Highly recommended is the article by Steven Simon (an analyst at CFR) in the latest Foreign Affairs. … [Read more...] about Did the Surge Work?
The Gender Agenda
"If many of Mrs. Clinton’s legions of female supporters believe she was undone even in part by gender discrimination," the New York Times asks today, "how eagerly will they embrace Senator Barack Obama, the man who beat her?" The question underscores how crucial it is for Democrats to untangle the issue of what derailed America's first woman president from what seemed her … [Read more...] about The Gender Agenda
Tough Child Pornography Law Cracking Down On Child Porn Promotion Upheld By Supreme Court
A tough federal pornography law that allows prosecution of child porn beyond the past definitions has been upheld by the Supreme Court: The Supreme Court today upheld a strict new federal law that makes it a crime to send messages over the computer that offer or seek child pornography, even when no such pornography exists. The 7-2 ruling gives prosecutors a powerful … [Read more...] about Tough Child Pornography Law Cracking Down On Child Porn Promotion Upheld By Supreme Court
Clinton Donor: A $1 Million Offer Superdelegates Could Refuse Or Mere Misunderstanding?
Has it really gotten this intense out there? The Huffington Post has a report contending that a big donor to Hillary Clinton's campaign offered a $1 million donation to Young Democrats and in the same conversation asked the groups two superdelgates if they would support a certain candidate: One of Sen. Hillary Clinton's top financial supporters offered $1 million to the … [Read more...] about Clinton Donor: A $1 Million Offer Superdelegates Could Refuse Or Mere Misunderstanding?
GOP Lite
Kevin Drum at The Washington Monthly is as astounded as I at the new GOP The American Families Agenda. It is not just what is in it: * Lower gas prices and energy costs * Provide for a family-friendly work week * Grow our small businesses * Allow workers to take their benefits with them when they change jobs * Take care of our parents and … [Read more...] about GOP Lite
On markets, voters & behavioral economics
A couple new books are looking at behavioral economics and challenging the received wisdom of the market in ways that may actually break into our popular consciousness. The Boston Globe: Near the beginning of "The Hidden Persuaders" (1957), Vance Packard quoted from Advertising Age magazine the first principle of the new science of motivation research: "In very few … [Read more...] about On markets, voters & behavioral economics
After Guantanamo
At Guantanamo Bay, there are now roughly half of the 700something detainees that once served time in the facility. Most have been released, with many of those that remain being termed the ‘worst of the worst’ – hardened terrorists who would allegedly, if let go, help to organize or participate in acts of terrorism. The central debate now raging in policy circles is what is to … [Read more...] about After Guantanamo
From the KKK To Endorsing Barack Obama
HUGE AND HUGELY HISTORIC. MORE HERE. Photograph by Jeff Gentner/The Associated Press … [Read more...] about From the KKK To Endorsing Barack Obama
Obama’s Run: The ‘Miracle’ of America that Could Change the World
Why can it be said that America is the world's greatest social experiment? This article By Thomas Klau from Germany's Financial Times Deutschland outlines the transformation that is bound to take place in and out of the United States the moment Barack Obama takes the oath and enters the Oval office. Klau writes: "In the United States where the relationship between Black … [Read more...] about Obama’s Run: The ‘Miracle’ of America that Could Change the World
Winning Hillary
Frederick Deligne, Le Pelerin, France … [Read more...] about Winning Hillary
We’ve got questions. You have answers.
Roadrunner. (As in the "meep-meep" bird partnered up with Wyle E. Coyote.) Was roadrunner a boy bird or a girl bird? Did they ever really say? … [Read more...] about We’ve got questions. You have answers.
The Conservative Reformation
Ten days ago, Paul Silver tossed a spotlight on a May 9 David Brooks’ column, in which the NYT writer pondered what American conservatives might learn from their British counterparts. Among other things, Brooks claimed that British conservatives are resurgent today only after paying their dues. They wondered in the wilderness before they could emerge on the other side -- … [Read more...] about The Conservative Reformation
Poll: Clinton Leads 26% In Kentucky, Obama Ahead 4% In Oregon
A new Suffolk University poll puts Senator Hillary Clinton ahead by double digits in tomorrow's Kentucky Democratic Presidential primary and Senator Barack Obama ahead by a narrow single digit margin in Oregon. In Kentucky, Hillary Clinton (51 percent) led Barack Obama (25 percent) by 26 points, followed by John Edwards (6 percent) and "uncommitted" (5 percent), while 11 … [Read more...] about Poll: Clinton Leads 26% In Kentucky, Obama Ahead 4% In Oregon
The Fight You Can’t Avoid
From the beginning of the final race for the Democratic presidential nomination between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, it seemed inevitable that this moment would come. Both candidates were described as "historic" in nature - one an African-American, the other a woman. Victory for either would be heralded as a watershed moment in American history, when we stood up as a … [Read more...] about The Fight You Can’t Avoid
Guns, gay marriage & a motivated electorate: Democrats are mad as hell. Are they going to take it anymore?
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