From TMV's favorite poet, Wall Street Poet Michael Silverstein:Asked to shepherd the young master, Was a faithful old retainer, His role this to shirk the limelight, While assisting a slow learner. "See my boy through his first hard days," Those instructions he received. "You'll be rich rewarded later, When, in time, you've been relieved." Who could guess this sly … [Read more...] about The Faithful Old Retainer (A Dick Cheney Poem)

TMV NOTE: We loved this post when Jonathan Singer posted here — about 5 minutes before Harriet Miers withdrew her Supreme Court nomination, and the post seemingly got "lost" amid the breaking news. So we've reposted it, so more readers can enjoy it. Every month or so, I write a column for The Collage, a campus newspaper founded by current New York Times executive editor … [Read more...] about The Reporter’s Dilemma: Real Objectivity or False Balance

MANY THANKS! Because if you read this site you know TMV is the ultimate journalist freed from the DISCIPLINE of an editor — who can write what he wants, and make it as long as he wants to make it (he has agreed to have Holly from Cincinnati proofread for him, much to the relief of one of our nicest readers in Texas). That violates most blog rules, but what the … [Read more...] about Thanks To U All

As covered by Blogger Shakespeare's Sister. … [Read more...] about Harry Reid’s Press Conference…

E. J. Dionne Jr. in the Washington Post Has anyone noticed that the coverup worked? In his impressive presentation of the indictment of Lewis "Scooter" Libby last week, Patrick Fitzgerald expressed the wish that witnesses had testified when subpoenas were issued in August 2004, and "we would have been here in October 2004 instead of October 2005." Note the significance of … [Read more...] about E.J. Dionne: What the ‘Shield’ Covered Up

I heard this on NPR earlier but found an article on the BBC's website: The US military says it believes that a rocket-propelled grenade has been fired at one of its helicopters delivering aid in earthquake-hit Kashmir. … [Read more...] about RPG Fired at US Copter Delivering Aid in Pakistani Kashmir

...formerly reserved to strictly secular organizations, the question arises: Is it important to consider the source when giving disaster aid? One faith-based organization apparently felt it was, and acted accordingly. … [Read more...] about In the thrust to rely more on faith-based organizations to provide services…

It's been buried what with Libby, Alito, and the Senate's closed section on pre-war intelligence, but this is actually important news. The judge originally slated to preside over Tom DeLay's corruption trial has been removed. … [Read more...] about New Judge for DeLay

The Democrats forced the Senate into an unusual closed session - sparking tons of news coverage in the wires and on television and raising questions what this portends for the party's position on other issues — and the size of Minority Leader Harry Reid's political bag of surprises:WASHINGTON - Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed … [Read more...] about Democrats Force Closed Senate Intelligence Session

While I was out for an appointment, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has pulled the US Senate into a secret session. This is a big deal. John at AMERICAblog is covering it as follows: Harry Reid blasts the Republicans, and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS specifically), on the Senate floor by John in DC - 11/01/2005 02:55:00 PM Holy sh*t, put on CNN by John in DC - 11/01/2005 … [Read more...] about Senate in Closed Session

Tuesday, November 8th at 9pm (check your local listings) The abortion issue has divided the country for over thirty years. FRONTLINE investigates the steady decline in the number of physicians and clinics performing abortions, and focuses on local political battles. … [Read more...] about PBS FRONTLINE: THE LAST ABORTION CLINIC

From an L.A. Times editorial:Black-box nominees such as Miers and, to a lesser extent, John G. Roberts Jr. are chosen in part because they give senators so little to go on. Roberts had thousands of pages of memos from his years of service in the White House, but most were off-limits to the Judiciary Committee, and those that remained he was able to disavow — or "distinguish," … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day On The Samuel Alito Nomination

A first hand account of viewing the civil rights great with some impressions, thoughts — and a lingering question. … [Read more...] about Honoring Rosa Parks At The Capitol Rotunda

The UN Security Council has passed a resolution demanding Syria cooperate with the continued investigation into the assassination of Rafik Hariri:The United States, France and Britain pressed for the resolution following last week's tough report by the U.N. investigating commission, which implicated top Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the Feb. 14 bombing that killed … [Read more...] about UN Resolution on Syria Passes

When I was a kid I had a little piggy bank that my grandparents gave me. Actually, I had several of them during my childhood years. I "fed" my piggy bank money and, like most pigs, it just never seemed to have enough until one day it'd finally become stuffed. And, oh, the joy of seeing it stuffed and knowing I could unstuff it and that my smiling piggy friend had helped me … [Read more...] about British Banks Ban “Offensive-To-Islam” Piggy Banks

The nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court has obliterated a seeming "truce" in the the fever-pitch build up of polarization that was seen this year with the Terri Schiavo affair, "nuclear option" filibuster threats, and preparation for all out political war once President George Bush began to get ready to announce his Supreme Court picks. What changed it? … [Read more...] about Samuel Alito Nomination Will Squeeze Senate Moderates

Scooter Libby was not the only Bush administration official to be indicted this month. In September, the White House's top procurement official, David Safavian, was arrested in connection to his ties to GOP superlobbyist Jack Abramoff; early this month, Safavian was indicted on the same basis. And now, as Josephine Hearn reports for The Hill, a key Republican Senator is taking … [Read more...] about McCain to Push Abramoff Probe to the Administration

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Arlen Specter is all but waving a written sign saying he's likely to back Judge Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court:Time and again Specter used his Monday afternoon press conference to defend President Bush’s nominee to the high court and to justify some of his controversial rulings. “I think he’ll be an excellent witness,â€? … [Read more...] about Arlen Specter Signals Support Of Supreme Court Nominee Alito

It's been less than 24 hours since the Alito nomination has broke. How is that everybody is absolutely sure of who Alito is, what he represents, what his views are on critical issues of judicial philosophy, etc. etc.? There simply isn't any way that the entire blogosphere could have come to an informed opinion on this in the space of a few hours! What are the implications of … [Read more...] about Y’all are QUICK!

The End of the Raven by Edgar Allan Poe's Cat from POETRY FOR CATS by Henry Beard On a night quite unenchanting, when the rain was downward slanting, I awakened to the ranting of the man I catch mice for. Tipsy and a bit unshaven, in a tone I found quite craven, Poe was talking to a Raven perched above the chamber door. "Raven's very tasty," thought I, as I tiptoed o'er … [Read more...] about The End of the Raven