John Edwards Leads The Way
He's rich. And yet his campaign is about helping the poor. Why are we so surprised? … [Read more...] about John Edwards Leads The Way
Plan B; or, How to Look Like You’re Doing Something about Genocide in Darfur Without Really Doing Anything at All
On Darfur, there seems to be nothing but impotence and disinterest at the top. To wit: President Bush has approved a plan for the Treasury Department to aggressively block U.S. commercial bank transactions connected to the government of Sudan, including those involving oil revenues, if Khartoum continues to balk at efforts to bring peace to Sudan's troubled Darfur region, … [Read more...] about Plan B; or, How to Look Like You’re Doing Something about Genocide in Darfur Without Really Doing Anything at All
Should We Give War A Chance?
Should the international community get involved to stop civil wars and ethnic conflicts? Inspired by the seemingly-intractable civil war in Iraq and the ongoing conflict in Palestine, an increasing number of academics are arguing that international involvement to end humanitarian crises is not always a good thing. Instead, they suggest, allowing violence to continue is … [Read more...] about Should We Give War A Chance?
Don’t Run Over Carl Kruger
Who is Carl Kruger? He's the New York State Senator who is proposing a bill to "ban gadget use while crossing city streets," as WCBS puts it. Yes, you read that correctly: to ban them. That means you'd have to turn off your iPod, your BlackBerry, or whatever other void-fulfilling electronic device cuts you off from your fellow human beings -- aurally, spiritually -- whenever … [Read more...] about Don’t Run Over Carl Kruger
Much Ado About Blogging: The Meaning of the Edwards-Marcotte-McEwan Scandal
I'm sure many of you are already familiar with the details of the Edwards-Marcotte-McEwan scandal (or "scandal," pseudo-scandal that it is) that has been brewing over the past couple of days. You know, the John Edwards campaign hired two prominent progressive bloggers, Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon and Melissa McEwan of Shakespeare's Sister, Catholic extremist William Donohue … [Read more...] about Much Ado About Blogging: The Meaning of the Edwards-Marcotte-McEwan Scandal
Are Candidates Wise In Hiring Bloggers For Their Campaign Staffs?
What happens when a Presidential campaign hires a blogger to reach out to other bloggers, particularly those writers who are sympathetic to the candidate? In the past 48 hours we got one answer: a firestorm, with a vetting of the bloggers' past comments by some folks not sympathetic to the candidate. Is it "gotcha" -- or can candidates now only be safe hiring a blogger … [Read more...] about Are Candidates Wise In Hiring Bloggers For Their Campaign Staffs?
Close the Bundling Loophole
Close the Bundling Loophole It's no secret that lobbyists currently hold fundraisers and direct gobs of cash to both candidates and elected officials. What is secret is just how much cash is collected by lobbyists. Currently, they collect or arrange for cash to be sent to federal officeholders, candidates, leadership PACs and party committees. This funneling of money is … [Read more...] about Close the Bundling Loophole
(Updated) Disturbing Trend In Iraq Helicopter Crashes
When a U.S. CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crashed about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing all seven crew members and passengers on board, it was the fifth such incident in less than three weeks. Reports indicated that the large transport chopper was brought down with a surface-to-air missile, which begs the question of whether insurgents have adapted their … [Read more...] about (Updated) Disturbing Trend In Iraq Helicopter Crashes
Bias? Could Be
Disparate reporting, narrative frames, conceptual categories, and the Israel/Palestinian conflict. … [Read more...] about Bias? Could Be
7 GOP Senators Quickly Shift Stand On Iraq Debate (UPDATED)
This is a development that was seemingly easy enough to predict;Senate Republicans who earlier this week helped block deliberations on a resolution opposing President Bush's new troop deployments in Iraq changed course yesterday and vowed to use every tactic at their disposal to ensure a full and open debate. In a letter distributed yesterday evening to Senate leaders, John … [Read more...] about 7 GOP Senators Quickly Shift Stand On Iraq Debate (UPDATED)
Guest DVD Review: Downfall
NOTE: The Moderate Voice publishes posts by guest writers from time to time. This is the first of a THREE PART review written by Dan Schneider of the movie Downfall. As in the case with our Guest Posts, views expressed reflect the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Moderate Voice. By Dan Schneider In the annals of film, the greatest … [Read more...] about Guest DVD Review: Downfall
Astronaut
This Just In!!!
THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:Biden Returns to Campaign Trail With Duct Tape Over Mouth New Strategy to Keep Candidate On Message In a bold new strategy to keep his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination on message, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del) returned to the campaign trail today with a strip of duct tape over his … [Read more...] about This Just In!!!
My Quest for the Perfect Computer
Ordinarily, I would have posted this to my personal weblog, Random Fate, but it is currently down because of some issues related to WordPress and how it needs to be properly configured to not overwhelm system resources with the host computer. Unfortunately, I'm not enough of a guru to tell my hosting service how to fix the issue. For almost two decades, I've been searching … [Read more...] about My Quest for the Perfect Computer
Glenn Beck is an Idiot
But he's a useful idiot in showing off the infirmity of "color-blind" thinking. … [Read more...] about Glenn Beck is an Idiot
It’s Russert Versus Libby In Libby Plamegate Trial
So who are you going to believe? NBC's Tim Russert (who it turns out was a favorite of Dick Cheney's people in getting their spin out) or "Scooter" Libby (who frequently scooted to do Mr. Cheney's bidding)? To wit:NBC's Tim Russert, the last prosecution witness in I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's perjury trial, testified Wednesday he did not inform Libby of CIA operative Valerie … [Read more...] about It’s Russert Versus Libby In Libby Plamegate Trial
NOTE: My Own Posting Will Be Erratic Next Few Days
THIS IS FROM JOE GANDELMAN, NOT CAGLE CARTOONS: In response to emails: YES. My own posts have been erratic and limited for nearly a week due to a family emergency, a long roundtrip flight from San Diego to the east coast and some other matters. Between tomorrow and Saturday I'll also drive about 1200 miles. When you fly or drive, you simply can't post. And posting … [Read more...] about NOTE: My Own Posting Will Be Erratic Next Few Days
Boom Times: Busting Big Oil
In an email from the Hillary campaign team was the following problem statement: It's time to end our country's dependence on foreign oil. Unstable prices at the pump are a burden for families. Our dependence props up extremist regimes that threaten our national security. And the threat to our environment from burning fossil fuels is very real. Hillary is proposing a plan that … [Read more...] about Boom Times: Busting Big Oil