The Times of India today asked this question. "The writing seems to be on the wall for Pakistan's military ruler Pervez Musharraf. Uncle Sam, the General's Patron-in-Chief, is showing signs of cashiering his favoured stooge and preparing grounds for his succession." While The New York Times says: "For decades, the military has been the most dominant institution in Pakistan. … [Read more...] about Is US Ready To Dump Pakistan’s Musharraf?
Halliburton To Move Headquarters To Dubai
Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's alma mater, is going to move its headquarters to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates:Halliburton, the big energy services company, said today that it would open a corporate headquarters in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai and move its chairman and chief executive, David J. Lesar, there. The company will maintain its existing … [Read more...] about Halliburton To Move Headquarters To Dubai
Center of Attention
A round up of recent reporting and commentary by a few centrist, moderate, and independent bloggers. Routine in the age of Bush. What routine am I talking about, you ask? Go read the answer at A Newer World. Michael Linn Jones at the Gun Toting Liberal on the Scooter Libby Trial. A victory for liberals? No, says Michael, everybody loses. Two Quotes for the Day: one by … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
Poetry: Dan Schneider
Every now and then we like to pay some attention to literature here at The Moderate Voice. Today, I would like to publish a sonnet written by Dan Schneider: THEORY: THE GAME Pascal [in a box] rolled the dice one day, then passed them to Fermat, who decided not to play. He then palmed the pair of cubes and started to say…. but decided no way would be better. … [Read more...] about Poetry: Dan Schneider
‘US and Iran Break Ice Over Iraq’
This is what Jim Muir of the BBC reports from Baghdad "The one-day conference of Iraq's neighbours, attended by other interested parties including the Americans and British, seems to have passed off as well as anybody expected. "It was the first formal encounter between the Americans and Iranians - who have no diplomatic relations - for more than two years. US relations … [Read more...] about ‘US and Iran Break Ice Over Iraq’
Defecting Iranian General Spied on Iran
The Sunday Times has very, very interesting news (if true of course): the general who defected in Turkey a couple of days ago, Ali Reza Asgari, spied on Iran since 2003 when he left the country for a business trip and was recruited by 'an' intelligence agency. The agency? Most likely the Mossad, but it could also be a different agency. He fled because his cover was about to … [Read more...] about Defecting Iranian General Spied on Iran
French Jews Fleeing Into Florida
Over the past few years there have been reports of French Jews relocating or even being urged to relocate by some Jewish groups and now there's a new twist: French Jews are fleeing into Florida, the Miami Herald reports. And it's providing a booming business for Florida immigration lawyers:Rod Kukurudz decided to uproot his family from a comfortable life in France to … [Read more...] about French Jews Fleeing Into Florida
Romney Buying Conservative Support
Months (and weeks) before Mitt Romney announced “his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts contributed tens of thousands of dollars of his personal fortune to several conservative groups in a position to influence his image on the right.â€? Click here to read more. … [Read more...] about Romney Buying Conservative Support
The New Edwards
An interesting article in The Washington Post by Dan Balz about John Edwards. Balz argues that we see a different Edwards today, compared to the Edwards of 2005: he's more experienced, "his elbows are sharper", he's more serious, and he seems to have moved to the left. Has he moved to the left? Of course he has. Political calculations? Probably. Does he, however, believe in … [Read more...] about The New Edwards
U.S. Inches Towards (Tough) Talking With Iran
It appears as if a new era in U.S.-Iran relations has started:The American ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, shook hands yesterday with a senior Iranian envoy and exchanged a few words in Farsi in what may have signified a slight warming of the frosty relations between the two nations. The meeting with Abbas Arakji, the envoy from Tehran, came during a one-day conference … [Read more...] about U.S. Inches Towards (Tough) Talking With Iran
It’s Time To “Follow The Bouncing Ball”
Here's a fascinating piece of Americana. There was a time in America when audiences would savor hand-drawn, supremely-smooth- moving animated cartoons -- and even sing in the theater as they "followed the bouncing ball" that gave them the lyrics to a then-popular song. Now, step back into the time machine (way before I was born) to see Disney-rival Max Fleischer's short … [Read more...] about It’s Time To “Follow The Bouncing Ball”
Tax Day Cometh
From moderate cartoonist Tom Briscoe: … [Read more...] about Tax Day Cometh
Demonstrations In Spain Against Government’s Anti-Terror Policies
J.M. Guardia aka Barcepundit reports on the latest demonstrations in Spain over the latest controversy swirling around the government's latest approach to the decades-long problem of homegrown terrorism:AGAIN, MADRID has taken to the streets in protest against Zapatero's anti-terror policies...The rally is organized by the conservative Popular Party, now in opposition, and … [Read more...] about Demonstrations In Spain Against Government’s Anti-Terror Policies
Fox News’ Roger Ailes’ Controversial Speech: You Decide
This speech by Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes at the annual Radio and Television News Directors Association dinner is being said to have been the "last straw" for some Democrats, leading them to nix the Demmies first debate on Fox. My view: it just looks like he did some weak topical jokes. And the joke about Obama seems a joke poking fun at Bush more than Obama. But YOU … [Read more...] about Fox News’ Roger Ailes’ Controversial Speech: You Decide
Center of Attention
Today some special attention Moderate Blog Network blogs. Justin Gardner at Donklephant on 'Giuliani's Republican problem.' Amba at the AmbivaBlog on Isaac and Ishmael, on Jacob and Esau, and Arabs and Jews. Sean Aqui at Midtopia on the case of Michele Reutty, a librarian in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. who was "castigated by the library board for requiring that police get … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
Darth VaderMcCain
This column at the L.A. Times has to be taken with a grain of salt, but..., when treated like that, it's a good, entertaining read.
The sad reality is that John McCain seems to have surrendered to the establishment. The establishment he once criticized and even downright attacked. He's trying to appeal to 'Christian Right', the same Christian Right whose influence he once … [Read more...] about Darth VaderMcCain
Hear a Moderate Voice Talk
You can hear a moderate voice talk at In The News with host Shaun Daily (listen to the one posted March 10). The moderate voice? The Moderate Voice: Joe Gandelman. They are joined by William Kern from one of the most informative websites on the entire Internet, Watching America (required daily reading material). They talk about Hugo Chavez, Bush, mismanagement, Anna Nichole … [Read more...] about Hear a Moderate Voice Talk
The Padilla Videotape & The President’s Dog
I have blogged frequently about the mess that the Bush administration has made of prosecuting alleged terrorists, a mere handful of whom have come to trial while the rest rot . . . well, you know all about that. But in a new low in the prosecution of the War on Terror, an important videotape of the final interrogation of Jose Padilla has gone missing. I think that there … [Read more...] about The Padilla Videotape & The President’s Dog
Europe Fighting Global Warming – Chirac to Retire
The E.U. has decided to fight global warming more aggressively and, of course, effectively. Although there is a lot of debate going in America about whether or not global warming is caused or significantly increased by human activity, I have to say that such a debate is virtually non-existent in Europe. The far, far majority of Europeans believe that human activity does … [Read more...] about Europe Fighting Global Warming – Chirac to Retire
There’s One Silver Lining
At least THIS wasn't Cindy Sheehan... … [Read more...] about There’s One Silver Lining