An Iranian-American businessman was arrested by Iranian security forces two weeks while he was visiting relatives in Tehran from his home base in Dubai, the Wall Street Journal has reported. The newspaper, citing people briefed on the situation, said on Thursday that Siamak Namazi, head of strategic planning at Crescent Petroleum Co, was arrested by the… … [Read more...] about Iranian-American businessman arrested in Tehran: report
Primary Losers (Guest Voice)
Primary Losers by Michael Reagan Donald Trump did not dominate the debate stage in his usual way. Ben Carson may have put a few people to sleep. Former GOP heavyweight hopeful Jeb Bush was badly bloodied by the counter punches of Kid Rubio. Mike Huckabee and Carly Fiorina were lost in the crowd and held scoreless all night. John Kasich yelled too much and Rand … [Read more...] about Primary Losers (Guest Voice)
Cartoon: Jeb Bush
The police, the student and that South Carolina classroom (Guest Voice)
The police, the student and that South Carolina classroom by Jordan Cooper There are three things that alarm citizens throughout the world the most. The first thing is going to jail because it queries your integrity and lessens economic opportunity for many people. The second thing is being financially destitute because that limits your happiness and the chance for your … [Read more...] about The police, the student and that South Carolina classroom (Guest Voice)
Cartoon: Sinking Jeb Campaign
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: Sinking Jeb Campaign
Analysis: Ryan takes speaker’s gavel, faces daunting challenges
WASHINGTON — When Paul Ryan took the gavel as speaker of the House of Representatives Thursday, his thoughts flashed the moment when Harry S. Truman was unexpectedly thrust into power. "The day after Franklin Roosevelt died and Truman became president, he told a group of reporters: 'If you ever pray, pray for me now ... .… … [Read more...] about Analysis: Ryan takes speaker’s gavel, faces daunting challenges
Bernie Sanders’ Top Campaign Aides Discuss How “Bernie is in it to win it”
John Heilemann wrote about interviews with Berny Sanders’ top campaign aides on the next phase of the campaign. The campaign started out strong, exceeding expectations, but Hillary Clinton has had a good month in October. It is no longer enough to bring in large crowds at campaign events. Sanders must, like Barack Obama eight years ago, show Democrats why they should vote for … [Read more...] about Bernie Sanders’ Top Campaign Aides Discuss How “Bernie is in it to win it”
Ezra Klein on Cruz’ Debate Media-Bashing
Ted Cruz got big applause for attacking the CNBC moderators at last night's GOP debate. Ezra Klein explains why his attack got it exactly backwards on vox.com. Cruz's attack on the moderators was smart politics — but it was almost precisely backwards. The questions in the CNBC debate, though relentlessly tough, were easily the most substantive of the debates so far. And the … [Read more...] about Ezra Klein on Cruz’ Debate Media-Bashing
Hitler Comedy Tops German Box Office
Germany is going crazy for Adolf Hitler—this time at the box office. A Borat-style film imagining the Fuhrer's return from the dead to modern-day Berlin knocked Disney's Inside Out out of the top spot over the weekend to become Germany's No. 1 film, according to The Guardian. Look Who's Back (Er Ist Wieder Da) has made… … [Read more...] about Hitler Comedy Tops German Box Office
Was the third debate Bush’s last stand?
WASHINGTON -- Jeb Bush deserves headlines from Wednesday's anarchic GOP debate, but not the good kind. Something like: "Is Bush Finished?" The evening in Boulder, Colorado, will be remembered for interruptions, non sequiturs, mangled facts and general chaos. But the most significant impact may have been to dramatically lengthen the odds that Bush, the dutiful scion, … [Read more...] about Was the third debate Bush’s last stand?
Call me in the spring.. the spring of 2020.. if we live that long
Apparently Marco Rubio was a winner in last night's orangatango. Ted Cruz a close second. Rubio is okay -- you know, almost safe enough to let out of a cage just not off-leash and not for four whole years. But Cruz. OMG. ___ The only candidate among the many is John Kasich. He stands out as a solid grey rock in a field of flickering, translucent mauves, puces, and … [Read more...] about Call me in the spring.. the spring of 2020.. if we live that long
Quick Thoughts About The 3rd Primetime GOP Presidential Debate
The third prime-time GOP presidential debate certainly was more entertaining than the snooze-fest known as the first Democrat presidential debate. In comparison, watching the Republicans was like watching an NBA game, while watching the Democrats was like watching a game of shuffleboard at a senile citizens home. Here is how this writer scores the performance of each GOP … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts About The 3rd Primetime GOP Presidential Debate
Josh Marshall on the GOP Debate
Josh Marshall offers a quick take on tonight's Republican debate on Talking Points Memo. As I said in my previous post, this was a pretty poorly run debate. But that's media criticism. The real question is how it will affect the race. Jeb Bush needed to get back into this campaign. And he absolutely didn't do that. I thought his attack on Marco Rubio was pretty strong. But … [Read more...] about Josh Marshall on the GOP Debate
Republican Presidential Debate Rumble on CNBC: Who was helped, who was hurt, and who was despised (the media): News blog Twitter Roundup (FINAL UPDATE)
So who is perceived to have won tonight's Republican Presidential nomination hopefuls' debate on CNBC? Going into the debate, it was being billed as the last chance for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, with plummeting poll numbers, staff cutbacks and family members. Did he succeed? Front runner Donald Trump was becoming less of a front-runner with Ben Carson on the ascent and even … [Read more...] about Republican Presidential Debate Rumble on CNBC: Who was helped, who was hurt, and who was despised (the media): News blog Twitter Roundup (FINAL UPDATE)
Celebrity endorsement MIA in Allergan/Lo Loestrin Fe campaign
Last week, TheDailyBeast featured an op-ed from millennial celebrity Lea Michele: Ladies, It’s Time to Bring Back Sisterhood! No where in the 800-word essay does Michele mention that she is being paid by Allergan PLC to promote its #actuallySheCan campaign. Because of the gifts my voice has given me, I have decided to use it to aid many campaigns and teachings that … [Read more...] about Celebrity endorsement MIA in Allergan/Lo Loestrin Fe campaign
Republican Debate Roundup Coming Up Tonight
A roundup of news reports, blog reaction and Twitter reaction on the Republican debate tonight will be on TMV starting within 30 minutes. It will be updated constantly for several hours. Refresh TMV to see the latest. … [Read more...] about Republican Debate Roundup Coming Up Tonight
Pakistan may deploy low yield nuclear weapons
In an extraordinary first, a top Pakistani official has said his country will use tactical nuclear weapons as a routine defensive measure against a conventional military attack by the Indian army. This portends new headaches for President Barack Obama’s difficult relationship with Islamabad, which is already fraught with deep suspicions about the Pakistani army’s use for … [Read more...] about Pakistan may deploy low yield nuclear weapons
Lizza on GOP Kingmakers
Going into tonight's Republican debate, Ryan Lizza offers an interesting take on party Kingmakers in The New Yorker. The question that has hung over the Republican race for the past few months is whether the party is on the path to producing another historic loser by nominating an unelectable candidate, like Donald Trump or Ben Carson, or whether Republican voters, many of … [Read more...] about Lizza on GOP Kingmakers
5 things to watch in GOP debate
BOULDER, Colo. — Ben Carson is about to confront his first big test as a Republican star. Jeb Bush is battling for his political life. Marco Rubio's on everyone's list of candidates who can soar, and Donald Trump is, well, Donald Trump. And whatever happened to Carly Fiorina? They're the ones to watch Wednesday night as… … [Read more...] about 5 things to watch in GOP debate
Book Review: Burlesque A Collection of Comedy Blackouts by Jane Briggeman
Great news for comedy fans! You can now go back in a time machine without getting into a time machine and experience the legendary comedy of the era of burlesque, when the shows featured scantily dressed women or strippers -- and comedy sketches that went beyond the motion picture code. Some of these sketches were then considered X (R at most by today's standards), or blue … [Read more...] about Book Review: Burlesque A Collection of Comedy Blackouts by Jane Briggeman