NATO has offered political support for Turkey's campaign against fighters in Syria and Iraq at a rare meeting in Brussels, as Ankara said the alliance may have a "duty" to become more involved. The extraordinary meeting at the NATO headquarters on Tuesday is the fifth in the organisation's 66-year history. It came just days after Ankara… … [Read more...] about NATO supports Turkey on tackling ISIL and PKK threats
Washington forgets the art of friendship (Guest Voice)
Washington forgets the art of friendship by Dana Milbank Washington Post Writers Group Columnist WASHINGTON -- Bob Dole, now 92 and in a wheelchair, made a rare return visit to Congress on Monday to celebrate this week's 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act -- the sort of big bipartisan triumph of yore that now seems unimaginable. How, I asked … [Read more...] about Washington forgets the art of friendship (Guest Voice)
Sen. Claire McCaskill: Trump’s Lawyer Michael Cohen “Giving Akin a Run for his Money”
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) invoked Todd Akin's name after Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen says a husband can't rape his spouse. McCaskill tweeted Cohen is "giving Akin a run for his money." Cohen was upset over a Daily Beast article on how Trump's ex-wife, Ivana Trump, alleged that he had raped her, though she walked it back saying she felt violated. Cohen said, … [Read more...] about Sen. Claire McCaskill: Trump’s Lawyer Michael Cohen “Giving Akin a Run for his Money”
Trump Not as Fringe as You Think
Michael Arceneaux argues Donald Trump may not represent just the GOP fringe on Talking Points Memo. Trump may rightly be accused of bigotry, but he’s no worse than, say, homophobia’s grand slam champ Rick Santorum, who has compared gay sex to bestiality. And genuine or not, the GOP has never had a problem playing on its core base’s prejudices to win political office. So … [Read more...] about Trump Not as Fringe as You Think
The Olympics
Few if any cities or countries have been better off after they hosted the Olympic Games. The people of Boston have figured that out and told the Olympic Committee no thanks. The city of Boston is ending its bid for the 2024 Olympic Games, conceding to residents who've vocally protested the idea for months. Poll numbers have shown that a majority of people in the region were … [Read more...] about The Olympics
Donald Trump’s Amazing Somersaults
The term -- the phenomenon -- (political) “flip-flopping” goes back as far as 1890 when the New York Times reported on a campaign speech by New York City candidate for district attorney John W. Goff, referring to a “flip-flop” by one of his opponents. The “flip-flopper” accusation has been used in “modern times” against Jimmy Carter, Richard Gephardt and more … [Read more...] about Donald Trump’s Amazing Somersaults
We cannot give up
The inspiration for this post came from a conversation with my sister. We were talking about the influence Fox News and the right wing conservatives have on the voters. As my sister pointed out, millions of dollars are constantly being poured in to advertising to promote a very specific message that appeals to a group of people who vote in every election. Along with the … [Read more...] about We cannot give up
Profile vs. talent in politics
The first Republican presidential debate is two weeks away and for those not in the top tier the pressure is on to find a way to get in. Fox News, which will run the first debate in Cleveland, is limiting participation to 10 candidates based on five polls, though we don’t yet know which polls will be used. Using an average based upon on five polls tracked by … [Read more...] about Profile vs. talent in politics
With Infrastructure, Government Failure Buoys The Private Sector
The United States is home to many contradictions, but none are as perplexing as what our great country can and cannot afford. We are told, for example, that our economy cannot afford a living wage, even as Congress continues to favor the rich with tax breaks and loopholes. But wages are far from the only casualty of our government’s spectacularly poor stewardship of public … [Read more...] about With Infrastructure, Government Failure Buoys The Private Sector
Clinton Denies Sending Classified Information From Private Server
Following reports that two Inspectors General have requested an investigation regarding the possibility of Hillary Clinton having sent classified email from her private server, Clinton has denied the accusations. Politico reports: Hillary Clinton said she is confident none of the emails she sent or received using her private email server while secretary of state contained … [Read more...] about Clinton Denies Sending Classified Information From Private Server
Stiglitz On Greece
Joe Stiglitz has been spending the last little while in Greece, checking out the state of affairs. Those affairs, he predicts, will get worse and follow a course of events which keep repeating themselves: As I read the details, I had a sense of déjà vu. As chief economist of the World Bank in the late 1990s, I saw firsthand in East Asia the devastating effects of the … [Read more...] about Stiglitz On Greece
Political Extremists: The Lions in a Circus Act
Political extremists are a rather odd lot. They think they're mainstream when they're not. In a commentary published by The Washington Times, Joseph Curl writes, "This is, of course, the “Silly Season” — the dog days of summer when almost no regular people are paying attention to politics and those who are flirt with some oddballs." Absent a Ringling Brothers Circus to go … [Read more...] about Political Extremists: The Lions in a Circus Act
Politix Update: The Republican Party’s Next Headache Is A Guy Who Wears A Funny Hat
As if the Republican Party didn't have enough negative publicity-grabbing problems with a man who is not serious about wanting to be president leading an overcrowded field of people who really want to be president and a president who is doing a pretty good job of being president, now comes (well, pretty soon, anyway) the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the … [Read more...] about Politix Update: The Republican Party’s Next Headache Is A Guy Who Wears A Funny Hat
Senate GOP leaders blast Cruz for calling McConnell a liar
WASHINGTON ?? The Senate's Republican leadership rhetorically took Sen. Ted Cruz to the woodshed Sunday for calling Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a liar last week on the chamber's floor. The admonishment of Cruz, R-Texas, and the Republican presidential candidate's unapologetic defense, was a prelude to a series of votes that advanced language to revive the… … [Read more...] about Senate GOP leaders blast Cruz for calling McConnell a liar
Racist tweet mars U.S. – Israel relations (Guest Voice)
Racist tweet mars U.S. – Israel relations by Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — The Washington Post and other sources have reported on a regrettable tweet dispatched—and then withdrawn—by Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes, who is married to Israel’s deputy prime minster, Silvan Shalom. She is also is a prominent media personality in her own right. The despicable tweet was as … [Read more...] about Racist tweet mars U.S. – Israel relations (Guest Voice)
Americans polarized but ambivalent
WASHINGTON -- So accustomed are we to highlighting the polarized nature of our politics that we often forget how many Americans decline to be painted in bright reds or bright blues. Among us, there are pinks and turquoises and even purples. And these voters will matter a great deal to the elections in 2016 and beyond. To understand a rather strange moment during which … [Read more...] about Americans polarized but ambivalent
The questionable integrity of Jeb Bush
Having been around in the early 1970s I do recall the very effective propaganda use made by President Nixon of the return of Vietnam prisoners of war. As Rick Perlstein so brilliantly describes it in his book, The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan, the war was lost but Americans were willing to be convinced that getting our POWs home was enough of a … [Read more...] about The questionable integrity of Jeb Bush
SciFi Weekend: Hannibal; Mr. Robot; Humans; Jonathan Strange; Sense8
The third season of Hannibal was initially to be about Hannibal Lecter as a fugitive in Europe, mirroring the Hannibal novel. With Bryan Fuller realizing that this would probably be the final season of Hannibal on NBC, with its future after that still unknown, he reduced this to about half the season so he could move on to Red Dragon. That has probably worked out for the better … [Read more...] about SciFi Weekend: Hannibal; Mr. Robot; Humans; Jonathan Strange; Sense8
Military Weekend 3
The islands of Hawai’i are one of America’s favorite vacation destinations. They are also some of our most strategic national security assets and home to the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), a command whose area of responsibility covers about half the earth’s surface, from the shores of California and Alaska to India, from Antarctica to the North Pole. A command … [Read more...] about Military Weekend 3
The Past Through Pictures XVI
A couple of simple still lifes on this Sunday. And a strawberry. The list of links to past posts is getting a bit long so I will put up a link to the last post in the European series and you can find other links at the bottom of that post. The Path Through Pictures VIII The Past Through Pictures IX The Past Through Pictures X The Past Through Pictures … [Read more...] about The Past Through Pictures XVI