May we respectfully use the words "beyond belief"? TPM Muckraker reports that a White House spokesperson has effectively declared Osama bin Laden's capture a "success" — even though he has not been captured yet. Here's the quote they used, citing CNN's White House correspondent Ed Henry questioning Frances Fragos Townsend:HENRY: You know, going back to September 2001, … [Read more...] about White House Says bin Laden Capture Is “Success That Hasn’t Occurred Yet”

Captain Ed over at Captain's Quarters is skeptical of the wisdom of Israel supplying arms to Fatah.Instead of supplying anyone of any money or materiel, the world shouldjust cut off the Palestinians altogether until they develop leadershipinterested in peace.This seems to be what is happening. Abbas is interested in peace but he can't outpace his public without losing … [Read more...] about The Wisdom of Abbas

I agree with Senator Lieberman's commentary today in the Washington Post Why We Need More Troops in Iraq By Joseph LiebermanI saw firsthand evidence in Iraq of the development of a multiethnic, moderate coalition against the extremists of al-Qaeda and against the Mahdi Army, which is sponsored and armed by Iran and has inflamed the sectarian violence. We cannot abandon these … [Read more...] about Coming to the Aid of Decent People

Iraqis, as a collective, have been thrust into a very violent mentality. Frequent mortar attacks on their neighborhoods and a void of dominant police have created a social and ideological climate of violence in Iraq. Breaking Saddam’s neck to thunderous applause nationwide can only contribute to what seems to be an almost-Roman integration of violence into culture. In a time … [Read more...] about Saddam’s Hanging: Another Step Down The Wrong Path

It looks like Saddam will be executed by Sunday and perhaps even today, NBC reports. Like my friend Grace, who posted on this a couple of days ago over at The Reaction, I am against the death penalty. Indeed, my opposition to it is absolute, and this case — the case of a genocidal tyrant — is no exception. I have no compassion for Saddam, but a suitable and just … [Read more...] about Death to Saddam

Our famous linkfest offering you links to sites with MANY different viewpoints. Links do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its cobloggers. A Miliblogger Has Been Injured In Iraq. DETAILS HERE. John Edwards Is Running For President (see post below) and does this one sentence set him apart from the pack? Incentivizing Honesty In Politics: Two of those words don't … [Read more...] about Around The Sphere December 29, 2006

One of the political cliches now in vogue in American politics is that if supporters and the architects of the war in Iraq think it's so vital, well, then, why don't they make sure their OWN kids go there? A fascinating drama is now unfolding in Great Britian where not only is Prince Harry going to Iraq but, news reports say, he is quite determined that he will go and serve … [Read more...] about A Determined Prince Harry Is Off To Iraq

From moderate cartoonist Tom Briscoe: … [Read more...] about 2006 – A Year In Review

Rosie O'Donnell on her blog:so what happens when u say the emperor has no clothes the comb over goes ballistic via phone to mr king choices every minute every day everyone i imagine it is interesting as celeb feuds tend 2 b so here r my thoughtsAnd ooh...does she give them to you... In case you've been on Jupiter the past few weeks, "The View's" most controversial member is … [Read more...] about A Famous Blogger Takes On Donald Trump

Jackie Calms writes for the Wall Street Journal that John Edwards' campaign theme will not be Iraq... but poverty in the U.S. Edwards calls it "the great moral issue of our time". Jackie adds:The North Carolina Democrat's theme of ending the "Two Americas" of haves and have-nots dates to his 2004 presidential bid. Mr. Edwards didn't win his party's nomination then, but his … [Read more...] about Edwards’ Theme: Poverty

MSNBC: Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, sentenced to death for his role in 148 killings in 1982, will have his sentence carried out by Sunday, NBC News reported Thursday. According to a U.S. military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, Saddam will be hanged before the start of the Eid religious holiday, which begins this Sunday....Pam's House Blend has a Couple of … [Read more...] about MSNBC: Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday

AP Poll: Bush Both a Villain and a Hero Intriguing results of this poll to name the villains and heroes of the year - Bush topped both lists, in a sign of these polarized times. ...Bush won the villain sweepstakes by a landslide, with one in four respondents putting him at the top of that bad-guy list. When people were asked to name the candidate for villain that first came … [Read more...] about Bush Both a Villain and a Hero

For lovers of lists... stuff like: 2. The part of the brain that regulates reasoning, impulse control and judgment is still under construction during puberty and doesn't shift into autopilot until about age 25. h/t National ReviewThe only thing in the world that's new is the history you don't know. - Harry Truman … [Read more...] about 50 Things We Know Now (That We Didn’t Know This Time Last Year)

Today's literary quote of the day is William Shakespeare's Sonnet CXLVII:My love is as a fever, longing still For that which longer nurseth the disease; Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill, The uncertain sickly appetite to please. My reason, the physician to my love, Angry that his prescriptions are not kept, Hath left me, and I desperate now approve Desire is death, … [Read more...] about Literary Quote of the Day: William Shakespeare

- A National Centrist PAC to help elect pragmatic candidates, from either party, in close elections. - Redistricting reform to increase competition in elections. - More open primaries so that moderates are on a more-level playing field with partisans. - Campaign finance and lobbying reform to reduce the influence of money on policy, and the time legislators spend fund … [Read more...] about A Moderate’s New Years’ Wish List:

The report on reforming our school system just released by the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce urges that mandatory schooling begin at age 3 and end after 10th-grade. After that, going on to colleges and universities would be one of several choices available. Another choice, equally typical and just as well-funded, would be vocational training.Obviously, … [Read more...] about Start and End Mandatory School Earlier

From the UK Telegraph: Iran's oil exports are plummeting at 10pc a year on lack of investment and could be exhausted within a decade, depriving the world economy of its second-biggest source of crude supplies. [snip] "They need to invest $2.5bn (£1.28bn) a year just to stand still and they're not doing it because it's politically easier to spend the money on social welfare … [Read more...] about Iran’s crumbling source of revenue

Not-so-Big Labor eyes the Democratic Congress. Most the words below are the authors: This Wall Street Journal Commentary is about the Union agenda to make it easier to recruit members. Currently there is a secret ballot to join a Union, which apparently most Unions lose. The Unions want a law that recognizes them as the bargaining unit for a workplace if a majority of the … [Read more...] about The Future of Unions in a Flat World

Bizzyblog reports that the U.S. State Department declassified a document earlier this year. In it there is, as T. Blumer calls it, "an admission". The admission is that State has known for decades that the late Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the head of Fatah, plotted and supervised the 1973 murders of three diplomats: two from the United … [Read more...] about Arafat Responsible for Murdering U.S. Diplomats

I won't add much here to what Joe and my fellow co-bloggers have written on Gerald Ford. Suffice it to say that, in my view, he was both in the right place at the right time and the wrong place at the wrong time. He never would have been president without Nixon, but he could not escape the shadow of Nixon while president. He provided a sense of sanity after Watergate and … [Read more...] about Thoughts on the passing of Gerald Ford