California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been re-gaining ground in the polls in California — and some members of his opponent's camp have virtually now ensured his reelection:The campaign of the Democratic candidate for governor, Phil Angelides, said Tuesday that it was the source of audio files containing impolitic remarks by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Those … [Read more...] about Schwarzenegger’s Controversial Taped Comments Were Leaked By Opponent’s Camp (UPDATED)

You'd think a Presidential speech on the fifth anniversary of 911 would be a simple task, a quick way to try to regain a reputation as a "uniter not a divider." But whether it was his intent or not President George Bush's 911 speech, which could have been an occasion to look at the terrorist attack and shore up national unity while skirting anything that could be construed as … [Read more...] about Bush’s 911 Speech, Iraq And The Credibility Gap

While Israel is primarily a secular nation, in the area of family law there is still a considerable (and regrettable) overlap between religion and state. Retiring Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court Aharon Barak struck a blow for liberalism in one of his final decisions, ruling that rabbinic authorities could not annul marriages between Jews and non-Jews. … [Read more...] about Religious Liberty in Israel

(Click on photo to enlarge) It's a funny...funny...funny world. On the one hand we are witnessing the mighty United States of America flexing its muscles to go for Iran's jugular. And, on the other, we have Iraq's Prime Minsiter Nuri al-Maliki shaking hands vigorously with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran. Maliki is on his first official visit to the Islamic … [Read more...] about Iran To Help Iraq : What Will America Do?

At The Politburo Diktat there is a back of the envelope estimate of troop levels that might be needed in Iraq to achieve what we have been told is the mission there, along with a brief comment on mission-creep. What is just as interesting as the analysis is the origin of the piece; the author is a right-leaning blogger who started the Raging RINOs (Republicans and Independents … [Read more...] about Troop levels and mission-creep in Iraq

It has been almost impossible to post from here due to the slow dial up speed. Any posts I've done have taken an enormous amount of time. I will be trying to post from a high-speed Internet location later today. In the meantime, keep checking back for co-bloggers' posts. … [Read more...] about TMV’s Own Posting

Terrorists exploded a car bomb and attacked with machine guns and hand grenades at the US Embassy in Damascus and were repelled by Syrian guards. CNN: Al Qaeda offshoot suspected in U.S. Embassy attack in Syria TIME Magazine: Why Syria May Be the Real Victim of the Attack The raid on the American embassy in Damascus signals a greater threat to the Syrian regime than to the … [Read more...] about US Embassy in Damascus Attacked Today

There are certain expressions commonly used in America but their meanings are unknown to non-Americans. One such word is "Neo-Con". Here is an interesting explanation about this word, and how influential these neo-cons are in the U.S. polity. … [Read more...] about Educating Non-Americans About Neo-Cons

(Mukhtar Mai aka Mukhtaran Bibi, who was gang raped in an act of punishment sanctioned by her village elders in Pakistani Punjab in February 2002 because her younger brother was seen with a woman from another tribe, is now writing her own internet diary about her life and her concerns, as an uneducated woman from a remote village.) Pakistan rape reform fails after President … [Read more...] about President Musharraf Refuses To Reform Rape Laws

In addition to my work here and at The Debate Link (which will remain my home blog), I have accepted a co-blogging position at First Movers: "Bringing you tomorrow's legal scholars...today." My introductory post is here. I hope you'll stop in often. … [Read more...] about First Movers

Despite predictions that any controversy is better than little publicity, the first part of ABC's highly controversial and — in some quarters — bitterly denounced docudrama "The Path To 911" didn't exactly prove to be a must-see, monster-audience-share television event. The first part that aired Sunday night turned out to be a big, noisy ratings belly-flop: viewers … [Read more...] about ABC’s Path To A Ratings Belly Flop Via “The Path To 911” (UPDATED)

THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:Scientists Say Knicks Are No Longer a Basketball Team Prague Conference Demotes New York Team to Dwarf Status Just weeks after a conference of scientists determined that Pluto was not a planet after all, the same scientists reconvened in Prague today to pronounce that the New York Knicks were not a basketball team. Sports … [Read more...] about This Just In!

Enroute from South Africa Barrister Mohandas K Gandhi (center) meets with a British Colonel during the First World War. Gandhi had volunteered to form an ambulance corps of Volunteers, 1913. As much of the world marked September 11 by commemorating the 2001 attacks on the United States, India celebrated it as a day of peace — the 100th anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi's … [Read more...] about India’s 9/11 — Centenary of Gandhi’s Non-Violent Strategy

Some of America’s closest Nato allies have abandoned Washington on the key battleground of the War on Terror, the bloody struggle against Islamic militants for control of southern Afghanistan, says The Times. "Five years after the world stood “shoulder to shoulderâ€? with America in the aftermath of 9/11, The Times has learnt that many of the countries that pledged support … [Read more...] about NATO Says “No” to More Troops For Afghanistan

Iran's former President and controversial cleric bathed in the glow of democratic sunshine/traditions of Harvard where the audience listened to his remarks with extreme politness. Thus the university teachers and students gave yet another shining example of Harvard's tradition of allowing a person the freedom to express his opinion, howsoever different this may be to their … [Read more...] about Iran’s Khatami and Harvard’s Democratic Tradition

A Marine Colonel declares that the Anbar Province is a lost cause for America. Should we be asking that question about Iraq in general? … [Read more...] about The Question That Dare Not Be Asked

A 2002 Al Gore speech reprinted. It's prophetic. Meanwhile, Spencer Ackerman reflects on moderate-left Bush-hatred: By using September 11 to aggregate power for himself, and to make his opponents--you, me, and every other liberal who needed to feel like we could trust our leaders after we were attacked--feel disloyal to their country, he prevented us from healing. Discuss. … [Read more...] about The Classics

Iraq has moved a step closer to breaking up as Americans mark the anniversary of 9/11 and even Cheney seems less self confident about the subterfuge used to propel the Iraq war. A break up would seal the failure of the Bush administration’s interventions and policies in Iraq. In coming days, Shiite parliamentarians sponsored by the powerful Supreme Council for Islamic … [Read more...] about Iraq’s Shiites want more

Over at The Reaction, co-blogger Grace posts on a fascinating critique of America's war on terror. October's issue of Vogue Italia features photographer Steven Meisel's editorial, "State of Emergency," which takes aim at some of the Bush administration's post-9/11 security measures. In the accompanying photo spread, models are depicted being dragged from their cars with guns … [Read more...] about Not just skin deep: Vogue Italia examines Bush’s “State of Emergency” on terrorism

Recommendation: Head on over to the blog run by The Heretik, who diagnoses President Bush with "a bad case of OCD": Obsessive Caliphate Disorder. What does that mean? Let's just say Bush sees pan-Arabic "pandemonium" where there isn't any. He sees "dominoes about to fall". The Heretik sums up the problem: "Bush finds himself in a strange place. He won’t speak with the … [Read more...] about Disorder in the White House