...but he might not like it. … [Read more...] about Poll Finds George W. Bush A Notable President

The Federal Elections Commission is an embarrassment. Yesterday its members decided, by a 4-2 vote, to leave in place the current unsatisfactory rules for dealing with independent "527" political advocacy groups. A federal judge had ruled in April that the Commission should either "start crafting new rules or to issue a better explanation of how it will be able to regulate the … [Read more...] about FEC Shirks its Responsibility (Again)

....at Kiko's House, a jewel of a new blog written by Shaun Mullen, an award-winning former Knight-Ridder reporter and editor. And it is a glory to read: the writing is truly stylish, witty and the topics aren't what you find on so many other blogs. It does NOT limit itself to the political horserace. And Mullen hasn't yet fallen into "blogspeak" (of course we haven't either. … [Read more...] about Take A Peek

TMV will be headed to LA and unable to post until mid-day later today, at the earliest. But check back often since our always independent co-bloggers will likely have some things to say. … [Read more...] about TMV’s Own Posts Are Limited Today

For weeks the war clouds seemed to be gathering. The bellicose comments — seemingly matched tit for tat — came from both sides. Tehran? It seemed to be sticking its tongue out at the United States, virtually defying it to act. Washington? Sources (unofficial and otherwise) seemed to issuing dire warnings about military action, even as official statements insisted … [Read more...] about US Shifts To Containment Strategy On Iran

...and it's long term. (NOTE: I read everything this guy posts...) … [Read more...] about More Bad News For New Orleans

We did THIS POST on President George Bush comparing himself to President Harry Truman. Now someone else weighs in on this comparison — CNN's Jack Cafferty. And you can watch it HERE. UPDATE BY HOLLY IN CINCINNATI: Peter Beinart in the Washington Post: Hijacking Harry Truman … [Read more...] about UPDATED: Bush Compares Himself To Truman Part II

Just a brief remark on Joe's recent post regarding prisoner sex change operations. I think that Professor Kaimi Wenger's post on this topic is a must-read. A taste: Mr. Kosilek's noisy insistence on receiving a sex change as treatment for his gender identity disorder could well result in conservative legislative reactions, and ultimately less receptive judicial environments for … [Read more...] about Sexual Passions

CNN reports on President Joseph Kabila's reaction to being confronted with his military raping ethnic women in his country's insecure East. My knowledge of the Congolese situation is shaky at best. I do know that it is possibly the one humanitarian situation that can compete with Darfur as the world's worst. Joseph Kabila came to power when his father, Laurent Kabila, was … [Read more...] about Congo President Kabila on military rapes: ‘Unforgivable’

Let's just forget that the expert was dead wrong. … [Read more...] about The White House Invites An “Expert”

Perhaps Your Tax Dollars At Work Department in Massachusetts:A man serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife is asking a federal judge to order the state to pay for a sex-change operation for him, saying that denying him the surgery amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. A psychiatrist testified Tuesday that he believes Robert Kosilek will kill himself if state … [Read more...] about Go To Prison And Get All Kinds Of Operations

West Asia has a tough terrain with a different culture and civilization. It can bring out the best, or the worst, in a man who is sent to participate in an unending fight/war. Even the best soldiers can buckle under, notwithstanding their excellent training/arms. From heroic deeds to barbaric ones...This can happen if a soldier has a blurred objective and no time-frame … [Read more...] about Is it fair to blame the Marines Alone?

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Editorial: Nobody home / Santorum tries to cover his tracks on residency Before every election, the Post-Gazette routinely sends letters to the candidates seeking material for the Voters Guide. Back in March, as part of that process for the primary, the newspaper sent a letter to Rick Santorum at his home address, at least the one that he claims. Back … [Read more...] about Sen. Santorum of PA Apparently No Longer Lives in PA

Henry "Hank" Paulson, Bush nominee for the post of Treasury Secretary, has evoked interesting reaction in the media. Barring the disclosure of some unforeseen scandal, Paulson, at present Chairman of Goldman Sachs, is likely to win Senate confirmation easily. But can he break the partisan logjam that grips Washington? The answer to that will say much more about George W. Bush … [Read more...] about Henry Paulson’s Choice: Wildlife in Cities or in Nature Parks

People continue to speculate on the need for some kind of strong third party to offer an alternative to the two prime political parties, which are increasingly seen by many as bloated, politically-beached whales. Here are two must-read views: (1) CBS's Dick Meyer's Third Party Cabinet Draft Picks For 2008. (2) Sam Smith's post on the idea of a bipartisan "Unity Ticket" for … [Read more...] about A Strong Third Party In 2008? (UPDATED)

Has Al Gore stuck his foot in his mouth or has he articulated a view that even some Republicans may be privately saying? YOU decide:Al Gore has made his sharpest attack yet on the George Bush presidency, describing the current US administration as "a renegade band of rightwing extremists". In an interview with the Guardian today, the former vice-president clls himself a … [Read more...] about Al Gore’s Comments: Does This Mean He’s REALLY Running Or REALLY Not Running?

It's an old joke: Passenger in car: Darn! You went through a red light. Uh, oh. Here comes a cop. Driver: What should I tell him? Passenger: Come up with an excuse. Tell him you were drunk and didn't notice it. But it isn't a joke these days:A Kentucky man is suing Caesars Indiana, alleging that he was drunk when casino employees offered him $75,000 in credit that he quickly … [Read more...] about Charging Under The Influence

...Unless they're Black. Then treat them with fear and refuse to address their concerns. Scary positions for anyone to hold. Especially so for President Bush's choice for Chief Domestic Policy Adviser. … [Read more...] about Love Your Neighbor…

A new Supreme Court ruling on whistleblowers underscores the shift that has occurred on the Supreme Court with the appointment of President George W. Bush's two new Supreme Court justices:The Supreme Court declared today, in a ruling affecting millions of government employees, that the Constitution does not always protect their free-speech rights for what they say on the … [Read more...] about Bush’s Big Court Win On Whistleblowers

A Christianist video game lets players practice killing infidels when the rapture comes. … [Read more...] about This Is Slightly More Than Creepy