While the debate in the United States seems to center around whether with Barack Obama, there is any there there, it seems that in some places he is regarded as the Democratic answer to the much vaunted Republican idea machine. Alfredo Toro Hardy of Venezuela's El Universal writes, 'Confronted with the flood of proposals from their Republican counterparts, the fonts of … [Read more...] about With Barack Obama, Democrats Find Answer to the Paucity of Ideas
A Trillion Here, a Trillion There
A publisher I knew once proposed a picture book, "They Must Know What They're Doing or They Wouldn't Be Where They Are," to show the captain of the Titanic, the designers of the Edsel, LBJ running the War in Viet Nam and other overseers of spectacular 20th century blunders. The Bush Administration now rates a sequel all its own for being in charge of two cataclysms, in the … [Read more...] about A Trillion Here, a Trillion There
‘Barack is Not White, Barack is Not Black’ The Possible Gift in Being Bi-Racial
Barack is, like I am, like many others of us are--for lack of a more graceful word-- we are Bi-racial. Cross-racial is probably a slightly better, but still awkward term. That is, we are born twinned: one of each of two or more races is inside us. The blood of often opposing groups, runs in our cells, our bloodlines. Barack's mother was Caucasian. His father was an African from … [Read more...] about ‘Barack is Not White, Barack is Not Black’ The Possible Gift in Being Bi-Racial
Air Passengers Can Be Dumped Off…If…
I always thought that passengers were kicked out of the aircraft after becoming a nuisance... too much tippling, or harassing a woman. Please click here for ten interesting reasons why people were not allowed to remain on board... … [Read more...] about Air Passengers Can Be Dumped Off…If…
Florida Primary Re-Vote Nix Increases Clinton Difficulties
The Democratic party's monumental mess involving the Michigan and Florida delegations to the Democratic Convention is messier than ever with news that Florida won't do a primary re-do vote via mail-in ballot -- news that will increase difficulties Senator Hillary Clinton faces in overturning delegate-front-runner Senator Barack Obama in an extremely tight race. It seems … [Read more...] about Florida Primary Re-Vote Nix Increases Clinton Difficulties
The Way We Were-And Are
Around 1977 or so, my dad and I started going to this barbershop on Detroit Street in my hometown of Flint, Michigan. It was called Eddie and Earl's Barbershop and it was your typical African American barbershop, if such a thing exists. Black men from all walks of life would come to this shop to get their hair cut, especially for church on Sunday. While I was waiting my … [Read more...] about The Way We Were-And Are
Power and Pity
Like anyone who wants America to still have an economy tomorrow, I support the government's intervention to head off disaster in the Bear Stearns fiasco. But I admit discomfort, for this seems to be precisely the type of governmental assistance that I hear many people decry when it's proffered to the less fortunate. We give it to Bear Stearns -- even though they were reckless … [Read more...] about Power and Pity
Too bad ‘us’ is going to bring Obama down…
Conversation I just had with my Uncle Ronny over Yahoo Instant Messenger. Text is accurate. I added the who said what and cleaned up the punctuation: Uncle Ronny: "Well it's all over for brother Obama." Me: "How so?" Uncle Ronny: "He has to be the black guy tomorrow at his big race speech. That's all some folks need to hear to not vote for him." Me: "Yeah. … [Read more...] about Too bad ‘us’ is going to bring Obama down…
Economic Storm
Cartoon by Daryl Cagle … [Read more...] about Economic Storm
When The Media Gets It Wrong About Bloggers
A MUST READ by skippy (who created the word "blogtopia" and writes in lowercase). … [Read more...] about When The Media Gets It Wrong About Bloggers
Clinton Rules versus Obama Rules
Those of us who support Hillary---and make no mistake, the numbers are substantial, or there wouldn't be all this squabbling over delegates and the disenfranchisement of Florida---have noticed a certain imbalance not only in the media's coverage of Hillary, but also within attitudes currently prevalent among many of our fellow Dems. This perceptive blogger has looked … [Read more...] about Clinton Rules versus Obama Rules
Harness your Outrage
This is Sunshine Week 2008 Regardless of your partisan leanings, if you support a more transparent government consider checking this out and even encouraging your representative to do the right thing. … [Read more...] about Harness your Outrage
Iran’s Election Brings More of the Same
Details are still coming out about Iran's recent parliamentary elections, but here are a couple of my early thoughts and observations. First, a lot of English newspapers are inaccurately spinning this as a crushing win for conservatives. That's somewhat misleading. The Guardian Council -- which vets majlis legislation and monitors elections -- disqualified about 1,700 … [Read more...] about Iran’s Election Brings More of the Same
Hillary Clinton Speaks on Her Plan to End the Iraq War Responsibly
I have excerpted some of her key points and arguments, many of which are already in the process of being twisted and taken out of context by her opponents. Here's what she actually said in what I thought was an eloquent and crucial speech. Hillary began by expressing what many Democrats believe: the surge can't be said to be working unless its purpose is being … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton Speaks on Her Plan to End the Iraq War Responsibly
A Vast Media Conspiracy
I was scanning headlines on realclearpolitics and my blog aggregator and noticed that I was becoming irritable. The conservatives level this charge about the liberals and the liberals level that charge against the conservatives. Or, Democratic Party loyalists level this charge about Obama while unaligned bridge builders level that charge against Clinton. Or the NYT tries to … [Read more...] about A Vast Media Conspiracy
Obama’s Pastor Gets An Opinion Poll: 8% National Approval
It now turns out that there finally is someone more unpopular than Vice President Dick Cheney. Pastor Jeremiah Wright, who has become part of the national political dialogue in recent days, is viewed favorably by 8% of voters nationwide. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 58% have an unfavorable view of the Pastor whose controversial comments have created … [Read more...] about Obama’s Pastor Gets An Opinion Poll: 8% National Approval
Bailing Out Wall Street Perps: Get Ready To Open Your Wallets, Mr. & Mrs. Taxpayer
Sentient Americans long ago became accustomed to the gap between George Bush's words and reality. But when the president spoke to the Economic Club in Manhattan the other day his understanding of arguably the biggest economic crisis since the Crash of 1929 was so shallow, his misrepresentation of the causes so complete and his solutions so inadequate that I wanted to … [Read more...] about Bailing Out Wall Street Perps: Get Ready To Open Your Wallets, Mr. & Mrs. Taxpayer
The Economy: Are You Scared Yet?
Gold at $1,000 an ounce. Oil at $110 a barrel. Record home foreclosures. Steeply rising inflation. Worrisome employment numbers. Personal bankruptcies surging again. Are you worried about the economy yet? Are you beginning to be very, very frightened? And if not, why not? Bad times follow good times, just as good times follow the bad. That's a natural process. It's … [Read more...] about The Economy: Are You Scared Yet?
Guest Voice: Mother Russia Is a Bear — An Interview with Edward Lucas
This Guest Interview by Bill Steigerwald, columnist at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Mother Russia Is a Bear -- An Interview with Edward Lucas By Bill Steigerwald Look out for Mother Russia. The nation that emerged from the ruins of communism is not as dangerous to the world or as nasty to its own people as the old Soviet Union. But a new book by Edward Lucas, former … [Read more...] about Guest Voice: Mother Russia Is a Bear — An Interview with Edward Lucas
Guest Book Review: Fidel Castro: A Spoken Autobiography
This is another Guest Book Review by fiction writer Jessica Schneider who also writes for Cosmoetica, is Book Editor for Monsters and Critics and is the only contributor to her own blog. Book Review: Fidel Castro: A Spoken Autobiography By Jessica Schneider There are many different ways one could approach when reviewing this book. On one hand, it’s an excellent … [Read more...] about Guest Book Review: Fidel Castro: A Spoken Autobiography