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Author Archive
The McCain Camp: Wrong on Iraq
Sunday, July 20th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 1 Comment »
The rationalizations for the Iraq war have been a moving target from its inception. First Bush claimed a connection between 9/11 and Saddam Hussein, next, they were a threat to ... Read more..Which Side is Harry Reid On?
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
Think Progress ran a story today highlighting Senator Tom Coburn's (R-OK) habit of obstructing Senate legislation. According to the article, Coburn currently has holds on 80 Senate bills. On Monday, the ... Read more..Torture: A journey into the Abyss
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
When the shocking pictures from Abu Ghraib surfaced, high ranking officials in both the military and the administration tried to contain the damage by claiming the abuses were the result ... Read more..What is Patriotism?
Saturday, July 12th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 4 Comments »
In a recent column, Jonah Goldberg lectures Barack Obama on his "patriotism problem." As he sees it Obama's "problem" goes far deeper than lapel pins, He sees an America in which ... Read more..The ACLU Joins the FISA Fight
Friday, July 11th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Wasting no time, the ACLU has filed a law suit over the new FISA legislation. While the primary complaints from civil libertarians are that the new law clearly violates the ... Read more..The Death of the Constitution
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 3 Comments »
In an ironic twist of fate, a long time public servant was recently forced into early retirement for refusing to lower the flag to half-mast in honor of his state's ... Read more..Conservative Delusion
Monday, July 7th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
In a recent column, David Brooks tries to make the case that the problem with conservatism and the Republican Party is that they've strayed from their roots and are more ... Read more..Celebrate Independence by Giving Up Your Independence
Friday, July 4th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
The Senate is set to vote next week on, and most likely pass, an update to FISA that shreds the fourth amendment and is a slap in the face to ... Read more..Repudiating Liberalism
Monday, June 30th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Digby has an excellent post today that explains a lot about the behavior of the Democrats. Following up on Glenn Greenwald's post, ‘The baseless, and failed, "move to the center" ... Read more..Michael Meo: A Voice against Corporate America
Thursday, June 26th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 5 Comments »
I've written previously how foolish it is to count on any of the candidates from the two major political parties to bring about any real change in this country, and, ... Read more..Steny Hoyer: The Face of Defeat
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
In one short statement, House Majority leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) summed up the reason why we can't count on the Democratic party to stand up for either the Constitution or ... Read more..Congress Sues to Force Bolten and Miers Testimony
Monday, June 23rd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In a showdown between the Legislative and Executive branches, the House Judiciary committee is suing the Bush administration in an attempt to force the president's chief of staff Josh Bolten ... Read more..The House Folds on FISA
Saturday, June 21st, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 3 Comments »
It's official, the deal has been struck and the hapless Democrats have caved in, for no discernible reason, on an update to FISA that gives Bush virtually everything he wanted, ... Read more..Bush Considers Repealing Offshore Oil Drilling Ban
Thursday, June 19th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In response to the astronomical price of gas that's on everyone's mind, Bush has started talking about repealing the ban on offshore drilling in places such as Florida, First, we should ... Read more..Democrats Poised to Capitulate Over FISA
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Proving once again how spineless the Democrats can be, a "compromise" is in the works that will give Bush virtually everything he wants regarding FISA including retroactive immunity for telecommunications ... Read more..Tim Russert: Washington Insider
Saturday, June 14th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 9 Comments »
Much has been written about Russert since his untimely death yesterday and predictably most have praised him as a tough journalist unafraid to ask the hard questions. Predictably I say, ... Read more..Judicial Activism
Thursday, June 12th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In a landmark five to four decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the detainees of Guantanamo have the right to appeal in U.S. civilian courts, their indefinite detention. The Bush ... Read more..Washington Insiders
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
James Johnson resigned from Barak Obama's vice presidential search committee today reports The Washington Post in an article written by Jonathan Weisman. Johnson, former chief executive of Fannie Mae, has ... Read more..David Brooks: Blame the Victim
Monday, June 9th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 1 Comment »
In classic conservative style, David Brooks, in his Washington Post column, laments the changes in this country over the last thirty or so years. Not just the moral decadence for ... Read more..Four Dollar Gas and Fuel Efficiency
Friday, June 6th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In Charles Krauthammer's latest Washington Post column, he tries to make the case that government mandated fuel efficiency standards (CAFE) are counter-productive and that the market performs the same function ... Read more..Bush Knew Iraq Was No Threat
Thursday, June 5th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
In a report that should surprise no one, the Senate Intelligence Committee is claiming that Bush and Cheney knew the intelligence did not support their assertions that Iraq was a ... Read more..The Nomination Goes to Obama
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Hillary Clinton is expected, any day now, to concede the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama. Clinton was never my particular choice for president but then neither was Obama. And while ... Read more..Will Mukasey Do His Job?
Monday, June 2nd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
As I've written here previously, former Bush advisor Karl Rove has been issued a subpoena by the House Judiciary Committee. They want to find out if Rove had any involvement ... Read more..Negotiations or Coercion
Saturday, May 31st, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Thomas Friedman's op-ed column in The New York Times attempts to teach us how to properly conduct negotiations with foreign governments. Appropriately titled "It's All About Leverage", Friedman contends that ... Read more..The McClellan Spin Continues
Friday, May 30th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
The reaction to McClellan's tell-all book, where he reveals, among other things, Bush's elaborate propaganda scheme to sell the public on the need to invade Iraq, was swift and furious. ... Read more..Ex-Presidential Spokesperson Confirms Bush Deceived Us into War
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, in a tell all book soon to be released, accuses the Bush administration of leading us into war by manipulating the public with ... Read more..Joe Lieberman: Would Be Internet Censor
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
If Senator Joseph Lieberman had his way YouTube would be required to take down any videos he deems objectionable, all in the name of protecting us against terrorism of course. ... Read more..McCain Supports Telecom Amnesty
Saturday, May 24th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
The McCain campaign issued a statement today unequivocally supporting amnesty for the telecommunications companies that broke the law by helping the Bush administration spy on American citizens. As reported by ... Read more..Karl Rove Subpoenaed
Friday, May 23rd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 3 Comments »
The House Judiciary committee issued a subpoena to former Bush advisor Karl Rove. According to a Washington Post New York Times article written by Neil Lewis, the committee is looking ... Read more..Israel and Syria Begin Negotiations
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 1 Comment »
I don't always agree with Israel's actions and the unflagging support of the U.S. no matter what the Israelis do is extremely disturbing but in apparent repudiation of Bush's cowboy ... Read more..Let the Swift Boating Begin
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Now that Barak Obama has the Democratic nomination all but wrapped up we can expect the right-wing-noise-machine to gear up and start attacking Obama in full force. Robert Novak's op-ed ... Read more..California’s Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
In a slim 4-3 decision, California's Supreme Court has overturned the laws banning marriage between same sex partners. The decision was something of a surprise given that six out of ... Read more..Republicans in Decline
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
The Republicans, already "thumped" in the 2006 midterm elections, have now lost three Congressional seats in special elections this year signaling a further decline in the confidence Americans have for ... Read more..The Myth of the Liberal Media
Saturday, May 10th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 5 Comments »
One of the biggest stories of late that you probably haven't heard about is the uncovering of the military's blatant, and almost certainly illegal, propaganda program. I say that you ... Read more..John McCain: A Scary Choice for America
Friday, May 9th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
I've written previously on Pastor Jeremiah Wright and how far too much attention has been paid to his remarks. I've also discussed John McCain's own Pastor Wright, Pastor John Hagee, ... Read more..House Passes Mortgage Bailout Bill Despite Veto Threat
Thursday, May 8th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 1 Comment »
The Washington Post reports that the House passed a bill today aimed at helping at risk homeowners stave off foreclosure. The plan would let borrowers trade their adjustable loans with ... Read more..Michael Gerson’s War on Reality
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In typical True Believer® fashion, Michael Gerson's column in The Washington Post, entitled "A Phony 'War on Science'" demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of what science is. And also, ... Read more..The Death Penalty: Reasonable Doubt
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 4 Comments »
Now that the Supreme Court has decided that it's okay to inflict unbearable pain while executing someone and therefore ending the de facto moratorium on capital punishment, it's time to ... Read more..The Politics of Cynicism and Denial
Monday, May 5th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Is it any wonder we're mired in an endless war in Iraq or why Israel and the Palestinians can't seem to work out their differences when we have this, an ... Read more..Guantánamo: America’s Race to the Bottom
Sunday, May 4th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 3 Comments »
Once revered world-wide as a beacon of freedom and justice, America has devolved into just the kind of nation we were all raised to abhor. Started as a grand experiment ... Read more..Fred Hiatt: On the Success of Occupying Iraq
Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 1 Comment »
Could there be anything more ridiculous than Fred Hiatt's editorial in The Washington Post today? It's Hiatt's contention that the recent airstrikes in Somalia that killed a top ranking al-Qaeda ... Read more..The Politics of Personalities
Friday, May 2nd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 3 Comments »
I've written previously on this nation's insistence with choosing its leaders based on personality traits (or perceived traits). And nowhere is this truer than with our obsession with Barack Obama's ... Read more..Senate Kills Equal Pay Bill
Thursday, May 1st, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, the Senate voted down a bill that would've made it easier for women to sue their employers for pay discrimination. The bill, introduced by Senator Kennedy, was an effort ... Read more..Where’s the Outrage?
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 3 Comments »
Recently I wrote about the decline of the middle class. About how in the fifties and sixties not only did we enjoy a great deal of prosperity but that prosperity ... Read more..Of Nukes and Negotiations
Friday, April 25th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
What can be made of the recent "revelations" that Syria, with North Korea's help, is building a nuclear program, presumably to obtain nuclear weapons? First of all, what do we ... Read more..Out of Sight Out of Mind
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Stories of the Bush administration's ban on photographing returning coffins from Iraq may be old news, but it might surprise some to learn that even when the family of a ... Read more..David Brooks: Escape from Reality
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
According to David Brooks' column today, what our political campaigns need is a good dose of medieval superstition. Apparently we are too focused on reality and that has somehow taken ... Read more..Hamas Ready to Recognize Israel
Monday, April 21st, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In a move that was widely criticized, former president Jimmy Carter began negotiations with the democratically elected leaders of the Gaza strip, Hamas. As Carter travelled to the region, pretty ... Read more..Are Voters Really That Stupid?
Saturday, April 19th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
David Brooks column Friday argues that Barack Obama having once been a candidate of high ideals and principles has, in the end, descended into nothing more than just commonplace politics ... Read more..Jimmy Carter: A Real Leader
Thursday, April 17th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 3 Comments »
While the best that President Bush can muster as a leader is to prance around in a flight suit, Jimmy Carter has demonstrated what real leadership is all about as ... Read more..The Dictatorship of Relativism?
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 1 Comment »
In Bush's speech welcoming the Pope's arrival he made the following statement, We need your message to reject this dictatorship of relativism and embrace a culture of justice and truth. What exactly ... Read more..More Hypocrisy from the Right
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
At first I was more concerned by the criticism from Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama's "bitter" remarks because as I pointed out before, you expect inane drivel from the right but ... Read more..The Decline of the Middle Class
Monday, April 14th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Op-ed columnist Paul Krugman's column today dealt with what he refers to as a "crises of confidence." Citing a study from The Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan, ... Read more..The Right Wing Noise Machine Wins Another Round
Sunday, April 13th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Time after time the right has succeeded in framing the debate, whatever the debate, on their own terms and in their own language. Whether it's accusations of being soft on ... Read more..Should John Yoo Be Fired?
Saturday, April 12th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Since the recent declassification of the John Woo torture memos, there has been a heated debate among academics and others as to whether John Woo should continue to hold his ... Read more..What Blue Collar America Knows That The Media Doesn’t
Thursday, April 10th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
When Barack Obama visited a bowling alley in the Pennsylvania town of Altoona a couple of weeks ago and rolled a couple of gutter balls, the national media saw fit ... Read more..Perpetually Wrong Pundits
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In what seems like an endless parade, yet again one of our political class pundits shows how completely out of step he is with the prevailing American opinion. Michael Gerson's ... Read more..In the media’s defense?
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
The other day I posted on the shameful behavior of our national media for reporting on the most trivial and unimportant matters while hardly mentioning the far more serious ... Read more..McCain holds on to the delusion
Monday, April 7th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Like an unsinkable rubber duck, John McCain continues to insist that things are going just swell in Iraq, that real progress is being made and success is just around ... Read more..Our shallow, vapid media
Sunday, April 6th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Ad34-f0m0] Thanks to the tireless efforts of our nation's news media we now know just exactly what type of bowler the leading Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, is. In fact, the ... Read more..What did Bush miss before 9/11?
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
Last Saturday, and again today, Glenn Greenwald brought to light a very interesting occurrence. In a speech given in San Francisco, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, in a plea for ... Read more..Al-Maliki tries to save face
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
The Associated Press reported today that Iraqi soldiers "rolled through a Shiite militia stronghold in Basra" in what al-Sadr followers deemed as a violation of the agreement between the ... Read more..Who is really running the show?
Monday, March 31st, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 3 Comments »
Updated below Relative peace has returned to Iraq after a week of intense fighting. Shiite militia leader, al-Sadr issued a call for truce between his followers and Iraqi soldiers, following ... Read more..Single Payer Health Insurance: The Only Choice
Saturday, March 29th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
A Manhattan Institute article by Regina Herzlinger weighs in on the battle between Democratic Presidential candidates Clinton and Obama's, healthcare proposals, arguing that either plan will fail to bring ... Read more..The Hundred Years War?
Friday, March 28th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 1 Comment »
Updated below In Charles Krauthammer's column today, he attempts to defend a statement by John McCain that has been widely interpreted to mean McCain would be perfectly fine with the ... Read more..Iraq Situation Worsens
Thursday, March 27th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Tensions in Iraq increased today as clashes between Basra Shiites led by al-Sadr and Iraqi Security Forces continued. There were reports of rocket attacks and a high-profile Iraqi official ... Read more..Renewed Violence in Iraq
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 1 Comment »
Updated below The violence escalated in Iraq today as the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) launched an assault on the southern Iraq city of Basra against al-Sadr's Mahdi army. Violence also ... Read more..Fair and Balanced
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Glenn Greenwald's post today raises an interesting point regarding the media's take on fair and balanced news coverage. In it he examines a Charlie Rose broadcast that takes a ... Read more..The Democrat’s Dilemma
Monday, March 24th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 1 Comment »
Updated below Robert Novak's recent column argues that the fervor over Pastor Wright's remarks has created a racial dilemma for Democrats, particularly for the super-delegates, Barack Obama's speech last week, hastily ... Read more..America’s dirty little secret
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 2 Comments »
Racism is alive and well in this country. It used to be that America's racists didn't try to hide there racism, showing at least a modicum of integrity by ... Read more..McCain the diplomat?
Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
The Washington Post, in an article by Michael Cooper, reports today that John McCain is on a quasi diplomatic mission abroad in attempt to sooth the ruffled feathers of ... Read more..Was Wright Wrong?
Friday, March 21st, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | 3 Comments »
A lot of controversy has been generated over remarks made by Pastor Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama's ensuing speech. Wright has been called an "America hater" and been accused ... Read more..Five years and counting
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Today marks the fifth year of the Iraq war. After five years, what do we have to show for our efforts? Close to 4000 American soldiers dead, 30,000 wounded, ... Read more..The Supreme Court meddles in party politics
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Today, the Supreme Court upheld Washington State's "two-top" primary, a system where the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election even if they're from the ... Read more..Illegal Immigration
Sunday, March 16th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
While the problems with the economy have taken center stage, illegal immigration remains a hot bed issue for many, invoking passionate reactions from those who are determined to stem the ... Read more..Fiscal Responsibility
Saturday, March 15th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
The Washington Post columnist David Broder warns us of impending fiscal crises where the national debt is expected to increase by two trillion dollars over the next five years, ... Read more..Democrats stand firm
Friday, March 14th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In a surprising turn of events, the House Democrats stood up to Bush and passed a version of the Protect America Act (PAA) that neither provides immunity for law ... Read more..Enough Already!
Thursday, March 13th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Just how much longer must we endure the endless coverage of Eliot Spitzer? How much more moralizing will be done? How many more details must be revealed? Unbelievably, a ... Read more..Public awareness of Iraq drops sharply
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
The Washington Post reported today that a study concluded that public awareness over the casualties in Iraq has dropped sharply since last summer. Among the findings, only twenty-eight percent ... Read more..Client-9
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
I had planned on steering clear of this story. I find the nation's obsession with the sexual antics of its elected officials more than a little disturbing not to ... Read more..FISA Compromise
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
It’s beginning to look like the deals between the House and the Senate over the FISA bill are not going to turn out well, unless of course you are ... Read more..Miscellaneous Items
Monday, March 10th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
While Bill Kristol's column today wasn't particularly notable, he mostly spewed forth about the Republican's dismal prospects at the upcoming election and how well poised he thinks McCain is ... Read more..Loyalty: To Who?
Sunday, March 9th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In Glenn Greenwald's blog Saturday, he discusses yet another embarrassing aspect of the state of modern journalism in America. In it, Greenwald exposes the ridiculous deference that many journalists ... Read more..Bush and Torture
Saturday, March 8th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Today, Bush vetoed a bill banning waterboarding, along with some other interrogation techniques described as "harsh". In his weekly radio address the president claimed, [It] would take away one of ... Read more..Delegates and Super-Delegates
Friday, March 7th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
The New York Times featured an article today by John M. Broder that discussed the issues Democrats are having with the delegates from both Michigan and Florida. The delegates ... Read more..The FISA and PAA Debate
Thursday, March 6th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
It would be difficult to overstate the depths to which our elected leaders have sunk when it comes to protecting our freedoms. When Bush admitted violating the constitution and ... Read more..Same-Sex Marriage
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Arguments were heard today in California's Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the state's ban on same-sex marriage. In 2004, at the direction of Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco ... Read more..Hear no evil…
Saturday, April 21st, 2007 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
In Charles Krauthammer's column Friday, he complains about the potential for the tragedy at Virginia Tech to be exploited for political gain. What can be said about the Virginia Tech massacre? ... Read more..Tim Russert and the failure of the main stream media
Tuesday, June 6th, 2006 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
Wednesday morning, June 7, KGO's Ronn Owens show had Tim Russert from Meet the Press on as a guest. One of the callers asked Mr. Russert about the quality ... Read more..Ground zero in pot club fight
Friday, August 26th, 2005 Posted in Political Commentary | No Comments »
On August 26, 2005 the San Jose Mercury News ran a story headlined: S.F. ground zero in pot club fight. The article, written by Mary Anne Ostrom, discusses the ... Read more..
