Barack Obama's decision to send limited troops into Syria has shown the predictable divisions in the Democratic field. Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley have expressed strong reservations, while Hillary Clinton has taken only seventeen days to flip flop on her position regarding troops on the ground. The Washington Post reported on Sanders' reservations: Presidential … [Read more...] about Sanders and O’Malley Express Reservations On Troops On Syria While Clinton Flip Flops On Another Issue
These Judges Don’t Put Defendants into Prison
By Walter Brasch HARRISBURG, Pa.—By Tuesday’s election, the seven candidates for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will have spent about $10 million. Their expenditures can be seen in lawn signs decorating almost every part of the state’s landscape, in millions of full color postcards, some as large as 8-1/2 x 11, mailed to almost every voter in the state, and in TV … [Read more...] about These Judges Don’t Put Defendants into Prison
Politix Update: GOP Tries To Shoot The Messenger But Hits Itself In Debate Flap
In yet another manifestation of the Republican Party being trapped in an alternate universe of its own making as its chances of taking back the White House in 2016 diminish because of the black hole it has worked tirelessly to become, the party leadership and its feckless roster of candidates have now gone postal over presidential debates. The problem, of course, is entirely … [Read more...] about Politix Update: GOP Tries To Shoot The Messenger But Hits Itself In Debate Flap
The real GOP divide
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Maybe our definition of the Republican presidential contest is a little off. It's often cast, accurately enough, as a choice between "outsiders" and "insiders." But another party division may be more profound -- between Republicans who still view the country's future hopefully, and those deeply gloomy about its prospects. The pessimism within … [Read more...] about The real GOP divide
‘Joe, Tomorrow’ Is a Portrait of a Beloved Boxer in His Own Words (Tokyo International Film Festival 2015)
5/5 It shouldn’t work. By all textbook, school-assignment parameters of the effective movie, this should not be as gripping as it consistently is. Why? How? By the twenty-minute mark, I stopped asking, sat back, and simply started listening. Directors often say that the essence of cinema is a face talking. No film testifies more to this than Joe, Tomorrow, a … [Read more...] about ‘Joe, Tomorrow’ Is a Portrait of a Beloved Boxer in His Own Words (Tokyo International Film Festival 2015)
Israelis remember Rabin, but forget what he stood for
Israelis remember Rabin, but forget what he stood for By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was murdered twenty years ago not by a fanatical Palestinian foe but by an ostensibly pious and patriotic Jew. Though it’s not possible to speculate about what Israel would be today had Rabin stayed alive, it is possible to suggest that the murderer, Yigal Amir, … [Read more...] about Israelis remember Rabin, but forget what he stood for
Owner of Orange County Register files for bankruptcy protection
Freedom Communications Inc., owner of the Orange County (Calif.) Register, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sunday, and its publisher said he plans to lead a bid to acquire the troubled newspaper company. The company said it filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court's Central District of California. Rich Mirman, Freedom's chief executive and publisher, and other… … [Read more...] about Owner of Orange County Register files for bankruptcy protection
Republicans and Immigration Reform: Your cheatin’ heart
My, my. Republicans do go on about immigration and immigration reform. You and I and others with ears and eyeballs have noticed over the years that the right really doesn't want reform. The value of cheap and sometimes virtually slave labor pouring in over the border to clean our California houses and staff our tourist services and labor on our ranches and farms from … [Read more...] about Republicans and Immigration Reform: Your cheatin’ heart
Cartoon: Liberal Media
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 Cartoon: Liberal Media
Bush-Rubio rivalry intensifies in Republican nomination race
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Neither Jeb Bush nor Marco Rubio emphasized the need to do well in Iowa in the early months of the 2016 presidential campaign. But that’s changed as their rivalry intensifies and pressure mounts to emerge from the Feb. 1 caucuses as the favorite among mainstream conservatives. Neither has visited Iowa as… … [Read more...] about Bush-Rubio rivalry intensifies in Republican nomination race
Kevin Drum on Bald-Faced Lies in GOP Debate
Kevin Drum explores the preparation failure of CNBC's Becky Quick on Mother Jones. I think we all know what happened here. Someone on Quick's staff prepared some notes that included the quote, but didn't specify where it came from. So when Trump denied saying it, Quick was stuck. Now, sure, the staff work here was bad, and Quick should have been better prepared. … [Read more...] about Kevin Drum on Bald-Faced Lies in GOP Debate
Josh Marshall on GOP Outrage Machine
Josh Marshall unmasks Republican "betrayal" in a debate co-sponsored by the RNC and a right-leaning cable network on Talking Points Memo. Republicans say that the debate was a disaster because the moderators were too hard on the candidates, focused too little on substance and made the debate a showcase of media bias. But let's get real. The debate was co-hosted by the RNC, … [Read more...] about Josh Marshall on GOP Outrage Machine
“From my cold dead hands”
How well I remember when Charlton Heston said those words in 1998 after being elected president of the NRA. I was a third year history major at Florida Atlantic University. I remember wanting to become a teacher so that I could "arm" my students, not with guns, but the with historical knowledge of the reasons for the inclusion of the "right to bear arms" in the Bill of Rights … [Read more...] about “From my cold dead hands”
Love Halloween — it’s so Jewish!
The 2009 Coen brothers movie, A Serious Man, would have no premise whatsoever without its extended opening, supernatural sequence featuring a “dybbuk” (an evil spirit in the form of a recently deceased person) visiting an unfortunate and hapless couple. Bad luck and spooky things then plague the family for generations. I remember: Years ago, four Orthodox Jewish boys, … [Read more...] about Love Halloween — it’s so Jewish!
‘Tjokroaminoto (The Hijra)’: An Excruciating Trifle (Tokyo International Film Festival 2015)
1/5 Five minutes into Tjokroaminoto (alternately titled The Hijra), I knew it wasn't working, but I held steady. “Be patient,” my gracious mind advised, “Give it some time to unravel. It may get better.” Never has a purer act of human benevolence gone so utterly unrewarded. The kindest thing I can say about The Hijra is that it isn't the worst film I've ever seen; the bad … [Read more...] about ‘Tjokroaminoto (The Hijra)’: An Excruciating Trifle (Tokyo International Film Festival 2015)
A New Planned Parenthood Committee! (Guest Voice)
A New Planned Parenthood Committee! By Dick Polman Fresh from their triumphant deep dive into Benghazi, House Republicans have announced Friday they've created another Special committee, this time to — of course — Planned Parenthood. I kid you not! And since the 2016 election is so clearly on their minds, perhaps they'll summon their favorite star witness. Just … [Read more...] about A New Planned Parenthood Committee! (Guest Voice)
Clinton Continues To Disagree With Sanders On Expanding Social Security Benefits & More Debunking Of DOMA Revisionism
There are some interesting items in the report from The Wall Street Journal on Clinton's recent statements on capital punishment (previously discussed here) as the story extends to other statements made by Clinton in New Hampshire this week. This includes her continuing to oppose proposals from Bernie Sanders and others on the left to expand Social Security benefits, an being … [Read more...] about Clinton Continues To Disagree With Sanders On Expanding Social Security Benefits & More Debunking Of DOMA Revisionism
Remember The Old Internet
Todd VanDerWerff over a VOX has a great post on the Internet in the mid 2000s. At that time I had a fairly successful blog of my own, that was frequently linked by the New York Times, the Washington Post and PBS. But even with the help of my conservative co blogger, Jazz Shaw, it became too much to produce the content necessary to keep it going. I moved on to to … [Read more...] about Remember The Old Internet
Is Syria The Next Vietnam?
For more than a year, numerous comparisons have been made between the U.S.’s involvement in the war in Vietnam and its involvement in Syria. After U.S. President Barack Obama announced Friday that the United States would send up to 50 special troops to Syria, the first time that the U.S. would put boots on the ground… … [Read more...] about Is Syria The Next Vietnam?
Marijuana And The Death Penalty: Sanders and Clinton Engage In More Significant Off Stage Debate Than The Republicans In Colorado
The third Republican debate was widely considered to be a train wreck. It was probably the worst for Jeb Bush as it largely turned into an excuse for pundits to write off his chances to win the Republican nomination. Failing to inspire enthusiastic support is a greater political sin than to fail to show up to one's job in the Senate (a failing common to candidates running for … [Read more...] about Marijuana And The Death Penalty: Sanders and Clinton Engage In More Significant Off Stage Debate Than The Republicans In Colorado