After Super Tuesday, John McCain told local supporters they were "a little bit closer to the day when mothers in Arizona might be able to tell their children that someday they could grow up to be president of the United States." That wry comment has a history with relevance to McCain's situation today. Since Arizona became a state in 1912, the only other resident to win … [Read more...] about Raising Arizona, McCain and Goldwater
A Personal Apology to CPAC & Ann Coulter
I have to admit that I've been wrong about the Conservative Political Action Committee inviting crazy people like Ann Coulter to their parties. For far too long, society has marginalized the mentally deranged among us and with few exceptions like Theodore Brewster (photo) in Arsenic and Old Lace, who thought he was Teddy Roosevelt, we have literally kept these people locked … [Read more...] about A Personal Apology to CPAC & Ann Coulter
A Centrist on Political Correctness
Media Matters, a progressive group that monitors conservative misinformation in the U.S. media just released a statement: Pattern of Sexist/Misogynistic Outbursts on MSNBC Provoked by the recent comment on MSNBC that the Clinton Campaign is "pimping out" Chelsea to call donors, Media Matters has listed other comments they consider inappropriate: NBC's Holt surprised that … [Read more...] about A Centrist on Political Correctness
MSNBC’s David Shuster “Pimp” Comment About Chelsea Clinton Causes Suspension And Reflects Cable Media Culture
MSNBC correspondent David Shuster's use of the phrase "pimped out" in referring to former first daughter Chelsea Clinton's modest political activism has led to his apologizing, his suspension by the network, a major blog and commentator furor -- but it also reflects a shoot-at-the-lip cable broadcast news and talk show culture that characterizes the increasingly-popular cable … [Read more...] about MSNBC’s David Shuster “Pimp” Comment About Chelsea Clinton Causes Suspension And Reflects Cable Media Culture
Ron Paul Re-Aligns Himself
From The Caucus: In a message to supporters sent just before 11 p.m. Friday night, Representative Ron Paul, a long-shot G.O.P. candidate from Texas, basically conceded that he’s not going to win the party’s nomination. That said, he’s scaling back his campaign — but not entirely. He said: With Romney gone, the chances of a brokered convention are nearly zero. But … [Read more...] about Ron Paul Re-Aligns Himself
Superdelegate Issue Produces Threats of Quitting Democratic Party
Donna Brazile was quoted as saying, "If 795 of my colleagues decide this election, I will quit the Democratic Party. I feel very strongly about this," Brazile said. And Chris Bowers of Open Left wrote this post, How I Could Quit the Democratic Party, that makes the same argument. (speaking of democratic anything, Open Left crashed Firefox twice - what's with that?) What … [Read more...] about Superdelegate Issue Produces Threats of Quitting Democratic Party
Barack Obama
Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant … [Read more...] about Barack Obama
Like it or Not, Muslim Iraqis are Less Patriotic than Christian Ones …
Are Christians in Iraq better Iraqis than the majority Muslims? Furthermore, are Christians in Iraq better Christians than all other Christians in the world? Such is the contention of Dr. Fawaaz al-Fawaaz, an Iraqi Muslim that has an earful for his fellow Muslim countrymen. Published on Wednesday in Iraq's Kitabat newspaper. "The irony is that the occupier, by which we mean … [Read more...] about Like it or Not, Muslim Iraqis are Less Patriotic than Christian Ones …
Obama, National Security, and Presidential Vision
This article in the German publication Die Welt (The World), and cited in an interesting post by Robin Koerner, says that Europeans are getting a hazy picture of Barack Obama's views on foreign policy and national security issues. I think that it also precisely identifies Obama's area of greatest vulnerability with US voters once the fall campaign begins. (Should Obama be … [Read more...] about Obama, National Security, and Presidential Vision
Dick Cheney opposes USDOJ, signs amicus on DC gun ban case
From the SCOTUS Blog: Vice President Richard Cheney, parting company with the official Bush Administration position on the test case before the Supreme Court on the Second Amendment, signed onto a brief Friday urging the Justices to strike down the District of Columbia handgun ban without ordering any further proceedings. The brief — representing the views of a majority … [Read more...] about Dick Cheney opposes USDOJ, signs amicus on DC gun ban case
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Super Duper Tuesday Lives Up To Its Name
McCain rises, Democrats deadlocked Now be honest. Wasn't Tuesday evening one of the most exciting nights ever in American politics? It had more drama and twists than many presidential general elections. The onrush of results and exit polls in twenty-four states--and let's not forget about American Samoa--was dizzying and exhilarating. Our readers, mainly political … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Super Duper Tuesday Lives Up To Its Name
Romney Drops Out
RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch … [Read more...] about Romney Drops Out
For Arab Women, A Weak Breeze Of Change
In the Middle East, the issue of women's rights is increasingly taking hold in public discourse and, according to The Economist, there is some tangible progress being made. Most prominently, in Saudi Arabia, a country with some of the must discriminatory gender practices, the monarchy is beginning to seriously reconsider its treatment of women. Laws forbidding violence against … [Read more...] about For Arab Women, A Weak Breeze Of Change
Mitt Romney: To Thine Ownself, Be True
Howard Fineman has an excellent piece on the folly that was Mitt Romney's campaign. The thing is, if he had run as the fiscal conservative, social moderate that he did in the past, he might have been a contender. I certainly would have considered him. But his willingness to throw gays under the bus in order to get the GOP nomination made him untouchable for me and … [Read more...] about Mitt Romney: To Thine Ownself, Be True
Wanted: A Better Caption For This Photo
President Bush, addressing the Conservative Political Action Committee faithful, warns that the advances made on his watch would be imperiled if Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama were to be elected. "Prosperity and peace are in the balance,” the president said. … [Read more...] about Wanted: A Better Caption For This Photo
Insanity in the Heartland
As reported in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Washington Post, the story of last night's shooting at a Kirkwood, Mo., city council meeting struck terribly close to home for me. I currently live about 14 miles north and west of Kirkwood, a suburban St. Louis community. Twenty years ago, I worked for the Suburban Journals of St. Louis, covering municipal meetings in other … [Read more...] about Insanity in the Heartland
Conservative Cannibals Pushed Aside?
It may be an example of mass wishful thinking, but John McCain and hard-core conservatives seem to have taken a big step toward rapprochement. In a speech draped with olive branches and punctuated by only a smattering of boos, the prohibitive favorite to win the Republican nomination told the annual meeting of the Conservative Political Action Committee that: "We have … [Read more...] about Conservative Cannibals Pushed Aside?
What the Candidates Mean for Europe
If you want to see what an elephant looks like, the worst place to sit is on the elephant. That’s why articles from the foreign press about the American election campaign are worth reading. The inability of their writers to influence the outcome, and the fact that foreign newspapers are much less likely to see problems with their readerships and advertisers when commenting … [Read more...] about What the Candidates Mean for Europe
Trans-Atlantic Contrasts
The economic situation in the United States – namely the upcoming recession – is attracting much attention in the foreign press. Of particular interest is the way in which the most important economic decision-making institutions – the Congress and the Fed – are seeking to stave off the downturn. By all accounts, American economic aggression, in the form of tax cuts and … [Read more...] about Trans-Atlantic Contrasts
The White House Calls Al-Maliki’s Bluff (Maybe) & Other Forever War News
GEN. PETRAEUS PLAYS GOLF GAME AT NEW USO FACILITY IN BALAD In what at first blush would seem to be an unusual acknowledgment that presidential power actually has limits, the Bush administration says that it has dropped a provision from the U.S.'s pending business deal with the Iraqi government under which it would defend Iraq from both internal and external security … [Read more...] about The White House Calls Al-Maliki’s Bluff (Maybe) & Other Forever War News