Another poetic gem from TMV's favorite poet, Michael Silverstein, aka Wall Street Poet: The Federal Budget Poem We have a foreign policy that makes us lots of enemies Which mandates buying battle gear that lets us master land and seas To pay for all these war machines requires lots of borrowings And that, in turn, requires we ignore painful tomorrowings. The elderly … [Read more...] about Guest Poet: The Federal Budget Poem
GOP Advisor Mary Matalin Appears On “Imus” To Talk About The Libby Trial
And (to use a bit of classic understatement) did not convince the host in her comments about her longtime friend "Scotter" Libby and Plamegate. (Note to readers: We have added The Imus Show Blog to our blogroll under Other Voices) … [Read more...] about GOP Advisor Mary Matalin Appears On “Imus” To Talk About The Libby Trial
Young Woman Meets Sudden, Tragic Death (No, Not That One)
Just when I thought my heart couldn’t break any more, I read this post by my old friend Will Bunch, who blogs at Attytood: Usually at this hour, we bring you some lighter fare, maybe the latest dumb comment from the world of sports, or even a tear-jerker like a picture of stranded polar bears. But tonight, there is one story that is so important that we are going to … [Read more...] about Young Woman Meets Sudden, Tragic Death (No, Not That One)
Condoleezza Amnesia
"Wait a darned minute! I've never met either of you guys in my life." When you’re a big shot like Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, you can’t be expected to remember every piece of paper that crosses your desk, let alone who might have sat on the other side of it. But a pattern of forgetfulness has emerged in the six years that Rice has been national security advisor … [Read more...] about Condoleezza Amnesia
Guest DVD Review (Part II): Downfall
NOTE: The Moderate Voice publishes posts by guest writers from time to time. This is the second part of a THREE PART review written by Dan Schneider of the movie Downfall. PART ONE IS HERE. 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 Some of the … [Read more...] about Guest DVD Review (Part II): Downfall
Read This Column About Political Cartoons – Then Write About Something Else
By Daryle Cagle As a political cartoonist, I’d like to think my cartoons influence public opinion, but that rarely happens. People love a cartoon that they already agree with, and hate cartoons that they already disagree with. Editors like to choose editorial cartoons that they know their readers will like, so cartoons end up being a reflection of public opinion. In … [Read more...] about Read This Column About Political Cartoons – Then Write About Something Else
Dysfunctional Senate
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!!!