You should see some Guest Bloggers on this site today - a day when TMV will be travelling extensively. He'll do a few posts but will be out of pocket much of the day. But there will be great Guest Blogger posts...so check back often! … [Read more...] about Guest Bloggers Today

The George Bush and Vladimir Putin Show debuted yesterday in the form of a press conference following their landmark three hour meeting in the Slovakian capital of Bratislav — and beneath the smiles there was some tension. And perhaps some relief. The reason: Bush did what he had to do (keep his relationship with Russia's political honcho intact despite tentions of … [Read more...] about Bush & Putin: An Uneasy Alliance Survives Amid Tension

It turns out that there is a mini-war raging within the GOP right now over Social Security reform — a kind of war for the GOP's soul, between the issue-oriented libertarians and the more nuts-and-bolts-do-what-it-takes-to-win political operatives who many believe have been unleashed by the White House. At issue is the highly controversial campaign by pro-Bush-plan … [Read more...] about Social Security Reform: Confrontation Or Coalition?

Here's good news for merchandisers everywhere: Swiss officials have ruled to protect the Bin Laden name as a brand name so that that only Osama bin Laden's Geneva-based half-brother can use the family name as trademark. This means that if products appear some day with the highly marketable Bin Laden brand name, you'll KNOW it's from the real family. Not that businessman … [Read more...] about Bin Laden: Now A Protected Brand Name

We often say it: the "Indepundit" Citizen Smash has long been one of our favorite websites. It's written by guy who made world news when he doggedly blogged from the field as part of 2003's Operation Iraqi Freedom. He then continued Lt. Smash as Citizen Smash, a conservative-leaning (but not always) blog. He truly deserves the subname of his blog "The IndePundit" and we assign … [Read more...] about A Veteran’s Special Operation Thank You

The Seattle Times has an incredible story of a camera that was found washed up shore in Thailand — a camera containing the photos of a couple from British Columbia who died in the Dec. 26 mega-tsunami...a camera containing images showing the wave getting larger...a camera containing images of what the couple saw in their final moments. The story and photos are here. … [Read more...] about Discovered Tsunami Photos Show Couple’s Last Minutes

Now you KNOW blogging is doomed and passe: members of Congress are blogging: Blogging, the Web-based craft of diary-keeping and commentary, is taking root on Capitol Hill. The nonprofit Congressional Management Foundation, which helps educate Congress on running its business, says at least four members - Mr. Pence; Representatives Mark Kirk, Republican of Illinois, and … [Read more...] about Special Alert To Blogtopia!

Did you ever notice how a phrase used by a journalist that others respect suddenly becomes the rage — and is done to death? RatherBiased.com has a fascinating item here on how the words "charm offensive" relating to President George Bush's trip to Europe have become popular — so popular that the phrase is being used constantly by many in the media (the site gives … [Read more...] about Journalistic Buzz Words du Jour

Read this. Talon news is the conservative news service caught up the Jeff Gannon controversy. I was on newspapers where they fired or suspended employeees but I never heard of that causing a news operation to change its daily production of news copy or its nonstop flow to readers one iota. News operations don't stop because of controversies, even those aimed at them; they … [Read more...] about Talon News Suspends Web Operations

Pope John Paul II has suffered a flu relapse and was rushed back to the hospital. This is not good news for someone that age and if you watch the ebb and flow of news reports on the Pope now you can see that the media is preparing for the final chapter. UPDATE: The Pope was given a tracheotomy :"Pope John Paul II underwent a 30-minute operation to insert a tube in his throat … [Read more...] about Pope Rushed To Hospital

Our occasional collection of links from all over Blogtopia. These links represent varying points of view and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Moderate Voice. AS THE NEWS MEDIA AND BLOGS GET READY FOR THE TRIAL OF THE KING OF PERPS POP ON CHILD MOLESTATION CHARGES some note that the jury has no African Americans on it. James Joyner runs a photo of Jackson and … [Read more...] about Around The ‘Sphere

The Christian Science Monitor (TMV's old news outlet) issues a good-news report for President George Bush and his administration: anti-Bush feelings may remain but he has clearly changed the dynamic in Europe. The Monitor reports this: As President Bush completes the leg of his trip focusing on traditional allies, he may well have changed the dynamic in US-European relations … [Read more...] about CS Monitor: Bush’s Trip To Europe Is A Good Beginning

P.R. Blunders 101: Slate a highly touted Town Hall meeting while abroad to talk to foreignors in their own country — then try to cancel it quietly when it can't be scripted enough to your satisfaction. And here, students, is the first reading in your syllabus in this course, from the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel: The much-touted American-style "town hall" meeting the … [Read more...] about Maybe It Was Because Jeff Gannon Couldn’t Be There..

You'll think about this video. (We thank Metafilter for the tip.) … [Read more...] about Ambush In Iraq

Oxblog's David Adesnik analyzes an op-ed column by the Russian ambassador to the United States and sees some olive branch extenions and a veiled warning. And, he notes, there's a chance the Russians have misjudged GWB and perhaps don't know what to do next. … [Read more...] about On Putin, Russia And The U.S.

Nick Kristof brings the horrors of genoicide in the Sudan close to home with a column showing and explaining four graphic photos — indicative of the kind of murders that have elicited official pronouncements but policy yawns in many parts of the west. Check them out for yourself and read each explanation. Note that it's believed some of these hapless victims were … [Read more...] about The Unspeakable Horrors Of Darfur Genocide

Trouble in Royaltyland: Queen Elizabeth's spokespeople in Buckingham Palace insist Her Majesty won't attend her son's wedding in order to keep it "low key." If you believe that, you must love British food. At issue is 56-year-old Charles' marraige to 57-year-old Camilla Parker Bowles, with whom Charles has had a 30-year relationship — a relationship which remains … [Read more...] about Is The Queen Royally Irked?

A French "comedian" is sinking to the lowest depths for his "humor," doing an act containing seemingly anti-semitic statements. OOPS! I'm one of them so you'd expect that of me. Well, then, why don't YOU judge for YOURSELF? A flare-up of racial tension has been sparked off in France after a black stand-up comic, Dieudonné, was reported to have said that the 60th … [Read more...] about Hitler With A Laughtrack?

The case of the American student accused of plotting to kill President George Bush gets curiouser and curiouser. On one side, you have the friends and defense team of 23-year-old American citizen named Ahmed Omar Abu Ali insisting the government was overzealous and there's nothing to the charges that link him up with Al Qaeda. On the other side, you see some investigation by … [Read more...] about Saudi Tie Pops Up Again In Plot To Kill President Bush

Our occasional collection of links from all over Blogtopia. These links represent varying points of view and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Moderate Voice. SO HOW DID ALL OF THE BOYCOTTS OF FRANCE GO? Not too well, according to Wampum blog. THE TOUCHY ISSUE OF REDISTRICTING from a Centrist position. BLOGS VERSUS MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Is it censored thought versus … [Read more...] about Around The ‘Sphere