Is there a learning curve for the GOP after an election in which they lost moderate, centrists and independents nearly as fast as Michael Richards lost fans? Nope:While they still can, House Republicans are looking at scheduling a vote next week on a fetal pain abortion bill in a parting shot at incoming majority Democrats and a last bid for loyalty from the GOP's base of … [Read more...] about “Hey, Let’s Polarize Again — Just For Old Times’ Sake!”

Global warming has finally made it to the highest court in the land. Sort of. While the Bush Administration, supported by the usual suspects from the automotive industry (as well as Michigan and eight other states), is claiming that the EPA has no authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions (specifically as a pollutant from new motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act), 12 … [Read more...] about Global warming at the Supreme Court

You decide. … [Read more...] about Journalistic Oversight Or Smear?

If the U.S. withdraws from Iraq, Saudi Arabia will intervene to protect Iraqi Sunnis, wrote Nawaf Obaid, an advisor to the Saudi government, in yesterday's WaPo: "If it does, one of the first consequences will be massive Saudi intervention to stop Iranian-backed Shiite militias from butchering Iraqi Sunnis." Cheney, who was in Saudi Arabia over the weekend and who is perhaps … [Read more...] about Reality according to the Saudis

In February, less than six months after Katrina and Rita hit, FEMA began transitioning from short- to long-term housing assistance for victims of the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes. The notification process was confused, information changed from week to week, and people simply were not able to navigate the red tape. By April, when FEMA declared that some clearly uninhabitable homes … [Read more...] about FEMA ordered to resume payments

It is not being politically biased to read this and say: it certainly does sound like "stay the course":Bush sought to pre-empt the growing clamor to withdraw the more than 140,000 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, which has been fueled by the November Congressional elections and the expected conclusions of a high-level commission headed by former Secretary of State James C. Baker … [Read more...] about Bush Rejects Key Baker Commission Idea Before He Gets It

To me David Brooks of the NYTimes is the most prominent writer in America on right of center Centrism. He comments ">here about how the Republican Party has lost its way, and along with it, moderate conservatives. But the GOP can get them back by getting back to basics and proposing centrist policies which he lists in the article. In passing he suggests that members of … [Read more...] about A Republican Leadership Council for Centrist Conservatives

What do Barack Obama, Ben Franklin, "The Purpose Driven Life," Jesus Christ, AIDS and the environment all have in common? I try to connect the dots here. … [Read more...] about On Faith and Hypocrisy

Some says yes, some say please..no... … [Read more...] about Should Hillary Clinton Run For President?

If you think of Iraq as an old-fashioned amusement park carousel with the horses and rest of the menagerie rising and falling in organ-music syncopation as it rotates, the events of the last several days would have sent it spinning so fast that it would be a blur. And as for the riders? Only the toughest won't be thrown off.President Bush worked on earning a new moniker — … [Read more...] about Iraq in the Time of the Refuseniks

The Iraq Study Group co-chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker II has reached a consensus: it's time to start a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops, but not to do it on a specific timetable, the New York Times reports:The bipartisan Iraq Study Group reached a consensus on Wednesday on a final report that will call for a gradual pullback of the 15 American combat … [Read more...] about Iraq Study Group Will Call For Gradual U.S. Troop Pullback (UPDATED)

We've run some links and excerpts from the great Q&A interviews done by The Talking Dog. Most of TTD's interviews so far have been on issues related to the war on terrorism and detainees. Now he has a new one — this time with Professor Michael Berube about his book "What's Liberal About the Liberal Arts?: Classroom Politics and "Bias" in Higher Education." It also … [Read more...] about Original Blog Interview: The Talking Dog Interviews Michael Berube

The Moderate Voice occasionally runs Guest Voice posts by readers who don't have a weblog or have one and have something special to say here. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its co-bloggers — but they do add to our free-wheeling debate. Matt Pearl, a University of Georgia student who a few months ago weighed in on the issue of torture, now … [Read more...] about Guest Voice: “Merry Christmas Or Happy Holidays?”

Talk show host Dennis Prager continues to come under fire for his comments about America's first Muslim elected to Congress...this time from Central Sanity. … [Read more...] about Call Him “Barbecue” Because He’s Under So Much Fire

But some people don't sound like they're exactly in the Christmas spirit... P.S. I live in a condo. Oh, they're always so much fun... … [Read more...] about Bill O’Reilly May Not Be Correct About A “War” Against Christmas

And a lot of them could use THIS SITE. (But many could never do it due to numbers 1 and 2) … [Read more...] about Bloggers and Blog Readers Love To Argue

Smash has it HERE. … [Read more...] about A Touching Christmas Card from Iran’s President

All of the sudden, Al Gore is a funny, funny man. Promoting "An Inconvienent Truth" on Jay Leno, Al Gore claimed the DVD extras would include an uncensored "Global Warming Gone Wild", with "Hot Glacier on Glacier Action." Meanwhile, referencing the oral argument on the global warming case before the Supreme Court, Gore remarked: "In the arguments, Justice Scalia said, 'I'm not … [Read more...] about Al Gore Cracks Wise

Progressive talker Ed Schultz will go head to head with Rush Limbaugh...and with Air America's Al Franken. Schultz makes the announcement here.This is a business move...This is about us...We're in business. We sell commercials. And there's no question the noon to 3 pm eastern time slot is the prime real estate...It's about the format. ..This program is not a part of Air … [Read more...] about Ed Schultz To Compete Directly With Rush Limbaugh And Air America‘s Al Franken

Apropos Dennis Prager's ill-informed and meanspirited call to prevent Muslim congressman Keith Ellison from swearing his oath of office on the Koran, rather than the Bible, it is refreshing to see two major conservative voices call him out. … [Read more...] about Volokh, Bainbridge Strike Back Against Prager