The United Nations might be the only international partner capable of offering the Bush administration a face-saving device to exit from Iraq without seeming to be defeated. On January 1, 2007, Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General many American conservatives loathe, will hand over to Ban Ki-Moon of Korea. During the election process, Ban, whose country is a close US ally, … [Read more...] about The United Nations can help the US to exit from Iraq

Political Insider reports:435 More Blogs ...The Committee on House Administration announced that it is making software available to allow congressmen to create their own blogs on the official House of Representatives servers.I am looking forward to putting the blogs of the Leadership and Committee Chairman into my blog aggregator. I like getting my information closer to the … [Read more...] about Congressional Blogs

As all of you know, I read a lot. I thought that it would be nice to start a new, daily routine: the literary quote of the day. For those who already read a lot, perhaps you recognize the quote and want to leave a comment about it / the author... or perhaps it makes you realize that you did not read the specific essay, article, book, story, poem, etc. it was taken from and … [Read more...] about Literary Quote of the Day: Henry David Thoreau

I’m several years late, but I’m finally reading John Avlon’s Independent Nation. I skipped to the last chapter and read it first, and was terribly confused in the process, as Mr. Avlon paints a picture of a consensus-seeking, cross-aisle-working, bridge-building George W., when he was Governor of Texas. Subsequently, I had a chance to chat in person with another TMV … [Read more...] about Which GWB Will Show Up?

And are there rumors that Senator John McCain could even eventually replace a certain Vice President? That's the view OVER HERE. … [Read more...] about Can You Argue That There Has Been A “Bloodless Coup” In Washington?

Some extra attention to a few Centrist blogs. Suggested reading material for today: Balloon Juice: Minority Report. Tim F. deals on the U.S. Federal "government's massive data mining projects." Booker Rising: THOMAS SOWELL OP-ED: Supreme Farce. Shay on "government-instituted school desegregation". Dean Esmay: Pinochet Vs. Castro. Dean explains that - in his opinion - both … [Read more...] about Center of Attention

Hey, the debate circuit made the L.A. Times! Because we're craaaaazy (true statement). But we're also the future rulers of the earth. So read, and be afraid (actually, I don't think you have any reason to fear--that's the purpose of my post. But I harbor no illusions that I'll convince any of you that rap-centered cases are actually positive signs in our intellectual … [Read more...] about Performance Debate

Don't hate me because I keep asking for your vote! Go here or click the picture, and cast a ballot for The Debate Link! … [Read more...] about The Daily Plug

Strange..., to say the least. … [Read more...] about Where’d He Go?

Oil and the New Anti-Capitalist Fareed Zakaria helps to put oil into perspective in this Newsweek Column.All the growth sectors, from technology to services, are powered by the grid, not gasoline. What will feed this grid—coal, nuclear power or new technologies—is another large subject, but one thing is certain: it will not be oil. ...Oil will go from being the … [Read more...] about Putting Oil in Perspective

Kevin Carey wonders whether American students should learn a (or multiple) foreign language(s). His view? Nope.Not that I think studying language is a waste of time. I just would have been better off spending that time studying this language, doubling up on English literature, writing, rhetoric, etc. I know that students in other countries around the world are generally much … [Read more...] about Do You S.P.E.A.K. English?

Does it strike anyone else as slightly ironic that, if Al Gore actually manages to walk away with both the Statue and the White House, he will have done what Reagan couldn't? Even more ironic maybe, for you movie trivia buffs, is the fact that Reagan's character in Bedtime for Bonzo was a professor (Prof. Peter Boyd, to be exact) ... and Gore is remarkably professorial when he … [Read more...] about And the Oscar Goes to …

I must admit, Marc, I am extraordinarily disturbed by the growing chorus of apologia for brutal thug Augusto Pinochet. The argument seems to be twofold: 1) A left-wing dictator would have been worse, and 2) At least he helped spark the economy. Both, I feel, are being wielded far too casually to excuse one of the hemisphere's most notorious tyrants. To the first, yes, … [Read more...] about Sooner the Fly to God

Another horrific day for Iraqis.Two car bombs targeting day laborers looking for work exploded within seconds of each other Tuesday on a main square in central Baghdad, killing at least 63 people and wounding scores, the government said. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a member of Iraq's Shiite majority, condemned the attack and blamed it on Sunni extremists and supporters of … [Read more...] about Bombs Everywhere

Via America Blog, an article at WorldNetDaily: There's a slow poison out there that's severely damaging our children and threatening to tear apart our culture.... The dangerous food I'm speaking of is soy. Soybean products are feminizing, and they're all over the place.... Unfortunately, when you eat or drink a lot of soy stuff, you're also getting substantial quantities of … [Read more...] about Soy Causes Homosexuality

In an acknowledgement of what everyone else knows — that Iraq is in civil war — there is talk of the White House endorsing a so-called "80 Percent Solution" by throwing its weight behind the Shiite majority. As awful as abandoning the minority Sunnis in favor of the Shiites (who make up 80 percent of the Iraqi population) would be, such a solution is in keeping … [Read more...] about Dick Cheney & The 80 Percent Solution

In my first day as a guest blogger on TMV, I hit a nerve and provoked a yawn. The first post on political advertising prompted almost 20 comments. The second post on blogger motivations prompted three – two of which really don’t count, as they were another TMV contributor and I trading “hello’s.â€? I think I know why that second post crashed: It dealt with … [Read more...] about Why I Throw Shoes

When someone recently got stuck in an elevator at a New Jersey hospital, the serviceman wouldn’t make repairs until a check was hand-delivered as payment in advance. When another New Jersey hospital completed construction of a flashy new building, it was unable to equip it because the hospital is overwhelmed by debt. The new building is sitting empty and the hospital is … [Read more...] about Code Blue for America’s Hospitals

Do they exist? It sounds like they do.. Update: Libertarian GOP Defection? … [Read more...] about The “Liberaltarians”

From Foreign Policy Watch:The corruption of the Iraqi security forces has dramatically undermined attempts to stabilize Iraq and presents, in my opinion, perhaps the most significant barrier to long-term peace. The failure of local forces to prevent sectarian violence and to act in a lawful and just way has exacerbated the country's civil war, undermined support for the … [Read more...] about Can Iraq’s Security Forces Be Trusted In Stabilization?