Mumia Abu-Jamal is the worst reason imaginable to oppose the death penalty, which I nevertheless do until the unlikely event that it can be meted out fairly and impartially. Abu-Jamal, who was caught pumping round after round from a handgun into Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner way back in 1981, was convicted at a less-than-fair trial and has been appealing his … [Read more...] about Mumia Abu-Jamal Is Still Guilty As Hell
Hillary and The Fellowship
Mother Jones wrote about it last September. I wrote about it in February. And here, The Atlantic's Joshua Green reminds us of an important piece he wrote on Clinton, some of which was about it, The Fellowship (a.k.a., The Family), back in November 2006. Green also links to an important Harper's piece published in March 2003 -- written by Jeff Sharlet, who has written a … [Read more...] about Hillary and The Fellowship
Sherrod Brown: The Same Guy He Always Was, It Seems
I've written before about my long-ago acquaintance with Sherrod Brown, Ohio's junior US Senator. Brown was a very young member of the Ohio House of Representatives when, in 1979, I spent a year as Supervisor of Pages. He was always personable and without pretense, in spite of having won election to the House at a very young age and his obvious intelligence, two things that … [Read more...] about Sherrod Brown: The Same Guy He Always Was, It Seems
GOP Candidates Already Prepping for 2010 Gubernatorial Election
The Columbus Dispatch is today reporting on John Kasich's preparations for a 2010 for the GOP nomination in the Ohio gubernatorial race. No surprises there. If Kasich, former Senator Mike DeWine, and former Congressman (and Bush functionary) Rob Portman all seek the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010, it will be an interesting, well-funded race. At this point, … [Read more...] about GOP Candidates Already Prepping for 2010 Gubernatorial Election
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: THE LASH OF UNFAIR CRITICISM?….
...AND THE LIGHT OF A REVEALING ROLE MODEL: John F. Kennedy was correct about life and politics when he famously said, "Life isn't fair." Not only is politics unfair, it may be the least fair part of life. In many election years, if we had blue-ribbon selection panels charged with considering only the qualifications and likely performance of potential presidents, governors, and … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: THE LASH OF UNFAIR CRITICISM?….
(Updated) Iraq: It’s All Perfectly Clear Now
Now that the fog around the battle for Basra and upturn in violence elsewhere in Iraq is lifting a bit, we can conclude that: * The Pentagon's spin that the bloodshed is a consequence of the "success" of the Surge would seem to be silly on its face, but it isn’t. * This is because the violence is the result of a carefully planned Al-Maliki government offensive to destroy … [Read more...] about (Updated) Iraq: It’s All Perfectly Clear Now
Do Americans Really Want to ‘Keep Russia on its Knees?’
Is the United States imagining a world in which Russia poses a threat, or is it actually a threat? Mikhail Taratuta, the former host of a Russian television show about America writes for Russia's Kommersant newspaper, 'Sociologists, psychologists and psychiatrists make reference to a notion called a "second reality." This isn't reality itself, but rather a person's perception … [Read more...] about Do Americans Really Want to ‘Keep Russia on its Knees?’
Ultimate Fighting Now Includes Kids
Social commentators, bloggers, educators and others will have fun with this bit of news: Ultimate fighting -- the increasingly popular 21st century sport that combines wrestling, boxing and martial arts -- is now expanding to include kids: Ultimate fighting was once the sole domain of burly men who beat each other bloody in anything-goes brawls on pay-per-view TV. But the … [Read more...] about Ultimate Fighting Now Includes Kids
Bush Arms Albanians to Do NATO’s Dirty Work in Kosovo
Has President Bush decided to send weapons to the newly-independent nation of Kosovo to keep NATO's hands clean, as Albanians in the former Serbian province 'cleanse' Kosovo of Serbs? Tamara Zamyatina of Russia's Novosti writes, 'Arming the Kosovars is a kind of legalization of future action by the Albanian side to oust the Serb minority ... In other words, to give the Kosovars … [Read more...] about Bush Arms Albanians to Do NATO’s Dirty Work in Kosovo
Hillary Clinton: And So It’s Come To This
My journalist's instincts and four decades in the political trenches are prompting me to tread with care when it comes to the Hillary Clinton doomsday scenarios increasingly appearing in the mainstream media and blogosphere as the once presumptive nominee becomes ever more desperate in what is now a long shot bid to wrest the big prize from Barack Obama. The root of my … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton: And So It’s Come To This
Bill Clinton Thinks Divisive Tone Of Obama Hillary Clinton Race Is Just Fine
Some analysts have blamed the Bush and Clinton families for ushering in a polarizing style of politics that focuses on driving up the opposing candidates' negatives in highly PERSONAL campaigns rather than focusing on the serious issues. Now former President Bill Clinton has come out with comments suggesting he not only endorses this style of politics but has no intention of … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton Thinks Divisive Tone Of Obama Hillary Clinton Race Is Just Fine
The Senator from Saturday Night Live
Al Franken is a step away from getting the nomination to run against Minnesota's Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in November. This month, his competition dwindled down to an under-funded activist college professor who is given little chance of beating him at the Democratic-Farmer-Labor convention in June. The party of Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and Paul Wellstone will be … [Read more...] about The Senator from Saturday Night Live
Book Review of “My Grandfather’s Son”
The Harvard Law Review has a short, accessible review of Clarence Thomas' memoir, and how it explains some of the inconsistencies in Thomas' originalism. I add some brief thoughts here. … [Read more...] about Book Review of “My Grandfather’s Son”
Mike Gravel leaves Democratic Party, joins Libertarians, but endorsed a Green
I don't really know what it's all about, but I know that one of my favorite readers and commenters is a Libertarian or at least holds a lot of libertarian views, so I thought he'd enjoy this post by The Boring Made Dull. [Here's an earlier TMV post about the move.] From the source, Fox News: In an announcement released late Tuesday, Gravel said he is joining the … [Read more...] about Mike Gravel leaves Democratic Party, joins Libertarians, but endorsed a Green
Lib Dem Blogger Says Clinton Should Withdraw
Liberal Democratic blogger Deborah White delivers a scathing denunciation of Hillary Clinton, saying that it's time that the New York Senator withdraws from the presidential race: How could anyone seriously believe that, after the brutal and dishonest behavior of the Clintons since Super Tuesday, February 5th, that the American people, exhausted by the brutal and dishonest … [Read more...] about Lib Dem Blogger Says Clinton Should Withdraw
Tibet & Beijing Olympics: Bush (Finally) Joins World Protest
I have been arguing in this blog that if world leaders were to shed their impotent stance on pressing/critical world issues, even the arrogant (etc.) President George W. Bush can be persuaded to see the light of reason and prevented from taking unilateral decisions that endanger world peace. The recent mounting pressure on China to behave itself in Tibet is a case in … [Read more...] about Tibet & Beijing Olympics: Bush (Finally) Joins World Protest
Mike Gravel Quits Democratic Party, Joins Libertarian Party, Vows to Run For President
This morning, Former Senator Mike Gravel, who was pursuing the Democratic nomination for president, sent the following email to his supporters: Dear friend, I wanted to update you on my latest plans before news gets out. Today, I am announcing my plan to join the Libertarian Party, because the Democratic Party no longer represents my vision for our great country. I … [Read more...] about Mike Gravel Quits Democratic Party, Joins Libertarian Party, Vows to Run For President
Ceasefire Blues
And so, it begins anew. Although the 7-month ceasefire hasn't come to an official end, Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army is again picking up their arms, this time to battle American and Iraqi forces in the Shiite-dominated southern port city of Basra. Local members of ISCI (led by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim) and Dawa (led by Nuri al-Maliki) have fled the area. The fighting has recently … [Read more...] about Ceasefire Blues
Dancing With The Dollar
Mike Lester, The Rome News-Tribune … [Read more...] about Dancing With The Dollar
McCain and Obama: More the same than different on Foreign Affairs
We have had the benefit of two major addresses on foreign affairs by two leading candidates Today's Senator McCain To The Los Angeles World Affairs Council and yesterdays remarks of Senator Barack Obama and The World Beyond Iraq I read both of them and to me they are much more aligned than different. Except for a few pointed comments by McCain about Russia and the need to … [Read more...] about McCain and Obama: More the same than different on Foreign Affairs