I had been trying to get up with Ed Rendell for days for his reaction to the report by a blue-ribbon panel that found the Philadelphia Police Department had poor leadership, was soft on bad cops and well behind the times in how its officers were deployed and the equipment they were given. In other words, business as usual. The mayor, despite his considerable accomplishments, … [Read more...] about Yo America: Meet “Fast Eddie” Rendell
Sticker Shock And Awe
RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch … [Read more...] about Sticker Shock And Awe
The Sound of Breaking China
We now see more of the insane despot cooks in the kitchen in Asia. They are not cooking nourishing food for the people as they said they would. Instead, they are unleashing fits of temper and breaking everything in sight. China's current crushing of peaceful protest in Tibet, and China's ordering of brutality against the Tibetan people are the latest intrusions. China which … [Read more...] about The Sound of Breaking China
The Iraq War Five Years On … FRAGILE!
With the arrival of the five-year anniversary of the Iraq War, what do Iraqis have to say about it? In addition to pondering what President Bush means when he says that the situation is 'fragile,' the continuing activities of Iran are also foremost in peoples' minds. Fatih Abdulsalam writes for Iraq's Azzaman newspaper, 'It seems that although American talks with Iran have been … [Read more...] about The Iraq War Five Years On … FRAGILE!
Protests & Violence Spread In Tibet
Despite the iron-grip of the Chinese government and dispatch of large number of troops, violence has spread to other provinces in Tibet. The Associated Press reports from Beijing: "China acknowledged for the first time Thursday that anti-government riots that rocked Tibet last week have spread to other provinces, while communist authorities announced the first group of arrests … [Read more...] about Protests & Violence Spread In Tibet
A Latte Big Changes In Store At Starbucks
Starbucks junkies take note: battered by a bad economy, competitors such as McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts now selling designer coffee blends and a decline in its stock value, there are a latte grande changes brewing at Starbucks. It's enough to make you flip your frappuccino: The initiatives are designed to restore an authentic coffeehouse experience to the company’s … [Read more...] about A Latte Big Changes In Store At Starbucks
Video of Barack Obama speech on Iraq, Fayetteville, North Carolina 3-19-08: will end war on Day One
See the full video (with an accompanying text article) from here. Many key graphs, see this post for the text of the speech. Here is where he makes the Day One promise: When you have no overarching strategy, there is no clear definition of success. Success comes to be defined as the ability to maintain a flawed policy indefinitely. Here is the truth: fighting a war without … [Read more...] about Video of Barack Obama speech on Iraq, Fayetteville, North Carolina 3-19-08: will end war on Day One
Text of Barack Obama speech on Iraq, Fayetteville, North Carolina 3-19-08: will end war on Day One
From Real Clear Politics: The World Beyond Iraq Fayetteville, NC March 19, 2008 As Prepared for Delivery Just before America's entry into World War I, President Woodrow Wilson addressed Congress: "It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war," he said. "...But the right is more precious than peace." Wilson's words captured two awesome … [Read more...] about Text of Barack Obama speech on Iraq, Fayetteville, North Carolina 3-19-08: will end war on Day One
Two Little White Girls
Barack Obama ended his speech yesterday with the story of a young white woman who worked for his South Carolina campaign. In a discussion of why they were there, Ashley Baia told volunteers that when she was nine years old, her mother was stricken with cancer, lost her health care and had to file for bankruptcy and that she "convinced her mother that what she really liked … [Read more...] about Two Little White Girls
ABC News: Clinton Documents Don’t Show Great Experience
First there was Senator Barack Obama's bad week. Is it about to shift to Senator Hillary Clinton? According to ABC News, the release of Clinton schedule documents are raising questions about her contention that she has great experience in dealing with Oval Office matters: The release of 17,000 pages of then-first lady Hillary Clinton's daily schedule in the White House has … [Read more...] about ABC News: Clinton Documents Don’t Show Great Experience
Questionable Change
Eric Allie, Caglecartoons.com … [Read more...] about Questionable Change
‘Our Current Polity’
Wow. That's the single, befuddled reaction I'm able to muster after reading some of the negative critiques of Obama's speech yesterday: Wow. Wow ... what happened to careful, accurate analysis? Wow ... when did the ability to hear and understand and appreciate nuance die? Wow ... is "benefit of the doubt" a permanently lost luxury? Andrew Sullivan had his own … [Read more...] about ‘Our Current Polity’
An Open Letter To Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke
Dear Ben, I'm not an investment bank, not a hedge fund, not any kind of major player on Wall Street. But I know that your efforts to save the economy aren't just geared to making the big people whole, but to helping little folks, plain old Americans, such as myself. So I'm hoping you can extend to me the same kind of deals you are now daily dishing out in giant dollops to … [Read more...] about An Open Letter To Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke
Black Conservatism, Revisited
An expansion on my previous post -- this one explaining strains of Black Conservatism that are not separatist (such as Clarance Thomas') and how they fit within the overall paradigm, as well as the difference between Black Conservatism and conservatives who are Black. … [Read more...] about Black Conservatism, Revisited
(Updated) It’s Clinton’s Turn in the Spotlight
Barack Obama's speech on race and religion, called a seminal moment in the presidential campaign even by some conservatives, is now history and the spotlight is about the shift to Hillary Clinton. And perhaps uncomfortably so for someone who has spent so much time attacking her opponent on the issue of experience. This is because of the long awaited and much anticipated … [Read more...] about (Updated) It’s Clinton’s Turn in the Spotlight
Gallup Daily Tracking Poll: Clinton Has 7% Lead Over Obama
The latest Gallup daily tracking poll shows that the controversies swirling around Democratic Senator Barack Obama have taken their toll -- in the form of rival Senator Hillary Clinton taking a healthy lead in the numbers: New Gallup Poll Daily tracking finds Hillary Clinton with a 49% to 42% lead over Barack Obama in national Democratic voters' presidential nomination … [Read more...] about Gallup Daily Tracking Poll: Clinton Has 7% Lead Over Obama
Violence On The World’s Roof…
In the wake of the recent bloodbath that followed violent protests in Tibet, and the crushing of the rebellion by the Chinese troops, the Tibetan spiritual and political leader in exile in India, the Dalai Lama (a Nobel laureate), is back in the news. A useful Q&A on Dalai Lama and the Tibetan issue appears in The Independent...Click here... Excerpt: "Why is Dalai Lama so … [Read more...] about Violence On The World’s Roof…
How will Obama, Clinton health care plans impact death by lack of insurance?
The Families USA report, Dying for Coverage for Ohio, was released yesterday. Families USA has released similar reports for Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The site contains other resources, including a section called, The Uninsured. From the press release related to Ohio: “Our report highlights how our inadequate system of … [Read more...] about How will Obama, Clinton health care plans impact death by lack of insurance?
“A More Perfect Union”: Reflections on Obama’s Speech
Andrew Sullivan (a fellow Obama admirer/supporter): "I do want to say that this searing, nuanced, gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian speech is the most honest speech on race in America in my adult lifetime. It is a speech we have all been waiting for for a generation. Its ability to embrace both the legitimate fears and resentments of whites and the … [Read more...] about “A More Perfect Union”: Reflections on Obama’s Speech
Progressives Seize the Moment
Liberals to spend $150 million on '08 A loose coalition of liberal and labor organizations expects to spend about $150 million this fall to push its causes and help Democrats win the White House and strengthen their grip on Congress... While the groups cannot coordinate with candidates, they can coordinate with each other — a change from 2004 when top Democratic donors … [Read more...] about Progressives Seize the Moment