Alas, some sad news. Newt Gingrich will not -- repeat, not -- be running for president. I know, I know. You had your hopes up. You were all looking forward to it. Hey, so was I. I can admit that. I'm not ashamed. I really, really, really wanted Newt to run. Bummer. Why was I so excited? Me -- a liberal, a Democrat, temperamentally moderate, the embodiment of all that is … [Read more...] about No Newt
No Newt
Religious Right Considers Third Party To Run Against Giuliani
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani remains the favorite in polls in the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination sweepstakes -- but there are rumblings that his luck could run out. Unlike Arizona Senator John McCain, who has been walking a political tightrope hoping to keep his old supporters and win over old foes -- and falling off of the tightrope with politically un-astute … [Read more...] about Religious Right Considers Third Party To Run Against Giuliani
Video Of Japanese Journalist Shot Dead In Myanmar Shoots Across The World
The video and YouTube age makes if more difficult for cover stories. One of the images literally flashing around the world is of Cameraman Nagai Kenji being shot dead from the back. It's there for everyone to see - a graphic document of repression: Once upon a time if outrages occurred, they could be contained. Governments, organizations, celebrities or security forces … [Read more...] about Video Of Japanese Journalist Shot Dead In Myanmar Shoots Across The World
McCain’s Muslim Comment Further Derails “Straight Talk Express”
Arizona Senator John McCain has made a new comment which suggests his "Straight Talk Express" is quickly derailing -- and despite the "No Surrender" slogan he's likely on borrowed time as a serious U.S. Republican Presidential candidate. There are differences between carefully adjusting your comments to please particular constituencies, but McCain is a unique politico who … [Read more...] about McCain’s Muslim Comment Further Derails “Straight Talk Express”
Judge the Daughter Not For the Father
Jenna, Barbara and Dad The children of presidents should not be blamed for their fathers’ failures, or for that matter praised for their achievements. Which brings us to Jenna Bush, twin daughter of President George and First Lady Barbara Bush, who at age 25 is shedding her (probably unfair) tabloid image as a party girl and dingbat and is promoting her new book for … [Read more...] about Judge the Daughter Not For the Father
Myanmar Peace Police
Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons … [Read more...] about Myanmar Peace Police
Month 54 of the War By the Numbers
Another woman soldier is laid to rest When we look back on September 2007, it will be remembered as a month during which a modest downtrend in casualties continued and George Bush lowered his thick head and plowed once again into the brick wall that is the Iraq war. But that's not where we're going to focus this roundup. Instead, we will note that the U.S. is closing in … [Read more...] about Month 54 of the War By the Numbers
War Over War Movies
Before Vietnam, war movies were either gung-ho patriotic starring John Wayne or philosophically anti-war, starting with “All Quiet on the Western Front.†This week the Los Angeles Times has been OpEding an argument prompted by a conservative’s contention that today’s Hollywood “stakes out an anti-victory position on the current war in Iraq, continuing its … [Read more...] about War Over War Movies
The Triumph of the Loonie
(Cross-posted from The Reaction.) The Canadian dollar briefly reached parity with the American dollar last week, before pulling back slightly. But yesterday -- well, it felt awfully good: The Canadian dollar has closed above parity with U.S. dollar for first time since November, 1976, closing up two-thirds of a cent at $1.0052 (U.S.). The Canadian dollar vaulted back … [Read more...] about The Triumph of the Loonie
Newt’s Not
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