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’
Experts, Crooks and the American Media
The repercussions of a recent New York Times article about how the Pentagon manipulated the American media have begun to be felt in the foreign press. Serge Truffaut writes for Montreal's Le Devoir, "The old adage that "the first casualty of war is truth" is one to which the Pentagon has stuck to with unheard of will, strength, and consistency. Thanks to the Benedictine … [Read more...] about Experts, Crooks and the American Media
Another McCain Plus: North Carolina GOP Pulls Anti-Obama Wright Ad
There was an "I told you so" in some Democratic anti-Obama quarters about a North Carolina Republican political ad blasting Democrats who supported Senator due to his links to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright -- an ad that ran highly inflammable footage of Wright. Now Senator John McCain's camp is reporting the ad has been pulled at McCain's personal request. The ad was the latest … [Read more...] about Another McCain Plus: North Carolina GOP Pulls Anti-Obama Wright Ad
EU Foreign Policy Chief in Favor of Talks with the Taliban
Javier Solana, the EU's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, said according to AFP that he backed the new Pakistani government's moves to hold talks with Taliban militants, but ruled out any negotiations with Al-Qaeda. This puts Europe at odds with the United States! Not just with the Bush administration, but also with all remaining presidential … [Read more...] about EU Foreign Policy Chief in Favor of Talks with the Taliban
Revealing Protest Against Beijing Olympics
This is my favorite quote of the year so far: "Would we have allowed Nazi Germany to host the Olympics?" This awesome statement was found on a protest sign in San Francisco. German Joys and Andrew Sullivan have a picture. This statement is fascinating on so many levels. Not just because the author has not heard about the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. And not just because of … [Read more...] about Revealing Protest Against Beijing Olympics
Bipartisan Congressional Debates
The Second in Series of Bipartisan Congressional Debates to Focus on Health Care will take place April 28 and will be live streamed. I watched the first of these debates and it is refreshing to enjoy a sustained partisan discussion relatively free of posturing and mere sound bites. It gives a glimpse of how a closed door negotiation might begin. And it gives a glimpse of how … [Read more...] about Bipartisan Congressional Debates
Peace Posturing
There's a dance going on between Syria and Israel over the resumption of peace talks. It's a jig that's complicated by the various military maneuvers of each side, the resistance of the Bush administration, and the demands of the Olmert government. Ultimately, peace overtures are likely to fall short – at least for the time being. First, some background. Israel invaded the … [Read more...] about Peace Posturing
McCain Opposes Equal Pay for Women
If you liked Reagan, the odds are you don't think McCain is too old to be president. And if you liked Reagan, the reason he gave for opposing a bill that would ensure women equal pay for equal work might even make sense to you. Here's McCain, 'reasoning': "I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what's being proposed by my … [Read more...] about McCain Opposes Equal Pay for Women
The Iraq Conundrum
Michael Crowley of the New Republic, has a good article about Senator Obama and his Iraq policy. You will want to read the whole thing, but in short he says that while Obama is talking about getting out of Iraq, it might be more likely to see a reduced presence in Iraq. I think that no matter who gets into the Oval Office in 2009, Iraq is not going to be easy to deal with … [Read more...] about The Iraq Conundrum