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GOP Politics & Faith: An Ungodly Mess

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"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United … [Read more...] about GOP Politics & Faith: An Ungodly Mess

Poll: Huckabee’s Support Reportedly “Surging” In Iowa

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We've seen it every election year: the talking heads (which these days includes us bloggers) make all kinds of supposedly-learned predictions and then something funny happens. The voters make all these oh-so-smugly-certain predictions seem silly (so those who make them then move on and pretend they never made them at all). Is a big upset of the 2008 Presidential nomination … [Read more...] about Poll: Huckabee’s Support Reportedly “Surging” In Iowa

Guest Voice: Why I’m An Atheist And What That Means

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NOTE: The Moderate Voice runs Guest Voice posts from time to time by readers who don’t have their own websites, or people who have websites but would like to post something for TMV’s diverse and thoughtful readership. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Moderate Voice or its writers. This is another post by Matt Pearl and is cross posted from his … [Read more...] about Guest Voice: Why I’m An Atheist And What That Means

Mukasey: What is He Waiting For?

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You just wonder, is Old Scratch whispering to Mukasey: "Policy isn't fitting the facts, it seems. Critical evidence has been lost? You're thinking over what to do for the 44th time? Great tactics! Carry on." But, a gaggle of muddy angels interested in the old fashioned definition of justice are asking: Hasn't Mukasey known for many days now that 'tapes have been lost/ … [Read more...] about Mukasey: What is He Waiting For?

An ‘Ambivalent’ U.S. Intelligence Report

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Does the recent U.S. intelligence estimate that Iran has shelved its nuclear weapons program since 2003, demonstrate the independence of America's intelligence agencies? According to this editorial from French newspaper Le Monde, it's time to renew a conciliatory approach since, 'Beyond the nuances - and even contradictions, the report provides a confirmation of the strategy … [Read more...] about An ‘Ambivalent’ U.S. Intelligence Report

The Third World War – Cancelled

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Does the Bush Administration have some explaining to do, after America's combined intelligence services concluded that Iran's nuclear weapons program has been halted since 2003? According to this op-ed article from Germany's Frankfurter Rundschau, 'Bush’s October speech about the danger of a Third World War was at the very least, reckless. ... Then it also follows that the plan … [Read more...] about The Third World War – Cancelled

December 7, 1941

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We lived in a different America then. News that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor came from bulletins that broke into Sunday afternoon radio programs and was spread by word of mouth over the telephone, on the streets of cities and house to house in small towns. World War II came to us in slow motion and seemed unreal until we read details in the next day's newspaper … [Read more...] about December 7, 1941

Notes on Russian Democracy: Assessing the Recent Duma Elections

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A couple of thoughts on the recent Russian Duma elections: First, and most obviously, this was a huge blow for Russian democrats. Putin's party, United Russia, pulled in over 60% of the vote and they now hold 2/3rds of the seats in parliament, enough to override the objections of all other dissenting parties. The only significant opposition party that got over the 7% threshold … [Read more...] about Notes on Russian Democracy: Assessing the Recent Duma Elections

Stéphane Grappelli: An Appreciation

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There is no more emotionally evocative musical instrument for me than the violin and no more emotionally evocative violinist than Stéphane Grappelli. The French jazz virtuoso is best known as co-founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France, the first and most famous of the string jazz bands, with guitarist Django Reinhardt, but his most outstanding and rewarding work came … [Read more...] about Stéphane Grappelli: An Appreciation

C.I.A. Destroyed Two Taped Interrogations

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Shades of Watergate? An ominous sign that we are no longer just using the tools of government to battle terrorism but slipping far away from the founding fathers' concept of America -- or the concept held under most administrations throughout American history -- and beginning to resemble "a banana republic" where the law is NOT the law but something you can ignore or … [Read more...] about C.I.A. Destroyed Two Taped Interrogations

‘Bama v. Boomers

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As some of you know by now, Andrew Sullivan has written an absolutely fascinating essay on the potential transformative power of an Obama presidency, published in the December 2007 edition of The Atlantic. [Note: Shaun Mullen offered his take on this essay a month ago; reference here. My belated take follows. Ironically, while I failed to read Shaun's commentary prior to … [Read more...] about ‘Bama v. Boomers

Wayne Dumond: When Politics Can Kill

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Is Clinton Derangement Syndrome responsible for the horrific deaths of Carol Sue Shields and Sara Andrasek? Perhaps. Shields and Andrasek are the women that Wayne Dumond raped and murdered after he was released from prison because of, in large part, the efforts of then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee, a Baptist preacher whose long-shot bid for the Republican … [Read more...] about Wayne Dumond: When Politics Can Kill

Kindle or Swindle? Another Reinvention of the Safety Pin?

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“Kindle” is the name Jeff Bezos, of Amazon Empire on Planet Buyme, named an electronic reading device that he hopes will make paper books, well, less papery. Save trees. Have a closed purchase system with Amazon only, with Amazon storing all scans of the book, as well as all customer buying habits, and customer comments that the Kindle allows a reader to 'write' in the margins … [Read more...] about Kindle or Swindle? Another Reinvention of the Safety Pin?

Televangelists: 4 out of 6 miss Senator Grassley’s Investigation Deadline for Their Records In Depth

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About a month ago, I wrote on "the Grassley Six," who hold the interest of Senator Grassley's investigation into several high profile televangelists' finances and spending patterns with church members' money. The Senator ordered all televangelists to comply with the Dec 6th deadline, today, to produce all financial records, tax returns, receipts, accounting in writing about … [Read more...] about Televangelists: 4 out of 6 miss Senator Grassley’s Investigation Deadline for Their Records In Depth

Law Bleg

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Has anyone tried to show that the original intent or meaning of the 14th Amendment was to establish a "color-blind" constitution. I've heard it asserted, but I've never seen anyone back it up with supporting documentation (ratification debates, contemporary commentary, etc.). By contrast, I've seen plenty of contemporaneous evidence that the 14th Amendment was never envisioned … [Read more...] about Law Bleg