(Originally posted at The Carpetbagger Report. This version has been modified.) Should America's national anthem only be sung in English? Or is, say, a Spanish version acceptable? That's what the recent debate over the anthem is really all about. It's an offshoot of the debate over illegal immigration, but, more to the point, it's about how America conceives of itself as a … [Read more...] about I’d like to teach the world to sing “Nuestro Himno”

Over at The Reaction, J. Kingston Pierce offers up a brilliant (and link-filled) analysis of the demise of the Bush presidency. See here. … [Read more...] about Bush Age: The Meltdown

John Podhoretz, writing in the Boston Herald, has a column almost pleading for the GOP to get someone to compete against Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton, whom he suggests will be the inevitable Democratic nominee. In a column titled "Republicans be warned: Someone must stop Hillary," it's clear that when he looks around the field he doesn't like what he sees:Because … [Read more...] about Hillary Watch: GOPer Says Republicans Need Someone To Stop Hillary Clinton

Senate Republicans' idea to give $100 gas rebate checks to voters has failed to ignite — and has run out of political gas, according to the New York Times. Conservatives give it a thumbs down. Liberals give it a thumbs down. And the sheer idea of $100 impressing voters has become a laughline. To be sure: $100 is just about enough to fill an SUV once — or pay for … [Read more...] about GOP Gas Rebate Plan Raises Eyebrows And Gets Thumbs Down

The White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten says it's time for the administration to regain the momentum — and he outlined a variety of measures. One is sure to raise a firestorm of a controversy if it takes place: ending televised press briefings. If this happens, look for poll numbers to erode more since it will please Republicans and solidify Democratic and exiting … [Read more...] about Bolten: White House Needs To Regain Momentum And Maybe End TV Press Briefings

Employees Wanted: Must be foreigner (but not an infidel) for high-energy job with explosive future. No retirement benefits offered (or needed). That might be the kind of ad Al Qaeda's Iraqi bigwig Abu Musab al-Zarqawi might place — because he's now reportedly facing an acute shortage of foreign suicide fighters (past employees have found they have to just kill … [Read more...] about Zarqawi’s Suicide Fighter Shortage Makes Him Consider His Own Guerilla Army

What's the likely impact of the May 1st "Day Without Immigrants"? Also, if you're wondering why I haven't been posting much as of late, my computer has a virus. I'm hopeful to be back at full strength by Tuesday. … [Read more...] about Will The Boycott Backfire?

...there are street rallies and cyber-rallies today. … [Read more...] about Rallies To Help Darfur

The scene: The White House Correspondent Dinner. The time: right after President George W. Bush put in a boffo performance next to a top-notch Bush impersonator. It was a hard act to follow. But Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert most assuredly followed it in his irony-heavy TV persona of a TV News talk show host that seems reminiscent of a Fox News host with the initials B.O. … [Read more...] about Colbert’s White House Correspondent Dinner Performance Underscores Irony’s Power And Delicacy

Mexico's Congress has softened its laws to allow possession of small amounts of drugs including cocaine and heroin for personal use-- raising questions about how U.S.-Mexico drug operations will proceed. And it also raises another question: will Mexico's softening of its drug laws cause a REAL "run to the border" by young Americans seeking to take advantage of a more … [Read more...] about U.S. Reacts Cautiously As Mexico Softens Its Drug Laws

....will we see more stories like this? Polarization can become dangerous because it can activate the extremes on both sides. … [Read more...] about As Immigration Becomes A Polarizing Issue

You could safely file this in the "ominous rumblings" file from Israel (and you should definitely file it there if you're a policymaker in Tehran):Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a psychopath and anti-Semite whose declarations resemble those of Adolf Hitler, Israeli acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in a newspaper interview on Saturday. "Ahmadinejad speaks today … [Read more...] about Israel’s Prime Minister Says Iran’s President Is “Like Hitler”

Some ask: Who needs them anymore? … [Read more...] about Are Critics Doomed?

"Yo." … [Read more...] about Revisionist History

An interesting name for a post on the Rush Limbaugh saga: [Rich] White Men Can’t [Wear Orange] Jump [Suits]. But, then, what would we expect? It's done by someone who TMV contends is one of the most original writers on any blog (of the left, right or center) The Talking Dog. As usual, he doesn't mince words. But this time he doesn't write it on his own blog — you can … [Read more...] about More On Rush’s Plea Bargain

Not as much as we may have feared. But what it's being used for, though, still doesn't seem very American. Sean Aqui has more. … [Read more...] about How Widespread Is Warrantless Wiretapping?

Yesterday's NYT column "On this day" (April 28)took me down the memory lane. In the mid-1970s I was introduced to the legendary Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl by Norman Cousins, famous American editor and a versatile genius, at New Delhi. As a young Indian journalist, I was fascinated by their crusading spirit to ensure world peace, justice and human freedom. In these present … [Read more...] about Global Good Governance: Remembering Thor Heyerdahl & Norman Cousins

Yesterday's NYT column "On this day" (April 28)took me down the memory lane. In the mid-1970s I was introduced to the legendary Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl by Norman Cousins, famous American editor and a versatile genius, at New Delhi. As a young Indian journalist, I was fascinated by their crusading spirit to ensure world peace, justice and human freedom. In these present … [Read more...] about Global Good Governance: Remembering Thor Heyerdahl & Norman Cousins

From Maureen Dowd in The New York Times Times Select (paid):The Bush II hawks were determined to restore a Reaganesque muscular, "moral" foreign policy, as opposed to the realpolitik of Bush I. But with no solution in sight, Congress is pressing for some realpolitik. With W.'s blessing, lawmakers are sending his father's old consigliere, James Baker, to Iraq to look for a way … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: James Baker To Iraq?

This story has been out in various forms for a while now but in case you missed it, it alleges women for sale were given to a Congressman (and possibly other Congressmen) for sale:Federal authorities are investigating allegations that a California defense contractor arranged for a Washington area limousine company to provide prostitutes to convicted former congressman Randy … [Read more...] about Cunningham Prostitution Connection Probed