Hillary Clinton distorted the meaning of single payer health plans in the second Democratic debate and is continuing to attack Sanders' progressive agenda on the campaign trail. Politico reports, "Three days after the fairly cordial second Democratic debate, Clinton’s campaign is mounting an attack against Sen. Bernie Sanders for proposals to raise taxes on the middle class … [Read more...] about Clinton Attacks Sanders On Progressive Agenda Including Single Payer Health Care
John Kasich Proposes New Government Agency To Spread Judeo-Christian Values Around The World
John Kasich is supposedly the saner sounding Republican, but he isn't sounding like that today. His response to the terrorist attacks in Paris is to establish a new government agency to promote Judeo-Christian values. From an interview with NBC News: As part of a broad national security plan to defeat ISIS, Republican Presidential candidate John Kasich proposed creating a new … [Read more...] about John Kasich Proposes New Government Agency To Spread Judeo-Christian Values Around The World
NRA, Republicans block proposed law to stop suspected terrorists from buying guns in U.S.
It seems that Republicans who are now using the events in Paris to urge banning all Syrian refugees from coming into the country (except perhaps in cases where they can prove they're Christian), and are talking about how the administration is bungling the war on terrorism and ISIS, actally don't want to do a full court press. Like kids who get to school without their homework, … [Read more...] about NRA, Republicans block proposed law to stop suspected terrorists from buying guns in U.S.
Politix Update: Syrian Child Refugee Crisis Is A Shameful Moment In Our History
It was the late 1930s and there was a refugee crisis in Europe because of the rise of Nazism in Germany. My grandfather led local efforts to place refugee children with adoptive families in our small northeastern U.S. city, home to many immigrant communities. Politicians of all stripes and the leaders of all religious denominations (except for one) came together, and dozens … [Read more...] about Politix Update: Syrian Child Refugee Crisis Is A Shameful Moment In Our History
What would Obama’s critics do?
WASHINGTON -- As Paris mourns its dead, critics of President Obama's caution in the fight against the Islamic State are full of sound and fury. But those who throw around such words as "weak" and "feckless" should tell us if they support the logical alternative: Sending in tens of thousands of U.S. troops. Clearly our nation has ample military strength to crush the … [Read more...] about What would Obama’s critics do?
Could a Paris-Style Attack Happen Here?
This article first appeared on the Daily Signal. The Washington Post reports a social networking site related to the Islamist terrorist group in Syria-Iraq, also known as ISIS, has released a video threatening a terrorist strike on Washington, D.C. It is no surprise ISIS would make such an announcement through social networking—online activities are a key… … [Read more...] about Could a Paris-Style Attack Happen Here?
Second Verse Same as the First
Kevin Drum bemoans the stupid, historically ignorant saber-rattling of conservative hawks on ISIS on Mother Jones. What really gets me about this is not just that it's true. It's that we've seen this movie before with Al-Qaeda. We know perfectly well that it's ISIS that wants to turn this into a war of civilizations, just as Al-Qaeda wanted to do. It's no secret. Why are so … [Read more...] about Second Verse Same as the First
“Live and Let Live” Has Two Parts
Here we are again, watching a tragedy in Paris. Again, innocent citizens of a broadly liberal, secular West, die at the hands of those who self-identify as Islamic purists, but are rejected by most of the rest of their faith. Meanwhile, innocent citizens of other parts of the world – including the Muslim Middle East – die at the hands of those same “purists” - but also … [Read more...] about “Live and Let Live” Has Two Parts
Defeating A Death Cult
The massacre of innocent civilians in Paris by suicide bombers from ISIS reinforces the problems involved in defeating radical Islamic terrorists who want to die for their cause. Convincing them the path they have chosen is erroneous will not work, as their fundamentalist religious beliefs are deeply inculcated and reasoning with them to change is an impossible task. They … [Read more...] about Defeating A Death Cult
Call to do more against Islamic State doesn’t settle discord over strategy
WASHINGTON — The Paris terror attacks yielded fresh urgency in Washington over the need to defeat the Islamic State, but no clear strategy emerged Monday amid warnings from both the government and the militant group that the United States could face similar assaults on the homeland. During a day filled with second-guessing, competing ideas and bipartisan… … [Read more...] about Call to do more against Islamic State doesn’t settle discord over strategy
Is Hillary Ready for ISIS (Guest Voice)
Is Hillary Ready for ISIS? By Dick Polman If Hillary Clinton hopes to sell herself as a foreign policy whiz and credible commander-in-chief, she'll need to perform better than she did this weekend in response to the Paris attacks. What we wanted to hear from Hillary, in Saturday night's debate, was a substantive strategy for stopping ISIS. We know what the Obama … [Read more...] about Is Hillary Ready for ISIS (Guest Voice)
Republicans’ xenophobic bidding war
WASHINGTON -- The attacks in Paris have inspired a xenophobic bidding war among Republican presidential candidates. Gov. Bobby Jindal on Monday signed an order trying to get his state of Louisiana to block the settlement of any Syrian refugee, while Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, proposed we "wake up and smell the falafel" and said House Speaker Paul Ryan … [Read more...] about Republicans’ xenophobic bidding war
10 Years Of Disturbing The Narrative At Kiko’s House
It occurred to me . . . that it had not been by accident that the people with whom I had preferred to spend time in high school had, on the whole, hung out in gas stations. ~ JOAN DIDION I've struggled -- okay, not a lot, but enough -- to find a common theme in the 10 blog posts I have selected as representative of the breadth and depth of Kiko's House over the past … [Read more...] about 10 Years Of Disturbing The Narrative At Kiko’s House
The Thinker
https://politicalgraffiti.wordpress.com/2015/11/16/the-thinker/ Copyright 2015 David Donar. All rights reserved.Copyright Donar, Political Graffiti … [Read more...] about The Thinker
Sanders and O’Malley Challenge Clinton On Foreign Policy And Economics In Second Democratic Debate
After failing to challenge Hillary Clinton in the first Democratic Debate, both Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley put Clinton on the defensive in the second (transcript here). The added focus placed on the terrorist attacks might have played to the candidate who tries to sound the toughest on terrorism, but instead highlighted how (as I discussed prior to the debate) it was … [Read more...] about Sanders and O’Malley Challenge Clinton On Foreign Policy And Economics In Second Democratic Debate
Josh Mashall on Syria and ISIS
Josh Marshall analyzes the Syria/ISIS conundrum on Talking Points Memo. I wanted to share a few thoughts on Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris and where this leaves the United States in terms of Syria, Iraq and the entirety of the Middle East where, with all our withdrawals, we still remain involved and at war in various ways. I do not believe we can properly assess what … [Read more...] about Josh Mashall on Syria and ISIS
SciFi Weekend: Doctor Who; Jessica Jones; Supergirl; Limitless; Star Wars; Blindspot; Childhood’s End
I don't want to spend too much time on an episode of Doctor Who which I really did not like very much. Sleep No More did not have the usual intro sequence to the show but did start with a character giving this warning: “You must not watch this! I’m warning you. You can never unsee it.” Viewers should take his advice and apply it to the episode. It is hard to say exactly what … [Read more...] about SciFi Weekend: Doctor Who; Jessica Jones; Supergirl; Limitless; Star Wars; Blindspot; Childhood’s End
Should India get its cows off the streets?
NEW DELHI, India — Animals hold a lot of social and political significance in India. Hindus consider the cow sacred, Muslims find the pig impure, and Parsis are put on towers of silence after death to be eaten by vultures. For most Indians, though, these creatures aren’t just religious symbols — they’re neighbors. The country’s biggest… … [Read more...] about Should India get its cows off the streets?
Republicans and Climate Change
Republicans shouldn't be letting Democrats control the conversation about climate change, but that is what the former have been doing. The current election season gives opportunity for Republicans to reverse course. With that in mind, this writer suggests the following commentary that GOP candidates can give during … [Read more...] about Republicans and Climate Change
Supreme Court To Decide On Texas Anti-Abortion Law–Updated
Republican efforts in recent years to restrict access to abortion have generally been at the state level (along with debunked attacks on Planned Parenthood), but now the Texas law will have national significance with the Supreme Court deciding to hear the case. The New York Times reports: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear its first major abortion case since 2007, one … [Read more...] about Supreme Court To Decide On Texas Anti-Abortion Law–Updated