I'll be back at full posting strength tomorrow, but until then.... Pew has put together a great roundup of public opinion trends across 2005. Take a look, and I'll see...[More]
January 2, 2006
January 4, 2006
WHEN THE HOUSE IS A ROCKIN...
Wow. Take a few weeks off from full time blogging and look what happens! Normally the holidays make for slow news, but with the inmates running the asylum in DC,...[More]
A PRESIDENT, NOT A KING, TAKE III
Every time I think it can't get worse, it does: WASHINGTON -- When President Bush last week signed the bill outlawing the torture of detainees, he quietly reserved the right...[More]
THE MSM IS BROKEN
Not as if we needed it, but here's yet another sign that the mainstream media is badly broken. Leaving aside the socio-political implications for a moment, it seems to me...[More]
TINFOIL HAT TIME!
Read this. Big, I tell you... Big. --------...[More]
BRING THE LAW!
Publius asks a very, VERY interesting question: That leads to a very interesting question for you law nerds out there – could Verizon (or other private telecoms) be sued under...[More]
January 5, 2006
HAS BROOKS FINALLY HAD ENOUGH?
I've been bashing David Brooks for what feels like years for his transformation into a Bush apologist and Republican shill, so its only fitting that I give him some props...[More]
FREEDOM OF SPEECH HURTS TROOP MORALE?
Funny... I thought it was the debacle known as Iraq that was causing recruiting problems, not the freedom of speech this war was theoretically designed to protect... WASHINGTON - A...[More]
FOLLOW THE MONEY...
Josh is right. The assumption seems to be that Abramoff was funneling and laundering money all for his own gain. But given the amounts involved, its clear there are tens...[More]
PRESIDENT TALKS TO EXPERTS
The Carpetbagger is right. How far has the presidency fallen that this is big national news? It reminds me of the old Chris Rock joke about people bragging for doing...[More]
THESE ARE THE SALAD DAYS
What do blogs and punk rock have in common? Much more than you think. --------...[More]
January 6, 2006
SCHOOL VOUCHERS
Yesterday the Florida State Supreme Court delivered a resounding defeat for Jeb Bush's school voucher plan. The decision has very important national implications, as this post over at TPMCafe details....[More]
WIRED FOR SOUND
Apparently The Dukestir wore a wire, and there's speculation that he may have helped implicate other members of Congress. Wow. 2006 is going to be one hell of a year....[More]
THE CRS VS. THE NSA
The non-partisan and very highly respected Congressional Research Service has weighed in on the NSA wiretapping controversy, and the results aren't pretty for Bush. Given that the Senate will in...[More]
January 9, 2006
JURY DUTY
Today was the day of my summons for jury duty, and wouldn't you know it? In my last week of winter break I've been selected to sit on a trial....[More]
WEEKEND ROUND-UP
So much to read, so little time... Here's a small sampling in no particular order of the facts and rumors of facts I found on the Internets this weekend: Let's...[More]
SAGE ADVICE
A light bulb, not a laser beam. --------...[More]
January 10, 2006
SPYIN ON THE QUAKERS
No. That's not a typo. The NSA is spying on the Quakers, and RawStory has the documents to prove it. Cause, you know... the Quakers just love them some WMD....[More]
HITCH ADDS HIS VOICE TO THE CALLS
Uh uh. Christopher Hitchens wants to know more about the alleged plot by Bush to bomb Al Jazeera. And he's saying stuff like this: A third and again somewhat inductive...[More]
THE STORY VS THE INFORMATION
It is a critical distinction that the news media has forgotten. But Jay Rosen hasn't, and he uses the WaVa mining disaster to show us all why we should care....[More]
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
First he says this: The promise of democracy begins with free elections and majority rule -- but it is fulfilled by minority rights, and equal justice, and an inclusive society...[More]
THEY WRITE COMMENTS
Take a look. --------...[More]
POPULARITY!
Brendan makes some good points here, but let me add one more. Judging presidential popularity by raw vote totals? By that standard both Bush and Clinton make Washington look like...[More]
EVIDENCE ON DELAY
Wow. Here's one example of the kind of evidence Abramoff has given the feds on DeLay. Wow. Hat Tip: Laura Rozen. --------...[More]
PROFESSIONAL DSPOSITION?
Wow. George Will has really lost the plot on this one. Conservative students are being discouraged by their professors from becoming teachers because of their political views? The horror! Will...[More]
January 11, 2006
QUOTES OF THE DAY
From The Colbert Report "This is a war against secret enemies that may not end. Don't we need secret powers that have no limit?" "Our President... does he have the...[More]
BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH
Not one, but two people beat me to it. Nice try guys, but we're not buying. Did you really think we'd fall for this? --------...[More]
January 12, 2006
TODAY I MADE A DIFFERENCE
Today I made a difference. Today I changed a life. Today I helped set an innocent man free. I've spent the past week here in Boston serving on a jury...[More]
January 17, 2006
FIRST DAY OF CLASSES
Once again its the first time... but this time for the last time! 3 semesters down and one to go. Then all that's left are comprehensives and a dissertation. Baby...[More]
OBAMA-RAMA!
American Prospect has a great review of my man Barack's first year in office. My favorite part: Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. still hasn’t gotten over a scene he...[More]
January 18, 2006
THE MANY SPLINTERED SCANDAL
The first few days of the semester have been intense! There hasn't been much time to write while I've been settling back in, so it looks like its time for...[More]
January 19, 2006
SERIOUS REFORM
WOW. Carville and Begala have a plan to reform Congress, and its quite bold. No highlights - just go read for yourself. These guys are right. If the Dems are...[More]
HELP KEVIN OUT!
It's on the tip of his tongue... They were warned. They claimed to have a plan. Only then.... Help him out! --------...[More]
AN ECONOMIC MILESTONE FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
From Bloomberg and via Kevin Drum: American workers have rarely taken home a smaller share of the nation's prosperity, a condition that is undermining bipartisan support for free trade and...[More]
A MEDICARE QUESTION
Early reports from around the nation are that the transition to Medicare Part D has been an unmitigated disaster. The Bush admin response? A PR campaign! Cause, you know... staying...[More]
IF YOU'RE STILL WATCHING CNN...
Stop. Now. --------...[More]
LEGAL SCHOLARS SPLIT ON WIRETAPS?
Says today's Washington TIMES: Opponents -- including many Democrats, some Republicans and several constitutional scholars -- decry the administration's move as an abuse of executive power and argue that the...[More]
MURTHA TO DELIVER STATE OF THE UNION REBUTTAL?
We can dream, can't we? Better yet, we can do something about it. Now... if these people would hurry up and send me my damn password I'd add my voice...[More]
IGNORE THE IRS?
Apparently that's the battlecry of Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell. Yes, that Blackwell. Why is this so hard for people to understand? One of the most basic definitions/conditions...[More]
January 20, 2006
THEY'RE USING THE FEDERALIST PAPERS TO DEFEND WARRANTLESS WIRETAPPING?
I had to read this post over at CarpetBagger twice before I could believe what I saw. The white paper released by the administration yesterday was supposed to be a...[More]
January 21, 2006
Mr. GORBACHEV, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!
Found on TruthOut.org --------...[More]
TALKING POINTS: WHY DO THEY HATE AMERICA SO?
Republican officials, along with their shills in the media - Tucker Carlson, Chris Matthews, and Joe Scarborough are a few notable examples - have spent the past few days going...[More]
MARK THE DATE
February 3. Maybe something? Maybe nothing. Only time will tell... --------...[More]
WHY CUBES IS RICH
I knew there was a reason Mark Cuban was rich, but damn.... if his latest blog post about the future of movies, music and entertainment doesn't explain it for you,...[More]
RUMOR MILL
Check this bit of news over at Washingtonian Magazine: White House press secretary Scott McClellan admits that the White House has been on a search mission for any photos showing...[More]
QUOTES OF THE DAY
It is primarily by harnessing reason to devise rationalizations that emotions create temptations to injustice. -- John Finnis, "The Ethics of War and Peace in the Catholic Natural Law Tradition"...[More]
THIS STILL CRACKS ME UP
Stupid, I know. But funny. And apparently they've moved WAY past Internet famous. Who knew? OK - back to our regularly scheduled program. --------...[More]
HOW NOT TO END TERRORISM
Well now this is interesting: The Israeli assassins caught Abu Jihad in his study. They left the chief strategist of the Palestinian uprising with 170 bullets in his body. Over...[More]
January 22, 2006
WHAT THE LATEST WAPO DUSTUP REALLY MEANS
Josh is right. The reason the dustup over WaPost ombudsman Deborah Howell's mischaracterizations and half-hearted retractions matter isn't just because she had parroted the talking points of the Republican Party....[More]
SHOW ME THE PHOTOS!
Those photos of Jack & George that I mentioned last night? Time's got more, and its not good for the president. I honestly don't understand what the administration is thinking...[More]
THAT OTHER SPYING PROGRAM
Wow. Apparently the Pentagon has admitted that it been illegally spying on Americans. Check out the latest in Newsweek A Pentagon memo obtained by NEWSWEEK shows that the deputy Defense...[More]
QUOTE OF THE DAY
When we accept vulnerability, literally nothing has power over us. -- Theodore J. Koontz, "Christian Nonviolence: An Interpretation" --------...[More]
January 24, 2006
A PRE 9/11 MINDSET?
Karl Rove recently claimed that while Republicans have a post-9/11 mindset, Democrats are still stuck in a pre-9/11 world. Assuming for a moment that this ridiculous characterization is true... I...[More]
GIVING AID AND COMFORT TO THE ENEMY?
Lord help us. First the Pentagon shows it has a Rove-styled pre 9/11 mindset... Now our entire military establishment is giving aid and comfort to the enemy? WASHINGTON - Stretched...[More]
WHERE THE HYSTERIA RIGHTFULLY BELONGS
Via RawStory, Here. A senior Iranian official threatened that Tehran may forcibly prevent oil export via the Straits of Hormuz if the UN imposed economic sanctions due to Iran's nuclear...[More]
BIG SKY, BIG IDEAS
Via Kos, a great profile in Grist Magazine of one of my current political heroes, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer A few brief excerpts. I really want to make sure you...[More]
DIRTY WATER
In case you missed it, from today's NYT The first official history of the $25 billion American reconstruction effort in Iraq depicts a program hobbled from the outset by gross...[More]
A TRUE PATRIOT?
Step up and serve. Give your life for your country. Or short of that, put... a" Re-Elect Rick Santorum" bumper sticker on your car? To Santorum they're one in the...[More]
FROOMKIN IS BACK
Given that he's a new father and probably light on sleep, I would have expected him to ease back into things. Apparently I was wrong. How can a president of...[More]
FISA UPDATE (UPDATED)
Kevin Drum has an excellent summary of the current state of play in the FISA domestic wiretapping scandal. Click though for the full analysis, but until then here's his conclusion...[More]
WORSE THAN DISCO
Wow. Bruce Bartlett, a Republican supply-sider if there ever was one, has come out swinging hard on the legacy the Bush administration will leave our nation. Wolcott has an excerpt....[More]
January 25, 2006
OUT FOR BLOOD
If ever there was a sign that Abramoff is looking to seek some serious revenge, this is it. --------...[More]
FUCK GOOGLE
So much for that whole "don't be evil" motto. Google has agreed to directly assist the Chinese government in its efforts to repress the Chinese people. There is simply no...[More]
CIVIL LIBERTIES UPDATE
First, some context "We are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." --Thomas...[More]
STOP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING AND READ THIS
Read this. Read it now. Even if it means you read nothing else on my blog today, go. Now. Read. And remember, there is reason for hope. Finally - FINALLY...[More]
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
When our nation's leaders are doing things like this, its no wonder Google thinks its just fine to help repress the Chinese people. Unbelievable. On issues of human rights we...[More]
THE FISH ROTS FROM THE HEAD
When the chief executive openly ignores congress, why should his subordinates not do likewise? --------...[More]
EMINENT DOMAIN UPDATE
For those of you following the eminent domain issue closely (sorry, I don't have time right now to fill in those of you who aren't), this is a must read....[More]
MAX HAS THE PIX
Wow. Max might have the Abramoff pics. Interesting. --------...[More]
January 26, 2006
THE MEDIUM LOBSTER DISSENTS
We're doomed... doomed sayeth The Medium Lobster No doubt Harry Reid and his cronies think they might make some petty partisan hay out of the president officially placing himself above...[More]
LET ME GET NONPOLITICAL ON YOU HERE...
Normally I hate advice columnists. But damn... Cary Tennis can write! Here's just a bit from today: Well, I have tried to give you some of my thoughts. I could...[More]
MAN ON FIRE
I know I've promised not to link to NYTimes artciles behind their idiotic Select firewall, but Bob HErberts piece today is a must read. This is without a doubt the...[More]
KERRY TO LEAD FILIBUSTER
Laptop dying, so a short post. Go read this. --------...[More]
WHY DEMOCRACY IS NOT NECESSARILY THE ANSWER
Sure, having elections is nice. But what happens when people freely choose to elect members of a terrorist organization as their representatives? I guess we're about to find out. Honestly...[More]
THE BUCK STOPS... OVER THERE
Driving home from work last night I heard a report about this but completely forgot to blog about it. Thankfully ThinkProgress didn't. Former Secretary of Defense William Perry released a...[More]
SANTORUM ISN'T JUST A LIAR....
He's an idiot. And judging by his latest behavior, I would also assume he's never heard of Google. Or Lexis-Nexis. Yet somehow he is a senator.... --------...[More]
RICHMOND IS...
If you're an old school DC kid, you finish that sentence with "is a country ass town." But if you're a VA state representative, you apparently finish it with "is...[More]
BEYOND BRAZEN
I know FoxNews is ridiculous, but wow.... Apparently FoxNews.com science columnist Steven Milloy has been on the Philip Morris payroll for years. Gee.. you think maybe that had something to...[More]
A THOUGHT ABOUT WIRETAPS
This just occurred to me as I was reading the latest roundup on the issue from Slate. Maybe the reason the administration's defense of the program is so odd is...[More]
January 27, 2006
A MAN IN A SKIRT IS...
... a victory for civil liberties? Perhaps. This week in New Jersey, a male high school senior won the right to wear a skirt to school. The Associated Press reported...[More]
WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?
This is absolutely disgusting. We are fast becoming that which we despise most - a nation without laws, without morals, and without a conscience. I understand that war is hell....[More]
FAMILY VALUES?
That what the Republican Party is all about, right? Erm.... No. Apparently single moms haven't given enough money to the GOP to warrant their concern. Is it 2008 yet? --------...[More]
ITS THE DEFICITS, STUPID
Wow. Via Andrew Sullivan.... The Heritage Foundation, a traditionally right wing think tank, has released a new report on the budget deficit. And to say that its not kind to...[More]
CUTTING MILITARY BENEFITS DURING TIME OF WAR
Via ThinkProgress... At a time when we have literally hundreds of thousands of Americans serving in a foreign war, the administration is working on a plan to triple the cost...[More]
HER IDEA OF A JOKE
Apparently if you're Ann Coulter, the idea of poisoning an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court is a funny joke. ReddHedd is right. If the media establishment believes that Obama...[More]
SHARPTON TAKES ON BOONDOCKS TAKING ON MLK... WHA?
I really don't understand this. Apparently Al Sharpton is asking Cartoon Network to apologize for airing the recent episode of Boondocks that featured MLK. In case you didn't see it,...[More]
THE LONG WAR???
The WaPo's William Arkin takes on DoD's new focus on "the long war" and it isn't pretty for them. An excerpt from the full blog post: Let me be clear...[More]
BOLDLY GOING...
where no blog has gone before. MyDD.com has put a methodologically sound poll in the field. Chris Bowers has the details - part one. Go show them some love. --------...[More]
WHY DEMOCRACY IS NOT NECESSARILY THE ANSWER, PART II
Last night, on what clearly was not nearly enough sleep, I put down some thoughts on the recent Hamas landslide in the Occupied Territories. I was attempting to make the...[More]
MAX SPEAKS
Ouch. The upshot is that the triumph of Republican-conservatarian economic policy consists of an expansion of government jobs financed by loans from the Communist Peoples Republic of China. Click over...[More]
BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID
Back in May of 1997 Wired Magazine ran the following: The Long Boom: A History of the Future, 1980 - 2020 We're facing 25 years of prosperity, freedom, and a...[More]
CHOICE CHOICES...
...which will it be? --------...[More]
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Via Andrew Sullivan's spiffy new blog... From the latest Gallup poll, right track/wrong track is heading towards GHWB levels.... --------...[More]