The words 'feminism' and 'Middle East' are not often used in the same sentence. But, increasingly, women in the Arab world are beginning to demand greater authority for themselves in their societies. Interestingly, it's not secular or liberal groups that are effectively leading the way in pushing forward on women's rights issues; instead, it is Muslim women, involved in … [Read more...] about Muslim Women Step Up
Larry Sabato’s on Diane Rehm Show Today
I'm listening right now. If you can't listen now on NPR, you should be able to listen later online. The Diane Rehm Show 10/18/2007 11:00 AM Larry Sabato: "A More Perfect Constitution" (Walker) For more than 30 years, professor and political scientist Larry Sabato has been examining the workings of the U.S. Constitution - in the classroom, in the court room, on the … [Read more...] about Larry Sabato’s on Diane Rehm Show Today
Situational vs. Ideological Voting
Earlier this month, at Divided We Stand, MW again made his case for divided government. By-and-large, I agree with him; the evidence of the effectiveness of divided government is clear and compelling. But while I agree with the objective of divided government, I'm not yet convinced that systematic, universal efforts to vote for this objective, exclusive of other considerations, … [Read more...] about Situational vs. Ideological Voting
SCHIP: A Former Welfare Mother Asks Questions: Why Aren’t the Other Five Critical Parties’ Voices Louder on the Issue of Health Care for Children? Part 1 of 3
I’m a former welfare mother. I’d just quietly offer that I’ve known the struggles in that arena firsthand. Scared by them, scarred by them, and strengthened by them. All of the above. And, it’s for those reasons that I’ve been following the SCHIP debate. I’ve been looking and reading and wondering, How will SCHIP in any form make child health care be different for the poor … [Read more...] about SCHIP: A Former Welfare Mother Asks Questions: Why Aren’t the Other Five Critical Parties’ Voices Louder on the Issue of Health Care for Children? Part 1 of 3
An Appreciation: Laura Nyro
I have no idea of the color of Laura Nyro's eyes, but she was the first exemplar of blue-eyed soul that I heard and remains one of the finest despite a career largely spent in the shadows by her own choice and that ended prematurely with her death in 1997. Blue-eyed soul is a term used to describe R&B or soul music performed by white artists, which was an anomaly for this … [Read more...] about An Appreciation: Laura Nyro
SCHIP: A Former Welfare Mother Asks Questions: Is President Bush Holding Back in Order to Better Focus on the Least Amongst the Poor? Part 2 of 3
Can you imagine having to storm the ER running, carrying a severely-ill child in your arms, having not a shred of health insurance, hoping against hope some doctor, any doctor will break the rules and help... You pray, it’s a scream prayer, one only you can hear in your mind... God please please let a doctor have mercy on us, please God let me smoke past the desk … [Read more...] about SCHIP: A Former Welfare Mother Asks Questions: Is President Bush Holding Back in Order to Better Focus on the Least Amongst the Poor? Part 2 of 3
SCHIP: A Former Welfare Mother Asks Questions: Has A New Definition of What Constitutes Being “Poor” Been Created, and By Whom? Part 3 of 3
Before writing this, I’ve been asking myself: Is there a time to be politically incorrect in order to state a needed truth? What if you pass over known truths, and thus care is not considered nor firewalls set against harms that are almost guaranteed to occur in a plan of good intents? With regard to governmental benefit programs of every kind for the poor... as a former … [Read more...] about SCHIP: A Former Welfare Mother Asks Questions: Has A New Definition of What Constitutes Being “Poor” Been Created, and By Whom? Part 3 of 3
Turkish-PKK Dispute: Then & Now
Turkish soldier patrols near Iraqi border The historic enmity between Turkey and the Kurdish separatists who now face the prospect of Turkish military strikes in northern Iraq is not something that you can blame on the Bush administration. But it is one more monkey-wrench in a war that was supposed to be over in months, if not weeks, and of course shows no sign of ending … [Read more...] about Turkish-PKK Dispute: Then & Now
Sarkozy and Bush: ‘De Gaulle Must be Turning in His Grave’
According to this op-ed article from the Tunis Hebdo of the former French colony of Tunisia, by kissing up to the lame-duck Bush Administration, Nicolas Sarkozy has both betrayed France's long tradition of independence from United States and hurt France's position in the eyes of U.S. Democrats, who seem certain to take over in 2008. The Tunis Hebdo regularly contains some of … [Read more...] about Sarkozy and Bush: ‘De Gaulle Must be Turning in His Grave’
‘Proof’ of Iranian Control Over Iraqi Satellite TV …
According to this op-ed article from Iraq's Kitabat newspaper, the content on Iraqi television is proof enough that broadcasters are caught up in Iran's, 'anti-American scheme, which seeks to oppose America in Iraq by means of Shiite parties, al-Qaeda and remnants of the Baath Party. "Even on a popular game show, a team from a Shiite area is matched with one from a Sunni … [Read more...] about ‘Proof’ of Iranian Control Over Iraqi Satellite TV …
Terror Beach
Jeff Parker, Florida Today … [Read more...] about Terror Beach
House Armenian “Genocide” Vote Increasingly Seen As Political Turkey
The move to get a vote in the House of Representatives condemning the killings of Armenians nearly 100 years ago has seemingly hit a big, fat political snag: The vote is increasingly being seen as a political and a U.S. national interest turkey. The Christian Science Monitor: The sudden misgivings about a popular House resolution condemning as "genocide" the … [Read more...] about House Armenian “Genocide” Vote Increasingly Seen As Political Turkey
Vetoing Children’s Health Insurance
RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch … [Read more...] about Vetoing Children’s Health Insurance
High Noon for S-CHIP
In the President’s favorite movie, the righteous hero stands alone and guns down the bad guys. Bush has played Gary Cooper in the showdowns over Iraq, and now he is facing down the villains in the S-CHIP fight. But Bush has modeled himself on the wrong 1950s western. True to Washington and Hollywood, “High Noon†is more about pride and calculation than humanity. Those … [Read more...] about High Noon for S-CHIP
Why Al Gore is ‘Up Against the Wall’ …
For Al Gore, is winning the Nobel Peace prize more of an honor or a dilemma? According to this op-ed article from France's Liberation, deciding whether to run for president again could be excruciating - but not as excruciating as another electoral defeat. "It was as if the Norwegian committee had an ulterior motive: to embarrass President Bush and propel his unfortunate … [Read more...] about Why Al Gore is ‘Up Against the Wall’ …
Endorsements from the Wrong Fellows
The Westboro Baptist Church, a radical anti-gay Christian organization, tried to argue that Fred Thompson "saw eye to eye" with their views on homosexuality. A Thompson campaign spokesperson shot them down right quick. Bob Jones University, which has issues with interracial dating (and really, Black people in general) and whose leaders have called both Mormonism and Catholicism … [Read more...] about Endorsements from the Wrong Fellows
The Mighty Mukasey
Earlier, Joe Gandelman joined the cast of those predicting Mukasey was "in" for U.S. Attorney General. Elsewhere, the NYT ed board encouraged Senators to give Mukasey the third degree, regardless of the pre-hearing buzz, noting the extensiveness of the prior-inflicted wounds at (and via) the DOJ. Apparently, the Senators on the panel listened to the NYT, threw their best … [Read more...] about The Mighty Mukasey
American Conference to ‘Cheat’ the Palestinians
Is the U.S.-sponsored Middle East peace conference next month geared toward cheating the Palestinians, rather than finding an equitable solution to the region's woes? According to this op-ed article from Syria's state-run Teshreen newspaper, beyond cheating the Palestinians, the conference is intended to absorb some of the global resentment that has intensified toward President … [Read more...] about American Conference to ‘Cheat’ the Palestinians
When Warrantless Wiretaps Go Bad
Mike Lane, Cagle Cartoons … [Read more...] about When Warrantless Wiretaps Go Bad
Medal Of General Discretion
RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch … [Read more...] about Medal Of General Discretion