Looks like Sinbad was right. Clinton and her campaign "misspoke" (i.e., lied) about her 1996 trip to Bosnia: The Clinton campaign says Senator Hillary Clinton may have "misspoke" recently when she said she had to evade sniper fire when she was visiting Bosnia in 1996 as first lady. "I remember landing under sniper fire," Clinton said last week, as she has before. But … [Read more...] about Sniper Fire? What Sniper Fire?
Wall Street Moves To Destroy The Environment
Supposing I were to tell you that financial markets were over-regulated. That the way to ensure endless economic well-being was to lessen the government's oversight of these markets. That these markets are in fact self-regulating, and that the risk management tools already built into them eliminate the need for growth deadening outside interference. Hearing this rap today … [Read more...] about Wall Street Moves To Destroy The Environment
McCain’s “Senior Moment”: How Old is Too Old?
On Fox News Sunday the other day -- C&L has the video and part of the transcript -- host Brit Hume referred to McCain's recent Iran/al Qaeda gaffe as "a senior moment": I think it's probably just a blip, but it was a bigger blip than he wanted or needed at the time. I think the overall impression of the trip was this is a man welcomed by, knowledgeable of and comfortable … [Read more...] about McCain’s “Senior Moment”: How Old is Too Old?
Saudi Arabia to convene interfaith summit
Just last night I left this comment on this TMV post about wanting peace for children of Israel and Palestine: I don't see anyone acknowledging what it would take for people who live in the occupied territories to believe that their children can live in peace and what it would take for people who live in the state of Israel to believe that their children can live in … [Read more...] about Saudi Arabia to convene interfaith summit
Hillary Clinton and the Wright Controversy: Into the Fire
Hillary Clinton had almost won my respect in the last week for not jumping directly into the Jeremiah Wright debate. So much for that, according to RCP. UPDATE: Steve Benen offers some thoughts on this development, concluding: ... we now have a situation in which John McCain defended Obama against Wright-related charges, and Mike Huckabee defended Obama, but Hillary … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton and the Wright Controversy: Into the Fire
Guest Voice: What IS The Role Of Superdelegates?
This Guest Voice post is by blogger and Blog Radio talk show co-host Jazz Shaw, who writes regularly on Middle Earth Journal. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily represent the opinion of The Moderate Voice or its writers. What IS The Role Of Superdelegates By Jazz Shaw There was a rather controversial post from one our favorite bloggers, Josh Marshall at TPM, … [Read more...] about Guest Voice: What IS The Role Of Superdelegates?
Where Is The Aid To Afghanistan Vanishing?
The international media has gone on an overdrive to highlight a hard hitting report recently released by the aid agencies. The report brings into focus the fact that the prospects of peace in Afghanistan have been undermined by Western donors' failure to keep their promises. And this is compounded by corruption and inefficiency. The Guardian reports: "Afghanistan is being … [Read more...] about Where Is The Aid To Afghanistan Vanishing?
‘In the Spirit of Cooperation’
Tony Campbell of Republicans for Obama -- you may recall my interview with him a couple weeks ago -- today offers, "in the spirit of cooperation," three possible strategies the Clinton campaign might "use to try to sway the nomination in their favor." My favorite is the third, "The Unfairness of Leap Year Strategy": Clinton can claim that Leap Year was not supposed to … [Read more...] about ‘In the Spirit of Cooperation’
Moving the Goalposts With Hillary
My most extensive conversation with Hillary Clinton was in 1996 when she and President Clinton stopped by the Philadelphia Daily News to meet with its editorial board although it was a foregone conclusion that this street smart tabloid would endorse the president over Republican candidate Bob Dole. The most memorable aspect of that day was not what Bill and Hill said, which … [Read more...] about Moving the Goalposts With Hillary
A Conservative Adjustment
E.J. Dionne writes in Righting the Right that the path of the Conservative movement is in need of a correction. "There is emerging within the Republican Party a very interesting debate about whether we need to change our approach, or just reassert the policies we already have," Frum said in an interview. Frum would like the heretical Republicans to come together to create … [Read more...] about A Conservative Adjustment
Clinton Admits She “Misspoke” On Bosnia And Enters Credibility Danger Zone
Senator Hillary Clinton's admission that she "misspoke" -- a political word usage sort of like "pre-owned cars" instead of "used cars" -- in the dramatic anecdote she told of having to run to avoid sniper fire in Bosnia undermines a campaign theme and now plops her in the middle of that dangerous credibility danger zone where reporters and editors will now carefully check her … [Read more...] about Clinton Admits She “Misspoke” On Bosnia And Enters Credibility Danger Zone
Heck Of Job, Economy
RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch … [Read more...] about Heck Of Job, Economy
The Media & Iraq: Shocked, Awed & Cowed
The more things change the more they remain the same, and that certainly is true of the mainstream media's abysmal coverage of the Iraq war. While there are occasional exceptions, most media outlets continue to swallow the Bush administration's lies, obfuscations and talking points whole, which it has done since the run-up to the March 2003 invasion, and that is why a casual … [Read more...] about The Media & Iraq: Shocked, Awed & Cowed
The Vultures Circle The N.Y. Times
Howell Raines, who was executive editor of The New York Times from 2001-2003, is credited with bringing a healthy dose of advocacy journalism to the Gray Lady but was brought down by the Jason Blair scandal. He warns in his new column in Condé Nast's Portfolio.com that there is no greater threat to American journalism than the possibility that media mogul Rupert Murdoch or some … [Read more...] about The Vultures Circle The N.Y. Times
Pakistan: Let’s See Who Calls The Shots…
As President Prevez Musharraf was swearing in newly-elected Yousaf Raza Gilani as Pakistan's Prime Minister on Tuesday, there came trooping in at Islamabad the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, and Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher, who straightaway began talks with former premier Nawaz Sharif. Later, they visited Musharraf at the … [Read more...] about Pakistan: Let’s See Who Calls The Shots…
‘Guilt and Lies’
A good sampling of the consternation felt in various parts of the world over the unapologetic stance of the Bush Administration on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War can be found in this op-ed from Germany's Frankfurter Rundschau. Karl Grobe writes, 'The war isn't over - not by a long shot. It has been transformed into a struggle of all against all - and it's the Iraqi … [Read more...] about ‘Guilt and Lies’
‘All is Not Lost’: The Dual Lesson of Iraq …
Some Americans will find this editorial more than a little ironic - especially coming from the French. Pierre Rousselin writes for France's Le Figaro of the lessons that Europeans and Americans - particularly the three remaining U.S. Presidential candidates - should draw from the Iraq War: "With a few months to go until a change at the White House, debating the past is no … [Read more...] about ‘All is Not Lost’: The Dual Lesson of Iraq …
Change In Pakistan: New Prime Minister Frees Chief Justice
Is it curtains for the bluff and bluster game played by President ex-General Pervez Musharraf and his mentor in the White House, President George W. Bush, for the past eight years? The first important decision the new Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani took after being elected as prime minister was to order the release of the Chief Justice of the highest court, Iftikhar Mohammed … [Read more...] about Change In Pakistan: New Prime Minister Frees Chief Justice
Iraq War to Last Through Two More American Presidential Terms …
As the grim milestones in Iraq pile up, Americans aren't the only ones wondering how long the war will go on. Jean-Claude Kiefer writes for France's Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace, 'the United States has been discredited; Islamist terrorism is expanding; there is extreme tension throughout the Middle East; the Israeli-Palestinian crisis with Hamas has radicalized Gaza; Iran has … [Read more...] about Iraq War to Last Through Two More American Presidential Terms …
What’s John Edwards Waiting For?
Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama last week raises the question of why the leader of the also-rans is being coy about making a choice "John Edwards," Politico reports, "is unlikely to endorse either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton before the nomination is decided, according to interviews with several members of the former candidate's inner circle." Why not? At … [Read more...] about What’s John Edwards Waiting For?