No, not my dream. Karl Rove's. At the Times, this past Sunday, James Traub looks at Rove's attempt, now almost comical, to build a long-term Republican majority out of the Bush presidency similar to the one Rove's hero, Mark Hanna, built out of the McKinley presidency. In this recurrence of the same, Bush is McKinley, Rove is Hanna, and 2000 was 1896 all over again. How … [Read more...] about The dream of Republican dominance

House Speaker Denny Hastert and Majority Leader John Boehner have taken a decision that almost certainly means there will be no immigration bill passed by this Congress. Yesterday the leadership announced that House committees will hold a series of "field hearings" around the country during Congress' August recess ... meaning that a House-Senate conference to reconcile the … [Read more...] about House Leadership Dooms Immigration Bill

Look at this face. Because it is believed to be the face of the "new" Al Qaeda chief in Iraq who, in a clear effort to earn his terrorist stripes and make a big international name for himself, is reportedly taking "credit" for brutally murdering two American GI's — in keeping with the tradition of the man he replaced, the late, unlamented al-Zarqawi. Yesterday was a … [Read more...] about Murdered American GIs Were “Brutally Tortured”

Over the next few days it's going to be very difficult for TMV to post as usual. The reason is driving logistics: For instance, yesterday started with a meeting a school, to talk about TMV's nephew, then a show at a library in San Diego at 10 a.m. Then a four hour drive to Los Angeles for another show and a three hour drive back. This will be repeated today and tomorrow. Due … [Read more...] about TMV’s Personal Note To Readers

That's the conclusion of Truthout.org in their non-apology/explanation to their readers. A taste:Yes, it does appear that Truthout was used, but not lied to or misled. The facts appear to have been accurate. We reported them, and in so doing, apparently became an instrument. From all indications, our reports, first on May 13 that Rove had been indicted, and then on June 12 … [Read more...] about We Was Used!!!

There are many stories about the war-torn country, but Sean Aqui has a unique perspective...Reporters are criticized for not covering “good newsâ€?, while others counter by pointing to the high death toll among journalists in Iraq, and note that if Iraq is so dangerous reporters can’t leave the Green Zone, that says all we need to know about the security … [Read more...] about What’s Going On In Iraq?

Heartening news on the religious front. More here. … [Read more...] about Episcopal Bishop On Homosexuality…

You have to pause and ask yourself what has happened to American political debate when people can say crap like this and others can welcome it and agreeingly nod their heads, wanting more. FOOTNOTE: Yours truly does not agree with many of the blogs that want an immediate pullout from Iraq. But the comment linked above is beyond inaccurate. It is truly worthy of utter contempt. … [Read more...] about And So American Political Rhetoric Sinks To A New Low

Criminal sanction and moral outrage. And not completely out of reach from each other. Just...a bit of breathing room. … [Read more...] about You Gotta Keep ’em Separated

..."And thank YOU Cathy." … [Read more...] about And TMV Sincerely Says And Means

Washington Post: Two Missing U.S. Soldiers Found Dead BAGHDAD, July 20--Two U.S. soldiers missing since an attack on a checkpoint last week have been found dead near a power plant in Yusifiyah, south of Baghdad, according to an Iraqi defense official. Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Muhammed-Jassim, head of operations at the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, said the soldiers had been … [Read more...] about UPDATED & MOVED UP: Our Missing Soldiers Have Been Found (In Pieces)

Washington Post: Two Missing U.S. Soldiers Found Dead BAGHDAD, July 20--Two U.S. soldiers missing since an attack on a checkpoint last week have been found dead near a power plant in Yusifiyah, south of Baghdad, according to an Iraqi defense official. Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Muhammed-Jassim, head of operations at the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, said the soldiers had been … [Read more...] about UPDATED & MOVED UP: Our Missing Soldiers Have Been Found (In Pieces)

The folks at alphaDictionary and the Harvard Computer Society have released an amusing little linguistics quiz, "Are You a Yankee or a Rebel?" It'll calculate your relative score based on how you use or pronounce certain words. My score was "30% Dixie. You are a Yankee Doodle Dandy." Not surprising, considering I grew up in upstate NY. That 30% must be from my two Alabama … [Read more...] about “Yankee” or “Rebel”?

Looks as if David Safavian will go to prison: AP via Washington Post: Safavian Found Guilty of Lying, Obstruction WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury found former Bush administration official David Safavian guilty Tuesday of covering up his dealings with Republican influence-peddler Jack Abramoff. Safavian was convicted on four of five felony counts of lying and obstruction. He … [Read more...] about Safavian Sunk By Four Felonies

Do you get a creepy feeling from normal businesses that operate religious-themed dating websites? Perhaps this is of no concern to anyone else, but I've seen ads for these sites - along with a barrage of forgettable secular websites - all over the Internet, which either means they haven't blown through their startup cash yet or they're (gulp) actually making money from people … [Read more...] about The morality of religious dating websites run by secular companies

Bad polling news for Hillary Clinton and the concept in general of political dynasties — or national presidential candidate political retreads:With the presidential election more than two years away, a CNN poll released Monday suggests that nearly half of Americans would "definitely vote against" Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Respondents were asked whether they would … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton And Dynasties Get High “No” Vote In Poll (UPDATED)

Newly-minted Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has rejected a proposed policy shift for national park management which would have allowed snowmobiling and increased commercialization, according to a report in today's LATimes. Instead, policies will continue to encourage preservation as the preeminent function of the park system. Kempthorne said yesterday that preservation "is … [Read more...] about New NPS Plan Emphasizes Preservation

The battle lines are clearly drawn for what could be one of most closely watched Senate primaries — and races — this year, one that all sides agree could have a huge impact on the Democratic party and how many voters perceive it. In one corner, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. In the other, his challenger and "netroots" favorite, challenger Ned Lamont. The … [Read more...] about Lieberman Will Run In Primary But Hints Could Run As Independent (UPDATED)

Joseph Nye, writing in The Ripon Society journal, looks at the challenge facing Karen Hughes in terms of "soft power."Karen Hughes, the Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, has a daunting task. The United States spends only a little over a billion dollars a year on public diplomacy to get our message out, about the same as Britain or France though we are five times … [Read more...] about Getting The U.S. Message Out Abroad

Ann Althouse comments on Norway's new "biodiversity freezer": So it will protect us in the event of "climate change," and it will always be frozen "due to permafrost"? Oops. … [Read more...] about That one slipped by me too