-East Adventure by Walter Brasch President Bush is in … [Read more...] about President Bush’s Week-Long Middle-East Adventure (Guest Voice)
Gallup Daily: Obama Opens Highest Lead Yet Over Clinton
The latest Gallup Daily Tracking poll has some good news and bad news for Democratic nomination front-runner Senator Barack Obama: he has opened his widest lead yet over rival Senator Hillary Clinton but polls show him losing to presumptive GOP nominee Senator John McCain, and Clinton slightly beating McCain. The bottom line: it's a sign that Democratic voters are now … [Read more...] about Gallup Daily: Obama Opens Highest Lead Yet Over Clinton
Bush’s Speech at Knesset an ‘Act of Lunacy’
How damaging to U.S. interests in the Arab world was President Bush's speech to the Israeli Knesset? If Arab reaction is anything to go by, it will certainly guarantee the end of U.S. credibility as an honest broker for some time to come. Here's a sampling of reaction from the Egyptian press from the Egyptian Gazette: The weekly Akhbar Al-Yom featured a front-page article … [Read more...] about Bush’s Speech at Knesset an ‘Act of Lunacy’
Random Reads
A former pollster for Howard Dean crunches Obama's path to the 270 magic-number in the electoral college. His analysis demonstrates that no matter how popular a candidate might be -- and no matter how disillusioned voters are with the Republican brand -- the electoral college remains a daunting challenge, an eternal equalizer, a stubborn flatliner of lofty expectations. On … [Read more...] about Random Reads
Clinton, Obama Supporters Meet To Talk About Unity And Defeating McCain (UPDATED)
There are concrete signs that the seemingly irreconcilable camps of Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are moving to begin planning on how to merge their efforts to focus on beating presumptive GOP Presidential nominee Senator John Mccain in November's general election. Quite a few pundits (including me) have suggested it looked almost impossible for the … [Read more...] about Clinton, Obama Supporters Meet To Talk About Unity And Defeating McCain (UPDATED)
Bob Barr Leaps in as a Libertarian — Interview (GUEST VOICE)
In this Guest Voice post, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist Bill Steigerwald interviews Republican Bob Barr, who is seeking the libertarian Presidential nomination.: Bob Barr Leaps in as a Libertarian -- Interview by Bill Steigerwald With the announcement that he'll seek the Libertarian Party’s 2008 presidential nomination, former Georgia Republican congressman Bob … [Read more...] about Bob Barr Leaps in as a Libertarian — Interview (GUEST VOICE)
Abandoning Bush
The rush to get off the S.S. Bush turned into a stampede this week as John McCain, Congressional Republicans and even the Saudis headed for the lifeboats. King Abdullah, who used to hold his hand, gave Bush the royal finger when asked to pump more oil to ease gas prices. John McCain backed away from the Imperial Presidency, not only by promising to emulate British prime … [Read more...] about Abandoning Bush
Book Review: Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Mason & Dixon,’ An 18th Century Musing On All Things
So, one day, into Delaware's great Basin/With strange Machinery sail Mr. Mason/And Mr. Dixon, by the Falmouth Packet/Connect, as with some invis'ble Bracket/Sharing a Fate, directed by the Stars/To mark the Earth with geometrick Scars. -- TIMOTHY TOX Mason & Dixon is the penultimate book in my long slog to read the complete works of Thomas Pynchon (only his Vineland awaits) … [Read more...] about Book Review: Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Mason & Dixon,’ An 18th Century Musing On All Things
What Can Be Remembered When The Noise is Turned Down
"Do you know where Light comes from and where Darkness lives So you can take them by the hand and lead them home when they get lost?" ___________ CODA From the poetry in Job 38-42... Yahweh demanding that Job stop muddying the issues, and instead, get back down to the basics of life, to what has majesty and magnitude... instead of 'living by rumors.' … [Read more...] about What Can Be Remembered When The Noise is Turned Down
John McCain and ‘The Vision Thing’
A politician lacking "vision" can be vulnerable. When Senator Ted Kennedy could give no succinct description of where he intended to lead the country if he were elected president, his 1980 bid to wrest the Democratic nomination from incumbent President Jimmy Carter was doomed. And George H.W. Bush, widely acknowledged as better prepared to be president than most … [Read more...] about John McCain and ‘The Vision Thing’