This is another Guest Book Review by fiction writer Jessica Schneider who also writes for the highly-visited site Cosmoetica, is Book Editor for Monsters and Critics and is the only contributor to her own blog. Book Review: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates By Jessica Schneider I first became acquainted with Richard Yates after having read his Collected Short … [Read more...] about Guest Book Review: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Primary Season
Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant … [Read more...] about Primary Season
Iranian Government Threatens Argentina Over Bombing Investigation
Argentina has been doggedly pursuing an investigation linking Iranian officials at the highest levels to the 1994 bombing of a JCC in Buenos Aires. Iran is not happy about this, and has just threatened to lodge a complaint with the ICJ if Argentina doesn't cease its investigation immediately. It is unclear what legal grounds Iran is relying on for its complaint. … [Read more...] about Iranian Government Threatens Argentina Over Bombing Investigation
Huckabee Talks To Blog Talk Radio
Ed Morrissey had an exclusive interview with Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who insists pulling the ads was a genuine decision on his part because he felt they were wrong -- and that in retrospect perhaps they should not have played them for the press. Key quotes: Regarding ads opposing Huckabee: (24:28) "The ads were dishonest .... misrepresentations and outright … [Read more...] about Huckabee Talks To Blog Talk Radio
Democracy in Pakistan Depends on the U.S. Election
Watching America features a superb piece translated from Urdu from the Pakistani paper, Nawaiwaqt: Pakistani Democracy May Depend on U.S. Election. The writer notes an extraordinary and consistent correspondence throughout modern history between, on the one hand, Democratic Presidents in the U.S. and the health of democracy in Pakistan, and on the other, Republican … [Read more...] about Democracy in Pakistan Depends on the U.S. Election
The Last Step
This is new: a conservative columnist pens an article defending the "stupid conservative". Apparently, it's better to be dumb -- that way you're not duped by charlatans who use "rationality" to defend gay marriage. Obviously, there is a lot of snark in my initial reaction to this, but honestly there is quite a bit of fear as well. There is a distressing anti-intellectual … [Read more...] about The Last Step
Benazir Was Only a Secondary Target
Was it Benazir Bhutto that was the primary target her assassins - or was it relations with the United States in general? According to this op-ed article from Switzerland's 24heurs, 'the target is democracy in Pakistan. Or more simply: the goal is to destabilize a government allied with the United-States. Allied with the wicked West.' By Foreign Desk Editor Andrés … [Read more...] about Benazir Was Only a Secondary Target
Tom Lantos Diagnosed With Cancer, Retiring
California Democrat Tom Lantos, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has announced he is retiring after being diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. Lantos has been a passionate defender of human rights while serving in the House, and the only Holocaust survivor serving anywhere in Congress. Unsurprisingly, he has been a particularly early and vocal Congressional … [Read more...] about Tom Lantos Diagnosed With Cancer, Retiring
The Kiss Of Death: Rush Limbaugh Blasts Huckabee Day Before Iowa Vote
If Mike Huckabee loses in the Iowa caucuses it'll be partially because of this: Rush Limbaugh devoted a large portion of his first show since the holidays to criticizing Mike Huckabee's candidacy and offering a disapproving bottom-line assessment of the former governor. "Ladies and gentlemen, Gov. Huckabee, mighty fine man and is a great Christian, is not a … [Read more...] about The Kiss Of Death: Rush Limbaugh Blasts Huckabee Day Before Iowa Vote
Putting A Plague In Perspective
Bush's long-term proposal towards the AIDS epidemic has been to request 30 billion dollars over the next five years for prevention, treatment, and care. A worthy goal and a critical step, it would seem. But criticism of the plan has been forthcoming -- and it's come from some unusual sources. Daniel Halperin, an HIV/AIDS specialist at the Harvard School of Public Health, argues … [Read more...] about Putting A Plague In Perspective
“Revelation” (Charge) To Be Made Against New Hampshire Primary Candidate Monday?
For the second time we've gotten an email that says it comes from a spokesman for Revelation Press about a major announcement that'll be made in Washington on MONDAY about a candidate running in the New Hampshire primary..one DAY before the vote there -- seemingly a CLASSIC case of leveling an eleventh-hour charge so a candidate doesn't fully have time to answer it. (See … [Read more...] about “Revelation” (Charge) To Be Made Against New Hampshire Primary Candidate Monday?
North Korea Update
This week, North Korea was to have provided "a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear programs" as stipulated by the February 13th agreement. So where do things stand? Matt Dupuis has the scoop. … [Read more...] about North Korea Update
Novak: In Iowa It’ll Be Obama (Clinton Third) And Romney
Columnist Robert Novak, in his newsletter, is now calling it for Iowa: former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republicans and Senator Barack Obama for the Democrats -- and Hillary Clinton third behind Obama and Senator John Edwards. This is a topsy-turvy election season when polls resemble see-saws used by hyperactive school-kids, but Novak offers a detailed analysis. … [Read more...] about Novak: In Iowa It’ll Be Obama (Clinton Third) And Romney
Is Huckabee Clinton or Carter?
His campaign chairman wanted to knock out Mitt Romney's teeth, but Mike Huckabee decided to turn the other cheek. Internal struggles are common in the heat of campaigns, but this week's press-conference melodrama in Iowa suggests that Huckabee is (1) a man of principle who turned away from stooping to attack ads at the last minute or (2) ambivalent and indecisive or (3) … [Read more...] about Is Huckabee Clinton or Carter?
Did A Hi-Tech Laser Beam Kill Benazir Bhutto?
Here are two important stories related to Pakistan. First, allegations have surfaced that sophisticated laser beam technology was used to eliminate Benazir Bhutto. Second, Pakistan's general election has been postponed until February 18. Key members of the US Congress were last night preparing to block further aid to Pakistan as the mystery surrounding Benazir Bhutto's … [Read more...] about Did A Hi-Tech Laser Beam Kill Benazir Bhutto?
‘Hog tight, horse high and bull strong’
Those are the words a prominent cable industry political reporter, Ted Hearn, used to describe the core criteria for "stories that claim a financial quid pro quo." He then concluded that at least one element of a recent WaPo story on John McCain "had just the bull." Hearn summarizes his dispute with the WaPo (and other media reporting similar allegations) as follows: The … [Read more...] about ‘Hog tight, horse high and bull strong’
The Cow Pie Presidency: Amoral With The Ability to Shock But Not Surprise
A year ago today, back when a surge was something that you didn't want to fry your computer, extraordinary rendition was a stirring playing of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, people thought FISA was the federal agency that protected their bank deposits and a Huckabee was a . . . something or other, I posed a couple of questions: Can we survive two more years of a Bush … [Read more...] about The Cow Pie Presidency: Amoral With The Ability to Shock But Not Surprise
If the British Could Vote for the U.S. President…
I usually prefer to draw more attention to the translations on Watching America than to the articles that are originally written in English and therefore just linked on that site... but last week I got a bit excited about an article from the British press about the U.S. election, which was replete with British irreverence and cynicism. That article was from a left-of-center of … [Read more...] about If the British Could Vote for the U.S. President…
Benazir Bhutto Murder: Important Updates
Since I wrote my last post "Benazir Bhutto Murder: US Intelligence Warnings Went Unheeded"?", there have been two important developments. One, Pakistan government has "apologised" for claiming that former premier Benazir Bhutto died of a skull fracture after hitting the sunroof of her car during a suicide attack. Second, media reports have begun to circulate that Benazir Bhutto … [Read more...] about Benazir Bhutto Murder: Important Updates
GOP Strategies
Larry Wright, The Detroit News … [Read more...] about GOP Strategies