It is now well known that when the White House needed justification for its endorsement of Nazi-like torture techniques, it turned to John Yoo. The young attorney in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel wrote a series of memos that he believed gave the Bush administration the legal fig leaf it needed to use torture and deny enemy combatants protection under the … [Read more...] about Why We Should Go Slow On Prosecuting George Bush & His Torture Helpmates
Race Relations in Movies Through the Years
Say what you will about the current crop of political candidates, but they have opened anew some old debates regarding our diverse society and how we view each other. The Democrats have restarted old dialogues on America's views on race relations and equality for women. Even John McCain is spurring discussions about aging as average lifespans continue to increase. Hollywood … [Read more...] about Race Relations in Movies Through the Years
The Sun Was Beginning Its Descent . . .
. . . over the far ridgeline, casting ever longer shadows across the green-tinged trees on the floor of the valley. My thoughts returned, as they have frequently, to whether Barack Obama has the right stuff. There was the unmistakable kree-eee-ar of a red-tailed hawk in the distance. Damn! I forgot to take dinner out of the freezer. I pondered Pope Benedict’s message to the … [Read more...] about The Sun Was Beginning Its Descent . . .
Clinton, Obama Debate, Schmebate
This was a debate? No. It was double jeopardy for both the candidates: the prosecution of an individual twice for the same offense. Take that back. It was umpteenth jeopardy. If most people were forced to watch the OJ trial all over again, they would consider it capital punishment. I sense strongly, that viewers were turning away from watching the kangaroo court, I … [Read more...] about Clinton, Obama Debate, Schmebate
Proving Obama’s Point
For those who had the misfortune of watching the ABC debate tonight, you got to see everything that is wrong with politics today. The first 51 minutes of a 90 minute debate - yes, more than half - was focused on absolutely substance-free gotcha questions about flag pins, some Weather Underground guy (hand delivered by Sean Hannity), Bosnia, Bittergate and Reverend Wright. … [Read more...] about Proving Obama’s Point
Clinton Obama Pennsylvania Debate Sparks Media Controversy
So who won the Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary between rival Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? While the "official" media consensus has yet to come in at this writing, monitoring live streaming, live blogging and early stories on the debate suggest it wasn't Obama's best night (possibly his worst debate performance), Clinton continued effectively and … [Read more...] about Clinton Obama Pennsylvania Debate Sparks Media Controversy
The Philadelphia Obama Clinton Debate
It's hard to know where to start or, in fact, where to end. This was yet another debate which seemed to vacillate between opportunities for the candidates to trot out the same old tired talking points and endless examination of the minutia of minor, ill advised quotes by the candidates or other actors attached to them from the Nth degree. The majority of the attack dog … [Read more...] about The Philadelphia Obama Clinton Debate
About Tonight’s Clinton Obama Debate
It turns out that the big debate between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is NOT being carried live in the San Diego market. I will wait until I see it (most likely at 8 p.m.) before doing my own post. In the meantime, you may be seeing posts from other TMV writers who've seen it live. … [Read more...] about About Tonight’s Clinton Obama Debate
Deliverance
RJ Matson, Roll Call … [Read more...] about Deliverance
Healthcare remedies
Last night PBS aired Sick Around the World Can the U.S. learn anything from the rest of the world about how to run a health care system? I learned that proven solutions exist with broad popular support. And while these programs are far less expensive than US health care, the savings comes from eliminating most profit and administrative costs, and adding aggressive cost … [Read more...] about Healthcare remedies
Social Issues for Me, But Not for Thee
Alan Stewart Carl reminded me of something: upscale voters vote against their economic interests all the time, but for some reason Democrats don't seem to get out of whack about that. … [Read more...] about Social Issues for Me, But Not for Thee
President Bush’s Plans for Greenhouse Gases; The King Midas Story
Much talk recently about the administration wanting to block any number of measures in Congress that are rowing against the President's mindset on what will and what work re the environment... The President has characterized all measures there as 'a regulatory trainwreck.' Today, in a news conference, the President said he had not signed the Kyoto agreement because -- it … [Read more...] about President Bush’s Plans for Greenhouse Gases; The King Midas Story
Pope Speaks for Planet, Because Care of Earth Critically Tied To Peace on Earth
"--Wherever the land is dry and hard, you could be the water ... --or you could be the blade disking the earth open; --or you could be the acequia, the ditch that carries water from river to fields; --or you could be the just engineer mapping dams that must be taken down, and those which would serve the venerable all, instead of only the very few; --or you could be the … [Read more...] about Pope Speaks for Planet, Because Care of Earth Critically Tied To Peace on Earth
Bulletin: The Sears Tower Is Still Standing
Any alleged terror plot has to be taken seriously, but the Justice Department is amassing a pretty lousy record when it comes to separating the amateurs from the pros. So it is no surprise that the second trial of the Liberty City Six, formerly the Liberty City Seven, whom the government alleged were planning to take a bus from Miami to Chicago and blow up the Sears Tower … [Read more...] about Bulletin: The Sears Tower Is Still Standing
The Home-Foreclosure Picnic
Hearts aching for millions of Americans in danger of losing their homes, the Senate has been working hard on the Foreclosure Prevention Act, which will provide billions of dollars in tax breaks for airlines, automakers, alternative energy producers and home builders. As they always do, lobbyists have been hijacking the bill that has bipartisan support in an economic crisis … [Read more...] about The Home-Foreclosure Picnic
The Birthday Boy: Pope Benedict is 81 Years Old Today
Probably because the Pope makes little of it, many may not remember that today it's the Pope's birthday: Born April 16, 1927. He's a sharp and strong 81 years old. Age alone is no determinant about a person's abilities to be a strong... Pope... or a President. Relationships Catholics have long had what often seems strange to others, either a kind of an arm's length, … [Read more...] about The Birthday Boy: Pope Benedict is 81 Years Old Today
“Is This Pro-Israel?”
J Street, the counterweight to AIPAC that was launched yesterday, has a slick new video on YouTube: … [Read more...] about “Is This Pro-Israel?”
Who Put Out the Olympic Flame? … Sports Business
Have sports organizations like the International Olympic Committed become "illegitimate transnational powers" that are like "laws unto themselves?" Columnist Henrique Montiero for Portugal's Expresso asks, "Is the Chinese regime less brutal today than the Russian regime of 1980? Or, quite simply, is it that the world can no longer live without China, whose capital insures … [Read more...] about Who Put Out the Olympic Flame? … Sports Business
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) has cancer relapse
From NPR: The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Specter said the recurrence "was detected during a routine scan of his chest and abdomen. A biopsy confirmed that the cancer had returned in a chest lymph node." Just last month he had talked about beating the disease while doing a tour for his new book, Never Give In: Battling Cancer in the Senate." This time, his stage is … [Read more...] about Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) has cancer relapse
AP Photographer: Jailed In Iraq For Two Years…
Why was a wellknown photographer jailed in Iraq? Was he punished for doing professional work in an independent fashion? "The U.S. military released Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein on Wednesday after holding him for more than two years without filing formal charges," reports AP. In New York, the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Joel … [Read more...] about AP Photographer: Jailed In Iraq For Two Years…