By Jeff Mason and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama nominated veteran appellate court judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, setting up a potentially ferocious political showdown with Senate Republicans who have vowed to block any Obama nominee. Considered a moderate, Garland, 63, is currently chief judge of the U.S. Court … [Read more...] about Obama picks moderate Garland for Supreme Court as Senate battle looms
Sanders Burns Out Versus Hillary (Guest Voice)
Sanders Burns Out Versus Hillary By John L. Micek It's time to say it out loud: The Democratic race for president is all over but for the shouting. Yes, a bushel basket of nominating contests, including such key battleground states as Pennsylvania, still remain. And in this unpredictable season, the improbable may still yet happen. But with a slender victory in … [Read more...] about Sanders Burns Out Versus Hillary (Guest Voice)
What a whopper: Cruz camp now claims he’s a ‘center-right’ candidate
Shut out from a win in Tuesday’s five Republican primaries, Sen. Ted Cruz, at this late date, is undergoing a rebranding effort in his bid to become Donald Trump’s sole competitor. According to Politico, Cruz strategists are now telling reporters a fairy tale: “We’re part of a center-right coalition. In order for us to win in November, we’ve got to have everyone on … [Read more...] about What a whopper: Cruz camp now claims he’s a ‘center-right’ candidate
Cartoons: The Trump Brand
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoons: The Trump Brand
Clinton’s Double-Bind
Linguist Deborah Tannen on the double-bind facing Hillary Clinton as a woman running for President in Time. All these forces have played a role in Clinton being seen as inauthentic and untrustworthy. And they are all related to the double bind that confronts women in positions of authority, as I recently wrote in the Washington Post. A double bind means you must … [Read more...] about Clinton’s Double-Bind
Trump and Clinton take four out of five states but it ain’t over (ROUNDUP) Final Update
In the end, there was no formal knock out, even though both parties' two front-runners largely prevailed. At this writing both Republican showman/businessman Donald Trump and Democrat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took four out of five states. But there are already rumblings in the GOP that it ain't over yet (House Speaker Paul Ryan now won't categorically rule out … [Read more...] about Trump and Clinton take four out of five states but it ain’t over (ROUNDUP) Final Update
Cartoons: Putin Pulls Out
] Putin Pulls Out by Clay Jones Russian president Vladimir Putin surprised the world today by announcing he’s pulling his nation’s troops out of Syria. Russia entered the Syrian civil war under the guise of fighting ISIS, and they had good reason after ISIS took down a Russian airliner. But it was ruse as Putin’s army spent most of their time fighting rebels … [Read more...] about Cartoons: Putin Pulls Out
Clinton beats Sanders in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio; tight race in Illinois
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Hillary Clinton won primaries in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, the night's most contested prize, as her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, struggled to get the boost he needs to try to close the gap in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. A fourth race, in Illinois, appeared very tight, based on early… … [Read more...] about Clinton beats Sanders in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio; tight race in Illinois
Marco Rubio ends presidential campaign after Florida loss
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, derided as "Little Marco" by Donald Trump and eviscerated by Gov. Chris Christie before the New Hampshire primary, ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination after losing his home state primary on Tuesday. Despite raising $69 million between his campaign committee and his aligned super political action committee and gaining the… … [Read more...] about Marco Rubio ends presidential campaign after Florida loss
Sharknado 4 (with movie trailer)
Now for the weather report . . . a Sharknado watch will be in effect for SYFY fans this coming July, during which we will discover if April may go on being as lively as a June bug. As Fin is once again in the soup, with little Gil instead of big Gil, what chaos will they swim through? Will the Shepards get the crook? Who will be on the menu this time? This Summer … [Read more...] about Sharknado 4 (with movie trailer)
Obama denounces Trump’s “divisive” politics while conservatives ponder third party
NOTE: A typo in the headline has been corrected. We regret the typo. Trump, Trump, Trump -- TRUMP! The drumbeat continues as American politics is being upended by a man who has violated all rules ofpublic courtesy, appropriate political language, fanned the flames of resentments against minority groups, turned unfettered school yard name calling into a new political style, … [Read more...] about Obama denounces Trump’s “divisive” politics while conservatives ponder third party
Media Holding Clinton More Accountable For Her Dishonesty
As it did eight years ago, Hilliary Clinton's dishonesty has become a campaign issue. While there have been questions as to her honesty throughout the campaign, the media is being more aggressive in addressing the problem. Jeff Greenfield has an article at Politico which asks the question, What’s Wrong With Hillary? It is subtitled, The GOP is fretting about … [Read more...] about Media Holding Clinton More Accountable For Her Dishonesty
A few hours among Trump’s true believers
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- It was a festive afternoon at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater. Families rolled out blankets on the lawn beside a man-made lake. Vendors sold foot-long hot dogs. Organizers tossed T-shirts from the stage. Then, at nightfall, Donald Trump took the stage -- and things turned dark. "On Friday, we went to Chicago," the billionaire presidential … [Read more...] about A few hours among Trump’s true believers
Cartoons: Beauty and the Trump Beast
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoons: Beauty and the Trump Beast
Watch: 11 Videos Marking Syria’s Five Years of Conflict (VIDEOS)
As of Tuesday, five full years have passed since conflict began in Syria. In that time, an estimated 470,000 people have died in the war, 1.9 million have been injured, and 4.8 million refugees have fled the country, according to the Syrian Center for Policy Research and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The conflict,… … [Read more...] about Watch: 11 Videos Marking Syria’s Five Years of Conflict (VIDEOS)
Sorry Bernie backers, but today’s primaries will make Mich. win an asterisk
Bernie Sanders' stunning victory in Michigan last week may become a mere asterisk in the history of presidential politics, as he seems less than likely to repeat his good fortune in any of the big states voting today. For whatever reason the Vermont senator pulled off his surprise win in the Great Lakes State – and some of the theories don’t hold water – he is not helped by … [Read more...] about Sorry Bernie backers, but today’s primaries will make Mich. win an asterisk
The Spiritual Darkness of Presidential Politics
To atheists and agnostics, what is said in this post will likely be meaningless. Well, so be it. This post is addressed to those Americans who are Jews and Christians. It is this writer's observation that presidential elections reveal a lack of faith in the God of Israel among those people who claim to believe in him. Why? Because, all too often, such Americans act as … [Read more...] about The Spiritual Darkness of Presidential Politics
The Anti-Obama Is Not the Answer
Many Americans blame President Obama for everything that has gone wrong in the country and see Donald Trump as the anti-Obama who can right the American ship. While Obama has made his share of mistakes, he is mercilessly blamed for conditions beyond his control, or criticized for situations that are blatantly false. However, the citizens condemning Obama may have no idea how … [Read more...] about The Anti-Obama Is Not the Answer
5 Years On: The Syrian Civil War and How We Can Promote Peace
March 15th marks the five-year anniversary of the start of the Syrian Civil War. The full scale of the devastation is almost incalculable: After five years, more than 220,000 lives have been lost. And according to the UN’s refugee agency, almost half of Syria’s population of 23 million people has been displaced: 6.5 million within the country and 4.8 million outside of … [Read more...] about 5 Years On: The Syrian Civil War and How We Can Promote Peace
There are guns between us and the election
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, brother and alter ego of the martyred JFK, knew something terrible when he ran for president in 1968. Somewhere along his 82-day campaign, picking up on the social turbulence of a painfully divided nation, a nation incited by hateful talk and racism, Bobby declared, “There are guns between me and the White House.” Kennedy was murdered just after … [Read more...] about There are guns between us and the election