Once again, Newt Gingrich has decided NOT to run for President in 2008. AP CNN NY Times' The Caucus The Politico … [Read more...] about Newt’s Not
This Revolution Will Be Televised
I've never been to Burma and the nearest I got was Thailand. So I can't tell stories about how my driver snuck me into clandestine late night anti-government meetings in Yangoon because I'd be lying. This, I suppose, is a rather half-arsed way of saying that I've felt a combination of pessimism and impotence over the violent crackdown against peaceful pro-democracy protests … [Read more...] about This Revolution Will Be Televised
Dear John
Dennis Sanders has a few questions for Candidate McCain. … [Read more...] about Dear John
Our Most Serious Loss
The figures are by now familiar, a downward spiral of public faith in the President, Congress, the entire Federal government. But the latest Gallup figures show something more ominous--Americans losing trust in themselves. Politicians come and go, but voters have always been sure they could correct mistakes at the ballot box. But now only 70 percent of Americans trust the … [Read more...] about Our Most Serious Loss
And Now A Word (About Hillary And John Kerry) From Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich is getting blunter and blunter...and reportedly seriously considering jumping into the Republican race for the 2008: … [Read more...] about And Now A Word (About Hillary And John Kerry) From Newt Gingrich
Take Me Out to the Bawl Game
You can probably put all of the people who actually make a living being poets these days in a broom closet with room left over for the brooms, and improbably one of those poets is Frank Messina. I've known Frank for years and have watched the upward arc of his career with a combination of awe and bemusement and, I suppose, a little envy. Frank is the progenitor of "Spoken … [Read more...] about Take Me Out to the Bawl Game
Note To TMV Readers
Usually there are lots of posts on TMV, but there may be fewer today: in my own case, I will be unable to post. This morning, in the middle of a post, my office computer went totally down. We think it may be the hard drive which either means I'll need to replace the hard drive or the computer. This happened on a day when I have a major event and, even though a lot of it was … [Read more...] about Note To TMV Readers
Monk In Burma Threatened By Than Shwe
Giuliani Fundraiser Was Behind Collapsed Effort To Change California’s Electoral College Process
So who was behind the GOP effort that recently collapsed to pass an initiative that would make California's votes be distributed via proportional representation rather than the more traditional winner-take-all method? According to the Los Angeles Times, it was a prominent backer and bank-roller of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: A close friend and major fundraiser … [Read more...] about Giuliani Fundraiser Was Behind Collapsed Effort To Change California’s Electoral College Process
Rush Limbaugh And Media Matters Exchange New Charges
Rush Limbaugh has responded to the furor surrounding his comment suggesting that those in the military who don't support Iraq policy are "phony soldiers" charging that his comments were and are twisted out of shape by Media Matters and his critics. (SPECIAL UPDATE: Time Magazine's Karen Tumulty reports that Senator John McCain has condemned Limbaugh's remarks, although with … [Read more...] about Rush Limbaugh And Media Matters Exchange New Charges
Hate-Crimes Bill & ENDA
San Francisco Chronicle: Senate OKs hate-crimes bill protecting gays, lesbians (09-28) 04:00 PDT Washington -- Even as the Senate passed a hate crimes bill sought for a decade by gays and lesbians, House Democratic leaders decided Thursday to strip transgender people from another long-languishing civil rights bill, generating dismay in the gay community and furious but … [Read more...] about Hate-Crimes Bill & ENDA
12-Year-Old Will Battle Bush For Democrats On Children’s Health Care Issue
If the Democrats win big in 2008 partially due to the furor over President George Bush's impending veto of a bill to fund children's health care, they can thank the "little people." Kids like a 12-year-old boy who the Democrats have picked to give the Democrats' answer to the President's weekly radio address tomorrow. And expect this to be the opening volley in young … [Read more...] about 12-Year-Old Will Battle Bush For Democrats On Children’s Health Care Issue
The Wages of Sincerity
Those who worry about the flood of illegal immigrants can take comfort in the story of Pedro Zapeta. U. S. Customs is on the job. Zapeta came here from Guatemala, worked as a dishwasher for 11 years and lived frugally to make enough money to buy land in his mountain village and build a home for his mother and sisters. He was not educated enough to send money home or put it … [Read more...] about The Wages of Sincerity
Celebrating Rumi’s 800th Birthday
Today is an important day in many parts of the world: Whenever people say that Islam is hostile to opposing views and violent in its nature, I always wonder whether those people actually ever took the time to read the Koran, to talk about it, to read other Islamic literature, to take a long and hard look at the history of this second largest religion of the world, and … [Read more...] about Celebrating Rumi’s 800th Birthday
Sometimes Even We’re Under The Weather
In response to some emails, yours-truly is not posting much today due to having to stay in bed due to illness. But I may post on an issue or two later in the day or evening. Some big issues swirling on the Internet, the blogosphere and news are not being touched on here today due to various people's schedules and my own inability to post. But keep checking back and stay … [Read more...] about Sometimes Even We’re Under The Weather
Prez & Pentagon: Light Years Apart
As I noted earlier this month, George Bush has broken the United States Army because of his reckless and never ending adventure in Iraq, and it's not going to be fixed anytime soon. General George C. Casey confirmed that this week in an extraordinary appearance before Congress. It was extraordinary because the new Army chief of staff wasn't called up to Capitol Hill because … [Read more...] about Prez & Pentagon: Light Years Apart
U.S. Political Consultant Bob Shrum Proves Controversial As Gordon Brown Advisor
Bob Shrum, the longtime political consultant who is a great analyst and talking head but whose record in winning big U.S. elections is not stellar, has now become enmeshed in another controversy -- in Great Britain. Shrum has been under fire for his influence on Prime Minister Gordon Brown and in a new controversy a newspaper suggests that some of Brown's speech phrases even … [Read more...] about U.S. Political Consultant Bob Shrum Proves Controversial As Gordon Brown Advisor
Party of Lincoln, Lincoln, Bo, Bincoln . . .
. . . Banana, Fanna, Foe, Fincoln. Feem Fie, Moe, Mincoln. More here, Dear. … [Read more...] about Party of Lincoln, Lincoln, Bo, Bincoln . . .
US Auto Industry
Brian Fairrington, Cagle Cartoons … [Read more...] about US Auto Industry
Nuclear Power In the United States: Finally Ready For Its Second Act
Something happened this week in the American power industry that has not occurred in at least 30 years: Applications were filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build new nuclear reactors. The last application was made in 1977, two years before the infamous partial meltdown at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (One report says it was 1973.) Nuclear … [Read more...] about Nuclear Power In the United States: Finally Ready For Its Second Act