I watched the one hour Bill Moyers interview with Rev. Jeremiah Wright and came away impressed with the Reverend and disappointed that he has been so abused by the media. To me, in context, the Reverend is passionate, articulate, reasonable and accurate. His comment about "God Dam America" makes sense to me as a condemnation of the selfish and vicious policies of our … [Read more...] about Wright on Moyers
“Ach, if we only knew”
In her book, The Guns of August, historian Barbara Tuchman, told the story of how, seemingly against its collective will, Europe moved inexorably toward World War 1. At one point, she recounted a conversation between an ex-chancellor of Germany and his successor. "How did it all happen?" the first man asked incredulously. "Ach," said his successor, "if we only knew." One … [Read more...] about “Ach, if we only knew”
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: OBAMA AND SMALL-TOWN AMERICA
Rhodes Cook: Barack Obama caused quite a stir a fortnight ago when he told a suburban San Francisco fund raiser that small-town Pennsylvania voters were "bitter" about their economic plight. As a consequence, he added, "they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them..." As political comments go, it was a self-inflicted "twofer". Not only was … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: OBAMA AND SMALL-TOWN AMERICA
New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman Gets Pie In Face At Brown University
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman went to Brown University to give a speech on Earth Day and he was greeted by a big student crowd -- and pies in his face thrown by environmental activists. Note when you watch the video how this form of pie-in-the-face is not funny at all but is done in a way so that it resembles an assault. And it is dealt with (correctly) that way … [Read more...] about New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman Gets Pie In Face At Brown University
Mothers Day Blogswarm for Maternal Death
This post does not reflect the opinions of TMV authors or editorial staff. It is strictly my own. The ArchCrone and the ShortWoman are proud to announce a Mothers Day blogging event called the Mothers Day Blogswarm for Maternal Death. The purpose of this event is twofold: first, it is a counter-protest to a staged "funeral" for embryos and fetuses that hae … [Read more...] about Mothers Day Blogswarm for Maternal Death
Gallup Daily: Clinton Nearly Ties Battered Obama
In the latest see or saw of the see-saw Gallup Daily Tracking poll, Senator Hillary Clinton is nearly tied with Senator Barack Obama among Democrats nationally -- a concrete sign of how Obama has been battered by his loss in Pennsylvania and several weeks of his campaign being on the defensive. The question: will it last? Or will he regain the momentum? Does this portend … [Read more...] about Gallup Daily: Clinton Nearly Ties Battered Obama
That Which We Deny
There is a persistent tendency amongst people (all people, not just Americans) to deny their group or nation's role in oppression or atrocities -- something I discovered recently when I observed that the U.S. has, in fact, supported terrorism in Central America (the death squads of the 1980s). Denial is a tempting emotion. But it is also exceedingly dangerous, and lays the … [Read more...] about That Which We Deny
Iraq: Caught in an American-Iranian ‘Purgatory’
How frustrating is it for Iraqis, caught militarily and diplomatically between America and Iran? For Iraq's Azzaman newspaper, Fateh Abdusalam laments, "For the past few months, U.S. officials and candidates for the presidency have done all they can to avoid linking progress in the Iraq War to the possibility of talks with Iran. Instead, Republican candidate John McCain, a … [Read more...] about Iraq: Caught in an American-Iranian ‘Purgatory’
The State of the Race in Indiana and North Carolina
And so, with Pennsylvania now behind us -- and what a wild time it was (and how much we now know about the state's fascinating demographics!) -- we turn our rapturous attention to Indiana and North Carolina and their upcoming May 6 primaries. (Oh, right. Sorry, Guam. You hold your caucuses on May 3. We'll try not to forget.) Let's look closely at each state: Indiana: The … [Read more...] about The State of the Race in Indiana and North Carolina
Obama’s Preening Pastor
What emerges from watching the endless YouTubing of Jeremiah Wright is not the picture of a religious or political fanatic but a world-class attention-seeker. In those operatic video clips, there is a dashiki-dressed performer playing to the crowd, a soulmate, not of Louis Farrakhan, but of Bill Maher, whose imprudent comments on 9/11 cost him his network gig. Now Obama's … [Read more...] about Obama’s Preening Pastor
Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights
This Group is representing the public in next week's congressional debate about the treatment of passengers. Recently the courts struck down passenger protections offered by states because this is a federal issue. It is now up to the Congress. The Airline lobby would like to have as little responsibility for passenger inconvenience as they can get away with. If you have … [Read more...] about Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights
Ella Fitzgerald: An Appreciation
Play an Ella ballad with a cat in the room, and the animal will invariably go up to the speaker, lie down and purr. -- GEOFFREY FIDELMAN Like many teenagers, I went my own way when it came to the music my parents played, so I was not particularly moved by their fondness for Ella Fitzgerald and other jazz vocalists. But as I grew older and my musical horizons expanded, I … [Read more...] about Ella Fitzgerald: An Appreciation
Flee the Senate!
In today's Washington Post, Chris Cillizza has some advice for John McCain, regarding how best to spend this luxurious period of time when the media is focused on Clinton and Obama, leaving him largely at peace. He lists ten items, all of which may have merit, but one action in particular might be good advice for not only McCain, but all three of the remaining … [Read more...] about Flee the Senate!
Guest Voice: I, Too, Am A Flip-Flopper
This Guest Voice post is by watchingamerica.com 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. I, too, am a Flip-Flopper -- And I am in good company by Dorian de Wind People change their minds. Some change their entire way of life--sometimes for the better, … [Read more...] about Guest Voice: I, Too, Am A Flip-Flopper
McCain Lovin It
Patrick Corrigan, The Toronto Star … [Read more...] about McCain Lovin It
Welcome To Italy, Mr. Rumsfeld. You Are Hereby Under Arrest For War Crimes
Why are we talking about this in the White House? History will not judge this kindly. -- JOHN ASHCROFT With the drip drip of revelations that the decision to torture enemy combatants and other detainees in the so-called War on Terror began not with commanders and interrogators at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq but at the highest levels of the Bush administration, arguments that … [Read more...] about Welcome To Italy, Mr. Rumsfeld. You Are Hereby Under Arrest For War Crimes
Has Any Candidate Noticed? The Investigative Storytellers Have Gone Missing
I think of one thing over and over. The caskets. Those very few photos and brief film clips of the caskets. That Rumsfeld and others said no one could see, look at, photograph, no, no. no. The caskets coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan cannot be viewed. Some horrible something will happen... we cannot say what I wonder, since a cell phone user photo-filmed the … [Read more...] about Has Any Candidate Noticed? The Investigative Storytellers Have Gone Missing
Guest Voice: Global Starving
Is the battle against global warming having a consquence? San Francisco newspaper columnist Allan Goldstein thinks it does and explains why in this Guest Voice post. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reprsent the opinion of TMV or its writers. GLOBAL STARVING by Allan Goldstein I’ve really tried to avoid writing about global warming. First of all, I … [Read more...] about Guest Voice: Global Starving
Hillary Closer
Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News … [Read more...] about Hillary Closer
Understanding American Voters: ‘In God We Trust’
What makes America tick? It's a question that Europeans have been grappling with for centuries. How does the deep religiosity of Americans exist side by side with the strength of its democratic institutions and such strong adherence to the separation of church and state? In seeking to explain, Nuno Sampaio writes for Portugal's El Diario: While a strong presence of … [Read more...] about Understanding American Voters: ‘In God We Trust’